New Year and a New Addition

There is something about watching New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (that is if I don’t fall asleep before hand!!!), watching the ball drop and listening to Auld Lang Syne that brings a tear to my eye at the beginning of each New Year. It is a combination of the lyrics, the happy and sad memories of the past year and the excitement and anticipation of what the next year will bring that makes me a little emotional. I am clearly a sap but I feel the same emotion each New Year’s Eve and I have no doubt that this year will be no exception.

Even though 2010 hasn’t officially launched yet (only hours away now!!), Chris and I know that it is going to a BIG year for the Ciano household since Bambino Ciano will make his or her official appearance sometime around June 19th. We couldn’t be more excited to bring a new addition into the world and share the experience with our family and friends. I am looking forward to meeting the little one and holding him or her for that very first time but I also can’t wait to see Chris as a father, my mother as a grandmother, my father as a grandfather and my sister as the best Auntie a niece or nephew could ask for. And, I think they may like to see me as a mom too since I have a feeling some of them thought the day would never come. I have to admit that I am curious myself!!

But for now we plan to enjoy the days leading up to that big moment, give as much love and attention we can muster up to our current only child, Violet, without forgetting about each other, because I think there may be some truth in the saying, “a baby changes everything”.

Despite all of the happiness and tears, changes and challenges about to come our way we are looking forward to the New Year….well, I know I am, we may need to poll Chris. All kidding aside, we wish you all a happy and healthy 2010.

Dining Room Before and After

Here are some before and after shots of the dining room. We still have some decorating to do...putting up curtains, hanging some photos, maybe a new rug, etc. but all in all, it feels cozy and inviting.

Before - November 2008

After - December 2009

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Well, dreaming isn't necessary this year since we just got about a foot of snow dumped on us. For the first time in awhile we have more snow in Ashland than in NH. Lucky ducks!! The snow is quite pretty and I can appreciate it more since I don't have to dig my car out of an on-street parking spot and have anxiety about whether or not I will find a spot when I get home or not. Oh the glories of a driveway. Now, I'm sure if you spoke to Chris he would have some gripes about shoveling the front stairs but that is the price you pay for home ownership....I think of it as good exercise. This year the deck and a landing area need to be shoveled for our little Violet so that is an added cardiovascular workout but thankfully this latest storm's snow was very light :-) Looks like we won't be using the grill for awhile!!

Happy Anniversary

Yesterday marked our 1 year anniversary as official homeowners!! Last year on November 26th we were signing our life away to move into our new home. The past year has been filled with many accomplishments, endless learning experiences, lots of laughter and fun times with family and friends, all wrapped up with a crazy puppy Pug. We are excited for what the next year will hold for us on BHL...hopefully the decorating and getting settled will turn into more fun!!

Autumn Update

It has been a busy few months, with some relaxing mixed in between me trying to fight off a never-ending cold (I think I may be improving though, knock on wood).

Violet is up to her old tricks but cuter than ever. She was spayed in October and wasn't even interested in her stitches so no Elizabethan collar was required. Thank goodness...I can't imagine her spinning with that thing on!! Ha!! She is a whopping 9.2 pounds now and we think she may actually break the 10 pound mark in the next month or so. Her doggie daycare person, Carin, wishes she would have stayed 4 pounds forever since she was a lot easier to handle. Arm cramping is a normal occurrence now a days. Violet also tackled a major milestone a few days ago, she climbed the stairs in the house all by herself!! We were shocked and wish we would have gotten it on video. Of course, she had great bait....her Auntie K and Cousin Mitzy were at the top of the stairs and she couldn't WAIT to see them. We have tried again since with no luck but still, first times the charm :-)

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday and hosting the big day for the first time, we decided to finally paint the dining room and invest in new furniture. It has been fun, even though I am sure Chris would beg to differ since he did the painting. The gold color we chose really warms up the room and adds a nice splash of color to the first floor. And, having a real dining room table and chairs has made such a difference. The best part about the room is that we could actually host Thanksgiving dinner in comfort, and who better to host than Mom, Jim and Kerry (and Lilly and Mitzy). It was a great day with great food and not too much stress. Of course, Kerry was the Chef de Cuisine and I her Sous Chef. I think if I had to do it myself, I am now confident enough that I could...well maybe.

So, I guess the holiday season has officially kicked-off. I bought my first Christmas gift on Wednesday, heard my first Christmas carol on the radio today, I'm gearing up to put out a Winter wreath, put candles in the windows, and make out Holiday cards. Now if someone could do my Christmas shopping for me, and the snow and fridged temps could hold off, that would be excellent.

Lifting Weights

At long last, Violet has exceeded the 5lb mark. She is now heavy enough for me to lift her as a free weight and also large enough to be spayed...which will most likely happen in September sometime. Congrats Violet :-p

Pug Model

Since before we even took Violet home, I had dreams of having professional photos taken of her. I had found this wonderful photographer's blog online and told myself that WE HAVE to come have her shoot our little girl. And, with Violet being so cute, we couldn't pass up the opportunity.

We had scheduled the shoot a few times but had to cancel due to all of Violet's "health" issues so when we thought she would be able to make it a couple of hours without spinning and most importantly, when we thought all of her shaved spots would be grown back, we scheduled again.

She did amazingly well during the shoot and was such a ham. We think her true calling is Pug Puppy Model. Li, from Fat Orange Cat Studio, was fabulous to work with and she loved Violet just as much as we do. She took some beautiful photographs which has made it tough to decide which ones we want to have printed. Decisions, decisions. Li posted some of her favorities on her blog. Check them out: Fat Orange Cat Studio

Pool Time with Violet

With Summer in full swing and access to multiple family pools, we decided to get Violet a life vest so we could teach her to swim. We tried without a vest and she just sunk like a stone since her legs don't move fast enough to keep her afloat. The vest was a success!! Here a couple of videos of her in action. We think she definately enjoyed it. After we took her out she would walk to the edge of the pool like she wanted to go back in :-)

Our Protector

A few weeks ago I was making dinner while Violet played with the free flip flops I got at the nail salon the day before. A couple of our neighbors dogs were barking and they caught Violet's attention. She must have been trying to protect her mom...although that didn't last long since flip flops are one of her favorite things.

It's Been Awhile....

It's been awhile since our last post and A LOT has happened with our little Miss Violet. We've had many ups and downs but we've made it through with tears, arguments, lots of pug kisses and curly tail wagging. I think I've gained more patience then I ever thought I could possess and I have amazed myself. We keep saying our prayers that Violet will soon be an "almost" normal pooch. We for sure aren't perfect so why would we expect her to be!!! All we know is that she is one of the cutest puppies to have ever walked the planet.

Hot Stuff

One of our neighbor's daughter's, Abby, has a slight addiction to Violet so we brought her out for a visit last weekend. It was on the warmer side so Violet got to practice her panting for the first time. Now isn't she cute :-) I can already see her happy clown face, which is typical for pugs, shining through. Don't worry, her water bowl was near by. Photo courtesy of Ethan Gordon.

Agility??

Violet loves to jump and is adorable when she is successful or takes a nose dive. Maybe we have an agility dog in our midst? We are thinking of buying a hoop to see if she would jump through it. Someday she can enter into the circus as Violet, the famous fiery hoop jumping Pug.

Does She Know Her Name?

Violet has been quite the handful but her cuteness makes up for a lot of the frustration we have felt over the past couple of weeks. We are confident that she will be housebroken some day but today is not the day. She is so tiny that she just can't hold it!!! A puppy her age should be able to hold it for about 3 hours....we wish!!! We should just take stock in paper towels since we seem to be using a lot these days.

Here is a video of Violet playing with her star toy. I think she may be learning her name but I'm not convinced. I think we could call her "Crazy" or "Spinney" in the same voice and she would think it is her name.

Play Time!!

I was dangling a toy in front of Violet each time she would circle around me and she thought it was fun and started playing. Yay!! I think she likes it. Now, maybe it will keep her occupied in the crate?

Violet's Favorite Passtime

Violet just loooovveeess walking around. Sometimes she responds to her name, other times, not so much. I like how her ears flap when she walks and her "run" is quite adorable as well.

Welcome Home Violet

Violet has officially joined our family in Ashland. We picked her up early on Saturday and she did well in the carrier on the way home while she focused on capturing a few treats. She squeaks a lot and roams around endlessly. We aren't sure if she is looking for her siblings and mom or if it is just what she likes to do. Every now and then she will stop and sit down to take a break or stop to "do her business" and when we think she may be tired we will put her in her crate or bed and see if she will settle down. She is super cute and seems happy. When we pick her up she likes to nuzzle into our necks and give kisses all the while wagging her curly tail.

She got to meet her grandma yesterday and I think they hit it off. Mom had the secret football hold going on that calmed her right down and made her sleepy. Chris and I are trying to get it down but aren't having much luck. If I see her yawn I will wrap her in a blanket and try to settle her down. I have had success a couple of times. It is almost like having a real baby...only she doesn't wear diapers!!

Violet and Grandma :-)

We are still trying to get a routine down and our main goal this week while taking some time off from work are to get her used to the crate. She whines a little and has a new semi-howl going on but it hasn't been so bad....yet!!

Cute Pug Bottom

Inaugural BBQ

Summer arrived for a few brief days last weekend so Chris and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to, as I like to call it, “grill and chill”. Our new grill was just screaming to be fired up and just waiting for steaks to sizzle on its virgin grates. We also got to enjoy our new patio set with the company of great friends!! Thanks Ang, Jeff, Aimee and Sean for joining us for our inaugural BBQ. Hopefully we can do it again soon….with a patio umbrella the next time so we don’t sizzle.

Photo courtesy of Angela Malone

Puppy Video

Here is a little video I shot of the pups; the pup walking around the most in the female.

Meet the Pugs

Chris and I met the pug pups (or babies as the breeder likes to call them) yesterday and were amazed at how cute and tiny they were. They could fit in the palms of our hands. We tried to get some good shots of them but after many attempts we finally realized why the breeders pics weren't great; the little guys and girl are very squirmy and always moving.

Each of the pups had their own personality. The bigger boy was very aggressive and rambunctious, constantly biting at our shoe laces, pants and hands and pushing the other 2 smaller pups out of the way...clearly not submissive in anyway. The smaller boy was very needy, always trying to climb on us and eventually fell asleep in my lap while I was sitting cross-legged on the floor. The little girl was the independent one. Walking around us, smelling the floor and looking cute but when we would pick her up she would cuddle.

With our puppy analysis complete, we decided to make the little girl (picture to the left above) the new addition to our family. She is independent and loving but not too aggressive or shy. Our top name choice is Violet; cute and appropriate for a Spring pup...and will fit in nicely with the other flower dogs in the Fisher/Henderson family :-)

This is the big boy; big because he pushes the other 2 away from food constantly.

This is the little, needy boy asleep on my lap...so freakin' adorable.

Cute little girl, aka Violet; her head looks quite large in the picture but I think it was the angle.

Thursday Fun

Puppy Update 4/17/2009

The puppies are becoming very active and it is nice to see they are starting to get paper-trained and familar with the crate. In a little over a week we will be meeting them in person and making our selection. They are all so cute but as everyone knows, I am partial to the girl and Chris to the boys. I am barely going to be able to contain myself next week in anticipation of the meeting. In the pictures below, the female is by herself and the males are together. A little blurry but I guess nobody ever said breeders had to be good photographers.

Puppy Update 4/6/2009

Oooooo......the puppies are getting cuter by the day!! We can't wait to meet them on the 25th. I just want to pick 'em up and squeeze 'em. Teehee :-) One seems smaller but the breeder says they are all healthy.

These are the little boys The little girl

Scheduled Visit

Yay!! We get to meet the pups on April 25th at noon. Can't wait!!

And no, we still don't know if we are going to get a male or female. The breeder thinks that our future puppy will pick us :-)

Puppy Update 3/27/2009

The mini pug babies have opened their eyes and have been trying to walk. Their eyes look a little glazed over but from the hundreds of pug puppy pictures I have seen in the past year or so, this appears to be normal.

Unfortunately, on a sad note, the breeder reported that one of the female puppies died last weekend. Very sad news but supposedly the remaining three are doing great. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for the little buggers.

In the first picture below, the remaining female is facing the camera.

Puppy Update 3/20/2009

The puppies haven't really changed much over the last week but they are still looking cute. Someone needs to tell the breeder to take a photography lessons so we can see their cute faces more. These above shots aren't effective in showing off each puppies cuteness.

Welcome Quadruplets!!

We are excited to report that Bella gave birth to 4 healthy pups; one on March 12th and 3 on Friday the 13th...let's hope none of them are unlucky!!!!

There are 2 little boys and 2 little girls. In the picture below the male pups are together on the left. Right now I think they look like little furry aliens but in due time they will be so cute that we won't be able to stand it.

The breeder has told us that he will send us weekly updates with pictures and an occasional video. We will get to meet the pups in person in 6 weeks to make our section. Yay!!

Any Day Now

Belle is getting bigger and bigger by the day which only means that at any time she could deliver her cute litter of puppy pugs. According to the breeder, her scheduled delivery date is between March 14th and 17th so by next week at this time we could have some puppy pics!!

Put Down The Checkbook....

Since the beginning of BHL history, the street has been considered a private way which meant for us this year (and for all others the past 3-4 years) the street has had to be plowed by a private company...meaning each house had to foot the bill. Well, at long last, BHL is going public. Great for us for 2 reasons:

1) No more check writing each month to pay for our portion of plowing and sanding!!
2) Our curbing will finally be completed!! Once the snow isn't covering it, it looks like our street is still a construction zone.

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x594737838/Town-takes-over-two-roads

Now, only time will tell how well the town actually plows but we have 9-10 months to wait for that. I'm taking bets.

Biological Puppy Parents

With each day that passes, Chris and I get more and more excited about becoming adoptive parents to a new little boy or girl…pug that is :-) We have thought of hundreds of names and we think we have a couple of contenders but we really want to meet the potential pups first before we decide and make our final selection. This can only happen of course after the biological mom, Belle, gives birth. We aren’t sure of the exact date but it should be sometime in mid-March. According to our breeder, Belle is starting to show and she is sleeping more which is a good sign. Here are pics of Belle and the biological dad of the pups, Emmitt. They are both very cute so I can only imagine how their off-spring will be!!

Belle

Emmitt

6 weeks after the pups are born we will get to make our selection from the litter; then a couple of weeks after that, we can take him or her home :-) Yay!!

New Kid on the Block

When the house was being built, the original kitchen design had a center island instead of a breakfast bar. We decided to forgo the island since it seemed to take up a lot of space in the kitchen and because we wanted to spare any guests sitting at the island from being hit in the back by the basement door…so we had the breakfast bar installed instead. We love the breakfast bar and eat almost every meal there, it was the perfect choice.

As I started to cook in the kitchen and Chris watched me glide across the floor from one end to the other, we came to the decision that a butcher block island would be a great addition to the space and help add some character as well. As much as we loved the ballroom dance floor, it wasn’t very practical for preparing meals.

So now we have the best of both worlds, a faboo breakfast bar and an island for chopping and preparing (although, I am afraid to chop directly on it so have been using cutting boards…I know, I am crazy). And who knew that butcher blocks could be made out of cherry wood? It matches our cabinetry perfectly!! I still need to figure out what to put on the bottom shelf and maybe a nice bowl with fruit on top would be nice but I will figure it out.

We are still stumped at what to do with the smaller dance floor between the kitchen and the living room so for now it is the perfect space for impromptu “Dancing with the Stars” reenactments.

Finding Time...

Over the past couple of weeks it has been difficult to find the time to update the blog. It is constantly in the back of my mind but when I get home in the evening from work, the thought of logging on to our PC and sitting in front of the monitor for another hour just isn't something I have the energry for. I need to put pictures up from our first snowmobile weekend and share excitment about the upcoming new addition of our family...a pug of course!! Maybe in between commercials during the Superbowl I will find time to plop myself down in the office and get to typing.

Long Awaited Delivery

Back in October, Chris and I found a bed frame we loved (I loved!) and placed an order. Little did we know it would take 10-12 weeks for delivery. I guess it makes sense as it is upholstered but either way, by the time it arrived last week I was ready to start sleeping more then one foot off the floor. Chris rather enjoyed rolling out of bed from the floor but I think having the bed frame is much more luxurious and the room is really coming along. Next up, the dreaded hanging of mirrors and artwork….eeek…

In His Glory

For any of you who know Chris, he just lovvvvveeesss keeping the cars clean. Before we moved in together in Charlestown, Chris had a driveway and a hose so he could clean his car whenever his heart desired, weather permitting. When we moved to C-town he would disappear for hours in the summer or winter, and go to the car wash, dry the car until not one bead of water remained, clean the windows until streak free (and wouldn’t let me roll them down for days) and use up every last quarter to vacuum.

One of the best features of our house is of course the garage. Not only does it keep our cars warm and dry during cold days with or without ice and snow, it is the perfect dry, semi-warm environment to tend to the vehicles during the cold winter months. Just a quick trip to Fitzy’s in Ashland for a car wash and then home to clean windows, vacuum, wipe down dashboards, shine tires, etc. Ahhh…what a life for Chris -- in his glory in the garage. I am sure once the weather gets warmer he will be rigging up the hose and leading it to the driveway for some car washing fun. I just hope he doesn’t make me do my own car or spray me while I’m gardening!!

Slackin'

With Christmas, New Year’s, birthdays, family time, house “stuff” and making the transition to working a full work week again consuming most of our time in the past few weeks, I have been slacking on the blog front.

Since I know my dad is an avid blog reader (when his PC isn’t infected with viruses), I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to mention that while he was visiting NH from Ohio for the Christmas holiday, he and Kerry got to spend a day at 19 BHL. My dad visiting officially completes my immediate family first-time visits…yay!! For some time he probably thought the house was just a figment of our imaginations or random pictures on the web…but it really does exist!! Now if only the Pats where in the playoff we would be all set.

Thanks Dada for visiting and we hope you visit again soon!!