From Our House To Yours.....

From Our House To Yours.....

 

Merry Christmas

And

A Happy New Year!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by....

 

 



Samantha and The Evil Dog

That's the dogs new name by the way....Evil Dog...

I do feel bad for him but I can only deal with so much at one time and he is driving me insane and getting in way too much trouble these days.  You can't leave him home alone without him getting into something.

The only real thing that saves Oscar is the fact that Samantha adores him and gets so upset when we yell at him.  Don't get me wrong I love the dog but he is just too much for me right now being prego and all.

 

Samantha and Oscar

Our annual picture of the two of them in front of the X-mas Tree

 

Merry (early) Christmas!

 

Thanks for stopping by....

What Mommy's Are For.....

Have you ever had one of those days when you had a problem and you didn't know exactly how to solve it or make it simpler? 

Well yesterday I had a dilemma - I had a crazy idea to make ice cream cone cupcakes for my daughters holiday party at school. 

- making the cupcakes - a piece of cake :)
     (they actually turned out good)
- keeping the cupcakes safe from the dog - a piece of cake :)
- finding a way transport the ice cream cone cupcakes to school
                                       THE DILEMMA....

My initial idea was to cut holes in the bottom of a lid to a box and cover it in foil and stick the cones through the hole.

 

 

Well this idea was good in theory in reality it sucked (to say the least).  To make the 10 holes you see above took me 15 minutes or so.  To do the remaining 12-14 holes it would have taken me another 30-45 minutes and being almost 7 months pregnant I have absolutely no patients for such a task.  How did I get myself into such a dilemma to begin with - it's cause I am such a good Mommy.

 

This is where my Mommy comes into play.  I have no problem admitting that I am 32 years old and still call my Mommy when I need help solving a problem or to just run something by her.  I explained to her the situation and asked her if she had any ideas to transport the ice cream cone cupcakes so they didn't fall all over each other.  At first she said that she would have done the same thing and cut out holes in the top of a box.  I said OK I will keep cutting out the holes then.  We changed the subject and then my Mom said "Wait I might have an idea for the cupcakes....give me a minutes and then I will take a picture of it and send it to you." Thank goodness for smart phones - what would we do without them.

 

 

 

This is what Mom sent me - she said if you cut the bottom out of a paper cup and turn it upside down the cone will sit right on top of it and transport safely.  My response was "That's what Mommy's are for - to come up with ideas when the kids are at a loss for what to do."  I then said I would go to the store as soon as the cupcakes were done baking and buy some cups.  Mom said that she had more than enough cups and would be happy to give them to me - I just had to pick them up from her house.  I then said "How about doing me another huge favor and cut the bottoms out for me?"  Of course Mom can't say "NO" to me and happily cut out the bottoms of 24 cups for me.  

 

 

Let me tell you Mom was able to cut out the bottom of 24 cups in under 5 minutes.  She was my lifesaver.

 

 

The final product

 

 

All stacked nice and securely in the top of a box

 

 

The cupcakes had to be stored in the oven with a note taped to it saying not to use - cupcakes inside (this was because the hubby might turn the oven on to cook - yeah right (but just in case) - and for the fact that I am almost 7 months pregnant and am having serious cases of prego brain and forgetting things.

 

The cupcakes also go in the oven to  protect them from the evil dog that lives in our house that has been very very bad recently and would have gotten into them if they were left out somewhere that he could reach.

 

Without the help of my mother I would have been one frustrated pregnant woman....

 

Thanks Mom for all that you do.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by......

Arty, Melanie and their babies - Holiday Photo 2012

I had the pleasure of taking Melanie and Arty's Christmas Card picture again this year. 

2012 Picture

 

 

2011 Picture

 

2010 Picture

 

I love looking back at the old photos and seeing how everyone has changed. 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by...

 

 

Just alittle OVERWHELMED.....Prego Files Part 4

Ok so I have been MIA from the blog for a couple of weeks now....so much is going on. 

Well you could say I have been a little overwhelmed....
* new baby coming in 81 days (which OMG...my blog counter just reminded me)
* a house that is not ready for a newborn baby
*  two bedrooms that need to be reorganized
*  clothing that needs to be gone through...not only for the baby but for the 5 year old as well
*  Christmas shopping
*  food shopping
*  Cooking
*  Cleaning (HAHAHA)
*  staying on top of the bills
*   and the list just keeps growing and growing and growing. 

On top of all that I think the husband is in denial that a newborn baby will be in our house again in more or less than 81 days (OMG.....)....he is driving me crazy and I am probably driving him just as crazy...LOL.  My girlfriend tells me this happened with her hubby too and eventually they get over it and accept that a baby is actually coming (well the hubby has 81 days give or take so he better get a move on it and accept it).

The only thing I can say is that GOOD NEWS finally happened on Monday 12/10/12 for not only me and my family but also my Mother.  Maybe it's a sign that things are turning around and will be ok.  I am going to start a long list of things that need to get done between now and March 2nd and take it a day at a time to get things moving and accomplished.

Oh yeah...I also need to update everyone with a new belly pic - haven't had one taken in a while and I feel like every morning the belly is getting bigger and bigger.  Oh boy....Oh wait it's a girl - we have had it verified 3 different times at all the ultrasounds I have had.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by....

Like Mother....Like Daughter

I was a Girl Scout from Brownies all they way through Seniors.  I earned not only my Silver Award but also my Gold Award.  I enjoyed being a Girl Scout.  When one of my daughters friends Mom's said that they were going to combine a troop in town and asked if I was interested in signing Samantha up to be a Daisy I said most definitely.  I knew that Samantha would enjoy the activities as well as the friendships that she would make.

This past weekend she had her first Community Service project where they visited a local Nursing Home and sang some Christmas songs and played bingo.  Samantha sang her little heart out and enjoyed playing bingo (one of her most favorite games to play at home).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Samantha was very excited about her trip to the nursing home and talked about it for days. I hope that she enjoys being a Girl Scout as much as I did.  I'll have to talk to my mother and see if I can find some pictures of me when I was 5 in Girl Scouts and I'll post them.

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by....

 

 

 

Meet Madelyn....Holiday Pictures Photoshoot

I had the pleasure of taking Madelyn's Holiday Card Pictures again this year.  As usual she was such a sweet heart....gave me a little more trouble sitting still and smiling for me this year compared to last year but hey she is almost 3 and what 3 year doesn't have a mind of there own at times.

 

 

I had my lovely assistant Samantha with me...so she he.elped to make Maddie laugh as much as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving her stuffed animal friend "Chester" a nice squeeze

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is is a baby or an alien....Prego Files Part 3

BABY OR ALIEN?????

Within the past week I started to feel the flutters of the baby (or is it an alien in there).  The feeling is totally weird and awesome at the same time.  I completely forgot what it felt like to feel the flutters.  I can't wait until my daughter and husband can feel him or her too moving around in there too.  Samantha asks on a daily basis when she will be able to feel the baby moving - I can't wait to share those moments with her.

The second trimester is treating me pretty well.  I am not nauseous anymore which is an awesome thing - I don't think I could have handled that for the rest of the pregnancy.  My only vice is that food still is a turn off and I am having a difficult time deciding what I want to eat.  I am hungry all the time but don't know what I want to eat - so frustrating.  I am also still gagging every time I brush my teeth - this too is also very annoying...hopefully it doesn't last that much longer.

On a side note....we have 2 weeks until we find out if we are having a boy or a girl.  So exciting I can't wait to share the news with everyone and then start planning the room that the kids will have to share for a while.

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF THE PREGO FILES...

 

 

 

Thanks For Stopping By....

Behind The Name...Peanut {Smudge} - Prego Files Part 2

So we found out we were expecting baby number 2 on June 21st, 2012.  I was about 2 days late with my period and had this feeling that I might be pregnant.  I sent my husband a text and he said to go and buy a pregnancy test and see.  I don't know why but I was very nervous about taking the test.  I think deep down I knew I was pregnant and by taking the test and seeing a "+" sign on the little stick would make it reality and I would have to deal with it.  Well I went to the pharmacy and picked up 2 boxes of pregnancy tests because I knew if it came back positive on one I would still need to take 3 more minimum to confirm the same thing.  After buying the tests I went home and took the test and yes it came back positive.  I sent Matt a picture of the test and said what do you see - and he texted back saying a plus sign and I text back saying Congrats your going to have another kid....

Now leading up to July 18th when we had our first doctor's appointment to confirm that there was in fact a baby and what the due date would be for the baby.  Well there was a baby in my belly - it was real and the due date was confirmed to be March 2, 2013.  When we got to see the first images of our baby the doctor referred to the baby as a "Peanut" and from then on Matt and Samantha kept referring to the baby as Peanut - so that became the babies name (until we know if it's a boy or girl and we have argued over the actual name of the baby).

About a week after Samantha and Matt named the baby "Peanut" Samantha made a comment to me that she wished we could of named Oscar (who is our 8 year old Boxer) "Smudge" instead of Oscar.  I asked her why and she said she just thought it was a good name.  I tried to change the subject and then she came back with we can just name our baby that and thus "Peanut Smudge Tomaro's" name came to life.

Here is Samantha - The Big Sister - with her babies first picture

 

 

On a side note......

 

This picture was taken about a week before Samantha even knew she was going to be a big sister.

After I found out I was pregnant I broke out the pregnancy books from when I was pregnant with Samantha and had left one of them in the living room - Samantha would pick up the book and just start looking through it and ask questions.....she was very interested in it.

 

 

Stay Tuned For The Next Edition Of The Prego Files...

 

Thanks for stopping by.....

T-Minus 158 days to go....Prego Files Part 1

So...since I made this Facebook official a couple of weeks ago I figured I should also make it official on my blog...

In 158 days or so we will have a new arrival to our household.  Peanut "Smudge" will be joining our family of 3 and becoming a family of 4.  We are all very excited and can't wait to meet our new bundle of joy. 

We have about 3 weeks to go until we find out if Peanut is a boy or a girl - Samantha would like a girl so we would out number the boys 3 to 2 (Samantha counts the dog as a boy...lol) but she said she would be happy with a boy too....he could be her boyfriend she says.  Now no matter how many times I tell her that if it is a boy her brother can't be her boyfriend she just refuses to listen and says "No Mommy he is going to be my boyfriend" :).

Now let me tell you how different it is being pregnant this time compared to when I was pregnant with Samantha....it is a true 365 degrees different.

In 2006/2007 - Pregnant with Samantha.....
 - I could eat anything and everything.  Food tasted to good.
 - If nautious all I had to do was eat something and the feeling would go away
 - I was able to sleep for more than 2-3 hours a night.
 - Soreness, Aches and pains all over
 - Didn't get a baby bump until 5/6 months pregnant
 - Loved...Loved...Loved...Stuffed Shells (I couldn't get enough of them).
 - Samantha didn't move around much in utero - she found a comfy postion and just hung out

In 2012 - Pregnant with Peanut Smudge.....
 - Food is a complete turn off (sob..sob..sob)
 - Nautious all the time (not so much now but for the 1st 3 months it was bad) - eating made it worse
 - Can only sleep for about 2-3 hours at night and than I am up for 3 hours or so
 - Not really having any aches, pains, or soreness (knock on wood).
 - Have had a baby bump since 12/13 weeks.  Had to break out the maternity clothes already
 - Can't stand eating Stuffed Shells or Tomato sauce
 - Was craving Popcorn and have a bag every other day or so.  (I haven't eaten Popcorn in years)
 - Exhausted 24/7 - all I want to do is nap but the husband and 5 year old have other things in mind
 - At 12 week ultrasound the baby wouldn't stop moving - it just shows he/she is going to be a hellion
 - At 16 weeks I started to gag when I brush my teeth

Wish Me Luck With The Rest Of The Pregnancy :)

 

 

Here I am at 17 weeks.

 

 

Next up.....

 

- Figuring out a new layout for Samantha's room for the addition of her new roomate

- Trying to remember where we put all the baby stuff from when Samantha was little

- Figuring out how we are going to do this financially (Just breathe...Just breathe)

- Arguing over the name of the baby once we figure out if it's a boy or a girl

- Trying to find time to clean, organize and declutter the house (ha ha ha)

- And lots lots lots lots more I'm sure.

 

Stay Tuned For Next Weeks Edition of the Prego Files...

 

 

Thanks for Stopping by.....

- 

 

Kindergarten....Here We Come!

So my little girl isn't so little anymore.  She is growing up right before our little eyes.  Each and everyday she is learning more and more and saying more and more "grown" up things.  Where has the time gone.

Last week we brought Miss Samantha to her first day of Kindergarten.  She was super excited to see all of her friends again as well as start her new adventure in school.  Believe it or not I was actually able to hold my cool and no one shed tears.

 

Samantha and her goofy smile

 

My Kindergartener

 

Off to school we go....with our Justin Bieber backpack and all

 

Samantha's exact words while taking this pic... "No more pictures after this one OK Mom"

(The child never calls me Mom....I must have been embarassing her)

 

Her first day of school was a half day so they were just getting familiar with the teacher, classroom, etc.  However the second day was a full day so she was there from 8:30am until 3:00pm.  It was a very exhausting 2nd day for her and when I asked her about it her words were "It was boring Mommy.....all we did was color and draw all day"  (Two of her least most favorite things to do).  When asked what boring was she goes "Mommy I don't know...it was just boring".  You got to love the kid :).

 

 

Thanks For Stopping By...

Until Next Time....

Keeping Capturing Today's Moments

For Tomorrrow's Memories!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ready Girls.....OK!

We now have a cheerleader living in our house.....all day long all I hear is one cheer after another.

Come on Red...

Come on White...

Come on Bound Brook...

Fight...Fight....Fight....



This past Saturday Samantha had her first Football game and looked so adorable in her little (and when I say little I mean little) cheerleading uniform.  Sam's daddy was not at all happy with how short her skirt is...LOL.

 

The cute bow the girls need to wear for games

 

 

The Flag Football Cheerleaders

 

 

 

After having there team and individual pictures taken it was time for the game to start...

 

The girls lining up to cheer on the boys.

 

Samantha always was turning around or looking up into the stands to make sure her family was watching her.  She was just too cute.

 

 

Being a parent of a Cheerleader is very exhausting and I'm sure even more exhausting for Samantha.  We have practice 3 days a week for 2 hours each night.  The girls need to learn alot in such a short time.  Samantha is enjoying herself and having a blast though...she is learning alot and its great exercise for her.  The friendships she will be making with these girls will also be very good for her.

 

 

Thanks For Stopping By....

Meet Leena - The Birthday Girl - Part 2

After going through all the pictures I took at the beach on Thursday of Miss Leena I couldn't help but fall in love with more of them....so I figured it was only fair to share with everyone else too!

I just loved her little footprints in the sand

She was giving someone the evil eye here - not sure who though :)

I'm not sure which I like better - the picture in black and white or color..



Leave a comment below and let me know which you like better.

And now it was time to play....

And Miss Leena once again got covered from head to toe in sand but loved every minute of it.

Thanks For Stopping By...

See you soon!

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