Just for me

I keep thinking of really random things that I want.. My husband is tired of hearing about them so I will share them all with you!


-MUMS! I am dying to own mums! I am not a plant person by any means, but I am obsessed with Mums!! Not just any mum will do.. I want the beautiful yellow & orange ones!! I can't decide if I want all yellow or all orange, or if they would look good mixed together in a flower bed... either way.. I love mums, but sadly I won't have a good home for them until December, and by then the yellow & orange mums I'm dying for will no longer be in season :( maybe next year!!

- Lowe's gift card!! Any amount.. I don't care... in fact if any of my family members are reading this I will be asking for a gift card to Lowe's for my birthday next month and Christmas too! Tony will also be requesting the same!!


- A springform pan.  I know that's really super random, but I've always wanted one of those!! I love to bake and I'm constantly seeing recipes that require a springform pan, and I also skip the recipe because I don't have one of those fancy pans.  I'm sure I probably could still make most of the recipes in a regular cake pan.. but its not the same!! I don't want to have to scrape a cheesecake out of a cake pan.. the whole thing would be ruined!!

- A new pampered chef measuring cup.  I've had mine for a really long time and the numbers are starting to rub off, and this particular measuring cup is a MUST have for me!!

- Attachments for my kitchenAid mixer.  I don't know which ones I want, but its such a cooler mixer and I hardly ever use it, so I feel like I need a few more super cool attachments and I would seriously use it more often.  As it is I usually don't bring out the mixer until the fall baking starts, and it goes back in the closet after the last batch of Christmas cookies are made.

- DSLR camera.  Hubby & I almost bought one just before Emily was born, but we decided that we don't know enough about them to make such a large purchase... as soon as our hectic life slows down we will start researching some of them and maybe even buy one!!!

Well.. I am out of time for now.. this list could go on & on & on.......

Sticking with randoms..

I found something that I participated in back in January 2009!! It is 25 random facts about me.. Just in case you didn't get enough about me in my last post ;-)  Here is what I wrote:



RULES: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

 1. I have the best husband & daughter
2. I have a handful of SUPER close friends
3. I REALLY miss 8th grade :(
4. I have a weimaraner named Ringo
5. I hate when people think Olivia is a boy just because she doesn't have much hair!!
6. Pink is one of my fav. colors and I dress Olivia in it almost everyday ( ppl still think shes a boy)
7. I lived in Alaska for 3 years and it was the best 3 years of my life!
8. I miss the friends I made in AK
9. I wish that I had better relationships with my "old" friends
10. looking at old pics makes me sad
11. I always put myself out to make others happy
12. I have a new found love for sushi... BUT only from Osaka.. I'm too scared to try it from anywhere else.
13. I eat at Chick-fil-a almost every Tuesday night with Stephanie & Kendall
14. I have experienced an earthquake (or 2)
15. I think I have a great personality and I always try to see the up-side of things
16. I hate to hear/ see my friends cry
17. I hate when people say we should get together or hang out more often and then we never do
18. I just recently realized that sometimes I judge people based ONLY on 1st impression & if I'm not satisfied I don't usually talk to them again :( I'm working on trying to convince myself that everyone deserves a 2nd chance
19. sometimes in conversation I'll say "I'm so jealous." but the truth of the matter is I hardly ever get jealous of anyone or anything.
20. I want to be a better christian but I'm having a hard time finding a church family that makes me feel welcomed and not like another face in the crowd
21. even though my family lives in gator town & I grew up there, I DO NOT LIKE THE GATORS!
22. I like to go to FSU football games, but FSU baseball is my fav.
23. I have an obsession with Target... I love to go in and browse even though I know exactly whats there
24. sweet tea is one of my fav. drinks but I hardly ever order it at restaurants
25. sometimes I just feel like everyone has forgotten about me!!

Its kind of interesting how much some of these things still affect me, and others.. not at all!! Even though I wrote this in 2009, I challenge YOU to come up with 25 facts, goals or habits to share!! 

30-day challenge.. kinda..

So.. Lauren (my bff)  has challenged me to a 30 day blog challenge. Its been a few days since we've talked about it, but I think the big challenge is to write a blog entry everyday for 30 days.  As much as I would love to take on that challenge.. with a 3 yr old and a 7 week old, its not really possible for me to get the time to do it.  Sad, I know! I update my blog the best that I can.. haha.. which is why I stopped writing in June and picked it back up in October!! Anyways.. one of the things I liked about the 30 day blog challenge was that you share 15 interesting facts about yourself.. so even though I'm not participating in the challenge I thought you all would love to know some interesting things about me :)

1. I  flip my pillow to the cold side when I toss &  turn at night
2. I always fold the top of my pillow under.. like if I'm facing left then I fold the top left corner under.. this is probably weird I know..
3. I also have had the same pillow for about the last 7 years!!
4. I am completely obsessed with TV.. I watch it way toooo much!
5. I am a closet Jersey Shore lover... gasp!
6. I can't stand for my house to be a mess!! Even toys.. I can't handle the clutter!
7. I am NEVER late! In fact, I am usually at least 10 mins early to everything, and if it looks like I'm going to arriving right on time I get awful anxiety & sometime I even start shaking...
8. I have some the the best friends EVER!
9. I think about taking a vacation somewhere at least once a day..  my husband usually squashes the idea :(
10. When I'm planning dinner.. I always plan a meat, vegetable & a starch
11. I love to bake
12. I don't care for apple pie.. but I LOVE to bake them!! Its an accomplishment to bake one of those suckers from scratch!
13. I have a ridiculous sense of humor!!
14. I am very sarcastic
15. I am not a fake person.. what you see IS what you get :)

Well.. that's enough about me.. Thanks for the challenge Lauren, but I'm gonna have to sit this one out!! Good luck to you though!!

Fall... FINALLY!!

Fall is my F-A-V-O-R-I-T-E time of the year!! What's not to love about fall?!? When I think of fall I think of pumpkin patches.. bonfires (except at my house).. chili.. cool nights.. beautiful leaves.. beautiful colors.. halloween... hayrides.. Thanksgiving (my absolute fav. holiday)..fall festivals..  should I keep going??

My little family & I have already been out enjoying all of this beautiful fall weather.  Last weekend we went to a corn field maze.  I would be lying if I said it went as I expected.  I really thought we were going to have a good time, but Olivia was really tired and made it very clear.. so our "fun" was short lived :(

Here is a picture of Olivia trying to find her way through a kiddie maze

 This is the start of our "adventure" of trying to find our way through the corn maze..

 We got a little lost so Olivia tried to map everything out :)

 Daddy & his girls.. sorry for another sideways picture.. I can't figure out how to turn them

 Olivia was so tired she wanted to take a nap in the middle of the trail...

 As soon as we came out of the maze Olivia found the first available chair... this chair actually belong to one of the workers, Olivia didn't mind being "that person" and taking it from them.

 After the corn field maze we went to a pumpkin patch

 This is actually the first & only picture I have of the 4 of us.. I think it turned out pretty good

 Sweet Emily.. I couldn't resist putting her tiny little self on a big pumpkin

 And the carving begins...

Finally.. baby Emily & a super long post!

I'm not sure how to start this post.. Should I talk about my L&D experience or just describe the photos?!? Hm.. maybe a little bit of both!

With Miss Emily I was induced on Sept. 6th (labor day) by my WONDERFUL Ob/gyn!! I was induced because I was having problems with my blood pressure. When I was first admitted to L&D the nurses thought that I was going to have a 2 day induction. I on the other hand told Tony that we were going to have this baby by dinner time! My induction began at 9:45am and Emily was born at 7:42pm!! So we were a little late for dinner.. but it certainly was not a 2 day process!! I cannot say enough good things about my whole experience this time around. With Olivia I was in labor for 2 days and I pushed for 2 1/2 LONG hours!! With Emily I pushed 1 time!! I'm sure you all wanted to know that! LOL! I honestly credit my doctor for such an amazing L&D experience. He was so good to me my entire pregnancy, and really got to know me as a person AND a patient. I could go on & on & on & on about how wonderful my doctor was, but I will spare you all :) (unless you are a pregnant reader in the summerville/charleston area, then seek Dr. Accetta's care and you too will be glad you did, and no I'm not being paid to say that. hahhaha!) So.. in the picture above, is ME and all of my glory! I was STARVING by the time I had Emily.. I couldn't wait to eat!! Most people eww & awww over there new babies for hours on end, and I was more like bring on the food.. and then I turned into one of those mushy new moms!! So in the picture I am holding 2 of my favorite things.. a sub from Jersey Mikes and my new bundle of joy :)


This next picture is of the doctor that took amazing care of me.. Dr.Accetta & his ABSOLUTELY AMAZING nurse!! The only person my entire pregnancy that took exceptional care of me, besides my doctor, is his nurse Theresa. I adore her!! I know that Theresa was just as excited to meet Emily as the rest of my family. Dr. Accetta & Theresa came by my room the day after I had Emily, so they could get some Emily lovins! When I was pregnant with Emily and having blood pressure problems, I had to have non stress tests, and there was a time where Theresa had to hold the monitor on my tummy for 20 minutes because Emily wouldn't cooperate!! I don't think she minded though, we got in LOTS of girl talk!!

Next up.. Olivia finally gets to hold her baby sister!! Olivia loved coming to the hospital and seeing Emily.. she loved to just hold her and look at her! She has been such a great big sister.. her training class really paid off ;-)


Sorry the next picture is sideways.. oh well.. Everyone was doing so well after I had Emily that we were discharged from the hospital when Emily was 24hrs old! So.. here's a picture of our sweet new baby on the way to her new crazy.. chaotic.. loving.. mostly clean.. home!!



Olivia was sooooooooooooooo happy to have her new sister home! As soon as we got home Olivia climbed in our bed to hold and love on Emily before she had to go to bed!! Daddy read both of his girls a book before bed on our first night home! I'm so blessed with an amazing family!!


I should also mention that Emily was 6lbs 8oz & 19inches long when she was born.

Well that's pretty much the story of Emilys' birth in a nut shell. I have tons more pictures of the event but I'm not going to post them here.. theres more on my facebook page, and a few private ones that won't be making a debut anytime on the internet :)

BIG SISTER to be class

Olivia attended a big sister to be class at Trident Hospital. The instructor taught them what was going to happen after we had the baby, and what their new role would be. Olivia did very well in the class and couldn't wait for Emily to be born. The instructor also taught them basic baby care.


Here the instructor is teaching Liv how to hold a baby, Making sure to support their teeny tiny heads :)
Here the instructor just taught Liv how to change a diaper.. so this is actually a celebration picture.
And last but not least the instructor is teaching Liv how to swaddle a baby.
Olivia really enjoyed herself at the class, the teacher was very helpful teaching all of the new big sisters all about babies!!

Baby Shower #2

My 2nd baby shower was held in South Carolina, and was kindly hosted by Mary! It was a co-ed shower, so guys & girls got to come! We had a really great time at the baby shower, and we were so thankful for Mary and all of our other friends for throwing us a shower. Since we moved to SC our group of friends have been so wonderful for us! We couldn't have asked for a better "family"!


Here's a picture of me 8 months pregnant with about 50 chins :) haha! Yes, I wore the same dress to both of my baby showers.. tacky? Maybe, but when you are pregnant maternity clothes are expensive.. and I wasn't going to spend a ton of money on clothes that I was going to get much use out of!

Here is a picture of some of the YUMMY food!! There was more food than I have pictured.. I think our favorite dish of all was the crab dip! It was sooooooooooooo good!! Mary really out did herself!
This table had many purposes! It held some gifts.. the glorious diaper cake, it was also a bib making station, and there was also a keepsake that everyone signed on this table.
Here is a close- up of the glorious diaper cake I mentioned above. Isn't it adorable! Mary & Crys put this together for us, and its contents have come in very handy!!

Thank you so much Mary for hosting a baby shower for us, and thank you all SC friends that attended!! We had such a good time with friends!