Jake Meets Santa!

This is a great pic that my parents got while Jake was visiting last weekend. Jake was happy to come out of the frigid temperatures to sit by the fire with this great Santa Claus! Our happy little boy can't wait for Christmas, and keeps asking where the snow is. Apparently to him, it's not Christmas unless it's a White Christmas!



EDIT 1/15/10- New Santa picture from when Mema Mary and Uncle Greg took Jake to see Santa in Connecticut:

Mema Peggy

I'm so sad to report that Ralph's grandmother, Margaret (Mema Peggy) passed away the day after Thanksgiving. The past few days have been very hard, but we have been surrounded by family, just as Mema Peggy was in her final hours on earth, which has made it a little easier. I am so glad that Jake got to know Mema Peggy and has fond memories of her, which I hope and pray will stay with him. I know she adored her great-grandson. Here is a very old post of the two of them together, when Jake was just four months old. It breaks my heart to know that our baby girl will never have had the chance to meet any of my grandparents, or any of Ralph's grandparents. I know they are all watching over us.


We miss you and love you Mema Peggy.

Some updates...

I feel like I haven't posted in ages. Which is probably true. The pictures are from a session we had with my good friend and fellow photographer Rosemary the day after Halloween. She photographed my family, I photographed hers. These are out-takes, the final one will be on our Christmas card once I get around to designing it.

Jake just told me he was trying to "HIP-TUH-TIZE" our dog Ruthie. He was swinging a water bottle near her face. "You're getting SLEEEEPY!" He cracks me up on a daily basis.

So what's new in our world? The wedding season is finally over but I'm still hard at work trying to finish up all of the editing of the sessions and working on wedding albums and trying to submit weddings to The Knot to be (hopefully) published in their magazine. I'm glad the major photography sessions are over for the year because this pregnancy has been very difficult on my body. I have had lots of pain from the baby sitting on my sciatic nerve; at the worst times, I am hardly able to walk. Recently, she has dropped a lot lower in my pelvis, which is an odd sensation. I am six months in and the pregnancy is flying by. I can't believe in 3 months, our daughter will be here.


Jake continues to enjoy pre-school. He attends three days a week, and seems to enjoy Ms. Peggy and her class. He makes friends easily, and loves the girls in his class the best. He tells me about the "bad" kids in his class, and I try to give him suggestions for how to deal with the one kid who pushes him, and the other kid who takes off his shoes. I wish these were the biggest problems my kid ever has to deal with in school. As the saying goes: "Little kids, little problems. Big kids, big problems."

He is currently inexplicably paranoid about two-year-olds, and any time something goes wrong, he blames it on one. "My toothbrush is missing! I think a two year old took it!"

This week's obsession is dough. He got a hunk of raw dough from a pizza place a few weeks ago, and now any time we go out to eat, he expects a new hunk of uncooked dough. Surprisingly, a few places actually oblige. Jake wants to be a "dougher" - one who makes and works with pizza dough for a living. Lol. I'm constantly mixing up flour and water to entertain him, only to have it disappear a few hours later when he becomes bored and leaves it within reach of the dog.


Jake's funniest talent, to me at least, seems to be his imitation skills. He's quite a good mimic! He imitates the facial expressions and the voice inflection of our neighbor (his good friend Gabby) and some of the kids in his class. He's surprisingly accurate in his imitations!

Jake still continues to role-play. It's hard to keep up with who I am talking to in a given day, hour, or even minute to minute. Jake's cast of characters includes every original member of Van Halen (Eddie, Alex, David Lee Roth and sometimes Michael Anthony, but he usually doles out the role of Sammy Hagar to others) as well as other rock stars. He will pretend to be all of the different characters from his various TV shows; members of the New York Yankees starting line-up (Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui, Mark Teixeira, A-Rod, etc), and will imitate the entire batting order, complete with who hits lefty and who hits righty, and even the switch hitters; he will pretend to be friends from class ("I'm Sofia! You're Sofia's mommy!"), and even pretend to be random people he sees out in public or on TV ("I'm that boy with the rocket ship. You can be the other boy."). He is an absolute riot and his imagination is just extraordinary.


Lately, I'm just enjoying this time that I know is fleeting. Work is good and steady, family life is stable and relatively calm, we are getting plenty of sleep (mine being less restful than the boys since I am being attacked from the inside by the fetus who auditions for Soul Train on a nightly basis), and we have settled into a nice routine. All that is about to change, but for now I just want to record it before it all morphs into the wonderful chaos of having a new baby in the house.

First cup of hot chocolate

We're at the diner, my young date and I, playing Tic Tac Toe and sipping warm cups of hot chocolate. I'm amazed at how big of a boy Jake has grown into in three and a half years. His little sister dances in my belly, and I can't help but wonder how much life is about to change. 15 more weeks to go...

Happy 5th Anniversary!

It feels like just yesterday I was pulling back the curtains at the Desmond to reveal the most beautiful cloudless sky I had ever seen. It was the morning of our wedding, and the most wonderful day of my life! So much has changed in these past five years, but one thing remains the same - I love you and I would marry you all over again! Thank you for the beautiful family and wonderful home we have created together. I can't wait for all of the wonderful things that we have in front of us. I love you, I love you, I love you!

Embarassment of The Day

Jake and I were in fancy-schmancy Greenwich, CT after my chiropractor's appointment yesterday, and we stopped at Starbucks for a snack. He picked out a nice table for us, opened up his milk and put in the straw all by himself, and was helping himself to our petite vanilla bean scones. He was being quite well-behaved and getting the attention of a few of the local patrons, which he immediately picks up on. I was the proud mama of an adorable independent three-year old.

Then he decided to act silly and drop the word "poop" into our conversation. I swiftly and sternly warned him that was not a word to use in public, and certainly not in an eating establishment. He used it again. I gave him the final warning - say it again, and we're leaving. Of course he tested me and said poop again. "That's it, we're leaving," and I quickly began to pick up our things and put on my jacket.

Jake freaks out and begins yelling, pleading loudly: "I'M NOT SAYING POOP! I'M NOT SAYING POOP ANYMORE MOMMY! PLEASE SIT DOWN! I'M NOT SAYING POOOOOOP!!!!" The customers around us, of course, erupt into laughter, as I try to quiet him down while following through on my threat, and not crack up myself.

I followed through on my threat, and we left, but not without causing a huge scene. Needless to say, we'll be avoiding the Greenwich Ave Starbucks for a little while, thanks to Jake.

Impromptu Fall Portrait Session

I've been so busy photographing weddings lately, that I have hardly had any time to photograph my own family. We pulled out the fall/winter wardrobe the other day, and I was so happy that my favorite sweater of Jake's from last year still fit him (even though I was stupid and bought it in a 2T, not 3T last fall. It barely fits). So I outfitted him in the sweater and matching hat, and out in the backyard we went for a quick fun impromptu portrait session.




His famous "angry face"


And his "surprised face"




Love love love this one...





Ralph got in on the action too...




I hadn't noticed how much Jake is starting to look like Ralph until I was editing these photos. They have the exact same smiles!

What does blue and green make?

Over the summer, Jake really seemed to enjoy the days when we would finger paint. He and I would spread newspaper on the dining room table, set up our tubes of chalky-smelling poster paint, squirt dots of blue, red, yellow and white on little paper plates, and mix our primary colors together to make the secondary colors. He loved to take a dab of each color on his paintbrush before setting brush to paper. Then, eventually, he would mix them all together with his paintbrush or fingers and make brown-ish sludge. It was messy, but he loved it, and still often asks to finger paint.

Jake has been particularly interested in colors lately, especially which colors can be mixed together to make new colors. He asks us all the time. He knows the secondary colors well: blue and red make purple, red and yellow make orange, and blue and yellow make green. Now he asks a lot about mixing primary and secondary colors together. Sadly, the answer to most of those questions is: "brown".
Jake: "What does red and green make?"
Me: "Brown."
Jake: "What does orange and blue make?"
Me:"Brown."
Jake: "But you said red and green make brown!"
Me: "Yes honey, when you mix primary colors with secondary colors, lots of times you just get brown."
Jake: "Oh."

The funny part is when he trips us up. We'll be driving along, and he'll ask us "What does yellow and brown make?" And we answer "Um... I think it makes orange?" He says, "No, red and yellow make orange." He is paying attention, I'll give him that!

He challenges me when I tell him that black and white make gray. He insists the correct answer is silver. I tell him that if you mix metallic white or black together, you will get silver, but normally you just get gray. He insists silver is the correct answer. It has been debated several times now. I'm enjoying the combination of his father's brains and memory with his mother's love of art.

If your little one wants to know more about mixing colors, here is a good site to learn some of the basics.

Self-proclaimed Rockstar strikes again

Rocking out at the Yanks Game

You can't stop Jake from rocking out - even at the Yankees Game the other night...

Sitting on the potty...

While watching Fall Out Boy videos on an iPod Touch. Modern potty training. Lol.

Ultrasounds and baby names

So this was pretty cool. I had another ultrasound today, and they sent me home with an awesome pic of baby girl's foot!



We have been getting a lot of questions about names. I guess we will go ahead and give you four possible name choices like we did when we were pregnant with Jake. Her first name has been determined for a while, her middle name is still up in the air. If she is, in fact, born on Valentine's Day, her middle name will be Valentine (which is my maiden name). And heck, if she's born on my birthday, Feb 23rd, maybe she'll get Valentine too (I legally changed my middle name to Valentine once I got married, same as my Aunt Marianne, I always thought that was pretty cool).

If it were up to Jake, our daughter's name would be Robert. No thanks.

Okay, so in alphabetical order, here are four possible first names for baby girl Vasami:

Alexandra / Cameron / Devon / Taylor

What's your guess?

The Rockstar needed some tattoos

I will frequently give Jake some paper and highlighters to play with while I am trying to send out a few emails in my office. He normally delivers me some nice drawings. Today, after playing quietly (danger! danger!) for a few moments, he comes back into my office and says: "I'm a rockstar! I've got TATTOOS!" So much for trying to sneak in some work on non-work days.

We are having a...

So we had the ultrasound this afternoon. We are very excited to announce that we will be welcoming a baby G I R L !

It should be no big surprise to anyone that this is a girl, because this pregnancy has been completely different from when I was pregnant with Jake four years ago.

Morning sickness is starting to fade away, but still pops up 3 or so times a week, though not as severe. We are at week 17, so for those who are counting, this little girl has already given me morning/afternoon/evening sickness for four months straight. Thanks, my precious little miracle ;)

I have just started to feel a few kicks and am happy that we are finally being fit into my doctor's schedule. We had been a few weeks behind (the office is very busy) and are playing catch-up. We will have another appointment and ultrasound in two weeks, so we will get another peek to make doubly sure this is a girl. (Her 'region' looked nothing like what I remember Jake's 'region' looking like - lol.)

Jake-isms, Volume 3

I whip out my Blackberry and record all of the hilarious, non-sensical, dirty and embarassing things Jake says, then I either post them as my Facebook status, text them to Ralph, or hold on to them for an upcoming blog post. Without further ado, here is the most recent volume of "Jake-isms" as recorded over the past several months.

• Hearing the sound of a lawn-mowing crew outside: "Mommy! I hear the mowers mower-ing!"

• Jake, spontaneously naked as usual: "Look, I've got a hole in my butt!" Sends his index finger around to investigate. "Ouch!"
Me, amazed that I even have to say these words: "Okay, no more sticking fingers into the hole in your butt."

• Jake asks me to tear off the foil top of his drink box so he can use it without the straw. I tear it off, with some difficulty, and hand it back to him. He looks at it and then says to me dryly: "That's the best you could do?" I nearly peed myself, and looked around, hoping someone else heard.

• Jake is absent-mindedly fiddling with his privates. I ask him: "Honey, what are you doing to your penis?" His answer: "I'm working on it."

• In the car driving, cd player blasting the tunes, Jake is playing air guitar and I'm singing along. Jake: "Mommy, let these guys sing."

• Jake sees a picture of a visibly pregnant woman. I explain how her baby is bigger than mine. In a hilarious/accusatory tone he says, "Where's YOUR Big Baby??!!"

• Jake and I are racing at the park. I let him win. He proclaims: "I'm the winner. You're the lost-er."

• Quietly to myself about a pedestrian about to cross into three lanes of traffic that have just been given a green light: "This guy has a death wish." Jake, from the back seat with incredible hearing powers: "That man has a dead fish?!"

• Me, pointing to something on Jake's chest: "Honey, what is that?" Jake, not paying much attention: "My testicles."

• The day before our first ultrasound, I sit down with Jake and explain to him that we are going to find out how many babies are in my belly (I had been convinced it was twins). Jake gestures to two of my fat rolls. "One baby here," he says pointing to the roll above my belly button, "and one baby there," he says pointing to the one below. I can't help but go into fits of laughter.

• Jake and two other boys have their imaginary babies on the swings at the park. One boy says to his baby: "You're a good baby, but you do bad things!" I was the only mom in the park dying of laughter.

The fact that no one else is around to hear these things causes me to record them instantly. My son is a funnier comedian (to me at least) than most of the guys who get paid to tell jokes. Hope you found these to be entertaining.

Until next time...

Jake's Art Skills!

We were eating dinner our last night in Ocean City and Jake drew this on our table:


He had previously just filled in the features when we drew a face template for him, but this time he drew everything himself - face, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and hair! I wasn't sure if he was going to inherit any of my love of art, but I'm starting to think now he might have a bit of creative skills afterall. :) I have no idea if this is on target for his age, but I was impressed with his drawing skills! :)

The Curious Case of the Swollen Face

Looks like the face paint yesterday wasn't the best idea for Jake. He came into our room this morning looking not at all like his usual self :( We're on dose two of the Benadryl (doctor's orders) but the swelling is still pretty bad - poor kiddo.

More Face Painting by Bailey (age 5)

Face Painting by Bailey

The boys

The beard growing competition has begun!

Feeling a bit crabby...

First Day of Vacation

Jake is knocked out asleep after dinner. He spent most of the day splashing in the pool. :)

R.I.P Nemo, 3/2009 - 8/2009

Private backyard burial services were conducted this morning for Nemo the fish. Nemo, who had been battling an undisclosed illness for the past few months, fought hard until the very end. He is survived by his caretakers, Ralph, Kelly & Jake, as well as his pet siblings, Ruthie the dog, and Robert the hermit crab.

While by all accounts Nemo will be dearly missed, rumors of plans for his replacement have been heard on playgrounds in the area. Jake's mother, Kelly, declined to comment on these rumors, instead giving only the non-committal "Uhm, we'll see."

The family thanks the public for their support during this difficult time.

Big Fat News ;)

Jake has a little shirt (and some BIG news) he wants to share with you...



...and here is a little picture of the little person who has made mommy feel very very nauseous for the last two months:



We are due February 15th, and can't wait to find out if Jake will have a little brother or a little sister! Any guesses?

Milestones!

My pre-schooler has been upstairs napping for the past three hours. This is the first nap he has gifted me with since 4th of July weekend. He still needs the nap but refuses to give in. Today I told him if he didn't nap, then I would tell Geedah and Peepa not to come until tomorrow (they are due to arrive later tonight). I know, dirty trick, but it worked.

So Jake has had quite a few milestones since I last updated. He gave up his binkie (pacifier), all on his own. Just handed it over one day. Actually, in the interest of full disclosure, he traded it for a Fruit By The Foot. And that was it! Hasn't had it since, and has only asked for it a few times since giving it up.

Next up, we have had significant progress in potty-training! Jake had switched from diapers to Pull-Ups, but still treated the Pull-Ups like a diaper, instead of the just-in-case backup they were intended to be. So I finally decided to just use up the small supply of Pull-Ups we had left, and then just switch to undies. Yes, there were a few accidents along the way, but he really started to get the hang of it and it just clicked.

One thing, funny enough, that made the biggest difference in the world, was letting Jake pee on a tree outside. We were at Ralph's softball game one night, and Jake told me he had to go. He had been going exclusively on his little guy training potty at our house, Mema's, and Geedah's. I knew he was going to get to the big potty in the strange restroom and freak out about trying to sit on it. So I asked him: "Do you wanna go pee-pee outside on the tree?" His little face lit up (he knew it was something he wasn't "supposed" to be doing), and he immediately went off to a tree with me, dropped his little shorts (all the way to the ground, an eagle-eyed outfielder would have gotten quiet a glimpse of his tiny heiney ), and immediately went to town watering the tree. He actually asked to go two more times after that too - turned out he was just practicing.

So that was what made Jake comfortable with going pee-pee while standing up. Previously, he had refused. He did it again later that night at home (in our bathroom this time, we let him know that pee-peeing outside is a rare treat, the exception rather than the rule), and again the next day. NOW, he can easily go pee-pee in any potty, anywhere - and he does! - the doctor's office, pre-school, public restrooms, Dutch Wonderland, etc. I'm so proud of my little boy, he is getting to be such a BIG boy! :)

Our friend Stellan...

Our friend Stellan is not doing well again. His little heart has been beating at over 200 beats per minute for three days. Please say a prayer and ask for a miracle healing of Stellan's heart. It looks like Stellan will once again be airlifted to Boston for another procedure on his heart to destroy an accessory AV node. If this doesn't work, there is a possibility of a pacemaker for life. This little fighter is only 8 months old and has been through more in 8 months than most of us go through in a lifetime. Please keep him and his mom Jennifer in your thoughts and prayers.

Just in case you were wondering how a 3 year old eats a frosted donut...

This is how. Lol.

I'm on a boat!

More fun at Dutch Wonderland! :)

RWWWOOOOAR!!

Having fun at Dutch Wonderland :)

I'm a pirate! Yo ho ho!

Jake came downstairs from "napping" dressed just like this (wearing one of my hair bands and two of my pony tail holders). And that is verbatim ("I'm a pirate! Yo ho ho!") out of his mouth. lol

All boy.

Ralph is at the park with Jake. Just sent me this pic. Lol

First Sugar Cube

The view from our new backyard paradise :)

I've wanted a hammock my whole life! It recently occurred to me that our little backyard was the perfect place for one. I finally bit the bullet and bought a hammock from Walmart.com. I guess I hate Walmart a teeny tiny bit less now :)