Getting In Shape

At least making an effort. It is hard to work out after I get off work. By the time I pick up Colin and get home, it is 5:30 and I need to get dinner ready, feed him solids (if we are up for trying again - not going so well), bath, play, pjs, bottle and bed by around 7:30-8pm. We worked it where Andrew and I switched off working out in the evening, but I liked being home with BOTH of them.

So I bought this to try and exercise and play with Colin at the same time.

Ohmygosh - I think you are probably supposed to start this when you infant is around 9lbs...not when he is almost 17lbs. I couldn't believe the back of my thighs ached the next morning. Don't get me wrong, I like that feeling, but I was shocked. The arms exercises I will have to work up to. I am a weakling.

Look at all these doorbusters Mom!!

No, sweet baby. We will not be going out to Toys R Us at midnight. Maybe to Michael's after lunch to get some garland, but no where else.

He didn't like that answer.

Holiday Music

Pandora + Merry Christmas Baby by Hanson = a good Christmas music station

Yes, I secretly (I guess now not so much so) like boy band music. Especially boy band Christmas music. I have given them all a thumbs up so far.

Go Titans!

Colin is all ready for the Titans game. But evidently I was not. He sported his Titans clothing yesterday, because Mommy was too stupid to realize that they didn't play until today. Oops!

He just in the past two weeks he has started grabbing at everything. Reaching out and exploring faces and animals and even trying to grab the food off our plate.

Speaking of food - I feel like I keep drawing the short stick. Cereal/solids and sleeping through the night are suppose to go hand in hand. Yeah...myth. At least in my house. If something is supposed to make my life easier, it won't happen. I am starting to accept that. I just thought I would get some kind of break after the first 11 weeks of caring for a colicky newborn.

Oasis of the Seas

Yes, I am talking about the GIANT ship that Royal Caribbean built. I have been looking at pictures of it online. If you are interested in it at all, check out my Dad's website Cruise Notes to see live footage and pictures. He doesn't leave for his cruise on it for another two weeks, but the guy running the website with him is already on it and providing a lot of stuff to look at: video and pictures.

I can't wait to hear all about it.

I saw that it had a place called The Cupcake Cupboard - count me in.

Too early??

Is it too early for a Christmas background??

I mean, I can't put up my tree yet, so isn't it fair I get to put this up?

Trying out some video

I have seen people upload videos, and I wanted to try. We got a new camera a few months back. This video is about 2 months old, but I don't think I talk in it so you can't hear my voice, which is why I am posting it to try out. =)

Shopping is done

Except for a few gift cards I need to pick up, my shopping is done. I did most of it through the Internet which made it easy. I have especially loved shopping for Colin. I can't wait until next Christmas when he is a little older and the toys are more fun for us to play with too. I have already been told that when he gets a Nerf gun for Christmas, Andrew is expecting one also.

Out of the toys I bought him, I already found my favorite. I hope he likes it as much as I do. His name is Scout and he is a LeapFrog toy. He learns your child's name and each paw does something different when it is pressed. The bottom right paw, he turns on. The top right paw plays happy/awake songs and music (think Mary Had a Little Lamb and The Muffin Man). The top left paw plays games - you program him to know your child's favorite color and food along with their name. Right now I said Colin's favorites are applesauce and the color blue. It will play "games" with him and teach him animal sounds. The bottom left paw I LOVE - it plays bedtime music. When I squeeze it it say, "2 minutes of bedtime music. Snuggle up Colin!"

If he doesn't like it, I might have to program it to say my name...b/c I played with it all last Thursday night. They have a girl one named Violet and I bet she is just as cute when she talks.

Pictures are Pricey

I think we can agree on that. I wanted a picture of Colin for our living room in his red shirt and blue overalls. I wanted a white background. I had portraits done at Sears for his 8 week photos and I liked them. This time I decided to try Portrait Innovations. FAIL!

I told the lady EXACTLY what I wanted. I told her if you get a white background and let him play on the floor, you will get the exact picture that I want. But instead, she puts him in a white basket (girly and 80s) and then a blue chair (I would call it a study chair) and then finally they did some in just his diaper on a black fabric thing. He was getting fussy and I wasn't getting what I wanted, and I finally told her this wasn't working and that I would choose from what she had already.

So we sit down...and they all suck. I mean MAJOR suck. I knew right then I would ONLY buy the $9.95 package. She kept pushing different photos and poses on me and I kept telling her politely that I didn't want them. She showed me the old ugly style photos where there are two pictures on one sheet and they fade into each other. I politely told her no - I liked plain and simple and that wasn't it. I almost told her that it was too old school, and perhaps that was in style when she had hids in the 80s, but I wouldn't hang that in my house. But I didn't.

I did eventually have to say "No thank you. I ONLY want that one pose. Honestly, I don't like a single one of the other poses. Sorry." I didn't even have to say my husband was cheap and only let me spend $10. I was honest and she finally checked me out...and I am sure made notes in whatever filing system they have that I am a pain.

Here is the photo I bought for $10 (this is a picture I took of the picture with my phone):


It is OK. Not great. I have it in the kitchen right now and one on my desk. And I will give copies to the grandparents and scrapbook it. But I am seriously thinking about taking it off my desk and out of the kitchen b/c I think it is so cheesy.

This morning he was in his red shirt and overalls again, and I decided to try with the nice camera I borrowed from my dad. And here we go...I finally have a picture for the frame. I just wish my background was white. Polka dots aren't bad though!


She would have made money off me if she had just listened. Next time I will either go back to Sears for quick simple photos, take my own, or pay a sitting fee for less cheesy ones.

We have discovered dogs!

Colin has just discovered the dogs in the past week. He will smile at them and reach out to them when they come close. Molly licks his hands but Abby will let him try and pet her. He got a little rough toward the end. Good thing I bought him a book for Christmas about how to be careful and gentle around dogs.

How does Colin end the day?

First he has some cereal and apples (followed by a bath).

Then he jumps himself to sleep.

Happy Halloween!

If I could be a cartoon character...

this is what I would wear as my outfit in every episode:



I went shopping and bought my dress for the wedding in January...and bought it in two sizes with a plan to return one of them by the beginning of December.


I love it. It even has pockets...and the first thing that went through my head (which totally makes me a mom) is that I have a place for my hotel key...and one for Colin's pacifiers.