surprise!

a got a nice one of those on the last day of february. in italy typically they don't have baby showers, so i wasn't expecting anything of the sort, but on a typical sunday, i was dressed in my finest pjs for our trip to ikea to buy the baby some proper storage space. mark opens the door to our apartment and there were 7 ladies and Doeke! Ahhh, if i was going to have the baby early, that would have been it. Anna, Alice, and Doeke had been busy cleaning our apartment, and laying out a gourmet brunch while we were gone. After a day of good food, company, an abundance of gifts, and a foot massage (!), mom, dad & colettino were feeling pretty loved....

shes got the whole world in her hands

week thirty two

i ciliegi surgelati

winter in pecetto means foggy mornings afternoons and evenings with a nice mix of frosty clear days: enough snow to build a one foot puppazzo: and then of course those candle light dinners with cannoli and good company

Christmas

christmas could not get any better this year: all of marks family was present including sophia: isabella: and sabatino: then out of the blue unbeknownst to me my family flew in the day after christmas to celebrate the rest of the week with us!

growing like a rutabega...

Now 26 weeks along and growing. I'm poising in a beautiful shirt that my sister sent me so that I can look stylish even if I can barely see my toes. Okay, I'm exaggerating, somedays I feel huge, especially when I need a good shove from Mark to get up, and other days, you can barely see a bump. I'm feeling pretty grateful that I have it so easy, now if I could just get rid of this heartburn before Christmas.

lady in waiting

bird's eye view

the size of our growing bimbo, i thought this was cute

Christmas Cookies!

It's my favorite time of year when I get to put on an apron, play christmas music, and make christmas cookies all day. This year Angela & Anna joined in, and I think we made nearly 50 cookies! One week later I have 3 left. Excuse, I gave most of them away + I'm eating for two!

aren't they darling...

Angela's take home bundle

Anna shows off her dyed fingers...

one of my favourites, the 'sunny side up' christmas cookie

thankful

We celebrated our 3rd annual thanksgiving with 25 friends and even managed to all sit down at once to enjoy the 25 lb bird that sacrificed it's life for us. This year, thanksgiving took on a new meaning, and Mark and I are becoming more and more thankful everyday for the little life that will be joining us in the new year. And we are so thankful to be surrounded by the support of good friends with our families so far away.

turkey time!

Piera, Carmine and our turkey that they graciously cooked for us in their commercial oven
at the pasta shop across the street.

comparing bellies

We celebrated our 3rd annual thanksgiving with 25 friends and even managed to all sit down at once to enjoy the 25 lb bird that sacrificed it's life for us. This year, thanksgiving took on a new meaning, and Mark and I are becoming more and more thankful everyday for the little life that will be joining us in the new year. And we are so thankful to be surrounded by the support of good friends with our families so far away.