Time is a Funny Thing.

We always tend count down the days until a certain "big event." I catch myself saying at times, "I can't wait until Breckan..." However, once you get there, you tend to look back and wish you embraced those moments missed by the over consumption of the countdown itself. So as I sit here, I wish for those moments; those little moments when Breckan was able to be held in one arm, where I was up 3 times a night, where our child still did not know that he was his own person and was not connected to his Mommy anymore. When my Mom told me "This too shall pass" I thought it never would. I thought I would forever be waking up in the middle of the night, forever be nursing around the clock. But now it is no longer this way. In a blink of an eye, my little 7lb 5oz baby is now a walking, talking, opinionated toddler. Even though I miss those early days, I am so proud of him and so amazed at his growth mentally and physically. I still think, "We created this little, beautiful life!"

This weekend, we put the infant carseat,  bottles and all the clothing that Breckan quickly grew out of in the attic. It was bittersweet. We are moving on to a new stage in our child's life, but we will never forget the late nights and the first sight of our little boy. Mark brought me to reality when he said, "We took him home in that carseat." Um... TEAR! Time goes by way too fast. Time is a funny thing.

Reading 11/15/11

So now, I am sure for those who are actually spending the time to read this, are wondering how time has allowed our little boy to blossom into that toddler.  I might miss some things here and there because there is so much he has learned, so don't quote me! Here it goes...

Signs: 
All-Done, Milk, More, Bird, Fish, Juice

Says: 
Dada, Bird, Ball, Wrigley (Ghee) - Our Dog, Dude - Our Cat, Dog, Juice, Cheese, Shoes, Cracker, Cookie, Hot (Haaa), Bubbles, Balloon, Uh-Oh, Boom, Kiss, Cat

Others:
Touches his nose and belly when asked
We ask him "How Big" and then he puts his arms up and we say, "Soooo Big!"
Claps his hands
Waves bye and hi
Gives kisses and hugs
He's a Dancing Bandit
When a car goes by or he is on a thing that moves, he says brooooom
He really is starting to understand us now. When I tell him lets go take a bath, he walks into the bathroom and wants to crawl in! It is so awesome to see comprehension.

And I'll close with one more accomplishment: He can climb up a small ladder to go down by himself on his slide. (And of course sign more to go again, and drink from his straw) Check out the video below!

Until next time,

A Couple of my Best Friends.

I happen to love tea tree oil and baking soda. When browsing the internet for a good recipe for a wet bag deodorizer, I came across the one below. What more could you ask for? You can never go wrong with these two ingredients, which I find out I am using more and more often as I become more environmentally friendly. So in turn, this is what I am about to attempt making -  scented soda discs for the diaper pail! Right now, the pail seems to contain the stinkies, but every time I open that thing it is like there is pee soaked pads in there...which...um....there is! So, I thought I would share with you a recipe that I was inspired to do from http://clothdiapernews.com.

Diaper Pail Deodorizer
• 2 cups Baking Soda in a stainless steel or glass bowl

In a separate glass measuring cup, combine:
• 10 drops pure Tea Tree essential oil (antibacterial agent)
• up to 1/4 cup water

Slowly pour the water/tea tree mixture into the baking soda and stir until you create a thick paste. Be careful not to add too much water or the soda will begin fizzing and dissolve.

Pat the thick paste into approximately 6 muffin tins lined with paper cups and let sit for up to 24 hrs, or until completely solid. Remove from muffin tin and wrap or store the ‘pucks’ in a cookie tin, away from moisture, until ready to use.

I really hope to find that these help. It seems like such a natural way to deodorize. I also am inspired to place a tea tree soaked cotton ball in my car to get my car smelling fresh again. I absolutely LOVE the scent of Tea Tree! I might try some lavender scent to add as well.

Psychedelic Cake Pops.

I just thought I would share the Psychedelic cake pops I made along with my Mom and brother's girlfriend for Jeff's 35th birthday. We used a vanilla cake mixed with butter cream frosting, then dipped in a variety of colored candy coating and sprinkled with nonpareils. I have such a blast doing these and wish I could actually bake for a living! What fun that would be. I'm looking forward to the next time I have the opportunity to make these for a party-with a different theme of course!

One

As I look back at the past year, I think, how did all that happen so fast? I feel like Mark and I went from 0 to 60 after having our son, Breckan. He gives us inspiration and purpose in our lives and we now could not imagine our lives without him! Everything goes by so fast. When those Moms who already had babies told me about "how fast it goes" while I was pregnant, and even when Breckan was in the "newborn" stage, I thought there was no way that it could go by as fast as it actually has. At that moment in my life I thought my little boy would NEVER come and once he did arrive I thought he would NEVER be anything but an eat, sleep and pooping machine! HA-HA.

So here I am, at the point where the pregnancy, newborn stage and nursing every two hours is a distance memory. How could it be? Has it really changed so much in a year? Yes it has, and it keeps getting better and better. Sometimes I look back and miss those brand-new baby moments. Even though I miss those moments, it is unbelievable to see how much he has grown and I am trying to embrace the present before it flashes by. I feel as if every day Breckan learns something new. He is absolutely like a sponge, absorbing everything and anything he can. In the past month, he has learned how to ride his mini four wheeler, signed Milk and All-Done, Gives hugs, says Ball (Ba) All-done (Ah-Da) and Balloon (Bbboon), learned to sip from a straw, puts shapes into corresponding holes and.....RUNS! My little "baby" is now a toddler. It is so amazing to see this growth and development. Mark and I still cannot believe that this little bundle of personality is OUR son and WE gave him life! What a beautiful thing.


To celebrate Breckan's first year, we had a fantastic first birthday party bash at our house last month. Despite the super HOT weather, I think it was an overall success and good time for all involved. We had a pool party and rented a blow up water slide, made pizza in the pizza oven, ate an array of Mexican food and had a candy bar and yummy cake and cookies. Although all these things were nice, it was even better that we had our friends and family to share in Breckan's special day. We are so blessed that we have everyone in our lives that we do, and we couldn't be more appreciative for making Breckan's birthday so special! What a fun time with GREAT people.

So. I end with this.

I have a handsome, bubbly 1 year old.

Can you believe it?

I can't.

10 years ago today.

10 years ago today, our country was attacked by terrorists. I was in my senior year of high school. One of my teachers (I cannot remember who) told me to write down what I was feeling about what was happening. So I went on writing. It is crazy how cheesy my writing was, but hey, we all evolve, right? I am glad I saved this little paragraph. It brings me back to this sad time in our country's history and the beginning of all this chaos that is going on in the world. Who would have thought that this attack would bring our country so much economic despair? Today, I am remembering those who lost their lives 10 years ago today. We will never forget.....

So, in words of a 17 year old's mind 10 years ago:
"I can't believe what has happened today. Terrorists highjacked four planes. One hit the New York trade building, the other hit the second New York Trade Building, one hit the Pentagon and one crash landed in Pittsburg. This was just about one of the biggest/important days of American history. I am completely appalled by how many people died. Right now they are saying there is 10,000 people that died. On the news it says "America under attack" George Bush says that we will find these people, show their faces, and do whatever possible to punish them. All the Lifesources in the country are jammed packed with people who want to donate blood. It was so sad to see the plane actually fly into the trade center and thinking about the people in the plane and the people at the trade center. George bush considers this an act of war. I am so worried that we will go to war because all of my friends will be going and it's a creepy thought. People are claiming that the gas is going to go up 20 cents tomorrow. Man a nation in chaos, let me tell ya! I can't believe someone would do something like this. 800 could be dead from the pentagon only."

Cake Pops.

I thought I would do a step by step of the recipe/instructions for the cake pops. They were so incredibly fun and easy! (Just time consuming...)

Stuff You Need
Box cake - your choice in flavor (I used your standard Yellow cake mix)

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:
2 C Powdered Sugar
1/4 C (1/2 stick) Butter
1/2 t Vanilla
1.5-2 T Milk

Candy Melts (A cheap quality that comes in various colors found in Michael's are by Wilton but I like the ones found in specialty candy stores because they are better quality)
Oil Based Food Coloring (You will need this if you don't buy the pre-colored melts from Micheal's)
Lollipop Sticks
3"x4" Treat Bags
1/8" Ribbon
Cake Sparkles (or any other candies for decorating)
Foam (for cooling/drying)

Directions
Bake box cake to instructions on the box. Let cool 10 minutes once you remove cake from oven. Scoop out cake into a bowl and place in fridge to cool for about an hour.

Meanwhile, make the buttercream frosting by combining all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix until combined. Add more milk if necessary for spreading consistency. Set aside.

Once the cake is cooled, add frosting to cake and combine until all the cake is moistened. Roll the cake between hands into 1" balls and place on parchment paper.

Once the balls are rolled, melt the candy melts by following instructions on the bag. Dip the tip of the lollipop sticks into melted candy and place the dipped end into the cake ball a little over halfway. Once all the cake balls have their sticks in place, put the cake balls into the fridge and cool for an additional hour or until the melted candy has hardened.

Following the cooling process, reheat the candy melts until smooth again, and dip the pops in the melted candy one at a time. Sprinkle with decoration and place pop into the foam to cool or dry.

Once all pops are dipped and cooled, put them into the treat bags and tie with ribbon. You can choose to add little labels too to add a special customized element!

First steps.

Mark and I witnessed Breckan's first two steps at 9.5 months - June 5, 2011. Breckan was standing by the play pen and was holding on and smiling away. I called him to come over by me, just mere steps away and he let go of the side of that play pen and BAM two steps to Momma! I was so ecstatic I looked up at Mark and said, "Does that count as first steps?!" I guess so! We then put him back and he did it again. It was so exciting.

Since then, he has been having more and more of those moments with more and more steps each time. Today, I just saw him walk 5-6 steps to me! What a big boy. It is hard to think that just 10 months ago my little boy just arrived into this world and he could only cry, eat, sleep and poop! Ever since his mobility came into the mix, I feel like our son is an entirely different baby. Bye bye colic, hello sweet, beautiful, giggly Breckan!

Not only is Breckan getting closer and closer to walking, but he is also showing those pearly whites! He has two bottom teeth and two top ones: the ones to the immediate right and left of his two front teeth. He is our little dracula! I don't think it is too common to have those come in first, but I had those lateral incisors come in before my two front ones too! I guess we are alike.

Because of all his teething this past week has been a little rough at night. He was up 4-6 times for about three days straight. Poor little boy! I am glad the pain is now gone to the point where he is back to his 1-2x a night waking.

A a totally different note, my lovely husband will be celebrating his first father's day tomorrow. I couldn't have asked for a better father for my son, and I am so grateful for all the sacrifices he makes so that we don't have to place Breckan in daycare. He is one dedicated Dad and we love him so.

As Breckan's first birthday is creeping up on us, I have been expirimenting with some things that I plan to have at his birthday. I am thinking of doing a little blue and black candy bar with candy along with some home-made goodies to go with the "little rebel" theme that we have planned. I am planning on making chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate dipped marshmallows, blue dyed rice krispie treats, and last but not least, cake pops. I have never done cake pops before so I experimented today with making them. They are a lot of work, but oh my gosh!!! So adorable and cute. Cake pops are basically baked cake that has been cooled, mixed with my homemade buttercream frosting (so it is a roll-able consistency) and rolled into balls and then dipped in candy melts on a lollipop stick! These cute treats are perfect for little bite sized snacks. I decorated my experimental ones for father's day tomorrow and wrapped them in treat bags and tied a ribbon around them. SO ADORABLE! I will be posting a photo of my work shortly.

All Packaged and ready to go!

Ahhh and now it is time for sleep. Or sleep until Breckan wakes in the middle of the night

Reminisce.

Although delayed, I didn't want to miss out in documenting our trip to NC. After all, it was fun! At the end of May, we had planned to head to Boone, NC (Mark and I's old college town) with Breckan. We were so looking forward to showing him around the place where his Dad and Mom fell in love. So on we went in the middle of the night, driving in the dark for 12 hours so Breckan could sleep the entire way. I can only imagine the horror we would have ensued if we decided to travel through the day with Breckan instead. I don't think he would like being stuck in a car seat for 12 hours, especially since he had crawling down to a science by then. The travel was great, and we arrived in beautiful Boone by 6am the following morning.

Luckily, we stayed at the cabin where I spent my last semester of college, which is also the cabin that Mark's parents and grandparents own. Let's just say, the scenery is gorgeous and it is so peaceful out there! I have so many memories when I walk into this place! It was surreal to think that my time up there was almost 5 years ago. And to think....I am now married and have a baby too!
That day we pretty much relaxed. We also took a small ride on the 4-wheeler around the huge property beyond ours, with Breckan riding along in the Ergo Carrier! He fell asleep on the ride.

The following day, we decided to hike out to table rock and also camp that night. Let me tell you, to hike with a baby on your back is serious business. I got such a workout! Although the forecast called for rain, Mark and I were scoffing at the weather men thinking, "what rain?!!" The scenery was beautiful as always, as it overlooked babble tower area (where Mark and I have hiked in the past). Once we settled down at the campground, got our tent set up, fire started, etc., Breckan fell asleep in the hammock with his Daddy and we moved him to the tent for the rest of his nap so we could get dinner started. We made some amazing steaks, carrots and asparagus and potatoes and MMM MMM was it all good. And then....the THUNDER came. Oh boy. We kept saying to each other, "Should we pack up and go? Or wait it out?" Then the thunder started getting closer...it started getting darker and clouds started rolling in. Then the first drops of rain. Once we felt that drizzle, we had a feeling that this would be one awful night if we didn't make a quick hike back out. The thunder and lighting was creeping up on us and that is no situation you want to be in. So we quickly packed up and by the time we were finished it was pouring. We hiked back out, with Breckan crying the whole way, getting soaked! He was a super trooper though and we made it back in one piece. PHEW. That lighting was making even Mark's neck hairs stand up! In the end, we had a nice hike and a great dinner out of it and we came to the conclusion that camping with a crawling baby is quite difficult! (He was trying to eat dirt the entire time).

In the Hammock at our campsite at table rock - dirty boy!

Hebron Rock Colony!

The following day we decided to take a hike through hebron rock colony. This was my place to take people when they came and visited Boone. You jump a bunch of rocks to get to the top of the stream and the scenery is gorgeous. I hiked in with Breckan on my back in the ergo and it was a much more comfortable trip than the hiking to table rock! The Ergo is the best thing ever. We ran into an old teammate of mine, Charissa and her family. It was wonderful to see her and catch up with each other. I was amazed that the place that was desolate when I was in college is now the ole watering hole for all the college students. It seemed like everyone was there that day. I don't blame them...but now it isn't as much of a secret! To top off the day, we had dinner at my favorite restaurant, Cafe Portofino. MMMM!

Snake Pit Family photo

Another hike was on the docket for the following day. We drove to snake pit which is basically a stream where people can lay out and float around in the water. Mark, Breckan and I popped a seat on a nearby rock and relaxed the day away. That was, until Mark lost his wedding ring. Yep you heard it right. He took a dip into the cold stream water and apparently his fingers shrunk a little too much and while he was climbing out of the water his ring popped off. Luckily, with a trip to walmart and a lot of very helpful people, Mark was able to find his ring! PHEW what a relief...that would have turned our day upside down!

Cutey Boy at Snake Pit

Sprinkled throughout our trip we were able to check out all our favorite local restaurants like Black Cat and Macado's, walk through the town, and show Breckan what Boone was all about. Overall, our trip was a success and we were home a week later with big smiles on our faces!

Birthday and Mother's Day

The weekend before my birthday Mark, Breckan and I went out to dinner at Bonefish Grill to celebrate. I could not believe how well behaved Breckan was. What a champ!! He ate so much for dinner and was enjoying the atmosphere just as much as we were. It was nice to celebrate with my little family.
On my actual birthday I went out to dinner with a few of my friends at Peking Tokyo, a Hibachi place here in Coral Springs (Mark was on shift). Once again Breckan was a champ! I seriously think our son loves to be out and about vs. being at home. He is so much better behaved with all new surroundings and new things to observe.
Then on Friday we went out to the Marlin's game with a group of friends while Mark's Dad and sister watched our little guy. I don't actually think I watched 5 minutes of the game. I was more enjoying the company that we went with! Ahhhhh adult conversation...it is much needed at times! We had so much fun.
Saturday Mark was on shift and was doing a Fire Fighter open house/demonstration for the city of Hollywood. Breckan and I drove down and watched Daddy show everyone what he does for a living! I enjoyed seeing my Husband in full uniform...he looks soooo.....HOT!!! And I think Breckan liked it too. Mark came up to us after the demonstration and Breckan had a HUGE smile on his face when he saw that it was his Dad in that uniform!

Mother's day here in FL was beautiful! We couldn't have asked for a better day. The sun was shining and the heat was blazing. After Breckan's morning nap, we headed down to Hollywood and ate a the "world renowned" burger joint, Le Tub for the first time. Overall, the burger was jucy and HUGE but the atmosphere wasn't for a baby Breckan's age. There were no high chairs and the wait for a burger was 45 minutes. Needless to say, Breckan was getting fussy by the time we received our food. Following our lunch we took a bike ride on the boardwalk in Hollywood. Unlike all the other beaches here if South Florida that I have been to, this beach is set up where the restaurants line the boardwalk and then the beach is right next to that boardwalk. Usually, A1A is always lining the beach so there isn't as much space to ride our bikes. It was wonderful! (Besides my funny tan! HEHE)
Later that day, we went out to dinner with Mark's family at Blue Moon Fish Co. We were so full from our burgers and Breckan was super fussy for missing his second nap so we decided to just order appetizers and bolt! It is very hard to enjoy dinner with a little fussy boy on our hands anyways! I ordered Crab cakes which were KILLER and Mark had the Lobster Bisque. YUM!
And, what is better than topping off the evening with a FREE cold stone ice cream for this Mommy! Yep, they were giving out free ice cream for Moms!
When we got home, Breckan was about ready for bed but we wanted to try to hold him off until his actual bed time. He absolutely LOVES the hose. We turned on the water and let him splash around naked. He seriously played for a half an hour. SO funny!

WHEW what a busy week, but a fun one at that!

Now...

These past 3 weeks have been milestone filled for our little Breckan! Last week he starting army crawling on his belly and by the weekend he was crawling on his hands and knees. I cannot believe how fast THAT happened! Every day he gets speedier on all fours and is loving the freedom. He also uses us as a jungle gym all the time, trying to climb up and stand on us to get to standing on the furniture and his toys. He has so much energy! I am hoping this new-found skill will help him sleep through the night. After all, he is using up so much energy during the day now, he has to be exhausted by night time! Last night he slept from 8:20pm-5am which has been the first time he slept for more than 5 hours in a LONG time. He has been on a consistent schedule of waking up 2x a night or every 4 hours.

And yesterday he cut his first tooth! No wonder he was crabby for his Daddy. That little sucker was coming through and making it's appearance. Finally after 8.5 months we can say that Breckan now has ONE tooth! Hehe.

At Taverna Opa the night my parents arrived

The weekend of April 9, Mark and I were able to celebrate our 3rd anniversary on our first overnight trip without Breckan. We went to Delray Beach and stayed at the condo Mark's parents own near the beach. On Friday evening, we went out to dinner, had a few drinks, walked the beach and reminisced and then Saturday morning we were up at 7am riding our bikes along the beach and then stopped for a little breakfast. It was a great get away for both of us. I can't help but think that I need to spend every minute with Breckan when I have the time because I work full time. I guess it's a guilt thing. However, it was much needed for Mark and I to spend time alone. Overall, success! Breckan only woke up once in the middle of the night!

The following weekend I attended a baby shower for my friend, Mindy. She is cloth diapering as well so I was VERY excited to shop for diapers for her! After all, I am obsessed! Her shower was beautifully put together with many thoughtful ideas. I loved it! Breckan was able to attend the shower and overall he was a champ. He always enjoys getting out of our house!

Liane, Nina, Me and Minna

This past weekend was Nina and Ernie's wedding in Islamorada, FL (the keys). I was honored to be a bridesmaid in their wedding. Since I needed to give Nina 100% attention, I asked my parents if they could come down and watch Breckan while Mark and I were attending the wedding festivities. It was a great little getaway and a great excuse to get my parents down here! Friday morning we headed down and we were on the boat by the afternoon! We visited the hotel everyone was staying at by boat, and Breckan was able to play in the shallow pool and he LOVED it! Friday night we had the rehearsal dinner. The meal was phenomenal and we had great company! Following the rehearsal dinner we trucked it back to the hotel and had a little dance party of our own with a bunch of the bridesmaids and bride.

Nina was a beautiful bride. We even all called her BARBIE! She looked so elegant. The wedding and reception were beautiful and both were overlooking the ocean. There is nothing more perfect than a beautiful sunny day and a cool breezy night to celebrate the union of these two amazing people! We even made our appearance at "Hog Heaven" for a little drinks and dancing following the reception. I had so much fun dancing the night away!

Nina on her wedding day!

Easter morning my parents, Breckan and I went to a great breakfast place while Mark slept in. They had the best cinnamon buns! MMMMM. We then took the boat out and enjoyed a cruise along the bayside. Breckan is absolutely loving the boat rides. I think he was made for water! Overall the day was relaxing. We celebrated Mark's birthday as well and my parents took us out to dinner. Mark chose this seafood buffet that was awesome! Breckan even tried Mahi for the first time. He is getting to be quite the eater!

We left on Monday after saying goodbye to my parents, as they were headed over to the West Coast of FL to visit friends. It is always sad when my parents leave. I hope that soon they will be moving down here officially! After all, they did take a little trip with a realtor to look at a few houses when they got into town!

Doctor. Pulling up. Winner. Finger Foods. Teeth. Anniversary.

Breckan had his 7 month well visit at the doctor's office at the end of March. Overall he is doing great. The doctor weighed him and he only showed a weight gain of about 3 ozs and grew about 1/4" taller. He kept me at peace by explaining to me that every child will grow at their own pace, and as long as Breckan is happy and healthy then there is nothing to be concerned about. However, Mark and I swear their scale was messed up! We weighed him at home and he weighed in a lb heavier and he is fitting into his clothes differently than when he was 6 months old. During our visit, Breckan was very active as usual and the doctor commented on how energetic of a baby he is! He even said, "Does your son usually have this much energy?" Oh boy, are we in for it.....
Within the past 2 weeks or so B has been more and more confident with moving around. He started going from a sitting position to his knees but doesn't quite know how to crawl yet. He still HATES his belly and every time he gets onto his knees he ends up on his belly and crying again! If he only knew that if he crawled a little he could get around! I feel like it is right around the corner, but then again I also think he may just skip this stage. He absolutely LOVES pulling himself up onto things. Sometimes I wonder how he has so much energy! It is like he is doing pull-ups all day long. It is absolutely adorable though. When he gets to a standing position he has the CUTEST grin on his face like he is breaking the rules or something!

Breckan's contest photo!

This past week, the winner was announced for the "Baby of the Month" on Happy Heiny's website.  I had submitted Breckan's photo and because of all your votes he landed into the top 5 and then he was chosen by Happy Heiny's as the winner of the contest! We received a $50 gift card to the Happy Heiny's store to purchase more diapers (Oh gosh, not like I need them or anything!!!) and huge bragging rights as well! Here is the link to the past winners, with Breckan listed for March 2011. I know I know, he is the cutest one out of them all!
I decided to see how Breckan would do with finger foods a few days ago. He seems SO curious with everything we are eating and he always attempts to grab anything and everything in his reach. So we started with giving him little puffs that melt in your mouth to prevent a choking incident. He couldn't get enough of them! He was trying so hard to do the "pincer grasp" and was pretty successful for the most part. When he got frustrated he would let Mommy know, so I would help him a bit. Overall - SUCCESS! Following the puffs, we tried pieces of pears covered with baby oatmeal to help him with picking up the pieces. Even though they were still a little slippery, he managed a few into his mouth and enjoyed every minute of it. It's so funny though, his high chair has become a mess! I keep finding pears and puffs all over the place (Even in his ears)!
In addition to all these milestones and developmental steps Breckan has been taking, we also think some little teeth are coming in at the bottom! He has two white lumps down there and it looks like something should be coming in soon. I feel so bad though, it sucks to see him in pain. He is going to look so cute with two little teeth popping through. I can't wait!

Ready for our dinner....

Mark and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary on April 5th. I cannot believe we have been married for 3 years. It seems like just yesterday that we said "I DO".  To celebrate, I bought a porterhouse and a filet minon to grill up along with some mixed veggies and rice. We topped it off with one of our favorite bottles of wine, Estancia Pinot Noir. After we put Breckan to bed, we turned off the TV, had a quiet candle-lit dinner, and talked the night away. I felt like I was on one of our first dates (with better conversation of course)! It was awesome. We even reminisced with the wedding book! To continue with the celebration, Mark and I are heading to Delray for an overnight stay at the Condo on Friday. It is a block from the beach, great night life and restaurants. Mark's parents are watching Breckan for the night, and this will be his first night out of our house and our first night without him! Wish us luck. I hope I don't miss him too much.

Firsts.

The Group out for lunch.

This weekend brought on a bunch of firsts for our little man, Breckan. He is officially sitting up on his own now and saying da-da and na-na. A week ago I would have told you it will be a long time coming before he starts with words and then suddenly overnight he was a changed man! So cute. I can't help but smile every time I hear him talk to me.

We had 2 couples, Rich and Lyndsey and Heather and David visit us this weekend. Heather and David have a son, Tre who is a few weeks younger than Breckan. It was so fun to see them interact with each other. Tre is a big boy and already crawling! It is crazy how different babies develop.

Breckan and Tre Hanging out

Saturday morning I did a little photoshoot for Tre in the park near our house. He was such a ham and did a great job! I was able to get some great shots of the cutie. I also was able to take some friend shots of Breckan and Tre together. SO CUTE!! Saturday afternoon we took the group on a boat ride through John Lloyd State Park. We couldn't have asked for a better day, weather wise. We sand docked in the park and were able to wade in the inter coastal sand. Breckan loved it, even though the water was colder than normal. He was splashing and playing around like he was made for it! Across a small area of land was the beach, where we all took a walk and let the kiddos see the ocean. They also sat in the sand for the first time. Tre was grabbing it and trying to eat it, while Breckan was just sitting there until he face-planted and got it all up his nose! We couldn't help but crack up at him. I am sure we will experience a lot of these moments down the road.

It is crazy how the time goes when you are out on the boat. When 5pm rolled around we headed back to the house to prepare for our party that night. Mark prepared baked ziti and a salad for everyone and we partied it up while Breckan slept soundly in his crib. As I get older, the parties seem to end earlier, no matter who comes! It cracks me up how my son has changed my bedtime routine. I don't remember the last time I slept until 9am. That would be HEAVEN! I don't think I could even if I wanted to!

Sunday morning we were woken up at around 6:45 to Breckan talking in his crib and rambling "Da-Da" over and over again. Mark was so excited that Dada was his first word. I was just as excited, except I wish it were Mama! :P Mark kept saying, "Breckan, who is your favorite." SO MEAN OF HIM!!! Below is my talking little guy....

Our friends left that afternoon (after a fabulous breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast and oatmeal) and Mark and I spent the rest of the day running errands and cleaning up the house from the eventful weekend. Next time, it is our turn to head up north to Orlando to visit Heather and David!

Renaissance Festival

The entrance to the Renaissance Festival
Quiet Waters Park

This weekend we went to the Renaissance festival at Quiet Waters Park with some friends. We went last year (when I was pregnant!!) and this year seems to be the same stuff but all good fun! It is amazing that these people are somewhat like "carnies" and camp out at the park. I bet they are still "in character" on their down time. These people are serious! I tell you what, if you love to people watch and drink beer, this is the place to be. There are so many interesting people there in such unique, and lavish costumes. And if you like fat boobies falling out...you gotta go! HAHA. Breckan was pretty well-behaved, especially since he didn't get hardly any napping in! I guess he enjoyed being outdoors and watching all the weirdos! Overall, it was a great way to spend some time with friends and enjoy the great weather we have here.

 As the winter is coming to an end, I can't help but become excited about the summer rearing it's head. I know, I know, last year at this time I was very reluctant to the idea that the steamy, hot, sweaty summer nights were creeping up on us (You can't blame me, I was pregnant!). This year though, it will bring a bunch of "firsts" for our little man. One I am most looking forward to: SWIMMING!! Here we are with a 6 month old and a pool in our backyard with nothing to show for it! We haven't been in that thing since last summer. I am such a wimp these days and consider the pool during the winter to be WAY too cold. But, in reality, it probably is the temperature that my parent's pool is at during the heat of summer in Chicago. I guess you get used to your surroundings, right?

Exploring in the tub.

Also this weekend, while giving Breckan a bath, he became much more curious about his surroundings and has become quite the daredevil. Now, from a laying position he can prop himself up and he attempts to hold himself up in the tub. It is so cute! I can't help but allow him to explore the world around him in whatever way he pleases. It is quite nerve racking at times! He also has this huge obsession with empty water bottles. He grabs one, squeezes the crap out of it and tries to shove it in his mouth while screaming. I don't get it!! Another first: we introduced peaches to him, and he seemed to love them! No avocados for this man though, it was the first food that he did NOT enjoy to the point of spitting it out. Oh well, maybe next time!

Moments like these.

A photo from Breckan's 6 Month shoot.

Daddy with Breckan

Bella, Rosaline, Bruce, Breckan and I taking a ride!

This weekend I needed to relax. No housework, no working....just spending time with my family. When Mark got home from shift on Saturday Morning, we decided to do Breckan's 6 month photo shoot at the park. Overall he did pretty well, and the photos came out great! Following our photoshoot and Breckan's nap, we decided to take a little bike ride. Breckan has a little seat on the back of my bike so he can ride along with us in comfort! We decided to extend our little jaunt to a little stop at Tijuana Taxi Co. to share a plate of fish tacos. We placed Breckan in the high chair and he hung out while we ate lunch. Believe me, this is a triumph! I usually am prepared for a fussy baby but I couldn't believe how great he behaved! What a great little guy :). The day was fantastic. I couldn't believe how much I needed it.
Sunday we decided to head out on the boat to a small sand bar located in Boca Raton with the Li Family. They have two kids Bruce and Bella, and Breckan is one month younger than Bella! It was so cute to watch the two interact. Breckan was so interested in her. He was grabbing to feel the real live baby in front of him! We had an exciting little boatride with the kiddos shoved into life jackets that were far too consuming. It was quite hilarious. The kids were in great moods most of the time. I think Breckan loved the wind in his (lack of) hair and the constant hum of the boat. On the way to and from the sandbar he took little snoozes! Once we got to the sandbar we ate some sandwiches and relaxed. It was far too cold for any of us to go in the water, but I let B feel the water with his toes. Another successful outing and a FUN one at that!
To top of the weekend, we ended our evening with dinner out with the Li Family at El Mariachi, a local cuban/spanish restaurant. Breckan passed out 5 minutes in and Bruce and Bella were just chilling, hanging out with the adults. MMMM it was so good!
I tell you what. I love weekends like these. I wish I had more time to spend enjoying life instead of doing housework on the weekends. I need to work harder on the week-nights so I can dedicate my weekends to family time!

My little man taking a ride.

Mommy and Breckan on the Boat

The Park

After working from home on Tuesday, Breckan was fussier than usual that evening. I decided to take him to a nearby park and see if he could fit into the baby swing. He was a little small for the swing so I shoved a blanket around him and plopped him right in it. I couldn't believe how much he liked it. Every time he came close to me he would giggle. It was adorable. I think I took 100 pictures that day.

As I was watching my little boy swing away, I couldn't help but long for more moments like these. Yes, I have my weekends to spend with him, but it is just not enough. With housework in the mix it gets chaotic.

I know being a stay at home Mom is just as demanding as working, but I cannot help but have a strong desire to stay at home and give 100% attention to my little man. I guess only in dreams. In our society these days, having only one income is virtually impossible. Therefore, the expectations for a Mom in this era is almost insurmountable. Not only do we have to take care of our children, but we have to go to work or work from home and take care of the children at the same time and be expected to keep up with housework.

I just have to thank God for my husband. He puts in just as much time with Breckan as I do, because he has 48 hours off and takes care of him when I am at work. Most Dads don't do that, and I am sure it is just as demanding on him too. The male used to come home from work and expected his wife to have dinner on the table and have her attend to every need/want from not only him, but the children.

All I can say is, OH HOW THE TIMES HAVE CHANGED! I sometimes wish I was living in the 50's...I think I would fit in better there.

Finch Family Reunion

At the Top of the mountain!

This past week, the Fee family headed across the country to Jackson Hole, Wy for a Finch Family Reunion. Why Jackson Hole, you ask? Well, my Dad and Brother Dan have been going skiing there once a year for the past 10 years. I told my Dad that in 2011, I was definitely coming, and then it ended up being a reunion of sorts! So here Mark and I are, packed up and ready to go. We have the portable crib, the toys, the stroller, carseat, food, diapers, etc. And oh my gosh was it crazy. It is so much harder to travel with and infant! But, we got through security and the flights to Jackson with ease even with our layover in Dallas.
My family met us at the cabin they rented for the week and we were ready to celebrate! It was so nice to be with my family again, and it was nice to have all the help in-house! Any one of my family members were happy and willing to take Breckan for a bit, and he was great about it too.
The weather there was quite different than our warm little Ft. Lauderdale. It was in the negative numbers almost the entire time! Let's just say, our lips were-a-crackin'. Breckan's skin was even dry and his lips were chapped too! He handled it pretty well though, but was up at 5:30 every morning because of the time change. (Yippee for us! LOL)
Mark and I were able to get some time together in on the slopes while my Mom took care of Breckan for a few days. I was a little leery about skiing again and I hoped that my knee could keep up (I tore it back in 2003). I got on those slopes and low and behold, I picked it right up again! Don't get me wrong, I am not the best at slalom, but I could get down the double blacks with time and planning. We ended up going out of bounds twice, and I felt like a rebel! It was so beautiful and the fact that we were not in the ski resort made it that much cooler.

Finch Family Shot

Jeff's Blown Boot

Jeff and his girlfriend Ashley made it to Jackson a few days after us because they were driving. The next morning we got a Finch Family reunion photo with the shirts I designed for the trip. Following that, Jeff joined us on the slopes with Dad, Mark, Dan, Jen and Ashley came along too. Later in the day, when we were skiing out of bounds, Jeff was slaloming down the hill like a pro, then suddenly he sees pieces of orange stuff around him. He looks down and BAM, his boot blew out!! HAHA. He had to ski down the rest of the out of bounds with one ski. I guess he should have known that 15 yr old boots may not hold up like they used to. It was so funny! Jeff's leg was burning like crazy by the end of the day. He isn't the youngin' he used to be.
Besides skiing, my Mom and I visited the town of Jackson. While we were expecting quaint little shops, it seemed more like very expensive cowboy stores and mercantile stores. We got a few shirts and called it a day with lunch and a little mom and pop sandwich shop. We did happen to find this really cool oil and vinegar place called "Vom Fass". They get all these really neat oils and vinegars from Germany and display them in little canisters for sampling. Once you decide on which combination of oil and vinegar you like best, the owner will fill your chosen bottle up with it! Now, I didn't purchase anything, but I was very tempted. It was sooo flavorful and I was dying to try these oils and vinegars on my salads and bread. My mom ended up purchasing a Pomegranate Vinegar with a Rosemary oil. I couldn't believe the flavor. YUM!!

At the Elk Refuge

On Thursday, Mark, Ashley, Breckan and I drove through the Teton National Park. I could not believe how beautiful the scenery was. It was out of a picture book. Even though we have photos, it doesn't do it justice. It was a beautiful and peaceful day, and Breckan and I ended up napping in the car on the way back through the park. I guess we both needed it! We also visited the Elk Refuge. Although we couldn't see the elk close up, we were able to see tons of Rams. They were so close! A mere 4 feet away and just chilling around the area. We also were fortunate enough to see a few moose near the house we were staying at and Deer in the backyard! Gotta love all the wildlife.
The day everyone left was bittersweet. I had tears in my eyes for sure. My family makes me feel whole again. I miss them so much. We ended up flying out the following Saturday afternoon. Breckan came down with a fever the night before and he wasn't in good spirits. I felt so bad for my little man. The flight from Jackson to Dallas was fine. We then had our flight to Ft. Lauderdale. They plane was delayed, and then they forgot to put our bags on the plane, so we waited, sitting there...with a screaming baby for an hour until we had takeoff. I have never been so overwhelmed, drained and embarrassed in my entire life. I felt so bad that people had to deal with hearing my baby screaming. We thankfully were able to get him down when we were airborne and I could get up and about the cabin to rock him to sleep. He was exhausted. We ended up getting home at about 2am Sunday morning.
Overall, the trip was a blast. I love spending time with my family, and I cannot wait for the next reunion!!

Caught it!

Before his shots in his GroVia!

Last night, I finally caught Breckan laughing. I had to hide the camera because every time he sees it he just STARES and it distracts him so there is no image, but he sounds so cute!! There is nothing like laughter that makes the heart melt. I sure do love my little boy! On top of all that laughter, he slept from 8pm to 3:45am, 4-7am last night. Hopefully we will be able to continue this if I can get him on a schedule.

Breckan had his 5 Month check up yesterday as well. He weighed in at 14lbs 12 ozs, 25.5" long. He gained about 1.5lbs from last month's checkup, and was 1.25 inches longer! The doctor was concerned at first that he had a poor weight gain this month, but then he looked back at his charts and realized that he has been consistently gaining this amount from day one. At least we can now say that he is double his weight! I also talked to him about his sleeping habits and he said that he should now be sleeping through the night. He suggested the "cry it out" method. He explained it like this: He wakes up to comfort nurse. It's not out of hunger but because he wants comfort. We have to train him that if it's dark in the room, it is sleep time. Therefore, Mommy and Daddy will not be coming in. However, I have a hard time doing this. If he wants comfort, shouldn't I be giving him what he desires? I don't know, but I am going to research other methods and see what is best for us. I am planning on starting the sleep training on Friday, so we need some luck!

We are delaying vaccinations for Breckan, and are following the Dr. Sears schedule. We decided that we wanted to delay because 1. I cannot imagine him getting 6 shots at once and 2. It will give me peace of mind with all the autism studies, etc. Below is the normal vaccination schedule vs. the delayed one. We decided to not give Breckan the rotavirus vaccine or Hepatitis B (He will receive this when he is older though).

 As you can see, this schedule is much less evasive when compared to the typical vaccination schedule. Also, the MMR vaccine (Mumps, Measles and rubella) can not be given separately as described so we have decided to delay that until Breckan becomes school age.