Shopping

Yesterday Bella and I went shopping. This is not unusual. I love, love, LOVE to shop, to spend money, buying stuff rocks. What's unusual is that we went to the Moreno Valley Mall and that I bought a bathing suit that I love and feel so good in. I used to go to the Mo.Val Mall all the time when I lived in good ole Perris but after moving to Sun City and then Menifee, Temecula is so much closer and (at the time) so much nicer. Now Temecula is still super nice but I was pleasantly surprised to see that Mo.Val is comin' up. I had been there two weeks before with Chrissy-poo and fam but wasn't paying too much attention. I mean, I noticed it was nicer but I am not very observant these days. Bella and I got there before it opened so we took a quick tour while we waited. It looked really nice and had a bunch of new stores including the best mall shoe store I've seen in awhile. I'm going to be visiting there often I'm sure. Anywho, Victoria Secret finally opened and we went in to investigate the bathing suits. Now, I don't even like shopping for suits when I'm in shape so I was definitely dreading the post-baby trying on. I had been on a diet but as usual, I fell off the wagon. I didn't even attempt a two piece. Instead I opted for a one piece that covered the danger zone (middle of my tummy) but was open in the back and on the sides. Stylish and bit sexy, not frumpy old lady one piece. I grabbed a few sizes and styles and headed back to the fitting rooms, Bella in tow. Best fitting rooms I have ever been in! Big enough that Bella in her stroller could come in and I still had plenty of room and the soft lighting was fabulous! I think I will go try all my clothes on there. I tried on the first suit, so not cute and it made me not want to try on the second. But it was a different style so I made myself. It was great! In no way did I look like Adrianna Lima but I was happy and felt confident. My sister-in-law gave me a gift card that she wasn't going to use the rest of and I had a coupon for 10 bucks off so my lovely bathing suit was....drum roll please...$14.52! AND I got a free tote bag!

A cute, flattering, affordable new bathing suit and a free tote bag? Awesome.

Bella enjoyed her mall trip, getting a teething biscuit all over herself and her dress. It was gross looking and I had a hell of a time cleaning her up but it was her 9 month birthday and she was happy so whatever.

I am busy, busy getting ready for my little sister's baby shower this Saturday. I need to clean, make that scrub the dirtball I call my house, shop for a few last minute items and food and then I'll be ready. I can't wait, it's pirate themed and it's going to be super fun! Arg!

O, O, O!

Check out Matt and Maddy on Oprah today!

Birthday Parties, Easter and More

This weekend was really fun. On Saturday we went down to meet our new friend's Matt and Maddy for Maddy's first birthday party in Los Angeles. I have been looking forward to this since our play date at Griffith Park. Not only to see Matt and Maddy again, but also to see some of the other parents and kids that we met that day. We had such a great time. Talking, laughing, eating and watching Maddy cover herself and any one near her in cake and cupcake frosting. Matt ended up looking like swamp thing with all the green icing on his face courtesy of Maddy, it was awesome. Maddy even had cake on her butt...that's skill people. Bella really wanted some cake but Joe and I decided that we want her first taste of sugary goodness to be on her first birthday, with her own cake. I know, we're mean, whatever. But she enjoyed watching Maddy fling cake everywhere and I think she got some good ideas. Note to self: Let Joe hold Bella while she eats her cake...insert evil laugh here. We even got some pictures with Matt's awesome fortune telling robot but I am at work and my camera is at home and I suck at posting pictures even more then I suck a posting new entries on this thing. But hopefully I will remember to put up a few pictures for your viewing pleasure. We stayed for awhile and would have stayed longer but we ran out of bottles (Joe packed the food) so we had to call it a night and head back. I can't say it enough about how cool and nice that Matt is and his family and all the people we met there..some for the first time, others the second. I can't wait to get together again.

Sunday was Easter and we headed over to Joe's grandparent's house for the usual family get together. Yummy food, family time and an egg fight. Egg fight? It's not what it sounds like. Every person puts in 3 bucks and chooses a hard boiled egg from the basket (decorated by Oma with color pencil drawings, classic!). After the money has been collected and weapons chosen, the "fight" begins. Each person finds a partner and hits their egg (using the dull side, not the pointy) with the other person's egg. The person who's egg cracks, loses and the one who's egg did not moves on to the next round. It goes that way til their is only one egg left and the owner of super egg wins all the money. I did not win. I almost won last year. Joe's Opa and his twin cousins are good at this game and one of them wins ever year. I smell a cheater. Opa won this year and promised his winnings to one of the twins. It was a good pot too...65 smackers. I was sad to see go. I got a lil sunburned but the weather was so nice that I don't mind. Bella's Grandma made her a great Easter basket, Auntie Loekie bought her her adorable Easter dress, her Auntie Ginger and Uncle Tony got her a singing rabbit and we got her a cool toy. She also had her very first egg hunt. She picked up the eggs and even dropped each one into the basket! Sigh...someone is growing up.

We had a few drama moments this weekend but it seems that they have passed. All in all our weekend was filled with fun things and great people. I hope yours was too!

I got sad on Saturday, thinking about a two people who should have been at Maddy's party: Maddy's mom Liz and Maddy's buddy Maddie. But I think that they were there in spirit, singing and laughing right along with us. Maddie's service is tomorrow and I'm going to go and give my love and support to the Spohrs and their family. It's going to be a tough day. Please add them to your prayers.

Heartbreaking

Today is my three year wedding anniversary but that's not what I'm going to write about. I can't, it's not where my mind is at this moment.
I wrote about a play date that I went to last month, the great time I had, the great people I met. One person was a woman named Heather and her daughter, 15 month old Madeline. We chatted, the kids played, she let me follow her from the play date to the freeway so I would get home and not end up in lord knows where. We had exchanged e-mail addresses and blog sites and began to talk a bit. I really like her. She's smart and funny...her blog cracks me up. And Maddie, well that little beauty has the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen and a great smile to top it all off. Maddie was premature so when we met her, she actually weighed a lil less then Bella did but that's pretty normal I've heard. Anywho, reading blogs (hers included) is part of my morning routine but I didn't get on yesterday because I was out and about with friends. I got on this morning and the page loaded where all the updates are of the blogs I read and I see the first part of a post on Heather's blog and it was a friend posting...Maddie had gotten sick (there was a post from Monday afternoon that I didn't see) and had passed away yesterday. I couldn't believe it. I kept trying to refresh my page and was getting so angry that it was taking forever, I threw my mouse. I just knew I had read it wrong. God how I wish that was true. I am utterly heartbroken for her and her family. Parents aren't supposed to bury their children, it's not right. I know Death happens everyday but when a child dies...I have no words to express the sorrow and anguish that that must feel like. I'm not going to say that I understand because in no way do I, but my heart still aches for her. I am a mother and the thought of losing Bella makes me sick, physically ill. I can't seem to concentrate today, my thoughts as well as my prayers are with the Spohrs today and will be for awhile. I ask that whoever reads this, please keep them in your prayers for awhile. Pray that they are given the strength to go through this tragedy, that they can come out in one piece although they will go to pieces many times throughout... that somehow/someday they find peace. Her site is down, I'm sure because of so many going to the page but it's on my blogs that I follow: thespohrsaremultiplying.com. They are big advocates for the March of Dimes (a very worthwhile cause) and have asked for donations to them in lieu of flowers. If you can, that would be fabulous but the prayers are just as good. R.I.P. Madeline Alice Spohr It was a pleasure to have met you little one...you will be missed.

Workin' Out and New Arrivals for Bella

I've done it! I have stuck to my diet and exercise plan and get this: I lost 3 lbs! I am officially back at my pre-pre-pregnancy weight! I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked down (warily and hopefully) at the scale on Tuesday. I weighed myself three times just to be sure. I highly doubt that I will lose 3 lbs every week but I must say that seeing that really helped keep me motivated. It was my pat on the back, great job, keep it up. So I have and I will. I still have a long road ahead. Yes, the weight is gone but the mush is not. It's time to tone, tone, tone! You here me poochy belly? Love handles? Don't even get me started on you thighs! You're all going down and firmin' up! Ok, enough about me and my body fights. :)

Bella has some new accessories! Joe came into our bathroom where I was getting ready last Saturday, carrying Bella Boo and said: "My mom called and said spring has sprung for Bella." I looked at him all weird and said: "What the hell are you talking about?" His mom noticed yesterday while she was watching her that her two bottom teeth were starting to pop up! His mom was waiting for us to find them but was too excited. I was thrilled! She didn't really let us in there too much or too long (sore and all) but there they were. Sharp little suckers too. My baby is growing up...sigh. When they come in I will be sure to post some pics. So we decided it was time to move her to stage 3 baby foods. They are chunkier...made for big girls :( She loves it. That and those puffs and yogurt melts. She gets all excited and makes the funniest noises. I love that kid.

Anywho, I hadn't blogged in awhile so I thought I'd get on here and bore you some more. :D

Here I go again!

While I was pregnant, I ate what I wanted. This meant anything sweet. Cookies and ice cream were favorites but I didn't discriminate. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and thought, "I'll think about it after I have her." Well, fast forward 8 months (on Saturday) and after is here. Actually, it's like after, after. I am at my pre-preggo weight which is not to be confused with my pre-pre-preggo weight. Let me explain: Joe and I were trying to get pregnant to no avail. After the third unsuccessful month (not too long, I know, but felt like forever to us: sperm+ egg= baby right?) Bestie Jenn suggested that maybe I was exercising too hard and that I might want to consider toning it down. So I did, but I went to the extreme and just quit so I gained a few pounds. The next month I got pregnant. Bella thanks you for that by the way Jenn :) Anywho, the point is this: I did lose the weight without really trying. I hope to god that doesn't sound like boasting because I know that I got lucky and totally appreciate it. I eat ok,not too much junk and sporadically exercise. I just never got motivated. Til yesterday.

Yesterday I got up and a few hours into my day decided that I wanted to do my 30-day Shred tape. This is how it usually starts. I get a wild hair up my butt, exercise for a day or two along with eating better and then I fizz out. As I was exercising (in my sports bra and work out pants, ahh!) and in plank pose, my eyes happened to wander down to my belly. Holy.Crap. There it was in all it's stretched out glory. It was on from then. I decided right then and there that my belly was on it's way out. Along with all the other weight that decided to settle in places it wasn't invited to, how rude right? I am officially on a diet and will be exercising 6 days a week with one rest day (Sunday). My goal is to be nice and fit by Bella's first birthday in July. I can do it....right? I'll post in here how I'm doing. Maybe that will also keep me motivated.

Summertime here I come!

Bella's Rough Day

Bella Boo had a rough day yesterday. She woke up just miserable. Crusty, green boogie nose, barking cough that every time she coughed she cried because it hurt, so congested in her chest a fever of 100.8 and her voice was so raspy she could hardly cry. Luckily, I had made her a Dr. appointment the day before to make sure her ear infection was gone. So off to the Doctor we went. After waiting a bit and unable to convince Bella to eat her second bottle, the Doc came in and checked her out. He came to this conclusion: Bella had a head cold and croup. And there really isn't anything we can do about it except try to keep her comfortable. Ok, I can do that and that's what we did. She slept for awhile and ate her whole bottle when she got up. She seemed in good spirits , so we played for awhile. She can now pull herself up and was holding onto the couch when she fell. Right on her face. She howled and I picked her up and tried to comfort her. Joe went to get the mail and I looked at the clock and realized she needed to eat again. I put her down and walked into the kitchen to make her a bottle. She was still crying and started crying even harder and crawled towards me. I scooped her her up and said "it's ok, I'll hold you and make your bottle baby." She continued to sob as I made the bottle. I looked down and there was blood running down her face, covering her chin. I. freaked. out. I yelled for Joe to get his butt in the house and he came running through the door. I told him to get me wipes, then a rag as I tried to clean off the blood and see where it was coming from. Bella was screaming and throwing her head back so we couldn't see anything. I'm trying to hold myself together, be the mom, not cry but man it was hard. Joe called his sister who's a nurse who suggested we let Bella calm down and then try to look again in a few minutes. That kinda worked and we briefly saw that there was a small gash on the inside of her top lip where that thingy attaches your lip to your gums. We also called the dr. and he said to watch it but if it had already stopped bleeding then it would be fine. Mouths heal very fast. She had a bottle after that and knocked out from all the drama. I was wiped too. I had blood on me, Bella had blood on her pj's and while i was cleaning up, I saw her binky covered in blood.
Later that night, I steamed up the bathroom and gave her a bath for 15-20 minutes.Then, I rubbed her in with Baby Vicks, gave her baby motrin, feed her her bottle and put her to bed with her humidifier on. She woke up a few times last night and at 6 am (an hour earlier then usual) she was hysterical and wanted up. She's a bit better though, so I'm glad. I hope this passes soon, the dr. said 2-4 days. Poor kid.