Mommy is Back to School!

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

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…

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!

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

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

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...

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.”