Merry Christmas !!!!

and what a wonderful Christmas it was!!! We celebrated Christmas eve at my friend Kathy's home and my FIL's home. We had a blast of both !!! At my FIL's we arrived at the exact same time as my SIL and her family. What a joy to see them all again, and to give Nicole's belly a rub. We all ate, talked, played, and DANCED !!! It was amazing to watch the cousins all play together. Bella fell in love with both of her boys. It was so sweet to watch how affectionate they were with each other. Kyle was Bella video game and dancing partner. Carter was her running and climbing up the stairs partner. So many laughs and smiles !!!Little man loved all the extra snuggles and he was full of smiles for everyone. We ended the evening with opening presents, we LOVED all of our gifts from Grandpa Freckle. He truly does spoil all of us. Frankie and I hurried home put the kids to bed, finished up so last minute "Santa" gifts and away to bed we went. Both kids slept in until 7:30am YAHOO!! The best present I could have ever received. Frankie and I waited for Bella to come out of her room. The look on her face and in here eyes, I will never forget it. This is the first year where Bella actually "gets it". We sat and opened present for over an hour with both kids. Santa was very good to them. We hurried and ate breakfast then we headed over to my MIL's to celebrate with a Christmas brunch. We had a fabulous time. We opened more presents, ate, and laughed. Nicole took some of the first pictures of all the cousins together. My daughter was actually the one just sitting there, she was so tired. But I bet some of them turned out great!! We then headed home for naps and assembly of all the gifts. We literally spend the rest of the evening opening boxes, putting together, and finding a place for everything. Our little family had so much fun !!! We are going take it easy today, as Bella, little man and I are still feeling under the weather. But are looking forward to a nice weekend. Merry Christmas!!!
I took SO many pictures..so these are just a few, I will send out an email later with all of them.

Do they know it's Christmas time....

is the only Christmas song that my husband will listen too...or should I say the only one he enjoys. The day after Thanksgiving I program all the radio stations to Christmas music!!! He puts up with for me...for the holidays. I think he really kinda likes it.

We have a BUSY past few days. Actually the kids and I have been super busy. Thursday the kids and I ran some last minute errands. Then Thursday evening we had Bella Ballet Christmas Party. The entire Trifilio clan went and and we had a wonderful time. It is the first class I had been to in a while, since Frankie typically takes her. I was IMPRESSED on how well Bella has all the steps/positions down. They did a new "reindeer" dance in class, she watched it once and new the entire dance the second time around. WOW!! They start learning their recital in January. Very exciting! We just ordered her first dance costume. We then all headed over to Shogun's to celebrate my FIL's birthday. It was so nice to see everyone and celebrate such a happy occasion. Little man LOVED all the extra snuggles from his Chelo. Happy Birthday Grandpa Freckle!! Friday the kids and I got all dressed up and went to our playgroup Christmas Party. FUN FUN FUN!!! Almost the entire group was there, plus a couple of new members. The kids and I had a great time!!! We had lots of food, gift exchanges, great conversation, and great friends. You can't ask for anything better, as I'm always reminded on how amazing all of these women and their children are. Something I'm truly thankful for. Friday evening we went to a wonderful cocktail party with some friends, and we had a fabulous time. What a great way to start the countdown to Christmas. Saturday Daddy was SUPER busy helping out Grandpa and Terry, so the kids and I enjoyed some new toys and played. I then tried to finish up some power shopping last night, but arrggg I forgot one gift. I have to head back out today.

We have so many exciting things coming up...Christmas of course, but most importantly we get to spend quality time with family !!! Our Haun family is coming and we can't wait to see them!!

Our Bella moment of the holiday season. She is OBSESSED with the nativity scene. She actually refers to them all as "Jesus", and it isn't uncommon to find them in her dollhouse, her bed, and all of her other hiding places.

A GREAT DAY!!

A quick recap of the past few days. This past Friday I took Frankie and Bella to a fun indoor inflatable playground with our playgroup. Bella LOVED it and played non-stop. Frankie enjoyed watching all the kids running around. Bella was a bit bummed she couldn't do the rock climbing wall, but fun was had by all. Saturday we hosted Frankie's office Christmas. It was a HUGE success. We had a wonderful time...good food..great conversation...great friends is just a recipe for a fabulous party. Bella and little man were also a huge hit ;-) Sunday we all bundled and dressed up and went to celebrate Aunt T's birthday. I dropped off the family and headed back out to try and finish up the last of our shopping. Mission Complete!

On to this week!!! Monday I dressed Bella up in an ADORABLE outfit for school. It was her Christmas program practice. She did GREAT!!! Then we hurried home for lunch and then back out again for Frankie's 6mth check-up. His lungs were great, breathing much better, and weight gain is improving. He weighed at 13lbs 10.5ounces and 26 3/4in in length. At 6 months Bella was 15lbs 9ounces and 26in in length. The doctor wants us to continue to work on the weight gain. We return for a weight check in 4 weeks. Tuesday my friend Kris came over with her kiddo to play and work on Teacher Christmas presents. Thank goodness for our Crafty fairy godmother our finished products turned out great. On to today...A) all Happy Birthday Aunt T !!!! B) We are SOOO excited to having a new little "boy" cousin C) Bella's Christmas program was AMAZING. She did such a wonderful job singing and dancing. I still have tears in my eyes just thinking about watching my little angel growing up way too fast. Grandma Bird and I hung onto each other sniffling away. We then went Bella's class to celebrate Jesus birthday and exchange their books. Bella loved showing off her grandma and brother. We then headed home for some much needed rest. We have another busy couple of days ahead of us with Ballet, Ballet party, another Christmas Party, and the list goes on. (I will post pictures of Bella performing soon, but they are on my MIL's camera).

Bella was so tired after school on Monday. She just past out!

At her Christmas Program walking up to the stage!

This truly has been a wonderful day!! I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Catch up !!

Most importantly...Happy Birthday Carter !! We love you !! Uncle Frankie, Aunt Amy, Bella and Baby Frankie

We had a pretty good weekend !!! We spent some much needed quality time with Frankie's mom. Bella LOVED assisting Bird in the kitchen, coloring, and playing tea party.

Monday Bella went to school and had a great day !!! I'm so lucky that she loves her teacher to pieces.

Tuesday we had a busy day we went to Jennifer's to try on some new outfits for Bella. It was so much fun to watch Kayla and Frankie play together. They both were mesmerized by each other. Then later that afternoon we went to a playdate at the park. Bella LOVED it! and mom loved the fact that she ran off tons of energy !! We had a great time and great conversation with my moms from the playgroup! Of course our day isn't complete with some type of Bella surprise. While I was feeding Frankie she found her "lipstick" aka chapstick, and proceeded to apply....all over her face. Good times !!

Wednesday was one word COLD !!! Bella, Frankie, and I BUNDLED up to take Bella to school. Brrrrr!! Then Frankie and I ran to the post office to mail our Christmas boxes. (I still need to finish Christmas Cards) Poor little man by the time we got home finally warmed up, we had to be back out again picking up Bella. The kids and I had a nice warm/cozy lunch. Then to our surprise around 3ish it started snowing. WOW!! After a couple of phone calls I bundled Bella back up again to take her out to play in the snow. She LOVED every second of it. She was in complete awe, and just kept yelling snow! I think I had just as much fun taking pictures, laughing, and watching my little girl with her first snow. We spent the rest of the evening retelling all of our stories to daddy as soon as he came home !!!

Today..I'm really going to try and get my Christmas Cards out. Then start working on the house to prepare for Frankie's office Christmas party. Yes! we are hosting...I'm such a sucker for Frankie's begging smile.

The past 24+ hours....

I just had to share a few of the events that occurred over the past couple of days. Wednesday night Frankie came home from work and wanted to take Bella outside with him to work on the car. I was in the kitchen feeding little man so I told him to put her pants (on the couch), shoes, and socks on. (She is very proficient at removing her clothes now) Well...about an hour later they both come inside and Isabella is wearing a pair of capris. ???? I told Frankie that she had worn jeans to school, and where did her get the "skin-tight" capris. He said "on the couch"! I move in for a closer look and he had put Baby Frankie's pants on her. I hadn't laughed that hard in FOREVER!! Obviously Frankie's pants were SUPER big on him, but all hubby could say was "Oh that was why they wouldn't button and so tight, and why her stomach is so red" I just about died of laughter...reason #7,426 why hubby isn't aloud to dress the kids.

As most of you know my princess can have a bit of a temper. Thursday morning she wanted to eat breakfast again! I told her no and that she had to wait for snack time. Apparently she learned how to open the child locks on the pantry (Yes we had to install them, because my daughter would eat of us out of house and home), and brought me a box of her cereal. I told her to put it back, nope she dumped the entire box on the couch. Needless to say I was none to happy....The joys of parenting.

Fast forward to last night...Bella waltzed into our room about 1am. I was too tired to put her back, and she proceeded to toss and turn and roll etc. Finally I picked her up to talk to her as she only wanted mommy to touch her. She goes "Shhhh mommy daddy is sleeping!" My little princess always looking out for daddy's best interest. She must be under the impression that I can run on pure caffeine alone.

We have a full weekend ahead with a "Family Playdate" for our playgroup, Family Pictures, I need to make Bella's ballet teacher Christmas gift, baking, Christmas cards, shopping, pictures with Santa etc. The list just goes on and on!!

Thanksgiving Week

WOW!! What a wonderful holiday weekend. Here is a recap of our festivities.

Wednesday 11/26 - Baby Frankie had another Doctor's appointment and that went well. He lungs have improved some but no where close to 100%. We received more steroids and orders to continue the breathing treatments for another thirty days. The kids and I then patiently waited for my family to arrive. Once they did mom and I hit the kitchen running and final cleaning of the house to prepare for everyone.

Thursday 11/27 - Happy Thanksgiving! My mom, sister, and I woke up and again hit the kitchen. We had a wonderful morning cooking, laughing and enjoying family. Everyone arrived at our home at 5ish and we were sitting down eating by 5:30pm. By far the easiest Thanksgiving without any hiccups at all. We were joined by my parents, brother, sister, Frankie's sisters Kim & T, Tiffany's boyfriend Mike, Terry a family friend, Frankie's dad, his mom and her friend Tom. A great time was had by all !! Even during the A&M football game. We spent the rest of the evening cleaning up and resting.

Friday 11/28 - Happy Birthday to me !!! I spent the early morning of my birthday shopping. Best buy wasn't to bad, but Toys R Us was a mad house. I always say never again, but I know I will be back out there next year. I came home to everyone awake and a wonderful birthday breakfast. We literally spent most of the day lounging around the house, watching movies, playing scrabble, and enjoying a few cocktails and a visit from Aunt T & Mike. It was wonderful to be surrounded by my family on my birthday. Bella and Baby Frankie even picked out a beautiful Little Mermaid card for me ;-)

Saturday 11/29 - The day of Christmas !!! I finally talked hubby and my dad to decorating the outside (and it looks wonderful). Then my mom, sister, Bella, and I put up the tree and decorated the house. It looks stunning and I have to admit one of the best yet. My mom and I enjoyed a quick trip to the store, we both really miss tootling around together.

Sunday 11/30 - This was our day of quiet. Everyone left early in the morning to avoid the traffic. So hubby, the kids, and I enjoyed a nice quiet day at home. We played games, colored, and listened to Christmas music. Quality family time!

That brings us to this week. Bella went to school yesterday and had a great day. Baby Frankie and I stayed at home and watched our new Uverse being installed. I'm still bummed we lost everything that was on our DVR :-( Isabella is finally getting out of her "whiny" stage, but she still has a TEMPER! I'm hoping that this too shall pass, but lord her mood swings are something. She is still singing constantly and mostly Twinkle Twinkle to practice for her Christmas program at school. She has now memorized several books and loves to read them to me. Bella hasn't lost any of her confidence and loves to be the center of attention at any given moment. I still can't believe what comes out of her mouth on a daily basis, and how much she is growing up. She answers me in full sentences, comprehends what I say and ask...just amazing. Just last week some of the favorites were "Daddy I'm talking to you" and "Mommy I need a bath I stink" and just yesterday out of no where she ran to baby Frankie shook his hand and said "Nice to meet you little man" (I always call Frankie my little man). Also when we were walking to the car after school she said "Brrrr it's cold AND windy mommy!" Out of the mouths of babes. I do have to admit it pulls on my heart a bit that her brother ADORES her. He follows her every move, and Bella is definitely a fair weather sister. When she wants to play with him she is great and then when she doesn't she cries if he breaths on her let alone touches her. Hopefully they will have a close bond when their older. ;-)

My little man is doing well. His lungs are improving finally and hopefully that means weight gain will soon follow. He still loves to laugh, coo, his exersaucer and rolling. He is now getting up on all fours and rocking. I think he maybe crawling by the New Year. He now has a total of three teeth. Thankfully he loves his baby food and green beans being his favorite. He definitely will be like his daddy and does not like sweets very much. To top it off on MY birthday he said "Dadadada" yeah for me !! Daddy was over the moon.

That about wraps everything up. We still have a busy week with MDO, house stuff, last of the Christmas shopping, etc.

The seats at the doctor's office has our name on them...

I wanted to jump on real quick and update everyone on my babies. Unfortunately we had an extremely rough weekend. Since Thursday both of my babies continue to get worse with coughing. Hubby and I took both of the kids back to the doctor Saturday morning. After a long morning at the doctor's office & hospital. Here is the run down...Both of their pulse-oxygen level was low...so they received breathing treatments, inhalers, meds, steroids etc. We then took Bella to get a chest x-ray to see if she has pneumonia. Thankfully those came back 100% clear, and she was diagnosed with severe asthma. After getting the hang of her inhaler she is almost back to her bouncy self. As for Frankie the on-call doctor preferred that we follow-up with his normal pediatrician Monday since she is more familiar with his case. Unfortunately we found out today that he lost 3 ounces since last Monday...not good. We returned to the doctor on Monday and unfortunately Frankie hadn't improved at all. He was given more steroids for his breathing machine and antibiotics. We return tomorrow morning for a follow-up. Hopefully their is some improvement.

Obviously we have been home bound again, I think Bella is suffering the most. She hasn't been able to see any of her friends. She has missed school, dance class, and playgroup. Needless to say she is ready to get back to her normal routine. She is still singing up a storm, coloring, puzzles, and non-stop talking. But we have been experience a severe case of her whining. I'm hoping it is just because she has been sick.

My little man.....I continue to pray everyday that his body heals and he gains weight. I'm happy to report he is now loving his baby food. He is still a rolling & cooing machine. I'm also happy to announce he is "almost" sitting up and getting up on all fours. Plus the doctors just love how happy and mellow he is regardless of how sick he is.

As for mom and dad we are just plain tired and worried. Bella was not a sickly child, so this is new for us. We continue to pray and hope for the best.

The Trifilio's are looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday, we have much to be thankful for this year.

We have a permanent seat at the Dr.'s office!

We are back from our whirlwind trip to Wisconsin. We had a wonderful time at my cousin's wedding, and in my personal opinion Bella was the best flower girl ever. She did an amazing job, and was the star dancer at the reception. A great time was had by all !!! We returned back to Fort Worth and drove home to Houston on Sunday. Needless to say this week has been filled with unpacking, laundry, and cleaning. Unfortunately I brought two sick babies home with me. Bella and Frankie both went to the doctor on Monday. Frankie thank god has just a cough, but Bella has the flu. Aaahhhh we are home bound AGAIN!!! I'm so ready for the cold/flu season to be over. Hopefully Bella will be on the mend by next week for her Thanksgiving feast as school.

Daddy is doing great and has been super busy at work. His schedule is going to change soon and will have every other Monday off now.

Mom is EXHAUSTED...I have been blessed with no whiny children ever, and my little man is the most mellow baby ever. BUT when they are sick, everyone in my family makes up for the lost time. I've been doing LOTS of praying to god to bless me with patience as both children are requiring every ounce of energy I have. But aside from sickness life is wonderful and I'm very much looking forward to the holidays. I only have two people left to shop for...hint hint Aunt Nicole I need those lists ;-)

Frankie is doing great and has TWO teeth now !!! He is still rolling, babbling, and all smiles. He now loves his exersaucer which is a great break for mom. Still not a huge fan of baby food, but we keep trying.

Bella is my little princess. She is all full of fun, energy, songs and dancing. She definitely isn't shy. If I had the energy I would type up a hundred stories. It just amazes me how I can hold conversations with her now. She understands completely what I'm saying...she has an opinion...she has mood swings...a personality. Ahhh my princess !!! Just last week again I asked her if she was ready to come out of time out and to tell mom she was sorry. (because of throwing a toy at my head). Her reply "Not yet!" She is my husband's child.

Frankie and I just celebrated our anniversary, and it is just a constant reminder how all of my dreams have come true. Life just doesn't get better than this...

This weekend we are off to get ready for our Thanksgiving Feast at our house.

Halloween and Birthday !!

Here is a quick recap....

Wednesday Oct. 29th- Bella had a parade at school and Baby Frankie and I stayed to watch and take pictures. It was SOOOO cute, especially Bella's class all holding on to their "butterfly" and waving their bat wands. It was wonderful until Bella saw me and ran over, obviously it was a parade and her class kept moving. So her teacher had to take a crying Bella back. Baby Frankie and I immediately went home after that ;-) Baby Frankie tried applesauce today and HATED it. He is laughing out loud and is a ridiculous rolling machine. He still isn't sitting up yet, but we're working on it.


Thursday Oct. 30th- Bella had a Halloween party at Ballet. Frankie took her and the picture are ADORABLE. All the little dancers dressed up and dance with Miss Margo. Just precious..they had a little party after class, fun was had by all.


Friday Oct. 31rst- HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!! Baby Frankie, Bella, and I went to our playgroups Halloween Party. It was SO MUCH FUN! and amazing to see everyone again finally. Since baby Frankie has been sick, we've stayed away from playdates for about a month. Bella LOVED seeing all of her friends again, and my little man enjoyed the extra cuddles. I have to add..my heart just swells thinking of these amazing group of women. With my little man being sick, we were unable to put together a HUGE birthday party for Bella. So my playgoup did a surprise/impromptu party for her today. Just heaven for the both of us. Papa and Mimi came into town today, for Bella's Birthday! and I somehow didn't get any pics of the two kiddos together for Halloween ???? Arrrggg We ended the day with Daddy and Mimi taking Bella trick or treating. We did a switcheroo thanks to Aunt Nicole, since Bella can't have any of the candy.


Saturday Nov. 2nd-Happy Birthday Bella! It was a WONDERFUL day. With lots of fun, eating, playing, fishing, and Little Mermaid watching. We celebrated at her Grandpa Freckle's house with all the family. I still can't put into words the feelings I have of seeing my little girl grow up. She is talking non-stop, using expressions, singing, and all of those other grown up things. I wrote Bella a letter today for her to open at a later date. I want her to know that she means to the world to me....


Sunday Nov. 3rd-Quick shopping trip with Mimi before they left town. We have a new favorite movie "Tinkerbell".

Monday Nov. 4th-Bella had her 2yr check-up today. She is in PERFECT health and weighed in at 29lbs (75-90%) she lost some weight from her Rotavirus. 34 1/2 in height (75%)! Baby Frankie had a quick check-up and he is doing better, still not a 100% but better. We go back next week to have a final lung check before we head out of town to Wisc. for my cousin's wedding.

The rest of this week was filled with fun days at school for Bella. Playtime with mommy and Frankie at home. Last night at Ballet we found out that Bella will begin learning her routine for her recital in June. Very exciting ! We were also told that we won't be able to sit in the class and watch we have to wait outside. I hope Bella will do ok. We've also kept a low profile most of our playgroup has a nasty virus. So our fingers are crossed we don't get it.

As for the eating..Baby Frankie is still trying and so will mom! Sleep Update: I'm proud to report after a lengthy discussion with Ped. and google. We continued to work with Bella. She is now in bed EVERY night at 8pm and doesn't leave her room. I don't want to jinx myself, but so far so good. Baby Frankie is still not sleeping through the night, but hopefully soon. Our next step..Potty Training. She started telling me when she is"peeing" in her diaper. Just not soon enough..so maybe after the holidays we will tackle this!

Have a great weekend!

Counting down until my baby girl turns 2!

talk about a Trifilio family Christmas Card....

I'm happy to report that Baby Frankie is better. We return to the doctor again on Monday for hopefully an all clear. He still has a pretty bad cough, but he is improving and that is good. We kept a pretty low profile this weekend except on Saturday Frankie, Kimmy, and mom went indoor rock climbing for mom's birthday !!! Fun was had by all, and I do mean all including my daughter Bella. Daddy hooked her up and she scaled the wall like a pro !! and was none to happy about having to stop. I stopped by for a bit and picked up my princess to go home for a nap.

Bella is still a talking machine, and every day she amazes me with what comes out of her mouth. She LOVES to sing as well and has several songs memorized. I have to give her school all the credit as I'm not the best singer ;-) She watched Ice Age for the first time this weekend and is now obsessed with squirrels!

My little man is doing great. He is going through a major daddy phase and just lights up when he comes home. He still isn't a huge fan of baby food, but we keep trying. He is rolling machine and we really have to keep an eye on him or he'll disappear.

The biggest thing going on right now is our sleep issues. Bella...she has always been one to be rocked to sleep even now. We finally got her to lay down by herself at nap times. She even did good with that on occasion at bed time, until she learned how to open her door about four months ago. I though things would get better but they haven't. She comes out of her room a hundred times at night & nap. Some nights she isn't asleep until 9:30/10pm. I've tried the patience and keep putting in her bed method, but I always end up giving in after 30 minutes and rock her to sleep. Then...about a two weeks ago she has been coming into our room about 1am. Frankie and I have let her stay because we're both too exhausted to deal with having to put her back (I know bad). Any advice??? My son still isn't sleeping through the night and wakes up anywhere from one to two times a night. Needless to say we are TIRED! Hopefully this is all a phase and will pass soon.

We celebrated my MIL's birthday last night and we had a GREAT TIME !! Happy Birthday Grandma Bird!!

This weekend we are going to FIL's house to celebrate for Bella's birthday. I can't believe my baby girl is turning two, but we write more about that later. We decided to do just a family party this year, but next year we will invite all of her friends.

To end we have some EXCITING NEWS !! Bella and Baby Frankie are going be cousins again...My SIL Nicole is having another baby and we are over the moon.

Trifilio's Update

We went back to the doctor again on Tuesday and he is doing somewhat better. The good news is he gained 2 ounces and his RSV is improving. The bad news is she thinks he may have another infection on top of the RSV which is not good. He still has a coarse wet cough and nose issues. If he isn't better by Friday we are heading to the hospital for chest x-rays. If he is all better by Friday then we go back in two weeks for a weight check.

We have to keep him away from public places etc. until his little immune system is back up to par. So we will be taking it easy for another week. We miss everyone in our playgroup terribly and can't wait to be back up and running.

Bella was finally able to return to school on Monday after two weeks off due to her Rotavirus and then being "contaminated w/RSV". She has a bit of cabin fever but feeling GREAT !!She is doing great in school and last week we had her Parent/Teacher conference. Bella by far is the best in her class and the teacher can't get over how she has such a huge vocabulary. She is doing great on counting, memorizing songs, shapes and colors. But number and letter visual recognition is going ok she knows a couple of both, but we will keep working on it. Her favorite word of the week is "delicious". I have no idea where this came from, last week I gave her a carrot muffin and just looked up and said it was delicious. Funny story from last night..I know bad parents but Bella was in bed with us. With Frankie's breathing treatments sleep is so precious and we didn't want to deal with the fight of putting her back in bed. She cuddled in between us and rolled...then sat up and yelled "Daddy your sticky!" SO FUNNY !!! Frankie was quite put out since he had just taken a shower. Can you believe she will be 2 in just a couple of short weeks.

My little man...I love him SOOOO MUCH !!! and it breaks my heart that he isn't feeling well. But each day since better than the last. Developmentally he is doing excellent rolling over both ways, grasping toys, talking etc. We started formula last week and thankfully the transition is going well. He is still nursing 2-3 times a day, but bottles the rest. We also started cereal and baby food. He isn't a fan of either but we keep trying. Unfortunately pears failed the allergy test, but squash past! YEAH!!

Keep us in your prayers and I will keep everyone posted.

My little man's 4mth stats
11 lbs 3ounces (negative 3%) and 24 1/4 in length (25%)

getting ready for school :-)

Please pray for my son

I took my little man to the doctor this morning for his 4mth check-up and a cough. He has RSV. They gave him a breathing treatment at the doctor's office and a prescription to give him additional treatments every four hours for the next four days. If he isn't better in 48 hours then he will be checked into the hospital.

If that isn't bad enough he has only gained 1lb 3ounces since his two month check-up and his head size didn't change at all. She is extremely concerned...the plan as of right now is to nurse him in the morning and one time at night and give him formula for all other feedings. She also wants me to start food immediately. We are hoping that it is my diet that is causing this and nothing more serious. We will find out in a week, when we go back for a weight check.

Please pray for my little man

The Hi & Lo of the past several days.....

We ended last week of a high note. Bella had "Donuts with Dad" at school on Wednesday. Frankie was able to attend and they had a blast together. When I picked up Bella from school, I was told that Daddy had more trouble with leaving then Bella did. Ahh..Daddy's and their little girls. Frankie was off on Friday and we spent some quality family time together, and Friday night we went to Grandpa's new house. We had SO MUCH fun, his new house is AMAZING !! Bella loved the BIG TV, the fishes, the ducks, etc. It was HEAVEN! Grandma Bird and I enjoyed kicking back and relaxing. Saturday we stuck close to home as Bella wasn't feeling 100%. Sunday we returned to Grandpa's house, as we couldn't stay away. We all had so much fun...we actually took out the fishing poles (which Bella LOVED), we fed the ducks, watched movies, and ate tons of yummy food. Bella is still talking about Grandpa's house. We just may have to move-in. Did I mention we watch Finding Nemo on a HUGE TV. Bella will never watch another movie at our house.....Nemo was huge!

Then our world as we know it...collapsed. Sunday night Bella became VERY sick. I will spare you the details. My dear son took no pity of his mother and is still refusing to sleep through the night, and picked the one night where we all were exhausted and he refused to go back to bed at 3am. Needless to say I took Bella to the doctor on Monday, and she was diagnosed with Rotavirus. YUCK! We are all staying close to home and praying that she will be better soon. She is doing a bit better today, but still not 100%. My dear son now has a terrible cold and isn't sleeping because he can't breathe through his nose. With mom and dad beyond exhausted....We are all just a mess.....

Bella was also diagnosed with a heart murmur. Nothing to be alarmed about, just something to be aware of.

On a happy note...Both of the kids are growing by leaps and bounds. Bella is still her wonderful self and amazes us every day. This week we continued to work on manners and she is a pro...you will hear please, thank you, I'm sorry, and excuse me on a regular basis now. Frankie is finally growing.. he has officially become a drool king. He loves his tummy time, smiling, talking, and as long as your entertaining him he is the happiest baby.

Enjoy the pics!

Back to normal....

The Trifilio's are finally getting back to a normal routine....

Last week ended very well! Bella had another great day at school ! She is the shining star in the class and her teacher just loves her to pieces. We also had a wonderful play date with our playgroup. It was GREAT to see everyone again, especially after the stress of the hurricane. The kids all loved being together and playing their hearts out.

On to the best news...I HAVE A HUSBAND !! He was able to come home on Sunday and his hours should return to normal in another week or so. Needless to say instead of resting he tackled all the honey-dos that Ike created. My parents also came into town to assist with the clean-up effort. Frankie's family also assisted with the clean-up effort in our back yard. It was a whirl wind weekend to say the least. But the babies loved all the extra attention from all the grandparents. Our home is finally getting back together. The fence was replaced this weekend and the yard was cleaned up. We still have some repairs to do to the roof, but we are getting there.

We have an exciting week this week! Filled with lots of play dates, school, and "Donuts w/Dad" this week at school. Bella LOVES school and actually yesterday she ran into the class room into the arms of her teacher and asked for her Playdoh and said bye mom. Sniff Sniff...At least when I pick her up she is excited to see me ;-) She is still talking up a storm and it amazes me the words that come out of her mouth. We are still working on colors and shapes, as of right now everything is either blue or yellow or a circle or square. She is just too precious and funny...we have a been working on saying "I'm sorry". Yesterday she "accidentally" stepped on Baby Frankie's finger, so she said "sorry brother", about 20 minutes later. I "accidentally" scarred Bella when she was walking out of the kitchen, after crying she pointed and me and said "say sorry mommy" Ahhh..out of the mouths of babes... She is so happy the fall season is here and she loves to run around the house and point out the fall decoractions.."ghosts, pumpkins etc.". I am happy to report that she seems to be getting back to her normal self. After a few bumps along the way while Frankie was gone. Her behavior seems to be on the right track and she is going to bed again without any hiccups!! YEAH !! my little princess is coming back !!

I can't believe my little man will be FOUR months old this week. He is growing up so fast. He LOVES attention, and loves to talk and smile. He is absolutely the best baby...except he isn't sleeping through the night anymore. Oh well....He loves to roll over and watch his sister play. He is just one happy baby !!

As for mom..I have a little girl's birthday to plan, Halloween to think about, and Christmas shopping to sort out.

The aftermath of Hurricane Ike....

We are finally back in Houston and settled. We are so blessed that our family and home are safe. Unfortunately we did lose everything in our fridge and deep freezer including all of my breast milk AHHHHH !!!! We also lost a tree, fence, and a small leak in our roof. It could have been so much worse, and again are truly blessed that we were spared any significant damage. The kids and I evacuated to Fort Worth and we stayed for about a week, since we didn't have power at home. The kids loved every second with their grandparents, and were spoiled rotten. A special thanks to my MIL & FIL & SIL Frank, Louise, and Kimmy for taking care of our home while we were away.

As most of you know, Frankie works for the City of Houston Office of Emergency Mgmt. so he was activated a week before the storm hit. That means he was 24/7 lock down and we haven't seen him since. In all honesty we have seen him a handful of times when he has come by the house for more clothes etc., and as of Sunday he can come home to sleep at night YEAH! We are so very proud of him and everything he is doing for our community. But we miss him terribly especially Bella. She doesn't understand why Daddy isn't home....it breaks my heart to hear her crying for him. Hopefully this too shall pass, and everything will be back to normal soon.

After the storm we are all desperately trying to get back into our routine. A bit more difficult since I brought home two sick babies from Fort Worth. Bella is finally doing better, but baby Frankie is still not feeling well. Bella went back to school yesterday, which was wonderful and she was an angel! She returns to ballet on Thursday and hopefully we will be able to make some play dates next week.

Bella is changing literally every day, she went on a spurt last week and had to have learned at least twenty new words. It still amazes me what comes out of her mouth. I love every second with her. I know school is really helping her as well. I work with her on a regular basis regarding colors, shapes, etc., but I never knew if it was really sinking in. Well just this past week she walks right up to me and says "mama you have a blue shirt!" YEAH !! She still loves to dance, play, and be one big ball of fun. She also is getting very attached to her "baby boy", and loves to cuddle him everyday. My little man is a rolling machine and he is hands down the best baby. He only cries if he needs something. Makes my like so much easier!!! He loves to smile and laugh and he continues to melt my heart everyday. If only he would start sleeping through the night again....

Thank you all again for the thoughts and prayers during Hurricane Ike!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

We wrapped up our week celebrating daddy's birthday !!! Frankie's 32nd birthday was on Saturday. The kids and I finished up our shopping on Friday while Frankie was in a training class. Mental note don't turn your back on Isabella when you are in Hallmark. We ended up having to purchase a new stuffed Ballerina Bunny, a pack of Little Mermaid stickers and two Mickey cards for daddy. Did I mention all items were either crumpled or "kissed" !!! Ahhh..the joys !! We came home wrapped presents, hung the birthday sign, and practiced singing Happy Birthday. My parents also came into town this weekend to help celebrate Frankie's birthday. Frankie of course enjoyed to the fullest; whenever my mom is in town that means Frankie doesn't lift a finger. On Saturday Frankie enjoyed home cooked meals, long naps, and having his every need catered too. Frankie's mom and dad came over for dinner as well on Saturday and a great time was had by all. Bella of course enjoyed showing off for all the family as usual. Her new favorite of the week has been to show off her "Tap" moves "march, march, march" and her "Ballet" moves "toe, toe, toe" Baby Frankie loved all the extra cuddles this weekend and he is still doing really well. He woke up a few times at 3am to eat, but aside from that his sleeping/eating patterns are going great !!

Bella had her official second day at school today and NO TEARS !!! She did great today and Mrs. Kama said she really showed her stuff during music class. I have to admit I really enjoy the special time I'm having with Baby Frankie even if it is extra rocking while he is sleeping.

Not a ton going on this week, mostly due to the fact I'm back to being a single parent. Frankie was home for a couple of evenings last week and it was heaven. I was able to workout and get a bit of free time to myself yesterday. Well that is out the window now that Ike is knocking on our door. Pray that he goes elsewhere and that we can continue to enjoy the gorgeous weather we've been having here in Houston.

Have a great week!

Oh~Aunt Nicole we decided on Bella's costume. She is going to be a frog. I'll send you a pic ;-)