Catching up

I probably should label this part 1, part 2, part 3, etc. We've been so busy - not just getting ready for baby #2, but keeping up with a very active toddler. We were told at school that Matthew has more energy than most, so we've made the decision to enroll him in MyGym. This is a step beyond Gymboree and is more structured in teaching gymnastics. We've only been to one class so far, but he's already learned how to do a forward roll. I am sure in no time he'll be flipping onto the sofa just as I did when I was a kid! He enjoys the class and asks to go, so I see that as a really good sign. I think it's going to be great when the baby arrives in the sense that he'll have dedicated Matthew time every Saturday. Marvin and I decided that one of us will take him to class and then take him out to lunch - his choice. We want him to know how much we love him and that he is still a very important person in our family. He's the big brother after all.

Speaking of being a big brother - I think Matthew is going to do really well. My pregnacy has been going very smoothly - much better than Matthew's actually, but I still have my ups and downs. My favorite thing when I am laying down and resting, Matthew inevitably comes over and asks "You not feeling good? You sick?" which is quickly followed by "I rub your feet." ;) Matthew's future wife better thank me for this one! He will gently rub my feet and say "Feel better?" What a sweet, sweet boy! If he's that tender with me, I look forward to seeing how he reacts to his baby brother.

Matthew has been such a help in getting things ready for our new addition. He is deciding what he's going to share and what things are his. I am amazed at what things he is attached to. Just the other day I received a gift from a co-worker - a cute little monkey - and Matthew thought the gift was for him. When I said it was for his brother, he took the monkey by the hand and walked him through the house showing him where everything was. When he got to the nursery he said, "my brother can have my monkey. He live there." So sweet. What's funny though is that when he doesn't like something, he'll tell us to give it to the baby or put it in the baby's room. Hmmmm....

We have about 4 1/2 weeks left. I can't believe it! We're really looking forward to meeting this sweet bundle of joy!

Back in the groove

OK - so much to catch up on!!! I had been really good at documenting things - or so I thought, but sometimes life just gets the best of you.

Wow - since I last wrote we've going through Christmas, New Years, my insane two-months at work which culminates in my annual trip to Barcelona and now we're getting ready to celebrate Matthew's second birthday!

The past 4 months have been awesome. Christmas was certainly a time to celebrate as Matthew really started to understand that Christmas meant presents. Thankfully he is not at the stage where the box is more interesting than the toy. Rather we were met with an "open it" as soon as a gift was unwrapped. Though we usually venture to the farm to celebrate Christmas Eve, Ol' Man Winter had a different idea. Christmas Eve brought a nor'easter which had us iced in Christmas morn. Thankfully the roads were passable that we could get out for Christmas Eve mass, but it meant that Mimi and Granddad couldn't go home. We enjoyed having them around to share the spirit of the holiday and enjoy Matthew as he played with all his loot.

New Years was a simple celebration with friends. We met up with our friends Tricia and Chad and their son Carson to ring in the New Year. Matthew and Carson had a wonderful time playing together and trying to share Matthew's inflatable mattress. They are dear friends whom we cherish deeply. Matthew has come to refer to Carson as "his buddy." Carson comes up frequently - in fact, Matthew has named his rocking horse Carson.

January starts my busiest time of the year as I get ready for Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It seems that no matter how well you plan or anticipate needs for this show that things are always being done last minute. For me its tons of logistics as I coordinate our media event and press schedule for the show. This year we also had to support the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas. I was the lucky team member who went to the show for onsite support. It is a tough show - crazy hours - but demos of some really cool stuff. I finally made it to the show floor and got to experience the 3DTVs and see how thin our monitors will get. It's truly amazing what technology will allow these days. Seriously - 6mm thick. Wow!

After the whirlwind trip where I didn't leave my hotel (serious - even when we went out to dinner it was in the hotel), we took a quick family trip to Memphis to visit Marvin's parents. We found a great airfare deal and wanted to take advantage of the fact that Matthew could still fly as a lap child. After March 24th - it's "3 tickets please." Though it was a quick trip, it was a great opportunity for Matthew to meet his Memphis-based aunts and uncles and to have some fun in a new city. It was a great trip and we need to get back soon!

Thankfully I was able to fully disengage from work and really enjoy Marvin's family before the last big push before the show - it was 4 weeks of early mornings, late nights and non-stop meetings. In the end the show was a huge success, exceeding everyone's expectations! Gotta love that. Though it was 15+hour days and little to no sleep, I still had a chance to get out and enjoy the city. Barcelona is really beautiful and I enjoy the feel of walking the streets and taking in all the history. Though Marvin didn't join me this time, I do which I had another day to two to soak in the culture.

So - in the midst of ALL of this going on, I was dealing with the fact that I was pregnant. Yes - the one thing I said I wouldn't do, which was go through my first trimester during this chaos, actually happened. We found out on our anniversary (what a great anniversary present!) and didn't tell anyone except immediate family until the show. Before I left, I had to tell my boss - duh - it would have been so obvious with me not drinking wine! AND - I also found out that I got a new job within TI. (Yup - they took me even though I was pregnant!) This should mean more work life balance, plus I get exposed to marketing. I am super excited about the opportunity and look forward to growing my skill set.

Whew - what a catch-up. Now we are getting ready to celebrate Matthew's 2nd year and what a glorious two years its been. I am AMAZED at how much he's grown and changed. I can't wait to see what the future holds for him. I am sure it is fabulous.