Emma Lee Gigante
Born 7.21.08
7 lbs 11oz, 20 inches long
Proud Aunt Jennie, Uncle John and Cousins Kaitlyn & Skylar
July 23, 2008
July 17, 2008
Summer time!
We were lucky enough to swing 2 days away from LI and head to NJ for "Wiggles World" in Great Adventure Theme Park. What a blast we had! We managed to squeeze SO much in our 48 hours together.....
We drove down early Monday morning and first drove through the safari. The most exciting part for the kids was when the ostrich tried to eat my windshield wiper, the most exciting for John and I were seeing the Lions mating and Kaitlyn saying "look how much he loves her, he just wants to protect her." I thought we might have tinkled in our pants a little!!! Then off to the park! We headed right for Wiggles World. The kids had a BLAST. If anyone has a child who loves the Wiggles, this is the place to take them. Meet the characters up close and personal and all the rides are "wiggles" related. We headed out about 5pm, when the kids just started to get tired. We stayed at a hotel about 20 minutes away (believe it or not, that was the closest!). We ordered dinner in and swam in the pool which exhausted the kids even more (terrific!!). We all got a great night sleep and got up early and headed to the Jersey Shore for a quick walk. It was so beautiful (we were in Ocean Grove/Bradley's Beach) we decided that we might make that next year's vacation destination. Then, off to home and a boat load of traffic....ugh. As soon as we got home, we quickly unpacked the car and re-packed the cooler and headed to the beach. We found an amazing surf from Tropical Storm Bertha and after about an hour, headed to the boardwalk where they have live music every night all summer long. The kids danced, we had a drink and we headed home about 9pm. WOW!!! What an amazing 2 days.....
Yesterday, Kaitlyn, Mema and I went to the Little Mermaid on Broadway. It was spectacular! We had lunch at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co in Times Square and also toured "Toys R Us" where they have a 2 story Barbie Dream House!!! Boy did that make Kaitlyn's day!
Now we are home, anxiously awaiting Baby "G." She should be arriving some time on Saturday.....yeah!!!!
I created a photo show of our recent trip but can't figure out how to post the darn thing on here (if anyone knows how, i'd love to learn!!!), but here is the link:
July 1, 2008
Hello Reilly's, Are You Out There????
YES WE ARE!!!! And boy have we been busy!!!! Alas, I hope to blog a little more than I did in April & May.....
First, we had the girls' birthdays, May 12th & May 18th, what a fun week!! Ok, I admit, a little exhausting too, but it is so much fun to celebrate 2 birthdays in one house! I can only think what it will be like when they are in their 20s and finishing up their spring semesters in college!
Second, Kaitlyn graduated pre-school 2 weeks ago. How exciting! The school did a wonderful job with personalized programs, 4 songs (including one that was signed) and cake and snacks for all guests. Grandma & Grandpa, Mema & Papa, Miss Carolyn, John, SKye and I attended.
I think I'll be right to the punch and start some recent updates. We are anxiously anticipating the birth of our first niece, Velveeta. Ok, that's not her name, but that's what I'm calling her until I find out some time mid-July. I'm happy to report that my sister looks AMAZING, but as any woman who has been 9 months pregnant can relate, you don't "feel" pretty and therefore I will not post a picture of her!!!!
This past weekend we visited her (unfortunately John had to run several trips on the boat, so it was Mema, the girls and myself) and had so much fun playing in the pool!!!! Skylar even fell asleep standing up like a flamingo!
Then, the very big news. I mean BIG!!! KAITLYN LEARNED TO RIDE A 2-WHEELER!!!! Thanks to Mema, who took a bottle of advil last night. I can't wait to pop a video on here for all to see, a picture will have to suffice for now.
I'm sure on everyone's mind is "how is Skye?" Without jinxing us, she is doing fabulous. She has fought off 2 colds, an ear infection and a random "fungus" (EEWW!) behind her ear, but she is doing great. NOT ON ANY PRESCRIPTION MEDS!!! WOOHOO. It doesn't get better than this. Well, it does. She is sleeping too!!!! Yeah!
I hope everyone has a happy 4th of July - we are looking forward to celebrating with many, many (!!!!) customers on the Taryn Ann. Everyone needs to be doing a sunshine dance for us!!!!
April 11, 2008
Spring is in the Air!
We finally had a day over 60 degrees and it hit 70! I left John a message around 2:30pm that said "I'm taking the girls to the beach when I get home in case you try to call me." Well, he called me back at 4:45pm, after his practice, and said "I am on my way down to the boat and just decided to turn around so I can come too. I miss the girls!" So we had a great night (less Kaitlyn losing it because she found a sea star and it broke on the way back to the car), and played on the beach (ocean side) then drove to the bay side to watch the deer walk along the bay.
April 3, 2008
March Madness
Is anyone else having a hard time believe it's APRIL already? Time sure does fly when you're having fun!!!! In lieu of trying to find a perfect picture to post, I thought I'd post some of the shots that have not quite worked out the way we wanted.....
First, very exciting news to report! Our friends, Tracy & Patrick Clayton from Chicago, welcomed Patrick Joseph Everett ("PJ") into their family on March 27th (6lbs, 3 oz & 19 1/2 inches - I THINK!!!). Since they are staying in Connecticut for a few days, I was lucky enough to jump on the ferry for a quick visit. He is GORGEOUS and PERFECT and such a great baby!!! Congratulations to the new Clayton family!
Second, a Skylar "medical" update. Her cilia scraping went well on the 24th - It was quick and painless! She only cried while I held her and she has a bloody nose on/off for the remainder of the day. Even though the office was in the Bronx, we got there quickly since there weren't many commuters the day after Easter. We were home by 2pm, including picking up Kaitlyn from Mema/Papa's house! We will find out the results in about a week and a half. Will keep everyone posted (no pun intended!). On the bright side, she is doing terrific and we are on week 5 of a healthy kick! (knock, knock). Tomorrow she is having her speech evaluation with the county.
Kaitlyn is doing great as always. I thought I'd share the phone call I just had with her (which was on speakerphone in the office since Janet likes to hear her talk!):
Mommy, I am having the worst day.
Why? What happened honey?
Well, I felled on the playground at school and cut my knee. Miss Jodi put a bandaid on for me. Then I had diarrhea. It was terrible. AND I coughed all day at school.
I'm so sorry you are having such a bad day, what can I do to make it better?
You can just come home right now. Please.
I can't come home right now, but we can have the special chicken soup with rice (she doesn't know it's Campbell's, and what's worse, she prefers it over my homemade soup!) for dinner. I bet that will make it better.
I do want the soup for dinner. Ok, I'm hanging up now. Love you.
And that's Kaitlyn - Drama Queen! We are signing her up for camp in the local theatre this summer, we think she'll do great.
March 22, 2008
Long Time, No Write!!
It's been way too long since I've updated the blog.....no great excuse other than life sometimes gets in the way! But we have much exciting news to report!!!
Skylar
Skylar is doing really well - she's been battling her episodes harder resulting in quicker recovery time and less severe attacks (knock on wood). Her immunological blood work came back great, showing no concerns, which means we have to pursue the nasal scraping. During this procedure (at NY Presbyterian Hospital) Dr. Kattan will scrape sampling of cilia from her nose in order to study the cilia's genetic structure. If it is not structured properly, the cilia can not do its job of providing a filter system to the body. The test results takes approximately 4 weeks to come back from the lab.....the procedure is scheduled for Monday, March 24th - please send positive prayers to Skye on this day.
Skylar also started a new trick of climbing out of her bed just before we went on vacation in February. So, John went out to Kmart the next day to buy her a toddler bed. Not that Skylar sleeps much at all, but at least when she climbs out, she won't fall 4 feet!!!!
We also started the process of having Skylar evaluated for speech. The County has set up the process and the evaluation will be on April 4th. If at that time they determine she is not eligible for speech, we were advised to call back the week after her 2nd birthday since at 2 years old the evaluation is tougher to pass and she will most likely receive services.
Kailtyn
Kaitlyn has been doing really well, although battled a nice bout of the flu the week before vacation (and was nice enough to share with all of us too!!). Poor little thing look emeciated since she is so skinny to start with! She is thriving in school and starting to talk about Kindergarten a little more. In a few weeks, she and i will "ride the bus" from pre-school to visit her "big school" next year. I think I'll probably cry that day!
We recently realized that maybe my grandfather's singing genes were passed down to Kaitlyn. "Kate" (as we were told to call her) sings constantly and with vibrato. Maybe a year ago or so I may have called her "Britney", but I think i'll stick with "Kate" now!!!!
Jennie & John
We are doing great and working really hard on getting the season up and running for the Taryn Ann. John is also coaching wrestling and spring track, keeping more than busy. The Taryn Ann is getting pulled out of the water around April 15th for its annual shipyard maintenance (sanding, painting, coast guard inspection, etc).
Aunt Kimmie & Uncle Andrew also found out the gender of Baby G...................are you ready????
IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, now Mema and I, and the Gigante Family, can start focusing on a shower - no details to report - since Aunt Kimmie reads this blog!!!!!
Vacation
We had such a great vacation with Mema & Papa. Our hotel was gorgeous, waterfront on the Bay in the Keys, with our own dock. The weather could have been better, it rained every day except the last day, but heck, I'd rather be in the Keys with bad weather than in NY with good weather!
Kaitlyn and I got to swim with the dolphins which was amazing. Just being able to watch her face was priceless. She still is talking about it and even visited John's Marine Science class to give them a lesson on how to "kiss" and "hug" a dolphin - she definitely has our ability to publicly speak with no worries!
John was able to charter a boat to go spear fishing and our neighbor Sam (from NY) and Trevor (lives in Weston, FL) were able to join him as well. They said it was an amazing experience to see all the fish in the bluest of waters, but weren't able to land one in the boat. John came close to a nice Mahi, but maybe it was one of those fish tales...............................
January 20, 2008
Dr. Kattan, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital
On Thursday, we met with Dr. Meyer Kattan at CPH. Dr. Kattan is the Director of Pediatric Pulmonology, one of the top physicians in his field. We arrived at the office and after virtually no wait (imagine that!) he examined Skylar as we discussed her history.
He reviewed several tests (I had brought copies with me) and he made several conclusions....she does NOT have reactive airway disease (asthma). He also discovered that the immunology test that was run last November (2006) showed low IGA levels which could indicate specific pulmonary issues. He also recommended blood allergy tests rather than scratch (skin) testing.
Although these two tests may give further insight to Skylar's condition, he believes she has something called CPD. Basically patients who have CPD, have cilia that is not structured properly (we have cilia or hair in our ears, nose and lungs). This means that there is no "filter" working in Skylar's pulmonary system. Although this is not a common genetic disorder, most patients who he tests for it are positive. To test, a biopsy, or scraping of cilia in the nose, will be examined for its structure. This test takes approximately a month for results. I found a basic article on the disease for those interested in learning a little bit more:
If Skylar does have CPD, it is not curable, it is something she will live with. However, most cases are manageable with antibiotics, and as she gets older, exercise.
We had Skylar's blood drawn yesterday for the more extensive allergy and immunology tests. After the results this week, Dr. Kattan will determine when we will biopsy her cilia.
On a positive note, John managed to buy a Wii this weekend. Needless to say, we've had quite a lot of fun with it and found that Kaitlyn may have my grandfather's skills in boxing. She kicked all our butts!!!
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