Favorite Holiday Movies

Last night we watched Home Alone (the original, dated 1990)...and I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. Although it's not a classic "holiday" movie, it does takes place at Christmas-time. This prompted a discussion on our favorite holiday movies. My list goes like this:

1. Elf - "Smiling is my favorite" - what can I say! :)
2. Christmas Vacation - Too many lines to quote, everyone LOL's all the way through!
3. The Holiday - hello Jude Law...and those little girls are darling with their accents (makes me want to send Miss L across the pond one summer to return speaking like that!)
4. Serendipity - because I do believe "everything happens for a reason," and yet that you control your own destiny.
5. Home Alone - yep, my cheeks hurt after watching it. Plus, it takes place in Chicago - which I call one of my homes.

It's so easy {a Grandma can do it}

Everyone knows just how technology-forward my husband is. It is "his thing." We all have "a thing" that we're into. (Although, I'm not sure what my "thing" is, yet.) His interest for the latest and greatest piece of electronics is fueled by a mind wired like an engineer...and by his perfectionism, which ultimately translates into a great quality of life for all 3 of us!

One of the most progressive pieces of technology in our home is our remote control to the various media in our Living Room. At first site, it appears to be a small tablet, approximately 4" square. It is made by Logitech, a brand that he has come to enjoy. The remote features a touch screen and uses macros that he programs to customize the functions, based on our components. (This is slightly Greek to me, but I'm thankful he self-taught himself this stuff)

This remote is often the butt of jokes by his family. I'm not sure why - maybe b/c it looks intimidating at first site, or maybe that they enjoy razzing him. However, when I go to their homes - they often have 3-4 different reomotes. You know the drill - one remote for the TV, one for sound and another for the dvd player or something else - and no one knows how to operate all 3. Well, my husband uses technology to make a posh life for his princess. With the touch of one button- I press "Play Blu Ray" button - it turns all of the settings on the TV, Audio, and PS3 Player to the correct ones and I just have to hit play. Or, if I want to listen to the Holly (Christmas) Station on satellite radio - I touch the "Listen to Sirius" button - then logos appear for my favorite radio stations- Holly, Alt Nation, Coffeehouse, and so on.

In fact, my mom (Miss L's Grandma), has raved about this remote - the ease of use recently when she stayed at our home while we were at work. I'm sure future babysitters will be equally elated by this technology.

Soo...if you are tired of handling numerous remotes to play your child's Baby Einstein dvd, or if you need a last minute gift for the techy in your life...consider one of the few options available by Logitech. Below are a couple of photos of our remote...and yes, my husband put a holiday-themed background photo on the screen. {See previous post about our love for the holidays!}

Really? Really?

Since the weather has been soo mild lately, we decided to take a little family walk yesterday...and THIS is what we discovered just a short walk way in a neighborhood or two over from ours. "WOW!!" That is all that could come out of my mouth when we turned a corner with the stroller and saw this site.

Now, I used to LOVE purple. It has long been my favorite color; now I'm leaning towards pink these days. Either way - I wouldn't dare paint my house this color! And to make matters even more intense - these people had a purple mail box, purple planter boxes and purple flower baskets.

Who actually thinks this looks nice? Honestly, people! I guess this is why neighborhoods have associations with rules and covenants, so your new neighbor doesn't move-in and dramatically decrease your home value.

So, Sad! Needless to say, we will be taking that route again...just to actually see what this crazy people look like! On a side note- love taking walks here - the smell of wood burning fireplaces - is intoxicating to me!

I Wish I Would've Known...

We didn't learn about the Pampers Gifts to Grow Rewards program until about 3 weeks ago. We learned from a fellow new mom about this program, which ultimately rewards you for purchasing pampers products.

So...once I received my first case of Pampers Swaddlers diapers shipped from Diapers.com (note: amazing deal on 232 swaddlers for $32.99 shipped!), I found the code for the Gifts to Grow program on each of the plastic packaging and entered them online, yielding about 200 points. Now the program has all kinds of items to redeem points for, such as shutterfly gift cards, etc.

Then, just this morning, I noticed the code on a package of bulk Pampers wipes. Unfortunately, we are down to our final pack in a bulk case we bought back in August. It saddens me to think that I missed out on all of these points thus far.

My suggestions:

• Purchase diapers on diapers.com (super cheap!)
• Sign-up for a Pampers Gifts to Grow rewards account
• Log the codes on the cases as soon as you receive the purchase, so that it's done and you don't need to worry about doing it mid-diaper change!

"I KNOW HIM"

Miss L had her first experience with Santa Claus yesterday. We made our reservation nearly a month ago, after learning about this "special Santa." The "Santa Experience" at the MOA- boasts a real traditional looking Santa. Instead of donning the big red suit and faux beard....this Santa is more of a "Kris Kringle" type. He is extremely interactive with the kids...now Miss L was a too young to appreciate this Santa, but I am certain future years will definitely yield lots of excitement.

Miss L woke up from her nap right before it was show time. This made for a not-so-interactive Santa experience. She did "good," just not totally herself. Of course, just 5 minutes after visiting with Santa, she was in great spirits. Below are a couple of photos from our camera, I will scan the professional photo in a bit.

Wendy's {Copycat} Chili

If you are a fan of Wendy's Chili, have I got a recipe for you. With our attempt at meal planning, we decided this Football Sunday would include some slow-cooked, simmering hot chili. Since we don't have a specific recipe in the family...we decided to find a mock recipe of Wendy's famous chili (we both love!). We have had great luck in the past making mock recipes of some of our favorites, such as Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce and Olive Garden Chicken Scampi...I'll have to post these later.

I say "we" a lot...because in this home, everything is a team effort. In this situation, it involved me researching the perfect recipe, grocery shopping, and then tending to Miss L, as I instructed Jeremy on what and how much of each ingredient to put in the big pot.

It turned out absolutely delicious and was VERY close to the real deal!

Here is a photo and the recipe below:

2 lb. ground beef, browned
29oz. can tomato sauce
29oz. can red kidney beans (with liquids)
29oz. can pinto beans (with liquids)
15oz. can diced tomatoes, (we processed them real fine)
1 c. diced onion
1/2 c. green chili (used one small can)
1/4 c. diced celery (approx. one stalk)
2 tsp. cumin
3 tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt
2 c. water

Add all ingredients to large pot. Bring to boil over low heat. Simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring every 15-30 minutes.

Enjoy!
(Add shredded cheddar, crackers, sour cream, etc...if you wish, but it really doesn't need it!) Freeze leftovers.

Ugly Christmas Sweater

Two stores, 90 minutes and Twenty dollars later...and Jeremy now owns an Ugly Christmas Sweater. And it is UGGGLYYY!

He wanted to wear one to work, in an effort to create buzz surrounding the upcoming large staff Christmas Party! So, off to the M-O-A we went...not coming home without a sweater. Good thing, we have the store, Ragstock, with "1000's of Ugly Christmas Sweaters" per their large banners at all 3 locations at MOA.

This beautiful sweater works well for the big guy because features a knit-in Christmas Tree (no embellishments to cheat the way to the ugliest sweater!)...also, it's a VEST, and Jeremy's staff has experienced Jeremy in a sweater vest on multiple occasions...lastly, it has a gray cell phone pocket on the left side of the vest - perfect for the crackberry!

He is such a great manager, getting into the spirit and having fun with his staff! Suffice it to say - it was a big hit and required an encore presentation the following week!

Happy Holidays!

Ho Ho Ho!

Santa has visited our home every year since we've been married, always in the middle of the night, filling our stockings and placing presents under the tree or anywhere they will fit (ie. my bicycle in our front foyer in Indy one xmas)...this year marks a new era of Santa. The kind of Santa that you have to set out a plate of cookies and milk for...and the kind that places shiny, red boxes from American Girl store under the tree, instead of pink, sparkly boxes from Victoria's Secret.

This year, since Miss L is a little too young to realize who this jolly big guy is...mommy and daddy have decided to take the reigns. We decided that we will each go out individually and shop for some special gifts from Santa to Miss L. Then, Christmas morning we can open each others gifts to Miss L and we all will have plenty of surprises. Knowing Jeremy, his creativity will be challenged and he will "out-gift" me, as he always does.
As far as my shopping list goes- we have less than 2 weeks until Christmas and I have to buy for Jeremy and the baby sitter. Not too bad. Now, just waiting for packages from Amazon.com to arrive to begin wrapping!

Ho Ho Ho!

Happy 4-Month Birthday!

We celebrated 4 months of life with Miss L last week. Every month gets more and more fun with her...in fact, every day is something new. She is giggling, rolling over in every direction and just a joy to be around.

On Tuesday of last week, Miss L had her traditional pediactric visit. Since the doc we had been seeing is on maternity leave, I made this appointment with one of the docs that checked her out in the hospital, Dr. Coch.

We very much enjoyed his visit while in the hospital; and this appointment solidified that we will be seeing him from here on out. As a doc at large ped. practice (25+ docs), he made us feel like his only patient...which was very comforting.

Doc is very pleased with the health of Miss L and all is well. Her stats are as follows:

• 11#, 2oz - 10th percentile
• 23 3/4" long - 25th percentile
• I forget her head measurement - also 25th percentile

Plus, we got 4 shots and the oral dose of the rotovirus. She did great- only a short period of "petite" screaming immediately after the shot...afterall, that is to be expected.

Helpful hints for other new parents:

• Bring Children's Tylenol with you and dispense at appointment while waiting for doc (as a proactive measure)
• Bring a bottle or prepared to nurse following the appointment, just in case; can be very comforting to little one

• Be observant of any post-shot fever -a temp higher than 101.5 degrees F for babies 3m and older

A Holiday Cookie Exchange

This weekend, Miss L and I hosted a holiday cookie exchange for some of the neighborhood ladies. I must admit...party prep now takes twice as long with Miss L. And I also must admit that parties at our home could never be made possible without the help of my partner-in-crime, Jeremy.

We sent out an evite 3 weeks in advance and planned for the lil' soiree on a Saturday morning in December.
Everyone brought 4 dozen cookies or sweet treats to share. With about 15 ladies bringing delicious baked goods, I knew this was going to be good! So, I provided foil lasagna pans for everyone to fill as they circled the table - starting with taking 3 treats on round 1, followed by 2 treats on round 2...and so on, until we had a platter of assorted cookies. See photo below...

A couple of party-planning notes, I am thankful I remembered to turn down the thermostat a couple of hours prior to the party. When you have a group of people together, the body heat warms the house...just fine! (Plus, I wanted to have the fireplace on!) Also, be sure to have index cards available for guests to write their recipe on, if they forgot recipe cards to share; as well as some sort of place card/marker to identify who and what the treat is!

A cookie exchanges or swap is a great way to enjoy a variety of cookies in your home during the holidays...but it is an even better way to share in the spirit of the season with friends - new and old! I highly suggest hosting one in your neighborhood.

Things my Grandma should have told me

Each month, we receive a newsletter from our MN realtor, Tom. This newsletter is usually filled with tidbits of information - such as what consumer products are on sale that month, seasonal recipes, gardening tips, etc.

One particular section I find most intresting, is the article titled, "Things my Grandma should have told me." Some of the mentioned advice has been told to me from one of my (many) grandmothers, other parts is brand new to me.

Here are a few of my favorites from the November and December issues:

• A bag of sand or kitty litter should stay in your trunk during the winter; sprinkle it on each side of each wheel to gain traction in a pinch
• You can often loosen a rusted bolt by applying a cloth soaked in any carbonated beverage
• Use a melon baller to scoop olves from a jar or can (drains the juice w/o damaging olives)
• Cloves on pantry shelves will exterminate ants
• Periodically run ice cubes through your garbage disposal; it helps shake up and loosen any built-up grease
• Wrap bananas individually in foil and refridgerate to retain color and flavor
• Preserve freshness of cut flowers by dipping stems in hot water so they expand and absorb more moisture; add a few drops of oil of cloves to the water; or add one tablespoon of sugar to the water
• Acid vinegar makes a good preventative wash for areas where mildew might form
• Remove grass stains from clothing by first rubbing corn syrup lightly into the stains, then wash garment as usual

Learn something new? Me too! As my dad always says, you learn something new everyday!

One new cleaning solution I have been doing lately is sprinkling baking soda into toilet bowls, let sit then brush away for a quick, inexpensive way to sparkling fresh toilets. 

What tricks do you have up your sleeve?

That's a {Baby} Wrap

Baby carriers have been around since the beginning of time...or so it seems. Mother Nature has this amazing way of making moms and babies strongly desire to be together. And way back when...moms were savvy and creative and used a piece of fabric to secure baby to themselves in order to be a caretaker to other children and handle household duties.

Fast-forward to the modern world, now we have specific fabric contraptions sold in baby stores everywhere for this purpose in mind...as well as manufactured creations attempting to streamline the baby-carrying process.

Through our registry and gift giving - we have the Baby Bjorn (classic manufactured contraption), Moby Wrap (long piece of fabric), Baby Ka'Tan (another fabric-type with specific fabric pieces)...as well as a baby sling (which kind of lets mom do the hip-hugging hold while being hands-free). Through trial and error, we have discovered our likes and dislikes for each of the aforementioned products. Our favorite are the Baby Bjorn and the Moby Wrap.

The Baby Bjorn is an awesome, universal baby carrier. In fact, I keep this in my car for a random need - ie. Target run or Tigers baseball game. This is hands-down the easiest, quickest tool.

The Moby Wrap is intimidating at first. Unlike the Bjorn, the Moby offers a real closeness from user to baby, with fabric wrapped carefully to hold baby close. After carefully reading the instruction manual, I'm confident most moms are more confused. Which usually prompts a search on YouTube and finding another mommy offering her hands-on instructions via video. There is one way to wrap the fabric, but multiple positions. We have gone through times of enjoying it; and then a period of so-so, and now to absolutely loving it. Our most recent new favorite is the position allowing Miss L to face outwards seeing everything that I see. She has always been extremely alert and observant and this position feeds her need to see! Plus, I try to talk to her frequently explaining every little move we are making. We count as we go up and down the stairs, I describe the green, avocados we are placing in the fridge, etc. I truly enjoy this close opportunity to develop her language, and of course her knowledge for her surroundings.

Below is a photo of us in the mirror a couple of weeks ago - she just loves hanging out with mommy in this fashion.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

It is hard to believe December is upon us. It truly is a favorite month for our household. It's also time for the annual Christmas display - me enjoying decorating the all-mighty Christmas tree and Jeremy enjoying the great outdoors with his extreme lighting of our landscaped trees. Decorating this year presented more of a challenge than previous years. We had to work our set-up schedule around a little girl; but also, with a new home, we had to find new places for all of our different decorative pieces.

For example, our main nativity set is on our new media console in our living room. Meanwhile, our Willow Tree nativity found a home in our family room on an end table. Outdoors - we have five sconces to decorate with wreaths and Jeremy had to strategically decide which trees he was going to light up and what color exactly.

Turns out- his lighted trees are a big hit, attracting quite a bit more traffic to our cul-de-sac! After the hours he spent outside in the cold, decorating those 3 trees; I'm glad others are able to enjoy his hard work. I am also thankful I have a husband who enjoys the spirit of the season along with me! Merry Christmas! 

Only in Minnesota...

Ski Hill & Golf Greens...on our Thanksgiving Day walk

Only in Minnesota...can you golf the course during the day - and ski the slopes in the evening. This is the sight Miss L and I viewed on our walk on Thanksgiving Day. It was a "record-high" temperature of...(you'll probably laugh outloud)...55 degrees! That was exciting news to the locals. When I heard the news reporter tease about record-high temperature for Thanksgiving, my eyes lit up - I'm thinking, "Oh great!" Well, 55 was not what I was expecting...more like 65 or so. But...for November 24 in Minnesota- I will gladly take 55 and sunny (and no snow!)

The Big 3-0

Jeremy exited his 20's on Sunday...all the while, "taking it like a man..." he didn't shed one tear over closing the chapter of youth. LOL I can say that now, because I have 2 more years to cross this bridge myself!

Jeremy has accomplished so much in the short 30 years on this earth; I can't wait to see what the next 30 have in-store for him and our family. I feel so fortunate to have been a part of the fun the past 15 years and basically grow up together. Enough with the sappy stuff.

It just so happened, he had a nice 5-day vacay to enjoy with the holiday. And with the exception of the first day, I got the pleasure of spending every day and night with him. Some couples would go stir-crazy spending so much time together...not us. We both miss each other (and now Miss L), sooo much on Mondays. This lil' staycation made it that more difficult to leave one another.

For his bday celebration, we went downtown Minnie for dinner at Fogo de Chao. This was my first time at Fogo de Chao, but I am not a newcomber to the Brazillian steakhouse concept. It's basically an all-you-can-eat meat feast - with servers briskly walking the restaurant floor with skewers of various meats, ready to shave a tender, juicy slice of beef, pork, lamb or chicken onto our plate.

Jeremy loved the meats, and certainly I think they had the best filet mignon that I have ever had. It literally melted in my mouth. But my favorite part of the experience was the signature Brazillian cocktails. Is anyone really surprised by this? :) Nearly everyone in the bar was enjoying a lime-infused beverage. After a quick view of the drink menu, I gathered that this is a Caipirinha - a refreshing blend of limes, sugar and Brazillian spirits. Since I'm more of a vodka-girl than a rum-lover...I ordered the cousin drink called the Caiprissco (sp?). After one (strong) sip, I pronounced this a new favorite and that I must buy limes on my next grocery trip to try to replicate this drink at home. The ice was finely crushed, the limes were muddled and the entire beverage shaken (like a polaroid picture!) to perfection. See photos below...

Here is a photo of the molten chocolate lava cake in celebration of Jeremy's big day!

Happy Birthday Jeremy!!

A Modern Closet {Light}

Here's to another progressive technology item that my husband has spoiled me with...automatic light switches. For example, when I walk into our walk-in pantry or my walk-in closet in our bedroom...the light automatically comes on, thanks to a fancy little sensor on this lightswitch (see photo below).

The light comes on as soon as I walk-in...which is especially helpful with a load of clothes or pantry items. It automatically powers off after 5 minutes or so without activity.

Now that I am conditioned to just walking in the room and the lights turn on...I often forget to turn the light on when I walk in other rooms...like the utility room - which always happens when I have my hands full. Maybe I should put a utility room auto light switch on my Christmas list...hmmmm.

If you have a room in your home that you could benefit from this modern technology - send the hubby to Lowe's and call an electrician - like my dad! Or perhaps your own dear husband can tackle it himself, like mine. Highly suggest it for the modern home!



Our pantry





My walk-in



The light switch



A {very} Happy Thanksgiving

We have so many blessings to be thankful for this year. As we reflected at our dinner table of 2, er, 3...we enjoyed thinking about how much our world has changed since last Thanksgiving. The day we learned of our growing family. We are thankful for:

• Jeremy's new job that has taken us on quite the adventure
• Our new home that we love and enjoy
• Our health
• Jeremy's award trip to Hawaii in March
• The birth of Miss L
• The constant, loving support from our families

Our Thanksgiving day was spent exactly how we had hoped - woke up to the aroma of cinnamon bread baking in the bread machine, watched the parade with Miss L STARING at the TV in delight and amusement, Mommy & Miss L went for a walk/jog outside, watched lots of football, enjoyed appetizers then a traditional feast, followed by dessert from The Cheesecake Factory.

Our appetizer spread included a Cheese Tray with some aged white cheddar, gorgonzola and parm-reggiono (sp?), bacon-wrapped potato bites, crab-stuffed mushrooms and blue cheese filled baby reds.

Our dinner feast was complete with these beautiful, hand-made place cards from our sitter and Alexis. I just love how crafty and creative people can be! See below for some photos...

I love  some gorgonzola and honey on a cracker!

Blue cheese stuffed baby reds

Crab-stuffed Mushrooms - surprisingly, Jeremy's favorite app of the day!

Our Feast

Placecards

Our biggest blessing - Miss L

 P.S. - we are super thankful for the record-breaking high temperatures on Thanksgiving, and the fact that the 3" of snow received on Saturday melted already! Yay!

Baby it's cold outside

What a difference one week makes. Last Saturday, we were taking fall photos outside of our home. This Saturday, it was freezing cold and snowing 2-3". Yep, the green grass we sat in last week, it won't be visible for the next...say...5 months!

I'm thankful we were able to soak it up from the comfort of our warm home; having no where to go until the evening. On a short walk to visit a neighbor, it was fun to see Lexi's reaction to the big, puffy snow flakes landing on her cheek. "They" say how much fun it is to see things through your children's eyes and I can't wait to for many more firsts to come.

For now she enjoys staring out our windows at all of the white stuff. This momma is happy, as long as the sun is shining.

Below is a snapshot of our Saturday:

Snow, Oh no!

Mommy & Daddy had a asnowball fight

Our date night with our bff Miss C!

3 month milestones

We celebrated the 3-month mark last week, which is hard to believe, because I feel like we were just bringing her home from the hospital last week!

Long-distance family and friends comment on "how big she is getting" in photos. In all reality, we think her face has matured, but her body is still "peanut" status. I have no idea what she weighs currently, as I have no idea what I weigh currently and to find out weight of baby, it would require that mommy gets on the scale with and without baby to determine such weight. And that algebra equation is not happening yet! Daddy will have to take care of this sometime.

When we are around other baby friends around her age (mostly 1-2 weeks older), or other babies at the library events, etc...it is unanimous we hear comments about her alertness, neck strength and personality. Oh, and how tiny she is...which usually leads to comments about how she looks like a porcelain doll.

Here are some of our recent milestones:

• Giggled for the first time on Sunday, and then again today
• Roll over from our belly to our back
• Last week, we found our toes and love playing with them
• Babbles up a storm, which is super cute...until it turns into whine, and then cries
• Loves Baby Einstein dvd about world music
• Sleeps through the night (most nights) until 5/6/7am. 

And most importantly, smiles like crazy!

Below are some photos of from our recent 3-month photo session, held at our home last weekend...

Happy Birthday Brother!

My little brother celebrates his birthday today. We haven't celebrated his birthday in-person together probably since his 21st (which was a good one!)...but there is no question that I wish we lived closer so I could see him, give him a hug and share in happy hour somewhere today.

JJ, aka "Brother," is not only one of my best friends, but one of Jeremy's best friends. Since JJ was 10 and Jeremy was 14 when we met, we grew up together and Jeremy quickly became the "brother he never had."

Jeremy and I have watched him grow as a person into this wise, well-spoken, confident, and educated person. It has been a joy to observe him love his girlfriend with all of his heart, demonstrate his nurturing side with his adorable pets, his maturity with his perserverance in pursuit to complete his college degree and now his caring interest and love for his beautiful niece.

I'm so proud of my brother and wish him a wonderful year ahead filled with more excitement, joy, laughter and fun times!

Hanging out on our balcony in Chicago! 

Good Times at The Signature Lounge, 95th floor, Hancock Bldg 

A Special Surprise

Today was an eventful day for our home.

I had to get to leave the house this morning at 6:15 am to get to work early for a Board meeting, so Jer had to handle drop-off of Miss L to the babysitter. And Jer had a 7:30 am conference call, so this meant he had to wake up, get himself and her ready (and fed) and out the door by 7:10ish.

It was soo nice just getting myself ready and in the car on time (for once!). I find working part-time outside of the house is a perfect balance and truly lets me appreciate my time spent with and without Miss L.

The fabulous part of picking up Miss L from her in-home sitter/neighbor/friend, was the suprise of beautiful artwork that accompanied her. Today, she made her first piece of art to don our fridge! Her little foot prints dipped in paint strategically made the feathers of a Thanksgiving turkey.

It made my day and certainly reassured me that she is just fine while I'm at work, she's in great hands AND the other neighbor ladies long to have coffees together on Wednesdays just so they can play and have fun with my little girl. We are really blessed by such amazingly generous and thoughtful people in our life.

House Updates

When we purchased our home in April, it was not without a long laundry list of required projects. Some of them were just necessary for the cleanliness of the home (i.e. new carpet in the entire home and practically refinishing the laundry room due to poor pet hygiene...or rather sad pet parenting)...other projects were a matter of personal style and preferences. Regardless, I think we spent every.single.Saturday at The Home Depot nearby (which we also were frustrated with b/c we already had a Lowe's card and the nearest Lowe's is about 15 miles away!).

Below are two projects that we completed early this spring.

Living Room

• Removed the built-ins from our living room because our TV wouldn't fit it the slotted area for a TV and they were taking up too much room. However, they were "too nice" to toss, so we relocated them to the office. 
• Removed the existing tile and mantle/surround and replaced with stone from floor to ceiling and tile floor.
• Jeremy strategically and meticulously crafted the perfect home theater system with all wires and connections through the walls, down to the basement and up again to our console on the left side of the room.
• Fresh Paint
• New Carpet
• New Curtains

Office:

• Modified and installed the built-ins for optimal storage
• New Carpet
• Fresh Paint

Dishing out smiles and hope

Today, we visited the Minnesota Hematology and Oncology office for a routine Vitamin B12 injection and a blood draw to check my platelet count. We sat in the hot, stuffy and crowded waiting room awaiting the first lab work to be done. In the meantime, Miss L woke up from her nap and had to escape her car seat carrier, because afterall, she hates being warm (Jeremy's trait) and being confined (my trait).

So, I hold her on my lap as we play with the toy I brought, as well as quietly performing our "elevator ride" song (I pretend lift her up 3 floors, one at a time and then we go down...she LOVES it!). The entire time she is flashing her gummy-beautiful-smile to the rest of the waiting room - which is filled primarily with both older patients and those clearly battling cancer. They glance at her and smile; they ask questions about how old she is; all the while I imagine this little miracle is making their day just a little pleasant for 10 minutes. Maybe for 10 minutes they forgot about what's on the other side of the waiting room...or maybe they were reminded of their sweet lil' grandchildren and perhaps great, grandchildren.

After I get the CBC done, we return to the waiting room for a few minutes longer, again dishing out more smiles. By this time, the entire waiting room practically knows her name. (Plus, her adorable onesie designed by our dear friend Cori, says "Hello My Name is Lexi")

Then, my name is called for the injection in the lab. Selfishly, this is my favorite part of my day. I carry her in my arms with the car seat in the other arm and the nurses all get so excited to see us again (since last month!). the main nurse offers to hold her during my 90-second (if that) injection. I gladly accept and before I know it...at least seven ladies (nurses, scheduler, etc.) are all surrounding Miss L just making faces at her, smiling, observing her every detail. "She looks like a porcelain doll" "She is so beautiful" "Look how strong her neck is" "Wow, she's so alert!" ...and it goes on and on...well after my injection. I must say, they sure put a smile on my face.

At the library this morning, during "Storytime with Babies," two different moms/grandmas came up and talked with us, both citing how advanced my little 3-month old is - gripping the toys, watching the older kids, trying to stand, and observing the activities - she may be a peanut, but I am certain that she is the advanced kind.

As a child, I was never "into dolls"; as I was more of a Barbie fan. This was a great concern to my great-grandmother, since that generation believed dolls help girls learn how to mother and nurture. Well, I must say, on days like today, I know that I am the best mom to Miss L that I can be...and it is kind of nice having a dolly to call my own!

10 Days 'til Turkey Day!

Wow! Where is time going? My baby girl is already 3 months old and we are now just 10 days shy of celebrating our first Thanksgiving together as a family...well a more complete, real family!

Last Thanksgiving was quite eventful for our family of 2! Jeremy left for work at O'hare around 7am. I flew out of bed shortly after he left to take a home pregnancy test. It didn't take very long for the window to turn to a positive sign and for me to be jumping for joy in the bathroom on the 29th floor of our Chicago high-rise. Then, I had to walk to the grocery store, prepare our appetizers and Thanksgiving feast...all while I was lip-locked, waiting for Jeremy to arrive home from work so I could share the exciting news.

For the past four years, Jeremy has had to work Thanksgiving day and we created this routine of our very own intimate, Thanksgiving celebration. This year, we are happy that Jeremy has the day off and our family of three can celebrate the entire day!

Our tradition has become our favorite holiday - we dress up, enjoy the food that we love, watch football and basically share our thanksgiving together. Time to start planning the menu...this year, we will have to have a little family breakfast included in the plans.

In A Perfect World

Having lived in 4 metropolitan cities, I must say there is something to love about every area. If I could have a semi-perfect world (because a perfect world involves me planning events and Jeremy renting cars on a tropical island), it would include:

• Indianapolis weather - all four seasons, particulary mild winters, warm springs and amazing falls!
• Minnesota terrain and topography - beautiful!
• Chicago's restaurants and retailers - delish!
• Detroit sports teams - go Tigers and Wings!
• And most importantly, it would include all of our family...and friends from all of our cities.

As much as I have acclimated pretty well to the Twin Cities, I certainly find something I miss from one of our previous homes...nearly every week. This past week - Bonefish Grill...I rec'd an email for $5 bang, bang shrimp (our favorite appetizer). I immediately Googled where the nearest one was...and my search came up empty. I am sad to read they haven't entered the Mpls market...yet! Maybe in my perfect (er, near) world.

November=Winter

Although this is my first full year in Minnesota, I quickly learned this sad, sad, math equation... November = Winter.

Today's forecast says we'll be lucky if we hit the 40's and the weatherman used the terms "wind chill" and "snow" in the forecast. Yikes!

Time to put away the flip flops and to bring out the coats from the basement storage. It truly is a sad day in my world. I continue to ask myself why did we have to relocate to the north pole?

Since November=Winter here, I spotted neighbors decorating lights on their trees over their fall break (early-mid October) and THEN, another neighbor flipped on their (professionally decorated) holiday lights earlier this week! WOW! I have never seen Christmas lights so early...but that's what happens when you live at the north pole.

So morale of the story is - we need to get our butts in gear on the exterior holiday decor.

Gaining an hour...really?

I quickly learned (today) that when Daylight Savings Time ends and most of the world celebrates in "gaining an hour" of sleep today...it really is irrelevant to families. It just creates a more-sleepy day for the family with young kids. This day/weekend, which used to be circled on the calendar weeks in advance...is now just a weekend of unpredictability for little one.

She and I did manage to nap for about 3 hours this afternoon while having a lazy football Sunday in our home...I think we both needed it after her 4am wake up!

Baby Video Monitor...Must or Lust?

In the sea of baby monitors, we originally registered for the best-reviewed simple monitor on the market, the Sony something or another. We graciously received it as a gift from Jeremy's aunt and cousin at one of our baby showers, however, this all-important electronic remained in the original packaging on a shelf in the nursery room closet for months and months.

About 2 weeks prior to the due date, as we were finishing up the nursery, we were ready to open the said baby monitor we registered for and my dear electronics-guru hubby said, "Are you sure you want to use this monitor? Maybe we should look around for a different one?" This was code for: "This bulky hunk of plastic appears to be straight out of the 80's and I think you were crazy for putting it on the registry to begin with." But a smart husband cannot say those exact words to a pregnant wife in her 3rd trimester.

So...it sat on the shelf some more. Then, one day shortly thereafter, I was browsing Pregnancy and Newborn magazine and saw an advertisement for Angelcare's NEW 3-in-1 video baby monitor. This led me to watch the short promo video on their web site...then, I immediately showed it to Jeremy. Our jaws dropped and our eyes sparkled in amazement.

Without hesitation, I really wanted it! It had all of the features I was searching for in my initial research, but never found...plus more!

• A video monitor - preventing me from running to the nursery with every wimper...plus I am able to observe her many sleeping habbits, which is very helpful!
• Angelcare technology to help prevent SIDS - a sensitive motion-detecting mat is placed beneath the crib mattress and will sound an alarm if it detects the babe stops breathing. (Only one false alarm thus far!)
• Direct Connect - it's practically a Nextel for our home, being able to talk with one another...comes in handy when my hands are tied as I nurse her and need something (usually a burp cloth!!)
• Temperature Gauge - we always know the temp in the nursery
• Timer - this is by far my favorite feature and benefit - you hit a timer to clock how long she has been in the crib...this is a huge sanity saver early on when you think "Did I feed her at 1 or 2? or How long was that last nap?" love, love, love it!

Needless to say...I found a stellar sale on it, had a coupon, had a credit from the former monitor...and still had a pay a small bit...but it is worth every penny!

I say this a "must" for any modern family!

Happy Halloween

Halloween...one of my favorite holidays, probably more so because it takes place during my favorite season.
We had just over 100 Trick-or-Treaters this year, which is a high for us (particularly coming from our Chicago high-rise days!)...and we made pizza, cocktails and of course a baby bottle and enjoyed the thrill of the night!
 
Below are photos of our family fun as we celebrated Miss L's 1st Halloween!!

Tired "sweet pea" after our Baby Storytime at the Library

The not-so-friendly welcoming team!

All Tuckered out after photos and more photos!



Peek-a-Boo



She is handing out smiles for the trick-or-treaters

One of Jeremy's three artfully crafted pumpkins

And a Happy Halloween it was!

Pumpkin Fingers

We carved our pumpkins tonight. Jeremy, meticulous as ever, from the thoughtful design to the flawless execution...this probably does not come as a surprise to anyone! Me, the ultimate multi-tasker trying to handle Miss L while finishing some details on my first pumpkin...only to have to get through the second pumpkin fast enough while she is happy in her swing. Pictures below...

No matter how you carve 'em, your fingers to your elbows end up getting pumpkin 'goo' all over them. This is when the blog title "Modern Family" truly kicks in high gear...as we thoroughly enjoy the benefits of our modern kitchen with the Delta touch faucet. That is right, touch it on...touch it off. You can use your elbow, a finger tip, etc. to turn on the water to wash your dirty, pumpkin fingers.

Although a bit pricier than the standard kitchen faucet, the convenience has paid for itself over and over again! Cleaning your hands after handling raw chicken...piece of cake. Rinsing your hands while holding dear baby...easy! Even Mr. Cole can touch it on/off with his paw (we tried it with him)!!

Pre-backsplash photo of kitchen with new granite and faucet

Playmat Envy

When registering for baby items...it is downright overwhelming. The aisles of BRU (babies r'us) are endless and even after reading Baby 411 Baby Registering, I still felt clueless. Well, I am quickly learning that I made the right decision on a few key items, specifically, the activity playmat.

This weekend we hosted our new baby friends and moms from our (mom and baby) class for a fun, lil' Halloween-themed get together. (photos to follow in another post) I left out a few toys for all to use with their lil' ones...such as the bumbo seat and the activity playmat. I really had no idea how "good" this play mat was until other new moms say how envious they are. Ours is the Fisher Price Deluxe Mobile Musical Gym (sold at Target). It has a rotating mobile, music and LIGHTS!! Miss L loves the lights...as did the other lil' babes joining her on the mat.

In fact, one new mom went to Target and purchased it that afternoon!! Anyone in the market should seriously consider this one below.

Fall Festivities

Today was a jam-packed, fun-filled day for the family. We kick-started the day by hosting some friends from our mommy and baby class for a little GTG...Halloween themed. Lots of people brought treats and 7 of us moms and infants sat around playing, talking and digressing over coffee cake and mimosas. Fun was had by all and it was really neat to see how much the babies had grown in the month since class ended.

Following the party, the 3 of us went to the area pumpkin patch to carefully select a few carve-worthy pumpkins. Little Miss L slept through the entire experience, so no real photos were snapped...however, we enjoyed the fall family time together. Below is a photo of Miss L in her candy corn outfit as we were finishing up our trip (she was ready to be home!)

Last activity of the day was the Wings vs. Wild hockey game...her first Wings game! She did awesome...chilling mostly in her Baby Bjorn and absolutely was captivated by the lights and activities on the ice. A friend even got us into the Club level seats, which were really nicely located and a bit separated from teh masses. One thing is for certain - if we got a $1 for everytime someone commented that "she's a doll," we really wouldn't have to worry about funding the college education.

Time for bed as tomorrow = breakfast of pumpkin pancakes and mimosas (leftover champagne), football, carving pumpkins and getting ready for the week to start all over again.

Our lil' Candy Corn

First Wings Game