Jenny, Craig and our girls

Geez, where have I been!

2010-03-10T21:34:00.003-05:00

I guess having two girls, a fulltime job, hubby, house, dog and going for my MBA means I am a busy girl.

Ivy is doing well, but not really gaining weight as well as I would hope. At her 4 month visit, she was 12lb 3 oz, a whopping 1 lb in 2 months. She is a bit of a lazy nurser, so I really have to encourage her to nurse more and more. In part because she isn't gaining that great, she is still getting up in the middle of the night to feed, so mommy is a tired gal. She is on Prevacid for her reflux, but she still spits up ALOT, so that doesn't help with her weight gain either. Other than that, she is a happy, smiley, giggly little girl who absolutely loves to stare at her big sister.

Chloe is becoming quite a little toddler terror. I should have known that is was only a matter of time that my well mannered 2 year old would turn terrible. Little did I know that it would be closer to her 3rd birthday than her 2nd. She is still a good kid, but she cries and yells at the drop of a hat whenever she doesn't get what she wants and is definitely into testing boundaries and pushing to see what she can get away with. She is just about done with napping, so it means that by bedtime, she is quite a little bear. Thank goodness she is still a great sleeper at night. It is nice that both the girls are in bed at 8 pm. I actually get a few hours in the evening to feel a little more human and have an adult conversation with Craig.

Speaking of Craig, he has been studying like a fiend for his big CFP exam which is coming up in only 9 days. He has taken 6 section exams over the last 4 years and now has been studying for the cumulative exam for 5 months straight. I fear that if he doesn't pass, he will go postal. OK, not really, but he would really be crushed. I am keeping all my fingers and toes crossed for him!

As for me, I am loving being back at work. I have been back for a month now and I am right back in my groove. My manager's boss (our director) is a very good friend of mine and I just love working for her. She pulled me into her office the other day to say that she wants to retire in a couple years and she wants to work with me to be prepared to take her job. What a huge opportunity! My manager likes what she does and is not interested in being director but she loves me and totally wants to help me go for it, so I am lucky to have all these awesome supportive women around me. Now to live up to all that high praise!

Being a working mom to two little ones is definitely taxing and getting out of work at 5, getting the girls, coming home, cooking dinner, cleaning up, bathtime, bedtime--all within 3 hrs. It is hectic! It is a little easier now that it is getting lighter out later, but I am usually pretty exhausted at the end of the day. Now, if I can just get Ivy to let me sleep all night, I would be a happy camper!

All in all-life is good. I love my girls, love my hubby and love my job. Pretty much the trifecta!

Here are some pictures from our recent photo shoot.

2 and a half months

2010-01-11T15:48:00.003-05:00

Ivy is 12 weeks old and had her dr. visit last week. She is doing well, is up to 11 lbs 5 oz and 23 inches long. She isn't gaining weight very quickly (she was 10 lb 3 oz at birth), so at 12 weeks she is up a net of only 1 lb. We are trying some Prevacid for the reflux issues and hopefully that will help her keep more breastmilk in her tummy and let her gain some weight.

She is such a little smiley girl now and we are on a better schedule with a decent night's sleep. She prefers fewer longer naps during the day (2 three-hr naps and 1 catnap) as opposed to Chloe who had 4 1.5-hr naps at that age. Everyone says that they think she looks more like me, which is cool since Chloe looks so much like Craig.

Chloe is doing pretty well too, although she has been sick a few times which I am not used to from my normally healthy girl. She had a terrible stomach virus which gave her terrible diarrhea for the week of Thanksgiving and now she has a nasty runny nose. It think it is because she is getting more interaction with other kids. We have finally found a church community that we really like and so we go every week. Chloe loves Sunday School and has several little friends there. Also, with the holidays, we have seen her cousins several times. I just love that she has lots of little relatives to visit and play with. It reminds me of my youth and all my family.

This past Sunday, we had Ivy baptised. She is quite the little charmer at church and all the congregration just love her. In fact, she played Baby Jesus in the live nativity over Christmas so everyone knows her. Our church is a small one, but I like that it is in our little town and we are really getting to know people in the community.

I have been enjoying my nice long maternity leave. I am glad that I was able to take 4 months off and if we have another one I will plan to do the same thing again. Although I would definitely prefer to have a summer baby. I just hate having a newborn in the winter! It is so hard to go out and about with her all bundled, plus I can get a little cabin fever if I stay in the house too long.

2 is harder than 1

2009-11-06T09:38:00.003-05:00

Having 2 kids is definitely different than the first time around, as I am learning. Luckily, I have been sending Chloe to the sitter's 3 days a week, so it makes it a little easier for me to work with Ivy to get her on a routine and sleeping, etc. But things have certainly changed. For one, it seems like Craig and I have a shorter fuse with Chloe, probably because we are a little tired or overwhelmed. Sometimes we have to remind each other that she is just a toddler and to give her some leeway.

Also, Sneakers has been having it rough. Chloe has become really obsessed with chasing her and petting her. Unfortunately she can be a little hard on the dog and so Sneakers has been real skittish lately. Poor pooch is having a tough adjustment too.

But otherwise, things are going well and I think the biggest adjustment is for Craig and me. Ivy is starting to sleep longer at night. I can usually get 1 4-5 hr stretch and then a 2 hr stretch, so I am getting a combined 5-7 hrs some nights which really helps since I don't get a chance to nap at all.

As for me, I am feeling really good and starting some moderate exercise to start toning up. I had my 2 week check up and I am already back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I only gained 21 lbs this time and since Ivy was half that, I was lucky to lose it all right away. Of course, I am still a bit soft in the middle, so that is where the exercise will come in handy.

Ivy had her 2 week check up and she grew a whole inch and is now 21.5 inches. She is still at her 2 day weight of 9lb 6 oz and hasn't gone back up to her birth weight, but she is holding steady so we are not concerned.

Ivy is definitely a different baby than Chloe was. She likes to be held more and is more fussy at times, particularly in the evening before she settles in for the night at around 11pm. However, where Chloe hated the car, Ivy passes out as soon as the car backs out of the driveway. Chloe also loved her binky and we are still working on getting Ivy to take one. I think once she has that sucking urge satisfied, she might mellow out in the evenings. I do occasionally give her some gripe water at night and that also calms her down some too.

Well, I have to share some pictures, so here you go!

My little sleeping Ivy

Strong daddy can hold both his girlies at once!

Chloe likes to give Ivy little kisses and pats on the head

A snuggle moment with my little girl

Welcome Ivy Colette

2009-10-23T10:46:00.003-04:00

Just a quick post to let you all know that we had our little girl on Tuesday October 20th at 1:38 pm. My labor started at around 1 am that night and the contractions were about 6-8 minutes apart. Relatively strong, but nothing too bad. I just read, did some laundry, played on the internet. By 7am, they felt a little stronger, but still 6 minutes apart. I called my midwife and she suggested I come in to get checked out.

We called my mom to come watch Chloe and got to the hospital at 10:38 am. I checked in and my midwife checked me and I was at 7cm! I felt great and was surprised I was so far along. I had to get some bloodwork done and some initial monitoring and was finally able to go over to the birthcenter for my water birth at around 12:30 pm. I got in the tub and it felt really good, but after a few minutes, the contractions were definitely very strong and fast. After about 20 minutes, my water broke and I immediately felt the urge to push. I pushed for less than 10 minutes and out she came. It was the most incredible experience and I loved being able to do it without drugs. I felt so alert and awake in between contractions and when she was born, it was the most incredible rush.

I had some tearing so it took about 1 hr to get stitched up, but I am feeling OK right now. When they weighed her, I didn't believe that she weighed so much. She weighed 10 lbs 3 oz! They actually went and got a second scale to double check!! She was 20.5 inches long, so she is a inch shorter but over a full pound heavier. It took us a couple hours after she was born to determine her name. With Chloe we worked through the name list to cut it down before she arrived, but since labor was so fast this time, we still had a long list. Ivy was the one name we kept coming back to after meeting her. She just seemed to look like one. Just like with Chloe, it wasn't my first choice from the list, but it was the one that fit her.

Breastfeeding is going well and at her 2 day pediatrician visit, she was down to 9lb 7oz, so well within the allowable weight loss for a newborn. She seems to like to sleep more during the day, so I have to work to see if we can get more of that sleep at night, but otherwise, she is a very good baby.

Snuggling at home

Getting ready for the wheelchair to leave the hospital

Hanging with Daddy

The official weighing

She has great lungs!

Making the best use of my time

2009-10-19T13:41:00.005-04:00

Well, since I am now 3 days overdue, I have been trying to make the best use of my time. I have been really crampy and having contractions infrequently, but nothing consistent. I guess this girl is just like Chloe and in no big hurry to make her entrance. I have a dr. appt on Wednesday so I might have my midwife sweep my membranes and see if that gets anything started if it doesn't happen before then.

I have finished the main part of Chloe's costume and I am surprised at how easy it was and how good it turned out. In fact, I went out today and bought some more fleece to make her some jammies from the same pattern since it was so quick and easy. All I have left to make for her costume is the hat with bunny ears and a little tail. I will probably also make her a little trick or treat bag as well, since I have plenty of scrap fleece.

As for me, I am huge and ready for this girl to come out. Like I did with Chloe, I took a picture on my due date, so here are some pictures from a recent trek to Lyman Orchards, pumpkin painting and my due date photo.

I think we got more paint on her hands then the pumpkin.

My little picasso

Here I am on my due date.

Hanging with my girl at Lyman Orchards (I was 38 wks)

Getting a ride from daddy.

Here is Chloe modeling the costume.

She liked it so much that she didn't want to take it off!

Am I nuts?

2009-10-13T16:10:00.004-04:00

Or just bored waiting for this baby to arrive. I went to the fabric store today and bought some patterns and fabric to make a halloween costume for Chloe as well as a couple of outfits. I figure, hey, I like to sew, it is cheaper than buying it and it will give me something to do. Yeah, well we will see how it turns out. I am basically making an ivory fleece one piece PJ which will become a sheep costume. Hmm. Sounds like a good idea at the fabric store.

Wish me luck.

Wow, has it been that long?

2009-10-05T09:22:00.002-04:00

It seems like forever and according to the date on my last post, it has been. Well the last few months have been hectic, what with a toddler, work and getting ready for baby #2. I am now officially on leave, my last day of work was Thursday and I am hoping that baby hangs out for a little longer so I have some time to relax and get stuff ready (like packing my hospital bag, washing the baby clothes, etc.) I guess with #2 the sense of urgency is a little less. I mean, I have a place for her to sleep, what more do I need?!

I feel huge, but as far as weight gain, I am only up 21 lbs. I only have another week and a half to go, so that is pretty good. I gained 31 with Chloe so I am keeping my fingers crossed that maybe this one will be a little smaller than my 9lb daughter was. I am getting everything ready for my natural delivery at the Birth Center, but a little part of me is concerned that I won't have the option for pain meds. Well, I technically do, I could ask to be transferred to the maternity ward if I really want, but I think not having the option should help. I mean, I know I can do it and that takes the temptation away.

Chloe is getting more aware that the baby is coming and she asks about her baby sister and when she will come and give her a necklace. We promised her that the baby was bringing her a necklace when she was born so she is very excited for that. Otherwise, Chloe is doing great. She is only going to daycare 3 days a week while I am on leave, so I have a couple days with her at home and still some days with her at the sitter, which will be very good when the baby arrives to allow me to get some rest. She is still sleeping all night and napping most days. Her potty training is great. She is in underpants all day with no accidents (except the random occasional one) and most mornings, she wakes up dry too, although we still wear a diaper or pull up at bedtime just in case. She talks up a storm and knows how to count almost to 20 and knows just about the whole alphabet. It amazes me how smart this kid is. Sometimes she says stuff or remembers things and I just marvel at what little sponges they are.

I had a couple 'sprinkles' which are little showers for second time moms. I really was not expecting it but it was so nice to feel loved by my family and co workers. My mom threw me one with my family and then they had a surprise party for me at work. Mostly what I needed was warm clothes for the baby, since Chloe was born in the spring, all her 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes are summer items and this baby will be a winter babe. I think I am pretty well-stocked now thanks to all my generous family and friends.

Work has been going great and I actually miss not going every day. I am lucky to work with people I really enjoy and do work that I find challenging and enjoyable so it is kind of weird to be at home, hanging out, just waiting for this baby to arrive.

Craig's work seems to be doing a little better and he is less stressed now that he has a good handle on his workload. He still works late some nights, but he is always here in the morning and has breakfast with Chloe and I which is really nice.

The weather has taken a turn for the cooler and I love it. Fall is my favorite season and all the leaves are turning and the crisp air makes me want to go for long walks. Of course, walking is good for me right now and helps move things along. I generally get some contractions while walking but nothing consistent. I am hoping that this baby is on time and not a week late like Chloe, but I am also OK with her not coming early. I still have stuff to do!

Hopefully now that I am home, I should have a little more time to post and I promise to post soon after the baby arrives!

Big Girl Bed

2009-07-26T20:59:00.002-04:00

I had been getting anxious because we haven't done anything around the house to prepare for this baby, so this weekend we finally got moving. We went to Ikea and got the cutest big girl bed for Chloe. It is a white daybed, so it has 3 sides, and three big drawers underneath. We also cleaned out all of the junk that had accumulated in the spare room and moved the crib into that room. Chloe has made the transition to her bed without a problem. The first night, she was late getting to bed mainly because it took us longer than expected to put it together, so, it was probably not a bad thing. She went right to sleep and stayed there all night. This morning, I heard her talking and went in to get her. She was awake but stayed in the bed. At naptime today, she went down without a problem and again, she woke up, but stayed in bed until we came to get her.

The downside of all this activity is that I am paying the price for it now. Last night my feet were so swollen from all the walking, lifting, bending and lack of rest (not to mention the heat and humidity). I have been having lots of braxton hicks contractions too which means I need to drink more water and take it easier. It is just that there is still a lot to do! Oh well, as Craig tells me, even if the baby came tomorrow, we could just open the pack and play and she would be just fine.

Potty training continues to go well and Chloe goes most days without needing a diaper except for night time. Yesterday while we were out and about at all the stores, she would tell us if she had to go and even was able to hold it for a little while until we could find a bathroom. We don't have that many accidents any more as she is getting better at knowing she has to go and then getting on the potty, plus she loves to run around in just her underpants with the potty strategically placed in front of the tv. I normally don't like her to watch too much tv but sometimes it is helpful to get her to sit on the potty for a bit. I am cautious to claim too much success, but Chloe seems like she really gets it, so I am hoping for a small break in diaper land until #2 arrives!

Has it been that long?

2009-07-17T21:04:00.004-04:00

I have been a bit lazy, I admit it, with my blogging lately. I have been thoroughly selfish and enjoying myself! We had a nice picnic on July 3rd and had our photographer come over to take some 2 year shots of Chloe. They came out so good, it is hard to pick our favorites to get prints. Here are just a few. What do you think? These were all taken in our back yard, either on this old treefort or on her little tykes playscape.

Otherwise, everything has been going well. We are still working on the bathroom update. It is going slowly because evidently doing any home improvements with a 2 year old and being 7 months preggo is not a fast process. We have yet to clear out the spare room or get Chloe a big girl bed so we can move the crib over to what will be the baby's room. I figure, we still have a couple months to worry about that. Right?

Chloe is making great progress with potty training. She is pooping and peeing regularly in the potty and will tell you when she needs to go. Most days, she really only need a diaper at nap time and bedtime, but she still has the occasional accident. We have just been taking it easy, making it available and encouraging her but not too stressed if she says one day that she wants to wear a diaper (which she does occasionally, even if she still wants to use the potty every time). Hopefully we will be pretty much completely out of diapers when BG#2 arrives.

The pregnancy is going well and I really like my midwives that I am seeing. They are very nice and take the time to talk with you and ask lots of good questions. I definitely feel like I am bigger this time around with #2 that I was with Chloe, but just like with her, I am carrying all of it out front in my belly which makes it look even bigger from the front. The baby is head down but still moving and grooving a lot, particularly at night. It has been fun sharing the experience with my 3 other preggo coworkers (this is the first baby for all 3 of them). With Chloe I was the only pregnant person I knew and it is great to have others to share this time with.

I promise to take another belly shot so you all can see just how big this belly is getting!

Movie Night

2009-06-26T21:09:00.001-04:00

Last night I went to the movies with a couple friends from work to see the
movie The Proposal. It was such a cute funny movie.  We laughed throughout
the whole thing and had a really good time.  I don't go to the movies very
much and I still get excited sitting in front of the big screen.  I figured
I need to get in a few more of these night outs with the buddies before I
have a little baby demanding my attention.  I must admit that Chloe is very
scheduled and it makes life so much easier.  8:00 pm bedtimes are a godsend
and I love that Craig and I still have our evenings together to hang out
and if either of us wants to go out with friends, it isn't so bad because
then the other one can just hang out and watch TV (Craig watched the Red
Sox last night).  Plus, it is really easy for my parents to babysit because
most of the evening, she is asleep and they can just relax too.

I would have thought that by not taking any MBA classes right now I would
have oodles of free time, but instead I seem busier than even.  I really
want to get Chloe's room converted to a 'big girl' room and then work on
turning the spare room into a nursery.  I am also trying to finish up the
wainscoting and painting in the bathroom.  The weather has not been
cooperating as we have literally had rain every day in the month of June.
I am so sick of all this rain.  Everything is damp and musty and my garden
is so waterlogged I wonder if my veggies will ever grow.

Happy Fathers Day

2009-06-21T20:22:00.004-04:00

I want to wish my hubby and my dad a happy Father's day and the same to all those great dads out there. Today we went out for breakfast to our local diner and though it was busy, we got right in. I got Craig a dump cart that attaches to the lawn tractor. I know, a rather utilitarian gift, but one that he wanted and that we could really use around the house and yard.

It has been raining here just about every day for the last 3 weeks. It is so depressing and it seems like it will keep raining off and on all this week. So much for summer starting off on the right foot.

Chloe is doing great with her potty training. She still needs a diaper at nap time and bedtime, but she can make it through almost the whole day with very few accidents. In fact, today, went on the potty all day (even poop!) except for a little pee accident right before bathtime. She still needs us to remind her to go sit on the potty every hour or so, but every time she sits, she goes. We have taken a rather low stress approach and we don't push it but she seems to be getting it pretty good on her own pace. I am hoping that she will be pretty well trained by the time BG2 (baby girl #2) arrives. As it is, since she is doing so well on the potty, I only have about 3 diapers a day for the laundry, which is god because I need to do a little repair work on my bumgenius cloth dipes to get them ready for BG2. I got some replacement velcro tabs so I just need to pull out the sewing machine and get to it. I have already repaired the elastics on some of them and it wasn't too hard at all. I am so happy that I chose to cloth diaper Chloe. I have definitely gotten my money's worth with her and now it is all ready to use for BG2.

We are starting to turn Chloe's room into a little girl room as well as turn the spare room into BG2's baby room. I got some really cute bedding and hopefully in another couple weeks we can get around to getting her a twin bed so we can transition her from the crib. Also, since both of the rooms are still painted white from when we moved in, we want to paint both rooms something sweet and child appropriate. I don't want to paint them pink, but I am thinking a nice light green or yellow, perhaps with an accent wall with some pink stripes on it or something.

I am also trying to finish up a little redo in our guest/kids bathroom. We ripped the ugly wallpaper off and now I am planning to put in a nice white beadboard wainscoting and paint the top half a cool blue or green. The bathtub and tile surround is a peach color, but it is in good condition, so I think we are just leaving it and will have a nice shower curtain that will draw attention away from it. I am trying not to spend too much, just enough to make it look fresh and updated.

The pregnancy has been going well and at my last visit I had only gained 2 lbs, so I am up about 16 lbs so far at 23 weeks. Right on track for about 30 total lbs, which is what I had with Chloe and was comfortable in losing quickly. Craig and I went on the tour of the birthcenter where we plan to deliver. It is a really cool set up as it is the only birthcenter that is located right inside a hospital. So you have the comfort of having an all natural delivery in a birth center with the tubs for water birth and your midwife and such, but if something serious happens, you are just on the other side of the floor from the maternity ward, OR and level 2 NICU. I am really excited to try for a natural delivery and the more I learn about water birthing and hypnobirthing, I am more confident that I can do it. Plus, since my first delivery was pretty fast for a first baby, I am hoping that I am not in labor too long!

Here are a couple pictures. I promise more shortly!

Chloe loves cupcakes (or "happy cakes" as she likes to call them) and is a little snack pirate, just like her daddy whenever mommy the baker is not looking!

Playing with her tea set and feeding her stuffed dog.

Chloe giving her baby sister to be a little kiss.

Forgive the ratty hair or terrible complexion. For some reason, this pregnancy has made my hair go curly and my skin looks terrible!

My little munchkin!

Pictures

2009-05-30T21:47:00.002-04:00

I am usually the one behind the camera, so this past weekend, when we had such great weather and were outside enjoying the yard and planting our garden, Craig took a few shots of me.

Not sure why I am so squinty...

I think this is the first belly shot I have of this pregnancy. I feel huge, but I guess I am pretty much on track for 20 weeks.

OK, that's enough of the pictures of me!

My original muse, Sneakers, after running like a crazy pooch around the yard.

I love this one of Craig and Chloe. She is trying to smile but when she does that it is more like a scrunchy face.

We put her to work digging for the garden.

Riding on the motor bike that Uncle Dale got for Chloe's birthday. She is not too sure she likes the power wheels. I think she is still a foot power kind of kid.

Her stuffed Moose is her new BFF and she brings him everywhere.

A future soccer player, perhaps?

We are having...

2009-05-21T21:00:00.002-04:00

Another little girl! I went for my ultrasound today and unfortunately Craig couldn't make it with me, but I called him as soon as it was over. We are both excited to have another little girl on the way and I think Chloe will love to have a little sister to play with. All the measurements looked good and she is measuring about a week ahead of time, which matches up with my last u/s that was also measuring a week early. So either my date is off a little or I just grow big babies!

Now the name search begins. We don't pick a name before she is born because we like to meet her first, but we have to get a list started with potentials. We made a deal to not share any names on the list and I like the idea of there being at least one surprise at birth.

However, I am always a fan of name suggestions just to hear what other people like. Since our family name is French Canadian, I would like a French name (hence our Chloe Simone). Thoughts for our list?

Tomatomania

2009-05-16T20:30:00.005-04:00

Today was one of those days were we ended up getting a ton of stuff done even though we didn't have any set plans. On Friday, when I was picking Chloe up from daycare, her sitter mentioned that they were going to get tomato plants on Saturday at some farm in CT that was having tomatomania. She didn't know much more about it but I was interested since we are doing a vegetable garden too, so that night, I checked it out online. Tomatomania is actually a nationwide thing and there are only two farms on the east coast that participate. The farm is only about 30 minutes from our house and they had almost 100 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes. So we headed up there around 9 am and not only had a nice drive in the countryside, but got some beautiful different tomato plants. They also sell organic grass feed beef there too, so we picked some up as well and then headed over to my parents.

Thursday was my dad's birthday, so we stopped by for a little visit and to give him a gift. We ended up staying for lunch and got several buckets of topsoil that my dad had but didn't need (we have so holes in the yard that need filling). On the way home, we swung by the pet shop where we get Sneakers her dog food. She likes this particular kind of all natural dog food called Nutrisource that is kind of hard to find, so it was lucky to find a convenient place that sells it.

On the way home Chloe fell asleep in the back seat (which she normally NEVER does) and so when we got home, I just put her straight down for a nap. So that meant Craig and I had about 2 hrs to relax, watch TV and just hang out. That is always very nice.

As an interesting pregnancy note, my hair is going curly. Any of you moms had this happen? I have always had straight hair, medium blonde. I swear about 3 weeks ago I took my morning shower and blew dry my hair and it was totally wavy. It has been that way ever since. It is also slightly darker too. Very strange. At work they were teasing me that this means this baby will be a wild one. Oh great. I have my next midwife appointment on Tuesday and then I will schedule my ultrasound where we should hopefully get to see what we are having. I am excited to find out, but less anxious that I was the first time around. Now, I am content to eventually find out but I don't really mind what we are having.

I have some pictures to share. Craig and Chloe got me a really cool new camera for Mother's day and I love it because the shutter speed is so nice and fast, unlike many digitals that have a terribly long delay. It makes it a lot easier to capture those precious kid-moments.

Chloe blowing out her candle on her birthday cupcake
Devouring her cake

Playing with cousin Keith at my parents on Mothers day

Me and my girlfriend Kim's little guy Caleb.

Chloe being silly and cute on Mothers day

At Chloe's birthday party, the kids loved playing in our backyard stream while the dads and grampas looked on.

Chloe enjoying breakfast on our back porch at her little table and chairs that my parents got for her. She loves chatting with her stuffed moose while she enjoys her eggs and toast.

Yeah, that is both nostrils stuffed with her fingers. Such a great talent to have.

Giggling with daddy and papa while we visited for my dad's (papa) birthday.

I am still here, I promise

2009-05-07T13:36:00.002-04:00

OK, first of all, I am still alive, just been terribly busy and hope to now have a little breathing room. Here is the quickie update and I should have pictures and more info soon.

Chloe

Her 2nd birthday party last weekend was a lot of fun. We had 3 3-yr olds, a 5 yr old, 2 14 year olds and 20 adults. It was a little bit of people overload for Chloe as she does not really do well with lots of people paying attention to her like that. Party started at noon and by 2:30 she was ready for a nap and slept until 4:30 while the rest of us partied. Luckily the weather was glorious, we were outside, playing in the stream and running around.
Since turning two, Chloe is officially terrible. It seems like overnight she has gotten spunkier, brattier and definitely more ornery. She is still a good kid, but definitely a lot more work and I swear it happened over night.
We had her dr. appointment and she is a big girl. 32.2 lbs and 37.5 inches tall. Yeah, she is tall! Doc said she was perfectly healthy and growing well, but she noticed an irregular heartbeat, so now I have to take her for an EKG next week and then a pediatric cardiologist for a check. She told me not to get too worried, but she wanted to have it checked out and be safe rather than sorry. I will let you know how it goes.

School

I got a perfect score on my final paper and actually squeaked out an A for the course! Craig promised me a celebratory dinner so I will have to see where we can go.
I turned it in on Sunday and just got my score yesterday and I already feel like a weight off my shoulders. It is nice to take a break from classes and just relax for a little while. Not sure when I will take my next class, but I am enjoying the break

Pregnancy

At my 14 wk visit, the heartbeat was strong and my measurements were all good. I have my next visit next week and I should also be scheduling my 20 wk ultrasound where we can hopefully see if we are having a girl or a boy.
The PG seems to be flying by this time, mostly because with Chloe I get no time to rest. She keeps me running
the evening sickness is gone and I feel pretty good all the time. I am 17 weeks and just starting to feel some movement, definitely a lot sooner than I did with Chloe.
It is fun to have 3 other preggo ladies at work. We are all within 5 weeks of each other and we talk about our progress and do monthly Marketing Dpt mommies luncheons. It is nice to have a group like this.

This weekend is Mother's day and I am hoping to get a new camera for a gift. If so, hopefully this will mean more and better pictures to follow. My current digital camera is really on its last leg.

Happy Mothers day to all my bloggy Mamas out there!

Elmo overload

2009-04-19T22:13:00.004-04:00

Today was quite a fun day as we took Chloe to see Sesame Street Live-When Elmo Grows Up. We had great seats on a couple rows back from the stage and she was totally excited about the whole thing. For the first 5 minutes she just kept pointing and yelling Elmo like she wasn't sure that we noticed what was going on. Then she really got into it and was clapping and swaying with the music and squealing each time she saw another character. Cookie! Zoe! Abby! Oscar! Yup, she knows and loves them all. We also ran into three women that Craig and I worked with who were all there with their kids. It was clearly 'the' place to be on a Sunday afternoon, evidently, if you are the toddler set.

After the show, Chloe was exhausted and totally crashed for her nap. In fact we had to wake her up so she didn't sleep too late and she was ready for sleep when bedtime came around. It was totally worth the price of admission and Craig and I spent most of the show watching her have such an awesome time. There were a couple of times when I had to hold back tears because I was just so filled with love and happiness for my little girl. Ok, maybe that is preggo hormones, but I mean, it just makes me so happy to do something that I know my little girl will be talking about for quite a while and was clearly so thrilled about.

I have a couple pictures from Easter that I finally downloaded, so I thought I would share.

Chloe enjoying her morning smoothie. Yum-blueberry!

One of the few shots I have where she was still!

We're back

2009-04-09T16:19:00.005-04:00

Ugh, what a busy blogger girl I am! Since my last post, I have gone for my first trimester ultrasound for nuchal translucency, gone on vacation and still pounding away at this dreaded MBA class. Well, the NT ultrasound came out GREAT! The test showed that my risk level is actually even lower because of how good the results were. Plus we got some great pictures that I will have to scan in. It was the first time that Craig got to see the baby and baby was very active waving and jumping so it was fun to see.

The vacation was a lot of fun and very much needed rest and relaxation. Our flight was 3 hours delayed leaving CT, but other than that, our travel went as well as can be expected with an almost 2 year old. Saturday and Sunday were beach days and the weather was in the 80s and sunny and just perfect. Chloe was absolutely in love with the beach. She liked the sand and her little shovel and pail, but the water was definitely her favorite. Craig took her in and she didn't want to come out. She wasn't afraid of the waves and even when they splashed her, she didn't mind.

On Monday, it was a little overcast, so we went to the Florida Aquarium and Chloe loved seeing all the fish and squealed with delight when they would float in front of her next to the glass. Later that evening Craig's brother took us out to dinner at Charley's steakhouse. It was so good. I have the most delicious filet mignon that was so big I couldn't finish it!

I still had to do some school work while on vacation and I cannot wait for this horrid class to be over. Only 4 more weeks left and then I am putting the classes on hold for a while. It is just taking too much out of me and I have been so worn out lately.

Well, here are some pictures from the vacation!

Relaxing at Uncle Dale's place

Swimming in the pool at Dale's

She is a water baby!

I just stuck to getting my feet wet.

Come on in mom!

At the aquarium

Enjoying the sand at St. Pete beach

A little banana snack

Playing in the surf with daddy

And mommy!

She loved the waves

Trying not to get sunburned!

Look at that smile on her face!

The bucket is way more fun than mommy

Lots of focus on beach time fun

As promised

2009-03-26T12:51:00.004-04:00

Here are some ultrasound pictures. Hopefully I will have more after my first trimester nuchal screen u/s on Monday. Sorry not a lot of commentary this week but Chloe has been sick all week, Craig is away on business and this MBA class is totally wearing me out. Oh I am so looking forward to my vacation!

Here is the little bean.

This is an actual 3D version that the nurse did for me. Pretty cool, eh?

Pictures to follow

2009-03-22T20:29:00.002-04:00

ultrasound pictures, that is. Just a quick update post since I am supposed to be writing my MBA paper which is due by midnight. Went for the u/s on Friday and the first tech poked and prodded me for what seemed like an eternity and couldn't find anything. Yeah, I was starting to freak out when the other tech came in. She was wonderful, sweet, immediately starting talking with me to relax me (the first tech was silent!) and she found the baby right away. I guess my uterus is a little tipped so it took a minute to find it. Later they did an abdominal u/s and that was 100x better and easier to find the baby.

The baby measured right on target at 10 weeks. Actually a couple days ahead, but that is fine. We got to see the heartbeat and so far everything looks good. I go for my 1st trimester screen ultrasound down at Yale New Haven a week from Monday and hopefully that will also go well.

So I let everyone at work know and of course, my boss was thrilled and everyone that I work with was super excited for me too. We are having a little baby boom with 4 of us due all in Sept/Oct.

I called my mom and she was very excited to hear she was having another grandbaby. Today I went up to Lebanon, CT (which is 1.5 hrs away and is amazing I was still in CT after driving that far!) for a baby shower for Craig's cousin Heather. I got to see all of Craig's aunts and cousins and his sister Nicole and they too were all very excited for us and the prospect of another Massicotte. Craig has two cousins-Heather and Shelly--that are having girls in May. One will be named Ella and the other Emma. Very pretty names. In fact, I think they were on my short list when we had Chloe. I will have to cross them off the list if we are having a girl!

OK, back to school work now. I promise to post pictures soon.

Rescheduled

2009-03-12T12:21:00.002-04:00

I won't go into all the details, but needless to say, I hate insurance companies and doctors and bureaucracy in general, when it cancels my scheduled ultrasound the day before I was to have it, and reschedules it for next Friday. Ugh! Therefore, I must continue to be patient and wait.

Still doing OK and dealing with evening sickness (yes, I am just dandy in the am, but feel like crap right around dinner time). So far, I can still fit in my work clothes, they are just snug. I haven't really had any cravings except vinegar, which I love in general anyway. I have been bringing hard rolls with a little container of vinegar to dip them in to work. Yum! Other than that, I haven't really been eating too much since breakfast and lunch are usually pretty light for me and I feel crappy by dinner and therefore don't eat too much then either.

I just found out that Chloe's little friend Mimi (aka Isabella) will not be at daycare any more after next month. My daycare provider will try to find another little one, but for a little while, Chloe will be solo. I am not too worried, but I know how much Chloe loves her buddy Mimi and I am not sure how she will handle it when she is gone. Mimi was gone for 10 days at Christmas and Chloe talked about her constantly.

I haven't mentioned the pregnancy to my daycare provider yet, but assuming all goes well after next Friday's appointment, then we will let everyone know. I haven't quite figured out what to do after my maternity leave with two kids. We have been looking into getting an au pair since we have an in law apartment downstairs in our home and it would actually be about the same price (or a little cheaper) than 2 kids in daycare. Since Chloe will only be 2.5 years old, she will still be too young for a less expensive preschool program, that may be a good option for a couple years. And there is the added bonus of having to not shuttle the kids anywhere. Well, I figure we still have some time to figure all that stuff out. It has a way of working out.

A glimmer of spring

2009-03-08T15:42:00.005-04:00

On Monday we got almost a foot of snow. This weekend the weather was in the 60s. Of course, it is supposed to be 30s and rainy tomorrow but it was nice to have a little peak at the spring time.

My gram is in the hospital for chest pains. She went in on Friday evening so yesterday Chloe and I met up with my mom, had some lunch and then we went to visit gram. It really cheered her up to see all of us, especially Chloe. Hopefully they will have some tests done today and she can go back home. This is the second time in the last two months that she has been in the hospital for her heart and it really concerns me. I can't imagine my gram not being around. Maybe once spring comes around, she can get out more and that will help.

I also went to Old Navy to pick up some summer clothes for our Florida trip. I got some real cute shorts and tops for Chloe and a couple of maternity tanks for me. I go for my ultrasound on Wednesday and I am very anxious to see that everything is going well. There has been quite a preggo boom at work. I just found out that 3 other women in my department are all preggo and due just a few weeks before me. I figure once I have the u/s and everything looks good, then I can tell everyone. I am still able to squeeze into my regular clothes but I am not sure for how long. I am 8 weeks now and I think I am definitely popping a little more now that I did this time last pregnancy.

Today was such a beautiful day that we went for a walk and took a kite out in the yard with Chloe. She wasn't too sure what the kite was, but she thought it looks cool once it got up in the air.

Love the bandaid over her eye? She took a spill at daycare and landed on a toy. Unfortunately she now has a little scar there. Oh well, that adds character, right?

Sometimes she just looks like such a big girl.

Her fascination with Mickey Mouse clubhouse cannot be good for her eyes.

No sweater weather for once!

She really likes her Tweety book. Well, all books in general.

Heading out for our walk.

I can just see this stump becoming a little stage for my princess.

Flying a kite with daddy

Going solo with the kite. This lasted for about 4 seconds and then she dropped the string and ran off.

So we left the kite flying to daddy.

7 weeks and ok

2009-03-02T12:48:00.002-05:00

Well I have passed the 7 week mark and so far, so good. I have been really tired lately. In fact, this Sunday, the whole family took a 2.5 hr nap. It was great! Next week I go for my ultrasound and I am very anxious to see that everything is going as good as I hope it it.

This morning I awoke to a crazy snow storm that has dumped about 10 inches on us so far and more continues to fall. I still made it in to work (I think my sitter was surprised to see me and Chloe this morning!), but I am planning on leaving by 2:30 so I can get home before the next wave of the storm hits. There aren't too many people in the office which is nice because I can get a lot done today.

Craig and I are in the process of planning a vacation. A real, get-out-of-the-state, and go somewhere warm vacation. Craig's brother Dale is staying in Tampa for the winter and has a 2 bedroom place, so we could stay with him for free and since Chloe doesn't turn 2 until end of April, we don't have to pay for her airfare either. We are planning to go for a long weekend, Fri-Tues, and all I want to do is hang out in the sun, at the beach or maybe go to Seaworld one day.

I am sure that to Floridians, it is not that balmy right now, but for me, 70 degrees would be glorious! I think we will do the first weekend in April, now I just have to book it!

Chloe is getting to be such a little independent imp. She is still completely a mommy's girl and there are some days when I am sick of the name "mom". She loves to repeat it louder and louder until she is eventually screaming MOM at me. I always keep my voice level and don't shout back at her, but for her it is a game. It is like she is trying to antagonize me. She is also still very clingy to just me when she doesn't feel good. She has been working on her 2 yr molars to no avail, but when they are really bothering her and she has her whole fist in her mouth, all she wants is her mommy to hold her. Craig offers to help, but she only wants daddy when she specifically asks for him. He is not a stand-in for me in her eyes. People tell me that a time will come when she will switch and daddy will be the end-all, be-all. I am waiting for that day. Just one day, so I can have a break!

She is also starting to get into TV a little more. We normally only watch Jeopardy during the week, because by the time we get home, make dinner and eat, all that is left is the news and Jeopardy before her bath time. She calls it "Jeppy" and she loves it. She claps at the daily doubles and will actually sit there and watch it, although I think she just likes the flashing colors rather than understanding anything.

However, on Sunday mornings, we do watch Mickey Mouse clubhouse and she will stand 1 foot from the TV and stare. Sometimes on that show they have questions or push buttons and she will reach out and touch the TV along with the show. It is so cute. She also likes Handy Manny too, which I find interesting, and Winnie Pooh is also a favorite.

Well, I should be going soon and get ready to trek out into the blizzard.

You're right

2009-02-21T21:32:00.003-05:00

First I want to thank you all for your support and reassurance. Of course, you are all right. Friday was a hell day at work and I never got a chance to call the dr. In a way I am glad. I decided I am Ok with waiting. I haven't had any more spotting since then and I am just going to put my faith in god and I know whatever happens I will be OK. I don't want the stress of worrying about blood test results and increasing numbers. I have my ultrasound scheduled in about 2 weeks and we shall see then.

I am really blessed to have so many great people out there who care about me and support me. Thank you!

It just doesn't feel right

2009-02-19T20:42:00.002-05:00

I am not having a good day today. Yesterday I had some minor brownish spotting. I had a little today too. Some minor cramping. All in all, that isn't anything that I should be freaking out about. But what concerns me the most is that I don't feel very pregnant. No nausea, no extreme exhaustion. No funky food smells.

I just don't know if I can handle a third miscarriage. I will call the dr. tomorrow and most likely the blood draws will start. Which means more waiting.

Honestly right now I am feeling a combination of sad and mad. I said a few prayers last night and I will say some more tonight. I am just not optimistic, even though I should be.

Maybe I should just be thankful I have my Chloe and leave it at that.

I just don't know how I should feel.

Cleaning the freezer

2009-02-12T20:36:00.002-05:00

Today I had my first dr. appointment. With my previous doctor, you didn't go in until 8-10 weeks for your first visit and U/S. Here, they have you come in to confirm the PG and go through some preliminary stuff and start scheduling appointments. So, the appointment went fine. They confirmed what my $1 POAS test confirmed. I am 5 weeks along and due 10/17. I have my ultrasound scheduled for 3/11 and another visit for 3/20. The practice has both OBs and midwives, so I am going to meet with a midwife on 3/20. She will do my exam and take my full history as well as give me some information about how she 'works'. Then, if I want, I can continue to use the midwives for my pregnancy or I can use the OB. I think I might prefer the midwives since I want to have a more natural, relaxed and less clinical delivery. We shall see what I think of them.

I am just starting to feel like I am PG. Minor aches and cramps and some soreness. Of course, all of this is good stuff. It means I am normal. Hopefully no surprises come along.

When I got home, I was feeling pretty good. Each day the pregnancy is more and more real. I went into the freezer and I pulled out 6 bags of frozen breastmilk. Yes, I still have some from April/May of last year. For some reason, I couldn't throw it out. Something about keeping it in the fridge was a comforting reminder of our success at breastfeeding. I loved the closeness that we shared when I nursed Chloe. I miss that now that she is older and little miss independence. I guess today, I figured it was OK to let it go. Is that weird?

It's about time

2009-02-10T09:48:00.001-05:00

I am not much with suspense or drama so I will just spill it. I was due for my monthly visitor on Wednesday. Wednesday came and went with nothing, then Thursday too. So on Friday I got out my supply of POAS (pee-on-a-sticks) since I buy them in bulk, and gave it a go. Yup, it was positive. When Craig came into the bathroom to say goodbye to me as he headed out to work, I showed him the stick. He said, did you pee on that? I say yup. He smiled and gave me a big hug and kiss, then off to work.

So far I feel fine. No cramps, no spotting. I called the dr. and they are having me come in on Thursday to 'confirm' the pregnancy. My last dr. in Colorado just wanted to see you at around 8-10 weeks, so coming in so early is a bit odd to me. I am not sure if they will do blood work or what. I am of course happy and excited. But given two previous miscarriages, I am naturally tentative before I see the heartbeat. My due date is October 16. I had been trying for the last 8 months for a summer baby, but I guess Fall will have to do.

So far, other than you guys, only Craig knows. Well, I told Chloe but she doesn't really understand what I am saying. So for those who know me IRL, keep it on the down-low until I officially give the notification. You know how it goes. No need getting the whole world excited just yet...

Other than that, life is going pretty good.

Bad Mommy

2009-02-02T13:21:00.002-05:00

Ok, please tell me, one of you out there, that you have done this too...

On Thursday, I was very excited that Craig was coming home that night, but I had a crazy busy day to get through. I made sure that Chloe and I left the house early, since it was really icy out. We get to daycare nice and early, in fact, the other little girl at daycare, Isabella, was getting dropped off at the same time when I had arrived. Her dad's truck was in the driveway, so I pulled on the side of the road. I unlocked the car doors, tossed the key in the cupholder and went in the back seat to get Chloe. Isabella's dad came out and offered to move his truck so I could pull in since the road was so icy. So, I said OK, took the sippy cup from Chloe, reached between the seats, dropped it in the cupholder and shut her door so I could get in the front seat to move the car.

Yeah, you saw it coming, right? When I dropped the sippy cup in the holder, it hit the power lock button. I locked my kid in the car. She was still strapped in her seat.

Luckily, I stayed calm. We called AAA, but since it was so icy, they were very busy and couldn't be there for at least an hour. So we called the police. The police station is just down the road from the sitter's house and the cop arrived in minutes. Evidently when you tell them a kid is locked in a car, they come pretty quick. He was able to unlock my car within minutes. Chloe sat in the car, smiling and swinging her feet the whole time.

I felt like an idiot. I was late to work. What a crap-tastic start to a day!

Anyway, the weekend went pretty well. On Friday, we went up to my parents to have cake for my mom's 59th birthday. It was good to have a little visit, but it is so hard to do it on weekday's since it is a lot of driving around for us.

This Sunday, we went to a friends' house for the Superbowl. We brought Chloe and it was nice for all our friends to see her since it has been a while since we brought her with us. We did have to leave at halftime since that was her bedtime, but it was a fun evening.

Oh, Happy Groundhog day. According to the groundhog, we have 6 more weeks of winter. Great. Get out the shovel. The forecast is for more snow on Wednesday.

Tired and Lonely

2009-01-28T14:33:00.002-05:00

It is like the perfect storm. Craig is gone for 5 days to sunny Kissimmee, FL for a business conference and I am here by myself, in the middle of a snow storm, and completely swamped at work. I have been bringing my laptop home and working for 2-3 hrs every night this week, which I guess is OK, since the PC and the dog are keeping me company once Chloe is in bed. But I miss my hubby. And I am jealous he is in sunny FLA and I am up here in the snow.

We got a couple inches of the white stuff today, but it is turning to ice and rain now, so I might head home soon. I kind of like coming to work when it is wintry out since lots of people stay home, it is relatively quiet in the office.

We did get some good news recently. While Craig's bonus was reduced because of the current economic environment, since he is so awesome he got 100% of the available amount which was way more money than I had expected. It comes at a great time, because we are trying to reduce some expenses and with this we can pay off both vehicles' remaining balances and knock off some money on the mortgage. I won't know if/what my bonus will be for at least a month, but at this point, anything would be great since I had been expecting and planning on neither of us getting anything.

On the not so good news, my gram is not doing so great. Her heart has been giving her trouble and I guess she was not feeling too good on Monday, so my mom took her to the dr. and her BP was through the roof. They upped her medication but said that she is at a high risk for a heart attack. So for now, she is staying at my parents house so she isn't alone. The next step if her BP doesn't stabilize is a pacemaker. My gram is 79, but I just can't imagine not having her around. I told Craig that I want to start going up there each weekend to spend more time with her. Sometimes you just don't realize what a precious gift you have in someone until you get scared about that gift being taken away.

As for my Chloe-monster, she is doing great. She really misses her daddy though. Each evening he calls around dinner time and she will listen to him on the phone and say Hi Daddy. But then, she get confused and starts looking out the window for him. She doesn't understand where he is. In fact this morning, she went around the house calling his name looking for him. Poor kid. Luckily only one more day and then he is home.

Are you as Lost as I am?

2009-01-21T21:49:00.003-05:00

Am I the only person in the planet that doesn't really get this show? Craig is into it, so therefore we must watch it. I have seen most of the episodes and yet each time, I get more confused and well, more lost. Everyone in my office loves the show and they even have a scheduled meeting every Thursday after a new episode to 'discuss'. Perhaps I just like simple shows. Ones that don't require recap shows, pop-up episodes, companion books or discussion meetings. I like shows that at the end of the hour, I know what happened and am interested in watching the characters again. Sigh. I will give this season my best happy smile, watch it for my hubby and pretend to know what the hell all my coworkers are talking about. Just tell me this. When is this show going to be Found?

It has been a while since I posted pictures, so I figured I should share a couple of current ones.

Craig and Chloe reading. Chloe HEARTS books. She can read them over and over and while she loves to sit with you, she is also happy to read all by herself.

Playdoh. Or as Chloe calls it "Bee-Bo". She definitely HEARTS playdoh. Mommy...not so much. Any suggestions on how to get neon orange playdoh out of a rug?

This is Chloe on the Wii Fit. It is actually the only way she will let me weigh her. Usually we do it in the evening when she is in bed, but sometimes if I take it out when she is around, she always wants the remote and wants to stand on the balance board. She is such a little goofball.

As for how she is feeling, well, she seems to be back to her happy disposition and personality, but her appetite is shot. My normally ambitious eater is now barely touching anything. In fact, I weighed her on the wii fit to see where she was at and she has lost 2 lbs in the last two weeks. I am still hopeful that she just has an upset tummy and it will soon pass. Or, I could be being punished for having the audacity to say out loud that I had a good eater. I assume that all toddlers go through this phase to a certain degree. They will eat when they are hungry, right?

Other than the food/tummy issue, she is doing well and growing so fast. She is getting such a personality and it amazes me how she can get so sweet and cuddly one second and spunky and terrible the next. Luckily she is more spunky than terrible, but I think I am getting a taste of the terrible twos. Oh boy. I am in for it, aren't I?

We have ignition

2009-01-19T20:39:00.002-05:00

Have I told you guys about our woodstove dilemma? Well, when we moved in to our house in February, we had the wood stove inspected and was told that it was not properly installed and we needed to install a chimney liner before we could use it. This woodstove has been my husband's albatross for almost 6 months. It took Craig almost a month to clean the creosote that was built up inside the fireplace and stove. Then he ordered the chimney liner online. Then we realized we needed an insulation kit for it. Ordered that too. Then, we tried to install it. For months.

We even had professionals come in to help. Craig's dad came down 3 different times. Basically, the woodstove has an opening on the top that doesn't line up with the chimney. We bought several elbow pieces and tried repeatedly. It was really driving Craig insane and me too, because he was obsessed about it. It made him moody and cranky and downright irritable. Well, this Saturday, we tried to install it one more time. I actually crawled into the stove like a plumber under a sink and was able to twist the elbow from the inside. Craig dropped down the liner and with a few strong pushes, it fell into place. He was joyous. Giddy. His albatross was off his shoulders. And I had my husband back.

He has been burning a fire practically non stop all weekend. Unfortunately, I think he is burning a bit too much because today I had a wicked headache because it was a bit fume-y. I think it bummed him a bit. He has these grand plans of saving lots of money by heating the whole house with wood. Well, we are definitely saving money and the family room is nice and toasty, so that makes me happy. I think it is one of situations where you work so long and hard for something that when you get it, it rarely lives up to the magestic visions you have worked up. Oh well, at least he isn't obsessing over it.

Today was the first time that Chloe vomited. I know, weird. I mean, when she was a baby, she would spit up sometimes (but not even that much), but she has never been sick to her stomach. Well, at lunch, she brought back everything that she ate. I tell you, those high chair trays hold quite a bit... She didn't really eat much today since then, bit she seems like she is OK. Hopefully it was just a little stomach bug and she will be OK in the morning.

These long weekends are always so nice to get a lot done, but sometimes I am so tired after them, I need another weekend!

I am almost done with a cardigan I am making for Chloe. I can't wait to finish and show pictures of my first knitted sweater!

Delinquent

2009-01-15T21:35:00.002-05:00

I have no excuse for being a delinquent blogger recently, other than the fact that life sometimes just keeps you hopping. Work has gotten pretty busy and I just got another project added to my plate for next month and of course it is super important and everyone is all over me to get statuses. I am really glad that I decided to take a break from class right now. I have tentatively registered for another class starting in March. I think by then I will be ready to get back on the MBA bandwagon again.

This evening I went to a Wii party at my boss Judy's house. It was a ton of fun. There were 8 of us and we played tennis and bowling and boxing. It was crazy fun to play with all those people and see everyone's mii's. Plus it is nice to get out on my own every now and then. I brought Chloe home and Craig took care of dinner, bathtime and bedtime while I got an evening out.

Craig's hours at work have gotten a little better lately and it is nice to have him home on a more regular basis. Not to mention, he is less stressed and it is nice to have a happy Craig. He still has a lot on his plate at work but at least it isn't the crazy pace he was at before.

Chloe is a little pistol and it amazes me how much she learns every day. She loves to learn new words and she gets very mad at me when she tries to tell me something and I don't understand. Her nap schedule is getting a little off and she doesn't always get a good solid nap, but I think that is just a sign of her getting older. I can't believe she will be 2 in April. It goes by so fast...

Well, hopefully I won't have another 2 week hiatus before the next post. Because if I do, it means I am way too busy!

OK 2009, here I come

2009-01-02T12:13:00.001-05:00

I must say that 2008 was a pretty good year. We started out the year by finding and buying a great house and moving in February. I decided to go back to work and started in February too. The job is going really well and I am very happy that I made the choice. I found a great day care provider whom Chloe just loves. She is thriving there and learning so much. Craig was thrilled to find out that she can now do a High Five, Low five and a fist bump. It is the cutest thing ever!

On the Chloe front, we are truly blessed that she such a wonderful little person. It seems every day she says something or does something new and I continue to marvel at her. Of course, she is still a toddler which means we have our fair share of meltdowns, timeouts and general naughtiness, but most of the time, I can't help but smile at it. Right now her favorite toys are her wooden puzzles where she is getting quite good at naming all the animals and mimicking their sounds (for the monkey, she goes Oo, Oo, Oo, and scratches under her arms just like a real monkey!). We officially kicked the binky last month and it was a total non-issue. She just decided she didn't need it anymore and it was gone. We have had some recent issues with late night wakings, but most of the time she is putting herself right back to sleep and I have read that it often happens when kids are hitting new milestones, so I guess it is a good thing. She is not a big fan of brushing her teeth, but we try each night and usually can get a quick swipe or two in before she goes banshee on me.

Craig and I have had a pretty good year, although his job has not made me very happy and has caused him so stress. However, with some recent realignments at the office and the fact that he now has a laptop to bring home, he seems to be doing better and has some positive thoughts for the upcoming year. We have both resolved to get more regular exercise and so far it is working. I am trying to continue making healthier dishes and since we both like to eat just about anything, it hasn't been too tough. We have been trying to add to our family without luck this year, but I am staying positive and at least the 'practice' is enjoyable!

We have been blessed to both still have our jobs and able to do well financially, which is really great given how tough things are right now. It doesn't look like we will get much in the way of bonuses this February, but, I am just happy to be able to pay the bills and do OK. Hopefully it will not be decades for this economy to rebound...

Our new year's eve was a really fun time. Chloe spent the night at my parents and Craig and I went to a party at our friends. There were about 12 of our good friends there and tons of food and drink. Best of all, our friend Dave brought his Rockband game and we played it until like 2:30 am! I started doing a little singing, then I tried my hands at guitar and drums. It was such a blast. At one time, we had a whole chick band going and we were rocking out. This is the second year that our friends hosted the party and they do such a great bash. When I picked up Chloe the following morning, she gave me such a big hug--I think she missed me as much as I missed her. I love going out with 'the adults' but when I get my little girl back, I always miss her so much. I am sure there will be a time when she will totally not miss me, but for now, hearing her scream "mommy!" and come running when I got there was the best thing ever.

For for 2009, I hope to get my butt in gear with a healthy exercise routine. I hope all of you have a wonderfully happy and healthy new year too!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-28T21:35:00.006-05:00

We got quite the snow storm the weekend before Christmas and Chloe was fascinated by it.

Just snuggling to stay warm. Right now Chloe is at that stage where she wants to be attached at my hip. I love my little girl, but my arms get tired! I just hope she grows into the 'Daddy phase' at some point so he can get some affection too. Sometimes all he wants is a hug from his little girl and she rarely gives in.

Christmas morning. Chloe got lots of books for Christmas and she just loves books.

We got her a slightly bigger stuffed Elmo. I refused to get those dancing Tickle me ones because I know I would want to kill it. So a nice quiet, huggable Elmo is what she got and she loves it! (not to mention it was a heck of a lot cheaper than those TMX Elmos...)

Craig got a Wii from Santa and while he wasn't really sure about it (he didn't ask for it), once we started to play it, he is now hooked! I must admit, it is a lot of fun and I like that it gets us off the couch and we play together. Chloe even cheers us on during bowling matches.

Here I am struggling with the packaging to get out her Cabbage patch baby that my parents got her. These things are wrapped with like 50 twist ties--what is up with that!

Enjoying a little Christmas morning visit from my parents-Nana and Poppa, and my grammie too.

Later on Christmas day, Craig's parents and brother came over and Chloe got a pound puppy that wags its tail. She was quite enthralled.

Sneakers got to wear all the bows and I think she sports them quite nicely.

Craig bought Chloe a stuffed dachshund and she likes to sit on it like a pony. I don't know what it is about that dog, but she thinks it is so cool. I think Sneakers is starting to get jealous...

On Saturday we went over to see Craig's sister Nicole.

Nicole has 2 pugs and they really like Chloe. She wasn't so sure at first, but definitely warmed to them after a little bit.

My Dad got Chloe some overalls and I think she looks so adorable in them. Of course, with the short hair, she will certainly get some 'boy' comments, but I don't care.

Chloe's cousin Davin got a Drum set from Craig's brother Dale and Chloe had to try it out. I can't believe Dale bought him a Drum set. Nicole was pissed. I can't say I blame her. Note to anyone out there looking to shop for a kid--never buy a drum set without asking the parent's permission first!

Just hanging out with Davin and Chloe. He is such a precocious little guy and so smart.

Sorry for mostly pictures and not a lot of text, but I am just beginning to dig out from under Chloe's pile. I finished up my MBA class and I am definitely enjoying the break. Craig passed his CFP test on Monday, so we are both happy to have the breather.

Chloe has been waking up crying lately. At first I thought it was because she was breaking all 4 canines, but now I think she is doing it because she is just lonely or clingly. This morning when she cried at 5:30, instead of running in there (which is what I had been doing the last couple days since it was so unusual for that to happen at all) I waited a few minutes. Within a couple minutes she was silent again and went back to sleep until 7:30. Much better! I guess even the best of sleepers have little hiccups in the routine, so I just hope she hurries back to her previous schedule. Momma likes her rest!

I can see the finish line

2008-12-18T22:25:00.006-05:00

I just sent off my last problem set for this MBA class and I just need to finish up my research paper tomorrow and send that off and then I am officially done with this class! Ugh, I am so exhausted from school/work/family/holidays/life in general, that I need a breather. I know that in the spring I will totally be itching to take a class, but I am definitely going to enjoy having a little winter break from school.

Work has been hectic with year end projects wrapping up and lots of people on vacation, but after tomorrow, the next two weeks should be pretty quiet. I have a couple knitting projects that have been collecting dust and I am anxious to finally have some free time to get back in them. Heck, I am knitting a sweater for Chloe that I need to finish while it is still cold out!

As of today, I am officially done Christmas shopping. Ok, don't tell Craig if you see him, but I got him a Wii. I hope he likes it. If not, I think I will like it! I went out on the limb with this gift, but I wanted to give him something fun. The poor guy has enough dress shirts and power tools. Chloe is not really getting a ton of stuff from us. I figure, she is 19 months old and will probably be mostly entertained by the boxes. So I got her a stuffed Elmo (bigger than her little vade mecum she has now), some tub toys, and a ton of books since she loves to read. Oh, and some Hello kitty socks. I am sure she will get toys from our relatives, so I think this is plenty, right?

This weekend will be cookie making time for me. I am making a classic recipe - linzer cookies - for our cookie exchange at work and of course, I need to make some extras to let Craig taste test them. There is nothing he hates worse than when I bake all day and he doesn't get any of it because it is for 'work'. So, I always have to make a little batch special just for him.

Well, on the TTC front, there will be no BFPs for Christmas this year, but we will certainly be trying again. I am hoping that maybe the stress of the last few months has had an impact on the ole fertility and maybe now that things will be quieting down, it will work out. I am trying not to put any pressure on myself. Just relax, eh?

We are supposed to get a big snowstorm tomorrow and I must admit that I am looking forward to it. I like snowstorms. It is supposed to start around mid day, so Chloe and I will go to work and probably leave around lunch time, so I can get her home for her afternoon nap and then just continue working from home for the afternoon. That's the plan, but we shall see exactly how the day works out. If it is snowing crazy by 10 am, it may be a very short day in the office!

It has been forever and a day since I posted some pics, so of course I have plenty to share!

Chloe was helping decorate the tree.

Can you see the elf ELMO ornament right on the front of the tree? At Chloe eye-level of course.

Here is the view from our living room window after our first real snow of the season.

Not sure if you can tell under the snow, but on our roof are our three solar panels. Pretty cool!

I just love our front yard with it all covered in snow.

Chloe thinks the snow is pretty cool too.

Craig is like a little kid in the snow

A couple days later as it started to melt, Chloe was still enjoying traipsing around in the yard.

She also likes to lick her scarf. Yeah, she's weird. But I love her.

She is not very good at driving in the snow, since her Cozy Coupe does not have all wheel drive.

Ok, now we are inside. What do we do now?

How about some dinner? It makes a lovely face moisturizer.

And finally a nice swim in the tub to cap off a perfect day.

Hello hell week

2008-12-08T15:26:00.002-05:00

The Holiday season is coming to our house and this week officially kicked off the beginning of Christmas craziness! On Saturday we went to get our Christmas tree. We ended up at Home depot for the tree, a wreath and some fresh garland for the mantle. Chloe was so excited when we put up the tree, but didn't get truly fascinated until she saw it fully decorated and lit up. We have an Elmo ornament that I hung down low and she is obsessed with pointing it out and tell me about it! She can't be left alone with the tree because she likes to grab off the ornaments, but for the most part, she is very good with it. The house just smells so wonderful and pine-y, I just love it!

Yesterday, we awoke to our first snowfall of the season. We went outside to play for a bit and at first Chloe was not so sure. But eventually she realized that it was kind of cool and started running around in the 1 inch of snow we had. Later that day, we had some good friends over with their kids to watch the football game (NY Giants) and have some food. It was great to see our friends and we all agreed that we had to do the get togethers more frequently. We all used to live in Denver together and now that we are all back on the east coast again, we should definitely keep in touch.

This week continues the hectic pace. Tomorrow Craig is off from work to take Chloe for her Flu shot booster. Wednesday, I am off to go shopping with a girlfriend for Xmas presents and then spaghetti dinner that night at my parents. Then Friday, I am going to the Duran Duran concert at the casino (woo hoo!). Saturday I an hoping to get my mom to babysit, so Craig and I can go meet some of his friends for dinner out. And in the middle of all of this I have my school work (only 2 weeks left of this class) and three chiropractor appointments.

Oh, did I mentioned I started to see a chiro? I have had a terrible sore neck with shooting pains since Thanksgiving and finally I gave in. We have a dr. right in my office complex and several of my coworkers highly recommended him. Well, he is a really good dr. You know, the kind that sit and talk with you and don't make you feel like you are stupid. He has a very holistic approach to medicine and I really like him. Added perk-my insurance pays for it! I might talk Craig into going too because sometimes he has lower back pain too.

Dang, just putting that all down makes me tired just looking at it!

Well, to share a pic, here is Chloe meeting Santa. She didn't cry, but as you can tell, she wasn't so sure she liked him...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-28T15:25:00.006-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We had a pretty relaxed affair here. Just the in laws and my brother in law were over, so it was easy to have to prepare a meal for only 6 people. The turkey came out great (I following Alton Brown's recipe and brined it overnight). There were leftovers, but not an obscene amount--just enough for some sandwiches and possibly a turkey soup. I had to work today, so Craig took the day off to hang with Chloe. It was fine going to work since hardly anyone is there and I got to leave at lunchtime anyway. When I got home, I find Chloe down for a nap, and Craig and Sneakers snoozing on the couch. So here I am, curled up with a blanket, snuggled in with my sleepy hubby and pooch, blogging away. Ain't life grand?

There will be no shopping for me on Black Friday. I have always avoided shopping on this day and I don't think there is any sale that could change my mind on that. I prefer to just take a random weekday off and go shopping during the relative midweek calm during the day. Plus, I can leave Chloe at daycare and do some serious shopping without stopping!

In preparation for this year's Christmas cards, I got Chloe dressed up in a cute Christmas outfit, took out the digital camera and went crazy. Last year, I will admit, it was much easier. She wasn't even really crawling, so I could just prop her in a place and wait for the smiles. Now, virtually every shot is of her running away or turning around or grabbing at the camera. Damn these delays on digital cameras! But I was able to get a few good shots and the cards came out great. I think my family would be quite upset if the card didn't contain some pics of our little mite.

Chloe has been rebelling against her nap lately. I can tell she is tired, but when I put her down, she doesn't go to sleep. She may fuss for a little while or, more likely, just play in her crib. For the whole nap time! Today she is sleeping, but it took her almost an hour to go to sleep. Isn't she too young at 18 months to outgrow her nap?? Several days recently she has skipped the nap and made it all the way to bedtime OK. Granted, she was a bit of a crab as it got towards bath time, but she wasn't passing out in the toy box or anything. I hope it is just a phase and we can stick with the nap for at least 6 more months. Mama likes her me-time... ;-)

I am getting really excited for this holiday because it will be the first year that Chloe can really get into it. I know she will be excited to unwrap presents and I am sure she will flip over any new toys. I can't wait to get a Christmas tree too, because I bet she will just love to 'help' decorate. We just need to find some kid-friendly ornaments to put on the lower boughs.

I had to do a small group project this week in my MBA class. So, this was the first time that I corresponded with some of the other students. Evidently I am not the only one that things this teacher blows. They were all pissed with his general lack of direction or teaching (and the fact that he assigned a group project that was due ON thanksgiving day!). This prof is definitely not getting any rave reviews on the evaluation at the end of class. Only 4 more weeks of this crap and then, I am so looking forward to the break!

Since I haven't shared any pics in my last couple of posts, here are some for you.

We just loved this red velvet hat!

The dress and bloomers are a hand-me-down from when my 14 year old niece was a toddler.

Just testing out the self-timer function on the camera

Chloe helping Craig with the fireplace

Chloe and one of her many stuffed frogs.

Sneakers has yet to meet a blanket she doesn't love!

Another busy weekend starting a busy week

2008-11-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the holiday season. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the holidays, just not all the craziness that goes along with it.

This past week, I took Wednesday off from work. Chloe needed to get some blood drawn (as she does every 3 months for her study) and my parents were having another spaghetti supper, so I figured I would just take the day off. Chloe was very good getting her blood drawn and was being cute and flirty in the waiting room. She was quite the little entertainer, even dancing for people and saying Bye-Bye as they left! Of course, when we went over to my mom's after the blood draw so Chloe could nap, she refused. She wanted to stay up and visit. Well, she did quite well throughout dinner without her nap and with all the family and friends around, she was chipper and happy. Of course, on the ride home, she feel asleep and when I had to wake her up at home (to bathe her, change her and get her ready for bed) she was a royal crab apple.

Earlier that day I also got to visit my girlfriend Kim who had a little boy just a week previously. I almost forgot how little newborns are! Caleb is a good sized baby--over 9 lbs--but he still seemed so small compared to lugging around my solid toddler.

This weekend was full of birthday parties and no naps. On Saturday our nephew Davin turned 3 and Chloe again missed a nap, but was happy with the festivities. As the last time, she conked out in the car and was a crab when we got home. On Sunday, we went to my niece Amanda's 14th birthday and again, no nap. This time, she stayed awake on the ride home and was pretty good in the evening, but conked right out at bedtime.

This morning, when I dropped Chloe off at day care, for the first time in 9 months when she started going to daycare, Chloe cried that I was leaving. I guess she has been getting a little more attached to me lately, but normally when I drop her off, she is happy to run off and play and I usually don't even get a wave goodbye. I hope this is a one time thing, because I hate it when she cries...

Thanksgiving should hopefully be a relatively low key affair. We are just having my in laws and my brother-in-law over, so I got a medium sized turkey and the fixings. My BIL Dale is making his famous peanut butter chocolate balls for dessert and I think my MIL is making mashed potatoes. Since it is just the same group of us, there should be no drama...

I am not sure when to start putting up a tree and decorating. This is Chloe's first Christmas where she is old enough to help out and really be into it, so I don't know if I should do it early or wait until it gets a little closer. Any suggestions?

We are continuing on the TTC journey, although I am a bit depressed as last week welcomed AF again, so month #6 is in the books... I think if we don't get anywhere by the new year, I will call my doctor. Since I will be 35 next year, I don't want to wait forever, so maybe the doc can help. I am trying not to get depressed about it. Trust me, Craig and I enjoy the effort of trying! But I would just love to add to our family and it is a bit frustrating to have no success.

I hate driving sometimes

2008-11-13T21:38:00.004-05:00

On the way home today, I had a 'near-miss' accident. The light turned yellow, I turned left but the car coming down straight decided to step on the gas to make the light. I slammed on my brakes and he swerved to miss me. We didn't hit, but he drove into someone's house fence. So, we call the police and an hour later (and one very fussy backseat passenger) we are on our way home. I got a 'warning ticket' for failure to yield. The cop was nice and didn't give me a ticket, but by giving me the warning, I am officially to blame. I guess that is why we have insurance and all, but it really peeves me.

Ugh.

Other than that fantastic news, we had our solar panels installed this week. They look really cool and I am so excited about the soon-to-be reduced oil bills with them on the house.

We had Chloe's 18 month check up on Friday. She is 29.6 lbs and 33.5 inches long. Yeah, she is a big girl. She got two shots and didn't even cry. The pediatrician was duly impressed with her great vocab skills and said she is growing and developing incredibly well. She continues to amaze me.

Is it Friday yet? I am ready for this week to be over...

I've been tagged

2008-11-09T20:24:00.003-05:00

so I had to oblige, plus this one looked like fun. Thanks Annie!

TYPE ONLY 1 WORD. IT’S HARDER THEN YOU THINK!!!

1. Where is your cell phone? kitchen
2. Your significant other? traveling
3. Your hair? outgrown
4. Your mother? smart
5. Your father? handy
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? aches
8. Your favorite drink? water
9. Your dream/goal? comfort
10. You’re in? couch
11. Your fear? failure
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? here
13. Where were you last night? bed
14. What you’re not? quiet
15. Muffins? cranberry
16. One of your wish list items? blazer
17. Where you grew up? CT
18. The last thing you did? tubtime
19. What are you wearing? sweater
20. Your TV? football
21. Your pet? Sneakers
22. Your computer? laptop
23. Your life? great
24. Missing someone? Craig
25. Your car? Jeep
26. Something you’re not wearing? shoes
27. Favorite Store? Gap
28. Your summer? busy
29. Your favorite color? green
30. When is the last time you laughed? cooked
31. Last time you cried? weeks

Now it’s 4 answers
32. FOUR PEOPLE WHO E-MAIL ME? Eileen, Lisa, Melanie, Craig
33. FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS: pasta, cheese, fruit, mexican
34. FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW? tub, caribbean, paris, bed
35. FOUR PEOPLE I THINK WILL RESPOND: Heather, Mick, Nicki, Zoe.

Halloween, Elections and other musings

2008-11-04T22:47:00.002-05:00

Just a couple of quickies since it is late.

Halloween--it was a quiet affair this year, which was AOK by me. Chloe was a little NY Giants cheerleader and wore her costume all day at day care. No trick or treating for her, since she doesn't even eat the candy, but she did help pass some out to that about half dozen kids that came to our door. One of the benefits of living in a small town with lots of land, not a lot of trick-or-treaters since it is too much walking. I dressed up for work too. I was a hockey player and I even wore roller blades in the office. It was great, I was flying through the office and wasn't late to a single meeting!

I started my next class and got my first assignment turned back. I got a 79, which really pissed me off. The instructor gave no direction on the assignment and when I got it back and he told me what was missing, I was ticked. It totally knew how to do that, but I didn't since that isn't what I thought he wanted. Well, now he is getting the kitchen sink with each assignment. I hope he likes to read...

This morning, I was up at 6 am and at our polling place by 6:15 (they opened at 6). Luckily, again the benefit of a small town, there was no real wait, I was in and out in 5 minutes. When I got to work, some of my coworkers mentioned the lines were about 45 minutes at their polling places. I can't imagine what they were like after work this evening.

As a republican, I am little sad that so many good congressmen (like our Chris Shays) lost their races simple by association. Congressman Shays ran a clean campaign with no negative ads (despite the constant barrage from his opponent). He is about as liberal/moderate as a republican goes (you have to be to be the only Republican from New England) and has represented Connecticut well for 20+ years. I just hope his opponent can match his compassion and commitment.

The presidental election appears to be going towards Obama as well. I wish him luck. He will inherit a country that is in turmoil and if he spends too much time and money on stupid spending, he will squander a fantastic opportunity. While I did not vote for him I would like to see him succeed. Not only because I want to see this country get back on its feet, but I like the idea of a black man winning the highest office in the land (too bad he wasn't a Republican!) But for everyone's sake, let's not think this man will solve the world's problems in 4 years. In fact, I would be surprised is he is able to get but 1 major thing accomplished. I guess only time will tell.

Oh, did I mention that on Saturday I went to the So You Think You Can Dance concert at the MGM casino here in CT? The show was AWESOME and I can wait for next season to begin! It was so much fun to go out with some buds (Craig stayed home with Chloe) and we had dinner and drinks before the show. I really have to do that stuff more often!

I leave you with some pictures.

Her best cheerleader pose

Wednesday is spaghetti night

2008-10-28T09:28:00.003-04:00

I think that used to be a commercial from back in the day, but it was actually what we did a decade or so ago. When I was in college (or even younger, I forget now), we used to have spaghetti dinners at my parents' house. My sister and I would invite over our gal pals (namely our cousins Lisa and Mel, our neighbor Kim, Joanne) and of course my mom and gram would be there. My dad was also the lone dude, but he never seemed to mind, since he was used to being the only guy in a house of women.

We would all sit around the table eating and talking and it was a great evening. Well, we all decided to resurrect them and this past Wednesday we had a spaghetti night. It started a little crazy for me. Since I live the furthest away, I got out of work early at 4:30, picked up Chloe and headed to the house to get Sneakers. By the time I got to my mom's it was 5:50, but everyone was at the table and we just slid right in. It was like we never stopped doing them and we all eat and talked and had a good time.

We are planning to do them again and I am looking forward to it. This is one of the reasons that Craig and I moved back to CT. We wanted to be able to spend time with our family and friends more frequently than on an annual trek out east. We wanted to be able to have a random Wednesday dinner.

This Saturday we got my mom to babysit and went out to dinner with a dozen buddies for our friend Paul's birthday. It was a great time and we had our own private room at the restaurant so we could eat, drink and be merry without disturbing others. We really need to get a local babysitter so we can go out in the evenings more often. It is nice that my mom will babysit, but she is 30 minutes away and when we bring Chloe to her, then I have to wake her up to take her home.

Oh, did I mention that Craig passed his exam? And that I aced my MBA Econ class? Yeah, it was a good week scholastically for us. Now Craig is already studying for his next CFP test installment and hopes to take it before the end of the year. I just started my next class-Financial Management which goes from this week December 20. Ugh! Then I am definitely taking a break - 1 semester off!

I am lazy with the pics this week-- just one to share.

This is my Gram with Chloe and I. Chloe is the 6th of my Gram's 7 great grandchildren (my sis has 2 kids and my cousin Eric has 4). We are very blessed to have my Gram still kickin' it at a robust 78. I just love her to bits!

My love for Blue Paint and Elmo, by Chloe...

2008-10-21T12:50:00.006-04:00

Since we went pumpkin picking last week, we decided that this week we would decorate the pumpkin this weekend. Since she is really too young to use a knife safely (yea, I am a smart one!) we figured that painting would work great and be a lot of fun for Chloe too. So I got some poster paint and brushes and Chloe had a blast. Her pumpkin is definitely a Picasso-esque masterpiece. Mainly just a bunch of her favorite colors smeared around, but heck, it made her happy!

Chloe is really starting to talk up a storm. She loves apples and says Ap-pul whenever she sees one. She says Pees (please) and Tack-ooh (thank you) pretty regularly, and also like Nana (banana) and Coo-coo (cookies). And of course, there is her favorite word. Elmo. She is addicted to Elmo. In fact, we got her a little stuffed Elmo when we were at Target this morning and all throughout the store she just kept saying ELMO! and hugging the doll. She really really loves him.

Next week, Chloe will officially be a year and a half. She just grows so fast, it is amazing! In a couple weeks we have her doctor visit and I am very interested to see how big she has gotten.

Craig has been studying like crazy over the last few weeks for his CFP exam today, so I hope he does well and passes. I know it means a lot to him. This is my last week of my MBA Econ class. It has been a tough class with a lot of reading and writing, so I am looking forward to the break. I only get one week off, before the next class starts, and that one goes until Christmas. Hopefully that one won't be as challenging as this class has been. After that, I think I will take a semester off just to catch my breath!

Tomorrow my parents are having a big spaghetti dinner at their house. We used to do them all the time when I was younger (i.e. in college) and my sister and I and all our gal pals, cousins, etc. would congregate at the table, eating and chatting. Well, we are all back in the same state now (basically me!) and we are resurrecting them. It should be a good time and I am looking forward to it.

Of course, here are some fun pictures of my little artiste!

Mixing just the right colors...

Ooh, that pink paint looks yummy!

Actually, as it turns out, the blue was way tastier!

Her little feet were dancing a jig because she was so excited!

Sharing a cookie with Sneakers

Shrieking with delight over her new BFF Elmo.

Pumpkin picking and peak peeping

2008-10-15T09:32:00.006-04:00

Can I just say that I love this time of year in New England. I truly missed the phenomenal foliage when I lived in Colorado. Nothing against the lovely aspens turning yellowy-gold, but they ain't seen nothin' compared to the explosion of red, yellow, orange, purple, gold and green. This weekend should be peak here in Connecticut for leaf peeping (AKA people who go for long drives just to look at the foliage). I had to share a picture out my window at work.

I am so blessed to be on the 9th floor and I have an awesome view of all this tremendous color.

Sunday afternoon when Chloe woke up from her nap, we decided that since the weather was so perfect, we were going to go pumpkin picking after all. There is this cute farm just a few minutes away from us called Clover Nook Farms. They had a big pumpkin patch as well as some goats and other animals that you could see and pet. Chloe wasn't so sure about the animals. She liked to look at them from Daddy's shoulders but she wasn't about to touch them.

She also gets a little sketchy around dirt. Go figure. She can smear tomato sauce all over her face and hair, but if she gets some dirt on her hands, she puts her palms out to me with this pathetic face, like saying "Wash me!" Anyway, once she got into the whole thing, she really liked picking her pumpkin and was quite obsessed with it.

OK, the goats are kinda cool, but I don't want to get too close.

Ooh, a pumpkin. Very interesting.

Whoa, these things are heavy. Of course, I am Hercules baby and must try to lift it myself!

Daddy and Chloe strolling along the patch looking for the perfect pumpkin.

Yes, this will do just fine!

Mommy and Chloe looking at the pumpkin family we picked out.

Hey, there are MORE pumpkins over there!

This is the Chloe pumpkin. She is obsessed with the curly top.

When we got home, we played in the back yard. The weather was so phenomenal--mid 70s and sunny!

She is so proud of herself after she goes down the slide!

Our pumpkin family all cleaned up. Chloe's is in front.

Can I take it to bed with me, Mommy??

2 more weeks

2008-10-12T14:06:00.004-04:00

There are only two more weeks left in this MBA econ class. It is kicking my butt! I am doing really well, but the amount of reading and writing is really taking a lot out of me and I need a breather! I have another class after this one, but I anticipate that one to be a little easier, since it is a prerequisite class and this one is a core MBA class.

Chloe has been very spunky lately. She is such a rough and tumble kid and I wonder if it is our fault. Maybe we play to rough but she loves to pull my hair, pinch and poke us in the face. Evidently she only does it with Craig and I because she is generally a little angel at daycare. I guess I wasn't meant to raise a shrinking violet. This kid is a tough cookie. She is definitely starting to test boundaries. Just this morning, she pulled open the drawer in the kitchen where I keep my knives. I told her know and closed it. She looked right at me and reached over and opened it again. About the third time of me saying no and closing it, I had to physically remove her and put her in the living room. She of course started to cry, but it was that whiny "I'm not getting what I want" cry. Welcome to the toddler years, I guess!

Craig and his dad are finally working on the chimney and getting the woodstove installed. Craig said that his dad would be down around 10 this morning and since he would be here all day, we assumed his mom wouldn't be coming. But alas, they both arrived. So instead of getting my laundry done, doing school work, maybe even squeeze in some knitting, I am entertaining my MIL. Granted, she is a nice lady, but you know how it is, when you are just looking for your own time and not expecting company. Oh well. We were hoping to go to a pumpkin patch today with Chloe, especially since the weather is just perfect, warm sunny and gorgeous. But, they are still working on the chimney so I guess maybe next weekend.

We did go outside and do some playtime since it is so gorgeous out. I have some pictures to share!

My little monkey just loves to climb around on the furniture.

Taking the cozy coupe for a spin

It was the perfect day to play in the yard.

She enjoys pushing it almost as much as riding in it.

Craig and his dad working on the chimney liner.

Chloe chasing Sneakers

Grandma helping Chloe get some dirt off her hands (she is a nut about dirt on her hands!)

Her rapt attention at whatever daddy is doing

My hands are tired

2008-10-05T20:19:00.005-04:00

It has been a long and busy week. Work has been really busy and I am falling a little behind in some things. I brought some stuff home with the ideal of trying to do some work from home this weekend, but here it is Sunday night and I am just not motivated.

I spent most of my free, non-Chloe time (i.e. nap time and bedtime) yesterday doing MBA work. I had to write a paper and do a couple simulations and it involved a fair amount of research. I finished up around 11:30 pm last night and submitted to my instruction before the midnight deadline. This week will be another busy one for school as I have another big paper to write by Saturday. Hopefully I can get a good head start on it during the week, but I just don't know if I actually will. I am just tired by the end of the day that it is often hard to stay focused.

I finished knitting the neck gaiter that Craig asked for. I used a nice think chunky wool blend (Plymouth Encore Mega) and used a ribbed pattern in the round. I made it a bit too long, so he just folds it over, or leaves it long to pull up over his face if it is really cold out. Now I am trying to figure out what to cast on next. I think I will start with a little sweater for Chloe. Or a Clapotis for myself. The clapotis pattern has some stitches that I don't know yet, so I will have to practice on my sample yarn and see if I can do it OK. I am really enjoying my knitting. Sometimes I go for several hours (like when we were watching the debate or a Red Sox game), but then my hands hurt afterwards. But I enjoy it so much, that I can't stop myself!

Today, Chloe and I went to my parents house, because their neighbor (and my dear friend) Kim was having her baby shower today. She is due at the end of the month and is the person I knitted the little baby blanket for. It was a nice party because I got to see a lot of people-my mom, my gram, my sister and niece, my two cousins, and of course, the mom-to-be Kim. Chloe was such a little angel, especially since it was during her nap time. When we left, Chloe passed out in the car and when we got home, I just carried her in to her crib and let her sleep for an hour. She is such a little social butterfly and loves to visit with people.

I have some pictures to share of course.

Craig's parents came down for a visit last weekend and Grampa just loves to play with Chloe.

Grampa was helping Chloe with one of her favorite books-the Foot Book.

Sneakers was snuggling with me while I was knitting

Chloe's hair is finally starting to come in enough that I can use one of these cute little clips that Heather sent me.

Craig and Chloe are exhausting from a good frolicking play on the floor.

Here is the neck gaiter that I made for Craig.

Weekend blogger

2008-09-27T13:29:00.004-04:00

I seem to have become a weekend blogger, only able to do a post once a week, rather than every 3 days or so like I used to. I blame it on my MBA class. It is keeping me hopping. I have a good bit to read and write for the class, so I find that my evenings are spent doing that mostly. Oh yes, and watching the new season of shows on TV. Don't let it be said that I deprive myself too much! I had originally planned to take time off in between each class, to allow myself a bit of a life, but since I am trying to squeeze in some classes before the end of the year (to take advantage of the tuition reimbursement at work), I am taking three classes back to back. I am looking forward to a break where all I have to do is work and take care of my family. Sounds like such luxury! I might actually get some more knitting done.

Speaking of the knitting, I am making great progress on the baby blanket for my friend and in fact, I am just about done. Which is good since the shower is next weekend. I might even try to dash off a quick little baby hat with some left over yarn to match. We shall see. Once I am done with that, my next project is a request from Craig. He wants a neck gaiter to wear while he is out chopping wood. Scarves can fall and get in the way, particularly when he is using a chain saw, so the gaiter is something easy and useful. After that, I want to make a poncho for myself and a little sweater for Chloe. I figure that should last me through the spring!!

This weekend has been a bit of a rainout with it pouring yesterday and most of today so far. Sunday is not looking any better. So right now, I have a fire going in the fireplace and a hot cup of earl grey to keep me comfy.

Last night we watched the debates. I won't go on about telling you who you should vote for or why. I believe that it is pretty hard to change people's minds about politics so I mostly leave it be. I do think it is interesting how different the election experience is for me here in Connecticut versus the last election when I lived in Colorado. CT is clearly a blue state and because of this, there are barely any ads on TV, no campaign visits, no pollsters calling. Despite being in a solid blue state, I still plan to vote in November and let me little ole vote be counted (yeah, it's a red vote). But when I lived in CO, which was quite a battle ground state, we were inundated with ads, rallies, photo ops and stories in the papers and constant phone calls trying to find out how I would vote and making sure that I did. I must say, while I don't really miss all that crap, I do feel a little disconnected with this year's proceedings. Hence the reason I watched the debate. There, now I feel better and more connected. See, wasn't that easy!

Craig mentioned that he wants to have an Octoberfest party this month. I think it is a good idea as we haven't really had a good rollicking party at the house since Chloe's birthday and heck, how crazy can a party get with pink streamers? We just need to pick the date and plan the menu. I just love cooking for parties, so making the menu is the most fun for me. Craig likes to make the beer list. That is because drinking beer is the most fun for him. See, we are perfect together!

Well, I should probably get back to my school work. So I shall close with a couple pics for ya.

Chloe was chasing Sneakers around the yard, only Sneakers didn't know it was a game...

She is such a goofy little rough-and-tumble kid. Just like her mom!

Last week we had a bit of a cold snap, so rather than turn on the heat, I just got out the warm jammies. I just love kids in footie jammies.

Doesn't she look so toasty warm!?

My little one never wears a dress. I guess that is my fault since I dress her, but she just seems more like a pants kid. Here is my attempt--a jean dress with leggings under it. I still think she looked cute.

Look out Fall, here I come!

2008-09-19T14:54:00.006-04:00

I just LOVE this weather!! It has been comfortable and sunny during the day and cool and crisp at night. Perfect sweater/jeans weather and great for snuggling at night. If only it could stay fall all the time! Of course, I am sure I would get sick of it eventually, but it definitely is my favorite season.

This past weekend Chloe broke through her first molar. She has her 8 front teeth, but nothing new for several months. She has been a real crabby camper the last few days and so I checked her mouth and there was the sharp edges of the tooth! Luckily, teething doesn't seem to impact this kid's ability to sleep or eat.

On Tuesday, Craig and I took the day off and headed to the Big E with Chloe. The Eastern States Exposition is an awesome event with lots of food and crafts and traditional New England goodies. Plus there are lots of animals like teams of Clydesdale horses, goats, llamas, alpaca, chicks and ducks. Chloe enjoyed seeing all the animals and she loves the fair food. Of course, around 2 pm which is almost an hour after normal nap time, she started getting very cranky, so we headed home and she snoozed for about 40 minutes in the car. Not nearly her normal 2 hr nap, but she did fine until bedtime.

Work has been pretty busy lately. On Tuesday, while we were at the fair, one of my coworkers was let go. I was not surprised to hear about it as she was one of those folks that just seemed to take twice as long to do everything, but the work that she was doing is now on our shoulders until we can get a replacement up and running. I don't mind being busy though and luckily my February project is just getting started so I still have the time to work on additional tasks.

Next week, we should finally be getting our wood stove in the family room ready for action, so I can get that room furnished as a play room. Craig has been working on getting a chimney liner for the stove, so once it is installed, we can get a warm fire going. We have a fire place in our living room, but wood stoves throw off so much more heat. We ordered 2 cord of firewood as well so we hope to do some house heating this winter with wood to lower our oil expense.

And of course, I must share some pictures!

Chloe was fascinated by the spaceman suit at the UTC booth

This kid loves her some turkey leg!

Budweiser had their Clydesdales and Chloe thinks horses are cool!

Craig wanted to take the truck of beer with him but alas, he wasn't strong enough.

Peaceful slumber on the ride home

It is Sunday already?

2008-09-14T15:36:00.004-04:00

The weekends just fly by! On Saturday Craig and I had our date night to celebrate my birthday. My parents came down to babysit and we went out to Outback steakhouse for dinner. Since we had some giftcards Craig got from work, we splurged and had drinks and appetizers and yummy steaks. I was so stuffed afterwards, I had absolutely no room for dessert! Then we went to the movies and saw the new movie "Burn After Reading" with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, and Frances McDormand. It was a really good movie. Typical funny ironic humor you would expect from the Coen brothers with a hilarious final scene to end the film. There were some unexpected moments in the movie (I won't spoil it for those that are checking it out), but it was definitely a fun movie.

We really need to plan these date nights more often. It was so nice to go out and of course, Chloe loves spending time with her Nana and Poppa and was sound asleep when we got home. Even Sneakers was curled up on the couch with my mom and perfectly content.

I wanted to post a picture of my current knitting project. It is my first real project so I am sure there might be mistakes, but go easy on me! It is a baby blanket I am making for a girlfriend. Her baby shower is on 10/5, so I want to have it finished by then.

Here is my progress so far. I am about 1/3 done, so I better hustle! I am using a blue/white yarn since she is having a little boy.

The pattern is a simple triple rib (knit 3, purl 3) but it still keeps me paying attention.

Chloe wants me to pay attention to her, so I have to run!!

Only one day until

2008-09-09T16:26:00.006-04:00

my birthday!

Yup, this Thursday, 9/11, I will be 34. Surprisingly enough, I am rather ho-hum about it. I used to love my b-day, I liked to have a party or go out and do fun stuff. Now, I just really don't care what to do about it. My parents agreed to come this Saturday to babysit, so Craig and I can go out for dinner and a movie. I am going to work tomorrow like normal. I am not upset about turning 34. I am actually quite cool about it as I am really enjoying my 30s. I am just not the same party nut I used to be.

Instead, it is very appealing to me to just have a nice quiet dinner and movie with my hubby and some 'snuggle time' afterwards. Of course, I did tell Craig that I fully expect a gift from him. Come on, now I am not crazy!!

Today I am working from home because we had a scheduled Furnace cleaning and they give you one of those lovely appointment windows, like between 8-12. The guy arrived as 11. Working from home with a toddler is a relative term. I have the laptop plugged in on the kitchen island (the only surface she can't reach) and in between chasing her around, I am getting a little work done. I have a conference call this afternoon which is luckily during her naptime, otherwise she would be squawking in the background the whole time!

The weather is really starting to cool down with chilly nights and crisp mornings. The sun is still warming up the day, but now it is only getting the high 70s. I just love this weather. Not sure if it is because my birthday is in September, but this is my favorite time of year. Sweaters and jeans. Leaves turning colors. Snuggling under the covers at night with the window still open. This time last year we had just arrived in CT after a rather traumatic move, which involved throwing out a lot of our personal belongings, packing up the vehicles like the beverly hillbillies and driving cross country with a 4 month old, to stay in a bedroom at my brother in law's. Now I look back and know that it was the right move. We have an awesome house in a gorgeous town. I love my job, my boss, my coworkers, and my commute is easy. It is nice to have the family close by and many of our friends are here too. Sometimes you just have to take the leap on faith that things will get better and they pay off.

Oh, as for the knitting thing, I am getting totally addicted! I am currently working on a baby blanket for a friend of mine. Her shower is in 1 month, so I have a deadline which is good for me. I also downloaded some patterns for a sweater for Chloe and a poncho for myself. Yes, I know... Ponchos seem very 70s, but I found some really cool patterns that I would love and could even wear to work over a turtle and jeans on Friday casual day. We shall see how quickly I can do it (hopefully before it is springtime!). I also found a cool knitting/yarn store near my house and got a great deal on some yarn for the poncho. Hopefully it will look decent. I picked a super easy pattern and I plan to visit my Gram for help on some of the increases/decreases to make sure I am doing them right. For anyone that is interested, I just want to say that I taught myself using a couple books and online tutorials, so you can do it too!

I have some pictures to share. I can't believe I have actually had several posts recently with no pics. I must be slacking!!

This is what we saw this morning right in our front yard!

First I only saw the one, but then she walked over to the side yard and there was her sister!

This is what Chloe did this morning while I logged on to check my work email. Within 5 minutes, all her toys were pulled out of the toy box and then she started crawling in the laundry bin. I didn't snap a picture of her wandering about, chasing the dog with my undies in her hand!

This is what she did after lunch while I was working online. First she was standing on the chair yelling at the birds. Then she went and got a book and sat down to read to herself! She does very well at entertaining herself.

This weekend, she thought it was funny to wear my hat and carry around a little purse. I think she thought she was imitating me.

My little huggie bear.

This weekend she wore this cute little dress we got from a friend. Despite the ladylike attire, she was still climbing into the toy box and causing general havoc.

Just melancholy

2008-09-04T12:20:00.002-04:00

I am feeling a little sad today. Just a few things that have happened that make me not my normal self. First, one of my friends (one of the three jen-amigos-- Craig and his two buddies all married Jens) just had a miscarriage. It was early, the doctors called it a 'chemical pregnancy', but I know, they all hurt the same. I talked with her at length today, hoping to just listen and offer my support since they just started to TTC and this happened.

Craig and I also started TTC too. And that is another reason I am sad. Not this month, I am afraid. Good old AF showed up two days early to remind me that we will have to try again. Don't get me, wrong--I LOVE trying! But I was still sad that it wouldn't be this month. All of us Jens had joked about the fact that we are all TTC'ing right now and wouldn't it be cool if we all got knocked up at the same time too. Well, I guess that could still happen.

My boss Judy's dad passed away on Tuesday. He was in a home and had been pretty sick, but was doing better and they thought he was out of the weeds when he just went to sleep. The funeral is tomorrow, so I am debating on whether to attend or just send my condolences to her home and see her when she is back to work on Monday. I am lucky that Judy is such a great lady to have for a boss. I really feel for her going through this tough time right now.

One good thing is that I started my next MBA class (Economics of Management) and while it is definitely a lot harder than the last class, I think I will do OK. At first I felt a little overwhelmed, but I read the text which really gave me the information I needed and now I am a bit more comfortable in the topic.

I started knitting a baby blanket for my friend Kim who is having a boy in November. I figure, if it turns out nice, then I can make baby blankets for other mommies. If it is crap, well, then Chloe has a new play toy blanket!

Red is bad

2008-08-31T15:02:00.003-04:00

When it is on a baby's bum, it is. This week Chloe got a diaper rash. She has had occasional pinkness, usually after a particularly heinous doodoo, but honestly, we have never had a rash. I credit my cloth diapers and religiously changing her when she is wet. Well, of course, Chloe doesn't do anything halfway. Instead of a regular rash, she has to get one that gets yeast infected. I had to take her to the dr. on Tuesday because her bottom was en fuego. It took three days on the nystatin for it to start to clear, but luckily it is now well on its way out.

Other than the rash, it has been a quiet week. I had a half day on Friday and Monday off so it is a nice long weekend to enjoy. Since Labor day is known for great sales, we decided to finally get a new refrigerator, and while I was at it, I got a new sink and faucet too! The fridge is beautiful! And I got 10% off and free delivery, which makes it even nicer.

It is an LG and is 27 cu. ft of pure beauty!

Tomorrow is a little picnic at my mom's but other than that, we will just be chilling at the house.

I hope everyone has a fantastic labor Day!

I'm a busy bee

2008-08-26T13:11:00.009-04:00

I swear this past week I have been a very productive and busy gal. Last week we had our departmental picnic which was a lot of fun. We all got to leave the office around 11, and had food and drinks (yes, beer!) at a local park. We played beach volleyball, horseshoes, bocci and touch football and got to do a lot of socializing with all the people in our department (Marketing) and our partner department (Product Management). Even better, we got to leave at around 4 pm, so I was able to pick up Chloe and get home an hour earlier than normal.

This weekend, Craig and I packed a lot of activity into just two days. On Saturday morning, after a big breakfast we headed down to Clinton Crossing, which is a premium outlet mall with all the big name stores like Calvin Klein, JCrew, Saks, Tommy Hilfiger, etc. We had a 40% off coupon, combined with the back to school sales and tax free week in Connecticut, we cleaned up! I got two pant suits, a pair of trousers, 4 sweaters, 2 pair of high heels, and a new leather bag. I am all set for the fall and this week I am like a school kid wearing all my new fashions the first week. Craig also got a lot of trousers, dress shirts, ties, and shoes. Chloe was the only one that didn't make out--she just got a pair of shoes at Gap. Of course, this kid has more clothes than both of us, so it is just fine! After lunch and the drive home, my parents came over for a little visit to see Chloe. With gas being so expensive and us being so busy, they haven't seen her in a couple weeks and that is just unacceptable to my mom!

Then, once Chloe was asleep, we put the final paint coat on our bedroom. Luckily in the bedroom, the wallpaper came down so quick, it wasn't as bad as the wallpaper in the living room. I will have to take some pictures to show everyone how it came out!

Then on Sunday, we went for a hike in the Naugatuck state forest. It was a pretty good hike, with a steep incline, but Craig wore Chloe on his back, so I got to take it a little easier. Later that evening, I pulled out the sewing machine and repaired some elastics on my BG cloth diapers.

And then, last night, I started to teach myself to knit. Yup, like I don't have enough to do! However, I am hoping that this will be a relaxing hobby that I can pick up in the evenings after my school work is done and it can relax me while the TV is on. So far, I learned how to 'cast on'. Since that took me a little bit of time to master (I did a whole row just for practice). I started to do a knit stitch, but it was getting late and I was tired, so I will try that tonight.

Craig thinks it is funny that I have one week off between classes (my next class starts on 9/2) and instead of doing nothing and enjoying the time off from school, I am packing it full of other stuff. But then again, that is just me. I want to make sure that I use all the me-time I have to the fullest extent!

We are already gearing up for the fall and trying to prepare for the winter. With the rising cost of oil, we have ordered two cords of firewood (we have a fireplace and a woodburning stove). We have also signed a contract for domestic hot water Solar panels. Because they are so busy, we probably won't get them installed until November, but we are still pretty excited about getting them. They should help cut our oil usage by 250 gallons a year (or more as our family grows) and with oil over $4 a gallon, that is over $1000 a year. The unit should pay for itself in about 7-9 years. Not to mention that it will increase the value of our home and continue to be a cost effective solution for 30+ years.

Of course, I have some fun pictures to share of my favorite muse!

Crawling around on the back porch--her favorite place to play

Enjoying a good book in the rocking chair in her room.

A little snuggling at the end of the hike

Daddy and Chloe trekking through the Connecticut woods

Crossing over the stream

aforementioned stream

My little huggybear wanted mommy at the end of the hike

I know, it looks treacherous, but it really wasn't.

Our trip to Fenway

2008-08-20T20:32:00.005-04:00

For those in New England (and to many outside of NE too!), Fenway is a place of significance and history. It is the oldest active ballpark in the US and has all the charm of a traditional venue located right in the heart of the town, squeezed between city streets. Since 1912, the Boston Red Sox have played here and generations of fans have made the pilgrimage.

Chloe has now joined the history, just as Craig and I have done, as my dad has done and his dad as well. She saw her first game at Fenway park. Unfortunately it was a terrible loss with the score at 10-1 when we left in the 6th inning (at least we got to see Youkilis hit a homerun before we left). However, it was a lot of fun despite the loss.

We left the house at 9:30 and after a quick stop at Dunkin for some iced coffee which they totally screwed mine up (they dumped in way too much syrup and it was like drinking pure sugar, yuk!) we were on our way. We made great time and got to the park around 12:30, which gave us plenty of time to park ($25). It was a perfect day, sunny and warm with a slight breeze, but not humid at all. Our seats were free of charge, thanks to my generous brother-in-law who gave us his season tickets. The seats are pretty good, about 18 rows back from the home dugout behind 1st base.

We brought a backpack with some milk and water and nutrigrain bars for Chloe, as well as dipes and clothes. Sidenote to anyone who is bringing a kiddy to Fenway. There are no changing facilities. I had to put a mat on an open floor area in the bathroom to change her poopy dipe. Oh well... I put her in the carrier and walked around for half an inning during her naptime and she fell asleep, taking about a 40 minute nap in the carrier.

The trip home was a little longer due to some traffic on the Mass pike, but we got home by 7:30, just in time for bathtime and bedtime. It was a long day, but all in all, we had a great time, the trip was well worth the drive and Chloe did really good for being in the car so long and napping in a carrier.

Of course I have lots of pictures, but I will just share a few here. Enjoy!

Craig and Chloe at our seats

At the entrance on Yawkey Way. It is like a party atmosphere there for every game, with live music, entertainers, food and lots of people!

This is on our way out.

Enjoying the game

Me and my favorite little fan!

In the parking garage on the way home.

Near the wall of World Series banners and pennants

the view from our seats

Here comes the weekend

2008-08-15T10:11:00.003-04:00

It has been a good week. Chloe's sitter was off this week, so I took off Monday and Tuesday and Craig took off Tuesday-Friday. Tuesday was a good day with both of us off and we ended up finally painting the bedroom. It looks so nice! Once we finish the second coat, I will have to post pictures. We did it a nice Tiffany blue and we have black stained furniture and white bedding so it looks crisp and clean and really cool. It is so much better than the busy wallpaper that was on the walls before. Now I just need to get some nice frames pictures and accessories to complete the look.

Wednesday through Friday have been Chloe/Daddy days and I really think the time has been good for them. On Wednesday Craig took Chloe and Sneakers on a long stroller walk and then they played in the back yard in the sandbox and on the slide and in the afternoon, he took her in the backpack on a hike in the national forest! Yesterday they played with the Cozy Coupe in the driveway and then they came to the office at 5 pm for a visit and we hung out for a little while to watch some of my coworkers playing volleyball. Who knows that they are doing today, but I think Craig has really enjoyed the time with Chloe and has a better understanding of what it means to spend all day with a toddler! Plus, I think Chloe is getting more attached to her Daddy and that is great for me too!

This Sunday we are taking Chloe to her first Red Sox game at Fenway. We are very excited about the trip and I hope she has a good time. Of course, I will take lots of pictures and I want to see if we can get a picture of Chloe with Wally the Green Monster. I don't think we will be able to make it for the whole game, so I hope they have a good lead when we leave.

Rain

2008-08-11T14:28:00.003-04:00

It is a Monday. I have the day off. It is pouring out. Surprisingly enough, I am not upset about this. This week Chloe is off from daycare, so I took today and tomorrow off and Craig is off Tuesday-Friday. Chloe is part of a medical study on diabetes and she has to get blood drawn every three months, along with other stuff, so today was the blood draw. She does pretty good with it--cries throughout the entire episode, but sits still and is calmed pretty quickly afterwards. So on the way home from the lab, it started to thunder and lightning and then the rain came. Chloe did not see phased by it and when we got home she went right down for her nap. And here I sit on the couch, listening to the rain, enjoying a cup of tea and perfectly happy to not be at work.

I have a million little things I could be doing during the quiet time--tape the bedroom in preparation for painting, clean up the kitchen, dust, clean the bathtub. But instead, I have my new 2009 IKEA catalog, a pack of post it flags and a pen. I plan to slowly peruse the catalog and mark all the things I want to get. It is a wish list mostly, but I have fun with it and it is a good way to enjoy my cup of tea.

This is my last week of the class I am taking and I start the next one the week after. I decided that I had been rather poky with my MBA classes, so I am going to take 4 classes one right after the other and get myself back on track. Also, since my company does reimbursement, but only up to a certain amount, I want to make sure I am getting all my money's worth and maxing it out! This class has been a relatively straightforward one, but I know the next one will be more challenging. So I hope I am up for it!

Only one picture to share today. My in laws were over for a visit yesterday and this is one that Craig's mom took.

The Tantrum

2008-08-07T10:37:00.002-04:00

I thought kids weren't supposed to have them until at least 18 months. So yesterday, we had our first real tantrum. Yup, I am writing it in the baby book. I went to pick her up at daycare and the last couple days she has been such a little walker that she gets pissy when I try to carry her to leave. So I let her walk with me, but that only works when she wants to walk with me.

Oh and did I mention that her new favorite work is NO?

So she is being cute and walking and playing when I get there and I say it is time to go and she says No. I ask if she wants to walk to the car. Noooo. Then I will carry you. NOOOO! I pick her up and she pushes against me, arches back, screaming and kicking. Yeah, 0 to 60 in 5 seconds flat. She continues carrying on like that all the way to the car. I try to put her in the carseat and she arches her back and pushes me. It took me 5 minutes and I had to literally use my body weight to hold her in the seat until I could buckle her in.

She screamed for half of the ride home until she eventually calmed down. She was still a little fresh yesterday evening, but at least not screaming. Ugh, I hope it is just because she is working on a molar because no way am I taking that behavior every time I pick her up from daycare! I talked to Deidre this morning and she suggested that when I come to get her today that we keep it really brief. A quick hi, update on her day and then no asking if she wants to go. Just pick her up and leave. We will see how it goes. Just as long as Chloe eventually realizes that she will not win this battle. :-) Who am I kidding... I am a big wimp. But I must be strong or else I will raise a brat and THAT is not happening.

Oh, I forgot to give Chloe's vitals from her 15 month dr. visit.
24.6 lb
32 in

My Big Girl!

My big girl

2008-08-03T21:02:00.005-04:00

This Friday Chloe had her 15 month doctor visit and both Craig and I took the day off to bring her. They said she weighs 25 lb 9 oz, but I swear she is heavier than that! I think that she is walking now that she will slow down on the weight gain because she is just constantly on the move! She got a shot in each arm, but took them like a trooper and only cried for a little bit afterwards. Her pediatrician also said that she is working on her left molar too, which explains the red chin (from constant drooling and fingers in her mouth). She has been a bit crabbier than her normal happy-go-lucky self, so I am hoping this teething isn't too bad for her. Her doctor also said that she is developing very well and is quite smart given how her vocabulary and understanding is so good. Of course, I think my little girl is just brilliant, but I guess I am a bit biased. ;-)

Yesterday Chloe spent the night at my parents (as well as Sneakers) and Craig and I headed to the Spa at Norwich Inn for Craig's cousin Rob's wedding. It was a very nice place and we had a great time. It is a bit of a drive from the house, so we didn't get home until after 1 pm, but it was nice to be able to sleep in a bit, since my parents dropped off Chloe at 9 am.

Craig has finally decided to quit that tobacco dip and even got the patch to help him. He has been a bit irritable...correction, quite irritable and it makes us snap at each other, but I know that it will not last forever. I just wish he never picked the stuff up, since he worked so hard to quit smoking back in 2002 and was nicotine free for 5 years. I guess since I never had that type of an addiction, I can't really understand. But, I am trying to be supportive because I really want him to quit for good.

Of course I have some fun pictures to share!

We got a Cozy Coupe from a friend at work for free (I love hand-me-downs)

She had so much fun getting in and out and playing with the door.

My little walker!

Peeking at her dad through the rear window

Crazy driver!

In and out

We went shopping at Once Upon a Child which sells new and gently used kids clothes at a great price. I got a bunch of good fall stuff from Chloe and she had to do a fashion show.

Here we have a Gap hoodie, Children's place jeans and Nike Sneakers. $4.50 each!

Cute skechers, embroidered jeans and another fleece--$3.50 each!

And the best--a NY Giants cheerleader outfit. This will be the perfect halloween costume.

She even has the pose down pat.

Beginning and End

2008-07-27T21:44:00.007-04:00

I officially have a toddler. To all of those who commented that she would be putting those steps together quickly were right. Granted, she isn't buzzing around, but she has gone from taking one or two steps in the beginning of the week, to 10 or 15 steps by this weekend. We have officially entered the beginning of her walking phase. She isn't very good yet and is truly the definition of toddler as she teeters and toddles along. But she gets very proud of herself and sometimes will even clap for herself as she takes several steps.

Of course, I have worked diligently all weekend to capture these early steps on film and I was able to get a couple of snaps.

This video is about 30 seconds and shows how well she gets up and down.

This is about 9 seconds and is Chloe going to her daddy.

And with this beginning, we also have an end. Chloe has officially weaned herself. I must admit, I am a little sad about it. Once we dropped down to just a bedtime nurse, she seemed to get less and less interested, probably because my supply was going down. Last weekend, I was lucky if she would nurse for a minute or two before she got disinterested. So on Tuesday, instead of nursing, I let her sip from my water bottle that I have by the bed. It was her first time using a straw and once she got the hang of it she was enthralled. So now, before story time, she has a few good sips from the water bottle and that seems just fine by her.

She just seems like she got so big all of a sudden. I can't wait to see just how big she is at her 15 month dr. visit this Friday. Craig and I both took the day off so we will take her to her appointment and just spend the day together. On Saturday, we have a wedding to go to for Craig's cousin, so it will be nice to have this day off so the weekend is not completely blown.

Last week at work was very crazy with a lot of problems creeping up from our big product launch. I was able to take care of everything, but I had really been hoping for a quiet week to get caught up on everything that I hadn't been able to do during the weeks leading up to the launch. Maybe this week will be quiet... yeah right. Who am I kidding--I feed off the busy, energetic environment at work, so I probably wouldn't know what to do with myself if it was quiet.

Hopefully there is an end to the madness at Craig's work. He has been so stressed over the last few months with the combination of doing his advisor work and doing all the service work that comes past his plate. Well, evidently management decided that he really should be doing advisor work (which is what he loves) and they are passing all the service stuff back to a central office group. I am sure it will take a little time to get his schedule back but at least there is an end in sight to all these 12 hr days!

Of course, I have some pictures of my big girl to share as well!

She loves to stand at the door whenever we open it.

She doesn't go out--just stands and looks.

Chloe and Craig doing a little self portrait. Such serious faces!

Chloe in her favorite tupperware cabinet. She throws all the contents out and then crawls in herself!

One foot in front of the other

2008-07-20T20:44:00.004-04:00

Chloe finally took a step. Without holding on. Granted it was just one step and she wasn't very steady, but she did it back and forth between me and the high chair a couple times (with lots of gratuitous clapping and cheering by Craig and I). So I am officially putting this in the baby book as her first step. I still think it will be a while before she puts a couple steps together and starts walking, since she is still so tentative, but I think we are making progress.

My MBA class is going pretty well, although I had to write a paper and didn't start it until the day it was due (yesterday) so I was writing it all evening, but I emailed it at 11:30 pm. 30 minutes before the due date/time. For the most part, I am OK with the online class format, but most of the people in the class are undergrads (this is a prerequisite that I am doing) and honestly, they just aren't that bright. Oh well. Should be an easy A if I don't screw up.

I am feeling better, although I am thinking that Chloe may have another ear infection. The last (and only) ear infection she had was when I dropped her from 3-4 nursings to 2. Now, I dropped her from 2 to 1 nursing a day and she is acting crabby and grumpy like the last time she was sick. She doesn't really show any outward signs of illness (not constantly rubbing her ears, no fever), but she just isn't herself. I am going to keep a close eye on her and see if she doesn't get better, I will take her to the doctor for a quick check.

I have a couple of tub time photos to share. Tub time is Chloe/Daddy time and I love it. While the two of them enjoy splashing and playing, I can do the dishes, get Chloe's bag packed for the next day and in general tidy up without a 14 month old crawling after me.

We love tub time!

And hamming up for the camera

She likes to make daddy laugh

by making funny faces!

I have to post a picture of my other little girl who likes to spend the evening snoozing on a blanket. Oh the life of a dog!

Cranky

2008-07-12T13:52:00.005-04:00

OK, warning in advance--I am cranky and it's personal. First, I am trying to wean Chloe. Not fun. I have been nursing her morning and bedtime for a couple months now and she is totally cool with that. Well, I have not yet had a period (until yesterday...grr) and we would like to try for #2, so I wanted to drop at least one nursing. So, last week I started dropping the AM feed. Chloe has been a bear. I would bring her into the kitchen for breakfast (quickly walking past my bedroom where I would normally nurse her) and she would kick and scream. Once I start to feed her oatmeal and give her a sippy cup, she would calm down, but getting there was not easy. She has also been cranky in general and even cried on Friday when I dropped her off at daycare.

I am sure the hormonal change has something to do with it, but I have been a bit crabby myself and bloated and not enjoying my first visit from AF. And, let's top off the trifecta--Craig is still trying to quit the tobacco dip, which is making him rather irritable and short. So let's just say our house is not a happy happy joy joy place to be.

This morning we had an argument about what stuff to do this weekend. Then, we drove to get our Farm Share veggie box and Sneakers hopped out of the car and started to run off. Craig is running down the road chasing her, calling her and she is staying just out of reach. Needless to say, he chased her for 10 minutes and then I realized I had some cookies in the car (for Chloe) and we used them to lure her. We were so pissed at her! Bad dog, she was in the street, not listening. Luckily it was a quiet country road. Craig was livid which made the ride home fun. Chloe could sense something and she started to whine and then Craig snapped at her and then I snapped at him for snapping at her. Ugh. We got home, we all calmed down. Chloe was happy, Craig was relaxing, Jenny was making lunch. Life was normal.

So, I am hoping tomorrow is a better day because today has not started out well. Chloe is down for a nap and Craig is mowing the lawn so I am enjoying a little Me-time.

OK, I can't end my post on such a crabby note, so I have some pictures from the 4th of July party at our friends house. Jen always takes awesome pictures, so I want to share some of her snaps.

Momma giving Chloe a little after swim snuggle

My cuddler

Craig and I having some fun with Sparklers

Maggie is a big dog, but she is a good one and so friendly

She is a toothy little girl

Chloe LOVED Maggie and constantly tried to kiss her

Yes, Chloe was puckering for the dog

Unlike Sneakers who plays keep away, Maggie loved letting Chloe pet her

Going in for more doggie kisses!

Despite the face, Chloe LOVED being licked by the dog. It made her giggle with delight!

We survived the weekend

2008-07-07T20:48:00.006-04:00

It was a fun week off and a busy holiday weekend, but we are back to the normal routine today and are no worse for the wear.

On Wednesday we took Chloe to the Beardsley Zoo for the first time. She had a great time and really enjoyed it once she realized what she was looking at. Craig took that day off from work, so it was great to go during the week together since it was nice and quiet. The zoo is a small local zoo, but it was perfect for us to do in a couple hours and it is only 20 minutes from the house. The Bronx Zoo is enormous but I would love to take Chloe when she gets older since I have such fond memories of that zoo as a kid.

On Thursday, I pretended to be a stay-at-home mom and took Chloe to the mall in the morning. We played at the playground in the mall before all the stores opened and then stroller walked around since it was so hot outside. I like getting my exercise in a nice air-conditioned building!

Friday began our busy weekend. In the morning, we met Craig's brother Dale and went for a hike up Sleeping Giant state park. Then after Chloe's mid day nap we headed to the party at my parents house. It was nice to see my family, especially my uncle Bobby who turned 71 on the 5th. He is recovering from cancer but looked good and strong. Chloe was passed around and everyone loves to comment about how beautiful her big blue eyes are. As expected, once you become a mom, no one cares about you--it is all about the kid! My brother in law and our neighbor Ed had some fireworks that they set off and surprisingly, Chloe really enjoyed them. Even the loud bangs didn't seem to phase her.

On Saturday we went up to our friends Dave and Jen for a pool party. It was Chloe's first time in a big pool and while she was a little tentative at first, she got used to it pretty well. She seemed to prefer sitting on the edge splashing her feet. We put Chloe to sleep in her pack n play and stayed late to watch their fireworks. Of course, Craig imbibed a bit too much and when we were driving home, he was pretty much passed out in the passenger seat. We were just down the road from the house when he says "pull over". Of course I did so promptly and luckily he lost his dinner on the side of the road and not in my car!

And finally, Sunday we headed to NY to visit our friends Lisa and Jon who were celebrating their twins 3rd birthday. Unfortunately, due to traffic, we got there late and could only stay a couple hours (since I had to get Chloe bathed and in bed on time since Monday was a work day). But it was still nice to see them all. They just moved back east from Denver also and it is nice to have them only a short drive away.

This morning when I dropped Chloe off at daycare, she looked so sad when I left. Usually she happily goes to Deidre but with a week off, she wasn't so sure. Of course, when I picked her up this afternoon she was a happy little lark as usual.

I have some fun pictures from our week off. I hope you enjoy!

Chloe got a little nervous when I kneeled by the glass near the alligator

She loved the prairie dogs!

She loved the zoo and it was very stroller friendly.

At the top of the Sleeping Giant hike is a stone lookout tower where we took a breather before heading back down.

Craig wore Chloe in our Ergo and she actually fell asleep in the pack on the way down.

She was a little apprehensive in the pool and held on to this yellow squishy ball the whole time.

I think she was telling her daddy exactly what she wanted him to do!

She loves kicking her feet in the pool and splashing.

Our friend Jen hamming it up with Chloe. Maggie the dog also loved Chloe and gave her lots of sloppy doggie kisses!

With that silly yellow ball!

Back in dry clothes and snuggling with daddy.

Oh, she's a tough cookie

2008-07-01T14:33:00.003-04:00

My little girl is very smart. So smart in fact that she knows when you are trying to 'trick' her into walking, when she has already decided that she doesn't want to walk yet. I put toys in her hands and call her to me when she is standing. I walk with her while holding her hands and try to slowly release. I reach out my hand while she is cruising to get her to take just one step. Nope.

She is completely wise to my ways.

And to combat me, she has mini-tantrums.

Usually she will just plop down, shake her head no and start crying. Sometimes, when I go to pick her up, she will even crawl away a step or two to show me she is mad. I will just have to be patient. I know she will walk when she is good and ready. Evidently, ready she is not. She is quite good at pointing out her head and nose and ears when you ask. She can mimic what sounds a cow or sheep make. But for now, she continues to make her moves with both hands planted firmly on the floor.

Right now she is napping and I am enjoying my week off from work. I am sitting on the screened porch as it pours cats and dogs out. I just love a good rain storm...

Swappin' fun

2008-06-29T13:50:00.004-04:00

I got my Summer swap package last week, but didn't post yet, because well, I am always behind! But anyway, here are a few of the goodies that I got from my swap pal Nancy.

I love these festive holiday flips... I had to paint my toes to match!

Matching mommy and daughter hats (OK, this is Sneakers, but Chloe was napping at the time so she modeled Chloe's hat for me). I love the big hat for me--perfect for gardening in the sun!

I love these flower pot covers and I have a couple plants that will look great in them. I also got a great notebook, cute colored mini pens (which Chloe likes to color with when she can get her hands on them), fun post-its and colored flags (perfect for that MBA class I am taking-I can mark up my textbook), and adorable barefoot paperclips.

These are daisy shaped magnet corkboards. They are perfect for displaying pictures of my loved ones on the fridge

This cute ladybug is hanging out in my plant on the porch.

I have to find a better locale for the flag decoration, but I wanted to hang it so I can take a picture of it.

Chloe was finally up and able to model the hat for me!

I want to say thank you to Nancy for the fun swap. I don't have her email or blog, so if one of you can ask her to stop over, I want to let her know I really enjoyed the package!!

I thought summer meant slow

2008-06-21T21:09:00.004-04:00

We have been so busy at work lately that I have had to use the laptop and work in the evenings at home a couple nights. During my fav show--So You Think You Can Dance, too!! Good thing I can multitask!

My foot is feeling back to normal now and I have been religious about removing my shoes when I get home for fear of doing that again, while I am traipsing around the house with my little monkey forever attached to my hip. Lately when I get home in the evening, she doesn't want me to even put her down. I think that Chloe just misses me so when she finally gets me to herself she doesn't want to let go. The last month or two, I have been her favorite thing ever and I can't even go potty without her banging at the door to see me. There is love and then there is the constant adoring attachment of a toddler who is obsessed!

Poor Craig has had a rough week at work. He has just been so overwhelmed and they just keep piling more and more on him and he is at his breaking point. Normally I like to spend the weekends together, but today he needed a little Craig-time, so he spent the day with his buddies watching a golf tourney at the TPC in Cromwell. My parents came down to visit Chloe since it has been a couple weeks since they saw her.

We also got our first box of our Farm Share that we signed up for. Farm Shares, or CSAs-Community Supported Agriculture, are something that I read about on localharvest.org that seemed like a neat idea. We have been trying to be more ecologically friendly (cloth diapers, organic dairy, etc.) so the idea of CSA intrigued me. Basically, locals farms sell 'shares' and you pay one flat price up front and then every week for the season, you get a box of locally grown veggies. You can't pick what you get in the box--it is whatever is fresh and ready that week, but the price you pay (we are paying $350 for 15 weeks or about $23 a week) is well worth it. Today, I got 4 gorgeous large tomatoes (they are luscious!), a huge bunch of basil, a huge bunch of cilantro, 2 large zucchini, a large bunch of white radishes, a large bunch of Kale, a large bunch of chard and a large bunch of leeks. I already used some of the kale for dinner and sauteed sausage, mushrooms and onions with kale. It was delicious! Tomorrow I am using the tomatoes and basil to make from fresh homemade pizzas. I already feel good about how much healthy we will eat this summer with all the fresh veggies, plus it is great to support a local farm. And, it is local grown (so that cuts down on fuel transport costs) and organic.

I have some cute pictures to share. The other day, Craig came home from work and took off his shoes and trousers so he could get on the floor to play with Chloe. Well, Chloe become very interested in his shoes and had to get in them!

Ouch

2008-06-14T11:46:00.005-04:00

I tell ya, much more of these crazy busy weekends and we won't survive!

Friday I had a half day at work as part of our 'summer hours' program which lets each of us in the department have a half day on one Friday each month over the summer. I spent a little of my free time getting a quote on doing solar panels on the house. The price seems worth it so I think we are going to do it. Then I picked up Chloe early and brought her home so we could have a little play time. And when we got home, I sprained my ankle walking downstairs with Chloe. I was wearing heeled sandles and rolled my ankle. I didn't drop Chloe and at first it didn't really hurt. But a couple hours later, I was in agony. Craig taped my ankle and actually had to carry me to the bedroom, I was in that much pain. In fact, I even had to use some of the prescription pain meds I still had in the medicine cabinet to get to sleep and relieve some of the agony. I am doing better now, but it is still rather swollen and sore.

Saturday we had a pig roast party that we went to for Craig's cousin Mark who is getting married in August. It was a nice time and we got to see lots of Craig's family (several of them had not seen Chloe in months) Of course, when it was time to go, the skies opened and it began to pour and we got soaked running (or hobbling in my case) to the car.

Today was a good Father's day, even though we didn't get to go out for breakfast (the line at the diner was too long) so I made waffles at home instead. Craig's parents came over for a visit and poor Chloe not only fell off the chaise and bonked her head, but also got a good bump on her forehead too. She is getting quite adventurous and brazen now that she is climbing into and onto things. We were downstairs in the playroom and she decided she wanted to crawl up the stairs and so she did! Of course, I was right behind her, but she went right up every step to the top.

So I have some Father's day pics to share!

Chloe is one funny kid-she even cracks herself up!

Spending a little snuggle time with Daddy on his day.

The clothes hamper is one of our new fav things to crawl into.

Wearing her Daddy's Girl shirt

Continuing the climbing trend, she likes to climb on the back of the chair and bang on the window in the living room.

Is the weekend over already?

2008-06-08T21:40:00.004-04:00

This weekend was yet another busy one--this time it was Craig's sister's wedding. It was a small affair, but relatively last minute. Nicole and Dane have been living together for several years and have a 2 year old son, but hadn't tied the knot. Last month Nicole said that they decided to get married and they were just doing it at the house. Well a week or so later she called and now they were getting married at Wickham Park, she had a big poofy wedding dress (those were her words) and she wanted Craig to give her away. Nicole has had issues with her mom, which has caused them to not speak for over a year now. Because of that she hasn't really spoken to her dad much either. We would have thought that Nicole would have asked their older brother Dale to give her away, but she was a bit mad at him, so Craig was asked. We try not to get too involved in the family drama, so we were there for Nicole and Craig wore his best summer suit (despite it being 95 degrees out!) and gave her away.

The dinner afterwards was interesting. Dane is Jamaican so the food was good, but spicy and of course, everything takes longer than expected, so instead of leaving at 6:30, we didn't leave until almost 8, which means by the time we got home, Chloe was well past her bedtime and really cranky. Luckily, once we got home and turned on the central air (thank goodness for A/C) and put her down, she went right to sleep and she even made up for it this morning by sleeping until 8 am. This morning we went to the local diner for breakfast and Chloe actually ate a regular breakfast all by herself. This is the first time we have been to a restaurant and she has had her own meal rather than picking off ours. I got her 1 egg, toast and potatoes and she really enjoyed it!

Today was another scorcher at 90 degrees with high humidity, so we inflated the kiddie pool and gave it a test run. I thought Chloe might not like the ice cold water in the pool from the hose, but she loved it! She also loves playing in her sandbox, except for the fact that she still likes to eat the sand sometimes. She is getting closer and closer to walking. She is now standing up on her own in the middle of the floor and she will stand there and look at you, but instead of taking a step, she will just plop back down on her bum and crawl. Soon!

Here are some fun pictures from the last few days.

We got the cutest kiddie chair at IKEA for Chloe and she loves it! She especially likes to stand in the chair. I still haven't figured out how to get her to stop doing that!

Chloe loves her sandbox and last weekend we tested it out while wearing our her new sun hat and glasses.

I was amazed at how long she kept on the hat and sunglasses. I think she knew she looked cute!

This is just a random messy dinner photo. It was pasta and sauce and she had it everywhere. I swear, I think I will just strip her to her diaper for dinner.

She loves her new scooter which also converts to a walker. It is a hand-me-down from my sister and there is nothing better than free toys!

Notice the new patio furniture in the background. Now we have a nice big table and six chairs to eat out on our screened porch.

Men love ponies

2008-05-30T20:04:00.006-04:00

I hate doing posts once a week because I feel like I have so much to catch up on and the post gets so long and confusing. Well, sorry, but I will try to be pithy and see what happens.

Last weekend was AWESOME! It was the first 3 day weekend in a long time where all three days were just perfect out. Saturday was a beautiful sunny day and Craig and I brought Chloe to get her picture taken. They came out beautiful and I am not sure which to post because there are over 100 and they are all perfect. After the photo shoot, we went to Jen and Dave F's house and met some other friends there and had a little picnic. The reason I say Men love ponies is because that is what the guys were drinking. The previous weekend was Jen and Dave M's wedding and we all bought tons of ponies for the after party so there were plenty left over. So while the guys drank their baby beers, we ladies had our full sized girly drinks (Smirnoff ice).

The Pony selection at the picnic

On Sunday, we went to a picnic at my sister's house and I made some bruschetta to bring along. I must admit, I make a pretty darn good bruschetta (patting myself on the back). It was a nice time for the most part. Chloe got quite spoiled being passed around visiting with my mom, dad, my niece Amanda, my sister and my gram. I knew it was time to go when she started getting clingy for her mama. That's when I know she is overstimulated and had enough.

Monday was the best day, in my opinion. We slept in (til 7:45), ate breakfast in our jammies and hung out on the back porch for a couple hours. Then Craig went out to do some yardwork and Chloe and I ran over to IKEA to pick up a few new deck chairs for the porch. Chloe and I went outside to visit Craig and spent an hour just relaxing under the shade of a tree, lounging on the grass. I just love those lazy days.

Oh course I knew that my quiet weekends wouldn't last forever. We just got invited to Craig's sisters wedding which is NEXT weekend. Yeah. She just decided they are getting married. Gotta show the notice, but luckily we are around and we will happily be there. And then the following weekend Craig's cousin is having an engagement party pig roast. Busy busy busy...

Well, enough of me going on and on, I am going to finish watching the Red Sox game and let you all look at some pics of my little beauty queen. Oh, as a side note, who here likes So You Think You Can Dance? I love this show and I am so excited it is starting!

If you want to see them all, just let me know and I can share the snapfish album!

Happy Memorial Day!

2008-05-23T20:33:00.004-04:00

I am so excited about this weekend because the weather is supposed to be great and this will be the first weekend that we can hopefully enjoy the entire time outside. Tomorrow we are meeting our friend Jen who is a wonderful photographer to so a session for Chloe's first birthday. She does such an awesome job so I can't wait to see how these come out. We are doing the pictures at Wickham Park in the late afternoon so I bet they will be great.

This past week at work was a busy one, but I like to be busy. Several of the projects that I am managing are coming due in the next several weeks, so this has been crunch time and making sure nothing falls behind. Plus my boss was on vacation all this week, so I have been on my toes. Today was a special treat because they let everyone in the department leave at 1pm to start the weekend early. Since Chloe was napping at Deidre's, I got to poke around WalMart while I was waiting for her to get up. I picked her up around 3 and when we got home, it was nice enough so we could take Sneakers for a nice long walk. I got a good workout pushing the stroller up and down the hills around our house (but Sneakers was a good little pup and tried to help by constantly pulling on her leash!). Since I had all this free time this afternoon, I even make some homemade baked mac and cheese for dinner and I was just taking it out of the oven as Craig walked in. The smile on his face when he saw it said it all. Needless to say, Craig is a big fan of my mac and cheese.

I have a few pictures to share, as always!

Craig and I at the rehearsal dinner

The afterparty

Craig liked the tux so much he stayed in it all night!

Chloe had to test run the new bikini from Aunt Nicole

She loves to learn against the footstool for the glider and rock on it

Here I come Mommy!!

Happy Birthday Craig!

2008-05-18T21:07:00.003-04:00

Today is Craig's 32nd birthday and he had a nice, relaxing day. I had got him a laptop for his birthday (he got it last month), so today, I tried to make it a nice day for him. He slept in late and then we went to the diner for breakfast. I made mussels for lunch (oh they are so good, steamed with wine, butter and lemon and crusty bread for sopping) and then we tested out our new rotisserie on the grill. We put a chicken on the spit with a nice zesty rub and it was so good. We also watched the Red Sox win another one today.

This past week has been quite a crazy one. On Monday night we noticed a rash on Chloe's belly. On Tuesday morning, I mentioned it to Deidre, her daycare provider, and she said she would keep an eye on it and when I picked her up that evening, it was still there. Deidre said she still seemed happy and eat and napped well, but she did rub her ears a few times and seemed a little warm. Wednesday morning I took her to the pediatrician and it turns out, she has her first ear infection! I guess I should be happy that we made it 1 year without a single visit to the doctor except for well baby checks... She is still doing great and you wouldn't really know that she was sick. I worked from home on Wednesday so she could stay home with me and she was back to Deidre's on Thursday. Thursday night was the rehearsal dinner for our friends Dave and Jen's wedding (Craig was a groomsman). It was a fun night and my parents babysat, but it was a long night. The rehearsal was about 50 miles away, so we did a lot of driving that night.

Friday was the wedding and it was more driving and running around, but we had a fun time. We stayed at the hotel by the reception (Chloe stayed at my parents) and it was the first time I was away from Chloe for the night. The only downside was that I forgot my breastpump (ouch!) but otherwise we partied until 2 am and slept late the next morning. We even stopped at Dunkin Donuts for breakfast on the way to get Chloe and sat leisurely as we ate. It is nice to get out and be just a couple for a little while. We definitely need to schedule some more nights out!

I am glad that all of our obligations are done for now and we have no more parties or events scheduled for the next few weeks. I am looking forward to a couple of weekends of just putzing around the house and not running around. Maybe I can even blog a little more regularly.

Oh, and I got my Spring Sprung swap in the mail this week. Thank you Zoe! I got a pretty pink kneeler and pink garden gloves (perfect for some planting I have to do this weekend). There were several daisy and mini sunflower seedlings and a few little things for my two girls--some chew bones for Sneakers (she LOVES them!!) and a pink toy watering can for Chloe.

Craig, his sister Nicole and little Davin when they were over visiting on Mothers Day

Chloe and I hanging in the backyard

All the trees are budding in our backyard and the stream is still cold but nice to stick your toes in!

Chloe has her daddy wrapped around her little finger

Our friends Dave and Jen--Happy Wedding!!

two down, one to go

2008-05-13T20:17:00.003-04:00

Three weekends in a row, Craig and I have lots of stuff going on. Two weekends ago was Chloe's birthday, last weekend was my Dad's surprise 60th and Mothers day and this upcoming weekend we are going to a wedding.

My dad's party this weekend was another fun affair here at our house. We had about 25 friends and family gathered and when my dad arrived and we all yelled surprised, I actually saw his eyes tear up. We told him he was coming to my house to celebrate mothers day a little early, so he didn't have a clue. When he first saw everyone at the house, he was a little confused but when my sister said Happy birthday after we all yelled surprise, it sank in that the whole party was for him.

Mothers Day was a very laid back relaxing affair. I got up at 7:45 (Chloe even slept in for me!) I nursed her and then went back to bed as Craig made breakfast and entertained Chloe. I got to enjoy my Sunday paper as Craig played with Chloe and then we went to Home Depot for a little shopping. Craig also made lunch and then they gave me my Mothers day gift--a picture frame for my desk and a video cube which he filled with 70 pictures of Chloe. It plays a little digital slideshow and sits at my desk at work so I always have my girly with me. For dinner, Craig's sister Nicole and her son Davin came over. We had a simple dinner and it was nice to spend time with them. She mentioned that she and her boyfriend Dane (Davin's father) are finally getting married. Next month. It will just be a small affair at their house. She also mentioned that their cousin Nate and his wife Kelly are having another baby-due in September. All these changes in the family!

This week is yet another busy one, but I am hoping that after this weekend we will get to relax and slow down. Tomorrow morning I plan to take Chloe to the pediatrician. Craig noticed yesterday in her bath that she had little red dots around her tummy and back. Today we noticed them all over her. She doesn't appear to be bothered by it, but she does have a little runny nose, so I figured it would be best to just get it checked out. This is the first time I have had to take Chloe to the doctor outside of her well baby visits. I have been very lucky to have an extremely healthy kid!

Thursday night is the rehearsal dinner (Craig is in the wedding) and Friday night is the wedding. Chloe will spend Friday night at my parents house and we are staying at the hotel, so this will be the first night I am away from her. I am really looking forward to it, but I know I will miss my little sweetpea!

Here are some pictures from my Dad's party.

My family-seated on the bench from left to right: My sister Eileen, nephew Keith, Mom, Dad (with Sneakers), niece Amanda. Standing l-r: brother in law Nick, Me, Chloe and Craig

Chloe with my aunt Sandy

My dad and Keith

The party girl

2008-05-04T21:12:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was Chloe's big party and it went very well despite the weather being a little less than perfect. It was cool and a little rainy, but we had a great time. We had a pretty big crowd, about 30 people, but Chloe was a trooper and didn't get upset with all the attention. In fact, she rather liked it! She got spoiled, of course, with lots of wonderful gifts. She got tons of clothes, books and toys. In fact, I may not have to do any shopping for the summer with all the clothes she got. Something about shopping for a little girl that people just love!

Friday night and Saturday morning were spent doing a lot of cooking, but it was worth it. I made cupcakes for everyone and a small cake for Chloe to dig into. We also made fruit salad, potato salad, a veggie tray and dip, roasted chickens and (thanks to Sams Club) mini quiche, chips, salsa, burgers and dogs. Everyone seemed to have a fun time. The kids were running around, playing with toys and chasing each other. The adults were playing horseshoes in the backyard (it cleared up and warmed up a bit after everyone got there) and the grams were sitting by the fireplace in the living room.

Chloe did pretty well with her first birthday cake. She started slowly, enjoying the feel of the frosting but once she started to dig in, she made an insane mess! When she was done, we basically stripped her down over the sink, shook the crumbs off of her and put her straight in the tub. Sneakers had a little tougher time. She ate so much people food that everyone was giving her, not to mention all the cake she got off the floor that she puked three times in the living room. Poor dog is still not feeling 100% today either but she is doing OK.

I've got lots of pictures, so here are some of my favorites!

Gotta love the feather boa...

She was tentative at first, so Craig had to show her how it is done.

Oh, this frosting is sticky...

Now she is getting the hang of it!

Yes, the cake is bigger than my head!

No, she didn't eat all that cake. 95% of it is on the floor (and in the dog)

Nothing like sticking your frosting covered fingers up your nose to make clean-up that much more fun.

She was in suger heaven!

Today, the weather warmed up so we went outside to play.

Chloe thinks the grass is CRAZY!!

It tickled her fingers

I just love this big beautiful tree we have in the front yard. It is flowering and just so pretty.

Sneakers was laying beside her, which is unusual, since she is normally running around!

Craig had me get in the photo.

I love that face!

This is the craziest gift she got. Of course it came from her uncle Dale...

Happy first birthday Chloe Simone!

2008-04-29T20:29:00.006-04:00

I can't believe it was a year ago today that Craig and I were in a hospital in Colorado welcoming our wonderful little girl into this world. It has been an incredible journey and in her first year, she has done quite a lot. She has flown on a plane, driven cross country, lived in 3 different places, learned to roll over, sit up, stand up, say Mama, Dada and (my personal favorite) Tickle. She has a smile that lights up the day, big blue eyes that melt my heart and a laugh that is pure bliss.

She is the best of Craig and me and I thank God every day for her in my life. I love every day that I wake in the morning and hear her giggles from across the hall. I love that big smile when I pick her up at daycare and her warm snuggles. I love to nurse her and watch her eyes relax as she gets tired.

This weekend we will have our family and friends over to celebrate her birthday and I can't wait to see her dive into a cake! This evening since it is her real birthday, we let her have some strawberry ice cream and she LOVED it! She started to squeal when the dish was all finished. I definitely have a kid that loves dessert!

Here are some pictures of my 1 year old!

She loves to pull up on things constantly, including me!

I just love those cheeks! She has her daddy's face...

Even though we have 8 teeth, she still loves to put everything in her mouth!

Ooh, a spoonful of ice cream...

I should try and get some stickies on mommy!

If only she knew what I could do with this spoon of ice cream...

Come closer mommy and I will show you what messy is!

Daddy gave me an even bigger spoon to play with.

He is silly, just like me

Come on, don't you want to kiss this face?

Only one more week...

2008-04-21T21:54:00.005-04:00

and then my little baby will be a year old. On April 29th, Chloe Simone will turn 1 year old. Does it seem like a year has passed already? Honestly, it feels like just yesterday Craig and I were taking prenatal classes and getting ready for Chloe to arrive. I was big and uncomfortable and anxious and excited all in one. And now, my little girl is standing and crawling and waving bye-bye and saying "Hi" and calling "Daddy" and "Mama".

She loves to eat everything, especially chicken and carrots and potato salad and rice pilaf and well, everything! She still nurses, but we just started whole milk this weekend. She really isn't a fan of the whole milk just yet, so we are introducing it slowly. Right now, we just replaced one daytime bottle with milk and she still nurses or has breastmilk for all the other times. Neither one of us are in a hurry to wean, so I am OK with letting her tell me when she is ready. I still enjoy my snuggle time with her at night and I can see her visibly relax as she has that bedtime nurse.

Chloe gets curiouser and curiouser each day. Today, she was trying to reprogram the surround system (note to self: I need to move that to a higher shelf). She likes playing fetch with Sneakers (although she doesn't throw the ball very far and then likes to fetch it herself, which is really confusing the dog). She has 7 teeth and is working on #8 for an even 4 on top and 4 on bottom. She is spunky and sweet and loves to scream and shriek with excitement. Needless to say, we don't go out to eat too much, since the ear-piercing screams are sometimes a bit much for the uninitiated diner. I just hope that as she learns to talk, the screaching will cease, because I honestly think I am losing some permanent hearing...

She is by far the best thing that as ever happened to Craig and me. Each time I look at her, I am amazed that this amazing person came from the two of us and that God has blessed us with an angel. We have started talking about when to start trying for baby #2 and will mostly likely be this fall, so they will be around 2 years apart. Part of me wonders if I can tempt fate twice, since we have such a wonderful little child already. I would love for her to have a little brother or sister to have fun with and play with and fight with and all that is great about siblings. But part of me just loves to spoil her. I can only pray that we will be doubly blessed with another wonderful little person to grace our household.

Here are some recent pictures of our little angel in action.

She can now pull herself up on her piano and lift her leg over to sit on the seat.

I just love that smile.

She likes to do headstands--well, to try, anyway...

Those baby blues just sparkle

And a big toothy grin!

Saturday's weather was so beautiful we got to try on our shorts for real!

Look at those sexy baby legs!

Sneakers giving a little love to Craig.

My future Geek Squad member

Evidently she likes a little more bass while we are watching Red Sox games.

My newest love...

2008-04-16T20:49:00.005-04:00

is my shiny new stainless steel dishwasher!! It finally got installed today and I can say goodbye to dishpan hands and a sore back from standing at the sink. When we moved in, we knew the dishwasher needed replacing, but it ended up taking up 2 months to finally get around to it and I really hate doing dishes!

I got to spend an extra half hour sitting on the couch with my hubby because of my new favorite household appliance. (sigh) I am in love...

Meme

2008-04-12T22:12:00.002-04:00

Here’s how this one works…
1. The rules are posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and ask them to read your blog.

What I was doing 10 years ago:
I was 23, I was married (to my first husband), working at the company I am back working for now, and having a lot of fun! I had just gotten my first pet--a stray orange tabby we named Fatso. I had that cat for 10 years and he passed away 1.5 yrs ago.

Five things on my To Do list for today:

1. Do dishes (ugh, my dishwasher is being delivered on Wednesday!!)
2. Go to Lowes to buy a grill
3. peel more wallpaper off in the living room (it is hideous and must go)
4. Do a laundry load of Chloe's clothes and dry her cloth dipes
5. vacuum

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

I would pay off my house, cars, and student loans, and do the same for our parents and siblings. Then I would set aside a nice big chunk for Chloe and possibly look into opening my own business.

Three of my bad habits:
1. I bite my fingernails. Always have, always will
2. I am bossy, especially to my darling husband. Lord knows how he puts up with me sometimes
3. I am a loud talker. I guess I can't find my volume knob!

Five places I have lived:

1. Meriden, CT
2. Rouen, Normandie, France
3. Ashford, CT
4. Thornton, CO
5. Bethany, CT

Five jobs that I've had:

1. High School Latin and French teacher
2. Restaurant manager
3. Sr. Data Analyst for Mutual fund research
4. Annuity New Business Manager
5. Marketing Project Manager

Five people I want to know more about:
1. Robyn
2. Christina
3. Jenny S
4. Annie
5. Mick

Spring--I HEART YOU!

2008-04-12T20:49:00.004-04:00

This week, we have been blessed with some amazing Spring weather that has made me jealous of Chloe being able to play outside all day when I am stuck in the office! This Thursday the weather was in the high 60s with sunshine. It was so nice even into the evening that we opened all the windows in the house and sat out on the screened patio. Well, today was even better! It rained last night, but this morning, the sun came out, the rain burned off and it was in the 70s! We turned off the heat, opened all the windows and totally enjoyed the day.

We spent a lot of time in the large screened porch and Chloe was crawling around, reveling in the awesome weather as we enjoyed the warm breeze while listening to our brook running along the property line. We made a trip to Lowe's and got a pretty sweet grill and a new light fixture for the dining area. Craig made lunch and we enjoyed in on the porch and then, when Chloe went down for her nap, we played with Sneakers in the back yard and did a little yard work.

This afternoon, my parents stopped by to give us a snow blower. My uncle has cancer and so he decided to get rid of his big blower and just hire a plow truck, so we now get it! We all visited sitting on the screen porch which is my absolute favorite place in the world! It is so big and completely screened. The view is great and the sound of the brook is so relaxing--I just know I will be spending a lot of time this summer out there.

Chloe is becoming quite the little stander. She is pulling her self up on everything. She has mastered the ability to plop back on her butt, so she is quite good at getting up and down. Today, for the first time, she let go with both hands and actually stood alone for like 2 seconds! She was clearly not steady, but she is very brave and keeps trying! I swear she is trying to learn to walk for her birthday party at the end of the month.

I went to Baby Gap and picked up a few cute summer clothes for her that were on clearance and I can't wait until she can wear them. I tried a pair of shorts on her to make sure they fit and she kept looking at her bare legs and touching them, like she was surprised to have pants that didn't cover her legs! I guess it has been a long winter...

Well, I have a few pictures to share of course!

My mom and Chloe having some fun together.

There is something backwards about this. Shouldn't the baby be in the highchair and the dog be begging from the floor?

Hey dad, I took care of that paperwork you left here. It is all done!

Chloe loves her Sunday paper.

And then when she is done with the paper, she likes to head out to the patio to play.

Up and Down!

Happy Anniversary

2008-04-03T20:16:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was our 3 year wedding anniversary. It is hard to believe that we have been married for 3 years because the time just flies and we still feel like newlyweds sometimes. Although I guess having an almost 1 year old helps to put that in perspective!

We didn't really plan anything since it was a Wednesday, but Craig surprised me. I came home from work with Chloe and he was already home. He had stopped at the grocery store and picked up scallops, which he wrapped in bacon and broiled for an appetizer. He made a salad and rice and had chicken cordon bleu for dinner. And he even picked up a pint of my favorite Ben&Jerry's flavor for dessert (Phish food). He had a sweet card for me as well. He is such a sweetie and it was just what I wanted for my annivesary--extra time with my love.

My other baby

2008-03-31T20:57:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I feel bad because Sneakers doesn't get nearly as much blogspace as she used to since Chloe came along. However, Sneakers is still a very important member of our family and I figured I needed a post dedicated to my little puppy girl. She is really enjoying the house, much more than staying with Craig's brother. I think that is mainly due to the fact that there isn't a mean kitty lurking around every corner trying to swat her.

On the weekends Craig has been taking her for treks in the woods behind our house as well as letting her run like a crazy pup around the yard. We don't have a fenced in yard so we can't let her run unsupervised, but she does love to frolic out there. Eventually it would be nice to contain the yard so we can let her come and go more on her own, but for now, we have to keep her from escaping! She, along with the rest of our family, is eager for the warmer weather to arrive so we can start really enjoying the screened porch. Today it is raining and foggy and rather depressing looking out, so when I got home, even though she had been cooped up all day, she balked at going out in the rain.

She is a very good big sister to Chloe as well. She is always watching her and if Chloe is in her crib and cries, Sneakers is the first one to run into her room and sit by her crib.

Of course, I have pictures to share! Here are my little girls...

Don't we look alike?

Snuggling by the fire

Snoozing on her daddy's lap

Sneakers is carefully watching her little sis play

Look at those little feet! Sometimes I am amazed those little feet can hold her up!

Ooh, a cracker! Chloe just loves crackers and Sneakers loves the crumbs! They have a symbiotic relationship--Sneakers picks up when Chloe drops.

Happy 11 months!

2008-03-29T20:55:00.006-04:00

Today Chloe is 11 months old and we are in the home stretch before she is officially a 1-year-old. Easter went pretty well, only some minor drama between Craig's mom and sister, but otherwise dinner went well. Craig, Chloe and I went to church in the morning and it felt good to go. I hadn't been to an actual service (not counting weddings) in a long time and it was nice to be there. Chloe did great and sat with us throughout the entire service.

It has been another busy week, mostly for me because work has been very hectic. In fact, one day Craig was actually home before we got home and that never happens! Chloe is starting to pull herself up now and has done it a couple times. She is still working on standing, that skill is still developing, but she loves to try and get up and down a lot. It's like her own little baby olympics.

Today is also Craig's dad's birthday. So this evening we went up to their place for dinner. Chloe just loves her grandpa and she had fun squealing and laughing with him on the floor as they played hide-and-seek. Because we are an hour away from their place, by the time Chloe got home and in bed and asleep it was well over an hour past her normal bedtime. I am just hoping that maybe that will mean that she will sleep in a little tomorrow, but probably not.

The last couple days I have had a bit of an unhappy tummy, meaning I have had to stay close to the bathroom, if you know what I mean. I am not sure what caused it but it isn't something I ate, or else it would be over and done by now. I don't have any other symptoms like headache, fever or even stomach cramps. Just basically, everything is going right through me. I even weighed myself this morning and I was 4 pounds less that last week, which is just not right. I am trying to drink plenty of water to keep from getting dehydrated and I am eating just fine so I hope it will pass soon.

Craig and I started to look into the possibility of getting Solar panels for the house. There is a huge refund credit here in CT for them, so the state is basically paying for half of the cost of putting them up, plus the utility company will buy back unused power from you, so you could break even on the cost of installation within 4 years. I also like the idea of being more green. I have been trying to do that in my own little way--recycling, cloth diapers, organic foods. So using a clean, renewal energy would be pretty nice. We still have a lot of investigating before we decide on anything, but we are seriously considering it.

Chloe has been growing like a weed and I can't wait until her doctor's visit to see how big she has gotten. She isn't really chubby, in fact, she is relatively trim, but she is long. Here are some pictures of my little weed!

Chloe in her easter dress waiting to head out to church

Come on Mom, I am ready, how 'bout you?

I love all this attention! Nana, Poppa and GreatGram all over me!

Here she is playing with a present from aunt Nicole

She knows how to work a smirk!

I get a well needed break from cooking.

Opening another present on easter. I know, the headband is silly, but it was a gift so we had to try it on. Surprisingly Chloe didn't seem to mind it.

This is what Chloe likes to do while I cook dinner after work. She is my little musician.

I just love that smile

Hey, you lookin' at me?

Helping Grandpa celebrate his birthday

Enjoying a ritz cracker at Craig's parents house.

Has it been a week?

2008-03-22T16:24:00.006-04:00

I have been a bad blogger and I haven't posted all week! This has been a fun week for us. On Monday Craig was home from work while our new washing machine and riding lawn tractor were delivered so he picked up Chloe early from daycare and she got a some undivided Daddy time. Then on Thursday they had an Easter Egg Hunt at my office. All the folks in my department that had little ones got to bring them in and they had baskets and plastic eggs filled with goodies and bunny ears and everything. Chloe got one egg and was plenty fascinated with just that one, so the hunt pretty much ended there. But she did have a lot of fun and it was nice to see all the kids and for all my coworkers to meet Chloe.

On Friday, I worked from home and Chloe had lots of fun playing with the tupperware cabinet and chasing Sneakers around the house. This weekend should be interesting because we are having a whole houseful for Easter dinner. We are planning to go to church and then I am making dinner for my parents, Gram, Craig's parents, his brother Dale, sister Nicole, her fiance Dane and her son Davin. I promise pictures to come, because we have the cutest little outfit for Chloe to wear to church.

It took Chloe forever to get her first tooth and when it came, it came in 2. After breaking her first two bottom teeth in January, another teething hiatus when about 2 weeks ago one on the top came through. And just the other day, we noticed the other top tooth AND two more on the bottom. The poor kid is cutting three teeth at once! This past week she has had some pretty icky diapers and has a bit of a rash and now I know why. Hopefully her system will get back to normal and her little tushie can recover.

The house has been coming along pretty nicely although we still have some stuff to take care of, like a dishwasher (looks like we will just have to get a new one) and pulling down some wallpaper and painting (but that will most likely happen in a few weeks when it starts to warm up).

Craig has started studying for his next CFP exam. He had a really good meeting with the director at his office that told him that he has some great potential to be an advisor in another year or so, so Craig wants to get the CFP rolling and hopefully have it finished in another year. She told him that they will most likely have an opening for another advisor and if he were interested, she would rather keep it open for him in another year than hire someone. Over the past 6 months he has been working with 2 advisors and has been super busy. Finally they decided to pair him with just one advisor (one that keeps him busy enough on his own) and I think he will definitely like being able to focus on just one advisor.

Things are going well for me at work too and my boss keeps giving me more responsibility and assigning me to more and more important projects. I really like what I am doing and I love being busy.

Of course I have some pictures to share, as Chloe is always Miss Photogenic!

Craig was letting Chloe play with the remote and she loves it!

Chloe is getting pretty good at standing on her own against the coffee table.

At first all the kids at the Easter Egg Hunt were a little overwhelming for Chloe, but she eventually got used to them and had a good time.

Aha, you sneaky egg...I found you!

Now I must put you in my basket.

Ooh, there is something in this egg!

And stuff in the basket too! Especially goldfish..I love goldfish!

I better hold my egg to make sure no one takes it!

A little snuggle time with mom

Ah yes, I love the tupperware cabinet!

I love to take everything out and throw it around

Look mom, I am all done. Now you can clean it up!

Meanwhile, my little virtuoso is off to play with her pianos while I pick up her other mess!

Hello Dell

2008-03-15T11:39:00.003-04:00

This week our shiny new Dell laptop arrived and it is a wonderful new toy. It is so nice to be able to lounge on the couch at night and check emails, blog, and surf. Work has been getting busier and busier and it is nice to be able to decompress on the computer at night.

I had a 1-1 meeting with my manager and she said I was doing a great job, picking things up very quickly and she even told me that if she went on vacation for a month, she knew that I could do her job in her absence. It made me feel good that I am doing well. It is a really good job and I am very lucky to have it. I have a laptop, so I can take work home rather than stay late and since my hours are flexible, I can always be on time to drop Chloe off at 8 am and pick her up by 5 pm. It is just the two hours between 5-7 at night that are crazy. I pick up Chloe, get home, take the dog out, make dinner, feed her, change my clothes, get her bath ready and get her ready for bed. Lately Craig has been working really long hours and doesn't get home until 6:45-7, so he gets to see Chloe in the bath for 15 minutes and then she goes down for the night. I sometimes feel like a single parent because those couple hours are so stressful, but it is hard to blame him because I know he is working hard.

Chloe is doing great at daycare and now when I drop her off, she happily goes to Deidre without a tear and she is playing and smiling when I pick her up. She has become a little pro at crawling and is now trying to stand up. She is almost there, so I wouldn't be surprised to see her completely upright in another week or two. As for nursing, we are still doing it, but she is still biting me. I watch her like a hawk and pull her off as soon as she is done, but she still likes to drag her sharp teeth over me. I think because she gets a bottle at daycare and she can bite on that nipple that she forgets she needs to be gentler with mommy. I am definitely committed to going to a year at least, but I am hoping she gets over this phase, because it does not feel good!

We just got back from Lowe's where we picked up a new washing machine (the one that came with the house is really old and doesn't spin the water out very well) and a nice lawn tractor. I think Craig is already excited to tool around on it and start mowing!

I have a few more pictures to share. Now that I am working, I really have to get better at taking pictures every day!

She is getting pretty good at getting the legs straight but she hasn't been able to pull her top half up on a chair or table yet.

Oh, and she needs help getting back down too...

Craig saw a bunch of deer the other day and so last night at around 7, he took Chloe outside for "Deer watch"

He is convinced we live on a deer run and that he will see them again. Chloe was not so sure, but willing to humor him.

The master crawler. She loves that silly hat. I think she knows how cute she is in it!

Mornin' Monday

2008-03-10T21:47:00.003-04:00

Today I was back at work and luckily I am feeling a lot better than I was last week. I am still taking the antibiotics and I still have a little lingering ick but I definitely feel 100 times better than I did on Thursday. It was a surprisingly quiet day at work today, which was nice because I was able to get caught up and had some time with my manager who is normally also really busy because she too had a quiet day.

Chloe transitioned on daylight savings time pretty well and even though I had to wake her up this morning, she woke happy and rested and she went down tonight at her correct bedtime. She has been a bit crabby lately with teething, but the hardest for me has been the tough time she is giving me while nursing lately. I have been truly blessed to have been breastfeeding for 10 months now with very little trouble. Well, lately, she has been a naughty little nurser. Mainly, she has been biting and pinching. Yeah...ouch! I tell her no and she starts to cry and get mad and she tried to pinch me more! I am hoping she is just going through a phase because I really want to make it to a year and longer if she wants. I think it is just her teeth are really bothering her and she is trying to treat me like she does her binky and mommy just can't take that kind of abuse!

This weekend we went to Ikea and got a bed for our bedroom. I love it!! We are going to go back and get the matching dresser too. I can't wait until we get the wallpaper removed and that room painted, then with our new furniture, the room will be perfect! We are still waiting to have the weather dry up a bit before we paint, it has been so rainy here lately. But once that room is done, I will be eager to take some pictures and show it off!

I only have a couple pictures to share--I know...bad mommy...

Craig took this picture because he thought Sneakers looked little.

I love looking out the glass slider behind Chloe and watching the brook in the morning while I feed Chloe breakfast.

My spunky little monkey just loves to eat

This kid hasn't found a food she doesn't love!

Then again, Sneakers hasn't found a food she doesn't love either!

Strep

2008-03-07T14:15:00.002-05:00

As the title says, I have a lovely infection called Strep throat. Tuesday evening I came home and felt a little chilly and achy. I was hoping it was nothing, but I was feverish and has the chills most of the night. I went to work on Wednesday, but barely made it through half the day. I left at two, picked up Chloe and we both went home and took a two hour nap. Now my throat was swollen and it was painful to swallow and I had a sinking suspicion I knew what it was.

Thursday I dropped Chloe off at daycare and I went to the walk in clinic. The nurse who examined me knew immediately it was strep. I was out the door in 15 minutes with my penicillin and I went home to take it and get some rest. I had to stay home from work today too because technically I am contagious for 24 hrs after starting the antibiotics, but I have a wicked headache, the throat still aches and I feel generally crappy, so it is a good thing I am not at work.

I did drop Chloe off at daycare (it is nice to be able to rest and recuperate and know that she is cared for and not surrounded by my germies). However, on the way home, I stopped at Target and I picked up a wireless router. Wow. I love it.

It took me not too long to set up and now my work laptop and my desktop are both wirelessly connected to the internet. I also ordered a laptop from Dell for Craig's birthday (it is in May but he is getting it early!). It is so nice to be able to snuggle under the covers and rest and still be able to surf the internet. Almost makes my recuperation a little faster! ;-)

Chloe is doing great and is starting to try to pull herself to a standing position now. She has done it a couple times in the tub, which seems to be her testing ground for new skills. She still likes to stand on her tip toes and that seems to make her cry, but if I flatten out her feet then she seems happier. What a silly girl. I can't believe her 1st birthday is next month. I have to start planning it soon.

A chance to breathe

2008-03-02T20:02:00.007-05:00

For anyone that has moved before, which is probably all of you, you know that the first couple weeks is crazy. You try and unpack but usually you just unpack enough to live and then slowly over the next few months, get through the rest of the boxes. You find all the little things that need fixing and you figure out what the right temperature to set the thermostat at or how fast the oven heats up. It takes a while for a home and its occupant to get to know one another and that has been what we have been doing over the last week.

The moving day went fine and over the past week, we have slowly gotten more and more unpacked and are starting to feel the groove of the house. We even had our first real guests last night--Craig's sister Nicole and her little boy Davin came over for dinner. It was cute to see Davin (age 2) playing with Chloe. He is a rambunctious one and she was really marveling at his antics.

There is still a lot of unpacking left to do and we still have rooms that are unfurnished, so I regret, but no real photos of the interior of the house. I promise as soon as each room is at least somewhat decorated to put up some lovely shots. But of course, I have exterior photos and some cute shots of Chloe. Who, by the way, just turned 10 months old. And cut her third tooth (as I noticed this evening).

Man, life happens fast.

Work is going really well. I like what I do, who I work with and for, and my boss is very flexible which makes life much easier. Since I am salaried, I don't punch a clock but I have a laptop so if I need to leave to get Chloe and I have more work to do, I just bring it home and do it in the evening after Chloe is in bed. I am already working on several big initiatives at work and I love that I have so much responsibility so quickly. Nothing is worse at a new job than just sitting around bored stiff. Not here. Since I was a 'known commodity' at the organization, they quickly put me into the middle and told me to run with it. Every day I see a new face that I hadn't seen in years and they are all so genuinely happy to see me. It is really nice to have that kind of reputation at work.

Chloe has finally started to get into her own groove at daycare. She still cries when I drop her off, but according to Deidre, she quickly settles down after I leave. She is eating well, napping well and towards the end of last week, she has been playing happily when I come to get her and in no particular rush for me to pick her up. It makes life easier to see her getting comfortable and relaxed in her setting. I am also very pleased with Deidre as her caregiver. She is getting lots of wonderful attention, interaction with a sweet little 18 month old (as well as Deidre's 9 and 14 year old sons after school). Chloe has a separate room to nap in, so she has been able to take nice long naps which is so critical for a little one as active as she is!

Sneakers seems to be adjusting OK to me being gone all day, although she is always waiting anxiously at the door when I get home so she can go potty. The only neighbor we have (we have state woodlands on the other sides of us) has several dogs in their fenced yard, so Sneakers loves to bark at them when she goes out. Hopefully she will eventually chill out and not go bonkers every time!

So, enough about what I have been up to. Here are some pictures!

Here she is. A beautiful brick ranch on 1.5 acres in gorgeous CT

Our lot goes all the way over to the trees (which are state preserve so no one can build there)

We have a huge over-sized two car garage with plenty of room for both vehicles as well as lawn mowers, tools and toys!

This is the side yard looking into the back yard. Yes, there is a play house/tree house back there. I can't wait until Chloe is old enough to enjoy it! Along the left side of the picture, in the woods is a brook that borders our property. It is great because it sounds so nice, just the quiet and a babbling brook.

Here is the brook, which is what our street is named after.

This is the back of the house and we have a huge screened porch. I can't wait to use it all summer long!

Here is Chloe enjoying her first bath in her very own tub (yup, we have our own master bath, so Chloe has her own bathroom!)

She just loves bath time!

Here she is in the living room playing with her daddy's hat. Sneakers likes to sit on the back of the chair, looking out the front picture window, trying to find squirrels.

Chloe and her cousin Davin playing together.

Chloe loves this piano toy we got as a hand-me-down from my sister. Gotta love free toys!

Craig was helping her. Sneakers was just there for moral support. We have quite the budding virtuoso on our hands!

We are in our new house!!

2008-02-23T20:52:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know that we closed on the house yesterday (despite a lovely winter snowstorm!) and we moved our stuff in today. Of course, the house is a chaotic mess, boxes everywhere and I don't know where anything is, but eventually it will look better!

Tonight is the first night in almost 6 months (since August 30th...) that Chloe will be sleeping in her own room and we will be in ours, all alone. I feel like a newlywed (even though we are both exhausted from moving all day!).

I promise to post some pictures of the house soon.