Pictures of my Pumpkin

Today we broke out the camera and to get some pictures of James in his new fall outfit:

Happy Halloween!!

Friday Confessional

I confess...
I had a small setback in my stay at home happiness last week. I found out from a friend that the girl that took over my job just got a bigger office and an assistant...which could have been me had we made different decisions...which made me feel like the world is passing me by and every one else is moving on to bigger and better things while I am stuck at home.

I confess...
Thanks to my awesome husband and friends I got over it pretty quickly. I know we made the right decision for me to stay at home, even though it doesn't feel like it at times. And it is okay for me not to feel all sunshine and gum drops about it all the time. That's life. I can't let the world's definition of success and value interfer with my own perception of my worth or the worth of the work I am doing now. So there! :)

I confess...
It helps that Halloween, my favorite holiday, is coming up soon! I love this time of year, fall festivals, pumpkins, costumes, and spooky music. I reserved a kids halloween music cd from the library and I can't wait for it to come in so James and I can dance around to halloween music.

I confess...
I tried my very first green smoothie yesterday and I am hooked! It tasted soooo good and I felt all so healthy while drinking it. I've decided to try to have one at least every other day and I am going to the produce stand later today to gather supplies. Deliciousness, here I come!

What are you confessing today?

Stand up for Family and good clean laughter!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of American Family Insurance for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Anthony and I love to watch comedies together. Once we find something good, we end up watching it over and over!  We both really love stand up comedy, but it can be really hard to find good clean stand up out there. I can't tell you how many specials we have tried to watch on Netflix and have turned off within a few minutes because of language, etc... I feel like if you need to be crass to be funny, then you really aren't that talented.

If you are like us, and are in search of some good, clean stand up, you should check this out: Stand Up For Family. I just spent the last 20 minutes watching the videos and couldn't stop laughing! It is so refreshing to have comedians talk about real life without taking it down into the gutter. My favorites are definitely the videos by Bill Bellamy, especially this one about Eye Begging:

All his videos remind me of my childhood in some way, especially when he talks about his mom. His mom definitely seems a little tougher than my mom was, but she for sure didn't put up with any nonsense! I like that when I think about my childhood and how I was raised, it reminds me of what kind of parent I want to be. I feel really blessed that I had a good example and a good template to base my parenting on, since I know that it isn't the case for a lot of people.

I'm so glad that AmFam sponsored these videos. I wish that more companies would take a stand for clean fun and family values. When you really think about it, our family relationships shape so much of our life experiences that we need to make them a priority in our lives. I can honestly say that my family are my best friends and I wouldn't want it any other way.

So check out American Family Insurance and enjoy some family-centered comedy!

We've got a tooth!

Ever since James was 4 months old, he has had bouts of being super drooly and cranky. We always wondered, "Could he be teething....", but nothing ever came of it. This past week he has been cranky and even woke up crying in the middle of the night a few times, which he never does. We almost didn't want to ask ourselves if he is teething, because we wondered about it a gagillion times and were wrong, but today we felt the first tooth peeking through! It is hard to get a look at, since the wriggly guy won't stay still and let us look in his mouth for long, bit I happened to catch a glimpse. He is finally getting some teeth!! I can't wait to get those pictures with the toothy smiles!

Also, a few days ago James said his first word! We've been trying to get him to say "mama" or "dada" for awhile, but he usually just laughs at us. The other day we were saying "dada" to him and he actually repeated it on purpose!! He has started doing it much more now and it is so funny to listen to, because he actually uses a different voice when he is trying to "talk" versus just babbling. So cute! I'm not sure that if officially counts as a first word, since he didn't really know what he was saying but we are going with it :)

Saving money with TracFone

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you ever looked at your cell phone bill? I mean, really looked at it. I did the other day and you know what I realized? Last month I spent $10.49 in fees and surcharges! That is $125.88 a year!! We could pay for James' new car seat right there if we didn't have those fees, not to mention the actual cost of our plans. Seriously, if we weren't already in a contract (darn those tempting free upgrades with contract renewals!!) we would be switching and saving some serious money!

If you are interested in saving some money, you should check out TracFone! TracFone offers all the convenience and features you could want in a cell phone with the flexibility of no contracts and different minutes options to fit your own family's needs. No credit check, no activation charges, and no cancelation fees. Awesome, right?  This would also be perfect if you have wanted to get a cell phone for your kids, but didn’t want to mess with additional contracts and fees! I definitely will be doing this with James when he is old enough, it is so affordable!

They also offer great nationwide coverage and brand name phones like Motorola and Samsung. You can choose from more simple phones like mine or fancier smart phones like Anthony’s (he has to have his internet access!). Plus, they have a great selection in both categories for amazing prices!

So many features



The plans are great too. You can pay as you go online, which I think would be a great option for a teenager’s phone, or you can go with the monthly plans: 200 minutes for under $30 or as low as $9.99 for 50 minutes. You can pick and choose what works best for your situation! I’ve had the same contract plan for so long, that having all these options feels so luxurious :)

If you are a cooler person than me and need to make international calls, it’s no problem! You can call over 60 international destinations from your TracFone for no extra cost and they even have an International Neighbors program that lets you give your friends and family in Mexico or Canada a local number in those countries for them to call you in the US. Cool, huh? Now I need to get me some international friends to call…  

Here’s the scoop from some real TracFone customers:
Real TracFone customers

What are you waiting for? Go check it out! 

8 Months Old

My little buddy is 8 months old today! Isn't that amazing? This month literally flew by! Here are some pictures:

 What a cutie! I can't believe how long his limbs look in this picture. He has gotten really good at sitting up and will spend long periods of time just sitting and playing with his toys that are in reach.

 He loves chewing on the clip to this toy. I've even seen him flip it over, looking for the clip before he grabs it. Funny!

 Here he is grabbing another toy that was nearby. He instantly reaches for anything and everything that is near him where ever we go. We went to an aquarium store the other day and he kept reaching for the anemones in the tank. He just wants to touch everything!

 I tried to get him smiling, but the picture always ends up like this :)

 Outtake!!!

The dogs made a noise and he turned to check it out. He is so curious all the time!! He can't hear a noise or sound without trying to investigate what is making it.

New things this month:

• He has started eating cheerios and puffed rice and he LOVES to feed himself. He still lets me feed him purees, but I think he would be happy eating cheerios all the time if I let him. We all get a kick out of watching him feed himself since when he started he was so bad at it and now he shovels it in like a pro!
• He had his first episode of stranger anxiety with my brother when he came to visit and it was adorable and sad at the same time :) He would look at his face with this confusion and then slowly the cry would come over his face and he would stick his bottom lip out. Then he would cry and look around for someone to save him. He has also decided that he is NOT okay with me leaving his side and will cry the second I leave his line of sight. Sometimes I just ignore it, but mostly I just take him with me all around the house and everywhere I go. Anthony said he feels snubbed that he doesn't act the same way towards him. Anthony left the house the other day and told James, "Okay, I'm leaving, you can cry now". Of course, I decided that would be a good time to tickle James so he would laugh. I know. I'm mean :)
• You know how we taught him to make noise when we pat his mouth? He has learned to do it to himself! It is hilarious!! He will just be sitting there and decide to bring his fingers to his mouth and make a wavy noise with it. He was a hit when he did it at the baby class this week. He doesn't say mama or dada, but he learned how to be a ham fast enough!

Happy today!

Today I decided to link up with Mamarazzi's Happy List!

• I am beyond HAPPY that I decided to not do this ridiculous diet anymore! It was so restrictive, that I was craving healthy food, like yogurt and feeling angry that I couldn't have the things I eat on a normal basis (like protein bars and other healthy snacks). Plus, I spent the entire week so carb deprived, that I slugged around the house feeling like I had mono (not that I have ever had it. But, you know, I've heard). So this morning I had puffed kamut and almond milk for breakfast again. It was awesome!!! Welcome back carbs, I missed you :)
• I am HAPPY that it is finally starting to cool down here on the east coast. I've been seeing facebook updates from friends in Gainesville for a few days talking about the nice weather and all I could think was, "Where is it??". Of course, Anthony reminds me that Gainesville is "up north" now :)
• I am also HAPPY that now that I have my energy back (thank goodness!!) I've decided that I am going to do some sort of workout every day of October. This morning I went on a 2.5 mile walk with James to Publix. Day 1 completed!

So what are you happy about today?

What we've been up to

Someone asked me the other day what we've been up to and I had to really think about it to give them an answer. The days just blur into each other you know? I mean, can anyone tell me what happened to September because I can't believe it is over already! Fall is my favorite time of year and I can't wait for it to get a little cooler so that I can spend more time outside without sweating to death. So here is an update of what we've been up to lately.

Last week Anthony and I got to go to the temple for the first time since James was born! It was wonderful. As I was preparing our things in the morning, I realized that I hadn't worn my temple dress for over a year...I tried it on and BOY, that thing did not fit anymore. Sad face. So we got to the temple a little early so I could buy a new one. Luckily I only had to go up one size and I got one with a little more room to grow this time :) My mom drove all the way from Trenton to be our babysitter and she sat with James in the lobby while we were in there. He was so good, I was so proud of him! It was a special visit since we got to do the sealing of Anthony's grandparents and Anthony's mom got to be sealed to them afterwards. It was a precious thing to be a part of. So now that I know it can be done, we are going to try harder to get to the temple with a baby in tow.

Last weekend my brothers and my mom came to visit and we had a blast! On Saturday my Mom and I went to the Relief Society broadcast and got shushed in the chapel since we were talking so much. It reminded me of old times (we like to make fun of the choir's hairdos). Sunday night Ant's parents and niece and nephew came over for his birthday dinner and it was a full house! We had 7 adults, 3 kids, 5 dogs (ours, plus my moms, plus one we are dog sitting), and 1 cat in our house! It was a mad house! Anthony got two cakes as requested and since I am on a diet he is happy as can be to have the leftovers all to himself. His present this year is getting his boat motor fixed so that he can take the boat out fishing. Of course, he wants to take James with him to get him fishing early!

This week has been really low key, just doing my usual cooking, cleaning, making baby food, feeding the baby, going to baby classes at the library, and trying to keep up with all my shows that just started :) James will be 8 months old tomorrow so stay tuned for his 8 months pictures and update!

Tender Moments

This evening was wonderful. Anthony had just left to go fishing with a guy from church, so James and I were alone playing in the living room. I was on the floor with him and James kept looking at me and laughing, like I was the funniest thing he had ever seen! I grabbed him and started "gobbling" him up and he just giggled and giggled and giggled!! He kept putting his hands on my face and laughing, coming closer and closer, like he just couldn't get close enough to me. Later, after his bath, we were sitting the rocking chair and I was reading him scripture stories. He was just sitting on my lap and watching, hugging his blanket and resting his head on my chest and his body into the crook of my arm. Once the story was finished, I just sat there awhile and rocked. I looked down after a minute and his eyes were closed and he had drifted off to sleep, snuggled against me. I rested my head on his head and sat there for another 10 minutes, drinking it in. This must be what heaven feels like. Amazing.

James' new trick

We got this from my mom: every time James would start his "singing" we would tap his mouth to make a wavy sound. It sounded so funny, we couldn't stop doing it! We realized the other day that if we put our hand to his mouth like we are going to tap on it, he immediately starts making noise. Today he would even pull our hand to his mouth so we could do it. Now we can't wait to show everyone his new trick! :)

So Many Swapping Goodies!!

My favorite color swap package from Sara @ Outta this World came today!!!! I had so much fun getting to know this awesome momma and picking out things for her. I seriously feel like I have a new buddy now, only we happen to live across the country :) She picked out the best things for me. Take a look:

 Here is what it looked like when I first opened it up. Such cute packing!!

 Each item was numbered 1-8 and she included a sweet note with little explanations on why she picked each item. Such an awesome idea! It made me wish I had done that :)

Here are all of my treasures laid out:

• a totally cute candle that smells awesome
• a blue picture frame that fits our one family picture from our vacation in the keys perfectly and is already hanging up in the family room
• two pairs of adorable earrings
• a beautiful necklace that I can't wait to wear
• A bottle of blue nail polish. I try to do a little pampering every Friday night when Anthony works late, so this Friday this gets a try. I can't wait to have blue fingernails!
• A bumgenius cloth diaper in snaps!!! I was soooooo excited to get this!!!! We are still cloth diapering part time, but I am thinking of doing it more now that James is getting older and we are getting the hang of things, so an extra diaper is worth its weight in gold!! Seriously, I could have just gotten this in the mail and I would have been ecstatic. Fluffy mail is the best!
• Some flower print fabric that I can't wait to use. I'm thinking of looking up "decorating with fabric" on pinterest to find some ways I can display this like art. It is such a beautiful print!
• A box of pretzel m&m's. If you haven't tried these yet, you should. They are delicious! And not too many calories, considering they are m&ms
• A bag of cookies and cream kisses. Mmmmmm...I'm not going to lie I seriously wanted to rip open the bag and just dive right in as soon as I saw them. I plead the 5th on whether or not I actually did it...

This was so much fun, I had such a great time shopping, getting my package, and best of all making a new friend. Thanks again Sara, you are the greatest! And thanks to Mamarazzi for being such a wonderful host. I can't wait for the next one!

7 Months Old!

The little guy is 7 months old! It feels like so much has happened in the past month. With James starting solid food, it seems like he has really grown and developed along with it. He eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner now and we have started to actually have family dinners where we all sit down at the table and eat. It is so nice! Of course, I don't get to eat mine until James is done, but I like the habit that we are starting. The separation anxiety has started this month. James has really started to notice when we leave the room or when we put him down for a nap and he lets us know that he is not okay with that! I am so glad that we don't share walls with anyone else anymore, otherwise I would be worried about his screams bothering them all the time :) He is also trying so hard to crawl, but he hasn't really gotten the hang of it yet. I don't think he realizes that he can use his feet, so he pushes up on his hands and twirls around in a circle, getting frustrated that he isn't getting anywhere. Also, he is almost sitting up on his own. He can sit by himself for a good 30 seconds, but then he loses his balances and usually falls over to the side.

He is such a sweet baby. He smiles and laughs ALL the time and he flirts with anyone who comes up to him. I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but he does not stay still! He is lightning fast when he grabs at things he wants and he is very determined! He really is such a blessing to our family. He loves to talk and "sing" to himself while he is playing and he has this grunt that he uses when strangers come up to talk to him. I think we are in for a talkative childhood!

7 Month Stats
Weight: 16.4 lbs (16th Percentile)
Height: 25.5 inches (2nd Percentile)

Things he loves at 7 Months: Jumping, rolling, playing with the dogs, grabbing hair, grabbing glasses off of your face, getting tickled, putting toys in his mouth, eating solid food (apples, peaches, squash, carrots, green beans, peas, & spinach), being in the same room as mommy or daddy, riding in the car, going shopping, funny faces, funny noises, blowing raspberries, taking a bath, and going on adventures
Things he hates at 7 Months: Being left alone (even for a second), taking naps, avocados, having his face wiped off, watching other people eat when he doesn't have something to eat, and loud noises like the blender and the vacuum cleaner