holy stinky cheese head!

Everyone told me that Donato's head was going to smell with his new doc band on, but boy oh boy! I couldn't of imagined the smell! It smells like rotten cheese, so bad that you can smell him if you just walk by. People who don't know are going to think I'm a horrible, mother who doesn't bathe her kid. He is super sweaty to begin with and now with the band on, it's even worse. I didn't know little babies could sweat so badly. He even got heat rash so we are taking a break, but tomorrow if the rash is gone, the band goes back on and so continues the stinky cheese head!

I am so thankful that we are doing this in the winter months, because if this was summer time we would have a real problem. Oh and the stares are back. But this time I don't mind them. A nice mother and son came to our table last night to say hello. Her son had a helmet 6 years ago when they were less popular. It's nice to have someone who can relate to what you're going through. I should of asked her about the stinky cheese head.

Cutest crash hat ever....

We got our Doc Band today! Donato doesn't seem to mind it all that much...yet. After we left Cranial Technologies we went right over to Signs By Tomorrow and had his band wrapped for free! They did an amazing job and never could of done this by myself! So thank you Victor from Signs By Tomorrow in Hawthrone, NJ!

We have to wear it three hours at a time, then remove it. I have to check if there is any redness and keep the band off until the redness goes away. Then starting on Saturday we will begin to wear the band 23/7 only taking it off for one hour a day to clean the band and give Doanto a bath.

We close the door on the cleft lip, for now and begin our Doc Band adventure. Never ever a dull moment!

no more stares

Tonight was the first time we went out as a family since Donato's surgery. It sounds strange, but it was weird that people weren't starring at us. We are so used to getting mad because people are looking at Donato's lip. But no more, it's over, we were just a regular family at Costco, no stares. It was nice.

This is a picture of Donato and his surgeon, Dr.Podda at his post-op visit today. Now that he took the tape of his nose we are a just a regular old family that no one cares to look at. I can get used to that!

Snowtober

Donato's first time in the snow!

Snow and trick-or-treat...so strange

Snow angels and snow scare crows!

So this is the beginning of Snowtober in New Jersey. Never in my 29 years of life has it snowed in October. It was crazy. I just kinda blew off the weather men when they said it was going to snow. They are always wrong, so why would I think they are going to be right about 5-8 inches in October? Well they were right and boy did it snow!

Isabella had a great time in the snow until branches started snapping off trees because they were so heavy from the snow and leaves on them. Then it was time to come in and watch the snow pile up.

We probably got 6 or 7 inches and a gazillion broken tree limbs. Thankfully it was warmer today so we didn't have to shovel anything. Tomorrow is Halloween and I'm hoping all the snow melts by then. It was weird enough seeing leaves and snow on the trees, never mind trick-or-treating in the snow!

This was Donato's first time in the snow. He didn't seem to mind it when I took him out. While it was snowing he looked out the window in amazement. There is nothing like seeing something through a baby's eyes. They look at things with such curiosity.

We never got trick-or-treaters where we used to live so I think Isabella is more excited to give the candy out. So here's to a snow free Halloween! Enjoy your kiddies tomorrow!

blow outs...and i'm not talking tires

Why is it that babies blow out their diapers at the most in-opportune times? When Donato does it, he does it good! Last night I just wanted him to go back to sleep but he was really fussy. That seems to be the in thing these days. Staying up all night. But that aside, I heard him poop. Ok, great, I'm thinking, that's why he was fussy. So when he's done doing his business I go to change him. Sure enough, poop up the back. So far up the back I just threw his onesis out with the diaper. Now I've got to get him butt naked and change his whole outfit. At this point he's super awake and not wanting to go back to sleep. Grrrr

Or when they do it in the mall and you have to change them on that dirty rotten poop crusted changing station. Or and even better one when you are at a restaurant and they don't even have the dirty rotten changing station and there's poop so far up the back it's touching the nape of their neck!

A little poopie side note: We were at Ikea the other day and he pooped, not a blow out but poop none the less. I walk into the changing room they have there. There is 2 stations side by side with paper to cover the part they lay on. I put his changing pad on top of the paper and begin to change him. Then I begin smelling the 1,000 other poopie diapers that fill the garbage beside me. I swear it must of been a busy pooping day at Ikea. They even had hand sanitizer and diapers, so why not provide poop bags for the diapers like you have for dogs? Seems they have almost thought of it all.

So all you Mommies out there who read my blog, please leave a comment on this post about your poopie stories. I could use a good laugh today!

The sweestest things they say

We went to a Halloween party at church tonight and Donato won best baby boy costume. He was a monkey and a damn cute one if I do say so myself. In the car on the way home Isabella says to me, "Mommy I'm happy my brother won." I reply, "Isabella that is so sweet of you to say that about him. Even though you didn't win you are still happy for him." She responds, "Mommy, I did win, because he's my brother." OMG melt my heart!! Children can really be the sweetest little people sometimes! I love her!!

itty bitty toe nails

I thought cutting Isabella's toe nails was hard when she was a baby. Thankfully Donato's don't grow at the rapid rate hers do. I found it near impossible to cut her nails when she was a baby. I'm sure being a first time mom had something to do with it.

It is a knock down, drag out to cut her toe nails now. I don't know if other moms and dads have this same problem, but holy moly! Now I am fighting to hold her foot still from all the wiggling and giggling that's going on above. She says it tickles so bad which in turn, requires me to wear full battle gear to cut these little buggers. It's such a battle to cut them I tell her she's gonna get a snaggle toe if she doesn't let me do it! I'm in real trouble when Donato gets big if he's anything like his sister!

I know I'm not alone in this war against itty bitty toe nails!