Love Story

Our love story began back in the spring of 2007.  Our wedding invitations actually had a reference to girl meets boy, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl get married.  But it's the details that are the interesting part, right!?  E and I went to a little university in New England together.  We were actually in the same French class from day one.  Me? I was the over-achiever in the class who actually liked French.  In fact, it was my minor.  Everyone else? And please note, by everyone else I believe I mean the other 12 people in the class.  They were there to get an elective out of the way because they had taken French before in high school.  E and I didn't really talk a whole lot in class.  We sat on opposite sides of the room and he was actually pretty quiet.  Our first actual encounter took place when I was coming back from studying before midterms on a Thursday night and he had been out with some friends being his mischievous self.  Now, even though we didn't interact much, we did live in the same building - he lived two floors beneath me.  And to get into our building there were two sets of doors.  Anyone could get in the first but you needed a fob in order to get into the second.  I came back from studying to find E, a kid from French class sitting in between the sets of doors because he didn't have a key fob.  I think I said something of the lines of "You okay, pal? Need to get in?" Well he looked up at me...paused for a second and said "oh yeah, you're that girl from French class that everybody hates!"  ...And thus began our love story.  Ok, ok that's not where it began.  And *apparently* E didn't really mean that everyone hated me, just that they didn't like me putting so much effort into a class that they just needed to get through for an elective credit.

Turns out at the start of the next semester, someone decided to move his seat next to mine.  And now the love story really begins.  Any thoughts as to how he initiated some actual flirting with me? By kicking my flip flop off any chance he got.  At first it was a little irritating, but the more I talked to him, the more I liked him.  We became friends and chatted quite a bit, chose each other as partners to do some French projects together.  And then it got to be sometime in April.  He told me that his anniversary was coming up and that he didn't know what to get his girlfriend. Now I can't say that I was floored because I knew that he had a girlfriend.  I wasn't trying to steal him away [necessarily] but I thought we were flirting a lot and got along really well so of course I was holding out hope that something would happen.  My heart was crushed when he asked me that.  I was in a place where I thought we were on two completely separate pages.  His anniversary came and went and he still had a girlfriend.  A few weeks came and went and we still talked and flirted but I didn't have a whole lot of hope.  Until we were working on a French project one day. And my roommate was out of town.  We talked. laughed, looked at pictures and I enticed him with so French rap played some really awesome music that he fell in love with before he fell in love with me somehow managed to put up with and see that I wasn't really that fake and was just trying to impress him.  I honestly don't remember how exactly we ended up talking in bed and cuddling but we did.  I remember things started to get passionate, and I told him no, he had a girlfriend.  He said okay and we just cuddled.  But when he started to kiss me again...let's just say it lead to a night of passion [sorry, mom!].  I spent the next few days with a knot in my stomach...not wanting to talk to him, address it or tell anyone else about it.  We ended up meeting in the library one night (why the library? I can't answer that...) and I don't remember what we talked about.  What I do remember is that he still had a girlfriend at that point.  The "in between" here is really all a blur.  What I do remember is that one weekend (probably only a week or two later), he called me up one evening and told me that he had ended it. It was over and he didn't have a girlfriend.  I had been cleaning our dorm room because it was towards the end of the year and we were getting ready to move out...I didn't want to see him right away because I was covered in dust and cleaning materials.  When I was finally ready to see him, I called him and no answer.  I waited a bit, called him again...no answer.  Weird since I thought we were going to hang out.  I went to study with a friend and texted him once or twice but hadn't had an answer.  It wasn't until later that night that I came back to my room and he texted me back saying his ex had come back to try to convince him that it was a mistake and they should be together.  Good thing that I was texting and calling him that whole time. Anyways, you know what they say, the rest is history.  We've had tons of adventures since then.  Adventures, trying times, joyous times and just plain crazy times.  Since most of our stuff is in storage right now I don't actually have the pictures that I took of us from our first date, but I suppose I can always update this posting later on with that.  For the record, we walked to a restaurant right off campus for our first date because neither of us even had a car!

Grandma, Grandpa and A Mall

After our fun filled Saturday (and a rough night...did I mention how much wine I drank? Suffice it to say it's a good thing E's parents watched Brady on Saturday...and here's to hoping E will drive me home again in the future...love you, toots!).  Anyways, Sunday morning, we were up and at it, ready to go again.  We haven't seen my parents in a couple of months, since they flew back across the country with Bman (more on that another time!).  It had been about two months, and luckily there's a mall and a bunch of restaurants almost exactly halfway between where we live and where they live.  We decided to meet up at Red Robin and had a delicious lunch.  Bman got to try some new foods, too.  I stress foods, as in plural.  He's recently started eating more and more solid foods (yes, we picked him up from daycare one day and his provider told us he had half a waffle for breakfast....my baby is growing up too fast!).  At lunch on Sunday, the small list of new foods he tried were...olives, avocados, blue cheese and the inside of potato fries.  He was in his glory.

Once we were done with lunch, we headed over to the mall up the hill and walked around for a while. We found a play area and we all had a blast watching Bman explore, find new games, and slowly venture further and further out.  But he always came back to us in between his little ventures.  There was a lot going on but I think he loved crawling around and finding new toys!

Standing on the turtle!

Hanging out with Grandpa

Giving kisses...to himself...on a mirror. Nothing like strengthening that immune system!

A new favorite game!

Venturing out...

After the play area, you would think B would have been exhausted, no? Well it turns out, this mall has a carousel.  What better time to take the little guy on his first ride?  He did SO well the first two spins - he had us all going thinking that he was having a great time....

Unfortunately, by spin three, the day was getting to bug.  He was tired, didn't want to be on the tiger anymore and was probably getting dizzy.  After E and I did some careful maneuvering and planted our feet, we rescued little B from the tiger, got him off the carousel, into his stroller and back to the car, where he promptly passed out as soon as we started moving.  It was quite the day for such a little man!

Favorites for baby: Birth – 8 (1/2) months

When I started this little blog here a few weeks ago, I had in my head that I would give a recap of my favorite baby products when B-man turned one.  But I can’t help myself.  There are some things that I can’t imagine not having had.  Before B-man was born, I Googled like crazy, spent wayyyy too much time reviewing baby products and was still completely overwhelmed when we registered.  From birth through now, these are the things that we have been using and can’t imagine not having had them.  I’m not an expert and every family is different, but hopefully some of you mama’s to be out there will find this helpful!

1. Johnson's Baby Bedtime Lotion - This stuff is a miracle worker.  B-man gets this every night after his bath and before he gets his bedtime bottle.  The few nights he hasn't had it before he went to sleep, I swear he woke up more than normal.  Miracle.
2. Carter's Onesie's - Carter's onesies are my favorite.  The Gerber ones shrink too easily, there are others that are too thin or too thick.  Carter's are my favorite.  And we love shopping at JCP for B-man.  SO much more affordable than some other places and for how fast they grow, I'm convinced this is the best value. 
   
   
   
   
3. Luv's Diapers - I'll admit it...Pampers were my favorite for a while.  Being a new mom, I loved the wetness indicator.  We didn't waste many diapers because if the line wasn't yellow, we let B-man be.  But once you get the hang of it...it's expensive to keep up with the Pampers.  I like Huggies, too because they're cute.  But I found the Luvs and Huggies to be about the same quality, but Luvs are significantly cheaper.  Target diapers are also great, but I've found them to typically be more expensive than Luvs unless they're on sale. 
4. Crane Cool Mist Drop Shape Humidifier - Blue - We lived in the desert from when Brady was about 5 weeks until he was about 5 months.  It was SO dry and B's skin got very dry and his throat got really scratchy after the first few days.  Enter this humidifier. It directs the mist towards him without soaking him.  This was a must have every night. 
   
5. Johnson's Lavendar Shampoo - We didn't start using this until a couple of month's ago when B actually grew enough hair.  But is smells wonderful and is just like the bedtime lotion...it's become a part of our nighttime routine.
6. Graco DuoDiner 3-in-1 High Chair - Bermuda - We didn't start using this until we moved back to New England, when B was about 6 months old, but it's quickly become one of his favorite places.  Later on, it also converts to a space saving booster...we're not there yet, but I love something I can use for a long time!  This chair isn't great just for feeding time (which it's obviously amazing for!) but if the fam is hanging out on the deck, bug fits right in when he's hanging in this high chair...which is definitely a weekly occurrence... 
   
7. Animal Krackers Jumparoo - Something else we didn't use until came back home.  B-man LOVES this thing.  It keeps him amused for a longgg time.  There are two settings - talking and singing.  And there's just so much going on.  So much to grab, pull, swat at and yell about. I was trying to find a video of him jumping in this thing but I can't find one right now. This is my favorite for when I have to get some dishes done or E and I are both getting ready for work and need a few minutes to get things done.  Enter the Jumparoo :)
8. Philips Avent Bottles - Our attempt at breastfeeding is a completely different post for another day.  B-man has been 100% bottle fed since about week 1.5 of life...and he's done very well with it!  We used Philips bottles, starting with the 4 oz bottles and moving on to the 11 oz bottles.  They're great and we've never had a reason to look for any other kind of bottle.  (When B was a newborn, we used the nipples we got from the hospital, tiny newborn nipples with Medela bottles, then switching to the Medela nipples...this was probably for the firs 4-5 weeks).
9. Disney Baby The Lion King Premiere Convert Me Swing-2-Seat - This was brilliant when bug was little (he's outgrown it now, but the first few months this was great).  One of B-man's birth announcement pictures was even in this.  It would sway him to sleep, or he would just stare at the leaves dangling down over him.  Perfect when Mommy needed to stretch out on the couch for a few or empty the dishwasher! 
   
10. Jeep Liberty Limited All Terrain 3 Wheel Stroller - Galaxy - So this stroller was actually recalled, or the wheels were.  The wheels are rubber.  The recall let you know that if something sharp got into the wheels, the wheels could pop.  But, i still love this stroller.  It's heavy duty...fits Graco car seats, fits all my bags and there were even a few times that I've had to run out to grab a few small things, I just bring the stroller and fill the front compartment with things that I need to buy...no cart necessary!  It IS a little heavy and I read reviews that if you're short or petite it can be tough to handle...but for us, it's perfect! 
    
11. Graco Pack N Play - This is all that B knows as his bed.  We used the bassinet when he was newborn (we never really used the diaper changing station) but this is all B has ever known.  Since we moved across the country (temporarily) and are still searching for a our home, I'm not sure what we would have done without the Pack N Play...and the elephant design is just too cute.  The storage hamper is great too!
12. Lollypop Muslin Swaddle Blankets - These fall into the category of AMAZING.  I didn't start using them until B was 2 months old (I actually got mine cheaper at Marshall's) BUT once I started a nighttime routine, I started swaddling B...and within about a week he started sleeping 10-12 hours a night.  This would be my absolute number one recommendation for any new mommas! The patterns below were the actual blankets that we got, too!  They've become more of a security blanky to bug at this point.
    
    
    
    
13. Diaper Genie Elite Advanced Diaper Disposal System - I thought this would speak for itself but I have heard some say that they hated using the Diaper Genie.  It was perfect for us and actually does compact the diapers nicely.  Just make sure you empty it before it gets too full.  Otherwise you'll end up elbow deep in dirty diapers and trying to extricate stuck diapers and plastic...not fun.

All in all, I'd say all of these have made for one happy little guy!

One Fine Saturday

Isn't it crazy how some friendships come about?  This is my maid of honor at my wedding.  Almost exactly three years before this day, I remember being at work and getting a phone call.  It was my new roommate.  She called to say that she knows she didn't know me that well and she thought living together would be good, but you see she heard I was dating this guy.  It wasn't that she didn't like the guy.  She just didn't want him over in our suite or our room...all. the. time. You see, we didn't really know each other, but we both knew the other girls we were going to be living with.  I guess you could see we were the odd ball room in our suite.  Would it work? Wouldn't it work?  Well, fast forward three years later and she's giving a speech at my wedding as the maid of honor.  Oh yeah, and that guy...now my hubs.  Even though Kels and I didn't know each other going into our sophomore year, and the first few days were really feeling each other out, trying to figure out whether or not this was going to work, we just clicked.  And not only did WE click...but she and the hubs are pretty close, too.  I guess you could say I'm one lucky lady.  E & I have moved out to Arizona twice now, and then back home...and this girl?  Came out to visit both times.

You see, she and I don't have to spend every second together or even see each other every week...and at this point every month!  But when we want to get together and we're living within an hour or two of each other...we somehow always end up here:

Credit

It's also one of those places where we always open the menu, stare at each other and ask what are we doing.  Because I know we can always count on soup, salad and bread sticks at lunch...and let's make it Chicken & Gnocchi.  I mean for the record and all.  So yesterday I got to see this lovey, at the Olive Garden and hubs was working and couldn't make it so it was just the three of us.  Now the first time my little B-man met Miss Kels?  Well, let me show you how that went....a little something like this...

He didn't last too long...he was a fuss butt...and a cranky pants?  This time, I'd say we had much better luck...

B-Man loves his Aunty Kels.  I can't believe it had been three months since we had seen her...but always so great to get together!  After lunch we headed to Kels's mom's house...right up the street...where B-man got his very own car...and measuring cups to play with.  

I mean...who needs toys when you can have a pile of measuring cups to bang around and toss?!

This little guy....

...sure is lucky he's so cute.  It's an early night over here for us...hoping to catch up on some sleep and praying for some uninterrupted rest.  This little man gets me every time.

And how is it that baby tootsies are so darn sweet??

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My baby's turned into a monster....

I am...beat. Wiped. Pooped. Exhausted.  That's right, friends.  We're teething.

Even though that face gets me every time...it's tough to remember in the middle of the night.  We've been spoiled.  It's true.  B-man has slept through the night since he was about two months old.  We have a bed time routine (and I swear by Johnson & Johnson's night time bath....without it he just doesn't sleep the same).  B-man gets dinner, has bath time, dry off, lotion time, get wrapped up in a swaddle blanket (not a true swaddle anymore), have a bottle and then he passes out.  Before? He would sleep 9-11 hours...no interruptions.  He was a great sleeping.  Now? Well, now we're teething.  That means that last night, when he only got up once, and for only 45 minutes in the middle of the night...it was a good night.  The worst night?  A few nights ago when he was up 5 times, at one point for almost an hour and a half.  E and I both work and have long commutes...so there is really no winning.  Poor little bug can't fit enough things in his mouth and there's nothing that really seems to work for him.  He wants to be held, but he's uncomfortable when you hold him.  So he wants to get down and crawl, but needs your comfort...but when you hold him...well, you get it.  Any moms out there have any advice?  B-man cut his first two teeth when he was six months and really without any fussing at all.  I couldn't understand why anyone would possibly say that teething was tough.  Now I know....now....I know.  At least we've still managed to get some good ole pics over this past weekend....