the one where Ava is 11 months old

Ava Estelle

Eleven Months

 

Size:

Ava is about 22 lbs give or take and wearing size 12-18 months
 

Health:

She has a runny nose and cough which sucks. Poor girl. I hope this isn't a sign of what is to come this winter.

Feeding:
 

11 months breastfed and going, going, going. I give her solids during every meal time and she lovessssss food. Especially nuggets.. and cheese.. and chicken.. and eggs.. and yeah, everything.

 

Sleep:
 

Ava is waking up once a night or not at all. I am so ready for no more middle of the night wake ups its not even funny. Her naps are either.. one morning nap and one afternoon nap or one super long middle of the day nap.

 

Extras:

-She dances!!!
-She loves to give hugs.
-She makes dinosaur noises.
-Can drink out of a straw.
-Her hair is much longer at this age than Tori's was.
-She loves playing peek-a-boo.
-She loves to facetime.
-She loves looking at pictures of her family.
-Loves music and lights.
-Hates getting her nose wiped.

Cant believe we are planning her first birthday! Such a fast year!

 

the one where Trump and I go way back

Lets rewind to a little girl being raised in a traditional and old school Italian family. I knew at a very young age (I'm talking elementary school) that I didn't want to marry into another Italian family. No exaggeration, 7 or 8 years old and I knew that.
My family is off the boat Italian. Not the never-has-seen-Italy kind. The legit, born and raised in Italy kind and they have Italian culture deep in their soul.
When I was growing up.. the girls did things like cleaned off the kitchen table because I mean, boys don't do kitchen things. My brother took out the trash because well, girls don't take out the trash. I hated that. I hated that my role was very early on supposed to be that of the "woman role" (along w my sister) and my brothers role was immediately to follow in that of the "man role". I watched at a young age as women like my Mom, my Aunts, older female cousins.. worked in their husbands, dads, uncles pizza shops.. because when the pizza shops were first starting, they couldn't afford to hire too much help because they just didn't have the money to pay anyone. So these same women.. went to work.. 12 hour days.. with their husbands.. and took their kids along. So while they were assisting their husbands with things like answering phones, making food, cleaning tables, mopping floors.. they were also changing diapers, playing, kissing boo-boos, helping with homework. I saw them as Super Women. Wow. They really did it all. These same women who did it all.. went home.. and then did some more. They did laundry. They washed dishes. They scheduled appointments. They vacuumed. They put away clothes. They went to the grocery store. Literally, did it all. I watched as a lot of these women did it ALL and never asked for a thank you. Never asked for a break. I watched as some of them (my mom included) did get those things. They got thanks. They got gifts. They were appreciated. I also watched a lot of them not. I watched a lot of "you don't do enough". I watched a lot of women getting run to the ground. I didn't get it. I didn't understand why I could watch some of my boy cousins play video games for hours on end while I got asked to help set the dinner table. I didn't understand why those same cousins could come eat and then go right back to playing video games while I had to then clean off the table. I didn't understand why the boys could play outside in the dark but I had to come in before it got dark. Or why they could make jokes about girlfriends but I couldn't date until late high school. Or why I had to get good grades(obv not a bad thing) and they didn't. I didn't understand why I would be told to learn how to cook for my future husband. I didn't understand why comments were made to me about my weight and how I looked or dressed. I felt at a young age that men had it "easy" and had a "privileged" life... a life where I would  never feel that way, no matter what I did because as a woman, nothing would be enough.
I have already been fighting so hard for this to not be what my daughters see. I want them to know in their hearts they can truly do anything and everything they want. They can be anyone they want to be. That marriage is a TEAM. That a relationship does not define them. Equality. They have choices. That they are enough.

Trump emulates everything that I hated in how I saw men. A guy who thinks he is above everyone else because he has money. A man who thinks women are here for the sole purpose of his wants and needs. He brings out the feeling I get at the thought of women not getting to make their own reproductive decisions. He brings out that feeling of rape being the womans fault if she was drunk. He brings out the feeling I get when I imagine how men look at women as objects. He brings out the feelings I get when I think of women being unappreciated.
I actually do not consider myself a democrat or a republican. I have beliefs that fall under both. I just really, truly, hate everything that Trump stands for.

(I would like to note that I am not a man hater lol. I have the best husband, ever. Like literally that has ever existed. Who regularly makes me feel happy and that I know appreciates me for what I bring to this family. A man who splits duties with me because we are in this life together. And another side note: things have changed over time as far as the cultural side of my family which is great and I am hopeful to continue to see a shift.)

the one where I review Luca

LUCA

436 W. James Street

Lancaster, PA

If there is one thing I really love in the food world: its Italian food.
Sauce on sauce on bread on top of more bread. I cannot get enough.
It is hard for me to find Italian food I love that can compare to my familys Italian food. My dads meatballs or eggplant parm, my mom's pasta with broccoli or lentils, my Aunts lasagna.. brb- wiping drool.
Enter: Luca. This place had a lot of hype surrounding it before it even opened. The owners also own a French restaurant in Lancaster (Maison) that people die for so Luca was supposed to be just as amazing. I couldn't wait. We have been there twice. Twice because well, its not exactly a standard for a Friday night dinner date. Its on the pricier side.. our kids aren't great at taking out to eat anywhere that doesn't include the atmosphere that comes with a "Buy one adult entrée get one kids entrée free" sort of thing. We save this place for special occasions. Follow me as I give you a play by play of the place, beginning to end.

Atmosphere:
The place is BEAUTIFUL. Exposed beams. This gorgeous, huge bar. You can see the kitchen area (which I love), think lots of wood... modern and yet eccentric. Swanky, if you will.
Staff:
In the two times we were there, our servers were nice and prepared with recommendations. I personally am not a fan of asking your server for a recommendation because well, everyone has their own likes and dislikes so I guess I just don't necessarily think they will like something I will. Anyways, their uniform is a t shirt and jeans which may sound super casual (and it is) but somehow it works. I don't know if its the color of the t shirt or just the fact that everyone looks so put together (nice hair etc) but it works. Its a little on the louder side since the kitchen and everything is open to the restaurant so you hear lots of movement, plates, etc.. but the place is very open so you don't feel like its over powering.
Drinks:
I only had one drink in the two times I was there and then my grandma had a glass of wine. The drink I had isn't on their usual menu, it was a special for the evening. It had a limoncello base and was super light and summer-ish and I really loved it.
Apps:
In the two times we visited we had: the handmade burrata, housemade ricotta and the prosciutto de Danielle. DELICIOUS. The apps were all super original and not just the typical things you find in an Italian restaurant. They make their own cheese there and although a little on the salty side, so good. The only thing about the apps that would be considered a negative is that they are small. Two people can have a serving of an app but there isn't much more than that. And you definitely cannot share it with more than two people.
Dinners/Pizzas:
I am going to review just what I personally had for dinner. The first time I went I had the Tagliatelle (pasta Bolognese). It was delicious. The portion size was perfect. It had the perfect about of sauce on it and they used homemade noodles. The second time I went I had the Piccante pizza. Pretty much a fancy pepperoni pizza. It was a wood oven pizza. It was DELISH. The pizzas are also a great size. I think I had two pieces and then we ended up taking the rest home, I was stuffed. I only stopped eating because I ran out of room in my stomach. I without question wanted to keep going.
Dessert:
This is 9 times out of 10 my favorite part of a meal. They make their own gelato there and my gosh it is amazing! They don't have their desserts on their online menu, I suppose because they change quite often so I cant remember exactly what the flavors were of the gelato but seriously, delish. I remember one of them was a lemon/olive oil type.. the flavors didn't sound like something you would walk into a shop and order. Super unique. We also tried their Italian donuts dessert which was just to die for. Little fried balls of dough, dipped in sugar and then served with this delicious raspberry glaze. Heaven.

*I would rate this restaurant 4 out of 5 stars. The only changes I would make is more dessert options and that there be less salt in some of the food items.

Check out their website to book a reservation or click HERE for the menu!

(Side note: the following photos are from their facebook page)

the one where Ava turns 10 months old

Ava Estelle

Ten Months

 

Size:

Ava is about 22 lbs give or take and wearing size 12 months clothing like a boss
 

Health:

So good! Growing like a weed.  

 

Feeding:

10 months breastfed and going, going, going. I give her solids three times a day now. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Typically its whatever it is that me, Dan and Tori are eating. She loves all of it. Really. If it is going in our mouth it better go in hers or she will scream at you. SO LOUD.

 

Sleep:

Ava is waking up once a night or not at all. Thankfully. Her naps are either.. one morning nap and one afternoon nap or one super long middle of the day nap.

 

Extras:
-She is putting weight on her legs for a longer period of time
-Loves stealing her sisters toys
-Loves dogs
-Crawling everywhere
-Hates getting in her car seat
-Waves hi!
-Hates getting dressed
-Hates getting her diaper changed

First birthday party planning is officially started! I cant believe it!

 

the one with our visit to Groton, Conneticut

My sister lives in Groton, CT with her husband (who is in the Navy) and my niece, Samantha. We don't see her much (obviously).. its about a 5 hour drive, one way and well- everyone has work, school, etc and I mean, life happens.
This past few days my sisters husband was away for work and Dan was in California for a wedding so we figured this was the perfect timing for a ladies trip.
Me, my Mom, Tori and Ava packed up the car (what on Earth did we ever do without an SUV?!) and headed for Ct.
We left at about 9:30 am and made it in exactly 5 hours. That is of course not counting the two stops we made for nursing, bathroom visits and food. That time of day worked out perfectly because it went over Ava's naps so luckily she was sleeping for most of it. Tori did great, between talking to Mommy and Nonna, watching her kindle, a nap and playing with some toys she brought along, she did really well.
My sister doesn't live directly on the Navy base there but only about 10 minutes off of it. The neighborhood is cute and filled with a ton of kids. It is mostly military that live there so everyone knows each other pretty well and I was comforted to see just how much they all sort of become like family for each other since most of them come from far away. One couple was from Texas.. another New York, my sister and her husband from PA, etc. We spent the first day hanging out, cuddling, laughing, playing, getting a house tour, setting up sleeping arrangements and just overall trying to work some energy out of the kids since we had spent so much time in the car. We ordered out for dinner to this pretty good fire grilled pizza place. Pizza, a spinach/artichoke app and a smores dessert. When I vacation, all good eating goes out the window lol.
The second day we went and visited Mystic, Ct. It reminded me a lot of Kitchen Kettle Village in Lancaster. A cute little area that you could walk around, check out some shops, restaurants, etc. There was a pond so of course a LOT of time was spent chasing watching ducks. Those poor ducks.
We ate at a restaurant with outdoor seating, thank God. It was a beautiful day and the kids were super wound up so we needed to be away from people. After a lunch we barely made it through (due to Tori and Sams inability to sit still for longer than 1o minutes at a time) we headed across the way for some homemade ice cream. It was good, not Carmen & David's good, but good. We headed back to my sisters house and her and my mom put together a spread of breaded chicken, salad, broccoli and corn.. finished off with a couple of well deserved Coronas and a visit to the park which is right around the corner from my sisters place. That park saved us. Perfect for little kids and so close by, it was a great way to end the day before bath time and bed.
Saturday. The Nautilus Submarine Museum. This place was awesome. First of all, it was FREE. Thank you sweet baby Jesus. Second, besides the actual museum you go into and walk around.. there is an actual submarine that was partially submerged. It was old, huge and seriously awesome. It was almost surreal to walk through it and think about the fact that there were people who did that all of the time when they were in the military back in the day and that my brother in law does it now for a living. They slept on the tiniest bunks, the bathrooms were so small you could barely stand in (I don't know how you sit on the toilet lol) and even just the idea that you have no communication with anyone outside of the submarine for such long periods of time.. crazy.
The kids were mostly good at the museum, I guess since  it was something they could actually walk around freely in and it was also such a beautiful day outside so we really got lucky.
Fast forward to late afternoon and both Tori and Sam were spent. I don't know if it was because we all stayed together in one house so it was non stop excitement for them or what but they were borderline out of control. We tried the mall and basically got to go there to eat and that was it. They screamed, they cried, fits were had. Embarassed is an understatement. You couldn't get me out of that mall fast enough. I guess I asked for it though considering how before we even left I questioned multiple times if I should go along or just stay home with the kids. Tori has serious issues with being over stimulated. It really, truly messes up her brain. She goes nuts. Meltdown mode. Its bad. So bad.
Anywho, that brings me to us leaving a night earlier than planned. I really didn't want to sit around and deal with the girls being so tired that they just wanted to kill anyone and everyone and my mom started feeling under the weather anyways so at 5pm Saturday night we packed up the car and hit the road. Both kids were asleep by 7:30.. it was a 6 hour drive home INCLUDING dropping my mom off at her house and coming home myself.. I was greeted by my amazing neighbor who helped me get the girls inside, my other neighbor had changed my front porch light AND turned on one of my living room lights so it wouldn't be too dark for me when I made it home at 11 (did I mention my neighbors are AMAZING?!) and the girls both slept until 7ish the next day.
We really had such a nice trip, a big thank you to my sister for having us! Now onto some pictures, which most of you have alrdy seen via fbook and IG.

the one with Tori's first day of preschool, 3 year old class

I NEED TO GET BETTER WITH MY UPDATES.

So Tori started preschool today.
If you remember, last year she went at two years old to Calvary preschool. She loved it. I loved it. The teachers were great. Tori got along great with her classmates.
I hated how huge it was. I hated the drive. I hated that even though her day was 2.5 hours long it felt more like 2 because we had to leave early to get there and then wait in line to pick her up. Then comes an opening at the preschool which is ONE BLOCK away from our house. We can WALK there. Our neighbors kids have all gone there. Its small. Its close. Good reputation. Sign me up.

Today.. she started at the new school. I wasn't sure how she would take this but figured she is young enough that it wouldn't really matter to her.. or that she wouldn't even notice. I was wrong.
Anytime I would mention her going to school she would mention her friend Mia or Mrs. Davies. Sorry babe- they are at your OLD school. You are going to a NEW school. You will make NEW friends. You will have a NEW teacher.
She got upset at orientation and wasn't very interested in going into her classroom. In her defense.. there are 24 kids in her class. Orientation included the 24 kids.. and their parents.. and for some, even their grandparents. It was loud. It was busy. Tori is not a fan of lots of people close to her. She is not a fan of being over stimulated. Or of sharing.
After a few minutes she got over it and we got to chat with the teachers and a few other parents. Am I the only one who feels like orientation or first day of school etc is like the first day for me too? I got this weird feeling like I needed to talk to everyone and hear their story. I needed to learn names. I needed to find out everything. I am going to blame the sales person in me for it.
So the run down..
24 kids with 4 teachers (pretty good ratio). The kids would be split into two groups, 12 and 12. 2 teachers each. The groups will change. I'm not sure if I like that or not. Tori likes to really get to know her circle. I think it may be confusing to her to have a different mix of kids vs just being with the same 11 all the time. I guess we will see. The classrooms are so nice! They are big, bright, busy looking. Very pre school-ish which made this mommas heart happy. So much to do, so much to see and learn.
Today was only a short day as the parents had to fill out paperwork and stuff, so even though today was officially her first full day, Thursday is the first FULL day.
Victoria loves school. I hope that she does for forever. Mom and Dad were never really school people so we are hoping she can break the cycle lol.

the one with my last ten

I saw this on a fellow bloggers blog and thought it was fun! The last ten pictures I have on my cell phone... most of them are of my kids.. which I am sure is a surprise to no one lol..

This is our neighbor girl. She is almost 16 and just got her braces off. STUNNING. Inside and out. I can hardly stand it.

 

 

 This girl.. as happy as a clam, always.

 

 

My sweeties enjoying sister bath time together. I love watching them interact. It is so special. Dan just said to me the other day that he cant get over how much Tori has loved Ava since she was born. Tori has just known its her baby sister and they have bonded so quickly. It is like Ava has always been here.

 

 

A screen shot from a work related email about some updates being made to a home.

 

Our best friends James and Erica just welcomed a sweet little girl to the world a few weeks ago. Brynn Reed. She is so sweet and Tori is a natural with babies.

 

 

We had a playdate the other day with a little girl from Toris preschool class. They sort of love and hate each other at the same time but we still try to see them here and there. Ava got to be pushed on the swing and she loved it so much.

 

 

This is from a morning wrestling match. Ava knows how to take sister down. Grab a handful of sissys hair and she is guaranteed a win.

 

 

We went shopping and I was trying to find a fall coat for Tori. I do not particularly like closet staples that are too girly so I really liked this coat but it was a bit too light to count as a fall coat, we passed.

 

 

Mom just had her thyroid removed. They had to test some cyst type things in it a few weeks ago (for cancer) and the tests were inconclusive. It was recommended that she just remove it. Surgery was just done and after healing she will have to be on a medication for life. Surgery went well. She is home recovering. We are thankful.

 

 

I am the baker in our house. Dan is the cook. He loves these chocolate chip ricotta cookies I make. This day, Tori and I made them to surprise Daddy when he got home. She loves helping me in the kitchen. Its a fun thing for us to do together.