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Monday, November 29, 2010

Make Christmas Count For Cliff.

Every year I try to donate to some type of children's fundraiser that needs our help. My nephew Eric was diagnosed with infantile spasms at 9 months of age and my amazing brother and sister in law were told that the outcome of him leading a normal, let alone functional life was very slim.

Eric is a fraternal twin and happened to beat the odds that were against him. He started walking before his twin brother, and is now leading a normal 4 1/2 year old's life. Eric lights up the room every time he walks in. {No literally, I don't mean that in a corny way - the kid is so damn loud and boisterous people are jumping out of their seats!} With being told he will more than likely never walk, never talk, and have limited interaction with the world around him, we will take his craziness!

Eric has some developmental delays and works with a speech therapist as well as an occupational therapist. {I do not know why my sister in law insists in having OT services for him when the kid can get through any and all childproof locks including the childproof medicine containers!} He really is an extraordinary kid!

So, needless to say, Eric has inspired me to help out one child in need each year. It is very easy to sit around and read about these stories and say, "Oh how horrible", but who needs easy? Let's take it one extra step and try to help out.

Please take the time to click cliff's button at the top of my page and to read his story. Want to make a difference in some way this holiday season? Send a small donation to this precious little life - it will go a looong way.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Sneak-a-peak

Check out the wedding we shot this Saturday!  This was my dear friend Karen's wedding and she happens to be the sister of the big boss photographer!  Karen and Phil had a kick ass wedding merely for the simple fact that they were just so in love!  However I must say, music was great, food was phenomenal, and the crowd was awesome! I definitely don't think I'll have as much fun shooting any other weddings as I did this one!

Just click our logo and enjoy!

Thursday, November 25, 2010

What are you thankful for?

Well, I'm thankful for the beautiful gift God has blessed our family with, and that is my little lady Emerson. She is happy, healthy and gorgeous.

I'm also very thankful for my wonderful husband. He is most certainly a one in a million, and I know it sounds cliche, but I truly do not know where I'd be without him.

I am also thankful for my wonderful friends and family. I really was blessed in that department. My mother and father are divorced {some may say that isn't something to be thankful for- but in my case it is} and thank goodness! For one, my mom and dad are really a terrible match. I also love the man my mom remarried, he is like a 2nd father to me. I have a half brother from them and I have a little half sister from my dad and his wife. My stepmom's family is amazing and my pop's {pop is what I call my stepdad} family rocks too! So, I have 4 wonderful families, and 2 sets of great parents. What more could ya want? For that, I am truly thankful. Every one is happy and healthy, and that in and of itself is something to be thankful for.

I am also thankful for our armed forces that fight each and everyday just so we can safely sit in our homes on this very day, with those above mentioned very special families, to eat and enjoy good food, and laugh and have a good time with our families. {let us also give thanks for homemade Italian vino of course!} Thank You!

Tell me what you are thankful for!

Have a great T-Day everyone!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

We love the tub, but how do we feel about the pool?

Well, we love "tubby time" as we call it in this house, so I assumed we would love the pool.  After all, it's just a giant bath tub right?

WRONG!
Well, we started out like this...(Cut me some slack, my kid was crying - referring to my face of course)
Then our cousin Daniel made everything better...
Eh, this isn't so bad after all.
What an exhausting experience! (LOVE her ducky bath robe!)



We will try again in January since our cousins will be having their 5th birthday party here!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Now that we KNOW...

"It's a girl", we can finally put a name to the room and add a few girly touches as well:
It's official.  This room is occupied by Emerson Grace

Princess canopy for the princess. (Now I need some nice girly bedding to go with!)

Tissue poms!  LOVE THEM!
All the above is courtesy of Etsy of course! 

This kid has the nicest room in the house.  This also happens to be the only room that stays spotless, and is the only room I truly enjoy decorating!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Daddy is my hero.

(A day late - But we had a super busy day yesterday, so today will have to do!)

As the sun started to rise, and our daughter started to stir, Brian did what he always does; he got up, grabbed Em, made breakfast, and cuddled with her.  He does this every single morning when he doesn't work the night before.  If he had been working, he would walk through the door at 8:15 in the morning, grab Em (If she isn't already up), and make breakfast. 

So back to yesterday.


This morning, was just like any other morning except, it was an extra special day for Brian.  He never asks for anything in return for the wonderful person he is, he does all the husband-like and daddy-like things with pleasure.  He has been like this his entire life. 

Brian is a United States Marine Corps. combat veteran.  He is also a grunt which is, An infantryman in military slang. 

To civilians, a grunt is no different than a "POG" (People Other than Grunts - I kid you not, these are all terms/slang the military uses).  However, to a "grunt", being a grunt comes with a much higher respect and regard within the military... 

These men, are the ones who have been in actual combat, and have lost men that they have stood next to for weeks, months, and even years.  Grunts have watched their brother's die an honorable death right beside them. 

Grunts live in the moment, for that moment could be their last. 
A grunt's most important goal is to make sure his brother comes home alive. 

A grunt is humble. 
He cannot think about tomorrow, for tomorrow may never come. 
For a grunt, sleep is a thing of the past. 
These men stare pure evil in the face - and mock it.

Death is knocking on their door, and will do whatever it takes to not have to open that door;  
        But if they do, they die with honor.  They die for perfect strangers.  For their brothers...

We have grunts to thank for being able to place our heads on our warm, soft, plush, pillows at night with ease.

Don't get me wrong...I believe that every person in the military, grunt or not, plays a vital role in protecting our country.  I have the utmost respect for each and every one of our men and women in the armed forces.  However, I am no ordinary civilian. 

I am a wife to a grunt. 

And for that, I have a different perspective. 

My husband served in Iraq in 2003 during the invasion.  He was a team leader, so he was responsible for not only his own life but the lives of 12 other Marines.  There was no running water, so no showers. No place of rest, so no beds.  My husband to this day, is very humbled.  He asks of nothing in return for his service, he was just proud to be on the frontlines serving his country.

My daughter, although only 2.5 months old, thanks her daddy each and every day for what he has done.  He is now a police officer, protecting us from domestic crime rather than foreign.  He is also a volunteer fireman.  Ya think he likes to help people?

So yesterday, we gave daddy a kiss and simply told him, "Thanks." (Mommy & daddy also had a nice date night as well!)


HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!

Never forget, that because of my husband's actions and the actions of many like him centuries before, we have the right to bitch and moan about our own lives, and can freely voice our opinions practically anywhere we want.  This country has had a long and hard fight, but we are here, and we rock, solely because of the actions of our brave men and women of the armed forces.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

"The Few, The Proud, The Baby Girl of a United States Marine"




"Happy Veteran's Day daddy!  You're my hero!"

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Time to bundle up.

*Well, it is officially cold in NY now.  We were getting away with nice spring-like weather for awhile, but not anymore.  We wake up now to frost on the cars, and dew on the grass, and mommy has started drinking hot coffee now...boooooo! (I love my iced coffee)

So, we decided to invest in one of these:
JJ Cole Bundle Me -Sooo much easier than dressing Em in all those bulky winter clothes to go out!





This proved to be one of our greatest baby-gear investments thus far!

*We also decided we needed an excuse to wear our adorable Kate Quinn jumpsuit, so we hung out in the backyard while daddy watered the trees!
Too cute for words!
Can you even take it?

Not the greatest pic, but nonetheless, it's my beautiful family!

WTF kind of wife am I?

 Seriously..no joke...
My husband works as a police officer in the crappiest neighborhood known to man (well - at least one of the crappiest), and what do I do? Granted, I take care of our daughter when he is at work but for realsies...

He: cooks, does the grocery shopping, cleans, does the laundry, does the yard work, plays with Em every chance he gets, changes her diapers, burps her, etc. Etc...I know there is probably some very strong judgments in place right now, but I have never demanded he do ANY of these things. He does them at his own free will.

He LOVES to cook, and is damn good at it too, so why in God's name would I try to take over in that area? I do clean sometimes, and I sometimes do the laundry when I have a free chance, but he seems to always beat me to it.

I know I know, you're probably thinking that we must have such a cold and bitter relationship, but the truth of the matter is, we have one kick ass relationship. There is no complaining, no nagging, we are very affectionate, always laughing, always seeing what we can do for one another. While it seems as though he does everything, (why wouldn't it seem like that with what I just described?) we seem to have a good system going in this household.

But yet, I still always seem to ask myself, "WTF kind of wife am I?!" ok, ok, maybe I should go scrub the bathroom floor right now if I feel so badly about it...

NAHH! ;-)

FYI: at this current time, big daddy is making split pea soup for lunch..oyyyyyy I suck!

Go ahead judge away!

EDIT NOTE:
I have been reminded by my wonderful sister-in-law that I need to give myself some credit considering I have been a milk factory for the past 9 weeks...so, HA!

Monday, November 1, 2010

TWO MONTHS!

"Happy Two Months to me!"
"My oh my how I've grown"

*Height: 22 1/4" (50th %)

*Weight:  11lbs. 10oz.  (70th % - What a CHUNK!)

Head Circumference: 15.2" (50th %)
Milestones Met:
*TONS of social smiling
*Giggling
*Verbally responds when spoken to such as coos, goos, & squeals
*Imitates noises her mommy and daddy do
*Reaches for her toys when above her face
*Holds head up all by herself when sitting or being held in upright position
*Makes a fist and holds paci in her mouth when laying down
*"Low crawls" on her tummy (Marine Corps term - but best way to describe it LOL)
*Examines her own hands
*Purposely splashes in the tub and then follows with a laugh!

*Em is quite the big girl!  She is right on target with all her measurements, and surpassing all her milestones!
We had 2 shots today - trying to spread out the shots over the year, due to some shots being very unnecessary to receive at 2 months (Personal choice - and no I am not one of those "No vaccines for my kid" kind of mom).
*I nursed her the entire time she received her shots to ease the pain, and she whined/cried for maybe a minute or so.  Mommy and daddy were the ones that were upset.  Em is the champ in this household!

"I'm full of smiles on my two month bday!"

"I'm also hitting a milestone!"




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