Dinner at Amalfi...and drinks in Hartford

We had a blobbing day today...didn't do much but nap in the afternoon and walk around the backyard when it wasn't raining. I've been drawing daily...have started a bit of a routine. When Luca has his naps, I go and sit on the back porch and overlook the pool and paint with my watercolours the things that happened that day...very relaxing and therapeutic.

Orsola went out shopping and bought some amazing figs and peaches... SO sweet and tasty...perfect specimens, like out of a gardening magazine. We scoffed them on the love seat in the backyard....juice dripping down our arms...we had to go for a swim afterwards...this is like a summer in a 1960's movie.

Around 5.3opm the whole family went to Amalfi's Italian restaurant in Wolcott. As you walked in the entrance, huge woodfire pizza ovens were firing and the decor was huge...infact, everything was massive...including the food portions. We had a long table in the back of the restaurant, entree size was the size of a main...and the main size could feed an Australian family of 5.

Dave and I shared a pizza while others tried to get through their buckets of pasta. Very yummy but just too much food.

We learned a new trick with the car seat. Turn upside down a restaurant high chair and put the car seat in between the legs and you've got your own very comfy high chair...thanks Gill for that tip.

We dropped Luca off at home, got him to bed and then went out with Gil and Sal while Zia monitored Luca.

We went to Max's Oyster Bar. Very American with the mirrored walls and dark mood lighting, ginormous painting on the wall...we had $10 cocktails...my favourite being the Peach Bellini...delicious. Drove home and went to bed to be woken by Luca at 4am. Thanks Luca...payback for not inviting him out.

Rocky Neck Beach....Sunburn City

We travelled North to Rocky Neck Beach today.

The sun was shining, the sand was hot.....and the water was FREEZING! Dam Atlantic Ocean. Got Dave to spray aerosol Sunblock 30+ on my back...the wind must have picked up when he was spraying - I'm as red as a strawberry on my back...I blame Dave...I was sitting under the umbrella with Luca and was completely avoiding the sun. What the?

Luca absolutely HATES the beach...must be the gritty sand or something. Screamed when we put his feet in the sand and cried when the waves crashed close to the shore...so we decided to pack up early and go back to the pool at Zio's.

Lesson learned. Luca says NO to Beach.

Dave headed to a stag night with the boys at the Ponte Club and Trisha and I went to Michael's Craft Store in Waterbury where I picked up some cake decorating supplies.

Angels sounded from the heavens as we walked in....craft and art supplies MECCA. 2 aisles of Wilton Cake decorating supplies and rows and rows of paper and pens. Oh My Gosh. Why can't I zap these back to Sydney without having to pay shipping? Cheap as chips and things I've never seen before. They love their craft and scrap booking here...that's for sure.

Afterwards we went next door to Barnes and Noble Book store where Brianna and Johnathan played in the kids section...Luca and I read a few pop up books ...and played with the many 'brainy baby' flash cards...Luca loved it but then it started getting late and the kids started crying so it was time to get in the car and head home for bed.

As we were leaving a polite? man opened the door for us and commented when we saw Luca with a very broad American accent...."Oh look at him....Buddha"........hmmm....Americans often comment on Luca's appearance...."You should take him home and feed him....he looks like he doesn't eat much"....or my favourite "what a ham, I could eat him". Luca just smiles and they always say 'God Bless him'. Now I know what mum and dad were talking about with me and my cheeks.

Who needs Westfield...when you have Wesfarm

Did I hear someone say 'Shopping Mecca'?

Trish and John left the kids with a babysitter and took Dave, Luca and I to Wesfarms Mall for a shopping advenure.

Shops galore...all great quality stuff...loved every moment.

Getting a medicine...what a relief.

Luca's cough was getting chesty again, and we had less sleep than the night before...so we headed back to the medical centre in Wolcott.

A chest Xray, oxygen check, ear examination, throat investigation and rectal thermometer later and we finally know what's causing the cough...looks like the little man is developing his old man's condition....asthma. But they don't call it that when they are this young...it's called 'broncospasm' brought on by a viral cold...and possibly change in air quality and the airconiditioned flight from Syd to NY. So they didn't give us antibiotics but a speciality chemist cough syrup.

I can't fault the medical staff here in the US. They are very thorough and caring...and they don't just give out antibiotics without a reason. Which is good and bad...but ultimately its for Luca's betterment.

Once we got home, we gave Luca the syrup and within an hour, we saw some results. He was a happy chappy again...smiling and laughing in his stand up playpen...his cough is still there..but definitely not bothering him as much.

A huge sigh of relief....and everyone is starting to relax more.

He slept through the night - waking up at 3am for a quick drink before going back to sleep...and then slept through till 9.15am. So a massive 14 hours MINUS the 1 hour at 3am.

Definitely on the mend.

Off to the Dr's..

After a night of non sleep and lots of coughing - we took Luca to the walk-in medical centre.

They saw him straight away and did a thorough examination of him....oxygen levels, heart, lungs, chest and ears...but it all came back fine.

It was perhaps a viral thing worsened by the fact he was teething...and they couldn't prescribe any medications for him.

Bugger.

They said perhaps a cough syrup but they didn't recommend it as it has a steriod and is not entirely good for babies under 2 years.

Bugger.

So all we can do is give him plenty of liquids, plenty of rest and be in a room with a humidifier as much as possible.

Its been great that my inlaws are here...they've been venturing out with us everday and were even up at 4am with me - with another set of hands to rock the baby.

They leave tomorrow....what am I going to do?

Prime Location...Prime Outlets :-)

Today we got up early and headed to the Outlets nestled in the hills of Lee, in Western Massachusetts.

It was just over an hours drive to get there from Waterbury. And the scenery on the way North was picturesque...lots of colonial style houses with white picket fences and large 'Old Glory's' out the front proudly flapping in the wind. It was true Americana with all its North Eastern Might!

Gap was so cheap I went nuts and bought the whole store. Tops and Tees for $5 and Dresses were as little as $10. The quality and style were great and it was hard to believe I wasn't in shopping heaven.

We bought plenty of things for Luca and Dave decided that this trip was to be my venture, so while I shopped Luca was being tendered to by Dave. The perfect day until...

Luca started to get sick...his coughing had periodically got worse over the last couple of days...we thought it could be just the teething but for some reason it was getting chesty. At 2pm we met up with the others at the car and ventured back....it was a nightmare journey on the way home as Luca cried the entire time and didn't sleep a wink.

We fed him, gave him a bath and put him to bed...but he didn't sleep much at all....waking up every hour or so with a coughing fit. It wasn't pleasant at all...and there was only so much Nurofen we could give him.

Dave and I have the guilts for bringing him here now that he's sick...it's been a mega journey...did we do the right thing?

Independence Day should be adopted by Australia

What a day.

It started early with setting up the backyard in preparation for all the relos. Tables and chairs around the pool and umbrella's up to provide shade for the 30+C heat.

Food had been cooking on the stove since the night before..and things didn't change this morning. So much food...and lots of recipe tips flowing. Will have to write them down.

Had my morning staple...which is Coffee with CoffeeMate - a milk alternative that is flavoured with French Vanilla..yummo.

The relo's arrived at 12.30 and then the feasting began. About 30+ people came over....swimming in the pool, chatting around tables and sitting under the tree.

Managed to play a bit of softball with the little kids.....it was a great day. Capped off by a midnight swim with Dave.