Closing One Blog Door and Opening Another...

Our Belly Blog for Baby Leonardo #2 has reached it's wonderful conclusion with the birth of our beautiful son! And we thank each of you for enjoying our adventures with us.
As we welcome Christian and begin the navigation and juggling that is having two little boys :) we will continue to share Christian's first milestones and moments just as we did with our Benjamin in his first 18 months.
So it's goodbye to the Belly Blog for now....but hello to Christian's blog!
We'll see you there....
http://babychristianleonardo.blogspot.com

We LOVE you Christian!!!

Welcome Home Christian!

Our sweet Baby Christian (and Mama too :)) was welcomed home in style (Thanks Ga and Papa!!!)! In true Carroll Hall fashion (Go Irish! :)) there was no mistaking that Mama and Baby were coming home.

And to greet our new member of the Leonardo family were one VERY excited big brother, brother Stanford :), Ga and Mimi, and even Nana Leonardo and her three friends who were on their way from Tucson to DC but stopped by to welcome her new grandson.
It was a grand welcome home party!
And now our little family is complete...WELCOME HOME CHRISTIAN! We love you!

Leaving the Hospital

After four wonderful nights at Rex where Mama and Christian had the best care, wonderful nurses, and the prettiest birth suite big enough for two families :) it is time to head home.
Christian was all ready to go in his new "coming home" outfit complete with the special booties Mama had surprised Papa with when she told him she was pregnant. Our little ND Fighting Irish booties had come full circle :)

We bundled you up (despite the 101 degree temps outside) and made our way out of our little pod. All of the nurses stopped to say goodbye (Ms. Joy even cried a little!) to their sweet little baby - the baby who was so quiet even when he wanted his Mama and some food :)

Mama and Papa are ready to introduce you to your new home and all the adventures that will come as we leave your first quiet "home" at the hospital.

Papa will drive like he is at the wheel of a tank to make sure we make it home safely :)
Here we go....

Your hospital entourage :)

What a lucky boy you are Christian! You got to meet your Ga and Mimi less than 24 hours after you arrived!
They are so excited to finally meet you and can't stop holding you and kissing you!
It is such a cherished moment for Mama to introduce the newest member of family legacy to her parents - your Ga and Mimi.

And everyone is so impressed with the entourage you have with you in your hospital suite :) (what Mama refers to as the Rex Carlton :))

In heaven with our little boy

After so many months of waiting Sam and I are in absolute heaven with our little boy! Our hearts could not be more full!!!
We've enjoyed 4 wonderful days of our little "cocoon" in the hospital soaking up quiet time with Christian and treasuring our new son.
One of my most favorite things in the whole world is to see my husband holding his little boy, chest swelling with pride, soaking in the sheer amazing experience that is meeting your child for the first time!

We love you beyond words Christian!
All our love forever,
Mama and Papa

A VERY excited Big Brother

Dear sweet Christian,
Your brother Benjamin has been waiting so patiently to meet you and he is so excited you are here! He talks all day about showing you his cars, sharing his food with you, waking you up :)
You have a best friend who can't wait to be with you every minute! Your Mama and Papa are so proud of their two amazing boys!

Our EARLY Surprise...It's a Boy!!!!!!!! :)

Mama has had a feeling that you were going to come early....but she never imagined you would arrive a full 14 DAYS before your due date!
And what a way to make your grand entrance my sweet! You woke Mama with a jolt at 12:33am on Tuesday, July 19. Mama thought the pains were associated with going to the bathroom but it only took a few moments for her to realize what was going on!
I told Papa you were on your way at 1:09am and he raced us to the hospital at 2:00am (he drives like Mario Andretti!!). You gave us quite a run my sweet as you were literally on your way out no matter what...Mama's contractions were only 3 minutes apart in the car and by the time we were prepping for the OR the contractions were barely 1 minute apart.
Dr. March pulled you out of Mama at 3:48am and the first thing Mama and Papa heard was your BEAUTIFUL cry, strong, confident, and announcing you were finally here. And then Papa stood up to see......and with tears in his eyes said "It's a BOY!!!!!! Another beautiful boy!!!"
They cut the cord and handed you to Papa and he brought you to me for just a moment before they took you to be weighed. What an amazing beauty you are. You are here! You are here! You are here!
After all these months of waiting and talking with you we finally have you in our arms!
Mama and Papa are head over heels, madly in love with you. And you are SO strong, so healthy, so beautiful!
My true little champion!!

We are so proud to introduce our new son
CHRISTIAN ROBERT LEONARDO
7lbs 2oz, 20.5 inches
Born July 19, 2011 at 3:48am

All my bags are packed...I'm ready to go....

Many of you know that Mama has felt like Baby is coming early for most of this pregnancy! And staying true to her anal retentive nature :) she has had all of her bags packed for the hospital for weeks now. All gifts from Brother Benjamin, your little bag of goodies, and some surprises for Papa are all ready and waiting.

Now we wait..... :)

A Nursery Ready and Waiting for Baby

Sweet Baby's nursery is ready and waiting! Mama had so much fun decorating and getting your room ready!
Soon you will be the perfect final addition :)

Little lambs, duckies, and bunnies for my sweet little bundle. We just can't wait to meet you!

37 Weeks....FULL TERM....We made it!! :)

SO SO SO Proud to be here....full term and feeling good! After lots of worries at the beginning our prayers have been answered and we are here! Sweet Baby, you have done SUCH a good job growing in Mama's belly. I am SO very proud of you!!

Ready to Meet my Baby

"Babies are bits of stardust blown from the hand of God. Lucky the women who knows the pangs of birth for she has held a star"

Larry Barretto

Despite the feeling of bone grinding on bone in my hips with every movement, the constant heartburn, and the inability to wear any shoes your Mama feels so much sadness knowing that our time together in this magical way is limited. You are truly a star and the brief time I have had to carry you inside of me has been so precious. I may never walk on the moon but being able to grow my babies, laugh with them when they first wiggle and dance, talk with them before anyone else can hear their voices has allowed me to experience a galaxy no one else has discovered.

Even in my sadness that our time together (with you in Mama's belly) will shortly be over know that my excitement to finally hold you in my arms is more powerful than the space shuttle. My nervousness for the difficult surgery ahead means nothing when I think of that first moment when your Papa will lay you in my arms, when I will finally get to smell you, feel your skin and look in those eyes I already know so well.

I can not wait to meet you my Sweet Baby. Thank you for gracing me with your starlight.

The Privilege of Pregnancy

We've reached 9 months! What a journey it has been!! I am so proud, so honored to have had the privilege of carrying my baby all this time and having the opportunity to make such an amazing connection with this little sweet baby who I have yet to "see" but who I know so deeply already!
As I near the end of this wonderful pregnancy journey I am filled with such excitement, such anticipation. I smile when I have those moments of realization where I catch myself waddling around the house, hugging my baby watermelon, talking to a little kick, a little lump rising out of my stomach. What a lucky Mama I am to have you! I loved you when you were just a prayer in your Mama and Papa's hearts, I've loved you since the very moment I learned you were there growing inside me so many months ago and I love you more than I will ever be able to tell you in a blog.
You are my miracle and my gift.
Pregnancy is hard work and yet one of the greatest blessings I have ever had bestowed upon me.
Thank you my Sweet Little One. Mama will see you soon.
PS.....

You sure have come with lots of special perks too. :) I've been taking advantage of these parking perks since you were 6 weeks old :)

Visual Aid

Mama couldn't be happier with how much you are growing in there my sweet Baby!
So keep it up (make lots of baby sugar!!) over the next 2.5 weeks!!
In the meantime, Mama found a VERY accurate visual aid to describe how her other organs are feeling these days while you continue to grow strong.

 Making room for baby means everybody else...everything else....out of the way! :)

Another Cousin!!!

This is not a repeat of an earlier post :)
Baby Leonardo is expecting another Baby Cousin Messmer in December and we couldn't be happier!!!
Aunt Jessica (lovingly referred to by your big Brother as Jecca) is having a baby due around December 31 and it has been so much fun to spend time with her during this wonderful experience!
What a special, special treat for Mama to be pregnant with her two sister-in-laws!! And what fun it is going to be for you to have so many cousins so close in age! 2011 is definitely a banner year for the Messmer/Leonardo family!

Here you are at 36 weeks, kicking hello to Baby Cousin Messmer (who is 14 weeks old!). Mama had a moment where she wondered if you would get so excited you might just decide to come out and say hello in person :) Don't worry...you'll get to do that very soon!
We love you new Baby Cousin Messmer and will be so excited to meet you in just 5.5 more months!

Happy 4th of July Baby!

We celebrated 4th of July with Uncle Marky and Aunt Jess in very HOT North Carolina fashion...with a pig roast and neighborhood party. Even though it was the very first time Mama has ever been away from the Adirondacks (she's never seen fireworks anywhere but on the lake!) it was a very quiet, and nice holiday weekend.

Your brother enjoyed the pork :) and the fireworks with Uncle Marky and Papa. And I know you heard them too as you did your most powerful kicks whenever one of them would burst.
You will be here soon to enjoy all of these little adventures with us....I just can't wait!
Love you my little firecracker!

Welcome Baby Month!!!

We're here....July 2011!!
Where have the last nearly 36 weeks gone?!
Baby Leonardo will be here in 26 more days. WE CAN NOT WAIT TO MEET YOU MY SWEET LITTLE ONE!!!

Is it a boy or girl????

The excitement is nearly tangible - every friend and family member just can't wait to find out in a few weeks who Baby Leonardo will be!
Mama has received tons of guesses over the last 35 weeks whether it is based on morning sickness, how I am carrying, food cravings, the list goes on and on.
Just for fun, here are just a few tidbits/differences between pregnancies I've experienced to add to the "fire" for those who want to make an "educated" guess :)
Baby Leonardo Pregnancy
24 hour morning sickness for nearly 4.5 months (compared to brief once a day morning sickness with Benjamin until about week 12)
Tons of heartburn (no heartburn with B)
Debilitating hip pain (according to the doctor my tiny frame is not made to carry the "front load" where I have carried the majority of both of my pregnancies :)) - started much earlier in this pregnancy but also had this with B
Swollen feet (beyond human recognition and all original shoe sizes :)) (no swelling with Benjamin....he he was born in January...not July....in the South! :))
Swollen and visibly throbbing fingers (Mama hasn't been able to wear her rings in months!) (No finger issues with B)
Thick, easy to manage hair (wish it would stay that way!) (Hair loss by the fistful early in the pregnancy with B)
Baby has a dance-off EVERY single day and night much to Mama's delight (Benjamin moved a lot but not in somersault fashion and not so often)
Recent craving for peanut butter and ice cream (Benjamin craved potatoes and nectarines)

So......what is the verdict? Will your guess be right??
We will find out VERY soon :)

An extra seat? A shelf?

Whether in use as a mobile seat for brother Benjamin

or a hiding place he now loves to stand under (and try to peer over :))

Baby Belly has reached new proportions - the home stretch of 3 more weeks!
Mama couldn't be happier watching you grow and put on as much baby sugar as possible (which you will certainly need as we will be ready to love and eat you when you arrive!). I love, love, love you little one!

Four Generations of Sleeping Babies

Just as our Benjamin did, Baby Leonardo will spend his or her first nights at home in a very special bassinet.

My grandfather Papa Tony slept in this bassinet when he was a baby in the 1920's, his daughter (my Mom) slept here in the 1950's, I curled up asleep here in the 1970's and now my babies will sleep here in the 2000's.
Four generations of Piciulo/Messmer/Leonardo babies!
I look at the bassinet each day sitting next to the bed and I have to admit I am in a little awe of the history it holds.
Your brother only fit in the bassinet for about 2 weeks ;) sweet little one. We'll welcome you to the family in the same way!
And know that your great-Papa Tony is smiling down on you!

A Gift from B to You

Sweet Baby,
Brother Benjamin is VERY excited to bring you a little gift, just from him, when he gets to meet you in only 38 more days. Today Mr. Benjamin chose two very special things all by himself that he can't wait to give you. And he's been practicing how to say "Welcome to the world Brother or Sister".....

He's ready to be a wonderful, loving, and very cool :) big brother! :) In his own words following our shopping trip... "when Baby coming out Mama?"
We'll see you soon!

A Proud Papa's Day

As if you knew exactly what to do....you joined in dancing and kicking like crazy as big brother Benjamin, Stanford and Mama brought Papa breakfast in bed for Papa's Day (Father's Day). This was yet another special year as we anticipate your arrival and the growth of our little family. Your Papa just beamed all day long!

 Papa is so very proud of you and can't wait to hold you in just 39 more days. He LOVES, LOVES, LOVES being your Papa!!

Checking it off the list....

Your Papa is so excited for your arrival that he has already started checking things off the to-do list even before we reach your birth month.
Mama and Papa laugh when we think back to all the hours we spent learning how to install a car seat (literally in a state mandated class) before your brother arrived. Your Papa is now most certainly an "expert" in all things baby gear and had your seat perfected in a matter of minutes.

Look at that big ol' smile! And brother Benjamin is ready to share all of his backseat reading library with you as soon as you are ready :)
It sure is crazy seeing TWO seats back there now!

Touched by Angels

We had quite a thunderstorm on Thursday night and with your brother Benjamin in his big boy bed Mama now has the ability to lie down with him when he gets scared in the middle of the night.
He felt better touching Mama as he fell back to sleep - something I cherish beyond words.
So I lay there in the dark with your brother, with his small hand stroking my cheek and eventually landing half way on my cheek and eye with a small finger nestled just slightly in my nose.... (some of the little things I love about being a Mama) and just as he began to doze off you began to dance.
You always love being around your brother - you two make quite the pair already :)
I couldn't figure out if you were trying to reach out to comfort him or if you simply were enjoying a midnight dance.
Either way I lay there in that bed with the realization that I was being touched by angels - both inside and out. One warm hand mushing my face and one small hand or foot batting my bladder, stomach, etc. I don't think there is any where else I want to be but in this moment...with my miracles.

Mama Spider and Me

In a Charlotte's Web-esque moment I have quietly enjoyed the company of a Mama spider who decided to create three egg nests right in the window next to my bed. I've watched her work so hard and just yesterday the first of the nests opened. She is now the very proud Mama of what looks like hundreds of tiny little spiders...with two more nests yet to open.

I tell her some mornings that I clearly have nothing to complain or worry about with the addition of one more :) when she has her hands...aka legs quite full! :)
We Mamas have to stick together (no pun intended)..I may be asking her for advice in 38 days :)

Brotherly Love

My sweet Benjamin, and your big brother, simply adores you little one. He is always asking to give you kisses,

patting Mama's belly and loves to cuddle with you (now that there is no other way to get around the baby belly :)).

Today he walked out of the laundry room holding one of the mop buckets up to his belly and said, "look Mama, I have baby belly too" :)
You have a VERY excited big brother (and Mama and Papa too) waiting to meet you. In the meantime brother loves when you give him a little kick while you are cuddling together...and your Mama loves her little chicks loving each other SO much!

A special birth month and year!

This year, your birth month - July - has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This happens only once every 823 years!!  

This is called money bags....for reasons described below.
Your 2011 birth year is also special because we're going to experience four unusual dates:

1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11 and that's not all...
If everyone takes the last two digits of the year in which they were born and then adds them together with the age you will be this year everyone's results will be 111 - everyone in whole world! 

Because of this, your birth year is the year of the Money. 

And YOU are my prize this year little sweet one! :)

Feelin' the heat...

With the heat index it is has been over 100 degrees the last few days and....it's BLAZING hot for Mama Preggo! I typically feel around 100 degrees internally on the coolest days (lots of baby magic working in there and heating stuff up!) but with these temps I feel approximately 300 degrees and counting.

I find myself singing to sweet baby...
"Feelin' hot, hot hot"
 "It's a cruel, cruel, cruel summer"
"Hot tamale, hot tamale"
"In the heat of the night"......this could not be more appropriate after last night's temp around 11pm was still 83 degrees!

Our temps are nearly 15 degrees above normal for this time in June and I had prayed that we would have a more "normal" June saving the heat until those last couple of weeks in July. But....looks like the weather man had a different idea in mind.
So until you arrive, Mama, you, and Benjamin will be floating comfortably (for more hours than we can count) in the club's pool...attempting to be blissfully unaware of the heat.

8 MONTHS!!

32 WEEKS!!! 8 MONTHS!! You will be here in 52 more days! Your time in Mama's belly has gone so incredibly fast! And despite all the running to keep up with brother Mama has cherished all of our moments together. I am SO excited for you to arrive!
Our updates tell us that you will be gaining weight like crazy these next 7 weeks - keep that baby sugar growing and growing because Mama and Papa are going to eat you up when you arrive.
We love you Sweet Baby!

A very special night...Memories and Future Moments

June 6, 2011
My first baby Benjamin is sleeping soundly for the first night ever in his big boy bed in his new big boy room and your Mama is sitting in your nursery looking at an empty crib....in disbelief that you will be sleeping there sooner rather than later in less than 7 weeks (52 days to be exact!).
Your brother has grown so fast - I remember our first days and nights with him when he arrived and I remember when he began sleeping in the crib. The memories flood back to me of my little baby sound asleep on my shoulder while I absorbed as much of one of the most beautiful smells in the world...his baby breath on my cheek.
I have been waiting so long to hold you and I just can't believe that within a blink of an eye you will be here, in this crib, in this special nursery just for you, rocking with Mama. I will cherish every minute with you too my sweet beauty.
Until July 28.... :)
I love you.

How Sweet it is to be Loved by You

At 4:30am this morning (exactly!) you woke Mama with the game of soccer you decided to play with my bladder. :) No joke, in the dark I watched (and felt!) as you kicked Mama's bladder and then rolled to the other side of the belly to receive the pass and send it back. You've certainly got some sweet muscles growing in there little Super Star!
And while Mama cheered on your "ball handling skills" there it was suddenly.... a little tune that Mama couldn't help singing quietly in the darkness.
In the words of the great James Taylor....how sweet it is to be loved by you!!!
Whether it is over 10 weeks of projectile vomiting and exhaustion, big strong punches to let me know you are hungry, a swift kick to let me know you want me to stop sitting through class and get up and move, or a game of 4:30am soccer with my bladder, I just love you more than life itself and I love being loved by you!
You are my miracle and my blessing!

Your BIRTH day

It's official!!!!! Baby Leonardo is scheduled to make his/her grand entrance in to the world on.....

JULY 28, 2011

Your arrival is scheduled because of Mama's history with surgery and all the potential spots for rupture that our "super ute" is carrying around. So we can say for now that we will be SEEING you on July 28. Mama and Papa are SO very excited!
Now, your loved ones remember well that big brother Benjamin was scheduled to arrive on a day 5 days ahead of his official due date and he surprised everyone (especially Mama and Papa) by coming even earlier and unexpectedly. So.....we won't consider this day a date set in stone just yet in the event you are as happy to surprise your parents as your bother was. But in the meantime, we will be counting down the days. We can't believe it is almost time to meet you!!!
WE LOVE YOU SWEET BABY!!!

A shopping spree...

in Papa's closet :)
Anyone who knows your Mama will most likely acknowledge Mama's love for wearing shirts and sweaters that the men in her life are wearing. :)
Your Ga will attest to how many sweaters he has lost to his daughter who adores wearing her Padre's wonderful smelling and comfy clothes! And your Papa (and your Uncles!) will be quick to smile if you ask them how many shirts Mama has "borrowed" over the years.
But as we run full steam ahead in to the last two months of pregnancy you bring even more benefits for Mama - one being a very legitimate reason for raiding Papa's closet. In fact, he remembered well when Mama went on her "shopping spree" in his closet when she was pregnant with your brother so this time he was ready when he found me rifling through his shirts. He had already prepared a pile just for me (I love this man!).
So for now Baby you are wearing some sweet new fashions - Mama's favorite kind - some lovingly worn and perfectly comfortable for Baby Belly t-shirts that are just the right fit :)
Now if only Mama could talk Papa in to letting her keep these after you arrive.... :)

The BIG 3 - 0

Happy birthday sweet little one! You are officially 30...weeks that is :)
30 is quite the monumental birthday and for yours EVERYONE (including nearly every other random stranger we run in to...) now refers to you as Mama's basketball.

That's right! You bring out the sports enthusiast in more people than Mama cares to acknowledge. Your beautiful basketball belly prompts SO many people to "palm" the "basketball" that Mama is beginning to wonder if she should wear a sign that says "Please NO TOUCH" This is still attached to my body! :)
I love my little basketball!!! But I'd like for the strangers to stop trying to grab it and pass! Sheesh!!!
You are Mama's three-point game winning shot my sweet little one!

While you were cooking...

Sweet Baby,
So much has been happening while you have been cooking! And although I know you have been aware of some things (Mama loved that you danced straight through the Royal Wedding enjoying it just as much as Mama did!) I wanted to be sure to record for you some of the major news events that have happened early in 2011 that will inevitably be marked as the "big news" of your birth year.
So far Mama's favorite has been the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton...it wasn't hard to get caught up in the fairytale of how a regular young lady won the heart of a prince and is now a princess :)










Although it is much less happy...two major news stories have happened this spring. First Osama Bid Laden was killed. Someday you will read about this man in your history books (I hope they still have books by the time you get to that part of school!). I don't want to put a picture of him on your blog so I'll leave it at that. The news was quite the boost for national patriotism!
Second, the spring months were filled with devastating tornadoes - so many severe storms have not been experienced in a very long time. But the positive outcome from all of these storms, including the tornado that did significant damage in your own home town of Raleigh (your whole family was very lucky to be safe!) is that we continue to see the beauty of human nature and our ability to help one another in times of need.
Joplin tornado
And even though it hasn't happened yet....just days before your arrival the final Harry Potter movie will be released. You will quickly find how much Mama loves HP and perhaps, if Mama still fits in one movie seat by mid July :), you will get to hear and see (at least the lights) of the new movie in one of our last outings before you arrive.
Mama's keeping good track of the gas and milk prices too in case you ever want to know how life was while you were cooking :) And in the meantime we are anxiously awaiting your arrival so we can share it all with you in person.