5/8/10 - Early Mother's Day

Since I've decided to take a selfish stance on Mother's Day for a few years, I took my mom out to lunch today to celebrate Mother's Day with her early! We were all up bright and early this morning. Christian made us breakfast and we spent the morning lounging around. I was meeting my mom for lunch at 12:00, so I soon jumped in the shower and started getting ready for the day. After Olivia and I were both ready to go, off we went, to Old Chicago...YUM! My mom gave me the cutest little present...it's a little decorative "mom" plaque that you put your little one's finger print on. I can't wait to try it out! I gave her the usual...flowers. Well, a plant this year. I like flowers...I like to give flowers, so it's a common theme with me!

Olivia passed out on the way home from lunch...and took a 3.5 hour nap...3.5 HOURS! Can you believe it?? I almost went in to check on her I was starting to get worried. Shortly after we got home, Christian was off to dinner with his mom. They went to a local Mexican restaurant and hung out for a while. I think this year was especially hard for her with Karina being gone now, so Christian spent a little extra time with her. Once he got home, we got Olivia off to bed and spent some time catching up on some TV...until I passed out that is!

So, it was a good day!!! YAY for mom's :)

5/7/10 - Rainy Day

Well, those weather guys actually knew what they were talking about today! It rained..and rained...and rained some more. All day and night. But, it was much needed. Because of our early spring, everything was starting to dry up a little too much, a little to fast, so this should help green up the state a little bit!

Olivia and I spent the day indoors thanks to the rain. Also, thanks to the rain, Olivia slept in today...until 8:30! I woke up all on my own, NOT to a talking/screaming toddler, and was in shock! Best morning ever :) After we got up, I made a big pancake breakfast for us, which Olivia enjoyed greatly. We played and made a mess of the house, like usual. Downside to a late wake up call...a VERY short nap. But, that just means more play time!

Once Christian got home from work, he showered and got ready because we were heading off to "our" photographer's studio opening. Kristi is such an amazing person all around, but an especially amazing photographer. I've known her for years...I actually work with her mom! She did my high school senior pictures "back in the day" when she was working at a local studio. Since then, she went to school and started up her own business, IMAGES By Kris. She did our engagement and wedding photos, she did Olivia's 6 month photos and our Family/Olivia's 1 year photos this past Christmas. And, we can't wait until August when she does our newborn photos and Olivia's 18 month photos. Any time we get a chance to work with her is such a pleasure. She just opened up her very own studio and had a grand opening tonight. Olivia was, of course, the center of attention the whole time we were there, being her wonderful obnoxious self, and it was great to be there to support somebody and watch them live their dream! If anybody locally is looking for a great photographer, I HIGHLY recommend her! YAY Kristi!

Here is a picture from this morning, Olivia devouring her pancake (and rocking some sweet bed head)!

5/6/10 - A Sad Day in Minnesota

Today was a sad day here in Minnesota. Last weekend the Maplewood police department...well, the state as a whole, suffered a great loss. Police Sgt. Bergeron was fatally shot when he was ambushed Saturday while responding to a car jacking. Following that attack, the suspect was also fatally shot when he attacked another police officer pursuing him. Hearing the news of this whole event just sent chills down my spine. You think of authority figures as being untouchable, almost immortal in a way. You know, logically, it is a very dangerous world they live in, police, firefighters, etc., but you don't really think things like this would ever happen. Especially when responding to a crime like this...a car jacking...JUST a car jacking. To take somebody elses life, for any reason, is unimaginable to me, but over a car jacking?

Sgt. Bergeron's funeral was broadcast live over the Internet, but I was at work and was not able to watch it. But, the funeral was held at the Cathedral, which is right up the road from my work, right outside my window in fact, so I did watch much of the outdoor ceremonies going on from the window. Following the funeral, the processional went right by my building, lead by hundreds of squad cars...all with their lights flashing proudly and a few with their sirens blaring with respect. I went outside with a few coworkers to watch this amazing sight, and the streets were filled with citizens, just standing there, paying their respects to this fallen officer. The sight brought many tears to my eyes, and it was something I will never forget.

The remainder of the day was just like any other...work, then home. It was my Friday, so I'm really looking forward to my day off tomorrow! We'll see what kind of trouble us girls can get into all day! It's supposed to rain all day...so probably not much...

Here are a couple pictures I snapped before the funeral began.

5/5/10 - 28 Weeks = 7 Months

Holy Crap...28 Weeks...I'm officially 7 months pregnant! Didn't I just post that I was 6 months pregnant??? Oh boy, we really need to get going (as I say every month!)!

Well, we do have the crib. Of course it's not out yet, figured we might as well wait until we have a mattress and bedding to fill it with first! But, we do have it! And, I am pretty sure I found the bedding set we'll be getting. Since this little bundle is another girl, we're going to stick with the ladybug theme. But, Kids Line does have another set, so it will be a little different that Olivia's set. It's their Mod Ladybug set, which I love. I think I'll be ordering that one of these days. Then we'll just need to get a mattress, and start rearranging. I think we've also figured out how to reconfigure the room, and keep everything in there! Olivia's crib will stay where it is. They will share the dresser, which will also stay where it is. We'll be putting up the new crib right across from Olivia's crib, and moving the changing table right in-between the two cribs. It should be a perfect fit. Then, the glider and ottoman will go where the changing table is now, and wah lah, we're done!

I have my next check-up in 2 weeks, at 30 weeks. So I won't have anything too interesting to share before then. I have been feeling OK lately. The exhaustion is setting in again (as you can clearly tell from today's picture...). It doesn't help that I haven't been feeling well lately...some kind of spring cold/flu thing has hit me, and it's NOT pretty. And, of course, the pregnancy insomnia doesn't help either. Oh, the joys! I feel like my belly has really "popped" again this week, it's crazy how that happens! I'm happy to report my weight gain seems to be under control again...for now anyway. I'm still somewhat on track to hit my goal...but I'm starting to cut it close. Oh, fingers crossed! Other than that, we're just trucking right along! I can now say I'm due "the month after next"...doesn't that sound crazy!

Really big news is...we have actually begun talking about names! We were originally set on using our #2 name from Olivia, Abigail. As the pregnancy has gone on, something about it just doesn't sound right to me...I love the name, but it just doesn't seem like it would fit, especially if this baby looks similar to Olivia. But, I think Christian still REALLY likes it. MY new favorite name, which I will be fighting for, is Amelia Ann. I don't think it flows perfectly with Olivia, but I love it, and I think it would fit great. The only other name I really like is Morgan, and Christian has all but vetoed that. Names...ugh names! I have a feeling that I will win out on this one though....

I put up a little poll...so vote and let us know what you think :)

5/4/10 - Another Low Key Day

Yes, another low key day. Hopefully this is a sign of a nice relaxing week ahead of us!

Today was nothing exciting really. Work, which has been very manageable lately (for me anyway...not so much for some others....), which is very welcomed! Christian has been getting a few hours of overtime everyday, which is also very welcomed! Home has been good. Olivia is still not dealing too well with the whole teething thing. Right now she has a bottom canine, a top canine and a top molar just about all the way out. The other top molar, top canine and bottom canine are peering their little white heads up, but just not forcing their way out. And Olivia is NOT happy about that. Fingers crossed we just wake up to a miracle one of these days and she'll have a just about full set of teeth!!!

We're supposed to be in for quite an array of weather this week, so that should be interesting. When I left work today it was SO humid out, and almost 80 degrees...all because a storm was rolling in. It started getting really dark around dinner time, and starting raining right around bedtime...I'm not sure exactly what came of it, must not have been too bad because we all slept just fine. Olivia and Dad watched intently as the storm rolled in, then they were up to their usual dangerous shenanigans. I guess we really aren't any help in curing her of her Evil Knievel ways!

5/3/10 - It's Monday, 'Nuf Said

Here we are...it's Monday again! The weekend was so packed, as they usually are, so of course Monday came roaring in like the Lion it is. Yesterday was a semi-relaxed day...I spent the day picking up the house (and of course, re-picking it up as Olivia destroyed the house over and over again...) and doing laundry. Christian's dad finished fixing the riding mower (much to his excitement), so he went to pick that up. He decided it's best to keep it in the garage to avoid anymore weather and animal interference, so he spent most of the day cleaning up the garage making room for it. It's sad when you need a vacation from your weekend!

Today was just a Monday like any other. Olivia has started showing a lot of interest in feeding herself lately. We've been letting her work with the fork (spoon = too much of a mess for my liking), and she's really getting the hang of it. Of course this means she is starting to refuse letting anybody else feed her, meal time is becoming much more messy and she's spending a lot more time in her highchair since the process is taking much longer, but, when she shows interest, we encourage her. So, here are some pics from her adventures in learning to use the fork :)

5/2/10 - 16 Months

Oh my Olivia...a year ago you were 4 months old...

You were just learning to roll over and you were spending the day spinning in circles. You were just moved into your very own room, sleeping in your very own crib, and loving every minute of it. You were learning to hold your own bottle (even though we didn't allow you to...) and you were sleeping through the night like a champ! You were about 15lbs, 24.5" long, wearing 0-3 month clothing and size 1 diapers!! You were a chunk, but pretty compact :) You didn't have any teeth, so we were graced with that adorable gummy smile, and often, since you were just learning to laugh, and laughing at random, completely wrong moments. Your lungs were VERY well developed as you started becoming quite the yeller (which you have only gotten better at...)! You were just starting to sit on your own, but your giant head didn't help in that process. It was becoming apparent that you could no longer be left unattended with all of your new activity.

You are now 16 months old...

You are a maniac, from dawn to dusk, you do not stop. And, you never cease to amaze us. You're running, dancing, climbing and showing off at any chance you get. You have been an amazing sleeper lately, and mom and dad just love it! You now have 11 teeth completely out, and 4 coming in (possibly 6). You have definitely mastered the art of throwing a fit, and throwing THINGS in general, which is not very fun for those of us around you. You are learning to use your spoon and fork, and you love to eat just about everything we put in front of you! You love everybody and everything, are the biggest dare devil I've ever met, and bring so much joy to so many people. With each passing day, we look at you and realize just how lucky we are. What we did to deserve such an amazing little girl in our lives, I will never know!

Happy 16 months to our little lady bug! Mom and Dad love you, more than you will ever know!

5/1/10 - Never Say "No Plans"...

So, our weekend of no plans was quickly shattered into pieces!

For starters...baby recalls!!! Not fun. I found out Thursday there is ANOTHER crib recall going on right now. At first I didn't think anything of it...I love our crib, it's perfect, how could anything be wrong with it??? Then, last night, I looked a little closer, and sure enough, there was our crib, like flashing little lights on the recall list. Ugh!!! So, once Olivia woke this morning, we had some breakfast, started looking online at new cribs, then started taking apart the crib we love so much. And boy, it sure comes down much faster than it went up. Olivia went down for a nap (temporarily in mom and dad's bed), and we got ready for the day. Once she was up, we loaded the disassembled crib into the truck, and we were off to Target. Oh wait, make that TWO Targets! We figure, since we need to get her a new crib, and we need to get baby a crib, they might as well be the same! Yet, only two Targets in our area had the crib we like, and each only had one...so they both put them on hold for us. Target one consisted of making the return, which actually went very smoothly. And, of course we no longer have our receipt or anything for it, but I know we paid about $175/$180 for it...unethical as it may be, they basically just handed out a straight $250 refund, so we jumped on that! Grabbed the new crib, and we were off. Target two consisted of picking up crib #2 and some food items.

Now, we were on our way home. To relax and enjoy the night together?? No, not really...to get ready for grilling and boxing. Christian decided last minute it would be fun to order the boxing match, have some friends over and grill some dinner...amidst all of the chaos! Well, sure, why not. Christian and his friend quickly put together Olivia's new crib...and my BFF Kari helped me put all the bedding and everything on (well, I kind of supervised...the big belly is quite an issue here...). The Madrid's showed up a little later, we all ate lots of yummy food and settled in for an exciting fight. And, it actually was pretty exciting! The main event was Mayweather vs. Mosley...we all really wanted Mosley to take Mayweather down...and while we did get pretty hopeful after a couple rounds, Mayweather took over and that was that. It was still a great night with great friends! And, Olivia has a new, SAFE place to sleep. So, all is good!!

Here are some pics....saying goodbye to our beloved crib, and hello to the replacement!

4/30/10 - Goodbye April!

Reading that, floors me. Goodbye April...Goodbye? Didn't you JUST get here?? I can't believe it...it was the 2nd warmest April in history...the weather overall was just to die for! It's been a crazy month, and flew by even faster than the one before! Olivia will be 16 months old on Sunday, I'm officially 7 months pregnant now, we'll be a family of FOUR in less than 3 months...wow....just wow!

Today is Friday, so you can't get much better than that! Oh wait, yes you can!!! I actually got to leave a little early to head to my ultrasound!! Today was my follow up anatomy scan so they could get the face and heart views they weren't able to get last time. YAY, more face time with baby!! All went great, baby was staring right into the "camera", and the heart was on full display. The tech even surprised me with some 3D face pics!! I didn't even know they did 3D's there, so that was really exciting.

After a long day, Olivia and I hung out at home and just relaxed. After work, Christian and a friend got to the house and we just hung out around the house. I was all set on catching up on some shows after Olivia went to bed....but, alas, I passed out around 9:30. Do I know how to spend a Friday night or what!! Oh well, there's always tomorrow :) No big plans for the weekend, so we'll just see what we can get ourselves into!

4/29/10 - Weekend, I Can See You!!

So, here we are again. It's Thursday. The weekend is just around the corner...I can smell it!!

Christian had some last minute overtime at work tonight, and since it's his week to drive Olivia, that meant I got some extra ME time when I got home from work. Some much needed ME time. It was nice to get home and just be able to relax for a while. Love my lady to death, but you know, some peace and quiet was just what the dr. ordered today!

Other than that, today was just a pretty normal day. The weather has been very touch and go lately, and is supposed to be that way through the weekend. Sun here, rain there, cloudy here, wind there, thunderstorms...just about everything is and should be coming out way! Here we go, it's that time of year!

Once the rest of the family got home, we had some pizza and cheesebread for dinner...YUM. It seems we've created a monster..a dipping monster. Olivia is obsessed with dipping stuff now, and it's quite a messy hobby....