Bubbas on the Move

Making a mess at 13 mos



14 mos - He won't give up the Wii remote!



First mini hamburger! 14 mos



Dirty Bubs - 14 mos - Halloween fun night at home

The Incredible Hulk! 15 mos - Halloween 2009


Life with Dave, Angelo and the girls keeps me super busy, as I'm sure you can tell since I haven't updated in 3 months. School started for the girls at the end of August and I've had to change my schedule a couple of times due to that, our situation with Dave's ex-wife and Angelo going to daycare. He goes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1-3:30pm. Just long enough for Dave and I to run errands and for me to take a few appointments. Bubbas is doing really well there. There's a little boy 2 months older he plays with and a couple of 2yr-olds as well. The first month he started pulling that baby manipulation thing when I dropped him off. You know, the crying and holding on to me for dear life. Well, that's gone now and he's adjusted beautifully!

My child eats everything now and I mean EVERYTHING. Anything he can get his little hand on goes straight into his mouth, be it shoes, toys, stuff in my purse and of course, real food. He's been off formula since 11mos and we're finally done with bottles. He's graduated from the beginner to intermediate sippy cup. No handles! I knew he was ready because I had him in the living room playing one day, locked in by the baby gates. I was in the kitchen. I accidentally left a small glass of apple cider on an end table. I heard slurping so I ran over to the living room and there he was...holding the glass with two hands, drinking the cider. As soon as he saw me, he knew he did wrong and threw the glass on the carpet, LOL! Two wrongs don't make a right, buddy.

Bubs still only has his 4 teeth, but is cutting the 2 eye teeth. They'll be in any time now. Unfortunately, the teething has been pretty bad lately so it wakes him up in the middle of the night unless I give him baby Tylenol before bed. I've been up at 3, 4 and 5am a lot and of course, could never go back to sleep. His attitude has been really go throughout this teething process, so I feel we're really lucky.

As for his motor skills..well, he's an animal! He runs around the house chasing his sisters, climbs up the stairs by himself (we're always behind him though) and sometimes walks on the tips of his toes. He tries really hard to climb on the couch by himself, but it's still a little high for him. He's a little hellion when it comes to taking our stuff and running away with it all, LOL. I need to get more videos of him doing that. When we say "No!" he just laughs and runs away like it's a game. Too cute for words...right now. We really need a bigger yard so he can run around to his heart's desire because that's all he wants to do anymore. I took him to the bus stop without the stroller and he was super excited, but I had to hold on to the hood of his coat or else I would've lost him, LOL. He only likes to hold our hands when he's in unfamiliar territory.

His language skills are developing much quicker now. He mumbles like nobody's business and says "Hi, Mama, Dada, Bubba, Up, Oh & More" very clearly. He's trying other words, but it's still slurred. He understands commands well too, but sometimes he just chooses to ignore us. He does well with them when he wants to though. He very clearly knows the people around him and when asked, "where's so and so" he looks for them and goes to the right person. Bubbas points at people's faces in pictures and giggles a lot and it's very cool to watch. He doesn't point at something he wants, however, he just goes and gets it. This kid waits for NO man!

As for clothing..well, let me just tell you that this kid is not only going to make us broke with his eating habits, he's wearing some 18 month, 24 month and 2T sizes! Good Lord, son! He's only 15 mos old, which kills me. He wears the bigger sizes in shirts and jammies. He's in a size 5 shoe now, but will be in a 6 pretty soon.

I'm taking him to the DR. on the 19th so we'll find out his weight, length and get his chicken pox vaccine. At his 12 month appointment he was 31 inches long so I'm guessing he's about 35 now. I could be off on this one again. Weight wise? I have no clue. He only gained one pound from 9 to 12 mos so we'll see.

I have to say that I'm extremely excited to have a toddler vs. a newborn. Life is so much easier even though my particular toddler won't sit still, makes a huge mess and does whatever the hell he wants most of the time, LOL! I HATED carrying that infant seat around with me everywhere. I love the idea of this kid getting out of the car and walking into the store. The cost of formula and bottle liners wasn't as bad as I thought, but now I don't have to worry about that stuff anymore.

We're going to start potty training him at 18 months. He's already grabbing his diaper when he goes and I can tell that he's got more control with his potty muscles. We've also been looking at toddler beds because this kid attempts to climb out of his crib almost every day. I don't think he's ready yet, but I'm going to see how he is around January when he turns 18 mos. I'm just so afraid that one day he'll be successful in escaping and really hurt himself. He can already reach the door knobs and has opened a door so we're going to start taking precautions with that as well.

My brother-in-law told me that they let 2 yr olds in flag football, so we're going to check that out next summer. I can't BELIEVE I'm talking about this ALREADY, but I'm stoked. I can't wait until my 'lil Bubs can play sports. He's getting a tricycle for Christmas so we're hoping by late Spring he'll be able to ride it.

My Angelo Is A Toddler!

Angelo's 1st birthday party. He had a sugar free cupcake!

It’s official…Angelo is 1 and now considered a toddler. I can’t effing believe it! My little guy is just tremendous in every way. Though I’m very happy about my son’s achievements, I can’t help but feel very sad today. My best friend Dawn had a son a year ago today. He passed away a month later. I’m so proud of how she has been able to carry on through her grief.

Earlier in the month I traveled to Michigan to visit everyone and went to Bradly’s grave. I told Dawn how proud I was of her and I couldn’t understand how she has been able to be around Angelo this whole time. We were pregnant together. We planned to raise our kids as the best of friends. I can’t believe it’s been a year already. Bradly, we love you. Happy Birthday, dear angel.

Now on to the Bubs…

Angelo is walking really well, yay! The only time he stumbles is when he tries to run and/or is outside and doesn’t see a step. We’re always right there, hovering just in case. He’s throwing his toy balls everywhere and still making a huge mess in the living room when he’s pulling stuff out of our drawers, LOL. Angelo is not interested in holding our hands, he just wants to walk everywhere…especially outside. He just loves that!

We took him off formula and he’s drinking whole milk now. He’s done with baby food as well. This kid will eat ANYTHING, I swear to God. He has four teeth, but I can tell there are a few more coming in and I think they’ll be in all at the same time. He’s obsessed with pasta. He’ll take it in every form and with every flavor. That’s the Italian in him I suppose.

Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten him away from his bottle completely yet. He only takes the sippy cup in small doses. He throws a fit if his liquids aren’t in his ba ba. It’s awful! I only give him stuff in his bottle twice a day and we’re hoping he’ll be done soon.

Angelo says “Mama” all the time. He used to say “Dada”, but now he could care less, LOL. Dave says I sabotaged him this whole year. Bubbas also says “OH, Hi, Up” and babbles like crazy. He knows who everyone is. When I say, “Angelo, where’s Dada?” he looks at Dave’s chair and if he isn’t there, starts looking around the room. When I say, “Angelo, come see Mama”, he drops everything, holds his arms out and starts running over to me to give me a hug.

He still has some separation anxiety with me, but only me. If I leave him alone with Dave and the girls, he’s fine until he notices I’m there, but behind the baby gate. He’s been throwing fits lately too when he’s tired, wants his bottle or gets something taken away from him. He literally throws himself around the living room and that scares the living shit out of me. I worry that he’ll throw himself onto something sharp and really hurt himself.

The Bubs has a strange nap schedule. Most of the time he takes his nap from 10am-12:30pm and an afternoon nap that lasts about an hour and a half. Lately he’s been having trouble going down for both naps and he’s been skipping one a day. My schedule is changing due to the girls going back to school and I’ve been thinking about taking Angelo to daycare for a couple of hours, 3 times a week. It’s my step-daughter’s friend’s mom and she watches babies in her home, which makes me feel better. I want Angelo to get social with kids his own age and this would be perfect, I’m just waiting to find out if she can fit us in.

We took Angelo to the doctor not too long ago. He’s 23 pounds and 31 inches long. He’s only gained 1 pound and 1 inch since his 9 month appointment. I swear he’s much bigger than that, LOL!

Anyway, he’s doing just fine and we’re so very proud of him. There’s a lot of other little things to add, but I just don’t have enough time.

Almost Time for the Big Birthday!

Angelo at the beach in Hilton Head - May 09 (9/10 mos)


In the pool for the first time in Hilton Head with daddy!


Getting ready to cruise the wardrobe at home - July 09 (11 mos)


Chillin' at the Dublin Fireworks

In three weeks my darling son, Angelo, will be a year old. It’s been an amazing journey so far and I’m stunned we’re approaching the big birthday already. Watching the Bubs learn and grow has been my favorite part of being a mother so far.

I scheduled his 1-year appointment for next week so we’ll see how much he’s changed physically since his last one at 9 months. His regular doctor is taking a 6 month leave of absence so we’ll be seeing someone different this time. I believe next Wednesday Angelo gets his last set of shots for a while. I’m guessing he’ll be around 24lbs and about 30 inches long.

My ’lil guy is really developing well and as it seems, on time. He cruises around, barely holding on and walking quite fast. He’s walked across the room without assistance a few times and we’re working hard to get him consistent. He’s been quite lazy about it though. He’s got tremendous speed with crawling and I think he prefers that right now.

Angelo is getting into EVERYTHING. That started about 2 months ago, but now it’s really bad. He’s been into the “open and close” stage, where all he wants to do is open drawers and cabinets then take everything out. He makes a huge mess, LOL and it drives Dave crazy. Especially since he’s messing with our Wii games and remotes. He also LOVES Daddy’s laptop. When you try to take something away from him and replace it with one of HIS toys, he throws a fit. Damn…and I thought I wouldn’t have to go through that stage since normally he’s a perfect child. I guess he still is, since I’m hearing that this is common at his age.

Bubbas has 3 teeth! Two on the bottom center and now he’s gotten his first front tooth in. I noticed him grinding his teeth so I’m trying to get him to chew on his teething toys instead. I’ll let you know how that goes because right now it’s not doing much good. Due to the teething, he’s still taking 2 naps a day.

He’s eating normal food now. Bubs prefers that to baby food any day of the week and quite frankly, I can’t blame him. His favorite stuff is rice, pasta (with sauce), garlic bread, mashed potatoes, veggies and beef. I mash everything up real good for him and he’s the best eater in the family…for NOW. LOL! I wonder what he’ll be like at this time next year. I’m going to wean him off the bottle soon because I don’t want him on it passed his 1st birthday. He does OKAY with a sippy cup, but we need to be more consistent with him so he’ll forget about his precious bottle.

Angelo talks a bit, but is still babbling for the most part. He can say Mama, Dada, up, oh, hey, hi and me. I was changing the pictures around my home and found some of Angelo when he was first born. I cannot BELIEVE how much he’s changed. He doesn’t even look like the same kid, it’s crazy! He has light brown hair, lighter skin and is starting to take on more of Dave’s features. He has A LOT of hair and it’s pretty long so I’m thinking it may be time for his first hair cut.

I also have to schedule his 1 year pictures, but I’m not sure where I’m going to take him yet. We’re having his birthday party on August 1st, a few days after his actual b-day because the girls will be coming home from vacation with their mother and need a few days to adjust.

As for me…

I’ve lost all my pregnancy weight, yay! I can’t remember when I actually hit the milestone, but I think it was about 2 or 3 months ago. I haven’t been as active as I would like, but I’m getting back into the swing of things. I still have some stuff to work on, my stomach for example, but I’m sure I’ll get there eventually.

My latest project is re-decorating the house. I’m SO sick and tired of the same old crap. I don’t feel like spending a ton of money so instead of buying new furniture, I got a couch cover with new throw pillows. I also moved the recliner that was in my office to the living room. Now all I need is a cover for Dave’s chair. It’s looking God-awful. I plan to paint my home office pretty soon and I’m DYING to paint the rest of the place, however, we plan to buy a new home within the year and I don’t feel like re-painting this town house when we move. So who knows what I’ll ending up doing with that.

Dave and I rearranged the girls’ room and bought them new beds. It’s looking quite organized now and they have more space to romp around. I’m also dying to get new bedding for my room and add new colors. I need to do something with it as it’s quite bland and I don’t want that energy bleeding into my sex life, LOL. Bland is BAD. Right now I’m just on the new energy wave and desperate for simple change. Perhaps it’s the fact that I’ve made major changes to my life in general (getting married, Angelo turning 1, etc…) and I want the design of my home to reflect that.

New Pics of the Bubbas!

"See my teeth Mommy? I've got 2!"


"Shhh...don't tell Mommy"


"I love electronics!"


"Gimme that Wii!"


"I've got a pee pee diaper. Hurry up Mom!"


Angelo and Mommy - May 9th

9 Months Old!

Angelo is 9 months old today and doing all sorts of great things! In the last entry I said that the Bubs pulled himself up and now that's ALL he wants to do. Yesterday I caught him walking while pushing a box of diapers. We're still trying to get him to balance himself with his walker toy, but he gets distracted by all the gadgets on that thing. He takes good steps just by holding our fingers and when I say "flat feet", he gets off his toes. It's awesome! It looks like I'll be ready to get him his first pair of shoes soon.

Our goal is to get him walking better by the end of next month. He's also in cruise mode with the couch and anything that appears to be stable. This child is everywhere, I tell ya! When we have to put him in his Pack 'N Play or Jumperoo for a few minutes, he throws a fit because he wants to cruise and crawl. He doesn't like being confined, that's for sure. I caught him lifting his leg to climb out of his crib the other day so Dave lowered his mattress.

Angelo has said "Mama" at random times in the last few months, but yesterday he crawled over to me, looked up and said, "Dada" very clearly. About 2 minutes later he started rambling "Mama Mama Mama". The other day I swear I heard "Up!" I can't wait until this kid can verbally communicate. A lot of people tell me not to wish that too soon, but I can't help it.

Now, on to the best news ever!

Angelo has finally cut his first tooth!

I'm going to have a hard time getting a picture of it since every time I try to get him to smile, he sticks his tongue out. His tooth is at the bottom center. The one next to it looks like it'll be popping soon, along with his two front teeth.

The Bubs is sleeping through the night most days, but he has moments of waking up around 3am. That hasn't happened in a week or so and only occurs when he's slept too long during the day. We've been keeping a good schedule.

He's now wearing size 12 mos, but they're just fitting him. Now I have to try and find 12-18 months, but that's been difficult. I have a lot of hand-me-down clothes that are 18 months, which I believe have shrunk so that's what I'm going to try next in effort to save a little cash.

That's about all for now. I'm sure I missed a few things, but I'll be posting another entry soon.

Cristin

Lots of Growth!

Angelo and Mommy (8 mos)


Dave and I - After the ceremony

Hey everyone!

As most of you know, Dave and I got married on Saturday, April 4th. It was quite an eventful day even though we had a very short ceremony. I'm so glad it was short because I was terrified that I would flub my words and sound like an idiot. The wedding was great! We rolled in, got married and rolled out. Nice, eh? Once the weekend was over we had to get back to normal with the kids, school, work and everything else.

Angelo has been doing a lot of new things this week. First, he's picked up a lot of speed with the scoot-crawl and yesterday he started crawling using his knees. He's been pulling himself on to his knees as well and is able to stand on his own while holding something stable. He's also starting to get off his tip toes and stand flat on his feet. Yesterday afternoon Dave went to get Angelo from his crib and found him standing on the mattress while holding the crib bars. I can't believe I missed that! He was screaming pretty loudly because he couldn't find his way back down, LOL!

The Bubs is into discovery mode big time now. If it looks new, he wants it and goes after it. We were looking at baby gates yesterday, but I decided against it because I really feel that Angelo needs to explore the house. I'll just designate certain times for him to do so under my or Dave's supervision. We did get those outlet plugs because I caught him trying to put his fingers in the holes. We bought a new Baby Einstein video. It teaches them terms for items around the home and uses sign language.

Finally, I got this walker toy that the babies push around and it's supposed to help them learn to walk. Angelo was able to stand while holding it and he took a few steps and pushed it on his own. Right now he gets distracted by all the neat toys on it, but I'm guessing he will be moving with it soon enough. We took all 3 kids to the park by our house the other day. I put Angelo in the baby swing and he giggled the entire time. It's still a little big for him, but he leans forward and holds on to the chains just fine. I'm mad at myself because I forgot my camera. I will get a shot of him the next time we go.

Dave and I took him to his 9 month appointment yesterday. He weighed in at 22 pounds and was 29 inches long. He's still coming in the 90th percentile for weight and length, but he's cemetric and doing just fine. Our doctor told us that we can start transitioning him off baby food to mashed table foods such as potatoes and veggies. He suggested that Angelo get more consistent with his sippy cup and be off of formula by his 1st birthday. We can also be done with baby food by then, YAY! His first birthday is less than 4 months away. Can you believe it? I can't...

Now, on to me...

I haven't been working out much lately due to all the excitement with the wedding and Halle's 5th birthday. I've been able to maintain my weight and not gain, which I'm happy about. I feel like I'm just now able to get back to my normal schedule so when Angelo goes down for his nap today, I'll be able to get a work-out in.

We have had some crappy weather lately and I'm DYING to get out of the house for walks with Angelo and the girls. Cabin fever and I just don't get along. The other thing I'm dying to do for some reason is buy new clothes. I feel like frump girl again and it's pissing me off. Other than that, things are going really well.

8 Months Old!

Angelo is 8 months old and so much has happened since my last update! First of all, Dave and I got engaged on our anniversary, March 17th. We will be getting married on April 4th. We’re having a very cheap and simple ceremony, thank God! After having to go to the mall for dresses, I cannot imagine what it would be like for me have a big wedding that takes about a year to plan. No thank you! Dave’s ring came in early, but mine aren’t here yet so I’m a bit nervous. I don’t want to be rushing around at the last minute.

Angelo has been fantastic. His scoot-crawl is almost an all-fours crawl now. He can pull himself up to a kneeling position when he’s found something to keep his arms stable like his wipes box or crib bars. He can also balance for a few minutes while standing and leaning his back against the couch. He goes back and forth from standing on his toes to flat feet. We’ve noticed that he’s really getting into his toys, especially his penguin roller coaster. He also found his way up over the step from the living room to the dining room. Now it’s time for baby gates!

The Bubs is showing some disinterest in his bottle and formula lately, so we’re giving him solids about 3 times a day now. He hasn’t been eating much in the last couple of days due to his teething and he’s been taking more naps. We’re anxiously awaiting his teeth as his gums are still very swollen.

This child is now into size 9 months for clothing. Only a few 6-9 months still fit him so pretty soon I’ll need to do some shopping. I have some stuff, but not nearly enough. I weighed him on my Wii Fit and he’s coming up 24.4 pounds. He has a doctor’s appointment on April 8th, so we will find out exactly how heavy and long he is. After me coming up short a few inches last time, I’m guessing that he’s about 30-32 inches long. We shall see.

We haven’t gotten him to say “Da Da” yet, but we’re working on it. I’m getting ready to buy him another Baby Einstein video. There are a few choices, but I’m going to get him something to teach him his first words. We’re almost done with “Baby’s First Moves”.

Now, on to me…

I’ve lost almost 20 pounds since the beginning of February. Dave told me that he’s been checking me out lately…nice! I still have another 20 pounds to go before I reach my pre-Dave weight, but so far, so good! I wanna reach my goal weight by the time we take our family vacation to Hilton Head at the end of May.

New Stuff

The ‘lil Bubs is no longer little. He’s a big boy now! We got back from Vegas on Wednesday and he caught a cold. Dave’s mom took him all over God’s country to show him off and I’m guessing someone had it and passed it right along to him. The poor kid is snotting all over the place, ewww!

I mentioned in my last entry that he started the scoot-crawl before I left for Vegas and that made me very happy. Now Angelo is rolling over from his back to his tummy and then popping up in the crawing position and off he goes! He’s picked up a lot of speed since we returned from vacation. He’s still doing the scoot-crawl, but is trying really hard to go full throttle with the natural crawl. While he’s on a roll, he grunts until he’s reached his destination. Too cute!

We also got him a new car seat. His feet and ankels were hanging out the end of the infant seat and it was time. He seems a lot happier in the upright position while in the car. I was really happy because the one we wanted was $55, but it rang up $39 so YAY for us, woo hoo! Ya gotta love Walmart.

Angelo has got the bottle holding thing down pat now, but only on his back. We’re trying hard to get him to do it sitting up and I’m using the new car seat as a teaching tool. Once he gets the hang of that, he’ll do better in the play pen/Pack ‘N Play. We put that back together so that he can play with his toys and I won’t have to chase after him all the time. Once he’s on the floor he’s off and scooting and that makes it hard for me to get stuff done while he’s awake.

He’s been sleeping through the night consistently again. The earliest he wakes up is 6am, which has been real nice. Now that he’s sick, his naps are about 2-3 hours and he needs about 3 of them to feel good. Hopefully he’ll feel better soon.

I heard “Mama” again today and this time he wasn’t crying, he just wanted up from his crawling position. Now he mumbles and throws his hands up when he wants to be held. Yesterday, the girls and I were having and indoor picnic and Angelo was giving hugs. It was absolutely ADORABLE!

I’m going to try and get some new pics and video in the next day or two. He’s changed physically so much, it’s unreal.

Now on to me…

Vegas was a blast and we did a lot of walking. I did the best I could with eating healthy, but honestly, there isn’t a whole lot available for a reasonable rate. We saw the Criss Angel Believe show and that was good. If you’ve seen his reality show then you won’t be surprised.

I didn’t gain any weight while in Vegas, but I haven’t lost much since then either. I’m still trying to get back into the swing of things with my work outs, however, I’m sick again and I’ve been exhausted. Dave and I are on a new visitation schedule with the girls and we have them more now. I’m still trying to adjust to that. This time though, we have every other full weekend off so now we can plan more stuff for when we do get them on full weekends.

That’s about all for now. I’ll be back soon with more updates on Angelo and hopefully he’ll be doing more cool stuff.

Milestones

"Good morning to you!"


"Get me out of this pee pee diaper, please!"



I was trying to capture his morning smile, but he got distracted



"Hi Mama!"





Bubbas in the big boy bath.


Angelo is turning 7 months old in a few days and is crawling now, YAY! Apparently he's been doing it for a while, but only with Dave when I'm busy working...go figure. Last week, however, I happened to be in between calls and off he went! I let out a HUGE "Gasp and Oh my God, woooo hoooo!" which scared the living crap out of my child, LOL. His crawling technique is hilarious. He gets up on all fours, sways back and forth and starts pulling himself forward with his hands. Then he hops with his legs for a couple of paces. When he realizes that doesn't get him where he needs to go fast enough, he gets on his tummy and does the "army crawl". The Bubs will go between the hop and the army crawl to reach his destination.



The other night Dave and I were watching TV. Angelo was done crawling for the moment and was messing around with his play gym. For some reason he got pissed off and the next thing we hear is a really loud, "MAMA!" Dave and I whipped our heads around in shock and I said, "Did you hear that?" He just nodded in total disbelief. It was a very clear and distinct "Mama", thank you very much! Now I am comfortable moving forward with "Dada" since I got what I wanted and all of it happened before our trip to Vegas. I was so worried that Angelo would do all the cool stuff for Dave's parents and I'd miss out.


I think I mentioned this before, but the Bubs is going through a major bout of "mommy separation anxiety." I feel like I have to sneak around once he's occupied or else he'll throw a fit. For example, when Dave has him at night and I'm working he's okay at first. After a while he's totally done with Daddy. When I come upstairs and Angelo sees me, he starts whining and wants me to get him. It's gotten so bad that sometimes Dave brings him down while I'm working so that Angelo knows I'm still here.

Angelo is holding his bottle really well now while I'm holding him. I am going to try and get him to do it on his own while he's sitting up. Once he's got that down, we're going to the sippy cup. Dave's mom gave him a top to a sippy cup the other day and it looked as though he had no trouble getting it into his mouth the right way. It was on the bigger side, so I'll try to find one that's smaller and we'll see how he does. It's not time yet, but we're getting close. He's doing great with the solids and we will be transitioning him to meats in the next month. My doctor told me that he should be on them by 9 months, but we'll see how it goes.



His sleep schedule isn't so bad these days. Most of the time he sleeps throughout the night (bedtime is around 10 or 11pm), but he'll still get up around 6am and want to go back to bed until about 10/10:30am. I'm thinking about keeping him up when he does that because I'm not going back to bed at 6am anymore. I've decided that staying up helps me get more accomplished during the day.


Now, on to me!

I've lost 15 pounds this month so far and I'm reallllly excited! I have 5 more left to lose and I'll be at my pre-preggo weight. 25 more to go for pre-Dave weight, sweet! Dave's parents complimented us on our weight loss and yet Dave and I haven't noticed a significant change in our bodies yet. That's probably because we see ourselves every day and they don't.

I'm still having a bit of trouble with my calorie intake. I need about 1,200 per day to keep losing weight. I have to adjust it every week when I do lose though. The hardest part is remembering to eat breakfast. I'm great with lunch, snack and dinner though. This is why I'm changing my schedule. If I'm up at 6am, I have plenty of time to eat, but if I wake up at 8 or 9am, I get carried away with the baby, chores, errands and work.

I've been doing this 6am thing for the last two days and it's also giving me time for my exercise routine. I do the Wii Fit 6 days a week and my "wild dancing" 4 days a week. Wild dancing is me bopping around in my basement, doing random stuff. I know it sounds silly, but it's working out great. Once I master everything on the Wii Fit, I'm going to look into an Aerobics class and maybe adult soccer. When the weather breaks I'll be buying a bike and start running. I've already looked into a jogger stroller for Angelo. By that time, he'll be big enough for it.

Sorry about the spacing of the last few entries. This blog won't update properly when I try to fix it.

Changes, changes!

Hello all!

There isn't a whole lot to say about Angelo right now. He's doing pretty much the same things as I described in my last entry. Dave and I are going to Las Vegas from March 1st to the 4th and my fear is that Angelo will start crawling while I'm out of town. He's getting really close, I can feel it! At this point, he's able to prop himself up in the crawling position without assistance, but he still can't coordinate his hands and knees to get a move on. He's very good at turning himself around while on his tummy though and that's great!

His sleep habits are changing a bit, but he's still waking up a couple of times a week. Instead of it being 3:30am, it's around 6am. We'll put him down around 10pm, he'll sleep for about an hour, wake up and then go back to bed around 12-12:30am. Odd, huh? The other days he just goes to bed between 11pm and 12am, then wake up around 9 or 10am. I love those days. That gives me time to eat breakfast and work out for about 20 minutes.

The Bubs is getting some separation anxiety now. I noticed it a bit last month, but now he can't stand it when I go into another room, even for a minute. He'll start crying and it's oh so sad. If he's in his jumperoo and has his back turned toward me, he doesn't notice me moving around from room to room. Once he's bored, however, it's a whole new ballgame. He's sitting up on his own and not tipping over anymore, which is way cool. So if he gets bored of his jumperoo, I can plop him on his butt with a toy and clean or work out while in the same room.

Angelo is holding his bottle more steadily these days, thank God! He still needs a bit of work because he's easily distracted. When Dave is feeding him Angelo grabs his chin, trying to figure out what Dave's stubble is all about, LOL. Bubbas has also started grabbing my lips when I speak to him. It's too cute! I've also noticed that the Bubs is getting really attached to Trenity and Halle when they're here. If they're in the living room with him, he wants to play and when they leave, he cries.

That's about all for the Bubs at the moment, now on to me!

I mentioned before that we got a Wii Fit. I didn't realize how out of shape I actually was until I started the program. Yoga was always a pain in the ass, but now I can do it! I've been using the Wii Fit for 21 days now and guess what? I've lost 11 pounds!!! It took me about 3 days to get used to the exercises and I'm not a pro yet, but I'm getting there quickly.

I was a bit down the first couple of weeks because I couldn't figure out why I wasn't losing much weight, but then we bought The Biggest Loser cookbook and it turns out that I wasn't eating enough calories. Can you believe that? My dumb ass was skipping breakfast and eating my meals way too late in the day as well. Not a great combo if you want to drop some pounds. The other great thing about that cookbook is that we're learning how to make family meals in less than 30 minutes. This has saved my life, big time! Now we can't make up excuses as to why we're not eating right anymore, which is lovely.

So last week Dave and I upped our calories and adjusted our eating schedule. We're seeing amazing results and I'm VERY happy! I only have 9 more pounds to lose until I hit my pre-preggo weight and then I have 20 more to lose to get back to my pre-Dave weight, LOL. I'm hoping to achieve my 140 pound goal by the end of April.

Now, here's the best thing about me working out...I have more time in my day!

I know..sounds crazy right? Well, it's actually happening. I think it's a combination between me having more physical energy due to working out and Angelo being able to occupy himself more. What I found to be most interesting is that I'm motivated on a much higher level. I'm happier when I'm exercising and not just because I'm losing the weight. Even if I wasn't, my body chemistry is different, which has caused me to see things from a completely different perspective. I feel as though I'm ready and available to do the things I really want to do in my life. This is so exciting!

6 Months Old...officially!

Hey guys!

Angelo is 6 months old today...officially. It's been a crazy ride thus far and it's hard to believe that I was about 13/14 weeks pregnant at this time last year. I'm turning 30 tomorrow, which is a huge milestone for me. I've been thinking a lot about life and what I want for my son's future. I feel as though God has bestowed this gift of motherhood upon me for a reason. Apparently I have something specific to offer and I fully intend on finding out what that is.

Okay, enough of that sappy crap. On to the cuteness!

The Bubs is cutting his first tooth and it should pop any day now. His gums are swollen REALLY bad and I'm guessing that he may have a couple show up around the same time. He's a little fussy when he's in pain, but it's not that bad. I actually thought it would be way worse. I believe he's inconsistent with his sleep due to the teething and moving around in his crib. I used to sleep walk when I was a child and it's quite possible that Angelo may take after me in that regard. I sure hope not!

Angelo is all about reaching for stuff now. He'll go for anything, but mostly toy balls, draw strings on clothes, hair, food, his stuffed dinosaur or the hanging toys on his jumperoo. It's quite amazing to see him react when he gets what he wants and when he doesn't. He's now reaching for me when he's sitting on Dave's lap and I walk into the room. That's just adorable!

The crawling lessons are going fairly well. He can finally get up on all fours and stay there for a while. Then he'll try and make his knees jump, but hasn't figured out how to use his hands to move himself forward quite yet. He gets frustrated easily in that position and I feel bad for the boy. He just wants his stuff, damnit!

He's eating his solids about twice a day now, depending on how much time we have or what we're doing, but he still desires his bottle in a big way. It's as though the solids aren't enough, which is fine. I just don't want to make him fat. He's been trying hard to hold his bottle consistently, but gets easily distracted by our clothes for some reason. When I feed him, he's always trying to grab my glasses and hair, of course.

Now, on to me...

Dave and I bought a Nintendo Wii last week and we're officially in love. He got me the Wii Fit, which has allowed me to work out more during the day. I'm not into video games, but this thing is not only fun, but really gives me a great work-out and it's really convenient! It's also good for giving me something to do while the Bubs is awake, besides cleaning and laundry. He loves the colors and animation as well. Now I don't have to cram everything I need to get done while Angelo is taking his naps. I feel like I have more time to do the important stuff, thank God! So I'm losing weight and managing my time better...all because of a video game, LOL!

I've lost 3 pounds so far and I've only been doing this for a week. I'm soooo exited! I also received a good lesson in buying the right size jeans from my friend Nikki yesterday. Can you believe I was buying clothes that were too BIG? Yeah... I'm not really a 14/16, I'm a 12! Geeze, you'd think I would know this stuff, but when I was pregnant, I got used to buying super size clothing. I feel stupid...in a good way!

Big Boy Bubbas

"I think I need to be changed Mom, but please...don't take away the food!"


"Okay, I'm done with the camera!"



"Awww man!"

Bubbas at 24 weeks with his new truck

Angelo is now 24 weeks old! That’s 6 months since I’ve given birth to him. I can’t believe we’re here already. My son was 8lbs, 11 oz and 22 inches long. Next week we go in for his 6 month check-up and last round of shots until he turns 1. I’m guessing that he’ll weigh in at around 21 lbs and 26-26.5 inches long. I’ve been right so far when guessing his weight and length and we’ll see if I do it again this time!

As you know, we’ve got him sitting up on his own, rolling over and standing with assistance. Now we’re working on “the scoot” and crawling. He can get into position, but can’t keep it for very long. He can, however, use his arms to turn 180 degrees to either side when he spots something he’d like to grab. He’s not only doing this on the floor, but in his crib as well. Due to my child’s habit of rolling over and turning himself around in that thing, I decided to weave his crib bumper through every other bar so that he doesn’t get stuck or pull it over his head. It’s working out beautifully!

Bubbas is really into his solids now. He eats his stage one veggies and fruits within 10 minutes, without a problem. I found these rice wafers for babies that he absolutely LOVES. I give it to him as a little snack every other day or so. He’s eating one in the pics I posted. It’s so funny to see him self-feed. He gets all excited and once he’s gotten the wafer mashed up enough, he shoves it in his mouth like it’s candy.

I wish I had more to report, but that’s about all for now. I’ll be updating about every 2 weeks, as new things happen or when I want to share cute moments.

Happy New Year - Bubbas Update

Daddy and Santa Bubbas

The new toy box

Angelo's favorite toy from Mommy and Daddy

Bouncing around this morning

Mommy and Angelo on New Year's Eve!

"I can sit up on my own now!"

Hey everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year's Eve! Angelo is now 23 weeks old and has grown a great deal physically and developmentally in the last two weeks. First of all, we've got him sitting up on his own and that has helped him find his feet! Yes folks, he sits up and then reaches down to grab his toes. From behind he looks like a Butterball turkey, I swear to God!

Second, he has graduated from the newborn bather to being able to take a bath in the tub with a little assistance. I put him in for the first time a couple of days ago and he went crazy. I used a little bit of his baby wash to conjure up some bubbles and he splashed around happily. It was so cool to see his eyes gleam with wonder as he popped the bubbles. I should've had my camera on hand because it really was a Kodak moment. Next time, I promise!

Christmas time was pretty busy with going to Michigan for a short weekend and then having Christmas #2 at Dave's parents' house. The kids got a lot of stuff and now I have to find room for it all. Time to purge the house of all our unnecessary crap! Angelo got some toys and since we didn't have anywhere to put them, Dave and I bought him a baseball toy box yesterday. It's really cute! I wish his room was bigger so we could put it in there, but it's sitting in our living room for now.

Bubbas is eating his solids really well. He eats the entire thing in about 10 minutes, which makes me wonder if level 1 baby food is big enough to fill him up. I don't want to give him level 2 yet because it may be too much and we'll have a lot left over, so we'll see how it goes. Formula alone isn't cutting it. This past week I noticed that a tooth is starting to break through his bottom gum. Right now it just looks like a little dot, but I know it's gonna pop up soon.

We went to my friend Nikki's house for New Year's Eve and had a blast. Angelo did really well with all the excitement and was able to fall asleep in his Pack 'N Play around 11pm. He must have been real pooped because yesterday he slept from 11am to 2pm for his first nap, didn't take his afternoon one and then went to bed at 8pm.

The Bubs is learning so much from those Baby Einstein videos. Right now we've got him watching the one that teaches babies their first movements, which includes everything from sitting up to dancing. I'm trying to get him familiar with the names of his movements so when I say it, he'll do it. For example, when I say "reach", he puts his arms out toward me. It's adorable! This latest video is really interactive between the mother and child so it makes learning a lot easier.

I was going through Angelo's clothes the other day and realized that he barely wore the outfits he had in size 3-6 months. Now he's in 6 and 6-9 months. We have a lot of stuff that's just 6 months so it looks like I'll have to go shopping again. Most of the "hand-me-down" clothes shrunk big time and aren't their actual size, which means that he's already grown out of them.

After separating everything, I noticed that he has A LOT of stuff and now I have to find a place to store it all. I guess I'll have to buy a tote or just put everything in a garbage bag in the basement. His closet is too small and because it sits on the stairway, there isn't a spot for storage, just a silly looking shoe rack we'll never use.

That's all for now! See you next week...

Cristin