14 months

Ack!!! I have a 14 month old. Nothing really significant about that number, just another month biting the dust. So where were we this time last year??? Right about here....

Mags looks like such a big girl in this pic, but it's deceiving. I just love it, though. I loved the dress and the tiny, bright, Kelly green cardigan. She looked so adorable.

But enough about the past, what's going on today??

Well the biggest news is that on Sunday you took a few steps. As of today, you have taken a few more steps and I think this might be it. I think you will be officially walking soon.

You are still wearing size 4 diapers and you can wear anything from 12-18 months. 18 months pants are WAY too long on you, but that's all we got, so we just fold them up for you. And then they constantly fall down and you step on them and get frustrated because you can't move.

You are really starting to understand us and it can be quite hilarious! The other day you were playing with an empty soda bottle (because the toys that we bought you obviously aren't cool enough) and you started cruising by the TV and touching the screen. I threatened to take away your bottle if you didn't stop touching the TV and you held out the bottle like, "Here, I'd rather play with the TV!". What a stinker!

I don't know if I mentioned it on here, but you are into your third week of swim class and you seem to like it. Last week was tough because you could tell that your teeth were bothering you and you just didn't feel like participating. This week, since some of your teeth have finally broken through, you were much more agreeable and seemed to really enjoy yourself (although I think you would rather just play in the water and not have to do the same activities over and over).

Speaking of teeth, I feel like there is so much going in that mouth, that I don't even know where to begin. Today at swim class, when you gave someone your smile and giggle, they remarked that it looked like you had molars coming in. Interesting.....

As for your personality, you are still so smiley and giggly. You are very outgoing and most of the time you just take a minute to size someone up before you launch out of my arms for them to hold you (luckily Mommy and Daddy normally only associate with nice people, so this isn't as alarming as it might sound). You still love music and shaking what your Mama gave you!

You are a joy my little one and everyday with you is a pleasure! Love you the mostest!!!!!

Hope you're having a great Tuesday!

Monday Morning Weekend Recap

Monday morning, yet again....man it seems like these things come quicker and quicker every week!

Recap:

Friday, when Brian finally got home from work, we had a yummy dinner and then we got to watch "Bridesmaids" after Mags went to bed. It was pretty funny, not at all the female "Hangover" like I heard someone liken it to, but not a bomb. There were some parts that lagged a little bit, but overall I liked it.

Saturday, we relaxed for the most part and then I headed out for a friend's bachelorette party. It was fun, but I didn't get home until 3am, and Mama can't hang like that anymore. In my 20's I was a little bit of a partier, but nowadays, I consider midnight past my bedtime.

So needless to say on Sunday my butt was dragging. My amazing hubby let me sleep in and took care of Mags in the morning. What a guy! And the rest of the day was just spent relaxing....oh and you know Mags taking a few steps.....Now I wouldn't officially say that she took her first steps, but this was pretty significant. We were hanging out in her room and I was trying on her Halloween costume (more on that later) and I was trying to take some pics and she was all over the place. At one point she was climbing on me and using me to help her stand, and she let go of me and was standing on her own (which she does occasionally, not really intentionally). So she was preoccupied with something in her hands and I scooted backwards to snap a picture (sorry the picture is so small).

She stood there for a minute and then took about three steps towards me and grabbed me. She hasn't done it since, but we have a feeling that this might be it. I think it would be great if she was walking by Halloween, so we could do some trick or treating, but I know it will happen when she is ready.

So that is all the excitement of this weekend! Don't forget to enter the Juppy Baby Walker Giveaway. Oh, and I'm sure no one scrolls to the bottom of the blog, but I added a new ticker...yep, we're going to Disney!!!!! I am so excited (and no, that's not the actual date, don't need to broadcast that)!!!! Things are booked, and I will share more as we get closer!

Hope you're having a marvelous Monday!

Juppy Baby Walker Review/Giveaway

To be completely honest when I first heard of the Juppy Baby Walker, I had no idea what it was. But when I finally found it what it was used for, I couldn't sign up to review it fast enough.

Mags loves to crawl and she loves to cruise, but she is uber hesitant when it comes to walking on her own. She will walk with us, when we hold both her hands, but one hand makes her anxious and obviously she has never tried to walk on her own.

Juppy Baby Walker to the rescue! The Juppy helps to build a non-walker's confidence. They get to technically walk on their own, with a little assistance from Mom or Dad.

Check out this video to learn more.....

And here are a few pics of Mags trying the Juppy out for the first time....

She was a little hesitant, but after a little while she really did seem to enjoy herself. I think she was reminded a little bit of her jumper, because they have similar constructs, and she even tried to jump a little bit.
I think this is a great idea. It really helps to encourage the walking skill. I am hoping that after using this for a little more time, Maggie will gain the confidence to try walking on her own.
I also love that it is very portable and comes with its own carrying case that can easily slip into my purse or the diaper bag, so we can have her walking outside. It gets a little cumbersome carrying Mags all the time, and this provides a nice alternative!

Check out Juppy here:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

And I get to share the fun as well! One lucky winner will get to have a Juppy Walker of their own.

Mandatory Entry (Must be completed first):
Become a GFC follower of A Better and Magnificent Mom. Once this is completed please leave a comment with your email and your GFC name (if it is different). If you are already a follower just say hi (but don't forget your email and your GFC name)!

Additional entries (Please leave a separate comment for each entry):
Follow @abettermagmom on Twitter. (Don't forget your Twitter name)

Like A Better and Magnificent Mom on Twitter. (Please identify your Facebook name)

The giveaway will end next Friday, September 30th at midnight. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and will be announced next Saturday, October the 1st. Good Luck!

Your Three Words

Giveaway Winners Announced

Thank you so much to everyone that entered the Farm Rich Foods Giveaway. Here are the winners.

Winner #1
Betty C · 23 hours ago

I follow @abettermagmom on Twitter

Winner #2

Emillie · 18 hours ago

I Follow @abettermagmom on Twitter


And we're keeping the fun going with yet another giveaway. Check out the Juppy Baby Walker giveaway.


Hope you're having a great Friday and that you have a magnificent weekend!!

Wordless Wednesday- My blue eyed girl

PS: I know there aren't supposed to be any words but don't forget to enter my Farm Rich Foods Giveaway. You won't be sorry!!!!

Pin It Tuesday

Not too much going on here. Magster is still struggling with her top teeth coming in and on second look (which almost cost me a finger), looks like she actually has three coming in all at the same time. And also, something is going on in the back of her mouth, because she is always trying to get things back there to chew on...please don't tell me the dreaded molars are starting.....

We went to a play date today, and for the second time in a row I got horribly lost. Last time, I ended up giving up, because after an hour, we still didn't know where we were going. This time I was bent and determined, and I did finally figure out where we were going. We ended up being 45 minutes late, but everyone was so understanding, and Mags still had a good time, so that's all that matters.

So on to the pinning....

Source: None via Sarah on Pinterest

Can't wait!!!

Source: bookfessions.tumblr.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Yep, that was me!

Source: google.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Really want to use this and accomplish a lot of these this fall!

Source: gymboree.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Kind of fell in love with this dress for Mags for Christmas, and then I saw the price....UGH!!!

Don't forget to link up....

Hope you are having a great Tuesday!

PS: Don't forget about my Farm Rich Foods giveaway, you still have two days to enter!

Your Three Words

Two Top Teeth

So I don't have any photographic proof, but Mag's two top teeth are FINALLY coming in. The one on the left has just about broken through and on the right you can see the white. Seriously I thought these teeth would never break through. They are causing Magster a little bit of discomfort and disrupting her naps, but other than that we are doing ok ::knock on wood::.

Other than that not much going on, but I do have an awesome Farm Rich Foods giveaway...so there's that. This weekend we have no where to be and nothing to do, but some family time and relaxing. I am stoked!

And because I hate posting without a pic, here's a shot of Maggie from the park last week

Hope you're having a great Friday and that you have a stupendous weekend!!!!

Review & Giveaway- Farm Rich

I love snacks. There are many ocassions when the hubs and I can make a whole meal out of just snacky foods. Healthy? Not really. Yummy? You betcha!!!

So when I got the opportunity to review a Farm Rich product, I was pumped. As they say, "Farm Rich is always there for moms, with wholesome, easy-to-prepare snacks sure to please the entire family."

The hubs and I were up for the review challenge....We decided on the Mozarella Cheese sticks, since those are one of our faves.

100% real mozzarella AND a good source of calcium and protein to boot, awesome!!!!!

I asked Mags for some assistance, but she was otherwise engaged. What is it with kids and keys??

So here they are, all golden brown and ooey-gooey. And the looks were not deceiving, these bad boys were delish. They had just the right crunch and the cheese was nice and stringy. Just the way we like them. Overall, a great snack.

The bag was a great size and would have been perfect if we had been entertaining. Just enough for everyone to have some. As for us, we have quite a few left over for future snack nights (Score!). We would definitely recommend these to anyone that loves Mozzarella Sticks!

And if Mozzarella Sticks aren't your bag, don't worry! Farm Rich also has Mozzarella Bites, Philly Cheese Steaks and Pizza Slices. If you're looking to get any of these products in a store near you, just check this out here for a product locator.

Or you can just enter my giveaway, where two lucky readers are going to each receive a coupon for a free Farm Rich product.

Mandatory Entry (Must be completed first):
Become a GFC follower of A Better and Magnificent Mom. Once this is completed please leave a comment with your email. If you are already a follower just say hi (but don't forget your email)!

Additional entries (Please leave a separate comment for each entry):
Follow @abettermagmom on Twitter.
Like A Better and Magnificent Mom on Twitter.

The giveaway will end Thursday, September 22, 2001, at midnight and the winners will be chosen by Random.org Friday morning.

Good Luck and I hope you are having a great Thursday!!!

Wordless Wednesday- Fave Book & Pastime

Isn't this the greatest book ever, Mom????

I hear after the millionth time you read it, a leprechaun jumps out with a pot of gold.

Don't worry Mom, we're getting close.....

I think the coast is clear....

Hmmm, which book should I read first? And by read, I mean crinkle and tear the pages?

Oh hey Mom, what's going on?

Say, aren't I the cutest thing ever???

Pin It, Pin it real good...

As the summer winds down and things go back to our normal, things have been a little quiet around here and I welcome that with open arms. This past weekend I only had to be somewhere, for one day, for a couple of hours. This weekend we have zero obligations and we are going to soak it up.

Yesterday Mags had her first swim class. We decided to sign her up for this class just to get her more familiar with the water. Unfortunately I didn't get any pics because I was in the water with her. But we had a great time. Mags was a little unsure at first and clung to me a bit, but then she joined and in had a grand time.

So I know I normally reserve this blog for Magster tales, but I would love to share a new obsession....Pinterest. If you haven't heard of it, google it now! And then get an invitation and start pinning, it's soooooo much fun! And don't forget to find me here.

And here are a few of my fave pins lately.....

Funny, funny.....

Source: 9gag.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Doesn't this look oh so yummy????

Source: laurenslatest.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Yep, this makes sense....

Source: imgfave.com via Sarah on Pinterest

And something adorable for the silly one.....

Source: google.co.uk via Sarah on Pinterest

So that's about it for right now. Hope that this finds you well and that you are having a wonderful Tuesday!

Remembering

This weekend is quite bittersweet for me. September 11th, 2011 is a day that the USA will never forget and personally, it was a life changing day for me. I was lucky not to have lost anyone that day, but the overall impact of that day set me on a course that has brought me to where I am today.

So although it was a national tragedy and I weep for all that we lost, for me it was a blessing in disguise. I talk more about it here and here.

I think about this day a lot, even when there isn't an anniversary and I am curious about what would have happened if things had been different. But then I take a look at this precious little girl, and I can't imagine my life any other way....

Once again, have a great weekend and don't forget to give your loved ones a call or an extra squeeze...you won't regret it!

Your Three Words

Future Guitar Player

My hubby is one of the most caring, generous, kind and loving people you will ever meet, but he doesn't exactly wear his heart on his sleeve. When we first started dating, I was very quick to determine whether or not Brian wanted kids and his reply was, "Sure." (trust me, in Brian world that isn't as off putting as it sounds). And then when we both peered at the pregnancy test with the bold word "Pregnant" staring back at us, I could tell that he was shocked and somewhat subdued about it all, while I went crazy with excitement. His reticent reaction to this earth shattering news (IMO) made me a little nervous about how he was feeling about the situation, but he assured me that he was equally enthused.

A couple of months into my pregnancy Brian went on a field trip to the Martin guitar factory, aka Mecca for my guitar loving nerd. On the way home Brian called to inform me that he had a gift for me. "Well it's not really for you, but, eh you'll see when I get home." I was intrigued.

When Brian came home I was very interested to see what this present could be. When I saw what he had bought, to say that I was touched would be an understatement....

Without saying a word, Brian expressed just how he felt about the little life growing in my belly and any questions I had were answered.

And now? Geez Louise, this little girl has Daddy wrapped right around her little finger...

He blinked in every single picture I took...not that he really wanted to be in the pic to begin with....LOL

Love you the mostest my silly nerd. Thank for being the best husband and Daddy there ever was.

And now that the mush fest is over, I wish you all a great weekend!