Wordless Wednesday - New Pics

I took some new pics of Gwen today, here they are for your enjoyment :)

Isn't she too cute?!?  I love taking pictures of her but it makes me think "I need/want a new camera... badly!"

Maybe a SUPER early X-mas present?!?

Dear Santa,

I have been very good this year. Feel free to send this

Thanks Big Guy :)

Love,

Sam

Anyway, happy hump day, weekend is in sight ;)

xoxo.

Amazing Giveaway

From Mrs. to Mama is having an awesome giveaway right now!  Head on over and check it (and her blog) out!



xoxo.

A Simple Request

Dear Gwen's Hair,

GROW!

That is all.

Sincerely,

Gwen's Momma

I know that is growing, but at the slowest pace ever!!

Monday Already?!?

Every weekend seems to FLY by, but I really feel like we didn't even have a one this week.

Thanks, Irene.

I AM happy to report that we survived Hurricane Irene, with minimal damage (our basement flooded, grr).  Gwen slept through the whole thing {I can't say the same for us} and we only lost power for a few minutes... all in all, we were VERY lucky.  But, we spent all of Friday and Saturday preparing and then all of Sunday repairing {well, actually Jason did, I was on baby duty}, so our "together" time was very little. 

I am hoping this week goes quickly.  Can't believe this upcoming weekend is Labor Day weekend!!!  Wasn't it just Memorial Day??  Either way, summer is coming to an end, and truth be told, I'm ok with it.  Usually, I hate to see summer go, and dread the rest of the seasons, but I am soooooo ready for fall!  {I was SO excited to see the Dunkin Donuts already has "pumpkin" flavor coffee back, whooohooo!}  So this weekend will be our last weekend of packing, travelling, living out of suitcases, and spending hours in the car {I know I will miss it, but I am looking forward to the break}.

Hope you braved the storm just as well.  Here's some baby lovin' for ya!

Pretty mama!



On the move!

xoxo.

Fill In The Blank Friday

Thankfully, Friday is here!  Even without having a 9-5 job, it is hard to get back to the real world after a vacation... so I am glad that the weekend is here {well, sort of, I mean we ARE expecting a Hurricane this weekend :( } And what better way to kick off the weekend than with a link up with Lauren for a little fun?!

Here we go...

1. One of life's most simple pleasures is    homemade pancakes with butter and syrup.    

2.   People who talk ridiculously loudly on the phone while in the grocery store and/or on the check out line  makes me want to punch someone.

3. I like   our house    because   it's ours.

4.   Papoose  is a funny word.

5. If I had to choose one beauty product to use for the rest of eternity, it would be   mascara, it's always a must for me.

6. I'm happy that   fall will be here in no time.  I seriously can't wait for the cool {not cold} weather, the smells, fun, and all that comes with it.

7. I would never   move to California. lol. We barely caught a glimpse of an earthquake this week and it was MASS Hysteria.  Can't imagine that happening more than once in my life! :)

I'm off now, to stock up on baby supplies, just in case this "Irene" thing really pans out.  Hope it doesn't. 

Happy Friday, peeps.

xoxo.

It's The Simple Things... 5th Edition

I missed this link up last week, therefore I have PLENTY to be thankful for!  So, check out my link up with jesslyn amber. 

I appreciate...

all of the amazing family time we had last week.  we had SO much fun, and what a great way to start winding down the summer.

Jason's birthday!  it was on the 16th, and was such a special day!  we celebrated with a big home-cooked meal, yummy, and dance party!  Happy {belated} Birthday to my best friend and the best father I could ever ask for our daughter!!

the ridiculous amount of good food and drink we had last week.  so good, but definitely need to get back to our healthy routine.

our amazing family and friends, who let Jason and I have a few date nights last week. :)  it was so nice to spend some alone time just as husband and wife.

DVR.  I barely watched any TV while we were away, so I had a ton to catch up on.  thanks, DVR, for making that possible ;)

that football is back. {yes, I know it was only pre-season, but I don't care}.  I love football season!

my walking, talking, bouncing baby girl!  she is at such a FUN age, and I love her so freakin' much!!!

We were playing peek-a-boo. {Doesn't she look like a red head here? She's not, but it totally looks like I have a little ginger baby}

Hope you are loving all the wonderful things in your lives too!

xoxo.



Birthday Cards

If you have not seen and/or used this site, you should most definitely check out Tiny Prints!

{I have NOT been paid to say any of this, this is strictly my opinion!}

But they are THE BEST!

Seriously, I loooove ALL of their stuff, but lately {for the past year} I have been obsessed with their Greeting Cards.  I actually don't give store bought cards anymore {unless I am in a jam and don't have time to wait for them to ship}, and they are pretty cheap...

I bought the premium plan {$16.95 for the year, which they waive for the first year, then each card is just $1.99 w/ free shipping!!!!!!!! }  And they are so personal! 

Ok, I want this to stop sounding like an advertisement, so the reason I am telling you all this is because I want to share with you the adorable cards we {Gwen and I} made Jason for his birthday!

The front of Jason's card from Me

The top inside of his card, I'll spare you all the mushy stuff :)

The front of his card from Gwen. The bottom says "to my amazing superhero"

The inside :)

You can even put a pic on the back too!

SEE?!?!  You can admit it, I'm right!  They're too cute!

Anyway, thought I'd let you in on my secret... you're welcome :)

xoxo.

Specifically For My Grandparents

The rest of you may read/watch along, but I am posting this for two people...

My Mam-Mom & Pop-Pop.

Hi guys. :)

I feel like everyone gets to see Gwen grow and change right before their eyes, and you don't :(

{They live in Florida for all you other readers}

I don't always remember to post videos of Gwen's latest antics, but tonight, while she was running around the house, I thought of you.

And I wanted to share.

We love you so SO SO much, and miss you even more.

Thanks everyone for reading along too!

xoxo.

Stats ~ 11 Months

Again, I am a huge slacker.

But, I have a good great reason.

We've been on vacation, sort of.

{More about our week in a later post}

More importantly, little lady turned 11 months old on Tuesday {her Daddy's birthday also!}

Holy shiznit!  How can it be possible that we have now entered the last few weeks of Gwen's 1st year?!?!?

In 26 days, Gwen will be a year old!  Although I am BEYOND excited to celebrate this amazing milestone, I could cry that she is growing up so fast.  TOO FAST.

Well, without further ado, here it is...

Gwen, you are 11 months old...

...and this is what you're up to.

Height - About 31 inches.  You seem so tall to us.  Such a little person.

Weight - 21ish lbs.  We were on vacation so we really didn't step on a scale :)

Diapers - Size 3, but I am sure we will end up moving up a size sooner than later.

Clothes - Some 9 months, some 12, depends on what it is.

Food - Everything.  Ok, that's a fib, because you don't necessarily like EVERYTHING.  But you try.  And you most definitely seem OVER baby food.  You couldn't be bothered by it.  It's funny.  And I have to admit that it makes life a lot easier that you eat regular food.

Sleep - Nothing new here, you're still awesome!

Naps - Still 2 a day.  And you are very specific where you nap.  In your crib/playpen.  Or in the car. 

Teeth - No new teeth, but it doesn't matter because you're toothy little grin is absolutely precious.

 - You are WALKING everywhere!!!!  It is so amazing, and yet SO terrifying.  lol. 

- Daddy went to get you out of bed last Saturday and you looked right at him and said "Da-da"  Thank goodness, because he was begging for it, haha, and you made it right before his birthday!  He was sooooooo happy!!!

- We took our first little vacation, and we all survived! :) We came home today, and it feels so good to be home.

I haven't uploaded her "official" 11 month pic, but here's two from our week away.

You make every day a great day.  We love you SO VERY MUCH!

xoxo.

Date Night {in pics}

As previously stated, Jason and I got to share our first "date night" in a while, yippee!  I mean, we've gone out plenty of other times, but it usually involves friends and/or relatives... so it was nice to be just the two of us {oh, and the thousands of other baseball fans @ Yankee Stadium}. hehe.

It was great. Perfect, in fact.

Enjoying "adult beverages" on the train :)



Love this place



The Captain.  Loves me some Jeter!

<3 him!

Pretty moon

Garlic fries. with cheese. and a beer.  need I say more??

This is crazy, all of the booze has "wi-fi" pourers... keeping track of every drop of alcohol!



The after party :)

Feelin good, lovin life.


It was such a good night.  And the perfect start to our vacation together.
xoxo.

Friday Fun

orry for some serious blog slacking, but this week was a rough one.  Baby girl caught a cold (grrr) and needed some EXTRA love and attention... THEN she shared her cold with me :(  BOOOOOO for colds in the summer!  We are feeling better now {just in time for "date night" tonight}, and I am ready to play some "catch up."

Wordless Wednesday

Most of the summer, we have been letting Gwen rock it out barefoot, but we figured that it was about time to get her a pair of "walking shoes," you know, ones with some support, hard soles, that she can walk on any surface with.

Gwen I and went on a 3-Mall, yes I said 3, to find a pair of sandals {apparently it's already fall, and there is NO more summer stuff out, WTF?} in her size {that I didn't hate}.  We finally found a pair that I could stomach, and that fit her chubster tootsies!  AND they were on sale. Score!

Pretty freakin cute, right?!?!

I can't say that she LOVES wearing them, but she doesn't seem to mind, and she looks adorable in them!

The Simple Things

Here's my {day late} link up with jesslyn amber, sharing all the things I am grateful for...

I appreciate...

a healthy baby.  that cold DID ME IN, {mentally AND physically} and I am so happy baby girl is back to normal!  It sucks watching your happy little one be SO miserable.  but I DO realize that is the first of MANY, so I'll just have to tough it out.

"dance party" for wii.  I know that this is a weird one, but we {hubs and I} played for the first time this weekend with my bro, future sis-in-law, cousin and her bf, and OMGGGGGG!!!  I haven't laughed that hard in sooooo long!  Oh yes, I took video, and am contemplating a post totally devoted to embarrassing us all... stay tuned!

that my sis-in-law was offered a fantastic job {after a VERY long and stressful search}!  she is such a hard worker and deserves it more than anyone.  love you meg.  congrats again!

date night tonight! at Yankee Stadium.  happy girl.  'nuff said.

today starts hubs' "stay-cation." whoooo-hoooo!  if you need us, we will be at the beach, poolside, out to lunch/dinner, and plenty of other fun places. 

What were you thankful for this week?

Fill In The Blank Friday

HAPPY FRIDAY! 

Seriously I can't wait for this vacay to get underway... I am counting the minutes until the end of the work day {Jason's not mine}!

Here's my link up with Lauren at the little things we do.

1. My most favorite birthday was  there are two that are dear to my heart.  obviously this years {my 27th, ouch} because it was the first that I spent with Gwen and Jason as our little family.  and my 25th.  it was a Friday that year, and we flew down to Puerto Rico after work, for our wedding tasting, planning, etc. just for the weekend, and flew back Sunday night.  we packed so much fun and excitement in those few shorts hours days!

2.  My Worst Birthday was  I'm not sure about this one.  I mean, I haven't had an awful birthday, but I guess I have had ones that weren't up to par.  Maybe my 16th?  no party. not much excitement. idk.

3.  My favorite birthday memory is  getting off a plane at about 10:30pm the night that my best friend, Jen, and I turned 21, and meeting her out in Seaside to celebrate ANOTHER milestone together {we have been besties since Kindergarten!}  we rocked it that night, and turned 21 in style, but paid heavily for it in the morning. lol.  I love that we share the same birthday, it makes it THAT much more special.

4.  The BEST birthday present I have ever received was  my beautiful Movado watch that Jason {then just my bf} gave me when we first started dating.  it was SO unexpected, and he really put some thought into it.  i love it {and him}

5.  The Best birthday present I have ever given was  Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tickets to Jason last year.  for a few reasons. 1. I was preggo and he thought there was NO chance of us going so he was TOTALLY surprised. 2. It was just a few short weeks before Gwen's arrival, so it was a sort of "last date night" before the big day! And 3. I knew it was something he REALLY wanted.  He couldn't stop thanking me that night.

6.  Birthdays are SPECIAL. and always should be. it's your day, celebrate how fabulous you are, and make everyone else celebrate with you!

7.  My favorite age so far has been 27. I am happily married, with a beautiful little girl, a crazy, but lovable Lab, and I am living in the moment.  I don't see how it could get any better, but I bet it will :)

Well, there it is people. ::sigh::  That felt good.  cleansing.

enjoy your friday.

i'll be on a date.

with this handsome guy...



...and he's ALL mine ;)

xoxo.

Profiling ~ Chapter 2

This is mi madre.

Isn't she beautiful?!

My mom, Cynthia (Gwen's middle name), is one of the strongest women I know.  She is what I picture when the word "warrior" is used.  Weird?  Maybe, for you, but underneath her nurturing exterior, there is a protective, opinionated (in a good way), and independent, mother/daughter/sister/friend.

We (her & I) have had our ups and downs (I wasn't the BEST teenager), but our relationship is the absolute strongest that it has ever been.  Maybe it takes becoming a mom to really appreciate your own... I mean, I have always APPRECIATED her, but to know that my mom loves me the immense way that I love Gwen is just, well, flattering. 

5 Random Facts About My Mom

1.  She is a VERY talented baker.  Although, it is not her profession, she is so great at it!  Birthday cakes, pies, cookies, you name it... She and my Pop-Pop made our wedding cake in Puerto Rico!  It was delish! (And pretty too!)

2.  She LOVES the beach!  Like me, she could spend all day, every {sunny} day, at the ocean.  And she is tan pretty much the minute she hits the sand... grr {I did not inherit that}.

3.  She is one of four, well actually, including her step-sibs, she is one of 10!!!!   And I thought 2 sounded like a lot, lol.

4.  She was a great softball player, a catcher, which ended up costing her knees {she literally had no cartilage left in knees at a very early age}.  She played in high school, in women's leagues, and even coached my softball teams for as long as I could remember.  Even though she no longer plays, it is something that will always remind me of her. 

5. It's her birthday today!!!  Happy Birthday, Mom/Wela!  We are SO lucky to have you in our lives! 

So, PLEASE leave some love for my Momma, I'll pass it along, as we are out celebrating today :)

It's The Simple Things... 4th Edition

It's that day again!  I have so much that I appreciate this week... but I'll try to keep it short and sweet.  Here's my link up with jesslyn amber.

I appreciate...

that I got to see my sis-in-law and bro-in-law twice in one week. we don't live close, so that is a rarity!

Gwen eating a big girl dinner with us last night {baked potato, some chicken, and cheese}.  she didn't exactly eat it all, but it was an awesome attempt.

that my husband will be taking a "stay-cation" with us in a few weeks... we can't wait!

that August is here... and that Fall is right around the corner {I can smell the pumpkin already!}

my delish Iced Mocha Latte from DD {it is definitely one habit I CAN'T kick!}

the $5 check that I received from the Jury Management Office {I ONLY appreciate this, because I thought I was being summoned AGAIN for MORE duty. no thanks. I'll take the five bucks:)}

when, in the middle of the night, my husband squeezes me and tells me he loves me so much :)

Hope you are all having a fabulous week! 
xoxo.



Wordless Wednesday ~ Blasts From Our Past

Some random pics, PRE-Gwen... enjoy :)



Halloween 2008 ~ Sarah Palin & John McCain



Our awesome Bridal Party in Puerto Rico!

Our dream wedding... wouldn't change A THING!

Honeymoon, St. Lucia.  Hubs thought it was a cute pic idea ;)

My Baby Killian... we lost her a few short weeks later :(

Not completely PRE Gwen... but before she was here :)

Random, yes, but really hope you enjoyed!

xoxo.

Bums...

...Beach Bums, that is!

Hallelujah!

We FINALLY got our butts to the beach, and it was fabulous!

After weeks of planning, cancelling, and rescheduling, we packed up our "fun bus" :) and took the little princess to the beach for her, well OUR, first time as a family.  

I have been avoiding the beach during the week {I would be there EVERY day of my life} because Jason (and I) want to do most of Gwen's "firsts" all together.  I don't want to have to tell him how her first day at the beach, carnival, baseball game, etc., I (we) want him to share in the experience. 

SO I waited.

And waited.

And waited some more... I mean it's AUGUST already, people!

{It wasn't his fault, or anyone else's.  We just have had SO much to do every weekend that there was no time left to fit in the beach}

Well, yesterday was my our breaking point, so we headed off for a day {few hours, we didn't want to push our luck} of sun and fun :)  And guess what?!?

Gwen LOVED it!

{so did her Mommy & Daddy}

She wasn't afraid, played in the sand, kicked and splashed in the water, and was the perfect little beach baby.  It was such a fun time, and everything that we hoped it would be...

And the best part?  Now, Miss Gwen and I can spend any day we want at the beach {yippee}!  Anyone care to join us?!?



Checking out the scenery @ 15th Street, Shipbottom.



Prepping for the "big" waves

Love our little family :)

Jumping waves with Daddy

Sand... it looked like it would taste good, but didn't, lol. 

Loungin with her Ba-ba

"Enough pics, Ma!"

As much fun as we had, it still feels like the weekends are NEVER long enough.

Hope your weekend was wonderful!

xoxo.