Sunday, March 25, 2012

Happy 22 months to Julianna!

Julianna is 22 months old this week. I can't believe it. My baby belle is almost 2 years old! 
 I just love & adore my baby girl more than any words can ever express! Happy 22 months sweetie! 
(Due to time constraints, I will post some milestones for next month's post, when she turns 23 months) 








Friday, March 23, 2012

What's been going on?

This week is a very busy week for me, and I am kind of short on time... so I am posting ahead a few things to keep me going! Here's what we've been up to and some of my commentary about the past week ...

Sports
Good:  Andy Pettite is coming out of retirement and back with my NY Yankees. Super lovin' it!
"WTH?":  Tim Tebow to the NY Jets? Really?? Glad I'm a Giants fan. What a cluster.
Maybe OK:  NY Knicks are winning since coach D'Antoni resigned. Coincidence? Hmmmm?

Weather
It's late March in NJ. It has been averaging around 70 degrees & sunny lately. What in the world is going on with Mother Nature? I will take it - don't get me wrong. I love love love this weather. The trees are budding 3-4 weeks earlier than normal. We have green grass coming in and flowers! Crrrrraaazzy stuff! Bring it on. We have been outdoors as much as humanly possibly lately. It's great!!

Work 
I had to go away overnight for work and man do I miss Julianna and my husband. I would rather be home snuggling with my family instead of a lonely hotel room. I hate being away from home. Luckily it's only once a year ...Sigh... Well at least I get to catch up on some blogging and blog reading.



Here's what we've been up to lately... 



Headed to the "free" Trailside Nature & Science Center 


Discovered the big fish in the tanks 


Played in the Discovery room 


Made a new friend 


Thought about the amazing day we were having 


Pet some wall animals 


Watched birds 


Sat for story time (lasted about 2 minutes)


Had a meltdown when it was time to go


Played on the new slide


Looked pretty 


Played on the new slide til dusk


Went for a walk with Mommy & Nana 


Snuck a kiss while we walked!


Also -
We had dinner out Friday & Saturday...
We went to the local park for an hour or so ...
We grilled steaks & hotdogs ...
We had Nana over to the house ...
Brian installed our DVD player in the car ...
Julianna approved the DVD player ...


What great things did you do this week? 



Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday

Yeah, it's Wednesday ... and it's almost wordless.


Waiting for daddy to come back inside ... patiently with her beloved stuffed animals in hand. 


Just love her big pretty eyes! 


Hi Mama!


Enjoy your day! 


Sunday, March 18, 2012

Picnic at the park

Last weekend was wonderful. Yeah, I am a week behind on things! Brian and I went to our normal "Friday night Family dinner" at Franks Pizza by our house. Oh and, yeah, we took away the binkie successfully this weekend. It's gone forever. In case you missed it, read about it HERE.

Saturday was cold (45 degrees). What a perfect day for shopping. "Sleeper Sofa" shopping to be exact. We were "those" people in the furniture store. We shopped while our cave-kid ran all over and climbed all over the showroom furniture and squealed. She even threw in a meltdown too. We got "the stare" from everyone. We couldn't wait to pick something out, grab our jumping bean kid, and get out of there Haha!
Saturday night, we took Nana (my mom) out to dinner and had a nice meal at Applebees. It's not gourmet, but hey, it's kid friendly. We like it.

Sunday was a much warmer day- about 62 degrees. So we packed up Pepper (our dog), Julianna and lunch ... and went to the dog park first. Then we drove to a local county park (Schooley's Mountain Park) for a picnic lunch. We spread out a blanket on the grass and ate lunch - Julianna ran around and explored everywhere. It was so fun seeing her investigate. Everything is so new to her. We ate lunch, and then wandered around with Pepper-dog and Julianna. We walked down to the playground where Julianna made friends with 3 year old twins. It was such a beautiful day and a fun afternoon to say the least!


Hey now, you're a rock star.......


And she knows it... 


Eating snacks with Daddy ... Mmmm apples & carrots 


Julianna loves apples 


Daddy running with Pepper to see Julianna


Julianna stealing some more snacks 


Julianna checking out the 3 year old boy on the jungle gym


Some guy blowing enormous bubbles to entertain the kids with 


Daddy pretending he was a monkey hanging upside down (We're lucky that didn't end with a trip to the E.R.) 


"You lookin for me?"


My pretty baby


Rare Mommy & Daughter picture. {Very rare}




Friday, March 16, 2012

The "Eyes" of March

Project 52 - Week 11 - The Eyes of March 

I skipped the last 2 weeks of the "My 3 BoybariansProject 52 challenge for the simple reason that I couldn't come up with anything creative to shoot for those 2 themes. This week's theme was easy. The weather has been fabulous here, so we went to the park on Sunday for a picnic... and I was able to take a bunch of fun pictures! (I'll post more on Sunday).


Julianna's new sunglasses that she is obsessed with!



project 52 p52 weekly photo challenge my3boybarians.com



Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Spring Ahead - Wordless Wednesday

Spring is most definitely here. New Jersey is the new Florida. Bring it on!







Monday, March 12, 2012

We are now binky-less! Hoorah!

We did it. It's 100% full-fledged official! We are completely without the Binkie at 21 months old. For those of you that don't know, we decided to take away Julianna's binkie this past weekend. Julianna was very reliant on it and we felt she was getting to old and it was our time to do it. This was a long time coming and I was beyond terrified to do it. Let me tell you - it was a thousand million times easier than I ever imagined.

Friday night, Brian and I did not let Julianna have her binkie at all. We went to dinner and she did fine. She did not ask for it once. (wow!) We went home and put her to bed. Then she started crying and begged for it. That was the absolute hardest thing to do. She was putting her arms through the slats of the crib crying for "Mama & Daddy" and her "Shweee-weee" (Binkie) with big sad pitiful eyes. It killed us to walk out but we had to. It was time. She cried for about 2 minutes and fell asleep. YUP, that was it. Two whole minutes of crying.

She did not wake up crying at night at all. She asked for it in the morning but did not push the issue, and got distracted by something else. Smooth sailing from there... the rest of the weekend was cake. Bedtime on Saturday night went without a hitch. She went right to sleep like a normal night. Yeeehaw! Binkie is gone!

For any other mama out there that is in the same situation that we were, and you are ready to take away the binkie, don't be scared. You can do it too! Three words for you. Don't be scared. Our immense fear of what would happen 'when', kept us from taking it away from her for a long time! I think the binkie was our crutch even more than it was Julianna's crutch. She relied on it all day - and we relied on it to soothe her and keep her calm. I always knew she would not go to college with a binkie, but never thought about when or how to take it away.


How we did it

  • We decided to do it cold turkey. I did briefly try to explain to Julianna about the Binkie fairy - but she could care less. That 'theory' might work better for older toddlers. (The 'Binkie Fairy theory' is where the fairy comes in the middle of the night to collect all the binkies and bring them to newborn babies who need them). 
  • We planned this 'Bye-Bye to Binkie' on a full weekend where no one was visiting and nothing 'out of the norm' was going on. . 
  • Julianna had a "Binkie Basket" where her assortment of binkies were kept. That basket was kept up on top of a shelf in the kitchen. This was her spot where she would stand asking/begging for her binkies for the last few months. (and we would always give it to her of course). Well, on Friday, I removed the baskets and hid them, and threw out the binkies. No.Going.Back.  
  • We followed her normal nightly routine and put her to bed. She asked & cried for it but we did not give in. Brian and I stood strong. No.Going.Back. 
  • Distraction ... Distraction ... Distraction. Any time she asked her binkie, we {ignored her} and then distracted her with something else, and she easily followed our lead.


Overall - taking away the binkie was much much easier than we ever thought. I can't believe we let our fear control us like we did for so long. I would have done this months ago if I knew it was going to be this easy! We had one sucky night. That's it! And only a few bad minutes of crying. Phhhhhttttt .... Not terrible! 

One downside - Julianna is sticking her fingers in her mouth more now (as seen below). My guess is, she is just compensating for her binkie being gone. Kind of like when an x-smoker turns to major gum-chewing to make up for that "fix". I think that will go away in a few weeks.... 







Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Binkie. Spring. Weight Loss. Cave Kid.

So this is one of those weeks where I have a few things going on, and I'm going to lump it into one post here!

Bye-Bye Binkie
We have a big weekend coming up. It will go down in history as "The weekend we rid Julianna of the Binkie!" {hopefully}. This child loves her Binkie. She is addicted to it. At 21 months, we feel it is starting to affect her speech possibly... and not to mention the obvious, she's just getting too old (in my opinion). She (we) need to stop being so dependent on it. I will be the first to admit, we created this mess. We never limited her at all - and now we are paying dearly. I am so terrified to take it away but we think it's the right time. It will be a rough couple of days, but I think in the end, it will be worth it! I have always heard it is more of a crutch for mommy & daddy (safety net) and 'they' might be right. We might suffer worse than her! I'll keep you all updated. Wish us luck. We are planning a full weekend of total distractions to get her mind off the "B: word!

Spring is here (sort of) 
I know it's not spring technically. But Mother Nature clearly has other plans. This week, we are supposed to hit 68 degrees. In March. I'll take it. I see Robins and Cardinals all over. I guess no one told them it's still Winter. This weekend, the clocks are getting pushed ahead, and to me that means Spring is here too! I love getting out of work and having a few hours of daylight. Yeah baby!  Spring training baseball has started. This also signifies spring in a huge way for me! Go Yankees.

Weight Loss Update
So I mentioned a while back, around the New Year that my husband and I were going to start eating better and following Weight Watchers. Well, it is now the beginning of March and I have lost 14 lbs. This is a big accomplishment for me. I still have a long. way. to. go.    But - so far so good. My husband is also doing very well with his weight loss. We are feeding off each other - and are each other's support system. That helps sooo much! If I keep going this way, I should be down 30 by summer. Yeeehawww. Certainly not even close to bikini weight (which I already have accepted that I will never put one on again as long as I live)... but it will give me the courage to go to the pool/beach and not feel humiliated by how I look, and actually not be mortified out in public thinking everyone is staring at me wondering why the fat chick is eating ice cream.

Happiest Toddler on the Block: (How to Eliminate Tantrums and Raise a Patient, Respectful, and Cooperative One- to Four-Year-Old)
I just started reading the "Happiest Toddler on the Block" book. I really liked "Happiest Baby on the Block" when Julianna was an infant. It helped us get through that infamous "witching hour" that most babies go through. So now that Julianna is 21 (almost 22) months old... she is hitting that stage where it's so up & down... hot & cold all the time. Happy one minute, whiny and end of the world the next minute. Well, you know how it is.

Overall, I feel Julianna is a pretty happy kid - but let's face it, she is of "that age" where things can become difficult very fast. This book so far is giving me some great ideas & ways to handle those "difficult" times (since I am pretty much clueless). I am not one of those people that raised 15 brothers & sisters or nieces & nephews... I came into parenthood clueless. And yes, I have learned a lot, but for me, I need textbook guidance on some things. I am a huge researcher. I'll let you know how it's going.

So far, my favorite line in the beginning of the book is this: "Toddlers aren't mini-adults, or even mini-big kids. They're more like uncivilized cave-kids."  Now that's classic. And heck yeah, it fits. So anyway, this book then goes on to guide you on how to deal with your cave kid. I even nick-named Julianna: Cave Kid. I like it.


Julianna (cave kid) loves the park. I can't wait until it gets warmer so we can go after work every night! 
She is very un-cave-kid-like outdoors. I think she gets bored inside our teeny little house. Hell, I know I do!


Running at the park. Soon we can go without coats hopefully! 


I love this Mickey Mouse shirt we got for her at Target. It has a sequin bow-tie. I mean, really, how cute can you get?!


Mmmmm Cheerios. 


Julianna loves to sit on top of our ottomans and eat her Cheerios in the morning... while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (when Mommy & Daddy get ready for work). 


 Steal of the Century. I bought this tunnel/tent combo set at Kohls the other day for 7.99 on clearance. (And an additional 20% off and 15% off! It was almost free!). Julianna was weary of the tunnel at first because she did not know what to do... but then she figured out she had to climb through it. She only did it once, but we plan on breaking this out this weekend and setting up the tent! Can't wait! 

This is what it looks like: 






Saturday, March 3, 2012

Eleven ... Once' ... Onze ... Undici ...Elva

Eleven. For those of you (like me) that require Google Translator to know what those words are up there in my title, they are the word "Eleven" translated into Spanish, French, Italian and Swedish.

Why Eleven? 
I got tagged by Rachel over at "In my Life, I love you More" - I need to answer 11 questions, create 11 new questions and tag some friends, and mention 11 random things about myself. Phewww. That's a lot. I better get going on this for the weekend!  This is pretty cool, and since I took zero pictures for my Project 52 this week, I will post this as a nice change-up...

There are 6 rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself & 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the 11 questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog and tell them you've tagged them.
6. No saying, "If you are reading this, you're tagged."


11 Random things about me
  1. My daughter and my husband complete my life (yeah, I know that is sooo Jerry McGuire, but too bad, it's true!)
  2. I am the world's biggest NY Yankees fan. I live for baseball season & don't miss a game! 
  3. I am a computer & tech gadget geek. (including my blackberry which I can't live without!) 
  4. I love my hair 
  5. Can't live without my Clinique moisturizer and MAC Lip gloss
  6. I'm a Law & Order junky. The original & SVU. 
  7. I will NEVER drive a Mini-van. Never. Ever. Never. . 
  8. I have lived in NJ for almost all of my 41 years. 
  9. My favorite food - Italian anything. 
  10. My dream job (if money were not a concern) would be either a Ski Instructor or Bird Rehabilitation (Ornithologist). Or perhaps a newborn photographer. hehe.
  11. I used to hate kids. I never wanted kids. I changed my mind after I got married and still wasn't convinced it was for me until I actually gave birth. I "used to be" one of "those" that would give screaming kids mother's a dirty look in the store or restaurant. Well - Kharma got my ass back (in a good way) LOL. Because now I love kids. I love my own more than anything in the world (goes without saying), and I love all other babies & children. It's like I'm this new improved model of what used to be Skye! I now am sympathetic to that screaming child's mom (or dad) in the store or restaurant. AND if anyone gives them or me with my kid, a dirty look, I shoot the look right back and then say out loud  "If you don't want screaming kids, then don't come to a family restaurant". Talk about doing a turnaround! haha! I can honestly say, I wish I did not wait so long to have my daughter. I wish I would have done it sooner. I now know if we never had her, that I would have been missing out on the absolute best thing in my entire life. I would have never felt that joy & unimaginable passion that takes over your heart & soul as a parent. 
Well #11 was kinda long- sorry! 


11 Questions from Rachel to me: 

1. If you could choose one food that you could eat for the rest of your life with reckless abandon and never gain an ounce from it, what would it be? 
Pizza.

2. What is the most memorable book you’ve ever read? (Alternately, which book that you’ve read has made the biggest impact on your life?) I read this book after I had Julianna and it broke my heart. I can't imagine any father having to go through this kind of loss. But the ending of the book, and how it turned out is very incredible. Sad book but it was a fabulous read since it was a true story - Two Kisses For Maddie - by Matt Logelin. 
I am going to add a 2nd book that changed me earlier in life. This was my favorite book from my pre-teen  years- I still remember it as being the greatest book and I can't wait for my daughter to reach the age where she can enjoy this book as I did - Are you there God, It's me Margaret -  by Judy Bloom. 

3. What is your favorite vacation you’ve ever taken? My 11 day trip to St Lucia for our honeymoon. Hands down. Here is my post with pictures about it: Honeymoon

4. What is your favorite article of clothing that you own? (Bonus points for posting a picture of you wearing it!) Hmmm. I can't say I have a favorite article of clothing b/c I don't care for the way I look in anything. Oh wait, I know, It's my Yankees ball cap!! :)  And here is my bonus picture: 
















5. What blogger that you’ve never met do you think would be your BFF in real life and why? Tough choice because I love so many of my bloggy friends out there! But I would say, Karli from the Bonnie 5! She's cool peeps! We've had some fun offline conversations. 

6. What is the next trip you plan to take? Charleston, SC 

7. If you could spend the day with one person, living or dead, who would it be? Bill Gates. 

8. Have you ever eaten a bug, by accident or on purpose? Probably 

9. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas. Hands down. 

10. What is one quote that you find inspiring or motivating? Not sure, I am not one of those quote people. I don't know one good quote I can think of. 

11. Where do you do most of your shopping (besides Costco :)? Kohls, Children's place, Amazon.com


Here are my 11 Questions for my tagged friends

  1. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
  2. What is the last film you saw?
  3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer?
  4. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
  5. What was the last thing you bought?
  6. Seen anything weird lately?
  7. What's under your bed?
  8. What are some of the different jobs that you have had in your life?
  9. What's your favorite indulgence? 
  10. Favorite sports team? 
  11. Do you collect anything? 

And lost but not least... Here are my tagged friends (Something about this makes me feel 12 years old! HAHA!) 

Kimberly @ Kimberly's Korner
Karli @ The Bonnie 5
Amber @ Nater Tot 

Of course I have to include one shot of my girly





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