Staycationers Get Stuff Done

I don't mean to brag...but...Look at these nails!!! Never mind my hideous prearthritic fingers, but my nails are rad!! Thanks prenatal vitamins!!!

Good day and hope this finds you coming off of a long and relaxing Memorial Day Weekend. Ours was exactly that and you'll find no complaints spewing forth from our lips regarding such a thing. Wish all the weekends could be that long!

We fell into the new group entering everyone's vernaculars thanks to the insane gas prices this year: "Staycationers"! Since we opted not to head anywhere this year, I was able to cross a couple of things off of my "To Do" list and that always feels fantastic! One of the items that has long been haunting us has been the prospect of calling daycares. Admittedly, I've snoozed a bit on this more so than my better half. Cardo was pretty proactive right away and began stopping at centers (think Kindercare) for information right away after we found out we were expecting. I immediately leaned toward the centers since I knew that a legitimate licensed franchise would most likely be operating under the strictest of rules and guidelines. I also liked that they would always have a structured schedule. Of course, that went out the window when after talking with some of the other newer parents that he works with at Best Buy, Ricardo thought that maybe a home daycare would be a better fit for us at least right away. Not only does an infant require less "active hours" because they will most likely be sleeping all day, but they also don't require structured activity until they are up and moving around which is at least 6 months to a year. (And yes, I am the authority of all things child development...I received my PhD from the University of Awesomeness). BUT, most importantly...Daycares (home or center) charge more for an infant, and centers charge more than a home in general. As such, we opted to go with a home.

My ideal situation when I thought about becoming a new mother was for Cardo to be disgustingly rich so that I would be able to stay home and raise my own children. (With help from my nanny and maid while I was getting my hair done, on a shopping spree at Saks 5th Avenue or working out with my personal trainer, of course!) Sadly, my very realistic expectations never came to fruition as I am now stuck heading back to work after 6 short weeks of maternity leave. All sarcasm aside, I really am having trouble with leaving my child for some stranger to raise considering that they will see her more than I will. I suppose this is one more reason why I like a home better, since it will be a much smaller group and almost seem like another family after awhile.

Cardo was also very proactive in rounding up the home daycare information. He asked around and figured out to check onto the Social Services portion of the Minnesota State website. We did a search within a mile radius of our house and they snail-mailed a list of several names, addresses and numbers back in March. As of Monday, we were VERY late in the game considering that providers are only licensed to watch one infant at a time. These open spots get filled in very quickly and most have already been long spoken for. We still managed to find a few folks with openings and will arrange to have a face-to-face interview sometime next week. A very tedious process considering that leaving my firstborn to some person I've met only briefly is nothing to take lightly. I'm positive I'll be having BIG issues with that one. More to come on that!

Also very painstaking is the registry process. We opted to go to Babies R Us which was incredibly overwhelming. As first-time parents, how are we to know what simple items are a necessity let alone narrowing them down out of millions of items in a superstore the size of a Best Buy?????? Brutal, indeed, but we eventually came out of it in one piece. Whoever designed the registry process was a smart person. That gun-shaped scanner is the ONLY thing that kept my husband from staying extremely patient and even enjoyable. (Same thing for our wedding too!) You are the best gunslinger this side of the Mississippi, Cowboy Cardo! Getting the registry over with and online has proved to be a very handy learning experience for us as well. Many of our friends and colleagues who are parents have browsed through and let us know that they don't recommend one thing and we ought to trade it for another better item. From bottles to thermometers, we've gotten tips, and we appreciate them thoroughly!! We'll take as much of a head start as we can get! Needless to say, there are plenty of online revisions to be executed in short order...Thanks Modern Day Technology!!!

Can't believe that we are already at 25 weeks...That means we are 6 months and 1 week along. That also means that I only have 2 months and 3 weeks to get everything ready! Where has the time gone since January when I was first shaking the stick and then my head to be sure I was reading the digital "Pregnant" correctly?!?

Here's my big mama belly which seems to be getting more and more in the way lately.

So, consider this my last post of May since next week is already JUNE!!! So excited to get in one of the two HOT maternity swimsuits I purchased last week. Man, maternity clothes are sexy. Okay, I will let my facetiousness stop here.

In closing, I would like to wish my father a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY tomorrow, May 29th!!! I love you daddy and hope you have a wonderful day! Wish we could be together. Make sure you go out for a delicious steak dinner. :)

Hugs to all and talk to you next week,

D

Happy 30th Birthday Cardo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's right! That handsome husband of mine is that much closer to his AARP card and his coffee discount at McDonald's! He is the ripe old age of 30 today!!! He is celebrating in style with Val, the two Carlos' and Troy in Sin City...That's right...Las Vegas, Nevada! The land of gambling (his favorite), drinking (his favorite), clubbing (his favorite), eating (his favorite), and laying by the pool in the hot desert heat (his favorite). How am I even sleeping at night knowing all of this indulgence and gluttony is occurring at the very moment that I type these words, you may be asking yourself? Because I take comfort in knowing that this is his "last hurrah" before he is plunged into the realms of full-force fatherhood, of course! Soon the images of lights on the Strip and the sounds of the slot machine jackpot bells may be his only solace when trying to escape from the smell of poopy diapers and sour milk at 4:00 in the morning on a work day. Mwaaaaahahahahahahahaha!!!! Above, he is loving up the bottle of Country Bob's barbecue sauce that he received in the mail for his birthday from his sister. He sure does love his condiments!

In other news, IT IS FINALLY SPRING!!! The temperatures have finally risen above 60 degrees consistently, and Mother Nature is responding by displaying her loveliest greens, flora and fauna. These things of beauty are why we endure these horrible winters again and again; One season's pains are well worth the other three's pleasantries. There's something to be said for the smell of blossoms and freshly cut grass in the air, or the way that a family of geese complete with their newborn green chicks can completely stop traffic on the busiest of roads, and drivers are more than happy to stop and let them cross. People come out from hibernation to enjoy the bike and walking trails and children's summer games resume as if they were never interrupted months ago. We, too, came out of our hermit shells this week to enjoy some patio time and grilled-out food. Illustrative of just how beautiful springtime in Minnesota is, take a look at these pictures taken around my Plain Jane neighborhood, even the trees in our yard are nothing short of spectacular:


I'll have to be sure and remember this post when I'm yearning for a reminder of why again I am suffering through another year of sub-zero temperatures next winter!

Great news out of this month's appointment to Dr. West's office! We had our follow up ultrasound and everything is exactly as it should be! The placenta previa (the reason for the follow up), had receded just as Bobbi promised and all is exactly normal again. All fluid levels are great and Baby's measurements are still right on. She is 1 pound 8 ounces which, in conjunction with the rest of her measurements puts her in the 55th percentile, only slightly larger than average by a hair. One thing that Bobbi noticed right away was that her femur bone was very long...Sounds like we might have a long-legged beauty on our hands!!! Despite her modelesque stems, she was in no mood to pose for any pictures, however. We tried to get a good profile shot to no avail. Also, we tried to capture one of those exciting 3D shots which provide a very close insight into how her facial features are developing and what she looks like. She continued to remain camera shy though so we had to settle for this hot shot of her gams which seem to be her most distinctive asset so far. Just call her Baby Long Legs!:

I have a feeling that this little one is going to take after her daddy down to her very toes! God knows that there are no long leg genes coming from my side of the family tree!

Baby is still a busy body! When she's feeling especially strong, I see my tummy getting pushed from the inside out, something I don't know that I'll ever get tired of. Of course, that could all change when she reaches the point of a swift and painful kick to my ribs. At least I'll know that my milk consumption is not only doing my body good! Go girl--Keep up that strength training!

Another cool fact that we learned at our appointment which is a testament to how far we've come: I am now far enough along for her to survive if I should go into premature labor thanks to modern medicine and equipment available in NICU. Naturally, we would never wish for that to happen, but the fact that we have created a life that is now capable of sustaining on its own is an incredible concept to me. Perhaps a bit Existentialist, but I continue to be utterly fascinated by the creation of life and especially to know that I played such a heavy hand in it. I find myself flipping through the early pictures of fetal development (not to mention my own first ultrasound pictures) and comparing them to the very proportional human baby (as opposed to the shrimp-like creature that she first resembled) that now lies in my stomach and am almost in disbelief as to how far we've come almost effortlessly. Finally, these thoughts make me realize how lucky we were to have been able to conceive so easily and that everything is going this well so far. I know that there are several families out there who would give anything to have our experience thus far and as such, I am so very thankful and want to ensure that I always remain as grateful of our blessings and God's good graces as I am at this moment.

At 24 weeks, we only have 16 weeks to go! I bet they go EXTREMELY quickly!!! I'm sure the view from above will continue to grow even more restricted. Yep, it's just what you think it is, boobs, belly, and legs [if I'm sitting], or ground [if I'm standing]:



Well, here's to another great week! Hugs to all!

Danielle

Happy Mother's Day!

What better way to start off celebrating this special day than to post pictures of some of the favorite mothers in my life?!?

Of course, my favorite mom in the whole wide world is my own! Here she is with another one of my favorite (and new just this year) moms, Alison (and my brother Mac and their son Marley too).


It's amazing how we all regress back to our little tiny selves when we are around our mothers. As independent as I like to think I am in my every day life, when Mama comes around, I am like putty. She cooks for me, cleans for me, and even gives to me the clothes off of her back. (You see, she's far more stylish than I, and I don't usually enjoy shopping. She's my personal shopper!) I wouldn't normally tolerate that kind of servitude in my honor, however, there's just something that makes me give in to that lady taking such good care of me! I don't believe that there's any coincidence, either, that I just happen to be healthy all year 'round, but when I see my Mama, my immune system gives in and I'm sure to get a nasty cold for the next few days that she's around. Who else better to nurse you back to good health than the very woman who gave life to you in the first place?!? Life as an adult with her is just an extension of a wonderful childhood that she (and my dad) provided for us. My only regret is that we are so far away from each other, but such is life, I suppose. So, here's to you, Joann Dambro, I love you so much and I thank you for as many stars there are in the sky for being my mother. Happy Mother's Day! Miss you!!

More of my favorite Moms:

My second mom and mother-in-law, Mary Torres. Here she is with all of her granddaughters: Four sisters dressed in white and cousin Gianna, (clockwise starting with Mom T) Mom, Katie, Mollie, Lexie, Gianna, and Isabella.

My sister-in-law Yole with Gianna (and our niece Mollie too!):


I'm really sad that I don't have pictures of either of my grandmothers in digital form currently, but obviously they would have made the list of my favorite mothers easily! Love you Germa Filly (Emily Filipiak) and Granny D (Jerry Dambro)!!! I'm so lucky to have you both!

Also not pictured are all of my aunts, great aunts, cousins, friends, and colleagues who do so much to make the world go 'round and teach their children the paths to walk down in order to live life right and true.

I hope I can raise my daughter as well as those around me have raised their children over the years. I know it can't be easy, but I'm up for the challenge!

And speaking of my daughter, she is getting quite big! Here she is at 23 weeks:

I am so thankful for Cardo keeping you all updated when I was busy getting ready for and traveling on business to Chicago. His blog entry was so sweet. I have to admit, my heart swelled a bit while reading it! Thanks for posting honey, it really meant a lot! Plus, I received a ton of compliments from those who thoroughly enjoyed the "Husband's Point of View". The one drawback to last week is that we weren't able to spend our 2nd anniversary together, but we were able to enjoy each other's company while I recouped all weekend. As far as I'm concerned, what's one day when you have the opportunity to spend every day with the person you love? Every day is a celebration! Okay, okay...Enough with the cheese factor for a day!

Lastly for this week, I want to post a HUGE thank you to those who have been so generous with donating items to us that they no longer need. They have selflessly saved us hundreds of dollars which we will no doubt need after the little one is born. We are absolutely grateful for your thinking of us!

• Carrie from my office has given us a Pack n' Play, portable swing, ExerSaucer, and breast pump!

• Yole sent an adorable pink Newborn outfit...I should also mention that that one was brand new!

• My boss' wife Diana who is known for her amazing sense of style brought me a huge tub of clothes that her girls have outgrown. I'm positive that many of these clothes have been worn once and that's about it!

Again, thank you, thank you, thank you! We are SO appreciative and will make sure that Baby Torres knows where she got all of her stuff!

That's all she wrote for this week, folks. I wish you all a wonderful week next week and once again, Happy Mother's Day if it applies.

Talk soon and hugs,

Danielle

Husband's Point of View

It is Monday night and I am watching my wife get ready for her business trip to Chicago tomorrow evening. So of course, I get the question that Danielle has been asking me for the past 3 weeks. Do I look pregnant in this outfit, or do I look fat? So as a good husband, I tell her that she looks beautiful. And it is the truth! When they say pregnant woman have a glow to them, they are not joking.

Today we decided to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant to celebrate Cinco De Mayo and I suddenly heard Danielle say" I would love to have a margarita right now". I said "Honey, I don't think the doctor would approve of that right now." As we sat and munched on probably the best chips and salsa I have ever had, we discussed how two years ago at this time, we were getting ready to get married in Saginaw. That's right, May 6th is our two year anniversary and everthing is as good as my father told me it was going to be. Happy Anniversary Danielle!

This past week in Minneapolis the weather started to get better, so on Sunday we decided to go to St Paul and visit the Como Park zoo. If my girl loves the zoo as much as her father, than we will be all set. I was sad to say that my favorite polar bears were not at the zoo due to a much needed upgrade to their domain, but the Lions and Gorillas still made me feel like a kid inside. As we walked around the Giraffes and passed the Wolves, we decided to stop by the most dangerous area in the whole zoo. Thats right, the ice cream stand and we decided to buy a strawberry cheesecake popsicle for all three of us. It was a beautiful day and I was glad I was able to spend it with my family.

So enough about us eating, let me give you a few updates on the baby from a husband's point of view. First, I felt the baby move for the first time last week. It was Saturday night at 1130 and Danielle wanted me to see if I can feel her move, the answer was "YES". Second, we started to read "Guess How Much I love you" to our baby this week and noticed that she can recognize voices now. Everytime I read to her, Danielle notices she moves around alot. Third, my Detroit Pistons are 2-0 against the Orlando Magic. Just joking. Third, we started to wonder if my wife will have an "innie" or an "outie" belly button. It looks to be stuck in between, so we will have to give you an update in a few weeks. Fourth, I noticed my wife's sweet tooth has gone crazy. She bought sugar cookies from Target, Gummi worms, and Ben and Jerry's Chocolate chunk ice cream this past week. Good for her, but bad for me as I stare at Gummi worms at 930 at night and say" I can just have one". Thanks dude!

I hope you enjoyed my first ever blog entry, but dont't be surprised if I add a few more as our birth date draws near. I would like to add that we miss our dog "Sidney" tremendously and we think about her all the time. Thank you for keeping up with the Torres family and being part of our life.

Also, I wanted to add an amazing picture of my niece Gianna. She is cute with her Cinco De Mayo t-shirt on and reminds me alot of my sister when she was little.

Have a good week,

Ricardo