Weekend Updates - December

December was a blur. We got our tree a week later than usual, and it seemed to just throw off the entire month. It's now January, and I'm just thinking of sending Christmas cards out. I've had them for awhile.

This year, I got the kids matching Christmas pajamas.  I haven't loaded those photos yet.  I got Little Miss's on the larger side, and I bought a second pair for Baby for next year when they went on sale.

Little Miss got a really pretty dress as a hand-me-down.  She's been wearing it non-stop.  It is really beautiful, and we got quite a lot of pictures in it.  Baby has his shirt with his bow tie which got a lot of mileage out of it.  

The two gave me many great pictures in front of the tree.  It was hard to decide which to use for our Christmas card... so I used them all.

This Christmas, we spent it in Maryland with my family.  We celebrated with a nice dinner out with the In-Laws the weekend before and then had dessert and presents at our place.  Christmas was low key.  Little Miss had a little stomach bug so she was out of commission most of the day.  Then, the day after Christmas, Baby got a bad cold (which he later passed on to me).  Still, it was always fun to hang with the family.  Plus, the week before Christmas, my sister got engaged so there was even more to celebrate this year!

Weekend Updates - November

In November, my grandparents came to town.  They hadn't seen the baby since he was born.  He loved the attention.

He loved listening to my grandmother and hanging with my grandfather.  He and my grandfather have the same hair and laid back attitude.

The end of November was a busy time.  My parents took Nephew and Little Miss to Great Wolf Lodge.  Little Miss came back with matching ears for both herself and her brother.  He still worships the ground she walks on.  My parents also took Little Miss to Ice at the National Harbor which looked like a lot of fun.

Thanksgiving was very relaxing.  We watched the parade.  I made cranberry sauce.  Then, we all went to Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law's house for dinner.  

It was a relaixng evening, always fun to have all the kids together.  Little Miss and Nephew play really well together, and the babies are fascinated with each other.  

I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted.  No one was of a calm demeanor all at the same time.  The babies seem to take turns napping or freaking out.

I love baby cuddle time though!

Weekend Updates - October

I'm far behind and will not bore you with all the details, but here is a pictorial tour of our Fall/Winter so far.

Baby looking happy in his jumper.  He would live in the thing if we let him.  He likes to jump and then have some swing time to fall asleep.

We went to our annual trek to the pumpkin patch with Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law.  It was windy, and we didn't stay too long because of traffic.  Plus, we went to a friend's baby shower in the evening.

 Still, we got pumpkins and some cute pictures, just not as many cute pictures as in years' past.

 Baby was a minion for Halloween.  Halloween doesn't mean much to him so I wasn't going all out for a costume.  I wanted something practical but, of course, cute.  So, he got a minion hat, overalls and a yellow shirt.  He tolerated it.

 Nephew really liked Baby time during Little Miss's 7th birthday party.  I can't believe the big girl is 7.  She's matured so much this Fall.  She has such an extensive vocabulary and so bright.  

 She, as most of the children in the known universe was Elsa for Halloween, but she also had an Anna costume that she wore to Disney on Ice and to Halloween at school.

 Baby will like Halloween much more next year.  I'm on the search for a Max from Where the Wild Things Are costume.  

Weekend Updates - Three for the Price of One!

Quickly catching up on weekend updates.  The weekend after the baptism was a low-key, quiet one.  That Friday, we were discharged from the hospital.  We stayed close to home.  Little Miss went camping with my parents at Hershey Park.  She had such a great time, she only called home to talk to us once. 

The first weekend in October, Little Miss and I ran some errands.  We had to buy a birthday gift for a friend of hers and a baby shower gift.  Then, we went to her friend’s birthday at a nearby park.  She had so much fun, she wouldn’t stop playing to eat.  On Sunday, she had a playdate with a friend and didn’t want me along.  So, she was gone all day long.  They all went into the city to the Air & Space Museum, had a picnic, and did all sorts of fun things.  In the meantime, I tidied and did no fun things.

Last weekend was our 15^th anniversary.  We went out to dinner and had a very pleasant evening and then came home with Baby and rented a movie.  Little Miss had a sleepover with the In-Laws where she got her birthday presents early (a little shopping spree).  She got a mix of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toys and Frozen dress up clothes.  On Sunday, it was a lazy quiet day.  I would have preferred a little lazier, but I got talked into bringing Little Miss out with her bike.  So, I wore the Baby while Little Miss rode her bike.  We were out for a couple of hours.  She made friends at one point.  Then, we went home, and she made her birthday party invitations.  She really wanted to make them this year so I just made them on printer paper and she cut around the printed section and glued onto orange and black construction paper and added a sticker or two.  It wasn’t a big deal, but she had fun.  It was cheaper than buying invitations, and I have a billion sheets of construction paper left for future crafts.  This is partially because I misordered, but we’ll use it.

October is probably going to be our busiest month all year.  During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, I go out of my way not to overplan so things aren’t so busy, but October is crazy.  Plus, it’s a month that culminates in bags and bags of candy.  Nutso.

Weekend Update - Baptism

Picture alert!

Last weekend, Baby was christened.  It was a beautiful day.  He was really good.  Little Miss was super helpful while we set up the room and got ready to host a little gathering and get to the church on time.  There were many children to be baptized, but it went smoothly.  I was surprised there were no criers.  It turned out that's because we were the crying baby.  He settled down right afterwards though and kept smiling at the priest throughout.  I think it was just the awkward angle. Plus, he's the type of baby to always love being upright and moving.

Below are half of the cousins on Husband's side of the family.  The love is strong between the two.  They were fantastic in church and played very nicely with one another all day.

 Sister was very ill when Little Miss was baptized so this is the first picture (in a church) of Little Miss and her godparents.  So, it is both kids with all of the godparents. 

 Below is Husband's family all together.

 Below is my family excluding the Nephew.

There are tons of pictures and every combination of family member grouping you can think of.  I'll frame some of them eventually.

Afterwards, we had everyone to the community room and some of our good friends who could make the event.  We made food up ahead of time so everyone helped out to assemble and lay out everything.  It was a nice relaxing day.  I definitely deserved the nap later in the evening.

On Sunday, I went out with friends to a winery.  It was another beautiful day.  We sat outside, snacked and enjoyed some wine.  There's no better way to spend a Sunday.

Weekend Update - See You in September

The first weekend in September doesn't deserve a separate post.  We really did very little.  I tidied up the apartment a little.  We napped a little.  We took walks.  On Sunday, Husband's friend and his wife came over to watch some football.  It was a quiet weekend.

Last weekend, it was kind of the same type of deal.  It was quiet and low key.  I caught up on some television and put a billion loads of laundry away.  On Sunday, I met a friend for brunch, and we walked around.  The weather was beautiful.  I picked up a pretty dress on sale and managed to walk out of Target with nothing.  So, big milestone for me, too.

Weekend Update - Labor Day

We had a glorious low-key weekend.  I worked from home on Friday.  

On Saturday, Husband went to a friend's house to watch sports.  Meanwhile, Baby and I took a little nap after our morning routine.  Then, we took a walk.  He slept most of the evening while I watched tv.  Husband came home after we were both in bed.

On Sunday, Little Miss came home after being away for what seemed like forever.  It was great to have her home.  We had a nice family dinner together.

On Monday, we got up and got going.  Little Miss and I needed to do some last-minute school shopping.  So, we went to Target for a backpack, lunch bag and a few other essentials - like Kit Kats.  We had a girls' lunch and then went to buy some back to school shoes.  Little Miss had to have these cowboy boots.  She wore them out of the store, and she absolutely loves them.

And now we have a First Grader!  More on that after I load the pictures...

Weekend Update - A Whole Lot of Nothing

Last weekend, there was a lot of nothing.  I don't remember Friday, but I'm sure it involved dinner, food and bed.

On Saturday, Husband woke up with Baby and then went to be in an informal golf tournament.  So, Baby and I hung out.  He wanted nothing to do with a nap which was unfortunate.  So, we watched a bit of Doctor Who together.  After lunch, we went to the mall where I bought him a few outfits and some for next year - big sale and one-day coupon.  We picked up Little Miss after her long vacation with my family, hit the grocery store and headed home.  Husband met us as soon as we got home.  We had dinner, did laundry and I watched a lot of tv - premiere of Doctor Who and The Outlander.  I got full control of the television which was exciting.

On Sunday, we packed up Little Miss to go on vacation for a week with the in-laws.  Then, we did a lot more of nothing.  We took a morning nap which was glorious.  I surfed the internet.  Then, because I forgot something at the store, I had to leave and run errands.  I did defrost dinner so that was done at least, just had to throw it into the crock-pot.  We made the chicken teriyaki that I made while pregnant over some jasmine rice, snow peas and some potstickers from Trader Joe's. It was all super easy considering almost all of it came from the freezer. It may not be the most healthy, but it wasn't bad and really easy.  Sunday night, we watched the MTV video awards.  Our household has been way to into pop music lately.  It's ridiculously scary, but it's been a fun time.  There's been a lot of dancing.

Weekend Update - Absolutely Nothing

Little Miss left last Thursday to be with my family for a week and a half.  She went with my parents and Sister and Nephew to Maine where they all will meet up with my grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins.  It sounds like she's having a great time.  

In the meantime, on Saturday, Husband played golf.  Baby and I walked to the library.  I have three books that are due in rapid succession.  I read one with a small fine and had to return it.  I'm in the middle of the second and will have to work really hard to finish the third in time for its due date.  After the library, I took myself out to lunch while Baby napped.  I had some tacos and a margarita.  It was delightful.  Then, Baby and I sat in the park while I read for a little while.  Then, he decided he was a bit hungry as well so we walked home.  Then, we took a nap together until Husband came home and cooked dinner.  The evening was quiet.

On Sunday, Baby woke up very early and then it was just feeding and playing with him.  I did take a nap in the afternoon.  Then, Husband cooked a yummy dinner and then we watched a movie.  

Weekend Update - Fun Fun Fun

Two weekends ago, it was a very enjoyable weekend.  It had been stressful and busy at work so it was nice to have fun and unwind during the weekend.

On Saturday, I took the kids to hang out at my parents' house.  Sister, Nephew, Mom, the kids and I had lunch and then went to the pool.  We stayed for dinner.  It was fun, and Little Miss had a lot of fun with Nephew.  They had been asking to play together for awhile.  

On Sunday, the kids stayed home with Husband while I met a friend for lunch and a movie.  It was a really nice weekend, always fun to catch up with friends and family.

Weekend Update - Why Does July Want to Leave Us So Quickly?

I mean, seriously.  July is 3/4 over already.  That is ridiculous.

Last Friday, I got my hair trimmed.  It's generous to say I got it cut.  It looks the same though.  I picked up the kids, and we just kind of had a good night.  We got a donut and just had a relaxing evening.  

On Saturday, we had our morning dance of responsibilities.  Then, I met friends for lunch and a movie.  Lunch was delicious, and it was good to catch up.  It had been months since the three of us got together though I'd seen both separately since then.  I took a quick power nap when I got home and stayed up late doing nothing.

On Sunday, I had grand plans and ended up just doing nothing.  I napped a lot.  That was it.  I got to nap with the baby which was very satisfying.  I had lunch and dinner with Little Miss while the baby slept.  She's turning into quite a young lady so it was nice to have some conversation time.  I love those moments where she just lets me in or we ask questions and discuss things.  I love that she has opinions or is shaping and forming her own opinions now.

Little Miss and I have been reading Matilda together.  I've never read it, but I'm a big fan of Roald Dahl.  The dialogue is a bit rough around the edges, but it's one of the first longer books in which she's shown interest so I don't want to discourage that.  We read it together, sometimes I read and sometimes we take turns.  We discuss what happened in the previous chapter, what happened in the chapter we are currently reading and what we think is going to happen.  Little Miss is actually interpreting the cover and wonders why the cover shows particular art.  I don't know.  We'll find out together.  It's been a lot of fun though the reading is slow-going.  

Weekend Update - Someone Turned 4!

On Friday, I worked from home because Baby had a doctor's appointment.  I'll put that in a separate post, but all went well.  He's growing well, and we're all just preparing for his surgery next month. 

On Saturday, we went to Nephew's 4th birthday party!  I can't believe he's 4 already.  Time flies.  It was a Toy Story birthday, and the kids had a lot of fun.  After the party, we stayed to go into the pool.  We then had dinner and overstayed our welcome.  The kids did well in part to the full moon and the sugar rush.  We all fell promptly when we got home.  Everyone in the house slept until 10:30 on Sunday. 

On Sunday, we took the day slowly (as it happens when you sleep the morning away).  Then, I took the kids to get portraits done with Nephew.  My parents wanted portraits of the kids.  Nephew wore a full suit.  Little Miss got a new dress, and the baby had a little "suit" onesie.  Totally adorable.  After the portraits were done, we went to Outback for dinner and came home. 

Weekend Update - The Fourth of July

We had a lazy Fourth of July.  We had a nice, little family lunch and then head to Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law's pool.  We stayed for dinner and ventured to the roof to watch fireworks.  We met up with a friend who lives in the same building, too. 

On Saturday, we all slept late.  Husband went to play golf and, despite best intentions, the kids and I did absolutely nothing.  We were so exhausted after doing nothing, I took a nap once Husband came home.

On Sunday, I met a friend for brunch and pedicures while Husband made pancakes with Little Miss.  I came home and had a quiet evening after that.  It was a glorious long weekend that went too quickly.

Weekend Update - A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Last Friday, after the school party, we went to Target to pick up some birthday presents and Little Miss's reward.  Then, we had a quick lunch and head to Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law's house to hang out at the pool.  The babies are so much bigger than the last time we got together.  They amused each other on the play mat.  It was too adorable. The older kids also had fun together as well.  We stayed for dinner and then overstayed our welcome by about an hour.  We all went to bed when we got home.

On Saturday, we all got up early.  Little Miss had a morning birthday party.  Husband brought both kids.  I left around the same time to meet a friend for a birthday brunch.  It was delicious and always fun to catch up.  I came home and took a nap with Baby.  Husband went to hit a few golf balls.  Then, it was a pretty quiet evening after that.

On Sunday, it was fairly lazy.  None of us had plans.  I took Little Miss to the grocery store and then I took nap in lieu of the massive amount of cleaning I had to do.  In the evening, Little Miss went straight to bed after a busy weekend, and we just watched some television while I geared up for returning to work after 8 weeks.  Maternity leave went quickly!

Weekend Update - Hello, June!

Last weekend, we had a busy one. On Friday, Little Miss was sick - again. She woke up throwing up. No fever though. So, Husband stayed home with her while I took Baby to the cardiologist. She recovered by the end of the day though.

On Saturday, Little Miss convinced me she was all better. I took the kids to get portraits taken. They came out ok. I liked a couple of the two of them together and fell in love with one of the pictures of Baby. I didn't buy too many however. After the portraits were taken, we hung out at the mall and then went to my parents' house. My parents watched Baby while Sister, Nephew, Little Miss and I went to the county fair. The kids had a great time riding the carnival rides. We stayed until we were about to melt and then went to my parents' pool. My parents stayed home with the baby while we ordered pizza. We got home quite late, but it was a good day. In the meantime, Husband had a friend and his wife over to watch the Belmont Stakes so I visited once we got home.

On Sunday, it was a lazy day. I think I took like four naps - with and without Baby. Husband ran some errands and hit some golf balls. Then, we took Little Miss to skating. It seemed like a busy day, but it wasn't - probably because we were all recovering from Saturday.

Weekend Update - Goodbye May!

The week after Memorial Day was a little insane. Little Miss was given the all clear to go back to school right before Memorial Day, but we came home from Maryland with a UTI so she had to go back to the doctor. Then, on Friday, Baby had to go in for his well child visit. So, it was a week full of doctor appointments with no end in sight to additional visits. 

On Saturday, we had baseball in the middle of the day. Little Miss had her best at bat so far. She hit a fantastic straight hit. She was called out at first, but it was only because the throw was faster than her run. 

My parents made it to the baseball game.  After, we were heading to Fairfax for portraits of the kids, but we hit so much traffic, we had to cancel our appointment.  My parents took us out to dinner for our birthdays.  After a long (very long) wait, we had a delicious meal and some conversation.  Little Miss enjoyed the grandparents' attention quite a bit.  

 On Sunday, I got up to get a much-needed manicure (and to use a voucher about to expire). On the way, I dropped off a gallon-size bag of lettuce that we grew. The elementary school has a program to grow lettuce for the school and to feed the local hungry. Our attempt failed miserably (or superbly, I suppose) in the fall, but we grew quite a bit of lettuce in the spring. We trimmed it down and continue to grow lettuce with great success. I got back from my manicure in time for Little Miss to go to her skating lesson where she graduated to the next level.

Weekend Update - Memorial Day Weekend

During Memorial Day weekend, Little Miss had fifths disease.  The school made her see a physician even though she wasn't contagious anymore.  We used that forced home time to leave early for the parents' vacation house.  We got there on Friday evening after a leisurely drive out there with my dad.  Sister, Mom and nephew followed shortly after.

On Saturday, we went to Wal-Mart and just kind of hung out.  Then, on Sunday, we played miniature golf.  Little Miss, Nephew and my dad washed the car and then the kids went into the hot tub which was on a low temperature.  We had a little cook out and had a quiet evening.  

On Monday, we all got ready to head back and hit a ton of traffic, but we finally got home!  Husband didn't go with us because he got to see the New York Rangers in the playoffs.  They didn't win, but it's always fun seeing hockey live.

Weekend Update - Back to Routine

We are settling in finally.  Two weekends ago, we had a fairly normal weekend.  We are still getting family visiting and scattered friends, but things are eater thing down.

On Saturday, it was our turn to bring snack to Little Miss's baseball game.  Then, on Sunday, Little Miss, Baby and I went to the Taste of Arlington.  We tasted some good food and played some games.  It was a lot of fun and the weather was beautiful.  Then, we had skating practice.  In between, we had some napping and cleaning.  Husband has done a ton of laundry.  So, fairly normal weekend.

Weekend Update - Happy Mother's Day!

By the time the weekend rolled around, Baby had been home for 2 days so we were still trying to figure things out.  On Saturday, Little Miss had a 9am baseball game.  So, we did that and then, in the afternoon, my mom, sister, and nephew came over to see Baby.  As they left, friends came to see him. It was nice to show off our good little boy.

On Sunday, Little Miss gave me a classroom "cookbook" in which she and her classmates gave some "facts" about their mothers and how to cook their favorite meals.  Luckily, mine wasn't too embarrassing.  She also made me an apron and gave me a giant balloon and plant which is still alive miraculously.  In the afternoon, we got to go to the hospital because Sister-in-Law had a baby!  So, I officially only have nephews.  He is absolutely precious, and it will be so much fun to see the boys growing up together.  Little Miss is more excited than it looks like below.

Weekend Update - Still Waiting on a Baby

Baby was still in the NICU.  So, we had a long weekend.  On Saturday, we dropped Little Miss to the In-Laws.  She enjoyed hanging out with them and then went to baseball.  We visited the Baby but made it to the last inning of the game in time to see Little Miss score a hit and a run.

On Sunday, we drove Little Miss to my parents.  My dad did public skating with Little Miss and then they watched her skating lesson.  We caught the last 10 minutes of that.  

Little Miss has been awesome about dealing with us being with the Baby all the time.  If anything, she's just jealous that we get to see him everyday and she does not.  

Baby has been doing well.  Each day, he meets all the goals set.  We were hoping to possibly being him home today, but it is looking like tomorrow so fingers crossed!  He has been a great eater and sleeper, but he hates being unswaddled.  He screams his head off until you swaddle again.  He's also loves to snuggle which is great.  I hope he transitions to home well.