A Special Day...

To my dear sweet husband on your Birthday...

If Not For You
If not for you,

I wouldn’t know what true love really meant.

I’d never feel this inner peace;

I couldn’t be content.
If not for you,

I’d never have

The pleasures of romance.

I’d miss the bliss,

the craziness,

Of love’s sweet, silly dance.
I have to feel your tender touch;

I have to hear your voice;

No other one could take your place;

You’re it;

I have no choice.
If not for you,

I’d be adrift;

I don’t know what I’d do;

I’d be searching for my other half,

Incomplete,

if not for you.

~By Joanna Fuchs

Max and Santa 2009...

Max's 2009 picture with Santa....Emma was sleeping and I didn't want to wake her up...

Recipe Of The Week...

This was by far the MOST delish meal I have ever made. Max even ate it up asking for seconds....and he ate all of it, even the cranberries and onion!

Cranberry Orange Pork Loin

Ingredients
2 T. olive oil
3 lbs of pork loin, tied
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1 large sweet onion, coarsely chopped
2 cans whole berry cranberry sauce
Grated zest of 2 oranges
Juice of 2 oranges, about 1 cup
2 t. dried thyme leaves
1/2 cup beef broth

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper and add to the pan.

2. Cook pork for 2 minutes per side; transfer to slow cooker. Add onion, cranberry sauce, orange zest, orange juice, thyme, and broth; stir.

3. Cover; cook pork on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

4. Remove cover; transfer pork to cutting board and cover. Let rest for 15 minutes. Skim off fat from cooking liquid to make a sauce; slice pork and serve with sauce.

For our side dish I made roasted Parmesan mashed potatoes .....after you have boiled and mashed the potatoes add 2-4 T of butter, about 1/2 cup milk, and about a 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan....season with salt and pepper.

Just Rambling...

Wouldn't it be great if there were a pill I could take and not have to sleep. Imagine what I could get done while my crazies (Max, Emma and Karl) were in bed!!!!

I could clean without dragging my 2-yr old around...
I could read a book...without my 35- year old hubbie interrupting me...
I could crochet to my hearts content...
I could actually eat a warm dinner....
I could catch up on all the scrapbooking I have been meaning to get to for the last 4 months...

What bliss that would be....I am almost giddy just thinking about it.

Recipe Of The Week...

Since I have had a few requests for some of the recipes I have made recently I decided that I will start posting recipes that I have tried and really liked. Bon Appetite'.

Chicken Parmesan w/ Penne Pasta
Ingredients:
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs, slightly beaten
12 chicken tenders fillets (you can can also use breasts and slice them into tender size)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup bottled Marinara sauce
1 cup shredded four cheese blend
12 fresh basil leaves (the recipe calls for leaving the basil whole, but I lightly chopped mine)
Cooked penne pasta and remaining Marinara sauce (or any pasta of your choice...ziti would be great as well as linguine)

1. Heat oven to 375'
2. Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish and egg in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken pieces in egg, shaking off excess. Coat with bread crumbs; place on a plate.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add half the chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side. Remove to a 13 x 9 baking dish. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining chicken.
4. Spoon marinara sauce over chicken in dish. Top with basil and then sprinkle cheese over chicken.
5. Bake at 375' for about 10 minutes, until bubbly and cheese melts. Serve with cooked penne and marinara sauce.

Frustration......times ten!

This week has been long and rough. We are part of a great playgroup and usually there are tons of things to do each week ~ not the case this past week. There was only one thing on the calendar for the week and we weren't able to make it because we were getting our new TV fixed.

Besides me being a little worried about what we would do we had some yucky weather to boot ~ which not only makes Max a little crazy it makes the dog a little crazy....it's like cabin fever super intensified. We started out ok for the beginning of the week and were even able to go outside for a bit while Emma was napping....by Thursday I was starting to feel the tiny threads holding me to sanity starting to fray. Friday was a very hard day. It's like children know exactly what to do drive you absolutely insane. Max is a very bright child and incredibly smart and I swear he lies in bed at night plotting the final demise of my sanity. I try very hard to be a good mom...I don't let him watch alot of TV, I give him structured discipline, we read book and we play with educational toys but I tell you what Friday was a hard day to be a mom.

By the time Saturday rolled around I felt like a volcano....anger just boiling under the surface and it seemed like I could not get it under control no matter what I did. I was able to get out by myself for a few hours in the morning to run a few errands and I thought it would help....it didn't. I am not an aggressive person but I really felt like I could have hurt someone....I just wanted to scream and yell and break something. It is not a good feeling to have that. Especially when you have kids. I finally just took the dog outside (even in the pouring rain) and just ran around with her. Max never did nap, Emma wouldn't nap and the day was just beating me down.

Karl and I just kept telling ourselves that eventually the time would come that they would go to bed for the night. Since neither of them napped they both went to bed early ~ Emma at 5 pm and Max at 6 pm. They both slept like logs all night.

Sometimes I feel like a little piece of me is being ripped away, when you become a mother you no longer have a strong sense of self. I feel like I give, and give, and give and I don't always feel like I get back. I hate how selfish that sounds but sometimes that is just how I feel. My day consists of getting the kids fed, the dog fed, getting the house clean, doing the dishes, the laundry, making dinner, being a wife to my husband, etc...etc...etc. When do I get to be Miranda??? I find myself craving silence and time to just do things I want to do...again I hate how selfish that sounds.

But I get up every day and realize that it's a brand new day. Today the sun is shining and I got to sleep in until 9 am ( thank you to my wonderfully patient husband!) and I feel better. I realize that sometimes I just have to have bad days, just so I can truly appreciate the good days....and there are good day. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband, healthy children, and loving family. I have a roof over my head and food in my belly....the rest is just stuff I have to learn to deal with.

A new link...

I just added a new blog link to the right side of my page and suggesting to anyone out there that has kids to take a look....

My friend Mel was the first to share this GREAT blog so now I am passing it along. It's called Diagnosis Urine and this women is truly my idol!

I have never laughed so hard and completely out loud in my life while reading a blog!!!! HILARIOUS!

Getting In The Spirit...

The holiday bug has bit me!
We are going to Michigan again this year for Christmas ~ mainly because we have lost the family that was renting our house so we are going to just check things over and make any necessary repairs, if anyone is looking to buy/rent a home in the Grand Blanc area let me know. :)

Anyhue since we are going to be traveling again for the holiday I have decided to not put up a tree.....we wouldn't really be here long enough to enjoy it and basically I just don't want the hassle. BUT I did decide to put out some of my decorations and now that they are up I might be re-thinking my tree decision.

Hmmmm any thoughts?

More Random Thoughts....

My dog is crazy. I have never really understood why it is she has to pace the entire backyard for an hour just to pee for 5 seconds....truly baffles me.

The other thing that I don't get is why she walks in circles before she will lie down. What the F is that....she did it last night in bed and it was driving me nuts. Of course she starts on Karl's side of the bed and he basically gives her the boot so she ends up on my side. She strolls over and then starts doing this whole turning, turning, turning, turning...and then just drops ~ on my legs mind you.

I wake up in the middle of the night with my legs asleep and a big fur ball in my face (meaning the cat)....no wonder i need so much coffee in the morning!

Random Thought....

Why is it my cat will lie in a hamper of clean clother but never lies in the one with dirty clothes? I guess I have a snobby cat.....

Two Month Check Up....

Little Miss Emma had her official 2 month check up at the doctor today. She is doing wonderful ~ she weighs a nice chunky 12 lbs 10 ozs and is 22 inches long. :)

She did great until the shots came on....poor little thing....she just cried and cried~ my heart was breaking but but the little trooper calmed down and by the time I pulled out of the parking lot she was sleeping peacefully!

Here is a cute picture of her taken in her "LBD ~ little black dress"....

Here is a pic of Mommy and the kids....too bad Max was being grumpy.....

Link to Emma's Pictures....

Last weekend we went to a photographer out here to get pictures done for Emma and they turned out AMAZING! I can't post them invidually but for any friends or family that want to take a look here is the link:

http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/Xbs1FaNM/1/4437498#imageID=86147251

This was a photographer that alot of the girls from my mom's group had used and she was sooo reasonably priced that I decided to go in and get some individual shots done. We are planning on having our great friend Dave at BH Photographic (who does awesome work as well, check out his link) do our family pics when we go to Michigan for the holidays. :)

For tonight's entertainment...

Let me present you with a recap of my night.....

10 pm: Went to bed, of course couldn't sleep. Might have been the 8-10 cups of coffee I had throughout the day ~ of course couldn't have made it through the day without them ~ it's vicious cycle.

2:45 am: Wake up and feed Emma...
3:00 am: Still Feeding Emma...
3:15 am: Stilllllll feeding Emma...
3:40 am: Back in bed...

4:00 am: Can't fall back asleep.....already thinking about coffee.....

5:40 am: Must have fallen asleep because I awake to the cat hurling and regurgitating his dinner all over the house - thank God for my loving husband because I just don't do cat puke very well....

6:15 am: Pitter Patter of little feet..."mommy, mommy 'ake up, 'ake up." Pretend like I am asleep so Karl can take him back into his room....
6:17 am: Pitter Patter of little feet ~ anyone sensing a pattern here~Repeat two more times.....

6:45 am: Got up and out of bed....why even bother at this point. Bring on the coffee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We survived the night....

The night went better than I expected, which is always a good thing. :)

We decided that at dinner time if he wasn't going to eat what I made then he was just able to get down, but no TV and no snacks....it was much better than listening to him scream.

We also decided that since he did not take a nap he was going to be early. Normally we start getting him ready for bed at 7:30, which consists of brushing his teeth, going potty, then pj's and a bedtime story. Last night we started at 6:45 and he was in bed a few minutes after 7 pm...I closed the door and waited. About 3 seconds later I heard him get out of bed and come to the door, since he was not able to open it I let him stand there for a few minutes before I went in. I went in and he was standing at his closet, I scooped him up put him back in bed and told him it was time to sleep, walked out and hoped for the best ~ he was quiet for most of the night.

He did get up twice...the first time was about 9 pm or so and he was so tired he was just a walking zombie. I changed his diaper and back to bed and he never made another peep until about 5 am and Karl took him back in and he went right back to sleep until 7 am!

Thank the Lord because I don't think I could have done another day like yesterday. I am not to thrilled about it raining and being in the house all day but if I could survive yesterday I can survive anything.

I think. :)

Hmmm...Sanity....anybody have some to spare?

I have none left.


Why you ask.....three little letters have caused me to lose the last tiny bit I had left.


MAX. Yes my dear sweet son has rendered me completely insane.


Last night we fought, battled, attempted to coerce him to eat dinner. Humph...what were we thinking. From attempting to get Max to eat ONE tiny little bit of potato started a 2 hour - yes I said 2 HOURS ~ fight. Max cried, kicked, screamed, choked, cried, kicked, screamed, and choked some more. After that hour of torture was up we proceeded to try and put him to bed being that it was his bedtime..........well another hour of torture then ensued. Max is a pro at getting out of his crib now. Envision my sweet angel faced child charging out of his bedroom (he opens doors quite masterfully) and running down the hallway into Daddy's arms, only to find out he was going right back into bed. It was so relaxing...like the kind of relaxing that comes from someone ripping your fingernails off one by one. :)


Finally we decide to give him a bath, read a story and he was out like a light. Thankfully. This morning I woke up to Max (a.k.a the devil reincarnate) staring at me and saying "ake up mommy, ake up." At least it was only 6:45 am...I could live with that.

The day was going quite nicely and I was all excited to go on our pumpkin picking hayride with the awesome ladies of my Mom's group....oh how quickly the day can change.

Due to the pumpkin patch people double booking basically we had to wait for about 30-45 minutes until we were able to go and let me just say Max was a joy....again if joy were someone pulling my eyelashes out one by one and then pouring bleach into my eyes.

He proceeded to not be happy about anything and turned into a limp noodle and throwing quite a fit ~ in front of not only the lovely ladies of the group (sooooooo very sorry Karen, Judith, and Jessica!) but in front of all the other ladies of different groups. At that point I decided that I had had enough and we left. Then the real show started....Max cried and screamed the whole way to the car, even throwing in the limp noodle act a few times. It was so delightful when I was trying to get him into his car seat all while poor little Emma is being bounced around in the carrier.

The ride home was fairly uneventful and I was even able to get him to eat some lunch. Then nap time came around and well we are still working on that one. Max has climbed out of his crib every single time I have put him in....I think we are working on #15 now....I managed to get a safety lock on his door, on his side, and am now listening to him talk and play in there. I have given up trying to get him to stay IN his crib because I just can't fight anymore. There is nothing dangerous in his room (save for himself of course) and I am just tired of the battle.

Hmmmm after today I can't wait for bed time tonight. :)

Soo not ready for this...

This morning Max did the unthinkable.

He climbed out of his crib, no falling out, he was like a little ninja - I heard him in there talking as he usually does each morning and then he was quiet for a minute and the next thing I heard was the pitter patter of little feet running throught the house with a little giggle to go along with it.

I am soooo not ready for him to be in a big boy bed. Especially on mornings when he wakes up at 5:30 am. Because now that his "walls" can't stop him he won't fall back to sleep......ugh!

They Must Be Related....

Max and Emma look so much alike to me so I decided to post a few pics of Max when he was first born and then post a few from Emma that I just took last night.

This first pic of Max is from August 7, 2007 and the second one August 10, 2007 so Max was just about one month old....

Here are two pics that I took of Emma last night....last Friday she was exactly 4 weeks old....crazy!

I hope that Emma's crazy eyes go away like Max's did! LOL!

Wouldn't Daddy Be Proud....

As I was trying to get ready the other day (yes I put make-up on every day), I know it's silly but it helps me feel normal - anyway Max is obsessed with watching me as I do this. He is always asking me when he sees me, "what you doing?", and I always tell him "putting on my make-up" and then he says, "try, try, try!". Of course I don't let him but this particular day I walked out of the bathroom for one teensy tiny moment and as I walked back in this was my view....

Just another day in crazy land with my adorable son!!!! LOL!

Recent Pics of Emma...

All By Myself......

Imagine me singing that today because today is the first day I will be alone with BOTH kids all by myself! LOL! Nana left yesterday morning and Karl is back to work so it just me, Max and Emma!

Of course last night Emma decided to be super fussy (for the 2nd night in a row) at about 4 am till about 5 am....which of course means I am sucking down coffee like it's air....thankfully Max has been great so far this morning. He was even concerned while Emma was crying and I was trying to get her bottle ready, get his breakfast, and let the dog out....he kept coming up to me telling me "Emma sad" and stuck his bottom lip out to get his point across!

The big test will be this morning because I have to run to the store and get a few groceries....not sure how I did not notice I was almost out of milk AND bread yesterday but apparently I missed it SOOOOO that means a trip to the store for all three of us. Wish me luck and stay tuned later today because I will be posting some recent pics of Emma!

Classis Max....

This morning Max said and did something that truly made me laugh so hard I almost peed.....

We were getting ready to head out to the zoo and Max was still in his pj's. He was still watching tv as I came into the living room to get him dressed and I noticed that he had his hand down the front of his diaper....very casually I asked him what he was doing - he whipped his hand out and said no, and then proceeded to continue watching tv. I just about died I was laughing so hard!

I hope this is not a sign of what is to come!! LOL!

More pics of Emma....

Here are a few more pics of Emma....some with the in-laws and with Max...

Announcing Emma Jean Marie Rudolph....

She is finally here! Sorry about the delay but we have had a couple of busy days!

Emma arrived at 11:59 pm on 9/9/09, with just 30 seconds left...and she was worth the wait.

Because she has a little jaundice we have had to go back to the hospital every day to have her biliruben checked, basically a blood test....but today she got the all clear from the doctor and does not have to go back for another one! Woo-hoo!

Max is adjusting well....he has had a few meltdowns but on the whole is doing great! She is sleeping fairly well - about 3 1/2 to 4 hours at a time....which is great to me! I will try and get some more pictures up soon!

Take Me Out, I'm Done!!!!!

I had my doctor's appointment yesterday and much to my dismay I am STILL only dilated to a 1....uuuggghhhh!

My regular doctor was out for an emergency so I was only able to see the nurse practiticioner BUT I am calling my doctor this morning and am going to ask about being induced. I really didn't want to go through the whole pitocin thing but I am soooooo ready for this little bundle to be out in the real world!

I am hanging in there - literally....she is so low I don't know how she is not coming out! She is very active, and so is Max - another reason I would like her to be here so it's a little easier for me to get around.

Was up ALOT last night because I could not seem to get comfortable...woke up almost every 2 hours and then woke up at around 3 am and was awake till about 5 am. Of course Max is up like clockwork at 6:30 am, much to my dismay.

Stay tuned for any news...... :)

Deja Vu'....

Let me set the scenario #1....

Two years ago I was pregnant with Max...at about 38 weeks I was having some very small, irregular contractions and when I went to the doctor she told me I was dilated to a 1...40 weeks came and went and still nothing. Finally at 41 weeks I was finally induced. I spent went in on a Wednesday night and did not deliver Max until Friday morning at 4:01 am.

Scenario #2....

Yesterday I was 38 weeks and had my now weekly appointment with the doctor. I have been having irregular, inconsistent contractions and when she checked me she said I was at a 1 - barely.

DEJA VU'...

No News....

Well I am almost officially 38 weeks and still no action. We went to the Mall on Saturday with friends hoping that the walking might get Emma moving....but nothing! We did manage to get Max the more adorable shirt that says "Big Bro", and found a cute little onsie for Emma that says "Little Sister"....I couldn't find one smaller than 6 months so she might not be able to wear it for a while but it will still be really cute!

Yesterday we went to the Zoo and walked around for a couple of hours (soooo much hotter than we thought it was going to be!), and again nothing! I have been having some contractions but they are very inconsistent and not very strong...I have my next doctor appointment on Wednesday and I am hoping that she tells me something good. :) Either way, I will keep you all posted.

No News...

I am officially 37 weeks. I went to the doctor for what is now going to be a weekly visit and no news. I have not started dilating BUT have had some contractions here and there....I am hoping that is a good sign and that Miss Emma decides to come all on her own.

I would really prefer NOT to do pitocin again because that is not a very fun experience, of course I guess labor in itself is not supposed to be fun but I am sure you get the gist. :)

The other thing that I had to do was have a Non Stress Test. This is all because I will be 35 when I deliver the baby...they consider 35 to be the Maternal Age of Delivery. So because of that I have had to have extra blood work done, level 2 ultrasounds, AND starting at 36 weeks have a Non Stress Test. Basically they hook me up to a monitor and record my heart beat and the babies heart beat. Along with that I have to hit a button every time the baby moves....I have to do this for 20 minutes. Talk about boring!

But the good news is Emma is doing great - she even had the hiccups while I was doing it...it was hilarious! Say a little prayer for me that she decides to come early or at least on time! :)

Ugh....

I have to say that being a mother sometimes is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo frustrating. Max has so entered the terrible twos age. It's amazing how someone so small can get me so fired up. He sure knows how to push my buttons.

This morning we had a playdate with a new playgroup that I found, which I think I am going to love btw....and he was good up until the end. He was obviously getting tired, and when Max gets tired he turns into a total spaz. Truly it's like the Tasmanian devil from bugs bunny reincarnated. Crazy!

Here I was trying to help clean up so the mom that was hosting didn't have to do it all and he starts tackling others kids and thinking it's hilarious.....ugh. SO basically we had to leave because he made one little boy cry. I guess it's not the first time it will happen but still. I think that being 8 1/2 months pregnant does not help me either.....

My Little Fish...

At the end of last summer we signed Max up for swim class at the City Center and he loved them. At the time he was about 15-16 months so it was basically me holding onto him and getting him used to the water. The class lasted 8 weeks, we we weren't able to sign him up for the next one because of the holidays and we knew that we would be traveling to Michigan and New York so we skipped the winter session.

I was planning on signing him up for spring but then we found out I was pregnant and 5 months of "yuck" ensued so we missed that one as well....FINALLY we got him enrolled in the summer course and I am soo happy to announce that Max swam all by himself today. He did have a little swim bump on (basically this little square foamy thing that wraps around his belly) but up until this time I have been holding on to him trying to get him to move his arms and legs.....

Today he finally did it! I almost cried....it was so cute seeing his little legs just a'goin and moving his little arms all over the place (we are still working on the arms.) He was moving all over the place, I just love it! Next Friday is his last class and I think that Karl is going to try and go since we won't be able to do Fall due to Miss Emma arrival.

If Karl is able to go I will for sure get some pics.... :) I am soo proud of him!!!

Getting Ready....

We have finally started to get Emma's room all together....we have been debating on what to do for a crib and if we wanted to buy a whole net set or see if we could find something on Ebay.

Sets are so expensive and we really didn't want to spend that much money so we decided to take a look on Craig's List and found an awesome deal. We got a crib, changing table, and dresser all for $300. It's in really good shape and also will change to a full size bed later on down the road.

So now we have her room all painted and got the furniture put together last night....it's really starting to look like a little girls room. I am going to try and take some pics later so everyone can see. It's still kind of mess, we have some boxes of stuff we need to find new homes for but it looks really cute!

I just can't believe that she is going to be here soon....I actually hope she comes earlier than the 9th....she is really taking up all the room that I have in my belly! LOL!!! I thought last night she was going break my ribs yesterday....she is one tough little cookie that is for sure. :)

A Total Max Moment....

This morning I was making eggs for Max for breakfast and he wanted to see....so I scooched a chair over and let him help me make them. Basically he just stirred them.

When I took the bowl and poured it into the pan he just looked at me like "what are you doing to my creation".....and then his bottom lip came out and he just bawled. I laughed so hard but felt really bad at the same time....

It took me a few minutes before he realized what was happening - even then I am not sure he really got it but it was a really cute moment!

Say Hello To Baby Emma.....

No I have not had her yet....BUT we did have another ultrasound today and I was able to get a picture of her....

It's not a great one. I basically took a picture of the picture. I was too impatient to try and figure out how to scan it. She is doing wonderful. She weighs 5 lbs 8 oz. (of course this is an estimate) but she is right on track....we got to see her breathing, which was soooo cool! The doctor said that babies don't actually "breathe" until they are born but they do practice breathing, it was really neat! My due date is still 9/9/09, (althought I secretly hope she comes a little sooner than that!).

I of course will keep you posted as time goes on!

Happy Birthday Max!

This is a little late in coming but we had visitors all week so I just now got a chance to sit down and download some of the pics.

Max's official birthday was July 13th, but we celebrated on Sunday....we spent the morning swimming at the campground where Mom-Mom and Opa stay. Then we had a little BBQ here at the house along with Nana and Papa Jim from Michigan. Nana made Max an Elmo birthday cake which he LOVED!!! Plus Opa and Daddy built Max his very 1st sandbox - which he also loves!

Here are a few pics to recap the day.....enjoy!

Animals, Animals, Animals!

We had another fun filled weekend.....

Saturday we went and putzed around this great Amish Farmer's Market and then had lunch in their little restaurant. Cute and cozy! Good food to boot!!!

Sunday we ended up going to the Philly Zoo and had a blast. I do have pictures but the battery in my camera was dying so those will be up soon. Max was in heaven and wanted to look at everything - which is no way you can accomplish in one single day. We ended up buying a year's membership (ends up being sooo much cheaper, even if you just go twice a year) and so we are going to try and go one more time before the summer is over with - hopefully with the grandparents - both sets maybe!

This Wednesday we are leaving for our very first camping trip as a family. Karl's brother wants to make this a yearly tradition and I am excited and nervous all at the same time. Excited to see how Max and does and nervous to see how Max does. I bought this little blow up mattress bed just for a toddler (kind of has built in bumper guards) and I am hoping that he doesn't just crawl out of it and never go to sleep....PLUS being that I am seven months pregnant I make TONS of visits to the bathroom and am hoping that we have bathrooms near our site....otherwise I may just sleep in the bathroom stall...lol. Just kidding - kind of! :)

I am sure that I will have tons of pics to post after the trip....stay tuned!

Ho-Hum....

I haven't wrote in a while and basically it's because I don't have alot going on right now. Things are kind of boring....

Last weekend we went to a birthday party - that was fun.

About a week ago Karl (Mr. Handy Man himself) put up a new screen door off the of our living room. So now we get a great breeze and have easier access to the little deck.

This weekend we were planning on going to the Philly Zoo but being that the entire East Coast is going to be slammed with MORE rain we have decided to go to the Aquarium in Camden. Max and I have been there before, I think it was like January, so I am curious to see if he pays more attention to all the animals now that some time has passed. :)

We are planning our very 1st camping trip with Max for the Fourth of July. That should be interesting. Me pregnant and Max sleeping in a tent. Wish us luck and lots of patience! HA!

Emma is doing well. My next check-up is on Monday. I am getting huge, so I am sure that means she is getting huge or at least I think so. Starting to think we should get her room going but havn't really had the motivation to do it yet.

That is about it in a nutshell. :)

Atlantic City....

Saturday was a free day for Karl and I. Mom-Mom came down and watched Max for us so we could do a date night.

We actually got more than a night. Karl got out of work around 11ish and we decided to head to this cool BBQ contest one of his buddies at work told him about. Well it tuned out to be not so cool - BUT we ended up deciding to head down to Atlantic City just to get out and d0 something.

Karl had warned me before that it's nothing like Vegas and the last time he was there it was kind of iffy on the "clean" mark, but I was out of the house without a diaper bag so we went for it.

It was actually a lot of fun. We walked around the boardwalk, met up with one of the guys he works with and his girlfriend, had some lunch, gambled a little, and just walked around some more. It was a nice day. We even got to sleep at the camper and got to SLEEP IN! Yes I said sleep in. It's amazing what a difference it is not waking up to a little talking and laughing to himself at 6 am every day....we got up around 8 am, went and had breakfast and headed back to the house.....

All in all it was a wonderful day and we want to tell Mom-Mom THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!

A Huge Milestone!

Max used the potty this morning for the very first time! I am soooo excited! We have been trying to get him used to it for a few weeks now and he is really interested in sitting on it but up until this point nothing has happened...

For whatever reason he finally got it this morning....let's hope this becomes a trend and maybe just maybe he will be using it more often by the time the baby gets here!

Any potting training advice would be well receieved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Little Runaway!

Max had his first attempt in running away yesterday. It was hystarical.

We were outside playing and I had planted a few new plants while he was taking his nap and thought he would enjoy helping me water them with the hose. Well he enjoyed it, far too much....by the time we got done he was soaked but I let him play for a few more minutes just to appease him and then decided that it was time to head in so we could dry off.

Let's just say he was not very happy with my decision. I had turned off the water to the hose as he was still trying to get water to come out of the nozzle. I did have to chuckly to myself as I watched him squeeze the trigger so hard his whole body was shaking. HE HE HE!

But I finally managed to get it out of his hand and told him it was time to go in and he started screaming at me and then started running out into the yard (thankfully we were in the back). I just let him run for a second to see what he was going to do, well he got about 20 feet from me, stopped, turned around and gave me the dirtiest look I have ever seen and just turned back around and stood there with his back to me. I laughed out loud....and hard too!

I SOOOO wish that I would have had a camera because it was hilarious - of course I am sure if he could cuss me out that is what he was doing!! LOL!

Big News!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know that many of you have been waiting oh so paitiently and I apologize for my lack of communication but it has been a busy week.

I have been in Michigan since last Tuesday so finding time to sit down in front of the computer has been almost impossible....but I wanted to share the big news just in case everyone hadn't heard.

Karl and I are expecting a Girl to arrive on September 9 and we are thrilled! Of course I don't think as thrilled as Nana and Mom-Mom are!!! The baby is doing fine and is very active....we got some really great pictures at the ultrasound that I will have to try and figure out how to scan into the computer for everyone to see.

More info to come later!

Child's Play!

I am sooo excited. Last night Karl and I bought Max his very first swing set!!!!

Kmart was runnings a FANTASTIC sale on all their swing sets and we decided that he needed to have something to play with in the backyard besides the nasty chewed up soccer balls that actually belong to Magoo.

Unfortunately Karl probably won't have a chance to build it until this weekend which doesn't give Max a whole lot of time to play since we are leaving for Michigan the following Wednesday....I just can't wait to see him on the trampolene!!!!! I am sure that pictures AND videos will ensue!

Damn...It's Hot Out!

Remember a few days ago when I said that the forcast was calling for it to be 87', well they were wrong. Sunday it ended up being 93' flippin' degrees outside and Monday it was just about as bad, 92'.

Today they are ony calling for 87'. May I remind you that it's April. What the hell happened to spring and 70' weather. I would even be ok with 80' but this 90' crap is killing my mood.

On a side note I am in the need for a good read. I just recently finished reading the whole Twilight Series (twice - yes I am a freak!) and am looking for a really good book to start. Any suggestions?

Spring Has Sprung...

It was 85' degrees out today. Tomorrow they are calling for 89'. What the heck! It's April.....first we have yucky cold weather for like FOREVER. Lots of rain, which means stuck in the house with a crazy toddler and and even crazier dog. Not fun with a capital F! And I can think of a few other words that start with F I could use on days like that, but I digress.

Now we are slammed with a heat wave that I am so not ready for. I was so looking forward to the nice easy weather of the 70's, not too hot but just nice and warm. BUT NO! It's so hot Magoo doesn't even want to be outside let alone myself who is NOT enjoying the hot weather being pregnant, no sirree, not one little bit!

Plus because it's almost May Karl has stepped up to Extra workaholic mode which means that I will miss him terribly for the next few months. :( But the saving grace to that is I am heading out to Michigan for Mother's Day and visit for about a week. Nana is flying out on the 3rd, we go in for my ultrasound on the 4th and leave for Michigan on the 5th.....I truly can't wait! I of course will miss Karl tremendously but I figure he is going to be so busy it's probably the best time for me to go. :)

I will keep everyone posted as to Baby Status as soon as I hear more!!!

In Need Of A Moment....

Whew....
We had a wonderful weekend in NYC for Easter but sometimes I am so glad to get home. The car ride is always tense, we never know which Max we are going to get these days!

Besides the fact that I had to have a tooth pulled on Saturday we had a lovely weekend cathing up with the Rudolph side of the family...had lots of great food and attended a lovely church service.

All in all it was a great weekend. I would love to say that I have pictures of Max is his cute little Easter outfit but I am a complete dork and forgot to bring the camera! Sorry! Hope everyone had a lovely holiday!

Terror On Two Legs....

And his name is Max.

The last few weeks Max has suddenly decided that he no longer wants to be my sweet, adorable faced little one. He wants to push the boundaries of every little thing that he can! Much to my dismay.....

Anything from getting his diaper changed to eating and this morning getting put in his car seat. It's amazing how something so little can be so flippin' strong. He arched his back and for the life of me I could not get him to sit down in that seat! Talk about FRUSTRATING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am hoping that this is just a phase and before too long he will be back to my sweet little boy - otherwise he might just be locked in the closet all day...HA HA HA just kidding! (sometimes......)

Welcome to Heaven!

This past weekend Mom-Mom and Opa (Karl's parents) came down for a visit...plus they watched Max today while I was at the Doctor.

We had a great time...Saturday while the boys went into work Mom-Mom, Max and I went out and did a little shopping. Our first stop was Bed, Bath and Beyond. Mom-Mom just got a new Keurig Coffee Maker and wanted to get a holder for her coffee....we were in the aisle of the actual makers and I got a chance to see the Mini-Keurig that is out now. At this time I can't really have a lot of coffee so I was commenting that it would be perfect for me, Karl doesn't drink coffee either so again I thought it would be perfect for me but of course it was wishful thinking so we kept moving.

We came a clearance kiosk and we noticed that there was a mini-keurig there and it all it said was display. Now the normal price for one was $80. This one was marked $30.....we both looked at each other and I grabbed it...then of course started debating and Mom-Mom said I will buy it for you for your birthday! Woo-Hoo!!!! I LOVE IT!

It's perfect....it brews just the right size cup for me and it's so fast, quiet, and sooo easy! Thanks so much Mom-Mom! I love it!!!!

A New Do....

I have been contemplating cutting Max's hair on my own for a while now. Last September my Mom and Aunt came out for visit and while they were here my Aunt who is a stylist cut Max's hair - well since then it has grown quite a bit....hence the big long spikes!

I have been cutting Karl's hair for quite a while now with clippers and do a pretty decent job (minus one little misstep a few weeks backs, but that has completely grown and he probably barely remembers it. HE HE!) BUT I have been wanting to cut Max's so I took a big gulp this afternoon and did it.

He did great....just sat there in Karl's lap and even had the chills the few times, almost like he liked me playing with his hair. I didn't go super short but it's pretty short.

He looks like such a little boy now....for whatever reason when we got done and were changing his shirt he was not very happy....

But he calmed down after that and just went out to the living room and started playing....he looks so cute I can't even stand it!

I can almost taste spring!

Spring is in the air here in New Jersey. It's supposed to be a high of 62' out today and I am loving it. Our tree in the front year already has some buds on it and some of our plants are starting to shoot up....YEAH!

It's supposed to drop back down to the forties last towards the weekend but I don't care, I have the spring bug! Now if I could just kick this last little bit of "trimester" sickness....or what some would call morning sicknes...HA if I only had it in the morning I would be golden!! LOL!

I am back!

Sort of. :)

This is my second day of feeling almost normal so I am hoping it's a trend....say a little prayer for me that the yucko days of being sick are gone!

Anyway I haven't been doing much for these last 6 weeks, kind of hibernating. We did go up to Vermont a few weeks ago, that was fun. Was only about a 6 1/2 sick (that is 1 being normal and 10 being worst.) Got to hang out with a childhood friend of Karl's and his wife and their son. Who is about 4 months younger than Max. It was really cute to see them play together!

We also had Mom-Mom and Opa down for a weekend visit, AND just this past week Nana and Papa Jim came out for a stay. It was nice having help! Thanks to all of our awesome grandparents who I would be lost without!

Anyway here are some random pics of Max that I took in February! Enjoy!

This last one if my favorit! I just love the look on his face and how serious he looks! I don't know how Karl got him to sit still for it but it cracks me up every time I see it!

I am alive....

Barely.
It's been a very rough couple of weeks and I am praying for the end of this "morning sickness." But I would like to rephrase that to "all day and night sickness."

I know that many of you have been wondering where I am and it's pretty much been the couch, bed, or toilet. Sorry to be so blunt but not feeling super whitty today.

I got a call from one of the girls in my playgroup today who just wanted to make sure I was alive and I thought I should post something so everyone would know that I was....I am here. Holding on and hoping that all this yuckiness will go away soon!

Save The Date....

Well we have an official date as to when Baby Rudolph will be arriving. September 9, 2009. Which is pretty cool since Max's due date was 7/7/07. Although he didn't actually arrive until the 13th. :)

I have a few pictures of the ultrasound, the baby is about the size of a pinto bean right now but boy is she wreaking havoc on me! I am still struggling to get up in the morning, and afternoon, and evening. I am going to attempt to scan them shortly so I can get them posted.

It's a little scary because I have to say I had a very easy pregnancy (almost no sickness, hardly any weight gain, and fairly easy labor) with Max, and he turned out to be a very easy going kid. I hope this is not a preview of Baby #2 personality!! LOL!

Peanut Butter Recall...

This whole thing drives me nuts. What the heck is going on with our food manufactures these days. First we have tomatoes and other veggies and now Peanut Butter. I for one feel that it's pretty bad when peanut butter crackers have been contaminated with salmonella. How is that even possible? I am just disgusted about the whole thing. I am starting to get to the point where I want to grow my own food just so I know exactly what is going in it, how it's being handled and so on.

For a mom with a toddler it's almost impossible NOT to have Peanut Butter in the house but I was able to find the recall list this morning on the FDA website. About two days before the story hit the news I had just bought a new jar of peanut butter. Thankfully my product was not on the recall list. Talk about a huge sigh of relief.

I would love to hear what you think.

Pitter, Patter of little feet!

I am so exicted....One of my best friends just had her 2nd little baby girl!

I have known Pam since I was 22 and boy I could share some stories about the two of us out prowlin' but I will keep them to myself for fear of what my mother might think of me!! HE HE HE!

Pam has been living in Georgia since about 1999 and I miss her dearly. When I was single and carefree I would try and get down there to see her every year but now that we both have families it's not quite as easy to travel.

She is the prould mama to Grace Delauder - who came into the world at a whoppin' 9 lbs 5 oz and 22 in. long! She must get that from her Daddy who is like 6'7 and I am soooo not kidding!

Much love to Pam and the family for thier new addition!

Big News!

I am sure that it won't take long for all those that read my blog (all three of you! HA HA) that there is a new addition to my page. Karl and I are expecting! WOO-HOO!

We have been trying since August and it's finally happened. I haven't had my first official doctor's appointment yet, that's on Monday. As soon as I have more info I will be posting for all to see!

I have to say that this pregnancy is already different than with Max. I hardly had any morning sickness with him - it was pretty easy. Not so much with this one. I have been nauseous all day long. Have to say I am not liking it all that much. But excited all the same! Everyone in the family is rooting for a girl - I for one just want a healthy baby! Stay tuned for more news later!

A Happy New Year....

My mom was brave enough to watch all three of her Grand Son's on New Years Eve....below are just a few highlights of the big night!
Here are all three of them making some crazy faces!!

I love this one! Max is trying so hard to do what they were doing!! SO cute!

The Mom Song Sung to William Tell Overture with Lyrics

This is hilarious!!! All you moms out there will enjoy this one! :)

Christmas 2008....

Another holiday has come and gone...as usual we celebrated it in The Rudolph Whirlwind Fashion. We arrived in Michigan the Saturday before Christmas and I don't think we stopped until just this past Saturday when we got home. It was a hectic 2 weeks...but I am so very glad that we were able to go and see Family and most of our friends! For those that we didn't get to see we miss you dearly!

Below are a few pics of our trip...most of which will be Max since that is mostly what everyone cares to see. LOL! Enjoy....

Here is Papa Lee and Max reading the paper...

Here is Max taking a ride with his cousin Brady...this was the first time Max had really seen alot of snow. He didnt' really seem all that thrilled...

Here is is with Nana....again not too thrilled...

Here is Max and Brady again playing...Max just loved his cousin Brady...Brady on the other hand was kind of "eehhh" with Max. It was pretty funny.

Here is Max taking a bath. His Auntie Jenny (whom we now refer to Aunt ne-ne), was blowing bubbles on his face and you can clearly see he was loving it!

Here is Miss Magoo hanging out....she just loves to be up on the back of the couch....crazy dog!

Here is Max and Mommy on Christmas Eve...he just wouldn't look at the camera. There were too many things distracting him...

Here is Max with his Uncle Chris....notice how Max is telling the picture taker off - look at his finger! That kid was cracking us up!

Here is Max and Daddy on Christmas morning...Max enjoyed watching the boys open all their gifts....

Here is Max finger painting at Nana's....he enjoyed that immensely! As you can see from his fingers!

Here are the girls...Magoo on the left and Izzaboo on the right. They are pooped puppies. They had a rough 2 weeks of playing non-stop!