Nursery Update

    So, yesterday morning after Malachi finally woke up we were both eating our breakfast. He decides that he wants mine so we worked on saying and signing, "please" some more. Well, he got it down and I was flipping out. It is so cool and amazing to see your little one understanding and communicating. For some reason my videos haven't been uploading here so if anyone knows an answer to my problem please help a sister out. Also, I had to clean a lot yesterday and Malachi decided that it would be a good idea to help me. You can also see in the background that he got his Easter eggs out and was playing with them. He is too much!
    Alright, here are the pictures you've been waiting for. I only took three this time to show you the finished animals and the start of the tree. It is taking Marc longer than anticipated because he has to go over the animals close to four times each. He says it's like painting it four times. Ugh! I'm so glad that he is such a dedicated husband and father.

Isn't that shading amazing?

No Time For A Break

    So, needless to say, this has been one long week in the Colonna household. There has been a lot of after school events at Lee Woodard, tutoring, assessments, and other assortments of fun. Somehow we have made it through and have arrived at another beautiful weekend. Last Saturday, we thought it would be a good idea to take Malachi to my parent's pool in the apartment complex. It has been really warm here in North Carolina and Malachi loves the water. It was still a little bit cold, but that did not stop Malachi. He was in there just a splashin' and having a grand old time. I was only brave enough to put my feet in. Later that night we went out to dinner with some friends who treated us to Chili's. Marc had helped them do a little bit of painting in their kitchen. Malachi sat in his rainforest booster the entire time we were there and never once threw a fit. It was amazing! However, he did throw some other things from time to time.
    On Monday, we had a baby check up to see how baby Kaylin was doing. Have I mentioned that before? We have decided to go with Kaylin Michelle after much debate. We are keeping the other name that was under discussion in case we need it (although, I told Marc that adoption at this point sounds good). Baby Kaylin is doing wonderful! She did give the nurse a hard time trying to find her heartbeat though. I knew she was in there though, because I can feel her moving around from time to time. She is nothing like Malachi though. Once Malachi started moving he never stopped. Now, I completely understand. That boy has so much energy that it is hard to keep up! Maybe this means that Kaylin will be more laid back. Yeah, right!

21 Weeks

    The rest of the week so just filled with meetings and after school activities. It was hard to juggle and not see my baby boy very much, but Marc did bring him to the school on Tuesday and Thursday for some quick visits. It is always nice to see his happy little face running around the school. On Wednesday, I went with Katie to Rocky Mount to visit Allison and her son Griffin. Griffin is almost 2 years old. I always love watching kids a little older than Malachi to find out the fun stuff that is in store for me and how much he is going to grow in the next few months. No wonder why parents have a hard time remembering when there children do what. It all happens so fast that it is a blur!
    Yesterday, Saturday, we went to Cary to get Malachi's Easter pictures done. I have to admit. I was a little nervous for several reasons. First, our friend Jill normally does our pictures for us and she's been really busy lately with her new job so a new women (that Jill recommended) did the pictures for us at Lundie's Photography. Second, they were scheduled for 1:00 which is right around where Malachi is usually waking up from his nap. And last, that boy doesn't like to sit still! Well, Malachi exceeded all of my expectations! I woke him up early yesterday and then put him down early for his nap. He pretty much got his full two hour morning nap! I fed him in the car on the way there. Then, it only took us 30 minutes to get all his pictures done and we even had 4 outfit changes. The lady, Beverly, was amazing and she worked so well with Malachi. I think it helped that she had an Elmo prop. For some reason, Malachi has fallen in love with Elmo.

Malachi did not want to get up yesterday

    After pictures, we went and did some baby shopping and registering. We went into Burlington Coat Factories and were shocked by all the amazing baby items. We went in there expecting to just browse and then 50 dollars later we went to Babies R Us to register for Kaylin. Let me tell you! It was much easier registering the second time then it was the first. I was so overwhelmed the first time and this time I just sailed threw the store. It was actually fun and not scary!!! Finally, we came home, met my parents for dinner, played a bit around the house, Malachi went to sleep, and Marc and I had a movie night where I actually stayed awake! Also, Marc got some for finished in the nursery last night, but I haven't looked yet. It's almost 9:00 and Malachi is still sleeping. I figured I should try to make as little noise as possible to keep this little one sleeping as long as possible. I've got blogging and lesson plans to do. LOL! Hopefully, I will post them later on today or tomorrow after our Common Core Training.

Doctor Visits

Before the monster got sick

   On Wednesday, I got a text message from my dad that Malachi had that weird barky cough again. Of course, I start freaking out. I text Marc right away and he sets up an appointment. Our original pediatrician is not there so he schedules it with someone else. I wish I could have went with, but I had a meeting after school. He tells Marc that it is not Croup Cough and it probably wasn't the last time either. Marc said the doctor said he had some fluid build up behind his ears that was making him hoarse. Hopefully, the antibiotic he prescribed will help. It has been really hard hearing him cough on the monitor at night. He is a trooper though and stays asleep even though I know it has to bother him.

    Also, on Wednesday after his long nap we went to Moe's to help the Jaycee's with a fundraiser. Malachi was a hit! Even though he was sick he was running around Moe's and have a terrific time. He's become a picky eater though. We can barely get him to eat anything but goldfish. I enjoy hearing him say "fish" and sign it to me, but I wish there was something more that he would eat. On Thursday night, he decided that it would be fun to smash some goldfish with his baseball bat. He thinks its fun, but the clean-up isn't.

Mommy and Malachi Time

    Thursday night was a peaceful night of Mommy and Malachi time. I love snuggling with him right before bedtime. This is such a great age, because he still wants me to hold him (sometimes) and I get to cuddle with him at bedtime. There is nothing better than coming home and getting kisses from your baby boy.

   Last night, we went over to my parents to have some pizza and to spend some time with them. Malachi gets a lot of Grandma and Grandpa time, but Marc and I don't get as much. It was nice just hanging out with them, eating some Papa John's, and get a little break.
    This morning I told Marc that I would get up with Malachi since he was going to work on the nursery. I'll try to update some pictures this weekend. I actually got a lot done, surprisingly, but the only way I could was to let Malachi play with the pots and pans. Needless to say, I don't think that daddy ended up getting much sleep. He was so cute though! It seemed like he got out every pot and pan that we have in our cupboard. Also, he tried to find the matching lid for each pan. How adorable is our little man? We are looking forward to a relaxing weekend with not much to do.

A "Fishy" Weekend

Kaylin Michelle Colonna

   I have been under the weather the last few days with a nasty sinus infection so it's been hard for me to blog at night. Let's try to see if I can catch you up on everything that has happened. On Friday, we woke up pretty early with our once late riser. I think now that he has gotten a hold of this walking thing he wants to get up and start moving. It doesn't bother me as much though, because now I can see him before I go to work. Our ultrasound was on Friday morning so we got to see baby Kaylin for the last time before she joins the family. She is looking good. They told us she is 11 ounces and all organs look healthy. Her heartbeat was at 155. It is still just amazing to me (even on the second child) that there is a baby growing inside of me. It is truly a miracle from God.

It's a girl!

   While we were at our ultrasound, our friend, Joe Paren, watched Malachi for us. He told us that Malachi was terrific for him and he threw Spongebob at the cat. I'm sure the cat really appreciated that. After the ultrasound, I had to go back to work and Marc came back to watch the little stinker. We've been doing baby signs with Malachi since around 6 or 7 months and he's caught on to a few. The other night he caught on to fish! Then, Marc said he was saying, "fish" on Friday, but every time he tried to get it on video he wouldn't do it. He really is a stinker!
   On Friday night, I went out with some girls from school and Marc and Malachi stayed home and watched some hockey. I am so fortunate to have a wonderful and loving husband. He has taken such good care of me while I'm sick as well as taking care of Malachi. I hope this stuffiness goes away once Kaylin arrives!

    Yesterday, we had a lazy day. We went to target in the morning and met a lady so I could finally get my Ergo. Malachi has been extra clinging to me lately so I figured I'm definitely going to need a good carrier. Then when we got back we played basketball outside for a bit. Malachi did not want to come inside so we decided to take a family walk in the SmartTrike that Grandma and Grandpa Poling got him for Christmas. He has handle bars in the front where he can help guide where he goes and for some reason he kept pulling us to the left. Also, pictured is a hairbrush that he took from the bathroom before we left. For some reason he really likes to try and brush his own hair. Sadly, that is the last time you will be seeing that hairbrush, because it was broken shortly after.

Malachi's Coloring

   After our walk, Marc and I decided it would be good for us to go out together with just the two of us. My mom and dad were thrilled to watch him because Marc has had him most of the week so they haven't had as much Malachi time as they normally do. Marc and I went to the movies and filled up on popcorn. We saw "Safe House" with Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds. Any movie with those two actors has got to be good!
    Grandma and Malachi colored while mommy and daddy were away. Pictured to the left is Malachi's wonderful design. I think we are going to have an artist on our hands. 
    Today, were are going to take it easy as well. We have a baby shower to attend, going to pick up an infant car seat, and doing some cleaning and lesson plans (well, I'm doing some lesson plans). Just a moment ago, Malachi started pointing to his head. Now, we have three body parts down pat. He can point to his head, nose, and toes. Next, we are going to try ears. It's amazing how much they learn in such little amounts of time. Oh, how I love and cherish each moment with my child!
    To sign off today, I will leave you with a picture of Malachi brushing his teeth. He's not really brushing yet, but he sure is trying. He grabs his toothbrush right after his bath, puts it in his mouth, and shakes it around inside his mouth. The cute things our children do!

Malachi attempting to brush his teeth.

Little Things

   As a parent, I get excited over the littlest things. Last night I was sitting on the couch and I told Malachi to go get his duck. He just took off to his bedroom. I was wondering if he knew what I was talking about, because we'd never really played with the duck in his room before. He usually plays with a duck when he is in the bath. Malachi was in there for a while so I started to get curious. Marc peeked in his room to check it out and he said he was coming. When he peek his head from around the corner he had a completely different duck then I had intended, but it was still a duck. Needless to say, I got crazy excited and started clapping. Then, I thought to myself, "what else can I get him to do?" I asked him if he could go get his other duck and he zipped right into his room again without hesitation. This time when he arrived out of his bedroom he had the other duck that I had originally thought of. I got real excited once more and started clapping and squealing so he threw down the ducks and started clapping for himself. Then for the next fifteen minutes he walked around picking up stuff and clapping for himself. Lol. We created a monster!

   The other thing that I love about my son is that he seems to love books. That is how I definitely know he is my child. He can look at a toy for a few seconds and throw it down, but he will spend minutes just staring, analyzing, and turning pages in his book. He now can point to some of the characters or animals and it just simply amazes me. It's so crazy how fast they grow up and learn new things. It seems like everyday there is something new. Sometimes I wish I took the time to explore and try to learn new things.
   I got a nice surprise after work today. I asked my dad yesterday if he could come in this afternoon to help me move some desks, but I had no idea they would bring my little man out to me. It was so nice to see his smiling face come around the corner. He is a walking fool now so he never wants to be held, but he came right up to me and hugged me. It's the greatest feeling in the world. After they were finished moving my desks, we decided to go out to eat to give daddy some more time in the nursery. I guess it must have been good, because little man passed out in the car on the way home.
   Alright, now the moment you have all been waiting for. Updated pictures of the nursery! Well, here they are. Let us know what you think.

Big Brother Malachi

   A few of our friends came over for movie night and I just had to post how great Malachi was with our friends' baby, Nathan. Okay...so he did throw a little toy turtle at him once, but he just gets so excited and his hands get going and he can't control it. We use to have a lot of trouble with him last month hitting other children so we were really worried. I don't think he had any idea that he was hurting them and just wanted to play, but it was still a bit worrisome.

   Tonight, however, he was giving Nathan toys, sitting and watching him eat, going near him when he cried, and laying down next to him. He even gave him a kiss when he left. I just know this is a good sign that he is going to be an excellent brother. Let's just see how he handles it when the baby isn't leaving at the end of the night.
   To sign off this post I'm going to leave you with some pretty flowers I came home to from my loving husband. It has been a rough few days, but I've realized how fortunate and lucky I am.

Peek-A-Boo

     So...Malachi started doing the cutest thing yesterday. He is actually playing Peek-A-Boo himself. The only downside to the cutest discovery is that he now does it repetitively (as all children do). If I do not say, "Where is Malachi?" then he will continue to leave his hands there or get agitated with me. Gotta love children! Also,  he has been playing more independently lately which is nice to be able to get a few things done around the house while he plays.

Playing with Catch-Me-Kitty

   Marc has been on spring break the last few days and will continue through next week. He has the luxury of staying home with our sweet boy so he takes lots of pictures for me while I'm at work. He is also starting the nursery. In just a few short days he has gotten so much accomplished. But that is coming later in the blog.
   We are almost at the point where we can say that Malachi is walking without falling even though he does try to pay attention to everything else around him and will fall from time to time. Now, we have noticed in the last few days that he is starting to pick himself up. He use to crawl to the closest thing where he could pick himself from.

    This picture made me laugh so I decided to share it. I think he is trying to chase after the cat, but it looks as if he is dancing and doing some type of cross step.

 Now, on to the nursery. We had decided from the get go that we would be doing a neutral theme for the babies nursery no matter if it was a boy or a girl (even though I had a feeling it was a girl). We had tons of stuff that was already Fisherprice Rainforest themed and we like it so we went with it. Deciding on the colors was the hardest thing. Here is a few pictures of the room before we got started painting (or I should say before Marc got started painting).

    You can see that it is really plain, but it is amazing how it transforms with just a few basic colors. We haven't gotten the crib yet nor can we afford it, but we are thinking of going with white or a light oak this time around.

 We decided to split the room in half so that way the animals and trees would not have to be as big and it would be a little less work. The top is blue so that way it looks like a sky. The bottom is a fun green and the middle (where you see the tape) is going to be a darker green. The border will be the last thing that is done.

    Here is what it looks like now that the green is on the bottom. Already coming along and it has only been a few days. He has a few things drawn on the other side, but he is being a perfectionist and can't decide whether or not he likes it. I decided to wait until tomorrow to see if it gets painted over.
   If you know anyone that has done the rainforest theme and has anything they would like to donate or have us buy off them for cheap let us know. We have a highchair, jumperoo, bouncer, travel booster, and the bumper. Alright, I think that is good for now. To sign off for today here is a picture of the handsome dad hard at work (or taking a break from his work). Remind you this was probably taken at around 2 in the morning.

He is really proud of his work!

The Blessing

Hello, loyal followers! Welcome back to the life of the Colonna's. After much delay I have decided to get back to my blogging roots. I guess it could be because we have a baby on the way. How did that come about you ask? Well, let me fill you in on the crazy adventure called "Baby #2."

Somewhere in the middle of November, close after my birthday, I started getting a little nauseous after I would eat lunch. I really didn't think much of it at first. Then, one day I was sitting in the car dropping Marc off for work and I turned to him and said, "Don't be mad, but I think I'm pregnant." I think he thought I was crazy. Then, we went out and got some pregnancy tests and took one on November 20. It was still a little unclear. The second line was barely there. Ugh! I just had to know. We called the doctor the next day and set up an appointment. We went in the next day to take a pregnancy test at the hospital and they called back on our trip to Florida to visit Matt and Jessi to confirm that we were pregnant, but it was very early.
 We decided it was too juicy to keep so we told the immediate family over Thanksgiving dinner. They were really excited and I think it was completely unexpected to them as well. We sure do love surprising people!
 While Marc was back in New Jersey with Malachi for his Christmas break, I went back to the doctor's. We found out that we were 8 weeks and our due date was July 29. It was hard with Marc not being there, but so wonderful to see the baby on the ultrasound screen for the first time.
 We finally came out to the world on Malachi's first birthday, January 13. We came out with the sneaky little picture shown above. As Luscious tells us, we don't ever like to use our words.
  The first four months of this pregnancy have been tough. I was sick as a dog! The thing that was weird about it though was that it would happen around 2:30-3:00 so I could make it through the school day which was nice, but I came home feeling like a horrible mother because I couldn't play with my baby. Marc took care of both of us though. I have such a good man!
 Now, for the best news of all. We found out we were having a girl!

16 weeks

 

 

Can you believe it? I never thought I would end up with a girl. Especially, the second time around! We weren't actually supposed to find out this early, but it was good timing. The nurse had just find out she was going to be a grandmother and she let us get a sneak peak for the sex. Here is the best part....FOR FREE! We still get our originally scheduled ultrasound on March 9. Hopefully, that will give us full confirmation that it is a girl. 

17 Weeks and 3 days

Marc is working on the nursery this week while he was on spring break so pictures will soon be up to show off our next sweet nursery. Malachi's nursery has some big windows to fill so we will see if we can live up to it. 
I finally felt the baby move last Wednesday night on February 29, 2012. It was a great feeling. Marc still can't feel her, but hopefully he will soon. OHHHH....the cutest thing happened last week. Malachi finally decided to grace us with his first word and it happened to be "bab" for baby while pointing at my belly. I think that was definitely worth the wait. He really is going to be the best big brother!

Well, I think that is all my fingers can handle for now! Thank you for reading the first of (hopefully many) the Colonna's blog posts. To sign off here is a picture of my latest belly photo!