Our nephew, Calvin, turned three last week. It’s hard to believe, since it feels like just yesterday that we were there with my sister, Kim, and brother-in-law, Eric, as Cal made his way into this world. It has been such a joy watching Cal become his own sweet little person. He warms my heart and fills my life with such joy. Sometimes when we are talking, I just get lost in his eyes. He’s only 3, but I swear he is an old soul and I have no doubt, the world is a better place because he’s in it!

Here he is at his birthday party. Happy Birthday Bubba! Auntie & Uncle love you to bits!!!!

Cal gets a little help from mommy as he takes a whack at his Buzz Lightyear pinata (look at the concentration)

Horsing around with Uncle Andy…(this photo is courtesy of my dad….nice one pappa!!)

Pile on Pappa in the rented bouncy house. Poor Cal thought it was his to keep and was apparently pretty upset the next morning when he went outside and discovered someone had taken his Bouncy House away. Awww…..

Baby sister Sadie wonders what all the commotion is about…

I love this shot of 3 generations of Ferullos. Sadie & I have a little chat while my dad looks on. I imagine he’s thinking it wasn’t that long ago that his girls were that size.

Cal & Sadie’s new cousin, Michael, hangs out with his favorite Auntie Chris. Does life get any better than this, really?

Second cousin Sebbie was not quite as keen to have his picture taken….but we stole this quick shot while he was devouring a cookie. Check out those eyes!!!! He looks just like his mommy! Gorgeous!

Cal’s best friend, Maggie, puts on a cheeky grin, while Cal tries to claim back his seat in the playhouse. Maggie is the toughest, sweetest little cupcake ever. Poor thing had a shiner on her eye after falling down earlier in the day. Being the little miss independent that she is, she was completely unphased by her injury. I love this little munchkin! She’s going to be president one day!

Happy Birthday to you…..

A little help from his friend…

And here are just a few from a few days later, on Cal’s actual birthday. He decided to wear his Super Calvin outfit to celebrate the occasion! Who could blame him! Birthday are meant to be celebrated super style!

Look Auntie…I’m flying…

It was Cal’s b-day, but I couldn’t resist capturing a few shots of Sadie’s tubby time with mommy. I just love the way the light is pouring through the window in these. Is she gorgeous or what? It’s been a long road, but she’s doing so good now!

Mommy you’re funny…

And my personal favorite to wrap it up…

We’d like to give a big, heart-felt shout out to our dads this Father’s Day!!

To my dad….Thank you for always being there for me. From as far back as my little league days, when you used to stand behind home plate, cheering me on and urging me to, “Just Swing Chrissy! Just swing! You can do it, honey,” you have always been there for me, believing in me and encouraging me to spread my wings and fly! Your faith and support means more to me than you could ever know! I love you dad and hope today and all of your tomorrows find you lavished with oodles of love and happiness! I can think of no one more deserving!

You’re the best!!! And I love you to pieces!!!

xoxo Chris

Meet Mike…

Unfortunately, we haven’t been back to England to see Andy’s family in 3 years…crazy, I know!!! We’re hoping to head over later this summer for a long-overdue visit. But, because we haven’t been back since before we went digital (crazy to imagine that) we don’t have any really great pictures of Andy’s dad, Bob, or Daddy B, as I affectionately like to call him. But, we dug this old one out of the photo albums. Happy Father’s Day Daddy B. We love you! You are in our thoughts today and always and we look forward to seeing you and the rest of the Beet gang very soon! With much love, xoxo

It’s been a busy month for Ferullo babies. If you’ve been following our blog, you probably know that my niece Sadie came home after 3 months in the hospital and we’re happy to report she is doing amazingly well! And, on Monday, my middle sister, Debbie, had her first baby. Deb & Kim were each due about a week apart, but Sadie was born 3 months premature. Michael Joseph decided to join the party early Monday morning. Unlike his cousin Sadie, he was a week late and didn’t seem to want to come out. But, after a long and difficult labor, he was born into the loving arms of his parents. Weighing in at a healthy 8.26 pounds, he is the newest love of my life!

Is he delicious or what?

Way to go Deb!!! Like Kimmy, you inspire me and I am so proud of you!!!! Michael is blessed to have you and Ritchie to guide him on his journey! We love you guys!!! xoxo

Sadie made here way home on Thursday. My sister, Kim, and her family couldn’t be more excited, and simultaneously scared silly! Here’s an e-mail Kim sent around after settling in:

“The day has finally come! Our sweet tiny Sadie Abigail was finally released from the hospital 10 weeks, 5 days, 12 hours and a few minutes after she came into this world. She is now 6lbs 12oz and is just utterly divine. Her big brother Cal came around after he declared that he, “Needed to be alone for a while,” and headed upstairs quietly to absorb all that was upon him. It’s almost surreal to have her here now but we are so ready to enter this new exciting phase of our lives.

We will be laying low for a while due to her weakened immune system but when she’s ready we hope to reconnect with each of you. We say this with all sincerity, we could not have gotten through this without all the love and support you’ve provided.

With much love,

Kim, Eric, Cal and sweet Sadie

Xo”

Here’s a little collage we put together using photos Kim & Eric sent us from Sadie’s trip home. Pretty great photos, don’t you think! I’m not sure we could have done any better!! Enjoy! And thank you all for your love and support! I am convinced that all of that love being spread really helped get her home early, and most importantly, safely! So, thank you!

Okay, so I don’t have a photo to post with this, but I just got a call from my sister and the hospital has released little Miss Sadie Abigail! She is on her way home as we speak! I’m just so excited I’m beside myself! I’ve asked Kim to take a photo and e-mail it to me…her first moments of freedom. I’ll post it as soon as I have it!

YEAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you to everyone for your loving well wishes…I’m sure they’ve helped get her home so quickly! And for those of you new to the blog, Sadie is my niece, who was born Feb 22, 3 months early at just 2.5 pounds. She has had a bumpy road, filled with weeks in intensive care, being hooked up to oxygen & feeding machines, several blood transfusions, a spinal tap and painful eye exams to check for retinopathy. But, today, she is 6 pounds 12 ounces. She is free of all machines. She is heading home in the loving arms of her family. And all is right with the world!

Thank you everyone who has sent well wishes for Sadie. Now, in her 8th week of life, still about a month shy of when she was expected to be born, she is doing really well…weighing in at just over 5 pounds. That’s twice her birth weight! Yeahhhh! Her breathing tube has been completely removed, though she still has “spells” from time to time. Her feeding tube is still in, but she is breast feeding and taking bottles when mommy isn’t there.

We were in NYC this past weekend, so I haven’t heard from my sister about when she might be able to come home, but the hope is that it won’t be long now. Here’s the latest photo from my visit last week. She looks soooo good. Such a difference from when she was first born. She really looks like a baby now! And the older she gets the more she looks just like her big brother! It’s those sweet little bags under her eyes and that delicious little button nose. Judge for yourself…

A great big THANK YOU to everyone who has sent well wishes little Sadie’s way!!

Just to update all of you, we visited Sadie this weekend to celebrate her one-month birthday. It’s so strange to think that if she wasn’t so eager to join us, she’d still have two months before her due date. She has had a few set backs along the way, including two blood transfusions and a case of sepsis, a pretty serious infection. But, a spinal tap came back negative, so things are looking up. She was also taken off her breathing machine today and put on a low flow breathing tube. Apparently, the headgear needed to hold the breathing tube she had in place had caused a pretty nasty bruise on her head, so they wanted to let that heal and switched to something less cumbersome. The change is a little scary for her mommy & daddy since the previous times they’ve put her on the smaller breathing tube Sadie has had “spells,” which is a nice way of saying she’s stopped breathing. Preemies apparently often have trouble breathing because they’re lungs aren’t fully developed and it’s all so new to them they sometimes forget how to breath on their own.

The good news is that Sadie now weighs 3 pounds 10 ounces, that’s a pound more than she weighed when she was born…yeahhhh!!!!

When Andy & I arrived at the hospital, birthday cupcakes in tow (can’t hurt to butter up the hospital staff, right? Want to make sure they take good care of our little lovebug!!!) my sister, Kim, was holding Sadie. Kim & Eric, her husband, take turns as they’re only allowed one two-hour holding session per day. Here’s a photo of Sadie on her mommy’s chest. The necklace she’s reaching out for is one I had made for myself and my two sisters after our mom died. I designed it after a necklace she used to wear all the time growing up. It’s the symbol for Capricorn, my mom’s star sign. It just struck a chord with me that Sadie seemed to be getting comfort from touching the necklace. Kimmy says she often holds it….so sweet!!!

My sister, Kim, was just 27 weeks pregnant with her second baby when complications landed her in the hospital last week. Initially, it was up in the air about how long she would be there, but after a couple of days, doctors said she would have to stay for the duration. We all had hoped, with heavy hearts, that she would be there for 8-10 weeks to give the baby a bit more time to develop, but that little lovebug in her belly wasn’t having it. At 1:28 early Friday morning, little Sadie Abigail made her way into the world….feet first! It was immediately evident that like her momma, this girl is going to have some serious spunk.

Weighing just 2 pounds 8 ounces, she was a far cry from her big brother’s weigh in weight of 9 pounds 15 and a half ounces. She is in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at the country’s leading neonatal center, so she couldn’t be in better hands. It’s definitely been a scary few days, but yesterday doctor’s removed her breathing tube and Saturday night mommy was able to hold her on her chest for the first time. Doctors can’t yet say what her prognosis is and we won’t know anything for some time. So, everyone is on pins and needles as we wait and see just how strong little miss Sadie really is.

Fortunately, I had already planned to go up to help out on Thursday and was there when my brother-in-law, Eric got the call none of us expected….”The baby is coming.” He immediately rushed off to the hospital to be with Kim. Cal & I didn’t sleep well. It was crazy, but I swear at just 2 1/2 yrs old he knew what was happening and that mommy & baby sis were in trouble.

Yesterday was the hardest day in Kim’s life as she had to leave the hospital and baby Sadie. I expect there will be lots of driving back and forth to Boston over the coming weeks. Cal & I visited with them in the hospital on Saturday and here are a few photos of our new little, and I mean LITTLE, lovebug:

Here Sadie gets a loving touch from mommy. It just kills me how tiny she looks in comparison to my sister’s hand. She could easily fit in the palm of my brother-in-law’s hand.

She was swimming in her diapers and had lots of bruising on her feet from coming out breach. But, like her mommy, she’s a fighter and will no doubt be dancing on those long graceful toes before we know it!

Cal checks out his new little sister with his dad, Eric. He definitely seemed worried about all of the tubes in her.

Cal plays with some window stickers at the hospital. Normally a rambunctious, sweet little boy, he seemed a little lost in his thoughts after visiting with Sadie. So much for a little guy to take in all at once. I think it was hard enough for him to have mommy taken away for a week, but then to have a sick little sister on top of it. It just makes you wonder what’s going through that sweet little head of his. I LOVE this little man!!!

Here’s Cal at home during breakfast. I know I’m biased, but seriously, does it get much cuter than that? It was definitely a different kind of event when Cal was born. Andy & I were both there at the hospital for his arrival and I was in the room when he came out. It was the most incredible thing I’ve ever witnessed and it gave me such a new sense of respect and awe for my sister. She is an incredible mom and all of the hard work that she & Eric have put in really shines through in this fun, gentle little soul!

Well, we hope to have some more images with Sadie looking a little less dependent on machines in the very near future! And to all of you moms and dads out there, our hats are off to you. It is the hardest, most scary job in the world, but the rewards are incalculable! And when all of the hard work and sacrifice produce beautiful little people like my nephew and niece, well, the world is just a better place for it! So thank you!!!

Inspired by the joy these and other little lovebugs in our lives have brought us we plan to add family lifestyle portraiture to our Bello offerings this summer…stay tuned for more info.

Usually around mid February, Chris and I like to get away somewhere warm for a bit to escape the seemingly endless New England winter. Last year, we explored the gorgeous country Nicaragua. However, this year brought about a change. A childhood friend of mine from home (that’s England, in case you didn’t know) Steve, is expecting twin boys in a couple of months - well his wife Sam is, but you know what I mean!

Living so far apart now, we don’t get to see each other nearly as much as we’d like, and with the little ones on their way we decided we needed to see each other before his life became consumed with dirty diapers and round-the-clock feedings!! So, we decided an action packed ski trip in the Alps was in order. It was a quick trip, just 5 days in St. Anton, a quaint ski town nestled in the Arlberg region of the Austrian Alps.

The big difference between skiing in the Alps and skiing in the US is that in the US you are typically confined to one mountain, whereas when you are in the Alps you have a whole mountain range to explore. For example, you can ski to a different town in the next valley for a mid morning coffee, zip over few peaks to another town for lunch, head to another town further up the valley for a afternoon hot chocolate, then make your way back to camp before the lifts close and leave you stranded somewhere in the middle of nowhere!! It really is an amazing experience. Because of the vastness of it all you never really have to ski any run twice in one day! And with our friend Owes in charge of the trail map we didn’t!

I started off my trip by flying into Zurich, Switzerland where I had the pleasure of spending the day before my friends showed up later in the evening.

Called the “little big city,” Zurich is a beautiful and very walkable city, which was great since I only had one day to spend there. After picking up a very helpful walking map from the tourist office, I headed to the popular and beautiful Bahnhofstrasse, or Old Town. My walk took me through picturesque alleyways, past beautiful churches, impressive 16th and 17th century houses, quiet courtyards and of course, the infamous shopping district, where some of the world’s finest watches are made.

Next, I headed to the Lindenhof, a peaceful square that provides a great view of the whole city and the very distinctive Grossmunster church:

The Lindenhof is a haven for serious chess players. These guys found it quite amusing when I lay on the floor for this one, although you’d never tell from their faces. Deep in thought!

Here’s a cool view of the Old Town. I just love the rickety bikes everyone cycles around on.

After Steve and Owes turned up we jumped in our car rental an drove over the border into Austria to St. Anton in the Arlberg region. And the next morning we hit the slopes bright and early!

I am the lonesome snowboarder on the lift!

Everywhere you look are mountains. It is so peaceful. These red arrows can be seen on several of the peaks. From what i gather they are to warn aircraft that there are lift lines crossing the valley. Now that would be frightening seeing a plane heading for you as you dangle from 500ft!!

One of the many cool little restaurants dotted around the mountains:

Morning coffee for Steve as he plans where we will be heading to next. Lech, Stuben, Zurs?

Taking a breather and soaking in the sights

If you are an extreme skier or boarder, which we are not, you can take a small cable car that holds about 4-6 people to the top of Valluga (9400 ft). If you feel like trying this crazy venture you must be accompanied by a guide. Fortunately you can head up to the top unaccompanied to chill out and take in the views and watch these daredevils! Thats what i did!

Steve and Owes ripping it up!

By the end of the first day, I was beat. There was more snow than I knew what to do with and trying to adjust my riding to off piste runs was exhausting. By the end of the day, it was hard to stay vertical…..

Ahh, thats more like it! The apres ski was worth the wait! And the Weis beer … lovely! Steve thinks he’s getting all three! Think again mate!

For those of you interested in seeing the trail map, check the Arlberg trail map here.

So today is Christine’s birthday. Can’t really tell you which one it is. That would be rude!!!

Right now she’s out pampering herself, so i thought i’d sneak this post in!

Happy birthday gorgeous!

Add on:

Okay, my hubby is the sweetest man ever! Thanks for the b-day wishes honey!!! What a nice b-day…had breakfast with Andy at our favorite greasy spoon, Betsy’s Diner in Falmouth; did some work then had a manicure and pedicure with my friend Pax followed by a glass of wine at the RooBar in Falmouth. A bit later, Andy & I shared a slice of cake with Pax & her hubby, Tim, before Andy & I headed out for a late-night dinner at Heather’s, a new restaurant in Mashpee. Yummmy!

Andy’s post inspired me to go dig out an old baby photo in celebration of my birthday. Unfortunately, our photos are packed who knows where, and this was all I could find handy. It’s a picture of me with my mom, just before my first birthday. My mom’s stylish clothes and the wooden high chair will likely give my age away slightly. The crazy thing is my mom was just 22 when this photo was taken. Needless to say, I’m quite a bit older than that now!!! Looks like I’m shoving food in my face and slightly irritated for the interruption of a photo….I guess some things never change!