Mama's Day Out

I met up with my good friend Ms. Meeghan yesterday in Brattleboro, VT. Meeghan and I were roommates when we graduated college and worked for a volunteer corp. together. We worked as teachers in a school for economically and emotionally challenge children, hence the nicknames Miss Carrie and Miss Meeghan, it kind of stuck! We have stayed close over the years even though we live in different states. Brattelboro is the halfway point between us so we decided it would be a great place to meet up.

We shopped and ate and talked and talked and talked the day away. We are both pregnant and due 2 weeks apart. It is the third child for each of us. It was so much fun to compare notes and discuss ideas. And we bought a few baby things a the Carter's outlet!!

It was so nice to have time to catch up on everything happening in our lives. We brought ultrasound pictures, pics of the kids, books, all kinds of fun things to share!!

Brattleboro is a beautiful town. Great stores and restaurants. We even found a state park to hang out at and have a picnic.

At the end of the day it was sad to say goodbye. But, the day was great and so worth the drive!!
And the best part was Ms. Meeghan and her hubby, Mr TJ have asked Hubby and I to be their baby's Godparents!!! We are so honored!!!! It is always exciting to be a special part of a new life!!!

Boo Boos

It has been a crazy couple of days. Last week Hubby had been on vacation so it was fantastic!! I got to rest, the boys got extra attention, we went on fun day trips, etc. So Monday morning when I went in to get the boys out of bed, they asked where Daddy was. I told them he was at work and and Cenzo said, "Oh, you're here Mama?" It wasn't exactly a cheerful pronouncement.

So it's been an adjustment going back to our routine to say the least. Yesterday the boys were so bored by me that they even requested to go downstairs to the playroom alone. I can never talk them into staying in the playroom while I try to clean, but yesterday they demanded it. So I was quickly racing around trying to get the kitchen cleaned. After about 10 minutes I went to check on them and Cenzo assured me, "We not fighting Mama." And Luccio looked content.

No sooner do I walk back upstairs and Luccio starts crying. Now Luccio is always crying or yelling about something, usually because his brother took a toy or looked at him the wrong way. For the slightest infractions Luccio screams with the drama of a full blown crisis. So when I heard him crying I didn't really bat an eye. I just yelled down to ask if everyone was ok. I heard him saying, "Boo boo, I got boo boo." I was heading back toward the stairs still unsure if there was really a reason for him to be crying and Cenzo yells to me "Luccio needs kisses he got a boo boo, you better get down here right now!" Oh my God, my heart raced and I ran down the stairs and there was Luccio with a real boo boo. He had caught two of his fingers in the closet door and they were cut!! Blood and everything. I cleaned him up and gave him kisses. And the rest of the day we talked about the boo boo. I cannot tell you the guilt I felt. the boy had cried wolf so many times I really hadn't thought he was crying about more than a toy or something. I felt sick the rest of the day about it. Luckily this morning when he got up he tried to show me his boo boo and gave me the wrong hand, I took that as a sign that he felt better!!

This morning got off to another bad start. I woke up with a vicious bout of morning sickness. And in the midst of it, Cenzo was slamming the door of our entertainment center and cut his head on the corner of it!! It was bleeding so much. I cleaned and iced it and called the doc. He cried for a bit, but then settled down and let me check it out. It wasn't a very long cut, but it looked deep. The doc's office didn't have an opening for 2 hours! So I got everyone cleaned and dressed and then went to try to shower and dress myself. The morning sickeness got the best of me and I couldn't stop vomiting. I was tyring to hurry and I was so stressed. Finally I loaded the boys into the car and dropped Luccio off at my aunt;' house. I picked up Stregga to come with us to the doc.

Cenzo was so brave and didn't even cry as the doctor cleaned up the cut which was still bleeding 2 hours later. The doc said it wasn't as deep as he thought after it was cleaned so luckily it didn't need stitches. Instead he glued it! Cenzo held still and put on his bravest face. I was so proud of him.

Thankfully both boo boos were minor and I know being a mom of boys (or a mom in general) I have to get used to this, but it is their first injuries and it's heartbreaking for me. I feel enormous guilt!!! Mama guilt, ugh! It's the worst. I was so stressed today I felt like my head was going to explode. Luckily neither boy noticed and thankfully proceeded to take 3 hour naps. Once I rested I was like a new person!! And the boys had fun telling Hubby their battle stories of bravery when he got home!!

Spot Check

I am 10 weeks pregnant today! But, I am still falling into "spot check mode."  Those of you who have ever experienced a miscarriage can probably relate to this.  Spot checking means that every time you go to the bathroom (which can be about a trillion times a day in the first trimester) you are checking for signs of spotting or blood.  I have had two early miscarriages between the 6-8th weeks.  And even in my pregnancy with the boys I had variations from spotting to full on gushes (sorry TMI)  There were even  2 occasions with the boys where I ended up in the emergency room for bleeding convinced I was miscarrying, once at 14 weeks and once at 18.  The doc explained each time that it wasn't threatening the pregnancy and that some people are "bleeders." Ughhhh.

So this time I was sure it would be similar and I have been waiting and checking constantly. My OB laughed when I mentioned it to him and said that "normal" pregnancies don't include bleeding, so it's good that I haven't found anything yet and that I am having a "boring, uneventful pregnancy" and he hopes it continues. Me too!!!

Still I can't help the instinct to spot check.  Last week I was walking around and I  felt a gush and I ran into the bathroom.  And thankfully I had just peed my pants.  So I knocked on wood (good thing we went for the wooden toilet seat) and made the sign of the cross and thanked God it wasn't blood.

And then, I thought...Wait!  Really?? Am I thankful that I just peed my pants??

Zoo Day

Hubby was on vacation this week so we spent most of the time running errands and going to doctor appointments and filing our taxes, fun stuff! But, things needed to get done so it was good that we had the extra time and I had the extra hands helping me with the boys.  But, yesterday we finally decided to get out and do something fun.  So we took the boys to a local zoo.

The weather was fantastic, so sunny and warm, spring finally arrived!!!! And everyone had the same idea as we did so the parking lot was packed and the line was so long!! Bu, it was worth the wait to get into the zoo and see the boys 's faces light up when they saw the animals!! Thy loved the wolves, the peacocks and the bear.  But, their favorites were the ducks.  We sat by the duck pond for a long time and they were laughing and calling to the duck and just got  such a kick out of watching them splash around.  Hubby and I laughed because we could have gone to the park for free and watched the ducks play, but well...its the experience of going to the zoo that counts, right??

They loved the ice cream break and the visit to the gift shop too, it was like a real vacation packed into a couple hours!

Easter Festivities

This Easter weekend was a wonderful time to spend with the boys.  They were the perfect age to enjoy the festivities and begin to understand traditions.

We spent Good Friday at a local Shrine (outdoor church) and walked the Stations of the Cross with friends.  It was a beautiful day and the boys were able to keep up with trekking through the woods for over an hour walk without their stroller, a major milestone!  That afternoon we went to Zhaz's house (my aunt and Vincenzo's godmother) for Easter Egg coloring with the cousins.  It was so much fun!! I didn't realize the dye would not be washable like the paints we use at home so the boys left with their hands looking as green as The Hulk!

On Easter Sunday we started the day off at Stregga and Pap's house. WE had a yummy brunch with french toast casserole and egg casserole and potatoes and all kinds of delicious foods!! Then we tried to have an outdoor egg hunt, but it was freezing!! So we hurried to find a few eggs and then ran indoors, the eggs are still in Stregga's yard, we will get there eventually to finish the hunt, LOL!!

We ended our Easter celebrations at Gandma and Papa's house.  We had a nice dinner and an indoor egg hunt! The boys really enjoyed playing with their cousins!

Holy Thursday

In the past I was a Campus Minster at a college and so the Holy Week and Easter celebrations were a big deal. Now that I am a stay at home mom life has certainly changed. No more all-night adorations, retreats, or hours of reflection (or any reflection, LOL!)

Anyway getting to Church with 2 two years old with loud voices and attention spans of a few minutes hasn't really worked well for us yet. So last night instead of dragging everyone to a 90 minute Mass for Holy Thursday, I decided we would have our own celebration at home.

We held a Holy Thursday service in our living room. Stregga joined us for "Washing of the Feet" and "Breaking Bread" together. We set up a big purple sheet on the carpet. And I brought out a cross and a beautiful Easter book about Jesus that Stregga had given the boys. I showed the boys picture of Jesus's feet in sandals and explained how he walked everywhere so his feet got dirty. Then I told the story of how Jesus wanted to show his friends how to take care of each other by washing one anothers feet. Then we used a pitcher of warm water and a large bowl and took turns washing each other's feet and drying them with towels. The boys really got into it!

Next we talked about how Jesus shared food with this friends and then we shared pieces of bread and cups of juice with each other.

Then we took turns holding the cross and saying what we were thankful for. Surprisingly the boys really liked this part.

I think their favorite part was when I gave them palms to wave. They were waving away and then using them to "tickle" each other!!

It was nice to take time to celebrate Holy Week with my boys! Of course it was condensed into about 15 minutes, but it amazed me how much they payed attention and were able to understand. And they seemed to have genuine interest.

Anti-Comfort Food

When I was pregnant with the boys I was would have late afternoon bouts of nausea and maybe dinner would look unappetizing.  But, I was working full-time and would pack a huge lunch bag full of breakfast, lunch and snacks and at the end of the day it would be gone.  And I would indulge in my fave comfort foods like cheese, carbs,  sundaes and Doritos

Not with The Bean.  Oh no, the nausea doesn't come and go, it stays all day and night with more fierce waves at different times of the day.  I feel like I am riding on a boat.  I even dream at night that ocean waves and tsunamis are hitting me.

Bean doesn't like my fave comfort foods like Kraft Mac & Cheese, Dunkin  Donuts iced coffee, provolone cheese, pizza, pasta with red sauce or anything with butter.  And forget sweets or Doritos.  Bean reacts with a vengeance to most meals or snacks!

The only foods The Bean seems remotely willing to tolerate are mashed potatoes, saltines and sour green apples.  Yum.

Who is that Guy?

Lat week Cenzo was sitting with me in the rocking chair in his room.  He looked up at the cross hanging on his wall and said, "Who is that guy, Santa Claus?"   I said, "No."  So he guessed again and said, "God??"   He is a little confused because he knows God had something to do with the fact that we gave our family and friends gifts at Christmas.  Now that Easter has arrived he will probably wonder if Jesus is the Easter Bunny too.  Umm...yeah.  I think we need to get to church more often

Breaking News: My 3 Muses!!!

Hubby and I are expecting baby #3 in November!!
At my first ultrasound The Little Bean measured right on target and the heart rate was 139!
The picture is a little fuzzy and The Bean basically looks like a blob, but the heart fluttering was unmistakably beautiful!!! Everyone we have told has asked #1-is it just one this time?? And #2- is it a girl?? So here is the info we have so far, Yes, it's one baby. And at this point we are just thankful it's heart is beating. However, I am a planner and a "bit" impatient so we will find out the gender if possible but it will probably another 10-15 weeks. I will keep you posted on that and all things pregnancy for the next several months!