Do you hear what I hear?

It's the sound of CHRISTMAS and it's coming soon! I have always LOVED Christmas. This year is gonna be like the mother of all Christmases :)

Samantha's first Christmas tree is up! Stockings are hung! And we are getting SO excited for her first Christmas!! I can't believe it after all those heartbreaking holidays of crying over not having a baby in my arms, the time has come!! And my heart is so full.

Here are some pictures of our first family ornament and Samantha's first ornament!!

Happy Birthday to our Guy...

Today is my husband's 32nd birthday!! We had a low key day. He watched football ( the Chiefs didn't even give him a birthday win! Booo!) and I made Reese's dessert bars for him. He is not much of a cake fan, so I thought he would like these. He got the whole pan to himself because I don't like peanut butter and chocolate mixed together. I also made him a funny homemade card and gave him a Starbucks gift card. We love our guy! He is so hardworking and good to us girls, he deserved a day all about him!

Samantha even made him this sign! Wow, she such a genius to be able to write at this age!!! She worked pretty hard on it ;)

Happy Birthday honey! We love you!

Forever Thankful...

"You hat me at giant pom pom."

I double dog dare you not to smile at this hat (and face!) :)

I bought this Baby Gap hat on clearance when I was pregnant. 

It's cuter on my baby that I had imagined it would be.

:)

Sorry for the lack of posts lately! We are very busy and very tired! But we are doing well. Samantha's surgery is scheduled for January 24th. Getting super excited for the holidays!!! All the holidays that passed me by, being so sad that I didn't have a baby, those days are over :)
She was worth every year. She was worth every tear.

Please read.

This young girl needs some hope and love right now...


While you're out this weekend picking up the ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner, please pick her up a birthday card (or get crafty and make one!) and sent it to NYC. She is battling Leukemia. Her bone marrow transplant is this week and a few days later it's her birthday. Please, take the time do this. Then go hug your kids or someone you love a little tighter....

Good morning Brilievers!! ♥ It is Friday, know what that means? THIS IS THE LAST DAY of total body radiation!! =) Can you tell we are happy? Brianna's 15th birthday is just 5 days after her transplant ... November 28th. I am asking you all to send her a birthday card to help keep her spirits up! We still have not received our permanent transplant room here at the hospital, so please continue to use our address at the Ronald McDonald House.
Brianna Chase
c/o RMH Room 510
405 E 73rd St
NY, NY 10021

I'll tell ya what I'm thankful for this year, my daughter's good health...

Thanks xo

8 Months of Love

Wow, have I been MIA or what?? Sorry 'bout that. Life has been very busy, exhausting and wonderful all at  the same time. Since I'm so tired this is going to be a bullet point style post. Call me lazy. I'm okay with that.

• On the 3rd we took Samantha to Boston to have a specialist look at her Hemangioma. We thought the ride was going to be a rough one, since Sam hates the car. But she surprised us and did pretty well overall. On the way home I did have to sit in the back with her for a bit and play some Elmo DVD's on the portable DVD player. Thank God for that thing. The doc checked her out and his clan (he had a lot of people with him) decided that the best thing to do would be to take it off. Meaning, SURGERY. They think because of it's size that it most likely won't go away completely and would probably leave her looking a bit hunchback. They said at some point it would need to come off, it is very large and deep, and that doing it now while she's little would be best because she would recover quickly. My husband and I expected that's what they would say. But it doesn't mean we aren't slightly freaking out. The thought of my baby going under and having surgery makes me want to sob, but I'm holding it together. They would be doing the surgery in Boston this January. We will probably be there a few days. Ugh, not looking forward to it :( 
• On the 4th, Samantha was Baptized!!! It was such a great day. So many friends and family came out to celebrate with us. It was really special and she looked so beautiful in her dress! The dress she wore was made by my Nana and all of us cousins (as well as a few other people) have worn it. So it's pretty special. There were a few other babies being baptized that day, and Samantha did great! At one point, my husband said to me "How is it all the other babies are crying and ours is not??" Thanks to our parents she had a beautiful reception after. I will post pictures of that soon.
• On the 6th, Sam "voted" in her first election!!! We heart Obama. 
• On the 8th, she turned 8 months old! I can hardly believe it!! She is such a happy/smiley baby now! It's so great! She still has her moments, but she has come a longgggg way! 
• Sleep has still been pretty rough. As in, I am not getting any. She gets up a few times a night. Trying everything, but I think a big part of this is teething. We did get her an amber teething necklace. 
• She has THREE teeth now! TEETH actual TEETH :) And they are sharp! It's so cute because she has the two front bottom ones and then this random one off to the side on top! We call it her "snaggletooth." 
• She loveeess her exersaucer!! 
• One thing that just melts my heart lately, is that when I sing " You are my sunshine" to her now, she gets this big smile on her face! She recognizes the song now :) Turns me into a puddle. 
• I tried those puffs with her the other day, but she is not ready for them yet. Kind of gagged on them and then I felt horrible about it.
• She enjoys hangin' with her baby girlfriends Kaya and Amelia. See pictures of pure cuteness below. 
• Nothing much new with me still on the job search and interviewing. Started a diet on Sam's 8 month birthday. Not going too well! But I am trying! 
• Looking forward to spending the upcoming holidays with my baby girl! Such dream come true. Christmas can't come soon enough :)

Amelia and Sam enjoying each other's company

My little beauty

Hangin' in Amelia's exersaucer

Sam and Kaya at her baptism recpetion (we changed her into a "party dress")

Mini BFF's

Happy girl!

This is the new cheesy smile she gives us! haha

Momma's little turkey

"Check out my cool boots."

So thankful for this girl.

Cutie pie

I can't believe I did this to her :)

Silly girl

So, my little princess is 8 months now. This means in 4 more months, she will be a year old. WHAT???