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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

It happened....

...he turned 2.  As much as I protested against it, it still happened.  Why?!  Why do they have to grow up so fast?!  Look how little he was...


November 15, 2009...priceless.
I remember thinking after I gave birth, "I can't believe I actually did it!".  It was something so amazing and awesome and I did it!  He was so perfect, beautiful, amazing, everything I had ever dreamed of wrapped up in a 7lb 5oz package of pure baby boy bliss.  ::Sigh::

And then, 2 years later, I'm celebrating his 2nd birthday.  How did 2 years creep up so incredibly fast?  I don't feel as though time went by THIS fast before Zach was born.  Why now?  Is it that whole cliche of "time flies when you're having fun" kinda thing?  Life with Zach IS fun...unpredictable...amazing...but I would be ok if it went by a little slower.

He had an awesome 2nd birthday party.  I did a train theme because he loves him some trains!  However, do you KNOW how hard it is to find train themed party supplies that isn't Thomas the Train?  No offense toward you Thomas lovers, but Zach doesn't know who he is.  So, since I couldn't find any that I liked, I made my own.  They don't exactly scream "train", but they're cute and I worked hard on them.



My first attempt at cake decorating.  I wish I could take credit for the train, but I had it made from Etsy.com

little engineer bandannas. 


The birthday banner I made :)

Audrey!!

More decorations.

I really should have given this to him last.  I ended up moving it so he could concentrate on other gifts!

toy pots and pans!  he loves to "cook" and mommy loves picking up every single last 120 pieces of play food...thanks Aunt Jan!

hmm...what to open next

daddy helping Zach blow out candles.  I know.  Those candles are huge.  We had to improvise.  Don't hate!

Me and my cousin Beth.  Her and Audrey drove all the way down from Manassas to help celebrate <3

Oh, look! 120 pieces of food on my coffee table!

drawing on his new easel from Aunt Susan, Uncle Matt and Mitch.  He loves this!!

Doug drew characters from which movie?  He thought it would be cute for Zach to see when he woke up the morning of his birthday.

I decorated it with balloons.  I actually decorated the living room with balloons.  Maybe a little overboard, but the look on his face when he saw it...priceless.  Totally worth it!

Gifts from mommy and daddy on his birthday.

yes, he got a Minnie.  He loves her!

So those are some pictures from his party.  He had a great time and we so appreciate everyone who came, called, skyped, and sent birthday love to Zach.  He is such a loved little boy and so lucky to have so many wonderful people in his life.




Sunday, October 30, 2011

Choo! Choo!...

Guess who's turning 2?!

This kid!!





I seriously CAN NOT believe that he's turning 2.  I know I said that when he turned 1, but time really does fly!  I feel like he should be turning 1 again!!  Can we make that happen?!    We can't?  ::Sigh::  Well, then can someone PLEASE tell me when the terrible 2's stop?  He's been in them since about 15 months and they are intensifying the closer we get to 2!!  The boy has been swinging on my very last nerve lately!!  Buuuut...then I look at this sweet face and forget all of that.  Good thing for him he's so darn cute!!

See?  He's so darned cute!!  



I can't really tell if he's enjoying this or wants it to be over!

The party planning is if full gear for his 2nd birthday.  I decided to do a train themed party (hence the title of this entry).  How can you not smile when you hear/see "Choo! Choo! Choo! Look Who's Turning 2!"  So cute!  Plus, one of his favorite things is a train.  We have some that through the city we live in and he loves to mimic them.  However, do you KNOW how hard it is to find train themed party supplies that isn't Thomas the freakin Train?!  No offense to anyone who loves them some Thomas, my brother used to love him, but MAAAN!!  I decided to do my own decorations.  Ambitious, I know.  I've scoured Etsy to try and find some already made banners/decorations, but they are way out of my budget.  I really wanted to try and do something like this (scroll down for the orange/blue theme) or maybe this, but I don't know how artsy I really am.  These would take a lot of work.  Plus, I'm not having a big blow out like his 1st birthday.  Just family.  I know they won't care what it looks like.  I am going to try and make a banner, his cake and maybe a couple of other things.  That being said, I guess I should try and work on some things!

Love,
Sarah

Monday, October 3, 2011

As the leaves change...

Can I just say how excited I am about it being October?!  It is the start of my favorite time of year!!  October through December = AMAZING!!  What's so great about it?  Let me tell you...it's the changing of the seasons, the colors the leaves turn, sweatshirts and sweaters, hot chai tea, decorating for the holidays, snuggling with the wee one (although, I don't need cooler weather for that), baking, cooking, spending time with family, the crisp smell the air takes on as the weather cools, the color of the sky right before it starts to snow, my son was born in the heart of fall, the list of all things to celebrate goes on and on!!  I know some people feel that it's such a dreary time and nature starts to die...etc.  It is...it does...but look at all of the fun stuff this time of year has to offer!!  I'm going to relish in my delight until January 2, 2012!  To me, that's when it gets dreary!!

Everything has been going well since the last time I wrote.  School started back for Doug (I think I mentioned that before), I got a "promotion" at work (I think I mentioned that, too), I'm planning for my child's 2nd birthday...2nd!!  HE'S GOING TO BE 2?!?!  I swear!!  Where does the time go?!  I feel like he should still be that little 7.5lb baby that I brought home from the hospital, not a toddler running around telling me he wants "dot dogs" for dinner instead of lasagna and "nacks" (aka fruit snacks) from breakfast instead of something more nourishing.  However, now he's able to run to me when I come home from work and wrap his arms around my legs and squeal "mommaaa!", he can tell me he loves me, he gives me kisses when he wakes up, and he asks me if "I o-tay?" while I'm coughing and he's patting my back (I'm currently fighting a cold).  While I miss that little bundle of baby boy, I'm loving the bigger baby boy he is becoming.  Just look at him...isn't he gorgeous?!


Zach's day care picture.  Fall 2011.


About a week ago we went to Northern VA to celebrate my cousin's 1st birthday!  Again, why are these children growing up so fast?!  Her party theme was based around a lemonade stand.  Sooo cute!  The weather called for rain aaaall weekend and for the most part, that's what we got, but it cleared up and was beautiful for her party.  My aunt Tara (her grandmother) was able to fly in from TX for the big event!  
Apparently the balloon makes a good seat.

Auntie T and the birthday girl, Audrey.

Lemonade!  Get your lemonade!

My future baseball star!

Zach and his auntie T.

Cake time!

Pretty birthday girl

Hey!  I got a car for my birthday!!

While we were up there we were able to visit with my brother and his family.  I can't believe my nephew is 4 months already (almost)!  Again...see above!  He's not so sure about me yet.  I'm just going to attribute that to him not seeing me everyday.  I will try not to take it personal!  It is so crazy how much he looks like my brother when he was little.  A ton of dark hair, bright blue eyes, chubby cheeks...meeeemories, light the corner of my mind...ok...I digress.  By the way, my brother and his family (his dad included) just bought and moved into a bigger house up where they live.  It's about time!  My brother has lived in the same rental town-home since he was...not even 1.  So, about 20 years.  From what I hear, this is a much bigger home (a duplex) with about 3 or 4 bedrooms and a HUGE backyard.  Hopefully next time I go up I'll be able to see it.  Check out my brother's twin below!

Braiden and his momma, Jessye.

Mmmm...yummy pasta!

And who is this big boy?!  It doesn't even look like him!!  (This is Doug's twin)

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the fall weather we are having!

Love,
Sarah


Happy Fall!

Saturday, August 20, 2011

~Girls Weekend~

That's right...I left the boys behind and ventured off on my first girls weekend!  This was my first time in Tampa and my first time seeing my friend Jen in about a year!  It.  Was.  GREAT!!!  I thought for sure I would cry when I got out of the car to venture into the airport alone.  I didn't.  Zach did.  When I opened the back door to tell him goodbye and smother him with kisses, Doug told him to say "bye bye", so he looked at Doug, said it and waved and proceeded to try and get his seat belt apart!  LOL!  Poor kid.
The flights were ok overall.  I had one hang up in Philly because there was some sort of dent in the side of the plane that needed to be looked at and determine whether it was safe to fly.  I was ok with that.  I'd rather be safe than sorry.  The lady behind me however, did not share in the same feelings I had.  If I had to hear her complain any longer than I had to, I was seriously going to have to say something.  Thank goodness someone brought her a Bud Light...at 8:30am...
Jen and Meggin (my other friend who lives here) picked me up at the airport and we headed straight for a restaurant named Columbia.  It apparently has a very good reputation...that it lived up to!  The food was delish and our waiter looked EXACTLY like Dr. Evil in Austin Powers!!
That night we stayed in downtown Tampa and hung out...just us girls.  We gabbed over drinks at the hotel for a while before we got ready to hit the town.  We ended up at Channelside and enjoyed a Thai dinner before we went to a dueling piano bar called Howl At The Moon.  We had a great time.  Maybe not as "good" as others...I hope that poor girl made it home ok...anywho...




The weekend went by too fast and I was sad to say goodbye to Jen.  Hopefully I'll be able to go to Germany one day and visit while she is still there!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

How did I miss this?

I'm not entirely sure how I missed telling the world that I have a brand new nephew!!!
That's right...my sweet nephew was born June 7, 2011 and weighed 7lb 12oz and I think he was 19in long (his mommy can correct me).  He looks just like my brother did when he was a baby!!  TONS of dark hair that sticks straight up!!  He's so cute!
We went to visit last weekend and Zach met his cousin for the first time...he was not interested!  We kept trying to get him to come over and talk to him, kiss him, hug him...nope.  It was like Braiden had the plague!  Oh well...maybe next time he'll be interested.
While we were up in NOVA, we went and visited my cousins Beth, Lauren and Audrey.  I'm pretty sure Josh was there, but he was sleeping!  It was such a short visit.  I hate that.  We wanted to get started back on the road at a decent time, so that meant our visit was less than 2 hours.  I feel like I need to go up there for an extended weekend just so I can spend some good, quality time with everyone.
There really isn't anything else going on that really exciting.  Just going to work and spending my free time with Zach.  I will say this, Zach is starting to say a lot of words!  He learned a new one the other day..."mine".  Nice.  He can also say:
"daddy", "mommy", "night night", "Abby", "bye bye", "hi", "hello", "thank you", "please", "excuse me", "no" (he's really good at that one), "Moo Moo", "Bumpa", "Maggie" (he's says it with a D instead of an M), "again", "yeah" and "potty"...which he's given up on.  He probably says more than this, but this is all I can think of off the top of my head.  He can also tell me what certain animals say, what the train says (because we have them going through our city ALL the time) and he's a pretty amazing dancer.  I can't believe how fast he is growing up.  I really need to charge my camera so I can take some pictures.  I would love to take video, but he knows when the camera is out and then he wants it.
Well, I need to go write down my menus for the next 2 weeks..

S~

Monday, June 27, 2011

...he loves me

That's right folks!  Zach loves me!!  I know this because he told me last night!!
They were the sweetest words I have ever heard come out of his mouth!  Since he's still learning how to talk, I had to ask Doug if he heard what I did and we concluded that my baby told me he loved me!!  Talk about the BEST feeling EVER!!!
I ALWAYS tell him I love him.  Every chance I get I'm either telling him I love him or trying to kiss his face off! He will never doubt that I love him!  It was so wonderful to hear those words...

hanging out on cloud nine...

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Where have I been?!

It has been such a long time since I updated this blog!  Geez...you would think I got a job or something..oh, wait...I did!
I'm sure most of who is reading this already knows about my good fortune, but for those that don't, I got a job!! It has absolutely nothing to do with my major, but it's a source of income!  I'm working at an administrative assistant at a pediatrics office.  I'm the assistant for one of the nurse practitioners.  I started working there on April 18.  I'm actually extremely lucky to have found this job.  It was in the Sunday paper on the 8th of April, I applied that night, got a phone call for an interview the next day, interviewed that Tuesday and was offered the job the same day!!  I couldn't believe it!!  I had been applying for numerous jobs, but like most people applying for jobs these days, I had not heard back from any of them.  So get this...I was one of the 400 applicants that she had received like overnight and by the time I was doing my paperwork she had over 600 applicants and I believe she received over 1,000 applications!!  Is that not the craziest thing?!  I consider myself very lucky.
So I've been there over a month and so far everything is going pretty well.  I was finally released from training last week, so I'm officially official!  I had to put Zach in daycare and he's actually doing pretty well.  He still cries a little in the mornings when I leave him, but I know he likes it.  He has a provider there that he has latched on to.  Her name is Becky, but he calls her "Bebby", which I think is better than Becky!  I'm told as soon as he sees her car pull into the parking lot, he goes nuts!  Yes, he knows her car.  That's how much he loves this woman.  I still don't like leaving him, but knowing he has someone there that he really cares about and vice versa, it makes it a little easier.

 The weekend I was offered the position, my very best friend, Kammy, got married!!  I was her matron of honor and I was certainly honored!!  Kammy has been one of my nearest and dearest since I was 15.  She has always been like a sister to me.  I'm so happy that she is finally happy with her new best friend...well I guess technically he was her bff first.  Kammy and Danny have known each other since they were 13.  She's a little older than that now...tehehe.  Seriously, I couldn't be happier for them!  It was a long, broken road for them, but they finally found their way to one another.
The wedding party
me and the beautiful bride
at the recpetion
Shortly after I started my new job, we went to Boston to see our friends Jason and Kerri get married.  It was a super long drive and it was the first time I left Zach overnight.  He stayed with Doug's parents, but even knowing that he was in very loving and capable hands, I cried the whole way across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  In his whole 17 months of life (at that point), I had never slept away from him.  Not. A. Fan.  Even still, we had a great time.  We had some other friends that flew up a couple days before us, so we were able to hang out with them while we were there.
The wedding was so beautiful.  Traditional Catholic wedding with ALL the trimmings.  Jason and Kerri are such an amazingly loving couple.  I don't know how Jason trapped her, but I'm happy he did because she is such a wonderful addition to our amazing group of friends.
Mr. and Mrs. Jason Consalvo
The reception was aaahhhmazing.  Probably one of THE best receptions I have EVER been to!!  It was so fun!!  Their dj was awesome!!  I haven't danced like that is SUCH a long time!!!  So much fun!!
Side note:  MA has some of the scariest drivers I have ever encountered.  I thought NOVA/D.C. drivers were scary...they have nothing on these MA drivers!!
Second side note:  I really think MA is the Dunkin Donut capital of the world...I'd have to do some research, but I'm preeetty sure there was one on every corner.
our friends Laura and Mike
reception time!
The weekend following the wedding I gradated from college!!  I can't believe I'm finally done!!  I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I am done with homework!!!  I guess when you've been in school for 10 years there comes a time when you think that you'll never be done!  But I am!!!  I couldn't have done it without the love and support of my family and friends, especially my husband.  There were many times (one of them being a week before I graduated) where I just wanted to give up and do something else.  I didn't think I had it in me.  I still don't know how I did it, but I graduated with honors, Cum Laude.  ME!!  I did it!!  It's true what everyone had been telling me, "it doesn't matter how long it takes, just as long as you try your hardest and get that degree!".  I really feel like my mom would be so proud of me.  She gave me the foundation to stand on and my aunt gave me the push.  It is so hard having such amazing milestones and not having them here, but I know, well I hope, that they are watching from somewhere elbowing each other saying "look, we did good!".  I'm sure one of them is joking "I didn't think she would ever make it!!"  Thanks again to everyone who has stood by me all these years!!

Helloooo!!!  Honors!!  What whaaat!!
The weekend following that big event we went to NOVA for my brother and his girlfriends baby shower.  It was such a nice shower...I say that because I threw it!  LOL!  It was nice, though.  They received a lot of nice things that they will definitely need!!  I can't wait until that little boy is here!!  Less than a month!!  I just want to hold him and breathe him in.  A little boy...my nephew...Braiden.  Can't wait!
me and Jessye






Ava

Trent



mommy and daddy to be

brother and sister!

I don't think I have anything else to report...until next time America...and Canada...and Germany (I have folks in different countries reading this!!  Check me out!!  I'm International!!)

Smooches!!

Sarah