0 The Supporting Cast

This past weekend Tania E. Bracetti-Cahill (Lina's sister) and Aida Rosado (Lina's mother) held a baby shower for Lina. We had guests from Philadelphia, Florida and all parts of NY in attendance for an afternoon tea party in Manhattan honoring the mother-to-be.

Once we arrived home we had time to process our thoughts and take inventory of all the generous gifts. We are overwhelmed by every one's enthusiasm and generosity. It's understood that we all are doing our best to weather through these challenging economic times; so for people to graciously equip us with the tools for parenting is truly humbling. Although we are sending out the thank you cards this week, we felt compelled to say THANK YOU to everyone in advance. We can't thank everyone enough.

To our daughter: "You are not alone. You will always have God. In addition to his greatness, he has provided you with a supporting cast that is driven on putting your mom and I in a position to be the best parents we can be to you. They came out in support before you arrived and will continue to do so after you arrive. You will never be alone..." ~ Mom & Dad

0 When You Wish Upon A Star...

We spotted this knitted hat/sweater combo while on one of our many strolls through FAO Schwarz. Love it! Like most parents we know, we heart all things Disney. From the movies to the theme parks; and yes folks, even the Disney-owned ESPN. We only purchase animated movies and a majority of them are produced by Disney. We just can't wait to take the baby to Disneyworld when she is old enough to feel the magic. It's paramount that we get a flick of our little Mouseketeer at Disneyworld while wearing the prerequisite Minnie Mouse ears with the classic polka dot bow. It's right up there with taking a flick with Santa Clause.

Lina and I celebrated our 3-year wedding anniversary at Disneyworld back in 2009. Upon check-in to the hotel resort, we each were issued a red pin which read "Happy Anniversary!". I assume it's Disney policy for all employees to verbally wish you a Happy Anniversary if you are spotted wearing that pin. It's genius! It kept us focused on the fact that we were celebrating our wedding anniversary throughout the whole trip. It never got old.

God I miss the Disney Dining Plan!

2 Sunday Morning in Manhattan

We had an opportunity to get a tour of the hospital where it's all gonna go down. It's a public tour where expecting parents can see the facilities and ask the tour guide general questions about their services. We arrived a half hour early and waited in the main lobby for the tour to start. While we were waiting a crackhead run down lady walked into the lobby and went to use the bathroom. 20 minutes had passed and she still was in there. The cleaning lady informed the security guard and he was forced to enter the bathroom to ask her to leave. That's where things got interesting.  The women started yelling that she wasn't going to leave and that he should call the cops. She kept yelling "Call the cops B****" over and over again. She even said something more, but this is a family blog. At this point there were about 20 freaked out couples in the lobby witnessing the calamity. It really set the tone for the impending tour. I overheard a women tell her husband "and you wanted to live in New York". After the tour we felt good about the hospital, but we do not want to have anything to do with the bathrooms in the main lobby.

Later on we walked around the city and window shopped while soaking up the sun. We walked over 2 miles, unsuspectedly. The city is misleading like that (but in a good way). There is a lot to take in that keeps your mind busy. We grabbed lunch at Five Guys and ended our Manhattan trek with frozen custard from Shake Shack before hopping the train back to the Bronx.

4 Lina's Lovely Lady Lump

Say that 5x fast. Well here it is. You asked and we provided. Lina’s belly at 24 weeks. This mini photo shoot was taken on the 4^th of July. We enjoyed a low key BBQ at her Titi Mary & Tio Louie’s house located in Pelham Manor. It was our first family event in a month so reactions to Lina’s new shape commanded attention as soon as we pulled up. I ate my first Bubba Burger. If we’re ever forced to grill frozen hamburgers in the future, that will be the brand we get. While Lina is pregnant her food must be fully cooked. You run the risk of a dry and tuff burger. Not with Bubba’s. We were all amazed at how tender and juicy the hamburgers were. Later on that evening the baby was kicking up a storm. For whatever reason I decided to lay my head on her tummy and it felt as if the baby dropped kicked me in the face. 

0 The Price is Right!

This weekend we got a great deal on onesies from T.J.Maxx. These Nike body suits come in a 5-pack that retails for $24.99. They were hanging individually on the rack with out any prices. I grabbed everyone I could find, 13 total, and headed to customer service hoping for the best. The young girl at customer service offered them to me for a dollar each. I nervously told her "I'll take them all".  Lina and I walked out the store feeling like we just stole something. 13 onesies for $13!!! GOOOOAAAALLLL!!!!

4 Da Bronx Onesie

Represent! Represent! Can someone say "FRESH!"? 100% Certified Organic Cotton, Eco-Friendly & pure Hip Hop!

0 Baby Registry

I've noticed almost every time we tell people where we are registered two things are usually said:

1. "I've never heard of that store..."
2. "I can't find your registry..."

So let's clear the air. Lina and I are registered at Buy Buy Baby. Being that they do not have any stores on the west coast I think an explanation is in order. Buy Buy Baby is a baby superstore owned by Bed, Bath & Beyond. Think of it as Babies R' Us' competition. There are some great opportunities for savings as Buy Buy Baby accepts Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons (they must be current and follow the same exclusions in the fine print), they accept manufacturer coupons and also accept Babies R' Us coupons. Talk about going for the jugular!

We are also registered at Amazon Baby. It's basically Amazon.com. All you have to do is go to www.amazon.com/babyregistry and search for Lina Colon.

To make it easier I've included links below to both registries.

• Buy Buy Baby
• Amazon Baby