"I got my own nastics!'

Giuliana is so proud of the fact that she's in gymnastics. So proud, that she tells us about 50 times a day "I got my own nastics!". She also tells every random person that we talk to... whether it's a neighbor, a store clerk, whoever... the second they acknowledge Giuliana by asking her something or telling her how cute she is, she quickly smiles and blurts out "I got my own nastics!".

Also... she requests to wear her gymnastics leotard approximately 4 days every week. She wears it all day, and if she's cold... she just wraps her blanket around her. When we acknowledge the leo she's wearing, she'll start showing us some of her moves. Usually this involves her putting her hands down on the floor and then sticking a leg up in the air, or she'll pretend/try to do the splits like Gabby.

She's such a little cutie-pie. And, yes Giuliana... you do *got your own nastics*!

Gabby Rocks Gym Jam!

Last August, Gabby was put on a developmental invite-only girls team – the Super Stars. In my opinion, it seems pretty intense for 6 year olds to be participating in a gymnastics class that lasts 2 hours, twice a week. I was hesitant at first to let her participate in it… mostly because it is so inconvenient with a young family where evenings can be so unpredictable with the personalities and temperaments of having various age groups. But, she clearly wasn’t enjoying the Level 1 class. It was just too easy for her. So, we decided to give the advanced class a whirl. It was a great decision.

Now, she’s been invited to join the Pre-Team! Wow! And, if I thought 4 hours of gymnastics were a lot… well, now it will be 6 hours per week. Yikes! Two classes weekly that each last for 3 hours. She’ll start that in July and she’s very excited about it. But, we’ll see how it goes once first grade starts in the fall. If she gets to the point of feeling overwhelmed or that she doesn’t want to do it anymore… then that’s it! We’ll stop! So… we’ll see…

Anyway, for now, Gabby has really liked being in the advanced class. She has learned so much this year… splits (both ways), back bends, back bend kickovers, hand stands on the high beam, dismounts off the high beam, various pull-overs on the bars. It’s really incredible! She frequently earns the *hardest worker* award at the end of class (which they award at ever class). She’s clearly very proud of what she’s learned as she’s constantly showing us her tricks at home. And, she has all these fancy little graceful moves that she does as she twirls around at home that look so neat and make me wish I could do them right along with her. When I watch her and the other girls during practice, I honestly wish I was out there on the gym floor doing all their strength-training! What a great work-out… and all the calories they must be burning! They should definitely have an adults class! Ha!

Rocco shows off his super-hero skills!

Rocco was invited to move up to the boys gymnastics team, Mighty Munchkins, this past March. So, he went from a beginner, co-ed class to a developmental boys strength & skill training team. He looks to be the youngest on the team…but seems to be doing really well!

So, now instead of being enrolled in two different classes that each met for 45 mins, once weekly, he’s enrolled in this new class which meets for one hour, twice weekly. Rocco really likes this. Proof is in the pudding… and the child has been very busy showing off all his fancy new tricks and stunts and strength on various furniture pieces throughout our house. Ack! We are constantly reminding him to be careful and keep it in the gym. Dan & I often joke that Rocco has enough energy to participate in at least 8 hours of gymnastics each week!

A side note on Rocco is that the child is solid as a rock. His body fat percentage must  be very low…and he now weighs just 4lbs less than Gabby. So, he’s a big kiddo.
Gym Jam is the annual show where the kids showcase their strength and the skills they’ve learned in various routines. Rocco did SUCH a great job. Dan and I were both so impressed while watching him perform on the various apparatus. The strength that gymnastics develops in young people is incredible! We were very impressed with his strength and the skills he’d learned on both the pommel horse and parallel bars.
Such a little cutie… I was proud to see him show off!

Gammy's Visit

My mom visited us at the end of April and stayed with us for about 3 weeks. It was great to have her visit. The kids get so excited when they know Gammy or Gammy and Papa will be visiting. And, it’s really fun for me to watch them interact with her, and have her see how much my kids have grown, what their interests and personalities are like, and show her all their new tricks.

She planned her visit so she would be able to spend lots of time with the new baby. But, since he was so stubborn and arrived late, she ended up getting to spend more time with the big kids! So, while I was busy finishing up a lot of projects for work, Gammy was able to see what the kids daily lives are like and what our au pair does with them on a daily basis. So, they spent a lot of time reading and playing outside. They would go on the swingset; take long walks; and on the sunny, warm days, they would get the water table ad beach umbrella out, turn on the hose and pretend they were at the beach.

Gammy spent a lot of time reading books to all the kids, but mostly to Giuliana who could sit with books all day and be completely satisfied. Giuliana’s favorite library book at the time was “Wolf’s Coming!”, and they would read it over and over and over. So Gammy gifted her with that book.

Rocco and Gammy spent a lot of time playing DoodleJump. Rocco was clearly much better than Gammy, but he would give her tips on how to improve. Rocco also like to help Gammy with the *jobs* she wanted to do while visiting us. So, Rocco would help her sweep and clean off outside furniture.

Gabby didn’t get to spend as much time with Gammy because of school and all of her activities. But, Gabby really enjoyed playing puzzle games with Gammy and having Gammy read stories to her. Gabby also loved that Gammy came to watch her at gymnastics, soccer and swimming. And, Gabby would often go in and snuggle Gammy during the middle of the night while she was sleeping.

Then, when Marco finally arrived… all Gammy wanted to do was hold the new baby and help mommy out. Gammy is really great with babies and loves to hold them. Marco loved being held by her and he’s already looking forward to her next visit!

Marco's Birth Story

I really thought this little guy would arrive at least 1 week before his due date. I had not once entertained the idea I would still be pregnant on his due date, much less have to schedule an induction.

“Uncomfortable” is often used by women to describe how they feel at the end of their pregnancy. I think I may have been beyond that point… “uncomfortable”, “in pain”, and “never doing this again” are the feelings that very quickly come to mind when reminiscing the end of this pregnancy. The last 3 weeks were miserable… possibly a result of one, or a combination of the following facts:

1.      Huge baby
2.      3 other very active kids running around
3.      I’m north of 35

I feel beyond blessed to have had 4 healthy pregnancies, one of those resulting in twins. Pregnancy to me is THE most amazing experience ever. I truly loved seeing my belly grow, feeling babies kick and move inside of me, and knowing that a human life is growing right inside my belly. To me those are my life’s best and most incredible moments. I loved experiencing pregnancy and am so thankful I was able to carry babies. However, with that being said… I also know that I am DONE having babies.

So, on to Marco’s birth story…

We were scheduled to check in at the hospital at 5:45am for the induction. Dan and I were both up late the night before, as we both had a lot of work that we were trying to complete before the big day. At 5:20am, I received a phone call from the hospital saying they had a busy night and that our check-in time was pushed back to 7:45am. I was SO excited to have the chance to jump back into bed and sleep some more… but of course, did not get one minute of extra sleep. I guess I was too anxious about the day ahead.

We arrived a bit late, but were all settled in our room with IV’s going and the baby being monitored by 9:30am. Since I was already dilated to 3 and 50% effaced, we were hoping it wouldn’t take long to speed up the start of labor. They told me I was already having consistent contractions, but they were small enough that I just wasn’t really feeling them. I think they started me on a very low dose of P.itocin around 10am. The P.itocin wasn’t doing much… so I took a little nap, surfed the internet and flipped through a few magazines. At 1pm, we decided to have them brake my water. And wow… I think a small lake had been taking up residency inside my belly. Jeez! The water was gushing out for about 5 minutes… even surprising the nurses. Let me take this moment to be thankful that my water didn’t brake anywhere outside that hospital room!

Every half hour, they continued to up my dose of P.itocin. Finally, by 3pm, I was feeling the contractions enough, so I asked for an e.pidural. While they were prepping me for the e.pidural, I looked at Dan and had one of those “holy cow!” moments. I said “Wow! I really can’t believe I’m sitting here getting an epidural! Why are we doing this again?” I was SLIGHTLY nervous for the epidural and everything that would follow. I started getting nervous and anxious--thinking that I had been lucky enough to have 3 previous easy deliveries… so what if something went wrong? What if I had to get a c-section? What if something would be wrong with the baby? Ever since losing Matteo, I often find myself very easily fearing the worst in any situation. I hate that I do that--but it’s almost like a reflex.

                                                                                                
After I got the epidural, things started speeding up (very typical for me & each delivery). I’ve never had an epidural that takes away all the pain--but at least it helps. The drug seems to help me relax enough to the point where it allows the baby to move his way down.

I started to feel a lot of very painful cramping around 5:45pm. Like menstrual cramps magnified 500 times. As the cramping got worse, I got more and more uncomfortable and started squeezing Dan’s fingers to the point of causing him pain. This is when we decided to talk with the anesthesiologist to possibly increase the amount of drugs I was getting via the epidural. OR, maybe we were going to be meeting the little guy soon!

The doctor came into the room around 6:05pm, and I was almost fully dilated. The anesthesiologist said the epidural was doing its part and he couldn’t up the dose. So, my doctor said let’s give the pushing a try.  

This seemed so calm and planned out compared to my previous deliveries… where we went from dilated to 6 or 7 and thinking it would be a few more hours… to

“HOLY COW the baby’s head is COMING OUT and we don’t have one doctor or nurse in the room… HELLLLLLLPPPPPP!”!

So, I started pushing… and just like that, with one loooooooong push, Marco’s head came out. Another push and I was able to push his whole body out. No screaming. It just felt so easy (relatively speaking, of course!), and like the perfect delivery. The second Marco came out, the doctor quickly laid him up on my chest. No suctioning, no messing with him—just laid him right on me! I was a little shocked scared at first… thinking, “Gosh, somebody suction him! Isn’t he supposed to be screaming his head off right now? But, once I got past my fears—it was AMAZING! I cried tears of pure joy, thankfulness and love. I was simply in Heaven to have him placed on me right after birth. I had never experienced that before since my previous deliveries were at a teaching hospital. So, the moment the babies would come out, they were quickly suctioned and then whisked away to be inspected by neonatology residents (because my previous deliveries were at a teaching hospital). Dan’s first words were “Wow – he’s so big!” And, I remember saying “Really? Do you think he’s big? He doesn’t seem that big to me.” Perhaps he didn’t seem all too big because I was expecting a huge baby and had visualized him looking bigger at birth. Or, probably more accurate is that you just truly forget how TINY babies are! I mean, even big babies are just so tiny and precious at birth, aren’t they?

So, I was not too shocked to learn the little guy was over 9lbs, as I had expected it since Gabriella and Giuliana were larger babies (8lbs 4oz and 8lbs 14oz, respectively).  

Marco Birth Stats:

Height: 22.5 inches (98%ile)
Weight: 9lbs 3oz (95%ile)

Dan & I took turns holding the little guy while I was being tended to with post-deliver procedures, etc. Then, they let me spend time nursing him and he latched right on like a little pro! This baby did not need one breast-feeding lesson and made it so easy for me. Loved that – thanks, Marco! After that, he was weighed, measured, and given his first bath. He loved sitting in the bath… and spent a lot of time screaming while they were fidgeting with him outside the bath. He was very happy to get back in my arms again.

I spent most of the night holding him. He wasn’t too eager to spend a lot of time nursing. But, when I’d put him in the hospital bassinet he’d scream and fuss. So, we spent a lot of time together right from the start. Also code for *mommy probably got 2.5 hours of sleep that first night*.  

Daddy went home that night so he could tell the big kids all about their new little brother and help Gammy put everyone to sleep. Then, the next day daddy and Gammy came to visit me and Marco at the hospital. Daddy also brought Rocco and Giuliana with to pick us up. And, Gabby finally got to meet Marco when we arrived home from the hospital. I was in the hospital for a total of 34 hours. I think that’s just insane!

All in all, it was an amazing and unbelievable birthing experience and we feel beyond blessed to have Marco in our lives.

He's here...

The *big* little guy finally arrived. He was late... but he's here!

Marco Matteo Martino
9lbs 3oz
22.5 inches

Marco arrived safe and healthy... every parent's dream come true.

We had been telling everyone he was 9lbs 2oz, and I just looked at the hospital paperwork the other night only to find that he was actually 9lbs 3oz at birth. So, yes, he's my biggest baby!

Labor lasted 6 hours and 15 minutes. And, I was able to push him out in one contraction (less than 2 minutes of pushing!). I feel so fortunate/lucky to have had such an easy labor/delivery. I took advantage of the epidural, of course. And, while it doesn't take all the pain of labor/deliver away... it certainly makes the experience much less painful than I imagine it could be without it.

We left the hospital 25 hours after he was born... and shortly thereafter, we finally decided upon a name that seems to fit him quite perfectly.

The kids are over-the-moon in love with their new baby brother. Everyone wants to hold him and touch his little feet and hands, and give him lots of kisses. Gammy was also hear visiting for a few weeks, eagerly awaiting the birth so she could hold another grandbaby. And, Dan and I are in love with the little ball of baby!

Clearly.... Marco is already very much smothered with love and attention by all of us!

It's been busy around here... but I'll post a birth story in a separate blog post soon.