tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37886302651067936142024-03-13T11:41:41.393-07:00Mommy MangoliciousMy Not So Interesting LifeJen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-82656851045323400582011-10-06T12:55:00.000-07:002011-10-06T12:55:22.191-07:00The A,B,C,'s of L,E,A,H<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well hello there! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I told my mom the other day that my life is pretty boring lately so I haven't had anything to write about believe it or not. It's not that I don't have the time, I just don't have anything interesting to say, bummer right?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So as I was walking Sierra and pushing Leah in her stroller one afternoon I was wondering if I could come up with the ABC's of what I love about Leah, or just about Leah in general I guess. I'm going to attempt it without being redundant and keeping it somewhat interesting to you as the reader too.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Lets see how this goes:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">A - Angelic. She just has this look about her when she is awake or asleep that is so angelic. She is just a precious little baby and so beautiful!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">B - Beautiful baby blues! If you haven't noticed by any of her pictures, she's got the most beautiful big blue eyes!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">C - Chubby cheeks! I told my mom that her cheeks were like clouds and she said that they are more like feather pillows. I agree, they are like feather pillows. You just want to kiss them over and over again because your lips just sink right into them, they are the best!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">D - Dimples. She's got her daddy's dimples and I love them just like I love her daddy's.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">E - Elbows. I know it might sound kinda strange, but she has not one but two dimples in her elbows! She is so full of rolls that her arms have created two dimples in her elbows, so cute!</span><br />
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</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">F - Fiamengo! She is a Fiamengo through and through that's for sure! She has so many characteristics that are just like her Grandpa Fiamengo and of course her daddy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">G - Giggles. As Leah has gotten to her 4th month of life and entered the 5th she is all smiles and giggles. The giggles are the best! They are gut giggles and they just make you giggle right back! Silly girl.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">H - Happy! Leah is the happiest baby on the block! Of course she has her cranky nights (we call her Mrs. Crankenstein on those nights) but overall she is one of the happiest babies I know. I love that about her!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I - Inspiring. She is so inspirational to both Marc and I. She inspires me to be the best mom and person I can be. I know that she will learn by watching me and that inspires me to just be a good person and to be kind and loving to everybody. She inspires Marc to be the best worker he can be. He works so hard for us girls to make sure that we can live the best life ever. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">J - Jelly Belly. One of the things that she laughs at the hardest is when you "fart" on her belly or when Marc acts like he is eating her jelly belly. Here's her jelly belly pic . . . don't judge! :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">K - Kissable! She is just so kissable! She is going to hate me as she gets older because I am constantly kissing her. If I ask her if I can have a kiss she instantly opens her mouth and I get a juicy wet one. I'm ok with it just so long as she lets me kiss her. Also, if you refer back to "C" you will notice that I love to kiss her chubby little cheeks too!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">L - Leah. Obviously I love everything about her so as a whole I just have to give Leah for L. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">M - Marc. Yep, Marc. She is 100% her daddy's daughter. She looks just like him, her mannerisms are just like him, she likes the same things he likes and dislikes the same things he dislikes. She is his new twin, Bryan (his real twin) has got nothing on her. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">N - Napper. I don't want to jinx myself here, but she is a great sleeper! She sleeps 9-12 hours at night and naps throughout the day, maybe thats why she's such a happy girl? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">O - Outgoing. Sure maybe at 4 months its hard to tell whether your child will be outgoing or not, BUT I think she is outgoing and thats all that matters! As of now, she definitely knows who her mommy is and sometimes all she wants is mommy. For the most part though, she will go to just about anyone I hand her too. She's been in the arms of so many people and she takes it like a champ, she loves all the attention, what a ham!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">P - Pooper! Lol. I know its a weird thing to love about your baby, but I do love that she's got the best digestive system around! No worrying about those horrible stomach pains around here!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Q - Queen B. She skipped right over Princess and went straight to Queen! She was high maintenance when she came out (2 hours of pushing, cord around her neck, meconium in the womb) and I'm sure she will stay that way! Good luck to the man of her choice one day . . . many many many years from now!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">R - Reader. Believe it or not, she really enjoys us reading to her. She even has her favorite books already. She really likes Little Pookie, Ocean Babies, Toddler Bible, and all of her sleepy time books too!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">S - So many S words for her. Smile, she's got a great smile and she shows it all the time, gums and all! Skin, such unbelievably soft skin. You just want to rub her arms and legs and face all the time because her skin is just so soft. Sophie, her little Sophie giraffe is her travel buddy, she almost always has Sophie under her arm. Sierra, her all the time buddy. She LOVES Sierra! Sierra will instantly put a smile on her little face. She loves to just watch her or to pet her soft fur. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">T - Tongue. She loves her tongue and she has a long one too! So that sucker is always sticking out of her mouth and she is always playing with it if she's not playing with her toes! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">U - Unbelievable. She is truly unbelievable. All of the new things that she learns every day and every "1st" that she has is unbelievable to us as her parents. Just the idea of pregnancy and birth alone is an unbelievable thing, I still can't grasp it all. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">V - Voice. Leah is discovering her voice and its the cutest little thing you will ever hear! When she laughs you can hear her little voice in there but all of her coo's and goo's and talking are pretty much the best.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b_zohxAA-g4/To4Dv65Jo5I/AAAAAAAAAQg/xpp0KBB52DI/s1600/IMG_1476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b_zohxAA-g4/To4Dv65Jo5I/AAAAAAAAAQg/xpp0KBB52DI/s320/IMG_1476.JPG" width="238" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">W - Watches. She watches our every move all day long. If I walk across a room 100 times she will turn her little head back and forth 100 times just to watch me. If someone across the way is having a conversation with me she will just sit there and watch that person move their mouth and talk to me. She is always watching. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">X - X-tra healthy. I know, I know, lame, but you try to come up with an X adjective to describe a baby! Anyway, Leah, as you can see by her photos, is an extra healthy girl! She is full of rolls! So super roll-y all over her arms and legs . . . and chin! Thats what makes her so cute!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Y - Yeeeeeah! Pronounced Yee-Ahh. This is how our nephew Dylan says Leah so now her name has been dubbed Yeeah by my side of the family :)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-srKJ5onrUlk/To4E7vPiwEI/AAAAAAAAAQs/hvFXsVKXRuI/s1600/IMG_1460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-srKJ5onrUlk/To4E7vPiwEI/AAAAAAAAAQs/hvFXsVKXRuI/s320/IMG_1460.JPG" width="238" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Z - Zzzzzzz. Leah is mommy and daddy's little sleeper! She loves to catch Z's and she is the best because she will nap anywhere! In her crib, on the couch, in her pack n play, in the car at the beach, at the pool, wherever she is she will nap. Plus she sleeps through the night (for the most part). She's a good girl!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WhO2GSweV50/To4FSWHJgpI/AAAAAAAAAQw/UZETFqi2DRY/s1600/IMG_1037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WhO2GSweV50/To4FSWHJgpI/AAAAAAAAAQw/UZETFqi2DRY/s320/IMG_1037.JPG" width="239" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well . . . there it is! Leah's alphabet soup! I hope you enjoyed the pictures at least :) Hope to have something a little more interesting to talk about next time.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Enjoy this beautiful day! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">XOXO</span></div>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-40882885348915844542011-09-10T12:38:00.000-07:002011-09-10T12:38:44.628-07:00Proud!You got that right! I'm proud to be an American. Call it corny, call it what you will, but I was born and raised to be a proud American and that is exactly what I am.<br />
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I come from a family of proud Americans and from a family of servicemen as well. We celebrate 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and of course the upcoming Patriot Day, otherwise known as September 11th. <br />
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My Papa, in his heyday also known as Gunny Sergeant Watson, was in the Marine Corp for twenty something years. I'd like to refer to him as a badass if I could. He was in the Army for his first 3 years of service time at 18 years old. Then at 21 he entered the Marine Corp and stayed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e_KRnVqxau0/Tmu3dGfOdaI/AAAAAAAAAOk/QHJV-QDpyEg/s1600/Papa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e_KRnVqxau0/Tmu3dGfOdaI/AAAAAAAAAOk/QHJV-QDpyEg/s320/Papa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My Papa with my dad, aunt and uncles</div><br />
While in the army at just 18 he was deployed to Korea to fight in the Korean war. He and a couple of other men were captured while there. They had their wrists and ankles barb wired together to try and keep them from escaping . . . Papa still has scars to this day. He and the other men were able to escape and make their way back home. Papa earned himself a Purple Heart for his courageousness. <br />
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Once Papa entered the Marine Corp he knew that was where he was supposed to stay. He doesn't say much about his years in the service, I think a lot of what he saw still haunts him today. He did love being in the Marine Corp and fighting for his country. He went to Vietnam three times on his own admission, he doesn't talk about his time there though. He eventually climbed the ladder in the Marine Corp becoming a Gunny Sergeant, a Senior Drill Instructor. Papa was a badass. He admits that he's not trying to be cocky but that he was very good at what he did. In fact, a few years back a man wrote Papa a letter thanking him for building him up to the man he is today, it was a very flattering letter . . . Papa didn't respond to it :(<br />
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Papa traveled the world while he was in the Marine Corp. He's been to several countries and he's seen a lot, good and bad. He stands by the motto, "Once a Marine, Always a Marine."<br />
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Every year Papa and Grandma go to Camp Pendleton and RV on Del Mar beach. Papa says that he hated being stationed at Camp Pendleton back then, but he sure loves it now. Marc and Leah and I were able to camp out there with them this past week. It was such a great experience for us and it will be the start of great memories for Leah when she is old enough to remember these trips. We were able to drive all around and have Papa show us the ropes. We saw the tanks and amphibians (tanks that go in water) drive right by us during training. We were able to hear the men and women run by in cadence and singing their songs. It made me proud. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BCTmx2PGet4/Tmu36uIA7dI/AAAAAAAAAOo/53EMhSAy4aE/s1600/IMG_1093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BCTmx2PGet4/Tmu36uIA7dI/AAAAAAAAAOo/53EMhSAy4aE/s320/IMG_1093.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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I'm the kind of person that will cry when I hear "Proud to be an American" kind of songs. Well . . . I cry at just about everything so thats not saying much, but nevertheless, I get choked up. I am proud. I'm proud of my Papa for fighting for our country. I'm proud of my dad for spending time in the Marine Corp and wanting to be like his dad. I'm proud of every man and woman that fights for our freedom. I'm proud of the families that support their family members in fighting for us. <br />
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I'm proud of every police and fire person that ran to the first sign of danger on September 11th. I'm proud of our nation for standing up for ourselves and going outside of our houses on the days after 9/11 to fly our flags high on the street corners. I'm proud of my husband for putting his life on the line every day he drives into work, he could have a call to go on just like the men and women on 9/11 at any time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1YSiKdJuQSQ/Tmu47pHXoYI/AAAAAAAAAOw/GMjzP8wT9vc/s1600/IMG_1240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1YSiKdJuQSQ/Tmu47pHXoYI/AAAAAAAAAOw/GMjzP8wT9vc/s320/IMG_1240.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">9/11 truck that came through our town</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFF7Wbs-c8o/Tmu5WeMhDmI/AAAAAAAAAO4/6Kviuh_lJfg/s1600/IMG_1242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OFF7Wbs-c8o/Tmu5WeMhDmI/AAAAAAAAAO4/6Kviuh_lJfg/s320/IMG_1242.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Parts from the WTC</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rFRtZHnzGio/Tmu5i58iAcI/AAAAAAAAAO8/1m-8HbYX1eg/s1600/IMG_1243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rFRtZHnzGio/Tmu5i58iAcI/AAAAAAAAAO8/1m-8HbYX1eg/s320/IMG_1243.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I'm proud to be an American and I hope that this weekend amongst football games and pizza parties you take the time to thank a serviceman, thank God and fly your flags high. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Happy Patriot's Day weekend! </div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Happy Opening Football Weekend! Go Cowboys (Big bucks riding on this game)!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday to my furry baby girl Sierra!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Cheers!<br />
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Jen :)Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-7716755585244512412011-08-29T11:49:00.000-07:002011-08-29T11:49:52.418-07:00Generosity . . . .People. Good people. Bad people. The rest of us.<br />
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Although we hear and read about a lot of bad people in this world, there are far more good people that we don't hear about. <br />
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We do hear about the famous good people. Princess Diana was a good person. Mother Teresa was a good person. There are a few good people that get a lot of publicity, but what about the good people that go unnoticed? In the past few months I've had the opportunity to come across more good and generous people than ever.<br />
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It's a funny thing, when you find out you are pregnant, people (90% women) bring out their kindness and generosity. After announcing my pregnancy almost one year ago I received cards and gifts for my unborn baby almost instantly. Then I had my baby shower and received an unbelievable amount of gifts for baby. People are so generous when it comes to babies. Not only that, once I had baby Leah and everyone found out she was a girl, I had baby girl clothes coming in left and right! Which was a great thing for us since we had zero clothes for our poor little baby girl. Here we are, 3 months later and just last week we still received a gift card in the mail for baby Leah. People are just so nice and can be so good sometimes.<br />
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After my cousin got into his first accident in January, my family came across more good-hearted people than they could have ever imagined. People from other countries had heard of Tyler's accident and began sending my aunt cards, gifts, money, you name it. My aunt opened a mailbox strictly for Tyler so that people could send him cards and she could read them to him in the hospital. The cards came pouring in for Tyler, it was amazing. Then came all of my aunt's wonderful friends! They came through and made, shirts, stickers, websites, bracelets and put together fundraising events to help pay for Tyler's outrageous medical bills. After Tyler's death now, those kind-hearted and generous people are still working in my aunt's life. Another fundraising event is happening next weekend, a car wash took place before Tyler's funeral, and dedications in Tyler's name are happening. Even a group of professional BMX riders took time out of their day to attend Tyler's funeral and sign his guest book, how amazing for Tyler and for my family. It's a great thing when people can push aside the bad and come together for a greater good. You never know how your kind actions truly help that person in need.<br />
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Not only that, Marc and I have found that we have some really great friends in our lives. We are so lucky. From the smallest actions to the biggest one, we are truly grateful for the generosity of our friends. Whether it be us hopping on their boat for the weekend or shacking up under their umbrella at the beach, we appreciate them. We have so many people that we can call at any time and they will be there for us in a second. We don't want you to go unnoticed and we want you to know that your generosity and your big hearts make us want to be better people as well. <br />
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It's funny how one good action can lead to another. You know, like paying it forward? That whole concept of paying for the person behind you in the Starbucks drive-thru. Hopefully that one action will lead to a string of others and the good people will make the news rather than the bad. <br />
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I encourage you to do something kind for someone today, you'll never know how that one action might make that person feel. Even if it's just as simple as a smile or a hug. Life is too short to be unhappy. Live life to its fullest, love unconditionally and laugh some belly laughs every now then would ya :)<br />
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If nothing else, take the time to smile at this beautiful little bundle of joy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yy0OVpImeoM/Tlp_fKttwEI/AAAAAAAAAOg/jJw_97scxTY/s1600/IMG_3182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yy0OVpImeoM/Tlp_fKttwEI/AAAAAAAAAOg/jJw_97scxTY/s320/IMG_3182.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Baby Leah @ 3 months young</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy Monday to all! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">XOXO Jen </div><br />
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Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-47798951449087396402011-08-18T09:49:00.000-07:002011-08-18T09:49:24.449-07:00See you later . . .<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well . . . my blogs are normally pretty upbeat and happy, but I must warn you, this one is not.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">My cousin Tyler passed away on August 7th at the young age of 18. He would be blowing out the candles on his 19th birthday next month.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p0KwNZYW8Yg/TkA7V1x6foI/AAAAAAAAAOM/tbrsrGWYYRE/s1600/52637_134639776584057_100001141063490_179226_3262324_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p0KwNZYW8Yg/TkA7V1x6foI/AAAAAAAAAOM/tbrsrGWYYRE/s320/52637_134639776584057_100001141063490_179226_3262324_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Here he is just one year ago on his 18th birthday at Bari Bari </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Tyler was on his way to becoming a professional </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">BMX</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> bike rider. He was sponsored by Monster Energy drink and was the biggest daredevil you've ever seen. The things he could do on that bike were just so unreal. He could fly so high in the air with no hands and do all of those crazy tricks that you see in the X-Games! Look at him fly:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WgUPc_Vvzk4/TkA858AGNHI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/g_lKvKe2fHQ/s1600/flying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WgUPc_Vvzk4/TkA858AGNHI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/g_lKvKe2fHQ/s320/flying.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k2FBD6Fl0ss/TkA86l5sK7I/AAAAAAAAAOU/UcYYpCHEK2k/s1600/fly+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k2FBD6Fl0ss/TkA86l5sK7I/AAAAAAAAAOU/UcYYpCHEK2k/s320/fly+2.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Tyler used his bike riding as a hobby and was planning on making it his career. He is very well known in the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">BMX</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> world and without a doubt would have been pro in the upcoming years. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Tragically, Tyler was involved in a hit and run accident back in January. A truck came from behind and hit Tyler as he was walking on the horse trail just 200 feet from his house. The driver took off leaving Tyler there to die. After much publicity thanks to Casper News as well as our local news stations </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Kcal</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> 9 and ABC 7 the driver of that truck was found in the high desert. Unfortunately, our justice system is crap and almost 7 months later a trial has still yet to begin on Tyler's case. To keep it simple, that accident left Tyler with a brain injury. Tyler was in the process of healing and just beginning to get back on his bike again and re-learn how to live life. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">On Saturday July 30th the unthinkable happened, Tyler was hit a second time by a car. This time the car did not see Tyler at all and was going about 60 MPH or so. The driver did stop and call 911, Tyler was in a coma when he arrived to the hospital. I'm going to spare you all the details because it's not necessary to explain. Tyler put up the biggest fight possible and after 7 months of fighting from his first accident his body just couldn't handle any more. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Yesterday we celebrated Tyler's life. He was one special guy that's for sure. He had so many people there to celebrate that it became a standing room only for some. Tyler had a bike outside his casket because we all know that he is really flying high up in the clouds of Heaven right now. We were all able to sign his casket and say our "see you </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">laters</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">" to him. He was an amazing guy and he touched the lives of so many. Even now, he is still living on after his death. His family made the selfless decision to donate Tyler's organs and he now lives in a 4 year old child and a 30 year old man, way to go Tyler!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MV6JPzaJs5k/Tk1A2YVvWxI/AAAAAAAAAOc/Qo7A7EUpjvQ/s1600/286911_208056635917018_100001380485075_515166_1639351_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MV6JPzaJs5k/Tk1A2YVvWxI/AAAAAAAAAOc/Qo7A7EUpjvQ/s320/286911_208056635917018_100001380485075_515166_1639351_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Some say that Tyler must have been a pretty important guy to be needed in Heaven so soon. I agree. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">If you believe in any type of higher power I would just like to ask that you please pray for my Aunt Belinda and my cousin Michael (Tyler's mom and brother). They need strength to move forward from such a difficult and tragic time in their lives. Thank you so much!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Heaven is an unimaginably beautiful place, enjoy Tyler, see you later!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7A7HixdZjKQ/Tk1AwIwqWTI/AAAAAAAAAOY/2Hkcp6mQPTs/s1600/284404_2081898658661_1580936792_2012012_2139868_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7A7HixdZjKQ/Tk1AwIwqWTI/AAAAAAAAAOY/2Hkcp6mQPTs/s1600/284404_2081898658661_1580936792_2012012_2139868_s.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">September 23, 1992 - August 7, 2011</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Ride in Paradise</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-23154805099322739072011-07-28T11:12:00.000-07:002011-07-28T11:12:14.591-07:00Let's Talk Food . . .<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Yes, lets!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">If you've read any of my blogs, it's no surprise to you that we enjoy food over here in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Fiamengo</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">-ville! Pretty much everything that we do revolves around where we are going to eat, what we are going to eat and when we are going to eat. Is that just our household or is it yours too?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cNmps3YtRBo/TjGVqTo_9BI/AAAAAAAAANI/TyqyU85DPUo/s1600/IMG_1528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cNmps3YtRBo/TjGVqTo_9BI/AAAAAAAAANI/TyqyU85DPUo/s320/IMG_1528.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">That's my mom. Yes she has two donuts for eyes, is there something wrong with that? This was taken while on one of our San Francisco trips. We went to a donut shop called Dynamo Donuts that was televised on The Food Network Channel. I don't remember what the chocolate one was but the other one is a maple bacon donut! They are notorious for making creative donuts that you otherwise wouldn't think to eat. We ordered 3 different donuts but the only one that sticks out in my mind was the maple bacon one. We like to look up different places that have been made famous by The Food Network Channel and try them out, its fun! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Anyway, what I'm getting at is that eating is a great thing. What greater joy in life is there other than eating (rhetorical)? If you are going to go out on a date what are you going to do . . . most likely dinner and a show or something pretty darn close to that. If you are going to hang out with your friends what are you going to do . . . most likely dinner and drinks. If you are going to celebrate a Holiday or a Birthday what are you going to do . . . most likely make food AND dessert. Yes, food revolves around a lot of what we do and since we need it to nourish our bodies, why not make it fun!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I'll share with you some of our food pictures . . . since we tend to take a lot of food pictures . . . and I'll share with you the story behind that experience, sound good?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ztPju9STooQ/TjGYmUa32LI/AAAAAAAAANM/zEUuc0q4HFw/s1600/IMG_1538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ztPju9STooQ/TjGYmUa32LI/AAAAAAAAANM/zEUuc0q4HFw/s320/IMG_1538.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">This is the infamous clam chowder in a bread bowl. Anytime you pass through Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco you have to have clam chowder in a bread bowl! I don't even like seafood but I'll eat the most seafood-i-est soup on the planet if it's from Fisherman's Wharf, yum!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E8sNF-ciL4s/TjGZdczI1oI/AAAAAAAAANQ/vYtyuBtWJAI/s1600/PICT3028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E8sNF-ciL4s/TjGZdczI1oI/AAAAAAAAANQ/vYtyuBtWJAI/s320/PICT3028.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">This is obviously a delicious plate of fries. Now, the Orange County Fair as I've mentioned before is known for it's food. Hence the theme of the fair this year being "Lets Eat!" Perfect! If you were to people watch at the fair you would see some of the happiest people there are the people who are eating. Some examples of fair food include, chocolate covered bacon, a stick of fried butter, grilled corn on the cob, fried Twinkies, pulled pork sandwiches, corn dogs, Carmel apples, turkey legs and oh so much more yummy goodness. What do we do at the fair? We eat! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WGGtyHXOe6Q/TjGbXw16WGI/AAAAAAAAANU/E1_I8mqIdaQ/s1600/1437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WGGtyHXOe6Q/TjGbXw16WGI/AAAAAAAAANU/E1_I8mqIdaQ/s320/1437.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So, this might not be the most exciting food picture ever, but it comes with the greatest experience of all! This is a photo of the food at our wedding. We had a buffet style dinner with fajitas and rice and beans and all that delicious Mexican food that we all love. The only downfall of this delicious meal . . . I only got one bite. The reason why I even got the one bite was because our photographer photographed a picture of Marc and I feeding each other. Thank goodness he did that otherwise I wouldn't have even tasted the food! Anyone who has been married should know that eating at your wedding is pretty darn close to impossible because everyone wants to come congratulate you and hug and kiss you and then before you know it you are swept off greeting all of your guests. Bummer! Best day ever though, tied with Leah being born of course. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LrNDpHWxL1Q/TjGc2JyXM2I/AAAAAAAAANY/c1zxSQ-d5Q4/s1600/IMG_0083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LrNDpHWxL1Q/TjGc2JyXM2I/AAAAAAAAANY/c1zxSQ-d5Q4/s320/IMG_0083.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TYmloOZWg5o/TjGdGY86d4I/AAAAAAAAANc/-FmuMX5ILtg/s1600/IMG_0114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TYmloOZWg5o/TjGdGY86d4I/AAAAAAAAANc/-FmuMX5ILtg/s320/IMG_0114.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TQ4KUDojP3Q/TjGdNpY48DI/AAAAAAAAANg/2GDIFXx4c0Y/s1600/IMG_0130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TQ4KUDojP3Q/TjGdNpY48DI/AAAAAAAAANg/2GDIFXx4c0Y/s320/IMG_0130.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2w7-zw3dOZ0/TjGdWBn5VQI/AAAAAAAAANk/YG01G0tTVWg/s1600/IMG_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2w7-zw3dOZ0/TjGdWBn5VQI/AAAAAAAAANk/YG01G0tTVWg/s320/IMG_0148.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OUGLJtOpJbw/TjGdf2Q-soI/AAAAAAAAANo/HmPq-giSonI/s1600/IMG_0159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OUGLJtOpJbw/TjGdf2Q-soI/AAAAAAAAANo/HmPq-giSonI/s320/IMG_0159.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FPifxk6JlLw/TjGdpepxUJI/AAAAAAAAANs/Q_NdXl17S14/s1600/IMG_0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FPifxk6JlLw/TjGdpepxUJI/AAAAAAAAANs/Q_NdXl17S14/s320/IMG_0161.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6HRI6xLz9Rw/TjGeLVk8H9I/AAAAAAAAANw/uUs2RnK5A6Y/s1600/DSC00256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6HRI6xLz9Rw/TjGeLVk8H9I/AAAAAAAAANw/uUs2RnK5A6Y/s320/DSC00256.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">You've seen these, you know these, you love these! Of course these pictures are all repeat pictures of previous Mexico blogs. Although fair food is pretty darn </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">delish</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">, nothing in this world could ever compare to the food we eat in Mexico. There is nothing better and that's a fact! Not to mention we get to eat all this food on the patio overlooking the beautiful water with dolphins swimming by and pelicans flying through the air. Are you starting to see why food makes me so happy? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Lastly, lets talk dessert! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1EEUqnNEZMY/TjGfj_4A2eI/AAAAAAAAAN0/YGA3GAbytm8/s1600/1336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1EEUqnNEZMY/TjGfj_4A2eI/AAAAAAAAAN0/YGA3GAbytm8/s320/1336.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x7QYBH_4S7g/TjGgCKnondI/AAAAAAAAAN4/ou_cNsgKS5I/s1600/1346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x7QYBH_4S7g/TjGgCKnondI/AAAAAAAAAN4/ou_cNsgKS5I/s320/1346.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">These two cakes were from our wedding. My cousin made them for us and they were by far the best part of the wedding. The first one is of course Marc's grooms cake from me, have to have the fire truck! Then there is our wedding cake, gasp! It was beautiful! I know that I'm biased, but that cake had to of been the most beautiful wedding cake I've ever seen. Not to mention, Jan's cakes don't only look great, but they taste beyond amazing too! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-67Z84o-hQtw/TjGg2RGpBzI/AAAAAAAAAN8/8-AhrPL_GJU/s1600/IMG_1293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-67Z84o-hQtw/TjGg2RGpBzI/AAAAAAAAAN8/8-AhrPL_GJU/s320/IMG_1293.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GB71ONnz_bs/TjGhUj2hrDI/AAAAAAAAAOA/RxUgHy7wxQo/s1600/IMG_2263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GB71ONnz_bs/TjGhUj2hrDI/AAAAAAAAAOA/RxUgHy7wxQo/s320/IMG_2263.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-28BrbPnW_9s/TjGhwZSeYnI/AAAAAAAAAOE/biGufPD6zHg/s1600/IMG_2618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-28BrbPnW_9s/TjGhwZSeYnI/AAAAAAAAAOE/biGufPD6zHg/s320/IMG_2618.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Like I said, food often times means a celebration. In the case of these three pictures, we were celebrating birthdays! The first being pumpkin cupcakes (my favorite!) for my birthday, the next being a GIANT cupcake for Wesley's birthday that Dylan is eating and the third being a homemade German Chocolate cake for Marc's birthday. Each of these photos bring great memories with them. I remember that birthday because my mom gave/made me everything pumpkin related, it was the BEST! I remember Wesley's birthday because it was his 1st birthday and because Marc was stung by a bee and honestly almost died of an allergic reaction! I remember Marc's birthday because it wasn't that long ago and because my mom and I tried really hard to make him that cake and although it tasted good, it turned out really ugly, oh well! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Another one of my favorite cakes by my cousin Jan . . . . </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i7Zhzl0Nl0Q/TjGja2FlqhI/AAAAAAAAAOI/x4II22r3lyM/s1600/IMG_2758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i7Zhzl0Nl0Q/TjGja2FlqhI/AAAAAAAAAOI/x4II22r3lyM/s320/IMG_2758.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Baby Leah </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Fia's</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> Shower cake! SO cute! Lemon cake with fresh raspberry filling, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">yuuuuummmm</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well . . . I could definitely continue on my food rant for days. We have pictures of just about everything we eat, I think it's safe to say you get the hint though. We love food! We love everything that has everything to do with food. I don't like exercising the food off my muffin top love handles BUT it's worth it so I can experience eating. I feel sorry for people that don't enjoy food, its one of the greatest things in this life!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Happy Thirsty Thursday! You are that much closer to the weekend! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Cheers!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen :) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-12087627003645170342011-07-20T22:01:00.000-07:002011-07-20T22:01:20.104-07:00A Wart<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When I was a little kid I used to have warts. Yeah, gross I know, but whatever. So when I would go to the dermatologist as a kid and get my warts burnt off I would get to go to 7-11 and get a Slurpee. Didn't you know that Slurpee's can cure almost anything? They can . . . at any age in fact. </span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Well . . . I don't have warts now but I kinda wish I did. Instead of having an actual wart I've got a new kind of wart, all of you moms out there know what I'm talking about.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I'm now an official worrywart and it's terrible.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Did you know that a worrywart is an actual word with a definition? It is, according to Merriam-Webster the definition of a worrywart is </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">:</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">a person who is inclined to</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><a class="formulaic" href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worry" style="font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">worry</span></span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">unduly.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img alt="worry-wart.jpg" src="webkit-fake-url://634F80E7-30A0-45A9-BA56-AF69440D7B9B/worry-wart.jpg" /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The "What-Ifs" in life are going to turn me prematurely grey that's for sure!</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I've always struggled with being a worrywart which makes my new level of worrisome a bit of a problem. The ultimate source of my worry problem:</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGZz72h4yqc/TiedQqRhhHI/AAAAAAAAAMY/fZ3VMh9eZ7s/s1600/IMG_0781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGZz72h4yqc/TiedQqRhhHI/AAAAAAAAAMY/fZ3VMh9eZ7s/s320/IMG_0781.JPG" width="238" /></span></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">That pretty pretty princess that is eyeballing me right there. She is my new number one source of worry.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">To be honest, other than my husbands terrible driving skills, I'm not sure what I used to worry about before her? </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My biggest struggle is that if I believe in God, I shouldn't worry since He will take care of me and my family and all of those things that I worry about, right? Why can't I let myself let go of the worry and just let God carry that load for me then? This is a question I fear I will ask myself forever, because my worry for baby Leah and any future babies I may have will never ever go away.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The worry de Leah began the day I found out I was pregnant in fact. Will I be like so many other women out there and have a miscarriage? Will the baby have a heartbeat? Will the baby have 10 fingers and 10 toes? Am I eating the right foods? Am I gaining too much weight? Will my labor and delivery be okay? The questions are endless. So of course, when I found out Leah had pooped </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">meconium</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> inside me and had the cord around her neck as I was trying to push her out, my worry exceeded the worry-o-meter! Of course, she came out perfect and wonderful, why oh why did I worry so much? I surly won't do that with my next pregnancy (insert sarcastic giggle here).</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img alt="isbn-14052358962.jpg" src="webkit-fake-url://B65F5997-7529-41F4-BE8F-40A7B123E92B/isbn-14052358962.jpg" /></span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Now that Leah is here I get to worry about her in real life flesh, oh joy! First it was, is she eating enough? Is she sleeping enough? Is her poop the right color? Are those noises normal? Why are her eyes gooey? What's that bump? Surely I must go out and buy the 806 page What To Expect, The First Year book right? I mean, if the book says its normal then it must be normal . . . at least I'm going to believe that so it makes me feel better. Of course I HAVE to go buy the baby monitor that can alert me if she stops breathing in the middle of the night! Although, if I have that monitor and she sleeps for more than 3 hours then why am I still going in to check on her? </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Hmmm</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> . . . </span></span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Ta5TkEKsgw/Tieh_fY4m5I/AAAAAAAAAMc/hTOi1aZHXro/s1600/IMG_0823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Ta5TkEKsgw/Tieh_fY4m5I/AAAAAAAAAMc/hTOi1aZHXro/s320/IMG_0823.JPG" width="238" /></span></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The real source of this blog is the fact that my poor baby girl has to go get her shots tomorrow and surprise surprise . . . I'm worried. I mean, why do they have to inject my little 8 week old baby with 8 different shots through needles and orally? Is that really necessary? I know that shots are a huge source of controversy with moms so I'm not going to get into it but I'm just going to say that it worries me. I hope she doesn't cry for too long, I hope she doesn't run a fever for too long and I hope that her sleeping patterns don't go so awry that it worries me even more. I hope, I hope, I hope . . . I worry, I worry, I worry.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ugh, I feel so bad for my mom to have a 28 year old and 32 year old. That means that she's been worrying for at least the last 32 years of her life! What a nightmare! </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Well . . . it's time for our bedtime routine . . . bath, lotion, swaddle, eat, burp and sleep . . . with a whole bunch of worry intertwined in it all.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Look at this face, you would worry too:</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZW5OoXjHvL8/Tiesg_VKB9I/AAAAAAAAAM0/ARf-T4lxEGo/s1600/IMG_0762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZW5OoXjHvL8/Tiesg_VKB9I/AAAAAAAAAM0/ARf-T4lxEGo/s320/IMG_0762.JPG" width="240" /></span></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(We were watching The Price is Right, she loves that show apparently)</span></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2-CJgUuNok4/Tiesv5k2yTI/AAAAAAAAAM4/03EEkJJRW6s/s1600/IMG_0776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2-CJgUuNok4/Tiesv5k2yTI/AAAAAAAAAM4/03EEkJJRW6s/s320/IMG_0776.JPG" width="238" /></span></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(I think she probably just pooped all over the place here)</span></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TCXgPY_gtkU/TietBKCyCsI/AAAAAAAAAM8/EgNw_AuWz-s/s1600/IMG_0787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TCXgPY_gtkU/TietBKCyCsI/AAAAAAAAAM8/EgNw_AuWz-s/s320/IMG_0787.JPG" width="238" /></span></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">( I love how her lips get all squished when she sleeps on her belly)</span></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eVdl9umNc4w/TietCSjlkgI/AAAAAAAAANA/5NBu8nDonhY/s1600/IMG_0799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eVdl9umNc4w/TietCSjlkgI/AAAAAAAAANA/5NBu8nDonhY/s320/IMG_0799.JPG" width="239" /></span></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(She just loves tutu's, thanks Auntie Wolff)</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Thanks for listening to my ranting and raving of what takes up most of my day . . . worry, worry and worry with a bit of worry in between. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Enjoy the end of your week blog world!</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">XOXO</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Jen </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">XOXO</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</div>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-16263963555242457672011-07-11T23:53:00.000-07:002011-07-11T23:53:06.120-07:00Summa Time, Summa Time, Sum, Sum, Summa Time . . .<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Ahhhh . . . the 5 senses that are summer time! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I just don't understand how some people don't enjoy summer time? I can't grasp it simply because summer time is the best. Granted, I love the other seasons as well. Fall brings me pumpkin pie yogurt from Yogurtland, Winter brings me Christmas . . . and pumpkin spice steamers from Starbucks, and Spring brings me Easter and beautifully perfect weather. Summer though? Its brings me so much more!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The smells.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">One of the greatest parts of summer are the smells! You agree? You know that smell early in the morning when its warm but not hot and you just know its going to be a beautiful day with a bright blue sky? That's a good smell. What about the smell of barbeque's grilling all day every day? The other morning I was actually in bed still and I smelled my neighbors barbecue grilling up something delicious, maybe steak and eggs? You can't forget the smell of chlorine on every little kids skin . . . or your own skin! The good ol chlorine smell that even after you shower you can still smell stuck to your skin and in your hair. Oh, the smell of sunscreen and tanning lotions too! That coconut and pina colada smell that you just want to eat! Or even right now, at 11:00pm, I can smell the night blooming jasmine coming through the windows in the breeze. I'd have to say that the best sense that is summer has got to be the smells.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3_kru6NF9Y4/ThvqsoeAMLI/AAAAAAAAAMA/5oOpDOAMhSQ/s1600/IMG_1950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3_kru6NF9Y4/ThvqsoeAMLI/AAAAAAAAAMA/5oOpDOAMhSQ/s320/IMG_1950.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The sights.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well . . . you start with beautiful bright blue skies daily, that's always a great sight to see. Then, there are all the people everywhere. Generally, I'm not a big fan of people all over the place, but during summertime for some reason its all okay. Kids are everywhere. They are riding bikes, playing football in the neighborhood, jumping in the pool and walking down the street. They are doing things that kids are supposed to do, they are outside, and that's a good thing. If you know me at all, you know that one of my favorite sights is the beach. Sure, seeing a good looking tan guy walking down the beach is nice, but I'm talking about seeing things even better than that at the beach. Seeing the water and all the great things that the water can bring. The sun shining on the ocean is so beautiful, along with the sunsetting behind it. The sea creatures that come out because of the ocean water, the dolphins, the birds, the sand crabs. Ugh, summer is just awesome. Do you not agree with me?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GSTjLW9v8gE/ThvrR9ipsvI/AAAAAAAAAME/nhFrKqdnQuw/s1600/IMG_2707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GSTjLW9v8gE/ThvrR9ipsvI/AAAAAAAAAME/nhFrKqdnQuw/s320/IMG_2707.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The sounds.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I'm going to begin repeating myself here but its just all so wonderful! The sound of kids playing outside is awesome, I love it. The sound of waves crashing and birds chirping has to make you smile. What about the sound of the ice cream truck???? Remember that? Yeah, we still have one that does its tour around the neighborhood, too bad they are slowly dying off though. Every Thursday in the summer, one of our local parks has Concerts in the Park. They have a different genre each week and its so fun! Its like our whole city is at that park and you throw down your blanket and just lay there listening to the bands, those are great summer sounds. We all know that the sound of fireworks is clearly an indication of summer as well, we all witnessed that last week right? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The tastes.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Of course, the fair is the first thing you should think of if your town is anything like mine. It's tradition to go to the Orange County Fair every year and that is clearly a summertime event. The tastes of the fair just screams summer. Every fried food you could imagine is at the fair! For our family the tastes of the fair are grilled corn on the cob, pulled BBQ pork sandwiches and frozen lemonade. Those are the must-haves every year! Every now and then we will throw in a funnel cake or a corn dog or some curly fries, it just depends. The tastes of anything bbq'ed or salads for dinner are clearly summertime favorites in our house as well. What about the taste of nachos and pretzels from a baseball game? Though they never taste good, you have to have a pretzel and nachos from the game. The tastes from Farmer's Markets are obviously a summertime favorite as well. Sweet potatoes, strawberries, oranges, peaches, all of those delicious summertime fruits and vegetables. Um, we can't forget ice cream and yogurt too! Is it just my family that tastes all of these delicious flavors that are summer?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2bHNmvi_jTg/ThvsPbWMiQI/AAAAAAAAAMM/RMolMHAjcqU/s1600/PICT3025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2bHNmvi_jTg/ThvsPbWMiQI/AAAAAAAAAMM/RMolMHAjcqU/s320/PICT3025.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Touch.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">When you think of this sense, touch, and you think of summertime, what comes to your mind? My first thought is . . . sunburns. Yikes. We all lather on that sunscreen but get so caught up in having fun outside that we come home at the end of the day with that infamous summertime sunburn. It happens every year and there is no stopping it. Oh, what about the touch of a cool pool or the freezing cold ocean? Is that not summer to you? What about the feel of your cool sheets the second you get in bed or flipping over your pillow for one quick second of that cool feeling? Touching the warm sand between your fingers and toes will bring you straight to summer. Or walking barefoot in general, whether it be the hot asphalt or a cool tile floor. Being barefoot happens 90% of the time in my house during summer.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I love summer. I love everything about summer, even those pesky and idiotic June bugs that actually come out in July!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ttKwrITyq6c/ThvtC4jeZfI/AAAAAAAAAMU/Qlg_IyIaQbQ/s1600/IMG_0700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ttKwrITyq6c/ThvtC4jeZfI/AAAAAAAAAMU/Qlg_IyIaQbQ/s320/IMG_0700.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Happy summer and cheers to warm summer nights!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">XoXo Jen</span>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-39897762523337822982011-06-25T23:00:00.000-07:002011-06-25T23:00:32.035-07:00The Easiest Most Difficult Decision . . .<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Yup. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The easiest most difficult decision I've ever made. An oxymoron you say? Yes it is, kind of like the phrase, "the same difference." Not a mistake or a grammar error.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I've recently made the easiest most difficult decision I've had to make so far. I assume this will be the first of many now that I have a little human being that means more to me than I could explain. She, or maybe it was God, put me in front of a big decision recently. Do I go back to my job as a high school counselor or take on a new job as a wife and mother? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">That was my easy yet difficult decision.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Difficult. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Brea</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Olinda</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> High School has been my home for the past 6 years. I was a 21 year old college student working as an aide with the Special Education department as well as interning as a high school counselor with the guidance department. I worked side by side with my mentor Kim </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Kessel</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">, she taught me the ropes and the ins and outs of being a high school counselor. I owe all of my awesome counseling skills to her in fact! :) Of course there were several other counselors there as well, as a team they all taught me something new and different in the counseling field. Our lead counselor fought for me back in December of 2006 to make sure I was hired and I was! I didn't even have my credential yet but was able to get an emergency credential and work as a real life counselor. So, the difficult part is the obvious, I'm leaving my friends that have become family.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4UF3K9b1es8/TgbDq93bWZI/AAAAAAAAALQ/rCnN4KocRWc/s1600/1493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4UF3K9b1es8/TgbDq93bWZI/AAAAAAAAALQ/rCnN4KocRWc/s320/1493.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Difficult.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I'm leaving my counseling team who have fought for me year after year during budget cuts to make sure that I have a job. My friends who know everything about my life and I enjoy spending time with outside of work as well. My friends who text me to see how things are going and who treat me like their family, their little sister in fact. There are two Jen's that work on the counseling team so I was dubbed the name "Baby Jen," and they did wrap their arms around me and guide me through everything ju</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">st like their baby sister. I love them, they are what made this decision the most difficult.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6kKOGJxZKQs/TgbDJYeXnrI/AAAAAAAAALM/y5vAq5Hoi-4/s1600/1482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6kKOGJxZKQs/TgbDJYeXnrI/AAAAAAAAALM/y5vAq5Hoi-4/s320/1482.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Difficult.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The principals, office staff and teachers were all my friends too. I felt like they all looked after me and were always ensuring that I was doing </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">ok</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> and was a happy camper at work. Working part-time last year made me feel a little disconnected and they always did a good job of making me feel right back at home when I would show up halfway through the week for work. They are all my friends that have become family too.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Difficult.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">My pseudo kids. I will miss them. When I first started as a counselor I worked with the high risk kids, I loved them. I continued to draw myself to those kiddos every year and constantly checked on them to make sure they were doing </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">ok</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">. I will miss those kids. I know that they are in great hands with the other counselors, but it hurts to know that I won't be there to chat with them and see whats going on in their lives anymore. That made my decision difficult.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-33-8LQ4jIxI/TgbEw2Rl9XI/AAAAAAAAALY/yR1Qip73Gfg/s1600/IMG_2034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-33-8LQ4jIxI/TgbEw2Rl9XI/AAAAAAAAALY/yR1Qip73Gfg/s320/IMG_2034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Easy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">My husband and my daughter.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">As much as I love every single person that I worked with at </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Brea</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> and felt like they were my family and home away from home, it comes down to the fact that I don't love them or the job as much as I love my husband and daughter.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7OICVp9kPLg/TgbIBz7205I/AAAAAAAAALs/1C6SGa7VeIM/s1600/IMG_2844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7OICVp9kPLg/TgbIBz7205I/AAAAAAAAALs/1C6SGa7VeIM/s320/IMG_2844.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Easy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The thought of sending Leah to a daycare and in the hands of strangers terrifies me. I know she would be fine, my friends have their kids in daycare and are alive and well, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't terrify me. Having me stay home with her at all times takes that anxiety and worry away. Knowing that I will be home to see all of her "firsts" and not hearing it from a stranger excites me. Being involved with her preschool one day and not just dropping her off and picking her up is something that I look forward to. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Easy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I remember when I was younger and my mom was home with my brother and I, it was the greatest thing ever. Having my mom involved at my school, on my soccer team, at my brownie meetings are all things that I will never forget. One of my best friends had a mom who stayed home too, Cindy. I will always remember going home with Amber to play and her mom Cindy would be baking cookies as we walked in the door and she would leave out a spoonful of dough for each of us. On cold days she would make us real hot chocolate on the stove with milk and cocoa. Her and my mom would take us to the beach, camping and to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Knotts</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> Berry Farm or to places that we otherwise would not be able to go because we would be in daycare. These are the things that I remember as a little girl and these are things that I want Leah and her sibling(s) to remember one day too. I want her to remember me being there for her and creating these memories for and with her. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aWgWd1qBy5E/TgbJdHtGofI/AAAAAAAAAL0/ffkrjfAvyaI/s1600/leah12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aWgWd1qBy5E/TgbJdHtGofI/AAAAAAAAAL0/ffkrjfAvyaI/s320/leah12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Easy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Being there for my husband is important to me too. Believe it or not, I actually enjoy cleaning my house, cooking dinner, baking and of course caring for my child. All of those stereotypical things that the woman of the house is "supposed" to do, I actually enjoy. I guess you can say I'm traditional. Maybe its because that's what my mom did and that's what my brother's family now does and I'm just accustomed to it. I'm all for women's rights and whatnot, more power to those women, that's just not me. Anyway, I enjoy taking care of my husband and making sure that he comes home to a clean house, a good meal and a cared for child. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Wow. This has become a long winded blog huh? I guess you get my point? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">My friend Jaycee said it best when she told me, "you can always go back to work one day, but you can never get back your kids childhood." Agreed.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">One more thing I need to add. I know that I'm very very very lucky to be able to stay home. I know that there are a lot of ladies out there that would do anything to have the opportunity to stay home with their kids but just are not able to do so. I wish that every mom could have the opportunity to stay home if they wanted too and that circumstances didn't hold them back. I know that I'm very lucky to have the life that I have and the hard working husband that I have. Thankfully, God has blessed us and allowed Marc to be the provider of our family. Wow am I lucky! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Looking at my husband and Leah, this was the easiest most difficult decision.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lZA4VZuVGtA/TgbKvqSkEDI/AAAAAAAAAL4/qdHhO3bMXhE/s1600/leah34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lZA4VZuVGtA/TgbKvqSkEDI/AAAAAAAAAL4/qdHhO3bMXhE/s320/leah34.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Happy Summer </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">xoxo</span>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-52681429545330973732011-06-13T16:40:00.000-07:002011-06-13T16:40:12.412-07:00Traditions . . .<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Does your family have traditions?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">You know, do you have to do a certain thing say every Christmas because its a tradition? Maybe that's just my family? I don't know.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We have traditions, a lot of them. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Maybe you could call it "unwillingness to change," I'd prefer traditions though.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">For example . . . </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Every time we go to Mexico we have SEVERAL traditions. If we don't do the same things every time we go to Mexico its just not the same, the trip has a different feel to it. We always stop at the same McDonald's on the way to Mexico, the one off 4th street to be exact. We always get the same thing and we always fill up on gas. 4th street is just before crossing the border and its somewhere that we've always stopped and will always stop until 4th street disappears, which is highly unlikely. When in Mexico its tradition for us to go to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Faly's</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> and eat </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">huevos</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">rancheros</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">, nobody can go to Mexico with us and not eat </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Faly's</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">huevos</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">rancheros</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">, they are the best thing ever! Just look:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-huCk22kWQZU/TfaZAHDHYJI/AAAAAAAAAKM/1KWUQLvKsHE/s1600/IMG_0083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-huCk22kWQZU/TfaZAHDHYJI/AAAAAAAAAKM/1KWUQLvKsHE/s320/IMG_0083.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NzyYbJlhTr0/TfaZjjmEpmI/AAAAAAAAAKU/lPMhF36E0I8/s1600/DSC00254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NzyYbJlhTr0/TfaZjjmEpmI/AAAAAAAAAKU/lPMhF36E0I8/s320/DSC00254.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Delicious!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We also have to have "Peg </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">McMuffins</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">" every time we go to Mexico. My mom, Peggy, is the maker of the Peg </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">McMuffin</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> unless she isn't there, in which case I am the maker of the famous Peg </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">McMuffin</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n7oBfn8iQEw/TfaaTxfoIMI/AAAAAAAAAKY/gVGvUjYuJDk/s1600/IMG_0146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n7oBfn8iQEw/TfaaTxfoIMI/AAAAAAAAAKY/gVGvUjYuJDk/s320/IMG_0146.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Yum!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">If you were to refer back to my Mexico blog you could see all this same stuff. My point is, my family has traditions and I love it. Most of our concrete traditions are in Mexico which is why I started with examples from there, oh but there are quite a few others as well.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Marc and I have our own traditions too. The best one ever is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">SPT</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">, otherwise known as "Stretchy Pant Time!" Every night around 7:30 - 8:00 we have </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">SPT</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">. That of course is when we change into our comfy pajama pants for the night. Its the best time of day! We are such old folks that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">SPT</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> falls right between our Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune watching time, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">haha</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">. We don't care, we love it and that's what matters, right? After </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">SPT</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> is "Cookie Time!" My mom lives just two doors down from us so every night around 8:30 we walk to her house and plop on the couch for cookie time. "Traditionally," Marc will take rule of the remote control, he will pour himself a glass of iced tea and he will get each of us one cookie (but always two for himself!). We watch a show or two or a sport and then head back home after about an hour. Its tradition, we can't help it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We have a LOT more traditions than that, but I don't have the time to write for days upon days. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I was just thinking though, what traditions will Leah have? Will she pick up on our </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">McDonalds</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> tradition and carry that on when she is driving to Mexico? Or will she join us at cookie time when she gets older? Of course she is forced into these traditions now because she is only a whopping 3 weeks old and has no choice, but what will happen when she does have a choice? I can only hope that she would like to join her parents in some traditions just like I have with my mom, but it will be fun to see her create her own along the way too.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Traditions are fun, they are what makes your family more unique than the next. I wouldn't change anything that we do, its the best and it makes us happy! As a wise wise lady (my mom) once told me, we all create our own happiness, nobody else is responsible for YOUR happiness. So, Marc and I will continue to do just that and I look forward to bringing baby Leah along for the ride!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I'm going to leave you with some professional photos of Leah . . . just because I'm a proud mommy and I LOVE LOVE LOVE these pictures of our little girl! A big shout out and THANK YOU to our photographer Michelle at Taylor Rose Photography, you are amazing!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zZVCR-JHBmo/Tfaep8OLRiI/AAAAAAAAAKk/xtVAxlviilc/s1600/IMG_0634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zZVCR-JHBmo/Tfaep8OLRiI/AAAAAAAAAKk/xtVAxlviilc/s320/IMG_0634.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d_1gGpabAgI/Tfaet1LVY8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/QirH1BUV4cM/s1600/zz03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d_1gGpabAgI/Tfaet1LVY8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/QirH1BUV4cM/s320/zz03.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Happy Monday everyone! Have a great week!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">XOXO</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</span></div>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-75003762878847247632011-05-30T19:03:00.000-07:002011-05-30T19:03:30.946-07:00Baby Leah's Birth Story<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The good news is, I'm still a blogger!</span><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The greater news is, I'm now a blogger mom!!!!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Wow, what an amazing week and a half I've had. I'm going to use this blog to tell you the story of Baby Leah Marie. I've told this story to all of the visitors that we've had and the ending is such a happy one that I could tell it over and over and over again. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">By the way, here I am just a few days before Leah's birthday . . . </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VYPjcPitXRg/TePRyG25PrI/AAAAAAAAAKA/WxXJnr0U-v0/s1600/IMG_0572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VYPjcPitXRg/TePRyG25PrI/AAAAAAAAAKA/WxXJnr0U-v0/s320/IMG_0572.JPG" width="238" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Ok, here we go!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Friday, May 20th I began to feel just a little "different." I called Marc in the afternoon while he was at work to let him know that I just wasn't feeling right and that I thought my body might be gearing up for baby within the next couple of days. I was really thinking that Sunday the 22nd might be "the day." I spent the day running errands and went out to lunch with my mom, nothing too crazy. I was cramping throughout the day but nothing unbearable by any means. By 4:00PM I realized that I was able to keep track of that cramping feeling as it was coming pretty consistently. Then I did what most pregnant women do when they think labor is coming its way, I walked. I wanted the cramps to turn to contractions and to get this show on the road.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">As I was walking, my sister-in-law called me and wanted to do something fun that night. She had been tied up in the house with my nephews for a while and just wanted to get out that night. We decided that my mom and I and my brother and his family would go out to Irvine Spectrum to walk around and eat dinner and just get out of the house. As I drove my mom out to Irvine (just a 20-25 minute drive) I felt the cramps turn to contractions and come on a little stronger. We made it to The Spectrum and just walked around, watched my nephews on the carousel ride and window shopped a bit. Then we went to Red Robin for dinner and that's when things got just a little stronger again. After dinner we took the boys to Golden Spoon for some yogurt and that's when I decided to call Marc. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I wanted to let Marc know that this seemed like it was for real and that he may need to leave work that night and come home so we can have a baby! He spoke with his captain and they decided that it would be best if he came home right away rather than waiting until the middle of the night and that is just what Marc did. He left work and we left the Spectrum and met back at home around 11PM. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">If you are truly counting the hours of labor at this point you could have said that I was in labor 7 hours technically.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Marc went to bed and I stayed up and labored throughout the night. I bounced on my yoga ball, I walked around the house a bit, I tried different positions on the couch and by about 3:45AM I decided it was time to tell Marc that we needed to go to the hospital. His response of course was, "ok you just tell me when." I thought to myself, "isn't that what I'm telling you?" So I went back downstairs for another 15 - 20 minutes and then decided that was enough, time to go. We finally got to the hospital and settled in there about 5:00AM. They checked me and I was already at 5-6 centimeters at that point. This was such a relief because I kept telling Marc that I didn't want them to send me home! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I had previously tested for Group B Strep which meant that they had to give me antibiotics before baby came out and it had to be in 4 hour increments. The nurse told me to stay put and try not to progress too much because they had to give me one bag of antibiotics and then wait 4 hours before giving me a second bag.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Now, 15 hours into labor (technically), the nurse checked me again . . . yikes . . . 9 cm already! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">They had to give me the second bag of antibiotics early before baby Leah made her way out. They started the second bag and now fully dilated, my water finally broke! Then came pushing time! I pushed for 2 looooooong hours before Leah was born. The pushing, although it felt better because I couldn't feel my contractions, still was very tiring. By the second hour I was completely exhausted.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> I don't think I mentioned it yet, but I decided that I wanted to do this whole child birth thing completely natural. So yeah, by the second hour of pushing I was tired to say the least.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">They gave me oxygen and also wanted me to push while on my side because baby's blood pressure and heart rate were going wacky. The nurse oh so casually mentioned that the cord must be around the baby's neck. She also oh so casually mentioned that the baby had pooped meconium while still inside also. This meant that the NICU staff had to come in our room and prepare to work on Leah right away.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-58nAoRUUy40/TeMgD57_86I/AAAAAAAAAJc/qi8dYKuim1Y/s1600/IMG_2800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-58nAoRUUy40/TeMgD57_86I/AAAAAAAAAJc/qi8dYKuim1Y/s320/IMG_2800.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">After 18 hours of a natural labor (which really only felt like 5 hours while I was in the hospital) and two of those hours pushing, our baby girl Leah Marie was born at 10:41am. Weighing in at a whopping 6 pounds 9 ounces and 20 inches long with a cone head like you've never seen!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Grex_IoM7ds/TeMeJ2hIVQI/AAAAAAAAAJU/kNJH38WMSNA/s1600/IMG_2831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Grex_IoM7ds/TeMeJ2hIVQI/AAAAAAAAAJU/kNJH38WMSNA/s320/IMG_2831.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The whole labor and delivery was an experience unlike anything else in this world. Call me crazy, but I actually enjoyed that 18 hours of labor far more than I did the 9 months of pregnancy. The contractions hurt, but they weren't going to kill me. The pushing was exhausting, but I knew I'd get a baby in the end so it was well worth it. Not only that, I had the best coaches in the room with me, my mom and my husband. They would tell me when my contractions were coming, when they peaked and when they were going down. That was extremely helpful. I had back labor so Marc would push on my lower back, or massage it during my contractions as well. The delivery room was very quiet, very low key, and very much a stress free situation. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Now I'll give you what you have all been waiting for . . . pictures! :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Please excuse Leah's lady parts here . . . but this is a picture of a very happy and proud daddy, I have to post it!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QyJb1DMjsQs/TeMjPB0ggCI/AAAAAAAAAJg/-U2yUL-2OYU/s1600/IMG_2813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QyJb1DMjsQs/TeMjPB0ggCI/AAAAAAAAAJg/-U2yUL-2OYU/s320/IMG_2813.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Our very first family picture, about 10 minutes after birth.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PT3faaY8cm8/TeMkh07sh9I/AAAAAAAAAJk/0clbBmlkyd0/s1600/IMG_2828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PT3faaY8cm8/TeMkh07sh9I/AAAAAAAAAJk/0clbBmlkyd0/s320/IMG_2828.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Leah's first bath . . . she wasn't a big fan.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4b-O7tqrd0/TeMlOvzL_zI/AAAAAAAAAJo/WW7IyvoFHDw/s1600/IMG_2822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4b-O7tqrd0/TeMlOvzL_zI/AAAAAAAAAJo/WW7IyvoFHDw/s320/IMG_2822.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Daddy's girl for sure.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CUl4kIpxYtk/TeMl1s6iBLI/AAAAAAAAAJs/4PrpsYbWiNI/s1600/IMG_2851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CUl4kIpxYtk/TeMl1s6iBLI/AAAAAAAAAJs/4PrpsYbWiNI/s320/IMG_2851.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Mama loves her little girl.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i6BD0vUVS8A/TeMmWtxD4HI/AAAAAAAAAJw/DGm949sfwWw/s1600/IMG_2852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i6BD0vUVS8A/TeMmWtxD4HI/AAAAAAAAAJw/DGm949sfwWw/s320/IMG_2852.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Leah's first outing to the doctor's office.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DXBx2dlif5U/TeMoBzRQGLI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/y37rIlfIyWQ/s1600/IMG_2863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DXBx2dlif5U/TeMoBzRQGLI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/y37rIlfIyWQ/s320/IMG_2863.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Haha, this happened last night . . . I guess Leah ate too much . . . </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWN1S8LLN2w/TeMolI0VlMI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/V5pQNqmyKlk/s1600/IMG_2868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWN1S8LLN2w/TeMolI0VlMI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/V5pQNqmyKlk/s320/IMG_2868.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">And then this happened . . . so all is good in the world.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4-gcxPxCC84/TeMpNju_r_I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/k_0dh5HTczg/s1600/IMG_2869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4-gcxPxCC84/TeMpNju_r_I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/k_0dh5HTczg/s320/IMG_2869.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">She loves to sleep on chests, this is her typical position before real bedtime.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gLf1oOWkJSs/TePSKkJRlAI/AAAAAAAAAKE/uaN9DnT4zGI/s1600/IMG_0612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gLf1oOWkJSs/TePSKkJRlAI/AAAAAAAAAKE/uaN9DnT4zGI/s320/IMG_0612.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">She also loves to have her arms up when she sleeps, or maybe she just dreams of being a football referee one day, who knows? Touchdown!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_dWbiv_vM7o/TePS0JoyACI/AAAAAAAAAKI/Gp4tUKG3kJQ/s1600/IMG_0617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_dWbiv_vM7o/TePS0JoyACI/AAAAAAAAAKI/Gp4tUKG3kJQ/s320/IMG_0617.JPG" width="238" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">As a proud mommy, I could continue to post pictures of her all day long. It goes without saying that Leah is perfect and beautiful and the greatest addition to our life. Nothing in this world can compare to the love that we have for our new daughter. Of course, as uncomfortable as the 9 months were leading up to the big day . . . we all know that I'll do it all over again just like so many of you.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Thanks for reading our baby girls birth story as I change from a full-time preggo to a full-time mom! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Let the fun begin!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Happy Memorial Day!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">XOXO</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</div>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-78688045892846531702011-05-11T14:41:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:22:34.842-07:00A Wedding, 2 Birthdays, Mother's Day, and No Baby Yet!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Wow.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">What a lot of stuff going on in the Fiamengo/Watson household!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I must disclose now, I do not have any pictures from last weekend! I know, how sad right? I'm so sorry to all of you visual learners out there! I do have a great video that you can watch though :) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So lets start with the wedding because that was the first of the events from last weekend. My brother-in-law, also Marc's twin, got hitched on Saturday! Talk about a beautiful wedding and a stunning bride! Oh and my brother-in-law (Bryan) was stunning in his tux and bow tie also :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The wedding festivities began on Thursday with the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Thursday was also Cinco De Mayo so it was only appropriate that the rehearsal dinner had a Mexican theme. Not to mention food catered from El Farolito, only the best Mexican food in all of Placentia! Yum! On Friday, the girls went to this great nail place and got manicures and pedicures, it was really nice! Let me preface by saying, I have nothing against Asians in any way . . . that being said, this nail place was awesome because they had signs posted that said something like this, "if you hear us speaking Vietnamese with our colleagues, your service is free." You have no idea how appreciative the customers are to see that, it makes us really uncomfortable when you speak a language other than English in front of us and makes us feel like you are talking about us all the time! Not only that, this place also gave complimentary champagne, water, juice or soda as well as a plate with some cookies and chocolate! Awesome! And it was only $29 dollars for a mani and pedi! What a deal! We went out to lunch afterwards also which was really nice, it was a beautiful day for us to sit on the patio and grub. The boys did an all day golf extravaganza and of course had a fun time as well. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">One of the best parts leading up to the wedding was the fact that I was a bridesmaid. Being a bridesmaid allowed me to get closer to my new sister-in-law, Katie. I feel like she and I have this new connection that we otherwise wouldn't have had if I wasn't in the wedding and didn't have the opportunity to spend as much time with her. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The wedding itself was perfect. Every single part of the wedding from ceremony to reception went off perfectly. It was such a beautiful wedding. I'm a little biased, but one of my favorite parts of the wedding was listening to Marc's best man speech! He did such a GREAT job! I was so nervous for him as he was speaking because I already knew was he was going to say and do, but he did amazing! He explained what a twin was by dictionary terms and then what a twin meant to him, it was so good. I must say, my husband is an awfully good speaker and very good looking as well so I think everything he does is great, you be the judge though:</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/nRIyybEBIrw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So . . . what do you think? Pretty good right? I was very proud of him!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Anyway, the wedding was just great. Then, the next day was Mother's Day. Like I said in my last post, we celebrated Mother's Day, my dad's birthday, and my brother's birthday all on Sunday. It was a really nice day. We started out the day over at Katie's parents house and watched Katie and Bryan open their gifts. Marc's mom and grandma were both there so we could celebrate Mother's Day with them as well.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Then we made our way back to my parents house where Shane, Molly and the boys were. My mom made a bunch of food and we celebrated the birthday's and Mothers day for the rest of the day. We even had a delicious ice cream cake from 31 Flavors! Yummo! Oh, and my Aunt, Uncle and Cousins were at the Angels game (they won by the way) so they stopped by for a little while also. It was a nice little family day. Marc and I decided to clean up my mom's house at the end of the day since it looked like a tornado blew through there! Being that it was Mother's Day and all we thought we could do that much for her, she did work the whole day!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Oh yeah, and that's right, no baby yet! Granted, my due date isn't until May 24th so technically there shouldn't be a baby yet, but I just feel like there should have been one here by now. It doesn't help that my doctor told me that Baby Fiamengo would come early! I wish she would have never said that! Plus by coming early did she mean 3 weeks early? 4 days early? A couple hours early? Who knows? That is the worst part about the end of pregnancy, you just never know when you are going to go into labor or if your water is going to break! "They" say that only 15% of pregnant ladies water actually breaks while at home and the rest of the women have to have their water broken in the hospital. Still, you just never know, its a guessing game every day. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">In the meantime, there are several reasons why I would like to have this baby, well, right now actually! First of all, Bryan and Katie live in Boston. They are in Las Vegas for their honeymoon so if I have the baby now, they can come back home to meet their niece or nephew before flying back home to Boston. Secondly, tomorrow is my Aunt Glady's 90th birthday and really, how awesome would that be????? Lastly, my grandparents who live in Mexico are going to be in the States this weekend so they could also meet the baby before having to go back home. They really hate being in the States so they usually only come up if they really have to for doctors visits and things like that. If they don't meet baby this weekend then we will be bringing baby to them in October! :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Anyway, I ramble.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Just so you know, I'll be here just walking a lot, bouncing on an exercise ball, drinking raspberry leaf tea, eating pineapple and doing all of those things that supposedly induce labor naturally (all lies by the way, nothing works, baby comes when it wants too and when God says so!). It just makes me feel better ok, don't judge me :) I know, I'm NOT in control that's for sure! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Thank you all for reading about my life! Hopefully I'll be writing a birth story to you in the very near future!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Much love to you all!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen :)</span><br />
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</div>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-8051703266858730382011-05-03T20:28:00.000-07:002011-05-03T20:28:11.885-07:00Mom, Mother, Mama, Mommy, Madre, Peggy<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Mom, mom, mom . . .</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">This coming weekend is all about mom's! Hooray for mom's I say! Or at least hooray for MY mom!</span><br />
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</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Most of us think that our own moms are the best in the world. To be honest though, MY mom really IS the best mom in the whole world! If you ever met her you would agree too! Seriously though :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I don't know much about this mom thing yet, but I'm certainly getting close and am ready to experience it, I know that much! Speaking of which, I'm at 37 weeks pregnant today leaving me with only 21 days to go . . . unless I go early or late that is . . . I mean, unless Baby Fia decides to go early or late. It's already all about Baby Fia and he/she isn't even here yet! If it were up to me this little bugger would have been here by now! I guess I'll just keep pretending like I have some sort of control over this and walk, eat spicy food, bounce on a yoga ball and do all those so called natural induction methods that are out there. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Anyway, I took a little bird walk, sorry. My mom is still the best :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So this weekend is Mother's Day, what are you doing for your mom on Mother's Day? My poor mom has to share this day every year, she never gets it all to herself. She would never complain about that, but really that just stinks for her. You see, my dad's birthday is May 8th (Mother's Day) and my brother's birthday is May 9th. Just as we did last year, we will celebrate all three special occasions on the one day, Mother's Day. As you know, Sunday is also Family Day for us Watson/Fiamengo's so really this coming Sunday won't be any different. My poor mom will still cook for all of us, the only difference is, she will cook my brother's favorite meal. She's a good mom.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Not only is this weekend Mother's Day, my dad's birthday and my brother's birthday . . . it's also my brother-in-law's wedding day on Saturday! Yay! What a busy weekend! Oh and did I mention that this week starts the first week of my maternity leave? We have a busy week and weekend ahead so I'll do the bulk of my nesting next week I suppose. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Marc is the Best Man in his brother's wedding and I am a bridesmaid so we have some big roles to play this weekend. Well, Marc has a big role to play, I'll just be big :) I'm really excited for Marc's speech, its going to be a good one! I have to help him with some of the pieces this week in order to make it perfect! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Back to Mother's Day again. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">My mom has taught me that being a mom is the number one most selfless thing you can do on the planet. She would do anything in the world for my brother or me. She is my best friend, hence the reason for me living 2 doors down from her! That is the best thing ever! Even if she wasn't my mom, you would here others say that she is, kind-hearted, hard-working, completely selfless in every way, God-loving, BEAUTIFUL, nurturing, amazing and pretty much like Mary Poppins "Practically Perfect in Every Way!" I'm just lucky because I get to call her mom.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0qEdMupEaqU/TcDEgVWgK7I/AAAAAAAAAJA/Z-j9D_1jOw4/s1600/IMG_2211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0qEdMupEaqU/TcDEgVWgK7I/AAAAAAAAAJA/Z-j9D_1jOw4/s320/IMG_2211.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">(This picture is particularly funny because my mom doesn't drink, she could hardly pose for this picture even!)</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">It's my hope that I will take some of her traits and characteristics with me as I venture into motherhood very shortly. I know that there are some sons and daughters out there that don't get to say such great things about their moms and that makes me sad for them. Hopefully those people can break the cycles that have been created for generations, I'm guessing, and become more like Peggy :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">If you are a mom, I wish you the happiest of Mother's Days! If you are going to be a mom soon I say good luck to us and Happy (almost) Mother's Day to us! If this is your first Mother's Day I say Congratulations to you, enjoy being spoiled! If you do not have a close relationship with your mom I say embrace those around you that act like they are your mom (even if you hate it sometimes). If your mom is no longer with us I hope that you remember all of the great things that your mom taught you growing up and that you thank God for taking care of her now and spoiling her for once!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Have a Happy Mother's Day to all of you wonderfully fabulous ladies out there! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Happy Mama's Day to YOU, Nana Times Three, I love you so much!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Have a great week and weekend my friends, give your moms a hug this weekend!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen :)</span>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-22168779379614016582011-04-23T22:35:00.000-07:002011-04-23T22:35:12.124-07:00God who?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Happy Easter!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well in some parts of the world it is Easter already, not quite yet here in California but Happy Easter anyway!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Growing up, Easter was never a huge holiday for our family. Back when "Spring Break" actually used to be Easter Break and we would be off of school for a week because of this little thing called EASTER we would be in Mexico. Well, whether it be Spring Break or Easter Break we still go to Mexico. My point is, we used to go to Mexico the week BEFORE Easter and would therefore color our Easter eggs while in Mexico. So we did your typical "Easter-y" things as a family. My brother and I would find our colored Easter eggs and a few plastic ones and we would get our Easter baskets. Oh yeah, and my brother and mom and I would do this little thing called "go to church." Too bad Easter isn't really about going to church at all, but more about the candy that you get in your Easter basket. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Sad.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Really, the whole church and God thing is getting really sad these days. Example: My nephew Dylan sang a Christmas concert type thing at his preschool back in December, you know what they sang???? "We wish you a Happy Holiday!" Unbelievable! Not, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, but We Wish You a Happy Holiday? Really? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Sad.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Remember when we had Christmas Break in December at school? Now it's "Winter Break."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Sad.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Remember when we had Easter Break in April at school? Now it's "Spring Break."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Sad. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Remember when you could say "One nation under God?" Where did that go?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Sorry, I digress. We were talking Easter!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So, God sent his only son to die on a cross for my sins and for your sins. As I sit here days away from delivering a child of my own this is something that I can't grasp. I haven't met my child yet, but I know all of his or her movements, what time of day he or she gets hiccups, what foods make him or her happy and which ones don't, the size and shape of his or her little foot in my ribs and so much more. I love all of those things about this baby and I know that when I see him or her (as my co-worker Kim says) my heart will be stolen and live outside my body from then on. I love baby Fiamengo and saying "ok kid, go die for all of these people who are going to sin and do horrible things and not even be allowed to say your name in school" is beyond me. I can certainly tell you that I'm thankful to God and Jesus for that ultimate sacrifice that's for sure!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I have a friend from work who is also pregnant and she put it best. She said something like this:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">As I sit here just weeks away from giving birth and living in fear of the pain that I will be in on that day or days, it couldn't possibly be as much pain as wearing a crown of thorns, and being beaten and dragged to a hill to have my hands and feet nailed to a cross. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Amongst our chocolate bunny ears and Easter egg hunts I hope we all take just one minute to give thanks to God for sacrificing his only son, and to give thanks to Jesus for dying on the cross and rising from the grave 3 days later for my sins and yours. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Lots of love to you all and Happy Easter! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-24313117651841925052011-04-19T22:44:00.000-07:002011-04-19T22:44:46.121-07:00Shower Time!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well hello there! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> I'd like to welcome myself back to the living. I've been sick since my last post over a week ago and I'm still just barely hanging on here. I didn't want you to think I went into labor early or anything like that, nope, just been dragging my butt from couch to bed every day trying to get healthy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Anyway enough about me, lets talk more about . . . . well . . . ME! :) Actually, lets talk about Baby Fia and the amazing baby shower that was given to Baby Fia back on April 10th! </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-klbsqsgBpfk/Ta4i3XmzOPI/AAAAAAAAAHE/cg680SAmloM/s1600/IMG_2768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-klbsqsgBpfk/Ta4i3XmzOPI/AAAAAAAAAHE/cg680SAmloM/s320/IMG_2768.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Baby Fia's shower was at El Cholo Restaurant from 11:30 - 2:30. Let me tell you, the people at El Cholo are just the best! The managers were great when booking the party and updating them on the people attending and the food we wanted. The servers though, they were just amazing! They really went above and beyond to make sure every single person at the party had everything they needed. Not only that, the food at El Cholo is SO yummy! We had chicken and carnitas tacos, chicken tamales and rice and beans with all the fixings. Yum-O! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So my mom, my sister-in-law Molly and Molly's parents Debbie and Eric were the ultimate party planners for this wonderful shindig! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ofJ7JLAgdDY/Ta4kZYYQg-I/AAAAAAAAAHI/EpEJG79qMSk/s1600/IMG_2755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ofJ7JLAgdDY/Ta4kZYYQg-I/AAAAAAAAAHI/EpEJG79qMSk/s320/IMG_2755.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Molly and I</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QAUQ_CEr1X4/Ta4k1IpV5qI/AAAAAAAAAHM/u3rjPqoB6Mc/s1600/IMG_2756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QAUQ_CEr1X4/Ta4k1IpV5qI/AAAAAAAAAHM/u3rjPqoB6Mc/s320/IMG_2756.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Mama and I</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">You have no idea how much work all of these people put into this baby shower, it was unbelievable! The decorations were incredible. Molly and her parents made cookies that looked like little sea turtles (the theme of the nursery) and they even had sugar in the bags that looked like sand! So cute!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ko407xpP47A/Ta5hQZnXHQI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/HV2MPprx6ls/s1600/IMG_2746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ko407xpP47A/Ta5hQZnXHQI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/HV2MPprx6ls/s320/IMG_2746.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NOMDIHXKBXE/Ta5htS-cDAI/AAAAAAAAAHU/mkmEzgVtkws/s1600/IMG_2747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NOMDIHXKBXE/Ta5htS-cDAI/AAAAAAAAAHU/mkmEzgVtkws/s320/IMG_2747.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">They also had giant sea turtle balloons around the room and the center pieces were little baby feet suckers in sand pails with crushed graham crackers as the sand! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kaF2vViypQU/Ta5jLDUhF0I/AAAAAAAAAHY/aTiiOuYEVwQ/s1600/IMG_2748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kaF2vViypQU/Ta5jLDUhF0I/AAAAAAAAAHY/aTiiOuYEVwQ/s320/IMG_2748.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pVdVzsi5Cno/Ta5jkHk1DOI/AAAAAAAAAHc/TVxBgtyJfkA/s1600/IMG_2749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pVdVzsi5Cno/Ta5jkHk1DOI/AAAAAAAAAHc/TVxBgtyJfkA/s320/IMG_2749.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JmCmawxro9w/Ta5kAAlgKLI/AAAAAAAAAHg/-pAvaHpHAPs/s1600/IMG_2751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JmCmawxro9w/Ta5kAAlgKLI/AAAAAAAAAHg/-pAvaHpHAPs/s320/IMG_2751.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Super cute right? I thought so!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Molly's dad, Eric, also made me a vase out of children's blocks! So creative and so cute! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J6tFLORISdc/Ta5k17nGfmI/AAAAAAAAAHk/IPaOPiDRkdM/s1600/IMG_2750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J6tFLORISdc/Ta5k17nGfmI/AAAAAAAAAHk/IPaOPiDRkdM/s320/IMG_2750.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">One of the highlights of the day was that my cousin Jan was able to make it to the party! Not only that, she made the cake for the party! Not just any cake either, a mama and baby turtle lemon cake with fresh raspberries and butter cream frosting in the middle! Can you say delicious? Not only delicious, the cutest cakes I've ever seen!!!! You be the judge . . . </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TFAZcgofQ84/Ta5n-GbBOWI/AAAAAAAAAHo/vQE6dhfbb0o/s1600/IMG_2758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TFAZcgofQ84/Ta5n-GbBOWI/AAAAAAAAAHo/vQE6dhfbb0o/s320/IMG_2758.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XvenyT5oXM4/Ta5oVdIpFPI/AAAAAAAAAHs/xwY62Qy1LBQ/s1600/IMG_2759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XvenyT5oXM4/Ta5oVdIpFPI/AAAAAAAAAHs/xwY62Qy1LBQ/s320/IMG_2759.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I just can't believe how generous everybody was at the shower! From my party planning family, to my cake making cousin to ALL 50 people that attended and were SO generous with their gifts. We even had a couple of family members and one of my co-workers who took the time to hand make items for Baby Fiamengo! By far one of the best gifts ever!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YDX4fISdvwc/Ta5qdUnpwSI/AAAAAAAAAH0/tyvFGb3R9Fs/s1600/IMG_2762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YDX4fISdvwc/Ta5qdUnpwSI/AAAAAAAAAH0/tyvFGb3R9Fs/s320/IMG_2762.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VLC7l2MzJDs/Ta5q4Suo7pI/AAAAAAAAAH4/9mpuMJzMn74/s1600/IMG_2764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VLC7l2MzJDs/Ta5q4Suo7pI/AAAAAAAAAH4/9mpuMJzMn74/s320/IMG_2764.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5_3RPA7Rh0w/Ta5rW_jkmdI/AAAAAAAAAH8/_GqjJbL8oZU/s1600/IMG_2766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5_3RPA7Rh0w/Ta5rW_jkmdI/AAAAAAAAAH8/_GqjJbL8oZU/s320/IMG_2766.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I can't tell you how thankful I am to all of my family and friends who made it out to Baby Fia's shower. They all mean so very much to me and I know that they will mean just as much to Baby Fia. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I have to show you a couple of miscellaneous pictures from the shower too, just because they make me smile :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-typT-hD0eDw/Ta5scqsMoZI/AAAAAAAAAIA/oLUCtUkvCWQ/s1600/IMG_2772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-typT-hD0eDw/Ta5scqsMoZI/AAAAAAAAAIA/oLUCtUkvCWQ/s320/IMG_2772.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Wolff Buddy, Me, Jordan (2 weeks ahead of me and just minutes away from labor at the moment), and Molly :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6tG9eRz5qlk/Ta5tHXruU5I/AAAAAAAAAIE/eUbwXWwC4vk/s1600/IMG_2773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6tG9eRz5qlk/Ta5tHXruU5I/AAAAAAAAAIE/eUbwXWwC4vk/s320/IMG_2773.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">This one is my favorite! This is how pregnant ladies have to hug, like 7th grades slow dancing! :) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rhqMPkVLSbY/Ta5uBRbA4nI/AAAAAAAAAII/c7mVTS2vjYY/s1600/IMG_2745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rhqMPkVLSbY/Ta5uBRbA4nI/AAAAAAAAAII/c7mVTS2vjYY/s320/IMG_2745.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I don't have many pictures with my dad so I suppose I can throw one up here. He's not big on smiling for pictures for some reason so this is the best you're gonna get! :) Big Papa Wayne! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">After the baby shower I spent some time with my friends and then got to work on all those gifts! My mom and I separated everything, put things together and then I did 7 loads of laundry for this child that is not even born yet! You know what is even more crazy about the 7 loads of laundry? I only got about 5 little outfits! That means that those 7 loads included lots of blankets, sheets, changing pad covers and washcloths and towels!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I'm finally feeling more prepared for baby to be here after putting things together and putting things away. Who knew that such a tiny little baby would take so many "things?" </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So, you can say that me and Baby Fia had a pretty darn good shower! In fact, it was perfect! I loved every minute of it and have great memories of that day. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I have one more shower put on by my wonderful co-workers at the Yard House this Friday. Its more like a Baby Shower Happy Hour which is my kind of party! :) It should be another fun time for Baby and I! :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So . . . 35 weeks down, only 35 days to go and baby is weighing in at a comfy 5lbs 6oz as of today's appointment! Baby is estimated to be about 7 1/2 pounds by birth which I'd say is a pretty good size! I can definitely tell you that according to the ultrasound pictures most of that weight is in the cheeks and feet! :) Takes after its daddy already! :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I'll keep you posted on all things baby as we get down to the end!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">PS. If there are any of you out there that pray, I'd appreciate some prayers for my friend Jordan who was pictured above. She's been having contractions for the past couple of days and they are getting closer together as you read this, Baby Will should be here shortly and both mama and baby can use your prayers. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Have a great week my friends!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Love Jen :) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-32826971177443055272011-04-10T22:55:00.000-07:002011-04-10T22:55:46.769-07:00Oh Mexico . . .<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I just LOVE Mexico. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">There is really nothing more to it, I love it there. I couldn't imagine my life without all of my Mexico memories in it. What a great vacation we had, just like every single time we go.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wP9lZ6OGubw/TaKDeQARsqI/AAAAAAAAAGM/fyDH-NAf51E/s1600/IMG_2684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wP9lZ6OGubw/TaKDeQARsqI/AAAAAAAAAGM/fyDH-NAf51E/s320/IMG_2684.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">That is a picture of the newest improvements they have made in Mexico. They are getting pretty high tech with a sign like this actually. They have also improved the roads there better than they do here! There was a long period of time where they actually didn't have roads and it would add on about another 2-3 hours to our trip. We used to drive on a dirt road that was like a washboard so you could only drive about 7MPH at the most, it was terrible. So this sign is actually a huge deal.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">My grandparents actually live 40 miles past San Felipe in a Camp called Campo San Martin. Nobody knows about the camps that are passed San Felipe so it's easier for us to just say we went to San Felipe for the weekend.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So of course, the weather was beautiful as always!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SsCK6YnK7uM/TaKFSmAKNaI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/LdlTp8HS7B0/s1600/IMG_2687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SsCK6YnK7uM/TaKFSmAKNaI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/LdlTp8HS7B0/s320/IMG_2687.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Although the sun is really bad for us and can cause major damage, I can't help but just sit out in the sand and watch all that surrounds me out there. Its amazing what things you can learn about yourself, others and just the world in general when you have no access to modern technology. Its really nice. No cellphones, no computers, no interruptions of your own thinking because your favorite show is on or the door bell rang . . . just straight peace and serenity. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Sunrises and sunsets are the highlights of your day when in Mexico, they are amazing.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dV65C1PU1ac/TaKGWs7f5tI/AAAAAAAAAGU/5RzIeabWc4w/s1600/IMG_2703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dV65C1PU1ac/TaKGWs7f5tI/AAAAAAAAAGU/5RzIeabWc4w/s320/IMG_2703.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Not only that, it was a New Moon when we got there on Sunday which meant a pitch black sky and more stars than you could ever imagine. We've seen the stars there for 28 years and they still amaze me every single time I see them. Plus, since it was the New Moon that meant that the grunion would be running 3-4 days after the New Moon. Sure enough, by Wednesday the grunion were out and about doing their thing! A crazy site to see that's for sure!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">At night time, if the solar was good, we would watch a little bit of TV. The best part about watching TV in Mexico is watching it with my Aunt Glady (90 years old) and my Grandpa (78 years old). Neither of them can hear very well, my Aunt Glady because of old age and my Grandpa because he worked in a machine shop for several years. Since they can't hear well they have these things called "TV Ears" that they wear. They just pop them in their ears and are able to hear the television just like you and I, its so cute! They didn't know we were going to take the picture so they look angry, but they really aren't :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MrjoZhZN7K4/TaKO9F1zrxI/AAAAAAAAAGo/i0C1ziBt6yk/s1600/IMG_2719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MrjoZhZN7K4/TaKO9F1zrxI/AAAAAAAAAGo/i0C1ziBt6yk/s320/IMG_2719.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Too cute.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">One day it rained which is really really unusual for Mexico. The great thing about rain in Mexico is that it literally lasts 3 minutes at the most and then the day clears up to be perfect again, its wonderful!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L3G4ijZKqjM/TaKPg9h9RPI/AAAAAAAAAGs/qW9ucpjy7xM/s1600/IMG_2721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L3G4ijZKqjM/TaKPg9h9RPI/AAAAAAAAAGs/qW9ucpjy7xM/s320/IMG_2721.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">One of the other great highlights of the trip was the rest time we all got! As you know, I cannot sleep on my tummy being 8 months pregnant, not a fun time. So, Marc dug me a hole in the sand for my belly and I got some tummy time! How awesome is that? It felt so good to get to lay on my belly for a little while, I loved every second of it and miss it so much! The other incredible thing about Mexico is the famous hammock. I actually got a nice little nap in on that sucker and it felt oh so amazing! :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RgQsCXHF3Ls/TaKRE5OZGBI/AAAAAAAAAGw/-B6kB4Qjn1I/s1600/IMG_0103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RgQsCXHF3Ls/TaKRE5OZGBI/AAAAAAAAAGw/-B6kB4Qjn1I/s320/IMG_0103.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">What else is so great about Mexico you ask? I'll tell you, the food! When there is nothing to do all day your biggest concern is food. We discuss what we are going to eat for every meal every day multiple times a day. The best part is when we decide to "go out" to eat. Going out to eat in this part of Mexico means going to a Mexican families home and having them cook for us. Or in one case, going to the local "market" and having them cook for us there. Faly is the name of a lady who owns a little Market a few miles down the road. She is so sweet and her and her husband cook for us whenever we are there, she makes killer huevos rancheros, I'm drooling just thinking about it right now! Yum!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The Huevos Rancheros</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SwoYhBpGbQE/TaKSati4o5I/AAAAAAAAAG4/tEvEz368lR4/s1600/IMG_0083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SwoYhBpGbQE/TaKSati4o5I/AAAAAAAAAG4/tEvEz368lR4/s320/IMG_0083.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Yes that is Faly's kitchen and despite the way it looks, that kitchen has all kinds of flavor in it! Yum!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Anyway, I could go on for multiple blogs about Mexico. That place is my second home and where all of my greatest memories are. I'm so thankful that my grandparents live there and live a happy and healthy life down there. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">A visit to grandma's house for me is not your typical visit, but I couldn't imagine it any other way.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">On a quick side note, today was my baby shower and it was beyond amazing! I can't wait to tell you all about it in my next blog!!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Much love and a happy week to you!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">XOXO </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</span>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-27795681538396800062011-04-02T18:25:00.000-07:002011-04-02T18:25:20.240-07:00Bienvenidos a Mexico!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The weekend is crackin up to be a good one already!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Last night my mom and I got to take Dylan (nephew) on date night! Or in Dylan's words, "I get to go on a date with Nana and Tee Tee!" He was very proud to be both of our dates for the night too, he even got dressed up for the occasion.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NY2Fb_0bm_c/TZdKw-1xK1I/AAAAAAAAAF0/wu5219_ecJU/s1600/IMG_0529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NY2Fb_0bm_c/TZdKw-1xK1I/AAAAAAAAAF0/wu5219_ecJU/s320/IMG_0529.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Yep. That's Dylan all spiffied up in his button down shirt, shorts and Star Wars slip on faux vans, he was stylin and proud to hold both of our hands.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We started out date night with a little Red Robin, you can never go wrong with Clucks and Fries and a Strawberry Lemonade! Then we headed to Brea Olinda High School to see a musical performance, Beauty and the Beast! Dylan has never seen the movie but he has seen the commercials on TV for the real performance of Beauty and the Beast. We were a little worried at first because Dylan tends to get bored a little easily and he also doesn't like loud noises, not a good combo for a musical performance. To our surprise he loved it! He sat on Nana's lap the whole time and didn't want to leave. He had a great time for his first musical performance, I'm so glad that we got to experience it with him. I must admit, the high schoolers that put on this performance were incredible! They did an amazing job and its no wonder why they kept a 4 year old's attention for 2 1/2 hours, just incredible.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So that was the start of my weekend.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Then, this morning we headed to our first Childbirth class. This class is put on by our hospital and is a series of 3 classes called Prepared Childbirth. I'd say that's an oxymoron and I'm not even a mom yet . . . but . . . I assume that you can't really be "prepared" for childbirth, no? I suppose every bit of education is helpful though. Marc is not happy about having to go to these classes with me and my brother thinks that childbirth is a natural thing that we should just know how to do. I agree to an extent, but I also think that if you are given the opportunity to further your education through classes or books then you might as well take advantage of it. It won't hurt us, it will only benefit us. I was actually pretty excited to go to the class this morning and it turned out to be really good, I really enjoyed it. I'm excited to go again next week now! Marc won't be with me next week which will be a big bummer and makes me sad but on the flip side at least I don't have to hear him complaining about being there for the whole 3 hours. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">What am I most excited for this weekend though? Refer back to the title of the blog please. :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Yep, it's that time of year again when we get to say Adios to crowded and polluted California and Hola to the beautiful clean and clear skies of San Felipe Mexico! To those of you who haven't been to Mexico or who have only been to the tourist towns of Mexico I'm sure you're thinking, "um what?" Most think of Mexico as a dirty, stinky and scary place to be . . . . some places are. Then again, Los Angeles can be a dirty, stinky and scary place to be also. This is what <i>our </i>Mexico looks like, you tell me what you think?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gkwRRIVOOhQ/TZfHe90h8oI/AAAAAAAAAGA/LmNE0BMD2sY/s1600/IMG_0103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gkwRRIVOOhQ/TZfHe90h8oI/AAAAAAAAAGA/LmNE0BMD2sY/s320/IMG_0103.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gjWCpwIhDnc/TZfIOSoD3oI/AAAAAAAAAGI/13J_0Wgqw8Q/s1600/IMG_1846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gjWCpwIhDnc/TZfIOSoD3oI/AAAAAAAAAGI/13J_0Wgqw8Q/s320/IMG_1846.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Stinky? Nope. Dirty? Not even close. Scary? No way! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Clean? Yep. Beautiful? Absolutely. Safe? You bet!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">My grandparents retired down there roughly 30 years ago so I've been going to Mexico at least twice a year since I was 6 months old. I've never missed a Spring Break in Mexico in my 28 years and being 8 months pregnant isn't about to stop me now! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The other great part about going to Mexico is the fact that my 90 year old Great Aunt Glady will be flying in from San Francisco tonight and will be traveling with us. She is the best! She is super funny and witty and certainly does not act like she is 90 years young! In fact, she just about runs everywhere she goes because she doesn't want people to be waiting on her. She is one of the greatest people on this earth. The funny thing about 90 year old Aunt Glady is her day to day routines at home. She goes to church every single morning except Sunday, she volunteers at places like the Boys and Girls Club and get this, in her words, "I deliver Meals on Wheels to the old people!" Hilarious! Anyway, Glady is my grandma's sister and about 12 years older than my grandma. Its funny to see them together in Mexico because my grandma waits on her hand and foot, my grandma doesn't really do that with people so its great to watch!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Anyway, so yes, my weekend is cracking up to be a good one. Can't wait to go to Mexico and can't wait to share my blog with you when I return. On a side note, all of my Words With Friends people, don't worry when you don't get a play back from me for a few days, no cellphones in Mexico make for no play time. So sorry, I will miss you all! I have about 11 games going right now and you all rock! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I hope everyone has a great week! If any of you believe in a higher power please pray for save traveling for all of us . . . oh and no preterm labor either please :) Thank you!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Adios Amigos! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen :) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</span>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-62619715015535655352011-03-31T17:04:00.000-07:002011-03-31T17:04:00.423-07:00The Ups and The Downs<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Hi Friends!</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">It's been a while, I know. To be honest, I haven't really had anything that great to write about and didn't want to bore you with the mundane day to day stuff that you go through just like me. Plus I knew I had a big day coming up on Wednesday (yesterday) and I was holding out on you for that.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">If you've read any of my previous blogs you know that I'm not a huge fan of pregnancy. Well . . . let me re-word that, I'm not a huge fan of being pregnant myself. On that note, lets start with "the downs" or at least the major down for me lately.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Sleep. Oh my long lost dear friend sleep. Where have you gone? I miss you so. I know, I know, all you mom's out there would like to explain to me that my body is preparing for lack of sleep once the baby gets here and that I'll never sleep again and blah blah blah blah blah. I know this. I am fully aware of this. Doesn't mean that I don't miss my sleep right now, right this minute. What is with pregnancy insomnia anyway? I mean really, why am I waking up at 1:30 in the morning with eyes wide open and fully prepared to go clean my house? Not only that, why am I waking up at that ungodly hour and not able to go back to sleep again? I'd prefer to catch up on my sleep now so that when Baby Fia is here I can get an overload of lack of sleep. On the flip side, at least when I'm up all hours of the night I'll have myself a little buddy to keep me company in about 8 weeks from now.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">If anyone else is up at such hours please feel free to play Words With Friends with me, my screen name is ocjenjen10, haha! I need some practice anyway, my co-workers just keep killing me! They are some smart ladies with much bigger . . . eh . . . <i>larger . . . </i>vocabularies then me that's for darn sure. So please, lets play :)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Enough of the downs, how about "The Ups!" </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Hooray for the ups! When I love the ups I really love the ups too!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Like I said, Wednesday was a big day for Marc, Baby Fia and I. We got our maternity photos taken!!!!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Did y'all know there was such a thing? Oh yeah, just like a Babymoon, maternity photos are also all the hype these days. How fun that we get to be part of the trendy crowd, I've never been trendy or very popular so to be part of the "in crowd" has got me excited.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">My friend Michelle from high school has become a "momtographer." A mighty good one I might add! So I saw some of her work on her blog, www.taylorrosephotography.blogspot.com and contacted her a while ago about taking our pictures one day. Well, seemed like I sent that email years ago and now here we are at the end of March taking our photos! On one hand it feels like I've been pregnant forever but on the other time is going fast, does that make sense? </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We met down at Laguna Beach around 4:30 to take our photos. Of course yesterday was a beautiful day at about 75 degrees which means Laguna would notoriously be packed . . . and it was. We found our parking spots, found Michelle had our bags packed with lots of goodies for picture taking and made our way down to the beach. The reason we chose Laguna rather than Huntington or Newport beach was for the beautiful cliffs that they have down there. I love the look of the cliffs and rocks that are out in the middle of the water, makes for great photos!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Michelle works wonders with a camera let me tell you! Plus she is hilarious and super fun to work with. She made it easy for us to feel comfortable and just do whatever she said, it was great! After about an hour and half of photos and filling her camera until the memory couldn't take one more Marc and Jen picture we called it quits. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I'm really bad because I'm the kind of person that much rather enjoys instant gratification over delayed. On the way home from the beach all I could think of was how I couldn't wait to see some of those photos! Luckily for me, Michelle is a hard worker and she likes to do what she calls a "sneek peak" of her photo sessions. She actually stayed up until about 1:30am editing some of our photos and putting them on her blog and on facebook. She rocks!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Here are just a couple of photos:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LuCT_xhu2Kw/TZUT82zym3I/AAAAAAAAAFs/owybLzfur9k/s1600/ZZ05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LuCT_xhu2Kw/TZUT82zym3I/AAAAAAAAAFs/owybLzfur9k/s320/ZZ05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OSw93GGP_YI/TZUT-LATUAI/AAAAAAAAAFw/SRcFlLXLPlg/s1600/ZZ06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OSw93GGP_YI/TZUT-LATUAI/AAAAAAAAAFw/SRcFlLXLPlg/s320/ZZ06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I'd post all of the ones that she edited but that wouldn't be fair to her blog so please visit her blog site at www.taylorrosephotography.blogspot.com to check out some of our others. You will love them! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I can't wait to see all the others! Now that is an up side to pregnancy thats for sure! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Just as a side note, Marc sent flowers to my work today just for the heck of it! Yes, that is me rubbing it in your faces :) To be fair though, Marc NEVER EVER sends me flowers, brings flowers home, has anything to do with flowers so this was a really really big deal. Downside to pregnancy, I was trying not to cry when they brought the flowers in my office. Up side to pregnancy, I got flowers sent to work from my husband!! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Yep, I'd say I'm pretty spoiled and have a pretty darn good life! All the glory to God thats for sure!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Hope you all voted for your next American Idol last night! Results show tonight my friends.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Have a great night and happy almost Friday to you!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Cheers!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen :) </span></div>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-61105182328061746292011-03-23T18:31:00.000-07:002011-03-23T18:31:51.700-07:00Bad to Worse . . . Good to Great!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well hello my friends, its been a few days!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I must admit, I have a lot to tell you about last weekend and I'm very excited to fill you in on the latest . . . brace yourself, its going to be a long one! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">For those of you that don't know, Marc's birthday was on March 15th. We did a lot of fun stuff for him but I thought it would be nice if I did something special for him as well. A few months ago I was looking up different little getaways where we could celebrate Marc's birthday as well as a little "Babymoon" if you will :) </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">A Babymoon is all the hype these days, didn't you know? Well I didn't really know until I read about it on a hormonal pregnancy message board one day. Apparently, some couples plan a Babymoon as one last little couples getaway before the baby arrives. I figured I would plan a Babymoon and Marc's birthday all in one weekend . . . being the wonderful wife that I am :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So, I researched some California hotels that carry a Babymoon Package . . . who knew??? Apparently there are quite a few places that have this package, but the one that suited us best was in Pismo Beach. They seemed to have had the best deal with the best package for our personalities. I wouldn't call myself a planner, but I'm definitely NOT a procrastinator that's for sure! I booked the package I'd say back in January. I thought to myself that the end of March would be perfect! Gosh, I figured it would be nice and sunny and we can lay around out in the sunshine soaking up the Vitamin D like there's no tomorrow! That's when things went from bad to worse.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The bad. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Mr. Weatherman and his Mega Doppler 25,000 called for rain! Boo! I was hopeful that Mr. Weatherman would be wrong since he so often is. Figures this is the one time he is right! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well . . . our package came with a $50 voucher to the hotel's restaurant called Marisol. I of course made our reservations for dinner right after making our reservations for the hotel. We were all set for 7:00 on Sunday night and I had told the guy that we were celebrating my husbands birthday and everything. They took down Marc's name and it was sure to be a great time!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The worse.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Marc got home from working a 48 hour shift on Sunday morning. He was tired, as he should have been after working a 48 hour shift. Plus he had allergies, great! So he came home, took some Benadryl (sure to knock out a grown man for a few hours) and went to bed. In the meantime, I get a phone call from an 805 area code, assuming its the hotel to confirm our reservations . . . wrong. Its the restaurant calling to let me know that the storm had come through Pismo Beach with full force and that the restaurant had been closed down due to severe water damage. They were happy to give us a referral to another restaurant location nearby though. I must say, the manager was really nice and it wasn't his fault, but I was pretty disappointed.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">You know when you have expectations of things and they just don't seem to go your way? That's how I was feeling. I was so excited to plan this for Marc, he had no idea where we were going or what we were doing and I just wanted things to be perfect. Bummer.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The good.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Driving the 101 Freeway Northbound is always a great drive. I mean we were in a torrential downpour about 90% of the way, but regardless, its a nice scenic drive :) So, we get to the hotel which is pretty beautiful:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-B04hrTxUyqs/TYqL5buyRBI/AAAAAAAAAEg/s8_IDDsLvsc/s1600/IMG_2669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-B04hrTxUyqs/TYqL5buyRBI/AAAAAAAAAEg/s8_IDDsLvsc/s320/IMG_2669.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Upon arrival they give a sheet of paper that explains what the Babymoon package includes, which was far more than I had read about online when booking, Yippee! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MLtCeySUgmw/TYqRymMtpsI/AAAAAAAAAFE/ygn49McrQw4/s1600/IMG_2649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MLtCeySUgmw/TYqRymMtpsI/AAAAAAAAAFE/ygn49McrQw4/s320/IMG_2649.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The great.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">One thing that it did say online that was not on the paper above was that we each got a 50 minute massage as part of the package as well! I made appointments for our massages after making our dinner reservations back in January, I swear I'm not a planner. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So we get to the hotel, we get this paper that says all that is included in the package and we head to our room. Our room that has a view of the pool and the ocean . . . </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-oR_GmIi2eJI/TYqNX-WIN_I/AAAAAAAAAEw/QyvGSmnipjM/s1600/IMG_2652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-oR_GmIi2eJI/TYqNX-WIN_I/AAAAAAAAAEw/QyvGSmnipjM/s320/IMG_2652.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5Z0-mxbD2L4/TYqM-P-3F0I/AAAAAAAAAEs/1bPht-lWso8/s1600/IMG_2651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5Z0-mxbD2L4/TYqM-P-3F0I/AAAAAAAAAEs/1bPht-lWso8/s320/IMG_2651.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We have about an hour to kill before heading down to our massages. So we do what most couples would do on a romantic getaway vacation . . . we watch college basketball. Well . . . I took a little snooze and Marc watched college basketball if you want the 100% truth. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Then we head down and have our massages in a couples only room. I had a prenatal massage and Marc had the signature Cliffs Resort massage, whatever that means. It was awesome! Loved every second of it and wanted another one the next day!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">After massages we got dressed and ready for dinner. While getting ready we had a knock at the door. And here comes on a tray and all, another babymoon package item:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">A diaper, a Cliffs Resort onesie and a bottle of champagne! Too bad it wasn't sparkling cider, but hey at least we will have something to drink after the baby is born! I don't think Marc was quite as excited about the delivery as I was :) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Oh since the restaurant was closed due to water damage they were serving the same menu in the bar so we just ended up eating in the bar for dinner. It was really nice because the bar had a full view of the ocean, and the clouds parted for a little while as the sun set, I felt spoiled. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Here we are in our best dinner getup.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">That's my sexy maternity shirt, yow! :) Haha, that's a joke by the way. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">After using our dinner voucher we owed a whopping $4 tab. Must have been my shirley temple that put us over the limit. We also had a voucher for a free half bottle of wine for Marc but he chose not to use it, he's not a huge drinker and especially if he has no one to join him. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">It was still raining then so we chose to go back to the room and use our free movie voucher instead of a crazy night out on the town. We watched The King's Speech, wow, what a great movie! We were able to pause it about half way through and order our free ice cream too! I ordered vanilla and Marc ordered Mango sorbet. Ice cream in a bowl doesn't photograph very well so I'll spare you that picture. By the time the movie was over and ice cream was eaten it was about 10:30, wayyyyyy past my prego bedtime that's for sure!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The next morning we had a voucher for free breakfast also. That was delicious! It was buffet style with an omelet station, potato station, bread station, fruit station, meat station, and all kinds of deliciousness! The clouds had broken up and it was such a pretty day on Monday. We went for a little walk to check out the scenery in Pismo before heading back home. Here are some of our sites:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Very pretty. Then we just took our time getting home and toured downtown Pismo Beach a little. We decided we will retire there one day. A very quaint and cute little town, our kinda place. Oh and we stopped by the dunes and picked up some camping information as well, we will camp there with our children one day...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We made one very important stop on the way home, UCSB. Being that Marc is a UCSB Alumni we had a very important purchase to make:</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I suppose if we have a little Leah Marie Fiamengo we will have to plop a cute little yellow bow on her hair to make her less of a Tom Boy :) Although I'm not a Gaucho, I'd say this is a pretty cute little purchase. Marc wanted to buy one in every color and he wants Baby Fiamengo to come home from the hospital in this as well. Too bad we got a 3-6 month size so this will most likely not be "going home" attire for our little one. </span><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I guess you can say we had a good time. Thank goodness we get along, right? After seeing how our trip went from good to great, the bad to worse doesn't even exist in my memory anymore.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Thank you for joining me on memory lane for our sweet little Babymoon!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Happy American Idol Night!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Love Jen :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-9577007416544387392011-03-19T18:45:00.000-07:002011-03-19T18:45:18.606-07:00What's a Mangolicious?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Hi readers! Hope you are all enjoying your weekend so far!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So, I was thinking that some of you just might be wondering, "what the heck is a Mangolicious?" That is a very good thought too. I'll get to that in a minute.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">First, I thought it would be nice to share with you the story of Marc and Jen . . . in a somewhat condensed version of course. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Oh the love story that is Marc and Jennifer . . . </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Way back when (13 years ago!!!) I began working at the best pizza place in town, Lamppost Pizza! I remember telling my cousin Mike that this guy that worked there was sooooooo cute, he had blonde hair and blue eyes and was "like so totally cute!" That of course would be Marc :) I was 15, he was 17 and it was sure to be love someday :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So we met at Lamppost and began dating. We dated for about 4 years before Marc headed off to UC Santa Barbara for college. We were going to stay together and make the distance work but we were both young and still had a lot of growing up to do. One of the best things we ever did was break up for a few years (I'd say it was about 3 years or so?) and learn more about ourselves. We continued to talk to each other on the phone throughout the years that we were broken up and we still saw each other every now and then too, there was just something there that kept us connected. We both dated other people which was also one of the greatest things we could have done. We quickly realized that the people we dated did not bring out the best in us and that maybe the grass isn't greener on the other side after all. Once Marc graduated from UCSB and moved back home things just fell into place perfectly. Marc broke up with his girlfriend at the time, I broke up with my boyfriend and just like that we were back on track!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">After a couple years of dating Marc proposed and 9 months later we were married! He gave me a ring pop, best wedding ring I've ever tasted! </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-STQ87STk54E/TYQFmJ5jkZI/AAAAAAAAAEU/cT6mdLev7AA/s1600/042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-STQ87STk54E/TYQFmJ5jkZI/AAAAAAAAAEU/cT6mdLev7AA/s320/042.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Flash forward almost three years now and we are in our cute little condo expecting our first child. What an awesome life we have. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Here is our 1st Anniversary ...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our 2nd Anniversary ...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-YpHGdFn4ues/TYVa_3WUEiI/AAAAAAAAAEc/03gscGW8PDM/s1600/IMG_1923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-YpHGdFn4ues/TYVa_3WUEiI/AAAAAAAAAEc/03gscGW8PDM/s320/IMG_1923.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Our 3rd Anniversary will look a little different since we will have Baby Fia with us this year! Yippy!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So anywho, what was the point of this blog? Oh yeah, what is a Mangolicious? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">If you don't already know, our last name is Fiamengo. Say it with me people Fi (Fee) A (ah) Meng (Ming) O (O), Fiamengo! Pretend you are italiano for a minute and then say it, FIAMENGO! Granted, it can be a difficult last name to say when you don't know it, I understand. Being that it is difficult for some, they like to make up there own last names for us. Working at a school and a fire station you can only imagine some of the things we've heard. Lets name a few, the famous Flamingo, Fandango, Mango, Fia, Flippy Floppy, Fidamingo . . . I'm sure there are more, but those are the most famous of all. The strangest ones come from my students at work, like Flippy Floppy??? Huh?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So anyway, one of the more popular names is Mango. Some refer to the two of us as The Mango's. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well . . . Marc had a friend in Santa Barbara named Alaina, she has since become one of my really good friends. In fact, she and I talk far more than her and Marc do. She lives up North but she is such a great person and I'm so glad that by default we have become friends. She listened to all of my woes and cry me a rivers while Marc and I were trying to conceive. She is a great listener, she is funny and she is just an all around good person. Well amongst my woe is me complaints she decided she would call me Mrs. Mangolicious. Once I told her I was pregnant (which she was the first person to know!!! I didn't tell you all about that in my blog) she then named me Mommy Mangolicous. Hence the name of my blog, Mommy Mangolicious. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I figure I should give credit where credit is due and Alaina gets all the credit for the title of my blog and for my latest and greatest nickname. Thanks Alaina! :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well . . . [insert heavy sigh here] I'm off to supervise the Sadie Hawkins Dance tonight at my work . . . too bad the dance starts at my bedtime of 8:00. This is going to be a long night . . . </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Oh yeah and I'll fill you all in about mine and Marc's little weekend getaway when we get back on Monday! Woo Hoo! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Sleep well my friends and think of me rockin out to "Sadies Gone 80's" tonight while you are in your comfy beds dozing off!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen :) </span></div>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-39742303360988432922011-03-16T11:28:00.000-07:002011-03-16T11:28:55.876-07:00So You Say It's Your Birthday . . .<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well, even if its not your birthday or my birthday too . . . it was Marc's birthday! Yay!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Yep, on March 15th 1980 little Marc Fiamengo and Bryan Fiamengo were born. Oh yeah for those of you who don't know, Marc has a fraternal twin brother Bryan as well. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So to start of the big birthday celebrations we had a little BBQ on Sunday for Family Day just for Marc. It was a really fun day. Marc's two younger brothers and step dad were there and several members from my family were there, from cousins to grandparents to uncles. Per Marc's request we had hot dogs, brats, chicken, my moms famous macaroni salad and a whole bunch of other delicious things! Also per Marc's request, my mom and I made a homemade German Chocolate cake! I'm not a fan of German Chocolate but I heard it was delicious! You would never know that we have a member of the family that owns a bakery by the looks of our cake, but at least it tasted good, right?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--21MIlje5Ww/TYD3LBV4NPI/AAAAAAAAADs/C-ORNRoUvoM/s1600/IMG_2618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--21MIlje5Ww/TYD3LBV4NPI/AAAAAAAAADs/C-ORNRoUvoM/s320/IMG_2618.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w9XkKtVHuaE/TYD3j_Vy_SI/AAAAAAAAADw/7XFzj9eH9YA/s1600/IMG_2619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w9XkKtVHuaE/TYD3j_Vy_SI/AAAAAAAAADw/7XFzj9eH9YA/s320/IMG_2619.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Now, please keep in mind that German Chocolate cakes do not picture well at all! Oh and you see, Marc turned 31 and of course we had to use a Star Wars Darth Vader as his "1" on the cake :) That was actually for Dylan because Dylan wanted to help Uncle Marc blow out the candles.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MP9SBBqw9Tc/TYD4jbxjDyI/AAAAAAAAAD0/2kdBeT63Iy8/s1600/IMG_2630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MP9SBBqw9Tc/TYD4jbxjDyI/AAAAAAAAAD0/2kdBeT63Iy8/s320/IMG_2630.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">They did a good job :) Uncle Marc has been a celebrity these days with the nephews! They have been all about him lately and just love him so much. You can't see Wesley in the picture above but Marc's got him in his arms too. Such a good uncle! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Here are some of the characters that were at Marc's shindig on Sunday.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aCq-64LJcBQ/TYD5fbbW7EI/AAAAAAAAAD4/4VGcJ7JZ3VI/s1600/IMG_2620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-aCq-64LJcBQ/TYD5fbbW7EI/AAAAAAAAAD4/4VGcJ7JZ3VI/s320/IMG_2620.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Marc, his brother Bret and his other brother Eric.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KUHey2BVYlE/TYD57sONKxI/AAAAAAAAAD8/PefQB9nYeq8/s1600/IMG_2626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KUHey2BVYlE/TYD57sONKxI/AAAAAAAAAD8/PefQB9nYeq8/s320/IMG_2626.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We all know and love these two cuties, Wesley and Dylan!</span></div><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">My cousins Brian, Kacie and Baby Madison. Then of course we've got Dylan, Wesley, Molly and Shane.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So, Sunday was a really fun day and Marc had a really good time. Then, Tuesday was his actual birthday! I'm off on Tuesdays, Marc was off on Tuesday and my mom took a furlough day on Tuesday so we could spend the day with Marc.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We spent the day in San Diego, it was SO beautiful! The weather couldn't have been more picture perfect, it was absolutely beautiful! We started out at one of the best restaurants in San Diego called Nicky Rottens. Ugh, they have the worlds BEST sweet potato fries! Oh man they are so delicious! Lets see, Marc ordered a teriyaki chicken sandwich, I had a BBQ chicken sandwich and my mom had turkey burger sliders, yuuuu-uuuum! Oh here is Marc outside of Nicky Rottens :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EgJ3Vcl8f04/TYD8XkuQmJI/AAAAAAAAAEE/WdXrLo783z8/s1600/IMG_2632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EgJ3Vcl8f04/TYD8XkuQmJI/AAAAAAAAAEE/WdXrLo783z8/s320/IMG_2632.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We walked from Nicky Rottens in the Gaslamp District down to Seaport Village for the rest of our day in SD. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VgjwdD53Kb4/TYD9Y2kgE7I/AAAAAAAAAEI/VLWqfFwKePM/s1600/IMG_2635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VgjwdD53Kb4/TYD9Y2kgE7I/AAAAAAAAAEI/VLWqfFwKePM/s320/IMG_2635.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Here we are in Seaport Village, Marc at 31 years old and me at 30 weeks pregnant! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We also made a really cute purchase for the baby room :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D06SNZteM0I/TYD9xlYMMfI/AAAAAAAAAEM/yP57BkYcKzQ/s1600/tn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D06SNZteM0I/TYD9xlYMMfI/AAAAAAAAAEM/yP57BkYcKzQ/s200/tn.jpeg" width="200" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">They are actually magnetic salt and pepper shakers but we will use them as decoration in the baby room instead. They are just so darn cute! My mom also bought us a turtle magnet that sits on our refrigerator as I type! Oh yeah, and we of course ended our day with a little Ben and Jerry's ice cream! Yum again! I had mint chocolate chunk, mom had lemonade sorbet and Marc had Chunky Monkey!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yTza3tDPhMs/TYD-nxYNf9I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/SSBN_AxFPNc/s1600/IMG_2637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yTza3tDPhMs/TYD-nxYNf9I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/SSBN_AxFPNc/s320/IMG_2637.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Overall, I'd say that Marc had a good birthday. Dylan called him that night and sang Happy Birthday to him so really how could you go wrong with a 4 year old singing to you, right? SD wasn't the last of his Birthday celebrations either! We are going to his mom's tomorrow for dinner, we are going to breakfast on Saturday with his brothers while Bryan is in town (Sheesh thats a lot of eating!) and then Sunday and Monday I'm taking him to a secret location for a little getaway! What a lucky guy!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">With ALL of that being said, Happy Birthday Marc! You are loved by so many!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Hey, its hump day everyone! Hope you get through the hump today and enjoy rolling downhill for the rest of the week!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Much Love!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen :) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
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</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-34670652773942940682011-03-13T09:55:00.000-07:002011-03-13T09:55:36.179-07:00As promised . . . All Things Baby, Part Duex<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Happy Sunday morning my cyber friends!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far! As you know, our Sunday's are Family Day's so we have a big day ahead of us today. Plus, Tuesday is my husbands birthday so we will be celebrating his Birthday today for Family Day also! Fun stuff going on around here!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Anyway to get back to the real topic of the day, baby! Oh wait, there was one little story that I forgot to tell you about last week on my rant. This is not a rant but just an awkward story really. So at work last week I was meeting with a parent whom I had never met before. We'll just call her Mrs. V for now. Well, she was very sweet and we had a nice little meeting. By the end of the meeting I had mentioned to her that as of April 29th I will be out on maternity leave and that she can contact my job-share partner if anything comes up at the end of the school year. Then I stood up to say goodbye. Well . . . she didn't realize I was pregnant until I told her about the maternity leave and stood up. So it was a very awkward moment, as she reached out her hand towards me (I was assuming she was reaching out to shake my hand as I usually do when saying hello and goodbye to parents anyway) I reached out back to shake her hand, she meanwhile headed straight for the belly. So as she was rubbing my stomach I was reaching out for a cordial handshake and it just made for a very weird and awkward moment. Then she awkwardly left my office and I sat back down in my chair just feeling all awkward for a little bit :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Geez I get sidetracked so easily don't I? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So I thought today would be a good day to let you all in on the progression of the nursery! Yay! Marc and I are really excited about the nursery these days. It's just turning out so cute and let me tell you, if I were a baby . . . or even a 28 year old adult, I would want to be in that room. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Before it was a nursery, it was an office and the dogs (Sierra) room. This is a general idea of what it looked like before any work was done.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--EKSZLmKgEI/TXzr30u9XaI/AAAAAAAAAC8/fZkXYhn-LjU/s1600/IMG_2467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--EKSZLmKgEI/TXzr30u9XaI/AAAAAAAAAC8/fZkXYhn-LjU/s320/IMG_2467.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">When that picture was taken we had already started taking things down, but as you can see the computer and dog crate and other mismatched things were in that room. Plus we had a whole wall that was dedicated to fire stuff also. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Then Marc prepped and got ready to paint.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3CGKwRJyCGU/TXzsoA74m6I/AAAAAAAAADA/dblvidWGjnI/s1600/IMG_2468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3CGKwRJyCGU/TXzsoA74m6I/AAAAAAAAADA/dblvidWGjnI/s320/IMG_2468.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We had decided that we wanted a Sea Turtle theme for the nursery since we don't know the gender of the baby and underwater/sea turtle type of stuff is somewhat neutral . . . and very cute! That being said, we went with a very bright green!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xvJIMOdTUQI/TXzthh_pHaI/AAAAAAAAADE/Pe7oLtbKUJI/s1600/IMG_2475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xvJIMOdTUQI/TXzthh_pHaI/AAAAAAAAADE/Pe7oLtbKUJI/s320/IMG_2475.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The blue tape really accents the green right? :) Anyway, its difficult to tell in this picture but its a very bright green and a very happy color for Baby Fiamengo. I of course got made fun of for picking such a bright color but all those nay sayers are laughing now because with the furniture in there it looks great! Speaking of which, here is Marc putting together some of the pieces of furniture (thank God he is the patient one in the family).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Dz3l0tFnQLc/TXzu46wXHRI/AAAAAAAAADM/Snzdurz2npw/s1600/Marc+building+dresser.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Dz3l0tFnQLc/TXzu46wXHRI/AAAAAAAAADM/Snzdurz2npw/s320/Marc+building+dresser.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OQ_2pMNbS68/TXzugNpaN5I/AAAAAAAAADI/rRXaqQGBiRY/s1600/IMG_2576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OQ_2pMNbS68/TXzugNpaN5I/AAAAAAAAADI/rRXaqQGBiRY/s320/IMG_2576.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Marc put together the changing table, the dresser and the crib! He did such a great job too! Sidetrack for a minute . . . Baby Fia currently has the hiccups as I write this, poor baby. Hiccups are ok for the first two, then they just suck! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Where was I? Oh yes, the furniture. So as you can see in the background there, we had a couple of murals painted on the walls too. They looks amazing! We love love love them! Check them out.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gSn23qeY9Ys/TXzxIB49SlI/AAAAAAAAADU/0exBrY2ieLA/s1600/IMG_0458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gSn23qeY9Ys/TXzxIB49SlI/AAAAAAAAADU/0exBrY2ieLA/s320/IMG_0458.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I wish I could take the credit for these paintings but I definitely can't! One of my moms friends has had this lady, Lori Hannah, do paintings in her house throughout the years. So we snagged her and she did all of this in 4 hours! We just plopped her upstairs in the room and you would have never known she was even in the house. We are SO happy with the work she did!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">We are obviously not done with the nursery yet. There are still a few things that we need to get such as pictures and wall hangings and whatnot but here are the rest of the pictures that I have of the nursery that I think you might enjoy.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Lj-UScR2HS8/TXzzlk8HRmI/AAAAAAAAADk/N7HD2D_i9cI/s1600/IMG_2578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Lj-UScR2HS8/TXzzlk8HRmI/AAAAAAAAADk/N7HD2D_i9cI/s320/IMG_2578.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-U-IO4Owp6As/TXzywsJl8AI/AAAAAAAAADc/XM5KFLBDTKs/s1600/IMG_0486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-U-IO4Owp6As/TXzywsJl8AI/AAAAAAAAADc/XM5KFLBDTKs/s320/IMG_0486.JPG" width="238" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N3EN4VaoBIs/TXzz-wjfvmI/AAAAAAAAADo/iZlyXETvelM/s1600/IMG_2579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N3EN4VaoBIs/TXzz-wjfvmI/AAAAAAAAADo/iZlyXETvelM/s320/IMG_2579.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Uh, please ignore the dog crate in the corner! :) Don't worry, we won't be putting the baby in there if its fussy! :) Actually that corner will have a glider in it but the glider hasn't come in yet, should be here any day though! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So thats what the baby has got so far! New carpet, baseboards, crown molding, new paint, mural, and new furniture! What a lucky baby! I'm telling you, I just want to pull up a sleeping bag and sleep in there myself. I guess I shouldn't ask for that because that is what will be happening a few short months from now anyway, yikes!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Hope you enjoy all the pictures. I'll keep you posted on anything new that we end up getting and any new pictures. In the meantime, be on the lookout for All Things Baby, Part 3! :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Have a very happy Sunday my friends!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen :) </span></div>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-25723597637820874702011-03-09T21:22:00.000-08:002011-03-09T21:22:47.157-08:00"Oh I just love being pregnant!"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Nope.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">You know the whole "Oh my gosh I loved being pregnant" attitude that so many women have? I don't have that. I thought that I would, but I just don't. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">What makes it even worse is that I have had a GREAT pregnancy with no complications, no sickness and no issues whatsoever! I feel terrible because so many women out there have had horrible pregnancies and here I am with this smooth pregnancy and just not liking it. I really wanted to enjoy it and I really wanted to be that person that says, "I love being pregnant, its the best!" I'm just not that person I guess. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Now don't get me wrong, I am in love with the fact that God is able to create such an amazing life within me, and I do love feeling the movements and kicks and punches. I really love hearing Baby Fiamengo's heartbeat and seeing the cute little ultrasound pictures every month, I do love that part. Its the rest that I don't love so much.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I have never been a person to go over a certain weight, so the weight gain is tough to deal with. I know, I know, I've heard it all "you're supposed to gain weight you are pregnant" or "you're pregnant, you're glowing" or "if you didn't gain weight your baby wouldn't be healthy." Well to pull a Charlie Sheen, "duh!" I totally understand all of that and of course I completely agree, that doesn't mean that its not difficult to sit there and watch your body turn into something its never been before. I mean cheesy legs, soft and squishy looking arms, hips the size of a hippo and a giant stomach that doesn't allow you to hardly bend over let alone breath? It's just not the greatest thing in the world for this girl that's all.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">What about all the things that come with being pregnant? Who loves peeing every 12 seconds? And who loves feeling full 24/7 but still having to eat? What about, well . . . you know . . . eating and nothing ever coming out of you! Who loves that? Did you really love having to sleep on your sides, flipping back and forth all night long to avoid the pain in your hips and shoulders? Trust me, I can go on and on but I won't do that to you, I know that all you really want out of this blog are some pictures anyway :)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">With that being said here we go . . .</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">12 Weeks pregnant:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-YnmVgo_9JDc/TXhX5c2g19I/AAAAAAAAACs/RKMclUyai0E/s1600/12+Weeks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-YnmVgo_9JDc/TXhX5c2g19I/AAAAAAAAACs/RKMclUyai0E/s320/12+Weeks.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">It's funny to think that I thought I was fat in this picture! Oh man, if I could go back in time and tell myself then what I am feeling now I would slap myself in the face! Anyway, here I am at 18 weeks:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-abIXUSN5xUc/TXhZoGeNHtI/AAAAAAAAACw/o7R1leKILvo/s1600/18+Weeks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-abIXUSN5xUc/TXhZoGeNHtI/AAAAAAAAACw/o7R1leKILvo/s320/18+Weeks.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Um, I guess you can say I "popped" at that point in my pregnancy. 18 weeks was a tough time for me because I just kept getting bigger and bigger and there was no stopping that sucker from growing at that point!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Here I am at 25 weeks:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yCfn8PH00qU/TXhbVKsFYqI/AAAAAAAAAC0/uEUQk3As5D8/s1600/25+Weeks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-yCfn8PH00qU/TXhbVKsFYqI/AAAAAAAAAC0/uEUQk3As5D8/s320/25+Weeks.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I'm ok with that picture because that is my favorite maternity shirt so it makes me smile a little bit. That's another thing to complain about by the way! Maternity clothes! For one, they are very expensive if you shop at the actual maternity stores. Most of my purchases come from Target but they only have about one rack to choose from so I do have to head to the big wig maternity stores every now and then. It is not "fun, shopping with your mom" for new clothes kind of shopping. Its more like "how can we spend the least amount of money while trying to squeeze into something that makes you look somewhat decent kind of shopping," not fun.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The most current picture of me at 29 weeks:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Now I just feel like I look like a mom. You know how you see some ladies and you just know that they are a mom even if they don't have their kids with them? I just have that mom look to me nowadays. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">All this complaining is not me by the way. Not the real me anyway, its just the pregnant me. I'm typically a positive person that doesn't complain often but just let me vent to you for today. I know that I'm lucky to be pregnant and to be healthy and to have a healthy baby inside me, I just wanted to complain today. Plus I'm tired so give me a break just for today, please? Thank you.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">How about this, today is Lent right? I'm not Catholic, but there is no reason why I can't participate in Lent for the next 40 days . . . for Lent I will give up complaining! By the time Lent is over my pregnancy will be getting close to the end so that is prime complaining time for a pregnant lady! That will be tough to give up for 40 days but I'll do it! I'll do it for you, my valuable blog readers, so you don't have to hear another rant from me again! Deal? Deal!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I'm thinking that I'll go back to my "All Things Baby" blog tomorrow . . . part 2 that is :) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Sleep well my friends!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen :) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-320710231986677972011-03-07T19:27:00.000-08:002011-03-07T20:50:33.586-08:00All Things Baby . . . Part 1<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Baby, Baby, Baby . . . </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I figure I can't call my blog Mommy Mangolicious and not talk about my "Momminess!" Silly me.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well . . . as of tomorrow I will be 29 weeks pregnant! 29 weeks! Unbelievable how fast time flies, 29 weeks down and only 11 to go.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So, I actually have a lot to say about all this baby stuff so I guess I'll start at the beginning and go from there, makes sense right?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Marc and I had a little journey when trying to get pregnant, I'm not going to delve into it but let me just start at the important part. I got to see Baby Fiamengo as an egg! Yes, my child that I will hold in my arms sometime in the month of May 2011 was shown to me on a monitor as an egg. I've literally seen Baby Fiamengo grow up from an egg to a 29 week old human being within my body. I know that with modern technology there are quite a few people that can say that nowadays but I still find it completely amazing that I can say I saw my child as an egg.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Anyway, one of my most favorite memories of all time was telling Marc that I was pregnant. That was one of the best days of my life next to my marriage proposal and my wedding day. From the top . . . it was September 10, 2010 when I took a pregnancy test, just to see . . . negative. Ok, so no big deal, I took the test and it was negative. Sure I was bummed out a little, but I had so many negative tests over the year that another one really didn't set me off. Then, it was September 11, 2010. Marc had just gotten off work that morning and we were heading to San Diego for a little weekend getaway. We couldn't check into our hotel until later in the afternoon, so Marc decided to take a nap that morning after getting off work before we left for the weekend. Meanwhile, I just felt "different." Not sure what it was, but something just felt different. I thought to myself, "self, you should take another pregnancy test just to see." I mean, I know I had just taken one the day before so I wasn't really expecting different results but something was telling me to just do it anyway. So of course I did! I took the test and jumped in the shower and forgot about the test. About halfway through my shower I remembered and peeked out the door and took a look at the results, POSITIVE! Oh my word, it was positive! I was shaking out of excitement and fear and shock and every other emotion you could possible think of. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Marc is still sleeping.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Now, in a neurotic woman's mind you can't just take one pregnancy test and think that's good enough . . . no, no, no you must go get more! So I took off to our local CVS and bought another 2 pack of tests, one more for that day and one for a few days later . . . just to continue to ease my nerves. Keep in mind, nobody knows at this point, just me and my little crazy head! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Marc is still sleeping. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I had bought an LAFD onesie months before this day and that was how I was planning on telling Marc that he was going to be a father. I had hid it at my mom's house right when I got it, so naturally I ran over there to get it. Well . . . my dad was home and the onesie was in the same room as my dad! I dug through the drawer where I had previously put it and when my dad asked what I was doing I had told him I was looking for some of my old CD's! What the heck? Why did I say that? I don't know, but lucky for me my dad doesn't ask too many questions. Long story short, I could not find the dang onesie!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Marc is still sleeping.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Still, I have not told a soul. I feel all weird inside, that is not a secret that you keep inside and tell NOBODY! Finally, Marc wakes up and gets ready and we are headed to San Diego. I'm pretty quiet on the drive there because I'm trying to think of how to tell him, what to tell him, when to tell him, all of those things. We get to our hotel, which was beautiful by the way, and our room wasn't ready yet. They told us we could go up to the pool on the rooftop and have some drinks at the bar while we are waiting. So we do. Marc orders a beer, I order a water, and we are just checking out the awesome view of SD from the roof of this hotel. My thoughts, "should I tell him now? What do I say? Should I wait until he has another beer? Is it the right time? I'm going to explode!" Two beers in and Marc says to me, "You should be taking pictures of the view up here and stuff, its awesome!" I told him that was a great idea.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">As I'm taking pictures of everything I'm saying aloud to Marc the things I'm taking pictures of. So I say, "oh I'll take a picture of the bar!"</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Vo3XvPHNjwI/TXWYqeuWinI/AAAAAAAAACQ/JFD_Ffl0TjE/s1600/IMG_2299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Vo3XvPHNjwI/TXWYqeuWinI/AAAAAAAAACQ/JFD_Ffl0TjE/s320/IMG_2299.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">"And I'll take a picture of the couches and seats up here too!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RMn_EjDSPnc/TXWZAEvUL1I/AAAAAAAAACU/69f8pt3JOqo/s1600/IMG_2300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RMn_EjDSPnc/TXWZAEvUL1I/AAAAAAAAACU/69f8pt3JOqo/s320/IMG_2300.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">"I'll take a picture of the view and get Padres stadium in there!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8bFjcLOTCmU/TXWZajd3QlI/AAAAAAAAACY/EQDo9nK9YGc/s1600/IMG_2298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8bFjcLOTCmU/TXWZajd3QlI/AAAAAAAAACY/EQDo9nK9YGc/s320/IMG_2298.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">"I'll take a picture of you after telling you, congratulations honey you're going to be a daddy!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Marc's response was, "wait, what did you say?" Me, "congratulations you're going to be a daddy"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The only other person we told was my mom . . . I can't keep secrets from my mom, its literally impossible for me to do :) We didn't want to tell anyone else until we were in the "safe zone" if you will (after the first trimester). So we came home from SD, I found the LAFD onesie and took a picture of it with the positive pregnancy test on it. I told my mom to go through our pictures of our weekend in SD and among those pictures she saw this:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Of course she was completely shocked and surprised and thrilled all at the same time!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">What a great day that was. And what great days we've had ever since then. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">For most of the United States of America, September 11th is remembered as a sad day in history. Although in our minds those thoughts will never leave us and they are in fact devastating to think about, The Fiamengo Family has a new memory of September 11th, one that brings us great joy!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I can't wait to share with you more about "All things baby!" This just might be a 100 part series! :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Happy Monday night to all!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen :) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-36770828219385349032011-03-05T18:27:00.000-08:002011-03-05T18:27:56.060-08:00Deeeeelicious! Bakery that is . . .<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well, I don't know about you guys but I had myself a nice little Saturday if I do say so myself!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">It began with me being able to sleep in until 8:00am! That was awesome. Being that I sleep very little these days with this basketball under my shirt, it was nice to wake up to a clock that said 8:00am.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Then, my mom and I headed off to Dylan's (the older of the two nephews) T-Ball game. If you haven't seen a T-Ball game its pretty imperative that you do that as soon as possible. More importantly, if you are having a horrible Saturday and you just want to smile, go find a T-Ball game and your day will be amazing. They are just so cute and tiny and most of the kids want to impress their parents so badly that they will do anything to get that ground ball or to hit that ball. I didn't get any good photos today, but here are a few from last years T-Ball games . . . warning . . . a smile is near:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tLz-0CeNgs8/TXLmzZV1TDI/AAAAAAAAABo/G5gd-PbH1mc/s1600/IMG_1675.JPG" imageanchor="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tLz-0CeNgs8/TXLmzZV1TDI/AAAAAAAAABo/G5gd-PbH1mc/s320/IMG_1675.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zRvSuwBbtk0/TXLniCDE-OI/AAAAAAAAABs/vU9xE71qUUY/s1600/IMG_1679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zRvSuwBbtk0/TXLniCDE-OI/AAAAAAAAABs/vU9xE71qUUY/s320/IMG_1679.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Cutest thing you've ever seen right? I know, I agree. Last year Dylan was on the Cubs, this year he is unfortunately on the Dodgers. Being an Angels fan myself I find it hard to root for the Dodgers but I will just have to make an exception when it comes to the 3 and 4 year old T-Ball team. Oh, the Dodgers won today by the way, they win every week, pretty amazing.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">After watching the Dodgers beat the Yankees this morning, my mom and I made our way out to Northridge. Yes, Northridge. We headed that direction for a very good reason though, to see my cousin Jan. She is actually my second cousin, but really who says that? So, my cousin Jan owns a bakery in Northridge called Delicious Bakery. My oh my is it delicious too! Actually, the bakery has been owned by members of my mom's side of the family for years and years, Jan is the current owner and she still uses the same recipes that have been passed along for generations. Jan's bakery is a Jewish bakery . . . which really doesn't mean anything other than that fact that everything is made kosher and delish. Jan was the maker of our BEAUTIFUL wedding cake too. When I say beautiful I mean absolutely stunning:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n8Q1r-3sS1c/TXLqOCxExJI/AAAAAAAAAB0/6dnotogl0-E/s1600/068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-n8Q1r-3sS1c/TXLqOCxExJI/AAAAAAAAAB0/6dnotogl0-E/s320/068.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--w5ur6o2ytg/TXLqqsAoHRI/AAAAAAAAAB4/DFde-AJ_ghg/s1600/069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--w5ur6o2ytg/TXLqqsAoHRI/AAAAAAAAAB4/DFde-AJ_ghg/s320/069.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">You see? It was like a picture from a magazine, one of my absolute favorite parts of my wedding. If you met Jan you would instantly realize that she is one of the most generous people you've ever met. She not only made our wedding cake, she also made Marc a groomsman cake (a fire engine of course) and since it was my grandpa's birthday the day before our wedding he got his own personal birthday cake at his seat as well. Jan is just flat out the best. Today, we met with her to give her some ideas for my baby shower cake as well. She is so excited to make it and I am so excited to have her make it. She is a perfectionist and I just know that the cake she makes for the baby shower is going to exceed my expectations by far. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"> Now, not only does Jan make these grand cakes and things for our family, she also likes to send us home with boxes and boxes and boxes of treats. I'm telling you, BOXES! As in, the whole back of my Tahoe filled up with boxes kinda boxes! She does this every time we see her, whether she comes to us or we come to her, there are always boxes of treats very close by. This was something that my mom's Nana did for her when she owned the bakery as well, a tradition I guess you can say. Being that I don't want to get gestational diabetes, I figured I might as well share the love! My mom and I left the bakery and headed straight for Marc's fire station. Who better to feed then 14 firemen right? We loaded those guys up with bread, cakes, cookies, danishes, maybe a pie was thrown in there I don't even know. All I know is, those guys are going to have a sugar rush and then a sugar crash very shortly . . . I hope they don't have many calls tonight :/</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Of course, we had to save a few cookies for the ride home . . . </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RGpGqWgQH58/TXLtPHbb0oI/AAAAAAAAAB8/guRUmm_VUPI/s1600/securedownload-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RGpGqWgQH58/TXLtPHbb0oI/AAAAAAAAAB8/guRUmm_VUPI/s320/securedownload-1.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PAEemnnFP7k/TXLtQyiOiKI/AAAAAAAAACA/e1lh3pKB5bg/s1600/securedownload-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PAEemnnFP7k/TXLtQyiOiKI/AAAAAAAAACA/e1lh3pKB5bg/s320/securedownload-3.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FSyG_0sbbPM/TXLtSM4sSkI/AAAAAAAAACE/K1Sg-WOZt4A/s1600/securedownload.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FSyG_0sbbPM/TXLtSM4sSkI/AAAAAAAAACE/K1Sg-WOZt4A/s320/securedownload.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ynHMxb1eFWo/TXLtUfvzJOI/AAAAAAAAACI/KLnGl049xzo/s1600/securedownload-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ynHMxb1eFWo/TXLtUfvzJOI/AAAAAAAAACI/KLnGl049xzo/s320/securedownload-2.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">If you are ever in the area you have to stop by and see Jan! She would love to have you. Delicious Bakery, off of Reseda and Nordhoff St in Northridge, Yum!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Since my day was filled with a fried food extravaganza lunch with Jan at a local Chinese Restaurant and cookies for dessert I guess its safe to say that I'll be having a fruit or vegetable smoothie of some sort for dinner . . . you know to balance my food pyramid a little bit :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Oh and just a little fun fact for you, my latest obsession has been Cherry 7-Up too! Do you know how tasty and refreshing a Cherry 7-Up really is? You can't just drink it straight out of the can either, you must have it with crushed ice and a straw . . . oh and I prefer it in the same Coca-Cola glass every time too . . . but I'm big on tradition if you haven't noticed yet.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Hope you had as good of a Saturday as I did! Sunday Family Day will include some bowling tomorrow so that should be a good end to the weekend! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fi8_qNYX9LY/TXLvSBHC7wI/AAAAAAAAACM/7g-xq94uokc/s1600/IMG_2586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fi8_qNYX9LY/TXLvSBHC7wI/AAAAAAAAACM/7g-xq94uokc/s200/IMG_2586.JPG" width="150" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Cheers my friends!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen :) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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</span></div>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788630265106793614.post-56152468660340056472011-03-02T12:47:00.000-08:002011-03-02T12:47:34.523-08:00Whats in a song?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Well . . . the past few days I have not been on my "A-Game" if you will. I just have not been feeling well at all.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I woke up with one of those pesky little sore throats a few days ago and its just gone down from there. Eventually leading to one of those coughs that just sounds horrific and puts you into a coughing attack for minutes at a time and is very embarrassing. Thankfully I've been sick on my days off of work so hopefully by the time I get to work tomorrow I'll be on the up side of all this.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Anyway, when I woke up yesterday I was not feeling good at all. I sat around the house with the blinds closed for a good part of the day. Then it just got down right depressing and I had to open up the house and get my day moving at least a little. Marc got off work yesterday morning so he slept until about 12 allowing me to feel as lazy as I wanted until then, that was nice.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Then we decided to go grab some lunch and just walk around outside for a while. That actually made me feel a little better. We went to Veggie Grill which is oh so delish I might add! If you've never been to a Veggie Grill you need to get there stat, its the best! And if you don't live near a Veggie Grill my heart hurts for you, you are truly missing out. Just going to Veggie Grill put a smile on my face and made me feel happy. Then we walked around the Irvine Spectrum for a little while and just chatted while sipping on a Vanilla Steamer (Marc had coffee). It ended up being a really nice day actually. Granted, the pesky cough and sore throat has not gone away but at least getting outside for a couple hours made me feel a little better.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">So, Marc was in a really good mood and when he is in a good mood things are just great! But man when he is tired or hungry and cranky that can really put a damper on the whole day. We were on our way home and reminiscing of songs from the past. Isn't funny how you can hear a song from years ago and it just brings you right back to that very year of your life? Marc and I are big song people. We've always been big song people. Well . . . on itunes you can look up a song and hear a good portion of it without having to pay $1.29 for it, which makes for good reminiscing time. Marc was really into a couple of Keith Sweat songs back in the day, some of you may remember the songs "Twisted" or "Nobody" by Keith Sweat. Oh man, we played those songs on the way home and still knew every single word! It just came blurting out of our mouths even though we hadn't heard those songs in years. Brought me right back to being a 15 year old, weird.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">There are also a lot of songs that remind me of my mom. She was a KOST 103.5 and KBIG 104.3 listener when we were younger so all of those type of songs remind me of her. More importantly, Barry Manilow reminds me of her. My brother and I could sing you just about any Barry Manilow song out there thanks to my mom. My brother even took my mom to a Barry concert one time. Or how about The Doors? My dad went to Mexico with us one time and it was about an 8 hour drive back then, he played a Doors cassette (remember those?) front and back the whole way there and the whole way home. I'll never forget that trip!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I just think its so funny how songs can make you feel happy, sad, or even squirmy depending on how you were feeling when you first heard it. Do you know what I mean? A wedding song of mine will make me happy. The song Angel by Monica makes me sad, reminds me of my brothers friend Shaun who passed away. Songs from an ex-boyfriend make me squirmy. Barry Manilow makes me feel like a little kid. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I used to make fun of my mom all the time when I was younger because she would always say, "oh that song reminds me of Chris!" Or "this song reminds me of Nancy!" Or whoever it may be. Now I've become my mom . . . but I'm ok with it :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Do you ever have those moments with certain songs or is just my family that does this? If you hear a certain song when you are feeling sick or down in the dumps does it perk you up a little? I was happy to have that little burst of perkiness yesterday amidst my feeling of yuck!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Hope you hear a song today that means something to you and makes you smile!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Jen :)</span>Jen Fiamengohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932286413718965708noreply@blogger.com2