Elmo Cuteness

38 Weeks Pregnant Today

This is me a week ago when I was 37 weeks pregnant. I'm ready for Baby Boo #2 to come. I can wait until April! I prefer that he is born in April, so he can have his own birthday month separate from Cedric. Each day I get more and more uncomfortable. I barely get much sleep anymore, and everything is getting on my last nerve. John doesn't always understand, because he is a man and he is not pregnant. Plus, I love Cedric dearly and I love the closeness of breastfeeding, but lately I can't stand it. It hurts too much and it is causing too much over stimulation. Hopefully, that feeling will change after I'm pregnant. I think the hormones are going haywire, and my uncomfortable body is causing me to go insane. The picture below is how I'm feeling right now.

Cedric's 2nd Birthday

Cedric turned 2 years old on March 19, 2009. I can't believe my baby is already 2. They grow up so fast...Cedric's next big milestone is becoming a big brother very soon. Cedric started off his birthday by going to one of his favorite places, My Gym. I take him there every week, and he was doing a make-up class that happened to fall on his actual birthday.

Later on, we took Cedric to the Downtown Aquarium for some birthday celebration. He loved looking at all the fish, and we ate dinner next to a giant fish tank. The food wasn't that great, but the experience made it all worth it. Here are some pictures from the aquarium below.

Cedric had a caricature picture done of him.

I loved the area where the tanks with the sharks were. I could have stayed there all day just watching all the different fish swim back and forth.

"Can I have one of these, please?"

"Fish!"

"Um, these fish are a lot bigger than Elmo's Dorothy!"

Me eating some bread in front of the fish tank...look at all of those fish. Cedric loved it.

Cedric giving his winning smile while he eats some dinner.

Cedric and I in front of some aquarium decor.

John and Cedric caught in a bubble.

A different perspective of John, Cedric, and me. Look at my very round belly.

Cedric wandering through the aquarium mesmerized by all the fish tanks that surrounded him.

On March 21st, we had a birthday party for Cedric with his friends and family there to celebrate with him. We had pizza and cake. It was an Elmo themed party with an Elmo cake that I made.

"I have cake!"

Cedric enjoying his birthday cake with his cousin, James in the background.


The Elmo cake I made.


Cedric with one of his girlfriends named Bella.


Pizza and chatting: (l to r) Grandma, Me, Johanna, Arthur, and Jackie


Cedric got his tricycle from his grandparents, and he loves it. Although, his little feet don't reach the pedals completely yet.

Baby Boo #2's Room

The furniture is bought and the murals are on the wall...Baby Boo #2's nursery is complete, well except for a couple of minor touches here and there. I think the walls need more decorations, but that will all come in good time. He also needs his name up on the wall and door, but his name is a secret until he is born. John, Cedric, and I along with Grandma and Grandpa are going to the Kid's Expo downtown today. Hopefully, we can find some cute stuff there that we can add to the room decor.

I'm excited that I have less than six weeks to go. Last time I went to the midwife, she told me the baby is laying in a transverse position, which means he is lying across my belly instead of being head down. The baby still has time to turn, but it makes me nervous because I do not want a C-Section. I need to be able to take care of two kids and major surgery puts a huge kink in that. I'm going to see the Chiropractor on Thursday...hopefully he can do an adjustment that will encourage the baby to go head down. I also have my next prenatal appointment on Friday, so they might due an ultrasound to see exactly how the baby is laying.

Pictures of the nursery are below. We found the furniture set at Babies R' Us...we liked it. We did shop around to see what else was out there, but that furniture was more pricey although it looked nice. I think this furniture not only looks nice but it was more reasonably priced. I call this theme, "Monkey by the Sea". More pictures will soon follow, especially if we have another ultrasound...I will post those pictures of the baby.

Less than Two Months to Go

Cedric on Valentine's Day letting everyone know what a Ladies Man he is. He is so cute, and he is growing up way too fast. His birthday is a little over a month away, and he's turning two. Cedric loves to sing and dance. His favorite show is Elmo's World...he loves that Elmo, but he still loves his mommy and daddy. :)

A picture of Cedric and I over the holidays. Cedric admiring how big mommy's belly is getting. Of course, it is a lot bigger now.

Baby Boo #2 at 20 weeks gestation. I'm now 32 and a half weeks pregnant. Only 53 more days to go until our new, sweet baby boo is here.

Michael's Birthday

A Poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow;
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain;
I am the gentle Autumn’s rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush.
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there;
I did not die.

Today is January 30, 2009...Michael's birthday. He would have been 39 years old today, but unfortunately he died from brain cancer on June 23, 2008.

He has missed Barack Obama winning the election and being inaugurated into the White House on Jan. 20th. A historic event because Barack is the first elected black man into the White house. Other things have happened since his death, but the most significant one to me is he will miss the upcoming birth of his new nephew who is due to make an appearance on April 10, 2009.

I know Michael will be there in spirit, but it's not the same. Death never gets easier, and I don't know when the pain ever really goes away. Happy Birthday Michael...I wish you were here to celebrate with us.

Baby Boo #2 Countdown Ticker

Christmas 2008

Cedric celebrated his second Christmas on Thursday, December 25th with his mommy and daddy. He was very excited to get a train set...he likes to play with a similar set at Barnes and Noble. His set is made by Imaginarium, but the other set is Thomas the Train. Imaginarium was less expensive and nicer than the Thomas the Train set. Although, we like the trains better from Thomas. He is so cute, and it keeps him busy for a while. He also got a small basketball hoop(we haven't opened it yet), a monkey that teaches about tying your shoe and such, clothes, ornaments, books, extra trains that were Thomas the Trains, a teddy bear named Thorton, and a turtle nightlight that shows the star constellations on the ceiling. He also got some money from his Grandparents in NY and a Babies R' Us gift card from his Uncle Mike and Aunt Carolann in NY. He still hasn't received anything yet from his Aunt Pammy or from his Aunt Susan & Uncle Al.


I got John Lego Mindstorms(HE LOVES IT!), two more Gorillaz dolls, a Bender decoration, some Nintendo vinyl characters(Mario & Luigi), a board game called The New Taboo, candy, a bear reading to two baby bears, a few ornaments, pictures I had done of Cedric and I at Kiddie Kandids, and I think that is it.


John bought me my very own iMac computer(I LOVE IT!), a Domo doll(he's cute), candy, Animal Crossing for the Wii, Lego Batman, Twilight the book, a JK Rowling book that was referenced in Harry Potter but not part of the series, an ornament, and I think that is it.


At around 1:30pm, we went over to my parent's house to celebrate Christmas with them. Cedric got an Elmo Live(which he loves), clothes, more Thomas Trains(although neither one works for the set he has...oh well), Mr. Potato Head family pack(we haven't opened it yet), college money, books, and some other odds and ends. His Uncle Kevin was the other Thomas the Train person who gave Cedric a train that didn't work for his set although he received that gift yesterday. Cedric's Uncle Kevin wasn't in attendance for Christmas festivities on Christmas day. He was celebrating Christmas in Breckenridge with his new wife who his from Russia. The whole thing is another story that I'll talk about another day in one of my blogs.

The next day, Friday...John, Cedric, and I went out to buy gifts with our Christmas money. I bought Sims 2 for my new iMac computer, John bought a topcoat(actually it's just a nice, warm coat for those cold winter days), and Cedric bought some more Thomas the Trains. All in all we had a very, nice Christmas, but I perfer the John, Cedric, and me part more than the lack of ethusiam family events. Plus, I think I'm going to tell my brothers to stop buying presents for me and just buy them for Cedric and his new brother. Apparently, my siblings have no idea what I like and the kind of person I am.

John, Cedric, and I continued our shopping on Saturday with more Thomas the Trains for Cedric, nursing bras and containers for me, and a container for John's Lego Mindstorm pieces. John also bought a couple of cd's yesterday and I think he is going to spend the rest on a pair of new jeans.


Christmas has come and gone, and I'm so looking forward to 2009. We will have a new president, a new baby, hopefully everyone stays healthy(I don't want to lose someone close to me in 2009), and the economy improves. We will be started the new year off with a visit from two of our NY friends, Chris and Theresa...that should be fun. I wish a Happy 2009 to everyone! :)

Jingle Bell Rock

I was having fun with our new game for the Nintendo Wii called Wii Music. I had John, Cedric, Baby Boo, and I do an a capella quartet to Jingle Bell Rock. I think it came out pretty well, and we all look cute.

It Has Been a Long Time!

It has been a long time, since I've written a blog. Let's see what is new. Cedric is growing by leaps and bounds. He is singing his ABC's, and he is counted to at least 12. He is saying mommy a lot these days. It is very cute to hear him finally refer to me as something. We are also going to have another boy. We are still working on the name, but we are getting closer to a decision. However, whatever we decide, we've decided to wait until the baby is born before we tell anybody what his name is going to be. We need to keep a little element of surprise. Plus, I don't want to deal with the comments when people don't like the name.


It's Thanksgiving today, and it is the first big holiday without my brother. It feels a little weird not having him there. Cedric and the new baby growing inside me helps me get through it.


Our task for this weekend is to take a traditional family picture in front of the Christmas Tree and to make Christmas cards for our friends and family. I'll write more later...getting ready to go stuff my face my turkey delights. :)

A Must See

Here is a video that tells it how it is. Makes a lot of excellent points.

Cedric's Recent Weight/Height Check

Cedric went to the doctor on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 to have a weight/height check done. It was actually a nurse visit, but whatever. He weighs 18lbs. and 14oz. and he is 30 and 3/4 inches tall. He is doing better with his weight gain, he has gained a pound since his last visit in July, and he has gone up a 1/4 of an inch as well. He's just a little guy who likes to create his own curve. It's obvious genetics is playing a role, but I'm not concerned. I know he will grow to a normal height, if not taller, but he will do it at his own pace.

Barack Obama & Joe Biden 2008

I'm looking at the future and I like what I see.

New Jib Jab Video

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

Cedric is in this video...you can see his sweet, innocent face at the end. :)

Dog & Butterfly

Michael was cremated today...his body has turn to dust. My mom and I witnessed the cremation, you don't see anything. His body was in an open cardboard box, and we both said one more goodbye. I also gave him a letter with my poem on it and a brief message. Then they pushed him into a giant looking oven and once his body is there, they closed the door. The whole process is weird but basically after four hours all that is left is a skeleton. When they touch the skeleton, it turns to ash. We didn't stay that long, just about a half hour.

We also order his plaque to put on his plot of land. It has his name, dates of birth & death, and a nice message. It also had an image of a butterfly, and just like the butterfly, Michael is now free.

There I was with the old man
Stranded again so off I'd ran
A young world crashing around me
No possibilities of getting what I need
He looked at me and smiled
Said "No, no, no, no, no child.

See the dog and butterfly. Up in the
Air he like to fly." Dog and butterfly
Below she had to try. She roll back down
To the warm soft ground laughing
She don't know why, she don't know why
Dog and butterfly

Well I stumbled upon your secret place
Safe in the trees you had tears on your face
Wrestling with your desires frozen strangers
Stealing your fires. The message hit my mind
Only words that I could find

See the dog and butterfly
Up in the air he like to fly
Dog and butterfly below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft ground
Laughing to the sky, up to the sky
Dog and butterfly

We're getting older the world's getting colder
For the life of me I don't know the reason why
Maybe it's livin' making us give in
Hearts rolling in taken back on the tide
We're balanced together ocean upon the sky

Another night in this strange town
Moonlight holding me light as down
Voice of confusion inside of me
Just begging to go back where I'm free
Feels like I'm through
Then the old man's words are true

See the dog and butterfly
Up in the air he like to fly
Dog and butterfly, below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft
Ground with a little tear in her eye
She had to try, she had to try
Dog and butterfly
yeah
Up in the air, he liked to fly
The dog and butterfly, below she had to try
She rolled back down to the warm soft ground
Laughing she don’t know why
But she had to try she had to try
Dog and butterfly
By Heart

Last Night I had the Strangest Dream...

Last night I had a dream about my brother, Michael. I was talking to him in a building of some sorts, kind of like the Hospice, and I was sad because I didn't want him to go. He said to me that he needed to go, it was his time. He had a look of sadness on his face, because he knew I was sad he was leaving. I tried to get him to stay, but he kept saying he had to go it was time for him to go. In the dream Michael looked like he did when he was healthy. It gave me some comfort but at the same time I wish he didn't have to go away.

Above is a picture of the elephant I bought Michael after he was first diagnosed. As I mentioned in my blog two entries ago, I talked about the skunk. Well here is a picture of the skunk hugging the elephant up by Georgetown lake.

Another Chapter Closed

Michael's wake and funeral were on June 26, 2008 for the Wake, and June27, 2008 for the Funeral. This past week has been very difficult for me and my family. Last Friday, June 20, 2008 is when Michael really started to decline. My heart is so broken right now...I don't know how to put into words how I really feel. Michael was so young...he shouldn't have died.

Michael's beautiful Mandala art was displayed for everyone to see. We didn't know he was doing this art until he was placed in the Hospice. It gave him great comfort in the end. Art has a way of doing that...it has always been therapeutic for me.

This picture is from the Wake. During the funeral, I read a book called Where Do Balloons Go? An Uplifting Mystery by Jaime Lee Curtis. The best way I can describe this book is it's a whimsical way to look at death. It never mentions death, but you know that's the hidden meaning. The book ends with these words: Where do balloons go? It's a mystery, I know. So hold on tight til you have to let go.

An interesting tidbit...this past Monday, June 23, 2008 the day Michael died...I mentioned to my family about reading this book at Michael's funeral, later that evening we went to dinner and as we were pulled up to a light a small, white balloon was rolling along the street towards our car, it rolled in front of us turned a corner and rolled up the cross street up a hill. Despite what you might think, to me that was a sign from Michael that everything is okay. He's still with us in spirit.

A mother's sorrow

A brother-in-law and a brother's pain.

A nephew's sadness.

I feel so sad for Cedric that he will only get to know his Uncle Michael through pictures and videos...I don't know how much he will remember Michael, because he is so young.

One last family picture with just a hint of Michael in the picture. I usually smile when someone takes a picture of me, but I couldn't find a reason to smile.

We closed the coffin together as a family. We all said our final goodbyes, and all I could do was weep as we closed the lid.

Goodbye Michael...we will always love you!

Michael

By Michele Blanco

Friday, June 27, 2008

It was not so long ago that the bad news came…

I never wanted to see this day,

I never wanted you to go away.

I’ve been struggling for so many months…

So many things I wish I’ve done and said.

Now you forever have gone to bed.

There was never enough time,

You were taken from us still in your prime.

And now my heart is breaking and I can’t stop the tears.

I wish I said I loved you more all throughout our years.

Seeing your body once again,

Lying so quiet and so serene.

Just a shell of a person who once was,

Now I can only see you in my dreams.

So young and so innocent you seemed on that faithful Sunday,

I just wanted to hug you and take your pain away.

I didn’t want you to suffer anymore.

Early Monday morning, you made the choice to finally close the door.

And now you are watching over me from above,

Soaring like a dove.

Goodbye, Michael…

Until we meet again,

You’ll forever be my brother, forever be my friend.