2010 Wrap Up

So as 2011 draws near, I begin to remember all of the things that have happened in the last year. Some good, some bad. Looking back now  I can't help but think of what a wonderful year 2010 has been for our family.

We were blessed with the birth of our beautiful daughter Lillian Kay.

As well as the opportunity to watch her grow and learn with many of her milestones, such as... rolling, crawling, and getting her first two teeth. We also were able to see her first Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and soon her first New Years celebration.

Mr. W and I also had our first wedding anniversary, Mother's Day, and Father's Day. Not to mention the beginning of our first Deployment as a married couple.

We've had an amazing year and I'm looking forward to the adventures that 2011 will be bringing us. It's going to be a difficult year but as long as we have each other I know it will be another great one...

Merry (belated) Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

So Christmas morning I got a surprise phone call from Mr. W. which was pretty much the best present ever. we didn't talk long but it was nice to hear his voice.

Our day started around 10:30ish and we opened our presents and since it was Lilly's first Christmas you can only imagine some of the things she got. Some items include a GIANT stuffed monkey, a "sing-a-ma-jig", and A ball that lights up and moves on its own... cool but kind of interesting. She had fun playing with all her toys but i think her favorite one so far is a little baby doll that her gammy and papaw gave her. She still has another Christmas coming in a couple of weeks when we go see my dad in Florida. By time all of the Christmas presents have been opened Lilly is going to have more toys than she knows what to do with, but i don't think she'll mind.

I hope everyone else had a great Christmas and has a very Happy New Year as well

Catch-Up

So I've been slacking in the blogging department for about a week now but I'm on vacation so can you blame me? anyways.... So last Friday Lilly and I left for Michigan. We flew from LA, to Dallas, to Chicago, and finally arrived in MI... Thankfully there was a nice USO center in the Dallas airport with a nice little kids area with a highchair and stuff so i could sit and feed Lilly in a quiet area. Not to mention how I was lucky enough to have my fabulous daughter be an angel the whole time... there was no crying or fussing on the airplanes or in the airports...

we also made a new friend on our flight from Dallas to Chicago... our flight attendant Christy... she was so sweet...

we finally got to MI and rested up and the next day was shopping and set up the Christmas tree with new ornaments and all. At the end of the night me and my MotherInLaw watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation... "SAY THE BLESSING" was our favorite line of the night.

Sunday and Monday weren't too adventurous. We ended up hanging around the house and wrapping Christmas presents and such, but Lilly did cut her second tooth and time with the family is always nice, especially when you rarely get to see them all. Tuesday was just hanging out at home again but once my SisterInLaw got home from school we made some amazingly cute mini cakes... Everyone got to try some, even Lilly

 and these are only a few.

Wednesday and Today Lilly and I hung out with my FatherInLaw since he has been off work for the holidays... I even made him some Pannukakku (Finnish Pancakes) on Wed. And today we went and did some last minute Christmas shopping and spent time with our cousins and grandparents.

and for those of you willing to try it here is a Pannukakku Recipe:

                    4 eggs                          1 c. flour
                    2 c. milk                       1/2 tsp. salt
                    1-3 tbsp. sugar            4 tbsp. butter

Beat eggs. Add milk, sugar, flour, and salt; beat well. Pour batter into a 12- inch heavy frying pan, which has been heated in a 425 degree oven with the butter. Heat the pan until butter sizzles. Bake for 20 minutes in a 425 degree oven until the pancake is puffed and nicely browned. Serves 6-8.

We Need A Little Christmas!

Christmas is by far, my favorite time of year. The Coolness in the air, the movies and specials on tv, and songs everywhere you go, and best of all the quality time spent with family and friends... what could be better?

This year is going to be harder than usual with Mr. W being gone, especially since it was supposed to be our first Christmas as a family, But luckily we have the opportunity to be with family. Going to Michigan for Christmas and New Years and then Florida to thaw out and spend some much deserved time with my Dad and sister. I'm looking forward to sharing a White Christmas with Lillian this year. As well as making some Christmas cookies to send to Mr. W and putting up the Christmas tree, and most likely watching Lilly and the cats pull everything off of it.

Sadly living in Louisiana we don't get much snow... last year it slowed 2 or 3 times but it melted by noon. And I am so excited to see what Miss Lilly does with all the fluffy white stuff.

Only 4 more days until Michigan
And
Only a month until Florida.

But until then there is much to be done... Last minute gifts to be bought, a house to be cleaned, Friends to visit, and bags to be packed. Its going to be a busy couple of days, but I know it will all be worth it.
Lilly is crying so I am off to mommy land once again

Girls Day

So yesterday was a nice day... It was really great to have a mini break from my darling daughter. It was my first time away from her since Mr.W left for his deployment.During this fabulous day a friend and I got some long overdue pedicures. I haven't had one since my birthday (I WAS ALSO 9 MONTHS PREGNANT) so as i said... long overdue. We got blue toenails with little white snow flakes... with a little rhinestone in the middle of the snowflake... SOOO CUTE & seasonal and needless to say, Lilly was very fascinated with the change in my feet.After that we went to walmart and I found the BEST SHIRT EVER...

Yeah it was $3 can't beat that.

I'm also working on something special for Mr.W's Christmas. When it is complete I will be sure to tell you guys all about it so it remains a suprise for my love ♥

P.S. ONE WEEK UNTIL MICHIGAN                                                        

Dear Deployment...

I'M KICKING YOUR BUT TODAY!

                            love, 

                                    me ♥

Let me explain... so its been about 6 weeks since Mr. W left and as any military wife knows, you have your good days and your bad days during deployments, especially when you have a baby.
So this past weekend was a good once for us

Friday we went to Alexandria with some friends and had some dinner at chili's and I bought Lilly "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" [THE BOOK] Then we went to the main post chapel for the tree lighting and to visit santa...

and she even got a little teddy bear from him.
Saturday we watched some Christmas movies and went to a friends house for dinner.
Sunday was a nothing day but the Packers won!!!
[Go Pack Go]

Today was laundry day and Lilly was super cranky (I blame teething)
She also learned how to climb up the stairs with some help form me but we are slowly working on getting down...

and then while watching Rudolph and the island of misfit toys on ABC Family (the lame one not the awesome older one) and my Mother-In-Law pointed out that Lilly looks like Hermie the elf...

[Please not the insane resemblance]

Lovin My Life as A Mommy and Army Wife

Let The Fun Begin

Its FINALLY December!

And let me just tell you that I am SOOOOO ready for the holidays.

Sadly we don't have a Christmas tree this year, I figured we could wait to get one until Mr. W is back with us for our first Christmas ALL together as a family.

But I DID get some Christmas shopping done yesterday and today

and as much as I would love to tell you all what I got but some of the gift recipients read this so you guys are gonna have to wait... but they are pretty great!

But I CAN tell you what Lillian is getting since she can't read.

1. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer 4 piece board book set [from Daddy]
2. A Pook-a-Looz Tinkerbell doll [From Mommy]
3. New 14k gold earrings [from Mommy & Daddy]

and yes it is her first Christmas and I'm only getting her 3 gifts but if you guys knew how much she will be getting from her grandparents you would understand why I'm not getting a lot this year. Plus I grew up with getting like one bigger/more expensive present (earrings) and few smaller ones. 

Two Weeks until Michigan and 5 Weeks until Florida!

Lovin My Life as A Mommy and Army Wife

8 Months!

Lillian is eight months old today and I can hardly believe it!

Lillian's 8 Month Stats:

• She is wearing size 3 diapers
• She is finally fitting into 6-9 months clothes (and people think she is big for her age)
• She cut her first tooth and LOVES to bite with it
• She is a pro at crawling and have recently figured out how to do a speed crawl.
• She has figured out how to pull herself up to standing and has figured out how to get down from standing (without) falling.
• She's started eating REAL food (a.k.a. Non- pureed) She especially likes blueberry snack puffs, Mac n' Cheese and pretty much anything she sees me eating.
• She eats 3-4 Six-ounce bottles a day, depending on how much other food she has.
• She holds her own bottle when she eats and still tries to figure out how to eat it without laying on her back.
• She takes 2 naps a day about an hour and a half long each
• She still sleeps from 9 p.m. - 8 a.m. sometimes longer, but I'm definitely not complaining
• She has taken a sudden interest in on of her blankets. She barely used it before I got it as a distraction and now she is in love with it.

It has been an exciting month and Mr. W and I can't wait to see what happens in the months to come. We love you baby girl.

Lovin My Life as A Mommy and Army Wife

Happy ( Belated ) Turkey Day

 

So I would like to make a list of things that I am thankful for this year:

• My amazing husband
• My beautiful daughter
• My wonderful friends & family
• My health
• And the great support I've been getting with this deployment

This year Lilly and I watched the parade with some friends who came over for breakfast of pancakes and bacon... YUMMMMMM. After that we had a nap break for the kids, which was also when we got ready for dinner. Then we all went to my friends church for dinner. IT WAS AMAZING. Lilly really like it too. It was her first time having REAL turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. It was fun.

Lovin My Life as A Mommy and Army Wife

Eleven Months To Go

Today makes for the one month mark of Mr.W's deployment.

Only eleven months to go until he is done.

Anyways... 

only 1 more day until 

Thanksgiving

I'm looking forward to spending some time with one of my good friend. She will be coming to watch the parade with her boys and then we will be going to eat dinner! It looks to be a fun filled day.

Which means only 23 days left until Lilly and I leave for Michigan.
I'm extra excited now that my FABULOUS mother-in-law has told me of the recent accumulation of snow! I'm sooooo looking forward to having a white Christmas!

OH so big news on Miss Lillian... She is getting her First tooth! Its kind of hard to see but it finally broke through! And she can pull herself up onto things and actually stand, the only bad part is she still hasn't figured out how to get down other than to fall, so she'll usually just stand there and cry until I go help her get back down. But she is slowly figuring it out.

On another note Mr. W's care package is still sitting on my kitchen table. When I last talked to him and asked where he was he said "Somewhere... I don't really know." yeah so who knows when he'll actually get his little box from home. I couldn't help but laugh when a majority of our conversation was about the Packers vs Vikings game on Sunday...

Go Pack Go!

30-3 WIN

Three Weeks Down

So I have been slacking with blogging. I've been super busy with Lilly since Mr. W left for his deployment.

Lilly crawls now and she is absolutely EVERYWHERE!!!

And on top of that she is having some separation anxiety from Mr. W leaving, add some teething on top of that with a hint of neediness and that's what I've been dealing with while trying to do almost anything including cooking, laundry, dishes, driving, paying bills online/on the phone, or even just trying to have a simple conversation with anyone... It has been quite crazy, but I love her so she is worth all the frustration.

This by the way has been the LONGEST three weeks of my entire life! It feels like it has been so much longer!

On another note:

37 Days Until Christmas

Which also means...

29 Days Until We Leave For Michigan

Yep That's right we are going to spend Christmas and New Years in Michigan with our family. We are looking forward to the snow, cold, and seeing everyone again. We are really excited to take Lilly sledding for the first time and to watch her open all of her first Christmas presents. She's never been in such a cold place so I'm hoping the trip goes well.

After all of that we are coming home for a week or two and then going to Florida for a bit to visit more family.
It's looking to be a very exciting time us.

And with all of this I know that time will go by quickly
which is good and bad at the time...
Good because it's closer to when we get to see Mr. W again,
Bad because it will feel like our family time has gone by too quickly.

Lilly is crying for my attention (I guess nap time is over) So I'm off to mommy world once again.

Lovin My Life as A Mommy and Army Wife

Been Here All Along

Click here to view this photo book larger

Halloween Card

Ghost Talk Halloween 5x7 folded card

Get custom Halloween invitations at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Happy Halloween

 

so this is Lilly's first Halloween and so we went trick or treating!

It was a fun filled evening. she got lots of treats and even had her first lollipop, which made her SUPER sticky but it was worth it to see her so happy. I only wish that Mr.W could have been there to see it ♥

One Day Down. . . Alot More To Go

So yesterday was our first full day apart for this deployment. I'm glad I've been able to keep in touch with Mr.W until earlier this morning. but so far things are going okay. Its still sinking in that he is gonna be gone for a while but luckily I have a beautiful daughter to keep me busy and wonder family and friends to be by my side for support.

Since we have a long way to go still I figured I would countdown to holidays rather than his return date... it helps to keep a postive view... i mean really who doesn't like the holiday:

6 Days until Halloween = CANDY

 

 31 Days Until Thanksgiving = Super Yummy Food

60 Days Until Chirstmas = Time With Family and Presents


I'm stopping there for now... I only want to do the 3 closest holidays because to put any more would make it seem so long again. Hopefully this time will go by quickly.

Not Much To Say Sunday

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #18

Are you a night owl or an early bird?

 I am definitely a night owl. Especially now that we have a baby. It's easier to get stuff done when she is sleeping so I usually do alot of cleaning and stuff at night.

What makes you jealous?

I know it sounds kinda cheesy and like I'm lying but I'm really not one to get jealous. Especially when it comes to Mr.W cuz i know he is my one and only ♥

Have you started Christmas/holiday shopping yet? When will you finish? (There’s only 63 days left!)
Haha. I think I usually start after Halloween and finish a little after new years, because I usually go HOME(MI) for Christmas so I get things for my friends back home(LA) before I go back.

What would you have a personal chef make you tonight?
Haha any kind of comfort food ever made... today has been a long and not so good day

Where was your first kiss?
Well I don't remember my FIRST first kiss but I do remember the only first kiss that matters and that would be my first kiss with Mr. W and it was at the top of the play set at "shutes and ladders" park up home in MI at sunset it was beautiful and romantic ♥

3 Little Pumpkins

So here is an update on what our family has done in these last few days.

Friday:

After Mr. W got off of work we found a babysitter and went to see Jackass 3D with a couple of our friends and as obscene and crude as the movie may seem to some... I have to admit that it was pretty hilarious. After the movie we met up with the babysitter and some others for a BBQ and many many rounds of Beer pong between the men... needless to say it was a pretty interesting night.

Saturday:

We woke up and went to the main post chapel for their annual glory festival... there were alot of games and plenty of free snacks including Snow cones, Cotton Candy, and Popcorn

They also had pony rides and a mini pumpkin patch where you could get one free pumpkin per person... so we got 3 little pumpkins

Then were went to the store to pick up some things and headed on over to Mr.W's "work" party
there was great food and once again lots of beer. It was a very long night.

Sunday:
We had a pretty low key day, Mr. W went and watched some football while I did a little shopping and then we baby sat for some friends.

Monday:
Mr. W had to go back to work but luckly got off early so we ran some errands had some dinner and got Lillian the softest and cutest little hoodie. 

Tuesday:
We attempted to get some family pictures but sadly they were booked so we had to make an appointment. After that we went to a friends and watched a movie and had some cake and ice cream. It was pretty yummy. Then we went home and watched our usual shows. a.k.a. Teen Mom

 Wednesday:
 haha sadly we didn't do anything except enjoy each others company.

Today: 
We got got our family pictures done and they turned out great!