a 'fritos' kinda life

Big Girl Room

2012-01-30T19:20:00.000-05:00

I finally finished Lea's big girl room! She's actually been in there for quite some time but I have just now put the finishing touches on it. I am really happy with how it turned out and Lea loves it, too! Here are some pics... sorry the lighting isn't very great.

These pink curtains are usually shut and in the morning the sun shines through her window, turning her entire room bright pink! They were supposed to be "black out" panels but considering that they're from Walmart, I can't complain. Lea doesn't seem to mind the extra pink anyway!

I scored on the quilt, pillow sham, artwork, wall decals, lamp and night light... Craigslist... everything for $50! The cute little foot stool by her bed (which even opens to a mini toy box) was only $14 from Homegoods. And the birdie sheets were on clearance at Pottery Barn Kids.

Lea got this adorable KidKraft kitchen for her 2nd birthday (Craigslist... $40!). I did a little touch up painting and Kevin replaced the back splash and a missing piece of plexi-glass.

(Here's the adorable, little lamp that matches her bedding. The picture didn't turn out well...but it's super cute!)

Here's her little table and chair set with her tea set all ready to go. She loves to serve you coffee anytime you go in her room!

I just love the awesome clock above the book shelf. My mom found it at a little boutique at the beach. :) The little birdhouses were hand painted (by me!) decorations at Lea's first birthday party.

A little hedgehog and mushroom hiding near her kitchen. There's also a few owls, birds and a squirrel around the room.

We painted this nightstand and put glass handles on it. The before was hideous...I am very happy with the after! The big birdhouse/toy box on the left was a $20 find at a consignment shop. It actually didn't open...but after Kevin added a couple hinges and a cute knob... voila!

Pine Cone Bird Feeders

2012-01-21T15:47:00.000-05:00

It's a warm, rainy January day today and Lea woke up with the beginnings of a cold... so we decided to take it easy. After a morning movie on the sofa, we got out the pine cones we collected yesterday. I smeared peanut butter on them and Lea rolled them in bird seed.

Then, we took them outside to hang them up...

And while we were out there, Lea had to take the opportunity to splash in the rain puddle!

Around Home

2012-01-16T21:24:00.000-05:00

Lea and I have had a lot of fun the past couple weeks. She has been going to a "dance/theatre" class once a week this month. They do a lot of cool things with hula hoops, sticks, puppets, bells and scarves. Here's our adorable little ballerina (she likes to call herself "Lea Ballerina")...

I also decided to have Lea help us dye some pasta. She had a lot of fun filling the jars and then shaking them to mix the dye. After about a day of letting the dye soak in and a night of drying, they were ready for play time!

Last night Lea spent the night at her Gaga & Papa's house so Kevin and I took the opportunity to go out to dinner and a movie. We had a great night out and I ate WAY too much! (seriously, I thought I was going to puke at one point during the movie. lol) Then, when Gaga brought Lea home today, we decided to go see Beauty & the Beast in 3D. Lea got that dvd for Christmas and has loved it ever since but I wasn't sure how the whole 3D part would play out. Turns out she liked it! She did take her glasses off few times but we quickly out them back on. I think she just liked seeing the difference with them on and off. We pigged out on lollipops, gummi bears, Dots, pretzels and licorice... yes, my daughter likes licorice. :) I forgot my phone so I didn't get a picture of us in our cool shades. We had a lot of fun, though!

25 weeks!

2012-01-16T20:58:00.000-05:00

Today I am 25 weeks pregnant. That means only 15 weeks to go! Holy cow this pregnancy is going by fast. I feel pretty good these days...there really isn't anything I can complain about. I have all the normal pregnancy aches and discomforts but it is SO worth it. I wouldn't trade any of it for the world!

BabyCenter.com says that our little girl now weighs about a pound & a half and is around 13 1/2 inches long. She's getting big!

Here's a couple belly comparison pics to show you how this looks on the outside:

22 weeks

25 weeks

Homemade Granola

2012-01-09T19:43:00.000-05:00

Who knew how easy it was to make delicious homemade granola? Ok...maybe you did but I had no clue. To tell you the truth, I didn't even know store bought granola started with "old fashioned" oats. Now that I have made some myself, it seems pretty obvious.

We always have old fashioned oatmeal on hand (that's my favorite) and I love granola cereal so when I found this recipe I just had to try it! I whipped it up in just a few minutes and then it baked for less than an hour.

Shall I dare say I will never buy prepared granola again??? (Seriously, it was that easy to make. Try it!)

Here's what I used:

2 generous cups old-fashioned oats
½ cup Wheat Germ
2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
¼ tsp Salt
1/8 cup Maple Syrup
1 Tbsp Agave nectar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
3 Tbsp flavorless cooking oil (I used Canola)
1 Tbsp Water
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

Basically, you just mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl (oats, wheat germ, brown sugar, salt nuts and coconut) and simmer the wet ingredients on the stove (syrup, agave, vanilla, oil and water). Then just drizzle the syrup mixture over the oat mixture and stir really well to coat it all. Spread it out on a large backing pan/dish and bake at about 250 for 30 minutes... stir and bake a little longer, if needed (you want it to be a nice golden brown color). When you take it out, let it sit to cool completely before storing it (or eating it!).

ENJOY!!!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-27T14:43:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful holiday with our families. It all started with Christmas Eve at the in-law's where we snacked on yummy food and opened some gifts. Later that night we gathered with more family at a local restaurant. After dinner, the kids headed back to the kitchen to make home-made pretzels. Lea had a blast!

Lea with her cousins, Ross, Lilly and Kristin.

Making pretzels.

That night, the three of us didn't sleep well. Kevin and I ended up wide awake around 6:30am. We decided to get Lea up a little past 7am. I told her "Santa came last night!" so she ran to look in the living room. After looking around bit, she said "Where's Santa?!" lol We took our time opening gifts and playing with toys. Then my parents came by for breakfast. Kevin's parents stopped by shortly after and then it was nap time!

Christmas afternoon we headed down to my folks house for dinner... and more gifts! My grandmother (Lea's great-gramma) was here so it was fun watching her interact with Lea. One of the gifts we all received...from Santa...was a set of Mini Marshmallow Air Guns. We filled them up and headed outside right away. Once Lea realized what it was, she started yelling "Hit Me!!" as she smacked her belly b/c she wanted us to shoot her so she could eat the marshmallows! lol

Helping Daddy open his gift.

Kevin getting ready to aim with his marshmallow gun.

Lea gathering & eating the marshmallows!

Christmas didn't disappoint this year. We all had a very nice time and we all seem to be very pleased with our gifts.

Merry Christmas! See you next year!

Cookies!

2011-12-21T16:36:00.000-05:00

Lea had fun baking cookies with her Gaga and Gramma today...

Belly Pics

2011-12-13T11:59:00.000-05:00

For those of you wondering how my belly looks these days... or wondering where is the baby (b/c people keep saying I'm not showing at all)... here's a nice little comparison for ya:

10 weeks

20 weeks

20 Weeks

2011-12-11T21:57:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that I am half way through my second pregnancy! Today I am 20 weeks pregnant with our second baby girl. YAY!

I feel her move all the time. She is much lower in my abdomen than Lea was so it's a pretty different feeling this time. Actually, this entire pregnancy has been totally different than it was with Lea.

According to BabyCenter.com, this baby weighs well over 10 ounces and is about 10 inches long from head to foot. She is beginning to hear things, mainly me, and may have started sucking her thumb.

Santa!

2011-12-11T21:35:00.000-05:00

Today Lea got to visit Santa. I say "got to" because she is obsessed with all things Santa these days. She only wants to listen to "Santa music" (which is any Christmas music) and she only wants to watch Santa on tv (which is any children's holiday movie).

Anyhow, we headed to the mall to visit Santa. Lea practically shoved past everyone in line to get a good look. Then, when it was her turn, she dashed right over to Santa without any hesitation and climbed onto his lap all on her own. She looked like she was on cloud nine!

After meeting Santa we had dinner with my folks and then decided to head over to Build-a-Bear. Lea wanted a penguin like the one from Happy Feet 2 and they had the perfect one. She had fun stuffing, bathing and dressing her new friend, Rocky. Yup... she named him Rocky! ;)

(sorry the white balance is so off on those last few pics.)

My Little Bunny

2011-12-10T15:44:00.000-05:00

Today we went to the local Christmas parade downtown. Lea wore her new bunny hat and gloves. I think it's ADORABLE and she really loves it, too. She actually hops around saying "I a bunny!" whenever we put this hat on her. :)

We had a fun week making salt dough ornaments, playing with her Melissa & Doug Nativity Set and finger painting...

I'm So Crafty...

2011-12-08T12:13:00.000-05:00

(I saw this on Facebook today and just had to share it!)

Where's Elvis?

2011-12-05T17:09:00.002-05:00

After breakfast this morning, Lea realized that Elvis was "missing"! She came running to me yelling "Mommy! Where's Elvis?!" I assured her Elvis was still here, she had just moved. So, Lea calmed down and started looking. We found her on top of the buffet hutch...

DIY Advent Calendar

2011-12-05T16:54:00.000-05:00

I finally finished my DIY mini muffin tin advent calendar! I am thrilled with how it turned out, too. I hope it lasts for a few years, at least.

I took a few pics of my progress as I was working, but for some reason they didn't turn up on my phone. :( Here are some pics of the final results, though...

The hardest part of this entire thing was painting the muffin tin! I wanted it RED... but the tin I bought was non-stick. So, I bought red spray paint with primer in it. That didn't work. The paint bubbled up immediately and chipped right off. Then, I decided to use an old muffin tin that I hadn't used in years. It painted beautifully! However, it was aluminum... fiy: aluminum isn't magnetic. Ugh! That's when I brought Kevin in to help. He took over the painting job and after cleaning the bubbly paint off the original tin, several coats of heavy duty primer, several coats of red paint AND a couple coats of lacquer we got what we wanted. :)

The solid color circles are just craft foam (I wanted something sturdier than card stock) and the patterned circles are just craft/scrapbook paper. After cutting them out, I super glued them together. Then, I added the numbers, which are self stick "chip board". I chose black, glitter letters and numbers. Finally, everything is attached to the tin with little magnets. All in all, this project actually cost me around $25 to $30 so it wasn't super cheap. Here's the break down of the costs:

Mini muffin tin from Walmart - $5

Craft foam - $1.50

Scrapbook paper - $5

Chip Board letters/numbers - $8 (I had to get two packs so I would have enough number "1"s!)

Scrapbook Santa and stockings - $2

Spray paint and primer - $8

Could I have just bought a cute advent calendar for $30? Well, yes... but I am crafty, I enjoy crafts and I like the aspect of hand-made. So there!

Christmas is Coming!

2011-12-03T20:51:00.000-05:00

We got our Christmas tree today and I am willing to bet that it is the prettiest tree we have ever had! I just LOVE sitting in the dark, looking at all the pretty lights late at night.

Lea had a blast helping us pick it out... but mostly just loved running around all the tall trees!

After we got the tree home, we found out that half of our lights didn't work (happens every year!) so we made a quick Walmart run.... and when we got home, Lea found a little visitor that must have hitched a ride on our tree!

Want to guess what Lea decided to name our new elf friend? You'll never get it! Our elf shall be called "Elvis"! That's right, Lea named her Elvis. Kevin and I joke that it's actually Elfis. lol

So, every day until Christmas, I get to say "Lea, Elvis is watching you!" LOL

Oh, and here's my failed attempted at getting a cute pic of Lea in front of our tree...

Holiday Traditions

2011-11-28T22:30:00.000-05:00

Now that December is literally right around the corner, I have been busy planning new holiday traditions for our family. Lea is old enough to understand a lot these days so I decided new traditions were in order.

The first one... we got an Elf on the Shelf! I am so excited about this one and can't wait to see Lea's reaction to it. A little movie was on CBS the other night about it and Lea loved it. Kevin and I decided that our Elf will come on our Christmas tree each year... which we also decided we would get the first weekend of December each year. So, this weekend we'll go pick out our tree and with it will come a surprise for Lea!

These little elf/book kits are not cheap... and if you want your elf to be a girl? Well, a little skirt is an extra $8! I got creative (what's new?) and made a crochet skirt for our elf. I love how it turned out and even like the look of it better than the store bought ones. :)

Another tradition I am starting this year is an advent calendar. I found an awesome idea online for one made out of a mini muffin tin. I got the muffin tin and red spray paint (because I am painting my tin red) so now I just need to figure out how to make covers for each hole. Sounded easy until I realized that I don't have the supplies to cut a perfect circle and I can't find the perfect sized circles at a craft store. Hmmmm... time to put on my creative hat, again!

I can't wait to fill the cups with little surprises like M&Ms, stickers, Hershey's Kisses, etc. Lea is going to love it!

Finally, my mom and I took Lea to her first movie today. We went to see Happy Feet 2 and Lea sat through the entire thing! Well, actually about an hour and 15 minutes into it, she yelled "OK, Turn it Off, Please!!!" lol It was so funny. Good thing there were only two other people in the theatre (we went to an early showing). I took her out for a quick potty break and she was ready to go back to watch the end. I was so surprised at how much she was actually paying attention to... which I know because she talked through the entire thing, "Oh no! Where did he go?" and "Yay, they did it!", for example. I wish Kevin could have been there but he was at work. He wants to take her to another movie now!

Toddler Beds, Turkeys and Baby Girls

2011-11-23T21:56:00.000-05:00

A few nights ago we converted Lea's crib to a toddler bed. We had her help us in the hopes that it would transition her better. Well, she's done great! She goes right to sleep at night (we're still working on nap time) and doesn't get up at all.

Bye bye crib!

Now, I thought we would just use one of those door knob covers in her room and in the morning she would read books or play until we came to get her... but, she had different plans. The first couple mornings, she stood at the door, pulling on the door knob and screaming for someone to let her out. The third morning, she actually ripped the cover off the door knob and brought it downstairs to show us, "Door knob broken, mommy!" Finally, the fourth night, we just left her door open. In the morning, she quietly came down stairs and crawled in bed with us. So... I'm not sure what to do. Part of me wants to keep her "confined" in her room until I'm ready to get her, but the other part of me feels like it's ok for her to come out when she's ready (as long as that's not before 7am!).

Anyhow. We've had a really fun week with lots of Thanksgiving turkey crafts. She made a turkey out of a paper plate at the library one day, one with stickers another day and today we made our annual "candy turkeys". She LOVED that!

Yum!

And, finally, we had our "big" ultrasound yesterday. Kevin and Lea came along in hopes that we would be able to find out the gender of baby #2. After a very long scan and seeing all the perfect parts of our new baby, we found out it was a girl! I am over the moon excited! :) Kevin is too, however the first thing he said was, "TWO weddings???" lol I am so looking forward to getting all of Lea's newborn things out of the attic and going through them to see what we can use for this baby. It's going to be fun!

The Secret is Out!

2011-11-07T16:57:00.000-05:00

In case you live under a rock... we are expecting baby #2 in late April!

That's right, I am pregnant. Fifteen weeks to be exact. Almost four months.

It's been hard for me to even believe I am pregnant this time. Not only was it difficult to get pregnant in the first place (again) but having a toddler running around also keeps my mind pretty occupied. But, now that I am in the second trimester and can actually feel the baby moving all the time these days, it feels very real!

We are super excited! I know Lea is going to be a fabulous big sister. She loves babies. Yes, I am sure there will be some jealousy in the beginning, but I have no doubt Lea will warm up quickly.

My due date is April 30, 2012. Our plan is to transition Lea into her new toddler room, in a twin bed, before then. So, within the next couple of weeks, my baby girl will be sleeping in a toddler bed. I'm having a little anxiety about it. Wish us luck!

Here's an ultrasound picture from around 10 weeks. You can't see much, but that's our baby!

Gobble, Gobble!

2011-11-06T09:59:00.001-05:00

I saw this adorable Thanksgiving shirt in Pinterest.com:

So, naturally I had to try and make one for Lea. One problem... I don't have a working sewing machine (and haven't for several years). But, I wasn't going to let that stop me!

I gathered some ribbon, found a scrap of fabric for the body of the turkey and got a long sleeve t-shirt at Walmart for $3.00. Oh, and I had to get some "Heat-n-Bond" at Walmart in order to attach the turkey to the shirt.

Once I had the body cut out and hemmed around the edges, I chose my ribbons and placed them around the body:

Next step was to actually sew all those ribbons onto the back of the body. That was the hard part for me because I wanted them to all be even. I did it and it turned out pretty good. Then, I ironed the heck out of it.

And finally, I bonded it to the shirt. I don't think it's a super-duper bond, even though I got the extra strength stuff, but it should last through the Thanksgiving season. At the last minute, I decided it needed a face, so I used a Sharpee. When I finished, I decided the face looked silly, but there's no turning back now!

New Sassy Sippy Cup

2011-11-02T17:01:00.000-04:00

I'm excited and curious about this new Sassy Grow Up Cup that I saw on The Bragging Mommy blog. Apparently it's a "sippy" cup that is more like a REAL cup... meaning the child can sip from anywhere around the rim of the cup and it's won't spill! Really?

Check out The Bragging Mommy's review for yourself. And, make sure you enter the giveaway! :)

Pumpkin Seeds!

2011-11-02T16:45:00.001-04:00

I LOVE toasted pumpkin seeds. My mom used to make them all the time when I was growing up and I had no idea it was so easy. So, I enlisted my little Lea to help me make some this year.

"Scooping" out the seeds... well, Lea picked them out one at a time!

"Ew! Messy, mommy!!"

Like I said, it's super easy. Once you harvest all the seeds from the pumpkin, spread them out on a cookie sheet (lined w/ foil). Then pick out all the big chunks of goop. I like to leave some of the goopy stuff b/c that's what gets krispie when you bake them. It adds a lot of flavor!

Then, just add a table spoon or two of melted butter and a table spoon or two of Worcestershire sauce. This time, all I had was the new, thick Worcestershire sauce, but I think that might actually work better! I sprinkled a little garlic salt on them, too.

Bake them at about 275 degrees for about an hour. Make sure to stir them around a lot while they are baking.

YUM!!!!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T09:22:00.000-04:00

We've had a fun Halloween week this year. Lea seems more excited to trick-or-treat and understands that people are dressed up in costumes, too. We got her costume last year, after Halloween when everything was on sale, so I'm very happy that she likes it. Actually, she loves it! She keeps the hat on, too because it's her "costume hat".

Last weekend we went to a local Trunk-or-Treat and last week we went to a Halloween party play date. So, Lea's been sporting her Garden Gnome costume a lot! Several people have asked if she's Juliet from Gnomeo & Juliet.... but we've never even seen that movie. Looks like it's rated G so maybe we should watch it this week.

Unfortunately, we had to skip our Halloween play date this morning because my little gnome got a nasty cold. :( Of course, now mommy & daddy are getting it, too. Lea handles her colds very well during the day, but at night, it's a different story. I think we're on the up side, though, so hopefully we'll all start to get more sleep!

This past weekend we painted pumpkins and I made "Bloody Rats" for dinner (just large meatballs shaped like rats). Lea got a kick out of that! lol

Tonight we'll be getting ready for Trick-or-Treating around the neighborhood. It will be cold and might drizzle on us some... but that's not going to stop us. There are a TON of kids in our neighborhood. It's a lot of fun to watch them all running around in costumes. It's like a movie scene or something. I grew up in a tiny neighborhood out in the woods so there weren't that many kids running around.

Anyhow, we hope everyone has a great Halloween!!

Fall at the Beach

2011-10-25T09:38:00.001-04:00

After our busy trip to NM, Lea and I immediately (like the day after we got home) headed to the beach! My parents rented a place right on the water so I wanted to take the opportunity to enjoy it.

Lea had a blast! She loved playing in the water, even though it was freezing. She loved playing in the sand and collecting shells. And, she still loves chasing the seagulls. ;)

Our first day there was super windy, but that didn't stop Lea from playing outside. The next day was warm and breezy but then.... it got cold. Our last few days there were pretty chilly and rainy. We still had a great time, though! Here are some pics...

"What's this button do?" Playing on Papa's boat.

Watching the seagulls.

My Little Hiker

2011-10-23T22:00:00.000-04:00

Finally, here are some pics from our last couple days in New Mexico!

My favorite little French Creperie in Santa Fe.

Santa Fe architecture.

Shopping in Old Town Albuquerque.

Watching the Sandia Peak Tram come down the mountain.

It was COLD up there! But Lea kept on hiking. :)

She was so excited to find snow!

Tent Rocks

Super narrow in the base of the slot canyon trail.

Lea LOVED hiking and just kept going!

Taking a snack break in the shade.
(Doesn't she look like a 19 yr old, smoking a cigarette! lol)

Like I said before, it was such a fun trip. I had a great time bonding with Lea (even as exhausting as it was!).

Good Bye, New Mexico

2011-10-14T11:46:00.000-04:00

As our mommy/daughter trip comes to an end, I am excited to get back home and anxious to finally get some "alone time"... but I am also happy looking back on the new experiences I was able to introduce to and share with Lea.

Who knew she was such a good hiker?! Or that she likes spicy food (but not too spicy!)? Or that she would do so well in a toddler bed?

We've had a great trip and Lea has really enjoyed spending time with her Uncle Dave and Aunt Sarah. On our final day here, we are heading up to Santa Fe for lunch and some window shopping.

Here are some pics from the past few days...

I should be able to post pics from our hike at Tent Rocks and Santa Fe this weekend. Tomorrow morning, we'll get up bright and early to head home. We're both very excited to see Daddy and Bailey!

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

2011-10-12T11:18:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we went to the Balloon Fiesta. We had to get up at 4:30 Saturday morning so we could make it through all the traffic, parking lots and crowds in time to see the balloons inflate and take off early that morning. It was amazing! I have never seen something like that before. We could stand right beside the balloons and even touch them. As they slowly left the ground and lifted into the air, they literally went just above our heads. It was freezing outside, but if you stood right beside the big flame of a balloon, it warmed you up. Sunday morning, Lea and I headed back out to see them one more time. Uncle Dave was working that morning, filming from the news station helicopter. There were many more balloons Sunday morning. I guess the weather was a little better. The weather conditions have to be practically perfect in order for the balloons to fly. Otherwise, they just inflate and stay on the ground.

Here are some pictures... which don't do it justice at all. If you ever have the chance, you should try to make it to this event!

Lea took a little nap.

Balloons and mountains in the background.

As the balloons inflate, they bump into each other.

This is a "Zebra". They help all the people move out of the way just before a balloon takes off.

A Bumble Bee... one of the "special shapes".

Lea loved waving at the people in the baskets as they took off! "Bye bye, people!"

The Land of Enchantment

2011-10-07T15:11:00.003-04:00

Lea and I have been in New Mexico for two nights now. I have to start by saying how proud I am of her for sleeping in her own toddler bed! At home, she still sleeps in a crib...which she seems to love so we have just left it that way. Well, when we travel, she refuses to sleep in a pack-n-play so I had to find something else for his trip. I actually found an inflatable toddler bed on Craigslist, brand new, never opened, for less than half the price retail. I won't lie... I was extremely nervous about how she would sleep on this trip. I convinced myself that she would hate the toddler bed and would insist on sleeping with me... which would mean I wouldn't get any sleep. But, I completely underestimated my little girl! She's doing great in her toddler bed. Even napping there with no problems. I guess this means we'll have to convert her crib when we get home. :)

So, other than a little bit of jet lag for Lea (she wants to take her lunch time nap by 9:30 in the morning! and she's getting up around 5:30/6:00 am so far) we are having a nice trip. We spent yesterday at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History (Lea is loving dinosaurs lately) and Old Town where we shared ice cream, listened to a live mariachi band and window shopped a little. Today we're staying close to home as it has suddenly gotten quite chilly and wet out. And, tomorrow we hope to see some balloons at the Balloon Fiesta... praying for nice weather!

Pictures coming soon!

The Land of Enchantment

2011-10-07T15:10:00.000-04:00

Lea and I have been in New Mexico for two night now. I have to start by saying how proud I am of her for sleeping in her own toddler bed! At home, she still sleeps in a crib...which she seems to love so we have just left it that way. Well, when we travel, she refuses to sleep in a pack-n-play so I had to find something else for his trip. I actually found an inflatable toddler bed on Craigslist, brand new, never opened, for less than half the price retail. I won't lie... I was extremely nervous about how she would sleep on this trip. I convinced myself that she would hate the toddler bed and would insist on sleeping with me... which would mean I wouldn't get any sleep. But, I completely underestimated my little girl! She's doing great in her toddler bed. Even napping there with no problems. I guess this means we'll have to convert her crib when we get home. :)

So, other than a little bit of jet lag for Lea (she wants to take her lunch time nap by 9:30 in the morning! and she's getting up around 5:30/6:00 am so far) we are having a nice trip. We spent yesterday at the Albuquerque Museum of Natural History (Lea is loving dinosaurs lately) and Old Town where we shared ice cream and window shopped a little. Today we're staying close to home as it has suddenly gotten quite chilly and wet out. And, tomorrow we hope to see some balloons at the Balloon Fiesta... praying for nice weather!

Pictures coming soon!

Apple Pickin'

2011-10-02T17:30:00.000-04:00

I decided that we needed to try a new fall activity. You know, something other than the pumpkin patch and corn maze...which are very fun and we will be doing sometime this month! Well, I found an apple orchard less than an hour from our house. I was surprised because I thought we'd have to go all the way to the mountains to find an apple orchard.

So, yesterday we headed out to pick apples. A first for all of us. We had so much fun! It is actually considered the end of the apple season (which surprised me) so all the apples that were left had fallen off the tree. Never the less, Lea had a blast finding the good ones and filling her basket. We ended up getting more than I thought we would. Two kinds... Pink Lady and Red Winesap. The Pink Lady are my favorite. They are SO delicious... sweet & tart and very juicy & crispy. I've been spending today making apple sauce and dried apple "chips". The whole house smells like warm apples and cinnamon. Yum!

Here are some pictures from our new adventure/tradition...

"Hi, Mr. Crow!"

Which way are the apples?

Found some!!!

We couldn't wait to get home to try them... YUM!

Two Years Old

2011-09-18T21:39:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe my baby girl will be TWO years old tomorrow. Half of me feels like the past two years just flew by... it's like she was just born yesterday. But the other half of me can't even remember life without her... what did I do all day?

Lea makes me laugh every single day. She makes me smile, cry and sometimes raise my voice. She makes me so happy in so many ways. I am lucky to have her in my life and I look forward to the years to come.

As Lea continues to grow and learn, I will continue to do the best that I can and ensure that her life is filled with happy memories. We had one of those memories today. Family and friends came over to celebrate Lea's 2nd birthday. Kevin and I created a Sesame Street wonderland for her, complete with her own "Lea Street" lamp post sign, a giggling Elmo chair, balloons and yummy treats. It was a fun day!

Lea checking out the decor.

Opening presents.

Rocking the birthday hat I crocheted for her!

Happy Birthday, my beautiful girl!!!

"Potty, Potty!"

2011-09-06T09:29:00.000-04:00

Lea is practically potty trained. Yay! (I hope I'm not jinxing it by writing this.) I wasn't actually planning on potty training her this early (she's only 23 months old). Our pediatrician said there was no need to worry about it because children eventually potty train themselves. Well, now that I look back, I guess that's what happened. She was the one who initiated it and started showing interest. We just followed her lead!

We are on day 6 or 7 of no diapers. She wears training panties during the day (they are just panties with a little extra padding/fabric in the crotch). For naps, she wears cloth diapers... however, she's usually dry after a nap, so we may just do panties at nap time soon. And, for bed time, she wears regular, disposable diapers. I have NO CLUE how to potty train a child at night time. Her diaper is always soaked in the mornings. She has a habit of drinking water while we read stories, right before bed time, so we'll probably have to break that habit first.

Anyhow. We are so proud of Lea! I can't believe she's potty trained. She still doesn't TELL me when she has to pee, though. I just make sure we go to the potty at least once an hour. I assume she'll catch on and start telling us soon. (For the record, she does tell me when she has to poo... it's usually preceeded with "My tummy hurts." and then a frantic "POTTY! POTTY! follows as she runs to the nearest bathroom.)

More info. than you probably needed about Lea's toilet habits, but that's our life these days! :)

Life

2011-08-23T13:09:00.000-04:00

I realize I haven't posted in awhile. I just haven't felt like writing anything online. You see, I also keep a journal (yes, a good old hand-written journal) so once I get everything written in there, I am often done with sharing and have no desire to post on my blog. Sorry!

That being said, I do like to share my photos on here. So, here are some pics from our recent beach trip with Kevin's family. Even though Lea didn't sleep AT ALL (she was literally up from 2am to 5am several nights) we did have a nice time. I was so happy and grateful that Kevin was able to stay the entire week, as well. he needed that break from work!

She still loves chasing birds!

Playing with her cousins in the kiddy pool.

Playing in the rain!

Heading to the beach to say good-bye.

And, this is when she dropped her doll in the wet sand...

Feeding seagulls on the ferry ride.

Fun at the Beach!

2011-08-15T23:05:00.000-04:00

We had a great beach trip with my in-laws! Lea had a blast playing with her cousins and we had some really good seafood. I will write more about our trip later, but for now... here's an adorable video of Lea playing on the beach with her cousin Kristin. Could she be any happier in that moment?!

Natura Latex Pillow Review

2011-07-27T13:53:00.003-04:00

I just received a brand new pillow... by mail. And, it was not cheap. Hopefully, I am not crazy and this thing will make all my dreams come true (pun intended!). I have been unhappy with my flimsy, feather filled pillow for awhile. And, while I hate to admit it, I am getting older and a good nights sleep has proven to be harder to come by these days. I am tired (pun inteded, again!) of waking up feeling un-rested and sore. So, here's what I got to fix this problem...

It's a Natura Organic Latex Pillow. Following is the review I wrote on the seller's web site...

Originally submitted at CSN Stores:

By Mommy Jess from NC on 7/27/2011

The packaging was impressive. A very nice box and an open ended plastic bag surrounded the pillow. (I was glad to see that the plastic bag wasn't actually sealed so the pillow could "breathe".)

The pillow itself seems like it consists of high quality materials (what I expected for the price). Before I continue, I must add that this is my first latex pillow and I haven't actually slept on it, yet. I will let you know how I like it once I have slept on it!

The outer case is soft and quilted. It is thick and sturdy (not thin and flimsy) and it has a zipper that runs the length of the longer side. The latex is squishy and springy. It sort of bounces when you lay your head on it. Very supportive but also gives from your weight. The latex feels, to the touch of your hand, almost like it will just fall apart... like there isn't much there... if that makes sense. Sort of like a really soft marshmallow! It is surprising how much support it offers given the texture. It has no odor what so ever.

The tag reads: "Outer Shell- Organic Cotton, Made in Canada. Hand wash in cold water in mild detergent. Air dry. May be dry cleaned. Short cycle. Limited moisture. Turn and air out periodically. All new materials consisting of: Core- 100% Latex foam, Cover fill- Wool batting (contents sterilized).

I am impressed and anxious to try this pillow out!

Outer box packaging.

Pillow unzipped, exposing the latex.

Fun in the Sun

2011-07-19T22:17:00.000-04:00

Birthday Weekend at the Beach

2011-07-18T15:57:00.001-04:00

This was Lea exactly a year ago today...

My how time flies! We have decided to make it a tradition to spend a weekend at the beach for my birthday each year. We went back to this same exact place this past weekend, but Lea was quite different than the crawling baby above. She was still head strong and curious, but this time she was all about the water! (Unfortunatley, I didn't get any video. It was very windy and I didn't want to risk getting sand or water in our cameras.) Lea ran straight to the water once we hit the beach. She got her feet wet and then the rest is history. She immediatley got in the water up to her thighs. And since it was so windy, the waves were pretty rough. That didn't stop Lea, though! A wave would crash onto her, knock her down and get her face all wet... but did she cry and run away? Heck no! My baby girl laughed and got back up to do it again. :)

Our beautiful view from the balcony.

We had a great weekend trip to the beach for my birthday. We had amazing seafood (softshell crab sandwiches and shrimp & crab crepes to be exact), we took it easy on the beach and in the pool, we visited the aquarium and even got a tiny bit of shopping in. I like this new tradition!

Playing with daddy on our way there.

Baby carrots. Her new snack of choice!

Afternoon naps on the balcony.

All dressed up and ready to go!

BIG alligator at the aquarium.

Two of my favorite people!

On the river walk downtown.

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-05T22:25:00.000-04:00

We decided to take Lea to her first fireworks show this year. I have always LOVED fireworks and have been excited to share it with Lea. We headed out to a local park for our town's annual celebration. We've had thunderstorms every afternoon for the past several days so we weren't sure what was in store for us.

Sure enough... we got poured on! Lea laughed as we ran through the rain back to the car, though. We were soaked! Luckily, I had Lea's dry pajamas in the car, so we got her changed and ready for bed. Then, we found a nice spot to watch the fireworks. It turned out to be an awesome spot. Lea wasn't even scared... just tired. We Oooed and Ahhed at the display of lights and "booms!" then, Lea promptly fell asleep once we were back in the car. :)

And here are a few pics from our weekend. Lea was adorable in her Red, White and Blue (and YELLOW... check our her awesome new shoes!).

Wish they made these in MY size!

And, finally, here's a nice comparison of Lea last year..... and this year!

My how time is flying by. My baby girl will be TWO in about two months!

Yummy Food

2011-06-28T16:44:00.004-04:00

The past week or so we have tried some new and very yummy recipes. I thought I would share so you guys can try them, too!

Cajun Chicken Pasta (this one was so good, I have made it twice in less than two weeks!)

4 ounces linguine pasta
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced into thin strips
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons butter
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
4 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 green onion, minced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

2. Meanwhile, place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a zip-lock bag and toss to coat.

3. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute chicken in butter until no longer pink and juices run clear, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add green and red bell peppers, sliced mushrooms and green onions; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat, and stir in heavy cream. Season the sauce with basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper, and heat through.

4. In a large bowl, toss linguine with sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Chocolate Mint Cookies (I have made these before. They are SO easy and SO yummy!)

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

36 Andes Mints

Directions:

1. In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.

2. At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

4. Roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. While cookies are baking unwrap mints and divide each in half. When cookies are brought out of the oven, put 1/2 mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit for up to 5 minutes until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie. Eat and enjoy!

Orange Creamsicle Pops (I really like making homemade popsicles for Lea. The possibilities are endless!)

1 cup of milk (I used organic, whole milk)

6 oz of vanilla yogurt

2/3 cup of orange juice

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

handful of ice cubes

Directions:

1. Blend first 4 ingredients together in a blender until well blended.

2. Add ice and blend more.

3. At this point, you can either drink immediately as a smoothie or pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

I hope you'll try these easy and delicious recipes. Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T21:33:00.000-04:00

Dear Kevin, You are the BEST daddy any little girl could ever dream of. Really!

I love that you take time out for your family, even when your work is utterly exhausting and time consuming. I love that you work so hard so I am able to fulfill my own dream of staying home with Lea. I love that you read children's books in character (even though Grover often sounds like he's from Tijuana!) and that you read the same one over and over and over, again. I love that you care about teaching things to Lea while you play together. I love that you help with bath time and bed time. I love that you help with getting dinner on the table. I love that you sing to Lea (even though it's so out of tune and you are obviously, slightly embarrassed, because you sing so quietly). I love how much you care for your family and want what's best for us.

You are not taken for granted. You are a fabulous husband & daddy and we are lucky girls to have you in our lives. Thank you for everything you do for us. We love you more than words can express!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!!!

Swimming on her own!!!

Trying to get her to blow bubbles...

Best daddy ever reading a bed time story. :)

Talking and talking and talking

2011-06-08T21:42:00.000-04:00

Lea is talking SO much these days. She tries to say just about anything and everything. Sometimes it sounds correct... and sometimes I have no clue what she's trying to say! She is also starting to put words together (other than "all done", "night-night" and "bye-bye"). When we took Kevin to the airport earlier this week, she said "Daddy, airplane". And, yesterday, my mom & grandmother swear she said "Bailey eat cracker"! I'm not sure I believe them, though. lol

I've signed Lea up for some fun activities this summer. This month it's soccer. She has two soccer classes with about 10 other children. I think she's the youngest in the class, but she was one of the best behaved. The instructor had them "warm up" by touching their toes, jumping and marching. Then they got to practice kicking the soccer ball across the room, balancing their foot on the ball and kicking the ball into goals. Their "cool down" was playing with a parachute. Lea loved that part! They tossed the parachute up in the air and then climbed under it before it came down.

In July she will take a toddler "dance" class. It's four classes (one a week) and I am really looking forward to it! I think Lea will have a blast. She loves to dance around the house and she LOVES music. August will be basketball and then starting in September, she will go to "Wiggle & Worship" at the church. hehehe I just love that name... Wiggle & Worship! I image they will just be running around singing "Jesus Loves Me" and stuff. ;)

Lea's Great 'Gamma' is visiting right now and Lea loves the extra attention. I think it's so great to have FOUR generations together in one room. Really special.

Here are some pictures from the past few days...

Checking out the dinosaur at the Natural Sciences museum.

My happy girl in her favorite Elmo jammies!

Playing with Great Gamma

Working on their lawn mowers.

Helping mommy in the kitchen.

Balancing on her soccer ball!

Camping Success

2011-05-30T12:49:00.000-04:00

Our first family camping trip was a success!

I spent the day packing and cleaning on Thursday, patiently waiting for Kevin to get off work. He was supposed to leave around 3:00, but didn't actually get out until 5:00, which meant he didn't get home until 5:45 AND there were a few things that he needed to do before we could leave. So, we hit the road by 6:30 and arrived at the campground about 7:00pm. It was late. Lea was tired and we still had to set up the pop-up, unload the truck and make the beds. Oh... and we hadn't had dinner, yet! Needless to say, our first night was a mess. Lea couldn't get to sleep. She was so wound up and excited with her new "playroom". I ended up sleeping with her (she didn't fall asleep until about 10 or 10:30pm!) and Kevin slept with the dog. Since I didn't have time to get everything set up before bed, the curtains weren't hung... which meant the sun came right in and woke up Lea bright & early Friday morning. :)

From then on, our weekend was very nice. Kevin actually had to head back into the office for a half day on Friday so Lea, Bailey and myself played around the campsite and went for a long walk before Lea was ready for her nap. She went right to sleep this time and slept for over 2 hours. (I took the opportunity to take a short nap, too, thank-you-very-much) I was awoken by my dad calling to say bad storms were headed our way. And boy were they ever bad?! It rained, poured and thundered for H O U R S. I took Lea and Bailey in the car to just drive around for a bit (away from the storms) because I didn't want to be cooped up in the camper alone (Kevin was still at work). My dad ended up coming to visit and then Kevin finally got back. We sat in the camper and talked... and talked... and talked... until my dad was bored enough to finally leave. Then, we drove the Target to get a board game (we forgot to pack some games... we actually forgot a lot of things). After a yummy, camping style spaghetti dinner and another nice, long walk, Lea went to bed. She went right down, again, and Kevin and I actually stayed up in the camper playing our game, quietly, while she slept.

The next day, Saturday, we had beautiful weather. We walked down to the lake to let Bailey & Lea run around before Lea's nap time. After her nap, we packed up and went back to the lake for a few hours. Lea had so much fun playing in the sandy clay and swimming in the water. Bailey went swimming, too but mostly stayed under the trees, in the shade. That night we had hot dogs with green beans and s'mores for dessert. YUM!

My parents came up Sunday, our last day there, to take us all out on their boat. Lea loves riding in the boat... Bailey? Not so much. lol Lea fell asleep on the boat and we headed back to the campsite to pack everything up. It took us an hour at the most to get everything packed, loaded and the camper down. We were home way before dinner time.

I'm very pleased with out little camping trip and am looking forward to many more in the future. Lea loves being outside so much and really enjoys playing with sticks, "pie-coes" (pine cones) and dirt. She didn't miss her toys a bit... but when we got home, she played with her toys so quietly for quite some time. It was like she was thinking, "Oh, I forgot about this... and THIS... oooh, and this, too!"

Here are a few pics from the trip. I forgot my camera when we were on the lake and in the boat :(

Spaghetti!

Peek-a-boo!

Waiting for daddy to cook the hot dogs.

S'mores!

Playing with daddy before bed.

Let's go camping!

2011-05-25T20:44:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow afternoon we will leave our driveway pulling the pop-up camper behind us. I am really excited! We got the camper awhile ago, used. Kevin has been working on little things when he has some free time (which isn't very often!). I still want to do some little updates to it... mostly aesthetic things like painting, making slipcovers for the bench seats and possibly replacing the curtains. It's in camping condition now, though, so what better time than now?! Hopefully, everything will work and nothing will break while we're out there. I'm anxious to see how Lea will do sleeping & napping in a camper. Since she goes to bed much earlier than us, we'll have to hang out outside until we're ready for bed. Should be interesting!

Here's a couple pics from when we first bought it...

Holy cow!!! Just realized that we bought this thing a YEAR ago! We'll be staying at the lake for three nights... and hopfully all returning happy campers. :) I'll post pics next week.

Terrible Twos?

2011-05-18T11:45:00.000-04:00

As Lea quickly approaches 20 months old (tomorrow!), I am beginning to wonder what our near future will be like. She is so much more independent than a couple months ago... wondering off without looking back, running aimlessly into the wide open and wanting to do things without assistance. I am so proud of her for learning and growing. I want her to be independent. But I am also a little scared. I am scared because my baby is growing up so fast but I am also scared because I'm not 100% certain that I can handle an independent, sassy, 2 year old girl!

Lea (in pink) sitting with the big kids at story time.

Some people say there's no such thing as the "Terrible Twos" and some people swear by it. I guess it just depends on the child, the parents and how it's all handled. Is it really going to be TERRIBLE? I don't think so. It can't be that bad. I just have to remember to take the stressful moments with a grain of salt and laugh about it. Yes... today I had "THAT child" at library story time... but tomorrow it will be someone else's child... as least, I hope so! ;)

Story Time at the Library

2011-05-10T12:46:00.001-04:00

Our local library offers a great program for kids... and it's free! Every Tuesday and Wednesday morning we head to the library for toddler Story Time. The kids sing songs, dance, listen to a couple stories and play a few games. Lea loves it! Each week, as she gets older, she is more and more involved. When we first started going, she sat on my lap the entire time. Now (about a year later) she is much more independant!

Who's Got Crabs?

2011-05-06T08:45:00.000-04:00

I grew up camping at the beach with my family. We ate pretty much anything that came out of the ocean and we usually caught it ourselves... clams, fish and crabs. I loved it and still do.

While at the beach this week with my in-laws, we decided to get some string, a net and some fish heads to go crabbin'. Since we have a house right on a canal, we can do it in our back yard. The kids (Kristin - 10, Ross - 8 and Lilly - 5) had a blast. We actually got a few, but they were pretty small. Not wanting to disappoint the kids, though, we decided to cook 'em up. :)

So we had a small bucket full of live crabs...

Now what?!

Yes, I did say that I grew up eating this stuff but I didn't say I grew up cooking it myself! My dad usually caught dinner and my mom usually cooked it.

After a quick phone call home for some instruction (thanks, dad!), we put a pot of boiling water on the stove and threw in the crabs. Five minutes later I was cleaning crabs for the first time and then, the part I knew how to do... pickin' crab. Kristin, my 10 year old niece, helped... well, mostly helped eat them! Lea also loved them. There wasn't much because they were so small, but we sure had fun. :)

Beach Baby

2011-05-05T09:14:00.000-04:00

We've been at the beach this week and it's been really nice. My in-laws got a place right on a canal... I love having water just steps from the back door. Lea's cousins, Kristin, Ross and Lilly, have been keeping her busy! They played on the beach, in the back yard, on the porch and the deck. We have walked the pier, gone crabbing and fishing. No fish (at least, fish big enough to keep) were caught... but we did get a few blue crabs. (actually, they were small enough that we should have thrown them back but the kids were SO excited about cooking & eating them, we just had to keep 'em!) The weather is perfect. It has been warm enough to play outside but cool enough to keep you out there.

We're coming back in August and I'm really looking forward to it. Kevin had to go home early this week for work, but he's promised to take the entire week off in August! We've missed him A LOT.

Lea is talking more and more these days. She likes to point things out and tell you what it is. If she doesn't know what it is, she waits for you to tell her... then she nods as if she's saying "Yup, that's right." Some new things she's saying now are Elmo, strawberry and ice cream.

Easter Egg Hunting

2011-04-24T21:32:00.002-04:00

Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail

2011-04-24T21:05:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter! We've had gorgeous weather this weekend... perfect for celebrating at church, Easter egg hunts and munching marshmallow chicks.

Yesterday we got Lea a sand box table for the back yard. She has had a blast playing in the sand. It has a little hole in the center for an umbrella so I hope to get one for it this summer. This morning, after an almost sleepless night, we got up to see what the Easter bunny left for Lea. She was happy to find a basket filled with books, shoes, Raisenetts, marshmallow candy and the adorable crocheted bunny that I made for her. :)

Then Gaga came up and we headed to church. Lea was pretty sleepy and fell asleep before it was over. After church, we went down to the other Gaga and Papa's house where we met up with Lea's cousins. She always has a blast running around trying to keep up with them! A yummy lunch of grilled burgers & dogs, strawberry shortcake for dessert, dying a few hard boiled Easter eggs, Easter themed crafts and a really fun egg hunt in the back yard ended our busy day. ;) The kids eggs were filled with coins ($0.05$0.10 & $0.25 each). Lea really liked opening the eggs to find the coins and yelled "MONEY!" every time. Hahaha! She also got some mini M&M's which she couldn't get enough of.

Sleeping in church. :)

Easter egg hunt!

Lea and her cousins.

It's a Zoo out there!

2011-04-20T16:47:00.000-04:00

Sunday we took Lea to the NC Zoo. It's a pretty big zoo (especially compared to the Albuquerque Zoo). We got there just after they opened and stayed for SIX hours! We met our friends Amy & Zac with their little boy, Keat.

Lea had a blast running around with Keat. She explored everything and was very interested in the different animals. Her favorites were the turtles and the chimps. (my favorite is always the chimps!)

Lea is becoming quite the polite little girl. She says, "Dah-doo" for thank you when I ask her to... but the past couple days, she has actually said "thank you" when I didn't even have to prompt her to! As always, she says "MEeee!" for please and says it ALL the time. It's pretty funny because she walks around pointing at things saying, "Me.....Meee....MEEEE!", as in "Can I have it, please? Please?? PLEASE!!?" lol

Almost 19 Months!

2011-04-14T17:36:00.001-04:00

Just a quick update on my almost-19-month-old-going-on-3-year-old daughter, Lea...

She is becoming quite the individual! These days, she is figuring out that she has opinions... and she's voicing them.

I let her choose what shoes she wants to wear (she can pick between two b/c the child has more shoes than Kevin and I put together!).

She still loves her bed/crib. Instead of trying to escape her crib, she often tries to climb INTO it. When I go up to get her in the mornings, I ask if she's ready to get up... and usually, she says no with a huge grin and buries herself deep into her pile of prized blankies (yes, she has several blankies... 6 to be exact, however only one is her very favorite). After a few more minutes, she's finally ready to face the day.

She has two top molars that are practically all the way out. No signs of anymore, though. However, yesterday and today she has had a low-grade fever and she did when those top molars appeared, too. Hopefully the bottom ones will get here soon!

She is trying to say a lot more words recently. So many that I can't count them all. Some of her "favorites" are...

Pup-eee
Rye-eee (her friend, Ryan)
No (usually said very mater-of-factly, not in a mean way)
Go (usually said w/ a pointed finger, as in "Go away")
HEY! (always said in a cheery, but load voice!)
Pap-eee (pacifier... only at bed/nap time!)
Bup (up)
Mil (milk)
Bay-bee
Buh (book)

Today she was upset at me for something and stormed off to the stairs. Wanting to give her some space, I kept my distance hoping she'd cool off. I listened to her cry/fuss when I realized she had gone all the way to the top of the stairs. I started going up the stairs to see where she was going. Her cries were now coming from her room so I headed that way.... when all of a sudden, she slammed the door shut! lol

It is so hard to believe that my baby girl will be TWO YEARS old in less than 6 months. I am soaking up every minute, the good and the bad, as I know it will be gone before too long.

Lea and "Rye-eee" decorating Easter sugar cookies.

Playing with my old "Fisher Price Play Family House"... she LOVES it!

Granny Square Apron

2011-04-14T16:48:00.002-04:00

Here's my latest, completed, crochet project. I think it's super cute!

I may have to make a smaller version for Lea. ;) If you're interested in trying to make one for yourself (it was pretty simple!),I found the idea/pattern on Tangled Happy.

Smoothies & Laptops Don't Mix

2011-04-13T11:12:00.001-04:00

Obviously it's been awhile... sorry for that. Last week, Lea "cheersed" my large cup of berry smoothie while I wasn't looking and it spilled all over our laptop keyboard. Fun times! So, that's my excuse for not blogging recently (even though we also have a desk top computer...).

Anyway. I am still taking a photography course through the local community college. I love it! I have learned a ton. This Monday night we have our first field trip to photograph downtown at night. I can't wait!

Lea and I went to visit my old college roommate. She just had a beautiful baby girl and that was the perfect excuse to visit since we haven't seen each other in like 8 years! We had a blast catching up and bragging about our baby girls. :)

I finished another crochet project and have moved onto the next. (Pictures coming soon!) I am now working on a huge bunny for Lea's Easter basket. It's going to be about 21" long and I got a lovely pale purple yarn for it. I am about half way done.

Today we're spending the afternoon making Spiced Sugar cookies and decorating them in pretty pastels for Easter. Lea's little friend, Ryan, is coming over to help. 18 month olds helping to make cookies? Sure! Why not?! It should be a lot of fun with many opportunities for some nice pictures. :)

Teddy Bear

2011-03-30T13:05:00.001-04:00

I finally finished Lea's crocheted teddy bear! It wasn't a difficult pattern, however I ended up taking it apart and starting over when I was almost done. The shape just didn't look right. But, now it's done and I love it!

Lea watched me sew on the arms & legs and she wanted it right away. So, I gave it to her before I added the face. She immediately fell in love with it... taking it with her everywhere and even sleeping with it. :) I was asking her where the bear's ears were, she'd point to it's ears... where the bear's legs were, she'd grab it's legs... then, I asked her where the bear's nose was (remember, it didn't have a face, yet), she looked around the bear's head a bit and then quietly said "Uh-Oh!" It was so cute.

I just added the bear's face and a little bow on top of her head while Lea's been napping. I can't wait to see her reaction when she sees it!

Dancing Lea

2011-03-27T19:01:00.000-04:00

Eat Your Spinich!

2011-03-27T17:25:00.002-04:00

After the kids had a yummy Avocado-Banana smoothie at my friend Jennifer's, I am inspired to try making more smoothies for Lea. When Lea was a baby, I used to make smoothies for myself every morning. It was fast, easy and nutritious. Not sure why, but I haven't made them in awhile.... unitl today!

Feeling expiramental, I made a Blueberry-Spinich smoothie.

about a cup of frozen blueberries
about half a cup of spinich
4 or 5 random pieces of pineapple
two 1 oz cubes of frozen apple juice
about a cup of V8 v-fusion juice

I know, I know... TOTALLY random! But I wanted to use what I already had... and that's what I had. :P

Believe it or not, it turned out pretty yummy. And Lea thought so, too!

Rosemary-Garlic Chicken

2011-03-25T18:56:00.000-04:00

Made this for dinner tonight and just had to share! It was so yummy and super easy...

From RealSimple.com
Rosemary-Garlic Chicken
Serves 4, Hands-On Time: 25m, Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
salt and black pepper
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

1.Using a rolling pin, pound the chicken-breast halves between 2 sheets of wax paper until they are the same thickness.
2.Heat the oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and the garlic browns. (Don’t burn the garlic.)
3.Add the chicken and cook until golden, 3 to 5 minutes on each side.
4.Add 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, the vinegar, chicken broth, and rosemary.
5.Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 3 minutes more or until the chicken is fork-tender. Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep warm.
6.Increase heat to high and boil sauce until it is thickened or syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter and pour the sauce over the chicken.
I made honey carrots to go along side. We all loved it... including Lea!

Joy of Luck - Day 4

2011-03-24T14:13:00.001-04:00

Joy of Luck, Day 4 - Your 7 Favorite Material Things

"Prompt: I am certain that if you think hard, you can find seven materials things that you LOVE. What are they? Capture these with your lens…..the sky is the limit for this lesson. we are all so fortunate for what we have materially. We’re lucky to have these material objects. Let’s focus on our luck and blessings today – capture your favorite seven objects!"

At first, I thought to myself "I don't have any favorite material objects. Lea and Kevin are my favorite things and that's all I need!" But, the prompt said to think hard. So, after about a week of thinking, I did come up with a few things that I really do love (other than people... and dogs!).

We had this silhouette made just after Lea's first birthday. I LOVE it and stop to look at it
every single day. It's a real silhouette... hand cut by Karl Johnson.

My wedding band/engagement ring and the pearl ear rings
Kevin gave to me on our wedding day. Need I say more?

I got this little statue when my friend and I were in Florance, Italy seven years ago. I remember exactly where we were when
I got it... a little open market with the buzz of people all around and cafe tables near by.
I had to haggle with a creepy man for awhile before I got a good price!

I wear this necklace always. Kevin gave it to me on my first Valentine's day as a mother.
The other side has Lea's birth stats engraved on it.

18 Months!

2011-03-22T14:38:00.001-04:00

18 months?
a year and a half??
only 6 months from turning 2???

When did this happen? My baby girl isn't a baby anymore...

Time is flying by and we are just soaking it all in! Lea amazes me every single day. She is growing up and learning more than I could ever imagine.

She 'passed' her 18 month well check with flying colors. She's still in the 75th percentile for height (32.5 inches) and the 25th percentile for weight (22.5 lbs). The doctor said she looks fabulous and is right on track with everything she should be.

Some fun and new things she's been up to are as follows...

I love hearing her yell "HEY" every time she sees someone, anyone. She says "Bye-bye" now, too.

She gets into EVERYTHING. Since she's getting smarter, she's using more "tools" to get into things, too... For example, pulling a chair over to get onto the table/counter. I like to try and give her as much freedom as possible (while keeping her safe and me sane) but sometimes that can get ME in trouble! I don't follow her around or watch her every move... so sometimes she gets into things she shouldn't (like toilet paper rolls, my purse, the laptop or my chapstick).

I try really hard not to be the mom that says "No" constantly so I do things like distract her instead. It makes for really long days when I am always looking for something new to distract her with, though!

Whatever I am doing, she wants to do. She watches and copies me all.day.long. If I brush my hair out of my face, she brushes her hair out of her face. If I am stirring something in the kitchen, she wants to be stirring something, too.

When Lea has a cup, she wants to "Cheers" anyone (and everyone) else that also has a cup... and she does it over & over again. She'll hold her cup up and wait... and wait... and wait until you finally Cheers with her. I am trying to get her to say the word "Cheers" because sometimes I won't notice that she's holding her cup up!

It is so easy to put her to bed... she loves her crib! After her bedtime/nap time routine, we simply lay her in bed, give a quick kiss and say "Night Night". She waves and we walk out. That's it! :) (Don't get me wrong, it hasn't always been that easy and we sometimes have off nights.)

She loves playing outside! She likes playing in the dirt, with sticks, leaves and even bugs. Now that it's warming up, we're out there pretty often. When I ask Lea if she's ready to go inside, she always shakes her head no.

Lea loves music and loves to dance. She likes most any types of music but her favorite seems to be good 'ole rock-n-roll (she takes after her mom!).

She's been trying to jump (she bends her knees and rises up quickly, but her feet don't leave the ground!) and she's done a couple (sideways) somersaults.

Her language skills are really taking off the past few weeks. She actually tries to say new words now. (She used to just blurt out something random when you asked her to say a word... for example, if I asked her to say "Tree" she would say "bluh!" but now she'll actually say "teee".) She says lots of things that I understand, but most other's don't. And she babbles a lot. She babbles with her dolls and stuffed animals, and when we're at the dinner table, she babbles as if she's trying to join the conversation.

Here are some recent pics of our big girl...

Playing with a little grub she found while we were gardening.

Enjoying her first popsicle!

Bailey liked it, too!

Joy of Luck - Day 3

2011-03-20T20:33:00.000-04:00

Joy of Luck, Day 3 - "Prompt: What are some traditional lucky symbols that you can think of? How has our culture created its own perception of what brings luck (and what brings bad luck?). look around your surroundings….what lucky “token” can you find?"

I couldn't really think of any lucky "things" around the house. So... here's the lucky symbol that was on my calendar!

The Joy of Photography

2011-03-19T20:45:00.000-04:00

Kelly Willette is a fab photographer in Virginia. I met her virtually when I was in marketing... she did some work for us. I'm so glad I did because through her site, she offers *free* photography classes. Well, their really more like inspirations with added tips than actual classes. I love having an actual "reason" to use my camera 24/7... other than just clicking away at Lea. She's bound to see a camera lens and call it "Mommy" one day! lol

Anyhow. In February, I participated in the Joy of Love... before that, I took a "real" class that she offered (which wasn't free, but I was able to participate for free) called Finding the Joy. All of her classes operate around the concept of photographing for the joy of it. Currently, I am on Day 2 of the Joy of Luck.

Day 1: "Prompt: What inanimate object/thing/concept is something that you take for granted on a daily basis? What would someone who is not as fortunate as you are say about your “luck” to have such a thing in your life?"

My health... I am so grateful for my health and my families health. I don't ever want to take that for granted.

Day 2: "Prompt: Green is symbolically the color for newness, new beginnings, spring and life. Today I want you to find the green – this can be ANYTHING that is either the literal color green OR something that brings newness, new beginnings, life, or hope to an otherwise dismal situation."

I LOVE this big bush/tree in our back yard. Every Spring I look forward to the bright pink, gorgeous blooms that fill it's branches. When they bloom, I know a new, nice & warm Summer is soon to come. :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T21:22:00.000-04:00

We started off our morning with some green scrambled eggs. Now, Lea loves some eggs so I was curious to see if the color would turn her off at all.... Nope! She dug right in...

Later in the day, we met up with Ryan and his mom Jennifer. Lea and Ryan were SO excited to see each other. They squealed and yelled at each other across the lawn at the park. It was adorable! Here are some favorite pics from the play date...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

All in a Days Work

2011-03-15T20:03:00.000-04:00

Lea seriously likes to help around the house. Actually, I think she likes to do whatever I am doing... which is more than likely things around the house these days. So, today I let Lea do a little bit of everything that I did! Vacuum after lunch, unload the dishwasher, laundry, wash dishes and pick up toys...

While I do all this mundane stuff day after day, Lea is my motivator. She is so proud of herself when she can help and keeps smiling while she "works". It's hard to be unhappy when you're around such an uplifting spirit!

Baby Bunny

2011-03-14T09:50:00.000-04:00

I have successfully learned how to crochet. What did I make first (after the dish rag, of course)? A baby blanket? No. A little hat? No. I made a little bunny! I am so proud of myself. :) It turned out great!

Now, I just have to refrain from giving it to Lea until Easter! ;)

Cute things Lea is doing...

2011-03-13T10:27:00.000-04:00

She stands on her tip-toes to easily reach tops of dressers, tables, counter tops, etc.

She loves mommy's parfume bottles. (I keep the really pretty ones after they're empty.) She'll get one off the dresser, take the lid off, sniff it and then rub it on her as if she's putting some on. And she does this several times a day!

I try to put a little bow in her hair everyday.... and it usually lasts until breakfast! Once she notices it's there, she pulls it out. But, since I make all her bows, I don't want them to get lost. So, I have taught her to bring it to me when she pulls it out. More times than I can count, Lea comes running to me with her little arm stretched out to hand me something... her bow. :)

The Business of Being Born

2011-03-08T22:34:00.001-05:00

I just watched this movie, The Business of Being Born, and it was amazing. I already knew that childbirth is a huge business in this country and the majority of interventions are done for the simple reason that doctors and hospitals don't want to be sued. But, this film really hit home for me... a women's body was literally made for labor and childbirth.

I am thankful that my labor with Lea went the way it did. Once I overcame the fact that my doctor was a complete idiot (seriously, I will never ever see him, again!) and was given the most fabulous nurse ever, things went well. I didn't have an I.V. and I was intermittently monitored which meant I wasn't a prisoner to the completely uncomfortable delivery bed. I spent about 4 hours sitting in an arm chair with my head in my hand... concentrating... breathing... only opening my eyes for seconds at a time. The room was dark and quiet. Kevin was holding my hand the entire time. I was focused on the pain of each contraction and was doing it on my own. Within a period of less than a minute between each contraction, I literally fell into a sort of sleep state until the wave of the next contraction started. Then... I hit the wall. You know... that big, strong wall that slaps you down so hard and you just KNOW that there is no way you can go on. I thought to myself, "Maybe I should have gotten an epidural. Maybe it's not too late!" but I never said those words out loud. Kevin could see it in my eyes... and so could nurse Cheryl. She convinced me to get up... walk across the room... and crawl into the warm, jetted bath tub. Why didn't I do that earlier?! The warm, moving water helped me deal with the pain SO much more. Less than two hours later, I was delivering my beautiful baby Lea. Unfortunately, I had a postpartum hemorrhage (my uterus wouldn't contract back down to normal size) and I was losing a lot of blood. So I wasn't able to hold Lea right away... but that didn't stop my tremendous motherly instincts. I insisted Kevin stay with her (she was just across the room) and I yelled, "Give me my baby!" until they finally did!

Finally holding Lea for the first time!

I am happy with my birth experience... for the most part. While I do feel slightly "robbed" because I couldn't immediately hold my baby right after delivery, I can't complain about the outcome. Lea is the best thing that has ever happened to Kevin and I! I found a new OB/GYN practice that has midwives on staff. The midwives actually deliver 90% of the babies in this practice. If I have the privilege of creating and carrying a new life inside me, again, I think I will opt for a drug-free, minimal intervention delivery, again.

Watch The Business of Being Born and decide for yourself.

I did it!

2011-03-03T17:39:00.000-05:00

I learned how to crochet! With some encouragement from a friend and some YouTube videos, I have crocheted...

a mouse blanket! lol Yes, it's small. But it's just a start as I continue to learn. Now I have some hope that I can create a washcloth. ;)

Crochet!

2011-03-02T12:34:00.000-05:00

So.... I am learning how to crochet! That's right... you heard correctly. My friend Jennifer is going to teach me. She helped me get a 'starter kit' together yesterday and today I am practicing my chain stitch. Yay!

We took the kids to AC Moore so I could get some yarn and hooks. Then, after a stop into Pet Smart to look at the dogs and hamsters, we grabbed some Italian ice at Rita's. Lea and Ryan are so cute together... they even share a birthday. How cute is that? I just had my cheap, little camera with me so these pics aren't great. But you can clearly see how adorable they are together!

Cheese!

Anyway... back to crocheting. I've been browsing patterns online and these are the things I want to make. (and I'm seriously going to... some day!)

Homemade play food!

Adorable clips for Lea's hair!

Nice headband for mommy's hair.

How cute is this Tooth Fairy pocket?

Before all that, though... I need to learn how to make a simple wash cloth. Wish me luck! :)

Feeling Creative & Crafty

2011-02-23T13:07:00.000-05:00

I have the creative craft bug, again. I am just aching to get my hands into something around this house. Maybe it's because friends of ours just bought a house and I keep reading about the work they are doing there? I have so many ideas in my head and want to DO SOMETHING! Two things are holding me back, though... 1) Time and 2) Money. (Well, three things if you count Kevin! lol)

I want to paint an old buffet we have in our living room. It was a hand me down from my mom and it a little worse for wear. The legs/feet on the bottom are not very stable and it just looks really beat up. I think some nails in the bottom and a nice thick coat of black paint would do wonders. (Oh, and some new hardware, of course.)

I want to put in an above-the-range microwave. Our microwave has been a trooper... I've had it since college! It works pretty well... just takes a little longer to get things really hot and sometimes it will just shut off (like, literally) if you run it too long. ;) I would really like to get a new one and have it installed above the range. This would mean that we'd have to replace the cabinet up there, too... so that might make the project a little harder.

While we're on the kitchen, I'd love to paint the walls in there (and in the dining area). I'd also like to put in a nice back splash... maybe stamped tin or something that looks like stamped tin.

Onto the master bathroom... I want to put a frame around the huge mirror in there. I've seen it done before. Some nice, white moulding right on top of the mirror edge. That shouldn't be too hard, or expensive, but we have to find the time for it. I'd also like to put in a sliding glass door to the shower. It's a small master bathroom with a tub/shower combo, but it's a garden tub and I think glass doors would make the room feel larger. I don't even know if that's something we could do ourselves but it couldn't be that hard. Could it?

I've also been thinking about a toddler room for Lea. I know we have another 6 to 12 months before that time comes but I can't help but day dream about this stuff! Our guest room is painted a beautiful greyish-blue with bright white trim. I would keep that color and just add some pink and yellow stuff to the room. It would be a bird theme with birdhouses, trees and little birdies all around. Adorable, right?! I guess the blue walls would act as a sky back drop. I love it! Just before Lea's first birthday party (which was a bird theme) I found a huge birdhouse (like the size of a toy box) at a consignment shop. It was already painted pink and white so I just painted some flowers and stuff around it to dress it up. Well, until recently it's been sitting in the garage. But, Kevin opened the top, added some hinges and a knob. It's going to be a bird house toy box! :)

There are other things I want to do around this house... new carpet in the master bedroom, paint Lea's bathroom, add crown moulding in the master bedroom, etc. I doubt we'll get to everything before we move and even then there will always be something in another house. That's just the way it goes when you own a house! So, I have to find smaller scale projects to keep me busy (and happy). Like this buffet table staring at me while I type this. I think that will be my next project. It should be easy to do and won't cost much. I just need to find the time... and convince Kevin! :)

Family!

2011-02-21T21:38:00.000-05:00

Hair Bows

2011-02-20T22:43:00.000-05:00

When Lea had just enough hair to wear clips and bows, I started making some. But, like most craft projects, I got bored and stopped. Until recently... I started making a few more. It's really easy and a lot of fun. Here are two of my favorites that I made last week.

And, here's my little princess just as we were getting ready to leave the house one morning. Lea decided that she needed her necklace, bracelets and purse... :)

Ok... one more! This is the same day. She has recently discovered stickers and will spend quite some time sticking them to this poster paper, then picking them off so she can re-stick them, again. (And don't you just love her shoes!?)

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T10:49:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Kevin and I had a great date-night, thanks to Gaga and Papa Thomas. We went to see Black Swan (really intense movie!) and then got ice cream afterwards. Tonight, Kevin is starting a daddy/daughter Valentine's date. He's taking Lea to Chick-fil-a for dinner... he even had to make a reservation on their web site! Too cute, I know. ;)

We've been busy lately... valentine party play-dates, the circus, grooming Bailey (which is an all-day affair), movie & ice cream date without Lea and playing at the park. It was a fun weekend! But... Kevin had to head back to the office today. :( Lea woke up bright and early to tell him good-bye. I hope she doesn't think this will be the norm from now on. I need her to stay in bed until 8 am... I ~~have to have~~ need a half hour to myself in the mornings! Is that too much to ask for? And... NO... I will not be getting up before 7 am. It's hard enough for me to get up at 7:30 am.

Anyhow, I digress. Here are some pics from our fun weekend...

Enjoying cookies w/ her friend Caleb.

Meeting her first clown at her first circus!

Watching the trapeez artists at the circus.

Playing at the park.

The next picture was my (failed) attempt at getting a family shot. I find a place to set the camera, set it on a 10 sec. timer and run to place.... just then, Lea starts screaming, Bailey turns around and I blink. Seriously? Zoom in... it's pretty funny. :)

I love her eyes!

Lea has been busy, too. Lately she has really shown more interest in trying to say more words. The words she has down pat are as follows:

Mommy
Daddy
Bay-me (Bailey)
Gaga (Grandma)
Papa
Bup (Up)
Uh-oh
Duhm (Down)
Muh (More & Milk)
Bub-bub (Bubbles)
K-k (Cookie... she just makes the "k" sound twice)

Now, her new words... like, all of a sudden the past couple weeks, are:

Papi (Pacifier)

Tut-uh (Turtle)
No (Snow)
Pie-pee (Piper... my brother's dog, who they often call Pipee)
Bown (Brownie)
Peee (Please)
Cheee (Cheese... like, when you take a picture!)

I love hearing her try to say new words! I really need to write them down and keep up with it because it's getting hard to remember them all.

To Cook or Not to Cook...

2011-02-08T15:10:00.001-05:00

I don't like to cook.

There, I said it! It's one of those things that I wish I did like, but I really don't. I can make some great cookies (and actually made delicous cheesecake brownies from scratch on Sunday!), but cooking a meal is another story. I love to eat and I actually like to eat healthy foods, but it's so much faster & easier to grab a frozen pizza and a handful of ~~baby carrots~~ chips.

I'm trying to make an effort to cook more, though... especially now that I am a stay-at-home mom. I found this cool site called Super Cook where you can enter items that you have in your kitchen and they will give you a list of recipes that you can make with those items. Last night I tried a chicken recipe (it was just ok) and tonight I'm doing pork chops. If it's not easy, I won't make it. I think tomorrow I'll make vegetable beef soup... from scratch, not from a can. How hard can that be? Beef, frozen veggies, beef broth, a little pasta and some seasoning. I can do that! (right?)

Currently, Lea eats the best in our family. If we have McDonald's, she has homemade chicken nuggets, peas and baked sweet potatoes. I want to change that. I want us ALL to eat well & healthy. We deserve it, right!?

I need some encouragement and inspiration to keep going. What are some of your favorite (easy) recipes and what are your time saving tips when making dinner?

Lea enjoying (not-so-healthy) conch fritters in FL.

Home, again!

2011-02-05T19:54:00.000-05:00

Lea and I had a fabulous time in the Keys. The only thing that could have made it better would have been if Kevin was there, too. After a couple "cold" days (the high was only in the upper 60's!... I'm being a little sarcastic, but it was chilly & windy), the weather was warm and wonderful. Each morning we called the manatees and a few mornings we took the boat to a local restaurant for breakfast on the water. Lea tolerated her life vest much better than I had anticipated. We spent our time playing in the sun, out in the boat and just lounging around the house. It was really great to see Uncle Dave & Aunt Sarah. When they arrived, Lea immediately started to "show off" all her tricks. It was adorable. Lea is becoming more and more independent every day and she is trying to say more things, too... like "Da" for Uncle Dave and "PeePee" for their dog Piper. Oh, my Uncle Chick and Aunt Bobbie were there with their dog Brad, too. Brad is a big, chocolate lab. Lea just loved to crawl all over Brad and especially liked it when his tail would hit her in the face. She would stand right behind him just so it would. :)

Here are some pics from our trip...

Our house on the canal.

Watching the manatees in our back ~~yard~~ canal.

Giving the manatees water from the hose.
Who knew they drank fresh water?

This is Charlie... see the cut on his tail.
He came by almost every day.

Feeding the seagulls.

Driving the boat with Papa.

Hanging out with Uncle Dave & Aunt Sarah.

Walking with Gaga and Papa.

Looking at the water with Uncle Dave.

Aunt Sarah and Piper in the boat.

Eating breakfast with Mommy.

So, we're back home now and missing the manatees. It was so much fun walking out the back door, right to the water. I think we'll move to the beach! ;)

I just love this pic! :)

Charlie!

2011-01-27T15:07:00.000-05:00

We are having a great time in the Keys! However, I am still fighting this cold and poor Lea's cold took a turn for the worse today. Hopefully this will be the worst of it for her... she's on day 4 (I'm on day 10).

Our place is right on the water... a canal... I mean, right on the water. Just walk about 10 feet from the back door and you're there! The coolest part is, manatees come up to the house every day. Apparently they like to drink fresh water, so they come to drink from the water hose. They are SO cool! You can pet them and feed them lettuce, but if you try to get in he water with them, they take off. One afternoon, Lea and I were looking for them and I told her to call them... she yelled out "Chaaarlieeee!" (at least, that's what it sounded like), so we've named one of the manatees Charlie. :)

I can't post pics b/c I don't have my laptop (I'm at McDonald's w/ my dad's laptop now), but I am getting some great shots w/ my new camera! Including cool pics of Lea feeding seagulls on the beach yesterday.

FL Bound

2011-01-23T20:37:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow afternoon Lea and I will be on a plane heading south. I can not wait for some warm weather, good seafood and no computers! That's right, my trusty laptop will not be tagging along. I'm a little worried about withdrawals, but I think I'll be just fine after a couple days. (I hope!)

So, I hope everyone has a fabulous two weeks ahead. I'll report back with fun photos and stories the second week in February!

Bye-bye! ;)

My Beautiful Girl

2011-01-20T20:13:00.001-05:00

I just LOVE this picture of Lea! If you zoom in, you can see the perfection of her smooth skin, the bright twinkle in her eyes, each delicate eyelash and her shining, golden hair. I am in love.

On another note, this cold is seriously kicking my ass. It doesn't help that I am alone with Lea this whole week. I feel like crap, but Lea is still trucking! Her immune system ROCKS. I am praying that it continues to rock and keeps fighting off my nasty cold. (My nasty cold that is causing me a tight chest, coughing, congestion, runny nose, throbbing head and lack of energy.... there, I got my time to complain!).

Quick Cold Update

2011-01-19T20:07:00.000-05:00

While my cold has gotten considerably worse, little Lea has, so far, escaped the wrath of this cold. She did have a terrible fever ALL day yesterday and spent the entire day laying on the floor...

It was pretty sad. She whimpered and moaned all day. She had no energy at all. She didn't smile, she didn't laugh, she didn't talk. However, when I went in to get her up from a nap, her little hand popped up to wave at me. :)

This morning, it was like yesterday never even happened. Lea woke up as happy and energetic as ever! I am still praying that she doesn't catch my cold, though... I have been very careful about covering my cough, washing my hands and not sharing any food/drink with Lea. Keep your fingers crossed for us! We leave for FL in five days (but who's counting?!).

Cold

2011-01-18T08:43:00.000-05:00

Oh, no. I have a cold. It started yesterday with some coughing, then this morning it was confirmed. The last time I had a cold was just before Christmas. It wasn't really a bad one but it did last 7 or 8 days. I am just praying that Lea doesn't get my cold (she didn't get it last time!) and this thing clears up before our big trip to Florida. We've got boat loads of vitamin C and tons of Clorox wipes & Lysol... so hopefully the odds are good that this nasty cold virus won't get far.

Did I mention Florida before? Lea and I are going to the Keys for two weeks! I can't wait to be in 78 degree weather. I am sick (literally) & tired of winter this year. My parents decided to rent a huge beach house with my aunt & uncle for the month of January. Come February they will move into a smaller beach cottage for the month, so Lea and I are heading down there before they move. :) It should be a great time as my brother & sister-in-law will be there, too.

So, here's a note to this cold...

Dear Cold,

I ~~would appreciate it~~ have to demand that your visit be short. You are not welcome here! Please gather your things (including your runny nose, cough and congestion) and leave as soon as possible. Oh... and another thing, if you even come close to my daughter, you will regret it! (yes, that is a threat)

Thanks for nothing,
Jess

Waiting for Daddy

2011-01-14T16:16:00.000-05:00

Since Kevin has been traveling a lot recently, Lea has spent a lot of time looking for him. She wakes up in the morning and calls, "Da-da!"... she looks around the house and calls, "Da-da?"... and every single time the phone rings, she jumps up in total excitment and screams, "DA-DAAA!" while running to the phone. :) He finally comes home (late) tonight. Lea will be so happy to see him in the morning!

Here's a few pics of Lea playing and reading today...

Mmmm, Cookie!

Growth Chart Completed!

2011-01-14T16:03:00.000-05:00

Here's the growth chart completely painted. Now I just need to decide how to hang it. I think I'll tack a pretty ribbon onto the back of each top corner, then hang it on the wall from the ribbon.

Yes, the letters are a little wonky but I did them freehand... it gives it character. :)

Wooden Growth Chart

2011-01-10T18:01:00.001-05:00

I've started (and almost completed) the growth chart for Lea! Here's what I've done so far...

The pictures are pretty self explanatory so I won't bother explaining what I've done. :) I'll post more pics once it's finished.

Bird House Bow Holder

2011-01-05T16:11:00.000-05:00

It's finished! Here's the adorable bird house bow holder I made for Lea's bathroom...

Pictures!

2011-01-05T15:30:00.001-05:00

Here's some cute pics of Lea from the past couple of days. (I am loving my new camera!)

Lea and Keat

I have always been a big picture taker and now with my new camera, I am taking even more pictures. So, the question is... how do you know what pictures to keep and what pictures to get rid of? I certainly can't keep them all! This has been a problem of mine for awhile. And not with just pictures. I tend to keep things for sentimental value... even if there's hardly any sentiment. I have pictures from 6 years ago that are so blurry you can hardly tell who's in them. But I can't get rid of them... those were taken when Kevin and I were just dating. See my problem? So, seriously. How can I make myself purge all the "bad" pictures and just keep the really good ones???

Gettin' Crafty... again.

2011-01-04T22:14:00.001-05:00

I have the "craft bug", again. Today I decided to make a hair bow holder for Lea's bathroom. Now that her hair is getting longer, she can actually wear more bows. I need to start putting a bow in her hair every single morning so she'll get used to it. Sometimes she'll leave it alone, but she usually ends up pulling it out and chewing on it.

Anyhow... a bow holder... I've been wanting one for Lea's bows but never saw one that I really liked, and quite honestly, didn't want to spend money on one. It's no secret; I am thrifty. So, I decided to use one of the little wooden bird houses that I painted for Lea's 1st birthday party. I painted some little flowers around it and then hot glued pretty ribbons to hang off the bottom. Now I just need to tack a hanger thingy on the back so I can hang it on the wall. It's super cute! I'll post a pic once it's up. :)

If you think that's the only craft project up my sleeve right now, you are so mistaken. I recently got supplies to make a custom growth chart, too. I have seen several that I like, but they are pretty expensive. So, I'm going to make one! I'll use the paint and stencils that I made for Lea's nursery. I think I'll put her name on it, too. :) Yes, I'll post pics of it when it's done! I'm hoping to have it done by the end of the month. Here's a pic of my inspiration...

New Year Already?

2010-12-29T23:13:00.000-05:00

We had a fabulous Christmas! We hopped from house to house over several days and spent a lot of time with our families. Lea had a blast and handled all the mayhem very well. Bailey, on the other hand, hated it and spent most of the time hiding under tables or beds and behind sofa cushions. :) Now, time for some picture overload...

Cousins!

Lea's three favorite gifts were, in no particular order, a custom made rocking chair, a pillow pet and a Leapster lap top.

Skyping with Uncle Dave & Aunt Sarah

Playing in the snow!

It's hard to believe that a new year is right around the corner. So many wonderful things happened in 2010, I can only pray that 2011 will be just as good. I'm not really one for "new year's resolutions" but I did make a list of things I want to do and places I want to go this coming year. It's a list of fun things to do as a family... things like going to the zoo, camping at the lake and visiting family in FL and NM. I am looking forward to this new year and watching little Lea grow & learn even more... is that even possible? She's already changed so much! She just had her 15 month well check right before Christmas. 25th percentile for weight and 70th percentile for height. The doctor said she's perfect... but we already knew that. ;)

Yay, Christmas!

2010-12-23T20:14:00.001-05:00

I am SO excited for Christmas this year!

Kevin came home today after two weeks in NJ (with a short weekend home in the middle). Now it feels like Christmas. ;) Lea and Bailey were so, so very excited to see Daddy walking up to the back door today. Kevin brought Lea a little stuffed giraffe from his trip and Lea just loves it.

When you have a little dog that isn't so crazy about a toddler in the house, it's kinda hard to get a good picture of them together...

This was the best I got! lol

Our Christmas shopping is all done... gift wrapping is almost done... we might actually get some snow flurries on Christmas day... plans are all set for the next several days... and Kevin remembered that I had a tub full of old stuffed animals & dolls in the attic so Lea will be getting several more surprises from Santa! YAY!

Merry Christmas!!!

Lea's ready to open some presents!

More words...

2010-12-21T10:08:00.000-05:00

Lea continues to say new words every day. She usually just says the first syllable of a word, but I read that any sound they make consistently for the same thing is considered a word.

Last night, as she was playing in a bubble bath, I asked her to say 'bubble'.... she immediately said "bub-bub". :)

Another thing she's into right now is her stuffed animals. She's always loved soft, fluffy stuffed animals but recently she's really been interacting with them. Almost every day she will line them all up on the sofa (or chair or floor). She makes sure they are sitting upright and gets mad if they fall over, then she talks to them. Yesterday, I am pretty sure she was scolding monkey. Her little finger was pointing in his face and she raised her babbling voice. Then, she stepped back, waited a second and proceeded to clap her hands at him so I guess monkey apologized to her. lol

Here's some adorable pics of Lea taking care of Grover...

"Want some milk, Grover?"

I'm Lovin' It!

2010-12-17T12:33:00.000-05:00

I am really enjoying being at home with Lea. She is learning so, so much these days. Just yesterday she learned how to say "grape" (actually, she says "Gggrray").

This morning, as I was working in the kitchen, I heard Lea groaning. She sounded like she was in a little distress, so I peaked into the living room. When I saw what happened, I immediately grabbed my camera (like any caring mother would) so I could capture this....

"Help, Mama! I'm stuck!"

Lea & her stroller

2010-12-16T11:52:00.000-05:00

Here's a cute video of Lea playing this morning. This is one of her new games... she pushes her little stroller around the house and then over to me so she can go "under the bridge" (i.e. my legs)!

Little Stinker Review

2010-12-14T11:40:00.001-05:00

"Ew... what's that smell? Uh oh... I think the baby needs a diaper change... Not It!!!"

We've all been there, more than once. You get a nice whiff of a stinky diaper and proclaim that it's not your turn! With a 15 month old that will eat almost anything, I have been in that situation more than I can count on all my fingers and toes. I thought nothing could make stinky diaper changes more bearable. Until...

I met Kathy Dalton, CMO of Little Stinker, at the first annual EVO '10 conference. Kathy joined two other parents to form an alliance and rid the world of stinky kids. Little Stinker makes products that are natural and organic.

When Kathy first told me about her Baby Butt Spray, I was pretty skeptical. At that point, Lea was still nursing and her dirty diapers really weren't that stinky. Fast forward a few months when Lea was completely weaned and began eating almost anything.... let's just say dirty diapers took on a new meaning. Little Stinker Baby Butt Spray to the rescue! Seriously, this stuff is amazing. It's made with yummy, organic extracts like blueberry, aloe, cucumber and apple. The Lavender/Vanilla scent perfectly camouflages stinky smells while also being light and gentle enough so it's not irritating. I can't say enough good things about it... and I can't bear another dirty diaper change without it, either! You know how your baby has that particular smell that just melts your heart? It could be a special baby shampoo or laundry detergent you use. When you smell it, you know that's your baby. Well, this spray is now that for my little Lea.

Check out Little Stinker online. They have a Natural Nursing Balm and Cooling Breast Cream for nursing moms, too. These would make fabulous stocking stuffers!

Disclaimer: This review is based on my own personal opinions and experiences. I received a sample of the above mentioned product and no other form of compensation.

Words!

2010-12-08T13:36:00.000-05:00

Lea is finally starting to say some words. I think her first word was 'Dada' and now she sometimes even says 'Daddy'. She calls me 'Mama' now, too. It melts my heart every time! Every night at dinner, we tell Bailey to "Get!" while pointing into the living room (we don't allow Bailey to sit by the table while we're eating). Well, wouldn't you know that Lea decided that would be her second word... "Git!" she yells, while pointing at the dog. lol

Lea is still signing for some things, such as 'more', 'up', 'all done', 'hungry' and 'milk' so I am now saying to her, "Can you say it in words?" when she signs. It actually worked! Yesterday Lea was holding her arms in the air (asking to get up from her high chair) and I asked her to say "Up, please." Next thing you know, she said 'Bup!' :) I am also working on 'milk' so I'll let you know how that goes.

Here's a list of words and sounds that Lea currently knows (she'll be 15 months old on Dec. 19th):

Words
Dada
Daddy
Mama
Git (Get)
Papa
Ga (Grandma)
Bup (Up)
Muh (Milk)

Sounds
Uh-uh (dog)
High pitched squeal (cat and bird)
Ggrrrrh (lion, bear, pirate)
Schhh (snake)
HmHmHm (Santa)

I feel like I am forgetting some sounds! She also waves at EVERYONE and sometimes she just waves at no one. She can blow kisses and she likes to give a kiss to anything... she kisses her stuffed animals, Bailey, books, etc. She gives sweet, short hugs and will sometimes run over and just give you a quick hug for no reason. I love it! She is starting to do the hand gestures when we sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider". When anyone laughs, she has to laugh along. It's like she's saying, "I don't know what's so funny but I'm not going to be left out!" And, she dances.... a lot. Her moves are evolving. She used to just sort of bounce/ bop in place but now she's adding some arms and even some twirls. She loves music and will stop in her tracks to dance if she hears any type of music. :)

Friday morning we're going to see Santa. I've been showing her pictures of Santas and talking about him a lot so I hope I am preparing her a little bit. It should be interesting. I imagine it could go one extreme or the other!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

2010-12-01T12:20:00.000-05:00

We kicked off our holiday season with Lea's very first Christmas parade. She loved the big bands, drums, trucks, dogs and flags flying around...

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend. It started with Grandma Sue's side of the family the Sunday before Thanksgiving... about two dozen kids and just as many adults! After an amazing pot-luck lunch, all the kids headed outside to play. Lea fit right in as she followed the big kids around.

Wednesday night we headed to Aunt Jill & Uncle Chris' for super yummy spaghetti, lasagna, salad and bread. Lea really has a blast playing with her cousins and this visit was no exception.

Cousin Kristin making Lea laugh!

Thursday morning we headed to Grandma Sue and Papa Gene's house for another delicious meal and Lea got to play with her cousins again! Friday we spent the day cleaning and decorating for Christmas until Gramma Deb and PopPop came up for dinner. Then, Saturday we headed down to their house for Thanksgiving dinner with Aunt Sarah and Uncle Dave. It was so wonderful to see them! Lea warmed right up to them and we all had a blast playing outside in the leaves. The weather has been just perfect the past week. We stayed so late that Lea got her jammies on before we went home. :) Sunday morning, everyone came up to our house for breakfast and one last visit before Aunt Sarah and Uncle Dave had to go back to New Mexico. We miss them already!

Now... Monday morning came along and Kevin headed back to work... but not me! It was my first official day as a stay-at-home mom. Lea and I have continued our busy trend with play dates, flu shots, grocery shopping, cookie baking, house cleaning and, yes... even laundry. :) So far, I am really enjoying my "extended vacation". We'll see what tune I'm signing after the holiday hustle and bustle.

Here's a few more pictures from the past week...

Lea got her very own Christmas tree!

Playing outside with Uncle Dave.

Lea LOVES running through the leaves!

More, Please!

2010-11-25T20:05:00.000-05:00

This video is a little over a month old, but I thought it was fitting for Thanksgiving... and it's just really cute!

Crack the Door

2010-11-17T20:20:00.000-05:00

When Lea was about 6 months old a couple of friends tried to talk us into getting a video monitor. At the time, all we had was a cheap little Fisher Price monitor that wasn't even wireless. We live in a fairly small house so it worked fine.

About that time, though, was also when we began trying to do a little "sleep training" with Lea. I've never been comfortable with letting her "cry it out"... but I was ok with letting her fuss and cry gently for a little bit before showing my face to her. At least... I thought I was ok. My limit was 20 minutes... if she was still upset after 20 minutes, I had to go in there! Those 20 minutes seemed like an eternity. So, after a couple nights, we decided to look into video monitors.

Holy cow! Those things are not cheap! There was no way we were going to fork over a couple hundred dollars for a video monitor in our small house... seemed like a luxury we could do without.

Until.... one day when we were checking out the deals at the local children's consignment store... there was a video monitor for $40!!! We tested it out in the store and took it home a few minutes later.

How did we ever live without a video monitor before? It was like reality tv at it's best. Kevin and I sat in front of that thing for hours (ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration) just watching little Lea sleep. It really did help us with the "sleep training" transition.

Needless to say, I am so glad we got it. I love being able to check out Lea any time I hear a little noise. Recently she's had some trouble sleeping again. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. My mother (who helps watch Lea while I am at work) suggested leaving her bedroom door cracked when she's sleeping. So, recently, we've tried that and it worked! Tonight, after a book and a little rocking, I put Lea in her crib, wide awake, gave her a kiss and said good night as I walked out... leaving the door cracked about two inches. I came downstairs to check her out on the video monitor. She didn't make a peep... just sat up to see if the door was cracked and then laid down for the night. :)

So, if you're considering a video monitor, I highly recommend it... if, of course, you can find a good deal!

Gender Roles

2010-11-15T21:58:00.000-05:00

As Lea gets older, I have really been thinking about gender roles. Yes, Lea is a girl... she has lots of pink things and almost always wears something pink every day. However, I do try to incorporate "boy things" in her life, too. Such as books about trucks and toy cars. I don't really care if she is a "girlie-girl" or a "tom-boy"... I'll be happy either way... honestly. But, I want her to decide which way she wants to be.

Sometimes I wonder if she has too many "girl toys". The child loves to play with jewelry and prances around the house with her pearls on... but where did she get that from? Perhaps she watches Mommy and Gramma put jewelry on and wants to copy us. Lea recently received a gift of an adorable play purse. It has things in it like play money, a mirror, bracelet, keys and pretend lipstick.... yes, lipstick. To top it off, it sings a song about going out that says, "Look into the mirror, put my lipstick on. It's time to say bye-bye. I won't be gone too long." Um... something about that just doesn't sit right with me. I do not want my beautiful little girl to think she needs to put on make up before she goes somewhere!

Ok, ok... I totally understand that I am being a hypocrite... I mean, I put on make up before I leave the house (and yes, Lea sometimes watches me). But, how am I supposed to raise a little girl to ~~think~~ know that she is beautiful the way she is when her own mommy doesn't always represent that in herself?

So, what do you think? Is this important to you or do you think I am over analyzing the subject (like I usually tend to do!)?

Para-what?

2010-11-09T21:04:00.001-05:00

Parabens.

I've been hearing some talk about parabens recently and wanted to do a little research to find out what all the hoopla was about. This is what I have found in a nutshell...

What the heck are parabens?

Parabens are synthetic preservatives used in lots of products; most commonly cosmetics such as moisturizers, shampoos and deodorants. Several types of parabens exist: butylparaben, ethylparaben and methylparaben, to name a few. If some type of preservative wasn't used in a any given product that contains water, then it would mold and grow bacteria over time. Typically, the amount of preservative used in a product is very low. There are natural preservatives, such as some essential oils, that have anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties, however they often require high concentrations, don't last as long and are only useful against some bacteria/molds/etc. Parabens have been used for over 50 years, only require minimal amounts to be effective and are cheap.

So, what's the problem with using parabens?

Studies have shown that parabens have weak estrogen-like properties. Since this female hormone is known to cause breast cells to grow and divide, the concern is that parabens may be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Unfortunately, only one small study on this was conducted back in 2004 and the findings were basically inconclusive because of several factors that were overlooked. Larger studies must be done to find out if parabens really have any effect on breast cancer risks.

You want my personal opinion? I'll wait to see some solid study results before jumping to conclusions. It seems like there is always something new that people are worried about and I would just rather not live my life worrying about things unless I have to! You decide for yourself, do what you want, and we'll all be happy. :)

Big Changes

2010-11-07T21:18:00.001-05:00

When Kevin and I were dating, I told him that I wasn't so sure I wanted children... yup, I didn't think I wanted any kids. He in turn said that he knew he wanted kids one day. We left it at that and didn't talk much more about it until after we got married. Then, the tables turned... my biological clock started ticking like crazy and I wanted babies! However, Kevin wasn't so sure.

Fast forward a few years (including a really hard year of struggling with infertility issues) and little Lea joined our family. :)

I always knew that I wanted to be a "stay-at-home mommy" but I didn't know if it would ever be possible. I was fortunate enough to have my mom stay at home with me and I always knew that I wanted my children to have the same experiences. Obviously, there are pros and cons for every situation... one of which being finances, so when little Lea was just over three months old, I returned to work part-time.

On the outside, it seemed as though I had the best of both worlds. I was home with Lea all day Friday through Sunday and worked about five to six hours a day Monday through Thursday. But, on the inside I was not happy. Every morning was a huge internal struggle for me...I felt so incredibly guilty leaving my baby (even though I was leaving her with my own mother and mother-in-law... that helped lots!), something inside me just didn't feel right.

After almost eleven months of long, procrastinating breakfasts with Lea, we have decided that it's time for me to stay home!!! I am beyond excited about this new adventure. It's been a long time coming and something I have always dreamed about. My last day working will be November 23rd, the day before Thanksgiving. Now, I won't lie... I am a little nervous, too. It will be strange not having somewhere to go each day, no deadlines and no time sheets. I know it will take some time to get used to it. I have no doubts that Lea and I will make a great team, though.

I've already started to get play dates and activities on the calendar for us. I think it will be important to keep a little busy. Luckily, we live in a great area with lots of children around. There's fun things to do at the local cultural center and even a nice play ground two blocks down from our house. I'm determined not to let the cold weather keep us in... we'll just have to bundle up!

Here's some adorable pictures of Lea testing out her winter wear...

I just got Lea some new hats and dug out some more of her winter clothes so I'll have plenty more "bundled up" pictures to come. :)

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T22:06:00.000-04:00

This is Lea's second Halloween... but the first Halloween she has gone trick-or-treating! I wasn't really sure what to expect from a 13 month old and wasn't actually planning on trick-or-treating. The plan was just to walk around the block and check out all the other kids trick-or-treating....

After the first house, though (saying hi to the neighbors) and seeing all the other kids, Lea was so excited and ready go. She carried her little pumpkin bucket and walked (almost) the entire time. She really had a blast... knocking on doors and waving at everyone. We all had a great time! I can only imagine how much fun next Halloween will be. :)

Lea also helped me carve a pumpkin today.

Yesterday we had fun at a fall festival with Lea's friend, Josh.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!