John's Christening

On Saturday, October 13, 2012 John Michael officially became a Roman Catholic. 

The ceremony was held at 2pm in the Church of St. Aidan's. The same priest that married Michael and me performed the sacrament for John,  Father Thomas Tassone.

John and the Proud Papa- Mike

Pictures during the ceremony:

From left to right: Gino Giunta (Godfather), Mama G (me), Father Thomas Tassone, Baby John, Michelle Camarneiro (Godmother), and Papa G

Father Thomas Tassone blesses John and goes a little overboard with the holy water and sacramental oil.

Johnny loves baths, but for some reason he hates water in his face. Holy water ended up in face and the crankiness ensued......

 He survived for pictures.

 Johnny's Godparents

Johnny's Grandparents

 From left to right: Salvatore Giunta, Margaret Giunta, Mike, Me, John, Luz Minino, and Arquimedes Mota.

Johnny's Aunts and Uncles

From left to right: Christopher Giunta, Gino Giunta, Mike, Me, John, Blanca Chien, Maura Daroczy, Irene Mota Shaffer, and Monica Estevez. Interesting- Mike provides the uncles and I provide the aunts.

 From left to right: Mike, me, John, John's Great-Grandmother Yuya, and John's Great-Aunt Pimpa.

Where there is food and drink, there is a party! We were very pleased to have celebrated this special occasion with our close family and friends. Thank you all for making this a magical day!

Boy, where did the time go?!

If someone had  told me that once there was a baby in my life, I would rarely have time to sit and upload pictures to a computer- I would have laughed in their faces! Alas, we see that this is true. My handsome boy is taking a much needed nap and I find myself with the "time" to discuss how we are doing.

Mr. Giunta is now 5 months old! How did that happen? I spend my days making sure he is eating well, clean and taking breaths. I seldom realize how my little peanut is growing exponentially. It's only when I see him outgrowing his clothes and when fellow mommies at Gymboree marvel at his growth, that I wake up and smell the coffee! I blame the sleep deprivation! My baby is growing soooo fast.

At Gymboree

How has baby John changed?

1. He has developed a laugh! I spend every day with Johnny and of course he decides to learn to laugh the one weekend that I decide to spend away.

2. John has found his feet. He has not experienced their taste yet, but I am sure that they will make their way to his mouth any day now.

3. Johnny has improved in the ability to reach for objects and he can now play (and place items in his mouth). Notice the bib? Johnny is an official "drooler." Let the teething begin! (No teeth yet though.)

4. Just like his mommy and daddy, Johnny is mesmerized by the television. His favorite shows are "The Mickey Mouse Playhouse" and "Little Einsteins." Mike and I wonder how the fascination with Mickey Mouse can start so early. Our hypothesis is the mouse's squeaky voice and the insanely bright colors of the show.





5. Solids!!!! I was jubilant when the pediatrician said I could start Johnny on solids by month 5. Time to take out the "Baby Bullet." I love this gadget and I am soooo glad I registered for it. Mike and I first started John on the safest of solids, rice cereal. The first time I prepared cereal for Johnny, it was a very awkward experience. I made it very liquidy and John had no idea how to eat with a spoon. Now, I make the cereal like a slurry and Mr. John is a very good eater.

This past weekend mama used the Baby Bullet to puree some butternut squash. He was receptive to the new flavor, but the gag reflex stepped in after a few spoonfuls. I sure hope this little guy eats as many greens as his mommy.

6. Playing with an exersaucer and the Jumperoo! Anyone that knows John, is well aware of how this little boy loves to jump. His legs have a mind of their own.

7. Sleeping- Johnny was sleeping through the night until he was three months old. Mommy and daddy were so happy and well rested. Then, we jinxed our happiness and John was waking up 7x a night (every 30-60 min). This was horrible and we even hired a sleeping coach. Johnny was too young to be sleep trained, so Mike and I braved the next two months. We recently discovered that Senor Binky was the reason John was waking up so often at night. Each time the pacifier fell out of his mouth, he would cry to be soothed. We removed the pacifier and faced the challenge of a baby that does not want to fall asleep. Sometimes it takes an hour for our angel to fall asleep. But now, 5 month old John will become acquainted a a fellow named Mr. Ferber.

How cute is it that Johnny is clinging to my pillowcase? I read online that the pillowcase has mommy's scent and this would help soothe the baby to sleep. Who knew?



Hooray for long naps!!!

Cute Shots of John

I find the way John sleeps to be really funny. He has a habit of sleeping with one of his arms elevated. One would think that the he would tire of this position, but I see it almost everyday.

Here he is with my attempt at creating a Mohawk with his hair.

Grandma Minino had been helping the new parents for over a month. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and she went back home to Yonkers.

Here is John's reaction when grandma left.












And here is his reaction when we told him that she would still come and visit him.

Thank you for all your help mom! I could not have survived without you.

Just lounging around and looking incredibly adorable. I definitely see mommy's lips and chubby cheeks!

Father's Day 2012

Today was a special day for little John. Not only did he meet his grandpa, but he also met his great grandfather.

Here is John Michael with his great grandfather, Rosario Giunta.

Here is John Michael with his grandfather, "John" Giunta.

Four generations of Giuntas

 Our little guy is a good eater. Here he is udergoing a food induced coma with Mike's stepmom, Debbie.

Welcome Summer, Welcome Mr. Cranky Pants

The summer heat has been tough on all of us, including John Michael.

Here he is trying to stay cool on the Boppy pillow. This pillow has become his favorite new place for naps. Since he has now started to fight his grogginess when he is sleepy, this pillow has been a godsend! 

Our pediatrician mentioned that most babies go through what is called a "Witching Hour," during which they cry for no apparent reason. Mike and I assumed that our baby would not be part of this statistic since he only seemed to cry when hungry or dirty...... we were wrong. The so-called Witching Hour starts at 6:30pm every night..... usually at around the time daddy gets home from work.

We have learned a few strategies to calm our crying baby....

1. The swing. This is a must in any parent's arsenal! John loves the lullabies it plays and being rocked to sleep doesn't t hurt either. How cute are those bunny ears!

 2. Swaddling. Swaddling usually works on its own, but on this special occasion he had to be put sideways and rocked. This still did not work, so we placed him in the swing. The swaddle and swing combo worked best this night.

 3. I had read in the "Daily Garnish" blog that her son was soothed by sucking on her finger. This works, but the trick is that you must leave your finger in the whole time or Mr. Cranky Pants makes an appearance. I modify the practice with a pacifier that has an opening for the finger. I should also mention that this bouncer was been more than helpful at soothing John.

4. Last night we were truly running out of options. None of our usual strategies were working. John is like his daddy and is always hot and the fussier he gets, the more sweaty he gets. I was apprehensive about bathing him at night, but this seemed to the trick. Here he hanging out in his whale bathtub.

Day 32

Boy, what a difference a month makes! These pajamas were loose on John when we brought him home from the hospital. Now, the pajamas barely fit him. Milk does a body good!

                                                      All pooped from the excitement. 

Little John is always hot, just like his daddy. Here he is enjoying a little break from clothes.

Here he is dancing to a little Merengue music with grandma.... This was incredibly adorable!