My day off

I had such a great day off on Wednesday!  The weather was amazing with high of 73 & sunny (since then it's been a lot hotter so we enjoyed the heck out of the cooler temps).  We headed to the park in the morning & let Cam run around like a nut while Reese kicked back & took it all in.  Grammy is still in town so it was great to have her company.

Reese absolutely loves to be outside, looking around & enjoying the weather.  She is such a happy girl.

 

I was so thankful to have the day with my kiddos. 

  

Our time at the park abruptly ended when nature called & I nearly peed in my pants!  When I gotta go, I really gotta go!  

As Reese napped I let Cam play in the bath & paint the walls with shaving cream dyed with food coloring.  I stole this idea from my friend Lesli, so thank you, Lesli!

 

When he was done, the masterpiece was easily washed off with a cup of water.

 

Grammy has been loving her time with Reesey!  Her visit always flies by & she'll be heading back to Chicago on Saturday.  Boo hoo!  We love having her here!  

I made Reese another batch of baby food & this time it was applesauce.  I was able to try this babycook machine that cooks & purees the food in one.  My friend Jill lent it to me & it was handy though I would not recommend spending the money on it since you can easily use your own pots/pans/steamer basket & food processor & make larger batches than this will make.  So, if you're looking to buy one, my opinion is, save your money!  

Thus far Reese has tried sweet potatoes, rice cereal, peas & bananas.  She'll try the applesauce & butternut squash next.  She's doing great with solids & seems to be accepting of all that she's tried.  The face she made after the peas told me she didn't love them, but she kept going back for more!

We had such a great Wednesday together! 

Happy

It's Wednesday & I would be normally just settling into my desk at work..  BUT, since I'm doing my new work schedule, I'm cozy on the couch, watching Reese play in her bouncy seat while Cam still snoozes.  Normally we'd have woken Cam up nearly an hour ago so that we could get out the door on time. I'm SO incredibly thankful to have this day with my kids.  I know there are plenty of working moms, but it's sometimes strange to think that someone else is raising my kids.  They're at daycare from 8am-6pm = 10 hours per day = 50 hours per week.  I'm with them for about 2.5 hours per day Monday-Friday = 12.5 hours per week and then all day Saturday & Sunday which is about twelve hours per day = 24 hours for a grand total of about 36.5 hours per week.  Which means the daycare teachers are with them for over thirteen more hours a week than I am!  Whew.

So, I'm going to enjoy this day, which happens to be a beautiful one. Maybe we'll take a walk & go to the park?  Maybe we'll head to the outdoor mall & walk around?  The world is our oyster!

Thirty three

Thirty three. That's how old Mike turned on Friday the 13th! How we're already thirty three, I have no idea... Anyway, each year for his birthday, Mike picks what he wants me to make him for dinner. This year he requested a sandwich from Jeff Mauro, the Sandwich King on the Food Network.



I chose his Chicago steakhouse sandwich which was delectable! Click here for the recipe. I spent hours making his cake after work & it did not turn out well... totally my fault. Cam did a great job decorating the cake! We nearly forgot that it was also the cat's birthdays too! Cam just happened to ask when Casper's birthday was & it dawned on me that it was that very day.



Things have been quite busy around here! Our house sold a couple of weeks ago, so we're starting our house hunt which is very exciting. We looked at a house yesterday that was more than double the size of our current house. I cannot wait to have more room to spread out & be better organized!



I've been wanting to reduce my hours to thirty two a week which is the least amount I can work while maintaining full time status. Just having one day off to spend with the kids & get things done would be amazing, but it wasn't working out. Until last week, when my boss let me know that it was finally going to be possible! It might just be a summer thing while the census at the hospital is lower, but we'll see. I was so thrilled when she let me know! For now, I'll be taking Wednesdays off.



Mike's mom is in town right now which has been great! She's a huge help & we get to go out on date nights. Last night we had dinner at Cantina Loredo & hit the Brass Tap for some beers after. It was so much fun!



I've started making Reese's baby food as of today. She's eaten rice cereal a few times & she'll be trying sweet potatoes today. Next on the list is applesauce, peas, avocado, pears & bananas.



We're having a delightfully relaxing Sunday & I've been in PJs all day long. Pioneer Woman's meatloaf is cooking in the oven, wafting the aroma of bacon throughout the house. I'm so thankful to have the day with my family!

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Five months!

Reese, you're officially five months old today! You're changing so much these days & it amazes me how much you've grown!



You're still the most amazingly sweet, easy & happy baby I've ever met. I tell your daddy that we should have named you Joy because that's exactly what you are.



So, what are you up to these days? Well, you're eating five, six ounce bottles of breast milk a day & we'll be starting you on solid food tomorrow. I'm planning on making your baby food which I didn't do for your brother. Not that you're any more special to us than he was, but this time around things just seem a lot easier on me. You eat at 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm & 7pm.



You adore your paci & when we dropped you off at school last week & forgot it in the car, your teachers said you had a rough go of things. We made sure to leave an extra at school after that! Otherwise, your teachers adore you & just yesterday one said that she had never met a happier baby before. She might tell all the parents that, but I doubt it!



You're still an amazing sleeper, thank God! After we feed you your last bottle, we swaddle you up & put you to bed & you're out like a light within seconds. No rocking or anything. Have I mentioned that you rule?! Well, you do! You're usually asleep by 7:30pm & you wake up right around 7am.



You rolled over for the first time on Easter Sunday! I wasn't for sure that you didn't have a little help, but Grandma confirmed it when I talked to her the other day. You don't love to be on your belly though & quickly complain when you're there. You wear size two diapers & 3-6 month clothes.



You put everything in your mouth & end up soaking your shirts in drool these days. You love to chew on your hands & especially your feet. You make the funniest sounds as you try to talk to us & we love hearing all of your stories! You have the cutest laugh that cracks me up!



You & your brother still adore each other which melts my heart. Watching him talk so sweetly to you as he makes sure you're taken care of, makes me so happy. You're so very lucky to have such an awesome big brother. I look so forward to watching the two of you grow & experiencing all life has to bring for us!

Look who's rolling!

My big girl is officially rolling over as of tonight! She may have rolled over for the first time on Easter Sunday (when these pictures were taken) but I can't be 100% sure since Cameron may have helped her out. She's been so close recently & now she's done it!



Tonight as I ran to get a washcloth, Reese was laying on her back, trying to roll over as she normally does. By the time I got back, she was on her tummy! Mike was sitting on the couch in front of her so he got to see it, but unfortunately I missed it! She was so happy & proud! Cam didn't roll over until he was exactly six months old, but he had a disadvantage with that big ole head of his!



In other news, I'm so happy that Android phones now have access to Instagram! I was so excited when Mike told me last week & I instantly downloaded the app for my phone. I'm very thankful that I have a phone with a nice camera so I can easily capture a special moment with my kids!



Anyway, I better stop blabbing & get to organizing Mike's birthday dinner for this Friday. He'll be 33 on Friday the 13th! Somehow I need to pull off baking a cake & cooking a meal on a work night.. It won't be easy, but I'm up for the challenge! Lots going on around here! Hope you're all having a great week!

A really great Easter

We had a really great Easter this year! We headed down to Sarasota early Saturday morning & enjoyed a relaxing day with my family. The weather couldn't have been better & it was so great to just sit by the pool, have a few cocktails & enjoy each other. My sister mixed up some pretty tasty mojitos on Saturday evening!



Sunday the kids woke up around 7:30 & excitedly ran to the kitchen to find their Easter baskets. Cameron was gaga over his "red bird" from Angry Birds since he plays on Mike's phone a lot.



Reesey slept in so she didn't get her Easter basket until a little later. She actually slept in my parent's huge walk-in closet & was the perfect roommate for them since she never made a peep all night. What an awesome girl!









Last time we visited my parents we lugged Cam's tricycle down which was no easy feat since we have so much to lug with us with two kids & two dogs. This time, there was just no room because of the Easter baskets. As we pulled in Cam asked about his bike so we decided to surprise him & pick up a reasonably priced bike at Walmart while my mom watched the kids. He was so thrilled & rode around like an absolute champ. He put Elmo & his cars in the dinosaur head in front.



After breakfast as the kids rode their bikes, the Easter bunny laid out some eggs in the backyard for them to hunt.





They had such a great time looking for the eggs & Cam was the big winner & won the prize golden egg!



Reese just hung out & took it all in! She loved the heck out of her very first Easter!



She's a lucky girl to have such loving cousins!



Cam, Mikayla, Mike & my dad braved the cold water of the pool after the egg hunt. There was no chance of me setting foot in there! Actually, I take that back.. after I stupidly stepped into an ant hill & got bitten, I did soak my feet in the pool. And Mike knelt in that same ant hill & his legs are now destroyed with angry looking welts. Damn ants.









We ended the evening by singing happy birthday to Mike who will turn 33 this Friday the 13th. It was an awesome weekend that I was sorry ended so quickly!

Hop over to Cam & Reese's blog to see pictures of them coloring eggs & for Reese's 4 month growth stats!

Long time no talk!

It's been a while since I've blogged & I suppose it's because I haven't had all that much to say. I could blame it on nothing new going on, but I guess that wouldn't be true.. We actually have big changes ahead since our house is finally selling. Our closing date is this coming Thursday & it's bringing a lot of excitement & anxiety to the table. We'll be renting from the buyer for a max of seven months & hopefully within that time we'll find our perfect house! More space to spread out in will be fully welcomed!



We decided to head to a local beach this past weekend.. The last time we were there was the day we checked into the hospital for our induction with Reese. So much has changed over the past four & a half months! In the picture on the left, I had no idea who was in my belly.. I had no idea that I could be so madly in love with her!



Who couldn't love this beautiful, happy girl?! All she does is smile, laugh & melt everyone's hearts. She's recently developed a foot fetish & is constantly holding & gnawing on her little toes. So freaking cute.



Her big brother loves her to bits & takes such good care of her. Never did I think that Cam would be so sweet & loving with her. I pray it continues as Reese grows & starts interacting more with him.



When things get stressful & uncertain, all I need to do is hold my two babies to remind myself what's truly important in life. I know that whatever house we find, we'll be happy in since we have each other!