Sitting room pillows

Just wanted to share a pictures of the pillows I found for our sitting room. I absolutely love them! They are from Costco {of course} & were quite a steal! They are exactly what I wanted. They are made of outdoor fabric which is perfect because we get a lot of sun in the room.

Welcome Home & Happy 2nd Birthday Aniston!

Berek has returned home safe & sound. It is so great having him around these last few days. {Hello no more trash & recycling duties!} I was so tired of handling all of the chores around the house so it is really nice to have some help now. Also Aniston just lights up around him & she has some new phrases that she loves to say. She wasn't sure what to do at first when she saw him but seconds later she was in his arms & smiling. After the first hug she was hooked. All she kept saying for the rest of the day was "My Daddy" & "Happy Daddy." I love watching them bond together. Berek is such a wonderful Daddy & I am glad he is back in our lives. All the work I did {hello last minute to do list while 38 weeks pregnant} was well worth it. Although it is one of my reasons for my lack of blogging recently. Our family of 3 {soon to be 4!}

Also last weekend {May 20th to be exact} Aniston turned 2! I can't believe how fast she is growing! We had her 2 year check-up on Monday. She is 36.75 inches tall & weighs 29 lbs. We are officially celebrating her birthday tomorrow with cake although her birthday party won't take place until late June. She saw her cake in the fridge tonight & got very excited {as am I}. I will take pictures tomorrow as she opens {some} of her presents & eats cake! I have been slacking on my monthly photo taking recently & hopefully will get back on track with it when baby girl #2 arrives.

23 month pictures

As you can see from the pictures below Aniston is quite the busy bee these days. I have a hard time capturing any good photos of her. Yet I still try over & over & over again. As you will see below I think Aniston may give Sam Bradford a run for his money because our girl sure knows how to hold a football. {I know she is melting her Daddy's heart right now.} Here are the 23 month old pictures.

Aniston turns 23 months old!

I can not believe Aniston is going to be 2 years old next month! Our sweet baby girl is becoming such a big girl. We haven't done a photo shoot recently but I plan on doing one. I have been taking notes on what Aniston has been up to this past month. The list however is not organized at all but here it goes. She has started to pat my back & squeeze my neck when giving me hugs. Yes Berek I have been trying to teach her how to "hug Papa's neck" for your homecoming. She absolutely LOVES to sing! Her favorite songs are twinkle, twinkle little star & the Goodbye Gymbo song {which is from her weekly gym class.} She also sings Happy Birthday to you as well as the 1, 2 buckle my shoe song. She periodically decides to sing them everyday & I look forward to it. She also has learned to shake her hiney on demand & it is absolutely the cutest thing ever. She has slept in her big girl bed a few times & has also napped in there. Although lately I have been forgetting to ask her if she wants to sleep there at night. Maybe it is because she has figured out how to escape? Although she still has no idea how to open doors but I think this is because I never shut any doors. Aniston is heads over heels in love with Gymbo. She always has to get the big Gymbo out during free play & actually manages to share him with her friends. But mostly she likes to keep him all to herself. She would not stop playing with the Gymbo hand puppet the other day but since it wasn't on sale I did not purchase it. Aniston was pretty upset about that until she found my Williams Sonoma red oven mitts. She now goes into the drawer & takes them whenever she wants. I often find her singing songs from her class to her babies. Definitely glad I saved my $15! We can officially never deny Aniston because she loves Ranch as much as we do! She likes it with her pizza, cucumbers, chicken subs, french fries, & etc. She loves to eat chocolate {especially M's} & gets very excited because it doesn't happen often. She is extremely silly & usually counts 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, & then giggles out loud. I know she knows this isn't right but she loves to be silly. She recognizes colors & letters. The other day her PJ's said SWEET DREAMS & she would always say "W" when point to the "M". She recognized the rest of the letters correctly though. We spend a lot of time at "Park Mimi." Aniston loves the slide & swing as well as digging in the dirt {Yuck!} She still has no fear & therefore I always have to be very close to her. She loves the pool which is awesome because so do I! We go as much as the weather allows us too. She loves to lift her shirt & mine so that our bare bellies can touch {perhaps this is like how we feel when our heads touch Berek? haha.} I am often out in public with my shirt lifted up so don't judge. Aniston loves to point out things she sees - P3's, puppies, babies, birds, boats, fish, etc. She continues to say it until I acknowledge her. Aniston is still the happiest baby ever. So I must be doing something right. It is the one thing that strangers always notice about her - she never stops smiling or giggling & I am so grateful for that. I can't imagine going a day without her giggling or smiling. I can't wait for you to get home & see her in person Berek. I know she has been up to even more stuff but I just can't remember it all. But one thing is for sure she is no long a baby & is turning out to be just like you - Berek!

Where does the time go??

As usual things have been busy around here. Sorry for my absence. Last week I had a crazy busy week. On Monday I had an ultrasound & our sweet baby girl looks identical to Aniston at the same age. So excited to see her in person! Aniston enjoyed watching her on the {tv} screen. Although she always thinks that the tech is hurting her. Our sweet baby girl {no she doesn't have a name yet.} weighed 4 lbs. 12 oz. & is in the 57 percentile. On Tuesday we went to see my OBGYN for my check-up - everything is looking great. I can't believe we only have 6 weeks until we meet our sweet baby girl & less for Berek's return home {so looking forward to that!} On Wednesday morning I spent my day cleaning while Aniston watched Elmo until it was time to pick up Mom-Mom & Christine at the airport. We were so excited for our visitors! Unfortunately for Christine her visit included some babysitting. On Thursday morning I had the spring award ceremony for Navy Marine Corp Relief Society {NMCRS}. I received a pin for 600 volunteer hours - Woo Hoo! I love volunteering for such a great organization & often miss it since becoming a Mom. I know I will return one day when my girls have grown up though. Then on Friday evening I had board turnover for the Spouses Club. It was bittersweet handing over the President position but I know my friend will do a wonderful job & now I can relax during the meetings. I am so looking forward to that! Finally on Saturday Christine was able to attend something with me. We attended a Progressive Dinner for NMCRS. We enjoyed some great food & had fun discussing babies. I think it is official to say that Christine may be waiting even longer to have kids now. Haha. By the time Sunday came around I was excited to just stay home & relax. I am unable to keep up with my busy schedule sometimes but thankful it helps the time fly by. I also left out some things we did such as a trip to BJ's, Gymboree Play & Music class for Aniston, Mani/Pedi, lunch at Los Portales {so yummy - can't wait to go with you Berek!}, & other things I can't even remember now {Hello Pregnancy Brain!} After all that I am not surprised I was so tired last week. I was thankful for our low key Sunday so that I could recover. I wish Christine could have stayed longer but she will be back in June! My Mom however is staying with me until sometime in June. I have enjoyed having someone watch Aniston so that I can have some Mommy time. My trip to Costco was so peaceful today & I actually got to eat a slice of cheese pizza in peace. What a nice treat!

Happy 60th Birthday Dad!!!

Today my Dad turns 60 years old {or as he would say 18 with 32 years experience} & those who know my Dad would agree he still acts 18 most of the time. Which is definitely why we all love him so much. We always know when he is home because we can hear him pull into the driveway - his music is that loud. I definitely inherited that quality & I am proud of it. However I am too embarrassed to pull in the garage jamming out like that so I always turn my music way down. Anyways I love you Dad & I am sad I can not be with you to celebrate this special milestone. But as always I will be thinking of you! Love you!

Happy {belated} Easter!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! Aniston & I had a very low key day at home which was great because I was able to get a bunch of cleaning done. I even got to take a nap {which I actually hate to do but sometimes it is necessary being 8 months pregnant & sole caregiver of a very high energy toddler.} I couldn't wait to get Aniston up & dressed. She looked so cute in her Easter dress {Thank you Barbie!} & we had a blast looking around the house for her basket. Once she found it she was so excited to see that there were M's {M & M's} in there that she had to have some immediately! I guess M's can be considered breakfast on Easter? I had so much fun putting together her Easter basket. Last year I was very excited to purchase her first Easter basket & I look forward to doing that next year for our next baby girl. Enjoy the pictures.

Moving on up

I am not sure if I have mentioned this before or not but a few months ago I enrolled Aniston in a weekly class at Gymboree Play & Learn. My neighbor, Lindsey, told me how wonderful the class was & how much Molly loved it. So Aniston & I went for a free class & decided to join. Aniston really seemed to like Gymbo {the clown} & the class. Mommy loved the free Gymbucks & coupons she received in the mail for Crazy 8 & Gymboree. But that is a whole different story. Anyways where was I? Aniston was in the age group of 16 - 22 months {she was 20 months when we joined} and she was the tallest {or at least I think} in her class. She was definitely bigger then most of the kids which led to trouble. I had to keep a very close eye on her at all times. Our very last class we had to leave because she was not being nice & time out was not working. {Did I mention Grammie & Grampy were in town to watch all of the action? All while skyping with Daddy on my cell none the less.} I had been looking forward to moving her into the next class because I figured she would do much better with the older kids. For one she wouldn't be taller then all of them & she would want to watch what they did & follow along. Also I think she would be challenged with the activities rather then just strictly playing. Well I was right. Today we had our first class with the 22 - 26 month old kids & Aniston was AMAZING! I wish I would have pushed to move her into the next class earlier. In her class today they did flash cards, counted, jumped, & pretended to be cats. I felt like Aniston was truly learning today instead of just playing. I now wonder if that was another part of the problem in the other class - she wasn't being challenged? We have been counting & working on flash cards for awhile & Aniston always does really well. In fact she is learning the alphabet now & is able to recognize some letters on her own. It was nice for Mommy too because I was able to let her go off on her own a little. She spent most of the free play time hugging Gymbo & following the big kids. We did have an {minor} issue with her sharing the rocking horse but really at this age what kid is good at sharing? I am so happy that things went so well today. I know that if Aniston starts to behave as she did at the end of her last class I will definitely push for her to move up early. I actually can say I can not wait for her next class which is not usually how I feel. But unfortunately we have a few months until Molly will move up into our class so Lindsey & I can have some quality Momma time to chat & by then we will both have 2 kids in tow.

Easter Egg Hunt

Today Aniston & I attended her very first Easter egg hunt. It was a complete success. She collected lots of eggs, ate a lot of "treats", threw sand {& even ate some}, attempted multiple times to go down the fire pole, threw pine needles at herself, & even attempted to eat whatever it is called that fell off the trees. Basically she was wild & crazy. I don't really get her trying to eat all the gross stuff because that is something she never really did even when she was little. Maybe she has decided to jump back in time to that stage because she also tried to eat Destin today. {or maybe it was all the sugar she had?} She fell asleep at 10 am in the car which NEVER happens. Then tonight on our way home from dinner she fell asleep in the car again. {Did I mention we stopped by my FAVORITE cupcake shop & they gave me 6 free cupcakes?!?!?!} Maybe it was because I was pregnant but I donated some to my neighbor & the rest went in the freezer for my Mom & BFF who visit in a few weeks! Anyways where was I...the Easter Egg Hunt was a great success overall & I had a blast. I didn't get to socialize with my friends as much well because Aniston keeps me busy. Here are some pictures {although they aren't great} given how sunny it was & the brief moments I have to even take a picture.

A shot without her hat {although her eyes are closed}

Picking up an egg

Pointing to where she is headed next

SUCCESS

Following the big kids

Needless to say she lost the egg relay.

It is funny that she didn't even like her basket when I bought it but then she realized it would help her hold eggs with "treats" inside & then she wouldn't let it go. On a side note I really need to figure out why blogger keeps messing up my spacing & how to fix it! Another side note I will try to post pictures from my visit with my in laws tomorrow. The internet keeps cutting out & the pictures took me over a hour to even post tonight. I hate you AT&T DSL.

Dinner gathering at Outback

A few of my friends decided to get together for dinner at Outback {my favorite} to celebrate our new sweet baby girl. I had a lot of fun getting to hang out with my friends {& no kids!} We just took a few pictures & thought I would share them.

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe March is over already & that we are already 3 days into April. I am somewhat okay with time flying by so quickly. For one it means we will get to see Berek again. Also we will get to hold our new sweet baby girl very soon {only 9 more weeks not that I have started counting down or anything.} Aniston is very excited {or at least acting that way now} & only time will tell once the baby is here. I think she will be so excited to have lots of Daddy/Daughter time because she misses Berek so much. The only reason I hate time flying by so quickly is because I will never get to experience Aniston at this age ever ever again. Which sometimes is a good thing like when she is mad & has a handful of my hair in her hand. Ouch! March was extremely busy month for us. We enjoyed visits from my parents, my brother's family, & my in laws. I didn't get to take a whole lot of pictures because Aniston keeps me very busy & well her & Nadia don't always get along at least for now. We like to call them Ali & Tyson for good reasons. Ahh it was like looking through my life if I had twins. Although it was more like twins that were separated at birth & didn't know each other existed & then realized they had to share toys because Mom & Dad didn't buy them each their own. Wooo it was sure a tough life for those couple of days. But the girls both survived. Not only did the girls have to share toys but they also had to share my brother. Aniston loves Uncle Carey like he is her Dad {maybe he qualifies as a deployment Dad replacement?} Often Carey was caught carrying a girl in each arm. They enjoyed that time together & were usually very sweet to each other. That was so not the case if only one was in his arm. Carey has traveled on the road with us multiple times as well as paid an unexpected visit to us in Florida this deployment. Aniston isn't used to seeing Dads around a lot with her friends {they are all deployed} so when she sees Carey I think it reminds her that Dads do indeed exist. I will be tracking down more photos of our time together. Apparently I only have tea time photos. So keep an eye out for updates on photos! Tea time {thankfully we have 2 sets of tea pots}

After my family left my in-laws arrived for a few days. I was able to get a lot of errands done & just enjoyed some relaxation. We went to the pool one day & it was a lot of fun. I got to relax some in the sun which was extremely peaceful {& much needed!} Apparently I didn't take any photos & will get some from my MIL. What a disappointment this post is in the photography portion! Sorry & stay tuned! Not sure why blogger isn't spacing my writing like I want it too.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hope everyone had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day! We didn't do much around here. I had my advanced DSLR this afternoon followed by some errands. It was nice to get to do some things on my own. Aniston spent her day with her Nanny & Mimi. From what I hear she slept a lot & played a lot. This morning she did get to open her gift from St. Patrick. Yeah I know it is weird to actually get a gift but I skipped the clothing this year & stuck with Vera Bradley instead. In fact Aniston picked this purse out in December & it has been sitting in my gift closet ever since waiting for this day to arrive. Now we have matching handbags!

Present time!

Perfect box

Unwrapping

Checking out the necklaces

Adorable St. Patrick's Day Bow {Thanks Kate!}

Unfortunately Aniston thought her bow was better off in her purse.

Showing off her new handbag

Woo Hoo to checking off yet another Holiday during deployment! Only 2 Holidays left...I think. On Monday my Mom, Dad, Carey, Leah, Camden, Keira, & Nadia all arrive for a visit! We are so excited to have them! I will be spending tomorrow cleaning & doing laundry.

Kid's OTH

We had a blast at the kid's OTH. I will post the pottery sign we made for Aniston's big girl room when we pick it up next week. I am unfortunately not one of those relaxed Mom's & only let Aniston paint the background. I mean the sign cost $20 & she just liked scraping the paint off with her fingernails as it dried. I look forward to doing it with her again when she is older though {maybe 21 so we can drink wine while we do it.} Since the party was during one of Aniston's days without a nap she was full of energy at the party. She definitely gets super silly like me when she is really sleepy. I was totally bummed because I was looking forward to relaxing & talking with my friends. But instead I had to keep telling her not to touch all the price tags & blank pottery. If she wasn't doing that I was chasing her out the door & around the store. I then decided it was time to call for help & luckily my friend Shannon was there to step in. Once Aniston was with her she was a perfect sweet well-behaved kid. Aniston did behave for me while eating her pizza & cake though so I guess that was good.

P-3 themed cake

Cake & gift bags

Ready to get started

Hard at work. Aniston brought globs & globs of the paint over & I helped spread it out so it would bake evenly. We made a great team.

Tickling her to get her to smile which made her look adorable & me weird. Go figure.

Thanks to Shelia for taking photos at both OTH functions!

Soon I will be ready to photograph Aniston's big girl room but I am waiting for her shelf to be handcrafted by my wonderful friend, Dave. He is the best.

OTH {Over the hump}

During every deployment there is a party to celebrate reaching the halfway point. It is referred to as OTH or Over the hump & I am happy to say we have reached that point in this deployment. Well we may have celebrated a little early but it was a lot of fun. The Squadron actually separates the adult & children parties which is great for us parents who need a night out. First we did dinner at a Japanese restaurant & then we went bowling. It was a total blast!

Theresa & Me

The Officer's Spouses Club

Christa & Me

Shannon & Me

Julie, Me, & Kristy

Tomorrow we are going to attend the children's party & I will make sure to take lots of photos to share. I am sure it will be interesting since it is at a pottery place where the kids get to decorate their own stuff. I can only imagine the mess Aniston will make!

Parenting Heaven

This.is.what.being.a.parent.is.all.about.

Please take a minute to admire my brand new BOB Revolution SE Duallie.

I bought the single before Aniston was born & never imagined I would love this stroller as much as I love her {my love runs that deep for a stroller - weird I know.} Berek just complained because how much it cost but once we received it & started using it the money didn't matter anymore. Especially once he compared the difference to our City Mini which was only a must have because it was compact - which is what I needed because I drove a Civic. I never forgot the day I heard about how amazing the BOB was from another Mom. It was about 4 years ago when I ran into a friend's sister at Target. She swore it was the best stroller & I actually took notes & remembered this tip. So I knew I was getting the BOB even before I was ready for kids {it came in Navy Blue come on that was enough for me to want to buy it!} Then when I got pregnant with our second sweet baby girl I tried to deny the need to have the double because it isn't practical for shopping or anything but honestly I couldn't deny my love for the BOB. I started to think how could I do my daily walks with two kids? Aniston wouldn't be able to walk to the park or even through our neighborhood. I could put her in the single & then use the Ergo {the other greatest invention} for the baby but what if it was warm out {we do live in Florida people!} I started to come around & think I NEED to have the BOB duallie. After discussing with some Military wives/friends {one who recently had her third & the other pregnant with her second - also a single BOB owner} I was sold. Finally I discussed it with my other neighbor/felllow Military wife, Lindsey, {who never owned a BOB} & felt the total opposite. But after some discussions we both ended up ordering the BOB duallie. Needless to say Berek wasn't too happy when I let him know I ordered our third stroller & that I got a great deal all he heard was that I spent hundreds more on yet another stroller but I quickly changed the subject to see how his custom gold clubs were coming along. The stroller arrived rather quickly & Lindsey & I were both very excited {texting each other all day to see if it had arrived yet} even though we wouldn't be able to use it for a few more months. Obviously our girls were also very excited because they both took one look at the stroller & climbed right in {Wooo Hooo money well spent!} Unfortunately I wasn't camera ready for this moment {I have a feeling it will be repeated.} This is an awesome thing for me because Aniston has the opposite reaction in her City Mini stroller. My friend, Lindsey, has now also ordered a BOB single stroller so that she can start using it right away. She finally gets my obsession. I am just waiting for my bestie April to jump on the BOB bandwagon. :) I have a feeling I won't ever want to part with these strollers because maybe I will babysit if not I will just hold onto them for when I am a Grandmom in twenty-five years. Navy is a classic color right? haha.

Things I love about the BOB

Super large canopy - must have for Florida sun

Amazing bike wheels that allow me to jump 4 inches with a sleepy baby or toddler & not even disturb them.

I also love that Aniston & our other sweet baby girl each have 2 pockets at their disposal but I totally forgot to photograph them! Aniston loves to place her milk & juice for her babies here, her drinks, any snacks, bracelets, etc.