The Angelastro's

'till we meet again...

2011-06-08T20:43:00.001-06:00

Its been just a few weeks since my grandfather past away. I have been wanting to write about it, but have also been struggling to get the strength to do so. I admired my grandfather so much, not only as a grandparent, but as a father to me. I was raised in a non-traditional family situation; with my parents divorced, we lived with my grandparents who helped my mom raise us. They fed us, took us to school, picked us up from school, took us shopping, taught us how to garden, and much much more. (This doesn't mean that my mother didn't take care of us, it was just like we had extra parents around).

I am trying to think of some of my favorite memories to share about my grandparents, but feel like I have so many that I could go on for days. They both took good care of my family and loved us all dearly.

My Grandmother, Margaret Kelley White, passed away nearly 4 years ago. And every day since, my Grandfather has wanted to be with her. For those of you who don't know, my grandfather suffered from diabetes and was blind for many years. Most recently, he lost ALL sight and lived in total darkness. He used to say that he would ask his late wife to come and get him so he could be with her. My mom and aunt use to tell him she was having too much fun without him with her sisters and parents in heaven. He would just chuckle and say, "you are probably right." Well, she was ready for him on May 25th and couldn't be without him any longer. It was obviously hard on all of family, but also comforting to know that not only was he not suffering anymore, but he was with the one he loved dearly.

I don't want to go in depth with his actually passing, but he was with my aunt and went peacefully. My aunt was told it was soon, so her and the nurse held his hand, told him to go to the light and to my grandmother. When they said this, he got a little smile on his face because he knew he was with her again.

I know there is no evidence of what the afterlife looks like or what really happens to us, but I know that my grandparents are together and are watching over us. I want to say it was too soon for my grandfather to pass away, but I look at how much time I did get with him. I remember telling him after my grandmother passed away that he needed to see me get married; which he made it to. I also told him he needed to see me have a child, and he did. He got to hold Max when he was just a couple months old and got to see him up until he was 22 months old. When we would go to Boise, Grandpa was always anxious to hold Max and spend time with him. My mom would also call when she was over there on weekends and let Grandpa listen to the new words Max would say over the phone. I am so grateful that my grandfather got to hold and spend time with my child, his great-grandson. Since grandpa couldn't see, everyone always tried to explain what Max looked like to him. I feel like now, he knows exactly what he looks like and what a beautiful child he is. It was so comforting to know that in the afterlife, my grandfather is now in a perfect spiritual body. He has his sight back and is truly able to see what us grandchildren have grown into. Spirits have always freaked me out, but I know that Max will always have someone watching over him to make sure he is taken care of.

I honestly can't describe how much I love my grandparents and how grateful I am that I had them in my life. Yes, I use to be embarrassed that they would pick me up in the largest boat car from school, but I look back and now know how much they both sacrificed to ensure that my brothers and myself were taken care of.

I hope that they both know that I love them dearly and strive to be like them. I may try and push them out of my head because there are days that I am not strong enough to think about them. I hope they don't think that I don't love them, but it is that I love them too much to think about them. I will miss them every day that I am alive and hope that I can be a better person because they were in my life.

Walter White was one of the best men that has lived. He will truly be missed, but I know he has a big smile on his face with my Grandmother's hand in his.

Nothing to update on..but why not.

2011-04-07T20:11:00.000-06:00

So there really hasn't been anything too exciting going on in the Angelastro household. I figured that not going to school would give me some extra time, but it really hasn't. Or I guess the time that I do have I try and spend it with Michael and Max.

Max is continuing to grow so fast and learn more and more every day. He is trying to talk, but usually just says one word at a time. He is great with animals and loves his animal magnets. Last weekend we did go to the Zoo bc we knew he would love it. He kept waving to the animals and introducing us; he'd wave and then point to me and say, "Momma" and point to Michael and say, "Dada". It was very kind of him.

He is climbing on things which keeps us on our toes. He knows how to move the barstools to the counter and climb up on everything.

Its a blast and he just keeps growing too fast!

Bump Momma!

2011-03-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I took Max to get his pictures taken at Foto Fly in Draper (loved them by the way). We went to a 10:30am appointment. I made sure that Max slept in so that he would be well rested for his pictures.

Well, I guess he was too well rested that he was out of control! Neither myself nor the young man taking Max's pictures get him to pose, sit, stand, or look at the camera. I was truly sweating after the 30 minute session from chasing him around the studio and trying to get him to not interrupt the other sessions.

The photographer tried bribing him with fruit snacks, toys, making loud funny noises.. but still just was not cooperating. I was trying to stay patient but decided that having an 18 month old's pictures taken professionally, probably just isn't the best thing.

Immediately after the appointment, I called my Mom to tell her how embarrassed I was and how I just wasted money getting the pictures taken.

The following day after getting off of work, I went to view the pictures and pick up the disk. I was so surprised! The pictures turned out so well! I honestly could not believe it! I was so happy with what a great job they did!

This one below makes me laugh because he was saying "Bump Momma" and jumping all around. The pictures really do a great job showing his personality. Yes, I think we have already entered the terrible twos.

Click here to see the rest of the pictures!

Pre-haircut

2011-02-15T18:49:00.001-07:00

Just cracks me up that Max's hair is curly.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Bath time

2011-02-15T18:46:00.001-07:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

The things you say or sign....continued.

2011-02-09T19:40:00.001-07:00

Momma
Daddy
Bye-Bye
Doggy
Cat
Horse
Fish
Bird
Cook-cook (cookie)
Cracker
Bath
Night-Night
Car
Grandma
Grandpa (Papa)
Water
Banana
Book
Hot
Milk
Baby
Up
Shoes
Hat

Fork in the road.

2011-01-31T22:03:00.000-07:00

This is what I feel like my life has been: School or Family?

I feel like I need to make some decisions in my life and I know that nothing needs to be done right now, but I feel stuck and somewhat lost. School is kicking my butt - the classes aren't hard, but trying to balance that with my life is too much. As I was driving home from class Saturday evening, I decided that this is not what I want to do. I love learning and think that education is VERY important, but I don't want my MBA right now. I want to be me. What is me? A wife, a mother, someone that is crafty, and someone who isn't stressed all the time with trying to get everything done. I want to eventually have another child and can't stop thinking about when can I with school? I shouldn't plan my life around school.

As soon as I decided to stop going to school (for now, maybe forever) I felt a huge relief taken off of me. Until I remembered that I have a huge assignment due in 2 weeks. I am hoping that I can drop my other class that I am registered for next block so that I get to "me" earlier.

I have already started looking at some "fun" classes that I would love to take. Photography, zumba, cooking, & maybe even a doula class.

I hope that I don't regret my decision, so far I am just looking forward to spending more time with the family and less worrying about homework and class.

Sick of being sick...

2011-01-23T21:10:00.001-07:00

This last week has been troublesome. I was out of town on Tuesday for work and came home Wednesday to a baby that was starting to get sick. Wednesday night Max's fever started at about 101 degrees and spiked up to nearly 105 degrees even AFTER giving him medicine and would not break! We called the on-call pediatrician and they recommended that because his fever wouldn't come down and he was weezing to take him to Primary Children's Hospital.

They took him in, gave him some more medicine and also tested him for RSV (a respiratory infection) which came back positive. So we took him home and were ready battle through it... or so we thought!
Thursday was ok.

Friday was ok. Until Friday night. His coughing got so bad he started to throw up pretty bad. And these days his fever was still always above 101 degrees and sometimes as high at 104 degrees. We decided to take him in on Saturday to his doctor to see what was going on. His RSV has now caused an ear infection so he would need antibiotics -- this explained why the fever wouldn't drop. And because his cough was so bad, he was having problems breathing. They gave us a steroid inhaler for us to use over the next week or so.

All of this has been really tough and tiresome for us all. Max has been quite the trooper through all of this. He is finally starting to feel better today, but is still being needy. We are hoping that he starts feeling better so we can get back to normal life. Or I suppose that this is normal life with kids.

A little embarassed.

2011-01-16T22:14:00.002-07:00

After I posted Max's dancing video he was a little embarrassed when the camera came around. 

Droping it likes its hot.

2011-01-08T20:24:00.002-07:00

I don't know if there is much I can say about this. Other than Max sure knows how to get down at 16 months. 

For those that were wondering, that is Katy Perry featuring Michael Angelastro Jr. singing.  

I am not sure where Max got his moves. I know I am can't move like that.

One of the best parts of this video - is showing it to Max. He just points and laughs at himself. And also busts out a few more moves.

Just a few quick photos....

2010-11-03T19:34:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago we went to Portland to visit my brother. My family (Mom/Stepdad/Cade) also met us there so we could all hang out. It was a great time. Max loved going to pumpkin patches and spending time with his uncles and grandparents. He was a great traveler too. 

Loved feeding and looking that the animals at the petting zoo. 

Riding on the train at the Portland Zoo looking at all the animals. 

And of course loved the waterfall we hiked to. 
Please ignore Micheal's cheat, it was cold. 

It was a wonderful time especially because I love fall and it was even better in Portland.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX!

2010-08-26T21:56:00.002-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX-A-ROO!  

We love you with all of our hearts! 

Love, Momma and Daddy

Can't believe how fast you have gone from this.  

To This.

One year ago today....

2010-08-25T19:15:00.001-06:00

One year ago today I was preparing to endure the most painful experience of my life, to bring Max into this world. I look back on the experience and know that I would do it again and again to bring him or another human being into this world.

The love that I feel for him is unmeasurable and I can't wait to experience it again with another child. (not announcing anything)

Love you Max! Happy first birthday tomorrow!

Caught in the act....

2010-08-25T10:04:00.003-06:00

Enough said... 

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.5.2

Max's First Year...

2010-08-23T19:43:00.001-06:00

Max's First Year from JADE WANG-ANGELASTRO on Vimeo.

Aggie Blue or Ute Red?

2010-08-23T15:17:00.001-06:00

We were luck enough to run into the mascots from our college's at the Salt Lake REAL game (it was mascot night) and get a picture with them.. Now the only question is what will Max choose? 

So much for the baby gate...

2010-08-17T20:35:00.000-06:00

As of lately in the life of the Angelastro's in a few pictures.

2010-08-17T20:30:00.001-06:00

 I just realized that because one of my cameras was having issues I hadn't uploaded any photos for over 2 months so here is a snapshot. 

With Michael at the Modest Mouse free concert at Pioneer Park. NIGHTMARE! Too many people! But Max LOVED it because it was right after he learned how to walk so he was running all over the grass.

Pioneer Day First Haircut! Yes, the mullet/rat-tail had to go... He looked SO ADORABLE in the little chair and cape! 

First experience of Nutella. As you can imagine, he loved it. And kept following Michael around for more. 

Here is his new "face" that he just thinks is funny. If you look close enough you can see his 3 little teeth!  

 This is why we sometimes call Max... Max the Tornado. He gets ALL of his toys out of his basket and then just leaves them to find something else. 

 And here he found the only cupboard that isn't locked... After breaking the Santa Cookie Jar we now just have "Max-Proof" items in there.

 We have been swimming...He loves it. This is at his friend Mason's Birthday Party.

Eating pho with Grandpa. He wouldn't let my dad eat because he kept wanting more noodles.  

Helping Dad put a small IKEA table together for his bedroom... 

Learning to share his stroller with Bellatrix - I love his face in this photo. Isn't he a doll?  

And last. A trick that I am not too excited about. Learning to climb the television stand to get the Elmo DVD.  

Elmo?

2010-08-17T08:28:00.000-06:00

Real Salt Lake Game on Pioneer Day

2010-07-29T19:52:00.002-06:00

Momma and Max are twins... 

Published with Blogger-droid v1.4.8

A book addict?

2010-07-17T18:50:00.002-06:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.4.7

We have bought Max quite a few books over the last year so we have books nearly in every room and in both cars. He loves them. We really like the Sandra Boyton board books that are short to read and don't have pages that can be torn out. As you can see he really likes them and reads them every chance he gets! I hope this means he is smart!

As of lately...

2010-07-16T22:45:00.001-06:00

It seems that our summer has been going by so so fast! Maybe it seems that way because our summer was so late this year! Once it finally started to warm up we were ready to be outside! (Until lately since it has been too dreading HOT!) But so far we have had a great summer.

In June we went to Boise for my high school reunion and to see family. Max had a good time and was great the whole drive there. I think that he was more excited for his big boy car seat!

We have been swimming at the Murray Park - we did take swim lessons but the pool was TOO cold, so have been going else where. We may re-sign up for swim lessons just at a different pool.

We have been going to lots of soccer games and watching the World Cup - Max seemed to get bored at the last game since there was no scoring and decided it he would take a nap.

And lastly, we have decided to take up modeling. This is Max's "blue steel" face that he is trying out. What do you think? I think he might have a shot with that face. But it might be too intimidating for the baby modeling world.  

And lastly, Max has decided that is was good idea to start walking at 10 months. So proud of our little boy, but yet so not ready! This meant that we took an immediate shopping spree to Target for baby gates and baby locks! He is everywhere now! But looks so cute in his little walking shoes!

10 months

2010-06-26T22:03:00.000-06:00

I know I complain a lot about being a bad blogger, but don't ever seem to change my habit. Maybe one of these days.

Either way, my little boy is 10 months old. I look at him and cannot believe how fast the time has gone by and wonder where my little cuddly baby went! Well, I guess he is now walking around the house! Yes! That is right! The little boy is walking! He took a few steps about 2 weeks ago and then didn't for a week. And then last weekend he started walking and we can't stop him! He is ALL OVER the place!

Also my friend Jill took some family pictures about a month or so ago. I LOVE them! I can't wait to get some printed to put in the house!

Thanks Jill for taking such awesome pictures!

Boise

2010-05-07T20:32:00.007-06:00

I wish so much that I was a better blogger.
But I guess I do what I can right?
So a few weekends ago we went to Boise to see my family. It was a great time and Max did great on the drive up there! I was a little worried that it would take hours upon hours to get there but we only had to stop 2 times!
It was great to see my family and have them see how much Max has grown! He of course was able to show off his "crawling" skills and his dance moves.
It is sometimes hard being away from my family. I wish they were closer so they could see Max grow everyday! I guess thank goodness for Skype.
Here are some photos of our little adventure to Boise...

Visiting Great-Grandpa.

And Grammy Pammy....
And Uncle Cade, Uncle Benson, and Aunt Jasmi...And Grandpa John
And Grandpa Kent..
And Grandma Jun-Ying....
It was a great time seeing everyone. However, I think they were more excited to see Max than Michael and me. I guess that is how it will be from now on, right?

Max's Easter / 7 month photos

2010-04-11T09:37:00.004-06:00

A couple weeks ago we got Max's pictures taken for Easter. It was the first time we got any professional pictures done and he was a natural. It was quite entertaining seeing him pose. Maybe he is use to it with me taking pictures of him all the time!

my week....

2010-04-02T13:29:00.002-06:00

I have been sick all week.

Started with a runny nose.

Then turned into sneezes.

And then coughing.

And now I officially sound like this woman
(for those of whom remember The Simpson's).

I just want to be better.

I am sick of being on house arrest.

A little trip to Boulder....

2010-03-31T13:52:00.003-06:00

So last month we got to go to Boulder, Colorado. I won a work recognition for doing well last year towards my sales quota. It was a great time and nice little get away... Max did great and I think loved being outside strolling around so much! The weather was perfect (a little cold in the mornings though)!

Boulder is a great city and reminded us a lot of Portland, Oregon. I think it will definitely be a city we visit again!

We did lots of "baby Bjorning" and bundling up...!

Max tried some pickles at lunch... He actually enjoyed it... surprisingly!

At our hotel they did an "Alice and Wonderland" party so there was a BIG chess set in the lobby area... The pieces were just about the size of Max!

All bundled up for the stroll...

A whole lot of shakin' going on here...

2010-03-29T09:48:00.005-06:00

Most of you know that Michael plays the guitar and sings.

A lot.

And I seem to think that our little boy may have an ear for music.

Or he just likes to get down and dance. (this he did not get from me)

Just wanted to say "hi"

2010-03-09T21:35:00.002-07:00

We just got back from Boulder. And here is a picture dad took of me while we were out strolling in the orange stroller on Pearl Street. It was a lot of fun. We saw lots of people that had hair like my Uncle Brandon. It was a cool little city.

We have been a little busy and I know it is going to get busier for my family! Some days feel like Goundhog's day... the same thing over and over, but days seem to get shorter and shorter!

My mommy gets to (has to) start school again this week, so that she can one day finish her MBA. She doesn't really want to go back, because she knows she will miss me on Wednesday nights, but also knows that it is important to keep learning. It would really help if she didn't have so much other stuff going on with work and taking care of me! She said she will see how balancing work, school, and me (and daddy) works out before she registers for summer classes.

I have been getting a little better about sleeping. I didn't do too well on our little trip. I woke up a lot during the night, I think it was because I missed my Bellatrix and my own bed.

I have discovered a few new foods in the last couple weeks, but I think pears are by far my favorite so far. My mom is scared to try other real foods with me. Even though the chart on the fridge says I can eat chicken and turkey, she thinks that is is scary! Maybe one day or I guess I will just be a vegetarian.

I have nearly conquered crawling. I am quite the mover these days and can move quick enough that my parents can't see me get across the room so fast! They really need to "baby proof" the house soon!

Also, I still have no teeth. My parents like to blame my "fussiness" on teething, but it seems like they have been saying that more nearly 3 months and I still have no teeth! Maybe one of these days they will pop up! I think I am just fussy because I have turned into a mamma's boy. I like her to hold me all the time and I get sad if I see her in walk by in the hallway and she doesn't come and get me!

I still can't believe how fast my time has gone by since I was born! I have gained lots of weight and grown taller and taller every day! And of course have put my parents through quite the adventures!

XoXo.... Max

Happy 1/2 Birthday Max!

2010-02-28T16:09:00.004-07:00

Someone is NOW 6 months old!
And I honestly can say that I SURPRISED as to how fast time goes!
It has been such a great 6 months with Max and we could not ever believe not having him in our lives.

He is still growing so much and is learning more and more every day!
So far he is:
- ROLLING ROLLING ROLLING
- "Creeping" as they call it (moving around on the floor, but not yet crawling)
- Sitting up
- Kicking his socks off with rubbing his feet together, kind of funny. We have to put his socks OVER his pants sometimes.
- Getting up on all 4's and rocking back and forth (I think crawling is around the corner)
- No teeth yet (which I am fine with!)
- Starting solids. So far he likes sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash. But DOES NOT LIKE peas. No fruits yet, waiting on those.
- Starting to recognize the sign for "milk"
- Loves his bear that Grammy Pammy got him
- NOT sleeping through the night
- Weighs 19 lb 12 oz
- And I am a horrible mom and can't remember his height
- Still has BLUE eyes, I keep saying that because I still can't believe that he is 1/4 Chinese with blue eyes.
- Reaching out for Bellatrix
- Loves bath time

He is great and we can't wait to continue seeing him grow!
Love you Bubbers!

This will ALWAYS make me laugh....

2010-02-20T22:49:00.003-07:00

We have been trying different baby foods....
And I think it is quite obvious what Max's feelings are towards peas.
I feel the same way baby.... (the smell of these where even bad)

And this is why.....

2010-02-06T08:56:00.005-07:00

We can't use a changing table. Someone seems to like to roll away in the nude.
(Speaking of rolls.....)

Saturday Play Date

2010-01-30T16:55:00.003-07:00

It is very rare if we go out and do anything "fun" on the weekends. We typically do grocery shopping, clean the house, etc in the winter time. Today we (me) actually decided it would be fun to go to "Color me Mine" at Foothill Village and paint some ceramic pieces. It was pretty fun! Here is what we did...!

It was a fun day with the boys!

XoXo...Max

2010-01-27T19:42:00.003-07:00

Hello Friends....
I just wanted to tell everyone that I am now 5 months old! Can you believe it? Not that long ago I was in my mommy's tummy kicking and giving her heart burn! I am so glad that I am in the world today and not cramped in that small uterus.
I have learned and experienced so much since I have been in this world. I have recently learned to roll over - I LOVE doing this. My favorite place is on the floor so I can play around with some of toys. But I also love my jumper that I got for Christmas from Santa.
I am still gaining lots of weight these days too. Good thing my mommy loves me enough to STILL get up 2-3 times a night to feed me. Sometimes I think I just want a little "snack" in the middle of the night, but I still like to wake mommy up to let her know I need some milk. We did just try some rice cereal for the first time last week. It was a little different. I can't decide if I like it or not. I only get about 1 tablespoon served to me and about half of that might make it into my belly - the rest is on my face or on my bib!
I haven't got any teeth yet, sometimes I think I am teething but nothing is popping out yet. But I do love to bite on my toys and mom and dad's hands. I have also found my toes! I love pulling at them and looking at how cute and little they are. I am also learning to sit up quite well; sometimes I do fall over but I haven't hurt myself - so don't worry Grammy!
Some of my other favorite things to do right now are: taking baths in the BIG bath tub with mom and playing with my rubber ducky, talking a lot and even sqwaking like an Avatar (agghhh-AH!), I like scratching the back of head for some reason too (haven't figured out why), I love my Bellatrix, and also love playing airplane.
I look forward to this year and continuing my journey in this world with my mom and dad. I am sure they glad they love me so much. Here are some pictures of my lately.
And yes, my eyes are still blue.

Love with big hugs and kisses,
Max

Never would have thought....

2010-01-21T19:41:00.003-07:00

I love to stare at him....
I love to have his hand hold my finger...
I secretly love having night-time feedings with him....

I can't believe that he was in my BELLY!!!
I still can't believe he is ours....
And can't believe he is GROWING so fast!

A little giggle...

2010-01-21T19:04:00.002-07:00

This is my new favorite sound...
And its not Michael making funny voices...
Don't mind my looking like I just woke up either... please.

4 months and a few days....

2010-01-05T18:28:00.004-07:00

I feel like such a bad mommy blogger because I am not documenting as much as I should because I want to spend every moment home with Max and Michael since I have been so busy at work! But I figured I had better do a quick update and document some things of the cute little bugger.

Max is about 17 pounds these days... he is already starting to out grow his 3-6 month clothes and is wearing 6-12 months.. He has lots of rolls on his legs and is the cutest chunk.

As you can see his new favorite thing is putting his fingers in his mouth. I am not sure if he is teething yet, but there are times where I think he may be. Sometimes he will accidentally bite down on his finger and scream from a little pain. Kinda funny to me (not that he is hurt, but that he is doing it to himself).

He got got this jumper for Christmas (well a couple weeks earlier) and LOVES LOVES LOVES it! He will whine until we put him in sometimes and just jumps and jumps and jumps in it! You can see that it tires him out pretty well that he will fall asleep sitting up!
He has also learned how to roll over in the last week - ever since we got back from Boise for Christmas. We lay a big blanket on the floor and he just loves rolling around. He sometimes get tired and gets stuck on his tummy and grunts in frustrations. Then after we give him a little help back to his back he just giggles -- only for 30 seconds later back to his tummy! Silly silly boy!

Another funny thing (well I think this is funny and is for my record) is he will put a burp rag or little blanket over his face (scary I know) and kick his legs until we move it off in a panic only for us to see him laugh and smile. I think he is playing hide and go seek in his own little way. Don't worry! We watch him carefully to make sure he is not suffocating himself!

Here he is with his new little friend. We have been pretty careful until recently with Bellatrix getting too too close to him. But lately we have been allowing it when he is playing on the ground. He is starting to look at Bellatrix and talk to her which is pretty funny. I can definitely tell that his vision is getting better and he is able to grab at her and see her from across the room.

Quick Holiday Update too!
We flew up to Boise on Christmas Eve to spend with my family. It was such a great time to see everyone, even though they were more excited to see Max than Michael and me!

Here you can see that Michael MAY HAVE had too much to drink with my brother and was toppled with kids without noticing. Christmas Eve Pajama Time Here we are with my Grandfather, Max's Great-Grandfather. He loved holding Max while we were there. Since my Grandfather is blind it is kind of sad that he can't see Max's face or features but he could sure hear Max squeal and giggle which put a big smile on Grandpa's face. He has been sad these days because the holidays always remind him of my Grandmother so it was nice to see that little Max could make him happy.
I always love the holiday season, but it goes by so quick with work. I wish I could saver the time more each year because it is so fun and festive. This year we didn't get to do too much because Max got a nose cold the week or so before Christmas, which meant a lot of time was spent at home online shopping since we couldn't go out at all. But it was great to spend quality time with him during his first Christmas. He obviously won't remember it -- so I am looking forward to next year already!

It was an amazing year and we look forward to 2010 -- hope everyone had a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Bradley Class Reunion

2009-12-14T21:20:00.002-07:00

Last weekend some of the families from our Bradley Birthing Class got together to show off all of our babies and tell our birthing stories. It was such a great time to see everyone again and meet their babies!

Everyone had different birthing experiences and it was touching to hear everyone's and retell ours. Since all of had invested 12 weeks in this class to learn about natural childbirth, we had spent lots of time with each other. It was great to see everyone again and meet the cute cute babies!

Even though Max is NOT the oldest, he is THE BIGGEST and HEAVIEST of them all! I couldn't believe it!

Max and Phoebe

Mason

Max and Mason (this is the baby he goes to the baby-sitters with during the week!) I think they will be friends!

All the babies!

The boys...

3 months....

2009-12-06T19:59:00.007-07:00

So last few weeks have been kind of crazy for us. I returned back to work (boo..) and have been trying to find that balance of being a working mom. It is coming along, but it is hard work. I miss the little one so much during the day and can't wait to get home to see him. But our evenings consist of dinner and just getting ready for the next day! We have lots of bags to pack to make sure Max is prepared for the babysitters every day! And we have to make sure Mom is packed with her "tools" to make Max's milk!

So here is a sneak peak of our last few weeks.....

We have been to Primary Children's Emergency Room....
Max got the 24 hour stomach flu the first week I went back to work. Not good at all. Not only was it hard seeing my baby so sick, but it was hard knowing that if I didn't go back to work he probably wouldn't have got sick! Everything turned out fine, but it was tough.
He got so dehydrated from throwing up everything that we finally decided to take him in on a Friday night. We were there for about 4-5 hours. They gave him an IV which took them FOREVER to get in him because they couldn't find a vein. They even had to bring in the IV team to get one in him. They also had to give him a catheter to check his urine to make sure his electrolight levels were okay.

As you can see, here he is feeling SO MUCH better he almost looks drunk. Well, he kind of was on sugar water they dipped his binky into.
I got a little teary eye while all of this was going on, but kept thinking that I was so lucky to have a healthy baby overall. Being at the hospital for a few hours was nothing compared to some of the experiences some families have to go through.

We've been getting ready for CHRISTMAS by wearing our CHRISTMAS pajamas!

Taking LOTS baths... we have to recently because of messy diapers...
Hanging out on our tummy's.... hoping that we will some day roll over...
Getting dressed up for Thanksgiving...

Going to the Festival of Tree's....

Michael LOVED it as you can see.....

We've been sleeping......unless you think waking up 2-3 times a night is sleeping.
And reading our FAVORITE book.... THE BELLY BUTTON BOOK!
BEE-BOO!
It seems that the last few weeks have been kind of crazy for us, but each second is worth it with Max. I still can't believe sometimes that he is ours. We love him dearly.

Been a bad blogger....

2009-12-02T22:15:00.002-07:00

I feel bad that I haven't been blogging and keeping track of my little ones progress!
I guess my excuse is that I lost my USB SD card adapter and can't upload pictures right at the moment.
AND I would rather spend time with my baby boo since I had to go back to work.
I will try and get everyone updated this weekend. Lots to update on over the past few weeks.

Utah State friends and future BFF's

2009-11-13T08:33:00.004-07:00

Max and I packed our bags last week and made our first trip ALONE to the great state of Texas for a college girls reunion! Recently 2 of my friends had babies (1 a week after Max was born and 1 about a month after Max was born) so we thought that it would be a great time to get us all together (while we were all on maternity leave) and to make sure that they start being friends NOW!
So Erika came from San Diego! (And we even got on the same flight from SLC to Houston so she was able to help me! Thanks so so much Erika for the help and entertaining me on the long flight!)
And Teigan came from Omaha with little Beckham!
And we made our way to Monique's in Houston! (Thanks Michael and Monique for hosting the reunion!)

Max did GREAT on the flight both ways! I was so nervous that I would have "that" crying baby on the plane and have people glaring and talking about me! But he did so so good! He slept most of the time but did wake up for part of it to play and talk to Erika.

Here are the babies meeting for the first time! Yes, Max was ALREADY hitting on Kynzie by putting his arm around her!

Max Angelastro, Beckham Benson, and Kynzie Keo
I am sure we were entertaining when we went anywhere.... 3 car seats at the restaurants!

Just hanging out on the last day together...

And even though Max was happy to see his dad when we got home, he was SAD that he had to leave his friends!

It was so great to see Erika, Teigan and Monique! It felt like the old days in Logan at Utah State! We had not all been together since Monique's wedding 2 years ago! We promised we would try and do a reunion every year with the kids! And some day with our families! I am so glad that I have kept in touch with those girls and have such great friends!
Love and Miss you guys!

Guess who is 2 months...

2009-11-04T19:29:00.006-07:00

(..and a week because of the late post)
MAX is!
Last week we had his 2 month check up. He had some of vaccinations (we decided to spread them out a little so we will go in each month instead of every 2 months) and did A LOT better than I thought. I think it is a lot scarier for us parents thinking that their sweet little ones are going to get poked with that NEEDLE! But all he did was scream once and then was smiling at me again! I was so proud of him! He did get a little fussy that night and want to be held but it was because he had a fever near 100 degrees. But nothing that Tylenol couldn't fix!
He is SERIOUSLY getting so BIG! I can't believe how fast he has grown!
Here is how he was at 2 months:
Weight: 13 lb 7 ounces (90% range) -- YES he is a CHUNK!
Height: 24 inches ((90% range)
Head: 15.5 inches (40% range)
He is doing great and is such a HAPPY baby! I honestly feel so blessed to have such a good baby. Michael and I were both HORRIBLE babies so we thought for sure that our offspring would be just as bad as we were (punishment for what we did to our parents) but he is the opposite! He is smiling a lot and is starting to "talk" with you. It is quite entertaining. He loves it when he gets his books read to him and loves hearing "how much is that doggy in the window" song preformed by his out of tune mother (it actually calms him down when he is fussy). He is starting to drool a lot and needs to wear a bib a lot of the times. He has rolled from his stomach to his back a couple of times (see video) and is now starting to like playing with his juggle gym thingy he lays under. He is almost giggling - it just seems like he wants to so badly but it won't come out!

He is honestly the perfect baby for us! I just wish he would sleep longer at night! He goes to bed around 10:30 - 11:00 pm and wakes up at 2:30am AND 5:30am to eat! Going back to work in the next couple weeks is going to be ROUGH! But he is worth it!

Here is a little video of the little guy. I try and take these often and send them to my family. Ignore how dumb I sound!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T20:26:00.003-07:00

After WEEKS and WEEKS of debating on what to be for Halloween..... And nearly giving up on Friday I finally gave in and decided to quickly sew some things up for Max and me....and bloodied up a costume for Michael.

So here is what we came up with....

Don't be too scared... its really just us dressed up.

Do I have a blue eyed baby boy?

2009-10-18T19:07:00.003-06:00

They always say that babies eye color can change after they are born but these seem blue to me... who knows!
Maybe my quarter Chinese baby boy will have blue eyes!

What have those Angelasto's been up to lately?

2009-10-12T20:44:00.004-06:00

Hanging out at Memory Grove enjoying the nice fall day....

Having the dog walk the baby at the park....

Trying to eat dad's face because we were so hungry...

Taking naps together.....

Watching the Utah game with Dad.... (with the AWESOME blanket Mom made!)

Visiting Grammy Pammy in Boise...

Sleeping on the long drive back from Boise....

And visiting Great-Grandpa (Jade's Grandfather) in Boise.....

It has been a fun last couple weeks. We made a quick surprise trip up to Boise to show off the little one. My Grandfather has been anxiously waiting to see Max. It was a priceless moment for him to get to hold him. He is actually blind so he wasn't able to "see" him but was able to make out a little of his face. He kept saying that he knows my Grandmother has seen him and is watching over him as well. It is comforting to know that he does have angels watching over him! While we were in Boise we saw some friends and lots of family.

Other than our trip to Boise, we have been spending lots of time with Max. We are somewhat starting to get the hang of "parenthood" but still figuring things out each day. It has helped to have some "Baby Books" around to reference!

Max is nearly 7 weeks old which means I have only about 1 more month at home with him before I go back to work. I know I need to cherish the time I have with him before I have to go back, but I can't help dreading that day! I sometimes wish I could stay home but also love my job.. I wonder if I could just take Max with me each day!

I am so excited for this Fall season! It is my most FAVORITE time of year! So look for lots of Halloween and Fall pictures to come!

Yes, we are "those people"

2009-10-05T20:47:00.003-06:00

After all the years of making fun of "those cars" and "those families" we have joined them and added one of these flashy signs to our car. No it was not my idea, but Michael's.He thought that with us driving to Boise that fellow drivers and truckers would be more friendly when passing us or driving near us.

And thank goodness its not on my car........yet.

Everyone is gettin' a little older!

2009-09-27T22:13:00.004-06:00

Guess who is officially 1 month old!
And guess who is now 32 years old!
My 2 boys are getting older and older!
Yes, Max is now 1 month old! I can't believe how fast time has flown by! It honestly seems just like yesterday that I was still pregnant! Over the last month he has brought us so much joy and happiness. I honestly cannot describe how much I love him! I could stare at him all day long. I don't want to jinx us but he is such a good baby. He is on a fairly good schedule and sleeps well through the night. He isn't anywhere close to "sleeping through the night" but only wakes up 2-3 times a night and once he eats he goes right back to sleep. He is nursing great and makes the funnies sounds when he is eating, he does the cutest little snort! When we went into the doctor for his 2 week appointment he was back up to his birth weight plus a little ( 8 lb 8 oz). He said that he "WELL PAST the recommended 1/2 ounce per day gain" so he is quite the chunk these days. He is starting to smile a little bit when we play with him and recognizes us when he sees our faces. When he does decide to fuss (usually only for his afternoon nap) he likes to be held and sung to; Michael is obviously a better singer than I am, I usually make up words to lullaby's that I have forgotten the words to. When he does finally sleep, he makes funny little faces and noises. His eyes flutter, just like me when I sleep. Michael says he looks a lot like me when he is sleeping and looks like him when he is awake. But he does change so much every day. (Right now we are suffering from "baby acne" and going a little bald on the top of his head, so we call him George Costanza) We are both so happy to have little Max in our lives! I sometimes feel like I could have 5 of him and still wouldn't have enough!

And yes, Michael also celebrated his birthday this week. We have had so many visitors in and out of town that I didn't really plan much for his birthday. I am a bad wife, I know. But his family did come over and we went out to dinner. Even though I did give him a child for his birthday, I also got him an OVERPRICED University of Utah sweatshirt that he had been wanting for months, maybe I am not a bad wife?
Happy Birthday Michael! Max and I both love you!

Here are some pictures from the past week... I will post more later..

Bath time
Sleeping (what's new?)

Smiling - maybe at me? maybe because he passed some gas?

I just love this little guy!

Also Happy Birthday to many many family members!
Happy Birthday Sammy! Jared! Robin! Katie!
September is a Birthday month for Michael's side!

I'm in love

2009-09-07T19:43:00.004-06:00

I just can't help myself. I am so in love with this little guy.

My boys...M & M

2009-09-03T12:23:00.003-06:00

Michael and I have officially been parents for 1 week. It has been quite the life change for us, but we are both loving it. I am so grateful that I have such a great husband that is so helpful and willing to do anything for Max or me.
When Michael and I first started dating, kids were probably the last thing that was on his mind. But over the years of us being together he has wanted to start a family. He is great with kids (my little brothers and sister) so I always knew he would be a great dad.
I think that most woman somewhat have a mothering instinct, but the dad's learn with time. Even though Michael didn't put Max's diaper on tight enough that he peed all over himself and blanket; Even though he got a "dust rag" when I asked for a "wash cloth" to clean him; And even if he struggles getting him dressed -- He is already a great dad and will learn to be a great father to our little Max.
I am so grateful for my Michael & Max.

I know they are going to grow to be best buds.

Welcome....

2009-08-31T10:11:00.021-06:00

He's FINALLY here!

Max Easton Qiang Angelastro 
Born: Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 at 4:42am 
Weight: 8 lbs 7 oz
Legnth: 19 1/2 inches 

We are so excited to welcome our little guy!

Here is a rundown of our birth story...some may not be interested but I wanted this for my reference too. Feel free to read or pass over it...

Here is how it all started... Last week (8/19) when I had my weekly appointment with my midwife, I had her check me to see if I was dilated at all and to see if I was getting anywhere closer to labor. The week prior I was at 1 cm and at this appointment I was at 3 cm! I was pretty ecstatic because I was getting pretty tired of being HUGE and to be honest working at 38/39 weeks pregnant is tough. After my appointment I called my mom and she was debating on whether or not to come down that weekend and await the birth or just leave Boise when I went into labor. She debated and debated and after a couple nights of me having nightmares of her missing the birth she decided to come down that weekend and hope that I went into labor soon. I felt like I tried nearly EVERYTHING to get things a movin'. And...notta. Michael kept telling me "he will come when he's ready" or "most first time mom's are always at least a week late" and so on. That was the last thing I wanted to hear too! He wasn't the one carrying around a GIANT belly and constantly overheating!

So by Monday (8/24) I finally convinced myself that it just wasn't going to happen and I was going to be pregnant for another entire month. My mom was able to work from SLC so it was okay she was down here patiently waiting her grandchild. BUT WAIT! Late that Monday night around 11 (after a long speed walk around the neighborhood) I started to bleed. I got freaked out so I called our midwife to see what I should do - she had us go into the hospital just to get things checked out and monitor the baby. I can't really describe how I felt - it was a strange feeling thinking that that could have been it. Was this beginning of labor for me?

So off to the hospital Michael and I went at 11pm at night. Our midwife had called ahead so they knew we were coming. They hooked me up to some monitors to check the baby's heart rate and monitor my contractions. Everything was looking fine but we had to stay for about 2 hours just to make sure. I was still bleeding, but the nurse said it was probably my "bloody show" and I would most likely go into labor that day at some point. WOW. She gave me the option to stay there or go home and get some rest until things picked up. We decided to go home and try and get some sleep. I got about 2 hours of sleep until the contractions really started picking up and were more intense than I have ever felt. They were about 4 minutes apart for 2 hours but I wanted to "labor" at home as long as I could so I wasn't bored at the hospital and that is what they taught us in our Bradley classes. So at about 6am I was so exhausted and knew I needed sleep or I was not going to be able to make it through the labor - I laid down and slept for a few hours only to wake up to NO contractions! I was a little shocked but kept thinking things would pick back up at some point that day. So back to speed walking and cleanin' the house.

The rest of that Tuesday (8/26) it was pretty off and on with contractions and I was wondering what I was going to do. We had all called into work that day thinking we were going to have a baby! HOWEVER! At around 5 pm the contractions started again and were not only getting stronger and stronger. We learned from our Bradley Class that we should go in to the hospital when they were 3 minutes apart, lasting for 1 minute each, and for 2 hours straight -- also known to us as 3-2-1. I had a light dinner and figured we should probably head in to hospital around 7pm.

One of the nurses checked us into triage and monitored me for about an hour. She was the worst nurse ever! She was mean and rude to us! She had me hooked up to monitor contractions and had the nerve to tell me that she didn't think I was having contractions because the machine wasn't showing "anything impressive". I partly wonder if because I was pretty calm and relaxed through my contractions if that is why she felt like I really wasn't "in labor" when the women in the bed next to me was screaming and groaning when she wasn't in labor. But after an hour or so of being monitored she finally was able to determine that I was in labor and dilated to 5 cm. I was officially "checked in" to the labor and delivery.

Lindsay, our midwife came at about 10pm and we started some exercises to help things progressing; birthing ball, jetted bath (the best when laboring), ect. The time was going by fast but I was getting pretty tired from working through the contractions. I finally decided to take one of the medications that only lasted 45 minutes that would just relax me - It helped relax me, but I was still going through a lot of pain and was losing my rhythm. They gave me some oxygen because I was starting to hyperventilate. That was going okay until I got checked at about 2 am when I was stuck being dilated at 8 cm and hadn't dilated at all for about 2 hours. That was the last thing I wanted to hear! I was already near giving up and was asking for the epidural - but Michael and Lindsay kept me going and suggested new positions to get things going again.

They suggested taking another jetted bath and doing some other positions to see if things would keep progressing. Need I remind them, I was in A LOT of PAIN and didn't think I would be able to get through it unmediated! I just wanted to curl up in a ball in my own bed and sleep! I truly felt like my body was going into shock. I was struggling keeping my breathing rhythmic and calm and also was shaking pretty bad.

After being in the tub for about hour the contractions started coming even stronger and I started to feel the urge to push but Lindsay kept telling me I wasn't suppose to push. Oh the pain! I was finally able to get over that "transition" phase from a 8 cm to about 9.5 cm while I was in the tub (they say this is the point when most women ask for the DRUGS and I understand why!). For those who are familiar with the Bradley Class, my mom later told me that Michael kept going back to the book we were given and pointed out what "phase" we were at - he sure knew when we were in transition; serious and no modestly at this point - I just wanted the baby out!

FINALLY... At around 4:15am I got back in to the bed and was "given permission" to start pushing when I felt ready. Wow, pushing felt good, but was tough work. But by the time I really started pushing, he was out in nearly 20-25 minutes (only 5-6 pushes). Immediately after he was born they put him on my stomach/chest. I had requested that the cord not be cut until it stopped pulsating. She he was on my chest for about 5-10 minutes before Michael got to cut the cord.

I was then given a shot of pitocin to deliver the placenta and had just a few more pushes to deliver the placenta. What a sight! Lindsay looked through it to make sure it looked okay and determined that I may have had a partial placenta abruption. It had to be sent to the lab to be checked out (this is why I could have started bleeding the night before). We had also decided to donate the cord (if the placenta came back okay) to the cord bank.

After the cord was cut, Max had his "test" they had to do to make sure he was okay. At this time he was weighed and I remember looking over at the scale - seeing 8 pounds and 7 ounces and shouting to Michael --- "you would have let me go another 2 weeks!" They all kept telling me that I hid the baby well because they didn't think he would be that big.

I got beat up pretty bad so I had to have some "sewing" done to fix me up which took about an hour or so. But during this time I was able to hold by baby and start breastfeeding. My sister in-law and mother in-law came to see baby as well. My mom and Michael were in tears and I was still in shock, but a different type of shock. I felt a relived and accomplished for getting through the entire delivery. All in all I feel like I was lucky with my entire labor. I only labored for about 12 hours and didn't push for long at all.And YES! I did it unmedicated!

I am honestly really proud of myself. Anyone who knows me knows that I do not handle pain very well. But I feel like I accomplished so much. And yes, I would do it this way again and again after seeing my little guy (he actually wasn't that little). I know that I would not have been able to do it without the support team that was with me: Michael, my Mom, my midwife Lindsay Breinholt, and the nurse Tina. They all stuck with me for entire time and helped me get through it all. Lindsay wasn't even on call that night - she came in just got us! And even after a sleepless night with us, still went to work that next day! I look back and wonder why I even questioned whether or not to go with a midwife. If anyone is thinking or wanting to go natural or in need of a good support person during labor, I would recommend a nurse midwife - I actually would recommend Lindsay - she was great! I am also glad that we invested the time and the money into our Bradley Classes. We were hesitant at first about the classes, but knew how important it was to have an understanding of the entire process of childbirth.

I still can't believe sometimes that Max is finally here and I am so happy that he is part of our family. I feel so blessed that that Max is ours. And we both look forward to the adventures of "parenthood."

I think I am ready....

2009-08-16T21:48:00.002-06:00

Nursery ready? Check
Bag packed for the hospital? Check
Car seat in the car? Check
Baby necessities for when we come home? Check

And now we "patiently" wait his arrival......
And hope he isn't this big!

Oh little Jasmi...

2009-08-12T21:05:00.005-06:00

For those of you who don't know.. My father is remarried and has 2 younger kids with his new wife. Benson and Jasmi. They recently went to visit my brother Brandon in Portland before he started back to school. My dad sent me these pictures and I can't help but laugh when I see it. I don't think my Dad and his wife realize what Jasmi is doing either and that is probably why I think it is so funny. If you know them, they are pretty strict (her more than my dad) about being goofy and don't really approve of it. And if you know my brother Brandon, he is the king of goofiness. It is quite entertaining on Family Vacations... But here is the nice family photo that my dad sent me...

And here it is zoomed in. Jasmi usually isn't goofy but I think Brandon brings it out in her. I just think it is so funny that the nice family photo has Jasmi posing like this.

+/- 3 weeks to go!

2009-08-10T20:46:00.004-06:00

I am FINALLY in my last month of being pregnant. Well, I hope my last month. I keep hearing that first time mom's typically have their baby 9-10 days after their due date. I was even reading in a pregnancy magazine that in France they give you your due date at 41 weeks and not 40 like we do in the US of A. So I am saying I am plus/minus 21 days to go! Either way, I can't wait. I haven't minded being pregnant until the last couple weeks it is getting to me. I feel huge and swollen and have just been having a hard time getting around. The baby seems to be positioned right in my ribs and I am sure its because he is running out of room! They say that the baby is gaining 1 ounce per day now and will up until he is born! WOW! I just hope this little guy is NOT 12 pounds!

Anyway - here are some of the pictures of the nursery. My mom and her BFF, Tracee came down and helped me get it all set up and do all the baby's laundry! They were such a big help! We also had a little Shower Luncheon and I will post those pictures later! But here are some pictures of the nursery. (I still have a few updates/changes to make)

Hand-me down crib from my Dad --- and the little guy's Dr. Seuss bedding

These are some of my favorite frames that I found - I put some Dr. Seuss graphics in them.

Somewhat full view

I am not sure what everyone else will think, but I am really excited and love the room so far - but like I said I have some other things to do. Including putting his name up with different types of letters. You may or may not get to see it before he is here! I have been pretty quiet about his name because I hate the reactions I get from people. "Oh, really?" - "Are you seriously going to call him that?" - etc. We like it and have to keep in mind that our last name is "ANGELASTRO" not much goes with that!

And here is my latest pictures of the belly - And yes, I am HUGE! (and remember he is still growing 1 ounce per day! YIKES!)

Just laugh with me...

I go to the midwife on Wednesday so we will see if I am progressing at all. I have been having more and more Braxton Hicks, but not sure if it is movin' things along in there. I don't know what to expect with contractions so I don't know if I am having any... And every mom out there just keeps telling me "OH! You will know!" but will I? I have heard of some women that just don't have them as painful as others. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad not having painful contractions!

My newest pregnancy news...

2009-07-26T17:07:00.004-06:00

These are all the things I have been loving the last few weeks ... trying to stay positive!

1. If I have my hands hanging at my side, my hands start "fattening" up. Can't wear the wedding ring so I now look like a single knocked up girl.*This is not really my hand, but I feel like it is some days*

2. After walking around or sitting too long in the heat, my feet also start "fattening" up and get really sore. I have to take my shoes off when I am in my car to try and get them back to normal with blasting the AC on them.
*And yes, NOT my real feet, but I do feel bad for this pregnant women's feet*

3. I have an ice pack with me with me at all times at home. When I am sitting on the couch or when I go to sleep. My back/ribs are so sore these days and the heating pad just gets too hot so I have switched to ice.

4. I can't load laundry very well from the washer to the dryer - too big to fit around it. Thanks Michael for being such a good husband.

5. I have had some INCREDIBLE heartburn the last few weeks. Even when I don't eat. Just all the time.

6. My gums have now decided to start bleeding. They say that it is common, but it is so gross to me.

7. I have been getting some great sleep at night; I wake up a few times because it is too hot. OR I wake up with a little someone kicking inside me for an hour straight! The kicking part makes me laugh, but the heat is not funny. One of the downfalls of having a bedroom upstairs.

8. HORMONES + EXTREME HEAT = ZITTY JADE

9. Pee. Wait 5 minutes. Pee. Wait 7 minutes. Pee. Wait 5 minutes. Pee. Repeat over and over ALL day.

10. And lastly, trying to take a deep breath. Not happening so much with the baby in my ribs.

I really am not complaining, I just think that it is funny that a little fetus can make all of these different things happen to your body. I have about 5 weeks left and am getting so so anxious for him to be here! I am trying to pass the time by quicker but keeping busy, but it doesn't seem to be working! We have been trying to finish our "nesting" projects but seem to have more and more we think of that we have to do! I guess I will do it one thing at a time and hope that I get everything done!

Hurry up little guy! I want you here now! I am so anxious and excited for him to be here! I just can't wait!

GNO.. also know as "Girls Night Out"

2009-07-26T16:52:00.003-06:00

Last night my friend Crystal and I went to Thanksgiving Point in the great city of Lehi to an outdoor concert. The headlining band was "Secondhand Serenade" --- to be honest, I have heard the name of the band but had never really gave them a try. They sound a lot like "Dashboard Confessional" but maybe a little whinier? We both had a great time sitting on the grass and chatting.

There were so many people there and we were probably some of the oldest ones there! Well, other than the parents that brought their teenage kids! I didn't really think we would stick out but we felt like we did! It was great to get out and spend time with Crystal. We live in the same state, but she lives in Farmington and I live in the Salt Lake City area so we don't see each other that often! Pathetic I know.

But thanks Crystal for making me get out of the house! I am not going to post the picture of us from last night; our faces were quite shiny from the heat.

And yes, 31/32 weeks belly picture

2009-07-13T22:13:00.003-06:00

I don't know if I have anything to say. I just laugh when I see myself.
I think I look abnormally large here, some days I feel bigger than others - but I think I am probably just HUGE. 7 weeks to go.

Our 4th of July long weekend....

2009-07-13T21:35:00.004-06:00

This year for the 4th we went to Boise to be with my family; I can't remember, but I think we have been going up there for the last 3 years. This year we decided to take a few extra days off from work so we could see my brother Brandon who couldn't fly into until the day after the 4th. But here are some (lots) of pictures from our weekend. It was good to see the family. My mom has seen me pregnant and gets lots of pictures, but it was the first time my dad had seen me - since we announced we were pregnant. I am sure he was surprised to see my belly 7-8 months later!

The boys getting ready to battle the wild rapids of floating the Boise River with my dad. (For those of you who don't know, the Boise River is probably the calmest river to float)

Cade getting ready for Harry Potter coming out this week and enjoying lighting fireworks.

No, this ins't a homeless person helping us with fireworks, that is Brandon!

We went to Smith's Ferry to go 4-wheeling and this is a picture on the way home of the Payette River - it is so pretty up that way.

And Michael braving his fear and crossing the famous "swing-bridge" over the river. (This is not the river the boys floated down)

Golf anyone?
So my dad makes Benson golf every Monday - Friday in the back yard by hitting 500 balls at the net and putting about 100 (he has to get it in the hole). It is quite the set up they have going. Benson is pretty good for 6 years old and seems to enjoy it. It makes me laugh that he only does it Monday - Friday, he says it is like a job and he should have the weekends off like everyone else. We all took turns, I accidentally hit one past the net somehow and it went in the ditch - sorry Benson!

Also, my mom and step-dad live in a neighborhood with a golf course, so we all went down for "happy hour" and hit a bucket of balls at the driving range.
I was even able to hit it with belly in the way! I really enjoyed myself and am thinking Michael and I need to start going more often before I pop!
Well, I know this is not the best update, but it was a fun and relaxing weekend hanging out with the family. It was good to see everyone! My grandfather (who is blind) actually got to feel the baby kick. It was great to have him experience that. It was the anniversary of my Grandmother's death, so I really think that it made his day.

Hypothesis testing, X-bar, and Correlation.

2009-06-22T18:53:00.004-06:00

2 more weeks of classes. This is all I can think about. Which breaks down to 2 more assignments, 1 more quiz, and a final project. I typically enjoy school, but with being more pregnant I have not been enjoying it. I struggle a lot with the concepts and the learning. I would have to say its true that your brain does shrink! (Which has been pretty bad lately)

I went to the doctor today and she said everything is fine. I have decided to stay with my OB for the rest of the pregnancy, but if are not happy with the experience we will most likely go with a midwife for round 2. I still worry with going either way, but just don't feel comfortable changing doctor's with only 10 weeks left. So wish me luck with delivering at St. Mark's Hospital. We did go tour the facilities and I was surprised at how small it was. They only have 15 rooms (the odd numbered ones have bath tubs for those that are going natural). I am getting excited and nervous at the same time. In our Bradley Class, we have been watching a few births. 2 water ones (one being Ricki Lake) and 1 "normal" - the normal one scared me. And I think it freaked out Michael (he said it was the first one he'd seen) - We both need to just think about the end results - our little baby boy. The classes have been helpful though, they teach what to expect at each stage of labor and how to manage to get through them as well. I really do want to have him natural so I am trying to get my mind set on it, unless obviously something comes up and I am unable to.

As for baby, he is still growing strong and getting bigger. He is moving ALL the time and still likes pushing on my right side (still having rib problems and seeing the physical therapist to push them back into place). I honestly can't help but laugh every I time I look down at my stomach or see myself in the mirror! Who knows where this little one is going to grow over the next 10 weeks - I feel like my stomach can't stretch anymore! Here are a few pictures over the last couple weeks.

Here is my friend Teigan and me, we are due within a week of each other.

And this is just from Michael's phone.

Other updates:

- Michael got a new car. A Honda Element. I love it, they are so funny looking, but cute.

- I think summer is finally here (I have much enjoyed the rain, but the heat is coming)

- My heartburn is getting worse

- We celebrated Father's day with Michael's dad, stepmom Lynda, and sister Rebecca at Snowbird at the Brewfest (will post those pictures later)

- The Farmer's Market has started - love it. And so does Bellatrix, she likes the doggie park.

- Here are also some pictures I have missed posting that are from the last month...

Little Miss Bellatrix hanging out outside, I truly think she is the cutest dog ever.

One of our little weekend projects (my herb garden which includes basil, chives, and rosemary)

And the patio chairs Michael got me for our Anniversary. We thought we'd go practical this year.

Boring little update...

2009-06-08T20:07:00.002-06:00

I have been horrible the last few weeks with updates and even taking pictures. It is probably because I have been so busy, maybe I should make Michael be in charge of the blog. With work, school, and our Bradley class - I have hardly had a night at home! I truly cannot wait for this month to be OVER!

I have 4 more Statistic classes left and then will be done for the year (Thank you baby, I need the break!) This class has probably been one of my hardest ones since my undergrad. I took statistics in high school and in college and loved it, I am somewhat of a numbers nerd - but I guess with the new technology everything is done in Excel and not on a calculator or on a piece of paper. For this class, I am not liking the new technology - I like the old way of doing math! I just hope that I pass this class and I mean it!

Well work. Work is work. Busy and stressful. I am trying not to stress too much because of the baby. So we won't discuss work.

Oh.. our Bradley Birthing Classes. Interesting. We took the class initially to get an idea of what to expect to prepare ourselves for the entire birth. We have been to 3 classes so far and don't know if I should be excited or more scared! There are so many little decisions to make. I thought we were ready and knew what we wanted, but there are so many options out there and both have pros and cons.

Physician or Midwife? (Not sure really... we are looking more into it, any feedback let us know)

Hospital or Birthing Center? (Hospital for us)

Natural or Epidural? (I really want to try it natural)

Boy's parts: Leave them or Cut them? (no questions now) but they talk about this in class!

Nursing or Bottle?

The list goes on and on. It is a great class and we have learned a lot so far, but it is strange to be with couples that are very extreme about their feelings about the above topics. Our teacher is going to have her baby at home, a few couples are having theirs at the Birthing Center (they promote natural birth, bathing, etc. and couples typically go home about 4 hours after they give birth. We do talk about nutrition, exercises to prepare our bodies, and relaxation. I always dread going, because I want a night home to relax, but we always learn quite a bit and topics do come up that we need to discuss. We are now deciding on whether we should switch to a midwife at the UofU hospital. I am nervous that I will have a bad experience with a normal OBGYN delivering my baby - she will only deliver if she is working or "on-call." I think I may go this week to ask some questions at the U with one of the midwives. If anyone has any feedback, let me know! My mom is anti-midwife and we got into a fight about it today, I just want to keep my options open and do what is right for the baby and me. I am scared that I will be forced into things if I don't want them, ie. Epidural. Will they use a vacuum or forceps if they don't need to? These things have come up in our class so that is why I worry. One couple there had their first daughter at a local hospital, they used a vacuum and practically took the scalp of the baby off! YIKES! Just scary.. I know I am rambling, but I just worry since this is my little guy and my body I am talking about.

Okay next topic. I am just getting over a bad cold, I am still a little sick, but doing a lot better than last week. I am still feeling pretty good for the most part with the pregnancy. The ribs and back still hurt, I have been going to the physical therapist about once a week to have been having her push them back into place. It is pretty painful and I am super sore for about 2 days and then after that the ribs move back. Less than 3 months is what I keep telling myself. I did my gestational diabetes test last week, the results came back fine, but my iron levels are low so I have to take an iron supplement now. And I thought I was eating a lot of meat! I have been craving a lot of meat lately. I made Michael go to one of those Brazilian Grills a few weekends ago because they have LOTS of meat! I guess I am still not eating enough, I typically don't even eat meat (before I was pregnant)! But the baby is still growing like crazy. They say this last trimester he will grow about 6 ounces a week! WOW! That is 2 pounds a month! I don't know where is going to grow! I feel huge! He is already kicking up in my ribs and down low too.. I can't help but laugh sometimes when he is kicking a lot or if he has the hiccups. I truly can't wait for him to be here!

Well, there is my long and venting post. I will be better about pictures and more exciting news. But that might not come until July.

And I thought he was just a tiny little guy...

2009-05-13T20:36:00.002-06:00

So my little guy, who is said to be a little over a pound and about the size of a letter is causing me some pain. Literally.

The last 2 weeks I have had some bad back pain in my ribs on the right side - but only when I sit. Which I thought was so strange. I was able to somewhat tolerate it for the first few days, but since my job requires me to sit and type or drive a lot I was always in pain! So I finally called the doctor so see what they recommended. I.E. Tylenol, Icy-Hot, Heating-pad, etc. I was just not sure what I should do! So they recommended that I go to a physical therapist because I have a small torso they thought that maybe the baby was pushing on my ribs. I thought that they were crazy because I am not THAT big yet! I still have a whole trimester left!

So today I had my appointment with the physical therapist and after patiently waiting an hour in the room for her... sure enough the baby is "pulling my ribs apart"...! I was a little shocked to hear but she was able to work with them and put them back into place. It was somewhat painful as she did it and she said that I will probably have the problem though out the pregnancy. Wonderful. So next week I go back again and Michael has to come so he can learn how to put my ribs in place. (that sounds so funny) and then he will be able to help me daily and if needed I can go back and see her to have it done better. She also taught me some ways I can move them in place.

I also have some back exercises I have to do daily to strength my spine so my ribs don't move as much. It all sounds so strange but she pulled out her skeleton replica and showed me everything - it made sense then but now not so much.

I am not complaining about the situation - I kind of find it somewhat humorous that such a little thing growing inside of me has such an impact on me! I understand if I was 9 months pregnant - but I still have 3-4 months to go! Lets hope that my back gets stronger and more flexible so that the little guy stops hurting his mom!

Other than that, things are good. Busy with work and lift at home. I start my last class for the year (since I will be on maternity leave) for this year. Wish me luck on Statistics! I will only be in class for 7 weeks so lets hope I survive. Also, Michael and I start our child-birth classes. We had read about the Bradley Method in one of our magazines and decided to try it out. It is a little pricier than what we wanted, but we have read and heard good things. It is suppose if you don't want to have any pain medication, about 85% if the mother's who go through it have their baby natural. I say I want a natural birth, but I am sure that my mind will change one those contractions start! We will see, I am open and not opposed to any thing. Maybe I will even try having him at home in the bath-tub! (totally joking)

16 weeks to go... can't wait!

23 Weeks and Counting...

2009-05-03T14:25:00.003-06:00

I had another ultrasound last week to check on the little baby's heart. Last time he wasn't cooperating and was sleeping so they were unable to check on 1 chamber of the heart. To make sure everything was fine they rescheduled my ultrasound in the morning to see if he would be more active. And active he was! They were able to see everything they needed and he looks great! The only thing is he wouldn't show off his face, so I didn't get to see that, a little disappointing.

One thing that was cool... As I was laying on the table with gunk all over me, I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. So I looked down at my belly that was hanging out and started to see my stomach move in certain areas! Sure enough the little guy was moving and I was able to see it from the outside! Pretty crazy!

Also, during the ultrasound, the little guy had the hiccups. It was so cute to see him move on the screen! I am sure the further along I will be able to feel those hiccups!

Here is a picture from today (23 weeks, 17 more to go) I have been getting bigger and bigger every day!

I feel like I am starting to look more pregnant and not like I had a big meal. I am feeling great for the most part. I have had horrible heart burn that doesn't seem to go away. I wake up in the middle of the night with it and have even if I don't eat something "spicy" - good thing I have a huge thing of TUMS!

Our little getaway...

2009-04-30T21:00:00.003-06:00

Michael and I decided that we should do one last trip to visit our friends in New York City before the little one comes. We made it a long weekend and went and saw Josh and Kaoru. It was nice to see them and somewhat relax (we were go go go... walk walk walk..) We didn't have much planned and figured we would just wing it while we were there. During our visit we...

1. Went and saw the Walkman. It is one of Michael and Josh's favorite bands and they have wanted to see them for years and it worked out perfectly! I did not really get to enjoy it, I sat being a boring pregnant women covering my stomach from the sound with my purse and Michael's sweatshirt.

2. Ate a Hamburger nearly every day. For some reason when we are with them, we are "adventurous" and try all of the top rated burger places. Some that I remember were: Shake Shack, BLT Burger, and Paul's? or some name like that. I think the BLT place was my favorite, I was probably the most hungry then!

3. Made dinner, well Kaoru made a wonderful dinner. It was Japanese style burgers (believe it or not)

4. Ate Cheesecake for breakfast nearly every morning

5. Saw half of "Stomp" - in the front row. We did the "discount tickets" and after buying them realized it probably wasn't the best show for the baby to listen to. What we saw was great, but loud and dusty. Michael and I snuck out and shared a decaf coffee from the Dunkin' Donuts down the street.

5. Did a lot of walking

6. Searched for the Cash Cab - one of these days...

7. Got some maternity clothes

8. Did some Karaoke in Korean Town - was super fun!

9. Watched a basketball playoff game at some bar, I was more in awe over the leprechaun dressed midget.

10. Missed my baby Bellatrix

11. Went to Tiffany's of course and talked Michael into buying me a present to make me happy (I was depressed bc I was feeling like a huge pregnant women)

12. Had a wonderful last night dinner with tons of seafood...yum!

13. Went to the Museum of Modern Art. AKA. MOMA

Here are some pictures of our trip. (I was not the best this trip with the camera, didn't take too many pictures, I am camera shy these days..)

Thanks Josh and Kaoru! Now it is your turn to come and see us!

Growing and growing...

2009-04-21T18:55:00.004-06:00

So we are about 21.5 weeks along and more than half way through the pregnancy! We found out what we are having.. We were debating whether or not to find out the sex, but we figured it would be to hard to buy stuff and prepare for the arrival! So... here you go. Can you see what we are having! Sorry baby for showing off your "stuff"!

So, yes! We are having a boy! We are both excited and would have been either way. I have had that feeling the whole time it was a boy.

And yes, I am getting bigger and bigger. I have almost retired from my "normal" pants and about ready for the maternity pants!(In the picture below I am actually wearing maternity jeans and was a little more "swollen" than usual, but you get the idea...) I am in that phase where I just look like I ate a BIG dinner. So, yes. I am growing and so is the baby. He is moving around all the time and loves kicking in the morning and in the evening!

Inspiration from a friend...

2009-04-05T14:13:00.005-06:00

The other day one of my dearest friends inspired me or can we say lead me to a craving that I could not resist!

I remember Teigan always making "Texas Sheet Cake" in our college days and I absolutely loved it. I am not that great of a baker so I had never ventured on my own to make it. But the other day she had posted on her blog something about this chocolate delicious masterpiece. And I have not been able to stop thinking about.

So I did some research online - went to one of my favorite recipe websites (www.allrecipes.com) and found a recipe that looked quite tasty.

So here we go. My creation. It doesn't look at tasty as I my friend Teigan's, but it was still delicious. I think I may finish it off before Michael gets home - he'll never know right?? Or I guess I could have added shredded zucchini and carrots like my mother in-law does in her chocolate cake to make it "healthy"

Thanks Teigan for inspiring me and helping with my pregnancy craving!

P.S. Sherry, you probably need to make this now since you are in Texas!

(Not as pretty as Teigans, but I think I will use a flatter cake pan next time)

(But still very tasty...)

Our so called lives...

2009-03-31T17:26:00.007-06:00

So I have been pretty disappointed in our recent blogging so over the last couple weeks I have been really trying to capture what has been going on in our lives.

We have had family over for 'leg wrestling' contests....Been catching up on Grey's Anatomy - got to love Netflix....

Been peeing on sticks...

Been getting ultrasounds...

Buying newborn diapers...

Yep... that is right...

We are...

Yes, we are alive just not exciting.

2009-03-17T19:58:00.009-06:00

So I noticed that it had been over a month since we had last updated our blog. We have been busy and boring and nothing exciting enough has really happened to "blog" about.

So I was thinking that I could blog about Bellatrix, AKA. Belly

Here are some pictures and videos of our little one and all of the adventures we have been on since we have had her. As you can tell we love her dearly.

Here she is sleeping with her elephant toy in her mouth. It is her favorite toy obviously.
Just a little Christmas celebration. I love her face in this.
Giving Dad kisses.
Tired from strolling in Chinatown in San Francisco
Going for a walk with Benson...

We have had so much with our little Bellatrix and she brings so much happiness into our lives. Funny thinking that a little puppy could do that. It has been a great experience for us to go through and is definitely preparing us for the real parenthood.

Other updates:

- I started another new class, its an Economics class. I like it so far even though I never liked economics in my undergrad.

- Michael has been playing the guitar like crazy and is getting back together with 'band' to play some shows.

- My family is coming into town this weekend. My brother Brandon is on spring break and is flying down from Portland to hang out with us. I can't wait to see them!

- Work is work. Nothing too much has changed.

Well, I am sorry for such a boring update.

I will try and do a better job with the camera and put more excitement into our lives.

Tagged.... A few of my Quirks...

2009-02-10T18:43:00.002-07:00

I got tagged...it is a lot of fun!

It's a 6 Random things/quirks tag, and Sherry tagged me, so here are the rules:

1- Post the rules on your blog
2- List 6 random things about yourself.
3- Tag 6 people at the end of your post.
4- Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
5- Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

So here are some really random weird facts about me...

1 - I am a little OCD and superstitious; Can't sleep with my feet out of the blankets, even if its hot, because when I was little I think a ghost tickled my feet and I have been weird about it ever since. And a few other things...

2 - I am not a "sweet" morning eater, so I like non-breakfast foods in the morning. I.E. grilled cheese, noodle soups, rice, etc. I think its the Asian in me.

3 - I still sleep with my blanket from when I was little. I like to call it "bunny blanket" because there are bunnies on it.

4 - My full name is: "Jacqueline Jade Vi Lai Wang Angelastro"

5 - I am a bargain shopper on a lot of items. It drives Michael nuts because I will go to a few places to find the best deal on groceries and other items.

6 - I love the television show Friends, another thing that drives Michael nuts. I can watch the seasons over and over.

I tag...... Teigan, Monique, Crystal, Jessica, Jill, and Dena!

Our Visitors...and other updates.

2009-02-09T20:58:00.004-07:00

It seems lately I have been horrible at blogging and picture taking... So here are the latest updates from Angelastro Home...

1. My family came to visit this weekend. My Dad had not been down to see our new home so him and the family made a quick road trip down from Boise to see us! It was nice to see them because we hadn't seen them since Christmas time. While they were here we went to the Utah Museum of Natural History. Michael and I have been before, but the kids hadn't ever been. It was actually pretty fun; the kids had fun and my dad's wife had a good time. Since she is from China, she didn't really grow up learning a lot of history or science so she was able to see and learn a lot. The kids loved the Dinosaur display and the Live Bug display... eww bugs! Since the museum is at the University of Utah, they have paleontologist onsite with fossils; Michael made a friend with an older gentleman that volunteers, he said they just found a new specie of a dinosaur! It was great to see my family - sorry there are no pictures! I will do better next time!

2. Michael and I just bought plane tickets to go to New York in April to our friends Josh and Kaoru. We went and saw them last year for our anniversary and figured that it would be a great time to go and see them again, just a few weeks before our 2 year anniversary! It will be a nice break from work for the both of us, even though it is still more than 2 months away!

3. It is suppose to start snowing again tonight. It snowed up North today, but we didn't get much snow in the Valley. I know that its snow, but I excited for it, maybe because it will help get rid of the inversion? Maybe remind me after driving and walking in the snow that I was excited.

That is about it, like usual, nothing too exciting.

1/20/2009

2009-01-20T20:31:00.003-07:00

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord." - President Barack Obama

Is anyone else really excited about today? I was able to watch and listen to part of the inauguration. I can't really describe how I feel; joy, happiness, comfort, etc. (I finally had to stop listening to NPR today as they talked about today because I kept getting teary eyed! I didn't think work would appreciate running mascara either.)

Not only am I excited that Barack Obama is the new President, but I am so excited that we have made history today. I couldn't imagine some of the feelings that were/are going around with some of those who were raised during the civil rights days - did they every imagine that the country would ever make history like today? I am so glad that our country has made the stride to see past race and look upon a person that can be our leader.

(I loved this picture, its so sweet looking)

Calling all recipes!

2009-01-09T19:18:00.002-07:00

Please visit this BLOG of my friends. She is trying to gather recipes to put together a cook book to donate money to her sweet young niece that was born with Spina Bifida and requires 24 hour monitoring.

I know that you do not know this family but you have the opportunity to help this little girl and the family by simply leaving a recipe on this blog.

I know some of you are great cooks and have come great recipes! Thank you!

Maybe you had to be there....

2009-01-06T19:27:00.003-07:00

But I thought that this was so funny.....

and yes, this is my husband trying to call the dogs in to the house. but what is more funny is the dogs were already in the house standing behind him.

Angelastro's Christmas Vacation

2009-01-06T19:12:00.007-07:00

I figured it was time to post some pictures of our Christmas; as I was loading the pictures on to my laptop... I realized I didn't take too many pictures. It was a strange Christmas - my brother Brandon got snowed in Portland and couldn't fly home for the week and spend it with us. It was his first Christmas away from the family so it was hard on all of us. Thankfully my uncle who lives in Seattle battled through the snow and was able to pick him up for a couple of days so he was completely alone. I was so glad he was with some family - but we sure missed him, it just wasn't the same!

Here is Cade and Michael with their favorite football team's blankets! (they also got sweatshirts)

Michael and Jasmi jamming out with the gifts my mom gave them!

Getting ready for Christmas Lunch/Dinner - Chinese Fondue!

Little Jasmi and me.

I truly hope everyone else enjoyed their holidays too! It seemed like it flew by and I am sad that it is all over!

Happy happy birthday Brandon!

2008-12-17T19:55:00.004-07:00

Guess what! Today is my brother's 21st Birthday! I can hardly believe it.

If any of you know my brother, I am sure you know what he is doing today to celebrate. Brandon, we are sorry that we can't be with you today but we will take you out over the short holiday break for a drink! Miss you and Love you!

Angelastro's Book Club

2008-12-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Michael and I decided to start a new tradition. Our own little book club. We thought that it would be nice to read the same book or take turns reading out loud to a book. We started this last weekend by buying the first book of the club. Marley & Me. My mother in-law had recommended it to us months ago, but with me reading business books I haven't had the chance. I am excited to have it read and then have the movie out too!

So far we are about seven chapters in and I love it. It reminds me a lot of Michael and I so far. We decided to get a dog on the spur of the moment and had our little trials with Bellatrix, etc.... Here is us having our little "Book Club" the other night. Even Bellatrix loving hearing about all of the little adventures of Marley!

I will keep you posted on further books we decide to read. If you have any recommendations let us know! I am trying to get Michael to re-read Harry Potter with me. He has only made it through the first 2. Maybe some of you can talk him into it, I know some of you are fans like me.

Clarification from previous Post.

2008-12-13T08:26:00.002-07:00

I guess I got people wishing/hoping/wondering what I mean when I said:

"Now we just need little Angelastro's to run around.." when I was referring to our new home.

It meant nothing. No children on the way. But obviously some time in the future (Definition of Future from Webster: Existing or Occurring at a later time)

The reason behind the comment was because we came from a 2 bedroom condo in Sugar House and now are living in a bigger home with just the 3 of us; the 3rd one being Bellatrix.

Do not worry my friends, I will make sure if I am making an announcement of such I will let you know.

Love you all.

New House Pictures... FINALLY!

2008-12-10T20:20:00.005-07:00

I am sorry that this has taken a little longer than expected. I finally found my camera. And then the charger. So here is the new Wangelastro's home. Sorry there are so many, I am not a good photographer like some. And they are all mixed up.... I need to learn HTML.

I know this is cheesy, but I LOVE having a bigger pantry!

The island, for those who are observant you will notice that these cupboards are not the same as the others, I like this - different and unique.

I am showing you my saddle stools, why? Because they took me 10 stores to find some.

Kitchen - don't mind the clutter, we are still unpacking.

Dinning room, with Michael's jacket where it shouldn't be.

From the lofty/upstairs area.

Bathroom Vanity area and closet.

Our boring still not decorated bedroom.

Michael being handy and putting up blinds. Only took him 3 hours to get this side up.

Down the hallway from the living room.

Bellatrix giving a tour.

And patiently waiting.

Okay, I LOVE this! This is where we hung our stockings. They are above the entry way.

And our baby tree still. Next year, next year.. I keep telling myself. I will then have the bigger tree like my friend Teigan and Monique!

Well, I hope you enjoyed the tour of our new home! You are all more than welcome to come and stay with us or visit us!

I am so thankful that we were able to get it. It was kind of a nightmare with closing on our condo and on this place. Like my mom always says, "If its meant to be, it will work out" and it did - with just a few hiccups. Now we just need little Angelastro's to run around..

Little Bellatrix Claus

2008-12-07T18:50:00.004-07:00

Guess who is coming to town?? Bella-Claus!

Michael got Bellatrix's hair cut pretty short - she looks like a kitty-cat so we have had to put clothes on her to keep her warm this winter. And this one seems to go with the holiday season!

Michael's little accident

2008-11-16T19:48:00.003-07:00

Don't look if you get grossed out by some blood!

Today after packing a little bit and running some errands, Michael decided that he wanted to go play basketball up at the U. He usually goes on weekends for a couple of hours. Well, today he came home. Peaked around the corner and said he got hurt. He sure did. He got hit right above his eye by an elbow or shoulder. We hurry and ran to the InstaCare down the street and got 4 stitches. Poor Michael. He seems to be feeling okay and there was not any major eye injury - thank goodness! What a great way to end the weekend and kick off our MOVING WEEK!

Happy Birthday Jasmi

2008-11-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today is my little sister's birthday! Little We-We is now 5 years old! (She use to call herself We-We when she was first starting to talk and it has stuck) I wish I was in Boise so I could celebrate her birthday with her! Happy Birthday Jasmi...! We love you!

Housing Update

2008-11-10T22:28:00.002-07:00

Okay Okay... So I am kind of superstitious and so that is why I have been a little hush hush about the whole housing situation. Well, I hate keeping some of you in anticipation so here we go. We sold our condo very quickly and had to find something. Or move in with the in-laws. Or be homeless. So we searched and searched and looked and looked and fought and fought! Finally after numerous arguments on whether to buy "old and remodeled" or "new" we finally found a home that we both loved.

We put in our offer. They counter-offered. We counter-offered. They counter-offered. And then we finally decided we really didn't want to be homeless so we took the offer. We get to move in the week from this Friday. I am so excited!

It is a townhouse. We weren't too sure if we wanted this but with both of us working and planing on working for a while, we didn't want to have to deal with a big yard. We will have a small sectioned off area - but won't have to do any of the maintenance. We will no longer live in SugarHouse. Which I am sad about, but won't be too far. We will be in Midvale/Ft Union area for those of you who know Salt Lake City.

It will be the perfect little home for us and when we have little Wangelastro's running around. I can't wait to get my BIG Christmas tree either! I will send you pictures when we are in!

Now wish me luck packing and moving!

Election Day

2008-11-04T22:55:00.000-07:00

This last few weeks has been a little stressful with the elections! I received my absentee ballot a few weeks ago but was so worried that if I sent it in that the mailman/women would lose it or it wouldn't count. So yes, I did stress all day about getting the the voting booths. I did make it after work and was able to deliver my vote and drop in the secret bag!

This year has been such a unique and historical election year for us. I am so proud of the country that we live in and the opportunity that we have to vote. I am excited and ready for the CHANGE.

P.S. On another note, I think that we have found our new house. I will keep you updated. Cross your fingers for us!

2 Witches and a Michael

2008-11-01T19:25:00.002-06:00

So this month has been a bit crazy and so we did not have too much time to prepare for our for our favorite holiday! I did put up one Halloween tree and a little witch decorative silhouette, but the rest of my decorations are in storage. RRRrrr.

However, Bellatrix and I were able to dress up last night. Michael didn't feel like it since we weren't doing anything too exciting. We went over to his sisters and hung out for a bit and then they had a small community party after everyone went trick or treating.

My camera batteries are dead and the charger is no where to be found. Probably in storage. (I can't wait till we have our new home..) But I did take a few pictures with my phone. Happy Boring Halloween to us.

Body Worlds

2008-10-26T16:27:00.003-06:00

I did it.. I did it.. I didn't pass out! I have heard about "Body Worlds" for years now and have never wanted to even think about going! But my in-laws wanted to take Michael and I this weekend to check it out. I had told them I was a little worried that my stomach wouldn't be able to handle it but they encouraged me to go anyway. I figured it is a rare experience and I had ought to try it. We ended up having a great time! We saw lots of different bodies. And Babies. If you ever have the chance or live in Salt Lake City - you should go see it. It is very educational and not that gross.

However, I kept wanting to know where each "body" came from and their life story. I wish they would add that, maybe how old they were or what their occupation was.

Tag O Rama

2008-10-21T20:52:00.005-06:00

So I haven't posted for a while (We are planning on moving, so Michael packed stuff up and our camera charger is somewhere is storage... RRrrr..) So I saw that my cool friend Ashlee had been tagged so I thought that I would copy her. So here we go!

7 Random/Weird Facts about myself:

1. My full legal name is: Jacqueline Jade Vi Lai Wang-Angelastro. My Chinese name was added as a middle name on my birth certificate.

2. I still sleep with my baby blanket. AKA. Bunny Blanket. Yes, I know I am 26 years old.

3. I love love love Halloween and Christmas decorations. I can't wait for our new house - now I will be able to get a BIGGER Christmas tree!

4. My parents Chinese Restaurant was named after me - Jade's Chopsticks - if anyone wants to visit, it is located in Boise, Idaho.

5. I am a Harry Potter nut. I even named my dog after a character. Maybe even a child one day.

6. I do not like very many other dogs other than my own, they actually gross me out.

7. I am allergic to just about everything. I took an allergy test a couple of years ago where they test about 45-50 things on your back. All broke out except for 2 and guess what they were. Cockroaches and Juniper Trees. I am glad they tested me for cockroaches, I was really concerned about that one.

I will do what Ashlee did, if you read this - then you are TAGGED.

Weekend Road Trip with my Mom!

2008-10-13T19:11:00.008-06:00

Nearly 2 months ago I requested this last weekend off (to make it a long weekend) because my mom usually comes down this time of year for Halloween. This time we decided that we should go and visit my brother in Portland. I was overly excited because I had not seen him since January! So Wednesday night after a stressful day at work I got Bellatrix and we headed for Boise! I got in at about 9:30pm and went straight to bed to get ready to wake up the next morning for our next leg of driving. It wasn't too bad of a drive getting there because my Mom wanted to make sure "we made a trip" out of it.

First, we stopped at some Casino because my mom always heard it was good luck from her co-workers. She did $5 in the slot machines while I stood outside with my brother Cade and Bellatrix. Unfortunately, she didn't win the jackpot.

After we FINALLY made it to Portland we went straight to my brother's house. We didn't stay long - a few reasons why: 1) they have a bigger dog (Vankman) who was scaring Bellatrix 2) they don't have a vacuum 3) they don't have hand soap in their bathrooms 4) it just wasn't too homey. It somewhat reminded me of my current husbands house when we first met (but they did have hand soap). It was a typical "boy" house - except they do have 1 girl that lives with them - I DO NOT know how she does it. But all that matters is that we were together.

During our weekend we did a number of activities.... and ATE a lot.

Here we go.....

First...OMSI

Then walked around downtown Portland, including going to the famous "Saturday Market"

Then. The best part to celebrate FALL and HALLOWEEN! We went to "Plumper Pumpkin Patch" (say that 3 times fast)

Here are some other random pictures from the weekend...

Bellatrix wanted to help me see where I was driving.

Of course we went shopping and Mom made us take pictures because it was a cute background.

I am so glad that I got to see my brothers and family this weekend - I was sad that Michael missed out. He had a training class that he couldn't miss and had to be around while we got somethings fixed on the house. We missed you Michael!

I don't know what to think about this.

2008-10-10T18:08:00.002-06:00

I was joking around showing my brother Brandon this website - we wanted to know what it would do if we put Bellatrix in it. Hmm. What do you think?

What do you think about my little new baby Sandy?
MakeMeBabies.com - What will your baby look like?

Yes, I am a year older. But no I am not 30!

2008-10-07T21:00:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday to me!

So my birthday was over the weekend. What a bad weekend to have a birthday too. It poured rain and was just bad timing with work and school.

Michael did let me pick what I wanted to do and took me to the mall to pick out my present. It worked out because I did have a bunch of returns to make. We had lunch at the Nordstrom's Cafe, I had been craving it for some reason - the soup was delightful with the rainy weather! I got all of my returns done, Michael got a few shirts, and I WENT HOME WITH NOTHING! I couldn't decide what I wanted. Well, I did decide but Michael wouldn't go for the $400 Frye boots. I still am not sure why! They were cute!

After our mall adventure we came home and I did a little homework/nap before we went to dinner with his family. Rebecca, Trent, and Sammy met us at Lugano's for a DELICIOUS dinner! It was amazing! I think I had one of the best salads ever too! Michael's dad and step mom weren't able to make it last minute because of car issues but they invited us over after our dinner for cake! I have such great in-laws! They are always making sure they make me feel like family.

I am now 26 years of age. (Wow, now that I type that out - it seems so old!) Some people I work with heard it was birthday and they started guessing my age, and yes, I did hear some 30's come out of their mouths. OUCH.

Thanks to everyone for the Birthday wishes!

Now I am back to homework and off to Portland to see my brother Thursday!

My new sweet baby - Jorge !

2008-10-04T21:40:00.000-06:00

What do you think about my little new baby Jorge ?
MakeMeBabies.com - What will your baby look like?

M.I.A.

2008-09-09T19:28:00.003-06:00

So I guess I have not really posted much for the last few weeks. I guess you could say that things have been a little busy...

School started. I am taking 1 1/2 classes this first part of the semester. They are pretty interesting and I have read some good things so far. However, class this fall is a little busier than it was in the summer - maybe because work is a little crazier too, but I feel like I have so much going on that I have no time to get things done - haven't gone grocery shopping for a while (thank you Michael for trying) and have not been able to do laundry (thank you again Michael and Bellatrix for doing that) - so we will see how the next few weeks go.

Christian the Lion Reunion !

2008-08-15T20:37:00.003-06:00

WATCH. This is so cute.

Look at me Scrapin' away...

2008-08-13T20:37:00.003-06:00

Wow. I feel like I have been a blogging queen lately. I guess that is what happens when it is way too hot to go outside.

So my mother in-law is an editor for the magazine "Digital Scrapbooking" and is always showing me all of these cool things you can do with scrapbooking digitally. I use to love scrapbooking but have lost touch of it over the years. I thought that I would try it out tonight and came up with a few pages. I am quite proud of myself. I will keep working on it and hopefully someday become a professional digital scrapbooker.

Quick quick weekend getaway

2008-08-11T20:10:00.003-06:00

This weekend we flew to Seattle to see my favorite Uncle get married. It was a really low key wedding but it was quite exciting to see him finally get married! He has been with Debbie for quite a few years but they never had decided to make it "official" until recently. I was glad that I got to spend the special moment with them.

This is just on their front porch. They had worked really hard on their yard - it looked pretty.

Just driving there. That is Cade my little brother in the back seat.
Michael and Cade resting and waiting for the girls to get ready.
Okay, so this is funny -- but so cool. My uncle and new aunt are growing corn in their back yard!

Congrats Uncle Steve and "Aunt" Debbie!

Our boring.. yet self entertaining week.

2008-08-08T20:24:00.002-06:00

So this week was somewhat boring for us. I think at least. Michael started his new job at Zion's Bank doing some software/computer/stuff I don't get. I am still on my break until class start again so this is what we had to do to entertain ourselves.

I did a mask this week and decided Michael needed to do one with me, as you can tell, he wasn't too happy about it.
If you don't have a dog - do NOT look. You won't find this amusing. But this is the story. Bellatrix always seems to grab my undies while we are folding laundry. So I decided she needed to wear Michael's. I just thought that this was so funny and everytime I look at it this I laugh it is so hard.

I-Chatting with the brother and sister. Got to love this - it is one of my favorite things to do.

Also, I finished the "Book" (Breaking Dawn) and I am not sure how I feel about it. I liked it. But I didn't. It was a little odd. I don't want to give any of it away. I would love to hear what you all thought.

Someone is in the doghouse...

2008-07-31T21:48:00.002-06:00

Michael and I went to Ikea this last weekend and they had these little dog/cat houses for sale for $4.99 - it is pretty small and we thought that it would be a little place for Bellatrix to hang out or relax.. the problem is that it is different for her so we had to introduce it to her and get her comfortable inside. Michael decided he would hang out with her in it to see if she would then like it. Here is Michael hanging out in the house with Bellatrix. You may not find this funny, but I do.

I have a crush on a Vampire named Edward...

2008-07-31T18:54:00.003-06:00

1 day and counting...

I honestly cannot wait! I am making Michael go with me to Barnes and Noble at 12:01am to buy my book! Anyone else want to join??

Puppy caught in the act.

2008-07-15T19:17:00.003-06:00

This is what I caught Bellatrix doing. Thought it was pretty funny though. Michael didn't see, so he still drank his water out of the glass....ooops.

Strawberry Jam

2008-07-15T19:12:00.002-06:00

I am so excited! I made Strawberry Freezer Jam all by myself! I have never done anything like that but I thought I would give it a try and it worked! We will see how it taste with toast but I am still happy and it looks so pretty!

California Dreamin'

2008-07-07T18:39:00.003-06:00

Last weekend we DROVE to Santa Clara for the 4th of July and my Grandmother's 75th birthday. It was a long drive... we left Thursday night after work and drove ALL night! We got to my Grandma's house around 7:30am and didn't even get a chance to sleep! My little brother and sister were so excited that we were there... well they may have been more excited since we brought Bellatrix.

While we were there we spent a lot of time with Benson and Jasmi (little brother and sister). We saw Kung-fu Panda AND Wall-E (we snuck Bellatrix in too!) We watched fireworks at Santa Clara Central Park and went to Chinatown. Sunday night was the celebration of Grandma's birthday so we had a Vegan dinner (she is vegan) with all of the family. It was pretty low key but good to see everyone and catch up .We hadn't all been together since Michael and I's wedding.

It was sad to say good bye to Benson and Jasmi (and of course my dad) but I am hoping we will get up to Boise again this summer to spend more time with them. The drive back was dreadful too... I don't think I will ever drive that far again. BUT.... the Pruis did well and we got about 47 MPG on the whole trip so we saved a lot of money.

Sorry there are so many pictures!

Michael & Benson looking for Waldo

Taking Belly for a walk - we thought the fire hydrant needed to be in it

Happy 4th of July!

Benson had to use the restroom really bad at the park... and there was no restroom near by!

Benson and Jasmi

Chinatown

Do we look like sisters?

Yeah, I don't know.

Partyin'

Ride home...

What a busy week...

2008-06-15T08:23:00.004-06:00

I don't know where to start - This week was somewhat crazy because I had so much going on. I had something nearly every night this week - meaning I didn't get much sleep either. Thank goodness for RedBull.

Monday - homework, packing, catching up with work.

Tuesday - staff meeting, fly to Denver, Rockies Game for a work thing.

Wednesday - fly back to Salt Lake, work, Stone Temple Pilots concert. Yes, I do like Scott Weiland. This was one of the best concerts I have been to in a long time. We bought our tickets on ebay so we weren't too sure what to expect - but the seats were amazing! We were in the 3rd row!

Typical Scott, Shirt off and megaphone

He knows how to move...

Michael and I at the concert

Thursday - work, class - I had to leave early too, Bee's game for work - but it was fun.

Friday - work, power nap, go out with Michael's sister

Saturday - work, sleeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

ABC...123

2008-06-02T21:37:00.004-06:00

Tagged Again... The ABC's of me...

A- ATTACHED OR SINGLE: Attached.
B- BEST FRIEND: Michael or my Mom
C- CAKE OR PIE: Hmm. It depends. What kind? I am a fan for good chocolate cake. Or carrot cake. Or coconut cream pie.
D- DAY OF CHOICE: Too hard to decide. I work Saturdays so not that day. I like Thursday, I think.
E- ESSENTIAL ITEM: Some sort of lip moisturizer.
F- FAVORITE COLOR: PURPLE
G- GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: So far.. graduating college.
H- HOMETOWN: Boise, Idaho
I- INDULGENCES: Clothes.
J- JANUARY OR JULY: Probably July.
K- KIDS: Zero
L- LIFE IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT: So many things. I'm not a parent yet but I think that my life would be incomplete if I don't ever have kids. ooh and Harry Potter.
M- MARRIAGE DATE: 05.06.07
N- NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: 3 brothers, 1 sister = 4
O- ORANGES OR APPLES: tangerines
P- PHOBIAS OR FEARS: The dark, ghost, spiders, closed spaces.
Q- QUOTES: Not really a "quote" person.
R- REASON TO SMILE: Bellatrix, my husband, my family - having what I have in my life.
S- SEASON: Autumn, Winter (just because I LOVE LOVE Christmas time!)
T- TAG FIVE FRIENDS: Teigan, Jill, Crystal, Ashlee, Amber
U- UNKNOWN FACT ABOUT ME: I still sleep with my baby blanket. Haha. Embarrassing huh?
V- VERY FAVORITE STORE: Banana Republic, Nordstroms Rack, Marshalls, Anthropologie
W- WORST HABIT: Spending money. I think I have a shopping problem.
X- X-RAY OR ULTRASOUND: ?? I don't get this one.
Y- YOUR FAVORITE FOOD: Pretty much all food - as long as I can recognize it. I do like my Chinese, of course.
Z-YOUR ZODIAC SIGN: Libra