Phew!

Now that the big news has been revealed, it will be a lot easier sharing all things Mangiaracina via the blog. You have no idea how hard it is to talk about everything when there is really only 1 thing that you want to say!

Since we found out about the little peanut back in June, we have been a mix of emotions. Of course elated is the overwhelming emotion, but a little nervousness has creeped in along with some stress. According to the multiple books I've been devouring, the first weeks of pregnancy are the most critical. Not only is the body adjusting to what is going on, but it is the time when most of the baby's vital organs are being developed. The chance of miscarriage is high so every day I would put my hand on my belly and say "Stay warm baby and be sure to grow big and strong. Mommy and Daddy love you." For whatever reason, it made me feel better.

Now that we have entered the 2nd trimester and have some proof that the little bugger is alive and well (thank you heart rate monitor and sonogram), the stress had gone down a bit, but I'm still making sure to follow all pregnancy "rules". I haven't had a sip of alcohol since peeing on the stick nor have I indulged in a most delicious Potbelly Wreck sandwich. My hair needs a color job BAD and there is not a single can of tuna in our pantry. I have received some amazing advice from some Mommy friends and between them, our fabulous OBGYN team and the plethora of books, I think we are going to make it through this pregnancy with flying colors. :)

And speaking of colors, do you know how stressful it is picking out paint color for a nursery when you and your spouse have differing ideas? Makes morning sickness feel like a piece of cake...but more on that later. ;)

Plus 1 Makes 4!

We have some BIG news that we have been dying to share for the last 13 weeks:


That's right ~ we are officially expecting our first little one!! Our new addition is expected on March 7th and we are absolutely thrilled, even though a certain someone won't be the baby anymore...


... but she seems to be taking the news well. :)

Keeping this secret has been painful, but it's finally time to spread the word and celebrate! We found out in late June and have been just sitting on the information as the baby developed. I'm happy to report that I am officially in my 2nd trimester and all is well with Baby M. We had the joy of hearing the heartbeat last week AND seeing our first images of the baby during a sonogram.


I have been feeling great and am excited for the joys of the 2nd trimester. We do plan to find out the sex in a few weeks and promise to share news when the time comes. In the mean time, get ready for baby planning 101 as we get our house and our psyche ready for an infant!

Hey, Soul Sister

OMG - we went to the BEST concert last night. I have been to many a live show and have never really been disappointed, but last night's Maroon 5\Train show ranks as #1 by far. If they are coming to your town - GO SEE THEM. You will not regret it!

We made the very long trek to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD and arrived just as Gavin DeGraw was finishing his set. Traffic was horrible so we were late, but no harm no foul. Gavin was not the main reason for purchasing the pricey tickets. Merriweather is an indoor/outdoor venue with an expansive lawn section as well as a covered seating area. I splurged and got us seats that turned out to be pretty good.


Maroon 5 started the show and they were 100% energy for the hour and fifteen minutes that they played. That Adam Levine guy is not so bad to look at (dirty hot, if you know what I mean!) and they rocked out all their big hits so it was pretty awesome. Here is a look at their setlist, but my favorite moment in the show was the finale when they played "She Will Be Loved". Adam started out singing with just an acoustic guitar and then in the last verse belted it out with the full band. It was amazing...worth every penny.


But wait...next up was Train! If you know me, you know I am slightly obsessed with "Hey, Soul Sister". Hearing that song live was really one of the main reasons I bought tickets to this concert so I was pretty jazzed when the house lights cut off and the sound of a freight train filled the air.
When the lights came on there was Pat Monahan all dressed up belting out "Parachute". The crowd went wild and pretty much never stopped.


Now Mr. Monahan is a bit of a showman and really got the crowd going during the entire set. From bringing a slew of ladies on stage to dance with him during "She's On Fire" to throwing everything from T-Shirts to guitar picks to autographed beach balls (appeared during "Save Me, San Francisco"), he was all about showing love for his fans. He was even grabbing cameras from the lucky folks in the front row and taking photos of himself with them. Very, very cool.


The set list was great and the performance was amazing. One of my favorite songs of the night was "If It's Love" - not only a great song, but the stage design was great. The lyrics were flashing on the big screen in all different fonts. Oh and during the song "Marry Me", he was roaming the audience and then landed on a guy who then proposed to his girlfriend. SO COOL!


And guess what the finale song way...that's right "HEY, SOUL SISTER"!!! Now, I couldn't just take a photo. I had to tape it so here it is! Sorry that you hear me singing more than the band. I couldn't help myself. :) (I also apologize that the video sound quality sucks and that it is on its side; I couldn't figure out how to rotate it!)

It was an amazing night and totally worth the 2+ hour drive to get there. This was our last concert of the summer so I can say that we went out with a bang. :)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

There is nothing better than spending a summer afternoon at the ball park. We hit up National's Stadium yesterday to see the D.C. Nationals take on the Philadelphia Phillies and it was a game that did not disappoint.


Ed and I bought the tickets for my Dad for his birthday this year. He is a long time Phillies fan so whenever they are in town, we try to see at least one game. Since Grandma B. is here for a visit, Mom Q. relinquished her ticket to good friend Richard ~ another long time Phillies fan.


We headed to 1:35pm game a little early so that we could walk the ball park and take in the sites. There is nothing better than walking into the stadium and seeing the hustle a bustle that takes place. From the parents who are buying programs and team hats for their kids to the vendors who are pushing Bud Lite and peanuts to the groups of men to the President Mascots taking photos with adoring fans (love Teddy!), it is an awesome site to see.


The best part for me is when we find out seats and take that first gaze over the pristine field. The outfield is mowed to perfection and the infield is the most perfectly manicured dirt you'll ever see. I think I love it most because it reminds me of all those Mets games that Dad took us too when we were kids. We always bought a scorecard to keep track of the game and were treated to ice cream in the Mets helmets. I loved going to baseball games then, and I love it now. :)


If you've never been to a Nats game when they are hosting the Phillies, then you are not privy to the somewhat sad site that we saw. The stadium was filled with a sea of red shirts, jerseys and hats. But it was not Nats red. It was Philiadelphia red. I bet 80% of the stadium was filled with Phillies fans which made me so sad. There is nothing worse then hearing the chant "Let's Go Phillies" in Nationals Stadium. I know our boys are still fairly new in town, but c'mon! Where are you Nats fans??!! (Realize I won't be saying this when the Mets come to town.)


I won't bore you with the details of the game...but if you want to read about it click here. What I can tell you is this. The game ended dramatically and it ended in Washington's favor. After an hour and 11 minute rain delay (totally crazy thunderstorm with lightening that scared the bejeezus out of me!), the Nationals were down a run. Then in the bottom of the 9th, with 2 strikes against him, good old Ian Desmond hits a home run to tie the game. That's right Philly fans ~ SIT DOWN!

Side note: One of my favorite parts of the game is when the President Mascots race around the field. It is so fun to watch ~ especially since Teddy has not won a single time. And sadly, his record stands. This game's winner was George!


The game went into extra innings and the Phillies did nothing with their at bat. Then came the Nats. Local hottie Ryan Zimmerman hit a double that was then followed by an intentional walk of Michael Morse. Jayson Werth (former Phillies player who was booed all game by those darn Philly fans) pulled out a single to load the bases with no outs. Espinoza strikes out but then Jonny Gomes strode to the plate. According to the Washington Post, Gomes believes that "the inner half of the plate is his, the outer half of the plate is the pitcher’s. And if a pitch dares come inside and close to your arm or body, well, quite simply, you hang in there." And hang in there he did. The pitch from Phillies reliever Brad Lidge came in hard and hit Gomes on the arm ending the game and earning a BIG win for the Nationals.

Now, of course I felt bad that my Dad's favorite team lost at the game we bought him for his birthday. But it was so nice to see those Philly fans quiet for once. Manager Davey Johnson (one of my personal all-time favorite baseball people) said to reporters "That was fun."

Yes Davey...that was fun!

Couch Potato

Our Lucy girl sure does have the life. She is our baby and is treated that way from comfy beds on every level of the house to the flood of toys that cover the floor. She is loved by all and dolls out hugs and kisses to all who will let her. We feel very lucky that we have such a sweet, loving, happy-go-lucky puppy dog.

But there is one little problem.

She is a couch potato.

She not only glances at the TV, but she actually watches it. And reacts. If there is a dog or animal on the screen, forget about it. She goes nuts and starts jumping on the TV stand to try to get to it. And it's not just animals. She jumps for baseball, violence, loud music, the Swiffer commercials as well as that Flash Mob commercial where the guy doesn't get the text that the dance starts at 12:30. If she is upstairs and hears the PetSmart jingle, she will come racing down to attack the TV. It's an incredible site.

Here she is watching Sex and the City:


And here she is watching Toy Story:


And here she is attacking Buster on Toy Story:


We have tried everything to make her stop. We leash her up and tie her to the column in the living room. We segregate her to another room so that she can't see the TV. Hell, we even bought an air horn to scare her when she jumps. The result was me jumping out of my skin when it goes off and Lucy looking at us saying "Hey guys, did you hear that?".

We are looking for advice...has anyone one else had this problem? What did you do to curb it? We are open to any and all suggestions because if you know my husband, you know that he cringes every time her little toe nails scratch the new TV stand. We have to keep a furniture marker out to touch it up on a regular basis!

What's funny is that as I write this, she is looking at me saying, "What's the problem, Mommy? I'm just watching what you watch!" Little brat. :)

Toto, We Are Not in NYC Anymore

A few days ago, Lucy and I decided to take a break from the work day and went on a little stroll in the backyard. It was just like any stroll...Lucy leading the way, sniffing everything in site and me yelling at her not to eat the grass.

We were near the gate to the back fence when I happened to see something move out of the corner of my eye. Lucy didn't notice it which led me to believe that it was not a squirrel or a bunny since she sees those critters in her sleep! Nope, instead it was this guy:


He was crawling in our neighbors yard and seemed like he was on a mission. Lucy wasn't sure what to think of him and rather than have her attack the turtle, I decided to lock her up in our yard so that I could take a closer look. I have never seen one of these guys out in the wild and I couldn't get over it.

He was not so excited to see me and booked it all the way from the fence line to my neighbors house and then scooted under the AC unit where I assume he was taking in some respite from the hot sun. I'm not sure how long he stayed, but I was sure that I was in the country as this is NOT something you typically see on the streets of New York. Hopefully we will meet again someday soon!

Not Your Typical Tuesday

The morning started with my hand looking like this...


... and about an hour later, it looked like this:


Luckily this was not an injury, but instead, a planned event. I am one of the very lucky people out there that suffers from carpal tunnel. I've had it for a while, and unfortunately it seems to be getting worse. Have I mentioned how sexy it is to wear a wrist brace when you go to bed at night? Add a bite guard and I can't keep Ed off me! :)

But I digress...a side effect of carpal tunnel is a trigger finger and that is what I developed in my right thumb. A trigger finger occurs when one of the very swollen tendons gets stuck, causing a popping sensation. Essentially, my thumb would lock into position and to move it, there would be lots of pain. Not fun.

I tried a cortisone shot about a year ago and it worked for about 6 months, so I decided to bite the bullet and have the procedure that would fix it forever. Hence the bandages. I get to wear this lovely gear for about 3 days and then I just need to keep it clean until the stitches come out next week.

I have to say, it really is not that bad. The pain is manageable and I'm able to type so it's work as usual. My hubby has been so great pitching in and helping when there is something I can't do...like put my hair in a pony tail or do the laundry. :) He has been great. As has Lucy. She keeps looking at my hand and then giving me puppy dog eyes. I keep telling her that Mommy has a boo-boo, but it is okay. That seems to make her feel better. She's even given my thumb a lick or two.

So what do you do the day that you have a minor surgical procedure? Why, you go to see Steve Miller Band at Wolf Trap of course!


We bought these tickets a while back and made sure to rest up during the day so that we can enjoy the concert. And we did! This was Ed's first time to the venue which is a unique one. It's a place where if you have lawn tickets, you can bring in your own food and beverage (including alcohol) at no extra fee. It truly is a beautiful thing.


We did not have lawn seats, but instead sat in the pavilion with a great view of the band. Before the show, we grabbed a gourmet dinner of pizza and hot dogs and took in the crowd. We even got a shot of the bandaged hand in the crowd!


Wolf Trap is a National Park so it is little different than your typical concert venue. They don't open up the seating area until 30 mins before the show starts and they actually ring a bell to alert you that it's time for the concert to start.


We are both fans of Steve Miller and I have to say it was a great concert.
One of the high points of the evening was when they told the crowd about the music education program they started called Kids Rock Free. They hated to see education programs continue to cut the arts, so they created this school where kids could go to learn music in exchange for parental volunteering. I think it is fabulous. What was even more fabulous was that they had a 16 year old kid named Matt touring with them so they brought him out for the finale and encore. And he was GREAT!

We enjoyed the night thoroughly ... especially when they played my personal favorite "Dance, Dance, Dance".

Definitely not your typical Tuesday!

The Trigger Has Been Pulled

I didn't mean for that to sound dirty, but I'm just so excited to show you!! Lookie where we went yesterday...


...and lookie what I got...


I finally broke down and treated myself and I'm so glad I did. My Apple sales guy finally "wow'd" me and showed me all the great things I could do with it. So here it is!!


I decided to splurge and accessorize the with red leather Smart Cover. Not only is it fun to look at, but 10% of the proceeds went to AIDs research as part of the (Product)red program. Love that!

I also grabbed myself a stylus so that I can use the thing for business purposes when I'm on site at shows AND a Camera Connection Kit so that I can be on location (aka NYC) and upload photos without needing my computer. Genius!


So now, of course I'm completely obsessed with downloading the coolest apps. What are your favorites?? Help me out here!!

Uncle Joe Comes to Town

We were very lucky to welcome Joe into town last night as he headed to Richmond for a weekend wedding. It's not often that a Mangiaracina heads this way, so we all get very excited when they do. Especially Lucy. Uncle Joe is hands down Lucy's FAVORITE Uncle (sorry John!). She goes absolutely nuts when she sees him and last night, she did not disappoint. As soon as he walked in the door, she was all over him. From the jumps to the licks to the tail wags, she couldn't be happier!

We didn't have much time since he headed out early this morning, but we were able to catch up over dinner at Guapo's. Afterwords, the boys decided to challenge each other to some PlayStation Move games and boy was it a site. It is hysterical to see two grown men fling those brightly colored controllers around!


Lucy was less than interested in the game...


...so after she took care of business, we decided to get a little sassy with a photo shoot.


Uncle Joe has left the building, but it was really great to see him. I know Lucy had a blast and lucky for her we get to see him again on Sunday as he makes his way back up to NY! Woo Hoo ~ We heart Uncle Joe!!