Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Random info



Here are new pics our our pride and joy! The giraffe little dude is playing with in one of the pics is the giraffe we got for him while we were in Las Vegas last February! We had just announced to everyone we were pregnant and since I was unable to drink all the free drinks while gambling (that was a bummer) Bill said he would buy me some baby stuff (that made missing out on the free drinks much better) and one of the many items he got me was the giraffe! Amazing how much can change in a year, eh? Not only is our little guy here, but he is rolling around, hugging and playing with the giraffe! COOL!!!


Well, there is not any huge news to share, so I thought I would just talk about general stuff we have been doing. Tonight the East Tenn. Concert Band meets and I will be there while Bill and little guy go to the gym! Yay! I must say that playing with a group again is very fun! Also, Bill and I have been doing great going to the gym and so far it has been super fun! Yesterday we played with the medicine ball, did some rowing, raced each other around the track and then did some weights....cool huh? Yes, I am proud of us keeping up the work out so well! In other great news, the girls at the gym daycare LOVE our little guy and one girl that wasn't working, but was there working out, saw up picking him up to go home so she ran in to say hi to him! That makes any parent happy when the daycare people love their kid, even if they do only see him 1 or so every day!


Tomorrow I have CCD (catholic religious ed for kids getting ready for confirmation, for those of you who are not Catholic)and the kids were begging me to play "hang man" with them, SO we are going to play it, except with all religious terms. I'm thinking I will give them the definition, and then give each kid a turn at guessing a letter; the winner can be the next to draw the "hang man". I hope they get something out of it! It should be fun though!


We just found out a little while ago that our friends, "Sarge" and Carma, are due in July with their first baby! YAYAYAY!! They live in Seattle, WA and we went to their wedding last summer while I was pregnant...it was so beautiful and fun! Now we can't wait to get back out there after their little bundle comes so the kids can meet and play! Most of our readers know "Sarge", but for those who don't, he is Mike, also an ex-army ranger(he got out last year) and now he is a WA State Trooper...also all throughout school (he and Bill went grew up in the same neighborhood as kids) Mike was all about Army stuff, so I guess the nickname "Sarge" started then, and only became more cemented with his careers. Anyways, for the longest time I had no idea what "Sarge's" real name was! Also, just for cool trivia info, I met Sarge at the party Bill threw to celebrate getting an apt with his brother, John, and friend, Justin, which is also the same party where I first met Bill! Awesome! Who knew going to a party could lead to meeting such WONDERFUL friends and a future husband?


The MOMS Club here is having a play date at the mall tomorrow morning too. Little guy and I are going to try to go, so long as nap time doesn't interfere. Next week we will be having a play date with other kids around his age (up to a year) and I think it is going to be at my house..I haven't heard yet if my place was chosen yet, but no one else had offered and its WAY TO COLD to meet at a park. I offered it as a place for one, it will guarantee I won't get lost trying to find someone else's house and for two, our house is laid out perfectly for blocking the kids off in one area to play, while the moms and I can snack and talk and watch the kids with no problems. I made a great little play area for little dude, with mirrors, and real pictures and his toys, that I think will be fun for the other kids too. Anyways, I will let you guys know how that goes.


More more news, it has be FREEZING here...really. Yesterday it was 18 degrees Fahrenheit at lunch time....18 degrees!!!!! ARRRGGHH!! Today it has not gotten over 20 degrees. Can I just say I HATE cold? Fall is awesome, beautiful and crisp; once it starts getting to freezing temps though, I am done. DONE. Now I am ready for summer.





Thursday, January 25, 2007

Friends/moms club





Hey guys! Here are a few pics from the weekend home! The party was lots of fun and catching up with everyone was great! It has been way to long since we have been back! Our new home is great, but I am looking forward to being back around our friends and family soon! (maybe next year? keep your fingers crossed for us guys!) Notice the lack of Wolfpack memorabilia on our walls...yes, I know, we repainted the basement and redid the floors last summer...and yes, we have been that busy, and gone that much that we have YET to have gotten all the Wolfpack items put on the walls...I know, a travesty! I promise to get on it the next time we are home!! Go Pack!! Yay, for Coach O'Brian! Check out http://www.gopack.com/ for cool updates of our team!



In other news, little guy and I went to a Moms Club event (http://www.momsclub.org/) and it was VERY fun! Our little guy is getting big enough that he is now enjoying our play dates and outings!

We have an AWESOME baby bookworm time at our local library and there is a great Mother Goose time nearby as well...baby bookworm reads for all the kids, Mother Goose does a lot of nursery rhymes and singing and dancing...it is GREAT! Today we got to play with maracas and little Dude LOVED it! It is so much fun watching all the children at these events; they just love playing together and hanging out! I esp. love the wide-eyed look our little guy gives everyone....I think he is amazed there are other small people...lol! It's great!

For any new stay at home moms, or even just moms that need extra ideas for entertaining their kids of all ages, Moms Club is a great resource! I have also found some great resources at Mothers of Preschoolers too! Check it out: http://www.mops.org/. MOPS is super good because it supports both at home AND working moms and has weekend family activities....Moms Club is geared more for stay at home moms and helping them find activities to fill the day hours while Dads are at work, though they do have some weekend events depending on what members of the local groups want/need.

I am excited to be at the "motherhood" point of my life...it is GREAT! I also cant wait for some of our friends to start having children too...there are a few I know of trying right now and I just can't wait for all of us to get together and watch the children play...guys, how fun will that be? AWESOME!!!!

And I can't wait for all the kids to be preschoolers, then I can pull out all of the notebooks with games and ideas from my days as a preschool teacher! YAY!!! Just wait til I show you how to make "magic" bottles! (it is corn syrup in a normal soda bottle-wash out very well-and add in color dye-if you want-and colorful items of different weight and size, then turn the bottle over and over. The items will "float" around like a lava lamp! You can also do it with oil and water...dye them each different colors, then shake...it will mix to make a "new" color, then slowly separate again..."MAGIC!!" Preschoolers love it! Anyways, I am all ready for little guy to be 3 or 4! Heehee! My kids will think I'm so cool until they get to middle school.....

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Visit Home

Well, we had a great visit back home this past weekend! We were able to get a lot of our friends over on Sat. and catch up while enjoying some mighty fine drinks and food! Thanks to everyone that came over! I will work on getting pictures from the weekend posted...right now they are still on my camera....I know, I am a slacker!

In other news, I was watching Oprah today while little guy napped, and her topic was right on base for me..."Motherhood...to stay home or work?" It is a tough choice for many women, work or stay home? But from my experience so far, I would highly recommend staying home.
True, women must put their careers on hold, or maybe even give them up completely, but honestly, is there anything more important than family? Is anything more important than the special moments of childhood? I do sometimes feel badly that I'm not "contributing" money wise to help Bill, and sometimes I do wish I had the daily interaction that work bring and sometimes I wish I could buy things for Bill or other family members that I know he/they would like. BUT at the same time, what greater contribution can I make than to teach our son our values? To hold him when he is sick? And read to him? Feed him? Take him outside to play?What is better than telling Bill that little guy sick, but that I was able to hold him all day and comfort him, that little guy never had to cry 10 min for food or attention? We cant have everything we want right away; we have to pinch pennies and save; we have to make plans for future projects around the house and yard, but it is worth it.

I am blessed to have the option; I know many moms that wish they did have a choice and I am quite happy and blessed to be at home, sharing special moments with my little dude and being super wife for my husband....after doing it, I cant imagine anything better. Here are some more pics of our happy little guy!






Well, Bill will be home soon, so we will be going to the gym! I have to get ready and pack up little guy! Talk to you all later!

Thursday, January 18, 2007

little guy

Well, little guy is now 4 1/2 months old! Wow! Time is flying by fast! He is eating baby food now for one meal a day and he is really enjoying it! Now at dinner he watches Bill and me eat...I think we have an eating machine on our hands....lol! Here is a picture of him first trying food! Well, actually this is the 2nd time, but the first time he didn't actually get any of the baby cereal in his mouth, it ended up all over the floor because he knocked the bowl over...soooooo this is his first time actually tasting the food! Bill had a grand time feeding him, and after two weeks of practice our little guy is now quite good at opening his mouth and swallowing the food! Then he quickly opens his mouth again...for more food...and more food....and more...you see the pattern. So far he is up to 4 tablespoons of cereal, and that is quite a bit considering his tummy is as big as his fist...so for now that is the most I will let him eat of the cereal, though I am letting him nurse as much as he wants. Luckily he nurses about every 4 hours....AWESOME. Also, he is sleeping though the night about 12 hours now! And in even bigger news, this morning he woke up on his tummy! Yes, I know, amazing! He rolled over in his sleep! Very very cool! I love sleeping on my tummy, so I know he must be figuring out what position is comfy for him...wow he is so amazing!!! Do I sound like a bragging parent? Yes, I know, but I just cant help it! He is so wonderful! Here is a pic of him rolling...you cant tell he is rolling, but trust me, he just rolled over and is quite proud! Doesn't he look look like "What just happened?" haha! Also, the cute jumper he is wearing is from his awesome Abuelo Bianchi! Ed got it in Argentina while he was there visiting his mom...isn't it beautiful on our little guy? It makes little guys eyes look so blue! Notice the deck of cards in the picture? Bill and I play cards on the floor with little guy sometimes and so far the deck of cards is the one thing he will work really hard to get too...whenever we get back to Raleigh he will be all ready for Poker Night with our friends!! OK, that is enough update, now I have to get packing for our visit home! Yay!!

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Eddie

Here are more pics of our awesome dog, Eddie. Also, here is Bill and our little Dude! After driving in the ice for hours, we were quite happy to have this hotel to stay at! Though I must say I have no idea how people sleep with their kids...sharing the bed with little Dude was the worst night of sleep we have ever gotten...I swear every time he moved or made a noise Bill and I both woke up in a panic! No more of that! The pack n play travels with us now! lol!

In other news, I have religious ed tonight, and I am having a hard time getting motivated to come up with a game for the kids...I think tonight might just be a lecture night...lol. The kids are all cool, but honestly, 7th grade catechist students don't really care...I try to make it entertaining, but I know they hate coming to church at night to study...oh well, that's why I always bring candy! Heehee!!

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Big news!

Big news! As of yesterday, our little Dude is rolling around everywhere! yay!He finally got the hang of it! He looks so cute doing it and he seems pretty happy to have the mobility now! Alas....Bill and I have to get off our butts and baby proof two houses...yikes! lol! I will get some action shots soon of the rolling fun!



In other news, since it is 2007, Bill and I decided we were just becoming to lazy, so we decided to join a gym! I went and checked one out that was recommended to us by one of Bill's co-workers. It was so fabulous that Bill and I signed up the next day! (Also, the registration fee and first month were free because of some money back on our credit card and the discount from Bill's co-worker). There are indoor and outdoor pools, and little dude is LOVING the swimming! Also, there is a childcare area, which lets Bill and me play tennis, or work out, or run on the indoor track, while little dude gets to play and socialize with other babies! Very cool! We tried racquetball the other day, and it was pretty fun! I suck at it, but I vow to get better, because Bill is really good at it! Today I went to a Yoga class that was just super fun! Little Dude got a puppet show in the baby room too! Let me just say we are loving the gym!



Also, here is a picture of Eddie, our dog. I am posting this so I can show off how nice he looks when he is clean, because for one, I just washed him earlier today, and two, he as since rolled in the mud outside and has gotten unrecognizably dirty. *SIGH* Let me just say it is a PAIN to wash him because he hates the water, hates the tub, gets water and hair everywhere, and tries throughout the entire bath to get out...one big wet mess for me to clean up after we are done. So, on that note, I am just going to look at this picture of him clean and pretend he is clean because I refuse to wash him again for at least a few days. There is only so much icky, dog hair and dog water I can mop off the floor for one day! LOL! On another note, this picture is from our stay over night in a hotel when we got stuck in an ice storm....the pet deposit was big enough that we let Eddie have the other bed in the room...he was LOVING life there. And doesn't he look beautiful and clean?

Friday, January 12, 2007

First post!


O.K., so here is my first official post! New news in our family is that our little guy is starting to roll! Yay! He still gets stuck a lot, but every so often he makes it over...and then he looks so amazed with himself!! It's GREAT! Also, he just had his 4 month birthday, so we are now giving him baby cereal! At first he hated it, but now he is getting the hang of it and seems to like it pretty well! I will put a picture of the mess eating creates...who would've thought cleaning up a messy child could be so fun and rewarding! He has become very talkative as well and sometimes he scares me when he makes yelling noises, but usually he is smiling while he does it...so I think he's just practicing his vocals. We went to "Baby reading time" at our library yesterday, and little dude LOVE it. Before Christmas break we went every other week or so and he didnt seem to get much out of it; I think it was mostly for me to get out of the house! Anyways, we went back for the first time since Christmas and he just smiled at everyone and seemed to LOVE looking at all the other kids and enjoying the group songs we sang! Great stuff! Maybe I have a future reader on my hands!
Will and I are enjoying the new homestead and we had one of our friends, Joey, over for dinner last night, which was great fun for me! I got to prepare all afternoon a great meal, as well as see our friend who is also enjoying being transferred out here. (you are missing out on the sarcasm in my voice, LOL) Joey is a college buddy of ours and now works with Will, and though it sucks being away from family and friends, I am glad to see him and his fiancee from time to time! We are also thinking of joining a gym around the corner because they have "Mommy and Me" workout groups as well as a couple of pools for swimming and "Mommy and Me" swim classes. Even though the little guy is to young to benefit from the swimming, it is something all three of us could do together while Will and I get a bit of a workout! Right now it is pretty cold here, and we have already gotten some snow falls...so hiking is really not desirable right now. We don't live in a good neighborhood for running either, and the park closes at dark...which is when Will gets home! So, this gym sounds like it might be a good place for us to go be active as a family. They also have basketball gyms and all kinds of workout classes! I am planning on checking it out today; if Will gets home early like he hopes we will go together, otherwise me and little guy will give it a going through. Take care!

About our blog

Hi! Will and I (Michelle) thought keeping a blog would be a great way to keep up with friends and family while we are so far away! Our little dude is growing so fast and we know our family is missing him (and us too!). We hope you enjoy our news and pictures and we will do our best to keep it updated.
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