33 Weeks....and Counting!

Baby and I are officially at 33 weeks today, which sounds a lot better than 32, but not nearly as good as 34 or 35. At any rate, we are all counting down the days and weeks until our munchkin arrives. We are all anxious to meet our little man and I am certainly anxious to no longer be pregnant.

This has, by far, been the most difficult pregnancy of the three. I think it's safe to assume that is primarily because it came so quickly after the second. All things considered, it's been a fairly easy pregnancy- no complications and very little sickness. What's taking it's toll is the seemingly perpetual fatigue and discomfort. It certainly is hard to accomplish anything of consequence during the day, not to mention trying to keep up with two kids. All of that, along with the intense need and complete inability to "nest", causes much frustration.

But, we're getting down to the wire and looking forward to the day we can head to the hospital. In the meantime, here's where we stand according to babycenter.com:

"This week our baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Blah, Blah, Blog

So sad that it's been three weeks since I've felt that anything was significant enough in life to share. What can I say? It is what it is. The Oronas are plugging along, taking one day at a time...working, trying to keep up with two VERY active kids, and counting down the days 'til the next one arrives.

Baby and I are 31 1/2 weeks along and looking forward to getting closer and closer to 40! Although I could swear that my body looks as if I'm 41 weeks along, my doctor assures me that I am right on target, measuring 31 inches. Let's just say 31 inches looked a lot smaller the second time around than it does the third. If' I'm being perfectly honest, it FEELS a lot different too. Each subsequent pregnancy seems to exacerbate the discomfort. Everything aches more and tires much more quickly. Eight and a half weeks to go- I think I can...I think I can...

Other than that, we are gearing up for our baby girl's first birthday, finishing preparations for baby Orona#3, and bracing ourselves for 100+ temperatures. Somewhere in there...I'd really like to get some sleep...

Eleven Months Old

Where has time flown? Our baby girl is 11 months old today! It's a bittersweet experience watching her grow. While we revel in each new accomplishment, we regretfully say goodbye to the "baby days" we know we will never have with her again. Thank goodness for digital cameras and camcorders!!!

At eleven months old, Sofia is a bundle of energy. She is constantly on the move and can travel from one room in the house to another at lightening speed. Sofia is a nosey-body and loves to explore and be a part of everything that doesn't necessarily include her. She can be found in the middle of ANY and all situations.

As for her accomplishments this month, Sofia is now beginning to stand on her own, without holding on to anything. She loves to wave "bye bye" and can say "all done", with and without sign language. Sofia is a giggler and loves to laugh. She continues to be enfatuated with her brother who loves to carry on conversations with her by imitating her sounds. Sofia loves her baby doll and playing with her brother's play kitchen. She continues to be full of smiles and snuggles and brightens each day!

Dialogue with a 3 1/2 Year Old

"Honey, can you get Mommy the mayonnaise out of the fridge?"
"Okay, Mama. Which one's the mayonnaise, Mama?"
"It's white and it's in a jar with a blue lid."
"This one, Mama?"
"Yes, Love, that's the mayonnaise."
"This isn't mayonnaise, this is butter, Mama."
"Well, it looks a little like butter, but it's mayonnaise."
"Oh! My bad, mama."

Drama Queen

That's me! Recently I've been feeling like I haven't gotten enough attention from friends and family, so I determined a trip to the hospital and the possibility of a preterm delivery was just the thing I needed to get my loved ones to focus on me for a while. And it worked!

Are you sensing my sarcasm? I hope so because I'm laying it on pretty thick-

More accurately speaking, this morning I became a tad nervous when I felt something similar to my water breaking the day I delivered Sofia. I ignored it for a while, until it happened again a few hours later. I called the doctor's office and, being that I am only 27 weeks along, was told by the nurse to head directly to the labor and delivery department at the hospital.

When we arrived, the monitor indicated that I was having fairly regular contractions and the look on the nurse's face led us to believe that there was much more cause for concern than we had originally anticipated. We were told that she would do an exam and, if in fact my water had broken, we would most likely be sent downtown to Good Samaritan where the advanced NICU is.

Immediately we had visions of our little one hooked up to countless tubes and monitors and daily trips to the NICU to be with him/her. There was also great possibility of an extended hospitalization for me in hopes to let the baby's lungs mature prior to delivery. We did a lot of praying in the triage room as we awaited the results of the test.

That few minutes seemed like hours as we waited, but the news was definitely worth the wait. My water had not broken, my contractions began to slow, and everything was as it should be. I received extensive instructions before being discharged and will return to the doctor's office on Monday for my scheduled exam. We are so thankful that everything is okay and our little one is healthy.

I Heart New York- Part 2

On Monday, we left the hustle and bustle of the city and headed to Basking Ridge, NJ, home of Verizon Wireless. Basking Ridge is a quiet little town and it was the perfect contrast to two busy days in the city. This pregnant woman was ready for some R & R. We found a cute little restaurant for lunch and retired to our hotel room for the evening, where we both crashed out and slept through dinnertime. Around 8:00 pm we finally manged to get downstairs to the hotel restaurant for something to eat.

Tuesday, poor Fernando headed to the office early and I, after picking up breakfast for myself, returned to the hotel and fell asleep...again. That afternoon, I braved the New Jersey highway system (GPS in hand, naturally) and found my way to a shopping center. Oh how I enjoyed shopping without children in tow!

The next day, I ventured out yet again, this time with a mission to visit my childhood home (which also happened to be my mother's childhood home) and our old town. It was a good 40 minute drive, but time passes quickly when you have NO idea where you are. Much gratitude to the inventor of the personal navigation system for keeping me from getting lost somewhere in central Jersey. Here are some highlights from my afternoon of gallivanting-

Our old house at 22 Califon Drive in Colonia, NJ. My grandparents had this house built over 50 years ago and my parents purchased it from them when my sister and I were little. I remember playing in the snow in the front yard and in our playroom downstairs. I even remember the view of our backyard from my bedroom window.

The front entrance of School 21, my sister's elementary school. It was within walking distance from our house and I recall many mornings and afternoons, sitting in my stroller on the sidewalk outside this building, dropping her off or picking her up.

The grocery store where mom used to buy me giant dill pickles from a ginormous glass jar on the deli case.

What was once Vicaro's Italian Bakery. Our favorite place. Only one word is necessary...YUM!

Upon returning to the hotel, I got changed and ready to have dinner with my godmother, whom I haven't seen in 29 years, as well as my aunt and cousins. We enjoyed dinner at this little Italian hole in the wall- aah the joys of eating restaurant Italian food prepared and served by actual Italians.

The Marciante girls (minus my mom and sister). From left to right- my cousin, Lauren, my aunt, Nancy (mom's sister), moi, my cousin and godmother, Carla, her daughters, Marissa and Mariel.

It was so fun to catch up and spend time with my extended family.

On Thursday it was time to head back to the airport and return home to our kiddies, whom we missed terribly!

Until our next adventure....

I Heart New York- Part 1

It's been years in the making, but we finally got to take a trip to New York. A big thank you to Verizon for locating their headquarters in Basking Ridge, NJ, and requiring Fernando to be there this past week. An even bigger thank you to our parents for being willing to come stay with our kiddos while we enjoyed a few extra days in the city.

We arrived at Newark airport around 4:30 Saturday and took the first of many death rides into the city. The shuttle dropped us off at our hotel in the heart of Midtown and we checked in. Upon our arrival we were greeting by swarms of "New York's Finest" who had blocked off the street alongside our hotel in the aftermath of the "America's Next Top Model" stampede that left at least one model hopeful unconscious. Welcome to the city! :) That night it was off to a little Italian restaurant around the corner and a stroll down to Times Square.

Sunday morning we engaged in our own walking tour of the city as we headed down 5th Ave. We enjoyed seeing in person Rockefeller Center, NBC studios, Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Bryant Park. I quietly revelled in the glory that was Saks 5th Ave, Prada, Cartier, and Ferragamo (insert blissful sigh, here), and mentally began planning the shopping trip of a lifetime. We chuckled as we past stores like Best Buy, Staples, and Babies R Us sprinkled intermittently between the iconic New York scenes. By the time we had walked 14+ blocks we decided to return back to the hotel and rest for a bit before lunch.

That afternoon, my aunt and uncle picked us up at our hotel and took us for lunch at a trendy French restaurant in the West Village. After that, we embarked on a historical tour of the entire island, courtesy of my Uncle Bill. Seeing as how he was raised in New York and currently works there, he was just the man for the job. We cruised around "the horn", through lower Manhattan and up the east side. There was a moment of quiet as we passed by Ground Zero and so many scenes of that day flew through our heads. The day before I had a strange glimpse of what I can only imagine people seeing on September 11th. I happened to glance up between the buildings and saw a plane heading toward one of the airports. It was well above the city still, but from my point of view, watching it fly overhead and disappear into the skyline sent chills down my spine.

We drove up along the East River to see Wall Street, the UN, the Brooklyn Bride (and Brooklyn itself), and the Upper East Side. We ended up on the upper West Side where we parked and strolled over to Central Park.

It was a chilly day and much of the city is still showing the signs of winter, but the park was still a wonderful place to be!

After returning to our hotel, we changed and caught a cab down to the East Village to see the show Stomp. It. Was. Awesome. There is no other word to describe it. After that it was a quick slice of pizza (or two!) and took another "death ride" back to the hotel. It was a long day and we were officially exhausted.

Monday morning we got off to a slow start, but managed to head across the street and have lunch at the Carnegie Deli before heading back to New Jersey. There's nothing that screams New York more than a pastrami or corned beef sandwich on rye, complete with a chocolate egg cream and a black and white cookie, of course!

Most of what is truly wonderful about New York would be overlooked by the average visitor. It's the attitude, the energy, and the history that make it so unique and so special. Gertrude Stein once said, "America is my country, but Paris is my home town". That's exactly how I feel about New York. Not only is my family history deeply rooted in this great city, but there is something about it that runs through me- in the marrow of my bones. I feel at home when I'm there and miss it terribly now that I'm gone. I can't wait to go back. It's not just a novelty to me, it's a necessity.