When we found out we were pregnant, we thought of all kinds of fun ways to tell people the good news. From phone calls to emails to blog posts, the word spread, but we had a unique idea that involved Lucy to share the news with Ed's family who is getting together this weekend in the Hamptons. Well, we failed in execution because we already called them, BUT we did decide to follow-through on the original plan which was to outfit Lucy in a Big Sister t-shirt. :)
I took the cue from blog fav Young House Love on the idea and even the vendor for the shirt which turned out to be Chicago T-Shirt Deli. And I'm so glad I did. It came today and I couldn't get over how adorable it was. And I'm not just talking about the t-shirt, but the actual packaging it came in. Who gets excited about packaging? Well, apparently ME! :)
Check this out...when I opened the ordinary brown box I was delighted to see a package wrapped in deli paper. Inside the deli paper was a doggie-bag - literally with a doggie photo on it! Inside the doggie bag was my "Kosher Style" order along with a bag of potato chips and a napkin complete with washing instructions. TOO CLEVER!!
My favorite is how the actual t-shirt was wrapped - apparently it is low card, made of Grade A fresh poultry and is HOT! And it was...check Miss Lucy out:
I think she is going to be a great big sister...and now she is doing it in style!
It has literally been raining all week. And not the on-and-off kind of light rain. The always on, always down pouring, flood the yard kind of rain. At first, it was okay. But now it is getting out of hand. The 14th Street Bridge in DC was shut down yesterday for flooding for cryin' out loud! I am ready for the sun as I'm sure most of you are.
The house is tolerating it well, but I'm pretty sure it is time to clean the gutters as we have a bit of overflow...but not as bad as our neighbor:
The downstairs deck is going to need some serious attention from the squigi as it is quite flooded...
...and the newly planted sod is drowning in water so I think it will need some attention once Mother Nature decides to turn off the faucet. Same goes for my pretty flower box in the front of the house.
For some, Labor Day means BBQ's, beer and time with family and friends. For us, that is usually the case. But this year, what Labor Day meant for us was Puppy Swim at the neighborhood pool! Lucy had never been in a body of water larger than the bath tub, so this was a big deal for her and I am proud to say, SHE DID SO GOOD!!!
The neighborhood pool uses the last 2 hours of the season to allow dogs and their family members to go for a swim. We headed over to the pool around 6 pm and were amazed to see how many doggies were taking a dip!
It took a little bit to get her warmed up, but Daddy decided to take the plunge and go in with Lucy. They started out on the steps and slowly made their way into the pool where our little guppie got her water wings going!
Here she is in action:
Now, I'm not sure if she enjoyed it or she was just pushing hard so she wouldn't drown. It was great to see that her instincts kicked in and that if she ever did fall into a body of water, she would know what to do. Here she is swimming the entire length of the pool:
Ed and I met 5 years ago this weekend. It's amazing that 5 whole years have gone by. It feels like it was yesterday that we went on that first date, but when I think about it SO much has happened in those 5 years I can't believe we fit it all in!
I had recently moved to NY from DC and was living with my buddy Jim. We had such a great plan - I'd move up and we'd be single gals in the city, living it up one cosmopolitan at a time. Some great plans don't always work out...and this time it was okay because we both ended up finding the loves of our lives within a 3 month period. By the time I moved into the AWESOME apartment in Forest Hills, Queens, Daniel was already in the picture. And within 2 months, I received my first email from Ed via Match.com.
Jim was skeptical about it...after all Ed did live in Wantagh which truly was geographically undesirable, but I took a chance. We emailed for about a week and had a really great conversation the Friday before Labor Day Weekend. I remember laying on my bed while we talked with a HUGE smile on my face. We made a plan to visit the Guggenheim museum the next day and possibly see a movie.
Saturday morning came and so did the hurricane. The weather was awful which meant my cute outfit was replaced with a more rain friendly outfit. Ed took the LIRR from Long Island and I met him on the platform with a tea in hand. I had made a Starbucks run and when I asked him what he wanted, he said "a Tea, light and sweet". What? VA people don't talk like this! I took a chance with skim milk and Splenda and luckily, scored big. :)
We then took the subway in the city and did our best to calm our nerves. The conversation flowed great and I was immediately at ease in his presence. I can honestly say from day 1 that we got along great and truly made each other laugh. We had a great time at the Guggenheim looking at all the fabulous exhibits. Ed even brought his camera to document...I guess he had a good feeling about the date too!
By the time we got out of the museum it was pouring rain so we took shelter under the awning of an apartment building. It was very romantic...very Carrie Bradshaw / SATC. There are many more memories of our first date, but I'm going to save those for Ed and I to cherish. :)
I remember after Ed went home I went into Jim's room and said "I think we will be seeing a lot more of this guy." Turns out I was right.
Last night I was a lucky girl. My bestie from college, the one and only Beth Belluzzo, treated me to the Jimmy Buffet Concert at Jiffy Lube Live. Can you say Awesome! Hurricane Irene wiped out his original show date last weekend, so he postponed to last night which ended up being a crazy gorgeous evening.
The Belluzzo clan picked me up and we were on our way to Bristow to the new and not so improved Jiffy Lube Live venue. Back in the day, when it was Nissan Pavillion, it was the place to go to see a show. I spent many a night tailgating and listening to the likes of Dave Matthews Band, Tom Petty, and John Mayer, at this place. It was always a good time...even the 2 hour back-up to get out of the parking lot always turned into a blast.
Well, not anymore.
For "safety reasons" Jiffy Lube Live recently banned all tailgating at their events including the always fun Jimmy Buffet tailgate. When we arrived, we were hoping to see some renegades sneaking their tiki bars and margarita machines, but instead, we saw many a police man and security escorting people out of the parking lot. No Loitering!!! It was a sad site...especially since the Belluzzo family is known to put on quite a party in the parking lot. We made the best of it with our waters, leis and fun sun glasses.
After being booted out of the lot, we made our way into the venue and found that while you could not drink in the parking lot, you could in the venue. So much for safety. And for a mere $13, you can get yourself a beer. WHAT?!!? Talk about outrageous.
P.S. Those weren't for me :) After getting over the initial shock of that news, we made our way to the not-so-crowded lawn and found a perfect spot courtesy of Mr. Belluzzo (Thanks Dad!).
As I mentioned, it was a gorgeous night and the concert was great so we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves - tailgating or not! :) And I can say, not only was it Baby's First Buffet...it was also Baby's First Second Hand Marijuana High! Some old guy about 50 feet away from us was toking all night long...gotta love a Buffet concert!
I had such a great time with my Beth - as always - and feel so lucky to have a friend like her in my life. When we are together we can talk about anything and can laugh so hard that we start crying. Everyone should have a friend like that in their life! Poochie girl - this one is for you!! :)
Where was Ed, you ask? Well, he was up in MD at the Redskins game having a good old time. And guess what. He was allowed to tailgate. :)
I leave you with some tuneage. Again...sorry the videos are jacked up. I thought I fixed it this time! Enjoy!
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. ;)
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!
