The Connor Chronicles

A stitch in time...

2011-01-28T14:29:00.003-05:00

Or should I say 2 stitches.

This week has been the week from hell (to put it nicely). Tuesday morning Connor had his 18 month check up. He is up to 24.5 lbs and has grown to 31.5 inches. He only needed one shot, which turned out to be easiest part of his day.

Over these past 18 months I have realized that my munchkin loves animals. He absolutely adores dogs and his love for birds is apparent, but recently he has started to really become fascinated by all animals. Every single morning, without fail, he drags his farm out and plays with it. He is obsessed with the Baby MacDonald DVD he got for Christmas and he even has an almost perfect rendition of the chorus (E-I-E-I-O) down pact. The reason I point this out is because our pediatrician has a big fish tank in the waiting room and Connor loves it. When we were getting ready leave Tuesday, he refused to put his coat on and went running away from me heading straight for the fish tank - then he fell. He tripped over his own two feet, like he has done a million times before, but this time he hit the window sill and got a nasty little cut right above/next to his eye. Of course, I freaked. In my defense this is a natural reaction when you pick up your toddler to make sure he is ok and see blood all over his eye. The receptionist quickly got a nurse and we went back into an exam room. The pediatrician came back in to take a look and she said he was definitely going to need stitches. My heart just sank. Next they gave me the address for the closest hospital. This I don't understand (and I will find out when we go to get the stitches removed) why the pediatrician can't/won't do stitches. Anyway, driving to the ER (alone) with your baby in the back crying and bleeding, is NOT something I ever want to do again. Needless to say, after 4 long hours, my little boy had two stitches. He was a real trooper! I know my little man is a spirited, strong-willed, independent, curious little guy, so I am sure this isn't the first time he's going to get a bump or bruise, but I didn't think his first stitches would be at just a year and a half. He certainly does keep me on my toes.

As for the rest of the week from hell (as I so nicely referred to it earlier). We got more snow. Yup, that's right. MORE SNOW! As if it were even possible. We have had 6 snowstorms in 6 weeks. The most snow the area has seen in 6 years AND it's only January. Before this last storm, Boston had a total of 49 inches of snow so far. Last year, they had 28 inches for the whole winter. (Do you see how I am really trying to drive a point home??). Anyway, I woke up early Thursday to start digging out, so I could get to work. Connor had to come with me since the day care was closed (again). After I spent 45 minutes digging out and then another 15 trying to actually get the truck out of the snow, I realized I had a flat tire. Of all things to happen this week. I had already missed work for the day in the ER and now I have a flat! Luckily my father-in-law was home and did not have to work that day, so I was able to take his truck. Today, the tire is being checked out because it is leaking air and I am getting an automatic starter put in. I cant deal with another day of making Connor sit in a freezing cold car while it warms up. Of course, with my luck, the rest of the winter will be 50+ degrees and Ill never need it (if only I was that lucky).

Needless to say, I am very happy it's Friday. And a very important Friday it is because Connor is officially 18 months old today! Happy Year and Half Birthday, little Buddy! You have literally turned my world upside down and I couldn't be happier about it. I love you more than you can imagine and I am amazed that through all the changes of the past few months, you just continue to smile and roll with the punches (and falls). To quote Uncle Moose "YOU ARE THE BEST"!

My sometimes goofy,

always smiling,

little man.

And my best friend

We're Back!!!

2011-01-03T09:20:00.003-05:00

First off, Happy New Year everyone!! I know we have been MIA for the past couple of months, but we had a lot of stuff happening at the end of 2010 that kept me a little too busy to keep up.

Ever since Connor was just a little peanut in my belly, we knew Florida isn't where we wanted him to grow up. No offense to any of our Floridian friends, but our immediate families are just too far away and I desperately wanted Connor to grow up knowing his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We both starting applying for jobs and I just happened to get lucky. I ended up interviewing a few times with Goodwin Procter and by some miracle they actually offered me a job! I accepted and the packing began. Connor and I made the big move out of Florida on Halloween weekend. We are staying with Uncle Steve, who has literally flipped his life upside down for us! Mark is still in Florida with Mayhem. It's been a tough 8 weeks separated, but we are working on selling the house in Florida, getting a house in MA, and Mark finding a job in Boston. We hope to have it all come together by early Spring, so we can finally all be in one spot again! We have seen Mark at least once a month, so that has helped, but I have to say I have a whole new found respect for single parents! It is not an easy job to do alone and I am looking forward to having my other half back with us soon.

As for Connor, he is doing great!! He has adjusted amazingly well! He is having a good time at his Uncle Steve's place and likes to visit Nana and Grampy downstairs. He has instantly formed a bond with all this cousins, aunts and uncles. It makes me so happy to see him playing with Alex, Britt and Michael and dancing with cousin Kevin in the halls of the house. It is the reason we made the move and I couldn't be happier for him. As for my family, my parents and brother have been visiting a lot and we are all so happy that we are now only a car ride away. We went to Jersey for Christmas and got to see the whole family, which was so nice. We are planning another trip (weather permitting for the long weekend in January). I love that we can be there for all the big family parties and not have to worry about the cost of flight anymore. It is GREAT to be back up North!

Now we have a had a few milestones in the past couple of months and Ill try hard to remember when it all happened. Connor just turned 17 months the week after Christmas. He is really becoming a little boy all of the sudden. He has such a personality and keeps me laughing all the time. He is talking a lot more and the words are starting to make sense. He LOVES birds (thanks to his G-Pop) and is a big fan of buses too (thanks to Boston for giving him more buses than he can yell for). He has started to develop a love for music that is just too cute. He loves dancing around the room to any kind of beat. He has 10 teeth now (two of which are molars - that was a rough week to say the least) and is finally starting to eat a little bit more. He is still an incredibly picky eater and has some major texture issues, but we are slowing getting there. Just last night he ate some mac and cheese and honeydew melon all by himself with a fork. It's amazing how big he is getting.

Ill post a few recent pictures just so you all can see how big he has gotten and I promise to be back on my game with this blog thing in 2011! We wish you all the best in the new year!!

Christmas Eve bath (getting all ready for Santa)

His most favorite present at Christmas (the box)

My little toddler

Our annual Christmas picture (where no one is looking at the right camera)

Hello gorgeous!

A fork in the road

2010-09-15T20:48:00.002-04:00

I am hoping this is it: a new beginning, a turning point.

Tonight I realized (when Connor was trying to stab his food with a spoon) that perhaps he doesn't hate to eat, he just hates when I feed him. He was enjoying dinner more than he ever has tonight. This is probably b/c I started "dinner" with a piece of Uncle Tommy's pound cake. Let me say this about the pound cake - there is not a person in the world who has eaten it that will say it is anything other than the most delicious cake you have EVER tasted and it was clear that Connor agreed. He didn't eat it, he INHALED it! Seeing as he was on a roll, I figured I'd go with it and try to throw some ham and cheese in the mix. That's when I gave Connor a fork and discovered this may be the way to get him to eat. He was so excited and so proud when he actually got the food in his mouth! It was just too cute not to share.

Here's hoping that we have just embarked on a new path towards loving food as much as his mommy and daddy do!!

Say cheese!

2010-09-08T12:17:00.004-04:00

Waaaaaayyyy back when I was pregnant, I got a gift certificate to a local portrait studio from my cousins Beth and Lauren. Unfortunately, back in January when I went to make an appointment for Connor's 6 month pictures, I found out the place had closed down. Lucky for us, they were bought out by another company and recently re-opened. They were nice enough to honor the gift certificate, so we decided to get some 1 year old portraits taken this past weekend. It turns out my son, even with two teeth coming in simultaneously, is quite the ham. Despite the fact it was late in the day (smack in the middle of witching hour, in fact) he did really well and we got some really cute pictures.

When we make our trek up North (in exactly 9 days - YEAH), we will come with pictures in hand. Till then, here's a sneak preview!

My baby

Here comes trouble...

Everyone's favorite Pats fan!

A collection of the many faces of Connor

Moving on Up

2010-08-30T13:51:00.003-04:00

Today, Connor is officially transitioning into the toddler room at preschool! He had to be fully walking in order to move into the "big kid" room and since he has taken off, he is all set to go. This, of course, means he leaves his beloved Ms. Marie. Marie has been a working moms dream! She is the sweetest, most loving, caring infant teacher I could have possible asked for and I am so upset he isn't going to be with her everyday. Luckily, she will be right down the hall and helping him through this transition.

This all means that my little man is growing up (I know, he's only 13 months), but to see your little baby walking around does a number on your heart. I know how fast time goes by, so I am just going to fully enjoy every single moment. I just ADORE him!!

Ready, set...

And there he goes!

Stepping out

2010-08-13T20:29:00.006-04:00

I have been trying to post video of Connor walking for weeks now and today I finally got it to upload. I wanted to capture the early days when he was still walking around like baby frankenstein and extra cautious about each step.

(Now if I could only get it to rotate) AGGGHHHH!!!!

Cake Boss

2010-08-05T14:41:00.003-04:00

There was no convincing Connor that the cake smashing thing was fun (or yummy for that matter). My son is a HUGE texture kid. If he doesn't like the way it feels, he will NOT eat it. Needless to say, he didnt eat much of his cake, but he still managed to cover his hands (and my shirt) in icing.

Oh the horror! How dare they give me a cake!

Seriously inspecting this "thing"

Not a fan of the texture

Finally, taking a taste

Fun to be ONE!!

2010-08-02T14:38:00.007-04:00

It has been a week long celebration in the Power household for our little man's 1st birthday!! Connor turned the BIG O-N-E last Wednesday and we spent the day with Nonni, G-Pop, and Uncle Moose. I was so happy that my dad was able to come 2 days earlier than scheduled so he could be there on his actual birthday. To top it all off, Connor amazed us all when he took his very FIRST STEPS (2 to be exact) towards his G-Pop on the morning of his birthday. As a working mother, I have dreaded the day where I would pick him up from daycare and they would give me the good news that he took his first steps (and then I would cry b/c I missed it). I love my baby for taking the leap when I was home to see and it was just an extra treat that my parents and brother got to be there too!!!!
As for his actual birthday, we spent a lazy morning around the house and then went out to lunch. As soon as Mark got home we did his birthday cake and presents. My mom has the classic cake smashing pictures on her camera, so Ill share those in another post, but here are some of my one year old on his birthday! I cant believe its been a year already and it has by far been the best year of my life!!

He's a big boy now

and not afraid to let us know how he really feels

His laugh is still contagious

which make us the luckiest parents in the world

Uh-oh!

2010-07-19T14:16:00.004-04:00

Well, he may not know how to say much yet, but he knows when he (or the dog) has done something wrong.

Put me in the Zoo

2010-07-08T11:17:00.004-04:00

The 4th of July here was a wash out. I know we live in Florida, so we have sunshine A LOT and I shouldn't complain, but it really stinks when you get a long weekend and it rains for almost all of it. On Monday, we decided to venture out to the Miami Zoo and take our chances with the rain. It turned out to be the perfect day. It never really rained, but the sun never came out, which was great because we were able to walk around without sweating our you know whats off. Connor was such a good boy too! We saw lots of animals, did lots of people watching, and he rode his first merry-go-round!

Ready for the long car ride

(he needs constant entertainment in the carseat or he will scream - the ENTIRE time)

Asian elephants

His locked in stare when seeing the elephants

Riding the carousal

Kicking his feet up enjoying the show

Countdown to ONE!

2010-06-30T12:51:00.005-04:00

Time seriously flies!! I cannot believe we are less than a month away from my baby's FIRST birthday!! He is really starting to grow into "toddlerhood" now. He is talking up a storm (although none of it sounds like English yet), he can high-five, shake his head "no" (thanks a lot, Big Bird), clap, feed the dog (and then crack up when Mayhem licks his little hand clean), and use his little walker to move from room to room. There is part of me that REALLY wants him to walk (I know, I'll regret saying that when I have to chase him), but he hates being carried and always demands to get down. He cruises around everything, but he has yet to be daring enough to let go and take those first steps on his own. I guess we will see if he decides to step out on his own this month.

Connor 11 months big!

Using his walker from the wrong side

My little toddler

You make bath time lots of fun

2010-06-14T10:13:00.004-04:00

One of my most favorite times of day with Connor is bath time. He LOVES the water and even if he is in the worst mood beforehand, a quick dip in a bath and he is all smiles. The other night I just happened to have my camera in the bathroom. I have no idea why it ended up there, but as most parents know, you tend to put things down in the most random of places when running after your infant. Anyway, I snapped a few pictures and wanted to share.

Anxiously awaiting me to draw the bath

Finally, we can play!

Perfect 10

2010-05-29T17:09:00.004-04:00

My little man turned 10 months old yesterday!! We celebrated with another trip to the doctor for...take a guess...poop. I am happy to report that he didn't loose any weight despite not keeping much of anything in him this last week. He is feeling much better now and is back to his old "not sleeping" self (more on that in a future post). We had a nice quiet weekend and Connor got to go swimming with his cousins again. Even though it always feels like summer in Florida, Memorial Day will always be the start of summer for me. Which only means my munchkin's 1st birthday is right around the corner! We can't wait!

Pulling all the toys out at once is his favorite thing

but he flashes his "up to no good" smile and I cant help but laugh

Poopapalooza

2010-05-27T10:37:00.002-04:00

I have coined this week "poopapalooza". I assume you can deduce why. My poor kid has never had an easy time with digestion. In fact, he eats prunes 4 times a week to help him in that area, so you can imagine my shock when the complete opposite hit home this week. I could not have ever imagined that so much poop could come out of someone so little. So on this, the eve of munchkin's 10 month birthday, my wish for him is a poop free day tomorrow. I am sure he needs a break, after all he has been putting on quiet a show for 3 days now.

Always room for a lefty on the roster

2010-05-13T19:29:00.007-04:00

So it seems to me that Connor has a preference for his left hand. We have noticed that he favors picking things up with his left hand and eating with his left hand. Although possibly most important, he throws with his left hand. Mark continues to remind him, as he cheers him on when Connor throws toys around the room, "there's always room on the roster for a lefty." Who knows if he will be left handed, or in our dreams, be a left-handed pitcher for the Red Sox, but he already looks ADORABLE in his hat and jersey!

Eating out at our home away from home, Boston's on the Beach

Connor's reaction to finding out the Sox, Celtics and Bruins were all on the same night!

If only he could speak; he's giving the evil eye to a Yankee fan

To wean or not to wean, that is the question

2010-05-01T20:09:00.006-04:00

Disclaimer: this post will contain discussion on breastfeeding, hormones, emotions, and other "womanly" topics, so if you are not even comfortable with the aforementioned words please click here www.espn.com to get your dose of testosterone and do not read any further.

That being said, Connor is officially weaned and has been for a month now. This decision did not come easily. In fact, I probably should have made it sooner, but I simply could not let go. Ill start this by going back to the beginning, mostly for my own record because I am sure I will not even remember half of this by the time baby #2 comes (years from now; don't get excited Mom). I was naive when I was pregnant and truly thought that breastfeeding would be a breeze. After all, it was the most natural thing to do. Our bodies are made to do it and it will come to me and baby easily. LIE. Breastfeeding is not easy. It's the opposite actually. It is hard, very hard. It is a lot of work. There is no book or class that can prepare you for it. I feel that way and I consider myself one of the lucky ones; I had it pretty easy.

Connor gave me no trouble at all. He latched perfectly from the first time and I never had any major issues. I did, however, have an ass for a pediatrician, who at Connor's week 2 appointment made me feel like I was inadequate. Connor was back to exactly birth weight by week 2, which is all they ask for. This was not good enough for our pediatrician who wanted him at half a pound over birth weight and he told me to supplement. Being the scared 1st time mother I was, I did just that. Something I will always regret, but I did it none the less. I didn't give him much, maybe 2oz-3oz of formula at night, but I still wish I never did. After I fired said pediatrician when Connor was a month old (that's a whole other story), I started believing in myself a little more. It also helped that I was going to a breastfeeding support group every week. I truly believe that was the best thing I ever did. Not only did I learn from it, but I never felt alone. I could go there and spew all my fears and have 10 other women who understood EXACTLY what I was saying. It also gave me a place to go. I could get out of the house and go somewhere that it was perfectly acceptable to breastfeed and no one cared if your baby cried. Plus, I could weigh Connor every week to make sure he was gaining weight. This did wonders for the anxiety I had over never having enough. He was always fine. He never gained much, but it was always good enough. He was a wicked slow eater though and he would take his sweet time. This was the exhausting part. He would eat for an hour, then 2 hours later (if not sooner) eat again. I felt like that was pretty much all I did all day and night - and it was. My days were consumed by breastfeeding and so were the nights, but I really never minded that much because I was glad I was even able to do it.

When I was on maternity, we did ok. I always worried that he was still hungry or I didn't have enough for him (thanks Dr. Amoretti), but we made it through. Then I went back to work. At first things were good. I was pumping and I was getting enough for all his bottles at daycare by pumping 3 times at work (every 3 hours). This is a job in and of itself. I am so lucky to have a boss that didn't care that an hour and a half of my day was spent attached to a pump in a locked office (sometimes his office when I had nowhere else to go). Again, I had it easy. Pumping was annoying and I hated every minute of it, but I did it. After about a month, Connor started demanding more in his bottles and "the girls" could not keep up. I would have to add another pump in at night in order to make sure he had enough bottles for daycare. I did this for a while. Then around month 6, I could not even keep up by doing another pump, so he got one bottle of formula at school. I still kept pumping. I would lug that thing into work everyday with the little cooler and all the parts and keep on pumping. Then I started getting less and less at each session. It got to the point, where I would pump for 20 minutes and get an ounce and a half TOTAL!!!! It was at this point that I decided this had to stop. It was downright depressing. Every time I saw that, I wanted to cry. I was doing so much work and I was getting nothing. I was letting down my baby and I couldn't figure out why my body was letting me down. I started giving him bottles of formula at school, but still breastfeeding when I was with him. This, however, was not going well either. He would get extremely frustrated with me and literally pound at my chest to get more of a let down. He would fling his head back and cry. I started trying to pump all the time and give him breast milk in a bottle, so I would know he was getting enough to be full. This did not last long either, as I would need to pump twice to get one bottle, so I would still have to supplement. I decide in month 7 that this whole charade had to end. My body wasn't producing enough and my son was not happy; therefore I was not happy. After a long email chain with Joanna, she helped me realize that it was OK to stop. I had done my best and gave my son a great start. I slowly started to feel proud instead of wanting to cry everyday (which is how I felt every single day since I went back to work).

I started weaning him in March and it did not take long at all. This only affirmed my decision to stop. I barely felt engorged. I cut out feedings after a day or two and soon we were completely weaned, except for the early morning feed. I could not stop everything just yet. I couldn't let go, so I would get him when he woke up around 5-5:30am and bring him to my bed and feed him. I knew that I didn't have much left in there, but he didn't need much at that time. We both sort of did it more for comfort than for nutrition. However, we stopped that by the end of March too and by the time I went to Jersey for my birthday we were all done. No pump to pack, no breastfeeding wrap for the plane. Just me, my happy little man, and his bottles.

Now, I anxiously await the return of "my friend" and have already seen my hormones fiercely out of whack. I was downright nasty two weeks ago to everyone and I could feel myself having no patience with anyone or anything. I hope this doesn't last too long because I may loose my job and husband if it does, but this is just another thing to add to the joys of being a woman.

I must say for all the crap that us women deal with, I wouldn't trade it for anything because we are lucky enough to be able to be mothers. I got to experience pregnancy, which is a phenomenon like no other. I carried Connor and nurtured him for 9 months. I gave birth to him and cannot even explain how amazing it is to feel an instant love for someone. I will spend the rest of my life nurturing, loving, teaching, and caring for him and I consider myself the luckiest person in the world for that. So bring on the hormones and crazy emotions because I am lucky enough to be a mother (to the most amazing little man) and experience everything that comes along with it.

I know it's about a week early, but Happy Mother's Day to all of you who are as lucky I as I am.
And boy am I lucky...

Doing fine in month 9!

2010-04-28T15:03:00.003-04:00

Today Connor turned 9 monts old!! My prediction of last month was right; not only did he pop a tooth, he now has two! Both of his bottom ones have sprouted and although it was rough few days (and nights) he looks mighty cute with them. I'm not sure of what my next prediction should be. I'd like to say he may take his first steps, but I know that seems a little early. Although, I never know what to expect with this kid. For now, we are having a great time and he just seems to get bigger (and cuter) by the day. He is now just an ounce shy of 19lbs and just over 28 inches long.

Sitting up

and standing tall

Wuz up, cuz?

2010-04-26T15:15:00.004-04:00

I know I refer to pretty much everyone in my family as Connor's cousins because that's what us Italians do, but this past week Connor actually got to meet some of his only true first cousins. Kevin drove down from MA with Michael, Britt, and Alex, so they could all meet Connor and spend their Spring Break in Florida. He was kept very busy and he held his own keeping up with his older cousins. Connor took his first trip to the bowling ally where he loved looking at the arcade games. He also went on his first trip to the Miami Seaquarium where he slept the day away in the Baby Bjorn, until the music at the dolphin show woke him right up. Britt was a super mother's helper and even fed Connor some solids, which is not an easy task. We all had a great time and I am so thankful that they came to see us. We hope it wont be long before we see them again (next time in Boston).

Hanging out poolside with Uncle Kevin (aka: his "real daddy")

Hanging with Britt

Wondering who the crazy girl is with a cheeseburger on her head?

1st word????

2010-04-19T15:26:00.002-04:00

After several times of hearing it, I finally caught it on video! Although Mark says he is just mumbling, it sounds a lot like "momma" to me!!!!!!!

Jersey - Round 2

2010-04-15T13:47:00.010-04:00

I have been very behind in my post recently, so I am trying to catch up. Connor went on his second trip to Jersey over Easter weekend and luckily it went just as smoothly as the first. He was perfect on the plane and was even good on the flight home despite the fact that we got delayed for 45 minutes before take-off.

Quick side story - The delay was due to an elderly woman (shocking, on a flight to Florida, right?) who began throwing up before we all even boarded the plane. Of course, thanks to the "families with small children" early boarding, I got to sit there and watch her get sick (all over the woman next to her mind you) and then watch as they needed about 15 people to clean it up and change out the seat. The most amusing part for me (and a fellow Red Sox fan next to us) was the fact that the man she was with actually stayed on the plane when they kicked her off. The man was wearing a Yankees shirt. Need I say more?

Anyway, the trip was wonderful. I got to celebrate my 32nd (gulp) birthday with my family and spend Easter there for the first time since we moved to Florida. Easter is one of my favorite holidays with my family. It's always fun, the food is always good, and the egg hunt is always hysterical. This year's "big egg" winner was Super Joe, but I am sure I would have beat him to it, if I didn't have a baby in my arms and a drink in the other (my first in 18 months and it was delicious).

Ill let the pictures tell the rest of the story:

Connor helping Uncle Moose make me the cutest birthday card

Enjoying my birthday at the park with my favorite lil' man

Getting an Easter basket from the Trishka's

Enjoying his Easter breakfast of yogurt (his favorite)

A Brazda family portrait

The whole crazy gang

8 is GREAT!

2010-03-29T12:05:00.007-04:00

Yesterday Connor celebrated his 8 month birthday! This last month was a big deal for him because he finally became mobile. He is crawling everywhere now and testing mommy's nerves by pulling himself up to standing every chance he gets (especially in his crib). My next prediction...this month we finally get a tooth!

My 8 month old little man:

Bargain Shopper

2010-03-16T13:36:00.006-04:00

If you have ever been in my car you have seen I drive around with a folder full of coupons (hey, times are tight). I love getting a deal, especially now since diapers and baby food run out fast in our house. Well, I guess my son gets a kick out of coupons too because he was cracking up when I was going through the mail yesterday. This was just too cute not to share - his laugh is contagious.

A Taste of Freedom

2010-03-06T18:02:00.002-05:00

It was 9 seconds to be exact, but what an exciting 9 seconds it was! Connor finally figured out how to crawl forward. Right now he cant make it more than a few moves forward without falling on his belly, but he gets right back up and tries again. Guess it's time to baby-proof the house!!

Risky Business

2010-03-03T14:38:00.006-05:00

I have to start this post by giving my brother-in-law full credit. Connor had his first picture day at pre-school on Tuesday. On Monday, I had to go get him a new outfit for the big event. Then, I had to make sure it fit, so we had a little fashion show. I took the below picture while trying on the clothes and as Stevie put it - "he looks like he is auditioning for Tom Cruise's role in Risky Business". What a perfect description! Here is my little business man...(minus the sunglasses and air guitar)

Lucky 7

2010-02-28T19:24:00.003-05:00

My little man is 7 months old today! I cannot believe how fast time flies, but I try to enjoy every single moment and new milestone. He is great at sitting up, starting to eat more solids (although he is still picky), and is starting to grow into his personality. You can tell that he wants to crawl so badly and he has perfected getting up on all fours, rocking back and forth, and then falling down. So, I say it will be lucky #7 and he will be on the move sometime this month. Ill be sure to post video when that happens. Until then, my little munchkin is nothing but smiles...and what a smile it is!

A fall from grace...literally

2010-02-17T15:55:00.003-05:00

Well, it finally happened.

Last Thursday, I found myself standing in the pediatrician's office in tears uttering the words "but I only took my eyes off him for 2 seconds" - words I swore I would never say. When I tell you it happened in about two seconds, I mean it. I put Connor on my bed surrounded by pillows, as I have done every morning, while I get the last thing I need to leave for work (my shoes). Suddenly, I heard a loud THUMP and I turned only to find my precious baby on the floor looking up at me. Of course I freaked out! He started crying, which then had me in tears. I grabbed my phone and called Mark. I am still not sure why he was the first person I called. Yes, he is my husband; however he is not a doctor, has never had a baby who fell off a bed, and is known to be quite a smart ass, but I called him nonetheless. I must say in times of crisis he manages to refrain from wisecracks and calm me down. He just told me to call the doctor and not to worry. I called the doctor, they told me to come in and I flew out of the house (faster than I ever would for work). When I arrived at the doctors office, they took us in right away and this is how the conversation with the nurse went:

Nurse: "What brings you in today?"
Me: "My son fell off my bed"
Nurse: "When?"
Me: "About 20 minutes ago"
Nurse: "Was it tile or carpet?"
Me: "Carpet"
Nurse: "Did he blackout?"
Me: "Oh god, no!"
Nurse: "I am sure he is fine, these things happen ALL the time"
Me: sniff, sniff "I know, but I am always that person that says, how did that dipshit parent let that happen and now I am standing here and I AM that dipshit parent!" sniff, sniff

The nurse proceeded to hug me, give me a tissue, and tell me that she once forgot to buckle her daughter's car seat and her 2 week old baby slipped right out onto the floor. That made me feel much better, (although I later began to question how my doctor could hire a pediatric nurse who dropped her own baby on the floor). Needless to say Connor was perfectly fine, not a scratch or bump to be found. That night I was not surprised though when I saw him up on all fours. He hasn't crawled, although he does this backwards scooting thing, so I am sure crawling isn't too far off now.

After the incident, I was flooded with stories from my friends and family whose babies have fallen off the bed, out of the crib, off a changing table, from a high chair, been lifted up into a ceiling fan (that was on), and even flipped out of a shopping cart (at a liquor store no less). Now, I am not ashamed, but proud to say I am one of those parents too because I am not a dipshit, I am only human and we learn from our mistakes. (Although, I am very happy babies are made to survive us 1st time parents)

On Solid Ground

2010-02-11T11:53:00.003-05:00

Connor has started solids, although I have yet to find anything he really likes. I tried to stay on the path of veggies first, but everything I have given him ends up on the side of his face. Then last week, I caved in and gave him bananas and STILL NOTHING! I guess Ill just keep trying and hope that something triggers a love for food (like his mom and dad have). Until then, he looks really really adorable with carrots all over his face.

Half way there!

2010-02-01T13:57:00.004-05:00

Connor is officially half way to his 1st birthday!! I cannot believe 6 months has gone by already! We celebrated his big 6 month milestone with an introduction to the world of solid foods! I feel like I have been waiting for this day for months (6 to be exact). We went to the doctor for his check up and were given the green light on solids. I decided to start with rice cereal, but he wasn't a big fan so we have moved on to veggies now. He got his first sampling of peas last night and although he didn't eat much, he managed to take in a few spoonfuls (just enough for some interesting diapers this morning).

My little man is getting so big too. He now weighs 16 lbs and is 27 inches tall. I think he takes after his G-Pop because there isn't much tall and skinny going on in our house.

Connor dressed for success on his half birthday:

The next Picasso

2010-01-11T13:43:00.004-05:00

Just in case I ever loose this, I wanted to make sure I had a picture of it somewhere. I mean, who knows, my son may one day become one of the most talented artists of his generation (something I doubt, but hey "yanvano"). Here is Connor's very first art project from daycare. At just 5 months old, I think he shows some real talent. I mean look at those crooked little fingers - I am sure that has to be some new art movement that no one has discovered yet.

A boy and his bouncer, a love story

2010-01-05T15:06:00.004-05:00

I would like to personally thank Maria and Rosanna for introducing Connor to his new love - his bouncer. This was actually a baby shower gift that he has finally gotten big enough to use and he loves it!! I just had to share this video and Connor's "Riverdance" moves.

Baby's 1st Christmas

2010-01-05T14:56:00.006-05:00

Mark and I made the decision before Connor was even born that we wouldn't travel up north this Christmas. We thought it would be too cold for his Florida blood to handle (although it's going to be 32 here tonight) and it would be too hard to travel with a baby (although Connor has been on a plane already and it was a breeze). Anyway, with that said, we stayed in Florida for Christmas, which in all honesty is just weird. Palm trees with Christmas lights, shopping for a tree in shorts, and having a BBQ just doesn't scream Christmas to me, but this year it did. We actually decorated our house and got a tree (a first since moving to Florida) and did our best to make it as "christmasy" as possible.

My parents and brother arrived on the 23rd to celebrate the holiday with us and stayed through New Year's. We did all our family traditions with Connor and added Mark's family tradition of 1 present on Christmas Eve (those were Connor's new Christmas pj's). We had a wonderful time and I am so thankful that my parents/brother made his 1st Christmas so special and were able to be here with us.

As for Connor, he didn't pay much attention to the presents, but he LOVED wrapping paper and cardboard boxes. He got more gifts than any 5 month old should get (thanks to his grandparents and the many family and friends who sent us stuff) and he did enjoy trying to eat every one of them (despite the fact that none of it was edible). Mark and I got a video camera from my parents and as soon as I figure out how to download the videos from it, I will post some. My mom also got a really nice digital camera from my dad and took a mere 572 pictures during their visit. Clearly, this little blog cannot possibly handle all that, so here are a few of my favorites.

Our 1st tree (as you can see Santa went NUTS):

Christmas morning, barely awake

Yummy wrapping paper

His Christmas day outfit (sooooo cute!)

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and we wish you all the best in the New Year!

5 months!

2010-01-05T14:47:00.004-05:00

Since the holidays were so hectic, I am seriously behind on posts, so bear with me while I post a bunch now.

Connor turned 5 months old on December 28th and I left it up to my parents to take his 5 month picture since they were visiting. Unfortunately, my mother let my dad brush Connor's hair that day (this will explain the toupee look below).

Happy 5 months little buddy!

4 months old!

2009-12-11T09:53:00.003-05:00

Connor turned 4 months old the weekend after Thanksgiving. He is now 14lbs 1 oz and standing tall at 26 inches. He still is in the 90th% for height and the 30th% for weight. He is doing great and growing just fine. He got another set of shots, which of course he was not a big fan of, but he did just fine.

That week my brother was visiting for Thanksgiving. We celebrated Connor's big 4-month mark by taking Connor on his first trip to the park. He LOVED every minute of it!! Thanks for spending time with us Uncle Moose - we can't wait to see you at Christmas!

A close up of my 4-month old baby...

First swing ride!

Take Flight

2009-11-30T15:57:00.005-05:00

Connor had his first plane ride this month. We headed up to New Jersey over Veteran's Day, so he could finally meet everyone who didn't have a chance to come down to us when he was born. I was really excited because it's getting a little harder for my Nonni and Papi to fly and they desperately wanted to meet their great-grandson, so we headed off. I was a little apprehensive at first, but I realized that people with babies do have a life (that does occasionally consist of traveling). It also helped that Joanna has been my go-to person on all things baby (since she did have one first) and she has been on a plane with Will a few times. Her advice was perfect - "you only have to fly for the first time with him once". She was right, after the first leg of the trip, I felt soooo much better. Of course it helped that Connor was a perfect angel and that I had a mom, dad and 2 kids sitting with us who were so nice. People in general were AMAZINGLY helpful to me both in the airport and on the plane. I had random strangers offering to help with carry-on and pull my luggage from the turn style. It's amazing how a cute baby in a Bjorn will get people to do things for you. Anyway, like I said, Connor was just perfect on the flight - he ate during takeoff and slept all the way through the landing. The way back was almost as good, although he was a little hesitant to eat at first, but once he did he fell asleep and woke up right before we landed. I couldn't have asked for an easier "first time".

As for our visit, it was basically 5 days of my family just smothering him with love. He got to meet Nonni and Papi who just adore him. He met Sarah, Brandyn, and Kaylee (who equally adore him - so much so that Brandyn thought it was an absolute injustice that he had to go to school while Connor was in town), and he saw The Brennan's again and of course spent tons of time with Nonni, G-Pop and Uncle Moose. Then over the weekend (thanks to Sarah generously opening up her house to all the crazies that are my family), he got to meet the rest of the extended family This included cousin Zoe who showed me her iPhone full of pictures of Connor, as she admitted that she is obsessed with how cute he is. It was a great trip and I am soooo glad we went. Here's a few pictures with the family. Thanks everyone for making our trip so wonderful and taking the time out of your busy schedules to see us. We miss you guys already!

Proud Nonni and Papi

Brandyn and Kaylee

Spending one-on-one time with Tatie

All bundled up and ready for NJ weather

Connor so excited to see G-Pop

Uncle Moose and Connor (sporting his moose outfit)

Monthly rewind

2009-11-16T14:51:00.004-05:00

I admit I have been lacking in my posts recently and I apologize. Between having visitors in October and going back to work, I was a little distracted. Basically, I missed two major milestones in the last month. First off, I neglected to post Connor's 3 month old picture, so I wanted to make sure I get that out of the way.

Here he is on his 3rd month b-day (October 28, 2009):

Second, I wanted to share my back to work blues. I went back to work the last week of October. I had been dreading this day since the day I found out I was pregnant and sure enough it came too fast. I don't think anyone who hasn't been through it can truly understand how hard that first day is. Leaving Connor with someone else even for a few minutes is hard, let alone a full 8 hours (or more). I had been looking at daycare since I was 6 months pregnant and I finally chose one. La Petite Academy is about 2 minutes from our house and it was the only place that gave me a nice warm feeling when I went to visit. I figured my gut feeling was the only thing I had to go by since I have no prior experience in this area. I basically stopped sleeping the Saturday before his first day. I kept making lists in my mind of everything I needed to get ready. I would stress over how the day would go, would he cooperate with a schedule (something he isn't a big fan of sticking to), would he miss me, and more importantly would he remember me when I picked him up.

The drop off that first morning went somewhat smoothly. I was only 30 minutes late to work, which I thought was quite an accomplishment. However, the drop off was the only thing that went smooth. I got to work around 9:30, chatted with the girls for a few minutes and then went to lock myself in an office to pump (so far 0 minutes of actually work had been done). It wasn't until I broke out the contraption that I realized I forgot the all important containers that screw into the bottom of the pump to catch the milk. How could I have been completely prepared for 2 days with all Connor's stuff and completely forget what I needed. I immediately informed my boss that I had to leave (yes, still exactly 0 minutes of actual work). I ran to Target because we all know they carry EVERYTHING. However, on my way to Target another bump in the road...the first call from daycare. When I saw that number on my phone, I almost had a heart attack. My little angel had only been there 90 minutes and already a phone call?! The director was on the other end asking me if my son had ever taken a bottle before. I informed her that he has taken a bottle almost every night since he was 4 weeks old. She said that he simply refused to eat. The teacher had been trying for 20 minutes and he wouldn't take a drop of it. They told me not to worry just yet, they would keep trying and call me back in about 15 minutes. Needless to say 30 minutes later, another call. This one to tell me he finally started to eat. I could breathe a sigh of relief and continue shopping (still no working happening). I finally got back to work around 10:45am (completely engorged already) and ran to start to pump. 30 minutes later (still 0 minutes of actual work), I finally sat at my desk. Then, the tears started. I guess I had been so busy for the morning that it hadn't sunk in. I missed Connor so much. I wondered what he was doing, if he was ok, if someone was playing with him or picking him up when he was crying. I just cant describe how it felt, but it was a very yucky feeling. I just wanted to leave. I actually worked for a total of 2 hours that day and let me tell you it was the LONGEST 2 hours ever. When I picked him up he was just fine and clearly not as traumatized as I was.

I am happy to report that things have gotten easier. I don't cry when I drop him off anymore, so we are making progress. He seems to like Ms. Marie (his teacher) and smiles at her in the mornings, which makes me feel better. We also have already braved one cold and a slew of nebulizer treatments since it only took Connor 3 days at daycare to catch a bug. I still have yet to work a full day though (and we are on week 4 of being back to work now). I just cant seem to get through that 4 o'clock hour yet. It's like the cravings that people get for chocolate/sugar in the late afternoon, except I crave to see my baby again. Luckily, I have an AMAZING boss who not only has never once asked why I am late some days and leave early on others, but who now lets me work from home on Fridays. It is amazing what that extra day with Connor does. It makes me so happy to be able to have one extra full day with him besides Saturday and Sunday. I am sure each month will get easier until I hit the lottery and can finally stay home with him all the time!

Connor on his first day of school (October 26, 2009):

That's how I roll!!

2009-11-07T13:33:00.006-05:00

Back in September Connor rolled onto his side for the first time. Since then he has been trying to figure out how to get that little leg over and his arm out from underneath him. He has accomplished rolling over to his tummy on our bed, but I consider the bed cheating a little. He usually just pushes his weight down till he can get onto his belly. This morning however, he officially rolled over. We were playing on his play mat and he suddenly just did it. I, of course, squealed in delight and started cheering and clapping like a lunatic (as you can see by my son's face below, he thought I was acting like a nut too).

The best part is that I put him back on his back, so I could get my phone and call Mark and my parents and when I came back in the room, he was back on his tummy. He proceeded to do it 3 times. It's no fluke now...crawling here we come!

No more monkeying around

2009-11-02T15:44:00.003-05:00

I have always loved Halloween. I am pretty sure it is because of the candy. I still went out trick or treating my senior year of high school and ever since then I have waited for the day I could go legitimately go out again. Saturday I was finally allowed b/c I have a little nugget of my own now. Connor was a monkey for Halloween and boy was he cute! We went out with his cousins Alyssa, Austin and Ali. Connor could not keep up with the big kids though; he made it all of 3 houses before falling asleep in my arms. Then 3 houses later his costume was complete off because lets face it, even on an October night in Florida, it was still too hot to keep on for long. Luckily, my mom was down for the weekend so that meant a TON of pictures. Here are my favs!

Right before we left to go trick or treating:

Exactly 3 houses later:

The next generation...

2009-10-05T17:17:00.003-04:00

This weekend The Noon Family came down for a visit. I was soooo excited to finally meet Baby Will (who by the way is no longer a baby, but a walking, talking little man). Dave, Joanna, Will and Baby Nooner #2, arrived on Saturday and we all had a great time. Will is an adorable, always happy, little guy who taught me a thing or two about what I need to do to truly baby proof my house. He showed me those little outlet covers are a joke, and any truly gifted son of an engineer can pull them out of a wall in a matter of 2.2 seconds.

We were most excited to introduce the boys to each other. Joanna and I are convinced that they will be best of friends just like their daddies. Of course, in true Joanna fashion (this girl has more creativity in her pinky than I have in my entire body), she bought the boys matching shirts that show they are truly "the next generation" of buddies. The shenanigans have already begun, as both the boys decided to pee all over their sheets last night and then wake up extra early and extra fussy. Oh boy are we in for it with these two...

2 months!!

2009-09-28T18:13:00.003-04:00

I can't believe how time flies, but my little peanut is 2 months old today. We had a doctor's appointment and Connor is now 11lbs 5 oz and 24 1/2 inches tall. He has discovered his thumb in the past week and he can roll over onto one side. He is getting to be so much fun since he has started to smile a lot more too! Here are a few pictures of my little man...

Say cheese

2009-09-05T10:01:00.002-04:00

Connor is not like his mother at all...he is actually in a good mood in the morning. I took advantage of this the other day and tried to capture his happiness on film. I was successful! I got the first picture of my little man's smile. It melts my heart and I am sure he will melt the hearts of many ladies over the years, but for now he is all mine and I ADORE him!!

One month already!?!

2009-08-30T14:27:00.003-04:00

Believe it or not Connor turned one month old on Friday. As some of you know, unfortunately we spent almost the last ten days in the hospital while Connor recovered from a bacterial infection (salmonella). We (including the doctors) have no idea how he got it, but he had to remain in the hospital on IV antibiotics until his one month birthday. Needless to say this milestone was huge for us because we could finally all go home. The one thing I did learn when you are confined to a 10x10 room with an infant, all day and night, is how to entertain him with nothing but your voice and horribly ridiculous dance moves. Without the bells and whistles of fancy bouncers and swings I learned a lot of songs (most of which I made up) and read lots of books to him. It was not exactly how I wanted to bond with Connor, but Ill take the quality time none the less.

Here are some pictures of my little man on his one month birthday:

Clean as a whistle

2009-08-06T12:30:00.003-04:00

Today was an exciting day in the Power household. First, Connor lost his umbilical cord this morning during one of his many, many feedings (this child is an animal). Right after that, we decided to give him his first official bath. Thank goodness my mom is around because bathing a baby is a two person job. I also credit Dave with my skills at bathing - he taught me a few weeks ago what NOT to do when I saw pics of Dave bathing Will (fully clothed). Connor started out not liking anything about the bath, but by the time we moved to his back he seemed to be ok being naked. This is no surprise to me because he is always trying to get out of his swaddles, clothes, and anything else we put on him.
Below are a few pictures of the big event:

Introducing Connor Joseph Power

2009-08-02T13:05:00.003-04:00

As most of you know we welcomed our son, Connor Joseph Power, to the world on Tuesday, July 28th at 4:18am. He was exactly 8lbs and 21 1/4 inches and he is beautiful! We are completely in love and so happy that our little man has finally arrived, healthy and happy.

So here are the details of the big day and the time leading up to that moment where I fell hopelessly in love with my son.
I actually worked all day Monday (while I was in labor) because I really thought I just had gas pains. It wasn't till I actually started timing the "gas pains" when I got home that I realized we may be on our way to baby day. I called my doctor when my contractions were around 4-7 minutes apart. They weren't ever a consistent 5 minutes apart, but they were getting stronger and stronger each time. At around 8pm, I spoke to Dr. Newman and let him know what was happening. He told me to stay home as long as I could so I would be comfortable, but he called the hospital to let them know we would be on our way sometime that night. I stayed home for another hour and a half, but the contractions were getting really strong, so we headed off to the hospital. After a quick stop at Burger King (big surprise - Mark was hungry), we got to the hospital and were admitted. At first check, I was 3 cm dilated, 80% effaced, and my contractions were 2-4 minutes apart. We thought we were on our way to a pretty nice and easy delivery. Then, I am really not sure what happened. I got my epidural around midnight. Shortly after that, my blood pressure began to drop and then Connor's heart rate dropped. The doctors and nurses tried to stabilize us both with medication and we would stabilize for a bit, but then his heart rate would drop again. I have to say, I really wasn't concerned till I realized that my OB had been sitting by my bedside for almost an hour just watching the machine. He, of course, was completely calm the entire time, which was incredibly reassuring to Mark and I. After 3 hours of trying to stabilize us, I was checked again and only progressed to 4 cm. Once Dr. Newman saw that, he sat down to talk with Mark and I. He said he couldn't really understand why we were having trouble or why the baby was in distress, but he really felt that this labor would be a very long one and one that the baby may not do so well through that. You could really tell he cared and agonized over the decision, but he felt that a c-section was our safest option for a healthy baby and healthy mom. I told him whatever he felt was best was what we would do...after all a healthy baby is the goal. Once it was decided, I have never seen people move so quickly in my life. It felt like literally a minute that Mark was throwing on scrubs, I was being prepped and rolled down the hall. Now, having a c-section is an unreal experience. You are awake, see things going on around you and yet all the while you cant feel your body. It felt like maybe 5 minutes once it all began to the point where I heard that little cry. Dr. Newman asked Mark if he wanted to stand and announce our baby and Mark did just that. He turned to me and said "It's a boy", then added "he has a lot if hair". I immediately started crying (like I am again right now). It was the single most amazing moment of my life and I cannot explain to anyone how in love I was before I even laid eyes on him. Dr. Newman did discover meconium once they got Connor out, which reassured him that we made the right decision by getting him out sooner rather than trying to deliver naturally. The nurses cleaned up Connor and whisked him off to monitor his heart. I literally got to see him for about 1 minute, which was so hard because all you want to do is hold him. I went to recovery for about an hour and then they put us in our room. It was about 3 hours before Connor got to come to the room with us and those were the LONGEST 3 hours of my life. I was so exhausted, but could not sleep because I was so excited to see him again and hold him and kiss him. Once he arrived I got to breastfeed him right away. From that point on he never left my side (except to get his weight checked and have his little man procedure). Even now that we are home, I miss him when he goes down for a nap. I could literally hold him and cuddle for days on end. This feeling is indescribable, but I can tell you I have never been so in love.

I cannot end this post until I mention the other godsend in all this - my parents and brother. They have been an amazing help to Mark and I. I cannot imagine how we would have gotten through this first week without them! I love you guys and I know Connor adores you already!! Thank you for everything!!

Trip to the butcher

2009-07-25T14:43:00.002-04:00

No, I didn't go buy some delicious cuts of beef for dinner; I got a haircut! A very, very bad haircut!
This morning I woke up on a mission. I decided I needed a haircut and a pedicure before the baby comes. My hair has been growing at an insane rate recently and my ponytail was so long it went down my back (I don't think I should have even been able to call it a ponytail anymore when it's that long). I couldn't take another minute of it, so I got up this morning and went off. I went to a place right in Boca that I have never been to before - all because I didn't feel like driving all the way to my normal place. This is where I made my mistake. Lazy does not equal nice haircut. I had asked for about 2 inches off, but as she continued to cut I realized that either she is very bad at math or she and I have a very different perception of how much 2 inches actually is. It got to a point where I had to stop her to tell that I really thought we had passed 2 inches. She simply replied, "yes, I know, but I cant seem to get your curls to be even." OK, I didn't go to cosmetology school, but last I checked curls are never even...they are CURLS. They bounce up and will never be straight across no matter how much you cut them. I decided that she needed to be stopped before I had the same haircut as my brother and politely asked her to please stop cutting. Now, the cut itself may actually look cute on someone with pin straight hair who weighs about 50 lbs less than I do, but on me...not so much! I now have hair that doesn't even come close to grazing my shoulders and I look like I belong on That 70's Show. Of course, the first sign of a terrible haircut is that you have to leave the hair salon and head immediately home b/c you refuse to go out in public till you can fix what the butcher did. I am still home, trying to figure it out and I may be here for days working on this. I refuse to share any pictures of me right now, but I just wanted you all to be aware, so when you see the pictures of me with my beautiful baby, you wont be shocked by the ridiculous haircut that I am sporting. I do feel a little like Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias now, but sadly I ended up with a "mommy cut" before I am even officially a mommy!

Status Quo

2009-07-21T18:57:00.003-04:00

I wish I had more exciting news to post, but alas I do not. Today was my 39 week appointment and I found out nothing has changed from last week. The baby appears to be very comfortable exactly where he/she. If nothing happens in the next week, I will waddle my way back to the doctor for an ultrasound. They are going to check to make sure the baby is still thriving and getting the nutrients he/she needs and from there we make a decision on whether to induce or not. My doc said that if everything looks good in the womb and I haven't made any progress then he would be hesitant to induce since that may mean a very long labor that goes nowhere and ends in a c-section. So for now we wait and see what happens. Hopefully, this little peanut of mine will decide on it's own in the next week that he/she ready for its big debut!

Sorry for the self portrait, but Mark is working late and I may very well be sleeping before he gets home to take a picture.

Going nowhere

2009-07-15T18:03:00.004-04:00

I went to the doctor today for my 38 week checkup and so far we are going nowhere (except back to the doctor in a week). I am exactly ZERO cm dilated, although the doctor tells me that doesn't mean anything and I could still go into labor tomorrow. I think this is yet another thing they tell you to make you feel better, especially when it is over 100 degrees in the middle of July and you are HUGE! So for now, we just wait, but I will take any suggestions on how to get this show on the road!!

PS - this is probably the WORST picture I have ever taken, but so many of you keep insisting I post a new picture. My face now looks about as big as my belly and I look like I haven't slept in weeks (although in my defense, I have not slept "well" in weeks).

Pack it up, pack it in, let the countdown begin...

2009-06-30T18:14:00.007-04:00

So we are finally in the last month!! Yesterday, officially marked week 36 and we are now in countdown mode at our house. I went to the doctor today and everything went very well. The baby is in the head down position, although that doesn't stop those arms and legs from kicking away at my ribcage. It is amazing to actually see the baby shift from one side of my stomach to another. I will never get tired of that feeling and I realize I should treasure every moment now because before I know it, this little one will finally be here. Last week at my appointment the doctor told me to pack a bag, so I did, and we are all ready to go whenever this child decides to bless us with his/her presence. I still can't believe that sometime in the VERY near future, we are going to be parents!

I realize I haven't posted an actual belly shot in a while, so for those of you that requested it...enjoy!

36 weeks

Thank heaven, for grandparents

2009-06-16T16:38:00.006-04:00

This past weekend my mom and dad came down to visit. I have never seen two people work so hard and still have so much fun. We finally put together the nursery and it came out GREAT!! There is NO WAY Mark and I could have done all of that without my parents, so I thank you both from the bottom of my heart!! In the midst of all that hard work we took a little time out to go to my doctor's appointment where they got to hear the heartbeat of their first grandchild! It was a great weekend overall and I still cannot believe my little peanut will be here in just a few weeks.

Here are a couple of pics of the nursery...we love it!

Baby's first library

Crib all ready to go

Artwork (thanks to Papi) and an amazing border (thanks to my Buddy)

Dresser/Changing table

Baby Shower - Take Two!

2009-06-08T09:39:00.005-04:00

Last week, my two bestest girls at work (Barbrie and Jenn) threw me a beautiful baby shower. I was completely surprised, which luckily no one caught on film (because I have been told I was as red as red can get). They worked so hard to pull it all together and I love them for it! I honestly could not work with two better girls that I feel lucky to call my friends. I got lots of adorable stuff and some definite necessities that I didn't have yet, so it was a great day. Plus I think I had the most amazing piece (who am I kidding "pieces") of cake I have ever tasted.

B and Jenn made this; complete with the softest little stuffed animals

Ice cream cake from ColdStone - if you haven't had one yet, go and get one!

I thought they only did this at bridal showers, but I was wrong

Thank you Auntie B and Auntie Jenn, you guys are the BEST!!! XOXO!

Horray for Hollywood

2009-06-02T21:02:00.005-04:00

No, we aren't moving to Cali, but Hollywood might be coming to us. At my doctor's appointment today my doctor was asking lots of questions, which is weird for him because he doesn't talk much normally. After a few minutes of talking about birth plans, epidurals, and labor, he said he wanted to "throw an idea out to me". At this point I really had no clue where he was going with this statement...did he have some crazy experimental plan for my child's birth? He said he had been asked to be on "A Baby Story" and was looking for a couple who would want to do the show with him. He said they needed someone who was due at the end of July, so he was trying to think of a few of his patients who he thinks would be good for the show and may be willing to do it. I was excited because as you can imagine I am addicted to all the baby shows now, but I assumed Mark would want no part of it. I told Dr. Newman I would talk it over with my other half and get back to him. When I left the office and called Mark, he was surprisingly all for it! (He seems to think his humor will translate well on TV and soon enough we will be signing our "Mark and Bianica, plus 1" contract with TLC). So needless to say, I called the office this afternoon and told them that we would be interested. I know Dr. Newman said he needed a few options, so we may not be the chosen ones, but its worth a shot. We will keep you posted on our small screen debut (if it happens) but in the meantime - baby and I are doing great and moving right along. Less than 8 weeks till the due date and whether all of America watches this little miracle or it's just Mark and I in L&D; I will be thrilled to finally meet him/her!!

Up close and personal

2009-05-09T17:28:00.012-04:00

Today we had our 3D ultrasound, thanks to my wonderful co-workers, who gave it to me as my birthday gift last month. I scheduled it for Mother's Day weekend and it was the greatest gift I could have gotten. As you will see from the succession of pictures below, my baby is nothing if not determined. The baby just had to show us how good he/she is at sucking its thumb. Well, I don't have to write much, since these pictures speak for themselves...THEY ARE AMAZING!!

Since most of you got to see me last weekend and now you have an up close look at Baby Power, make sure you cast your vote for boy or girl!

April Showers...bring presents!!

2009-05-05T16:15:00.010-04:00

Well, technically the shower was on May 2nd, but I couldn't come up with a name for this post. As most of you know, this past weekend was baby shower weekend! I had a great time in Jersey and my mom threw me the most beautiful shower (thank you also to Coleen for your house and your help)! I posted a few pictures below of the festivities. Thank you everyone for coming and for all your generosity. I wish I could have taken everything back here with me (in due time it will all be here), but a few items did get jammed into my carry on. Among them...the baby's first Red Sox and Patriots Jerseys, an adorable Winnie the Pooh robe, the softest blanket I have ever felt, the sweater and booties Nonni knitted, and the "party at my crib" onesie. I cant wait to start to set up the nursery!!

4 generations (including the little one in the belly)

My sister-in-law Lynne

Mom and Coleen showing me the room

Britt and Alex

Nonni and Kerri

Sweater knitted by Nonni

Baby's first Red Sox Jersey

Got, sugar?

2009-04-22T19:08:00.004-04:00

Today I went for my monthly appointment and my glucose screening test. At first, I didn't think the sugar filled drink tasted that bad, but halfway through the bottle I was praying I wouldn't gag, upchuck, and have to start over. I made it through and should have the results in about two days. Let's hope all is well.

As for the appointment, all went well and the baby and I are doing just fine. The baby was moving like crazy after getting his/her sugar shock and the heartbeat sounded wonderful, as usual. After my appointment, I decided to start checking out day care places around our house. All I can say about that is...are you sure you don't want to be a snowbird, Nonni? Living in Florida for the winter isn't so bad. PLEASE!!

Below are pictures from today. I am officially just over 26 weeks now.

Are you there God? It's me Bianica

2009-04-13T14:36:00.003-04:00

I am sure this may be "TMI" for most of you, but I don't think anyone can understand how much this monumental occasion means to me. On Friday, I went shopping - what for you ask? New bras!!!! Yes, 18 years after chanting over and over "I must, I must, I must increase my bust" - it finally happened! All it took was one little baby and BOOM, up a cup size we go! I don't know how long this will last, but trust me I am going to enjoy every moment of it!

Just a quick side note, (all the while keeping with the theme of this post), we went to a breastfeeding class this weekend. Yes, I dragged Mark with me, but both of us thought the class was very informative. The more I learn and prepare for what I know may be a difficult task, the better I feel about our success!!

What's up doc?

2009-03-24T13:19:00.010-04:00

The answer...MY WEIGHT! I woke up this morning and went off happily to my doctor's appointment. I was excited, as usual, only to have the happy slapped out of me by the scale as soon as I got there! So far I have remained on the low end of the weight gain spectrum and in 5 months gained just about 10 pounds. Well, apparently I (and baby) had a growth spurt (that's the medical field's nice way of saying "wow, you really packed on the pounds this month, fatty"). I managed to put on a whopping 8 pounds in just one month! Yes, that is right 8 pounds - I gained in one month almost as much as I gained in the first 5 months combined. Although everyone, including the doctor, said that I am still fine and I am still in the "normal" range for weight gain, there is something about seeing that scale spike up that throws you for a loop.

I think I was so thrown because up until now, I was on the low end of the weight gain spectrum and felt great about it. Ill admit it; I was cocky, but now I have rocketed to the very top of the spectrum where my fat ass is about to roll over that cliff. As I left the office I kept thinking that there must be something I am doing wrong? What happened in the last month? I really did not eat much more than normally do. Then I slowly started to recall the last two weeks...Now that I am not fast asleep by 9pm, I am hounded by cravings for sweets around that time every night. I started to remember that I did down a half gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream in the past week all by myself and just two days ago reprimanded Mark when he ate the last vanilla fudge drumstick (of course because I had no mint chocolate chip left). I am starting to think that those may not have been the healthiest of choices. Maybe I should switch to sugar free pudding?

The very good news in all of this? The baby is thriving and living happily on all that I am eating. I didn't get a sonogram picture today, but I did hear the heartbeat and it sounded stronger and louder than ever - maybe it's all that dairy and calcium the baby is getting (yeah, let's go with that). Regardless of my crushed ego, below is a picture of my belly today at exactly 22 weeks:

Spring is in the air

2009-03-15T08:51:00.005-04:00

Well, in reality there is no such thing as Spring in Florida (since it is in the mid 80's already), but there are tons of MLB Spring Training camps down here. Yesterday, Baby Power got to experience the "sounds" of his/her first Red Sox game (one of many to come). We watched the Red Sox play the Orioles at the Orioles camp in Fort Lauderdale. It was a nice (although slightly too warm) day, but we had a good time. The best thing about Spring Training - its like seeing a game in a high school stadium, the players are all so close. Next time though we will head over to Fort Myers to the Red Sox camp to see a game, since many of the actual starters don't make the road trips.

Baby and I watching the game

Jed Lowrie #12 on first base (the only picture I got of a player we actually know will play in the real season)

20 down...20 to go!

2009-03-10T19:10:00.005-04:00

Well, today marks the halfway point (exactly 20 weeks to go till baby b-day), so I thought I would share how Baby Power's home is progressing...and is it ever

PS - Thanks for the shirt Mom! It's so comfy, I love it!

IT'S A...........................BABY!!

2009-02-24T18:49:00.010-05:00

We stayed strong today and although we could have had the big reveal, we did not find out the sex of the baby. We are looking forward to being just as surprised as everyone else. We did however, get an up close look at all the baby's organs - lungs, heart, kidneys, bladder, brain, arms and legs - and everything looks great. The baby is developing according to schedule and we are both doing well. It is always incredibly exciting (and a relief) to see that heart beating. It's a constant reminder of how lucky we are. I cannot wait to meet this little baby!!

18 weeks...(a look from the inside)

18 weeks (the view from the outside)

Orville Redenbacher is that you???

2009-02-12T19:18:00.002-05:00

I just felt the baby move for the first time!! I was so excited and confused that I almost missed it. My doctor had asked me at my last appointment if I felt any movement yet, but I hadn't. He told me that it happens for most between 16-20 weeks and that many women describe it as feeling like there are butterflies in their stomach or like popcorn popping. Well, this definitely felt like popcorn popping to me. At first, I thought I had sat on my cell phone and it was vibrating. Then after I grabbed my phone from under my leg, I realized that wasn't it at all and then I remembered - POPCORN! I put my hand on my stomach, but it's just not something that you can feel from the outside just yet. Either way I was very excited for this new milestone and now I am just sitting here waiting and hoping that it happens again soon!!

Slow and steady

2009-02-08T11:37:00.004-05:00

Pictures from today at 15 weeks and 5 days

Morning Glory

2009-02-06T15:14:00.005-05:00

This morning I had another doctor's appointment and I don't know about you, but it seems like FOREVER since my last one. I get very excited/nervous in between appointments and once I go I am on cloud 9!! Today, we got to hear the heartbeat for the first time, which was one of the coolest things I have ever heard. For those of you that don't know, it's like a whooshing (if that is a word) thumping and it goes much faster than I ever would have expected. Unfortunately, this time I don't have any pictures to post of the baby, but I can promise from the story below, that this is definitely our child.

For those of you that don't know, my immediate family lovingly (a.k.a. sarcastically) refers to me as "morning glory" due to my ability to be a complete grouch when I wake up. Well, for all the years I yelled at my mother when she tried to wake me up for school (and the one time I "supposedly" made a gesture at her, as if I was going to choke her, if she didn't get away from me when she was trying to wake me up from the couch one night), I may get my payback in the years to come...
So the doctor asked if we wanted to take a quick look at the baby, so out came that freezing cold gel and across my belly it went. This time the baby was laying on it's side with it's back facing us. It was actually cool to see the baby's spine and rib cage - who knew you could see the skeleton! Anyway, the doctor tried to poke and prod the baby to flip around so we could see his/her face, but all my child did was back kick it's little leg at the doctor as if to say "hey, I don't know what you are all up to out there, but I am trying to sleep here! Leave me alone!" Maybe it was too early or maybe (and more likely) I have a little me on my hands, but either way I couldn't stop smiling and I am soooooo excited to meet him/her!!

I promise I will post a new "belly" picture this weekend, as I am being harassed by everyone.

**Quick edit to the above story. I just got home from work and as Mark and I were talking about the events of the morning, apparently I missed a key baby snub this morning. Mark said that as the doctor started to get the picture to come up the baby was actually facing us and he saw the baby's face (I missed this part because I was lying flat and there was a glare on the screen till the doc tilted it for me). Well, Mark said the baby did a quick turn around the second we started poking around and gave us his/her ass to look at instead. Now, I am CONVINCED that the baby is Mark's (not that there was ever any doubt)!

Belly pics

2009-01-19T09:52:00.006-05:00

Well, after much nagging from my family (a.k.a. Mom) - here are the latest pictures of my belly and it's new development. Since I have officially "popped", I thought I would share. Of course by doing this I will forever have a dreaded paper trail of what my belly used to look like. Now my poor child can be tortured with "before mommy had you, this is what I used to look like" stories. Not to mention, the intention was to share how my belly was growing, but now that I sit and look closely at these pictures I realize that my ass has grown as well (Oh YEAH! Just what I always wanted- bigger hips and ass than I had before). I will continue to keep you updated on our progress, although I may look for more flattering pants to take pictures in (and no more zooming in).

The first picture was taken on January 8, 2009 - the week of my last doctor's appointment. The second picture I took this morning, so all of this happened in just 11 days!

First outfit

2009-01-15T11:06:00.004-05:00

Over the holidays, I finally broke down and bought the baby his/her first outfit. We have a "tradition" at our house (well, it's really more like a superstition) - Mark and I wear the same outfit every week when we watch the Patriots games. Upholding this tradition, I thought it only appropriate that our child have their own outfit too. IT IS SOOOO ADORABLE!!!

Not a grain of rice anymore...

2009-01-06T18:06:00.005-05:00

On Tuesday I went for my 2nd doctor's appointment and all went well. The doctor says everything is going great and all my blood test came back perfect. We got our second ultrasound picture and I was absolutely amazed at the difference between the first and the second! I just kept saying "Holy Cow!" over and over when I saw it (I am trying my hardest to cut back on the cursing - which is extremely hard for me to do, for those who know me well). Dr. Newman finally told me he needed me to stop bouncing up and down so much so he could get a good picture (and boy did he ever). I now see why I have been sooooo tired! That baby grew A LOT in just 4 weeks!

Ultasound at 6 weeks and 4 days (December 8, 2008):

(that tiny little thing at the top of the "black hole" is our little peanut!)

Ultrasound at 11 weeks (January 6, 2009):

(It's starting to look like a REAL BABY NOW!!!)

Christmas 2008

2009-01-06T17:45:00.004-05:00

We were very lucky this year to find a great deal on flights up North for Christmas! We are also very fortunate to have my wonderful cousin, Ron, living 3 minutes from us and willing to look after our crazy mutts for a week! So off we went to Jersey/Boston, so I could take advantage of this trip and let the family know we are expecting in person!

Before I begin, I have to start with the reason I have no pictures of Mark's family finding out...Mark has a BIG mouth! I dont know how I was the one to show restraint, but Mark had none. He told his side over the phone before we got there. I did however get 3 lists of baby names from Michael, Britt and Alex (my nieces and nephew), which were quiet extensive. I dont think I need to buy any baby name books since I think the kids wrote down most of the names in the English language. Britt also painted a beautiful picture for the baby's room, which is already in the soon-to-be nursery.

As for my side of the family, as soon as we arrived on Christmas Eve, we went straight to Nonni and Papi's to tell them. I must tell you that every single week (since the week I got back from my honeymoon) when I call my Nonni she begins the conversation with "do you have any news for me?" (in her adorable Italian accent). Of course my answer is always, "No, Bella, nothing yet." Over the last few weeks I had to tell a little fib of course because I just had to see her reaction in person!
As soon as we sat down to eat (because that is what you do the second you walk into Nonni's house), I told them I had to show them something. I took out my ultrasound picture and the moment she saw it she screamed..."No, is this true?"...followed by tears. Then almost without skipping a beat, she asked me "where are we at?" (meaning how far along are you?). I told her 9 weeks and she immediately yelled at me..."Nine weeks, I ask you if you have any news and 9 times you lie to me and say NO!" She is the most adorable person I know! Needless to say, my grandparents were both thrilled and I am sure she has already started to knit something as we type (read).
Here are a few pics of the big reveal to them...

Here are a couple of other pictures of the rest of my family finding out on Christmas Day. As my grandparents Christmas gift, I made a calendar online of family pictures. On July 30th (the due date) I wrote "Bianica's Due Date" - we also decorated the entire month of July with baby stickers. Basically, we let the family flip through the calendar until someone noticed - Tat was the winner (with a little encouraging from TJ). Once she saw, the chaos began....

The Big Reveal to Mom, Buddy and TJ

2009-01-06T17:06:00.001-05:00

As some of you know, I FINALLY (after 12 very long years and countless different colleges) graduated from Florida Atlantic University on December 12th. My parents and brother flew down for the big event. Little did they know, I had a whole other suprise planned for them. Luckily, Mark was quick to shoot some pictures of the big reveal and we were able to capture the suprise on their faces. I decided to give my parents and brother frames, which included the very 1st ultrasound picture. Even though the ultrasound looks like the littlest grain of rice, they got the idea and were THRILLED!

Here we go...

2009-01-06T16:58:00.000-05:00

Well, I am completely new to the world of "blogging", but with a baby on the way I figured this was the best time to start. After seeing Joanna's blog throughout her pregnancy with adorable Baby Will (my godson-in-law), I thought this is the best way to keep everyone who is so far away updated with the latest pregnancy news.
As you all know by now (because I dont think there is a single person out there that my mother didnt tell), we are expecting our first baby in July and couldnt be more excited! I hope you all enjoy the blog and keep checking in from time to time to see what is new with our little peanut!

Love you all!