A Couple of "Abby"isms

Three year olds...they are a hoot. Abby is definitely at the phase of talking nonstop (I can't imagine the phone bill during the teenage years), thinking quite independently, and needing consistent discipline. Sometimes, she will spout off the funniest thing and give us a good chuckle. Here are a few:
1. One day after picking her up from preschool, we were heading home and she wanted to hear the story of the 3 Little Pigs. I get to telling the story and get a bit carried away with actions and voice inflections in telling it. Towards the end, when I wind down and end the dramatic story saying that the three little pigs lived happily ever after...Abby was quiet for a second and then says, "AMEN!"
2. We have been talking with Abby about names and especially her full name, Abigail Elizabeth Chiodo. She's very proud that she can spell Abby.. "1 A, 2 B's, 1 Y." For one thing, she is quite interested in knowing EVERYONE's name. We'll be in line at the grocery store/post office/library and she'll say loudly, "Mama, what's her name?" She hasn't quite grasped that I don't know every single person around us. Well, for a few days recently she decided that her name wasn't Abigail, it was Elizabeth. So I took her to a tumbling class at the Shelton Community Center. After the class, the teacher says, "Is her name Abigail or Elizabeth?" I tell her it is Abby and she tells me that Abby insisted that her name was Elizabeth and not Abigail. Very confusing to the new teacher. So she got called Elizabeth through the whole class since Abby insisted on it.
3. Today we took a trip to Barnes & Noble with my mom for a few last minute Christmas presents. As we pull into the parking lot, Abby asked where we were going. I said we are going into this bookstore. She says, "What's the name of the bookstore?" I say, "It's called Barnes & Noble." She thinks for a second then says, "No, no, no, no" (like I'm stupid) and says, "It's not Barnes & Noble. It's Barnes & Books." Where do they come up with this stuff?!

The 2008 Chiodo Christmas Letter

December 2008
Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings from the Chiodo Family! We hope you are having a wonderful holiday season. Yes, I know there was no Chiodo letter or Top 10 list last year. We had a lot of new things (pregnancy, house, job) just starting to happen. But, we’re back on track, and we’d love to fill you in on the highlights of our year.
On July 22nd, we welcomed our son, Benjamin George Chiodo, into the world. He weighed 8 lbs, 14 ozs, & was 21 1/2 inches long. Our dear Ben came out BIG and with a head full of red hair. He is brimming with personality and keeps our days filled with his infectious belly laughs, his growing appetite, and his ever-increasing activity. Ben watches Abby quite adoringly, and she just loves to entertain him!
Abigail turned 3 on July 28th, and we entered the world of “I don’t want to!”, “Why?”, and “What are you doing?” She wants nothing to do with being a princess and is all about her toolbox, trains, and building blocks. She loves to do puzzles, spell out words, and help Mommy in the kitchen. She tells us often that she “wuvs her baby Ben and wants to keep him a wong, wong time.” Abby attends Susanna Wesley Nursery School two mornings a week and absolutely loves it. She has many friends and enjoys painting, singing, and playing on the playground.
Jason started a new job as a sales representative with BG Lubricare in January. BG is an automotive chemical company that services auto dealerships and independent garages. Basically, when you get your vehicle serviced, they usually put BG products in your car. He and his dad are also actively investing in real estate, and we just sold our first “flipped” house! Jason lost over 30 lbs. this year doing Weight Watchers, and he loves his daily newspaper subscription to Investors Business Daily.
I (Jenn) continue to work part-time at Yale-New Haven Hospital in the OR Recovery Room. The flexible evening hours and the insurance coverage it provides for the family work great for us. And I definitely don’t mind having some conversations with adults. In my few moments of free time, I love to scrapbook or read the latest book pick for book club.
This past year, we traveled to Las Vegas and Colorado for the weddings of both of Jenn’s brothers. We enjoyed a visit from our friends, Peter, Liz, Sierra, & PJ Lignos in February. And having our dear friend, Leslie, come out for a visit in June was quite fun. Jenn’s mom and stepdad also came in July for Ben’s birth and Abby’s 3rd birthday.
I also started to keep a blog of our family this year. It’s called “Chiodo Chuckles,” and the website is: http://thechiodofamily.blogspot.com. You’ll find some crazy stories on there…like when two guys tried to steal our car out of our driveway. They didn’t know the lady of the house was 8 months pregnant and got up to pee a lot at night! You’ll also read about the crazy naked couple duking it out on our front yard while we watched the evening news. We only thought we had moved to a nicer neighborhood! And there’s the story about the man who went into cardiac arrest in the nearby restaurant booth when Jason and I went out for a date night. (The man survived, and we got free steak for those good ol’ nursing skills). Oh yes…our year has had some adventures!
Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Love, The Chiodo Family (jjchiodo@yahoo.com)

The 4th Annual Chiodo's Top 10 Favorite Things

1. The Sleep Sheep: The best baby gift I got (thanks, Mom!) It’s a small, cute, & cuddly sheep that plays 4 types of white noise. It’s portable and straps right onto the carseat…a definite lifesaver with Ben.

2. Hamilton Beach Brewstation: I don’t know why…but Jason & I have gone through about a dozen glass coffee carafes throughout our marriage. Then I found this awesome coffeemaker where you make the coffee, then just put your mug up to the button and it fills the mug. No glass carafes to break and replace! We love it! It’s perfect for 2 people or even a party.

3. Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover: We’ve been his fans for years on how to manage your money. His new book is awesome, and we recommend it to everyone we know. It's life changing.

4. E-Mealz.Com: Speaking of Dave Ramsey, he recommends this website for busy moms who need quick and creative meals. For $5/month, it gives you a weekly menu and your grocery list. I get the WW Point menu for 2-4 people.

5. TomTomOne: JennJenn finally bought a TomTom. No more “I’m lost!” calls to Jason, no more paper maps. Best $99 deal I’ve found.

6. L.L. Bean Totes: These canvas totes are so big, sturdy, and practical. Get it monogrammed and in a variety of sizes and colors. Great gift for anyone. I use my large “Chiodo” red tote almost every day. It holds a ton of stuff-awesome for moms!

7. Tigi Curlz Rock Hair Amplifier: A big thanks to Heather (my fellow naturally curly haired friend) for introducing me to this amazing stuff. I have finally found “The One” for the hair.

8. Kim Bensen Bagels: Kim is a friend from church who lost over 200 lbs. on WW. She has such an inspirational story that has gained national attention. She started her own business making yummy 2 point bagels that are sold in all the surrounding grocery stores. Her new book is also coming out soon. (www.kimbensen.com)

9. Leapfrog ABC Fridge Magnets: Abby loves the ABC stuff that Leapfrog makes. These fridge magnets are a daily hit. We also have The Letter Factory DVD by Leapfrog that teaches letters and sounds. Great phonics stuff to build off of. We talk all the time about letters, their sounds, and words that start with a specific letter.

10. WeRMemoryKeepers: This year I organized my scrapbook system, and I love the result. I found these awesome 12x12 3 ring leather albums by WeRMemoryKeepers. They have a variety of beautiful colors. I use red albums for our family, yellow for Abby, and blue for Ben. LOVE them.

Here's Lookin' At You, Kid.

Last night while playing with the kids, Abby looks at me and (being silly) give me this look. How the heck did this child learn to do this?!? Keep one eyeball straight while the other is cross-eyed? Freaked me out! We were half laughing, half grossed out, and half telling her to not do that again (but not before I got a picture). And here's a few of Ben for good measure.

Ben's Dedication at Church

Last Sunday we had Ben dedicated at church. As long as he didn't spit up all over Pastor Dave, I would consider it a success. And we had no spit up and Ben even smiled for everyone a few times. Yes, I did all that color coordinating myself. I was hoping to get our family 'Christmas card' picture too that day. Yeah...that was a no go. But we had a great breakfast with Jason's family afterwards, and it was a nice relaxing day.

Leave It to Abigail

This girl is loving leaves this year. Three year olds and leaves are just one big pile of fun waiting to happen. After a neighborhood walk one afternoon, I thought the two of us could be productive and rake/bag leaves while Ben napped. Silly Jenn. After many unsuccessful attempts to get Abby to help and then realizing I didn't have any yard bags anyway...I said 'to hell with it' and we had a blast.

Our Day with Thomas the Train

This was a big deal in the Chiodo household. Abigail LOVES Thomas the Train. Personally, I find the TV show to be a little dry. I don't understand how it entertains kids, but somehow it does. Well, Veronica found tickets for Thomas the Train coming to the Essex Steam Train Station. When the day finally arrived, the weather was gorgeous, the lunches were packed, the tickets were bought, and we were LATE!!! Yes, Jason and I enjoyed one too many cups of coffee that morning and found ourselves driving like a complete nutjob trying to get to the 10:30 train on time. When we finally got there, the 10:30 train was loaded and I was running with elbows out and a "get out of my way" look on my face. We made it to the gate only to have the station master tell us it was full. We pleaded and begged to get on while Abby had this horrified look and instantly burst into tears. We must have done something right because the guy told us to come back for the 11:00 train and he would make an exception and let us on. I told Jason, "We suck sometimes at this parenting thing." But...it all worked out fine. We took the later train and caught up with Dennis & Veronica and Ole & Dawn and the girls for lunch. The day was quite enjoyable and a fun experience.

Time to Bake

Yes, yes I know. I haven't blogged in awhile. What can I say? I am one busy woman. But here's a quick look at recent activities. Jason was gone for about 4 days on a business trip at the end of October. So Abby and I made cookies one day and then proceeded to eat way too many of them. This is why I love to bake but I just don't do it that often. Abby got way too interested in the dough and Ben...well, he just wasn't interested. :)

Three Months Old!

Today Benjamin is 3 months old. Here's a few highlights:
1. He's trying desperately to roll over.
2. He sucks on his hands and fingers like they are chocolate candy. I try to give him a pacifier and he usually spits it right back out. "No thanks, Mom. I want to slobber all over my hands if you don't mind."
3. He peed all over Abby's face a few days ago. We put his blue tub inside the regular tub. Works great to get them both bathed at the same time. She leaned over him and it was the perfect angle to let 'er loose. It was way too funny. The look on her face was priceless.
4. He is one happy boy. This kid smiles and coos and belly laughs A LOT! I do not remember Abby doing that so much at this young age. The minute he locks eyes on your face, he just starts grinning from ear to ear. And those belly laughs are quite contagious.
5. He got his first haircut.
6. He took his first airplane ride(s). And he was a trooper...that white airplane noise put him fast asleep.
7. He is quite the "talker." In the last week, he has started doing a lot of baby talk. He's loud and goes on and on like "I have something to say, people!" I just talk right back to him and we have many a lively conversation.

Our 3 Year Old Shoplifter

After getting home from our trip, we had to go out for some groceries and a wedding gift. There was a wedding shower at church last night...so I just dropped off the gift without staying since I was a zombie from traveling. We go into Bed Bath and Beyond to grab the gift before heading over to Stop and Shop for a rotisserie chicken and groceries. Jason is pushing Ben in the stroller with Abby walking with him while I get the shopping done. While in BBB, our sweet Abby was grabbing fun looking items within her reach. We did a lot of "No!" "No!" "Put that back now!" The kid had been traveling all day and had not slept for more than 15 minutes. We finished quickly there and walked over to the grocery store. Got our stuff and headed back to the car. While putting the stroller away, Jason found 2 stuffed toys that Abby had snuck into the stroller when we weren't looking. He was not a happy daddy. I finished loading the groceries and Ben into the car while he hauled her back into Bed Bath and Beyond. When they got back to the car, he said Abby was very remorseful and said she was "Sorry" to the people in the store. Jason said the lady he was talking to just smiled from ear to ear the whole time and "she wasn't helping me out much with that grin!" Part of me thinks she doesn't quite get the whole concept of buying something to own it. But we did know that she knew we said "No" to the toys she was touching and she decided to sneak some in anyway. Needless to say, she fell asleep on the way home (around 6:30 p.m.) and we took her directly to bed because she was completely gone. And the girl slept soundly until 7 this morning.

Our Big Adventure

Here's some of those goody Chiodo stories....We got home yesterday from a long week of traveling to Colorado and Oklahoma for my brother's wedding. Let's just say the week was a big adventure, and we'll leave it at that. We survived Delta losing our bag with ALL of our toiletries in it (hello...wedding). We survived driving all night long through boring ol' Kansas in an all night long pouring rainstorm to get to Oklahoma. And we survived sleeping with Abby who thinks the entire bed is just for her. And we survived the lack of naps that Abby (didn't) have.
We finally got our bag back from Delta...way after the wedding was over. Thank goodness for the bounty of Walmart Supercenters in Colorado.
And I proved I'm much better at driving all night than my husband is. Maybe it was the years of working nights as a nurse?!? I would drive for about 3 hours and finally say, "Honey, I really need a break." Jason would get behind the wheel while I slept. After 45 minutes, he would say, "Honey, I'm exhausted. I really need a break." Seriously?!? Yes, that was our night. Me-driving 3-4 hours. Jason-a whole 45 minutes. And then we would start all over again. I chomped on so much ice that night that I think even my teeth were frozen. I love that man, but I think roadtrips in the future will be taken under serious consideration.
And we are now home and so thankful that Abigail has her own bed. You know, she never sleeps sideways in her bed. Just when the two of us have to bunk down with her. One of us gets the butting head in our back; the other gets the kicking feet. Happy, happy, joy, joy. Night after night.
Our schedule of naps got a bit off course too. Why is it that when you desperately want your toddler to nap before a big fancy wedding that they absolutely refuse to do it? We thankfully saw the signs coming and left the wedding about 15 minutes before not one, but two kiddos had meltdowns. So after the wedding we get back to our hotel and want them to rest before we get some dinner for the night. Jason and Abby are in one bed, Ben and I in the other. And we had about a 2 hour 3 ring circus. Ben would fall asleep only to wake up to Abby having a hissy fit. Then we would finally get Abby to calm down just to have Ben make a fuss. We went around and around for 2 hours. Finally we said, "Let's load them up and get dinner anyway." Of course they both were knocked out before we even drove out of the hotel parking lot. So our dinner that night consisted of us sitting in the McDonald's parking lot eating a chicken sandwich and a salad. With a vanilla ice cream cone afterwards just cause we needed it. But we had two sleeping beauties and that was all that mattered. Oh-and then Abby peed all over Jason while he carried the sleeping girl back into the hotel later. See? A big adventure.
And yes, we have some more stories of our big adventure. But that is for another day. I will say for the most part that my children were wonderful travelers. I love getting the compliments after a flight from people telling us our children were "amazing" on the plane. Except for that one flight home yesterday where Abby screamed in my face, "LEAVE ME ALONE!" while kicking and hitting me. She wasn't happy that we had to turn off Dora on the Ipod (a real treat) for takeoff. Needless to say, I gritted my teeth so hard I thought I would chip one. And as soon as that seatbelt sign went off, I hauled her butt into that tiny bathroom and gave her a good ol' spanking. But it worked and she was a dream the rest of the way home...even with no Dora to watch due to her earlier behavior.

Ben's First Haircut

We are quite thankful for our dear Sal (Grandma's beau) who is a barber. He has given the Chiodo family many a free haircut. I'm not sure he knew what he was getting himself into when he and Grandma got together...but we are forever indebted to him for his skill.
Sunday night, I had Sal whip out the scissors to give Ben his first haircut at 12 weeks of age. The boy was born needing a haircut. You know it's bad when you have to tuck your son's hair behind his ears. So I requested a "clean cut"...mostly just trimming around his ears. After a full belly, Ben was sound asleep on my shoulder and Sal went to work. He got one side done, and then Ben decided to wake up. He wasn't too fond of us messing with him during his beauty sleep. So with a slightly firm hold of the head, Sal was able to get to most of the other side. We didn't get a picture of the finished "clean cut" look though. But I was quite happy with the end result...no more hair tucking. Thumbs up, Sal!
P.S. Besides the most often heard question of "Where did the red hair come from?"...I get "Will Ben have curly hair like Abby's". Abby's hair was red but stick straight until she was 10 months old. Her hair clung to her head for the longest time. I used to glue (very gently) the bows to her head because it was so fine and straight...so not the case now. Around 10 months old, she was a bit sweaty one day and I noticed a very tiny curl. Within 2 months, we had the full-blown tight "Shirley Temple" curls. So for all the wonderers...stay tuned for another 7 months.

Chiodo Family Get Together

The whole family (except Jenn in Jerusalem) got together for some good ol' lasagna and meatballs at George and June's on Sunday night. George has now started having a craft or activity for the older girls to do. One time they painted t-shirts. Sunday, they all made the dessert (dirt cake, I think?). Chocolate cake, vanilla pudding, pistachio pudding, candy bar pieces...all layered together with a yummy Cool Whip topping. They all wore their "How Sweet It Is" aprons (Jason's parents used to have ice cream stores in Connecticut called "How Sweet It Is"). They all get a kick out of it (George more than the others) :). So here's some pictures of our night together. I tried to get one of all the grandkids...not so easy to do.

A Day at the Zoo

We had a free family pass for the Beardsley Zoo last weekend (love those public library passes!). So we packed a picnic lunch and met up with Dennis, Veronica, and Anabel for a fun day together. Silly me told Abby the day before that we were going. So, of course, she is up and ready to go at 4:30 A.M.! I won't do that again. The weather was nice and cool but sunny. We probably only made it through 1/2 the zoo before we were all starving (including Ben). There was a carousel inside one of the buildings there...that was a big hit with Miss Abigail. After lunch and the carousel ride, it was time to head home for naps (for all of us!).

Abby's Goose Egg

One morning last week was a typical morning for us. Jason's getting ready, I'm trying to suck down my cup of coffee in record time, Ben is swinging away, and Abby is running around being goofy. I was sitting in one of our dining chairs and had my back toward the living room (where Abby was). In a split second I heard her feet trip, my chair shake, and my heart stop. Abby had tripped over her feet and fell HARD (forehead first) into the back of my chair (the part of the seat that sticks out a bit in the back). Scared the livin' daylights out of me! She was really hurting and jumped up clutching her head and crying while I was moving at lightning speed to get to her. Her forehead was black and blue immediately and I was yelling for ice. After lots of crying and cuddling and the ice pack bear giving her "kisses"...she was all better. I was just thanking Jesus that it wasn't a trip to the emergency room. So here's some documentation of the fall. It's now still bruised and noticeable but nothing like before.

Two Months Old!

On Monday, Ben had his 2 month checkup. He weighs 13 lbs. 8 1/2 oz. and is 24 3/4 inches long. He's in the 90% for both height and weight. He doesn't look fat...he's just a solid kid.
A couple of weeks ago, I realized I had made the mistake of trying to wing it with him based on my past experience with Abigail. Let's just say I was a bit rusty since that was 3 years ago, and they aren't the same kind of baby. After one afternoon of him being awake from 12 noon to 7 p.m. and being quite unhappy about it, I yanked those baby books out and did some speedreading that night. I reread Healthy Sleep Habits for a Happy Baby and got back on track. And I must say, "Sleep begets more sleep." He went from sleeping a little bit here, little bit there, and being a crank when awake to sleeping much more and being a happy little boy. Abby could sleep through anything. Ben needs his quiet and peaceful alone time. Plus I'm sure that with Abby around, we are a much noisier family now than before.
We're on a much better schedule during the day now, and he's sleeping from about 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. most nights. I wake up singing the Hallejuah Chorus. :)
Ben is also more mellow and snuggly than Abby. But then again, I think most babies would be more mellow than her. :) He does seem to go from zero to sixty when hungry. There's no in between time. Ben can be cooing and smiling one second and crying like crazy the next wanting to eat. Trust me, I can make a fast bottle. My favorite thing these days is when Abby is talking to him and trying to play with him. He just grins from ear to ear and follows her around with this enamored look on his face. It's the cutest thing ever, and Abby just eats it up.

The Big E (New England's Fair)

Last Sunday, we went with some friends from church to The Big E. The Big E is the huge fair from all the New England states. Our first stop was to see Kim Bensen, our dear friend from church. She has lost over 200 lbs. on Weight Watchers, and has become a celebrity. She created her own 2 point bagels (love them!), has written cookbooks, and appears on TV shows like The Today Show. She was doing her chef presentation at the Harvest Kitchen Theater at the Big E, and we were so excited to watch her. She is definitely an inspiration to Jason and me on losing weight in an easy and fun way. Check out her website if you want to know more about her: www.kimbensen.com.

Our next stop was the animal barns. We got to see a sheep shearing demonstration, pet some sheep, look at cows, and I got to impart some of my vast knowledge of sheep with Abby.



Next, we went to the free circus the fair had. I didn't have the highest expectations with this, but it was AWESOME! Abigail LOVED it (especially the popcorn and snowcones)! So much fun...



Towards the end of the day, we saw the "Air Force Man". Abby was quite enamored with him...especially since we told him that he was like Uncle Jeff.