Arielle at 13 months

Welcome to your first monthly update now that you are one. I am still calling you a baby even though I have been corrected by several people who want to call you a toddler. It's not happening. You are my last baby and will be staying one as long as I deem necessary!! This might last until you have your own kids, just so you know. Let's see what you've been up to this month...it's been a lot!

Your talking has taken off and you are learning new words every day. Some of the newest ones are kitty,  "Whas dat?", "Nantan" (Nathan), book & "beeebee" (baby) and as you can see....Uh oh!.

You have also started learning animal noises. You can do kitty, elephant, lion and piggy. We will keep working on them because they are sooo cute!

You finally cut the right two molars all the way through but are still working on the left set. I notice that you chew mainly with the right side where you have your teeth.

On that note, you are a very good eater. You take small bites and chew things very well. You are doing really well with all table food now and I have put away the baby food making supplies!

You have mastered the step between the breezeway and the kitchen. I still have a gate up, but when I can watch you I leave it open and you sit and climb down. You freak me out sometimes as you run too close to the edge, but you haven't fallen...yet.

You can blow kisses and also give nice slobbery regular ones. Now we just have to work on you closing your mouth!

(not the awesomest picture of me but I had to get her blowing her kiss!)

You have been waking up again in the night. I don't know if this is due to your teeth or just the fact that you now realize that we are still there somewhere and will come if you scream. I let Nate cry a bit when he would wake, but you don't cry, you shriek. If I let you go you either wake Nate up or get so worked up that you won't go back to sleep. I pray this is a very short phase!

You are definitely a Mama's girl and are very very cuddly still. You are more than happy to come lay your head on me and snuggle for long periods of time. I love it....don't ever stop!

UPDATED to include pictures. Sorry that the quality stinks. Winter, inside, crappy lighting. I am sad....and need to figure out how to better use my camera!

Nathan at 3 1/2 years

Natey, you have hit the 3 1/2 year mark. I stopped doing the monthly updates, but think that a few times a year will be good to remind you when you're a moody teenager someday what this crazy kid was like when he was a toddler.

You're an angel one second with this sweet grin and single dimple, but can change to a stinker in a flash. I'm amazed at how much of myself I see in you. My poor mother. Argh!

You are insanely smart and can remember how to do things after you see them done them once. This also has a down side as you uses this power to do things like unlocking our Android phones, going to the marketplace and downloading games...which aren't always free. I've had to change my "secret code" twice and have to make sure you don't see me do it.

One of your favorite phrases right now is "Told ya!" You use it for everything. Someone needs to tell you that statement is used when someone challenges what you say. I have no doubt you have to pee when you say so buddy.

You are finally at the point where you can brush your teeth all by yourself. Mommy doesn't always have to take a turn. I tricked you though by telling you to roar like a silent lion. Before that you wouldn't open your mouth long enough to get the back teeth.

Your  hair is still curly, but is loosing the baby hair feel and is getting much thicker. We decided to keep it shorter until the summer when the humidity will help the curls. Also we hope by then you won't be so opposed to us wetting it to make the curl come out. I'm not holding out much hope for that though.

This year has been rough as you are exercising your independence yet still don't have the impulse control to know how to deal with things. You are getting better at not just throwing things and acting out aggressively but it is a slow going process.

You call Arielle "sisty". I think it is so cute. You are starting to love on her more than you push her down. Thanks for that. Keep up the good work. She looks at you like you hung the moon and I want you to be good friends are you get older.

You are still my champion eater. Last week we convinced you that beets would make you "pee red lasers" (your words not ours) so you gobbled up an entire helping. I can't really think of anything you have put your foot down about not eating. This is awesome and hopefully will help as your sister watches you. Well, we all have seen what she weighs so that should indicate what kind of eater she is already!

Speaking of weight, I measured and weighed you at Arielle's 1 year appointment and you were 41.5 inches tall and 41 pounds. You are still in the 90th percentiles for height and weight for your age. I have a feeling I birthed some tall kiddos! You are currently in a size 4T and are wearing size 10 shoes.

You are doing great with your letters. If I write them down you can copy almost all of them. I hope when you start pre-school in January that you use your sponge-like quality for learning and really take off.

You "wrote" (or shall I say dictated) your first letter to Santa this year. You were so cute and asked for "Criss cross, criss cross crash, the winner is the one who doesn't get smashed and violent kung zhu pets". Remind me not to let you watch any more commercials as they obviously are working like the advertisers want them to!

You crack me up when you come out of the blue with phrases like, "It's not SO bad".

You love rock and roll music and have been known to tell me to turn the radio "Upper"  so you can rock out.

You just learned a trick to put on your coat and will take the coat on and off to show us how awesome your "move" is.

You are still the least shy kid I have ever met. Even if you are in a completely new place with people you don't know, you will run in and act like you've known them forever.

You are 2 parts sweetness and 98 parts sass, but we love you anyway!

Running on Empty

Everyone knows what the little icon in this picture is, right? We are all familiar with the gas light. It comes on when you are running low on gas. Most car manufacturers know human nature and give you the courtesy of a few gallons left when you hit this point. So, I have a burning question. How is it possible, given the warning, to run out of gas? I am happy to say, I have never run out of gas. The closest I came was literally coasting into the gas station on fumes when I was lost and couldn't find a gas station AND I didn't even have a gas light in that car. My husband, however, has run out of gas SEVERAL times. His friends have also run out of gas. I can't recall any of my female friends telling me they have run out. They very well could have and were just too embarrassed to talk about it, but I don't know. I have this theory that the running out of gas gene resides on the Y chromosome and I'd like a little help in my "research". Take a second and answer my poll. Don't be embarrassed if you've done it, the poll is anonymous. I will only make fun of you in my head.

My "Elf on the Shelf" Karma

photo from here

Look at this guy. He's the Elf on the Shelf. He sits somewhere where he can see all of the goings on in your home. He watches your little ones and reports back to Santa if they have been bad or good. If they are bad the get no presents. What an ingenious idea, right?? What better way is there to get kids to behave than the threat of no presents? I bought into the hype, but it backfired on me. I realized this when the following statement was uttered from the lips of my 3yo.

 Mommy, if you let me play a game on your phone, the Elf on the Shelf will tell Santa to give you presents!

I'm sorry, what?? Apparently he thinks I am under the jurisdiction of this Elf! Moreover, he thinks that mommy being good is giving him what he wants, even though he knows he is banned from using my phone (a liiiittle incident with downloading) because he can't listen. Hmmmm. I wonder if I can slip an extra line into the story when we read it next...

A line that excludes mommy and daddy from the knowing stare of the little nymph!! I guess that's what I get for trying to bribe my kid to be good.

Arielle at 1 year

Some baby....

Is 1 year old!

...is starting to look less like a baby and more like a toddler every day.

...weighed in at a whopping 27 pounds 8 ounces and is 32 inches tall.

...will be switching from whole to 2% milk this week because of it!

...smiles non-stop and is such a delight to everyone.

...has moved from walking to running, although she looks like a drunken sailor while she does it.

...can sign the word "more" but will more often nod yes instead when you ask her.

...has the most ear piercing screech the world has ever heard.

...will do said screeching and then put her finger to her mouth and say "shhhh".

...probably thinks it is the game of screech and shush. Mommy does NOT like this game.

...has really started to protest when anyone takes something from her.

...is still putting everything in sight in her mouth.

...puts a toy in her mouth and walks around with it hanging out, like a puppy, until it's a slobbery mess.

...can point to her belly and your nose when asked where they are.

...points to items and says, "this" all of the time.

...will smack you in the face and when corrected will then pat you gently and say, "nysssssss" (nice).

...is eating almost all table food now.

...will hand something to you when asked.

...is still taking 2 naps and sleeping from 7pm to 7am every night.

...gives super slobbery, open mouth kisses.

...will always cuddle unless she is super tired.

...makes sure you know when that is by pushing away and leaning toward her crib.

...didn't have an official birthday party but was sung to by all 20 of us at Thanksgiving.

...looked so cute and had so much fun smashing her birthday cake!!!

Fantastic and fun photos taken by Danielle of Two Sisters Photography

Super cute headband by the amazing Bubbalou Bands

Fabulous cake made by my friend Ariana because some snotty bakery wouldn't make me one. So there snotty exclusive bakery!

Happy 1st Birthday Arielle!!

 Since you came into this world 5 days late and 9 and a half pounds of rolly polly sweetness I haven't been able to imagine my life without you. When I was pregnant with you I worried that I might not be able to love another child as much as I loved your brother but, like the Grinch, my heart grew 3 sizes that day. The day that you were born. One year ago today. Your laid back demeanor and sunny disposition make you the easiest baby. If I had a nickle for every time someone asked me if you "Are always this happy" I could buy you a pony by now.

I am so glad you got to meet your great grandma before she passed away. You thought she was the funniest thing ever. She thought you were pretty amazing yourself. Over the last year I have seen you come into your own sweet little personality. You adore your big brother (even when he knocks you down) and light up when you see me or Daddy. Thank you for making me a mommy for the second time and, even though it pains me to see you already blooming from a baby to a toddler, I look forward to watching you grow even more. You've come a long way baby and you have so far yet to go! Happy first birthday my sweet baby girl.

When timeouts just won't cut it

My 3 year old is pushing the limits of my patience. Please tell me I am not alone. Ever since his baby sister was born he has been a little rough with her. Not so much when she was a tiny baby, but as soon as she could sit up (and be knocked over), I have not been able to leave them in a room together alone. He will tackle her, push her down, trip her, whack her with stuffed animals and I have had it. I would say a good 75% of his timeouts are because of this roughness with his sister. When he actually makes her cry I can tell he feels bad, but I can't seem to get across the seriousness of this behavior to him. Every single time he is rough with her it lands him in timeout. I am consistent to a fault, but I haven't noticed any change in the behavior. I have tried explaining to him calmly and now I'm at a loss of what to do. It is making me so frustrated and upset that I find myself yelling at him, which I am sure is the opposite of what I should do to convince him that loosing your temper and lashing out is not proper behavior. I have tried reinforcing good behavior but I need some advice. Have any of you dealt with older siblings being mean to their younger ones? Any tips or tricks or advice for this mom who is about to duct tape her 3yo's arms to his sides to keep him from using them inappropriately??

Today...

Today holds a whole lot of emotions for me.

It has been 10 years since I lost my Papa Al.

It has also been 9 years since I lost my Mama.

Today was the day they told me would be my daughter's birthday, but in tribute to her grandma  she was 5 days late.

My mom would have been proud. She was perpetually late. In her own words she was, "Always late but worth the wait". She was right.

I came home to a box of my grandmother's belongings that my uncle sent me.

I wept as I looked through its contents. Pictures, the family Bible and my Gram's collection of blown glass Christmas ornaments that I have adored since she got the first one.

I know this song is about a breakup, but truer words have never been spoken about how I feel today.

Alone and consumed by my loss.

Breakeven -The Script
I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing
Just prayed to a God that I don't believe in
'Cause I got time while she got freedom
'Cause when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven

Her best days will be some of my worst
She finally met a man that's gonna put her first
While I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping
'Cause when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven, even, no
What am I suppose to do
When the best part of me was always you and
What am I suppose to say
When I'm all choked up and you're okay

I'm falling to pieces, yeah
I'm falling to pieces

They say bad things happen for a reason
But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding
'Cause she's moved on while I'm still grieving
And when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven, even, no

That's what friends are for

Now that song will be stuck in your head all day. You're welcome.

I know I already bragged about my girlie day and night out last week, but let me just reiterate how awesome it was to have a girls day with one of my best girls. I took a vacay day and drove up to Boston on Friday morning and picked up Darcy and her mom from the convention center and immediately went shopping! Darcy has the most amazing talent...I have never seen someone zip through racks like that. I simply watched in awe as she put together a bunch of outfits for me. I got a ton of stuff for cheap because we were shopping at Buffalo Exchange! I will definitely be going back. Not for a while though. Don't want the hubbs to freak about me doing any more shopping for a while. We did some touristy things like have lunch on Newbury Street, walk around Boston Common and Beacon Hill, which was fun since I have never done an official walk about Boston even though I have lived an hour away for 5 years.

Now don't laugh at the picture of us. My weird expression was due to the sunlight glaring directly into my eyes and the wind blowing my hair and shirt all around. Oh, and doesn't everyone take a picture of their new haircut in the mirror of a restaurant bathroom? Just me? Ok. I'm fine with that.

We went to dinner at the restaurant where my BIL is the Sous-chef and had a 9 course dinner. Well, we signed up for the 6 course Chef's tasting, but somehow they kept bringing us more food. I left there needing to unbutton my pants just to breathe. The food was way out of my normal comfort zone, but I was so proud of myself for trying everything (except the sea urchin which I have tried before and hated) that they brought out! If you've known me as long as Darcy has, you would understand what a great feat this was! We weebled ourselves back to the hotel, had a cocktail while getting ready and then went to the club in the basement of the hotel. Yes, I said a club. I can't even tell you how long it has been since the last time I've been to a club. I am way too old for this hoopla! After seeing some of the happenings in this place, it makes me extremely happy to be a married woman and not having to deal with that hot mess any more. We did have a great time though. We drank a considerable amount and danced until our sides hurt. We went back to our room and talked for another two hours...the way only great friends that have been friends for 17 years can. I'm pretty sure we didn't even end our conversation but rather fell asleep mid sentence.

After coming home Saturday morning and hanging out with the kiddies we were of to see Dane Cook. Oh good lawd, I love that boy. It was awesome and we had amazing seats.

If it weren't for that little thing called Daylight Saving time (and no, there is not supposed to be an s at the end of saving), the weekend would have been perfect. Although, it was kind of cool watching the clock turn from 1:59 am to 1:00am again. Yes, I was up...driving back from Boston! Darcy is back home and I miss her already! Life-long friends are simply awesome.

Menu Planning Monday...on Tuesday

I planned Sunday and went shopping, but I was exhausted from my awesome weekend so I didn't get the post up. Better Late than never I always say....but I'm a procrastinator.

Sunday: Walnut crusted chicken cutlets with white bean mash & asparagus (This was a big hit! The only thing I will change for next time is I will either add a bit more chicken broth to the mash or I will puree half a can of the beans with some broth and mix it in.)

Monday: Turkey Burgers and sweet potato fries (I broke my own rule and bought ground turkey breast instead of just lean ground turkey. The burgers weren't as tasty and they were a bit drier than I like them. Next time I will follow my own advice!)

Tuesday: Roasted Salmon with Maple Glaze and broccoli (recipe to follow after I make it and, you  know, take pictures!)

Wednesday: Braised Paprika Chicken with brown rice

Thursday: Shrimp, Spinach and Mushroom barley

Friday: Turkey meatball soup (from Deceptively Delicious. We'll see how delicious it really is.)

Random Ramblings

The only time Thursday is better than Friday, is when it IS your Friday! Yay for 3 day weekends! I am actually stoked to be taking a whole vacation day just to myself tomorrow. I get to go to Boston and hang with one of my best friends and couldn't be more excited. I get to get a pedicure and go shopping in Boston with someone wayyyy more fashionable than me to help me find some clothes. She is really like my own little Stacy London! To top it off I get to have a grown up dinner, in a restaurant that doesn't serve chicken nuggets, go out on the town and stay the night before returning to my crazy home. Ahh, can you say sleeping in?? Yes! {Insert Happy Dance} But that's not all...wait for it...wait for it...Saturday night I get to go see Dane Cook! This weekend is shaping up just fabulously! I'm hoping the crappy rain lets up, because I just got my hair done and well, come on!!! For all of you wondering, I chickened out and didn't cut my hair off or even get bangs. I just cut about 4 inches and did some layers. I am no fun at all. Seriously. I need to stop worrying about what everyone else {cough, hubby, cough} wants me to do with my hair and just do what I want. It grows back right?? If you can't cut it or dye it, why have it? I have been working out again consistently for 3 weeks now. It feels so much better and I have a lot more energy. I am doing the c25K (couch to 5K) program. While I wasn't exactly at couch level to start with, it is helping me build my endurance running so I don't get discouraged. I have also been doing Zumba for the last 4 weeks and I love it! It is so much fun! I still have this far fetched goal of getting back into one certain pair of pants. I need to get back into those pants. I will get back into those pants. So let it be written, so let it be done. :o)

Here's the new hair. i still think i should have chopped it to where that first chunky layer is. Grrr....

Halloween 2010

I love them "To Infinity and Beyond"! Nate chose Toy Story as the theme for this Halloween and, since the baby is too young to have an opinion, they were a super cute matching pair as Buzz Lightyear and one of the little aliens!

Nate's costume was perfect as is. Unfortunately, Arielle's costume was ridiculous! It was supposed to be a 12-18 month size and, I know I have a little chubster on my hands, but she was quite literally busting out of the costume. Then there was the head piece that could fit an adult! I had to perform emergency surgery on it to make it somewhat fit! I took over an inch out of the back to make it smaller, folded the part above the eyes up so she could see and had to take an inch and a half out of the neck part where the velcro was. I don't think they even tried this costume on a real child before they mass produced it! Luckily I have mad sewing skillz (wouldn't have the same effect with an s, besides, I'm cool like that) or we may have had to scrap it all together.

I cut a rocket shape out of a silver Nordstrom box (Thanks again honey for my awesome new winter coat!) and stuck it on the stroller. Too bad it was so freezing out that She only made it a block before I decided it was too cold for her. The hubbs took her back to our friend's house and hung out while the rest of us continued on with the trick or treating!

Nate loves going with his cousin! Last year they went as Batman and Batgirl and it was too cute! The most difficult part of the evening was hearing my self yelling, "NO RUNNING!!!!!" eleventy billion times. Man this kid must be deaf or just have selective listening when it comes to my voice. He fell down one set of steps and two other times because he was rushing around. Luckily no major injuries happened and he made it back in one piece.

I will leave you with one last photo from a birthday party we went to on Saturday. We borrowed this costume for the baby and Nate wore a transformer one we bought for dress up last year because I didn't want Nate to ruin his white Buzz Lightyear one with cake and God knows what else. Oh I die she looked so stinkin cute!

Happy Halloween!!