2011 Update

I've been so neglectful to this blog. It really would be much easier to do a couple short blogs a week instead of these novels. I need to get with the program! Where do I begin?

Life has been so completely crazy the past 6 months. The biggest news of course is that we are expecting a little boy at the end of August or beginning of September! We are so thrilled. The story of baby #2 starts long before we conceived in December. We actually got pregnant last September with a due date in very early June. Unfortunately, I suffered a miscarriage at a little over 6 weeks in October. It was harder than I ever imagined it could be. Why am I posting about it now? I don't know really. I guess I feel like I can't tell this baby's story without telling the story of the one we lost. I remember feeling alone when it happened and broken, so broken. Come to find out though, several friends had been through the same thing. I know it is SO difficult to talk about, but I wish more women did. So it really goes without saying that we are beyond excited about this precious little boy. Not that I know what to do with a boy, but I can't wait to figure it out! Katelyn doesn't really understand the whole baby brother/sibling concept. She, of course, knows what a baby is and loves her baby dolls. She somewhat gets that there is a baby in Mama's belly, but she really has no idea that come the end of August there will be a real live baby living in her house. Should make for some interesting blogs/photos/videos. haha!

What else? My Dad is officially retired from Disney. He's been suffering some health problems off and on so it was definitely time. My Mom should soon follow. I love that my parents are retiring but wish it were under different circumstances. Such a stressful time, but we will make it through. We always do!

That about sums up the past few months. Katelyn is well into the terrible twos. WOW. I never knew it could be this bad. She really is too smart for her own good. I feel like I can't leave the room for 5 minutes because she will be into something or climbing on something or trying to walk out the front door. I'm not kidding!

Life is busy, crazy, but still fun!

Shutterfly is at it again!!

WOOT! The deals are just pouring in! I love Shutterfly so much! Do you have a favorite project? Well, share it on your blog and get a $25 credit from Shutterfly.

Here is one of my favorite cards from last year that I mentioned in my previous post:

Simply Sentiment Holiday Card

Christmas cards and holiday thank you cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

I can't believe how MUCH Katelyn has changed since last year. I have a feeling that this year will be quite interesting!

Now go share your favorite Shutterfly project and get your free credit!

Feeling the stress of the holidays yet? Let Shutterfly make it a little easier.

I know the first thing on my mind as the holidays get closer is the family holiday card! It really is my most favorite thing to put together, especially now that we are a family of three. It is the one family tradition that I will ALWAYS do. I think when Katelyn is older it will be neat for her to be able to look at all the Christmas cards that we sent out each and every year. It won't be so fun for Mom & Dad to see how much older we have gotten over the years, but that's not the point. HA!

I absolutely LOVE Shutterfly for our prints, photo albums and of course our holiday cards! They always seem to have a deal going on too, which is so helpful for this stay at home Mommy.
This was one of a few card designs that we used last year. I love the simplicity of it. If simple isn't your style, do not worry, there are hundreds of holiday card designs for you to choose from on Shutterfly. The bonus is that Shutterfly is currently offering 20% off all holiday cards - so don't miss out! It's so super easy too. The first thing you have to do is upload your photos then pick out your favorite card, add your photos to the card and you are done! Beautiful, unique, customized holiday cards in a matter of minutes. And if you are feeling extra ambitious this year, you could even send out Thanksgiving cards this year! haha!

i heart faces - week 38: smirk

This week's theme over @ i heart faces is SMIRK! Now if anyone knows my daughter you know she is the master at giving me a smirk or what I like to call "the look." Apparently at 20 months old, she is d.o.n.e - DONE with the camera in her face.

Luckily, I still love her. ;)

Not the best photo, technically speaking, but it still captures her personality perfectly.




Be sure to check out all the other great entries for this week!

Ch-Ch-Changesss!

I am currently updating the blog. I'm loving the new look already. Please bear with me while I make these changes little by little.

Summer is almost over...

and I'm really not that sad about it. It has been sooo hot this year even for Florida. Goodness! Although it won't actually cool off until November.

Katelyn is now 19 months old! Isn't it hard to believe? They change so much and far too quickly these first few years. We plan to put her in a preschool program next year. WOW! It is right around the corner. She is doing so much now that it is hard to keep track. I really should update this blog more so I could have half a chance of keeping up. Katelyn jabbers all the time and actually saying new words everyday. I think my most current favorite is "wow!" Her little voice is just the cutest. Katelyn is finally sleeping again (hopefully). She has been working on her "eye" teeth and I think we are just about done. WOOHOO! I know some babies don't mind the teething but Katelyn is not one of those babies. Life is so much better with some sleep.

Katelyn still is very much a Daddy's girl, and I would be lying if I said it didn't bother me. Is it because I'm at home with her? I don't know, but I'm chopped liver when Daddy comes home. Or even when I go to get her out of her crib - she just sort of lays there - not really excited to see me. Daddy walks into the room - she jumps to her feet and reaches for him. Geee! Thanks kid! I'm glad they have such a special bond though. Hopefully I'll get a Mama's boy someday. :)

Nothing too exciting going on with the Nazzaros. Luke has been working a lot (per usual) and as always is an amazing provider for his family. I feel very fortunate that I still get to be at home with Katelyn even though I do have my days where I'd love to go to work. I have a feeling the closer we get to Katelyn being two, I will have a lot more of those days.

Until next time...

i heart faces: yellow

This week's theme @ i heart faces is "yellow". I really love my choice this week. Katelyn was in love with the pool on our first family vacation to Anna Maria Island, Florida a few weeks ago. She's a doll and makes my heart smile. I'm so grateful that her little float was yellow so I could enter this one ;)

Please check out all the other "yellow" entries @ i heart faces.

i heart faces: smiles

Is there anything more sweet than a smiling child? So full of innocence and completely living in the moment. It is such a beautiful thing to watch them grow up!


If you need some extra smiles be sure to check out this week's entries @ i heart faces.

My 1st Quarter Update for 2010

Hello readers! All two of you! In my true accountant nature, I have gone to quarterly updates. I do apologize for my lack of updates. It's so much harder to update after not posting for a couple of months. The problem is that I do not know where to begin. So much has happened that I can't begin to write it all down without it being a novel.

Katelyn turned one and her party was awesome even though Mama had a horrible case of shingles. And I do mean, HORRIBLE! I'm feeling better and glad that chapter of my life is over. Back to the party, it makes me so happy to know that such a little girl is loved by so many.

Katelyn is growing growing growing. Well, as far as milestones go, not so much physically, which I guess is normal. They do slow down during the 2nd year of their life. My little girl can still wear some 9 month onesies which is absolutely crazy to me.

What can Katelyn do now?

• Walks like a champ and is getting really good at running.
• Signs "eat" and "more"
• She has become quite the parrot. She tries to mimic things we say all the time.
• Sleeps through the night very inconsistently (not so fun).
• Likes to put things in something then take them all back out and repeat the process over and over and over.
• And many more things that for the life of me I can't remember at this exact moment

Last month also marked the first time Katelyn stayed the night at Nana and Papa's house. I was so completely worried because of course I know how many times in one night she can get up. However, she did great and only woke up once but Nana took good care of her. Nana and Papa loved having her, and Mom and Dad can't wait to let them do it again! YAY!

This month we will be doing another first for our family of three. We are going on VACATION! Originally, I wanted to go to Clearwater Beach for a few nights for my 30th birthday. Well, since my birthday is during PEAK season it was going to cost a fortune for just a few nights. So I looked around and for a little bit more money we are able to spend a WEEK on Anna Maria Island. I'm so excited! This will only be our 3rd vacation in the 8 years my husband and I have been together. The 1st time was our wedding/honeymoon in Las Vegas so I'm not sure that even counts! The 2nd time was our last vacation as a couple cruise...haha. Little did we know that I was already pregnant! Looking back I did feel a little queasy on the trip, but I thought it was due to the boat rocking and it could have been...who knows! Yes, 30, I'm turning 30! Who can believe that? Certainly not me. As a kid, 30 was something I never thought I'd get to. Surely I'd be dead by then, right? haha. In all actuality, it really is just a number, and I'm pretty okay with where I am in my life so maybe that's why it isn't a big deal? Sure, I'd like some things to be different. And yeah, I have my days where absolutely EVERYTHING is completely wrong (so irrational, I know). However as I'm approaching the big 3-0, I can't help but think I'm exactly where I need to be, doing exactly what I am doing. And how great is that? Now, remind me of this exact blog post when I'm complaining that everything is wrong, wrong, wrong. ;)

This past weekend was Easter and was highlighted by Katelyn's very first Easter egg hunt. She loooved it, of course. She enjoyed picking up the eggs, putting them in her basket, and then throwing them all out of her basket. Haha! We had a great weekend spending time with family and the weather could not have been more perfect.

That's my condensed update on the past couple of months. I'm sure I skipped a lot but it will have to wait until next time!

Reflection

I'm sitting here looking at my daughter who is turning ONE tomorrow. How is that even possible? I remember a year ago tonight being excited about meeting my daughter but so nervous about the c-section. This first year has been absolutely amazing. The goal was for me to be able to stay home with her for the first year. Check. It wasn't always easy, actually it was pretty difficult at times. There were lots of sacrifices (limited Starbucks, no DVR, only basic cable, no haircuts, and the list goes on), but in the end it was the best decision we ever made. I still struggle with finding my place. I feel like I should be working, but I know if I had a job I would feel like I need to be at home. It's a never ending cycle of mommy guilt ;)

What can Katelyn do now?

• Give you "five"!
• Make "Indian" noises with her hand over her mouth - probably not the most PC thing to call it but what else would you call it?
  
• Takes at least 10 steps (probably more if I actually counted) all by her little self.
• Tries to run after the dog but ends up falling on her face.
• She is completely off of her bottles.
• No more formula either - just whole milk.

Since my last update, Katelyn had her first Thanksgiving and her first Christmas. She also had her first visit to see Santa. She held it together pretty well until she looked at him and realized the beard was a little too long and a little too white for it to belong to her daddy. Oh well. She did really well for her first time. And now she is about to celebrate her very first birthday. I have to admit when someone asks me about her party, I get a little choked up talking about it. Someone better have the box of tissues ready for when we sing "Happy Birthday." Gosh, I hope I can hold it together.

Ah, I miss my "baby", but I am excited for what the next year has in store for us. All the worrying during my pregnancy, all the appointments and tests, the dreaded c-section, and even the hassle of the blood clot - it was all worth it for this beautiful gift I was given.

We hope to expand our family this year. We shall see how that goes. I'm trying not to get my hopes up in case we run into problems this time around. You never know with me lately with all my crazy medical issues that seem to pop up out of nowhere!

I sometimes sit and think about what it would be like to have another child. I wonder does your heart just get bigger? It must. I can't imagine having two little persons to love. Ah, guess I will cross that bridge if we ever get there.

I'll post some birthday pics as soon as I can.

Until next time...