GummyBear



8 Week doctor visit!  All the tests came back great so far.  Baby is developing normally and on target.  You can see the little leg and arm buds now.  Jason was by my side and we were able to see him move (or wiggle).  We also listened to his heart beat.  It was amazing!  I am so tired  but unbelievably happy right now.  The doctor said this is the "gummy bear" stage because that is what they look like...I thought it was cute.  Due date is April 22.  I think I'm going to get a musical playlist ready.  

DU

Jason & I had our orientation for graduate school this morning. It was pretty exciting and all I could think about is how fun it is going to be to raise Angelo near such a great campus while exposing him to responsible college life atmosphere. He loves skating on the beautiful campus and he will be a part of our student activities for sure. The baby will be 1 when we graduate!

Big Brother

Angelo has been an only child in our home for some time.  Getting used to the idea that another kid will be joining in his space may be gradual.  Angelo's transition to Colorado has been super smooth.  He worked so hard this summer helping to move in to our new home.  He has loved the fact that we live a few blocks down from a cool skate shop and has enjoyed the many skate parks that Denver has to offer.  In the summer, Angelo went to The Edge summer camp in Tennessee with our church from Georgia.  He also went to a skateboard camp here in Denver.  He enjoyed getting to know his cousins in Denver, camping out in the tree house in Pueblo, and spending time with Grandpa & Grandma Montoya while they were here.  His favorite restaurant is Waffle Brothers and he has joined a new youth group.  He also has been pretty busy since school started.  We found a great school that has the small feel of a private school but thankfully, it's a public school.  As an 8th grader, he was the only new kid to join the group.  The school has aprox. 50 8th graders divided into two classes.  The school has high parent involvement so Jason & I will be busy with him too this year.  He made the Slavens Soccer Team and has played in two games so far.  The thing that he is most looking forward to this year is Sea Camp.  The 8th graders will be going on a field trip to San Diego for one week to study Marine Biology.  They will be dissecting squids and snorkeling in the ocean. 
So, there are lots of new things going on the the Vitello household.  Angelo has been such a great help to us and we know that he will do the same once the baby arrives.  Angelo said that he wants to be the one to teach the baby music.  Angelo is going to be a great big brother.  We have much to look forward to.

The Expecting Father

Jason has been super amazing. Every time I turn around, he is there with a glass of water. I bought him a book called, The Expecting Father - What to Expect and he has been reading it while giving me tips.  I was alone at the doctor's office when I first found out and I had no idea how to tell him.  I wanted to do something cute and special but my head was going crazy.  He called to check up on me and I had to pretend like things were cool.  When I left the hospital, I thought that I would drive to campus and buy a DU onesie and have him open it up.  The only problem was that I had no idea where the bookstore was.  So I drove to Barnes & Noble, picked up a blank card with cute birds in a tree and wrote:  "Our Family Tree is Now Plus One.  What a happy day!  After such a long road we thank God for this gift, Our gift!  I can't wait to do this with you, the man I love.  Signed, a mommy-to-be."  So, I know that Hallmark will not be knocking down my door asking me to write verses for their cards, but it is what came out at a time of absolute bliss and a hurricane of emotions.  We talked about the Italian name Luciano which means light.  I love it and it's shared by Jason's grandfather.   In addition, I just found out that it was also the middle name of my grandfather Pedro Montoya.  We will have lots of time to finalize that detail but it's fun to think about.   Jason has proven to be a great father so that really makes me happy.

The Big News

On Sept. 2, 2010, Jason & I found out that we were pregnant. 
Words cannot express our joy!  After such a long journey we feel blessed by God for this gift.  It truly is something surreal.  On Sept. 2, we told Angelo about his new sibling.  Sept. 3, we told Grandma & Grandpa Montoya.  Sept. 4, our siblings and Grandma & Grandpa Vitello found out.  At this point, the baby is only 6 weeks old!  I was able to see the baby's heartbeat on the monitor in the doctor's office.  So amazing.
Both sets of grandparents said prayers giving thanks to God for our little creation. 
I decided to create this informal blog so that family and close friends can stay updated if they chose to.  While I love Facebook, Jason & I love our privacy.  To those of you who know my personal journey with cancer and treatments, you can imagine our pleasant surprise.  We are praying for a healthy baby and a healthy pregnancy.  Everything looks good right now.  I underwent lots of tests and should be getting the results next week.  I'm having "night sickness", headaches, and feel so tired all the time.  They say this is all normal.