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Home...

Dorothy was right... 
"There's no place like home"!  

Over the last 5 months, life for the Leone's has been filled with so much JOY (pardon the few month sabbatical).  With the unexpected, yet exciting move back East, the welcoming of our sweet girl Isabella and now the latest... a new home, we are truly counting our blessings this Christmas season.

In less than a week, we packed our boxes at my parents, called the movers and made our way just 1 mile from the home I grew up in.  For me, this was a dream come true... a vision I had for so many years and now it was really happening.  WOW!

In just a few days we were unpacked, fully decorated for Christmas and welcoming play dates and family dinners.  Massi called dibs on the basement and Bella has her own little suite!  Nick has turned his office downstairs into a wall street war room and I'm loving the big and open kitchen!  We feel at HOME, not only in this beautiful house but in town and the surrounding areas.  Everyday, we have special visits from our family, even if it's my dad dropping things off every hour.  We have found a great church and enjoy creating our daily and weekend "routines".  We are starting new traditions here as a family and it feels great!

December has been filled with cold days, indoor play and cuddling by the fire.  Massi loves running around the house, playing drums in the basement and sleeping in his big boy bed with his fish night light. He also loves to read "Goodnight New York City" and points out where mommy's office is... "Google" he says excitedly.  Bella is growing up everyday.  She loves to wake up smiling and wants nothing more then to be played with and kissed on.  Her cheeks are irresistible!  She is also boasting some blonde spiked hair in the last week.  This makes ME very proud!

 Massi & Giulia by the fire... 

4 Months Old!

First morning of snow on the ground...   

Visit with Santa... and yet another emotional experience! :)

Big brother reading to Bella!

We are busy getting ready for Christmas.  I'd like to say all my presents were wrapped, cookies baked and table set.... but, I need another day!  We're thrilled to be hosting both Christmas Eve & Christmas Day and cannot wait to spend more time with our family.  This year has been filled with incredible blessings and we are so thankful for each one of them.

Have a very Merry Christmas... 

 

Our Drummer Boy!

"Boom-Booms" are what we hear day in and day out!  We wake up we hear "boom-boom" we get out of the bath we hear "boom-boom" we go to a restaurant we hear "boom-boom".  I don't know anyone that loves his "boom-booms" more than our little drummer boy Massimo.  If you follow our blog you might recall Massi's 2nd birthday present... a 5 peice drum set, equipped with cymbals, stands, sticks and stool. 

Typically, birthday presents fade... not this one.  To this day, Massimo is our wake up call in the morning and our entertainment at night.  He cannot be separated from his precious drum set!  To celebrate his passion for drums,  I wanted to share a special activity we do with Massi every week...

...The Marching Band!  Every Saturday morning around 10 a.m. we pack the stroller with snacks and walk about 1/2 a mile up to the High School to watch the marching band practice.  This has become our favorite weekend activity.  In fact, Massimo has become the honorary mascott for his dedication and enthusiasm.  Typically, the band practices several sets together in a large group but this past Saturday was very unique, Massimo had 1-1 time with the drum squad.  Here is a short video of his big debut with his "heroes".  His cousin Cole is also an elite member of the squad and as Massi will tell you he holds "BIG drums on his belly".

Massimo & Cole

Being that tomorrow is Halloween, there was no better costume for our big boy... 

Meet our Drum Major! (more pictures to come post Halloween)

Getting Big & Loving Each Other...

What was I thinking scheduling both children for a well visit on the same day and time?  Thank the heavens Nick was free and could join us because I would not have survived alone!

Yesterday, we had two very important check-ups; Massi's 2 Year and Bella's 2 Month!  I went in with high expectations for Bella's weight gain.  After all, she eats around the clock and has the cheeks and thighs to prove it!  Massimo, on the hand, is still a little munchkin barely fitting into his size 2 clothes and taking after his Pappa VH with his long and skinny frame.

As a family, we sat in a tiny 4X4 room, with a small window (thank GOD), 2 naked children and a new pediatrician.  We went through the drill for over an hour... vaccine schedule, flu shots, height/weight percentile, sleep patterns, etc.  In the end we have two very healthy and happy munchkins...

Massimo weighed in at a whopping 24 lbs!  The dr. advised us to chuck the paci asap and focus on healthy sleep patterns... I won't get into the details there but let's just say "we're working on it!".

Isabella is as healthy as it comes!  She weighed in at 11.6 (Mamma's a little disappointed and was guessing she would be in the 13's) and has all the signs of a well fed baby. YAY!

Besides the blessing of healthy children, I have to admit that everyone in our household is HAPPY these days.  Massi loves Bella & Bella loves Massi!  The question I often get from friends & strangers is, How is your toddler with the baby?.  During the first month, my answer was always "oh, he's still adjusting but doing fine".  This month, I would say with confidence that he adores his little sister and takes such great care of her!  I was able to capture a few of their special moments together as brother & sister....

"Mommy, she's a bit heavy on my lap" 

"Oh, I love this big brother stuff" 

 Watching Oprah in bed together!

 "Isabella, I'm about to give you a BIG kiss"

smack!

she loves the attention... 

We delight in Fall!

FALL... there are so many amazing things about this season and time in our life that I'd like to share what's making us happy!

• Sleeping until 8 a.m., hanging in our pjs for hours and deciding day by day what we're going to do (some may think this is just lazy, I call it BLISS)
• Watching Massi head straight to his drum set every morning before his eyes open
• Being with Mommy 24/7 while she's on maternity leave 
• Sitting at Starbucks watching the CHOO CHOO train come and go
• Watching our beautiful two month old smile and coo with delight
• Thankful for cousin CarCar who takes such great care of Massi and gives me a few hours to myself during the week :)
• Bringing the kids to visit Juju at work
  
• Being close to family and friends for visits, coffee dates and just a quick hello
• Tuesday morning bible study with great woman; my mom, Aunt Sheri & cousin Carli
• Seeing mums, cornstalks and pumpkins as you pull into the driveway
• Visiting my brother's gym with the entire family & even getting a great workout in
• Long bike rides with daddy through town and visits to the park
  
• Family dinners each and every night!
• Football Season!!
  

I would be remise, if I didn't share with you some of our "pangs" :)

• The 3 hour (on the minute) nightime wake up calls from Bella
• A certain 25 month old who loves to sleep walk his way into our bed every night around midnight (we can't resist his curls!)
• The chilly weather that is quickly approaching here on the east coast
• Getting the kids in and out of the car, especially when running more than one errand.  I'm desperate for more drive-thrus!
• Laundry after laundry after laundry
• Trying to squeeze in a workout to find that I have 20 minutes
• 4-7 p.m.
• The sound of DRUMS all day long - 24/7
• I'll quit with my "pangs"... the good always has to out do the bad :)
  

2nd Child Syndrome

If you know me well, you know my passion is PHOTOS!  Mainly photos of friends, family, children, etc.  To this day, I have a photo album for every possible event; Dance Recitals, Sr. Prom, Weddings, Baby showers and more.  I really didn't think my obsession could get any worse.  Today, I have over 200 online photo albums dedicated to Massimo and 120 online videos uploaded of his early years.  I think it's fair to say my obsession reached a whole new level when children came into the picture! :)

When Isabella was born, I vowed I would never let the "2nd Child Syndrome" hit me.  This is when a mother has zero time to dedicate to the things she used to do with her 1st child; take pictures, videos, write the weekly blog, etc.  

Although, I've held strong to my promise at taking an abundance of pictures of Bella, I have slacked off on the video side.  However, it dawned on me today, the reason for so many videos of Massimo was because we lived 3,000 miles away from family/friends and that was my way to of showing everyone our little boy!

Regardless of where we live, I still think it's important to capture your little ones and I aim to improve in that area.  Yesterday, I took my first video of Isabella!  Although, I'm not happy it's taken me this long, I am thrilled with the results and couldn't wait to share our little girl with everyone.  For those that have yet to meet her, she is a little piece of heaven.  

Meet Ms. Bella (9 1/2 weeks)...

Happy 2 Months!

To My Sweet Isabella!

It is 10.10.10 today and you have officially been in this world for 2 months... WOW!  I remember like yesterday, you came home from the hospital in a little preemie outfit ready to take on all the love we could give you!

You have come a long way since August 10th.  You've doubled your weight, your hairline is filling in nicely and those beautiful blue eyes keep getting lighter and lighter!  You have a feisty personality that only your parents know best (thanks to your older brother Massimo).  You sleep best on Mommy and your favorite hobby is eating!  You seem to be the best dressed newborn in Bergen County, NJ... thanks to Nana Juju and you are quickly outgrowing size 0-3 at only 2 months (that a girl!).

Isabella, you have swept me off my feet with LOVE!  You are my little "belle" and I love you so so much...

Love,

Mommy

Cape Cod!

This past weekend we packed our SUV to the brim, locked up the house and headed North!  What was intended to be a weekend wedding getaway for me and Nick, turned into a family affair.  With the men driving, Juju sitting in the 2nd row with both kids and Mamma Leone relaxing in the way back we made our way up 95 in what appeared to be a monsoon.  4 1/2 hours later including a stop at McDonalds & Friendly's (yes, both!) we arrived at Nick's sister's home in West Falmouth.

The plan was to enjoy time with Nick's family, most of whom live on the Cape or surrounding area and then head to our friends wedding in Osterville Saturday night (kids @ home!).  Nick is the youngest of 7; 5 sisters and 1 brother.... so, when everyone's together you are guaranteed lots of stories and laughter!

This trip to the Cape was long overdue, as our last journey here we had just became engaged and I was meeting everyone for the first time.  A lot has changed since then... we are married, have lived on the west coast for 5 years and have two children!  Massimo & Isabella are meeting their aunts, cousins and even Granpy for the first time!

Our weekend was filled with beautiful fall weather.  Days were spent with early morning bike rides along the beach, trips to town to get new "Falmouth" gear, "Chowda" on the harbor for lunch, walks to the beach with Massi in the Radio Flyer and fun dinners with the Leone clan.  Nick and I had a blast at our friends wedding and enjoyed some alone time!

My personal highlights of the trip were seeing Massi play with his older cousins Connor & Patrick, watching Nick's sisters love little Isabella and visiting Nick's brothers farm.  Most of all it was being together as a big family.  Before I met Nick, I dreamed of marrying a big Italian family and that's just what I got!

We arrive in West Falmouth!

 The Leone Men...

 The Leone Ladies...

Kathleen loving Bella... 

Visiting Bogside Farm! 

Early morning chat with Patrick!

  

 

Farewell to Summer...

We have welcomed FALL on the East Coast, but I cannot seem to forget the incredible Summer we had!

The summer of 2010 will always hold a special place in my heart.  After all, we moved cross country in June when I was 35 weeks pregnant, enjoyed many hot days at my childhood hangout Crestwood lake, we welcomed a sweet baby girl into our lives on August 10th, and celebrated Massimo turning two on September 2nd.  In between all of these great events, we simply enjoyed the everyday life of being home with my family and experiencing the joy that comes with "togetherness".

To commemorate the summer of 2010, my husband gave me two very special gifts.  Gifts that weren't your typical "wrapped in a box with a bow", but gifts that would last a lifetime!  I am so blessed and grateful to have a caring and thoughtful husband who loves to celebrate LIFE.  Thank you honey...

My first gift, arrived on my birthday, August 18th.  I pulled into the driveway after lunch with my mom to find a mid-size Japanese Maple Tree sitting in the backyard with a large pink bow.  I laughed at first, thinking "what did he do now"?!?  He explained to me and my family that the tree was a symbol of our summer here in NJ, the special memories we had and the life we welcomed into this world.  My birthday tree has made it's permanent home to the top of my parents driveway.  Every time we pull in we are reminded of this great summer!

Massimo was in charge of the rock garden!  

The second gift (which was not intended to be a gift), was an essay Nick wrote about his "Summer in Allendale".  His objective was to document the great things he learned about the little town I grew up in and how it compared to his small & historical town in Cape Cod, West Falmouth.  Nick is a wonderful writer and we're hopeful he'll make his debut in our town paper soon...

“A Summer in Allendale”

By Nicholas V. Leone III

I spent many summers growing up on Cape Cod and did not know what to expect when my family decided to spend this summer in Allendale, New Jersey. The Cape is best known for the National Seashore’s white sandy beaches, sailing, clam bakes, and sunsets. Would my summer be the same in Allendale? What would I discover?

I might have arrived in New Jersey sooner had the Pilgrims reached their intended destination of the Hudson River. Instead, my ancestor Edward “Mayflower” Doty and the Pilgrims first landed in America on the tip of lower Cape Cod, and established Plymouth Colony in 1620. The group made up of English and Dutch religious separatists had declined and opportunity to settle in New Netherlands (now New Jersey) and sailing into strong westerly winds landed north of the Hudson River in Cape Cod Bay.

There is a lot to discover in and around Allendale New Jersey, especially if you marry into the Van Houten family. John & Paul Van Houten built one of the first homes in Allendale in the 1800’s. Stephen Van Houten, my wife Lindsay’s great grandfather and local realtor, developed Crestwood Park in 1930’s. Crestwood has a man-made lake with diving boards, docks, and white sandy beach. Could Crestwood compare to the beaches of Cape Cod? I confess, I have buried my feat in the sand there many days this summer and thoroughly enjoyed watching my son learn to swim and jump of the dock in the cool shallow water!

I discovered an appetite for the Allendale Bar & Grill which had its humble beginnings as a neighborhood tavern located in the old Allendale Hotel. “Mom” Connelly’s place is still in the Kunisch family and boasts a great burger. Following his famous trade from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees, Babe Ruth made the same journey I did to Allendale and enjoyed many a drink with Stephen Van Houten, my son’s great great grandfather, at what is simply called the “G” today.

Summer’s always come to an end and it was time to discover a steady hand and a sharp razor. Robert’s Barber Shop in Allendale is complete with red, white, and blue barber’s pole, old fashioned barber’s chair, and sports memorabilia. We made some of our own history at Robert’s who gave my son his first haircut and has cut five generations of handsome Van Houten young men.

Much to my pleasure this summer, I discovered America is still beautiful, especially in Allendale! 


     ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Before we said goodbye to summer, we celebrated Massimo's 2nd Birthday with close friends and family at our favorite local spot, Crestwood.  Our little boy has grown into a sensitive, spunky and sporty  pal.  He is our "buddy" and we just adore him.  A few of his favorite things...  his favorite word is NO, his favorite person is JUJU, his favorite food is French Toast and his favorite toy is his 5 piece drum set which arrived on his birthday!  Happy Birthday Massi!

I couldn't end without an update of our little Isabella!  Bella is coming into her own everday, she loves to be held, eats like her daddy, curls her lips like mommy and has the same mannerisms as Massi when he was a baby.  At her 1 month appt. she weighed in at 8.2 (that's a 2.5 lb weight gain in one month, woohoo!). We Love You Isabella...

September is here and promises to be a fun month, filled with football games and trips to local farms for fresh apple cider and doughnuts.  Stay tuned for our next post!

Our New Addition...

On Tuesday, August 10th at 9:55 a.m. we welcomed Isabella Corinne Leone into the world.  Corinne was Nick's Mother's name and holds a special meaning to us!  "Bella" weighed in at 5 lbs 12 ounces and was supermodel tall at 20 inches!  She is the spittin' image of Massimo when he was a baby, but with dainty girlish features!  Bella sleeps most of the day and loves to be fed around the clock.  I'm even starting to notice some curves on her petite frame!

Proud Father!

Our Little Beauty... 

Mamma Leone in her glory!

Always snoozing... 

Nick and I are beyond tickled over our little girl and Massimo is over the moon being a big brother.  He has conquered saying "baby bella" and enjoys kissing and keeping a close eye on her.  It is such a joy watching Massimo love and care for her.

Massi meets his sister... 

LOVE at first KISS!

Mommy's helper!

Over the last week, our family and friends have surrounded us with so much love and support.  I personally don't think I would be "sane" without them?!  Pappa Ricky & Juju are beyond incredible with Massimo; taking him to breakfast in the morning, playing until the sun goes down in the backyard and showering him with love.  Richie and Chelsea join in the excitement on the weekends and close friends pop by to meet our little beauty.  I am grateful for the love we have in our life and the blessing of being home for Bella's arrival.

Breakfast with Pop & Pappa at Allendale Eats!

Juju in her glory while taking a small break from Massimo 

Aunt Sheri showering Bella with love... 

While Isabella is snoozing all day, Massimo is growing to be a fine young athlete.  Some of his recent accomplishments include jumping off the 4ft dock and diving board at Crestwood Lake, playing hockey in the driveway, and learning how to make 3 pointers.  I wonder what sport he'll grow up to love?!?  We are proud of our "almost 2 year old" and enjoy watching him grow everyday!

Massi can't get enough of the "gock"...he says "moore" as soon as he jumps off!

He learns to conquer the diving board in the deep end!

The Leone's are officially a family of 4!  It's an incredible feeling to think that two lovebirds who met in Manhattan 5 years ago have two beautiful and healthy children.  We are BLESSED and thank God for all HE has done in our life.

Home from the hospital with our new addition... life is good!

Our Beautiful Bella!

Stay tuned for weekly updates on Massi & Bella... you can even add us to your favorites!

XO,

Lindsay