Getting ready for the New Year

OK.. I never did get to the Christmas Skirt. I did however manage to decorate the house and I did not go through the craziness of wrapping a crazy amount of gifts at the last minute. As soon as my husband and I bought presents I wrapped it. It was great since I didn't have to worry about it last minute.

Christmas was great. I baked a ton of cookies, cupcakes, cranberry-orange nut bread, and brownies. I love baking sweets. On Christmas Eve we go to my parents, then we come home and we leave cookies and milk out for Santa. Christmas morning was awesome. My son came to our room in the morning letting us snow that Santa brought his Geotraks Airport. He was sooooo excited and a bit confused as to how did Santa get in to leave his present. My daughter just had a face of "what's this?". (Part of my tradition is to leave their Santa present on their bed.) Afterwards, my husband set up our new HD TV. I told him he would not be able to install the whole set up until after we got back from his parents. My husband can get obsessive about stuff. Then we all got ready and headed over to my husband's parents home. We had lots of fun and the kids opened more presents. It's unbelievable on how they all fit in our car but they did.

Now, we are on vacation. I love having this break so we can be back in full force next year.

Well, I'm off for now.

Have a great NEW YEAR!!!!

It's almost Christmas

I love this time of the year even though it's crazy! I've done most of decorating although I didn't get a chance to do my tree skirt project I was hoping. I'm having fun wrapping my gifts. I'm all caught up. Hopefully I won't be runnng around at the end trying to wrap them. My mom is an expert at these things.

We spent Saturday getting our Family/Christmas portraits done. It's nearly impossible to get my 3 year old and my 8 month old to smile and look at the camera at the same time. Ah...my little babies are growing up so fast. But we finally have our pictures.

On Sunday, we went over to my sister's place for a gathering. We had so much fun taking pictures of the little girls (my brother's family was there). We watched the recorded match between De La Hoya and Paquiao. Wow what a surprise for me. Anyway, it was fun to see all of us getting along and having fun. My aunt and cousin even dropped by.

Now, it's Monday and once again I'm trying to catch up on work and trying to get it done before vacation. Yes, VACATION! Can't wait to spend the time just watching the kids play with their toys.

Well got to run....Need to get my son from school. Wow time flew.

Wrapping Paper

Well, I'm now starting to wrap my presents. I really don't like wrapping presents of items where there isn't a clear edge. Some toys have that and I have to create an edge. I just want to put it into gift bag but I know the kids like to peel the paper off. So I go through the agony.

I'm still trying to find the right plushy doll for my daughter. She really likes the one in her crib. I can't seem to find the one for her. I found some dresses for her but again I'm always rethinking what I want her to wear. I thought I was bad with my son but a girl is worst.

Oh well, need to get dinner ready. The hubby has been fasting for a blood test and I need to have dinner ready. I know he's not going to bother changing to his pjs.

Thanksgiving weekend!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

We had my daughter's christening the weekend before. It was wonderful. She looked so beautiful and we had a wonderful turnout to help celebrate. My sister was such a big help doing the favors and the grandparents helped out a lot, too.

Our Thanksgiving was great! We had our traditional turkey breakfast and then went got ready to go over to my parents. That's where we started out and then made our way over to my in-laws. The food was delicious and the company was great.

Afterwards, we headed home to bed and about 3 hours later I got up to go shopping at Kohls. Can you believe it? I went to Kohls and met up with my mom at 4 AM in the morning. I then went to Toys R Us an AC MOORE. My parents then took me to breakfast at a diner. By 10 AM I as walking into my home with bags and bags of christmas presents. I even bought my son's christmas present. Now, I just need to find my daughter's present.

We also put up our christmas tree. Yay!!!!! I couldn't believe it. I was ecstatic to get them up.

Then on Saturday morning we took the kids to the doctor for a follow up. All is good! After the doctors, we went to get breakfast at a local bagel shop followed by a visit to the Hallmark store for christmas ornaments.

In the afternoon, we headed to the mall and my son decided he wanted to talk to Santa about what he wants for Christmas. Yippee! I got a picture of Santa, my daughter and my son (smiling no less!).

Well, got to go...the hubby is waiting.

It's our 8th Wedding Anniversary

Well we've made it to 8 my husband and I. Yes, we have been married for eight year on 11/11/2000. Easy date to remember! So that makes 18 wonderful years together. Yes, you read right and I didn't mistype. My husband and I dated for 10 year before we married.

He also sent me flowers. A wonderful bouquet of roses in different colors. I absolutely love them. I love to stare at the flowers. They just fill me with so much joy. It really brightens up my mood.

Well, I'm making final preparations for my daughter's baptism. It's going nuts but calm. Then comes the Holidays. I need to make reservations for a sitting with the photo studio. I'm trying to get a tree skirt quilted in time for when we put up the Christmas Tree.

So much to do so little time :(

Oh well till next time.

An update before October ends

Just wanted to make sure I made at least one entry for October. All goes well in October.

I was a bit stressed for bit with planning my daughter's Christening. Finally, the date is resolved and so is the reception. I can't tell you how crazy it's been. We've been debating between going with a Hall (Elks, Mason, etc) or a restaurant. However, most restaurants and halls were booked. There was one restaurant that would have been perfect but it was booked. So we opted for another restaurant instead and the stress is over.

Now, I just need to worry about the favors. My sister is a great help with that kind of thing. She has so many ideas and she has taken it upon herself to come up with the goods. No matter what she does, I know it will be cool.

OOOO....I forgot to mention the birth of my niece. She is so beautiful. Each of my siblings have a boy as the oldest child and the girl as the youngest. At least this is the case for now. Who knows if anyone else is getting pregnant. As for me, well if it happens it happens.

I have to say I have way too many pumpkins in my house. My husband better start carving pumpkins soon or it will all be a waste.

I went with my son on his first class trip to a pumpkin picking farm. It was a lot of fun and my son was so excited. I took some pictures so my husband could see him. I know my husband would have loved to have been there.

Well until next month.

Day out with Thomas

Well, it's been an interesting September. I managed to do some more rows on a scarf I started before my daughter was born. I'm also getting ready to sew a tree skirt quilt. Hopefully I'll get it in time for Thanksgiving. I just need a weekend to do it (wish me luck).

My niece had her Baptism this month. She looked so cute in her dresses. My kids looked great, too. I managed to surprise everyone by wearing a dress in a color that is not black.

For my birthday, we went away for the weekend for our annual Day Out With Thomas. It's always fun to see my son's face when he sees Thomas. This time he wasn't scared and wanted to go on the train again. This was my daughter's first time other than when I was pregnant with her.

This time I was able to enjoy the Smorgasboard for dinner. When I was pregnant, I couldn't eat from morning sickness.

I can't believe how much fun I have with my family. I really treasure these moments.

Another update....

Okay...Okay....I know I haven't been very good at keeping my blog updated on a regular basis but here's my update.

The family went to Sesame Place and had a wonderful time. We left on a Tuesday and had planned to return on Thursday but on Wednesday afternoon it had started to rain steadily. Sesame Place has a sunny day guarantee so we had an extra day free. We decided to not go Thursday (it was cold) and go on Friday. We were able to get an extra night at the hotel.

Jack loved Sesame Place and wasn't scared of the characters. Sabrina did surprisingly well and didn't mind going in the water. We had so much fun for place so close to home. Also, that's when my son decided he wanted to start using the toilet. He's finally potty trained. YAY!!!

I decided one Sunday to have a picnic at Liberty State Park. We invited my in-laws so they can see Jack ride his bike. It was hard at first for him but then he got the hang of it. Since that Sunday, we have been going on these picnics with the in-laws as well as my sister-in-law's family, my sister, and my parents. My husband and I have taken out our bikes and my Father-in-law has taken out his bikes. It's cute to see my son go out for a ride with his Dad and Grandpa.

For Labor Day weekend, we went up to my parents place in the Catskills. We had so much have. The girls and guys split up. The girls went to fairs and flea markets while the boys went golfing. My son was so cute. He also managed to get a frog but he let it go (Thank God!).

Well that's all for now...till next time.

Never to old to learn

Well it's been over 2 months since my last post. So much has gone on these past months.

The world has welcomed my new niece into the world, my nephew graduated the 8th grade, my other niece turned 1, my other nephew had his christening, and my adorable son turned 3 years old. So needless to say we have been celebrating these past 2 months.

I've been working to clear out my space where I keep my yarn supplies so that I can get to it when I'm watching TV but my son's toys or my husband's toys keep getting in the way making everything look so cluttered. Well that is soon going to be a thing of the past. I've been reading Woman's Day magazine and it's amazing how much you can learn. So, I'm trying out some of their tips. Especially since the family will be home for the most part next week.

It's vacation week for us. We are going to take about 3 days to go to Sesame Place. We wanted to go to San Diego and visit family from both sides out there but the airfare for 4 people is astronomical. So, we decided to stay local especially since we do have a 3 month old baby.

I have to say I'm really enjoying myself with my kids and my husband. I was joking with my husband about how I make beautiful babies. He just looks at me and goes "humpf...where do I fit in". While my kids look alike, my son looks like me and my daughter looks like my husband. Don't know how they can look alike.

As for my hobbies, I'm making progress on my scarf everytime I go to do the laundry. I do this so I don't hit the Kohls while I wait for the clothes to finish in the washing machine or dryer.

Well I'm off. See you soon.

Two kids...and I'm surviving

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers.

Well, I'm proud to say I'm keeping the weight I lost off. The baby is doing well and my son is surviving. My husband has been very helpful and great during this time. I had a wonderful Mother's Day.

I've been recovering well from the c-section but it's still sore inside sometimes. What I miss the most is being able to carry my son. I want to be able to stil carry him while I can and he still lets me. He's growing so fast.

ooohhh...got to run and take care of the baby.

A new baby....

Ok. My due date was April 15th but baby decided not to wait. However, my baby girl decided to save her mom the pain of labor and go straight for a cesarean since whe was caught in the umbilical cord. Yes, I went in for a check up on Friday morning and ended up having to go straight to the hospital. By 1PM my baby girl came into the world crying her lungs out.

The week before my sister-in-law had her baby boy (3/27). One week later, I had my baby girl.

I had a feeling my baby was going to come early. I just didn't expect the baby to come this early. I also didn't expect not to go through some kind of labor. Everything went to fast it seems like a blur. I had my family going crazy. No sooner than I told my mom what was happening and telling her not to tell my sister that she called my sister. She was picking up my mom at work and heading to the hospital. My dad had taken me to the doctor and then ended up driving me to the hospital as well as taking care of my son.

I think everyone but my sis was surprised I had a baby girl. They really thought the baby would be a boy.

At least everything was for the most part ready to bring baby home. She's actually pretty good and loves to sleep. I just want her to sleep the night away but she still wakes up at least once which isn't so bad since my son woke up every 2 hours. I've been trying to keep her up in the evening so she can sleep the night but it's hard.

At least I have time to dedicate to my son. He's been great and such a little helper, too.

Well I have to go and do some housework before the baby wakes up.

Happy Easter!!!!

Okay...it's been a month since my last post but I've been really busy with the baby shower and getting ready for my own baby.

The baby shower for my sister is over and it was a great success.

I've finally went through all of my son's baby clothes and washed them so they are ready for baby 2. I'm less than a month away now and getting nervous by the minute. I cry a lot more now than I did with my previous pregnancy.

I can't wait to see my baby but I'm also going through getting everything ready with work and need all the time. I want to make sure the team is good to go with my being on maternity leave.

I've also spent a great deal of time updating my budget with the cost of gas going up among other things. I never realized how much money can be saved by just bringing your own lunch to work instead of going out. I actually didn't have to hit the MAC machine as often this month. So I've been re-evaluating my budget and re-thinking my habits to find some savings. I did find a lot though but I'm still working it. It's a work in progress.

Well, with all that's going on I haven't had anytime to dedicate to my hobbies. I hope to get back to them soon since I really need to relax.

Until next time..

Time flies...

Sometimes I wonder if I will have everything ready in time for the baby. I've already started to fix up my son's room to share with the baby. My son is starting to get used to the idea of sharing his room.

At the same time I'm still working on a baby shower for my sister. Thank God for my sister in law! She is helping me with the decorations and planning.

Well this is a short post. I need to get some sleep.

Getting ready....

time flies when you least expect it. I've just finished putting away my christmas tree for the year. in less than 9 months I'll have to take it out again. When we first got married, my husband and I would leave our christmas tree up all year long. We take it down now so my son can appreciate the holidays.

I've got my Valentine's Day decorations up since the first of the month. I've put some beautiful pink, white, and dark pink mini carnations in a vase. They look beautiful. I wonder how long these will last.

I'm now in the process of preparing my son's room for his new roommate. It's tough because I wonder if the baby is a boy or a girl. I guess I'll find out in April. I have a list of things I still need to do and get ready for the baby but I'm not taking things out of storage until the time gets closer. I am going to take advantage of the sale at Babies R Us for some needed items like baby bottles, pampers, and wipes.

I also need to get a new robe and nightgown for my stay at the hospital. I have to find a new baby boy take home outfit in case the baby is a boy. I have the baby girl outfit from when my son was born. This time I need to prepare two overnight bags: one for my son and one for me.

My son is staying with my parents while I'm in the hospital. I wish I could keep him with me but I plan to sleep a lot. My husband is planning on bringing him by the hospital to see me or my parents will since they are close to the hospital.

I have two months to go and I'm trying not to panic. AHHAHA!

Oh well, it will all work out in the end. Til next time....

It's a baby......

My sister went in for her ultrasound this past Wednesday and found out that the baby her and her husband is expecting will be a girl.

So far, I'm the only one who is not finding out what the sex of the baby is and it's killing me not to know. My husband refuses to find out. So I'm making a nice mint green crochet blanket for the baby.

My son however is becoming ever so clingy. I had trouble dropping him off at school twice this week but on Friday he just left my side with no problems and since then he has been asking me about going to Circle Time. Circle time is when the class sits in a circle and go over the lessons. I really like this school and it's curriculum. My son is learning so much. I love our time together on the way home and how he talks about school and the things he's done and learned.

Well this is all I have to say for now. Til next time.

Upstate Weekend....

This week we celebrated my nephew's 16th birthday. I can't believe it. He's 16 years old. Time flies so fast. I still remember him running with a sword down the back of his shirt to the backyard to play with his friends.

This past weekend, we headed upstate for our annual get post Christmas get together with my brother, sisters and friends. Unfortunately, my brother and family could not make it because he was really sick.

We left on Friday evening to head up to the Catskills along with every other skier/vacationer heading out for the long weekend. It was kind of funny because I had my son in his PJs thinking I would move him from the car to the bed when we get to the house. We made a pit stop and it was funny because there were all these other kids all in their PJs as well.

When we get there, my son was wide awake especially when he noticed my nephew playing with the Wii. My son had to get his controller to play. We were up til 4AM watching the men and boys playing.

My husband, his friend, my brother in law and my nephew spent all day Saturday playing paintball in the backyard ( 7 acre backyard). They were out there for a long time in the cold. I made sure he was very well bundled because it was COLD up there in the Catskills.

I went out for a bit on Saturday and then I spent it in the house working on my knitting. We had lots of fun just lounging. It was cool to see that my sister was finally showing some pregnancy belly. I was worried a bit. Next year is going to be crazy with two new babies and a toddler. I can't wait!!!!

Well, I'm off to bed. It's getting late and I've got to head out early in case my son gives me any grief when I drop him off at school. Lately, he's pretty attached to me.

First Days of the New Year

Well, the New Year has come in with a blast.

We spent it as a family and had a great time. My son is so much fun to be around when he is playful and angry.

I've given up trying to be strict with the potty training because from what I've read he is showing some signs of not yet being ready. I still make him go to the potty if I notice he has gone into hiding but I'm not yelling at him anymore to tell me when he has to go potty. From what I'm reading, it's a big no no.

On the other hand, I am having success transferring him to his toddler bed at night and he's sleeping the night away. I'll take the small blessings I can get one at a time.

I've just come from celebrating my husband's birthday weekend. Yes, weekend. On Saturday (1/5), we went out with his parents, aunt and cousin for dinner at D&Bs. Lots of fun. Today, we went out with my parents for brunch. My husband loves this one restaurant where they serve brunch on Sundays.

My task for this week is to organize the Christmas items that will go into storage for next year and setting up my winter/valentine's decor. There is one thing that will stay behind from Christmas and they are the flowers I bought on 12/27/2007. They are read, white, dark red, and red/white mini carnations that are still blooming strong. I bought them at Shop Rite for 3 bouquets at 3.99 each. They are the sturdiest flowers I've ever bought.

Well, I'm signing off to get some knitting done. I'm currently working on a scarf in teal with a really soft yarn. I'm trying to hold off buying yarn until the new stuff comes out but I'm tempted to since I have some AC Moore gift cards.

Until next time....