Here We Go Again...

Looks like James is going to be a big brother!!!!!  Yes, that's right. We are boarding this crazy ride again and we couldn't be more thrilled.  What's even more awesome - we already know that we are having a BOY!! It's still hard to believe that at 13 weeks we have this information, but thanks to technology (and my "advanced" age), we can now pull the bins from the attic and fill the drawers in the nursery.

James is not quite aware of what is going on but he does point to Mommy's belly and says "baby" so that is a start.

Lucy is less than thrilled.

I'm due in late March so stay tuned to all the pregnancy updates!

Sweet Baby James: Week 1

I had really good intentions of keeping up with the blog on a daily basis once the baby was here. You know, post some pics...share some cute anecdotes. The nurses at the hospital laughed at me when I told them. I said "You'll see...I can do it."

Well, apparently they were right.

The hours in the day seem to fly by and just when I think I have time to sit at the computer, it is time to nurse or change a diaper or cuddle (my favorite part!). The blog seems to have taken a back seat...but for good reasons. So I've come to the conclusion that a weekly post will have to suffice for now. And even though it hasn't been a full week yet, it's time to share some pictures of the cutest kid I know!

Our last days at the hospital were good. We were thrown a wrench on the second night when we found out James had some jaundice. He spent the night under the lights (which made me cry), but we ended up getting some much needed sleep. He's good to go now...nice and pink. :) Uncle Joe arrived on Saturday morning and was SO excited to see his Godson. We had to pry James out of his hands in order to feed him!

Sunday arrived and it was time to head home. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous. We had been pampered during our stay at the hospital by the amazing staff of Fair Oaks and I was a little freaked out about having to take care of myself and James without them. But it was time and after seeing the OB and Pediatrician and getting the discharge speech, it was time to dress the little guy and head home.

Lucy was eagerly awaiting our arrival and I got the biggest hello when I walked in the door. I missed her so much and I think the feeling was mutual! We then brought James in for the big introduction and I have to say, it went really well. She showed interest - sniffed his feet and hands and even licked his little head. We knew we were good. :)

So, all is good. James is getting comfortable in his new home and we are trying to get used to his schedule and personality. He is a very calm baby who likes to sleep so hopefully that will stick. We love being parents and can't get enough of the little guy. Ed is a pro at diapers and I'm still trying to get the hang of breast feeding (TMI? Sorry!). James loves cuddling with his Grandparents and is most content when in his swing. We love watching how he changes every day and will continue to take thousands of pictures!!

The Nursery: The Final Reveal

So here it is at last - the final reveal. I know I have kept you all abreast of the nursery progress, so there really aren't any earth shattering changes, but there are a few new pops that I happen to love that just make the nursery what it is. I LOVE sitting in there - it is so sweet and calming and I can't wait for James to test it out. Not much longer...:)

So, without further adieu, the final reveal:

Baby James is scheduled to arrive on Thursday morning so we will keep you all updated. Thanks everyone for your love and support during the pregnancy. We love you all!!

Leap Day Baby?

When we found out I was pregnant it did not occur to us one bit that 2012 was a leap year. It didn't even occur to us when we were told that our baby boy was due on March 7th that we could potentially have him on February 29th. With all the excitement we were feeling, it just didn't come up.

And then it did.

I think my Mom pointed it out first and it became an ongoing joke that he would absolutely be born on leap day because that is our luck. But really, would it be so bad? I bet you didn't know that there is a special honor society for people born on leap day affectionately known as "Leapers".


And that Ja Rule was actually born on February 29th in 1980.


Knowing that fact alone makes me embrace the idea of James being born on Leap Day. :)

But alas, we must disappoint. We will not in fact have a leap year baby, but instead a March 1st baby. That's right...looks like this kid is going to make his appearance next week during a scheduled delivery at Fair Oaks Hospital. Apparently he is rather large and his noggin most likely won't fit through my average-sized body so we are going in for a c-section.

I am relieved and disappointed all at the same time. Relieved that I won't have to put my body through the stresses of labor and can actually plan for the delivery. Disappointed that I won't experience the stresses of labor and have the opportunity to look at Ed and say "It's time".

So we are in "it's time to get our crap together" mode as we prepare to get the house and our psyche ready for the baby. Leap Year - Schmeep Year. We'll take March 1st any day! :)

With Love, Daddy.

We did something very special for James this past weekend. Let me rephrase. Ed did something very special for James this past weekend. He thought it would be great to buy James a special little cuddly guy that he could hold onto for years to come. And by buy, I mean build. And by build, I mean Build a Bear!

You see, when I was born, my dad bought me a special doll that I still have to this day. So Ed thought he would do the same for James. Off to Build a Bear we went. Being that I'm a child, I LOVE this store. It is filled with smiles and love and I can't get over how cute all the bear options are. Ed is no stranger to this store either. He actually built me a Monkey back in 2006 and gave it to me for our first Christmas together.

Upon arrival he knew that he wanted to get James a stuffed dog. There were a few options including Fudge Pup...

... Black Lab ...

... and Dachshund.

But in the end, we fell in love with Shaggy Pup.

So off to the stuffing machine we went. Ed did the honors and made sure our pup was nice and full. We decided to add a barking sound to his hand and of course Ed kissed the heart and placed it in Shaggy Pup's back. The best part about it (for me at least) was that there was a birthday party going on so Ed was standing in the midst of about fifteen 3-year olds all making their bears!

After we stuffed, it was time to head over to the computers to make the little guy's birth certificate. While we couldn't come up with a name for the little fella' at the time, we now know that he will be called Petey. Here is one happy Daddy!!

We can't wait for James to finally get here so that Ed can give it to him. Not much longer!

It's All Happening

I'm a fairly neat person. I like order and live by the mantra that everything has a home. My husband, on the other hand, does not live by that mantra so you could say that there is an enormous amount of nagging that goes on in our house.

So you could imagine my horror when I came home from a work function the other night to find our second bedroom looking like this:


Even Lucy was horrified! But in my hubby's defense, it was for a good cause because the nursery currently looks like this:


Ed spent the evening Wednesday night prepping the nursery so that it could be painted this weekend! This is a BIG step in the world of baby so we are very excited. Since I really shouldn't be around the paint fumes, we have recruited Dad Q. to assist Ed with this project ~ thanks Dad!! He is a pro at cutting so between his skills and Ed's skills I just know that the nursery is going to look great. And of course, Lucy is going to supervise. :)

The big color reveal will be coming soon so stay tuned !!!!

Overwhelming

That is the word we use to describe all things baby registry this weekend. My goodness...is there A LOT of things to think about and A LOT of stuff to choose from. Our heads were spinning as we were walked around the massive store filled from floor to ceiling with toys and bottles and clothes and bouncy chairs and whatever. I mean look at all the car seats and strollers they have!


It's enough to make you want to forget what the doctors say and grab a big drink ~ I didn't, of course! We headed to Buy Buy Baby first thing Saturday morning to set up our registry and were treated to the knowledge of an associate named Claire. She must have seen the blank stares on our face because she took us under her wing and helped us sort through the sea of pink and blue.


First stop was car seats and boy did she WOW us. We never thought we'd have the reaction that we did when she showed us how easy it was to install the base of the Chicco KeyFit car seat on her test bench seat. I almost hugged her! From there we went to strollers, then playards, then high chairs, then bath time and then safety. The good news is that in 2 hours, she helped us pick all kinds of stuff for the kid. The bad news ~ we are no where near done. But it was time to go. We were hungry and tired and could not look at one more pacifier or Boppy pillow.

Another trip to Buy Buy Baby is in store for us...but not before a little break. We need about a week to decompose and regroup. Plus I am headed to California tomorrow for the week to attend a conference and I can pretty much guarantee that Ed will not sneak off to add more baby stuff to the registry. :)

Blue

It's official: The peanut is a BOY!!

Yup - come March the gender scales will be more even in the Mangiaracina household with me and Lucy holding it down for the girls and Ed and our future son representing for the fellas. And we couldn't be more excited. Lucy even showed some excitement when she heard the news!

We just found out the great news this morning at our 20-week sonogram. And I am happy to report that this baby boy is healthy as can be and is growing at the correct rate. All parts are present and accounted for!

Now that we know the news, the pregnancy is that much more special. We can actually refer to the baby as "he" and "him" vs. "goy" and "shim". And you know that the planning will be kicked into high gear now! And even though it is a boy, we plan to keep things ~ especially the nursery ~ fairly gender neutral so don't expect to see baby blue coming out of our ears around here. :)

Starting to Feel Really Real

This is currently sitting in our living room:


With this sitting in our house, the baby thing seems really real. Not that it didn't before...but now it feels REALLY real. Like no joke real! Our wonderful neighbors, Kim and Chris Newland, loaned us a few baby items including this bassinet (thank you guys!!!) so we have officially started collecting baby gear. Lucy is not sure how she feels about it...but she'll sniff it all the same.


Tomorrow is a BIG day in the Mangiaracina house. The gender of the little peanut will be revealed and we can hardly wait!! Any predictions? We have no idea and will be happy either way as long as Baby M is healthy. Lots of you have placed your bets based on how I look, how I have felt and how I am carrying. Man there are LOTS of old wives tales out there! There is even a test where you can tell the sex if you combine Draino with my pee. Um...no thank you. We'll wait. :)

The Nursery: Take One

In an effort to save my little fingers from too much exhaustive typing (it is Friday afternoon, after all!), I thought I would treat you to a little video tour of what the nursery looks like right now. We call it The Nursery: Take One only because I believe there will be many, many takes! Enjoy!

Pure Bliss

I'm not sure there is a sweeter sound out there then the heart beat of your unborn child. Ed and I had an OB appointment this morning and had the chance to hear our baby and I am happy to report that all is well. The heart beat is strong which is music to my ears. :)

I'm a day shy of 16 weeks and I have to say, I'm feeling great. My first trimester symptoms are almost completely gone and I am in what they call the "honeymoon" phase of the pregnancy. Luckily, I have not gained much weight (only 1 pound so far!) but my belly is starting to show signs of the peanut inside. I am exclusively in maternity pants ~ which by the way are SO much more comfortable ~ and am looking forward to the next few weeks of baby growth.

Next month is a big month for us. On October 21st we will have our 20 week sonogram where the technician will do all sorts of measuring to make sure the baby's growth is on track. But even more exciting...we will be able to find out the sex!! We are those people that need to know so once we know, you will know. :)

In the mean time, we will continue to look at nursery furniture and planning out the room. It's unbelievable how many cribs there are out there! We did find the glider we want along with eh dresser/changing table so as soon as we finalize our crib decision, the order will be placed. The closet is in good shape so I will share details on it very soon as well as the paint wars that are currently taking place between Ed and I. :)