Now we are four!

Nicolas Marino
August 8, 2006
3:40 P.M.
8 pounds, 13 ounces
21 1/4 inches long

One month ago today we welcomed our son into the world. After hours of deliberation, we decided to name him Nicolas ("Nico" for short -- and please, that's pronounced NEE-co, NOT NICKO-o).

Nico's entrance couldn't have been more different from Cece's. Labor was quick, painless, and filled with laughter -- literally. After just 25 seconds of pushing, my doctor instructed me, "Just giggle," and out he came, followed by a huge gush of water that totally drenched the doctor, who just laughed and said, "I swear, I already took one shower today!" The entire room errupted in laughter, and there on my belly lay our son, looking like, well, as I immediately thought, Mr. Magoo. (But hey -- don't all baby boys look like little old men?) Oh, but he's so darling!

I still can't get over how easy the whole thing was -- or how easy and sweet a baby he has been since the very beginning. His second night home from the hospital he slept for 9 hours straight through the night. We had to start intentionally waking him to make him eat so he'd be sure to gain back his birth weight. He has now, and is waking on his own about every four hours at night, and every 2 or so during the day to chow down.

Cece loves him, and from what little we can tell about a month-old baby's emotions, it seems Nico loves her, too. He's always quiet on the way to Cece's school in the morning, but on the way home after dropping her off, he usually whines a bit as if to say, "I miss my sister."

Cece spent the month of August home with me, and Marino had two weeks of paternity leave immediately after Nico's birth. (WARNING: Here's where I get mushy.) I can honestly say that those two weeks were positively blissful for all of us. I'll always remember the four of us walking to the pool club together, and Nico sleeping soundly in his stroller while he and I sat poolside as Cece and Marino took turns diving off the board into the deep end. My only regret is that I won't be given clearance to swim until six weeks post-delivery, so I missed the end of the pool season, but watching Cece continue to improve her swimming & diving skills, with such joy so apparent in her face, is treasure enough for me.

So, just 2 1/2 weeks after our family of three became a family of four, Cece had her own fourth to celebrate -- her fourth birthday! We had a small celebration with just the four of us at a local lake (an annual tradition for us), and she'll be having her party with all of her buddies in another week or so. Looking at Nico and Cece side by side, I remember her being small and helpless, and find it hard to believe that she's grown so much in such a relatively short time.

She's such a big helper to us, and loves pitching in with Nico. She's very protective of him, too, and will scold me if I happen to keep him crying for even a minute. "Mom!" she yelled one night as I was trying to put a load of laundry into the washer, "The baby is CRYing! Don't be mean to him; come and get him!" (Well, yes, Miss Cecelia -- right away!) :)

Overall -- and I fear jinxing it by stating this here -- the adjustment to parenting two kids has been surprisingly easy. Sure, we're unlikely to be on time for anything (though we DID make it to school with 5 minutes to spare this morning -- woo-hoo!), and spontanaeity is completely out of the question ... and sleep is interrupted, if not by crying (he doesn't do much of it), then by his funny little baby sighs & grunts throughout the night ... but really, Nico is an easy, easy baby. And Cece, small bouts of sporadic jealousy aside, is a fantastic big sister and Mommy's Helper.

It helps, too, that Marino and I are both much more relaxed this time around. After all, we're seasoned vets now. And no offense to our wonderful daughter -- but um, if we made it through her first six colicky months, we can make it through just about anything. :)

People see us in the grocery store, at Cece's school, or at the pool club and immediately give that sympathetic look and say, "So, do you miss sleep?" or "Oh, how are you adjusting?" I feel like maybe I should humor them and say, "Well, you know, it's been really rough, but gosh, we're hangin' in there."

But dude, I'd be lyin'.

Only YOU can prevent Gulliver

With just two weeks left before I have to push this baby out, everyone -- family, friends, and total strangers alike -- wants to know, What are you going to name him? The short answer is: We just don't know!

If it helps ease your agony any, we're just as frustrated by the situation as you are. Really. No bull. While I have always felt that I need to see the baby to really know what the right name is, I'd feel a hell of a lot better if I at least had a finalized list of possibilities at this point. As it is, I seem to keep adding new ideas to the mix, changing my mind about others, and just generally driving myself crazy as I lie awake in between late-night bathroom trips. (And in case you're keeping track, I think I went FIVE times last night. I mean, I know this baby is really low now and pressing on my bladder full-force, but COME ON!)

So, if any of you are wondering how you can be helpful to us in the final days before our re-entry into parenthood, then by all means, name our baby, please! If things aren't sorted out soon, we're going to have to fall back on the name that we told everyone early on just to mess with all of you: Gulliver Cromwell -- "Gully" for short. You don't want that one on your conscience, do you? I didn't think so. So get to work, people!

How to take a compliment, or Why I am an Earth mother

Last night as I was kneeling in the dark beside Cece's bed, patting her back before she fell asleep, she suddenly turned to me. Her face was awash in the soft blue light from her globe nightlight atop her dresser.

"You look beautiful, Mama," she said in her sweetest sleepy voice.

"Thank you, sweetie -- so do you," I told her, touched by my daughter's neverending tenderness.

She then continued, in a hushed nighttime voice, very slowly, as if to be sure to choose just the right words, "You look like a big ... big ... big ... big ... round ... round ... round ... round ... Mama. You look ... like a globe, but you don't have that black line around your middle."

"You mean an equator?"

"Yeah, you know that black line in the middle of the globe?" she said.

"Well gee, thanks honey," I said, trying not to laugh (or cry!) in front 0f her.

So the moral of the story is this: When someone pays you a compliment, thank them and RUN! Don't stick around and allow them to elaborate. I did, only to find that I bear a striking resemblance to the planet Earth. This gives whole new meaning to the term "Earth mother!"

Sign us up for the blue team!

Today was the 4D ultrasound. The tech first spotted what she "thought" looked a lot like a scrotal sac. Then minutes later she announced, "Yep. There's his boyhood laying on his leg. Congratulations."

I couldn't help but wonder whether she was commending us on the confirmation that we're expecting a son, or on his apparently rather sizeable boyhood. ;)

So, while we were able to confirm what's cookin' between the baby's thighs, we weren't able to get many shots of his face. Unfortunately for us, the baby who rarely stops moving decided to take a nice long nap during the ultrasound. Most attempts at getting a facial shot were made virtually impossible by either his hand up over his face, or by him snuggling up against my uterine wall. In any case, we got a couple that show him (kinda, anyway). In the full shot of his face I think he resembles Cece ... in the profile shot, not so much ... so it'll still be a surprise when he's born -- 10 WEEKS FROM TODAY. (Yikes!)

Meanwhile, it's hotter than a mother-effer here (92 and humid to boot). I can't wait to go swimming tonight. And yes, I AM sporting a swimsuit at nearly 7 months pregnant. You would too if you had to withstand this heat while having a virtual basketball tethered to your abdomen and the equivalent of an extra 2.5 liters of blood coursing through your veins. I'm hot all on my own, people! Throw me out into this weather & I'm likely to catch fire!

Andrew has arrived! Anyone have room for a pony?

Congratulations to my youngest sister Katie and her husband Jeff! They're now the proud parents of Andrew Lawrence. Andy was born April 21st at 7:21 P.M. He weighed 8 lbs, 4 oz. and was 20" long.

Having just visited them, I can tell you he is an absolute doll of a son! The kid never cries. He sleeps almost all night long, with just a couple brief wakings to eat or have his diaper changed. He's a dream baby. I tried rubbing his tiny hands on my belly in hopes of him giving my baby some of his "Good Baby ju-ju" ...
Guess we'll have to wait another three months to see if it worked!


The running joke is that he's so good that he keeps earning ponies. Katie calls me at least every other day and says, "I swear, I've gotta buy this kid a pony." I think he's got a couple dozen in the bank so far -- so if anyone has room to store a couple for Katie & Jeff, please let me know!

Marino, Cece & I had a nice visit with everyone in California. Cece was thrilled to get to see most of her extended family (her grandpas were notably missed). And we were all so excited to arrive just two days after Andrew was born. I think Cece now has a better idea of what to expect when her little brother is born. Before Andrew, she'd only been around older babies. Now she knows that they really ARE helpless when they first arrive. There won't be any tandem swinging in the backyard for a while!

Speaking of her baby brother, he'll be born just three months from today. Hard to believe. This pregnancy is going by so much faster than when I was carrying Cece. I suppose that with Cece in our lives, we just don't have the time to dwell on the pregnancy. We're always on the go.

But I feel fine ... I tire more easily, especially if I haven't been drinking enough water, and I feel pretty darn fat (thanks, Daniel, for assuring Michael that my complaints were merited), but I refuse to give up ice cream: It's the only thing that calms my late-night heartburn! :)

Everyone in CA wanted to know What are you naming the baby? We had a good time telling everyone that our top choice is Gulliver Cromwell ("Gully" or "Liver" for short), and then watching their reaction. Most didn't seem to know whether we were joking or not. The best response was from Steph's boyfriend, Josh: "Well, you could keep looking. You've got a lot of time left, and that's a lot of name."

To seriously answer that question, I'm leaning toward naming him "Dude." After all, he'll be the only one of us not born in California -- so a name like Dude would give him a sort of honorary status. And how cool would it be to call your son in from playing with, "Dude! Dinner!"

A kind of purple haze ... The wedding's back on!

So, the three of us went to the ultrasound yesterday. Our technician was really nice (aside from making us wait 45 minutes past my scheduled appointment, that is) and pointed out all of the baby's various body parts to us. Unlike when we had the U/S when I was carrying Cece, this time they had a second monitor mounted to the wall so that Marino, Cece & I could all see everything as the tech was doing the exam. That was cool.

So everything looked good: heart has four chambers, both kidneys are there, spine is straight, skull and brain are perfect, there are exactly five digits on each hand and foot ...

About 10 minutes into the exam Cece approached the table I was lying on, touched my hand and asked, "Are you pushing, Mom? Does it hurt?" I stifled a laugh and explained that we were just taking pictures of the baby; I wasn't in labor; the baby wasn't going to come out just yet -- and it didn't hurt.

A couple minutes later she asked the tech, "Is it healthy?" Marino and I commended her later on for being such a good, concerned big sister. I loved her for asking that question and not, "Is it a brother or sister?"

That said, once we knew the baby was in fact healthy, we all wanted to know if it was a boy or a girl.

So the tech zoomed in on the goods. The baby did a nice job of cooperating and was facing us, with legs slightly apart -- but the cord was looped between the legs, making the "gender shot" tough to get. The tech tried for a minute or so to get the baby to move a bit, and finally announced, "OK. It's a girl. That's the labia right there." I looked up and saw what looked like the three tell-tale lines, too. "Cece, you're getting a SISTER!" I told her. She smiled so wide and said, "I KNEW it was a sister! I was right!" (Bear in mind, she had been waffling on her prediction every bit as much as I had -- but who was I to call her on it in her moment of supposed glory?)

The tech then said I could go empty my bladder (thank goodness!) and that she'd be gone for a few minutes to have the doctor review the films. Meanwhile, Cece and I are doing our "Girl Power" dance and having a great ol' time poking fun at Marino about how outnumbered he is. :)

Later on the tech returned with the radiologist so they could do another quick scan to review the tech's findings. All checked out until suddenly I heard them both gasp and say, "Oh ... that's ... different ..." At that moment I swear I thought I saw four legs on the monitor and nearly had a heart attack. (I think it was just the baby's elbows and knees drawn close together.)

The tech and the radiologist continued looking, saying, "So you see that too? Yes ... so we're in agreement ... yes, that's definitely not cord there." And turning to us, the radiologist said, "Um, it looks like it's actually a boy."

At which point Cece stood with her hand on her hip and said, in perfect California speak, "You GUYS, it's a GIRR-RRL."

The tech said, "Well, Cece, I'm sorry, but I made a mistake the first time I looked. You're going to get a brother -- is that OK?"

"No! I'm getting a sister!" she said, and started to cry.

Marino and I are looking at each other, stunned. For the past ten minutes we'd thought we were expecting another daughter. Now they're saying we're having a son?

Seeing Cece sobbing that way got me all choked up & I began to cry too. She just looked so disappointed. I think that if the tech had said, "You're getting a brother" from the beginning, Cece would have been thrilled. But to get excited about one outcome and then so quickly have to wrap your head around the opposite outcome is tough. It was weird for me and Marino -- it must've been much tougher for her.

So, it looks like Cece is getting a baby brother. The tech and the doctor seemed pretty certain -- but Marino and I are still a little skeptical given the circumstances of the verdict. We're sitting in the eye of a pink & blue whirlpool ... and everything looks a little purple now. :)

I get to have a 4-D ultrasound done in about 8 weeks, so we should have a chance to confirm things once more. But for now, think BOY.

In any event, Cece is over the initial shock and is really excited about getting a (we think!) baby brother. When I picked her up from school on Wednesday, she jumped up from the group circle, ran over to me, kissed my belly and said, "Hello, baby brother!"

A few days before the ultrasound Cece had said, "I hope it's a brother, Mom, then when I grow up I can marry him." Marino and I tried to explain that you can't marry blood relatives -- where we live, anyway. So when we were told the baby was a girl, Marino joked, "Well, Cece, I guess you'll have to find another husband." And later, when they changed the verdict to a boy, I said, "Cece -- good news! The wedding's back on!"

An important request

Many of you generously donated to my Light the Night Walk in fall of 2004 and know how much the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society means to me.

On June 4th my cousin Brandy (who is more like my fourth sister) is undertaking an even bigger challenge: to run her first marathon in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

My dad Marc was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December of 2001. Thanks to early detection and rigorous chemotherapy and radiation treatment, he has now been cancer-free for four years. Thirty years ago this April, my paternal grandmother Peggy succumbed to the same dreaded disease. In the mid-70s such a diagnosis was a virtual death sentence. Thanks to medical progress, survival rates have increased dramatically.

But despite these advancements, people are still dying from leukemia and lymphoma. We need to find a cure!

That is why I feel so compelled to ask you to please donate to Brandy's run. Being pregnant this year, I will not be participating in any fundraisers myself -- which is why I am so grateful to Brandy for doing so. A year ago she'd never run more than a mile for high school P.E. class. Now she's going to run 26.2!

No donation is too small, and all are tax-deductible. To contribute, please visit Brandy's Team in Training website: http://www.active.com/donate/tntgla/tntglaBGracia

I thank you wholeheartedly for your support,
Jen

That's right, we didn't send holiday cards this year

I've been hearing a lot of guff about it, and let me be the first to say, you're all right. I do ALWAYS send them, usually with a nice picture of Cece that took about 150 takes to get just right, and a personal note telling you, depending on how long it's been since we last chatted, all that's new with us.

But it's been a busy holiday season, with this being the first Christmas that Cece has REALLY been excited about; Katie, Eden & Zac coming to visit; and all the presents that Santa brought (one of which has been tiring the crud outta me).

Suffice it to say that Santa was very good to Cece this year. She got the "piano" she asked for (a 66-key Yamaha keyboard), lots of books, games, and dolls. But our friends & family were all so kind to her, too. She got an Easy Bake Oven from Grandma Pan, some beautiful clothes (including her must-have accessory, the lavender scarf!) from Delia, a cupcake winter hat hand-knit by Olga, some princess books and toy CDs from sweet Bobbi, a cool set of Tinker Toys from Alex in California, fun Crayola crafts from Uncle Michael, a travel tracing toy from Emma, some cute "Littlest Pets" from Natalie, and gift cards and presents for her piggy bank from Johnny, Grandma Cheryl & Great-Grandma Nana. She was so touched to receive so many letters, cards, and packages in the mail. There are probably others that I've omitted (sorry -- I'm going from my faulty memory here). Thank you to everyone!

But quite possibly her favorite present this year is on a "special order" of sorts, due to arrive in mid-August. In case you didn't catch the text on her t-shirt (a gift from Mom & Dad) at the top of the page, Cece is going to be a big sister right around her 4th birthday.

So now you know why we didn't send out holiday cards. I'm just too darn TIRED! Growing a baby is hard work. :)

So, since no card has wished it yet, Happy New Year to all of you, and once I'm out of the all-day queasy & tired woods, I may just get around to sending all of you a proper card. Valentine's Day, maybe?