3 years and counting

It is hard to believe that our sweet Samantha is 3 years old!  Where has the time gone? She is quite the independant little girl, although I am not sure that that word even begins to describe her:)  She is still as sweet as can be.  She is growing up so fast, and I think even faster now that Ali is around. While we understand most everything she says, there are still times when Ali has to interpret for us.  I am so amazed at how she knows exactly what Sam is saying all the time. And finally some hair!!! it seems like everyday there is more to see - YEAH!!  It only took 3 years, but I have hope that by 4 we might be able to do something fun.  I really can't complain since I am not sure I would know how to fix it anyway.  Obviously God knew what he was doing.

For the last 6 months she has been telling me daily that she wants a princess party, so a princess party is what we had.  She had a hard time deciding which one she wanted to have, so we ended up having all of them.  It is so crazy how quickly they pick up on all of that stuff.  I think both of them can spot princess stuff a mile away now:))  Ariel is definitely her favorite with Sleeping Beauty running a close second. However, now that Rapunzel has come along she may be taking over.

Since we were still on toy overload from Ali's b-day and Christmas, we decided to do outdoor stuff this year.  The big favorites were the princess bike(with a bell and helmet), a princess scooter and mommys favorite - the trampoline!!  Boy that was worth every penny and provides hours of energy draining enjoyment. 

They have been practicing their flower girls duties by pulling the rose petals off my rose bush and throwing them around the trampolene.  They will be pros by May:)

Of course she also loves all of her  new princess barbies & bath toys.  Of course I think her two favorites are her princess phone and Ariel necklace.  If I hear "ah ah ahhhhh" one more time i might just go insane.  Todd keeps wondering when the batteries are gonna run out:)

Things I miss and love:

She now calls Herculez, herc, hergulezz or boogs, but no more dee-dul-dee:(

No more Do White, she can now say No White.

I love that she says lellow for yellow and yittle for little - not that she can't say the sounds, just not with the right words.

She tells me, I wuv you mommy - makes my heart melt.
Anytime she does something wrong and you ask her why she says, I just did mommy - duh....
My new favorite - as she is running around, she will run up to me and stop - mommy I need to give Max a kiss - already a sweet big sister.
We love you sweet Samantha and love watching you grow!

We have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time outside this spring and the weather has been BEAUTIFUL!!  of course we have been paying for it with spring allergies, but it has been worth it!

And oh the beautiful blue bonnets!!



We have reached 22 weeks and all is well. We had our 22 wk OB check today and go back to the Peri on Friday.  Should get another look at Max then.  If all goes well, we will be realeased from the Peri and just finish up with regular OB checks.  They girls have really been enjoying getting to go with me.  Today they heard the heartbeat again.  Ali said, Mommy, why does his heart keep making that noise?  it just beeps and beeps:)

Half way there!!!

20 weeks - wow!  It just seems so hard to believe that we are half way to the finish line:)) All I know is that these warmer temps we are having just reminds me how miserable this summer is going to be! BRING ON THE SHORTS!!!  So far everything is going well.  As usual, I have been overly busy and my body slowed me down last week:)  Funny how it works that way.
The first weekend in March we headed down to the Big Easy for a little time with Todd's family and to celebrate Mardi Gras.  This trip we took our friends with us.  Unfortunately the rain, crazy traffic, closed restaurants and rescheduled parades derailed some of our plans, but in the end we enjoyed the time with friends and family.We also learned to appreciate more the difference between a Randazzo's king cake and all the rest - YUMMMMMMM(pics to come)
The 2nd weekend, I catered a wedding for 300 people.  1000 cake balls later and the wedding was a success just don't ever ask me to do that again:)) Although I would not have ever gotten it done without the help of my awesome friends and neighbors. Between those two weekends, I ended up spending about 5 hours on Monday with the Dr.  I was having a few issues, so they sent me to the hospital to rule out preterm labor.  After spending 5 hours just laying down and relaxing, everything calmed down and all is good. Because I was 19 weeks and not 20, I had to go through the ER.  However, after being bumped numerous times for more important cases, they called the head of L&D and had me sent up there.  It was just a little bit of a wake up to slow things down.  In the end everything was fine, and God is good. Little Max is safe and sound and staying put for now. I am grateful for my wonderful friends that watched my girls instead of having our fun little picnic!! The rest of spring break the girls and I just tried to take it easy and find a few fun things to do.  We made it to see Rango(definitely not the most family friendly movie out there), but the girls enjoyed it.
Now we are getting back to our regular routine, and I have got to get focused on cleaning things out for the garage sale!!  Fortunately, we should be able to get a few things accomplished this weekend while Todd's parents are here. While getting ready for Sam's 3rd birthday(ahhh where has the time gone??? She is all about the princesses.  Sam - when is your birthday? Lots of princesses!! No when?  I don't know but I am having princesses and lots of them:)), we are also going to be moving beds and cleaning out furniture that no longer has a place. It is time to start getting serious about getting the nursery together before I get to big and it gets to hot to do it.  Besides getting a room ready for Max, I need to get on the ball and finish putting Ali's room together.  This is why I pick nursery themes that can grow, because I know I will never get around to changing anything:))
Thats about it for now.  next week lots of pics as we celebrate our sweet Sam.

What's in a Name?

Today is my dads 68th birthday!  My mom ask us this year to take time to write out something special for him and read it.  I don't think she knows what a difficult request that is.  Not because Ican't think of a million wonderful things to say about my dad, but because she wants us to read it out loud.  Not sure I can make it through that in my hormonal state(ok that is just a good excuse, I would be a mess without the extra hormones!:)  I decided it would be easier to write it and let him read it, so here goes...

I am so very blessed to have such a wonderful and amazing person to call dad. No matter where we have been or what we have done, you have always been there for us: loving, teaching and guiding.  You showed us by example what it means to be a Godly husband and father.  You taught us what is most important in life, and that is to have a relationship with the one true God! One of my favorite memories today is still our father daughter dates in which you taught us how we should expect to be treated.  You set the bar for my future husband very high.  While many tried to impress, only one passed the test.  Thanks for teaching me not to settle for anything less than the best. You taught us what it meant to be a family and the importance of spending that time together.  You instilled in us strong Christian values, and instead of just telling us, you modeled it for us.  You and mom gave us, and our kids,  a gift that money could never buy, and that is a Legacy! Now that we have our own kids, we understand even more the challenges you faced, and we are ever amazed at how in the world you did it. We have the utmost respect for you and the amazing job you did with us! I am reminded of one thing you and mom always taught us.  From Proverbs 22:1, "A good name is to be chosen rather than great wealth..."  Now we are trying to pick out a name for our son.  We have given it a lot of consideration.  To have a strong name that comes from a great legacy is very important to us both.  His first name Max, comes from  his Papi - Roy Max Gonzalez and means: a teachable spirit.  His middle name will be Fittz and comes from his Pops - James Douglas Fittz and means: son of the mighty one, hopeful.
We are honored to pass on this legacy to Max Fittz Gonzalez, he will certainly have some big shoes to fill.
In the beginning I ask the question, "What's in a name?", well I think a lot, especially when it comes from two such wonderful men!

Love you Dad, and Happy Birthday!
Jenn, Todd, Sam, Ali and Max

My first Boy purchase

I was in Sams today buying stuff for the store and came across the cutest little shoes and socks.  Of course I have to buy them, to get myself into boy mode:)

and here we are at 16 weeks:

I am on the hunt again for the pirate bedding that I found when we were pregnant with Sam.  Once i find it, I will add it here.  I am ready to get things moving.  When Todd's parents come down for Sam's party, we are going to move everything around and get ready to paint:)

A little Snow, A little Ice(ok maybe a lot!) and a Baby BOY!!

This weather we have been having has been so crazy. Just 2 weeks ago we were freezing to death and now we are wearing shorts and playing in the park. I love the cold weather, but only when I can get out and play in it.This was our "light dusting" of snow.

I really think the weatherman missed the call:)

We did venture out a few times, because the cabin fever got to all of us.
Since Chuck E Cheese decided to close, we went bowling with some friends.

It is really a sad day when your 2 year old beats you bowling:))

Now look at the change:

The girls have had a picnic outside several days and are loving it.  I guess do it now before it gets to be too hot. (for me that will happen around May:)  I planned to be parked in a pool for as much of the summer as I can.  Sam was born in April and I was dying then, I can only imagine how July will be - AHHHH

We have been having a lot of fun playing with friends lately, and Todd came closer to celebrating Valentines day this year than ever.  He was kind of forced into it for the sake of his 2 girls.  They were all into it!  We made cookies with some friends, and noticed that there were 6 little girls playing and decorating.  Lisa said, "you have to have another girls.  What will a little boy do in this crowd?"  Well I guess we will have to figure it our.  On that note, we had our 16week Dr visit today.  Baby checks out with all it's parts (and an extra one that we have not seen before).  It's a Boy!!  We are very excited, especially Todd.  Most importantly, we are praising God for a healthy little baby.  He is truly GOOD!

Little Max is looking good, and very healthy.  He is about 5oz right now.

The extra parts we are not used to:))  Sorry the pic is not better but our scanner is broken.  The girls got to go with us and they were so excited to see Baby Max.  Definitely very puzzling, but so fun to see the wonder in their eyes.

Now it is time to start the clean out process.  I am getting rid of the majority of our girl stuff.  If you have a little girl and want to come look, let me know.  We have more clothes than is really necessary, and when Ali came to live with us, we got even more.  What people don't take, I am selling in the garage sale.  I must set a date soon, otherwise, I will never do it. My plan is for the end of May.  That way I have time to go through everything.  I know we will also have quite a bit of furniture to get rid of as we just have a lot of random pieces.  Check back as I will be taking pictures of those pieces.
If you plan on coming to my house anytime be tween now and then, you will find that my dining room is turning into garage sale central.  Todd started this weekend, as he is adding some built -ins to the study.  It had kind of become the catch all room and is driving us both crazy.  He is doing it all himself, so i can't wait to see how it turns out.  he is such the handy man.  i was just glad he did not cut something else off with the table saw:)

I decided not to put the girls back in tumbling this session.  I know they like it, but we are going to give Karate for Kids a try at the rec center.  Some of their other friends are doing it, and they are both now old enough to try.  Then in march we are going to do soccer shots.  Now they will have a little variety so come the fall they can pick the thing they like the best.  I can't wait to get pictures of them.  it is gonna be so cute!!

A New Year and a New Family

I really can't believe it is already Feb of 2011. Where has the time gone? A lot has happened for us since school started with our last post. After what seemed like a long road, we finalized Ali's adoption 2 days after her 4th birthday. On Dec 14th, we celebrated Ali's 4th birthday at BounceU.

She had a great party and got lots of really fun stuff. We went from having no barbies in our house to have about 10. Lots of little shoes and clothes:) Now they go up stairs and say, " Mommy, what do we play with." I think I liked it better when they did not have a lot of toys.

On Dec 16, 2010 she officially became Alison Elaine Gonzalez. What a great birthday and Christmas present for us all.

December at BounceU was pretty busy and that was good. We were able to get away and spend some quality time in new Orleans with Todd's family. The girls had a blast at the Bonfires. They have a really cool tradition there of lighting bonfires on the levy to light the way for Papa Noel. These people go all out!! They build these great bonfires and have fireworks that rival some of the local city 4th of July productions I have seen. The girls were in awe. We also had some very yummy food. Nothing like good ole Gumbo and Jambalaya (oh and my favorite-soft shell crab!!)

From New Orleans we headed to Galveston for a week long cruise to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel with my family. Mom and dad took us and my sisters family on the cruise for Christmas. We had a great time and the weather was beautiful. I can't wait until we can do it again. The girls had a blast and were able to get off the boat in Montego Bay and Cozumel. While in Grand Cayman, we did the Sting Ray adventure and Turtle Farm experience. That was pretty cool and I highly recommend doing it.

I also recommend the catamaran that we did in Cozumel. We set this one up on our own and not through the ship. My parents had some friends who did it, and it was worth every penny we spent. They even took the kids. It was $80 for the adults and $40 for the kids. It included all you could drink, and an awesome lunch, that they cooked right on the boat. Totally worth it and cheaper than anything you can do through the cruise line shore excursions.

We rang in the new year on the ship as well, and that was a fun thing to do.

Right before Ali's adoption, we learned that we were once again expecting.

It was a little scary, not because it would be another child, but because of our history. We were really excited about the possibility of another child in our house - no doubt about it. We were hoping that God would bless us again, but know there are no promises in that area. Everything really does happen in His perfect time. Ali came into our lives just 5 days after we should have been welcoming our 2nd baby home. God knew that we would not have been in a place to take her in with a new baby. We are so blessed to have her, and now the excitement of a new one coming in August! Let me just say this - 13 weeks the 2nd time around sure looks a lot different than it did the first time.

Samantha and Ali are such good friends and I am so glad they will have each other when this baby arrives.

BounceU started the new year with a great January. In fact it has been our best month yet. We are so grateful to God for this blessing. We just keep praying that this trend will continue and 2011 will be a stellar year for us!

It is hard to believe that we are half way through the month of September. Time just seems to be flying right by. I am so excited for Fall. The relief from the triple digit weather has been such a blessing. Todd is getting settled into his new job, and we are so grateful for that. The girls started preschool on September 3rd. They are going 2 days a week, and have wonderful teachers this year. This is Ali's first time going to school, and she really seems to be liking it.

She has a very sweet teacher - Mrs. Denvir - and she is from France. We just need to work on her learning to actually play with the kids and not just the teacher. Apparently, she tends to monopolize the teachers time and doesn't want to play with the kids.
I know all that will work itself out over time. After this week at school we realized that we need to get her started in play therapy soon. We are excited about the therapist we found. She came highly recommended to us, and I think this will be a good thing for all of us.

Last weekend, we got the opportunity to take the girls to the Rangers vs Yankees game. It was so much fun experiencing it through the girls eyes. We took lots of snacks to keep them occupied, and I promised if they ate a good dinner(which we ate in the car on the way over) they could have some Cotton candy. That was my favorite thing about going to the games when I was a kid - my mom would take wet wash cloths to clean us up. They were so cute as they waited patiently for the lady to make her way around to us - which never happened and I finally had to go and get it. She was taking WAY to long.

It was a fun family outing, so thanks to Chris and Carrie for setting it up!

Our first court date is is set for September 30th. At that point, we should know more about where we go next. We are praying that the court will do what our attorneys have ask for, as this will speed the process up a bit. We continue to trust that God is in control and know that it will all work out according to his plan.

I am very excited about what the coming months will bring. The girls and I have started a Bible study at Woodcreek church. it is called the amazing collection . Over the next 9 months we will be working our way through the first 1/3 of the Bible. While I am doing that, the girls will be doing the amazing adventure for kids and working through Romans to Revelation. Then on 2 Fridays a month we have joined as MOPS group. I am really looking forward to this as we haven't ever done it before.

We are also so excited that we will be taking a cruise this year for Christmas. My parents are taking our entire family for the week between Christmas and New Years. This is going to be a great time for all o us to spend some time together as a family. Todd and my parents are the only ones that have ever done a cruise, so the rest of us just won't know any better:)