One more, but you couldn't see the "6 months" as well in this one!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
6 months old!
Name: Susannah
Also known as: Suzy Q and Susannah Banana and Susanna (said the Italian way). Not so much Princess Poo Poo because since I have started solid foods en force, I have had issues in that department.
Skills: I can grab toys pretty well with my right hand. My left hand is not so good, but it's catching up. I can sit up unassisted for a while but mommy always puts a Boppy behind me for when I give up.
I like: Taking baths, eating fruits and veggies, watching my big brother and sister play, and being held by anyone.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Susannah's favorite
Susannah lives to be held, so this Ergo baby carrier has really earned its keep. I wore it on the day we went to Como so we wouldn't have to have the double stroller on the train. She spent almost the whole day in here, and loved it!
Papparazzi
I used my zoom lens to capture a candid moment between Norah and Luca. We took a daytrip to Lake Como and walked to a beautiful villa along the lake. It was our first train ride in Italy, and all in all, it went well.
Dining and Living room
Here's the Dining and Living room before we put our stuff in her! Those windows open up to the big balcony, which is also accessible from Susannah's and Norah and Luca's rooms.
Kitchen
The kitchen is all-new and a good size (there is a table out of view) for Italy. We are very happy with the way they renovated this apartment! When we first saw it, there were holes in the walls and no cupboards, stove, or anything! There is a small balcony off of this room where we put all our recycling, etc.
Suzy Q's room
Here's Susannah's room on the first day we were there. We have since moved James' desk to our room (so he can work when she's taking naps) and we have added a red dresser for her clothes.
Our room
Here's our room. We (Chiara) chose the room on the street side because those windows open up and there is a wire rail and then 3 stories down there is the sidewalk. I sleep better at night knowing that the kids aren't in this room unsupervised, but that is cancelled out by the very LOUD street sounds in the morning. There is a school right across the street and every morning, the noise starts at about 7:30 am.
Big Boy Bed
I kept telling Luca that when we got to our new house, he would have his own big boy bed. He was very excited. The first night he came out of bed 2 times, but we redirected him back to bed. Now, he comes out usually once a night to say "I want you to tuck me in" even though we tucked him in the first time. All in all, though, he has adjusted to his new-found freedom very well!
First Night in our NEW HOUSE!
After about 12 days in Varazze, our house was ready for us, and Zio Marco came to get us on a Sunday morning. Chiara's relatives had been in the apartment on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday setting it all up, so when we got there, our beds were made, linens washed, dishes were in the cupboards, and the home was ready to go! Here is Norah on our first night in her brand new bed.
James on the hill
James is debating whether we should continue or not...Norah was definitely NOT interested in continuing until we had a snack!
Remember that hill I mentioned?
We decided to try to walk up to that church on the hill, and this is as far up as we got. The trail was easy, but with a stroller, and 2 heavy kids, it was too much--it was a bumpy trail with lots of rocks. We still had a nice view from where we gave up, though!
Just diggin'
Luca brought his construction trucks to the beach with us and could have spend all day pretending they were building, digging, etc.
Warm days
It was so nice in Varazze that the kids could take their shoes and coats off. Norah loved to dip her feet in the sea.
Man and Moustache
James joined other coworkers and grew himself a moustache for the month of November (Movember). They were raising awareness and funds for men's health issues. I was so glad when November was over!
Beach Days
Pretty much every day, I would take the kids down to the ocean so they could play in the sand and be outdoors. James joined us one day and we had a good time hangin' out on the seashore.
Cutie Pie 2
Norah loved to sit on the rail of the stairway. In truth, she loved to sit there and tell Luca that he was too little to sit there.
Varazze town
A view from out on the pier at Varazze. See that church way up there on the hill? We tried walking up there one day with the three kids and aforementioned double stroller. More on that later!
Yogurt Cake
Zia Raffaella stayed at the house with us for the first week while James had to take a 3 day trip to Barcelona. She and Norah made 2 yogurt cakes. Norah loves to bake!
We made it to Italy
On November 5, we boarded a plane with our 10 suitcases, a double stroller, 2 carry-ons, 2 computer bags, 3 kids, a diaper bag, and our coats and flew to Italy! We made it! We were exhausted after the flight. We had an older plane that on our first visit, and the in-flight entertainment was lacking at best.
Chiara's Uncle Marco and Aunt Raffaella and a swiss driver with a big van for all our stuff met us at the airport. Since our house wasn't ready for us yet, we had the chance to spend some time at Varazze in the family's vacation home. Here's Luke checking out the cool floor (which was all tiled by hand) when we got there.
Girls' Day Out
Chiara's mom got off work, Alessia's husband watched her kids, James watched our kids, and Jarrod watched Cecca's dog and cat so we could all go out to lunch together. It was a great time with my sisters and mom!
Monday, December 10, 2012
Lot's o' kids
Here are all the kids that Nicholas and Sunny bravely invited over to their house for Halloween:
Ethan (in disguise), Luca, Ivana, Lolo, Freida, Lucia, Norah, and Susannah. It was (barely) controlled chaos.
Happy Halloween!
We have our Barca Soccer Player (Luca), our flower (Susannah) and our Purple Dragon (Norah) wishing you all a Happy Halloween!
Time Warp
Here's Norah and Daddy back in 2007! Can you see the resemblance between Norah and Susannah?
A flower!
Susannah looks surprised that someone caught her while she was dressed like a flower!
We left Reno on Halloween, and I had actually planned ahead enough to have the kids' costumes ready for us (and not packed away in the storage unit!) when we got there. Do you remember Norah in this costume? They look almost the same!
Alas, not many pictures
We took 2 days to go to Sacramento, CA to visit James' grandma (Ahpah) and his Aunt Judy and Uncle Art and cousins Morgan and Andrew. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of Ahpah and the kids (but I think Aunt Judy did!). I did get one of Chance the dog and Norah, though!
Hemsley Clan
Here are Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Hemsley, Grandpa and Grandma Hemsley, and their three sons, spouses, and grandchildren all together!
We had a small dedication service for Susannah at James' parents' church. It was nice to have a lot of family there!
5 months old!
Name: Susannah
a.k.a. Susannah banana, Suzy Q, and still Princess poo poo.
Skillz: I can sit up (assisted), reach out for things and get them most of the time, and I just started eating solid food!
I like: to watch my brother and sister play, be held, and go for walks.
Skipped a Generation
We have 3 generations of Hemsley's represented here: Super Grandma, James, and Susannah.
Super Grandma
"Super Grandma" (James' grandma Joan) loves to hang out with the kids when she is visiting. Here she is reading Luca his all-time favorite book, "Cars and Trucks and Things that Go" (which Luca calls, "Goldbug Book") by Richard Scarry.
Big Luke and Norah
We had some great visitors while in Reno. James' cousin Luke (a.k.a. "Big Luke" now that there is a "Little Luke") and his parents came to visit us, along with James' Aunt Janey, and his grandparents. It was great to see everyone. Big Luke was very patient with our kids, and almost seemed to enjoy himself while playing in the yard with Norah...
First food
All of our chaos around moving made me push back Susannah's introduction to solid foods...so, while in Reno, we started her out on some cereal. She seems to be saying, "Help me..."
American Gothic revisited
While we were in Italy, Luca and Norah got to stay at Grandma and Grandpa H's house in Reno, NV. We flew back from Italy to get them and to say hi/see you later to all the relatives out West. The weather was really nice for late October. Here are the kids and their Uncle Adam doing some 'hard work' in the yard, as Luca would say.
Arianna and Lorenzo
And now, onto Chiara's cousin Arianna and her husband, Lorenzo. As you can see, Arianna was nearing the end of her pregnancy with her first child.
Alice and Danilo
Here are Chiara's cousin Alice and her longtime beaux, Danilo. We will be seeing a lot more of them in the next couple years!
Al mare
James and Susannah taking a rest on the seashore. Varazze has a really neat walkway that used to be a train track. It runs along the ocean and is closed to automobiles. It's a really nice place to walk, and you can go down to the beach at several locations.
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