Locks of Love!

I had been wanting to get a hair cut for awhile and I finally made an appointment to donate my hair to Locks of Love.  I donated 10 inches.  Here's the before and after!

Before:

After:

What do you think?

Productivity

I have been pretty productive this evening!  Danny is gone on travel and Marissa was very needy tonight.  She's not feeling well, I'm not sure if it's teething or a cold.  She has a runny nose that is clear, a slight cough, no fever, a little bit of a diaper rash and her overall mood is cranky with a side of all I want to do is snuggle with my momma.  

So instead of a "To~Do" list, how about a "To~Done" list:

• Unpack diaper bag
• Wash Bottles
• Re-pack diaper bag
• Go through mail
• Pay bills
• Vacuum
• Snuggle Marissa
• Feed Marissa dinner
• Bathe Marissa
• 2 Loads of laundry
• Dishes
• Make myself dinner
• Feed the dogs
• Pack Marissa's lunch for tomorrow
• Pick out Marissa's outfit for tomorrow
• Water the plants
• Pull weeds outside
• Hang diapers to dry
• Dust the living room
• Marissa's bedtime routine - lotion, PJs, rock while she drinks her milk, story time and kisses
• Oh - now it's time to RELAX!  I didn't get to sit down for more than 2 seconds until just a few minutes ago.  

I said I was productive, right?  All the while Marissa was glued to me.  She wasn't really into playing tonight, she just wanted to be held.  She was quite content being worn around the house.  I think she may have nodded off for a few minutes, then she decided to play peek-a-boo with the mirror and then mommy's back started to break so I had to take a break.  I really need to invest in a better carrier.  I loved the sling when she was itty bitty but she is really too heavy for it now.  

Look how big she looks!

It feels good to be productive but I feel like I still have so much to do.  I guess that's what the weekends are for.  I can't wait for Danny to be home, I really miss him.  It will be so nice to have a long 3 day weekend!

Click-A-Doo!

My Click-a-doo diapers are ready and I can't wait to receive them in the mail!  Aren't they just too cute!?  They will be perfect for Marissa's birthday theme!

Marissa is going to have one stylish little fluffy butt! ;-)

Sunshine and Watermelon

This weekend we headed to the Monastery to visit with friends.  Marissa loved sitting outside in the shade and watching all the other kids run around.  It won't be long until she will be right there with them.  Danny chased the kids and tormented them.  He might be faster than them but I'm pretty sure they wore him out before he wore them out! 

Marissa went diving for ducks!

More tormenting!

Danny spent the night in the truck and Marissa and I went back to my parents house.  She had a long day and slept great!  Thank goodness.  On Sunday we sat outside and had some watermelon before heading home for another work week.  The weekends just go by too fast!

Miss Sass!

Lovin' her watermelon!

Nom, Nom, Nom!



Shhhh....

~*Marissa has an announcement to make*~

That's right!  Marissa is going to be a big sister.  I made this shirt to announce the news to our families.  I told you to stay tuned, didn't I?! :-D

Marissa's baby brother or sister should make his or her appearance around mid January.  I go for an ultrasound on June 1st to get a more definitive answer on my due date.  We are excited to add a new addition to our growing family.  We figured that Marissa doesn't have any cousins nearby, so she needs someone to play with! ;-)

If we are friends on Facebook, please no public messages on my wall.  We are waiting until the 2nd trimester to make any official announcements on there.  A lot can happen in the 1st trimester and while we are hopeful that this will be a healthy pregnancy, we would prefer to not mention it until we are sailing into the 2nd trimester.  Thanks!

We found out that I was pregnant 2 weeks ago.  I had been feeling a bit off and decided that I would take a test just to make sure.  It's a good thing I stocked up on those dollar tree pregnancy tests!  Danny wanted me to wait another week to test but when I got home I just had a feeling and decided to take a leap and POAS (pee on a stick).  Within seconds I saw two pink lines!  Even though the symptoms were classic to my pregnancy with Marissa and we hadn't exactly been "trying" or "preventing" I was still shocked, happy, excited and elated with joy!  Danny came home and I had the test sitting on the bathroom counter.  I told him he needed to come in and look at something.  You would have thought this was his first rodeo because he asked "what does that mean?"  I said that means Marissa is going to be a big sister!  He got a huge smile on his face and said "really?" 

So that was our excitement for a Monday!  The rest of that week and on into the next week I was really feeling the consequences of our actions.  I was sick, sick, sick!  I felt like I had been out all night binge drinking like I did in my "younger years."  Remember my post from last Monday?  Yeah, that was morning sickness in full gear.  I had to go home because I had gotten sick at work and to top it off I had a cold coming on.  I think I fell asleep on the couch early every night the week that we found out.  Pregnancy can take a lot out of you.  Towards the end of last week I started feeling much better.  As long as I eat every couple of hours and don't over do it in the mornings, I seem to be over the morning sickness. 

I know that Marissa will make a great big sister and will be showing the new baby "all the ropes" in no time!  She has been such a joy and has filled our hearts with so much love.  I know that our journey into Two Under Two (2U2) will be trying and hard at times, but I know that it will be so worth it! 

♥ She Loves Me ♥

Marissa has finally started saying "Mama."  For a week or two, she has been saying "mmmm" and over the weekend she really started to say mama.  Sometimes it's more like "mmmm..ma,ma...dadadadada" but I'll take it!  She is also making all kinds of noises and sounds.  Her newest ones are "na, na" and the "sssss" sound.  She also smacks her lips and clicks her tongue.  It's so cute!

We had a nice weekend and I hope to have pictures up tonight.  It's going to be a hectic week since Danny will be on travel.  It's always hard for me to get everything done when he is gone.  I don't know how single parents do it!  I know I could do it if I had to, but it's nice having an extra hand to help out with everything.  My evening routine usually consists of picking up Marissa, unloading diapers when I get home, packing up new diapers, wipes, wet bag, play with Marissa, pack her lunch, pick out Marissa's outfit for the next day, wash bottles, pump, clean pump parts, give Marissa a bath, bedtime routine, laundry, dishes, dinner, feed Marissa, feed the dogs...you get the point!  I don't have much time to get things done.  Marissa goes to bed at 7:00 so that limits my time even more because I have to make sure I already have her diaper bag and outfit picked out so I'm not in her room waking her up while she is sleeping.  Whew ~ I'm tired just thinking about it. :)

It's Only Tuesday?

I've been feeling a bit under the weather.  I left the office on Monday about an hour after I got there.   I wasn't feeling good and needed to go home and rest.  I slept for 3 hours when I got home, I guess it was much needed.  On top of that I started to get a sore throat over the weekend, which has now turned into an itchy, scratchy throat, stuffy nose and my left ear is bothering me.  I hate being sick!  But if you know me, you know that I hardly ever go to the doctor and since I'm still nursing, I'm pretty limited on what I can actually take anyways.  So I'll suck it up and hope it passes soon.

This weekend we are heading to the monastery where Danny and I first met.  =)  I am also going to meet two of my old High School teachers in town for lunch on Saturday to catch up.  It will be nice to see "old friends."  Ha, ha, it's not too often that you keep in touch with your old teachers, but these two have always been more than just a teacher figure to me.  We've even shared a beer over pizza on a Friday night, which is an every Friday night ritual for them.

Not much else is going on...Marissa is starting to get into everything.  I had a package by the door the other day that was for Danny and of course Marissa crawled over to it and stood right up on it.

Hopefully some new pictures coming this weekend! ;) Stay tuned!

Right Where I'm Supposed to Be

Nothing but the sound of thunder and music are playing tonight.  Danny has been trying to get me to use Pandora Radio for months, I finally turned it on and it linked up to my Facebook artists that I "like" and I must say, it's playing all of my favorite songs!  Good deal.  Danny is at a friend's and he took the dogs for a play date.  Marissa has been in bed since about 7:30.  The sound of rain makes me feel sleepy but as I sit here and ponder, I can't help but think I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be in life.  I'm so grateful for my husband, Marissa, my family, my home and a few true friends.  I understand that being a parent isn't for everyone, but I wouldn't trade the sleepless nights, sloppy kisses, sweet snuggles, the smile I get when I go get Marissa out of the crib, the sweet sound of her laughing, the way she says "dadada" or the love I have for my family, for anything in the world.  You couldn't pay me enough money to give up the life we've built.  

Today was an overcast day, which was perfect for jammies.  I enjoyed spending the day with Marissa.  She is really getting good at crawling now.  She still has a runny nose, but otherwise seems to be fine.  Tonight I made chicken parmesan with spaghetti and garlic toast.  Marissa really liked it, too!  She is loving table foods now.  It's hard to believe how much she has grown in 9 short months.  She has melted our hearts many times over and she is such a joy.  

Well, I need my rest.  Good night!

I Did It!

After nearly 8.5 months, I have finally lost all the baby weight!  I'm down to my "pre-Marissa" weight, but not necessarily size.  My pants still fit differently than before, but that's okay.  I know some women think that it's not acceptable to take 9 months to lose all the baby weight, but for not really doing anything, I can't complain!  :-D  I'm sure that piece of chocolate pie really helped last night.  Danny has also been losing weight and I have to say he looks great!  He's almost to his "pre-Alicia" weight. :-P  What can I say...he says I'm a good cook.

Marissa started to have a runny nose yesterday afternoon.  She woke up several times in the night and while her spirits are still high, she seems miserable that she can't breathe out of her nose.  I am taking her to the pedi today to see what they have to say about it.  I hate running to the doctor everytime she has a sniffle or a sneeze, but the last time this happened we ended up taking her to the Urgent Care on a Saturday.  We waited 3 hours to be seen, got charged an "after hours" fee and they basically just gave her a prescription without giving much thought to the situation. 

Danny was nice enough to cover for me while I got some much needed sleep last night.  He got up and rocked Marissa a few times and snuggled her to make her feel better.  He's such a great dad!

I ordered Marissa a new outfit a few days ago.  I can't wait for it to come in so she can show it off. ;-)

My pink ladybug diapers are *almost* finished!  I should be receiving them within the next two weeks.  I've been waiting so long but I think they will be well worth the wait.  Marissa is going to be so stylish.

Our calendars are filling up fast!  Between baby shower's, 1st Birthday's, holidays and cook-outs, the summer is going to be over before we know it!  I can't wait to take Marissa to the beach for the first time this summer.  I need to find her a cute bathing suit soon.

Happy Mother's Day!

Today I celebrated my very first Mother's Day!  When you have a child of your own, Mother's Day takes on a whole new meaning.  I hope that one day Marissa will be proud enough to call me her mom.  I hope that she appreciates the love that I have for her and knows that I would do anything in the world for her.

Danny let me sleep in (sort-of) this morning.  I fed Marissa when she woke up and then Danny got up with her and let me go back to sleep.  I think I did more laying in bed than actually sleeping, but it was nice either way.  When she started to get fussy for him I told him to bring me "my baby" and she was kicking and wiggling to get to me as soon as he walked in the bedroom.  She snuggled up with momma and started to doze off for a nap.  I love it when she is snuggly.  

The plan was to have breakfast in bed, but I used all the eggs yesterday.  Once I got out of bed Danny went to the grocery store for me while I enjoyed a cup of coffee while Marissa napped.  When Danny got home he made me brunch of waffles and sausage links.  It was yummy.  Marissa thought it was pretty tasty too, she had a few bites of waffle.

We've been working in the yard this past weekend and it's slowly coming together.  Hopefully we can get mulch laid this week and it will be just about done!  I have a few more flowers to plant but we've made a lot of progress so far.  It's kind of a mess right now as we have planter boxes and everything in the way.

Danny Marissa got me a water fountain for the garden and I can't wait until Danny puts it together for me!  Once the mulch is down we should be able to put it together.  It is going to go on the left side of the walkway. :)

Danny was nice enough to take some pictures of Marissa and me for Mother's Day!  I really like this one:

Always poking her lip out!

We had my ILs over for dinner tonight and we were all sitting down to eat.  We were talking and had just filled our plates when we look over and Marissa is fast asleep.  She still had a carrot in her mouth, but she was sooo tired she just couldn't stay awake any longer.  She slept for about 20-30 minutes.  It was so cute!

 Eli & Sadie enjoyed being outside with us today!

Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day!  Just spending the day with Marissa was plenty enough for me.

We Officially Have...

A CRAWLER!!!

The sitter just sent me a video she took on her phone of Marissa crawling.  I'm so proud of my little girl!  This is a day to remember, for sure!

8 Month Photo Session

Marissa is really working on crawling.  She actually went a few feet yesterday chasing after her ball.  She got her arms to move the right way but she was dragging her left knee.  Hey, whatever works, right!?

I love, love, love this photo of her.  She is just too cute!

Seriously, how can you not laugh, smile and have your heart melted by this face?

Here she is in action...

Caught her trying to stand up again

And here she sees that momma is on to her game. 

We tried to take pictures with a big flower headband and she shot that down REAL quick!

Tired of pictures or just tired?  Who knows!

Little stinkers!

This face says it all!  Hmph!

Danny gets back from B-more tonight.  I'm not really sure what time since his hours have been crazy.  Last night he was in the lab until 1:00 am.  It's been quiet without him home.  I turned on the TV once while he was gone (to catch up on my trashy TV - you know, "16 & Pregnant").  I also ate a hodge podge of junk while he was gone...guacamole, pizza flavored gold fish, cereal and egg burritos.  It's nice getting a break from the kitchen.

Hopefully we will get to do some more yard work this weekend.  Last weekend Danny ripped out a lot of the shrubs, a tree and lots of weeds that were growing in front of the house.  It's nice to start with a clean slate!  I've gotten a few plants so far and I want to put either a fountain, bench or something in the front as well.  This picture was taken when we first moved into the house but basically everything you see here, with the exception of the three large shrubs on the left side are gone-zo!  :)  It looks so much better already!

Happy Friday and a Happy Early Mother's Day to all those new momma's!



How Did This Happen???

I think I'm in the market for a new carrier.  I'm thinking of a Mei Tai or an Ergo, but I am not sold on anything just yet.

But seriously....how did Marissa go from this:

To this:

And from this little teeny tiny baby:

To an 8 month old, 17 pound, almost crawling...camera snatcher:

Time is going too fast!  Slow down baby girl.