TV Blues

Our family room is a narrow room with a brick fireplace. When it came time to furnish it, we knew that the best thing to do with a TV would be to get a panel TV and mount it above the mantel. We did just that and we have never regretted it. I love having our TV there because it's out of the way and I can see it while cooking and cleaning in the kitchen.

For the past few months, I have noticed something with the picture - half of the screen is a little darker than the other half. I never said anything about it because it didn't bother me all that much. John finally noticed it about a month ago and it has been driving him crazy.

Since the TV is still under the 3-year warranty until October, we thought it would be best to get it fixed before the warranty expires. The guy just left here and had to take the TV with him. He thinks that it is one of the panels inside of the TV, but it will probably take 2 weeks to fix.

So this is my solution:

Looks pretty, eh?

Jillian - Episode #11

So Reid did return. He got out of an airport taxi-van directly to where Jillian was about to give the final rose to Ed. She had just let Kiptyn go (who by the way was very gracious about his rejection), so she was totally expecting the next person walking toward her to be Ed.

Imagine her surprise when she saw Reid. He got down on one knee with a ring in hand and proposed to her. For awhile there, I actually thought that she was going to accept his proposal. She had to go inside and ponder everything. After talking with Chris, she knew that she was in love with Ed and that he was the one who she wanted to be with.

It would have been a great twist if she would have picked Reid.

I knew that she was going to pick Ed after she was so upset when he left, when she was so elated upon his return by giving him a rose, and when she kept him around after the not-so-romantic over night date.

Tonight is the "After the Final Rose" episode. I don't think that there are going to be any fireworks during this episode. I hope that this one lasts...time will tell!

Luciana - 3 months

I can't believe that 3 months have come and gone already, but it has, and I know that the time is only going to fly by even faster now.

Our little Luci is getting so big. She is able to control that heavy head a little better now. She loves when we play "up, up, and away" with me on my back and her on my shins. She is able to practice keeping that head steady when we do that. She HATES tummy time, so we play this as an alternative.

She is infatuated with her hands...they are constantly in her mouth, and that thumb is her pacifier. Sometimes at night I will hear her stir, so I will sit up in bed thinking that I need to nurse her, and then I hear "suck, suck, suck" - she has found her thumb and falls back to sleep, and so do I. She is really good at going to bed at around 10 and waking anywhere between 5-7am (usually on the later side...thank goodness!).

She drools constantly these days, so a bib is necessary daily or else I would have to change her every hour...she soaks those bibs!

She is starting to grab at her toys, especially when she lies on her back in her little play-yard. When she finally grasps onto a toy, I get so excited. She is even getting good at rolling. She gets about 3/4 of the way over from her back, but then gets suck and just buries her little face into the mat, and the rest of her body just can't quite follow just yet. She gets so frustrated, but it's so cute to watch!

She went to her 2nd wedding - my cousin Karen got married on Mt. Washington, and her reception was on one of the Gateway Clipper Fleet boats...it was tons of fun. We saw a gorgeous rainbow and fireworks from the Pirate game.

She laughs and smiles all the time...I am just enjoying every little second with her.

Here are the pictures from the past month:

http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1564963009/a=40662473_40662473/

I Survived and Celebration

Part 1 - I Survived!

I made it...I worked all day and didn't cry! I am so proud of myself. I just hope that when I start back for good that it goes just as well (READ: I hope that I don't cry!).

Part 2 - Celebration!

Anyway, today is our 3rd anniversary - I just want to acknowledge John and what a great dad and husband that he is! Luci and I love him SO MUCH!

Separation Anxiety?

I have to go back to work tomorrow for just a day because they are really busy.

I go back for good on August 3.

Not looking forward to any of this!

Can you say "separation anxiety"?

Jillian - Episode #10

This was the "Men Tell All" episode. It really wasn't anything more than a bunch of guys acting all macho and discussing the "man code" (which David seems to be a little obsessed with, but then actually contradicted it).

The guys on these shows are actually worse than the girls with how much they attack each other. It is really interesting to watch their interactions.

Of course, they discussed Wes, but the weeny didn't even bother to show up...what does that tell you?

The only good thing that came out of last night's episode was the preview for next week. They have been indicating that something dramatic happens (of course), but finally during the previews, they show a guy holding a ring - and it's Reid!

So, the finale next week should be a good one!

What's in a name?

People are always asking me what Luciana's middle name is. Well, she doesn't have one. I get mixed reactions to this, but there is a reason:

The truth is - my sisters and I, along with most of my 1st cousin, were not given middle names at birth. As a result, when we got married, we made our maiden name our middle name. That way, we still keep our original identity without looking too feminized (like if we didn't change our names or by hyphenating).

Dani kept this tradition with her 3 girls, and John and I decided to do the same with our daughters.

I am sure the next question is - What if you had a boy? When we have a son (I hope!), he will have a middle name. The girls' names that we considered are so unique (and very Italian) that a middle name just doesn't seem necessary. The boys' names that we like are very classic and a middle name would be very appropriate for them.

So, that's the reasoning behind our middle name decision - in case you were wondering!

Jillian - Episode #9

Now that Wes is finally gone, there really isn't any drama or excitement on the show. The remaining 3 guys went to Hawaii with Jillian. They all went on the fantasy dates and this week Jillian went to the fantasy suite with all of them.

That is where the drama finally surfaced - Ed apparently was not able to "get into the mood" while alone with Jillian. I kind of felt badly for him...it has to be humiliating to have that aired on national TV.

In the end, she got rid of Reid. So Kiptyn and Ed remain. Next week is the "Men Tell All" episode. I am curious to see if Wes shows up and to hear what he has to say. I did read on another website that he is claiming that there was a lot of editing going on with his narrations and that he has been made out to look worse than he really is...not sure if I totally buy that, but I do believe that the producers tweak stuff for added drama.

We'll see....

Still a little frustrated

I posted earlier about not being able to fit into my regular clothes...and the saga continues. At least now I can button the pants, but they are just a little snug (READ: muffin-top alert!). The funny thing is - the issue isn't my waist...it's my toosh and hips. When I look at myself in the mirror, I don't think that I look too different than I did last year at this time (for the exception of my chest, of course). The scale is also showing the difference...I still need to lose about 10 pounds to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but I think that at least 5 of those pounds are invested in my milkers (seriously!).

So I went back to what I was doing before I started swimming 2 years ago - TurboJam. I saw an infomercial in a patient's room once when I was rounding about 4 years ago, and I went home and ordered it. I started these DVDs before John and I got married, and they really helped me to get back into shape and then I was able to maintain my weight (because I will be the first to admit that I really do NOT watch what I eat). Hey - when you are in an Italian family like mine, and your father is a chef - there is no way that you can avoid carbs. Regular exercise was always my way to keep the same figure while not dieting.

I have been TurboJam-ing for about 3 weeks now and I definitely notice a change. Pre-TurboJam, I could barely get my pants around my toosh, and now I can actually button them. Maybe in a few more weeks they will be comfortable again and I won't have to feel like such a fatty!

Jillian - Episode #8

FINALLY! Wes is gone!

And he was/is a total sleaze. When he was in the limo after he got the boot, he admitted to having a girlfriend and said that he was done acting. I can't believe that he let her believe that he was so into her for so long.

Now that he is gone, I don't really care too much who she ends up with, because the remaining 3 are so nice and genuine.

I just can't wait until the reunion show...I am curious to see what Wes says and how Jillian reacts.

What a guy!

I had mentioned to John in passing once that I was admiring a co-worker's ring. She is a nurse anesthetist at the hospital and has the most spectacular setting which consists of sapphires and diamonds.

The morning after Luci was born I presented John with his birthday present - nothing big because we don't typically exchange gifts for any occasions, but I thought that this was a special birthday. I got him this Willow Tree figurine called "New Dad."

Then he busted out with a ring box, but it wasn't just any ring box, it was the ring box that had my engagement ring inside. (Yes, I have kept it) When I opened it, this is was I saw:If you can't tell, it is a printed picture of a sapphire and diamond channel-set ring. He remembered how I raved about my co-worker's setting and wanted to give the ring to me as a belated birthday present/push present. However, my fingers were pretty swollen during the last few weeks of the pregnancy and I wasn't wearing my wedding rings anymore. He didn't want to get the ring and then we would have to go back to the store to get it re-sized. So we waited a few weeks, and once my wedding rings fit comfortably again, we journeyed downtown to the Clark building to order the ring. I have had it for a few weeks now, and here it is:So I guess he does listen to me when I babble. What a guy! I love him so much!