A Waste

Both of these cottages are at the bottom of the street... They are not occupied and are in shambles... I look at them and think of their potential. A house on the water, your own private beach

Table for Two?

I'll take this table, a bottle of wine and some company!

G.I. Baby

My nephew is usually at Whisper Park Daycare, i.e. my parent's house, all week while my sister is at work. This gives me lots of time with him since I am here visiting until the hubby returns from deployment. Yesterday was a dad & L day since his daddy had the day off... This morning he arrives with not only a new tooth, but he is starting to crawl!!! I walked into the living room to find him under the coffee table, a couple of feet from where we left him not 5 minutes before. The nephew will be known as GI Baby from here on out.

In addition to the tooth and the crawling, he is trying to walk & has successfully mastered grabbing the bottle, holding the bottle & putting down the bottle. Unfortuntately, he only puts down the bottle when he notices Bean's binky in Bean's mouth. Then GI Baby's mission is to take the binky for himself... Too bad Aunty isn't on team GI Baby, I am on team Bean. This morning we were able to protect the binky and procure another to satisfy GI Baby's mission to take over all things baby at Whisper Park.

One last funny moment from the nephew files... My father came in looking for GI Baby. I let him know it was nap time. This was followed by a laugh outside the bedroom. Apparently GI Baby was practicing for his next mission... He is mastering the art of hiding in a fox hole.

Funny Faces

We have hit the 7 week mark. Bean's personality is showing more and more. He is smiling when he sees me not just because his stomach bubbles. I have been able to capture most moments, but sometimes he goes to the 'all business' face when he sees that dang camera. Here are some cute recent pics:


This is the 'all business' face

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This is the, 'I think you are full of it' face. I think he is channeling his dad when he makes this face. I knew he'd make this face when I was pregnant with him. He's lucky it is so cute, for now...

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I think he saw something shiney in this picture, or he heard baby-zilla (his cousin) near him.

Smiles for Mommy

He could ask for a pony and I would say yes. Well, I would say yes while still in a drunken mommy love daze after one of his little grins! Daddy will probably conspire with him to smile at mommy, have him say 'I love you', and end it with 'Can we go get that new flat screen TV?' I am already one step ahead of their potential plotting.

Happy Birthday Grammy Lou!

Happy birthday to the best Grammy Lou & MIL that this family could ask for!!!

Mommy Lesson - Potty Humor

I am learning every day under the instruction of one tough, but very cute master. I will apologize before I go on. For those with weak stomachs or those that have not experienced all things related to diapers, please ignore this post.

The other night I was shocked to learn of the strong smell that can come from such a little person. Horrified. Disgusted. Shocked. I opened the door to his room and can't even begin to describe the smell. Sweet baby Jesus... I was sure that which caused the smell would turn my stomach, make me gag, and give me nightmares. I was happily disappointed. On one hand I was happy that I was not going to be up scrubbing the room and my skin into the wee hours of the morning. On the other hand I am shocked at how odoriferous my son is.

Gassy little bugger, he is already making men proud! I suppose this is what we get for calling him bean.

Becareful When Opening My Husband's Emails

Being able to email your husband daily while he is away is such a wonderful gift. Your husband forwarding emails without sanitizing them before, not so wonderful.

My MIL asked if I had seen the email JR forwarded to family and friends. I had emailed him a very precious picture of Connor smiling. No problem. However, I had also written how much I missed him and that he was in trouble when he got home, blah, blah, blah... It was a little risky, but not so bad. This is his Navy email after all. She laughed about it and loved seeing how much I love her son.

This email snafu follows the post birth picture of Connor being sent out to all by my husband... Again, the picture was not the problem... It was that you could see Connor attached to his umbilical cord attached to me.

Awesome! It is pretty humorous, and I did laugh it off. If don't have a sense of humour about yourself, what can you really laugh at and enjoy? I do hope that his family and friends know that I only find out about these emails after they have happened...

I Spy

A duck


What do you see?

Manic Monday

Is there something you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?
Going to Italy and Greece. We had it planned, but then the wedding was planned sooner, followed by the husband's Navy schedule & the birth of Bean. We'll get there though!

If you could make any fictional character come to life, which one would it be?
Mr. Magoriuman because he believes anything is possible... I just watched the movie and it's all I have.

If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?
A furniture store since we will be furnishing a new home in 3 months... Maybe Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn. Then I could spend the extra on decor, if any was left that is...

Name three things you wanted as a child but never got.
I honestly can't think of anything... Not that I was spoiled, but I was happy with what we had... My mother, who is sitting near by, said that I should say "my parents were wonderful and got us everything we wanted..." True, but again because we were happy with what we had not because we were spoiled rotten. But if I had to say...
(1) A go kart
(2) Kangaroo sneakers
(3) Curly hair

I'm Smitten!

It just melts my heart when I see Bean smile! Catching it today on camera made my day. Not only do I have the picture to look at constantly, but I can share it with Mr. E, who is currently in the Baltic.

Other happy moments in pictures...



I love this little guy! He is getting so big and changing every day. Close up is courtesy of one very talented friend / photographer extrodinaire!


Quality time for the cousins... Landon is actually trying to soothe his cousin's cries with a pat on the head. He resorted to sticking his thumb in Bean's mouth. It happened so quick. Thank goodness we had the camera standing by. The innocence and compasion shown by one 6 month old boy was such a precious moment! He succeeded, Bean stopped crying.


Now this little chunka-munka is getting big! I am going to miss my nephew more than anyone can imagine come December. We start the love for Red Sox early in this family! As for the other picture, I wish I could sleep this comfortably anywhere...


Mamas and their boys!

Around My Hood

I decided to play photographer on a recent walk through the neighborhood. This is why I am a flip-flop wearing, summer loving, laid back beach kind of gal!

Our view... Such a relaxing way to start, spend, end the day!


What more do you need in a summer cottage on the water? This cottage is down the street from us. I just love it. With this location, being inside would be a sin!


I'd take this house!!! Sadly it hasn't been occupied for as long as I can remember, if ever... Condemned. Construction unfinished.

In Between

The maternity clothes are just a bit loose, and I am officially over them. For now anyway... My pre-pregnancy clothes are, well, it's just depressing trying to put them on. I'm close, just one size away, but it seems so far away. So I did purchase a couple of pairs of pants, shorts and tees to get me through the summer and early fall. No need to purchase a new wardrobe when (A) I have everything I need in storage and (B) I am no longer an office going mama.

To aid in this process, I have officially started exercising since Bean's arrival. It is time. I have 1 mama & me yoga dvd which is sooo cute. There is a 15 minute session dedicated to stretching & massaging the baby. It makes me want to find a mama & me yoga class. Also on my agenda, running & swimming... I would like to get back in to triatholon shape again.

One step at a time though...

Nursery Rhymes According to G-Pa

G-pa, which is what my father is officially known as, sings his own version of some popular songs to the boys.

1. Originally: Row, row, row your boat. Now: Row, row, row, my boat
2. Originally: Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Now: G-Pa loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so...

It is pretty humorous.

One day

He will not need me to do everything for him.
He will not think mommy knows everything.
He will not want all mommy's kisses.
He will not think I'm as cool as his friends.
He will walk out the door and not need mom to come with him.
He will have me drop him off a block from school.

Until then I am going to eat up every minute of being the coolest person around, at least the coolest person to one very special little boy. A decision has been reached, but only after many emails with the husband, talks with other moms, weighing the pros and cons, a bit of obsessing on my part, and working out a budget. I was worried about cutting out a portion of the income and putting the workload completely on my husband. Mr.E was worried about asking me to put my career on hold. The bottom line is that Connor is our priority. So, I am changing jobs. Once a information security analyst, now a domestic engineer.

To stay home or not to stay home

That is the question.

My flexible, work-from-home job has changed to full time, work-from-home-most-days, office some days, and some travel type job... It will be a floater office. So when I move, my office moves to the nearest company location. Luckily there is an office very close to most military bases. So now we are contemplating, I am obsessing, over the following:

- Can we afford it?
- Do we want to put Connor in day care? Mr.E does not want him in day care full time, and I agree. I am also looking forward to being around for the year of firsts...
- Do we want a nanny? Very expensive and Mr.E does not want someone else raising our son. Can't blame him. I want to be numero uno.
- Do we want to cut out a good portion of our income? We can, but do we want to...
- Do I want a high stress job at this point? Not really. Been there, done that, over that.
- Family comes first, hands down... After that, my career must come second to Mr.E's career. There is just isn't an option with the Navy.
- Do I really want to travel, even if minimally? Travelling back to the Boston area isn't so bad. The baby can go to the grand parents while I'm off to work.
- Should I just focus back on school? Now may be a good time to focus on a Master's. I can do that part time.

I really hate decisions. I worry to much about doing the right thing. So I've emailed Mr.E about 50 times with questions and budget sheets. I just can't wait until he is in port and we can talk... I've played with all the numbers, even factoring in what the house in VA will cost and the new car we are getting this fall. It is certainly doable. So for the next few years I may become a domestic engineer. Maybe...

Effects of a weak dollar

Knowing that Norway was to be a port visit on my husband's schedule, I asked him to pick up a certain Norwegian sweater for me while there. So he called today describing the different sweaters. During the conversation he let it slip just how expensive they were. Now, I knew that they were a little pricey... When my father was there several years ago, the sweaters were just under $200. I figured I'd get a new one... Thanks to a weak dollar that one sweater was now just under $400... FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS!!! I told him to put the sweater down and walk away. This wasn't even the water resistent, lined sweater used for skiing. That was $600.

Sweet baby Jesus... Do you know what one can do with $400?
1. Buy 178 medium sized coffees from Dunkin Donuts
2. Fill up a medium sized SUV 7.5 times
3. Buy a plane ticket to see the inlaws
4. Get 14 mani/pedis, that is 1/2 a year of mani/pedis
5. Get 6 facials
6. Get 6 massages
7. Go away for an evening
8. Almost buy a kayak
9. Order 40 pizzas
10. See 40 movies

So I'll hold off. Besides I think there is a shop here in town that sells them for less than 1/2 that. Four hunderd dollars... I'm still in shock.

Imrpovising

My hubby sent me his version of our first family picture. It certainly made me smile. We are definitely trying to make the best out of a not so ideal situation. We are 1/3 of the way through this deployment. Early December won't be here soon enough, yet it will be here before we know it... I almost feel like I am watching the clock on the wall tick away. Yet life with a newborn is flying by.

Speaking of flying by, 4 weeks ago today at this time actually (Tuesday, July 8th 12:40am) I was settling into my hospital room after giving birth to the little man. I cannot believe it has been 4 weeks. My world has changed so completely. I never could have imagined how much it was to change on July 7th. I had been told, and I had figured "yeah I know". I didn't know though. What a wonderful change it has been though!

Beach Baby

Well we tried to make it to the beach today, but in mommy's never ending need to keep things neat it wasn't meant to be. Not for Connor anyway. Chores have gone from dishes, laundry, and straightening up to feeding, changing, play time, nap time, clean living room, bedroom, bathroom, office, kitchen, feeding, changing, nap time, lunch for mom, laundry, and dishes again... So getting out of the house quickly is not really an option these days. All of this brought us to about 2pm and the next feeding was to be 3:30.

However, we dressed the part and he is certainly a cute beach baby!!! So we'll get there eventually.