Vacation Notice

Its that time of year, vacation time! We are driving south to see Zack and we can't wait. The car is packed, the oil is changed in the van, last minute errands are done...now we wait for my work day to end. Then, its off to Virginia for the week, spend the weekend in Maryland and then head home. We will then have another week off, but at home with Zack.

I will share our adventures when we return to Massachusetts. Until then, take care and see you soon!!

Timeline Thursday

Fell asleep playing hard 7/24/2009

Sitting up like a big boy 7/25/2009

Changing table bliss 7/26/2009

My new chair 7/27/2009

I'm a stud muffin 7/28/2009

That walk tuckered me out 7/29/2009

Messy after shower hair 7/30/2009

37 years ago today......

my parents were joined in marriage to create a wonderful life together.

Happy Anniversary!!

Little Updates

My life is going a million miles each way, as does every ones life's.

With that in mind, this is what's going on in my household -

Little Drew is giving us a run for our money. He's been in weird funky mood lately where he can't get comfortable; is starving, but won't eat; is exhausted, but won't sleep, but nothing is officially wrong. He's been to the doctors twice in the last week to see what they think, but they can't come up with anything. They've checked him for an ear ache, teething, they listened for things in his belly and back, but all they can come up with is he is feeling blah.

We are packing and getting ready for our big vacation!! We leave Friday to head to VA to see Zack for a week. Then on the second week of vacation, we will be back in our area with Zack. We have tons of things planned along with lots of rest and relaxation. I can't wait!!

We get to babysit my niece tomorrow night along with celebrating my parents 37th wedding anniversary. Yeah, we get to have cake and have fun too!

My SIL Jenn is due in a week with her little boy. I was hoping that the little guy would come this week so we can meet him before our vacation, but its all up to that baby when he wants to meet the world.

My cell phone is now working!! I don't feel naked anymore without it. We let the battery and phone dry separately and when I got home last night, put them back together and presto! It works again. Some of the buttons are slow working, but I can deal with that rather then being without a phone or spending tons of money to replace it.

I Feel So Lost

I feel naked. I feel lost. I feel like I'm missing something, even though I know its not there.

I don't have my cell phone. Its broken! Its water logged, but not from the usual reason (no, it didn't fall in the toilet).

This is how it happened -

Around 4:30pm yesterday, I was finishing up a walk with Drew in the driveway.

I took my cell phone off the stroller and placed it on our back stoop on a table.

I brought Drew in the house while he was in his car seat and left the stroller in the driveway.

I asked Jeff to put the stroller back in the van for me.

Around 6pm, there was a heavy thunderstorm in our area.

After Drew fell asleep around 8:30pm, I went to look for my phone to check my email. I couldn't find it in my purse or counter. I panicked!

I ran outside to see if my phone was still outside and it was, covered with rain water. I just slumped my shoulders and said oh crap.

So, I went to Jeff and said I hope our phone insurance covers water logged phones. Then he got this look on his face, like a deer caught in the headlights and said oh I saw the phone out there before and didn't think of bringing it in (OK, I didn't say anything to him at this point, since it was my fault the phone was left outside, but why would I leave my blackberry cell phone outside on purpose?) Then he proceeded to try and fix my phone. No luck!

So, I hope to be able to get a replacement somehow, since I'm freaking out without it. Now that I'm used to all the features, I don't know how I'll function without it!

Sleep, Please!?!?

Mr Drew still does not sleep through the night. We really wish he would. He's getting better, but not all night yet. I know I've read that it'll take sometime to have a baby sleep through the entire night, but I'm hopeful every time that little guy is put to rest in his crib.

The average night, he'll sleep from 8:30pm/9pm to 2am/3am. Then he's up for a feeding. Then he'll be up about 3-4 hours later.

Oh, how I'd love to sleep a straight 6-7 hours, a couple of nights in a row! Just for a re-charge to keep up adequately with the little guy. I know people said to get your sleep before the baby arrived, but I think that sleep has warn off long ago. Jeff and I are walking zombies. Yeah, we take turns waking up with Drew, but its still not the same.

Also, the weirdest thing that happens to me is I think I hear Drew crying his head off while I'm trying to fall asleep, but its not true. When this happens I'm drifting off to sleep with the baby monitor right next to me, not projecting any sounds, but in my head my baby needs something. It got so bad the other night, I got out of bed, walked into his room and the little guy was semi-snoring away, dreaming of apple juice. Jeff just looks at me like a weirdo when I explain this happens to me. My SIL Sarah warned me about this side-effect, but I didn't quite understand it until I experienced it.

So, between Drew actually waking up and my imagination playing tricks on me, I'm so exhausted! Will it ever end?

I know I'm saying all this about being sleep deprived, but I wouldn't trade it or anything for my little bundle of joy and all the happiness he's brought us!!

Timeline Thursday

Grandpy giving me apple juice 7/17/2009

Good Morning Sunshine 7/18/2009

What are they watching? 7/19/2009

Mommy stealing a kiss 7/20/2009

Waiting for Grammie to arrive 7/21/2009

I love those chicken fingers 7/22/2009

That baby in the mirror is too funny! 7/23/2009

Civic Duty

Jeff received his little post card from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that he is due for Jury Duty on 7/21.

He went to fulfill his civic duty, thinking like all of us, that he'll sit in the jury pool room all morning while watching horrible day time TV and read a book. All this while waiting to be dismissed because no juries were needed that day. Well, it wasn't the case!

I sent Jeff a text message about 1pm yesterday, expecting him to be home relaxing, and kidding around asking him if he's been picked for a jury yet? He wrote back, actually I have. I didn't believe him, so I called him a liar. He responded, no I'm series I'm on a jury until at least Friday.

I think its pretty neat!

So, for the rest of the week, my husband is off to jury duty on an assault and battery case.

An Awsome Score

Zack plays golf. His dad turned him onto the game several years ago. Jeff started to play and wanted Zack to have an interest in the game too. So, he taught him and they've played together at small courses and have a grand ol' time together.

Since Zack moved away, his interest in golf has continued. Jeff is grateful since its still a strong connection between father and son. Zack plays in tournaments, played with the First Tee camps and even belonged to a par 3 18 whole golf course last summer.

Jeff found out yesterday that Zack was in a golf tournament, his first of the season. Jeff was receiving updates from Zack's mom as the day progressed, even photos. At the end of the day, Zack shot a 112. He was on a regular 18 whole course and was paired up with older kids and he shot a 112! That is awesome!! He felt down in the dumps because he didn't beat the older kids, who cares! Zack who is 11 1/2 shot a great game of golf today!

Jeff chatted with him last night and told him that he doesn't even score that low. That made Zack feel like he was on cloud 9. Now its on for a battle between father and son over our vacation to see who can get a better score! Oh, that will be so much fun for the two of them!

I'd love to share the pictures that Jeff received, but um, Jeff accidentally deleted them before sending them to me since they were in text messages. Oh, well!

Baby Einstein is Sneaky

Once they get you hooked, that's it!

Drew loves his "Mr Sunshine" floor mat. Its an activity mat from Baby Einstein. Its a simple portable play area, with a sunshine that hangs above your child flashing colors and plays instrumental, upbeat music, along with other toys.

My son is addicted to that darn sunshine. It's been played several times at parties, at home and outside for his entertainment. He'd kick, swing his arms, coo's laugh and talk while that sunshine played music. Then the unthinkable happened, the sunshine stopped playing music. It would still flash the colors, but no sound. We were in trouble!


We tried to just have the sun flash with no music, but it wasn't the same. We tried putting his bed time music devise near him while the sunshine flashed, but it didn't work. It wasn't the same. In the mean time I checked the Baby Einstein website to see if I could just purchase the sunshine, but they don't sell just that item, you have to purchase the whole mat. So, I emailed the the company to see what can be done. I emailed them on Friday.

Well, I'm still waiting for an answer from the company but in the mean time my dad found something very interesting. Baby Einstein makes these sunshine's quite working after 2 months of playing. Many parents complained on the Babies R Us website about these play mats. That's about the same time ours died, after about 2 months of Drew enjoying his Mr Sunshine.

If that's the case, they are very sneaky to get parents to buy an expensive product, again, to make money instead of selling piece you need to replace. Very sneaky!

Copy Cat

Drew like to copy sounds we make. He tries to sing when you sing. He tries to laugh just like you do. If you throw your head back while laughing, he'll try and do the same. If you stick your tongue out, he'll try to do it too.

His newest thing is his fake cough! He would do it at random times, cough a little and be done with it. We could tell it was a fake cough, since he didn't have all the signs as a real one. Then, last night while Jeff, myself and Drew sat in our backyard swing, Drew was drinking his apple juice. He coughed a little, it sounded fake but I still pulled his bottle out of his mouth. Then Jeff mimicked his cough, then Drew did the same. Then Jeff, then Drew. This went on for minutes. All this fake coughing. I was giggling with no sound so I wouldn't interrupt this competition between father and son. It was too cute. Drew would look at me from the corner of his eye while he did it and noticed I was smiling, so I guess I was encouraging him.

I think we have the making of a comedian on our hands!

Timeline Thursday

Watching the birds with mommy 7/10/2009

Oooh, blues clues 7/11/2009

That was too funny 7/12/2009

Close up tummy time 7/13/2009

I am so pooped 7/14/2009

Sitting outside with grammie 7/15/2009

My burp cloth 7/16/2009

Water for Elephants

I finally finished my book! Before Drew arrived, I'd read books weekly, sometimes I might have even read one in a weekends time. But I knew once my little guy arrived, it would be a different story.

But, I had started this novel I believe at the end of March. I wanted to read one more book before Drew arrived. I'd started reading it, but things were just so crazy the weeks before he arrived. Also, the little bugger decided to come two weeks early. So, Water for Elephants sat on my nightstand looking up at me under the baby monitor waiting to be finished. No big deal. I figured I'd get to it someday.

Then, I signed up for museum shifts at the college I work for. After I took the shifts, I realized I can finish my book! Yeah! So, after two Sundays, working in the museum, its now completed.

Yeah, I had to refresh my memory from the earlier chapters since it was 3 months since I had picked the book up, but no problem. I was back in the flow of the story in no time. What a story at that!

The novel was written with such detail, you feel like one of the workers on the back lot of a run down circus who wanted to live up to the hype of the other great circuses back in the day. Yes, the book touched upon what could be considered the dark, behind the scenes of a circus, but it was very entertaining and heart warming at the same time. It gives new meaning to "running away with the circus".

It was a great read!

New Name

Zack has two last names, Jeff's and his mothers. Its been like that since she was upset that Jeff didn't want to be with her any longer and so she added her last name to Jeff's last name. So, he's had the same two names since he was itty-bitty.

Then we started to notice that when Zack started school, Jeff's last name was cut off all paperwork. Also, when he started to spell, he only knew how to spell his mothers name rather then both. This changed after Zack was reminded about his two last names.

Recently, his mother got married. During our February visit, Zack put his foot down and announced he wasn't changing his name. We told him he didn't have to since it was his mommy who'd be changing her name since she's getting married.

Then the June visit came along and Zack mentioned that he wanted to change his name now. We asked him how he wanted to change it. He wanted to eliminate his middle name David, which he shares with his dad, and put Jeff's last name as his middle name, his mommy's maiden name and now the new name as his last name. Jeff just said, oh yeah and it hadn't come up again during the visit.

Yesterday Jeff received a phone call from Zack asking again if he could change his name. Jeff got on the phone with Zack's mom to get the details. According to her, Zack is the one pushing for the change. She said she'd put her maiden name as Zack's new middle name and keep Jeff's and her new name for his last name.

Zack, 7 years old with his front teeth missing

My question to Jeff was, now what name will he use in school? All Jeff is concerned with is that his mom not drop Jeff's last name. What a confusing mess!!

Whirlwind Weekend

Was there a weekend? Did I miss Saturday & Sunday for some reason? Did I blink and Friday went straight to Monday?

Well, that's how I feel. Our weekend went by in a flash. I don't like it when they do that, especially going back to work full time today.

Our weekend was packed with an Uncle's 75th Birthday party, exchanging diapers, bringing items to a friends house for a big tag sale, helping move my SIL, work (I like to take small shifts at a museum at the college I work for), grocery shopping at two stores and playing with Drew.

Also, in the middle of the weekend, our washer died. So, the moment it dies, we realize we are short on burp clothes for Drew. We had to improvise and use his little flannel blankets over night. Then my FIL and Jeff have to run out and buy a new washer before they move my SIL Sunday morning.

My SIL wasn't suppost to move until next weekend, but I think her nesting phase has kicked in and she wanted to get the bulk of her items to the apartment as soon as it was clean enough to move in. She is still moving things during the week, but her big furniture has vacated our house.

I hope we get a nice, laid back weekend coming up!

Wow am I growing!

Hey guys, Drew here! Wow, has it been some time since I got away from mommy to chat with my blogger friends. My mommy has kept me so busy with tummy time, practicing rolling over, standing up (with help for now), sitting up (with help too), but man oh man am I busy! Also, she takes me shopping at the mall and buys me things all the time.

But the one toy I love to play with is my Mr Sunshine floor mat. Oh, I can't get enough of that thing. Once I hear the music and see the sunshine flashing, I'm mesmerized. My mommy and daddy have to shut the sun off for me to pay attention to them. Its hard to break away when something is so much fun. I love to kick and move my arms to the music, its so much fun!

I really enjoyed seeing my big brother last month and I can't wait to see him in a few weeks. He is so much fun. I can't wait to run around with him and my big cousin Ally!

I've gotten so big too. I love to eat, so I keep growing! Also, my doctor said I can start to drink apple juice and that stuff is awesome! I want to drink it all the time, but mommy says I can't too much. Ooooh, its just so good. Also, I can have a little cereal in my formula too. It helps my belly stay full at night so I sleep a little longer, but I'm still waking up during the night. My mommy asks me while she's rocking me to sleep if I'm going to sleep all night, but I can't seem to do it yet. But, maybe one of these days I will!

Timeline Thursday

My new toy 7/3/2009

Buddies (their daddy's work together and are 3 weeks apart, Drew is older) 7/4/2009

Shopping (again) with mommy 7/5/2009

I love to be outside 7/6/2009

This is MY grammie 7/7/2009

Its tough being this cute, I'm exhausted 7/8/2009

Standing on Mommy 7/9/2009

Last Offical Day

Today, is the last official day of my maternity leave. I can't believe that my little peanut will be 12 weeks old tomorrow.

My company allows us a total of 12 weeks of maternity leave, 6 weeks of paid time off and the other half you can either use your vacation time for pay or return to work. My supervisor was gracious enough to allow me to work half days and use only a fraction of my vacation time so I will still have enough to take my two week vacation in August.

I won't return to work full time until Monday, since I'm going to stretch out the rest of the week on half days. But, I still can't believe how much time has flown by. It feels like yesterday where I couldn't wait to meet my little guy for the first time and now he's 3 months old (if you go by the week count rather then the date count). Its unbelivable!

Beautiful Colors

Drew celebrated his first 4th of July. We went to a friend's house for a big BBQ and fireworks. It was such a beautiful evening, no rain, sunny and a nice cool breeze.

Drew was a perfect little gentlemen. Everytime a new face would come up to see him, he would flash a big gummy smile to welcome the attention. He was loving it! He bounced on the big trampoline (well, actually he laid on it with his daddy while the big kids ate), he ran around in the yard (well, he laid on his activity mat in the shade and kicked his feet like he was running) and ate all kinds of food (well, he ate his formula and tasted a cucumber). Drew really enjoyed himself.

Then the fireworks began. We were a little worried that he wouldn't like any part of the show, so I was ready to sit in the car with him. Then to our surprise, he was mesmerized by the bright colors. Jeff and I took turns holding him and covered his ears while he watched the fireworks and he would just stare in amazement. There was no crying, fussing or anything from that little boy.

So, Drew celebrated his first big holiday and really seemed to enjoy himself. I just wish I remembered the camera! Doh!

Happy Independents Day!

I hope your holiday is safe, happy and fun! Enjoy what ever you have planned for the long weekend!

I So Want This!

The other day, while shopping at Babies R Us, I had paused by an isle so my mom could ask a question to a salesperson. I look over to a display and noticed the cutest thing ever.

I just laughed out loud when I noticed this modern day baby on board sign for your vehicle (there is a girl version, its pink and says Drama Queen on board). I wanted to buy it so bad, but I have two dilemmas - 1) I have tined windows, so it'll be hard to make my announcement 2) People wouldn't know if the sign was for Drew or Jeff (hee, hee, hee)!

Timeline Thursday

Looking for that ceiling fan 6/26/2009

Peaceful nap time 6/27/2009

Ally blowing Drew a kiss 6/28/2009

Watching his Mr Sunshine 6/29/2009

New biker gang (Drew & Grandpy) 6/30/2009

Who's that in the mirror? 7/1/2009

All this rain makes me so sleepy 7/2/2009