I heard the sweetest thing this evening. One of Isannah’s tools broke so she told her daddy that it was broken. Daddy said, oh no we use tools for fixing things. He asked Isannah, what do you do when your tools break? How do you fix it? Isannah responded, MOMMY. I smiled so hard and I am still smiling. I love these kids.

While watching the kids push their babies in the strollers around the house I hear Gio shout the train is here. Giovanni lifts his baby stroller first and then Isannah lifts hers up in the air they both stare at me and say, mommy the train is coming. They pretend to take the strollers down the subway stairs and then onto a train just like we do to them. I can’t believe how friggin cute these two are. There’s no denying they are city babies. You think your heart can’t grow any bigger but it does with so much love.

With tears of joy and warmth filling my eyes I am happy to announce that Giovanni and Isannah Mia graduated today. Psychiatrist, neonatologist, behavioral, etc…all doctors cleared Gio and Isa today stated they graduated their program with flying colors. They were all smiles and I was so very proud of these two miracles. Hearing those words made me cry remembering where it all started and all they overcame. My heart is happy. Their advice was, enjoy them, enjoy this time. We are a beautifully growing family. I am proud and so very blessed.

My adorable daughter made my heart smile so much today. I was watching her pull off stickers from her book and place them on her booboo’s. She placed a sticker on a booboo she had on her foot and one on her knee. As she’s placing the stickers on each booboo she says, happy booboo now. She comes to me and shows me each sticker and says, mommy now my booboo’s are happy. I just smiled, and yes cried too.

It’s just me, the kids and the radio playing at home. Giovanni asks me to put on his tool belt which I did. He then lays on the floor back to the ground tool belt around waist and screwdriver in right hand while he slides his body under the train table with his left hand. All of the sudden I see his screwdriver fixing the bottom of the table while talking. Isannah hears him and comes over to watch. She lays with her elbows on the ground hands up while propping her chin on her hands. They start talking in the cutest language I’ve ever heard and giggle a little. Then Giovanni says shh Eennanna (Isannah) I’m fixing the table. She stays quiet for a second and then starts pointing to areas he needs to fix. Once Gio is done he slides out looks at Isannah, hands her the screwdriver and says, your turn. Her face lights up and immediately goes under the table. The cute language followed by giggles begin. All I can do is stare and smile. NOW my cold/cough thing go away so I can kiss these adorably cute twins all over.

Day 6 of potty training was the end of this round of potty training again. It was a rough week and the kids really weren’t getting it. Giovanni started to get the hang of it by knowing when he needed to go and then allowing us a second to rush him to the potty to try to make some pee in it. He let us know when he was about to pee. However, he wouldn’t go on it alone. It was scary for him. Isannah just didn’t want to listen. She would be in the middle of dancing and just pee causing her to slip in her pee and fall smack on her back. She actually did that twice slamming her head on the floor. She would pee as she walked. We would sit her on the potty and just smile, sing, go all kinds of crazy to ease any fear she had and just sit there with her. At times it was for long stretches, of course when she wanted to, then as soon as she would get up and go on the couch she peed and just peed no matter what we were saying. I tried to talk to her and all she would do is turn away and hum pretending she wasn’t hearing me.  Saturday night when I ran the bath Asher had enough of the peeing and strapped them both in diapers.  They were bare bottoms for 6 days (I know that’s a little time in potty training world) even outside but Sunday morning it was diapers once again.  They were smart too.  They knew I would put diapers on them at night so they wouldn’t poop the entire time out of the diapers which was all day until bedtime. Then right before I would come to get them in the morning, BAM poop and lot’s of it.

Tucked away in a new corner they found, they sit together and smile. Giovanni grabbing a handful of snacks and sticking them in Isannah’s mouth. They both giggle and then it’s Isannah’s turn. She grabs one snack at a time and carefully places it in Giovanni’s mouth but before he can close his mouth she snatches it back and puts it in her mouth. The giggles turn into loud laughter and there begins my cheek ache from smiling so much. They are always just what I need…

Two years ago today we experienced love, fear, hope, faith, joy, sadness and warmth like no other. We were blessed with two incredibly strong, kind, loving, beautiful miracles from God. I can still remember each moment, each tear, each chill and each beep in the NICU like it was yesterday but I can’t help but smile at the loving faces I see everyday. We are so proud and so much in love with you, Giovanni and Isannah Mia. Happiest 2nd birthday. May each day be a gift filled with curiosity, love, love, love, kindness, kisses, drool filled hugs, hope, faith and laughter. You are our gift every day, our hope, our life. Thank you for blessing us with life and love all over again. I am one proud mommy.  

This image will remain in my heart forever. Tonight the music was turned up as Giovanni, Isannah, Asher and I danced throughout the playroom floor. Smiles, laughter and mixed dance moves filled our home. I caught myself smiling so widely as I looked over at Giovanni trying to copy my every dance move while giggling, Asher flaring his arms in the air and Isannah shaking her coolie as she tries to snap her fingers. The happiness on these faces will last a lifetime. I can still hear Giovanni demanding more, more, more each time Asher and I tried to sit down to take a break. It wasn’t happening until they were completely done which was two entire songs later. Ah, but it was so worth it. I love my family…they are all of me.

My babies turned 22 months today. What a way to celebrate. A long car ride nap, a trip to the mall and a triple chocolate meltdown cake with vanilla ice-cream. All I could hear was more, more, mommy, yummy, yummy, MORE, MORE and all I could see was the day I held each of them in the NICU and all I felt was the love that embraced me the first time I was able to kangaroo each of them. What a beautiful journey.