"B" is for....Belch!

Mama and Papa received an incredible surprise this week.  Our little Chiara came close to belching the alphabet before actually saying it!

Body humor can sometimes be crude and tasteless, but it is typically funny anyway.  When it relates to such an adorable little baby like Chiara, we are hoping to get a social grace pass for sharing this with you.  If you lived through our "2" posting, you have nothing to worry about with this one!

As some of you know, we are sort of "blessed" by how easy it is to burp Chiara after feedings.  It is almost unsatisfying, because as soon as she makes it to an upright position, you are treated to her favorite tune and a nice wiff of her last digested meal.

Anyway.... earlier this week mama and papa were sitting in the dining room around lunchtime.  Chiara was sitting on mama's lap and out of nowhere lets out this incredible BELCH!  We both looked at each other in disbelief.  We did not know whether to call Ripley's Believe it or Not or a Priest!  No exaggeration... this belch would have won a contest on any college campus for length, pitch or volume.  It was almost as if every burp up to that point was just a wrung on a ladder to this sort of Belch Everest!

Without actual proof we decided against calling Ripley's or even Guiness.  Her head never turned more than 45 degrees and there was no greenish hue to her complexion, so we ruled out the need for a priest.  One thing was certain....this was going on the blog!

When we were thinking of the best way to explain just how amazing this belch was, we both happened to think of Booger from Revenge of the Nerds.  The fact that we both thought of that at almost the exact same time is kind of weird and is an embarrassing example that Chiara's parents are soul mates.  In any case, for those of you that spared some brain cells and never watched Revenge of the Nerds or for those that forgot (certainly not Auntie Rachy Rach) the particular scene that came to our mind, we have attached a clip for you.

To really feel the moment we experienced, we suggest clicking the Booger clip below while viewing the picture of our sweet Chiara!

What's Wrong with This Picture??

Mommy here.  After a long absence from posting -- and way too many "daddy posts" -- I had to sign on to share a certain photo with everyone (see above).  What's wrong with this picture?  Hm??  I'll give you a hint just in case your monitor is on the fritz or you've developed a sudden case of color blindness: in a certain baby's room, there's a closet full of BROWN ... and 2 pink frocks! (courtesy of Auntie Susan and Miss Jackie)  Although daddy may have boasted about his paint job in outfitting the nursery, mommy notes that he surprisingly never 'fessed up to our loyal readers that he's commandeered poor little Chiara's closet!  In the spirit of full disclosure, this is daddy's closet #2 (he also has clothes in the "guest room")... Better make way, daddy -- pink's not your color!!        

New Twist to an Old Remedy

A hot water bottle is a container filled with hot water and sealed with a stopper, used to provide warmth, typically used while in bed, but also for the application of heat to a specific part of the body.             

     

Containers for warmth in bed were in use as early as the 16th century. The earliest versions contained hot coals from the dying embers of the fire, and these bed warmers were used to warm the bed before getting into it.

An electric blanket is a blanket with an integrated electrical heating device usually placed above the top bed sheet. This modern version of a hot water bottle was developed in 1912 by American physician Sidney I. Russell. Electric overblankets were introduced in the United States in 1937. In 1970, the Thermega company brought a blanket heated by the circulation of warm water to the market.  

A Chiara is a cute little baby girl filled with gas and food.  When she is not getting rid of said food in her pants and not strengthening her vocal chords by letting us know she needs more food and/or for us to make room in her pants for her to get rid of her next meal, she can also be used to provide warmth and comfort for either parent.

This precious bag of heat has only been in use for a few weeks.  However, there are already signs of some considerable advantages to the Chiara over the electric blanket and the hot water bottle.  Chiara maintains a steady temperature of approximately 98 degrees Fahrenheit, you do not have to plug in the cord used during her manufacturing to operate Chiara, and there are no risks of minor skin burns or catching clothing or bedding on fire.

There is also a random massage mode (usually to the eyes, throat or ribs) and the Chiara can shift along with or even assume the same sleeping position of its operator a.k.a. exhausted parent.

Greetings from Chiara!

This week was bittersweet for Dad. Chiara is wearing the very first outfit she grew out of in this clip! Looks like a trip to the newborn clothing department is in order....

Look Who's One (month)

Well, our little girl turned one month!

The doctor was very happy with her progress and gave her a clean bill of health.  Mom and Dad passed their test too.  No blow outs at the doctor's office this time, but  her new parents were up for the challenge ;-)


The first month has been nothing short of wonderful.  Full nights of sleep may be a bit harder to remember, but spending time with our little girl is such a joy....even if she makes appointments at 2:00 a.m. or 3:00 a.m.

So far we've learned:

• Chiara's first bath without screaming her head off was just a fluke
• You can set your watch to her belly (like her Daddy's)
• She must be getting plenty of fiber
• She is not as fond of the swaddle as she was at say...two weeks
• We have very generous family and friends
• It is difficult to place a value on a delivered homemade meal
• A dry bottom and plenty of hugs keeps our girl pretty happy
• It is not possible for us to hug or kiss her enough

Time is certainly flying, so we must be having fun.  When you have a preemie all you wish is for them to grow.  Once your wishes begin to come true you realize just how fast babies grow and you kind of want to slow things down....

Chiara may not forgive us for sharing this photo, as she was not quite ready for it.  However, this is one of only two we took on her actual one month B-Day!

Here's TWO you Chiara!

In Chiara’s first TWO weeks we’ve learned TWO valuable lessons about number TWO!

The first lesson we learned is that changing a diaper not only tends to give her the urge to do number one, but also number TWO! As if changing a diaper isn’t already one of the lesser joys of having a baby.  Add to that the bonus of your child doing her best to project number TWO at you and you have really reached a defining moment.  As an aside, we also learned our dainty little girl has a nice little arc to her number one.  Dad felt that during one of his attempts to fasten those cute little diapers.

The second lesson took place during Chiara’s first doctor visit.  We actually learned that sometimes TWO can equal four! As her proud new parents got situated in the exam room, we realized our little girl had a greeting in her diaper for the doctor.  Well, we were determined to leave the doctor with a better first impression than what Chiara had in mind.  So, we quickly removed her diaper to discover her number TWO was more like a six! It was her first official blowout.  A real sock filler. Right after the nurse finished explaining the ban on disposing dirty diapers in their office, we realized the value of those TWO awesome diaper bags we had back at our house!

Luckily, the number TWO did not soil the swaddle blanket and we only live a few minutes away from the doctor’s office.  Who knew our little one was able to produce so much number TWO?

Ready for Another Feeding and Nap

We had a specific request from Chiara’s Auntie Elizabeth for more video clips.  You can’t imagine how much opportunity there is for riveting video of a two week old preemie!  So, for Auntie Elizabeth and in celebration of Chiara’s two week Birthday, let’s roll the tape….

What's In a Name?

We have had a few questions about Chiara’s first name.  The first one is usually, “How do you pronounce her name?” There were also questions about the meaning and origin of her name.  Well, that sounds like a great subject for a post to our blog....

Her name is pronounced (key-yar-ah) with a bit of a rolling “R”.  The “key” sound is exactly the same as in the word Chianti (for you red wine enthusiasts), as it is an Italian name.  The direct English translation of the name is Light.  As in, “Light of our Life.”   :-)  The name has also translated to Clearness, Brightness and Brilliance. The name is equivalent to the English name Clare.  We really liked the name, because it sounds pretty and is less common.  Not quite as unique as Ringo, but just different enough to grab a little extra attention!

Speaking of Ringo… Chiara’s Dad was introduced to the name almost ten years ago when he performed in an Italian production about the life of Saint Francis (San Francesco) of Assisi.  Perhaps the most famous Chiara, was actually a close friend of San Francesco in the thirteenth century.  Chiara was a beautiful Italian noblewoman who joined San Francesco in ridding themselves of material things to pursue a life of rebuilding the church and caring for the poor.

This is a great point to address Chiara’s middle name Palma.  This is also an Italian name, which translates directly to Palm Tree in English.  Palma was chosen as Chiara’s middle name in honor of her Bisnonna (Great Grandmother), Gina’s paternal Grandmother (Nonna).  Nonna was the sweetest and kindest woman and we dearly miss her.  We were fortunate enough to let Nonna know what we would name our child if we had a daughter before she passed away.  She was the only one to know Chiara’s name until we sent our announcement. 

Chiara Palma winds up being a perfect name, because it was on Palm Sunday in 1212 A.D. that Chiara found her calling to lead a spiritual life.  It is said that on that day during a high Mass, the congregation pressed forward to the altar rail to receive a branch of palm, but Chiara remained in her place as if rapt in a dream.  All eyes were upon her as the bishop descended from the sanctuary and placed the palm in her hand.  From there she went on to join San Francesco and eventually start the Order of Poor Ladies, which is commonly known today as Poor Clares.

Chiara's Homecoming!

Well, we finally were able to bring our little bundle of joy home from the hospital.  Nothing can compete with carrying a child through pregnancy and delivering one into this world.  So, Dads have to take credit where they can....like springing their child from the NICU and carrying her out of the hospital.

Check out the "Coming Home" pictures, which capture a number of Firsts for Chiara.  As any parent knows, taking their first child home for the first time is a mixture of excitement and concern.  You are thrilled to finally go home and start your new family life, but you wonder if you can ever really be prepared for such a responsibility.

We are posting this message almost 24 hours after we got home and are glad to report we all did just fine.  Chiara made her share of noise, but so did Dad!  Mom tended to Chiara while Dad snored periodically during feedings.  As usual Mom wins the prize, which is why she got the honor of introducing Chiara to her new home.  We caught this moment on video....

Chiara's First Graduation!

We were so happy to see Chiara graduate from the Incubator to the "Big" bed for Premies!  Thankfully, she no longer needs climate control or I.V. fluids.  They are still monitoring her vital signs, but she should get to go home in a few days.  You can check out the progression in the "Three Great Days" pictures along the right sidebar of our blog.

Mom (mostly) and Dad are pretty much taking care of her full time now.  However, the care and guidance we have received from the NICU has been outstanding!  This experience has reaffirmed what a blessing it is to be born in the U.S.A.  It also reaffirms why so many people come here for medical treatment.  God bless our healthcare system and all of its providers.  Let's also hope it stays the same for generations to come.

For those fortunate enough to not experience the NICU, it is the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  We now know first hand how intense the care is there and feel it is aptly named.  Dear friends of ours experienced the same exact NICU as Chiara for their little boy.  In addition to the constant monitoring of your baby's heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen level and pulse, they also run all of the tests and blood work right there.  All along, they also provide continuous training on how to care for your newborn.  If that's not enough, they have private rooms, so you can stay and sleep with your baby while they are getting healthy and strong enough to finally come home.

I am starting to sound like the late Billy Mayes or the Sham Wow guy!  It is just hard to curb your enthusiasm or appreciation for a system and group of professionals that help bring a child into the world and make sure they are safe and healthy enough for you.  The only downside is that you hope you will quickly learn to live without all of the monitors and experts when you bring your bundle of joy home!

The Votes Have Been Counted...

Well, if you are one of the 68% that voted we would have a boy.... better luck next time!  Some people were so confident too.  Our friend Tony actually owes us $5.00.  We may let him pay his debt in wine or work it off by wearing his funny hat with feathers to Tyson's Corner mall or something...

We were happy to be surprised ourselves.  It is so cliche, but if you are blessed with a healthy baby and mom, that is truly all that matters.  It will be harder for Dad to say no to his precious little girl, but NO will come easy to the first not-so precious boy that comes knocking on our door!

Class Dismissed

This post is obviously a little late, but we are trying to keep these things in chronological order. 

As some of you knew, we were taking the Lamaze classes at the hospital where Chiara was born.  We opted for the 6 week (2 hours/week) course.  The class was either very inspiring or too dreadful for us to spend several more Wednesday nights after work!  We will have to see if we are eligible for a partial refund on the tuition…

Actually, the classes were good.  We learned most of the things we forgot about our anatomy, we also learned breathing and focus techniques that we did ultimately use during the main event.  Ironically, this Wednesday’s class was going to include a tour of the Labor and Delivery wing.  Too bad there wasn’t an exam after each class.  I would have popped down to the first floor last night just to screw up the grading curve!

I did get in a little trouble during our last class with Gina.  They showed us a Miracle of Life movie containing four different birthing scenarios.  First, was a woman that was having complications and requested an epidural shot.  Second, was a Cesarean birth.  Third, was an assisted natural birth.  This one involved the doctor prying the baby’s head down the birth canal with spoons.  However, these things looked like salad tongs made out of those wooden spoon decorations our Italian grandmothers tended to have hanging in their homes.  For those unfamiliar with them, they were about 2 ½ feet long and came with a matching fork! 

Finally, the last birth we were forewarned was very unrealistic.  This was a woman delivering her 4^th child.  It looked like the husband and wife were filming a low budget soap opera.  They were looking lovingly into each other’s eyes and hugging, while she basically hatched a baby.  This thing came out like she was on some kind of Baby Metamucil!  I believe the father’s line was, “I knew the baby was ready to come out, because she always hugs me real tight at that stage”

Where I got in trouble was their coverage of the … ehem… delivering of the placenta.  This was a moment that just caught me off guard.  I was prepared for bloody, gooey or disgusting.  What I was not prepared for was what looked like a rather large grey ball being shot out of an automatic pitching machine!  It gave me the giggles, because most body humor gives guys or people like me the giggles.  I think Gina wanted to laugh too, but she was trying to be serious in front of the rest of the class.  My moment of self-control weakness led to her questioning whether or not I was going to be Mr. Giggles when it was time to put our lessons learned to work.  Well, you’ll have to ask her, but I think I came through like Maverick at the end of Top Gun!!  Yes, I am hoping Chiara is just as modest as her Dad!

A Sunny Saturday Shower with Dear Friends - What a Treat!

A huge thanks to Sylvia, Maria and Nancy for organizing a wonderful welcome for Baby L!  Not only did they think of every detail, they even went and brought the party to us!  (The sun room has never looked more festive!)  Maria shared her fine china and linens, Sylvia hand-selected special teas and Nancy arranged a delectable array of gourmet snacks for us to enjoy.  (Confession: Baby L made me enjoy 2nds on just about everything!) 

Thanks also to the amazing ladies who shared their Saturday afternoons together with us – Kate, Debbie, Christina, Norlie, Marisol, Meg and Joanne.  Baby L will look so cute in the little onesies, booties and beanies.  Not to mention all the great swaddlers, “baby spa” items and wipes warmer.  What a treat!  We are truly blessed to have such wonderful friends.  Hugs to all!

Love,

A Very Appreciative

Gina and Baby L            

So, you are probably wondering what this picture has to do with our family, much less our expected bundle of joy (No family tree jokes either!  >:-/  ) .....

We were putting the finishing touches on our nursery's brand new paint job just the other day.  In addition to that, we installed a fancy ceiling fan with an integrated light.  The coolest thing about it is the after-market remote wall switch.  O.K., so Dad will get the biggest kick out of that little feature.

So, what does this have to do with a tree again??

While I (Dad) was demonstrating the fancy new ceiling fan to (Mom) Gina, I learned a little more about electrical work and that we have a 3-Way switch in that room after all.  How did we learn this??  Well... the light didn't exactly work after all of the wiring was complete.  Even worse than that, the light no longer worked in the guest room next door.  Right at the moment we made that gem of a discovery, we heard SNAP, CRACKLE, POP, POP, POP, and the lights went out in the rest of the rooms!!

I scratched my head and thought to myself .....  just how badly did I wire up this fan in our evolving nursery??  Ironically, the tree in this picture came crashing down at the very moment we turned on the new fan.  If you look at the top left corner of the picture, you can see the power line that was formerly attached to our house.

Thanks to some candles, we were able to survive the rest of the evening.  Thanks to the two guys from Dominion Virginia Power, our lights back on just in time for bed.

Talk about a bunch of windbags!

We attended our first childbirth class at the hospital this past Wednesday and have another 5 to look forward to over the same number of weeks.  The "syllabus" (yes, that's really what they called it) had us covering "anatomy of labor" and "breathing techniques".

Although a tad embarrassing to admit, I learned more about my "plumbing" and the whole L&D process during those 2 hours than I ever remember learning in science class!  Dilation, effacement, progression, staging ... oh my!  My favorite class visual so far has to be the random food comparisons representing the different centimeters of dilation.  Unfortunately, I'll never think of a bagel quite the same again. (10 centimeters or "complete" dilation)  Yowzer!

At one point during the class, the instructor asked for a show of hands - who was planning on having an unmedicated birth?  Interestingly, out of the entire class (there must have been about 8 or 10 couples), only 2 of us raised our hands.  Do they all know something I don't?? (lol)  I hope and pray that Baby L cooperates when it's time to come out ... not only because it's something I am committing us to do but also because the only thing we've learned so far for pain management is how to breathe.  No, I'm not joking.  Breathing.  That's it.  I was hoping for some super high-tech prenatal hypnosis or yoga-like handstanding or something at least a little more ...  I don't know ... silver-bullet-sounding?  *sigh*  As of Wednesday night, however, our arsenal contains a mere 3 different types of breathing: cleansing breaths, deep chest breathing and shallow chest breathing.  Guess we'd better get practicing!

One general observation:  I noticed a fair bit of waddling and foot swelling among my classmates.  Thank you Baby L for taking it easy on mom's hands and feet so far!

1 more week until our DC shower and really looking forward to it.  Thanks, Syl! :-)

Did You Say Flying Colors??

Here is an update on Baby L's room. You remember the one that used to be for distinguished visitors to Casa Lanzetti?

This update also serves as bragging rights for Dad beating his painting deadline. You're probably wondering what deadline when the baby is not due until November 3rd..... Well, this deadline was based on a time sensitivity condition that is 3 generations strong on Baby L's Mom's side. (Sorry Grandma Sandy and Great Grandma Betty) ;-p )

Actually, before Dad pats himself on the back too hard.... he still has to install the ceiling fan and crown molding. This just seemed like a good point to show you the color swatches on the floor (from 8/24/09 Post) actually led to paint on the walls and ceiling!

Passed with Flying Colors!

Ringo and I met with another doctor in the practice today for our 30-week check-up, and I'm pleased to report that all went well.

Vitals:

Blood Pressure - 116/68

Weight - 14 lbs (total gain since week 1)

Baby L's Heartbeat - 150s

Sugar Test - "excellent" (Dr. Bannon's exact words)

Baby L's Position - head down and very low in the pelvis, but with the cervix still long and completely closed, there'll be no "jail breaks" in Baby L's immediate future. (thankfully!)

We tried to get a new picture of Baby L so that we could post it to the blog, but with his/her little head so far down and facing away, it wasn't possible this time. That's ok, though -- there will be plenty of time for pictures when Baby L decides to join us "outside"! :-)

Baby L Already Calling the Shots

With 71 days until Baby L's anticipated arrival, our expected bundle of joy is already displacing house guests! What used to be a perfectly comfortable and tastefully decorated guest room...now looks like this ------->>>>>>

You can barely see it in this photo, but there are paint swatches on the floor for the wall color. Baby L will not stand for those ugly sea foam green window shades either!

With only a few months to go, Dad will have to get going with the paint job and replacement of window treatments. Of course.... he has to wait for Mom to help with the color selections before he can actually get to work. Knowing he will ultimately be blamed for an untimely delivery of a finished nursery, Dad sure is hoping Baby L will help Mom with those decisions before the arrival of Baby L's furniture. ;-)

Channeled the Wicked Witch of the West Today....

Remember that moment in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy throws a bucket of water on the Wicked Witch of the West and she starts melting on the spot?? Well, I had my own melting moment this afternoon at my office picnic - in lovely mid-90 degree temps and soupy humidity. The one good side effect, though, was that all the cookies submitted in the cookie bake-off tasted like they'd just come out of the oven ... gooey chips, warm buttery flavors ... yes, I confess, I did sample my fair share, but all in the spirit of competition. Although I submitted a very yummy (if I do say so myself) white chocolate cherry macadamia nut cookie from epicurious.com, the winner was an equally yummy lemon tea cookie.

On a completely different note, Baby L and I have to give a shout out to the very chivalrous men at Fort McNair for their sweetness and understanding. Notwithstanding the expired tags on the Escape (for which Ringo received an appropriate tongue lashing when I got home!), the two guards at the gate "bent" base policy and let me in so that I wouldn't have to walk to the picnic site in my current "condition." Now up until this time I've been reluctant to even park in the "expectant mommy" parking spots at the grocery store because I haven't quite reached the waddle stage of pregnancy which is what I assume those spots are for, but I certainly didn't complain today when the guards let me drive on through. And one of the guards was even so kind as to opine that I didn't even look *that* pregnant for 7+ months. (lol) Hooray for our nation's men in uniform. :-D

Looking forward to this weekend and spending my last birthday "sans bebe" with my honey in NYC. Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill and Little Italy are on the agenda, as is a Broadway show (Wicked). Next post - progress made on Baby L's nursery...

Hooray 3rd Trimester!

The doctor was surprised to see Dad-to-Be sign in for today's appointment instead of Gina! Let's just say if our child is destined to be a race car driver, they will want to take after their good old Dad. In all fairness, I beat Gina to the doctor's office by about 10 minutes, because she was drinking and driving! Today was the big gestational diabetes test day, which consists of guzzling a cough syrup sized bottle of sugar water and getting blood drawn precisely one hour later.

We were treated to a couple of quick peeks of the baby's head (which is already positioned near the exit) and the sound of a very strong heartbeat after our short road race and Gina's sugar rush. The doctor was happy with both Mom and Dad's body weight at this stage of the pregnancy!

Next visit is scheduled two weeks from today. We will meet a different doctor for that visit. This is to prevent us from thinking we are in the wrong hospital on the big day if our doctor is unavailable for the delivery. We hope this doctor is as nice as ours.... and of course, that she has done this kind of thing at least one or two times! ;-)

Pregnancy Reflections - 6th Month

Buying maternity clothes was:
Has been a very disappointing affair! Really, who do those rip-off artists actually think that they're making these clothes for?? Apparently, if the clothes were any indicator this summer, pregnant women only hang out at the beach all day sporting tank tops, capris and maxi dresses! Professional dress? Forget it! Finding a suitable dress for the shower that (gasp) actually fit my body was a major feat. Ok, enough ranting. Promise. o:-)
The biggest change in my body has been:
My growing belly, which just starting showing 2 weeks ago, strangely enough, but has been making up for lost time!
My favorite change in my body has been:
The thicker hair and absence of wads of it in the bottom of the shower every morning are an added bonus. (wink)
What I never thought would change was:
Never thought I would mind sharing my body with someone else who seems to have the upper hand in the situation, but I really don't mind. It feels good being "good"... although I do miss dark chocolate dearly!
At this month's prenatal visit I learned that:
1) my belly wasn't measuring quite up to speed but the baby's leg bones were 1 week longer than they should've been (apparently Baby L is already taking after mommy! ha!)
2) I have to take that dreaded sugar test at our next appointment August 11th (more on that later)
My hopes:
I hope Baby L will have a good moral compass and an abundance of sensibility to guide him/her through the morass of "live for today"/"live for me" that seems to plague so many young people today.
My fears:
Hm, so many at this point... better save this for later posts...

Now that the stressful registering is over, looking forward to the shower!

Boy, babies - for such small creatures - sure require a whole lot of stuff! I started panicking in the first aid aisle and didn't really recover until I returned the "zapper gun" to the registry clerk. If you'd like to check out my lists and see how I fared (all comments/suggestions welcome!), you can find us at Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby. Thankfully that's over ... now onto the fun stuff - The Shower!

Mom has organized a wonderful baby shower for this weekend, August 1st. It'll be a "tea-themed" lunch at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, MI. The menu includes all things "frou frou", including finger sandwiches, dainty salads, hot appetizers and scones. And tea, of course! She has even been working on cute games to play that hopefully won't be too terribly cheesy. (wink)

A huge thank you to Aunt Cory, Sara and Auntie Anna for their wonderful gifts (and for being so kind as to ship them to VA!). Thanks and hugs to Auntie Anna for the diaper genie and insert refills. Our noses thank you! Our first gift - a pack 'n play with bassinet and umbrella - was a GREAT surprise recommended by a super-savvy new mommy (counsin Sara), and with her eye for design, it's no surprise that it'll match the nursery perfectly (black & cream damask print). Signing off for now. Promise to post pics from the shower soon.

Gina, Ringo and "Baby L"