Sorry, again, that it has taken so long for an update. Things have started to speed up with the move and time is just getting away from us…so here are our updates…

ITALY

The first wave of movers came this past Monday. They took most of our clothes and some of the new kitchenware we bought for Italy.  We have a premove inventory survey on April 1st. This survey is done by the company that is coming to move our household goods.  They want to see how much furniture and big items we have going.  I still can’t believe how fast this all is happening. I mean I know that we have had a good 6 months notice but up until now it’s felt that time is just slowly creeping by.  Now it seems like I can’t keep up…lol

Derrick

Well he got his 3rd quarter grades.  He didn’t improve on a couple grades and he actually fell in Science from an “A” to a “C”.  We aren’t to happy about that and are in the process of working with his teachers to see where the lack of progress is.  Looking on his grades online it seems to be his classwork that hurt him, so we will be working with him and his teacher.  Derrick’s last day of school is April 30th.  Chances are he won’t need to go back but that is up to the schools in Italy.  They will decide whether they promote him based on his grades as of April 30th or make him finish the year out.  He actually prefers to return to school once we get to Italy, but we are not leaving it up to him. He has taken up track lately.  He’s been doing very well and averaging about a 5:48 mile.  That is the only event he participates in.  I was actually surprised that he even wanted to do track.  I’m proud of him though. His attitude the last couple weeks has greatly improved - It seems as though the end of basketball season was the end of his attitude - go figure!

Xavier

What can I say for the little spitfire.  He is a riot.  Although he has no patience whatsoever!  He is very excited about leaving for Italy. His last day at preschool is the 8th of April.  He’s has his routine and it’s going to be hard for him(and us) once that routine is disturbed here in a couple weeks.  I just hope that he readjusts easily.  He has his 4 year well check scheduled but due to it being so close to leaving we are going to hold off on it until we get to Italy.

Geno

I am glad to announce that TODAY, March 26th, 2009, was Geno’s LAST full day of work.  Tomorrow he starts clearing post and will do so throughout next week. The following week is when the movers will be here so he will have to be here for that.  It seems as though he has sympathy pregnancy symptoms.  He has recently been suffering from evening nauseousness and has been extremely tired - poor guy…

Sarah and Little One

We are doing just fantastic. I am feeling really great this pregnancy. I am 12wks1day today.  We had our first appointment today and I was so happy that Geno was able to make it. When I was pregnant with Xavier he was never able to get time off to come.  My health is fine, although the midwife wanted me to do a 1-hour glucose because my BMI was almost 30. I should find out the results tomorrow but I don’t see why I wouldn’t pass.   She wasn’t able to hear the heartbeat with the doppler so she got out the portable u/s machine!  YAY!  I wasn’t that worried only because I have been able to hear the heartbeat on our doppler at home.  She was looking a little to high but I didn’t want to correct her, especially when she mentioned the u/s machine!  The baby is measuring 12wk6days but she wasn’t going to change my due date since that machine is +/-5 days.  The heartbeat was 160 and was strong. I wasn’t able to see the heartbeat from my vantage point but the midwife showed Geno, he sounded amazed.  My next appointment isn’t until April 28th and that will be my last one with her before going to Italy.  She mentioned that Italy doesn’t treat childbirth as technical as they do here in the States. When I asked her to explain she said that inducing and epidurals aren’t used as much over there.  That the medical intervention is only used when absolutely necessary.  I told her that shouldn’t be an issue with me since I tend to have fast labors that makes getting an epidural impossible.  She looked at my chart and info on previous labors and agreed.

Here’s a picture of the Little One…it’s not the best picture since it was taken on a portable u/s machine…

In other exciting, nonbaby related news - I FINALLY got my new camera lense after waiting 3 months!! It turns out the original place I ordered it from still had it on backorder - like they have told me every week for 2 months that it would be in the following week.  Then I ordered it from Tiger Direct and they said it would be by March 2nd. Well the 2nd came and I called - turned out THEY had it on backorder and they weren’t expecting a new shipment anytime soon.  I finally won it off of EBay - woohoo! 

We also have a change in our schedule - it’s actually not a change but an addition to places we are traveling.  The weekend before we are in Columbus for our flight to Italy we are taking a trip to Florida to visit my Aunt Nina and her husband, Frank (hmmm…I will have to ask if it bother him if I call him “Uncle” Frank… Anyway, we are planning on going down the 24th and staying for the the weekend. I wish that we could stay longer, however, due to Derrick’s school we won’t be able too. My Aunt Nina and Uncle Frank have NEVER met Geno so I thought it was probably a good time that they did since he is taking me clear across the Atlantic Ocean…

Well, until next time - see ya!

I’m still trying to learn it but here are a couple pictures…

Xavier and Citrus during bathtime…

Xavier being a ham…

Xavier and Derrick

Lilly and Citrus