8 weeks!!

Okay, okay... I'm not being as good as I was with Layla as far as blogging goes for baby # 2. I'm really only a week behind and it's not my fault - I wasn't exactly sure how far along I was until last Tuesday!! BUT - thanks to a very positive and exciting first doctor's appointment (so so so in love with my new doctor's office) followed by an equally exciting dating ultrasound (baby's heartbeat was 133 - boy??), we now know I'm 8 weeks, 2 days along. My due date is officially JANUARY 21, 2013. A perfect due date, yes? So I'm 5 days later then I originally thought - not too bad, although this 1st trimester is a doozy and everyday closer to the 2nd trimester seems good to me. I'm feeling better then I was last week and MUCH better then I was with Layla, but nausea/exhaustion/no energy is a very real problem right now. Pushing through and getting more & more excited that our little family will soon be FOUR!

How far along? 8 weeks, 2 days.
Total weight gain/loss: As of last week, I was actually down 1.6 pounds which means I'm exactly where I was when I found out I was pregnant. I think I'll gain a bit this week as carbs are my BFF due to nausea.
Maternity clothes? No although due to bloat my jeans can feel tight by the evening rolls around.
Stretch marks? Nope – must buy bio-oil. Stat.
Sleep: Exhausted. Early bedtimes and napping when I can. We had Josh's mom here the past few days which was awesome - lots of rest! I still wake up several times a night but I'm okay.
Best moment this week: The ultrasound. Seeing the little (teeny) peanut and that lovely heart flicker.
Have you told family and friends: Slowly telling more and more people -- I can't wait until July 9th when we can tell the world!
Movement: No although I swear I always feel something.
Food cravings: None. Half the time I don't want to eat, the other half I only want cheerios or bagels. And ginger ale.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Yes. Smells. Food. The morning.
Have you started to show yet: Nope but i think I'm just a few weeks away from that!
Gender prediction: Still thinking BOY, especially after the heartbeat was low!
Labor Signs: No. No. No.
Belly Button in or out? In!
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: An emotional mess. Josh calls me crazy when I'm pregnant. I'm trying to avoid being insane. It's not easy.
Weekly Wisdom: Layla's 1st year when by in the blink of an eye - trying to soak up every second, even the sleepless ones.
Milestones: First ultrasound, blood work done, appointment made for sequential screen! 

5 & 6 weeks... let the fun begin!

Is it true – can it be??

Another baby…….??

That’s right, folks. This lovely family of three is expecting to add another member in January of 2013!!

Let’s back up….

Josh & I were in constant discussion of when to add another little one. We knew we didn’t want to wait too long between the two but couldn’t decide when to start trying. Low and behold, the discussion was a moot point.

A few days upon returning from our lovely vacation in Miami, I realized I was late. One week went by. Then 10 days. Then Josh begged me for to take a test. I told him I’d take a pregnancy test on Wednesday, May 23^rd if needed as that would put me at two weeks late. And then Wednesday rolled around. After work, I stopped at CVS, grabbed Gatorade, milk, gum and an “Answer” pregnancy test as it was on sale. I came home, proceeded to head to our powder room and discover that two lines quickly appeared.

“JOSH!!!” I yelled.

Layla crawled into the bathroom. I started laughing and crying at the same time.

“We’re pregnant” I sobbed.

“No, we’re not. You’re lying” yelled Josh.

“Nope, serious. We’re pregnant! I yelped.

Layla laughed. Josh jumped up and down. I cried. And cried some more. I couldn’t believe it. Was it real? Was this part of our “plan”? When are we due?? And that’s when we both realized the best news possible…… we are lucky enough to become pregnant again. We are blessed. This IS part of our plan as this is what happened. We quickly counted on our fingers and realized the kiddies would be 19 months apart. AN IMMEDIATE BEST FRIEND. A partner for life. The best news we could have ever received.

Minutes later, my sister called to say hi… she sensed something was wrong and we decided to face time her and showed the positive pregnancy test. Always our biggest supporter, she screamed and cried and helped made me realize how amazing and exciting this was. We then called my parents, Josh’s parents and assorted others. We told our best friends. We told Layla over and over. We hugged and kissed and rejoiced in the fact that our family is growing.

SO here we are. Last week, my mom took a blood test and showed my number at 4500 – a nice strong pregnancy. She is taking my blood again tonight to confirm we’re moving along and I have my first doctor’s appointment on Monday, June 4. I decided it was time to switch offices so I’m looking forward to meeting new doctors. While my last office provided me well and helped to produce the most perfect child I’ve ever seen, it’s time to move on. There were several thing I was disappointed in (not being able to stick with one doctor, late appointments, the wrong due date constantly popping up in my file, and no one ever remembering I had placenta previa just to name a few).

So that’s that. A new office. A new BABY. We think the due date is around January 16, 2013 but we’ll find out more at the appointment.

Cheers, excitement and everything good in life.

Xo

Courtney

Actually week 5....

Actually week 6....

How far along? 7 weeks, 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: Not sure but I think I may have gained about 0.8 since in the past 2 weeks. I expected a gain because I was dieting so heavily until getting my big positive test!
Maternity clothes? Not yet! I am avoiding pulling everything down that I put away and I’m squeezing into every pair of jeans I own until they don’t fit anymore!
Stretch marks? Nope – I am starting my bio-oil routine this weekend. It’s time! I truly believe in it.
Sleep: My first inclination I was pregnant... insomnia. I wake up several times a night and have a hard time getting back to sleep. Combine this with Layla’s early mornings and I’m one sleepy pup!
Best moment this week: I have two favorite moments from the past couple of weeks – obviously the night we found out we’ll be a family of FOUR was huge, exciting, amazing. Also, while taking Layla’s 1 year photos, we shot several “Secret” shots in a big sister shirt. She looked so beautiful and excited – although she has no idea her life is about to change in a BIG way!
Have you told family and friends: Our families and best friends are in “the know” – I have told a couple of work friends and we plan on making the big announcement around July 4 (going into the 2^nd trimester).
Movement: Nope – although I always think I do, I realize it’s probably gas or something. Haha.
Food cravings: Nothing really. I’m trying to avoid giving into my cravings too much to avoid the 52 pound weight gain from last pregnancy!
Anything making you queasy or sick: I made spinach dip this weekend and wanted to vomit everywhere. Strange but true. Also, dirty diapers are starting to make me a little queasy – however (KNOCK ON WOOD) I’m feeling mostly good with waves of nausea (seldom).
Have you started to show yet: No – I can still suck in pretty good!
Gender prediction: I have a VERY strong feeling it’s a boy. So much that I’ll be SHOCKED if it’s a girl.
Labor Signs: No. No. No.
Belly Button in or out? In! Never popped last time, wonder if it will this time?
Wedding rings on or off? On – hopefully for a long time.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Back & forth. Right now, I feel so yucky due to a cold that I’m having a hard time pushing through. I’d love to crawl into my bed and sleep for days but that’s currently not an option. Wah.
Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy every second. And remember EVERYTHING happens for a reason.
Milestones: Officially knocked up with # 2 ;)

Layla's 7th trip to Florida...

I can't believe it. Layla has now been to Florida SEVEN times in less then THIRTEEN months! That's pretty insane!! (And amazing....!!)

Her first trip was in August 2011. She was a peanut and met her Florida family for the first time.
Her second trip was in October 2011. We went to Fort Lauderdale and Sarasota.
Her third trip was in November 2011. THANKSGIVING!
Her fourth trip was in January 2012. We celebrated Great Grandpa's 90th birthday!
Her fifth trip was in April 2012. DISNEY WORLD!
Her sixth trip was in May 2012. First time away from us. Mama & Dada went to Miami for four glorious days but missed her sweet.
Her seventh trip was in June 2012. And we returned on 4th of July (yesterday!)

....how I sum up this trip. (First, the bad.. followed by the good!)

• NO SLEEP. Layla had a rough time adjusting and slept awful at night and naps were a doozy. The only way she slept was on someone (Grandma..) - it was tough for her (and us) but we made it. Despite the lack of sleep, she was a happy cookie (mostly).
• DIAPER RASH. The worst she has ever had. Her bum looks like it's on fire. :( I know the culprit - she had eaten an insane amount of blueberries and grapes in a few days (like, more then a grown man could eat). It caused lots of poop. Which causes lots of dirty diapers. Which causes a horrific diaper rash.
• POOP IN THE TUB. First time for everything?
• HATES SWIMMING. We tried. Twice. Once at Laura & Clay's BBQ and once in Josh's parents pool. Both failure. She just doesn't like it. We keep trying, though. Maybe one day? She didn't seem to HATE the float so we'll continue to try. At least she likes the baby pool.
• HATES DOGS. Cried with every lick and bark from Lucy & Max. I felt worse for the dogs then Layla. She seems to like Max (he's little) when he doesn't get too close or bark. But as soon as he starts yapping... game over. Tears galore.
• SHY PHASE. She's becoming very selective of who can hold her. She literally says "NO!" when someone tries to hold her and she doesn't want them to. Eventually she'll warm up to everyone but every so often I'll get a pleading "MAMA!" look (along with her yelling MAMA) like she needs help. Amazingly, Josh's mom is one of her favorite people in the world. Despite not seeing her everyday, she clearly remembers the time spent together because she is always SO excited and happy to see her Grandma. AND.... she now says GRANDMA! (Or "Gr'Ma").
• TALKING (on to the good!). A REPEATING machine. If you're around Layla, watch what you say. She will repeat it. And fast. Too many new words to remember...but CLAP CLAP CLAP, Plane, Night Night, GG (Josh's Great Grandma) and more.
• PERFECT PLANE BABY! Josh's grandparents gave us their southwest points allowing us to get Layla her own seat. A true blessing as having her on my lap can become both squished and awful very fast. I ordered her the CARES aviation system (a 5-point harness) - it was perfect. Thanks to a lot of snacks (Cheerios, Goldfish, Blueberries, Grapes, Crackers and Bananas) and our IPAD she sat in her own seat for the bulk of both flights. When she wasn't in her seat, she was sound asleep on me! SUCCESS!
• 'RIO' LOVER! I mean. Honestly. Am I shocked? Layla's had a funny obsession with birds for a long time (she yells BIRDS and points to the sky every time we're outside) -- Josh introduced her to Rio last week and we've watched it probably 12 times since. She watches the ENTIRE movie, without movie. She LOVES the music. She dances, claps and "sings" along. It's too funny and adorable and perfect for flights.
• NO WALKING! Now one day shy of 13 months and still a crawling, cruising, standing machine but NO walking.. not one step. I'm not worries as I know she'll do it when she's ready. Plus, I'm not in a huge rush to chase her everywhere -- however I cannot wait to see her take those first few steps. Her little legs will look so funny walking.
• A LOVER. There is nothing better then that sweet smile and immediate kiss & hug she gives us every morning. She is so sweet, so funny and so wonderful.

So that's that. We had a great time.
We started Josh's 30th birthday celebration -- family during the day on Saturday, friends at night on Saturday with dinner for 14 at YOLO and drinks with his friends all over the town.
We got to spend lots of quality time with our friends at Laura & Clay's BBQ on Sunday. Layla came with us and was perfect. She even cheered for Spain in the soccer match!
We got to see Amy, Jordyn, Kole, Stacey & Colin on Monday. TOO CUTE FOR WORDS. So much fun and too short of a time. Can't wait to see you again ladies!
We got to go to the movies - TED - holy moly funny.
We had lots of family time. Lots of food. AND most importantly.. lots of fun :)

Cheers until tomorrow, Layla's 13 month entry..... AHHHHHHHHHH!

Rocking a bikini!

Lunch date with the adorable Kole!

Rio on the plane! In a trance.

:)

I'm done counting by week for Miss Layla... haha. I'll continue to post her monthly updates but no need to feel the pressure of the weekly update, right?

(let's be honest. I'm a bad blogger but on the road to getting better, again)

Feeling okay. Still fighting a wicked cough.

Getting very excited for our trip to Florida tomorrow... plans include - SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP. And eating. And then a nap. And then eating. Also....

Saturday - Lunch with Josh's family. Mani & Pedi. Dinner at night with 12 of our friends to start the celebration of Josh's upcoming 30th birthday (July 29) - I'm so excited to see our friends, have a nice night out and begin the celebration of my sweet. He's having a tough time with the whole "turning 30" thing - I'm trying to get him to see how amazing it is. He says he'll come around soon ;)

Sunday - BBQ at Laura & Clay's house - lots of fun, sun, food and pool! Layla will be coming with us so that should be good :)

Monday - LUNCH with my darling AMY! I can't wait to see her, Jordyn & Kole <3 So excited.

Otherwise... NO plans. Hoping to keep it that way. We are there until Wednesday afternoon which should leave time to just chill out and enjoy family.

Cheers!

TO DO LIST.

SO...
my house is a disaster.
I mean - it literally looks like a tornado came through.
There are dirty dishes in the sink.
I found a sock in the sofa.
I have about 86 loads of laundry to put away and another 137 loads of laundry to do.
The real truth? My cleaning lady NEVER showed on Monday (I love her cleaning skills but she is an awful, awful, awful example of how to run a business) - she's not answering my texts or phone calls.
I need help.

SO...

A to-do list. This will hold me accountable, no?
Probably not. But it'll make me feel better.

1. Empty dishwasher, load, repeat.
2. Put away laundry and do the piles of laundry taking over our closet.
3. Put away Layla's toys so the living room appears clean for 3.6 seconds. Vacuum. Repeat.
4. Find a place/throw out everything from Layla's 1st birthday party. It is over. Face it.
5. Scrub the bathrooms. FIND A NEW CLEANING LADY.

... And, while I'm at it... a to-do list of things I need done around the house, in general.

1. Call Steve, the landscaping guy, and have the brush removed from the backyard.
2. DECK - at least pricing?
3. Put together Layla's water table.
4. Price swing sets.
5. Begin the transfer of toys from living room to basement - let the playroom transformation begin! (Need furniture, bookcases, etc etc etc).
6. Price out pull-out sofas for basement and living room.
7. Finish office. Get rid of book case in there. SELL BOOKS, DVD'S. (Yard sale?) Make this room look better as it's the first room you see when you walk in. Get pictures for big wall. 5 black & white canvases?
8. Paint living room.
9. Clean out guest room. Give furniture to Nonnie. Paint. Re-organize closet.
10. Find new homes for litter boxes. Blah.
11. Re-decorate master bedroom. Paint. Make warmer. Re-organize closet.
12. CEILING FANS FOR 3 BEDROOMS!
13. Put away the remaining 9 month clothes of Layla. Re-organize closet.
14. Call Stanley steamer and have all carpets mega-cleaned. It's amazing how quickly light-colored carpets stain.
15. MAKE LAYLA'S 3-12 MONTH PHOTOBOOK!
16. Clean out car. Seriously detail it.
17. Price out bigger cars.

........ okay. I think that's it. Probably not.

Oh. And it would be nice if my awful cough would go away.

And it would be doubly nice if Layla's low-grade fever and rash would go away.

IN OTHER NEWS - THE HEAT WON!!!!! They are the champions. Josh's mind can rest easy. Until football season.

:)

54 weeeeeeeeks!!!!

Squinting on the beach.. I wish I took more pictures, she LOVED it!!

The best IPhone App ever - Elmo and Layla facetime!

Layla's current favorite toy *thanks Rosenthal family!!*- this is after visiting the doctor yesterday, a big burst of energy!

A fast update.
When did I become the world's worst blogger?
Uh.
I blame vomit & fevers.

Rewind...

We had a great couple of weeks. We got a new 6 foot privacy fence. We created a list of things we want for the house. We played. We sang. We danced. We made our way down the shore for the weekend with the Kushners for a nice weekend away in Ventnor (thanks for letting us borrow the house Aunt Karen & Uncle Brad!!) - we loved the beach, the sun, the cousin bonding..

We drove home Sunday. Prior to our departure, Layla took a 2 1/2 hour nap in the pack & play despite Max & Abbey played right outside her door. Weird. We woke her up. Packed the car.

She fell asleep in the car. Again.

Something was strange....

We made our way off the highway, Layla woke up and cried blood murder... and then threw up. All over. The car seat. Herself. Elmo, cookie monster and Ernie were also hit in the crossfire. We cleaned up, got her home, and thus began the 4 days of throwing up/bad fevers/general unhappiness.

My poor, sweet angel. I feel so bad.

We're pushing through and hopeful today is the last day. She hasn't thrown up since last night at 11:30 (progress?) and her fevers are low. I'm keeping Tylenol in her so she doesn't get too uncomfortable.

In other news... I started emailing schools. All the local synagogues. I think she will start going twice a week in January... I'm scared/excited/nervous.

I'll write more later. Or not. But I'll try. Music class is over. Need to make plans for Mondays & Tuesdays to keep us from getting bored.

Lots of love. I am also sick with a bad chronic cough. Hopeful we'll all be healthy by our trip to Florida next weeeeeeek! :)

p.s. a very special Father's Day shout out to my dear husband. I'm so sorry I didn't spoil you more this time around. I'm a bad, bad planner/wife and will make it up to you, promise.

1 year. 12 months. 365 days.

12 month stats:

Weight: 21 pounds, 11 ounces.

Height: 30.5 inches. 

Eating: 3 meals a day, 4 bottles of organic whole milk (all done formula!) – working on getting rid of bottles.  

Clothes: 12 month, 12-18 month, 18 month

Diaper: Size 3. Size 4 at night.  

My darling girl --

Here we are. My letter to you at 12 months. I know I’m a week late in writing this. My normal excuses of being busy, being tired, celebrating your birthday could all work – but the truth is, I am so sad to write this. I think back on this year and can’t help but wonder – where did time go?? Wasn’t it yesterday I brought you home from the hospital and cried because I didn’t know what to put you in to sleep? Weren’t we just celebrating your first smile, your first long stretch of sleep, your impossibly cute face? I know that the dance goes on and this next chapter will be even better then the first – but I’ll forever hold the memories of our times together, late in the night, sweet kisses and soft lullabies.

At 12 months, you are more gorgeous then ever and look completely different then you did just a few weeks ago. You seem to have lost that “baby” look and your fast moving into a whole new phase – toddler! Your hair, despite your recent haircut, is longer than ever and always in your eyes. I think it’s safe to say you inherited my hair growing skills! Your blue eyes are so insanely gorgeous – I can’t say it enough. Everywhere we go, people comment on them – so stunning. Your fair skin and your light hair are the perfect complement to your gorgeous face. I’m simply in awe of you and beginning to wonder if I should look into baby modeling!

Every single day, you learn something new and we simply watch at how SMART you are – You are days away from walking. You can cruise along furniture, stand alone and use your new push-toy from Mom-Mom & Pop-Pop so well – once you get the confidence to take that first step, you’ll never look back. You are the fastest crawler I’ve ever seen. You wave hi and bye (and love to YELL HI and BYE!), you clap, dance, rock, blow kisses, give kisses, give huge hugs, scrunch your face and a million other tricks. The past few days, you absolutely love to color – I’m going to have to get a lot more paper, crayons and markers – maybe you’ll be an artist!

Despite my best efforts to limit your television watching, it seems I’m in a losing battle. Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse are your only two shows but you love them dearly and dance along. We are starting to introduce movies and the only one you watch so far is the new Muppet movie. You literally sit in the pack & play and watch the ENTIRE movie from start to finish. It’s not a cartoon so I’m not quite sure what you are so attracted to but you love it – I guess it’s the music??

Sleeping is always an uphill battle in our house. After a long bout of early morning wake-ups, these past few days have been pure bliss. You are going to sleep between 7:00-7:30 PM, waking up in the 5:00 AM hour, crying and needing a little pat on the back and immediately fall back asleep until 6:45 AM. Just about 12 hours!!! SUCCESS!! You also nap twice a day for 1-2 hours a nap – you go to sleep so easily, I hate complaining about your early wake-ups. We need to wean you off bottles, especially right before you go to sleep – we’ll get there. Sippy cups are easy for you so I know we can do it!

Talking, talking, talking – or should I say – repeating – EVERYTHING!!! There are several words you know (and actually have meaning) – these include Mama, Dada, Rigby (our cat), Dat (Cat), Birds, Baby, Banana, Wubba (Grover), No, Yes, Hi, Bye – and others too!! But what’s amazing is you repeat everything and anything!! The other day you yelled “GOOD GIRL!” because I always say that to you. You’re SO SMART! My little talking girl.

I’m learning what you like and don’t like to eat – you still eat a lot of baby food because it’s the best way to make sure you’re getting a lot of fruits and vegetables. You eat bananas and blueberries whole (and a lot of them). You LOVE turkey and chicken. You can’t get enough of bread (who can?). You’ll eat meat sometimes. You LOOOOOOVE French fries. I can sometimes get you to eat organic macaroni and cheese and pasta. I’m going to start meal planning so you have nice, well balanced days. You love eggs (sometimes). And sweets… you love them. Ice cream, cake, cookies, cupcakes. A girl after my own heart.

Monday mornings at music class are your favorite – you now sit in the middle and dance rather than sit on my lap. All the kids in the class LOVE you and want to hug you the whole time – you just let them. It’s so funny. You also love to play Miss Sandy’s guitar – it’s your favorite part of the morning. This summer, we’ll be switching to Fridays for music class leaving Mondays and Tuesdays completely free. Hoping to go to the park a lot and Camden Aquarium often – we joined as members for the year!!

You have your 7^th trip to Florida coming up in a couple of weeks – seriously a professional traveler. We love it though – it’s so important to us that you are just as close with your Florida family as your Philadelphia family – you know them well! This past weekend, your grandparents and Aunt Sydney came to visit for your birthday party and you didn’t miss a beat – you smiled and squealed in delight when they walked in the house – you know them well!

Your 1^st birthday party was PERFECT – better than I could have wished for. I’ll be writing about it this weekend and posting a million pictures but I’m SO SO SO happy it all turned out so well. I know we’ll always remember that afternoon.

We love you so much. This past year has taught me so much – patience, kindness, determination and more. My heart is so full of love and I honestly can’t remember my life before you. You are the perfect addition to our little family and I can’t wait to see what this next year brings. Keep smiling, keep learning, and keep being the perfect girl you are.

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Mama

The beginning of you........

12 weeks in my belly and already loved waving!

My first of one billion kisses.

One day old.

52 weeks!!!!

WHAT. IS. HAPPENING.
It's 52 weeks.
As in one WHOLE year.
Rather then post and re-post the same thing over and over - I'll just save it all for my ONE year entry (coming up WEDNESDAY).

We are looking forward to Layla's birthday week - plans include turning her carseat forward, trying peanut butter, eating a lot of cake, the aquarium on Wednesday and her BIG PARTY on Saturday!!

Our toes are painted pink and we are ready.... my girl is turning ONE!!!!

Layla's new ride - thanks Aunt Sydney!!

Fun with her cousins (and best friends) Abbey & Ava!

Painted pink toe nails thanks to piggy paint! (non-toxic for kiddies!)

51 weeks!!!

51 weeks (plus one day) - ready for the pool!

Another week, come and gone.....
ONE more week until Miss Layla Jules turns the big O-N-E!!! The chance to face forward in the car, eat chocolate, drink milk, try peanut butter and assorted other fun and exciting adventures!! We are days away from toddler-ville and I'm so excited to step into the next adventure!!!

Our week became MUCH better then last week...

Thursday, we had our weekly dinner at my parents. Poor Josh was still mega-sick so Layla and I went alone. It was great to see the family, including Mom-Mom Millie & Mom-Mom Rose!! My cousins were also there along with Aunt Karen & Uncle Brad... I loved seeing everyone! Allison made this AMAZING video full of pictures as a surprise for Mom-Mom Millie's upcoming 90th birthday. It was so sweet and so beautiful... I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!!

Friday, I decided it was time for the sleep training to begin. That night, Layla woke up twice (a random 11:30 PM wake-up and again around 4:00 AM). I let her cry it out and had to go in twice both times (without picking her up, just laying her back down and rubbing her back). It was hard but both times she managed to put herself back to sleep. I was very proud of her. That day, Josh's sickness remained so we took it easy and relaxed.

Saturday, we woke up to find Layla had slept from 7:30 PM - 6:10 AM. YES!!! It took ONE night of sleep training and our girl was back.... I felt like an idiot for not sleep training earlier but whatever, it worked and I was happy. ALSO, Josh woke up feeling BETTER! WOOOOOOOOO! My husband was BACK! I felt so bad for him, he was completely out of commission and missed playing with Layla so much!! That day, Layla and I headed to Masons Mill where Layla had a PHOTOSHOOT! My awesome sister in law Danielle has really become an amazing photographer and was gracious enough to do a huge photo shoot! It was sooooo much fun. Layla did great despite the HOT weather and I can't wait to see the pictures!!! We are going to do a second photo shoot indoors complete with a cake smash, wahoo! After that, we spent the day relaxing and cleaning. That night, we went to our favorite local Italian place as a little family, it was yummy! We were going to hit up the local carnival but thunderstorms took over and instead we went home, put the babe to bed and watched "We Bought A Zoo" (loved it).

Sunday was spent cleaning some more and lots of relaxing. After the babe's afternoon nap, we went to Rachel's dad's BBQ (sooooo good to see my BFF, home from NYC and looking gorgeous as ever). Afterwards, we went to a BBQ at my sisters house - a blast per usual.

Monday was Memorial Day - so fun! We went to a BBQ at Jaime's casa and it was great to see everybody. Layla played with the other kiddies there and after getting over her initial shyness, she was crawling all over the house and attempting to cruise along every piece of furniture.

Yesterday, Layla and I spent the day at the mall - she's SO much fun and loves looking around and yelling "HI!" and "WHAT'S THAT??" while pointing to anyone and anything. It's so sweet. After her (2 hour) afternoon nap, Melissa & Addison came over for a play date!! The girls haven't seen each other in a little while and it was SOOOOO sweet to see them "playing" together. They kept touching each other, exchanging toys and giggling. I love it. It was super hot so we set up the baby pool for them - I thought Layla would HATE it (as the bath isn't her favorite place in the world) and it turned out (after the addition of some warmer water) she LOVED ITTTTTTTTTT! As in, splashing, drinking the water, playing, standing, crawling, dunking her head... who was this baby??? I was so proud of her and can't wait to play with the pool again!!!

Better run - until next week - the ONE year letter... wow. wow. wow.
xoxo
Court

My little water baby!

CHEESE!!

Drinking the water.. what a weirdo!

All smiles!!

50 weeks.

Look close, you can see her right eye is still half-swollen shut. Never stops her from reading!

The letter of this week is S.

The number of this week is 4.

Why, you ask?

S stands for SICK & SLEEPY!!!!

… The past few days have been really rough. Josh came down with a horrible case of something resembling the flu+strep throat+assorted other horrific sickness. He was completely bed ridden when he was being pumped with medicine. The doctor confirmed it was a nasty bug and prescribed an antibiotic on Monday which seems to be doing the trick. He had been sick for the past couple of weeks with a cold and it seems to have manifested into this nightmare. He’s heading back to work today and I finally saw signs that my normal husband was back (instead of the sick, sad, coughing man that has been living in my house the past few days…).

…to top that off, on Monday, Layla woke up with her right eye completely crusted shut. Now mind you, SHE has been sick off and on with a cold for the past few weeks as well and apparently her sickness turned into PINK EYE? Yes. I kid you not. SO… off we were to the doctor Monday afternoon. Her ears, lungs, mouth and everything else appeared fine so the doctor prescribed eye drops (4 times daily for a week uh) – they seem to be working. Within 12 hours her eye looked better and by today she looked completely normal.

And 4?? The number of the week?? (OR the number of the past TWO weeks?)

That’s the time Layla has been waking up. Anywhere between 3:45 and 4:30. It’s been a nightmare. I think I’ve created a horrible sleeping habit. I thought long and heard and I realized what happened…

Back when we were in Florida (the first time, April 20-25^th) – she had a really rough time adjusting and woke up several times. Of course, we rushed to comfort her and rocked her back to sleep. This was the start of her waking up. The second trip to Florida she slept great but woke up around 5:15-5:30 every day. Still too early (although at this point I’d love for a 5:30 wake up). I think between being sick and getting used to us coming to rock her back to sleep, she’s having a hard time putting herself back to sleep. We’ve pushed her bedtime from 6:45/7:00 to 7:15. I’ve stopped breastfeeding. It’s been a rough month for her, I know. And I feel bad but something has to change. Due to lack of sleep at night, her naps have been affected – ranging from 45 minutes – 1 hour. (She used to do around 90 minutes). SOOOOO… long story short, we will be sleep training her beginning Friday morning. It has to happen and it’s going to stink but my sweet girl NEEDS to sleep and her mama is possibly going insane from severe sleep deprivation. This morning I somehow managed to get her back to sleep from 4:30 – 6:00 AM. In our bed. She literally hasn’t slept in our bed in MONTHS. I was so tired, I was unable to properly realize I could be setting us up for a horrible new habit (haha).

… BUT… luckily, Josh seems to be better, Layla’s eye is better… and we will get Layla BACK to sleeping good and normal!!!

In other news… (hahaha)

We had a great weekend. Friday, we saw the Avengers (so fun). Saturday, we went to the park where Layla’s birthday will be (AMAZING!! I’m obsessed) and Sunday we celebrated Mom-Mom Millie’s 90^th birthday. A perfect celebration to honor one of the most wonderful women in my life.

I’m in awe that Layla will be one – 2 weeks from today!!!!

I’m excited. Nervous. Ready for the party.

I’m tired.

BUT – on an exciting note – I think I lost another 2-3 pounds this week. I’ve been really concentrating on weight watchers and its working!!!!
Also, we’re going to join the Ambler Y this summer – a huge, gorgeous outdoor pool, a gym (with free childcare) and more... I am excited!!

This was the brain-dump of all posts. Hahaha. I blame lack of sleep.

CHEERS AND WISHES TO A BETTER, HEALTHIER WEEK!!!

Giggles at the park.

Layla & Remi playing at the park. BFF!