St. Bean

The other night I was talking to my friend, Meeghan and I told her that the plan is for me to have a scheduled c-section sometime during the week of October 26th.  She had a great idea, that I should check out the church calendar and see which Saints celebrate their Feasts that week.  She thought maybe there would be cool baby name ideas.  So I checked it out last night and on the Monday of that week (the 26th) St. Bean celebrates his Feast Day!!  How ironic!! I had no idea there was even a St. Bean and apparently there are 2! One celebrates in October and one in December, go figure! So maybe we will stick with Bean as a name for the baby....

Memorial Day

We had a fantastic Memorial Day!! Hubby and I took the boys to the parade this morning.  We met up with my aunts and cousins and Nonnie.  They absolutely loved it!! They were clapping and yelling out hello and thrilled over the trucks and cars!!  After naps, we spent the afternoon in our backyard just playing and then we had a picnic with just the 4 of us. It was such a perfect day!!!

Heart Beats

This week my Dad was in the hospital for a heart related surgery.  Thankfully the doctor found only one blocked artery and was able to unblock it!  I told the boys that Papa had gone to his doctor and they were fixing his heart.  That night when we said prayers, Cenzo said "God Bless Papa's heart beat."  So cute!! And God was listening, Papa is on the mend!!   

Intelligender

Inellligender is a fabulous new product that just came out in April, just in time for my pregnancy, woo hoo!! It's an at-home gender predictor kit for impatient people like me who can't wait to see if the baby is a boy or girl!! I took the test this morning and there is a 90% chance that Baby Bean is a GIRL!! You pee into a little cup of powder if it turns yellow or orange its a girl result.  Green or darker is a boy result.  It was pretty orange! Two of my good friends are pregnanct right now and have taken the test.  Both have had ultrasounds to confirm their results are accurate! I have another scan in June so we will se if it's true for me too!!  I feel like it might be.  Of course all of my evidence is purely  Old Wive's Tale like: my blood pregnnacy test (BETA) was a high HCG number which usually indicates girl.  And Bean's heart rate is always in the 150-160s which is usually indicative of a girl.  But, purely anecdotal of course, LOL!! But, those myths start somewhere for good reasons, right?  We will see...

The Bean - 13 Weeks

Well, I am a few days past 13 weeks.  I had my OB appointment today and all went well.  The Bean's heart rate was in the 160's.  It's looking like another c-section, sometime at the end of October. My glucose test was good, so I am hoping to hold off getting gestational diabetes this time!  And I had the Nuchal Scan and bloodwork which showed everything is going well.  So far so good!!!   The doc I saw for the scan has a last name that ryhmes with Fabulous so the residents call her Doctor Fabulous.  And she is!  She is so funny and I had a great talk with her.  She was one of the docs I saw on a regular basis when I was on hospital bedrest with the boys so I got to know her fairly well.  She said she is thinking pink for me this time, LOL!!  She is doing my Level 2 scan in June so she is excited to see if her guess is right!! She also has never seen me out of a hospital bed so when I stood up after the scan she exclaimed "you look great!"  She said I have a glow!!  I had to laugh though.  First of all because I have gained so much weight since having the boys and second because my face is all broken out.  This morning the boys asked me why I have a "boo boo face."  UGH!!! But, Dr. Fabulous thinks I look great, so I guess I at least look better than I did when I was pregnant with twins, lying in a hospital bed feeling like a beached whale for months, LOL!!!  Either way it was nice to hear a compliment and I hope her predictions are right about the Bean too (for a girl and a healthy baby either way!)

Greatest Show on Earth

Hubby and I took the boys and Stregga to the circus this week! It was fantastic!!!!!!!!!!
The boys were very impressed with the lobby full of good for sale, so when the show actually started they were just amazed!!! Luccio's favorite part was seeing the elephants. There were 11 elephants!! Gorgeous, giant creatures! He loved them and throughout the show kept asking where the elephants were hiding, it was so cute! Vincenzo was glued to the show the entire
2 1/2 hours! His face was precious as he oohed and aahed! My favorite part was the tigers, they were gorgeous! i wonder how do they remember what tricks to do and the sequence of it all. And the elephants too, they were dancing and prancing in such an organized way, I just can't get over how they learn the routines. It was a fabulous day full of magic and glitter!! The boys went home with a bag of souvenirs and hands full of confetti that had fallen at the end. They fell asleep clutching that confetti and when they woke up, Cenzo said "I want to to that again some day!"
I do too!!!

Salute to Stregga

Before she was Stregga or Nana, she was Mama.  My Mom is one of the most amazing women I know.  She is funny, compassionate, generous and brave.  When I think of a mother I picture someone who loves unconditionally, that is my Mom.  She is my confidante, caretaker, role model and best friend.  Throughout my childhood I have memory after memory of places we visited like the beach, museums, parks and time spent together.  My mom stayed at home with us and would load up all of our friends and take us everywhere!! We had a blast and she became "Mommy" to many of our neighborhood friends even to this day.

Stregga always made celebrations of our life amazing!! She went all out with making birthdays special.  I remember turning 13, a major milestone.  And my Mom took me for an appointment at a make-up store.  I had been begging to wear make-up but had to wait until I turned 13.  I was taught by a professional what colors to choose and how to apply it.  It was so much fun!! For my 16th birthday I wanted a pool party, but since my birthday falls in January in New England it seemed unlikely.  But, Mom took my aunts and my friends and I to have  a sleepover party at a local hotel.  We had a great time hanging out at the pool and staying up all night chatting!!!  Each year is celebrated in a special way and we always have fun together.

Over the years my Mom has tried to instill in me a sense of independence and courage.  She always encouraged me to explore and have new adventures.  Once we drove to Florida ourselves around my 18th birthday.  We sang and chatted and made stops along the way.  We enjoyed the Disney parks and met new people.  It was a trip I will always remember.  She even let me drive on RT 95 -woo hoo!!!  My childhood was filled with fun trips to Wildwood, Cape Cod, Clinton.  Always road trips and beaches and fun!!  My dad worked a lot and couldn't always get time off, but that didn't stop Mom or summer fun.  She would load up the car and off we would go! And since we had a pool at our house being home in the summer was fun too because all of our friends would hang out at the pool.  Summers were the best!!

As I got older I went to my mom for advice that went beyond make-up and boys.  I knew when I was making life decisions I could always count on her for an honest and realistic opinion and unwavering support.  I always felt like it was ok to take chances and make mistakes because I would be loved no matter what.  I am grateful for that because I think it helped shape me into the person I am today.  I wasn't afraid to make new friends and travel to new places.  Along the way those people and places became part of the woman I am now.

Since becoming a mother myself, I have a new appreciation for my own Mom.  During my first pregnancy she stayed with me in the hospital for weeks.  Sleeping over, visiting every day for over 2 months waiting for the boys to be born.  She never complained that the cot was uncomfortable or the drive was too long or that she was tired.  I never felt like a burden to her. When my own baby was sick and needed to be hospitalized I tried to call on that example of strength.  And I have to admit I fell short.  I was exhausted and grumpy and that was after only 5 days of staying in the hospital with him.  I wondered, how did my mother do this for all those weeks?? And when the boys are up all night sick I have a hard time finding the energy to care for them with so little sleep.  But, my Mom always manages to come over and help me wipe their snotty noses and hold and comfort them.  Once day last winter Luccio was so sick.  Stregga came over and sat on the couch with him for 8 hours!! She fed, changed, bathed and snuggled him.  I sat by in a heap of exhaustion wondering where she gets her energy!! I was thankful and impressed to say the least.

The other day Vincenzo was worried because he thought there was a critter in his outdoor play house and he wanted me to check it out.  I of course don't like critters so Stregga went over and discovered it was only a rock.  I said, "Wow, Mama you are brave!" And she said I better start getting braver myself because mothers need to be brave! And she is right.  I do hide from critters and bugs and bloody boo-boos and Stregga is luckily around to pick up my slack.  But, I do need to be braver and I know I have an excellent role model who is teaching me how to be a wonderful mother!!!!

For all that she does and all that she is I am grateful that God has blessed me with the mother I have.  I cannot imagine my life without her.  I wish my mom and all mothers a very Happy Mothers Day!!! 

The Wild Life

The boys and I went with Auntie Anne (my brother's fiance) to the zoo. It was so much fun. They have a 30 acre drive thru safari and a huge wildlife center that you can walk or drive through. Since it was a 3 mile walk, we decided to drive through and park the car and walk at parts that we wanted to see up close. The boys loved it!! Their favorite animal was the Buffalo. They sat and looked at the Buffalo for the longest time. They fed him hay and watched him eat. At one point the Buffalo peed, it was too funny to see their expressions as buckets of liquid poured out of the giant animal!! Annie and I kept trying to get them to continue walking to see other animals, but they were to enthralled with the Buffalo. We stopped at the barn to feed the baby animals too. You can buy baby bottles of warm milk and feed the goats and lambs. At first it seemed fun, the goats were small and cute. But, we quickly realized the little ones were starving and anxious for their turn at being fed. Some of them got out of the pen and were jumping on us. Cenzo was feeding the littlest goat, but then another came over and started jumping and pushing his way in and Cenzo freaked out. Luccio wouldn't even walk in the barn he just stood at the edge and screamed. Annie carried Luccio and I carried Cenzo and we made our way through the barn to continue to feed the animals. It seemed like little animals were coming at us from every where and Luccio was crying and screaming. Annie said, "Oh my god it's like a nightmare for him!" And it was. But, we couldn't help laughing. We decided to head back to the car and the littlest goat followed us. We weren't sure if he was going to try climbing into the Mom Mobile with us! Luckily another family came along and distracted him with more food!! LOL!! It was our first outing with Auntie Annie and I was impressed, she was quite the Farmer!! She was holding Luccio and feeding goats and cows and lambs. The animals loved her! And the boys really enjoyed their day with their Auntie.

Making Memories...

We stayed 7 days at Stregga and Papa's. We got there Monday with no real plan for the week or when we would leave and stayed until Sunday!! Luckily Stregga and Papa welcomed us with open arms. My parents have always been there for me and supported me in good times and bad and I am blessed enough to say that they have been there for my boys too. From a crazy pregnancy to getting through Luccio's brain surgeries they were by my side in whatever I needed at the moment. And although escaping mice is not nearly as life threatening, it is almost as scary to me. So thankfully they let us stay with no questions asked and seem to genuinely enjoy having us here. The boys and I certainly loved it!!

One afternoon we went home for a few hours and I asked the boys if they wanted to stay home and they said, "No! I am going to Stregga's until Sunday!" Too funny.

Most of the days the weather was nice, so while my parents were at work the boys and I stayed outside on the deck and in the yard playing for hours. One day we went to the zoo with Auntie Anne ( I will post pics soon) and has such a fantastic time seeing the animals, etc. Another day, Stregga took the day off and we brought the boys to see Hubby playing a Crocodile in his school's production of Peter Pan. The play was amazing, the high school kids are seriously Broadway caliber!! And the Crocodile has some of the best scenes, a real show stealer!! The boys were totally inot the show and actually understood the concepts that Peter Pan and Tink were talking about. they even picked up a new phrase from Tinkerbell, who called Wendy a "Silly Ass."

One night we went to a local carnival. It was the first time the boys had been to anything like that. they loved it!! They were so excited to go on rides, in fact Vincenzo was so excited he was practically hyperventilating waiting in line for tickets!!! They were great, until it was time to leave. then they were screaming and crying and kicking. It was a complete nightmare trying to leave the parking lot, but so worth it to see how much fun they had on the rides!

We fell into a really nice routine throughout the week. Papa got up in the morning with the boys and gave them breakfast on the deck. Then I would get up and get everyone dressed and we would entertain ourselves for the day. In the afternoon Stregga would come home from work and hang out with us. Then Papa and Stregga took turns making yummy dinners and giving the boys their baths. At night we would sit in the living room and listen to a beautiful CD that Stregga has with a song called, "Hail Mary, Gentle Woman." It's a relaxing meditation song and the boys really responded to it. They would sit and listen and use a whisper voice. So adorable!! It was a nice way to end the evenings. And then off to bed they would go. They were so exhausted that they got right into bed and within minutes would be sleeping! I love that!

The boys got to help take care of Stregga's dogs too.  They walked Charlie and Stella Mary and fed them treats.  They were so proud of themselves when they got to take the dogs outside. And although the little dogs are skittish around the boys, they seems to have developed a good friendship by the end of week!

It was so nice to have help with the boys all week, especially since I had that worrisome episode with the pregnancy last week and Hubby had to focus on the show and wasn't home until very late each night. The boys enjoyed themselves and Papa and Stregga did too!! Papa called us tonight to say that the week went so fast and he misses them already! Stregga will be happy to have her bed back I bet! She slept on the couch all week and Papa stayed in the spare room so the boys and I could sleep in one room together and I got the big, comfy king-size bed!!! I am going to miss that, LOL!!

Now Hubby's show is over and we are all back home together!! We will see what the week brings!

The Critic

The boys have been having a language explosion lately! It's amazing, every day they are picking up new words and phrases and putting together sentences and thoughts. It's really something to observe!

Luccio mainly notices things or expresses needs. So most of his sentences are questions like "Where's Papa?" and he uses statements to get his needs met like "I'm hungry," "I'm cold" or "I want to get out of here!" He started Speech Therapy in January and has been making amazing strides with his language! I think he will definitely be ready for preschool in the fall.

Vincenzo started talking more around his 2nd birthday and has just been going ever since. He now speaks in sentences and even tells fully detailed stories. And he is known for being a "Critic."

Here are some examples of how much Cenzo's language has evolved...

Yesterday, Stregga was getting dressed for work and put on a new shirt and asked if I thought it looked ok. Before I could answer, Cenzo told her "That shirt silly, throw it away!"

Later in the day, Stregga was helping Cenzo with his potty situation and while she sat with him he looked at her and said, "Your hair a mess Stregga, go brush it."

Today Stregga came out with a shirt with a print on it and Luccio ran up to her right away and asked "What's this?" And she said "It's a new shirt, does it look nice?" Cenzo, sitting on the other side of the room, answered "I don't think so..."

And my favorite critique of the week was this morning when Cenzo climbed in bed with me. He was talking away and trying to wake me up. When I finally talked to him, he looked at me and said, "Mama your mouth needs a car wash."


Ahhhhhh, gotta love the honesty of two year olds!