So long 2008!

As I am typing this post, I am still in denial that Christmas came and went, we are gearing up for New Year's and 2009 is just around the corner.....oh and I am nearing the end of my pregnancy!! I can't believe that I am just about 35 weeks and have a little more than one month until my due date. I have been feeling great and definitely enjoying this week off to do some things around the house, play with Max and just relax. Matt and I have been prepping the nursery and are really getting excited to meet Jack. I go back to the doctor on Friday, we are meeting with our pediatrician next Thursday (my birthday!) and my Helms baby shower is next Sunday! My students gave me a surprise shower last Tuesday and it was wonderful! Each student gave me a picture book and then gave me a gift card and some cute little outfits. I was truly touched, and am really starting to miss them, even though I still have three more weeks of work.
I also wanted to share some of the secrets of pregnancy that no one told me about that I wish I had known:
- it is near impossible to tie your shoes or put socks on without sitting down in the third trimester
- when you sneeze of cough (which I am doing a lot right now b/c i have a cold) I pee a litle bit...gross, but true!
- after going to the bathroom, you immediately feel that you still have to go.......went to the grocery store and jiffy lube today and had to use the bathroom 4 different times:(
- even though it is winter - dress in layers, because I get really hot or really cold very quickly!

Harrisburg Baby Shower

Last weekend Matt and I traveled up to Harrisburg for our 2nd baby shower! My mom and sister made the trip too, and of course Max as well! It was a wonderful day - we got so many great gifts off our registry, some personal touches and just some gag gifts as well (a Redskins outfit)!! My in-laws outdid themselves and really do know how to throw a party! Thanks to everyone for all of the gifts and well wishes! Baby Jack knows his home-away-from-home is definitely in Harrisburg!
I also had another doctor's appointment this week. I am measuring just right and everything is looking good. I have gained a total of 35 pounds so far and I'm sure this week will really make me tip the scales!! I was hoping that we would get one more ultrasound to see our little peanut, but the doctor doesn't see the need to do that. We also talked about how much longer I am going to keep working. As of now, I will work up until two weeks before my due date - which will be January 23rd. CRAZY!??!?!?! Oh - Matt and I went to breastfeeding class too. It was pretty uneventful and Matt was keeping himself awake by playing with our baby doll that we had to bring and I was trying not laugh out loud.
We are heading up to Harrisburg on Tuesday night and will spend the holidays with the Staffaroni crew. Then we will head back down here to spend Christmas afternoon / night with my family and then the day after Christmas with the Helms crew! So much to do, but so worth it!! Happy Hanukkah!!

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe that I am 31 weeks, Christmas is just around the corner, then my 28th birthday and then Jack Mason will grace us with his presence!! This weekend I was very productive - Matt and I decorated the house for the holidays, our Christmas cards are ready to be mailed out, I wrote my last grad school paper and I got a jump on buying xmas presents.
Right now, the baby weighs about 3.5 pounds, he is settling into periodic sleep cycles - even though they don’t always coincide with mine:) Also, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments. We completed a three-week baby class and are going to be taking a breastfeeding class next week.
I am excited for this holiday season. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the love and support that Matt and I are constantly receiving from family and friends. The best present ever is to make sure that Jack stays right where he is and waits until February to show his cute, little face. So far, this pregnancy has been flawless and perfect......let's hope that last leg will stick to that pattern!

10 year high school reunion

Carbondale Baby Shower

Wow! What a weekend.....

This Thanksgiving holiday has been so jam-packed, but truly one that I will never forget. It all started with getting our nursery furniture delivered on Wednesday afternoon. We got the crib (thanks to Nancy and Jack) a dresser, and a changing table. The furniture is gorgeous and we can't wait to put it to good use! Then Matt and I headed up to Carbondale (near Scranton) to spend Thanksgiving with Matt's family. After a 2 hour drive, one bathroom stop and a very hungry pregnant girl, we arrived at a restaurant to meet up with everyone for pizza and beer. Little did I know....that the surprise was on me. They threw me a surprise baby shower!!! I had no idea and really didn't even realize what was happening until I looked around and saw all of the decorations and pile of presents!! It was a a great night and Matt and I are so lucky to have such a generous and loving family. We got both of our strollers, the pack-n-play, the bassinet and so much more!
We then had a delicious Thanksgiving day with the Staffaroni's and ate way too much. Back in the car for us and one stop at our house to let Max out, we then were off to Thanksgiving dinner #2 with my family! We arrived just in time for dessert and go to catch up with everyone that I love so dearly. Everyone made a big fuss over my belly and it was so much fun to catch up!

Saturday night was my 10 year high school reunion. Brieanne came over and we chatted and gossiped over who we would see and how everyone would look. It was actually so much fun to see so many familiar faces and catch up with people that I haven't seen in years! It is funny how at my 5 year reunion, I was not even married, let alone pregnant.......how much has happened in 5 years:)

Back to work tomorrow and time for me to get back to teaching, finish up my grad school class and get ready for the holidays. Max's 2nd birthday is on Friday and we will be celebrating that.

On the pregnancy front, I have another doctor's appointment on Thursday and after that I will go every 2 weeks for a check-up. I passed my glucose test, I am gaining an average amount of weight, my blood pressure is normal (actually a bit low) and I am feeling pretty good. My only complaint is the ridiculous amount of times that I have to pee in one day. But other than that, Matt and I are preparing for our arrival and everything is becoming more and more real every day!

Nursery Furniture and Wall Letters

the crib

the dresser and changing table

the wall letters I got made online
(I just need to figure out the perfect place to hang them)

Max not sure what is going on and a bit nervous
about it.....

Pictures of Max

Our dogsitter also does pet photography. Little did I know that Max was one of her models! Check out my baby at: https://www.melissashouse.com/max/max.html

Krista and Nick's Wedding

Last weekend was Krista & Nick's wedding.

Not only was the weather picture perfect, but

the bride and groom were shining stars!! Krista

was gorgeous and all of my skinny, pretty friends

made me feel good as a bridesmaid. Of course I

felt huge and was a bit nervous to be standing in

front of everyone with my big belly, but once the day

got started I forgot all about my worries. We all had a

blast, everyone but me got drunk, I laughed so much

the entire weekend that I definitely burned extra

calories and of course, it makes me realize what amazing

friends I have.

Belly Pics

Many people have been asking me to post some pictures of my growing belly. I finally gave in...notice how I am wearing all black to try to appear thinner?!?!?!?!
I am a little over 6 months and have my glucose test tomorrow. Baby Jack can open and close his eyelids, his fingerprints are forming, and is about 15 inches long and weighs about 2 pounds.

Go Team Blue!

This weekend was very productive! Nancy, Jack, Jill & Brian came down on Saturday and painted the nursery. Baby blue was the color chosen and Matt and I absolutely love it! Brian and Jill worked their butts off and we are so thankful to them! Here are some pictures of all the hard work that was put in....by everyone but me.

Jill and Brian deserved these beers after all their hard work.

Matt was making fun of the mask that I bought for me...in case I decided to help out.

Don't we look like we are posing for a school

picture with the blue background???

Here's what's in the room right now - a bookcase and curtains!

23 weeks

Here are my ultrasound pictures taken last week. I went to the doctor today and the good news is that everything is right on schedule and Jack is growing perfectly! The bad news is that I have a cold right now so I have been coughing and sneezing so much I keep thinking I must be scaring the crap out of the baby! I have to take my test for gestational diabetes in two weeks....wish me luck!!

He was attempting to such his thumb....we think

This is the money shot of his cute little tushie and wee-wee!

Poor Max...

Max always has to be on the receiving end of my idea of cute costumes and outfits. Last week when out shopping with my sister and my mom I stumbled upon this hat. I had to buy it because I knew that a. Max would look so cute as a rooster b. It only cost $4.99 - who could turn that deal down?? (Oh and don't tell Max but the hat is actually for a cat.....)

Taylor & Tony's Wedding

It has been a few weeks since Taylor and Tony's wedding, but I am now just getting around to posting some pictures. It was an AMAZING weekend and so much fun to help Taylor with some of the planning and see it all come together. The Helms family was in rare form drinking and dancing and having a good ole' time! I can't wait to see the wedding video of everyone making fools of themselves on the dance floor!

It's a.........

BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Matt and I were shocked to find out that we are in fact having a boy!!! Jack Mason Staffaroni is looking good and oh so cute!!! Everything looked great and I now know why my ribs have been getting all of the kicks....because his head is down real low and his little feet are right underneath my ribs:) Baby Staffaroni now weighs exactly 1 pound!

I will post some pictures of the ultrasound as soon as I get a chance. Think blue!!

Over the halfway mark.....

I am almost 22 weeks and cannot believe that in just a few months our family will become a family of four!! Matt, Max and I are still in disbelief that we have been so lucky and blessed to have this little baby enter our lives. (Well, I know that Matt and I feel this way. Max is still undecided!!) The baby is now the size of a papaya. I am feeling lots of kicks and sudden movements! Tuesday we find out the sex of the baby!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

So I have to admit that I have been M.I.A.. Since school has started I have been either working, traveling or sleeping. Last weekend I went down to Dewey Beach for Krista's bachelorette party. It was really fun and Hurricane Hanna decided to join us as well! This past week I have been juggling school, grad. school, and somehow managed to get a new car as well. This coming week I have Back-To-School night on Wednesday, Matt has his first football game on Thursday and then it will be Taylor's wedding weekend!! We are picking up Kelly and James Thursday night from the airport and then the fun begins. I am taking off of school on Friday so that I can go to the rehearsal Friday morning and then just hang out with all the girls and get ready for Taylor's big day! I am really excited for Tony to officially become part of our family and for all of Taylor's hard work to finally pay off.
This week I also went to the ob/gyn for a check up. I am officially 19 weeks and everything is looking great! The baby's heartbeat was 145 b.p.m.. The only hiccup of the visit is when I had to pee in a cup and had to go to the bathroom so bad that I completely forgot all about that stupid little cup...until I was about halfway done! The nurse just laughed at me and said that I am definitely not the first person to do this. I guess I really had to go and got so excited to get in there! Not to worry - I had success on my way out of the appointment and all was happy! September 30th is our BIG ultrasound and Matt and I are so excited!

Ronda and Krista


The girls


Maggie and my mom
(it was at this moment I wish I could drink...)


Me and the Bride-To-Be

Goodbye Summer

Well, here it is September 1st and I am getting ready for the start of school and I have so many mixed emotions. This was such a wonderful summer that I almost want time to stand still so every day can be this great! We got to see both our families, went on two fun-filled vacations, Max and I got to go on daily walks and just hang out, we got to catch up with friends and most importantly Matt and I got to really let it sink in that we we're going to have a baby! I also have that pit in my stomach I always get when school is about to begin. Don't get me wrong - I am excited and anxious for school to start. But I know that once school starts tomorrow as well as another graduate school class that starts tomorrow, I am consumed by my job and my class and that feeling of stress and being overwhelmed takes over. On a happier note, this school year is going to fly by because I am only working until the end of January and then look out......BABY STAFF IS MAKING HIS/HER APPEARANCE!!! My goal for this year is to be the best teacher I can be, but not trying to make it all happen in one day. I am only one person and can only give so much. I will remain devoted to my job, but at the same time I am going to attempt to keep my daily life as stress-free and positive as possible!
Wish me luck.....

September 30th

This is the date that Matt and I will have our big ultrasound to find out if Baby Staff is a boy or a girl!!!! I will be 22 weeks at that time. You can find out the sex of the baby anywhere after 18 weeks, but it worked out that I don't have school on the 30th. So we can hold on for about a month and a half to find out the big news. For some reason, we both think it is a girl......but what do we know!?!?! I am 15 weeks pregnant today and the baby is the size of a small orange. CRAZY!!!!

Two Years and Counting...

Matt and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary last night! We went out for a wonderful dinner and reminisced about how things have changed (for the better) in these two short years. I feel so lucky and blessed to have an amazing husband and can't wait to see him as a father!

August 12, 2006


August 12, 2008

Virginia Beach '08

We just got back from an amazing Helms family vacation down in Virginia Beach, VA. We actually stayed in Sandbridge, which reminded me of the Outer Banks, but was a few hours closer. It was an amazing week filled with so many laughs, delicious food and hours at the beach. The weather was perfect and the ocean was so inviting! It really made me realize just how lucky and grateful I am to have such a wonderful family and how much fun we can all have when we all get together....all 25 of us!!

This is a picture of the last night when we all went out to a scrumptious seafood dinner.


This is a picture of one of the houses we stayed in "Top Sail." It was the main house and the place where we ate all of our meals, played a mean game of Cranium and had some tough volleyball games in the pools!


This is "Dookie's Dunes." (No that is not a typo.) This is where all of the kids slept and partied. It actually worked out that we could be as loud as we wanted without having to bother the "old" folks. The only downfalls was the wood paneled walls and the bugs:(


This is our family on our family dinner night. Chris and Erin smoked ribs, Bobbi made homemade macaroni and cheese, I made Buffalo Chicken dip and the salad....and Mark and Matt cleaned everything up!


This is my cousin Laura at the seafood restaruant making friends with a crab!!!!

12 week ultrasound

Matt and I had another wonderful ultrasound today! Not only did we get to see our little peanut but we heard the hearbeat (146 b.p.m.) and we even got to see some flips and turns! We had some genetic testing done and will get those results in a few weeks. Matt, who thinks he's a doctor, was pointing out the baby's legs, hands, heart, etc to me. It was actually very helpful....except when he would just shout out when the doctor was talking because he saw something!

Max gets a haircut!

BEFORE

AFTER

Max was long overdue for a summer cut!
He looks absolutely adorable and handsome. I wish that I could look super skinny when I get my haircut....

Phillies Game

On Sunday, Matt and I went down to Citizen's Bank Park to watch the Phillies play the Mets. Even though, it was a pretty boring game only to leave in the 8th inning running to the car because of the rain, we had a good time. After a three-hour rain delay, we watched from the comfort of our home the Phillies lose in extra innings 4 - 2.