Sundays are good.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sunday
After a late morning/early afternoon at the beach, as well as lunch with Mama and some friends - Luca came home and got into his own little groove before dinner.
Sundays are good.
Sundays are good.
Twin Update
About three weeks ago we went in for our twenty-week ultrasound. We were excited to find out the gender of the babies and, really, that was the most we were expecting to learn that day. Sadly, though - we discovered that Baby A (a girl) was horribly compromised. As in - no chance. There were issues from head to toe - literally. Although Baby B (a boy) looked fine on ultrasound, the risk of pre-term labor and complications for him (because of her situation) loomed large.
In a matter of seconds, we went from clueless and excited to completely devastated. The doctor and ultrasound techs couldn't have been more kind and compassionate - something that we were able to recognize after the shock and extreme sadness settled in a bit. It was a hard day. A hard week. The difficulty and confusion of the whole situation was compounded by the fact that we weren't offered any options here in Florida. Even though the writing was on the wall and it was clear that this baby had no chance at all AND our seemingly healthy baby was at risk because of his twin's issues, our docs couldn't find anyone within driving distance to help us. No one. When we heard this mind-blowing news, I went from brokenhearted to furious. We took matters into our own hands and, by 6pm on a Monday, we had plane tickets for Tuesday and a 1:30pm Wednesday appointment with one of the best fetal surgeon/geneticists in the country. We flew into Philly, dropped Luca off at my sister's and drove to Manhattan the next morning. Once there, he confirmed the absolute worst, did some tests and then we had to let her go.
The whole thing was really hard. But, we are so grateful for the people we have in our lives. The support we received from friends and family was unreal. The meals, the time, the offers of help with Luca - not to mention the continuous phone calls and emails and all of the thoughts and prayers that carried us that week - and still do. We are very lucky.
All tests on Baby B indicate that he is fine - healthy and sound and out of danger. She is still in there with him and we will get to say one final goodbye to her when we meet him. We are welcoming that opportunity for closure.
After the latest ultrasound and this week's OB appointment, we are finally back on the road to being exited about this pregnancy again. Not only that, it seems if all is still well by twenty-eight weeks, we can again start thinking about having a birthing center birth - something that wasn't possible for us with twins.
In a matter of seconds, we went from clueless and excited to completely devastated. The doctor and ultrasound techs couldn't have been more kind and compassionate - something that we were able to recognize after the shock and extreme sadness settled in a bit. It was a hard day. A hard week. The difficulty and confusion of the whole situation was compounded by the fact that we weren't offered any options here in Florida. Even though the writing was on the wall and it was clear that this baby had no chance at all AND our seemingly healthy baby was at risk because of his twin's issues, our docs couldn't find anyone within driving distance to help us. No one. When we heard this mind-blowing news, I went from brokenhearted to furious. We took matters into our own hands and, by 6pm on a Monday, we had plane tickets for Tuesday and a 1:30pm Wednesday appointment with one of the best fetal surgeon/geneticists in the country. We flew into Philly, dropped Luca off at my sister's and drove to Manhattan the next morning. Once there, he confirmed the absolute worst, did some tests and then we had to let her go.
The whole thing was really hard. But, we are so grateful for the people we have in our lives. The support we received from friends and family was unreal. The meals, the time, the offers of help with Luca - not to mention the continuous phone calls and emails and all of the thoughts and prayers that carried us that week - and still do. We are very lucky.
All tests on Baby B indicate that he is fine - healthy and sound and out of danger. She is still in there with him and we will get to say one final goodbye to her when we meet him. We are welcoming that opportunity for closure.
After the latest ultrasound and this week's OB appointment, we are finally back on the road to being exited about this pregnancy again. Not only that, it seems if all is still well by twenty-eight weeks, we can again start thinking about having a birthing center birth - something that wasn't possible for us with twins.
School Daze
We made the leap into preschool this past week. Two days a week from 8:30 to 2:30! That's six whole hours, people! I was looking forward to the time I would have to get things done - but also worried about him being away from me for that long. He still naps most days and we are still working out the potty glitches - so there's that. As well, he is a good six months younger than the next youngest in his class and I was concerned about verbal issues and maturity issues, etc. Luckily, it's Montessori where - by design - the classes are mixed-age. Still - I worried about him being the youngest. I carried all of that worry in the days leading up to his first day and - so far at least - there was no need. He kept up, stayed dry, loved it and best of all- according to him - he got to use his cool LUNCH BOX!!
He ate every last bite of his lunch that first day - although most of it was consumed on the car ride home after school.
He ate every last bite of his lunch that first day - although most of it was consumed on the car ride home after school.
Before and After
I finally broke down and got Luca's hair cut.
It was was starting to look mullet-y-ish.
I was sad to see it go, but It was time.
It was was starting to look mullet-y-ish.
I was sad to see it go, but It was time.
Omnivore's 100
I stole this from my friend Mae's blog Hark! What Ails you?. She stole it from someone else's...
The rules:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake
Not sure about the umeboshi (I've had umeboshi plum vinegar), and the prickly pear (I am pretty sure I've had prickly pear jam).
The rules:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake
Not sure about the umeboshi (I've had umeboshi plum vinegar), and the prickly pear (I am pretty sure I've had prickly pear jam).
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Meet the Twins...
Nineteen weeks and counting. If all goes well, they'll be here by the holidays.
Our camera died, so I took these with my MacBook.
We just had a birthday celebration for our friend Ama, so the pic directly above is actually of Baby A, Baby B and CAKE.
Our camera died, so I took these with my MacBook.
We just had a birthday celebration for our friend Ama, so the pic directly above is actually of Baby A, Baby B and CAKE.
Monday, August 04, 2008
What I did while Luca napped...
Friday, August 01, 2008
Swashbuckling Time Out
Because, right after this picture was taken...
...he hit his mother with the bat.
...he hit his mother with the bat.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Maxwell Cole SanFillippo
Lots of things have happened in the last year and a half - and here's one of the best...
...my nephew Maxwell. Or, as Luca refers to him - Baby Max.
Baby Max isn't as much of a baby these days, as he is a toddler. He started walking during our time spent together at the Jersey shore this summer and now he's toddling at top speeds. This kid is amazing. Besides being scrumptiously adorable - he is pleasant, funny and, at barely fourteen months old, he has a bigger vocabulary than most two-year olds I know.
Luca and I got to hang out with Max and my sister Nicole for five weeks this summer. Most of my family lives in the Philadelphia area, so we got to spend lots of time with grandparents, cousins and aunts and uncles. We are lucky to see a lot of my family throughout the year - but spending consistent, quality time each summer is a tradition I hope will continue for a very long time. I love the idea of the boys (and future cousins) spending sweaty, sandy, fun-filled summers together as they grow up.
...my nephew Maxwell. Or, as Luca refers to him - Baby Max.
Baby Max isn't as much of a baby these days, as he is a toddler. He started walking during our time spent together at the Jersey shore this summer and now he's toddling at top speeds. This kid is amazing. Besides being scrumptiously adorable - he is pleasant, funny and, at barely fourteen months old, he has a bigger vocabulary than most two-year olds I know.
Luca and I got to hang out with Max and my sister Nicole for five weeks this summer. Most of my family lives in the Philadelphia area, so we got to spend lots of time with grandparents, cousins and aunts and uncles. We are lucky to see a lot of my family throughout the year - but spending consistent, quality time each summer is a tradition I hope will continue for a very long time. I love the idea of the boys (and future cousins) spending sweaty, sandy, fun-filled summers together as they grow up.
It's been awhile...again
...about twenty months, actually.
In that time we moved from Westchester County, New York back to Cincinnati, Ohio. After six (too) short months there, Deb was transferred once again to Northeast Florida at the end of August in 2007. This is our second stint in the oldest city in America, having lived here from November 2000 to mid-2003. Despite the summertime heat and humidity, being back here has been wonderful. We are back in the same place with dear friends who are now more like family to us than ever. Luca is a very lucky boy, to have so many wonderful people in his life - and Debbie and I are very grateful for the community we have found here, once again.
As for the boy - he turned three in May and - he continues to be the love of our lives.
In that time we moved from Westchester County, New York back to Cincinnati, Ohio. After six (too) short months there, Deb was transferred once again to Northeast Florida at the end of August in 2007. This is our second stint in the oldest city in America, having lived here from November 2000 to mid-2003. Despite the summertime heat and humidity, being back here has been wonderful. We are back in the same place with dear friends who are now more like family to us than ever. Luca is a very lucky boy, to have so many wonderful people in his life - and Debbie and I are very grateful for the community we have found here, once again.
As for the boy - he turned three in May and - he continues to be the love of our lives.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
It's Been Awhile
It's been forever since I last posted - almost an entire year. That's close to a whole lifetime for Junior. He's grown so much, it's wild to look at the previous pics.
Here's a few new ones to get an idea...
Well, maybe more than a few...
BTW - no, he's not taking a poo in that picture below and - yes, his fabulous and talented Aunt Sally made him that cool sweater.
Here's a few new ones to get an idea...
Well, maybe more than a few...
BTW - no, he's not taking a poo in that picture below and - yes, his fabulous and talented Aunt Sally made him that cool sweater.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Some recent pics...
He's so expressive - sometimes I forget that he's just a baby and I'm convinced he knows more than we give him credit for...
Swimming Lessons...
This past Saturday, Debbie took Luca for his first Aqua Babies swimming lessons. He was a little tentative at first - as you can see by the pics, but he eventually warmed up...
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Four months later...
It's been over four months since the last post. Lots has happened in those four months. Luca is four months older - now clocking in at eight months and seven days old. He's crawling, babbling and pulling up. I am pretty sure he's starting to wave. He also "sings" when I sing to him in a humming sort of way, or when he is playing his toy piano. He's teething right now (the top two are coming through, eager to join their two counterparts on the bottom) which is making for a bit of a cranky boy. We're also having a bit of a sleep problem, but more on that later. The quick version is that he has stopped "staying asleep" when we put him down in the evenings. For naps, I sleep with him (at 10 and 3) which is fine when I need the sleep, but not fine when I want to get some things done or even just breathe a little. We are not willing to let him cry it out (not yet, anyway) so, for now I am going to start a slow process of trying to get him into the crib at nap time. All in all, though - he's becoming an amazing little boy. Funny and communicative. It's pretty cool to watch him grow.
More later - my mom is here and we are about to play a game of Set (while Debbie naps with the boy).
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