Ready for Church

Here are my little cutie pies all ready for church. Andrew was trying to hide from the camera, but I still caught this shot. (o:

Shopping with 2 kids

So, shopping with two kids has been fairly uneventful. Andrew is much better behaved at stores than he was a few months back. This is generally what the shopping cart looks like with Madeline up front and Andrew in the back. The only real exception to uneventful shopping was last week. Just as we were arriving at Costco I looked back and noticed Andrew had started to doze off in his carseat. I insisted that he wake up (I know mean mom, but it was 5 in the afternoon & not a great time to take a nap) and put him in the back of the cart. Next thing I know everyone passing by is giggling and I realize that Andrew is snoozing in the middle of the cart sitting up and literally bobbing around from side to side. I tried relentlessly to wake him up and finally decided I needed to invest in some new pillows about the time he bonked his head on the side of the cart and then the other side of the cart. (I hope you are picturing this!) So, I went and picked up a pillow and Andrew snoozed happily for the rest of the shopping trip. (o: Good times!

Day at the Boardwalk

We spent an exciting day in Santa Cruz on Saturday. Andrew got to ride his first ride at an amusement park and play his first video game (not on the Wii). He loved all the driving games and insisted that we didn't help him steer, so he pretty much took out everything in his path on the way to the finish line. Oddly, he never came in last. He had a great time and we enjoyed a nice day in the sun on the beach!

Happy, Happy, Happy!

Madeline slept for EIGHT hours straight last night! Can we say, "HOORAY!"? Hooray!!!

Update coming soon...

It's 11 PM and I really need to go to bed, but check back soon for an update.

Pic of the day

Diet Advice Please!

Sometimes I wonder why I wasn't able to maintain my nice healthy college weight and as I devoured FOUR Cadbury caramel eggs for lunch today I realized why! So, here are my reasons, it all started when I moved to Manhattan:

1. I eat when I'm stressed. In NY I was ALWAYS stressed and working out after a long day at an awful job was near impossible, especially since going to a gym meant a very long hike before and after the workout. Now, with two kids and the worries of life, I also always have a good amount of stress. I don't believe stress can be eliminated!

2. I have no self control when chocolate is involved. If I make 2 dozen cookies, they will all get eaten immediately. (girl scout cookies are the worst!) Or if I buy cadbury eggs to satisfy my sweet cravings for a week, they last for a day instead. Is it possible to not make cookies or not buy chocolate? If I limit the amount I buy, will I make up for it at some point and eat 4 dozen cookies in a sitting? What can I do?

3. Snacks are also a problem. While I was pregnant I ate fruits for a lot of my snacks, which is why I was able to keep my pregnancy weight gain way down. Now, I eat bread. Bread for every snack is a bad, bad choice, because of all the carbs, calories, and the butter added in for major additional fat content.

4. When I'm in a hurry, I stop somewhere to grab fast food. Although, I may pick a healthy item on the menu, there still has to be a better alternative for when time is limited!

5. Is it ok to blame bad genetics?

6. Lastly, there is ALWAYS an excuse to not work out. I couldn't go when I was pregnant, because I felt awful. I can't go now, because Madeline isn't old enough to go to childwatch at the gym. Then there are the excuses of being too tired, Andrew's too tired or sick, Tom worked too late for me to go after he got home, and etc...you get the idea. I need motivation to get there!

So, please please help to inspire me to find ways to get back to my healthy college weight. I know it won't be an easy task, but it needs to happen. I watch the biggest loser to inspire me, but sometimes it's just depressing, since the contestants get to concentrate 100% of their life to losing weight while they are on the show, but I have to make it work in real life.

PLEASE help! I really want everyone to respond! You can send me an email, if you have too much to put in the comment section!

Happy Baby!

My little girl got her shots yesterday and has been a little sad since then. I am so happy to report that she is finally smiling again!

Things I am Grateful for Today

Life is good. The weather is amazing and I feel the need to post about things that make me happy right now:

1. A sweet little baby girl who actually likes to sleep. She is already sleeping for 5-6 hours at night, which makes me a little less tired! 2. My anemia seems to be going away slowly but surely

3. My appetite is back after having so many aversions during pregnancy (ok so my appetite may have come back with a little too much force, but that's a post for another day)

4. We are almost completely unpacked. Now we just have to hang pictures and curtains.

5. Tom is way less grumpy and way more willing to help around the house now that Madeline is sleeping better at night. (not that he was the one that normally got up during the night (o:)

6. I love that Andrew is able to communicate better and better everyday

7. I also love that Andrew is becoming a little less shy. This was especially apparent today when we went to a stranger's house and Andrew immediately followed a 5 year old to his bedroom and started playing with all his toys and didn't want to leave when it was time to go. (there's no way he would've done that 6 months ago!)

8. Tom has a job and he enjoys it!

9. I have wonderful and supportive friends that I can call anytime when I'm having a tough day.

10. Last but certainly not least, I have an amazing family that is always there for me!

THANKS everyone for making my life a little easier!

Andrew adores his sister!

We are so happy that Andrew has adjusted so well to having a sibling. He loves his little sister so much and we are so grateful for that! Today in the car Madeline was crying and Andrew was doing everything possible to try and make her happy. It was so cute. Andrew finally ended up sticking his finger in her mouth to suck on which made Madeline very happy and Andrew thought it was the funniest thing in the world. (I was surprised when I figured out what all the giggling in the backseat was about!) We love our kiddos!

Luck of the Irish

Dual Purpose Infant Items

I thought I ought to compile all of Andrew's silly pictures into one post. I am grateful Madeline doesn't mind sharing her things, since Andrew seems to enjoy playing in/on all of them. He also loves to crawl in the crib with her anytime I put her in there. I just hope he doesn't break any of our much needed infant toys and other necessities!! Silly kid!Infant Bouncy seat
Infant Bath Tub
Infant Car Seat (for babies up to 26")
Baby Swing

You can probably tell which one of the items above is leftover from when Andrew was a baby. (o:

Can we say adorable?

I love having my camera back!

Andrew thinks he fits here too.

Perfect fit, if he does say so himself!

She smiles!

Here's my happy little girl:
Keep scrolling down. I posted a bunch more photos today.

He fits...

...just hope it doesn't break!

Pictures Finally

Does Madeline look any different? Andrew loves his baby sister! He showers her with kisses constantly.


My sweetie pies!

And it reappears...

Yes, it's true. My new camera is coming tomorrow and tonight we found my missing camera. I knew it would happen. So some new pics will be coming very soon. (o:

New Post Tomorrow

I've been missing my camera since our move 3 weeks ago. I finally gave up on ever finding it and bought a new camera. (Thank goodness digital cameras are cheaper than they were 2 years ago when we bought our last one)

My new and improved camera will arrive tomorrow, so look for a new post then. You do agree that posts are a little boring without pics, right?