Oh Happy Weekend

This past weekend was a special one for a few different reasons. Reason number 1 is Eric came out to see us. Dom hadn’t seen him since he was 5 months old, so he was super excited. When I picked him up from the airport, Dom handed him a sign that he had made saying “My Big Brother is #1!” It’s crazy to me that Eric is going to be 21 this year. How did that happen? He was five about 10 seconds ago. But no, he’s a grown man now. And Dom became instantly obsessed with him. He wouldn’t leave his side and told everyone that would listen “Eric is my Brother!” We had an awesome time together and I really hope he comes back out again soon. I loved having him with us and Dom truly fell in love with his big brother. Most of all, Rob was so happy to have both his boys together.

Reason number 2 that this was a special weekend is because we took Dom to Knotts Berry Farm for the first time ever. It was so fun to experience it with him and have Eric along for the ride too. We completely loved all the rides, especially the fast ones. Rob got us season passes (how good to us is he?) so we figured a couple of hours for the first time would be good. We arrived about 3pm and stayed until 6:30pm. Eric and I even got to jump onto “Montezuma’s Revenge” for a quick ride. Oh. My. Gosh. I forgot how terrifying that thing really is. I was screaming the whole time and Eric was so freaked out he was doing that uncontrollable laugh one does when something isn’t funny, but you’re about to shit your pants because your so freaked out. It was awesome. As soon as the ride ended, we wanted to go again!

The final reason that the weekend was so special is……I got a new car! Ahhhh! It’s a 2007 Ford Edge SEL Plus and it’s gorgeous! The color is a carbon metallic dark grey which looks pretty much black, but even better. The inside is cream leather and I can hardly believe it’s mine. Rob is planning on giving his Civic to Eric and was going to get a truck or something similar for himself. Then he mentioned to me about upgrading my car, since it’s the one we use for family outings, and he’d take my jeep. I really liked that idea because I love my Jeep and was sad thinking about it being gone.

We looked online at some different cars, and this particular Ford Edge stood out. Mommy liked. But because the dealership was located about two hours away, we just couldn’t get it to work out. On Friday night, Rob told me that he’ll just go back to his original plan of getting himself a truck since he’s in a time crunch. I was fine with that, because as I said before, I really love my jeep.

On Saturday morning, Rob asked me if I could pick up Eric from the airport and keep him occupied for about 3 hours until he got back. Huh? What? I asked why wasn’t he coming too and he said he had something important to do, something about helping Josh. At first I was kind of irritated but then I realized that if he is giving up precious time with Eric, then it must be important.

The afternoon went by and eventually Rob got home about 12:45pm to grab Eric. He had booked at 1:00pm tee time for them so it was literally a “hi babe, bye babe” type of thing. Off they went and the afternoon continued on. At 5:30pm, Rob text me that they were on their way to pick up Dom and I to go to dinner. They got home about 6:15pm and even thought it was later than anticipated, we figured that we’d still go out, even if it was going to mess up Dom’s bedtime. Eric was here and that doesn’t happen very often.

We all started walking towards the garage and just as I was about to, Rob said to me “don’t forget your keys” and hands me a new set of keys. A set I have never seen before. Definitely not my Jeep keys. I looked outside, and there was my beautiful Ford Edge, sitting in our driveway. AHHHhH!!! He had Josh drive him to the dealership this morning so he could get it for me. How amazing is that? Rob isn’t big on surprised, but man oh man, he really hit it out of the park this time. I love my car so much, and the bonus is that he now drives the Jeep, so it stayed in the family. Dom loves our new ride and calls it “the party car!”

It was a weekend full of family time, surprises and new adventures and it was pretty much perfect in every way.

Tamale Time

I love traditions. They are what brings family and friends together and makes an ordinary experience extraordinary. Lanie and I set out on a mission a while back to start some new traditions of our own. Ones that we would continue through of life and always remember how fun it was. One of the first was Tamale Making. This is tradition that actually started with Lanie’s family. She would make tamales every year with her grandparents and she passed it onto us. The first time we did it was when Dom was only about 6 months old. We were living on Pomona in the jungle house, and Lanie showed us all the tricks of the trade to making them from scratch, including the masa. This year we did it at Lanie’s house, which was pretty special since that used to be her Grandparents home. The very place that she learned from the masters. Isn’t that what traditions are exactly about? Passing it on to younger generations?

It’s a two day celebration. Saturday is when we make the actual Tamales. We all help assemble them, all wearing aprons and trying to see who can impress Lanie the most. Sunday is when we call come back and share a meal together. Everyone brings something and eat the tamales that we worked so hard on the day before. This year was the tastiest ever. Everything came out so delicious that I ate way too much and was ready to pop.

I love that we have these types of things in place. It gives us a reason to come together and celebrate just because we choose to. I hope to continue them for many years to come, and who knows, maybe one day Dom will be rolling out the masa and making his very own tamales!

Valetines Day

Yesterday was Dom’s first Valentine’s day party. I bought him cards to hand out to his friends. I wrote his name on them and he colored them with crayons. He was so excited to have a party and hand them out.

I’m not a huge valentine’s day person. I have no issues with the holiday, and I like it to be acknowledged in some way (a card) but I don’t have any huge expectations for the day. It doesn’t need to ultra-romantic evening with rose petals and being fawned over. Because it fell on a Tuesday, I figured we’d go to the gym ( like we do every Tuesday night) and I’d make us dinner when we got home.

But Rob surprised me. When we came home from the gym, I was instructed to stay out of the kitchen until he said so. I gave Dom a bath and got him ready for bed. We read a story together and then I tucked him in. We had our usual little chat about our day and I said good night.

As I walked towards the living room, Rob announced that dinner was ready. I walked in and was surprised to find a delicious dinner of steak (kobe rib eye) and lobster on the table, along with a bottle of red wine. How sweet of him to go to all that trouble. I had actually been craving steak as it’s been about 6 months since I have had it. Everything tasted delicious and I felt very loved.

We’re not really wine drinkers, especially red, but it was actually pretty good. The best part of the evening was getting that alone time to sit at the table and have adult conversation while we ate. We had a good heart to heart, which I really enjoyed. We don’t get to do that much and I find that without it, I start feeling a bit distant from Rob. It’s nice to come together and reconnect like that.

As if all that wasn’t great enough, he also got me a beautiful card and a gift certificate to “Total Body Care.” So sweet and thoughtful of him. Because it was unexpected and not the norm for him, it really made it even more special!

Heart to Heart

When I dropped Dom off at school this morning, I gave him a big hug and kiss as usual. This is how our conversation went:

Dom: Mama, I love your heart
(Did he just say that? Wow. I’m melting.)

Me: I love your heart too baby boy

Dom: I don’t have a heart Mama

Me: Of course you do baby

Dom: No, I don’t have a heart

Me: Well, where did it go?

Dom: In my mouth Mama, I ate it.

He cracks me up!

Sandwich Victory

Today is a day of celebration in the McCool household. After two attempts and failures of getting Dominic to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (in the cool shape of a dinosaur) he finally did it!

I opened up his lunch box, expecting to see two PB&J dino’s, one with it’s head bitten off....

But there was no food, no crumbs, no nothing. His little Tupperware was empty. I swear, I felt so happy, like I had found a cure for cancer or something.

“Dom! Did you eat both your sandwiches?!!!”
“Yea Mama, peanut butter and jelly is my best favorite!”

And that is what you call progress people!

Ear is the problem

It’s been a long time since Dom has had an ear infection. He used to get them all the time, so much that the doctor had talked to us about the possibility of tubes in his ears. Poor cub I had heard that once a child hits two years old, they kind of grow out of them and that seemed to be the case for Dom.

Rob was in Phoenix this weekend, so of course that was a perfect time for Dom to get an ear infection. Saturday morning started out fine. He and I went to the gym as we usually do and then ran a couple of errands. He was in good spirits the whole time. I do remember him saying that his ear hurt as we were cruising the isles of Target, but he dropped it right after that so I thought he was ok.

Once we got home and it was nap time, I laid him down in his bed and he fell asleep pretty fast. 15 mins later he woke up crying. I checked him on the video monitor and he was lying in his bed, holding his left ear. Uh oh. I went in to console him and see if I couldn’t get him back to sleep, but it just wasn’t going to happen. I wanted to wait a little bit to make sure it wasn’t a once of thing before I took him to the afterhours doctor. As the hours went by, he was more upset. We were at Shirleys baby shower when he started getting a fever and was so irritable that he wouldn’t let me put him down, even for a second.

We hightailed it out of there so I could get him to the doctor and get him the meds I knew he needed. The whole way there he was crying, one hand holding his ear with his other arm outstretched to me. Kill me now. That is the worst feeling. The second worse feeling is realizing you’re gas light just went on. Damit! So I had to pull in to get gas, while Dom is crying harder and harder. I managed to quickly pump $12.00 worth and get back on the road. Thankfully there was no wait at the doctor and within an hour, he had his first dose of meds.

It sucks so hard to see your kid hurting and not be able to do anything about it. One of the many times I wished that I could have the stupid ear infection instead of him. But it’s all part of life I suppose. Thankfully he is feeling much better.

Goal!

Dom is so excited to be playing soccer at school. They have a company that comes to the school on Fridays at about 9:30am and teaches the kids that are enrolled the basic principles of the game. Oh ok, they just kick the ball around for 45 mins. But Dom LOVES it. Every Friday when I pick him up from school he tells me “Mama! I kicked the ball in the goal!” I don’t know if he is really doing that week after week, but I love his enthusiasm.

Getting Kids Organzied

From Left to Right: Parents.com, Martha Stewart, iheartorganizing.blogspot.com, modpodgerocksblog.com, coryconnordesigns.com, Martha Stewart, Ohdeedoh.com, Martha Stewart, icouldmakethat.org, Real Simple, iheartorganizing.blogspot.com, Martha Stewart, The Container Store (white elfa kids' workstation), iheartorganizing.blogspot.com, Real Simple, & Centsationalgirl.com
■Mon.-Fri. Closet Organizer – Have a week’s worth of school clothes picked out and ready to go. As a kid who always had her clothes laid out the night before, I LOVE this idea!

■Mailing Tubes for Art Storage – Label, roll, and store the endless art projects that are no longer on display in mailing tubes.

■Closet Bins Labeled with Pictures – Great idea for younger children who can’t read; separate various items with images instead of words.

■Closet Hooks Labeled with Sizes – Perfect for the closets of nurseries, growing kids, or shared siblings

■Wagon as Bookshelf –An adorably clever way to display and organize your kids’ books!

■The Fridge Chore Chart – an oldie but a goodie

■Nursery Organization Bins ‘Burp, Bathe, Bundle’ – Great way to keep your rags, towels, and blankets separated.

■Photo Paperweight – Add a little joy to your work with photo paperweights of your kids!

■Playful Jars for arts & crafts storage

■3-Ring Binders for school papers, report cards by grade, etc. – With so many brilliant ideas out there, it’s still hard to beat a 3-ring binder for school organization.

■Create a Household Binder to keep track of finances, babysitters, schedules, EVERYTHING. Don’t miss the step-by-step instructions and other genius suggestions at iheartorganizing.blogspot.com!

■Wall Book Shelf to keep books on display and out of the way

■Kids Workspace – If you have the space, provide your kids with their own organized workspace for crafts, schoolwork, and activities. Modify for their ages and likes, but remember to leave room for growth.

■Lego Organization – Legos are incredible toys for learning, but I have discovered that they are organization’s worst nightmare! Keep them under control with labeled bins by color. Include designated bins for the boards and the character pieces.

■Mudroom Central – Love the shoe organization, clear calendar, and wall storage!

■Planters as Wall Storage for Toys

Mustaching Around

I almost can't stand how cute this photo is. the wink, the mustache, the little hands. My baby boy...always making people laugh:)

Snuggle Bug

Sometimes you just want to climb onto the couch, snuggle up with your Daddy and a good blanket and watch "Toy Story 3" for the hundredth time:)

Packed Lunch

Dom absolutely loves preschool. He’s adjusted beautifully and is even doing great with this potty training. It’s such a relief to know he’s happy there. When we pull up he says “Yay preschool!” He has a “best favorite” named Justin and one kid who is not his best favorite called Ryan.

He takes his lunch to school every day and eats at the table outside with all his friends. I’ve tried getting some things other than chicken nuggets or turkey dogs in there, but it usually doesn’t go so well. He has eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at both Nonnie and Ms. Carol’s house, no problems, no questions asked. But when I made it for him, he made sure to let me know he wasn’t a fan. “Mommy, I no like sandwiches. “ Really? How could he not fall in love with the cuteness of the little PB&J dino’s I made with such love? He had taken a couple of bites, so I have to give him credit for that. Maybe I’ll wait a while and try it again, see how that goes. In the meantime, we are on a rotation of mac n cheese, chicken nuggets and turkey dogs with sides of grapes, cucumber, tomato, string cheese, raisens, pickles (Dom’s request,) carrots etc. And every day he opens up his Spiderman lunchbox and shows me how he ate it all.

He’s a lot more hyper when he comes home now. All fired up, chatting away about his day. I still can’t believe he’s in school now, but as usual, time is flying by. We still have him in his crib, and I’m scared to DEATH at moving him over to a big boy bed. He can pretty cheeky come bed time and most nights I am holding him down while I try to strap a diaper to his butt. I can only imagine what would happen, given the freedom of being able to step out of bed. I know it’s the next logical step, but maybe just a few more months of the crib?

Toy Story on Ice

Look how happy Dominic is in this photo. Look at him beaming. I love that little smile. I love that he loves his family that much. Oh wait, it may have something to do with the fact that we were at "Disney on Ice, Toy Story 3" and he was so excited, he could hardly contain himself.


Rob got us tickets to go and in true Rob style, we were sitting practically on the ice. He's so good to us! All the characters were there and Dom was in total awe. I've noticed that he likes to sit quietly for the most part, but don't take that as he's not enjoying himself. No, he's loving every second. But he's taking it all in. Very quietly looking at all the different characters, the lights, the stage, the crowd, the guys walking around selling popcorn and glow sticks. As soon as a song finishes, he clapped his little hands and then settled down, eyes peeled for the next number.

On the way home, all Dom could talk about was how he wants to see it again and how he wants to go to Dinseyland to see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto and Daisy. Huh? I had no idea he knew all their names! He then informed us that Buzz, Woody and the rest of the Toy Story gang lived there also, so he had to go see them.

Is it wrong that we have never taken him to Disneyland? Here's why. #1, it costs a fortune. Unless you have a house to take a second loan out, it can wipe you out financially. #2, How long would he last? So we pay an arm and leg to get inside, only to have Dom last 2 hours before he's over it or needing a nap. #3, would he get it? Would he understand the magnatude and magic of the experiance? I think he might be ready for it. Not an all day experiance, but at least half day. He should be tall enough to get on the rides and I know he'll love that. Plus, he's free until he's three, so we might as well get in there now before we need to sell a kidney to buy him his ticket.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Handbook for 2012

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4. Live with the 3 e's -- energy, enthusiasm and empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2011 .
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, - smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past.
That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job or businrss won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. Love has healing power.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come...
38. When you awake alive in the morning, be thankful for it.
39. Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Big Boy School

Yesterday was a big day in our lives...Dom's first day of pre-school! Woo hooo!! I was a nervous wreck of course, worried that he’d feel abandoned all over again and have a hard time adjusting. When we walked up, he was a little unsure of the unfamiliar surroundings. He clutched his hand a little tighter when we walked into the classroom and met Ms. Caroleena, one of his teachers. It was such an inviting environment with music playing and a few kids scattered around the room. I explained to Ms. Caroleena that Dom does much better with some affection so she opened up her arms and gave him a big hug. I loved that. There are some schools where you can’t do that anymore for fear of “crossing a boundary” but my son needs that kind of emotional openness. It calms his fears and makes him feel no so scared.

Once he was securely in Ms. Caroleena’s arms, Rob and I said our goodbyes and headed out the door. One thing I have learned is not to linger too long. If you hang out too long, and then try to leave, it’s extremely difficult on the kid. We made a quick get-a-way into the hallway and waited to see if he started crying. Luckily, the only tears were my own. Rob asked if I was ok, put his arm around me and then I just couldn’t help it. Once me head touched his shoulder, I did break down a little bit. I was just so worried that he would be scared and think we just left him there. We hung around for about 10 mins and then his teacher popped her head out into the hallway to let us know he was just fine and was doing a puzzle. Phew! What a relief!

At about 1pm, I called the school just to check on him. I was worried about him eating his lunch that I packed for him (he’s never had a packed lunch before) and taking his nap in a strange place. Thankfully I was told he was doing great. He ate all his lunch (victory!) and was taking his nap right at that moment. I had packed his new toy story blanket from home, so hopefully that was comforting to him.

I arrived back at the school at 4:45pm to pick him up. I crept into his classroom and there he was, sitting in circle time with the other kids. They were singing a song and having fun. When he saw me, he broke out into a big smile and said “hi Mommy!” His teacher showed me the pages he had colored and said that he was a very good boy, very well behaved and rather quiet. I had to laugh because my kid, quiet? Ha! But I know once he warms up and gets to know everyone he’ll be more himself.

On the way home Dom couldn’t take fast enough about his day. “Mommy, I ate all my lunch! And I took my nap! And I did a puzzle! And I met new friends!” I can’t describe the relief that washed over me at that moment. He likes pre-school! YES!!! He had an awesome time and was extra hyper the rest of the day. I’m so proud of him for making such a big adjustment with such ease. Hopefully his enthusiasm continues today and from here on out.

Goodbye 2011

What a year it has been. There has been so much that has happened. Some good. Some bad. Mostly good. It was a good year for us. It was definitely the most I've seen Dom grow up, almost overnight.


There is no limit on the amount of joy that he brings to my life. Every single day I'm amazed at his ability to grow and learn. It does feel like he's growing up too fast, but I'm such a proud Mom to see how smart and witty he is. What other kid do you know can sing the chorus and verse of "Moves like Jagger?" Dom closes this year saying goodbye to daycare and hello to preschool. Hopefully along with that will come using the potty and getting out of diapers. Please. At this point, I feel like I'm going to have an 8 year old wearing the things.

He has such a good grasp on things. He just gets it. He says the funniest things all the time. The other day I stubbed my toe and made a wincing face, like I was crying. Dom came over to me, gave me his bunny and said "Mommy, I'll protect you, I got you" and then rubbed my arm and gave me a hug. I mean, come on. Sometimes we'll be watching tv and a character he doesn't recognize will come on the screen. He'll turn to me and say "hey Mom, that's kinda weird!" Ha ha, where does he learn this stuff? When it's dark outside, he'll say "Mommy, the sun has gone nuh night, it's dark outside now." One of the funniest things he does now is call Rob and I by are names when we don't answer him right away. "Gina! Robert!"

His favorite tv shows right now are Team Umi Zoomi, Bubble Guppies, Yo Gabba (a classic!) Super Why, Fireman Sam, The Mighty Jungle and Peppa Pig. His favorite movies are The Incredibles, Toy Story 3, Up, Madagascar, Bolt and he's starting to show an interest in Cars. He's still really into his beavers documentary also. His favorite song, hands down, is "Moves like Jagger" by Maroon 5. He knows all the words to that, verse and chorus, and also does the cutest dance. He simply amazes me. He really is just such a happy kid.

I learned a lot about myself over the last twelve months. I gained a lot of weight and fell into a comfortable zone of not being aware of what I was eating, and that left me feeling the most uncomfortable i have ever felt. But I turned it all around by going back to Weight Watchers and not only dieting, but changing my lifestyle completely. I work out with a trainer twice a week, I walk/run on the treadmill at least 4 times a week. Most of the time, breakfast is a tasty spinach shake. WHO IS THIS PERSON? I don't know, but I kinda love her.
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I haven't eaten any fast food in over a 5 weeks and as of last nights weigh in, I'm down 12lbs. It feels so good to lose every week, I can't even tell you. I don't want to lose this feeling. I don't want to get bored in 8 months of tracking my food and working out, only to slide back into fattyville. If that happens, I will make myself read this entry.
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HEY! Lazy and burnt out Gina! Listen to me right now! I know it feels like you can do this on your own, not go to the WW meetings, not track your food, not work out at least twice a week....but you CAN'T. You've tried before and failed. I know it feels like if you have to track one more piece of food, you'll stick the pen in your eye...but don't give up. You got this. Put an end to the vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting and lose this weight once and for all. Look how good you look in the above photo. You worked hard! Don't throw it all away!
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This time next year, don't let yourself be back in the position of having to get back on the weight loss train. Again. Instead, be close to your ultimate goal, whatever that may be. Hopefully I will be able to run one mile straight without stopping. Hopefully I will weight somewhere around 145lbs. Hopefully I would have loved myself enough to keep going. Failure is not an option.




Rob has been so supportive in this journey with me. He has been there for me, cheering me on, getting me a trainer, buying a treadmill for the house, getting me gym clothes. I really am so lucky to have a man like him. He works so hard and always treats Dom and I to something special.
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I think our relationship has really grown over the past year. We have found our rhythm and things are really good with us. We celebrated our three year anniversary in style (thank you Jason Mraz) and I'm really excited about our future together. I love him with all my heart, and even though we are not always on the same page, I still give my heart to him completely.



All in all, 2011 was a fantastic year. It went by waaaaay too fast, but it was fantastic none the less. I hope that 2012 surpasses it even more, and that life keeps on blessing all of us the way it has. As always, I feel very lucky to live the life that I do. I have the best family and friends in the whole world. And my little, beautiful, amazing family...Rob, Cubbers and I....are the best thing that ever happened to me.

Adios Daycare

Today is Dom’s last day of daycare! I can hardly believe it. On his first day, he was only 8 months old. Now he’s 2 ½ and all grown up. I wasn’t prepared for this moment until he was at least three years old, but everyone says that he is ready. He knows the stuff you need to know, like how to count to ten, his ABC’s etc. And so it’s time to leave his first place of learning, and move on to the next.

As you can tell by the above photo, Dom is less than impressed. I was of course being sentimental and trying to capture his last day..but he was more like “sheesh Mom, you’re totally embarrassing me!”

I am so thankful that we had a wonderful and positive experience with Nonnie’s Daycare. Dom truly loves her and has really thrived there. We’ll miss her, but I know we’ll be back to visit.

Next stop? Pre-school!

Dom Update

There isn’t a day that goes by when I’m not blown away by how amazing Dominic is. I can’t help but marvel at how much his grown up in one short year. How much he’s changed, both physically and mentally. He no longer looks like a chubby faced baby, there’s no more trying to figure out what he wants or needs. Now he’s 2 ½ and a real toddler. He speaks in full sentences, he’s able to express how he’s feeling, if he’s hurt, hungry or cold. He can tell me what he wants to watch on tv or wants to have for dinner. He can take his hoodie off, pull his pants on and kick off his shoes. It seems that every day it’s something new.

He’s still very much into movies. Toy Story and Shrek are still popular in our house, but have been overtaken by The Incredible’s and Madagascar. The Incredible’s is one of his favorites because it has superheroes. He loves when they fight off the bad guys and reenacts everything he sees, with bunny by his side.

His favorite thing in life is still his bunny. He loves that thing so much, it’s scary to think of it ever getting lost. He sleeps with it of course, but now bunny goes on all of Dom’s adventures. They fight bad guys, go for a cruise on his helicopter, slide down the slide on his jungle gym, eat dinner together. I think it’s pretty adorable, especially when he tells me “Mommy, bunny is my best friend!” Even better? When he then says "I love you too Mommy." Please, I can't take it, I can't take his cuteness!

I got Dom a Toy Story tent from Ross several months back, and he loves it. He plays in that thing every day and always finds new and creative ways to use it. Sometimes he opens it up and hides inside. Sometimes he folds it in half and uses it as a shield from the pirates. Other times you can see it moving across the living room floor with Dom inside yelling “Get away bad guys, I fight you! Don’t worry bunny, I save you!”

This age is pretty amazing. To see him get so creative, and start to really use his imagination makes it hard to not want to kiss him and squeeze him whenever I get the chance. Lucky for me, he’s still a mama’s boy and loves to snuggle.

The potty training thing is taking longer than I had thought. He just gets lazy about telling us he needs to go, even when we ask him every 5 minutes. I’m hoping that starting preschool will help him get motivated, seeing the other kids using the potty instead of wearing diapers.
His sleep schedule is pretty solid these days. Bed at 7pm and no fuss from him. We take a bath, read a story and then lights out. He sleeps through the night and usually wakes up around 5:45am. We have tried putting him to bed later, in hopes of getting him to sleep later but it never works.

His eating habits haven’t changed much. He will eat pretty much anything at daycare, but at home it has to be either mac n cheese, turkey dogs or chicken nuggets. But along with that he still eats a ton of fruits and veggies. He’s always been really good about that, thank goodness.

It's probably about time to take him out of his crib and into a big boy bed, but I'm just nervous about it. He's in such a good bedtime routine now, no fuss no muss, and I'm terrified of going back to the drawing board with crying and staying up half the night. I know I just need to bite the bullet and do it already, but I'm having a hard time with this one. Maybe in the new year?

Beating My Record

I am kind of impressed with myself right about now. On Saturday at the gym, I beat my own mile time again. This time I came in at 14 mins, 45 seconds. Whaaa? Who is this girl? I bumped up my running speed from 4.7 to 5.0 and then ran the last 4 minutes and I did it! Rob was on the treadmill next to me and congratulated me. I couldn't help but throw my hands up in the air and cheer! I can hardly believe that I am doing any kind of running and actually really enjoying it. I hope and pray that this motivation stays with me!

Go Me

I did it! Last night I was doing my walk/runs on the treadmill, I looked down and I did my mile in 15.28! I got under 16 mins! Hot damn! I was in total shock and am SO STOKED!!! For most people, that’s probably still a snails pace, but for me it’s a huge accomplishment!

Letter of Gratitude

Dom only has 2 more weeks at daycare, and then he’s moving on to preschool. I can hardly believe it. It seems like we were just dropping him off there for his first day. We will miss Nonnie and I will forever be thankful for what she’s done for us. She asked me for a referral letter and I was happy to oblige.

To: Connie Vales, Nonnie’s Daycare
From: Gina Cretikos

Dear Connie,
When it came time to put Dominic, 10 months old, into daycare, I was terrified. As a first time mother, I had no idea what it entailed, what to expect, what questions to ask. How would I know if I found the right place? How could I be sure to trust the most important person in my life with strangers? When I first spoke to you, you were very helpful and knowledgeable, putting me at ease immediately. When we met, I knew right away we had found our place. You were patient with my 101 questions and answered them all. Your home was clean, safe and filled with lots of toys for the kids. You were experienced, loving and your passion for what you do shone through.

On Dom’s first day, I was a nervous wreck. He cried and cried and cried when I dropped him off, I cried and cried and cried. I couldn’t help but call you several times throughout the day to check on him. You assured me that he was ok and to call back whenever I needed to calm my nerves.
Dom is now 2 ½ and is enjoying his last couple of weeks with you, Denise and of course Nicky. He absolutely loves each and every one of you guys and when I tell him in the morning that we’re going to Nonnie’s house, he cheers. He has definitely thrived while there, already reciting his ABC’s and counting to 10. I know that you have prepared him well for the next chapter of his life, and I am forever grateful for that.

There is no bigger comfort than knowing that your child is safe and looked after when you can’t be with them. I trust you completely Connie and know that you care for Dominic as one of your own. It will be so difficult to say goodbye, but I know that we will be back often to visit. You have played such a vital role on my son’s life, I feel truly lucky that we got to have you as his daycare provider and “Nonnie,”

With much love and gratitude,
Robert McCool & Gina Cretikos

Success on the Scale!

It’s been four weeks since I’ve been back at weight watchers and I can hardly believe how well my weight loss journey is going. After last night’s weigh in, my total is 9lbs down. 9LBS! What?! How did that happen? Oh yea, I’ve been tracking every day, eating a TON of salad (usually with lunch and dinner) and working my ass off at the gym. I’m so proud of myself!

The gym has taken on a whole new experience for me. Now that I’m seeing results in my weight, it is an even bigger motivator to get my ass in gear. Something new that I have become very fond of is running. I’m sorry, what? No, that wasn’t a typo. It’s true. I started to do interval training on the treadmill at the suggestion of my trainer, Kelly. He said it helps keep the metabolism going which in turn burns more calories. That’s all I needed to hear. I’d walk for 2 minutes and then run (jog) for 2 mins.

Unfortunately for me, I’m not a runner. Not even close. I can barely walk. But, I wanted to give it a shot. The first few times that I did the intervals, I thought I was going to die. About 45 seconds into running I wanted to jump ship. But as time went on, it got a little bit easier. I was making an 18 min mile, which for me isn’t too shabby. But of course my motivation was to beat that time. I wanted under 16 mins.

We go to the gym on Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings, and each time I’d jump on the treadmill and give it my all. I got my mile down to 16.42, not bad but not under 16. And that’s ok. I need to give myself time. I find myself really looking forward to doing my walk/run, and that is something I never thought would happen. I can see changes in my body, no so bloated looking. My clothes are starting to fit better and that just keeps me motivated. They are so right when they say “nothing tastes as good as thin feels!”

A Night with Jason Mraz

Monday was an awesome day. Rob and I rode the motorcycle down to San Diego because we had tickets to go see Jason Mraz. He played in this tiny little theater called “Spreckles” and was seriously smaller than my high school auditorium. It was just him and Toca Rivera, and it was absolutely amazing and incredible.

I love when we take the bike. It is just so sexy to see Rob maneuvering that thing on the road. I feel safe on the back and love the thrill of speeding down the freeway. It had been a long time since I was last on it, I think when I was pregnant. It’s something special between us, it represents a time in our life where all we could see, think about, hear was each other. When I’m on the back of that bike, and Rob reaches behind him to give my leg a loving rub, it instantly takes me back to that place.

We got into town about 3:00pm, checked into to our hotel and then walked down to Gaslamp to grab a bite to eat. We had about three hours before the show started so we took our time, people watched, ate some good food, drank some cold beers and just really enjoyed ourselves.
At about 7:00pm we walked over to the theater and sat through an amazing 3 hour set full of our favorite songs, funny commentary by Jason and a ton of video cameras. I think the taped it for his DVD special, Beautiful Mess. How cool would that be if we were on it?

A Perfect Bird

My turkey rocked! It was a thing of perfection. Golden brown on the outside, moist and delicious on the inside. I can’t believe I did it! Our Friendsgiving dinner was awesome and I ate way too much because everything tasted amazing. Tina brought the salad and mash potatoes and Lanie made sweet potato casserole and apple crisp. Good thing I saved my WW bonus points for this meal!

Tackling the Turkey

Rob has been dreaming about a home cooked turkey for a couple of years now. I have never even thought of attempting it because I have never cooked a one in my whole life. The idea of it seems rather daunting. One always hears all these horror stories about how the outside is crispy, but the inside is raw. Or it comes out so dry it’s like sandpaper. Even the best cooks can have a terrible tasting turkey.

A couple of weeks ago, Rob mentioned again his dreams of a juicy turkey with all the fixins. I thought, you know what? If it’s a turkey he wants, then it’s a turkey he’ll get. We had planned to get together with Lanie, Tina, Jorge and Ethan the day after Thanksgiving for a “Friendsgiving” lunch, so I decided jump in head first and take charge of cooking the bird. And I have been a nervous wreck ever since.
What have I got myself into? What if it comes out awful? People will be depending on me to eat! I can’t let them starve! So my research began and I spent days looking up a ton of different turkey recipes and cooking methods, to brine or not to brine? Frozen or fresh? It has to be perfect.

We decided to go with a beautiful 18 lb fresh turkey from Trader Joes. It’s a beauty and I’m getting pretty excited about putting my cooking skills to the test. I’ll also be making the gravy, stuffing, glazed carrots. If I can pull this off, I will be pretty impressed with myself!

P.S. second weigh in today and I’m down .8lbs. Wish it would have been more, but I’ll take it!

Best Gift Ever

My parents are almost impossible to shop for. When it comes to birthday and Christmas gifts, it’s always an agonizing feat to try and figure out, what do you the people who have everything? Well, this year, we might just have found the perfect gift. I thought it would be awesome to get a professional photo taken of all the kids and grandkids. Sure, they have photos of us throughout the house, but not all in one photo and by a professional.

All the kids liked the idea, so Lexi contacted Joel, her wedding photographer. We all agreed on a price and picked a day to take the photo. Sunday seemed like the perfect day since my parents were leaving in the morning to go to Big Bear for a week. We thought using Stellagio would be a perfect backdrop for the photo. Everything was all set to meet there at 3pm, until they decided to leave on Monday instead. Lexi and I were texting back and forth in a panic, trying to find another location. Maybe outside near the beach? Well, of course today was the one day it poured down with rain. Why?!!!

We finally decided to just go to Luciano and Lexi’s house and take the photo there. It was pure chaos, to say the least. But, everyone did show up on time, and I think we managed to get a good photo to give to Mum and Dad. Joel is having it printed onto a canvas and I can’t wait to see the finished product!

3peat

Today is Rob and my 3 year anniversary. It’s funny to see people try and figure that one out, especially when they know we have a 2 ½ year old. It kind of blows my mind just to think about it. Our relationship has been such a whirlwind. We’ve been through more in those 3 years than most people in 10. It has been hard at times, trying to balance our lives together as a family when in a sense, we’re still getting to know each other.

But the one thing that has never changed is the love. It was there in the beginning and it’s still there. It’s something we both believe in and hasn’t failed us yet. I feel very lucky to have Rob as my man. He’s hardworking, honest, and ambitious, loves his family and makes me laugh for days. Oh, and lets not forget incredibly sexy. And for those of you still trying to figure it out, three years ago today, we found out we were pregnant with our sweet baby cub. And our lives would never be the same again.

I Lost!

Yesterday was my first weight watchers weigh in. I was SO nervous as I stepped on the scale, even though I had been rigorous with my points and exercise. It paid off though, I lost 4lbs! WOO HOOO!!! I couldn’t believe it! 4 whole lbs! now that is what I can a kick start! I’m so pumped about it, it’s definitely a great way to keep me motivated!

Sleep Deprived

Dom was up from 1am-3am …pretty standard for a Monday night. When is this beginning of the week curse going to stop? Zzz

Back to the (diet) Drawing Board

So yesterday was a big day for me. I surrendered to my most evil battle and threw my hands in the air. I dragged my ass back to weight watchers and started all over again. I can’t even begin to explain the frustration that I feel, being back here. But I just couldn’t take it any longer. I’m completely miserable with how I look and feel and there is nothing that is going to happen without me making it happen. I had to take back control and just accept that things went horribly wrong over the past 6 months or so. I still have no answers as to why I gained 26 lbs out of nowhere, but I am determined to get rid of it.

Lucky for me, I have the best BFF in the whole world. Lanie met her WW goal 2 years ago and has been on maintenance ever since. I told her I was thinking about going back, but I needed a push. So she pushed me. She went with me and promised she’s go with me every week to my weigh in and meeting, How amazing is she?

I was nervous as hell when I got there. I slowly stepped on the scale and held my breath. It was bad. The first emotion I felt was embarrassed. Embarrassed that I was back. Again. Embarrassed that I gained back pretty much all of the weight I lost before. And also ashamed. I don’t know why this whole thing is such a reoccurring nightmare for me, but hopefully the cycle will end soon. The important thing is I went back to give it another go.

The first 2 weeks are always the hardest. Lanie and I always describe it as being in detox, and it’s so true. Your body goes through withdrawls from eating fast food every day. It craves the ice cream and fatty foods you had been enjoying up until that moment. Staying on track seems like an impossible task. It’s definitely one day at a time. My goal right now is to lose 26lbs. That’s how much I gained back and it’s time to say goodbye. I hope that I can stay focused and kick some serious ass.

Yia Yia is here

My Yia Yia arrived from London yesterday! I’m so happy and excited that she’s here. Last Christmas, when she left to go home, she told us that she won’t be making any more trips to California because she’s just too old to travel. Well, I’m glad she didn’t stick to that. At 87 years old, she’s still got the gusto. It’s so awesome to see her here and give her a big hug.

It’s been a whole year since she’s seen Dom, and a lot has happened over those 12 months. The difference between a 1 ½ year old and a 2 ½ year old is HUGE! I wasn’t sure if he was going to remember her, but he didn’t even hesitate when he saw her. He ran right up to her and gave her a big hug saying “Hi Yia Yia Lou!” It must be pretty cool for her to see not only her grandkids but also her great grandkids. I will have to make a point of taking a photo with her and all of us before she leaves. Lucky for us, she’s here until January:)

No Sleep Continues

It has been a rough week in the sleep department. Monday night Dom woke up at 2am and was up until 4:00am. I don’t know why it seems like Monday nights are when we have that problem. Last night I went to bed praying he’d sleep through the night. When I heard him calling my name I was almost scared to look at the clock. Please don’t let it be 2am, please don’t let it be 2am, please don’t let it be 2am……….ahhh! 5:30am! Woo hoo! Yea, it’s been such a rough week that I was actually HAPPY that it was 5:30am. It was better than being woken up in the middle of the night and then being kept up until the wee hours of the morning.

Its times like these that make me terrified of changing him over to a big boy bed. At least now when I put him in his crib, he stays in there. With nothing keeping him in, how will I even get him to stay in his bed? He’ll just get out on his own and that will make those nights when he has to just tough it out and cry next to impossible. I know it has to happen at some point. And I know we are super lucky that he hasn’t tried to climb out of his crib, especially with how much he loves to climb and scale everything in his sight. My days are numbered. Maybe he’ll hang in there until he turns three?

Roses

These are the roses in my front yard.

They remind me of my Yia Yia.

And that makes me happy.

Sleep Celebration

Victory! Last night Dom slept from 7pm to 7am! Wooo hoooo!!!!

Restless Cub (and Mom)

This time, Dom woke up at 9pm. It was strange though because he was whimpering. Little soft whimpers, almost like the was in pain. I went in there and he was curled up in his bed, whimpering. It broke my heart. No mother wants to see their child in pain.

I picked him up and gave him some cuddles on the rocking chair. 2 minutes later, he was wide awake. He wanted to go potty, so took him and then told him it was still night time so he had to go back to sleep. He had to go potty again, so off we went. We went back into his room and I had him lie down on the floor so I could put his diaper on. As I turned to get it, he decided to pee all over himself and the floor. Oh Joy.

Once I cleaned it all up and got his clean pj’s on, it was time to go to sleep. I put some orajel on his gums in case he was teething. By this time it was 10pm and I told him that he has to sleep in his bed, not Mommy and Daddy’s. Because he’s a big boy. “Mommy, leave the door open?” “Yes baby, I’ll leave the door open.” And then..not a peep until the next morning. I think it might be a mixture of growing pains and a possible molar coming through. Poor Cubbers.

Up and At 'Em

I’m not sure what’s going on with Dominic, but last night, he woke up again. This time it was 11:30pm and he was wide awake. “Mommy, we go in the kitchen for brefas? I go play in the living room? I go in my tent? I watch Shrek? Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!”

What is going on here? Why is he bright eyed and bushy tailed after only 4 ½ hours? We repeated last night performance, but I only let him stay in our bed for an hour before putting him back in his crib. Once again, we made a deal to leave the door open, and it worked. I’m not what’s causing him to wake up like this, but hopefully he’ll do better tomorrow. I’m so tired and need a solid night’s sleep.

Trick or Treat

Well, it’s November people. Someone tell me how this could be possible. Christmas is next month. Whaaaaa? Where the hell did this year go? It flew by faster than ever. And the scariest thing about that is I seem to say that every year. Why is it when you’re little, time practically stands still. But when you’re an older, it whisks by you like a tornado?

Yesterday was Halloween and we took Dom trick or treating with Steve, Martha and the kids. He had so much fun running up to the door, ringing the door bell and say “twick or tweaaaaat!” And then when he got some candy in his bucket, he’d say “thank you!” then run over to Rob and say “Daddy! I got one!!!!!!”

What a difference a year makes. Last year he was only one and he didn’t really get it. He was barely walking, barely talking. I think we hit about 3 houses before we went home. I actually got a bit teary eyed this year, seeing him running up to the doors with his cousins. He knew the drill, he knew the reward. He was so excited about the whole thing and totally got it. How is this my baby boy? Where did he go? Last year he was a baby Tiger and this year? Spiderman. Bam! From cutesy stuffed animal to crime fighting super hero in the blink of an eye.

We stayed out for about an hour and then headed home. It was 7pm and that’s when he’s usually in bed. Of course all he wanted was candy. “Candy Mommy! Caaaaaannndy!” I signaled to Rob to take out most of it from his bucket. There is no need for all that sugar. Dom is a little, tiny kid. It would spin him out of control and we would literally have to peel him off the ceiling.
After pj’s were on, we made a deal. He would get to pick out one piece of candy tonight and eat it, but that’s all. He grabbed his bucket, sat down on the floor of Rob’s office and dumped it out. He very carefully organized them in a line and picked up each one, examining the wrapper. He finally settled on a Kit Kat bar and dove right in. It was priceless to see his face as he took each bite. He held it in his clutches while dancing around the room singing “triiiiick or treeeaaaat!”
After he was done savoring his one candy bar, teeth were brushed and stories were read.

Thankfully he went to bed with little fuss. Until about midnight when he woke up crying, saying he was scared. When we were trick or treating, there was one house that had a 6 foot skeleton dressed in a cape. Dom was scared at the time; in fact he insisted I take him back to go look it. “Go back Mommy!” But now that the fun and excitement was over, maybe it was spooking him a bit. I brought him into our bed where he proceeded to play, sing and jump until 2:30am. I was exhausted and told him it was time to go into his bed now. Once again, he told me he was scared and wanted to stay in our bed. We compromised and he went into his bed, but I left the door open and turned his little star light on. I crawled back into my bed and could hear him playing. Finally at 3:30am it was quiet. I closed my eyes, more than ready to get some much needed sleep.

What felt like 5 mins later, I heard “Mommy! Mommy! It’s wake up time!” I looked at the clock, and sure enough, it was 6:30am. Noooooooo! It was times like that which I wished I drank coffee.

My Whole World

My life began the day my baby was born. I felt such a sense of purpose and love, it surpassed anything else I had ever experienced. Every single day that I get to be his Mom is a joy and a privilege. He makes me laugh and makes me proud. I couldn't imagine my life without that sweet little smile and those tiny little hands. Seeing him grow up is such an honor. Dominic Marcus McCool, thank you for being my Son and my greatest accomplishemnt. I love you!

L.O.V.E.

The Good Life

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how good life really is. The days turn into weeks, months and before you know it, years. Things fall into a routine that is comfortable and natural to you. I realized today that life is good. I mean, I already knew that. But life is really, really good.

When I had my pregnancy scare a few weeks ago, I couldn’t help but think about how different our lives would be. Don’t get me wrong, we would happily welcome a new baby if that’s what was in the cards for us, but our life would without a doubt be harder. We are in a place in our lives that Dom (for the most part) sleeps through the night. He’s old enough to hang out in the living room for 20 minutes watching a movie while I make dinner or get dressed for work. We have a dog that used to be wildly hyper and has now mellowed out some. Dom is starting pre-school in January and we got to pick one that we liked best, not what we could afford. We have good food in the fridge. We have two cars that are reliable. We have the chance to do things together as a family and also apart. We are lucky enough to have friends and family that want to take Dom for the night so Rob and I can have some grown up time. We have electronic gadget's galore.. iPods, iPhone’s , iPads, mac computers (do you sense a theme there?) If we want to go somewhere, we are usually able to make it happen. If we want something, we are usually able to make it happen. We live a very blessed life and I am so thankful that this is our reality. A lot of that is due to Rob working so hard, hustling two jobs. He sacrifices sleep and time in the morning with our boy to make that happen.

Having another baby would change all that. Health insurance and daycare alone is about $1,000 per month, so you can imagine what adding another person to that would be. Not to mention, back to sleepless nights and 24 hour baby watch. Like I said, if I was to get pregnant, we would accept it and embrace it. But it would definitely change our lives.

I am constantly surprised at how many people ask when we’re having another one, and when I say “we’re not” they look shocked and almost appalled. Where does it say that all women must have two or more kids? I think it’s great that most people do have more than one child, but for us, we are more than overjoyed with just the one. Especially since I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to have any at all.

I guess the bottom line is this. I’d rather have one incredibly amazing child and give him all that we can and all that he deserves instead of multiple children who might have to go without because of the cost of living. Dom will have everything he needs to become a successful and educated young man. That will be one of greatest gifts we could ever give to him.

Maybe the pregnancy scare happened to remind me of how good our lives are. It made me think about how things would be different and what things would change. Now that I know I'm not with child, I especially appreciate how, we as a family, have found our rhythm. And it's a beautiful song that I am thankful for every day.

Chilly Mornings

Today was the first morning where it actually felt like October. It was dark outside and it was cold! Our house has single pane windows (which I hate) so you really feel the draft when there is one.

Once Dom woke up (at 5:45am..really?) I brought him into bed with me and we dived under the covers to get warm. He watched some videos on his phone while I tried to go back to sleep. Of course that didn’t happen. Between “Mommy, what happened to Lion King?” and “Come on Mommy, dance to Crazy Frog with me!” and "Mommy, let's go have brefas in the kitchen!" I realized I should just count my losses and get up. I can never be mad though, his little face and enthusiasm is kinda infectious.

We went into the kitchen so Dom could have his breakfast. As soon as he saw Sophie he greeted her with a “good mooooorning Woofie!” Today he asked for cereal. “Frankenberries and Captain Hurt please.” I don’t know why he calls Captain Crunch “Captain Hurt” but what I DO know, is that it’s the cutest thing ever. Sophie jumped up and put her paws on his tray so without missing a beat, Dom told her “knock it off Woofie!” Where doesn’t he get this stuff?

Phoenix Bound

Our trip to Phoenix was so much fun. Well, except t for the fact that the Cardinals lost. Boo. But other than that, it was an awesome two days. We arrived on Saturday and checked into our hotel, Hyatt Place. It’s was so nice. We had a little living room area in our room and a huge flat screen TV. Oh, and a free breakfast the next morning. Definitely my kind of hotel. And the best part? We scored it on Hotwire for $70!

I decided to scrap the one on one lunch with Moe since I knew she was nervous about it. She suggested that Rob join us so that’s what we did. I kept it way more light too. No need to dive right into the heavy stuff. We met up with Moe for lunch at 1pm and I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous. But as soon as I saw her, it was fine. Everything went really well and the three of us got along great, just as we always ddi. After lunch we went over to her apartment so Rob could hook up her TV and once again, felt like old times. It was nice to see her and know that we can be in the same room together without there being tension.

Later that night we met up with Melissa and her husband Mark. I’ve known Melissa since she was 14 and I was 16. She was Dimitri’s girlfriend back in the day, when he was 18. Yea, you read that right. Crazy huh? Her and I were really good friends, since we were close in age. We’d hang out together all the time, and after D and her broke up, we stayed closed for many years. We’d party all night and always have the best time. I’m not sure how we lost contact, I guess those types of things just happen.

We hadn’t seen each other in probably over 10 years so it was so great to catch up. She is so awesome and her husband is too. The guys totally hit it off, and the fact that he’s a die-hard Cardinals fan didn’t hurt things either. They live in Orange County but were out there for the football game like us. We ended up having such a fun night, catching up and hanging out until the wee hours of the morning. She really is one of those friends that you can go a lifetime without seeing and when you finally meet up, it’s like no time has passed at all. Now that we have reconnected, I’m looking forward to staying in touch and hanging out again soon.

The next morning we got up early, around 8:30am. I was dead tired, having gone to be bed only 5 hours earlier, but excited for the game. We had some breakfast, checked out of the hotel and made our way to the stadium. As time went on, I realized that I was little hung over. Oppsie. I guess 8 beers and 2 shots will do that. Quick stop for some Advil and a bottle of water and I started to feel better.

I cannot get over how many Steelers fans there was at the game. I think we may have been out numbered in our own stadium. They played great and we played not so great, so the result was a loss. But it was still fun to go and experience a live game.

We headed back to the airport right after the game ended to catch our flight. I was exhausted and ready to get back to my baby boy. He spent the weekend with Tina and Jorge so I know he had a blast. We got home just a little before 9pm and I was ready to crawl into bed and pass out. I’m really glad we went and were able to spend a weekend together out of town. Next up is San Diego next month to see Jason Mraz! YAY!

Sugery Complete

Dad’s surgery is over! Yay! They put in the third and final lead today and it went well. The hospital will probably keep him for a couple more days but then he’ll be able to go home. I’m so relieved that it went well and that it’s over. Dr Banker said he's very pleased with how it all went and although he is very consertive when it comes to prognosis and results, he feels confident that Dad will be feeling better and doing better within the next couple of weeks. Thank God!

Daddy's Heart Ache

There is no worse feeling than the thought of losing your parents. At least for me. That is the worst thing that could ever happen. The world, my world, would literally stop. It would come crumbling down and the recovery would be impossible. I couldn't imagine doing anything other than clsoing the curtains, crawling into bed, throwing the covers over my head and never coming out.

My parents are everything to me. Without them, nothing would make sense and nothing would go on. They are the foundation of our family, the strong pillars that hold us up through all the good times and the bad. They are they to wipe our tears and give us much needed hugs of encouragement. They are the ones we laugh with, share meals with, love to hang out with. They are my world.

About 2 months ago, my Dad found out he had some damage to lungs. It wasn’t life threatening, but it was something serious that needed to be checked on. In conjunction with that, he has started sweating buckets and having trouble breathing. Even doing something as simple as getting the mail would leave him gasping for air. His doctor said he’d be a great candidate for a pace maker. Most of them have 2 leads but the one that is recommended for my Dad has 3. It’s basically the Ferrari of pace makers. Naturally.

My Dad’s surgery was yesterday. I was so worried all day; it was hard to focus on anything else other than how he was doing. I was told it would take about 3 hours. After 4 hours I was beside myself that it wasn’t done. Why is it taking so long? What’s happening? After 5 long hours, Dimitri called me to say it went well and they were just sewing him up. I was so glad it went well, but the words I didn’t want to hear were “they’re just sewing him up.” I felt my body start to tremble.

When my Yia Yia died, it was a total shock. She had gone into surgery and we all waited anxiously to hear that it was done and she was ok. Someone called us, I can’t remember who, but they said it went well, and they are just sewing her up. We were all relieved, thank God, and went about our day. What felt like seconds later, the phone rang again. It was a phone call I wish never happened. My Yia Yia didn’t make it. She died on the table while they were trying to sew her back up. What? That’s impossible. You just said she’s fine. She’s fine. You must be confused. SHE’S FINE!

The world stood still and it sounded like I was underwater. People’s voices were muffled and everyone was moving so slowly as if they were in molasses. Even though I wasn’t saying a word, I was screaming inside. Sheer terror took over my body and I felt like I was going to die right there on the spot.

When Dimitri told me that Dad was fine, they were just “sewing him back up” my body had a physical reaction. It started to shake and I felt my knees begin to buckle. My heart started to beat out of my chest and I had to grab onto the dining room chair to hold myself up. Once I hung up the phone, I buried my head in Rob’s shoulder and sobbed. I was terrified that my Dad wouldn’t make it. I was terrified for the phone to ring and hear the unthinkable.

About 15 minutes later the phone rang. I stopped breathing until I heard Dimitri on the end tell me that Dad was all done and resting in his hospital bed. Thank God! They weren’t able to put the third lead in because his blood pressure dropped too low. Also, his white cell count was high, which indicated a possible infection. Right now they have him in the cardiovascular intensive care unit, running a bunch of tests to see why that happened. Hopefully tomorrow he’ll move to a regular room and Friday, they might go back in and try to put the third lead in. My Dad is really anxious to have it; he feels it will make a world of difference for him. His shortness of breath will stop and he can go back to living a normal life.

I couldn’t believe it when I found out that he spent most of the surgery awake. He was nervous about being put under for that long, so they gave him a light dose that allowed him to sleep for about two hours and then was awake for the next three. Wow! My Dad really is the bravest man ever. I’m so relieved that he’s ok and in really good spirits. I can’t wait for this all to be over so he can come home and his life can go back to normal.

Step to Reconnect

This weekend Rob and I are going to Phoenix to see a Cardinals game. I’m so excited and really hope that they will win. There is no better way to watch your team play than at home. The fans, the hoopla, it’s really fun.

Since we’ll be in Phoenix, I’m going to try and meet up with Moe and have lunch. I know that sounds like a very strange statement, but I realized that I need some kind of closure on our friendship. When I told her I was pregnant, obviously it was not a good reaction. There wasn’t a chance to explain anything or talk to her about it, so we went from being best friends to never talking again.

There was a brief moment during my pregnancy that I almost moved to Arizona. Rob had a good job and it just made sense. At that time, Moe and I spoke on the phone a few times and things actually seemed pretty good. She said she was looking forward to me moving out there and that it would be nice to hang out again. I felt hopefully that we could find a common ground and salvage even a little of what we used to have. In the end, Rob unfortunately got laid off and so he moved out here with me. Moe and I were never able to reconnect and even though things were ok between us, the void became larger.

After talking to Rob, I realized that I have a lot of unresolved feelings regarding our friendship. There was no closure in anyway. It just stopped, for obvious reasons. I don’t blame her one bit for feeling everything she did. Or still does. I have no idea how she feels now. So I decided to see if she wants to meet up for lunch while I’m in Phoenix so I can at least tell her I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt her and whatever else I can manage to say.

I’m terrified. Not because I’m scared of Moe. Quite the opposite actually. More because she was my best friend and I’m scared to see her and still feel that connection that we used to have. Scared because I know it won’t ever go anywhere. I want it to be totally awkward and uncomfortable when I see her. Because if it isn’t, it will be even harder to close the door on that friendship once and for all.

I Guess I'm Fine

I did blood and urine tests but the doctor said everything came back normal. My iron was a little low, but that’s it. He wants me to retest in 3 months. So that doesn’t really help explain why I feel like this and why I have gained so much weight in such a short amount of time. I hate feeling this way. I want to feel healthy and energetic again.

If the doctor can’t give me answers, I’m just going to have to suck it and go back to weight watchers. Hopefully whatever caused me to gain weight won’t stop me from losing it. I guess I’m going to have to work five times harder than before but I will do whatever it takes to get this 20lbs off my body. Even if it means going back to counting points and going to weekly meetings. I’m kind of dreading it already.

Shut Down

I’m in so much back pain right now I just want to crawl under my desk and go to sleep. My whole body feels like it’s shutting down on me and I can barely keep my eyes open. I would give anything to go home, crawl into bed and not move for at least 24 hours.

Back To Square One

I feel like shit. I’m exhausted at all time. My back is in a constant state of pain. None of my clothes fit like they used to. It would all make perfect sense if my next comment was that I was pregnant. But I’m not. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but hopefully my doctor can figure it out. I did a bunch of blood tests and now I’m just waiting for the results. The only one I have gotten so far is that I am not pregnant. Thank goodness.

I have found myself in a constant haze of sadness and frustration. I worked so hard to lose the 25lbs I shed last year, and now here I sit, carrying 20 of them back on my body. And I didn’t even get to enjoy it. If I had been able to not work out and eat everything I ever dreamed about for 6 months, I would understand the weight gain. But that’s not the case. I work out twice a week. I watch what I eat. How could I have possibly gained all this weight? It’s got me really depressed. I don’t look like I used to. I feel heavy. Uncomfortable. And I feel like a failure. All that hard work, down the drain. I hate feeling this way. I have got to get some answers from the doctor so I can make a plan. Regardless of the prognosis, I need to lose 20 lbs asap and keep it off for good. I liked how I felt then. Not so much now.

I'm just so tired of being in this vicious cycle. I takes a toll after a while, and I've been doing this my whole life. So now, the thought of having to get up and fight to get this weight off, yet again, seems impossible. I don't even know where to start. I'm overwhelmed and I haven't even started yet. I know 20 lbs to most people is nothing, but it took me a year to lose it last time and it wasn't easy. I can't even think about it or I will quit before I've even began.

Ok, day by day. That's how I will have to climb this mountain. I just want to be happy with myself again, happy with the way I look and feel. I hope I can dig deep enough to make this happen.

Holy Growth Spurt, Batman!

Oh happy day! Dom is finally fitting into 18 month pants. His legs have been there for at least 6 months but his waist has been stuck in 12 month zone. Lucky for us, it was summer so he spent all of his time in shorts. It rained and was cold for the first time in forever on Monday and it was decision time. Was Dom going to school in his 12 month jeans that fit around the waist but look like he’s waiting for a flood….or break out the 18 month pants (that we try every couple of months, but are always too big) and hope today is our lucky day. What’s that? Option 2? Ok ! I slipped them on, pulled them up and..woo hoo, they fit! Finally! He can wear pants that actually are the right length instead of rocking boy capris.

He’s got a long sleeve t shirt that Lanie got him; it’s one of my favorites. It’s all black with glow in the dark skeleton bones on the front. He wore it at the garage sale in August and fit him fine. This morning I put it on and the sleeves came up to his elbows, the hem rising up almost to his bellybutton! I guess he has a major growth spurt. Must be all the fruits and veggies he eats. It seems like I just went through all his clothes and took out all the stuff that didn’t fit. Now I have to do it again. Those 12 month t shirts and pants that he was getting by with no longer fit. He is easily wearing 2T shirts and can occasionally rock a 3T.

I can hardly believe how grown up my boy is these days. He talks in full sentences and sounds like a four year old. He’s really into movies, his favorites being Toy Story 3, Shrek (all of them,) Tangled and Up (this is a depressing movie but he likes it!) He’s also totally into watching the movie trailers for “Smurfs” and “Lion King 3D.” It’s amazing to watching him get his gabba phone (that's what he calls his iPod touch,) go to the Fandango app, find the trailer he wants, play it and also turn the volume up on the screen. Is that normal for a 2 year old?

This weekend we started to watch a documentary on Beavers, because Dom loves animals and wanted to check it out. This isn't a kids cartoon about beavers, it's a real deal documentry that you'd find on the National Geographic channel. And Dom loved it. Yesterday he kept saying, "Mommy, I watch the beavers!" How awesome is that?

He has a mild obsession with all things Toy Story so of course Rob and I are happy to oblige. He’s got the pajamas, clothes, books, sippy cups, a Woody doll, a tent and various characters from the movie. I can totally understand how parents go nuts on movie themed product and how the studios make so much money off it. It’s so awesome to see Dom’s face light up when he gets something that has his favorite characters.

It honestly feels like time is rushing by us. Part of me wants Dom to stay little forever. I love when he climbs up onto my lap and wants to snuggle. But I also love that he's able to hang in the living room by himself watching a movie so I can make dinner. The one thing I do know for sure? I'm the luckiest Mom in the whole world to have such a sweet and loving son.

Captain Crutches

I can hardly believe that it’s already October. How did this happen? Alexia and Luciano’s 1st wedding anniversary is this month! Is it really possible that they got married a whole year ago? Really? Wow.



I love this photo of Dom. His little crossed legs just kill me. Halloween is not too far away. I think this is going to be a really fun one for Dom. The past two years he has been a bit small to grasp the concept, but this year he is all about it. He spends days pouring over the costume catalogs that come in mail (see above photo.) Some of his suggestions so far have been Woody from Toy Story, Shrek or a Yo Gabba character. One thing he has down is saying "trick or treat." He has already told me "Mommy, I get candy say trick or treat!"

Rob has joined back onto a soccer team and they have played about 3 games so far. They play on Friday nghts and Rob is the goalie. He looks so cute in his uniform, I wish I could see him in action. I’m not able to go to the games because they usually start at 7 or 8 and Dom is in bed by 7pm. But I am always there in spirit.This is the condition he came home in on Friday night, hopping on one leg. He had jumped up to block a ball and came down on his ankle. Did I mention that he finished out the game? When he took his sock off, I almost passed out at how huge his ankle was. The swelling was so bad! The next day he used crutches to get around and one unusable leg didn’t slow him down. He took Dom and I to lunch and he even took me out that night! He had arranged to have Ally come over at 7:30pm and took me to a movie. It’s been so long since we went, I think “the hangover” was the last one we saw together.

We went and saw “What’s your number” with Ana Farris and it was really cute. It was kind of the perfect light hearted movie. She was extremely likable and genuine on screen and the story wasn’t so out there that you scoffed and rolled your eyes. It was the perfect date movie.

I love that Rob arranged that and surprised me. I know that’s not usually in his comfort zone, and is for the most part, totally unlike him. But it really showed me that he made an effort to do something nice for me and made me feel very special. That’s what it’s all about. Making each other feel loved and appreciated and he did just that. It was so nice to get out of the house for a few hours without a diaper bag and goldfish crackers to see a movie together. And the fact that Rob was on crutches but still wanted to go means even more. What a guy!