The Adventures of Scooty's Working Parents

His First Train Ride

2010-09-17T22:30:00.002-05:00

Ok, well maybe it wasn't an Amtrak, but it was a little train at a local town fair and he loved it. Since he can say the word "choo choo" and associate it with a train, this experience made his day. He held on for dear life but you could tell he had a great time.

He also got to see some farm animals up close in the FFA building. Unfortunately this is a picture after we left the barn, when he wanted to go and visit the older kids washing the cattle.

Being the typical mom, I wanted to get a picture at every opportunity. So when I saw this, I just had to do it. Luckily there weren't many of these spots to stop at.

He also got goodies like a balloon, a taste of fried cookie dough and cheese fries. And in the end he ended up being one tired little man.

Romp in the Park 5K

2010-09-04T22:00:00.002-05:00

I did it!! I completed another 5K this year and I'm proud of myself. My time isn't as good as I wanted it to be, but I'm working on it and hopefully it will get better. Today was beautiful with temps in the low 70's and it was sunny. It was a perfect morning for a run. My hubby and little guy came out to cheer me on, which was wonderful and such a relief to see when I got to the finish line. I have one more later on this year and we'll see if I can sneak another one in during October.

It's That Time of the Year Again

2010-08-27T22:10:00.004-05:00

And so it begins, that time of year when the boys suit up, the fans crowd the stands, and I make a small visit to the field and then go home with my little one. That's right it's football season. Or I should say that the high school season has kicked off tonight and once again I am sitting at home on Friday night, while my little guy snoozes away in his crib. The hubby, well he's doing his job, standing on the sidelines, prepared for any medical emergency that may arise. He is an athletic trainer for a high school and he's busy. But it gives me alone time with Scotty that I really cherish but on the other side it takes away from cuddling time with the hubby.

Anyway, I must share that we had a great summer. We have made trips to local festivals and the Illinois State Fair. We've watched parades and petted horses. Scotty has gotten to play at a children's museum and run around in a football helmet. The little guy has gotten so big and to date says around 17 words (that we can understand). Some days it's hard to realize how much he has grown and in so many different ways. I can't wait to see what the rest of this year brings for this little guy.

As for me, I got a promotion at work (finally) and I'm trying to stay up on my running. I took two weeks off for some much needed rest. But I'm back in the swing of things and I have two 5Ks coming up that I am very excited about. I started a class through work and I'm about ready to start the next session. The hubby is doing well with his courses too. I hope to keep up with it all.

Catching a Smile

2010-07-20T21:11:00.007-05:00

Lately in my attempts to take pictures of my little guy I find that he always looks like I have surprised him. Surely this isn't the case but all of these pictures seem to tell it differently.

Ahh...wait a minute, here is a picture of a smile.

I'm Hungry

2010-07-12T13:22:00.003-05:00

In the past few weeks my hubby and I began a partial South Beach diet. You know the kind...you do really well until there is an event such as July 4th and then you give it up for a day and from then on it seems to go downhill. This pretty much explains how we usually end up on our diet adventures. This time doesn't seem to be as bad.

The 4th got in the way with some not so healthy beverage choices but other then that we have been successfully keeping the carbs down. I've lost 7 lbs total in two weeks and I am excited about it. The fit of some of my clothes is fantastic and not so tight. The one downfall of this diet was week one. There is such a restriction in the type of food you can have that I felt like I was starving. I bypassed goodies at work for carrots and cauliflower. But this also encouraged me to look at what I was eating and how truly bad it was for me.

I currently play softball on Monday nights, which helps with the new training program I am planning to start this week. I have another 5K that I have my eyes set on at the end of July.

Also...kudos to my little brother for finishing 90th out of 235 in the Lakeside Triathlon this past weekend. He very impressive, especially for a first time triathlete.

Wordless Wednesday - Summer Sunsets

2010-06-30T21:09:00.001-05:00

Where Have We Been?

2010-06-26T17:01:00.005-05:00

What a great question. And all I can say is here but very we've been busy. Let's see where can I start....... well my hubby is done with work until August. He does provide AT coverage for summer camps at the high school but that is generally in the morning. Scott has a new sitter for the morning hours and then goes home with daddy in the afternoon.

I turned the big 30 on June 16th. My husband made me a dinner of steak tacos and bought me a pair of Ugg sandals that I had wanted. My co-workers helped me celebrate at work by bringing in yummy treats, decorating my desk and tying balloons to my desk. My husband, brother, sister-in-law and two other friends joined me in Milwaukee on the weekend of June 4th for a brewery boat tour and some night-time fun. It was a lot of fun and I highly recommend the brewery boat tour. It takes you to three microbreweries along the river and you get to tour their facility along with drinking beer.

The morning of June 5th, before taking off to Milwaukee, I completed my first 5k of the year. I did just fine for the fact that I was never able to fully complete the Couch to 5K program. I was slightly off my time from 4 years prior which really just means I have some work to do. Which brings me to my new cell phone. After using a very simple phone for the last two years I got an IPhone. It's not the new IPhone 4, but it works all the same. I am really excited to use some of its features including mapping my run and possibly downloading the Couch to 5K. I plan on signing up for another 5K which is in July very soon.

We ventured down to D-town last weekend to visit my mom and to hang out with my dad for father's day. Scott had a blast as my mom took him around the farm on the golf cart. He thought it was great. In fact my dad came up to visit us this weekend for the first time since we moved. We spent the morning at my brother's house which was nice because he has air conditioning and we don't. However, the AC man is coming next week to install a central air unit for us. We decided when we had the house built that we didn't want to pay $4500.00 for AC. It would have been included in our mortgage but it just seemed really high. So needless to say we are paying significantly less for this unit and I really can't wait.

Scotty is growing like a weed. Running around and talking all the time. He loves being outside, in fact we bought a bike trailer and he has a great time we when go on family bike rides. We bought a little pool for him and he isn't to keen on getting in it quite yet. But it sure is fun getting him to try. He can say dog, ball, yes, and I on a rarity he repeats other words.

I'm sure there is so much more that I have forgotten about. I hopefully will try to keep up a little more on my blogging as being a slacker isn't much fun.

C25K: Week 6

2010-05-19T20:50:00.004-05:00

When I agreed to run in a 5K in June, I thought I had lots of time to prepare. What I didn't take into account was the horrible allergy issues that I would encounter along the way. The high pollen count has delayed my training but I'm getting there. I am 3 weeks behind on the training and when it comes time for the race I will only be on week 8.

But after tonight's run I feel good. I feel like I could have kept on going. I'm not sure if it was the weather or if it was my beagle girl, Shiloh that I decided to take with me since my Ipod wasn't charged. She did a great job keeping up with me, but I must say by the end she was trotting behind me instead of pulling me. Miss Shiloh was great company and I think she may become my new running partner. Pushing my baby boy in his stroller is great fun but I need to get my training done before I am going to add him back into my runs.

Party Time and Some Pictures

2010-05-14T21:21:00.008-05:00

Due to my lack of blogging I am having to play catch-up today. So here we go....Scott's first birthday party was on May 2nd and it was great. It was our first time having visitors at our house, other then our parents. I believe we had around 25 friends and family that came and you could tell that Scott could tell that it was his party. He had so much fun chasing his cousins around and licking his cake. I made an Elmo cake and he wasn't quite for sure what to do. So he put his hands on it and then tried to lick it. Despite the fact that he was pink from the Elmo cake afterwards, it was a lot of fun.

This year I celebrated my second Mother's Day. Last year Scott was a mere 2 weeks old so I was still excited from his entrance into the world. So this year we joined my brother and sister-in-law, my mom and her boyfriend, and my sister-in-laws parents at the horse track. They had gone last year and had a good time so we decided to go with them this year. At first I wasn't for sure how it would work out having a 12 month old at a horse track. Needless to say we had to keep him busy. With walking around, checking out the horses, and going to the petting zoo area, Scotty seemed to have a good time. He even picked a winning horse for one race....he picked the wrong horses for the next two. It was a lot of fun and I think it will be fun to make it a tradition.

And finally we got Scott's one year pictures back from our photographer and they are fantastic. Mary from Emme Elle Photography is amazing and does such great work. I had to share some of the pictures here.

My Baby is One!!

2010-05-05T21:06:00.005-05:00

This past Friday on April 30th my little guy officially turned one year old. I truly can't believe that a year has gone by. People will tell you that you should take it all in and appreciate each moment because it goes by so fast, we these people are right. I swear it feels like the day we brought him home from the hospital. While waiting for the nurse to check us out we were trying to figure out the baby carrier. Once we had that figured out we were ready to go. And now here I am watching my baby walking, running around outside, eating adult food like he has done it for the past entire year. It really hit me the other day at work. I was showing a co-worker his one-year pictures and she said he really looks like a toddler now. She pointed at his pictures that I have all over my desk and said just look at him. I did and I realized at that point that he was only going to get bigger and that every moment with him is special. One day he won't bring me a book to read to him instead he will yell bye as he is running out the door to meet up with his friends.

He went to his one year doctor's appointment today and weighed in at 20 lbs and is 30.2 inches tall. Our doctor said that he is doing great and to continue the transition to whole milk. He enjoys whole milk, so once the last of the formula is gone that's what he is getting. We also had a birthday party for the little guy this past Sunday and once I have those pictures downloaded I will share.

No matter what this kid will always be my baby, whether he is 6'7" or 30 years old. I love him so much and I can't wait to watch him continue to grow into a fantastic young man.

1st Year Photo Session....Check!

2010-04-24T20:24:00.003-05:00

Who knew there was so much to do when a baby turns the big age of 1. There is the doctor's visit (scheduled for the week after his birthday), the big party of family and friends (scheduled for two days after his birthday) and the pictures, which we had done today. I found Mary Long of Emme Elle Photography, who specializes in taking pictures of children and I found her on Facebook. She lives in our area so I scheduled an appointment for Scott, and to have a family picture taken.

Scott was a star!! He was so happy and excited to be there. We took a family picture in our Chicago Cubs jerseys and the little guy paraded around with some baseballs and a bat. Mary got a kick out of him and kept saying how good he was. I'm sure her job can be challenging when you have a little one that doesn't want to cooperate. Scooty also took some pictures in a dressier outfit, some overall shorts, and then in his diaper. We attempted the smash cake picture but I must say my child was not all that enthused with his cake. I have no idea where he got that trait from because I love cake.

Mary did a great job and I highly recommend her when you need some great pictures of your kids. In a week I'll have pictures to share. Now it's on to preparing for the big party....

C25K: Week 3 and Horrible Allergies

2010-04-15T21:10:00.004-05:00

I started week three of the C25K this week. Monday was good but then yesterday I hit a wall. It's these allergy issues that I can get rid of. When will this stop?? It was hard to catch my breath. I felt like I was running in place but somehow managed to pick up the pace and end pretty well. My actual pace has gotten better and tomorrow I am going out without pushing the little guy in the jogging stroller. Hopefully that will increase my pace even more and hopefully my allergies will get better soon.

Check out some pictures of me and Scotty getting ready for our jog!

Adventures in Cake Making

2010-04-12T20:42:00.007-05:00

My cousin Kim got married this past weekend and I made her cake.....that's right everyone I made her cake. First let me say that her wedding was delightful. It was very simple and sweet since it was both Kim and Joe's second marriage. So when she was planning the big day she mentioned that Joe was going to make the wedding cake. I thought to myself...why would he want to do that when he has plenty of other things to do on his wedding day. So I offered, as my wedding gift, to make the cake. She, of course, said yes!

So after months of non-planning the time came. I took Thursday and Friday off from work in order to work on the cake. I was told very little about the cake: heart shaped, blue, and 100-125 people. So that's what I did...I made a cake for a little over 100 people that was heart-shaped and included blue accents. The final result was great (at least that is what I was told) but it was the process that became annoying.

I bought almost the perfect amount of supplies. I started baking on Thursday morning and I was plowing right through until the incident.

I had just put the crumb layer of icing on the bottom layer of the white cake when my baby boy woke up from his afternoon nap. I pushed the two layers of cake to what I thought was the middle of the table and went to get him. A diaper change later and I came to find my older beagle craning his neck to eat as much of the white cake as he could. As you can see he took such a big chunk out of the cake I had to remake the white cake. I must say Ted Beagle is one lucky beagle, because I really could have tossed him out on his beagle rear-end and not cared one bit.

This in turn caused a delay in everything. By Thursday night I was exhausted and my back and feet hurt. So my wonderful hubby offered to stay up with me to make the white cake and he made the icing for me on Friday morning. Once we got down to my mom's house icing the cake went pretty smoothly. We delivered the cake on Saturday morning and from then it was out of my hands.

The lesson learned from this experience was that detailed cake making is difficult, always put your cake near the back of your kitchen counter, beware of counter surfing beagles, and take some time before you attempt to make another.....at least a few weeks.

Wordless Wednesday - Can We Go Outside?

2010-04-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

I'm Back at It and A Baby in a Pot

2010-04-05T20:19:00.004-05:00

Since I've more or less recovered from my allergy attack the past two weeks I have been back at my C25K program. On the advice of my athletic trainer husband I am starting over at week 2. It's not exactly where I wanted to start again but it works. I ran this past weekend and since I had the day off today I ventured out this afternoon. In fact I took Scott in his jogging stroller this time. I wasn't quite for sure how it would work out but I wasn't too far off my pace which is great! Scotty loved the ride and the change of scenery. Hopefully this is something I can continue with and it may even help my training.

My mom brought my husband a cooking pot for the kitchen. Well let's just say because it sat around on the floor for a few days Scott thought he would have fun with it.

Happy Easter!!

2010-04-04T20:07:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Easter holiday today, no matter how you celebrated. My mom came up on Thursday and has spent the long weekend with us. We went and had manicures and pedicures and did a little shopping. I got a dress to wear to my cousins wedding, which I am going to start on my cake making for that really soon. My hubby and my mom's boyfriend put up a screen door for our front door, which helps create some air flow during these wonderfully warm days. We went to my brother's house for ribs on Friday night and it is always good to see him and my sister-in-law. Then we had lunch with my mom, her boyfriend and my mother-in-law today and mmmmm it was tasty. Ham, 3 cheese mac & cheese, and homemade cheddar garlic biscuits were all very yummy and enjoyed by all.

I have a few pictures from the weekend, of course of my baby boy. He got his first Easter basket from his grandma with all sorts of goodies in it. He also got a tent in the shape of a castle. Is it possible for an 11 month old to be spoiled??

Feeling Better and 11 Months Old Today

2010-03-30T19:42:00.005-05:00

So after spending two days at home, coughing, feeling exhausted and finding out that I probably have seasonal allergies I am finally feeling better. Which is great news because now I can get back to being myself and I can get back to my running. I was out of breath going up the stairs so I knew something was up and with at least some sort of diagnosis and prescription I can at least get moving. There are so many things to get caught up on that I plan on blogging about the rest of the week.

But I do want to mention that my baby boy is 11 months today. I really can't believe that this time last year he was still in my belly. He is getting so big. He is walking, trying to talk, and eating the food that my husband and I eat. Now it's time to start planning the first birthday party.

C25K: Week 3 Day 1 and my Wonderful Hubby

2010-03-23T14:05:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I completed week 3 day 1 of the Couch to 5K program. My hubby taped my ankles before work and I had my new shoes I felt great while having the beginning effects of a cold. While it doesn't seem that far so far I know that it will only be time before I can go farther or longer.

My other issue I have a horrible cold and definitely felt the effects of it last night and this morning. I felt awful so my wonderful husband took care of me. He's made sure that I went to bed early, that I had food to eat and plenty of liquids. He even went and got me medicine this morning. I am so lucky to have such a great hubby that loves me so much.

I also want to say Congrats to my friend Tracy who is expecting in September. I've known Tracy since freshman year of high school and she is a very dear friend. She has a little boy Drew that just turned 1 in November and a very nice husband Jess. She is a wonderful mom and I know she is very excited about her new bun in the oven.

My Baby Boy Took His First Steps and I Have Nothing to Show for It

2010-03-21T21:12:00.003-05:00

My little guy took his first steps yesterday!! Oh how excited I am as he is so cute when he tries to walk. It is so funny how these little ones attempt new things; it's like they just decide one day that they are going to do something and then they just do it. No ifs, ands or buts about it....they just start doing it. Scotty is so cute; it's almost like a little dance that he does and then he gets going and PLOP he's back down on his rear. Along with the walking he has become so much more vocal and making new sounds. Time has flown by with this little guy and it's only going to get better.

So now for the part about where I have nothing to show for it. I was able to catch a little part of the walking on our camcorder but I haven't quite figured out how to get the videos to the computer and then to the blog. And my camera is in the shop for the fourth time at Best Buy. The first time my camera broke was my fault as I dropped it on the ceramic tile floor in our apartment but from then on the lens always just breaks. This last time there was a faint line across the lens which showed up on the pictures. We picked it up last week and before we got home realized that they made the camera worse. It was completely blurry. So this time the Geek Squad guy said that it was a "lemon" and I would get a replacement. The issue: Best Buy has this tendency to not call us when they say they are going to. My camera sat for two days this last time until my husband called to see where the camera was. This time they were supposed to be calling and sending emails along the way. They haven't done either.

I really just want my camera back to document the excitement that has been going on here and that will continue to go on. Until then I will try to get my video loaded up so I can share one of the most exciting things that I will ever witness: my baby boy walking for the first time.

Wordless Wednesday - Happy St. Patrick's Day from my Little Leprechaun

2010-03-17T21:43:00.002-05:00

C25K, Cake and Beautiful Weather

2010-03-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

As I previously had blogged my brother said that he would go to my birthday party if I ran in a 5K with him that morning (I have a feeling he would go even if I didn't run). Well I have officially begun my training. I started the Couch to 5K running program to get started. I started Week 2 Day 1 this afternoon and I seem to have my breathing under control. It's my ankles that are bothering me. I know the following: I need new shoes (desperately) and I have horrible ankles. My dear athletic trainer hubby has offered to tape my loose ankles for me every morning. I'm hoping they start to feel better once my body gets used to jogging again. And I signed up for the 5K along with my brother, so now there is no looking back as I've spent the money and I'm not going to waste it :)

Oh the wedding cake.....I have a few weeks left before my cousin's wedding. Why oh why did I even consider making the cake. I have requested the two days off before the wedding to prepare and now I am working on the ingredients. I plan on doing at least one more test run on the icing before the big day too. This process has definitely made me rethink my future decisions to make a wedding cake.

The temperature has been awesome lately. I would love to say the weather has been perfect, but the rain has hindered some fun outside time with the little guy. But when the sun has shown itself I have loved it. I truly can't wait for summer....which reminds me I am going to play softball this spring!!! I was asked if I wanted to play on a coed rec league and after thinking about it I said yes. I haven't played softball in close to 10 years....in fact the last time I played I got to play the US Olympic team before they went on to play at the Olympics in 2000. It will truly be an experience this spring.

Here are some cell phone pictures of our weather and one of the little guy!! (My camera is in the shop AGAIN.)

Wordless Wednesday - This Was Daddy's Idea

2010-03-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

I've Officially Lost It

2010-03-01T20:22:00.004-06:00

Some days I think I have gone crazy. I am starting to believe that having a baby makes you lose all sanity. One day last fall I got an email from my cousin, she was getting married in April 2010. And then without really thinking about it (I may have run the idea past my hubby but I can't quite recall) I emailed her back and told her I would make her wedding cake. I guess I thought she would say oh no don't worry about it but no she went on to tell me what kind of cake and icing they wanted. Heart shaped, blue, and 150 people were all things that I was told...ahhhhh. What was I thinking??

Then somehow I managed to agree to run in a 5K with my brother in June. My 30th birthday is this year and my hubby has been planning away. So (I think to get my rear-end moving) my brother said that he would help celebrate only if I ran in this 5K with him. It's the same race that I ran with him 4 years ago. That was the last race I ran in before I pretty much gave up running. But here I am trying again. It's going to be a slow start but at least I have a few months before the big day.

Despite my craziness there are some things that remain the same. My wonderful husband who supports me no matter what I choose to do. My cuddly beagles that love me no matter what I say. And my baby boy who makes me the happiest mommy in the world.

Wordless Wednesday - Toothy Grin

2010-02-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Our Trip to the United Center

2010-02-21T20:56:00.004-06:00

The boy's basketball team from my husband's high school got to play a game at the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls basketball team. And because Scott and I consider ourselves part of the athletic training team we got to tag along and sit on the sidelines. We also got to take a small trip through the athletic training room. It was so much fun and I must say the chairs that the players sit in are rather comfy...I wouldn't mind if I was a benchwarmer for this team.

I Love.....(A Love Your Neighbor Card Swap Post)

2010-02-18T09:00:00.000-06:00

I was so excited to join in the Love Your Neighbor Card Swap held by Melissa at Melissa's Adventures in Living Life. I got my name and was able to send my card of before Valentine's Day (which for me is a rarity). I got Marcia's name and was thrilled to read about how she has qualifed for the Boston Marathon. Be sure to check out how her training is coming along at Running Off at the Mouth.

So this week I got my "card." I got home from work yesterday to find a box on my front porch. I immediately opened it because I had no idea who it was from until I found the card in the box and saw that it was from April at Mommy's Fit for the King. All I can say is Thank You April!! She is such a sweetie and her blog is a thrill to read. It is filled with many of her adventures including running, her handsome little boys and her spritual journey in life. Be sure to check it out. April absolutely made my day along with the card she sent me a coffee cup with my initial on it, darling Valentine's Day socks, Valentine's candy (there was some for Scooty too) and a book for Scott too. The book was awesome. It is made of a plastic type material that is safe for baby's to chew on and you can pick pictures in each of the pages for the baby to look at. She printed off pictures to put in the book for Scott to look at. It is truly an amazing gift and I am so grateful that we recieved it. Thanks again April!!

Wordless Wednesday - Pitchers and Catchers Report Today

2010-02-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

Working with Daddy

2010-02-16T12:00:00.001-06:00

My husband had the day off today, so he took Scotty to work with him. I was told that he was very helpful and wanted to help organize his daddy's athletic training room. He also took a break to play with the little dodgeballs.

My Little Valentine

2010-02-15T20:21:00.004-06:00

My hubby took me out for dinner on Saturday night to Carrabba's, a yummy Italian restaurant for Valentine's Day. We of course overate, but it was so tasty we couldn't help it. Our main issue was the little guy. He is going through a period of separation anxiety. We left him with a this girl and her mom that has watched him several times before. We found out later that he cried the entire first hour after we left, then they called his everyday sitter and she came over with her baby boy. He was better, but once she left he cried again. They ended up taking him for a short walk and he went to sleep. They were so kind to not call us so we could enjoy our dinner, but we felt so bad about the whole situation. This family is so kind and sweet, in fact they always thank us for letting them watch Scott. We plan on spending some extra time with these wonderful people so Scotty gets to know them a little better.

Here are some pictures of my baby all dressed in red for Valentine's Day (also in his winter hat).

Wordless Wednesday - Jamaican Sunset

2010-02-09T21:23:00.003-06:00

My husband took this picture on our honeymoon to Ocho Rios, Jamaica in 2008.

Snow Day!!!

2010-02-09T20:57:00.003-06:00

The weather folks had been calling for this big storm for a few days so I had pretty much decided that I was going to stay home today. Needless to say I probably wouldn't have had a problem getting to work, it was the getting home part I didn't want to worry about. Plus spending the day with my hubby and my baby boy seemed so much better anyway. Unfortunately the wind has picked up this evening and my drive in the morning may not be so great but it was well worth it to stay home.

We decided to watch The Tigger Movie, cook out on the grill, play with lots of toys, play in the cabinets, and watch the beagles play in the snow.

Happy Birthday Teddy and Celebrating with Shiloh

2010-02-07T08:00:00.001-06:00

Almost seven years ago my first baby was born. He was born on a farm in Southern Illinois along with two brothers and a sister. He stood out to my mom and me due to his completely brown nose and brown and white markings. On the way home, he was such a cute and cuddly little guy but picking a name was almost impossible. He wasn't a Rufus or Jake. Then it hit us...Ted; Theordore Elvis Beagle to be exact. He is a Teddy bear. Teddy has been through a lot in his life. He has lived in four different places, was diagnosed with Epilepsy and decided as a young'n that he wanted to try some rat poison. Many dollars later, he is still my loud and crazy beagle boy that can make my day with just a lick.

We also celebrate the anniversary of Shiloh, our other beagle, coming to live with us. It has been 3 years to this day and we are so grateful that she came into our lives. She is such a lively little girl and we love her so much.

Wear Red!!!

2010-02-05T13:19:00.005-06:00

Today is the American Heart Association's Wear Red Day. This day is set aside to help raise awarenes that heart disease is the #1 killer of women. It is important for women to realize this is a serious issue and to take action. Whether you talk to your friends about the risks of heart disease or you quietly wear the Red Dress pin on your name badge, you are helping! There are several other ways to make some noise about this issue.

Remember to visit www.goredforwomen.org for more information.

I Love......

2010-02-04T20:27:00.003-06:00

picking up my baby boy from the babysitter and getting the most wonderful smile. It just makes my day so much better.

Wordless Wednesday - The Next Top Chef

2010-02-03T18:00:00.002-06:00

Nine Months......

2010-01-30T09:29:00.002-06:00

I am so sorry about my tiredness rant in my last post, it was just one of those days. But on a much more positive and upbeat note, my little guy is 9 months old today. It's crazy how much he has grown and how every time I read about a new baby being born I can remember almost every detail of Scott's birth like it was yesterday.

He is learning to clap and still standing around. He isn't too interested in walking yet but he does push his walker around the kitchen. The beagles have become much more of an interest and he is into everything...the cabinets, the computer, the toilet, the garbage can. We are also trying to teach him how to give a high five. He thinks that it's really fun. He has also developed into a big flirt. If he sees a lady, no matter what the age, he will catch their eye and smile. He loves the girls.

I'm Tired - A Vent

2010-01-29T21:58:00.003-06:00

I'm tired of listening to people make silly complaints about things that are their fault.

I'm tired of of watching people flutter around because they think they need to be involved in every little thing.

I'm tired of watching crazy drivers dart in and out across four lanes of traffic at 6:45 in the morning.

I'm tired of listening to my beagle Ted bark at any little thing he sees (I do love him so very much though.)

I'm tired of cars that speed up while you are trying to pass them.

I'm tired of driving an hour to work and another hour from work every day (but it must be done.)

I'm tired of political ads on television.

I'm tired of not having time to do anything in the evenings.

I'm tired of people that are mean to animals, especially doggies.

I'm tired of people blaming others for their own problems.

I'm tired of being tired in the mornings (but coffee helps this problem).

But I must stop complaining or I will be tired of doing that too.

Wordless Wednesday - Where Has Time Gone?

2010-01-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

Scotty - May 2, 2009

Helping MOM

2010-01-26T21:20:00.002-06:00

Bless my mom's heart as she is trying to go back to school after 30+ years. My mom is a diploma nurse from the "old days" as she would say, which means that she went to nursing school, graduated and is a Registered Nurse. But she doesn't have a bachelor's degree to go with it. Many nurses have this and I think she always thought about going back to try but she didn't have the confidence to settle in and do it. I also think that she wanted to make sure her three kids were off and on their own.

So recently she decided to attempt to get her bachelor's of science in nursing. The problem: she hasn't take a class in years and she isn't all that familiar with a computer. Don't get me wrong, she can navigate the Internet like a beginner but when you start to incorporate Microsoft Office programs she is completely lost.

She started a few weeks and she is trying. However, she doesn't have anyone around to help her, and those that can she doesn't ask. So she calls me and my husband for help...YIKES. This is something I don't have patience for; I want to I really do. It is just so hard for me to help people over the phone with things (good thing I don't do that for a living). I have however helped her with some of her assignments which I don't mind doing. Bill, the wonderful man that he is, helps her with her computer issues. I have no idea how he does it, but he deals with her very calmly and with great patience.

To her credit she has attempted many things on her own for this course and I hope she continues to do so as it gives her more confidence. She gets really flustered when she gets confused and she needs to be reminded to take a deep breath. I hope she is able to stick this out as she has mentioned trying to go on to get her master's degree as well. I know she can do it and it gives me more of my mom to look up to.

La La La La......Time Off

2010-01-22T21:43:00.003-06:00

For working an "extra" job at work over the course of the past few weeks my manager has been trying to find some way to compensate me so she let me take a half day today. This was absolutely a delight to me because it meant I got to spend the afternoon with my baby boy. We ran some errands and finally came home to a bottle and a nap. I woke him up around 6 so he wouldn't keep sleeping and then wake up around midnight. Having a baby that sleeps through the night most of the time is great and I selfishly don't want to change that.

Once he got up we played and I had the TV on whatever it had been on all day. Around 7 pm the celebrity special for Haiti came on. I wasn't really paying any attention to it, but I noticed that Scott was. He would stop what he was doing to watch the singing. Stevie Wonder, Shakira, and Mary J. Blige stopped him in his tracks.

He has always seemed to have a love of music. When he was itty bitty (my term for anything younger then he is now) we would listen to kid music in the car and it would quiet him. Some songs would work better then others, but he seems to always enjoy listening to it. We also play a CD for him at night when he sleeps. Recently one of his favorite toys is this little thing that plays classical music. It has a round button and lights up when it the music plays. He gets so excited to see this toy.

His love for music this early in life may not mean a thing, but I'm hoping it at least gives him an appreciation for it. I think that music is a joy that should be shared with little ones and hopefully Scott will continue to want to know more.

Wordless Wednesday - Yes, that is a bruise on his forehead

2010-01-19T20:54:00.003-06:00

This was the first big bruise that my baby boy got when I was around. Of course I felt like a bad mom because I wasn't watching when he hit his head and when I got to him he was wailing. The bump swelled up and turned purple fast. He was better when mommy came to get him. I worried so much about him that I texted my husband (who was at work) and I called my mom. They both said he would be fine and to just keep an eye on him and they were right he was. Luckily it's gone now and my mom guilt has faded. However, I'm sure there will be more bruises to come.

Red or Blonde

2010-01-16T08:00:00.002-06:00

I have been thinking about what color to keep my hair. I was blonde (very blonde) as a child and didn't color my hair until after high school. Then I went on my red kick but I didn't have the guts to dye it really red until my wedding. I loved my hair color at my wedding, but some times I would love for it to be blonde again. Hmmm...this is a tough one. Right now I would say it is a brassy blonde, which I am not fond of so I need to make a decision soon. I put pictures of me as a red head and then as a little blondie (that's my cousin and brother in the pic too.)

Any thoughts??

Reebok Easytone Sneakers - Review #1

2010-01-15T17:47:00.005-06:00

I first spied these puppies on a television commercial and they peeked my interest. I then saw them in a magazine and I became even more curious. So I looked into them a little more and even became a "fan" of Reebok Women on Facebook. I have talked with my husband about them and pulled up the Reebok website. But I have never purchased a $100 pair of shoes in my life....OK I have bought two pair of Uggs but that doesn't really count.

One day my wonderful hubby realized that he had a $25 gift certificate that I could use towards the shoes and he could possibly come up with a coupon as well. And he did..that is he found a $10 off coupon for Dick's Sporting Goods and with a guarantee of $35 off the shoes we went on our way to find them.

Blue, Green or White...were the choices I had for colors. After trying on two different sizes, I came home a blue pair of size 9's. I must say I have been wearing them around the house and I can feel the muscles in my booty tightening more often, not so much in my legs but hey if it can help the flabby booty muscles then I am game.

How do they work?? Well Reebok says balance pods are built-in under the heel and forefoot of the shoes. The balance pods are designed to create natural instability with every step which forces your muscles to adapt and encourages toning. It targets the gluteus maximus, hamstrings and calves.

Below are a couple pictures to share of my new shoes:

Wordless Wednesday --- Where is Summer??

2010-01-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

A Fantastic Idea - Valentine's Day Card Swap

2010-01-08T08:26:00.005-06:00

The lovely Melissa is hosting a Valentine's Day Card Swap over at her blog. It's such a sweet idea that is encouraging the use of leaving positive comments and you get to meet a fellow blogger. If you are interested head on over to her blog and follow the instructions (and don't forget to check out the progress of her running)...the deadline is January 14th.

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-06T17:00:00.003-06:00

As always, I am a few days late with my well-wishing but I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable time while celebrating. We spent our time with my mom while she recovered from her carpal tunnel surgery. You don't realize how much you can't do until you only can use one hand. She is doing great now, she gets her stitches out at the end of the week and will wait to see what the doc has to say. However, she still needs to have the other hand done too. You would think she sat typing all day long, but she's a nurse.

I spent the last two days at home trying to clean up from not being home over the holidays. There is still a lot to do in my opinion but the Christmas decorations are put away, which was my main goal. Returning to work today was not what I would call my favorite thing of the day. We are moving to a new location over the course of three weeks and there seems to be a huge push to get things done before we move. My thoughts are that the same complaining students will still be complaining when we get to our new building.

My husband has decided to join my in our weight loss efforts. He is dedicated to starting the Biggest Loser Weight-Loss Yoga DVD with me and counting our points WW style. We are looking for a treadmill, which is boring to some but I tend to enjoy. Of course he always tends to lose his weight super fast which discourages me....but not this time!! Discouragement is for the birds!

Wordless Wednesday....What An Outfit!

2010-01-05T21:47:00.002-06:00

He's 8 Months Old Today!!!

2009-12-30T12:29:00.003-06:00

My baby boy is 8 months old today....and finally I'm not a day late posting about it. Scott is now pulling himself up to standing and crawling all over the place. We bought another baby gate for the bottom of the stars since he has curiously wondered over to them and started climbing up them. He loves to play with all of his toys, of course not one really holds his interest longer then a few minutes. We started him on some thirds for food and he has also had some "regular" food. He can use a sippy cup for his juice and water. He is growing so fast and it is just so unbelievable that only 8 months ago I was holding him in my arms for the first time.

Wordless Wednesday - Daddy's Laundry Helper

2009-12-29T21:09:00.006-06:00

I'm Late but....Merry Christmas

2009-12-29T20:38:00.006-06:00

Christmas has come and gone and I must say that my family was very blessed this year. After three and a half celebrations we came home with lots of gifts and memories. Our first celebration took place on Christmas Eve at my mother-in-laws home. Our nieces and nephews opened and then played with their gifts. Pizza is the tradition for dinner. Scotty took home some hefty gifts including a Fisher Price Learning Farm, and a Zebra that you can ride on.

We celebrated our first Christmas with Scotty the next morning. He opened the gifts that we got him (well open is such a big word). He more or less climbed on top of the boxes and then beat on the boxes. We got him a penguin that wobbles, a sports center toy and wooden blocks.

We then headed south to my mom's house where we joined up with my brothers, my sister-in-law, my mom and her boyfriend. Scotty once again received lots of toys and clothes. He seemed to enjoy the time spent here.

That evening we went to my Dad's house. My dad and his girlfriend took care of Scotty again. We went home with several gifts after the Christmas holiday. So many we just aren't sure where to put them all.

Wordless Wednesday - What is better then this when it's cold outside?

2009-12-23T14:12:00.003-06:00

WW, My Little Bro and Meeting Santa

2009-12-21T20:18:00.005-06:00

First of all, I am extremely sad that Weight Watchers has ended at work. Our leader was unable to make our last meeting so we didn't get to weigh-in. There are other options such as going to an off-site location or just hoping that a new group starts in the new year. The problem is that we are moving to two new locations in January and it will split our group. Rumor has it though that another group that is coming to our location had a group as well. Personally I find it so much easier for myself with my WW group at work.

This weekend my little brother Sam came for Christmas from Vet school. Lucky kid, he goes to school on the island of St. Kitts in the Caribbean. He said he is ready to come home and has even put in for a transfer to a state school. I think it would be fun to go to school on an island and live in 90 degree weather but he has his reasons. He stayed with us for the weekend and helped my hubby put up our garage door opener. I'm glad we got to spend this time with him, as after Christmas he will be on his way to hang out with his girlfriend Christine in Philly.

Scotty got to meet Santa this past weekend. He didn't seem to mind sitting on the big guy's lap, in fact he didn't fuss one bit. He just stared at him and even cracked a smile.

Wordless Wednesday - What's Out There?

2009-12-16T13:18:00.002-06:00

Oh Lordy...I'm Not Sure If I'm Ready for This Yet

2009-12-15T21:35:00.003-06:00

This past weekend marked some milestones for my little guy. He decided that he would learn to crawl.....completely crawl not the launch and go method he was using. He goes so much faster with the full crawl. I just can't believe it.

Also he is pulling himself up....it started with just the knees and now he pulls up to standing. He loves standing by our sliding glass doors and next to his Sesame Street cart. I am still in awe at how much he is growing and how fast time goes by. It really just seems like yesterday that we brought Scott home and we had no idea what to do next.....who am I kidding we still don't know whats going to happen next. But I must say it has been a blast so far and Scott is such a great little boy. He is only going to provide us with surprises.

A New Car

2009-12-15T21:05:00.004-06:00

So after 5 years it was time to turn in my car and get a new one. Actually, we had been spending so much money fixing the ol' girl up every year that it was getting silly and plus we needed more space. I apparently developed an emotional attachment to my 2000 Grand Prix and after much thought decided it was due to the fact that this car meant something to me. It was the first time I had gotten a loan on my own, no co-signer needed and I paid it off. I worked hard to pay it off and was able to spend at least a year and half without a car payment.

We made the trek to CarMax and got an appraisal on my car and searched for our new vehicle. After test driving a mini van, a Buick Rendezvous and a Chrysler Pacifica, we decided on the Pacifica. I love it!! It is very basic and so roomy. The back is perfect for our beagles to lay around and the back seat is big enough for Scott and two adults. The picture makes it look darker then it is, but it is a midnight blue color.

I Had A DATE!!!

2009-12-07T09:57:00.003-06:00

With my hubby that is. He decided last week that we needed to go out, just the two of us. He set up the babysitter and we hit the town yesterday afternoon. We went to the movies and saw The Blindside. Excellent movie if you haven't gotten the chance to see it. I starts out rather sad, but you know it is going to turn out great. It's not centered around football so for those that may not want to see it because of that..don't worry.

We then made a short trip across the street to World Market so I could buy a small gift for my supervisor at work. While there we made a beeline to the wine section. Ever since we bought our little wine fridge my hubby claims he is turning into a wine lover. So proceeded to purchase 6 bottles of wine of various types.

After shopping we went to eat at On The Border, a Mexican-style restaurant. They have some of our favorite chips and salsa. I ordered an avocado grilled enchilada and it was tasty. I think it needed a little kick, but I like my food spicy. Bill had southwest tacos which were equally as tasty with the fried onions on top.

It was so much fun to go out with my husband by ourselves. We decided that we needed to make it at least a monthly thing. I wonder where he will take me next??

Weight Watchers, New DVD and Spending the Day with My Baby

2009-12-05T21:17:00.004-06:00

We have one week left with our WW leader at work. Hopefully we will be able to continue when the new year starts but the bad news is that we are moving to new buildings and we may not have enough people at one location. I know that there are several ladies that have mentioned continuing at our new location so hopefully we can recruit more members or we will have enough.

I wasn't going to go to the meeting as Thanksgiving weekend took its toll on me. But the more I thought about it and with the urging of my co-worker Kathy, I went to weight in. I nervously stepped on the scale and was so happy to find that I had only gained 0.4 lb. I think that is good despite the fact that my mom was up the entire weekend and I don't think I had one healthy meal.

While shopping for some Christmas presents at Borders I came across the fitness DVD section. I had been longing for a good yoga DVD. I was doing yoga twice a week in a small private class before I found out I was pregnant last year. I loved it! I have since moved away from that town and I don't have the time to make it to a local yoga class. While browsing the DVDs I came across The Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga. I came home and tried it and I felt much better the next day. I bragged about it so much that my-coworker is going to borrow it too.

I got to spend the entire day with my baby boy today!!!! We had so much fun. We went to his swim class, which he is starting to love more and more each day. After class we came home, had lunch and both of us took a 2 hour nap. We got up and ran some errands, came home and waited for Bill to come home. It doesn't matter what we do I just love spending time with Scotty!!! He just makes my day.

Seven Months Already?!?!?

2009-12-01T20:37:00.004-06:00

Yesterday my little guy turned 7 months old. He is growing so fast and he just makes my heart melt. He is weighing in at around 18 lbs and is 27.5 inches long. He is crawling around and I'm fairly certain his first tooth is going to be popping through anytime.

Happy 7 Month Birthday Little Man!!!

And Since I Am Sharing.....

2009-11-29T20:31:00.002-06:00

Here is my baby boy next to the Christmas tree. Luckily it's in a spot that he doesn't seem to want to crawl to.

Holiday Lights

2009-11-29T20:26:00.002-06:00

I had to share the lights that my husband put up on our home. He was so proud of himself that I knew I had to show them off. We are so blessed to have been able to build the home that we love and to be able to decorate as we please.

Where Have You Been??

2009-11-28T19:54:00.003-06:00

Wow....I feel like I fell off the face of the Earth with my blogging. I have that lingering feeling of not talking to a good friend in months.....that's what my lack of blogging has done. I know several times I told my hubby that I need to get on the computer and blog. The first week I was Super Busy at work, we finished painting our kitchen and just seemed to be occupied with other things. I have been off of work since this past Monday afternoon and it has been wonderful. I have spent such memorable and cherished moments with Scott and Bill. We took a trip while Bill did some consulting work, went shopping and spent time with our families. We were able to find time to take boxes down to the basement and start getting our Christmas items out.

Thanksgiving was not only delightful and wonderfully delicious. We gathered at my brother's home for some yummy food and bonding time which included playing Big Game Hunter and some odd rabbit game on Wii. My mom was able to stay until today and was able to see Scott during his swim class. I am so thankful for my family and the time that I get to spend with them. It has been such a blessing to be able to hang out with my baby and my husband. I must say though...I am back and my blogging will be as well.

A Visit From the Heisman

2009-11-17T19:45:00.004-06:00

The Heisman Trophy made a visit to my husband's high school. Why is this coveted trophy traveling to a local Illinois high school one might ask?? Apparently there is a parent who works for Nissan and Nissan is sponsoring a tour of the trophy. They were able to get the trophy to make a stop while in-route to another location. Of course, my husband, being the football guy that he is, had to take Scott to lay his hands on the almighty Heisman. Scott seemed to be rather sober with the trophy but the big boy loved it.

Weighing In

2009-11-13T13:53:00.004-06:00

I was dreading my weigh-in today at Weight Watchers. Absolutely fearing it......I hadn't eaten particularly well and I am completely off on my exercising. For goodness sakes I had Long John Silver's fish, chicken and shrimp the other night so I knew it would not be good (sometimes get those odd cravings.)

I walked down the stairs with two of my co-workers to the classroom for our meeting. We were the first ones there and I got to be the first one on the scale. Harry, our WW leader, was set up and ready to go. I stepped on and waited and waited and waited some more....he had started to fill out the wrong form. I just knew it had to be bad. He handed my booklet back and I had lost 1 pound!!!! I seriously thought he must have been joking but I wasn't going to second guess the almighty Weight Watcher's scale.

Needless to say I am in a much happier mood and I am more dedicated to making this upcoming week a better one. This means no Long John Silver's. I started two days ago ensuring that I am getting enough water especially while I am at work. I tend to sit at my desk and not get up to refill my water bottle which leaves me tired and parched.

After seven weeks of attending meetings, I have lost 7.2 lbs. I couldn't be more thrilled as this baby weight needs to go!!!

2009 Bloggers Ornament Exchange

2009-11-09T13:15:00.003-06:00

So while perusing some new and lovely blogs I found a Blogger Ornament Exchange over at PamperingBeki. It's really simple....just sign up on her blog, send her an email with your pertinent info, she will pair you up and let you know where to send the ornament to by November 23rd. You have until November 12th to sign up...so hurry on over!!

Pictures to Share

2009-11-08T21:20:00.005-06:00

I just had to share some pictures of my baby boy. I just can't get enough of him!!

Watching Daddy mow the lawn with Shiloh

Just too cute and he knows it

There is something about a Super Grover tee, a diaper, and striped socks

The Next Michael Phelps??

2009-11-08T20:58:00.004-06:00

I decided awhile ago that I wanted my kids to take swimming lessons. I think that it is very important for little ones to learn the basics so that just in case they ever get in a situation where they need to utilize swimming they would know what to do. So I found out that our local YMCA starts offering classes when kids are 6 months old. Perfect!!! Scott just turned 6 months old so I signed him up.

I can't say that he loved it and I can't say that he hated it as he was rather indifferent about the whole situation. He was put in a yellow floaty and we sang songs while doing different movements. For instance we sang a little song about a motorboat while having the little ones lay on their back and kick their feet. As Scott is only a baby I was the one kicking his feet. Six more weeks left, so I hope he smiles sometime soon while he is there.

The Week After Halloween Pictures

2009-11-08T20:52:00.002-06:00

Am I a terrible mom for not taking pictures of my little one on his first Halloween. Granted my husband dressed him up the day before and brought him into my work to visit with my co-workers and he didn't have it on the day of Halloween. But how did I (the person that takes pictures of my child almost everyday) forget to do this. Anywho...here is my little monkey, who kinda looks like a little bear:

I Feel So Honored

2009-11-05T21:00:00.021-06:00

So earlier this week one of my favorite people, Lindsey from over at Mommy Wonderland left me a message that she would have a suprise for me. Well low and behold she gifted me not just 1, but 2 awards.

Make sure to click on over to Mommy Wonderland as Lindsey provides a great laugh and lovely thoughts.....her most recent postings have made me giggle and left me completely intrigued about the P90X system.

I have been so super excited about this since I got her message, but my time wouldn't allow for me to post this until today. Thank you so much Lindsey for thinking of me...as a fairly new blogger it makes me proud to have loyal readers already. So here it goes.....

This award is bestowed on to blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers.

Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose six more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

So I only have five but they are delightful and entertaining reads.

Please make sure to visit these great ladies:

Kathy - At Last....

Karen - Ramblin'

Jano - What's Brewing with JANERIC?

Melissa - Melissa's Adventures in Kids, Knitting, and Weight Loss (not necessarily in that order)

Nikki - In the Nik of Time...

This is the second award and there are some rules that go along with it too....

Post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Or in my case the five fabulous blogs mentioned above. Here is to the ladies above and they two honors they have recieved today!!

Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

It's So Much Easier Being Green

2009-11-05T20:44:00.007-06:00

Finally after two months of living in our house we decided to buy some paint for the family room/kitchen. After throwing out the idea of an olive green type color, my hubby agreed and we went on our way to Lowes.

Before we moved we bought one of those lovely paint color fan books. These things are fantastic for picking out paint colors due to the amount of colors to choose from but they are also horrible for the same reason. Too many colors!!!!

In the end we picked Olympic Paint color Cavern Moss. We started last weekend when my mom came to visit someone could watch the little one. Now we have the kitchen to conquer......

Below are a few pictures to show off the color.....we don't have much hanging on the walls yet but it will come in time.

Before.....

Current......

Time Flys When You Are Having Fun

2009-11-04T09:43:00.005-06:00

My baby is officially 6 months old as of last Friday. I really can't believe how fast it has gone. He is sitting up unassisted, rocking back and forth on his hands and knees and starting to get the hang of using a sippy cup. In fact Bill and I saw him try to take a crawling step (if that's what you call it) the other day. He loves to stand and jump up and down. We started to move him up to 2nd foods the other day as well. This next month can only bring us new adventures.

And yes this is a picture of my baby in a bar. It was lunch time and they have great food.

Hooters

2009-10-27T22:13:00.005-05:00

We took a small roadtrip last weekend to Schaumburg to visit our friend Tommy at his Hooters restaurant. Tommy is a good friend of my hubby's and is a manager there. Plus we were having some major wing cravings....two weekends in a row!! Tommy loves seeing Scott which also provided us with some good laughs.

Tommy played a game with Scotty by blowing at his face.

At first he wasn't so for sure about the game but then....

he thought it was hilarious.

Scotty played with his toys but would then drop them for the servers to pick up. How does my little boy know how to get a girl's attention already?

Scott also thought it would be fun to try and get to his Daddy's beer. He got a bottle of formula shortly after this was taken.

We met Shannon, a 2010 Hooters calendar girl. She is the back cover girl for the calendar. She was very sweet and Scott seemed to enjoy having his picture with her too (as seen by his smirk).

Almost.....but not yet

2009-10-27T22:05:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to share these pictures of Scotty. Lately he has been getting in a crawling position and rocking back and forth. I'm not quite sure if I'm ready for crawling yet but I got he can't sit still forever.

It's a Beautiful Day

2009-10-27T21:33:00.004-05:00

Last week I had the pleasure of spending the day with my baby boy. I lucked out because it was a gorgeous day. After spending most of the late morning at the vet getting blood work done on Ted Beagle I decided that it was time to go outside. I hooked the dogs up to their leashes (a temporary solution until we get a fence next Spring) and Scotty and I joined them. I put his Cubs hat due to the sun. Scott seemed to love sitting in the grass for the first time. He would watch the Beagles, the cars going by and even an airplane that went by overhead. The Beagles seemed to have a great time too. I'm glad that we got to spend some time outside due to the fact that it has rained almost every day since.

A New Week

2009-10-25T21:23:00.003-05:00

So I must say that last week life got in the way. While I was able to keep up on my shredding challenge until last Thursday, I have been at a stand still since. Between the crazies at work, the crazies in town and every other small thing that floated in my life I felt overwhelmed and tired. I wasn't able to keep up on my blogging either. So in order to make sure I keep my promise to do the 30 day challenge....I am starting over tomorrow. I will be a week behind the other ladies but I am going to do it. I also have several blogs to post. Yes, this week will be a new one, a great one, and I can't wait.

PS...we were able to get one of our cars in the garage tonight!!!

Down On the Farm

2009-10-20T21:36:00.009-05:00

We spent the weekend down at my mom's house 3 hours away in Central Illinois. It is always a good time and full of suprises. Bill also had a IATA meeting on Sunday, so while he went to that I went to see my Dad too. It had been awhile since my Dad had seen Scott and he was extremely happy about getting the chance.

Sitting with Grandpa.

My dad's friend Helen thought it would be fun to have Scott pose with a pumpkin. He sat there long enough to have this picture taken. Hopefully she got a better one.

This is Uncle Pup (my mom's boyfriend) making juice in the morning with breakfast.

Daddy feeding Scott at 6 am when we thought he would sleep longer.

Moose steaks for dinner! They were tasty.

Chewing on his new teething ring and that's Grandma in the background.

Uncle Mark came to visit too!

Modeling the hat that Grandma and Uncle Pup bought in Canada.

30 Day Shred Challenge - Day 1

2009-10-20T13:04:00.004-05:00

Because my hubby, baby and I had spent the weekend at my mom's I started the challenge yesterday. And I must say that it wasn't terrible but I could tell how horribly out of shape I was. With my husband cheering me on in the background, I did the best I could but I must admit I did do the last portion of strength training without the weights. My shoulders just couldn't take it. I'm not what I would call sore today but I can feel my body starting to tighten up as I sit at my desk. I still need to take my before picture and take measurements and I should have that done today. I'm ready to go for day 2!

Hat Show

2009-10-16T22:24:00.005-05:00

While going through Scott's clothes I realized he had several hats. So I decided to see what ones still fit and what ones we needed to put away. At first he seemed eager to help me out.

This little hat belongs with a sweater and Scott is all smiles.

Same hat, he just looks so cute.

Same hat but I love his expression

Tigger is a little big for now

The John Deere Sleep Hat and he's looking a little bored with the hat game

Yep he's getting bored

Oh he hates this game....

Maybe not...only a few more hats

Nope he's mad...I guess we will stop here.

But isn't he a cutie in this hat?

30 Day Shred Challenge

2009-10-15T09:28:00.007-05:00

Have you heard about Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD? Well let me tell you...it's hard, very very hard (well at least in my opinion). Before we moved I bought the DVD, not realizing how popular it is, and decided to try it. Then we moved and I haven't continued the workout since.

While perusing one of my favorite websites http://www.babycenter.com/ I came across a Weight Watchers group. I figured since I had just joined WW at work I might as well join the ladies on this group too. Then I noticed it, the post about a 30 Day Shred Challenge. Melissa from Melissa's Adventures in Kids, Knitting, and Weight Loss (not necessarily in that order) , is scheduled to be in a 5K run this weekend (Go Melissa!) and proposed this challenge to the group. I decided that since I have been horribly lazy lately and I am always up for a challenge I would participate.

So here are the details:

- The challenge starts October 18th (Sunday) and will end on the Friday before Thanksgiving (November 20th).

- Each Workout (there are 3 different levels on the DVD) will last 11 days. There will be 10 days of workout and 1 day of rest. You pick the rest day.

- Take pictures before and after. You don't have to show these to us unless you want to.

- Take measurements before and after.

- Make a goal. Whether it be inches, pounds, lose the lovehandles....whatever...just make one

-You will need at a minimum the DVD and dumbbells. You might want a yoga mat if you have a hard floor. I recommend starting out small on the dumbbells (3-5 lbs.). I found my DVD at Target.

- You will look hotter by Thanksgiving and amaze all of your family. AND, the workouts will still be fresh enough on your mind that you won't gorge yourself at Thanksgiving.

Now.....I just have to find the DVD in our pile of boxes.

Does Anyone Want A Pontiac?

2009-10-13T20:59:00.006-05:00

Let's just say that it is TIME. It is time to find a new car and retire the old Grand Prix. I can't even imagine the amount of money that Bill and I have put into this car. I got her when I moved back home after college and my Cavalier went kaput (and yes I always called my car a her). She was a repo at a credit union and it was the first time I was able to get a loan without a co-signer. The day I paid the Grand Prix off was wonderful. I was sure that everything would go wrong after that day and needless to say......it pretty much has. Everything under the hood has basically been rebuilt. The tires are as new as you can find. But now.....now there is a leak in the reserve tank that holds the coolant. The light had been coming on to tell us that the coolant was low, but it always did that. But on our way to get groceries on Sunday the car decided that it wanted to go from cold to hot and back down every 30 seconds. Let me just say that it scared me and I get so absolutely paranoid that my car is going to explode. While we were out Bill bought some coolant, and some stuff that is supposed to help block a leak. We got home and he put the so-called leak blocker and coolant in the tank and it seems to be helping. Let's hope it will work for awhile or at least until we can figure out when and how we can purchase a new vehicle.

Pumpkin Time

2009-10-10T18:12:00.009-05:00

We took Scott down the road to Yaeger's Farm Market to get pumpkins. Since it has rained everyday for the last week and it is seriously chilly out we decided to pick the out of the pumpkins that were up by the building. He seemed to like it but had tears in his little eyes from being so cold. Despite the chill we took home two big pumpkins, 3 baby pumpkins and 2 bags of apples.

Isn't he cute??

Mommy - making sure I don't fall over

Smiling and Happy with Daddy

3 Pumpkins in a Wagon

That pumpkin is a big as me!

Apple Butter: Attempt #1

2009-10-08T21:20:00.008-05:00

So my mom had brought up some Macintosh apples on her last visit. I had used Gala's for Scott's first batch of applesauce and wanted to stick with Gala's so I found something else to make with the Macs.....Apple Butter.

After several conversations with a co-worker I went online and found a recipe for Crockpot Apple Butter........

Apples
3 cups Sugar
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves

Sounds easy right.....??

This is what it looked like when I left this morning.

This is what it looked like when I got home.

I don't think that's the right color. Ooops

Happy 5 Month Birthday Scotty!!

2009-10-01T20:27:00.003-05:00

Once again I am a day late, but I fell asleep last night. But here it goes Happy 5 Month Birthday Scotty. You are getting so big, so fast ....Rolling over, sleeping on your tummy (to my dislike) and scoot'n around on your belly. I can't wait to see what this month brings us :)

Scott's First Shopping Cart Ride

2009-09-22T13:56:00.004-05:00

Before our company came to visit this past Saturday, Scott and I made a trip to TJ Maxx. I was delighted to make my first trip to DeKalb's store. Instead of lugging in the baby carrier, I decided that I would try to put Scott in the shopping cart seat. I didn't have the shopping cart cover (which I will be putting in the cars very soon) but I did have a blanket and I brought his monkey doll along.

It started out great as seen in the picture but soon turned into the following:

- leaning over to try and suck on the shopping cart

- screaming because he didn't like the strap around his chest

- leaning over to try and suck on the shopping cart again

- tossing his monkey doll on the ground

- screaming until I picked him up

So after this adventure I decided that if I were to do this all again I would need the shopping cart cover so he wouldn't have his mouth on the actual shopping cart, that the cover may help him to sit up a little bit better and that my little boy really just wants to be held most of the time. Oh well, I'm sure next time will bring some fun with it too.

The Beagles

2009-09-21T21:29:00.005-05:00

I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce Ted and Shiloh. They were my first two babies. Ted is 6 and the bigger of the two and Shiloh is around 2 years old. Ted and I have been through a lot together and he is my buddy. I decided one day that I wanted a beagle so my mom and I set out to look for a beagle puppy and there was Ted. He has his own personality. Shiloh joined us in February 08. She is an absolute doll and loves my husband Bill terribly. They are complete opposites which makes our lives an adventure.

This picture is from this past weekend after my brother and sister-in-law left with their two Puggles, Layla and Wrigley and my mom had left with one of her dogs, Libby.

And yes they do sleep with Bill and I in our bed and yes they do like to sleep under the covers.

The Sandwich Fair

2009-09-14T21:04:00.000-05:00

So this past weekend we took a little break and drove down to Sandwich for their fair. Bill and I went last year and had fun walking around. It's always fun to eat fried fair food and that's exactly what I did. Bill didn't partake as much as I did. After the chocolate covered strawberries, vinegar fries, and fried green tomatoes we walked Scott through the FFA petting zoo. There was a huge line, which I think is crazy because it is just farm animals but maybe it's just because I can go home and pet most of these animals at any time. He seemed really intrigued by the baby chicks and ducks. I also had entered a few pictures that I took in the open show, but I didn't win anything.

Goodbye Apartment, Hello Our New House!

2009-09-14T20:43:00.001-05:00

So we finally did it.....we left our small 2 bedroom apartment and moved into our house. For those that don't know, Bill and I signed a contract back in January to have a house built. It was a big step in our lives but we knew that we didn't want to raise Scott in an apartment and space was becoming tight. We moved West near DeKalb and signed with a builder. It is a fairly new subdivision that is growing despite the downturn in the economy. We built a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home with a loft and a basement. We closed on the house on September 4th and started moving in that day. There is still a lot of boxes in our garage, but we have lots of time to get settled.

Our small town has around 4,000 people. There is a brand new elementary school. We have many of the same stores that we had before. My commute is longer, but well worth it. It's not so bad so far and there are many people that drive a shorter distance but are in the car longer. Bill's commute is the just about the same, but less traffic. We are all so happy to be here.

FYI

2009-09-09T13:47:00.002-05:00

I haven't been able to blog in days because we moved!! Yeah for us....I will post more about the new place soon.

Enchilada Bake.....Check!

2009-09-02T14:16:00.000-05:00

So my wonderful hubby made the enchilada bake last night and it was delightful!! He said that if I was going to blog about then I needed to mention the fact that he changed the recipe up a bit too. Instead of ground beef he used a steak that he had grilled and seasnoned the other night and he used salsa verde instead of regular salsa. It was awesome and I can't wait for the leftovers tonight.

My husband told me that today I needed to get out for lunch. I never really do this because I either do work while I eat or I take the time to check up on my favorite blogs. So I ventured out to Once Upon A Child, a childrens consignment shop in Villa Park looking for Halloween costumes. Maybe I was hoping for something better but this place was a mess..toys on the floor, piles of stuff laying around. They had a big selection of clothes and I believe that they don't have costumes out yet but it just gave me a weird vibe. I bought Scott three new outfits (which he doesn't need) and this musical item that can attach to the end of his crib and he can kick at it to make noise. Despite my good purchases I think I will go to the St. Charles location next time.

I also went to Wendy's.....my new favorite fast food place. I am in love with their Sweet & Spicy Asian Chicken Boneless Wings. I have tried the Bold Buffalo, but the Asian is where its at.

Handmade Home

2009-09-01T13:01:00.000-05:00

I also wanted to make mention of Handmade Home, by Amanda Blake Soule. Lately I have been following Amanda's blog, http://www.soulemama.com/. She is full of wonderful and simple ideas for repurposing items along with lovely stories about her family and their adventures. I purchased her book this weekend and I can't wait to dig in to see what goodies I can make....of course that has to wait until after the big move.

Happy 4 Month Birthday Scotty!!

2009-08-31T21:50:00.001-05:00

Even though it's a day late I want to say Happy 4 Month Birthday to my little baby boy. He is such a joy to have in my life and I wouldn't change a thing about him. I love you so much Scott and I can't wait to see you grow into a wonderful young man.

Halloween is Coming

2009-08-28T13:23:00.000-05:00

I love dressing my dogs up for Halloween. We have had several costumes through the past couple of years.......Elvis, Fire Hydrant, Army Man, and Underdog. So while thinking about what Scott could be for Halloween (to be determined later) I came across this same costume on several costume websites. It's a Watchdog!

How hard could this be to make? I have crafted an Underdog costume for Ted before (which he won an award for). I believe I could make this very simply with just felt. So one of my new sewing goals is to make this costume for both of my beagle babies. The end product will be seen later.

Enchilada Bake

2009-08-26T10:23:00.000-05:00

So I enjoy looking at recipes but the cooking part I could do without. That's were my wonderfully talented husband comes along. He absolutely talented in the kitchen making his different concoctions. I made sure to inform him of this recipe courtesy of http://www.kraftfoods.com/.
Now I am just waiting on his thoughts.

What You Need!

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained, rinsed

1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing

2 Tbsp. TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix

6 flour tortillas (8 inch)

1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese

Make It!

HEAT oven to 400ºF.

BROWN meat with onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Stir in salsa, beans, dressing and seasoning mix.

ARRANGE 3 tortillas on bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of half each meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil.

BAKE 40 min.or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted, removing foil after 30 min. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve.

They Worked!

2009-08-24T08:46:00.000-05:00

My husband called me at work to tell me that Scott had a poo! And it was big and looked like his Gerber prunes which means that they worked. I sure hope it makes him feel better considering we had to get up the last two nights with a constipated little boy.

Prunes and Cortland

2009-08-23T21:04:00.000-05:00

Well my dear little Scott has been a little on the constipated side lately. He seems to struggle when he needs to take a little poo. So we decided to give him Gerber prunes. He has already started on rice cereal, applesauce and pears. Bill took the opportunity to feed Scott and well you can see how it turned out.....

Prunes all over the face and the bib and the washrag. The good thing was he loved the prunes and he came clean!!

We also made the trek out to Cortland to see how our house was coming along. I was so excited to see that we had carpet and grass!!! Two weeks and counting until we move in. Scott even got the chance to try out the new carpet.

I Love Resales!

2009-08-22T14:02:00.000-05:00

Today Scotty and I went to the St. John Lutheran Schools PTL Resale. All I can say is LOVE IT!!! I went to one a couple of weeks ago but I didn't get there until after 10 and it was picked over. This time I got there earlier. It cost me $1 to get in and then it was off to shopping. Scotty rode around in his front carrier and was a hit with the ladies, as always. I put on his little doggy hat this time, but it was too big so it sat sideways. One volunteer even came from across the other side of a table to talk to him. He was in such a good mood and it helped.

I didn't really have anything in particular that I needed or wanted. Scotty does need pants for the winter so I kept my eye out for that. Tables were set up with clothes...infant to bigger kids, toys for all ages, books and movies, and lots of baby items. We made our rounds and picked up a few items.

I spent $22.50 total on the following items: Old Navy Jeans for the winter, an adorable Old Navy shirt, an even cuter Baby Gap wool vest, a Gymboree jumper that Scott kept his hands on the whole time, a Eddie Bauer back window sun shade (we have one already and it is a godsend), a set of 3 CDs full of kids songs, Baby Einstein Santa's Music Box DVD, a Fisher Price Piggy Bank that teaches you how to count, and a Baby Einstein Turtle Music Box for his crib. I think I made out well. My favorite so far is the Baby Einstein Turtle.....it helped with Scott's nap time. Nap times can be a challenge.

http://classroom.stjohnwheaton.org/webs/stjohn.school/ptl_resale.htm

Scooty's First Day at the Sitter

2009-08-18T21:13:00.000-05:00

So to start off this blog I have decided to begin with Scott's first day at the sitter's house.

We were lucky to find our sitter in the newspaper. She was running an ad that she was interested in watching teacher's kids. Since my husband Bill works at a high school and works with teachers we fit the description for our sitter Amy. We met with Amy earlier this summer and she seemed wonderful. She has 5 kids of her own, including an infant that is a month older then Scott. Scott is the only child she was able to get for the year which is great.

So today was Scott's first day with Amy. He had previously stayed with a student from Bill's high school and her mom for a few days before Amy was ready. I went to pick Scott up at 5pm and was super anxious to see what Amy had to say. He was laying in his travel bed because he was tired and needed a little nap. She said that he had a meltdown and she was unable to console him. She tried to call the ladies that watched him last week and was not able to find them. She finally got him to settle down doing something. She said that her kids wanted to help feed him and that he really liked her daughter. She also indicated that she would like to try a pacifier with him. This is something that Bill and I are not the biggest fan of and Scott doesn't really care for them.....so we shall see how this will play out. We really don't think Other then that I believe it was something very new for him and he is used to sleeping on someone so that will be an adjustment for him. All in all hopefully things will stay good and he will soon adjust.