6 month update

Wow how is it possible that time has passed us by so quickly that our little miracle monkey is half way to being 1 year old. Ugh i get shivers every time i think of that.

He has brought so much joy to our life and i can't help but gloat and beam brighter than the sun when i catch a glimpse of my little baby with his brother or better yet with daddy.

It will never cease to amaze me how much he has grown and how his little (READ BIG) personality is shinning through. He constantly shows us what he likes and what he doesn't.
His toes and feet being one of those loves.

He loves to roll around and has gotten quite good at it.
He loves to play airplane and then he somehow tucks his hands under his belly and pushes his tush way up in the air. This kid is going to be crawling before we know it and honestly i would be surprised if he walked before turning 1.

He loves my camera and its like he knows when i'm snapping shots of him because even though he is extremely happy, he turns the charm on even more when he sees the camera.

so with out further ado, although its a bout a week late here are Gabriel's 6 month pics.
No the best quality and M was getting annoyed that i couldn't get the settings right and shooting without flash while it was rainy and gloomy out so i gace in and shot with flash (EEKK) sorry guys sometimes i have to pick my battles

TEETH!!!!

Did i mention Gabriel not to be outdone by his big brother decided he too would sprout both bottom teeth at the same time?!
Yup, I accidetally realized they had broken through when sunday night he shoved my finger in there to bite on and i felt them. My heart ached for a second because my gummy smile was gone forever. My little baby has teeth, well he's always had them but now they are out! boogers! this is going by to fast.
Here is proof of his pearly whites he now loves to show off whenever he can.

just enjoying life

I'm amazed to see how much Gabriel has changed in the last 6 months.
Our life is a mere shadow of where we were 2 years ago this time. we were surrounded by heartache with every pregnancy and fear in our hearts.
Now I am beyond thankful for having such an amazing family. Don't get me wrong we still have our share of trials to deal with and our life is anything but perfect. Except when it comes to our boys. they simply put give us a million reason to start each day and simply enjoy US.

We take the time to be silly for no reason

and be amazed by little parts especially when they are in custom flip flops made women who have helped raised me when at my lowest points. women who I consider friends.

And to just enjoy these precious smiles and simple moment that make up our days

You Might Be a Mommy If . . .

You Might Be a Mommy If . . .

By Leslie Wilson

- Every shirt you own has spit-up on the shoulder.
- Must-see TV includes Barney, Arthur and Disney Playhouse.
- You carry a diaper bag instead of a purse.
- You analyze babies’ bodily functions with women you just met.
- “Sleeping in” is when the clock reads 6:30 a.m.
- You never go anywhere without baby wipes.
- You sleep with a baby monitor a foot away from your head.
- With each subsequent child, you’ve progressed from sterilizing the pacifier to washing it off to blowing on it, invoking the three-second rule.
- Your children are better dressed than you.
- You used to be known by your first name - now you’re Jordan’s mommy.
- You store five sizes of clothes in your closet.
- You call your husband on his cell phone in order to have a real conversation with him.
- You go to bed at 12:30 a.m. and get up at 5:00 a.m., thankful for the extra sleep.
- Excitement means Pampers are on sale.
- You consider PBJs and Cheetos a nutritious meal.
- You can change from lounging-sweats casual to night-on-the-town glamorous in three-and-a-half minutes.
- “Doing lunch” means meeting three friends and their preschoolers at the McDonald’s Playplace.
- Hearing the words, “I’m done,” from the bathroom sends chills up your spine.
- You own more Disney movies than pairs of shoes.
- You can pee with three children watching you - and only two are yours.
- You spend more on babysitters than you do on utilities.
- If you were trapped for days in your car, you could survive on the Cheerios and french fries on your floorboards.
- You can tell what your daughter ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner by looking at the front of her T-shirt.
- You willingly hug and kiss a kid who has sticky fingers, sweat-drenched hair and a milk mustache.
- You’re overworked, overcommitted and underappreciated - and you wouldn’t trade your life for anything in the world.

where the heck have i been?!

woohoo can't wait for this in october

Indiscreet Breastfeeding Manifesto

• I will nurse my child anytime, anywhere, no matter who is present or what I am wearing.
• I will bare my breast with pride and confidence.
• I will not apologize for nourishing and nurturing my child.
• I will not smother my child with a napkin or blanket.
• I will smile at everyone around me and ignore rude stares.
• I will know that I am giving my child the perfect infant food from the most efficient, ecological, and economical delivery system.
• I will know that I am giving my child the healthy start that is his or her birthright.
• I will set an example for women and girls, educate the public, dispel breastfeeding myths, desexualize the breast, and make the world a better place, all through the simple act of feeding my child. 

read the whole article here

Our 4th of July weekend recap

We started our weekend by giving our pups baths...yes people VERY exciting saturday night for us. But it was gorgeous out and  they REALLY needed it.

after we sat on our wicker chairs and just enjoyed the evening.

Sunday rolled around and we gave Michael his BDay gift early because well i wanted him to enjoy it for 2 whole days and because i was dying to see his reaction which was as expected, i think he knew he was getting this and was so excited about it!
 



















he did not however know he was also getting this

his eyes just lit up like a child during Christmas or when i spot a decadent slice of chocolate cake.

Anyway he spent 2 hours playing on that thing while G and i napped before getting ready to head out to meet friend for dinner and fireworks down by Edgewater.

We had an awesome time, the crabhouse ike always was yummy. Michael had clams on the shell, followed by a crabmeat, mango and avocado salad thing, I had Mahi Mahi with mango as well. and then chocolate cake of course with a candle in it for my hubby.
Then we parked our butts outside on the pier and awaited the fireworks!

Macy's; just like last year kicked firework butt! they rocked, and yes we had a better view last year BUT they were not as loud and G actually fell asleep for the finale!

Then we headed home and called it a night.

This morning i set up the baby pool for the boys to play in. D still has his cast n for 1 more week so this was all i could offer. They had a blast.

Dinner was interesting to say the least G loves his bananas... tonight though not so much and he made it very clear as you can see
  

After he got extremely fussy which is very unlike him so while i was trying to soothe him he stuffed my finger in his mouth and i found the culprits of his irritability.
Seemingly overnight his 2 yes BOTH bottom teeth came through!!!
I have been check his gums since he was like 3 months old because all of a sudden he became a drool monster and i had read somewhere that massaging his gums can help ease the pain. I'm telling you for the last 2 months i have not felt anything not even a hint that his teeth where coming, no bump nothing and BAM tonight 2!
Uhm hello little man..monkey ..seriously you NEED to slow down. I want to keep you a baby forever didn't you get the memo?
I'm gonna have to order these tomorrow from amazon as i have heard really good things about them.
























I am curious about these:

 


if anyone has any experience with them please let me know. i know they are for older babies though so i'm not sure.

I gave him this teether to try in desperation to give him some relief and he loved it, i guess the little bristles soothes him more than Sophie, but no worries she has yet to be replaced. He fell asleep right away holding sophie and the teether in place of milo.

We gave Michael his cake (Swiss bakery does it again)

And now all my boys are peacefully sleeping and i am basking in the joy of how blessed i am to have such an amazing little family.
Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th!

Look what G got in the mail

Why yes its a letter from the white house welcoming my little boy to this world

For a free personalized greeting from the President and First Lady like the one below, just mail the new baby's name, address and birth date to:

White House Greetings Office
Room 39
Washington, DC 20500



In case you have trouble reading the above graphic, the greeting says, "Welcome! Your arrival is a cause for great celebration for your proud family. We wish you  a long and happy life, filled with chances to learn, ideas to explore, people to love and dreams to fulfill."