A few Christmas photos.............

Here are just a few pictures from our Christmas. I thought about it today, this time last year I was 1 week pregnant with Lauren. Now she is 14 weeks old. It's amazing how fast the time goes by. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday filled with family and friends.

Right after mass. She was sooo good during the service and used up all
she had in her "good" bank for the night. She was over it!

Merry Christmas Friends

How about this little elf?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my blog friends. The snow has started to fall, eggnog pound cake is finished, muffins are baking, and all is quiet in the house except for the smoke alarm going off 5 times...... Lauren gave me my gift early. She slept from 8pm to 7 am this morning and is still sleeping. May you all have your stomach's filled and your heart's full!

Going green is too cute.....

Wren moved up to her size medium G Diapers. How freaking cute are these?

Bliss....

I think it's safe to say she likes her new toy, thanks to Auntie Sami and Auntie Jessie!

3 Months.........

It's that time again! Another month has flown by!!

Lauren you are wearing 3-6 month clothes. 6 month sleepers are fitting fairly well as well.
You are now settling into our new life, mommy going back to work. Nanny reports that you are a good girl, most days. : )
You have started noticing your toys. You still love your black and white penguin and Olivia the Owl makes you smile.
You are going down at night so much easier now. It's almost like you enjoy it.
I can place you in your crib wide awake and you will fall asleep on your own for your naps.
You are smiling all the time now and like to have conversations with others.
You slept for 10 straight hours for the first time. (hasn't happened since.)
You are trying to get out of your bouncy chair by flailing your legs.
We are working on rolling over during tummy time, which you love.


On your 90th day birthday, I would like to tell you how much I love you more than the month before, more than the day before. Never did I think that surviving off of 3 hours of sleep was possible and still having a productive work day. The moment I leave for work I immediately miss you.
I love you as far as the east is to the west my little wren! Happy 3 month birthday!

Tag I'm It.......

Katie tagged me for the game of four

1. four shows that you watch:
(1) The Office
(2) Housewives of New Jersey, New York, Atlanta, Beverly Hills etc.
(3) The Fabulous Beakman Boys
(4) The Soup


2. four things you are passionate about:
(1) My Family (friends are included, because they too are my family)
(2) God
(3) Crafting
(4) Baking


3. four phrases you say a lot:
(1) Shut up! (as in "No Way!")
(2) Are you freaking serious?
(3) RYAN!!!
(4) It could always be worse


4. four things you've learned from the past:
(1) everything happens for a reason
(2) If you want something done, do it yourself!
(3) a womans intuition is very real
(4) Whatever you do comes back to you


5. four places you would like to go:
(1) Sleep
(2) Hawaii
(3) Greece
(4) Africa


6. four things you did yesterday:
(1) Christmas shopped
(2) Ate chocolate peppermint bark for breakfast (cupboard is bare)
(3) changed 20 diapers
(4) prayed for patience


7. four things you are looking forward to:
(1) sleeping
(2) days off with my family
(3) green bean casserole
(4) waking up on Christmas morning with my husband and daughter


8. four things you love about winter:
(1) snow
(2) snugly clothes
(3) pashminas
(4) It's Christmas Charlie Brown



9. four bloggers who should share their list of fours:
(1) Stephanie
(2) Courtney
(3) Rheannon
(4) Renee

Planting a seed......

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Luke-16

Today was Lauren's baptism. Monsignor Ken says that baptism is like planting the initial seed and it's up to Ryan and I to nurture it in order for it to grow.

Today was wonderful. We were surrounded in friends and family welcoming Lauren into a relationship with God. She was a perfect angel during the ceremony (except at the end when her diaper had a blowout and her beautiful white dress was no longer white in the back) . We are so blessed to have our friends Jason and Jenna as her Godparents. We had everyone back to our house for a luncheon where we stuffed ourselves with a wonderful Italian dinner and to die for cake for dessert. It was a day where my cup overflowed with emotion. Such a blessed day for so many reasons.

Oh how I love this little girl..........

I am returning to work on Tuesday after 11 weeks off. I'm so thankful that I was able to spend such a long stretch of time with her. Although, it was not enough........

Hairbow girls.........

I had Ryan take this last night before we went to dinner. Both of us were sporting our favorite hairbows. God love Lauren. She looks like a little old lady in her sweater coat. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I ate enough green bean casserole to choke a donkey. I still have some in the fridge. I might go back for my 46th helping. Good night to you all. For those who are braving the crowds in 6 hours, may the force be with you!

A turkey for my little bird.........

This is where Lauren has spent her morning. Watching me sew and swear.

I am soooo behind on DIY projects. I have so many on my list to do but it seems that they never get started. I've been a little preoccupied! I looked at so many cute Thanksgiving smocked dresses that I loved online. All were a little pricey and I thought that since she would only wear it once, why spend the money. Plus, with a dress comes tights. I'm pretty sure a 2 month old would hate tights. Come to think of it, I hate tights. So I settled on a $6.00 outfit instead. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I'm still completely self teaching with sewing on appliques. It's a little shotty looking but hopefully no one will look too close. She'll wear it with her brown ruffled behind cotton pants and of course a hair bow to match. I had all the fabric on hand so I only spent money on the onesie!

Happy 30th Birthday Ryan!

Yesterday, Ryan turned 30. As all of our other friends turn 30 and their significant others are throwing them surprise parties, I quickly let Ryan know that this year he would have to forgo a surprise party. With a 9 week old thrown in the mix, I simply didn't have the time or the brain power to plan one. Sorry Ry.... All of Ryan's family is in celebrating a wedding this weekend, so it was so nice to have all of our extended family in to spend his 30th with him.

As you say goodbye to your 20's, I hope that your 30's are even more memorable and fulfilling. We love you!!!

Morning chirping from my little bird......

In the mornings I never know what I am going to find when I enter Wren's room. This morning I found that she had weaseled her way out of her swaddler, had scooted down 5 inches from where she had been laid, and had an intense conversation going on with her crib bumper. I sat there for several minutes listening to her chirping and oooing, wondering where the conversation was going.

If I could bottle this moment up I would. Every morning I walk in there I think to myself, another day has gone and another has started. Life is slipping by way too quickly for me. Soon I will walk to this door and there will be a sign taped to it saying, "No parents allowed". Of course I will rip it down and give her a 10 minute lecture on respect and getting a job since she feels she is capable of owning her own bedroom. But for now, I will bask in the glory of her morning conversations with her beautiful crib bumper. I love her so dearly, my little fuzzy haired wren.....

Poor little wren.....

Yesterday we had the dreaded 2 month immunizations. She was so good through the whole visit until the 3 shots came. She cried for about 2 minutes and then passed out and slept the whole ride home. I was really looking forward to the "will be more tired the usual" side effect. That never happened.. We took a few photos while waiting for the nurse to pass the time. I am laughing so hard in the pictures because when Ryan started snapping away she looked right at him and cocked her head like she was posing.

morning time with a little spikey haired girl.....

This morning I took a few shots of Lauren while she was all snugly in my bed. (She sleeps in her crib, I just brought her in my bedroom this morning.) This afternoon we have to go and get her 2 month shots. I'm dreading it so badly! Let's hope it's a breeze and she'll cringe a little and that will be that! Right..........

How about that belly?

Always looking at the ceiling fan or the windows.

Sunday football.........

I think these photos were hilarious. If I didn't know any better I would believe that my child was a born football fanatic. I'm pretty sure she just likes the fast movement and colors though.... She looks so big in this picture! She still looks exactly like her dad. People say they can see me in her. I think they just say that to make me feel better! : ) I don't mind. I think he is handsome!
Intently watching the game..

2 months......

You are now 12 lbs and 23 1/2 inches long.

We are still trying to get the whole nap thing down, but when you do nap it is for 3 hours straight!

You slept 8 hours straight twice this week.

You love to smile and talk to everyone.

You attended mass for the first time and didn't make a peep!

You are eating 4 ounces at a time.

You get the hiccups after every burp.

You have started to notice yourself in the mirror.

You still have to be swaddled to sleep.

We still play your cricket white noise during naps and night time and we have now added your sleep sheep into the routine. The waterfall knocks you out in seconds.

You hate being held like a "baby" and like to be sitting up at all times.

You love watching football with your dad on Sundays and Monday nights.

You are wearing 3-6 month clothing and can wear 6 month pants because of your long legs!

Sadly, my maternity leave is coming to an end. I only have two more weeks to spend with you, then it's off to your nanny's everyday. I know I will be a basketcase for the first couple of weeks! I love you so much little wren. Happy 2 month birthday!

A few shots of her on her playmat. She was talking to herself in the mirror.

Calling all my fellow bloggers!!

With the holidays around the corner, I'm sure that you are thinking about sending out your annual Christmas cards. With a new baby girl we will defintley be sending out one of our own. So...how about 50 cards absolutley FREE!! Our friends at Shutterfly are providing this fantastic offer to us bloggers.

Check out the promotion!

With over 700 cards to choose from, it's going to be hard to choose!!

Here are a few of my favorites!

In order to receive your free 50, all you have to do is go to the link and put in your info and then post the promotion on your blog! Simple as that! If you haven't used Shutterfly before, their service and products are fantastic! I use them to order all of my digital pictures. Their service is super fast and the prints are always great quality. I have already started working on my Calendar projects. They make wonderful gifts for grandparents!

So Merry Christmas from me to you! Now pass it on to your blog girlfriends!

Jail Bird.........

We snapped this picture because we thought that Lauren looked so big sitting up like a grown up. Everyone has said today that she looks like a jail bird in her stripes. I said that she was charged with the crime of not sleeping during the day and being very unruly at during bedtime. It took FOUR hours to put her down last night. FOUR!!! But the little open mouth bird kisses she gave me today made up for it. I love those little lips!

Sunday full of smiles............

Thought I would post a few of her recent smiling sessions. Everyday she is changing and doing something new. She loves to try to talk. The changing table seems to be where she is most talkative. When I rock her at night, I sing a short little goodnight song. It never puts her to sleep because she is too busy talking/singing right a long with me. My little wren will be 2 months old in a few days. Ugh! The time is slipping by in the wink of an eye!