All Moved

DAY AT THE BEACH - 7/5 we took a short drive to check out our local "beach". I say "beach" because it's the bayfront which I don't consider a real beach. Still it was cool. If you squint you can see the NYC skyline behind the bay.

FOURTH OF JULY PICNIC with the FAMILY
















PUTTING UP CEILING FANS WITH UNCLE MITCH AND POP-POP

WE ARE ALL MOVED IN!!!! Since my last post we made our move to NJ. Right before we moved I ended up having a massive anaphylaxis episode that spanned a week and resulted in a hospital stay. Ja and I have been so touched by how my family pulled together to support us during a time when we really needed help. While all this was going on my parents flew up from FL and my three cousins Lori, Jenn and Mary drove from NJ to come help out. I don't know what we would have done without them. I was discharged from the hospital on Friday and we were moving on Tuesday!!! Holy cow, what a crazy time. While I recuperated those girls came in like a whilrlwind and got our house all ready for the move. Then they took the boys back to NJ with them. Jenn watched the boys for us for five days. Yes, for five days she had two toddlers and two babies to contend with and she did an amazing job. My brother Mitch flew in the day after we arrived in NJ to help us get unpacked and settled. Not only was it a huge help in getting us settled but it was such a emotional boost for me to see him and have him here with us for a few days. Then there was countless other things done for us by family - fruit baskets, dinners, phone calls, offers of help, etc. all so very touching and very much appreciated.

Going forward.... So for now life is little different. Until we can get these anaphylaxis episodes under control I can't be alone, which is a challenge for me to accept but I'm really trying to be cool with it. My parents have been with us since the move and my Mom will be here until we can get this thing figured out. I am so thankful for them! I have a new doctor here in Pittsburgh, who've I've already met and like, and she is working on researching and coming up with some different treatment ideas to address the anaphylaxis. I'm on a new medication regime and have been feeling pretty decent over the past week.

Jason started his new position and so far he is really enjoying it. His commute is a rough at an hour and a half each way so that's a bit of an adjustment to make.

The boys are doing well. Vin fractured his right index finger on Friday morning - his first bone injury. I would say overall he handled it very well. He had a hard time during the x-ray when they were trying to bend his finger this way and that to get different angles. Of course, he didn't appreciate it being bent and he really didn't get the concept of having to hold his finger still in a painful pose while they took the x-ray. In the end it took the physical restraint of myself and two x-ray techs to get the necessary images. An experience I will not soon forget. Let's just say I have NEVER heard him scream like that before. I felt terrible. He was so drained emotionally after the x-ray he fell asleep in my arms while we waited for the results. Poor fella. We have to go see a orthopedic doctor tomorrow to see if any further action is necessary to help it heal properly. I'm hoping that since it seems to be a minor fracture we can get away with just having it splinted and heal on it's own.

Louie is really bursting out of boring infant hood and starting to show his personality. He babbles constantly and can mimic quite a few sounds. His first tooth broke through this week and he has another almost out. He is trying desperately to learn how to scootch forward and shows his frustration when he only achieves a backward push.

I haven't taken very many pictures but here are some I took while Mitch was here.