Finally Back At It....

Yes, yes I know I have been a huge slacker. Its not only on my blog though, I've barely touched the computer since getting pregnant again. I am very happy to report though that the nausea and vomitting has finally come to an end! YAY!!! The extreme exhaustion has also faded and I no longer require at least one nap a day to function properly. Oh yes, the joys of the first trimester. I am actually feeling pretty good now. I still have days where I feel like patience is non existence and sleeping all day sounds lovely but definitely sooooo much better now! This one has definitely been tougher then Jack, maybe that means this one will be mellow? One can hope haha. Oh and as of right now they are thinking it looks like we will be having another boy. I willbe very out number, even the cat is a boy.

So a lot has happened since the last time I wrote. Jack has become a little chatter box, no surprise really, maybe he takes after me a bit... my nickname in 6th grade given to me by my teacher was gabby and i'm pretty sure that when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade that a letter went home to my mom about my talking a bit too much during class... oops :-) Anyhow his word list is growing all the time and he has even been putting 2 or 3 words together, my little genius! We also discovered that Jack loves the beach, yea go figure we waiting until after labor day to give it a try but at least we know for next summer. Its funny, the age and having no fear... he would have just jumped right into the water if we let him go. More recently he has developed a new LOVE, choo choos!! He is absolutely crazy about them. We got him a really cute Thomas set while we were on vacation (more on that to come) and then his Papa introduced him to the train set that has been around since we were kids. He now very much associated Papa with choo choos and yes I don't think a day has gone by since getting home from vacation that Jack has not uttered the words... Nana, Papa Choo choo... its pretty hysterical... now if only we could get him to wear the little hat to go with it.

So we just recently got back from our first family vacation. I think I mentioned it before.. we did a 9 night cruise that stopped in Portland and Bar Harbor Maine, Halifax, St Johns and Boston. I must say, vacationing with a little one in tow is definitely not the same as it just being the two of us, not that I actually expected it to be but it was an experience. I am definitely glad we decided to go for it. We are lucky because generally Jack is super easy going with a few meltdowns here and there. He really did do great. I guess it was a matter of just keeping him on somewhat of a schedule. He always got a nap in, otherwise forget it, my sweet little guy turns into a bit of a monster child. We always made sure to find a park or somewhere he could run around, stretch the legs and get the energy out. Amazingly he sat nearly perfectly everynight for dinner in the seated dining room. It was pretty funny because I would guess approx. 90% of the people on the cruise where 65+ and they all got a kick out of Jack. Pretty sure he somehow managed to become the mayor of the boat. Speaking of the boat, Steve was nervous about keeping Jack busy on the sea days... it worked out great... they had a fisher price room where we could bring him to play and color or hear a bedtime story. He also got a HUGE kick out of the arcade, so did Steve and I actually... he likes to sit at the racing games so he can pretend to drive and says beep beep while doing it. So while it was a lot more work and the nights ended very early (not that I really minded going to sleep early) it was so worth it and we did have a great time away together.

So Halloween is just around the corner and Jack got to pick his own costume and he decided to go with a COW! He actually looks very adorable in it! It is however quite a struggle to get him to wear it, we'll see I guess. Our community is doing a childrens Halloween party the day before so we're going to give that a try then on the actual day, I will be at the Giant Packer game with my dad and I think Steve is going to try to take Jack out for a little bit for some trick or treating... yup collecting candy for me and Steve to consume :-)

I'll try not to be such a slacker from now on and keep on updating.

Better Days....

Its been a while, huh? I generally do my blogging while Jack is napping but lately Jacks nap time= mommy nap time. I am just pooped!! I'm nearing 10 weeks now so I am hoping that in about 2 weeks I will be having better days! While some of the intense all day nausea is gone, the vomiting has gotten worse. I guess I was lucky, with Jack I only threw up twice the entire pregnancy... this time I am up to 8 so far. Yes I realize thats not horrible either, that some people do it everyday but either way, I still feel like crap! I had my first appointment almost 2 weeks ago and everything was good. At that point I'd actually lost 2 pounds, which is no surprise really since I have no appetite and getting anything down is a major chore.

This past Monday was a really really difficult day, one I'd rather not have had. I had some spotting in the morning which of course freaked me out and immediately made me think the worst. After a very long day and plenty of crying we had a sonogram appointment that night to check on the baby.... Thankfully I was wrong and the baby is fine! What a huge relief it was to see that little heart beating away, and yea I burst into a hysterical cry as soon as I saw the fluttering! Hoping to never have to go through that again, it was a draining day and we are just glad that everything turned out fine.

Other than all that, I have been a total lazy butt! I have zero energy which makes me no fun for Jack i'm sure. I have no desire to go do anything and I am definitely a little less patient with people... ah hormones. Please cross your fingers that by time our vacation comes around, that all this has passed so I can enjoy it!

Jack is doing good!! Hes such a little wild guy full of energy! This is of course that much more exhausting for me at the moment but hey he is only almost 16 months. He is picking up words a lot more easily lately. We've added pretty, spoon, uh oh, baby and whoa. He is getting so big too fast!! The gym we were bringing him to has closed so we signed up at another one... not nearly as awesome but for now it'll do and he still had fun.

Well little man is waking up from his nap.... tootles :-)

And baby makes four...

Yes I've been slacking lately, I admit, I've been napping every chance I get. So some very big and VERY surprising news.... On July 31st we found out that we are expecting baby #2 which will bring our little family of 3 up to 4!

Have to say this didn't work out the way Jack did. With Jack we came home from a vacation, the timing worked and we gave it a try, the next month we found out it worked and we were expecting our first peanut. I think I may have mentioned this before and yes I'm sure you're all laughing... we had thought we were going to wait until Jack was about 2-2.5 to start trying this way we had plenty of time with just him, he would be old enough to entertain himself for a while, and possibly even out of diapers. So things didn't quite go as planned, but don't get me wrong we are super excited!! This baby was definitely an oops baby, not planned and totally unexpected. I think Steve and I mostly laughed the day we found out. I think the entire family was pretty shocked as well since we told everyone we wanted to wait a while. Of course everyone is thrilled!

So I do have to admit that I am a bit nervous. Jack is a super active, energetic, wild little boy and the thought of watching after him and taking care of a newborn is a little overwhelming. Yes, I had the same nerves with Jack and everything works itself out just like I am sure it will this time around too. I am definitely concerned about the whole pumping thing. I think this was the biggest challenge with Jack, finding enough time to pump as much as I needed and the timing of it as well. This is definitely going to be a bigger challenge this time around. I know that eventually the routine of it all will set in and all will be fine.

So the way I figured it I'm about 6 weeks now, my first doctors appointment is on the 24th, so they will confirm, but according to a calculator I am due April 4th. So yea Jack will be almost 23 months and definitely will not be out of diapers by then. It will be interesting for sure! The great thing is that this new baby (which according to a chinese prediction chart is going to be a boy) and Jack will be so close in age which will be great as they grow up together.

How I'm feeling.... the nausea started a couple days ago and I'm pretty sure that just like with Jack it will be here for awhile, at least until the end of the first trimester. I'm definitely tired and trying to nap whenever Jack does. Other then that I'm doing good. Will keep you updated!

I read this book with Jack and it was definitely helpful!

Please Touch Children's Museum

What a fantastic day!!! This past Friday Steve took off of work to spend the day with us. We went into Philadelphia, to the Please Touch Children's Museum. I must say I was very impressed as soon as we saw it. Its massive, it looks like a "true" museum, not a place for kids to run around. The inside was just as impressive. Must say, the price to get in, only $15 a person is totally worth it!!! I certainly would recommend it as long as your child can walk they will have a ball!

Its broken up into sections... Car garage, Water Play, a Music room, Air Exploration, Alice in Wonderland, Grocery Store, Dump Truck, Childrens Hospital, Trains.... there are a few toddler only spaces throughout but Jack definitely was not limited to these areas. He did a little of everything and seemed to have an amazing time. It was a joy to watch him interact with everything.... sitting at the mad haters tea party and pretending to sip from the cups, walking through the maze, pushing around a mini shopping cart, his first carousel ride.... huge overload in a great way!


Its a great place where kids can explore and you don't have to worry about them touching something they aren't supposed to or breaking something... it is a free for all! I might have had just as much fun as Jack! Its funny to watch how they interact with the other kids too. Jack tried to give a plastic hoe to another little boy but kind of threw it at him, hit him in the face and the poor little guy cried. Oops!

The timing worked out great too... Left home at a time we knew he would nap on the way there, which he did, thankfully since we hit quite a bit of traffic in Philly. We played until 1, had some lunch... also impressive for a little cafe in a museum.... played some more and then that dreaded 300 hit.... Thats when the melt down starts but it worked out because by then we had made our way through just about everything, He passed out about 5 mins into the car ride... he was exhausted and definitely should have been with all the running around he did. It was a perfect day out, just the three of us... will definitely be going back!!

Phases and Stages

I know I have said it a thousand times but I am still amazed at the quick changes that just keep on happening. Yes, I understand that this is what is supposed to happen but it all happens so quick there is sometimes no time to adjust to one phase because it is constant change. Jack is getting bigger and bigger and much smarter all the time. Hes now 14.5 months and I must say it is an interesting age. I look at him now and feel like wow he is a little boy, hes not a helpless baby anymore. Part of me misses that little peanut very much and part of me loves to watch him grow.

Its funny because when he was younger he would do something and my reponse was always, oh he doesn't know what hes doing, its not intentional, he doesn't understand yet. Now, though its only months later its different. Hes running around the house, he makes this crazy mean looking face, he throws things, doesn't listen for beans and can't seem to sit still for two minutes (unless hes asleep). Its funny because while yes he is now able to do so much more he still can't exactly understand right from wrong, he doesn't understand empathy yet, he can't read others emotions... and yet sometimes I find myself expecting way too much from him. He is only a baby still and yet I sometimes expect that he understand that throwng the sippy cup is annoying and not a game, that you are only supposed to use the hockey club with a ball not to hit people. I'm pretty sure there is a name for this, something about looking at a child as a little person when they are not yet capable of comprehending things the same way, that we expect too much of them at a young age.

I consider myself to be a smart person and yet I find myself getting aggrivated over the silliest things sometimes and then one minute later I'm like, well of course hes laughing, hes a baby and everything is funny. I then just get annoyed at myself. Its sometimes hard to step back and just take a breath. I'm not at all saying that there is no need to correct and try to explain because I know at some point he will begin to see a pattern and start to understand what is ok and what is not. I can't fault him for not understanding, he has a long way to go and I must learn to be more patient. I think most of us have these moments. I know that new challenges will continue to arise and some things will get easier. These are the phases and stages that we as mothers go through right along with our children. I guess it is all part of the learning process for all of us and working hard to find the ways that work for us.

He is a doll, hes so funny and has little quirks about him. He has a way of just looking at me and Steve that melts our hearts and makes us forget in the blink of an eye that he just dumped a dish of food on the floor, or pulled on the cats tail. We can't help but laugh at the things he does, when sometimes laughing probably isn't the right reaction. He is growing into an amazing little person and all these little bumps in the road are part of life to be taken one step at a time. I never did think this would be easy....

PS... IF YOU ARE ENJOYING MY BLOG PLEASE BECOME A FOLLOWER... JUST CLICK "FOLLOW" ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAGE... LETS ME KNOW I HAVE SOME FANS OUT THERE....

Home Sweet Home

Ahhh, vacations are always wonderful but I always feel the need to get home by the end of it. By the way, when I say home sweet home, I do not mean NJ but simply my home where my husband was and all our things. We left for Canada last Thursday and arrived home at 2 am Tuesday morning... oh yea that is a story!

Here it was Jacks first real vacation and his first flight. If you have been reading my blog then you know I was quite nervous about the whole process. Thankfully Jack proved me totally wrong! He did amazing!!! Granted the actual airport part isn't easy because he wanted to run around but the flights themselves could not have gone any better! Both flights he was pretty content just hanging out on my lap, flipping through the sky mall to find pictures of kitties. He didn't make a single cry of pain or frustration, there were however a few screams of excitement. He even clapped at the end of the flight when we arrived in CA. I was so nervous that the pressure in his ears would make for a miserable trip but he didn't seem to be bothered at all. Certainly the quietest baby on a plane ever, I'm sure!


Our first day was just a hang out day with the family. Jack and I finally got to meet cousin Nolan! Him and Jack had lots of fun together though Jack was a bit rough with him... and yea Nolan is 3 but Jack didn't seem to mind the size difference! We had a lovely lunch, spent the afternoon hanging out in the yard, Jack played in the kiddie pool with Nolan and then we had a wonderful dinner. I have no idea how he did it but Jack was up at 520 am on Thursday to leave the house, he napped in the airport for about 25 minutes and then didn't sleep again until 830 that night... he was out cold by then! I guess there were too many new people and there was too much to do to give into sleep. He was a trooper! No surprise though that a playpen didn't work... just like home he screamed his head off when I put him in so instead I took out the mattress and put it on the floor.... I could lay with him until he fell asleep and then leave him. It worked out prefect and he adjusted to it quickly!

Day 2... Hung out at the house, did some grocery shopping and waited for some more canadian family to arrive. It was so great to see everyone! And yea Jack spent most of the day in and out of the pool again. That night my moms cousin had made reservations for the family (40 of us) to go have dinner at a massive chinese buffet while they went to the rehearsal dinner. This buffet was not like they have here... this place was massive and packed! Jack, though I fed him dinner before since we weren't going until 7....well he ate like a little piggie... he had his first taste of noodles and chicken dumplings. I have no idea where my little guy fits all the food but he definitely loves to eat! It was a late night but he did great again! While he has his moments he is so good and easy going!

Day 3... My cousin Alex's wedding day!!! Ok so I must say with like 15 family members in one house, full blown Italians... the morning was not a peaceful one... there is always a bit of drama... who doesn't like their hair... me I brought 2 black dress shoes from different pairs... any how we all managed to get ourselves together after there were a few screaming matches between a couple of aunts..... The wedding was at the Toronto Botanical Gardens... a beautiful setting.. perfect for the outdoor ceremony. Its funny because the receptions there are so different then here... a lot more causal and not nearly as foo foo.... Jack took a liking to the DJ, perhaps he liked his long red curly hair??? It was adorable to watch Jack run around with the other kids even if he had no idea what was going on. It was great to see everyone! My the end of the night Jack was pooped so we cut out a little early otherwise he would have been a very unhappy camper... I must say thank goodness for GPS! I got drove us all over Toronto no problems!

Day 4... Breakfast with the family then we headed over to the Toronto Zoo with my mom, uncle, cousin Vin, his wife and daughter and my moms cousin. What a massive place! We got some more use out of the harness! He fights it a little but once he's distracted he doesn't seem to mind as long as he gets to run around. It was a hot day which made it rough, maybe more so for me then Jack, I am not a heat person! Makes me a bit cranky actually. I think the only thing that Jack really got into were the big "kitties" and the seagulls flying around... yup good ol seagulls, but hey the kid likes birds! Jack and I shared lunch, chicken fingers and fries... Jack had his first taste of ketchup and just like his mommy, he loved it, even tried to stick the whole little cup in his mouth. He just kept on dipping the same fry into it, so cute! He was pooped from all the excitement and totally conked out in the car!

Thats it last day.... Spent a little while at this cute place, Spring Ridge Farm... they had an adorable store, a enormous sand box, a little maze (with no turns) which Jack enjoyed running through, an area with giant hay stacks that Jack enjoyed running through and getting on top of, a little tractor ride (which we skipped) and a area you could feed goats and chickens. Jack had fun! We grabbed some lunch there, Jacks came in a sand pail, really cute!

WOW I missed Steve and couldn't wait to go home but it did go by fast and I am so glad that I went. We don't get to see each other often enough! Actually the flight home is the best part of the story... Its amazing that always when your trip is at its end and you are super ready to get home... thats when all the crap begins! So our flight was supposed to depart at 540 pm. Before leaving for the airport I checked the flight and it was listed as on time. Yippie! We get there to check in and are told there is a 2 hour delay already. FANTASTIC... who knew it was going to just keep getting worse... The customs line was ridiculous and took an hour to get through... Jack was not very happy so yea that was a bit of a struggle... we get through there, breeze through security and start making our way to the gate.... still the flight is listed as being delayed 2 hours... we go to grab dinner and surprise surprise the restaurant doesn't have high chairs... can't catch a break! We go back to the little stand and get a pre wrapped sandwich, yuck! Go back down to the gate, which I might add was in a corner downstairs all by itself... at this point Jack is getting fussy, he hadn't had an afternoon nap and is being very stubborn. Me and my mom try for a while to get him to sleep but he keeps fighting... finally he fell asleep around 730 pm. Oh and did I mention that at this point they have made an announcement that all flights going in and out of Newark were grounded due to bad storms.... great further delays or who knew at that point if we were even getting out of there that night... I was determined to stick it out especially since we finally got Jack to sleep. The flights were back on and then off again and then finally some good news.... the plane we were getting on had finally left Newark at 930 pm! YAY we were going to get home, I didn't care how late at this point... just wanted to get home! Jack, thankfully slept until 10.. he ran around for a while and then finally around 11 we boarded the plane.... The flight itself was perfect. Jack did amazing again! Finally made it home a little after 2am Tuesday morning, ugh it was a long long day but so great to see Steve and be home

Overall a great first vacation experience with the peanut! Really looking forward to the cruise with the three of us!

Countdown to Canada!

I have to admit that as it gets closer, leaving in a few days, I am getting a bit more nervous. I don't at all regret deciding to take the trip because I am thrilled that I will get to see everyone!! I'm so glad that I will be there for my cousins wedding since we have missed several events in the past few years because of conflicting schedules.

I think its a few things that are running through my head at this point. The first being that Steve won't be with us, so theres two things there, my first time traveling without him and that he won't be there to help out with Jack. Yes my mom will be there but she hates flying so it will be interesting. Then there is the simple thing of being away from Steve for 4 days, yes I know thats really not a long time but we haven't been apart for that long in a very long time!! Yes we are that couple, can't sleep well when the other isn't right there next to us. Then there is the whole pain the butt process at the airport! Ugh... finding your gate, security, waiting and waiting because there is never a flight on time at Newark! I have decided to check my bag. Was going to try and get away with just a carry on but thinking if I check it, well thats one less thing I have to worry about dragging around... instead I will only have to worry about my backpack filled with diapers and bottles and Jack of course! The flight itself is a big worry. I am kind of dreading how Jack will do. My child doesn't sit still for more then a couple minutes unless he is asleep so it will be interesting to see how he does. Then there is the whole pressure in the ears which bugs me so I can't imagine how Jack will feel. Hoping he will just take a bottle, so help with the pressure and that maybe, just maybe he will fall asleep since it will be an early start to the morning.

It is just going to be so weird to be away from Steve! Ok, so backwards a bit... I've started packing and as I go I seem to remember more and more things that I use for Jack on a daily basis, and yea that is a LOT of stuff! I am lucky because my cousin has a car seat and play pen for me to use. Steve then remember the little travel booster seat thing too which I might shove into the suitcase since I am bringing the big one now anyhow. Its funny how such a little person needs so many things! We've never been away from home for more then a night so this is all new to me and I have no doubt that for this one I will be overpacked! Oh well, live and learn I suppose. This will also be a good tester to see how he handles flying since we may fly out to Arizona next winter to visit family.

Fingers crossed! Wish us luck! Will post after we get home on how everything went!

PS... IF YOU ARE ENJOYING MY BLOG PLEASE BECOME A FOLLOWER... JUST CLICK "FOLLOW" ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF MY SITE... LETS ME KNOW I HAVE SOME READERS :-)