My One Sweet World

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

Halloween was a HUGE success this year!

We scored ( yes, we, since we all know that most of that candy is for the parents ) tons of treats and had a great nite with friends and family. We started out the day at The Harvest Fest where the girl's got to stroll " Trick-or-Treat-Lane ", play games, giggle with friends and watch a puppet show. D got to eat a fancy hot dog from a fancy hot dog vendor and I snagged a bag of popcorn from the parks & rec booth. Yum!

Just monkey'in around...

After the Harvest Fest we went to Kim & Brandon's ( our neighbors and BFF's ) next door and had some delicious dinner by Kim. We filled our bellies with warm chili (and pinot) before heading out into the nite!

Taylor as a " Poodle Girl " ... a last minute costume we found at Gymboree. She loved the dress with the sequined poodle, she had to have it. We bought her a wig for that cute ponytail! Love it!

First house of the nite, our next door neighbors Luke & Mary. She loaded them up with extras because she couldn't stand the cuteness.

Look who came out to join us! Our besties, Logan & Sarah!!

Logan & Emersyn were excellent first timers! I was very impressed!

8:30 and the nite is young! Our little monsters stayed out until nearly 10:00! Like I said, it was a success!! Can't wait until next year!

Little Punkins ...

2010-10-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

My litte punkins at the patch.

Dear Maui, Mahalo.

2010-10-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

We're home from a relaxing and much needed getaway to Maui. Just me and the hubby, sipping cocktails at all hours of the day, sleeping in, taking afternoon naps, swimming in the ocean daily, treating ourselves to dinner dates each nite. Boy was it nice!! .... But we did not do any of this without missing our little girls terribly. We'd see little ones splashing around at the beach, digging holes in the sand, and we'd think of them. Even the screaming toddler at the restaurant or the fussy infant on the plane made us miss them. What I realized the most was how much I love love LOVE being a Mommy to my girls. Date nites out a couple times a month I need, for sanity sake, but 5 days (FIVE WHOLE days!) made me appreciate my hectic life of juggling work, home life, and being with my girls.

Next year, BIG family vacay back to Maui for at least 10 days ... when can I start planning??

First Day of School

2010-10-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, here I am, still making up for my huge slacking from the past months. We're still in September and working our way to the current month... I am hoping to be all caught before Halloween and then stay caught up. We'll see... no promises.

Here she is, Miss Taylor, all dressed and ready for the 1st day of school. Photo taken by the front door, as all first day of school photos should be. Or so I think, at least that's the way we did it for me growing up. I am a sucker for tradition!

How cute is this?? I am soooooo excited that this year, Taylor lets me pick her clothes! She isn't stuck on just one thing. She is more open minded... I mean, check out the hightops! Those would have been completely out of the question last year. We had so much more fun this year shopping for her back-to-school clothes, she's my favorite little shopping buddy.

After her first day of school we then had the first day of ballet class. This is her 2nd year in Pre-Ballet, and her 3rd year dancing all together. She has come so far and is becoming a very pretty little dancer.

Taylor says...

2010-10-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

While in the car yesterday, Emersyn is screaming about who-knows-what. Taylor, being annoyed as usual and also as usual has something smart to say...

" Emme! If you be a good girl I will give you a treat. "

Long Pause.

" A dog treat " ... followed with an evil giggle.

Pretty clever I must admit.

Our summer... in a nutshell.

2010-10-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

Summer seemed like it was never going to show up for us here in the NW. It was nearly mid july before we got some real warm summer weather. Making for lots of grumps walking around in their jeans and long sleeves in June... including me.

But once it showed up, we had fun fun fun in the sweet summer sun!

Splashing around in that old, yet still very popular, water table! Best $40 I have spent at Kmart.

I found one of those Step 2 climber things on Craigslist! The girls love it, and I love that it matches the house. I can't have clashing toys in my backyard, nope, not me.

My adorable Taylor looking older each day.

That's what big sisters are for!

Dressed up for July 4th weekend!

Our beauitul ballerina at her summer recital ( which came before July 4th, got mixed up in order... so sorry )

She was an angel in the Sleeping Beauty production! So pretty!

Taylor & Mia after the show, they are very good friends at the dance studio.

Lovins for Auntie Dy Dy too!

And a pic with her Daddy ...

The 3 of us after the show. Can you tell she loves all the attention??

Taylor and Josie. They have been dancing togeher for 2 years now! This was their 3rd performance together and they have become the best of friends.

Otter Pops! It would not be summer without them!

Playing with friends! Logan and Emersyn splashing around on a warm August day!

BBQ'ing with our best friends is another favorite summer past time that we do often around here... look! They love bbq baked beans!

After a messy dinner of baked beans and macaroni salad it's time to wash up. Bath time is more fun with friends, right?

We had many picnics at the Oregon Zoo. Here is Emme sporting her first hairbow!

We like to bring Subway to the Zoo, Taylor loves her ham and cheese with pickles and ranch subs the best. Emme just likes those tasty Sunchips!

Checking out some fish at the Zoo... notice Taylor's bow? She only wore this to be like her sister, otherwise she wants absolutely nothing in her hair. Ever.

More swim time in the backyard

Looks like a great time right? Sad to see it go so fast. I think we're ready for Fall... and a Mommy & Daddy trip to Maui is planned to help us cope with such a short summer.

Blog Abuse

2010-10-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

I am guilty!!!

I have neglected this innocent and sweet little Blog for nearly 4 months!! Ugh! I have no excuse... well no, that isn't entirely true. I have a toddler and a preschooler! I also have a smartphone now, so I am rarely even on my laptop. I just use my phone to check email, facebook and google whatever I need. It's sad really, I am one of those phone people that I used to shake my head at. Like when you are at a restaurant and you look over at the table next to you and everyone is on their phone, texting, facebooking... whatever. I find D and I doing that now! Haaaaa!!

But really, I need to blog about my girls, this is the closest thing to a "baby book" they are gonna get. I want them to have the pages of this blog to look back on and see that their awesome Mom journaled all the milestones and memories they made.

Then Emme will ask, " What happened during that summer after I turned 1? "... and I will tell her " Well, you were a terror of destruction after you started walking. You made sure there was never a dull moment in the house, and you kept me from ever turning on the computer... but we had fun! Lots of fun! I promise. "

I am going to round up some pics to do a quick summer recap though... right now.

Emersyn ~ 12 Months!

2010-06-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Emersyn Love is 12 Months Old!!

Just like that, she is now 1 year old. Wow, what a year it's been!! It's truly amazing to watch a teeny helpless newborn baby tranfrom so quickly in just 12 short months. It's mindblowing really. Any time I look at the picture of her tiny little sleeping self in D's hands I just shake my head in disbelief! Was she really that small?

She started out at 5 lbs and only 18 inches tall. Now she is 19 lbs and 29 inches tall!

Everyday is something new for Emme. She's constantly discovering and learning. She isn't walking on her own yet, but she can stand up without holding onto anything and cruise along furniture and once in a while she'll take a few steps alone but she's very cautious so she holds back. We think it won't be long now! Emme loves her bottles and drinks them before each nap and bedtime at nite. We also take a bottle in the car because she enjoys a snack while we're running errands. She won't use a binkie, which is so different for me because Taylor loved her's so much... but this is better though, I'll be happy to not have to wean another child from the bink! She sleeps happily in her crib and I can put her to bed awake and you don't hear a peep out of her until morning.... most of the time. She goes down around 9pm and sleeps until 7am. She takes 2 naps a day but can easily fall asleep anywhere, which makes it nice for the days where we just can't be home for naps. She'll sleep in her carseat or her stroller without any issues. I love that! She is pretty much a little below average in her size, she can still fit in some 9 mos clothes but as soon as we get some warm weather she can wear all her 12 mos summer stuff... which is the cutest! She also wears size 3 diapers. She eats just about anything, but I recently discovered she does not like broccoli. She wants nothing to do with it and will be naughty and throw the little florets off her tray onto the floor. She knows how to get her point across. I would say her favorite foods right now are any type of berries. She has been enjoying the fresh strawberries and blueberries the most but I have also had a chance to get blackberries and raspberries too, which she wolfs down as well.

Mostly it's all about getting into everything she can and playing. Her personality is the same it's always been, relaxed, content and happy. She smiles shyly ( shyly? not sure if that's a word ) at strangers and tightens her grip a bit, she's interested in people and likes it when they talk to her but she would prefer to stay in my arms... or Daddy's too. She loves remotes, phones, and Ipods. Anything with buttons and lights are fun for her.

Emersyn is a wonderful addition to our family. I can't imagine life without her. She's the perfect offset to her sister. They are so different so I think they will compliment eachother well. Taylor has loved her sister from day one but I see that love grow daily between them.

We love you Emersyn Love!!!!! Happy 1st Birthday!!!

So many posts... so little time!

2010-06-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

Well well well... where have I been?

I am not sure really, just not blogging much. It's been an eventful month and I have so much to share. I have two under the weather girls at home with me today so I am going to do my best to use this time to catch up on my blog posts! I have a lot to cover, from Emme's 12 month update to her Birthday Party, to Taylor's last day of school and a LOT of "Taylor Says..."! I hope I can get thru it all before the weekend begins!

The last month in photos...

2010-05-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

We have had lots of fun, but also been very busy with lots of not so fun stuff... like selling D's car and finding him a new one. Yeah... that's a long story I won't go into, but just scroll down and you'll see his find.

We had a "Game Nite" at our house with our closest friends. Amanda, Nick, Tim & Roxanne. It usually works out that we don't actually get to start playing any games until after 9pm when I get Emme down for bed and then Taylor insists on staying up with us until she can't keep her eyes open anymore, literally.

Passed out on Daddy

Daddy's New Ride!! Yep, it's a Mini! A Mazda MPV, he loves it... I am not totally sold yet, but I think it'll grow on me.

Emme getting into everything as usual. Here she has found a box of plastic forks and this was before she threw them all over the kitchen floor. FUN!

Emme & Nana relaxing on Mother's Day together... isn't this just the sweetest?

Taylor watching the sea lions at the Zoo, they were actually out of the water sunbathing on the rocks. Those things are huge!

Taylor & Emme at the Zoo. We brought our lunch from Subway and ate it on the grassy hill. Just the 3 of us, it was such a fun day!

Emme & the loveable Orangatan ( I can't spell that one )... This monkey always sits at the window and you can really tell she enjoys watching all the kids. Although, I think she got mad at me with the camera because soon after I took this she moved to the other window! Moody little monkey.

Tubby time! This little one loves her bath and hates having to get out. She stays in there until the water is cold and her little feet and hands are wrinkly raisins.

We had a really warm sunny day last week and D and I were both home from work so we took the girl's to Bridgeport Village for some shopping, playing and ice cream eating.

Emme enjoyed this milkshake so much she wouldn't let D have any without screaming at him.

Our little model. Isn't she so funny?

Here she is again, posing by the fountain.

The sign on the fountain clearly says " NO WADING IN WATER " ... but we saw this other little girl doing it and nobody seemed to mind so we let Taylor join in the fun as well.

Taylor loved this so much, she couldn't stop laughing!

Party Planning

2010-05-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

Where have I been you ask??

( Ok you didn't ask... how rude.... just kidding. )

I have been party planning!! Among other things. I have been making invites, mailing invites, ordering decor and planning a menu for the BIG event. I have also been busy selling baby stuff on craigslist, which is a whole other story... Craigslist is a blessing and a burden all at the same time. It's like a full time job when you are selling stuff on there!

Emme's First Birthday Invite

Theme is CUPCAKES.

Not the most original, but I just love them and all their cuteness. Which reminds me of Emme so that's how I decided on the simple and adorable theme for her 1st Birthday shindig.

Wait til you get a peak at the goods I snagged off Etsy!!

You will love.....

Told Ya!

I got all of this great custom party stuff from Scrap 'Em Easy. You MUST check out their shop, it's filled with all kinds of cute party decor, cake/cupake toppers, invites and even more. I am thrilled. I also had to hit up BirthdayExpress for some plates, cups and matching napkins, but my favorite find was a big cupake pinata! It has pull strings so even the smallest kids can play, even Emme!

I have the next couple days off from work so I'll be posting some recent pics of the kiddos and explain my fiasco with Clist, AND show you pics of my new fab " hotel suite " bedroom!

I'll be back!

Taylor's gift to me...

2010-05-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

This brought a tear to my eye. Taylor's school honored all the Mom's today with a small celebration in the classroom. Everything was just so cute, from the adorable songs they sang, the cute little story the teacher read to the entire class (mom's included) to the amazing little painted pots the students decorated just for their Mom's.

And then I saw this...

Taylor and I have been telling eachother " I love you to the moon and back " since she was very little. I would say it to her, and soon she learned to tell me the same. It means so much to me that she remembered that when asked what she loves about her Mom. She didn't say something I do that she loves, she remembered something special that we have always shared together.

Emersyn ~ 11 Months!

2010-05-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

In a few weeks she'll be a year old. She's going to be a YEAR OLD! Fastest year of my life, that's for sure. We're approaching Mother's Day, and I remember exactly what we did last year on my day. D let me sleep in, and he and Taylor made me delicious french toast with fresh strawberries and whip cream and ofcourse, bacon. Mmmmm, so yum. Then we lounged for a while at home before taking a long walk to the park further from our house ( which happens to be the same park that we'll be celebrating Emme's 1st birthday at ). Emme was safe and sound in my tummy... and now she's here and has been for almost a whole entire year. Wow.

Emme is into everything now. She's our little ninja of destruction. She has a new found love of throwing things which she does often. She likes to taste and then throw. She has discovered the kitchen drawers and cabinets... yay! She opens and pulls everything out before I even notice she's in there! I am about to setup her very own drawer and hopefully that will keep her occupied enough to where she doesn't feel the need to scrounge in all the others. That worked for Taylor... but who knows, it may be a joke to Em.

She isn't walking yet, but she crawls sooooooo frickin' fast, which I guess is just a way of getting me ready to chase her when she's running. I have a feeling she'll be a runner, which is not how her big sis was. I think Emme has no fear and assumes we'll always be there to save her. Is that because I baby her more? I don't know. Is it normal to always think we're to blame for their behaviors? I seem to do that a lot. I have been known to say to my husband quite often " Where did we go wrong? " Anyways, enough of that. We'll see, how things go when we get there. For now, she's pretty happy with this crawling stuff and I really doubt she'll be walking at her first birthday, but she may surprise us!

One thing I do know, Emersyn is a wonderful sleeper. She is going to bed promptly at 8:30 every nite and wakes at 7 am. I am very happy with this schedule. Especially these days, it's still light out when she goes to bed! I feel like I still have some day left! Weekends are great too, we can start a late dinner or BBQ and she'll be in bed before we even eat. Ofcourse I feed her dinner earlier. But, I love knowing I can put her to bed and have some quiet time with a cold beverage and enjoy the evening with D. Oh and Taylor too, but she is suppose to go to bed by 9. Ha! More like 10.

Oh yeah, and she's really into drinking out of sippy cups now!!

An impromptu little break?

2010-05-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

I guess so!

I haven't blogged in almost 2 weeks. Not sure why, we weren't particularly busier or anything. Although we all did get struck with a nasty little cold that has made it hard to want to do anything but veg out on the couch when I can. There is a LOT of stuff coming up. One big thing on the calendar for May is ofcourse, a huge First Birthday bash. I am working on the invites write now, just need to get them printed. They are adorable! I'll share with you, don't worry. I think we'll stick with a simple and sweet cupcake theme. It'll be really easy to decorate with that and I can get a ton of cupcakes which children love and it's less messy to serve than cake and we will be throwing the party at our nearby neighborhood park. Simple is key. Although I am sure it won't be any less chaotic. I won't go into how sad it makes me to be planning this day, I think I have expressed my need to keep her a baby forever plenty of times on here. It is sad though. Very.

Took Taylor to her 4 year old well check last week! Yep, she's been 4 since January, but I just now got her in. I made the appt. a couple months ago though. She was very happy to go, only after I told her she didn't need to get a shot this time. We found out she weighs 36 lbs and is 40 inches tall. That is crazy! She weighed 30 lbs when I was pregnant with Emme, because we'd weigh ourselves all the time and as my weight kept creeping up her's stayed the same. I hadn't weighed her in quite some time so I was shocked that she was 6 lbs heavier. They grow too darn fast. The pediatrician made a little suggestion that if Taylor seems constipated to cut out bananas and other things that make it worse. Well, Taylor was really paying attention to this, as she isn't really a fan of bananas anyways, so she has been reminding me every time I cut a banana for Emme, " I CAN NOT have bananas, forever, the Dr. said they are bad for me. " Thanks Doc.

I'll be sure to take some photos of the kiddos this week, as I need some to go along with Emme's 11 month update.

Summer is just around the corner!!

Little Miss Trouble

2010-04-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

Emersyn has deffinitely turned into Little Miss Trouble. She is into everything and she never fails to put everything in her mouth... you know, to see if it's good enough to eat. She is not as determined to climb and be dangerous in that sense ( which was her big sister at this age ) but she is a sneaky little one. She gets away from you because she's quiet... but she's quick. I usually know she has put something in her mouth because she makes a smacking noise with her lips. I am being extra careful keeping things off the floor, but she got away from me yesterday and found a paper clip! Sure enough, it was in her mouth when I caught her with it. We had a huge industrial size bag of toilet paper waiting to be put away ( Costco! ) and Emme decided it was a great toy, she'd pull up on it, smack it like a drum, pull on the plastic, it was all kinds of fun for her. Then she broke away one of the rolls from the bag and she was even more excited to learn she could rip the paper wrapping off of it. She played with this toilet paper for nearly an hour! Great chance for me to snap some cute pics of her though!

Really getting into it now! I just love how babies can find the most fun in the simplest of things, like paper.

She noticed she got a piece of he TP on her finger. She spent quite some time analyzing it and then, ofcourse, tasted it.

She realized I had something big and black that made a clicky noise and came after it. Look at that ferocious face!

Britax Sale @ Diapers.com!!

2010-04-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

If you are looking into a new carseat you should check out http://www.diapers.com/ right now! They are offering 15% off all Britax carseats. Just enter the code BRITAX15 at checkout!

Just ordered Emme the Britax Roundabout in Onyx ( to match sister's marathon ofcourse ). Got it for $152! FREE SHIPPING too!

Don't forget, if you are a new customer, enter my referral code for $10 off!

My Referral Code: CXUR908212

Emersyn says...

2010-04-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

You knew I had to start one for her at some point! Won't it be fun to read about the new things that this soon to be talker will be saying! Taylor is talking more and more correctly all the time, although she does still say things that are just hillarious daily, she says them without messing up the words. I love when babies are learning to talk and they have their "own" words.

Emme's new word is " Taylor ". Yes! She can say her sister's name. It's like " Tay-rrrrrrrrr " The rrrr's at the end are like a growl. Adorable.

Taylor's First School Photo

2010-04-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

How cute did this turn out? I was a little worried, I have to admit. I didn't know how she'd do without me there... I also assumed she'd be shy and give her " shy smile ". I am very pleased. She looks so grown up though. How did that happen?

Taylor Grace, 4 years old

Taylor says...

2010-04-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

So we all know you have to watch what you say around children, as they will repeat what they hear. But sometimes you are just joking around... and then they repeat that too!

Last nite we were at Kim & B's house ( next door ) and Taylor sees a beer on the counter and she looks at her friend Liv and says " You don't drink beer. " Then she cracks up... topping that with " My Mommy always says " You wanna beer? " "

I do say that too! How embarassing. My silly jokes with my daughter could easily turn into a visit from CPS!

I Won!!!

2010-04-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

I won an AMAZING bag from Three Sixty Bags!!!

I never win anything, so you can imagine my excitement when I got the email telling me that I won any bag of my choice from Jen's store!! Woo hoo!! Yay for me!!

But how could I choose?? They are all so fabulous, and I could easily accessorize with each of them. However, after lots of thought I chose this one, the Red Brocade Maren Bag. A cute clutch that will be perfect for those (rare) nites out. I can't wait to get my hands on this bag!!

But wait!! You can STILL win a bag too! There will be a drawing every even month this year, and you can grab the details on her site to enter for a chance to win just like me!

Babies & Bubbles

2010-04-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

Logan came over to play last week and I broke out the bubbles for some crazy fun. Ya know, those Gymboree ones that don't pop?? They are so great! My entire living room was like a land of bubbles... kind of messy to clean up later, but well worth the fun!

Take a look...

Easter Morning with Taylor & Emersyn

2010-04-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

A sequence of photos taken of the girl's on Easter morning this year... Enjoy!

The baskets... left nice and neat...before the two of them conquered and destroyed.

Checking out what the bunny left

Remember, this is Emme's FIRST Easter

Taylor is very pleased and says " I am so happy the Easter Bunny got me all this good stuff! I would have been mad at him if he didn't. " ...Nice Tay.

Discovering, analyzing, thinking... hmmmm....

Done with it... she has no clue of the tasty chocolatey goodness underneath that wrapping

Emme was mostly excited about the paper grass... she would have been perfectly content with just a basket of grass.

I couldn't get a good pic of the two of them, Tay's mouth is stuffed with candy and Em is just too busy to look at the camera. I tried though.

The destruction begins...

Hope you had a Happy Easter too!

Lazy Day

2010-04-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

After working a full schedule the last two weeks, training with my new job. I am so happy to be at home having a lazy Wednesday with my girls. I started my part-time schedule this week, I'll be home 2-3 days and it's deffinitely much more doable. I am also appreciating the days at home so much more. I think this will be good. I am happy with the new job, although still adjusting and it'll be nice when I am not the "newbie" anymore. It's so hard being the new kid on the block, so to say. Still getting used to the building, where everything is, meeting the clients, remembering all your co-workers names, and learning your job all at the same time. It's really exhausting, but I know that once I take the "training wheels" off it'll be be smooth sailing.

At least I hope so.

Zoo Trip .... In March

2010-04-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

We went to the Zoo last March. I am just now getting around to posting the pics, but I am glad I am because I must document this fabulous day. We had such a great time, the weather was so perfect and Spring was in the air. The flowers were blooming all over the Oregon Zoo and it was just breathtaking. I love going to the Zoo, we have a membership and it's the only way to go when you have small children. We usually go about 10 times a year so we get our money's worth and then some.

This backpack has been the greatest thing for us! Emme loves it!

You can't go to the Zoo and not get a pic with the metal animal sculptures, it's tradition.

The newest, Africa, has Lions!! So beautiful.

I loved this funky tree in Africa too!

Daddy doesn't go to the Zoo without getting an elephant ear

Emme having her first elephant ear! She loved it ofcourse.

These little guys are so cute! Meerkats!

We think these Hippos are fakes. They are always in the same spot when we go to the Zoo and I yet to see them move. Hmmmm... suspicious.

Oh yes, another photo op with a metal sculpture, this time a mountain goat.

I told you, spring was in the air and all the beautiful flowers in bloom. What a gorgeous day!

Sweet Sisters

Taylor got to see an Otter sleeping in his den, it was the sweetest thing.

One of Taylor's favorite spots at the Zoo, the log that is hollowed out and made into a slide. We always stop here for a few minutes so she can play a bit. Gosh, it won't be long before Emme will be joining her!

Right before she fell asleep for the last hour of the trip...and she didn't wake when we put her in the car. She was pooped!

The rare photo of me... as I am usually behind the lens. Taylor and I sitting on the grassy hill for a snack and a rest. What a super day!

Taylor says...

2010-04-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

Last nite I was snuggling Taylor and her legs were just sooooo long laying over mine. Little girl legs. I commented how she is just so big now and has the longest legs. She looks down and rubs her hand on her knee and responds with...

" Yeah... I am growing. "

Long pause.

" I am growing and I have good skin that helps me. I am glad I have skin. If we didn't have skin we'd be all bloody and dripping our blood everywhere. "

Ha ha ha! This is true, but I have to admit, never thought about it that way. Just another reason to take good care of our skin, right?

Matching Onesies!

2010-04-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Or I could just call them twinsies! Cuz that's what they'll be ( they as in Logan & Emersyn )! Cute little one year old twins. I love it.

Got these from Target too. 6 bucks! Can't go wrong there. You can count on some super cute pics of them in these too, dontcha worry.

Emersyn ~ 10 Months

2010-04-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I am only 10 days late on this one! Go me! Emersyn turned 10 months on March 23rd, she's in the double digits now! Just a couple months until her big ONE YEAR Birthday EXTRAVAGANZA. You know it'll be over the top, you only turn 1 once. And 2, and 3, and 4 and 5 and well... all birthdays should be celebrated in grand fashion. I could go into my ideas for her big party, because I'd love to, but I'll save it for another time, as she is only 10 months, let's enjoy it while it's here.

There have been a lot of changes in our house recently. Mommy at work, Daddy home more, and the girl's going to daycare more regularly. So far she is taking it all in stride. I miss her terribly when I am away, I just want to squeeze her and not let go for a very long period of time when I get home... too bad she's too busy exploring and discovering to have much time for that anymore. I knew the day would come, I am grateful she was slower than her sister though, she gave me more time for snuggles--about 4 more months in fact! But now she's a mover and a shaker... and she's getting QUICK. My new nickname for her is my little ninja, because I see her in one spot and if I turn away for just a sec she's gone. She is keeping us on our toes, that's for sure. This is when it really comes in handy to have the over-protective and controlling big sister around, she is always following Emme and making sure she stays out of trouble. Which gives me a chance to find time for dishes and dinner making...and... this. What would we do without her? Ofcourse, we'll have to give her a little gift on Em's first birthday too, as it is a big milestone for Taylor as well, one year as the best big sister. She truly is.

Although she is closer to being a toddler than a newborn, she still has that sweet babyface that I love so much. Such innocence and sweetness in those eyes, don't you think?

What's Emme up to now?

* SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPS!! I have to shout it out loudly, because I am so excited to be the happy Mommy to another sleeper. She is finally understanding her bed is for sleep and she goes down without a fuss at nite and sleeps for almost 12 hours. She takes 2 naps a day, ranging from an hour to sometimes two each. I love it, I really do.

* Crawling

* Cruising the furniture... standing on her own for a few seconds. Oh! and the other nite we saw her stand on her own, squat down, and then stand back up and grab the play kitchen to balance herself. That took some real skill!

* She has 5 teeth now! Almost 6, the 4th one on the top is right there ready to pop thru any day now. Her smile is so cute with all those little teethers.

* Wearing Size 3 Pampers Cruisers!! Bye Bye my favorite, Swaddlers. Such a sad day that was.

* Wearing Size 9 mos or some 6 - 12 mos clothes, like always, it just depends on the brand.

* Eating all kinds of food, her favorites are still the same, cheese, bread/toast/bagel, peas, banana, pear... Okay this could take me all day, she loves all food. Period.

* Now she sings and dances too! She's ready to go to her first outdoor concert this summer!

A Jersey Shore Birthday!

2010-03-31T20:43:00.000-07:00

We may be in our 30's with 1 or 2 kids and our day jobs require proffesionalism... but we still know how to party!

( Don't judge us )

The requirements for this party were this: Fake tan, fake nails, short skirts, Ed Hardy tshirts, big hair ( the POOF ) and lots of product.

Don't forget the shots!

What a fun nite! Me " Floozi " & my Guido " The Accident "

The top-notch ladies of the Shore!

Jennifer, Roxanne, me, Amanda & Dana

Oh no! Knocked up again! It was bound to happen at the Shore.

D & Me with our bestie Amanda the Birthday Girl

Gettin' Rowdy!

The entire lot of us!

Taylor says...

2010-03-28T09:44:00.001-07:00

" Mommy, I am so happy you pushed Emme out so I could have her. "

Aaaw, love that!

Momma's M.I.A.

2010-03-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

Literally. I have been M.I.A.

Well not necessarily been missing... just not around. This was my first week at work, and although my schedule will be part-time, I worked every day this week in order to complete intense training. It will be next week too, every day, away from my kiddos. It's been rough on me, but the girl's are doing great. The best part about being gone all week?? The house stays clean! Nobody is here to make huge messes so the clean up that occurs over the weekend stays that way! Silly I know, to see that as being a plus, because staying at home and making messes is fun too... but the constant cleaning up I do all day does get old after a while. I some times wish I could be the type that can just let the mess build up and clean it all at one time ( like my husband can do ) but I just can't stand clutter, so I just follow these mini tornados around the house as disaster recovery.

Sleeping in was deffinitely nice today. I appreciate that more than ever. All week I had to get up at 6:30 in order to make sure I can get myself ready and then get the girl's ready. Taylor is the slowest person, she hates mornings and will not get out of bed... then will not get dressed... then can't seem to brush her teeth and then getting her to eat breakfast, put on her shoes and coat and get OUT THE DOOR is all a very very long process that I could really do without. It will take us 2 hours of just getting ready before we can even leave... which means that by the time I even get to work I have already been "working" for two hours. I never said it'd be easy, but gosh, working Mom's have it hard, real real hard.

Be back later this weekend with Emersyn's 10 month update! Oh and maybe even some pictures from the " Jersey Shore " party we're going to tonite! Ha ha! Should be ridiculous. Getting out the bumpits, cheap jewelry and bronzer for this unforgetable event.

Taylor says...

2010-03-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went shopping with Amanda. A super good friend to the entire family. Taylor thinks she is just the coolest. We stopped at Hot Dog On A Stick for a snack ( Amanda's favorite ) and while finishing our fried goodies Taylor decided to let me know that I am not " fashion ". What? Who me? I don't think so. But yes, like most daughters, she doesn't think her Mom is all that cool apparently.

" Mommy, me and Amanda are fashion. You are not fashion because that shirt is not good fashion. "

Aaaaaaah! Sad!

She did tell me last nite while snuggling me on the couch that I was the best Mommy in the world. But now I might think twice before I put that "non fashion" shirt on again.

Best Sisters

2010-03-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

Right now I am downstairs, but I can clearly hear the laughter coming from Emersyn's room upstairs. The girls just woke up, and Taylor must have heard Emme playing in her crib and I can only assume she decided to join her. I love this. I love that I have two girl's that love eachother so much. I am sure it isn't always going to be giggles and tickles. But I have to admit, the occasional quarrels they get into now are even cute! Emme likes to harrass her big sister and finds humor in it, while it tests Taylor's patience, I know she's becoming a better person for it.

Aaaw, my sweet girls, I just adore them to pieces.

Manzanita in March

2010-03-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

We're back from the beach, and back to civilization and real life. Ok, so we have been home since Monday nite and I am just now getting a chance to blog about it. We had no service on our cell phones or Wi-Fi while there... *gasp* I know, it was hard. We decided to spend four nites, which was just enough, I was ready to come home and I really felt like we had a vacation. It turned out to be an amazing weekend for more reasons than one. We got there late Thursday nite, we stopped at Camp 18 for some dinner on our way over, it's been a tradition for D and I to usually stop at Camp 18 at least once while traveling west. It's so yummy and the place is just cool...plus the service is superb, they're so friendly and warm. We love that! Rewind about 2 hours and we're still at home packing into the car, Taylor tells us she wants to wear her footie-jammies in the car to be comfy... can't blame her, so we agreed that was a good idea. Show up to the restaurant and we come to find out Taylor doesn't have any shoes! Yep, we never put shoes in the car and since she was wearing footie jammies she didn't put them on therefore... NO SHOES. Nice. Well, not a huge deal, just meant that before heading out the next day we had to first make a stop at a store in Seaside that sells shoes. Which we did, we got her a cute pair of chocolate and pink sketchers.

We spent the first day just us, our family of 4, in Seaside ( about 25 min North of Manzanita ). We went to the candy shoppe and bought $23.00 worth of Salt Water Taffy! It had to have been 10 lbs of candy! My teeth still hurt. The girl's played in the toy store for a long while and then rode on the carousel, twice! I am sorry I do not have any photos, I grabbed the camera and realized the battery was dead. I feel like this happens to me a lot, I either forgot the camera or it's dead, such a shame.

Fast forward to the next day, Auntie Dy Dy came to spend the nite with us and so did our good friends Nick & Amanda. It was really cold that day, we attempted the beach, but the wind was too bitter for little Emme, her eyes kept watering and her nose and cheeks were red and windblown, I took her back to the house and she slept for 2 hours... it was a bit much for her I guess. We made a huge delicious dinner and pigged out until our tummies hurt... then we put the kids down for bed and played fun games and drank lots. We laughed so hard my abs were hating me ( a hint that I need to start working out again? Uh yeah. ).

After enjoying a great breakfast at Big Wave Cafe in Manzanita, Amanda and I took Taylor on a walk thru town ( with her cute fur baby Kalo too! ) and to a few of the cute shops, then we treked back to the house just in time to get geared up for a hike to Short Sands. The weather was perfect, we couldn't waste such a gorgeous day! I did get pictures of that!

The trip ended with a relaxing evening watching 40 Year Old Virgin and eating all the leftovers in the house, we woke up to sunshine and a beautiful view from the deck. It was also Amanda's birthday! Little did she know, Nick was going to propose to her that morning... he picked a super cool spot off Hwy 101 with a spectacular view to pop the question... while we waited anxiously back at the house for her phone call to hear all about it!

Congratulations Nick & Amanda!!

Park Pictures... More

2010-03-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

Here are the other pics fom last weekend at the park... in case you hadn't had enough yet. I know I haven't!

I love going to the park, and it's even more fun now. Taylor is all over the place, she can climb everything and needs very little help if any at all, she is also always going to meet a "friend" while there, whether they want to be her friend or not...she'll make them. While Emme is exploring while swinging on swings and going down the slide.

We all enjoy ourselves quite a bit!

Look! Emme is waving at her Daddy!

Our "big girl". She picks out her own outfits usually... I just have to make sure you know that.

Getting some good use out of that backpack!

Last summer she HATED the tunnel slide... this year, not even an issue. Sweet!

Ha ha. D doesn't know I was taking a pic... his face proves that... but I was asking him " Uhh... do you think that's a good idea? "

Wow... where did the last 9 months go? Seriously...she goes down slides now? *shaking head*

This is big business Mom!

Taylor says...

2010-03-10T09:18:00.000-08:00

It's so funny to me when young kids try to talk like grown ups. What's even funnier is when they say things that only the grown-ups around them say... like their dorkie Mom who has her own select words she likes to use regularly.

Taylor and I were cleaning her room, and now that I have some new organization going on in there we have 4 rubbermaid bins that fit nicely under her bed, they are for puzzles, littlest pet shop, barbies & disney princess dolls. All labeled with a tight sealed lid so little Sis can't get into them.This makes for really easy cleanup... but Taylor will always find a way to get out of having to completely finish the job. She puts all the puzzles back in one of the bins and even manages to snap the lid on, but then looks to me and says.

" Can you push this under there? I don't have good skillz for doing that. "

Sleeps Anywhere

2010-03-09T11:23:00.000-08:00

Here's a pic of Emme putting herself to sleep on the floor. She never fell asleep because she ended up distracted ( by me with the stupid camera ) but she would have had I not disturbed her "ritual". She rubs her face on her blanket and makes funny noises until she passes out. She will fall asleep anywhere! She is also a deep sleeper. Today she fell asleep in the car and I was able to pull her out of the carseat and put her in bed without waking her... she opened her eyes for a second but then let herself go back to sleep. How nice is that?

Don't you love how kids sleep with their little bottoms in the air?

Daddy the Photog!

2010-03-09T11:04:00.000-08:00

D took these amazing photos of Emersyn at the park this past weekend. I love them all, and I also love that he took them and he's getting so much better at capturing such a great shots of the girls.

Go Daddy!

Change of Plans.

2010-03-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

This SAHM is heading back to work. I was offered a position today, it's very prestigious and I must not disclose of it to protect my innocence. ( ... that doesn't even make sense, but it sounded good in my head... ) But you know, I could have a stalker out there. I am going back to work at the bank, but a different bank than I was at before. I will be a banker bitch again, I will sign my life away on the dotted line to eat, sleep and breathe banking 20 hours a week. I will spend my days away from my children discussing checking accounts, service fees, and interest rates while getting my hands dirty from counting cash. It's bittersweet, because although I am happy to have the chance to go back to work and help my family in this tough economy where my husband is struggling to keep busy, it still pisses me off that I have to go back to work because of this economy that is in the hole. I would much prefer to stay at home with my girls. I am getting to become more into this life, this SAHM life. I have become a better housewife recently, I decided that instead of just being annoyed that I was at home with 2 kids all day, I'd try harder at being better at "my job". I did this by setting goals for myself in the home. Trying at least two new recipes a week, doing my grocery shopping under $60--which is like a fun challenge for me by the way-- and being a cool mom by going on fun outings every other day, cleaning and home improvements get in there somewhere too.

I hope I can keep up with both, work and being a badass wifey and a super mom to my girls... I guess we'll find out soon enough, won't we?

Three Little Birds

2010-03-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Sing this to your children.

I do.

They both love it.

Sing it at bedtime, sing it when they are hurting, sing it when you are just happy. Just sing it.

Sing it to yourself.

"Don't worry about a thing,'Cause every little thing gonna be all right.
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"
Rise up this mornin', Smiled with the risin' sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,

Sayin', "This is my message to you-ou-ou:"

Taylor says...

2010-03-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

How did Taylor get so prissy?? Stop now... don't say it, I know what you are thinking, but I am really not that bad. She is just so girly and... just ...well a priss.

Yesterday was gorgeous, we had the entire day at our fingertips to do whatever we wanted. D didn't have any work stuff going on, the kids were healthy and happy, and the sun was shining bright. We spent the day at a local park that was on the river so we got to not only play on the swings but we also got to feed the ducks, walk along the river bank and take a really cool hike through a wooded area that was so beautiful. ( Forgot my camera... and boy was I mad at myself for that! )

Anyways, while hiking this girly girl is concerned about bugs, dirt, spider webs and bears. She goes on and one about it the entire time.

Then she says " I don't like hiking. I like Princesses. "

It was the quote of the day.

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

2010-03-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

D is a year older today!

We celebrated with the girl's last nite, I made him a big cheesy dinner ( lasagna and garlic cheesebread ) and we had chocolate cake for dessert. Yummmm! Tonite we're going out with some friends to have a "grown up" celebration. Should be fun!

The sun is shining bright today, what a nice birthday surprise!

We Love you Daddy!

Alice In Wonderland

2010-03-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Are you as excited as I am for this??

It's about time.

I have high hopes for this Tim Burton film, his version of Alice in Wonderland. In theaters this weekend! I don't think I'll get a chance to see it for a while, D still really wants to see Avatar so that is what we have to see before anything else. I asked Taylor if she wanted to see this with me and she replied with " No, that is a grown up Alice in Wonderland. Not for kids Mommy. "

Oh. Ok then.

Well, maybe she is right, get a load of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, not really kid-friendly.

Helena Bonham Carter as the Queen! I love her and her weirdness. She's cool.

Other Kid's Parents

2010-03-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

I am going to start calling it OKP. Because OKP really piss me off an a regular basis, and today, at the park I had a lightbulb go on and I decided I just have to blog about OKP.

I think their are some basic rules when you take your children to the playground, unwritten rules that, for the most part, we all follow. Be kind to others, respect other's space, wait your turn, watch out for flying limbs swinging off the monkey bars so you don't get a foot in your face... you know, the basics. I also have found that I am a better parent when I let my child play without my constant hovering... she's 4 now, she can handle a little freedom and she's gaining social independence without me reminding her to have manners, I think she gets that now. I don't think I should have to mediate her conversations or play time with the other children, if a problem arises then I will intervene if I see it necessary but I try to stand back and see if the children can resolve the conflict on their own first.

Maybe OKP don't feel the same way, and this one, in particular, would be one of them.

Taylor made a little friend in the sandbox, and as far as I could tell they were playing happily and enjoying this new found instant friendship. All is good, right? Well another little boy must have been frustrated about something, and he was obviously older than Taylor and her new little girlfriend, I am going to assume about 6 or 7. Instead of letting him figure out his issues, his Mom was all up in their business. She was really pissing me off, I felt like saying " Dude, these girls are playing here and they are not bothering your son, why don't you help him out by suggesting something else he can play with. " But, I didn't.

Being that I have only been a parent for the 4 years of Taylor's life, I know that the best way to avoid conflicts is to distract and suggest something new... something even cooler than what they wanted in the first place. Duh. Parenting 101, look it up lady. I wasn't going to stoop to her level, I just stood back and kept an eye on her... making sure she saw me though... giving her the "look". Do you know the one I am talking about? Like not a smile, but not a scowl either, but showing her I am there and I will protect my young.

Then she killed me with this " Ok, I think there is some miscommunication happening here, and they aren't understanding what you want from them " Meanwhile, my kid, who is bad ass ( remember, cuz she reminds me of me ) just looks at the lady like she is nutso. But since I have done such a stellar job at teaching her to have manners ( sarcasm ) she ofcourse knows not to say anything.

Some day, when she is old enough, she can just go home and blog about it.

Oh and you can be sure that I'll have plenty more OKP posts from here on out. *wink*

Let's go hiking Daddy!

2010-03-02T15:59:00.000-08:00

Yes!! Look what we got?! Thanks to my Dad & Candice for this sweet backpack carrier! We're heading to the Oregon Coast in a couple weeks and this is going to come in handy for sure. We hope the weather will be clear so we can hike around the State Park near the house we're staying in. Emersyn LOVES this too, so we'll be all set... as long as Taylor doesn't melt down from having to walk... I'll bribe her with ice cream afterwards or something. Yep, ya gotta do whatcha gotta do.

Those straps will come in handy, she can help those two front teeth come in while we hike around the woods.

She is stoked, can't ya tell? She's like... " Ok guys... now what? "

& In case you haven't been to the Oregon Coast... this is where we'll be. Manzanita. It's my favorite place to visit in Oregon, it's a quiet and cozy beach town with cute litte shops and places to eat.

This is taken from Hwy 101 looking down on the beach of Manzanita.

Ooh goodie, I can't wait for a weekend away!

Taylor says...

2010-03-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

" Guess what Mommy! "

" What? "

" Today I'm going to get in love. "

Good Morning Emme!

2010-03-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

Well we're at the stage where Emme greets us proudly standing in her crib after she wakes up. It's so fun and new when they start doing this. I just love it.

Look at this face!! This is so her trademark look... she sticks her bottom jaw out and makes this funny little expression. Always gets a giggle out of us...which is why she keeps doing it, I am sure.

God bless you, Swiffer Sweeper Vac!

2010-02-26T15:05:00.000-08:00

Can I say something??

Well, duh, ofcourse I can, this is my blog. Which is why I love blogging, I can say whatever the heck I want, with no interruptions and I can just ramble on about anything and everything.

The Swiffer Sweeper Vac is the best thirty bucks I have ever spent. Hands down.

The. Best.

( really wish I knew how to make this picture a link to where you can buy...but still no such luck in that dept...will keep working on it though )

Screw sweeping... screw swiffering for that matter! SWIFFER SWEEPER VAC! If you have hardwood or laminate floors you must do your self a huge favor and get yourself a cheap Swiffer Vac and then, when you no longer have to sweep or swiffer and THEN vacuum the crumbs or whatever you are doing right now that is not nearly as efficient, you can thank me. You can buy me a drink how 'bout.

No, just let me say " I told ya so " and that'll be good enough for me. I love being right.

One more thing...
$5 Off Coupon!

My Button!

2010-02-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

I made a button! See it... over there, on your right... see it now?

My Dolce Mia button!

I am not a techy type, and I am always learning as I go... google is my BFF. Well I asked one of my friends if he could help me make a button for my blog to link my readers to my Dolce Mia website...he's a techy guy, he makes computer chips or something, I think... does he work for Intel or Microsoft? I can't remember. He has one of those jobs where he tries to explain it to you and the words are big and complicated and you just nod your head and say " Uh huh... wow, sounds cool " but really you have no clue what he's talking about. Well, he told me that I should just google how to do it... Hmmm, ok. I was hoping he could just do it for me, but whatever. So I did it!! It's not super cool or anything, but it's somethin!

I patted myself on the back and did the " I am the smartest mommy in the world " dance.

Thirsty Thursday!!

2010-02-25T12:16:00.000-08:00

Yay! This is right up my alley! I have never done one of these blog link-up thingys, but I thought, what the hey! I like this one. Put on by Hair Bows & Guitar Picks, a new blog I just discovered and already really enjoy, I am making her Chicken Taco Soup in my crockpot as we speak ( or read and write ).

My drink of choice this week is a classic that is a must have when eating some warm taco soup!
Corona with Lime.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Aaaah. When it hits your lips.... brings me back to my fond memories of hanging out on the beach of Mexico with a bucket of beers. So good.

How do I drink my Corona? Well I like a lot of lime, so I make sure to squeeze all the lime into the bottle and then get a bit on the top so every sip is limealicious!

Cheers!!

Taylor says...

2010-02-24T11:13:00.000-08:00

After she had a couple apple slices for breakfast Taylor was complaining her tummy was hurting. While grabbing her stomach and moaning this comes out of her mouth...

" I feel like I am now really old and about to die "

Could she be any more dramatic?

Emersyn ~ 9 Months Old

2010-02-23T16:52:00.000-08:00

Getting older is the pits!!

Waaaaaaaaah!!!!!

( Ok, really, this is just the most pitiful face! I am so mean for taking photos but I couldn't help myself )

Happy 9 Months Emersyn Love!!!

So here we are, 9 months from Emme's birth, only 3 months away from her 1 year birthday! Where does the time go? It just gets swallowed up faster than a blink of an eye. While her big sister is going from 4 to 14 without my permission, Emme is going from my little baby that fit in my palm to an older baby ( was going to say toddler but I think they have to be walking to be labeled that...hence the word "toddle" ) who is quickly learning how to crawl, pull herself up, eat people food ( as opposed to the dog food we were feeding her--hey, she liked it! ... kidding ), talk and sing. Yes, she sings.

Hieght & Weight at 9 months:

17 lbs & 27 inches

Look at me! I crawl now!!

It's kinda tough, and I am still a bit slow, but nonetheless I am goin' places!

See! I got it! No stopping me now!

What's Emersyn Up to Now??

* Eating Eating Eating & more Eating. When she isn't eating, she is playing and then sleeping and then sleeping so she can get be well rested for her next feast.

* Drinking 5-6 ounces in her bottles about 5 times a day. But the crazy part is how much food she can put down in one meal. For example, breakfast could be a whole mashed up banana, 1 piece of whole wheat toast with butter and 1 yobaby. Yes, this is correct.

* Favorite Foods: Banana, yogurt, bread, peas, CHEESE, black beans, and macaroni. She also loves pears and raspberries that come in the jar.

*Words she says: Ok, so we aren't totally sure, but we think she can say Daddy, Mommy, Bottle and Kitty. They come out like "Da Da" " Maaaaaaaaa" " Bob "and "Kee Kee".

*Likes: Eating ( sorry for sounding redundant, but it's just the truth ), playing with big sis, dancing, bathtime, her blankie, and snuggling.

Dislikes: Her carseat, putting clothes on, avocado, the Dr. office, and being alone.

* Emersyn is wearing 9 month clothes now but she still fits in some of her 6 months stuff, it just depends on the brand.

* Wearing 2-3 Diapers ... I will be so sad when she grows out of Swaddlers.

*Sleeping thru the nite but still wakes up occasionally... sleep training is a whole other post which I plan to get to soon. She sleeps in her crib about 45% of the time, the rest of the time she's with me. A habit I hope to break before she's 6 and stealing my covers.

Happy Girl!!

We love our Emersyn Love!!!

Mini Home Updates

2010-02-22T14:57:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago my dear friend Sarah was visiting with her sweet Logan and she made a comment to me ( again ) about the fact that I had zero pics of Emersyn in the house. Yes, ZERO. I couldn't make any more excuses so I decided that I would make sure that would not be the case the next time she visits. Last week I had over 200 photos printed at Costco and started this little project of not only geting Em's sweet face on display, but also updating photos of Taylor ( all of them were from when she was a baby, younger than Em )

The finished result is great! I love all the new photos, such a minor change can really make a big difference in a room. The first few days were fun for me, every time I'd go into a room with new pics I'd be pleasantly surprised. Take a look for yourself...

This photo is above my desk, Taylor holding Emme right after she was born, I love this photo, and the message on the frame is perfect.

Also in our "den ". This wasn't a new one, but I want to show it off, this is Taylor last Summer at the park.

These 4 were originally in our room but I decided they'd look much better in our "den" area off the entry. Now I enjoy them more since when I am in our bedroom I am usually asleep. The top left is our wedding invite while the rest were taken at our reception in NW Portland.

These are my newest favorites! I framed our Xmas photos and put them in these cute ( & cheap ) frames from Ikea. I love them because the girl's outfits match my decor in the family room ( black, white with some red ). These are on the small wall by the stairs.

Cute! Totally new on these shelves. A bald little Emme and a photo of the girls on Xmas morning in their jammies ( which I switched to b&w ofcourse ) and one of my favorite shots of the two of them that I got when Emme was 4 months old. I love the timeless feel of b&w photos and I have a hard time not turning EVERY pic I have b&w.

Here's a splash of color! It's great that Tay's outfit matches my decor as well... and the one of Emme, well no, it doesn't match but her little head fit perfect in this frame and I just love that smile!

More b&w's! Two very sweet photos that I adore, Taylor and my Nana on her 80th birthday and then this perfect one of D & little Emersyn.

On the same table with the ones above I put this cute on of me and Taylor, taken recently at her 4th Birthday party. And I updated this frame with the most current ballet recital pic, which I think I'll do each year.

Saving the best for last! These are my favorite that I put in Em's room. Some great close-up shots I took of her on the beach of Maui last fall. They complete her room.

Next Project: UPDATE OUR MASTER BEDROOM. I have some big plans for our room, new bedding, curtains and 3 great frames from Ikea will be hung up with some photos of the kids... this time not black and white, I am thinking more of antique or sepia. Can't wait to get started on this one.

Watch out world....

2010-02-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

Here comes Emme!

She's crawling now! As of last weekend she is officially up on all fours and on the move. She is so proud of herself too, she loves being able to finally do what she sets herself out to do. Ya can't blame the kid for being frustrated when she is watching her sister move around the room doing this and that while she's attached to the carpet ( although, she did a pretty great job at rolling from point a to b ).

More news, Taylor has her first ear infection, hopefully last. She is on antibiotics for them ( another first ) and she loves her new pink bubblegum medicine. I love it too! Ok, I took a taste... it smelled so yummy, I couldn't help myself! I also like to taste her Children's Tylenol in the cherry flavor. But enough confessions from me, my poor little Tay was in so much pain last nite I had no idea what to do, I hate feeling helpless as her Mommy. It's always the way it is with her, I am just learning as I go so if something happens to her I have to google and teach myself how to handle the situation. Maternal instinct comes in handy most of the time, but last nite I was clueless. She is feeling much better today and I can only hope she sleeps better tonite.

Emme turns 9 months tomorrow and has a well visit, which I am anxious for because I have a few important questions to ask her pedi ( sleep issues, reflux & what to do about her sensitivity to lactose ) but I am mostly excited to find out how big she is.

I hope I get a chance to post her HUGE 9 month birthday post tomorrow, it's going to be loaded with all her latest and greatest stuff.

Taylor says...

2010-02-18T13:09:00.000-08:00

I try my hardest to raise Taylor to have an open mind and be accepting of all types of people, something that is very important to me. So when we were at the gas station today, after the attendant took my card, Taylor had this to say.

" He is funny. "
" Why? "
" He just looks funny and he has an earing. "
" Well, that's his style. It's ok for boys to wear earings too. Everyone has their own style. You have your own style and Mommy has her's, and that guy has a style too and he likes to wear earings "
" Oh "
" Do you think he has good style? "
" No. He has funny style. "

Oh well, I tried.

Emme In The Box

2010-02-17T11:41:00.000-08:00

All around the mulberry bush...

The monkey chased the Weasel...

The Monkey thought....

...Twas all in Good Fun.

POP!

Goes the Weasel!!

Taylor says...

2010-02-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

Last nite while watching the Men's figure skating. " Wow! ( Laughing ) That guy can twirl like a girl! "

When Taylor is angry with us because she might have been naughty and sent to her room, she doesn't go quietly. She stomps up the stairs and you will usually hear her scream " I QUIT!!!! " and then slam her door.

Drama. Queen.

My Kid is...

2010-02-13T16:37:00.000-08:00

Bad Ass.

'Cuz she reminds me of ME.

Tunin' In to...

2010-02-13T16:27:00.000-08:00

Life Unexpected

Are you watching this show? Yeah, I didn't think so. Is anyone?? It's so cute! In case you haven't heard of it, let me give you the jist. Two kids around 16 years old did the nasty after their Winter Formal 15 years ago, the girl got knocked up and gave her baby girl up for adoption ( must have been one of those things where her parents shipped her off for a bit so nobody knew she was pregnant because they were worried it'd ruin her rep, cuz even the baby-daddy didn't know anything about it, neither did her current boyfriend of now ) Ok.... phew...you following? Well fast forward to 15 years later and the Mom ( Kate ) is in her early 30's ( same with the baby-daddy...who's name is BASIL, love it ) and they have seperate lives doing their own thing, she's a radio DJ and he owns a bar. The birth daughter ( Lux--another name I adore ) comes back into their lives because she needs them to sign her petition to be emancipated from the state so she can get out of the foster care system and live on her own. The sad part is she was never adopted because she had some medical issues which caused her to not get a birth family to take her. Is that realistic? People won't adopt a sweet baby girl because of a birth defect? That is terrible. Meanwhile her birth Mom thought she was adopted! Nobody told her she was in the care of the state and tossed around from foster home to foster home. The State will not emancipate Lux, instead they put her in the care of her birth parents where they are forced to share custody. The drama is unraveling while these two people who are basically strangers with a bit of a past have to learn how to be parents to a teenager who has some baggage of her own. Aaah, it's so great.

It takes place in Portland ( that's where we live, in case you didn't know that Portland is in Oregon... but it's also in Maine too, and I don't want you to get confused ) but it isn't filmed here, which is kind of lame, it's filmed in Vancouver BC and they just put lots of shots of Portland landmarks in between scenes. You feel like you're in Portland, but you really aren't. Sorry to disspoint. I think this show is off to a great start, some stuff is slow, and some of the acting could be improved, but so far I love the story line and the messages in each episode. It's a feel good one and deffinitely CW appropriate. Check it out, leave me a comment to tell me what you think!

P.S.

Dawson's Creek fans! Jack from the Creek is the fiance to Kate ( the birth mom ) and he's not gay ( obviously ) and just as cute as ever! Although I am a Pacey lover...but I can catch him when I watch Fringe with D occasionally ( only the lesser grotesque eps ).

NO SNOW BLOWS!

2010-02-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

I am not happy with this STORM that is not showing it's ugly face in the NW. I want some snow!! SNOW SNOW SNOW! I want to be snowed in and have a winter wonderland in my backyard, I want to have a reason to be lazy and bake goodies and drink schnappes and hot cocoa, I want to build a snowman with my kids and hubby and go sledding too! Boo!! All I see is photos of the snow on facebook and it's torturing me. Take a look at this stuff!

Aunt Dixie in DC posted this one, GORGEOUS! I want that.

Allison in South Carolina posted these! Also bragging about getting snowed in and drinking beer with her fiance AND then playing in the snow. SC should not be getting this much snow if I get none. Not cool. I want that!

Emily in TX posted this one! Ugh! It's so pretty! I WANT THAT!

PW Cooks Giveaway!!!

2010-02-12T10:03:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh, I would be the happiest pretend cook if I won this one!! Check out PW Cooks today and find out how you can win a Kitchenaid Mixer, Toaster, and Le Crueset ( ok, I don't know what that is, but it's red and cute ). This is a V-Day giveaway and she is picking a winner on Sunday at 8pm. *Crossing my fingers*

Taylor says...

2010-02-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am now convinced my child will be owning her own company by the time she's a freshman in HS and will be supporting me and D. Pheeew, glad we'll be taken care of! *wink*

In all serious though. The stuff she says is crazy, and most of the time I am thinking, why aren't you babbling about barbies and ponies?? But no, she discusses weddings, living in NYC, working hard, buying her own house, why we die, traveling to Paris to see the Eifell Tower, how many children she plans to have and etc. It's all day EVERY day.

She really wants this dress up dress at Toys R Us that I denied her last time we were there. She DOES NOT need anymore dresses. Her dress up trunk is overflowing and we have some of her "fancier" gowns hanging up in her closet, they are so poofy they hit you in the face when you open the dang door! But she can't stop thinking about this dress and the other nite, she woke up at 3 am... yes, 3 am, and told D that she had a plan to get that dress. " I will sell all my dress up dresses that I don't wear and make the money to buy that dress! " Yes, this is HER plan, she came up with this on her own. The next day they came up with a compromise, Taylor will have to do some things around the house to earn her new dress. Just little stuff, pick up the toys at the end of the day and keep her room clean. She also helped put away our laundry earlier this week, getting a stool to stand on so she could reach the upper drawers too! Last nite she came to us and said " I am excited for Emme to get older so we can do our work together. Teamwork!! It's better to work as a team. " I know exactly how that will go down too, Taylor will emphasize to Emme that they are " working as a team " while she subtly delegates all her chores to her and sits back and coordinates her next project.

I'm Representin'!

2010-02-10T16:06:00.000-08:00

Sales Representin' some Dolce Mia that is!!
I am now a Sales Rep for this amazing product, Dolce Mia of Sonoma County. and I am so excited to show it off here on my blog. Visit my website and take a look, I think you'll fall in love just like I did! This stuff is so YUMMY! It smells awesome, feels even better on your skin, it's all natural, so it's safe for sensitive skin types, and Helloooo! The packaging is brilliant! Who doesn't love those adorable vintage prints, plus there are so many to choose from, they will suit just about anybody's taste... I myself am loving the Horsin' Around and Pin Up Girl designs the best, but for my " bird theme " guest bath I am going to be getting the Peacock. The soaps main ingredients is olive oil, shea butter and aloe, it's completely pure and we like that. Made in the USA and evironmentally safe, you feel good about using these products, plus when you buy you are supporting small business and your local economy... and ME. I am really excited about this new business venture I have taken on, I will keep posting more as it comes to me and I will also have a pretty sweet little giveaway soon too! Yay!!

This one is for the Daddy...

2010-02-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

He has been quoted saying he wishes he didn't have to play princess and dress up all the time... but he sure puts in the efforts and his girls adore him for that. Taylor and Emme have him wrapped around both their little fingers and I think he's okay with that. Some Daddy's are just meant to have girls, and our's sure is one of them.

Daddy's make greats Horsies!

They are also good story readers!

Emme loves hangin' with her Dad

Diapers.com Friend Referral!!

2010-02-10T12:24:00.001-08:00

Diapers.com is bumping up the referral credit to $10 for new customers!! This is just temporary for Valentine's Day so hurry up and orders some diapies and wipees! Enter my referral code and we both get a $10 credit! Sweet!!

CXUR908212

Taylor says...

2010-02-10T12:22:00.000-08:00

Oh boy, do I have some good ones for ya today!

While applying the stickers to the Valentines for Taylor's class she says " I want to keep that Key-Cock one " Oh yes, she meant Peacock. Once again, I do not correct her, it's just too funny and she'll learn the correct way to say Peacock far too soon.

Speaking of her own words. She also has her own version of the Christmas carol Jingle Bells! Instead of the traditional lyrics " Dashing thru the snow, in a one horse open sleigh " she sings " Dashing thru the snow, in a ONE PLUS open sleigh! Hey! " I actually have corrected her on this one and she argues with me that her version is the right one and I am wrong... "Sorry Momma, you are wrong ".

Earlier today I was upstairs putting Emme down for a nap and Taylor came up to me to let me know there were TWO people at the door. I knew it was probably just a soliciter because we were not expecting anyone and if it was a delivery it'd just be one person and she knows the type of trucks delivery's come in ( big brown or white with purple letters ). I went downstairs to check it out and they were gone. I then asked her " Well, I wonder what they wanted " and she responds " I think they were trying to steal all of our money!! " Sadly, she is quoting me from the day before when she asked me why I was mad at the person on the phone ( dealing with D's flex plan stuff, they are NEVER helpful when you call ) and I just told her " I am mad because these people are trying to steal our money " Ha ha!! Oops!

Three Sixty Bags Giveaway!!!

2010-02-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

Have you seen these gorgeous bags? They are beyond fabulous, just beautiful.... I have seen in person too, they are handcrafted with exquisite quality, the fabrics are so durable and the bags are a perfect size for us busy mom's!

Go to Three Sixty Bags and check out the goods. The best part is, Jen, the designer and owner, just posted a great giveaway going on right now. We all love giveaways, right?! I just can't decide which bag I like the most, I want them all!!

Emersyn ~ 8 months old

2010-02-07T16:39:00.000-08:00

Emersyn is 8 months now! I am going to skip her 8 month birthday update and wait to make the 9 month one HUGE. But you can take a look at this cutie and drool, cuz that's what I do. She really does make me drool over her.

Taylor HEARTS Taylor

2010-02-03T09:05:00.000-08:00

Taylor has a new found love for Taylor Swift. She has paid attention to her if she is on the TV because... well, if they say "Taylor" our Taylor automatically thinks they're talking about her. She then started to like the beautiful blonde Taylor Swift on TV. A few weeks ago, her song " You Belong With Me "was on the radio in the car and I told her it was Taylor Swift singing and she thought it was a catchy tune and liked the part "She wear shorts skirt and I wear T shirts " ( I may have those lyrics wrong, but that's what we think she is saying ) and she asked me to play it again.... well it was on the radio and I had to explain to her that I couldn't play it again but I would download it to the Ipod for her. Well, now she has her Taylor Swift song on the Ipod and she likes to sit in her room and listen to her, sometimes dance, while singing along. D and I love it!! Her own taste in music... funny how they start out sooo young! I remember when the 4 and 5 year olds at the dance studio would tell me how they LOOOOOVED Hannah Montana... I am actually kind of glad Taylor is prefering Swift over Cyrus... according to my personal opinion that is the much better and more appropriate choice. Mommy and Daddy approve.

Taylor says...

2010-01-28T17:25:00.000-08:00

" Mommy, I want to wear a muffin in my hair "

She meant bun!! This was a great morning funny that I had to just go along with! I have to say, isn't muffin a cuter word for that hairstyle than bun anyways? I think it's fabulous!

Taylor says...

2010-01-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

This one should really be called "Taylor jokes" because apparently she tells jokes now. Tonite she shocked me with this one... where did she here this? And how did she remember it perfectly to tell it well enough for it to make sense?

Taylor's 1st Joke:

Why did the chicken cross the park?
To get to the other slide!

Ha!! You gotta admit, that's a good one.

More joking moments with Taylor. Yesterday she came downstairs and told me she peed in her panties and had to change them. I asked her if it was a little accident or a lot of pee. She responded with, " Mommy, I went to the bathroom and my pee pee just EXPLODED " ( Insert big hand movements motioning an EXPLOSION ). I was upset by this because I assumed she just peed all over the floor in her bathroom from being careless. " Taylor, why would you pee all over your bathroom? What happened to going ON the toilet? " Now she starts laughing a very fake laugh covering her mouth and tilting her head back like this is just hillarious " Oooooh Mommy! I am totally JOKING! "

Which she was, she didn't have a pee " explosion " at all. Just felt like pulling my leg a bit for a good laugh. Silly girl.

Happy Birthday Taylor Grace!!

2010-01-27T15:31:00.000-08:00

Happy 4th Birthday Taylor!!

I can't believe you are now 4 years old! Let me tell ya, you have made our last 4 years absolutely amazing, I wouldn't change anything. You have taught me so much about myself...yes, you are only 4 but you are teaching your Mommy life lessons she never knew! You are deffinitely wise beyond your years. You have the whole world figured out according to you. You ask all the right questions, you ponder the answers and will let us know if you don't agree with them. You always remember and share what you have learned in your short 4 years with everyone around you. So much has happened for you in just the last year! Let's see, where do I begin? Well, you kicked a bad habit... the binkie, you did this shortly after you turned 3. You performed in your first dance recital in the Spring, you traveled to Maui and swam in the ocean, alot! You started school! That is a big one. Hmmm... I know there is something else, hmm what is it? Oh yeah! You became a big sister! That was HUGE for you this year. Your family expanded by one, your little sister Emersyn was born and you became a big sister, and Emme is so lucky to have you. You have made me and your Daddy so proud with how wonderful you are with your baby sister, you are so sweet to her, so gentle and caring, you play with her, you share with her, you help Mommy care for her and well.... Wow, you have outdone yourself in the big sis department, that's for sure! Now you are 4 years old, I know you'll continue to learn so many new things and you'll impress me again and again with your antics and your talents. Although I get sad when I think of how fast you are growing, I am always excited to watch you continue to grow up, it's just one of the best parts of being your Mommy.

I know you had a wonderful birthday this year, we celebrated with a super fun party ( pics will be posted soon ) and you also got to have a little celebration at school. You have been so gracious this birthday and I love you for that. Thanks for being my beautiful and amazing daughter and making me your Mommy!

Taylor says...

2010-01-16T12:59:00.000-08:00

Taylor: Daddy, you can be anywhere you wanna be
Daddy: Oh yeah? I want to be on a nice warm sandy beach... can you make that happen?
Taylor: ( laughing ) Nooooo silly... I am not a fairy.
Daddy: Oh that's too bad, I wish I was at the beach.
Taylor: Well you need to sleep and then you can be at the beach, you will dream it!

Another huge topic of discussion with Taylor these days is her fascination wtih getting married and weddings. Yesterday while driving to school she asked me " Mommy, did Daddy tip you back and kiss you on your wedding day? " So I responded " Yep, he sure did, it was nice ".... ( long pause from Tay ) " Well, I want Jack ( her "boyfriend" ) to do that to me when we get married on our wedding day. "

She's back!

2010-01-09T15:28:00.000-08:00

Our little ballerina girl is back in dance class as of this week! We took a break for the first part of the year and decided that after winter break would be a great time to start. She tried two classes last week, a beginner ballet/tap combo class, which is what she took last year, and also a Pre-Ballet class which we call in our house " big girl ballet ". She did so great in the "big girl ballet" class, we decided to enroll her in that one. She jumped in without any hesitation, they did barre work, center, and then cross the floors. She had to be a very good listener and push herself quite a bit. I know it wasn't easy for her, but she really impressed me. We placed an order for some new ballet shoes and a new dress for class, her feet grew 2 sizes since last summer and her legs were way too long for last june's recital tights! It really makes you realize how fast they grow when you are finding yourself constantly re-buying stuff like that. Thank goodness we have another little girl ( who will hopefully enjoy dance as much as her sister ) and we can just hand these hardly used shoes, tights and leotards to her.

We'll have to have Taylor model her new duds when they show up and I'll take a few pics to share on here, you know how she loves to pose for the camera!

A Soiree!

2010-01-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

That's a fancy ( & french ) word for PARTY!!

Yep, Taylor Grace is having a Fancy Nancy 4th birthday party! Just like most of the 4 year old population I am assuming. I just adore Fancy Nancy and all the books and everything else that comes with it. It's adorable! We're going to request all guests to come dressed in their fancy clothes ( boys are invited too and they shall dress very dapper ) and we'll have a fancy soiree here at our home with a dress up room, red carpet, paparazzi, fancy hors d'oeuvres--that's french for appetizers, fancy cupcakes and ... well I am still working with it, but that's what I have so far! I am going to get some stuff to let the kids decorate a photo frame and then they can put the photo I take of them all dressed up in it! Fun!

Now I have lots of work to do to get ready, it's just a couple weeks away!!

Crazy.

2010-01-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

Crazy. Nutso. Spastic. Looney. Freak.

...still cute though.

Snow!!

2010-01-03T11:32:00.000-08:00

Last week, before New Year's, we got some snow. Just a dusting...well it ended up being around 3 inches, which is enough to shut down the city of Portland! Ha! What a joke. Anyways, so it worked out because we were having a play date with our friends Rowan, Jack, & Baby Logan. The big kids got to go out in the snow and enjoy the first of the season, they ran around in circles screaming " SNOW DANCE!! ", and then Taylor was convinced she needed to eat the snow and told her friends to do the same. I hope we get more than this, as it was melted by the next day. Something about the white stuff that brings out the kid in all of us.

Christmas with Us

2010-01-03T11:07:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful holiday season this year. I have to admit, normally I am not into the whole Christmas brouhaha, but this year felt different. I think because Taylor was so into it, and Emme is now here and we just have so much fun with our girls and we didn't let the fact that money is tight and the weather sucks get us down. I shopped mostly online to avoid awful crowds and we started a few new traditions to get excited about for years to come. It was such a fun month and I am sad that we now have a whole year to wait until next Christmas! Weird, coming from a former Scrooge.

One regret, I didn't take them to see Santa this year! The days I wanted to do it one of them didn't feel well, and then I just sort of forgot. The day before Christmas Eve sounded like it'd be a good time, but I found out the line at our closest mall to see him was extremely long, torturously long. So we typed Santa an email to tell him what Taylor wanted, but ofcourse, he already knew, since he just knows things. Right? Oh but next year, we have to be more stealth with our wrapping techniques, Taylor noticed Santa had the same paper as us! Sheesh! We also had no idea she'd have so many questions about him. There should be a guidebook for parents that want their children to believe in Santa, because we almost blew it a few different times!

Here's a few pics from our Christmas at home. I didn't take my camera to my sister-in-laws for Christmas Eve, my lens is broke ( terrible! I dropped it and it'll cost over $200 to replace, yikes! ) and I get pissed off taking pics now. I also didn't take and photos on Christmas Day when we had my family at our home for fun games and eats. Why? Like I said, the camera pisses me off. I had to take photos of the girls opening gifts though, so I got those, but until I get a new lens the photos will be few and far between for some time. Sorry.

Taylor leaving a nice note and cookies and milk for Santa. Carrots for the reindeer too! We never forgot them. Really, they have the hardest job of the nite and need to refuel!

Christmas morning! Daddy & Taylor opening gifts.

Emme got this from Santa! He was smart enough to leave it unwrapped so she could get right to playing! That Santa is such a sharp man, but I guess he's been doing this for a while.

Had to get a pic of the girls together in there some-what matching jammies. Taylor's were so cute, and then I had the hardest time finding some for Emme to kind of match Tay's so we just went with red and pink polka-dots. Cute!

Emme's like " What the heck? "

Now she is thinking " Oh that's better! I like it! " ( Yeah, I know what she's thinking, we're so connected )

She really enjoyed chewing on tags and wrapping paper, just like a baby.

Ha ha! We like to see what Emme lets us do, we gave her a tissue paper hat and found it quite ammusing. Poor kid.

Taylor and her most sought after gift of the year! HELLO KITTY GUMBALL MACHINE!

Daddy and his girls all snuggly in their jammies

The girls with their Mommy, and Mommy with her "just woke up" face :-)

Digging into her stocking finding lots of neat goodies from Santa

We visited Peacock Lane in Portland, the little street that is famous for their lights every year.

We had fun, well we as in me and D, Taylor was miserable... cold and tired and Emme was just cold.

Emersyn ~ 7 months

2010-01-02T21:18:00.000-08:00

Ok ok ok, I know I have been a HUGE slacker ( when I typed HUGE, it reminded me of a convo I had with Taylor's little friend Jack the other day, I said something was huge and he goes " Yeah, like my muscles " Oh god, seriously, how frickin' hillarious and adorable is that?? ) ...Ok, I am back. So I have lots and lots to post and I will deffinitely get to that. But first things first, our little Emme is now 7 months old and we have to do her 7 month birthday post right now. So here goes:

Happy 7 months Emme! You are the most amazing child, you bring so much joy to everyone around you. Even people at the grocery store are happier when you are around. When you smile your eyes twinkle, yes, this is true. You warm my heart so much that I feel like it will explode with love for you. You are truly an angel baby.

So, whatcha up to these days?

~ Talking! Ok well just baby talk but you are getting consistent word like sounds out all the time. Ba-ba, Ga-Ga, and your Daddy's favorite, Da-Da.

~ Clapping!! And it's so cute, she claps for her sister when she's dancing around, she claps when you push the buttons on her new leapfrog activity table and lights come on. How does she know to clap? Genius! That's the only way I can explain it. Yep.

~ Sitting up like a big girl
~ Eating all kinds of solid foods now. Favorites are Pears, Peas, and Carrots.
~ Drinking 6 oz now! Whoa there piggy! She went from 4 oz to 6 oz over nite! I can't wait to see how big she is at her next well check, but that won't be until 8 months so we have a few more weeks to pack on even more pounds.
~ Wearing 6-9 months clothes now
~ Sleeping mostly thru the nite. Waking any time between 4 & 6 am to eat and then back to sleep ( with Mommy, because I like to snuggle after that morning meal ) until 9 am. Oh yes, I have 2 girls who enjoy sleep!
~ 2-3 naps a day, around 1 hour each. I am terrible at keeping track of a "schedule" with Em, I think I spent too much energy on that with Taylor and now I just go with the flow. Em is ok with that type of routine anyways, so I feed her when she's hungry and she sleeps when she's tired and that's kind of how it works around here.
~ Trying to crawl but not even close, she can belly scoot backwards on the wood floor though! She rolls and rolls and that's how she gets to where she needs to go. She needs a onesie that just says " That's how I roll ".
~ She sits in highchairs at restaurants now, and loves it. She's part of the group instead of tucked away in her boring carseat. It's great, she's so easy to take places.
~ She has 2 bottom teeth and is currently cutting another bottom one to the left of those.

Well, I think that is all I can come up with right now, she's so busy and learning new things daily, I can't keep up!

She really is clapping in this one! It's the cutest!

Bath time is in the sink now! It's the best place for a baby tubby! She loves the indepence of being able to sit up and splash around.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2009-12-25T14:03:00.000-08:00

Our little Elves would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!!

Peace, Love & Happiness

Love, The S Family

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

It's all fun in games...

2009-12-22T13:12:00.000-08:00

Until you get "bad wedgies". Pretty sure Taylor isn't the only one that hates those. When we're bored, we think it's fun to put babies in big kid toys and big kids in baby toys... and it's more often than not, we find ourselves with cabin fever type sillies in the winter months around here. So here is Taylor trying out the exersaucer. Then she got stuck...panicked a bit, and began to frantically try and escape. All the while saying " I gotta get outta here, this is giving me real bad wedgies Mommy! " I couldn't jump to her rescue because I was busy laughing at her and taking photos. Sorry sweetie, hope you aren't too traumatized!

Taylor's School Christmas Party

2009-12-20T11:06:00.000-08:00

On Thursday last week we were invited to Taylor's Preschool for a fun Christmas party. They sang songs for the parents and then we got to decorate cupcakes for Jesus's birthday, candles and all. ( It's a christian preschool ). Taylor and her classmates made all their families a picture frame with a cute picture inside, while the teachers gave the students an ornament for their christmas trees. Taylor and I got all the teachers gift cards to Starbucks. She loves her teachers and it's obvious they love her too. We had so much fun spending the afternoon in Taylor's school environment, they do a wonderful job making each day really special for the children.

Don't they look enthused?? Ha ha! Not the best pic but they were singing jingle bells and obviously focusing on the words of the song... I hope.

Taylor is one of 4 girls in this classroom of almost all boys!

I couldn't get her to look up at me when taking pics... slightly frustrating, but then I just stopped and enjoyed the singing.

Decorating her cupcake happily

She finished her cupcake and found an extra dixie cup of frosting and just started eating that instead of the cupcake itself. Yum!

Mrs. Douglas, one of Tay's favorite teachers

We snagged a celery stick for Emmers on the snack table. A cute one of the 3 of them! D got to leave work for a long lunch with his girls.

Mommy gets in front of the camera for once!

30

2009-12-20T10:47:00.000-08:00

That is how many years I am now. It doesn't hurt as bad as people said it would... I feel the same... getting older isn't that terrible, especially when I have everything I want at this age. I feel like one of the lucky ones!

Today I am hanging out with my girls, D has to work, which is a bummer, but he'll be home tonite and then we'll have cake and pinot to celebrate!

Cheers to getting older and better!!

A Mommy hint...

2009-12-17T14:47:00.000-08:00

Need help getting your child to take a nap?

Well my latest trick is I turn the heat up to 72 ( yes, I know this would probably make my hubby's head explode, but what he doesn't know won't hurt, plus we all love it when Taylor naps! ) it makes her bedroom really warm and the result is a lethargic 3 year old (who insists she is not tired) drifts off into a warm and toasty slumber. When she has been up since 7:30, gone to school for 4 hours, and then ran errands with me she is deffinitely about to hit a wall. A nap, in her tropical bedroom, is key for a happy evening in this home.

Hey, I do what I can.

After she has fallen asleep the thermostat goes back to it's energy efficient 67 degreses ( Boo! ).

Yes, she's always this happy!

2009-12-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

Well, almost always... not a whole lot bothers little Emme, but she does have her bad moments...never bad days, just bad moments during a good day. Teething and a runny nose are usually the culprit.

Look! Finally a good photo showing off those cute teeth!

She was really getting into her exersaucer, bouncing in it makes the music play and that made her even more excited. It's so fun to watch them play!

2009 Holiday Card

2009-12-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

These went out in the mail today... all 45 of them! I had no idea we even knew that many people! I am really pleased with them this year, the girls look so cute! I have so many "out takes" that I will have to share with you soon, you'll love them probably more than the card.

Teething Sucks

2009-12-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

Emersyn has been teething for over 2 months now. Cutting those first bottom 2 at 5 months and now she's working on more on the bottom plus 2 at top. She is miserable! I AM MISERABLE! She is quite the trooper though, and her fun loving personality still shows thru those tears of pain. Over the weekend her cheeks were bright red, and she had a bit of a fever due to those dang teeth. I hope she gets thru this quickly so we can finally have a break. Nobody enjoys seeing their baby in such pain.

Emme chews on cold celery sticks to help soothe her swollen gums, it really works too!

Happy Wife... Happy Life

2009-12-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

Fairly sure I have only female readers, so am I right or am I right ladies?

I used this on D last nite. Because, well... I was bad. I can NOT go Xmas shopping without buying myself some things as well, which is exactly why I should just stay at home, away from the beautiful department stores and cute boutiques. Even if I have full intentions to only get the item I came for I get distracted real quick.

I just got this jacket from Forever 21, it's so cute AND it was a steal! At these prices you could buy 4 and have a different coat nearly every day! So they aren't the warmest like my nice wool jacket that I bought from Nordies a couple years ago, but who cares, I will deal with being cold as long as I look cute.

Then I went to this adorable store yesterday, just to look, it is next to the Starbucks by Taylor's preschool, which is bad bad bad, I am now in LOVE with this store. I bought some jeans... and a headband, and a bracelet, and a Christmas tree ornament. He should really be happy that I stopped when I did because if money was no object I would have easily filled my trunk with all kinds of goodies from Pasha Boutique!

Since I can't keep these things from my hard working man, he found out pretty quick when he noticed how cute my butt looked in my new jeans and saw my new coat hanging in the cabinet downstairs. I had to tell him... " Happy Wife, Happy Life ".

His response? Well that's fine, then I am buying a new rifle.

Ok, really? REALLY? He went target shooting ONE time last week... enough said.

"Bad Guys"

2009-12-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

Not sure where it came from, but Taylor has a current new obsession with "Bad Guys". She talks to me about them a lot, and mostly because when she brings them up I ask her questions to try and understand how it little mind works and why she is so concerned about these "Bad Guys".

What she has told me thus far, Bad Guys wear black and have mean faces. They are not nice and will hurt people and make them cry and fall to the floor. She said you have to kill bad guys. I don't know why she thinks this, but she said you can kill them with a gun or a sword... again, this is all new to me. But she did tell me last nite that you can make a bad guy nice again too. You have to get good girl fairy dust and put that on them and then they'll be nice. See, the little girl who believes in fairies is still in there!! I think she's been hanging out with too many little boys lately.

Message From Santa

2009-12-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

This is the neatest thing!! You can personalize a video from Santa to your child, he'll talk to them directly using their name and even mentioning where they live. You can also add a photo of the child to go in his " Naughty or Nice " book. Donny asked me " So can you have him tell her she's been naughty? " Ha ha! Well no, but he does remind them that he is watching and knows when they are naughty. It's really cute. Thanks to Elaine from Our Semi-Homemade Life, you just might have made Taylor's Christmas!

Whatch Taylor's video and then make one for your little one too! So cute!

Taylor's Video from Santa!

Come play with me!

2009-12-08T18:45:00.000-08:00

You know you wanna!

Taylor says...

2009-12-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

Me: What did you do at Jack's house?
Taylor: We played hunt
Me: You played hunt?
Taylor: Ya, Jack has a sword so we hunted bad guys.
Me: Wow. Sounds fun.
Taylor: We also hunted elephants. But that was his decision.

Watching the Civil War game last week.

" Oh no! Ducks in the lead?? You naughty Ducks!! "

Her Auntie Dy Dy has made her a full blown Beaver fan and anytime she sees a football game on TV she responds with " Gooo Beaver!! " (yes, just one beaver )

Xmas card rejects...

2009-12-05T20:15:00.000-08:00

We had our own little Xmas photo shoot at home last week. I was just going thru and editing the ones that are decent. There are just soooo many different faces from both of the girls. Taylor thinks she's a model so every picture has a different pose, and if you flip thru them quickly it's quite entertaining. Emersyn is making a different face in each one, and this one I couldn't resist. She was tired of the nonsense and just started doing raspberries, very typical of Emme.

It'd didn't make the Xmas Card cut, but it's deffinitely a keeper.

We Heart Chocolate

2009-12-05T20:05:00.000-08:00

& especially chocolate fudge brownies... and the best part is licking the bowl.

Sitting Pretty

2009-12-05T19:59:00.000-08:00

I am excited to announce that our little Em is now sitting up like a very big little girl! Here's some photos from a couple days ago.

When sitting gets tiring, it's nice to have the boppy nearby for a rest.

She's working on her abs, they'll be rock hard in no time with all these crunches she is doing. And is it just me, or do her feet look really big in this one?

This one was my favorite. I love a baby's straight little back, they have the most perfect posture!

Emersyn ~ 6 months

2009-11-23T20:05:00.000-08:00

Happy 6 months Em!!

How could she be 6 months old?? I mean, really? I don't get it, we just brought her home! *HUGE SIGH* I am just not ready for her to get any older. She's perfect at this age, and I know that every week now she's going to change so much. She'll be mobile soon and all I hope is that she'll still stop once in a while to snuggle her Mommy. The past month was a big one for Emersyn. She has learned to roll, and that is her new mode of "transportation", rolling anywhere she needs to go to get her toys or just explore. It's hillarious. Taylor didn't roll that much because she worked harder on learning to crawl, but Emme seems to really enjoy just rolling. She also got her first two teeth on the bottom, they are cute little pearly whites...but sharp little buggers! She has also started eating solids! We think her favorites are green peas, pears and applesauce. I wish she slept better, but she's still waking up a few times a nite, and needs her binkie, and she'll also wake up between 4 & 5 for a bottle... and those nites she's teething, well they're a whole other ballgame. But it's short lived so I can handle it.

She had her well visit today and she's 15 lbs--30th percentile, and 26 inches--60th percentile.

Just for fun...

2009-11-22T13:56:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why, but anytime I have made Taylor carry her baby sister I find it extremely entertaining. Emme thinks it's great fun, and Taylor likes it for about 3 seconds but then starts huffing and grunting as if Emme weighs 100 lbs! It's so funny...maybe just to me...but thought I'd share a couple pics.

Taylor was struggling here. She then says to me " Mommy, you shouldn't make me hold baby sister, I might drop her! "

Emersyn looks so big in these pictures too! I think it's just the angle, but it looks like she is almost as tall as her sister! Stop growing so fast Em!!

Never too late

2009-11-19T14:01:00.000-08:00

My friend who took my pregnancy photos emailed me an edited pic this week and it was such a nice surprise! I do miss my prego tummy and being pregnant with Emersyn. I love having her here more...but it seems like it was yesterday Britt came over on that warm Sunday afternoon to take our pictures. Emme was born the following Saturday.

If Only...

2009-11-19T13:52:00.000-08:00

I could populate the WORLD. It'd be a much cuter..er..I mean better place.

Feeling better...

2009-11-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

She's alive!!!!!!!!!

Taylor woke up this morning a completely different child than she was yesterday. She's halfway back to her "normal " self. I know this because she was going on and on this morning about how girls wear tutus but boys can wear grass skirts but NOT tutus, but boys shouldn't wear skirts, they should wear shorts. Yeah, that means she's feeling back to her usual, opinionated and chatty self. She slept the entire nite without a problem, and she kept those noodles down too! So she hasn't gotten sick since yesterday morning and she is not taking any anti-nausea meds. She ate some cheerios this morning and is doing good. So this was a 48 hour bug. TERRIBLE!!! I am so scared of getting it myself! I do not do stomach bugs well, I hate throwing up and the other thing. It's the absolute worst! I just want my family to all be well so we can enjoy ourselves, especially with the holiday coming up.

Poppin' my vitamins and anti-bacterialing/purelling everything in site!!

Tummy Bug

2009-11-17T09:55:00.000-08:00

Taylor woke up last nite at about 3 am throwing up on her bed, poor thing. Since then she's been getting sick every hour or so. Any time she drinks a bit of water it comes right back up. She doesn't have a fever, so I am not sure if it's a flu or not. I don't know, I just want to help her and there isn't much I can do. I feel terrible. After she threw up last nite her first concern was that she knew she wouldn't be able to go to school and then she said to me " I forgot to take my vitamins today, is that why I got sick Mommy? " This morning she just kept asking me " When will I be done throwing up Mommy? " Aaah! It breaks my heart! I know exactly how she feels, it's the worst, and I just want her to get better quickly. She is sleeping right now, I put the dvd player in her bed and she fell asleep watching Dora. I hope she is done throwing up and will be able to eat something this afternoon, otherwise I'm afraid we'll be making a trip to the Pedi's office.

UPDATE:

Day two with this terrible flu. Yeah, fever kicked in later in the afternoon yesterday. I couldn't even take her to the Dr. without Daddy coming home, so I was lucky enough to get a prescription anti-nausea called in for us and he picked it up on his way back from work. Otherwise the ER would have been next. She was beginning to really worry me, and couldn't keep anything down for close to 18 hours and dehyrdation was next or in the works. The meds helped her not throw up through the nite, and she drank enough to pee twice. This morning, she thought she was feeling better so she drank 1/2 a sippy cup of water and had two bites of toast and it all came back up. I gave her another dose of the meds and she's been laying on the playroom couch " her camp " the entire day. Daddy rented her the movie Upand the new Tinkerbell, which cheered her up a bit. She's back to sleep again, but before that she did eat a bit of Ramen noodles--plain. I hope she can keep those down and we'll have better news to report tomorrow. My poor baby, I absolutely hate seeing her so ill.