I May be Sick...But Not Too Sick to Play!

Well...the new walker is definitely a hit! Two minutes before this picture was taken, Addie was fussing and sniffling. I put her in just for a second so I could grab the phone and as soon as I came back, she was laughing and smiling! So this is where she has been for the last half an hour with snot dripping down her nose and everything. She still can't figure out how to walk in it yet...she just keeps bouncing like it's the jumperoo. But hey...whatever makes her happy right now :-) I am hoping this will tire her out a bit so she will take a nice long nap. Mommy could use one too :-)

The Things We Do For Our Babies

So...it turns out that the "nothing" that kept Addison awake the other night is in fact a something. A big old nasty cold. Apparently she felt it long before I noticed it. Poor little bugger. I went into her room at 3:30 this morning to find her with a slight fever and a wicked stuffy nose. After a dose of Tylenol and a good cuddle in her rocking chair, she was out like a light. As I sat there rocking her, I tried to think of how I was going to lay her down. She needed to stay propped up but her bouncy seat was in the other room and I didn't have the heart to lay her down in her crib while I went to get it. She was so comfortable in my arms I decided that I should just stay where I was and let her sleep. So that is what I did...I rocked and cuddled her until 6:00 in the morning. I would have rocked longer but I had to teach my first English class of the semester at 8:00. And even though my back was totally jacked up and I had now slept a total of 4 hours in the past 48...I was still willing to sit there and rock her just so she could get a good nights sleep. Ahhh.....the things we do for our babies.  

I'm Not the Only One Having a Rough Day

So my brother's girlfriend Meagan just e-mailed me the most hilarious story about her day and I had to share. She writes:

Need a good laugh? I can provide one...here is what just happened to me...

I'm wearing these pants with a little zipper on the side...that's how you take them on and off...side zipper. The pants fit just perfectly and there is NO way I can get them off w/out unzipping. All morning when going to the bathroom the zipper kept getting hung up a bit, which I didn't think much about. Well a few moments ago I had to pee...BAD! So I get in there and the darn zipper would NOT go down!!!!! I tried and tried and tried...nothing. I was starting to think I was going to have to tell Brian I have to go home because I have to cut my pants off (a woman boss would be nice in these instances!), then I'm thinking there is no way I'm going to make it the half an hour home with the way I have to pee. Panic set in!! I thought maybe I didn't have the right leverage. So I embarrassingly recruit my friend/co-worker Cyndee to help me. So here we are in the bathroom together, grunting and giggling, talking about unzipping my pants. And no we were not the only ones in there. Finally Cyndee gave it a giant tug and the zipper splits apart. Okay, now at least I can pee!!! So now I am sitting here with the side of my pants safety pinned together....and there's about a .25 inch gap between the seams where my skin and underwear are showing because the pants aren't big enough (or my butt is too big) so I can't completely seal them using the pins. But...THANK GOD for this long shirt trend. My black shirt just covers the sipper. Whew! Good times :-P

Well...it seems I'm not the only one having a rough day! Addie's advice on the situation..."just go in your pants like I do Aunt Meg. I'll loan you some Pampers :-)" 

Is It Too Early for a Drink?

This is exactly what I look and feel like this morning. Addie decided to wake up every hour and a half last night!! I was sure that after all that fussing and restlessness I would either wake to find a mouth full of new teeth, or a full blown ear infection. But there is nothing wrong with her today! Same two teeth and she is too smiley and happy to be sick. How can a baby who didn't sleep for more than an hour straight last night be up laughing and playing today? My hair is standing up, my mascara is smeared on one eye and I have spit-up on my shirt. And I wasn't even drinking last night! Although I might start drinking this morning. Is it too early for wine?

Rock'n, Roll'n and Walk'n

I am amazed at how mobile Addie has become the last few weeks. She rolls ALL OVER the place! And this past week, I have noticed the early signs of crawling. She can get up on all fours and rock back and forth. She has been getting pretty frustrated that she can't go anywhere though, which is why I think she hasn't been that interested in playing on the floor. If she had it her way, she would be standing and walking by now. So with that said, I have decided to invest in a new toy today. 

First of all, let me just say that I am so happy I registered for a jumperoo and exersaucer because Addie uses both on a daily basis (I highly recommend both to all of you new or soon-to-be moms out there). But I can tell she is looking for a new activity and I think the next step is a walker. My mom said my brothers and I LOVED our walker and since Addie enjoys standing while playing, I thought this would be a good choice. I have checked out several garage sales this summer looking for one with no luck. So...I decided to do some research and I think I have made my selection. It is the Chicco DJ Walker. It received excellent reviews and it doesn't look too complicated. Some of the walkers I have seen have a million toys dangling off of it and since her exersaucer already wins the award for "most toys attached to one piece of plastic", I think I would like to stick with a more simplistic walker. 

Anyway, I have a 20% off coupon for Babies R Us that expires today! So I better get my butt out there and pick one up. I will be sure to let everyone know how Addie likes it. 

Almost Forgot About Addie's Favorite Shoes!

Gosh...I almost forgot about the adorable shoes Auntie Mandy got Addison!!!  As you can see, they are personalized so there is no mistaking who's shoes they are. Plus, they are made with Addie's two favorite colors...pink and pink :-) These shoes are PERFECT for fall and they are super comfortable. Addie is typically not a big fan of wearing shoes but she sure likes these!!! If you are interested in picking up a pair for your little one, you can find them at http://pmoxbabyshoes.blogspot.com. Happy shopping!!

P.S. Addie says thanks for the great shoes Auntie M!! She loves them!!

Wish They Came in My Size

Fall is in the air! If any of you live in the Midwest, I am sure you have been enjoying the cooler, fall-like weather we have been having the past few days. Okay...79 degrees isn't exactly fall-like weather, but compared to the 98 degree days we had a few weeks ago...it feels like fall to me. Plus, all the grocery stores are setting out their mums and you can't go into Babies R Us without running into a rack of Halloween costumes. So I suppose that is what got me thinking about fall and winter and the fact that Addison doesn't have any shoes! Let me rephrase that...she doesn't have any practical shoes. Little gold sandals won't get her through an Illinois winter. So I went on a search for some cute fall/winter baby shoes and I came across these ADORABLE snow boots! They are made by PediPed and you can check them out at www.pediped.com. For free shipping, enter code ptt07. Wish they came in my size :-) 

Wined, Dined & 8469ed

It never fails...I don't get a single phone call or visitor all day until the moment I sit down to nurse Addison. So I wasn't surprised yesterday afternoon when the doorbell rang just as I was feeding her lunch. As I put my boob back in my shirt, I secretly plotted the death of the Jehovah's Witness who was surely standing at my door. But to my surprise, it was a little old man with a dozen roses from my wonderful hubby!! It was a great start to our day of romance.

The next great surprise came when Eric showed up at 4:00!! He hasn't been home from work that early in a few weeks so it was great to have a little extra time with him and the baby before our romantic dinner. And let me just tell you...that dinner was FABULOUS. I got crab legs and Eric got surf and turf. Yummy Yum Yum. But that wasn't half as delicious as the dessert and wine that followed. Needless to say, we drove to Home Depot with our pants unbuttoned. (Get your mind out of the gutter)

Anyway, Eric did an excellent job of wining and dining me all night. So what was next? That's right...model #8469...our new 75 gallon hot water heater. Woohoo!!! It won't be installed for another week or so but hey...at least it's ordered!! I still can't believe how excited we both are about this hot water heater. But that's love for you...giving each other exactly what you want no matter how silly or practical. It has been an amazing 2 years and I can't wait to see what the future holds for our family. Eric...you are the best hubby in the world. I love you to pieces :-)

Happy Anniversary To Us!

Despite Eric's black eye, a severe thunderstorm warning and a minor seating assignment mishap (another example of my inability to apply basic math skills)...we had the perfect wedding day! The sun was shining, the flowers were in bloom and I was marrying my best friend. Plus...lets not forget the awesome food, dancing and open bar that followed our romantic ceremony. I think it is safe to say that everyone had a fantastic night, except for my friend who took full advantage of the "all you can drink" policy and wound up falling down a flight of stairs and puking in my brother's car. Ahh.....memories :-)

It is hard to believe that it has been 2 years since our wedding day. SO much has happened! We bought our dream house last summer, we became an Aunt and Uncle AND had a baby of our own! Speaking of our new house, our moving day was on our anniversary last year so we celebrated the big day with a pizza and diet coke sitting on the floor of our new kitchen. Nothing fancy, but a new house is pretty much the best anniversary gift you could ever give someone. So how do we top that this year? Eric thought another baby would be a great gift (I showed him the muffin top I still haven't worked off and I made sure to turn the monitor up extra loud last night to remind him that Addie still doesn't sleep the night) and I think he got the point. I suggested we go out to a nice dinner and then come home and fill up our HUGE jacuzzi tub and relax with some wine. As soon as I said it, we both looked at each other and knew what would make the perfect gift this year....a new hot water heater!!! Yes my friends...we are buying each other a new hot water heater so that we can fill our huge jacuzzi tub. I would say that I am disappointed in the lack of creativity we are both putting into our gift this year but the fact of the matter is... we need it!!! And we are both really excited about getting it (which I think is the saddest part of all)! So after a nice dinner at Shorewood's one and only "fancy" restaurant, we are heading to Home Depot. Now if that isn't romance...I don't know what is :-) 

Nia Beanie is 1 Year Old!!!

I can still remember getting the call from Dana when she went into labor last year. I didn't answer my cell phone the first few times she called (I am really bad about that) but I figured there was no way she could be in labor...she wasn't due for two more weeks! But sure enough, Nia was on the way. Dana handled labor like a champ. In fact, I think we talked on the phone for close to half an hour while she was having contractions! I am sure if someone would have let her have a Starbucks, we would have talked for another hour :-)

Dana's labor story is one you want to hear when you are pregnant. Her water broke around lunch time and since she works at the hospital, all she had to do was walk upstairs and put on a gown! Once she was settled in her room, she made a few phone calls and hung out with Daddy Kevin. Contractions weren't fun for a few hours but she had Nia just a few hours after dinner. Wham...bham...baby! And this first year of Nia's life has gone by just as fast. It seems like just yesterday I was watching that little peanut roll over for the first time and now she is running all over the house yelling "da da da da". I know I say it all the time, but it is amazing how fast the time goes! Today is Nia's first birthday party and I can't wait to watch her eat her first cake. Happy Birthday my little Nia Beanie! Aunt Jen, Uncle Eric and cousin Addie can't wait to see you today!!!

Saturday Morning Cartoons!

When I was a kid, I LOVED watching Saturday morning cartoons. My brothers could sleep until noon...even back then. But not me! I was up at 6:00 a.m. and when my mom would make her coffee she would pour me a big bowl of cereal and I would plop down in front of the TV for the next 3 hours. I know some of you anti-TV moms out there are thinking "you watched TV for 3 hours straight!!!" I know, how terrible. But I am personally not on the anti-TV bandwagon. Now don't get me wrong, I have no intention of plopping Addie down in front of the TV for 8 hours a day or letting her watch my favorite shows like "Sex and the City". But I honestly see nothing wrong with letting her watch a few of the great kids shows they have on TV today. One example is Disney's Little Einsteins. She LOVES watching this show! I think it is because the pictures are colorful and they play a lot of great music and sing a lot of fun songs throughout the episode. The characters are cute and they actually make the show educational so when she is old enough to understand what is going on, maybe she will actually learn something form watching them! Either way, I am just excited to start my Saturday morning ritual with Addie. Laying around in our PJs eating cereal and watching cartoons until 9:00...too bad we couldn't start every morning like that :-)

Happy Birthday Mamacita!!!!

I just want to wish my mama a Happy Birthday today!!! She may kill me for sharing her age but honestly...does this look like a 54-year-old woman to you? I didn't think so either :-) 

Mama, thank you for everything you do for Addie and I. You are truly the most wonderful mother, grandma and friend a girl could ever ask for. We are so lucky to have you. I hope you have a FABULOUS birthday. Addie and I are down for purse shopping and dessert tonight if you are up for it! Wait a minute....who am I talking to! I am sure I had you at "purse shopping". Love you lots mamacita!!!! 

Review: If These Boobs Could Talk

My mom gave me this book as a gift when I was on maternity leave. I had only been nursing for a of couple weeks so I didn't have a ton of experience. I still thought the book was funny, but I couldn't quite relate. Well, after almost 6 months of breastfeeding, this book has become one of my favorite resources for a good laugh. And trust me, when it comes to breastfeeding, you need a good laugh every once and a while :-) I think the cover does an excellent job of illustrating my latest breastfeeding issue....TEETH! The book has a number of hilarious illustrations, like the pages on "Bad Times to Breastfeed" and "Ways to Multitask While Breastfeeding". The pictures are too funny to describe so I will just let you look at the book for yourself. But since this is a review, I will list some of the most valuable information I learned from this book.

Important words to add to my vocabulary:

Bloppy: The post-pregnancy fat that makes you fell like you are wearing a Boppy around your waist, even when you're not.

Nip Nap: When you fall asleep nursing, exposing your nipple to the world.

Breast Plump: The glory days when your waist goes back to normal, but you still have lovely full boobs.

* The book has many more awesome vocabs words..these were just my favorite :-)

What to do if you are leaking:

* Hum or sing the theme to Titanic

*If you are holding a beverage, subtly pour it on your shirt so you're wet all over and everything blends in.

* Be productive--discretely use your milk to water the nearest wilted plant.

* If your milk starts to pour out with fire-hose-like intensity, try to remove paint chips or stubborn debris on your house. At this point, it's all about multitasking.

You know it's time to stop breastfeeding when your child:

* Text messages you to tell you he's hungry

* Mixes your milk with a shot of espresso

* Knows how to repair your broken pump

* Comes home from college needing more bags of frozen milk

*Only wants to nurse during halftime so he won't miss any important plays

And...the most helpful section of the book...since Addie and I STILL have this problem

How to encourage your baby to take a bottle:

1) Dim the lights

2) Turn on soothing music

3) Snuggle up to baby

4) Softly say, "Here comes the bottle."

5) Gently touch bottle nipple to baby's lower lip

6) Watch as baby's face scrunches into horrified expression

7) Flinch as baby violently swats bottle to the floor

8) Sigh a deep sigh

9) Bend down and pick up bottle

10) Begin at step one again. Repeat roughly 1,192 times, until one day--for no particular reason whatsoever--baby decides to accept bottle.

If you are a breastfeeding mom or a mom that at least gave it a shot for a while...this book is hilarious!! I also think it makes a great gift, especially for mom's who fully understand what a challenging and rewarding experience breastfeeding can be :-) Enjoy!

Welcome to Mommyhood

Yesterday, one of my best friends gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. They named her Sophia Grace and she is just precious. I don't have a picture to post yet, but you can see her at www.bellababyphotography.com if you click website, then client, and enter the password: sophiagrace. She is absolutely beautiful, just like her mommy. I can't help but think back to the day my baby girl was born. The same photographer took pictures of Addie in the hospital and when I look at our first family picture (see black and white photo in the right column), I immediately tear up because I just can't believe how much she has grown over the past 5 1/2 months. I mean...she is sitting up for crying out loud!! How did that happen? One minute she is this tiny little newborn sleeping on my chest 15 hours a day and now she is this giggling, talking, rolling, playing, smiling little peanut that I just can't get enough of. Even when I am dog tired and it is 3:00 a.m. and she decides to wake up for a snack, I can't help but smile and squeeze her tight when I see that cute little face looking up at me in her crib. Now don't get me wrong, it will be f-ing AWESOME when she starts sleeping the night. But for now, I am fine with a little late night cuddle every once and a while. Plus, if I can't fall back asleep, I know I can call Tiffany because she can kiss sleep goodbye for the next few weeks :-) Welcome to mommyhood sweetie! You will love every minute of it :-)

Cute Baby Cards for Picture Happy Moms

I just want to share a fantastic website for all you picture happy moms out there. I will admit...I am a little sad that Addie's birth announcements are already out and I still have to wait 3 more months to send out Christmas cards! I have so many cute pictures that I would love to send to friends and family so my dear friend Nina suggested I look at some of the awesome holiday and seasonal cards she has on her website for nmbelina designs. Her prices are great and she customizes all her greeting cards, holiday cards, invitations and announcements to your exact specifications. Just look at the gorgeous birth announcement she designed for Addison! She is fabulous and I highly recommend checking out her wonderful site, especially since Addie and her cousin Nia are both cover models for some of her designs :-) Happy looking!! 

Look at the Size of That Zucchini!

When I asked Eric not to use Miracle Grow or any other chemicals on our garden this year, he looked at me like I was crazy. I told him I wanted an organic garden and he just smiled and said "whatever you want babe". I know he was secretly thinking that if the garden didn't do well this year, he could blame it on me by saying "Jen wouldn't let me juice it up". But thanks to the BEAUTIFUL weather we have had in Illinois this summer, our garden is doing fabulous!!! My brother's girlfriend Meagan was over again this weekend and she helped me harvest a load of delicious veggies. We have tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, banana peppers, green bell peppers and zucchini. And speaking of zucchini....did you see the size of that thing??? It weighs as much as Addison!!! When I showed it to Eric yesterday, he just pressed his lips together, nodded his head and gave me the that's-how-I-do-things look. Please...men and their obsession with size :-) He also grabbed the zucchini and made some inappropriate gestures with it but I won't go into detail about those since this is a family blog. But seriously...I couldn't believe how beautiful all of our veggies are doing!!!! Addie can't have tomatoes yet but that's okay because I am going to be able to make a TON of tomato sauce to freeze and have throughout the year. I mean, the organic tomato sauce I buy at the grocery store is about $4 a jar on sale and now I am going to have about 20+ jars for the price of a tomato plant!!! This growing and making your own food thing is awesome!!! 

Baby Brain Moment #164

Since daytime TV sucks a big one (and because I have already seen every episode of A Baby Story), I have really enjoyed watching the Olympics this week. I am always fascinated by the events you rarely hear about like the Modern Pentathlon. I also enjoyed watching table tennis and actually had a conversation about it with a woman in line at Target yesterday. We talked for close to 15 minutes about volleyball, swimming and gymnastics. She asked me what my favorite event is and instead of saying gymnastics (since I had already seen it on TV) I said Ice Skating. And that alone isn't a bad response because she just asked what my favorite event was. But then I followed up with "I wonder when it is going to be on TV. I haven't seen it yet this summer". The woman just sort of looked at me puzzled and said "I think Ice Skating is a winter sport". Um yeah...I guess the word ICE in the title should have tipped me off :-) Freaking genius.

5 Month Update!!

I know I am a few days...okay...a week late in posting Addie's 5 month update but here it is! As usual, Uncle Ryan took some fabulous pictures and this is one of my favorites. She looks just like her Daddy :-) 

So...this was a really big month for my baby girl! She learned to roll both ways, she cut two teeth, she started eating solids AND she is starting to sit up! She only lasts about 2-3 minutes before toppling over but hey...it's a start!!! She was weighed at the pedi's office today and she is 17 pounds, 9 ounces and 26 inches long!!! I just can't believe how fast she is growing. It seems like only yesterday I was bringing this little peanut home. Time sure flies when you are having fun :-)

Baby Food Gourmets

This week I decided it was time to start making some baby food. I always said that I would try it once I was home full-time so here I am! And honestly, it was a lot of fun! I had a helper though...great Grandma showed up for a visit today and since she had to do this for ALL her baby food back in the day, she was a handy resource. We pureed organic peaches and sweet potatoes and yesterday I actually attempted bananas and squash on my own. I will admit...it is a lot of work making your own food at first. You have to clean it, peel it, cook it, puree it, strain it, puree it again, jar it and freeze it. Whew! But if you have a helper like grams...it goes pretty fast! We made all this in an afternoon and if Addie would have slept just a little longer today, we would have gotten to the carrots and green beans I had in the fridge too. I have a total of 18 jars of baby food now (all organic) and I only paid around $5 for the produce it took to make those 18 jars (stage 1). Here is what I have:

1 butternut squash = 5 jars 

3 peaches =  5 jars

1 banana = 2 jars (not pictured)

2 sweet potatoes = 6 jars (once I separate it)

Total: 18 jars

Final Cost: $5

Not too shabby huh! 18 jars of Earth's Best would have been around $11 so as you can see...making your own food really does save money! I am not sure if Addie really knows the difference but she sure chowed down those fresh bananas yesterday! So if anyone is interested in becoming a baby food gourmet like me and grams, I suggest checking out a great website called www.wholesomebabyfood.com. They have great recipes and tips :-) Bonappetit!

Addie's New Language

When I was pregnant, I always wondered how my brothers would react when Addison arrived. Neither of them have ever been around babies and they didn't babysit as kids like I did, so I didn't know if they would be too scared to hold her or if the sight of spit-up would send them running for the door. But to my surprise, my brothers have both been wonderful with Addie! They love holding her and playing with her. Ryan has to travel quite a bit for work but he and his girlfriend Meagan always make it a point to visit her every month so they can take her picture and shower her with gifts. They both couldn't believe how much she has grown since the last time they saw her! She grew two teeth, she can roll all over the place, and she has developed her own language of screaming in different pitches. When Ryan and Meagan sat down to read her a book, Addie decided she wanted to participate too. The reading session went something like this:

Ryan: Addie...you want to read your Little Lamb book?

Addie: AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Meagan: Page one. Meet Little Lamb, he loves to....

Addie: (interrupting) AHHHHHH!

Meagan: Thats right...he loves to play!

Ryan: Uh Meg...she didn't say play...she just screamed.

Meagan: Yeah, but she was trying to say play. Weren't you baby girl?

Addie: AHHHHHHHH!

Meagan: See...she totally wants to talk to us.

Ryan: It looks more like she wants to shove that finger puppet in her mouth.

Meagan: Whatever. Lets keep reading. Page two, What games will Little Lamb play today?

Addie: (Arms waving, legs kicking) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Ryan: What did she say now baby whisperer?

Meagan: She is telling us what games Little Lamb likes to play.

Ryan: So what games does Little Lamb like to play?

Addie: AHHHHHHHHHH!

Meagan: Addie said Little Lamb wants to play a game of "be quiet and let us finish the book"

Ryan: I don't think...

Addie: (interrupting again) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHH!

Meagan: See...now be quiet and let us finish.

Ryan: Okay.

Addie: AH!

After watching this little interaction I have come to 3 conclusions. 1) Addie has already developed a sassy little personality 2) Little Lamb is STILL her favorite book (sorry blankie book) and 3) Uncle Ryan and Aunt Meagan are going to make great parents one day (no pressure Ry :-) Addie had so much fun yesterday reading, jumping in her jumperoo, drooling all over Uncle Ryan, playing "super baby" with Aunt Meagan and fighting naps with mommy...again. I bet if she had a calendar or knew anything about numbers, Addie would be counting the days until their next visit. I know I am :-) Love you guys!

Grandma's Latest Project

I am so lucky to have a mom that knows how to knit, quilt, sew and do just about anything that requires creativity. When I was growing up, my mom made a ton of my clothes, all of my Halloween costumes and even one of my prom dresses! So I guess it comes as no surprise that she is now obsessed with making Addison cute stuff. This is the latest janlynn design and I think it is the cutest hat so far! If you want to check out my mom's blog to look at all of the other knitting projects she is working on, click here. She is very talented, as you will see. I bet you are wondering if I got that gene and the answer is...um...hell no :-)

Blankie

For about a month or so, I have been reading Addie the same finger puppet baby book before going to bed. She seemed to really enjoy it since she could grab the little lamb finger puppet and shove it in her mouth. Luckily, I have the book memorized so it didn't matter that I couldn't actually turn any of the pages. But last night I decided to pick a new book from her library. One that didn't have any sounds, lights, pop-ups or stuffed animals stuck to the pages. I wanted something less stimulating for bedtime. So I chose "Blankie" by Leslie Patricelli. I thought this would be the perfect bedtime book since it had cute, simple illustrations with a fun little story about a baby and his blankie. He talks about how he likes to take his blankie with him to school, to the grocery store, to the doctor, etc. He says things like "I don't like bedtime. But Blankie makes it better". It is a VERY cute book and I love the little pictures. Well...apparently Addie likes them too because the minute I opened the book last night, she started kicking her legs and laughing! So much for picking a less stimulating book! She couldn't get enough of it. Every time I turned a page, she would laugh (or do her fake excited cough) and flap her arms and legs. She was even reaching for the pages and helped me turn them a few times. I had so much fun reading with her I thought I would read this same book again tonight. She had just as much fun. So I guess it is safe to say that Addie has found her new favorite book! After she went to sleep, I looked up the author online and found that she has written several other books called "Binky", "Quiet LOUD", Yummy YUCKY", and "BIG Little". I think I am going to take at look at them the next time I am in Barnes and Noble. And of course, I will be sure to post about them if Addie gives them her giggle of approval. Happy reading!

No Excuses

My first day as a SAHM mom was everything I hoped it would be. Addie and I got up around 7:30, had some cereal in our bath robes and watched a little Micky Mouse Club. I was just about to get started on my to-do list when my sister-in-law called and said "hey...you feel like going shopping today?". I knew I needed to clean the kitchen, do some laundry, work-out, etc. but instead I said "hell yeah...we'll be ready in 15 minutes". I figured why not have some fun my first day off. Dana and I have always had work as an excuse to not get together but we no longer had that! So it seemed appropriate to celebrate this occasion by doing what we love...shopping and drinking Starbucks with our girls. We had SO much fun!! We spent the whole day together and I am so glad we did. But...when I got home and saw the mess in my kitchen, the piles of dirty laundry in the bedroom and the dust on my elliptical machine...I knew I couldn't use work as an excuse for those things anymore either. Damn! I had never realized how much I blamed on work! The list is pretty long:

1. Work is the reason I haven't lost my muffin top or back fat since having Addison. I mean, who has time to work out when you are a working mom? Apparently lots of moms find the time to work out even with a full time job so now I am REALLY screwed. I dusted off my elliptical today and just bought my copy of Post-Pregnancy pilates. 

2. Work is the reason I don't eat healthier meals. I am "too busy" to pack a lunch so I eat out all the time. And, since I am so tired when I get home from work, there isn't always time to make dinner AND take care of the baby. So that is why we have Macciano's on speed dial. I think if Eric has to eat another calzone or beef sandwich...he might divorce me. So now I have to strap on my apron and learn how to cook other meals besides spaghetti and tacos. 

3. Work is the reason I don't keep up with scrapbooking. For years I have claimed that scrapbooking is my hobby but aside from the one book I did for Addison while I was on maternity leave, I haven't scrapbooked since I had the pictures developed from my bachelorette party in 2006. And honestly...those shouldn't be lying around for Addison to see anyway so I better get to it. I am going to set up a table in my basement so I can make a mess and not have to clean it up each day. As any scrapper knows...that is half the battle. 

4. Work is the reason I shop too much. I mean come on...I worked in downtown Naperville! 4 out of my 5 favorite stores were within walking distance for crying out loud. How was I suppose to resist? But now that we are minus one paycheck AND not within walking distance of any of my favorite stores...I think it is safe to say that I will be better about clipping coupons and watching our budget. That is if I can get Dana to stop calling me for shopping trips :-)

5. Work is the reason I forgot about my other hobby...writing. Although, I can't really blame work for this. I should make more time to write since that is the reason I wanted to major in English in the first place. I mean, I did write a children's book when I was 18. But then I fell in love with teaching writing and then later found my position in administration and it just sort of took a back seat to everything else in my life. And it will still have to take a back seat to Addie, but when I can sneak in some quiet moments to myself, I plan to get started again. Who knows, maybe I will be published by the time Addie goes to college :-)

I could keep going with my list...but I think you get the point. I have used work as an excuse for a lot of things. Sometimes I will miss having that excuse (like when I am scrubbing the toilets), but at the same time, I couldn't be happier to have these new responsibilities!! I am sitting in my living room drinking an ice tea watching Addison play in her gym. She is laughing and smiling at me and I am sure she is thinking what I am thinking...we are so lucky :-)

I Heart Connor

Yay! One of Addie's out-of-town boyfriends came to visit this weekend! Ever since Tara and I found out that I was having a girl and she was having a boy, we have been planning their future together. So tonight, we did everything we could to get the two to hold hands and smile for a picture. Addie was pretty cooperative, but Connor was more interested in watching the White Sox. Hey....that's just like a real boyfriend!!! 

So for their first date, Addie and Connor had a nice meal together, watched a little TV and cuddled on the floor, posed for a few pictures and then took a relaxing bath (in separate tubs of course :-) Tara and I couldn't resist taking a picture of them in their matching bath robes. And if these two do grow up to date each other, I am pretty sure they will resent us for this picture. But who cares...it is adorable!!! The daddies agree, but they also made sure to remind us that the two better be sleeping in separate cribs until they are married. I guess we shouldn't tell them that they already saw each other naked ;-)