We've been busy

We had the birthday party, Nanie woke up to balloons and streamers. She had her cousins over at her Grandma's house with the biggest jumpy I've ever seen! She had a ball.

Aside from the birthday party we had a vacation planned with the IL's. We spent 4 days in Palm Springs at my Mom's time share. My parents came too :) It was super fun. The girls had a ball and played in the pool most of the day and went down the water slide :) Elena is cutting teeth so the nights WERE NOT fun. She woke up screaming bloody murder every night! Of course we all shared one room so we quickly got up and soothed her in hopes she wouldn't wake her sister. We got away with it twice but all other times we were dealing with two over tired toddlers. Despite the lack of sleep I really enjoyed myself.

On top of all of that, we are moving!! Packing our house up and trying to be in our new home by this weekend. I've been pretty stressed. My husband has been wonderful about it. (another post to come about that) We have been trying to pack with two kids, be ready for school, go to work, cook dinner, clean the house and prepare the new house. It's been crazy to say the least. We have some wonderful friends helping us move this weekend and I just hope I'm packed enough to make it worth it. I refuse to have them help me pack. I know how awkward it is when you are helping someone move and you think you are going to lug things around and instead you are filling boxes with crap you wonder why they aren't throwing away LOL. So, we are packing as best we can and what we don't get packed we will come back for. This weekend is the necessities. I just want to be out of our townhome. 

Sorry for the delayed posts but I'll get back in the groove when things slow down. Have a great rest of the week! 

3 years ago today

3 years ago today Keith and I welcomed out first baby girl Nanie to the world. We were in awe of how beautiful she was. I just kept looking at her with her eyes closed resting on my chest. At that time I was hell bent on breast feeding and I was watching out for any sign that she was hungry. I was ready with that boob LOL. I loved her already and she was only hours old. I felt the need to do whats best for her at all costs even on that first day. What I remember most was being EXHAUSTED. :)

3 years from then and I'm still exhausted but I'm a lot more relaxed. Nanie was such a fussy baby. Well, really she was just hungry and I didn't know she wasn't getting enough milk from me and I didn't know until she was about 6 weeks old. Once we started supplementing it was a battle to find the right formula that wouldn't cause her gas pains. After we figured that out we found out she had an allergy to milk and needed soy. It was a whirl wind!

 It has always been a battle with her with food. She was so small then we constantly worried. Now, in Nanie's words, she is "Big and Tall" :) She is big and tall now...for a 3 year old. :) We don't worry about her much anymore. She communicates just fine and excels in the social department. It's so amazing. I feel like she is already grown.

I relish those nights I get to rock her to sleep. I know one day she wont want me to anymore. My big girl is amazing. I'm so proud of her and so proud to be her mom. She talks in full sentences now and says her pleases and thank yous. When she hurts someone she apologizes and she also randomly apologizes for not being a good girl LOL When you are sad she will give you a hug. She will find ANY mess around and ask "who made this mess?" LOL. She is amazing. She is Nanie.

She changed my life forever and I couldn't be more grateful. Happy birthday to my sweet Nanie.

Cheeeeese!

We have a Cheeser! :) After taking a massive amount of pictures of Nanie for her first day of school I decided I needed to take some pics of my cutie Elena. I whip out my iphone and started snapping. Before I know it Elena turns around and says Cheeeeese. Well it sounded more like Chess :) Either way, I find it so hard to believe how big she is getting. She is so smart! I wonder who will be the brains in our family and I would have guessed Nanie but I'm not so sure any more. This little on is catching up :) 

Nanie update: Her first day of school was great! she had a ball. I showed up to pick her up and she didn't even notice me LOL. She was busy learning about magnets. I'm so proud of my big girls :) 

Preschool has started!

Today is Nanie's first day of school. She's been so excited to start. We've been talking about it forever it seems.   She did beautifully!! Pulling up to the Church/Preschool I pointed out the VERY COOL playground and OMG, SWINGS!! Right then and there she mentioned "Layna is too little to go to preschool mommy, only me" So proud my big girl was of herself. All smiles she gets out of the car and I hand her her little sign and ask her to say cheese. She did as she was told even though she was itching to go inside.

The security is tight there, there is a coded door and then another door to get in. Nanie was so excited almost jumping up and down when I realized I didn't have the code. We walked the outside of the church for a bit until we saw a teacher. She was a K-8 teacher and didn't have access to the preschool but DID point out one of the teachers who did. I explained that we didn't have a code yet and she explained it should be on our receipt of payment. Receipt...you mean the thing that says I paid something that I already knew I paid?? CRAP! I read front and back of EVERY.STINKING form they had in that packet but I didn't look twice at the receipt. (Way to go MOM)  After explaining that "I must have missed it" she opened the gate with her key.

After entering the gate Nanie was about to make a b-line for the play ground. She was just about to drop her back pack when we explained she had to go inside and meet her teachers. As I'm signing her in she spots the legos! Oh legos We have a love and hate relationship. You keep both my kids occupied with your endless possibilities but do you have to be so small and painful when stepped on?? I digress. We show Nanie to her classroom where she immediately picks up a canister that was neatly organized in a row and tries to open it.  Then we tell her to come on out so she can play with the other kids. Being Nanie she asks "Why". Being a smart cookie the teacher says, "to play with the legos." (I like this lady) So Nanie follows us to the other room where Miss Walker was playing on the floor with the kids (did I mention I like this school).

Nanie makes a b-line for the legos and I ask for a kiss because Mommy and Daddy are going bye bye. Looking at the legos she stands up and wraps her little arms around my legs. She wined "I want Mommy" I bent down to her level and looked her in the eye and told her I'd be back to pick her up, just like at Miss Suzanne's. She slowly made her way back to the legos where she was almost immediately became engulfed in them.  I ended up having to steal a kiss and we left.

I called about 12ish to see how she was doing. The director told me she was doing great. :) I am so very proud of my baby girl.


Elena update- My poor little's is having a hard time with her upper left tooth. I can see it protruding but it's not through. She had the rash of all rashes this weekend and we had to keep her naked most of the day to give her bum time to heal. That was fun...NOT. She is whiny and unruly right now but I know it's her teeth. After a douse of Ibuprofen she is my happy baby again.  Today is her first day EVER at Miss Suzanne's without her sister. Thinking about her missing Nanie makes me want to cry. I know she'll be fine. Her cousins are there today so that makes me feel better. Who am I kidding both my girls are fine, it's ME with the emotional issues LOL. That's ok, I love my girls and I'm not apologizing for it.

Busy, busy busy!

It's been crazy over here. My husband and I decided to plan a million and three camping trips this year, an anniversary get away and a trip to Disney for my birthday. In the meantime my IL's have planned a Palm Springs trip WITH us, as well and several smaller trips without us. So basically someone has been out of the office about 3 times a month all year. It's made things kind of crazy. Everything is getting done, things are going well, it's just we are both frazzled. On top of all the fun stuff my daughter up and decided to have a freaking birthday!! WTF and then of course the other kid had to have one too! (well coming up) ;) Just in case that isn't enough Keith and I just signed a lease on a home near the IL's. You guessed it, we are moving.

This is all good stuff. I'm loving life right now. I don't think I've ever felt so blessed. Nanie is starting preschool this Tues. I am so nervous for her. She is so excited and asks to go to school almost daily. I just know she doesn't realize she isn't going to know anyone. I also know she doesn't realize she wont be going to Suzanne's anymore. She loves Suzanne. She tells her so and Suzanne melts...who wouldn't? I'm scared and excited for her. I feel like it's my first day of school.

Grandma bought her a new outfit and tennis shoes. This preschool doesn't allow sandals or crocks. You know, my daughters favorite shoes. So being wise, my MIL bought Nanie PRINCESS shoes that are sparkly AND light up. Wish us luck! Nanie will also have to adjust to getting cold lunches. My spoiled monster likes everything warmed. We have been prepping her by making sandwiches and so far peanut butter is the only thing she'll eat... any ideas??

In Elena news, she is chugging along. Walking like a big girl. She is working her mama just like her sister. She is completely fine with anyone and then as soon as she see's me she wines until I pick her up. At this point I miss her so I baby her and soak up the snuggles :) I'm sure I'll regret that soon enough but for now I'm enjoying it.  She is starting to repeat and remember things now. Like what a bear says (Rawww). Also while reading Goodnight Moon, I was about to turn the page to the part where it says "Good night to the old lady whispering Shhhhh", when Elena put her finger up to her mouth and blew. I almost cried right there. She knew it was coming, she knew just what to do. I was so proud.

That is all for now. I need to figure out how to upload pics from my phone because all the ones on my computer are pretty old. We shall see.

Holy Moly My baby is going to be 3!! and Look who's walking!

I am speechless!! I really just want to stop time. For my little big girl we are having an Arial party at Grandmas. (MIL). This is our first "small" party. If you remember from past posts I have a HUGE family and so does DH. So this time we invited immediate family only and 3 close friends. One who is actually family but we didn't count that because that would be fair :) That makes my "small" party 29 people!! Hey it's tiny compared to the other parties. Not to mention one of my sisters will probably not make it. That is for another post. Anyway, I'm a little nervous as I always am when throwing a party but hey... it's for my princess.

On another note can you guess what?!?! Well I guess you guessed if you read the title of this post. Elena is walking!! Following in the footsteps of her sister she waited unit a little over 14 months. She is taking 4-5 steps well and then falls. Give her her walker toy and she's zooming faster then I can catch her :) She is teething pretty hard right now. Again, just like her sister she is a slow, hard teether. She has four teeth right now (upper two and bottom two) and she is definitely working on at least one more. 

Another milestone with Elena is bottle free!! that's right ladies and gentlemen <--- who am I kidding, no men read my blob, I digress.  NO bottles :) My daycare provider, AKA super mom had her weined when she was almost exactly a year. This means she had no bottles, no warming of the milk and no problems. DH and I are softies and would give her a bottle at home. Then it became we ONLY gave her bottles at home. Yes, yes we know... stupid. Anyway we decided enough is enough. The first day Elena SCREAMED like I never heard her scream before. We weren't sure if it was teething or weening. I gave her motrin, I gave her orijel I gave her Ice to gnaw on. Nothing! After I calmed her I gave her a bottle. (hey it was the first night) and she was fine. Yesterday, I stuck to my guns and didn't give in. She was half hardily crying anyway so as tough as it was I was able to stick it out. So my friends we are a bottle free home. Tonight when I go home I will rid the house of bottles (IE hide them from DH). 

DH and I are looking at a home to rent today. It's a big move but that's another post too. Wish us luck! 

Does a city define you?

I come from a large town with a small town feel. Everyone know everyone and you can't go anywhere or date anyone without someone knowing who you are, who your family is and who you use to hang out with. It's just the way it is.

I use to think this is what made my hometown so awesome. I live pretty darn close to my hometown so I visit at least once a week. You bet I see people I remember all.the.time. I never thought it was a bad thing, until last weekend.

Last weekend I attended a baby shower for a very young couple. It was at a park and A LOT of people I haven't seen in a while where there for this shower. One person in particular I saw and almost rolled my eyes immediately. I knew who he was, he knew who I was but we never really talked. I know a few things about him that makes me believe he is not an upstanding citizen. As a matter of fact I know for a fact,as I've seen him myself, that he can be down right ghetto.  ...There I said it.

Anyway, this Man decided to leave the shower early. He made sure to say goodbye to everyone. Even gave a few people hugs, which I've actually never seen him do. Then I over heard him tell my aunt that he is "out of here" with a big smile on his face. Upon explaining, he is leaving the State. His explanation was that he needed to get out of our town. He couldn't get away from his past and everyone knows him or thinks they know him and as hard as he tries to grow up he just can't here. So he made the decision to leave.

Wow!

I was so impressed. More then impressed I was disappointed in MYSELF for doing just what he said was happening. Upon reflection, it's crazy how many of my old friends have left for this very reason. Each one of them succeed when away from our hometown, each one of them have a better life now. So I guess a city may define you to other people but you define yourself with your actions.

Bravo to all my hometown no mores.