SPOILER ALERT!

I skimmed through a website (realitysteve.com) which reveals all sorts of good scoop about reality TV. This is where I got all the accurate info about the whole Jason-Melissa-Molly scandal last year.

So if you don't want to know that potential outcome of this season, STOP READING NOW!

The final 2 - Tenley and Vienna (argh!). Not happy about that at all...and it gets worse. The website says that Jake lets Tenley go, but it never specifically says that he ends up with Vienna. Jake has been quoted saying that he does what is not expected of him, which on the surface may seem to be that he doesn't pick the "good" girl, but there may be more to the story.

See - the website says that Ali actually voluntarily leaves after the hometown dates for work-related reasons (in my opinion, if this is true, I bet it has a lot to do with the fact that she is THAT disgusted that he continues to keep Vienna around). Here is my own prediction: he pulls a Brad (from a few seasons ago), and doesn't give a final rose to either of the last 2 girls. Instead, he hunts down Ali and says that she is the one for him.

Time will tell how accurate all of this is this season.
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The truth about the Rozalyn scandal:

Rozalyn has a 7-year-old son and didn't want to leave him to be on the show. The producers told her that they would bring him on if she made it passed the first 2 weeks. She wasn't comfortable telling Jake about her son right off the bat (like Ella), and the producers were fine with that. But when she was ready to tell him, the producers didn't want her to do that. At this point, she got really angry and was going off with the cameras rolling. In walks a producer to keep her calm and console her. They started to build a more-than-friendly relationship (but nothing physical). He admitted that he was falling for her. Then he gets fired and she gets the boot. The date that Jake had with Ella and her son was actually intended for Rozalyn and her son. Shady!

Megan from Jason's season (the one from Sewickley) also had a son, and she told Reality Steve that the producers promised her the same thing and it never happened. Very shady!

Jake - Episode 4

I still can't stand Vienna and I just can't understand why Jake insists on keeping her around. All the girls continually warn him about her immaturity and self-centered nature. He even called her out on her personality difference between the way she acts with him and the way she acts with the girls. He even commented on seeing red flags with her....yet he still gave her a rose?

Ali was livid last night when Vienna got the last rose. She was dropping f-bombs right in front of her. Should be interesting to see what happens there.

So, he dismissed both girls on the 2-on-1 date, and Kathryn was PISSED! Then he went and sent an extra girl home at the end of the episode...he's breaking all the rules.

They go to San Fran next week....

Luci's stats

Weight - 19 pounds 10 ounces (75th percentile)

Length - 29.5 inches (95th percentile)

Head - 44 cm (50th percentile)

Doctor says that she is doing great!

Luciana - 9 months

She is on the move!

Luci mastered the art of crawling over the past 2 weeks, and she is nonstop now. Not only that, she is cruising along furniture like a champ too. Plus, she can stand alone for long periods of time. Also, she walks with her walking toys all over the house. This can only mean one thing...walking on her own is not that far away. Life as we know it is over!

We had a bad bout of crankiness and sleepless nights a few weeks ago, as I posted before. One evening she had a fever, so I gave her Motrin, and she slept through the night. I wasn't sure if it was a fluke or if the Motrin helped. So I conducted an experiment of nights with and without Motrin, and (duh?) she slept through the night on all Motrin nights while she screamed on all the non-Motrin nights. Then one morning, one of her incisors popped through, and she has been back to normal ever since. Those damn teeth! Note to self - when nighttime screaming commences, Motrin is a lifesaver!

She is babbling alot saying "bababa," "dadada," and "mamama." I like to think that she actually is referring to me with the "mamama," but I know that she is not being specific yet.

Her favorite thing to do now is give kisses, and how she does it is so stinking cute. She leans toward you with her mouth wide open until she makes contact with your cheek. It's so sweet!

We go to see the doctor on Monday, and we are excited to see how big she is!

Here are pictures from the past month:

http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=3320412009/a=40662473_40662473/

Jake - Episode 3

Michelle = CRAZY! I think that she may be the craziness girl by far EVER on this show. Seriously, she threatened to leave last week, then didn't follow through. Then last night, she told Jake that she couldn't stay, and when he didn't protest, she couldn't understand why she was leaving...HELLO? It was YOUR idea! Moron!

Elizabeth was too annoying with the kissing issue. I have to admit that when she first told Jake that she didn't want to kiss him until she was the last girl to kiss, I thought "good for you." But she should have ended it there. She kept dangling the issue in front of his face: "Do you want to kiss me? You can't kiss me. Don't kiss me, but do you want to?" She just took it too far.

Vienna - still not a fan, but she was more tolerable on her 1-on-1 date with Jake. It's the other girls that bring out her nasty side - not to say that she is innocent, because I really don't think that she is. For all the girls to agree that she is no good speaks pretty loudly. Unfortunately, Jake only ever sees the sweet Vienna...sounds familiar, eh? Kind of like Jillian and Wes? Jake should notice the signs and know better!

I still like Ali, but she is causing some drama - especially with Vienna. She constantly calls Vienna out on her bad behavior, which I guess is better than talking about her behind her back. If she continues this cattiness, she is going to be lowered on my top list.

I do like Ella, but I think that she is going to turn out to be the Stephanie for this season. You remember her (and that type) - she's the mother who is so sweet and nice, who everyone likes and respects, but there is just no electricity with the Bachelor. However, she is kept around until he can't bear the fact that he is going to hurt her (and her kid).

Other favs - still like Tenley, and Corrie seems pretty level-headed and nice.

Jake - Episode 2

I was thrilled that we didn't have to wait an entire season for all the hype that usually is built up after the first episode's previews! Last night's drama of the Bachelor outdid the typical drama of the show.

It turned out that Rozlyn (who received a rose on the one of the group dates and who Jake really seemed to be interested in based on their multiple smooches) was doing "something" with one of the staff members of the show. By the end of the episode I was sick of hearing that "she entered into an inappropriate relationship with one of our staffers," to quote Chris Harrison. But it definitely was entertaining. She never denied it, and actually seemed pissed to have been asked to leave. Seriously - you didn't think that the higher-ups wouldn't find out and that you wouldn't get the boot as a result! STUPID GIRL! I wonder if she will show up on the "Women Tell All" episode at the end of the season to tell her side of the story.

Anyway - I am really not a fan of Vienna's - she is way too into herself and is really annoying. I still like Ali and Tenley. The Pittsburgh girl got booted - which I expected - she was a little immature, but seemed like a lot a fun. I kind of like Elizabeth, but I'm not totally sold on her yet...time will tell.

More drama awaits next week...

Our Savior!

Dani had an extra one of these and gave it to me while I was pregnant. I never attached it to the crib before Luci came, and until now we never needed it.

We were willing to try anything, so John attached it to the crib the other night.

It is a miracle worker, and with the remote feature, it's even better! For instance, when Luci wakes up the middle of the night, I will wait to see if she will fall asleep on her own. If she doesn't, I grab the remote, walk down the hall, stand outside her door (so she doesn't see me, because if that happens then you know that it's over!), press the button on the remote, and go back to bed. Within seconds she is quiet, and within minutes she is asleep!

See, our savior!

Getting SO BIG!

It's the beginning of the end!

Jake - Episode #1

So happy for a new season of D.R.A.M.A., and this one doesn't look like it is going to disappoint.

The first episode usually bores me, so I am not going to get into it in depth.

But I will list my top picks for now:

Ali (cute little blond girl)
Ashley (PITTSBURGH girl!)
Tenley (sweet, and got the coveted First Impression Rose)

I am really looking forward to see what drama Michelle brings...she was practically in tears in the 1st episode...can you say crazy?

Oh, and the previews for the season - there is a girl saying "she is having a sexual affair with someone in the house." Another girl? One of the crew? Chris Harrison? Can't wait to find out!

The weekly Bachelor post begin again!

Changing routines

With Luci refusing to nurse, our bedtime routine is thrown off. Before - we would give her a bath, then I would nurse her, and she would fall asleep while nursing, so we were able to go to bed without a fight on our hands. Every once in a while would she still be awake, but not too often.

Now - we give a bottle after her bath, but she sucks it down so quickly that she doesn't have time to fall asleep. So now we are at a loss...what do we do now? I know what we are supposed to do - put her in her crib and let her fall a sleep on her own. I suggested this to John last night, and he was not a fan of the idea. So last night, he walked with her around the house and she fell asleep within 30 minutes.

I just don't want her to get into the habit of depending on one of us to get her to sleep, I know that we should just suck it up, put her in her crib, and join Operation Cry It Out.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I am open to them!
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On a side note, I have decided to just keep pumping for now. I guess that I can do it for 3 more months until she can go on regular milk. I am too cheap to do the formula thing. Since my milk supply is abundant, why not just take advantage of it. I do miss the closeness of nursing, but I am kind of happy not to suffer the bites (which were bound to get worse with more teeth coming in!).

A little sad...

I spoke too soon in a prior post about enjoying nursing because Luci just weaned herself off of my boob within 3 hours yesterday.

She bit me the morning of New Year's, but did well the rest of the day. Then yesterday morning she bit me 3 times. I gave her a stern "no" and didn't really think anything of it. When I went to nurse her in the early afternoon after lunch, she refused me. So I tried a bottle, but she refused that as well, so I chalked it up to that maybe she was just full.

Then the late afternoon feeding came, and it was quite dramatic: back arching, stiff as a board, and screaming as I tried to get her to nurse. She took a bottle no problem. She refused me the rest of the day as well.

My theory - she now associates nursing with getting yelled at and therefore doesn't want to do it anymore. I guess I should be relieved now that I won't suffer from any more bite (which hurt.like.hell.), but I was quite emotional and even cried.

I have accepted it now, but the only thing is that I have a massively clogged duct, and my pump just can't get it out. I do keep trying to see if she will nurse just to de-clog me, but she is not interested.

Bummer!