The Galasso Files

Parenthood is…

2010-03-02T23:07:00.003-05:00

Tonight was the premiere of Parenthood on NBC. I had seen several of the commercials for this new show – and I had planned on watching it. This morning, I came down with what I suspect to be a mild case of the flu. Swine or otherwise, I felt absolutely miserable and spent most of my day on the couch.

Fortunately, at the start of the show, my Motrin kicked in and I was up and ready to watch.

The show took me through a wide range of emotions – I laughed, I cried…I felt despair and anguish. I couldn’t help but imagine my future with Rosie & RJ and wonder what bumps we would face. I have these two little children who are as close to perfect as you can get – but someday these angels will be teenagers. Where will that take us? Will my future Olympic hockey player decide to play soccer instead? Or dance? What if RJ decides that basketball is his thing? Will we become basketball fans?

So these questions ran through my flu-fogged brain as I watched Parenthood. And then I started to think about my day – I woke up feeling fairly miserable and got worse as the day went on. RJ cooperated with me beautifully and took two naps, during which time I napped as well. Rosie, who had no interest in napping, sat in bed with me during my first nap and watched Sesame Street while holding my hand. During my second nap – on the couch – she sat on the arm of the couch and stroked my hair while she watched Shrek. Any time I moved I would hear her say “it’s OK, Mommy – go back to sleep.” She did her best to keep me sleeping until RJ woke up – and which point she nudged me awake and said “Mommy, I’m sorry to wake you, but I think I hear RJ and he is calling for you.”

As I sat huddled on the couch underneath several blankets and a heating pad, I couldn’t help but marvel at the wonderful children before me. I watched them play together, care for each other and care for me. Rosie would get up and get RJ more water – RJ would come over every few minutes to give me one of his wet and sloppy kisses. Rosie would sporadically shout “hey Mom – I love you!” Both kids came over just to give me hugs many times.

So – what is parenthood? Parenthood is worrying over your son’s bowed legs and inward-turned toes. Parenthood is explaining to your three-year-old daughter that it is not OK to hit, ever, even if someone hit her first. Parenthood is crying to yourself over the seemingly harsh punishment you just dealt out because you couldn’t let your kid see you sweat and you knew it was for the best. Parenthood is losing sleep and laughing so hard you nearly pee yourself. Parenthood is being proud of the smile lines on your face. Parenthood is completely giving of yourself for someone else without even realizing it.

Most importantly – parenthood is the most wild and most amazing ride you could ever have the pleasure of being on. To my wonderful Rosie girl and my sweet RJ – I didn’t know how much I was missing until you both came into my life. There is nothing more wonderful than being your mom and there is no place I would rather be than with you.

Look Who’s Talking Now!

2010-02-25T23:31:00.001-05:00

I have said for months now that I didn’t think my little man was going to speak until at least his third birthday. Although he is an excellent communicator, his only consistent word thus far has been “Mama.” He uses “Mama” for everything – to call me, to call his sister, to call various family members and friends, to ask for milk, to direct us where to take him, to ask to be picked up…it has been a multi-purpose word. This week, however, things started to change.

I noticed over last weekend that he had begun to consistently put sounds together. On Sunday, he told me he wanted to go “nigh-nigh” while pointing upstairs. So I took him upstairs for a nap…and he was happy. On Wednesday, he called Miss Carrie “Mom.” She said “I’m not your Mom. I’m Miss Carrie. Can you say Carrie?” He said “Caca.” (He apparently thinks she is the shit!) Instead of signing “please” like I have been trying to teach him, he’s been saying “puh” when I tell him to say please. But the best verbal request happened earlier today.

When Rosie woke up from her nap she requested cuddle time with a movie. So I dropped what I was doing and we put on Shrek and snuggled under a blanket. About 30 minutes into the movie, we hear RJ. I bring him downstairs and he is excited to see his sister – but he also clapped his hands that Shrek was on TV. We watched for a few more minutes before leaving the house to get Miss Kimmie.

Upon our arrival at home, I plopped RJ down on the ottoman in front of the TV. He looked at me, made the sign for “more,” pointed at the TV and very clearly sad “Shre!” So I said to him, “you want to watch Shrek?” And he very loudly shouted “Shre!” again. So, we watched Shrek.
Later on, upon coming home from a Target run, he met me at the door and was very excited. He took me up the hand and led me over to the refrigerator. He lifted his arms for me to pick him up – so I did – and he pointed at his birth announcement on the fridge and said “be be.” My goodness – that certainly is a baby! Just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, I made him say it another 25 times to both me and his Dad. Verdict – he not only knows what a baby is…but he knows how to say it!

The Naked Butt Problem

2010-02-19T23:16:00.000-05:00

You really never know what is going to pop out of Rosie’s mouth. She sometimes busts out with words that are bigger than she is…or memories that are half of her little life ago…and sometimes she just makes you laugh so hard, you cry. Tonight was one of those nights.

She refused to take a nap for me this afternoon and then fell asleep in the car ride to Target. After a smooth transfer to her stroller, she slept through the entire visit until after my groceries had been paid for and bagged. After putting her back into her car seat, she started to complain that the seat was “bothering” her – but couldn’t tell me what was actually wrong. Since I was driving, I told her it would have to wait until we got home.

Miss Dani pulled in the driveway right behind us, so the uncomfortable car seat was long forgotten and both kids stayed in their seats until we arrived at the gym to drop them off for date night. Upon pulling into the parking lot, Rosie shouts “uh-oh! Mom! We have a BUTT PROBLEM!” A butt problem? So I ask her – a butt problem? “Yup. We have a BUTT PROBLEM. A NAKED BUTT PROBLEM.”

Now I’m looking around the parking lot and I’m thinking that stranger things have happened in Baltimore County than a naked butt strolling around the parking lot when it’s 35 degrees outside. So I ask – “Where do you see a naked butt, Rosie?” “We have a NAKED BUTT PROBLEM Mom!! A NAKED BUTT PROBLEM!” Dani and I are now chuckling to ourselves over the hyper-active imagination of this little 3-year-old. I park and we start to unload the kids.
That is when we realized that we had a legitimate NAKED BUTT PROBLEM. Somehow, Rosie’s tights and underwear had slid down right of her tiny little rear-end and her sweater dress and gotten tucked under her coat. There was my little girl – mooning the entire parking lot and Bel Air Road.

I am happy to report that Miss Dani fixed the NAKED BUTT PROBLEM by pulling up her underwear and tights and pulling down her sweater. Rosie had no additional butt complaints.

Car Seat Success?!

2009-06-29T23:33:00.001-04:00

This was the soundtrack playing in my car this morning on the way to the gym:
“Mommy, I’m holding my RJ’s hand!”
“Mommy, I’m not holding RJ’s hand anymore.”
“Mommy, I’m holding my RJ’s hand!”
“Mommy, I’m not holding RJ’s hand anymore.”

And she repeated these two phrases over and over and over again all the way to Brick Bodies. I knew that she would be excited to be sitting next to her brother, and I was hopeful that the new seating arrangements would work out well for everyone. Fortunately, the excitement wore off by the car ride home from the gym and my two very tired babies were relaxed and ready to nap.

All was quiet for my ride home. Both kids fell asleep. It wasn’t until I was in the driveway that I turned around to look at the kids – and what I saw brought tears to my eyes. They were both asleep – and had fallen asleep holding hands.

So yes, the new location of Rosie’s car seat is a definite success…the image isn’t the best, since I took it from the front seat of my car – but you can see Rosie’s little hand holding RJ’s little hand. (You can also see the oh-so-fabulous Cowmooflage car seat pattern…)

This is My RJ

2009-06-29T23:26:00.001-04:00

Our family of three had a very smooth transition into a family of four. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t thank God for our good fortune. I am beyond grateful that Rosie, who was more than a month shy of her second birthday when we brought RJ home from the hospital, truly enjoys being a big sister. Her natural assumption of the role has been a marvel to me for over eight months now. I have the true pleasure of being able to enjoy her interactions with RJ.

She has always been a helper to me. She is quick to try and comfort RJ whenever he is upset, share toys and teach him the ways of her world. Last week I overheard her trying to teach him colors. If he is fussing in his crib, she will run in there, talk to him and hold his hand until we pick him up. At some point “Baby RJ” became “my RJ” – and I think it is the most adorable thing in the world.

We visited the mall today and then did dinner by the fountain at the Avenue in White Marsh. In our travels we met many strangers who stopped to talk to Rosie. She was looking particularly cute and girly today – curly ribbons that coordinated with her outfit accented her pigtails – so she attracted a fair amount of stranger attention. Most comments were “what a pretty little girl” or “I love your pigtails.” The first two or three times it happened, Rosie just said “Thank you.” After that her response became “thank you – this is my RJ.” After a lengthy conversation with a woman in Hallmark I realized that she was deliberately bringing attention to her brother any time she had attention for herself.

I thought about it on the ride home from the mall – Rosie is just very concerned that RJ be included in everything. Whenever an activity is presented to her she responds with “and RJ too?”

Rich tells everyone that having two kids is WAY more than twice the work. Well, it is. I sleep much less…I worry much more. I have less time to do things like clean my bathrooms and write thank you cards. However, our days are filled with WAY more than twice the joy as well. There will be a time for clean houses and thank you cards and sleep…right now Rich and I have front row seats for the most amazing, touching and heartwarming show – the Rosie & RJ show. And we wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Installing the Car Seats…

2009-06-28T23:21:00.000-04:00

When we first installed the infant carrier in the car back in October we put Rosie behind the driver’s seat and RJ behind the passenger seat. We deliberately kept them separate in fear that an over-zealous toddler might reach out and touch her brother a little too hard. Rosie has never been particularly aware of her own strength, but is getting better and understand the cause and effect relationship of her actions. So, when she asked me if she could sit next to RJ in the car, I thought it might be worth a try.

I installed her car seat in the middle and RJ’s on the passenger side. She rode in her new seat tonight – but only time will tell if this arrangement will last or if we will need to separate them again!

New Car Seats...

2009-06-27T23:07:00.000-04:00

We went out today and picked up a new car seat. RJ has officially outgrown the infant carrier and is ready to move into a big-boy car seat. After shopping around, we decided to purchase a bigger seat for Rosie and put RJ in her seat. So, with much research and a little sadness that my baby is getting big, Rich and I went to Babies R Us and purchased the Britax Roundabout 50. We found it right away and was instantly disappointed. The Britax Roundabout 50 is so new that it only comes in one pattern – the less than attractive Cowmooflage. It is black…with an interesting cow print running down the center. Yuck.

We bought it anyway – because we needed it and it was the only thing available. But I think I will be headed to JoAnn fabrics next weekend to buy fabric to make a different cover!

Feelings

2009-06-01T12:26:00.000-04:00

This morning started out as any regular morning in our house. I was up with RJ at around 6:15. Rich got up at around 7:15 and hit the shower. I woke Rosie and got both R&R dressed and ready to head to the gym. Once my three Rs are ready to face the day, I take a few minutes to get myself ready upstairs. Usually just 15-20 minutes of alone time, this time is always the calm before my personal, frenzied storm. Typically, Rich just gets to play with the kids until I come down and we head out to the car. This morning, however, he got to share a moment with Rosie that will have me chuckling for quite some time.

Their moment went something like this:
Rosie: Daddy – I have feelings.
Daddy: What kind of feelings?
Rosie: Feelings. Just feelings.
(there is a pause here…as Rich tries to figure out what she is trying to say…)
Rosie: I need to go potty.

R1 & R2 head into the potty where Rosie proceeds to poop for a magazine-worthy amount of time. Once all of the bathroom business was finished up and hands were washed, Rosie turns to her father and says “Guess what, Daddy – I don’t have feelings anymore! They are all gone!”

RJ's New Toy

2009-05-21T00:40:00.000-04:00

RJ has a new favorite toy – his penis. While I was changing his diaper this morning, my sweet little baby reached down, grabbed a hold of his penis and just grinned.

I know from my friends who have kids and from Rosie that body exploration is totally normal – it is just another piece of their body to explore and play with (he already found his fingers and toes – this is just something new, right?)

As RJ tugged, pulled and played with this newly-discovered part of his body, I could help but think about professional baseball players – who, in addition to hit and field baseballs, seem to get paid to continually adjust themselves on camera.

I called Rich to tell him about his son’s latest discovery – but he was already familiar with it…and perhaps a little proud. His response? “Oh yeah – he found it last night. Couldn’t get enough of it.”

Ah, boys…it starts at the tender age of seven months and it never, ever ends…

RJ's 6 Month Check-up

2009-04-29T00:30:00.000-04:00

RJ had his 6-month check up today - I can't believe that he is 6 months old! Here are the vitals:

Weight: 15 pounds, 11 ounces (25th percentile)
Height: 26.5 inches (50th percentile)
Development: Totally on target
Next step: BABY FOOD!

Stay tuned for updates and pictures of RJ's first sampling of baby food...

Heart warming article

2009-03-18T12:35:00.000-04:00

Rich has been watching the WBC religiously - and although I tune in when I can, I've been a little too busy to catch some of the good stories. He sent this to me today, and I thought it was a story worth sharing.

Red, white and blue, through and through
By Jeff Passan, Yahoo! Sports

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The flag traveled around the world and through the deserts of Afghanistan and Iraq. Sgt. Felix Perez brought it from home as a reminder and an amulet. The flag never left his Army backpack.
It accompanied Perez to Dolphin Stadium on Tuesday night. He needed some luck for his team, the United States, in its must-win World Baseball Classic game against Puerto Rico. Perez wore a Team USA hat and a Team USA hoodie, and his little sister, Jessica, draped his flag across her shoulders. The United States’ 6-5 come-from-behind victory in the ninth inning sent them into a frenzy. She danced around. He sat in his motorized wheelchair and roared.
On the way out, the 27-year-old Perez placed the flag in his lap and leaned over to a security guard manning Gate G. He was hoping some players from Team USA might sign it. The security guard led Perez and his sister to the U.S. clubhouse, and the flag went inside.
“The next thing I know,” Perez said, “I’m getting called to come back in there.”
And so began the coolest 30 minutes of Felix Perez’s life. On an evening when he felt especially proud to be an American – when a group of his sporting heroes wearing his country’s name across their chests banded together to win a game they had no business winning – Perez found himself surrounded by them, doused with celebratory Miller Lites, with the American flag that was with him during the worst moment of his life passed around the room and signed by every player on the team.
“Everybody,” Perez said.
Then they handed him a ball filled with signatures.
“Everybody,” Perez said.
The half-hour went too fast. Jimmy Rollins, who scored the winning run, wanted to chat more. David Wright, who drove it in, couldn’t hear enough about how the New York Mets are Perez’s favorite team. Almost half the team surrounded Perez for a photograph, the flag draped around his torso, a smile on every face, and none brighter than his.
“I’m just happy to see him happy,” Jessica said.
It’s been four years since Perez returned from the Middle East, where he spent four years. He enlisted after his 17th birthday and was in Afghanistan by the time he turned 20. He doesn’t like to talk about his injury. Some wounds don’t heal.
Perez played ball growing up in North Bergen, N.J., and still loves watching the sport. He attended Team USA’s first WBC game here, an 11-1 mercy-rule loss to Puerto Rico. When the Americans beat the Netherlands to stay alive, Perez woke up at 9 the next morning, called the box office and bought three tickets.
The stadium, practically empty at first pitch, filled to 13,224 by game’s end. It deserved more eyes. Puerto Rico scored in the sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie and tacked on an insurance run in the ninth for a two-run lead. The Americans, about to get bumped from the second straight WBC before the semifinals, needed something divine. Shane Victorino singled to right field. Brian Roberts singled to center. And then Roberts, who had joined Team USA just two days earlier to replace the injured Dustin Pedroia, stole second base – even though coaches laid down the hold sign. Roberts hadn’t quite learned the signs yet.
A walk to Rollins, and another to Kevin Youkilis, and the U.S. had cut the deficit to one run. Wright laced a 2-1 pitch from Fernando Cabrera down the right-field line, and out charged all of Team USA, from the bench and the bullpen, in a bull rush to home plate, then to greet Wright. His teammates kept pushing Wright, joyous and unbridled shoves, until he fell down and they buried his face in the dirt.
“I never thought that we’d be dog piling in March,” Wright said.
No one did. The malaise that clouded the previous games involving Team USA seemed infectious. For every Felix Perez, there were dozens, sometimes hundreds, of fans rooting for the opposing team. Every WBC game thus far, even the ones in Florida, felt like it was on the road.
Not even that dampened the Americans’ enthusiasm. They play Venezuela on Wednesday to determine seeding in Los Angeles, where they’ll face either Korea or the winner of Wednesday’s Japan-Cuba knockout game – and perhaps with a few more supporters who can appreciate what Team USA accomplished Tuesday.
“That was the greatest game I’ve ever been a part of,” catcher Brian McCann said. “Ever.”
Same went for Perez. He said he would rather Team USA win the WBC than the Mets win a World Series.
“We’re the U.S.,” Perez said. “This is our game. … This is the world. You’re representing your country. What is more honorable than representing your country?”
Team USA’s manager, Davey Johnson, grew up an Army brat, his father a prisoner-of-war in World War II.
“There is nothing more honorable,” he said.
Wright was raised near Naval Station Norfolk, one of the largest military bases in the country.
“When you see those guys and get a chance to see how much it means to them, that makes it extra special,” he said. “They take a lot of pride in that red, white and blue, and to have USA across your chest and have supporters like that – that’s what this tournament means.”
Outside the clubhouse, Perez started moving toward the stadium exit. His dad, Felix, had called. He was wondering where Perez and Jessica had gone. They were headed back to the car, Jessica said. They had a pretty amazing souvenir.
A minute later, Rollins walked by and spotted Perez.
“All right, baby,” he said. “Keep a smile on your face.”
“Hey,” Perez said, “as long as you keep swinging the bat, I’ll be happy.”
Perez lifted his right arm as high as he could to wave goodbye. He wasn’t sure he’d see these guys again. He said he might fly to Los Angeles for the finals. He doesn’t know.
Perez moved his hands onto the flag. It’s a struggle, but he wanted to touch his prize. He plans on hanging it next to his other American flag, the one his friends in the 82nd Airborne sent to him when he was injured.
The old flag’s traveling days are over. Sgt. Felix Perez brought it to his home Tuesday night as a reminder and an amulet. The flag never will leave his heart.

Doors, Part II

2009-03-13T01:38:00.000-04:00

After my 5th sleepless night in a row, I was trying to catch a few extra minutes of sleep while both kids were still down. Rich had gone downstairs, RJ was in my bed and Rosie was sound asleep in her room – or so I thought. I shut my eyes “just for a minute” and was awakened 25 minutes later by Rich, with Rosie in his arms.

Rosie woke up, didn’t say a word – but just opened her door and started to walk down the steps. Rich heard her calling for Mommy and met her when she was almost all the way down the staircase.

I guess it is time to baby gate her into her room!!

Doors Won't Stop Her Now!

2009-03-12T01:39:00.000-04:00

I’ve been dreading this day for a long time – Rosie has mastered our door knobs. According to Carrie, our nanny, we have difficult doorknobs for toddlers. Her daughter, Zallie, has had doorknobs mastered for quite some time but struggles at our house. Maybe it is because we have a lot of open space…maybe it is because I keep the doors open…maybe it is because we keep all of her toys in one space where she can easily get them…regardless of the reason, up until now, Rosie has not really tried to open the doors in our house at all. That all changed last week.

I was feeding RJ on my bed and had accidentally locked Messier in my bathroom. She was crying to get out and Rosie was banging on the door to get in. Messier must have sounded desperate to Rosie because she was determined to open the door and let her out. After a minute of fumbling, the door popped open and a very happy Rosie looked at me and said “I did it!” You sure did, kiddo.

At around 2am, I was putting RJ back to bed after a feeding when I heard a noise on the monitor. Rosie was awake and climbing out of her bed. Usually she hollers for us until we get her. But the typical chorus of “I need Mommy. I need Daddy,” never came. Instead, I heard a click. As I turned to walk RJ to his room, Rosie appeared in the doorway. She looked at me, Binkie in hand, and said “I want to cuddle wish you, Mommy.” I guess the cuddle was worth the walk!

Rosie Goes Bilingual

2009-03-11T01:25:00.000-04:00

Rosie has a new obsession lately. Actually – she has two new obsessions that she picked up from the other kids at Little Bricks. She is completely enamored with Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, GO! I never deliberately introduced her to these programs, but they are on when we are at the gym. Up until a few weeks ago, I didn’t know that she even watched the programs.

My first tip-off that we had new favorites occurred in the Hallmark store on the Avenue. We were there in early February picking up all of our February birthday cards and we passed by the large collection of TY beanie babies and assorted stuffed animals. Rosie, who had not been feeling well that week, suddenly starts yelling “Mommy – a baby Jaguara! A baby Jaguara!” A What? Jaguara? What could she possibly mean?

It never occurred to me that she would be saying “Jaguar” or that she would know the difference between a jaguar stuffed animal and a tiger stuffed animal. But she did – she knew that little stuffed cat was a baby jaguar and she needed to have it. I was relatively impressed that she knew it was a jaguar, so I bought it for her.

Fast forward a few weeks – we are on the couch and she is asking for “egg-o.” What is “egg-o?” Rosie is pretty good at making herself understood, so when I didn’t understand “egg-o,” she tried something else: “Dora the ‘Splora.” That one, I understood. It just so happened that Dora was on Nickelodeon. And Diego just happened to follow it. As soon as Diego’s theme song started to play, Rosie started to jump up and down and scream “EGG-O!!! Da EGG-O!” Ah…now I get it. So, for the first time, I watch Diego. Guess what – Diego hangs out with a baby jaguar that is picture and named in the opening theme. Rosie learned about the jaguar from Diego’s theme song. He has a “baby jaguar by his side.”

Now, Rosie likes to watch multiple Dora and Diego episodes every day. They are cousins, you know. Rosie told me – but I watched the show to confirm. She has learned about many different animals (like Iggy the Iguana…she now wants an iguana). She has started to answer Dora and Diego when they ask questions of their audience – and at the end of the episode, she can tell you all about it. But all of this pales in comparison to what happened this morning.

We were watching Dora in my bed and Rosie wanted chocolate milk. I told her that we would need to go downstairs – and she looked at me and said “Let’s go, amigo. Vamanos!” I looked at her and thought, did that really just happen? So I asked her to repeat it – and she did. Thank you, Dora and Diego!

Hello, Poison Control

2009-03-09T01:26:00.000-04:00

I had a pretty good streak going. I managed to make it through 821 days without a single call to Poison control. 2 years and 3 months of parenting without a kid-related call to 911. Day 822 broke my streak – and it was completely my fault.

RJ was fussing up a storm and just crying. We tried feeding him, rocking him, bouncing him, putting him down, pick him up…just about everything. We decided that the poor little guy had some nasty gas bubbles and we needed to help him out. So – I broke out the infant Mylicon. Without even thinking, I filled up the dropper and gave RJ the medicine. As soon as he has swallowed the dose, something didn’t feel right to me. Half thinking that the stuff was past its expiration, I started reading the bottle. To my horror, I realized that I had given him a double dose.

I controlled my panic in front of Rich, but took RJ upstairs and after about a minute decided to follow the advice on the bottle and call Poison Control for advice as to how to deal with this accidental overdose. Doing my best to control my tears, I dialed 911. I told the operator that I needed Poison control and she calmly offered to connect me right away. I’m glad she was calm – I was not.

Within 3 minutes, the whole ordeal was over and the nice gentleman at Poison Control assured me that Mylicon is not a toxic substance and a double dose would not harm RJ in any way. I went downstairs, tail between my legs, to tell Rich that I had called. His response? “I knew you were going to call.” At least our first call to Poison Control (and I’m sure not our last) was a minor one!

The Great Binkie Swap

2009-02-25T01:46:00.000-05:00

Anyone who has been around Rosie tends to notice a few things about her – she has huge, beautiful eyes that are so expressive they capture you. She is a chatterbox. She has blond hair – contrasting both of her parents. And she never likes to be without her Binkie.

I swore that my kids wouldn’t go on a Binkie. After all – Binkies cause nipple confusion for breastfed babies, according to the lactation lady we saw before Rosie was born. I was committed to nursing, so no binkies for me! That is, of course, until Rosie was actually here and I was willing to saw off my right arm if it meant she would stop crying. The nursery nurse suggested a binkie – and I was willing to try anything. From day one, it worked like a charm.

Fast forward to December 2007. We told Rosie that, at the ripe old age of one, she could only have her binkie at nighttime, naptime and in the car (which was usually naptime anyway). This worked beautifully, and three binkies became a part of her night and naptime routine. Since this went so well, I had every intention of cutting the bink out completely by the summer of 2008. What stopped us from complete binkie removal? Guilt. I was pregnant again – and what if the new baby needed a binkie? I just couldn’t do that to Rosie – she got to keep her little rubber pieces of comfort.

Rosie is allowed to sleep with three binkies. One for her mouth and one for each hand. When she is tired, cranky, upset or hurt – she asks for them. Sometimes, she just likes to hold them. Other times, she tells you “I don’t need my Binkie right now.” About two months ago we were in Babies R Us and she saw a purple Binkie. “Mommy – I need that. I need the purple Binkie, please!” How could I say no? Rosie has 6 Binkies in her room – 2 green, 1 blue, 1 purple and 2 pink. The blue and one of the pink ones are a harder plastic than the others. She picks her three every night by their color – but she almost always chooses the purple one.

RJ is nowhere near the Binkie addict that Rosie has been. He looks for it every now and then, but doesn’t need it to fall asleep or be happy and content. An unexpected bonus to the binkie – it is a bond between brother and sister. Rosie likes that RJ has a binkie and gets very upset when the binkie isn’t near him. If she has hers, she is likely to try and shove one in his mouth. (Again – good sharing, Rosie!) They have even invented their own little Binkie game. The Great Binkie Swap – check out the video to see what a 2-year-old and 4-month-old come up with when left to themselves!

Roll, Baby, Roll!

2009-02-25T01:45:00.000-05:00

Rosie and I had a relatively sleepless night last night, so when RJ woke up, he got fed and went straight to Daddy. Rosie and I conked back out in the spare room for a few hours until Rich had to hop in the shower. When Rich brought RJ in to us, he shared some exciting yet disturbing news. RJ rolled over.

At first, I completely discounted the event because RJ had been on the bed. The soft surface helped him along, I thought. So this really couldn’t count as a rollover…could it? I had to test this out myself. I put him down on our family room floor to see what he would do.

He looked up…looked around…smiled a bit. Then, he started to push. He was working really hard to flop himself over – and all that work had him tootin’ up a storm. But – after a few minutes of trying, grunting and tooting – he got it and rolled right onto his back!

How could this be? My little boy is only 4 months old. I’m not ready for him to roll over yet! He’s just a baby! But he is a strong little guy – and I’m sure, just like his daredevil primate sister, he will be keeping us on our toes constantly!

RJ SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!

2009-02-19T01:40:00.000-05:00

Much like this sister, RJ is not a born sleeper. He sometimes gives us a good 4 hour stretch in the middle of the night – but typically, he sleeps the best and the longest when snuggled up in our arms. Even the snuggle technique only keeps him asleep for a few short hours. So – when I put the kids to bed last night, I was prepared for another typical night in the Galasso household. RJ falls asleep. Rosie falls asleep. Carry RJ to his crib. Carry Rosie to her bed. RJ wakes up, comes into bed with us. Rosie wakes up, Rich goes into bed with her. This is pretty much a nightly pattern in our household. Not last night.
Rose fell asleep, face first, on my bed at 10. RJ was not far behind her. I carried RJ into his crib and laid him down gently – he didn’t stir. I carried Rosie into her room and put her on her bed. She moved around, and I thought for sure she would be up shortly. While Rich was still at hockey practice, I sat on our bed and tried to finish off my homework before one of the kids woke up. RJ woke up first.

He woke up, had a little snack and then fell back to sleep on my bed. I kept him there, expecting him to wake up and want to eat again at any minute – but he stayed asleep. Rich got home and held RJ for a few minutes before I carried him back to the crib. At 1:30, I shut down the laptop and tried to put myself to bed. I didn’t even want to fall asleep because I was just waiting for someone to wake up.

6:15 rolls around – and Rosie is standing up on her bed yelling “Mom! Come get me! I need Mommy!” Rich nudges me and says “Rosie is up.” I sit up, look around and start to get out of bed. Then he asks “where is the baby?”

“In the crib.”

“Oh – you got him back in?”

“I never took him out…”

Panic sets in immediately. What is wrong with my son? Why didn’t he wake up in the middle of the night? I grab the monitor and take a look – he is still peacefully on his side, just like I left him. Now I am in a full panic and Rosie is starting to freak out. I bribe her with chocolate milk if she will just stand in the hall quietly for a few minutes while I check on RJ. She does…and I open his door. As I open the door, he rolls just slightly onto his back. Phew – he is fine. Which means…

HE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! WOO-HOO!!

Dance Party, USA

2009-02-15T19:02:00.002-05:00

I Love The Children's Place

2009-01-24T01:24:00.000-05:00

Children’s Place is the only children’s store where you can get brand new shirts for kids for $2.99. 7 items, $24. You seriously can not do better than that

Poop, Already!

2009-01-23T01:23:00.000-05:00

Having children changes you – but I think that is a fairly obvious statement. I was expecting many of these changes – going out less, less sleep…things like that. What I was not prepared for was the sudden fascination and obsession with poop.

I remember my freshman year talking to my roommates about poop etiquette. I put the can of Lysol on the back of the bowl and said “everybody poops. I don’t want to hear any thing more about it.” I was pretty much fine with that “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy until I had kids. Suddenly – poop became acceptable dinner conversation.

Maybe it is because some of the stories about babies/kids & poop are so funny and outrageous that they are worth repeating (see “Shitastrophy, Nov. 9, 2008). Whatever the reason, Rich and I have become that couple that finds it totally acceptable to discuss poop with anyone and everyone.

The nurses in the hospital in the days after a delivery are all about diaper duty. How many wet diapers? How many dirty diapers? They give you charts and guidelines about what is normal for your newborn and what you should expect in the days to come. Breastfed babies are supposed to poop all the time. Not my breastfed babies!

RJ doesn’t like to poop. He just hates it. He is this wonderful, happy baby for 3-4 days out of the week. Suddenly – he is a screamer – and his screams are due to his discomfort. He then screams for another 2 days or so until he finally poops and gets something out of his system. Then it is back to being a happy baby again!

It is day 6 of his little cycle…so I haven’t slept in about two days and I can’t put him down. RJ, darling – just poop already!

More Inspiration from Starbucks…

2009-01-19T23:51:00.000-05:00

Quote from the little cardboard sleeve:

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations”

--President Abraham Lincoln, Inaugural Address – March 4, 1865

RJ's First Night in the Crib

2009-01-19T02:25:00.001-05:00

This blog is fairly Rosie-heavy right now, largely because she just does more…for now, anyway. Tonight, I do have some RJ news to report.

We set up RJ’s room this weekend. Moved the bed out, raised the crib…dusted and vacuumed. Got everything ready for my little man. After I nursed him, I handed him over to Rich so that I could try and put Rosie to bed. Fireworks and celebrations from some Steelers fans in the neighborhood woke her up and had her asking for Daddy – so I called Rich up to snuggle her for a while. RJ was asleep – so we decided to just put him in the crib. He went down without a problem.

About 90 minutes ago, he woke up, looking for food. I fed him, brought him upstairs, laid him in his crib, patted his bottom for a minute and then went around upstairs collecting trash to go outside. When I got downstairs, he was awake in his crib, but not fussing. By the time I was done taking out all of the trash – he had put himself to sleep!

Could it be that RJ is going to be my sleeper? That he’ll be the one who, like his father (who is currently asleep on the couch) can fall asleep anywhere at anytime? Wouldn’t that be wonderful? I guess that only time will tell – but I am going to enjoy going to bed tonight!

A Father's Love

2009-01-18T22:59:00.000-05:00

Rosie makes Daddy tea...

"Cheers!" Rosie and Daddy clink glasses before downing her delicious tea..

Not meant for anyone over 3 feet tall...Rich had to spend several hours in Rosie's new house...

So…Nonna and Papou got Rosie the “Rose Petal Cottage” for Christmas this year. A few months ago, I had seen the advertisements for this thing, and thought it seemed pretty cool and right up Rosie’s alley. My Mom & I talked about it once – and she went out on a mission to find it.

This weekend, my Dad was down and he and I put this little girl sanctuary together. Rich, the lucky son of a gun, was away with Loyola’s hockey team…so he missed all of the shenanigans and tomfoolery that ensued while constructing this child’s toy. We cursed, we huffed, we puffed – but we finally got the thing together. (At one point, while I was feeding RJ, Rosie ran in the room and said “Papou! You did it!) The Rose Petal Cottage was no piece of cake to assemble – but it was so worth it to see her in it.

She sat in there immediately and was just grinning from ear to ear. The Rose Petal Cottage has many accessories – from the “cupcake set,” complete with fabric cupcakes and baking pan – to the banana split…a dish, fabric banana, fabric ice cream scoops and an ice cream scooper. Rosie’s favorite, however, is the tea set. A little tea pot with 4 tea cups, saucers and tea bags – she is very into tea. We all drank copious amounts of imaginary tea while squeezing ourselves into her new little house.

She couldn’t hide her excitement when Rich walked in the door. She ran right up to him, grabbed his hand and dragged him to see her house. After spending 9 hours on a bus with hockey players, poor Rich got home and had to spend the next two hours crammed into Rosie’s new playhouse! The things you do for love…

I Cwried For You!

2009-01-15T02:01:00.000-05:00

So tonight was my first “regular” class of the semester. My first Wednesday night class. For the next 12 weeks, I will have class every Wednesday and Thursday night and Rosie and RJ will hang out with someone other than me. Tonight, it was Daddy time. I tried to prep everything for Rich before I left. Make sure that her dinner is ready – prep RJ’s bottle so that it was ready if need…I even left pork chops marinating in the oven for Rich. Off to class I went.

I called during my break, and Rich sounded stressed. I had to deliver the news that class didn’t end until 9:30 (instead of 9) and he did not sound pleased. Now I’m stressed. I count the minutes until I can leave – and finally, I am home. I volunteer to put Rosie to bed while Rich continues to hang with RJ.

We go through her normal nighttime routine – give kisses, brush teeth, find binkies, gather friends…and then we have our evening chat. Usually – the ten minutes before Rosie fall asleep is filled with stories from her day. Today – it was a big, fat guilt trip…just for me.

R: Mommy?
K: Yes, baby?
R: I crwied for you.
K: You cried for me? Why did you cry for me?
R: You went to shewl. I miss you. I crweid for you.
(I am suddenly fighting against the tears)
K: Baby girl, you don’t have to cry for me. I always come home to you.
R: No. I miss you. I crwied for you. Don’t got to shewl anymore.
K: Honey girl, I have to go to school
R: Then take me wish (with) you, Mommy.

I didn’t really know what to say – but fortunately she asked me to cuddle her and fell asleep before I could think of a response. She’s the sweetest little girl – and I would totally take her to school with me if I could..but I think I am past the age for show & tell!

Rosie Goes to the ER

2009-01-13T01:10:00.000-05:00

Rosie checks out her IV and hand pillow...

This all started yesterday at around 8:00 pm. Rosie had been running around, just fine, all day long. She was jumping, playing – being a normal 2-year old. She took one long nap…and then another short snooze. Was a little whiny and a little clingy – but nothing so abnormal that I would worry. I kind of felt like sleeping the day away myself. Then, the weirdness started.

I ran out for groceries and came to find all three RAGs on the chair in the family room under a blanket. Rosie wanted to cuddle with Mommy – so I sat down on the couch and told her to come on over. She slid off the chair, took two steps and starting screaming her head off. Rich and I looked at each other – what could this be about? I picked her up and got her to calm down. She told me that her leg hurt. When I asked her where – she pointed to her knee. We both figured she hit her knee on the corner of the ottoman – which is the only part of it that isn’t cushioned.

After holding her for a few minutes and getting her calm, I had to get back to work. I put her in her chair and started to walk towards the bathroom. Rosie said “I want to come ‘wish’ (with) you!” OK – fine. I hold out my hand to her, she takes 5 steps and collapses, screaming that her boo-boo hurts. Perplexing.

For the rest of the night, our normally active and happy 2 year old would not walk. She wanted to play with her toys – but would not walk to them. Just sat on the floor and cried for them. We tried to get her to walk and it resulted in hysterics. I gave her some Motrin and we put her to bed, hoping that she wouldn’t be broken. Rich stayed in her room with her (yay, queen size bed) just in case she needed anything during the night.

She woke up this morning when I went in to nudge Rich. I picked her up out of bed and put her down on the floor to see if the mysterious pain was forgotten after a good night’s sleep. Two steps – and she collapses again. Now I just need to wait until the pediatrician’s office opens.

We got a 2pm appointment – which seemed like forever away at 9 this morning! We went to the dentist, we cuddled and watched “Move it, Move it” (Rosie’s name for Madagascar) – and after another dose of Motrin, her mobility improved. Finally – it was time to see Dr. Terry.

Rosie is usually an angel at Dr. Terry’s office – but not today. She wanted no part of being touched, poked or prodded by anyone. Dr. Terry suspected that she had a virus in her knee joint – but sent us to the emergency room for x-rays and blood work to eliminate any broken bones or other illnesses. And the waiting began….Rich met us at GBMC, a current hot bed of infectious diseases. He kept RJ occupied while I attempted to keep us all sanitized and relatively germ free. This was not our first trip to the ER with Rosie – we had to take her last December when she came down with RSV. Well – the number of little babies with RSV this close to my little baby was starting to make me nuts. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before we were back to see a doctor.

Rosie was a little champ during her X-rays. I had to hold her still, but she didn’t fight me or the technician at all. The next part, however, was a little less fun. They needed to start an IV in her. For whatever reason, they picked her hand as the spot to stick her. I had an IV in my hand when RJ was born – and it was painful for me. I couldn’t even imagine how terrifying this was for her. One nurse held her down while the other nurse did the dirty work. I held her head and sang “The Gambler” to her through my own tears and Rich held her hand from behind me. She just kept saying “Mommy, don’t let them hurt me.” It was breaking my heart and I just kept praying that they would finish soon.

Once the IV was started and her blood was drawn, I let Rich take over so that I could compose myself. They braced her hand and wrist on a pillow so that she wouldn’t disturb the IV needle. Rich was talking to her about the cool pillow that her hand was on and all of a sudden I hear her tiny voice say “yeah, it’s pretty neato.”

Neato? That’s my kid. Neato. The nurse just looked at her and said “I have never heard a child say that after an IV before…”

At the end of the day – Rosie, RJ and I spent a good 6 hours at GBMC. The IV was removed and they sent us home. She most likely has this crazy virus-in-the-knee thing…which I have never heard of but is apparently not uncommon. She survived her first IV and is now sleeping soundly. Another adventure for the family history book!

The Way I See It #130

2009-01-11T18:04:00.000-05:00

It will do us little good to wire the world if we short-circuit our souls. There is no delete button for racism, poverty or sectarian violence. No keystroke can ever clean the air, save a river preserve a forest. This transformational new technology must be an extension of our hearts as well as our minds. The old rules still apply. Love your mother - Mother Earth.

-Tom Brokaw

So long, Captain Jack…

2009-01-10T18:42:00.000-05:00

Bill & I at my wedding in 2003...

Bill with RJ in October...

Bill on his Harley with Rosie in September...

I’m somewhat sad to say that our own personal Captain Jack Sparrow, my brother Bill, is Captain Jack no more. For most of his life, Bill has had two distinct hairstyles: long flowing locks or a buzz cut. With a rare exception (like my wedding – when his hair was short and styled) – Bill has grown his hair out until he had to cut it for some reason – usually work. Well, his last haircut was in 2003 – and it was a great 5 year run, but his flowing ponytail is no more.

Although he cut his hair primarily for work reasons – Bill is doing the right thing. All ten inches of his mane will be sent to Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths this week. Beautiful Lengths creates wigs for women and children of all ages and backgrounds who are suffering from cancer.

Bill’s #1 concern – that Rosie might not go to him the next time he sees her, since she is used to his long hair and gruff look. It’s not what is on the surface that matters – but what is inside that counts…and inside, there is a heart of golf.

Kudos to you, Bill.

It takes 6 ponytails to make one wig. If you have long hair that you are thinking of donating and would like to donate at least 8 inches of your hair, visit www.beautifullengths.com/en_US/.

Thank God for Dani.

2009-01-10T00:51:00.000-05:00

So – most of our family and friends have met Dani over the course of the past 2 years – but I don’t know if everyone realizes just how much she means to me and my family.

At this stage, I don’t know what I would do without her. She takes care of us. I know that when I leave my kids with her, that they are in hands as good as mine. I know that when she is coming over, I can look forward to seeing a friendly face. I know that when I am in need of a friend or a good cry, she is going to be there. I really don’t know what we would do without her. She was here on Wednesday until after 10. She was here on Thursday until 10. Rich was home by 8 – but she felt bad that she held RJ so much, (he was having a needy day…gas…), so she stayed late to play with Rosie a little more. Tomorrow, she is giving up her Saturday morning to come hang out with R & R while Rich runs an errand that is easier to do without the kids while I am in class.

At some point between now and May 2010, Dani is going to spend 18 weeks away from Baltimore – and I can’t even think about it without getting emotional. She started out as our baby sitter and ended up as our family.

So – thank you, God – for giving us Dani…because we don’t know what we would do or how we would get by without her.

Playing House

2009-01-08T20:10:00.000-05:00

I started working at Little Brick – the daycare center at my gym, Brick Bodies. I picked up 6 hours and week and in exchange get my membership for free, a discount on my personal trainer and socialization with other women – most of whom have children around Rosie’s age. Rosie loves Little Brick’s – and loves it even more now that I am there to play with her.

Today, she made a new friend at Little Brick’s. We got there early and I worked out before punching in. When I got back, she was a disaster – crying all over the place…very unlike Rosie. Turns out, she was hungry and within minutes of my starting work was happily chomping on an orange. Crisis now averted, she went back to exploring everything that the Little Brick’s room has to offer – including some friends her age. Today, she found Gunner.

I would have guessed Gunner to be older than Rosie – but when I asked his mom, it turns out that he is as close to her age as he can be – December 1. Gunner & Rosie were the only two kids until 5 at Little Brick’s for a while today, and they became fast friends. They ran, they jumped, they played…and a few times, I caught them holding hands. Suddenly I realized that there was more than just some random playing going on…their playing had taken the form of a game…they were playing house. Both kids were in the play kitchen, helping one another make dinner. Then they cleaned up. Then they tended to the babies. (They had two – one for Rosie and one for Gunner). While all the bigger boys played “Keep Away from the Babies” around them, Rosie and Gunner sat in chairs in front of the TV and gave their babies imaginary bottles, burped their babies and rocked them to sleep.

They were inseparable.

Unfortunately, Gunner’s mom came to pick him up before my shift was over – and Rosie was very sad to see him go. They hugged each other several times before Gunner put his coat on. Hopefully, Gunner’s mom will be back to work out on Monday and Thursday of this coming week – so that Rosie can have some time with her buddy again.

I Love You Too Much!

2009-01-08T00:47:00.000-05:00

I tell everyone who will listen (and sometimes those who could care less) than Rich and I are extremely fortunate that Rosie adapted so well to being an older sibling. She is a wonderful, affectionate little girl who is very into loving her family and friends – especially her baby brother.

At RJ’s first sign of perceived distress (which is sometimes just those little noises that babies make), Rosie is right there to say “it’s OK, Baby RJ – don’t cry!” She will take it upon herself to hold his hand, stroke his head and even shove that little binkie into his mouth – whether he wants it or not! RJ, in turn, truly knows his sister and you can often see his little face light up when he hears her voice or sees her.

I love watching Rosie with her brother. She exhibits tenderness that I would have never expected from someone who is barely outside the baby years herself. I wish that I could capture these moments and bottle them for her – because I know from first hand experience that there will be a day that having a little brother is more of a pain than a joy.

Today, Rosie took her cuteness in her loving of RJ to a whole new level. I got home from class and Dani was sitting on the floor with RJ. Rosie ran up to greet me and give me hugs. I kissed her, kissed RJ and made a beeline for the bathroom. As I am closing the gate behind me, I hear Rosie say “I love you too much, Baby RJ.” I stopped in my tracks and looked at Dani, who was trying to control her laughter at the cuteness.

“Did she just say ‘I love you too much?’” Dani nods. That is the cutest thing ever.

Rich and I tell her “I love you so much” all the time – but her 2-year-old version of that statement made it all the more endearing. Yes, she loves her brother so much…and the love that my baby girl has for my baby boy just makes me love her even more!

The Way I See It...

2009-01-06T18:32:00.000-05:00

As almost everyone knows - I am a Starbucks junkie. I have a problem - and its name is Venti Soy No Whip Mocha. I could suck down a countless number of these puppies in lieu of solid food daily – if I could only afford to have such a habit! In addition to the flavorful concoction, I am a big fan of Starbucks for many reasons. One of those many reasons is their cup. The Starbucks “regular” cups (as in not seasonally themed) have quotes on them – quotes from famous people, quotes from ordinary citizens, quotes from cancer survivors. These quotes are called “The Way I See It.” I am one of those people who reads every cup I receive from Starbucks and gets bummed on a repeat. I’m going to start sharing some of my favorite quotes through this blog…not just for your reading pleasure, but because I really want to remember them and maybe cite them someday. This one touched me, given my Resolutions for 2009:

The Way I See It #198

You can shower a child with presents or money, but what do they really mean, compared to the most valuable gift of all – your time? Vacations and special events are nice, but so often the best moments are the spontaneous ones. Being there. Every moment you spend ith your child could be the one that really matters.

-- Tim Russert

RJ’s 2 Month Check-Up

2009-01-06T00:34:00.000-05:00

So – RJ is a little guy! We took him to see Dr. Terry this morning. He’s a little peanut – just 23.25” and just under 11 pounds. Smaller than his sister at her 2 month check up! Aside from that – he is absolutely perfect. Lifts his head up like a champ and is so strong. Despite his size, he really knows how to throw his weight around! He moves around like crazy and his little legs are so strong.

He’s grown 2 inches in the past two months – and gained about 2 pounds. Before I know it, he’ll be Rosie’s size!

Mommy is Back to School!

2009-01-04T00:28:00.000-05:00

Rosie plays in our bed...

RJ - a smiley, happy baby...

RJ is now 2 ½ months old, and I am back in the saddle at Loyola College, working diligently on my ongoing MBA. I’ll be honest – I’ll be happy when it is over. As much as I truly enjoy my classes and learning – and even the socialization – I really don’t enjoy being away from my kids for long stretches at a time.

I am taking 3 classes this semester, something I haven’t tried to do since the fall of 2005. My first class started today – Power, Privilege and Professional Identity with Andrea Giampetro-Meyer. I’ve had Professor Giampetro before, and if I could take her for every course, I would. That being said – this class meets for 36 hours in the month of January. 6 hours on each Saturday throughout the month and then every day this week. The course is at the Columbia campus – so I ended up being away from home for over 8 hours.

It was a difficult day. At first, I really loved being back in the classroom. Meeting with others, group work, group think… Every now and then it is nice to have a conversation that doesn’t center around Madagascar or Toy Story or Cars… However, by lunchtime, I really just couldn’t wait to see my kids again. 4:00 couldn’t come fast enough!

You can tell this is my second time around – I attended class complete with breast pump and spent my 2 15-minute breaks in the handicapped stall, pumping away.

My day was complete when I walked through the door at 5:35 and was attacked by a beautiful three-foot tall girl. Rosie was beyond happy to see me – and all I wanted to do was hold her and RJ. My anticipated graduation is May 2010. I’m sure that there will be a few tears between now and then – but I also know that this will all be worth it!

My Resolutions

2009-01-02T00:21:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe that it is 2009 already!

RJ smiling up at the lights...

Rosie playing with her baby doll stroller...

I typically have the same resolutions year after year – and I think they are fairly typical, as far as resolutions go. Lose some weight, hit the gym more often, eat out less, get my life more organized…blah, blah, blah. You get the point. Well – this year I decided to do something a little different. I’m not going to make a resolution that pertains to me at all – instead, my resolutions will pertain to Rosie and RJ. So, in 2009 I resolve too:

- capture more moments in my blog so that R & R have a written history of their childhood from my perspective
- take more pictures
- spend more time cuddling on the couch
- not “wish away” these precious moments
- enjoy every moment with Rosie, even the sassy ones
- enjoy every moment with RJ, even the screaming ones

So – 2009 is the year of R & R – and while I am running after my own little R & R, I won’t be lamenting the fact that I don’t ever seem to have any other kind of R & R – the rest and relaxation kind!

Excuses, excuses…

2008-11-10T22:39:00.001-05:00

So – as everyone knows, I have been a little busy for the past few weeks, and have not been very good at updating the blog. Despite my lack of blogging activity, I have been keeping copious notes as to what has transpired in the Galasso household over the past 19 days and I plan to update you with new and entertaining stories.

Please be patient…and keep on reading!

It’s a Boy!

2008-11-10T22:21:00.000-05:00

RJ's first picture...
RJ's first picture with Mom & Dad...

RJ in the nursery, fresh from a bath...

Richard Albert Galasso, Junior was born at 8:43am on October 22, 2008. He measured 21 inches exactly and weighed in at 9 pounds, 3.4 ounces.

At the time of his birth, and the week that followed, it was up for debate as to whether he would be called "Richie" or "RJ." "RJ" officially won out. Way back in April 2006, when we first found out that we were expecting Baby #1, we had decided that our first boy would be named after his Daddy - who is named after his father and grandfather. However, since he would be the third "Rich," we decided that he would be called RJ for "Rich Junior."

More than 2 years later, we now have a boy - and Rich has been thinking about an "RJ" for over 2 years. However, RJ looked like more of a Richie to me...so for the first week, I called him Richie and Rich called him RJ - and these two different names confused the hell out of Rosie. (Who just called him "Baby Brudda.")

So, for Rosie’s sake, we settled on just one name – RJ – which is what this little man will be called until he is old enough to tell us otherwise.

I am happy to report that Rosie now calls her baby brother “Baby RJ.”

A Total Shitastrophy

2008-11-09T22:53:00.000-05:00

Rosie kisses her "Baby RJ" during the Giants game:

RJ watches football from Daddy's lap:

“Shitastrophy” was the word we used to describe Rosie’s diapers when she was an infant. In her early months, I think from the time she was 2 months old until about 5 ½ months, Rosie was a twice a week pooper. On Mondays and Thursdays, after 2pm, she would need a bigger diaper to accommodate the massive load that would come out of her little body. At least 60% of the time, even the bigger diaper was not enough to hold it all, and we would have a total shitastrophy on our hands.

RJ is a very different kid. From day 1, he has been one of those typical breast-fed babies who poops constantly. Well, he pooped like crazy until I started to supplement him with formula. Formula stopped his little butt right up. So, in an effort to keep my boy as regular as possible, I backed off the formula supplements and went back to nursing as much as possible and supplementing with breast milk whenever he needed a little extra. This resulted in the first major shitastrophy attributed to little RJ.

Shortly after eating, RJ pooped. Rich started to change his diaper. After getting his entire backside clean, Rich reached for the diaper – and that is when it happened. RJ let loose an explosive stream of what Rich described as “lava poop” all over his changing pad. (Fortunately it was his changing pad and not our couch.) At first, Rich didn’t even realize what was happening, so when I pointed out the new mess, he started yelling. The more he yelled, the more RJ pooped. The more RJ pooped, the harder Rosie and I laughed. The whole spectacle was beyond hysterical. The only one not amused by this whole thing was poor little RJ.

RJ was screaming his head off. Mouth wide open, yelling like crazy. Unfortunately, baby boys don’t have a whole lot of control over their penises…and no infants have control over their bladders. So, in the middle of the shitastrophy, while he is screaming his head off, RJ starts to pee…he pees all over the pooped-up changing pad…all over his pants…all over his onesie…but the worst is that the poor kid ends up peeing right in his own mouth.

Rich was still yelping and Rosie was still laughing. I stopped laughing when the poor kid got a mouthful of pee, but the whole event was mighty funny – and Rosie talked about it until she fell asleep several hours later. RJ got even more pissed off when his shitastrophy was followed up by a bath – but after a little snack, he had calmed down and was ready to be social again.

Even though RJ is just over two weeks old, we have learned that there are significant differences between boys and girls – and the ability to pee in ones’ own mouth is only one of them!

Two Little Monkeys

2008-10-31T23:00:00.000-04:00

Last year, Rosie was Tinkerbell for Halloween, and I made her costume from a pattern. This year, I desperately wanted to make her costume again, but there was no way, since RJ was born just 9 days before Halloween. There just wasn’t enough time this fall to get a good Halloween costume accomplished. So, off to numerous Halloween stores we went. Initially, I went in search of a cat costume for Rosie and a mouse costume for the baby. I could only find the “Ballerina Mouse” costume, and it’s a good thing I didn’t get that, since RJ turned out to be an RJ! So, instead, they went as two little monkeys.

When I first showed her the costume, Rosie wanted nothing to do with it. I think the facelessness of the monkey freaked her out. However – we were easily able to bribe her into the costume – all it took was a little chocolate! (RJ slept through his entire costume experience…)

Rich, myself, Rosie, RJ, Nonna and Papou all piled into two cars and drove up to the Genco house in Sparks for some trick-or-treating fun. Rosie and Patrick handled their court without a problem, and returned to hand out candy. Both kids had fun (RJ continued to sleep) – but at one point, Rosie said “Mommy – get the monkey off of me!”

Compliments to Target for putting together beautiful and affordable Halloween costumes…but I still hope to be able to make them myself next year!

Two Weeks and Counting...

2008-10-08T23:58:00.001-04:00

As you might already know, my C-section was pushed back from October 21st to October 22nd. Not a big deal – but that means today was 2 weeks and counting. While at my doctor’s appointment today I had the realization that in less than two weeks, I will know if I have a Josie or a Little Richie. So strange. This has just gone so fast.

Rich and Rosie came with me, as per usual. Rich hardly misses an appointment – just three with this pregnancy, I think…two for work and one for a flat tire in the parking lot (that was fun).

Everything checks out normal. My blood pressure is perfect (according to the nurse). I was upset because I gained 3 pounds in the last 10 days…which pushed me to 20 pounds total. I had really wanted to stay under 20, but with two weeks to go, I guess I am doing OK… I also woke up this morning feeling very puffy and bloated – so I was not entirely surprised. Lots of water for the next week – and we’ll see what happens by next Wednesday.

We also had an ultrasound today to check the baby’s size. Rosie was 9 pounds, 10.4 ounces, 6 days late. On November 30th, the day before my due date, we had an ultrasound done in the High-Risk OB ward at GBMC and her weight was estimated at 9 pounds, 4 ounces. They gain about a half pound a week at this stage – so the doctor and the technician were pretty much dead on.

Today’s ultrasound was in Dr. Quartner’s office. Estimated weight at this point is 7 pounds, 5 ounces – which would give us an 8 pound, 5 ounce baby in two weeks…basically 1.5 pounds smaller than Rosie. I’ve decided the technician is wrong and I base this decision on 2 facts:

1. Mid-way through my pregnancy with Rosie, I started measuring larger than average. Long story short – every time you go in, they measure the height of your uterus while you are lying down…so it really is just baby & fluid, not anything else, that gets measured. Your measurement should correspond to the number of weeks you are pregnant. 30 weeks pregnant and you should measure 30 centimeters. Well, probably at around 26 weeks, I started measuring 2 centimeters larger – which is when Dr. Q started saying “this will be a big baby.” This time around, I started measuring 2 centimeters larger at about 24 weeks. Today – I was just over 39 centimeters and I’m just over 37 weeks pregnant. Same pattern.

2. When I was about 34-35 weeks along with Rosie, we went to labor and delivery to be monitored because I thought the baby wasn’t moving. Afterwards (everything was fine, obviously) Dr. Q ordered an ultrasound to check the baby’s size and amniotic fluid. The same technician who did my ultrasound today estimated Rosie’s weight at that time to be just below average. We now know that to be dead wrong.

So – I guess only the next two weeks will tell. It doesn’t matter – I’m having a C-section regardless. The kid could be 11 pounds…12 pounds…no chance of this one getting stuck! (o:

Meanwhile – last call for bets on the baby pool. Take a guess at gender, length and weight… 50/50 split with “baby zoe.”

"I Shtuck."

2008-08-30T23:05:00.000-04:00

I had been wondering how she was able to get underneath the gate the other day. She has been trying to get under there for a good year now, but had been previously unsuccessful. Well – the pictures below demonstrate how she did it this time. In the past, the gate was low enough to prevent her from crawling under because she had not figured out how to flatten herself on her belly and slither. We seem to have slithering down pat.

She tried again this morning – but she got herself stuck in the process!!

Fun Pictures

2008-08-29T22:40:00.000-04:00

Rosie laughs hysterically at Monsters, Inc...our movie of the week...

Minutes later, she is completely engrossed again...sprawled out amongst her raisins...

"Get out of my way Mom! I'm watching Sully and Mike Wysowski!"

Rosie and the Pussycat

2008-08-28T22:57:00.000-04:00

There was a point in time when everything that Rosie did absolutely amazed me and astounded me. Like when she tried to get out of her crib for the first time…on the same day she started to crawl…at the ripe old age of 7 ½ months… I was shocked and caught completely by surprise. Totally unprepared. These days, with nearly 21 months of experience under my belt – there isn’t much that she comes up with that surprises me.

This morning, however, my little angel had me beyond flabbergasted. I was on the phone with Kim, my boss, discussing a quote that we want to send out today. Rosie had played in my office with me for a little while, but then settled herself on her chair to watch Big Bird’s Dance Party (her new favorite video). Kim and I hammered out the pieces of our proposal and she hung up to get other work done – and I to play with my toddler until lunch time. My warning bells went off immediately upon entering my family room.

I look around the family room – no Rosie. Poke my head in the laundry room – no Rosie. Kitchen…Sunroom – nothing. Now I’m starting to panic. Where could she be? From my office through the kitchen and sunroom is pretty much childproofed, gated in and a safe play space for Rosie. What could she possibly have gotten herself into?

It was then that I heard it…a sound coming from my dining room. Dining room? The dining room is gated! Not gated enough for my little explorer! We leave room between the bottom of the gate and the floor for our cat, Messier, to fit through. Not only is her food in there – but we want her to have an easy escape from Rosie when she just doesn’t feel like dealing with a toddler. Usually, the gate is just high enough for Messier to fit through – but not big enough for Rosie’s head to fit through. The gate had been moved last week during the Fantasy Football Draft party that was held at our house. When it was put back on, it was not low enough to prevent a nearly-two year old from finding her way underneath it.

So – Rosie figured out that she could squirm under the gate to the pot of gold on the other side – the cat food. When I saw her, she looked up at me with a mouth full of Iams and said “Hi Mommy. Cat food yummy!” Blech. After I had finished gagging, I picked her up, put her in the kitchen, put the gate back up – lower this time, and explained to her that no – Cat Food is not Yummy…Cat food is gross.

Once I had her sitting and drinking milk (Iams and Milk…what a faboo combo…), I took a minute to pee. I can see pretty much the entire family room when I leave the door open, so I can keep my eye on her and she can easily find me.

Well – she sat for about 10 seconds then was up and running in the direction of the dining room. Confident that I had lowered the gate enough to prevent her from getting through, I took my time washing, drying and applying lotion to my hands. When I walked into the kitchen, she wasn’t where I expected her to be…she wasn’t in the room at all. I made a beeline for the gate to the dining room.

Somehow – she managed to fit under the gate again. Instead of eating cat food this time, she was on all fours, drinking out of the cat’s bowl. When I said her name, she picked up her head and said “Good wady, Mommy.” At least is was fresh wady, Rosie…
Messier...Rosie's favorite dining companion. Rosie actually took this picture with our camera - which is why Mess is so fuzzy and out of focus.

Chewing Gum

2008-08-27T22:56:00.000-04:00

I’m not entirely sure where Rosie’s fascination with gum chewing got its start. Rich & I are not huge gum chewers – and she isn’t around anyone who chews gum on a regular basis. But – in true-to-toddler form, Rosie has picked up this habit in the best way that she knows how.

A few weeks ago, I noticed her chewing on something intently and not swallowing. Upon sneaking my fingers past her sharp little teeth, I found a wad of paper towel wedged in between her molars and her gums. I removed the wad and tossed it immediately. I did not know that this was the start of an ongoing habit.

Rosie is now on a mission – a mission to find any tissue, paper towel, cotton ball, q-tip or piece of paper accidentally left around the house. She bites off a piece of whatever she can find and starts chewing. When you ask her if she has something in her mouth – she proudly tells you “I chewin’ gum!”

Here’s the best part – she’ll spit out whatever is in her mouth without a problem…only if you hold out your hand and say “can I have your gum, please?” If you try to take it out – you will get bitten – so save your fingers and ask her nicely to spit out her gum!

God Besh You, Mommy

2008-08-26T22:56:00.000-04:00

One of my biggest goals with Rosie has been teaching her appropriate responses to the things that happen in every day life. Please…thank you…you’re welcome. Things like that. Daddy taught her how to fake burp…when I realized that for a toddler, fake burping is fun, I taught her to say excuse me (shoo-me) after all fake and real burps. All of these things sound adorable when coming out of a toddler’s mouth – even the burps. My favorite, however, is Rosie’s “God Bless You.”

Whenever she sneezes, I follow it immediately with a “God bless you, Rosie” and then I remind her to say “Thank you,” hoping that it will one day sink in. Tonight – I got some proof that my work is paying off.

I was putting her down to bed, and I’ve had a little bit of a sniffle and a cough for the past day or so. As I’m snuggling up to her, I cough. She takes her binkie out and says “God besh you, Mommy” and pops the binkie right back in. I am surprised to hear this – but respond with “Thank you, Rosie.” Binkie comes out again so that Rosie can say “you welcome, Mommy.”

Experiment successful! She is learning manners! Unfortunately, this went on for about 20 minutes. Every minute or so I would clear my through or cough and Rosie would start our little routine. I had to quiet myself down and stifle any sounds to actually get her to sleep. I wonder if she will keep this up?

More Maryland State Fair Pictures

2008-08-24T22:36:00.000-04:00

Rosie pets some other animal...lamb...sheep...not sure which. It smelled.

We couldn't get close enough to touch the miniature horses - but they were fun to look at!

The most disturbing part of our trip for me. Wanted - Dead or Alive! This piece of paper was posted above the turkeys in the "poultry" section of the fair. "For your freezer or as a pet!" Seriously? That scares me...

The 11 Best Days of Summer

2008-08-24T22:29:00.000-04:00

Cows and Pigs and Chickens, Oh My!

The “11 Best Days of Summer” is the local lingo in reference to the Maryland State Fair. After listening to weeks of radio announcers talking up the “11 Best Days of Summer” – I had the brilliant idea that we should take Rosie. After all – they have animals and she loves animals. Could be a match made in heaven, right? Wrong. Once again, it is confirmed that I am indeed a city girl – and farm livin’ is NOT the life for me.

We drive up to the Fairgrounds and there are tons of people just everywhere. We load Rosie into her umbrella stroller and start walking (er…waddling for some of us) through the crowds and in the heat towards the entrance. Parking cost us $8. Which wasn’t terrible until we realized that admission was going to cost us $8 each as well. Not a big deal – but had I thought this plan up two days earlier, Rich could have gotten free tickets from work. Free is better than $16 any day!

So we walk through the entrance gingerly…trying to avoid the various piles of poo from the cows and horses that have gone before us. I am almost immediately cranky. It is hot. There are a lot of very rude people pushing and shoving. It is stinky…and I am feeling very pregnant and not up for this adventure. But – I want Rosie to see the cows, so we carry on.

We follow our noses to the cow building. Cows, flies and cow poop everywhere. Unfortunately, they are packing many of the cows up for the night and others are heading over to a cow-judging contest – so we wander through trying to find a cow that Rosie can see close-up. We finally find said cow, and not only do we get close to her…but Rosie got to pet her too! Oy – the germ-a-phobe in me is going wild. I resist the urge to hose her off – but I do get her shuttled over to a hand washing station ASAP so I can scrub her down before she puts her hands in her mouth.

All told – we spend just over an hour at the fair. The highlight of my trip is getting up close and personal to the “2008 Lamb and Wool Queen” (pictured below) – a woman who was just BEYOND happy to be pinning ribbons on lambs…We decided that we can pretty much skip the Maryland State Fair for the next decade or so until Rosie is old enough to ride some of the rides.

To top off our experience, I started having some Braxton-Hicks contractions while we were walking around. Now – that just ads some fun to the whole experience. We were all happy to get home, showered and disinfected! I can think of 11 better days from this summer!
Rosie pets the cow...
Rosie sees a lamb...

The Happiest woman at the fair..."2008 Lamb and Wool Queen."

Happy Birthday, Kimmie

2008-08-23T23:18:00.000-04:00

Although her actual birthday isn’t until tomorrow, we drove up to Stewartstown today to help my good friend and boss, Kim Carl, celebrate her 40th birthday in style.

A good time was had by all, as you can see! Posted pictures are just of Rosie – but let’s just say that I am fairly confident in my job’s security after the pictures I took of Kim! (o:

Rosie, wearing a yellow hula skirt on her head as a wig (my hair, Mommy...), drains every last drop from Daddy's beer...

"Cuttin' a rug" with Daddy!

Fun with “Stee-kas!”

2008-08-22T22:17:00.000-04:00

There isn’t much of a story behind these pictures – they are just really cute and I wanted to share. Rich had his fantasy football draft at our house yesterday – and there are a ton of labels leftover from the draft selections. Rosie has been having fun with the labels all day long. After Rich got home, I locked myself in my office to catch up on some work – and when I opened the door, this is what I found:

The Pediatric Ophthalmologist

2008-08-21T21:59:00.000-04:00

The Pediatric Ophthalmologist
August 21, 2008

My girl and her gorgeous eyes...

Back in May, a bubble popped on Rosie’s eye. In true Rosie fashion – we have heard the story over and over and over again. This week, however, something strange happened. She was at the park on Monday night with Aunt Renee, Patrick and Elisa. When she came home and I put her in the bath, she put both hands over her one eye and started screaming her little head off. Next day – I call the pediatrician who wants us in right away.

Dr. Terry is awesome – not just with Rosie, but with me as well. She has a way of addressing my concerns without making me feel like a crazy, over-protective Mom. Fortunately, level-headed Rich was also able to go with me – so it was a family trip. Good thing, too – because he got to hold Rosie down while Dr. Terry put drops in her eyes.

Initially, Dr. Terry told me to watch her for a few days and then call back if symptoms persisted. Well – the next day she called and told me to take Rosie to a pediatric ophthalmologist. Dr. Jensen, here we come.

Dr. Jensen’s partner operated on Patrick when he was just 17 months old – and Renee had told me some very nice things about the office. I could see why from the time I walked in the door. They were all wonderful. They were good to me, good to Rosie – just great, all the way around.

Rosie, of course, did phenomenally and we determined that she is indeed just telling and retelling the story of the bubble that popped in her eye. We have a follow up appointment in December, just to be on the safe side – but Dr. Jenson is confident that this story will eventually be outgrown.

As a side note – the nurses thought it was just awesome that I didn’t know the gender of Baby Zoe. They did some sort of hanger test n me and determined that it was a boy. I told them I would let them know when I saw them in December!

So – we have to wait for October

2008-08-20T21:57:00.000-04:00

So - we have to wait for October
August 20, 2008

We made another attempt for a 3D ultrasound today. Nothing doing. Baby Zoe was facing my spine – so all we saw was the back of his/her head, an ear and a bunch of hair. So – stay turned for October. We’ll get our first really good glimpse then!

It was Easier Last Year…

2008-08-18T21:49:00.000-04:00

It was Easier Last Year…

August 18, 2008

Rosie's picture...unfortunately, I can't get the picture of all three of them to work. Will try again later...

Renee and I started a tradition last year of getting the kids picture taken. Initially, the plan was to do 4th of July pictures – but between all of our schedules, they ended up being “middle of August” pictures. No biggie – the goal is to have all 3 kids together in coordinating outfits for an annual picture. A few weeks ago we made a pilgrimage to the Children’s Place and picked out outfits for the girls. Khaki pants…hot pink shirts. Patrick was to wear neutral colors – Khaki and cream – so that he could coordinate with the girls.

We make our appointment, we show up, we wait for the Picture People to be ready for us. We wait and we wait and we wait. Finally – it is our turn.

For those of you who have never had the displeasure of taking a toddler to have her picture taken, I do not recommend it at all. Toddlers do not sit still. They do not pose. They do not smile. They do not cooperate with photographers. And, most annoyingly, they cannot be distracted by their favorite toys like they used to be. Mr. Monster and a variety of other toys have helped us get many perfect pictures in the past.

At the end of the day – we got the picture. Not as many good ones as we had hoped – but enough. Better yet – we had coupons, so I didn’t have to pay for one of the two prints that I took home. They are adorable kids…and they take a cute picture. It was just a lot easier last year, when Rosie couldn’t walk!

I Love you, Rosie!

2008-08-17T21:47:00.000-04:00

I Love you, Rosie!
August 17, 2008

Picture it – Rosedale, dinner time. A husband and wife stand in the kitchen talking about the latest Mets game. Their toddler plays by herself quietly just feet away from both of them. Suddenly, the toddler jumps up, runs across the room to her mother, wraps her arms around Mommy’s knees and says “I love you, Mommy,” before going back to her toys.

That Mommy/wife was me…that toddler was Rosie…August 17th is one of the best days of my life.

Everybody Toots, Part II

2008-08-16T21:46:00.000-04:00

Everybody Toots, Part II
August 16, 2008

I’m driving today and Rosie was making a ruckus in my back seat. Screaming, yelling, crying…the works. She was just very unhappy about being in the car. So, even though we weren’t that far from home, I ended up driving with one arm in the backseat, holding her hand. Thanks to the physical contortion, I drifted slightly into the right hand shoulder, running over the rumble strip. The crying and whining stops immediately.

Suddenly, I hear her little “maniacal” laugh. “He. He. Road tooted.”

If I wasn’t securely buckled in, I might have fallen out of my chair. For the rest of the trip home, every few minutes I would deliberately hit the rumble strip just to keep her happy and hear Rosie scream “Road tooted!”

I suppose I looked a little like a drunk driver that afternoon – but I fortunately didn’t get pulled over. “Sorry, officer…I was making the road toot…”

Oh No, What Happen?

2008-08-15T21:40:00.000-04:00

Oh No, What Happen?
August 15, 2008

When “The Cousins” come down from Boston, they come with a suitcase full of clothes and three filled with food – and this visit was no exception. When they flew down to Baltimore in February, Nunce had frozen lobster sauce flat in freezer bags and packed them…and a whole ham…in one of her checked pieces of luggage. This time, The Cousins came by car, so there wasn’t a need to freeze everything. In fact – they didn’t even cook everything. They came down with two boxes of living, breathing lobsters.

Well – the Box O’ Crustaceans was a big hit with my toddler! She was on the floor petting the lobster, talking to the lobster…waving to the lobster from across the room. She loved every minute of it. Eventually, the lobster had to go in the pot, so I whisked Rosie off to the bathroom to scrub any residual lobster slim from her hands and arms. Once they were all cooked, every feasted on the little critters who, less than an hour earlier, were Rosie’s new friends.

Rosie thoroughly enjoyed both the lobster and the lobster sauce (Nunce’s lobster sauce is beyond good – it is exquisite). The highlight of the day, however, came after the meal had been served. Rosie looked at the big bowl of empty lobster shells, pointed to it and said “Oh no! What happen? The Yobsta!”

Are they Pigtails or Horns?

2008-08-15T21:36:00.000-04:00

Are they Pigtails or Horns?
August 15, 2008

So – as you might have noticed in the last blog, Isabella was sporting some pigtails – which I just thought were the cutest things, ever. So – I decided to give it a try with Rosie. First, I tried to comb her hair into the proper position to see if it would work and if we had enough hair to actual pull a set of pigtails off. We did – so off to CVS I went to find some sort of hair apparatus that she wouldn’t be able to pull out on her own. I found such a hair apparatus in Scunci’s mini bands – tiny little colored pieces of plastic that barely fit around my pinky.

With the help of some distraction from Uncle Bill, we got her hair back into the pig tails. It took multiple attempts and several adjustments over the course of the day, but they stayed in from morning until bath time – and as long as you didn’t mention them out loud, she forgot they were there and left them alone.

However – with the pigtails seemed to come an unforeseen side effect – Rosie was suddenly two. Stomping her feet, shouting now, throwing herself into temper tantrums on the floor…So, my question is this – is she really jumping into the “Terrible Twos” a little early, or did she just confuse her pigtails for horns?

Play date for Rosie

2008-08-09T11:58:00.000-04:00

Play date for Rosie
August 9, 2008

Rosie & I took a trip up to Elmwood Park yesterday and spent Friday night in Uncle Jared’s room. In addition to playing with family, we also had a special play date with Isabella Panagia.

Rosie & Isabella started out playing in the front yard in the inflatable bounce castle (complete with ball pit and inflatable swords). At first – the two girls pretty much ignored each other. Rosie would make a move for Isabella every now and again – but she was honestly more interested in Isabella’s Mommy’s diaper bag and what was inside that she could take!

However – it wasn’t long before the girls warmed up to each other and started to play…a little. We took turns in the ball-pit-castle and on the slide. We shared some chocolate chip cookies and chocolate covered strawberries…and eventually, we made our way inside to change into our “baby chutes” (bathing suits) for a swim in the pool.

Isabella is just four months older than Rosie – and it was neat to see the two girls together. They got along just fine – although they didn’t “play” a lot, but worked on “co-existing” more. It will just be a matter of time before they have something else in common, aside from their age and just being girls – they will also both be big sisters! (Congratulations to John & Jennifer Panagia!)

Less than 76 Naps Remaining

2008-08-05T11:43:00.000-04:00

Less than 76 Naps Remaining
August 5, 2008

Rosie waits for her "froggies" to fall from the ceiling...a new favorite game!

It’s a little after 3 in the afternoon. About an hour ago, I put Rosie down for her nap. Since the introduction of the Big Girl Bed, nap time and bed time routines have adjusted somewhat. She’s not quite ready to lay down in the bed by herself and just go to sleep. She needs a little cuddle time with Mommy or Daddy first. So it’s all Mommy during naps. Although I usually have a million things to do, I am grateful for this change in routine. It gives me a few minutes of precious quiet time just to stare at my beautiful angel and remember just how blessed I am to have her in my life.

Today, as I put her down for a late nap, I realized that I have so very few of these precious moments remaining. There are just 77 days left until my scheduled C-section. With today’s nap in progress, that means only 76 more naps with just me and Rosie…and that is assuming I am with her for her nap every single day between now and D-Day. (Delivery Day) Of course, I came to this realization while I was cuddled up next to her on her big girl bed…and of course, since this is me, I cried. So – I had to not only sneak off of her bed silently (not an easy thing to do when the bed rails are up and you are pregnant) – but I also had to stifle my sniffles until I could get myself out of her room.

I am so very excited about this new baby. I can’t wait to meet him/her. I can’t wait to know this baby. I am, however, going to miss all this time that I have with just Rosie. I am so going to miss our quiet times when there is no one else around. In just 77 days, our dynamic duo is going to turn into a terrific trio. I will always treasure the time that Rosie and I got to have – just the two of us.

The Seventh Annual Triple B

2008-08-02T11:52:00.000-04:00

The Seventh Annual Triple B
August 2, 2008

We held our 7th Annual Birthday Beer Pong Bonanza today. Although it’s no longer my birthday party – it is still a good time filled with the best of friends, beer, fun times and the inevitable smack talk.

Congratulations to this year’s championship team – Shane & Erik Ball. The Ball Brothers drove in from Ohio to participate in the tomfoolery and shenanigans, and we are glad they did!

As always, this event remains one of my favorite days of the year…even when I can’t participate in the festivities myself! Next year – JUICE PONG for our guests under 10… (o:

Erik & Shane Ball with their much-deserved trophy.

Shane Ball - 2008 MVP

Some Pictures

2008-08-01T01:26:00.000-04:00

My last few posts have been picture-less...so here are a few of my favorites to finish out the month...

No Pictures, Please!

2008-07-31T01:21:00.000-04:00

No Pictures, Please!
July 30, 2008

We attempted to do a 3D ultrasound today. Didn’t happen. Our little baby, who now weighs in at 2 pounds, 9 ounces, wanted nothing to do with having her/his picture taken. She/he was so adamant, that in addition to tucking that little chin to her/his chest – there was also a hand and arm planted firmly in front of the face! So – we will try again in about 2 weeks. Baby Zoe is breech, which makes the ultrasound process a little more complicated. The only thing we were able to see what the top of her/his head!

I really can’t be surprised – stubborn runs in both sides of the family!

I Want To Believe

2008-07-26T01:20:00.000-04:00

I Want To Believe
July 25, 2008

Some of my favorite college moments did not happen at a bar…or a party. Instead, many of those moments happened in the dark living room of our dorms at Loyola College on Sunday nights. Sunday nights, you see, were X-Files nights.

I only missed a handful of episodes in the entire run of the X-files, and all but one of those was in the first season when the show aired on Friday nights while I was at work. Once the show moved to Sundays – there was no stopping me. I would call my brother (also an X-Files junkie) from college and we would sit completely silent during the show. House rules – you were only allowed to speak during commercials when the X-Files were on.

Yup – it is probably one of the more dorky facts about me – but little by little I converted my roommates into dorky X-files fans as well. Except for one – who brought to the table a love of the X-files as great as my own. Jen, a girl who lived in the room across the hall, and I hit it off pretty much right away. The beginning of our friendship was hanging on the wall of my dorm room – a big X-Files “There’s Something Out There” poster sparked a conversation that turned us into fast friends and roommates for the last two years of college.

After 6 years of waiting, tonight was the premiere of the 2nd X-Files movie. Jen, my fellow X-Files guru, flew from San Francisco to Baltimore on the red-eye to watch the movie in theaters on opening night with me. As excited as I was to see the movie – I was more excited to see Jen.

Once again – I get to marvel at my good fortunes. Not only did Jen fly in from San Francisco, but Teresa came down from Harrisburg. Jen, Teresa, Rich and I made our way over to the Avenue in Whitemarsh to catch the 8:00 show. Admittedly, the movie was not as good as we wanted it to be – but that didn’t bother me at all. It was money well spent because it generated a memory that will always make me smile.

Get Your Bets in Now!

2008-07-25T01:20:00.000-04:00

Get Your Bets in Now!
July 24, 2008

We took a trip to see Dr. Quartner today. The first piece of news is that my C-section is scheduled. October 21 at 7:45am. I was initially disappointed that I was unable to talk Dr. Quartner out of a scheduled C-section. I really wanted to experience going into labor and the excitement of the unplanned. For someone who needs to plan everything, there is something appealing about handing the controls completely over to God. So I spent a big chunk of the afternoon sniffly. Then I got a swift kick in the ass from Renee, followed by another swift one from Teresa, and I realized that although another C-Section isn’t my ideal birthing situation – it’s apparently what is meant for me. And really – the ideal situation is the one that ends in me holding my new, healthy baby!
So – it is time to start thinking about getting your bets in now. Given that I have a C-section scheduled, we changed the parameters of “Guess Baby Zoe” slightly. For Baby Zoe, you need to pick a gender, a weight and a length. We increased the stakes a little - $5/box this time around. Rosie was 6 days late, 9 pounds, 10.4 ounces. This baby will be 4 days early.

Smoke Free

2008-07-23T01:19:00.000-04:00

Smoke Free
July 22, 2008
I’ve been smoke free for 3 years now. Just wanted to toot my own horn. (o:

Everybody Toots

2008-07-23T01:15:00.000-04:00

Rosie puts on Daddy's hat
Helping Daddy touch up the paint in the powder room

Everybody Toots
July 22, 2008

From the time she was a newborn, Rosie had an issue with certain bodily functions – namely, gas. She would get all bent out of shape and, rather than burp, scream her head off. I’m happy to report that she handles all bodily functions much better these days. In fact, she has become obsessed with them.

Today, while Rosie was with Dani, she announced that “Daddy Tooted.” Poor Daddy was still at work and unable to deny the claim himself. Dani sent me a text message – and I had to laugh. The lesson of our day had been “everybody toots.”

It all started relatively early that morning when Rosie let one rip. She turned to me with a very surprised look on her face and covered her butt with her hands. I responded to her “Oh no, wha happen?” with an “it’s OK, baby – you just tooted. Everybody toots.” Well. We just had to go through every single family member that she could think of and confirm that yes, they did indeed toot.

So, now we are a little “toot” obsessed.

Rosie’s Baby

2008-07-20T00:59:00.000-04:00

Rosie picks up Dabby for some play time
Rosie gives Dabby her bottle - while watching Kermit on TV
Rosie talks to Dabby after a "feeding"

Rosie’s Baby
July 19, 2008

Rosie got her first baby doll today. As you know, I have been trying my best to keep all of Rosie’s toys gender neutral, educational and totally princess free. So – when my mom asked me if she could buy Rosie a doll, I was very hesitant. Would this open up the flood gates of overly girly gifts? Would she lose her interest in toys like Noah’s Ark and the Crack House that are geared towards kids, not girls?

Ultimately, logic won out and I agreed that Rosie could have a baby doll – but I wanted her to be the one to pick it out. Off to Toys R Us we went. We wandered for a bit, searching for the doll section. Rosie suddenly shouted “baby doll” and started pointing. There were dolls that burp…dolls that can be fed…dolls that say “mama” and dolls that wet a diaper. Rosie picked the one doll that does absolutely nothing!

This plain little doll came with a blue outfit and a pink outfit – both equally ugly. Its mouth is open slightly, so Nonna picked up a play baby bottle as an accessory. Rosie wanted the keep her new baby in the blue outfit – but when you ask her, the doll is a baby girl. Her name is Dabby. (Abby Dabby is her name for both Abby Cadabby and Zoe from Sesame Street…)

Both Nonna and I tried to put more interesting dolls in front of her – dolls that had binkies…dolls that were a little prettier. Rosie wanted nothing to do with any of them – she just wanted Dabby out of her box. So, Dabby is now her baby doll – complete with a little Pack & Play. Rosie put Dabby to bed today and tried to give Dabby her binkie. Dabby’s mouth isn’t big enough for Rosie’s binkie, but we are all impressed that she was willing to share.

Rosie is very proud of Dabby, her new baby doll…and I am very proud of Rosie. She cuddles her, feeds her – and even burps her new baby doll. (The burping action comes complete with a smack on her back, burping noise and Rosie saying “Shoo me!”)

Rosie & Ben

2008-07-18T00:27:00.000-04:00

Ben & Rosie pose for a Photo Op with Elmo!
Rosie gives Ben a kiss...
Ben gives Rosie a kiss...

Rosie & Ben
July 17, 2008

We took our second trip of the summer to Sesame Place with cousin Ben, Aunt Jenn, Aunt Suzie and Grandmama. I am happy to report that we had a wonderful afternoon.

After our first trip, I was a little worried about Sesame Place. It seemed a little shady when we were there last month. A little dirty…a little trashy…and not the Oscar the Grouch kind of trash! Fortunately, Sesame Place seemed to have gotten their act together and our park-going experience was wonderful. A large part of what made this trip to SP so special was watching Rosie and Ben interact.

Rosie and Ben were due to arrive exactly 3 months apart. Rosie was a few days late – Ben was a few days early. When I first learned of Jenn’s pregnancy – I was so thrilled because Rosie was going to grow up having a cousin her age. My cousins are a decade older than I am…or a decade younger. At family events, it was really just me and Billy. Billy’s a great counterpart and a fun guy – but having someone new and different to play with every now and then is a very good thing!

I thought it would be years before we would see the signs of friendship between Rosie and Ben. I was so wrong. They were both a little wary of one another when we first got to the park. Actually Rosie was uncharacteristically quiet for the first hour or so that we were there. By the end of the day, they were kissing, holding hands and playing so perfectly, you wouldn’t think they were toddlers. (Although they are both brilliant toddlers – their interaction still amazed and impressed me…)

The seven of us were able to get tickets to the character lunch – which was so worth the price of admission! Unfortunately, the drive up to Sesame Place had me pretty much wiped out. I was having a hard time walking, standing – it was just a tough pregnancy day and I was feeling the pain. So, I volunteered to watch the table while Grandmama took Rosie to see Elmo. I had already had the joy of being with her during another Elmo sighting in Florida – and I wanted my mother-in-law to have the same fun experience. Well – even though this is the third time we have met Elmo, I was still that fool standing at the table, crying as her kid sat on that furry red lap!

Toddlers are magical creatures. It is so much fun to watch their excitement and feel their wonder. As a parent – you get so swept up in their emotions. Even though I couldn’t take her on rides or run around, just watching her face light up with excitement was such a magical thing for me!

We stayed until the 7:00 parade – and both kids looked absolutely pooped. Pooped and totally content. The excitement proved to be too much for Rosie to let go of, however, since we chatted most of the way home about Ben, Big Bird, Elmo and the water she played in. What makes me happiest is that this is just one in a long line of very happy Rosie & Ben memories….

The Big Bed

2008-07-13T00:22:00.000-04:00

Rosie & Daddy snuggled up - ready for bed.
Pounce on Daddy time!
My new big bed provides the perfect wrestling arena!

The Big Bed
July 12, 2008

On January 12, 2007, Rosie spent her first night in her crib. I remember thinking that she looked so little and so lost – my tiny, 5-week old baby in this big, huge crib – all by herself! Of course, she didn’t stay in her crib all night long. She woke up after about 4 hours looking to be fed. But those were a long four hours for me.

Just 18-months later, I put my little 19-month old to bed in her “Big Girl Bed” – a queen size bed. We installed bed rails and child-proofed her room to the best of our ability. Regardless, I won’t be sleeping tonight. There she is – this tiny little person – barely 3 feet tall, barely 25 pounds – and sleeping in a queen bed. Just Rosie, Big Bird and Mr. Bear.

She has a beautiful “Big Girl” room. Daddy and Grandpa Fox painted her room in periwinkle. We picked out furniture that she should be able to grow into and not out of…at least I hope!

She is so very excited about having her “Big Room” and likes to show it off to everyone. We visit her big room several times a day. Her furniture got delivered a few days ago, and I have probably made 100 trips up the steps with her in those few days. Finally – she has a mattress and the room is complete.

I know how fortunate we are that she prompted this transition. So many kids love their crib and fight leaving it. Rosie told us that she was done. The timing is also more than perfect. I didn’t want Rosie to feel that she had to give anything up for the new baby that is coming. Now, she has her own space that will always be hers.

The Sweetest Words

2008-07-09T00:59:00.000-04:00

The Sweetest Words
July 8, 2008

I tell Rosie that I love her more times in a day than I can count. I really do believe in telling people what is in your heart because you never know what tomorrow will bring. This is probably why I spend so much time and money at Hallmark stores – because if I can’t find the words myself, they usually have them for me!

Well – my countless “I love yous” were finally returned today. I went out with my friend Liz for dinner and a mani/pedi. Before leaving Rosie with Dani, I bent over her while she was sitting in her highchair and asked her for a kiss. She gave me one of her sweet little kisses. I brushed her bangs and said “I love you, baby girl.” She looked at me, with her organic peas in hand and said “Bye-bye Mommy. Eyeee lub you.”

Life is complete.

Sleep is a Beautiful Thing

2008-07-09T00:49:00.000-04:00

Rosie and Daddy play with bubbles in the green space. We love bubbles!

Sleep is a Beautiful Thing
July 2, 2008

Rosie was not born to sleep. She is like me – I would rather do than sleep. I would rather be with friends…rather be on the computer…rather be working…rather be cleaning…there is always something that I could be doing and the thought of that something keeps my eyelids open until the wee small hours of the morning.

As an infant, she didn’t nap. A 20-minute cat-nap here or there – but nothing substantial. So I wasn’t really surprised when she stopped her lovely sleeping and napping habits in favor of staying up too late and refusing to nap during the day.

She’s changing and growing up – and we need to listen to her. Yes, she is really only changing from a baby to a toddler – but is that change of life any less important than a teenager becoming an adult? It may not seem huge to us now – but how important this all must be to her! She is old enough to express many of her needs and wants, and we need to be smart enough to listen!

Well – we did listen last night – and for the first time in two weeks, Rosie slept through the night!! She slept from about 10 last night until about 8 this morning. I am so excited, I could cry!! Although I didn’t sleep well because every noise had me awake and staring intently at the monitor, I feel enlightened. Sleep is a beautiful thing – and I am so looking forward to putting my head on my pillow after class tonight!

“No Cib, Mommy!”

2008-07-09T00:45:00.000-04:00

Rosie with "wadee-mey-yon" juice all over her face...

“No Cib, Mommy!”
July 1, 2008

I am officially giving in. For about two weeks now my usually wonderful sleeper has been giving me a very hard time going to bed. I checked for patterns. Is she eating too much before bed? Is she thirsty? Is she only waking up at midnight on nights that I have school? No – none of these were the issue. Rosie just really wants out of her crib.

So – tonight, after experimenting with a few naps on our bed and the bed in “the red room” – I put my little baby girl down to sleep in a big girl bed for the first time.

We had her normal bedtime routine of brushing her teeth and putting her in a dry diaper – then she gave us both our good-night kisses. After Daddy left the room, I read her Dr. Suess’s ABC book – gave her another kiss and got off the bed. After a somewhat noisy effort to get the bedrails in place, I made it out into the hallway and closed the door behind me.

She cried “A Mommy” (which is Rosie speak for “I want my Mommy”) twice, and then conked right out.

I don’t think I will be sleeping tonight!

One Little Monkey

2008-07-09T00:07:00.000-04:00

One Little Monkey
June 27, 2008

“10 little monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head. Momma called the doctor and the doctor said, “no more monkey business, jumping on the bed!”

That was one of my favorite silly songs to sing as a kid. Of course, the countdown continues until there are no more monkeys to create the monkey business of jumping on the bed. Well – I only have one monkey (for now) – and she is taking this new monkey obsession of hers to a whole new level…literally.

She became enthralled with monkeys yesterday. She has a monkey stuffed animal that she got at Ben’s first birthday party – and she has a little stuffed bear that she thinks is a monkey. They get dragged all over the house. I don’t know if she saw a monkey climbing somewhere – or if we are all born with a little bit of primate inside…but she has taken this monkey business to heart!

Our previously off-limits couch is no longer off-limits. That’s OK – it’s soft and squishy. This afternoon, however, I caught her on top of our entertainment center in our family room. I was so shocked, I just stood there for a minute with my mouth open. When she started to stand up and reach for the TV, I grabbed her quickly and put her on the floor. We looked at each other, and I was so curious as to how she got herself up there, that I asked her to do it again.

In two seemingly effortless steps, she got on top of the entertainment center. I’m thinking that it is just a matter of weeks before she conquers other pieces of furniture – such as the stools in our kitchen…her crib…baby gates… Oy.

Josephine/Richie Jr. Update

2008-07-02T01:02:00.001-04:00

Rosie and her "baby bump"

Josephine/Richie Jr. Update
June 26, 2008

I had a doctor’s appointment today – and all is still going well. As of tomorrow, I will be 23 weeks – which is just amazing. I didn’t think it was possible – but this pregnancy is going even faster than my first. To date, I have gained slightly less weight than I did with Rosie – which is my goal. I gained 25 pounds total with her, and still had a 10 pound kid! Anyway – blood pressure is good – no unusual complaints…

I was a little glum today because my OB decided to schedule a C-section on the 21st or 22nd of October. I was really hoping to avoid that – but I also really want to avoid a full day of labor just to have an unplanned section. So – I guess it is for the best. I have 17 weeks to get used to the idea!

We do officially have first names picked out. Our boy name hasn’t changed from the last time – if this baby is a boy, he will be named after his father…who was named after his father and grandfather… four generations represented in one tiny baby’s name. We will probably call him Richie or “RJ.” If this baby is a girl – she will be a Josephine. Maybe a Jo – or a Josie… (I would have a Rosie and a Josie!) Much like Rosie – we won’t know the name we will actually use until we meet this baby. Rosie is just such a Rosie more than she will ever be a Rosalie. I still love the name Rosalie – but Rosie just describes her. I guess we will have to wait and see with this baby too!

Rosie got to hear the heartbeat again today. I still don’t know if she understands what is happening – but she is starting to demonstrate an understanding of the changes that are happening to me. A few times I have asked her if she can give the baby a kiss – and she immediately comes over to kiss my belly. She has also “tickled” the baby by wiggling her fingers at my belly and saying “baby – ticky, ticky, ticky!” Today, I asked her where her baby was – and she lifted up her own shirt and proudly smacked her stomach and shouted “Belly!” (Which sounds more like Be-yee!)

Rosie has also demonstrated her understanding of this whole thing in the series of pictures above. She, without any prompting, shoved her football underneath her shirt. Once it was there she pointed to the bulge and said “my baby.” After my brother was born, my friends and I all pretended to be pregnant by shoving our soccer balls under our shirts. I was 4. She’s not even 2. I’m impressed.

Happy Day, Nonna! (and a few other cute Rosie stories)

2008-07-02T00:52:00.000-04:00

Happy Day, Nonna! (and a few other cute Rosie stories)
June 26, 2008

My Mom and I have birthdays exactly 2 weeks apart. I am the 12th – she is the 26th. ( My father and brother follow the same pattern in reverse – my Dad is the 13th of February, my brother is the 27th.) I had class last night and no one to watch Rosie – so as a birthday treat to herself, my mom came down for the evening and was able to spend her birthday morning with Rosie and me. It was a treat for all of us. I got a nice little break and was able to run some errands without a toddle in tow…Rosie had the undivided attention of her Nonna – and Nonna got some little kid lovin’ as her birthday gift. (Which, in my opinion, is the best gift in the world).

Knowing that my Mom was going to be here on her actual birthday, Rosie and I practiced saying “Happy Birthday, Nonna!” For an 18-month old, she has a great vocabulary – and had no problem repeating the words whenever I said them. Although we practiced many times, I was still completely unprepared for when she knocked on the door to the red room that morning and shouted “Happy Day, Nonna!” All day long – she was a little broken record. “Nonna happy day. Happy day!” Success!

I really do love that feeling when she does something in front of another person that I have been working on diligently. One of my favorites was the first time she addressed my mother-in-law. I had been asking her to say “Grandmama” for months – and her response was the same every time. “NO!” with a vigorous headshake. So – when we were sitting in her living room in April and Rosie busted out with a “Ganma” – I nearly fell over. Success!

The pictures above are of Rosie washing her hands. At first I was so excited because she wanted to wash her hands – and since I’m a freak about hand washing, I thought maybe this was a habit that I had taught her. No. She likes to play in water. Silly Mommy.

We have a routine every day that involves us looking at pictures around the house. I started this when she was itty-bitty and just never stopped. I wanted her to memorize the faces that she wouldn’t be able to see every day. Now that she is a little older, she tells me who most of the people are without hesitation. Well – early today, my mom was walking her through the routine. They are going through all the pictures in the big collage in our living room – and she was hitting all of her family members flawlessly. When my mom got to the picture of her Uncle Dan and said “Rosie – who is this?” Rosie looked at the picture, and said in a very soft little voice “My Danny.” I have a feeling that Dan will take “My Danny” over “Uncle Dan” without a problem for the time being!

Karma Chameleon

2008-07-02T00:25:00.000-04:00

Karma Chameleon
AKA the rants of one hormonal pregnant lady
June 25, 2008

We have all heard the saying “Karma is a bitch.” I supposed, given the theory of “you reap what you sow” – karma can be a very nasty thing for some people. I decided today that I am one of the fortunate ones who can be a big fan of karma – and it took a lot of negativity being thrown my way to realize just how lucky and privileged I am.

I have a wonderful, amazing husband who is truly my partner in every sense of the word. In my darkest hours, he has been my light. He is such a good man – I have actually witnessed him take the shirt off of his back to wipe puke off of someone’s face. (Seriously. I think it may have even happened more than once). Although I don’t believe in Prince Charming or “Happily Ever After” – Rich is completely my dream come true. I never wanted to be treated like a “princess” or spoiled. I just wanted love. What I have is a love so sincere and so deep that my heart swells every time I think of him. There are nights that I tear up looking at him while he sleeps - I tear up thinking of that day back in 1998 when I met him and just knew that we were meant to be together. I didn’t even know his name – but something in my heart pulled me to him and I haven’t let go ever since.

I have incredible friends – who listen to me whether I need to complain, cry, whine or rejoice. They are there to help me problem solve why Rosie isn’t sleeping at night – or what I might do to help alleviate some of my pregnancy-induced lower back pain. They listen to me talk about my classes – and whether they are interested or not – they pretend to be because I am interested. And – most importantly – they are there to try and take the pain away that life sometimes causes. Even when they can’t – they try their damnedest. I have some close friends that I have known for nearly half my life…some my entire adult life…one who has completely helped to shape me into the person I am today. One who I have only known for a few years…but I really can’t remember life without her! This circle of friends, which has always consisted of very few females at its core, has grown into a wonderful globe of women from all walks of life who are connected to me. We have some similar likes…similar dislikes…but I know that I can truly count on any of them whenever I am in need.

I have an amazing family. I grew up so very loved – I can only hope that I replicate that feeling of love and warmth to Rosie (and Baby “Zoe”). Although I heard the work “no” plenty (because 17-year-olds shouldn’t own cars, right Dad?), I never wanted for love, affection and attention. My entire family – Mom, Dad, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Brother – everyone came out for everything I did. From dance recitals to my final performance as the star in Spring Theatre at Notre Dame – I had more support than I knew what to do with!

As I have gotten older, my family has grown. Not just my own little family of two becoming a family of three and soon to be four – but my FAMILY. I have in-laws that I can talk to – that I can relate to and that I enjoy being around. I have friends who see their in-laws twice a year. I can’t even image that – and nor do I want to!

And let’s not forget the most amazing piece of Karma – Rosie. Even as I type this I look at the video monitor and the image of her in her crib. She is proof that there is good in this world. She is proof that I have done good in this world. She is my reward. When I think about the times that I thought my heart would break under the strain of reality, those lows seem so insignificant compared to the high I get every day from being Rosie’s mommy.

I found out earlier today that someone very near and dear to my heart was given a clean bill of health. After 6 weeks of life-stealing illness and the threat of lymphoma, she has been released by her oncologist who is thrilled with her progress and no longer feels the need to see her. Now that is some good Karma!

Karma doesn’t really work for everyone. I know too many people who have had more than their fair share of suffering for very little reward. And I have known a few people whose actions were so despicable that they good that went their way seemed thoroughly unjust. And don’t get me wrong – Karma has bit me in the ass a few times (remember that broken ankle? That was totally bad Karma coming back to get me!)

I have learned that sometimes you need to give yourself a good, long look in the mirror and be honest with the kind of person you are – and the kind of person you want to be when you grow up. This life is too short to live with a heavy heart.

I know that I am truly blessed. I look around me and I have happiness everywhere. Some of it I have created for myself – some of it landed in my lap. Yes, in my case, Karma is a lady worth knowing.

For the Love of Chaos

2008-06-24T22:54:00.001-04:00

For the Love of Chaos
June 24, 2008

The past 48 hours have been chaotic, emotional and draining. Sometimes, what your head knows needs to happen is not always what your heart is set on. Such has been my week.

It is during those sleepless nights, filled with internal conflict and questions, that I turn to some of my happiest and most treasured memories. Since I’m so camera-happy – I have many happy memories captured to be remembered forever.

At around 5ish on my birthday, I was plugging away on my computer, trying to get some work done. My phone rang – it was Renee. She was driving home (or so I thought) and called to see how my day was going. As we’re chatting, she’s asking me some fairly specific questions – like “where are you in your house?” “Are you home?” “Does your den window face the front?” I didn’t think much of it – but she had to get off the phone abruptly to talk to her mom. No sweat. Minutes later, Dani knocks on my office door and asks me to come look at Rosie. I walk out – and standing in my kitchen are Renee, Patrick and Elisa. From there – the sweetest form of chaos ensued.

Elisa, my niece, turned 8 in February. Patrick, my nephew, turned 3 in May. And, of course, Rosie is 18 months. Up until now, Elisa has been the one to play with Rosie. I think Patrick saw her as something he didn’t understand. At the ripe old age of 2, he couldn’t understand that while, yes, Rosie was taking his Doggy from him, she a) didn’t really know what she was doing and b) would not be allowed to keep it and c) didn’t have any understand of mine vs. not mine. Patrick, however, has understood the concept of “mine,” or more importantly, “not yours,” for as long as Rosie has been alive. He’s a smart kid – he gets it.

Well – I got a special birthday gift this year. All three played together. I mean – they really played together. Three little bodies crammed themselves into the 3’ x 1’ space behind the crack house in our family room. The laughter that came out of those three little mouths is still ringing in my ears – nearly two weeks later. Patrick & Rosie – who had never been at odds with each other at all – took their relationship to a new level – a level filled with spontaneous hugs and sharing like they have never done before.

Growing up, the closest kid to my age in my family was my brother – and he was four years my junior. My cousins were all a decade older – or almost a decade younger – than I. I was also the only girl in the bunch. It makes me so happy that my daughter – my children – not only have a wonderful family that they were born into, but an amazing family that we have chosen along the way.

Just one of the many happy memories that keep me warm when the nights seem long and cold.

Sesame Place

2008-06-24T18:37:00.001-04:00

Sesame Place
June 13, 2008

About two months ago, Jenn mentioned to me that we should take the kids to Sesame Place. I was immediately on board and thought it would be fantastic to take Rosie and Ben (who are just under 3 months apart in age) to this magical place I remember from my childhood. We agreed that weekends would be too crazy. Jenn’s best day is Thursday – which works fabulously for me, since I have class on Monday and Wednesday. Perfect. Then I mentioned it to Rich.
As most of our friends and family know – summers suck. They are utterly “Comcastic,” complete with nights so late they technically count as early mornings and work so stressful you begin to exhibit physical symptoms – such as twitches – as release. Well – the thought of missing Rosie’s first trip to Sesame Place was too much for Rich, so off we went on Friday the 13th.

I am not normally wary of Friday the 13th – but maybe this time I should have viewed it as an omen and stayed indoors! It was a beautiful day and a nice, easy ride up 95 to Sesame Place. Rosie didn’t fall asleep until we were about 20 minutes away from the park – but she was a happy girl, so the trip was pleasant.

I knew we were in trouble within minutes of arriving. There were loads of seemingly unsupervised children roaming in front of the entrance. It was the dreaded school trip. Ugh. We went in and promptly waited on line for 45 minutes for the tube ride. Well – I waited with the stroller – Rich and Rosie waited on line. While I was waiting, a woman standing next to me had a friend hold a towel and proceeded to strip naked out of her street clothes and put her swimsuit on. I have never in my life seen an adult do something like this in public before. I didn’t know what to do! So I just tried to not notice and not pay attention. Here’s the best part – her friend was holding the towel in front of her – but her backside was COMPLETELY exposed to the line and the exit for the ride directly behind her! Crazy!

We had to leave the park for lunch because the wait for in-park food was over two hours. We went to Cheeburger Cheeburger, had a nice, relaxing lunch and then returned to a much emptier park. We met Oscar, the Count, Bert & Ernie and Cookie Monster – we also saw the 7pm parade.

Rosie had a blast – and I can’t wait to go back with the Kamienskis. It is so much fun to watch one toddler play and laugh in this type of environment – it will be more than double the fun to watch Ben and Rosie play together!

Driven to Distraction

2008-06-24T18:20:00.001-04:00

Driven to Distraction
June 12, 2008

It is the wee small hours of the morning – and my mind is working overtime and won’t let me fall asleep. I miss Rosie. She’s only about 30 feet away from me, but sometimes that 30 feet is just too far. I just can’t describe it – it’s an actual tightness in my chest. Why do I have this tightness? Because she was asleep when I got in from class.

Rosie drives me to distraction. It is hard to get anything done throughout my day, because if I am not with her, there is always somewhere I would rather be.

I wish I had finished grad school before she was born. I hate not being here when she goes to bed. I find myself almost wishing that she wakes up in the middle of the night so that I can bring her into bed with us and get hugs and kisses. This journey to a Master’s should be complete in just under two years, but I could cry over the moments that I might miss between 6-9pm two nights each week for the next 104 weeks.

I wish I didn't have to work. I enjoy what I do and get a sense of completion and fulfillment from my work – but I wish I could just spend all day enjoying her.

I wish I realized how precious her baby stages were – even the annoying ones. Last summer, she would only nap if I would lay down with her and let her sleep in my arms. Now – she needs to nap in her crib (soon to be a bed), alone – without me. I love watching her sleep in my arms - and I miss the days of our afternoon naps. At the time, there seemed to be so many things to do. I didn’t see the gift in something as common as a nap.

I turn 29 today. A few people have asked me if I am freaking out or struggling with the idea of being 29. No – not really. Every day I get to pretend I’m a kid and roll around on the floor or tap dance to the closing credits to “Bert & Ernie’s Wordplay.” Rosie definitely keeps me young. On my 30th birthday, I will have two children, two and a half year old and an eight-month old. (Approximately) Now – that freaks me out!

My gift to myself today will be that I focus on spending time with Rosie as much as possible. Yes – I wish I was done with school already. Yes – I wish I could devote all my time to her – especially since this time with just her is dwindling.

Kiss My Butt!

2008-06-11T22:17:00.001-04:00

Kiss My Butt!
June 11, 2008

I had class tonight – and on the way home I called Dani – our friend who watches Rosie in the gaps between me leaving the house for school and Rich coming home from work. She asked me if Rosie pooped today. Well – she had – and I have to admit, the question immediately puzzled me. It’s not something Dani normally asks (although I will hear if Rosie poops on her watch).

Well – I guess my little angel went over to Dani and said “I huwt. I huwt.” Dani, who is an excellence surrogate parent in our absence, says to her “Rosie girl, where does it hurt. Want me to kiss it make it better?” And my daughter – my sweet, angelic 18-month old – proceeds to bend over and point to her butt. Yup – she definitely expected someone to kiss her ass!

Earlier today – I did my fair share of butt-kissing. Rosie knocked herself over during play time and caught the corner of her rear end on her crack house. No real tears – but lots of “I huwt” and Mommy kissing the offended area to make it better. So, either she was telling the story to Dani – or she is still feeling the sting of the only edge of her crack house that could possibly even cause a bruise. Regardless – my girl is a character!!

2008-06-10T23:24:00.000-04:00

Rosie the Rock Star
June 10, 2008

As you probably know – we are pretty big fans of “Rock Band,” the game for PlayStation 3. Rich got it for Christmas from my parents, and we couldn’t wait to start a band. We have three bands going now – The Natty Bohs, featuring Krisi G on vocals and Richie Rich on guitar/drums, The Guest Stars – designed specifically for when we have guests over for the weekend, and The Velvet Lampshades – our most successful band that we started with Joe and Amanda Angelini. I am always on vocals – since no one else wants to take them.

Rosie’s job, while we are all “rockin’ out,” is to be our groupie and play her “jin-jle bewls,” part of the instrument kit that she got from Aunt Jenn, Uncle Wally and Ben last year. Recently, Rosie G has decided to replace Krisi G on vocals – she has apparently had enough of being a groupie and wants the spot light for herself!

The pictures don’t tell the whole story – but Rosie grabs the Rock Bank microphone, unravels it, puts the microphone up to her mouth and starts singing as loud as she possibly can! She sings, she dances – she truly “rocks out.” Check out my little rock star in one of her first videos!

My girl likes the spotlight…I wonder where she got that from?!

2008-06-10T23:04:00.001-04:00

18 Months Old and Growing
June 9, 2008

I can’t believe that Rosie is 18 months old. My little baby girl is 18 months old. When strangers ask me how old she is, I can now say “a year and a half.” When did this happen?! She changes so much every day – and I want to just beg her to stay little. At the same time, I look forward to our future – when we can have long conversations and be silly together. Now I get to be silly, and she gets to laugh.

We went to the pediatrician for her 18-month appointment. She is 34.5 inches (97th percentile), 24 pounds 11 ounces (50th percentile), and her head circumference is 48 cm (90th percentile). So she is a tall, skinny thing – not that I didn’t know that already. Some of her 24-month bathing suits (the one-pieces) don’t fit her because her torso is too long, but 24-month bottoms fall right off of her because she has nothing there to keep them up. We should all be so lucky.

She did some tricks for Dr. Terry – showed off her vocabulary…blew kisses….said “thank you” – both in sign language and words. She did a great job of clearly communicating her wants and dislikes. When Dr. Terry was trying to get a glimpse in her ears, Rosie pushed her hand away and said “no! No ear!” I had to hold her head still. One of the more comical parts of the trip was when she climbed on the windowsill. This was made funny only because I was telling Dr. Terry my concerns about her climbing skills and being close to getting out of her crib on her own. As we were talking, she climbed up and then said “hell-yo” and waved. Dr. Terry looked at me and said “it is time for a bed. This week.”

Also during this doctor’s visit was the much-feared MMR shot. I had refused it when Rosie turned 1 – and pushed it back again at 15 months – and now the pressure was on. Truth be told, I have read up on it, and my fears are probably based in general paranoia. I have been afraid of every shot she has needed so far. I remember, just before she was born, I went through a brief period of time thinking I wouldn’t let her get any shots. She was going to be with me – why did she need them? So – I said a lot of prayers. I basically just asked God for a sign. I would let her have this shot unless God told me in some way not to give it to her. No sign came – so I let her have the MMR.

I’m pretty sure I didn’t breathe from the time the nurse entered the room with the needle until five minutes after it was all over. It was all I could do not to cry with Rosie. She looked at me with a red face and tear-filled eyes and said “I huwt. Mommy, I huwt.” No amount of kisses would make this boo-boo better. The nurse explained that this shot stings for a while, so I should expect her to be in some discomfort. I offered Rosie her binkie and her Ernie – which made it all a lot better – and then we got a “Turgle” sticker on the way out – with all 4 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on it. (She picked it – not me.) By the time we were at the sticker station, the tears had stopped.

She told me several times throughout the rest of the day that her leg hurt – and I probably kissed her little thigh 35 times before I left for class at 5:15. More than 24 hours have passed, and Thank God, she has not had a reaction. I can breathe again and relax.

For my first mother’s day, Sue Baker wrote to me that motherhood was to love, laugh, enjoy and worry. She was so right on all counts. I love life so fully. I spend my days laughing and delighting in laughter. I enjoy every minute – even those minutes when Organic Cheez-its are being rubbed in to the carpet. And I worry – I worry more than I ever knew I could worry. I worry about more things than I thought were even possible. I guess it is all just part of being a mom.

Finding Rosie A Big Girl Bed

2008-06-10T22:23:00.000-04:00

Finding Rosie A Big Girl Bed
June 8, 2008

After hearing “no kib” one too many times last week and catching Rosie trying to climb out of the crib, Rich and I decided it was time to take our girl shopping for a big girl bed. The timing works out great – because I would love to have her completely transitioned into her big girl room a few months before the baby comes. I don’t want her to feel displaced by the new baby. Unfit Parenting 101 – “the new baby is getting your room – so you have to move in here.” That would piss me off – so I can’t do it to her.

After spending the night at Aunt Tessie’s house and a lovely breakfast in Harrisburg, we drove back to Baltimore and hit Ikea. Rich and I decided that we don’t want to spend a ton of money on her furniture. If you look at his childhood furniture – it is banged up and “decorated” by stickers in some spots. My furniture has water stains from countless glasses and is missing hardware. My childhood furniture is beautiful and I have loved it since I was five – but it was really nice furniture and I really didn’t treat it as well as I should have – and it shows. So – Ikea it is.

Despite the lack of sufficient air conditioning inside of Ikea, Rosie was having a blast. We let her out of the stroller to stretch her legs – and she and Rich found this toddler bed that was very low to the ground. She had such fun with this bed! In the bed, out of the bed. On the bed, off the bed. Under the covers, over the covers. Loved it! She didn’t want to leave the bed.

I’ve been worried about her climbing out of the crib for two months now. She is a climber and a daredevil and will test any limit you give her. There have been some days when she awoke from her nap without making a sound – and the only thing that alerted me to her awake state was a slight rustling sound. That sound was Rosie pushing her Bear, Big Bird and her blanket to the corner of the crib so that she could stand on them and get the extra height. Crazy! So – in another few inches, she will be able to throw that leg over, and I might just hear that dreaded boom in the middle of the night!

Rosie's First Wedding

2008-06-10T22:09:00.000-04:00

Rosie with Aunt Tessie's purse - she was enamored with all the "but-tones"

Rosie & Aunt Tessie taking a break from their game of "Chase Me"

Rosie’s First Wedding
June 7, 2008

Well – this wasn’t her first wedding ceremony – but it was the first wedding event that my 18-month-old had the opportunity to attend. We put her in a pretty party dress – and without trying to, managed to coordinate for yet another event. (I wore black, Rosie wore black, white and yellow, Rich wore a yellow shirt) The wedding was for friends of ours – Cheryl and Brad – and it was a wonderful event and a wonderful day, complete with a glowing bride & happy groom.

However – it was 97 degrees on Saturday. I was concerned that Rosie was going to balk at the heat and get cranky quickly, but she held it together for about 4 hours before she was “done” and ready for some air conditioning. We tried to keep her occupied with blocks of cheese, pieces of chicken, lots of “wadee” (water) and some dancing. However, her favorite part of the day was following Aunt Tessie to the bar and playing “Splashy Splashy” in the tubs filled with ice, water and “shodee” (soda).

Of course – Rosie went after everyone’s attention, and was more than happy to put on a show for anyone will to watch. Aside from screaming for “An Te-tsi” and “Mommy” during the ceremony (Daddy took her under the tent to keep her little blond head out of the sun), she was a perfect little angel.

"Baby Zoe" Pictures!

2008-06-06T18:53:00.000-04:00

“Baby Zoe" Pictures
June 6, 2008

Well – here they are, the much awaited “Baby Zoe” sonogram pictures. We went for our 20-week ultrasound on Wednesday, and got some pretty good shots – even though “Zoe” didn’t want to pose pretty for the camera!! (I remember a Baby “Ziggy” who did the same thing!)

Why “Zoe?” Well – truth be told, it was the first “Z” name that we came up with – and we wanted to stick with the whole “Ziggy the Zygote” theme that we had before. I just can’t call a baby “it” for 9 months. Since we won’t be finding out the gender with this one either, a name needed to be assigned. Rich came up with it actually – as it turns out, he likes the name Zoe. But – he later confessed that he was using reverse psychology. Ziggy, in his opinion, was not entirely gender neutral, but male – and we had a little girl. So, he thinks that since we are calling this baby Zoe, it will turn out to be a boy!

Me – I think that if we wanted to, this kid could be named Zoe for the rest of HER life! (o:

When Did You Get SO Big?

2008-06-06T18:31:00.000-04:00

When Did You Get So Big?
June 6, 2008

So they most amazing thing happened yesterday – my darling, sweet little 18 month old figured out how to get herself into her highchair. No assistance from Mommy needed – She can do it by herself, thank you very much!

Her high chair seat is just over 2” off the ground. There is a little bar at the bottom and a foot rest. The space in between the bar and the footrest is just over 14”. Rosie refused to wear clothes yesterday, so we had an indoor day filled with toys and Shrek 2 on repeat. At some point in between lunch and nap, I stopped playing on the floor to get us both some water. When I turned around, she was in her highchair shouting “bucky” at the top of her lungs. Completely stunned, I walked over to her chair and buckled her in. She then said “no bucky,” so I took off the buckle. This was followed by “hep, down” and the sign for “please.” Hmm…she got herself up there, but couldn’t get down. Interesting.

I, of course, took her out of the highchair and stood her on the floor. It then became a game. After climbing into the chair about five times, I got tired of the game and tried to “hide” the highchair by tucking it under the table. Nope – my girl would have nothing of it! Our highchair is on wheels, and she wheeled it back into the kitchen to resume her game. The only thing that kept her from climbing was the tray – I had to put the tray back in place. After a brief temper tantrum, we went back to playing with blocks and all was well with the world again.

So – my question is this: when did my little baby girl get so big that she could climb into her own highchair? When did she get so strong that she can use her upper body to pull herself onto any piece of furniture? When did she get smart enough to be able to tell me that she got hurt and show me where to kiss? I can’t believe how much she has grown in such a short time. And it scares me a little to think of what she is going to get into next!!

Picture on the left is from Rosie’s first haircut. We went on May 4th to Cartoon Cuts in the mall. Nicole – the girl cutting her hair – came highly recommended by Aunt Renee and cousin Patrick.

Picture on the right is just a random Thursday night. She is sitting on one of our tall barstools in the kitchen. She asked to put up there, and then she asked for her little friends. Well – the bear is bigger than she is!!

Our Disney-Less Adventure in Orlando

2008-05-28T23:11:00.000-04:00

Our Disney-Less Adventure
May 28, 2008

Just over a week ago we embarked on our “great adventure” to Orlando – home of Mickey, Minnie and the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique. (Blech). Warning – this is going to be a long one!

Friday, May 16 – Let the Packing Begin

I made a critical mistake early on that day – I told Rosie that we were going on vacation with Nonna. The day was then filled with a multitude of “Nonna” chirps. My Mom went with Nonna because she felt it was easy for a baby to say. She actually had come to this conclusion before Rosie was even a possibility – and now, about 3 years later, I can say that she was 100% correct. It is a very easy word to say…and scream…and shriek. Unfortunately, the weather was crappy, which put Rosie in a mood. The highlight of her day – in my travels I stopped at McDonald’s to get her “Fen Fwies” and “Appy” (apples). It was also the highlight of my day because it made her just that happy. By 10:00, Nonna, Papou and Aunt Kristen had arrived, Rosie was wired for sound, I was 98% packed, my house was 60% clean and I was in desperate need of a Mint Mocha Chip Frappachino. A brief Starbucks run fueled me until 1:30 when my head finally hit the pillow.

Saturday, May 17 – Leaving on a Jet Plane

17-month olds don’t understand the concept of flying. They also don’t understand the need to be dragged out of bed at 6:45 for a flight. Rosie took it in stride – I don’t think she was actually awake when I got her dressed – but she perked up once she was in the car and playing with her rhinestone sunglasses. To BWI we go. Without much ado, we got on the plane and were able to procure two rows across from each other. Fortunately, our flight was not full, so the seat between my parents remained empty. Rosie was a PERFECT angel – only cried once when Papou got up from his seat. Prior to take-off, she was sitting on Aunt Kristen’s lap pointing at the ground and saying “Biewl” – her name for Uncle Bill. It was as though she understood that he was missing. We landed in Orlando, grabbed our luggage and toted the now sleeping angel to the rental car. After lunch, we brought her to the pool –which she loved. It was breezy – so once you were wet, you were cold. Rosie did not care. Her little lips were blue and trembling, but she was not getting out of the water for anything! Despite an exhausting day, she was unwilling to go to bed and stayed up to see Uncle Bill.

Sunday, May 18 – Rosie *heart* Ogres

We planned on spending the day in Universal Studios – which couldn’t have been better. The excited squealing began on the people mover coming out of the garage – she saw “Shek” and was beyond excited to see her green hero. She loves Shrek just for his looks – since she had not seen the movie or heard his voice. She does, however, have a Shrek doll that Grandmama bought her in February – that’s a whole different Blog… Anyway – after I got pooped on by one of the wonderful Universal Studio birds, we made our way over to meet Shrek and Donkey. Holy crap – I thought Rosie was going to leap out of her skin with excitement. She has been saying “Shek” for Shrek since November, but her new word for our first full day of vacation was “Don-keeeeee.” She got suddenly shy when she actually met the characters, but we got pictures. On to the ET ride – which she seemed afraid of until we were off the ride – and then she excitedly gestured for more. After lunch we all made our way over to Shrek 4D. Even the line was exciting for us. She was so tired – but so happy. Unfortunately, I was unable to hold her for this one – I had to sit in stationary seating while everyone else bounced around in the row behind me. We gave her a binkie in case she was scared – but she didn’t need it. She clapped and cheered her way through the movie/ride – and as soon as the lights came up, was gesturing for more. She also saw the “Blues Brothers.” She has seen the movie with us – and loves it for the soundtrack. Seeing them was tremendous. She got up off my lap at one point during the outdoor show, grabbed her Dad’s hand and walked him up through the crowd so that she could shake her “tail feathers” in the front row. She was so adorable, I actually got a little choked up. Her spontaneity and liveliness makes me want to be a kid again with her. A little in park napped revved her up for the pool later on – and she was a happy girl for the rest of the night.

Monday, May 19 – We Land at Suess Landing

With Papou in his first day of Golf School and Daddy in an afternoon swing class, the rest of us took the little Button to Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Despite periodic downpours, we delighted in the Suess Landing – a part of the park that brings the writings and drawings of Dr. Suess, my favorite children’s author, to live. We rode on Suessical beasts on the “Caro-Suess-el” and hoped in a fish to swim in a circle on “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.” Rosie went with the rest of the crew on the “Cat in the Hat” ride – a mini-roller coaster with no age or height requirement (but expectant mother restrictions) for which you strap yourself onto a couch while the book comes to life. Once again – we saw a lot of signs for more after each ride in Suess Landing.

Tuesday, May 20 – Woo-hoo to Wah

Papou was back at golf school and Daddy met him for a round in the afternoon. But – before Daddy’s departure, the three of us went into the Maze. Rosie was a ball of giggles. This thing was awesome – 3 levels of cargo nets, ropes and slides – it was heaven for the child in us all. Not necessarily pregnant-woman friendly, I took pictures of the happy explorers. The afternoon turned cranky and miserable, and we just stayed put in the room trying to convince Rosie to take a nap. She finally fell asleep on Nonna.

Wednesday, May 21 – Suess Landing, part 2

Back to Islands of Adventure we go! It was a beautiful and hot Florida day without a cloud in the sky…and Rosie got to go on all of the rides in Suess Landing again – this time with Daddy. We determined that she likes the “scared shitless” feeling – because despite any look of terror that might cross her pretty little face during a ride – she was asking for more as soon as it was over!

Thursday, May 22 – SHAMU or BUST

Off to SeaWorld we went – and aside from the Killer Whale show – it totally sucked. I was so disappointed. Even the show wasn’t worth the price of admission – it was mostly video. We waited on line for 45 minutes for a show that was over in 24. Shamu was really cool. That whale is too big for words. In our relatively short visit to SeaWorld, I decided I was done with crowds for a while. There were a lot of assholes there – one in particular almost lost a vital part of his anatomy. Rosie and I were walking towards Shamu Stadium when this ass comes running from behind us. I guess he thought Rosie was a hurdle – because he tried to jump her and instead his shin hit her square in the back and she hit the ground. I was very done with SeaWorld after that. I plan to avoid crowds for as long as possible. All in all – SeaWorld was a total bust…

Friday, May 23 – The Sun Came Out

It was supposed to be a crappy, thunderstorm filled day, so the 5 of us that weren’t on the golf course lounged in bed until lunch time, when we realized the sun was out and shining brightly. We made Nonna unpack her swimsuit and all the girls hit the pool. Later on that afternoon, Mike and Nicholas Gaughran came for a visit. Rosie impressed me yet again – this time with her ability to share. She picked up her treasured Ernie doll and put it squarely in Nicholas’ hands. It was a wonderful afternoon and so great to see Mike and Nicholas. The kids (who are about 4 ½ months apart) got along really well and we caught them holding hands a few times. After dinner, we went to Wonder Works – an interactive museum with over 100 exhibits. Rosie stood inside a bubble – and Daddy and Aunt Kristen tried to lie down on a bed of nails. It was definitely one of the cooler things we did all week.

Saturday, May 24 – One Last Thing Before We Go….

Our bags are packed and we are ready to go – but we have one last stop to make. Breakfast with Elmo and Friends. Rosie’s enthusiasm in meeting her favorite movie stars made my heart race. She was a little wary at first – after all, her buds – Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, Zoe, Elmo and Big Bird are usually on the “TP” (TV) or stuffed toys a fraction of her size. She was very interested in all of them from afar at first – but she warmed up before long. She was too excited to eat. Bert, Ernie and Cookie came around first – she is really obsessed with Ernie and likes saying (and eating) “Cookie.” Then all six characters came out and did a dance. Once the dance was over – she got to go up on stage to meet Elmo and Big Bird. She has been in love with Big Bird since January when she first saw “Follow that Bird” on TV and she sleeps with a Big Bird doll every night. We can’t leave home without him. From the safety of my arms, she gave both Elmo and Big Bird kisses. Zoe was entertaining the line, which happened to be right next to our table. She eventually wanted to hug Zoe. Rich and I decided to bring her up after all the other kids had taken a turn. This time – we let her walk across the stage to Elmo – and she ran straight into his arms! She just kept hugging him. I’m getting a little teary eyed thinking about it.

RECAP –

It was a week of adventure, new experiences, new words and fun. I realized that there is nothing more magical than being able to feel the excitement of a child. Rosie will not remember this trip – even though I have 502 pictures to prove she had fun – but I will never forget the wonder on her face an the excitement in her eyes.

Our Very First Blog

2008-05-28T16:23:00.000-04:00

So - I have had a few friends tell me to start a "Rosie" Blog for almost 18 months now - and I have never done it. I am on My Space and Friendster - neither of which get updated...so why would I take on another online project?! Earlier today, a friend of ours sent out a link to her new family blog, and it was so much fun to read about our nephew and the wonder that comes with being 15 months old. I realized that everyone was right. It is a great way to keep loved ones involved, even though they might be far away. So, I asked her if blogging was really as intimidating as I feared it to be. As it turns out, it is fairly simple.

I'm not going to make any promises - but I am going to try and update our new blog, "The Galasso Files" whenever anything major happens to Rich, Rosie, Baby-to-Be or myself.

So - happy reading. Rosie, who is supposed to be napping right now, is pulling on my shirt and asking for "wa-dee" (water), so I guess that is my cue to wrap this up!

Ciao for now...