Confessions of a 20-Something Caffeine Addict

NEWER "ITALY" BLOG!!!

2009-08-13T16:01:00.000-07:00

hey if you are still wanting to hear more about what's going on with the "caffeine addict", or the "Caffeine Addict 2.0" go to my new(er) blog site here on blogger!

Ribollita Reboiled

I am talking all about my plans to return to Florence, some memories and tips about life in Italy, and all of the drama and nonsense of applying for dual-citizenship via marriage. I'd love for you to drop by and take a peek!

the new URL is

http://ribollitareboiled.blogspot.com

Ciao!

NEW BLOG URL

2007-07-26T08:51:00.001-07:00

to continue reading "Confessions..." Please go to the NEW URL of my blog! I will no longer be publishing here, however I will be leaving this one up until I can transfer all of my archived posts. xoxox

http://web.mac.com/eclancy SUPERCEDED! My current blog is p>Ribollita Reboiled and it's awesome.

one week

2007-07-26T08:48:00.001-07:00

We have been here in Florence for a week now. I was telling a friend
of mine yesterday how quickly you pick up the words that you really
need to know. I am definitely getting better at "hearing" things,
like numbers when I go to pay for something, or just learning to pick
thru the grammar to find the key words of the conversation.

Yesterday I got my haircut at a "quick service" salon. It looked
pretty modern, and I figured I would save myself some grief trying
to make an appointment. Emmanuale was great...we both struggled to
understand each other, but between pictures and funny sounds we both
came to an understanding of what I was after, and I love it! I just
woke up so I won't include a recent pic, so you'll have to take my
word for it. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to tip or not. We knew
that you don't usually tip for food service. We had met a nice young
lady at the market a few days ago who insists that we come and ask
her for help and to answer questions, so I passed her on the way
there to ask what is salon etiquette. She laughed and said of course
not, plus "it's so expensive already!" Guess she didn't realize that
in NY, 44Euros ($61US) is a deal, and you might consider going
somewhere else for fear of getting your hair ruined.

Our boxes are supposed to be arriving today via FedEx today. I can't
wait to get my shorts...I completely underestimated the power of Air-
Conditioning now that we don't have one and aren't living under the
shade of a forest. It will take some getting used to going from a
four bedroom house on the water to a two bedroom apartment in the
middle of the city. Adam and I both realize at this point that we
would like to live south of the Arno after our lease is up in
December. For now, though, the location is very convenient and good
for assimilating into this new life.

we have arrived...

2007-07-26T08:46:00.001-07:00

[this is my post from the first night we got to Italy. I am email-
publishing it for now, but it will be dated correctly once I have
time to stay online long enough]

11-7-2007

and it has hit me much harder than I ever could have imagined. I am
totally lost in translation,,,I feel absolutely ridiculous each time
I squeeze out a ?Grazie?. I fear that the one word I am totally sure
of will mistake me for being fluent in Italian, and some innocent
shop keeper will begin to start a conversation and I will look like a
fool. My mom called to say hello, and we got into a tiff. I feel as
though I have been thrown into a minor depression...is that even
possible? I am completely overtired. The night before we left I got
3 hours of sleep, and I could barely snooze on the flight here, At
the moment I am disappointed in myself. Disappointed that I may not
like it here, and that I am not being the ?strong? person that I
always saw myself as.

with love from Firenze

2007-07-20T15:26:00.001-07:00

Just a few highlights from our first week here in Italy...

-There aren't many mosquitos in our area of Florence, but the few that manage to get into our apartment have all decided to bite me on my left forearm.

-Giada has been putting everything up to her ear like it's a telephone. I swear I'm not one of those moms on the phone all the time. I forget to turn it on half the time, but like most kids, I guess she's working on her sabotage already..she's so smart.

-I've made friends with the local gypsies. They like margot and Giada, and Giada likes their gold teeth. They are probably going to rob me one day, but it makes me feel good to recognize someone when I walk outside. Hopefully I'll never learn enough Italian to hear them ask me for money. RIght now I just say "No Italian" hahaha.

-I went to the "mercato" by myself today--which is a huge deal because I get really nervous-- to get a few things, and asked the produce guy for two fish...look up peaches and fish on altavista's babelfish online and you'll see why. Once we got all of that cleared up, I got home to find he had given me 3 extra peaches, 5 golden plums, and 2 peppers for free. Remind me to get him a Christmas gift.

-The dollar stores here sell 40oz Peroni beers...for a dollar, or Euro, of course.

-I ate tiramisu gelato the other night. I didn't even know you could combine the two! It was greater than the sum of it's parts.

-Adam and I are obsessed with clean feet. They get so dirty walking around all the time, and I guess living in such a small space compared to our house the floor stays pretty dirty. The mop can't keep up.

- Microwaves are definitely underestimated, but we have managed to figure out how to heat most things up anyway.

-EVERYONE loves babies here. Everyone. They all come up to us and start speaking to the baby and then to us and walk away saying "Complemeni Signora...Buona Fortuna!" I think there may be a baby shortage and they pay less taxes relative to how encouraging they are to young families. And that was joke. Also, the younger guys have this thing where they snap at her with both hands.

-You can walk across town in about twenty minutes. Whenever we talk to people about moving to an area further from the city center, they comment that it's quite a walk, or that we should consider getting bikes. I guess it's all relative.

-We've met some really nice people who have volunteered to help us with anything we need including where to buy things, directions, and even babysitting! The gentleman who set up our insurance has invited Adam out to a pub this weekend and is going to help him find a job.

-Pizza is pronounced the same way. Who knew.

-Alyson, another expat who lives here and has been helping me, commented to me that living in Florence in the summer is like living in a museum. Not so much b/c of all the history around you, but because there are tourists EVERYWHERE. And they all wear crazy hats and stop short in the middle of the sidewalk that I am using.

-We won't have internet for a couple more weeks, but when we do we'll be on iChat/AIM a lot, so when you get a chance email me your screenames so we can chat!

We miss all of you so much, and hope to hear from some of you!
xoxox
Emily

no internet! aaaaaa!

2007-07-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

well I typed up this great post, to find out that the landlord won't have internet wired for another month. Sooo I am city in a cyber-cafe across the street from the Mercato Centrale writing this post...which does not replace the one I wrote earlier. Once I post it, you'll understand how I have been feeling these past 2 days. Until then...(I have 39 minutes left, and lots of unanswered questions to be remedied on Expats in Italy!)

Bon Voyage

2007-07-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

We picked up our *vistos* from the NY Consulate today. Tonight we'll finish cramming our things into cardboard. In the morning my father and Adam will drive to FedEx to drop off 15-or-so boxes. Then we will say our goodbyes to moms and dads and grandmothers. A few last minute phonecalls, load Margot into her crate, and then it's off to JFK. From there we'll catch a red-eye (always wanted to say that!) to Rome. 8 hours later, we'll arrive to pick up a rental van and drive to Florence. From there, life for the next 4 years begins...

Lost Boxes and Slow Visas

2007-07-07T08:52:00.001-07:00

Dad shipped heavy duty boxes that were supposed to arrive Thursday...they aren't here and not one box has been packed.

After 3 visits to the Consulate we are waiting to pick up our visas. They will be ready Monday...we leave on Tuesday.

Stress anyone?

So Long, Prius

2007-06-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

We have owned our Prius since late 2004. Since we are moving and do not plan on making car payments while we are in Italy, we are selling our car to my parents. I took it in last week to get some minor work done...new air filter, break pads, etc. and picked it up today. It was so nice to slide into it after driving around a borrowed mini-can for the past week.

I am so going to miss having such an amazing vehicle. It averages about 50 mpg (21 K/L), and since we are doing a lot of stop-and-go driving, that's on the low end...more like 60 (26) on the highway. I am going to miss opening up the back hatch for Margot (the dog) to jump in; Popping in the car seat, rolling down the windows and heading out for a drive to wherever the day took us; driving in the carpool lane while all by my lonesome; laughing at Hummers as I fill my tank in 45 seconds and paying with pocket change; watching people stare as the car drives away without a sound. I do believe that Toyota MAY have made the perfect car. It broke the bank ever so slightly, but it has been WELL worth every penny. It will be in safe hands once my dad picks it. And who knows? Maybe we'll buy it back one day!

One minor setback

2007-06-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

Adam and I went to the Consulate's office FINALLY last week to apply fror our visas. At first we were confused by the fact that I wouldn't be able to get mine or Giada's until he had lived there and gotten his PdiS, then that cleared up. But then something else...his paperwork didn't specify that he was going for a 4-year program, which again would mean that he could not get us family visas. SOOO the schooled has just mailed out the amended paperwork, and we should be good to go! However, that means that we've had to postpone our flight and we will not be arriving until July 11. It's very frustrating having had our hearts set on leaving so soon, but at the same time it is a relief to have a couple more weeks to tighten a few loose ends.

Good news? Adam's citizenship appointment went very well! The only hangup with that is that like many Italian-Americans, their names were "Americanized" when they arrived so much of the paperwork has two names like "Peter" or "Pietro" and "Cosima" or "May". We corrected all of his g-grandfather's inconsistancies, but figured that it wouldn't matter for his g-grandmothers' (since she was his blood line to Italy). But they do want it to be amended. No big deal, it's been done. SO all we do now is wait!

Giada is a handful...literally! She is now rolling over both ways and has managed to use this new talent to roll to whatever she isn't supposed to have. She was in the den yesterday lying on her blanket, and even though I can see her from the kitchen, a strange quiet came over the room and I ran in to find her grabbing up fists of carpet fibers and shoving them into her mouth! Though I would have expected her to cry b/c they tasted bad or whatever, she seemed content to have them in her mouth. When I snatched the latest fistful from her hand she looked stunned, and then once I began removing them from her mouth she cried and fussed. Parents are so PRACTICAL!

I am so eager to get to Italy, it's overwhelming. I hope that I am not working it up to the point I am surprised not the find it the way I have been imagining. But I know the one thing I am looking forward to will not fail me: that Adam will be home with us until school begins. I miss him so much, and even though I see him as much as I did before Giada was born, being HOME without him makes me miss him more. I am also eager to travel a little bit. We can 't afford to do much and I am hoping we can find some cheap lodging that's decent enough for baby too. I am desperate to at least go to the Amalfi Coast and to see Venice. I can put my other travels on hold (Paris, Germany, Finland, etc.) but I've GOT to see more of Italy!

Hippie Grandma

2007-05-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Grandma Elisa Jammin' with her first grandbaby

FOUR THINGS MEME

Four jobs I've had

1. "Fashion" Staff at JCPenny (isn't that an oxymoron??)
2. Barista...the American kind...no booze
3. CD store clerk
4. Paper shredder at my dad's office

Four movies I can watch over and over

1. The Royal Tenanbaum's
2. Amelie
3. Empire Records
4. Peewee's Big Adventure

Four places I have lived

1. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
2. Brevard, North Carolina, USA
3. Huntington, NY, USA
4. soon to be Florence, Italy

Four television shows I love to watch

1. America's Next Top Model
2. Seinfeld
3. Law & Order: CI
4. Curb Your Enthusiasm

Four places I have been on vacation

1. Anywhere in Texas
2. Little Rock, Arkansas
3. NY, NY
4. Pompano Beach, Florida

Four of my favorite dishes

1. Chicken Gumbo
2. Boiled Crawfish, with potatos and corn
3. Sweet Potato Pancakes
4. Adam's Buccatini Amatriciana

Four websites I visit daily

1. Expattalk.com
2. idontlikeyouinthatway.com
3. all the blogs on my blog
4. fedex/usps

Four places I would rather be right now

1. Florence
2. Baton Rouge
3. At Tomo eating sushi
4. anywhere with Adam...maybe Mohonk?

Four bloggers I am tagging

1. I won't
2. obligate anyone
3. but feel free
4. to tag yourself :)

OH....MY....GODDDDD!

2007-05-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

have you looked at that ugly ticket over there lately???? holy shit! WHAT?!! 1 month SEVEN freaking DAYS! WHHHAATTTT?!?!?!

50 boring things about me

2007-05-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

in true copy-cat fashion, I've compiled a list of 50 things about be. Narcissistic? yes! boring as all-get-out? why not! but it's better than attacking the mulitiplying pile of pans that need washing :)

1) I love the smell of scotch tape (sunset-lover...thanks for the thought!)

2) I have amblyopia (one eye sees better than the other). I am not cross-eyed as a result THANK GOD, but when I was little my eyes looked crazy. I had one thick lens...the other was clear so my left eye looked gigantic. My phys-ed teacher made fun of me. Seriously. Not the kids...the teacher.

3) When I was in elementary school, I'd miss class a couple of days a month on "protest" days to march in front of the factories that were polluting, wearing a surgical mask. My Miss Piggy doll always came along. I got grounded once for throwing a straw wrapper on the ground.

4) Hated Barbies as a child. I had two. One was a motorcycle Barbie, and I neglected the doll as I zoomed around the bike. The other was some kind of a swimmer whose hair and suit changed color in water. I pulled her head off and ran to the bathroom sink to watch blond turn to brown, pink turn to purple.

5) I am one of three children, the only girl. The only special treatment I got was my own room and an earlier burfew. Even though I was born second, I am the oldest.

6) I trained in classical ballet from when I was 5 until I moved to NY at 23. I danced with a modern/acrobatic theatre in Louisiana, and then went cold-turkey when I moved. I regret that.

7) My favorite food is mom's chicken gumbo.

8) My favorite desert is mom's banana pudding.

9) I hate my birthday. The attention stresses me out.

10) I might regret having gotten my degree in Landscape Architecture. I'm not sure yet.

11) I wanted to be a country singer in highschool.

12) I love coffee. Okay so you figured that one out.

13) I am a recovered anoretic.

14) I refuse to eat asparagus because I HATE the way it makes my pee smell.

15) I haven't had a female best-friend since college (3 years). It's difficult for me to attach to girls.

16) My hands look like they belong to an old lady.

17) There are dust bunnies the size of tennis balls in my closet right now.

18) In the 8th grade I stole a bikini, and it was ugly. I suppose I figured if I didn't really like it, it wasn't really stealing?

19) At my parents house I have a large band-aid collection. When I danced, I always needed bandaids from going "en pointe", so I started to save one from each box, unused of course.

20) I have a memory from my parents first house, of pushing a penny into the door jam, where the door latches, and not being able to get it back out. I always wonder if it is still there.

21) Realizing that there really aren't that many interesting facts about me.

22) The only day I ever skipped school was to pay a speeding ticket so my parents wouldn't find out.

23) I was the last one in my highschool gym class to get my period (hey, I can't think of anything else!)

24) When I was about 3 I was playing house in my bedroom. I had a Playskool kitchenette, and the closet was the bathroom. Determined to play right, I went into the closet, squated in the corner, and peed.

25) I had many adventures playing house. With my kitchenette came a petit "blender" which spun when you pushed a button. I decided my imaginary friends needed a cocktail, so I added baby-powder and water and proceeded to whip us up some "magguweetas"

26) I wish I were a gay man, or that Rufus Wainwright were straight so we could have a wild affair. hahaha

27) As a small child, I went to a very poor public school, so once a year a few kids were sent home with lice. In third grade, I got the lucky ride home. While my mom was washing my hair with that nasty shampoo, she decided it was a good time to tell me about sex. She started to explain that it wasn't just for making babies...and I stopped her there. That was the first time I asked my mom to hush, and the first time she actually listened.

28) My second toe is longer than the first. My mother says it means I'll be the head of my household. I think it just means I have ugly feet.

29) I know all the words to "Green Acres" and "The Beverly Hillbillies"

30) I bleach my fem-stache

31) The first time I saw Adam, I knew I was going to marry him.

32) I wish I was 5-10, and weighed about 10 pounds less. Who doesn't?

33) I also wish that I had tiny boobs.

34) Ou es la bibliotheque?

35) When I was 8, I thought I was going to be the first woman President. Now that I know what it takes, I think I made the right choice in going a different direction with my life. I remembered I had a soul and it wasn't for sale.

36) If I could have my way, I'd live in a small house near the ocean, with land to grow my own food, chickens, a dog and a horse. I'd only go into town once a month, and I'd have 10 kids. This wouldn't really work, but it's my fantasy,

37) When I was in Kindergarten, I had this terrible skin problem on my entire right hand palm, and I'm right handed. Each morning my mom would have to wrap my hand in gauze slathering it with creams. At the same time as this skin issue, one morning I used my parents toilet, somehow knocked my mother's curling iron off of the vanity, and caught it with my left hand, which my mom slathered with creams and wrapped with gauze. I looked like a leper.

38) which leads to the town I used to live in...It had a leprosy hospital on the outskirts. I always imagined it was a place that a leper went to grow BACK their parts.

39) I HATE the sound of cardboard rubbing on cardboard....yikes! I can barely type it.

40) I also can't stand it when Adam, or anyone for that matter, affectionately rubs my arm over and over in the same spot...I feel like it will be rubbed raw and it gives me chills.

41) I'm extremely ticklish. I cry if someone tickles me more than a split second. Seriously.

42) I stole my brothers' ADD meds to speed/lose weight in high school.

43) At night while driving, I have to keep my gaze low b/c I feel like the tree branches are going to scratch my eyes. The is also true when a plane on TV flies towards me, or anything of that sort.

44) As a small child, I wanted to be president (as stated above), a hair-stylist, a marine biologist, an architect, a ballerina, and in Greenpeace.

45) I've never found a four-leaf clover.

46) I'm moving to Italy in less than weeks and I don't speak a LICK of Italian.

47) I didn't like my middle name for a long time because it reminded me of Blair from "The Facts of Life"

48) When my mom bought me a training bra WAAAAY before I would ever get breasts, I got angry with her b/c I felt she was throwing it in my face. :-) heehee

49) I just changed the title of this blog from 100 to 50, b/c I can't think of any more interesting/uninteresting things about myself

50) I compulsively spell in my head. I could spell an entire sentence that you speak to me without stopping. HOWEVER, I will NOT spell check this post. In fact I'll read it later and THEN make corrections. Naughty girl.

The End of April

2007-04-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

I look at the calendar today and realize that in 6 weeks we are leaving for Italy. I have been taking walks around the estate lately, letting Giada see what Spring looks like here. There are wildflowers so dense it looks like colored carpets spread in the glades. Tiny yellow finches hover over the pond catching lunch, as I watch Margot chasing fat squirrels into the wood. I stand facing the ocean, glacing over at Giada lulled to sleep by the waves and birds, wondering if we are crazy for leaving this place. It's so warm today that I open every window in the house and I swear the wind brings it to life. I haven't prayed in long time, and I've almost forgotten how to, yet in this moment I feel a great lump of "want" in my gut. Want for a sign that there is a right decision, and want for a sign that we've made it.

Meanwhile, Giada has started eating carrots. She likes them so much that she grunts for more. She uses her two favorite fingers to help her swallow: I suppose that the sucking helps the carrots go down? Today, after a two day wait, she finally pooped...and the carrots reappeared! I never would have imagined being excited about a poopy diaper, but I do like to live on the edge :)

Gettin' my Pilates Cert. On!

2007-04-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am about to embark on my third of five weekends of Pilates training. Yes, I decided to do it, and YES I am so glad that I did. IT has been a lot of work. More than I expected. I see now why it is a costly thing to become certified, but I really feel like this is the change that I have always needed. I am so sucked into it that I have started becoming a Pilates snob. I scoff to myself when someone walks by with an anterior pelvis. I grit my teeth when the cashiers shoulders are up to her ears.

All right, not that kind of a snob. I do find myself looking, though. Wanting to run up to the anterior pelvis and tell them how I can help them, that I bet they have lower back pain and I can relieve it for them. I also find myself wanting to spend $100 on a nice fly pair of Puma gym pants. Needless to say, I've done neither, but it's still in my head.

It's elating knowing that I am choosing a new career that I truly believe in AND one that will fit my new life as a mother. I know that it won't be easy to gain a good reputation, but I see this field taking me places. I feel much more confident in the thought of selling myself as a trainer than as a designer. That's not to say that I will never go back to landscape architecture. But for now Pilates trainer suits me just fine and I look forward to this title for the next 4 years or beyond!

Joe Pilates at 72. NO he's not single. And YES those are some hot shorts.

Highlines

2007-04-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Hey check out my brother's band! They say they sound like a mix of Better Than Ezra, Gin Blossoms, Counting Crows , Jimmy Eat World...but I would even dare say there is a little Dashboard and Foo Fighters too.

Johnny sings and plays bass guitar. He is a VERY talented musician. When he was five he could play the drums. In elementary school he played the trumpet and then eventually could play all the brass instruments, and WELL too. Then he picked up my flute and played better than me. Then he picked up our older brother's guitar and played it like he'd always known how. I used to make him sing the harmonies to Christmas songs with me until he'd cry to my mother. He forgave me, and sometimes when we were older we'd hit up an open-mic for fun...we got past the christmas songs of course. Now he's on tour with his band, Highlines, based out in LA!!!! WHAT? I know crazy.

So check them out at their MySpace,
or their website www.HighlinesMusic.com!

my new favorite jam

2007-04-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

oh my god

2007-04-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

I'm just looking at a post down there....Giada's hair is so scary! she looks like a balding man! I can't believe I posted those! poor girl.

hey...I'm right here!

2007-04-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

wait, what's my name again? no joke...I was on the phone with the bank yesterday and I literally forgot my married name. I am finding it hard to tell if things are getting foggier or clearer these past weeks.

Giada has started to teeth, and 'lord almighty' can those gums bite hard! She's also started to roll over which means I can't abandon her on her changing table to catch a pee. I have to waddle, knees together pigeon-toed to her play-rug, bend over trying not to squeeze it out, then make a mad dash to the lady's before she's rolled herself out of her room and down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Adam has found a school that is affiliated with an American college, and has now enrolled there instead of the original school. What's great is it means we can get more money, BUT it also means complicated paperwork, and confusing Italian protocol. At the same time we are trying to wrap up the last of our dual citizenship paperwork in time for our 6 month in advance appointment at the Consulate. (inhale exhale inhale exhale....which leads me to...)

my ass is totally kicked. I have been training to train (yes I said that) to become certified in Pilates. I feel like overdone pasta and I still have to lift 13 pounds over and over everyday. I AM excited though and I am hoping that this is a good move for our move (yes I said that too).

Oh yes...Giada took the big plunge! She was Baptised on the 18th of March, so now she's going to be perfect forever, right? Really..she was so good...the only baby that didn't cry, and she slept during most of it. I cried a wee bit...can I still blame that on hormones? haha Laura flew in (the god-mama) and was delayed a day from snow, but she made it nonetheless...what a great girl! I just have to say...Laura is so freaking naturally beautiful and I wish I had curves like her! (don't mind the hair in this pic...I'm in transition for God's sake)

Okay so back to our move. We are SOOOO F-ing excited that the day is drawing near! Despite depleting our savings just a little, it's all coming together. We have plane tickets, passports, the visas are in the working, and our Apt is reserved. We'll soon be selling most of our furniture, and then we'll have an enormous garage sale. It feels good to be downsizing, but I am going to miss this life (4 BR house with 3 bathrooms [hey we don't own it so don't get any ideas...we're as broke as the next guy], the ocean a 10 minute walk, and in the middle of the woods). In about 2 1/2 months we'll be boarding a plane with 3 suitcases, 2 boxes, a dog crate, a carseat, and a stroller, and heading for Rome. From there we'll rent a van and drive our sorry asses to Florence, hoping we've taken the proper route to avoid $500 in fines, sleep, go to Ikea, and pray we remembered everything. More stuff will arrive in a few days, and then hopefully we'll be off to see more of Italy before classes begin!

Is this REALLY happening?

PS: anyone had any experience driving from Rome to Florence, or the reverse? any advice would help! our uncle did it last summer and got 4 tickets!

PASSPORT

2007-02-18T09:04:00.000-08:00

so I FINALLY got my passport...yay! the school has mailed our visa paperwork, and then it's just a matter of heading over to the consulate. amazing!

pics of giada in her crazy smurf hat about to go for a ride, and then in her crib chewing on sock monkey. The last is with her "nanny" Laura, what we call our godmothers in Louisiana (Laura does NOT change her poopy diapers or give her a bottle...she just pretends that she has lots of good advice, and then parties when Giada's not looking).

Giada turns 3 months tomorrow!

I did it!

2007-02-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

...I decided to be a "stay at home mom"...well at least for the next 4 months. I may do some fun computer work from home...photoshop, AutoCAD...but other than that it's gonna be like "leave it to beaver" round here! NOT! Okay so I did wash the dishes today and tomorrow I might wash some clothes. But for the most part nothing's changed. I do put on shoes now instead of padding around in dingey dirty socks.

Of course it's not all that easy. We will be living hand to mouth for a few months. I am also doing my best to begin becoming certified in Pilates. I'd like to have it finished before we make the big leap, but I can always finish in Rome. It's not exactly a short commute, but I am hoping whatever needs to be done there can be finished over a couple of weekends if need be.

So in case it's not obvious, this is my brilliant idea to make some money whilst in Italy. It's a long shot, but I am going to contact all of the gyms in Florence, all 3...heeheehee, to see if I could teach some classes there, and then perhaps I can organize private and semi-privates sessions. It will be a lot of work, but hopefully it will cater to my new life as mom. we'll see!

Fort Lauderdale: Land of Elderly Retirees

2007-01-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

On the plane to FL as soon as the "fasten seatbelt" sign went off, half of the plane ran to get in line for the restrooms...needless to say, they were all members of the AARP. The line didn't peter off until the sign came back on 3 hours later.

we had a great time...I was EXTREMELY lazy, and loved having 2 grandmas to toss Giada off to when I got tired of holding her. It's funny how jealous I got when I didn't get to hold her for a while.

My mom bought her a swimming suit. Adam and I had the biggest fight about putting her in it...he thinks that we were treating her like a doll, and was upset that we had not washed it yet. We WERE treating her like a doll...and I'm not sorry for it! She looked adorable and she even giggled the entire time we took pictures. She was only in it for about an hour, so Adam will get over it. But beware, Adam, there are more to come!

I am on the verge of making a very big decision...whether or not to return to my job or not. Aside from the fact that I cannot bear the thought of leaving Giada for 26 hours each week, I can't rationalize any major benefit for returning for 3 months until we move...only negative effects. Because this country is whack and I only get about 80% of my actual pay, the money made will barely outweight the cost of travel and childcare. Going back means having to pump a lot...and Giada hates the bottle...she'll take it but she doesn't eat enough (and I've tried almost every nipple out there). The young lady who will be caring for her has never taken care of an infant on her own before, so I have many doubts about that set-up. I know that I will putting the company in a major pickle because there are some computer programs that only I know how to run that are needed for this major Spring event. Perhaps I can suppress instinct and return just to help out with that, but I break down and cry at the thought.

it's pitiful really. feel sorry for me.

what Giada will never wear

2007-01-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

for the record, Giada...I NEVER dressed you in this ridiculous pink, animal costume/onesie...thing. Firstly, what animal is is supposed to be? And secondly, are you SERIOUSLY supposed to where this thing in public? By far, this is the second worse gift you have gotten, and you won't ever remember it b/c it's going to disappear in about 2 minutes.

The first worst gift is the following...

These booties were knit by my MIL's blind friends mother, who I should think is blind too. These gigantic booties, which were accompanied by a matching bonnet, would fit a 6-year-old. What 6-y-o wears booties? and the bonner fits her now, though she's never going to wear it. I hate to be such a bitch, but my God they are ridiculous!

Giada's birth story is nearly finished, but I am leaving for Florida for 2 weeks, so it's going to be that much longer...apologies. I know you're all SOOOO eager to hear how my cervix performed.

one more complaint, and then thanks!

2006-12-30T16:19:00.000-08:00

I also forgot to mention how COMPLETELY inconvenient these leaking boobs are! And since my letdown is so strong, I have to stuff the non-nursing side with a burb cloth everytime I nurse, or else I'd be using up all my breastpads everyday. The only pads that really do the job are the disposable ones, and they are 1) expensive and wasteful and 2) don't let me "dry out" completely...BUT I use them when I am out of the house b/c otherwise I will leak through my clothes....GRRRRRRR Honestly if just one of these issues was resolved, I'd be a happy camper!

Thanks to both the ladies with the help....it's definitely eased my mind. I actually called a lactation consultant right after that past, and she came over yesterday to evaluate Giada and I. Despite G having a strong suckle, she has a hard time slowing/stopping the milk flow, and she might possibly have a Type 4 Frenula/Frenulum/Frenalen...the thingy under her tongue. She gave me some exercises to do with her to help strengthen her latch and to get her tongue moving the right way...it
s quite cute actually watching her tongue move around, and she laughs...sometimes. If that doesn't work she wants me to see this Dr. who can verify her Type 4 Fren.... and if she does have one, then they will want to give it a tiny snip. I have NO idea how I feel about that. I mean, how common is this.

[OKAY I JUST REALIZED I NEER POSTED THIS, SO I AM POSTING IT NOW "AS IS"...I'M TOO LAZY TO FINISH IT]

scary pics

2006-12-28T08:51:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know what color gray was, I included some pics that display it very well under my eyes...ha! As you can see I finally got my hair did...a-la-Pulp Fiction wouldn't you say. I used to rock these angled choppy bangs when my hair was quite long, so it's definitly a different look with this bob. I'm not sure that I like it, but I am just glad to have gotten some of the layers from my pixie chopped off!

This is a bad way to begin writing about my new life, but it's just the way it is...

My concerns at this point are that G. will only sleep for more than half an hour if she's in our bed...I'm not so much worried about her sleeping with us, I am just worried that it's "wrong"??? And when should we put our foot down? are we digging ourselves into a deep hole by allowing her to sleep with us? Adam seems to be more concerned than I am...I'm just glad to get 3 straight hours of sleep!

About half the time when she nurses she eats for 5 minutes and then screams...I thought I had it figured out, that my letdown was too strong, but now it's not jsut when my milk lets down, it's random. G. only poops 1-2 times a day. I spoke to a lactation consultant who says once is fine, but all the books say 3-4....argh. G. won't sit alone for more than 5 minutes without a Nook in her mouth. I am worried that the Nook is why she's having trouble nursing so I won't give it to her unless I'm desperate sooooooo I end up holding her most of the time. I have a sling, but she either screams and won't have it, or sleeps the whole time she's in it, and is then awake at 11pm.

Giada has made a few milestones...she can smile and sort of laugh....it's got a little tweeking left....though in her sleep she can get on a nice giggle! (video is a little long, so no biggie if your fast forward a lot)

and sorry about that terrible baby-talk...I'm working on it!

Despite all our frustrations, I am speechless when it comes to describing how I feel about this little person who just appeared from nothing. And as nervous and distraught as Adam was, he is so in love with his baby girl and such a wonderful daddy. (tears, hahaha). Keep checking our website for updated pictures...there will be some soon! web.mac.com/eclancy