Going Home!

Hooray!!!  My first chance to dress my brand new baby girl!  This is gonna be fun...!

It's A Girl!!!

For years now, I have dreamed of blogging those three words!!!  It's a GIRL!!!!  Coming in on her due date via C-Section at 10:39 am, 8 pounds, 10 ounces, 21 inches, we happily greeted our new baby girl, Capri Catherine!  It's funny but while I thought I would be much more relaxed going into surgery the second time around, it was actually the opposite, as I had terrible anxiety - probably a combination of the surgery nerves/terrifying temporary paralysis and the not knowing the sex.  The first 10 minutes seemed like hours, BUT once I saw this tiny precious creature and heard her cry, I don't remember any more of the surgery and all I could think was how happy I was that I got my baby girl!

I'm so grateful that Tony got everyone's reaction when he let Luca announce the birth to everyone in the waiting room - it's such a special moment, but unfortunately the mommy never gets to be there!

And I am also very grateful that Zio Greg got Luca and Capri's first meeting on camera!  Such a precious scene...

Capri brought Luca a gift when she met him, a new Silver Surfer doll - I think she made a good impression!  He really seemed to be enamored by her, not wanting to let her go.  He took a nap with me in my hospital bed that afternoon and when he woke up, he took a moment to look around and remember where he was and why, then he saw Aunt Cat holding Capri at the end of the bed and he looked at me and asked "Can we have our baby back now?"  So sweet! 


Hooray!  Our family is complete!!!

Third Tri's A Charm

It is just amazing to me how different of a pregnancy this one is from Luca - last time, my third trimester was plagued by horrible carpal tunnel requiring me to sleep on the couch, along with crazy swollen ankles and hands.  This time around, I'm still comfortably in heels to the very end, wearing my wedding ring with no problem, keeping up with my 3 mile walks, and sleeping great. 

Who know if this is because this one's a girl or if it's simply because it's the second time and my body isn't shocked so much...or maybe even just the time of year?!  Other than feeling great, the other wonderful difference about this pregnancy is getting to see everything through Luca's eyes.  At one point, he just stared at me and said "Mommy, your belly button is going CRAZY!"  I love talking to him about the baby to see how much is really registering with him.  One day, we were sitting on the bed in his room and he looked inside the crib, which we have been using as a giant toy chest, and he said, "We have to move the toys so the baby can 'way' down!" 
He's even started to "play" with the baby, balancing his little super hero figures on my belly to watch the baby kick them off!  Now that we are getting closer to the big day, we've tried to prepare him for what's going to happen, explaining that he is going to stay with Mimi or Nonna while the doctor takes the baby out of mommy's tummy, but that he will then get to come meet the baby in the hospital.  Yesterday morning, he told me that if the doctor breaks the baby, he will help to put it back together!  So sweet...I sure hope he is as happy to meet his sibling as he thinks he is...just a few more days until we find out!

Congratulations, Cat and Doug!

Congrats to Cat and Doug who got engaged Father's Day weekend!  And a big congrats to Doug for pulling off the super sweet surprise proposal Disneyland day! 

To celebrate the impending nuptials, mom and dad hosted an engage- ment party at Steak House 55 at the Disneyland Hotel.  Looking forward to the fun year ahead!  The big day is set for July 12, 2014!

Ladies That Lunch

This year for Mothers' Day, Tony's dad treated all the moms to a fancy outing of our choice. 

It took us two months to coordinate all of our schedules, but boy was it worth the wait!  We enjoyed a lovely afternoon at the Langham in Pasadena for their Tiffin Tea in the Lobby Lounge.  The little sandwiches were delicious and the pastries were incredible!  But most importantly, it was just a fun and relaxing afternoon out without the boys!

Monsters 'N Inc!

Lucky little Luca got a fun surprise mid-week visit from Zio Greg Tuesday night who volunteered to relieve Raquel until I got home from work.  We all went to see the new Monsters University movie, or as Luca calls it, "Monsters "N Inc!"  This kid LOVES his Zio Greg!  Poor thing is gonna go nuts when he finds out he's going back to school at the end of August!

The King and I...and Candlelight!

A fun night out at the theater to celebrate Mom's birthday, we went to see The King and I at the Candlelight Pavillion.  My first time there - what a lovely way to see a show!  No rushing from dinner to the theater to make it in time for the curtain - this was a comfortable one-stop-shop with dinner and the show in one place!  Maybe in a few years, we will be there to see Gregory perform!

Lunch at Downtown Disney

Well, the picture is not very clear, but we clearly had a great time!  Ange and Aunt Velene invited all of us to lunch at the Rainforest Café at Downtown Disney.  What a cool place!  Luca is wearing a Batman shirt with cape, a frog hat, and a tool belt...crazy kid! 

Our Favorite Music Man

This year, Top Billing Entertainment's summer production was The Music Man.  Gregory wasn't sure if he'd be able to participate this time because auditions were held prior to his coming home from his Freshman year, but luckily, the director saved just the part for him...the tenor of the barbershop quartet!  He even grew his own mustache!