And They Lived Happily Ever After...

Dd

2012-01-27T13:24:00.000-05:00

Want to play along?

Photo 52-ABC's

The many moody faces of Bennett

2012-01-26T19:23:00.001-05:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Things that make me smile

2012-01-23T13:25:00.000-05:00

Keurig- We got this as a gift for Christmas and Lou and I use it probably 5-6 times a day between us. I love the Cafe Mocha and Buttered Toffee flavored coffees. Lou got me a milk frother for Christmas as well so I can make my very own lattes. This has made my break up from Starbucks a little less painful. Lou makes Hot Apple Ciders every night (I still think it would be better with a little rum in it! haha) and is looking forward to some caffeine assistance this year for tax season. We didn't forget Dominic! He gets his share of hot chocolates as well. Just this week we came across the website www.coffeeforless.com which has a HUGE variety of K-cups cheaper than you find in stores, larger quantities with free shipping!!

Maybelline Baby Lips- I saw an advertisement for these lip glosses in a magazine about a month ago and have since searched stores for them. Every time I looked, they were completely sold out except for the bright red color. Last Friday, I stumbled upon a single peppermint/clear color at Target and snatched it up! I am in love!!! I have been a LipSmackers gal for over 20 years (wow I sound old!) now and these lip glosses are smooth and actually work! I don't have time to reapply lip balm over and over throughout the day so this is right up my alley! (No, sadly I am not paid for endorse Maybelline cosmetics--but if someone out there wants to pay me to play with makeup....)

My boys- Of course these little guys are the number one reason I smile each day! I feel so blessed that I could fill this blog up with reasons that I'm smiling, I just wanted to share a couple while I had a few minutes to blog! :)

What makes YOU smile!?

Cc

2012-01-21T19:50:00.000-05:00

The 52 Week ABC Photo a Week Challenge--https://www.facebook.com/photo52abc?sk=wall

It's a Friday Miracle!

2012-01-20T17:13:00.001-05:00

Both boys napping at the same time! Hallelujah!! I feel like SuperMom!

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My sweet boys

2012-01-17T12:15:00.001-05:00

My cup runneth over...

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B is for...

2012-01-14T16:52:00.000-05:00

The 52 Week ABC Photo a Week Challenge--https://www.facebook.com/photo52abc?sk=wall

My sleepyheads

2012-01-13T12:44:00.001-05:00

Seriously, how cute are they?!?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bennett Robert

2012-01-11T18:16:00.001-05:00

Bennett was born on Monday January 9th at 9:33 am. He was 8 lbs 5 ounces and 20 inches long! We are adjusting to life as a family of four here at home and just in awe of how blessed we are! :)

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Here we go!

2012-01-09T05:40:00.001-05:00

We're on our way to the hospital! My surgery is scheduled for 9 am (but I'm sure will be later, as that goes) and soon we will meet Mister Bennett!!! :) I'm a mix of emotions right now. Of course my knee and hip have flared up and it was so painful that I could only sleep an hour. I'm actually looking forward to the spinal block and pain meds for some relief! :) I'm super excited and anxious to meet this little guy who has been so busy the last few months karate kicking my ribs. And I'm also very hungry and thirsty. <--if you're wondering how I'm feeling entirely. Lol

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Aa

2012-01-07T19:03:00.000-05:00

The 52 Week ABC Photo a Week Challenge--https://www.facebook.com/photo52abc?sk=wall

T minus 4 days

2012-01-05T15:40:00.001-05:00

For some reason I just seem oblivious to the fact that our world is going to flip upside down in less than 4 days. I'm busier than ever and on my feet all day instead of resting. This is due mostly to the fact that I have dedicated this week to making sure Dominic gets out and about. We went to a movie and open gymnastics yesterday, playground world today, inside playgrounds, played every game under the sun and made special big brother cookies. I know we are going to be stuck inside due to a newborn being here and the cold Ohio temperatures so we are soaking up the outside world while we can!!

I wonder when it's really going to hit me that there is going to be a baby here in f-o-u-r days or less!!!??

One week!

2012-01-02T21:00:00.001-05:00

We are officially at T minus one week until Bennett's scheduled eviction. We figured that today was a good day to finally get everything out and set up. I packed (and will repack I'm sure) my bag for the hospital and Dominic's overnight bag for his stay at Nana's house. Lou is a quick packer so if anything should happen before Monday, he'll be ready. It is super strange to have the pack and play and bouncer downstairs and to see teeny tiny diapers!! I guess it's getting a bit more real huh? Next week at this time I'll be watching the "Bachelor" in my hospital room with our new baby boy!! :) eek!!!

38 Weeks

2011-12-31T16:41:00.000-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 38 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby is the size of a watermelon. Weighs about 6.8lbs and should be around 19-22 inches long
Maternity Clothes: Maternity jeans are officially too tight...I usually wear them out and about but change into yoga-like pants when I get home
Gender: It's a BOY! Bennett Robert
Movement: He's still bringing the pain with the roundhouses to my ribs. I can definitely tell that he has run out of room and can't quite move as much as he'd like to
Sleep: I wake up a LOT at night. I really haven't been sleeping well at all and lately have had major acid reflux issues at night. I've been trying a few home remedies (spoonful of honey) and up'd my prilosec to twice a day and that helps a bit.
What I miss: bending over, not having to roll out of bed at night, and a full night of sleep *yes, I realize I won't get this again until Bennett's 3.*
Cravings: I could live off coffee alone (I only have one cup a day now, if that) but nothing food-wise sounds good to me at all.
Symptoms: Contractions which my dr said are mostly irritability contractions and not anything to worry about.
Best Moment this week: Realizing that in ONE week we will have a baby!!!
Next Appointment: January 3rd- Ultrasound, NST (LAST ONE!) and final appointment!! :)

We are getting cloooooooooose! :)

Santa has arrived!

2011-12-24T20:59:00.001-05:00

4 more days!!

2011-12-21T14:42:00.000-05:00

Seems my gift is already under the tree!!

36 Weeks

2011-12-18T18:49:00.000-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 36 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby is the size of a watermelon. Weighs 6.5lbs and should be around 19-22 inches long
Maternity Clothes: I am running out of anything that fits properly, I just have to make it through the holiday family parties and then I may live in yoga pants.
Gender: It's a BOY! Bennett Robert
Movement: I've read that he is supposed to be slowing down but this kid going nuts at night. He has taken a liking to my right ribs and I'm pretty sure he may break one soon.
Sleep: I wake up a lot at night, it's when I am the most uncomfortable and now Ben's movements are causing me to wake up as well.
What I miss: bending over
Cravings: I want Starbucks all.the.time.
Symptoms: Bladder=baby trampoline, braxton hicks contractions, back ache
Best Moment this week: We had an ultrasound I got to see Bennett moving around and swallowing. He looks like he's got a chubby face!
Next Appointment: December 19th. Another NST and appointment

The boys and I

2011-12-10T21:13:00.001-05:00

Last week Dominic wanted to be in my bi-weekly picture. I can already tell that I am going to have my hands full with two boys!! (and love every minute of it!)

Less than one month until Bennett's scheduled eviction!! We are getting so close, I better start getting things together maybe pack my bag or something haha!

A bump of all trades

2011-12-09T13:20:00.000-05:00

Who knew that my baby bump doubled as a parking lot for Dominic's cars? :)

34 Weeks

2011-12-03T21:41:00.000-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 34 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby is the size of a pineapple. Weighs 4.75 lbs and should be around 18 inches long
Maternity Clothes: My maternity jeans are getting uncomfortable now and I've been living in these Old Navy fold over pants---soooo comfy!
Gender: It's a BOY! Bennett Robert
Movement: He's definitely a mover. He keeps me up every night and wakes me early in the morning. I think he's just preparing me for what is in store. I'm pretty certain that he has big feet like his big brother judging by what seems to be pushing against me at times.
Sleep: I wake up a lot at night, it's when I am the most uncomfortable and now Ben's movements are causing me to wake up as well.
What I miss: Not having to roll myself out of bed or peeing 50 times a night!
Cravings: I want Starbucks all.the.time.
Symptoms: Bladder=baby trampoline, braxton hicks contractions, back ache
Best Moment this week: Not going into labor after the stressful week we've had here!
Next Appointment: December 5th (Lou's 30th birthday!!!). I have been going for weekly NST tests and appointments after 32 weeks.

The power of prayer

2011-12-01T13:50:00.000-05:00

Early Wednesday morning at 5:00 am I was awaken suddenly with an intense "feeling" that I needed to pray that Lou would have a safe drive to Akron in the morning. I did so and fell back asleep. There had been a light dusting of snow overnight but I hadn't seen it. I woke up before Lou left that morning and made sure that I told him to be extra careful driving. An hour later, he called me and told me that he had been in an accident. He hydroplaned going 60 miles per hour on the Ohio Turnpike and hit the median on all 4 sides of the car. Windows shattered, bumpers flew but Lou walked away completely fine. Needless to say it was scary, but I am sure glad that we had God watching over us. Lou was a bit sore yesterday from the impact but other than that all the damage was done to the car. We are waiting to hear back from the repair shop if the car is totalled. This car is almost paid off so we are hoping that it can be repaired!!! The most important thing is that everyone is okay! And to all of you....be careful during these winter months!! :)

Like Mother, like Son

2011-11-21T15:04:00.001-05:00

Latte for Mommy and hot cocoa for Dominic!

32 Weeks

2011-11-19T15:22:00.000-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 32 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby is the size of a large jicama? Weighs 3.75 lbs (he was 4 lbs already a week and a half ago in the ultrasound) and should be around 16.5 inches long
Maternity Clothes: Even those are gradually getting uncomfortable now
Gender: It's a BOY! Bennett Robert
Movement: He's been practicing karate using my ribs as a punching/kicking bag and it's no fun.
Sleep: I wake up a lot at night, it's when I am the most uncomfortable and now Ben's movements are causing me to wake up as well.
What I miss: Bending over and putting on my own socks/shoes
Cravings: Nothing really sounds good to me anymore.
Symptoms: Bladder=baby trampoline
Best Moment this week: Scheduled the C/S surgery for Monday, January 9th!!
Next Appointment: November 28th. They are out next week for Thanksgiving but from here on out it's weekly appointments and NST appts.

Birthday Pictures!

2011-11-17T15:59:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the pictures from Dominic's 3rd Birthday party last weekend. We let him pick out the party theme this year and he chose Lightning McQueen/Angry Birds. Haha! I can already tell that three is going to be a very interesting age! :) Thank you to everyone who came to his party and/or sent birthday wishes his way!

Thankful for beautiful days

2011-11-09T09:16:00.000-05:00

30 Weeks

2011-11-06T15:23:00.000-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 30 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby is the size of a Butternut Squash! 17 in, 3.1 lbs estimate
Maternity Clothes: Even those are gradually getting uncomfortable now
Gender: It's a BOY! Bennett Robert
Movement: He's an active boy, especially from 11pm-2 am when he is rolling, kicking and pushing me awake
Sleep: Really not sleeping well at all but am back to feeling first trimester exhausted.
What I miss: Eating a full meal, bending over and not having to roll myself out of bed. lol
Cravings: Nothing really, can sleep be considered a craving??
Symptoms: heartburn--My OB told me to take Prilosec OTC and it has worked WONDERS! :)
Best Moment this week: Ordered Bennett's first outfit for the hospital and it's already shipped! :)
Next Appointment: November 9th

9 more weeks!!!!

Trick or Treat a little late

2011-11-04T13:55:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T09:33:00.001-04:00

More fall fun!

2011-10-27T09:29:00.000-04:00

28 Weeks

2011-10-24T08:53:00.000-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 28 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby is the size of a Small Cabbage! 17 in, 2.9 lbs estimate
Maternity Clothes: Oh of course. I'm a little peeved that when I wasn't pregnant stores were coming out with all sorts of cute maternity clothes and now--not so much. I really only wear maternity jeans with regular, long shirts.
Gender: It's a BOY! Bennett Robert
Movement: He's getting stronger! (Must be my new Iron supplements I've been prescribed!) His movements are starting to get painful. Bennett is located a lot higher up in my belly than Dominic ever was so I never really got to experience rib roundhouse kicks like I do with B.
Sleep: Not sleeping too well--if I lay in one position too long it really hurts my back and hips so I toss and turn all night.
What I miss: Being able to bend over!!! With Bennett so high up, it's getting really hard to bend over and do simple things like put socks on hah!
Cravings: I reallllllllly want Nachos with cheese and jalapenos but I the thought of the heartburn that would give me is enough to kill the craving.
Symptoms: heartburn
Best Moment this week: Dominic told me that he "loves baby Bennett" and he wants to "share his toys" with him. I get ~~emotional~~ excited when I think of the two boys playing and growing up together! :)
Next Appointment: October 26th

The Greatest Show on Earth

2011-10-22T22:56:00.001-04:00

Tonight we went to the circus for the first time. We are super grateful to have gotten to sit in the Medical Mutual suite at Quicken loans Arena aka a pregnant woman's paradise!! The suite was filled with yummy food complete with a dessert cart! Dominic had a great time clapping along and yelling to the performers. I love seeing and experiencing things like this with him-just genuinely excited and seeing "magic". I'm sure this was just the first of many circus trips we take!

It's corny!

2011-10-16T09:14:00.001-04:00

This weekend we went to a local greenhouse to play at their fall festival. Dominic loved this corn pit and looking at all the pumpkins. They were already setting up all the Christmas trees and decor in the midst of the festival. I'm so so excited for the holidays-it's my favorite time of year and usually goes by super fast! Which is kinda scary because Bennett will be here RIGHT after the New Year!!! Eek!

26 Weeks

2011-10-09T20:48:00.000-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 26 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby is the size of a Eggplant! My uterus is the size of a basketball supossedly
Maternity Clothes: Yes! Although I squeezed into my shorts today that aren't maternity but luckilly have a drawstring.
Gender: It's a BOY! Bennett Robert
Movement: A lot of strong movement. I'm pretty sure this baby is nocturnal because he kicks and rolls from 12-2 each morning.
Sleep: I wake up at least 5 times a night. Needless to say I'm exhausted!
What I miss: Being able to bend over
Cravings: Honeycrisp apples!
Symptoms: heartburn is still kicking my butt-it seems like everything I eat/drink does me in
Best Moment this week: Not pregnancy related but I'm sure I'll take pictures with it--we preordered our iPhone 4S's!! :)
Next Appointment: October 26th

MS & baby appt updates

2011-10-02T21:13:00.000-04:00

MS doctor appointment: I went in August to my neurologist to discuss the pregnancy and multiple sclerosis and more importantly, what will be my plan for after I deliver. Originally I was told that it was in my best interest to not nurse at all, or only for about 2 weeks. They wanted me to continue with my treatment as soon as Bennett was born as most mothers experience a rough relapse after delivery.
   I was checked out for mobility and symptoms by the nurse and everything looked good. I was scheduled to have my annual MRI scan but due to the pregnancy, we couldn't do that. My doctor spoke with Lou and I about what to expect after delivery. He also proposed that I switch from Copaxone injections to the new MS pill form of treatment--Gilenya. This pill has been on the market for over a year with great results within the trial groups. I am still not sure what we are going to do. I have a couple more months to decide which treatment I want to continue with and weigh the pros and cons.
   Then I was able to sweet talk my way into nursing the baby for 6 weeks!!! I have to see the neurologist RIGHT after I deliver Ben to see how I am doing. I do not want to push my health or go against the doctor who obviously knows more than I do--so I am not going to attempt to get more than they have allowed. I still consider it a small victory (and money saved!!).

OB appointment: We went in last week for our monthly appointment and the glucose test. Everything looked, measured and sounded perfect. I was given some surprising news though--starting at 32 weeks pregnant, I will have to go to see the doctor twice a week until I deliver. Because MS is such an unpredictable disease and other underlying factors--they want to monitor me closely. I'm crossing my fingers that this doesn't involve the stress testing. I swear concentrating on baby movements and pressing buttons causes ME more stress! lol I guess I'll find out more as the weeks go on. I also discussed scheduling the C-section and it looks like we will deliver sometime the week of January 8th.
   We had an ultrasound as well and Bennett was bouncing all over the place! It was neat to see how much he has changed in two months. We could see him yawning, waving, and "drinking" water. Very cute! It's hard to believe that in about 3 months we are going to have another little boy! :)

So that's it for updates! My next OB appointment is at the end of October. It's my last monthly appointment! I'll only have one 2 week appt then move on to twice weeklys! Thank goodness for great insurance haha! :)

Happy October!

2011-10-01T08:23:00.000-04:00

I found this picture while browsing my iPhone pictures. This was
Dominic's first October. I can hardly remember him this small and
chubby!! Too cute!

It's freeeezing here today-a perfect excuse for a pumpkin spice latte
don't ya think! ;-)

"Birthday Party" pictures

2011-09-27T22:19:00.000-04:00

It has been raining like crazy up here lately so we decided to take full advantage of a sunny, warm day. I mentioned to Dominic that I wanted to take some pictures of him and he insisted that the pictures were all for his "Birthday Party". I have NO CLUE where he is getting it from but everything revolves around his birthday lately. He looks through catalogs, iphone apps, books etc finding stuff for "my birthday party". It's so funny! I was hoping that the leaves were going to be a bit brighter but I've read that Northern Ohio is at it's peak the first week of October--guess we'll try again next week! :)

24 Weeks

2011-09-24T16:55:00.000-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 24 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby is the size of a Papaya! Or an ear of corn according to some sites.
Maternity Clothes: Yes please. I feel like I am MUCH bigger this pregnancy way sooner.
Gender: It's a BOY! Bennett Robert
Movement: A lot of strong movement. I'm pretty sure this baby is nocturnal because he kicks and rolls from 12-2 each morning.
Sleep: Bennett seems to have moved away from my bladder which means I am up less throughout the night. I've been super exhausted the last couple weeks--possibly due to dealing with Dominic's surgery (he had his tonsils and adenoids out) and the cooler weather.
What I miss: more than one cup of caffeine a day
Cravings: Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks. I can't chalk this up to pregnancy--they are just so good!!
Symptoms: heartburn is still kicking my butt-it seems like everything I eat/drink does me in
Best Moment this week: The first day of fall!! I LOVE fall and the holiday season--which is just so much closer to Ben's birthday! :)
Next Appointment: September 28th-Glucose test day

22 Weeks

2011-09-12T20:09:00.000-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 22 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby is the size of a Papaya!
Maternity Clothes: Last week we had some cooler weather and I was able to enjoy my old maternity jeans again. Aren't these just pajama jeans??
Gender: It's a BOY! Bennett Robert
Movement: LOTS of movement!! I really don't remember Dominic being so strong so early. It looks like Bennett is trying to break out of my belly some days. Lou has been able to feel him kicking already as well.
Sleep: I can count on one hand the number of decent nights of sleep I've gotten in the last few months. Hopefully crisp, fall temperatures will help!
What I miss: sleeping on my stomach
Cravings: Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks. I can't chalk this up to pregnancy--they are just so good
Symptoms: heartburn city
Best Moment this week: Lou getting to feel Ben kick and seeing him moving around in there. Instant reassurance.
Next Appointment: September 28th-Glucose test day

Poppin in!

2011-09-06T22:02:00.001-04:00

I do have some updates to get caught up on but that will have to wait
until I have more than 5 minutes to myself at the computer! So in
celebration of the kickoff of football season here's a picture of
Dominic wearing one of Lou's shirts from when he was D's age. How
cute! Go Browns and Buckeyes!!

20 Weeks

2011-08-28T14:38:00.000-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 20 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby is the size of a large banana!
Maternity Clothes: I'm ordering some maternity workout gear and other essentials today.
Gender: It's a BOY! Bennett Robert
Movement: Feeling flutters and kicks now, mostly at night.
Sleep: Not nearly as tired as I have been, but I count the minutes each day until the moment I can lay down.
What I miss: Eating without heartburn!
Cravings: Nachos, especially jalapenos
Symptoms: heartburn, growing pains, shiny nails (woohoo!)
Best Moment this week: feeling little kicks
Next Appointment: August 31st

Funny story

2011-08-23T21:40:00.000-04:00

This afternoon, Dominic and I went to a nearby playground. While we
were there he took an interest in an area with a spaceship that can be
moved from planet to planet. After he "flew" the spaceship to each
planet I would tell him the name of the planet and he would repeat the
name after me. Everything was going well until we got to the planet
Uranus. This is how the exchange went down.
Me: this is Uranus. Say Uranus.
Dominic: My Anus.
Me: (cracking up) No, say Ur-anus.
Dominic: My. Anus.

I lost it at that point along with every other parent around us. It's
just one of those funny stories I hope I don't forget!

18 Weeks

2011-08-13T20:06:00.000-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 18 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby is the size of a sweet potato!
Maternity Clothes: bought some maternity shirts and have been holding my shorts together with rubber bands.
Gender: It's a BOY! Bennett Robert
Movement: Not sure if I'm feeling anything-the last time I remember what it was like to feel a baby inside me it was knees jabbing me in the side. It's hard to distinguish right now what could be flutters.
Sleep: Not sleeping well at all lately. I swear this child is using my bladder as a trampoline.
What I miss: Lately a glass (or two!) of wine sound realllly good.
Cravings: Not really anything. I think I'm back to the point where everything sounds gross.
Symptoms: A bladder the size of a pea, heartburn, backpain
Best Moment this week: Winning a small battle with my neurologist to be able to postpone my treatment for 6 weeks after Bennett is born.
Next Appointment: August 31st

It's a .........

2011-08-06T17:16:00.000-04:00

BOY!!!!!

We found out on Wednesday that we are having another baby boy!!! I am so excited for Dominic to get a little brother and a little best bud! It's doubly nice because Dominic was born in November and this baby will be born in early January so we will save a lot of moolah on clothing!

As of today, his name will be...

Bennett Robert G.

16 Weeks

2011-07-30T20:52:00.000-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 16 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby is the size of a avocado!
Maternity Clothes: No maternity clothes yet-my drawstring khaki shorts are on their last weekend of wear before I need to pack them away and find something more roomy
Gender: Unknown (Wednesday we hopefully find out!)

Movement: Nothing yet-but hopefully I'll feel some flutters soon to put my mind at ease.
Sleep: I've slept terribly the last couple weeks. I have trouble falling asleep and wake up at least every hour. I can't seem to get comfortable temperature wise and have been battling a cold the last few days.
What I miss: Sleeping through the night and not having to use the bathroom 8,000 times at night.
Cravings: 2 days after our trip out to the candy store where we acquired a ton of sweets I think I am over my craving. hahah figures right?
Symptoms: A bladder the size of a pea, heartburn
Best Moment this week: We settled on our girl name. Now it's on to feeling out boy first names-we've got the middle name. <--still undecided on a boy name eek.
Next Appointment: August 3rd where we will hopefully find out if this little bean is a boy or girl. August 9th at the Mellen Center to check in with my neurologist and discuss the pregnancy/delivery + MS

Candy wonderland!

2011-07-29T18:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Lou and I's 4th wedding anniversary. Lou took the day off of work and we decided to go somewhere fun. We chose BA Sweeties in Cleveland, OH. It's the largest candy store in the United States (and this pregnant gals dream!) and is stocked full of any and every candy you can think of even from your childhood. I have to admit that we went a bit loco. Dominic's eyes were as big as saucers when we walked through the door and he saw the wall of Pez Dispensers! We bought so much candy and devoured so much in the car on the way to lunch that we couldn't even put a dent in our meals! All in all, it was a very "sweet" anniversary! Unfortunetely, Lou and I got each other SICK as an anniversary gift and are presently battling fevers, chills, stuffiness and just feeling terrible. Looks like we'll be recooperating this weekend!

Candyland!

2011-07-20T22:53:00.000-04:00

This is the new staple in our house. Although after my last sour patch
bender I barely have tastebuds left! Jellybelly jellybeans have caught
my fancy now as well. I may need to make a dentist appointment after
this craving passes!

14 Weeks

2011-07-16T20:12:00.000-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 14 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby is the size of a lemon
Maternity Clothes: No maternity clothes yet but most of my clothes are within their last days
Gender: Unknown (18 days until we hopefully find out!)

Movement: Not sure if I'm feeling little flickers every now and then. My uterus is retroverted (What?TMI? lol) so I may not feel it for a while even though this is my 2nd pregnancy.

Sleep: I'm falling asleep okay but I'm sleeping terribly. I wake up so many times at night and am tossing and turning which leaves me feeling extremely unrested in the morning.
What I miss: Sound sleep at this point!
Cravings: Still candy. Hey, at least it's stuff like Swedish Fish and Jelly Bellys now. As long as I'm not popping Snickers bars 6x a day! lol Actually, I would probably eat greek yogurt with cinnamon and splenda for breakfast, lunch and dinner right now.
Symptoms: 2nd trimester so any minute this acne should clear up right? RIGHT????!!!
Best Moment this week: We settled on our girl name. Now it's on to feeling out boy first names-we've got the middle name.
Next Appointment: Next week I have to have the Quad screening test done and then an appt on August 3rd to hopefully find out if Dominic is getting a little brother or a little sister!!

Happy Birthday TJ!

2011-07-15T21:04:00.001-04:00

Happy 8th birthday to our oldest dog TJ. Hard to believe he was ever
this tiny!!

Lesson fail

2011-07-11T20:40:00.001-04:00

Today Dominic refused to get dressed, he wanted to remain in his pj
shirt and pantless all day. In an attempt to "trick" him into wanting
his shirt I put it on our dog TJ. I assumed that Dominic would freak
out (as he usually does) when he saw something of his with someone
else but..... Nope. Dominic thought it was the most hilarious thing in
the world and would not leave TJ's side. It was like he got a brand
new toy! When I took the shirt off the dog I witnessed a meltdown of
epic proportions! So instead of Dominic getting dressed, TJ wore the
shirt for 20 minutes (miserable) until I could distract Dom with
something. Looks like I learned MY lesson haha!!

12 Weeks

2011-07-02T14:28:00.000-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 12 Weeks
Size of baby: Baby is the size of a large plum
Maternity Clothes: Still not wearing any maternity clothes, but thank goodness for draw string Old Navy shorts!
Gender: Unknown (32 days until we hopefully find out!)

Movement: Nothing yet-but watching the ultrasounds this little one is moving all over the place!

Sleep: Still super sleepy but I think it's getting better. I can still fall asleep pretty easily but wake up 3 or 4 times each night.
What I miss: Bethenny Frankel came out with Skinnygirl Sangria this week in Ohio and it sounds delicious! But I can wait til 2012!

Cravings: I'm still on a candy kick-but I think my days of Sour patch kids are almost over I don't think I have many taste buds left lol!
Symptoms: fatigue and my skin hasn't really cleared up much. My hair texture also seems to be changing as well.
Best Moment this week: We had two ultrasounds this week and it was amazing to see how much this little one has grown in two weeks!
Next Appointment: End of July I have to have the Quad screening test done and then an appt on August 3rd to hopefully find out if Dominic is getting a little brother or a little sister!!

Say cheese!

2011-07-01T21:06:00.000-04:00

Here is just one of the dozen pictures we got today with our
ultrasound. Baby G looks good and is measuring almost a week ahead! I
love the little profile and even that big, beautiful brain in that
cute little noggin!!

Dominic's first trip to the movies!

2011-06-24T21:01:00.001-04:00

Today Lou and I took Dominic to see "Cars 2". It was his first time
going to a movie and he did great!! "Cars" is his favorite movie and
he has just about every toy Car that is out. It brought tears to my
eyes (darn you pregnancy hormones!) when I saw how excited he was when
the movie started! So many kids had to leave the movie early but D was
mesmorized the whole time! It was a really fun experience for us all!
The best part was that we got 3 movie tickets and a small popcorn for
$7.75!! Thank you livingsocial.com and yahoo movies! :)

Rheumatologist update

2011-06-20T21:37:00.000-04:00

I mentioned in another post about the "other" issues we had going on right now. Here is the shortest version I can attempt.
*Years (2002) ago I had a positive ANA indicative of Lupus along with joint pain and other symptoms. I began treatment for both Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis with pill medication.
*I went years and years living with random flareups in multiple joints that literally leave me unable to move/function for about 3 days at a time. Including my honeymoon :(
*I went off of medication in 2007 after a talk with my rheumatologist at the time. I was able to handle the flare ups with pain meds and exercise.
*2008-pregnancy with Dominic=no flare ups and remission
*This pregnancy-I have had some pretty intense flare ups. First were in my knees and then moved to my shoulder and back. This is difficult when you can't take anything for relief. I was miserable, bed ridden, sleep deprived and mustering up every bit of strength to move/walk. Mind you, I am pregnant and needed to use the restroom multiple times!
*The high risk dr was concerned that if in fact, this was Lupus, there was a chance it could affect the baby so he (along with my neuros) wanted me to see a new rheumatologist and have about a bajillion blood tests done. Oh and a urinalysis---don't know what that little dinger entails??? I had to collect and keep a jug of urine in the refrigerator for 24 complete hours. Dominic was convinced it was juice and kept asking for it....GROSS!! lol
*Today I met with the rheumatologist to go over the blood work and my history. She believes I have Palindromic rheumatism and not Lupus. Closely related to RA and could eventually progress into RA. Basically PA causes sudden attacks of joint pain and swelling. The good thing is that my joints will not be damaged from the flare ups as they would with RA. The dr ordered even MORE blood work to run the Lupus and RA panels again. Until then I am one step closer to an answer. No matter what the test results I cannot go on any of the treatments for any of the above until after I deliever.

10 Weeks

2011-06-18T21:00:00.000-04:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 10 Weeks

Size of baby: Baby is the size of a prune
Maternity Clothes: I'm not in maternity clothes yet, but am pretty much living in yoga pants these days-kinda the same thing right?
Gender: Unknown
Movement: Nothing yet
Sleep: Exhausted 24/7! I've really been struggling with my energy levels lately. I fall asleep easily but am waking up before the sun almost daily. <--perhaps why I am so tired?! lol
What I miss: My back has been flaring up this week so I guess I miss Ibuprofen and Tylenol Arthritis
Cravings: Candy! I'm not a candy person at all but I can't get enough--especially sour candies (Sour patch kids etc)
Symptoms: tired and a wicked case of acne. :( I'll be happy when my hormones finally regulate again!
Best Moment this week: Watching the lil bean moving around & hearing the heartbeat at our appt
Next Appointment: June 29th with my regular OB and then a few days later, July 1st with the high risk doctor.

The manly-est place on Earth

2011-06-17T20:40:00.000-04:00

Today I surprised Lou with his Father's Day gift a bit early. We headed to Canton, Ohio to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Lou had been here as a child and has been dying to go back. I thought it was such a neat experience for Lou and Dominic to share together. We had a great time--especially reading about when the Cleveland Browns won Championships! My boys weren't shy to show their Browns spirit! Lockout what?!

Happy Father's Day to all of you Dads out there!! :)

How we got here..

2011-06-15T21:40:00.000-04:00

Pretty picture huh? Well the road to get to that glorious moment wasn't as easy or attractive. I guess I'll start from the beginning-and I'll give you the condensed version (you're welcome lol)

October 2010-I had an MRI done during the summer showing that I had no new brain lesions. At this time Lou and I discussed when we would want to have another child. In order to conceive I would have to be completely off of my Copaxone injections. So we came to the conclusion that I was in the best shape that I could be in at this time so it was time to discuss the subject with my neurologist.
We came together as a group and my doctor stressed that I was off my Copaxone for the smallest window of time before getting pregnant as pregnancy is believed to help offer a protective quality from MS. For most people this wouldn't be an issue-but I also have Poly cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and do not ovulate properly. So it was on to my OBGYN to discuss our next step.

November 2010-Prepped with all the info from my neuro, my OBGYN decided that I would go off the birth control pill I was put on because of the Copaxone, begin treatment for the PCOS by taking Metformin (which made me super sick) and go off my Copaxone injections a week later. I would also be given Provera to begin a cycle so that I could start on 50mg of Clomid. (Keeping track of all these meds already?) We were pumped because we had a really good chance of conceiving the first time due to the sudden increase in all the hormones.....Fail.

December, January, February, March...FAIL

April 2011-Clomid is a tricky drug and you should only take it for 6 months, if you are keeping score I was running out of time. I was already off my injections for 5 months and time was ticking. We upped my Clomid to 100 mg and made an appointment with a fertility specialist. When we met with her I was at the beginning of my cycle so it was too late for a lot of the testing they needed to do. We decided that I would continue with the Clomid, get monitored for egg maturity and then induce ovulation with an injection of Ovidrel. If we didn't conceive this cycle-Lou and I would both undergo extensive and invasive testing and then attempt with an IUI.

Most people on Clomid find that they have plenty of mature eggs to choose from-hence the increased chance of twins or more. I had ONE. One tiny egg that was maturing very slowly which meant we were taking more than enough early morning trips out to Cleveland for ultrasounds. Finally we got the go ahead to inject with Ovidrel but even the nurse wasn't that optimistic about my lone follie.

May 3, 2011-(13 days past injection) It was the day after my birthday and I just wasn't feeling right. I honestly didn't think that it worked this cycle and was just so used to the disappointment that I didn't want to get my hopes up. We had a few dollar store tests in our house so I figured-what the heck...I did my thing and thought that maybe there was a chance I saw a very, very light 2nd line. I browsed the Internet to find out which test was the most sensitive, bought a test and decided to put my bladder to a 5 hour test. I dropped Dominic off at Lou's office and ran across the street to tan. Seriously, 4 hours must be my limit because I almost didn't make it back to Lou's office! I couldn't just waste all my hard work so I just tested at his office. (His secretary was gone for the day so it was only Lou, Dominic and I in the office). Booya-there it was. Another light, but definite second line. We were pregnant!

The shock of that test lasted a few weeks through blood tests and an ultrasound. When we finally heard the heartbeat at 6 weeks 2 days it finally got real. The fertility specialist (our 2nd because our 1st doctor just up and quit being a doctor altogether???!! lol) released me back to my OBGYN and wished us luck! :) We were able to see the little bean again another 2 times via ultrasound.

Now you are up to speed on the story of how we found out about this little miracle. The story isn't over yet as now I am in the mix of a slew of doctors and specialist but I'll save that for another post! If you stuck through and read through all this--bless you! If you didn't-I don't blame you!

Once again, thank you so much for all your well wishes and support. We lived through this process with only a handful of people knowing. I went through such a wide spectrum of emotions and I just want to thank Lou, my mother, Becky and Maggie for always being there for me!

Oh and to answer a few of your questions:
*We DO plan on finding out the sex of this baby-most likely in early-mid August
*I will have a repeat C-Section and discuss having my tubes tied with my OBGYN (I cannot get pregnant on Copaxone and after this baby-we have to continue with my treatment. It's bittersweet)

Dominic has an announcement...

2011-06-14T18:53:00.000-04:00

Yes! It's true! Dominic is going to be a BIG BROTHER!!!! Grasso Baby Part Deux is due January 15, 2012. I am currently 9 weeks and 2 days pregnant and feeling every bit of it! We saw the high risk doctor today (due to Multiple Sclerosis and Lupus/RA-I'll write more on that later) and were able to see the baby for the 3rd time already! Measuring right along at 9 weeks 4-5 days and the we heard the heartbeat as well for the 2nd time beating strong at 177 bpm.

The road to get to this point has not been easy but every time I hear that sweet little heartbeat I know it was worth every second. <3

Summertime "do"

2011-06-12T22:23:00.001-04:00

Last week was a scorcher here and Dominic was a sweaty mess playing on
the playgrounds. I decided to try and give him a "small" haircut--who
woulda thunk that a 4 guard would buzz all the hair off!?! I was
shocked at first but day by day the new "do" has grown on me. I think
he looks adorable and I don't have to struggle with him each morning
to comb his hair! Bonus!

We're still here!

2011-06-01T21:13:00.001-04:00

We finally have gorgeous weather here so D and I have been soaking up
all the sunshine we can! I really need to upload some pictures from my
camera so until then-the iPhone will have to do! This weekend we are
going to Columbus (the saddest place on Earth as of lately, love you
Coach Tressel!) and visiting the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium! I will
definitely have my camera on me for that!!

Best part of baking

2011-05-18T20:15:00.001-04:00

This picture is one I found in my iPhone today from about a month ago.
I always loved baking with my Oma as a child because she would let me
lick the batter. This totally grosses Lou out but I find it to be the
most fun part of baking together and I couldn't help but let Dom sneak
a few licks. That is until he grabbed both beaters and the rest is
history! :)

Tea for Two year olds!

2011-05-13T17:19:00.001-04:00

I thought I would share this with you all. Dominic and his speech
therapist playing tea party today! I sit behind a two way mirror/
window thing so I always feel so stealth taking these pictures. It was
very cute, he poured tea then took his cup and said "cheers"!

Our little nudist.

2011-04-29T11:15:00.000-04:00

Dominic refuses to keep clothes on now a days. I left the room for 5
minutes and he stripped all his clothes and diaper off! To top it off
he pulled all the throw pillows and cushions off the couch and smeared
Greek yogurt on them. Lovely. I'll tell you it's never boring with
Dominic around!!

Happy Easter! :)

2011-04-23T21:33:00.000-04:00

It's been HOW long???

2011-04-20T12:44:00.000-04:00

Yikes! Apparently I let time kinda slip away between postings and forgot all of April!! In my defense, Dominic battled a stomach bug for most of April and our dog, Sadie is battling her own spine & bladder issues. Basically I've been playing nurse to most of the house! Hopefully we are all healthy by May!!

I also got a new camera recently and having been having too much fun taking TOO many pictures of Dominic. Here are just a couple, with more to come! :)

Toddler Rosetta Stone

2011-03-24T15:11:00.000-04:00

If you are not aware, we found out that Dominic had significant fluid blockage in his ears in December. So much that he had 30 decibel hearing loss and basically was hearing things like they were being spoken under water. I believe that because he had so many ear infections from 18 months-2 years that they were blocked the entire time. Due to that blockage, Dominic suffers from a speech delay. He had tubes put in in mid-December and with the help of weekly speech therapy sessions has been showing a lot of improvement. His hearing was immediately improved to the normal range after the surgery as well.

I can't lie and say that it is not heartbreaking to see kids younger than he is speaking in full sentences or perfect English. It hurts and makes me feel guilty that I have done something wrong ( I know it isn't my fault). Dominic does have his own little language and he and I can for the most part communicate well. I sometimes feel like I could go to another country and communicate with them because I am able to do it with him. He has his own words and phrases that would make no sense to anyone else but I get it--which is great because I am with him all the time. Often, Lou turns to me and asks "What is he saying?" lol.

Last fall, he was put in daycare four days a week and when I would pick him up the teachers would proudly tell me something like this:
them-"Ohh Dominic came up to us today and said :I need to go potty:"
me-*thinking* Oh really because he can only say the word "go" and the kid could care less if he has poop or pee in his pants (at the time)

Those kind of situations make me feel especially grateful that I am now able to stay home and help him daily to learn and communicate better. I'd say that his vocabulary has probably tripled since he had the tubes put in and each day is getting better. Some days I still get frustrated or sad that this vocabulary miracle didn't occur the minute he came out of anesthesia--but it's not up to me. All I can do is my best to foster learning and communication. He will talk, not just to me, but to others. He does tell everyone "Thank You" pretty clearly so at least he has the important stuff down!

I've had a lot of people give me advice or their two cents about our situation-and it's a tough pill to swallow because not one single person is in our situation or has ever been. One of my all time favorite piece of mind by anyone about Dom's speech is "Oh don't worry some day he will be talking your ear off and you'll just wish he wasn't talking"

I can honestly say when that day comes, that thought will never cross my mind.

Hello Spring!

2011-03-20T20:44:00.000-04:00

The weather was finally nice last week and we were able to get out and
play! Dominic and I took full advantage of the sunshine and went to
the park. He had so much fun with the slides, climbing and giggling
all over! It's so neat to see how different he is this year from last
spring-I no longer am having to follow him around on the equipment in
case he fell or have to go down the slides with him (which is super
nice for Mommy!) I do realize that with a winter thaw comes MUD and we
are definitely going to have to invest in some play clothes and shoes!
I can't wait to get outside again!!

Yee-haw!

2011-03-14T20:39:00.000-04:00

This weekend was a "Toy Story" marathon on tv and Dominic was
mesmorized. At one point he wanted to wear this cowboy hat to be like
Woody. Oh and please disregard the fact he is pantless, he's also
begun the "loves being nakey" phase and is pulling his clothes off
every chance he gets! (thank goodness it's usually at home and not in
public!)

Fun at speech!

2011-03-11T13:14:00.001-05:00

Dominic has been going to speech therapy every Friday since getting
tubes put in in December. He loves his therapist and seems to have so
much fun playing! Here he is playing on the computer with miss K.

Does this work?

2011-03-09T21:27:00.001-05:00

Mr Dominic deciding to wear two hats yesterday. Such a silly boy

Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe

2011-03-07T21:10:00.000-05:00

I've had many people asking for my very simple, delicious and (can be worked to be) healthy buffalo chicken soup! I know winter is (hopefully) coming to an end but this is still a hearty soup for any season!

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup (I use reduced fat)
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup (also reduced fat)
1 cup of Franks Red Hot BUFFALO sauce
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/2 onion (optional)
1/2 can of reduced sodium chicken broth (to lessen the thickness of the soup-also optional)

Toppings:
Blue Cheese crumbles (they have reduced fat variety as well)
Sour Cream

1) Cook and shred chicken, set aside.
2)Combine Soups, Buffalo Sauce, celery and onion. Let simmer (and stir often!) until celery and onion have cooked in.
3) Add chicken and let it simmer in the soup for about 5 minutes.
4) Serve with blue cheese crumbles on top and sour cream for a nice, cooling factor.
5)Enjoy!!

We have also used Tostitos Scoops with this soup. Hope you all try and love it as much as we do!

This is what happens when you don't blog for a while..Assistance needed!

2011-03-06T20:10:00.001-05:00

Ok, well I really did have good intentions to blog tonight with a couple of cute pictures of Dominic. For some reason I cannot upload pictures onto blogger. It has me sign into google cloud or something and then denies my pictures. I uploaded on Friday and LOVED the new uploading abilities. Can anyone help me?

Another question, I also LOVE that I can post from my iPhone-but HOW do I get the pictures to come up? I tried to text the pictures and they never came up.

Thanks so much! I know, a boring post but once I can clear these issues up I will be a bloggin' machine! :)

My beef with cartoons

2011-03-04T20:16:00.000-05:00

Now that I am home all day with Dominic I get to catch up on my "shows" aka cartoons. Actually, I've been leaving the tv completely off during the day with the exception of the 30 or so minutes that I need in the morning to get ready. This usually falls into the time slot of many Disney and Nick Jr shows. I often find myself talking back to the cartoons (yes, I realize I'm losing it) but I do have some questions for these characters. At this point, Lou better push back any plans to visit Disney World because I would probably interrogate the characters! So here are some of my questions/concerns...

Mr Lopert. WHY oh WHY will you not let Manny help you fix or build things? THAT'S HIS JOB! He's Handy Manny for goodness sake! Look at those gloves, the tools, etc. He's practically screaming to help you and offering his talents for free!!

Dora, I actually would like to take this one up with your parents. You are just a cutie patutie out to help your friends. But I don't think you are quite old enough to be gallivanting all over the town by yourself. And do you really want me to believe that your "super soccer kick" qualifies you to be in the World Cup on your cousin's team?? Speaking of cousins/primos, I'm not sure what the laws are in South America but I'm willing to bet that Diego is not old enough to drive a car, jet ski, boat, hang glider etc.

I really do like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse but I have one very obvious issue with the show. It's a show of animals with a PET DOG? Isn't Goofy a dog? Why does Pluto have to be the pet? It's unfair-he can't even talk!?

Honestly, this is one of my favorite cartoons for Dominic to watch. I never really saw the cartoon as a kid but I do remember reading the books. Arthur teaches some really great life lessons and I've seen shows on conditions such as cancer, autism, aspergers, hearing and sight impairment. It really is teaching children empathy and acceptance of everyone. Only on PBS! :)

Do you ever find yourself talking to the tv? I would love to hear others thoughts on cartoons or tv shows!

2011-02-27T08:42:00.001-05:00

I haven't been on blogspot for so long that I wasn't aware I could TEXT my blog entries!!! My new netbook and camera haven't been getting along so I haven't been able to post pictures. So here is one from my iPhone!

2011-02-27T08:41:00.001-05:00

We'll be back!

2011-02-21T20:50:00.002-05:00

I promise you, after a loooong hiatus that we will be bringing back our blog! I couldn't for the life of me remember our password-so soon we'll be doing some construction on our site and update you all with what is going on with us!! Thanks for being patient! :)

Love,
Lou, Brooke & Dominic

‎24th Annual Summer Sprint Triathlon

2010-07-11T21:03:00.021-04:00

This morning I competed in my 1st every triathlon. I've only started working out again on April 20th but concentrated primarily on just running and swimming. About 4 weeks ago I did a spin class with Brooke on a Sunday and really enjoyed it. It motivated me to add biking into my workouts which made me realize I swim, bike, and run every week, which are the 3 components of a triathlon, so I might as well compete in one. So 4 weeks ago I kicked my workouts up a notch by increasing my swimming distance and biking and running on the same day. I looked at the times from last year and set a goal of an hour and a half for this race. I ended up finishing the 1/4 mile swim in 9:13, 14.3 mile bike in 57:09, and 5K run in 27:33 for a total time of 1:33.56.

Swim Portion

I've done all my training in the pool at the YMCA so I wasn't sure how it would be swimming in Lake Erie. Since I grew up with a pool as a kid, this was my first time really swimming in the Lake so I was a little concerned going into this. I had no idea what to expect at the start of the swim race. I was thinking I would run out about as far as I can then start swimming. The more seasoned tri-athletes started off like dolphins. No joke, they would run dive in, jump out, dive back in, etc...just like dolphins. I was shocked and did my best to position myself closest to the break wall to cut down my distance. I was able to separate myself in about the middle of the group so I had plenty of room through most of the race. When I could finally stand in the Lake all I could think about was that I still had to bike and run over 17 miles still. So I trudged through the water to conserve energy and started running again once I hit the beach.

Bike Portion

I had never practiced swim to bike so I was concerned how my body would react to the change. To my surprise Brooke and Dominic were at the bike rack in the transition area to wish me luck and give me some much needed encouragement. I started off pretty strong and at about the 6 mile mark I started feeling really nautious. In my head I'm thinking I need to call Brooke to pick me up, I can't do this. My fruit breakfast was not sitting well at this point. This is something I'll have to change for the next one which is something I realized as I had to pull over to speed puke. Yes, that's right I threw up. It's gross but the best thing I could have done. I immediately felt better and was able to pick up my pace the rest of the bike portion. I realized if I want to get serious with this I need a true racing road bike. I was using my brothers hybrid bike which was good but with a true road bike I could probably improve my time by 5-10 minutes easily.

Run Portion

I felt pretty good after the bike leg of the race and was able to transition pretty fast to the run stage. My time at this point was about 1:06 so I knew I was close to my goal and just had to push through. Again, Brooke and Dom came through with some much needed encouragement rooting me on as I started the run. I felt like I was running in slow motion for most of this portion but was able to stay motivated and finish strong. I actually even considered puking again, since it helped so much during the bike portion. Just kidding, no puking for this leg. For some reason the sun was blazing for just 9:00am which just added to the already exhaustion I was feeling. I made it my goal like I do in all my workouts to sprint through to the finish and ended the race strong in 1:33.56. I was greeted by Brooke and Dominic at the finish line and couldn't feel more relieved and accomplished.

Post Race

This experience was both rewarding and educational. I was able to realize I could complete the race and finish strong and I was able to learn what I did wrong or could do better the next time. I wasn't sure what to expect which is something I won't have to worry about the next time. Hopefully I'll have a better bike for the next race and can set my target goal at sub 1:25.

Shopping Addict in the making

2010-06-22T21:11:00.003-04:00

Today Dominic and I went to the store to get a new baby pool to deal with this heat, I decided to let him have a toy cart. Dominic put his baby pool in there immediately and booked it for the toy aisle. Once he spotted the "Disney Cars" display he went nuts!! He shoveled almost half the display into his cart. I managed to get out of the store with the pool, the cart, and two of the cars.

After he put the pool in the cart--on to the toys!

uh oh, we're in trouble!

Pictures!

2010-06-17T22:18:00.002-04:00

Dominic and Ryann smooching!
New carpet and wall color

Another view

Dominic trying out his big boy potty

Uh Oh we have a toddler on our hands!

Lack of posts..

2010-06-14T21:29:00.003-04:00

Sorry I haven't been posting but Dominic had a double ear infection (his first) and after 10 days on an antibiotic and a trip to the ped today he still has a single ear infection. We've been dealing with a very clingy, coughing, snotty toddler and he's been like a koala baby attached to us-so I don't have time to blog. I promise, once Big D is feeling better I'll post pics!!

Good Golly Miss Molly!!!!

2010-06-08T20:08:00.002-04:00

Maggie was scheduled to be induced at 5:30 this morning, but went into labor last night while "watching the Bachelorette". If you know Maggs, this is so fitting for her! Molly Marie Kusan was born this afternoon and weighed 7 lbs 9oz. I haven't had a chance to talk more with Maggie-but my heart is bursting with joy for her!! Happy Birthday Molly!! And Maggie, Happy BEST day of your life! :) Love you!

lil bit of this, lil bit of that!

2010-06-07T20:39:00.003-04:00

There are SO many exciting things happening this week!!

*TOMORROW morning, one of my best friends, Maggie will be induced to deliver her first daughter! She's waited so long to conceive and Miss Molly Marie already has so many people who love her! (And maybe a future husband in Dominic!)

*Tomorrow morning I will also be traveling to my clinical site for a visit from 8-12. I'm a bit nervous just to begin this actual process. I will go on a tour and then observe the radiological technologists at work. My biggest fear is that I am going to see something extremely gruesome and question my decision. I like to think I have an iron stomach though. Wish me luck!!

*Friday we are going to be getting new carpet on our 2nd floor and 5 flights of stairs! I cannot express how excited I am!!! We have the construction grade carpet right now and will be installing a very nice frieze carpet. Oooh I can't wait to Dyson all over that!! lol

*This week we have also decided to re-paint our 2nd floor (main living floor). We are also redecorating our living room and changing it from warm yellows, browns & reds to a gray/blue, brown and white. I think it's going to look great and so much more relaxing. I am on the look out for some neat pieces to add! :)

*My best friend Becky is turning the big 3-0 on the 14th and we are going to celebrate this weekend! Happy early Birthday Becky!!!

*My brother, Brett is going to be taking his Step 1 boards on the 10th. He's been studying like crazy and I know he is going to do great! Good Luck brother! And happy 26th birthday on the 12th! Love ya!

I thought this was hilarious! Dominic fell asleep during lunch this afternoon!!! He's never done this before! I was actually making my lunch and turned around to see this, so I did what anyone would do-sat down across from him at the table and ate lunch! lol Needless to say our conversation was pretty one sided! :)

Another "first"

2010-06-06T21:32:00.003-04:00

Dominic had been fighting a slight cold for about a week and a half. The cold progressed into a cough and on Friday a fever. We made an appointment for Saturday morning (how much do I love that our ped is open on Saturday!) and within minutes, Dr Flask informed us that Dominic had his first ear infection...and it's a double ear infection. Poor kid!

Saturday night Dominic fell asleep around 8:30, at 10:30 he had vomited all over himself and was very upset!! Long story short, he was once again running a fever and ended up coming to bed with us and after LOTS of tossing and turning-fell asleep around 4 am. Needless to say none of us were well rested today.

Today Dominic was his happy self, but looked a bit groggy all day and we were battling his fever on and off. Oh and by the way, Dominic is teething HARDCORE to boot! He's been up twice already tonight and it's not looking promising for a restful night. It's tough on all of us, but Lou and I will absolutely sacrifice sleep, evenings, etc for our little guy.

I don't want this entire post to be sad so here ya go! Oh and Dr Flask informed us that being in the water had nothing to do with his ear infection and he can still swim!

Summer blues

2010-06-01T20:40:00.003-04:00

It officially feels like summer here in Ohio. The pool is open and the Jet Express is back to bring people to the islands. Dominic and I headed to the beach this morning to play in the sand and at the playground. I couldn't help but kinda get sad knowing that this is the last summer for a while that I'll have days like this with Dominic. In August, I begin my clinicals which will last for 22 straight months. Next summer I will be at the hospital 5 days a week for 8 hours a day. I know that I will be working for a goal that I have wanted to achieve for a long time and worked tremendously hard for-but I love every moment I get to spend with Dom each day. I will definitely NOT take this summer and last few months for granted! We are going to live it up Mommy/Dom style! ;)

Showing off his belly button which he is obsessed with now!

A Day with Thomas the Train!

2010-05-31T19:56:00.002-04:00

Last Friday we drove about an hour away to spend a "Day with Thomas the Train". Dominic is ob-sessed with trains and while we were showing him the website pictures he went nuts yelling "CHOOO CHOOO"!!! We knew this was something he was going to really enjoy!

Dominic in the Imagination Station. They had lots of train tables set up for the kids to play at. It was a tough choice for Dom to decide which table he liked best-so he played a little at all of them!!

We decided to play for a bit while waiting for Thomas to arrive. This is the exact moment that Dominic saw Thomas coming around the bend. He was yelling CHOO CHOO at Lou!

Dominic & I getting ready to board Thomas for our 35 minute train ride!! :) The guy taking pictures refused to take a family photo with my camera so Lou took our picture.

The train ride was so neat! The conductor came by and punched our tickets too! They also had music and story telling. Each train car was decorated with all sorts of Thomas decor, balloons and streamers. I couldn't help but try to imagine I was heading for Hogwarts like in Harry Potter haha!

It's hard to keep a toddler still when there are balloons and kids everywhere-so we went with the fail proof snack! After our ride we picked up a Thomas tee shirt and balloon as souvenirs! I hope this is something we can do again! :)

18 months!

2010-05-18T21:10:00.002-04:00

Can you believe this little bugger is 18 months already? He was officially 18 months on May 13th, but I'm just getting around to post. Dominic amazes me every single day. He can understand so much and everyday is a new adventure. His new favorite phrase is "uh-oh" which he says ALL THE TIME! He drops things purposely just to say it. He is also a wiz at every puzzle in our house, and I'm currently looking for new ones to challenge him a bit. He's now in the 75th percentile in height, weight and head circumference. He's growing like a weed and loves everything-especially if he can dip it in ketchup!! We have been going out to eat a lot more at restaurants and Dominic loves to wave hi and bye to everyone. He flirts with the waitresses and babbles to nearby tables. I could write forever on all that this wonder kid can do, and tomorrow I would probably have 20 more amazing things that Dom discovered and learned. I attempted to get an 18 month picture with his Pooh Bear but it's tougher than I thought to keep a toddler still!! Enjoy!

Pssst!

2010-05-18T07:57:00.003-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Love, Lou*Brooke*Dominic*TJ & Sadie!!

Life in pictures

2010-05-16T20:13:00.002-04:00

Dominic and his sneaky smile. Wow-I can't even remember him without teeth!
Melts my heart!

He put on my sunglasses all by himself and grabbed an old cell phone. Think he was trying to tell me something?

Daddy and Dominic cuddling!

Silly, giggly family photo!

Oh the things Lou can do!!

2010-05-11T20:17:00.002-04:00

Lou has been a busy guy these past 2 weeks. He wouldn't call himself a "handyman" but I couldn't disagree more!! He has ripped up all the laminent flooring in our house, mortared, cut and layed tile and with a little help grouting from me, finished the flooring. I also have to mention that he took out and reinstalled our toilet and stove!!! I love the change-the white grout makes all our white woodwork really pop!!

The 2nd floor bathroom

Kitchen

Dining area

Oh and Lou has also successfully conquered this--the Thurmonator found at Thurman's Cafe in Columbus and featured on Man V. Food. I'm so proud! Is there anything my husband can't do!?!

Pictures! :)

2010-05-08T20:26:00.002-04:00

"Daly Miracles" MS Walk team 2010 (minus Brett and Mary)
At the Zoo with Daddy!

Mommy & Dom walking at the Zoo!

Mom & Dom lunchdate. Such a neat little dipper!

YUMMY!!!

I'm baaaaAAAAck!!!!!

2010-05-07T07:04:00.001-04:00

I know it's been a while (a month exactly to be precise). Once I made the decision to take a hiatus from the internet-I thought a month would be a nice, round "number". It was wonderful timing because we've had SO much going on lately! I'll try to catch you all up!!

MS WALK: Are you ready for this? We raised $5,550!!!!! Even Jim Tressel donated to our team!! (there are many perks to having a Buckeye Football alumni as your brother!) The walk was at Cleveland Browns Stadium and we had a great time! Lou and I are already brainstorming on how to do more for next year! We were the 3rd highest raising team and Lou is in the top ten for individual donations! That means next year he'll be recognized with prime time parking, a banquet and special flag to wear! I'm so proud of our entire team!! What a great time and cause!!

Tax Season: Another tax season in the books. Lou worked tremendously hard and it paid off! You have to understand that Lou runs his tax practice as a side job. He has a 40+ hour job he works during the week and works on returns in the evenings. He did such a great job that he made enough money to tile almost all the laminent floors and re-carpet almost our entire home!! Right now we are literally in the process of laying tile in our house. I'm not kidding, I have a stove and toliet in my living room! haha! Living in a 3 story townhome, the carpet has seen a lot of wear and tear so we are excited to get a more durable carpet in.

Me:
- Not too too much to update but I did attend my orientation for clinicals and thankfully I was able to get into the hospital that is 5 minutes from the college where Dominic will be in childcare. I was super pumped to get this placement, as Cleveland Clinic (30 min drive) was one of my options!
- I've officially started my 3rd month of Copaxone injections! It's getting so much easier and so much more routine now. I've had a few hiccups and hit a few veins but luckilly we are stocked up on bandaids.

****I'll update more later with pictures! We have a Tornado Warning right now! Better get off the computer!!****

Blogging break

2010-04-07T20:19:00.002-04:00

I know that I've definitely been MIA but I really needed to take a little blogging break. Lately, exhaustion has hit me like a ton of bricks. I've been in bed by 10 pm nearly every night and have been sleeping in longer than usual-both of which are unusual for me!

We have had really gorgeous weather so Dominic and I have been spending our days at the park or just walking/playing in our development. We've also taken a few bike rides!

Other than that, our dog, TJ has been in and out of the vet. Last week he was diagnosed with the "flu" and I had to give him meds twice a day at scheduled times. Last night we brought him into the vet again for a scheduled surgery and teeth cleaning. He had a large cyst on his ribs so we got that removed & his teeth are sparkly clean and his breath is great!! Although, he seems to be a little angry with us & still groggy from surgery so he hasn't been handing out any puppy smooches yet!

In MS Walk news-we've exceeded our team goal of $5000 and are currently at $5,185!!!! The walk is on Saturday so we still have a few more days to raise donations--but I couldn't be more proud of what our team has accomplished!! :)

I wanted to upload some pictures to this post but the uploader is being super slow tonight-so expect an all photo post in the near future!!

Finally, some Vitamin D!!

2010-03-31T06:58:00.002-04:00

It's going to be b-e-a-utiful the next few days in the Cleveland area and I plan on taking full advantage of all this sunshine! It's going to be so nice to take Dominic out without bundling him up!!! I'll be sure to take pictures of our outdoor adventures! :)

A floral heart attack

2010-03-30T21:12:00.002-04:00

See that little number up there? Well Lou found it on sale a few weeks ago and placed it in our master bath. It senses motion and then sprays a burst of floral spray into the air. It sounds like a hissing cat. So every night when I go into the bathroom and get ready for bed I get greeted by this "cat" and jump out of my skin. I know it's there-but every.single.time it catches me off guard. I'm pretty sure that this thing should come with a warning-or something. It's especially un-nerving when you wake up in the middle of the night, walk through the dark (because I wouldn't want to disturb Lou or our sleeping pups), tip toe through the bathroom, quietly creek open the door...and HISSSSSSSSS! Try falling back into a relaxing slumber with your heart going a mile a minute! haha!

That thing needs a bell on it or at maybe some catnip will help us be friends?

MS Walk Monday

2010-03-29T20:10:00.003-04:00

We have currently raised $4,445!! We have re-set our goal for an ambitious $5000! We have a 12 days left until the walk-and I'd really like to meet our goal! Thanks again to everyone who has donated thus far! It is AWESOME! :)

If you'd like to help us reach our goal please go here:

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Walk/OHAWalkEvents?team_id=173779&pg=team&fr_id=12300

Thanks again-and to our team, thank you for busting your rears to get donations! You are all amazing! :)

Yuck yuck yuck

2010-03-26T21:23:00.003-04:00

Things NOT to give a toddler with "sick butt" <--as my husband likes to call it
*carrots
*cookies
*green beans
*milk
*chocolate (he stole a Hershey kiss while I was making cookies)
*Cheerios (he'll just throw them on the floor)
*cheese
*banana
*tater tots
*bologna
*bread
*peaches
*yogurt
*chicken nuggets

Yes, that's all the foods I have been desperately trying to give to Dominic while he has been sick. He has hardly eaten anything since Tuesday and anything else has come right out the other end. (sorry if TMI, but that's how it is). After speaking with a on call nurse tonight we are going to try some pedialyte tomorrow and hopes he gets some relief. Needless to say Lou & I have changed more diapers this past week than we had since he was born!! Good thing we both have strong stomachs! eek!!

I love sales!!

2010-03-25T20:35:00.004-04:00

Hi, my name is Brooke and I'm a window-shopaholic. (Hi Brooke!) I take Dominic out to stores at least 4 times a week and just look around. I never really buy anything substantial unless it's something for Dominic. It has taken me 6 months to buy a new pair of jeans just because I can't decide and honestly, isn't jean shopping just the pits? Anywho--we have a King size bed had currently had bedding that we had bought from overstock.com and honestly, we got what we paid for it. It really didn't cover the entire bed and was mostly white-which if you know me at all, I can't even wear the color white because I tend to attract stains! :) So I've been searching and searching for new bedding-something "perfect" for our room..classy but pretty. King sized bedding is just so expensive and I did want quality but just couldn't justify spending $$$$ on it.

Last Friday I stopped in at Kohl's because they were having a big sale and I had a 15% off coupon (Don't we all? They send them 2x a week it seems!) Well as Dominic was munching on fruit loops in the cart and I was browsing around I came across some Vera Wang King Size bedding that I loved! It was 80% off and marked down from $390 to...wait for it...$78.00!!!!!!!!!! PLUS 15% off so I got it all for $66!! I was so excited to get something that is excellent quality for such a steal! I'm telling you-this is the softest, most luxurious bedding I've ever slept on! It is also the BIGGEST comforter I've ever seen! With two adults and two dogs in a bed, we struggle nightly with the blankets and this last week has been heaven!

This picture is not showing the bedskirt that came with it, but we are using our old-all white bedskirt underneath. Also, we are using our white monogrammed pillowcases and sheets. It looks so clean and pretty! I just love it! We are going to be re-painting and have done a TON of changes to our bedroom, and have SO many more coming up to our house in the next couple months that I will update soon! :)

MS Walk Update-a day late!

2010-03-23T20:10:00.003-04:00

I'm happy to report that Dominic seems to be feeling much better today. His fever is gone and he didn't get sick at all today. We took him into the pediatrician and she told us that he most likely has a virus and it will just have to run its course. He really hasn't eaten much at all today *or last night* but I've been pumping him full of fluids so hopefully he'll be good as new soon! :)

If you weren't aware, March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. As for our team update-Last week we had raised $3,080, and this week I am SO SO SO excited to share that to date, we have raised $4,295!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are currently in 3rd place for the team with the most donated money. Again, I am so blown away by the generosity of others!
Here is the breakdown so far of team members and donations:
Mary=$280
Brett=$675
Brooke=$525
Lou=$2,125
Steve=$100
Maggie=$325
Nick=$25
Becky=$240

I am so excited and grateful! Today we made another trip to the Mellen Center and I was once again reminded of who we are doing this for!! The National MS Society is so generous and comes to the aide of those who need it the most. The donations really do go to a MUCH NEEDED cause! :)

If you'd like to help our team meet even higher goals and make even more of a difference-please click the link below. EVERY little bit helps!!

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Walk/OHAWalkEvents?team_id=173779&pg=team&fr_id=12300

Thank you so much for following our teams journey! The walk is April 10th and we still have lots of time left! :)

MS Walk Update will have to wait

2010-03-22T20:03:00.002-04:00

Sorry, I'd love to take some time and post about our amazing process but Dominic has spiked his first real fever and is definitely feeling under the weather-after my first experience with little kid vomit (not spit up) this afternoon, I'm going to unwind. I'll update tomorrow! I mean-c'mon, look how miserable my little guy is!!! :(

Say Cheeeese!

2010-03-19T20:51:00.004-04:00

Climbing up onto the table!

Look at those chompers!!
He's finally growing hair! Maybe he'll have a haircut by his 3rd birthday!

Hmmm, I think he might have Mommy's big smile!

Coloring
He likes to put blankets on his head and walk around-dangerous but fun!

The weather was nice enough to go out for a walk in our neighborhood.

He loved looking at the geese and water, a huge freighter came through while we were walking

Taking a little break from walking! :)

I am aware..

2010-03-17T20:38:00.004-04:00

For those of you who have received a weird email from me lately-yes, I am aware that I have some sort of "bug" that goes through my contact list and emails everyone. I apologize and am trying to fix it but haven't been able to yet. I realllllly am trying to figure this problem out as I am also emailing filthy websites to my college professors, old coworkers and family. If you should get a suspicious email from me, please do not click the link. Don't worry, you are not receiving a virus from me, the worst that could happen is that it would send emails out to your contacts. Once again, I'm sorry for the inconvenience!!

I hope you all had a great (and safe) St Patrick's Day!! I'm hoping to post some pictures soon-I realize that I have done a HORRIBLE job lately keeping up with that!!