Making Friends

We finally got to spend some time at the mall play place this week since I went back to work at my civilian job. Nash hadn't been there since before he could crawl, so we knew he was going to have a good time.

He ended up making friends!

Once all the kids started coming over, they got engrossed in an impromptu game of Peek-a-boo.

Before too long, one of the littler boys tried to pick Nash up!  Like straight up WWE, wrapped his arms around his tummy, and stood up.  I was like, yeah, no.  Then Nash got a little bummed because his friends left, but he seemed in awe of their skills...  Running and walking skills, that is.

Week in iPhone Pics #4

Linking up with Amy at a good life...per the uze...and Zerique over at One Sweet Story.

Monday was a day off!  Yayy for the Army only working every other Monday, so I got to hang out with my two favorite men all day.  We started the day off by relaxing, cleaning up, and watching a little Nick Jr.  Once Daddy was up and moving and Nash had taken his first nap, we decided to venture out to Home Depot.   There are SO many beautification projects we've been wanting to do to get this house ready to sell, so off we went.

After unloading all the new supplies, we took a little time to play.  Nashie learned that Mama's shins are quite tasty!  It was super hot out, so we went through quite a few outfit changes before ending up in a green shortie romper thing.  When it was time for bed, we took a nice relaxing bath.  <---sarcasm.  His baths have been super stressful lately since he's not napping good and is totally exhausted by bed time.  He knows bed comes after bath, so he gets all crazy and starts chewing on hair brushes.

 Tuesday was another Army work day for, which was pretty hectic judging by the number of obnoxious yellow post-its I used just to keep everything straight.  I treated myself to Chipotle at lunch, but ordered my uze without rice!  I'm trying to eat a little healthier since I've been working out, but haven't lost a pound.  Not even half a pound, people.

Nashie spent the day with Susie, the nanny, and she was kind enough to send me a pic of him lounging around with his toys.  Once I got home, we did some playing of our own, and even got to hang out in the bathroom sink (he's a perfect fit!)...

 Wednesday was my last day of Army duty!!  It started bright and early with some circuits, a shower, and my oatmeal deal.  Daddy and Nashie woke up a bit later and sent me a good morning pic.  At lunch, I decided to hit up the mall since it was my last day in Orlando and everything...and luckily Express has brought back my FAVORITE jeans!  I scooped up a really dark pair of Stella Flares (see Friday post for pics). 

Nashie spent some more time with the nanny and really began exercising his vocal cords.  He does a whole string of ba-ba-pthlll-abababa now!  It's quite humorous to listen to him babbling away.  We had a sweet little wrestle sesh with daddy once I got home, but quickly headed to bed because once again, we did not nap!

Thursday is all fashion pics because I didn't get any with the muffin.  We actually went to the mall play place at lunch and I got some AMAZINGLY AWESOME pics, but alas, they were all with my fancy cam.  I enjoyed wearing normal clothes again and taking pics for my blog, but it does seem a little vain to have a whole day and three pics of me.  Hmmm...oh well.

My top, crops, and belt are all Express.  My SWEEEEEEET new shoes are Chinese Laundry from Shoe Dazzle.  Do you like?

Friday was a pretty awesome day because I got to go home for lunch!  I sure missed that while I was working in Orlando.  Me and the Muff hung out and played so that Joe could take a shower and get ready.  He seriously is my favorite little man ever.

I went back to taking fashion pics, but decided this cute little cropped one was more interesting than my usual full-body-in-the-too-small-full-length-mirror pic.  FYI:  Top is Charlotte Russe, jeans are NEW from Express (love love love love).

I got out early, canceled my gym membership (finally), and settled in for a relaxing night alone (Joe worked).  I cruised some blogs until 9 pm or so when I realize that my kitchen was thrashed.  ::sigh::  Threw in a load of laundry, let the bottles soak, and sat back down to knock out this little post.

Until next week, friends...

Steppin' Out Saturday

Our steppin' out is a little weak this, er, week... We spent the day with my friend Sandra, who had come in from DC, so we were running around having fun all day. That meant our pic was taken right before the little man went to bed, so he's sporting his jams. But he's still super cute nonetheless. And this is the third outfit I wore today (pjs in the morning, beach outfit, then this one).

Week in iPhone Pics #3

This week was the first week I had to spend all 5 days of the week at Army duty, so boo on that.  Joe kept me up-to-date on what was happening at home by sending me pics of the little man.  He's gotten so good at the getting up thing that all he wants to do it sit up, stand up, pull up...

 Joe took him on a little road trip into work (which is a rarity for him...he doesn't usually like to take the baby places on his own).  Once I got home, we laid a blanket out in the back yard and hung out until Nash got fussy.  He gave us some cute faces so I whipped out the iPhone real quick!

Tuesday started off bad.  While getting gas in the morning on the way to work, I noticed that I had put on two different pairs of flip flops.  Sweet.  Despite the ridiculous heat, I decided to do a circuit workout outside.  Short run, then some upper and lower body exercises, and a short run back.  Ouch.

 At lunch, I used my trusty iPhone Maps application to locate the nearest Barnes and Noble, which was insanely close to Chipotle (where I eat everyday).  So I stopped in and checked out some photography books...nothing like sitting on the floor and reading books without paying for them.  To satisfy my need for baby love, Joe sent me a cute pic of the little man going for a walk. 

Hump Day!  I did some P90X Yoga on Wednesday to combat all the soreness I was experiencing.  Nashie spent time with Daddy in the morning and had a blast looking out the window at all the things passing by (standing up).

I didn't really do much work in the afternoon, admittedly.  After yesterday's photography reads, I decided to find some good websites and learn a few new things about my camera.   Since I'm a Public Affairs Officer, I consider it professional development.  I venture outside of auto all the time, but it's really just trial and error...I don't really know what I'm doing.

That night, Joe and I put the Muffin to bed, ordered some pizza, and cuddled on the couch.  Love.

Thursday was boring.  Just a fact.  So boring that I needed a Diet Coke at 10 am.  And I spent time surfing MacLife.com where I learned all kinds of things about my phone and computer...  Makes me wanna get into all this geeky nerd stuff!

Back at home, the little man was rocking the camo just for Mama (along with some sweet drool spots).  Before bed we spent some quality time practicing our stand up skills (again).

Friday I tried to make up for the lack of pics during the week.  I started the day with some yummy homemade banana bread courtesy of one of the ladies in my unit.  At lunch, we all hit up the Alehouse to say farewell to our beloved 1SG...and I ate the spiciest damn sashimi tuna salad EVER (can we say overdose on the wasabi ranch)...

I got out of work at 4 (yes!), so I rushed home to hang out with my man.  Joe had to work early tonight, so it was just the two of us.  We played, shared some chipotle and crushed mangoes and peaches, and then took a naked stroll around the house before bedtime.  After putting Nash to bed, I cleaned the whole house (my friend Sandra is coming tomorrow and we don't want to look like slobs) and even rearranged the whole baby play area.  I basically gave him the whole right side (which is like a dining room).  I painted my toenails, tried out that no-heat curls thing that's blowing up Pinterest, and caught up on some tv.

Hope you enjoyed seeing my week in review...it's fun trying to remember to take pics every day and looking for cool new things to capture for you guys. Linking up with Amy at a good life again!

Wordless{ish} Wednesday - Reason to Speed and Cut People Off

This is what I race home for every day...a sweet baby with no pants on.

Linking up with The Paper Mama for Wordless{ish} Wednesday!

Working It Out

I figured I would do a check in since it’s the start of my third week here at Army duty, so I have two good weeks of workouts behind me right now.  They say it takes two weeks for something to become a habit, so I’m just approaching that mile marker!!  Thank god, because I am so ready for this to get easier.  Not the workouts, per se, but just the getting up early and doing it part.  That was always my biggest issue…especially when I don’t HAVE to get up.

For the last two weeks, I have alternated a day of running (usually about 1.5-2 miles) with a day of circuits (which includes both strength training exercises and sprints).  I have also made sure to add in a day of yoga to combat the tight, sore muscles that always accompany a new training regimen.  This will be the first 5-day week I’ve had, so I’m excited to mix it up a bit.

 

My schedule for this week will be:

·      Monday – 2 mile run

·      Tuesday – Circuits with sprints

·      Wednesday – Yoga

·      Thursday – P90X Plyometrics

·      Friday – 2 mile run

To top it all off, I am running a 5k race with my civilian job this weekend, so I will be running, running, running!  My goal is to do at least one “race” each month of increasing intensity up until my big events, which I still have to register for.  But here is what I’m looking at:

·      July 23rd – Corporate 5k at Wickham Park

·      August 13^th – Run for Pizza Football Kickoff 5k at Avenue Viera

·      September 17^th – Long Doggers 5k Beach Run

·      October 28^th – Pumpkins in the Park 5k in Cocoa Village

·      November 24^th – Suntree Turkey Trot 5k

·      December 3-4 – 10 Mile Tough Mudder in Tampa (this is one of the big ones I’m really scared about)

·      February 26^th – Disney Princess Half Marathon in Orlando

The only downside to all of this, of course, is the money.  If I do all of these events, it will set me back almost $350!  Seems like a lot just to run!  And the Tough Mudder seems pretty intense, so I’m nervous about that one (the website says you get dunked in freezing cold water and electrocuted…sounds like a party).  I need some serious motivation for that one…

Guest Blogger - Kaity, from As We Grow

Hi everyone!  I've decided to share one of my favorite mommy bloggers with you (just remember I found her first)!  Her name is Kaity, and I hope you take a moment to hop on over to her blog As We Grow, check out the awesome pics of her sweet little man, and tell her I sent you!

_______________________________________________________________

Hey guys! Let me just say, I am totally pumped to be guest posting for Theresa, today! 

My name is Kaity. I'm a 20 (yes, 20. That means I had my son at 19) year old momma to an amazing little munchkin Tucker! And proud army wife to my gorgeous hubby, Paul. I'm obsessed with blogging, and would love for you all to come over and say hi, look around, and maybe (if you like us ;)) follow! 

Tell us about your family- 

Well, I have a 5 month old little monster named Tucker, he's the sweetest, cutest baby on the block! I'm married to my knight in shining camo, Paul. He's away in training right now. He left when Tucker was 2 weeks old. And has only seen him 4 times since then. He doesn't come home till the very end of September :(

Describe an average day in your household-

Well, Tucker normally wakes up around 9 every morning. We get up, get dressed, and eat some breakfast! Then he watches his favorite show of all time- Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He is obsessed. And when his one show is over, he isn't happy when the tv goes off! 

Right now, we are living with my in-laws for the next couple of weeks, until we move into our new home. So life isn't on an official schedule other than mornings and nights!

What's the most dramatic change you've experienced since becoming a mother?

I would have to say sacrifice. I talk a lot about that here!

If you could go back to your pre-kiddo days and start over, what would you do differently (if anything)?

Honestly, I would not change a single thing. Everything that has happened in my life, has happened for a reason, and brought me to where I am, and who I am today. Some of those times sucked, and were super hard. But they only make you stronger!

Tell us a bit about your initial inspiration for blogging?  Are there specific blogs you just L.O.V.E. to read?

Tucker was by far, my inspiration for blogging. I had attempted to blog in the past, but nothing ever kept me going! Oh yeah, there are tons of blogs that I love! Just to name a few: Bringing Up Bumble, IROCKSOWHAT, The Paper Mama.. there's a ton more, but the list could go on and on!

What's one thing you wish other people knew about you (or knew more about)?

To be honest, nothing really! I'm a very open, honest person. So what you see, is what you get! :)

What's your favorite part about being a mommy blogger?

Seeing and reading how other mommy's do it each and everyday! And also meeting new people! 

I love hearing what people have to say, and reading their stories as well. It's so interesting.

So come by, and introduce yourself! Here! At As We Grow.

Blog Hop with One Sweet Story

One of the girls I met during Army ROTC has an awesome blog called One Sweet Story.  I love reading all about her cute little girl, Zaelynn, and oogling over her insane sewing projects (she has picked it up soooo fast!).

She just hosted her first ever Blog Hop and we are totally getting in on it!

Rules are: you have to follow this blog and two others, then get in on the hop! Have fun!

Week in iPhone Pics #2

Since I loved snapping pics everyday and it seems to be a hit with the readers, I've decided to keep on with this Week in iPhone pics thing. What an awesome idea (note: I totally got the idea from Amy at A Good Life and we love linking up with her sweet blog).

So here we go:

Monday was a great day because it was the first day off I've had since the 4th of July!!  I was so excited to spend the whole day with my family.  Muffin spent the first part of the day in the jump-jump-jumper while I did some cleaning and daddy slept.  We paused for a quick pic before the three of us headed to Wally World for some essentials.

Joe and I were chatting in the kitchen later that day when we realized that Nash (who had been sitting on the counter in front of Joe) had grabbed hold of an overripe banana and immediately bitten into it!  He was busy swallowing the yummy stuff when we snatched the evidence out of his hand...thank god that thing was ripe!  Kid loves bananas...

The rest of the day was spent hanging with the grandparents who had come over to help Joe finish up my laundry room makeover.  SWEET!  Nashie and I hung out with Gammy while the boys worked.  We finished up with some takeout sushi and couch time before calling it a night.

Tuesday was another fine Army day...except I woke up 8 minutes before I was supposed to be in the car pulling out of the driveway.  So I hauled ass and made it out in 9 minutes (not too shabby).  I looked like hell, but I made it.  After a long, hot run I stopped for some stretches and a quick pic.  Notice the red face...yeah, it's genetic (thanks mom).

For lunch I went to Panera with my trusty mac to do some internet stuff (you can't do a lot of stuff on those Army computers)...it reminded me just how much I LOVE their Fuji Apple Chicken Salad.

That evening, I got all dressed up for my first Mom's Night Out!  A few of the girls from the Mommy Group I was in invited me out to the Melting Pot for fondue and martinis, and I couldn't say no.  I wish we had remembered to take a pic of the group though!

I spent all of Wednesday on the road (literally).  I drove an hour into Orlando, where I did a quick sprint circuit workout and some work before getting on the road again.  I had to drive up to Camp Blanding (3 hours away) to drop off some training DVDs.  Depressed that I had to drive by the outlets, I stopped at Burger King for a disgusting, but yummy lunch.  After CB, I had to drive out to St. Augustine to drop off some Public Affairs DVDs to Joint Force Headquarters.  What a nightmare that town is!  I mean, I'm sure it's great for tourists (only thing I saw was the fort...from an intersection), but the roads are tiny, there are bajillions of people, and it takes forever to get in and out of the damn town.

After arriving home 30 minutes late following my 8-hour driving spree, I spent some time with my little man (who decided to nap really late and woke up at 530).  He is totally obsessed with everything I eat now, so whenever I munch on crackers (which I did that night), he chases me around trying to steal my crackers.  So I gave him one, which he carried around for awhile, then crunched up and neglected.

Thursday found me doing yet another early morning run in the blazing heat.  I really need to find indoor workouts during the summer.  I kept busy all morning, then headed to the mall to get some lunch and pick up a new armband for my iPhone (yayyy for making workouts more awesome).  I snagged some Mango frozen yogurt on the way out too!

Today was the first day in about 3 weeks that Joe's parents were not there to help him (they had to trek back up to NJ).  So he spent the day with the Muff, who decided he did not want to take his afternoon nap (not good since Joe had to work late late late that night).  We did our usual playtime, try-to-steal-Mama's-cracker routine until I had an epiphany.   I had Joe get him some of the Baby Mum Mums I bought a while back and handed him his very own "baby" cracker.  He was over the moon.  He just sat there watching me chew while mimicking the motions.  He loved it.  And I got to eat my crackers in peace.

Friday I got to wear normal clothes to work - yayyyy!  Had to pick an outfit that was appropriately casual, yet professional, and cool enough to keep me from melting in the relentless heat.  I did the P90X yoga workout inside this morning, so that helped keep me cool too.

At lunch, I hit up Chipotle (bahahahahaha), then headed over to Michael's to waste the last 30 minutes of my lunch hour.  I scoured the clearance aisles and snagged two packs of cupcake liners, cool owl stickers, three awesome Martha Stewart permanent marker pens, and some cupcake stencils all for $9!

My drive home that night was awful.  It was literally a monsoon outside and I did not get above 40 miles an hour the whole way home (I usually go 80).  I was petrified (still scarred from car accident in March) and alternated between crying, being angry at the weather, and going all yoga-like and trying to relax.  To make matters worse, I ran over something.  Big.  And then I swore I smelled rubber.  So I thought I had a flat...  So I got out in the pouring rain... Twice...  After spending twenty minutes each time trying to find a place to pull over where I wouldn't get killed by a passing car or get stuck in the mud.  By the time I got home, I was a wreck.  Shaking and stiff and crying.  Thank god I had my little man waiting for Mama hugs, so it didn't take too long for me to recover.

Linking up with Amy at A Good Life...

More Teeth?!?!

The other night I came home from Army duty and Joe casually mentions something about Nash's tooth bothering him.

I was like, "WHAT TOOTH?!?"

I knew he had his two bottom "teef," but he'd had them for a while, so that couldn't be what Joe was referring to.

Oh no...he has more!!  He is getting one of his top front teeth (the bunny teef!!)!!  AND I noticed that he has some white showing through on the bottom next to one of his front teeth.  TWO MORE TEETH?!?!

Who is this baby and why is he trying to grow up so fast?  ::tear::

Another thing that makes me tear up?  Not getting votes...keep an eye dry and give a click...

We're Featured on As We Grow!

I've been reading this little bloggie called As We Grow for a while now and had the chance to become a Featured Mommy, so I totally jumped on it!  Here it is (Click Image to go to Post):

Thanks so much to Kaity for our feature...and if you want to be featured on her blog just email her at tuck2011@gmail.com.  And leave lots of love on her super cute blog!

7 Months Old

I can hardly believe it. A Letter to Nash is coming, but here's a quick little video of the last 30 days of Nashie madness.

ESP

I have been thinking lately about the connection between Me and Muff. It often seems like we have this special Mama-baby link that allows us to be close even when we aren't. Let me explain.

At night, I am a fairly heavy sleeper, but I keep the video monitor next to my bed so I can check on him whenever I wake up. Often I will come out of a sleep cycle and wake up a bit... and then I will hear Nashie stir a few minutes later. It's as if we felt the other waking up, or maybe our cycles are perfectly aligned, or something. And nothing is better than looking into his sweet little eyes while he gulps down some milk illuminated only by the soft glow of his nightlight. It's our moment...



My husband is ever the realist and says, "Eh, you probably heard him stirring and it woke you up but you didn't realize it."

Shut it, honey.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Week in iPhone Pics (#1)

This marks my first ever Week in iPhone Pics link up! I love the idea and execution (seen over at a good life), so I thought this would be the perfect way to make up for no Friday Fashion Wrap Up. This way I still have something to do all week AND you guys get to follow me around while on Army duty (boo).  Here goes:

(No pics for Monday...all pics taken with my fancy cam and that's against the rules)

Tuesday was spent in Orlando on Army duty, so hardly any time with my muffin. I did however get to eat me some Chipotle (delish) and do some shopping at H&M, where I picked up a hot pink blouse, a rust-colored mini, a pair of cute khakis for Muff, and a sweet yellow cuff bracelet (score!)...

After lunch, I was glued to the tv waiting for the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial and nearly vomited when I heard Not Guilty. I felt like driving over to that damn courthouse and smacking each one of those jurors upside the head. Rest of afternoon I was in a bad mood so no work was done. Only thing that saved the day was spending about 40 minutes with my man after I got home before he had to go to bed...love love.

Wednesday was another Army day that started out with the hour-long ride into Orlando.  I did some pretty tough circuits for PT, showered, and then wolfed down some yummy homemade banana bread protein oatmeal.  Shortly after breakfast, I noticed that I was sportin' some darn fire ant bites on my thumb.  I didn't even feel the bite!  Confession:  My own neuroses forced me to google images of spider bites...just to be sure.

At lunch, I spied some cute young boys in Chipotle (yes, I ate there two days in a row, don't judge me), so I snapped a pic.  Relax hubs, I'm just snagging some style ideas for Muffin!  My afternoon was pretty slow so I spent some time with a cherry lollipop and my new best friend, Pinterest.

Since I don't get home until 6 pm or so, and Joe has been eating dinner up at his parents house, I only get a short period of time with Baby Muff before he has to go to bed.  Bath and story time are super important times for us to bond...want to make sure he doesn't forget who his mama is while I'm busy these next few weeks.  So far so good.

Thursday started out with a blissful 1.7 mile run down some picturesque back country roads in the most glorious conditions possible.  Okay, that's a big fat lie.  It was a beat up, two-lane road behind the armory and it was 75 deg and 85% humidity.  It sucked.  And I'm sore as hell from the last two days of working out (damn myself for being lazy the last month months).

At lunch I hurried over to the Mall at Millenia to check out the baby section at Zara.  I scored some sweet stuff for Nash!  And while I was waiting to pay, I noticed the girl behind the counter had the most awesome undone hair I have ever seen.  She was totally chic, so I had to take a pic (sorry it's so blurry, I didn't want to be a certified stalker or anything).  I stopped for a cookie bar and diet coke (so much for my run this morning, ha) and then noticed the most amazing thing...  WE'RE GETTING A LULULEMON!  I fell in love with them while in DC and was bummed when I couldn't find them here...so yayyy for that! Now I need to start working out more to justify the cost.

Friday started off with the final shuttle launch...like ever.  Since we live right next door (not literally, but almost), we almost always get to see it up close and personal.  Since I was over in Orlando doing the duty, I jumped out back to watch.  Well, it was super cloudy, so all I got was a brief glimpse when it broke through the clouds.  If you look reeeeaaaallly close, you might be able to see the smoke trail. But don't feel bad if you can't...it's like seriously tiny.

For lunch, I ventured over to Whole Foods (love!), but it took almost 30 minutes of my 60 minute lunch to get there, so I barely had any time to walk around and shop.  So I quickly grabbed a sammie, some chips, a diet Izze (Izzie??), and some delicious "wholesome" cookie bites.

After finishing up work, I had to drive him in a monsoon.  It was raining so hard, I was going 40 with the hazards on.  Even so, I felt eternally grateful to not be one of the 50 billion people heading west (the other way) because the traffic was backed up for nearly 20 miles due to the shuttle launch.

Finally at home, I spent some time with my main man!  He's crawling a bit these days, so he is such a monkey.  You can barely hold him because he's trying to move and grab and just get going!  But I did manage to sneak in some yummy squeezes while daddy distracted him.

Hope you liked my first ever Week in iPhone post!  Hoping to do one every week...it's a lot of work though!

We Need Your Help

I feel like lately all I've been doing is petitioning for my kid. Photo contests, magazine covers, weekly cutie, you name it. I'm beginning to feel the pains of politics and want nothing more than to crawl back into my safe little world and forget about my pushiness.

However, there are times in life when votes are needed, and thus must be asked for. You see, in the competitive world of blogging, anyone and everyone can jot down some thoughts and have a blog. Only a few ever really make it, and all us newbies sit back and aspire to be like them (See my favorites here, here, and here).

Well, lately I've been trying to be more proactive in getting our little blog out there, in front of people. I'm truly excited to share our humble life with anyone who is interested, and love reading about everyone else's lives as well. One of the ways we all are able to stumble upon the blogs of others is through a little site called Top Baby Blogs. Anyone can list their blog, as long as they meet the requirements, and then it's all up to the voters. We rely on those who read, and love, our blogs to support us so we can keep going (even if it's only a mental accomplishment and there's no monetary gain).





So, if you like reading blog, please take a moment (I know we mommies don't have that many free moments) and vote. You can vote everyday...or just every time you stumble upon one of our posts. Vote for every post or just the ones you really like...each vote means the world to us. So thank you. For reading. For Blogging. And for Voting.