March 31, 2010

19 months

Noah, you are such a big boy now! I can't believe you are 19 months already. You are growing up right before our eyes, and as much as I hate to admit it, my baby is... really not a baby anymore. What a privilege and honor it is to be your Mommy. You bless me {and your Daddy} more than you will ever know, and you bring such joy to our lives. We are so proud of you and all of your accomplishments. You amaze us everyday, and we love watching you discover and learn new things. Just promise your mommy you won't grow up too fast okay?

Tonight I want to share some of the things you are doing right now, so we can look back and remember you at this sweet, precious age.

You are very, very ticklish just like your Daddy. Daddy knows each and every one of your ticklish spots, because those are his too. Someday you will figure that out and then it will be payback! You love to be tickled, and you just can't get enough of it.

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You love Veggie Tales. Some of your favorite shows right now are Silly Songs with Larry, Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie, The Ballad of Little Joe, and Madame Blueberry. Nothing gets you moving like Veggie Tales does. Anytime a song comes on, you get a big smile on your face, and start dancing. It's the cutest thing ever.

You love shoes. Who would have thought? You love to carry your shoes throughout the house, and often you will come up to me with a shoe wanting me to put it on you. It is so funny to watch you walk around in nothing but a diaper and a pair of shoes. But it's not just your shoes that you're into; you also love to bring Mommy and Daddy our shoes and insist that we wear them too.

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You love, love, love to jump on Mommy and Daddy's bed. And you look like a little frog when you're doing it. It's so funny. You love when your Daddy throws you on the bed too. That's something else you just can't get enough of.

Not long ago you discovered the refrigerator magnets, and you love playing with them. You carefully place each magnet on the fridge, and once you've finished that, you will start again and move them one by one to the opposite side. Mommy even discovered some magnets in the toilet the other day. I wonder who could have done that?

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You hate getting your teeth brushed. In fact, hate is not a strong enough word to describe how you feel about it. You loathe it. I can't even imagine the first time we go visit the dentist. Yikes! I'm sure that will be an interesting visit. Honestly, I have no idea how the dentist will even get a look inside your mouth. You are one strong little dude when it comes to your mouth.

You are always doing something that makes Mommy and Daddy laugh. Lately, you have started gagging yourself, and you think it's pretty funny when you do it. It is so funny, although we try not to encourage it. I have no idea how you started that. You're a silly boy!

You love to give kisses. Almost every time I ask you to "give Momma a kiss" you pucker your lips and tilt your head to the side as you lean forward for a kiss. You are already such a romantic! We sure love your sweet kisses.

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On a recent sick-visit to the doctor, you weighed 24 lbs! Such a big, healthy boy! We have a well check-up this Monday, so we will get to see again how much you weigh as well as how tall you are!

You almost have all your baby teeth in. It is a little hard to see, but it looks like most of them are in or are in the process of coming in.

You love playing at the park. So do Mommy and Daddy! Oh, and of course Einstein. We have discovered a couple of really fun parks to play at, and I think today was our fifth time to go this month. Your favorite thing to do at the park is just run, but you also enjoy the slides. When you slide, you love to go face first. What a brave little boy you are!

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Your verbal language consists of: "Mama," "Dada," "Uh oh," "Oh," & "Nuh-uh". We love your sweet little voice.

You are very quickly picking up different signs. The ones off the top of my head are: please, more, Daddy, Mommy, bath, cookie, drink, milk, donut, finished, candy {fruit snacks}, and you are working on "I love you." You are learning new signs everyday, and we are so proud of you! You will be signing like your Daddy before we know it!

You love to hug Einstein, but you have to be in the mood to do it. Most of the time it is when Mommy doesn't have her camera in close reach or when the settings to take the picture are all wrong. Go figure. But when you "give Einstein love," you wrap your arms around his round belly and/or lay your head on him. You are such a sweet little brother.

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You love to dip your food in sauces. Queso, ketchup, mustard, hot sauce are some of your favorites, but you aren't too picky. You never bite into the food; you just lick the sauce off and go for a another dip. Sometimes I wonder if you are getting enough to eat, but I guess you are because you seem satisfied, and you're growing like crazy.

You are growing and changing every single day, and we love and cherish every single moment we have with you. We'll be celebrating your 2nd Birthday before we know it!

Love you sweet baby boy.

Momma

March 30, 2010

Scary Info! & Giveaway Results

Shame on me for my lack of blogging the past couple of days. We have been busy, busy! I have so much to write about, but just feel like I can never get caught up. Maybe this week I will. We shall see.

So I came across something tonight on a blog I just love to read, and it was pretty interesting, but mostly scary {like scary: make your heart start pounding in your chest!}. I wanted to pass this information along to you, because I'm pretty sure this is something you will want to check out.

iammommy found this "safety alert" information on a police officer's blog:

You need to go to: spokeo {dot} com

Enter your name and see if your personal information is listed. If so, scroll down to the very bottom and click on "privacy" to request to remove it.

Apparently it is a clearinghouse of information and may {does!} include things like:

-A map of your house
-Your birthday
-Your children's names
-Your spouse's name


And other personal information you may not feel comfortable letting the whole world know about you.

I went to the website to check to see if our family was listed and found Josh's name and information was on there! I cannot believe the amount of detail on the website. There are some things that are inaccurate, but a lot of information is correct. We removed Josh's name {I was not listed} and so now our information {at least on this website} is now private. I hope I didn't scare you half to death, but I just wanted to pass this information along to you.

Now... onto the giveaway results! I apologize for taking so long to get them out to you. I meant to post the winner the day after the drawing, but like I said, things kind of got busy around here. So without further adieu:

The winner of the pink flowery wristlet key fob is...

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Congrats Jamie Moore!

I'll get in touch with you on Facebook soon so I can get your address and send you your prize!

Thanks to each and every one of you who commented. I loved reading the reasons why you love Spring.

Have a wonderful evening!

March 26, 2010

Castle Park

I bet you can't guess where we went today. Oh, you're right. We did go to the park. A new park. And it was hands down the coolest park I've ever been to. The locals call it "Castle Park" because of the huge wooden fort built there. Josh calls it, "pure awesomeness." Seriously, it was pure awesomeness. We can't wait to go back. Noah had the best time running around, sliding, and he even enjoyed swinging this time. Oh, and did I mention the weather was perfect. I think Spring is here to stay! Let's hope. Of course I brought along my camera to take pictures of all the fun. Here are some of my favorites:

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Isn't that the coolest fort you've ever seen? So much fun! We will definitely be going back soon.

March 25, 2010

It's that Time Again!

I'm thinking it's time for another giveaway, don't you?
I thought you might be excited.
I mean, who doesn't love free stuff, right?

I've had this little giveaway item for quite some time now,
and I've been dying to give it away!

But just a word of warning before I tell you what it is, it is no
Pioneer Woman giveaway that's for sure.
My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw what her last
giveaway was: a Nikon D90 dslr camera. What?!
Who gives away expensive camera's like that?
Apparently she does.

I guess you can give away items like that
when you have millions of readers.
She really is a very talented blogger, and if
you haven't visited her website, you should click right here
and take a peek {but come back!}.

As most of you know, I love Etsy! It is one of my
favorite places to shop online.
So while I was shopping one day,
I came across some adorable wristlet key fobs,
and I purchased a couple for my mom & sister.

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And I didn't even get myself one! Crazy, I know.
Eventually I did get one, and I
absolutely love it.
I am one of those people who cannot keep
up with their keys. But now I never lose them.

So since I love mine so much,
I thought one of you needed one too!

Interested?
To enter the giveaway,
all you have to do is leave me a comment
{in the "comments" section below -- not on facebook}
telling me what your favorite thing about Spring is.

Anyone {yes, family & past winners that means you!}
can enter to win.

The deadline for the giveaway is 11:00 pm Saturday evening {on March 27th).
This time I'll have my hubs Josh pick the winner.

Good luck & happy commenting!

March 24, 2010

Fun at the Park

We sure hope this Spring-like weather sticks around for a while. It was absolutely beautiful outside today. Josh and I decided to take advantage of the warm weather and take Noah and Einstein to the park to play. It was so nice to get out and play in the sunshine! The last time we went to the park Noah was almost walking, but he wasn't quite there yet. So it was fun to watch him run around and play at full speed today. Of course he had fun on the jungle gym, but what he loved the most was just being able to run free. He was so cute running all over the place. We really enjoyed our afternoon together as a family. Here are a couple of pictures I took of Noah while he played.

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Such a big boy!

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Wheeee!
It looks like he's scared to death in this picture,
but he actually loved the slides!

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The swing was a different story.
We thought he might enjoy swinging, but oh no,
he did not like the swing,
and he made it very clear to us that he wanted out.

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And of course after Noah watched an older kid play around in the wood chips, he wanted to play with them too. He was throwing the wood chips all around & getting dirty as little boys do, but then all of a sudden, he started crying. We thought maybe he was just worn out, and it was time to head home. So Josh picked him up and I started brushing what I thought was dirt off of Noah's little hands. I quickly realized that fire ants were crawling all over him, and they were starting to bite! Poor, poor baby! No wonder he was crying. If you've ever been attacked by fire ants, you know the pain those little suckers cause. So we quickly brushed all the ants off and took his shirt off to make sure we didn't miss any. As soon as we got his shirt back on, he was ready to play again. Those mean fire ants weren't gonna stop him from playing!

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We let Noah play a little bit longer, but then we decided we'd better head home. So we all walked back to the car, and as we got closer, Noah realized we were leaving the park. Well, you can guess his reaction. He was not very happy about it. He cried and threw the biggest fit, well, until daddy got him a cherry slushy from Sonic. Then he was a pretty happy little boy.

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What a fun afternoon we had together! Thank you Lord for the beautiful Spring weather we had today.


March 23, 2010

Mood Swings

Noah is pretty much exactly like his daddy, except for one area: mood swings. I think he may have gotten that from his mommy {ok, he did get that from his mommy}. I mean don't misunderstand, I'm really not that moody. Just sometimes.

So anyway, Noah has been extra moody the past couple of days, and I'm not exactly sure what is causing these dramatic ups & downs. Maybe teething? I'm sure that's what it is, {it can't be me!}, so we will blame it on those darn teeth.

Like today for instance, sweet Noah was in the best mood. He was running around playing, laughing, smiling for the camera {he rarely does that!}. I mean he was a happy, happy boy without a care in the world. See:

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But not long after he so kindly posed for mommy his mood changed {quickly!}, and he was angry! He wanted to put mommy's cap on her camera lens, and he wanted to do it now!

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And then a couple minutes after his crying fit, he was back to his happy go lucky self.

Oh boy.


March 21, 2010

theBumper

I'm so excited to share with you theBumper! I saw the idea on this blog, and of course I got inspired to make one for Noah's bedroom door. So what the heck is it? It is one of those mommy inventions that is just smart, creative, and leaves me wondering why I didn't come up with something as simple as this.

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theBumper is tied to knobs on either side of a door and fits snug against the latch. It was created to protect little fingers from being slammed in the door. Totally genius! There is nothing worse than watching your child scream out in pain from smashing his finger in the door. Right? It can also be used to keep a door propped open for ease of supervision. So when I saw the idea, I couldn't wait to make one and share the idea with all you mothers out there.

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My little Noah loves to slam doors {especially his bedroom door}, and let me tell you, it is loud when he does! I guess he's already into having some privacy. Well, now Mr. Noah won't be shutting himself in his room anymore because he has this very bumper on his door. And I'm here to tell you it works! Today Noah tried to close his door, and the cushion of theBumper prevented the door from closing. Yay! My sewing project was successful. And I think it turned out pretty cute too. What do you think?

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What a perfect homemade gift to give to a friend with young kiddos or to a new mommy. I just love the idea!

March 20, 2010

Needle & Thread

I've been sewing tonight. Sewing! Can you believe it? My mommy {and mommy-in-law} would be so proud. And, I am proud to say I didn't even poke myself with the needle. My sewing project turned out exactly how I hoped it would; I can't wait to show you the finished product!

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But it will have to be tomorrow because I'm going to bed. Sewing by hand is tedious work. It wore me out.

Goodnight.

March 19, 2010

Josh Calls Me Dr. Phil

Remember the butterflies in your stomach that you used to get when that special someone called you up and asked you out on a date? You excitedly accepted the offer, hung up the phone, and squealed with delight {or at least I did}, knowing you were going to spend a romantic evening with him. Ahhh. Those were the days! I remember my very first date with Josh. It was actually a double date {which made it a little less nerve racking}, and we all went to see The Sixth Sense. I honestly can't tell you a thing about the movie. No, wait, I do remember it was scary. I know what you're thinking, and yes, we did actually watch the movie. But I remember us holding hands, and that is all I could think about as we sat side-by-side in the movie theater. My heart was beating so fast; I was in love. Ok, maybe not in love {yet}, but I reaaally liked the guy. And it wasn't long before the love bug feelings turned into love. And seven years after that first date we tied the knot. Yes ladies, I was a patient girlfriend. Sometimes I thought we'd never get married.

After we got married we got a surge of those love bugs again. I'm pretty sure that's a normal thing that happens when a couple gets married. We were newlyweds totally in love.

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But slowly over time, the newlywed high faded. I personally never thought the excitement of being married to Josh would fade, but it did. And that's okay. Our love for each other is greater than feelings that come and go. Love is a commitment, not a feeling. We choose to love each other despite how we feel about each other. To be perfectly honest, it's not always easy to love Josh. And I'm not always easy to love either. But we work at it. Everyday.

One thing I have come to realize {especially since Noah joined our family} is how important it is to date and to make the effort to spend some time alone. I was reading a blog about dating your husband, and the writer said, "Life brings some stress that can tend to interfere with marriages, and getting away just the two of you is a great way to communicate and just enjoy one another." So true.

One of my resolutions for the new year was to go on more dates with my husband. I am proud to tell you we have been on three so far this year, and it's been great! If you haven't been on a date in a while, make it a priority today to have one! Here is a huge list of date ideas I gathered from a few different sites. Happy searching!

Cheap ideas:

1. Go out for pizza.
2. Plan a movie night. Rent a flick that you’ll both enjoy, make popcorn, and get cozy under the blanket on the couch.
3. Head out to the dollar theater and splurge on snacks.
4. Try brunch and a matinee.
5. Pick up a bucket of fried chicken and head to the drive-in movie.
6. Lay a blanket down in your backyard and add candles, fancy cheese, chocolate and voila: five- star fun!
7. Museums usually have one free night a week or month, so hit one then.
8. Grab a basketball and hit the free courts at the park.
9. Go to a local video arcade and play games together.
10. Get coffee at your favorite coffee house and just talk to one another.
11. Drive out to a country field, lie down and snuggle under the stars.
12. Make yourselves the biggest, craziest ice cream sundae ever.
13. Take a tour of the house you'd {someday} love to own.
14. Throw a slumber party for two. Have dinner in bed and have each other for dessert.
15. Go for a hike or long walk together.
16. Have a tournament of your choice – Battleship, Monopoly, cards, Playstation, etc. For a twist, the winner has to take the loser out to dinner for another date night.
17. Make out like teenagers on the couch. Hahaha this one is funny.

Let's get creative:

18. Paint coffee mugs at a paint-your-own-pottery place.
19. Hit a farmers' market and scavenge for your dinner.
20. Go to a local flea market and shop interesting finds.
21. Take a tour of garage sales in the ritziest neighborhoods.
22. Glide at the nearest ice skating rink.
23. Poke around an antique shop.
24. Stop at a fancy bakery and pick out a treat for each other.
25. Feed the ducks.
26. Hold a kiss for one elevator ride.
27. Head to a batting cage and swing at some balls.
28. Hit the bowling alley.
29. Fire up the grill for burgers and sticky s'mores.
30. Play paintball.
31. Play putt-putt golf.
32. Swim, lounge, and enjoy a day at the beach or pool.
33. Go to a theme park and clutch each other on the scary rides.
34. Camp out and kiss under the stars. Oh, I like this idea!
35. Think outside the box and go out for a romantic breakfast instead of dinner.
36. Shop together for something you want but do not actually need.

Mini Getaways {$$$}:

37. Book a double massage at a spa.
38. Take a balloon or helicopter ride over your town.
39. Rent a fancy car. Ride around as if you actually own it.
40. Find a nearby bed-and-breakfast. Spend the night someplace where someone else makes the bed and cooks breakfast.
41. Plan a trip and go!

Little Personal Touches:

42. Write a quick love note on the bathroom mirror.
43. Write an encouraging, sweet, short {or steamy} email during the day.
44. Make breakfast for him {or with him} on Saturday morning.
45. Surprise him with a new shirt or something you'll know he'll enjoy.
46. Hold hands whenever you can. We sometimes forget this simple notion of affection.
47. Cook together.

March 18, 2010

This is what happens...

...when you leave three {four, if you include Einstein} boys home all day.

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Yep, my brother Matt is in town visiting, and it looks to me like the boys had a pretty good day today while I was at work.

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I come home to find my lovely, clean {ok, sorta clean} house looking like this:

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And this:

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Oh yes. It is not a pretty sight. Our apartment has been turned upside down. It's a mess. No, scratch that. It looks like a tornado tore through the place. Random items are scattered throughout the house. Take for instance the dirty diaper that sits upon my kitchen counter top in the picture below. Um, yuck. I guess whoever left the diaper there failed to see the trash can sitting right below it. And next to the diaper sits a bottle of honey and a dust pan. I don't even want to know.

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And my dining room table is covered in, well, let's just say junk. Was Noah undressed on the table??? Like I said, I don't even want to know.

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This is what happens when you leave the boys home all day.

And do you think I care about the filthy state our apartment is in tonight? Nope. I do not care a thing about it. I look around and even find it kind of funny how messy our apartment is. I seriously need some sleep.

Goodnight.

March 17, 2010

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Are you wearing green today?

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Noah is!

It's a good thing Noah doesn't know he is supposed to pinch his mommy and daddy for not wearing green. We won't be able to get away with it for long!

Hope you're having a wonderful day!


p.s. Happy Birthday Nanny! We love you and hope you are having a fabulous birthday!