I'm dreaming of a white { puke } Christmas...

We enjoyed the sounds of the UCC choir & children's choir last night. We sang Christmas carols galore & my heart was so full of happiness having Will right there with me trying to sing. We carried the Christmas festivities over to this morning and made it to the Christmas Parade on Main Street. I like living in a little town, we still have a Main St. & thats about it. The cousins' joined us, I pulled Bailee & Will in the red wagon & we waited for Santa.


This was moments before I picked Will up because he started crying & then proceeded to projectile vomit all over me & the sidewalk. Like the most puke I have ever seen come out of a little human. Poor bubba. It was so awful. He turned white as a ghost. We packed up & headed out. I just got out of the bath & a shower & think I still smell more.
I hope we don't have a repeat when we go visit Santa later this week!

Merry Christmas!!

I had to share our amazing Christmas card from Shutterfly! I LOVE Shutterfly!!!
You should go order yours if you haven't yet! It is December 1 and all = )

Merry And Bright Christmas Card

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a vent of sorts.

I should be beaming, through the roof: Will sleeps from 7-7 consitantly, one thing I thought I would never count on. But I'm in a rut. I lost it at Crossfit this morning. 4 minutes into our workout & I started crying. Whaaaat? I promptly sat on a stack of weights with my knee throbbing after every thurster & burpee I tried to do. Just when I get in the grove of things, thinking I CAN really do this running thing, I get shoved on the ground. 1 step forward, 2 steps back. & want to know how I did it?

an 'effing HANDSTAND. Well more than one, you see I got a little cocky & started doing them anywhere, anytime. (This was right after we got back from Mermaids for dinner at my parents house...I even took pictures off the wall so I'd have room = )
Anyways, I needed to blow off some steam. I can't run now, had to back out of the CIM this Sunday. Time heals all, right?

Thankful.

A few days late with the Thanksgiving day post. But I guess that just shows how we are so busy & that means we are constantly surronded by people who love us = )

Turkey Day as awesome this year. I love this time of year. My heart could explode with the love I have for the Fall & Christmas time. We started off the morning with my 10K Run to Feed the Hungry which was awesome! This has been my goal since June & I DID IT! I ran 6.2 miles in 1 hour 7 mins. I had tears in my eyes when I crossed that finish line because for once, I had accomplished something I had set my mind to. It was so invigorating. & I get to do it all over again on Dec. 3 for the California Internation Marathon (running the relay: 5.8 miles!) For a girl who could barely run a mile 4 years ago, this is a huge accomplishment.

We then headed to my father-in-laws BEAUTIFUL house (where we got married) & joined my family & Eric's fam for dinner. (This was after I googled "Is McDonalds open on Thanksgiving?" I was pretty sure those 6.2 miles were going to be the death of me around noon & I hadn't eaten....yes, I ate a cheeseburger = )
Dinner was great, being surronded by the ones we love was even better. I'm sure the highlight of everyone's night was when I got my camera out to take a picture of everyone at the table & went to sit in the circa-1800's antique chair which had a pillow on top, but no bottom & fell right through = ) But thats what family is there for: to laugh with you, not at you!

Its amazing to think that last year I had a 3 week old & this year I had a toddler crawling & walking & hanging from the foosball table. Time is so precious & for that, I am thankful.

all the fun things Will says

A much needed update on what Will does & says! So Will's favorite word is "Ball." Hands down. He does use it only when appropriate though. For intance, we were walking past a trunk that had a huge bag full of soccer balls (think circa 1990's AYSO) & he shouts "Ball," well it sounds more like "Baaaaaaa," but I'd like to point out that a it is NOT the same sound a sheep makes according to Will. He will tell you what an elephant, duck & horse sounds like. The horse is my favorite. I was frantically making dinner to a screaming babe when I said, "Just hold your horses," & without skipping a beat I hear Will's horse-clicking sound. I almost peed my pants. Sunday morning I came downstairs and Eric & Will were watching Horsepower TV on the Speed Channel, I picked him up (Will, not Eric) & asked if he had fun watching Horsepower TV not even thinking about it, & sure enough, I got the clicking sound!! It makes me melt everytime knowing that what I've said to him has rubbed off & his little brain is working! Per Eric's request Will can make the sound of a racecar. Another favorite is whenever he sees himself in a picture or sees another baby, he says "Baby," which sounds a little more like "baba." He will walk up to Eric's laptop, point & shout, "baby!" (Maybe he's indicating he wants a sibling!? I'd like to think so!)

I'm sure I could bore you with more stories of my perfect kid, but I'll leave it to that. Eric dug Rockband out of the closet & has been playing since 6:30. I have some butt to kick!

i think its safe to say...

I have a pregnant mama all the way in Alabama asking for blog updates. talk about motivation because as you know...you don't mess with pregnant ladies = )

I think its safe to say that Will sleeps through the night. so many times before I've posted those exact words & its come to haunt me at 2am. So I've waited to actually make it known to the world. It was literally the night of his 1st birthday. He must of got the memo that he was a big boy now. Well ever since November 2, with the exception of I think 3 times (where I had to change his jammies because he soaked through) he's slept 7pm-7am. I'm so thankful because alot of you know what an awful sleeper we've had. I kept thinking oh he'll STTN when he's 4 months, then it was 6 months, 9 months. By then I'd given up! But you've never met an adult who wakes up in the middle of the night for a milk bottle, right?! I wasn't into letting his cry it out....he sleeps well, he just would get up for a bottle. I realized around 9 months I could keep a can of formula upstairs & use the sink to make a bottle (yeah it took me that long!) Last week I finished the last can of formula upstairs & have yet to buy a new one because he hasn't been eating in the middle of the night. Thank you Lord!!!!!

Will is almost walking! SO exciting as I think of all the fun places we can go without having to worry about crawling on the yucky floor. He's taken 6 or 7 steps by himself & is getting more confident. I'd like to think by Christmas we will have a walker. Thats about all the exciting updates on him but I'll leave you with a few of my favorite pictures from our session on his 1st Birthday! Enjoy.

so much more than a baby book

At this rate, I think Will's baby book will be done by his 10th birthday. I thought I'd scrapbook every moment: first smile, tooth, crawling, words. I should of re-evaulated when I failed to scrapbook a single page of our wedding. **sigh** Blair, over at Heir to Blair had bought a baby book for her son. It was a more fill in the blank type of thing. I thought about it & decided I would be a loyal scrapbooker. Ladies & gentlemen, I have 3 pages of Will's scrapbook completed to date: The day we found out we were pregnant complete with a picture of my pregnancy tests, another page of ultrasounds & then my baby shower. Thats it. As most mama's know, time is precious. WELL I finally gave in & ordered my Baby Book from Edna Mae & I'm truly IN LOVE. This will be my go-to baby gift for new moms. I think its so important to be able to document all of those memories but also have a stylish, scrapbook-like look. You are able to add pictures & all that fun scrapbook stuff but the pages are beautifully detailed with inscriptions & have a fun print. I got the Chocolate book with the Modern boy page design. Thank you Edna Mae for such a great product!

just call me martha (or paula or ree)

I know I'm a week early, but I just put my very first Turkey in the oven....actually Will was the first turkey in my oven *bwwhahaha* (I couldn't resist sorry.) Despite cheating by using a Reynolds oven bag, Pepperide Farms stuffing, canned cranberry sauce & having my momma make sweet potato pie, I think its going to be an epic meal. My girls group, a group of 7 of us that have been good friends have set aside a day a month for girl time - free of whining babies & husbands alike. I asked Eric why he didn't get together with his buddies & do a Thanksgiving guys' night, the response: "OH yeah Jason I'll be sure to bring the green bean casserole." I guess it just doesn't work with a group of guys who lives' revolve around surges of testorone via tractors, race cars, & Playboy. Anyway, can't wait to share this relaxing Thursday night with the girls & enjoy some good cooking.

I'm excited for the upcoming seasons. Thanksgiving kicks it off next week: while you are sleeping in, I'll be lacing up my hot pink running shoes, shoving my thunder thighs into running tights (remember, its like running naked) & heading to Sacramento to run in the 17th Annual Run to Feed the Hungry - along with 60,000 people who wear turkeys' on their head. My sister and I set the goal of running the 10K this year which is 6.2 miles so I feel as though it will be well deserved to induldge later that afternoon. I informed Eric that we would be putting up the Christmas tree up on Friday after Thanksgiving. He was excited to get the lawn decor & Christmas lights up because our neighbors down the street started last week. He told me there will be a complete Santa scene on our roof (SO tacky) but whatever. This is coming from the guy who lent his buddy a generator when the power went out over our entire town just so he could keep his Christmas lights on. (You could see a glow halfway across town of their house, it was quite a site)

LOVE Shutterfly!

Christmas is coming!! You know what that means....the enfamous Christmas card plastered with my freaking adorable son. Well SHUTTERFLY...I love you. Last year we sent out Will's birth announcement from Shutterfly. You can't go wrong with them. Excellent customer service & you can even pick up prints at Target. This summer, Jamee & I made a slideshow DVD for big Will when he left for West Point. Shutterfly provided an excellent template & fun music & was here in 2 days. I think everyone cried.

Since there are about 800 different designs to choose from for Christmas cards, I need to start picking now...& SO DO YOU!! I might use THIS, or MAYBE THIS, ooooohhh but I LOVE THIS TOO!

Go check out all the the beautiful designs for yourself HERE.

Wow this made me realize that I really have NO idea which design I'm going to use...decisions, decisions!

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my favorite day.

So this is what a 1 year old looks like! (Thank you to Michelle from Moments to Remember!)

Will is one. It has a rhyme to it doesn't it? If you were to ask me about the best day of my entire life, it would be the day Will was born. My wedding went right out the window on November 2 (sorry honey!) I could tell you play by play exactly what happened that sunny, crisp Monday morning (but I won't.) I'll leave you with my life was changed forever, in the best possible way.

We celebrated this past Tuesday with our family. It was a beatiful day. We jetted up to Yuba City where Michelle from Moments to Remember Photography captured our little family. I love knowing that when I look back on these pictures, I will be able to recall that day so well. It's funny how pictures can tell such a story. Both of our families came over for dinner & "dirt" for dessert on his real birthday. The grandparents were beyond generous & our house is turned upside down with toys. I think we might need to buy another house just for Will. Yesterday was party day & had all of our closest family & friends over. It was soooo much fun. I cannot thank everyone enough for celebrating with us!

eat. run. love.

I've never been a runner. I cringed since 6th grade at the thought of running. I got out of PE by befriending all my teachers. Then I weighed 220lbs. WOW. (cannot believe I just wrote that!) Okay I didn't really weight 220 - Will weighed 10lbs. of that. & by the time I left the hospital I was 190. & I stayed there until September. I've been doing Crossfit at DAC since April & LOVE IT. But the scale wasn't showing me the love. I knew it was my eating. I still had the mentality that I could eat anything I wanted whenever I wanted (& let me tell you that will NOT be my mantra for my next pregnancies)Show I started Weight Watchers. I lost 8lbs. That was a start. But do I really need middle-aged ladies pointing a finger at me when I gained .4 of a pound? Its definitly un-motivational. Not to mention dropping $40 to step on a scale for 3 seconds 1x/week? I decided to try on my own & have been pretty successful since quitting Weight Watchers. I started at 190, I'm now at 176. I was 172lb. when I got pregnant. We are makin' progress folks. K, now back to running. I still suck at it. But I really enjoy it. Crossfit helps with my running & running helps with my Crossfit. I ran the farthest I've ever run last week: 4.5 miles. My goal is a 10K on Thanksgiving morning & then a leg of the CIM Marathon which will be about 7 miles. Next year I want to run the Nike Women's Half Marathon in SF. Its fun to meet & surpass these goals & I love seeing the results on my body.

pumpkin patch.

Let me give you a little background on our luck. We re-scheduled our engagement pictures twice because of the rain & then it ended up raining on the day we picked, but we stuck it out. 2 days before our wedding we had the worst thunder & lightning storm N.California as seen in years. The morning of our wedding it was cloudy but somehow by 4pm the sun we peaking through. We decided to take our nephew to the Rivercats game & it POURED - in the middle of September, don't think its rained since. & most recently: we decided to head to the Pumpkin patch on Sunday. You guessed it: it rained = )

It was a lot of fun though. We met up (for about 4 minutes!) with Laryssa & baby Jack. This was not the way I had envisioned this post to go, but I had to as I came across these pictures! Laryssa & I have a bond that is so awesome from sharing our first pregnancy together. It was amazing to share the entire journey of starting to wear maternity jeans, to first kicks, to eating 4 pieces of chocolate cake at a wedding, to waddling around downtown Davis about to pop!




The pumpkin patch never seems to fail me, even if its raining. I think a make-up day is in order so we can stay a little longer!

& this coming weekend we have Will's first birthday pictures. outside. & its supposed to rain.

milk(shake) drunk.

I don't get a whole lot of "me" time. I kind of threw the towel in the day we got home from the hospital. We are constantly on the go. School, gym, MOPS, playdates, Grammys. The days cosume me & before you know it, its 7:15pm. I love our hectic life because it reminds me how we are constantly surronded by friends & family. The list of to-do's is constant around here: cleaning, laundry, picking up, dishes. I really enjoy my role as a stay at home mom, because I have some sick form of OCD where everything has to be perfect before I go to bed. But last night, I didn't do a thing. I sat. Completly mindless. Watched House. I knew Will wouldn't make a peep. Eric even went to In-N-Out for me & got a chocolate milkshake (I had two fillings & my mouth hurt!) & maybe some french fries.....
It was so nice letting go, leaving the house a disaster, taking a moment (or 2 hours) for myself. Just what I needed.

Now off to clean our entire house = )

doula.

I like these one-named posts.

Okay so I didn't want to jinx myself & write about this last week. But I'm ECSTATIC to say I can write about it now! This is ALMOST as cool as getting accepted into a RN program.

The hospital here in town has a top-notch Birthing Center. After Will was born, I have not gone a day I don't think about my birth story. & of course the hospital plays a HUGE role it that. I started volunteering there once a week: pretty simple stuff - filing, making charts, tearing down charts, delivering food trays, running specimens to the lab, etc. I loved it, but my heart was behind those closed doors where you can hear the vague screams of laboring moms. My sympathy for their pain, my joy for what their lives' were about to come. The unit secretary had told me I should look into the volunteer doula program if I wanted to be behind those doors. Coincidentally enough, American River was offering a 4 day intensive workshop through DONA (Doulas of N. America). So back in June I went to the workshop & loved every minute of it. I loved hearing that your birth can have a profound impact on your life forever & that I really wasn't crazy because I thought about November 2 every day since. A doula is a person who recognizes & respects everything about birth and recognize that this is going to be a key experience in a mother's life.

So the hospital here has a volunteer program like I said. I e-mailed the coordinators thinking, "shoot who wants to be a doula, it can't be that popular." Well apparently close to 100 people were interested in 20 spots. So when the application came this is a tiny bit of what I wrote:

I want to be a doula because I believe that every women should have a strong support system behind her during labor. Whether I am the key labor support person for a laboring mom or I am a warm body in the room to provide encouragement & reassurance to Dad, as a doula, I can make a women's labor a positive experience. I feel as though I was extrememly mis-informed on what a doula was when I was pregnant. I envisioned a 60 -something Jewish women chanting to me while I screamed for an epidural. I'm often told I have an old soul, but being 23, I feel as though there is a younger group of women who need to be informed about the support a doula can provide. I know I cannot pick & choose the moms I work with, but I think I bring a breath of fresh air & can provide excellent physical, mental, & informational support for the parents-to-be.

Well apparently they liked my shout-out to the 60 year old Jewish women because I just learned today that I was one of the 20 picked!!!!!

More to come...I have a sleepy head waking up = )

bar.

I swear this is not a fair represenatation of our life.

Last Friday I went out with Kaeley & the sissy Rosalind. It was a much needed girls night. We went to PF Changs for dinner & decided to go to a few bars in downtown Sac in hope of finding Kaeley a husband. We wander into Streets of London where I show the bouncer my Visa card instead of my ID & then we head down the street to Hamburger Patties.
I'm not quite sure why this is my luck, but we begin to look around while sitting at the bar in Hamburger Patties and realize that the guys all look gay. The bartenders are practically ignoring us...so weird. So I whip out the iPhone...google "Hamburger Patties," & sure enough I get a review on Yelp about it being one of "Sac's hottest gay bars." Sorry Kaeley.

Ok so fast forward to Saturday morning. Eric, Will & I are sitting on the couch & I begin to tell Eric about out night: "Well we walked into this bar, " & before I can go any farther with the story, Will looks up with his big blue eyes and says, "BAR." Clear as day. Mind you besides babbling constantly & saying Mama when he is tired/needy, this is the first real word. Go figure. I tell my sister in law & in between her laughter, her response is, "You guys are so NOT bar people!!"

So.not.fair. but it sure makes an excellent story = )

kelle.

I want to share with everyone a blog that I adore beyond words. Kelle Hampton writes "Enjoying the Small Things," she is an incredible photographer & always writes the such inspirational blogs. From her daughter Lainey's birthday party to lounging in PJ's all weekend to the birth of her daughter Nella who was born with Down Syndrome & they didn't know, she has such a way with words. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE start here and read this:
Nella's Birth Story.
I don't know whats wrong with if you your not crying tears of happiness afer that = )
After that you can check her daily updated blog at kellehampton(dot)com.

I love reading her blog every night after Will goes to bed. Its become a routine. It brings me back to the important things in life & really makes me cherish every single moment of every single day.

Just thought I'd share with ya'll.

word.

I suck at this blog thing. Its like a I have baby or something. I lay in bed every single night with a flood of ideas to write about & then I sit down at my computer & stare at a blank screen. I finally started putting notes in my handy dandy iPhone 4 so I have a few topics lined up! I suppose to we will start with the inevitable attention whore-ish update of my incredible handsome son. & then we can move on to ME.

Will is 10 months. 10 FREAKING MONTHS OLD. 2 more months & he will no longer be a baby. We will have a toddler on our hands. His toothless smile is no more. I begged him to stay all gums & I would buy him dentures around the age of 3 but he didn't listen. Every morning I walk into his room & stare at piercing blue eyes has he jumps up & down in his crib & realize my little baby is growing into this handsome little boy! He is still as sweet as can be with quite a voice. He loves screaming at the top of his lungs just because he can. He sqawks "mamamamamamamamamama" whenever he wants something & his favorite food is bananas. Did I mention he crawls? Everywhere? He is a crawling machine. He really only likes to play with things that are not his toys like the cabinents, vaacum cleaner, the outlets, the bookcase, the TV clickers - the norm. My life literally changed in a matter of 2 hours when he figuredo out to move those legs. Its so fun wathcing him conquer new things...this is probably my favorite stage so far. Its so fun to watch how proud he is of himself.

As for myself, I currently have a sore throat & nasty dry cough because the newly graduated high school seniors in my beginning Algebra class (graduation requirement, FML) egged on the highly austistic kid (bless his heart) to blow the chalk off the overhead & slam the erasers together during our 5 minute break. & guess who sits in the front row?
I applied to two RN programs last week & have to wait until November to find out if I was one of the lucky 30 students out of 2000. I sat on my couch & hugged my applications for about 10 minutes while I had a long talk with God. I then proceeded to kiss them before heading to the post office where I begged the postmaster to put an extra stamp on for goodluck (he told me I needed to trust his scale) Anyways cross any body part you can & pray I don't have to wait 3 years to get accepted!

I have a new current obession: running tights. Yeah I know I'm fat but it feels like you are running naked. & I LOVE it. I'm trying to get this running thing under control. Will & I go about 3x/ week. I'm hoping to run a 10K on Thanksgiving morning: next will be a half-marathon (ya right).

I promise to be a better blogger. More to come this week. xoxoxo.

my first mother's day

Its been a great day so far & I'm thouroughly enjoying all aspects of being a mommy. I woke up at 7am, not to screaming, but to a Starbucks Mocha on my nightstand. (which was followed by giggles as I jumped in the shower) Next I was able to see some adorable new babies at the Birthing Center. I headed home & just left the nail salon with my sister-in-law for a much needed pedicure as I approach upon my last 3 days of school!!

rough nights & even rougher mornings.

Will was up every.single.hour last night. This is one tired momma. I have no idea what is going on. He is such an inconsistant sleeper. I cannot wait for school to be done so we can keep up with a regular schedule & he can have the comfort of routine. Without looking in mirror this morning, I buckled Will in the carseat & hopped in the car & drove all the way to drive-thru Starbucks in Davis. Simple laziness - yet well deserved.

our life in a nutshell.

So I was upstairs laying in bed, finishing the last of my 5 games of Words With Friends (find me! Will'sMomma) & I hear Eric stumble & Fisher Price music galore begins to play. He jokingly says how a choo-choo train got in his way on the way upstairs. As he is crawling into bed he promply stands up to find a 2lb. pee-pee diaper from earlier that morning in his spot. He tosses it on the nightstand.

Thankful Thursday

Before I met Eric & before I got pregnant & before I became a mommy......the girls & I looked forward to Thursday. No, not to blog about what I was thankful for....but Thirsty Thursday. awwwww, how the times have changed. It started in our driveway on Sunset Dr. with a BBQ, rum & coke, & pink softball mits. We played softball on Thursday nights & along with softball came alcohol. lots of it. Well a might indulge in a glass of wine tonight but Thursdays are now to blog about this incredible life we live. What am I thankful for today? I'm thankful for these two guys
but thats a given. I'm thankful that there are 3 more weeks of school left. I'm thankful that I'm not pregnant. I'm thankful that I have an amazing sister-in-law who makes me go to the gym 3 times a week with her. talk about accountability. I'm so thankful that everyone in my life is healthy, happy, & has a job. I'm really thankful that Will slept from 7:30-4:30am the other night. What are you thankful for?

Can you hear me Blog? It's me, Fiona.

I'm BACK. Okay for reals this time! I re-arranged our spare bedroom so it has more of an "office" feel as well as making room to utilize it as a play room for Will. I WANT to blog, I want to share our life, the ups, downs, the calm between the storm, but somehow the past few months have slipped away from me. Whats new over here? mmmmm not to much....Will is about to turn 6 months old, I have 5 more weeks of class left, & I've been making it to the gym at least 3 days a week...& I've gained 5 lbs, dinner rarely gets on the table these days, our backyard is full of dog poop, my car hasn't been washed since Will was born, & laundry has piled up on our un-made bed. But everyday seems to get better. Its funny how priorities change when you have an infant pulling on your hair & sucking on your arm. I wouldn't change it for the world. Everynight when I rock Will to sleep I look as his little body laying across my lap. I remember when he barely made it across my chest. His little legs are all the way on my thighs & his 12 month sleepers are getting small. I have 3 huge bins of clothes he has outgrown but I think he is in a holding pattern on the weight gain. It seems to have slowed since 4 months. I have so many things to write about so I promise to be a good blogger from now on. But for right now I'm off to Crossfit so the hotel allows me by the pool in Hawaii = )

like losing a friend

Okay well not quite. I did it. I deleted Facebook. There was no drama, no threats from the husband. Just too much on my plate. I constantly found myself wasting all day stalking friends I haven't seen since I wore that ugly blue cap & gown & drank beer behind haystacks. As if school, work, volunteering, being a wife, housecleaner, cook & oh ya...taking care of that monkey of a 5 month old wasn't enough. Facebook needed to come last but somehow the day before huge exams I found myself "oooooing & ahhhhing" over Kaitlyn's baby bump or Amanda's little girl Sienna. SO here I am....blogging for the first time in months & you will find me over here a lot more now. Wasting time. & I know you want to be updated with Will pictures so need not worry, that will happen on here as well = )

wouldn't have it any other way.

We have successfully made it through our first night away from Will. I dropped him off yesterday afternoon with Grammy (my mom) & Grandpa. They told me to have a wonderful night & not to call....but they PROMISED to text me updates. I didn't have a single ounce of worry in my body when I left him there. There is something comforting knowing your momma - the one who raised you, loved you, is taking care of your baby. I came home & we had 3 hours until we had to leave. I sat around our completly quiet house, missing the giggles, cries, screams, & diaper changes. Its funny how even when those moments seem stressfull, I wouldn't change our life for anything. I realized how much Will brings to our life: love, busyness, chaotic at times, joy, & how he seems to fill every single minute of everyday. Around 7 we got ready & headed to the Cecil's for Brian's 60th Birthday. I told myself I couldn't drink much because I wanted to enjoy my night of sleep & couldn't ruin it with a hangover. One beer & an 1.5 hours later we were home. It was a beautiful party....LOTS of people & good company but I wanted nothing more than to sit on our couch & relax. I made it the whole time without talking to my mom & dad thanks to my Dad's hourly text updates! I was alseep by 9:30 & I NEVER thought I'd say this, but I missed getting up in the night & seeing Will's face. I mean I slept great, but it made me realize how much of a routine I am in. I was up at 6am like clockwork & on the phone to Grammy telling me everything went great. It was a wonderful experience but definitly don't plan on doing it anytime soon!

today is a new day.

Yesterday was not a good day. For starters, Will had to go to the pedi because he's had a nasty cough & then I noticed all these white spots on his tongue. Well Dr.D our regular pedi was all booked up so I had to see someone else. I got to Sutter and got called back. I learned we would be seeing a 2nd year resident. fine. So he comes in checks out Will & we are talking & I mention how we started oatmeal cereal about a week ago. (By the way he weighed 17 lbs. 4 oz!!!!) He immedietly started questioning me telling me I shouldn't be doing. (This was ok'd by Dr.D the week prior.) He goes to get his attending physician to check out the white spots & she begins to question me regarding the solids. I mention to her I'm not trying to take an easy way out but when my child is up every 2 hours to eat 6-8 oz. every night I know he's starving. She goes on to tell me that this is a "behavioral issue." I lost it the minute I walked out the door. Bawled my eyes out in the car & to Jamee & to Eric when I got home. Not what a new mother, trying her best wants to hear.

After I got home, Eric watched Will & I left. I got in my car. By myself. The 22 second drive to Bel-Air wasn't long enough. I walked slowly to Starbucks. This was something a hot mocha could fix & boy did it taste good. I walked to the grocery store & took my....sweeet.....time. Who knew I would run away to the grocery store to be alone!?

favorites.

So when I became a mom I immediately found the things I love & the things I don't love. Who really spends $45 on a 14x14inch piece of fabric? Apparently I do. He already has a special bond with his Little Giraffe blankey (or I'd like to think he does.) Is it really neccessary to spend $3.99 on Boogie Wipes? I certainly think so -they smell oh so good. Certain other blankets we use around the house: I got 3 million of them as gifts & yet I go through the same 4 because of their ubber softness, cuteness, & ability to scream "I'm a boy." Nuk pacifiers: because Soothies look ridiculous. Johnnson & Johnson Nightime bath - I'm pretty sure my parents' used J&J & I still have 10 fingers & 10 toes. Driving all the way to Sacramento to get Pampers Swaddlers in size 2-3 so I don't have to give in to the yucky feeling of Baby Drys' yet. Pampers Sensitive wipes NOT the "thick" sensitive because those one's smell like old beer. Of course my beloved BOB stroller...I think it speaks for itself. On-the-go meals for myself are a must these days & I'm currently obsessed with the Healthy Choice Pasta strainer ones: so yummy! And what got me to write this post: I bought a pair of jeans from babyGap that were lined with flannel. Its like cheating; Will thinks he's wearing sweatpants but he looks 10x cuter because they are really jeans. Well my huge child grew out of the 6-12 months & I went back for the bigger size. Of course they stopped making them. So at 1am last night I got on eBay. Oh eBay, I swear you can find anything. Sure enough, my favorite pair of jeans for the boy for $4.99. Can't beat that. (although I did pay more for shipping then the actual jeans.)

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complete.

Shortly after Will was born my mom asked me if I ever thought I could love something as much as I love Will. I never knew I could have so much love for one human being. I thought my wedding day was the happiest day of my life & I thought I couldn't possibly love anything as much as I love Eric. Eric's best man said in his speech, "You think today is the happiest day of your life, wait until your baby is born." I knew it would be an exciting day but I never fathomed how it would change me forever. Just when I think I cannot love him anymore, I pick him up, squeeze him & I just want to hold him all day. His smile makes me melt, he's the happiest baby I've ever met (I'm dreading have more because I know they will never be this easy!), & I'm so happy how my life has changed. The beer bottles have been replaced with milk bottles, the drunk late night munchies have turned into late night feedings, & our Saturday nights out have turned into going to sleep at 8pm! But I would never in a million years trade my old life for this life. I can't wait for what our future holds as a family & I'm so grateful for the 2 boys in my life. They complete me.

People actually read this!

THANK YOU JESS! Jess over at Nurse Momma nominated me for the Beautiful Blogger Award & I'm truly flattered!

So here's how it works...

Here are the rules for the award:

~Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.

~Copy the award and paste it to your blog.

~Tell us 7 interesting facts about yourself.

~Nominate 7 bloggers that you love and link to their blog.

7 Pretty Sweet Things About ME!

1. I love being a SAHM but cannot wait to be a nurse.
2. My entire dad's side of the fam lives in England.
3. I go to Target almost everyday.
4. I tore my ACL standing in the lift line snowboarding = )
5. My husband thinks I eat at least 5lbs. of chocolate a week. I'm obsessed.
6. Glee is my favorite show on TV.
7. There were chickens walking around my wedding reception.

My nominations:

Jill, one of my closest friends over @ tillforever.blogspot.com
Alissa of Molly & Mommy @ mollybrynn.blogspot.com
Morgan over @ the818.com
Blair over @ theheirtoblair.com
Ashleigh over @ ashleighandshaun.blogspot.com
Amy over @ justanothermomday.blogspot.com (SUPER yummy quick meals!!)
Julie over @ farberfam.blogspot.com

I don't know how this happened.

I'll let you see it with your very own eyes. I got on the scale this morning & this is what is said. Thats right....10 more lbs. & I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I have no idea how this happened. I started eating Lean Cuisine for dinner the past 3days & thats the only thing different I've done. I'm going to count my lucky stars & keep doing what I'm doing!!! SO EXCITED....hopefully I'll be down to 150 by the time we leave for Hawaii!

formula monster.

I feel like the little ceramic pig that sits on our counter eats our formula on a nightly basis. I just went to the store to buy a big can & bam its almost gone! I then stop & remember that my 3 month old weights 17 lbs. ***huge sigh***

a few of this momma's favorite things.

The best Christmas present. ever. Thank you Eric. I use this every single day & LOVE it. I used to hop in my car every morning on my way to work or school & stop at Starbucks. Not only is it saving me money, its saves me calories! (No more mochas!)

Anything Bumble & Bumble! My sister works at an amazing salon & always brings me these products. My current fav is the brand new b&b Mending. Smells amazing & works wonders on unruly hair (I see a give-away in the near future!)



This sheet saver is so practical. If you have a crib bumper you know what a pain it is to wash the sheet! This is great for babies who spit up alot. (& it looks good - you can still see your original bedding!)


Will's current favorite toy! He laughs & smiles everytime he sees this guy!! He plays music & Will loves to chew on his legs.



My sister in law recommended this bath seat & we love it. Will can sit in it now & really likes sitting up in the bath! Its great because most bath seats suction to the bottom of the tub & can become a safety hazard - this one hooks over the side of the tub.


Oh the Woombie. A great swaddling option for little houdini's who break out of regular swaddles. YES it makes your child look like a jelly bean but it does a great job!

the birds & the bees

Happy conception day(s) Will!!
I couldn't resist to share this.....approx. 1 year ago this happened:



to create this precious human being:


Hope I didn't scar any of you too much = ) Have a great week!

I've fallen off the bandwagon (& can't get up)

I gave in & about 1.5 months late I'm joining Blair from Heir to Blair & her McFatty Monday quest to lose the baby weight. I'm serious about looking hot in a swimsuit (note how I put swimsuit NOT bikini!), I'm serious about not wearing yoga pants that go 4 inches over my belly button to hide my fat, I'm serious about waiting to buy a pair of jeans until my pre-preggo jeans fit, I'm serious about wanting to run longer than 5 minutes, & I'm serious about being healthy if Eric & I are serious about trying to get pregnant next winter = ) SURPRISE! I hate getting out of the bathtub because starring back in our huge mirror is this person I barely recognize. I shut my eyes, grab my towel & wrap it as tight as I can around myself. As if stretchies on my stomach are not enough, the batwings on my arms & the triple chin adds just enough to motivate me. Enough with the self-pity party & on to my plan: I would LOVE to be able to afford Nutrisystem but that is out of the question so I will try my best to eat healthy, re-start taking Alli before each meal & CONTINUE to run/walk everyday. ALSO added hopefully sometime tonight will be "BEFORE" pictures. I plan on taking them monthly so I have something to look back at as well as proof to you so you can hold me to it!

"there is only one happiness in life...to love & be loved."

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentines Day....+ 3

Grammy & Grandpa offered to babysit Will while Eric & I went to dinner tonight. Its so funny how my life has changed.....I would so rather sit at home on a Saturday night with my little family of 3. So the pot roast is in the oven...Sydney is coming to spend the night & "Cupid" is all ready to make an appearance while everyone is sleeping. (Will made Daddy a construction man teddy bear at Build a Bear!) Will is ready to sport his "Mommy's Valentine" shirt to Church in the morning & heart shaped pancakes are a must! Its a day to acknowlede the ones you love, a good excuse to wear pink & an even better reason to turn everything into hearts!

let me tell you 'bout my best friend....

I caved in & bought Sophie the Giraffe. The girls on the Bump all rave about her so I got one. Definitly worth EVERY penny! Will is in love with her!

flying high

I thought I'd share his room since we waited until about a month after he was born to finish it!

vacation=huge success

We spent last weekend in Lake Almanor with Jake, Jamee & Ben and Brent, Laryssa, & baby Jack! It was such a fun time & I'm proud to say it was so much easier than what I had been anticipating! Thank you SO much to J&J for sharing their beautiful cabin with us. So here's a summary of the weekend: We were a 4 car deep caravan on the way up which made for fun when we stopped to feed the babies. It was beautiful in Chico & we sat on the tailgate to soak up all the Vitamin D we could!

After a 2 hour drive from Chico to Almanor without so much of a peep from Will (I would look back & he was just looking around outside at the trees & the snow before falling asleep again) we went over Aunt Lexi & Mike's cabin next door where Laryssa & I started on a few glasses of wine. Probably wasn't the BEST idea since I haven't really taken to drinking since Will was born. Everyone began to arrive & we had a wonderful dinner with amazing friends & family!



So Brent & Eric went back to our cabin & set up the Pack n' Plays. We all went back to our cabin & the 3 boys had matching PJ's!!! Ben was SO EXCITED!

Will went down around 9:30pm. He was an awesome sleeper: slept until 3:30am then again until 7:30am. The next morning was awesome we hung around & a big group went snowmobiling while we all stayed back. A few chick flicks, mimosas, Bud Lights, & Bloody Mary's (I made it through about 2 sips of mimosa) later we took the babies outside for their first time in the snow! SO CUTE!



Sorry for the picture overload - I just thought it might be better than me rambling on about our weekend! Last picture is of the Daddy's feeding the babies while we were cooking dinner. priceless. Anyways, great trip, made it 3 hours home without stopping. I feel like Hawaii will be a piece of cake. Can't wait for July!

blast from the past.

Okay, I cannot stop laughing. I just found this picture on my Photobucket account. It was about 4 summers ago up in Lake Tahoe. Let me set the mood - family vacay & after about 7 shots I stole from my Dad's handle of Jack Daniels later around 12am, my sister, & cousin Chris sat & watched as I turned all of the chairs set up for a wedding ceremony backwards (facing away from the lake). I honestly did not remember this until I saw the picture the next day & walked down to the lake to see the staff turning all 300 chairs back around. priceless. just keepin it classy ya know = )