Baby, Mom and Dad

First Haircut

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 01:49:00 +0000

It has been a long time since my last blog post. Speaking of long time, it certainly has been a long time for our little girl's first haircut. Here are some of the action shots:

For any of you numbers nerds out there...

One Year - Nine Months and Fifteen Days or
93 Weeks or
653 Days or
15,672 Hours or
940,320 Minutes or
56,419,200 Seconds elapsed before her first haircut!

Luckily, her stylist is actually a close family friend and Daddy's barber, so not a tear was shed. Even though we've changed her name from Cautious Chiara to Courageous Chiara, her familiarity with Faraj and his way with kids, is probably what contributed most to the uneventful event!

C-H-I-A-R-A ... Jets, Jets, Jets!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:10:00 +0000

You can never start too soon!

It looks like these cozy pajamas brought Gang Green a little luck. Chiara did her celebrating before the opening kick-off...

We better wash these and get them ready for Foxboro next week!

She's Got A Friend

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 02:37:00 +0000

We had a nice treat recently when we got to watch Chiara's oldest friend Magdalena. This is a little clip of the two of them shortly after she arrived with her parents....

Chiara's First Charity Event

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 03:40:00 +0000

Chiara got up early this morning to participate in her first charity event. This was to raise funds to help various homeless shelters and programs in the Washington, DC area.

We joined our friends the Schwarz's out on the mall for this walk on what turned out to be a very beautiful day. Our team was supporting Calvery Women's Services. The event was a huge success. We were told that Calvery Women's Services received an anonymous gift of $100,000.00, in addition to the funds that were raised by the walkers. It always feels good to help people in need, particularly around the holidays.

After the walk, we decided to the National Gallery of Art to see the Arcimboldo Exhibit. This is the second time we all came across his work. The first time Chiara did not see much, but her parents did on their babymoon at the Musee du Louvre in Paris. We have a feeling our precious Chiara may have looked a little like a miniature Arcimboldo painting while we were in Paris, since she was in her mom's belly.

The original poster child for V-8! The exhibit was pretty neat and there were paintings from other galleries around the world that we had not seen in Paris. It was more enjoyable this time around, as it was not 100 degrees, there were not thousands of people and we got Chiara's opinion of the work. In case you are wondering, it just made her hungry!!

Which Purse is Mine?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 04:10:00 +0000

While mom was away, Chiara realized....

This was not her purse!

So she decided to look for her own purse...

Have you seen my purse (she asked her dad behind the camera)...

Here it is!!

I think I'll stand here and wait for mom to get home. Especially, because I can't walk and dad won't stop taking pictures!

"3" or "111"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 03:43:00 +0000

Chiara celebrated her birthday since our last blog. Luckily, she is too young to remember the standard that was set for this occasion. Our little principessa celebrated her birthday not once, not twice, but three times!! When we asked her about it, she said she would be fine with one party, but her parents wanted to take this special celebration on the road.

Here she is at Birthday #1 at Grammy Sandy's :

Here she is at Birthday #2 at Grandma and Grandpa Lanzettis:

Here she is at Birthday # 3 in her own backyard:

This is her showing off her gift from her Mom and Dad (yes, that is a duck on her helmet):

As if children don't grow fast enough... we made our little girl 3 years old or 111 years old in just 12 months, depending on how you count the candles!!

Chocolate World

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 04:29:00 +0000

This weekend Chiara got to spend some quality time with her Godfather and his family on a weekend trip to Lancaster, PA. She does not appear in this short video, because she is actually strapped to the camera man (Dad). However, you do get to see her adorable cousins Aden and Avery in action at Chocolate World...

Catching Up With Chiara Post!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:04:00 +0000

We hate to make excuses, but we are realizing that once a child passes the stage of being a cute potted plant, it is much harder to find spare time once they start crawling around the house! There have been so many experiences since the last post, we thought it would be easiest to just inform everyone of the latest "firsts" for our dear Chiara.

First Swim

Chiara has always enjoyed her baths, but you never know how things will go for a first dunk in the pool. This little swim took place on the rooftop of her Godmother Sylvia and Zio Dan's condo building. She did fine despite the wind and a small audience.

First Picnic

Lunchtime is always a good time to take a picture of our little gourmand. It looks like either Avocado or Broccoli. This was an awesome day. We decided to take a drive to Charlottesville, VA to have a picnic and stroll around the town. This outing led to two other firsts, but we do not have any pictures of them. She experienced her first concert, when we ran into a free patriotic music concert on this Saturday before Independence Day. Unfortunately, she also experienced eating dirt for the first time, when she reached beyond the blanket and helped herself to the most organic food of all...a good old chunk of mother earth. Luckily, we stopped her at just a taste!

First 4th of July

This was a bit of a two for one First. This was her first 4th of July and her first 4th of July party. Tony and Anita invited us over to celebrate with some of their friends over a nice home cooked meal. You would never believe it, based on how adorable she looks in this picture, but she wound up creating her own fireworks causing us to leave earlier than we hoped to on such a fun evening. She was clearly exhausted, as she slept through our neighbor's annual live band/fireworks celebration. While we feared our roof...our roof.........our roof was on fire, our little sweetie slept like a log.

First Wearing

This was the first time Chiara wore this outfit, that she should have clearly wore a month earlier! Don't worry sweetie, this particular line runs very small ;-)

First Proclamation

This is Chiara's first time proclaiming her Italian heritage. Zio Rob brought her back this shirt from his trip to Boston. For the record, he also gave her the famous Douglas the Duck! This is not a two for one first, even though it looks like she polished off her first tray of cannoli or first pound of pasta. With so many outfits and so little time, we probably should have let her start wearing this one a little earlier too! :-/

First Wrestling Match

While this was Chiara's first wrestling match, her old friend Magdalena looks quite experienced. We're not sure if Magda scored any traditional points at this stage in the match, but she certainly gets some for style. Although it looks like Chiara is seriously considering using that foreign object as a weapon (WWF Style), she most likely put it in her own mouth no matter what position Magda decided to place her.

First High Chair at Restaurant

This is Chiara's first time sitting in a high chair at a restaurant. I know that is a lengthy and trivial honor like (Best Sound Editing for Foreign Short Story). However, I had to come up with something, because this is such an awesome picture. She actually did sit up nicely throughout the whole meal. This was taken in an Italian restaurant, but she still did not score her first cannoli or plate of pasta. However, her mom and dad provided a heck of a demonstration for her.

First Swim Lesson

This was Chiara's very first swim lesson. She is enrolled in the Daddy/Daughter swim class at the local recreation center. She did great for the first time in the big pool. While some (much older, I might add) kids cried, she was pretty much all smiles. That temporary look of concern on her face was due to her feet getting caught in her dad's chest hair!

First Stroller

This is a picture of Chiara's first ride in her new big girl stroller. We are all celebrating graduation from the Snap and Go, as it was getting more and more challenging to lug her around in the infant car seat. This one is pretty sporty. It came with lots of standard equipment and should last until she is four years old.

First Doll (Second Wrestling Match)

This one does not require any further explanation!

Douglas' Revenge

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 04:04:00 +0000

For those of you that know Chiara pretty well, are probably aware that Douglas the Duck quickly became her best little friend after she received it as a gift from zio Rob D'Onofrio. It might be hard to tell from this picture, but Douglas is a stuffed animal without the........stuffing!

Just in case you think she was already giggling in this picture and Douglas was tossed at her right before the picture was taken, here is another picture of them enjoying each other's company.

From time to time we noticed what seemed to be a perfectly normal and sweet occurrence. Every now and then it would appear as if Chiara fell asleep with Douglas by her side and both of them were resting comfortably and very happy.

As you can see here, we caught a more aggressive side to Douglas in this picture. Whether it is for throwing him to the ground so many times throughout the day or for keeping him more wet than a duck out of water should ever be, he seems to get revenge from time to time. His favorite move is the smother!

As a result of the mounting tension between these two, we have decided that Chiara should start seeing other ducks. So, her mom brought the tall skinny one shown here next to Douglas home. We'll see how this works out, but it will be hard for her to move on from her first stuffed love. Help us name the new duck by voting on the top right side of this blog page.

First Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:56:00 +0000

Here is a family photo on our first Mother's Day. We snapped this photo right after church service on Sunday. We were able to somehow keep Chiara from looking suspiciously at the camera like she normally does in photos. Actually, we think the problem has been with the blinking red eye reduction light. She is apparently fine smiling at a weird metal gizmo with three legs, so long as it does not have a blinking red light!

The first Mother's Day was pretty special. Dad actually went to three different places early in the morning to try and make Mom some fancy French Toast. He found out the early bird does not always get the worm, unless he is willing to wait until a bakery opens at 8:00 a.m. for it. Oh well, the bread from the grocery store worked out just fine. After breakfast Mom got to open a few presents. A neat customized poster with Chiara's name and birth date and a Roman/maternal themed pendant for a necklace. Dad will pick up the freight on Mother's Day gifts until Chiara can pull her own weight in the kitchen or the craft room! ;-)

Since this is a Mother's Day post, I would like to shift the focus back to where it is due, to Chiara's Mom. Aside from personally and physically delivering a gift to us directly from God, Gina has been an excellent mom. For those who know her tough exterior shell side, Chiara makes her melt like the chocolate inside an M&M candy! There is no shortage of maternal instinct or protectiveness either. Chiara and I have much to be thankful for in Gina. From the physical demands of carrying, delivering and nursing Chiara to the time consuming tasks of cloth diapering, endless laundering, and organic food making, Gina has made one incredibly happy baby and an enormously proud father and husband.

Living through Mother's Day as a parent for the first time was a wonderful experience for another reason too. It makes you count your blessings for having a child and a wonderful wife. It also makes you look back and really appreciate your own Mom in a whole new way. You may have heard the stories, but you just figured they kind of had to do those things for you. If you roll back the calendar 30 or 40 years earlier when your Mom was doing these things for you without all of the handy tools and gadgets we have today, you really wonder if they had any time for themselves. When you become a parent yourself, you realize parents can either take shortcuts or they can go the extra mile. Most importantly, you also realize the natural bond between a child and their mother. We hope those that are blessed to be honored on Mother's Day are always proud of their labor of love and given the appreciation they deserve!

Someone Has Something to Say....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 18:50:00 +0000

Chiara's Baptism

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:58:00 +0000

We were so proud of Chiara during her baptism. Not an ounce of stage fright in front of a crowded church. She did not cry once throughout the long service or the photo session afterward, which included her being passed from one person to another at least six or seven times. She did not even fuss while receiving the water and oil on her forehead!
The service was beautiful. Pastor Roger did a very nice job with the baptism and made it very special for the parents and Godparents. To celebrate her official status as a child of God and her Godparents, Zia Sylvia and Uncle Peter's willingness to take on a formal role in her life, some family and friends got together for a nice lunch together. We thank all those who joined us to witness and celebrate this important sacrament. Especially, our family that traveled from the Detroit area and New Jersey.

Click here to view these pictures larger

Blizzard of 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:40:00 +0000

This is periodic video footage of the snow falling over Friday and Saturday taken from our sunroom. Keep an eye on the bench, armrests, umbrella pole and the birdhouse. Enjoy!

Hanging Out in The Bouncy Chair

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:16:00 +0000

It has been quite some time since our last post, so we thought a little video clip would be a nice way to give you a quick update on the star of our family. Here is our little princess at 4 months old. You have to listen closely to her responses to her papa's questions.....

Our Little Reindeer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:17:00 +0000

Our little reindeer Chiara was trying to log as many miles as Santa Clause for her first Christmas. Just like Santa, Chiara apparently likes 12 inches of snow on the ground to start her holiday visits. The first day of the road trip was spent driving through a blizzard and lasted until after midnight, when we finally decided to sleep in Fremont, Ohio. After a very short night of sleep, we got off to our newly defined early start of 9:30 a.m. We made it into Windsor, Canada for a quick visit to meet her Bisnonno for the first time. Despite the exhausting drive, the only real casualty was that Chiara’s little butt was almost as red as Rudolph’s nose from all of the hours logged in her car seat!

After meeting her other Great Grandparents and great Auntie Susan, she got to meet her (Uncles) Winston and Oliver (well, o.k. --- they are actually Grammy’s two dogs), all for the very first time. She braved the usual Christmas pace. Even though she did not prepare a dish to pass, she wound up being the most well received guest at each of the family dinners. She attended midnight service on Christmas Eve at the same church where her parents were married. Finally, one last meal at Bisnonno’s in Windsor, Canada and she was heading back home. One more lovely evening spent right off the Ohio Turnpike and Chiara declared, “Virginia or Bust”!

Despite logging over 1,200 miles, Chiara made an attempt to venture up to see her grandparents in NJ. Unfortunately, the traffic was so bad that her parents had much less stamina than her and they had to turn back home.

All totaled, Chiara traveled approximately 1,320 miles and logged over 25 hours on the road, with about 21 hours spent in her little sleigh (seen pictured here)! Chiara has already elected to play Santa next year instead of one of his reindeer. She is particularly interested in the role of eating cookies and drinking milk next to her own Christmas tree rather than the part of flying through the night and delivering packages to all of the other children! ;-)

"B" is for....Belch!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:45:00 +0000

Mama and Papa received an incredible surprise this week. Our little Chiara came close to belching the alphabet before actually saying it!

Body humor can sometimes be crude and tasteless, but it is typically funny anyway. When it relates to such an adorable little baby like Chiara, we are hoping to get a social grace pass for sharing this with you. If you lived through our "2" posting, you have nothing to worry about with this one!

As some of you know, we are sort of "blessed" by how easy it is to burp Chiara after feedings. It is almost unsatisfying, because as soon as she makes it to an upright position, you are treated to her favorite tune and a nice wiff of her last digested meal.

Anyway.... earlier this week mama and papa were sitting in the dining room around lunchtime. Chiara was sitting on mama's lap and out of nowhere lets out this incredible BELCH! We both looked at each other in disbelief. We did not know whether to call Ripley's Believe it or Not or a Priest! No exaggeration... this belch would have won a contest on any college campus for length, pitch or volume. It was almost as if every burp up to that point was just a wrung on a ladder to this sort of Belch Everest!

Without actual proof we decided against calling Ripley's or even Guiness. Her head never turned more than 45 degrees and there was no greenish hue to her complexion, so we ruled out the need for a priest. One thing was certain....this was going on the blog!

When we were thinking of the best way to explain just how amazing this belch was, we both happened to think of Booger from Revenge of the Nerds. The fact that we both thought of that at almost the exact same time is kind of weird and is an embarrassing example that Chiara's parents are soul mates. In any case, for those of you that spared some brain cells and never watched Revenge of the Nerds or for those that forgot (certainly not Auntie Rachy Rach) the particular scene that came to our mind, we have attached a clip for you.

To really feel the moment we experienced, we suggest clicking the Booger clip below while viewing the picture of our sweet Chiara!

What's Wrong with This Picture??

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:22:00 +0000

Mommy here. After a long absence from posting -- and way too many "daddy posts" -- I had to sign on to share a certain photo with everyone (see above). What's wrong with this picture? Hm?? I'll give you a hint just in case your monitor is on the fritz or you've developed a sudden case of color blindness: in a certain baby's room, there's a closet full of BROWN ... and 2 pink frocks! (courtesy of Auntie Susan and Miss Jackie) Although daddy may have boasted about his paint job in outfitting the nursery, mommy notes that he surprisingly never 'fessed up to our loyal readers that he's commandeered poor little Chiara's closet! In the spirit of full disclosure, this is daddy's closet #2 (he also has clothes in the "guest room")... Better make way, daddy -- pink's not your color!!

New Twist to an Old Remedy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:42:00 +0000

A hot water bottle is a container filled with hot water and sealed with a stopper, used to provide warmth, typically used while in bed, but also for the application of heat to a specific part of the body.

Containers for warmth in bed were in use as early as the 16th century. The earliest versions contained hot coals from the dying embers of the fire, and these bed warmers were used to warm the bed before getting into it.

An electric blanket is a blanket with an integrated electrical heating device usually placed above the top bed sheet. This modern version of a hot water bottle was developed in 1912 by American physician Sidney I. Russell. Electric overblankets were introduced in the United States in 1937. In 1970, the Thermega company brought a blanket heated by the circulation of warm water to the market.

A Chiara is a cute little baby girl filled with gas and food. When she is not getting rid of said food in her pants and not strengthening her vocal chords by letting us know she needs more food and/or for us to make room in her pants for her to get rid of her next meal, she can also be used to provide warmth and comfort for either parent.

This precious bag of heat has only been in use for a few weeks. However, there are already signs of some considerable advantages to the Chiara over the electric blanket and the hot water bottle. Chiara maintains a steady temperature of approximately 98 degrees Fahrenheit, you do not have to plug in the cord used during her manufacturing to operate Chiara, and there are no risks of minor skin burns or catching clothing or bedding on fire.

There is also a random massage mode (usually to the eyes, throat or ribs) and the Chiara can shift along with or even assume the same sleeping position of its operator a.k.a. exhausted parent.

Greetings from Chiara!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:48:00 +0000

This week was bittersweet for Dad. Chiara is wearing the very first outfit she grew out of in this clip! Looks like a trip to the newborn clothing department is in order....

Look Who's One (month)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:22:00 +0000

Well, our little girl turned one month!

The doctor was very happy with her progress and gave her a clean bill of health. Mom and Dad passed their test too. No blow outs at the doctor's office this time, but her new parents were up for the challenge ;-)

The first month has been nothing short of wonderful. Full nights of sleep may be a bit harder to remember, but spending time with our little girl is such a joy....even if she makes appointments at 2:00 a.m. or 3:00 a.m.

So far we've learned:

Chiara's first bath without screaming her head off was just a fluke
You can set your watch to her belly (like her Daddy's)
She must be getting plenty of fiber
She is not as fond of the swaddle as she was at say...two weeks
We have very generous family and friends
It is difficult to place a value on a delivered homemade meal
A dry bottom and plenty of hugs keeps our girl pretty happy
It is not possible for us to hug or kiss her enough

Time is certainly flying, so we must be having fun. When you have a preemie all you wish is for them to grow. Once your wishes begin to come true you realize just how fast babies grow and you kind of want to slow things down....

Chiara may not forgive us for sharing this photo, as she was not quite ready for it. However, this is one of only two we took on her actual one month B-Day!

Here's TWO you Chiara!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:08:00 +0000

In Chiara’s first TWO weeks we’ve learned TWO valuable lessons about number TWO!

The first lesson we learned is that changing a diaper not only tends to give her the urge to do number one, but also number TWO! As if changing a diaper isn’t already one of the lesser joys of having a baby. Add to that the bonus of your child doing her best to project number TWO at you and you have really reached a defining moment. As an aside, we also learned our dainty little girl has a nice little arc to her number one. Dad felt that during one of his attempts to fasten those cute little diapers.

The second lesson took place during Chiara’s first doctor visit. We actually learned that sometimes TWO can equal four! As her proud new parents got situated in the exam room, we realized our little girl had a greeting in her diaper for the doctor. Well, we were determined to leave the doctor with a better first impression than what Chiara had in mind. So, we quickly removed her diaper to discover her number TWO was more like a six! It was her first official blowout. A real sock filler. Right after the nurse finished explaining the ban on disposing dirty diapers in their office, we realized the value of those TWO awesome diaper bags we had back at our house!

Luckily, the number TWO did not soil the swaddle blanket and we only live a few minutes away from the doctor’s office. Who knew our little one was able to produce so much number TWO?

Ready for Another Feeding and Nap

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:58:00 +0000

We had a specific request from Chiara’s Auntie Elizabeth for more video clips. You can’t imagine how much opportunity there is for riveting video of a two week old preemie! So, for Auntie Elizabeth and in celebration of Chiara’s two week Birthday, let’s roll the tape….

What's In a Name?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:09:00 +0000

We have had a few questions about Chiara’s first name. The first one is usually, “How do you pronounce her name?” There were also questions about the meaning and origin of her name. Well, that sounds like a great subject for a post to our blog....

Her name is pronounced (key-yar-ah) with a bit of a rolling “R”. The “key” sound is exactly the same as in the word Chianti (for you red wine enthusiasts), as it is an Italian name. The direct English translation of the name is Light. As in, “Light of our Life.” :-) The name has also translated to Clearness, Brightness and Brilliance. The name is equivalent to the English name Clare. We really liked the name, because it sounds pretty and is less common. Not quite as unique as Ringo, but just different enough to grab a little extra attention!

Speaking of Ringo… Chiara’s Dad was introduced to the name almost ten years ago when he performed in an Italian production about the life of Saint Francis (San Francesco) of Assisi. Perhaps the most famous Chiara, was actually a close friend of San Francesco in the thirteenth century. Chiara was a beautiful Italian noblewoman who joined San Francesco in ridding themselves of material things to pursue a life of rebuilding the church and caring for the poor.

This is a great point to address Chiara’s middle name Palma. This is also an Italian name, which translates directly to Palm Tree in English. Palma was chosen as Chiara’s middle name in honor of her Bisnonna (Great Grandmother), Gina’s paternal Grandmother (Nonna). Nonna was the sweetest and kindest woman and we dearly miss her. We were fortunate enough to let Nonna know what we would name our child if we had a daughter before she passed away. She was the only one to know Chiara’s name until we sent our announcement.

Chiara Palma winds up being a perfect name, because it was on Palm Sunday in 1212 A.D. that Chiara found her calling to lead a spiritual life. It is said that on that day during a high Mass, the congregation pressed forward to the altar rail to receive a branch of palm, but Chiara remained in her place as if rapt in a dream. All eyes were upon her as the bishop descended from the sanctuary and placed the palm in her hand. From there she went on to join San Francesco and eventually start the Order of Poor Ladies, which is commonly known today as Poor Clares.

Chiara's Homecoming!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Well, we finally were able to bring our little bundle of joy home from the hospital. Nothing can compete with carrying a child through pregnancy and delivering one into this world. So, Dads have to take credit where they can....like springing their child from the NICU and carrying her out of the hospital.

Check out the "Coming Home" pictures, which capture a number of Firsts for Chiara. As any parent knows, taking their first child home for the first time is a mixture of excitement and concern. You are thrilled to finally go home and start your new family life, but you wonder if you can ever really be prepared for such a responsibility.

We are posting this message almost 24 hours after we got home and are glad to report we all did just fine. Chiara made her share of noise, but so did Dad! Mom tended to Chiara while Dad snored periodically during feedings. As usual Mom wins the prize, which is why she got the honor of introducing Chiara to her new home. We caught this moment on video....

Chiara's First Graduation!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:03:00 +0000

We were so happy to see Chiara graduate from the Incubator to the "Big" bed for Premies! Thankfully, she no longer needs climate control or I.V. fluids. They are still monitoring her vital signs, but she should get to go home in a few days. You can check out the progression in the "Three Great Days" pictures along the right sidebar of our blog.

Mom (mostly) and Dad are pretty much taking care of her full time now. However, the care and guidance we have received from the NICU has been outstanding! This experience has reaffirmed what a blessing it is to be born in the U.S.A. It also reaffirms why so many people come here for medical treatment. God bless our healthcare system and all of its providers. Let's also hope it stays the same for generations to come.

For those fortunate enough to not experience the NICU, it is the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We now know first hand how intense the care is there and feel it is aptly named. Dear friends of ours experienced the same exact NICU as Chiara for their little boy. In addition to the constant monitoring of your baby's heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen level and pulse, they also run all of the tests and blood work right there. All along, they also provide continuous training on how to care for your newborn. If that's not enough, they have private rooms, so you can stay and sleep with your baby while they are getting healthy and strong enough to finally come home.

I am starting to sound like the late Billy Mayes or the Sham Wow guy! It is just hard to curb your enthusiasm or appreciation for a system and group of professionals that help bring a child into the world and make sure they are safe and healthy enough for you. The only downside is that you hope you will quickly learn to live without all of the monitors and experts when you bring your bundle of joy home!