Goodbye 2011!

2011 was a great year for our family, but more than anything, it was the year without any major changes!! It felt good. (OK, Jason was promoted to VP and I was promoted to Manager, but I am not counting those as major changes since we stayed in the same jobs, just added responsibility)

I look back at our lives since we got engaged. Basically, Jason put the ring on my finger and we took off running:

*2005 - Engaged, graduated, moved to Kansas City, started a new job (also the year Jason and I got back together after a 1 year hiatus)

*2006 - Jason moved to Kansas City / started a new job, married, bought a house

*2007 - Sold our first house, moved to Cincinnati, adopted two doggies, Jason started a new job

*2008 - Sold our second house, moved back to Wisconsin, started new jobs

*2009 - Pregnant!! Bought our third house.

*2010 - Brody! A fun, but exhausting year...

*2011 - Time to breathe....

2011 really was the year of travel. I love vacations, big or small. I don't like to sit still, so getting out of town every chance we got, was really fun. We had big vacations (NYC & Punta Cana) and we had a ton of smaller vacations (Michigan, Indiana, Kansas, couple of Wisconsin getaways).

Without the big changes, 2011 was really a great year. It had it's ups and downs, but we really had fun and grew as a family this year. Taking Brody on a plane for the first time was probably the highlight of the year as well as an entire week with my husband and friends without children. While I love Brody to death, it's refreshing to spend a little time on ourselves.

I look forward to 2012 and everything that it will bring, hoping for an equally low-stress year.

But look at how far we've come...

Dec 2010

Summer 2011

December 2011

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day

Today Santa will have brought Brody wonderful gifts placed underneath the tree. He will likely get bored from opening gifts and end up distracted by the ones he's already opened. Jason and I will exchange gifts (I really think he'll love what I bought him!!)...and we'll enjoy the not so quiet Christmas morning with a toddler.

Then our crew will come over. Our immediate family on my Dad's side consists of 7 children, 2 parents, 1 spouse, 1 boyfriend, 1 grandchild...and that's how we became the Brady Bunch...

It will be noisy, it will be fun, and we'll love every minute of it. Again, Brody will be a spoiled little man, as he loves it when all of his aunts come over.

Brody's GG (Great-Grandma) & Great Aunt Molly will join us later in the morning before we do nap-time and head over to my step-mom's parents house. The rest of the day hasn't been decided yet, but there will definitely be a Packer Game and quiet time. With all fingers crossed that Brody is in bed by kick-off.

At the end of it all, we'll be exhausted, but I'll wonder how it came and went so fast.

I love the holidays.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Today we will head to my Nana's house to open gifts, eat food, drink wine and love. Brody will be super spoiled and I will un-successfully try to keep him on a normal food/sleep schedule.

Then we will head to church with Jason's family. Likely, Brody will not have napped, but he will love the attention he will get from his cousins at church. Afterwards we'll head back to my in-laws house for food, gifts and family. Again, Brody will be spoiled with love and attention and enjoy every minute of it.

We may or may not get him to bed on time. Such is life with a toddler at the holidays.

But all in all, it will be fun, we will be with those we love and we will enjoy every minute of our toddler's Christmas.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

It's the holiday season!

I LOVE Christmastime. I love it even more now that I have a little guy to share it with. Last year was fun as his first Christmas, and he was able to do a lot since he was almost 1 at that point. However, this year, I know he'll enjoy it a lot more and he understands a lot more.

We've been reading him the Christmas Story in his bible for awhile. But one of my proudest moments as a Mom (so far) was when my sister told me that Brody pointed out Jesus when they went to look at Christmas lights. It was one of those moments where you realize that what you teach them and tell them really sinks in! (He also calls the bible his Jesus-book...too cute)

Since we were on vacation for a week in December, it put me a bit behind on the Christmas spirit (though my shopping was basically done Thanksgiving weekend...woohoo!) So as soon as we got home, I kicked in the Christmas mode...

First up? Decorating Christmas cookies! A friend of ours bakes cookies with her 2 year old, and I've never really done that with Brody. So I though sugar cookies would be a perfect start.

He did a pretty good job putting on the icing...

Then he soon realized he could eat what he was decorating with and started licking the side of the sprinkles container (since frosting was all over it). He did a pretty good job though and loved eating his artwork!Next up? Santa Claus! Now, as I mentioned before, I was already behind on Christmas stuff...which included prepping Brody for the big Santa Claus visit. He freaked out last year...
So I probably should have been talking to him about it for at least a week ahead of time to get him excited. Instead, I really only gave him 1 days notice. He was so freaked out by Santa that I couldn't even attempt to put him on his lap. I've never seen him so scared in his life, so it wasn't worth making it worse. Get me outta here!!!

Daddy, help me!!

It went quick and then we were able to take some pictures of him in his cute outfit. Oh well, hopefully next year will be better!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today I am thankful for...

My amazing husband - he truly supports me in everything I do, is an awesome father and day-to-day life would not be nearly as fun without him. He really is my best friend.

My adorable, sweet toddler - he makes me laugh daily, melts my heart constantly and is truly a blessing in our lives. We're so lucky that he's a healthy and happy toddler.

My wonderful family - my siblings are my rocks. All of our parents are awesome, constantly helping us when we ask and always there for us when we need them. My extended siblings are just as awesome, and Brody loves having so many Aunts and Uncles.

My friends - no matter how far and how close I know I can count on them whenever I need them. Even if we don't talk everyday, when we do catch up, it never feels like time has passed. I'm lucky for such long-standing friendships.

My Job - Not everyone is lucky enough to be employed, so I am thankful for a job that is both fulfilling and helps me provide for my family.

And many other wonderful things in my life, like being healthy, and living in a free country.

Today I will be celebrating with wonderful family and cheering on the Packers! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

2nd Halloween

Last year we were able to do quite a few fun Halloween activities with Brody, but with each year I know it will get more fun to do new things with him as he grows older.

So this year, we tackled pumpkin painting. I'm not brave enough to carve pumpkins with Brody yet, but since he does a lot of art projects, I thought painting would be perfect. But first, we had to head out to get a pumpkin...

We didn't end up finding a weekend to go to a pumpkin farm with hayrides, pick your own pumpkins and corn mazes. So instead, we headed to a farm nearby where all their pumpkins on are near the road. I also believe this is the cheapest way to go too.

Despite the low-maintenance pumpkin picking, Brody had a great time. He was able to pull around pumpkins in a small wagon, ride in a bigger wagon and pick out his own pumpkin.

Then we headed home to paint our pumpkins. Brody had a great time painting his pumpkin and my ever-so-patient Mom sat next to him to make sure paint did end up all over the floor and so Jason and I could paint pumpkins as well. The finished products:





Halloween at Brody's Daycare is also a big celebration. Every year they host a Costume Fashion Show. Parents attend of course, but it also draws a crowd from many others in the office. By the time we got there it was standing room only!

All the kids walk (or are pushed in a stroller if they're too little) across a stage. Walking is so much more fun, so I was excited that Brody was out walking on his own. He actually did a great job and I snapped a picture of him when he saw me. He pointed and yelled right away of course, but didn't try to run over. Many other kids get pretty upset when they can't run over to their parents right away, so I was glad that Brody did such a good job.

Our Little SpiderMan!

Friday night we headed to a Haunted House/Halloween party that my sister helps host every year. While it was cold, we were still able to stay for awhile, which allowed Brody to go through his very first haunted house. While it was a good/scary haunted house (which they do in a garage), when we took Brody through, we used a flashlight and all the people in the haunted house were extra nice to him. So, it wasn't truly that scary, but we still got a chance to check out all their hard work.

Since Halloween was on a Monday this year, our city chose to do Trick-or-Treat from 6-8pm on Saturday night. At first I was annoyed that it was so late. (Brody goes to bed by 6:30!!) Then I realized that at least it wasn't a weeknight and reminded myself that it's not the end of the world if Brody stays up until 8pm. We were in the middle of weaning the pacifier (more on that another day), so any disruption to bedtime was worrisome.

I personally believe that a 1 year old is too young to trick-or-treat (especially since he's not allowed to eat any candy). However, Jason disagreed, so he headed out to take Brody to a few houses. It was a great way for Brody to get the experience with some of our nearby neighbors, without doing too much. Although, he still ended up with a ton of candy! Apparently they thought he was cute.

Then they headed home and he helped pass out candy. This was by far his favorite activity. He would run down to the end of the driveway with a piece of candy to drop it in a kid's bucket. Then when it would quiet down, he would yell, "More Kids!!"

Weekend Getaway

So after the craziness at work, I just wanted to hibernate with my favorite boys. So...we headed on yet another vacation!!
Over Labor Day weekend we hopped in the car and drove a couple hours north to Green Bay. We had a couple things in mind for when we got there, but the best part is that it was one of those last minute vacations where every minute wasn't already planned.

We got there Friday afternoon for lunch at Lambeau Field and a tour through the Packer Hall of Fame. It was my first time, as well as Brody's, and it was pretty fun. Obviously Brody will enjoy it more when he's older, but he did a great time hanging out in the stroller while we looked around. He also didn't sleep the whole car ride up there, so it was a miracle he wasn't melting down. Waiting for lunch & playing his first arcade game

Checking out the Lombardi Trophy (Super Bowl Champions '10-'11)

That night we just went out to dinner and headed back to the hotel to get Brody to bed at a normal time. There was also a pit-stop to get eye drops since Brody had developed pink-eye. Though he gets sent home on a regular basis for "pink-eye" this trip was the only time I actually think he had it. Let me tell you, classic pink-eye is actually pretty nasty. Luckily he was able to get medicated right away so that he didn't spread it to us or anyone else.

We also learned the key to success in hotel-ing it with a toddler. Separate bedrooms!! We stayed in a suite (in the middle of nowhere, this was still a pretty cheap room), which had a separate bedroom, with a fridge/microwave/sink area separating it between the living room. We were able to put Brody to bed and we could actually stay up. He slept great both nights in that hotel room and napped as well. It made things so much easier.

Then on Saturday we headed to Bay Beach. This was actually our main purpose for picking Green Bay, so I was a little dissapointed when we woke up and it was raining outside. For those who don't know what Bay Beach is (I just learned this recently), it is an amusement park directed at younger kids that is super cheap. You don't pay to get in and each ride is about $0.25. The most expensive ride we went on was $0.75 per person (Merry Go Round). Many of the rides are geared towards younger kids, but children up to the age of 8 could easily be entertained there. And we struggled to spend $5 in about 3 hours.

At first I was a little nervous. Brody had never been on a carnival ride and the first one I saw didn't have a seatbelt. I really thought he might try to climb out during the ride, so we went to look for one where he'd be belted in. Though, there really was no reason to worry. Here's his first ride...

He LOVED it!

By the end of the morning, he was a pro. Jason even yelled out to him, "put your hands in the air!" So, he did...

The best part was, he wouldn't put his arms down until Jason told him to. It was pretty funny.

The weather wasn't ideal, but Brody didn't mind at all. We headed back to the hotel for lunch and nap thinking we'd go back to ride more rides in the afternoon if the weather cleared up.

Unfortunately it rained all afternoon. There was no way I was getting stuck in a hotel room with a toddler on vacation. So we pulled out the laptop, did a few google searches and found an indoor place with inflatables to bounce around in. This also was another first for Brody. He was a little hesitant at first, but quickly got the hang of it. Especially when he figured out that one of them had a basketball hoop and ball in it.

Turned out to be a great couple of days and we loved the more laid-back vacation. Definitely think we'll head back there again in the next couple of years.

Easter 2011

Easter was great this year and we got to spend a lot of time with family. Of course I always over-book every minute of the holidays which ends up stressing me out, but I'm not sure I'd really have it any other way. I love that we have so much family to enjoy the holidays with.

After early church service, which Brody did pretty well (we sit in the cry-room at church which makes it easier), we headed for a quick visit with at my Nana's house. We don't generally spend Easter with my Mom's side of the family (since we do Thanksgiving with them), but it's been too long since Brody has seen his Great-Grandparents, that I really wanted to make sure we stopped by. Brody played the shy-guy routine the whole time we were there, but since it takes him an hour to warm up to new houses and we left after about an hour and a half, I couldn't expect much more out of him.

Since we were hosting Easter dinner with my Dad's side of the family and Jason's family, it allowed us to get Brody down for a nap before the guests came. As stressful as hosting a holiday dinner for 17 people can be, it easily offsets the stress of lugging Brody from house to house, trying to squeeze in a nap and some sort of normal routine. That, and our family helps out so much with the food and prep for holidays, that I can never really complain!

Dinner seemed to go pretty well and despite the fact that I burned the glaze for the ham & had to make a quick substitute, I think the food turned out great.

The Easter Bunny brought Brody a lawn mower to play with outside and a basket with a few smaller goodies. He seems to like the lawn mower & the bubbles that it makes, but probably loved throwing the plastic eggs more.

Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! I know we did. It was jam packed with 5 Christmases in 2 days, but was worth it since we got to spend time with so many of our families. More details to come...

Looking Back to Thanksgiving

Weeks later, I'm finally getting around to blogging about Thanksgiving. We hosted for our extended families for the 5th year in a row, however this was the first year as a family of three. Unfortunately, I didn't go as smoothly as I imagined.

Weeks prior to the holiday I was picturing Brody sitting down in his highchair next to us and eating turkey, rolls and veggies. I was very excited for him to eat his first Thankgiving meal. It's the first major family holiday that he'd be able to participate in. I could not wait.

The Friday before Thanksgiving I took a vacation day to do the grocery shopping while Brody goes to daycare. Then I spent a little time getting the house ready, but I figured I had all weekend to finish it and went to pick up Brody early. That night, he came down with the stomach flu. Fast forward to a weekend full of an unhappy, clingy baby and a lot of napping in my arms.

Honestly - what mother doesn't love lots of cuddle time? Right?

I still had a lot to do to get the house ready for our 15 Thanksgiving Day guests. And since the end of the month is my busiest time at work, what didn't get done over the weekend wasn't going to get done until Wednesday night. I'm a bit too neurotic to let things go until the last minute. Oh, and where is the husband during all this? Yep - sick with the same flu as Brody. I was on my own.

So I repeated to myself, "It's okay if the house isn't perfect", "my family will love me anyways". And when that didn't work, I called my sister & brother and begged them to come over and help. (Which they usually do anyways)

And was the house perfect? No.

And for the most part, it went unnoticed.

All in all it was a great day of family celebration. Brody was still a little unhappy but was mostly starving after a week of being sick. And his grand Thankgiving meal? He ate Cheerios while we ate Turkey. But at least he was there with us.

I was too busy being a part of the fun, that I forgot to snap pictures during the day. But here are some from Thanksgiving morning. Luckily his Aunt Nicole brought him a new toy to play with! It seemed to make getting over the flu much easier!

Happy 4th of July

Brody celebrated his first 4th of July this weekend. It was a busy weekend and overall he had a great time!

Saturday we headed downtown to the fireworks that I used to go to when I was a kid. It meant a lot to take Brody with me even though it took a toll on his regular sleep schedule. He decided to boycott his afternoon nap and didn't fall asleep until well after 9. Then when the fireworks started he woke up again. However, he didn't seem to mind the noise at all! He actually started to giggle at some points and just wanted to play. We were so close the fireworks that debri was falling down on us, so he stayed in his stroller well covered up. But we did let him see the fireworks a little.

Then on Sunday we headed to Brody's Uncle Nick & Aunt Jenny's house to celebrate the 4th with Jason's family. Again, his sleep schedule was very off. Despite his constant yawning and rubbing of eyes he refused to miss out on any fun by taking a nap. We couldn't get him to sleep all afternoon/evening and when he did fall asleep, he woke up 15 minutes later. Finally he fell asleep....once the fireworks started! Who knew that loud booming and crowd noise could put a baby to sleep? We were smart enough to keep him strapped in his carseat the whole time, so he slept through the fireworks and straight to bed when we got home. Apparently this is also the trick to getting him to sleep in until 8am.

To wrap up the fun-filled weekend, Monday afternoon we headed to the Brewers game. This was Brody's third Brewers game in his short 5 month life. He slept a bit during the game waking several times to loud cheers. I don't think he appreciated the crowd constantly interupting his sleep. He handled the heat really well, but his clothes didn't last long. What's cuter than a baby in nothing but a diaper in public? I didn't care as long as he was cool enough.

Brody's 1st Easter

Last Sunday we celebrated Brody's first Easter! While Easter isn't very exciting for a 2 1/2 month old, it was nice to celebrate his first big holiday. We didn't put together a basket for him or color any eggs, since he is still too little to enjoy either.

Ironically, Easter is the first holiday Jason and I celebrated as a couple when we started dating 10 years ago. So each year we give each other an Easter basket. This year, we just made a family one and took pictures of Brody with our basket. Don't worry, he will not be consuming any of that candy!

After Brody's little photo shoot, we took him to church before joining up with our families. We spent lunch with my Dad's side of the family. There was an egg-hunt for the little kids which was great since it was beautiful outside.

Then in the mid-afternoon we went to Jason's parent's house for Easter dinner. We had a relaxing evening with the family. Even though Brody will not remember his first Easter, I know everyone enjoyed spending it with him.