Better Than Facebook.....

Good Morning Everyone!

It's a beautiful Friday morning, it's finally cool enough to open the windows for some air.  I doubt that will last past 10:00AM, but Gianna and I sure are enjoying it now!

While we will still post some pictures on Facebook, we are getting a little frustrated with how the site is developing.....too many posts, others viewing pictures that should be reserved for family, etc.  Many of you have also commented that it's difficult to save or print pictures from Facebook.

So, I have created a website through Shutterfly.com where you can view, save, print, and order prints if you like.  You can also share through the calendar and journal.  It's completely private....only seen by those who are invited.

Here is the link: https://theverderamefamily.shutterfly.com/

I sent most of you an invite through the Shutterfly site.  If you did not receive it, please let me know and I will add you!

Let me know what you think!

No More Bed Rest (yay!) and Being Indecisive About Names....

Hooray!!!!

At my 34 week visit, I was released from bed rest.  Here are the rules: no heavy lifting, no marathon running.  But now I don't have to feel guilty about cleaning the house, running errands, keeping busy (all of which I still did anyway.....shhhh.....).  But, it hasn't been easy!  I had to have tests done every two weeks to check my chances of preterm labor....wouldn't you know it, my first one came back positive? (Which, contrary to the sound of the outcome, is not a good thing).  I had to go back to Brandon Hospital to be monitored for contractions (none) and get steroid injections (ouch) to help baby's lungs develop in case she made an early arrival.

So now, at 35 weeks, I have 2 weeks until we are considered "full term".  I can't believe it's almost over!  Soon I'll be holding my second daughter, whose official name will be revealed after birth. 
I've changed my mind often.  I even made a name sign for one name and then decided it didn't look right.  Poor John....poor Gia.....poor baby #2!  We keep calling you different things, trying names out to see how they feel.  But I think I've got it now. Some won't like it and that is OKAY.  No one name will be loved by all....as long as our little family loves it and it has meaning, it's a good name.

Here are some glimpses of our new little treasure from over the summer....

 

Pictures from our maternity photo shoot, Gianna's second birthday party, and Gianna's two year portraits to follow soon!

Musical Family

Music is life.  I grew up with piano lessons, flute lessons, oboe lessons, French horn lessons, voice lessons (thanks, Mom!), then musical theater, opera, and finally a rock band.  John had piano lessons and (gasp) is a pretty good dancer! 

So it's little surprise that Gia is showing an early interest in music, great rhythm, and the amazing ability to learn and sing back songs very easily.  Yay!

To nurture this, we try to expose her to as much music as possible in any form.  Last night, we had our first family jam session!  This has inspired us to hold nightly sessions, get more instruments, and seek out music classes for our tot.

Check out her debut!

We are back to the blog!

So our last post was over a year ago (!!!) and we have relied since on text, email, and Facebook to stay connected and current.
We would like to swing back into this century and utilize our blog again to share news, pictures, and stay in touch with everyone.

So....what's happened since the last post?   A LOT!

We celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary!  Can you believe it's been 10 years?  Throwback pictures to follow soon!

We BOTH have earned our graduate degrees in Education!  John's is a MSEd in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.  Jess's is a MSEd in Reading and Literacy.

Gia is almost two!  She's smart, funny, and very energetic.  She is also going to be a big sister!  Our new baby girl is due on October 16th, 2013.  Her pics are coming soon, too.

Finally, big news on the job front. I (Jess) have a minor pregnancy complication that can increase the chances of preterm labor.  So, doctors have put me on modified bed rest.  What does this mean?  It means I have to stay home, sitting mostly, until the baby's born.  This includes not going back to work this school year.  It was hard to tell my principal and even harder to accept the idea, but I have to do EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to keep baby V #2 cooking for as long as possible!

So this summer and fall are going to be spent relaxing, reading, playing with Gianna, hanging out with hubby, doing crafts, and working on this blog.  I'll probably blog about the family, cooking, art projects, and stuff in general daily, including posting pictures.  Please post back! We love to hear from family.

So....until the next post, have a great one!