Ferosh

I have a handful of stores that I shop at and pretty much never waiver from them. Target, Old Navy and Torrid. Not because I'm fiercely loyal....no, no, no. If I see something I like, I don't care where it's from. The reason is because there aren't a whole lot of places that carry cute clothes in my size. It's ridiculous, I know. In this day and age, you'd think it wouldn't be so hard to find something trendy and fresh in something larger than a 12 or 14.

But alas, this is the sad truth. Because of this, I 've always had to be creative in my purchases and "make it work." Thank goodness Old Navy figured it out and started carrying plus size clothes! Torrid used to be awesome, but over the past 4 years or so, they have become a bit on the cheesy side. I loved them for their "outside the box" aesthetic, carrying items that appeal to my inner rockabilly self. but now it's a lot of very very youthful items (think tweens,) over the top glitteratzi, debatable fabrics and a just kind of "trying too hard" vibe. I can still find several pieces every month or so that I put on my wish list, because let's face it...I love clothes, but overall, they have slid down the fashion scale in my eyes.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, a couple of weeks ago, something AMAZING happened to me. I went into a "regular" store (H&M) where they don't carry any plus sizes...and I found a bunch of stuff that fit! And looked good! I couldn't believe it! It has been a long ass time since I have been able to do that...I'm talking when I was in my 20's. I took a ton of stuff into the dressing room, just for shits and giggles, and one by one I was surprised. I was so shocked in fact, that I took pictures! I even got all posey for the camera so you wouldn't have to just keep looking at my ear to ear grin in every shot.







What do you think? Cute, right? And the best part is that H&M has amazing prices! The white dress was only $12.99! Gotta love the clearance rack! As much as I loved everything I tried on, I only bought a couple of pieces. i got the red and white stripped top, the black cardigan and the white dress for such a steal! I went back with my Mom last week and she bought me the suit jacket, but in black:)

New clothes are so exciting, and being able to buy some pieces in a size 14 is indescribable. It's been a long time coming and I'm pretty proud of myself. Losing weight doesn't come easy to me, but I will keep striving for the prize, one day at a time.

Little Man

There are just no word to describe how much I love my son. I want to kiss him and squeeze him every second of every day. I can't help it. Look at him! Dom is my little buddy. We spend lots of time together running errands, playing, chillin' at home. The older he gets, the more fun he is. I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but he's really starting to change more and more. One of the big things is how much he's talking now. And by talking, I mean his type of talking which is for the most part, baby babble. But it seems these past couple of days he has been pronouncing new letters and sounds that I haven't heard before. He says Momma, Dadda and Cat so no new words yet. Although, sometimes when I ask him a question, i swear he answers me by saying "yea." I know, it's just a coincidence...but it's going to be SO weird when it's not.


He has really grown over these past few weeks. Now when we go out, he sits in his stroller with his bottle of water and his snacks. Sometimes Elmo rides shotgun. Dom is content to just people watch as he muches on his chips and takes it all in. I wonder what he's thinking during this time. Does he get that we're out running errands? He's he people watching in the way that I usually do? Is he happy to get out of the house? Does he even have concrete thoughts like this? Or is he just thinking "Baa Daa Baa Maa?"

He's really into eating on his own now, and prefers big boy food. I still feed him "baby food" from a jar, but he also eats some of whatever we're eating too. Some of the stuff he's tried and liked is chicken (he looooves chicken!) tomatos, brocolli, mushrooms, pasta sauce, mac and cheese, jello, steak, frozen yogart and soup. He seems to have a pretty easy going palette and I'm happy about that. I don't want him to be a picky eater like I am.

One of his favorite things to do is go through the paper recycling bin that we keep in our kitchen. He stands up and grabs each piece firmly in his hand and then tosses it to the floor. Sometimes he'll stop for a second to look at it before disguarding it, but the cool thing is that he's not putting it directly into his mouth. We're not totally out of that habit yet, but we're getting better.

Once all the paper is on the floor, he'll sit down and sift through his creation. I swear, it looks like he's reading the articles. And the funny thing is, Rob was sitting just to the left of this photo, doing the same thing. I mean, he wasn't sitting on the floor haha, but seeing Rob sitting at the table and Dom on the floor doing the same activity....it's pretty adorable.

With all of these new and fun things Dominic is learning, I have found that playing with him is more enjoyable too. We sit on the living room floor and go through his toy box or read books. He loves to be chased and hides behind the curtains. He can pull himself up like a pro now and is almost ready to walk. There have been times that he is standing while holding onto something, like the couch, and then lets go. He's getting his balance a bit more and isn't so wobbly.


I'd have to say one of my favorite things is still when he falls asleep on me. It's during those moments that I look down at him and wonder where the time went, and what I ever did before him. He brings so much love and happiness into my life and I cherish every moment that I get to spend with him...playing or sleeping.

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.