Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our family at Happy Genes Photography!!



It's Rocco's 1st Christmas and with that said, it means all kinds of fun exploring with photography with our little model. But for now I will leave you with these few photos on Christmas Eve that we thoroughly enjoyed taking of our sweet guy.   

Rocco is mesmerized by the glowing of lights.

Waiting for Santa

 Santa had his midnight snack and left Rocco his gift.

Tomorrow is the big day.  But honestly the fun of Christmas is all the days leading up to the holiday.  The excitement peaks tonight.  


Stayed tuned for more Christmas photos of our cutie-patootie.  

Merry Christmas!

xoxo - Christy

Happy Snowy Day!

What a beautiful day today was! Our first gorgeous serene snow day.  Just a nice dusting on the ground and trees. I mean I could go for a lot more but it was just enough to make a beautiful day, so I'm a happy girl. Of course we had our lil Roc-star outside for just a few minutes to snap a few photos. 

We hope for many more too! :)

 His first "sleigh" ride, don't think it was made for this but hey Roc seemed to love it. 

 He also enjoys chewing his hat straps.  

Oh, and see the tree behind him, that's our living Christmas tree that we purchased locally, put it inside, decorated it, and then freaked because we thought we were killing it so we took it back outside! 

xoxo - Christy

7 months old - Rocco

Our baby boy Rocco is 7 months today!!  

About me...

19 lbs

Almost 30"

Says mama (only when he is upset)

Screamed bloody murder when he saw a cat for the first time

Also not sure of any animal that is not white like his dogs

Mastered the fake cry

Loves...

 Drinking water out of an adult glass - like screams he is so excited! 

To play airplane with his Lolo, jumping in his jumper, 

anything outdoors, playing with his daddy

Food!  Oatmeal, Bananas, Oranges, Prunes, 

Carrots, Squash, Mix Veggies, Noodles, Ice Cream, 

Everything but GREEN BEANS!

Here is one of his happy scream faces!

My little Gerber baby :)

Loves showing off his two teeth

7 month old birthday suit. I just had to. I'm sorry.

 Goodness I love this little boy

My inquisitive bub

Happy 7 months baby!  We love you.

xoxo - Christy

Marfan Syndrome and Cardiologist Appointment

Most days I feel like I am a happy little red balloon floating high in the sky, sometimes playing in the clouds even.  And then there are days that I'm the sad, deflated, ugly balloon that has had it's air sucked dry. Yep, that's me today. Completely Deflated. A day where I ask myself over and over, why me, why HIM?

My baby boy, Rocco had a follow up visit to his cardiologist today.  It sucked. Sorry to be so frank...ok, not sorry.  But it did. As a mother, I just want to protect him. But I can't protect him from his own body.  I feel helpless. 

You may or may not know, Rocco was diagnosed at birth with Marfan Syndrome.  It is a connective tissue disorder. Connective tissue is what everything else is built upon or so it keeps everything in its place.  It affects in many cases, eyes, joints, and heart to name a few.  Many that are born with Marfan Syndrome don't even know that they are affected until teenage or even adult years. Sometimes people find out when it's almost too late or some never find out until it is too late. 

In Rocco's case, his little heart is already affected. It's rare for a baby to have the heart affected so early. It is rare and it is scary.

In normal circumstances, the heart pumps the blood through the main vessel, the aorta, to the rest of your body. In most normal cases, the aorta stretches to accommodate the flow and then returns to its normal size.  For Rocco, as his heart pumps blood to the rest of the body, his aorta stretches but then does not return to the normal original size.  It stays enlarged.  Think of an elastic hair band, first few times you use it, it returns to original elasticity but then the more you use it, the more stretched out it becomes, and then pretty soon the elastic becomes weak and busts apart.  

Rocco is on medications to help reduce his blood pressure and heart rate to hopefully slow the flow so that it does not stretch the aorta as it is pumping out the blood to the rest of his body.

Well today told me that his medications are not working as well as I would like or need them to. His aorta is more dilated than our last appointment in August. Maybe he isn't on enough medication? Maybe it's just the Marfan and can't be slowed down?  Maybe I allow him to be too active?  Too many unknowns.

There is no cure for Marfan Syndrome. And I might as well say it again, it SUCKS. 

But you know what? This little boy is amazing. He makes me want to live my life every day better than the day before. I guess I need days like this to keep me grounded and not let my focus waiver from him. To keep fighting for him.  

Waiting for the blasted Echocardiogram

He makes those hospital gowns look good

I love the way he looks at his daddy

Yummy sock monkey

Daddy is silly

 Playing with our feet waiting on our results.

 You are my world. Period.

Ok, that is enough emotion from me today. But I feel better. 

xoxo - Christy

Weekend Recap

Here are a few pictures of how our weekend went in the Hermogenes household. Baby feedings, pumpkin doughnuts, salt dough keepsakes, play time and bath time.

I can not get over how big our little baby is already, almost 6 and 1/2 months.  Sitting up all by himself without nose diving into the floor every other minute. However, instead of nose diving into the floor, now he nose dives onto the spoon.  You can't get the food in his mouth fast enough!

Daddy playing choo-choo train with baby food. Rocco readily anticipating. 

(I need to post a video of this routine. It's just too cute watching them)

I'm getting the stare down because I've got the camera.  Oh, I was also busy making pumpkin doughnuts. He probably saw me tasting the batter.  You can not get anything by this boy. Seriously.

Here are my finished pumpkin doughnuts and doughnut holes. 

 Rocco playing on the floor with daddy and Dinky.  I think Rocco was pretending to be a bull.  All Dinky wanted was that little orange toy by Roc's foot.  

Oh, please don't judge Roc's outfit, Daddy dressed him. ;)

 Ooooh...nice doggy.  These two are still trying to figure each other out.

I have been wanting to make Salt Dough keepsakes of Rocco's not-so-little baby feet and hands.  I'm so happy I finally got around to making them.  They turned out great so far...still waiting for them to completely dry. 

 The hands were definitely not a one person job especially for my son.  But I just love this before moment between him and daddy. 

 My baby's beautiful handprints before I popped them into the oven to bake.

If anyone is interested in making salt dough keepsakes, ornaments, etc. Here is the recipe I used: 

http://theimaginationtree.com/2010/10/salt-dough-handprints.html

 Belly time! Just trying to encourage a little bit of crawling. Rocco usually just looks like a fish out of water.  We will get there in due time.  But its fun watching him get excited. 

 Rocco and Sophia in between sneak-attack licks to the face. 

Oh bath time, how we love thee...Rocco used to scream bloody freakin' murder at bath time in his first two months but now he can not get enough! 

Of course Dinky is there to watch him the entire bath.  I believe Dinky was traumatized those first two months with Rocco screaming at bath time and now believes the bath is going to eat Rocco up.  He seriously will not leave his post on the side of the bathtub.

After bath. 

This is our new "thing."  Putting his delicious toes in his mouth. 

It's making diaper changing time hard however.

Oh, this is another new "thing" we are trying out this week.  We are using his bedside co-sleeper (that he never used but twice btw), and converted it to be used as a little play area for him, so I can attempt to get a few chores around the house completed. 

So as you can see pretty much everything revolves around Rocco these days.  And it is so much fun!  

xoxo - Christy

A November Sunset

I've been a busy little bee today! Trying to get caught up on here.  

Sipping a nice cup of sleepytime tea hoping it helps Rocco sleep better later on too.  Short end of long story. Baby boy is cutting teeth.  We do NOT sleep very well during this time.  But it's ok because I honest to goodness enjoy every bit and morsel of this little boy.  

I seriously die every time he just looks into my eyes.  

Rocco, I want you to know that you can do anything you set your mind to. 

I support and love you, unconditionally. Forever. Love, Mom

xoxo - Christy

Fall 2013 Travels

We took a lovely drive leaving our home in Delaware to Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York.  The best thing about our road trips, NOTHING is planned! We just sort of knew where we wanted to go and only booked one night in Massachusetts for the first nights stay.  After that it is all up in the air! And that for me is the beauty of it all.  

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip.

 Rocco was mesmerized by the fall leaves.

One of my favorites of the two of us.  White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Love my little family.  Even when my husband poses like his hand has been eaten by a bear. 

And this one just because I loved Burlington, Vermont so much!

Can not wait to go back up north! It's so beautiful and just refreshing up there!

xoxo - Christy