Dancing at MomMom's 

The Jersey Shore

David spent last night and all day today at my parents house because I worked from home. After work Steve and I went down to Spring Lake to pick him up. As we pulled into their development we could see David and Gramps playing on the golf course. He looked so cute and so tiny. He waved to us as we parked. We were so happy to see him. David was happy to see us too, but it took him a few minutes to give hugs and kisses. Everyone was hungry for dinner, so Gramps drove us all to the Squan Tavern in Manasquan. My parents have been there many times and rave about it. I could not wait to try it. Luckily, we got there before the crowd. The place was great. It is not that big, so it is nice & cozy. We ordered mussels marinara appetizer, 2 pizzas (1 plain, 1 sausage) and a kids meatball parm sandwich. I was impressed that they had 3 diet sodas to choose from - coke, sprite or rootbeer. I know that sounds weird, but I am a sprite drinker, not a coke drinker so I was excited. David ate a good portion of his meatballs. I did not try the mussels, but everyone else thought they were great. Then came the pizzas. Awesome pizza. Thin crust and cooked pefectly. The sausage was the way I like it - crumbled. After dinner, we stopped at Dunkin Donuts on our way back to my parents place. David ordered a chocolate sprinkled donut, MomMom & Steve got coffee and I had a hot chocolate and a jelly donut. When we got back to my parents we watched a DVD that I made for them of David and the Yankee game. At about 8:00 pm we packed up David and the car to head home. The air was chilly, but even with the chill in air, I always feel like I am in a different world when I am at the shore. I love it there. To me, there is no better place in the world than the Jersey Shore. I guess I really am a Jersey Girl.

Whatever happend to my sleepy baby? 

Sleepless in East Brunswick

Last night was one of those nights. David woke up in the middle of the night - not sure what time. I was so tired, I just brought him to our bed and laid him there. After repeatedly asking me to 'go downstairs', I finally got him to go back to sleep. But I never got back to sleep. He took up the rest of the bed! When I tried to move him, he would wake up enough to tell me 'No'. So I 'rested' with my feet on the footboard and my head resting on my arm (David had the pillow). When the alarm went off this morning, I thought it was a bad joke. I slowly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to get ready. As I was using my mouthwash, I hear this little knock and voice saying' Mommy'. David was awake and ready to start his day, I however did not get in the shower yet and needed to be out of the house in 45 minutes!! I calmy put David back on my bed and turned on Barney. When I got out of the shower MomMom had arrived - Hallelujeh! I finished getting ready while David had his milk. Then it was time for me to go to work - and I did, with huge bags under my eyes. Thank goodness for make-up!

You know who you are...

I just want to make a quick note thanking the people in our life that support us. Although some of them are not physically with us everyday, we know that we can count on them when we needed them. They always know just what to or what not to say. We get encouragement and advise from them not only in words but also by example. Please know just how much you mean to us, that we are so grateful to have you in our lives and that we love you very much.


P.S. Keep it coming, hahaha!

Singing 

Bad Behavior

Lately David has not been on his best behavior. Yesterday I took him shopping after work and I had to leave the store before making my purchase because he flipped out. I just thought he was tired so we went home. Well today I took him to the food store after work. It was no better then yesterday. He would not sit in the seat of the cart so I put him in the basket. That lasted about 5 minutes then he wanted to help push the cart or should I say crash the cart into anything and everything. I was able to get him to sit on the handle so I could get the rest of my shopping done. I did, but with screaming and whining from David. As we are leaving the A & P, there was a display of balls. Of course David wanted to play, so I let him. I am sure you know how it went when we had to put back the ball and go to the car. Let's just say, not very good. Once we got to the car, I sat him in his car seat while I loaded the car. He managed to climb into my seat & 'drive'. As I was trying to get him out of my seat to put him back in his seat, he headbutted me in the face and now I have a nice red line (from my sunglasses) under my eye! The whole ride home he screamed and cried - which is what I wanted to do. These 'Terrible Two's' just might put me in the loony bin!

Tyler, Jake & David 

Mar opening gifts 

Monday, Monday

Here it is, Monday again. The weekends just are not long enough. If you read my last post, you know we had a crazy weekend. I had a great time Friday night at Melissa's. I met some really nice people and got some awesome ideas. She also had new products to show that I loved! I am really thinking about joining her team. The shower on Saturday was beautiful. It was held at Forsgate Country Club at noon and the food was delicious. There was about 80 people and a ton of gifts. Most of the bridal party is married so they knew how to take care of getting through the gifts. I had a really good time. Later that day, we went over to my aunt and uncles (parents of my cousin who's shower it was)for dinner and to hang out. David had a great time. He got to play with his cousins and an adorable set of twin girls. His Aunt Amy was up from Florida (for the shower) so he got to hang with her too. I got to talk to my cousin Meghan and catch up with her. Meghan and her husband just bought a house and are decorating. It was 9:30 pm before we knew it so we made our way home. Sunday we got a chance to relax in the AM before leaving at about 12:30 pm for my Uncle Frank's retirement party. The party was in Ringoes - what a beautiful ride (David slept). I could never live in the country, but driving through it was really nice. The party was nice too. We tried to stay outside so David could let loose and play, but it was pretty cold. Melissa and her family were there, she has 2 boys. David loved her older son Tyler. He wanted to play ball with him. There was SO much food and it was good too. David was not into eating except for a cupcake! We stayed about 2 1/2 hours. David was awake on the ride home and loved the horses and cows he saw along the side of the road. Once we got home, we were pooped. David fell asleep before his bottle he so was exhausted. Steve and I watched the Contender (2 episodes) and a CSI repeat (love that show) and we headed off to bed. So, here I am. Blogging on Monday at work. Boy I hope my work day goes by quick - I do not like Mondays!

Nice Helmet 

Busy Beavers

This weekend is going to be a busy one. Friday after work I got my nails done and Steve had a baseball game in Piscataway. I came home to spend some time with David and left again to attend a scrapbooking workshop in Flemington at a friends house. Steve got home after I already left (my parents were watching David) and he spent the rest of the evening with David and put him to bed. I did not get home until 12:30 am! Today when we woke up, Steve went to Dunkin Donuts for munchkins. After he got back we had breakfast. I got David ready for the day while Steve cut the lawn. When he was done, I had to go back and get my nails fixed - don't ask. Now I am about to go get ready for my cousins bridal shower. Hopefully, while I am gone, Steve will get some things done on the house (yes, while watching David). Tonight we are invited to my aunt and uncles. Tomorrow we have a retirement party to go to in Stockton, NJ. So, as you can see we'll be busy as beavers! Hope you enjoy your weekend.

Hello Sully! 

If only we did not need money

Yesterday was another gorgeous day. I think the temp was in the high 80's! My Dad watched David, because my Mom was having her mani/pedi. The morning started off with a call to the Pediatrician because my little guy is suffering with bad allergies. When I talked to the nurse she told me to give him children's dymatap cold & allergy, so I called my Dad and he took care of it. When I was talking to my Dad, I mentioned to him that David would probably enjoy going down to the beach. After David's nap, Dad took David down to his house in Spring Lake to pick up MomMom. That is when the fun started. The 3 of them went to Belmar to play on the beach and then to Point Pleasant to check out the boardwalk. David won a few prizes while on the boards. After work, Steve and I drove down to meet them at Perkin's for dinner with Sully (from Monsters Inc.). David could not believe his eyes when we walked in. There was Sully - standing right in front of him, welcoming him in! We had a great time. I just wish I could have spent to whole day with David enjoying the great weather. But if Mommy does not work, then we have no money and you can't do much without money.

A Nice Treat

A friend of mine at work told me about Spa Week and gave me a website to check to see if any Spa's in my area were participating. Sure enough Spa Blisstique off Cranbury Road in East Brunswick was listed. They offered a 60 minute hot stone massage for $50 (regularly $70) so I booked 2 - one for me and one for Steve. Steve has never had a massage before so I could not wait for him to experience it. Unfortunately, Steve ended up having a game and having to cancel, so I asked my Mom to join me. Last night at 6:45 pm we had our appointments. The place was great. Very soothing and peaceful atmosphere and very knowledgeable staff. The woman who greeted us answered all our questions and even got my Mom to book a spray tanning appointment for this coming Friday! She took us to a beautiful changing room with a place for us to lock up our belongings. Then we were off to a relaxing waiting area with comfy seating and a misting fountain. Before long Jared came to get me and Judy got my Mom. They took us to a huge massage room with 2 tables. We were asked about problem areas, mine was my lower back and my Mom has been having trouble with her shoulder. Next thing you know we are experiencing pure relaxation. The sound effects were great, thunder storms, waterfalls and waves. The hot stones were an added delight. I was not too sure about them, but really enjoyed the feeling. After our 60 minutes were up we were taken back to the waiting room and given water with orange slices - how refreshing (who would have thought). Then we got dressed and made our way to the check out desk. I treated my Mom for taking such good care of us and she was happy. On our way home she told me that she really enjoyed herself and that her shoulder even felt better. I was so glad that I could do that for her and hope we can do it again soon. As for Steve, maybe I can try again around Father's Day.

Happy Scrapping! 

A new hobby

I can honestly say that in all my 29 years, I have not had a hobby. This past February I decided that I wanted to learn about Scrapbooking. So, I called a family friend that owns her own Creative Memories company and booked a class. Needless to say, I now have a hobby that I absolutely LOVE. Aside the from the class I had at my house, I have attended her National Scrapbooking Day event and had a workshop at my house (today in fact). Creative Memories has such great products and ideas. The quality of their stuff is way above the rest and Melissa stocks everything, so there is not need to wait for your products to come in. There are 3 reasons that I LOVE scrapbooking. First, it is such a better way to look back at your memories than plain old photo albums. Second, I get to spend time with my neighbors, friends, family and most of all my Mom doing something we all really enjoy. Plus, we give each other ideas and inspiration. And finally, it has put me back in touch with Melissa. Our parents have been friends for years, so we have spent time together over those years but mainly in our teens. I am so glad that I contacted her. Not only for Creative Memories, but for a renewed friendship. She is a total sweetheart and so much fun to be around. I encourage you to check out Creative Memories online. If you are from NJ, and are interested in contacting Melissa (she is SO great at her job), look her up in the consultant locator. Her last name is Urban. I could not have found a better hobby!

Rice Krispies Face 

Terrible 2's & The Navy

I worked from home today, so last night David stayed with MomMom and Gramps and spent today at their house. MomMom took him for a walk by the ocean and they had lunch. After I was done working David returned home. He was not exactly happy to see me. He hit me a few times and would not kiss or hug me hello. Everything I said to him, he screamed back NO. My parents explained that he did not nap, so I decided to take him for one of our walks around the neighborhood. He did not fall asleep. When we got back to my house, we decided to go to the mall and grab dinner. THAT WAS A MISTAKE! He was SO bad. He threw everything we gave him, would not eat his dinner and screamed a lot. After dinner we were invited to my Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob's to see my cousin Dan who is in the Navy and was on leave until tomorrow. I really wanted to see Dan so we went, knowing that David might be a bear. He was not - thank goodness. He was pleasant & outgoing. Dan looked great and it was so awesome to see him. My aunt and uncle had my grandparents and a few friends over and I enjoyed seeing them too. Everyone loved David, even after he threw up (long story). Finally around 9:30 pm I was carrying David and he fell asleep on my shoulder. He was beyond tired by that point. I got him home, changed him, put on his pj's and gave him a bottle. Steve put him to bed and I went in to check on him. What a little angel he is when he is sleeping. I just wish that angelic behavior could carry on when he is awake, but I know that it asking WAY to much at his age!

LeAnne, Michelle, Jackie and David 

Cousins

Today I had the pleasure of meeting up with 2 of my cousins for about 30 minutes. They were meeting up with their Dad (my Uncle Bob) to sign some papers, so I told them I would walk down from my office to say Hi. We had enough time to catch up on the everyday stuff - school, work, significant others & David. They LOVE David. I am lucky, I have a lot of aunts, uncles and cousins and I grew up close to all of them. Steve has a great family too. Not as big as mine and he is not that close to them, but they are still great. We are close to his cousin Walter and his wife Laurie (& baby Thomas). They are a lot like us and they live down the road. I know that family is important and I plan on raising David to know the same thing. He loves his cousins just as much as Steve and I do.

MomMom and David in the Thomas the Train tent 

MomMom

Don't get me wrong, my mother is a great mother. Now and when I was little. She is always there for me and she loves me a lot. All that said, there are some things that I just never thought I would see her do. Then, David came along. Now she is more interested in sports than I ever could have imaged she would be. She tolerates all of his moods and outbursts - good or bad. Whatever he wants to do, no matter how crazy, she lets him try it. It is great for both of them - my Mom is learning and so is David. I guess that is what being a grandmother is all about.

10 things I would like to do before I die...

These are not in any special order.

1. Travel to Hawaii, Spain & Italy with Steve.
2. See all the Baseball Parks in the USA with Steve and David.
3. Get certified as an aerobic instructor.
4. Take a photography course.
5. Go to college, get a degree and become a teacher.
6. Meet Tino Martinez.
7. Become a better catholic.
8. Raise David to be a honest, loving and respectable man.
9. Own a house at the Jersey Shore.
10. Make sure everyone I love knows that I love them and why.

Go Yankees! 

Stomach aches & baseball

Yesterday was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon and we had tickets to the Yankees vs Orioles game. We were all so excited! When we got to the stadium we visited the new Yankee Store - really nice. Then we ventured to our seats. We were all the way at the top out in left field. We could see everything. The temperature was sweltering - after about 5 minutes I was soaked. I am all for the heat, just was not expecting it. Steve went and got David and I a hot dog and a pretzel. I ate the dog and we shared the pretzel. Steve packed Gatorade in the diaper bag so I drank 1 1/4 bottles - like I said it was SWELTERING! Well, at about the 5th inning, I felt like I was in labor! My stomach hurt so bad we gathered David (who was ready for a nap anyway) and made our way to the car. I can't believe I made it all the way home without dying, but I did. Steve drove as safe, but fast as he could. I was sick the rest of the night and still not feeling well today. I am not sure if it was the hot dog, the pretzel, the gatorade or the Yankees loss, but something did not sit well with my belly!

Husband Pride

My husband has been coaching the Somerset County Vo-Tech baseball team for a number of years now. When he first started, he had some rough games. The kids that he had on his team were not the athletic kind, but tried their best. As the years have gone on, word has spread that Steve is a cool coach so he has had more kids sign up for the team each year. With that, every year the team has gotten better and better. I feel that is a reflection of my dear sweet hubby! In fact, so many kids signed up this year that he had to have two teams - JV and Varsity! Already this year the JV team is 1-0 and the Varsity team is 2-1 with 2 ten run rule wins in a row!! As you can see I am so very proud of Steve. He loves baseball and loves being a coach and I LOVE HIM! Go JAGS...

I hate this feeling

This morning my work day did not get off to a great start. I got to my office on time, turned on my PC and went into the kitchen to heat up my breakfast. When walking back to my desk I ran into a co-worker of mine that I like and respect very much. After saying Good Morning, he informed me that another co-worker of ours that I do not care for has been informed of such. That was not so bad (now maybe he'll leave me alone) however, this not so cared for co-worker is now telling others to 'watch what they say' to and around ME! That made me furious! I have absolutely no problem with anyone else that I work with. Everyone of us gets along with one another - we're like a big happy extended family. With that one person being the exception. He is new to our office environment and ever since he joined us, I do not feel comfortable around him and prefer not to be around him. Now, because of his comments, I am worried that people will feel that way about me. I do not like feeling that way. SO, once again, this not so cared for co-worker is making me uncomforable. Lucky ME!

Dinner Guest

Normally people have dinner with their family, friends, neighbors or co-workers. I had the pleasure of eating dinner with Spongebob Squarepants. Where you might ask? Perkins Restaurant on Route 35 in Wall. My Dad (aka Gramps) found out that every Wednesday night they have a character at dinner time. A few weeks ago my parents brought David for dinner with Bob the Builder, I had a migraine and could not make it. So, tonight - It was Spongebob and I was feeling fine. We had a good dinner and Spongebob paid us a few visits. David was happy slapping Spongebob five and eating his chocolate chip pancakes. What is better than that? I would say dinner with Tino Martinez, but no one is asking me!

The little things matter

It's funny I've always heard people say 'leave time for the little things'. It has taken me a while, but thanks to David, I now know what they meant. It is the little things that end up meaning so much. When I get home from work on a not so great day, all I have to see is David's little face or hear his little voice call out 'Mommy's Home!' and the time I spent frustrated at work is erased. Even when I am at home, thinking about paying bills or cleaning the house as soon as I hear David playing or catch a glimpse of him dancing to a video nothing else matters. I have learned that folding the laundry is much less important than hanging out in the Thomas the Train tent and that playing in the ball pit is so much more fun than making dinner. Yes, that means at times I wear clothes that have been washed but not folded and have eaten dinner after 7 pm but that also means that I spend lots of time with David - doing 'little things'. But, that is all that will matter to him.

My boyfriend's back!

Last night was the Yankees season opener against the Red Sox at the stadium. I would have LOVED to have been there in person, but I settled for watching it from my warm, comfy couch on YES. Hearing Bob Sheppard announce the line-ups gave me the chills. He uttered the words I could not wait to hear:

First Baseman, #24, Tino Martinez

TINO IS BACK and I am thrilled! Although he did not start the game, he did come in to relieve Giambi at 1st base and made an outstanding defensive play. The crowd welcomed him back with banners and loud cheers, as did I from my den. He looked fabulous in his #24 uniform and Yankee baseball hat. I just love his cute little face! The Yanks went on to win the game (of course) and now I can go on happily, knowing that My Boyfriend's Back!

April showers

Today it is very scary outside. Not only is it raining but it is extremely windy! The wind is actually howling. The temperature is about 60 degrees - which would be great it there was not a tornado (just kidding) outside. I know that we need the rain for the flowers, grass and trees to grow - but what do we need the wind for??

Potty Training

David told my Mom that he had to 'go poopy' and wanted to go on the potty! We were all so excited - this is a FIRST. When we got to the potty - he had already gone in his diaper. We still told him what a great job he did because he atleast knows when he has to go and that he wants to go on the potty. That is half the battle. Stay tuned for the Potty Progress...