Maternity Shopping...

No... I do not have an announcement to make!  Today, Luke and I went to Ann Arbor to go maternity clothes shopping with my friend Kristen!  We went to Briarwood Mall to Mimi Maternity and I made her put the "belly" on and model this coat for me so I could take her picture.... she is not this big yet, but how cute is she?  And how sad that she did not buy this awesome coat!  Surely it will keep her toasty warm this winter!!!

We had such a great day!  She got loads of great clothes.  Some fabulous cords, a bunch of knit tops and a sweater or two.  It was a successful day! We also went to Babies R Us and looked at all things baby!  It's so exciting when it's someone else going through all this! HA!

Mimi Maternity is smart enough to have a fitting room full of baby toys... so Luke had a blast playing with the Leap Frog table and other random toys. The most fun was had kissing himself in the mirror though.  It was the cutest thing.  He was all like "Who IS that good lookin' baby?  I must KISS HIM!"  Too cute...

He even made some friends!  This poor little girl though... I had to ask her to leave so I could change Luke at one point. They did not have a changing table in the bathroom and he desperately needed to be changed!!!  

Luke got some new shoes at Stride Rite... and we had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen.  Afterwards, we went over to Kristen's brother's house to visit with Finn, Kristen's niece, who is 2 days younger than Luke. They had a pretty good time together, but both were pretty tired and cranky after a day of NO NAPS!  Finn had a big outing today too. Amazing how a nap-less day can be a disaster come evening time!

I had a blast Kristen.... let me know the next time you are in need of a fabulous shopping partner!

What do you think?

So... my mom scanned in my little brother David's 9 month photo (circa 1978) and emailed it to me the other day.  I think she wondered if he looked at all like Luke...

What do you think?

Soccer Saturdays...

Ally had her first Soccer game this morning... it was a drizzly, chilly, foggy morning... but we pulled ourselves out of bed... and somehow got to the field on time for the 9:00 am game!  9:00 am Saturday morning is NOT EASY to do!  Truthfully, Scott left with Ally first to make sure she was there on time.  Luke and I were moving slower.  Aunt Jane and Grace met us at the field to cheer Ally on too.

Luke and I arrived just as the game was getting underway... I must say... it was mostly comedy watching the 4-6 year olds out there. Ally played offense the first two quarters, defense the third and offense again for the final quarter.  She was playing forward for the fourth quarter and when Scott would tell her to "get in there" (where the ball and action were) she would proceed to stop at the side of the field and explain to him just what she was supposed to be doing, according to her coach.  All the while the game has moved to the other side of the field...

And, while playing defense.... she pretty much just stood there and played with her ponytail.  Jane got a GREAT picture of it... 

Here are some great actions shots.... she did run and run and try with all her might... when she wasn't busy talking to those of us on the sidelines, waving to us, coming over to kiss Luke or Grace or fixing her hair.  She cracks us up...

Luke really enjoyed watching his big sister play soccer.  He especially enjoyed yelling... and spitting.  I think all the action was just exciting for him and he was happy to be in the midst of it all!

After the game... they have snack time.  I have learned that this is the BEST part of soccer when you are five.  Juice boxes and donut holes!  I was told that Ally put away like 22 of them.  HA!  I guess we know what's a hit when it comes our time to bring the snack!

** Update ** I forgot to mention.... the score of the game was 1-0! Ally's team won!

I Should Shower, But...

Luke is down for his nap and who knows how long it will last.  Yes, I should use this time wisely and get in the shower.  Or eat the breakfast I never got.  Or unpack the rest of my suitcase.  But, no... here I am on my blog. I am hopeless!  Things happen though, in a morning... and I just have this overwhelming desire to share! Especially when the subject is as cute as my son!  ;-)

So... we all know Luke loves his big sister.  He also seems to prefer her room to his.  Her toys to his... 

After I put him down in the living room to play with his zillion toys all over the place... he promptly crawls as fast as his little legs and arms will carry him... to Ally's room at the end of the hall.  I follow him a moment later, and find him doing this....

It appears Luke likes a good doll house as much as any little girl!  It is just too cute.  He likes the furniture better than the dolls though... and he likes to chew on said furniture more than anything!  He cracks me up....

Oh, and check out the back of this adorable little outfit? 

HA!  Little tools.... too cute!  Thanks Eli for the cutest clothes!!!!!  

Our Little Soccer Player...

Ally had her first soccer practice yesterday.... Scott went out Tuesday and bought her soccer cleats and shin guards.  At practice, they got their uniforms... how freakin' cute is this?

I was driving home from Chicago yesterday... so Scott took it on his phone and sent it to me.  You have to enjoy the fact that she is wearing a skirt!  Yes, it's a little skirt with shorts underneath, and it's kind of sporty... but still. It's a skirt!  :-)  She cracks me up...

But, the best part has to be the pink cleats!  Come on.... PINK ROCKS!  Especially in sports gear. They will be a fine addition to Ally's pink baseball glove and her pink baseball bat!

Ah... I'm home for a bit this morning.  Got home late from Chicago last night, so Luke and I are hanging together at home and I am going to go into work this afternoon.  Hopefully, I will be able to get showered and ready while he naps this morning! I do have a meeting I can't miss today... otherwise, I would probably stay home all day. I'm pretty wiped out.

But.... on a VERY positive note... Luke slept through the night last night!  The night before I went to Chicago was awful.... he was up not once, but TWICE!!!!!  This was after doing fairly well two nights in a row.... Then, Tuesday night, Scott said he woke up around 11 and had a bottle... but then slept through to 7:30.  Last night, he had is bottle at 7:00 pm... and slept until 7:00 am!  He did wake up a bit at 5:00 am... but he wasn't screaming and he went back to sleep!

So, hopefully.... this week is a turning point of sorts... cuz man... WE NEED SOME SLEEP AROUND HERE!

I had a nice, quick visit to Chicago.  Had a wonderful dinner with my friend Beth at Japonais.  And, my meeting was actually REALLY interesting and worthwhile... which was a good thing because I had no Blackberry or iPhone signal in the building, so I would have DIED without communication devices and a boring meeting..... HA!

I must go and feed the starving boy now.... he beckons!

School Pictures...

Ally had her first official school pictures taken the second day of school and here is how they turned out:

Not too bad!  Not a Nicole Barczak work of art... but adorable none the less!  They have become high tech and now provide us with CDs and images that we can email and share.  The images aren't great quality, but at least they are easy to share with friends and family!!!!!

I think Ally looks SO OLD in this picture for some reason.  She just looks like such a big girl!!!!  She will be SIX this winter. WOW!  I said "where did the time go" with Luke's 9 month post yesterday... I feel exponentially in awe of where the time went when it comes to Ally!

He ALMOST Did It...

Well, Luke ALMOST slept through the night last night. We put him down around 8:00 pm yestderay. That's actually a little later than usual. He usually cannot stay up past 7:00 pm, but he had a later afternoon nap... so we gave it a try! We also increased his amounts of solids yesterday... as I was reading he could be taking more "cubes" than we were giving him, so I gave that a try as well!

He goes down GREAT. We have absolutely no troubles getting Luke to go to sleep.... it's that he just can't seem to STAY asleep!

Around 11:00 pm, he was screaming. It starts out small at first.. but then escalates quickly.

Really wanting to take corrective action... I tried patting him on the back. Repeatedly laying him back down (as he sits up now when he screams!) and patting him, telling him it was okay. This appeared to piss him off more. Then, I gave in and picked him up. This calmed him for only the shortest time... then, it was full-steam ahead with the screaming! I changed his diaper. Rocked him. Bounced him. All to no avail.

Scott made a bottle... when we DO give him a bottle in the middle of the night, it's all water... with the smallest amount of formula to simply "flavor" it. He sucks down the water...... and out he went.

UGH! That wasn't what I wanted to do! I need to implement some tough love here!!!!

We went to bed, fully anticipating the need to repeat the cycle around 3:00 am, but he slept right through the night from there on out... waking around 7:00 am.

So... baby steps right? That was a small victory!!!

Thanks for all the words of wisdom girls... I could use all the wisdom I can get! Most days I feel like I am only working with half a brain anyway!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow I am off to Chicago for a VERY quick work trip. I will travel there tomorrow for a meeting first thing Wednesday morning... and travel home after the meeting Wednesday afternoon/evening. I do love Chicago and would normally spend more time there, but I have been on the road a lot lately... and it's just too much time away (in a row) from my little ones! I really miss them toward the end of a longer trip... and the sight of babies makes me cry! I totally got choked up in the airport in New York..... and was definitely ready to come home when we came back from Baltimore. After this week... no traveling for quite some time!!!!!

I am going to try to take Ally to Chicago again in October sometime I think! She has a Friday off mid-October and I thought that might be a fun weekend to go. Won't be too cold yet... will have to think on that one! Will my Chicago girls be around???

9 Months...

Where has the time gone? Luke is 9 months old as of this past Saturday, September 20th!  Can you believe it?  That means it's been like a good year since I've slept!  HA!  9 months of his life, and the last three months of my pregnancy!

Luke is changing by the day it seems as of late.  Here are some of his latest achievements:

• He can CRAWL!  And boy, can he!  He moves at the speed of light.  He started crawling right at 8 months.
• He can pull himself up onto his knees.  He really wants to pull up to stand, but the best he can do right now is up on one knee and one foot with that leg bent... an odd position for sure!
• He LOVES the dogs and can play fetch with them, as well as let Fergus out of his crate.
• His favorite things to play with are the cord to the floor lamp, the wine rack, the DVD player and anything plugged into an outlet, especially night lights and Glade Plug Ins!
• No one makes him belly laugh like his big sister, Ally.  He loves her best.
• He is drinking really, really well from a cup.  Today he took two feedings of formula from the cup instead of his bottle... and he LOVES his apple juice!
• HE HAS NO TEETH!!!  None.  At. All.  And, it doesn't even look like any are on their way!
• He loves to eat... and can eat approximately 6 cubes of food in one sitting if he's having fruit and veggies. PIGGY boy.  His new additions lately are chicken, blueberries, wheat, pasta, cabbage, cheerios, melon, and spinach.  We are slowly adding chunks and finger food but again... HE HAS NO TEETH!  :-)  He also doesn't seem to grasp the pincer grasp AT ALL and most of his cheerios end up in his lap and on the floor.  The dogs love it!
• He babbles "Da-da-da" all the time.  He used to babble "Ma-ma" but it seems that has passed much to my dismay!
• He is as cute as can be... case in point:

And finally, he learned to WAVE!!!!  Maybe he started while we were in Baltimore, but I saw it for the first time today... so I like to think it is a skill he just learned while I was watching!  He waves toward himself... but he is most definitely waving. His favorite... of course... he waves at the dogs.  Here he is, waving at Fergus...

Look how excited Fergus is at Luke's new-found talent!  LOL!  :-) It's hard to capture the wave in a picture... but I got it on video too. Of course, I can't find the cable to download video to my computer from the camera... UGH!  I know I promised crawling footage some time ago too... I am so sorry (MOM!!!).

Wow... it's hard to believe that in three short months we will be celebrating his one year birthday... time goes by too fast!!!!

Now, if we could only learn to master sleeping through the night!!!!

*** Luke is wearing a Cubs onsie in all these photos... courtesy of Eli Hopson (Beth, you should SO start a blog!)... and in honor of the Cubs winning the division yesterday!  Two of my favorite girls in the world were there to witness it and went out to celebrate it!!  Since the Tigers suck, we can jump on the Cubbies' bandwagon!  

Dave and Mary...

On our trip down to Baltimore, we were lucky enough to be able to meet up and go out to dinner with my brother, Dave and my sister-in-law, Mary!  They live in Frederick, Maryland... about an hour outside of Baltimore, and maybe an hour outside of DC as well?  My brother works for Bovis Lend Lease as an engineer.  He builds things.  :-)  So, he moves around a bit in the area for his job, depending on what he is building at the time!  He has had projects right downtown in Washington DC, Georgetown and now he just finished a school in Rockville, MD and is starting in on a sports complex in the same city.

Anyway... they made the Friday night drive into Baltimore to go out with us... and we're so glad they did!  We had a GREAT dinner, night out and got to catch up.  We wish we could see them more of course, but it is always great to catch up with them and see what's going on in their lives!

We figure everyone has more interesting lives than we do!  :-)

Here are some pictures from our night:

 

Yeah, the more you drink... the more interesting your picture taking gets!  We had a good time though....

It was mine and Scott's last night in Baltimore.  We packed up yesterday and left the hotel at a decent hour to grab lunch at the airport before we left.  They should really improve upon the eating options at most airports, including Baltimore!  We are so lucky here in Michigan... with the new terminal at Metro.... it has made that airport really one of the nicest in the country now.  And I am a complete Chili's addict... I love to get the Southwestern Egg Rolls before I hop on a plane.... YUM!!!!

So.... we traveled home yesterday and made it to my in-laws in time to watch the majority of the Michigan State/Notre Dame game. WOO HOO!  Go STATE!  It was a pretty good game! Sorry the Fighting Irish lost to the might Spartans Sarah.  Life is hard.  :-) We had dinner with my in-laws, Jane and Grace and came home later last night.  I was probably asleep before 9:00 pm! Exhausted!!!!!

Luke slept for CRAP last night... up at 3:00 am and 5:00 am. I must find a solution to this problem.... is something bothering him in his sleep???  He wakes up PISSED!  It's not like he's just awake and wants a snuggle... the only thing that soothes him is a bottle!!!  I am perplexed.  We have tried letting him cry... so don't think I'm opposed to the "tough love."  I'm so not opposed!  He just NEVER stops.  He will cry for hours......

I'm getting desperate though.  I am starting to wonder if I should try a new formula.  Ally was allergic to milk. Maybe he is too? Maybe he is having such a hard time sleeping because his tummy is upset? Maybe he confuses tummy pain with hunger?

All I know is we did the SAME things with him that we did with Ally and she slept through the night, 12 hours by 8 weeks of age.... and never looked back. She is still a solid sleeper. 

He is SUCH a light sleeper!  He pretty much wakes up if you make the slightest noise in his room.  He doesn't necessarily wake up for good, but his eyes fly open and he looks up and smiles! What is up with that???

So..... I am reaching that point where I need some advice here!  I need some guidance.  Going to talk to the pediatrician at his 9 month appointment.... but any words of wisdom from any of you are always welcome as well!!!

Airport...

We're at the airport! Our flight is at 1ish, but we got here early to grab a bite to eat and make sure we made it on time with no stress!

We had a great night out last night with Dave and Mary. Ate at M&S Grill. Had great seafood and amazing vodka collins! I swear to you all, I'm not an alcoholic. I simply enjoy a tasty beverage when I am out!

It was great to catch up with my brother and sister-in-law. We don't get to see them enough.

I have some fun pictures to upload and share when I get home!!!!

Until then.... We are headed home soon! Can't wait to see Luke and Ally!


-- Post From My iPhone

Sideways...

I have no idea why that pic of Scott posted sideways or how to fix it from my phone! You will just gave to tilt your head!

And no, I wasn't that drunk when I took it and took the pic like that! It's not out of the realm of possibility, but it didn't happen last night!

:-)


-- Post From My iPhone

Lazy...

I have not gotten out of bed yet today! I love it! How often do I get to do this? It is luxury of the purest kind!

I woke up this morning when Scott went off to his conference and ordered room service again. It was fabulous. Egss, bacon, hashbrowns, OJ and coffee. I picked up my book, Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand, after I finished eating and haven't stopped reading! Haven't showered or gotten dressed. Lazy, lazy girl today!

Yesterday, once I ventures out into the world, I went for sushi at Edo Sushi. It was fabulous! I enjoyed my Maki with a glass of Chardonnay and relished every minute of my lunch outdoors in the sun.

I went shopping a bit after that. Picking up some gifts for the kids. Then, wandered back to the hotel to meet up with Scott for drinks before dinner!

We went to a place called Mex. A Mexican restaurant and dines on fresh guacamole made tableside, quesadillas and chimichangas. YUM!

We drank a little too much.... But we didn't have a baby to get up with, so we must take advantage of this time! We had a great night out together. The weather us still perfect and again, we ate outside! The only meals I've had indoors have been my morning room service!

Tonight, my brother and sister-in-law, Dave and Mary are going out with us. They live about an hour outside Baltimore. I am so looking forward to seeing them both!

In the meantime, let's see if I can post some pics from last night!







-- Post From My iPhone

No Laptop...

Well, we packed it up and then promptly left it on the dining room floor! My coveted Mac is home alone!

It is not the easiest to blog from my phone thru Safari, so I went in search of an app to download and sure enough! Here I am blogging on my iPhone thru an app that makes it as easy as can be!

I love this phone!!!!!!!!!!

So, Scott and I arrived in Baltimore yesterday all in one piece and on time! It was a little touch and go as there was an accident on 94 so we were still in Ann Arbor at 9:15. Our flight was at 10:30. We made it to the aiport, wasted no time looking for a parking spot anywhere other than the roof and ran into the airport. You never know how check-in or security is going to be, but the airport was dead and we sailed thru!

Even our gate was close.... Everyting fell into place for us to make it on time! Just a little stress!

We got here, checked in to our hotel, dropped our bags (didn't even unpack!) and got some lunch! We were starving!!!!!!

We ate at M&S Grill right on the water, across the street from our hotel. Enjoyed calamari and split a cheeseburger. Yum!!!!

We then walked everywhere to see some of Baltimore and see what's around! Let me tell you, there are a million fabulous restaurants here! I will be the first to admit, when I travel, food is very important!

Last night we went to a great Latin resaurant with probably the best mojitos we have ever had!!! So good!

The weather here could not be more perfect. Mid-70s and no humidity! We ate lunch and dinner outside.

Scott is in his training today and I am enjoying room service, watching The Today Show and blogging! It's pure luxury!!!!!

I found a highly rated sushi place I plan to have lunch at this afternoon. Can't wait! But, for now, I am relaxing and loving every minute of it!



-- Post From My iPhone

Mr. Potato Head...

I love that Ally thinks Luke is getting to be fun to play with!  I remember when he was born, while she was SO EXCITED to be a big sister...  I do think she was a little disappointed that this new little brother didn't DO much!

Now, they are actually starting to play a little bit together. Tonight, after their bath (which they take together and absolutely LOVE!)... Ally got out her Mr. Potato Head bucket and took it to Luke for them to share..... he was "eating" the mouth/lips and she wanted to do the same.  What little cheesers....  

They are just becoming too cute together.  She is, truly, for the most part a huge help with Luke.... and I think becoming less and less jealous of the time he takes away from her.  Of course, it could be that he is becoming less time-intensive as well... so it all helps.... ALL of us!

Luke himself... well.... let's just say we're not so sure he doesn't think he's a dog!  He LOVES Berkley and Fergus.  LOVES THEM!  He laughs so hard when they get to running or if they are playing.  He literally plays fetch with them already... he crawls in a little "pack" with them.  I am just waiting for him to start barking.....

One of his favorite things lately is to let Fergus out of his crate... every morning.  The dogs are fed in their crates.... and Luke, after noticing they are crated... can obviously not stand the injustice... so he crawls over as fast as he can and lets Gus out.  He can't open Berkley's crate... it's more complex.  So he just grabs the door and shakes it as if to say "OPEN!!!" 

Well........ Scott and I just finished packing for our trip to Baltimore! We leave tomorrow morning.  For me, this is pure pleasure. I get to go along with him to one of his conferences.  We will get into Baltimore in time for lunch tomorrow... and have the day and night together... then, Thursday and Friday, Scott will be in meetings most of the day... we will stay Friday night and come home Saturday afternoon.  I am looking forward to the "us" time... and I must say... the SLEEP!  I can sleep in... order room service.... then, I really plan to have lazy days and read... maybe do some exploring of the city... but most likely will save that for when he and I can explore together.

I bought two books at Target today (LOVE TARGET!!!).  Alice Sebold's new one... and Barefoot something.... love my specificity here!  Ha!  Too lazy to go and LOOK!  

We are staying right on the Harbor, in what's known as the Inner Harbor area.  I've been a couple times with Dave and Mary and it's a really fun area of the city.  The weather is supposed to be just perfect... so I think we are primed to have a GREAT time!!!!!

I am taking the computer though.... on this trip I should have some time to upload pics, blog and keep you all updated as to what we're doing!  I never take our home laptop when I travel for work, cuz that would leave Scott computer-less at home... and I never take my work laptop cuz it's a PC and, well, to be honest... it sucks.  No offense PC users!  I'm sure your PC is just fabulous.....  ;-)  But, our work Dells simply suck....

No offense to the Dell computer.... man, I'm really being rough to PCs and Dells!  HA!

We are just a Mac family...... we love our Mac.  Love our iPhones.... our iPods.... come on.... Apple is destined to rule the world!  Get on the bandwagon people!!!!!

How did this post become a Mac commercial?  They should pay me!!!!

Okay, should get to bed or at least to reading so I can wind down.... have to get the kids up early and we have to be on the road as soon as we drop Ally off at school as our flight is around 10 am......

Chat again from Baltimore!

School Days...

Ally continues to LOVE school. And, I don't mean just a little. We have noticed huge changes in our little girl since she started Kindergarten. Of course, we have been doing a lot to address some behavior problems lately, and that, combined with really LIKING and feeling comfortable at school could be a reason for all these changes... whatever the reason.... I will take it!

First of all, Ally has been going to bed without any struggle at all. Gone is the "fit" she would have leading up to bedtime. Gone are the struggles over bathtime which always preceded bedtime. Gone is the little girl who just couldn't calm herself enough to FALL asleep. She is out within 10 minutes most nights..... no fuss!

She is no longer taking naps... and we did have her taking them and she did at ABC (preschool) and Y-Camp over the summer. Maybe we held on to the nap too long? I don't know. What I DO know is that she can finally fall asleep FAST! And, that is a blessing for all of us!

She is also sleeping better all around. She rarely gets up in the middle of the night anymore and comes into our room. She was having bad dreams for a while there, in addition to all the "fits." Maybe the two were related? Who knows.......

We have also sought out the help of a professional to help us with Ally... and we have been working with her for a few months now. She has really helped us to understand our daughter and to assist us in dealing with her through this phase. What was most beneficial to us in all of our sessions with her, was that we really learned that this truly is/was a discipline problem... not a sign of some sort REAL antisocial behavior or the like. I will be the first to admit... for a while there, we were worried!

But... we have learned a lot... and I have really learned a lot about what I am doing... and WHY I do it! How I don't allow Ally to feel disappointment... how I carry the guilt of a full-time working mom into my relationship with her... and so much more! Parents need just as much help here! Why aren't WE required to take a parenting class? Why isn't there a manual that comes with our model of child? ;-)

It is SO HARD parenting....... and I will say this and run the risk of parents of babies yelling at me or thinking I am so wrong.... parenting a "BIGGER" kid.... is so much MORE difficult than parenting that newborn baby. The skills required are so very different. It isn't basic needs anymore... it isn't middle fo the night feedings being the worst of it. It gets so much more complicated along the way and if you don't do your part, your JOB... you only fail your child....

Ugh... enough of my soapbox there!

The moral of today's story - Ally is just doing AWESOME! She seems to be such a happy little girl lately... the kind of girl you always WANT your kid to be.... we're not all the way there yet, but I feel the tide turning and I just feel it in my bones that things are going to continue to improve...

What a roller coaster ride this parenting business!!!!!!!! And... you know me... I love those coasters! The bigger the hill, the better......

DAVE!!!!!

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing the Dave Matthews Band perform at the Stand Up for a Cure Benefit concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City last week.  From my view in the third row, center... it was, as always... an AMAZING show...

The only somber moment of the night was that it was my first show without LeRoi.  He was sadly missed by all...

I love Dave fans... I met, as I always do, some of the coolest peeps at the show. We were all there, bonded by our love of the music, the man, the band.  What a night!!!!!!!

Here are some pictures I took from the night.  I will post the entire lot on my Mac Gallery when I can!

Don't you just LOVE Carter's drum set..... he is absolutely the coolest drummer ever, just second to my brother Kellen, of course!  :-)

I am privileged to own two sticks from Carter.  One, I caught in the air at a show in Columbus, Ohio.... and the second was given to me by the man himself in Denver, Colorado at Red Rocks.  I am also the proud owner of two picks of Dave's.  I am completely and totally spoiled!  I have the signatures of all the band members, except Stefan and Roi... and pictures with many as well.

Scott and I were at this amazing music memorabilia place in Vegas once... and they told me how I could have all my "stuff" displayed and mounted in a frame/shadowbox type thing.  It would cost a small fortune, but I think it would be worth every penny.  Even Scott agrees it would be worth it to get it out of my jewelry drawer!  

Ah.... the touring season is over... and Dave is off to South America!  Maybe there will be a winter tour... maybe we will have to wait until next summer to see our boy again...

But, as always... the pleasure was mine...

He played 41.  Can't ask for much more than that! 41, Two Step, a tease of I'll Back You Up and some rare songs, Spoon and the beloved Cornbread. Good, good times....

NY was good... we ate, we drank, we were certainly merry....

Cousins in the City...

So... last Sunday I traveled to NYC for work, for play, for Dave.  It was a great week!  The weather was perfect and I had the BEST time catching up with my cousin Sarah in the city she now calls home!

We met up Sunday afternoon as soon as I arrived and had a late lunch and wine to start the day out right!  We ventured down Fifth Avenue to check out the Apple Store... a stop at Tiffany's and Louis Vuitton... and we were well on our way to bankruptcy!  Just kidding. We did a lot of window shopping... absolutely NO purchasing!

We made our way down Fifth until we reached Rockefeller Center, where we took a little break for an hour or two. We just sat there in the midst of it all... chatted... people watched... took pictures of ourselves!

It was a great afternoon.....

Venturing back to the hotel, we readied ourselves for a wonderful dinner at one of my very favorite restaurants in the WORLD - Nobu... we dined on Shrimp Tempura with Spicy Sauce, Tuna Shashimi with Jalapeno, Shashimi Salad, and various veggies deep fried in goodness.  And... of course, martinis.  It was the week of martinis... truth be told....

That's US!  See all the different martinis we taste tested while in the Big Apple!  Oooohhh... one we never did try!  The Appletini!  A must do next time around.....

Ahhh... I can't wait to visit you again little cousin....  hopefully it won't be another two years before I am back in one of my favorite places on earth! 

Hugs to you....

Sunday Morning... and I'm Alone...

What a glorious morning I have had!  First, Scott got up with the kids (after I was up with Luke for quite the length of time in the middle of the night).  I slept in until almost 10!! Unheard of!  Then, by the time I did get up, I visited with the Lukester for a bit, and he was off to bed for his morning nap.... and Ally and Scott just left to run to Meijer to get the fixins for my famous (okay maybe my Grandma's famous!) cabbage soup for dinner....

Along with needed diapers, wipes and formula!

So... I am alone!  It is quiet.  I am enjoying a cup of coffee and checkin up on Blogs, Facebook and email.  The routine.  I know you all know it well!!

Another grey day here in Michigan.  It rained non-stop Friday and Saturday.  There was a fall festival this weekend that must have got completely rained out. We wanted to take Ally today, but it's not looking good.  It would really be a great day to spend at home, catch up on laundry, make fabulous soup and feel "ready" for our week.  So... I think that's what we're going to do instead!

Any great Sunday plans for any of you?

I'm going to put some pics together and post a bit more about NYC after I post this... 

Yesterday I took the kids to the Treehouse with Jane and Grace and we met up with Stephanie and Grant.  (I didn't get any pictures, but Jane was taking some with her fab camera - so check out her blog!) After poor Nicole had to cancel the playdate because of sick kids and RAIN, we decided we needed to get out of the house!  First of all... Scott was looking forward to some alone time after being home with the kids alone all week... and Ally was absolutely heartbroken when I told her the playdate was cancelled.   She cried "why does Porter have to be sick Mommy?"  Well... I'm sure Porter felt the same way!!!!

I have never been to the Treehouse!  I heard about it, but never went myself... and I have to say... I really loved the place!  I think it might be our official winter hang out.  It's got great atmosphere. Great food.  And a great little place for babies to play.  That is when the "big kids" aren't throwing balls into the area and taking balls away from four month olds!  We had a really, really nice time. Chelsea is such a nice little community!

Well... I'm going to eat something along with this coffee... and grab pics for an NYC post!

Later peeps....

New Look...

SO... my fab sister-in-law, Jane created this banner for me!  What do you think????  It was hard choosing the pictures for it... but I do enjoy these pictures of everyone!  I had promised you all I would update the blog like on day one... but of course, time passes and nothing ever works out they way you'd like it to!

I am so happy to have a personalized banner now... 

Thank you so much for your help Jane... you rock...

I owe you a drink!

Did you miss me?

I went to NYC and had a BLAST!  That's me.  That's Dave behind me. No... I did not see him personally and get an in-focus picture. Huge letdown!  But... I did sit in the third row at a fabulous benefit concert at MSG in NYC... and the show was amazing..... it was fabulous...

I love Dave.  :-)

I had a wonderful time in the City... visiting one of my favorite cousins, Sarah... drinking martinis... eating fabulous food... shopping Fifth Avenue... PEOPLE WATCHING!!!!!  We had so much fun together!

As always... I do have so much to say... but as you can imagine after returning from almost a week away... I am crazy busy trying to catch up on LIFE!  So... I will write more when I can!

Until then...

Leavin' on a Jet Plane...

Tomorrow, I am leaving for New York!  My bags aren't packed... I'm no where near ready to go... but I will get there eventually. In full mommy/wife-guilt mode right now.  I'm putting together all Luke's food and clothes for the week to send to Nana and Papa's to make it as easy on Scott as possible.  I'm doing all the laundry. Making sure the house is as tidy as possible.  I want to leave with things under control.... so Scott doesn't have a nervous breakdown!

I traveled a lot for work before I had Luke.  I cut back considerably when I was pregnant and after I had him, but this month is a busy month for me. I have two trips... one to NYC and one to Chicago... and in between, Scott has a trip to Baltimore that I am going to accompany him on so we can have some "us" time... and visit my brother, Dave and Mary.

It's been two years since I've been to New York!  Now... my cousin, Sarah lives there and she and I are going to spend two days together.  We are so excited as I have talked about visiting her since she moved... but was preggers and then, had a new baby at home... so it was bad timing!  Until now!  She and I will shop Fifth Avenue until we drop.  We will dine and drink martinis at Nobu.  

I will see you tomorrow for lunch girl!!!!

Two years ago, Chelsea and I went to see Dave at Randall's Island... two nights... great show.  Second night, David Gray opened for him... we had first row seats... it was the show of our dreams!!!!!  We were a bit off to the left, right in front of Boyd all night... and for some reason, Dave kept coming over to play with Boyd all night (in our minds it's cuz he wanted to hang with us! ha!) ... so they were right in front of us.  It was a great night....

Almost as great as our four nights in Denver, when we traveled to see Dave at Red Rocks... I must say, short of the births of my children and getting married and all those other momentous moments of your life... mine and Chelsea's weekend at Red Rocks was truly one of the best weekends of my life.

Here's what I'm talking about...

Biggest disappointment was that the lady that took this picture for us obviously didn't know how to use a camera and it's out of focus... but... still... it's a treasured picture!

I mean... come on.... you can't beat that!  We met the band... pissed off Dave's bodyguard... ate fruit with Butch... got kissed by Boyd... talked to Carter for an hour... and then, he came off the stage night two to give us his drumsticks.... we were elevated to god-like status to everyone who saw it... do you remember that Chelsea???  I can still think about it to this day and get chills....

The moral of the story is that I will be seeing Dave this week without my partner in crime... without my girl... and she is going to be sadly missed.  Dave has always been our time together and I want you to know that I will be carrying you with me when I see him Chels.  You will be right there with me... and your absence will be deeply felt.

But... I am still going to try like hell to get a picture that is in focus!  :-)

Later all... I will post next weekend when I return!  I hope I have fab things to share.....

New Shoes...

I got Ally some new shoes this week for school.  Because they have gym three days a week, and go outside for recess twice a day, the school asks that they always wear sneakers!  With socks no less!  Ally is used to Crocs, sandals, and sometimes cute little dress shoes with dresses and tights... so trying to get her to wear sneakers and socks is a challenge.

Enter the BRIBE - new shoes!  Then... I make a big deal about it... as in "OH ALLY - I got you something SPECIAL today - NEW SHOES!"

And, then, they are something she wants to wear!

I got her these nice New Balance shoes at Playmakers in Okemos when I was up in Lansing for work the other day.  It's a challenge to find nice shoes that don't tie.  She needs to be able to get them on and off herself and not rely on the teacher to tie them for her!  So... I finally found a pair that I liked... and they had some pink and sparkles on them, which make them acceptable to her!  

She is still as happy as can be to go to school each morning!  It's such a treat!  When she was in preschool, we went through a period of time where she HATED going to school.  She was actually sad to go... which broke my heart.  She told me there was a boy that was "mean to her" and sometimes the girls decided they didn't want to be her friend.  What could break a mother's heart more??

She LOVES Mrs. Spicer... yesterday she told us that her favorite thing about school so far was recess, and her second favorite was Mrs. Spicer!  I take that as a very positive thing!!

We signed Ally up for soccer this week! Of course, Scott is thrilled (he played soccer in high school).  He has been teaching her since she could walk upright to play. And... we think she is pretty good!  It will be so much fun to go to her games and watch her play in a sport like this!  What a "big kid" thing, ya know???

Well... I am home today... not feeling so great, so I decided I better take it easy cuz I have a BIG week ahead of me!  Sunday I am traveling to New York City and mixing a bit of work, and a lot of pleasure!  My cousin, Sarah lives in Brooklyn... so I will be spending a couple days with her.  Attending some meetings... and MOST importantly... seeing Dave at Madison Square Garden. So, needless to say... I cannot be sick... so I am forcing myself to heal quickly!  It just seems to be a cold, with the horrid body aches... but still.  Not taking any chances!

So, think healthy thoughts for me!!!

Clothing Obsession...

Is anyone else like me?  When the seasons change or are about to change, I totally freak out and feel that I have to get my kids completely new wardrobes.  And, not just a few things at one time... no... I have to buy like everything at once.  So... I am in the Gap with Ally... completely stressing about what she might need to last her a fall and winter season!  Of course, it's the stupid 20% off coupon that makes me feel like I must buy as much as possible NOW cuz I have a coupon!!!!

Then, there's Gymboree.... my friend Beth once said Gymboree was her crack.  I kid you not.  When her daughter Isabel and Ally were babies.. she and I would email daily about what we bought them at Gymboree.  We still do things like that, only NO WHERE near to the same extent.  We were crazy with them!

Anyway... Gymboree was having a 30% off sale.... and the Football line of stuff was all on sale already, 20% off... so I felt the need to buy all of this:

Let's keep in mind that honestly Luke NEEDS nothing because I have SO MUCH stuff from Beth (Eli's her son - he's two) and it's all GREAT Gymboree and Janie and Jack stuff.  Really, all Luke needs is a few onsies and shirts to go with all the stuff from Beth! But... I do have to buy the things that catch my eye from time to time.

Like this onsie.... 

That is SO LUKE!  He is for sure, all boy.  I also got a couple other things from that line.  The Dino something line!  Cute stuff..... and matches a lot of the things I have of Eli's.  A double bonus!

I had ALL of Eli's clothing laid out on Luke's floor yesterday.  I should have thought to take a picture of that because it was truly impressive!  I was putting together outfits... making sure we had enough of everything.  Like I am going to be stranded on some sort of dessert island with no access to Gap or Gymboree soon... I feel like I must stock up!

It's odd....

I earned $50 in Gymbucks... which means I will be spending another $100 at Gymboree in October....  :-)  They suck you in man!  They suck you in!

It is an illness I have.... but hey, don't my kids look great?  

Labor of Love...

We had a busy Labor Day weekend... Friday night, we had a rehearsal dinner... Saturday, a wedding... Sunday, an anniversary party... and Monday, we spent the day doing laundry, picking up the house and making baby food!

I went to Whole Foods on my way to the salon on Friday afternoon.... and bought a ton of fabulous organic fruits and veggies to make for Luke... but that meant, we had to steam it or bake it all while it was ripe!  Of course, everything was ripe quite quickly, so we had to spend the entire day making food!  We had about 30 trays in the freezer at one point.  It was hilarious!  We had to throw out our food to make room for Luke's food!

Here's what the results looked like when we were all done.  I had to take a picture!  I thought it was an impressive sight!  Not to mention, we are proud of our handy work!  

We have carrots, pears, plums, broccoli, apricots, peaches, peas, green beans, mango, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, squash, zucchini, cauliflower, apples, blueberries, spinach, and turkey pictured here!   A feast!!!!

Luke is also eating yogurt with his morning fruit and oatmeal now days.  We just started the turkey too... so he's getting more protein... ironically, he's also slept through the night the past couple day?  Coincidence?

Most likely!!! 

But, whatever... superstitious me will keep up with the protein addition just cuz I think it works!  I look forward to feeding him fish and things like that.  I remember Ally  LOVING salmon and other fish.  I absolutely refuse to steam and BLEND fish though. YUCK!  He can wait until he can manage eating the real deal.  It's soft enough.....

Speaking of which... the boy STILL does not have any teeth!  He's like a couple weeks shy of 9 months and NO TEETH to speak of! What is up with that?  Can I still start him on some soft finger foods around 9 months?

Bizarre.  Ally had like four teeth by now!  

Boys.  I say again... they are just slow!  :-)

Weekend Wedding...

Our friends Henry and Samantha got married this past weekend. Scott was in the wedding... doesn't he look handsome? Gotta love a man in a tux...

Jane, Adam and Scott's parents were at the wedding too, so we enjoyed some family togetherness in addition to wedding fun!  It was a BIG event!  I don't know that I have ever seen so many people in the Commonwealth Center!  The ceremony was at Queens... and the day was just perfect!  Sunny... HOT... but a perfect day for a wedding...

We obviously had some drinks as the night went on... drunken sibling picture taking...

And, aren't these just about the cutest group of flower girls you have EVER seen?  Henry has sixteen nieces and nephews on his side alone!  Five of the nieces walked down the aisle.  It was an adorable sight!

After the wedding, Henry and Samantha departed for Maui!  I am so jealous.... the coolest thing was Henry kept it a surprise from Samantha! How totally romantic is that?  He also didn't tell ANYONE else for fear that someone would spill the beans!  We found out via text message after they had already left!

Congrats again Henry and Samantha... we couldn't be happier for you!