Top Ten of 2010

Ever since Maggie was born, I have become a picture fiend. I just want to document everything. Right now I am without my camera because I left it at my mom's on Christmas Eve, and I am seriously going through withdrawal!

I think in the past 5 months I have taken more pictures than I have in my entire life. I love to look back at them and see how Mags has grown in the little time that she has been with us. It is really hard to pick my favorites, but I will try. These are my picks for today, who knows what I would pick the next day!

10.

Daddy and his Mini-me watching baseball

9.

Yep she had me at hello

8.

Seriously?? Too beautiful!

7.

Me and my little angel

6.

Daddy's little girl

5.

We love to smile

4.

The 1st documented beautiful smile

3.

We're a PopPop's girl too!

2.

Four generations

1.

The first photo shoot

I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Mags is 5 months old already. I am really looking forward to the rest of her first year and soon I will probably need to buy some external hard drive to save all the pictures!

5 months old

So I am little late with this, but on Monday the amazing Magster turned 5 months old. And oh what a month it has been. We celebrated Thanksgiving and then last week, Christmas. As you can guess with all the celebration and travel, this month just whizzed by.

There have been some new developments for our little girl. We now blow raspberries, but of course never on demand (these things cannot be conjured on a minute's notice, they must be given the time and effort they deserve). We reach out to try to touch everything. On Christmas, when we were sitting with PopPop, we actually reached out and tried to touch the dog, Pete. One of our new favorites to touch are faces, and we love to pull on them and sometimes poke Mommy in the eye. You have also on occasion pulled our faces close to yours and that just makes Mommy swoon.

We love our playmat and exersaucer. We do not love sitting in our glider as much, because it doesn't have that much to do. We received a ton of toys for Christmas and Mommy will be rationing them over the next couple of weeks so we are not too overwhelmed by it all. We do love two different dollies that we received for Christmas, one that is soft and cuddly with a rattle, and one that laughs and almost sounds exactly like Maggie herself. She is very funny with the last one...we push the belly to make it laugh and she looks at it and then us, like, "What's going on here? Is this funny?". She likes the doll, but she's not too sure what to think about it.

We still have a lot teething symptoms, but no teeth. Lots of drooling and gnashing your gums. Other than it causes you to have A LOT of dirty diapers, it doesn't seem to be bothering you too much, but maybe this is just the beginning. We are also so close to sitting on our own and rolling from our back to our tummy.

So, the day after Christmas we decided since we wouldn't be traveling for awhile that it is time for Mags to sleep in her own room in her crib (I know, I know, took us long enough). And just like the little angel that she is, Mags slept that night from 9:45pm-7:30am. The next night we had a little disturbance with a dirty diaper that woke us up, so we cleaned that up, gave you your bottle early and you went almost right back to sleep and slept until 9am. And last night you slept from 10pm-7am. So far, so good. Honestly, we didn't think that it would be too bad for Mags, it was Mommy that had the real problem, and I am still adjusting, but I guess every day gets better.

And then this morning, when I went in to get Mags up?? Well didn't she put her little arms up for me to pick her up. Yep, best. feeling. ever.

So what's up next for this little firecracker?? Solids. Again, we decided to wait till after the holidays to start this and I am very intrigued to see how this goes off. Also, we are heading to the Dr. this afternoon for the rest of the shots that we didn't get last visit (because someone was a little too cranky) so we will get to see how much Mags has grown this month.

And finally what you've all been waiting for... the 5 month pics....







Man I love this girl! Can't help it, she's just so dang adorable.

Hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday.

Baby It's Cold Outside

I am truly not a snow fan, but I have to admit I am not too upset about the blizzard bearing down on us right now. We have everything we could possibly need and we welcome being snowed in!

With nowhere to go and nothing pressing to do, I am given the perfect opportunity to reflect and reminisce over the wonderful holiday we just celebrated. After the great time we had with my Dad's family, at the beginning of the week we ran around seeing some friends since Brian was off then. Then on Wednesday it was off to my Mom's to spend a few days.

We had an amazing time and Maggie was such a good little girl. She was completely off her schedule and constantly encountering new people and surroundings, but it never really fazed her. She didn't fuss much unless she was super tired and she slept really well every night. I really could not have asked for more.

Christmas Eve we went to Mass at 4pm and after having her bottle there, Magster actually fell asleep even while the choir was singing and the trumpets were blaring. I think she knew that she needed to sneak in a power nap before she saw Santa. Then we went back to my Mom's and Santa came. Mags was totally cool and just took it all in.

This pic looks super horrible, and that Mags is upset by everything, but in actuality her pacifier had just fallen out....So silly!

We left to go home that night and she slept the entire way home. We got home and she went right back to sleep.

Christmas morning Mags was up at 6am, which is her normal schedule. After opening her presents we made our way over to Nana and PopPop's. The rest of the day was spent eating way too much and opening a ton of presents.

So now we are just battening down the hatches and sorting through the mess that we brought home with us. Seriously it looks like a tornado hit our house!

We are so blessed to have the best family and friends and I am so glad that we were able to share this holiday with them. As for my beautiful little girl, you made this Christmas the best one ever. Having you in our lives is the best gift we could have ever hoped for.

Here's hoping that your Christmas was a good one!

Ho Ho Ho

This weekend we officially kicked off our holiday festivities! We spent the weekend at my Dad's, celebrating with that side of the family.

Hanging with the cousins

The Christmas hat?? 24 months!!

Look at that Love Bug!!!

This week is going to be another crazy/awesome one. I won't be in front of the computer too much, but I will try to update occasionally with some pics.

Hope this finds you well and that you are enjoying this holiday season!

Tis the Season

Why hadn't she asked her mother for that ornament? Every year since she had moved out she meant to ask for her ornament at the beginning of the holiday season, but the idea would slip her mind until she saw it there, nestled in the branches of her mother's Christmas tree. Her own tiny Christmas tree was filled to the brim with ornaments she had collected over the years and the ones that her husband brought with him from his family. But there was nothing on her tree from her childhood and it always made her a little sad not to see anything to remind her of her past.

This beautiful, ornate, ruby red ornament had been given to her by her grandmother when she was only six and since she had passed away three years ago, it would have been nice to have a small remembrance of her on her little tree in her cramped apartment. It was so shiny and glittery, you could tell that her grandmother had spent a lot of money on it, but it was the sentimentality that drew her to it. And yet there it was, almost lost in the large branches of this monstrous tree. You could barely see it, for all the other numerous ornaments, and she rationed that her mother probably wouldn't even notice it was gone if she just filched it.

Out of the corner of her eye she spied her mother's favorite ornament, a little tattered, green yarn ball that her own mother had made for her one Christmas year's ago. Her mother always told the story of how her mother had handmade this ornament for her and although it wasn't the prettiest ornament it was the most special to her.

“I've always loved that ornament. Isn't it beautiful?”

“Yes it is, Mom.....”

“ That ornament is over fifty years old. Your grandmother gave it to me when I was five years old. I remember the day like it was yesterday. We didn't have a lot of money that Christmas and your grandparents were so worried that we would be disappointed Christmas morning with the small amount of presents we would receive. Your grandmother was so thoughtful though, and handmade a beautiful ornament for each of us. She made mine red because she knew that was my favorite color. Look at all the detail and craftsmanship that went into this. A gift from the heart is the best gift to receive.”

“This is the ornament that Nana gave you?” I held the red, sparkly ornament up for her to inspect.

“Oh yes dear, that is something that you never forget.”

“No, you would never forget something like that.”

This post was inspired by a prompt from The Red Dress Club, a photo of a Christmas ornament.

Remiss about Christmas

Oh man that was almost a rhyme (English teachers live for spontaneous rhyme!).

So I don't think that I have really expressed how excited I am about Christmas this year. I have always been a huge fan (silly understatement), but this year is the first one that we get to share with our little Mags, so I am really feeling the joy. We have a few traditions and special things that we do ever year to make the holiday really fun.

1. Countdown Calendar
I am a countdown freak. I have countdowns for almost everything. My favorite countdown of all time was when I was accepted to the Disney College Program and wasn't leaving for about 150 days. The day I found out I was accepted I spent about over an hour at work, tediously listing all the days on my desk calendar. Yea I was quite the hard worker!

So needless to say the countdown to Christmas is a big one. We have had the same countdown calendar since we moved in together, and I had a mini freak out when we couldn't find it this year. But we found it and everything is right with the world. So everyday Magster and I go over to the calendar and I make a big deal about it as we switch the numbers. Definitely one of the highlights of my day (right next to waking up to Mag's smiling face).


2. 12 days of MomMom
Brian's grandmother (MomMom) started this awesome tradition when Brian and his sister were little. In order to increase the excitement for Christmas (cause it needs some build up?!?!), 12 days before Christmas she would drop off a bunch of little presents to their house and everyday leading up to the big day, they would get to open a present.

Now, MomMom told Brian that she would stop this tradition when he went to college (didn't happen), then she said it would stop when he moved out (nope), finally she said that it would end when he got married (we still got presents last year).

So of course this year is all about Mags (as it should be). We started the 12 days a little early since we will be heading south a few days before Christmas and won't be here. So far Mags has received a beautiful ornament, lots of great books, and a huge stuffed Tigger. These bath books, as you can see, are her favorites so far. Can't wait to see what else is in store.


3. Handmade stocking
My grandmother has been making beautiful handmade stockings for everyone in my family as long as I can remember. Everyone gets their own pattern and they are all so beautifully made. I wasn't sure if she would be up to making one for Maggie, since she has developed some pretty bad arthritis over the years, and I didn't want to ask her and put any undue pressure on her. Always the saint, she surprised us at Thanksgiving with this beauty and I couldn't be happier. I am so glad that Maggie can share in this tradition.



And there are so many other traditions that we will probably phase in over the years. We did accomplish the requisite picture with Santa.


Not too crazy about the Santa, but I think what he lacks, makes Mags look even prettier!

We have pretty much finished our shopping for Mags for this year. We didn't go too crazy since she is so young, and she pretty much has everything she needs. But as the hubs said, it's Christmas and she has to open something (even if she is more interested in the wrapping paper).


So first time Mommies, what are you looking forward to sharing with your little one this holiday season?

Hope this finds you well and that you are having a great Thursday!

Winner, Winner...

Chicken Dinner!!!!

Congratulations to....
Comment #23:
MidgetMomma
I follow you on twitter-midgetmomma1200

You won the $35 GC to CSN and I will be emailing you shortly.
Thank you so much to everyone who made my first giveaway such a success. I really appreciate it!

Have a great Tuesday!

The Best Gift Ever

SWAGG is a free mobile app (download here) that lets you shop smarter using your mobile phone. Buy, send or swap SWAGG GIFTS and organize your old school plastic gift cards.

For every download of the app between now and Dec. 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) , up to $125,000.

Clever Girls Collective and SWAGG are sending a pair of movie fans to the Sundance Film Festival! Download the SWAGG app and then visit the Ultimate SWAGG Getaway Sweepstakes site to enter to win a trip for two to the Sundance Film Festival. Entry deadline is January 3, 2011, 11:59pm, PST.

The best gift I ever gave....Gift giving is something that I struggle with every year. I am always anxious that my gift will not be received well and that I will disappoint the recipient. This year I am taking the pressure off me and shifting the responsibility to my daughter. Hey, she's 4 1/2 months old, time she does something around here (except be the cutest thing ever). All of our gifts this year are from Maggie and although they haven't received the gifts yet, I know that everyone will adore them. Now again, she's only four months old, so we're not talking about macaroni frames or Popsicle stick ornaments. Mommy and Daddy have picked each gift especially with the people in mind, specifically in relation to the special relationship that they have with Mags. And what could be better? Christmas should be a time of family and gratitude for that family, and I would have to say that our little bundle of joy has done wonders for our family. It has brought us closer and helped us to connect in a way that nothing else could.

As for me, I know that I have received the greatest gift there is to receive in this little girl and I am so glad that I am able to share in the wonder of her. I know that it is not as often as most of my family would like, but we try our hardest to make the miles seem less with constant contact. And hopefully the small gifts that we give this Christmas will help everyone to feel like we aren't that far apart and remind them that as a family we are always joined at the heart.

Learn more about the coolest new app that revolutionizes the whole shopping, gifting, and gift card-organizing experience and Download the SWAGG app to your iPhone or Droid. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity.

Warm Fuzzy PJs

So since she was born our little Magerpie has been a little toasty girl. She was happiest in the least amount of clothing and if we tried to put anything more on she was miserable. And a blanket at night?? Forget about it.

Lately, we have been having a little trouble sleeping through the night and for the most part I was blaming it all on the possibility of teething discomfort. But then it came to the hubs and I almost simultaneously...maybe Mags is cold at night. The pjs we were putting her in were footed, but they were a light cotton and the temps have been dipping below freezing, so maybe that was the disturbance.

So the other day after the Dr. appt {Update: Talked everything over with the Doc and from what we are experiencing, she is pretty much convinced that this is teething. She looked at Mags' gums and couldn't see anything brewing, but she says that this really does sound like teething.} I put Mags down for her nap and put her down with a blanket. She slept pretty well and didn't throw the blanket off like normal. Then last night we tried some heavier fleece pjs and a light blanket and it seems to have been a success. She was only up once and that was at 5am, so maybe she was starting to get up for the morning.

I am so glad the fuzzy pjs worked, because we have quite a few cute pairs and I had thought before she wouldn't want to wear them, but I guess frigid temps can change a little one's mind!

Oh you didn't know??? Bunnies are the new chic head-wear...
She totally did this on her own and she was cackling away like it was the funniest thing ever. So cute!

Don't forget about my CSN giveaway. Have a great Friday!

Little Miss Can't Be Right

*Warning: Nerdy English teacher with a nerdy Shakespeare reference*

Yep something wicked this way comes!

Something has been a little off in our casa as of late. And as first timers, we are at a loss. Magster is just not herself....

First of all, her appetite is not like usual. She is not as fussy to be fed (she can go for almost 6 hours without any indication that she is hungry) and when we actually feed her it is a herculean struggle. Most feedings we are lucky if we get 6 oz in her and she used to pound 8 oz without batting an eye. And it. is. a. struggle. She is very squirmy and fussy during the whole feeding and you can tell that she is really uncomfortable. We have even resorted to putting her into her glider to finish eating, but even then she is thrashing about and we still aren't finishing the bottle.

Second, there is a general fussiness about her. Almost all the time. She just seems out of sorts. She is not too happy sitting in her glider any more and she prefers to lie on her play mat almost exclusively.

Finally, night-time sleeping has become another battle. You can tell that she is tired and that she isn't ready to get up, but again she just can't seem to get comfortable or settled. I am up in excess of ten times a night trying to soothe her and it only lasts for about 10 minutes before she is up again. She is napping well, but I guess since she isn't sleeping well at night she seems pretty sleepy during the day. I have been trying to keep her up as much as possible during the day, but I can't deny her sleep when she's tired. Therefore, in order to maintain my sanity, I have been napping with Mags. It helps, but I have to be honest, it doesn't replace a good night's sleep.

Something is definitely amiss. We have a few theories...

1. Teething: Almost everyone who takes one look at our drooling queen declares that she is teething. And she does have a lot of the symptoms. My biggest doubt about this is the fact that she is so young. In spite of that, I did have myself convinced that she was teething until I really looked at the issues....

2. Lactose Intolerance: And now I'm wondering if maybe in her 4th month she has developed a lactose issue. I mean the main issues surround her feedings and she seems so uncomfortable WHEN she is eating. I also forgot to mention that the dirty diaper number count has increased dramatically over the past week...but then again, I have also heard that this could be related to teething as well so.....

Blah, Blah, Blah.....oh the mystery that is the newborn child. I know I shouldn't wish her infant time away, but honestly I can't wait till she can just speak up and tell me what is bugging her. So if anyone out there in cyberland has any insight, please feel free to share. We are headed to the Dr. tomorrow, but I would love to hear if you have had any experience with something similar.

Could this be a clue?

But seriously folks, you know what would make the lack of sleep a little less crappier?? You entering my giveaway! With the holidays fast approaching, make one gift no hassle with your $35 GC to CSN. Read more about it here.

Hope you are enjoying your Wednesday!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

So let's do a giveaway! Now this would be my very first giveaway, so I do ask that you bear with me.

Have you guys heard of CSN? It's this great one stop shopping site to find everything you could possibly need for the your holiday shopping this year! Need some cookware for Mom, luggage for your sister or flat screen tv stands for the hubs?? Yep they've got it all!

So for one of my lucky readers I get to offer a $35 code for any of the 200+ sites. Want to enter to win this awesome giveaway?

Mandatory Entry: Become a public follower of my blog on GFC and then leave a comment.

Want to earn some extra entries??? Leave a comment for each action.

• Follow me on Twitter.
• Like my Facebook Page.

For every entry be sure to leave your contact info. Open only to U.S. and Canada residents. This giveaway will end Monday, 12/13 11:59pm. I will choose a winner through Random.org. Winner will be notified via email and have 48 hours to respond back to me before a new winner is picked.


Good Luck!

127 days

Yep 127...that my friends would be the number of days that I have been blessed to have my beautiful and amazing daughter in my life. I can't believe how fast the time has gone, but the it wouldn't be a cliche if it wasn't true and fun=time flying by. I can honestly say that I am not sad at the passing time because I really believe that I have wrung out all the great memories that I could from every single day.

So what has little MaggerMoo (that one's for you Grammy) been up to this month?? Well at yesterday's doctor's appointment we found out that she is 14 lbs 10 oz, 25 1/2 in, and she has a big head (well we already knew that....the pink, 1st Christmas hat that Daddy bought?? We gave it the ol' college try but it ain't fitting over that adorable noggin...as Daddy says it's b/c of all the smarts in there...) The doctor actually commented as he saw Mags sitting up in my lap, "Well looks like we have a full blown baby here, no more newborn...

Yes siree we are moving on to bigger and better things and what does that entail? Laughing fits of course! Over the Thanksgiving break Maggie entertained us all with some uber adorable giggle fits. The first one was Wednesday night and I was just leaning over her to tell her that I would be right back and for whatever reason it just made her start giggling and she kept it up for quite some time. Brian actually pulled out his cell phone and started taping it half way through and he got about 2 minutes of her just giggling away. Then the rest of the time we had a few more fits...it was too cute.

Today a new little feat...I put her down on her play mat and she started playing with the hanging toys and out of nowhere something struck her funny and she started spontaneously laughing. I didn't notice anything different that would have set this off, I guess she just wanted to giggle.

Every day it seems that it is something new and I am so happy that I get to witness it all!

And because no post would be complete without some pics....

I love it when she does this cutesy little pose!

And here he is, the man behind the smiles and the giggles...We love our PopPop!

Hope this finds you well!