The Life and Times of Both Sprogs 1 and 2: December 2007

Jacuzzi Time

So our big bathroom is finally finished. Our jacuzzi is working and the only way to give the kids a good bath is to get into the tub with them which I do ever other day. (Notice there are no photos of me and my giant post baby belly. I have promised myself that I will work out when the new year comes.)

My darling daughter loves the water and we have to trick her into getting out every time. Luckily she loves her ciucciu even more since that is how we coax her into getting out. We do not care that she still loves it but impede her from using it except to go to bed. See photos below of this water baby. We plan to start her in swimming lessons when she turns two and so lately I have been trying to get her comfortable with having water in her face and in her eyes.

Xmas 2007

We had a very relaxed Christmas. Most of us were in our pajamas when we opened our presents. Having Lorenzo to take care of and being busy with my mom I did not do a good job of getting the condo ready for the holidays, Demetrio got a tree and Ginevra helped to decorate it. Also being a bit "down" I did not have the time or energy to go shopping. I got Deme a token gift and he did most of the gift giving to my mom, his mom, the kids, me and Ginevra. Part of me felt bad about it as I am usually on top of all this. I did however send out Xmas cards this year with the help of my mom.

V opens her presents as well as Lorenzo's. I think the ribbons and bows impressed her the most.

She received quite a lot of things from family in Italy and lots of toys and books from papa and our friends here.

Look at V in her new dress, now if only she would keep that bows in her hair.

Post Partum Blues

The kids are great, my MIL and niece are here. My sister Gia is relocating to Seattle after graduating from Le Cordon Bleu, San Fran and Christmas is around the corner. I am still settling into my post baby body and trying to balance life with two kids. Unfortunately, my hormones are not co-operating and after the new year I will be seeking professional help. More later ...

A Future Gastronome?

Since Veronica started eating solid foods we’ve tried to instill in her a bit of culinary curiosity. We’ve never forced anything upon her but instead given her endless tidbits to sample. There were a few foods shied away from at first because of possible allergies such as strawberries, peas, citrus and a few other forbidden foods (the dreaded nuts, honey and shellfish) but all in all Veronica eats just about everything. I must say she’s quite adventurous in the food arena and puts almost anything and her mouth for a taste, I guess she just takes after her parents.

Here is a list of some of the things Veronica has bitten into (and likes):
-arugula
-a raw onion
-kimchi
-tofu
-radicchio
-spinach
-frozen peas and corn
-whole wheat pasta
-stinky cheese
-grapefruit
-pomegranate seeds
-sparkling water
-iced tea
-lemon wedges
-brussel sprouts
-all fish
-fake sausages

The list of things that she will eat is truly endless. Other parents tell me that this honeymoon phase will end when she turns two. At that time, her favorite word will be parentheses “no” and she will no longer eat all we have to offer. I am dreading the day she spits out what I spoon in.

When I was a kid, food was a very important part of our family. We spent a lot of time growing food, shopping, preparing food, eating it and cleaning up afterwards. My sisters and I never spat anything out and we rarely made faces. Once in awhile one of us would proclaim that was something on the table that we did not like. My parents would insist that we at least try it before we shook our heads and said “no thank you.” I hope that our excitement about food encourages Veronica to keep an open mind and an open palate. For now we are lucky, see the video below.

She likes it, she really likes it!

Lorenzo at One Month Old

Lorenzo had his one month check up this week and he is fine. He is 10 pounds, in the 75% and 22 inches, in the 75-95%. All in all he is doing well except for the reflux. He sleeps well in the day and not as well as night, it seems he still has his night and day mixed up.

I find that I have much less time to spend with him than I did with Veronica. I am also feeling a bit more overwhelmed than with Veronica. He is an easy baby but there seems to be a never ending array of things to do and not enough time to do it. I am nursing less and less and still pumping. My mom really helps out a lot as does Demetrio. I cannot wait until he can go 4 hours a night. This week he has begun cooing and smiling a bit and that is endearing. Deme thinks he is gorgeous and tells him this almost everyday.

Lorenzo has huge round eyes even if they do look a bit more Asian than Veronica's.

Poor guy has reflux just like Veronica did and spits up all the time. I think this is his sour milk face.

Our New Shower

This is our new shower. We chose green-gold slate for the shower and floor of the rest of the bathroom, and black pebbles for the shower pan. We love the way the dark tile looks, even though the master shower is small the dark slate makes the space seem cozy and very spa-like. Deme calls the shower "sexy." The pebbles underfoot are very comfortable and have a massaging effect. All we have to do now is to get a shower door made.

This is the old shower, very dated and after 20 years the beige tile looked very dirty. Thank goodness we got it changed.

Lorenzo is 4 Weeks Old

Lorenzo is 4 weeks old today and will be a month old on Saturday. Having a newborn has been exhausting and rewarding as well. I cannot wait to get a full night of uninterrupted sleep. It has been over a year since either Deme or I have had a chance to get 8 hours of shut eye. Our baby boy is sleepy most of the time but once in a while he gets a tummy ache at night and complains, I do not think he has colic yet but we are keeping our fingers crossed. Other than that he is an ideal baby that eats and sleeps most of the day away as we tote him from point A to point B.

Veronica is doing wonderfully. She can clap in three languages and knows a few of her animals as well. She is 14 months old on Saturday. (I still cannot believe my kids are only 13 months apart.) What can I say about our lovely toddler? She is sweet to Lorenzo and very loving to us. She gives us kisses and hugs all day long. We are so lucky.