Kelli Belli Jelli

Pinterest Recipes

2012-02-16T07:43:00.000-05:00

Anyone who has discovered the wonderful world of Pinterest knows that there is a ridiculous amount of recipes. Some look good. Others not so much but that’s just my personal opinion.

We attempted two new recipes in our house. Stephen was on board once I told him what they were. In fact, he did all the cooking for one.

The first one that we tried was the Avocado Fries. When I was pregnant with H.B.Nanna I couldn’t get enough guacamole – apparently I like avocado in any form this pregnancy.

All I can say is - these are AMAZING!! Stephen and I hate the whole thing. And I could have had another.

The second recipe was for garlic lemon chicken with green beans and redskin potatoes. This was really good! I am not a fan of all things lemon {I was never that kid that liked to eat lemons in a restaurant} but this was good. I think that the next time we make it I will go a little lighter on the lemon. It wasn’t overkill…but it was almost there.

This picture is from before it went into the oven. I forgot to take one when it came out. I guess I was just that hungry!!

If you have any good Pinterest recipes you'd like to share, leave a comment. Maybe I'll start a weekly recipe review.

If you want to follow me on Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/kellr105

Sick Germs!

2012-02-15T16:30:00.000-05:00

It's been a fun week in our house and it's only Wednesday.

H.B.Nanna has been running a fever and has an awful cough. Which means no school.

Why is it that when children are sick, Mommy and Daddy's bed is the place they want to be?! Lucky for me, she prefers Stephen's side of the bed!

So far so good but fingers crossed I don't get sick. I have a big ultrasound Friday. {Don't forget to vote in the right}

19 Weeks

2012-02-13T11:28:00.000-05:00

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Information from: babycenter.com

How far along: 19 Weeks

Total weight gain: I haven't stepped on the scale lately but I am still smaller then I was with H. B. Nanna.

Sleep habits: I am sleeping at night but I wouldn't say it is good sleep. I wake up some days feeling like I haven't slept at all.

Maternity clothes: Yes and let me tell you, someone needs to design cool maternity clothes. Not every pregnant person enjoys a tie-back shirt.

Food cravings: Avocado. Sushi. Chocolate. Not much of a change from last week.

Symptoms: Nothing major to report. The doctor sent me for blood work last week since I haven't gotten my 2nd trimester energy yet. Everything came back fine so hopefully my energy will be making an appearance soon.

Movement: I can still feel it. Stpehen and H.B. Nanna have felt it but Stephen can't feel anything now. The baby must be in an odd position.

Nursery: No news on this. Thanks to Pinterest I have lots of ideas though.

Next appointment: I go to the MFM office on Friday for my Level II ultrasound and to hopefully find out baby's gender. I don't go back to my doctor until the 5th.

I can not believe I am posting this picture. It's awful!!!

19 weeks 3 days

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

A Princess..An Explorer...And An Animal Print

Girl has style! ;)

Disney Recap

2012-02-07T08:22:00.001-05:00

Black Friday evening my parents arrived and the car was loaded. After all we needed to be on the road at 4am and who wants to load the car in the dark. We drove through the day with potty stops and food stops as necessary. There was napping, movie watching, game playing…whatever we could do to entertain H.B.Nanna during the ride.

We stopped and spent the night in Georgia. My Mom thought ahead and picked a hotel exactly 4 hours from Disney. It was nice waking and knowing that we didn’t have a full day of driving ahead of us. We were all rested and out the door early. Somehow we made it there early. {I think we were all excited to get there!}

We stayed at the Coronado Springs hotel and I highly recommend it. It is considered a moderate resort and while you pay a little bit more, it is so worth it. I have had my fair share of stays at the cheaper resorts and I have to say….once you go moderate it is hard to go back. We had adjoining rooms with my parents and it worked out great. H.B.Nanna would get up in the morning and go visit Nanni and Pop Pop.

We had 4 full days in Disney in addition to the afternoon we arrived. It was not enough time to see everything {in my opinion}. Hollywood Studios didn’t have enough for H.B.Nanna. We had a second half day planned there and opted not to go because we honestly didn’t know what we would do.

Animal Kingdom was nice but again was a quick visit. We had lunch at the Tusker House and it was awesome! One of the best meals we had all week!

We spent the majority of the rest of our trip in the Magic Kingdom and we still didn’t see it all. I suppose that is what happens when you have a child who loves princesses. We spent a good deal of time waiting for autographs but she left with her book full and she was very excited about that.

One night we were heading out of the Magic Kingdom and noticed that the wait to meet the princesses was only 30 minutes. It was 9pm before we saw them but it was so worth it. H.B.Nanna was so excited to see “her girls” that it didn’t matter that she was exhausted. People have told me we were crazy for waiting in line that long at night but I think it was better then the 2 hour wait during the day.

H.B.Nanna had her hair cut and done at the Barber Shop in the Magic Kingdom. It was awesome! She wasn’t old enough for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and I am kinda glad. She loved her hair and I think that on our next trip we will stick with the Barber Shop. It helped that it was a quarter of the price of Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. I definitely recommend it to anyone planning a trip.

We are already talking about our next trip. H.B.Nanna is asking when we are going again. We would like to go sooner rather then later but I think we need to wait until Baby #2 is about H.B.Nanna’s age {now} when we go. We learned what not to do and what we would like to do on our next trip.

18 Weeks

2012-02-06T08:58:00.004-05:00

Almost half way there!! We don't find out if baby is a boy or girl till the 17th. I am {trying to} patiently wait.

I know I promised a belly pic but I spent the weekend in my pajamas and I didn't do my hair once...I didn't want to scare you away!!

This is baby today:

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.
Information courtesy of babycenter.com

How far along: 18 Weeks

Total weight gain: I am at about 12 pounds..give or take ;) I am smaller then I was with H. B. Nanna.

Sleep habits: I seem to be sleeping well for the most part. Stephen was traveling recently and I didn't sleep well those nights but I don't think that was baby related. Some nights I wake in the middle of the night and have trouble going back to sleep but that doesn't seem to be to offten.

Maternity clothes: Yep. I made it through my first trimester in my regular clothes which was awesome because I couldn't do that with Hanna. I am now into maternity bottoms and more or less almost all my maternity tops. The problem I am having is that my seasons for maternity clothes are off. All my winter clothes are rather large {H.B.Nanna was born in January}.

Food cravings: Avocado. Sushi. Onion dip. Great combination, right?

Symptoms: Nothing major to report.

Movement: I can feel it. H.B. Nanna has felt it. Hopefully Stephen will feel it soon.
The first time H.B. Nanna got "kicked" she was very upset. She didn't like that the baby kicked her because kicking isn't nice.

Nursery: Haven't really thought about it yet. H.B. Nanna will be moving into one of the guest rooms and baby will take her room. I have some ideas {darn Pinterest} but I can't do anything about them until we find out boy/girl.

Next appointment: I go to the doctors on the 8th for my monthly visit. I go to the MFM office on the 17th for my Level II ultrasound. They want me to have the Level II since I had pre-e with H.B.Nanna and because I showed placenta previa at my Level I. Luckily the placenta previa hasn't been causing any issues thus far {fingers crossed!}

I added a poll to the right - let me know what you think....is Baby #2 a boy or a girl?

My Big News

2012-02-03T08:15:00.002-05:00

So as I hinted at yesterday, there is some exciting news I want to share. I am a little late in the game with sharing the news but as they say…better late then never.

Baby #2 is on the way!!!

We are so excited for this new addition to our family. Adding to our little family is something we had been talking about for a while. There were a lot of things that needed to happen before we could really think seriously about it. But then the time was right.

The day I was due for my period my parents were visiting for the day. We planned to go to lunch and to work on some Disney plans. Every woman knows that the day Aunt Flo should arrive, every time you visit the potty you fear for what you might find. Well I felt like I was going lots of extra times that day. Stephen knew what day it was so he would give me the look that said “anything yet??” and I would give the “nope” look right back.

As soon as my parents left I wanted to test. But I only had 1 test left. I automatically thought about it being negative because it was the end of the day and not my first tinkle of the day {yes, I just said tinkle}. So I waited. I woke up about 3 am feeling like my bladder might explode. So I tested. At 3 am. And I saw this….

I know it is a blurry picture....again it was 3am!!

I got back in bed and did the ol “Are you awake?” to Stephen knowing full well he probably wasn’t. He startled and asked if everything was ok. I of course said yes and put the pregnancy test in his face. I knew he was awake then. We were both really surprised and excited. I of course couldn’t go back to sleep.

We had plans with my in-laws that day and I was bound and determined not to share the news. Success! We managed to hold out a couple of weeks before we told our families. I of course was dying to tell someone so I shared the new with a few girlfriends who were more then glad to keep my secret.

Currently my due date is set for July 7th but I was 5 week early with H.B.Nanna. They are watching me closely {which I am totally fine with} and I am hoping I can make it to 37 weeks this time. I’d also like to not spend the 4th of July weekend at the hospital.

I’ll post my belly picture and weekly pregnancy update on Monday.

Have a great weekend!!!

Toddler Talk Thursday

2012-02-02T15:53:00.000-05:00

This Week’s Topic: Favorite Water Picture

This will be our second summer living 6 miles from the beach.

I hope that this year H.B.Nanna will learn to like the water {she gets it from me!}

A couple of years ago, while on vacation we invested in this awesome thing.

Best money we ever spent.

Next Week’s Topic: Favorite Apps for Toddlers

We're Back.....

2012-02-02T12:10:00.002-05:00

I can’t believe I have been away for so long. I just looked back and I blogged in October and only once in December. Such a slacker I am…. I guess you could call it a hiatus. And when you find out why well I am sure you will be more then understanding.

There is so much that has happened over the last few months that I don’t even know where to begin. I’ll try not to overwhelm you with post full of pictures. But that might be hard.

So incase you forgot…

This is H.B.Nanna - 3 years old now and lover of all things princess

I'm Kelli (aka Mommy, Momma) - age is just a number

This is Stephen (aka Daddy) - he says we are the same age but I would like to

state for the record that he is 4 months OLDER then me :)

This is Morgan - the laziest yellow lab you will ever meet.

What yellow lab doesn't like water or a good game of fetch....

I promise not to go so long between blog posts again. Tomorrows post will make sure of that ;)

Ho Ho Ho!

2011-12-16T20:50:00.000-05:00

This has to be one of my favorite photos from Disney. I love the way Hanna is looking at Santa.

And there are no tears!!

I know I have been MIA lately......there is A LOT going on. And I will be able to share it with you all very soon. Just as soon as I find the time to write a longer post then this! :)

Toddler Talk Thursday

2011-10-27T10:10:00.000-04:00

This weeks Toddler Talk Thursday topic is Happy Halloween!

I wasn't sure that I would be able to get H. B. Nanna into her Halloween costume. She picked it out. When it arrived in the mail, she wanted to touch it, hold it and wear the hat. She did not want to wear the costume. I managed to get her into it only to have that end in a horrific screaming fit.

We've been talking about Trick or Treating and that in order to do that, you have to wear a costume. She seems to understand and seems excited.

Last night there was a big Halloween parade that I wanted to take her to. She asked if she could wear her Halloween dress. Why of course!!

When we came home from the parade she asked if she could sleep in her Halloween dress.

Fingers crossed she wants to wear it again for Halloween.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-19T22:52:00.000-04:00

Our Count Down to Disney Has Officially Begun!!!

Decisions..Decisions

2011-10-13T06:30:00.000-04:00

We are about 6 weeks from our Disney trip and each day I get more and more excited. It's been 10 years since I was last there but I have never been this time of year.

I spend lots of time searching Etsy for the perfect 1st Disney shirt for H.B.Nanna and I really am having a hard time narrowing it down.

Something simple like this from TheTutuFairy

I like the mouse head with an initial from mylittlegacies

I could always take the DIY approach and buy this from SoxThatRock

But I also like this from AdrienneN

I could go on and on....why is this decision so hard??? :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-11T21:19:00.000-04:00

The best place to watch the parade is on Daddy's shoulders!

Tasty Tuesday

2011-10-11T19:33:00.001-04:00

I've really been having some luck with some new recipes I've tried lately. I've had some friends request the recipes so I thought I would share them all here for those who are interested.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Pasta

1 lb chicken breast, chopped

1 (11 1/2 ounce) can of cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup hot sauce for buffalo wings

6 ounces mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing

1 1/2 cups sour cream

3 cups penne, uncooked

Season chicken salt and pepper and put it in the slow cooker. Add the chicken soup and hot sauce and stir.

Cook on LOW 4-6 hours or HIGH 2-3. Stir in cheeses, salad dressing and sour cream and cook for another 30 minutes.

Boil pasta according to package instructions, drain well and add to the chicken sauce mixture. Stir well and serve!

The left overs are great the next day with crusty bread!

{I can't take credit for creating this recipe. I got it from my friend Alison :)}

31 is the new 6...

2011-10-05T08:54:00.000-04:00

...according to H.B.Nanna.

This morning I was awoken by lots of hugs, kisses and Happy Birthday's.

Stephen asked H.B.Nanna how old she thought Mommy was.

So she asked me.

I said 29.

Yep, this is the third anniversary of my 29th birthday.

H.B.Nanna knows 30 comes after 29. She was so excited to tell me that next I will be 30.

What comes next, H.B.Nanna?

6.

Awesome!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T07:16:00.001-04:00

Age

2011-09-27T06:31:00.001-04:00

It's funny that when you are young, you think 25 is old and that your Parents are ancient. I mean after all your Mom's prom picture is on stone ;)

When you reach the age of 25, your Parents don't seem so old {maybe just older} and you start to have more of an appreciation for the elderly.

Then you reach 30 and your Parents are still young and if you are fortunate enough to still have Grandparents or Great-Grandparents in your life then you consider yourself fourtunate.

Last year I hit the 30 milestone. I was going through some things in life and my birthday was really just like another day to me. I don't know that I took the time to think about what it meant.

Next week I turn 31.

Some say I am so young and others say I am so old. I appreciate my Parents and my Grandmother. I wish I could enjoy this time in my life with the Grandparents that are no longer with me.

I think about how fortunate I am to have a loving husband, a beautiful daughter and people in my life that have supported me through some difficult times. I may not have always made the right choices{in some eyes} but I have learned that everything happens for a reason. Yes, there are things I wish I could have done differently but you can't dwell on that stuff.

I am happy where I am in life.

Even if I may be young. Or old.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

2011-09-26T07:17:00.003-04:00

The forecast for the week said nothing but rain. And while I enjoy rainy days at home sometimes you just need to get out!

The rain stopped long enough Saturday morning for us to take Hanna to pick pumpkins. I had called around to see where we could pick our own but was sadden to learn that many crops had been lost thanks to Irene. The one place we called said they had pumpkins and that they had placed them on the field so the kids could get the affect of picking their own pumpkins. Off we went in search of pumpkins.

We were greeted by this friendly guy.

Hanna of course wanted to see the baby :)

It's takes big muscles to pull this wagon!

I was surprised at the amount of pumpkins and the beautiful mums we found. I am so glad that the hurricane didn't destroy this farm completely and that this small family business is able to operate.

{That's my support your local business plug!}

Beer, Apples and Pumpkins

2011-09-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we were fortunate enough to have a child free weekend. This almost never happens.

I mean it could happen more often but we never ask for it. I truly enjoy spending my time with my daughter, crazy monkey that she can be. But as any parent knows, it is healthy to have a little break every once in a while.

So off H.B Nanna went to Nanni and Pop Pop's house...2.5 hours away. Just me and the husband for roughly 48 hours. I think some were hoping we'd spend our time well you know....working on baby #2 but sadly there timing was off.

What do parents do while their child is away?? Go to a beer fest. Yep. 27 breweries and over 100 beers. LOVE.

This is Pete and Eva. Pete was the BM in our wedding.

Eva rocks over at thefourthdoor

Here is the Hubs and I.

Before he was really drunk ;)

So while we were off drinking H.B. Nanna was apple and pumpkin picking with Nanni and Pop Pop.

I'd say we all had a great weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-13T20:42:00.000-04:00

You wish you looked this good in sun glasses and an apron :)

First Day of School - 2011

2011-09-13T19:52:00.000-04:00

Last week H.B. Nanna started preschool. She was excited. We were excited.

Then she gave me the finger.

I wonder if that is her subtle way of telling me she really wasn't that excited.

Here is her "Ok Mom, I'll pretend to be excited for you" picture.

I couldn't wait to go pick her up.

It felt like the longest day ever.

I texted my Mom to tell her how I felt like this first day of school was dragging on. She wrote back telling me she still felt like that when I was in high school. Great!!!!

When it finally came time to pick H.B. Nanna up, I asked her what she did at school.

Her response - "I don't know."

But of course... :)

9/11 - 10 Years Later

2011-09-11T10:16:00.000-04:00

I remember where I was.

I was in the car driving to a job I hated. A restaurant that I didn't feel welcomed in. My bosses at the time were supposed to be in NYC that morning for a meeting with their financial planner but it got canceled at the last minute.

When I got to work, the events of that morning were all people could talk about. I only knew what was going on because of the customers. My boss didn't want us talking about it.

My Mom called the restaurant and told me to go to the bank and withdraw money from my checking account because they were going to close down banks. My boss told me I couldn't leave but I went anyway. { I quit that job later that week}

That night when I got home from work, I found out that a classmate from high school died in the Wold Trade Center. Nick worked on the 89th floor of Tower 2. Knowing this individual and his family, my best guess is that he died trying to save others. Maybe in a stairwell, carrying another colleague to safety. No one will ever know. His body was never recovered.

God Bless Nicky B

I like many others, will never forget this day. I struggle with how I will explain it to my daughter as she gets older. Why Mommy sits on the couch and cries as she listens to names being read. I am sure that I will come up with an explanation but I don't know that she will truly ever understand the hurt and anger that Americans felt that day. I hope that she never ever has to experience anything like this in her lifetime.

Come on Irene!

2011-08-27T14:59:00.000-04:00

We evacuated.

It was so hard to do.

I know that what is important is the safety of my family.

It is just hard not knowing what we will return to.

Praying for the best.

And drinking some wine to calm my nerves.

Kissing Already?!

2011-08-11T08:58:00.000-04:00

Yesterday it happened. My baby girl kissed a boy.

It went something like this:

H.B.Nanna - "I want a kiss."

Boy - "Ok!"

And then they pecked each other on the lips.

Not the cheek.

The lips.

Granted he is a nice boy but she is 2 and a half.

Today before she left for daycare I told her that I am not ready for her to kiss boys. I told her that if she really wants to kiss the boys she has to give them a kiss on the cheek. "Like this?" she asks.

I don't think she was happy with me this morning.

Babysitting

2011-08-08T12:47:00.000-04:00

Today my daughter asked me to watch Clifford while she was at daycare.

Clifford now goes with us everywhere but I had told her I thought it was a good idea if he stayed home while she was at daycare.

I told her to put him in my office before she left.

This is where I found him.

Thank goodness he is well behaved!

The Things Children Say

2011-08-03T06:48:00.002-04:00

I love this age {some days!} because they can say anything and as bad as it can be it still comes out sounding cute and silly.

If you ask H.B. Nanna what we had for dinner last night she will tell you scumb-ghetti. Sounds yummy don’t it?!?

If you ask her why we have to water the flowers she will tell you it is because they are sick.

If she toots and you look at her she tells you that she doesn't need to poop. Every single time.

Even if she really does.

Everyday this week H.B. Nanna has asked for some big craisins. They are really prunes.

One night she told me she couldn't go to bed because it makes her cry.

The other morning I was in my bedroom getting dressed, Stephen was in the bathroom brushing his teeth and H.B. Nanna was in the living room with my Mom. She came running into the room and yelled "You makin a baby!" to which I replied "Excuse me??? Who told you that?" Her response "Nanni!" Nanni says H.B. Nanna told her I was a naked baby. But I have my doubts. These grandparents really try to be subtle....

One of Those Days

2011-08-02T10:54:00.002-04:00

We all have them. Those kind of days where every. single. little. thing. annoys you.

Yep. Today is that day for me.

I can’t explain why it is happening. Hormones? The weather?

Who knows.

Hopefully it will only last today and not carry into tomorrow.

My husband is happy that is office is in the back of the house today and that mine is in the front.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far...

2011-07-29T07:30:00.005-04:00

Ask my husband about how hard it is to get H.B. Nanna to say she is sorry for doing something wrong and he will tell you that she gets that from her mother.

He would be telling the truth. It's not something I like doing. I don't always like admitting I am wrong.

But who does?!

Yesterday was quite a scene in our house. I was told not to talk and that she “wasn't listening to what I had to say” and that “she didn't care”. {She is 2 by the way!!}

30 awful, tear-filled minutes later, I was told she needed “1 more minute” before she could say she was sorry. And there were more tears. It was like I was pulling her teeth out. {I wasn't!}

Finally she mumbled something that sounded like she was sorry.

This is how the rest of the evening went. H.B. Nanna on one couch. Me on the other.

And she wouldn't look at me.

Except when Clifford was over and she wanted to watch another.

I will feel sorry for my husband once puberty hits in our house!!

Toddler Talk Thursday

2011-07-28T10:19:00.000-04:00

Today's Toddler Talk Thursday topic is Keeping Toddlers Occupied While Waiting

I think this is funny because most people will say that they hand over their phone {iPhone or Droid} so their child can play games. I am guilty of it though I try to keep it as a last resort. My Mom always says that she was able to keep my sister and I occupied without a phone. I try to think of that when I am in a situation where I just want to hand H.B. Nanna over the phone and be done with it.

My purse always has some random crayons in it that really come in handy. I have one of those fancy crayon holders but it always seems to make its way out of my purse {ahem...H.B. Nanna}.

I have gotten in the habit of packing a bag with books and baby dolls {or whatever the favorite toy of the moment is} when I know we are going in the car and could potentially be somewhere we might need them.

Don't get me wrong...I am not always this organized and there are plenty of times I don't have anything and a melt down will occur. Most times I can find something to occupy her whether it be holding a box of noodles at the grocery store or a germy book at the doctors office.

H.B. Nanna has become quite familliar with the term "we have to wait our turn" and she {for the most part} is pretty good about it.

Of course there is always the handy dandy snack and juice. Any excuse to get a pretzel while we are at the mall, right?!

2011-07-26T06:41:00.001-04:00

We are very fortunate to have a talented photographer in Stephen's family. Anessa is Stephen's cousin that lives out in De Pere, Wisconsin and she has loved taking photographs since she was a child. We were very fortunate during Anessa's last visit to have her take some photos of Hanna. We are looking forward to have family pictures taken in August.

If you are in the De Pere area and looking for a photographer, check out Anessa!

You can find her on Facebook here.

Ramblings

2011-07-25T17:25:00.000-04:00

I am learning that there are things in life that you can not control. Those things you can control, sometimes it is easy to lose control before you even realize it.
A 2 and a half year old toddler really can have a mind of her own. And sometimes it is hard to bring her back to reality...that I am the Mom and she is the child.
Moving close to the beach is one of the best decisions we made. It is so nice to have coffee on the beach and still be home and showered by nap time.
Losing power on a day when the heat index is 110 is awful. But I am sure I am not the first person to say that.
August is 1 month away. Already. Is it me or is this summer flying by faster then normal?
We have 2 trips planned this year. I feel like a kid planning our trip to Disney!
Having a child who is sick during the summer is the pits. The good thing is that it gave us an excuse to stay in the air conditioning since the temperature was over 100.
My sister is getting married next year and she asked me to be her MOH. Of course I am excited. Of course my wheels are spinning with things to plan :)

And what is a blog post without a picture :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T09:15:00.000-04:00

Hanna picked these colors out all by herself at the store the other day.

She wanted a pattern.

I think her teenage years are going to be very interesting!!

Happy 4th of July!!

2011-07-04T11:49:00.002-04:00

Happy 4th of July!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-22T05:01:00.000-04:00

Potty Training at Sleepy Time

2011-06-20T15:01:00.000-04:00

Oh the joys of potty training…

August will be one year since we started potty training H.B. Nana. She really picked it up quickly, luckily for us. We started with switching to big girl panties when she was awake but she was still wearing pull-ups to sleep. It has been nearly a year and Hanna has mastered the potty while awake. We have been talking about eliminating the pull ups when sleeping and yesterday we decided to take the plunge.

It wasn’t exactly planned mind you. Hanna fell asleep in the car and anyone who knows about bringing a sleeping child in the house and keeping them asleep knows that the little you do to wake them the better. Since she wasn’t in a pull up we decided to just put her to sleep as is and see how it goes. Well it went great. No accidents.

We talked to her about it at dinner and reinforced how proud we were of her. She said she didn’t want to wear a diaper to bed. AWESOME! Overall the night went well. There were 2 accidents, the first was worse then the second {or so my husband said – he had the honors!}

Nap time today is going well. The tank was empty when it started and she is still dry. I am hoping for another 30 minutes of a nap and no accidents.
I have to say that overall the potty training process hasn’t been that stressful. It was you make it I should say. My advice to parents new to potty training is to just do it. Switch out of the diapers. Take your child to the store and let them pick out the panties/undies whatever you call them. Don’t go back to diapers unless you ABSOLUETLY have to. Don’t get me wrong, we still used them for long car rides until we knew she was going to tell us rather then just going. If you give them the option they are going to pick the diaper.

Any advice you would like to share?

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T05:29:00.003-04:00

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful "Fathers" in our life :)

Daddy!!!

Pop Pop!!!

Grampy!!!

G-Pop Pop!!!

Chuckers!!!

(My God-father)

Brandon!!!

(Hanna's God-father)

We love you all!!!!

Your Three Words

2011-06-17T13:26:00.000-04:00

Beautiful Beach Day!!

Tomorrow is shaping up to be a wonderful day at one of my favorite places :)

Toddler Talk Thursday

2011-06-16T09:03:00.001-04:00

Today's topic on Toddler Talk Tursday is: How are you keeping your toddler busy this summer?

That's a great question and one I am looking for an answer to.

Of course since we live so close to the beach we plan to spend lots of time there. You'd be amazed at how tired a toddler can get after only 3 or 4 hours on the beach!

Hanna is still in daycare 3 times a week so I'm covered there, right??

That leaves me still with a few days....

Since I am still wearing my arm sling {only 6 days to go!} and not driving yet I am limited to being able to pick up and go. Even after the sling comes off, I will be able to go but I won't be able to do the pick up part for several more weeks.

Weekend visitors are always good for entertainment. Heck, even day trippers are good.

So yeah..I don't think there is a real "Keep Hanna Entertained Plan" in place in our house this summer.

We are kind of just flying by the seats of our pants!

Next week's topic suggestion - What is your best toddler travel tip?

Let's Try This Again!

2011-06-13T21:23:00.000-04:00

I didn't realize the video in this post was set to private.

So try again...hopefully you can see it now.

Seriously this bird is crazy!!!

Beach Baby!

2011-06-13T05:56:00.003-04:00

Beach Baby, Beach Baby, Fun in the Sun....

{you know you are singing now....}

One of the benefits of living 6 miles from the beach is that you go often.

You just need to know the back roads to avoid the shoebees.

We get up, pack a lunch {sometimes breakfast - if we are up early enough} and off we go for a few hours. The nice part is getting Hanna home just in time for her nap so her routine isn't off.

{PSA - don't knock early morning coffee on the beach until you've tried it!!!}

From the minute we get on the sand to the minute we leave this girl eats.

I know the beach can make you hungry but geesh!!

Someone might think she doesn't eat at home! {Trust me - she does!!}

You Can't Make This Stuff Up!!

2011-06-11T04:28:00.002-04:00

This bird is crazy.

She stars at 5am. Every. Single. Day.

No joke.

Your Three Words

2011-06-10T13:20:00.000-04:00

12 More Days!!!

Yes!! I am excited.

Can you tell??

The suregery was necessary. Yes.

But you don't realize what 6 weeks in an arm sling will be like until it happens.

Weeks 1 and 2 were ok.

Week 3 was a little rough.

Week 4 was not good but I was hopeful it would be the end.

At the start of Week 5 I get told 2 more weeks.

Week 5 is starting off just rotten.

Week 6 I expect will be a day-by-day count down.

It will still be many months before I return to normal activity.

You know..pony tailing my hair, shaving my arm pits and picking up Hanna.

The important stuff.

It will be worth it in the end. I just hope my patience holds out that long!

Time Out

2011-06-07T19:39:00.000-04:00

For the record I hate time out. I think sometimes it is worse for me. I feel bad. I don't want her to be there but sometimes she needs it.

Like tonight, she got home from daycare at 5:15 and by 6:30 she had spent at least 20 minutes in time out. Excessive? Yep. It wasn't a constant 20 minutes but it was darn close. My rule is that she has to stop crying before she can get up.

It was awful.

Did I say that already??

Why was she there? The first time was for hitting me. Major no-no in my book. Not just hitting me, hitting anyone. The second time was for monkeying around in her chair at dinner. She was warned but I guess she didn't believe me. This was the bad time out. Kicking, screaming, sobbing...you name it. When she was done she returned to her dinner which she informed was now cold. Hmmm I wonder why.

I really hope this gets better.

It gets better, right????

Random Things

2011-06-06T20:51:00.000-04:00

Some random stuff since I am blogging from Nook and there are no pictures on here.

* Hanna is really struggling with cleaning up toys. At school she told them she was not cleaning up and so she didn't get any gummy bears. She came home and told me her teacher was mean.

After dinner we needed to clean up the disaster areas in our living room and family room. When we started in the living room she told me she was not cleaning up. I didn't get upset. I went and got a trash bag. I told her if she didn't clean up her toys I was going to put them in a trash bag and give them to the trash man. I filled the bag and started to head towards the back door and she started yelling that she wanted to clean up. Go Mommy! After she cleaned up we moved upstairs to the family room where the exact same thing happened. She was rewarded with some tv time before bed.

I know it might not have been the best way to handle it but it worked. I am hoping we don't have to go through this to many more times before she gets the idea.

* Fingers crossed that when I see the doctor Wednesday he tells me I don't have to wear the arm sling anymore. Fingers crossed!!!!

* Last night my Dad asked Hanna if she was happy. Her response went something like um....I don't know. I don't know if I am happy. This child cracks me up!

* Two weddings next year!! Oh my!

* I don't like when the weather forecast calls for a heat index of 105. Yuck.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T05:15:00.001-04:00

Beach Day

2011-05-24T02:05:00.001-04:00

Nanni and Aunt Becki came to help while I recover from my surgery.

Hanna got to spend some time at the beach on Sunday.

I love these sunglasses!!

Realization

2011-05-23T14:05:00.000-04:00

You never realize how good you’ve got it until you need to rely very heavily on someone else. The simple things like washing your hair, buttoning your pants or buttering a bagel suddenly require assistance. While it may only be a temporary situation it can feel like an eternity.

I knew I needed to have shoulder surgery but I grossly underestimated how much help I would need in the weeks after. It has only been a week and a half (only 3 and a half more to go!!!) and I have to say that I am over it. My poor husband may hate me when this is all over!

Since I am typing 1 handed I am going to keep this short :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T06:36:00.000-04:00

March for Babies

2011-05-09T06:29:00.002-04:00

Saturday we did our second March for Babies and let me tell you I loved it. I love to see all the children that are graduates of the NICU/ICN. It is great to hear people tell their stories and feel an instant bond with them because though you may not be able to directly relate to their story you have a story and that makes you be able to relate.
This year we changed locations for the walk. I am so glad we did. While I enjoyed the busy city in the rain last year I loved the sunny walk on the beach this year.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T06:37:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the Mommas out there.

Nanni and Hanna

Grammy and Hanna

Aunt Becki and Hanna

Hanna's Godmother

Great Grandma and Hanna

G-Mom Mom and Hanna

The funny thing about blogging

2011-05-07T18:21:00.000-04:00

The funny thing about blogging is that you either have it in you or you don’t. You can’t make this stuff up. Either your life is blog worthy or its not. Either you are in it to make money or your not.

Sometimes there are things in my life that I feel are blog worthy. Sometimes there are things I don’t care to share. Sometimes I think it would be great to turn it into a blog that gets lots of products to review and giveaway. Sometimes I think it would be great if the blog generated some money.

Then there are times where I need to step back and look at why I really blog. Why I put myself out there and wonder what I get from it in return. It’s not about the number of comments or the number of followers, it’s about writing your story. It’s about sharing your life with others.

I really enjoyed blogging when I started. It was a way for me to share my pregnancy with those I don’t see so often. Then it turned into sharing the joys of being new parents again mostly for those we don’t see so often. Then I discovered the world of reviews and giveaways and I began to think that my blog could turn into something more. It was around that time that I think most other blogs I was reading started thinking the same thing. And I found that I didn’t enjoying reading a lot of the blogs I used to because they all were about giveaways and reviews. I wanted to tell them to go back to the good stuff – the stuff that got me reading in the first place.

It got to the point where I didn’t even want to log on anymore because so manyy titles to the blogs I am following were about review this and giveaway that. Now don’t get me wrong, I know everyone like to get free stuff…but like a lot of things in life remember all good things in moderation.

I want to start blogging again. I want to share the crazy stories of my life. I want to provide those friends and family members we don’t see as often with a place to keep up with us. I just want to do it my way and not feel pressured to keep up with others by doing lots of reviews and giveaways.

I hope that you will continue to read along. If you chose not to and feel as though I have offended you then I am sorry. I need this blog to be what I want it to be and not worry about keeping up with others or worry about what others think.

Mommy Time

2011-03-27T12:37:00.000-04:00

Every Mommy knows that just Mommy time or even quality Mommy and Daddy doesn’t happen as often as we need it to or we would like it to.

And sometimes it can be quite a long time before it happens. But when it does happen I find it hard to stop thinking about my family and the things I need to do at home. It’s hard to shut that part of my brain off.

Yesterday Stephen and I went to lunch together. No Hanna. ~~Most~~ All of the conversation revolved around Hanna. Then we went shopping. For Hanna.

Last night we had dreams of watching a movie. Hanna never went to bed till 10 and I knew at that point I would not last through a whole movie. While I love my daughter more than life itself, I really miss my quite time at night before I am ready for bed. I loved the days when she was in bed at 8 and I could have a glass of wine and catch up on shows, blog, read a book, take a bath, whatever I wanted really. Now that it is 9:30 – 9:45 before she is asleep, I have traded my wine for cookies and milk in bed.

Today I am going for a pedicure. Or so that is the plan. I told Stephen I would wait till she was down for a nap. I need the time alone, even if it is only for 45 minutes. I need the time to recharge me. I don’t know how much recharging I can do in 45 minutes but something is better then nothing, right? I am going to try not to think about things at home. Maybe I will take my Nook.

All I know is that I am really looking forward to it. Like really looking forward to it!

Birthday Party 2 of 2 Recap

2011-03-26T12:09:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned here H.B. Nana was lucky enough to have 2 birthday parties. Back in January.

Yes, I know this Friday is April 1st.

Nannie and PopPop hosted our family and friends at their house for a Dora party.

It was a casual party with good food and great company.

No party is complete without someone getting a boo boo.

At this party it was the birthday girl.

She tumbled down all of the steps to the basement. Thank goodness for carpet.

Her poor little chin was red for days.

While we were visiting we made a trip to the aquarium.

We had a great time see all of the exhibits.

The Dora 4D show was awesome. She wanted to see it again.

Hanna didn't want to touch anything except for the jelly fish. Strange.

I love that we are able to do these sort of things with Hanna now.
While I wish she would stay a baby forever it is nice to experience things and places like this with a toddler.
It's like being a child all over again :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T05:21:00.002-04:00

Ramblings...

2011-03-22T19:56:00.000-04:00

This is all I could come up with today my blog friends.

Exhausted. Yep, that is what I am. 5 human visitors, a dog visitor and a husband out of town {all in 1 week} make me one tired Mama. Don’t forget to add in a transition to the toddler bed.

Karma is a biznitch. Yesterday I posted about how wonderful the toddler bed transition was going. Don’t you know my little darling decided to test us last night. 4 trips up for Daddy and 1 for Mommy before she finally went to bed.

Is it strange that I am excited to be getting an MRI next week? I’ve had a nagging shoulder pain for 3 years now and I am FINALLY doing something about it.

The weather was beautiful last weekend {as in we reached 80!!} and it’s only going to the upper 40’s later this week. Boo :(

I received information on a toddler gymnastics class for Hanna. It’s on a morning I don’t work and the Mommy in me is thinking that it will really tire her out for nap time. It’s 9 weeks. Then Stephen asked me if I would rather do that for the next 9 weeks then take her to the beach on my day off. Ugh. I’ll be really mad if it doesn’t rain on a Monday morning for the next 9 weeks.

And a picture because certain family members get upset if there arent pictures :)

Growing Up!

2011-03-21T16:19:00.000-04:00

Last week Stephen was away for work and Hanna starting hanging like a monkey on her crib. She even showed me how she planned to escape.

I made her promise she wouldn’t climb out till Daddy came home. We even shook on it.

Yes, she is 2.

The week went by slowly but there was no jumping from the ship. I have a new found tremendous respect for single parents btw.

Stephen arrived home Friday morning and you better believe by noon we were out shopping for a toddler bed. My feeling was that I wanted to switch her before we were forced to. {i.e. she climbs out and lands on her head}

Conveniently enough daycare switched her from a pack and play to a toddler bed that day and she did wonderfully. This gave me high hopes.

We picked her up from daycare and went home to assemble the new big girl bed. If you ask Hanna about her new bed she will tell you that Daddy made it.

As soon as it was assembled she was in it. Before the mattress was on. We got her off, put the mattress on and she climbed back on. Then she refused to get off. As in no dinner just bed. Ummmm ok.

This made me very nervous because I thought we were being set up for a disastrous night. I am very happy to say that I was very wrong.

Stephen and I put her to bed and I explained that she could not get out of bed until Mommy came and got her. My child {who will tell you her ears are broken because she doesn’t listen} actually listened.

It is Monday and I have nothing but great things to say about the transition. Hanna was ready. I was not. But I am coping. I have cried twice this weekend. And I am not a crier. I think it is the whole my baby isn’t a baby but she will always be my baby thing. I wasn’t ready for this yet.

_____________________________________________________

Hanna was very helpful in assembling her bed ;)

You can't see her face but she was so excited to see her bed all done.

I believe she was singing about her big girl bed.

Trying it out while it is still in the middle of the room!

Hanna's new big girl bed :)

TShirt Printing.net

2011-03-17T11:28:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago my darling husband received this cheeky monkey t-shirt in the mail. He didn't know he was getting it and was pleasantly surprised.

What was great about this t-shirt was that my husband actually liked it. {He can be just a little picky!}

The material is nice and the printing is well done. After washing it the shirt looked just as nice as when it was initially received.

If you are looking to have t-shirts {mens, ladies or kids} or hats or tanks printed I recommend you check out tshirtprinting.net

Ramblings...

2011-03-11T06:21:00.006-05:00

*In the last month Hanna has had double pink eye, double ear infections and strep throat. That's all better. Now she is working on molars I think cause she is cranky and will not let anyone but Mommy brush her teeth. Fun.

*I don't like work travel.

*I am starting to think Hanna is getting closer to being ready for the toddler bed. I would really like to get her 100% potty trained first. She still wears pull ups for naps and at night.

*My awesome husband has started the P90x and is dropping the pounds pretty quickly. It isn't fair that men can lose weight faster then women.

*Last week I went to my __ (insert decent number here - I've lost count) Bon Jovi concert. Seriously that man (yes you Jon incase you are reading - haha) gets hotter and hotter with every concert.

*We may (as in my husand and I) have an opportunity for an over night getaway in April that isn't just to a wedding. This is really exciting to me as it is long over due. Yes..I know it's the little things in life.

Excuses

2011-03-10T06:08:00.001-05:00

I am so behind in blogging. Hanna's birthday was at the beginning of January and yeah, still haven't told you all about the lucky girl who had 2 birthday parties for her 2nd birthday.

My Dad reminds me weekly that there is a lack in Hanna pictures. My Mom was smart and joined FB so she can get the mobile uploads in real time ;)

I mean seriously...what is taking up so much of my time that I can't put together a blog post? Oh I don't know...

Maybe a little of this..

And a lot of this....

They are both good excuses right?!? :)

Kalla's Kreations Giveaway Winner

2011-03-09T19:50:00.000-05:00

Sorry I am a little late with the winner.

Congratulations to Eclipsed!

I'll be sending you an email with details soon!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T05:59:00.002-05:00

Tasty Tuesday

2011-03-01T06:55:00.001-05:00

Go Go Soup

Really that is what it is called? Yep.

There is a large soup manufacturer who makes soup in different character shapes that my daughter enjoys. We don’t eat it regularly but it a nice easy, once in a while lunch.

After seeing how much she enjoyed it, I made some easy chili one day and we called it Go Go soup. {Go Go is what she calls a certain boy explorer}

This chili is super easy and not spicy so Hanna can enjoy it.

I make smaller portions so this may need to be doubled if necessary.

1 15.5 ounce can of dark/light red kidney beans

1 15.5 ounce can of garbanzo beans

1 15.5 ounce can of great northern beans

1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce

1 15.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes

1 onion chopped

½ cup chopped zucchini

1 lb cooked ground beef

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon cumin

1 clove chopped garlic

Cook the ground beef, seasoning with salt and pepper. Place all of the ingredients into your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, stirring occasionally.

When serving I top the chili with shredded cheese.

Kalla's Kreations Giveaway

2011-02-28T20:49:00.000-05:00

I’d like to introduce you to Michaella at Kalla’s Kreations.

Michaella has a wonderful Etsy store and I am sure you will have trouble buying just one thing!!

I recently purchased this adorable crayon roll for Hanna. She loves all things Dora so I knew she would love this.

She uses it at home.

She uses it in a shopping cart at the store.

Michaella is generously offering a custom crayon roll to one lucky reader. The winner has the option of a Dora or Toy Story fabric roll with name personalization.

The giveaway will run until Sunday, March 6th at 9 pm EST. A winner will be selected on Monday, March 7th.

Mandatory Entry:

1 - Visit Kalla’s Kreations on Etsy and then comeback and leave a comment telling us what you like best! Be sure to leave your email address so that you can be contacted if you are the lucky winner.

Optional Entries: (leave a separate comment for each thing you do)

2 - Become a Facebook fan of Kalla’s Kreations.

3 - Become a public Google Friend Connect follower of the blog and leave a comment saying you are the newest follower. If you are already a follower, just leave a comment saying so.

Good luck!!

Y3W - Open those windows!!

2011-02-25T16:42:00.000-05:00

Hello Warmer Weather.

Goodbye Sick Germs.

As Hanna says..Hit the Road Jack!!

It's going to be in the upper 40's lower 50's this weekend.

That's warm enough to open the windows.

In my book.

Still Here...

2011-02-23T22:58:00.000-05:00

Hello.

We are still here.

We've just been a little busy with a double ear infection.

And double pink eye.

And now we are busy with strep throat. And that is just Hanna.

Oh Spring and fresh air....where are you?!

We'll be back in a few days when the new medicine kicks in.

Simple Pleasures Jewelry by Julynoreen Giveaway Winner

2011-02-11T14:51:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Julia from Everyday Mom Ideas!!

I'll be sending you an email :)

Five Question Friday

2011-02-11T14:35:00.000-05:00

I thought I would try something different this Friday. There is nothing wrong with that, right?

So here goes....

1. Would you rather be on ABC's Extreme Home MakeOver or TLC's What not to Wear?
What not to Wear. I could really use a new wardrobe :)

2. Do you have any tattoos?
No but I keep thinking I might want one. Maybe just a small one, like Hanna's footprint. That would be cute, right?

3. Do you tell your kids about things you did growing up?
Oh boy...We haven't gotten to that age yet. I don't have anything to hide...I was an angel ;) Daddy on the other hand.... ;)

4. If the traffic signal turns yellow, do you stop or speed up?
It depends on how far I am from the light and if there is a camera or not.

Who am I kidding...my sister tells me I drive like an old lady!

5. What's your preference: chocolate or chips?
Chocolate. I don't even have to think twice about that.

Simple Pleasures Jewelry by Julynoreen Giveaway - Last Day to Enter

2011-02-10T10:47:00.000-05:00

Be sure to enter the Simple Pleasures Jewlery by Julynoreen Giveaway.

The giveaway closes at 9pm ET today!!

2011-02-10T10:38:00.000-05:00

Toddler Talk Thursdays!

We are the highlighted blog this week on Toddler Talk Thursday!! Thanks to Family and Life in Las Vegas, Crazy about my Baybah, and My Life as a Sippy Cup Mom for choosing us.

If you’ve never participated be sure to check it out!!

This week's topic is:
Write a Letter to your Toddler as they are Today.

Darling Hanna,

Today your teacher at daycare expressed interest in converting you from the pack and play to the toddler bed for nap time. I don’t know that I am ready for this. You love your crib at home and show no signs of wanting to escape. I’m not ready to fix what isn’t broken.

You’ve been dealing with a lovely runny nose and a little cough all week. It is making you cranky and down right irritable. But we still love you!

I love that your favorite song this week is the ABCs. You are so adorable when you sing it because you miss a lot of the letters but the ones you know sound so silly but cute. You never forget the ME! at the end of the song though.

I am looking forward to a fun filled weekend with you and Daddy and Morgan. If you could be an angel and sleep in like you did today it would make Mommy Very Very happy. Very.

Love you baby girl!

Mommy

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-09T10:44:00.000-05:00

I couldn't pick just one!!

Hanna provided us with our own private Superbowl half-time performance :)

I love this girl!!!

Don't forget to enter the Simple Pleasures Jewlery by Julynoreen Giveaway.

Toddler Talk Thursdays- Temper Tantrums

2011-02-03T21:21:00.000-05:00

Tantrums.

We’ve had a few of these in our house over the last few months. It seems like they keep happening for the same reasons and we are learning how to work our way through them.

They start out fast and you have to be prepared with your “Breathe Hanna, Breeeaaatthhee Hanna” or she doesn’t always remember to breathe.

Ok….they aren’t always that dramatic. Sometimes she just locks her body and screams so you can’t get her into the car seat. or onto the potty. or into her chair at dinner.

Fun times I tell ya.

I hear that 3 is even better then 2!

Simple Pleasures Jewelry by Julynoreen Giveaway

2011-02-03T10:25:00.002-05:00

Sometimes as a Mom it is nice to actually buy something for yourself. I know {from experience} that buying for me doesn’t happen nearly as often now that I have a child. And as a result Hanna’s closet is full of clothes!

Simple Pleasures Jewelry by Julynoreen is a great Etsy store specializing in jewelry for women. Yep..nothing for baby here!!

Noreen is gracious enough to offer one of my readers 20% off a purchase to her Etsy sore.

What does that mean?

It’s means you are able to purchase a beautiful, handmade piece of jewelry for yourself and receive 20% off of your purchase.

Simple Pleasures Jewelry also offers gift certificates which is always a great gift for those hard to shop friends and family. {The 20% off from this giveaway can not be used on the purchase of gift cards. Sorry!}

Here are just a few pictures of the jewlery available from Simple Pleasures Jewelry by Julynoreen.

To enter, simply do the following and leave a comment for each:

1) Become a public follower of Kelli Belli Jelli or leave a comment indicating that you already are

2) Like Simple Pleasures Jewelry on Facebook

3) Visit Simple Pleasures Jewelry by Julynoreen’s Etsy store and tell me what you will be purchasing with your gift card

4) Blog or tweet about this giveaway and post the URL

Please be sure to leave your email address so that I may contact you if you are the lucky winner :)

This giveaway will be open until February 10, 2011 at 9pm ET. A winner will be selected at random on February 11, 2011.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-02T05:25:00.000-05:00

Birthday Party 1 of 2 Recap :)

2011-01-31T14:19:00.000-05:00

H. B. Nana was lucky enough to have 2 birthday parties. Spoiled???? No.

It was all because of location.

The first party was in our new home with her new friends. I wasn’t sure how it would go or if anyone would attend because she is the new girl in daycare but I thought I should at least try. We had been invited to 2 birthday parties already so I thought that there was hope.

I received 2 RSVPs. {I am {slowly} learning that people just don’t RSVP anymore. I don’t like that. I’m a planner….}

I held out hope that maybe more children would attend. But then we woke up to snow. Lots of ice and snow and I thought for sure no one would attend. But alas I wasn’t completely let down; my 2 RSVPers did come to celebrate Hanna’s birthday.

We had a good time. The children made maracas, ate chicken nuggets and enjoyed some Dora cupcakes. And the party was over and cleaned up in time for nap time.

Here are a few pictures of Hanna at her party. They are not the best but they’ll have to do.

What makes you happiest today?

2011-01-25T12:02:00.000-05:00

I read this on a friends FB page today - What makes you happiest today?

I love this question because it is making me think of good, happy things on this work day that started off on the wrong foot. I have the option to allow this day to continue to go poorly or I can turn it around and make it a great day. I am hopeful that it will become a great day but I'll be happy with a good day.

So what makes me happiest today is of course my daughter and my husband. They are the best things that ever happened to me. I am also happy for the glass of wine I will be having tonight following my 3 hour teleconference.

So now it is your turn...what makes you happiest today?

Your Three Words

2011-01-21T11:18:00.014-05:00

No plans. Lots of family time.

And some wine for Mommy.

This is going to be an AWESOME weekend!!!

http://www.jennifromtheblog.com/

Becoming Binky Free

2011-01-20T06:02:00.002-05:00

I guess you could say we were fortunate with our experience to ditch the binky. While it was relatively painless for Hanna it was a bit harder of a step for me.

Like any big milestone a child has, losing the binky {for good} really signifies that your “baby” isn’t a “baby” anymore. And that is hard.

Hanna had been experiencing some breakouts along her mouth only where the binky was. I refused to buy new ones. We had talked about ditching the binky when she turned 2. That was the plan or so I thought.

One day in early December Stephen arrived home after picking Hanna up from daycare and announced that we were done with the binky. I was sick in bed and told him he was picking a bad time for this because I was not up to dealing with all the tears that I had envisioned would be shed when we finally took this big step. I made sure he understood that this was all on him.

Boy was I wrong. Hanna gave her binky to Ollie {our elf on the shelf} and Ollie took it to Santa. The first night there was only about 15 minutes of tears then she slept great. The next day she went to daycare without the binky {and the woobie – bad Daddy!} and did great. After that, she has never asked for it again.

Before this happened I had asked some Mommy friends how they went about loosing the binky. I received some great tips that I thought I’d share.

One of the cutest ideas I heard was to take your child and binky to one of those bear building places and before they close the bear up, have your child put the binky in the bear. This way they are never completely without the binky.

Then there was the cut the end off the binky trick. It seemed that having your child assist you in cutting the end off was a little more effective.

I was also told that having your child physically give the binky to someone worked really well. A neighbor or family friend {someone your child doesn’t see on a daily basis} was a popular choice because then your child can’t ask for it back. I suppose that this is similar to the approach we {or should I say my husband} took and it really was effective.

I hope that when the time comes to ditch the binky in your home, you have relatively painless experience. If you have any advice on the topic that you’d like to share, please do.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-19T12:17:00.000-05:00

Today You Are 2!!

2011-01-12T05:02:00.001-05:00

You’ve read it over and over again. Every Mommy blogger says it at some point. So why not me?!

My baby is 2 today!! Where did the time go???

It is simply amazing to me that this was my daughter just a short time after being born….

And this is my daughter now.

Everyday the love I have for her grows stronger and stronger. I couldn’t imagine my life with out her. I don’t remember what life was like before her.

_____________________________

Dear Hanna,

Your Mommy and Daddy love you so very much.

Everyday you are changing and your vocabulary grows by leaps and bounds. You do so well at identifying family and friends in pictures. You repeat nearly everything we say (both good and bad) and so we have introduced the quarter jar.

You eat pretty much everything we give you. In fact you still eat better then most adults we know. We love bragging about that too!!

Sleeping has never been an issue with you. Lately you try to test us at nap time. But remember my dear, we are your parents – we win! At night you like for us to sing “you are my sunshine” and you tell us to sing more sunshine until you are ready for your bed.

You are having a wonderful time in your new daycare. You’ve made a lot of new friends and are learning a lot (both good and bad) from them.

As far as potty training, you are doing really well. We still put you in a pull-up for nap and bedtime but I am sure that is only for little while longer.

You have been binky free for over a month now and we LOVE it!!!!

Last night you provided us with our first Hanna Live In Concert featuring your Dora microphone. It was the best concert I’ve ever been too!!!

I could go on and on…

Remember that we will always love you.
Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Your Three Words

2011-01-07T15:35:00.000-05:00

Next week a very special little girl turns 2!!! Tomorrow we are having the first of two birthday parties, this one being for friends at daycare.

I can’t believe my baby is 2!!

March for Babies

2011-01-05T17:01:00.000-05:00

Here we are fresh into 2011 and it is time to start thinking about helping those that need it.

Last year we participated in our first March for Babies and I am so excited to do it again this year. I hope you'll join me by donating to our team or by participating in a walk near you.

Stay tuned for more information :)

We have a winner!

2011-01-05T10:54:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to....traciet!!!

I will be sending you an email to give you your CSN gift card.

Thank you to all who entered!!!

Happy 2011!

2011-01-03T10:31:00.003-05:00

I hope that everyone had a terrific New Year's weekend!

We had a quiet New Year’s Eve at home. Hanna was in bed by 8:30 and so Stephen and I took to the couch to watch a movie. I was struggling to stay awake till 12 so I could see the ball drop. My how things have changed…..

New Year’s Day we welcomed friends and family to our home. We had such a great time with lots of food and laughter. We appreciate everyone who made the drive down to spend the day with us.

It was like as soon as they left the sickness started. Stephen started with a fever {though I am convinced he had one the day before too} and as of today is still going with it. Hanna had a little fever that night too but it seems to be gone now. She is like a snot factory and has a lovely cough. I just keep thinking that this is a great way to start off the New Year!

Don't forget to enter the CSN Store giveaway. Deadline for entry is tomorrow :)

Ups and Downs

2011-01-03T06:17:00.001-05:00

Ups and downs. One step forward, two steps back.

Life is full of them. After all, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger, right?

You would think that after 30 years I might be better at dealing with them.

Unfortunately that isn’t always the case.

I am learning that I am really good at setting myself up for disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, I have a wonderful life, a loving husband, a beautiful/healthy daughter, a cuddly dog and supportive family and friends. But I am really good at setting myself up for something good then only to be disappointed when it doesn’t happen.

It’s in my nature. I’m a planner. Over planner some might say. I don’t know how to otherwise explain it. But I am learning that the disappointment is awful and that I am letting it affect me more then I should.

{How convenient that I am having this revelation in time for the New Year}

I know they say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but I am going to try. I don’t know that I could ever completely “cure” myself of this but I am going to try. I don’t want to not get excited for things but I don’t know that I can let myself get “as” excited as I have previously. I know that it is healthy to have things to look forward to but I also don’t think that it is healthy to let disappointment affect me the way I sometimes let it. It’s almost like I feel like I should only be excited for the sure-fire things.

Please don’t get me wrong, there is no one instance that has made me feel this way. It has been a long time coming and I just hate the way I feel and the way it affects my family.
Thanks for letting me vent a little. I know it is healthy to talk about things rather then hold them inside.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T07:23:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to you and your Family! I hope that 2011 proves to be an excellent year for you :)

TV Stands and a Giveaway!

2010-12-28T08:36:00.001-05:00

Sometimes the unpacking and decorating of a new home is a never ending process. We’ve only been in our new home two and a half months and there are still entirely too many totes that have not been unpacked. I guess I should look at it as things I apparently don’t really need.

Our upstairs family room has lots of windows and we have a large tv. I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to arrange the room and maximize the space for Hanna’s toys without completely cluttering the room. The option of hanging the tv on the wall doesn’t really work for us {right now} and so we are looking at a corner tv stand.

The problem is I have a lot of requirements. I’d like cabinet doors {that could be child proofed, if necessary} and I want something that doesn’t look cheap. I went right to CSN Stores because there is such a selection I knew I could find something there.

I really like both of these but just like most other big purchases, this isn’t an easy decision.

The great people over at CSN Stores are offering one of my readers a $35 gift card to use on any of their 200+ websites. I am sure there is something that you really wanted to receive during the holidays and haven’t.

To enter the giveaway, you can do one or all of the following. The more you do the more chances you have to win. This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only, sorry.

1.Publicly follow my blog (or leave a comment saying you already do).
2.Visit CSN Stores and tell me what you would buy with your gift card.
3.Blog about this contest.
4.Vote for us on on Top Baby Blogs by clicking the button at the top of my blog.

The contest will end on January 4, 2011 and a winner will be announced on January 5, 2011.

SNOW!

2010-12-27T20:50:00.001-05:00

We moved to the beach in the fall. Ok, so we are not right on the beach but we are 6 miles inland from the beach. It is a lot closer then the 45 minutes to an hour we were before.

So why is it that we have had so much snow already this winter? We were hit with a "whopping" 3 inches in early December and well the snow yesterday…I can’t give you an exact amount. It is still blowing everywhere!

{For the record both snow storms don't compare to what we experienced last winter in New Jersey!}

Hanna has had snow now for both her first and second Christmas. Lucky girl!!

During the first snow fall Hanna just wanted to slide and swing.

What a great way to clear the slide!

Poor girl had lots of snow up her back though!!

There were lots of extra layers required to get out the door today.

Dressing took 10 minutes.

Total time in the snow - 5 minutes!!

There is a street and driveway out there.

I don't think we can play with these today :)

Tomorrow we are really looking forward to taking a ride to the beach to see the snow there. I've always wanted to see snow on the beach :)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T17:22:00.001-05:00

I hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas! We had a wonderful time with our family friends on Christmas Day and the days leading up to it.

Christmas Eve started with a visit from Brandon {Hanna’s Godfather} and Hanna was lucky enough to receive a china tea set and a cooking apron set. Of course the tea set will be put away until I think she is ready for it {i.e. won’t throw it at the dog!} but the apron is necessary for her to “cook” since she is pretending to do that a lot now.

Then we were off on our traditional Christmas Eve lunch with my Dad. It started when my sister and I were younger as a way for my Dad to get us out of the house so my Mom could get some things done. Well our family has grown and the lunch crowd has grown. We tried a new place near my parent’s house that was a little more child friendly.

Christmas Eve my parents had their normal open house. The crowd has gotten much smaller as families grow and new traditions begin. Stephen and I did not attend church because we wanted to be there to help Santa find Hanna at Grandma and Granpa’s house.

I was {still am a little} upset that we forgot to leave cookies and milk out for Santa. I realized about 10 minutes after Hanna went to bed. I could probably have woken her to help me but with my luck she would not have wanted to go back to sleep.

Christmas morning Hanna was kind enough to sleep till about 7:15. Aunt Becki and Laci {the dog} arrived before Hanna and well pretty much all of us woke up. We started to open some presents and then we were joined by our big extended family. It was a nice relaxing Christmas morning.

We wanted to be on our way to Stephen’s family by about noon and I am pleased to say we actually left on time. Shocking! When we got there we put Hanna down for her nap and all the “big” kids opened their presents. We did a pollyanna this year with all of the children. It was a nice change and meant there was more room in the car for all of Hanna’s stuff! When Hanna woke from her nap it was time for her to open presents and for us all to have dinner.

We had planned to stay overnight with Stephen’s family but the forecasters were calling for a blizzard that was to start early the next morning so we opted to leave right after dinner. We made it home in good time though we did drive through some snow.

Christmas already?

2010-12-22T09:40:00.000-05:00

I can not believe that Chistmas is here. This year has gone quickly or so it seems to me.

I'm ready. The gifts are all wrapped. We've reached our travel destination. Now we are just counting down the hours.

I'm trying to savor every moment with Hanna because she is only nearly 2 (!) for 1 Christmas. If only her 2 year molars felt the same way!

Yesterday she was lucky enough to see "the big guy" twice in 1 day. First it was to the mall with Grammy and Grampy. She didn't cry but she wasn't talking or looking at him either. Then last night while we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house Santa came by on the fire truck. When he was gone she cried and cried because she wanted "Santa back." This is quite a dramatic change from the first time we saw him earlier in the month. There was nothinv but tears then and all of Ocean City Maryland knew Hanna was visiting Santa.

I have lots of pictures to share but I don't have access to them from my Nook. Yep, Santa came early to give Mommy her present. Wasn't that nice of him??

I have a great giveaway to tell you about but that is for another post :)

Talk to you soon :)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-15T06:17:00.001-05:00

Hectic..

2010-12-12T15:10:00.000-05:00

It is amazing how hectic your life can be once you have a child. Not in the always having to be here or there sense but hectic in the sense that normal, routine things are near impossible to do until nap or bed time. And when nap or bed time finally comes around {and some days it seems like an eternity till that time} you are usually too tired to do what needs to be done.

So is the story of my life. Blogging seems to have taken a back seat lately to spending time with family, adjusting to our new home and new town/state and virtually everything else I need to do. And I feel bad because there are 3 {ok maybe 4} faithful readers that I am sure are feeling ignored :)

I know that New Year’s is only a few {short} weeks away and I am making mew resolution now. To be a better blogger.

It’s not like I don’t have things to blog about. Hanna’s vocabulary has quadrupled since she started daycare. She now insists on going to the potty all by herself {we are still working on the wiping by herself though} and don’t you dare try and help her. She is now 100% binky free!!!! Hanna has a little boyfriend at daycare {yep!} and is making lots of new friends. We are trying all kinds of new recipes and I have lots of great thrift store finds to share.

And it’s not as though I am lacking in recent pictures. There are many many of those to share.

So please stay tuned my friends…..

Disney Live

2010-11-30T05:58:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday we were fortunate enough to take Hanna to see Disney Live in Salisbury. For day leading up to it I kept telling her we were going to go see Mickey and Minnie {or as she says Mimmie and Mimmie}.

It was our first time visiting this particular venue and we were really pleasantly surprised. Tickets weren't that expensive and parking was free. Yes, you read that right.

As soon as we got there we decided to go find our seats because we honestly didn't know what it would be like inside. Finding our seats was easy. So Stephen went to get some snacks.

Hanna was angel waiting patiently for the show to start. That was partially due to the fact that she napped the majority of the 45 minutes it took to get there. {No complaints on that here!}

The show for the most part was really good. I think that Hanna was a little to young for it. She isn't familiar with all of the princesses yet so the parts they were in didn't hold her interest as well. She just wanted to see Mimmie and Mimmie.

And this is a picutre of the $20 light up wand that Daddy got suckered into. Grandpa thinks Daddy got off cheap!

I am glad we were able to take Hanna to see the show and I look forward to many more of these experiences with her :)

Where's Ollie?

2010-11-29T05:49:00.002-05:00

Day 4 - Ollie spent Sunday watching over things from the kitchen

Silly Ollie!

Weekend Recap

2010-11-28T14:49:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
We had a low-key Thanksgiving weekend and sometimes that is all you really need.

Our Thanksgiving Day started out with the arrival of this little fella.

We know him as Ollie but you may know him as your Elf on the Shelf.

For those of you who don't know about this, you should definitely check it out.

Ollie will be living with us until Christmas Eve and then he will be returning to the North Pole until next Thanksgiving.

{Stephen has requested you ignore the wires. It's on his list of things to do!}

Once we read the book Ollie brought we had some breakfast and started decorating for Christmas. I don't know if it is because Hanna is older now {and says Ho Ho Ho so well!} but I am really looking forward to Christmas and doing holiday type things with her.

We headed over to Grammy and Grampy's for dinner after naptime. We had a wonderful dinner with lots of family.

Friday we did not do any crazy Black Friday Shopping. Nope. I was snuggled in my bed until 7am.

Friday night we had Grammy, Grampy, Aunt Car, Uncle Mike, G-Mom Mom and G-Pop Pop over for dinner. I wasn't in the mood for left over turkey so I made mac and cheese.

Saturday we went to the park but we didn't stay to long. It was pretty windy {it's only 2 short blocks from the beach} and Hanna didn't have a hat and silly Daddy had shorts on. While Hanna was napping I ordered stuff for her birthday parties and I ordered our Christmas cards. I love productive naptimes!

Today has been a quiet day too. Hanna has a little cold so we are laying low in hopes that it will go away and not turn into anything major, after all we are having a house full Saturday and Sunday. Hanna is currently taking a nice nap and I am thinking I am going to do the same.....

What's for dinner?

2010-11-28T10:17:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe today when I was trying to come up with something different for dinner tonight. You can only do some many different things with chicken!

Chicken Casablanca Slow Cooker Recipe From Crock-Pot

I'll let you know how it turns out. The true test will be if Hanna eats it...though she usually eats everything!

Happy Sunday All!!

Fight for Preemies

2010-11-17T07:01:00.001-05:00

As I sat and watched Hanna “help” her Daddy fold her laundry tonight, I couldn’t help but think how far we had come. She is such an active little girl and for those who are just meeting her, they don’t know she was a preemie unless we tell them.

It came as surprise when I was told I needed to be induced. Luckily my labor progressed very quickly and Hanna was born just over 6 hours after I arrived at the hospital. The hardest part for me was when they took her to the ICN and I hadn’t really had a chance to hold her. I was told to rest and that I could see her later {after all she was only going to be in there for a few hours…} and by midnight I was getting really anxious. I had a wonderful nurse who allowed me to walk {!!} to the ICN to see my beautiful daughter.

What started out as a few hour ICN stay turned into 11 days. We were fortunate to have a fairly uneventful ICN experience when Hanna was born. Those 11 days felt more like an eternity {and for anyone that has had a child in the ICN you know what I mean}.

Hanna was sent home on a heart monitor that she needed to wear for 3 months. At the end of those 3 months she was discharged from the high risk doctor and I’d like to say that it has been fairly smooth sailing since. Yes, she has had her fair share of viral infections and even a bout of pneumonia but that has nothing to do with the fact that she was a preemie.

Not every family has an easy ICN experience like we were fortunate enough to have. One in eight babies is born to soon. Premature birth is the #1 cause of death during the first month of life. These babies need people to fight for them because they shouldn’t have to. To learn more about how you can help, please visit the March of Dimes.

2010-11-12T15:44:00.000-05:00

Today marks the three year anniversary of my Grandmother’s passing. It is also my Grandfather’s birthday. It is fitting that she chose to “go home” to be with him on his birthday.
I miss you both very much.

Proper Park Etiquette?

2010-11-12T15:34:00.000-05:00

This morning Hanna and I went to the park. Under normal circumstances I usually leave with some great photos and that makes for a happy Mommy.

Unfortunately there were no photos today. I left with a frown and some questions that hopefully won’t offend anyone.

There were two young girls {my guess is 4/5ish and 6/7ish} that were there with their Grandmother. The Grandmother was not friendly AT ALL. And she wasn’t overly concerned with making sure her granddaughters were being well behaved.

The youngest girl, Maddy was a huge fan of Hanna’s. So much so that she like to hug her by grabbing her at the throat and pulling her in closely to rub foreheads. Awesome.

The oldest girl, Samantha was more interested in pushing Hanna out of the way to go down the slide before her. Awesome.

And yet the Grandmother never corrected them or asked them to stop. Never.

I started saying “let’s take turns” or “Hanna you can go once the other girls have gone” and you would think that would maybe make her speak up. No.

She did talk to me twice. Once was to ask if Hanna’s name was also Maddy. Then to tell me how cold she was.

At what point is ok to ask another parent/grandparent to control/discipline their child? At what point is it ok to ask a child not to do something when it is affecting your child?

I am quite certain we will be frequently visiting this park {it’s a block from the beach!! :)} and I want to make sure I am up to speed on toddler park etiquette.

I wouldn’t be lying when I said that I was happy to see them leave. It was nice to have the whole park to ourselves until the next little girl arrived…..

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-10T06:10:00.001-05:00