I've Got A Bug...

A cooking bug that is. Lately it seems all I want to do is cook, and for anyone knows me you know that is not one of my favorite things to do. Before Karl and I got together I lived off of cereal and PB&J's. Partly because cooking for one is virtually impossible and not that much fun to boot. Let me just give you a taste of what we have had for dinner this week:

Monday: Salmon Croquettes (a version of a crab cake) with Red Skinned Mashed Potato Bake

Tuesday: Pepper & Garlic Tenderloin, Crusty Potato Wedges, and Broccoli/ Carrots Veggies with a light butter sauce

Wednesday: Tangy Baked Chicken and 4-cheese Tortellini (that I did not make myself)

Thursday: Roasted Red Pepper & Turkey Meatloaf with Tossed Salad and homemade Buttery Biscuits. I also made a raspberry & blueberry Vanilla pudding desert, but somehow I did something wrong with the graham cracker crust so that wasn't very delectable. I guess you can't win them all....

I have not yet decided what we might have for dinner tonight....but I can assure you it's going to be something good! The other thing that we have started doing is actually sitting at the table for dinner. I really want this to be a big part of our family once Max gets older and our 2nd comes along. I always loved having sit down family dinners so I really want to get in a habit of doing this. It's nice to turn the TV off, maybe have a glass of wine and just enjoy dinner instead of pigging out in front of the TV while we only have pay attention to each other and less attention to what we are shoving into our mouths.

By the way if anyone would like the recipes for my vast array of dinners so far just let me know and I will gladly share them! Bon Appetite'...

Momma's Little Helper...

Max seems to be smitten with the laundry. Every time I have a basket of clean or dirty (discriminating he is not!), thankfully these were clean ones!

On a totally separate note, this weekend. I am sooooo looking forward to it because Nana and Papa Jim, oh and Izzaboo are coming for another visit. This time I am going to be sure to have the camera out and ready so I can video those crazy dogs acting like fools. I wish that I would have thought to have one ready the last time they came because I almost wet myself I was laughing so hard!

Anyway, they are staying for a whole week and it's supposed to be semi-nice weather while they are here so we might make another trip down to Cape May, check out the ocean, probably have some good dinners- my mom is already talking about making lasagna (yummy!), and just enjoy each others company. I can't wait. Sunday cannot get here soon enough! Here is a cute picture of them on their wedding day and my two nephews; Camerin (8) and Brady (5). This was almost two years ago but it's cute so I decided to post it.

The Happiest Day...

Today is a very special day. Today is a celebrations of one of the best of my life, with the exception of Max being born.

Today is Karl and I's 3 year anniversary. It's hard to believe that we have been married for three years, it has flown by so fast. It's even harder to believe that we have been together 5 years total. Since the arrival of Max time seems to be going by at an insane speed.

I am so blessed to have Karl in my life. He IS my life. I thank God every day that I met him and that I did not let him go. In case you all remember the posting about how we met. Karl was ready to wash his hands of me because I was scared to get married and have a family. Facing that fear was the best thing I ever could have done. Now I have an incredible husband and the most adorable son in the universe. I don't have all of our wedding picstures on the computer, I would have to scan most of the good ones but here are a few from our very special day. I love you Karl and thank you for being my rock, my support, and my partner!

All over the place...

Max decided that he was going to help me with some laundry yesterday...

I tried to get him to help me sort but he was having no part of it, he just stared at me with eyes of amusment....



Then he took off into the hallway....


Finally he cruised right past me and towards the living room where all of his toys are...



Oh well. I guess clean clothes will have to wait for another day! I am being hailed to go and play!!

I'm Outta Here...

Here is Max crusin' all around his bedroom...that is of course after he pulled his clothes basket down on top of himself!

A Tired Boy...

Wood Crib Bed: $400

Jungle Themed Crib Bedding: $200

Max passed out all on his own: PRICELESS!

Busy, Busy, Busy...

I am on the edge of being throttled. By my mother that is. I talked to her this morning and she gave me a stern talking too about my lack of blog posting....lol!

I explained that we were in New York over the weekend for a baptism of a very good friend of Karl's and I was just too busy. Papa Jim even piped in and stood up for me saying that I finally have friends and I was just busy. Thanks Papa Jim.

Anyway....

We had a good weekend. We headed up to New York Friday after Karl got out of work and spent the weekend with Mom-Mom and Opa, and Max even got a chance to squeeze in some time with Uncle Kurt. I did take the camera with me but could not remember what bag I threw it into so alas I have no pictures of our trip or of adorable Little Lukas. Which is a shame because he is an angel!! BUT before I really get reamed about not having any new pics of Max up OR pics of my stylish new do here you go....

Here is Max at our Valentine's Day part living it up...

And here he is with his little girlfriend Olivia....tooo precious!

Happy Valentine's Day...

It's been a few days since I have posted and I don't even know why I haven't. Instead of trying to sound all witty and funny here is a basic rundown of The Jersey Life since I last posted:



Monday was spent making candy for Valentines Day. The Duck Club is meeting at a local coffee shop and a music teacher is coming by to give them a little show. I was very nervous to be making candy but the lady and my mom swore that it was super easy. So Monday evening was spent melting the chocolate, pouring it into molds, freezing it and then popping them into little gift bags. I had this bright idea last weekend to make up some candy & cookies for all the kids in the Duck Club and making up a platter for Karl to take to work....sometimes I am better off not having these bright ideas.



Tuesday I did some cleaning while Max napped (for 2 hours I might add). Then Mom-Mom came down for the night to watch Max so I could go and get a hair cut. There is a story within a story here....when Carl and Teresa came out I was done with my hair so Teresa gave me a really cute little bob cut. I loved it. But it also gave me the itch to go a little shorter. I told Karl last week that I was done spending a 1/2 hour blowdrying my hair and I wanted to cut it. Karl has a very strong aversion to short hair on girls. But he said that he was cool with it. I think that since we have had Max he realizes that whatever I can do for myself that makes my life easier he is happy - essentually because it makes his life easier. So Tuesday I headed to the salon and chopped it all off. It's short, and I love it that way. I will try and get a picture and post it for all the world to see later today.



Wednesday was spent finishing all the candy and cookies and getting everything ready to go for today.


Here are a few pics of Max that I have taken in the last few days....enjoy and have a great Valentine's Day!


Here is Max playing last weekend....he really becoming a pro when it comes to sitting up by himself!!


Here are a few pictures of Max. He was not very happy with me. Apparantely I was taking way too long getting his bottle to him.


I think that I made him even madder when I started taking pictures of him....

A Fun Website...

I found this website in a magazine and I am hooked. It's called FreeRice.com and let me tell you it's addictive.

It's like a brain testing site, it give you a word and you have to click on the correct definition. If you click the right one the site donates 20 grains of rice to the United Nations. Check it out....it is so much fun!!! Last time I played I donated a thousand grains of rice and I think that I only played for maybe 5 minutes?? FUN!

A Long Peaceful Night...

Finally, Finally, Finally. Max is sleeping. Alot. I feel like a new woman. How did this happen you say....well it all began with a little book called, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. Teresa has actually been telling me about this book for quite some time and I kept meaning to get online and buy it but for some reason never did.

Well last weekend when we were at Kristin's superbowl party she said that she had the book and I could borrow it if I wanted to. I was sceptical but she swore that her little Olivia was the same way and now she slept for like 12 hours at a time....I was still un sure. But Monday morning I got up and started reading....I was a sponge. I couldn't stop. Basically this doctor says that teaching your child healthy sleep habits is no different than making sure they have a well balanced diet and proper nutrition. He also says that babies have to learn how to fall asleep on thier own, which would entail a process I said I would never do ~ crying it out. I was devastated, but not enough to not give it a try. I just had to, I couldn't keep going on the schedule I was doing. Max would sleep good one night and then for two or three nights in a row sleep horrible. His naps during the day were getting shorter and shorter and I truly feel it was because he was sleep deprived.

The book had a suggested sleep schedule for a baby around his age. Up at 7 am, 1st nap at around 9 am., preferably a nap of at least an hour...then he is up for a few hours playing and the 2nd nap at around 1 pm. Again a cyle of about 2 hours of playing and then in bed between 6-7 pm. One of the things that the doctor stresses is that a lot of parents think that by putting their children to sleep later in the evening they will sleep longer during the night. Well I can attest to the fact that doesn't work.

Monday he was up just about 7 am., he usually would wake up as Karl was getting ready to walk out the door. So I got him up played with him for about a 1/2 hour. We had breakfast at about 8:30 am. and at 8:45 am I put him in his crib, gave him a kiss and told him I loved him and walked out. He cried for 15 minutes straight. I gave in and gave him his nuk and he went right to sleep. He slept for 45 minutes. He has never slept in his crib for that long during the day. He got up we played for a bit and about 12:00 pm he started rubbing his eyes and yawning so we had some lunch and I put him back in his crib. This time he cried for 20 min., I again caved when in and gave him his nuk. He slept for an hour this time. He got up around 1 pm and we played some more and at 2:30 pm he was rubbing his eyes yet again, (the book suggests 2 or 3 naps a day for his age) so I scooped him up, gave him his kiss & hug and put him down and walked out. He whimpered for about 10 minutes and was alseep. No nuk, no me, no music, nothing. He slept for an hour and a half. I was floored.

Once he woke up we got up and played some more and at 5 pm I gave him his dinner and he took a bath and was in bed at 6 pm. He was instantly asleep. He did not make a peep until 12:30 am. He fussed for about 10 minutes, feel back to sleep and did not make a sound until 5 am. I gave him a bottle and he was back to sleep in seconds and did not get up until 7 am. Again I was floored. Let me just say that this week I have got more sleep than I know what to do with. I feel like a completely new person.

He is at this moment taking his morning nap and I have already done the dishes, put a load of laundry in and I am sipping on my coffee thinking of what else I can do. I have decided that I am not going to do anything but just enjoy the silence. Thank you Dr. Weissbluth, thank you Teresa for insisiting that I should read this book, and thank you Kristin for actually letting me read yours.

Just in case you are all wondering he has slept through the night all week. Woo_hoo, ok back to coffeee......

Movin' On Up...

Here is little Max just moving right along. I just can't believe that he is almost up on his hands and knees. Crazy!

Max's First Ball..

Here is Max playing with his very first ball. We had a hard time keeping Magoo away though....she wanted to play soooo bad. Maybe another time Miss Magoo...

Super Bowl Weekend...

The weekend has come and gone. The Giants are probably still celebrating, as they should, since they just gave The Pratiots a run for their money. Karl and I were secretly hoping that The Giants would win just because we are partial to anything New York - probably more Karl but I am guilty by assocation!


This weekend was fun. We got Max his very first ball....

And I have to say that he loves it. It's kind of hard to keep Magoo away but she will get her very own soccer ball soon enough. Mas is pretty much sitting up by himself, he still get a little wobbly when he reaches for things that are far away but he is getting better daily....

We also had the pleasure of hanging out with friends, yes I said friends, this weekend. Friday night Christine, Marco, and their little one Sebastian came down. We had pizza, a few beers, and just played with the boys. It was great!

Then yesterday we hung out with Kristin, Chris, and their little one Olivia. We played with the kids, ate tons of food that Kristin made (yum, yum!), and then watched the game. We stayed till about 1/2 time and then headed on home to get Max into bed.

I told Karl that I almost feel like I have a life....The Duck Club keeps me busy, I just volunteered to be an Assistant Organizer, my book club is still going strong, and I can actually say that I have a few friends. Things are finally starting to fall into place....isn't life grand!!!!

Rainy Days Always Get Me Down....

It's a truly yucky day out here on the East Coast! They were saying last night on the news that were was a winter storm coming our way so I was thinking we might actually get some snow. I woke up this morning to gray skies and lots of rain. Bleh!

Oh well, I guess we can't have gorgeous blue skies every day right. I don't really have any exciting news to share so I apologize for how mundane this post is. But at least I gave you something to read right!