I hope the bunny is good to you!

The eggs are hidden, the baskets are stuffed and I am tired. Off to bed I go, but not before I wish you a Happy Easter!

May the Force be with You

I see it's been a while since my last post. Everyday I have been meaning to write, but I get distracted.

Steve and I celebrated our 8th wedding Anniversary last Tuesday March 27. After attending his scrimmage in New Brunswick verse St. Peter's HS, my Mom watched the kids and we went out to dinner. We were planning on going to the restaurant where our reception was held, but we stayed close and went to Ria Mar in South River. We both had paella. It was very good, but not as good as The Armory (where we wanted to go). It was nice to spend some time together and be 'kid free'.


Thursday, David had an Easter party at school. He came home with a bunch of candy and prizes. He loved it. He does not have school this week (spring break) so they had to celebrate a tad early.


This weekend was uneventful. We took it easy Saturday. Ran over to Lowe's, had lunch at Chili's and saw the Easter Bunny at the mall. Sunday Steve went up to North Jersey for a memorial service for the father of a friend of his. Laurie came over to scrap for a little and then I took the kids to the A&P. It was real nice not to have any big plans.

I saw in the Target circular on Sunday that they had Star Wars egg dying kits. David is really into Star Wars, so I was VERY excited to get this for him. I went to Target on my way home Monday and they had NONE. I was SO upset. I called my Mom, who in turn called my Dad and after a little drama, they found it. I had them buy 2, just in case. My Mom boiled 2 dozen eggs yesterday and let them cool so that Steve, David and I could decorate them last night. It was a lot of fun. David had a blast and Steve came out the hero for figuring out how to 'shrink wrap' the eggs. David was very excited to show MomMom this morning.



Steve's baseball team is off to a good start. They beat St. Peter's on Monday in their first game of the season. He seems pleased with the team. I helped him pick out their new uniforms earlier in the school year and Steve came home in his. He looked very handsome. The unis are real sweet.


Although I had a rough night with Ava being up due to her teeth, I had a great morning. I weighed myself and lost 4 lbs! Even without losing anything the past 4 weeks, I am 12 lbs lighter since starting the diet 7 weeks ago. Tonight I will be sweating it out at Jazzercise to give myself that extra boost.

Ok, I think we are all caught up. I am off Friday - YEAH - so if I do not get a post in before hand, have a very Happy Easter!

How was your weekend?

That is the question everyone asks on Monday when you walk in the office. I thought maybe my readers would like to know what we did too.

After work on Friday, I went to get my nails done and my lip and eyebrows waxed. I REALLY needed that done. My nails were outgrown and my face was hairy :) I got to my appointment early and they took me right away, so I was home before my Mom and the kids returned from a birthday party.

I started cleaning the house by vacuuming. In the middle, my Mom and the kids showed up. I finished vacuuming and then began to dust. Next, I hit the kitchen. My Mom was kind enough to clean the downstairs bathroom, wash the throw rugs and sweep the kitchen floor. I cleaned the counters and the sink in the kitchen. Steve came home with pizza, so we ate dinner. Then, I took my vacuum upstairs and did those rugs. I finished up by cleaning the upstairs bathroom.

My next task was to get all my stuff ready for Memoranza on Saturday. I put together all the folders and labeled all the catalogs. Then I priced all the product and packed up everything. This took ALL night. I finally got to bed after midnight.

I was up at 6:45 am Saturday and began with Ava and her bottle. When she went down for her nap, I hit the A&P to buy snacks/drinks for Memoranza. When I got home I got the kids ready, myself showered and then did a scrapbook page using the free gift to show an idea of how to use it. I ate a quick diet sandwich and then the Yoegel's showed up. Before I knew it, it was time to get to my event. My Mom, Tracey, Steve and I loaded the car and we headed out. Luckily Steve was able to help us unload and set up the room. There was no way we could have done it ourselves. Memoranza went well. 2 people could not come, so there was only 7 scrappers, but the 7 had fun and got a lot done. I love to see the great ideas people come up with. Very creative bunch. I ordered some pizza, eggplant and a salad for dinner so we took a break to eat. 9:00 pm came so quick and Steve showed up to help us break everything down and return the room to order. I was exhausted. The kids (except for Ava) were up when we got home, so we put them to bed, got into comfy clothes and began playing Family Feud on PS2. I however, fell asleep on the couch :( Sorry Tray and Rich!

Sunday morning Ava let me sleep till 8 am! After her bottle we all went to the Colonial Diner for breakfast. Of course I was STARVING and they forgot to make my omelet, but it was good once it showed up. The Yoegel's headed back to PA and we went home. I put together Ava's exersaucer, un-packed and put everything away from Memoranza and got ready to go the my Aunt Carol and Uncle Tom's for Katie's going away party.

As always, my Aunt and Uncle threw a great party and we all enjoyed each others company. We told funny stories and took silly pictures. Of course there was drinking and eating, and believe it or not, I drank A LOT more than I ate! Josh got to meet all our crazy family members and he seemed to even like them :) I know they all thought highly of him. We were the last to leave because I had to get up enough strength to say Good-Bye without falling apart. I promised Josh and Jill that I would hold it together and I did. I will miss my Kate very much (tearing up now just thinking about it), BUT we will see them often and she is going to be very happy in CA. She picked a great guy that will take great care of her. This is an awesome opportunity for both of them and I wish them the best of luck. I can't wait to hear all about their journey west and see pictures of their place. I will be sending them lots of pictures and videos of the kids so they do not miss a beat. Hopefully, we'll plan a trip to visit them later this year. Maybe we could even meet them in Vegas!

Today it was work as usual, except with a HUGE headache and upset stomach :) Tonight I plan on going to Jazzercise to work off the Creamsicles I drank last night :(

Some new things

Ava is laughing! It is such a great sound. After dinner last night, David was acting silly and Ava loved to watch him. All of a sudden, I heard a giggle! Then another and then a whole bunch! Every time he laughed, she laughed. It was hysterical. She makes the cutest laugh. I took video so I never forget it. I love that she has turned out to be a happy baby girl.

I cut my hair! I searched through old pictures yesterday and found a hairstyle I liked. It was from Sept. of 2004. I printed a front and back shot and brought it with me to the salon last night. First she colored my hair and then it was the cut. There was a lot on the floor when she was done. So far, I like it. When I have to style it myself tomorrow - I may have a different opinion. I lost almost ALL my curl, so it will not look exactly like the picture I gave her, but I needed a different style.

I don't need shocks! I took my car in last Monday for an oil change and when I went to get it, was told I had big problems. One of which was the shocks. Steve told me to get a second opinion and I did that this morning. I just heard back from the mechanic and NO SHOCKS NEEDED!! I do have a leak in the transmission, but the quote to fix it is a lot less than Firestone quoted. They are going to order what they need and I'll bring the car back next week to have it fixed.

David and Steve cleaned the basement! While I was working yesterday, the boys went to town on the mess in the basement. After dinner, David took me on a tour. It looks great! Steve even patched up some dings in the wall and hung up the US map Santa brought David. I sure hope it stays nice and tidy. David said he'd put a toy back before he'd take another out. That would be so nice :)

One not so new thing...I did not lose any weight again! I am really getting upset. With the exception of St. Pat's Day, I have been VERY good. I even used up some extra energy at Jazzercise on Monday. I have to say that my pants are loose, so maybe I am losing inches and not pounds right now. Who knows! Next week better show me something or I am going to FREAK :(

The scale is NOT my friend!

I weighed myself yesterday morning and to my dismay...I DID NOT LOSE ANY WEIGHT! I am very upset by this. Not only have I been very well behaved on my diet, I have started taking Jazzercise classes. What more does my body want me to do? I am going to see what the scale says next week before I do anything drastic. By drastic I mean 'start taking fat burners'. I was going to try them before I started Weight Watchers, but I am afraid of them, so I thought I could lose the weight with a diet. I even went as far as to research each ingredient in the pills I was considering online. I really do not want to have to resort to the fat burners, so I sure hope the needle on the scale moves next week.

Pictures as promised!

Look at those cheeks!

First we weren't too sure...
But in the end we liked it!

Chubsy Wubsy

Ava had her 4 month check up this morning. She weighs 15 lbs, 3 oz and it 25 inches long!! She is in the 75% for both weight and height. She is so cute and chubby. You could just eat her up. Her ear infection is all gone, as is David's. Everything else was good and she can start eating Rice Cereal! She is going to LOVE it. I'll post pictures of her first bites...they will be nice and messy, I'm sure :)

I brought my car for a long over due oil change before we went to the pediatrician. I went to pick it up after, and got bad news. My brakes, shocks and tires all needed to be replaced. There is also a leak from my transmission. YIKES! I left the car there for the brakes and tires. I am not looking forward to the bill when I go to pick it up later. If you hear screams at about 5 pm, it's me paying for my car :(

Orajel to the rescue!

Ava was pretty good last night. When I got home, she was sleeping in her carrier in the snap n' go stroller and my Grandmom was rocking it. When she woke up, she was smiley and giggly. After a diaper change, I tried to feed her, but she was not hungry. Once my Mom got back from the hair salon, I left to get my nails done. Ava took a bottle while I was gone. We ate dinner when I got home and then she took her 7:30 pm bottle and was sleeping by 8 pm. At about 9:30 pm, she was screaming in her crib. This was a first. I went up and got her, but nothing was helping. I noticed she was pulling at her ear/face, so Steve got the Tylenol. She took that and was still screaming. Next, we put Orajel on her gums. Finally - relief!! Looks like our little girl is cutting some teeth. Although I feel bad that she will be in pain, at least now we have a reason for her crankiness and we know how to help her. PHEW! I feel much better. Hopefully, tonight she'll be just as good as last night and if she wakes up, we know exactly what to do.

P.S. I am taking my first Jazzercise class tonight. I only lost 2 lbs this week, so I want to see if some exercise will do the trick!

Crying like a baby

Yes, that's right...Ava is a very cranky baby. When she wakes up in the morning, she coos and gagas in her crib and it sounds so cute. She is even happy after her 1st bottle and nap. Once 3 pm hits, it's all down hill from there. Sometimes, it's even earlier than 3 pm. This weekend was horrible. After working 8 hours a day for 5 days, I usually love my weekends. This one, I could have lived without. I cleaned the house Saturday morning while she napped and that was the only good I did all weekend. I had a Dermatologist appointment on Saturday afternoon and Steve said she was awful while I was gone. I sure saw what he meant when I got home. For the rest of the day, she was miserable. My cousins Mike and Laura-Ann came over and we grabbed a bite to eat at the Grove. I felt SO bad for them, having to sit through a dinner with a crying baby. When we got home, she was no better. I was so relieved to put her to bed. Sunday Steve let me sleep in and he said Ava was a doll while I rested. I got up around 9 and she was still a happy girl. Then, the afternoon hit. We went to Home Depot and she screamed. We drove in the car and she screamed. Again, I could not wait till it was her bed time. I know that David was an exceptionally good baby and we were probably spoiled, but I really feel like I am going to lose my mind. Sometimes I wonder if we spaced the kids out too far and Steve and I are just over the 'baby' stage. But than again, if she was a happy, giggly baby - I think we'd be enjoying it as much as we did when David was this age. Ava has her 4 month check up on Monday the 12th. I am going to talk to the doctor about her crankiness. Maybe she/he knows some tricks. They will also be starting her on cereal - that might help her. If not, I might end up needing something to help me :(

New Information

I have decided give my blog an update and give my readers some extra information. You'll notice off to the left hand side, I have placed my favorite links under Links I Love. Here you will find links that I visit everyday as well as links to my business website and the scrapping store I will be teaching at. Hop on over to each of those sites and see what else I am up to. I am sure you will not be disappointed :) Under the heading of Info:, I have given you an ID # so you can grab 20 digital prints for FREE! Now I know everyone loves FREE stuff, so use it!


Totally unrelated picture, but I love it!

Proud Loser

Yup, you read it right...I am a very PROUD loser! I started Weight Watchers last Wednesday and weighed in this morning to find that I lost 6 pounds!!! As you can see, I am VERY excited. I am so glad that I started the diet. I am doing the Flex Plan version and can eat anything I want, as long as I stay within my points for the day. Then, I get an extra 35 points to play with for the week. I used 10 of those points last weekend at my Uncle Tom and Aunt Carol's to enjoy a Margarita. I look forward to weighing in next Wednesday to see how much more I lose. My goal is to 30 lbs. Now I only have 24 more to go :)

Mi Bambima esta enferma!

My poor baby girl, she went to the pediatrician today and was diagnosed with a right ear infection. I made her an appointment due to a cough that she has and it ends up being her ear. I had no idea. Both my kids must be very pain tolerant which means they do NOT take after their Mother in that department. I HATE pain and even the slightest bit makes me complain. David has had 2 ear infections and neither time did he complain and according to the doctor that checked his ears, they were BAD. Ava was a bit crankier than normal, but nothing horrible. She still gave us big smiles and slept through the night. I heard her fuss twice in the middle of the night, so I put her bink back in, but she never really woke up. I can't wait to go home and cuddle her up to make her feel better.

Present Report

I received a beautiful diamond heart necklace from Steve & David and Ava gave me a onzie that reads "My Heart Belongs to Mommy". I love them both very much. I took pictures of my gorgeous necklace, so I'll post them later.

We ordered chinese from Sunny Palace and it was a VERY quiet night. David did not feel good at all, so he slept. Steve worked a very long day, so he fell asleep and I needed to get some work done, so I got Ava to go to sleep.

Steve and I plan on going to the movies to see Hannibal Rising and grabbing dinner one night soon.

Hope you all had a nice V'Day!

Happy V'Day!

I would like to wish you all a very Happy Valentine's Day! With the weather here in NJ, it's the perfect day to cuddle up with the one(s) you love. I gave David his little red bag filled with treats before I left this morning. Poor kid is sick with another ear infection. Unfortunately, he got that from me. I am the Ear Infection Queen! His treats were: skittles, marshmellow filled chocolate heart, fun-dip, stuffed animated dog and Go Diego Go video. Ava, Steve and my parents will get their stuff when I get home. I am looking forward to my gift :) Steve picked it out all on his own without any hints from me! This way I can be totally surprised. We're going to order chinese food from Sunny Palace for dinner and I'll pick up a dessert on y way home from work. Not quite a typical Valentine's Day, but spending it with the kids and Steve makes it even better!

Check back to see what I got...

Back to the old grind

Believe it or not, the day has come for me to return to work! Yes, today is my first day back. It was HARD to get up and out of bed, but I did it. It was even harder to kiss the kids good-bye. I know, thanks to my mother, that they are in great hands, but I miss them. So much goes on during the 10 hours I am away from them and I feel that I miss so much. Instead of it getting easier, I know from experience - it's only going to get harder. Ava will say her first words, take her first step, get her first tooth, etc. all while I am at work. The same things happened with David. I felt it then and I have heartache knowing it will hurt again. I truly wish there was some way to make money and be with them. It's just not practical. However, I am going to try my best to build up my Creative Memories business this year. You never know! I could be one of those ladies making the big bucks doing something I love.

Overall this day was not terrible. I got to see some people that I missed and catch up. Hopefully tomorrow I will meet my new boss and things will get rolling. There are a lot of new things in my department to get caught up with. BUT, I can't wait to get home to the kids! I hope they missed me as much as I missed them!

P.S. Here are some pix that I had taken Friday at Kiddie Kandids.

Our little girl is blessed

We have the privilege of having our very own Deacon in our family, my sweet Uncle Jack. He married Steve and I in 1999 and baptised David in 2003. This past Saturday was Ava's turn. She was christened at St. Bart's Church. My sister Amy and our brother-in-law Rich stood as the Godparents. The ceremony was beautiful and very intimate. My uncle gave a very inspirational homily and included myself and Steve in the ceremony. It really made me feel so proud to be catholic and so proud to be Uncle Jack's niece. After church, we had a reception at the American Legion in Milltown and our friend Nick did the catering. The food was delicious and we all really enjoyed ourselves. Once that party ended, we kept it going back at our house. After all, there were 1 1/2 cases of beer to finish! Did I mention we're Irish?

God bless our Little Ava Marie.

Back from Orlando!

Due to some illnesses, this post is late.

Orlando was great! The place we stayed (Orange Lake Country Club) was beautiful. There was a lot to do there, but we only had time for 1 dinner, 1 swim and a round of mini golf. Otherwise, we were at the theme parks. Steve's parents met us when we arrived. They were excited to see David and meet Ava. We had dinner with them Saturday and went to Universal Studios with them on Sunday. My parents came to Orlando Monday and met us in MGM. They did Epcot with us Tuesday and stayed home with Ava on Wednesday when the rest of us did Islands of Adventure. Thursday my sister came up and we hung by the resort. Her husband Andrew met us at The House of Blues for dinner that night. Friday EVERYONE was with us and we did the Magic Kingdom. We had 2 character dining experiences that day. I love those. Saturday we went to the Animal Kingdom before heading back to NJ. It was a lot to do, but we did it and had fun. I think John enjoyed his first trip to Disney, and we really enjoyed having him. He was a HUGE help. Love that kid! Here are a few cute pictures.

David and a pharro

John, David, Stormtrooper and Darth Vader

Steve's 34th Birthday

Mommy, Ava and Alice

Wolverine

And away we go!

We are leaving for Orlando on Saturday afternoon. I am so excited - I LOVE DISNEY! This will be Ava's first trip, but also my cousin John's. When we decided to take this trip, I thought it would be great to ask John to join us and I am so glad he decided to come. I planned a lot of fun days and he'll get to see it all - as will Ava and David (who's been there 4 times already in his 3 years). Steve's parents will be with us a few days and this will be the first time they'll see Ava. I am sure they are looking forward to that. My parents will be spending Monday through Saturday with us and my sister and her husband will join us Thurs and Fri. I am also hoping that my cousin Christa and her 2 girls can pop over too. As you can see we'll be very busy. Look for a LONG post after we return!

A year in review

So much can change in a year, here is how mine went:

January:

• Start new position in new department at work
  


• Celebrate Steve's 33rd birthday and Grandpop's birthday



• Attend Kelly's baby shower

February:

• Travel to Kansas for training



• Conceive child



• David's 1st trip to dentist



• Celebrate Thomas' 1st birthday



• Rosaleen is born



• Happy Valentine's Day

March:

• Celebrate 7th wedding anniversary



• Host Memoranza scrapping event



• Celebrate Rich's Birthday

April:

• Announce our pregnancy



• Have first ultrasound and see beautiful baby



• Happy Easter!



• David starts Vo-Tech Nursery School
  
  
  
  May:


• Attend Jill's bridal shower



• Happy Mother's Day



• Meet Tray, Ally and Ty at Phillie Zoo



• Celebrate Kathy G's retirement



• David graduates from Vo-Tech Nursery School

June:

• David turns 3!
  


• Celebrate Ty's 6th Birthday, Tracey's Birthday, Mom's Birthday



• Jill & Joe get married



• Steve attends golf outing with Rich



• Catch a Phillies game with Tray and Rich



• Go to Great Adventure



• David takes swim lessons



• Find out we are having a GIRL!

July:

• Happy 4th of July


• Go on vacation to FL


• Celebrate Mom B's 60th Birthday


• Take a day trip to Magic Kingdom


• Spend time on the beach

August:

• More trips to the beach


• Celebrate My 31st and Dad's birthday


• Attend Kenny Family Softball game


• Steve work at Middlesex Cty Fair
  
  
  
  

September:

• David starts Gateway Christian School


• Celebrate Ally's 9th birthday in NYC


• Celebrate Grandmom's birthday


• Attend Mar's Baby shower


• Hurricane passes through Jersey
  
  
  

October:

• Lizzie Rose is born
• My baby showers


• Begin Maternity Leave


• Decorate baby's room


• Happy Halloween


• Pick pumpkins


• Attend David's Halloween Parade


• David gets his 1st bike


• David gets a new car seat - now a booster seat

November:

• Ava Marie is born
  
• David has school pix taken


• Rutgers beats Louisville
  
• Go to Rutgers vs. Syracuse game


• Get new couch


• Happy Thanksgiving


• Amy home for a visit
  
  
  
  

December:

• Merry Christmas


• Celebrate Amy and Dad B's birthday


• Night out with cousins


• Breakfast with Santa


• Lots of shopping


• NYC to see tree


• Pt. Pleasant boardwalk


• Attend David's Christmas concert


• Ava's first tub bath


• Steve gets a promotion
  
  
  

As you can see, I was busy once again. Hope next year is half as good as this one!

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

It's been a long time since I've posted, so I thought this was a good time to do so. We will celebrating a very special 1st Christmas with our little doll baby Ava and David's 4th Christmas, which he is really looking forward to. Tomorrow we'll head over to Aunt Mary's to enjoy our Christmas Eve with my Dad's side and before heading back home, stop over at my cousin Barbara's for a night cap. After we put the kiddies down for the night, Steve and I will be busy little elves. I am really looking forward to that - we've never had to hide much from David before. On Christmas Day we'll be busy. I am sure David will have us up bright and early opening gifts and then asking us to put them ALL together. Once we play a little and shower up, it's over to Aunt Kathy's we go. That is where we have fun with my Mom's side. We'll eat dinner and then dive into our guessing grab bag. This part is great. Everyone has to try to guess who their Secret Santa is before they can open their gift. There is always some joke gift that gets given - like John's blow-up doll girlfriend. I hope she makes an appearance this year!

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and as much fun as we will.

P.S. Here is a recent picture of Ava...