Disneyland!

We had some friends come from Northern California to stay for a few days and go to Disneyland, since its only a few minutes away from us. I was unable to go with Alex and Joe and his cousins this summer because I was in the hospital recovering from the appendicitis, so we decided it would a family Christmas present for all of us. I have been trying to make sure we do some one-on-one family events before Alex's world is turned upside down and he is no longer the only child. ;-) We had a blast, of course it was busy, everyone loves coming to Disney during the holidays because they decorate and have parades and everything is just a little more fun. It was a really warm weekend here for December, which was nice. Alex and our friend's 3 year old daughter Bree (both were born September 2007) had a great time together and were so happy to see Mickey and his friends. It was a very long day and for the first time in a long time Alex pretty much begged us to go to bed (that never happens!)

Some pictures :)

So pretty

Christmas tree!

Us and Mickey

In the teacup

Thanksgiving

So I got behind on the blog, as always. Anyway I will catch up. :)

Thanksgiving tradition for us is traveling to my Dad's house in the desert and celebrating with him. The last few years my Uncle John and Aunt Kristen have been coming as well. We usually have a few friends come over during the weekend and visit with them as well. Its always pretty relaxing and nice get-a-way before the crazy holiday season starts.
This year was a little less comfortable for me because I am in my last trimester and its hard enough getting comfortable in my own bed, but getting comfortable in anyone else's is hard. But we had a good time. It was very cold this year! Most of the time we are out side a lot, at the camp fire on the porch every night and this year once the sun went down we were freezing! So we were inside more this year.
Anyway, the food was amazing as usual, with a foodie like Uncle John, and a turkey professional like my Dad its always guaranteed that the food will be very yummy. :)

Here are a few pictures from the day, unfortunately I had left my memory card for my camera so I didnt have many pictures left on the camera to use. But here are a few. :)

Alex and I were in charge of the center piece. Alex and I made some pinecone turkeys as a craft there for something fun to do. It turned out cute. :)

Close up of turkeys.

So without even coordinating before hand, they dressed as twins. ;-) They were sitting watching the turkey cook in this picture.

This picture is from last Thanksgiving but I found it and thought it was too cute. Its Pap-pa and Alex reading car magazines together. :)

Baby Shower!

When my mom came out to watch Alex for the Marine Ball she also wanted to throw a little baby shower for me. A few close friends and family came and it was really nice to see people I hadn't seen in a while. I had a great time.
Wanted to share a few pictures from the day. :)

yummy food!
 
my cake, so pretty and also tasted amazing!
 
People arriving :)
 
Aunt Robbie was measuring for the "measure the baby belly" game
 
I measured all of them to see who won-- Kat won!
 
The amazing quilt my Aunt Robbie made for me. Its the most comfortable thing ever made... seriously!
 
Rice game
 
opening gifts!
 
Thank you to everyone who came and I really appreciate seeing your faces and making the day special. The presents were so amazing and I am so thankful for all of you! Special "Thank you" to my mom who put everything together! <3

Marine Ball

On the November 19th, we went to Joe's Marine Ball at Pala Casino. We had a great time, though my feet may never be the same, I don't think pregnant women are meant to be in heels for that long. I met all of the people that Joe works with that I hadn't met before and we ate some good food. My mom had come from AZ to stay with Alex while we were there so we even had the whole night away, which is the first time we have both been gone from him for a whole time together since he was born! Its probably the first time and the last time for a long while since #2 is coming soon. But it was nice and we slept in, I did wake up and jump up thinking that there was no way Alex would have not woken me up yet, but quickly remembered we were childless that morning. ;-) He had fun with Nana and we had fun and some nice need time away. :)

here are some Marine Ball pictures :)

Us at dinner:
 
Joe was put in charge of creating the "Fallen Marine" tribute table. This was put up for everyone to see as they came in the door. I thought it came out very nice.
 
 another picture of us.

Thomas the Tank Engine!

Yesterday we took Alex for an early Christmas present and met some friends at 'A Day Out with Thomas".. Alex had such a blast. He was so excited to see him and was yelling 'HI THOMAS!!!' when he saw him go by. We had fun going around to the different activities they had and the ride on the train was of course the highlight of the day. We all had a fun time, we were all pretty exhausted by the end of the day. But it was so worth it.

Here are some pictures from yesterday! I took way too many... I will try not to overload everyone! :)

 
Us (Thomas is in the background.. if you look REALLy closely. haha)

 
watching the trains go by.. the only picture I could get of him wearing his conductor hats... unfortunately he is not into hats yet. :)
 
Playing with one of the many train tables in the activity tents
 


Alex loves stamps, here is he playing with the Thomas stamps

 
 
Getting his Thomas tattoo.. he has been really into temporary tattoos lately.. He thought this was great!
 
Showing off the tat!

 
Thomas was coming!!
 
Hi Thomas!!

Waiting for Thomas to move.

 
Us on the train.

Such a nerd. ;-)

Alex and Dada

:) Alex has been asking if he can go say hi to Thomas again, and I told him he had to leave to go see more kids and he said "But I want to see him again"... So then I said "well I think Thomas was pretty tired and had to take a rest".. he said "No Thomas doesnt get tired, he needs more coal"...........he has an answer for everything. ;-)

Holiday Cards

We have Alex getting pictures tomorrow! He hasn't had professional pictures in a way too long, I wanted to get some of just him before baby girl comes and we always get pictures of both of them. Also new pictures are always a hit with the family for Christmas. After we go tomorrow I will be starting the Christmas card process. Last year was the first year that I think I got them out on time! I think the only reason was because I got the photocards from Shutterfly.com and it just made it way easier than writing our names in everything individual card. I also like how personalized they can be with pictures and there are so many different options. http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

The photo cards are my favorite though: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery  (check out all the different options they have! I also love that they have "holiday cards" not just Christmas cards, we have a lot of friends that celebrate Hanukkah and it makes it a lot easier to do it with a holiday card. 

I would like to try the calendars for next Christmas, I know the grandparents would love that. 

http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/wall-calendars 

Just wanted to share how easy it is to get cards out, for us and our busy schedule it works! 

Attention fellow bloggers: Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly http://bit.ly/sfly2010

 

Veteran's Day- Knott's Berry Farm

Happy Veteran's Day! Thank you to all who have served and all the fallen heroes that have fought for our freedom. 

Today Joe obviously had the day off. We decided to go to Knott's Berry Farm (an amusement park near us), it is free to military and veterans for the month of November, so we decided to go. We go at least twice a year, Alex really likes it, Snoopy is the main "mascot" of Knott's and he loves Snoopy. 

Anyway, we had fun, it is not easy for me to walk around for that long of a time, my hips are giving me a lot of trouble as I get bigger. It's not fun. But I managed and we had a good time. Though I think almost everyone had the same idea as us and it was very crowded! We rode the train and Alex could do that over and over, but the line was so long that we could only go once. We are taking him to "A Day Out with Thomas" this Sunday as an early Christmas present so he will have plenty of train time this weekend. :)

 
Seeing how strong he is!
  
He is so strong they gave him a big hammer. :)
 
Dada, Alex and his huge lollipop- dont worry he didnt even eat 1/4 of it. :)
 
Waiting to board the train. :)
 

All of us in the train, waiting to move. :) 

I love how excited Alex gets on the train and he waves to everyone on the ground and says "HELLO!!! Hi!!!! GOOD BYE!!!! SEE YOU LATER!!!" It cracks me up. :)

Halloween!

This year I asked Alex what he wanted to be for Halloween and he said "Buzz and Spiderman"... he had been Buzz last year, so we still had the costume. He decided he would rather be Buzz so that was fine. The day before Halloween he decides he wants to be Spiderman! Ha! How did I know that was going to happen. We went out and got that costume (on sale I might add, because it was the day before Halloween!). On Saturday we went to our local Community Center and they were having a little Halloween party for kids 5 and under, so Alex had fun there, playing games and doing crafts with the other kids in costume. The next day my dad came down to see Alex Trick or Treat and visit. We had a great time, we went to the local mall and T or T there for a while, that seems to be very popular around here... going to the mall on Halloween, I am glad we went though because there were so many kids in costume and when we got to our neighborhood there weren't many, so it was nice to see everyone dressed up there. By the time we had dinner and got out to our neighborhood Alex was getting tired so we only went to about 5 neighbors houses. After a whole month of asking when we were going trick or treating I think he had a lot of fun, we all did! 

Alex as Spiderman! He is not into masks yet.. so he only wore the mask a little.

 
Alex, Pap-pa and Dada at the mall.. Alex wouldnt look at the camera of course!

 
Trick or Treating about the house.


"Trick or Treat!!"


:)

The joys of Pregnancy

Today Alex and I did a few errands and then made pit stop for a little while at Chuck E Cheese because it’s too darn hot out the park was just not going to happen today. When we got home I went to make lunch and I have been having some allergies, so I sneezed and could not hold it, I REALLY peed my pants, I had never peed my pants with Alex, so this was new for me! The funny part was I screamed a little because I couldn’t believe I couldn’t hold it and Alex asked what was wrong and I told him, he said “Mama, you peed your pants?” and then he said “It’s okay” and then told me “you can get just some more undies”. He cracks me up! Thankfully it was at home and thankfully I have a very support potty training 3 year old that understands what it is like to pee his pants. ;-)

Vote for my GapKid!

I love Gap Jeans for Alex, they fit him the best of all the jeans we have. This contest is for the "new face" of GapKids and the winner gets a $1000 gift card to GapKids and also could be put in their campaign. I have never put Alex in one of these, but I decided to try for the gift card! Also I might be bias but I thought he was cuter than most of the competition. ;-) (only a mom would say that, right?)

Vote for him here:
http://www.gapcastingcall.com/GapCastingCall/EntryDetail.html?id=410688

Sunday Funday!

We have had some weird weather recently. It wasnt a very hot summer for us until September, then it was unbearably hot. So its been going in an out of heat and then a few thunder storms last week, so anyways, our daily walks have been shorter and Libby (our dog) is definitely bored and tired of it. So today we went on a long family walk on this bike trail near our house. We had never actually been on this one. It was great to get out and get some good exercise. Alex got tired and wanted to get in the stroller pretty fast. I was thinking about skipping the double stroller with this upcoming baby and just getting a Sit n' Stand, but I think I will be getting both, Alex still likes to relax and eat his snack in a stroller, can't blame him... I sometimes want one myself. ;-)

Libby had a great time and was nice and tired after. :)

Blog to watch!

Single Dad Laughing has been a favorite of mine and its starting to gain interest by many, if you dont know about it yet, you should. Its a great way to see a man's and dad's perspective on life and the things that are going on in the world and our kids. I have read more than a few blogs that have made me cry because they are so true and the truth sometimes hurts. Read it I promise you wont regret it.

http://www.danoah.com/

Busy, busy, busy!!

I keep thinking about something I want to post on here and pictures I want to share, but of course I end up thinking about it late at night when my bed is calling my name.
We are 24 weeks a few days into this pregnancy and with the holiday season fast approaching I know that the next 15 weeks will fly by, so we have been preparing for our little cupcake and trying to at least start on the nursery. We co-sleep for a good while, with breast feeding its always so much easier for me to actually get rest this way, so really we dont use the crib for a good 6 months, but of course I cant wait and I want to do it now. I will be too busy with a new born to do it after! ;-) That is my excuse at least.


Halloween is coming and it is definitely one of our favorite times. Alex asks to go to the pumpkin patch pretty much every day and this starts in like November. So, we went for a little while yesterday evening, and he ran around in his Buzz costume, and had a blast. We will be going to a bigger pumpkin patch I am sure sometime in the next few weeks, but we had to go to the one we go to every year. The holiday season is the season for crafts and fun stuff, we love making themed crafts at home, and there is always so many options during this time. I havent had the "baking bug" yet, which might be a good thing because Joe and I really do not need to be eating baked goods quite yet, but that is something I always love about the fall and winter. I am a huge soup fan, I could eat it every night, Joe likes it but he definitely needs "real food" between my soup days. I am ready for the heat to leave so I can start making my soups! YUM.

And now for some pictures. :)

Alex at the park. :)
 

The Pumpkin Patch:

Alex was actually Buzz last year, but I got it big because I knew he would want to use it as dress up for a while, he decided he wanted to be Buzz again this year. Works for me!
 

My little Buzz Lightyear and the big pumpkins
 


Not a great picture because it was taken with a cell phone, but we made a pumpkin out of a can and we are making black cats soon. I will take better pictures with the actual camera when we do those. :)
 
Black cat project link: http://crafts.kaboose.com/tin-can-black-cat.html

More pictures to come. I promise and this time sooner than later!

Cant believe it's September already!

Alex's birthday is right around the corner, I am still trying to grasp the idea that he will be 3 in a few short days. Nana is coming into town tomorrow and thankfully she will be here to help with Alex's party that we are having on Saturday. Alex decided he wanted a "Buzz Lightyear" party (I know shocking..) so today all of us went to the store and got some decorations and some stuff for the party bags for his friends. This will be his first "friend" party, of course all the parents will be there and a few friends of ours that do not have kids yet, but this is the first year he has been able to tell me who he wanted there and what he wanted to do. He is very excited. Today when we were shopping he kept saying "I am going to the party now, mama?"... its hard to tell a 3 year old we are just getting stuff for your party this weekend. That concept of time just hasnt happened yet. ;-)
I will for sure take lots of pictures and share them with everyone soon!

Football and Potty Training!

Well, tonight will be the first football game watched on our TV for the season, though the season has not officially started. I am not sure I am ready for it yet. Joe becomes dedicated to watching his beloved Longhorns every Saturdays and then watches NFL Sunday and Monday, basically it takes over the house. Though I must say, I enjoy the increase of BBQ and grilling that happens during this time, but 7 months of football every weekend is not always my favorite way to spend family time. ;-) Oh well, I just try to embrace it and have fun with it, trying out new "football" recipes and inviting friends over to hang out and keep me company while Joe screams at the TV.

We are officially in potty training mode with Alex, I didnt think it was going to happen. I have been trying to get him on that potty for 6 months, but this last Monday he finally decided my bribe for a lollipop (which he doesnt get very often was good enough to get on and try it). He sat there on the little potty, happily eating the lollipop for 30 minutes and actually peed and was very surprised! I, of course, made a huge fuss over it and since then he has been pretty excited and wanting to pee in the potty. Going #2 on the potty was another story, the first 2 times was not easy but he gets a new hotwheels car when he goes #2 on the potty so he definitely has enough incentive. Today though he went on that potty without telling us he needed any help and went #2 then told us! I was very proud. Now we are just trying to figure out how to get him to tell us and stop what he is doing when he is at other people's houses, yesterday we had dinner at a friends and he wouldnt tell us and wasnt cooperating if we took him to to the potty. At home though, he is great. I figure this is only day 6 of this and he will get better with a little more time.

Next week I will 16 weeks and my aunt is an ultrasound tech so she is going to be squeezing me in and peeking at the baby to see the sex a little early. My big ultrasound is not scheduled until September 9th and she and I both are inpatient so we are going to look early. ;-)

Wanted to share with you the before and after pics of the baby bump, I am growing so fast and I cant believe how fast I started showing with this one. I still havent gained one lb. but the belly just keeps getting bigger. Crazy how that works.

Summa' time!

Wanted to drop in and say "hi" give an update on baby #2.

Got an ultrasound yesterday (at 13 weeks) for the screening of Down Syndrome. Everything with the baby looked good so far. Unfortunately, they did find that I have Placenta Previa and was put on pelvic rest, we will see if it improves at all on the next ultrasound, hopefully it will fix itself and I can avoid bed rest and other complications later down the road. After this, morning sickness, migraines, and appendicitis, I take it all back, my pregnancy with Alex was a piece of cake! ;-) 

Besides that we have been hitting up the OC fair (monthly county fair they have every year) quite a bit and I hope the weather cooperates more this week but will be heading back to the beach for some sunshine. Hope everyone is staying cool! 

Here is a little picture of our ity bity (head on the right, feet and bottom on the left)