tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183121452024-03-14T01:04:21.540-05:00Peace of MineYes, you read it correctly... "Peace of Mine", which will serve to be "peace of mind" for me. These are the thoughts and situations of a 31 year-old, divorced...yet happily remarried, hardworking, African-American mother of two.Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-80728236016358745592011-03-09T11:58:00.005-05:002011-10-11T12:33:36.828-05:00Lent 2011Hello all! Long time, no blog, right?<br /><br /><br /><br />Well, today I walked into my boss' office and she asked me what I was giving up for LENT. I was plainly honest and said, "I don't know." I actually have been thinking of it for some time now and for the past couple of years have opted to "do more" of something positive or something to promote my spirtural growth. One of things I always attempt to do is to pray more...have more conversations with God and strengthen my relationship with Him. I genuinely know that the events of my life and how they led me to where I am today were not by accident. I am truly blessed to be living the life I live and have an overwhelming need to be sure I give thanks.<br /><br /><br /><br />Googling on the internet this morning, I came across this list on <a href="http://www.bustedhalo.com/">http://www.bustedhalo.com/</a> about other things to do for Lent besides "give up chocolate." <a href="http://www.bustedhalo.com/features/25-great-things-you-can-do-for-lent">http://www.bustedhalo.com/features/25-great-things-you-can-do-for-lent</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">In this Lenten season, let us reflect on the aspects in our lives that make us believers and remember to focus on the renewal of our spirits. </div><br /><div align="center"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bP8X-Hb0bCo/TpR9kwsQLkI/AAAAAAAAAnA/aRNftugNcDc/s1600/Lent.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662288702010830402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 283px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 269px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bP8X-Hb0bCo/TpR9kwsQLkI/AAAAAAAAAnA/aRNftugNcDc/s400/Lent.gif" border="0" /></a>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-8083975778868138052011-01-10T11:14:00.006-05:002011-10-11T10:51:38.685-05:00Happy New Year!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bcrz_tzgurc/TpQkEonu9WI/AAAAAAAAAmo/RUweHeFJShk/s1600/2010_inPics.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662190293553706338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 225px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bcrz_tzgurc/TpQkEonu9WI/AAAAAAAAAmo/RUweHeFJShk/s400/2010_inPics.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><div align="center"><strong>2010 In Photos...</strong></div><br /><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><br /><div align="center"></div></div>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-26055039129845192032010-09-21T15:25:00.006-05:002011-08-30T16:03:47.113-05:00Can You Believe? Alexander is 3!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BDb8fkXZKVw/TX_T7lybu3I/AAAAAAAAAmI/uA_ytmmkU5k/s1600/Alexander%2B1-3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584415083672091506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 172px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BDb8fkXZKVw/TX_T7lybu3I/AAAAAAAAAmI/uA_ytmmkU5k/s400/Alexander%2B1-3.jpg" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><div align="center"><strong>My Sweet Boy is Growing up Fast... </strong></div>
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<br /><div align="center">Alexander's 3 Year Stats - 31.25lbs and 36 inches tall</div>
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<br /><div align="center">He has totally started coming out of his shell. Although he is still pretty shy around new people, he has been talking much more...in complete sentences...since the summer. </div>
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<br /><div align="center">Alexander is a great big brother and genuinely a delight.</div>
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<br /><div align="center"></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O_d41QMUpPs/Tl1PaZudQPI/AAAAAAAAAmY/hws4EpZNWbY/s1600/AlexLeaves.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646756822793404658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O_d41QMUpPs/Tl1PaZudQPI/AAAAAAAAAmY/hws4EpZNWbY/s400/AlexLeaves.jpg" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-77596129012014004542010-08-08T21:22:00.006-05:002010-10-22T06:03:39.542-05:00It's Official, I'm a P90X Grad!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TMFrhlH40kI/AAAAAAAAAlg/M9OzYp59zgA/s1600/1v90Full_B4Aftr.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530820042032730690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TMFrhlH40kI/AAAAAAAAAlg/M9OzYp59zgA/s400/1v90Full_B4Aftr.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>So, I finished P90X. It was great! So amazed that I was able to stick to it... And I lost all of the baby weight!</div><br /><br /><br /><div>At 90 Days: (August 1, 2010)I have lost a total of 18 lbs. 5 inches off my hips, 3 inches off the chest and 4.5 inches off my waist. There actually isn't much difference between 60 and 90 days. But, I think the extra inch in my waist is a little noticeable. Either way, I feel great and am really proud of myself!!!</div><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TMFrhyCU9ZI/AAAAAAAAAlo/zyZSmwN7wH8/s1600/60v90Full_B4Aftr.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530820045499069842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TMFrhyCU9ZI/AAAAAAAAAlo/zyZSmwN7wH8/s400/60v90Full_B4Aftr.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>At 60 Days: (July 2, 2010)I have lost a total of 13 lbs. 5 inches off my hips, 3 inches off the chest and 3.5 inches off my waist. </div><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TMFsJzKDL-I/AAAAAAAAAlw/vX6Gq5MDvvk/s1600/0v30v60.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530820732994662370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TMFsJzKDL-I/AAAAAAAAAlw/vX6Gq5MDvvk/s400/0v30v60.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The best advice I can give if you're really trying to transform your body and/or lose weight is to be sure to follow the nutrition suggestions/meal plans and the tracks explicitly! I know a lot of people who JUST follow the workouts...others who randomly do the workouts. Seriously, you are not going to look like the folks in the infomercials unless you do what Tony Horton tells you! (Heck, I don't even, because I didn't follow the nutrition guide to the letter.) Regardless, the point is, it will work.<br /><br />Another thing is that it really isn't for everybody. I honestly wouldn't recommend this to anyone who is not already working out/in some kind of decent shape. Not that it's impossible to do, but I think to see results will take a little longer. The best part of the program is that you "Do your best and forget the rest." So, most of the workouts are designed for you to do as much as/as hard as you can and TAKE BREAKS if you need to take them. Not everyone can get through the workouts. I had been working out on my own since November '09 and was in fairly good shape and it took me a week to get through some of the routines without feeling like I was going to die. The ab workout took me 10 times to do it before I could finish without taking a break. So, I'd imagine it would take a novice even longer to get through some of them...and by the time that happens you're already at 30 days.<br /><br />I plan on moving on to something different and coming back to P90X next spring and following the Classic Track. My husband is following the New Rules of Lifting by Lou <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Schuler</span> and is looking phenomenal. I'm going to get the New Rules of Lifting for Women and see how much stronger I can get.<br /><br />Thanks, Tony Horton, for an amazing plan and getting me back into shape FAST. :)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TMFvSWxi0iI/AAAAAAAAAl4/Oh8UCMBRaV0/s1600/Me0810.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530824178529391138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TMFvSWxi0iI/AAAAAAAAAl4/Oh8UCMBRaV0/s400/Me0810.jpg" border="0" /></a>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-32132649125168195032010-06-24T11:57:00.006-05:002010-10-21T22:21:38.875-05:00R.I.P. Uncle BillOn June 15, 2010 the world became a little less sweeter place. My Uncle Bill passed away after a long struggle with illness.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TMD6qZSurfI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/LX5rPPBnXb8/s1600/Bill_102110.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530695948661861874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 310px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 324px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TMD6qZSurfI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/LX5rPPBnXb8/s400/Bill_102110.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Moses <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Locatee</span> Moody, III (Bill)<br />September 6, 1952 - June 15, 2010</center><br /><br />I suppose my deepest regret was that I did not know him better and we lived 2 hours away! What's that about. My fondest memories of him are all of his humor, wit and generosity. Uncle Bill would always send us cards on our birthdays and Christmas and address them as "Master" or "Madame." We always looked forward to those letters... And the visits! They were as random as they come, but welcoming, just the same. Literally, we would find out he was coming within a hour before him showing up at the doorstep. My cousin Colleen could <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">attest</span>...she said he'd even do that when visiting <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Lynchburg</span>. He always had great stories from their childhood and from present day. I loved listening to him talk. Pretty sad that he was always the one that had to take that initiative...<br /><br />The funeral was hard. So much harder than I had imagined. All of the memories and regrets of time lost came flooding over me all at once. Particularly when reading this poem my sister wrote:<br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Why cakes don’t fall (In Tribute to my Uncle Bill) 06/17/10<br /></strong><br />Eggs, water, oil, and a simple cake mix. Time, patience, care and a little love; memories stirred and memories bound. It is forever these moments that will cake my mind like batter coating a pan.<br /><br />Warmest on a cold blustery day, come birthdays and such, when being called madam or master was such a treat. A card had come addressed just to me, like I was so special, like I was being honored.<br /><br />A tear slides down my cheek.<br /><br />His smiles always lit up a room, with a careless wit that was somehow flippant at times but was always genuine.<br /><br />And there sits my cake, mixed and poured, filling the pan, it has bubbles. So as I have been taught, and as my mother was taught by her baby brother, I gently tap, tap, and tap, till the bubbles rise to the surface.<br /><br />My heart begins to ache for all the missed moments.<br /><br />As the bubbles rise I realize that, his face has come to mind, his smile, his mannerisms, and his rough laughter.<br /><br />His hugs, those were so warm even though, he was always so thin. Yet he could wrap you in care with one of those hugs no matter how many years it had been.<br /><br />I wipe cascading tears with the palms of my hands<br /><br />The bubbles have dissipated and the cake is oven ready, my tears have mixed with the batter but I don’t want to discard the cake. I wait while I watch stories and memories that float past my mind’s eye.<br /><br />I watched him from a distance, so strong, confident, such a caring father, devoted son.<br /><br />As the cake slides from the oven, perfect, as it has been so many times before. A glossy surface, perfectly springing back.<br /><br />I watch the cake. Wanting all the memories that flood me, knowing how I’ll miss the hugs, the crossed leg, how wise a face he had. All the things he’d seen, experienced, loved, know, carved into that face.<br /><br />I think the cake has captured me, twenty minutes has gone by and I have not moved. And as that perfect cake lay upon the counter, I know that every cake will have a piece of him in it for the rest of my life.<br /><br />The tears have stopped but the ache remains.</span></div><div align="justify"> </div><span style="font-size:85%;">~Candace Yvette Johnson-Hardy<br /></span><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TMECdehMYSI/AAAAAAAAAlY/AxqvCgeEdx0/s1600/Bill_Collage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530704522819428642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TMECdehMYSI/AAAAAAAAAlY/AxqvCgeEdx0/s400/Bill_Collage.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We love you Uncle Bill. Thank you for always keeping in touch...thank you for always making us smile. You are dearly missed.Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-158986830348479272010-06-02T10:41:00.005-05:002010-09-12T07:32:25.941-05:00P90X - DAY 30!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TIzHZ5N4jfI/AAAAAAAAAlI/rNynYsKi7O8/s1600/30Mid_B4Aftr.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 257px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TIzHZ5N4jfI/AAAAAAAAAlI/rNynYsKi7O8/s400/30Mid_B4Aftr.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516002891291725298" /></a><br /><br />So today marks the 30th day of my P90X adventure. I am so proud of myself!<br /><br />I have lost 9lbs and dropped 2 pants sizes. 3.5 inches off my hips, 1 inch off the chest and 2.5 inches off my waist. <br /><br />The first workout, Core Synergistics, about kicked my butt... I seriously thought I was going to die. When I was done, I was lying on the ground, breathing hard, barely able to move, thinking, "I thought I was in better shape than this...Leonard is going to find me passed out on the floor here in a moment..." LOL But, honestly, the hardest part for me so far is the TIME it takes from my life. I lose close to 2 hours of my night (yes working out after the kids go to bed) doing the DVD and showering...and some times can't go right to sleep. I guess I most proud of my dedication to pressing play every day. That's seriously the key, making sure you press play.<br /><br />Here is the serious of workouts I just completed with the Phase 1, following the Lean track:<br /><br />Phase 1 Lean - Weeks 1, 2, and 3<br /> <br />Day 1 – Core Synergistics <br />Day 2 – Cardio X <br />Day 3 – Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X <br />Day 4 – Yoga X <br />Day 5 – Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X <br />Day 6 – Kenpo X <br />Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch <br /><br />Phase 1 Lean - P90x Workout Week 4 Recovery Week to Rest the Muscles Some<br /><br />Day 1 – Yoga X <br />Day 2 – Core Synergistics <br />Day 3 – Kenpo X <br />Day 4 – X Stretch <br />Day 5 – Cardio X <br />Day 6 – Yoga X <br />Day 7 – Rest or X Stretch <br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TIzHZVEO8II/AAAAAAAAAlA/8gXncE5_0SQ/s1600/30Full_B4Aftr.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 324px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TIzHZVEO8II/AAAAAAAAAlA/8gXncE5_0SQ/s400/30Full_B4Aftr.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516002881587572866" /></a>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-85516140336082702042010-05-03T09:44:00.003-05:002010-08-11T03:22:06.215-05:00My Cousin's Recent Art Show...So my cousin, Sean, is an AMAZING artist out in the Seattle area. I swear I'm going to get out there to see one his shows one day. This was the most recent. Found this really cool article linked from the gallery's site. Thought I would share... If you are ever in the area, seriously, check him out. Some really good stuff...<br /><br /><a href=http://www.artsjournal.com/anotherbb/2010/04/sean-m-johnson---object-ballet.html>Sean M. Johnson - object ballet as memory - Another Bouncing Ball</a><br /><br />Posted using <a href="http://sharethis.com">ShareThis</a>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-14744077075428598892010-04-07T15:58:00.007-05:002010-08-10T03:44:24.788-05:00"Lia is 1"...says the Easter Bunny<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEJ4JDMz8I/AAAAAAAAAjQ/RsArp-4b14Q/s1600/0003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 325px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEJ4JDMz8I/AAAAAAAAAjQ/RsArp-4b14Q/s400/0003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503691079730122690" /></a><br /><br />Happy Birthday, Lia! My sweet girl turned 1 on the 3rd of April...the day before Easter. <br /><br />At her year appointment she weighed in at 21lbs 2oz and 28.75 inches tall. As always, Lia is a happy baby. She quit nursing around St. Patrick's Day... Yep, just up and quit. So no weaning for her...it was I who needed some time to adjust. It was good because that was shortly after the teeth started coming in. ;) Lia has 2 on the bottom, so far. She's still eating her homemade purees and drinking soy milk and formula. (Yes, she's still allergic to milk.) So far her vocabulary consists of "Mama," "Hi," "Bye,' "Uh-Oh," "Dog", "Duck" and the occassional, "Dada.' She can sign "Milk" and "Eat." I've even heard Milk come out her mouth once, too. lol And according to Mary Ann and Gene (the baby-sitters) she has said, "Mary Ann," "Bella" and "Alexander." Lia is really fascinated with reflections and images of herself... If you walk by a mirror, (or a picture of herself) she'll say, "Hiiiiiiii!" As far as motor skills...she's really good at putting things into other things and taking them out. She even put the lid on her milk bottle the other day. Mary Ann just taught the girls how to blow kisses as well. (It's really cute.) She's been crawling since 9 months and pulling herself to standing since a little after 10 months. Lia is nearly walking and can stand on her own effortlessly...she even can sway her hips while standing when music is playing! Right now, she's crusing on everything and broke her 3-step max record the other day...taking 4 steps on her own. <br /><br />We had a small party for her on Saturday and Alexander helped me make her Bunny Cake and Color Eggs the night before. We even did a mini Easter-Egg Hunt...it was a blast!: <br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEMnhpKnmI/AAAAAAAAAj4/P439OU6L-ZA/s1600/SDC11707.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEMnhpKnmI/AAAAAAAAAj4/P439OU6L-ZA/s320/SDC11707.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503694092808920674" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEOCGSRV_I/AAAAAAAAAkY/DmSOjawff0Q/s1600/SDC11744.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEOCGSRV_I/AAAAAAAAAkY/DmSOjawff0Q/s320/SDC11744.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503695648833230834" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEOBpa5m3I/AAAAAAAAAkQ/i-NGSufR0Y0/s1600/SDC11720.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEOBpa5m3I/AAAAAAAAAkQ/i-NGSufR0Y0/s320/SDC11720.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503695641084795762" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEMnPMJImI/AAAAAAAAAjw/JNCM3ptqDng/s1600/SDC11706.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEMnPMJImI/AAAAAAAAAjw/JNCM3ptqDng/s320/SDC11706.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503694087855350370" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEMmm6b4BI/AAAAAAAAAjo/QJqgBQA1UwQ/s1600/SDC11704.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEMmm6b4BI/AAAAAAAAAjo/QJqgBQA1UwQ/s320/SDC11704.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503694077043662866" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEOBG9YoRI/AAAAAAAAAkI/LOhAh8ifn4A/s1600/SDC11717.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEOBG9YoRI/AAAAAAAAAkI/LOhAh8ifn4A/s320/SDC11717.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503695631834194194" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEMlJAUp2I/AAAAAAAAAjY/eMljWI-iYLU/s1600/SDC11700.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEMlJAUp2I/AAAAAAAAAjY/eMljWI-iYLU/s320/SDC11700.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503694051835422562" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEOArrMwbI/AAAAAAAAAkA/JGCk4QqqSy0/s1600/SDC11709.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEOArrMwbI/AAAAAAAAAkA/JGCk4QqqSy0/s320/SDC11709.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503695624510161330" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEOCphXDqI/AAAAAAAAAkg/Z_x4Iz7v9tY/s1600/SDC11727.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEOCphXDqI/AAAAAAAAAkg/Z_x4Iz7v9tY/s320/SDC11727.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503695658291760802" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEQHzNl47I/AAAAAAAAAko/bRBVGZv_igY/s1600/Alexander.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 164px; height: 211px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEQHzNl47I/AAAAAAAAAko/bRBVGZv_igY/s400/Alexander.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503697945815802802" /></a><br />And we can't forget my sweet Alexander... :D<br />Alexander hit is 2.5 year mark on March 18th. He's become such a BIG BOY. At his appointment he was 28 lbs and 33 inches tall. (Yes, Lia will be catching him in no time... lol) Alexander's vocabulary continues to grow each day and he forms more and more sentences. Just the other day he asked me what I was doing...in a whole phrase, "What are you doing, Mommy?" It's crazy to think that 18 months ago he was like Lia. :) His "Aww Man," "Awwwww" and "Oh, OKkkkkk..." responses when he's just settling for your terms are comical. He continues to be a good big brother. He can help me feed Lia with very little mess and is really quite helpful. However, the fights have begun! The two of them can be seen pulling on toys and I've even seen them hit each other. I didn't think it would be so soon... Really need to start potty training...but he's still not quite ready. (Diapers still pretty wet over night, etc.) We'll see... Alexander has been becoming more independent too. He has mastered putting in DVDs, feeding himself and tries more and more each day to dress himself...putting on shoes, jackets, etc.<br /><br />We spent a wonderful time in Lisbon for Easter and were able to get this cool "family picture". :)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEQvJD7adI/AAAAAAAAAkw/TPC86VAgZeM/s1600/SDC11767.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 356px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TGEQvJD7adI/AAAAAAAAAkw/TPC86VAgZeM/s400/SDC11767.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503698621695748562" /></a><br /><br /><br />I am truly in love with my family!Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-60964778296205866122010-04-07T15:57:00.009-05:002010-08-08T22:49:34.017-05:00"NO PANE! NO PANE!"This is the story of the worst traveling experience ever! Through this we have decided that we will NEVER fly with our children under any circumstances...<br /><br />We were slated to travel to Mississippi for my dear friend, Annette's wedding. We opted to fly instead of drive as we didn't believe our 11 month-old and 2 1/2 year old would fend well in the car (or even us for that matter...) What a bad decision that turned out to be...<br /><br />The first trip, we (Leonard) forgot the garmet bag with my bridesmaid's dress and Alexander's tuxedo in it. So we missed our flight and couldn't get out again 'til the next day... We were charged about $250/seat to change our flight from Friday and Saturday. Worst part was, Alexander didn't have a seat anyway! It was overbooked and had Leonard magically found the garmet bag when he went back to the car, he would've had to sit on one of our laps ANYWAY!!! >:| This caused us to miss the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. :( The next flight went as expected, and the children actually did very well in the airport and on the plane. However, aiport transistions were hindered by the fact that we were basically carrying both children with our carry-ons as we opted to not take our stroller. (another fatal mistake.) Once we arrived in Jackson and got our rental and headed to our hotel in Forest, MS. (Now the wedding was actually in the small town of Louin, about 45 minutes from Forest...and Forest was about an hour from Jackson.) We had to drive to the church straight from the airport in order to make it in time for the wedding. And guess what? We got lost getting there (tried putting the address into 3 different GPS systems and they all took us to the same WRONG address.) We eventually got there, because my brother (who was singing in the wedding) found someone to get us...only to find out that we were 3 minutes away. :( ((takes breath)) <br /><br />Alexander, who was the ring bearer, and I quickly were brought up to speed on our roles and everyone got dressed quickly. The wedding went on...without a hitch.<br /><br />On the way back, when we got to the airport at 5am and we were told that we had unconfirmed seats onto our connecting flight to Columbus and there were no other flights available on any airlines to get us home on Sunday. Seriously? Apparently, (which I find out much later,) when we missed our flight and had to change from the Friday to the Saturday,it cancelled our reservations?! The only way home THAT DAY was to fly into Dayton, arriving 12 hours later. Luckily, my brother was in the airport with us at 5am and was able to get on his flight back home....so we decided to give him the keys to our truck and some cash to get it out of long term parking...and come to Dayton to pick us up...at 6pm. He made it to Columbus by 11am. We missed our flight into Dallas, so we spent 2 hours in the Jackson airport that morning and then another 6 in Dallas once we arrived. I had little food and milk for Lia as I packed it all in the check-in luggage and it was struggle to get through the day. We were blessed to find a "play area" in the Dallas airport that we hung out in most of our layover. By the time we boarded the last flight all you could hear from Alexander was, "No Pane, No Pane..." We laughed, but totally felt his <em>pain</em>... <br /><br />We flew into Dayton at 6:30pm and by the time we drove back to Colmubus and dropped off my brother, we walked into our house 9pm. <br /><br />Airlines are horrible. Overbooking flights, left and right and charging people an arm and leg to reschedule and unable to offer you anything in way of compensation for your hardship. I tried...called all the airlines involved and Orbitz and everyone was blaming everyone else. I just gave up...<br /><br />Offically boycotting air transporation unless it's for business and someone else is paying.<br /><br />Here are a few shots from the airport adventure...<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TF941kfRurI/AAAAAAAAAjI/nzHobXXuDN0/s1600/SDC11685.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TF941kfRurI/AAAAAAAAAjI/nzHobXXuDN0/s320/SDC11685.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503250131393297074" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TF941G-hJmI/AAAAAAAAAjA/kD28DGEbUmA/s1600/SDC11678.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TF941G-hJmI/AAAAAAAAAjA/kD28DGEbUmA/s320/SDC11678.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503250123471267426" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TF940qdWZ7I/AAAAAAAAAi4/jCVIxf6aQhU/s1600/SDC11679.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TF940qdWZ7I/AAAAAAAAAi4/jCVIxf6aQhU/s320/SDC11679.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503250115815958450" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TF940PQ4LUI/AAAAAAAAAiw/nOALB3iSOLk/s1600/SDC11675.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TF940PQ4LUI/AAAAAAAAAiw/nOALB3iSOLk/s320/SDC11675.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503250108515888450" /></a>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-79107247781356152532010-02-06T10:04:00.012-05:002010-08-08T22:04:16.731-05:00Winter 2010...Where has the time gone?It's Winter 2010. Seriously, where has the time gone? I feel like I just had Lia and she will be a year old before we know it.<br /><br />Here's a brief update on Lia's 9 month stats:<br /><br />19lbs 2oz and 27" tall<br /><br />In addition to pulling up to standing and crawling, Lia has learned how to wave, (a skill I'm certain she picked up from her cousin Bella :)) and give kisses. She's still working on saying Da Da, (it slips every now and then, but never intentional,) but still continues to say Ma Ma. I'm still making Lia's baby food and she's now eating pretty much everything and is really good at letting you know what she doesn't like. Have yet to do eggs... Will try in a few months.<br /><br />Our little girl is already out-doing her big-brother. (Must be a girl thing...) To compare:<br /><br />Alexander at 9 months:<br /><br />17lbs 5oz, 26.5" long<br />Didn't pull himself up until nearly 12 months<br />Didn't crawl until 13 months...<br /><br />And as you've seen in the previous post, my son is doing quite well with the "Your Baby Can Read" program. I think it's helping him with his vocabulary as well. If only we can wean him off that dang pacifier...<br /><br />I'm so proud of my little munchkins!<br /><br />Here's a recent pic of the kids with their Daddy. Couldn't get all 3 to look at me at once, but 2 out of 3 will do:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TF9spXAgpnI/AAAAAAAAAiY/24neshQNEQ8/s1600/SDC11406.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TF9spXAgpnI/AAAAAAAAAiY/24neshQNEQ8/s320/SDC11406.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503236727476627058" /></a><br /><br /><br />The weather has taken a turn for the worst. It's been quite snowy these days and the foreseeable future does not show any signs of letting up. And when I say "snowy" we're talking about 6-8 inches a couple of days ago. "Fun to look at/play in...not fun when you have to work..." It will be interesting to see how it turns out.<br /><br />And sadly, Leonard's Grandfather passed away a couple of weeks ago. We attended his funeral on Sunday, January 24th. Dan wrote a beautiful "eulogy"...and I say it in quotes, because it was more so a narrative a his great life. It was so touching that it made me feel cheated that I didn't have a chance to meet him before his stroke. The blessing that was before us was that he was finally able to be with his beloved Jane (Leonard's Grandmother who passed in 2003.) R.I.P. Samuel Campanelli...<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TF9vIsb-96I/AAAAAAAAAig/ny4byimQLSs/s1600/Sam_retouch.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TF9vIsb-96I/AAAAAAAAAig/ny4byimQLSs/s320/Sam_retouch.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503239464828204962" /></a> <strong>(<em>Most Recent Professional Photo of Sam</em>)</strong> <br /> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TF9vicDYHwI/AAAAAAAAAio/n7AYTOB7WBc/s1600/Jane%26Sam1_retouch2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/TF9vicDYHwI/AAAAAAAAAio/n7AYTOB7WBc/s320/Jane%26Sam1_retouch2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503239907106627330" /></a> <em><strong>(Sam and Jane on their wedding day...)</strong></em>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-22582052591143535232010-01-17T00:04:00.005-05:002010-04-25T22:17:24.629-05:00Crawling, Standing, and Reading...Oh,My!It's the New Year already! 2010. I can't believe it... <br /><br />So here a couple of pictures and videos of the kiddies showcasing their milestones. Alexander has been doing the "Your Baby Can Read" series at the sitter's and Lia has just pulled herself to standing...shortly after figuring out how to crawl. They are growing up so fast...<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S9UEU8_67_I/AAAAAAAAAiI/m7zoxGUvmmQ/s1600/20676_568306023517_50609295_33073998_7209961_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S9UEU8_67_I/AAAAAAAAAiI/m7zoxGUvmmQ/s320/20676_568306023517_50609295_33073998_7209961_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464278480902090738" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S9UEVdPgNtI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/EfSrkkPSgps/s1600/Kids0116.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 286px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S9UEVdPgNtI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/EfSrkkPSgps/s320/Kids0116.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464278489557382866" /></a><br /><br /><br /><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gRrOgA5Z2-E&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gRrOgA5Z2-E&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tKTiOd9Bm2Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tKTiOd9Bm2Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-71160544551806852382009-12-17T11:27:00.005-05:002010-01-17T00:58:20.135-05:00Nearly Christmas...So it's nearly Christmas and I missed posting about Halloween and Thanskgiving. Rather than type anything I'll let the photos speak for themselves... :D<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KkquGQrWI/AAAAAAAAAhY/lUv-mkG_fno/s1600-h/SDC11148.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KkquGQrWI/AAAAAAAAAhY/lUv-mkG_fno/s320/SDC11148.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427581554770619746" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1Kje3FeXbI/AAAAAAAAAgw/8sCk-1Q8grs/s1600-h/SDC11098.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1Kje3FeXbI/AAAAAAAAAgw/8sCk-1Q8grs/s320/SDC11098.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427580251513183666" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KjeWSnATI/AAAAAAAAAgo/RwlyTRJ908o/s1600-h/SDC11078.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KjeWSnATI/AAAAAAAAAgo/RwlyTRJ908o/s320/SDC11078.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427580242709905714" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1Kjd4zedxI/AAAAAAAAAgg/5XhsbXZAsZM/s1600-h/SDC11029.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 274px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1Kjd4zedxI/AAAAAAAAAgg/5XhsbXZAsZM/s320/SDC11029.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427580234794694418" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KjdfpIWuI/AAAAAAAAAgY/v_yfmP3ulrQ/s1600-h/SDC10951.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KjdfpIWuI/AAAAAAAAAgY/v_yfmP3ulrQ/s320/SDC10951.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427580228040415970" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1Kjc0qA7WI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/h8hkjjSS1oc/s1600-h/SDC10950.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1Kjc0qA7WI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/h8hkjjSS1oc/s320/SDC10950.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427580216501398882" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KkqXhO9zI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/3sgT11NO5AQ/s1600-h/SDC11155.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KkqXhO9zI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/3sgT11NO5AQ/s320/SDC11155.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427581548709738290" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KkpwLo7CI/AAAAAAAAAhI/HlQFgr8G2xk/s1600-h/SDC11119.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KkpwLo7CI/AAAAAAAAAhI/HlQFgr8G2xk/s320/SDC11119.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427581538150181922" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KkpjsXcVI/AAAAAAAAAhA/P5G5FAUU0_Y/s1600-h/SDC11099.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 232px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KkpjsXcVI/AAAAAAAAAhA/P5G5FAUU0_Y/s320/SDC11099.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427581534797787474" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KkpJuymfI/AAAAAAAAAg4/emWEN265Pqg/s1600-h/SDC10921.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KkpJuymfI/AAAAAAAAAg4/emWEN265Pqg/s320/SDC10921.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427581527828634098" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KmHIO-tBI/AAAAAAAAAiA/bgWlwI6vRVc/s1600-h/SDC11166.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KmHIO-tBI/AAAAAAAAAiA/bgWlwI6vRVc/s320/SDC11166.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427583142334477330" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KmGuL3mNI/AAAAAAAAAh4/IMgjjevzZfE/s1600-h/SDC11221.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KmGuL3mNI/AAAAAAAAAh4/IMgjjevzZfE/s320/SDC11221.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427583135342106834" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KmGTq78gI/AAAAAAAAAhw/QyO9pSfeeBw/s1600-h/SDC11211.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KmGTq78gI/AAAAAAAAAhw/QyO9pSfeeBw/s320/SDC11211.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427583128224657922" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KmF_RPE7I/AAAAAAAAAho/hXxws0PKCq0/s1600-h/SDC11209.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KmF_RPE7I/AAAAAAAAAho/hXxws0PKCq0/s320/SDC11209.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427583122748150706" /></a>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-71022419701362168032009-10-10T06:36:00.005-05:002010-01-17T00:22:30.116-05:00My baby girl is 6 months-old...<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KduDN1asI/AAAAAAAAAgA/4dCuG_pNwj4/s1600-h/0038.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 234px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KduDN1asI/AAAAAAAAAgA/4dCuG_pNwj4/s400/0038.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427573915397745346" /></a><br />At her 6 month well-check she weighed in at 17lbs 5 oz and 26" long. (Just to throw in a comparison...@ 12 months Alexander was 27" long.) She is pretty much in the 75% for both. Doing very well. Lia is growing up fast! She has the most cheerful personality and rarely lets things upset her...finding comfort in her thumb when things get "too much" for her. Alexander is really good at keeping her entertained so it seems as if she is laughing all of them time. Lia started eating cereal around 5 months and does really well with that. We just started her on other baby foods this week. Once we get past the "testing for allergies" stage, we will make her food as we did Alexander's...in the food processor. Speaking of allergies...we did discover that she is allergic to milk. But, it is a seriously mild allergy. We gave her some Enfamil (milk based forumla) mixed in with he cereal and her face broke out. Other than that, she had no other adverse reactions. So, we'll be staying away from that until she's about a year and try it again. Lia has rolled over once, (although nearly rolls over attempting to reach for things often) yet continues to end up in different directions in her crib at night. She is, however, sitting on her own. A feat she achieved just this past Sunday. Physically, she appears to be advancing faster than Alexander and soon will be crawling. (From a sitting position she reaches for things in front of her, ends up on her tummy and ultimately winds up kicking her feet to try to go...) I fear teeth are not far behind. And I even believe her first 2-syallable word will be coming soon...(trying to get the "Mama" thing in her head...) lol<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KeTmbwZAI/AAAAAAAAAgI/Z7gUFOZhGPs/s1600-h/SDC10948.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KeTmbwZAI/AAAAAAAAAgI/Z7gUFOZhGPs/s320/SDC10948.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427574560506536962" /></a>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-15081420981251672222009-09-20T20:20:00.004-05:002010-01-17T00:14:35.696-05:00Alexander is 2!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KaDyDiNYI/AAAAAAAAAfg/I7u9K0_1ZbM/s1600-h/AlexBirth.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KaDyDiNYI/AAAAAAAAAfg/I7u9K0_1ZbM/s400/AlexBirth.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427569890701751682" /></a><br /><br />It's really hard to believe that it's been 2 years since we were blessed with our dear Alexander. Unfortunately, I wasn't around on his birthday (9/18) because I had rehearsal for the play I'm doing that opens up next weekend, Fuddy Meers, but I made a video message for him to watch when he got home. Needless to say, I will make sure that doesn't happen again. We are having a family (and very close friends) party for him next weekend. <br /><br />Alexander has grown a lot in 2 years. At his 2-yr well-check he was weighing in at 25 1/4 lbs. and measuring to 32 3/4" tall. He has moved into the 25%! The pediatrician said he has a perfect BMI for a toddler... :D The boy is definitely growing. It's so cool to see the things he used to be able to walk under and can no longer. He climbs into the truck with ease now as well as onto our bed. Alexander can walk up and down stairs like a big boy... He actually came up without anyone behind him, as I looked on from the top, busy with Lia. (He got tired of waiting for his Dad, and even asked me if he could come up before he did on his own.) He has become a little man, that's for sure... And he's an excellent big brother! He loves Lia so much and is quite protective. Mary Ann, the sitter, says he will barely let anyone touch her...shielding her saying "MINE!" Speaking of "saying" his vocabulary is quite extensive, although we only get 2 to 3 word sentences...mostly all begining with, "No..." lol And I'm sad to report that I child is suffering from the "Terrible Twos." It's almost unbearable at times. BIG tantrums over the silliest, smallest things. Leonard and I have learned to just ignore him and then he gets himself together...distracted by something else. If it gets too bad he, of course, gets threatened (or "corrected") with the spoon. Despite the tantrums, he's a pretty good boy and listens and follows complex directions quite well for a boy his age. Alexander loves animals and knows his shapes (even the "more difficult" ones.) They work on the alaphabet and other sing-a-long songs at the sitter's. His latest infactuation is with dinosaurs and is currently obsessed with Land Before Time. He's going to be a "Sharp Tooth" for Halloween. ;)<br /><br />Happy, Happy Birthday to my Sweet, Little Boy.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KblVztI9I/AAAAAAAAAf4/7e3Qzpb2VOY/s1600-h/0019.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 302px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KblVztI9I/AAAAAAAAAf4/7e3Qzpb2VOY/s320/0019.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427571566746346450" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KblDb2-VI/AAAAAAAAAfw/OVQS-PUCt1U/s1600-h/0024.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 295px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1KblDb2-VI/AAAAAAAAAfw/OVQS-PUCt1U/s320/0024.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427571561814489426" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1Kbk4kG4pI/AAAAAAAAAfo/QU7qXVKoL5w/s1600-h/0011.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S1Kbk4kG4pI/AAAAAAAAAfo/QU7qXVKoL5w/s320/0011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427571558896296594" /></a>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-42309420147710407042009-08-08T15:11:00.006-05:002010-01-13T22:56:16.646-05:004 months and the Zoo...Lia's 4 month stas:<br /> <br />15lbs 13oz (90%)<br />25" long (85%)<br />16.75" head circum<br /> <br />Lia has been working on her abs by doing mini "sit-ups" since she was about 2 months old... lol She will be sitting on her own here really soon and the doctor already cleared her to eat rice cereal...but also said she didn't need it yet. (So I'm going to wait another month...feeding solid food takes so much work! lol) We'll have a "Lia Eats Green Beans" video before we know it. ;) No teeth yet...but she's gearing up for it..much drooling...and we definitely have a thumb sucker.<br /> <br />Lia talks all of the time. She's actually started to kind of "growl" when she babbles...very good at playing with her voice. Lia just started to reach for things, unlike Alexander who was reaching for toys when he was 2 months old, but remains quite aware of everything around her. <br /> <br />Lia is a really happy baby and very content. She even has been sleeping through the night, in her crib, for about a month now. (Alexander didn't start sleeping in his crib until 12 months...and then he just started sleeping through the night 4 months ago....................)<br /> <br />We took the kids to the zoo a couple of weeks ago. Alexander LOVED it. His favorite part was actually the aquarium. Other than that, the elephant is his favorite animal. We will return again soon, when it's not so hot. Nina, from the PBS Sprout "Good Night Show" was there, too. So we got to listen to her and got a few pics too. It actually was a really good day!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S06UymI8z8I/AAAAAAAAAe4/Ikqu0fYFIvg/s1600-h/SDC10575.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S06UymI8z8I/AAAAAAAAAe4/Ikqu0fYFIvg/s320/SDC10575.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426438197980483522" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S06U0GKTe7I/AAAAAAAAAfQ/X2hhMX2ZzUk/s1600-h/SDC10601.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S06U0GKTe7I/AAAAAAAAAfQ/X2hhMX2ZzUk/s320/SDC10601.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426438223755967410" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S06UzlcwXDI/AAAAAAAAAfI/hKJ8j8O0O5c/s1600-h/SDC10596.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S06UzlcwXDI/AAAAAAAAAfI/hKJ8j8O0O5c/s320/SDC10596.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426438214974987314" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S06UzEogFpI/AAAAAAAAAfA/1FXfWXezS5c/s1600-h/SDC10591.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S06UzEogFpI/AAAAAAAAAfA/1FXfWXezS5c/s320/SDC10591.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426438206165882514" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S06U0ZUt1cI/AAAAAAAAAfY/Zw8U-5o5ts8/s1600-h/SDC10633_2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 306px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S06U0ZUt1cI/AAAAAAAAAfY/Zw8U-5o5ts8/s320/SDC10633_2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426438228899911106" /></a><br /><br /><br></br><br /><br /><br /><br />Here is a video of Lia "talking" at the zoo.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-5xp898IZHU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-5xp898IZHU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-9475524331536073362009-07-08T21:38:00.008-05:002010-01-11T22:04:00.080-05:003 months and July 4th<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S0vlFnyi1sI/AAAAAAAAAeI/FhQ2iMcijuU/s1600-h/Lia.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 193px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S0vlFnyi1sI/AAAAAAAAAeI/FhQ2iMcijuU/s320/Lia.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425682060840982210" /></a><br />My baby girl just recently weighed in at 15lbs! I can't believe it. I remember thinking that 15lbs was A LOT for a 3 month-old to weigh. And lo and behold... LOL<br /><br />Lia is 15lbs 2oz (95%), 24" long (75%) and has a 16" head circumference.<br /> <br />Lia is a really big girl...Pretty much trying to sit up by herself every day. Extremely happy baby...always smiling and nearly laughing. And she sleeps through the night!<br /> <br />We couldn't be more blessed!<br /><br />My niece and nephew are in town for the summer (my sister is soon to follow) so we took them to our buddies' house for a bonfire the night before July 4th. As always, it was a great time spent with friends. It was actually the first bonfire Marcel and Tatyanna had been to...and they had a blast making hotdogs, etc. <br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S0vmWeoP4mI/AAAAAAAAAew/caNIrxq8K2s/s1600-h/SDC10486.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S0vmWeoP4mI/AAAAAAAAAew/caNIrxq8K2s/s200/SDC10486.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425683449951281762" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S0vmV6kvN9I/AAAAAAAAAeo/_RBxcclaFw0/s1600-h/SDC10474.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S0vmV6kvN9I/AAAAAAAAAeo/_RBxcclaFw0/s200/SDC10474.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425683440272881618" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S0vmVmnjrUI/AAAAAAAAAeg/6Qbocl5YBa0/s1600-h/SDC10472.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S0vmVmnjrUI/AAAAAAAAAeg/6Qbocl5YBa0/s200/SDC10472.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425683434915999042" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S0vmVAxzRbI/AAAAAAAAAeY/AXrDRCWJq3w/s1600-h/SDC10466.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S0vmVAxzRbI/AAAAAAAAAeY/AXrDRCWJq3w/s200/SDC10466.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425683424758416818" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S0vmUrjpiRI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/dKJvFqHTJfM/s1600-h/SDC10464.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/S0vmUrjpiRI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/dKJvFqHTJfM/s200/SDC10464.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425683419061913874" /></a>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-3388042492929678882009-06-21T22:06:00.008-05:002009-08-21T07:55:51.861-05:00Baptism on Father's DayLia and Isabella, (our niece, by way of Leonard's brother Jeff,) were baptized today. The Baptism was beautiful and it was a beautiful day. It was pretty neat that they got baptized on Father's Day too.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6VFE7UAxI/AAAAAAAAAdI/PHIU6Iduo8s/s1600-h/SDC10418.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 163px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6VFE7UAxI/AAAAAAAAAdI/PHIU6Iduo8s/s200/SDC10418.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372395319953982226" /></a><br /><br /><br />However, wanted to focus this post on Leonard. He is an AMAZING father! Some times I sit and stare at him playing with Alexander and just smiling, "Thinking to myself, how did I get so blessed?" He's really good with Lia, too. Although you can tell she's going to be a "Daddy's girl." He's already starting to treat her differently. LOL<br /><br />This one is for you, baby! Thanks for being such a wonderful father. I love you!!!!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6V_ZcI5tI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/Dad-Lqilh4Q/s1600-h/SDC10162.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6V_ZcI5tI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/Dad-Lqilh4Q/s320/SDC10162.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372396321892787922" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6WnwOd0vI/AAAAAAAAAeA/4T3KlsgiY3A/s1600-h/SDC10238.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6WnwOd0vI/AAAAAAAAAeA/4T3KlsgiY3A/s320/SDC10238.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372397015204221682" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6WBJKJAFI/AAAAAAAAAdo/9dSMzhDOHkk/s1600-h/SDC10173.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6WBJKJAFI/AAAAAAAAAdo/9dSMzhDOHkk/s320/SDC10173.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372396351882068050" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6WnEWDwcI/AAAAAAAAAd4/EQwfFf0ED6w/s1600-h/SDC10230.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6WnEWDwcI/AAAAAAAAAd4/EQwfFf0ED6w/s320/SDC10230.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372397003424907714" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6WAsYfLsI/AAAAAAAAAdg/xRacyQR6IXs/s1600-h/SDC10102.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6WAsYfLsI/AAAAAAAAAdg/xRacyQR6IXs/s320/SDC10102.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372396344157613762" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6V__FnaII/AAAAAAAAAdY/fagVTWKhOFo/s1600-h/SDC10138.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6V__FnaII/AAAAAAAAAdY/fagVTWKhOFo/s320/SDC10138.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372396331998865538" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6WBw34tuI/AAAAAAAAAdw/VTtp4hObm6w/s1600-h/SDC10175.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/So6WBw34tuI/AAAAAAAAAdw/VTtp4hObm6w/s320/SDC10175.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372396362542921442" /></a>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-87440396432270021072009-06-12T04:59:00.004-05:002009-06-21T22:06:19.779-05:00Working Mother<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/Sj70rZNBDoI/AAAAAAAAAdA/guLGELFvbzs/s1600-h/230250.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/Sj70rZNBDoI/AAAAAAAAAdA/guLGELFvbzs/s320/230250.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349982433699761794" /></a><br />I returned to work on Monday, June 1st. It's been a rough 2 weeks. I had to work the first Saturday I got back because of a massive restack of cubicles...(over 350 people moved) and I was responsible for connecting the phones. There were 2 other people doing the phones...well, 1 and a half...the half was a guy who was covering for me when I was out, so there was some things he couldn't do.<br /><br />It's a different world...working with 2 children under 2. I suppose it will take some work getting used to it. All I know is I am exhausted. <br /><br />When I come home for work, I'm literally standing for another hour trying to wash and sterilze bottles and my materials to my pump. Then I try to feed myself before feeding Lia, all while I make sure I spend some time with Alexander...and Leonard. Before I go to sleep, I have to pack everything for the next day because doing it in the morning is damn near impossible. That takes another hour and half. I beat myself up even more in the mornings because after I get the 3 of us ready, by myself, (necessary to avoid arguments with the DH,) pack the car and drop them off at the sitter's, I head to the gym for about 45 minutes before work. And then the cycle continues...<br /><br />The good thing is, Lia is starting to sleep through the night and she is still pretty easy going. I think she's going to be able to start sleeping in her crib next week. Alexander was sleeping on/with me for months...and later in the pack n' play in our room before he started sleeping in his crib by about 12 months. This is a big relief for me, eventhough she gets up at least once, I still get to lay down in my bed. A good night's sleep makes all the difference to my days...<br /><br />I can't sit here and complain too much, though... I know there are many mothers who do this by themselves. I have no idea how... I would go insane.<br /><br />Although it's a little easier than I thought it would be, it's still pretty difficult working with 2 under 2. I plan to become a pro. :)Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-86145447567092613432009-06-12T04:57:00.001-05:002009-06-12T04:59:24.912-05:00Alexander's New MovesThis is some good stuff...<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Be9xdaUZ_HI&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Be9xdaUZ_HI&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-18700490649679339142009-05-29T13:27:00.006-05:002009-05-31T23:07:36.701-05:00Bubbles Anyone?For the past 2 days, I have been home without children. These are my last 2 days of Maternity Leave. I'd have to admit, it's pretty nice being alone. Yesterday, I really didn't take advantage... I cleaned house and went to the gym and before I knew it, it was time to pick them up. Today, I decided it was going to be about me. Other than getting the oil changed, I didn't do any errands nor housework. I took a nap, surfed the web, watched TV and mostly importantly, I took a bubble bath for the first time ever in our jacuzzi tub. We have lived here for 14 months and have never used the tub. Such a shame! For the most part, it was a really relaxing experience... <br /><br />I just totally overdid it on the bubbles. It was something straight out of a sitcom! I wasn't sure how much was enough, as the stream of water as the tub was filling didn't produce many bubbles, so I just kept adding more. Well, once I turned on the jets, the bubbles appeared. There I was, lying in the tub and the bubbles were rising above my head. I laughed out loud at the sight. While still in the tub, I pulled the stopper on the drain and added water to try to make them subside. It was truly comical. Here is a picture taken AFTER I got out of the tub:<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/SiNSR0R46EI/AAAAAAAAAcw/Kym-R0KjD9s/s1600-h/SDC10349.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/SiNSR0R46EI/AAAAAAAAAcw/Kym-R0KjD9s/s320/SDC10349.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342204049036470338" /></a><br /><br />I will defintely be trying this again in the near future. Some times we just need to take time for the bubbles.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/SiNTIVgCrHI/AAAAAAAAAc4/KThUDrNPKMs/s1600-h/SDC10348.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/SiNTIVgCrHI/AAAAAAAAAc4/KThUDrNPKMs/s320/SDC10348.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342204985667136626" /></a>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-51208056851233534452009-05-29T11:54:00.004-05:002009-05-31T22:52:45.297-05:008 weeksLia is 8 weeks today. We go for her 2 month well-check next Friday. It's really amazing how fast it all goes by. I remember how fast it was with Alexander, and just as soemeone told me, it is faster with the second. Lia is already smiling, coos and gurgles often, has been holding her head up with ease for weeks and is growing into a BIG, healthy baby. She has grown out of all of her 0-3 month clothing and is now wearing 3-6 month and 6 months clothes.<br /><br />She went to the babysitter for the first time yesterday, for a trial run. Other than not taking too well to the bottle, she did pretty well. <br /><br />I go back to work on Monday. And for as much as I simply adore my beautiful baby girl, I welcome the break from the constant care. Sure wish there was another alternative to working, though...<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/SiNQKGt847I/AAAAAAAAAco/ySW47j2wHGY/s1600-h/SDC10346.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/SiNQKGt847I/AAAAAAAAAco/ySW47j2wHGY/s320/SDC10346.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342201717523801010" /></a>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-14267076124990861692009-05-26T21:08:00.009-05:002009-05-31T22:46:29.562-05:002nd Wedding Anniversary<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/SiNM6T3C0fI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/WsQzn_Zzk3U/s1600-h/us.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 383px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/SiNM6T3C0fI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/WsQzn_Zzk3U/s400/us.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342198147638809074" /></a><br /><br><br />Today is our 2nd wedding anniversary. We celebrated by staying at the Hyatt, (where we stayed on our wedding night,) on Sunday night. We wanted to go to "our" cabin at Hocking Hills, but we would've had to stay more than 1 night...and that just wasn't possible this year.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/SiNNC9nhCCI/AAAAAAAAAcY/mq0mbNhQqiI/s1600-h/with+Julie.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/SiNNC9nhCCI/AAAAAAAAAcY/mq0mbNhQqiI/s320/with+Julie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342198296286922786" /></a> We began our night with dinner and drinks with really good friends, Julie and Kim. Upon reflection, we realized it was quite fitting as they were instrumental in making our wedding day success with all of their advice, support and assistance in many matters of the event. We met up at Brio and were greeted with a really good bottle of Pinot Noir, courtesy of Julie. Leonard and I ordered food...as Julie and Kim already had dinner and were simply there for good company. The food was great and we had another bottle of wine and some good convo with our friends. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/SiNNJXK5GTI/AAAAAAAAAcg/qelTUcrVpYY/s1600-h/with+Kim.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 195px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/SiNNJXK5GTI/AAAAAAAAAcg/qelTUcrVpYY/s320/with+Kim.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342198406225402162" /></a><br /><br />From there went to the Hyatt, where we got a room for the night and checked in before dinner. There is a Sports Bar on the ground level, where we played a couple of games of pool and drank a couple of Jack and Cokes. We actually had another bottle of wine in the room, given to us by very dear friends. We decided to open that up and we drank and sat out on the patio outside of the sports bar and reflected on how wonderful our life is. A lot has happened in the past 2 years. Not to long after the wedding Alexander arrived, then I bought my truck, next came the house, I left my job of nearly 12 years and most recently, the addition of Lia. Kind of surreal... But, any way you look at it, it's a wonderful life.<br /><br />The night was amazing. Very relaxing and comfortable. The next morning, Leonard missed the children so, that it was decided we would check out and get them. I, on the other hand, was not ready to go home. I wanted a few more hours alone. Nothing I said could convince him otherwise. As he so matter-of-factly put it, "we are just prolonging the inevitable." We were home by 12:30pm. <br /><br />Another anniversary in the history books. Can't wait to be blogging about many, many more!Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-42664500293983625722009-05-25T15:00:00.004-05:002009-05-25T21:55:03.240-05:00First SmilesSo Lia is now 7 weeks old. Time has flown.<br /><br />Yesterday morning I got 2 consecutive smiles from her, within a minute of each other. Alexander didn't have a genuine, "non-gas provoked" smile until he was about 3 months.<br /><br />All I had to say in my high-pitched voice was:<br /><br /><strong>"Hi Pretty Girl!"</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/ShtS_vmrrJI/AAAAAAAAAcA/lr5TqeMj-YU/s1600-h/LiaSmile.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/ShtS_vmrrJI/AAAAAAAAAcA/lr5TqeMj-YU/s400/LiaSmile.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339953038241803410" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/ShtS_4_breI/AAAAAAAAAcI/0-vVDuROnls/s1600-h/LiaSmile2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 398px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vPIDY2axvXs/ShtS_4_breI/AAAAAAAAAcI/0-vVDuROnls/s400/LiaSmile2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339953040761531874" /></a>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-49922344581376524362009-05-15T16:45:00.001-05:002009-05-15T16:46:36.320-05:00Be a BEE!Alexander with one of the Bees we used for Lia's room... Leonard was chasing him, like a bee, and then we asked him to be a bee...<br /><br /><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SnMsr-EojJ8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SnMsr-EojJ8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18312145.post-60727031362723557962009-05-15T09:00:00.005-05:002009-05-15T11:34:35.355-05:00Fatherhood...This is a commercial from fatherhood.gov. First time I saw this I instantly thought "This is Leonard in about 5 years..." Too funny!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YbPeg0oQxms&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YbPeg0oQxms&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Leonard is a wonderful daddy! If you had asked me 6 or so years ago when I met him if he had this kind of potential, I would have never believed it.Heyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07137993643820418475noreply@blogger.com0