OFF with her HAIR!!!

I don't know if this happens to all pregnant ladies, but when I'm pregnant I notice that I shed a lot less hair. Consequently, I end up with thicker-than-usual hair that poses a problem. For the past 8 months I have been dealing with more headaches than usual and, strangely, a very sore scalp. Being as slow as I am (when I'm pregnant), I finally made the connection between my thicker-than-usual hair and scalp-soreness last week. It's been 6 years since my last drastic chop and, thanks to Wendy (for her encouragement) and Cathy (for her talent with scissors), today I will donate another 10 inches to Locks of Love. Honestly, I felt relief as soon as she made the first cut. She even told me my scalp truly looked red and irritated. Guess I made the right decision!

"Tot Wot" Diary

Giovanni's doing very well at Tot Lot. About 3 times a week, however, we have to call Daddy for a pep talk to get us out the door. Gio says, "I not going to Tot Wot today," or, "No! I stay home wif you!" Thankfully, Ryan always boosts his confidence and we get there in no time. When we get to the check-in gate, Gio stands there (not even looking at me), waiting for his kiss good-bye from his mommy (on the forehead, 'cause he doesn't make any more effort than that) and doesn't move an inch until he gets it. I think Gio's favorite day so far was when Ryan took the day off work and volunteered to be Mr. Tot Lot. A group of boys flocked to him and they all played ball together. Pretty cute.

Nearly every month there is a Tot Lot Excursion (like a field trip, but all the mommies attend and drive their own kids). In September, we had a meet-&-greet pot luck at a local park that had a train. Gio rode it twice and tried to sneak on it one other time without me. This month we went to a pumpkin patch that also featured tot-sized carnival rides. Once again, there was a train and Gio rode it twice, also. This time he got to sit in the engineer's seat. He also road some cars (like a merry-go-round) and visited the petting zoo. Here, he seemed to really like the little chicks. My favorite part was the pregnant goat. Gio pointed at it and said, "Oh no! What's wrong?" I explained that this goat was going to have a baby, like mommy. And then, of course, I had one of the attendants take my picture with her.

One Mrs. Tot Lot told me last week that Gio's the only kid there who comes up to her every day that she's there and has a conversation with her. She said he talks about whatever's on his mind. He's made a lot of friends and doesn't usually participate in the projects, preferring to ride the bikes ("motorcycles") at this time, instead. He seems to eat a good amount at snack time, at least when I'm there. He's had only one time-out. It was the 2nd day and he had pushed his best buddy from church! Not normal for him!

Overall, I think Giovanni's really enjoying Tot Lot and making the most of it. I'm really grateful that he doesn't scream and cry when I drop him off. I was worried about that, him being a mama's boy and all.

Oh, Baby!

Yes, this is me, in my maternity swim suit (today I go to aqua aerobics). My apoligies to anyone who may be offended by the pic. Yesterday was my OB visit and, boy, did I get great news! First of all, I haven't gained a pound since my last appointment 2 weeks ago (and I had lost a pound at that visit) and, drum roll please, they'll be taking him out of me a week before my due date. SO: ONLY 6 WEEKS TO GO!!! In other news, he's still moving around quite a bit and, while he was head down during the visit, he's still pretty high and isn't anywhere near being "engaged," which is why I'm pretty sure he was laying sideways (transverse) the other day, wreaking havoc on my hips and legs (MAJOR sciatica pain). At this point, I really can't wait to meet little Vincenzo and have my body back.

The Mind of My Gio....

Just before dinner last night, Giovanni was touching my belly, asking more questions about Vinnie. "That's Baby Vinnie's bed, Mommy?" and, "That's Baby Vinnie's room, Mommy?" I shouldn't have been surprised by his last question, "So, where's his toys?"

Bye for now, Disneyland!

Tomorrow my Disneyland annual pass expires and from what my aching legs and hips are telling me (other than: "get that baby off of us!"), we won't be going one last time. I'm pretty darn sad, too, and will miss it greatly. We do plan on renewing our passes once I heal from my c-section, but who knows how long that will be. Thanks for the memories, Mickey!

The Mind of My Gio.....

Today, we had to explain that his little brother won't be here for a little while longer when Giovanni asked me if we could "take out Baby Vinnie and put him in the stroller." I wonder, how long after Vinnie's born will Gio be asking to put him back in?

Yuck

It feels like it's been FOREVER since my last post. There's a very simple, yet disgusting, explanation for this: the stomach flu. Yes, the stomach flu has, once again, shown it's ugly face in our house. It has viciously attacked poor Gio & only slightly smacked me down (comparatively). Ryan, well, his lucky butt has managed to come through this one unscathed. Thank goodness or I'd come completely unglued. My wonderful husband has been caring for both Gio & me without a single complaint. Thanks for pulling us through this one, babe!