Thursday, December 31, 2009

The Cow Jumped Over the Moon

Wedding Invitations? Done! I am mailing them out today. Franny came over yesterday and watched Ian so I could take care of business. Bless her heart. They are wonderful! Expect yours in the mail! I hope.

In other news: Ian went to bed last night, with whole milk. This means, not breastmilk. Then, he proceeded to sleep all the way through the night until about 6 o'clock this morning. It was glorious. It was wonderful. It was several very good adjective combined together! Now, he's playing with toys. He already ate and watched about 5 minutes of Sesame Street. He hates TV, I'm shocked he looked at it for that long.

I must go. I need to clean and things. Busy, busy day today! It's the last day of 2009!

Blog out.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Mommy Goggles... a little late

I completely forgot to update my blog today. I've been super busy with wedding invitations! Hopefully Franny will be back tomorrow so that we can finish them up and mail them out. That would be great. I miss me some Franny.

Anyways, Christmas was wonderful. We went to Houston on Christmas morning. We visited with Stephen's family:


(Janet opening her calendar with Ian's help)



(Larry and his Nebraska Snuggie)


Then, we headed over to the El Guizawi's:


(Christmas shots?)


Then, we got to see Amy and Broc!



Ian loved all of his toys! He especially loved playing with Rafik's pool table and giving high fives:



I love that picture! How cute is that? He's so excited about the high five that his feet are up off of the table. He's hilarious.

Then, we did more Houston-type things and made our way back to Houston. I'm glad that I waited until nighttime to update because Ian has added two new words to his repertoire today: apple and bird. It is amazing isn't it? How fast kids grow up. I can't believe he has such a big vocabulary already!

Ian also got to visit his friend Corbin. It was their first encounter. He didn't know that they were friends yet, but now he does. He seemed to enjoy it. They had many of the same toys. Corbin just turned one today! Apparently I didn't upload any of those pictures yet. I can't believe Deana (Corbin's mom) and I didn't get any pictures together. Or better yet, any pictures of just Ian and Corbin side-by-side. I guess that there is always next time. I will remember next time. I will try really, really hard.

Oh, one more Ian-related thing: I want to build him a bed. Is that crazy? Cynthia wants to build one for Amia too, so we might do that together. I'll post the link to the beds we want to build later, if I haven't already written a blog about it. It's a-freaking-dorable. I can't wait.



Blog out.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Twas the night before Christmas

when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hope that St Nicholas soon would be there!

I always loved that poem! I'll post the full poem at the end of the post. We leave at 3:30am for Houston! Why are we leaving so early? Ian hates being in the car, so we try and drive while he's sleeping. He does much better in his new car seat, but long trips are no fun. He must always be moving and exploring. That isn't possible in a car seat.

I'm the only one awake, waiting for Ian's clothes to dry. Then, we shall be fully packed. I have everything by the front door, the coffee maker ready to brew at 3am. Stephen will wake up and load the car. I'll wake up, get coffee prepared, and feed Ian one last time before we begin our journey to Houston. We haven't seen Larry and Janet in a while, so we're pretty excited! Plus, we get to see Amy and Rafik! Rafik just got home from school in Switzerland (he's a graduate now! and Stephen's best man) so Stephen's really excited to see him. And, I'm always excited too.

I finally get to show Amy the invites I started printing (in person) and the invitations that Franny and I have been addressing. Yes, we are handwriting all of our invites for the wedding. They look adorable though. I can't believe I'll be married so soon!

Here is Christmas-eve Ian:



Ugh! He's such a rock star! Do you like his new shoes? They have little sharks on them. We went a little insane and bought him one million pairs of shoes. I'm okay with it though. I'll post more about Christmas after Christmas. And tons of pictures.

But alas, Ian's clothes are done and I need to finish my water. Then off to sleep!

As promised...

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"



From Carols.org.

Blog out.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Mmmm...

Last night was Aaron's (my brother) birthday and Christmas with my parents! It was very delicious to say the least. Look what I made for the first time ever:



Mmmmm. It was my favorite! It's chicken fried mushrooms. They were outstanding, if I do say so myself. Aaron got this graphic novel signed by the author for his birthday, he was pretty excited.



How cute, right? His birthday was fun. Food was great. Presents were great. Then we all moved to the living room and opened our Christmas presents. It was exciting! I LOVE presents. It doesn't even have to be me opening them. I always want people opening presents. I also don't think Ian had ever eaten so much food in his entire life. He actually had a belly for once. Not only that, but it was hard. Ian had a hard belly. It was ridiculous looking.

Remember yesterday when I said that we get to open pajamas on Christmas Eve, we got to open pajamas yesterday...



That has to be the best pajama shirt in existence.

Blog out.

P.S. It was way easier to write blogs when I wasn't a stay-at-home mom.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Ten on Tuesday

And we're off for another Ten on Tuesday! (Deana, I really hope to see yours this week.)




1. When do you put up and take down your Christmas decorations?
Well, we got our tree late this year, and it doesn't have a stand, but it's coming in today. You better believe we'll leave it up until New Years! We do have mini tree up though. It's awesome. And Franny and I hung snow flakes up all over the ceiling. We put blue lights up, put all kinds of things up in attempt to make this a white Christmas for Stephen, remember, he's homesick.

2. What do you do to simplify the holiday season?

SIMPLIFY?! I magnify it. Does that even make sense? I don't simplify it. I don't think I do. I did send out a Christmas card. Is that simplifying?

3. What do you do to remind yourself and your family what the Christmas season is all about?

I'm sure the Christmas season is a little different to everyone. To me, the entire winter season is all about love. I definitely feel that during the Christmas season. I try to be thoughtful with all of my gifts and I send out love (Christmas cards) to those I love. We also decorated this place because Stephen missed his white Christmases, though I know it's not a white Christmas. Maybe someone can bring me some snow from Chicago.


Speaking of Chicago, my cousin got accepted into the University of Chicago!!!




Now she awaits the decision of the other schools. Snaps for Sydney! (Sorry, just watched Legally Blonde 2)

4. How do you spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?

Christmas Eve we ALWAYS open our pajamas that my mom gave us. Then, we sleep in them and open presents from Santa in them the next morning. This is going to be the very first year I do not do this. It's a little sad. :(

5. What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
The one I mentioned above! I LOVE getting new pajamas! And I love waking up to presents. I've been thinking about some traditions that I want to start with Ian. (I want to see people's responses to this question). There was one blog I read where the parent's convinced the kids that Santa wanted wine, not milk. How creative is that!



I also love making cookies during the Christmas season! I hope Santa gets some this year... that would be nice.


6.  Did you do the whole Santa thing growing up? What do you like/not like about continuing the 
tradition?
Yes. Even last year I still requested that my mom have all the gifts separated like Santa usually does. She did. I like the surprise.



And yes, we will continue that with Ian, probably next year.


7. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?
My mom's sugar cookies, nobody elses. Nobody can make them like she does, even with the recipe. And peanut butter cookies dipped in chocolate. Delicious.



8. How do you take your egg nog?
I used to love egg nog. I haven't had it this year. Sad. I want it though. I have never had alcoholic egg nog.



9. What is your favorite Christmas carol and why?
Carol of the Bells, it sounds beautiful!



10. When was the last time you had a white Christmas?
The year we went to New York. We were driving to the airport Christmas morning in the snow, in Texas! It was ridiculous. That was my only white Christmas ever.


Blog out. Ian is losing it. I wasn't aware he had to already be attached to me before 9am.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Mommy Goggles

Good morning Readers! It's Monday. I've been up since 5:30, as per usual. The difference? Ian was also awake. I made a snap decision too this morning: I bought this.


from iPearl

Isn't it beautiful? I can't wait to get it in. It is my Christmas gift to myself. They sell cases for Macs and Kindles and ipods too, among other things. But, this looks amazing for my netbook! I especially love how it raises the key board if I want it to.

Ok, let's move onto today's topic, IAN! Yesterday, Stephen and I bought his Christmas present. Well, there were two things, but Stephen is weak and gave Ian one already. So, the other is just chillin. I love it though. We decided to get him only one present for the following reasons:

  1. He just had a birthday, so he already has every gift imaginable for a one-two year old.
  2. My parents got him several things.
  3. Granny Janny and Grandpa went insane and bought him so many things, we could open a store.
  4. Plus, we still have wedding things to buy.
We took it easy. Thank goodness. We ended up buying his gift from Whole Earth Provisions. Love that store!

Moving on: I don't know if I told you this before, Ian calls me "Amanda." From now on, if anyone talks to me, I am to be called, "mom," "mommy," or something of that nature. The funny thing is, he calls my mom "gama" but, if you ask him who "mommy" is, he points to my mom. Even funnier, if you ask him who "daddy" is, he also points to my mom. She wears many hats. Ian refers to Stephen as "dadda." I guess all these names are different. Hilarious.

Ian is also very into pointing with his pointer finger. Especially when he sees birds or babies. Yesterday, he continually pointed at some kid saying "bebe" until they were out of site. Poor kid. She just stared at Ian as if he were crazy. He's really into invading people's personal space.

What would this blog be if I didn't add pictures? Last week we visited work:



Ian is a super big help in the warehouse. He walks around like he owns the place, trying to rearrange things, organize things, etc. A working man at 13 months of age... oh Ian.



He's playing hide-and-seek with my dad. He gets behind and object, flattens himself, and looks like that. I love this look. Ian has oh so many looks. This is probably one of my favorite looks. I am embarrassed to admit how many pictures I took last week. But, I'll keep on trucking. (Sorry grandparents, I realize I already sent you these pictures, however, they did not have my awesome commentary with them).



Stephen built Ian a cardboard house. Ian loves it. It's 'his' place. He'll put his snacks in there and eat; toys to play. Recently, he found out how to move the box around while he's inside of it, he'll look through the 'windows' to see where he's going. So yes, we frequently have a huge box moving around our apartment with a small child inside of it.



Apparently, one of Ian's titles is Investigator. He is always exploring outside, then bending over like this to investigate something. He's hilarious. Minus when I had to stand in one spot with my foot over a piece of gum. It didn't stop him from continually returning and attempting to move my foot so he could get to it. People, please don't leave your gum on the ground, over analyzing babies like my own want to touch it so badly.

It's time to play with Ian. I have to let you go now. But, alas, I will leave you with one last picture.



Blog out.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Michael is How Old?!

I forgot to post on Friday, so you get a surprise post today. I'm sick! I didn't get a break until now. Stephen is watching Ian in the kitchen and making me breakfast. This is what Ian is doing:




He's in the cabinet if you can't tell. I love my boys. They are so awesome.

Yesterday, Ian's new shoes came in. She ordered two pair, but one was out of stock. So, the guy called and gave her 4 pairs of shoes for the price of 2. Did I mention these two were on clearance for only $10?! They are the amazing leather shoes that Ian loves so much too. Sadly, they are all big. One sort of fits. So, we went and bought another pair for him on the site. They shipped out the same day. I love this site. It is the Me in Mind site. We are very pleased with them I LOVE them. The shoes are ADORABLE! Ian has shoes up to 24 months now.



Do you see those adorable shoes?! If you have a little boy or girl, I suggest you go buy some now. They are so cute. They have quick service too. LOVE!

While we  were up at work, we took lots of pictures, but I'll save those for next week. Yesterday was also Uncle Michael's birthday! W00T! He's 18 now. It's terrifying. I asked him how it felt to me 18...



Haha. His crazy hair and face. But really, in all seriousness...



Aw. Cute Uncle Michael. He's 18 now. Wow. I'm old. My parent's baby is 18. My mom made this realization last night. Michael got a new wireless Xbox remote (via me, Stephen, and Ian; Ian helped wrap it; Ian also bit a hole in it), two pairs of pants; long sleeve shirt; hoodie sweater thing; Assassin's Creed II; and 5 movie tickets to see Avatar at the IMAX with his buddies. I wonder if it was good.

Here is a random picture of his friend Mike. He wasn't making my job easy. He did this every single time I tried to take a picture.


I have a million more pictures, but I'll spare you. I'll try to post them all through next week. I've taken LOTS of pictures.

Happy Belated Birthday Brother!

Blog out.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

What are you doing under there?

Currently, I am making bacon, eggs, and bagel for breakfast. It's a feast. I have a crown or root canal today, we haven't decided yet. So, I want to insure that this meal is a delicious meal. I think it will be.

Last night, Ian and I went over to Cynthia's to eat dinner. It was delicious! Cynthia is a good cook. Amia is hilarious. We used to always joke that Ian and Amia are boyfriend and girlfriend. Ian will just have a sugarmomma. Technically, they are only 2 years apart. I think that they took it to heart.



Adorable. I don't know why we haven't been hanging out more. Hopefully it'll become a frequent experience. Today's post is uber short. I have to get to preparing for the day. It was supposed to be about my camera today, I think.... /sigh.

Blog out.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Flower Girl Shopping!

Over the weekend Franny, Ian, Marissa, Lisa, and I went shopping to get Marissa's flower girl dress. It was fun! At first, Marissa was too shy to show us her dresses. She wanted to stay in the dressing room...



 See? She's in her dressing room. I ran to get a picture. Don't worry, I'm not posting the actual dress. You're going to have to come to the wedding to see that one! Keep in mind, the one she's getting is the cutest one. She looked absolutely amazing in every single dress she tried on.



That's the same dress. Isn't it gorgeous?! She FINALLY decided to look at herself in a mirror. She was refusing to look in the mirror. And, there are no mirrors in the dressing room. Don't worry, by the end of the event, we had her twirling around the room!



Marissa talked Lisa into letting her wear heels. So, she's putting them on. Just another adorable addition to the outfits.



Franny came up with a brilliant idea! She was bribing Marissa. Every time Marissa came out to show us a dress AND stood on the circle things that the bride stands on, she got to try on a different tiara/headpiece. Marissa loved this idea. She was WAY more willing to show us dresses after that. Way to go Franny! I'm am beginning to become very tempted into calling Franny, Super Nanny!



It was really funny because she'd always start out timid. Then, she'd open up. And it went that way  with every, single, dress.



Finally, it just wouldn't be Marissa if she wasn't running around in her dresses. Running, eating, playing, holding Ian. You name it, Marissa was probably doing it. With style and grace... in heels! She's a professional already.

I can't wait to reveal the actual dress! Especially because I think we may tweak it a bit. Needless to say, trying on dresses was a success. Now for the shoes... oh shoes. It might be my favorite part.

Blog out.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Ten on Tuesday

Here we go with another Ten on Tuesday post. Don't forget to go to Chelsea's blog and do it yourself!





1. If you could change anything about your physical appearance, what would it be?
Really? You're going to add this question? Is hair physical? I have insane hair. I'd just want it to be slightly less insane. Other than that, I'd want a perfect foot. Weird request right? I have this huge obsession with shoes. I have wide/short feet. I feel like I'd be better suited to indulge in my shoe-love if I had the perfect foot. It would be great to be able to put on any shoe of choice and have it fit like magic. That, or the shoe makers should make them for my foot.


2. Is there a habit in others that you find annoying?
Yes. I'm sure of it. I just can't think of any right now for some reason. I know that it drives Stephen mad when I tap my foot while I fall asleep. But, I always do it.

3. What is your favorite recipe using ground beef?
Let's see here, what do I make with ground beef? I'm going to sit here for a minute and search my brain for something other than Hamburger Helper (because I do not cook very often). BUT, sometimes I cook at my parent's place. (I'll have my mom watch Ian and I'll cook. It gives me a much need break). And, I have made Chinese Beef! That has to be my FAVORITE! Plus, I love how colorful and full of vegetables it is.

Oh! Wait! Also, stuffed bell peppers. Mom, if you're reading this. I need one of these two meals. I'm craving them now. More so, stuffed bell peppers. I haven't had those in like, 6 months.


4. What was your favorite book as a kid?
Any Dr. Seuss book. I love him. My mom says that I had one of his books memorized and I would 'read' it all the time. I'm going to go ahead and say that I was a child genius.



5. Did you work as a teenager and if so, where?
Yes! I worked at a dry cleaners! So did one of my best friends, Amanda H. She actually got me the job. We each worked at our own store. And we would pass the slow hours by chatting on the phone. We worked the same hours for the most part. But, when we weren't working at the same time, we'd go to the other one's store and make up dances, gossip, etc, etc.



6.  Did you work while in college and if so, where?
I was a nanny for my cousins, that was probably my favorite job. I love them so much! I also worked for the city, I worked for the Playgrounds program and then at a recreation center, with kids and at the front desk. I wear many hats.



7. When you go to sleep do you like  total darkness or semi? When you go to sleep do you need quiet or is some noise ok?
It totally depends on my mood. If I want to sleep REALLY well, total darkness, complete silence. Sometimes, I need some light. For example, if Ian is sick, I need light in the room. I'll spend most of the night awake to keep an 'eye' on him.

And, I'm not going to lie. I fall asleep watching the 't.v.' sometimes.


8. When doing laundry, fabric softener or not?
On my clothes, yes. On Ian's, no. Cloth diapers, no.



9. Open toed or closed toed shoes?
Um, what's the weather like?! Rainy, cold, you need closed toed. Bright, sunny, you need open toed. Though, you could wear closed too. I'm also a fan of the peep toed shoes.



10. Would you rather be blind or deaf?
Neither. But, I guess I would go with... blind? I wouldn't have to learn a new language. But then, if I was deaf, I could see things. I don't know, I'm not good at decisions.



11. Dangle or stud earrings?
Stud. Ian pulls on earrings.



12. Bottled water or tap?
Either one. Tap is definitely cheaper. But, if I'm at the farm, bottled.



13. What do you put on pancakes?
Syrup.



14. On a long trip would you rather drive or fly?
Depends on my mood. If it's long, but not too long, drive. If it'll take FOREVER (meaning, Stephen wouldn't be able to drive most, or all of, the way), fly.



15. Do you prefer classic old movies or new? 
NEW. I'm not a huge fan of the really old movies. But, I do love the classic Disney movies! Like, Aladdin (whom I just figured out was middle eastern), Peter Pan the Broadway Musical, Mary Poppins, etc.


Blog out. 

Monday, December 14, 2009

Mommy Goggles

This week was a good week. Ian always stands on the scale in the bathroom because he likes to watch the numbers move. The other night, he weighed himself (fully clothed), 19.2 pounds!! I'm aware it was at the end of the day... and clothes add some weight. But that's exciting! He has also grown half an inch since his check up! Woohoo!!



We went shopping over the weekend. My flower girl, Marissa, had to try on dresses! Ian was helping with the process as you can see. I had to bring my handing nanny, Franny, as well. Ian loves her to death. I'll post about dress shopping later this week, probably Wednesday. Ian is such a rock star! He was walking around like he owned the place. This seems to a common theme for Ian.



Literally, future Rock Star!



Ian loves playing in boxes. They are the best presents. If you're trying to find a Christmas gift for Ian, make sure it comes in a nice box. He'll love it!



Oh, Ian eats breakfast like this now. I'm not 100% sure how he gets his leg up. Or even how he thinks this is comfortable. This does not look comfortable. Quite the opposite. Whatever makes him happy. He also talks up a storm. Over night. He just started talking and never stops. I can barely understand any of it. I'm pretty sure he calls me "Amanda." I always say, "no! It's mom!" Oh well, at least he's saying something. I think he sounds like a Sim, you know, from the Sims games. Me gusta. I think it'll turn into English one day.

I have so much to post about this week! I think there is actually a plan: Tuesday (Ten on Tuesday); Wednesday (Wedding); Thursday (Winter Wonderland); Friday (My New Camera).

Until next time...

Blog out.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Christmas Time Is Here

I don't have any pictures for today's post, that I took myself. I will steal one for the point of this post. I feel like one pictures is always needed! Remember yesterday, I said that Christmas can officially start now? For me, it has. I love the cold weather. This is cold weather in Texas! Last night, Stephen and I went to dinner with Aaron at this amazing Indian food place. I was freezing. I was wearing a shirt, a sweater, and a coat. Stephen had on a hoodie with the sleeves up. It was ridiculous. Stephen doesn't think it's that cold.


Taken from Luminous Landscape.


Stephen is Christmas-sick. Much like home sick. But, he's said that Christmas in Texas has never felt like Christmas. He wants snow. And not just Texas snow. But, real snow. The boy lived in Chicago. My first idea, was if we had a lot of money, to fly to Chicago and hang out with his sister in the winter. That would be a fun tradition to start! But, alas, we do not.

Instead, we are going to bake. We will make sugar cookies, traditional. We are going to make some other treat as well, I don't know what they're called. Stephen does. I've never heard of them. They are peanut buttery on the inside and chocolatey on the outside. We might throw in a few other treats as well. Probably not as good as snow, but eh, I'll try.

Maybe I should do a snow dance. One that will bring two feet of snow.

Could you imagine Ian in a huge snow suit?! Oh my goodness, adorable.

Ian's up. Blog out.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Christmas can Officially Begin!

Yesterday was Franny's birthday! She exclaimed to me how she can now put up Christmas lights because Christmas begins December 10, the day after her birthday. We had a birthday dinner with her. Mmmmm, it was tasty!



Franny knows how to cut a cake. Sort of. I'm sure there is an easier way...



Ian always makes the job easier! Ian and the birthday girl sharing some delicious cake. Franny is 23 now! That means Caroline is now the youngest bridesmaid. :) Poor Caroline.



Oh, I almost forgot, Franny was assisting Ian in tearing down the restaurant. Though, I think we're invited back anyways. The entire staff (even the cooks) made their way out at one point or another to look at Ian. I can't help that he's so rambunctious and looks like he's 6 months. I'm sure they're astounded.

Any who, I must get back to my domestic day.

Amanda

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Being a Stay-at-Home Mom

is crazy.

This little one has been keeping me on my toes.



Is it oh-so-worth it!



Just to see faces like that every single day.



His longhorn tattoo hasn't come off all the way yet. And I don't want to scrub it.

For graduation, I received a wonderful gift from my parents...



Taken from Nikon.
It is wonderful. I got two lenses too. I love it. I love it. I love it.

And to end today's short post, here is my aspiring Risky Business star...



Blog out.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Mommy Goggles

Funny enough, Ian is still able to fit into last year's Christmas stuff. We got some Christmas things that were for 3-6 months, some 6-12 months. So, we don't really have to buy any new Christmas clothes. That's nice. Here's my little angel from this morning:





Do you like his new Tom Cruise look? I think he rocks it. Especially with all of the stains on his shirt. He's adorable. He's partly dressed, because obviously, he had to undress some through the night.

Graduation was a success. I'll post about that tomorrow. Yesterday, Ian didn't take a nap. AND, he didn't go to sleep until 8:30. I was really concerned that he hadn't napped by the time I left for graduation. I was sure that he was going to cry. Alas, I was proved wrong once again. I should have known, there were people there. He turns it on for people. (A few times during graduation I heard him say "DA!" really loud). He just entertained everyone the entire time. I don't know, there's just something about Ian. When he sees that people need entertainment, he delivers.

He has to ensure that everyone knows him and that he knows everyone else. So, he goes up to them and says hi. Apparently, he was flirting with my little brothers girlfriend and kept getting really close to her face and saying hi, over and over again. Cute. Good taste.

Oh, he's been trying to play too. Like, with other children. Apparently, yesterday, the kid he was trying to play with wasn't sure what to do... just sort of looked at Ian as if he were insane. Oh, children.

I must go now. The little one is throwing cereal at me.

TTYL!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Graduating!?

This is my second to last day of school. I have finished my site project and portfolio. Now, just being an intern for today and tomorrow, then walking on Sunday! It is so great! Hook 'Em!

Wow, how weird. I'll be a UT Alumni. I was talking to a friend yesterday; I never thought that I'd be graduating while engaged to an amazing man with the cutest baby on earth. If you would have told me that my freshman year, I would have called you a liar.

I am excited to graduate, but sad to leave the lab school. It has been fun working here. Despite the "working for free" aspect. But, I loved it. Now, I have to think about taking the next steps. Do I immediately get a job? Do I take some time off and prepare for the wedding while enjoying being a stay-at-home mom  for as long as possible? I am lucky to have options.

I'm at work, so I have to make this blog quick. But, I also wanted to throw a thank you out to my parents. My mom has watched Ian for a year and a half for me, allowing me to go to school. This is an amazing gift. I literally couldn't have done it otherwise. And my dad, also amazing and giving me breaks on the weekends. I can do work while he plays with Ian.And of course, Stephen. I couldn't have survived. He has supported me through school and read all of my papers when I needed help. He has been putting food on the table, grocery shopping, cleaning, doing laundry, everything. Everyone has been so helpful. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Amanda

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Quiz Answers

Ian let me sleep in today, so I have to post a quick blog, I'm sorry.

Here are the answers to the quiz from two weeks ago!

1. What city was I born in? -Sherman, TX! Nearly everyone got this one right.

2. How many siblings do I have? -2 (amazing) brothers. EVERYONE got this one right!

3. and 4. The names for our next boy and next girl, everyone got right. They were freebies. I just wanted to see what people thought.

5. What is my favorite season? -WINTER! You are living my favorite season people.... living it.

6. Perfume? -Sensi by Giorgio Armani. Brad bought it for me a LONG time ago, now it's all I wear.

7. My maid of honor and I have been friends for 18 years! Amazing, right? We met in kindergarten. I recently wrote our kindergarten teacher and told her this. Don't worry, this was my favorite teacher of all time!

8. I have a collection of BARBIES! Thanks to my Aunt Mary. They are a wonderful thing.

9. I am a soccer player. Shame on you if you don't know that!

10. My parents were 19 years old when they got married. I just realized this a year ago. Don't judge me.

11. Peter Pan the Broadway used to be my favorite movie of all time. I watched it 1 million times a day.

12. And, my chosen breakfast of a champion is.... bagel, egg, bacon, cream cheese sandwich!!

Those are the quiz answers!

Now, quickly I must show you the new car seat. I greatly underestimated the size of it. I now refer to it as the Monster. You'll see in about 2 seconds....



The one of the left is the First Years one, it's my moms, the one I was going to get. The one on the right, is obviously the Monster. Can you tell I like the neutral color car seats? They are the same colors. Like Ian's pajamas?

Oh, I have an anomaly for you. Ian HATES riding in his car seat. HATES. However, apparently when the car seat is in the house, that's a completely different story...



He's such a goober.

Until next time,

Amanda

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Ten on Tuesday

Happy December!!



1. What was the last concert you've been to?
I cannot remember. Is that bad? Besides ACL, it was the Black and White Years, and that show was embarrassing, I wrote a blog about it.

2. Is it easy to make you cry?
Depends on who you are and my mood. Right this instant? Most likely.

3. Do you ever feel like people underestimate you?
Not particularly. I feel like I'm usually properly estimated. Minus when I had to stay home alone because Stephen went out of town. It was my first night alone (with Ian) since Stephen and I moved in together. Everyone thought I'd stay with my parents.  /sigh


4. Name 7 completely random things you like:
1. Legally Blonde 2. Ian's pajamas 3. Stephen's doing of the dishes 4. My boss 5. Snuggling 6. Presents and 7. Meatballs


5. What's your favorite reality TV show and why?
It used to be Biggest Loser, but I haven't watched it at all this season. Nor have I watched ANY reality show in a long while. Therefore, I think it's safe to say I don't like reality TV. Minus America's Next Top Model and that one design show with Heidi Samuel (she officially changed her last name from Klum). Though, I never watch either of those shows, but I used to and I loved them.


6. What is your favorite hair care product?
Water.


7. What's your favorite song at the moment?
Some hibernation song on Ian's CD in the car. Anyone who has rode in my car knows exactly what I'm talking about. It's an EXTREMELY addicting song. That, and the All I Want for Christmas Is You song, but particularly the version from Love Actually with the kiddo singing.


8. What's the number one things on your Christmas wishlist?
To see my family. Sappy, right? Other than that, a camera. Other than that, pajamas.


9. Have you ever lost your cell phone?
Daily.


10. Did you attack the hordes of shoppers for Black Friday?
No. I did shop online though. So, I was attacking shoppers with my bandwidth I guess.

Answers to my quiz 2 weeks ago will be posted tomorrow. Thank you readers for putting up with my inconsistency. In the mean time, go read my new favorite blog, Profoundly Seth. She just had a premature baby girl named Evany. Go read!


Amanda

Monday, November 30, 2009

Mommy Goggles

Finally, a blog post. I'm sorry readers. It's been a really rough week. Luckily, I have a tiny little man wondering around the house to keep me on my toes. I'm always worried that I will have nothing to update you readers with on Monday. This was a huge misconception. Ian changes so much every single week. It's incredible. I was joking with my mom yesterday that Ian went to bed a baby and woke up a man. He's amazing. Let's see, I took about 3 pictures this week, so hopefully I have something to show you.

Happy Late Thanksgiving! Ian had a blast. I forgot to take pictures until the very end. Ian was dribbling the soccer ball around on concrete. My dad thinks it's about time to get Ian a smaller soccer, rather than the size 5 he currently uses. It used to be MY soccer ball. Here's a series of pictures:





He dribbled all over the place. Thanksgiving was successful. Stephen and I brought green bean casserole, it's perhaps, the only thing I cook. It's delicious. We had Thanksgiving at the farm. I love these Thanksgivings. It gave Stephen the opportunity to act like the big kid he is. Let's just say, the can run and jump on hay bales swinging light sabers with the best of them. He also has an affinity for stealing all of the light sabers and having a group of children tackle him to the ground to get one back. I wish I had a picture to show you. Sadly, at this point, my camera was still in the car.

When Ian woke up a man the other morning, he woke up and was talking. TALKING. It was pretty much just gibberish, but he was telling us all kinds of stories, I'm sure. And, he would repeat us when we asked him to. It was amazing. I wonder if something just clicked over night. He's also starting to run. I'm not as excited about that. That means, I have to chase more frequently at higher rates of speed. He runs when playing hide-and-seek; when playing chase; or just running away to avoid a diaper change. Sometimes, getting up to run naked in the middle of a diaper change. I spend most of my day chases him.

He enjoys getting into small places to play:


Doesn't he look adorable? I'm sure he'll be doing this until he's 18 years old.

One more thing we did this week, we bought Ian new car seats. I have been doing research since he was born. I HATE making decisions. I feel like this is an important decision. I did learn a lot during my research though. I was stuck between 2 car seats, the First Years Safety First seat (which my mom uses with Ian) and the Recaro Signo. We chose the Recaro Signo because we found a better deal. We took Ian to USABaby to try it on first though. It's a pretty neat car seat.


from Amazon.com

Pretty huh? I can't wait until I get to see it in real life!

Amanda

P.S. I sent out Christmas cards today!
P.P.S. Amy won the quiz. Really, Stephen won, but I didn't count it.