3 Months Old

I can't believe our baby is 3 months!!! She has changed so much in 3 months and we are having so much fun with her. Everyday it's something new :)

Likes: Mommy, Daddy, shopping with Grandma, nursing, playing on her mat, looking in the mirror, her Sophie the Giraffe, her blankie, her rainstick, bath time, sleeping in anyone's arms, being naked, and listening to music

Dislikes: getting into her carseat when she's not tired, having someone pick her nose, and getting her fingernails cut

Happy Birthday Little Bug! We love you so much!!

My Blue Eyed Girl...

The one feature of mine I hoped my daughter would get was my blue eyes. I so badly wanted her to carry on my favorite quality....I'm pretty sure she got them :)

Wordless Wednesday

Just to See You Smile....

Jani has been smiling for a long time but we have not been able to catch it on camera. We caught one this morning during bath time. It's not her huge grin but it's good enough for now!!

Work is Overrated

Seriously...this work thing is for the birds. I returned to work on January 4th and had to endure the hell that is dropping your baby off at daycare. What happened to the days of yore when mothers stayed home, raised quality citizens, cooked meals, and kept a pristine home? I'm sure these mothers still exist but in our society it is extremely difficult to have the financial stability to be a stay at home mom. Now, those of you who know me realize I would not keep a pristine home or cook gourmet meals, but me and my little girl would have one heckuva good time finger painting and playing dress-up! This is why I can't wait for summer :) I've always hated the saying "What are the three best things about teaching? June, July, and August". In my career, I've never had an entire summer not dedicated to taking classes, collaborating with other teachers, or teaching summer school. But this summer? I'm dedicating myself to my daughter. Bring on the pool, the library, Raffi, and long morning walks. The countdown is on....summer can't come soon enough :)

For those of you who aren't teachers and are hating them for having summers off, I need to add that I have NEVER had all of June or all of August off of school. I believe we are already going until June 11th and will be returning to school around the 18th of August. Instead of bring on summer, I should be saying bring on July :)

Food for Thought...

Don't cry over spilled milk...unless it's breast milk. Then bawl like a baby because that %#&$'s like gold :)

Year In Review...

2009 started off with a bang....I was beginning some fertility interventions to help us along in our journey to go from two to three. On February 18...


We were so excited!! And so began our journey...I started to grow and we started to plan.


In June, we took a Babymoon to Chicago. We had SO much fun! We went to a Cubs game and saw lots of old friends. Abbey, Eric, Andy, Andy....even pregnant I walked everywhere and by the end of it I was one sore lady. Highlights? Hitting a Starbucks every morning, finding an ice cream shop that served actual cookie dough on the ice cream, attempting to see the Harry Potter exhibit (and failing in the pouring rain), riding public transportation, and watching Milton Bradley throw a ball back into the stands when there was only two outs!


In August, I decided to try and brave the heat of Vegas with my mom. I accompanied her on a business trip and had a blast! My feet and ankles looked like stuffed sausages by the end of it but it was worth. I've finally seen Vegas....and I'm okay not going back any time soon. At least not when it's 115 degrees there :) This is how I spent a large amount of my time...

Doug and I (okay, mostly I) also decided to enter a chili cook-off in Allison. It was their first one and since I'm such a joiner I thought why not?! Sounded like fun and mom said they needed participants! I made up a recipe and guess what? I won. Never in a million years would I have thought I would win a cooking competition. Look out Rachel Ray :)



September flew by and before you knew it October was here! That was supposed to mean baby, right? As each day passed we wondered when our Little Panther was going to make her appearance. The doc kept saying "Any day now..." I always said I wasn't going to have a Halloween baby and what did I get...a little pumpkin :)


Jani Sue was born on October 31 and 6:13 a.m. It was a LONG labor but so worth it. November and December were spent enjoying our little lady. She has grown so much!!! She lights up our lives and both of us wonder what we would do without her. I can't even remember life before her. Named after my mom, she is turning into quite the shopper, just like her namesake....and I am loving every minute of it!!

And so we say goodbye to 2009 and hello to 2010! We can't wait to see what awaits us!!! We rang in the new year with some friends and attempted to take a picture of 7 little ones...this is Jani with McKenna, the daughter of another teacher. They were very well behaved for the photo shoot, which was a bit chaotic :) I just think this pic is so cute...it looks like they're holding hands!


Even Mommy got a picture with Jani in her hat. I was shocked she kept it on!!