Maddie and Daddy

This Thanksgiving I am reminded how blessed I am to have such an amazing family. I have always appreciated my immediate and extended family, but having a new little one of my own has changed my outlook so much. Having a daugther brings such joy to my life in a way that I never could have imagined. How is it possible to think that your life is complete then this new little person comes into your world and you can't imagine how you ever functioned without her?

I know much of that joy wouldn't be there without my wonderful husband by my side. As I told him the other day, I can not remember a time when I was ever happier. Don't get me wrong, life is not easy right now....sleepless nights, juggling schedules, going back to work, dealing with stresses of job and family. But I am happy....or better said content. As I said Mike is a big part of this. It is amazing how good he is with Maddie. He has the patience of a saint, walking her and rocking her to sleep at night. He will wak up early on the weekends to take care of her so I can get a few extra minutes of sleep in.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Maddie and Daddy time over the past 3 months.

Story time in the mornings on the weekends are a favorite time for both Maddie and Daddy.

2 Months Old

Well little Miss Maddie is officially 8 weeks old. We had her 2 month Dr. appointment on Friday and our little one is 'just beautiful' as the pediatrician said. Maddie is up to 9 lbs. now and has grown for 21.5 inches long. I have a lot of friends that say she is still so tiny and that they had babies that were born 9 pounds, but we think she is perfect. She has grown almost 3 lbs. since birth and has grown 3 inches. Although her weight only puts her in the 8th percentile and her height in the 15th the doctor said that we shouldn't worry about that at all, as she was little when she was born. We are just glad that she is growing and getting bigger.....even with all of the spitting up she is doing.

Speaking of spitting up, we are still battling the acid reflux. Maddie spits up after almost every meal. Sometimes a little.....but usually a lot. We have resorted to keeping her in bibs most of the day rather then changing her clothes 5-6 times. The medication that the doctor put her on has seemed to help with the pain that she has when she is spitting up, which is a blessing for both Maddie and her parents. The doctor suggested weighing her milk with cereal to help it stay down and gave us some special formula to try as well. However, we are still suspicious of a possible milk allergy as the trigger for some of the more 'powerful' reflux and looking at exploring that as well.

Along with Maddie's check up to day she had her first round of immunizations. She did fantastic....or as well as a 2 month old can when given 3 shots. However I think that the trip to the doctors and the shots wore her out because when we went to the DeSales football game that night she feel asleep about 6:30 and didn't wake up until 4:00 the next morning! She then ate for about 50 minutes and quickly fell back to sleep....along with Daddy on the couch.

Madison's first official high school football game.....dressed as a pumpkin in honor of Halloween the next day. She slept through the whole thing, including the marching band that was playing 5 feet in front of her.
The little one woke up long enough for me to get her from the front pack to the car seat and then fell asleep on the way home....only to sleep until 4:00 the next morning.

Maddie and Daddy back to sleep Saturday morning after both having a busy, tiring Friday night.

Fall Fun

The Porretta family has been busy the past few weeks. Maddie is keeping Mommy and Daddy on their toes. She tried drinking out of a bottle for the first time and after a rough start seems to like it pretty well. She drinks much better there now as opposed to breast feeding where she sometimes just likes to 'hang out'. I will think that she is done after 3-4 min. of no sucking, only to take her away and have her cry and cry and cry until I let her nurse again.

Speaking of nursing we are trying to figure out what is making her so fussy and spitting up all the time. We think that it is something that I am eating in addition to the bad acid reflux she is experiencing. So for the last week I have eliminated all dairy, chocolate, spices, acidic fruits and gassy vegetables from my diet. (Oatmeal and chicken breast are my new staple foods.....sounds yummy huh?) Slowly I am trying to reintroduce various items back to see how they affect her. We have found that she gets fussier, sometimes with increased spit up...more like vomit....and sometimes diarrhea when I eat milk products. We have an appointment with the pediatrician on Fri. for her 2 month check up and we plan on talking to her about it then. We are thinking though that the problem right now might be a dairy allergy. (Maybe it was the over abundance of soft serve yogurt that I craved during pregnancy that is finally catching up to me!)

But in between all the the dirty burp clothes, loads of laundry and tears....sometimes from Maddie and sometimes from Mommy....we have had some fun times too. Here are some of the things that we have been up to this month.

We watched Daddy marching the the Otterbein Homecoming Parade and play 'Old Man River' with the Alumni Band.

Later that night we went to the 100 Years of Band concert at Otterbein to hear him play again. Mommy was worried because I usually get fussy at night and the concert was 8:00. I cried the entire way to the concert, but as soon as the music started I was happy and even danced to a few songs. However, when the music stopped at the end of the evening I was really sad......and cried the whole way home.

I looked super cute in my October outfit.


Mommy and Daddy took me to Boo at the Zoo. I dressed up as a pumpkin and lots of people told me how cute I looked. I didn't hear them though because I slept most of the time we were there.

When we were at the zoo a really scary tiger came up and roared at us. At first it really scared me until I realized it was just my cousin Carson. We had fun later riding the train together. I can't wait until I am a little bigger and we can have more fun playing together.

Bumbo Fun!

Now that Miss Maddie can hold her head up we broke out the Bumbo chair this week. We were a little unsure if she would like it, but it was a success. We love it too! It has been great to sit her in while we are eating dinner at the table or take it upstairs to sit while we are do laundry. I enjoy having her so close when she is up and alert. This way we can still talk and play while I get some things done around the house!

At first she wasn't too sure of what to think about the chair.

Then she cried.......

and now it's not so bad!

Our first official meal at the table as a family.

(Technically Maddie is ON the table, but that's OK)

One happy baby who is smiling more and more each day.

Its all worth it.

Well it has been an intesting few weeks. Just when we think we have Miss Maddie figured out, she throws us for a loop. About 2 weeks ago went to the doctor because Maddie just wasn't her self...spitting up a lot, not nursing as well, crying all the time and hardly sleeping during the day....we found out Maddie has severe acid reflux. There really isn't much we can do.....other then hope that she out grows it. The doctor did give us some medication that would help with the pain in her esophagus. It seemed to help and Maddie was acting a little more like herself....even doing well on a long weekend trip to New York to visit family.



That however was short lived. Last week the crying started back up again. During the day it wasn't as bad. She would still cry after she spit up, but it wasn't the wailing cry that it was before thanks in part to the Zantax the Dr. prescribed. However evenings were/are a different story. About 6:00 each night we would start with our crying spell. Nothing we could do would calm her down. Mike and I spent our evenings walking around the circle of the house bouncing, shhhhing, and trying to calm her down. I am so thankful to have Mike to take this journey with. It seems like when one of us is at our wit's end the other one is refreshed and ready to step in.



The constant crying lasted for about a week until we discovered our new best friend.....the vacuum cleaner! It seems to be the only thing that will calm her down. The only problem is that when you shut it off....she starts crying again. So needless to say our carpets are really clean! We have even resorted to getting out the old sweeper to run just so we don't wear our regular one out (however that just might be the way to get that DYSON that I have always wanted).



Maddie seems to be doing a little better these last few days. She still spits up A LOT after almost every meal and doesn't seems to be in as much discomfort as long as she has her medicine. She has started sleeping through the night.....once we can get her to fall to sleep that is. I don't know if it's her feeling better or us just finding the 'tricks' that work best for us. In any case, we are still trudging along. This road called parenting is filled with bumps and roadblocks and twists and turns. Occasionally though, as we are driving along we see an amazing view that reminds us of God's special gift to us and why we love our little one so much.......no matter how sleep deprived, stressed or covered in spit up we are.

One Month Check Up

We had our one month check up today. The little one is up to 8 lbs. exactly and is now 19.5 inches long. I can't believe that she has gained a pound and a half in just 5 weeks. The doctor said that she is 'beautiful'.....and we would agree. Now, if we could only get this acid reflux in line. The medicine has seemed to help her pain when spitting up....but she still spits up ALL THE TIME. So, we have resorted to having burp clothes strategically placed around the house and a bib on her after feedings!

Next month we go back and she gets her shots. Mommy is not looking forward to that one. We'll have to make sure that Daddy goes with us to that one....for moral support for us both! Because as you can see Miss Maddie is a Daddy's girl.

This weekend we had our first trip to Coshocton. What else could we have done then to go to the County Fair? We had a great time seeing the animals, visiting with family and friends....and of course sleeping. Maddie did a great job at her first fair. We can't wait to go back next year when she is older and can really start to notice things like the animals, and pumpkins and smell all the yummy fair food.

This was also the first time that many of our family members on the Wells side of the family have gotten to see Maddie. Some people like Papa Joe and Gammie Gwen have visited before but it's always nice to spend more time with them. Here are some of the people that miss Maddie got to meet this past weekend.

Uncle Jimmy got to hold me....and I didn't even cry! He is expecting his own little one in March. I can't wait to meet him/her and have fun playing over the years.

Papa Joe loved my pumpkin feet and I loved the horse barn. Maybe in a few months I'll get to sit on one of the horses.


Aunt Jacquie knew just how to calm me down. My cousing JD got to meet me for the first time too. I hope that soon he will take me for a ride with his pony Tucker.

Gammie Gwen waited so patiently to hold me all day.....but when she did I decided I was hungry. I promise I'll be better next time Gammie!

I had a great time at the fair and met so many people and saw so many new things. I didn't pet any of the animals, so for now my cow lovey will have to do.

Our First Month

We have had a busy first month. Maddie is getting used to us....and we are getting used to her. I am amazed at how much she has changed in just 3 1/2 weeks now. Mike and I often sit and wonder just how much more she will change or what she will be like when she gets older. We love our little girl and are so blessed to have her in our lives. We know that she will bring us both joy and frustration in the weeks, months and years to come.....and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Maddie had many 'firsts' this month. One of her 'firsts' was a road trip to NY to visit her Great Grandparents and her cousins.

Great Grandma and Grandpa Porretta

Great Grandma Jane

'First' major blowout..........more to come I am guessing.

First college game day. Hanging out with Daddy and watching all of the games on a Saturday afternoon. Mommy really appreciates this because it gives her a chance to go to the store and pick up groceries or just catch a cat nap.

First bath! Miss Maddie didn't like it at first, but has quickly taken to the tub. She now starts crying when we turn the water off and take her out of the tub.

A long time coming

I know it's been a while since I've posted last, but things have just gotten away from me. Not that I plan on having much free time in the coming months, but I hope to be a little better about keeping the page up to date. So to catch everyone up on the BIG changes in our lives the past few months........we are no longer a family of 2 but a family of 3!

Madison (Maddie) Faith Porretta was born at 12:23 am on Sept. 2, 2009.

Our precious little one weighed in at 6 lb. 7 oz. and was 18 1/2 in. long.

Maddie looks A LOT like her Daddy and already has him tied around her tiny little finger.

While she has Daddy's looks, she has much of Mom's personality. She has a mind and a will of her own. She likes being in charge and to do things on her time and in her own way....often resulting in Mommy being tired from LONG nights up.

But Momma loves her little Maddie bug and wouldn't change her for the world!

We can't wait to share more pictures of Maddie over the next few months as she changes and grows. We know that there will be stories to share and memories to be made. Thank you in advance to all of out families and friends who will help makes those memories possible and for loving little Miss Maddie as much as we do.

Early Easter Memories

I know that it's been a long time since I have posted.......but not much has happened. Both Mike and I have been busy with school. I however enjoyed some days or R and R last week on my spring break. It was wonderful to get things done around the house, start to work on the baby's room, make fresh pasta for later in the month and a big kettle of sauce. I told Mike that I could get used to this staying at home thing!

He is in Florida this week enjoying the wonderful weather........while it is now snowing outdie my windo in Ohio....and watching Dom play baseball. However, with him being gone, he missed out at the early Easter Egg Hunt at Dad and Gwens. Oh well......he'll be here next year and there will be one more little bunny hunting eggs!

Jeff, Carson and JD hunting eggs.

The boys and the bunny of the hour.

A hill of flowers and two little boys.

Mom and son/daughter & Mom and son.

Amazing Artwork

I know that it has been a while since I've posted, but there really hasn't been anything new and exciting going on. Mike is busy with his high school musical. I am getting back in the swing of things with lessons and trying to rest up on the weekends as much as I can. In reflecting both of us have realized that sometimes we take life too fast and don't stop to really take time and enjoy those things around us. Thanks to an email from my sister, I was forced to do that today. Here are some amazing photos that one can't help but to stop and take in the beauty of. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

This is a realy little girl sitting on the lily pad. The rest is calk art.

This little boy is standing on flat pavement! He is not drawn in. The chalk painting is all done by hand.

Much needed weekend away

Mike and I had a much needed mini-vacation this weekend. With the baby coming, work and just the stresses of everyday life we decided that we needed a little alone time. Time away from the work that we bring home, the phone calls from family....just time away to enjoy being a couple.

We headed down to Cincinnati Sunday after church, checked into our hotel and headed to The Melting Pot for dinner. It is one of our favorite places to eat....but we only get there on 'special occasions'. Well this was a special occasion and we had a great time. After a nice dinner we decided to for go the chocolate fondue and head back to the hotel. However, both of our sweet teeth kicked in and we stopped at McDonald's for an ice cream sundae. That evening we just relaxed at the hotel and caught up on some of our favorite TV shows including the brand new season of amazing race.

Monday we headed over to the IKEA factory in West Chester. We had a few things that we were looking for like some baby furniture and a sofa table. We found everything that we were looking for and more. We quickly decided that we would be able to spend a heck of a lot of money there with out realizing it. The baby furniture that we thought we liked in the catalogue, we didn't like in the store. However we found a sofa table we loved and picked up some new china and a board for rolling out my pasta!! It was a great day, only to be made better by a stop in the food court on the way out the door for some soft serve ice cream and one tasty cinnamon roll.

After stopping by the in-laws in the way home we settled back in at the house to get ready for the rest of the week. I am reminded that sometimes we need to make sure that we have a little 'us' time in our busy lives. I know that we see each other every day, but at times you just got through life and forget to make those connections......or you just take them for granted. I also realized that time together doesn't have to by fancy or cost a lot of money. It can be as simple as walking around a giant store for 5 hours and spending $3.00 in the food court.

A weekend with friends

This weekend Mike and I were able to get together with some old college friends. We had a fantastic time. So many times we get caught up in our day to day lives and miss out on the joy of just sitting and laughing and having fun.

We've decided that the OC gang needs to get together more often. I mean we all live in the same town, but we rarely get together. So far we've gotten together it at least once a month since Christmas! Sometimes it's dinner out, this weekend it was fajita and Wii night at the Porretta household. I know that doesn't seem like much it's a start and a monthly tradition that we hope to continue.

Here are some of the highlights from the evening.

There was going to be a video here.....but it doesn't want to load!

This is me trying my best to hula hoop. I must say that my hips aren't moving as fast as they used to.....and may did this get me tired quick! I must say thank you to my wonderful husband for taping my performance.....which I was unaware of at the time!

Jami and Allison rocking it out on Guitar Hero. Whoever knew Eye of the Tiger would sound so great?

Mike and Brad showing the girls how it is really done!

Childhood Survey

I am up late tonight because I have heartburn and can't get to sleep. I came across this survey about your childhood. I think that some of you probably know most of my answers already and some of you might be a little surprised. For others it might explain some things!

Here are my answers. Mike filled in his answers too. His are in green and mine are in black. As we are starting our own family I can only wonder how our child will answer these same questions 30 years from now.

1. How far back can you remember your childhood (how old)?: I remember going to see Babes in Toyland in Kindergarten. I guess that would be age 5. About 3
2. Who would you say had the biggest part in raising you?: Mom and Dad. Both for different reasons My Mom
3. Name 3 of your favorite childhood toys.: My Cabbage Patch Doll Julie, Rusifee my stuffed something or other, any Barbie that we had. Legos, Thumb Wrestlers, Nintendo...........I was also very fond of my stuffed spiderman that had velcro on his hands and feet as well as my CHiP's motorcycle.
4. What was your favorite Disney movie?: Just one..... I loved and still do love all of them! If I had to choose my top would be The Little Mermaid. I didn't really like them all that much but if I had to choose......101 Dalmatians. Peter Pan was ok too, I guess.
5. Favorite cartoon?: Gummi Bears or Smurfs There were way too many to name them all but a few of the favorites were: HeMan, ThunderCats, Gummi Bears, Smurfs, Tom. and Jerry (but I wasn't allowed to watch it.....to violent) and GIJoe......I know what you are thinking but it's true.......GIJoe, good....Tom and Jerry, bad.
6. Were your parents together for most of your childhood?: All my childhood. I couldn't have asked for better parents. Yes and still are today
7. Were you an only child?: No....I was the middle child. (I know that explains a lot for some of you) No....the oldest of 3 boys.
8. Where did you live at the age of 4?: Coshocton, Ohio .......on the farm Brockport, NY
9. Where were you born?: Coshocton, Ohio.....at the hospital not the farm! Wilmington, DE
10. Do you know how much you weighed at birth?: 7lbs. 14 oz??? 7lbs. 3 oz.
11. What was your first word?: According to Mom it was 'ganna'....which for those of you who don't speak toddler....it's Janna. From what I hear once I said it I wouldn't stop...over and over again. 'da da'........baby talk for Dad
12. How old were you when you took your first steps?: I wasn't sure so Mom filled me in. First step was at 7 months and was more of a run then a walk. She said I had one speed.....fast.....or I crashed. (Much like me today!) 8 1/2 months......not a very timid walker but not a crazy man like on the go Julie!!! (however I was potty trained a half month later.....something I am quite proud of to this day!)
13. Were you a mama or daddy's girl/boy?: I would say neither. I was pretty independent. A little of both.....I didn't like to disappoint anyone. I was more of a Mamma's boy and still am today.
14. Did you know all of your grandparents?: All but my Dad's mom, she died when he was a little boy. Yes.
15. Ever get spanked?: Spanked no.....soap in the mouth.....yes. Once, because I ran out into the street but it was more like a pat.
16. What elementary school/schools did you attend?: Conesville St. Peter's Catholic Elementary School.
17. Did you ride the bus?: In 6th grade and I thought it was the best thing in the world!! Only in Middle School and I HATED it.
18. Did you take your lunch to school or eat cafeteria food?: Usually ate at school. Sue Adams was the BEST cook. Most of the time I took my lunch to school, but I can remember buying every once and a while.
19. Who was your favorite elementary school teacher?: Mrs. Pooley Either my 1st or 3rd grade teachers.....I can't remember their names. I did NOT like Mrs. Jinjrazack.....I do remember that name.
20. Did you have any special names for your grandparent?: Nope...just Grandma and Grandpa Just my grandpa on my mom's side......PopPop
21. How old were your parents when you were born?: Dad was 30 mom was 25??? Dad was 29, Mom and 26
22. Were you named after anyone?: My Great Great Grandma and a student that my mom had in class My middle name is after my Dad.
23. What was your favorite candy?: Butterfinger All of them......I was a little bit of a chunker growing up. If I had to pick one favorite it would be bubble gum cigarettes........(this coming from the asthma prone man who almost passed out at his first personal training session this year)
24. Favorite board/card game?: Clue.........and I HATED Monopoly. I really liked this game called Labyrinth. I, unlike Julie, like and still like to this day the game Monopoly.
25. Did you have an imaginary friend?: Nope....lots of cousins and siblings to keep me busy. No.....I didn't have an imagination so having an imaginary friend was not an option.
26. Were you very close with your family, other than immediate?: Yes. My cousins were more like brothers and sisters. No.....we lived too far away.
27. Who was your best childhood friend?: It changed throughout school, but probably the one who I played with the most was my sister Janna and my cousin Amy. In elementary school it was Jonathan and Davis. In middle school.........well lets just say those are 2 years of my life that I don't remember with fond memories. In high school and college it would be Matt....hands down.
28. What kind of neighborhood did you live in?: A farm isn't a neighborhood. We lived in a subdivision........2 different ones in NC along with a rental house and a subdivision when we moved up to Ohio.
29. Did you ever go to day care?: Not a day care center, but went to the baby sitter's during the day. Yes....but not a real one. I went to a lady's house where I got to sit on her son's motorcycle, eat Captain Crunch and take naps on the sofa. I also picked strawberries and green beans from her garden.....I know I can't even believe it now. But, don't worry I made sure I washed my hands when I was done.
30. Ever go to summer camp?: YES!!! 4-H camp at Camp Ohio and many sports camps NO
31. Are you still good friends with anyone you grew up with?: Yep Other then Matt...no.
32. What did you want to be when you grew up?: A doctor For the longest time it was Wonder Woman.....seriously. Later on I really wanted to be an astronaut (until the shuttle blew up) and then an architect. However I wasn't good in math so I never followed my dream.
33. Would you say you were spoiled?: No No.
34. What were you scared of the most as a child?: Snakes Messing up, disappointing my parents, using scissors, the dark, the tape we use to listen to in Kindergarten about Chicken little and the sky falling.....I couldn't get to sleep during nap time because we listened to it almost every day, snakes, dogs, spiders (we had the jumping kind in NC), getting dirty......do I really need to go on? I think you get the point.
35. What's your favorite childhood memory?: Summer Adventures with Janna, Amy, Matt and Robbie Trips to NY to visit my family.

Latest Update

I have been getting a lot of grief from people because I haven't posted much on the site lately. Unfortunately I don't have any fun pictures, but here is a quick update of what has been going on so far.

1. Cold Weather - About 2 weeks ago we were hit with FRIGID temperatures and snow. Cold temps. mean bad things for the upstairs bathroom at the Porretta house. The toilet is on an outside wall and ever since we moved in when it gets really cold out, the toilet won't fill back up. We know it's a problem, but the pipes are in the floor and we just dealt with it for the day and used another bathroom. Well last week our procrastination in dealing with it caught up to us. We had a pipe freeze and break causing water to pour out all over the kitchen floor. We were lucky that the pip burst in the over hang of the house and didn't damage any walls or ceilings. It did however drip into the basement which now gives us a reason to go though the boxes of old papers and school things that were just sitting down there.

2. Cold Weather Strikes Again - This past week we got hit with another batch of snow. Not quite so cold as the last one, but this one came with enough snow and ice to give both Mike and I two days off of school. Mike spent much of his first day shoveling snow and being the loving husband while I laid on the couch and slept....(see baby website for more info on that issue). We ventured out on our second day to have lunch at one of our favorite eateries.....Cafe Shishkabab. It's a Turkish Restaurant that has great lunch specials, but we don't get to partake in them because we are at school every day. The road were ok by us the over in Arlington where the restaurant is was another thing. I do have to give Mike A LOT of credit. He kept his comments pretty calm about the other crazy drivers during the trip.......maybe he was just playing it safe based on my mood the previous 2 days. But overall it was a nice two days and a few days of relaxing time that we both really enjoyed.

3. Baby Planning - It has been fun talking baby plans, names, colors, etc. It seems that everyone has an opinion on things. From names to finding out the sex to what the kid is going to be when it grows up. Mike and I had a lot of fun looking a cribs and baby furniture online and in stores this week. Mike being the planner even made up a diagram of our 'ideal baby room'. However most of the things that we found to put in that we like are from Pottery Barn the the grand total of the room was like $7000 with out any paint or bedding!!!! However it's fun to plan to dream and think. We have another Dr.'s appointment coming up this week and if there is any news to share we will let people know what it is.

Hug those ones that you love.

We often times get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives and forget to let those around us know just how much we care about them. Unfortunately it can take a tragic event to remind us to tell our loved ones just how much they mean to us.

This past weekend my Aunt Bev passed away unexpectedly while watching a movie at home with her husband. She feel asleep during the movie and didn't wake up. This hit really close to home because she was the age of my parents. Her kids are my sister and my ages.

Each moment that we have on this earth is a gift and we can sometimes take that for granted. I just wanted to tell my family and friends how much you mean to me. I know that many of us are separated by miles and don't get to see each other often. There are those of us that live 10 miles apart but our lives are so busy that it makes it hard to connect at times. What I want to tell each and everyone of you is that I love you and am so blessed to have you in my life.

Getting to know you......I mean me!

Here is the latest getting to know me. The last one was Christmas style. This one is just your average how well do you know me. Thanks again to Diane for sending this one along.

1. What is your occupation right now? Elementary Music Teacher

2. What color are your socks right now? Not wearing any......just slippers

3. What are you listening to right now? Marshall McPeck on NBC4 telling me about the weather

4. What was the last thing that you ate? A grapefruit, bagel and a glass of chocolate milk

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Only in an emergancy situation!!

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Mike

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Sure do!!

8. How old are you today? 27

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Basketball
10. What is your favorite drink? Used to be Mountain Dew.....but no caffeine for me anymore. :(

11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes

12. Favourite food? It changes will the week lately. Last week it was chicken.

13. What is the last movie you watched? Madagascar 2

14. Favourite holiday of the year? Christmas

15. How do you vent anger? Cry

16. What was your favorite toy as a child? My cabbage patch kids or my barbies

17. What is your favorite season? Summer and fall.

18. Cherries or Blueberries? Blueberries

19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? Yes

20. Who is the most likely to respond? This doesn't really apply to this one now.

21. Who is least likely to respond? See above.

22. Living arrangements? Husband and some buns in the oven!!!
23. When was the last time you cried? All of the time.....most recently last evening!!!

24.What is on the floor of your closet? Shoes....bags...shoes...shoes.....shoes....shoes!!!

25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to? Janna

26. What did you do last night? Ate Chinese, watched OSU basketball, slept on the couch.

27. What are you most afraid of? Not being in control of things.

28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? Cheeseburg

29. Favourite dog breed? Not really a dog person.

30. Favourite day of the week? Saturday......it's the day that is the least likely to have something on it that we have to do.

31. How many states have you lived in? 1

32. Diamonds or pearls? MOST DEFINITELY DIAMONDS – NOT A PEARL GIRL!

33. What is your favorite flower? Purple Tulips

Reconnecting with Friends

This Friday Mike and I got to to hang out with the old OC crowd. Although we didn't go to Applebee's for half price appetizers like we did in college, we had a great time just catching up and spending time together.

It is amazing to see where our lives have taken us. We have had relationships some that have lasted some that have not. We've had jobs that have come and gone. Some of us have traveled and seen sights around the world that we thought that we never would. But what amazes me every time that we get together is that we will always have each other. Time may pass, seasons may change, lives may change, but we will always have our friendships.

Thanks girls for being our friends. There are so many new things in store for us all in the coming months and years. Our lives are changing so quickly around us. One thing I know we will always have though is each other.....................(and our love of half price appetizers!)

Baby on Board!

Well it is official. Our close family and friends know, but we wanted to make it public knowledge that we are expecting!!! Our first official doctor's appointment isn't until the 21st but we are guessing that our due date is going to be around the first part of September.

Not a real bump yet, but a little one!!

Both of us are very excited about the new little Porretta that is on the way, but like most new parents are a little nervous too! The past few weeks has been a roller coaster ride. We have spent time telling family and co-workers, trying to detail as much information as we can, but at this point don't have a whole lot.

A few things that I have realized in the last few weeks.
1. You can always have something to worry about. So instead of spending your time worrying about things to come and what could be, it's better to live in the moment and enjoy the time that you have.

2. I LOVE TO SLEEP. Getting back into the swing of things after the holiday break was tricky. I was sleeping in and taking naps in the afternoon and as a teacher, you can't do that once you go back to work. I've found myself getting pretty tired. Many nights I will come home from work, lay down on the couch and take a nap. Wake up and eat dinner, lay back on the couch. Mike usually wakes me up before he goes up to bed and then we go upstairs, I go back to sleep and wake up in the morning.

3. Relax and let things be what they will be. I realized that however much I want to, I can't control other people's actions. What I can control is my reaction to them. If I let myself get stressed out or upset then they have won. Plus stress isn't good for mommy or the new little one.

I know that there will be so much more that I will learn over the next few months. Mike and I will learn a lot about ourselves, our family and our new life to come. We can't wait to share the latest updates with you and will try to keep you posted as much as possible.

Movie Reviews

Mike and I have enjoyed having the last few days to do absolutely nothing. We have spent the day sleeping in a little, enjoying making and eating breakfast together and watching the Today Show in the morning. The rest of our days have been spent at the gym......getting back into shape was one of our new year's resolutions, doing shopping (both real and window) as well as catching up on some of the new movies out.

Over the last 4 days we have seen 3 movies! While our reviews might not be as accurate as Ebert and Ropert, we hope that you will enjoy them.

1. Quantum of Solice. The latest of the James Bond movies. While I must say that this James is quite an attractive Bond, this wasn't our favorite Bond movie. The plot was a little lacking of substance and a little long to get off of the ground. While there was the fair share of action, things being blown up and amazing cars the movie lacked in the 'bond girl' area. (This was Mike's observation). Over all a 3 out of 5. A good movie to watch when it comes out on video, but don't feel like you have to rush to the theater to see it.

2. Doubt- This drama details the real life story of a nun who tries to uncover and 'out' a catholic priest in her church that she suspects of inappropriate actions with some of the young boys at the catholic school. While this is not a 'feel good' movie it is one that really makes you think. There has been Oscar buzz about this film for the screen play as well as some of the actors uncluding Phillip Seymor Hoffman and Meryl Streep. Overall we give this a 4 out of 5. I would recommend going to see this movie.....if you have an interest in the subject. If not, I would pass.

3. Madagascar 2- Out of all the movies that we saw this week this one was probably our favorite. We are both suckers for the cute animated movies and often get teased by our friends for it. But, what can we say? Maybe we are both kids at heart. This movie builds on the first one, revealing how Alex the lion got to the zoo in New York. On their way back to the zoo from their last adventure through a series of events the animals find themselves on the wildness reserve in Africa where Alex is from. A series of life lessons are learned by the animals and Alex ends up saving the day in the end. The plot isn't complex, but cute. The laughs are their and the 'adult' jokes that are slipped into the plot made it an enjoyable movie for both the 40 plus 3-10 years olds that were in the theater as well as their parents......and Mike and I (the only people there without a small child in tow). This movie gets a 4 out of 5. If you are looking for a fun feel good movie and you don't mind being the only adult in a movie theater, then this one is for you.