Ugh.

Confession first, we live with my parents. 

My husband, daughter and I live in the same house as my parents

....sometimes, it drives me insane!

When you're starting a family of your own,

you tend to move away from how you grew up and start to make your own rules,

traditions and memories while figuring out what things are truly important to you.

Doing this while living your life in front of an audience is hard.  Really hard sometimes.

Sometimes it's the little things that really bother me.

This may seem trivial but last night, my mother made dinner.  She asked me what I wanted to have, we had Shepards Pie, I asked for this so I could take the leftovers for lunch to work today... 

SHE FED THE LEFTOVERS TO OUR DOGS

Seriously? 

I was kind of angry this morning when I went to make my lunch and there was nothing there. 

Nice Ma, thanks!

She does things like this all the time.  It's like she has no reguard for what someone else wants or needs. 

(Please know that I'm just venting.  My parents help us a LOT and I love them to death.  This just threw me over the edge this morning)

I hope the dogs enjoyed my lunch.

Christmas Breakfast

For Christmas breakfast I wanted to make something fun for Olivia. 

I recently read a post (or saw an instragram - I don't remember) from

Katie @ Loves of Life where she used cookie cutters to make eggs in a basket, Christmas style!

I was sold.

Our little Christmas breakfast was so adorable and easy to make... 

Not to mention it was a huge hit with Olivia who loves eggs and toast!

 

Since Olivia likes scrambled eggs, I scrambled one egg in a bowl. 

Chose my cookie cutter shape and cut the hole in the bread. 

Put a little margarine on each side, placed it in a pan and let it cook for about a minute on low. 

Pour the egg into the cut out shape, let it cook a bit and then flip it over.

Cook the egg to whatever consistency you like and that's it. 

We served ours with a bit of ketchup and a sippy cup of milk!

Enjoy!

~Laura

The Post Where I Whine...

...I'm allowed an off post once in a while right? 

Well, today is the day. 

I'm tired, Olivia isn't sleeping well and I'm getting a cold.

Woe is me. 

I'm just out of sorts today and I want to go home,

crawl back in bed and catch up

on the precious sleep I've been missing because my

teething 15 month old cant put herself to sleep yet

and cant seem to keep herself asleep either.

I've tried earlier bedtimes, later bedtimes, rocking, not rocking, bottle, no bottle etc...

Olivia will not just fall asleep on her own. 

Maybe I'm misunderstanding this whole "putting your children to bed" thing because

I thought that at 15 months old, Olivia would be able to have her bath,

read a book with me, have her bottle/milk, brush her teeth and I'd be able to

place her lovingly into her crib, close the door and she'd be able to go to sleep by herself. 

What am I missing?

She whine's/cries for a while, starts talking, stands up, "drops" her bink out of her crib and proclaims

"I drop, I drop"

over and over until I go in there and give it back to her,

pick her up and rock her to sleep.

This wouldn't be so bad if it lasted about 15 minutes and she slept though the night...

but lately she's been up 4 or 5 times throughout the night. 

She's either lost her bink in her crib and whines,

or she's fully awake and wanting a drink and a diaper change. 

Mama's TIRED!

Any and ALL advice is appreciated!

~Laura

Sometimes & Always

Linking up with Megan over at Mackey Madness today for her Sometimes & Always series.

Go visit her page, you'll love her!

Sometimes - I wish Olivia slept through the night,

especially on weeknights because I'm too tired in the morning to get up on time for work!

Always - I'm grateful for my healthy little girl in the next room over

who's here to wake me up 5 times a night!

Sometimes - I tell myself that I'm going to stop biting my nails.  (I know, horrible habit)

Always - I keep doing it because it's just such a bad habit!

Sometimes - I wish I was thinner, smarter, prettier...etc.

Always - I try to remember that God made me just the way I am for a reason...

Sometimes - I wish the Christmas season away because of the hussle and bustle.

Always - when Christmas is half over, I'm wishing it would slow down so I can enjoy the time more.

Sometimes - I wish I could call out of work sick on Mondays,

especially on "Tuesday Monday's" after a 3 day weekend.

Always - I get my butt out of bed and go to work.

Happy "Tuesday Monday"!

Fun Fact Friday

Here are a few fun facts for Fun Fact Friday!!!!!!!

~Olivia is named after both of my grandmothers -

my maternal Grandmother is Olivia and my paternal Grandmother is Yvette. 

We love her name because it means so much.

 

My favorite picture of Olivia.

~my husband took my last name when we got married - yup, that's right...

~my husband and I met when we were 19 (where did the time go???) and have been together a total of 8 years and married for almost a year and a half.



~we have a dog named Penny, before Olivia, this pup was my baby. 

She has taken a backseat but she's certainly loved!

~I love Fritos.  I mean I love Fritos.  I crave them and always have to have some in the house.

~same with Reese's peanut butter cups...OMGahhh they are delish!

Last fun fact, I wrote this post on Thursday... wishful thinking that it was Friday... FAIL!

~Laura

Corny or Cute Christmas Present

My husband loves his electronics. iphone and XBox 360 to be more specific. 

I'm pretty sure I'm married to a 12 year old boy!

Having Olivia doesnt leave much time to relax, destress and do what you want.

Joe helps me SO much with household chores and taking care of Olivia. 

(we work opposite shifts, I work days, he stays home with Olivia and he works nights and I stay home with Olivia)

So, I made these corny cute little vouchers so

my sweet hubby can have some time to himself when he feels like it... 

providing I'm home to take care of Olivia that is.

Now, please dont get me wrong, I'm not some kind of crazy wife who makes her husband ask for permission or anything, this is just all in good fun!

I hope he likes them and finds them funny...

Is it bad that I'm also kind of wishing that he loves this present

...and then loses it right away so he cant redeem them?

~Laura

You know when....

...you know when you're in a public restroom and there are 5 other stalls

open and someone comes in and goes in the stall right next to you... awkward. 

I hate that. 

Cant you go do your business at least one stall over?

...you know when you're about to give a present that you thought was a good idea

and right before you hand it to the person

you second guess it and feel like it's the dumbest gift ever?

I hate that feeling!

...you know when you're in bumper to bumper traffic

and you've been waiting in this line of traffic forever and then

some jerk comes up from the next lane and cuts the whole line off?

I hate that!

~Laura

Olivia's Feet Part 2 & More

I'm happy to report that my daughter's feet are fine! 

The doctor was not concerned at all with her inner foot walking. 

He said it's fairly common and not to worry. 

It may correct itself and it may not,

she may just have flat feet but as long as it isnt bothering her

and she has range of motion, not to worry. 

I mean seriously look at these adorable little toes!

My husband bought Olivia an Elmo stocking that sings "Jingle Bells" and let me just say, girlfriend loves it! 

She says "what's that" over and over and we play it over and over!



Olivia dancing & clapping to her Elmo stocking!



And I'll leave you with one more adorable picture of my girls cheeks,

because seriously, there's just no way to resist this cuteness!

~Laura

Sometimes & Always

Linking up with Megan over at Mackey Madness today for her Sometimes and Always post! 

She's such a sweet blogger girl - go check her out!

Sometimes - I plan on finishing Christmas shopping early to beat the crowds and be prepared.

Always - I'm shopping on Christmas Eve.

Sometimes - I feel wide awake before bed so I read.

Always - I fall asleep with the book open in my lap.

Sometimes - I get an early start in the morning to make sure I get to work super early.

Always - I find a million extra things to do with my time and I dont make it to work any earlier than normal.

Sometimes - Olivia says "what's that" to her singing Elmo stocking a million times.

Always - I press the button a million times to see her smile and dance to Elmo's song!

Now, go over and check out Megan's blog, Mackey Madness! 

~Laura

Olivia's Feet

Olivia has been walking for about a month now

and this past weekend I noticed that she's positioning her feet funny. 

Her ankle and inner foot is almost rolled inwards and her outer foot where her pinky toe is, is up. 

She's putting most of the pressure on her inner foot & ankle area.  See pic below.

 

This picture is taken from behind, her left foot is worse than her right foot.  See how she's standing on her foot rolled inwards but more on her ankle?



                                       She walks well and now that she does know how to walk,

she prefers it over crawling so I'm not concerned with pain

but rather with the formation of her foot & ankle. 

We are going to see a Pediatric Orthopedic specialist tomorrow at 10:15am. to have her checked out.  I

'm so thankful for my friend who's dealt with her fair share of her son's foot problems,

he has clubfeet. 

She was able to help me find a great doctor in the area and

give me some good information on what to expect.

Obviously I'm still worried because anytime something is potentially wrong with your child,

as a mother, you freak the heck out but

thank God I didn't have to wait long for an appointment.

Last night I didn't sleep much thinking about her little chubby feet and of course all these irrational thoughts flooded my mind...

...what if she cant walk? (wait, she's already walking)

...what if it's a syndrome or a condition - like not just a fixable physical issue?

...what if she needs to wear braces on her feet like Forest Gump?

...what if this affects her for life and she cant play sports?

...what if the doctors cant help her?

Obviously we are just at the beginning of this and this is small beans compared to what some families go through but it's still making me nervous for my baby girl.

I'll update tomorrow after the appointment.

Until then, please keep my girl in your prayers.

~Laura

Blog Makeover!

I bought myself an early Christmas present...

my little corner of the internet got a makeover! 

I love it!  Katie from Loves of Life created it and she did an amazing job and was super easy to work with.

In other news... I made a little progress on Christmas projects last night. 

Did I take any pictures to share?  Nope... fail.

So, what do you think about the new blog set up?  How do you like having my smiling face over there staring at you reading???  Is my little Olivia not the cutest thing ever? 

Love, Laura

My "To Do" List

I've taken on so many projects this Christmas season and hello?!?!

Christmas is only 10 days away and I'm only 3/4 the way done with my first project. 

What was I thinking??

To Do...

• Finish the 3/4 finished fleece throw blanket
• Make a matching pillow case
• Make a matching hat
• Make another fleece throw
• Make 5 Hot/Cold Rice Packs
• Make 4 Hot Chocolate jar kits
• Make Peppermint Bark (a ton of it!)
• Make 4 dozen Sugar Cookies & decorate them
• FINISH SHOPPING for 5 people!

See, I'm sure I'm forgetting something from this list...in fact, I've made more lists and

lost them over the past few weeks that I'm not even sure what I'm doing anymore.

I did some shopping yesterday and got a bunch of things for my to do list above. 

I do have a big package with 6 gifts being delivered today which is helping my nerves a bit! 

I'm a little anxious to open the package because all items are breakable and I swear,

if they're broken I'm gonna probably cry a little bit.

 Send me some love and energy to get all of this stuff done.

I'm so thankful for good friends that are coming over Friday

to help me bake and decorate said Sugar cookies. 

Should I add that I'm a horrible baker and can pretty much assure you we'll end up

throwing away just as many burnt or messed up cookies as we'll end up keeping?

Let's hope all goes as planned.  Or, not planned, because had I planned I wouldn't be in this situation!

Merry Christmas - 10 days away!!!

~Laura

Crazy Shenanigans!

Seriously, this week has been full of me feeling like any minute

I'm going to turn around and be "on Candid Camera!"

Yesterday when I got home from work, I let the dogs out and when I let them back in my little one stunk. 

I wasn't sure what had happened and then I saw it... she rolled in sh*t!!

Mind you, she had a bath this past weekend, I guess she wasn't a fan of being clean.

Since she now had smeared herself with crap, off to the bath we went.  Don't worry, she's clean again.

...and she's really lucky she's cute.

Monday morning, after a particularly restless sleep,

I woke up, took a shower and as I was putting make-up on, I noticed it. 

A GRAY EYEBROW HAIR!  Really? 

What a horrible way to start the week!  I'm only 28 for goodness sake.  I don't even know how to fix this. 

I dye my hair every so often, guess my eyebrows will be taking a bath in the brown dye too! 

Online Christmas shopping has really been a savior for me this year. 

I don't have time or the energy to battle the crowds at the store after working all day

so this weekend I was looking online for a specific hat for my father. 

Well, in my haste, I just left the internet page up, walked away and forgot about it. 

My Dad went to use the computer and what's the first thing that pops up - a motorcycle hat website...

FAIL. 

Great way to ruin the surprise. 

Our conversation goes like this:

Dad - "Laura, if you're looking for a gift for someone,

you should make sure you close the page when you're done." 

Me - "Do you like the hat?" 

Dad - "Yes, it's nice."

Me - "OK, good!"

I kind of feel like I'm living out the bloopers right now!

Merry Christmas.

~Laura

Sometimes & Always Link Up

Linking up with Megan from Mackey Madness today for Sometimes & Always!

Sometimes - I feel like the most inadequate mother.  Olivia bumped her head last night because I didnt catch her in time.

Always - I try to remember I'm doing my best and love her more than life itself!

Sometimes - I plan on sleeping in and relaxing in bed until Olivia wakes up.

Always - I wake up at 7am the latest, even on weekends.

Sometimes - I think it's going to be easier to go to shopping without Olivia.

Always - I end up wandering around the store when I'm alone because I feel like a part of me is missing.

Sometimes - I wonder what people really think of me.

Always - I try to be true to who I am no matter what people will think of me.

Thanks for reading!  I love these link ups!

~Laura

Christmas Projects

Thanks to Pinterest (follow me HERE) I had a bunch of Christmas craft ideas that I wanted to make and I finally got around to one! 

This has got to be the cheapest Christmas wreath ever.  I used shatterproof dollar store ornaments in a variety of sizes, foam pipe insulation from Home Depot so I could make a big wreath and a TON of hot glue!

Final result...

The whole corner

My dad also worked on this sleigh project for a while and he finally finished in time for us to put it out for display and use it for our Christmas card picture.  Olivia did such a great job sitting in the sleigh!  This is the picture we're using for our Christmas card! 

Wishing everyone a happy week!

~Laura

My Friday Night Friend

I do realize this title could look like I'm having some type of immoral relationship but I assure you, I'm not.  My life isn't that interesting. 

Since having Olivia I've spent a lot of time alone.  My husband and I work opposite shifts and we rarely see each other.  My mother watches Olivia in between Joe leaving for work and me getting home, so the only days I see my husband is Wednesday's (my early day from work) and the weekend.  After Olivia goes to bed, I either go to bed myself, do housework, read or watch TV...alone. 

At work, I'm an auditor for a bank and all the work I do is 90% by myself, in my office.  After a while, 14 months to be exact, things tend to get a bit lonely.

My sweet friend Jenn and I have been spending more time together lately.  She is really my only friend who doesn't mind going to dinner on a Friday night, coming over and sitting alone in my living room during Olivia's bath and bed time, waiting for me to put Olivia to sleep and then spending an hour or two with me at home doing nothing.  She is probably the one person who shouldn't want to do this since she's single with no children and could be out painting the town red with all of her single friends... but no. 

She totally doesn't mind that our Friday night get togethers involve dinner at the closest restaurant and maybe a trip to Target down the road to make sure I am able to get Olivia home by 7:30 so I don't interrupt our bedtime routine of bath at 7:45 and bed at 8:15.

I truly enjoy spending my Friday night chatting with my friend.  It's so nice to end my week with good conversation, companionship and fun! 

Happy Weekend!

~Laura

My Continual Journey

Lately I've been feeling like I'm on a million different journeys all at the same time. 

Whether it's my marriage, parenting, my relationship with God, work or just discovering me.  I'm on journeys, and let me tell you, these journeys are hard. 

I could choose to ignore them but obviously that's not going to work.

Most recently one that I've really been focusing on is my relationship with God.  This journey seems to be the one that's taking the most amount of effort since it's personal, takes a lot of thought, research, time and hearing what other people have to say.

Religion isn't really what I'm questioning but rather, my relationship with God.  I feel like there's a missing piece to my life right now and I think having a better relationship with God would fill that spot.

I read lots of blogs where women talk about how involved they are with their church community and I want that.  But, I haven't found it. 

My family belongs to a church, we go sometimes, but more often than not it is out of obligation, not because we really want to be there.  That's the issue.  I want to find my place in this religious journey that makes me want to participate. 

I want to have a meaningful relationship with God that allows me to have faith that things will turn out alright, or always feel like I have a spiritual place to go to when I need some comfort.  I don't want to wait until, God forbid, there's a negative event that makes me start to pray.  I want to pray because it's what I feel, not just because I need something.

My issue at the moment is where to start.  I'm 28 years old, have a semi religious background meaning I know facts that the Bible says, but how, at 28, do you develop a relationship with God?  If you have any advice, please share.  I'll take all the help I can get!

Sentimental Christmas Stuff

My Grandmother has been gone for over 2 years now and this season makes me miss her that much more. 

It's funny, or sad, how when you have a child you think about how important your older generations are and you appreciate them that much more.  My Grandmother would have loved my daughter and it pains me to think that they'll never get to meet on earth. 

Olivia is named after my Grandmother for goodness sake.  My Grandmother died in August 2009 and when I found out I was pregnant in January 2010, my husband and I just knew that if we were having a girl, her name would be Olivia.  Anyhow, I digress.

So, my uncle lives in the house my Grandmother owned and since she passed away I haven't been there, nor do I want to visit because I'm perfectly content remembering her house exactly how she had it. 

When she passed, my mother and uncle went through her stuff and did what they wanted with it.  I dont exactly know what they did with it, I never asked.  It's too upsetting for me to think that they threw stuff away. 

Well, with the approaching Christmas season, there are a few things that I want that used to belong to my Grandma, her Manger and the small Christmas tree she used to set up in her bay window.  I specifically want them for Olivia.

I remember as my Grandmother got older she wasnt able to decorate herself, but those two things were so important to her so I'd go to her house and make sure to put them in their respective places.  (Although for some reason I cant remember where we set up the Manger)

I wanted to ask my uncle for them but wasnt sure how to go about it.  I'd be crushed if he said that he'd thrown them away and I couldnt prepare myself for that.  So, what does any good daughter do, make her Mother call.  So, my mother did just that, and thank God he still had them and he's happy to let me have them.  So, Sunday he's going to bring them over (since I cant bear to visit my Grandmother's old house)

I cant wait to set them up in Olivia's room and share pictures with my blogging friends!  This is something that's so important to me to have for Olivia.  Something from 3 generations older that meant so much to my Grandmother and so much to me.  I'm so glad that I get to pass them down to my daughter from my Grandmother.

Olivia is going to love them and I know that my Grandmother would have wanted her to have them. 

~Laura

Sometimes and Always - Link Up!

Today I'm linking up with Megan at Mackey Madness for her

Sometimes and Always post! 

(I hope I'm doing this right!)

Sometimes - I wish I didn't have to wake up and come to work

Always - I'm glad I have a job when our economy is so scary

Sometimes - I wish I could go to bed whenever I wanted and not be woken up by my 14 month old

Always - I'm infinitely thankful and in love with my daughter and wouldnt change a thing!

Sometimes - I waste time at work reading blogs

Always - I regret my time wasted on Friday's when I'm hussling to finish my work

Sometimes - I wish I owned my own home - small house, big back yard and a huge tree!

Always - I'm thankful that we can afford to live where we do and have a nice warm home to go to

Sometimes - I think the grass is greener on the other side

Always - I remember to be happy and content with what I have

So, head over to Megan's blog and link of for her first ever Sometimes and Always link up!

~Laura



A Santa Story

Friday night, a friend and I went to dinner with Olivia at a local restaurant.  It was pretty busy and nearby there was a family of 3, Mom, Dad and little boy around 6.  I heard him talking the entire length of their dinner about another patron who was there eating that looked just like Santa.  Funny thing is, the guy, did look just like Santa.  Red coat, blue eyes, wire rimmed glasses, long white beard and long white hair.  He sat with his wife in a corner booth unaware of this little boys accusations that "he was Santa!"

As the family was getting ready to leave, the little boy walked over to Santa, tapped him on his shoulder and sweetly asked "excuse me, are you Santa?"  Now, this man had no idea that this was coming.  He didn't skip a beat and answered, "why, yes I am!"  I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation but, Santa let the little boy sit on his lap for about 10 minutes with a full blown conversation about what he wanted for Christmas.  When he was done, his parents thanked this kind man and took their son and left. 

Then the entire restaurant erupted in applause for this kind soul, Santa.  Seriously, I was in tears.  He made that little boys night.  Just imagine how he must have felt, how his parents must have felt that this complete stranger just went right along with it and made this little boys night.  Unbelievable!  It was just such a heart warming moment.

This, my friends, is what the Christmas season is all about!

~Laura

Busy, busy, busy

I'm thankful that this work week is almost over.  I.need.sleep like whoa.  With the end of the year approaching, work is busier than ever, more people are on vacation which means more work for yours truly.

Pair that with Olivia teething, that equals little sleep for me. 

Of course every weekend from now until the end of the year will most definitely be filled with something to do, shopping, my nephew's birthday, family get togethers, Christmas etc.  While it's so fun and I cant wait to spend my baby's 2nd Christmas with her, I need a vacation! 

Ok, enough of my whining.  I get it, I'm not the only sleep deprived mother out there.  Thanks for reading my pity party.

Now, onto the fun stuff.  TGIF.  Thank God it's Friday.  I am missing my husband something fierce.  We never get to spend time together since we work opposite shifts so weekends are our family time. 

This weekend, we will be shopping for our nephews 2nd birthday and attending his party.  Fun with the mother-in-law (sarcastic tone applies).

Here's my cutie pie - seriously, look at those toes.

~Laura

December already?

This year has flown by.  Really, just gone by so fast that I couldn't keep up.  Our family was busy with Olivia and watching her grow, learning how to be the best parents we can be, learning how to be married, incorporating being married, parents and both working full time opposite schedules.  Wow, it's been crazy.  Crazy but amazing all at the same time.  I've loved everything about this year.  Our first full year of parenthood.  Our first full year as a married couple.  This is one year I'll reflect on for the rest of my life.

This time of year I often think about just how much I have to be thankful for.  This year, I think my list is the longest it's ever been.  I think that sometimes with the hustle and bustle of the season, we tend to forget the small things we should be thankful for.  Here's my short list.  Believe me, I could go on for days about what I'm thankful for...
     ~My daughter, husband, family and friends
     ~our health
     ~coffee
     ~our warm home and working cars
     ~a job to come to every day
     ~technology
     ~good food, and enough food to feed my family
     ~watching my daughter learn to walk
     ~my husband for working nights so he can stay home with our daughter during the day
     ~my DVR
    
Like I said, my list could go on for days.  I'll keep it short for now.  What are some little things you're thankful for? 

Olivia's Antics

   

Olivia is growing faster than I ever imagined and there are so so many things she's doing and learning
that I dont want to forget.  I wish I could just bottle her up and keep her just the way she is for just a while.  It seems like every time I turn around (literally) she's doing or saying something new!

     Her favorite thing to do is "drop" things, although she isnt truly dropping things since it's all pre-meditated.  She even announces "I rop" (drop) before she does it.  It can be anything from her toy to her sippy cup or ood... whatever.  It's become a game.  I've tried to explain that she's throwing things, not dropping them, however, reasoning with an almost 14 month old is useless.

     She's just started walking, she can walk the length of a room without falling but now she's started trying to haul things with her.  She finds the heaviest, most awkward toy to carry and tries so hard to bring it with her.  Makes the journey much longer from point a to point b. 

     She's learned to "roar" when asked "what does a lion say?" - her reply is "roar, roar, roar" although its more of a growl.  It's adorable!  She also knows how to bark, since we have 2 loud pups, so we ask "what does a doggie say" and she barks.... a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e!

     Whenever I tell her I love her, a ka-trillion times a day, I point to my eye and say "I", then I point to my heart when I say "love" and then I point to her when I say "you" and now she's doing the same thing.  Melts my heart!

     She is in love with our 2 dogs.  Whenever they walk by her she says "Hi dog" which sounds more like "Hi duh" but, I know what she means!  She touches them any chance she gets and has also learned how to play with them with their toys.  She brings the dogs their toys and even throws it to them sometimes.  A couple of days ago I turned around for a second, looked back and she was eating a dog bone.  Nice, mother of the year right here!  At least it was all natural.

     When I say "where's Olivia" she covers her eyes and hides!  Sometimes she moves her hands away quickly and other times she makes us wait and say "where's Olivia, I cant find her, Where is she?" a million times before she's ready to reveal her self.  And when she finally does, she squeels some string of high pitched words together to announce herself and is super excited.  We're working on turning that into just saying "ta-da!"

I seriously could go on and on and on for days, but for now, I'll just leave you with an adorable picture of my munchkin!


Cutest "concentration face" ever!

~Laura

This Day Last Year

I saw a great idea on Pintrest (follow me) that I've stolen and put in place at home.  It's a box of index cards or a notebook, whichever you prefer to keep track of a little something you did every day of the year.  Whether you want to document your childs first steps, if you had an amazing dinner, friends over, your kids said something cute of funny, whatever you like. 

I'm keeping ours on the dining room table and each night at dinner time I write a little something down.  I put the month and day on the top of the page and the year next to what I write.  Next year, I'll go back to the original page, be able to reflect on what happened the year prior and write something new. 

I love this idea because I can keep this going and going and going forever!  I'll always have little blurbs of what happened to remember and it gives me a chance to reflect each day and remember the small things that may eventually slip my mind. 

Having Olivia has taught me to slow down and take it all in.  I never want to forget anything that she does, says or learns.  This little idea will help me keep those memories, with specific dates, right on my dining room table. 

5 Days of the 10 Day Challenge

Once again, the weekend got the best of me, throw a holiday in there any I'm spent.  So, now I'll captivate you with my last 5 days of the 10 Day Challenge and fill you in on my 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1!

Five Foods

1. Chicken Parm - this is my go to, never fail me food to order.  It's always good, I mean, how can you mess up some good Italian Chicken Parm?  Chicken, sauce, cheese...mmmmm!

2. Fish & Chips - being from New England we are spoiled with some delicious sea food.  Fresh Fish & Chips are the way to go.  I'm not talking about the frozen fish patties (eww).  I'm talking about Haddock, Cod or Scrod, fresh from the good old Atlantic Ocean!

3. Chowder or um as we would say, Chowda! - again, New Englanders are spoiled with our amazing sea food.  Clams fresh from the ocean.  I prefer white chowder but the New England area is known for our red.  Either way, it's delish!

4. Turkey - my family usually only has this a couple times a year, but I certainly cant forget good old Tom only a few days after Thanksgiving.

5. Chocolate - how can a girl not include chocolate?!?!
 
Four Books

1. The Hunger Games - I'm reading this right now, it's really good so far. 

2. Anything by Elin Hilderbrand - she has so many good ones, Silver Girl, The Island, Barefoot - they are all equally good.  Definitely chick books.  Tales about friendship, love, children, summer etc.

3. Again, anything by Jodi Picoult - she is an amazing author.  She writes about controversial topics and her books cant be put down!

4. The Bible - this answer for me is a tentative one.  I'm trying to be more "religious" and I'm struggling.  I'm putting this answer down as sort of obligatiry.  Any suggestions to help someone who's searching for a better Godly relationship?

Three Films

1. Bridesmaids - awesome, funny movie!  This is definitely something to watch if you want something lighthearted and non emotional.

2. Step-Mom - sad and emotional.  A good movie to watch if you need an excuse to cry.

3. The Green Mile - Love this movie.

Two Songs

1. When You've Got A Good Thing, Lady Antebellum - this was our wedding song.

2. If I Could Turn Back Time, Cher - Classic song to turn up my radio and jam!

One Picture of me - hmmm - here's my attempt to get Olivia to smile for my lame iPhone self portrait!

Day 6

6 Places - lets talk about a few places I've been and a few that I would love to visit.

1. Maine - my family and I love Maine.  We took Olivia on her first family vacation to Old Orchard Beach Maine last summer.  It was awesome!

2. Arizona - I was sent to Phoenix, AZ for work in February 2010.  I went with a friend from work, I was 8 weeks pregnant and it was the most amazing trip ever!  It was my longest flight, 6 hours, and we visited so many cool places!  We saw cacti, palm trees, red rock formations in Sedona, mountains and scorpions!

3. Virginia - In June of 2009, I was sent to Richmond, VA for work and spent 2 weeks there.  This was my first time flying ever and I loved every second of it.  I worked from 7 - 3:30 so for the rest of the afternoon and evening I was able to drive around, sight see and explore!  I got lost oh so many times but thank God for my rented GPS, I was always able to find my way back to the hotel.  The Southern hospitality blew me away.  I loved the warmth I felt everywhere I went.  I had so many comversations with strangers and they never felt like strangers.  I'd love to go back!

4. Niagra Falls - I've never visited either side of The Falls but I'd love to go and see it's beauty! 

5. Italy - I'd love to travel outside of the country and experience different cultures and languages.  Italy would be amazing!

6. New York - It's so close yet I have never visited.  I'd love to shop in New York City and take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty.  I want to experience the rush of the city firsthand, ride the subway, eat a street vendor hot dog, go to Times Square, visit Central Park and go to Ground Zero. 

Someday.......

Already catching up!

I have 3 days worth of my 10 day challenge to catch up on... shame on me!



Nine Loves:
1. My family & pets!
2. Reading
3. Shopping
4. Crafting
5. Vacationing in Maine
6. Coffee dates with friends
7. Reading blogs
8. Music
9. Reality TV

Eight Fears:
1. Losing someone in my family
2. Masks
3. Car accidents
4. Spiders
5. Not being financially stable
6. Being violated
7. That I'm not a good Mom and Wife
8. Missing memories

Seven Wants:
1. My daughter to always feel loved and live a life full of happiness!
2. My husband and family to always know how much they mean to me
3. Always have enough money to provide for my family
4. A kindle :)
5. To own a little house with a big backyard, a swingset and a huge tree!
6. To always be a good friend
7. To build a better religious background and relationship with God

Check back tomorrow for #6!

~Laura

10 Day Challenge

Since I just came back to my blog, I figure I need something to keep me here, at least for the next 10 days anyways. 



Day 10 - Ten Secrets About Me
1. I love Cher.  I love her songs, movies etc - everything.  Always have and always will!
2. I try to be crafty and I get all these amazing ideas from Pintrest, but I hardly ever follow through.
3. I bite my nails.  I try to stop but it's such a nervous habit.
4. I have a bunch of online friends and we all connected through babycenter.com's cloth diaper page and we've been friends for a while now.  All amazing Mama's whom I adore!
5. I "beam" as my husband calls it, I like to listen to other people's conversations.
6. I read sad blogs and cry a lot when I think about the situations these people are in.
7. I watch Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant religiously, even though I'm 28!
8. I'm trying to find my place with God and in Church. 
9. I hate my feet.  They are big and cause me a lot of trouble when looking for shoes etc.  I wish I could have a foot job.
10. I love coffee.  French Vanilla especially.

Check back for more tomorrow!

It's been a while....

So, it's been a while, a long while.  I've been debating whether or not to get back into blogging and although I really want to it came with this strange feeling of awkwardness about how to pick up where you left off and remain consistent.  After weeks of thinking about this I figured I should probably just jump in and hope the few followers I have don't mind my blog-vacation... so here's that first awkward post. 

I'm back!

~Laura

Boo's First Word!!!

Totally out of the blue, Boo is now saying MAMA!!!  She says it over and over and over!  At first I really thought she was just learning new sounds and it just happened to be Mama but... yesterday, while Gram was holding her, I walked out of the room and she said Mama - when I came back, she said it again!  So, she knows!  She know's what it means and I'm so proud! 

Boo is amazing - I love her more and more every day.  My heart has grown so much over just the 7 1/2 short month's she's been here - I cant imagine my life without her.  Being a Mama is the greatest joy I've ever felt!

I have proof - but I cant for the life of me figure out how to upload a video here!  So... for now, you'll have to trust me!  HAHA

Signed - MAMA!

My 1st Mother's Day!!

Sunday May 8th, I celebrated my 1st Mother's Day!  It was amazing!  Hubby, Me, Boo and my parents went to brunch and then Hubby and I took Boo to the zoo for the first time!  She slept most of the time but we had fun, nonetheless! 

These were taken after brunch, outside of Twelve Acres - it's hard to believe that just a year ago, Hubby and I were here getting married!  Talk about full circle!

Here are some pictures of our zoo adventure!



Hubby was the photographer so he isnt in any of the pictures :(

In other news - Boo is quite the eager eater lately - we've been letting her try some new things and she loves everything!!! 

Cucumber!

Watermelon!!!

It was cold so she was a little shocked!!

Boo was especially cuddly last night, she was up for about 2 hours from midnight til 2am - we rocked and cuddled and hummed together in her room and I have to say, despite the lack of sleep, I enjoyed every.single.second of that time with her.  Cuddled on my chest, breathing softly and every once in a while she'd look up at me just to make sure I was still there, pure bliss!  I'll miss these moments with her once she becomes mobile and wants to do nothing else but explore, so for now, I'll take the midnight cuddles any day!

Cucumber-melon & Midnight Cuddles!

Signed - Boo's Mom

Monday Funday - NOT!

It's Monday - that pretty much sums up how my day is going.  I realized this morning that I didnt buy anything to take to work for lunch this week so... I'm lunch-less and I refuse to buy anything in the caf because of their outrageous prices. 
I got all ambitious this weekend thinking that I can be the next cool WAHM and made AI2 diapers so I went out and bought $200 worth of fabric/fleece/snaps/elastic ect - came home, sewed my first diaper and it was a flop...but hopefully I'll get better with practice... I better get better with practice!

Boo is growing up so fast!  Seems like I cant look away for a second without missing something.  She's such a sweet little girl - funny and always happy!  I never knew I could survive with my heart outside of my body - that's how much I love my Boo! 

This is my most recent favorite picture - she's adorable!

Monday Love!

Signed - Boo's Mom

It's been a while!

Wow - I just started my blog and I'm already slacking off - go me!  Let's go with bullet points to sum things up so I dont ramble on.... here goes!

- Boo got a new Radio Flyer wagon from Daddy!  It was a surprise - look at my chunky munchkin sitting up like a big girl in her new wagon!  We cant wait for the nice weather to take her outside in it!

- Boo is almost 6 months old!!!!!  We have her 6 month Dr appointment today, I cant wait to see how much my chunker weighs!  She's such a good eater!  Last time she was in the 95th percentile so we'll see!

- Work is work... I'd much rather be home - but if I stayed home, Boo wouldnt be able to have such nice things like her red wagon!!!

- Spring is finally here (although it may not feel like it).  We had one nice day and I was able to take Boo outside for the first time ever - other than to and from the house/store to the car.  Here's a pic!



I love how the sun is giving her a halo - she's my angel!

- We had Boo's 6 month pictures done last week - I love the way they came out!  As a backdrop, I brought my quilt that my Grandmother made for me - since Boo is names after my Grandmother, Olivia, I thought it would be nice to have the quilt in the pictures and it worked really really well!  My Grandmother never got to meet Boo - but I'm sure she had a say in picking out the right baby for me!  Boo is a Godsend!  She's such a great baby, always happy & smiling!  She's truley an angel!

- Hubby and I have the day off tomorrow together which is rare!  We are going to spend the day as a family - would have gone and done something nice outside if RI would realize that it's spring and no longer winter but, as the good old Northeast would have it, it's going to snow on April 5th so we'll be inside cuddling with Boo all day!

-6 months is a lifetime of love in our little family! 

Signed - Boo's Mom!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

We aren't Irish, but we can still celebrate.  I'm wearing my only green shirt to work today which probably doesnt matter since I wont be leaving my office except for the occasional trip to the bathroom....but, it's the thought that counts right?

Yesterday the weather was horrible!  Rainy and chilly - the kind of weather that makes you want your jammies, a movie and your bed!  But, life goes on, so I worked and then Boo and I went to Joann Fabrics Store.  I wanted to try to make a fabric flower headband for Boo so I got a bunch of supplies and went to work.  They were super simple and fun to make.  I'm thinking about starting a little WAHM business with random things I make.....  (Like I need more to do!)  But I think it would be fun.

I *love* the way they came out... 

The yellow one is for us and the pink one I'm sending to a friend as a surprise for her daughter.  I hope she loves it!

In the next week I'm going to take Boo for her 6 month pictures!  I cant wait.  That's why I made the yellow flower headband.  I'm going to bring in the quilt that my Grandmother made for me before she passed away and use that as a backdrop for the photo shoot!  It's got really pretty yellows & oranges in it so this flower is perfect!  Boo is named after my Grandmother so I love the idea of including the quilt in the pictures.  It's a great way to tie the two of them together!

Flowers & Clovers!

Signed - Boo's Mom!



Being a "follower" can be a good thing!

I'm excited that I now have 3 followers on my blog!  YAY!  Thanks ladies - I hope you enjoy what I write!

This past weekend was nice - Hubby, Boo and I spent it together which was a nice change since Hubby and I dont see each other for more than an hour a day all week.  Saturday Hubby did the grocery shopping and then we went for a nice ride since the weather was finally bearable!  Sunday we hung around the house, played with Boo and went to dinner with my parents.  All in all a great weekend - other than daylight savings time which has really messed with my sleep schedule.

Boo typically sleeps til 9am every day - Sunday, she was up bright and early at 6am!  (which was really 5am since we lost an hour... Hubby was super sweet though and he let me get back in bed while he got up with her - she only stayed up about 30 minutes and then he got to come back to bed. 

At dinner yesterday I got a bit frustrated - we were at a pretty nice restaurant - Boo needed a diaper change so I grab my stuff and Boo and head to the bathroom - no changing table... GREAT!  So, I ask a waitress if they have one - just to be sure I didnt miss something, she says no.  So, the only option I had was to change her on a bench in the front of the restaurant since changing her in the actual part where other people were eating would be gross - but, as I'm changing her I can hear the waitresses talking crap behind the wall about the "woman changing her baby on the bench" - nice.  Totally pissed me off.  What was I supposed to do go to my car?  I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person who has come to their restaurant with a baby needing a diaper change before so shouldnt they be more accomodating?  Ugh - that just really frustrated me. 

More bathroom talk - Friday, Hubby, Boo and I went to Target to grab some stuff and I had to go to the bathroom - I tell Hubby to watch Boo and I'll be right back - I walk over to the bathroom, walk in and look around thinking to myself..."hmm, self, this looks different since the last time"  Then I realize that there are urinals on the wall - NICE - after thinking about it for a second, I realize that I'm in the men's bathroom.... OMG - at this point I make a 360 and pretty much run out of the bathroom - Hubby is standing outside and proceeds to yell... "what are you doing in THERE?!?!?!?"  It was pretty funny!

Diaper changes and bathrooms...

Signed - Boo's Mom

Bath time with Boo!

Hubby and I bought Boo a new bath seat since she was quickly outgrowing her bath hammock.  This seat is *way* cool!  It comes with a couple of toys in the front so she can play and it's nice for her to actually be sitting in the water as opposed to me just wetting her... let's hope she isnt peeing in it though!

Here are some pics from her first bath in her new bath seat!

Look at all of her chubbies!!!!!  I could just eat her cuteness up! 

Bathtime and Chubbies!

Signed - Boo's Mom

Our life in pictures...

Here are some pictures that we've taken over the past week or so. 

Rockin' out her Owl diaper

Playing with her *favorite* toy (and drooling)

Napping with Pepere

Sitting up for the first time EVER!

Playing with her Panda!

There is noone in the world that makes me happier than Boo!

Pictures & Memories

Signed - Boo's Mom

Happy 5 Month Birthday!!!

5 months ago today I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl Olivia!  I love her more than words can describe and I've enjoyed every second of the past 5 months spent with her!  She's my angel!  Here is a picture of us from this past weekend - isn't she a doll?

This picture is of us in our new Wrapsody Alice gauze wrap - we are a proud babywearing family! 

Birthdays & Babywearing!

Signed - Boo's Mom

Bedtime and Snuggles

Lately Boo's been having a REALLY hard time with bedtime.  We have the same routine every night - the 4 B's - Bath, Book, Bottle, Bed...  we get through the first 3 and when it comes time for her to go to sleep she pretty much freaks out.....  The night before last, she cried for almost 2 hours while I hugged, held, rocked & soothed her until she fell asleep.  I really think she's teething because she was grabbing at her mouth so we used a lot of baby Oragel which helped... BUT, last night was super sweet!  I started our routine later so that Boo would be more tired and hoped it would help her fall asleep.  She had her bath, we read her book, gave her her bottle and she fell asleep with no problems...  She did wake up about an hour later and didnt fall back to sleep on her own so I picked her up and we cuddled in the rocking chair for about 45 minutes just rocking and snuggling.  It was probably the best snuggles I've had with her.  It made me want to cry.  She loves being loved and I hope that I'm loving her enough!

Bedtime and Boo Snuggles.

Signed - Boo's Mom

Modern Day Hippie

Since having Boo - I've learned a lot about the type of parent that I want to be - not that I had the opportunity before since I'm a FTM (first time mom) but while I was pregnant I had a very different picture in my mind.  Until logging into BBC I only knew what was advertized main stream like regular diapers & strollers - I had never even considered using Cloth Diapers or Babywearing but since having her - a lot has changed.

Naturally as a parent, you only want the best for your children and when I began to research cloth diapers I learned a lot of things about regular diapers that leave a lot to be desired.  I'm all set with putting chemicals on Boo's bum when there is an alternate option.  I did lots and lots of research, asked tons of questions on the BBC Cloth Diaper Forum and finally figured out a system that works for us - Pockets!  They are super simple and really cute!  Basically - the diaper consists of a waterproof outer shell with a stuffable pocket for inserts.  You can tailor the absorbancy to fit your needs (daytime/nighttime) and the have an inner layer that wicks moisture away from the baby's bum.  Here are some examples of pocket diapers...

They have snap or velcro closures and an adjustable rise to fit your baby from about 8 lbs - 35 lbs!  This means you can use the same diapers from just about birth through potty training!  Cute right?!?!

The only problem is that they become addicting!  You (*I*) want to buy more and more and make sure I have all the cute new patterns... so in the end it may not be a money saving solution but I've officially declared myself "on the wagon" as the BBC Mama's call it.... which basically means, no more buying!!!!!

Thinking fluffy thoughts***

Signed - Boo's Mom

Missing Boo :(

Today I miss Boo a little more than normal and I think I know why.  This family just lost their beautiful little girl.  She was born in the same month as Boo and it breaks my heart to think of what they are going through right now.  Their lives will never be the same.  I've been following their story and I hope and pray that they find peace. 

I'm thankful that Boo is a healthy chunkster and has zero health problems.  I'm thankful that she's home with Daddy all day and he sends me super cute pictures throughout the day so I don't feel like I'm missing too much.  Like this one.

Even though Boo's only been around for 4 1/2 months, I don't even remember what life was like before she was here.  I cant even begin to imagine what life would be like if anything ever happened to her.

Praying for all babies health and happiness.

Thinking of baby Maddie. 

Signed - Boo's Mom

Getting started.

I created this blog about a week ago and have been trying to figure out exactly where to start when it comes to writing.  I wanted to start this blog for my daugher and family, to record and keep track of our memories and share our story.  The only problem with that idea is that I dont feel like I'm actually at the beginning of anything - I've been married for almost a year and Boo is almost 5 months old so I guess I'm starting late.  Well, better late than never I guess.

Seems like I should catch everyone (if anyone is reading) up on where our story began and what we are up to now.

January 19, 2010 - Hubby and I found out we are expecting!  Enter shock, nerves & excitement!

February 17, 2010 - Hubby proposes!  We had been together for almost 7 years so this was a long time coming!

May 29, 2010 - We get married!

October 7, 2010 - Boo is born!  (Best day of my entire life!)

February 28, 2011 - Blog is started.

For the past 4 1/2 months Hubby and I have been enjoying every minute spent with Boo and loving her to pieces.  We are both back to work now and it's hard but everything we do is ultimately for her so working means she'll have a better life!

Ok, so I guess it wasnt that hard to get everyone caught up! 

Here's a little more info about us and our life!

We both work for a bank - in seperate areas.  I work days and Hubby works nights so our time together is limited, but, like I said, everything we do is for Boo and this schedule means no daycare.  She gets to sleep late, which she loves doing, and stay in her own house with one of us all the time.  She gets to sleep in her own room, play with her own toys and never go out in the cold weather at 6:30 am.  Now, while this works for us, I totally get that it doesnt work for some other families - but, having Boo, I've learned that you have to do what's best for your family!

Hubby, Boo and I live with my parents.  For the most part, this works out well.  We have a house instead of an apartment.  Boo gets to see her Gram and Pepere every day.  Bills are cheaper since they are split between everyone.  Our dog has a nice big yard.  Dont get me wrong, there are definitely some downsides and it's hard to mix 2 families especially when Hubby and I are learning how to be married and be parents all while having my parents there to witness everything.  For the most part, they dont interfere and it's nice to have company while Hubby is at work at night.  The most important thing - they LOVE Boo to death and she loves them!  Seeing Boo every day keeps my parents happy and I love seeing them together.  But, dont get me wrong, I'm sure at one point or another I'll complain about them here!

Hubby's family is a train wreck.  His father passed away - he was probably the only normal one of the group besides Hubby.  He has 2 sisters - older sister is Kim, younger is Tiffany.  Kraptastic Kim is married to Loser Steve and they have 3 boys - 16 year old twin boys from KK's previous relationship and a 9 year old from Loser Steve.  The Twins have been moving from house to house looking for an "easy" place to live - basically they dont want to be told what to do or have any rules.... hmm.  The 9 year old lives with KK and LS and he's pretty much been disabled by them because KK doesnt want to work and LS wants to collect as much money from the state as humanly possible so they create all kinds of mental problems for the 9 year old in order to file disability for him.  Nice huh!  Put it this way, he's 9 and still uses a pacifier... 

Tiffany is 23 and has a 1 year old son, she just found out who the father is.  She lives with Hubby's Mom and the Twins (this week) and uses the 3 of them as built in babysitters.  She has no job, collects welfare and puts absolutely ZERO effort into being anything other than a loser.  She drives on a suspended license, stays out all night or for days as a matter of fact and drinks and does drugs... Mother of the year right there!

Hubby's Mom is ill.  She is in and out of the hospital for a miriad of health problems and doesnt take care of herself at all.  We rarely see any of them because to be honest, I cant handle it.  She has horrible spending habits, is on state assistance and can barely pay her bills because computer games, movies and video games are more important than food and heat to her.  She relies on Hubby quite a bit and he cant seem to cut the cord.  I get she's his Mom but God - tell the woman no once in a while!

DISCLOSURE - You will DEFINITELY see me complain about this lovely group of human beings on here!

Well, that's all for my first post!  Hope you enjoy reading my blog about our family and life!  I'd love to read your comments!

Thanks for reading! 

Signed - Boo's Mom