The time absolutely flies. In the last 8 years we have moved, survived a global pandemic (for now), we’ve made more amazing memories than we could count, and added another little boy. Almost 4 years ago, we were lucky enough to give Luca a little Brother. Nico James Pignataro was born on March 13th, 2018. He was 7 lbs 14 oz, and 20.5 inches. He has been an absolutely incredible blessing. He took his first steps on January, 26th, 2018, and he has not stopped moving since.

Luca has been so involved with sports and he’s doing so great. He made the U9 soccer team as a 7 year old, and he’s been super busy. He’s also been playing lots of baseball, and dad has been keeping both boys busy with teaching them how to play golf.

It’s hard to believe it’s almost been 6 months since Luca was born.  Each day we’re more and more amazed at how fast he is growing and we’ve never been more in love with anything in our loves.  The past few months have been filled with lots of laughter, a good share of tears and a whole lot of worrying.  I am a worrier by nature, but it was elevated to a whole new level once Luca was born.  I find myself worrying about everything.  Every little cough and cold, every little mark we see, literally, everything.  From what I’ve heard from people, that never stops.

We just got through our first Holiday Season as a family and everything went very well.  For Thanksgiving this year we were in Brooklyn.  I decided that Deep Frying the Turkey would be the best idea ever.  It was amazing.  My dad wasn’t on board at first but once we did it, he was more excited than any of us.  So me, my dad and my brother fried the Turkey this year and I don’t think we’ll ever go back to a traditional Turkey in the oven ever again.

We spent Christmas and New Years in Pittsburgh this year.  We had a nice long break from work and got to do a lot of relaxing.  Luca enjoyed seeing all of his cousins and we were even able to sneak in a date night while in Pittsburgh with Kristin and Ardy while Kelly’s mom and Pap pap watched the kids.

This entire year, to me, has been just a whirlwind of emotions.  We worried about Kelly and the baby her entire pregnancy.  Now that he’s here, we worry about him all the time.  It has certainly been our most eventful year yet and we look forward to the unknown.

Will include some pictures below:

It has been a good 2 months or so since my last post.  The time has absolutely flown by.  I’m not sure why I chose now to post.  I’m incredibly busy at work and under a pretty tight deadline, but I felt like getting an update to keep up with this site. It’s started as gift to Kelly, but I think now it could really be an online baby book in a way.

So, what have we been up to?

First, from my perspective, what people told us was true; having a baby is hard work.  Kelly and I are making quite the adjustment in terms of the lack of sleep and how we’re functioning as a result.  She’s doing such an amazing job.  We were kind of worried that we wouldn’t know what to do or would have a hard time, but to say Kelly’s motherly instincts kicked in immediately wouldn’t even do her the justice she deserves.  I couldn’t be more proud of her and the feeling I get when I get home from work and see her holding Luca and dancing him around the living room, isn’t even something I could describe.  She is the epitome of an amazing mother and if I can be half the parent she is, I think we’ll be ok.  Our first two months included a few doctor’s appointments, a trip to the Outer Banks, a trip to Pittsburgh, a trip to Brooklyn, and also a trip to the Emergency Room.  Not to worry, the trip to the ER was caused by a malfunctioning thermometer.  We’ve learned our lesson.

So, how is Luca?

Luca is incredible.  There are no other words I can use to describe him, he’s truly incredible.  He’s such a blessing.  He laughs and smiles a lot more now.  He holds his head up so great on his own, and makes baby noises which we think is adorable, and he almost rolled over the other day while on his back.  In terms of the physical, the kid is gigantic.  His neck slowly disappeared.  He is now 14 lbs 8 ounces and 23 inches and is in the 95th Percentile for weight and the 55th Percentile for height.  Which ultimately translates to him being short, and fat.  He has the chubbiest face, chubby little arms and legs, and the cutest little belly.  We sometimes sit him up and talk to him and watch him smile and laugh at us.  The other night I gave him a Sharpie to hold onto, which in hindsight wasn’t the *greatest* parenting decision, but we just want to get him holding stuff and using his hands, but we couldn’t find something more baby friendly.

So, how are we?

As mentioned above, we are adjusting to no sleep.  We are adjusting to being parents.  We made our first big parenting decision in the form of where we would send him to Day Care. Actually, we made our second big parenting decision.  The first was choosing his Day Care, the second was realizing we didn’t like the Day Care we chose 6 days before he was supposed to start, and then sending him to a different Day Care.  But Yesterday was his first day.  He seemed to have enjoyed it.  Kelly, however, was an emotional train wreck.  But she did great and quickly realized he was in good hands.  That didn’t stop her from calling to check on him a few hours later, but, you know, baby steps.

Any other thoughts and feelings?

I can honestly say that I am still in shock.  I mean, it’s real, don’t get me wrong.  But I still look at him sometimes and can’t believe he’s really here.  I am quickly brought back to reality when I have to hold him, and my arm goes numb because he’s so heavy.  Kelly has been putting together his baby book, it’s so adorable.  She’s included some great info and little trinkets from his hospital stay; his hospital bracelet, his cards that were in his bassinet saying he’s a boy with all of his info, his belly button when it fell off, the band aid they used after his first set of vaccines.  All of the stuff we want to have.  We take him out a lot more now and are trying to get him used to being in the car seat and being out.  At first, he did not like the car seat at all, but it’s actually putting him to sleep for the most part now.

So, that’s a little update.  Will continue to post now once I get some more time and he gets on a better sleep schedule.

Thank you all for the gifts and well wishes.  We are truly lucky to have family and friends like all of you.

Joe, Kelly and Luca.  Some Pics below:

On Monday, July 21st, at 8:52 p.m., Kelly and I welcomed a beautiful baby boy.  His name is Luca Joseph Pignataro.  He is 7 pounds, 12 ounces and he is 21 inches, the same measurements and weight as me when I was born.  Crazy coincidence.  Although the sex was a surprise, I’m completely disregarding science and genetics, and solely think that me referring to the baby as “he” in this blog, willed him to grow a penis and become a boy.

Words can’t describe the emotional experience we both had leading up to his birth and at the moment he was born.  Maybe it was because of what we went through the past few years, maybe it was just because he is our first, but it felt like we were waiting for him forever, and now he’s finally here.  He is absolutely beautiful and we are incredibly lucky and thank God he is here safely and both him and Kelly are ok.

Kelly’s delivery was pretty routine.  Her contractions started earlier in the day once her Pitocin was started and her water was broken.  She did so great with her contractions before creating her catch phrase, “I need more epidural.”  By just before 6:00 p.m., she was ready to push.  Our family said their goodbyes and headed to the waiting room seeing us for the last time knowing the next time they saw us, we would be parents.

Full disclosure, I thought once pushing began, the baby would be here within 10 minutes. For all you future dads out there, clearly a false assumption.  Kelly began pushing right before 6:00 p.m. and for 3 of the hardest hours of her life, did the most amazing job pushing and laboring until he arrived.  I played a major role in the delivery as me and one nurse were the only 2 people in the room right up until the baby came out.  So technically, I delivered my own son.  It’s not a big deal, I don’t want to brag about it, but basically that’s what happened. I have a new found respect for Kelly and for women everywhere knowing what actually happens at childbirth.  But, as I mentioned, she absolutely crushed it and did the most amazing job ever.  She needed a few stitches and lost a good amount of blood during delivery.  But luckily she is doing well and is up and around like her old self (she cleaned yesterday, so clearly she’s feeling better).

We spent the next few days getting accustomed to being home and being parents.  We are getting little sleep, we are on a weird schedule, but we don’t care.  It’s all worth it.

So, please see some pictures below of our little boy and our new family:

Me and Kelly holding Luca shortly after delivery:

Kelly looks stunning as a new mom.  Kelly and Luca the morning we go home:

Derek Zoolander face like a boss:

Kelly and her nurse on discharge day:

Already established his favorite spot on his momma’s chest.  He’s pretty into boobs already:

Luca’s going home outfit.  He’s classy as shit:

Grandma and Pap-pap on Grandma’s birthday with all of their grand-kids:

Grandpa and Nana Pigs:

Grandma holding Luca:

Luca meets his brothers.  They are pretty into him:

Luca and Aunt Kiki:

Luca and Aunt Danielle:

Luca and Uncle Boobs:

Luca, Alex and Ryan:

 

 

We called the hospital at 6:00 a.m. (we couldn’t wait until 6:15) and they told us to come in this morning.  Luckily, we weren’t bumped.  We made our way to Labor and Delivery, checked in and got situated in the delivery room.  Kelly changed into her gown and got all settled in.  By 7:30, the doctor came in, broke Kelly’s water and started her Pitocin.  Contractions immediately followed.

Paoli Hospital has a policy where you can have as many people in the delivery room as you want. So if your wish it to have all of your family and friends watching you push, you are allowed to do so. Our wish was to have our family there until it was time to push, then leave the room leaving only Kelly and I (nurses and doctors too) there for the birth.

At one point, we had 8 non-hospital employees in the delivery room hanging out and waiting (Kelly and I included).  It was pretty great.  We settled down for what would turn out to be a pretty long day of contractions, snacks and pushing.

Here are some pictures from the delivery room prior to baby’s arrival:

Kelly with her sister, Kristin and her mom, Cathy:

Kelly with Joe’s parents, Sal and Joann:

Kelly gets some good luck kisses from Ryan:

Kelly gets a call about more visitors:

 

Kelly showed a small increase in how much she was dilated at the Doctor this week, so we don’t have to go to the Hospital on Sunday night.  We have to call Monday morning the 21st, at 6:45 a.m, and then need to be there by 7 a.m. .

Our final weekend was pretty uneventful.  We thought maybe our baby would make an appearance prior to his scheduled induction, but no such luck.  Rather than sitting at home, we decided to get out for a bit and get Kelly moving around.  So we went to a small get together at one of her and Kristin’s friend’s houses and spent some time relaxing and enjoying our last few moments as a family of 2.

Kelly’s mom came in a few days before Kelly was scheduled to be induced, so we got to spend some time with her.  My mom and dad came in Sunday night so that everyone could be there for Monday morning.  Will post more on Monday as we know our schedule.

Here are some pics of Kelly at 41 Weeks:

 

 

 

 

Kelly had an appointment scheduled for yesterday.  We originally thought her last one would be last Thursday, but since her due date moved, this one was to see if there was any progress.  Still 1 centimeter dilated, not much movement, so still waiting.  Yesterday, the doctor we saw put her on the schedule to get induced if she doesn’t go on her own, by Monday, the 21st.  Thursday she goes back to see if shes dilated anymore.  If she has not dilated any more, then we will need to go to the hospital Sunday night to get things started. If she is dilated more, then we can go to the hospital on Monday morning.  Regardless, if she doesn’t go on her own by the end of the weekend, she should have the baby on Monday. 

The doctor said she thinks Kelly will go before then, so let’s hope that happens.  I think it’d be nice to let things happen on their own.  But you can’t plan for everything.  And if this baby is anything like its dad, it’s a little stubborn.  We will continue to post here and keep everyone updated.

Apparently Kelly’s due date is actually July 14th.  I feel like we’ve been living a lie this entire time. Regardless, it’s still super close.  Kelly is feeling as good as expected.  She’s uncomfortable, but luckily she gets to work from home until baby comes, so she gets to be a little more comfortable than she would if she were in the office all day.  Baby should weigh in at 7 1/2 pounds, or about the size of a small pumpkin.  You usually don’t really eat pumpkins, but I like that analogy way more than the Leek in week 39.

Her Doctor said if she doesn’t go into labor by next Friday the 18th or Monday the 21st, they are going to induce her.  So this Monday we go to the Doctor to check her progress and then get the plan for moving forward.  Either way, baby should be here within a little over a week at the latest. It’s a pretty exciting time.  This morning I spoke to one of the people at the Doctor’s office she used to go to when she was pregnant before.  Seems like we haven’t spoken to them in forever. Kelly went weekly for about 10 weeks, so I feel like we got to know them pretty well.  It seems like Kelly has been pregnant for years, and it’s so hard to believe how far we’ve come from where we were.  Back when we were going through everything it seemed like we would never get this far and I didn’t think it’d ever happen.  Hopefully the last week or so continues to go well.

We’re really starting to think now about what it will be.  Boy? Girl?  Will it have a lot of hair (probably, I have phenomenal hair)? Who will it look like? Whose nose will it have? Kelly already thinks it has her lips, I’d be OK with that.  But also, what if it hates us?  At what age can we expect the first “I Hate you” or “Whatever!”  If we have a girl, who’s the little jerk that’s gonna try and feel her up at her Prom with his dirty booger hands?  God, I’m sick over it.  God, I hope it’s a boy. What if we forget them somewhere (mostly I worry about that)?  Maybe people don’t really think about that stuff once the baby comes?  Maybe it’s just the anticipation?  Maybe I just worry about everything? I’m pretty sure all are true.

Didn’t get a chance to get a picture of Kelly today, but will be sure to post one later.

Picture below.  Kelly at 40 Weeks:

 

Friday, July 4th, marked the start of Week 39.  We spent the entire weekend doing not a whole lot of anything really.  We brunched, we lunched, we napped, we did a little yard work, we took the dogs to the park, we bought new door knobs, we then returned new door knobs, we took in a movie, we realized we hate going out to the movies and we just hung out.  A guy in front of us at the movie theater’s phone rang 3 times, and he answered it, and had conversations, 3 times. Who does that?  Kelly wanted to say something to him, but I don’t think me getting my ass kicked really would have made him stop answering the phone, so she didn’t.  A lot of the local fireworks were cancelled due to the threat of bad weather, so we just watched NY fireworks and the Philly fireworks on TV.  As always, New York’s were so much better.  They used the Brooklyn Bridge this year, maybe they’ve been doing that and I just never noticed it, but it was amazing to watch.

Kelly has been having some contractions.  But nothing close enough or in a noticeable pattern where it would cause us to think she was in labor. The Doctor said they wouldn’t let her go past 41 Weeks, so at least now we know it should definitely be within the next 2 weeks. Baby weighs in at a little over 7 pounds and could be about 20 inches, or the size of a mini watermelon.  I’m allergic to watermelon, but I appreciate the pregnancy app using something other than a weird green vegetable for comparison.

Here is a picture of Kelly at Homegoods on Saturday.  Apparently a lot of our pictures are taken while we’re retail shopping:

Here is Monk sitting in the Car Seat base.  We can’t tell if he was smiling because he was just at the park or he was really angry because we left the park, but he looks amazing:

 

Though uneventful, this weekend almost turned out to be, well, very eventful.  Yesterday afternoon, Kelly sat while we were in the baby’s room, watching me hang some shelves and do a few other small tasks. When finished, Kelly stood up to discover a large wet spot on her pants. Naturally, we panicked.  I told Kelly to call her Doctor, tell them what you see, give them the 4 major details they need to know when your water breaks (Color, Odor, Amount, Time, yes that’s gross, deal with it).  She gets the number, she gives them a call, and upon hearing “hello?” on the other side of the phone, I have her hang up, when I discover she was sitting on a wet sponge that I took in the room to remove some of the marks I made on the wall when measuring to hang shelves.

So our conversation went something like this:

Joe: Dude, your water broke.
Kelly: What do I do? I’m not ready, our house is a mess.
Joe: Call your Doctor, tell them what they need to know.
Kelly: (Dials phone, hears “Hello?” on the other end.)
Joe: (Emerges from room) Hang up, you sat on a sponge.
Kelly: (Laughs the hardest she has ever laughed in her life.)

I guess my first question was, why did it take you so long to realize it felt like you peed your pants?

So what did we learn from sitting on this sponge?
1) Clean the house.  But with that exception, we’re pretty prepared.
2) Packing our bags already was key.
3) Be more careful where you place sponges and be more conscious of where you sit.

Other than that, pretty uneventful weekend.  Friday night we had dinner outside on our new table (see Post titled “Kelly Makes Me Build a Table.”  Saturday we ran a few errands, napped and saw some friends at night and Sunday, we brunched, then hung shelves and pictures; exhilarating stuff.  This short week at work will do me good and we are all excited for the holiday weekend. Kelly started working from home today until it’s baby time.

In baby news, this week our baby weighs 6.8 pounds and is over 19 1/2 inches long, approximately the size of a leek. Could they pick more disgusting vegetables?

Baby Pic/Family Pic below: