Pool Time

Yes, I finally managed to take some pictures of A splashing around with her cousin, C. Can you believe how big they are getting....terrifying :(

Loving the fountains

"Ahhh! It got me!"

Imagine the most high pitched squeel coming out of her mouth :)

Just running in the water

"Humm...I am not sure about this water?"

"Okay, I can do this."

"Splash, splash"

C's idea of splashing.

Making the pavement grow

Swim lessons with Gigi

"Ohhh! Cold"

Getting watered by a fellow swimmer...

Not a big fan!

xoxo
Daily Mom

Hot, Hot, Hot

What happened to Spring?

I know the winter wasn't very bad, but it feels like we went from jeans and fleeces to tank tops and shorts in a matter of minutes. It has been so hot here over the past week (and I am talking 90+) that we can't even enjoy the outdoors before the bugs invade. But we have certainly taken advantage of the pool and have clocked some serious hours playing in the water. I guess I can't really complain, because what is more fun than sitting by a pool and watching a pretty self sufficient toddler play?

xoxo

Daily Mom

Hello, Siri.

Today was going to be a BIG DAY. Okay, maybe you would not consider this to be huge, but I was finally (after 2 long years of waiting) getting an iPhone 4S! I have been patient...and then not, and pleaded with my husband to just let me pay to upgrade. But in the end he won and I waited and waited to ask Siri the million questions that I had stored up, or have her in charge of reminding me to get dry cleaning, or pick up something at the store...can we say life changing?

So this morning, A and I hit the mall, walking proudly into the Apple Store and announcing my need to upgrade...immediately. About 20 minutes later I was holding my prize and waiting for everything to sync over when it hit. I needed a bathroom or trash can within the next 30 seconds or I was going to puke all over this college kid trying to stay awake long enough to show me how my new phone worked.

Apparently I must have turned a nasty shade of green while asking for the bathroom because without hesitation he threw my old and new phone at one of his buddies and rushed A and I through their secret back headquarters and straight for a bathroom.

I barely made it to the toilet since A decided this would be the time she wasn't going to walk and would only be carried, but alas I did make it! Feeling pretty proud of myself for distracting A with a toy while I watched my breakfast come up, I decided to glance back at A, who I had put behind me with her toy in the (thankfully) spacious bathroom. All I saw was her staring at me with her eyebrows furrowed and arms crossed before I had to turn around to the toilet again. Once I was finished I turned around to see her still standing like a teenager. I attempted a weak smile in her direction and then out of nowhere my little two year old uncrossed her arms and said, "really, mom!" with her best 16 year old attitude.

Rolling my eyes I cleaned myself up, grabbed A and unlocked the bathroom door.

There stood two Apple employees, one with a water bottle and a sweet comment and one who looked like I had held him up from a much needed trip to the bathroom himself.

Thanking the lady as she shared some of her own prego stories I made my way back to my phone to wrap this all up.

Feeling a bit better and thinking most of my embarrassment had to be over for the day I turn to finished up with the sleepy college boy, who had a look of sheer terror on his face. Never, had I imagined he could have worked quite so fast to get me out of the store. And as I left with my shiny new phone tucked safely in my hand, I smiled at myself for managing to make my big day even a little more unforgettable.

Sunrise On The Hill

Today, was an outing to remember for a while!

At 6:20 this morning I crept into A's room to wake her up and together we headed down to Pimlico, where the Preakness is held each year. After dragging a pretty sleepy toddler into the car for a short car ride, we arrived to the sun warming up the paddock and all of A's friends excited to see the horses.

We started with a little information from a former jockey, then it was time for our friend Charley (also a former jockey) to lead us around. The first stop was to see the Clydesdales, who are larger than I could have ever imagined. Yes, if you have been reading this blog for a while you know we did the same Sunrise on the Hill last year too, but for some reason the sheer size and grace of the horses takes your breath away anew each year.

Anyway, then we headed to the Stakes Barn and saw a few owners, one being the owner of I'll Have Another (the Derby winner) and his winning jockey. The jockey was really cute with Annabelle, and she wasn't even that scared because they were about the same size :)

Anne, and Caroline, and Nicole and E

The Owner of the runner up at the Derby (who also ownes a ton of other winners)

I'll Have Another's owner

The jockey and Annabelle
Jockey: "So what do you want to be someday?"
A: "Um, maybe a jockey."
Jockey: "Well, let me see your tough jockey face!"

Oh yeah, there it is!

Then we headed into the paddock and jockey's room and ended with getting some pretty cool goggles.

Their scale and their silks

E, A, and Nate

After the tour we headed back to the track to watch some more horses warm up and even had an up-close view of I'll Have Another!

The kids, loving the tractor!

Yeah, she was not taking these off!

All of us!

After the pictures she put them right back on again!

And there is the Derby winner! Good luck Saturday!!!!

All in all, it was one of the best mornings!

xoxo

Daily Mom

Big Girl Bed Time...

I don't think I have been this terrified since my water broke 2 years ago and I realized we were really going to have a baby. I know, you think the 9 months of getting bigger, and bigger (and in my case bigger) would have let it all sink in, but nope. It wasn't till I was squatting over my bathroom tile and yelling at my husband that I couldn't stop peeing, that it hit me. Okay, maybe it took a little information from him, like, "babe, I think your water broke, you are 9 months pregnant" to really drive the point home.

But not this time, for the last four days I have been stressing and panicking over my little girl moving into a big girl bed, and all that came with it. Would she fall out and hurt herself? What do I do if she is scared of it? Will I lose nap time? Is her room going to be torn apart every  time she is in there "napping"?

The questions have poured through my head faster than a bottle of tequila can go through a spring breaker...and I still don't have the answers.

I took apart A's crib this morning as she played in her room, washed her sheets with her, then we watched them assemble her bed before I could get it all made up. The bed is adorable and the mattress is a pillow top, which means she is about 100 feet off the ground, but maybe it will deter her from getting out? I have the sides installed and sturdy, and the sheets tucked with hospital corners...she is ready, but I am not.

It has been about 25 minutes and she is still just chatting (hopefully in her bed?) to her animals. And so what am I doing? Sitting outside her bedroom door with my computer and her monitor blogging and searching Amazon for the best video monitor I can find.

Wish us luck!

xoxo

Daily Mom

It finally happened.

A few days ago, we decided to host a playdate for A's friends so they could come over and run all around A's new house.  And everything was going smoothly...the kids were sharing nicely, taking turns, and even being pretty gentle with one another. A few hours later as Nicole, Anne, and I were cleaning up from lunch and getting these exhausted kiddos in the car, A decided she had enough and headed up to her room to wait for me. About 5 minutes later I head up the stairs to get her ready for nap time, I walk into her room and to my surprise, I find her in her crib.

"How did you get in there?" I asked her in a soft voice...to avoid causing alarm.

"Like this mommy," she says as she hoists her leg over the crib and climbs out before starting the process all over again and climbing back in.

Oh boy...are we in trouble. After a nice little lecture on the safety of climbing in and out of our crib, I tell her it is NEVER okay to climb out of her crib when mommy and daddy are not right there to help her. I may have slipped in some scary words like head trauma, uncontrollable bleeding, and possible death to scare her off just a little bit more.

Then I got A all changed, read her Fancy Nancy, and tucked my little monster in her crib. After a few more kisses, I gently closed her door and went right for my computer to order her a Big Girl bed.

And let me tell you, I am half terrified at the idea of A being in a real bed, and half terrified I will lose my glorious nap time, but I guess safety does have to come first on this occasion.

Anyone move their kids to a big bed and have some tips? I could really use some advice here!

xoxo

Daily Mom

BIG, Little News

Well, I have been excited to tell you all for a while, but since we are now in our new house, almost all set up (yes, I have one lone box to unpack but that is it!) and I finally have internet...here it goes...

We are expecting baby #2!!!!

So far everything looks great, so fingers crossed this little peanut is happy and healthy when it arrives around the first week of November!

xoxo

Daily Mom

PS...I think you can chalk up my terrible blogging recently to needing to have packed and unpacked houses while being so exhausted with this pregnancy I thought some days I could sleep all day :) I promise to get better soon. On the plus side, I have only taken one nap in the last week (a new record) so I think I am on the upswing.