Ferrara's in Florida

"I've never met any children that love babies more than Sable" is the second most common impression I receive from people. My girls really love babies--Sable more nurturing than Ruby but to her advantage Sable's had 18 months more to practice.

David Lee, Hannah Larremore Ruby Simone & Sabes with Alex Lee Rebecca & David Ashley Padilla Burke with her two female fans (she's the mom of two boys) Breakfast at the Lee Residence

J'adore Paris! There's no other way to put it. We could go on and on about how much we love the City of Light but until I take up an hour to create a Ferrara Chronicles, this will serve as our abbreviated yet illustrated journal of our trip. Great food, great fun, great friends, great shopping...if only Paris were closer! Cafe au lait outdoors (under a heat lamp) An authentically decorated Parisian hotel room A unique room at that: one with a view! New Orleans, New York City, and... Paris--Some of the best food in the world! Sacre Coeur, the height of Montmartre Night view of Sacre Coeur practically from our hotel window The bakery we fell in love with six years ago (PF enjoying country bread with dried apricots & nuts) The steps we walked down & then up every day -- at least 1,000 steps a day! Relaxing on a park bench near le Tour d'Eiffel Ooh La La - the macaroons at Laduree At-home vacation with Nana & Aunt Barbie

My cousin, Bonnie, needed stories of funny things kids say. Ruby, our comedienne, never lets us down. To see her sweet face on iVillage.com and to read her quote, click on the title of this post. Ruby is the eighth slide in the slide show.

Having fun in the Paris Metro 25 weeks / 3rd pregnancy Comparison pic 24 weeks / 1st pregnancy

How advanced technology has become in only the last 4 years. We can email pics from Paris from our hotel while enjoying breakfast in bed overlooking the City of Light. Our room is fabulous, we're staying in the 18e of Montemartre. While breath-taking views abound as this is the highest point in the city, it is quite a steep workout for an expectant mother. To give you an idea of the height, there's a tram you can take up the hill if you prefer to forego the 1000 step march. Hoping Nana and Aunt Barbie are enjoying our daughters! And we hope the girls are blessing their socks off. We are having a blast, thanks to Nana and Aunt Barbie who helped make this trip possible. :) xoxo

Fall is a fun season in North Central Florida. We drove down to the corn maze where the girls fed the cows, went on a hayride, played in dry corn and engaged in other fun country activities. Picked up some homemade cherry preserves for Pops Ferrara while we were down there. Commentary on the photo: There's no wondering to be had about Ruby's personality yesterday. She's been quite the two-year-old lately.

This is our third year at the pumpkin patch. The first year Ruby was a month old, last year I had two little pumpkins I chased around the patch, and this year I'm too pregnant to pick up a big fat pumpkin for the front porch. I did manage to let the girls pick out their own pumpkins--each picked 5 palm-sized pumpkins while I purchased a pumpkin cookbook and two red gourds. The pumpkin patch is really fun and the large field of pumpkins makes for an ideal place for my girls to spend their endless energy. Hayride PA & Sabes Rewarded witha lollipop for good manners When asked to smile for the camera, she shook her head no with her lips pursed Good Buddies Ella (2.5) Aiden (4) Sable (3.5) Ruby (2)

In case of the video link not working, cut and paste this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiHTCcmcG00 Who needs ESPN Game Day when we have our own live one at home? After breakfast we read Twas the Night Before Kick Off, featuring Albert and Alberta the UF mascots. Then we do our cheers--in the playroom, in the courtyard, and every now and then you'll see Ruby spontaneously throwing up a Gator Chomp in public places...hilarious.

We took our family Christmas photos today, so much easier in October than cramming it in between Thanksgiving and Christmas parties. Our daughters just LOVE each other. This pic is so Sable & Ruby; that is, Sable mothering and Ruby consenting to it. This pic is one of my faves! The dresses are courtesy of Aunt Ginger, straight from France. Les soeurs ont tres belle!

There's this beautiful town 20 minutes north of Gainesville called High Springs. It's not Paris but it's become oen of my favorite local destinations. From a Sunday drive & dinner with my husband to a summer visit at the Springs with my in-laws, a weekend ladies' church retreat, and today a "field trip" to a friend's farm, High Springs offers a quiet reprieve from the (not-so) bustling life in the GNV (lol to my NYC friends).

Our little sweetness Ruby Simone fell shy during the singing of Happy Birthday. She became so bashful that she didn't even blow out her own candles. At age 2, that's what friends are for! They took care of her candles in a jiffy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QBYXoijPhM

Yesterday we took our girls to their first Gator tailgating party. They enjoyed it despite the intense swampy summer heat. They were so cute in their Gator dresses but Daddy was too hot to take a pic and by the time we got home, this was the only photo op we had. I want to go back with the girls next time, Daddy wants to go with just me...when the Tigers play the Gators.

Ruby Simone turned two on 9-2. We celebrated with Pops, Mimi, Ginger & Carrie at the condo a week earlier and again the day after her birthday at the pool with little friends. Our girly girl received lots of nail polish, lip gloss, costume jewelry and her very own embellished plastic high heels. Daddy took Ruby on a special date to Toys R Us where she picked out a baby doll. She named her Bibi JuJu (tranlsation: Baby Juliana after her big cousin). Bibi JuJu cries when her pacifier comes out and so does someone else...big sis Sable.

I have an official due date: Feb 4, 2011. How sweet that this great grandchild's due date falls on Grandmaw Ferrara's 94th birthday. Between 16-17 weeks: Preggo Update: First trimester was different than the first two pregnancies which were very similar to each other. I had morning sickness, major cravings although I could hardly eat for nearly seven weeks and lots of headaches. Second trimester has been better. This one is also different than the first two in one respect: I am showing alot sooner--at 18 weeks my friends can surely tell I'm pregnant and strangers might think I'm still carrying baby weight from a prior pregnancy. And...this pregnancy is flying by! 17 weeks with second pregnancy: P.S. I had my first ultrasound this week and I took the girls with me. As soon as we entered the room, Sable hopped on the table facing the TV screen and announced, "I'm ready to see our baby boy." The nurses thought I already knew the sex at that comment ...

The first time my mom and I took the girls to Pier Park. The second it was Sable and me and the "mom" feelings were just as warm and fuzzy as the first time. The amusement park at Pier Park has sentiment--the rides are the same ones I rode as a little girl vacationing in PCB at Miracle Strip. Now that the amusement park is no longer, the rides relocated to Pier Park outdoor shopping area. My little girl asked me to watch her on the carousel, she wanted to go by herself. I was stunned to say the least, after all she is not even 3 1/2!! However, I enjoyed taking pics of her and she wasn't too grown up to ask me to ride the ferris wheel with her. Sable was so brave on the ferris wheel. While loading passengers on the ground, we were stuck at the highest part of the circle and she locked eyes with me and said, "Are you scared because I don't think I like this." No tears, just bravery, I was so proud of her. What felt like forever in the sky lent for a n...

Lauren and 4-day-old James Henry Kolmetz Ruby Simone & her pumpkin cookie: She told Nana, "Thank you cookie. BIG cookie!" Sable and her made-to-order pumpkin cookie Aunt Carrie & my sweeties Janel & Aunt Barbie stopped in for a visit on their way from NY to South Florida

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyJXjuyuX4k

And I thought Ruby had a wonderful world in which to be born: A child's world with toys & playdates (as opposed to firstborn Sable where playdates involved late night dining, adult conversation and "infant in arms" air travel). Baby #3 will have it perhaps better than the rest: A child's world, playdates, toys and best of all, THREE MOMMIES! Almost every night in bed, Daddy ends his day by listening to me recap the day's funny quotes and stories which sometimes include short iPhone videos. These days the stories include curiosity about this new baby-- Sable: "Mommy, I hope you're not going to nurse OUR baby." Me: "Why do you say this?" Sable: "Because I will be okay to feed OUR baby bottles all the time." Ruby: "Pay. Pay." (translation: Pray. Pray.) Me: "Pray about what?" Ruby: "Pay Baby." So she lifts up my shirt, puts her hands on my belly button and prays something like, "SHERARARARA...