Evolution of a Bath

Is there anything cuter than a baby in a bath tub?  Probably not.

I dare you to look at this photo and not smile.

Our little man is a big fan of his bath time these days. And in the 4 short months that Andrew has been in this world, bath time has evolved - as has is love for them.  His first bath was on day 1 in the hospital.  I was still bed-ridden because of the c-section, but had a ring-side seat for this momentous event.  Rather than take him to the nursery like they did with James, our lovely nurse gave Andrew his first bath in our hospital room.  He didn't like it - TOO COLD - he screamed!!  But he survived.

His second bath was in the kitchen and was a simple sponge bath since his belly button nub was still holding on tight.  He took to it pretty well. There were no screams and I even got a content stare as Daddy sponged him down.

At 3 weeks old, he got his first official bath in the tub.  Again, he took to it pretty well, but he did not crack a smile.  His face was mostly concerned the entire time.  Like a "please-don't-let-me-fall-out-of-this-thing" face followed by a "thank-you-for-the-warm-towel" grin.

Recently, we have changed bath time up a bit for our little guy.  Rather than pull out the baby bath every night, we now toss him in the big tub in the bathroom.  I picked up an oversized tub sponge at Buy Buy Baby for a whopping $6.99 and it has made all the difference at bath time.  We now get  giggles and SMILES!!  Andrew can splash and kick and stretch out those long legs of his - way comfier! Plus we can now get rid of the oversized, plastic baby tub that takes up more space than we have (anyone interested???).  

We can't wait for bath time to evolve into the boys taking one together (uh - hello time saver!), but in the mean time, this makes all parties involved pretty stoked. Rub a dub dub!!

Can You Tell Me How To Get...To Sesame Street!

Want to know how to make your chatter box, nutso 3-year old stop acting like a crazy person and shut up for 5 minutes straight?

Introduce him to Elmo.

And the Count.

And Abby Cadabby.

I bet you can guess where we were last weekend.  SESAME PLACE!!!!

I visited this iconic amusement park back when I was 3 years old with my Mom and Dad so we figured this was the perfect year to bring James.  We dropped Andrew off at Grandma and Grandpa's house (thanks again, guys!!), headed up to Langhorne, PA and met up with the Seigal's for a weekend filled with sunny days (and some rain) and plenty of furry friends.  Alyson is my oldest, dearest friend and she, along with her hubby Rob and two adorable kiddos, Mikey & Lexi, braved the heat and the crowds with us making the weekend that much more fun! 

I have to say...I was very impressed with the place.  The park is not overwhelmingly big making it manageable with little ones.  They were celebrating their 35th birthday so there were signs of a birthday party all around from the balloons at the entrance to the 30' inflatable birthday cake when you first walk in.  The kids had a great time seeing the characters and going on all the rides.  I think my favorite part was when the kids were sitting on the famous Sesame Street stoop.  

They even had a neighborhood parade as part of the birthday celebration. Everyone from Big Bird to Oscar to Rosita to Super Grover was there so you know we had some happy kids.  We caught the night time version and I have to say, it was pretty awesome. Disney-level!!!

  

All in all, it was a fantastic trip made even better by the the people we were with.  Alyson and I LOVE that our kiddos got to spend some time together and hope that they remain life-long friends like we have.  Andrew may have been too young to join us, but we made sure that he had some quality time with Super Grover.  Next time, buddy. :)

Dear Diary

When I was about 6 or 7 years old, I received my first diary.  It was exactly what you would expect a diary for a 7 year old would be complete with a lock and key.  I loved that thing.  Wrote all my deepest, darkest secrets in it.  Well, as dark as a 7 year olds secrets can get!  I still have that diary and the many that came after it - only as I aged, they became journals.  I always found solace in words.  Writing always helped me get things off my chest whether good things or not so good things.

In recent years, this blog has become my diary.  I started it right after we got married to document our life together as Mangiaracina's for friends and family, but really, it was a way for me to find solace in words again and help me get things off my chest - both good and not so good.  I love looking back on all that we have experienced.  Our honeymoon.  Moving from NY to VA.  Purchasing our first home.  Decorating and renovating said home.  Welcoming James into the world.  Holidays. Vacations.  A baby brother.  This small piece of the massive inter web has been a place for me to share my simple story with the world and is more valuable than I ever thought it could be.

I love that I kept this record of our life and am feeling really sad that I've stopped writing in recent months.  Sure - life is much busier now.  But that just means there is much more to write about!  I still plan to live in the moment but I want to be able to look back, 5 years from now, and remember all the great living we did.

We're baaaaaackkk! :)

Andrew's Monthly Photo Project: Four Months Old

Who's four months old today you ask??

THIS GUY!!!

Our sweet little Andrew continues to bring us smiles and joy every single day.  He is as mellow as they come and just loves to kick and giggle.  And for a four month old, he has a LOT going on.

• He started daycare just 3 short weeks ago and he, like his older brother, has won over all the teachers with his charm and dimples.  The kid already has a BFF!  He and his new buddy Greyson (son of Miss Kiki) love to spend time together on the floor playing, chatting, kicking and rolling.  They are both just awaiting the arrival of beautiful baby Bianca.  Once she is there, Andrew will have his own little "Get Fresh Crew" (shout out WTW ladies!!)!  

• As mentioned above, when on the floor, he is rolling over.  Like full on from belly to back. He seems to do it more at daycare, but when I ask politely, he flashes those dimples and humors Mommy.  :)  

• There is a lot of chatter coming out of this little man - he has so much to say!!  My heart melts when we are in the car and I hear him making his noises from the back seat. Music to my ears!

• And I think the best thing is that he is completely enamored with his big brother, James.  He loves to watch him - his eyes are always following James around.  

We are loving every day with this little guy and can't wait to see what this next month brings.  I think a few teeth are in someone's future!!

HAPPY 4TH MONTHS ANDREW!!