Friday, July 31, 2009

birthday blues

I turned the big 3-4 today.

Let me start by saying that I'm so appreciative of all the calls, cards and e-mails that I have received today. Also, due to the magic of Facebook, I received around 30 birthday greetings! So fun! Also, Mom/Grandma cooked a delicious dinner (cashew chicken) for my birthday and baked a blueberry cobbler cake! Of course, my camera battery had died but we took a few pics on my mom's camera... I'll post those soon. Steven is taking me to my favorite restaurant, The Melt.ing Pot, for my birthday dinner tomorrow night. Of course I'm looking forward to that! Overall, I'm *very* thankful to my family & wonderful friends for that.

Unfortunately, though, I kinda had the birthday blues today. Mainly due to the fact that Adam woke up at 3 AM (last night/yesterday morning) and said his nose hurt. Sure enough, his nose was running. He wasn't able to sleep and we were both up most of the night. Today his cold continued to get worse. He seemed to have a fever earlier this evening but he feels much cooler now (Thank G-d). Since one of his Dr's told me never to give tylenol/motrin unless a fever is 100.6 (?) I haven't... and it seemed to break on its own. But who knows how the rest of tonight and weekend will be. I already cancelled our plans for a playdate with Nita and Ricky tomorrow which I was looking forward to. =(

Adam was also extremely irritable & whiny today... very, very "Terrible 2-ish"... I'm hoping it's due to him feeling sick (I'm sure it is) and it's not a new stage he's entering. He did, however, sing "Happy Birthday to Mama" several times today - sooooo cute!!! =)

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. To be honest, I'm kinda thankful that my birthday is now behind me. Let the new year begin!!!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

My Funny Little Love


I have been reminded by several family members that I have not written a "real post" in a while. I have so much to blog about, too, but there are so many hours in the day (and I'm chasing Adam for most of them)! I've also been working the past few weeks,part-time, on an appeals panel. The extra money is nice and it keeps my brain "active" during the summer! =)

Adam is doing great... 28 months old today and funny as ever. Actually, I found out I was pregnant with him 3 years ago this week. Amazing. Anyway, he continues to be SO CURIOUS about everything, which I love. Just yesterday I told him that there was a new Barney episode to which he replied by saying "CALLED..."? He was so serious, too! I always tell him the titles of the new Barney episodes so when I didn't... well, he called me on it!!! It really cracked me up. Today I asked him, as I do everyday, "Guess what we're doing today?" and he usually guesses. Not today. Instead he said "What... what?". I just love his little personality. He's also really into pretend play these days. He loves to take his doggies (of course) on rides in the school bus, give them baths, feed them dinner, give them his sippy cup to drink, etc. He also likes to put them "to bed" and go "Shhh... he's sleeping" while holding his finger to his mouth. He acts so grown up in these moments!

LL has also hit the big "It's MINE" stage. Everything is "MINE"! I made the "mistake" of leaning on his bed yesterday (which he usually loves), and he said 'MY Big Boy Bed"! Also, when I picked him up from Montessori today he told Rushan's mom that "This is MY Mommy" and clung to my leg. He still shares relatively well (usually) but is very into "mine mine mine"!!!

As always, we are so enjoying our Little Love. Hope to write more in the upcoming days... in the meantime, here are some Shabbat photos from Friday... Adam LOVES Shabbat at Grandma's House:

Putting on his kippah (the one Uncle Joey bought him in Israel last year)! Nice! Oh, that little table was mine when I was a kid! You can see my little flouresent Cray.ola crayon drawings (I still remember those crayons like it was yesterday) all ove the table!


Adam's favorite part is a toss up between lighting the candles and saying the blessing over the wine. And... yes, he will be getting another haircut soon. =)

Cutest thing ever... Adam has started to cover his eyes (like Mommy and Grandma) during the blessings. EXCEPT if you look closely, you'll see that one eye is peeping out! Adam HAS to see EVERYTHING that's going on. Very classic Little Love!!!

Giving Grandma a Shabbat kiss... such a sweetie!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Mr. Tough Guy


Don't let the sweet eyes fool you. The mohawk say it *all*!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Happy Summer!

Ah, the lazy days of summer. Here is what Adam has been up to this week:

Adam's favorite new activity is his water table, hands down. The neighbor girls, Tara and Ella, love to join him in the fun. Adam acts like a "big kid" around them!

We went to the pool with some friends on Friday. Adam found this hose in the pool and was fascinated with it.

Adam and Asha playing together... so sweet.

A rare quiet moment... watching "Kipper the Dog" in Mama & Dada's bed.

Adam's new coat! I bought it for him at Gym.boree yesterday (using my "gymbucks") and he LOVED it... he was so excited. Yep, that's my kiddo -- loving clothes!

Adam using his new fingerpaints. Which ended up on the carpet and drapes. OY. I think we'll keep the painting to Gym.boree!

Adam LOVED playing in these fountains this evening...

Water Tot! Oh... and for you tabloid readers, YES, Adam is wearing the same adorable Ses.ame Street bathing suit that the Goss.elin boys were wearing on Kate's vacation! Those photos came out a few days after I bought him the suit. I was tempted to return it but it just looks too darn cute on him. =)

Hanging out with the Big Kids at the fountains... can you spot him?

Adam had B & J chocolate ice-cream (his new favorite food) after dinner for a special treat. He kinda resembles Jerry, huh?

I just love spending summer days with my Little Love! =)

Thursday, July 16, 2009

New Adam-isms

Adam continues to crack us up every single day with the expressions that come out of his mouth. Here are a few of the things that he's said lately...

"Where are all the kids?" -- when looking out the window

"Donnie is a good boy! Ryan is a naughty boy. He bites his friends" -- talking about other kids.

"This is a play ducky... real ducky is outside" -- when he woke up from his nap he held his duck and said this. Recently he's been saying this a lot -- that things are "not real".

"The buggy hurt me. I need cream!" -- whenever Adam sees cream he'll say that he has a boo-boo or that a buggy "hurt" him and he needs the cream (he doesn't -- he just wants the cream!).

"Here, boy" -- sharing his stick with a kid on the playground. Once he learns a kid's name, he'll use it. Often. I use names a lot in conversation so he must have picked this up from me.

"Chicken nuggets -- macaroni and cheese -- thanks!" -- when looking out the window, in his playhouse. Guess he was placing an order? I really don't go through the drive-thru that often. Really! Even though I have to admit when we drove by McDonald's yesterday he said "Mc.Donalds! Want chicken nuggets!" He's only had them 3 or 4 times... I guess they are that addictive. Not that I would know! =)

"Dog! Wake Up! We have a serious problem!" and "Here you go. Let me cut it for you" -- his conversation with doggy (who he calls "dog" when talking to him but "doggy" when referring to him). He's really into pretend play these days. He frequently likes giving the doggies a bath and today he pretended to change his beary's diaper... using wipes and all! He'll also put his stuffed animals to sleep (and rock them first and give them a doggy to hold -- too cute). Sometimes he'll feed them, too.

"Turn on the air!" -- when he entered the hot car

"Do you remember this, grandma?" -- showing Grandma the Pat the Bunny book... one of his first books =)

"MINE!" "It's MINE!" "Adam's!" -- Adam was great about sharing toys. Until recently. Before we go anywhere he'll say to me "have to share" and sometimes he does. Other times, this is what I hear instead. We're working on it.

"I'm hungry. I need canta-ope (cantalope)" -- this is usually said when he's not at all hungry but just wants something yummy to eat (that he happens to see).

"Go to Target, Mama!" -- when he wants to be naughty, he'll ask me to leave so I can't "catch" him acting up. Which is so ironic b/c he loves being near Mama 99.9% of the time so it always cracks me up when he says this.

"My feet are dirty (looking at his CLEAN feet). I need a bath right now" -- while watching "The Letter Factory" yesterday, he proclaimed this. By the way, as a result of "The Letter Factory", Adam knows all his letters AND the sounds they make. It's incredible.

"Dada! Are you home?" -- when he got on the phone to speak to Steven tonight.

We definitely have a very entertaining kid! Hearing him speak is a highlight of each day (when he's not whining, of course)! New pictures coming soon! =)

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Adam's New Digs (well, sorta) & Mama's New Blog

Since Adam no longer sleeps in a crib (update on that will come soon), we decided to convert his room from a nursery into a "Big Boy Room"... here are some photos and stories:

Welcome to Adam's room... I just love this sign above the door. It was a baby present from my very dear friend, Aunt Christioli and her extremely talented husband, Travis (they created it together). Love it! If you look closely, you'll also see the Noah's Ark Mezuzah on the side of the door that my mom bought him when we moved here. Mezuzah was one of LL's first 50 words and he still loves to run back and forth from our room to his, touching the Mezuzahs.

If you click up close to this photo, you can see the handmade letters above Adam's bed. We just moved them to this location. They are purposely high up (probably too high) since Adam used to love grabbing at them. In fact, in his old location, it used to read "ADA" since the "M" was grabbed from his little hands before he turned one. :) You might also see the little fishies in one of the letters... the letters matched Adam's fishie nursery set from Pott.ery Barn Kids, which I got on sale and adored. I also had a matching fishie rug but Adam got, um, "sick" on it about a year ago. No stain removal will remove his throw-up =(. You may also notice the new bumpers in the photo... they were actually cheap ones from B.R.Us that my mom used to use in her crib for him. They are reversible... stripes on my side, stars on the back. My mom and I had an actual argument about which side should be shown... I "won" with the stripes. Of course, Adam's doggies are on his bed along with "Bear-Y" (the only non-bear he'll allow on there)... those aren't even all of his dogs... he has quite the collection now. :) You can also find Adam's EL.MO collection in the corner. Last but not least, cute position I found Adam in, huh? He was SOUND ASLEEP!

The gorgeous sign that Christy & Travis made for Adam's 1st birthday (they really are so talented)!!!

The only other furniture in LL's room... his dresser (which used to have a changing table on top). and the old IK.EA chair which was from my Mom's house (with new cushions). On top of his dresser are a box of wipes (of course), Adam's sunglasses (which never stay on his face) and a little Bean.ie Baby Bear which I got from another dear friend (Jenny!) over 10 years ago for my birthday. :) Nice stain on the wall, too, from moving the chair around so much (it will not come off... we need to re-paint the room). =( The one regret is that I didn't buy a nice nursery chair for Adam's room. My mom bought a great one for her house (since we lived there until Adam was 5 months old) but we left it there for her to lounge in... it's quite comfortable. :) You may also notice the prints over the dresser... pretty, aren't they? If you look closely you'll see Winnie-the-Pooh and his little pal, Chris Robin, in them. Steven and I bought these prints in Disn.ey World 4 years ago (before Adam, of course). We thought they would be perfect for a nursery some day... and they are. I'm not too fond of the "frames", though. We may need to invest in some nicer ones (the original ones broke).

The growth chart that was a 1st birthday gift from Cousins Jake, Evan and Zach. Adam loves to measure himself. :)

The Bear Row... Adam received tons of stuffed bears (and a few other "animals") when he was born so we've lined them up here. We also included the bears that Steven made for me at "Buil.d a Be.ar" when we were dating/first married and the bear I made for Adam's first Hanukkah.

Adam's bookshelf (and beloved diaper ge.nie 2... outside his room! His room is a very odd shape so we couldn't find a bookshelf that would fit properly. We decided to just use our old bookcase in this little hall nook which has worked out okay. On the top is the piggy bank... the first present that I received from the K family when I was pregnant. Also is an adorable Tzedakah Box "shoe" that my SIL's in-laws (the lovely A & R) bought for Adam when he was born. You'll also notice the "Bah Bah Sheep" sound box my mom bought Adam about a year ago. He was terrified of the noise at first but loves it now. Oh... and you may notice the books like kinda messy... that's b/c LL had just pulled them ALL OFF (and threw most of them down the stairs) a few hourse before the photos was taken. He helped me put the books back on the shelf... it looks much nicer now. :)

So there you have it, folks, Adam's new & improved Big Boy Room... and still my favorite room in the house :)

BLOG UPDATE... I *finally* figured out how to add a photo to the header (which, of course, was ridiculously easy to do) and then spent about 30 minutes deciding on a header photo (the pressure)!!! I also played around with the colors and side photos a bit, too. Who need sleep when there's a blog to update?!? :)

AND ON A FINAL NOTE... I have started a new blog which is, well, All About ME. If you are interested in reading it (It's called "W" is for...) please leave your e-mail address in the comment section (which I'll then delete so the "whole world" doesn't see your email address!). It's a very personal blog so it will be private. However, my blog readers & friends are, of course, invited to read it... just let me know if you're interested and I'll add your e-mail to the readers so you can have access. Thanks!

Monday, July 6, 2009

Fabulous 4th (of July) :)... & going down memory lane

We had a fabulous 4th of July -- full of family, friends, and fun (how cliche, huh)! Seriously, though, the day was about perfect. It started out with a visit from my brother Steve's old business partner, Craig. Steve and Craig owned a college bar and restaurant in H'burg, VA for about 8 years. They were fraternity brothers in college and reconnected to start their businesses together.

I went to college in NC, about 4 hours away from H'burg. I would visit Steve about once every month or two throughout my college experience. I always had THE BEST TIME. Some of my favorite memories are from that time in my life. I always felt so special being Steve's little sister as he was definitely "the big man on campus", so to speak. Of course, Craig was never too far (along with their other buddies including JD - who I had the biggest crush on for years!). Steve and Craig were roommates at first and then they both bought houses just a few feet away from each other. Every Sunday in the fall would be "Football Sunday" and no girls were allowed... except for sisters (me)! Good, good times!

So, with all of that being said, I was really excited to see Craig and his family again on Saturday (the last time I saw him was at my brother's wedding almost 2 years ago). It was so sweet seeing him as a wonderful Daddy now, too! We all enjoyed a fun afternoon together... complete with a delicious BBQ lunch from Mom! Here are some photos (of course):

Steven with Craig, his wife Ginger, and kids Gunnar & Isla

Adam playing with Gunnar and Isla

Look at that face! Adam did NOT feel like sharing the chair with Isla!

Adam giving Uncle Joey a hug




After Adam took another LONG nap (4 hours!), we met up with the family at Ber.tucci's for dinner. Afterwards, we headed to Fairf.ax City for the fireworks! Adam LOVED LOVED LOVED them. He seriously could not get enough... "see fireworks, more fireworks", etc. I literally spent the whole time photographing him with everyone (we took turns holding him so he could be high up)
The fireworks (lousy pic, I know)

Grandma & Adam. Mom has always enjoyed fireworks, too, so we grew up loving them. She wanted to buy him sparklers... um, not yet, Mom! :)

"Look, Uncle Steven!"

Adam enjoying the fireworks with both Uncle Joey and Uncle Steven!

Aunt Elizabeth, Uncle Steven and Adam


We left the fireworks around 10 and went back to Grandma's house for blueberry pie & ice-cream. It truly was a fabulous 4th of July!!!*

*Of course, we are all missing Uncle Steven, Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Joey terribly now. Thanks for such a wonderful visit!!!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Cousin Reunion in Baltimore/Shabbat Dinner at Grandma's House! (TONS of photos)

Adam got to hang out with lots & lots of his cousins today at our mini family reunion in B'more! :) When I was a little girl, we used to have HUGE family reunions in Lancaster, PA at L.ong Park (where my mom is from). I used to look forward to it every year. The "next generation" is carrying on the tradition! Here are some photos from our luncheon:

Cousin Ben & his daughter, Cousin Mila with Cousin Jen & her kiddos Cousin Claire & Baby Blake

Adam getting a hug from Cousin Mila

Adam and Cousin Alex giving each other "5"

Adam having a serious conversation with Aunt Elizabeth and Cousin Claire

Cousin Jamie holding her new cousin, Baby Blake

Looking up at the huge tree in the restaurant with Great Uncle Morty (Grandma's brother)

Cousin Jamie, Aunt Elizabeth, Uncle Stven, & Cousin Paul eating their pizza & pasta

Uncle Morty and Aunt Elaine with their grandson, Blake (so sweet!)

Daddy, Uncle Steven, Aunt Elizabeth (holding Adam), Cousins Jamie, Michael & Alex and Cousin Paul (holding Claire)

After lunch, we took a walk over to the B'more Harbor. Adam loved it and kept saying "water" and "go in boat". We actually had him go in the paddle boat but he started to cry "No Like It" and "Adam do it himself" (as in Adam paddle the boat himself). He was *very* upset when he found out that he couldn't paddle the boat himself (I know, I'm getting too strict!) so he decided to forgo the boat ride. He was back to his happy self again when we stopped for ice-cream. :)
Checking out the B'more Harbor water with Grandma

Daddy & Adam overlooking the B'more Harbor

Uncle Steven, Daddy and Adam in their lifejackets

Close-up of Little Love in his lifejacket

Uncle Steven & Aunt Elizabeth getting ready to sail away...

We were at the B'more Harbor for 3 hours but it felt like 10! Adam fell asleep within 30 seconds of getting in the car and slept for over 3.5 hours total. We went to Grandma's House for Shabbat Dinner after his long nap. Here are some photos from the evening (lots of fun!!!!):
Playing soccer with Uncle Steven and Uncle Joey (and Daddy, too)!

Adam & Uncle Joey

Adam drinking his "wine" (it was an empty cup)

Shabbat with Uncle Joey and Uncle Steven

Aunt Elizabeth and Adam
Enjoying Grandma's Shabbat Dinner

Adam "looking up" to his Uncle Joey

Catching fireflies with Uncle Steven (sooo much fun!)

Whew! What a busy day! What a happy Little Love!

More tomorrow as we are seeing old friends for a 4th of July BBQ!