Pool Days

Over the weekend we conquered another first for James - swimming in the pool!  We are lucky enough to have not 1, but 3 pools in our neighborhood. The sad thing is that up until this weekend, we had not used a single one of them!  Between the blazing sun and our busy schedule, it never seemed like the right time.

The sun was shining, but the heat level was mild so we didn't roast.  Grandma and Grandpa Q. joined us and we all had a blast.  James seemed to really like the water - both in the baby pool and in the big pool.  I think he just thought it was a big, cold bath.  :)

Once this kid is old enough, he will take swimming lessons.  We want him to know how to swim and not fear the water.  And hey, if he wants to be the next Michael Phelps sans the pot smoking incident, I say go for it!

James' Monthly Photo Project: Five Months Old

Here we are again.  Can you believe that the little guy is 5 months old?!?!??!  We sure can't.  It feels like yesterday that I was in the operating room and they were yanking him out of my belly.  :)  Well, here we are and we have lots to share about what James has been up to.

Milestones:

• One of the biggest, most exciting milestones hit during this month was the introduction of solid foods.  James' menu now includes not only formula, but rice cereal, oatmeal and sweet peas!
• He is on the move when we put him on his belly which means crawling is just around the corner.  He wiggles and shakes all over his play mat and does a psuedo army crawl.
• He experienced his first (and second and third) cold thanks to daycare!  This is not really a milestone to smile about, but it does mean that his immune system is working and developing so here's to a snotty nose!
• James LOVES to play with his toys and Mommy LOVES watching him as he does it.  His favorites include his Jumperoo, his high chair monkey and Sophie continues to be on top.
• Can you say TEETH?!  It's hard to believe, but in these last few days James' front bottom teeth have decided to cut through.  They are not fully emerged, but teething is officially in full force.

HAPPY FIVE MONTH BIRTHDAY JAMES!!!

Good Cook, Grandma

For every year that I can remember, my Mom's family would get together on Christmas Eve for the traditional fish dinner.  It was a meal that we all learned to look forward to not just for the delicious lobsters, shrimp and scallops, but because the entire family was there to spend quality time.  One year,  a long time ago, back when it was still hosted in Brooklyn at my Grandma and Grandpa Basile's house, we were all eating in silence ~ enjoying the good eats.  Out of no where, the little voice of my cousin Mikey who was no older than 5 says "Good cook, Grandma."  It was so adorable and perfect.  I think we all laughed and agreed!

Well, since then, whenever I am eating something that is just so yummy I think, "Good cook, Grandma" no matter who the actual cook was.  Last night, James had that moment because it was the first time that he ate something that didn't resemble cardboard.

May I present....PEAS!

But not just any peas - organic sweet peas made fresh by yours truly.  Yes ~ I am now a top chef in the world of baby food.  It is so simple to do...all you need is a steaming basket, a bowl and a blender.

Thanks to my Aunt Linda, we are well equipped with the Sage Spoonfuls baby food system inclusive of those handy dandy food containers.  My goal is to make as much as James' food as possible, but I am realistic.  I'm not sure I will have the stomach to puree meat.  I think Gerber is going to have to handle that one.  :)

James seemed to really enjoy this new food adventure.  The first bite was hilarious...

... but after a few more, he started liking it a lot.  So much so that he finished the entire bowl...and was actually looking for more!

Good cook, Grandma indeed.  :)

You Might as Well Jump!

James decided to harness the power of David Lee Roth and put his jumping skills to the test.  It seems we are finally tall enough to really enjoy the Fisher-Price Jumperoo.  Who needs a babysitter when you have this puppy!

James really gets going when I yell JUMP and then actually jump hence the shaky camera.  We are so thrilled that he is enjoying this thing.  Hopefully we'll be able to remove the Barefoot Contessa cookbook step stool soon.  :)

Potty Makeover 2.0

Two of the potties in the house are about to undergo a makeover.  Nothing major - just a little sprucing to tide us over while we save our pennies for a major renovation.  And really, who doesn't love a makeover.  I know I do...and could use one these days, but that is another story. :)

You may remember that we started working on our master bathroom last Fall but weren't able to do all the renovations we had hoped to do.  Lucy's knee surgery took priority and that is where the funds went.  We were able to make some small upgrades ~ a new paint job, added a new light fixture and replaced the boring old mirror with a medicine cabinet.  It just still feels blah.  We never really loved the shower curtain and the paint color against the white fixtues makes it feel very washed out.

While we save up for the big reno job, we decided that it is time to make the bathroom feel like a true master - well, as much as it can.  Here is what we currently have:

The long term goal is to bring in a medicine cabinet and vanity made of dark wood...similar to this:



The dark woods will help the wall color pop. And speaking of color, the color pallete will also be different with these as inspiration:

We are hoping that the small, suttle changes will tide us over until we can afford the big reno.  Stay tuned for the reveal!

But that is just one of the makeovers that the potties are undergoing in casa de Mangiaracina.  We are also looking to spruce up the upstairs hall bath and make it a little more James-friendly.  He is now old enough to take baths in the big boy tub (with some assistance from Daddy), so it's time to bring some big fun into the bathroom. Here it is now:

We painted the room this beachy blue color when we first moved in and still love it so it is going to stick. Plus it matches the new theme which is a double bonus. The makeover is going to include a shower curtain change and some decor upgrades to make it a bathroom that any kid would LOVE to spend time in. Behind the curtain are some clues as to the direction we are going in...can you guess?

And let me interrupt this regularly scheduled program to tell you how much we LOVE the bath products from Skip Hop.  From our Moby spout cover to the Tubby bath toy organizer to the Dunck stacking rinse cups, we are HUGE FANS!!  Don't be surprised if the makeover will include a few more Skip Hop products.  But I digress...We can't wait to put this room together - it is SO much fun to decorate kid areas and this one will not disappoint.  Stay tuned!!

Rice, Rice Baby

We hit a HUGE milestone on our little man's life last night and of course, we had to share it.  Rather than talk about it, how about some visuals.  :)

That's right people ~ we officially ate our first "solid" food!!  The recipe: 1 TBSP rice cereal and 1 oz formula.  Mix and serve.  The first few bites were a bit rocky as he tried to figure out what the heck Mommy was giving him on this strange instrument (aka: a spoon), but after a few tries, he got the hang of it and was wanting more and more!

This opens the door to a whole new world of eats for him, but its a baby steps process.  We'll be introducing all kinds of new stuff over the next few weeks and months and we'll have to see what he likes.  Hopefully he won't be like his Daddy and actually eat his vegetables!!

Stupid Summer Cold

There is nothing worse then having cold in the summer.  The itchy eyes, runny nose, annoying cough all while it is 98 degrees out.  Blah!  What's worse is being a 4 1/2 month old baby with a cold.  That's right ~ the germs of daycare have struck and our little guy is now experiencing his first full on cold.

He's got the runny nose...the hacking cough...the watery eyes and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.  Poor kid is too young to take meds so we have to work with the old fashioned remedies.  And let me tell you ~ he LOVES them. We have the humidifier running...we sit in a steamy bathroom with him to help loosen up the snot.  And his ultimate favorite - when I stick the bulb thing up his nose and suck the snot out.   He's a BIG fan of that one.  Can you sense the sarcasm?!

But at this point, we will try anything to help the kid breathe.  Luckily, he is taking it like a champ and is still the happy go lucky kid we have come to know and love.  We still even manage to get him to giggle despite the snot. :)