Snails on the loose!

What would the world do without little boys!?

Rocco caught a bunch of snails outside. He put them in a bucket. He then came inside and brought the bucket into the house with him (without me knowing about this lovely bucket of snails) and set it on the kitchen counter.

Well… about an hour after he came inside, he came running over to me with his empty bucket, and the conversation went like this:

Rocco: “Mom! All my snails are missing!”

Me: “What do you mean? Where were the snails?”

Rocco: “They were in this bucket?”

Me: “Well, just go find some more… snails will crawl out of a bucket, buddy.”

Rocco: “No! Mom! They were in this bucket INSIDE! I put it on the counter!”

Me: [eyeroll…and nursing Marco thinking about an impending snail hunt IN my house] “Rocco, please tell me you’re kidding… did you seriously bring snails in the HOUSE?!”

Rocco: [running over to kitchen counter where he had set his snails] “No – I brought them INSIDE, mom! And, I put the bucket right here and now they’re gone! WAIT… mom LOOK!! My snails are all over the bananas!! Look mom, LOOOOOK!!! That’s SO COOL!!” [laughing so hard]

So… if you should ever have a little boy bring a bucket of snails into your home, I hope he rests the bucket near a fruit bowl as my little guy did. Sure enough, the snails were all found (let’s hope ALL the snails!) on the bananas! Rocco thought this was super cool.

I on the other hand was very relieved we didn’t have to perform a major snail hunt and cleanup. Thank goodness snails are slow little creatures!

Here's Rocco with one of the little snails.

"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.

April... fun in the sun!

This April has been pretty nice weather-wise. So, the kids have been able to do a lot more playing outside in shorts & t-shirts and even swimsuits. Last weekend, we even pulled out a lot of the water toys for them to play with.

Rocco was the ring-leader... master of the water hose! He took it upon himself to fill up all the buckets, the water table, water plants, wash down furniture, clean the driveway, and spray Gabby and Giuliana from time to time. He also spent a lot of time pretending that he was a fireman, putting out fires over here, there and everywhere. Love the imagination of little boys! He must have had the water running from the hose for almost 4 or 5 hours.

Giuliana LOVED getting in all the various buckets of water and climbing in and out of the water table (just as her twin brothers did 3 years ago!). She had a perma-smile on her face as she would squat her cute little buns down into the water, splash around and then get out and either climb back into her bucket or move onto the water table. She also helped water a few plants but mostly just enjoyed soaking up the sun and going in and out of the water buckets and table.

Gabby was perfectly happy observing her siblings from the towel while sunbathing. But, she also enjoyed making sure Giuliana had enough warm water in her buckets, and helping her climb in and out of the water table safely. Gabby's such a great big sister! I enjoyed watching Gabby and Rocco tease each other with the hose... they would spontaneously spray each other when the other was unsuspecting. It caused a lot of laughs and screams of surprise and happiness... but it did stir a few arguments between the two of them as well. Sibling love at it's best!
Keep the nice weather coming.... we love it!

Easter 2012

It seems as though we've started a family tradition of coloring Easter Eggs the night before Easter. And while the actual egg coloring doesn't last or take long  – I think daddy finds this event a bit stressful. Eggs are being tossed into dye cups, dropped/cracked, little hands are dipping into dye cups… you name it - it's happening. I sort of find it entertaining watching Dan get a little frazzled amidst all the chaos, especially since I am typically the more anal parent and he tends to be more carefree.
It’s even funnier to think that the actual egg coloring probably takes 15 minutes to complete. I swear... it takes me longer to boil and prep the eggs.

The kids love coloring the eggs for Easter. Gabby has always done a really great job. She listens to direction so well and is patient and gentle enough to let the eggs soak up the color and not break them when putting them in or getting them out. Rocco had his best year yet. He dropped his eggs into the dye very gently and had a lot more patience compared to previous years. I think he only started experimenting with his fingers and dying other items towards the end. Giuliana was our wild card this year... grabbing eggs whenever she could, tossing them into dye cups making the dye splash out, she'd reach in and grab eggs out of the dye with her bare hands. Dan hovered over her the entire time.

Earlier that night while we were eating dinner, we spotted 4-6 bunnies in the yard. The timing could not have been more perfect! We went on to explain that the Easter bunny had sent his scouts to look for good egg-hiding places. The kids got SO excited and were jumping and screaming, which obviously scared off the bunnies. But, soon they came hopping back within view . The best part about the bunnies showing up on Easter Eve was this was only the second time we've spotted bunnies in the yard so far in 2012. And, if I remember correctly from last year… by mid-May, our forest will become infested with bunnies and baby bunnies. The kids thought it was a bunny bonanza!
On Easter morning, the kids woke up to finding their Easter baskets sitting in their bedroom doorways. Rocco came running in our room, yelling “The Easter bunny was here! The Easter bunny was here! And, he brought me better toys than the Gree.n Lantern superhero!” Dan and I literally woke up to that and it was hilarious. 

The Easter bunny left candy-filled eggs throughout the house and the kids had a lot of fun searching for them. Giuliana really got into it… and even more so into eating the candy! She must have had a pile of chocolates before breakfast.

 We invited friends over for a big egg hunt in the yard and Easter dinner. The kids all had a great time hunting for eggs throughout the yard. Giuliana had so much fun with it and quickly developed a talent for finding and yelling “EGG!” each time she spotted another. Rocco got bummed out at one point, before he knew there were more to search for in the backyard. He seemed to follow Gabby around and eventually realized he might do better if he ventured in his own direction to hunt for eggs. Gabby of course had no trouble finding eggs and definitely led the race on foot and collected a lot of loot.

The weather could not have been more perfect. It may have hit 70 degrees. The sun was shining bright all day with not a cloud in the sky. It made for a beautiful day and a nice way to reflect on Easter, new life and renewal.

The Great Name Debate

The baby name saga/debate continues… meanwhile, the little guy is literally due any day.

I am beginning to wonder if he is just not coming because he knows his parents can’t come to agreement on what his name should be. And, if that’s the case, I’m really worried… because I don’t know that we’ll actually be able to agree upon a name.
Rocco is convinced we should name his new baby brother Sandiego. This is his interpretation of Dan’s grandfather’s name, Santiago. Dan has always liked that name – mainly because he has strong emotional ties to it. Me, not so much. Rocco thinks Sandiego = Santiago. Dan and I both find this hilarious.

Gabby thinks we should name the baby Cruz or Rex. She and mommy both agree on the name Cruz. Rex is a name we had tossed into the name circle months ago, and it’s not a name that ever stuck on either Dan or I. Apparently, it did on Gabby.

Gabby and Rocco have also both asked numerous times if we could name the baby Matteo. Bless their little hearts…

Giuliana of course has no real opinion. But, I can tell she is easily entertained by the constant name debate happening in this house lately.

Dan’s favorites at this point in the game are Enzo, Marco, and Dario.

My favorite (as of 3 weeks ago) is Cruz. Yes, I know… it is not sticking to the Italian theme. It’s branching out and going the Spanish route. But, I just like the name… to me it’s strong and solid, and unique enough. It also seems to fit well with the other kids’ names.

So… this is our 5th child. But, it MIGHT be the first time we leave the hospital with a baby that does not yet have a name. Good grief!

Soccer Saturdays!

We took a long break from soccer. Actually, the last time the kids played any sort of organized soccer it was when we lived in California. So long = one year and nine months. Wow!

So, after lots of begging from Gabby (and in recent months, Rocco started asking too), I finally found a really great program that worked with our already busy schedules. And now, we once again have soccer Saturdays.

The kids LOVE it!












Rocco wakes up on Saturday mornings and throws on his soccer shirt the moment he wakes up. And, he LOVES his class. He loves the excitement of getting to be in a soccer class, he loves the drills, the coaches, the running & kicking. And, he's really great at it too. He's such a little athlete!

Gabby really enjoys it too. She had a rough start to her class session, as we accidentally put her on the field w/an all boys class of 7 & 8 year olds (her 5-6 year old co-ed class meanwhile practiced on the field right next to this). Gabby was in tears half way through the class, but we told her she needed to stick it out to the end. Dan and I kept saying how little she looked compared to all the other boys and why weren't there any other girls? So, Dan talked to the coach after, and found out that the coach was subbing and then they both realized that Gabby was in fact in the WRONG class.












Ugh! So, the *Parent of the Year Award* goes to.... ME! That's right, ME! Because I am essentially the one who shoved her onto the field in the wrong class.

Poor Gabs! Once we found out she was in the wrong class and explained it to her through her tears, we all got a good laugh. And, we were really able to pump Gabby up for making 3 goals in the older BOYS class! She did quite well for herself, even though she wasn't happy about it!







Now that she's been in her co-ed, age group class, she has been all smiles and really enjoying it. She loves her coach. And, she does really well... she's a very coordinated young lady!












And, while Giuliana is not yet signed up for soccer... she thinks she is just as big a part of soccer Saturday's as Gabby and Rocco. She will yell "I GO SOCCER!!"... so yes, she also goes to soccer too.

36+ weeks... almost there!

I'm now approaching the 37 week milestone in this pregnancy. But, I feel like I *look* more like I'm 40 weeks pregnant! (EXCUSE the bed head in this photo - if we didn't take the photo first thing in the morning, it just wasn't going to happen at all!)

My belly feels huge and has felt that way for weeks. I'm at that *really uncomfortable* & *really looking forward to the birth day* stage of the pregnancy. Bending over to do anything at this point - whether it's picking stuff up, putting shoes on, whatever - is next to impossible! Also next to impossible is getting a good night's sleep, holding a child in my lap, driving a car without pushing the backrest WAY back, walking for long periods of time without the baby pushing on my bladder and kicking so hard I think he's going to fall out, and doing anything sink-related (the belly is completely in the way and bumps up against the counter... so I have to extend my arms and always end up making a nice big mess.

For the most part, this pregnancy has been pretty uneventful. Aside from feeling very tired and dealing with some nausea and faint-like spells at the beginning of the pregnancy, the middle was smooth-sailing. Just extra sleepy. At 32 weeks, I slipped in the garage and fell flat on my back. Literally... FLAT on my back in less than a half-second. I was trying to carry too much stuff in the house, trying to hurry and had on some slippers. Well... the slippers lived up to their name! Dan was traveling. But, Gabby and Rocco were with me when it happened. Gabby actually got really worried and Rocco really react. Aside from bruised/sore elbows, and a sore spot on my lower back & head - I was fine. And lately, I feel like the little guy is literally scratching to get out... painfully so! He'll stop me in my tracks at times when I'm walking because it feels like his fist is going to pop out between my legs. Must be getting tight in there!

Also, up until 34 weeks, I was still walking 4-5 days a week for an hour (approx 3 miles). Now, it's way too uncomfortable. He literally stops me in my tracks because of certain movements... so I move a lot slower than I did even 2 weeks ago, and it's also so much harder on my back. This baby is growing!

The kids are SUPER excited to meet their new baby brother. I think Rocco has had the funniest questions/comments, so I had to jot down these notes on how the kids are feeling so we don't forget:

Rocco is VERY excited to have another brother. He will tell us about the things he'll do w/his baby brother and the toys that he wants to share with him. A few weeks ago, Rocco started asking a lot of questions about how the baby comes out. "Does it come through your belly button?", "Does it explode out?", "Does it pop out?". And, this of course led to a number of other funny questions... "If the baby is in your belly right now, is he in blood?", "When he comes out will he have blood on him?". Then, when I told him that yes, the baby comes out with blood on him, but he gets wiped off right away and all cleaned up. Rocco then asked "Do we bring him home?". I told him yes. And, he looked disgusted. So, I said, "Well, aren't you excited to hold your new baby brother and bring him home?". He said "I don't want to hold him if he has blood on him." And, "Gross... we can't bring him home with blood on him!" So, I had to spend a LOT of time reiterating that the baby will be cleaned up right away and he will never see the baby with blood on him because the baby gets cleaned up so fast. (Too funny!) And, Rocco has also told us he's glad to have another brother since Matteo went to Heaven because he misses Matteo.

Giuliana will pat my belly and say "baby!" and "baby butt!" (because I'll often put her hand where the baby's butt is and tell her that's the baby's butt she feels). But... I'm pretty sure she truly doesn't really understand there is a baby in my belly that is going to come out in less than 4 weeks (hopefully!) and live with us, and require lots of mommy's love and attention. However, she is VERY interested in babies right now... she loves holding them, pretending to feed them and change their diapers, and put them in bed and sing them to sleep. So, I imagine that a part of her will also be very entertained by having a new little baby in our house. And, I also imagine that she will be very ready to play mommy to a REAL, LIVE baby. She's also very focused lately on calling things "baby bagels" (for mini-bagels, etc.)

Gabby is VERY excited. EXTREMELY excited! She is constantly suggesting names, and asking what types of things she gets to help with. She wants to help change diapers and hold the baby. She also wants to help with diapering and feeding. I think she will be a GREAT helper... probably best at entertaining/distracting if the the baby starts crying when mommy can't get to him right away, as well as simply holding/cuddling him. Gabby is such a great snuggeler! She wonders what he's going to look like, and often tells us she wishes he looks just like Matteo. She's also asked if we can name the baby Matteo. And, her other name suggestions are usually the names of little boys in her class that she thinks are nice. We find this pretty funny! Non-classmate names she seems to like best include Rex and Dante.

Rocco - Getting Literal

Three recent funny Rocco stories. It seems the little man is getting quite literal.

We were having a S.kype call with my mom the other day. My mom said "Gabby, I hear you are reading books to Rocco and Giuliana now." Rocco quickly chimed in (with a *I'm catching you in a lie* tone of voice) "How could you hear all the way in Minnesota?". It was so funny...I couldn't help but laugh.

Last week, Rocco was really frustrated that he couldn't find one of his Batman cars. (This happens often... the boy child is constantly losing stuff and expecting everyone to find/know where it is... immediately.) He was whining and yelling for Gabby to help him find it. Gabby was sitting on the sofa, making no quick efforts to get up and look. She said "Rocco you have to look around you and you'll find it." Rocco then extended his arms pointing to the floor and area around him and said (err... very loudly and upset) "GABBY. DO YOU SEE MY CAR HERE? NO!" I feel like a version of this story happens quite often... too funny.

And, lastly... yesterday, Rocco was sitting on the sofa eating something. He asked me for a wipey. I told him he was going to have to get one because I was busy making dinner. Then, he asked again a minute later and I told him I couldn't at the moment. So, he got up from the sofa, walked over towards me in the kitchen to the counter where the wipes were... and he had a stubborn little-angry face on and said "You have legs, don't you?!" [Needless to say - this one shocked me! I wanted to laugh because I was caught so off guard and it was kind of funny. But, the adult/momma in me decided it was time to quickly have a little chat to discuss what would happen should we ever say something like THAT again!]

Little devil. Sure can be a funny guy though!

No more crib for Nana!

Well... we knew the day would come. But, we were hoping it wouldn't for at least another 6 months!

I had just told some ladies that Giuliana had not ever even attempted to climb out of her crib, and how easy bedtime was with her. Every night, we would just sing her 3 favorite songs while rocking in the rocking chair (Jingl.e Bells, ABC song, & Twinkl.e Twinkle). She would drink her
"milky" and "wa wa", and then we'd lay her in her crib (usually with a variety of toys... Batma.n figures, little princess dolls, stuffed animals, and always her purple blanket) and say "Goodnight Nana... sleep well... we love you!" And, she would happily say "Night, night mama... love you! Sleep well." We'd hear her sing for a while... sometimes at the top of her lungs, etc. But, bedtime was SO EASY! She would just go to bed.

Literally, the night after I told them how easy bedtime was... it all changed. Dan put her down (and she wanted mama to put her down... mama puts her to bed 99% of the time, so that's what she's used to), and she was NOT happy about it. She screamed her head off. Just as I was going up the stairs... there she was, walking out of our room, sobbing, yelling for me. I was shocked. She just climbed out of her crib! And, we have a new baby due in just weeks.... ACK!!

So, I tried to re-do the bedtime routine, put her back in her crib. Only to have her repeat her crib-climbing stunt just minutes later.

It's been a few weeks now (started on March 17th). We've purchased a toddler bed and tried having her *feel like a big girl* by putting it in Gabby's room and having them go to bed at the same time. This resulted in Giuliana playing for hours... and essentially keeping Gabby awake
too.

So, now we moved the toddler bed into our room to hopefully allow Giuliana to get used to sleeping in her new bed. Once she does, then we'll try putting her in Gabby's room again. It just wasn't fair to Gabby to be kept awake by a crazy little sister when she really needs her sleep so she can do well and school and her activities.

Giuliana is now napping pretty consistentely in her toddler bed in our room. And, at bedtime, she'll often want to start in her toddler bed.... but doesn't get serious about falling asleep until we ask her "Do you want to sleep in mommy & daddy's bed?", to which she'll reply "Yeah... momma-dadda bed." We usually have to sit in the rocking chair for a good 5-15 minutes - so she knows we mean bedtime-business. But, then she'll fall asleep.

Hoping it only continues to get easier as she gets more comfortable with her new toddler bed and freedom of being able to get out of bed as she pleases.

The timing of all this new bedtime routine is less than desireable. I'll keep my fingers crossed that bringing a new baby home doesn't disturb the progress we've been making!

Yikes!