Sleep Update

So napping continues to be a disaster....Little Guy's sleep habits perplex even the professionals.  In an effort to find something that works, we're switching to a longer awake time before his nap.  We initially thought the long wake time was the problem, but it may have just needed to be slightly tweaked.  I'll put our nap plan into action starting tomorrow-we're planning on doing whatever it takes today to get a good nap in to prepare for our NYE celebration.  Here's to 2013 and learning how to nap!

Marine World Africa USA...or Six Flags

We decided to get our season pass photos for Six Flags on our way home from the Bay Area.  It ended up being a great decision since there was next to no one at the park and the we were second in line for photos.  It also ended up being FREEZING and I am sure people were loving my capri leggings with Uggs and winter jacket outfit I was sporting...fashion disaster aside, we took a quick run through the park searching for churros (never found one!) and hitting up the snow hill.  We can't wait until the park is open and in full swing this spring.  Marine World Africa USA, here we come!

Merry Christmas

We had a wonderful two day Christmas celebration.  We started with a Christmas Eve brunch at our house with Grandma and Grandpa DeTar and Uncle Sam.  We followed it up with some stockings and gifts that afternoon in Dixon and then concluded our Christmas Eve with an Emigh Christmas celebration.  We only see Daddy's extended extended family once a year, so it's always nice to check in with everyone and for them to see how much Little Guy has grown.  After that we hurried home to get ready for Santa...Santa delivered a giant bean bag for Little Guy and a new bike for Daddy.  It was so much fun watching Little Guy open his gifts.  Daddy surprised him with some truck and trailer toys that even came with their own cattle!  After a nice relaxing morning, we headed to GG's and Papa's for more stockings, presents, prime rib, and fun!  We were all spoiled again and went to bed with full tummies and happy hearts.  The final celebration was a yummy breakfast the next morning with Great Grandma and Grandpa Fitz!  Phew, this was one Christmas to remember...we can't believe next year there will be another stocking hung in our house!!!

Candy Cane Lane

We finally hit up Candy Cane Lane tonight!  We decided to make the most of the night since Little Guy didn't need to be in bed until 7:00 and hit up Hisui for a little hibachi before hand.  Little Guy couldn't get enough of the tofu soup, ginger toppings, SUSHI, and fried rice!  He wasn't as enthusiastic about the hot flames right in front of him, but he was entertained with all the people and therefore a great dinner partner.  After dinner we hit up the lights.  I am not sure what was more exciting, the lights or the fact he got to ride in the front seat with me...standing up...on the seat...with no seat belt!  We parked at the last house and enjoyed the bell band ( I am pretty sure I need to be in one of these, they're awesome!) and strolled through the lit up yard.  I love the holidays with my boys!

Day One...Oh Help Us.

Today we officially started "sleep training"- I hate referring to it as training, but we are working on reprogramming Little Guy's schedule so he'll get a nap and sleep through the night...both mommy and baby need all the sleep they can get.  I have a feeling it's going to be a long road, but hopefully one that will end in the Land of Peaceful Sleeps and Happy Babies! 

Ice Cream Date

I had a little ice cream date with this cute fella today!  He loves to share Mommy's Rocky Road, but he won't eat the nuts.  He keeps the nuts in his cheek and then spits them out all at once- it's actually pretty impressive!  I thought we'd get away with just an ice cream treat, but he spotted the ride on toys, so we spent a little time running around there.  It felt like it was five degrees below freezing, but Little Guy had a great time climbing and running around.  I wonder how long it will be before he isn't satisfied with just sitting in the cars...I better start saving my quarters.

Milk...

it does a body good!  We have finally found a way to get Little Guy on board with milk...a little chocolate syrup and a quick pop in the microwave!  We discovered he actually liked chocolate milk on day at lunch, but in an effort to keep the sugar count down, our doctor suggested a small squirt of chocolate just to taste, and sure enough, he can't get enough!  He loves his "hot chocolate" first thing in the morning and then he's content with straight milk the rest of the day!  It's such a relief to have him drinking this yummy goodness and it is pretty gosh darn precious when he helps me whip up his drink each morning!

First Annual Fitzsimmons Family Soiree

We decided that with the family growing through marriages and births, we needed an alternative to the tradition of Christmas Eve.  There were too many of us who weren't able to make it and therefore missing out on seeing everyone.  I decided to host the first annual Fitzsimmons Family Soiree, and with around 40 guests, it was a crowd-pleasing good time!  We had meat, LOTS of meat, a potluck of sides, gifts to share, and a special visit from Santa complete with family caroling and keyboarding by Evan and Riley.  Here are some photos from the night:

The four pregnant ladies with Santa...babies coming in March, May, and two in July!

Little Guy was all about Santa as long as Daddy was holding him.

I am not sure who has the bigger belly....

The two who started it all :)

ALL DAY LONG

Daddy was home ALL DAY LONG, minus the Christmas shopping break he took where he came back with all his gifts beautifully gift wrapped ( I am stumped as to where he did his shopping, I need to hit that store up next year!), and it was WONDERFUL!  Little Guy loved all the play time and I loved all the help I got preparing for our party.  I think Daddy should stay home EVERY SINGLE SATURDAY, FUN!

Something New Every Day

It seems like everyday Little Guy is learning something new or doing something crazy that I never thought he'd be big enough for (like getting on top of the back of the couch...)!  I am trying to remember all these milestones, but it gets tough to keep everything straight :)  Here's a little recap of what he's up to now:

Little Guy LOVES trucks, 'ucks as he calls them, and will point, shout, scream every time he sees one.

Little Guy also loves his shoes, 'noos as he calls them, and can be convinced to do almost anything with the promise of putting on his shoes.  He also prefers if everyone around him is wearing their shoes, and if you aren't, he'll be sure to bring them to you over and over again until you do wear them.

He's counting one, two...we can't get him to say three, but he loves when you say three and then he "jumps" off things.

He can climb up onto the couch, unaided, and then face plants into the pillows while trying to catch his breath from laughing so hard...I am waiting for this to result in a split lip.

His two best pals are Olive and Winston and he makes sure they stay close by by always giving them treats, dog treats or his treats, all.day.long.

Under the Weather

Well, we were up and at 'em today but Daddy was under the weather.  He laid around the house all day, trying to fight off whatever it is that's plaguing him...at one point he thought it was strep throat, but once I read him the symptoms, he realized it's probably just a cold.  Anyways, after a fun music group and a quick stop at CVS, we were home and ready to care for Daddy.  Let's hope he's better for the big family party this weekend- and all the prep work that goes in before hand!

Already...or Still

Today was a rough day...I've come to realize that as a mommy (and a pregnant one at that), you just have to be okay with the fact that not every day is going to be amazing and wonderful...That's not to say that I don't feel blessed everyday that I get to hang out with the most amazing little fella ever, but sometimes it's just hard to find motivation to do much more than play around the house.  So today when Daddy came home at 5 o'clock and remarked, "In our pjs already?", I replied, "You could say already, or still...".  Yeah, we never got dressed, but I think it was what we needed...Tomorrow we'll be up and at 'em at music group!

Clean and Wet

Today our carpets got all cleaned and fresh for the family party we're hosting on Sunday.  I LOVE how GREAT the carpet looks right after it's cleaned, like it has never before been walked on...and then you set foot on it and it's right back to the trampled/loved look you had hours earlier.  Anyways, since we had to let the carpets dry, we hit up the park before playgroup...problem was that while I was so excited it wasn't raining, I failed to think about the fact it was foggy and overcast and therefore, ALL the play structures were soaking wet.  Little Guy still had a blast and Alyssa came to our rescue with a fresh pair of pants at playgroup.

ultrasound

I had a doctor's appointment for an issue unrelated to pregnancy today, but the doctor subbing in was SO AWESOME and did an ultrasound just so we could check in on our little babe.  Daddy wasn't with me, so I taped a bit of the heartbeat.  It's a profile shot (no, there's no gender to be seen), the head is on the left of the screen.  The flickering light in the middle is the heartbeat! Everything is looking perfect, I am still in awe when I compare the 6 week ultrasound to the 10 week ultrasound and can see a spine, face, and body now when there was just a white dot there only 4 weeks earlier...baby growing is CRAZY!!

Finished!

Daddy spent the day cheering on his Miami Dolphins (when will he ever learn?!?), so Little Guy and I hit the stores EARLY to get all our Christmas shopping D.O.N.E!!!!  It was so nice to be almost the only person in a store- we were done with six stores, a Starbucks run, and a play break by 10:45, one point for us! 

My Little Lion

We hit up the Nut Tree today for an early morning play date with Noah and his mommy.  I love that Little Guy is big enough to get excited for things like rocking horses, birds, and giant giraffes.  It was also the first time he figured out the animal cut-outs.  He loves anything he can walk behind and say "bye-bye" before reappearing on the other side...this was a definite highlight to his day.

Sleeping Prince

Well I am happy to report that our bedtime sleep 101 has worked!  Little Guy is doing such an awesome job with his bedtime- we read a few stories, share some snuggles, give kisses, and then he's done.  He lets us know he misses us with about three minutes of whimpers and then it's hello dreamland and we don't hear from him again until morning...and yes, it is an early morning wake up call (5:30), but there's no calls in between.  We're so proud of him and he loves the praises and high fives he gets each morning!  Now if only this sleep success could transfer to nap time...One thing at a time momma, I need to take each victory for all it's worth!

Conservationalist of the Year

We are so proud of our Daddy!  Tonight he got honored, along with his dad and brother, as Conservationalist of the Year.  Their company was recognized at a local dinner and although we didn't get to see it in person, Daddy looked quite stylish in all his fancy cowboy gear.  Way to go Daddy, we love you!

Garage door woes

A quick sleep update-  Little Guy did great through the night, never needing either of us to soothe him when he woke up AND he slept until 6:50, a far cry from the 5 AM wake up call we had gotten so used to!  That was a wonderful way to kick off a Tuesday...nap time was a repeat of yesterday, but with no shoulder nap, just snuggle time after an unsuccessful attempt at napping in the crib.  The real highlight of the day came when we left to meet Grandma Patty for dinner and I forgot to move the fan off the top shelf...this is the result:

I parked my car horizontally to try to block off the view since it wasn't getting fixed today.  When I called Gabe to tell him about it, he assured me it would fine, nothing to worry about...well, once he got home, he realized that maybe it was a little out of our scope of fixing abilities...looks like I'll be spending tomorrow with the garage door repair man.

Sleep 101

We started it today...back to basics with sleep.  Little Guy went back into his crib and we decided there was no time like the present for him to start learning how to self soothe.  It was a rough go at nap time, in fact he napped zero minutes in his crib and promptly feel sleep on my shoulder when nap time was over, but he did fall asleep for bed time.  It may have taken a little longer than I was hoping for, but I think we're both ready (me and Little Guy that is, Daddy's been ready for ages) for Little to learn these sleeping skills and be able to practice them.  With this new baby on the way, we want to make sure Little Guy is settled into his routine long before we throw a screaming baby into the mix.  Here's to sleep 101, hopefully it's not as rough as I envision.

He's Still Got It

Daddy just can't get enough of the domestic life.  After spending most of the yesterday just Daddy and Little Guy while I was at the craft fair, Daddy was feeling pretty deserving of his Mr. Martha Stewart title.  Since it was scheduled to storm ALL day, Daddy decided to hit the store early and cook us both lunch and dinner...they turned out great, but after three rounds of dishes and cleaning the kitchen, he says he's over cooking for awhile.  Looks like someone is happy to be returning to work tomorrow morning.

Santa

Today Heather and I had our second craft fair and there was an extra special visitor, SANTA!  Daddy brought Little Guy out to meet him, and I have to be honest, I was hoping for a full melt down photo...Well, I got my meltdown photo, not so much because of Santa, but because Little Guy only wanted his Daddy and if Daddy couldn't hold him, then he wasn't happy.  Either way, the photo will be a classic for years to come!

Pampered Princess Needs a Nap

I was super lucky to have my mom come up and help out around the house for two days.  Between the laundry, the kitchen, and the craft room, our house is looking in tip top shape...I give it about two hours after she leaves until it's back to is chaotic state.  Even with all this help, I am exhausted.  Little Guy fought tooth and nail (and won) not to take a nap today...something has to be done about the decreasing hours of sleep we're getting in our house.  This weekend I plan on brainstorming and kicking off Plan Sleep on Monday.

Music Circle

We started a little music circle with some friends from playgroup.  Today was our first meeting, and it was PRECIOUS!!  Little Guy loved singing and playing with the puppets, but the GIANT exercise ball was just a little too tempting, so he also spend a chunk of time pushing it around.  We can't wait for next week, and future weeks when the babies can join in the singing so us mommies aren't always showcasing our hidden singing "talents".

Bloody Bacon

Today I had my first follow up appointment since confirming my pregnancy last month.  I met with the midwife to go over standard paperwork as we get ready for the next 30+ weeks.  Apparently having a 9.9 pound baby puts you at risk for gestational diabetes the second time around, so I had the pleasure of doing the glucose test at 8 weeks AND I'll get to do it again at 28 weeks, LUCKY ME!  I am happy to report that ALL 5 vials of blood work came back perfect, my blood sugar coming in at 106 and everything else looked great!  I followed up this overly long doctor visit with dinner with my boys and I unfortunately found out that the bacon intolerance I suffered from with Wesley is back...it's a sad sad day and looks like I won't be enjoying pork in its finest form until July.

Mr. Martha Stewart

Little Guy is officially sick today and it stinks!  He has napped on and off all day, and while I HATE seeing him sick, I have to admit the all day snuggles are so precious (I just wish they didn't come with a fever ridden baby!).  Aside from the snuggles, there was another small silver lining- Tuesday is Law and Order: SVU marathon day on USA, so we got to spend A LOT of time with Stabler and Benson!  We have to give a shout out to Daddy, or as he refers to himself these days, Mr. Martha Stewart- between exhaustion, queasiness, fevers, and just general care of an active child, I have not been holding up my household duties very well, and Daddy has stepped in to the rescue!  He's not only bringing home the bacon, he's frying it up, cleaning the pan, and putting it all away...we love you Daddy!

Weekend Recap

We had a fun filled weekend! Daddy got to do a little pheasant hunting, or should we say pheasant searching- they never saw any birds, total bummer!  We had two fun play dates with the Schroeders and big news in their house, Miss Lizzy Bug is walking!  I know walking is a milestone all parents are excited to see their children meet, but then you realize how good you had it before they could terrorize anything and everything they saw!  Sticking with our weekend tradition, we hit up Black Bear for some yummy breakfast, enjoyed a smoked leg of lamb for lunch and rounded out the weekend with some family photos at the park!  I got our Christmas card ordered just in the knick of time; they should be arriving next week and then the real fun of assembling, addressing, stamping, and mailing begins!

No Black Friday

I've been doing Black Friday for a while now, and this was the first year I didn't set foot in any store, outlet, or mall for the big day!  It was due in part to being under the weather and in part to being more sane and smart...we spent a leisurely quiet morning at the park with Noah and his mommy before coming home to rest, rest, rest.  Maybe next year Black Friday, but in the meantime, Cyber Monday is just a few short days away...

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year we have so much to be thankful for!  We are all happy and healthy and looking forward to a wonderful holiday season and an amazing 2013.  We kicked off the celebrations with a family gathering at my parents.  It was a fun time, complete with deep fried turkeys, grandma's yummy stuffing, and WAY TOO MUCH DESSERT!  Our family photos didn't work out like I planned, but there's always tomorrow for that!  Little Guy loved playing with his older cousins (second cousins if we're being exact!)- big boys just fascinate him and they loved teaching him animal noises and playing catch!  I didn't feel well after all the festivities, but that sounds about par for the course these days...

Movie Dates

Today I had a special date with an extra special friend- Heather and I went to see the final Twilight Saga Movie: Breaking Dawn Part 2.  We were supposed to go for her birthday, but with 4 kiddos between the two of us, we were lucky to get there at all (even if it was three weeks after her birthday!).  Following up a great girlfriend date, I ran home to get everything ready for our second Thanksgiving dinner the next day at my parents' house.  Surprisingly enough, I was in and out of the grocery store and Michael's with NO extra long wait...Costco was a different story!  I ran there before the movies and even though I got there EIGHT minutes after opening, I had to park in the LAST row and navigate through crowds just to pick up pictures...it seems the holiday shopping madness has begun!

First Thanksgiving

Today we had our first Thanksgiving dinner with Grandma and Grandpa DeTar. I am telling you, this was a spoiling way to do a dinner. My mother-in-law brought over EVERYTHING, all we had to do was eat. It was a nice way to kick off the holiday week!  Daddy spent the day in traffic (he HATES going to the city!) and poor Grandpa Cliff didn't get to dinner until almost 6:30, but we still had a nice time being together. 

Lunch Dates

Today we had a special lunch date with Auntie Golden, Auntie Erin and Baby Lizzy Bug.  It was nice to see everyone on a Monday since they're on Thanksgiving break!  Daddy is pretty proud of Little Guy's new trick he mastered over the weekend...he now moos whenever you ask him what a cow says or he sees a cow...it's pretty precious, the only problem is he moos now whenever you ask him what any animal says...

Under the Weather

Well, if I am being honest, being pregnant with no baby at home wasn't easy, and being pregnant with a toddler is certainly not for the faint of heart.  We're both feeling a little under the weather today, me with all day morning sickness, Little Guy with the beginning stages of a cold ( I hate this time of year for that one reason!).  We spent FOUR hours napping this afternoon before heading out to Fitzsimmons Family Birthday Celebration.  Family parties are always a good time, but they're more fun when you're feeling 100%.  Let's hope we're all recovered before Thanksgiving!

So much to Be Thankful Four

Our family fall cards went out this week!  I was pretty excited to send them, not just because I think they are pretty gosh darn precious, but because they announce our exciting family news!  Our little family of three will be four come next summer!  Daddy can't wait to meet his daughter (he's convinced it's a girl) and I am excited for this little boy to be able to wear Little Guy's hand me down clothes...we'll have to wait until July to see who's right.  In the meantime, Little Guy is getting ready to be the best big brother ever!

Date Night

Daddy had to a take a last minute trip to Oregon today (complete with a solo movie date and a quiet night's sleep!), so Little Guy and I had a mommy-son dinner date at Panera.  I love that he's big enough to count as my +1, and quite the ham when we're hanging out.  We miss Daddy A LOT when he goes out of town, especially during the late night wake up sessions, and we can't wait for him to be home tomorrow!  Little Guy has something extra special to show him...he's cutting his first molar!  I discovered it during back floats in our morning swim lesson.  I have to say, I am a believer in the amber teething necklace, I had no idea he was even cutting this molar!

Bananas

Little Guy is bananas over bananas....on a typical day, he'll eat three or more bananas!  I don't know much about bananas, other than they are great at preventing cramps, so I thought it best to check with Little Guy's doctor to make sure there was nothing to be worried about, like say a potassium overdose.  No worries, he's good to go!  Now it's off to Costco to stock up, three pounds of bananas at a time.

Best Buddies

Little Guy LOVESLOVESLOVES his dogs, especially Winston.  And well, Winston, could really do without ANY attention from Little Guy...Not one to be deterred by a little under the breath growling, Little Guy spends most of his day chasing Winston with the hopes of hugging him, "petting" him, and lately, helping him with his "shake".  The only time Winston wants anything to do with Little Guy is when Little Guy is shelling out dog treats- which happens all day long now...a win win for both little fellas.  Here's a video clip of the best buddies hanging out!

Vacuums and Birds

Today was opening day of pheasant season so we went out to the ranch for Daddy's annual BBQ.  It was delicious as always, and even more fun for Little Guy this year- there were children to play with and we brought along one of our favorite toys, the wagon.  Here's Little Guy with his buddies Chloe and Jack:

He may be cute, but he's not much of a wagon puller!

After the BBQ, we came home to wind down and rest...except for the fact the house was in desperate need of a vacuum job...Good thing I have the world's cutest helper!  Little Guy vacuumed each room with me- me with the Dyson, him with his lawn mower.  That lawn mower has gotten a lot of usage since August (thanks cousin Brady and Trevyn!)

Let's get to cleaning Mom!

It's Rough being a Baby

We started out our chilly day with a fun INDOOR swim lesson...then the day started to go downhill from there and by the time dusk rolled around we were one hot mess.  Little Guy cut his third bottom tooth AND developed his first major diaper rash.  He took one trip down the slide and was a screaming wreck while he tried to climb up my chest.  After changing his diaper and seeing his poor bum, I could understand why he didn't even want me to touch him and hold him.  He refused to sit in the bath or his high chair, so he was a dirty hungry boy when bedtime rolled around.  I was geared up for a rough night ( I went to bed at 7:30 myself), but all in all, it wasn't half bad.  It just breaks my heart when Little Guy is hurting...

Kids Gone Wild

Today we went to Kids Gone Wild with some friends from playgroup.  It was our first time there, and I can say it won't be our last.  Little Guy LOVED the giant blow up slide and the play structures were right up his ally.  It was a perfect way to spend one of the first rainy fall days!

Little Guy and Landon getting ready to race on the slide.

Me and Little Guy on the giant slide...we actually fell out of the bottom on this turn...

A big boy

We took advantage of the beautiful sunshine this morning and headed to the park with some of our favorite friends.  Little Guy seemed to miss the memo that he's still a baby...I look over and he's climbed up the stairs to the top of the play structure and is all ready to go down the twisty slide.  He didn't fall or mangle himself like the scene that was flashing through my mind, and then he did it again, and again, and again...until he was that kid with the beads of sweat across his upper lip...somethings only a mommy can love.

Shoveling Away

This weekend really caught up to me and then with the time change, it seems like my day is over before it's even begun!!!  A quick recap- we started our search for a big boy bed (we're hoping Grandpa will work his magic and make him something better than anything we could ever hope to buy...), had a nice dinner with my in-laws that included Little Guy trying out his new red convertible power wheels (courtesy of a family friend, Lord help us), a special celebration mass remembering Uncle Don, and a yummy family dinner with my parents, my sister, her fiance, BM/MJ, Aunt, and Uncle, and my two favorite guys...nothing too crazy, just right for us!  Then today we hit up the park with Noah, got in some exercise (gasp!) with his mommy, and anxiously awaited the arrival of our fall family card...it came and will go out next week, yay!  Here's to a nice fall week, even if I am wearing sandals and sweating in my capris!

I'd do yard work all day long with this cutie patootie!

Night Five, Six, and Seven

Well, we have completed our first week of night weaning!  There were a few hiccups with Little Guy spending one night in our bed (but not nursing) and dealing with day light savings time, but all in all, it seems like we are both transitioning well.  He is still LOVING his daytime milk (and I am still loving it too, so it's a win win) and I still get a sad begging cry at some point in the middle of the night with him rapidly signing milk (usually with his eyes closed because he's not even fully awake), but after a few quick seconds of cuddles, he's back to sleep.  If I am being honest, it makes me sad that he's not nursing all night, but in the same breath, also a lot less sleepy...and who doesn't love a well rested ready to play mommy in the morning???

Happy Birthday

to the most amazing crafter I know :)  My incredible friend Heather is celebrating her special day today, and I can't wait to help her ring in the next year with some relaxing girl time next week...In the mean time, here's to you Miss Heather, may your year be filled with love, laughter, and an abundance of happiness!

Here are two highlights from this past year...Sesame Street Live and Halloween...as I looked through all our photos, I realize that we NEVER take photos of ourselves on our outings, usually just our darling babes...Goal for next year, grab a few more girlfriend shots!

Who loves spaghetti???

Little Guy does!  Before children, I never really understood my parent friends who were nervous/anxious about the mess their children made in restaurants.  I figured the tables would just be bussed and the floors swept and all would be good...now I have a child, one who is a really "neat eater", and I shutter at the stares I get from other patrons as I pack up my child and leave with a small feast under his high chair.  Today was no different...after a GREAT swim lesson, we had a quick play date with Noah and his mommy before we headed out to lunch with the grandmas.  The boys shared a plate of spaghetti...and then for dinner tonight, Little Guy had spaghetti again...he REALLY REALLY loves eating it with his bare hands...

Yummy!!

Night Four

It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't our best night yet...Little Guy has a hard time getting into that deep sleep and apparently Daddy really missed us too...so it was a no win night for both my guys :(  We'll see how tonight goes.  The one thing he IS doing now, is laying in his bed awake, and then falling asleep, which is something new.  I know that it would be ideal for him to do this without me laying next to him, but we're taking baby steps (for both of us...)  Night Five, here we come...

Night Three

I hate to say it in case I jinx us, but we're doing okay!  Little Guy had a rougher time falling back asleep after his 4 am wake up, but 4 am is later than 3 am, so we're headed in the right direction.  Night four, here we come.  On to new topics, we had a fun photo shoot today with our buddy Noah, his mommy, the twins, and their mommy.  Jess was doing some work for a baby wearing website, so we got to model some stylish mei-tai carriers.  I can't wait until we have our fifteen minutes of fame...I'll be sure to post a photo when they're up and ready!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from our toy box to yours.  Little Guy LOVED trick or treating, he just couldn't get enough of it and was SO excited every time someone handed him candy.  I have a feeling he will be sorely disappointed the next time we go downtown and there aren't hundreds of children running around and adults waiting outside to fill his treat bucket.  He was especially excited with all the children who came to HIS house- there were two scary masks that got the better of him, but other than that, he was all smiles all night.  Gabe thinks I mmmaaayyy have been more excited than Little Guy, but I am pretty sure it was even.  I can't wait to see how much he loves it next year.  Now I just have to think of a costume to top his little Woody (a HUGE thanks to Aunt Mary for loaning me the starter costume that she made FIFTEEN years ago!).

Here's our 2012 Halloween Season collage.  What fun we had at the Bishop Pumpkin Patch with the Santopadres, Silveyville Pumpkin Patch with playgroup, our Pumpkins and Popcorn party, and Trick-or-Treating!

Night Two

Well night two went better than night one, so that has to be a HUGE plus!  Little Guy woke twice and was much easier to console back to sleep, even though he wasn't getting his milk.  He didn't dive into the cereal bar until 5:00 am, so here's hoping we can get him used to eating a big dinner and then being ready to eat at breakfast time, with no snacks in between.  I am still getting plenty of cuddles throughout the night, which is fine by me, so we'll see how the rest of the week goes.  Tonight could pose a potential setback, it's Halloween...

Night One in the Books

Well, night one went...it wasn't horrible, it wasn't the best sleep I've ever gotten.  We nursed at bedtime and with some water and a cereal bar at 3:30 am, we made it to our 6:30 wake up time.  His crying broke my heart, I'd be lying if I said there weren't a few tears shed on my part, but we powered through together and longer sleeping stretches are on the horizon.  I thought we had weathered the sleepless night pretty well, but guessing from the three plus hour nap we BOTH took this afternoon, we were pretty tired.  So we're at it again tonight, and I am hoping for a night at least as good as last night, if not better!  And even though we were pretty beat, we got all dolled up and headed out to our playgroup costume party!!  What a sweet sight to see all our babes dressed up.  There were tigers, bam-bams, sharks, monkeys, lions, flowers, and Woody.  The group photo is coming, EVERY last one of the babes was SCREAMING, but here's a solo shot.  I can't wait to see our whole Toy Story gang dressed up tomorrow!

Night weaning: Day One

So I have been tossing around the idea to night wean Little Guy- it's not that I don't LOVE LOVE LOVE nursing, it's just that I need a few more hours of sleep to really be my most functioning mommyself, and I think the all night buffet routine I have created isn't the best way to get said sleep.  That being said, I've asked around and done some research on just how to go about night weaning...the most common response I get is, "When you find something that works, will you let me know?"  Not one to be discouraged, we're going to give it a try this week.  I am already sad for Little Guy; he LOVES LOVES LOVES his milk in the middle of the night and I have a feeling the sippy cup of water and light snack I have all ready to offer him in lieu of the good stuff might not make the cut.  I'll report back tomorrow on Attempt Number One: Night Weaning...

Weekend Recap in Photos

We're home!  After a fun filled weekend away, it's nice to be home...where there's an endless supply of laundry and vacuuming to make one feel like they never left...Here's a few quick shots from our weekend-  Both of Gabe's grandparents were at the wedding, so we were able to snag some great four generation photos, along with a photo of all the GREAT grandchildren, and some cute family photos to round it all out.  We'll have a chance to update these photos again next July when Kim and Luke tie the knot :) !

This is why I became a dad

We are off celebrating Scott and Jennifer this weekend, and so far it has been a fun warm trip!  We arrived yesterday after an uneventful flight (the best kind!), we arrived to gorgeous summer-like weather!  Little Guy was so excited to be in Southern California that right upon arrival, he promptly knelt down, ran his hands along the airport floor, and then licked his palms...what a delicious way to start off our trip...Today was the big day, and Little Guy looked deja-vuishly handsome in his vest.  After a long night of partying, we headed back to the hotel- Little Guy was so pooped, he fell asleep in the car AND stayed asleep on the walk from the car and while getting stripped down, diaper changed, and pjs put on.  We always fight over who gets to carry him while he's sleeping (it's probably one of the most precious things ever!) and Daddy won this one.  While we were walking in, he said, "This is what I always thought of when I dreamt about being a dad"...pretty sweet!

Right Around the Corner

Halloween is right around the corner, YIKES!!, and I am still only half finished with all our costumes...I was feeling like I was really getting stuff done, until I looked at my costume pile and realized I only have six days (three of which we're off celebrating Scott and Jen) to get it all done!  So I guess I can half heartily pat myself on the back for getting my bills paid and closet organized, neither of which will help us look super cute come October 31st, but I still have that daunting to-do list..

TP

Well the Giants made it to the World Series.  We are happy campers in this house.  Little Guy is quickly learning how to cheer and run around giving high fives, two skills he has yet to perfect from watching his Daddy's Dolphins on Sunday morning.  Aside from cheering on the Giants, we've made a pretty big move in Little Guy's room.  He's phased out the crib, Lord help us, and is trying out a bed mattress on the floor.  It's killing his grandma that he doesn't have a coordinating bed set on this mattress, but we're just kicking around some new sleeping arrangements, so we'll try it out for awhile before we run out and get new decor.  So far, he's doing okay with the going to bed (once he's had his stories, his milk, and is plenty satisfied with enough rocking), and then when he wakes in the night, he toddles into us (something that makes my heart smile) and we bring him back to bed pick him up and tuck him in between us.  We're hoping to muster up some more willpower, but three in the morning sneaks up on you, and who doesn't love to wake up to this face every morning???

Bishop Pumpkin Patch

What a fun day!  We ventured out to Wheatland to Bishops Pumpkin Patch.  The Santopadres promised it would be worth the drive, and they were right!  From train rides, to petting zoos, pig races, to tunnel slide, corn dogs, hay rides, flower farms, and of course, PUMPKINS, there was fun everywhere you turned.  There were also people everywhere you turned, it was a packed house; we couldn't figure out how many people were there, but Gabe was thinking it wouldn't be far off to say maybe 10,000 visitors in the day.....crowds or not, we can't wait for next year!

 

 

Little Guy LOVED feeding the goats!

Little Guy was pretty excited to ride his very own real life Cactus!

 

 

 

 

No Rest For the Weary

Little Guy had quite the day today.  It started out with an adventure to Daddy's work where he got to run with the baby goats, work the squeeze shoot, and even do a little driving (Mommy's not too sure about this last one!)  Daddy was in heaven having Little Guy as his co-pilot.  Mommy stayed in town to work on the Halloween costumes and IKEA projects- while I was busy enough (there's always plenty to do), it was the longest stretch of alone time I've had in over 14 months, and I was sad!  Daddy says he's going to take Little Guy more often if it always results in a clean house and a freshly assembled eight drawer dresser...I assured him it most certainly will not...After some refueling naps, we headed over to the Santopadres for our first annual Pumpkins and Popcorn Party.  It was a smashing success.  You can check out more details over at Teaspoons and Twine!  After rocking an extra late bedtime, Little Guy was pooped....there's no rest for the weary though, we're heading out for a Sunday Funday Family Pumpkin Patch Adventure tomorrow, stay tuned....

14 months already!

Happy 14 month birthday Little Guy!!  Who can believe he's already 14 months old!?!?  Even with 14 months under his belt, he's still a bit baffled with the Old Navy mannequins.  It was too funny to watch him try to figure out why all the mannequins weren't talking or waving back to him, he's not used to getting such blank stares from his captive audiences :) 

14 months old and hoping for a Giant World Series!

He nose it

Little Guy loves a good tumble, or atleast I have to assume he does since he does it all day long.  Today was an extra special tumble, a feat not accomplished by many...a tumble with no hands!  That's right, while visiting our friends at Nelda Mundy, Little Guy decided a handless face plant would be a good way to make himself at home.  We made sure his nose wasn't broken, thanks to Fire Fighter Brian, and I thought that was the end of it...well, as the day went on, the nose got worse and worse...


Little Guy's battle wound.  Carpet: 1, Little Guy: 0



SVU

We had a close call with our bargain shopping today.  Okay, some might not call it a close call, but it had some Law and Order:SVU potential (wouldn't we love an Elliot/Liv reunion!!)...I came across a used cozy coup on my Facebook bargains page (that's a dangerous obsession hobby on its own!) and lucky me, it was available for pick up.  We quickly set up a post-nap time rendez-vous and after a few texts, I had an address and was good to go.  Fast forward two hours, I arrive at the spot, only to be met with a vacant house and no cozy coup anywhere...we returned home empty handed only to be texted that they were now home...we arrived at the house again, and she goes to her car to get it- the car she said she didn't have earlier in the day, hence us having to drive to her...I was pretty sure that our house was being robbed or we were being set up for potential robberies while I was traipsing across town.  Good news, we weren't robbed and Little Guy has a cozy coup to zoom around in...

It IS a conspiracy!

I knew it!!!  In case you've missed it, I've had a challenging time of late in regards to misplacing Little Guy's stuff.  I can't wait until he's big enough to be responsible for his own things, then I can blame someone else when everything winds up missing!  While giving Little Guy his nightly bath, I noticed an amber necklace on the bathroom counter...Hark, I think Rochelle must have found it while cleaning today and I make a mental note to thank her!  Fast forward to the hubby strolling in from his trip to Pac Bell Park- I inform him of the great news, one necklace has been recovered...he asks me if it was behind the picture frame in the bathroom...Ummm, yes it was and how did you know that??  He can barely contain his laughter as he pulls out the other missing necklace that he had found on Thursday at my parents' house.  He's not a fan of the necklaces, so he figured he'd just forget to mention it...I told him I just may forget to only put one necklace on Little Guy from now on... I say two will be twice as effective anyways!  On a non-conspiracy side note- we had our final dose of the one year shots today, Little Guy was an absolute trooper!

  He was pooped after his shots and he needed to cuddle with his mommy.  How could I not LOVE nap time with this sweet angel!?!  And after naps we ran errands, this included a stop for some chocolate ice cream.

Road Trip!!!!

We took a short road trip this weekend!  The drive wasn't short, but the destination time was.  We traveled up to Oregon to BBQ with some of Daddy's work associates.  Little Guy did an AMAZINGLY awesome job in his car seat all the way through Redding, Weed, the Oregon/California border and then finally on to Fort Klamath.  I only snapped a few photos of him in his new party time get-up.  It was super cute, and would have been even cuter if he had worn his darling winter coat...he wanted nothing to do with the coat and would only wear his little sweatshirt in the 30 degree weather.  Some highlights for Little Guy included picking up and putting down pine cones, watching big trucks drive by, and eating his monthly share of bananas.  The cutest moment of the trip???  Little Guy bending down to hug all the old dogs at the BBQ, he was too sweet with the senior puppies.

All ready with his new clothes and Merrels

Knock Knock Knock, who's in there?



Six and counting

We've got six teeth ladies and gentlemen!  Little Guy's top right tooth broke through, giving him a total of four across the top and two on the bottom!  Now his mommy just needs to find his teething necklace she misplaced last night...that's our third necklace (I am beginning to think my husband is behind these lost necklaces, but he is maintaining his innocence...)  Cutting teeth is a tough job, so it worked out well that by default we spent the day relaxing at home.  EVERYONE we know is sick, and not the sniffly kind of sick, the yucky bathroom kind of sick, so we stayed home, alone, where it's germ free...only after dark did we venture out for great grandma's birthday.  It was a yummy fun time and then right before we left, Little Guy threw up!  Not to worry though, it seems it was just too much delicious food.   Phew, we dodged that bullet!

Little Guy HATED being in the pack and play with Brayden, but we snapped a picture anyways!

Pumpkin Patch Pals

We love our Tuesday playgroup- we've made great friends (both Little Guy and Mommy) and it's always a highlight to see what yummy snacks are being made!  We decided we were finally ready to venture outside the comfort of Tuesdays, so we took our first big playgroup field trip today to the local pumpkin patch.  Little Guy looked quite the part with his scary spider tee.  Our trip was a smashing success- we rode the ATV train, hit up the new duck pond, went down the slide a gazillion times, ate a picnic lunch and even left with a perfect little pumpkin.  Naturally, when you have six mamas, you're going to have a few photos taken...

Getting a photo with both of us looking is next to impossible...

Deep in thought

Just chillaxin' while he waits for the train ride to start.

All the mamas and their boys, plus little Miss Maddy!

Liquid Gold

What a difference amoxicillin makes!  After just one dose, we are feeling SOOOO much better!  Little Guy's doctor got him feeling all better with an inhaler and some of the good pink stuff!  So after some much needed doctor TLC and a long nap, we headed out to oak-town!  We tailgated with the boys, hoping to help cheer the A's to a do or die victory!  We had a great time with Daddy, g'ma, g'pa, Uncle Brian and even Uncle Mike from Indiana.  Wouldn't you believe it...only a few cars down from us was a HUGE bunch of balloons.  I am pretty sure I made 87 trips trips down there in between hot dogs and lamb chops.  Tailgating was great, but we left the gaming to the big boys.  We headed home for our warm beds and instant replay- and it's a good thing we did, because we got to re-watch the A's victory over and over!  Two more to go!!!

We were so nervous that Little Guy would make a break for it and be running loose in the parking lot...good thing we had a spare dog leash in our car.  I've never been a fan of the child leash, but I think this just brings it to a whole new level.

Little Guy and two of his favorite great uncles.  Uncle Mike is always bringing the crazy from Indiana and there's Uncle Brian being suckered led to the balloons.