5 months in!!

Dear Isaac!

    Can you believe you are almost 5 months old (Sunday)??? Crazy! 22 weeks and you STILL have not figured out how to sleep through the night!!! Oh my!! You have your good nites ( 2 to 3 hours of sleep at a time) and your Hell Nites (up every 20 minutes!) "They" keep telling me you will figure it out sooner or later...I am pretty sure it will be later! ruh-roh :( Oh well, at least we can use you for soup!
    Last week you had your first fever. Boy is that sad to see! I never thought I would miss your constant crabbiness until seeing you so blase'. We went to the doctor for a simple well visit on monday for a second opinion on your constant crying and the next day you spiked a fever! Wednesday we were back at the Dr but thankfully she said you were ok and just had a virus. I thought I would be  secretly relieved to have you sleep so much, but oddly I was not. You just didnt seem like yourself. By Thursday the fever was gone and crazy diarrhea set in.... that was AWFUL!  It has been a never ending carnival ride!
So now it is Friday and you have not got your appetite back! IF you dont hurry up and get back to "normal"soon you are going to drive your Noni...and me crazy!

    Of course after you got sick then Mommy got sick. Fortunately the bathrooms were close by at both Kohl's and Wegmans when I decided to "un-lunch" myself!  Luckily my bout with the flu was short-lived. But during my afternoon in bed (which was not nearly the afternoon of rest I had hoped for) I had my first real MOMMY A-HA! moment!! I cold hear my little man screaming downstairs as I lay up in quarantine and I did all I could to stay upstairs and not re-infect him! Finally, however,  I gave in when the wails turned to screams. With a scarf around my mouth I went downstairs and picked up my little screaming monster and at that very moment he let out the hugest sigh and fell asleep! My breath and body wreaked, my stomach was turning and every muscle ached but it was the greatest mommy moment ever! Knowing that My little Sir was crying for ME and wanting ME made me feel like a million bucks!! Now he just better get over this Mama's boy thing!

   When not sick, Daddy And I did have lots of fun traveling around PA exploring new areas! I cant believe I lived here for so long and havent seen so much! Monday we went to NYC with Uncle Ralphie. I love it there but Daddy was not as easily impressed! It is a little too congested for him....I guess you can take the boy out of the country but you cant take the country out of the boy! Hopefully Little man will get an appreciation of both the city and country from both of us!
    Next week we head back to Las Vegas. I say that with bittersweet emotions. I know your daddy is going a little stir crazy being in PA for so long and we both miss the dogs so much, but I do love being here, no matter how crazy your Nono may make me! I know I will be a mess when we leave - but not nearly as bad as Noni will be :) I know we will be back!

    Uncle Ronnie will be so surprised by how big you got when we get back! And I can't wait until he hears your new high pitched scream that you do so well! Good bye to his peaceful nights! Maybe Prada will help me with the late shift!

PS...Back off ladies....Sir Isaac scored himself an older woman! Sofia has claimed him all for her own! Way to go Isaac, what a hottie!!!

What a year!!!

   Dear Isaac!
   What a year it has been! Exactly one year ago last Sunday I was eating a loaf of bread in the Philly airport wondering what was with this crazy stomach ache....and exactly one year ago today I was puking my guts up with worst morning sickness ever! I slept through New Year's day COMPLETELY! Amazing how different a year can end from the way it began! Now I would be excited to get a half hour nap!
   So much has changed it is hard to believe that only one year has gone by! Within 1 year i have spanned more clothing sizes than I could have ever imagined! It feels like a lifetime ago before thoughts of Sir Isaac consumed my head! What did I used to think about? What was important then? How did it feel not to be tired all the time? I can barely remember!! Did I really used to get dressed before leaving the house?
    2009 has been a year I will never forget! Daddy and I grew closer than we could have ever imagined. Pregnancy was an amazing experience I will never forget! Birth was the scariest, most thrilling, most emotional moment of my life! Sir Isaac has been nothing short of a miracle in our lives, albeit the loudest, crankiest, sleepless little monster ever, you are still our favorite little miracle!

    The end of the year has brought so many new fond memories for the 3 of us! Isaac bravely survived his first flight! Everyone was right, I was way more nervous than I needed to be! It added a whole extra 3 minutes to our airport time!
    Our first family trip to NEPA has been a blast thus far! Isaac's introduction to the whole clan was amazing to see! Nona loves singing to him and covers him daily in enough holy oil we can fry our little piggy up like bacon! Krissy has become so maternal, Nono has decided he is too old to change diapers and Noni just loves have the whole house full again (although I am not so sure why!)  Packing for the little monster was a complete waste time. Noni's "few things" was more like a whole new wardrobe! I should have known better! Daddy and I are getting a little to used to all these extra helping hands and our new found free time! Uncle ronnie better be willing and able when we get back to Vegas!
    Christmas with Sir I was so much fun! I know he is way too young to know what is going on....but it was still so much fun dressing him up like a little elf! Johnnie JUmperoo has become our new best friend! It is so fun to watch him jump and play for such a length a time without freaking out! Gramma Berta flew in for the holiday and we all had a great time...although I wish Noni and Nono cooked a little more...ha! I can only foresee the following holiday times to be more special with each passing year!

    Little man donned his first tuxedo for his Christening on the 27th. He was so cute!! All in his white silk suit! What a stud! Aunt Gina and Uncle Ronnie were the proud godparents. Isaac did so well..until the picture portion. Then he had a meltdown in classic Isaac style! The reception after was a lot of fun too. The whole family got to meet and see him - and surprisingly Mommy let everyone hold him too! But if one more person said "this baby doesn't cry at all" I was going to flip!! If only we had the party at 2 am!!
    Sleeping has become a major issue these days.  Luckily everyone is here to witness it so I don't feel like it is just me overreacting to the baby crying all the time. We are now on the sleep pattern of: sleep 1 hour, wake up and cry 2 hours. If it sounds fun  you are oh so right! All night....cry cry cry. I called the doctor for some advice but all i got was "take him to an urgent care". HA. Karma is having a blast with that one!
   Finally tonite we will wrap up one helluva year! I cannot imagine topping the excitement of '09! Maybe Krissy will give I a cousin..hahahahahahaha...just kidding my dear! I look forward to watching how much our baby Sir I will grow in the next year and all the great experiences Daddy and I will have with our new family! I wish all the best to my friends and family in the new year - and hopefully we will see more of you in '10! '10???? How weird??? We are so old! - and to my dear old friend Rich, congrats with your twins! You will be amazed at how much your life has been completely changed in such an instant! It is an amazing journey we can only experience to describe!
     Merry CHristmas and Happy New year to all!

On our way to NEPA!!

It is almost time! Seems like just yesterday I bought the tickets! 6 weeks have passed and in a few short hours we will be sitting high in the sky on our way to Noni's house in NEPA for the holidays! I cannot wait! I think Sir I knew something was up too...He has been Baby Hell Boy all week! This time tomorrow Daddy and I will sitting fireside with some hot toddies pretending we dont hear him crying for Noni!!! Doesn't that sound great???? I can just hear Noni now trying to sooth the bedtime beast!

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! How sweet it will be!!! I can almost taste the Frangelico in my cocoa now!

But lets be honest....until we are comfortable - and I mean COMFORTABLY sitting at 30,000 feet I will be a nervous wreck about Little Baby Dynomite exploding on the plane! I may start the drinking early!!! Ha! After weighing all the pros and cons, hmm's and ha's, we have decided NOT to bring the carseat on the plane. I hope it is the right decision! We will know tomorrow morning for sure if we are buying a new one to fly back with! :)  Little man hates the seat though..so why lug it thru the airport if he is only going to sit on my lap? I know it will be easier for when he DOES fall asleep...but I'm sure those 20 minutes are not worth the hassle!

In other news we are officially 18 weeks old today... We had our 4 month Dr. visit and completed our shot records (for now).  I always feel like an idiot when the Dr asks me how is it going? I tell him the baby cries A LOT and he looks at me like "are you expecting him to bark"Because then i just think maybe i am a horrible mother who cant hack the crying? But really this kid can wail like no other! And he is damn good with the will power too! He will scream his bloody head off and then smile and coo the second you get in his face! 18 weeks old and the kid can already play me like a fiddle! He preys on weakness - I am sure that is a Nardell trait....Anywhoo...the Dr  then reassures me that Isaac is  right on track and probably just "going through a phase"....and to myself I think "an 18 week phase?" But I suck it up...really? what's one more night of mommy crying the shower afterall?

So we shall see how he does in NEPA...he was an ANGEL at GRamma Berta's house....and if he cant find enough to keep himself stimulated at Noni's then we are in trouble!

I will be sure to keep you all updated on the success of our trip! Thanks so much for all your tips - for some reason Dr's are HIGHLY against the benadryl suggestion so we are just going to stick a bobba in his mouth and hope for the best! If they ground us in Ohio and make us vacate the plane I will be sure to send our Season's Greetings from Cleveland! (God I hope not!)

Here we come East Coast!!!! I hope to see you all soon!

10 day countdown!!

10 more days until we board the plane and head East for the winter...we are like the snowbirds that got it backwards!
I cannot wait to land!! All the preparation for the trip makes me nervous! (of course!) Will he cry the whole way? (Probably!) Will Security be a pain in the ass? (most likely) Will people be coughing and sneezing all over him? ( I will kill them!) Is he allowed a carry on bag? Ugh!

All these questions and more! But I know once we land it will be well worthSir I will get to see his Noni again (yeah!!) and finally meet his Nono and Nona as well as Aunt Krissy, Zizi, and Uncle Mark and everyone else!! I figured I wont even pack a bag for him because all I hear is that "no one bought him (really) anything...." Yeah rite!!...knowing my family that means he will have more things there than here!
Mommy and Daddy cannot wait for our Vegas break either! A few weeks in snow and winter weather will be a refreshing break for both of us! Not to mention the constant influx of babysitters...(Bratty!!)
THere is nothing like being home for the holidays! And no one does Christmas better than Noni! She "doesn't shop", "doesn't decorate", and "doesn't cook/bake much" like no one's business!! But Mommy's whole goal for the holiday vacation is to hit the gym!!! There is nothing more fun than having a 4 month old and trying to "SQUEEZE" into my maternity clothes! Danko's here I come!!!

Christmas will have an added bonus this year as Gramma Berta will be spending I's first Christmas with us in NEPA!  Hopefully the onslaught of the entire family at once won't send her running back to the high desert in a hurry! So everyone better be on their  best...okay, better...behavior!
Also We are trying to get Sir's Baptism set up for the 27th.  It is  just as hard to work with Ronnie's schedule as it is Baby Jesus's! Hopefully most of you will be in town! But there are not any definite plans as of yet!
Well stay tuned for more CHristmas countdown and holiday extravaganza for the most wonderful time of the year! And remember, as I hope to teach Baby I,  it's not about the gifts under the tree but the people around it! Happy Holidays!!

A lot to be thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving Sir Isaac! This is definitely a year we have A LOT to be thankful for! Not only do Daddy and I have the good fortune of being blessed with wonderful families and friends...but this year we have a whole new addition to our lists of "Blessings" Who knew a screaming little baby boy could be such a Blessing in disguise! OK..we knew!
     We are spending our first Turkey day in Elko this year with Gramma 'Berta and Grampa Pat! SO far Isaac has made liars out of us! He has been a complete angel so far! barely a crying peep out of his little mouth! I cant believe it! Maybe we took the wrong baby! Although it was surely our hellish baby angel in the car on our 8 hour trek out here!...But whatever works! Im pretty sure he just is bored of us and is stoked to have new faces doting over him....Thank heavens for Grandparents! As well as baby-less getaways  to the gym (ugh, i am so sore!) and the store.

    That is all for now - just a big Happy THanksgiving to all of our family and friends. We can wait to see the rest of you over CHristmas! More faces and more babysitters! The list of Thankfuls keeps growing!

THe First 100 days!

                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              Dear Isaac,
     You are 100 days old today! I cannot believe it! My little monster is officially 3 months old! So now is when the fun starts right??? Well apparently you didnt get the memo that you are not supposed to cry so much anymore...we will just blame that on your inability to read just yet!
      The past 100 days have been such a whirlwind of emotions....I cannot imagine anything in the world causing such a roller coaster of emotions than motherhood! Your smiles & giggles give me the highest highs and your screams and cries give me the lowest lows (so you can stop the crying at any moment now please!) I have never been so proud and so terrified all in one! I cannot believe I have not driven your Daddy crazy yet!! No preparation in the world can get you ready for a journey like this!
    Everyday is something new! I love peeking over your bed each morning to see you smiling face!  I cannot wait for all the fun times we will have together - you, me & daddy! I look forward to the new things you do everyday and watching you grow! You are definitely a 12lb handful for sure! But for all of my gripes, I wouldnt have it any other way! You are the one the angels picked out for me and Daddy and we are so thankful to have you in our lives!
    I love you more than anything LIttle Sir! And I look forward to each and everyday new and exciting moment with you! Happy  100 days! May there be MANY MANY MANY more!!!
     Love, Mommy

Road Trippin!

      Ho Hum! What to do when all the Halloween candy is gone and Mommy and Daddy both have the week off....Let's jump in the car and take a 15 hour drive to Colorado!! Just shy of 3 full months of life Little Man has already seen the sights of Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado! 5 days, 4 states, 3 time zones and 2 exhausted parents leads to 1 amazing Family vacation!
      Isaac was such a trooper on the ride! After waking the little critter up at 2 AM and hittin the highway, we were off! All was going well until we hit that Rocky Mountain High!!! Stupid Mommy didn't even think about the altitude change affecting his ears...that is when the Rocky Mountain Meltdown began! I felt so bad! He cried and Cried and nothing seemed to help him...until he finally (hours later) fell asleep from exhaustion! Poor guy! By the time we got to Jason's Aunt Sue's house he was wiped out! And so were we!
     But the next morning he was up with a big smile on his face and a sure crowd pleaser!  We had a great time at Aunt Sue's amazing ranch in Boulder!  Isaac got his first glimpse of horses, deer, and the amazing dacschunds  Mr, Boges and Joey! While in Colorado we also did some exploring of the "most colorful state". We saw the sights of Colorado Springs, Manatou, the Garden of the Gods, Old Colorado City and Boulder city! A lot of driving for 5 days! But well worth the trip! Although Im sure we have scarred Isaac from ever wanting to get in his car seat again! Who knows maybe he will finally start sleeping in his crib! (doubt it)
     Back in Vegas we are scurrying around trying to get the house all packed up and moved out! Who knew you could accumulate so much junk in such a little bit of time! I blame my mom for that genetic default! And since when does a barely 3 month old need a bigger wardrobe than his mommy and daddy combined??  At this rate I won't have to buy him new clothes till junior high!
    Speaking of Mr. Man (which is  what I am supposed to be doing here, right??) He is growing in leaps and bounds these days! He has finally busted out of his Size 1 diapers and is barely wearing his 3 months clothes! I have tried to get him from stop growing so fast but he just won't listen to me!  He is like an out of control weed - although he is pretty damn cute! And the giggles?? Well they are just to die for...if you can get one! Daddy can...I think they plot against me when I am not around! As if I am not emotional enough!

    We are 6 days away from the magic month 3 when all the chaos falls into place and Isaac magically becomes the perfect Gerber baby! I cant wait! Only 6 more days of uncontrollable screaming and crying for no reason!! 6 more days? I can handle that! Bring on Magic #3!!! Just keep in mind if we don't see any changes come November 17, Jason and I will personally seek all of you "magic Month 3 liars" out! So beware!
   The holiday season will be filled with lots of travel time again(weather permitting of course!) First we are off to Elko for Thanksgiving with Gramma Berta and to meet Grampa Pat! Also I finally booked our plane tickets to NEPA for the holidays!(December 15th) I cannot wait to go home! Little guy will finally get to meet his Nono, Nona, Aunt Kri$$y( sorry...is that a typo?), & Uncle Mark! Noni will be so shocked at how big he is! I will be scared to death of flying with him until the second we land! More than anything I am scared he will have a freak out and they will have to land the plane in some remote midwest location and kick us off the plane for not being able to control our child! We will end up on 20/20 with Barbara Walters condemning us for being such horrible parents! How embarrassing!Ugh! I don't even have a ready-for-TV-body yet!!
     Well thats all for now! Hope to hear from you all soon and see you at the holidays!