10 lb. Weight Gain!!

The good news...Giovanni has gained about 3 pounds since we have been home!

The bad news...his mother has gained TEN!  Yikes!

Giovanni is an amazingly picky eater.  Basically he eats foods that are in the "yellow/beige/brown" family on the color wheel.  He loves bananas, scrambled eggs, potatoes, corn, cheese pizza, rice, beef, chicken, whole grain bars, applesauce, and bread.  For a little color he'll eat his pinkish multi-vitamin, tomato soup, strawberry applesauce and shrimp.  To wash everything down he likes water, iced tea, orange juice, banana milkshakes, and he loves the V-8 Fusion fruit/vegetable drinks!

It is a constant guessing game for us to figure out what he will and won't eat.  So, when we order something new like a grilled cheese sandwich and he won't touch it...we try the old "look at Mummy eating it...yummy" trick...sometimes it works, most of the time it doesn't.  I have always had a very "unsophisticated" palate, but I have regressed to a diet I haven't seen since I was 5 years old!  The problem is I don't move as quickly or as frequently as a 5 year old...thus the 10 pound gain!

On a brighter note...I like to think that at least 2 pounds of my weight gain is muscle mass - my bi-ceps are getting HUGE from picking up and carrying 44 pounds of love around all day!

Domestication Court Date!

This morning we took Giovanni to the Manatee County Judicial Center to appear before the Honorable Peter Dubensky, a Family Court Judge. Giovanni was thrilled to get all dressed up in his "church clothes" - navy blue blazer, tie and khakis - and even more excited when we arrived at the courthouse and he saw Nick dressed just like him!

Christine and Whitney came to take pictures and to videotape the event! Our attorney, Scott Hamilton, did a terrific job and it all went super smoothly. Judge Dupensky said that it isn't often that happy events occur in Family Court, so he is always thrilled when families are created and not torn apart.

After we were sworn in and asked several questions, Giovanni had his photo taken with the judge, as well as with the bailiffs (which I think he actually enjoyed a little more because they are "police offithers"). Judge Farrance stopped in the courtroom and when Giovanni saw him he yelled out "Hi Bob!"...you see, Giovanni has golfed with Bob on a couple of occasions, so apparently since he and Judge Farrance are "golfing buddies", it only makes sense that Giovanni calls him "Bob"! Judge Dubensky got quite a kick of it, as did Bob!

We all went up to the ninth floor to see Bob's new corner office...it's incredible! Giovanni was even brave enough to go out onto his balcony with the wind whipping and a slight drizzle!

We decided that we would go out to dinner on Wednesday night to celebrate!