Hello! I am April, and yes, I was born in April. It's okay, you are not the first person to make that jump, you will not be the last...but I promise to love you anyway.
I am a wife, mother, and science geek. I have a BS in Biology and a Masters in Education but have been fortunate enough to trade my 7th grade science classroom for the role of SAHM.
I love a cold beer and a ball game (go sox!). In just a few short months I will be 33 but don't really feel a day over 25, except maybe when I have an extra glass of wine. Running, watching TV, and taking long showers are the closest I get to having hobbies. No one will ever accuse me of being crafty or a gourmet cook.
I grew up in Maine and although we didn't live there when I began this blog we have very recently sold our house and moved back to our hometown! I hope to give my kids the same kind of magical upbringing that I had...where every summer day is a beach day and every Christmas is white. My family is my life and I wake up every day infinitely grateful for the opportunity to make peanut butter sandwiches and sing the "poop song" to my kiddos. (You can read even more randomness about me here)
It really doesn't get any cuter than a boy and his dog. This is my husband Matt (aka Dingle). Matt also grew up in Maine and as a matter of fact, yes I think I knew him in high school. Silly girl that I was, thought I was way too cool for this shy underclassmen. Had he only known then that in the end he would land this hottie (ha!)...'till death do us part. Matt is an MIT graduate turned software engineer at a small start up. In the future we are all hoping that he will be able to work from home full time. In his spare time he is a rock climbing, snowboarding, video game playing, beer drinking, handyman...with an endless list of house projects.
We were married at "home" in Maine on June 28th 2008
After a year of marriage I finally convinced Dingle that he was ready for the role of daddy. Truth be told I convinced him to "try" a few months before it made sense in terms of my maternity leave from school, because who gets pregnant on their first try?!?! WOW, WE DO!
The best thing to ever happen to us was born April 3rd, 2010. Technically her name is Lily; we call her Coocoo. The first words I ever spoke to her were "You are my girl, and I love you." She is the star of the show. My pregnancy was not always easy, for several days it was downright terrifying, followed by never really relaxing until she was in my arms. In the end it was worth every second. (Read her full birth story) Lily is bright and funny, warm hearted and fiercely independent. Simply stated: I am terrified of her. Rumor has it I'm not the only one.
Sadly in May of 2011 we suffered a miscarriage with baby #2. We go to sleep knowing our baby is safely in heaven and that one day we will all be reunited. (I am really working on that last part)
In August of 2011 we were overjoyed to learn that I was expecting again. My pregnancy was pretty textbook from start to finish. In a tie for the title of "best thing to ever happen to us" Benjamin Daniel was born on April 30th, 2012. (Read his full birth story) For those of you keeping track that is three April birthdays under one roof. Ben will forever be remembered by Dingle and I as the baby who NEVER slept. He almost makes up for his 3am antics by snuggling me all day and belly laughing hysterically during diaper changes. We have always known that we wanted to have a least one more child and so we began trying to get pregnant in July of this past year. Lighting struck once again and we were able to get pregnant on our first try yet again. Sadly I lost the pregnancy. A second miscarriage was heartbreaking. Miscarriages are tragedies beyond my comprehension.
By the grace of God we found out that we are expecting our newest addition in July of 2014! Stay tuned!
There are three other members of our family who simply cannot go without introduction. Our original babies, the kitties. Nine year old brother/sister team, Blackbeary (named after my favorite beer) and Shark (a name chosen by a 5 year old cousin). They used to be adorable, and then we subjected them to a dog...and then a baby, and then yet another baby. Sadly in November shortly after moving to Maine we had to put our sweet girl Shark to sleep. She was a total grump but I loved her very much. Every time Shark woke me up at 4am to sky barf off the nightstand I would think, "yeah I probably deserved that."
And last but certainly not least is our 70lb English Cream Golden Retriever, Colby. A dog who has proven that he will take 110% of Lily and Ben's overly enthusiastic
Thanks for stopping by, kick off your flip flops and stay awhile!! To read more about us you can read my first post, here or you can check out my 101 things in 1001 days life list.
