Thursday Means One Thing...

Tomorrow is Friday! I love Fridays especially when there are exciting things to look forward to on the weekend. This weekend we will celebrate an extra special 5th birthday at a bowling alley, and then we will be heading down the shore for our first overnight of what I hope will be many this summer. I have the waffle maker packed and ready to go for our first Sunday morning shore breakfast.

I am a little worried that it will put me in summer mode because I still have about 7 weeks of school left to mentally prepare for.  It should go rather quickly because this is the busiest time of year for a teacher. I am trying to squeeze in as much teaching as I can before end of the year assessments, getting ready for next year's placements, report cards, etc. 7 weeks are going to fly by!

This weekend will be Baby Kay's first trip to Ocean City. I am sure she won't see or do much, but it is just an exciting feeling to know that she will grow up with so many wonderful memories from her trips to the shore.

Tonight, I was going through some old pictures of Kay, and I cannot believe how much she has changed in 6 short months. In some of the pictures, she looks scary small so much so that I can't even post them. I am excited to take pictures of her this summer and compare how much she has grown.

I cannot wait for her 6 month appointment. At the appointment, she will be closer to 7 months, but it was the only time we could get an appointment with the doctor of our choice. I have been dying to get there and hear all about how wonderfully my baby girl is doing. She eats like a champ, sleeps fabulously through the night, and is a happy, healthy baby on a nice schedule. Could she be any more perfect?

Visit With Friends

This weekend, we had such a great time with great friends. My friend Angela (aka superwoman) and her family had my sweet little family over for dinner. When we arrived, the Lloyd sisters met us with hugs at the door. They were so happy to see Baby Kay. Look at these cuties.

The girls took to Dave quickly too! He loved playing with them and watching them together. Daddy is so great with all kids so I am not surprised. I LOVED having our families together. It made me look forward to the future with our kids playing together and growing close. Daddy and I talked the whole way home about how cute the girls were and the funny things they do and say. It made my heart pang for another little girl so Kay will have a sister.

I can see them in a few years ... the three amigos causing trouble. 

It was our first grilling day of the year! It had rained all day, but when we got to the Lloyd's house it was beautiful! Lucky us! Dinner was great and wait until you see the dessert that superwoman made. She amazes me. Seriously. When does she have the time? I don't know, but I sure am glad she did because the cake was frickin' awesome. OMG to die for...go here for a peek at the deliciousness.

Thanks for having us Lloyd family! We love you and we are looking forward to a very special bowling party!

The Lloyd sisters with their momma! 

Happy Easter

There is a happy, little bunny in our house this Easter. She is SO close to crawling, and I can't believe I have to go back to work tomorrow! I just know I am gonna miss her really taking off! This Easter was so nice. We had such a lovely day, and it was the hottest Easter I can remember.

This morning, Daddy let me sleep in and it felt wonderful! I woke up around 8:30 and I felt so refreshed! The baby is an early riser (no matter what time she goes to bed) so we are trying to change our lifestyle. You know... trying to not stay up until midnight watching trashy tv... that is one hard habit to break.

Daddy came home with a large Dunkin Donuts coffee for me, and I couldn't have started my day any better. DD coffee and my baby girl. My heart just melts thinking of our robed, lounging mornings playing so much that we end up drinking the coffee cold.

Lounging in pj's

After feeding and playing with Kay, I showered and ran to the food store to pick up a few things while the baby napped. I wish every day was Easter because the store was empty, and it was so easy to grab the few things I needed. I finished making a delicious cake for Easter dinner, and we were on our way to Mom Mom and Poppy's house.

This pretty girl looked so gorgeous in her Easter dress. This was the first dress that I bought for Kay when I found out I was having a girl. I saw in on Gilt, and I had to have it! That was one of the only times that I refreshed my page over and over to make sure I got to the Halabaloo sale first!  I was SO glad it fit her for Easter. What a cutie in her Easter dress! She didn't need the sweater for long because today was hot!!!!

After visiting with our family and watching everyone laugh, love on the baby, and chat about summer plans, I felt happy and hopeful. School really is winding down and this week was such a nice preview to summer. When we came home, we were ready to relax. Kay went to bed early tonight. She had a busy weekend for a little girl. As I type this, there is a thunderstorm outside and I hear Carrie Underwood lullabies playing from the monitor with a sweet sleeping baby who hasn't moved since we placed her in her crib. I am loving life right now. I hope you had a lovely Easter filled with love and laughter.

Inch By Inch

Watching babies grow and explore their world is amazing to me. Have you seen the documentary Babies? It is incredible to watch how babies interact with the world around them. Baby Kay is truly starting to notice and explore everything. She is grabbing at everything I have in my hands and everything that is near her. I have to really watch what I put on the counter! No more coffee close by.

She is also starting to explore the world on the floor. She is showing so many signs of crawling (I think).

She is getting up on her hands and knees. It is too cute. She rocks back and forth like she is going to propel herself forward. She is starting to get frustrated too because she is just not moving. She should be crawling any day now. Look at this sweet girl and she is learning to move slowly but surely. (Sorry the video is a little long)

Spring Break Chill

The past two days have been cold. Not just cold, they have been freezing. I envisioned a warm, sunny spring break with walks and trips. The weather is not cooperating, but I did venture out to our very first hayride and visit with the Easter bunny yesterday! Sorry friends, it was TOO cold and windy to take the blanket off of my little lady to take any pictures. The trip was fun, but it was too chilly to really enjoy it.

We got fed and ready in the morning, and we headed out. We went to Johnson's Farm and met up with some girls that I work with and their kids. I love Johnson's Farm, and I can't wait for a few more weeks to copy my friend Angela and visit the farm to pick the sweet strawberries and blueberries with Kay! Yesterday, it was our first time at the farm this year. We took a hayride for the kids to have an Easter Egg hunt. Sweet little Kay slept through it hidden under a little blanket. After that, we visited with the Easter bunny. It was a nice morning out.

We spent the rest of the day out and about. My friend Sabrina and I strolled through the mall and had lunch. Whenever we get together, we spend hours shopping and talking until the husband's start texting and calling! At night, we had dinner with Grammy at The Pop Shop! I am obsessed with The Pop Shop, and I am already planning Kay's birthday party there ... maybe her second or third birthday!

After freezing for the whole day, I decided to spend the day at home today. Daddy was home and we got so much checked off from that dreaded to do list. We cleaned and organized and it felt SO good. Plus, I got to spend time loving up on my baby girl! You can't beat that. Another great day with no work. I could get used to this.

Spring Break

I like to think of myself as an ambitious person. I usually have so many things that I want to do and accomplish. This week was no different. My to do list for spring break is ridiculously long, and it includes things like cleaning the grill, shampooing the carpets, bathing the dog, organizing my closet and drawers, you know all things spring cleaning related. I want and NEED to get organized. With all of these new things for Kay, I need to make some space to give the "things" a home. Being a working mommy, it is easy to throw things here, shove some stuff there, and then I end up with a mess and anxiety. Yesterday, I was ready to go, and then I realized with a baby it is a little hard to take a whole day to clean and organize.

Yesterday was my first day of break, and it whizzed by. When the day started I was full of hope! My first job that I decided to undertake was the baby's room. I still haven't "finished" it yet, and I realized I would love to get it finished and share it on this here little blog. So I decided to start putting some things away, and I HAD to organize and go through her clothes. When we woke up, I couldn't pull myself away from playing with her all morning. I realized how much I miss being with her every day, and I knew my goals for the week were going to be shot.

As the baby went down for her nap, I decided to start going through her clothes. I got to the point where I had a huge pile of clothes on the floor, and Kay decided it was time to get up! I didn't get very far! So I decided to try to finish while she was in the room.

Every time I turned around, she had scooted herself to get my cell phone or a hanger or a shirt. She is good at pulling herself with her arms. She even gets her legs tucked under her like she wants to crawl, but then she doesn't know what to do! I wonder if these are the beginning stages of crawling.

So we stopped putting the clothes away, and we had fun trying on some of our new outfits. By the end of the day, I was successful at putting her new clothes away and her old clothes packed away. At this rate, tackling my to do list doesn't seem like it is going to happen, but with this package of sweetness to be with why should I care? What is more important? Having neat drawers or spending time with Kay?

No answer needed.

Take Me Out To the Ball Game...

Take me out to the crowd
Buy me a blanket and some hot choc-late
I don't care if I miss a comeback

For it's time to leave my dear friends
For tonight has been way too cold!
Cause its one, two, three layers of clothes at the COLD ball game!

Friday night, we had a great time with Tracy and Jay at the Phillies game. It was FREEZING, but we always have fun when we are together. We constantly joke around and laugh our butts off. I actually felt like myself again after a few weeks of the daily grind and never just relaxing and having some fun. It was a nice start to my spring break (minus working today for a snow makeup day). Thanks so much guys! Mommy and Daddy really needed that. We missed the beaner, but she was watching and cheering from home I am sure.

Now, I am working on Daddy...I want him to get summer concert tickets so we can continue to look forward to our date nights.

This weekend went by too fast, and I am just keeping my fingers crossed that my break doesn't go that fast. My to-do list is a MILE long. I hope I get to half of it! Maybe my motivation will come to me as I sleep tonight. A girl can hope. I am really looking forward to being with my baby girl this week! It will be a nice preview to the summer months that I have coming up.

Happy 6 Months!

My baby girl entered this world half a year ago! WOW! Today, she turned 6 months old. I expect her to do a lot changing, a lot of developing, and a lot of growing this month because every and any time I ask when I can expect her to do something, I always here the same answer ..."6 months."

"When will she be able to    fill in the blank   ?" "Oh, 6 months" Why do people always say that?

So this must be a big month!

Happy 6 Months sweet baby girl.

At 6 months you...

* are wearing size 2 diapers.

* weight 14.3 pounds!

* are wearing 3-6 clothes and you just started wearing 9 month Carter's pajamas. You have SO many 6-12 month clothes that I am dying to put you in, but you just aren't quite there yet. It is okay though because they are mostly summer clothes. This weekend, I may just rearrange your dressers and closet and get all of the 6-12 month clothes ready to wear. You are so very close.

* eat like a champ! You have a bottle in the morning at 6:30. You have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then you have a bottle before bed.
For breakfast you eat - oatmeal and fruit plus a small bottle
For lunch you eat - veggies and fruit plus a small bottle
For dinner you eat - veggies plus a small bottle
You have tried pears and bananas. You have tried carrots, sweet potatoes,  and peas. Next, you will have some apples and some winter squash.

* go to sleep at 7:30. You love your bedtime routine and you go to sleep so nicely for mommy and daddy. You started sleeping on your belly! You are much more comfortable that way.

* are truly a happy, smiling baby. You just smile and smile. You love to see your family and you love to play.

* are so beautiful. You have the cutest dimples anyone has ever laid eyes on and your peach fuzz hair makes everyone swoon.

* are starting to get a tooth. You have been drooling so bad your little chin is so dry and sore. You have had a runny nose for a few days and a diaper rash.

* LOVE your mommy and daddy and we LOVE you!
Happy Happy to you!

Reach and Grab

My little girl is so alert. She is reaching and grabbing for everything. She reaches and grabs anything I have in my hands whether it is food, a cell phone, a toy, the remote. She grabs for it all. She reaches out and grabs my face. She warms my heart everyday.

Her new favorite toy is this little piggy. She is becoming obsessed with her feet and toes. She grabs them, pulls them up to her face, and sucks on her little toes.  What an amazing cutie!

But Where Is That Darn Tooth?

86 and sunny. Yup. Too bad I spent the day in my roasting classroom where the air conditioner wasn't working. Quick brainstorm... I would have rather been...

Walking with Kay and Lexi
Playing with Kay
Staring at her beautiful, happy smile
Taking her picture in the sunlight
Shopping outside at outlets
Starting to get my garden prepped for spring flowers
Sitting on my couch watching food network
Getting a massage and a pedicure
Getting a root canal


Daddy is still away, and it was me and the baby tonight again. We had a quick dinner at Grammy's before we came home, and then things turned hairy. This poor little sweetheart was wailing in the car ride...screaming bloody murder. Her little nose is running, she is soaking through clothes and bibs with drool, and the topper ... her little tushy is RED. It looks so sore and painful, and all of these symptoms came on today. It could only mean one thing...
A tooth is on the horizon!

But where is that darn tooth? I can't see it and I can't feel it. She is chomping on the cool teethers like they are going out of style. I know it is coming, it seems a tiny bit rough on her gum. I feel so bad that she is in pain, and I hope the infant tylenol helps her rest. With all the pain and the heat, she is still one happy, sweet little girl.

Don't Forget About This Little Girl...

All she wants is some love and attention. She has been doing so well with Baby Kay. She ignores her for the most part! Every now and then, she will sniff her face or lick her hand. I guess that is all we could ask for. Lexi seems to have a bit of a chip on her shoulder, but she is slowly coming out of it.

She has rejoined the ranks of camp Lexi. She is no longer sleeps alone in the front room.

This little sweetie is just looking for some activity. With the warm weather, I owe this good girl some long walks, some frisbee and chuck-it throwing at the park, and some swims in the lake. I promise little girl that I will make the past few months up to you. I tried to start yesterday, but she could see through me. A few lame attempts at frisbee throwing in the backyard doesn't get me very far, but it is better than nothing.

What's For Dinner?

Over at Crafty Garden Mama, my friend Becky is making her own baby food. I have always wanted to do this for Kay for many reasons, and this post helped inspire me to get my ducks in a row. I hadn't gotten started because I haven't had time to get organized. Working full time as a mama makes it hard to do everything I want to do, but this is one of the things that is important to me. I want to give my baby girl healthy, nutritious meals. I won't even lick my finger if I get some baby food from a jar on it so I figure why do I want to give it to Kay. Hopefully, I can instill good eating habits and work on creating an adventurous eater.

Up until this weekend, I have been giving Kay Earth's Best. So far, she has had carrots, sweet potatoes, and pears.

I have been trying to buy organic, but I am not obsessed with it. I figure if there is an option, I may as well get it. Anyway, I like the packaging. Yes, I am that shallow...I often buy things because I like the packaging. HA! Those cute little jars remind me of what baby food is supposed to look like.

That is until these nifty little doodads.

A not-so-quick trip to BuyBuyBaby helped me get the rest of the things I needed to get started. I really want one of these, but I have an old steamer pot and a food processor so I can't justify it. You know the $200 food processor you put on your wedding registry that has only been used on occasion at your few attempts to make pesto.

Yea, I have one of those. Becky's post gave me a starting point, and it seems she is right. Annabel Karmel is the guru. Check out her website here. I got her App for my phone, and I love it.

Now, would I recommend you paying like 7 bucks for this App? No, and don't ask me why I did. I get App happy what can I say. It is super helpful and it gives so much information, but it doesn't give a TON of recipes. She has the basic ones that I need for first foods. Not sure if I am into the 6-9 month category because there are a ton of fish purees which make me want to vomit worse than jarred baby food, but I LOVE this App. I am sure you could get the recipes with a quick google search or check on her website.

I have purchased some other baby food Apps, and they were horrible. If you are like me and you are not into buying cookbooks...you might like it. So, here's to a day full of chopping, steaming, and pureeing! This little cutie is going to love her food that is made with love (she better!).

Hello.

Sorry it has been a tiring week, but we are still here. We are missing our Daddy today because he is in Denver for a few days. I am sure he misses this cutie pie too.

The weather is starting to change. I hope we are not in the market for any more April showers in the coming days. I am ready to take this show outside. I want to reenergize, refocus, and I want to feel motivated. I am looking for that "I can tackle the world feeling," and I know it comes with the change in weather. At least, the "oh s-h-i-t I have to get in a bathing suit in 2 months feeling will help get me in gear. I have been feeling kind of crappy lately so I could really use some rejuvenation.

It is so funny how when you are pregnant everyone asks about you. They ask how you are feeling and they cater to you. Then, the baby comes into this world not only your mindset changes to put her above all of your own needs, but everyone else's does too. Now, it is "how is the baby?" I love how she has become the center of the universe...yes she IS the center of the universe. "How is the baby?" She is wonderful, but my body is still whacked out almost 6 months later and no one is interested!

My hair is falling out. I mean seriously...my hair is thin enough already. I need every last strand I have. Maybe I should wipe it up off of the bathroom floor and try to make some extensions...no joke...there is that much after I blow dry it. It pretty much disgusts me and my husband.

I have had a headache for a few months now. I had a migraine a few weeks ago. A bad one with seeing spots and all, and now I have had this dull headache. At first, I thought it was from upping my caffeine intake by like a gajillion, but I don't think that is it. I think my body still just isn't right after having the bambino.

I am also having some weird allergy, reaction, arthiritic moment...who the heck knows what is going on, but my hands are swelling and my joints are aching like crazy. The other day I couldn't wear my wedding rings because my hands were killing me. I am going to have to get bloodwork done to rule out Lyme disease and some other things. It is a little scary, but I am sure it is just something odd.

I am ready to get back to my old, semi-healthy self. With spring and summer on the horizon, it is the perfect time to do it. Now, I will have some company as I get myself moving again!

This little girl is moving like crazy so she will be a good partner. She is a rolling machine!

Road Trip

I am curled up in bed with my sweet baby curled up in her crib. The sun hasn't even fully set yet. My eyes are slowly dropping and I know I should be planning for my last observation of the year, but I would rather read blogs and look through pictures from the weekend. The last load of laundry is in the dryer, the suitcases and duffel bags are put away, and all of our toiletries are back in their usual places. Our wonderful but super fast trip to Syracuse is over.

My sweet hubby made the trip with me so that I wouldn't have to be away from the baby because I was going to help a friend celebrate her bridal shower! We left Friday right after school and we got out of Philly quickly before all of the rush hour traffic. The drive was pretty easy and seemed quick. This little bambino of ours didn't make a peep! We were greeted with such a warm welcome from our gracious hosts...minus the Mets gear on the bed! We pretty much went right to sleep when we got there. We were so tired from a dreadful week of work.

Saturday, we ran around like crazy! We did find time to enjoy a few moments in the morning to spend with Baby Kay and my new buddy Max.

I love when my Aunt Claire feeds me! 

Monkey, I love you.

Why are they taking me away from those pears?!? They are delish and nutrish.

After feeding and loving on the baby, it was a race until the last minute to get ready for the shower. We had to run to the mall for a few last minute items...literally...we didn't have one minute to spare. As Claire and I raced to get ready, the boys and little girl relaxed and chilled.

Ready or not...time to go.

After saying goodbye to this little munchkin, we ran out the door. We were in such a rush to get there on time, I forgot my camera :( The shower was so beautiful. It was at the Country Club right on the lake, and it was so pretty! Everything was so perfect for our friend. She looked beautiful and happy, and she handled it all like a champ with the help of chugging some wine. I am so excited for the wedding! 3 months to get in shape!!!!

Baby Kay showed off her rolling skills the whole weekend. She was the best baby a mommy could ask for. She was just the most perfect little girl. She didn't cry or get fussy. She pretty much smiled and giggled the whole time. She loved her host and hostess, and she LOVED Max. She stared at the dog and smiled at him. She was great in the car too. I love showing off this baby.

It was such a quick trip. I didn't get to do half of the things I wanted to do. Daddy and I are going to plan another trip up very soon! Claire and Mike thanks for everything! Baby Kay had a great time on her first road trip!