The Chiovaro's

Updated Pictures

2009-10-04T19:25:00.004-05:00

Strawberry Picking

2009-06-07T21:47:00.002-05:00

Busy Bee's

2009-04-18T18:38:00.002-05:00

We have been very busy lately. Rob has been working long hours and even weekends. Even though that is hard on the whole family, we are thankful since many people are without jobs.

Mason has started soccer. He is playing in the Parent and Me division and he is doing great! He loves to “score” goals and can even dribble the ball. Today they played red light, green light during practice and he was the first one down the field both times!

Brennan is 11 months old. He has many firsts going on. He has taken a few steps not holding on. Brennan has been walking holding onto objects for some time now. But, he has become braver in the last few days! Brennan also started calling out Mama! I am thrilled with that! He loves to watch Mason and try to copy him. Brennan loves outdoors, just like Mason. I have a feeling we will be outdoors from now until next fall!

As if I wasn’t busy enough, I have started a business with my friend Amee. Madame Deals will bring you up to date on the many ways to save money on groceries and fashion. We are also developing a hands on workshop for new coupon users and a coupon organizing system. So stay tuned and check our site out!

We are working on our vegetable garden. We are excited to have even a bigger garden this year!

Hopefully by the end of this year we will have a new garage which will allow us to have an extra freezer so we can preserve our harvest for the winter.

Shenandoah Crossings

2009-03-29T17:52:00.002-05:00

We had a fun get away this weekend. We stayed in a cabin at Shenandoah Crossings. We had fun in the indoor pool. Brennan had his first swimming experience and he loved it! Mason was a bit shy of the water at first, but ended up having a good time.

Ben and Rob playing tether ball. Notice the puddles; the rain kept us from doing some activities such as horseback riding. However, we still managed to get in some outdoor time. We played miniature golf even though some of the holes became "water" holes!

Rick and Blake at the playground. Mason loved the many slides!

Our first night there I looked out the cabin window and saw this pure white deer! I thought it was a goat at first! There were other deer around but they blended right into the trees.

Fun in the Snow!

2009-03-02T20:08:00.001-05:00

We received about a foot of snow yesterday and this morning. Rob and I both got the day off as we were pretty much snowed in! We live on a back road which is pretty much last priority for plowing. It was fun to spend some time in the snow as this much snow is a rare occurrence around here.
We took Mason out to play in the snow while Brennan slept this morning. Mason thought it was hilarious to see me making snow angels and throwing snow balls. We had fun until Mason’s gloves got wet and his little hands were frozen.
Late in the afternoon we drove to a park and met the Capozella’s and some of the other Chiovaro’s. Mason had his first experience sledding down a hill. He had a great time! Brennan was a great observer, he never made a peep. Mason let us know when it was time to go. He marched over to Rob and said “I am getting too cold” and then turned around and headed to the car! It was a fun day!

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T13:34:00.002-05:00

Brennan clapping.

We have had a pretty rough three weeks. It started with Mason getting sick. He had a very bad cold which resulted in ear infections that were resistant to antibiotics. Mason ended up having ear surgery to clear the infection. Then Brennan came down with it. Luckily after two different antibiotics, Brennan's infection cleared. Next our dog Clemens decided to eat non-food items. Unfortunately the items did not pass through his system. He ended up having major surgery to remove a baby toy, a sock and clay. Clemens is doing much better but he will require two weeks of constant care. Needless to say, we are really tired of visiting the Doctors, the ER, the hospital and the vet!

The boys are feeling really good today and we were able to log some outdoor time in. Brennan has become quite a climber. He can climb the stairs and has no problem "cruising" around holding onto objects. He has taken a couple of steps not holding on...uh, oh! Brennan has learned to clap, which he tends to do all of the time. He loves food! In fact Brennan prefers to feed himself and loves "real food".

Mason continues to show us how smart he is. He has started to identify letters, he can count objects up to 5, he can count to 20, he is learning the days of the week, he knows his colors and he can tell you what different trucks and tractors functions are! Mason likes to play with Brennan although he still tends to say "mine" quite often.

California Dreaming

2009-01-20T19:15:00.002-05:00

California Cousins

Charli, Brennan, Mariah, Rilyn, Makayla, Aiden & Mason

Oooh, that water is cold!

How Brennan spent his time at the beach!

Mason, Brennan and I had a great trip to California. We timed it just right as California had beautiful sunny weather as Virginia had freezing cold temperatures. Mason and Brennan did wonderful on the plane rides. We even had a detour and the boys had their first visit to Phoenix, Arizona! In California Mason and Brennan enjoyed playing with their cousins, going to the beach, hanging out with Grandpa and Grandma and jumping on a trampoline. I got the pleasure of having a night out with friends as Grandma babysat! It was wonderful to be home and the visit was definitely too short! Sorry that we didn't meet up with all of you!

Picture Preview

2009-01-10T22:02:00.002-05:00

We had a photographer come to the house today to take pictures of Mason and Brennan. From what I have seen so far, they came out wonderful! I can't wait to see the rest of them!

Rudolph the Red Nose Brennan!

2008-12-24T07:18:00.003-05:00

Brennan will have a red nose for Christmas. He was pulling up on the laundry basket when it fell over and scraped his nose. He is still as happy as can be though!

We visited my brother Richard, his wife Alicia and their new son Coltyn in North Carolina. Mason and Brennan adored their new baby cousin. We were glad to spend time with them before they move back to California.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Let it Snow!

2008-12-14T16:57:00.002-05:00

Brennan pulls up to standing on just about any object or person. (No, that is not an angelic halo! That picture is from my old camera which is obviously broken!)
Mason eating snow. (New camera!)

Just a dusting of snow and really we could only stay out for about 10 minutes... it was freezing!

We are getting ready for Christmas. We have decorated and the boys have done well with leaving the tree intact! We have all been sick recently but seem to be on the mend. Brennan had the worst of it with croup. It was a little scary since it was our first ER visit with Brennan but, he is a brave boy. He even managed to give the nurse a smile while he was having a hard time breathing.

We took Mason and Brennan to see Santa today. We have no pictures to show since they both cried over the whole ordeal! Brennan sat on Santa's lap and immediately started crying. Mason never even gave it a try. Maybe next year!

Happy Half Birthday!

2008-11-20T18:53:00.002-05:00

Mason climbed into bed with Brennan.
Cousin Blake and Brennan

Brennan turned six months old yesterday. He is such a strong boy! He is crawling all over the place and exploring everything! He can go from sitting to crawling and then back to sitting with ease. He weighed in at 17 lbs. 13 ozs today. Mason is dealing with the crawling as best as possible. The fight over toys has begun; although Brennan gladly gives in at this point!

Loving Coupons!

2008-11-07T15:34:00.005-05:00

In the last few months I have developed a new hobby. When the prices went up at the grocery store and gas station, I started clipping coupons. I have always been a coupon user but now I take it very seriously. I have saved us a lot of money and I get so excited when I find a bargain! I have to credit my friend Dana for getting me so motivated to save money. Dana has a blog that she updates regularly with the best deals at several stores www.frugalinvirginia.com . Up until yesterday, I had only doing my big bargain shopping at CVS drugstore. I branched out this week as two grocery stores in Charlottesville had some great deals! Harris Teeter is honoring triple coupons up to .99 cents… awesome! Kroger has a great discount given on select items when you buy ten. I was so excited yesterday about my savings that I actually took a picture of the products from each store!

Harris Teeter: paid $41.58, saved $71.63
Kroger: paid $34.98, saved $67.77

So, we are stocked on groceries for awhile! I just wanted to share my great savings with you all to motivate you as well!

Scarecrows

2008-11-01T20:13:00.002-05:00

Brennan passed out before trick or treating began.

Mason loved carving the pumpkin. He didn't like touching the insides though!

Mason and Brennan were scarecrows for Halloween. We had a full day of trick or treating. During the day I took the boys to a shopping center were they had activities for children. That was a good practice run for Mason! After naps, we headed to the other Chiovaro’s house for dinner. We had a Halloween themed dinner: Witches fingers (mozzarella sticks), mummy dogs, night crawlers and eyeballs (spaghetti and meatballs), purple people eater punch and eyeball jelly (jello jigglers). It was a lot of fun! We then went trick or treating around Rick and Cathy’s neighborhood. Mason got the idea very quickly and was eager to open the candy. He has become very independent and wanted to walk by himself down the dark roads and steep stairs. He tells me “no, I got it” or “by myself”.

Other news, Brennan loves food! He eats a variety of fruits and veggies now. He has also tried a pretzel rod and graham cracker. He gets very frustrated if other people are eating and he doesn’t have anything. Brennan is close to crawling. He scoots backwards very well and in fact can go backwards across a room. He can get up on all fours and move his knees forward. He has not quite figured out his arms yet, thank goodness! Brennan loves Mason! He thinks his big brother is very funny. Mason also enjoys Brennan and often says “Bren watch this” and then performs some stunt. Brennan is a joy and a very happy boy!

Travel and Transition

2008-10-16T13:12:00.002-05:00

Brennan, Renae and Mason on the Pismo Beach Pier
Mason checking out the surfers
Rob and Mason
Mason on Grandma's Scooter
Brennan sitting by himself

Well, the Chiovaro's have been busy! We went to California and had a great visit with family and friends. Mason and Brennan were complete angels on the flights! Mason had a hard time adjusting to the time change though.

When we got home, we decided to move Mason to his big boy bed. This has not gone smoothly! It takes him about an hour to fall asleep and he wakes up in the middle of the night. It has been two weeks and he is still not sleeping well. We hope for improvement soon.

Brennan is now sitting up. He has also started eating fruits and veggies. Such a big boy! He has also made a transition... we moved him to his own room instead of in the bassinet in our room. Hopefully this goes more smoothly than the Mason transition!

Healthy Boys!

2008-09-20T19:32:00.002-05:00

Brennan in his excersaucer for the 1st time!

Mason collecting acorns in his pocket!

The boys had their checkup with the pediatrician yesterday. Mason weighed in at 26 pounds is about 35 inches tall. He is doing well in all aspects of his develepment- speech, social, cognitive and motor skills. My favorite thing that he says right now is "watch out cars" when I am driving! Does he think I am a bad driver or what? Mason loves "Blue's Clues" and "Jay Jay the Jet Plane". He continues to love sports and outdoors.

Brennan weighed in at 15 pounds 8 ounces and 24.5 inches long at four months. He is chubby and we love those rolls! Brennan is advanced with his motor skills. He can now turn himself in a circle while on his belly. Brennan's new favorite activity is jumping! If he is standing on your legs he is contastantly jumping. He is a happy baby!

We are headed to California on Wednesday... yeah! So, the rest of the week will be busy for us!

Happy 2nd Birthday Mason!

2008-09-14T19:41:00.003-05:00

Mason mowing like Daddy! Note: The swing set in the background; this was before it was done.
Mason still likes to play with boxes!
Happy Brennan!

Mason turned two on Friday! We had a party for him yesterday with family and friends. For Mason's birthday present we got him a wooden swing set. We bought it used and Rob (with Rick's help) has been working hard on it the last couple of weeks. Mason loves to swing and slide! He also loves to pretend like he is working on the swing set too... he uses the level and pretends to put screws in! I will post pictures of Mason's party when I get them.

Brennan continues to grow quickly. He has been rolling for two weeks now. He rolls really well from back to front and he sometimes manages to roll the reverse direction. Brennan can also inch his way forward and backward while on his tummy. He is very strong!

Amusement Park

2008-08-24T18:33:00.003-05:00

Mason and Jacob on a ride
Bradley and Mason
Mason and I waiting in line for the Scooby Doo Mystery House

On Friday, I took Mason to King’s Dominion Amusement Park. We went with Julie, Jacob, Evan and Cousin Bradley. Brennan was able to spend some quality time with Uncle Rick and Aunt Cathy! Mason was able to go on a couple of the small rides. We also went to the water park. Mason enjoyed running and splashing in the toddler pool. I was able to take Bradley on some bigger water slides while Julie watched the little guys. I have to say that I am getting too old for those water slides! Bradley and I started out on the totally enclosed tube slides about seven stories high. I was shaking when I got to the bottom! I sent Bradley back up to do another one on his own…I preferred to watch! We then went on an inflatable tube ride which I did enjoy. We had a fun day even though I ended up with a backache the next day!

Brennan: 3 months old

2008-08-20T18:00:00.003-05:00

Brennan is now three months old. He is very strong! He is trying to roll over already. Brennan also tries to scoot forward while on his belly. It is fun watching him be more interactive. He loves to smile! He slept through the night Sunday night as well. I am hoping there are more of those nights to come real soon!

Pickles and Peaches

2008-08-18T19:46:00.002-05:00

Cathy's dining room table loaded with our goods!
Jars of pickles, sliced peaches, peach salsa and peach jam

This past weekend, Cathy and I canned pickles and peaches. We have become more ambitious this year and tried several different recipes. It was fun researching recipes and we discovered that you can pickle just about anything. We put in some long hours but everything turned out fantastic. And in case you were wondering how many jars you can get from a bushel of cucumbers and a peck of peaches, the list follows.

1 Bushel Pickling Cucumbers...
Polish Dills
6 Quarts
11 Pints
9 Quarts (Fridge Recipe/Canned)

Dill Pickles
6 Quarts
10 Pints

Kosher Dill
3 Quarts
11 Pints

Sweet - Bread & Butter -- (Fridge Recipe)
2 Pints
4 - 1/2 Pints

1 Peck Peaches...

Peaches -- Sliced
22 Pints

Peach Salsa
18 - 1/2 Pints

Peach Jam
14 - 1/2 Pints
6 - 4 oz.
Needless to say, we will have enough pickles for years to come!

Moneysavingmom.com

2008-08-09T18:54:00.002-05:00

Well, in this time of economic problems, I have decided to be more diligent with using coupons. Through a friends recommendation, I started reading the moneysavingmom.com blog. On this site, people post all of the money saving deals they have found for the week. It basically tells you which store to use your coupons at in order to save them most money. So, after research and organizing my coupons I headed to the CVS drugstore. I bought 2 pert plus shampoos, 2 deodorants, 2 tubes of toothpaste and a bag of chips. After using coupons and my CVS card my total was $4.96. I also received $3.50 in extra bucks. The extra bucks are like CVS money that you can use at your next purchase. I also hit Wal-mart this week and ended up with 4 packs of clean team wipes for .14 cents each after coupons! So, I am pretty excited about my savings and I hope to continue. It takes a bit of work but I am told it gets easier as you go along. I can't wait for tomorrow's paper to find the good deals! I know, you are probably thinking there are better things to do! But, I love finding good deals!

New York

2008-08-07T17:55:00.002-05:00

Mason in the dogs water bucket
Grandma Chiovaro and Brennan
Mason in his new bike helmet (it was once cousin Brad's who is now 11!).

Our trip to New York went well. It took us 10 hours each way and we only had to make two stops. The boys did better in the car than I could have ever imagined! I have to say that the DVD player was worth the investment. Unfortunately, Mason ended up getting sick the second day which made him extremely cranky. He did have fun feeding the ducks at the river and blueberry picking. Mason ate more blueberries than he put in his bucket! We also had a family picnic. It actually ended up being an eat inside picnic as it rained pretty hard that day. Which also meant that the races we were going to attend were cancelled. It was a short trip but we were glad that everyone was able to meet Brennan.

Happy Brennan!

2008-07-25T13:37:00.002-05:00

Brennan is now two months old. He weighed in at 13 pounds at the Dr.'s office yesterday! Brennan has had issues with spitting up and acid reflux. It has been so bad that I issue a warning to everyone who wants to hold him! His Dr. has put him on zantac and we are hoping that helps. It was also recommended that we start him on a small amount of rice cereal. The cereal should help the spitting up and as an added benefit, it may help him sleep longer! I am still very sleep deprived as Brennan is usually up at least twice a night. I am hoping with the medication and cereal he will be more comfortable so I can get some zzzzzzz's! We started the regimen last night. Brennan seemed to really like the cereal and ended up sleeping 6 hours straight... yipee!

Mason is doing well. He had a rough time with me returning to work but, I think he is getting use to the routine. Yesterday he went pee on the potty for the first time! He did it all by himself too! We were very excited. Something to make you laugh: This morning he was outside and looked up in the sky and saw the moon. He said "moon in sky". I said "yes". He then said "cow?". I said "no there is no cow". He then started to cry because he could not find the cow jumping over the moon! I tried to explain that the cow only jumps over the moon in books but, I don't think he gets that yet! Mason is very attentive to Brennan. As soon as he starts crying, Mason comes running to see if he can help. What a good big brother!

I have had a tough couple of weeks with having to return to work. I am hoping it gets easier as the weeks go by and I get some sleep! We are heading to visit Rob's parents in New York next week. It will be an interesting trip as it is about a nine hour drive. The new DVD player will hopefully keep Mason busy and hopefully Brennan will sleep a lot!

Smile!

2008-07-10T18:24:00.002-05:00

Big Smile!

Mason has been very attentive to Brennan. He has wanted to hold Brennan a lot. Mason also loves on Brennan by giving him hugs and kisses… including Eskimo and butterfly kisses! I will have to keep a close eye on Mason as today he tried to pickup Brennan when he was crying! I appreciate the help but, I think mommy should be the one to pick baby up:)

4th of July

2008-07-06T12:33:00.002-05:00

For the 4th of July we went to a AAA baseball game; the Richmond Braves vs. the Norfolk Tides. We started the adventure off getting stuck in a rain storm! Since it was a sold out game, we had quite a trek from the car to the stadium. As we were walking, the rain started coming down! So, we started out soaking wet! The game was good but very long; 14 innings! With two outs in the ninth inning the Braves came back to tie up the game. This was a disappointment to all of us since we were waiting for the game to end so the fireworks could begin. Finally, the game ended around 11pm and the fireworks were fantastic! Mason and Brennan were both excellent for the game and fireworks show. Mason happily sat in Aunt Cathy's lap for a good portion of the game. He enjoyed the fireworks and kept saying "stars". He would also name the colors such as "star, it's blue!" He was so cute!

Brennan is a chunky monkey! He is getting so big quickly! He smiles are great and I am trying hard to capture a good one on camera (not an easy task!). Brennan is staying awake longer and more aware of his surroundings. He is very strong. This week while lying on his belly he was able to lift his chest off the floor!

Mason has discovered the sprinkler. He loves water and we are having a hard time keeping him from turning on the hose! In the pictures above, he is actually in his P.J.'s for an early morning sprinkler run!

This is my last week off before I return to work. I will miss being home full time and it will definitely take us some time to get into a new routine. For now, I am going to enjoy my last week off though!

Brothers

2008-06-26T19:43:00.002-05:00

Brennan: two weeks ago
Mason loves water!

Well, we have been really busy! I have been wanting to update pictures on here for weeks! My computer time is very limited! Brennan weighed in at 10 lbs 8ozs last week at his one month appointment. He is a big boy! He started smiling this week and he has big dimples like his mommy! Mason is adjusting well. Mason loves to help me with Brennan: he pushes the baby swing, rubs Brennan's feet or belly when he cries, helps me give him baths and tries to give Brennan a pacifier. Mason was sick about two weeks ago with an ear infection and yeast infection which made life tough for awhile. He is feeling better now and we have had many good days. Although, Mason is starting to test me now that he is almost two:)

Brennan Michael

2008-05-27T18:04:00.002-05:00

After 1st bath

My two boys!

Things have been busy and I am pretty tired! But, overall things are going well. Mason has shown a little protest to our new routine by waking at night (contributing to my tiredness!) Mason does seem to like Brennan though. He has tried to be very helpful by trying to feed him a banana, share his toys, and pat his back to burp him.

Today was my first day alone with the two boys. Overall, it went well. Brennan is an easy baby so far. It was a beautiful day and we spent a good part playing outside (Brennan in the front pack). I have recovered from delivery much faster than I did with Mason. Most of my aches and pains from childbirth are gone. Now, if I could just get a bit more sleep (maybe in a year!)

The lastest with the Chiovaro's

2008-05-07T19:36:00.002-05:00

Taken three weeks ago: look at that belly!
Grandpa Mowrey and Mason
Mason loves golf!
Easy way to get the ball in the hole!

We have been so busy that I have not posted in over a month! My Dad came to visit in the middle of April. It was wonderful seeing him. Mason warmed up quite well to grandpa and he was the source of our entertainment. At the end of April we headed to Gordonsville, VA for a weekend getaway. We stayed at a cabin resort through our timeshare. Rick, Cathy and the boys joined us for a fun filled weekend. Mason and the boys participated in the following: small petting zoo, pony ride, horse drawn wagon ride, miniature golf and swimming. We will definitely return to this resort again and it is a short 30 minutes from home!
Rob and Rick went on their annual golf trip to Pennsylvania last weekend. Mason and I stayed with Cathy just in case the baby decided to come early. The guys had a great trip and Rob came in second place out of 64 participants. Mason and I both developed a horrible cold which made for a tough weekend. Mason ended up having a double ear infection…poor guy. Hopefully he will be back to normal soon.
Baby update: Well my body is definitely getting ready for baby boy #2. As of today, I am 80% effaced, 2 cm dilated and baby at -1 station (for all those people who know what that jargon means!). We are hoping he comes soon since I pretty much feel horrible now (backache, swollen ankles, can’t sleep, acid reflux etc.)We will keep you posted!

Easter Fun

2008-03-29T13:19:00.002-05:00

Mason swinging
Coloring eggs (Not a great picture of me but shows of the big belly!)
Batters Up!

Mason continues to become more of a big boy. About two weeks ago we decided he needed to stop using his pacifier (binky is what we called it). I anticipated that it was going to be a horrible event. Really, it was tough for the first 24 hours. For several days he kept asking for it but seemed alright with the answer “binky all gone”. I am so glad that Mason has made this adjustment somewhat easy.

Mason can now count to five! He has been able to say one, two and three for awhile now. A couple of days ago, Rob was counting objects with him and Mason said “four, five”. It was so cute! He can also say “a, b, c, d”. His language has really taken off. Last week he picked up a piece of cellophane and asked “Is this trash?”.

Easter was a fun time. Mason’s favorite thing was the dying of the eggs. He really got into by dipping not only the eggs but his fingers in the dye. When he was done he had blue hands and he looked at them and said “Uh, oh!”. Straight to the bath he went. We took him to an egg hunt at a local park. Rob and I discovered that we are still very much rookie parents. As we pulled up I noticed everyone had Easter baskets to collect their eggs. I hadn’t even thought of it! Of course there were no bags to be found in the car. So, I emptied my purse and Mason used it to collect his eggs! It was a crazy event as there were hundreds of kids and Mason had no clue what to do. So Rob carried Mason as we ran to a spot where Mason could actually pick up some eggs. We will be better prepared next time.

We had a good Easter day. We started by going to church with our friends Joe and Julie, Sister-in-law Cathy, and the boys. We then had Easter dinner at Rick and Cathy’s house. Bradley, Ben, Blake and Mason hunted for plastic eggs in the back yard. Mason collected the eggs but quickly found out that Aunt Cathy had stuffed them with candy! He kept shaking the eggs and then prying them open to find the goodies! He has a sweet tooth! Blake and Mason played with Mason’s new T-ball set. Mason has a good stance and swing already!

I am starting to feel more uncomfortable. At my checkup last week, the Dr. said that the baby has dropped really low which is the reason for being uncomfortable. She said it will make for an easier delivery but I will be pretty much miserable for the next two months!

Popsicle Kid!

2008-03-18T18:32:00.002-05:00

Popsicle time! Now that it is getting a bit warmer, Mason can enjoy his favorite treat!

Mason turned 18 months old last week. He had his Dr. Checkup and he received a healthy report! He weighed in at 23.5 pounds and was 32.5 inches long. He has been saying new words almost every day. He now asks “what is that?” when he is unsure of what an object is. He hates making a mess with his food! He always wants a napkin and if there are crumbs on his lap he starts yelling “mess, mess”. He had a big fall the other day that scared me. He was trying to go down the steps of our porch (which he does very well) and our dog Clemens knocked him from behind. This sent Mason flying face first into the dirt and rocks. He ended up with some scrapes and bruises on his face but he is healing well. He is a tough guy!
I am starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. This baby is really active at night making it hard to sleep. I only have nine weeks to go though! We are starting to get the house ready for the new arrival. We are also working on getting Mason as ready as we can. He has been playing with my old Cabbage Patch doll. I taught him that we kiss and hug babies. Now every night before bed he wants to kiss the doll! We have started a new playgroup as well. There are three infants that he seems intrigued by. The playgroup is also good for another reason… there are mostly girls in the group! Mason hardly ever gets to play with girls. He was fascinated watching them play dress up! He is very shy though and only started interacting when he discovered the trains.

Maternity Model

2008-02-24T13:49:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I had a maternity photo shoot. A local photographer needed a maternity model to add pictures to her portfolio. I volunteered as this meant free pictures for me! Mason was very shy about the whole process. However, the photographer was still able to get some great shots. I have only seen a few pictures that she e-mailed last night. She had to have taken over a hundred and we can’t wait to see the rest! Above are a few samples!

New pictures

2008-02-21T19:33:00.003-05:00

Daddy and Mason showing off their balloon hats. Rob had a birthday earlier this month and the restaurant we ate at had a magician make balloon characters.
Mason and his valentine he made during craft day with the mom's club.
Mason was smelling my fake flowers today... so cute!

I can’t believe how fast time is flying bye! Here we are at the end of February and I am entering the third trimester with our new baby to be. I am still feeling okay… getting a little more uncomfortable. He is a very active baby; especially at night! This worries me as he is already keeping me awake by kicking and punching me!
Mason is doing well. He is teething again; not much fun. He is learning new words every day. His favorite phrase to say always starts with “I just…” and then he adds different words like “throw” or “did it”. His friend Jacob, who is three, tends to say “I just…” many times a day. Mason loves to imitate and copy!
Mason has grown a lot lately weighing in at 23 pounds 14 ounces! That is almost a three pound weight gain in the last two months! He runs at full speed, tries to jump, and throws a ball with some strength behind it now. Mason throws the ball so well that we have to take away harder balls for inside play now. He can throw well with both hands, but tends to prefer the left hand. We are having fun!

Ouch!

2008-02-04T19:23:00.000-05:00

This morning I became a nervous mom as I received a call from Julie while I was at work. Mason fell and hit his head on a bookshelf. Julie was unsure if he needed stiches or not. So, I paced my office as Julie brought Mason to me so I could assess the situation. His eye was swollen and there was about a 1 inch cut. The bleeding had stopped but we were still unsure about the stiches. To be on the safe side, we headed to the doctor's office. The nurse practitioner felt that stiches were unnecessary and we were instructed to apply ice, antibiotic oitnment and to give him tylenol. What a relief! The swelling had already gone down by the time I picked him up at the end of the day. He took a 2.5 hour nap today indicating that this ordeal wore him out. It wore me out too... I think every mom's worst fear is to get a phone call at work reporting your child is hurt. I am sure we will have many more incidents to come though!

Boy Oh Boy!

2008-01-25T21:54:00.000-05:00

Profile view

Uncle Rick made this cookie cake- prepared for either boy or girl!

Our sonogram today revealed that we are having a boy! Rob and I were a little surprised as we both felt that it was going to be a girl. In fact, we had not even discussed any boy’s names! The best part of the sonogram was when the baby started opening his mouth and it looked as if he was trying to lick his hand! It was pretty neat seeing his tongue moving and his little fingers stretching! We learned that he is healthy to date and all of his parts and organs are present and working.
Mason was the one to inform Rick, Cathy, Bradley, Ben and Blake. I made a little sign that he wore around his neck that said “It’s a Boy!”. I will have to get a picture of him and the sign to post on here. It will be great having two boys so close in age growing up together. The other nice part is that we don’t have to buy much to prepare for baby boy #2! We are defiantely working on a baseball team of boys between Rick and Cathy and their three boys, our good friends Joe and Julie who have two boys and ourselves!

Snow Day!

2008-01-18T13:56:00.000-05:00

Not sure what to think about that cold white stuff!
Notice that this is actually Rick and Cathy's road- that is how much snow we were driving on!
Belly last week at 21 weeks

Yesterday was an adventure! It started snowing about 7:30 am. Mason had an 8:45 am doctor’s appointment. Since I have never driven in snow before, I was a little anxious as I kept seeing that white stuff pile up! We left for the appointment early which was a smart idea since the roads were already in bad condition. Our road was completely white and it looked as if no one had traveled on it for awhile. We made it to the stop sign which is two miles from our house and I figured the main roads would be in better condition. However, I realized that stop signs are a bad thing! It is very slippery to get going again. We finally made it to the appointment going about 25-30 mph on the main road. I felt as if I had to pry my hands off the steering wheel as I was gripping so tight!
Mason’s ears checked out good and he has gained 1 pound 5 ounces in the last three weeks! This good news made me feel better about our drive. We are still waiting for the results of the anemia test. However, Mason seems to be in very good health now!
So, now we must venture back on the road. I decided to head towards Rick and Cathy’s house as they are closer to where I was and closer to my doctor’s office for which I had an ultrasound appointment. It is still snowing hard and I get a call from Rob saying he is staying in Charlottesville for awhile because the roads are so bad. Mason and I take it really slow towards Rick’s house. We get almost there and I start up this little hill. The hill is so slick that my car won’t go up and it starts sliding. I call Rick and he came to our rescue with his four wheel drive truck. We ended up leaving my car in a nearby parking lot since he couldn’t get my car up the hill either.
Unfortunately, the weather was just too bad for my doctor’s office to stay open. My ultrasound was rescheduled for January 25th which of course is a major disappointment. After several hours, Rob finally made it to Rick and Cathy’s too. He has his own stories of slipping and sliding all over the road! Fortunately, we are all safe and I guess I am an experienced snow driver now!

Holiday Update

2008-01-01T19:38:00.001-05:00

Mason's new lounging chair
Overwhelmed by presents!
Cat riding- a new sport!

Well, here we are in the new year...2008! We had a wonderful Christmas with Rob's side of the family. On Christmas Eve, we had the family over to our house for dinner. Christmas morning we ventured out early to Rick and Cathy's house to open presents and start the day of eating! Mason was a bit overwhelmed with the whole thing. He was not sure about all of the presents and people everywhere. In the middle of opening presents, we put Mason down for a nap and he slept for two hours! I am sure next year will be a whole different experience for him.

For New Year's Eve, we had Rick, Cathy, Brad, Ben and Blake over for game night. They received the Wii for Christmas and brought it over for us to try. It was a lot of fun and you actually do get a bit of a workout depending on which games you are playing.

Mason had his 15 month checkup last week. He still has an ear infection so he is back on medication. the other concern was that he has not gained weight in the last three months. He has grown taller and is actually average in that category. However, he has dropped to the 5th percentile for weight. So, we are trying to fatten him up! I am sure it is due to the fact that he is very active and I am guessing he has a fast metabolism like Rob and I do. We go back to his Dr. in two weeks to check his ears again.

Besides the health concerns, Mason is doing great! He is very smart and learning every day. He has recently showed us that he knows some sign language. I had good intentions of teaching him baby sign language but fell off tract of doing the signs myself. Mason watches a couple of sign language videos though. This week he signed "ball" and "more" while saying the words at the same time. Rob was not convinced at first that Mason was actually signing intentionally. So, Rob asked Mason "Show me the sign for ball." Mason promptly signed ball. I guess those videos really work!

Adventurous climber

2007-12-24T13:39:00.000-05:00

Mason has learned how to climb! We find him in odd places like on top of his desk or on top of the dining room table! He has been talking a lot and I can't even count how many words he can say now. His latest words have been "all gone" or "all done".

I am now in my 18th week of my pregnancy. I am feeling pretty good too! I barely passed my first diabetes test and will have another one in about ten weeks. Luckily, I am okay to eat Christmas goodies! We have our sonogram scheduled for January 17th and we hope to find out the gender!

We wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Handsome Boy!

2007-12-04T20:01:00.000-05:00

Yes, I brush his teeth... that is orange crayon on his teeth!
Bath time fun!
Big belly! Taken last week- in my 15th week

Mason had his first haircut last week! He was such a big boy and didn't cry. He only squirmed a little! I think he definitely looks like a little boy rather than a baby now. I tried to have Mason sit with Santa but he would have nothing to do with it. I will try again and maybe he will warm up to the idea of sitting on a strange old man's lap!

We have put up our Christmas decorations. So far, Mason has done pretty well with leaving them be. Our tree looks a little funny though since I only put a few non-breakable items on the bottom branches!

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-25T14:50:00.001-05:00

Mason's Christmas present from Grandpa and Grandma Chiovaro

Rob's mom, dad, sister Cris and nephew Ryan came to visit for Thanksgiving. We had a great time the few days they were here. On Wednesday we had brunch at our house and played some wiffle ball. We had Thanksgiving at Rick and Cathy's house and there was no shortage of food! The one great thing about being pregnant is that I am not so worried about the holiday weight gain! We also celebrated Christmas on Thanksgiving night since Rob's parents and sister are staying in New York for Christmas. Friday we ventured out for some bowling. Mason kept us running as he was not content to just sit there and watch!

Mason enjoyed having all four of his boy cousins around f0r several days in a row. He has fun chasing after them and trying to join in. Mason has been "talking" more. It is really funny to listen to his baby talk. It is like he is having a conversation with you although you don't know what he is saying.

New pictures... Finally!

2007-11-08T19:57:00.000-05:00

Mason as a Dragon for Halloween. Aunt Cathy Made this costume about 10 years ago for Bradley!
Mason and Cousin Blake as Puss in Boots
New Elmer Fudd hat!
Self feeding... some how more yogurt ended up outside of his mouth!

Well, we have been very busy! Thus, I have not posted for about a month! We have been working around the house a bit. Rob has installed new hardwood floors in our loft. We are preparing the house for Rob's family who are coming for Thanksgiving. We will soon then be preparing for turning the guest room into a new babies room! If you haven't heard the news, we are expecting baby number two in May 2008.

Mason has really blossomed. He loves to imitate us! It is amazing how well he remembers things. I showed him one time how to brush Clemens the dog. About a week latter he saw the dog brush, went over to Clemens and started brushing him! Mason's upper front teeth are finally erupting! He definitely looks more like a little boy instead of a baby. He loves to play outdoors which may become a bit of a challenge as the weather is getting colder. Mason also enjoys coloring, playing with Thomas trains and blocks. He is saying a few more words and tries to copy what I say. The other day I called for Bob (Rob goes by Bob here... I know confusing!) and Mason said "Bob" as well!

We will keep you all updated on the baby news and Mason's accomplishments!

Farmer Mason

2007-10-12T08:39:00.000-05:00

Evan, Jacob and Mason

Last week my friend Julie and I took the boys to the State Fair in Richmond. There was a neat baby animal area that the boys enjoyed. Mason loved the tractors! I put him on one for a picture and then he kept going over to them asking to get back on! Mason also enjoyed the high dive show. People were dressed as penguins and performed tricks on a high dive. It was neat to see Mason interacting with the crowd... yelling and clapping.

Mason has had a tough week as far as illness. He has had a mysterious rash and now he seems to have hives. We will be back at the Doctor's office this morning! Hope he feels better soon!

Go Yankees!

2007-09-30T18:45:00.000-05:00

Mason and Daddy at the game.Last night we took Mason to his first professional baseball game! Friends of ours gave us tickets to the Yankees vs. Orioles game in Baltimore. I think Mason enjoyed people watching more than the ball game itself! He had fun though! He made it until the sixth inning and then he fell asleep. We had great seats and it was a close game with a lot of action. The Yankees won which made it even better!

Mason has had a tough week. He has had a cold, a mild ear infection and he is teething. He had his 12 month check up this last week. He weighed 21 pounds and was 30 inches tall. The surprise came when he was diagnosed as having mild anemia. He is now on a supplement to help out with iron levels. This week has been hard on me since I am so use to having such a healthy boy! Knock on wood, Mason had a great first year with only mild colds. We are hoping for more good health this next year! Mason's Dr. was very impressed with Mason's motor skills and speech skills. He said Mason is very advanced. I knew he was smart!

Despite not feeling well, Mason has continued to play hard. He loves the Thomas Train in the above picture. This train is a hand me down from his cousins. It is motorized and Mason has learned how to push the pedal! He gets the biggest grin on his face when he rides the train.

Mason is 1!

2007-09-22T19:06:00.000-05:00

Mason's cake made by Uncle Rick

Mason digging into his very own caterpillar cake!

Mason had his first birthday on the 12th! We did a little celebration on his real birthday with cupcakes. On Saturday, we had a Baby Einstein themed party for him at our house. We grilled burgers and hot dogs. Mason was so excited to have Uncle Rick, Aunt Cathy, cousin Bradley, cousin Ben, cousin Blake, Grammy (Cathy's mom), Joe, Julie, Jacob and Evan at his party. We played some wiffle ball home run derby (mason was running around wishing he knew how to play!). Mason received many fun toys, new clothes and some gift cards. He even got his first set of golf clubs! I will have to take pictures of him and his new clubs!

Mason is so smart and it is fun to watch him learn. For his birthday he received a frog bath puppet. After I helped him open it, he went right over to his Baby Einstein DVD's and picked up the one with the frog on the front. The frog puppet looks just like the one on the DVD and it is amazing how Mason remembered! His motor skills are improving too. He can run and spin in circles. Mason loves the outdoors and now that he walks so well, we spend a lot of time outdoors. His other favorite thing is stacking items or putting lids on. We are having so much fun!

The Big 30!

2007-09-22T18:47:00.000-05:00

My cake made by Rick. The flowers were 3D!
Mason hitting the pinata.
My gift from Rick, Cathy and the boys... a swing for my porch!

I am a bit behind in my blogs! This month has been so busy and I can't believe fall is here. I had my 30th birthday at the beginning of the month. Let me tell you, I was not very excited about leaving my twenties! However, I guess we all must age! To celebrate the entrance into a new decade, Rob put together a surprise party for me! I was truly surprised! It was a Mexican theme complete with Mexican food, decorations, and a pinata. Everyone worked so hard on the party and I truly appreciated it.

Bruiser

2007-09-06T18:57:00.000-05:00

Mason with a goofy look showing off his bruise!
Wagon Ride
Abandoned Kitten

Monday we were over at Rick and Cathy's house finishing up our canning. We canned apple pie filling and applesauce this time. Mason ended the evening by getting his first big bonker! He fell and he met the glider chair with his forehead and left eye! It immediately turned purple and swelled. He was a tough guy though! Putting the ice on his head was probably more traumatic than anything. I, on the other hand, had a bit of a hard time since it was his first big injury. I know it is the first of many though! The swelling went down by the next day and now we just get to watch the color changes!

The other exciting thing that happened this last weekend was finding an abandoned kitten. Clemens ran off and Mason and I were chasing after him. We heard a noise coming from a pile of leaves in our driveway. Underneath all of the leaves was this tiny kitten. I watched for several hours trying to find any hint of mom. The kitten was really hungry so, we took him in. A vet check revealed that he is only three weeks old and 8 ounces! He is full of vigor though and eats well. I will bottle feed him for another few weeks and then try to find him a home. The last thing we need is another pet! Although, Sydney seems to think that this kitten is her baby.

Four Miler Race Results

2007-09-02T08:08:00.000-05:00

Prerace: Lyndsey, Julie, Marilyn, Cathy & Renae

Team 5 Fluco Flamingo Four MilersHalf Way
All Done!

The race is over! I finished well with my best four mile time this summer and the best part is my knee did not hurt! It was an amazing experience to run with over 2,000 women. There was pink as far as you could see! My time was 38 minutes and 55 seconds placing me at 582nd out of 2240. In my age group I placed 49th out or 223. The ultimate goal for the race was to raise funds for the Uva Breast Care Center. I am happy to report that the goal of $200,000 has been far surpassed! Donations will still be accepted until Septemeber 10th and the estimated total is $250,000! This is awesome! Thank you to all of the donors for making this happen!

Little Gardner

2007-08-27T19:55:00.000-05:00

Mason has been so helpful with gardening since he started walking! He loves to be outside and we have spent more time outdoors now that he can walk. Mason has discovered the cherry tomato's that I am growing! He plucks them right off the bush and eats them. He has become much more stable in his walking and even tries to run now! It won't be long and I won't be able to keep up with him! His new words are hello, stick and go. He has been eating a ton so I think he has hit a growth spurt. In the picture above, hew actually fell asleep eating! He plays hard and he wore himself completely out! His favorite activity in the evenings is chasing the dogs and cat around the house. Mason has figured out how to throw the ball for Sydney and that Clemens enjoys playing hide and seek around the couch!

We have had a few thunderstorms lately. Sydney is terrified of thunder and she has run away a few times. Last week she ended up a half a mile down the road. We are not sure what to do about that. Most of the storms just pop-up with little warning.

Rob is doing well and keeping busy with work. I am busy with training for the four miler, finishing my master's degree and I added another day of work two weeks ago. I am three weeks away from completing the last class for my master's degree... yeah! That will be a huge relief!

Running for a Cause

2007-08-15T19:04:00.001-05:00

Fourth of July 5K

I have recently returned to running and I am running in support of a good cause. On September 1st, I will be completing the Charloettesville Women's Four Miler with 2,700 other women. The funds raised from t is race will go towards the University of Virginia's Cancer Center Breast Care Center. My sister-in-law, Cathy, completed the race last year and has inspired me to complete it this year. I am also running in honor of my Aunt Susan and several patient's of mine that have battled breast cancer this last year.

I started training in June and every Saturday hundreds of women gather at the UVa track for a training session, support and guidance. It is truly amazing to be running with hundreds of women training for the same cause! Also, some of them are breast cancer survivors!

I unfortunately injured my knee during the 5K race on the Fourth of July. I had to stop training for almost a month but I am back at it again. I was able to complete the training program last Saturday and I ran 3.5 miles! I am hoping to be able to run the whole four miles but if not, I will surely complete it by walking.

I want to thank all of you who have already donated to support me and the Breast Care Center. Donations can be made online http://www.dominiondigital.com/womens4miler/donations.asp

just click on the link and follow the instructions. I will keep you all updated on my progress and wish me luck on the 1st!

Vacation details and Mason updates

2007-08-08T19:47:00.000-05:00

Well, last Saturday we made it back from our vacation New York. Before I fill you in on the vacation details, I have to brag a bit about our little boy! It is official... Mason can walk! He has been taking a couple steps every now and then but Monday he really took off! I picked him up from the sitter's house and she said "Mason just walked across the living room!" Sure enough, when we got home he walked across our living room. He is still a bit wobbly but he is improving fast. He also started saying "bye" when he waves! Mason is a bit of a dare devil. His Aunt Cris bought him the bike in the above picture. He can get on and off by himself. He also has discovered that he can stand on the seat, hold on to the handle bars and rock... uh, oh!

Our vacation went well. We stayed with Rob's parents and Mason was able to get some quality grandpa and grandma time. Rob and I were able to go to the races and golf twice without Mason. It was weird being without him but, it was also nice being able to get out and play! I actually tied Rob in golf on the day we played the executive course with Rick, Cathy, Brad, Ben, Ryan and Blake. We also played a difficult 18 hole course with Rick and Cathy and I fared pretty well. Of course Rob always seems to do well too!

We had a huge picnic with family and friends at Rob's parent's house. It was planned on a perfect day before the heat wave came! On one adventure day we took a boat tour in Alexandria Bay around the 1000 islands. The 1000 islands are in US and Canadian waters. There are many mansions built on these islands. It was interesting to see as these houses were huge! We took a tour of Boldt Castle which is on one of the islands. We then headed to Maze Land. The boys had a good time trying to find the clues hidden in a seven foot tall hedge maze. We never found all of the clues after a couple of hours of looking. I think we were being tricked!

Our second adventure day was to the Corning Glass Museum. We saw exhibits with amazing glass detail. We also were able to make our own glass items. The things that we made were ornaments, glass flowers and wind chimes. It was scorching hot in front of the furnace but, we had fun!

The time went by fast and it seems that we couldn't fit everything in that we wanted to do. Mason was a trooper the whole trip. He slept well and was in a great mood the whole week. Aunt Cathy calls him the "angel baby"! Even though we had fun, it is always nice to return home!

Summer Adventures

2007-07-25T12:21:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we were off to Williamsburg, VA. We decided that we needed to start seeing some of the sites here in Virginia and learn some history! The weather was beautiful allowing us to stroll around Colonial Williamsburg. We toured the Governor's Palace and the Capital Building and watched some reenactments.

Mason decided that he is a big boy now! He is refusing to eat baby food and wants to eat what I eat! We ordered his very own meal at a restaurant for the first time last weekend. He had chicken strips. I, of course, cut off the breading and cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Mason wanted nothing to do with that! He grabbed a chicken strip, breading and all, and munched on it cave man style! Mason has also learned to clap. It is funny that he claps for himself when he is proud of himself.

We are headed to visit Rob's parents in upstate New York on Friday. It will be nice to see them since they have not seen Mason since he was two months old! He has changed dramatically since then! The hard part will be the nine hour drive. Luckily, we will have Aunt Cathy with us to entertain Mason on the way up, yeah!

Poor Baby!

2007-07-16T19:21:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when you tell Mason no or take away something he shouldn't have! It's pretty hard to say no when he looks at you like that!

Learning and Understanding

2007-07-14T19:59:00.000-05:00

Mason about to teach Daddy a golf lesson before the big tournament (look, Mason is standing)!
Mason in his swimming boat

Today Rob played in a golf tournament with Rick. It was the same tournament that he played in last year that resulted in winning our new car! This year, there was no car won. However, Rob played well and they had a fun guys day out.

Mason and I joined my friend Julie and her two boys at the pool today. The baby pool is only one foot deep. Mason loved the fact that he could touch and walk all over while in his swimming boat. After a good nap, Mason and I had so much fun playing together. I realized today how smart he is and how much he understands. We were playing with blocks and I would ask him to place one block on top of the other. He would do what I asked, I would clap and cheer and then he would do his little dance in excitement. I asked him to do several tasks today and he would try each one. He could put blocks in a bucket and open and close his play kitchen doors when asked. He is also working on walking! He took two steps yesterday and today without holding on! Mason turned ten months old earlier this week. It is amazing how much he has learned in his first ten months.

Just Peachy!

2007-07-12T08:57:00.000-05:00

Sunday, Cathy and I decided to try canning peaches for the first time. We are so excited that all of our jars turned out! We have decided to try and can other things later this summer as long as we get all of the correct supplies. We did learn some lessons from not having the correct tools. For example, we definitely need canning jar tongs to remove hot jars from boiling water! Getting splashed with boiling water just isn't that much fun!

Beautiful Garden

2007-07-07T18:46:00.000-05:00

Mason and Aunt Cathy waiting for the fireworks to start.

I harvested crops from my garden last week! I picked all of the lettuce and a zucchini. The tomato bushes are loaded and hopefully they will ripen soon. Yesterday I noticed that the cantaloupe plants finally had little cantaloupes growing! I will harvest two more zucchini tomorrow. It is exciting to see how well everything is growing!

On the Fourth of July I ran a 5K race with Cathy and Julie. I was proud of myself for running the whole thing. However, I ended up hurting my knee. Thus, I was unable to attend the training session today. My knee is feeling a bit better so hopefully I will be back in action soon! We spent the rest of the Fourth with Rick, Cathy and the Boys. We watched fireworks and Mason enjoyed them. He didn't even flinch with the big booms!

Thursday night Mason attended his first baseball game. We went to a AAA game; Richmond Braves vs. Syracuse Chiefs. Unfortunately there was a rain delay so the game started late. We ended up leaving in the seventh inning as it was already 11:15 pm. Mason did well but he was extremely tired from being up late two nights in a row... and so was I! Mason ate his first hot dog at a ball game!

Mason is on his way to standing on his own. He has been standing up from sitting without pulling up on anything. He has also started shaking his head no when I tell him "no, no". Too cute! He has also been using the sign for milk when he sees a bottle or when he wants some milk. He is pretty smart!

Look at that hair!

2007-06-27T18:39:00.001-05:00

This is what Mason looked like when he woke up this morning! His hair is getting really long on top and sometimes looks like a comb over! Mason had his nine month checkup today. He is very long, in the 75th percentile, and measured 28.75 inches long. He weighed in at 19 pounds which to my surprise, is in the 30th percentile. The Dr. said Mason will probably be a tall and thin child. We are going to try and plump him up a bit with adding dairy products. Mason likes to feed himself and is almost done with the jars of baby food. He prefers "real" food! He added a new word to his vocabulary this week... dog! He even said "dog" when we saw dogs other than ours at the park! He actually says it more like "gog" but we know what he means. A new talent that emerged tonight is throwing objects. It is cute now but I am sure I won't be laughing when he gets some power behind that throw!

I started my training for the Women's 4 Miler race that takes place in September. Until the race, I will meet hundreds of other women on Saturday morning to train. It is a really neat program and it is exciting to see so many women running or walking at one time! I haven't run in over ten years. It is amazing that all of my old feelings for running came back as soon as I completed that first lap. I am excited about the challenge of getting back into shape and I have to remember to pace myself. Cathy, Marilyn and I went to a fabulous running store to purchase good running shoes. They actually watch you walk and jog to determine what shoes will work best for your foot. I am hoping my new shoes will prevent my previous foot injury from coming back!

Uh Oh!

2007-06-20T18:36:00.000-05:00

Mason and I made it back from California! We had a whirlwind of a trip and luckily Mason is a great traveler! We had a busy schedule of visiting friends and family, attended Cal Ploy graduation and went to a wedding. It was great to see everyone and I wish we could have stayed longer.

Mason now has two teeth on the bottom! You can see one of them in the picture above. He is also saying uh oh! It is really cute! Mason crawls super fast now and loves to push the walker around. He also loves to play with children. He gets so excited when he sees other children. While in California, I took Mason to the park with a friend. He loved the swing! He also crawled all over the grass and tried to eat sticks and leaves! On the flight home Mason learned how to drink from a straw! On the last plane change I grabbed a smoothie and I let Mason try the straw. To my surprise, he could do it and he ended up eating half of my smoothie!

Rob was happy to see us! He said that Mason looked a little different! Rob kept busy with yard work and watching the US Open. He took care of my garden which grew huge while I was gone. I will have to take some pictures of the garden and post it soon.

Virginian's for a Year!

2007-06-06T19:40:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe that we have lived in Virginia for one year now! We are enjoying it so much and are glad we made the move. Mason continues to amaze us at how fast he is learning! He has discovered how to climb stairs and how to yell! He has stood a few times by himself and then quickly realizes he isn't holding on and then squats down. He has been exercising using his push walker... going all over the house! Mason finally has a tooth coming in... I can actually see it now! I believe he is also trying to say ball. He makes a baw sound when he sees a ball!

Earlier this week, Mason was able to spend some time with Uncle Rick and the boys. His new sitter's daughter has been very sick. So, Uncle Rick filled in. They had so much fun! The weather has been perfect so the boys pent all day outside. Mason loves the outdoors.

Next week Mason and I head to California for a quick visit. We are so excited to see friends and family. It will be an adventure traveling alone with Mason!

Kings Dominion

2007-05-28T20:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Mason had his first experience at an amusement park. Rob, Rick, Cathy, Marilyn (Cathy's mom), Bradley, Ben, Blake, Mason and I went to King's Dominion for a day of fun. It was a very warm day but enjoyable. Rob, Cathy, Bradley and I were very adventurous! We went on the craziest roller coasters that had us upside down and shooting straight into the air! We had a lot of thrills and my voice is paying for it today! Mason was able to ride two rides as well. He went on the carousel and the Scooby Doo Haunted Mansion. Mason was such a trooper all day long!

Family and New Friends

2007-05-23T20:15:00.000-05:00

As mentioned previously, last weekend we visited my family that was vacationing in Nags Head, NC. It was a quick trip but very enjoyable. The beach was beautiful and the house we stayed out was right on the beach! Mason was great and was the center of attention! He didn't seem to mind being passed from person to person.
Monday we started with the new sitter Amy. Mason did great... better than I did actually! He seems to really like Amy and her daughter Amelia. In fact, I think Mason and Amelia will be close friends. Amelia woke up Tuesday morning asking about Mason and was delighted when he showed up! I am certain that Mason misses Uncle Rick but I am glad that the transition has been easy for him.
Mason has had a hard time with sleeping lately. He was sleeping through the night two weeks ago and I was blessed with four nights in a row with full sleep! For some reason, Mason has decided that sleeping through the night didn't work for him... at least not yet! On our trip he woke up at 5:45 am so I decided we could watch the sunrise. What a beautiful one it was! Being from California, I have never seen the sunrise over the ocean! For once I was happy to be up at 5:45 am... thanks Mason!

Mason and his Great Grandpa Wilkins

Below: Rob, Grandma Wilkins, Renae, Grandpa Wilkins, Mason and Richard. 2nd picture: sunrise

8 months old!

2007-05-18T20:14:00.000-05:00

Time is flying by and I have realized I have not posted a blog in quite sometime. Mason turned eight months old last week. He has become an expert crawler and moves very fast when he sees something he wants. We have had a food explosion... trying many different things. Mason had his first taste of chocolate cake this week courtesy of Aunt Cathy and he loves Popsicles courtesy of Uncle Rick! He gets very excited when he sees a Popsicle and pretty much demands a bite! Mason continues to enjoy the Mommy and Me swim class. This week we were lucky to have cousin Blake join us in the pool. Blake and Mason are very close buddies and they had a blast splashing around.

We are headed to Nags Head, North Carolina this weekend to visit my Grandparents, Great Aunts, Great Uncle and my brother Richard who are all there for vacation. It will be a quick trip but it will be nice to see everyone.

Next week will be a new adventure for us. Mason starts with his new sitter, Amy, on Monday. He will miss Uncle Rick a lot and we are hoping the transition will be easy for him.

(1st Picture is of Cousin Ben, Friend Evan and Mason at Uncle Rick's and Aunt Cathy's. 2nd picture is Mason exploring the dog bowl!)

We Made It!

2007-05-06T19:55:00.000-05:00

Rob has been on a golf trip with Rick and friends for the last four days. Mason and I survived! I am a little worn out from chasing the little man all over the place but, all is well! Mason's cousin Blake stayed the night for the first time. Mason and Blake had a great time and they are truly buddies.

Mason is trying all kinds of new foods. He ate jello, pasta (no sauce) and cheese crackers this weekend. He likes to feed himself and is getting pretty good about getting the food to his mouth.

He is growing and changing so fast! He is looking more like a little boy with his new hair (although the picture doesn't show it, he really is getting some!) and slightly slimmed cheeks. What a cutey!

New Adventures

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

Mason's motor skills have improved so much over the past week! He can crawl regularly now and go from sitting to crawling with ease. He is hard to keep track of which makes my job really busy! He has found new adventures such as the dogs water bowl! I can no longer plop him down with a pile of toys since he will most likely roam or pull himself up to standing. We received a walker for him which is helpful. Another big milestone is that he started sleeping through the night... Yeah! The only problem is that 5 AM is his new wake up time! It will take Mommy some time to get use to that!

Rob left for a golf trip with Rick today. They will be gone until Sunday. I think I may be worn out by the time they get back! Animal update: Sydney is doing better and her foot seems to have healed. She has had two other injuries since the toe. She ran into the deck and cut her nose and she tore a toenail off. She is so injury prone! Charlie, the cat, has the newest injury. He was bitten by something that caused an abscess. The vet thinks it was another cat which I was thankful for since the bite looked like a snake bite to me! I really think we should have veterinary insurance!

Mason and I started a mommy and me swim class. He loves the water! He is the youngest one in the class. He kicks, splashes and smiles the whole time! It is a workout for mommy... we run in the pool and do things such as arm lifts with baby. I am going to try and get into shape as Cathy and I are going to run the Wome's 4 Miler in September. It is a fundraiser for breast cancer.

On the move!

2007-04-22T19:49:00.000-05:00

Wow, have we been busy! Mason has continued with his army crawl and he is picking up speed! He also loves to stand, climb on the couch and "walk" holding onto people's hands. He started cruising yesterday, taking steps holding onto objects. He is still very wobbly and has no balance, but he still likes to try! The weather has been wonderful the last two days... in the 80's! We have spent time outdoors watching soccer games and giving Mason rides in his wagon. We think Mason has started teething though. He had a very hard day today with a runny nose, drooling and fussy. I feel so bad when there is nothing I can do to make him feel better! Poor little man!

Mason 7 Months Old

2007-04-12T18:39:00.000-05:00

Mason is 7 months old today! He can do an army type crawl and is so close to doing the regular crawl. He is pulling himself up into a standing position. Today it seemed like all he wanted to do was stand! He is sure going to keep us busy as he is becoming more mobile. I think he will keep the animals busy too (as evidence in the above photo with Charlie!). He has been so much fun and I can't believe how fast time is going!

Chiovaro Family Vacation

2007-04-08T08:28:00.000-05:00

We are back from our vacation at Myrtle Beach, SC. We had a great time! There are so many activities to do in Myrtle Beach and I don't think we even did half of the things that looked interesting. We went to the zoo, played golf, spent a day at the beach, attacked the Nascar Speedpark (Mason and I just observed there!), played in the pool at our condo, went to Medieval Times and got some shopping in. Mason loved hanging out with his cousins every day! He was so excited to see them first thing in the morning. Mason worked on his crawling and he is so close! He had a hard time sleeping on vacation with all of the excitement and new environment. That made for a not so restful vacation for me, but we still had fun! The dogs and cat did great while we were gone with our pet sitter. They were excited to see us though!
These two pictures are of Mason at the beach. He loved the sand! We had to keep his binky in so he wouldn't eat it!

Uncle Rick and Mason at the Zoo

Mommy and Mason floating down the Lazy River!

This is what we woke up to on our first morning home... unseasonable snow!

Mason and Grandpa Mowrey

2007-03-27T19:13:00.000-05:00

My dad came for a visit on Sunday. It was a gorgeous spring day and we spent some time outside showing my dad around our place. This was his first visit here. It was great that Mason was able to spend some time with Grandpa and we all wish he could have stayed longer.

We have been blessed with some warm spring days lately. It has been so nice to get outside and soak up a little sun. The flowers and trees are starting to bloom. There are so many daffodils in bloom! I don't think I have ever seen so many before. The dogwood trees are starting to bloom and the next few weeks will be just beautiful. I will have to take some pictures.

We are leaving Friday for vacation. We are headed to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a week with Rick, Cathy and the boys. The rest of this week I will be busy packing and trying to get organized.

Mason has become an active little boy this week. I have had to raise the railing on his crib since he can pull up now. He has also been rolling over on his belly in his crib and "crawling" around in there instead of sleeping! Tonight, he finally fell asleep on his belly. He loves to stand holding onto things and is practicing picking up his feet as if he were walking.

Just a Little Old Man in a Rocking Chair!

2007-03-21T19:24:00.000-05:00

Mason had his six month check-up today. He weighed in at 17 pounds 7 ounces! When the Dr. walked in, Mason gave him a serious look. The Dr. started laughing and said "He looks like a little old man!" He is a pretty cute "little old man' though! Mason had three shots today and he hasn't been cranky at all this evening. Last time he was cranky for about twenty four hours. It hasn't seemed to bother him that much this time, yeah! I bought this rocking chair at a children's consignment sale. It is so cute and Mason did well sitting in it for the first time. According to Uncle Rick, Mason can pull himself up from a sitting position to standing. I haven't been able to witness it yet though. Mason is also more vocal this week. He babbles all of the time...da, ba, ma, ga, goo. He sure is fun!

Kiss me, I'm Irish... well at least a little!

2007-03-17T10:52:00.000-05:00

Look at those poses! I think he could be a little model! He isn't sure about that hat! He is use to wearing hats but not with such a big brim. He was shaking his head and trying to grab it. What a cute guy!

Whose that Baby?

2007-03-16T11:43:00.000-05:00

Mason turned six months old on Monday. The time has gone by sooo fast! He is learning new things on a daily basis. He is fascinated with mirrors. I wonder what he is thinking when he sees himself in the mirror. Mason is now eating baby food three times a day. He can feed himself crackers and likes most of the foods we have tried. He is still working on crawling. He can spin himself around when laying on his belly and he has good crawler form. He just needs to figure out how to move those arms!

Mason has done well transitioning to his crib. He has slept three nights downstairs now. He is still waking up once a night but, he doesn't fuss about being in his crib. It was an easier transition than I anticipated, yeah!

We had some great spring like days earlier this week. Mason wore shorts two days in a row! It was funny to see those

chubby little legs!

We have interviewed three childcare providers and I think we have found someone. It was really important to me to have Mason in a smaller setting until he is at least a year old. I found a mom who has a 14 month daughter who will only take on Mason. It will good for Mason to be around a little girl since he only plays with boys now! So, hopefully this will work out.

For those of you asking about my work, it is going well. Some days are super busy leaving me exhausted at night. However, the staff is nice and try to help me out as much as possible. It is a different type of dental practice than my last job. So, it has taken time to adjust a bit. I now see a lot of children and teens where I hardly worked on any kiddos in California. It is a nice change though!

Rob is busy with his job. He has been working on huge houses, over 5,000 square feet. I don't know what people do with houses that big! I know I wouldn't want to clean one! The biggest house he has been working at is over 11,000 square feet! Crazy!

We are still waiting to see if Sydney's foot heals. I hope it does since the medication for it is very expensive. Too bad she doesn't have insurance!

Transition

2007-03-10T20:27:00.000-05:00

Well, we are in the process of transitioning Mason from his bassinet to his crib. I have kept him in a bassinet in our room since his room is downstairs and ours is upstairs. Since he is still waking at night I did not want to keep making the trek up and down stairs in the middle of the night. But, now it is time for Mason to be in his room. I think he may be waking since he knows I am right there. He is also waking up to the alarm clock now. I have started putting him in his crib for all naps now. In the next couple of days I will move him completely to his room. I am sure he will protest at first! Mason has started babbling... ma and ba. This makes listening to him cry harder since he has been crying and saying ma ma ma at the same time. It sounds like momma although I know it isn't!

On another note, an update on our furry child Sydney. She has had a problem with her toe for several weeks now. I took her to the vet and they put her on antibiotics but the vet cautioned that this could be a serious matter. He said to watch the toe closely since it could be a tumor which is most often cancerous. Well, the toe has not healed and she was back at the vet yesterday. They did her teeth cleaning :) and took xrays of her paw. There were no fractures which was another possibility. Since the vet did not see a clearly defined mass, we are trying two weeks of antifungal medication. If Sydney's toe does not improve after that, she will have a biopsy or possibly a toe amputation. Let's hope for the best! This picture of her was taken a few weeks ago when she experienced it snowing for the first time!

Smart Boy!

2007-03-08T20:27:00.000-05:00

Mason is so smart! He loves to push buttons and he remembers where they are. For instance, on his pack and play there is a music center with buttons. The buttons face the outside of the crib. Now when I walk towards it he starts reaching for the buttons. If I turn him away from them he wiggles and turns until he can see them again. It is just amazing to me that he has such a good memory.

Mason will eat green beans now. I guess it just took him some time to get use to the new taste. He has tried applesauce and bananas this week. It is funny to watch his face when he discovers new tastes!

We have had a busy week. Mason and I are interviewing childcare providers. Uncle Rick has been so gracious to watch Mason for the last couple of months. Mason has had a great time with Uncle Rick and his cousins. However, in May Mason's cousins will be out of school for the summer and they have very busy schedules. Uncle Rick will be busy carting his three boys around. So, Mason and I met with one person today and we have two more ladies to meet with in the next few days. It is hard work trying to find the right person! Wish us luck!

Bumpy Ride!

2007-03-04T09:28:00.000-05:00

Well, Mason went for a wild ride the other night! Mason was not sleeping well and I had been up several times. I finally asked Rob to get up with him about 4 am. Rob picked up Mason and started down the stairs. All of a sudden I heard a thump, thump, thump. I have never moved out of bed so quick! Rob had slipped off the last few steps! Rob did a great job of keeping Mason safe in his arms. He didn't even cry, Mason or Rob! Poor Rob hit his knee hard since he had no hands to brace his fall. He also bumped his finger that he has stitches in (a work injury from earlier this week) and that started bleeding again. Rob and Mason are doing just fine; it gave us a good scare though!

Mason tried green beans last night and he did not like them! He made funny faces and shuttered! This is the first food he did not like! We will try them again though.

Swim Time!

2007-03-01T15:50:00.000-05:00

Mason went swimming for the first time today! We met his friends, Jacob and Evan, at the indoor pool. Mason seemed to enjoy the water. He stayed in for forty minutes and didn't fuss once! He was mostly just observing and taking in the whole experience. We have a two week pass, so I am hoping to to take Mason again. The swimming really tired him out! As soon as I loaded him in the car, he was fast asleep!

After Mason had a good rest, he was back at trying to crawl. He can get up on all fours and he rocks and scoots. He is better at going backwards than forwards. We really have to get the baby proofing accomplished this week since he has discovered things like the VCR and speakers! Here we go!

Play Time

2007-02-28T14:35:00.000-05:00

Mason loves to play. He has a variety of baby toys that he enjoys. However, his favorite things to play with are not toys at all! He loves tags on clothes/toys, strings on hooded sweatshirts, empty water bottles, remote controls and paper. It is so funny to watch how fascinated he is with non-toy items. He now has a toy remote control. We will see how long he will be interested in that!

Mason has also out grown his aquarium bouncer. As you can see in the picture, he now sits up in it trying to get to those fish!

Mason also has his tongue out half of the time. It is so funny to see him smiling with his tongue hanging out. He has also discovered how to razz and blow bubbles. In this picture, he has just finished his breakfast and is posing for the camera!

We are still slowly introducing foods to him. He has tried baby oatmeal and butternut squash this last week. We are on to greens beans next and then he can finally start on the fruits!

Bless You!

2007-02-24T19:41:00.000-05:00

Mason thinks it is hilarious when you sneeze! He will laugh just about every time you fake sneezing. This picture, courtesy of Uncle Rick, was taken during one of our fake sneezing sessions. Too cute!

We have also discovered that Mason is starting to get a little separation or stranger anxiety. He has always been really good at "pass the baby" up until this last week. I guess this is the next phase he goes through.

One of our biggest challenges has been to find socks that fit Mason's feet! His feet are very chubby and he has cankles not ankles! Today I think we may have finally found some that will work. Usually if we get them big enough to fit the cankle, they are too big and fall off constantly. I hope these work or he is in for some cold feet!

Mason is a big boy!

2007-02-23T11:35:00.000-05:00

Okay... I have figured out how to post pictures now! These pictures of Mason were taken on Feb 21st. He now weighs about 17 pounds. What a chunker! He laughs and smiles a lot. He enjoys playing with his cousins, Brad, Ben and Blake. They make Mason laugh so much! I think it is those funny faces!

Blog Creation

2007-02-23T11:13:00.000-05:00

Hello All!
We have decided to create a blog in order to give you family updates. I am sure we will mostly write about Mason and post pictures! He is growing so fast and has reached many milestones this last week. He can now sit unsupported, gives hugs and plays like crazy!
Stay tuned for the next update!