Parenthood

bath time!

We are blessed with a great sleeper, great eater, pacifier enjoying, bottle taking, smiling, cooing, laughing baby boy!

It has been a great first month and a half that has flown by! Our weekends have been filled with visits with family and friends and lots of attention for Vin!

I finished my Master's degree and graduated on May 30th! Now we're just waiting on a job for me in the fall... praying the right job comes along to support our growing family! With endorsements in elementary and special education, I hope something comes along that's the right fit for me!

David is done with school for the summer, and we are excited to spend time as a family this summer with no agenda!

The Birth of Vincent Charles LaSalata

OKAY, okay... now that our sweet boy is almost 8 weeks old, I have finally gotten time to sit down and update the blog!

On May 5, 2010, I walked into my 40 week appointment feeling tired, large, overdue, and well, large... I was hoping the Dr. would sweep the membranes and get some things moving for me, since at that point we were about 3 days past due. She swept the membranes and then took an ultrasound to check the amniotic fluids... only to find that they were lower than she'd like them to be and she felt we'd probably be smart to induce. Upon calling the hospital, she came back in the room and said- "can you go in right now?" This was truly music to my ears! WHOO HOO! I'm going to get this kid out of me! After getting David and the overnite bags, we were headed to Good Samaritan to meet our sweet baby boy! After getting settled into the room and filling out the paperwork, the nurse started the pitocin drip. Within 30 minutes I was having some extreme contractions. Within an hour, I was questioning my intent to go natural- "David- I need drugs!" Over the next (what seemed like forever) 20 minutes, David ran in and out of the room looking for the nurse, then racing back to me to assist my 1 min. apart contractions. When our nurse finally appeared with a sassy attitude "oh, and you thought you could go natural?", I was extremely uncomfortable. I wish I could've seen my face when she said- "OH! Honey, you're at a 9... there's no time for drugs!" The whole room turned upside down as all the nurses took action and I continued to work through the pain (with my amazing coach by my side). I started pushing before my Dr. even arrived, and within 30 min. I birthed my beautiful 8 lb 1 oz. 20 in. long baby boy! My 2 hr. 20 min. labor was quick and effective and I was left feeling excited, exhausted, and amazed!

March brings showers

Baby showers, that is! We have been extremely blessed by amazing friends who spoil us... Vin and I have had some great times with loved ones and have been showered with lots of great clothes and necessities for when he arrives! I'm trying not to count down, but I have 6 weeks to go and plenty to do during that time. We're getting really excited (and nervous) Daddy is probably more of the nervous... There is a lot to do though before he gets here. I have 3 weeks left of student teaching, and there is a week in between that is spring break. That is what I'm calling my catchup week... working on assignments (ie: 20 pg. paper that I want to get done before Baby V's arrival), and feathering the nest! I just need a good solid week at home to feel really productive. David will use his spring break the following week to make Vincent's room brand new! I can't wait to see the finished results- new floors, new paint, new furnishings- So fun!

I'm putting up some pics from baby showers... don't mind me looking like a cow next to my friends... I think it's just another of those pregnancy symptoms.

Oops... been a little busy

I really don't understand how anyone has time to keep up on their blog! Granted I'm working on a Master's degree right now, so homework takes first priority, but still- I am so bad about updating!

So, what we've missed... I am still pregnant... 28 weeks now to be exact! This means I'm beginning the 3rd trimester- crazy! As much as I thought it would take forever to get here, in all actuality the past 6 months have flown by.

November
We hosted our first Thanksgiving! My parents came down and my sister came up from OR and we all pitched in and made T-giving dinner together. It was great, especially since my parents made the turkey at their house and brought it with them... kinda took the pressure off me!
David's busy as ever with wrestling...

December
I finished my 2nd grade student teaching. I had to pass what's called a PPA (Professional Pedagogy Assessment), to be sure that I am a capable and competent teacher. I passed and finished up my 6 weeks of teaching right before winter break... so my endorsement in Elementary Ed is finished! This means I'm halfway done and just have to complete 6 weeks and the PPA in Special Ed.
We went in for our 20 week ultrasound and found out... IT's A BOY! I turned to David with tears in my eyes and said "I knew it!" David said "Cool" and smiled... always so stoic, but I know how excited he is to have a son... We talked about keeping the name a secret, but I can speak for myself and say how excited I am, so I can't keep my mouth shut! We kept it from our family until Christmas morning and then shared new baby's name...

Vincent Charles LaSalata

Vincent is David's dad's middle name, passed down to him from his maternal grandfather. Charles is my dad's middle name, passed down to him from his maternal grandfather. So the meaning behind our first born is quite significant for both of our dads. We are so excited to welcome Baby Vin/Vince/V/Vincey into our family! *(notice I did not include the nickname Vinny)... there's a little too much mafia tone to that nickname and we're really going to try our best to avoid it!

We headed up to my parents' house for Christmas... thank goodness this year's Christmas was clear and sunny! Last year we were practically snowed in up there and poor David had to replace the chains on our tires 3 different times. As much as I LOVE a White Christmas, We didn't want to face that fight again! The dogs were happy campers at my parents' house. We call it "doggy disneyland", because we are surrounded by woods, no fence, and no public streets. The dogs truly get to be free! For 2 indoor city dogs, it is nothing they ever get to experience. Grass, trees, and acres to roam!

After Christmas, we still had more than a week off from school together. This is the first year since we've been married that we both had a Christmas break! It was the best 2 weeks of our life and we are so excited to get to share that schedule from now on!

January
Back to school for both of us, David's wrestling schedule was chock-full. 2 or 3 matches a week and a tournament every Saturday. Needless to say, he's ready for a break from coaching! I have started my student teaching in Special Education. I am splitting my time between 2 Preschool Special Ed classrooms. There are 8-10 students in each class, ranging in age from 3-5, and of all ability levels and diagnoses. These kids are so precious, and I am so excited to spend my time with them... they shine with potential, and I have officially found my niche in teaching!

These are pics from a weekend in Portland with 2 of my best friends! Kjelsi was here for a month visiting from South Africa! Love these girls!

Pregnancy has been going well. Vincent is measuring about a week bigger than my due date, but the Dr. isn't going to adjust the due date at this point, because there's a chance he'll level off. Or, I'll just be blessed with a Large child :) David was 10 pounds, by the way, so I guess there's a chance of that- the only problem I have is that I feel a little small to be able to handle birthing 10 lbs. of child. I'm praying for a slow in his growth.


February
Here we are! I caught up... We have 2 weeks  left of wrestling season. David's tired, to say the least, but supporting his wrestlers as they gear up for regional and state tournaments.
Baby Vin keeps on growing, and I feel like I'm bigger every week! I've been feeling good, getting tired a little more than before, but everything is going well! He is a very busy boy and there are days when I can't believe how strong his punches/kicks/elbows have gotten! I feel like he's going to push right through my tummy! Daddy must have a calming hand, because anytime he tries to feel the movements, Vincent stops... stubborn already... wonder where he gets that from.

I go in for my glucose test next week. My fingers are crossed that I'm doing alright and that GD isn't even a possibility. I can't believe I have less than 3 months to go. We haven't started his room yet, since Ryan will be with us till March, but we have been getting ideas and just bought the flooring for the room- it's starting to seem more real!

17 weeks today

What a busy week! We wrapped up PLU Football last weekend with an exciting and challenging game against Linfield. I love that David said it was the most fun he's ever had getting a butt-kicking. Linfield is a strong team, and I am so proud of our guys and how hard they worked that whole day. Talk about putting on your hard hat! Not that ending football made our life any less busy, but it's definitely a novelty to have my husband home in the evenings a little earlier. He dove head-first into wrestling at Franklin Pierce this week.

I had my 4 month check-up this week. Baby's heartbeat sounds great and Dr. said I'm doing well, so we scheduled our 20 week ultrasound for December 14th! I can't wait to see how big Baby Las gets by then. It is amazing to look at how fast he/she will grow in the next few months! So, although I love surprises, I have way too much to do between now and May 2nd to not have the baby's room and things prepared. I won't even be done with my Master's until June 18th and I am student teaching until mid-April. So, needless to say, it will help my sanity to find out who is in my tummy next month. Gut instinct? Boy. But, I can't tell if that's wishful thinking or a feeling. Sometimes we convince ourselves of what we want it to be! My mom wrote a journal about her pregnancy, and she knew I was a girl the whole way through. Is there something to be said for those instincts? Anyway, can't wait for the next 3 weeks to go by!

I have so much to do for school this weekend, it's ridiculous. Between my Pedagogy Assessment on December 1st, my Professional Growth Plan due December 7th, and a number of in depth assignments for my classes, plus lesson plans for the next week, I am trying hard to not be overwhelmed! The good news... I only teach 2.5 days next week. Woo Hoo! Gotta love Thanksgiving break!

First-timer

So apparently we are behind the times in having a blog. I guess I'm not as tech-savvy as I'd like to be. But I have loved reading and staying up to date with friends through their blog, so I thought we ought to get one going finally. The latest in the LaSalata Life...

We're in the last week of the 2009 football season. It has been a good season, regardless of the win-loss record. David has been enjoying his position as Offensive Line coach, and has an amazing relationship with his linemen. He'll have a week transition and then starts coaching Wrestling at Franklin Pierce. Quick turnaround! It'll be nice to have a change of season and earlier evenings.

I'm in week 15 of pregnancy. My body is definitely changing and my clothes are definitely not fitting anymore. I've been emotional about it this weekend, but David's incredible patience has helped support me and has reminded me that this is what is supposed to happen. I knew I'd gain weight, but I didn't think about how I'd actually feel when it happened. After 10 years of watching my weight and always striving for fitness, it's been a bit of a shock to my emotions... not to mention being hormonal and crazy in general!

We had a dear friend, Kathy, do an ultrasound a few weeks ago. She went picture crazy and I truly fell in love with our little munchkin. It's hard to believe that I'm already in my 4th month. That beautiful little miracle has developed so much- to see the spine, fingers, arms, legs, profile... all so incredible, and I couldn't help but cry as I watched him/her floating around in there! God is incredible and we are so happy about our little miracle!