Angelica's Summer

Angelica has had one busy summer. Here are a few of the highlights...

beating her first pinata at her cousin Jeff's 4th birthday party. 

going down the big slide 4 times (at $3.00/ride) at the Beecher carnival with daddy. 

 We converted her crib to a toddler bed on the 4th of July. She did good with it.



 I thought she would get up and run wild around her room, but at the end of naptime, this is how we found her.



 She was seriously THIS excited about the firetrucks blowing their horns in the Beecher 4th of July parade.

 Angelica taking her BFF Rusty for a ride around the kitchen in her wheeled toy crate.

 Wearing daddy's shoes.

She LOVES technology. My cousin Kara's fiance Jeff has a 6 year old daughter named Kendall. They came to stay with us mid-July when I threw Kara's bridal shower. Kendall was happy to share her laptop with Angelica and Angelica was thrilled!



She did good with the toddler bed and thanks to some very generous friends, we got a full size mattress. We converted her crib futher to a full size bed so that we could move the crib mattress to Fiona's room. I was more nervous about this conversion. She did good though. She fell off the foot of the bed the first night, but since then she has been doing great. She has been in the big bed for over a month now and seems to enjoy it.



her room - rearranged and with new bedding to make for a big girl room



sleeping in the big bed



At Brookfield Zoo sharing lunches with her friend ("step-cousin") Olivia.



eating chips at Mi Ranchito in Lowell with her new friend Lucas.



TUB TIME!



Our old childhood neighbors came to visit us at the end of July. Mike, Kim, me, Nikki, Lisa & Angelica.



enjoying a pontoon boat ride on Lake Holiday at my grandma Lannon's cousins family reunion



Her first french braid...I cannot even tell you how long I have been waiting to do this!!!



 Last day of summer gymnastics

Her absolute favorite thing to do at gymnastics, swing from the bar. She is a strong girl!



getting her medal and hand stamp for completing summer gymnastics 

All smiles, getting ready to go to Jack's 1st Birthday party 

Me and my girl - finally I am not behind the camera!



Playing with baby Lucas. I think she will be a good big sister.

Feeding the deer at Deer Forest in Coloma, MI. She wanted to feed them one kernel of corn at a time. The deer were not into that.



At Silver Beach in St. Joe, MI

Awaiting Fiona

The greatest anticipation in our lives right now is awaiting the arrival of our 2nd baby. From the moment we found out she was a girl, we decided to name her Fiona. We have washed and hung all the baby clothes (that's the nice thing about having an older sister - a whole wardrobe, ready to go!), we have purchased and assembled furniture, we have talked to Angelica endlessly about her new little sister. We have watched my belly grow and we have spent late nights talking and wondering what she will be like, what she will look like, and we have tried to wrap our heads around the idea that there will soon be someone else in our house that we will love just as much as Angelica. It is so hard to understand, but I know when she gets here it will all make perfect sense. In the meantime, I daydream about her, about what we will do, about what it will be like to see Fiona and Angelica holding hands, dancing in circles playing ring around the rosey, and making each other laugh. I am lucky in that I have a sister too. I know what Angelica is in for. It won't always be easy, and the teen years might be especially hard, but once they are grown, they will know that they always have each other no matter what. A sister is like a built in best friend. I am so excited for Angelica to have a little sister. Being the older sister myself, I feel like I can relate to Angelica as a big sister. Knowing how much my little sister means to me I feel like I can look at Fiona and know that she holds this special little surprise of being the best gift that Angelica will probably ever receive, even if it takes her decades to figure it out. I am amazed on a daily basis of how wonderful my husband is with Angelica and I know he will be the same with Fiona. He is the perfect dad to have two little girls. He is so patient when it comes to babies - moreso than me. He loves the snuggling and loving and he doesn't think twice about getting up in the middle of the night, even if I am already up. I can see that he truly cherishes every moment he gets with his daughter, even the moments that I don't particularly cherish myself! While it's been tough for me to cut back on work and make soooooo much less money, I feel like we have been given a real sense of what life is all about and I don't think we have ever been as happy as we are right now.

 Little sister's room, full of big sister's outgrown clothes.

 25 weeks pregnant

 Daddy building the crib

 Grandma painting the nursery

The almost finished nursery 

 Just waiting to rock her to sleep while sitting in this chair

30 weeks pregnant

Stephanie & Steve's Wedding

Stephanie is one of my best friends. I met her in 1995 at our first day of summer band as freshmen at Marian. We had both come from public schools and didn't know many people. We became fast friends. Although I am taller than her, Stephanie is someone I have always looked up to. :) She always worked hard, held her ground, spoke her mind, and is one of the kindest most generous people you will ever meet. She did WAY better than me in french class too. We were roommates in college too. Although I was over 100 miles away, the day I called to tell Stephanie that my fiance had dumped me just 3 weeks before the big wedding we had been planning, she was by my side within a couple of hours, giving me a hug. She is that kind of friend. Stephanie deserves the best and that is what she found in Steve. We were very happy to celebrate their wedding with them on July 2nd.

Stephanie and her dad walking down the aisle.



 Stephanie and Steve - Officially Dr. & Mrs. Conti!

Me & Steph at the reception



Den turns 34

As usual, I am behind on blogging. Here is my attempt to catch up! June 30, was Den's 34th birthday. I can't believe how much time flies. He was 25 when we first met. Although he had to work on his birthday this year, we did our best to celebrate at home.

I got up early to make a german apple pancake for breakfast

 And off to work he went

 When he came home, we had one serious dinner - steak, crab legs, sweet potato, asparagus, lobster bisque, and wine (for him) YUM!

 Angelica seriously LOVED the lobster bisque. After eating all of hers, she finished ours too.

 And to top it all off, we had the coffee lovers cake from cold stone! double YUM!

 She must take after me. Dessert makes her seriously happy :)

Happy Birthday to the best husband and daddy I know! :)

Testing testing 1 2 3

I have been trying to post on blogger and it's not working. I have a big post with pictures and I have been trying to post it for a week, but when I hit the "publish post" button, nothing happens. Hmmmmm. I wonder why.

Apparently I needed to upgrade to the new posting option. I did that and now my posts are showing up.

Video Killed the Radio Star

I tried posting this a week ago, but Blogger wasn't working. So, I am giving it another try. Here we go!

Me, Angelica and Rusty in the pool!

Our "no fear" little girl running and jumping into the pool!

playing dress-up at Bellaboos

Den and I in St. Joe Michigan on our 5 year anniversary

she loves spicy food - enjoying some chips and salsa while we take a break from swimming

our new landscaping - we love the new paver brick sidewalk and patio

me - 20 weeks pregnant with Fiona

playing with her new kitchen - one of my famous garage sale finds!

her first carnival ride - Indiana Beach - she loved it and went on about 10 more rides, all by herself! Such a big girl at 18 months!

Fiona, relaxing with her legs crossed and arms behind her head at our 17 week ultrasound.

Video killed the radio star, just like facebook killed the blog. I have REALLY been neglecting my blog because it is sooooo much easier and faster to post pictures on facebook. With the click of a button, I can upload 50 pictures in 2 minutes and share them with hundreds of people. Being a busy mom, always on the go, I rarely have time to sit and write at my blog.

So let's see....here's what is new.

Angelica is growing fast and learning tons of new things. She is so much better at communicating and can always manage to let us know what she wants either with the actual words or actions. I haven't actually kept track of how many words she knows but I would estimate it to be somewhere around 100 for now. Of course she doesn't speak them perfectly clearly, but for the most part I can understand her. She does a lot of repeating what we say. She is mostly out of her high chair and sitting at the big table with us. She uses her utensils to feed herself (most of the time) and she just loves playing pretend. She often puts her pajamas on her teddy bear and wraps him in a blanket and then sits in the rocking chair with him while kissing him and patting his back. She shares everything she has with Rusty and she always remembers to pour Rusty a glass of "tea" and even holds it to his lips for him when she is playing with her toy kitchen set. Rusty is a very patient dog - let me tell you! And best of all, Rusty is preparing Angelica for what it will be like to be a big sister.

We found out that our new baby is a girl. We had this confirmed at both our 17 week and 21 week ultrasound. I felt comfortable enough to buy a letter "F" charm for my charm bracelet (as we plan to name her Fiona) and to order her crib, dresser, and bedding (even with her name embroidered on a pillowcase!) We are getting excited for baby number 2 to arrive.

It's been interesting adjusting to not really working. I love my job, and I put a lot of "blood sweat and tears" into starting my own business 3 1/2 years ago, branding myself, and making a name for myself in this business. But I don't love my job nearly as much as I love my kids. So, I work during naptime - when I feel like it. I do enough to get by. I know that my job will still be there one day when my kids are in school and I can work more when I want to. I have struggled with the frustration of not being as good as my job as I know I could be, but I am starting to accept it. As the saying goes "God always provides." Although it can be difficult living on essentialy half of the income we are accustomed to, we still manage to pay our bills, keep food on the table and a roof over our head. We are so grateful for the things we do have that we don't miss the things we gave up all that much. Where there is a will, there is a way! I am glad I laid the foundation for my business so that when I do want to work more, I will be able to do it, but that I will still have the flexibility to go with my girls on field trips and be able to volunteer at their schools and other activities as they grow up. On top of all this, I am grateful for my loving and hard working husband who puts in extra hours at work when we want to save up for something special. He firmly believes that mom's should stay home with babies and raise kids. Maybe some people would consider that sexist, but I appreciate it and it works for us. He encourages me when I want to work and he also encourages me when I want to play all day with Angelica or take a nap when the pregnancy is taking it's toll on me. He is the best friend I need and I am lucky to have him.

I thought Dennis might be bummed out about not having a boy. Who knows maybe we will have more kids someday. But for now, he is so excited to have another girl, and that makes me excited too. From the beginning he said he just knew it was going to be a girl, and he was right!

It is hard for me to imagine that this year our Christmas card will have 2 little girls on it. Life is moving fast. This pregnancy has been fairly easy so far and I am more than halfway done. Come October, we will welcome little Fiona into our home.

Angelica has kept us busy with all she is doing and learning. She goes to gymnastics every week and absolutely loves the trampolines! She also likes going to the parks, going down slides, playing outside on her bikes and toys, and visitng with people. She especially loves her cousin Nate. She is pretty well adjusted and approaches most people with a big smile. While she loves us to pieces, she never cries when we leave her with a babysitter. I know someday I will have to give her a good talk about staying away from strangers because I think she would hug everyone if she could. She thoroughly enjoys playing "pretend" and dressing up. She likes to wear our shoes and walk around the house. She knows what she likes and what she doesn't like. She sleeps like a champ - 12 hours every night and a 2-3 hour nap every day. She does have her temper tantrums from time to time, and she can wear me down with whining when I don't want to give her something she wants (usually a bottle of water). But all in all I am grateful that Angelica is who she is. We will see how her sister is! I am hoping she is as easy as Angelica has been.

In other news, Dennis and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary in May. We went to St. Joe, MI for a long weekend - just the two of us. We went to the beach, the movies, out to eat, had a couples massage, and just relaxed. We played board games and watched our wedding video. It was a lot of fun. It wasn't exactly the trip to BoraBora we had always said we would go on for our 5th anniversary, but we were still content. Maybe we will save BoraBora for the 25th anniversary! :)

We have been busy making our house a home. We finally feel very content here in Beecher and hope to stay. Sure we dream about living on the beach or on a lake, but in all reality we do like it here. We put in some new landscaping this summer that really makes it feel more like home and not just a temporary place to stay. Maybe someday...some day far far away....we will be able to get a weekend house on a lake or something, but for now we are continuing to invest in our home here. We have all that we need and even more than that. We have a lot of room and this is a good place to watch our family grow and our kids grow up.

You know what's not Smithtacular?

Getting your dryer fixed.

Our dryer went out last Saturday. Dennis had just washed a load of clothes and put them in the dryer only to find out it would run for just 10-15 seconds and then shut off. He and his dad spent hours taking the entire thing apart. While they couldn't get any confirmation, it seemed that the control panel had gone bad and needed to be replaced.

So, I called A&E factory services - the same company Maytag referred us to the last time our dryer went out 2-3 years ago. They sent someone out this morning explaining to me that it would be $129 for the service call and labor no matter what the problem was or how much time it took to fix plus the cost of whatever parts were needed. The $129 was charged the moment the serviceman walked in the door and that was that. Even if I decided not to fix it because the part was too costly, etc. it would still be $129.

So today, the serviceman came at 12:02pm (as I had the 8a-12p service window). He determined it was indeed the control panel and told me it would be $170+ for a new control panel. However, he said that once he put the control panel in there might indeed be ANOTHER part that needs replacing, but there was no way for him to know that without a working control panel.

I knew I was stuck with the $129 for the visit, but wasn't sure I wanted to pay over $300. My thoughts were:
1) Can I order this part for cheaper myself and try to put it in?
2) If they put in the control panel and it STILL doesn't work, can I return the control panel, just pay the $129 service call and just buy a new dryer?
3) Can I have a day to think about it?

OK so here is how I got totally screwed. #1, It would take me some time to determine where I could find and purchase this part and see if I could get it cheaper. The serviceman told me that I had to decide right then and there if I wanted him to order the part because he doesn't carry those parts and needs special authorization to order it. Even if I wanted just 1 hour to see if I could come up with a better solution or think about it, I would be charged ANOTHER $129 service call on top of this service call and then I'd still be stuck paying the part.

He then told me that if he put the control panel in and that didn't solve the problem I would not be able to return it. At that point I'd have already dumped over $300 into fixing the dryer, so I might as well just keep spending money to fix it so I am not throwing the $300 away - even though it would only cost $500 to replace the stupid dryer. In all reality I am not going to buy another $500 dryer that will probably cost me $500 in repairs over the next 5 years anyway. I would want to buy a better more expensive dryer and that just isn't in the budget right now.

I know that it is what it is, but I need to vent. When I called A&E services I asked how much a new control panel would cost because that is what I thought the problem was. The girl on the phone said she didn't have access to that information. If I had known ahead of time that I was looking at a $300+ repair, I might have said forget it. If they had also told me that I'd need to make the decision on the spot or I'd be charged for a 2nd repair visit, I would have definitely said forget it.

On top of this, I asked the dryer repairman how long dryers like this usually last. He said he didn't know. Seriously???? Your a freakin dryer repairman...you don't know? I mean come on! Dryers of the past lasted 25 years. Can you expect 25 years from today's dryers or is it more like 5 years? I mean, I was just looking for a ballpark number. I've had this dryer 5 years already. If the expected lifespan is only 6-8 years I'd probably just not repair this one and save up for a new one.

All in all, I am just irritated.

Sigh of relief

Last week I was getting worried that the terrible two's were starting at our house. Angelica wasn't sleeping well at night, was not taking her usual naps and was just as crabby as can be. When a fever broke on Easter night, I realized her problem was that she hadn't been feeling well. Three Dr's appointments, a bunch of lab tests, a shot and some antibiotics later, my little girl is finally feeling better and back to her normal self. She is taking 1 short nap in the morning, a long one in the afternoon and sleeping all night through again. Whew! I know it won't be like this forever, but she was REALLY giving me a run for my money last week. I was starting to have panic attacks about baby #2 arriving in less than 6 months! For now though, Angelica is better. We are back to our normal schedule and all is well. Hooray for modern medicine.

What a difference a year makes

It is so amazing to me to witness the rate at which a baby grows. To begin with, it is a complete miracle that a baby can start out as 2 cells inside a woman's body and grow into a perfect little baby in just 9 months. Then, after they are born, it gets even more amazing. You start with this small person that can't do anything for themselves and within a year they are walking, moving around, feeding themselves, communicating, etc. etc. etc. Here is a family picture from Easter 2010 - Angelica was just 4 months old. And then a picture of Easter 2011 - She is 16 months old. I am continuously amazed by the gift of life that God gives each of us.

2010

2011

Photo Shoot with Mama

Like any parent, I love taking pictures of my little girl. Angelica is now 16 months old and more lively and beautiful than ever. Whenever I am feeling kind of down, I just have to look at her and I feel better. She is always so happy and smiling. Here are a few of my favorite shots from this past month.

Just eating dinner in her high chair.

She got this dress for her birthday and really hasn't had a chance to wear it much, so I put her in at and did a little photo shoot. She had so much fun wearing her dress that day, that I let her wear dresses the rest of the week. It also inspired me to take out my DSLR camera and take some nice pictures instead of conveniently using the crappy old point and shoot.

Mmmm Pear...it's what's for breakfast.

The look on her face in this picture is priceless. Another reason I love the DSLR...I can capture moments like this. This is Angelica all dressed up before we headed to the Crete F-Men Easter Egg Hunt on the day before Easter.

And here's my little darling all dressed up before church on Easter. She looks so grown up in this picture. I cannot believe it!

SPRING FEVER!!!

I have to admit that I have a serious case of spring fever! Today is a bright beautiful sunny day! We are getting close to hitting 60 degrees. I have Angelica down for a nap now because after lunch I am packing her up in her wagon and hitting the road! We are going to take Rusty for a walk and break in our wagon outside. (I think it will make her a bit sad that she will no longer be able to ride the wagon IN the house, but I think she will really like it outside!)

As I stare out the window I see birds flying, ducks swimming on the pond, and lots and lots of brown grass and dead plants. However, I know that in a few more weeks the grass will start to turn green again and the plants will bloom! I can hardly wait! It has been a Looooooooong winter of being cooped up inside.

I am feeling so motivated right now, that I am thinking of taking out all of our bright and pretty Easter decorations! I know it's 4 more days until the official start of spring, but I don't think there is anything wrong with getting a jumpstart on celebrating! :)

Happy Spring Everyone!!!!

Lent

I was reading through our church bulletin this weekend and there is a quote in there regarding Lent that I would like to share. "Sometimes giving up chocolate or movies is easier than letting go of a grudge or tearing down a wall that is separating family or friends. The second will be more satisfying."

I wish more people would take this advice. There is a Bible verse (I cannot remember it exactly) but it says something to the tune of: God will treat you, as you have treated the least of your enemies. In other words if you act hateful or unforgiving towards someone, you will be treated the same way. If you judge someone or count their shortcomings instead of just loving them, you will be treated that way too.

I have struggled with this in the past. Why should I love someone who has hurt me? Why should I forgive someone who has done something considered to be "unforgivable?" Do I really want to be friendly with someone if I feel like everyone else is judging me for being friendly towards that person? What if it hurts my "reputation" or makes me "look bad?" I have certainly said some negative things about other people because I felt them at the time and because it was the "popular" opinion at the time. I have done and said negative things out of frustration, anger and impatience and definitely out of not being able to wrap my head around why someone is the way that they are.

But the thing that has helped me to really find peace in the past 6 months or so is fully understanding that above everything else....above being a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend....I am a Christian. As a Christian, it is not my place to judge anyone. I must admit that occassionaly a judgemental thought crosses my mind or comes out of my mouth. But I am more consience of that now and I try to remind myself when I say or think such things, "Every human life is a gift from God. If you judge someone, you have no time to love them."

It is true that there are people who could be considered "evil" in this world - drug abuses, gang bangers, people who hurt innocent children or abuse responsibility to the Nth degree. That just brings to mind though that the devil is real too and that people who are not concentrating on doing the right thing can be persuaded to act un-christianlike.

The past several weeks we have been reminded at church to let go of the things of this earth. Our purpose in life is to be a good Christian. God will take care of us if we honor Him and act in His likeness. God reminds us that above all the other commandments "Love each other as I have loved you." I think that Lent is a good time to reflect on this thought, to spend some time each day in prayer and asking God for help to be a better person. If there are people in your life that you look towards with disdain, think about them. Concentrate on them. Realize that God loves them just as much as He loves you. Realize that although they may have made unpopular choices, hurt their reputation, or done something that has caused a break in a personal relationship, it is not your job to judge them. It is your job to love them as God has loved you. Lent is a time to break down barriers, take down walls, clear your conscience. Listen to the little angel on your shoulder instead of the little devil. Do the right thing even if you feel like it is IMPOSSIBLE or difficult or heartwrenching. Concentrate on the good. Be thankful that you were made in God's likeness and that you have been given free will. See this as an opportunity to be more like God and show love towards others. A little love can really go a long way.

So this Lent, I plan to spend some time in prayer. I hope that I will become a better person. Giving up desserts or cheese may be "difficult" for me to do because it fills a craving I have, but in the end, those things do not make me a better person. I may lose a couple of pounds, but my soul will still be in the same shape it is in now. Although I strive to lose weight and be healthy, I know that I will NEVER be healthy if my soul is not healthy. I could weigh 125lbs or 325lbs. Neither matters if at my core I am not the best person that I can be with a clear conscience and a healthy soul.

Because I believe that my life is a gift from God and because I know that God made me, just as He made everyone else, in His likeness, it is time for me to continue and concentrate on my journey of being a better Christian. I hope that once Easter arrives, I will feel ready to celebrate.

Slowly but surely

I have been working on losing weight for quite a while now. Even before I was pregnant with Angelica, I had gained a lot of weight and I was pretty unhappy with myself. After she was born, I lost my baby weight immediately, but I knew I still had a long way to go. I have never had luck with diets and exervising would come in fads but never last. I longed for the day of my bikini body and not being afraid to put on my old Hooters uniform. Oh yes, I still have one stored away because one day...some day....I will be able to put it back on...just to say that I did it. This time though I decided to take baby steps. The weight didn't come on overnight and I know it won't go away overnight either.

I joined a running program and May and ran through November. I really started to enjoy it. I took a break during the colder months, but plan to return to it again this spring. I also started a weight loss program where I keep careful track of what I eat and how I cook. Not only have I lost weight, but my hubby has lost a few pounds too. It is pretty awesome to go into the closet where I stored away all of my cute jeans and take them back out and actually wear them. I am hoping to make much more progress over the coming years, but in losing just 1lb/week, I know I will be able to keep the weight off for good and permanently change my lifestyle. I am happier than I have been in a while, more confident and no longer hating being in front of a camera. I still have a long long way to go, but this has been a good start for me. I've lost 22lbs so far and the best part is that I am keeping it off. Hopefully by this time next year that number will be much more significant!

Here is me in January 2010 - One of my favorite pictures!

And here I am in January 2011. So far, so good!

Gymboree

I signed Angelica up for Gymboree a couple of months ago. At first I thought it was kind of a waste of money, but after going week after week I can see how much she enjoys it and how much she is learning. Some things are different each week, but some are the same. The kids always push this "air log" across the room together each week. The first week Angelica just stood there bewildered, but now each week it is one of her favorite things to do. The kids also have a time allotted for playing with small toys and afterwards they are suppose to clean up after themselves and put toys away. This week, Angelica actually carried her toy over to the box and put it away all by herself! I am proud of my little munchkin and as we move forward I can see that Gymboree, although a short class and a long drive, is definitely worth the money.

Here is a picture of Angelica and her buddy Lucy at Gymboree pushing the air log. Lucy was in visiting from NC so we brought her and her parents as guests to our class. It was lots of fun!

1 year old!

Our little girl is a whole year old. It is hard to believe an entire year has passed since she was born. It has been amazing for us to watch her grow from a teeny tiny baby into a bouncing toddler all over the course of just 1 year.

At Angelica's 1 year checkup, we learned that she is 20lbs 9oz and 29 3/4 inches tall. She is a petite little girl full of energy! We feel so lucky that she is ours.