Family Portrait

Here are some baby updates...

- Jeff and I are getting ready for our big move and have begun shopping for the nursery.
- We had a sonogram yesterday and our baby girl weighs 14 ounces (almost a pound which I will soon be knocking off my total weight), has long beautiful fingers and is very active.
- All the tests came back perfect and the baby is progressing wonderfully!
- As we were looking at her lovely dancer legs and cute baby toes Jeff shouted out that it appears she has big feet! MEAN!!!
- My mom and sister came to the sonogram and got to see her live up on the big screen ;-)
- David, Paula, my mom, Jeff and I all celebrated my birthday at Cafe D'Alsace and then showed everyone our new apartment.
- We took our first family portrait :-)

Check out the pics...

An excited Mom-to-be


Make that bloody mary a double ;-)



Just the girls


Our Family

A Baby's Intuition?

Last week let's just say I was having a rough one! Between my recent weight gain, new bra size and the realization that I really can't do a lot of my favorite things (like take my awesome yoga class or enjoy a cocktail on a beautiful summer Thursday) I had what some may call a mini-breakdown :-) I just was hit hard with the fact that my body no longer belongs to me and now my main purpose is to make babies which is kind of a weird concept. Plus at this point I wasn't feeling the baby and hadn't had a doctor's appointment in a while so I didn't have any recent reminders of this miracle. Well, I have heard of mother's intuition but never a word about baby's intuition and I have to say that it too exists. After sobbing in my dear husband's arms for about 30 minutes all the while blurting out the words "I feel so big. I am so disgusting" I finally calmed down and guess what happened? I felt my little girl for the very first time! I had literally sent an email to Cristina asking her to pray that I would feel her because I was totally losing it and it happened! My sweet girl came and saved her crazy mother in utero. Pretty amazing! Now I feel her all the time and my excitement is beyond words. We talk all day long (to the point where Jeff may be starting to feel left out and people on the bus think I am crazy), I can rub my belly and coax her into kicking, I like to wake her up when I get up and I am truly obsessed with my daughter. Today we have a sonogram and I am SO EXCITED to see her little face!!!! She is just the best thing in life (already) and I am back to enjoying this special time with her in my belly.

E is for Elephant

Next weekend we have a black tie wedding and although I am usually very excited for formal events, I have been dreading this one since nothing in my closet fits me and it seemed silly to purchase a maternity black tie dress. Kristin to the rescue!! My friend Kristin works for Calvin Klein and was generous and patient enough to take on the challenge of having me come to her showroom to pick out a dress. After unsuccessfully attempting to squeeze my new large bod into about 10 dresses (which was like a workout and has left me a bit sore) we finally found this adorable dress that not only fits me but is comfortable and flattering. Kristin, you are the best!! Anyway, the only thing I needed now was a new bra that could be converted to a halter so I headed up to my favorite bra store Intimacy on Madison for a fitting. After waiting about 40 minutes a lovely fitter named Samantha was ready for me. If you have never been to Intimacy be warned that the name is quite appropriate because you literally stand there topless and bra less while they access your boobs. Samantha informed me that I am still a 34 which was nice to hear but unfortunately my cup size has gone up a bit...to an E. WHAT!! I asked her to repeat herself a couple times because there is no way I could be an E. Normally I am a full C, small D and with the pregnancy I had purchased a few full D cups after the first trimester but E cup is really not any option. I finally succumbed to Sam's advice, asked her to please stop saying E and we moved on. Of course she was right and the bra fit perfectly so the moral of the story is, as my friend Nicole so delicately said to me last night, E is for Elephant. Somebody please shoot me or at least get me a martini ;-)

4th of July Fireworks Update

It's Pretty in PINK and we are having a baby girl :-)

Bullet point list of activity here in NYC:

1) Mom is 20 weeks prego (see picture)

2) Dad has a new job as Director of East Coast Sales for Specific Media (http://www.specificmedia.com/)

3) We are moving to 389 East 89th street, Post Toscana building on 7/25

4) Dad has a new injury (see picture)

5) Hamptons vacation was amazing, thank you to the Kunzocci's!

6) Yanks are still chasing the f%$#@** red sox

We are halfway through the pregnancy and we are surviving as always. I think Jill is surprised each morning when she awakes. To clarify that, it's that extra .25 lb or the extra .25 centimeter she has grown each night while she sleeps that really gets her ;-)

I couldn't be more thrilled and proud of the job she is doing.

The NYC Valente's are going to be some crew one way or another.

Here are a few photos guys:


East Hampton, The Springs - June 08 - 54 Harbor View Drive



Anthony, Kristin, Dave, Nicole, Molly, Jill and Kensy enjoying a homecooked meal :-)

Double Whammy...a bum wheel (not sure yet so don't ask) and the Yanks just lost to the sox on the 4th!

Can you notice a difference? Um, yea...Beautiful Mom :-)

Rock on Friends and Family.