The Countdown Is On!

Next Friday I will be kissing my babies good bye for an entire week!  Our 4th anniversary trip to St. Maarten is so close I can almost taste it.  My bag is packed, my to-do list is getting checked off and the excitement is building.  I can't wait to sleep in, relax and have no real responsibilities for a week.  I can't wait to just spend time with Danny and nurture our relationship with white sandy beaches, cold drinks and blue waters.

I know I am going to miss the kids but so far I'm holding up pretty good.  It will probably hit me after a few days of being away.  They will be in good hands so I know I don't need to worry.

Dylan officially started crawling yesterday.  He has been army crawling for awhile now, but I guess he finally got his arms and legs coordinated.  He should have some pretty good upper body strength from pulling his body all over the house.

Last weekend for Danny's birthday we went to Capital Ale House for a few drinks.  It's a beer man's dream with tons of beer on tap!  You can see just a few of them behind us.

Dylan ran a 103 temperature earlier this week.  I'm not sure why, but he seems to be feeling better now.  This was him on Wednesday.  He looked so pitiful. ;(

And of course when one baby is sick, the other baby wants attention, too.  Marissa wanted to be held, so in the carrier she went!  Have I ever mentioned how much I love my Beco Butterfly 2?  

We had a pajama bubble party in the front yard yesterday.  Yes, it was 4:00 in the afternoon and we were still wearing our jammies.  Don't judge. 

Our weekend will consist of prepping for our trip, football and possibly a hurricane.  Fun!

Holiday Book Party

The holidays are right around the corner!  I will be hosting an Usborne Books & More book party that will end on November 15th.  One lucky person who purchases through this party will WIN the hostess rewards for the party!  The hostess rewards will depend on how much the party sells.  You could get a lot of FREE books, which make great Christmas gifts for all ages. :)

Order online and have items shipped directly to your door or contact me and I will deliver them to you!

Sweet Boy

My sweet boy, you are growing up.  Today Daddy was watching the digital picture frame on the end table and he saw a picture of you as a "baby."   He had to take a double take because you have changed so much! You have such a sweet gummy smile, the bluest eyes and the longest lashes I've ever seen.  Your giggle is contagious and you are such a cuddle bug.  There are days when you want nothing more than your momma.  Sometimes when Daddy holds you, you will reach for me and when I prop you on my hip you lean your head in to my shoulder and look so content.  Those moments truly melt my heart.

You adore your big sister.  You follow her around the room and watch her intently.  Sometimes she is clumsy around you, like today when she tipped her tricycle on top of you.  You fussed for a minute but her "sowwy, Dee-Dee" made it all better.  I hope that you are always there for each other.

This is the face of a boy who adores his big sister.  I don't know what she was doing in this picture that was so amusing. 

Clapping together

You are moving all around the house with your army crawl.  Today you ventured into real solid foods, not just purees that I make you.  I steamed some sweet potato and cinnamon and you gobbled it up like a pro!  You have been delayed compared to your sister on the food front.  I have to remember that you are going to be different growing up.  You will grow and learn and do things at your own pace.  And that's okay.  Plus Daddy reminded me that you will one day eat us out of a house and home.

It was a beautiful fall day today.  It was on the warmer side, hence wearing just a onesie.  

You don't have any teeth yet but you are doing lots of drooling and chewing.  There will soon be a day when I miss your gummy smile.  I never posted your 9 month stats.  I was a little disappointed in the pediatrician's office that day.  I don't think their scale was accurate because I had just taken you to the doctor's the week before and according to their scales you lost over a pound in a week.  At any rate, they said you are in the 10th percentile for weight and height.  You've always been our "Chunk" so I don't see how that can be right. You're a healthy boy weighing in around 17 pounds.  You'll be catching up to your big sister soon!

We've officially hit the "45 minute intruder" mark.  You wake almost 45 minutes on the minute after we put you to bed.  We're working on sleep training and you are doing so great.  We will eventually have to take your beloved paci away.  It's the same paci you had when you left the hospital to come home with us.  While you currently only use it for naps and bedtime, our goal is to remove it completely by the time you are a year old.  A part of me thinks that is an unrealistic goal, but we'll see when the time comes.  If not, I guess you'll go to college with it.  I hope your girlfriend won't mind.

You are going to be my little heart breaker.  Sweet, sweet boy!

I have a hard time remembering when you weren't a part of our family.  Whether in my tummy or here with us now.  I always envisioned having a boy first, but my little family couldn't be more perfect.  You have shown us that love grows, not divides.  You have been such a joy that I am still crazy enough to think that I want you to be a big brother one day.  How is it possible that your own children can give you baby fever?!  I am so truly blessed to have you and your "Sissa" in my life.

Mommy and Daddy love you, sweet boy!

HAIL Victory!

Danny has officially gotten a birthday "week" this year.  He says I'm the only person who gets a birthday week every year, but this year I surprised him with Redskins tickets a week before his birthday.  Okay, so I couldn't keep my lips sealed until the day of the game, so I told him a few days early.  We had a blast either way.  And we had some pretty decent seats if I must say so myself.  I will never want to sit in the 400 section again!

We headed out a little early to tail gate before the game.  We pre-gamed with a little Four Loko to get things started and then Danny brought a growler of keg beer and I had some Shock Top.  As we're sitting on the back of my truck we look across the parking lot and what do you know?  I see about 10 guys I went to High School with.  Small world.  I wasn't sure if they would remember me or think it was weird since I hadn't seen them since we graduated.  I figured it would either be really awkward that I walked up to them or they would remember me and everything would be fine.  Turns out they remembered me.  It was nice catching up.  We did some shot guns, chased down a Viking and reminisced on old times.

Tommy and Will celebrated having Club Level Tickets!  It was Tommy's birthday celebration with the guys....I guess I kind of threw a wrench in those plans. :o)

Representing RG3.  I think it's safe to say we were a little intoxicated at this point.

Redskins Pride...yes, he ran through the parking lot waving this flag!

It was such a beautiful day for tail gating!

This Viking fan kind of looked like Brett Favre.

A rowdy bunch.

The whole "gang"

After hanging out we headed into the game.  I sobered up and let Danny do the drinking.  We had so much fun!  Our seats were awesome and watching RG3 run in a 70 yard touch down was the icing on the cake at the end of the game.  

RG3!!!

Scoring play

Panoramic view from our seats

And Danny finished off the night by dropping his cell phone and busting it.  This was during the celebration of RG3s 70 yard touch down, so I guess it was worth it...kind of?

I think we've decided we are going to try and attend a game every year for our birthdays.  We had so much fun together.  It was the perfect day.  Even better that the Redskins pulled out a win against the Vikings!

Quench Your Thirst

I know I've been blogging a lot about friendship lately.  I guess you could say it has been a topic that has been heavy on my heart.  I'm focusing on nourishing the friendships in my life that feel good, and spending less time focusing on the friendships that leave me feeling like I'm a stray cat that only gets fed when it's convenient.

With good friends usually comes good drinks, right?  I like to consider that I have a pretty well rounded palette.  While this weather makes me want to curl up on the couch with a blanket, my best friend to the right of me and two cups of coffee on the end table, that's not what this weekend was about.

Saturday Danny and I made a quick stop in RVA to see two of my favorite ladies in the whole world.  It has been at least 2 years since I have seen Crystal and while I see Cierra much more often, it is still not nearly enough.  If you are familiar with Richmond, we hit a cute little spot calls Nacho Mama's in Carytown.  I love the atmosphere and cute little shops and eclectic style that it holds.  We sat on the patio (hello 80 degree weather in September!) sipping drinks and catching up.  It felt so good.  My drink of choice was frozen margaritas.  I think they are my new favorite!

(Me, Cierra and Crystal)

Sunday I left the kids with Danny and headed to town for the local wine festival.  The temperatures changed drastically from the day before, it was overcast, light drizzles and about 50 degrees out.  What better way is there to warm up the soul than to drink wine?  There were 8 wineries at the festival along with various food and craft vendors.  We had a ton of fun catching up and tasting wines from local wineries.  I came home with 3 bottles of wine for my collection!

Erin and I at the wine festival

This weekend I quenched my thirst, not only for fine wine and cold margaritas, but for friendships that remind me just how lucky I am.  

Monday morning it was back to coffee, PJs and spending time with these two!

I am truly lucky to have good friends, beautiful children and a husband that loves me unconditionally!

Rejuvenate

This past weekend was so refreshing, relaxing and much needed!  I got to catch up with old friends and spend time with my family.

Friday night we put the kids to bed and headed to the garage for drinks.  It was just me, Danny, my dad, my mom and my brother.  We stayed up way too late but it was fun just hanging out and relaxing.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early to head out to see two of my old high school teachers.  We had coffee and homemade blueberry muffins on the patio and spent the morning catching up.  I think they loved seeing the kids.  Danny gets along great with Ed; it's nice that Danny is so well rounded.  He is such an easy person to talk to and as much as he hates to admit it, he likes to talk, too.

Marissa insisted on wearing Dylan's bib and Daddy's sunglasses.  Silly girl!

After coffee my parents met us to pick up the kids and take them back to their house for naps (which they didn't end up taking).  Danny and I spent the afternoon together and went on a little shopping spree.  It's not often that we get to go shopping without the kids.  Which meant that I actually got to try on clothes and came home with a few new shirts!

My friend Sara invited us to her husband's 30th birthday party at their house.  It was so good to see Sara and catch up a bit.  We both have kids and living 2 hours apart makes it difficult to get together.  She is such a good friend, though.  She's the type of friend who sends you a birthday card in the mail with a heart felt note inside.  Sara and I worked together at the flower shop and we used to spend 5 to 6 days a week together.  She was always there for me when I needed her.  She was there with me through break ups, giving me the strength to find someone deserving of my love, through meeting Danny and she shared in our wedding day by being a bridesmaid (and I in hers!).  We may not talk every day or even every week, but she is such a good person inside and out.  I wish I had more friends like her.  They are truly rare. 

After coffee and partying we were spent.  We headed back to my parents' house for a relaxing evening on the couch, with bowls of ice cream and warm blankets to cuddle up with.  

This past weekend was good for my soul.  I felt rejuvenated and happy.  It made me miss home.  It made me miss my friends.  My family.  My brother.  Though the weekend was too short, it was just what the doctor ordered!