Not sure "fashionista" is the right word...

Giuliana is pretty hilarious. And…she definitely has her own sense of style. Her big sister Gabby always had her own style thing going to...so it must be somewhat genetic. And, they must get it from their father… because I’m not sure I’ve ever had my own unique style, or the confidence to put random things together, and somehow end up looking cute with the end result!

Gabby was a HUGE fan of wearing dresses when she was Giuliana’s age. She would change her outfit almost 10 times a day and if I even tried to suggest what she should wear, she would have a tantrum. It was unreal! Well… Giuliana is very much the same in that nobody can tell her what to wear. But, she does not like dresses… there are only a few that I’ve been able to get on her. The one dress that she DOES love, is purple, of course (her favorite color) and is absolutely darling. She calls it her Rapunz.el dress. But, she prefers leggings, jeans and shorts to dresses. And, if she changes outfits… it’s only to get into a gymnastics leotard or pajamas—both of which she LOVES.

This is a photo of what Giuliana chose to wear to the doctor’s office a few months back. She had on her Disney sunglasses (upside down, of course… she wouldn’t let us put them on right-side-up), her purple Rapunze.l dress, her Speed.o water shoes, and her white furry bear coat. She walked into the doctor’s office like she owned the place and all of the staff told her she looked like a movie star, making her feel pretty special. Giuliana actually caught wind of all the commotion and comments she was getting… and refused to take off her sunglasses during her appointment. Her doctor still remembers and comments about that day/outfit every time I see him. It was hilarious!

And, here’s a pic of her in her favorite leotard and favorite Ugg boots. This was a staple outfit for her during the summer. J

Rocco must think I'm not so bright...

Rocco & Gabby have soccer camp this week. Dan did the drop off and pick-up yesterday. And, since he’s traveling for the rest of this week, I took over that duty today. On the way to camp this morning, Rocco said “Mom, do you know where you’re going? I’m pretty sure you’re going the wrong way, Mom.” I had to assure him that I DID in fact know where I was going. Then, he proceeded to ask me the same questions two more times.

Once we arrived at camp, I walked Gabby and Rocco to the area where all the kids had dropped their backpacks and belongings on the field. I had Marco with me in the infant car seat and so I set it down next to me while I watched them set their items down. I was looking forward to seeing them run into the group huddle, etc. Anyway, the second Rocco put his backpack down, he turned and looked at me and said “Mom, you’re supposed to leave. Then come back and get us later.” How crazy-funny is that!? He’s FOUR. Was he somewhat embarrassed that I was possibly going to *hang out* at his soccer practice? OR did he think I didn't know what to do next? Gosh. I was slightly offended (after laughing hard inside!). Of course, there were a bunch of moms just hanging out watching. I think I got the boot though!

Kids can be so funny!

Asleep at the wheel!

It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it!

Rocco loves helping daddy mow the lawn. On this particular summer day... it put him right to sleep. Too bad Dan can't take a nap while mowing the lawn! If that were the case, I bet our lawn would always be neatly trimmed.

Marco’s 2 Month Update

Marco's 2 Month Growth Stats:
Height: 25 inches (95%ile)
Weight: 13lbs 12oz (93%ile)
Head: 16 ¼ (75%ile)

Night Sleep: He’s on no real schedule yet… still a bit too early for that. But he is starting to develop some regular night time sleep patterns. Lately, he is going down for the night between 9-10pm. Then, he'll wake up for a feeding between 1-3am, at which time I bring him into bed with me so he can nurse and we can both fall asleep. Then, he wakes up again for another feeding, and lots of pooping, between 6-8am. And, sometimes, I can even get him to fall asleep again... until the 9 o'clock hour. He's a goooood sleeper! And, I LOVE that he likes to sleep in! Right before bed, he needs lots of attention. Actually, his fussy time can start as early as 6:30pm, which makes it really difficult around here when Dan is traveling because that means I have to bathe, brush teeth and prep 3 other kids for bed when I've got a fussy or screaming baby in my arms. Good times. And, if I'm lucky, I'm able to get the kids fed and the dinner mess somewhat cleaned up before the fussy time starts. Otherwise, I'm cleaning up the dinner mess and finally getting MY chance to eat dinner between 9-10pm. Marco also really likes a full tummy. He likes being wrapped up in his favorite blankey and nuzzling into it. And, whether it’s me walking him around in my arms shushing him until he quiets down, or sitting in the rocking chair with him… one or the other is required. On the nights Dan is traveling bedtime is extra challenging because Marco gets really worked up when I put him down while trying to get the other kids ready for bed (baths, brushing teeth, etc.). So, on those nights… I usually get my butt kicked with a crying/agitated baby for 1-2 hours.

Naps: Marco sleeps so well at night that his day-time naps are basically all very short lived. If he naps for an hour, uninterrupted... that's a big deal. His naps are more like 30 minutes, every 1.5 hours throughout the day.

Eating: Marco eats on demand…lucky boy! When he is hungry, I nurse him. Sometimes I also nurse him to soothe him if he’s upset. So, I probably nurse him 12 times throughout the day… give or take a few feedings a day depending on his mood and hunger. I am his human pacifier and he is my barnacle baby.

New tricks:
·         Smiling often and in response to you talking to him and smiling at him.
·         Genuine laughing in response to someone’s interaction with him.
·         His eyes follow toys that you move in front of him, or people’s faces as they move.
·         He likes looking at lights.
·         He knows his mommy’s voice.
·         Trying to hold or reach out to hold/touch things (for example he’ll try to hold the boob now when he’s eating; or he’ll grab my shirt)
·         LOTS of leg kicking and arm moving when he’s happy or when he wants to move.
·         He’s moving. If I lay down next to him, he’s able to somehow move himself right next to me.
·         Sucking on hand/fist and sometimes his first two fingers, which is not good because every once in a while he’ll gauge himself.
·         Seems much more interested in his world.
·         When on his tummy, he can lift his head off the ground and push himself up a bit with his arms.
·         Blows lots of bubbles and he’s already great at making drool pools.
·         Constantly chewing on his fists.

Marco Loves: He truly LOVES baths. But, I try not to bathe him more than once a week because his skin is so sensitive. He’ll get a rash from the most sensitive of baby sensitive-skin soaps. He LOVEs mommy (I mean really… how could he not, right?!). He also loves with Gabby and Rocco and Giuliana talk to him and make funny noises. Gabby is honestly the best though at being able to make Marco giggle and laugh… she’s an awesome baby entertainer.

Marco Dislikes:Marco is not a big fan of tummy time. He doesn’t hate it at first, but about 2 minutes into it, he starts getting pretty vocal and by 4 minutes it’s a full on scream session. He also HATES driving in the car. He’ll scream his head-off… and that has a tendency to traumatize me. He al

Other notes:

The little guy poops a LOT! I think he poops more than any of my other children ever did. Sometimes he goes through 2 diapers in a half hour. I guess that's a good thing though - he's got great bowels! 

I haven't convinced him to love the jogging stroller yet... I'm hoping to twist his arm and fall in love with it soon so I can have more freedom and exercise without needing Dan's assistance to watch Marco immediately after I've fed him (since he's breastfed - I always have to time everything just right so his food source isn't away when he's hungry). 

We’re having lots of fun with this little guy. I’m trying to soak everything in, knowing he’s our last baby. I feel like I’m more aware than I ever have been about all the little milestones he’s hitting them. I don’t know if it’s because I’m trying to soak it all in with the last baby, or if it’s because we’ve done this with 4 previous children or what. But, it’s fun.

It truly IS amazing how fast little people grow AND how time flies when they’re babies.

10 Years of Togetherness

Dan and I have now been married for 10 years. Ten years that have been both short and long. Ten years that have been filled with the best moments of my life, and our greatest achievements in life. Ten years that have been somewhat tainted by the most horrific tragedy I can imagine any one person, or any couple ever having to experience… that being the loss of a child. Sometimes, I wonder where the past 4 years went. Sometimes I wish we could completely rewind. We’ve been through the best and worst as a couple… and here we are ten years later. Still together. Still in love with each other.

So, how does one celebrate a 10 year anniversary? Well... you should go ask someone who has celebrated it! Because we certainly didn't. For multiple reasons. Don't get me wrong - we both had dreams of taking a trip to Italy to visit some sites, eat good food & drink yummy vino. Or... maybe just taking a trip down the coast and hitting a beach in Mexico for a few days.

But, with a newborn who's breastfeeding, and nobody who can take care of our other 3 kids overnight... the dreamy celebration is just that. A dream. I guess it will have to wait. I’d like to say I’m completely fine with that. But, I’m not. I’d LOVE to have two nights away with JUST my husband. We have not had one child-free vacation in almost 7 years. That’s just ridiculous. Right?! I think even one night away would be so healthy and good for us.

Instead, on our ten year anniversary, I talked to my husband more via text message and voicemail. This was actually the case that entire week because our au pair was on vacation. I worked all week and Dan had the week off (technically, but he still worked a quite a bit too). Poor Dan though... his days off were filled with helping watch the baby while I worked, running errands, grocery shopping and then our taxi service for all of the following quite literally consumed him:
· Gabby to and from swim & tennis camp every day from 9-5

· Rocco to and from school 3 days

· Gabby to and from gymnastics Mon & Fri nights

· Rocco to and from gymnastics Tues & Thurs nights

· Giuliana's parent/tot gymnastics class on Monday morning

It was just an absolutely nutty week… and perhaps that’s a good thing. Our anniversary week is also the 4^th of July holiday week, and the week that Matteo died. So, instead of being excited about and looking forward to our anniversary… the approaching date makes me want to vomit and I find myself being irritated/upset for most of the week. Matteo’s death is so much bigger and life-changing and emotional than any silly holiday or anniversary. So even though I would like to have celebrated the big TEN… I’m not sure my heart would have been there.

So, I think we ate take-out food with the kids, dealt with multiple tantrums and a fussy baby. By 10 o'clock, Dan was asleep on the sofa and I was cleaning bathrooms. Doesn't that sound exciting and glamorous?!

Dan is an amazing guy. He’s kind, he’s got a big heart, he’s handsome, he’s so understanding and forgiving. He’s the best daddy and playmate to our children… and he truly enjoys them and loves them so much. I know for a fact I surely am not the easiest person to be married to… so perhaps Dan even wears a bit of the *saint-hood hat*.

I know I love Dan with my whole heart. And, I know he loves me. Hopefully someday soon, we’ll get to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. (And, yes, I totally realize at the rate we’re going… this might not actually happen for another 10 years!)

Kindergarten Graduate!

We went to Gabby’s kindergarten graduation today. It was very informal and super cute. Each child wore a graduation cap that they made, and they each received a little diploma from Ms. T. They performed a song for us, and there was also a special DVD show that we watched. Each of the kids had colored a picture of something they weren’t able to do before they entered kindergarten, and then a picture of them being able to do it after being in kindergarten. They each did their own voiceover explaining their pictures and what it was they couldn’t do before, but could now do after. Gabby said “I couldn’t read before kindergarten, but now I am really good at reading and can even read books to my brother and sister!” Gabby could read ver little before entering kindergarten - just very basic words. And, it was a challenge for her… so she didn’t really enjoy trying to read and would get frustrated easily. Now, she loves it! She reads often and really does read books to Giuliana and Rocco quite frequently. It’s so fun to see her doing this!

It was so fun to hear what all the kids said while watching the DVD show. Some kids said how they couldn’t do the monkey bars, or how they couldn’t eat lunch by themselves, or how they didn’t know the alphabet… and then, now, how they are *awesome* at the monkey bars, or how they know how to eat lunch with friends, and how they now know the alphabet. Super-duper cute!

I have to give HUGE props to Gabby’s teacher. Seriously one of the greatest teachers out there! Some of the kids in Gabby’s class didn’t know the entire alphabet, or couldn’t even recognize all the letters of the alphabet at the beginning of the school year. And now, every single one of those kids is testing out at reading first grade level or above. Gabby actually tests out at reading above first grade level and we are SO proud of her. Ms. T really pushed the kids AND the parents. Gabby had almost 45 mins of homework several days a week, which was definitely a challenge for all of us. But, it truly paid off!

Gabby LOVED kindergarten so much that she would often tell us she wished it was a school day on the weekends. I think that had a LOT to do with Ms. T. I seriously LOVE great teachers! And, I’m so happy that Gabby was able to enjoy such an amazing kindergarten experience.

 Watch out first grade… here we come!

 (Rocco is clearly VERY excited for his sister... nice face, buddy!)

Best Daddy on the Planet!

We have the best daddy on the planet! He loves us so much and always wants to play with us. Sometimes mommy has to remind HIM to be quiet (just like she reminds us!) while we're all wrestling around so HE doesn't wake up the baby. Our daddy helps make dinners for us, he helps clean up after all of our messes, he takes us to gymnastics, swimming and soccer classes all the time to help mommy out. And, he helps give us baths and put us to bed.

One of our favorite things to do with daddy is snuggle on the sofa and watch cartoons in the morning. We also loves that he'll sometimes let us eat chips for breakfast... and if we ask him nicely, he'll even take us to McDonald's every once in a while even though mommy is not a fan of those fast food restaurants.

 We tried really hard to take a nice picture with daddy on Father's Day while we were out to eat at a great local restaurant. But, well... it's just so hard for all of us to smile and look at the camera at the same time, so this is the best we could do!

WE LOVE YOU DADDY - YOU'RE THE BEST! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

Marco is 1 Month Old

GROWTH STATS

Height: 23.6 inches (98%ile)

Weight: 11lbs 12oz (95%ile)
Head:  15.5 (75%ile)

I’m already so in love with this little man! He’s so cute!

Marco thinks he’s a first born, only child. He pretty much demands that he’s either being held constantly or he’s on the boob eating. I tend to call him my barnacle baby because he’s constantly attached to me like a little barnacle. He eats a LOT during the day. I feed him on demand, because I can… and it’s almost hourly. That keeps me pretty busy in addition to everything else going on. But, it seems to pay off at night because he’s been the best sleeper of all the kids so far at this age. Generally speaking, he’s a great baby! His difficult days seem to involve tummy problems (as is the case with most babies). Indian food, broccoli and salad seem to make this little man’s tummy unhappy! Obviously – he’s not eating those things yet… rather, he’s unhappy the day after I eat them.

FUN FACTS:

·         At one month, he looks a lot like Rocco did at this age.
·         He’s pretty much lost all the hair on top of his head.
·         He HATED his first bath. LOVED his second bath… until the end of it, then he screamed his head off and just wanted out.
·         His siblings LOVE him so much. They show him toys, they constantly ask to hold him.
·         Giuliana still often calls him *baby brother*.
·         Rocco can’t wait for him to start playing together with him and all the transformers, cars, and super hero toys.
·         Gabby is fantastic at soothing him with a loud *shhhhhhhh* while she holds him. Actually, Gabby is being a great helper with all of her siblings!
·         Rocco often asks to feed him.
·         Marco took a bottle for Dan 4 times… and now of course, he won’t take it at all because we just weren’t doing it consistently.
·         He HATES the car seat, just like his siblings all did.
·         His cry sounds like someone is hurting him. It’s loud and makes you want to soothe him immediately! (smart kid!)
·         He has his first little cold… just a stuffy nose.
·         He goes on walks with me in the Baby B.jorn several times a week. And, he slept in the stroller for one walk also, alongside Giuliana.
·         He’s been out for dinner with us as a family 4 times.
·         Giuliana often asks to be held when she sees me holding Marco. This breaks my heart and I can tell there is a bit of jealousy when this happens. She just started doing this in the last two weeks. Sometimes I can hold them both… and sometimes she’s ok with sitting next to me while I hold Marco.

SLEEP

He takes numerous naps throughout the day. Mostly short little half hour naps still. But, he does seem to have one longer nap in the late afternoon that can last anywhere from one hour to 3 hours (3 hours is rare!). He’ll usually go down for the night sometime between 7:30pm – 10:30pm, depending on when he woke up from his last nap. We’ll put him down in the crib. And, he’ll usually wake up once between midnight and 2:30am to eat, and then again between 4 and 6am. When he wakes up to eat in the night, I bring him into bed and just nurse him there. I didn’t do this with any of the other kids at this age. But, I’ve decided to do it with Marco because it allows me to get more sleep. And, it seems to really work well for him too. When I’m laying next to him, he’ll sleep in as late at 9 or 10am (only after another feeding around 8am). So, he’s a great little sleeper.

FOOD

Breastmilk. He did take about 1oz of formula for Dan on 4 different occasions… but now, he won’t let the bottle enter his mouth. We weren’t consistent with it, and I really don’t feel like pumping (I’ve had enough of that in my life after having had twins, thank you!). And well… because I don’t have to worry about going into an office because I work from home, it’s perfectly fine… my breasts are always at his service, I guess.

NEW TRICKS

Marco’s new tricks include smiling, baby babble, and recognition of mommy. I can get him to smile sometimes by talking to him with a certain voice, or gently touching his tummy and talking to him with a soothing voice. When I put him down on the play mat and sit by him, I’ll make the toys that are hanging above his head move and make noise. He must find this interesting because he’ll talk away to the toys and squeal with delight. Obviously, he’ll only do this when he’s in a good mood – but it’s pretty cute. And, he definitely recognizes his mommy now. He just loves having me hold him constantly. He stares at me contently, with a sort of knowing look. It’s funny how they go from just staring at you and wondering who/what you are… to staring at you, knowing that it’s their mommy. And, it’s both cool and crazy that a mom can decipher the difference between those baby stares… but you can see it in their eyes. Suddenly, they just KNOW when they’re looking at their mommy. Can’t really explain it… but any mom would know what I’m talking about, I guess.

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.