Rocky Start to Michael's Trip

Michael left yesterday for Germany. After a long night of throwing up once an hour with a stomach bug he felt horrible so I dosed him with Pepto and kicked him in the butt to get out the door. He was not going to miss this flight on my watch. I admit I was a little harsh on him. I felt bad he was sick but seriously he couldn't miss the flight! I did offer to drive him but he was stubborn. He took the pepto and sucked it up. He finally got out of Raleigh and fairly smoothly got out of Charlotte, and then Atlanta to land in Frankfurt. Or so the Internet said.

We have strict communication rules in the Eads Household. You call when you get on the plane and you call when you land. Michael was suppose to land at about 3AM Eastern time but I told him to call me anyway so I know he made it okay. So I woke up at 1AM, 2AM and then 4AM. At 4AM I was still groggy but made a mental note he should have called by now. I got up at my usual 5AMish...okay 5:30AM (I was tired...I had been up the whole night with a puking husband!) and am worried but not too worried yet. He is probably waiting until he knows I am awake and able to talk to call.

I get ready, get Lily to daycare, get to work. By now it is almost 8AM and I am worried. He would have landed five hours ago. No excuse for not calling. By 9AM I am panicking. I called his work to ask if they had heard from him, then I called the hotel to see if he had checked in. Neither one had seen him. So I narrowed it down to three scenarios and rationalized them each.

1. His plane crashed into the ocean and I was a young widow. But I checked the news and nothing was reported so scratch that.
2. He went to the hotel and crashed from exhaustion and a crappy flight and was sleeping. Well that got scratched when I called the hotel to see if he checked in.
3. He got really really sick on the plane and they had rushed him to the doctor or hospital and no one had my contact info! I filled out our passports with his parent's info since we were going to be together the majority of the trip. This what I was totally 100% convinced of. Until 11:30AM....

He finally called. Other than controlling the urge to reach through the phone and slap him I was so relieved. They had some phone/money issues. His boss wanted him to buy a pay as you go phone to use there and swore they were all over the airport and were really cheap. Yeah right. None to be found. Then he tried to get money out of the ATM like the bank told us to do and the ATM was broke so he couldn't even buy a calling card. THEN the guy that was suppose to pick them up they couldn't find. So a million hours later he finally got his hands on a phone that worked. Whew.

I still can't really call him though. But at this time he is already in bed so no biggie. I did call Verizon today and they are sending me a phone that works tomorrow and I will keep my number, etc. What a pain in the arse.

So not a smooth start. They didn't even get to do any of the training that they were suppose to do today...except for the wine tasting that was on their agenda. I am so jealous! They got to tour a winery. All those that know Michael can imagine how he sounded when I talked to him last. Although it was no Meg's graduation party. Who knows by the end of the trip maybe he will be wine drinker?

Probably not though....

Read more...

I AM A BLOGGING GENIUS!****Updated

I am seriously getting the hang of this stuff. Today I added a signature, created a button, removed an annoying border...and all while watching a one year crawl around the play room. Granted she probably wouldn't have knocked her head on the drawer had I been paying closer attention but we will overlook that.

Now I need to figure out how to let you "grab my button" Sounds dirty I know!

GRAB MY BUTTON Yo! HaHa I am an HTML Queen! Seriously it is the little things that make us feel great about ourselves. Like figuring these little things out, reminding your husband that you told him not to cut that hole in the ceiling.....

Read more...

I want a button

I want a blog button! How important do you have to be to get one? Who designs them? All these questions. Does anyone know how to do it? For an example see the lauren nicole button I have on the left.

I feel like the chick in Willy Wonka....but I really WANT A BUTTON!

So I tried to design one but I don't like. I want a fancy one :( I should have went to school for graphic design.

Read more...

Packing Update

Ok so I get Michael packed. Then we weigh the bag which is customary in the new age of flying. Of course the bag weighs 53 pounds. Anything over 50 equals fees. A huge fee if you are flying Delta (75?). While checking the requirements I noticed a size requirement. I have never really paid much attention to this requirement but we borrowed some ginormous suitcases from our friends and decided we should probably measure them just in case. THEY ARE ONE INCH OVER THE SIZE LIMIT. Exceed the size limit with Delta and be prepared to pay a wooping 175 dollar fee. On top of the over weight fee. Insert cuss word here.



So after all my hard work of packing Michael and starting packing myself we had to unpack everything, go buy two new suitcase, then pack a third smaller one to carry on to avoid fees. The sad part? It was still cheaper than paying the fee for one bag. So two new RED suitcases later and a whole 24 hours of packing and I am done with the majority of the packing. Michael is headed out the door anytime now to spend the night in Charlotte and then fly out in the morning. I am officially done with his packing.

As far as me and Lily? I have all our clothes packed and just need to pack toiletries on Thursday morning. I will pack the dogs on Wednesday night and I will be done!!! I will clean the house up and shut us down and head out the door.

Whew. I am exhausted and I haven't even left yet.

The best part about the new suitcases? Michael brought me home a hot pink travel pillow as well. He is so sweet.

Read more...

Packing

I am not sure if it my OCD or the inability to not control EVERYTHING....but why am I packing Michael to go to Europe? Do I not trust that he can pack the appropriate number of underwear? Do I need to make sure he has the nice outfits so we don't look like scrubs in all of our photos? I am really not sure. But I seriously have all his outfits in a suitcase right now and only two laying on the bed for me. What is up with that? He is a grown man. I should seriously consider giving him back control of his own suitcase. Maybe I am just procrastinating packing myself. Because right now all Lily and Michael's clothes are packed.

I hate packing. I always pack way too much and try to prepare for every scenario and then end up with a bag that weighs a million pounds. Except this time I won't have Michael to pawn the heavy bag onto. I have to lug it around. Girls have it way worse than guys. I need the outfit to go sightseeing in and then the outfit to go out in, and then what if it cold or hot? That equals like thirty outfits for 10 days! I have a problem. A serious problem. Now you know why I don't want to pack.

On a brighter note I am obviously making some progress. I think I have bought everything on my list including sleep aids for the plane rides to and from. I also got some camera accessories to aid in my awesome photo taking in the weeks to come. Remove one list! I have most of Lily's things packed. Michael will obviously be packed by tomorrow since he is leaving tomorrow night. Eek. I will miss him so much. Or at least his ability to be awesome at baby entertaining!

Read more...

To Do Lists

I am a list person. Currently on my desktop of my computer I have several files.

1. PAR-Tae todo list (can delete now!)
2. Hotels for trip and Gail
3. Things to buy for trip
4. Healthcare info for Lily for Gail
5. Lily's schedule for Gail
6. Things to pack for trip

I have noticed my lists are growing and not shrinking. Mmmm it is very concerning. I am motivated though. This time next week I will be on my way to the airport. So tonight I am dedicating myself to begin packing Lily and Michael. I will procrastinate my packing a little longer....

Read more...

More Birthday Pics!

The Chi O Girls

The only picture I have of the cake so far (backside). It was gorgeous and tasty!

Sawyer and Roman and then Lily playing with Roman. I think she is giving him the stare down...."This is my table and I will defend it"

Alice and Me and Roman and Jax sharing the ball!

Read more...

Site Update

We have recently updated our site. It is best viewed using Internet Explorer 8. If you have any problems with the new cute light pink polka dot background then it is time for an update!

Also Michael left for his first leg of trips over the next month. He will be in Cali until Friday and then leave Saturday night for Germany! Let the countdown begin.

Read more...

1st Birthday Round Up

June 8th-Family Day

Daycare was closed for a teacher workday so we took the day off and spent some QT together for her birthday. We went to Chuck E Cheese which was a blast. Hi my name is Stephaine and I am officially addicted to SkeeBall. In a totally non creepy way that place rocks for adults too. Not to mention the pizza was delish. Lily was a little scared at first....

But was soon all smiles!

This was by far her favorite. We spent a lot of tokens on this ride...it was seriously cutting into my Skeeball token budget but it was HER birthday.

Pretty much every Sunday we get a coupon for the place. $20 bucks bought us 30 tokens (everything is only one token) a yummy large supreme pizza, and four drinks. Not bad! We will go back on a rainy day. It is a little far away but nice for a treat or something different. She enjoyed it so I was happy.

I love this picture although it turned out blurry. It shows how excited I was and how Lily was just not feeling it until we showed her the above ride. Then she loosened up!

JUNE 10TH! Family Birthday Party

We had a small party for the three of us after we got off work. I took cupcakes to her daycare and made her a small heart shaped cake (domestic goddess I know!) with chocolate icing to provide the perfect photo opportunity. It was fun! And yummy if I do say so. Lily was sweet enough to share and feed us both. You can't really see the icing that ended up all over both of us but it is there. Then we opened her present and played the rest of the day. It was perfect!

Perfect Photo

Then we changed her into her bathing suit so we could give her the present we so diligently searched for. See Rave Review-Kmart. She loves the water table!

Too cute!

What is this look? It is like "don't you know I will hurt you?"

June 20th-PARTY TIME!

First I will say the weather man predicted it to be 100 degrees on Saturday. I am so glad we changed the party to a splash party. We had three pools...a bigger one, and two kiddy pools, plus two water tables. Thanks to Steph and Brooke for lending the extra pool and table. It worked out perfect. We got it catered by Smithfield's which was great because I didn't have to worry about much except cleanup. We set up a huge tent in the side yard and lots of tables with pink, green, and blue accents everywhere. I really centered the party around her invite. The cake was awesome from Sweet Bliss Cake Boutique in Wake Forest. The did an amazing job for an amazing price. I recommend them to anyone looking for a beautiful and tasty cake. I did vanilla with cookie and creme filling and people could not say enough how absolutely beautiful and yummy it was. I forgot to take a picture in all the commotion but I am working on it and will post later. Maybe they will be this weeks Rave Review!

The whole family before the party really got rolling and the temperature started rising

I also debuted my new 'do although in the humidity it started hurting.

She dug right into the "second" birthday cake! I think the practice did her right! Although I am glad she can't talk to tell me how more tasty this one was!

I love this chain of events! And it is funny my finger is stuck in someones mouth throughout the whole episode.

Enjoying her cake!

Aubrey was not scared to dive right into the pools. She was definitely the first to jump in!

Lily's adorable First Birthday hat...of course it took a better picture off her head

It was sooooo hot!

The perfect end to a perfect year with a beautiful miracle. Thanks to all the special people that shared this day with us. It means so much to have you in our daughter's life. We love you Lily!

Read more...

GREAT NEWS!

My passport arrived today!!!! YAYAAYAYAYA!


God I am hot in this picture......I am going to be prime target for hot dude to slip drugs into statue pottery thing (Bridget Jones).

Read more...

Blog Restriction Lifted!!!

My trial run of going private sucked. But more importantly how will everyone see my awesome Europe pictures if is private? So read away people I don't know. My friends laugh at me all the time so why not add strangers!

PS Just got the goal today of taking one of those really tacky pictures where it looks like I am holding the Eiffel tower. Totally my new obsession.

Read more...

Eads Family Mission Statement

Many of you have made fun of my Mission Statement idea. Mainly on the fact I never finished it. This is something we started writing in December 2008 to describing how we wanted to be as a family and what our goals were. Think of it as behavior rules or guidelines. I am proud to say we finished it about 6 weeks ago and it is now hung on our fridge and at my desk at work. I don't think Michael is brave enough to hang his up but one step at a time. I cannot say we always. 100% obey these but it is a constant reminder of what we strive for. As you will notice I have placed it to the left as well. The more visible it is the more likely to ensure change in practices!

Now some people may think it is silly but honestly I think it is important to have a goal as a family. I am not a patient person. Michael knows this. His number one thing he wanted on this list was being patient. Mainly for my behavior. My biggest thing was priorities...my family will always be first. Those are goals we both strive for!

We started by each writing down what we thought was acceptable behaviors, practices, and qualities that we wanted to posses as a family. Without further ado.....

The Eads Family Mission Statement

The Eads' Family will create a positive and loving environment where all feeling and opinions can be expressed and heard by:

Always placing family first
Speaking and acting with kindness and respect
Being Patient
Focusing on the positive in situations and always being thankful
Accepting things we cannot change
Being proactive and helping each other
Incorporating religion into our everyday life
Giving to the less fortunate
Living a healthy lifestyle
Embracing differences as strengths
Providing a stable future for each family member

As a family we will encourage:

Laughter
Positive changes
Learning, music, and reading
Acceptance and tolerance of all people
Family time and individual quality time
A love of all animals

The Eads Family May 2009

Read more...

T-2 days till Par-Tae!

So I am getting excited about Lily's Party. I guess I feel like she really won't be one until the party is over. I know that is silly but it is true. I can't wait to see her running around with all the kids. I hope she has fun. We might actually break out the video camera which we never do.

Tomorrow I decided to take a half day where I originally had the whole day off. The Europe trip has killed my vacation time so I am trying to conserve. Basically I will just be cleaning and stuff while Michael gets the yard all pretty. Micheal's family will be showing up tomorrow and then we will start setting up tomorrow night. We will most likely go ahead and get the tent up, and the tables out so all I have to do is decorate on Saturday morning, and run around to get food, etc. I am going to have to get up really early...the disadvantage of an 11AM party.

Of course the weather man adds a degree onto the heat everytime I turn on the TV so it is going from hot as hell to hotter than hell. I am trying to remain positive though and be thankful that it will not be pouring.

Then there is the dreaded hole in my ceiling. Do me a favor and act like it is not there, k? If you see it in passing just pat Michael on the back and tell him how smart he is......

Yay for Parties! Can't wait to see everyone and their kiddies!

Read more...

Rave Reviews-Laundry

I never really battled stains on Lily's clothes until....the toddler room struck. Now most days when I bring her home she has her afternoon snack all over her shirt. I know they don't use bibs because I pick her up during her snack and I never see a bib. But whatever I am set because I have discovered two tools that are lifesavers for kids/messy daddy stains.

Clorox Bleach Pen- I LOVE THIS! Prime example. Ordered an adorable shirt off Hollypops (see blog to left) and it was a white t-shirt with an owl embroidered on it and her name. First time she wore it came home and there were brown stains on it. I don't even want to know what they were eating that was brown but no worries. I had of course already washed the shirt when I noticed the stain but dab with the bleach pen and viola gone! Now some user tips. I bleach the heck out of the spot with the very precise tip. You can get pretty close to the color and it not bleach it out. Then I let it sit for awhile...sometimes overnight. Usually the bleach is dry by the time I wash it. Finally I rinse the bleach off before I stick it in the washer. Mainly so I can wash it with other items. I just rub it under water and ring it out. Wash and done. This pen is also useful on Michael's striped dress shirts where the stain is in the white.

Spray and Wash stain stick: Your a close second to my bleach pen. Pretty self explainitory...rub on, let sit, and then throw into washer...no rinsing necessary. This has gotten strawberry stains out which we all know are awful.

On an opposite and money saving note: What I don't waste money on after the first month? Dreft. Honestly I love the way this stuff smells but it is hard times. For budget reasons got to go! I have recently picked up powder detergent as a money saving option and to be honest I am loving it. I get a HUGE box at BJs it last me months upon months and it works great for half the price/twice the longevity of liquid. No detergent spots like back in the day. I guess powder detergent has come a long way over the years!

Read more...

Busy Momma

I know I have been slack about posting. I swear I am so busy I can't get anything done. It is like my brain is overwhelmed and is boycotting by shutting down. My mom is currently in town visiting for the rest of the week so I am hoping to get some breathing room.

For those of you that haven't heard the blog will be transforming into a travel blog in the next two weeks as Mommy and Daddy run away to Europe with the threat of never returning! Michael had an exciting opportunity to go to training in Germany and Switzerland for two weeks. I decided to tag along and we added four additional nights in Paris. Needless to say I am super excited. Unfortunately the trip is being thrown together at the last minute and my normal OCDness of planning Nazi (no Germany pun intended) is not getting its fix. I need my iternaries people!! So my blood pressure is high with the stress of planning the wonderfully exciting trip. I feel I should menition until today there was the added stress of waiting for my passport (which per the nice government lady was shipped today). I booked my plane flight without having the passport in hand which was an extreme stress on my pocketbook. Delta offered no refund for such shinangins. Not smart but necessary to get a decently priced flight. So that is the deal with that.

Then Michael's work tells us last week they will be sending him away for three to four days to California right before Europe. Eek! I have to pack for a two week trip (three for Michael) and take care of the baby by myself. Pack her for the two weeks to go to grandma's, get my dogs squared away...thanks to everyone helping avoid a $500 dollar boarding bill. I need reenforcements people. Please come to my house next week and relieve me. I will feed you I promise. It may be a frozen pizza but it might be all I have time for.

On top of that I have Lily's Par-Tae this Saturday. I have the cake confirmed, the food ordered, the decorations (minus balloons) bought, and the tent, tables, and chairs rented. Whew. Now to survive the scorching hot day at a cool sunny and 96 degrees. Maybe I won't have to worry about all my stress if I keel over from heat stroke during the party. That reminds me...add fans to my list of things to get.

Michael and I are going to try and squeeze in a date tomorrow night and take advantage of my Mom being in town. But the date may become a planning date. I am think B&N and wireless internet. We are just now getting hotel rooms booked so I guess we need to figure out where we are going now. You know train tickets, etc.

Poor Michael is worse off than me with the added stresses of work. It is sad that a great oppurtunity is turned inot a stressful event! I am hoping once we get there and start drinking heavily this stress stuff will melt away! It will probably be replaced with anxiety of being away from babygirl. Luckily I am so busy I can't think about leaving her for that long.

I will end this post on what my head is doing right now.....screaming AAGGGHHHHHH!!!! TOOOOOOOO MUUUUUUUCCCHHHHHH TOOOOOOOOO DOOOOOO!!!!

Read more...

I AM ONE!

We had so much fun today on Lily's Birthday. We had cupcakes at daycare, had a small party with just us three at the house, opened some presents, played outside on her new water table, ate cake for dinner. It was pretty much awesome.

Although we did have her 12 month check up today (aka shots!). I am a cruel mother I know. Who gives their baby shots on their birthday?? That's just cold. But anyhoo. She is 25 lbs 5 ounces and 28.75 inches tall and still has a huge head for her huge brain. I didn't get a number but it's still 90th percentile. She also got her MMR and Prevnar shot today. We go back next month to get Chickenpox (maybe). He said she looked great and was bright. Of course she was showing off by playing with the books in front of him. He also said I could keep her on 2% milk if I wanted but it really didn't matter between whole or 2%. I can't stand whole milk anymore so we will stick with 2%. I think she gets whole at daycare so we are all good. I don't think she is hurting in the fat department.

I did get a teaser picture from Nicole. Well I begged for it really. Poor Nicole I am the worst client ever. Actually I just am sooo impatient. I confess it is why I always loved Portrait Innovations. I got the pictures that day. In Nicole's defense I always get them really quick. But with her birthday being today I guilted her into just one to tide me over. Isn't she adorable?? Nicole did an awesome job if this is any indication. Can't wait to see the rest.

Read more...

To My Darling Daughter...on her birthday

Dearest Lilybug,

It is hard to believe it has been a year since we were blessed with you. You bring so much joy to our lives and remind us of the simple things like looking at flowers or reading a book. Yet for some reason this birthday has been difficult for me and I can't help but wonder if everyone of your birthdays will be the same. Maybe it's because I know that you will never be that little baby that I can hold in my arms again. I know I cannot get that time back. You have grown from that little baby to a girl full of life and personality. But with everyday I know I have something new and exciting to share with you. Every morning that I pick you up out of the crib the smile you give me reminds me that I have a special gift in you.

I remember the moment we met. On June 10, 2008 at 6:20pm I remember hearing you cry and Daddy talking to you and immediately you were quiet. After an exhausting day the nurse finally put you in my arms. You were so small and precious. Right then everyone in the room, your Daddy and Grandma and all the nurses, just disappeared. My chest felt like it could explode right then and there. I never knew I could love someone so much, especially someone so little. You weren't crying anymore. You were just calm and quiet as if you knew who Daddy and I were already. It was an amazing feeling to know someone needed me as much as I needed them. I just sat there and stared at you. This became one of my favorite things to do for weeks to come. When you would wake up hungry at 2AM on the dot every night without fail I would just lay with you in our bed and stare. It was always our special time. Everyone was asleep and it was completely silent with no distractions. I want you to know how I enjoyed those times so much.

I see little pieces of me in you more and more. Like the stubborn little girl that won't let Mommy feed her anymore and turns her head yet picks up that same piece of food to eat. Or the independent girl who doesn't want Daddy to hold her because she can walk by herself. I hope you keep that. Remember that you don't need anyone to help you and you can do it on your own. But I hope you also learn to take the help on those rare occasions you need it and that Daddy and I will always be there to help guide you in the right direction. I have no doubt you will succeed because I already see how bright you are. Just like your Daddy. I like to think you got the best of the both of us. Sometimes when I am really lucky you stop walking...look up...and reach for my finger to help you walk. Those are the moments I love. They let me know that you don't need my finger but you want it.

This year I have seen so many firsts. Your first smile, first laugh, first tooth, first word, and your first steps. It has been so much in what seems like such a short time. But that just reminds me how precious each moment is with you. Each day you change so much and you change me so much. It may be hard to believe but at one point Mommy had less patience than she does now. You gave me what I have. You make me see what is important in life.

A year ago today I saw a little precious baby and today I see a big girl eating her cupcake, running around outside and opening her presents on her birthday. So today on your birthday know that I love you so very much. Although you are getting bigger and bigger every day you will always be my little baby girl.

Love Always,

Mommy

Read more...

Rave Reviews- Kmart

I am not a big proponent of Kmart. Especially since I found out it is owned by my arch nemesis Sears. Many of you know my hatred of Sears and the many battles I have endured with them. Kmart is kind of dirty actually. But I will say this....if you ever have a toy you cannot find due to popularity go to Kmart. They will undoubtedly have it. And you know why? BECAUSE NO ONE SHOPS THERE! It's amazing. Our Kmart is right next to our Walmart. There are hundreds of cars at Walmart and maybe twenty at Kmart. Half of which probably worked there.

We went all over town looking for a water table for Lily's birthday present. Not a sand/water table but just water. I was having a hard time paying 60-80 dollars for ones that we found. Toys R' us had one on sale for $30 so of course everyone in the area was sold out. Target had the $80 ones that had sand/water. And Walmart only had them online for the cheap ones. Finally it dawned on me to try Kmart.

I am a shopping genius. They had like six of them. It was a little more expensive than the sale TRU price at a whopping $40 but I found it! And she will have that water table to open tomorrow on her birthday by God!!!!

So remember when all else fails....try Kmart!

Read more...

My Husband the Absent Minded Plumber

Imagine this: You're sitting on your couch relaxing thinking about taking a nap because your husband is watching NASCAR which ranks right up there with golf for TV watching. The baby is playing, all is good. You glance up and see two water spots on the ceiling. Que screeching halt to calming background music.

MICHAEL...did you leave the water on upstairs LOOK! Like a deer in headlights he sits there. WELL GO CHECK!!!! No sense of urgency he goes up stairs comes back down and says no. But he did have the garden tub filled up with bleach water so he could clean it. Just so you know that is a lot of water if that thing is full! Well did you drain it.....no. UGHHHH! I ran upstairs and throw some toys in Lily's crib and set her in it. Que screaming baby and run into the bathroom to drain the tub. Then I hear STEPH! Something is VERY wrong. Que cuss words. I touched the sealing and now water is draining into the living room. I run downstairs get a bucket throw it under the leak and head to the main water valve. This situation is quickly going downhill. I drained the lines but that didn't stop the leak. So Michael being all gungho decides he needs to cut into the ceiling to stop the leak. It is obviously coming from something in the Master Bath. By now I notice a water spot in the hallway as well. Michael gets the drill and drills a hole in the ceiling and water starts quickly draining out. To me it seemed like a LOT of water. He claims it wasn't that much. Let's put it this way it was more than I like to see draining out of my ceiling.

So then he starts getting cut happy. With a butter knife. Seriously? But whatever at least it wasn't my good knives. But the leak wasn't there. So he cuts again. But the leak wasn't there either. Then he cuts a huge strip down the side and the leak wasn't there. By the way the baby is still screaming upstairs. And I am having heart attack. I have like fifty people coming in two weeks for a birthday party and my living room is going to have a skylight to the Master Bathroom Toilet! I am sticking pots under stuff to catch water there is drywall everywhere. This is bad. Real bad. Finally after our friend Glen came over we stopped the leak and figured out it was definitely the garden tub but not sure what in the tub. The he says well I didn't have to cut into the ceiling I could have went through the back of the closet to get to the tub. WHAT!!!! On top of that we still don't really know what's going on and we need a plumber. And a drywall man. And now a divorce lawyer or maybe just a defense lawyer to get me off on insanity charges if he turns up murder with a butter knife.

Read more...

Last Week of Babyhood

Well this past week was my last week with my little baby girl. This week she will become a big girl.

We had a fun and busy week. Last weekend we went to Sesame Live. We got a steal on the tickets so we headed to the RBC Center to visit Elmo again. I was a little worried it would not hold her attention. Boy was I wrong. As soon as Big Bird and Elmo came on stage she clapped, pointed, and waved at them with excitement. It was awesome. She paid attention the whole 1.5 hours. Wow. Impressive to say the least. We will definitely be visiting that again next year. I am thinking we can milk another year out of Sesame. I have to say Sesame doesn't bother me as a kids show. It is educational yet not freaky in a teletubby way. I mean who doesn't like a big furry puppet?

Then this past Monday we started our new class. Yes Lily is officially in the one year old class. She sits at a table and eats, she sleeps on a cot, and she drinks out of the big girl glasses (sippy cups). It brought tears to my eyes to see her at the table eating her goldfish. And I picked her up and she was napping so peacefully on her little cot covered by her blankie.

I did have one complaint about the new class. Since she was transitioning into a new class I expected some fussiness when we dropped her off. By transition I mean they just dump them into the new class...no easing into it here. Luckily she knew most of the kids in there so it hasn't been unreasonable. Overall the transition has been good with one exception. In the morning they combine the Toddler I (12-18 months) and the Toddler II (18-24 months) rooms due to resources or whatever. Well when Michael dropped her off she was getting trampled by two year olds. AND he was having to take her the the Toddler II room. Now I may be wrong but since she is in a new class I felt she should be dropped off there so she knows where her new 'home' is. Not to mention there is obviously a difference between a not quite 12 month old and a 24 month old. They seperate the classes for a REASON! Michael said she was scared silly! She was crying. It might be the worst drop off to date. She got knocked down like four times in a few minutes. She is just now getting the hang of walking and doesn't need big kids pushing her down! Maybe I am just Mommy protective but I was pissed. I was literally in tears at my desk and everyone probably thought I was crazy. Michael said he was scared to sit her down because they would swarm her. The two year olds are like vultures I tell you! Who knew they started so young? It is like they smelled fresh meat. Or as a friend described the "Thriller" video with the zombies coming after you.

All is well for now I talked to the teacher and asked that they not combine until Lily gets adjusted and gets a better grasp on pushing the kids back when they push her...haha! Not to mention there is a little girl that moved up with Lily that is not even walking so we need to think about her safety as well. Meanwhile I will be playing Kung Fu Panda on repeat until Lily learns some defensive skills.

Like I said overall the transition is good. They take her outside twice a day and she runs around. She is wearing shoes everyday and walking really well in them. She is usually wearing the same clothes when I pick her up which is an improvement on my laundry budget. They may not be clean but it is less to wash. She seems happy when I pick her up. I don't get to see the teacher much because she works 7-3:30 so by the time I get there at 4:30 she is gone. I think we will have to utilize the teacher conference day this year. I did feel like in the infant room there was always an open line of communication...I am not sure about this class though. I just think the new teacher needs to love Lily as much as the infant room teachers did. We may have spoiled...just a little.

We spent Friday night to visit Meg and Craig so they could see Lily for a bit. She was not exactly an angel. She has battling a cold all week with a nasty cough. As has Mommy. We didn't get there until like nine that night so that didn't help. She stayed up WAY to late and then go too tired. She wasn't exactly an angel the next day either but even her bad isn't terrible.

We went to a baby shower for Brent and Chris on Saturday morning. So cute! She looks great. I am insanely jealous that she is barely even looking pregnant. More like she ate one too many brownies. But she is tall so tall is blessed in pregnancy. She got lots of cute stuff. I think they are all set and just waiting on Will to arrive. If their registry is any indication they don't need much else. We actually got them a pack and play, diapers and wipes because when Brooke and I went to buy a big gift together there was nothing left! The pack and play was a basic one so not pricey. We had to supplement with something and all mothers know diapers are an awesome gift!

Chris did bust her butt towards the end of the shower and actually went to the ER. Her ankle is sprained but the baby was fine. She got an air cast and they monitored her for four hours afterwards. I was laughing on the way home about how clumsy I was pregnant. If I went to the hospital every time I fell I would have spent the last three months being monitored. Lucky that your bones are all flexible during pregnancy making it difficult to break anything. Lets see I fell on the front steps once and skinned myself up pretty bad. That was probably the worst fall. I tripped going up the stairs on a daily basis. Hey I couldn't see my feet people! You would think being short and having a low center of gravity would help but it doesn't. Maybe this is were Chris' tallness is a disadvantage. She does have farther to fall.

After the shower we stopped by Teagan's birthday. I know a long day! Her parents were so happy. It is exciting to see the girls getting bigger but sad at the same time. We saw some old friends we hadn't seen since last Fourth of July and I didn't even recognize the kids which made me sad that we have gotten so wrapped up in our life that we have dropped the ball i nother areas. I guess somethings always gotta give right? But Lily was running around the yard and having a blast. She kind of stuck to herself but she seemed to enjoy the outside time.

We need to invest in some outside toys. Start encouraging it now. When we get home I have been trying to take her outside to walk around and play for at least fifteen minutes. You know just get her used to it. She likes it and likes to pull leaves off my bushes. She doesn't seem to mind that they are prickly.

Her walking has exploded over the past two weeks. She is a champ and using it as her primary mode of transportation now. I have only seen her stand up in the middle of the floor unassisted a few times but once she catches onto that we are in trouble. She is almost trotting now. And she found the stairs yesterday. Every time I turned around she was walking towards them. I followed her up them and sure enough she knows how to climb them. Ugh. Does anyone have a stair gate? I am too broke to buy one....the upcoming post will let you know why.

On Sunday we had our One Year Photo Session with Nicole Faby. She is awesome! Check out her site. We actually went to college together and she is a fellow Chi Omega. I cannot wait to get our proofs back. All I am going to say is that we may have a little Ballerina on our hands. Lily was very well behaved but was quick to let us know when she was done (after about an hour). It started getting really hot all of a sudden so I wasn't surprised. We did them at the Raleigh Rose Gardens. It was my first time there. It had character but kind of reminded me of an old lady's garden. You know the ones behind the old creepy mansions. haha! I think it will make for good pictures though. I haven't been disappointed with my previous pictures from her.

Whew long update and I know I don't have any pictures but I had to get all this in before the BIG ONE post. I will try and download some stuff tonight.

Read more...

Must Read

Cry it out Method with a humor twist...

http://www.babble.com/The-Sleep-Trainer-How-I-gradually-came-around-to-the-cry-it-out-method/index.aspx

Read more...

Happy Anniversary to us!

Today is our four year wedding anniversary. Wow it's only been that long? It feels like eternity...but in a good way. I can't remember my life without Michael. I remember time based on what we were doing at that point in our lives. It is funny how it turns into that. How love merges you into a single being and time revolves around the "us" like that. It's amazing how so much has changed through our relationship. How different we are as a couple and as individuals.

Eight years ago we were just getting serious after a year of wishy washiness (all on his part of course)
Seven years ago we were college sweethearts. Michael was just a coop and I was just a waitress.
Six years ago we were the cohabiting couple and had just moved in together. Michael graduated and got hired on with ABB (I was still just a waitress).
Five years ago we were the newly engaged couple. I was in full planning mode. I think we had just settled on a date. I finally graduated and had a nonwaitress job!
Four years ago we were the bride and groom. After a year of planning and all consuming wedding thoughts we were focused on our honeymoon (Finally!) and our new life together. But to us it didn't feel that new...
Three years ago we were first time home buyers! We were settled in our first home and we (aka me) were all about home renovations!
Two years ago Lily was just a sparkle in our eyes. For once we didn't have a major life change in the works....or so we thought.
One year ago we were an expecting couple. We could barely even think about our anniversary because I could hardly move with pregnancy ginourmousness and were so anxious for her arrival. .
Today we are the parents couple. Wow. It still feels weird to say that. We plot ways to get one night alone to go see a movie that we have been talking about for months and everyone else on the planet has already seen.

So needless to say we have morphed into awesomeness in every way :)

I can honestly say I think the past two years Michael and I have gotten a lot closer. I think we finally fit into the married skin. We have grown up. I couldn't be happier. I mean every couple still has their moments. But ours seemed to be a lot further apart these days. Being married is amazing. Being married and have a beautiful little girl together is even better. I cannot think of anyone else that would make a better looking baby with me that is for sure!

But today is about us not about all of us a family. We have to remember that. With Lily's Bday only a week from our anniversary we have to step back and focus on our relationship and how far we have come together.

So what I will say today is that although I don't say it everyday "Thank You Michael" you are awesome. I love you so much and look forward to many more anniversaries to come. You do so much every day to make me happy. Whether it be changing the extra diaper, bringing home flowers, or that random "I love you baby" email- you're the best husband in every way. We are definitely not perfect but I think perfection is boring and we are interesting if nothing else. I love you!

So tonight we got a babysitter and we are going out for some QT of our own. I am so excited! Now if only we can manage not to talk about the baby the whole time....

Read more...