Being the Joneses

Playdates, Potty Seat Testing and Pet Grooming

2011-08-19T07:47:00.002-04:00

Great Grammy's

2011-08-01T12:55:00.000-04:00

Dutch Wonderland

2011-08-01T12:53:00.000-04:00

Carina in the Water

2011-07-22T19:27:00.000-04:00

Carina LOVES to sit down at the computer with us and look at pictures of herself. She'll say "Let's see Carina pictures!" and "I want to see Carina in the water!". So per her own request, here are some Carina in the water pictures and some other oh so cute ones. Enjoy!

Hello Summer

2011-06-29T13:22:00.000-04:00

I feel like June has just dashed right on by. July is a mere 2 days away. Goodness gracious! I worked 11 shifts this month and although that works out to about one full time work week in the real world, it was a lot to me, haha. I guess I haven't mentioned work yet on here. Back in April I took a part time job working front counter at a dry cleaner. It's certainly not glamorous but the hours are perfect, I like my co-workers (I even recruited one of my college roomies!) and the money helps pay for groceries. Between that and potty training and play dates this month just disappeared!

Potty training is going splendidly! It's been a little over 3 weeks since we started and in the past 2 weeks I think she had only 1 daytime accident. She has been babysat at our house and at a friend's house and has gone in the nursery and didn't have any accidents for any other caregivers. She is comfortable going on public toilets. She's just amazing! She's had a tiny cold for the past week so overnights have been hit or miss (I'm blaming just not feeling well because she was staying dry that first week). I am just so proud of her!

She got her first serious injury last week. She fell on the jungle gym at the park and landed on her forehead. She had a really awful looking cut square between her eyes but she was a real trooper about it. Silly girl wasn't even doing anything dangerous, just tripped over her own feet!

But other than that we've been spending our time at the library and the pool. When we're home we're watching Elmo, putting on tattoos, painting our toenails and taking walks. Same old, same old and I'm loving it. I've got laundry to move to the dryer including a new swim cover up and sun dress I got for Carina this morning for $6 total. Love a good deal!

Potty Training

2011-06-12T19:08:00.001-04:00

In my short time as a mom, nothing has been as all-consuming as the past 4 days I've spent potty training Carina. Nothing! I've only left the house twice. It seems to be the only thing I can think about because when your child is capable of peeing on your carpet at any second, you tend to pay attention. So presently our days are filled with much PBS, reading, coloring, stickers and tattoos.

I'm not going to get into specifics because really, who needs to know about the dirty details? I will say I think she's catching on. She is very smart but very stubborn (as both her parents tended to be during potty training). She has outstanding bladder control which is both a blessing and a curse (Fewer accidents - yay! Refusing to even sit on the potty - boo!) But we've been diaper free since Tuesday and I have no intention of going back!

Update: I wrote this post on Friday but then was unable to publish it. In the past 2 days Carina has finally decided that she doesn't need to cry every time she sits on the potty and she even let me know this morning that she needed to go to the bathroom and then she pooped on the potty! Exciting stuff!

Carina Turns 2 - Part II

2011-06-12T19:03:00.000-04:00

Carina Turns 2 - Part I

2011-06-12T19:02:00.001-04:00

Hershey Park

2011-06-12T19:02:00.000-04:00

Gramzy & Pap-Pap's

2011-06-12T19:01:00.000-04:00

Favorite Things

2011-05-27T08:28:00.008-04:00

My new kitchen. Bucket hats.My new piano.

Update

2011-05-17T09:42:00.004-04:00

Carina is just weeks away from turning 2. What?! The latest? She is a full blown talker. She can repeat nearly anything we say but sometimes is too stubborn to do so. She is highly opinionated and always wants her own way, haha. I guess that comes with the territory at this age. She is speaking in sentences and very clearly. She just moved up to the older nursery room and I think she loves it. She brought home coloring pages and told me they sat on the carpet and sang songs.

She recognizes all her letters, knows all her colors and counts to 10. She knows all the characters on her favorite TV shows (which probably means I'm letting her watch too much! But it's all PBS). She is a very picky eater but loves her sweets, just like Mommy and Daddy. Bananas, carrots and pizza are a few of her faves. Peeps were her favorite Easter treat. She loves reading, climbing and blowing bubbles. She also loves coloring and play-doh.

She is still shy at times but has story time friends and nursery friends. She's always the one to have toys taken from her but she never fights or gets upset. I have to say I'm glad she's not the kid who takes the toys, haha. She prefers older kids to younger kids and doesn't mind playing rough and tumble with her 3.5 year old friend Andrew. She loves to play outside. Sleep has been tricky at times. She had been putting herself to sleep every night at 8 but lately she has been a little reluctant to go in her crib. This week she asked for her new blankie (part of her big girl room decor once we convert the guest room) and it was the only way to get her to stay in bed. She has been waking around 6 am (earlier than before) but this week she has been falling asleep again either in our bed or back in her crib. Naps range from 45 minutes - 3 hours. We never know what to expect but mostly she's a happy kid.

She's still a tiny girl. Probably about 21 pounds and 29 inches. Her hair is pretty thin but very curly. Inspired by her friend's pigtails this week I tried a teeny tiny ponytail. The results? Adorable. We're pretty smitten with this kid.

Play Date

2011-05-17T09:37:00.002-04:00

Last week Carina and I met Linz and Celia half way for a play date. Chick-Fil-A, beautiful sunshine and two of the most fun little girls ever made for a fantactic time!

Fun Girl

2011-05-09T21:31:00.000-04:00

A Visit from Gramzy and Pap-pap

2011-05-09T21:28:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T21:14:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! I celebrated with my Mom, Peter, Carina, my friend Nicole and my nieces Stevie and Georgia. Great day!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-26T13:14:00.004-04:00

Tough Life

2011-04-22T12:44:00.002-04:00

When Mommy Attacks

2011-04-22T12:41:00.000-04:00

(and forgets she's wearing lipstick!)

New Toys II

2011-04-22T12:37:00.002-04:00

My cousin gave me a doll house and toys that her daughters had outgrown as soon as she heard I was having a girl. We finally busted the toys out this week and Carina has not let them out of her sight since! These are easily her most favorite toys ever. Thanks Jen, Kaylie and Jordan!

New Toy

2011-04-22T12:14:00.002-04:00

Found this for $20 on Craigslist and it's an instant hit!

Easter Dress Preview

2011-04-08T12:55:00.002-04:00

I Dunno 'Bout That!

2011-04-06T12:28:00.001-04:00

One of Carina's many new catch phrases. Others include "Oh snap!", "Okie dokie" and "I'm naked!".

Weekend Getaway

2011-04-05T13:18:00.006-04:00

We went with my parents and two youngest nieces to Ocean City, MD for a long weekend. The weather was not very warm but we saw a fair bit of sun. We had a chance to walk the boardwalk, play on the play ground and a round of mini golf. We also spent a little time in the indoor pool and even though the water wasn't as warm as Carina (or I!) would have liked, it was still an awesome pool! We loved spending time with family but we're all very happy to be home. Carina slept mostly well in the hotel but we all prefer our own rooms and beds. Thanks Mom and Dad for a great trip!

For Daddy

2011-03-31T13:59:00.002-04:00

To get you to the end of the work day. Only 2.5 hours till vacation!

God's Glory in the Clearance Section

2011-03-23T13:37:00.004-04:00

I know this is a marathon blog posting day so thanks for sticking with me. I've had a couple reasons to post this week but not enough time, haha. Anyway I've recently become part of a women's small group and we began a Bible study titled "He Speaks to Me". One of the lessons this week was on becoming aware of when and how we encounter God's glory. Not everybody sees a burning bush! So I thought about it and used a burden of mine as a starting point - finances. It's what I worry about, pray about, try so hard to trust in God about.

I came to the conclusion that I can and should see God's glory in the clearance section. It may seem too mundane but if you can't see God in the day-to-day, when can you? I try very hard not to buy anything (other than groceries and true needs) unless they are on sale, or even better on clearance. We've had the same welcome mat for nearly 3 years and it became so worn that even my Mom told me it needed to be replaced, haha. I just waited and waited and finally this week I found one on clearance for $6! Sorry guys for the next one (if any men even read this!) but I've also been looking for particular bras and knew that Target was way cheaper than anywhere else after shopping around. I finally bit the bullet because it was getting pretty desperate and I knew this price was as good as it was going to get. Low and behold they were on clearance - $7! Carina needed saldals for the summer and after searching all over and comparing prices (about $15 everywhere else) I resigned myself to Target because I knew their shose were great quality and the price would most likely be the same. They were only $10 - a lovely surprise! And Carina won't take them off!

So this may or may not seem silly to you but When I find great deals I see God's provision. When my parent spend the night and buy us Chinese for lunch and DQ blizzards for dessert I see God's blessing. When my Dad and I find a totally awesome deal on coffee (I have to share this one -8 12 oz bags of gourmet coffee, 8 mini bricks of coffee, a grinder and 2 mugs for $40! Over 70% off!) I see a chance to save money and bond with Dad at the same time. When I find a beautiful yellow dress for Carina on clearance for $2.50 and have a $1 off coupon to use with it I see a blessing for all the time's I've saved money buying consignment and an opportunity to be frugal while still buying Carina something brand new (and adorable!).

God is providing for us in amazing ways. I just need to open my eyes to see His glory... in the clearance section.

Back-a-Ward

2011-03-23T13:10:00.003-04:00

This isn't meant to be a controversial post. When I added a link on my Facebook profile regarding the new AAP recommendation (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-us-med-carseats-chil,0,1725962.story) that toddlers remain rear-facing (or back-a-ward as Carina would say) in their car seats till age 2 responses were numerous and varied. We are fortunate in that Carina is so tiny and easy-going that neither her comfort or cooperation comes into play in the decision-making process. She is comfortable, she is happy and she is safe. A win-win-win!

I know I'm rambling here but what it all boils down to is every parent needs to make their own decisions about their own child. It is far too easy to judge other parents based on their choices regarding feeding, diapering, child care, sleeping and now car seat position among many, many others! I'm stealing this idea from another blog I read but I think it's valuable - ask yourself is it a matter of faith or ethics? If not, then it's probably not worth fighting over. Parents need all the support they can get. In this instance I choose rear-facing for my own reasons. I put the new recommendation out there so other parents can see it but in the end all any parent can do is the very best by their individual child.

A Day with the 'Rents

2011-03-23T13:00:00.004-04:00

My parents we able to swing an impromptu overnight visit this week! Carina could not have been more thrilled. We spent some time in the guest room waking them up in the morning. Carina ran from Goppie's side of the bed to Grandpa's and back tickling their pits and squeeling with delight. We had an opportunity to laugh back when she stopped everything she was doing and said very solemnly "Uh-oh... mess." Sure enough she had indeed made a mess, haha, if you catch my drift. In the afternoon my parents took Carina out in the back yard to play and then we all went to the library for Toddler Time and ended the day at Dairy Queen. A fine day indeed.

Tag Team Singing

2011-03-18T19:00:00.001-04:00

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2011-03-18T18:58:00.001-04:00

My Future's So Bright...

2011-03-18T18:57:00.002-04:00

Second Hand Blessings

2011-03-14T12:54:00.003-04:00

Carina when she's allowed to wear the new hand-me-down 3T coat that is obviously too big for her.And Carina when she's asked to take off said coat, haha.

This girl LOVES to play dress up and has an unhealthy obsession for snow suits. All kidding aside, we have been blessed beyond belief with scores of hand-me-downs for Carina. I went through the two huge boxes in her closet this weekend to see what would fit this summer and if there were any gaps we need to fill. The answer: she has more (and cuter!) clothes than both her Mom and Dad. All that's missing is a pair of sandals :)

Thankful Thursday?

2011-03-03T13:20:00.002-05:00

I am thankful for:

-Warm sunshine
-An extra 2.5 hours with my hubby this morning
-Clean dishes and a functioning dishwasher
-Food to eat and the chance to get the chicken cooked this morning so putting a pot pie together tonight will be easy peasy.
-Coffee
-A house full of healthy humans and felines
-Pink bubble baths
-The most presious little girl, the time I get to spend with her and the fact that I am blessed enough to be her Mommy :)

Doodle Bug

2011-03-03T13:11:00.004-05:00

Carina's latest passion is coloring. She LOVES her crayons and gets excited whenever anyone on TV (specifically Elmo) has crayons too. Right now she uses both hands although the right may be slightly dominant. She likes to lay on her belly with her sketch pad and just go at it. Unfortunately she uses her chest and belly to help her situate the crayon better in her hand (instead of just using her other hand which would be too tidy and make too much sense) so her onesies have plenty of color on them too. I went on an expedition with a magic eraser yesterday to clean crayon off our walls but she's actually pretty good about sticking to her paper. She just loves to carry those crayons around with her everywhere and accidents happen when you're climbing the stairs with crayons in your hands, haha.

A Visit to Grammie

2011-03-03T12:58:00.004-05:00

A week and a half ago Carina and I took off after Sunday school to visit my Gram (Grammie as Carina calls her) and to celebrate my Dad's birthday. Peter was drumming for church worship so he couldn't come (and was supposed to stay home to rest and get over his cold anyway). Carina had so much fun and it was a great visit (aside from getting my first and last speeding ticket, boo). I made Mom ride home with me to keep me honest. She's practically a human speedometer. Love you Mom!

Tag Team Reading

2011-02-22T09:42:00.002-05:00

The Kitty Whisperer

2011-02-22T09:42:00.001-05:00

Night Night

2011-02-08T13:02:00.003-05:00

I didn't realize just how many new CUTE pictures I had to share until I sat down to put them on the blog. This girl makes it easy! We've had a couple more good potty experiences. She'll say absolutely anything except "thank you", "I love you" and "Carina". Yesterday as Kenny ran through the living room she said "Crazy Kenny". She has also taken to saying "Oh boy" after Daddy. Her new favorite anatomy word is "pits" and she loves to pretend to put on deodorant (weird kid). This week she is loving spoons, plates, stickers and candles. If anybody on TV has a bike or ball she immediately runs to get her own. This morning while I was working out she did some jumps and squats with me. She keeps my life exciting and joyful!

Peter is still bringing home the bacon so that I can stay home. Being in a supervisory role has its own set of challenges and he's learning as he goes. I met up with two good friends last night and I realized there are quite a few mom friends of mine whose husbands are in grad school classes at night or whose jobs keep them away overnight. I know those are great opportunities for those men and families but I am very thankful to have Peter here with me now. His emotional support, help around the house and most of all his quality time spent with Carina are so precious to me.

Not much new with me - my life revolves around Carina girl. At the library yesterday she had a meltdown because I was trying to help her play a computer game and wanted to sit on the stool behind her. She wanted neither and I came to the realization that she not only expects the universe to revolve around her she also expects to be in control of it, haha. I certainly don't want to set the precedent that she has the final say on what happens around here but she is so young to understand that message. Today she was upset because she wanted something out of our bathroom cabinet and I didn't know what she was saying so I asked her to calm down and help me understand what it was and she did stop crying so that I could lift her up and she could point to the sunblock (which apparently is "baby pits"). I think she is learning that she doesn't have to cry to get what she wants but it must be terribly frustrating to not be understood all the time - I get that. So this is my latest parenting dilemma.

But aside from Carina I'm in the beginning stages of planning a weekly small group with 3 lovely ladies. Peter put Carina to bed last night quite successfully (also this week she has put herself to sleep twice with no crying at all!) so I think we can all handle a weekly night out for Mom. I'm also planning on working a temp job for 2 days this week just to bring in a couple bucks and get out of the house. I don't know that I'll be making a habit of it but I do have some very excellent and generous individuals lined up for child care (you know who you are - thank you!). That's all the news from here. I think I'll go take advantage of Carina's nap time and relax a bit!

SNOW!

2011-01-27T20:01:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Carina and I spent the morning in our jammies and then after nap time went out to play in the snow and build a snowman. What a terrific day! Today we had a really fun play date and despite all the exertion Carina didn't nap at all. However she surprised us by pooping in the potty a SECOND time tonight! She said "Good poo poo!". That girl makes my heart explode.

Opposites

2011-01-18T10:19:00.002-05:00

Carina "reading" from her Winnie the Pooh's Opposites book. Our little smarty :)

Carina's Busy Schedule

2011-01-14T12:16:00.004-05:00

Who knew a toddler could be so busy? I mentioned in my last post that I had found a few free activities in which Carina and I could participate. This week we went to story time Monday morning (Peter came along because he had the day off), toddler yoga Wednesday morning, a different story time last night and then sing & play this morning. I don't know who has enjoyed it more, she or I! It has been terrific to have Carina around other kids and I've appreciated getting out of the house. I even made friends with another mom this morning which isn't an easy thing for me considering how shy I tend to be around new people.

We've been happily booked solid and I don't know if it's coincidence or not but Carina is napping well again. We've seen quite a few 2 hour naps and that is just fabulous. Plus she has been sleeping in till 7 or 8 in the morning most days. Yesterday and today when I poked my head in to check on her she was just happily sitting up chilling in her crib. As far as eating goes she has been eating better as long as I don't restrict her to specific meal times or her high chair. I wait to see if and when she is hungry and just feed her then. We're both much happier that way.

Obviously Carina has been sticking to my resolutions for her. I've been doing well myself. Still working out 3 mornings a week. Still journaling every day. I need a new devotional so that resolution is lacking and I'm working really hard to be a nicer person. Yesterday I definitely failed on the being a patient mom one. I got so frustrated when Carina threw a tantrum about having her nails clipped. So far today I've been better though :)

Totally random thought but one I'll throw out there anyway - we bought Carina a snowman ornament this week at 60% off. It's completely adorable and I thought it would be a good representation of this year's Christmas since that was one of her favorite words the whole holiday season and she says it so, so cute *snowmaa*. I really debated if we wanted to start buying her an ornament every year. She gets one from at least one of her grandparents but growing up Peter and I each received ornaments from our parents every Christmas and I love looking at all of mine when I put them on the tree each December. So my compromise (because I'm such a penny pincher) is to buy one every year on sale after Christmas and maybe give it as a Valentine's gift or something. Keep the tradition alive or whatever, haha.

Happier New Year

2011-01-01T22:02:00.003-05:00

Carina has been a bit of a challenge recently. Her daily nap continues to be one hour or less. She is eating poorly and her mood is miserable. She clings to me constantly and sometimes still continues to fuss despite my attention. My best guess is that she has a molar or two coming in. Two broke through on the right side of her mouth months ago and we've been waiting for the left to catch up. I sure hope at least some of this is a phase. I want my happy little girl back.

So in addition to Carina having a happier new year my other resolutions include the following (I actually started these the 1st of December to give myself a jump start):

-Daily journaling (which reminds me, must do tonight!)

-Daily devotions (not a fan of my current book, must find better one soon)

-3 x weekly workouts (break in that Wii Fit!)

-Be a nicer person in general (stop using words like 'hate' and 'stupid')

-Be a more patient Mom (semi-related I've found at least 3 free weekly activities to take Carina to and I am SO excited!)

May your eyes and arms be wide open to God's blessings in this new year!

Comfort and Joy

2011-01-01T21:50:00.004-05:00

Carina Counts to 10!

2010-12-20T12:52:00.000-05:00

18 Month Update

2010-12-20T12:33:00.003-05:00

Carina really surprised us this week with new and exciting skills. Most notable were counting to 10 (video soon to follow!) and pooping on the potty! And to top it off she napped for nearly 3 hours yesterday which was huge because she has only been napping one hour per day for the past 3 weeks. She is such an amazing little person and I just can't believe how quickly she picks up new things. Last night I pointed out a snow man on her cup and she repeated the word and then proceeded to point out two more snow man decorations near by. Wow.

She's working on her colors and has pink and blue down cold. Yellow, red and green are coming along pretty well too. She can also recognize the letters E and O and sometimes A. It's seriously nothing that we're doing. We talk to her all the time and she LOVES to read so I think most of it she is picking up from her millions of books.

Her love affair with Sesame Street continues. She already received an Elmo microphone as a Christmas present from a friend, we got her a small plush Grover and a DVD and Mom got her a book and is wrapping her gifts in Sesame Street wrapping paper, haha. I am so excited for Carina to experience Christmas again this year! She's not much for unwrapping gifts but she just loves watching everything.

Of course she's not always sunshine and rainbows. She has a temper and tantrums are fairly frequent. It's hard to get her to sit still in her high chair for dinner. She wants to feed herself but just doesn't have the skill yet and I won't hesitate to admit that I'm not a fan of the mess she is certain to make. However I'm sure I'll soon be over that and we'll be letting her practice more with her plasticware.

Since I'm not sure if today will be a good or bad nap day I'd better wrap this up. At her 18 month check-up she measured 18.4 pounds and 27.5 inches. I just this week put away her 6 month jammies (the last pic below shows her in those jammies just last week!). We couldn't love our tiny peanut more :)

Love

2010-12-07T19:05:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-01T11:22:00.003-05:00

We hauled ourselves and our stuff (and our baked goods!) all the way to Dayton this year. It is always so nice to see Peter's extended family. Carina was a rock star traveler even though it took 10 hours to get home Friday (we stopped to visit friends in Pittsburgh). We definitely have much to be thankful for this year!

I Heart Familiy Visits!

2010-11-22T12:46:00.004-05:00

To Great Grandma's Home We Go

2010-11-19T12:22:00.006-05:00

Friends and Family

2010-11-07T16:50:00.001-05:00

Lazy Sunday Lunch

2010-10-31T14:18:00.001-04:00

Someone just couldn't keep her eyes open after a busy morning in the nursery :)

Fall Family Fun

2010-10-28T12:01:00.004-04:00

Keep On Keeping On

2010-10-19T12:28:00.005-04:00

This is what was written on my cake at my farewell party at work a few weeks ago. It sums up life right now. We just keep moving. October is historically a busy month for us. It happens every year. Then throw in leaving my job, adding in a few regular babysitting gigs, day trips, overnight guests, parties and still working a few hours at my old job here and there and it gets a little crazy. Oh and I decided to rearrange our living room last night just for fun too. (If you ask my college roomies, they'll tell you I clean, straighten and rearrange to relieve tension and anxiety.)

But really life is good. Carina slept all night last night and even gave me a chance to work out and eat breakfast this morning before she woke up. Then we went into work for a couple hours this morning and she was a little angel the entire time. She's napping peacefully now. I'm about to go read (The Hunger Games trilogy, according to Entertainment Weekly they're the new Twilight. I guess I'm just a fad reader.)

On a side note, I just wanted to brag that I noticed Carina's 9th tooth today. Nine teeth in just 4 months! I'm impressed.

Reunion

2010-10-19T12:10:00.003-04:00

This weekend Peter's college friends had a mini reunion in Annapolis. We met up at a park so the kids could play for a few hours and then ended the day at Applebee's. Since our last reunion (in 2005!) we have had a small population explosion from 1 kid to 5 and if the other two couples who couldn't make it had been there, it would have been 8 kids! Crazy. Thanks for the fun day everybody. Oh and interesting fact I just realized - between the 14 of us there we share 11 names. Three adults/kids had duplicate names.

My Fairy Princess

2010-10-19T12:07:00.002-04:00

Carina's Day with Goppie Goppie

2010-10-12T13:20:00.004-04:00

My parents spent the weekend and watched Carina for us so we could go to NYC sans baby. Actually it was mostly Mom who babysat. Dad had to work and couldn't get here till Carina's bath time Saturday night. Mom let Carina practice going up and down the stairs. Everybody had fun! (Oh and if you couldn't tell... Carina is calling Mom and Dad "Goppie Goppie" for now). Thanks Goppie Goppie!

NYC Saturday

2010-10-12T13:05:00.005-04:00

Peter and I headed to NYC this past Saturday to visit our friends Ted and Becca. We had such a great time! We met up with our friends and they found us free parking. Then we stopped at Lush before lunch at Dallas BBQ. We had our picture taken with Cookie Monster and Elmo (for Carina), stopped at M&M world for a souvenir for Mom and browsed the Hershey store too. Took a stroll around Central Park (the weather was gorgeous!) and then stopped at FAO Schwarz to pick up a lemur for Carina. Got some Starbucks at one of Trump's buildings and ended the day at Pepe Giallo for dinner (we went there last time we visited and I just LOVE that place). Can't wait to do it again!

Aunt June's 80th Birthday Party

2010-10-12T12:56:00.003-04:00

The "Weather" Post

2010-10-08T13:38:00.004-04:00

Week one of being a stay-at-home-mom is officially under my belt. It was a dirty tsunami wave of emotions and debris that I (naively) did not see coming. At my lowest point I called Peter (and then my Mom to have the same conversation) and said if staying home with one child is like this, I don't want to have another. End of story.

And on a good day like today I look back on those feelings and think "Wow - it wasn't THAT bad!". There were just certain days this week that happened to be a perfect storm (and yes, I suppose that is my 2nd weather metaphor of this post - blame my Dad for watching so much Weather channel) of not-so-stellar circumstances. The weather for one (no seriously... I didn't even mean to throw another weather reference in here). It was ugly and gloomy for way too many days in a row. It was too wet and cold for Carina and I to get out and take a walk. I was also without my car for the better part of the week because we had it painted (side note: it looks better than awesome). So I was stuck in the house all week. Then one particularly tough day Carina decided to nap for less then an hour. This was also a day that I happened to be babysitting AND a day Peter would get home late.

"It's almost bed time!" a friend commented on my Facebook post, lamenting my woes of the day and I thought "Amen!". Peter and I had 2 hours of relaxation and then as soon as our heads hit the pillow, Carina started crying. She would not stop until she was in bed with us. That lasted till 3 am and then I couldn't take the eye gouging and kicking any more so I moved her back to her crib where she slept mostly peacefully till morning. I should mention that she has had a cough for the past 2.5 weeks that has kept her from sleeping really well - it isn't like her to sleep so poorly.

BUT that was the worst of it. We made it thorough the night. The sun was out the next day. I got my car back. Carina napped 2.5 hours. And Peter was home in the evening to give me a hand. What a difference! Now I don't mean to be a complainer and maybe this week wouldn't have been so hard if I wasn't adjusting my entire life and mindset to staying home instead of working. It definitely gave me perspective and now I can see that there will be hard days but the good days far outweigh those.

Today, for exmple, has been a fantastic day! Carina and I went grocery shopping. I baked pumpkin cookies. I did laundry. Carina has already been napping for 90 minutes (I even left her in her crib awake and after 20 minutes of talking to herself, she fell asleep on her own!). I'm hoping to visit a couple friends this afternoon and my Mom is coming tonight. Oh and the weather is awesome.

I think much of my anxiety boils down to my need to feel useful. On crazy days that I can't control, I can't get out of the house to run errands or even find time to clean up around the house. Then I feel like I'm not contributing to the household. Silly? Probably. Anyway, I better wrap this up before someone decides to wake up early. I think we're all going to be ok!

Welcome Fall!

2010-09-25T21:21:00.004-04:00

And with it... big changes for the Jones household. This week is my official last week of working outside the house. We had a really great child care set up where Carina split her time between two of our stay-at-home-mom friends and all three of us loved it. However one friend went back to work and the other is having her second baby next month! Peter and I have been praying and mulling it over for some time and feel that now is the time for me to stay home.

It has been my ultimate goal and dream to be home with Carina since the day she was born (even before!) and although finances will be challenging, there is little I love more than wrangling a budget and making it work. Plus I've already started doing some babysitting 1-2 days a week and that gives us a little extra breathing room. I am so excited to plan play dates and fun-filled outings for me and Carina as well as hopefully devoting a little more attention to the cooking, cleaning and shopping (so when Peter is home we have more quality family time). That's the dream anyway!

But enough about me. It has been a while since I've posted a proper Carina update. She is talking, talking, talking! We saw The Cat in the Hat cartoon on PBS this mornng and whenever I sing the theme song, she repeats "Go, go, go!" after me. Tonight at dinner I asked Peter to get Carina more applesauce, stat, and she said "Go, go, go!" It was so adorable. She knows what her hat is and asks for it and wants to wear it. Same with shoes. She is also completely obsessed with Elmo. We have a puzzle and until we find Elmo's face, after every piece we pick up she asks "Elmo? Elmo?" We borrowed an Elmo book from the library this week. We're enablers.

She has become such a good little helper. I give her small pieces of clothing from the washer and she puts them in the dryer for me. I can give her trash to take to the trash can. She handed Daddy cans of cat food to put away after grocery shopping this morning. She is also blowing kisses really well and I love to see her do it when Peter leaves for work in the morning.

We went to Messiah this afternoon for a walk. Pics below :)

Gommie and Goppie

2010-09-25T21:18:00.001-04:00

As Carina has decided to call them for now :)

To All Our Grandparents

2010-09-12T21:21:00.002-04:00

Lake Tobias

2010-09-07T21:32:00.004-04:00

OBX 2010

2010-09-07T21:24:00.006-04:00

Beach Babe

2010-09-07T21:23:00.000-04:00

Family

2010-08-23T21:07:00.001-04:00

I'll Let Carina Tell You Herself...

2010-08-21T20:51:00.001-04:00

More Pictures of That Kid We Had

2010-08-21T20:37:00.002-04:00

A little birdy told me there is a general clamor for weekly blog updates. I can only imagine that it's Carina pictures you're missing and not my writing! I read my developmental milestones update again recently from last month and let me tell you... that girl is changing before our eyes! She now has about 5 teeth but I think 2 more are on the way. She stands up on her own all the time now... no more crawling to the wall for help. She goes up the stairs all on her own (not always a good thing). We have 2 baby gates up now. We went for our first walk around the neighborhood without the stroller tonight! Carina walked right along with us and I think it was a good quarter mile. She was definitely ready for bed tonight :)

Adventures in Frugality

2010-08-04T11:36:00.005-04:00

I've been meaning to post this for quite some time. Maybe you noticed the new list of "money saving" blogs to the right. It has become my latest obsession and passion. Saving money is awesome.

If anybody actually reads this blog, these "tips" are probably old hat but they're new to me. So a quick money saving 101...

1. Shop around. Specifically for groceries. We had been going to the same store for years and never did any price comparisons at all. Turns out Wegmans was a little cheaper. And the store is so nice! A word of caution: it is nearly impossible to ignore all the specialty items/sections and it takes all my will power NOT to buy something from their fancy bakery!

2. Brand names are just a name. We buy almost everything store brand. And so far we are very happy with the quality. I mean, really, is there any difference between brand name and store brand salt?! The only thing I've tried thus far that was ultimately just not the same was Wegmans brand Wheat Thins. Then again, I'm pretty addicted to the real deal.

3. Scope out sales AND match those sales with coupons. I've found it super easy just to buy store brand and save buckets doing only that. However, if I scan the weekly fliers and pair those sales with coupons (coupons that are typically doubled up to $1 I believe) I can find some good deals even on name brand stuff. Last week I bought 2 huge boxes of cat litter on sale at Target, used a coupon and got a $5 gift card as part of the sale/promotion. Just yesterday I went back and used that gift card to help put together little back-to-school gifts for our Sunday school girls. School supplies are SUPER cheap right now. I used a coupon to get a 10 pack of pens for free and the crayons came free with the 50 cent color pencils. The total for each kit was a tiny $1.23. Not bad!

4. Look for freebies. So far I've only ventured into using $1 off coupons on travel sized items but that's still a significant savings. I mean, free is free! All the items below were free. Plus I keep my eye on those money saving blogs and I can see when other freebies by mail pop up. I got a free cook book in the mail. I've signed up for free Ziploc containers, Pledge products, men's cologne, chap stick... you name it. All for free. And I've heard those freebies typically come with coupons! We even got free slurpees (free from 7-Eleven on 7/11) and a free flip flop sugar cookie from Cookies by Design. All we had to do was know when and where and we got free stuff.

So my new obsession is fun and economical. Oh I guess I could mention too that we're not going out to eat as much. We did have a buy one get one free coupon at Isaac's so we did that last week but mostly I'm just planning smarter and we're eating cheaper. A few more breakfasts for dinner never hurt anybody. I have to say it's sort of freeing. I can see now how much extra spending we had been doing and although we've always been frugal, it's nice to see we can take it even further. And don't worry, we're still eating well and having fun. Red Box movies are only $1.06 after all. Although I had a dream last night we had a movie and forgot to return it. Money saving nightmares!

An Afternoon at Aunt Vicki's

2010-08-04T11:32:00.003-04:00

Anatomy Lesson

2010-08-04T11:18:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I posted any sort of developmental update on Carina. Obviously she is walking. She's just starting to stand up on her own from sitting but usually she crawls over to a wall or table for help standing up.

She is eating a lot more "big girl" foods. Her favorite toddler meal is mac-n-cheese with veggies and chicken (although she still tends to gag on meat). She'll try pretty much anything we're eating. Last week we had pancakes and smoothies and both were an instant hit. And the tooth count is still just 2 - one on top and one on bottom, right on top of each other.

She still doesn't say much (that we can understand anyway). She does love to babble in her own little language, especially when you give her a phone. She is still pretty soft spoken but every once in a while will shriek for the fun of it. She is still developing a little temper and has started hitting lately. I guess fortunately for us it's only objects or us and not other kids! I can imagine it is frustrating not being able to tell us exactly what she wants. Pointing will only get you so far.

She is learning animal sounds and will always tell you a sheep says "baaa". Her "moo" is a little less clear but it is there. The other night I was reciting her one of her books from memory and she walked from the dining room to the living room and pulled that particular book out of her pile. I was amazed and seriously think she is a little genius!

She is down to one nap per day and it's usually a really good one - like 3 hours good. Mommy like. Her bed time has been pushed back to closer to 8 pm but she sleeps till closer to 6:30 in the morning (7 this morning!) so that fits our schedule a little better than getting up at 5:30, haha. She still nurses first thing in the morning and at bedtime but she gets a sippy cup of cold whole milk with lunch and dinner and drinks it just fine. No more bottles!

And as you can see from the video she does extremely well with body parts. I attribute that to all the books she loves to read that teach anatomy. She has grown up so much this past month and we coldn't be more proud!

A Visit with Great Gram

2010-07-29T11:33:00.004-04:00

We went to my Gram's this past Sunday. Went out for a lovely dinner and Carina even ate applesauce, mac-n-cheese, baked corn and pumpkin muffin. We walked around the Country Cupboard gift shop afterward and Carina had many adoring fans. It's so much fun to take her out and let her walk around places now that she walks so well. We even bought her new shoes (see below).

She is definitely getting more outgoing at times too. Last night she was standing at the front screen door and our new neighbor Tabi was sitting in her car. Carina waved and smiled and then proceeded to carry on a loud conversation across the front yard. It was so sweet.

Another Play Date!

2010-07-21T14:26:00.001-04:00

This time with my friend Lesli and her adorable Keaton. So much fun!

Wedding

2010-07-19T20:24:00.002-04:00

Chris and Ryan got married! We spent the night in Jersey and brought my Mom along to babysit. Everybody had a great time (except for the getting lost part and Carina staying awake from 10-12 when all I wanted to do was sleep). Congrats!!!

Play Date

2010-07-19T20:20:00.003-04:00

Linz and Celia came up for a play date last week!

On the Road Again

2010-07-07T10:19:00.003-04:00

Another family weekend. We spent Saturday night at my parents'. Went to a birthday picnic for my cousin Jessica's two boys and went to church together Sunday morning. Went out to eat at Friendly's and Carina made friends with the next table over - little flirt. Got to visit my Great Mom-Mom while we were there too so that was nice. Carina showed off her walking for everyone. I have a feeling climbing stairs may be next on her to-do list.

Family Photos

2010-07-02T20:47:00.005-04:00

For Mother's Day I set up a portrait session with friends of ours (Mike and Missy) who also photographed our wedding and Carina's newborn portraits. I was so disappointed that my sister-in-law and my oldest niece couldn't be there but I do love the pictures we got.

Creeking with Whitney

2010-07-02T20:38:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday Carina and I met up with my college roomie Whitney at Messiah College for a walk and a little cool down in the creek. There were SO many people there tubing and kayaking on the creek. Many had brought their own beer... and the beer had its own tube too! Fun times.

This Baby Was Made For Walking

2010-06-20T20:48:00.001-04:00

Big Girl Seat

2010-06-20T20:41:00.004-04:00

We finally moved Carina out of her infant seat. She hadn't outgrown it (I believe the weight and height limits are 22 lbs and 29 in respectively and Carina isn't quite 18 lbs and 26 in). But we were leaving the infant seat in our cars more often than we were bringing it in the house so we figured it made sense to move on up to the big girl seat. Here are the last picture in her infant seat, first pics in her new seat and some pre-picnic pics for good measure.

Yet Another Party

2010-06-20T20:34:00.003-04:00

We're turning into party people! My cousin Heather graduated college (yay Heather!) so we went to a picnic to celebrate. Carina still loves the pool but was really wary about letting anybody but Georgia (and eventually my Mom and Kimberly) hold her. Silly girl.

Oh and as I look at these pictures I realize that obviously she let Aunt Vicki hold her in the pool so add her to the list. Maybe she was just wary of men. Other than her father obviously - it is Father's Day after all.

Over the River and Through the Woods

2010-06-12T19:41:00.002-04:00

Or maybe just across some highways and state lines but we made our way to MD to see Peter's Grandma today. Carina was a great little traveler and we timed things so her naps would be in the car. Mommy napped on the way home too.

Sweet New Ride

2010-06-11T20:03:00.005-04:00

Party the Second

2010-06-07T20:11:00.004-04:00

We spent the weekend at my parents' and had a big family party at my Aunt Vicki's yesterday. Carina was such a good little traveler and even slept all night in the pack-n-play. Wasn't a big fan of her cake but she LOVED the pool.

Party the First

2010-06-07T20:02:00.003-04:00

Our baby girl is now a whole year old. Hardly a baby any more! We had a few friends over for cake on her actual birthday. She had three of her little buddies there and a good time was had by all.

It just doesn't seem possible that it has been an entire year since we brought her home from the hospital. She went from this little, lovable, cuddly lump to a little girl with such personality who walks and talks and gives the best kisses.

Happy Birthday Carina! You have made this the sweetest year yet and we can't wait to see what the next year brings!

Holiday Weekend

2010-05-30T14:26:00.003-04:00

And the Jones family could not be happier! Staying in bed till 7. Home playing with our girl all day. Hot dogs, beans and roast potatoes - our own indoor picnic. Finally watching Avatar (and Sherlock Holmes is on the agenda tonight). These are a few of the things we've done this weekend. And we have another day off tomorrow!!!

Oh and Miss Cutie Patootie below is wearing a 3/6 month dress I found in the back of her closet. I didn't pack it away because it looked so big and lo and behold - it fits at 12 months. And is quite cute I might add.

A Visit From Grandma and Grandpa

2010-05-24T21:16:00.002-04:00

My parents came up for the evening. Time with a super cute kid and a good dinner? Who could ask for more?

Celia Turns One!

2010-05-24T11:05:00.003-04:00

We made our way to MD yesterday for Celia Bug's first birthday party. Good friends, good food, good times. Happy Birthday Sweet Celia!

The Haps

2010-05-22T19:47:00.003-04:00

Haven't blogged much about our day-to-day schedule lately. We've had a fun week. Last Saturday we went to Greek Fest and got some amazing eats. Hard to believe when we went last year I was carrying around a 6 pound baby on the inside. This year it was an almost 18 pound baby strapped to my chest.

Sunday I taught Sunday school alone while Peter stayed home with a napping Carina. Usually it's the other way around. We're hoping to split the teaching a bit more evenly from here on out. And eventually Carina's nap time won't coincide with Sunday school. I just hate to bring her along and make her miss a nap. That's just not good for any of us.

Tuesday I had a hair cut so Peter and Carina had some quality Daddy/Daughter time. I'm Still debating whether or not to go back to my pixie cut. This "long" hair is just too much work and it doesn't even look good.

Thursday we went to a CPR class (in hopes of boosting my confidence when it comes to feeding Carina table food). It was 7-9:15 so Rebecca came over and put Carina to bed. It was the first time ever I didn't put her to bed. It went just fine! Of course I missed her but she went to bed nice and easy and stayed asleep till we got home. We may have to think about going on same dates now, haha.

Today I've had a bit of a tummy bug so Peter did the grocery shopping. We had to run my car (Moxie) to the garage for her inspection on Monday. Carina didn't nap for as long as usual so she was a bit fussy. We had a terrible time putting her to bed. She must have cried for at least half an hour but eventually she wore herself out. Now we're both ready to relax and catch up on Thursday's Community, Parks & Rec and The Office!

Oh and new tricks! Carina now shakes her hand/finger when we say "No bad cat!" and she will point to her hair, belly and toes when we ask her to. Such a smartie!

Vegetarian

2010-05-14T21:30:00.003-04:00

Carina is typically an excellent eater. She's never refused any particular food... until tonight. I tried to feed her pureed veggies with chicken. Below are the before and after pics. May need a paternity test to confirm she's Peter's if she doesn't eat meat! Don't worry... after that last sad picture I fed her veggies and she was happy again.

Good Morning Sunshine!

2010-05-14T21:24:00.003-04:00

Our little morning person.

Motoring Around

2010-05-09T21:26:00.002-04:00

One of Carina's new tricks is the "motor boat". She is also balancing while sitting on her knees, pulling herself up onto anything and everything and walking while pushing the upturned laundry basket around.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T21:04:00.003-04:00

Started my Mother's Day weekend at the pediatrician with Carina. Diagnosis: croup. Carina didn't sleep well Friday (none of us did since we shared one bed) but we thought we were in the clear after she had a relatively good day yesterday and a good night's sleep last night. Unfortunately she was still whiney, cranky and needy today. We did share lots of snuggles and a nap so it was still a good Mother's Day. Got a beautiful card and incredibly sweet necklace from Peter with Carina's name and a pearl on it (and he did loads of housework - best husband ever!). All in all, the best Mother's Day I've ever had.

Baby Meets Cake

2010-05-05T10:11:00.003-04:00

Inspired by my friend Linz and her darling girl Celia... I introduced Carina to cake simply for the sake of a few good pictures. Carina was napping while we ate her dedication cake so I thought it only fair to save the part with her name on it for her. The result? Cute and funny pictures, of course!

Carina's Dedication

2010-05-05T10:02:00.004-04:00

Dear Carina,

What a JOY you are to us! From the moment we met you (and even before) we fell completely in love with you. You are such a happy and content little girl. You study everyone and everything around you so intently. We call you our little perfectionist because while you may reach milestones later than others, when you do achieve them (like crawling) you do it perfectly – as if you’ve been practicing over and over in your head.

You can be shy around new faces but once you warm up to someone you are the sweetest. Your smiles light up an entire room and your giggles and belly laughs melt our hearts. You kiss your stuffed animals and share your toys with friends and with us. We hope that your kindness and generosity continue to grow as you mature into the beautiful young lady we know you will become.

We pray that you will always be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We pray too that you would be quick to show grace and mercy to others. We promise to do our best to teach you these fruits of the spirit by our example and when we stumble we hope you will learn forgiveness as well.

Carina your name is also the name of a constellation – a picture in the sky made of stars – of the keel of a ship. The keel is the first part of the ship to be built – the foundation or spine providing the major source of structural strength. You as our sweet and beautiful firstborn have served as the foundation of our family – providing balance and strength simply by your existence. Our prayer is that Christ would always serve as YOUR foundation and strength. Build your life on Him and His word. Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

Carina you are the desire of our hearts and we love you so very, very much – now and always.

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Dedication Weekend

2010-05-05T09:51:00.003-04:00

Sunday we had Carina dedicated at our church! My parents came out Saturday and spent the night. Dad picked up Gram and brought her over Sunday and Peter's parents came Sunday too. We had a nice picnic lunch and cake. Carina was SO good all weekend long and even took an amazing afternoon nap Sunday - despite the energetic and vocal company :)

Big Girl Pajamas

2010-05-01T09:30:00.003-04:00

I love these pajamas almost as much as I love the little girl wearing them.

Gotta Make This Quick...

2010-04-28T09:42:00.004-04:00

I have pics I want to post but I don't know how much longer Carina will be napping. My parents came to visit this weekend (they missed their Peanut after 10 days in Jamaica... tough life!). Mom, Carina and I went to Nicole's bridal shower Saturday.

Carina and I have been fighting the sniffles this week. No fun at all. We're also trying to tweek Carina's feeding schedule to get her closer to 3 meals instead of snacking all day long. So far, so good!

Oh and just to make you jealous, the smell of Peter's chocolate birthday cake baking in the oven is washing over me as I type. Yummy!

Old Friends are the Best Friends

2010-04-22T19:57:00.005-04:00

I've had a friend-filled week and it was awesome. My high school friend Nicole came in from Erie and spent the night. Here she is in our wedding.

And here she is with the Peanut. And I get to see her again Saturday. A winner is me!

Then yesterday one of my college roomies Stef was on her way from Pittsburgh to Philly so we met for coffee. Here SHE is at our wedding.

And here she is with the Peanut. It is possible that I haven't seen her since her graduation in 07. I'm a bad friend.

After coffee Carina and I headed down to MD to see Linz and Celia. Here Linz is in our wedding. Only a real friend would take a pic like this.

And here she is with the Peanut. See the little theme I have going on here?

I think after college and getting married, you figure out who your real "bosom buddies" are. Who you'd be friends with even if you didn't see them all the time. I'm fortunate to still be friends with Nicole, even 8 years after high school. And fortunate to still see most of my college roomies on a semi-regular basis and call one of them my very best friend (it just happens after living together for 4 years!). A friend-filled week is the best kind of week.

Finger Foods!

2010-04-17T20:11:00.004-04:00

Uncharted territory for the three of us but so far - smooth sailing. I can honestly say it has been the scariest thing I have ever done (and that includes childbirth!). I just hated giving Carina something I wasn't sure she could handle. Over the past couple months every once in a while we would try to give Carina a half Puff but she would either throw up or gag. Then I read a blurb in a parenting magazine about how waiting past 9 months to start finger foods can lead to problems learning how to chew so I figured it was about time to start taking things seriously.

So Sunday night we gave her a couple half Puffs. She did ok but I was a ball of nerves. I was literally shaking. What if she chokes? What would I do? And I've looked up CPR for kids but it's just not that comforting. I would just never forgive myself if something happened to her and I was the cause because I gave her finger foods before she was ready. Dramatic much? Yes, Peter keeps me sane. After our first attempt I wussed out and asked Rebecca if she wanted to give Carina some practice. Since Rebecca has already been through this stage with her son and has CPR training (Peter and I are registered for a course next month) I felt comfortable with that. She e-mailed me at work to let me know Carina ate 10 whole Puffs by herself with no problems whatsoever! I was impressed!

So now she is eating Puffs - and feeding herself nonetheless - like a pro. I am so proud of her! Next - yogurt melts.