Dance it out

Saturday night was a much needed girls night out. Tina, Lanie and I decided to do it up since it had been FOREVER since we had one. There's just something about getting together with your two best friends and having some fun that is good for the soul.


We started the night at Lanie's and had some dinner (see, we are responsible drinkers, always have a base before you start!) and then headed out to Pierce St. It's kind of a divey bar but it's our local spot and they have a DJ so it works for us.

The night was one of those that can't be planned. Just three friends, hanging out, having some drinks (ok, a lot of drinks) and seeing where the night takes us. It turned out to be an awesome night of laughs, conversation, dancing...and did I mention drinks? It had been a very long time since we had a night where we close the bar down and I think it's safe to say we all had a great time.

Since Rob was in Phoenix, Courtney and Dimitri babysat Dominic. He had such a great time hanging out with them and his cousins. I love that they get to spend time together and it's crazy to think that one day they will all be school together!


The boys were so excited to have Dom stay over and they helped give him a bath and read him a bedtime story. These photos make me so happy! And I love the one below...Court is such a natural. She could totally have another baby and juggle it all (don't tell Dimitri!)


Dom loves his Nuna Court loves having snuggle time with her Godson. It's such a blessing to have family that is not only willing, but wants to help out. I love that our family is so tight and always rallies together to help each other out.

Thank you Dimitri and Courtney for having Domi over for a sleep over and giving Momma a much needed night out. And thank you Lanie and Tina for being my girls, I don't know what I would do without you both!

10 months old

Have you ever seen a more precious angel then my Dominic? I know I'm probably biased but come on....really? The eyelashes, the little lips, the clutching on to bunny. I die. I can't handle how sweet he is. I don't know what I did in life to deserve him, but I must have done something right along the way.
It seems like in the past couple of days he has really grown. His face doesn't look like a baby anymore. It's more grown up and more mature. His hair is a great length and looks like a bog boys haircut. He has different facial expressions that I have never seen before. He's babbling up a storm, chatting away to me, Rob, his toys, the tv, the cat. He even plays differently. Instead of darting from one toy to the next, he takes his time examining each one. He has more patience when I'm reading him a book or showing him how a toy works. It's crazy to me how much change can happen in just a couple of days.


We finally have him on a solid schedule that he's adapted to. Dinner about 6 or 630, bath time between 7-730 and then bed at 8pm. Sometimes on the days he has daycare he's in bed by 730pm because he's so wiped out. For the most part he only cries for a couple of minutes and then falls asleep. There are times when he puts up a fight and it takes almost an hour for him to get settled down, but that is getting less and less. He still doesn't sleep through the night though. Between 3 and 4 am he wakes up and just won't go back to sleep. So that's when a very tired Momma brings him into our bed for snuggles and then he sleeps until 7am. It's a good compromise. Why am I compromising with a 10 month old? Because him waking up one time is much better then what we used to be up against, and for now, I'm ok with it. And to be honest...he's my only baby....I'll never get this time again so I'm going to enjoy it while I can.

I love this photo of Dom and his Daddy. Rob is a Phoenix Suns fan and I'm, of course, a Lakers fan. Right now they're playing each other in the NBA finals so we have agreed to take turns with Dominic and which team he's going to root for. Monday night Rob got to dress him, and even though he's not wearing my teams colors, i can't help but absolutely melt. The socks alone are the cutest thing ever, and then add in the jersey like Dad's and matching shorts? Rob outdid himself with this one. And Dom looks so grown up!

Yep, my baby is not a little infant anymore. He's well on his way to toddler land, and i can't wait to experience it all with him!

Ross Run Down

Today called for leopard, so who was I too deny it. I threw on a denim mini skirt and some pink lipstick and called it a day. I stopped by Ross after work and scored in the clearance isle. Each piece was between $8.99 and $12.99....yep, you read that correctly. What did I get, your wondering? Ok, you're probably not wondering that, but I'm going to tell you anyway.

First off, a green t-shirt that is plain but really cute. It's much more fitted than my usual ones and that's a big step for me. Also a striped fitted knit top with ruched sleeves that come to the elbow, adorable. A black tunic that can be worn as a short dress or with leggings. Add a hot belt and I'm good to go. The best part? Zipper detail in the shoulders. And lastly something I have been searching for: a pair of jeggings. What the hell is that? They are basically denim colored leggins and they fit like a glove. Actually, they fit a tiny bit too snug, but that's ok, it gives me something to shoot for. I'm stoked because everything I bought is a size smaller than I wear now and they all fit! Woo hoo! I'll post photos as I wear them. And I promise not to "save" them for a special occasion.

Morning Cub

There is nothing I love more in the morning than seeing this toothy smile. It may be waaaay tooo early, I may be completly exhausted, but seeing Dominic smiling at me when he first wakes up makes it all better. Just like that.

Style Check In

No red lipstick today, but I did put on a shirt that I got a while ago that I hadn't worn yet because I was "saving it." But now that I'm on a mission to spice things up a bit, I thought, why not? I edited a bit before I left for the day and took off the earings. The shirt and it's flowers were pretty busy so i wanted to keep everything else simple. I paired it with boyfriend jeans cuffed into capris and .......

ta daaaa! I swapped out my usual flip flops for my wedges! I got these babies about 3 or 4 years ago and only wore them a handful of times. In trying to keep up my style promise to myself, I broke them out today and, even more impressive, wore them all day. I took Dom to daycare in them, went to work in them, came home and even folded laundry in them. I only took them off when I went to my weight watchers meeting tonight. They'd probably add a couple pounds to the scale, and no one needs that.

I did good today. Down another 1.4lbs. Woo hoo! I also broke a zero! What that means basically is I'm in a different number bracket now. For example, say I weighed 133lbs (ha! Not even in high school!) and then I lost weight and now weighed 129lbs (not since I was like eight years old) that would mean I broke a zero. I went from the 130's to the 120's. My numbers aren't quite that low. Ok, not even close. But you're missing the point here. I broke a fricken zero! I'm so stoked!

The really weird part is that I am only about 5lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight..ok, let's pause and do the slow clap for G Money right now. It took me 5 months but it did it! Now, before we get all giddy, here's the weird part. Since having a baby, the weight is distributed completely differently. I have lost inches everywhere, but my baby pouch, which let's be real-is more like a baby spare tire, remains. From a side profile, I could totally pass as being 5 months pregnant. From head on, it's looking good. My curves are back, I've tightened up don't look so wibbly wobbly. But I know what lurks underneath my shirt. Ugh. It's going to be way harder than I thought to rid myself this little left over hanger on-er.

On another note completely, check out some of the flowers in my garden! I love the different colors and who doesn't love roses? All the flowers just make me so happy:)


We've also got some yellow ones in the back corner and pink ones in the front. Gorgeous! I wish we had some gardenias because those always remind me of my Grandma. We still want to plant some goodies such as bell peppers, avocados, lemons and asparagus. I'm just terrible at gardening. I can't even keep the most basic houseplant alive. I killed a plant Lanie gave me when we first moved into our place on Pomona. The first thing she told me when she gave it to me was "these plants are impossible to kill." Oopsies. Lucky for me, Rob has a bit of a green thumb so I'm sure he'll b able to keep it all thriving beautifully.

Shoe Envy

Want. Need. Love.

Mothers Day catch up

This is the face that I madly adore. He is the reason I get to celebrate Mothers Day. How lucky am I? The worlds luckiest. Seriously. This is my kid. He's mine. I'm his Mom. I'll always be his Mom. He's my son. He'll always be my son. That rocks so hard. Because he is such an awesome little human being and I really don't know how I lived my life without him all these years.

He makes me smile every single day. A thousand times a day. He fills my heart with such love and happiness that if i could bottle it, there would be no more war, just peace in the world. Every part of him makes me want to bite him. His chubby legs, his little hands, his tiny dimple. I can't help but give him a thousand kisses every time I'm within reach. He is my precious little cub and I'm so lucky to be his Momma.

Mothers day was fun. Check out what Rob and Dominic got me! My Reebok Easytone shoes! Sweet! (Babe, you get brownie points for reading my blog! Now, if I could only get you to leave a comment every now and then.....) I couldn't wait to try them out so i wore them during my workout yesterday. Wow. They felt like a dream. I was worried they would make my feet sore at first but they felt like I was walking on a cloud. Love them!

We spent the day BBQ'ing at Alexia's pool and just hanging out. Mom wasn't able to make it because Dad wasn't feeling too hot, so they hung out at home, but they were there in spirit. The rest of us (Rob, Dominic, myself, Dimitri, Courtney, Nicolas, Max, Alexia, Luciano, Marcus, Monica and Aunti Andie) munched on grub and enjoyed just being together. We all brought something so between us we had hot dogs, burgers, fruit, veggies, potato salad (yay Lexi!) and pasta salad (ya me!) Dom even went in the pool for the first time. He loved splashing around, even if it was a bit cold. A great time was had by all!

I just love this photo of Domi. He's doing his cute little winky face and is running around in his walker. Such a happy little kid:)

Even though I'm a Mom now, Mothers day to me will always be about my beautiful Mom. She is my total hero, and I look up to her in a million and one ways. She always knows the right thing to say, can always can do a thousand things at once, always takes care of everybody around her and would live and die for her family. In the 34 years that I've been on this planet, I can count the number of times she's been sick on one hand. She's superwoman in every sense of the word. It's never a dull moment with my Mom because her energy is infectious. She makes me laugh like no other, teaches me so much without even realizing it, and is so incredibly beautiful inside and out. She's selfless, loving, generous, hilarious and can somehow make everything ok, no matter the situation.


Everything I know about being a Mom, I learned from her and if I could be even a tiny bit like her as a mother, I'd be honored and blessed. They broke the mold when she was born and I love her so much, i don't think I could ever truly express it.

She is awesome. She is incredible. She is my Mama.

I wish I was a little bit taller

Being short is quite the challenge, especially when you're also a size 16. If I was taller, I wouldn't look like I'm carrying as much extra poundage as I am. I won't get greedy...how about a couple of inches? It would be a dream to be 5'6 or even 5'5. Longer legs is how I'd like to add the height please. Who do I call to make that happen?

I'm itching for a change. Hair. Clothes. Style. I kind of feel like I'm stuck in a rut "style" wise and need to find some relief before Stacy and Clinton from "what not to wear" ambush me at work and I end up in the dreaded 360 degree mirror. This is a rut that isn't going to be cured by wearing red lipstick between the hours of 8-5pm. I need more.

I have lost 15lbs so far, so that is making me more interested in clothes again. And I am really really trying to come to terms with my "baby pouch." It's there, it's not going away overnight, so I might as well become friends with it. I'm going to try not to be so self conscious about it. Right now I opt for baggy tops to cover it, but maybe I'm going about this all wrong? Maybe I should just embrace it. Wear form fitting clothes and if someone makes a comment or I see someone pointing and staring, I'll just whip out some photos of my sweet Dominic and say "totally worth it, don't you think?"

I wish I had hair that was manageable and looked great when I woke up in the morning. Something that I could wash, let air dry and it would just look effortlessly cool. I'm considering doing the Brazilian blowout to remove frizz from my hair. It's only temporary, but might help a little.

You know what would be really great? Having a crapload of extra money. Then I could go on a shopping spree bonanza and add some new fun and excitement to my wardrobe. I window shop. A lot. I go online, put stuff in my cart and then close out the window. Do I need new clothes? No. Do I want new clothes? Yes. Is that selfish of me? Maybe, but I'm human.

Maybe if I can find a way to sell my current items, I can make enough money to buy some new threads? I know a lot of people do this by selling their stuff to consignment shops that pay cash, but guess what? They are really not so eager to buy clothes that are considered plus size. They should really reconsider because if they bought the plus size clothes, they would then sell the plus size clothes. And then I would shop there, as I'm sure lots and lots of other chubby girls would. .....wait a second, did I just come up with a possible new business?

First Attempt

So I said I wanted to try and shake things up a bit, and here is my first attempt. I've had this dress for a while but was waiting for a particular occasion to wear it. I have no idea what that occasion is....and that's why I end up not really wearing a lot of my stuff. I always want to save it for something special and then it just sits there, in my closet, begging to be worn but overlooked for jeans and a t-shirt.

Getting ready for work on Thursday I decided to throw caution to the wind and bring it out of the shadows. I threw it on with black leggings and a red hairband. One more "stepping out the box" touch? Red lipstick. I really only wear chapstick because I kiss my baby boy so much I'd be wiping lipstick off him every five minutes! But I had already dropped him off at daycare so he was out of danger...so i thought "why not?"

These are small steps, but it's a start. I'm going to try and push myself to wear other lonely items from my closet that haven't really seen the light of day. I'll try to post pics so you can give some feedback. You know, like "yea, that's working" or "oh wow, no, put it back in the closet asap!"

Lusting Over

Katy Perry's manicure and lightning bolt ring

Sublime hoodie

A delicious cook book for Dom

More to follow.......

Beauty Boo Hoo's

I think I'm in a beauty rut. I need to shake things up a bit, step outside the box. Prehaps it's because I don't really go out anymore. I mean, I do go out, I'm not trapped inside my house or anything. But I mean go out as in out on the town. Go watch some live music. Hit the local watering hole with friends. Not having any plans and just seeing where the night takes us.

Things are obviously different now. We have our sweet little Cub now, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. But I'm human and I do miss having more nights out, causing trouble and letting lose. There is nothing more fun to me then hanging out with Rob and my crew and doing what we do. It feels like it's been forever and I'm aching for a night of grown up fun. I could sit here and say I don't miss it because I'm a Mom now. But hello, I'm still me. I'm still G. And I still want to break out every once in a while.

I used to love the whole delicious process when it came to hitting the town. One of my favoitre parts was the ritual of getting ready. Shower, wash hair, blow dry said hair straight, pick out an outfit, and another and another and another before going back to the first one I picked out. Doing my make up, picking out my jewelry. Having a pre drink before drinking. It's what got me in the zone and relished it. And then as a bonus came the evening ahead.

I'm not a big fan of my hair these days. It does nothing i want it to. When I wear it curly, it frizzes and when I wear it straight, it's limp. And frizzy. My hair officially hates me. I want to change it up. I mean, really change it up. Cut it really short on the sides and in the back but longer on top. I would have to blow it out because it would look totally ridiculous curly. I could wear it with a long bang, or back kind of like a elegant mohawk. It would be rad. And then i would hate it after a couple of days and wish i had never cut it. But it's only hair, right?

I have tons of make up. back when I had money to spare i was slightly, and by slightly I mean completely obsessed, with make up. I would make lists all day long of different lipsticks, eyeliners and blush that i would read about and go on a splurge adventure. As i result, I have a whole crap load of the stuff. the only problem, I don't really wear any of it. I usually stick to my basic bronzer and mascara with chapstick routine. Maybe I need to break out of the naked lip thing and start wearing my pinks and reds for no other reason then I'm going to work, or the grocery store.

So I guess my goal is to step it up a notch and see what happens. Will i actually find the time and energy to do it? Maybe. Maybe not. But thinking about it is the first step.

Another Month, Still Adorable

My sweet little cub is 10 months old! How did this happen? I can hardly believe that he's this kid that sits up, crawls, has teeth and says "cat!" He's a funny little kid too. When we go out, he'll stare at ladies until they look over and coo and make a fuss about how cute he is. Then he breaks out his toothy grin and give them his flirty eyes. It's so hilarious to watch. He really is so awesome and I'm so proud of him.

Book Love

We are almost done with our unpacking, yet there are still tons of boxes in our spare room. They contain very precious cargo, one of my favorite things...books. Pages filled with adventure, mystery, horror, romance, drama. Words overflowing about musicians crazy life's, how to clean almost anything, what to expect when you're expecting. Tales of drug abuse, shopping abuse, life abuse. Tutorials teaching gardening, cooking, beautifying. I could get lost among the adventures and escapades. I have a severe addiction to these little beauties. Paperbacks, coffee table, how to's...all of them. And wouldn't you know it, I fell in love with a fellow bookworm. So between the two of us, we have mounds and mounds of books. And it pains me that they are sitting in cardboard caves when they should be broken free and displayed.

And here lies our problem. We have no bookshelves to put them on. I think we may have found some that will work in the little room where they live, so I'm excited to bust them out and see them in all their glory once again.

Do I have time to read all these books? No. Do I have time to even read one book? Um, no. I'm still trying to get through the first chapter of the book Lanie gave me about 3 months ago ("Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity." Like I said, I love all kinds of books and am always into reading the story of all types of different people, even promiscuous ones.) The problem isn't that it's not interesting, intriguing and riveting. No, the problem is that I just haven't found a spare second to settle into the couch, tuck my feet up underneath me and read for a good hour. I used to do it all the time, pre baby. I would start a book and be so sucked into it that I'd be done and picking up a new one within the week.

But Rob and I have big dreams. Once the house is unpacked and everything is where it belongs, we hope to find our way back to the lands of make believe, gritty truths and a place where anything can happen.

Checking in with me

Hi, it's me. You're faithful blogger. It's been a while since a self potrait so I thought I'd humor you. Thank goodness for make up, they're hiding my dark circles. I can't believe it's already May. I mean, seriously, where did the time go? Never has time flown by like it is these days. Dominic will be one in two months! Whaaaaa? How?!! It just blows my mind!

We're all moved into our house and settling in quite nicely. We had a goal of being unpacked within 30 days, and we came close. But between a weekend trip to Las Vegas, a crawling baby that you can't take your eyes off, even for a second) and life in general...we fell just short. but that's ok. We far surpassed our progress from our last move. When we moved out a year later, we still had unpacked boxes. This time, there are just a few here. But it feels so good to have almost everything put away. I love where we live and I'm so glad this is the place we call home.

In January, I began the long journey known as losing weight. It's a journey I am all too familiar with, I've been here many times. The last time I did this, I was successful and lost about 25 lbs and was really happy with the results. I was in shape, felt good and was the most comfortable in my skin then I have ever been. And then I got pregnant. I gained 26 lbs though out my 9 months and it was worth every pound. I had Dominic in July and it wasn't until January that I was ready to get back on the horse and lose the weight. I was nervous about it but after talking to my BFF Lanie, I felt ready to give it a shot. That was four months ago and so far I've lost 15 lbs. That may not sound like a whole lot, but one thing I've learned is slow and steady wins the race. I wish I could work out more, right now it's just one night a week. Last time I did this I was working out 3-4 times a week and it paid off. I saw my legs change shape, my waist defined and just felt stronger. Life is pretty hectic these days and Rob is working long hours at work, so even though I wish it was more, I'll take the one night.

One thing that is different about this go round is what i will loving call the "baby pouch." It's so weird, it's just there. Sitting on my tummy. While I am getting smaller (slowly) that baby pouch seems to be staying put. Almost taunting me. It is a thousand times more difficult to lose the actual weight this time around. It's in totally different place, more stubborn, just really making me work for it. Well, I guess it took me 9 months to get it so I can't expect for it to just disappear. I see a lot of sit ups in my future.

Let's see, let's see....what else... oh, I could use a night out. I know we just went to Vegas at the beginning of the month, but it felt like we spent more time on the road then having time to chill. Don't get me wrong, it was a blast, but I'm just craving some Mommy and Daddy time. A night out, drinks, friends, good times. I need to recharge my batteries and blow of some steam. Hopefully we'll get a chance to do that soon.

All in all, things are great. Life is moving right along and we are keeping up and still smiling. Even though I could use some sleep, I can't complain. I love spending every day with my beautiful son and handsome man. Yep, life is good.

Going to the Chapel

On Saturday Dominic and I went with Alexia to find bridesmaid dresses and a dress for me, the Maid of Honor (MOH.) We had a very successful day and found both! Dom was a really good boy and just kinda rolled with the punches, flirting with whatever ladies looked over at him,

I'm still kind of in shock that my baby sister is getting married. I mean, I know Luciano proposed. I know she said yes. I know the date of the wedding is October 23rd, 2010. But it's just all a bit surreal.

It seems like just yesterday she was this little kid in school, learning how to drive, deciding what she was going to be when she grows up. And now all of a sudden, she's a beautiful woman, with an amazing job, a great place to live, her head on straight and about to get married!


I am so excited for her and Luciano because they really and truly are meant to be together. They're that couple that are just so perfect together, so easy and relaxed, so themselves. They are smoking hot and stop people in their tracks but what they have on the inside is so much more. I know that sounds so cheesy, but it really is true. They are both the sweetest, kindest, most loving people you'll ever meet. When you're hanging out with them, you just feel cool. They have cool clothes, cool friends, cool everything. He treats my sister with such love and respect, and even turned her onto what great music is all about. I never thought I'd see the day that my Sisiter is singing along to Queen or Bruce Springsteen, but she does and word for word at that. They have such generous and geninue spirits and instantly make you feel comfortable and important to them. Their wedding is going to be so amazing. I'm going to be crying without a doubt, and I know everyone else will be too. My baby sister is all grown up and about to embark on her own journey with Luciano. I can't wait to witness them become husband and wife, and start the rest of their lives together.

As individuals, they are amazing and beautiful people. Together, they are magic.

Who's That Kid?

Can someone please tell me who this who this kid is? I swear, when I went to sleep he was a little baby, and this morning he's practically drinking coffee. I just can't believe how much he's grown up. I remember when Laurie gave him this outfit, I thought "wow, it will be a really long time before he can wear that, it's huge." but all of a sudden, here we are. He's wearing it and is looking like a little man in the process. It seems everything about him is changing. His face looks different, older. His hands are bigger, his two little teeth are even bigger. He's more aware of what we're saying now. For example, if I tell him "no" he looks at me with a sly smile and tries to get away with whatever he's doing. He is understanding that he's not supposed to be doing it, and that's something new. Something else new is he says "cat" now whenever he sees cuddles. It's kind of funny because he says it in an english accent so it sounds more like "caught." I'm not sure why he says it that way since I don't, but it's totally adorable.


His favorite shows on TV are "Yo Gabba Gabba," "Wonder Pets" and "Wow Wow Wuzby." He gets so excited when they come on and now interacts with them by waving his hands, clapping and shrieking with glee. I love this photo of him sitting crossed legged on the pillow. He just looks so grown up! Maybe it's the track pants....or maybe it's just him.

This sweet face brings me so much joy. I love watching him learn and grow, sometimes it feels like it's all happening so fast. We're struggling with the night time thing and I'm hoping it gets easier soon. He still cries when he goes to bed, sometimes taking me an hour of going in there before he goes to sleep. He's still not sleeping through the night, and that's something that I hope he grows out of sooner than later. It's tough on us to hardly ever get a full night of rest but we're doing the best that we can.

Harder then the not enough sleep thing is the emotional thing. Every night my heart breaks as he cries to be picked up and comforted, and it just doesn't get any easier. It's been 45 minutes since I took him to bed, and he's still crying. After I have gone in there a bunch of times, Rob gives it a shot, and sometimes that does the trick. And if Rob is the one to put him into bed, same thing. It's as if he wants to see us both to make sure we're both still here before he gives in and calls it a night.

I often wonder what he's thinking. I wonder what's going through his mind at times like these. Does he really thing we've left him or is he just trying to get us to pick him up? Either way, I think it sucks for both of us. I'm just thankful he still loves me in the morning.

Hand in Hand

It's been a crazy, bizarre, beautiful, tough, tiring, thrilling, eye opening, wonderful, emotional journey so far and no matter what is thrown at us, we find a way to make it to the other side. In one piece. Together. Our hearts full of love and promises to try our best. I don't know what lies ahead, I just know that as long as we're standing there together, it will be ok.

Sleepless Nights

Daycare is going better. Dominic still cries when I leave, but not for long. He's eating more through out the day and is still taking his two naps. The crazy thing is he's so tired by the time he comes home that we wants to sleep. His bedtime is 8pm but I think we're going to have to move it to 7 or 730pm. He spends all day crawling around and playing so by the time I go pick him up he's dunzo.

We're still working on the "cry it out" thing. He does great (for the most part) with going to sleep but he just won't sleep through the night. There is the odd night here and there where he will, but it's not consistent. Most of the time i repeat the process of letting him cry, waiting five minutes, going in to comfort him and then repeating. But when it's 2 in the morning and I've been doing that for an hour, it can be frustrating. I find myself torn between keep going through the process or just bring him into bed with us. Rob has to get up early for work, and it keeps him up. Not that he complains about it, but it's just hard. Plus, when I'm up in the middle of the night going back and forth into his room, trying to get him back to sleep, I'm exhausted. Part of wants to just to bring him in with us so we can all get some asleep and my heart is shattered after hearing him cry for so long. But then I worry about not staying consistent with him and breaking the pattern we're trying to teach him. It's a very confusing and tiring place to be. I thought he'd be adjusted by now, but 2 weeks in and we're still struggling. I suppose it's all part of the process and we'll find a way that works for us.

Daycare Bound

Yesterday was a huge milestone for us. It was Dominic's first day of daycare! I had mixed feelings about the whole situation. I was super excited for Dom because I knew he'd love interacting with other kids, playing with new toys and having fun all day. but part of me was a little uneasy. I would be leaving him with a stranger. Someone that I had only met once. Yes, she is licenced, insured and has been doing this for over 30 years, but still she was a stranger to me. I'm sure this is something all new Moms go through the first time, but that didn't make me feel any better. Although I was a little nervous about the whole things, I still was pumped for Dom. It would be great for him to play all day and it would be great for me because I'd have a couple hours after I dropped him off and picked him up to myself. I could get laundry done, run errands or, ahem, update my blog.

Connie runs the daycare out of her home and she's a grandma type of lady that loves all her kids. When we went to interview there, Dom had a great time. He went straight to her, let her hold him and crawled all around, playing with the toys. I had no doubts that we would drop him off on his first day he'd have no problem saying goodbye, probably wouldn't even notice us leaving because he'd be too busy playing. Some people told me to be strong and that I would cry, and I thought they were nuts. I was stoked for Cub and had no qualms about the whole thing.

Ok, so first morning scenario. We get up, get dressed, take our family photo (see above) and hit the road. Five minutes later, we arrive at Nonnie's Daycare (cute right?) So far, so good. We walk in and there are 3 kids there, one of them 7 months old...she's she's wailing. Crying, tears, the whole bit. Uh oh. This instantly makes Cub on edge and he just kind of stares at her. Connie comes over and welcomes us and Cub's grip on my arm gets stronger. It's time to leave so I put him on the floor with some toys, and he starts to panic. He looks at me like "Mom, where you going? Dad, what's happening?" My heart starts breaking and I pick him up to comfort him. "I love you baby, try to have some fun today." Ok, it's time to go. Connie reassures me that he'll be ok so I put him down again and he cries harder. Wow, ok, this is much tougher than I thought it would be. I look at Rob and make a beeline for the door. The faster I can get out of there, the faster I won't hear my baby crying for me. Sitting in the car, I tried to fight the tears, but they were stronger that me. Yes, I admit it. I let some tears fall. Rob comforted me but I still just felt like I left my baby somewhere where he knows no one.

About half an hour goes by and I'm feeling sad. I think the crying baby left me uneasy also. The scene was a little chaotic for our first time and I wasn't feeling totally at peace with the whole thing. I just kept imagining Dom looking around for his Mommy and Daddy, crying and feeling abandoned. I had to make sure he was ok. I called up Connie and she said he was doing fine. Phew! i felt so much better.

When I picked him up he was definitely happy to see me:) Connie said he did pretty good. He didn't eat a whole lot and cried a couple times through out the day. But he did take his two naps and played for a bit. Not bad for his first day.

Taking him this morning I was a little worried because at this point, he's onto me. He knows I'm going to leave him there and I had a feeling he might just cry even more then yesterday. When we walked in, something was different. It was quiet! only one other kid was there, and she was sitting quietly playing on the floor. I instantly felt better. When Dom saw Connie, or "Nonnie" as the kids call her, he broke out into a smile. Ok, ok, this is good. She extended her arms to him and he went to her. In mid lean, he suddenly looked over at me and then her as if to say "wait a second, this feels like a trap..." Connie told me he'd be fine and to get going, so I gave him a kiss and told him to have a good day and headed for the door. I could hear him kind of crying, but not screaming, so off I went.

I feel 100 times better this morning. I don't know if it's because the atmosphere was much calmer or maybe it's because Dom didn't scream and wail when I left. Maybe I'm just getting used to the idea of him being safe and ok in someone elses care for the whole day. Hopefully there will come a day, soon, that Dominic is excited to go to Nonnie's and will eat and play and have a blast. Until then, baby steps.

Name Change

I think it's interesting that people just assume I got married, and not divorced. When I call someone that asks for my name I say "Gina Cretikos," and if what they have on file is Gina Kincaid, they ask if my name has changed to Cretikos. When I tell them yes, they say "congratulations!" I have never corrected them because that would just be an awkward conversation to have.

Great Cub Progress

Success! After being restless last night, Dominic finally settled down around 10:30pm and slept through the night! Yahoo! He woke up at 6:00am and I brought him into our bed to snuggle, because there's nothing better then that. Oh wait, yes there is....he went back to sleep for another 2 hours! That's what I like to call a great night. I hope we can have a repeat performance tonight. So far, so good. He went to bed at 8pm, cried for about 5 minutes and then went to sleep. It's almost 10pm now and not a peep. Come on baby, you can do it!



He's growing up so fast. I had been a little worried about his eating because when it was meal time, he wouldn't eat a whole lot. A couple bites of baby food, some "lil crunchies" snacks, maybe a few bits of apple. But over the past couple of days he is doing so much better. He eats a whole jar of baby food, a good helping of apples, some Jello pudding. It's so cute to see him mash his food up with this two front teeth!

It was so nice out today, so we went down to Shiffer Park to have some fun. He absolutely loves the swings. Every time I'd push him, he'd break out into the giggles with his little toothy grin on display. We went on the slide and cruised about the climbing stuff. I think once he starts walking, he's going to love going to the park. Rob and I are keeping an eye out on Craigslist for a little jungle gym to in the backyard for him. We now have the space and it would be awesome for Dominic to be able to play out there. Plus, his cousins would have a blast when they came over too.

Tomorrow is Cub's first day of daycare. I'm really excited for him because I think he's going to love playing with the other kids and checking out all new toys. I have a strong feeling he will jump right in and not cry when I leave, and I'm hoping that's true. I have to admit that I'm a tiny bit nervous about leaving him with, well, strangers. I mean, the ladies there are great, and have been doing this for over 30 years, so I know he's in good hands. But at the end of the day, they are strangers. Kind of nerve racking, but that's just the Mom in me. People do this every day, and I just need to trust in our choice of daycare and roll with the punches. All in all, I'm excited for him and can't wait to see how it goes.

Heart Ache for Momma

The whole "cry it out" thing went so well at the beginning of the week. Right now, not so much. He goes to bed with almost no hiccups. I lay him in his crib at 8pm, he cried for about 5 minutes and then goes to sleep. The problem is, he wakes up around midnight and I have to repeat the whole process over again, but he always puts up more of a fight. Last night it was from midnight to 2am that he cried with me going in there every five minutes and I admit it....I gave in. I KNOW! I'm WEAK! But in my defense, Rob was in Phoenix and I heard a weird noise outside my window. I felt much better with him snuggled up in our bed where i could see him and the bedroom door locked.

Tonight started well. He went to bed at 8pm and only cried for a few minutes. But then he woke up at 10pm and has been crying on and off for the past 40 minutes. I'm listening to my baby scream and cry and it's killing me. I'm heart broken and just want to go swoop him into my arms and hold him tight. But I can't. I have to let him cry. I can go back in and let him know every thing's ok in five minutes. but then I have to leave him again, and that's when he really starts wailing. Brutal.

Time's A Flying

Someone please tell me who this kid is? He can't possible be my little Cub, because this kid is obviously all grown up and at least 23 years old.

Time is flying by. It seems like just yesterday we brought Dominic home from the hospital, tiny and new, and felt a tiny bit panicked because we realized that he's in our care now. We are totally responsible for this young pup, and it's our job to protect him and raise him right, Everything was a learning experience and even though we soon got into the swing of things, it was still hard to believe that this perfect little angel is our son.


He was totally dependent on us for everything. Eating, sitting, sleeping....we had to gently hold him in one arm and hold his bottle with the other. Now he holds his own bottle and sits in high chair, picking up his food from his tray and feeds himself. Bath time meant one of us lowering him into his little tiny tub and holding him while the other washed his hair and got him all nice and clean. Now he can't wait to jump in and splash away, trying to eat the bubbles. We used to have to hold his little head up so it didn't get all wonky. Now he sits up by himself, crawls all over the place and is climbing onto anything that he can get a leg up on.

All this progress and it's only been 9 months. I'm in awe of Dominic and all that he has accomplished so far. It seems like every day is something new and I can't wait to see what's next.

Refreshing!

Daddy and son enjoying a nice cold one after a long day at work:)

One tough cookie

Dominic is really such a great little kid. he always has a smile on his face and loves to play with his toys. You'd never know it, but he has an ear infection in both ears and an eye infection in both eyes. It's just one of those things that baby's have the no so lucky pleasure of getting. But even though he's not feeling so great, his disposition is still cheery. His doctor said he has a huge tolerance for pain because most kids would be screaming non stop. What a brave boy. Just like his Momma. Well, I thought I had a high tolerance until I went into labor. That was something that I can't even begin to describe. Luckily, Dom won't have to deal with that haha.

He's a curious little boy and likes to test his boundaries, so not crying after every little bump and spill is a good thing. He usually just picks himself up, dusts himself off and moves on to his next adventure. right now he loves to climb. Boxes, couches, on us, on the cat. He also LOVES to crawl under things. If there is a way to get under something, he'll find it. He crawls under his chair, his stroller, the dining room chairs. He loves tunnels and forts and is pretty much a typical little boy:)

Cry It Out

For the most part, Dominic has set his own bedtime. We let him stay up as long as he liked until he was tired. This would usually be around 11 at night. Hey, what can I say? he's a night owl like his Momma:) I would rock him to sleep and gently place him in his crib. Everyone told me not to do this because he would get used to it. But try telling that to a first time Mom that loves nothing more then holding her baby as nuzzles up to her and drifts off to la la land. I loved glancing down and seeing his sweet little mouth, his eyes closed and long eye lashes fanned out. His little tiny fingers curled around mine. It would be in those moments, sitting in the rocking chair in the darkness of his room, that I would thank God for this incredible gift. I would breathe deeply and hold him close, realizing that this is my life now. I would feel incredibly humbled and grateful for the blessing that is my son.

I wouldn't change all that for the world, but now it's time to buckle down and get him onto a schedule. We decided it was time for Dom to get used to a regular bedtime and sleep through the night. I have been dreading this moment because i can't bare the thought of him crying and me not comforting him. I knew it would take a lot of strength for me not to rush in there and scoop him up and rock him to sleep. But he needed to learn how to go to bed when he was still awake. It would be better for him and us.

Our doctor recommended letting him cry for 5 minutes then going in and comforting him, then leaving again and repeating every 5 minutes until he finally goes to sleep. She warned it could take 25 times and not to give up. Monday was the first night we let him "cry it out." Bath, bedtime at 8pm, some snuggles and then in the crib. My poor baby screamed bloody murder and i thought i was going to die. I felt horrible. but I followed the docs suggestion and after the third time, he went to sleep! he woke up at midnight and i repeated the process and it worked! Tues night same thing. Wednesday night he slept all the way through. Tonight, he cried for 2 mins and then went to sleep. I am totally amazed and proud of my boy!

Toughest so far

Being a parent is hard. I mean, I knew it was going to be hard, but you have no idea until you're living through it. Dominic is 9 months old and I have come to learn that this age, while rewarding, is also exhausting. He's crawling up a storm, climbing on everything he can get his hands on and has no fear. This means eyes on him at all times. No exceptions. Gone are the days where I could put him in his bouncy chair and not worry. Now there isn't really anywhere I can put him and leave the room for a second to grab a tissue, or his sippy cup, or pee. It is, by far, the most challenging age so far.

There are tons of things that are awesome, and the totally out weigh the tough parts. He's really curious and loves to touch everything. He's learned how to do peek-a-boo with his blanket and loves playing that game over and over. He's totally into books and will take his time turning the pages, looking at the pictures and squealing in delight.


He's totally obsessed with our cat, Cuddles. Whenever he sees her he claps his hands and makes a mad dash towards her. He pets her...ok..more like pulls at her fur, but Cuddles is actually pretty patient with him. Every time she's around I say "cat!" and now when he sees her he says "Ca Ca Ca." It's amazing that he's trying to say cat!

There is nothing better than when he looks at me with a big smile, crawls into my lap and gives me a big hug. That is the just the best and always makes me feel like a million bucks. So even though I'm wiped out by the end of the night, it's worth every sleepless night and stressful moment. Because those pass and the overwhelming love I feel for my son never will.