Our CRAZY Train

Jason and I are very used to packing up and heading down to our hometown for the weekend, even with a dog.  But having a baby and a new puppy has brought an end to travelling lightly!  I must say that we are beginning to master the art of packing, stacking, and strategically placing us all in our car... oh, but what a sight it is to see!

Because he is just a puppy, and loves to lick Gwen until she is blue in the face, we have now stuck Wiley in the front seat (Yup, he rides shotgun), and us girls get the back seat.  Wiley then proceeds to lay across the front seat with his head in Jason's lap, and over the course of the ride, tries to inch his way completely into the driver's seat.  

There is normally plenty of room in the back seat... that is, when we don't have days worth of diapers, bottles, formula, toys, a stroller, oh yeah, and clothes.  We all manage though, and it nice to get away to see family and friends... as long as they have room for us, and all of our stuff! Lol.

Here are some pics from our ride this weekend.

Snug as a bug :)

Haha, Mom, I'm riding shotgun and YOU'RE not!

Yup, here I am in the back.

And then he starts to inch...

At least I have a good view!



We are back home now, and unfortunately bracing for ANOTHER snowstorm, possibly an even bigger one than the last :(  Only 48 days until spring!

On another note, I'm happy to report, that after a bit of stirring, a flip over, and some Mommy panic, Gwen slept the entire night on her belly!  And I SURVIVED!  Thank goodness... Guess that's just how she is comfortable.

Lots of love to you.

Bump In The Night

Although I am extremely happy that Gwen hit her milestone of rolling over, I am starting to wish that I could turn it off at night!

     Thursday night, while Jason was sleeping (gearing up for his next overnighter at work), Gwen and I were doing the usual routine...  Bath, pjs, a little playtime, bottle, and then bed.  All was going according to plan, when I heard her start to stir, not uncommon, so I turned on the monitor to see what she was up to.  She had rolled herself over, then sideways, then down to the end of the bed, FACE PLANTED and FELL ASLEEP!!!!! Ahhhhhhhh!!!! Now, I don't mean that she was on her belly and her head was to the side so that she could breathe, NO she was FACE FIRST into the mattress.  Panic has never filled my body so quickly!  I ran to the bedroom, woke Jason, and explained the problem.  I had completely startled him and he had no immediate response, so I said "I have to call my mom."  So, @ 10:30pm I called my mom (who is away at the moment for work) and explained my problem... Lol.  She laughed at my distress (bc I am a maniac at this point) and told me to go turn her over... I make her wait on the phone while I do so, hoping not to wake her, again.  It works, and I am calm for the moment, but CAN'T stop watching the stupid monitor... as the night ticks on.

Well let's just say that wasn't the only time that she rolled over, and by 12:45am, I gave up, and Little Miss Gwen shared my bed for the night.  I only hope tonight goes better, not worse...

Maybe the next time I will document it, to prove I'm not insane :)

SNOWverrated

Yes, snow is OVERRRATEDDDD!!!! I enjoyed it SO much more when it meant a day home from school.  Here we got another 18 inches ON TOP of all of the snow that had not melted yet.  AND we are expected to get more next week.  Grrr.  I don't know how much more I can handle!  Jason was at work from 6am Wednesday morning to 12pm Thursday on Snow Detail... then came home, ate, slept, went back at midnight, and is still there :( Gwen and I are going STIR CRAZY!!!!  Lol.  At least we have each other, right?  It would be so nice to share a snow day with Daddy for once.

When he was home, we did get out for a few minutes to take some pics... 

We didn't stay outside too long, didn't want to get sick.  But, it was fun to get Gwen out there... I think she likes how bright it is outside.

I've begun a countdown to Spring... can you tell I've had enough of winter?

Stay warm... XoXo.

A Year Ago Today...

Taken 10/4/10



...was the day (actually, night) that I took a pregnancy test, expecting it to come up negative.  I was home by myself, while Jason was at a work dinner, when my world was changed forever.  It was the beginning of one of the most amazing journeys of my life, although I was scared BEYOND belief at that moment. 

Killian & Mommy

 ...was also one of the last days that we spent with our baby Killian.  She was very sick, and little did we know that she would have to leave us just a few short days later. (January 30th)  As much as I love and adore our little man Wiley, I always wonder how Killian would have been with Gwen.  She is GREATLY missed every day. 

Wiley

...our world was completely different, and almost seems MORE than a year ago, if that makes sense.  When I look back on the year that has passed, I am so grateful for the experiences and gifts that we, as a family, have been given.  As crazy as Wiley is, he saved Jason and I from an extremely hard loss, and I am excited that Gwen and him get to grow up together... I think they will be the best of friends.  And Gwen, well, she is honestly a work of God, and I may be biased but she is nothing short of perfection. <3

What a difference a year makes!

Hope this year has many great things in store for you all.

Our love to you.

I'm Back!

Well, hello again!  It has been awhile, 4 months to be exact, but I am back and ready to blog once again. 

Where to begin?  Gwen is fantastic!  I can't even believe that there was life BEFORE her!  She is just such a little doll, and makes everything about our lives BETTER.  She is rolling around, talking (and yelling, lol) up a storm, and just had her first bowl of rice cereal last week!  Where did the time go?!?!  I feel like we just brought her home from the hospital the other day.  I know that everyone tells you to cherish every minute bc they grow up so fast, but you can't understand it until it is happening to you.  But it is the truth, SHE IS GROWING SOOOO FAST! 

Gwen's first Holidays were so special.  Even though she is too little to remember or truly enjoy them, it made them THAT much more meaningful for Jason and I.  New Year's Eve was probably my favorite so far, and a BIG switch from our NYE last year. Haha.  We spent the night out to dinner at our favorite place, then home in our PJs with our little peanut and crazy Lab.  Oh, AND a bottle of Champagne :)  It was absolutely perfect... and the ONLY way that I would want to start the New Year.

We are currently in a snow-induced lock down for the ump-teenth time this Winter... and it is getting very frustrating!  I cannot wait for the Spring, just for the mere fact that Gwen and I will be able to go walk around the park, and not have to put on 10 layers of clothes! 

Since I am just getting back into the swing of blogging, I am going to take Mommy-to-Be quiz one more time, post Labor, to help me along.

Mommy-To-Be Quiz Post Labor

How far along?  Done being Preggo!!! Gwen is currently 4 months, 1 week old.

Total Weight Loss/Gain:  I can thankfully say that I have lost all my baby weight and then some! Yay!  I weigh about 10 lbs less then when I got pregnant.  Although I must admit, I need some serious toning before Bikini Time, but I am working on it.

Maternity Clothes:  Are hidden in storage!!!!! It was so nice to get back into my "skinny" jeans, they made me feel like I was back to normal.

Stretch Marks:  Ok, we can finally talk about these... I managed to escape any stretch marks during my pregnancy. :)  Thank you Palmer's Cocoa Butter, you are a great friend!

Sleep:  It was soooo nice to finally be able to sleep on my stomach, back, actually anyway but on my side.  And Miss Gwen has been pretty generous to Jason and I... although I do catch a nap here and there during the week. Lol.

Best Moment of the Week:  Feeding Gwen her first bowl of rice cereal. It was so fun to see her try something new.

Movement:  Gwen is an even bigger wiggler outside the womb!  She is a mover and a shaker, but I already knew that when she was in my belly.

Food Cravings:   Well, I dont' really crave much, actually I don't think about food that often, but there were a few firsts that I REALLY looked forward to and thoroughly enjoyed.

1.)  Seafood... mmm that first pot of mussels was Heaven

2.) Rare Steak

3.) Red Wine

Labor Signs: No need for this category anymore thank goodness.

Belly Button:  Back to my normal innie! And my Linea Negra finally lightened almost completely back to normal. 

What I Miss: Other than being able to leave the house without a SUITCASE lol, I don't miss ANYTHING... I couldn't imagine anything without Gwen, she makes it all worth it.

What I Am Looking Forward To: Everything!  Crawling, Walking, Talking, Spring... I am excited for it all.

Weekly Wisdom: Cherish every laugh, smile, coo, cry, hug, kiss, every moment, these are the things that make life complete.

Milestones: 4 Months Old, Rolling Over, Smiling, Laughing, Cooing, Rice Cereal... so much fun!

What is Gwen Up To?  Besides growing like a WEED, she's getting more and more personality every day!  She makes each day fun and exciting, I just hope that I am making her proud to have me as her Mommy.

Until next time. XoXo.