My Mini Monsters: Lukie's first time at camp!

My Mini Monsters: Lukie's first time at camp!

Lukie sweet conversation.

My sweetheart little monster.

Monday 15,2010

I took Lukie to get some bagal in the morning at Panara bread. While unbuckled him out from his car seat Lukie said to me " Mommy I love you very much." " Mommy love you too honey." I said. " I want you to stay with me Mommy...forever. " he continued. " I want you to stay with me too honey." I said. At that moment I felt happy and a little sad because I know that he is still very young. I wish he remembers this sweet and intents conversation when he growth up.

Mommy love you very much honey.

Halloween 2010 for Lukie and Gio

Lukie practicing the cowboy lifestyle.

Daddy with his Gio doll.

Giovanni as Raggedy Andy.

Lukie as a cowboy (again).

We returned to Sag Harbor last night. Thankfully, the kids slept for most of the ride. As we got closer to home, we decided to stop for dinner. Lukie insisted on going to Bay Burger (he loves the fries there). I fed Gio while we ate.

We got home around 7:40 p.m. and unloaded the car. I bathed the kids and put things away. We had the kids in bed by around 9 p.m. and, amazingly, they fell asleep pretty quickly.

Gio seemed to be a little feverish from his hepatitis B immunization the day before and hadn't eaten much dinner. I fed him some grilled cheese and a couple spoons of his jar food at Bay Burger. He seemed satisfied and content. He still nursed at bedtime.

Then, this morning, Gio seemed fresh and happy but after breakfast he threw up half his food. I got him cleaned up and tried to feed him again but he didn't eat much. One hour later I tried again and he threw up again. After that, he continued to eat and finished his food. I remember he had the same problem last time he got vaccinations. I mixed some infant pain reliever drops with his food and it helped.

When Gio woke from his nap at 11:30 a.m., he seemed happier and the fever was gone. I got him and Lukie into their costumes and we drove to Main Street in Sag Harbor. Gio was Raggedy Andy and Luke was a cowboy again. A lot of people were there for the Halloween parade. Lukie was excited and couldn't wait to get out of the van.

We met Eddie, Kik and my mom in town. This was our first time at the Halloween parade. A lot of people complimented Lukie and Gio on their costumes. As far as I could see, Gio was the only Raggedy Andy in town.

The weather was mostly great, but a little windy and it got cold when the sun passed behind the clouds. I used my new Canon camera and took pictures of my kids and lots of other people with funny and interesting costumes. It took about 45 minutes for the parade to finish, then all the stores welcomed the kids for trick-or-treating. Lukie ate his first lollipop. He didn't finish it because he doesn't really like sweets. Charlie and I agreed to make some of the candy disappear later.

Gio got hungry and we went to the pizzeria for lunch. We said goodbye to Eddie and Kik. We got home at 3:30. Gio seemed tired so I took him for his nap. Lukie rode his John Deere outside and then played with Charlie in the house. After Gio woke up, I bathed Lukie. Then Charlie fed Lukie dinner while he surveyed all the candy in his pumpkin basket.

All in all, I would say that Lukie and Gio had a great Halloween.

With my Halloween babies.

Lukie meets a friendly mummy lady.

Darth Vade shook Lukie's hand and then posed for pictures.

First lollipop for Lukie.

"Are you ready, Luke?" said Daddy.

Raggedy Andy Gio took a break with Yai Yai.

Gio got a smooch (lots, actually) from Mommy.

Updated: Gio 9 months check-up

Diapers.com kids!

Gio at 8 months and two weeks at Grandpa and Grandma's house in NJ.

Morning face of Mr.Giovanni.

Hello baby from big brother Luke.

We got to NJ on Thursday night. Lukie and Gio slept the whole ride but woke up when we arrived. I let them have fun and play with the toys for about two hours while Charlie unloaded the car and we had some pizza. The kids were very happy, and Grandma and Grandpa stayed up late to play with them. I put them to bed at 11 p.m. and they went out like a light. :)

In the morning I saw Lukie wake up before everyone, but he stayed quietly in his bed. Then Gio and Charlie were up about 15 minutes after seven. Oh, my. I couldn't believe it. The kids were already fully charged with energy.

We went for lunch with Grandma at a new Thai restaurant in Plainsboro. The food was great and pretty authentic. I order tom yum seafood noodles and Charlie had pad see ew. Grandma tried pad thai and liked it. Lukie shared noodles with Grandma. I fed Gio his jar food and he finished 6 oz of sweet potato soup with cinnamon in no time.

After that, we went right to the doctor's office for Gio's check-up. I was glad to see our old pediatrician again and she was happy to see Lukie and Gio.

Gio got two shots :

Hepatitis B and Polio

Gio's growth :

Weight : 20 lbs., 12 oz. (between percentile 50 and 75)

Heights : 29 in. (between percentile 25 and 50)

Head Circumference : 18 in. (percentile 50)

Sleeps 10-12 hours and naps 2-3 hours.

Milestones

Gio can cruise very well.

Understands Thai language when I said krub hand (prob mea), where is light and fan, he will point at the fan and light. Understands commands when Iask him to kiss or tell him no.

Gio can bounce and dance to music and clap hands at the same time.

Speaking: Dada (Daddy), Mama (Mommy), Papa (Papa Jimmy), babo (bubbles), and do a lot of bubble noises and rasberries. He can say "ohhh" when he sees some thing exciting like a new toy.

Imitation: tries to kick his feet when he sees you kick, tries to draw when he sees Lukie draw but he will draw on the floor instead. He will cough when someone else does.

Eating

Gio is very easy to please. I started give him some new flavors.

Spices: cinnamon and oregano

Herb: ginger

Meat : ground beef, ground chicken, ground pork

Dairy: egg yolk, butter, cream

Fruits: strawberries and kiwi

Real solids: plain bread, rice crackers, puffs

Gio is nine months now WOW(~_ ~)

The picture was taking on Tuesday 26,2010 in the morning.

Dear Gio my love,

Mommy has just a little time to herself after you and your brother go to sleep. I can't believe you are nine months old today. You've grown so much and you change every day. Mommy always loves to see you talk and smile, especially when you have eye contact with Lukie, and you giggle like you understand him. It is so funny. You are not a crying baby. Most of the time you smile and you can play by yourself for pretty long -- I mean, at least about ten minutes in the crib or play pen when Mommy is busy with housework or has to take care of your big brother. You are a very reasonable baby and I really appreciate that.

We will take you to NJ for your check-up this Friday. Daddy and Mommy decided to take you back to your first pediatrician for a number of reasons. Well, at least we know you'll be in good hands. I will update again after your check-up.

Happy nine months birthday my love. Grow strong. We love you very much.

-Mommy, Daddy and Lukie

Lukie and Gio visit Grandpa and Grandma

We spent the last week of September through the first week of October visiting Grandpa and Grandma in New Jersey. Lukie had so much fun. Gio remembered the house right after we walked in. Lukie loved having his "comfort zone" there and was in a good mood pretty much every day. Charlie left us on Sunday for Sag Harbor so he could go to work. Lukie missed New Jersey so much that he didn't even cry or ask for his daddy to stay with him at all. But after a week passed he started to miss his daddy, and he made it difficult for Charlie to leave the second weekend.

We went to the Italian-American Festival with Grandma and Grandpa. It was their first time going, our second. The weather was a little too hot that day. Lukie woke up early and didn't nap, so he was tired and cranky by the time we left the festival. The food there was still delicious.


At grandparents' house Lukie and Gio took a bath together.

Gio loves to take a bath very much.

Lukie's face at the end of the day.

Gio and Lukie like to play with the same toy at the same time.

Gio enjoys Lukie's toy box.

Brothers driving in the living room.

The fire truck Grandpa bought for Gio.

Lukie in the sand box at the park.

Riding the wagon together to the park.

Enjoying some gelato at the Italian-American Festival.

Gio likes to drive the convertible.

Mommy's little cowboy.

My life nowadays!

Where do you live?
In my mom's and her husband's house in Sag Harbor with my two kids and my husband.

How many children do you have?
Two. Both are boys.

What do you like to do when you have some free time?
Check my e-mail and update my blog, or, if I still have more time, I like to cook and bake with my Lukie.

What is your hobby?
None. I can't do anything right now.

What is you favorites clothes store?
Gap.com.

What is you favorites movie?
Grave of the Fireflies.

What time do you get up and what time would you like to get up?
I get up at 7 a.m. and sometime earlier. I would like to get up at 9 if that were possible.

How many pair of shoes did you buy this year?
A pair of sandals.

What time did you go to bed?
Most of the time with my kids at 7 or 8 p.m., and then get up later in the middle of the night to wash myself up.

What would you like to do if you win the lotto?
Buy a house and tell my husband not to go to work so he can help me with the kids.

What is the thing that you want to do this year but you did not do yet?
Vacation somewhere that my kids love. Go visit my father who is sick right now.

Do you like your life nowadays?
It is okay, not too bad. I'm luckier than a lot of people. Patient every day.

What books did you read ?
What to Expect the First Year and Toddler. Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.

Giovanni at 6 months old.

Waiting for breakfast.

In this picture you can see his birthmark very clearly.

Gio at the beach.

With Mommy and Lukie at the park in Sag Harbor. Daddy took this picture.

On Lukie's birthday, with Yai Yai.

"Hey, Lukie, what are you doing in the crib? It's mine now."

In position to try and get the red car toy.

Giggling boy playing with his toy.

I can't believe Giovanni is seven months old already. I'm ashamed I didn't update sooner. I don't have a lot of free time in the afternoon to sit down at the computer. I'm not sad but tired. Anyway, I still have time after both of my sons fall asleep at night.

I'll talk about Gio's doctor visit first. As I wrote earlier, Luke and Giovanni went to see the doctor on the same day. I asked the doctor about the birthmark on Gio's forehead. It's so light that she couldn't see it at first. The doctor said it is a "cafe olay" spot. I was worried that it might turn darker, but the doctor didn't seem concerned. Luke has a similar spot but on his ribs where it's not so noticeable.

Giovanni is very sensitive to grains. I started him on solids at 5 months. I noticed that his stool was hard (yuck, sorry). He had difficulty pushing and didn't poop for 5 days. The doctor suggested prunes and, when that didn't work, suppositories. After I stopped giving Gio rice cereal and oatmeal, he seemed to feel better and made a poop every day, but his stools were still hard. The doctor suggested I stop all grains and stick with complex carbohydrates like sweet potato.

I'm very happy with Gio's eating. He is an easy and reasonable baby who eats almost every food I offer to him. He will open his little lips when he wants to try something, and if he likes it he will eat until he is full.

Gio's development

-Gio was on the move since he was just 5 and a half months old. He used his two elbows to inch himself forward. He looked like a little alligator. Now he can crawl very well.

-He can sit up without me propping him up from behind.

-He can grab, hold, drop and bang an object.

-He does raspberries and makes baby talk like "dada, gaga, fugo." He loves to talk most when he wakes up in the morning.

-He laughs with Lukie. Whenever Lukie makes eye contact or talks to him, Gio will laugh with delight. He seems to think Lukie is very funny.

-He can pull himself up to a standing position and is starting to cruise.

Foods Gio has tried

-Basic baby fruit: apple, pear, banana, papaya, avocado, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries and mango puree.

-Vegetables: sweet potato, pea, white potato, butternut squash, zucchini, and spinach in puree.

-Grains: rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, whole grain cereal, brown rice cereal and cooked quinoa. He is sensitive to all of these.

-Dairy: yogurt, American cheese.

-Food allergies: None so far.

Gio growth at 6 months and 4 days

Weight: 17 pounds, 13 onces

Height: 26.25 inches

Here is Gio crawling at 5 and a half months old.

Picking berries (something spontaneous that worked out well)

Giovanni and Lukie in a wooden John Deere truck.

Luke the Pirate.

Arrr...

Lukie told me where and how to pick berries.

Get ready.

August 12, 2010

Lukie napped this afternoon, which is unusual. He got up around 3 o'clock. I knew that if he didn't get some exercise, it would be a long night for Charlie and I. So I took him with Gio to a farm in the Hamptons to pick berries. Lukie was excited and Gio was good for the whole 20-minute drive.


After picking berries, Lukie played in the playground on the farm. He was so happy, and had lots of fun running around like crazy. He has so much energy but I was tired and hoped he would fall asleep easily tonight.


Lukie doesn't like to pick raspberries because they are so delicate. They turn to mush in his hands and he doesn't like the mess. He prefers blackberries. I like to pick blackberries, too. There were huge ones at this farm. Lukie ate a couple "by accident" while I was handing them to him to put into the box.

Sometimes, doing something spontaneous works out well. Tonight, Lukie and Gio went to bed at their usual time and fell asleep. Thank goodness!

Lukie at three years old: checkup and birthday

Birthday boy.

Mickey Mouse bed set from Grandma and Grandpa.

It was the biggest Birthday present for Lukie.

Mommy's cutie pie.

I'm three now, people.

July 30, 2010

Lukie and Gio actually went to see the Doctor on the same day. Charlie came home early to drive us to the pediatrician's office in Southampton.

Lukie went first. He was pretty happy and not nervous at all. He asked the doctor if he would get shots and she said no. I think that's why he was relaxed. She checked Lukie from head to toe, even his hair. She asked about his sleeping pattern. When she asked how long he had been out of diapers, we told her he was trained since 2 and 1/2 years old. She thought that was pretty impressive. Lukie counted to 20 for the doctor and also sang a song. I asked the doctor if his weight was a little on the low side. She was not concerned at all. She said he is healthy and his height is tall, which might be why he looks skinny.

Lukie's growth at age 3...

Weight: 26.5 pounds, 5th percentile

Height: 37 inches, 50th percentile

Head Circumference: ??

At three, Lukie can identify the letters and is pretty good about the sounds they make. He can count to twenty. He also draws very well (in Mommy's opinion :) He understands some Thai but doesn't speak it in sentences.

For his Birthday, Luke received a Mickey Mouse bed set from Grandma and Grandpa. His bed (twin size) is right up against ours. I already miss him even though he is next to us at night. Am I crazy?

Lukie's first time at camp!

July 26th, 2010

Papa Jimmy, Gio, Lukie and I went to a Catholic School to get some information about their summer camp program. Lukie was in a very good mood this morning. He was excited to see all the people there.

By luck, we met the principle. She was giving a tour of the school to another woman. Afterwards, she greeted us with a warm smile and said hello to Luke. She showed us the gym and playground while telling us how the classes are arranged by age. Lukie would be in the nursery if he went to school this September. Lukie really wanted to talk with the principle, so he said, "Excuse me, can I go back to the gym again?" She was pretty impressed.

I took the applications and schedule for the 2010 camp. I wanted to let Lukie try just a half-day (8:30 to 11:30 a.m.) for two days a week. Three hours of playing and eating with some new friends might help Luke to feed himself (I hope). He would have to bring his own lunch and wake up early to get ready. I knew it would be difficult for me to get him to eat his breakfast in time. Anyway, it might be good for him to get into a routine.

I would also like to check out a Montessori school before deciding whether or not to send Lukie to pre-K or kindergarten.

The price of tuition at the private schools around here is very high. I almost had a heart attack reading some of the numbers. But I don't believe that a good school has to be expensive.

Updated August 2nd, first day at camp

Lukie at the front door, first day at camp.

On Lukie's first day at camp, I actually stayed the shortest time with him. I got him fed and ready in the morning, then drove him with Gio in tow. I should have stayed longer, because Luke's first day didn't go well.

Excited with all the new toys and friends.

After leaving Lukie, I drove home and Gio was sleeping. To be honest, I kept looking at the clock to see if it was time to go and pick him up. I missed my boy so much and wondered if I was doing the right thing. I decided to leave a bit early to see how he was doing at the camp. Gio woke up right on time.

When I walked into the building, the teacher came out of the room and smiled. She said, "I was going to call you because Luke was crying and he fell down." My heart was pounding and I wondered what had happened.

I've heard that kids starting school or camp will realize their parents have left them after about one hour. That's what happened with Lukie. The teacher said he was crying and asking for me. They told him I would be back to pick him up, but it didn't help. He was in the principle's office waiting for me when he tripped in the doorway and fell down. I felt very sorry for him. He was eating his snack in the principle's office and watching the monitor for me to arrive.

Back in the car, Lukie was pretty sad. He said I left him. I didn't know how to respond but I told him I would never leave him, and that I came back to pick him up.

The second day

His looks unsure about being without Mommy at the camp.

Not too excited about playing with his friend but worried about me leaving him (I guess).

Lukie got up and said he didn't want to go to camp anymore because I would leave him again and he didn't want to stay there by himself. I just did my routine and got him ready. When it was time, I drove him to camp with Gio along for the ride.

This time Lukie held my hand constantly. I could see he was still interested in the camp environment and people around him but he wasn't ready to be on his own. Eventually, he saw one of his new friends and let go of my hand. I stayed a bit longer than yesterday, until all the camp staff came and started the program. I walked with Lukie to the gym and saw him playing with his friend. I said bye to him and left.

Before I even reache dmy car, a teacher came running outside barefoot. She said that Luke threw up and had to go home. I went back inside and saw my son, with tears in his eyes, run out the gym door, then stop and tell staff he threw up, pointing to his mouth. My poor kid, he knows how to help himself in a situation like this. He saw Gio and I and ran to me. The teacher said that when a kid throws up he has to go home (in case he might be sick). I told them that Luke wasn't sick, and he throws up very easily when he's crying, but I still took him home.

Lukie was pretty quiet. I told him not to worry, that mommy always comes to pick him up. He said I left him again and told me about how he cried and threw up. Gio had fallen asleep in the car and I didn't want to wake him, so I asked Lukie if he wanted to go visit Daddy at work. He said yes, so I drove them to see Charlie, then came home.

The third day at camp

I felt so sad for my little boy at that time.

He was not sure and didn't even

want to

walk there.

The saddest face of Lukie I had ever seen.

Lukie really didn't want to go to camp. He said it out loud and explained that he would be alone and didn't like camp. I said he had to go today because they would have hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza for him. He didn't care. Anyway, I drove him to camp.

I took a picture of Luke every day before we walked together into the building. This day i got the feeling he really didn't want to go. He was clinging to me the whole time. He was still interested in his friends and the toys around him, but he didn't want to go in the room. He held my hand tightly and started crying. I told him that I was with him and not to cry. Suddenly, all the kids from another room walked to the doorway, which was blocked by a gate. They saw Lukie crying and started talking. I pointed out to Lukie that the other kids were not crying at all. Then some of the kids said, "Yeah, I'm not crying."


Somehow, the whole thing reminded me of a movie where a new prisoner comes to the jail and all the old inmates start making fun of him.

I stayed with Lukie very long today and went with him to see the water balloon in a bucket. It was a new experience for him and he was very interested. Just when I thought he was okay and said goodbye, the he ran toward me and the staff tried to stop him. He was crying hard again. I asked the staff if I should go now or stay a little longer. They said I should go. I left the room with Gio and still heard Lukie crying. It was very painful for me.

I was at home with Gio for an hour before I called the school to find out how Lukie was doing. The teacher said he was again in the principle's office crying for me but they wanted to wait and see if he would join his classmates in the gym. I decided to go to the grocery store and buy a popsicle maker to surprise Lukie after camp.

I dropped the grocery's at home and drove back to the school to wait for Lukie. Gio was napping in the car. When I got to the school, one of the teachers was outside already. She ran to me and said I had to take Lukie home because he was crying and they didn't want him to hold up the class. This made me feel like I had put my son in the wrong place. They didn't want to deal with him. All three days I got phone calls telling me to pick him up.

I went into the building and picked up Luke without any questions. One of the staff siad it took about three weeks for most kids to stop crying. I thought, that's long. I didn't want to send my son to this camp any longer.

I got Lukie outside and saw Papa Jimmy outside. He said the school called and asked for me but I wasn't home. Anyway, I told him it was nothing to worry about and we drove home.

I was thinking I started Lukie at the wrong place. After talking to my friends, they were all surprised about what happened because Lukie's personality is very outgoing and he seems very independent. I'm not sure if he's so attached to Charlie and I because he sleeps with us, but a lot of kids in the world sleep with their parents. Some of my friends said that something might have happened to Lukie at the camp that he couldn't tell me, or he might not have liked the staff. I don't know.