Moving Day!

We returned from the beach and five days later, the movers arrived. I didn't plan that too well. I should have done the move then the beach but it's just how it all worked out. We love our new place and I'm so excited that we have more space. The baby is due in about 5-6 weeks and with two kids, a small apartment just wasn't going to work for us. We only moved about two miles away. Being pregnant, I wasn't able to do a lot of the heavy moving so we recruited our friends and family. My friend Erin came over and I put her and her mini van to work doing several runs to and from the new place. Dominic's family and my Mom came over and pretty much unpacked our entire house. Thank God for all of them! Who would have thought I needed so much help at this point in my pregnancy...not me! I thought for sure we could handle it. I started to swell and my blood pressure went up. My doctor told me to take it easy so I obeyed and put everyone else to work. I'm good at delegating. Now the decorating can begin and we can get the baby's room together. I'm looking forward to it and will post pictures once complete. I didn't take too many photos of the move (if you can believe that!) but here's what I've got so far.


Giana was totally into this move and she "helped" me pack her entire room. She then "helped" us unpack her new room. We have a finished room in the basement and we made it into her playroom. Dominic turned the unfinished part of the basement into a basketball/baseball field and that's actually where they spend most of their time. Picture is above. What could be better? We've had time to do some bug catching, hopscotch, picnics on the patio, watering our new flowers and bunny rescues. We have a cute little bunny that keeps falling into our basement window area. Giana thinks it's pretty cool that Daddy saved the bunny, twice. Dominic said he ranks right up there with the Wonder Pets now...saving the bunny. I need to go purchase a cover so we don't find any dead animals in there. My Mom has been babysitting Dorothy, our fish, for the past few weeks. Just last night, we picked Dorothy up and brought her home. In a few more weeks, the baby will be here and our family will be complete. We are looking forward to settling in and enjoying the rest of the summer. That sounds good anyway...something tells me we have some long and tiring nights ahead.

Myrtle Beach Vacation 2010

We had the best time in Myrtle Beach this year! We went with Dominic's family and stayed for a week at Dunes Village Resort in North Myrtle Beach. This was the first beach vacation that Giana remembers and she had a great time. We really enjoyed watching her have so much fun. The resort is right on the beach and has an indoor water park. Being almost 8 months pregnant at the time, it was nice to be able to get out of the sun but still allow Giana to play and have fun. Even though I was huge and swollen, it was a fantastic week and I can't wait to do it again...next time with two kids! Below are just a few pictures from our trip.

Nine Holes of Golf

Dominic took Giana out on the golf course for the first time and they played nine holes. He said she did a great job and really enjoyed herself. He let her "drive" the golf cart and she thought that was pretty cool. As I mentioned in a previous post, Giana loves NASCAR. While driving, she told Dominic that "they were going to pretend that she was Danica Patrick and he was Fred Couples." Dominic called her by name to come over to the tee and she corrected him and said "Daddy, I'm not Giana, I'm Danica." I'm not sure if we should be worried about this NASCAR interest or not. I love seeing her little pink clubs barely sticking out on the back of the cart and the juice box in cup holder. Priceless.

"Sleepover"

We were in a really bad habit of allowing Giana to sleep in our bed and I needed to put a stop to it, especially with a baby on the way. We just couldn't have two kids in our bed! Dominic wasn't on board with this because he couldn't stand to hear her sob and cry for us when she went to bed. While I didn't enjoy it either, I knew that if we stuck with it for a few nights, she would be fine. Dominic agreed that I could start the transition back to her bed while he was away traveling for business. I had three nights to get my mission accomplished and I did a great job. Giana was sleeping in her own bed and life was good. Dominic came home from his travels and this is what I found...


On his first night home, Dominic put Giana to bed and she convinced him to have a "sleepover." After a few minutes, I decided I should check on them since he never came out of her room. He's such a sucker for his little girl.

The good news is that I now have a king size bed all to myself and I just laugh when I hear Dominic complain of a little back pain. Apparently, a floor is not the best place to get a good night's rest...at least not for a 37 year old. Now he's trying to transition himself back to our bed. Good luck, honey...this one's all on you.

Wondering what we've been up to?

Well, hold on tight because you are in for quite a ride. We've been busy. Consider yourself warned...there are a lot of pictures and updates ahead!

We went to Build-A-Bear with my Mom's Club. I was planning to limit Giana on what she could buy because a three year old inside this store can really rack up quite a bill. When we arrived, she told me that she wanted to build a bunny for her brother. So sweet! $40 later we left with a bunny dressed just right for her little brother. She created him from head to toe.






Touch A Truck...wondering what that is? Leave it up to us to find out! A neighboring city hosted a big event where the kids could touch, climb and get up close and personal with all kinds of vehicles including a fire truck, ambulance, school bus, police car, news truck, boat and limo. I only named a few...there were so many and Giana had a great time! The school bus and the limo were her favorite, although I think she enjoyed seeing herself on the news. The limo is called "Party Girls on the Go" and we see it around town all the time. It's bright pink and she has been wanting to take a ride. I couldn't believe it when we arrived and they were there. I had trouble getting her out. It's pink and purple on the inside...what could be better?






Giana's first trip to Chuck E Cheese. Of all the places we've taken Giana in her short life, she has never been to Chuck E Cheese. It's a kids paradise and I'm sure we'll be going back again soon. She and her friend, Sarah, had a great time! Sarah won several tickets to turn in for a prize. Giana didn't do so well but they let her pick out a prize, too. They both chose a lollipop...grape flavored of course. Anything purple is always good.




G's last day of three year old preschool was in mid May. Her school hosted an "End of Year Program" and the parents were able to come for an hour and see the kids show off their singing skills. It was so cute and they all did well. Giana had to go to the bathroom and yawned her way through the Pledge of Allegiance. It was hilarious! After the program, they had little snacks and drinks. Giana really enjoyed this and was the last person eating. I had to rush her along. Yes, she's Italian...great food and fellowship topped off with a cup of juice. Too bad it won't always be juice. She had two great teachers and I'm happy that we are sending her back for the four year old preschool program beginning in the fall.







And then there was the post office tour. Dominic wrote Giana a letter and addressed it to her at our apartment. She took the letter to the post office and was able to see how it all works behind the scenes. The letter arrived the next day and she thought it was so cool. I have to say, it was quite interesting how it all works. I think the adults enjoyed it as much as the kids!





My friend Cindy and I decided to take a trip to the Franklin Park Conservatory to see the butterfly exhibit. What a beautiful place! We had a lot of fun spending the afternoon with the butterflies and fish. Giana wanted to know if her fish, Dorothy, would get as big as the gold fish at the conservatory. I hope not! The girls had fun too. It was a rainy day but we were covered...it was nice to feel like we were outdoors. If you live locally, I recommend that you take a trip down that way. (The last picture is Giana checking herself for any hijacked butterflies.)







Finally, Giana's last Sporties for Shorties class was today. She really enjoyed this class and they had a cute awards ceremony for the kids. She was so proud! I thought for sure she was going to be upset that it was over but she told me it was "OK to take time off for her summer break."




I was happy to hear that Giana is OK with a summer break. It's starting to get hard for me to keep up this busy pace. Don't be fooled...we've got some fun summer plans but I think this baby is going to slow me up a little bit. I just started my seventh month of pregnancy/third trimester. Baby and I are doing well but I'm tired now. I think my days ahead may be shorter and my feet will be up a little more. While this slower pace just kills me (I'm not one to let any grass grow) I know it will be best and I'm hoping to pick up right where we leave off in the fall. With all of that being said, June is BUSY for us. We're off to Myrtle Beach for a week and then it's moving day...more space is needed! July will be quiet and I'll be getting ready for the baby. Can't wait to set up his nursery and Giana's playroom. So much fun!

Yes, those are Underwear...

That's our girl and she knows how to make us proud. Honestly, who would think to do this? This picture makes me laugh and fortunately I had my Blackberry near by to snap a picture. She may not like this in 15 years but I'm OK with that. :)

Six Month Baby Belly

Picture courtesy of Giana. If you are interested in her work, please visit www.gianaphotos.com. Ha! I just had to post this. It's special to me.

Giana took this picture about two weeks ago. I'm feeling good and the pregnancy is going well. Preeclamsia had set in by this point in my pregnancy with Giana and there are no signs of it this time around. I'm thankful for that. Maybe, just maybe, I can get this little guy to full term. He moves a lot and it's so cool to feel him all the time. I don't remember feeling Giana move around like this. His prime time schedule seems to be between 8:00pm and midnight...right after Giana is fast asleep. Please tell me he's not a night owl. I've been wearing maternity clothes now for a few weeks but haven't gained any weight. Actually, I lost 10 pounds in my first trimester and have gained 9 pounds back...so I suppose I've gained weight but in my mind I like to think that I haven't. It's all in the numbers. I start my third trimester in a little over a week. Where did the time go?

We've got a lot going on over the next two months and the best part is that we have found a place to live and will be moving out of our apartment in the middle of June. I'm happy that I can set up a nursery for the baby and get Giana situated with her own space and toy room. There's nothing like packing and moving at 7+ months pregnant but we'll make the best of it. I work well under pressure. :)