The Next Russo

Fun with pumpkins

2012-01-05T18:30:00.003-05:00

For those of you that didn't see it, the video below is how Gigi and Ryder and I announced our news to family and friends.

Since the announcement came around Halloween, we've decided to nickname the next Russo, Pumpkin.

Just like with Ryder, we're waiting to find out the sex. We have names picked out either way, and can't wait til May! Gigi is due on May 19. Mark your calendars!

20 weeks

2012-01-05T18:22:00.004-05:00

Here are our two little angels. Ryder (above), and Pumpkin (below). These were each taken at 20 weeks. They both decided to suck their thumbs for their pictures.

Occupy Gigi

2012-01-05T18:17:00.002-05:00

Well folks, here we go again...

First board meeting

2010-06-09T22:04:00.003-04:00

Ryder tried out Dad's surfboard for the first time last weekend. Looks like a natural.

I know, I know...

2010-06-09T21:54:00.003-04:00

It's been way too long again so I'm not gonna bore you with words. Here are some highlights since our last post...

Burban Rifkin visit

2010-04-25T13:03:00.003-04:00

Last night Harper and Brian came over for dinner and a visit. This is the couple who's wedding Gigi and I went to in Italy last summer.

We had a great time catching up with them and were quite surprised when Brian presented us with an original oil painting he did just for Ryder.

We're honored to have this piece in our home. We've been friends for years now and have always been huge fans of Brian's work. Check out more of his work on his website and maybe pick up a Rifkin for YOUR wall!

7 weeks old...

2010-04-25T13:01:00.003-04:00

and already a remote hog. Now I'll never get to watch my shows. He's always watching ESPN Deportes.

A day of firsts...

2010-04-20T10:27:00.004-04:00

We had a big day yesterday. Gigi, Ryder and I took a trip into Manhattan with Grandpa Ed and Grandma Jackie. It was a beautiful spring day and perfect for sightseeing. The day saw many firsts...

First time in stroller seat (instead of bassinet). First time wearing shoes.

First time to St. Patrick's Cathedral.

First time to Central Park. First time seeing a raccoon as big as Ryder.

Mama's Boy

2010-04-19T11:06:00.001-04:00

Thinkin...

2010-04-19T11:05:00.001-04:00

Life is Good

2010-04-19T11:04:00.001-04:00

60 Year Anniversary

2010-04-13T19:22:00.005-04:00

My grandparents on my Dad's side (Nono and Grammy) are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on Friday. Our whole family (minus 1) got together in Delaware over Easter weekend to celebrate with them.

This was also a chance to have 4 generations of James Russo in the same room. James Ryder is actually the 6th first born son in the Russo family named James. My great great grandfather in Palermo was named Giacomo which is Italian for James. My great grandfather followed, then my grandfather, then my father, then me, and now James Ryder. We all have different middle names so I'm not James V and Ryder is not James VI.

This is me at 2 months old with my dad, grandfather, and great grandfather.

And 34 years later, this is Ryder at 1 month old with HIS dad, grandfather, and great grandfather.

And this is the entire fam gathered around the happy couple.

CONGRATULATIONS NONO AND GRAMMY!!

Kisses

2010-04-13T19:18:00.002-04:00

Among other things... Tita taught Ryder how to blow kisses.

Tita

2010-04-13T18:58:00.004-04:00

Well, I'm very overdue for an update on the blog. Who knew taking care of an infant would be so time consuming?

First things first. I have to give Gigi's mom (Tita) a HUGE belated THANK YOU! Tita came to NY a few days after Ryder was born to help out with the first few weeks of parenthood. I can't even begin to explain what a tremendous help she was to all of us. She did literally everything around the house so that Gigi and I could focus on Ryder and attending to his needs. While she was with us we ate like royalty, walked on the cleanest floors this apartment has ever known, and were just surrounded by love and gentle guidance. Not to get all hippy dippy on you but the vibe in the house was incredibly warm, loving, and calm while Tita was here. I can't think of a better atmosphere in which to surround a newborn in its first few weeks of life.

The love shown to all of us (especially Ryder) was palpable.

Thank you again, Tita! We love you!

Ahem.

2010-04-13T18:55:00.002-04:00

Um Dad? Quit putting toys in my face and update the blog, dude. I'm like twice as big as I was when this thing was last updated. Sheeesh.

You talkin' to ME?

2010-03-22T11:50:00.002-04:00

Ryder gets a sweatsuit from Jon and now all of a sudden he's a badass.

BTW, he's not even 3 weeks old and he's already wearing 3-6 month clothes. Watchout!

Poppa-razi

2010-03-21T22:21:00.004-04:00

Ryder let me know that it was time to put the camera away after I got a bit snap-happy tonight.

One more pic and you're gonna get it, Dad.

Don't say I didn't warn ya.

Tres Generaciones

2010-03-21T20:41:00.007-04:00

My parents honored us with a visit this past weekend. Nana and Nono Russo flew in from Michigan Friday morning to meet and spend a couple days with their newest grandson.

Miles...

and miles...

of smiles!

We had a perfect weekend with beautiful spring weather, and had a chance to explore Brooklyn with our extended family. It was a joy to have my parents and Gigi's mom together for the first time since our wedding seven years ago.

Here are some of the highlights of our excursion to the Brooklyn Bridge on the first day of Spring:

A very fun weekend made for some epic napping.

Weekend Update

2010-03-14T18:51:00.005-04:00

Here are some fun pics from our weekend.

I'm heading back to work tomorrow so I did my best to take advantage of as much bonding time and photo ops as possible.

Hair/makeup was first.

Dad, you should really use the low-light setting for this.

Playtime between shoots. I think he's practicing for X-Games.

Ready for my close-up.

Reward for a long day's work. Being cute isn't easy.

Fun with computers

2010-03-13T10:23:00.005-05:00

Ryder wanted to see what all the hype is about Macs. I put some music on iTunes, and opened up PhotoBooth for some fun.

He's got Dad's eyes.

Why the long face?

Funky Family Foto

Dang Dolly!

So this last picture brings up a funny story... As Gigi's milk started coming in a couple days ago, her breasts started getting quite large. She woke me up three times in the middle of the night Thurs night asking for my help.

Gigi: James, James? I can't get up! Please take Ryder off of me and put him in the bassinet.
James: Um, babe? He's been in the bassinet for 2 hours.

THREE TIMES this happened. I was trying not to laugh because she was seriously confused as to why she couldn't move from bed. I didn't know if it was lack of sleep or remnants from some of the pain meds, but it turned out to be just giant jugs weighing her down.

We all laughed like crazy in the morning once she finally realized he wasn't on her and she was able to get back to sleep.

Funny face

2010-03-09T12:17:00.002-05:00

Make your own animation

Ryder 1 - Parents 0

2010-03-09T11:26:00.005-05:00

So, remember all of those pics of Ryder asleep in the hospital? Well, I guess he was resting up for his first night at home. He wanted to stay up and party ALLLLLL night.

After a very nice welcome home visit from the Macalusos including a delivery of a HUGE lasagna (thank you again!), Gigi and I settled in for our first night with our son. We let him rest while we watched 24, then I let him lay on my chest for some tummy-time while Gigi got some sleep. Nothing compares to the feeling of him sleeping on me. Hearing and feeling him breathe, and smelling the top of his head are better than any of the best drugs (or so I've heard).

Tita's flight arrived from San Antonio right on time, and we proudly introduced her to her 2nd grandson. She was as giddy as a little girl at a Jonas Brothers show. For the record, that will be the last time the Jonas Brothers make a cameo on this blog.

She shared pics of Gigi as a baby and we had fun talking about what attributes he got from each of us; my cheeks, my nose, my hair, her eyes, her mouth, her hairy butt. Wait, scratch that. Reverse it.

Anyway, once we all decided to go to bed, we fed him and changed him then laid him in the bassinet at the foot of our bed. And that started the VERY fun game of "Wait til Dad lays down and then start crying" followed by the ever popular "Once Dad is up and on his way to pick you up, stop crying". Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. We MAYBE got an hour of sleep each.

It got pretty frustrating but every time we picked him up and looked at him, our hearts just about exploded and reminded us that we would (and likely will) put up with weeks and months without sleep to make sure he is happy.

In between crying fits, a moment of calm..

Homeward Bound (Monday)

2010-03-09T11:16:00.004-05:00

So, one last day at the hospital waiting for our walking papers. Doctors had to make sure Gigi's incision was healing properly (it is), and make sure Ryder was healthy (he is) before letting us bring our family home to Brooklyn.

We had to wait around til about 5:30pm before we were allowed to leave. Frustrating as we were told we would be out much earlier, but all the doctors were busy with deliveries upstairs. Good thing we got out when we did as new moms and babies were filling up the floor as we left.

All the waiting gave us time to give Ryder a nice spongebath and get him dressed up in his "Take Me Home" outfit that Harper gave us. While we were waiting, Daddy got out the camera...

Day 2 (Sunday)

2010-03-09T10:53:00.005-05:00

Gigi's roommate moved into a private room Saturday evening so she had a MUCH better night's sleep. Ryder stayed in the nursery between feedings to let Mom rest and recover from her cesarean.

Jamie (Boonie) and Annette came to visit us on Sunday with some very very nice gifts for Gigi and Ryder. Thank you both!

We had a nice relaxing day of R&R for both Ryder and Gigi. Quiet music playing, dim lights, etc. We did our best to create a zen-like atmosphere and because we did, the nurses kept coming into our room to visit (and to escape from the other crazy parents on our floor). These nurses were so helpful with tips on diapering, circumcision care, feeding and burping, etc.

And now for YOUR moment of zen, here's our little smiling Buddha...

Day 1 (Saturday)

2010-03-09T10:12:00.009-05:00

OK, so maybe the last post wasn't the LAST post... I'll keep updating this blog until I start another one for Ryder.

Gigi had a long first night at the hospital with her roommate's crying baby, and an eventful morning on Saturday. Ryder was circumcised, given his Hep B shot, and thoroughly checked out before I showed up at the hospital.

We had a couple visitors the first day. Uncle Harry showed up first and helped welcome our boy to the world. Harry introduced Gigi and I to each other 14 years ago, so we're happy he was the first one to meet Ryder.

Uncle Mike also came to visit but Ryder was not in a pic taking mood. Aunt Harper dropped off a nice little Snug Bug and visited with us for a while.

We had some absolutely beautiful flowers delivered from Jon and Carolyn. They made the entire room smell incredible. Thank you!

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful gifts and your very enjoyable visits!

And now... brace yourself for cuteness overload.

And so it begins...

2010-03-06T02:11:00.004-05:00

I thought it only fitting to start this post with the same title as the first post. We have completed the path to parenthood and are now the proud parents of a beautiful baby boy. Our new journey as parents begins today (new blog address coming soon).

James Ryder was born at 9:34pm on March 5, 2010. He weighed a whopping 9lbs 5.4ozs and was 21" long. How that big boy was inside Gigi I will never understand. What I NOW understand is why Gigi's labor stalled after 30+ hours of contractions. Ryder was saying, "Push all you want, but I'm not going out that way. You gotta come get me." Gigi's cesarean birth went perfectly and she is recovering nicely in the hospital as I type this from home.

So, he has huge hands and feet, more hair than me, and cute cheeks like Gigi's. Great combination. Can't wait to see how everything sorts itself out after the trauma of labor and birth. Last I saw him he was sleeping contentedly in the nursery surrounded by a bunch of tiny crying babies.

Overheard in the delivery room from some of the doctors after the birth..."He can already palm a basketball!", "He's bigger than my 5-month-old!", and "How long has he been in there?".

Such a happy day for me and Gigi. I can't wait to go back to the hospital tomorrow morning to help out with day 1 of our new lives together.

Finishing touches

2010-03-01T22:54:00.004-05:00

Last year we received a couple very nice prints from Gigi's friend Will at The Surf Gallery in Laguna Beach, CA.

We thought they would be perfect for the nursery so last weekend we had them matted and framed. Boy or girl... we've got it covered.

Beaner's palace is coming together nicely!

Crib and changing table show up in a couple weeks. Can't wait to have everything in place.

In other news...today is Day 1 of Week 40. These last 10 months have been incredible, and now all of our preparation is coming to the happy conclusion of welcoming a new Russo. Any day now! Gigi is already dilating a tiny bit so we're just waiting for Beaner to decide on a birthday.

Today is also Gigi's first day of maternity leave! After our last scheduled doctor's appointment this morning, I took her home for a nice long nap, and then she got up to do laundry and read the Sunday Times. I'm so glad she's home and relaxing until the baby arrives. We're really enjoying our last few days as a twosome and taking walks every night talking about what lies ahead.

Today is ALSO Beaner's grandfather's birthday! My dad (Nono) turned 50 somethin' today and we were hoping to give him the best birthday present ever but I guess it will be a few days late (as usual). Happy Birthday, Nono! Beaner can't wait to give you a belated birthday hug.

Beaner's Nursery

2010-02-21T22:13:00.006-05:00

Thank you again to Uncle Mike Smith for an awesome job painting our nursery. The color (iceberg) came out great and really brightens up the room.

Gigi and I had fun applying the multi-color circular decals from Gigi's friend Carolyn. Kind of like giant Color Forms (for those of you that remember).

I like this picture below a lot.

On the left is the hope chest my dad built for my mom before they were married (37 years ago). Very well-built and long-lasting...the chest AND their relationship.
On the right is the bassinet that my great-grandmother bought when my grandmother was born (81 years ago). She spent her first few months in it as did her sister, her cousins, my mom and her sisters and their cousins, my sister and I and some of our cousins, my sister's kids... And soon our little Beaner will have the honor of sleeping where so many loved ones have slept before. We'll be sure to take real good care of it so Beaner's cousins and kids can enjoy it too.

Gigi and I couldn't be more blessed with our friends and families. We're so grateful everyday for all of the love we've received over the last 9 months. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for everything you've done and continue to do for us.

Love you all!

Hi.

2010-02-21T16:20:00.011-05:00

Remember me? I'm the one who told you I'd be updating you all on our baby's progress. Well...it has been quite a while and there has been quite a bit of progress.

We've just completed week 38. Yes, thirty-eight. We are officially considered full-term and now it's just up to Beaner to decide when to come out and play. I have a feeling it will be sometime this week, but everyone says first babies tend to take a bit longer. Time (not much) will tell.

Let's see, since the last time we wrote we have had another incredible shower hosted by our friends Harper and Eve (I'll let Gigi write about that next), we've re-worked our apartment to make room for baby and Gigi's mom (Tita), we've finished our 6-week childbirth course, Gigi took a breastfeeding class, I installed our car seat so we're ready for the ride home from the hospital, we've packed our bags for the hospital stay...we've basically been crossing as many things off our very long to-do list as possible.

Many of you may have heard of the nesting instinct. Well, it is in FULL effect. Here is proof:

Yes, that is Gigi disinfecting the baseboards in our bedroom with a toothbrush. You know how infected they can get... ;)

One of the many incredible gifts we've received from friends was a generous offer from Uncle Mike Smith to paint our nursery for us. He does excellent work so if you live in NY and need anything painted, you should call him. This room will be the nursery as well as the guest room while Tita stays with us for most of March. Once the trim is finished later today I'll post some pics of the completed room. Here is Mike after patching some damaged plaster and sheetrock.

Earlier today, I convinced Beaner's Mom to take a few last belly pics. She's still all belly, still working everyday, and still the most beautiful woman (pregnant or not) I have ever seen. I can't get over how much of a trooper she's been through all of the changes. This was taken in the new nursery room a couple hours ago. Gorgeous.

Well, that's all I've got for now. Gigi will log on later this evening to put her 2 cents in. Until then, all I can do is give Beaner a big high-five for doing such a good job so far. Won't be long now before we're high-fiving in real life!

Like James Taylor Said...

2010-01-09T14:14:00.015-05:00

SHOWER THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE WITH LOVE... I am so grateful for the outpouring of love and support we received from our family in Texas over the holidays.

On our way back from Mexico, we had a layover in Dallas - long enough to spend the night at my sisters' apartment. Adriana, Bobbie and Jackie Lee surprised us with our first baby shower. We walked into their apartment to find two dozen balloons, streamers, gifts and an amazing dinner. The girls were hilarious as always - cracking us up with their impersonations of YouTube internet stars. I have the best sisters- after dinner and opening many gifts, they treated me to a two-hour massage. Adriana had my right foot, Bobbie had my left foot, while Jackie Lee was massaging my arms. James was sitting next to me in awe at the love and attention poured my way. I don't get to see my sisters often and I was cherishing every moment with them.

Secondly, Tita (Grandma Nilda) organized an unforgettable panchanga for James and I at my cousin Tatiana's house. We were surrounded by a dozen aunts and uncles and countless cousins and friends from Brownsville, San Antonio and New York. The Gomez family is known for their amazing get-togethers and abundance of delicious food. Everyone pitched in and brought something special, from Tita's homemade chicken tortilla soup, Rene's BBQ grilling, Lupita's famous 7-layer dip, Carolina's secret green sauce (I know her secret), Catalina's flan and tres leches cakes from Matamoros, Daniela's tamales and of course plenty of Coronas, Tecates and Heinekens to go around.

Tita outdid herself with the decorations, messages from our baby and hilarious shower games... from making the men chug beers out of baby bottles to baby bingo and creating babies out of play-dough. Tita is an amazing grandma to Marco and we are so blessed to give her another grandchild to love, to teach and to spoil!

Thanks Mom. We love you so much and can't wait until you're in New York with us.

Yes there is more... my sister Kelly hosted another baby shower for me at her new home that she shares with her husband Nick. Kelly, along with much help from Jackie and Bobbie, decorated the house with orange and green (they know I don't care for traditional pink and blue) and made delicious (and beautiful) hors d'oeuvres. This shower was for ladies-only. Nick and my BABY DADDY went to a ranch on the Mexican border to shoot guns - only in Texas.

Back at Kelly's we laughed a lot, I snuck in 1/2 a glass of wine while we played games and I welcomed some great advice from the experienced moms including Amy, Tia Nena, Jackie and my good friends Angela and Tara who I've known for 15 years. James arrived just in time to help me open gifts.

Thanks Kelly, Jackie and Bobbie for planning an unforgettable day.

Viva Mexico!

2009-12-19T11:37:00.007-05:00

Gigi and I just got back from a long weekend in Puerto Vallarta. Absolutely beautiful weather, an amazing wedding, and we made lots of new friends. Congrats to Raymond and Pia Arthur! Thank you for inviting us to share your special weekend!

The sunsets were amazing...

The hotel was incredible and right on the beach...

But my favorite part of the weekend was spending time with this beautiful woman...

This looks great!

2009-12-09T02:37:00.000-05:00

Beaner's New Ride

2009-11-29T21:28:00.004-05:00

Over Thanksgiving we received an early Christmas present from Nono and Nana (James' parents). I was sitting on the couch after a nice long, Thanksgiving nap, just watching the game, when Nono handed me a holiday card. Inside was a picture of a Bugaboo stroller. He said, "it's yours... pick out whichever one you'd like."

So, James and I did our research over the weekend and decided to take a stroll over to Cobble Hill and take them for a test drive. While our hearts (and eyes) were set on the Bugaboo, we met Karla of Ola Baby and she overwhelmed me (James kept his cool) with information about stroller suspensions, how you can position babies facing you, facing others, resting at 180 degrees, 90 degrees, 45 degrees, some strollers even swivel all the way around, some come with bassinets, some you can take for a jog, some are too wide, some are great for the subway.... I couldn't take it so James and I decided to leave the poor woman alone and grab a bite to eat.

On our way to grab a bite, we spotted other new moms with their UPPAbaby strollers... a good sign as Cobble Hill is stroller city (I thought Park Slope was bad). 15 minutes later, we were back with Karla. James convinced me that the UPPAbaby was the way to go. I agreed and was happy that he took charge and just made the decision for us. It arrives in a week.

Thank you Nono & Nana!

A Day at the Beach

2009-11-22T18:59:00.005-05:00

We had an amazing day today with our friends Harry and Bekka. We picked them up around 10 and headed east to Jones Beach State Park. The weather was incredible for mid-November...low 60s and sunny with light winds.
Our game plan was to enjoy the day and take some fun pregnancy photos in a setting Gigi and I both love.

Harry brought his camera and got some great shots that I will post after he's had a chance to edit them. In the meantime, here's a sneak peek of some he took with our camera.

Mom's First Blog Post

2009-11-22T18:32:00.004-05:00

If you could hear me now, you'd hear me belching! It may be an old wives tale, but they say that it's going to be one hairy baby if the mom has heartburn. Raul (my grandfather on my dad's side) always called me his "changita" (little monkey in Spanish) and now I'm having a little monkey of my own!

I feel blessed that heartburn is the only prenatal symptom that can be a bit uncomfortable at times... however, it doesn't stop me from ordering a burger with jalapenos from the Dram Shop or the world's spiciest green curry from Watana Siam. James has been wonderful and so encouraging. When I burp in his face (but usually across the room), he just looks over with a smile and says "nice one, baby" and "way to go!" I can't wait until he's cheering me on in the delivery room.

Dreams

2009-11-05T09:23:00.002-05:00

So, last night I had a fun dream. In the dream, I came home from work to Gigi and a crying baby. As I walked in the door, Gigi said to me, "He missed his daddy today." When I took him from her he stopped crying and fell asleep on my shoulder. I woke up laughing and told Gigi I dreamt our child was going to be a boy.

About a month ago, Gigi had a dream that we had a boy with green eyes and curly brown hair. Could this mean anything? Just our subconscious desires, or something more?

Who knows? I'm not going to dwell on it too much. I also once had a dream that I was petting a squirrel, and then it turned into a lion and started chasing me. Terrifying.

All I know is that it is really cool to dream about our next stage in life as a family. Boy or girl, the best part of the dream was the happiness I felt when the baby was in my arms, calm and content.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T09:22:00.002-04:00

Beaner convinced Mom to get dressed up for Halloween.

See you in 4 months, Beaner!

2009-10-29T16:30:00.004-04:00

Wowowowowowowow. I thought the first ultrasound was cool, but today was amazing. The nurse showed us every organ (except the one(s) that would giveaway the sex) and took lots of measurements. Baby Beaner is doing so well, they think that either the due date may be earlier than expected or it's just going to be a big baby. We're happy either way.

2 arms? Check.
10 fingers? Check. Very long fingers according to the nurse. Just like Daddy.
2 legs? Check.
10 toes? Check.
Nice round belly? Check. Just like Mommy.
2 eyes? Check.
Cutest little profile ever? Check.
Thumb sucking ability? See for yourself...

Beaner weighs 1lb 2ozs at this point. In the 97% percentile. Attabeaner. Keep it up!

21 and a half weeks

2009-10-29T09:18:00.003-04:00

We're scheduled for our last ultrasound this afternoon. After this, the next time we'll see our baby will be on the birth day. Needless to say, we're both super excited. The doctor will determine the sex today, but unless they slip up, we'll still not know for 4 more months.
In other news, Gigi and I have felt some tiny little kicks the last couple of days! We've been spending a lot of time with our hands on her belly lately. Speaking of...

Check back later today for the ultrasound pic(s).

Coming this Thurs...

2009-10-26T14:34:00.002-04:00

Our already late 20-week ultrasound has been rescheduled for later this week. So on Thursday, I'll be posting our 21.5-wk ultrasound.
Stay tuned.

Thassa spicy meata ball!

2009-10-15T13:27:00.001-04:00

Cousins

2009-10-04T17:14:00.006-04:00

Gigi and I both have a lot of cousins. We can't wait to introduce our little one to his/her cousins.

Our nephew (and Baby Russo's oldest cousin) Marco is 6 and is in first grade.

He lives in San Antonio with Gigi's sister Erika and recently sent us a Flat Stanley for a school project. The idea is to bring Stanley along for an adventure that we then write about and mail back to Marco. We took Stanley to the Atlantic Antic street fair today. Here are some pics.

On the subway.

Look at all the people!

Shopping.

Petting a huge snake.

Baby Russo will have 2 other cousins in Baltimore. Madeline is 4 and Jack is 2. I recently had a chance to visit with them at my parent's place in Michigan. Here are some pics of them from that trip.

I swear this is not an Olan Mills background. It's my parents backyard.

Reading to each other.

Give em what they want

2009-10-01T12:13:00.005-04:00

I've had quite a few requests for belly pics from the loyal readers. Here are the 2 that have been approved.

The pic above is from about a month ago at 13 weeks. BARELY showing.

This second one is from this morning at 17 1/2 weeks. Lookin good, babe(s)!

Got beats?

2009-09-22T18:08:00.003-04:00

Hard to believe Gigi is just over 16 weeks. Almost halfway there. We've been so blessed and it seems like time is just flying.

Our doctor let us hear the baby's heartbeat again this morning. Solid 160bpm, just what should be expected at this stage. And it's also the same tempo as my favorite techno music! Are you catching the sarcasm here? 'Cause I'm layin it on pretty thick.

I have gained another 5 lbs since the last appointment (up to 208), but the doctor says there's nothing to be concerned about. If you want to know about Gigi's weight, you'll have to ask her yourself. If you ask me about it, I'll tell you she's absolutely beautiful and always will be. No sarcasm here, folks.

Next appointment will be in about 5 weeks, and THAT one will include our next sonogram. Sweet.

I really hope you've stopped the video by now.

Something to think about

2009-09-18T19:38:00.002-04:00

I've heard a lot about this and I think it's fascinating. Makes sense to me. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Drop in a comment if you have any input.

Hang in there

2009-09-18T19:28:00.002-04:00

I know its been a while since the last update. No news is good news. Gigi continues to have a very reasonable pregnancy. Still no sickness, just heartburn and occasional dizziness.
We've got another ultrasound on Tuesday and I'll post a copy of it asap. Monday will be 16 weeks! Unreal!

Results are in!

2009-08-27T18:17:00.002-04:00

Got the bloodwork back from the Doc today. Perfectly normal results!

1 in 4,500 chance for Downs Syndrome.
1 in 10,000 chance for Trisomy 18.

I'll take those odds any day. Doc says everything continues to look grrrrrreat!

Laughing

2009-08-27T12:24:00.002-04:00

Oldie but a goodie. This kid has made over 90 million people laugh. Quite an accomplishment.

So funny

2009-08-26T17:47:00.000-04:00

One of Gigi's co-workers put this together. Thanks, Nancy!

12 weeks

2009-08-24T16:56:00.004-04:00

So, Gigi and I heard our baby's heartbeat for the first time today. It. Was. AWESOME. Music to our ears. Baby was jumping around, opening and closing its mouth, and seemed to be having a great time, especially for a Monday.

Follow up appointment to discuss all the tests and measurements on Weds, but the technician told us everything still looks great!

From this angle, Baby seems to have gotten Mom's cute little nose, and Dad's giant forehead. Lucky!

One in the oven...

2009-08-20T18:09:00.002-04:00

A little background...

2009-08-20T17:22:00.004-04:00

Gigi and I were introduced back in 1996 by a mutual friend, Harry Roman. We were all attending UT San Antonio and had some classes together. Gigi and I were each involved in relationships when we met, but I felt an instant attraction and knew I wanted to be much more than just classmates. Eventually our friendship grew and we started spending more and more time together. I finally worked up the courage to ask her out in March 1999. We've been together ever since, over 10 years!

We graduated in 2000 and moved to NYC where we moved into our first apartment together. After about 6 months of living together in a TINY apartment I knew I couldn't live without her, and proposed to her on Dec 19, 2000. We took our time and enjoyed a nice long engagement, waiting to get married until October 19, 2002.

We had an amazing wedding near Gigi's hometown in south Texas. Lots of friends and family and a really, really, really good time. Just sayin.

We then took off for a beautiful honeymoon in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. This was just the first of many incredible trips together. We both love to travel and see new places and so far have visited Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Cayman Islands, Belize, Mexico, and recently Italy. We've got one more trip planned before Baby Russo arrives and I guess that will be our babymoon trip. We'll be heading to Puerto Vallarta in December for a friend's wedding. Stoked!

So, we've had almost 7 years of wedded bliss and have really formed an incredibly solid and stable relationship as a couple. I can't think of anything I would have done differently to prepare ourselves to be the best parents possible. We've been through good times and bad, sickness and health, richer and poorer, and we're still totally in love. We're the best of friends, and are so excited to welcome a new member to our family.

And so it begins...

2009-08-20T16:28:00.000-04:00

Gigi and I found out that she was pregnant on Thursday, July 2nd. I flew back from a business trip to Milwaukee that morning and arrived at home around 10:30. She met me at the door with a small pen box saying, "Look what I found! Open it!". I opened it and saw a white pen-like object with a digital screen that said "YES". I've never been happier to receive a pissed on piece of plastic.

We had a trip to Maine planned for the July 4th weekend so we giddily packed up and hit the road with a couple friends. The whole ride up we kept exchanging knowing glances and huge smiles. We were off on the adventure of a lifetime...