Today I wrote about how much I admired a dear friend of mine. Well someone must have been listening because I had to channel my inner Ursula. After school today, Bella had tantrum after tantrum. The poor girl couldn't recover, even with her beloved daddy being home. So I gave her the option: watch your movie quietly or go to bed. When she continued to carry on, I calmly told her "you're done and you're going to bed." I then let her give Ian a kiss and proceeded with our bedtime routine.
Every moment leading up to putting that sweet (but head strong) toddler in bed, I questioned myself. Was I doing the right thing? Was sending Bella to bed without dinner and her favorite movie in her best interest? Was I permanently corrupting her? The answers to my questions were "yes", "yes" and "no." Bella eventually recovered during her bed time routine and she brushed her teeth like a champ and went to bed without a peep. I cherished every moment of this bed time routine... she was engaged, she was obedient and she was willing.
I told Bella I loved her to which she replied, "I love you too, mommy." And when I asked her if we could do better tomorrow, she said, "Yes mommy, I do better." What sweet little words from such a little person. Hearing that she loved me and that we could try again tomorrow meant the world to me. I love her and I want to do better tomorrow!
I made mistakes today and so did Bella. Tomorrow is a new day and we get another day to get it right. This parenting thing is trial and error. We do what we can and we strive to do better. Such is parenting and such is life!
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
P.S. Thank you Ursula...
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Feeling inspired
Every so often I feel the need to give thanks to those who inspire me to become a better person. Today, I'm feeling very thankful for some very special people in my life and so I am giving thanks to them.
My friend Ursula: She inspires me with her ability to be an amazing mother. I have gone to her for advice on many things, from nursing advice, to medical advice and parenting advice. She approaches parenting with great humility and for anyone who is a parent, parenthood is one great, big lesson in humility.
My parents: They raised my sister and me... need I say more? Despite their differences, they have always been able to come together for the greater good: their children. While Ian and I may not always see eye-to-eye on things, we always have our children's best interest in mind. Thank you for being a wonderful friend and for being an awesome role model.
I aspire to be the best mother I can be for my children. I'm not perfect and I make mistakes. The people mentioned above help me to achieve my goal on a daily basis. They provide me with inspiration with their successes and their "failures." They help me to see that my "failures" aren't the end of the world and that I can learn from my mistakes, so my "failures" are only "lessons learned." Thank you both for keeping your word and raising me to the best of your abilities.
And I'm finishing this post feeling very inspired and ready to face any challenge that I may face today. And if I should falter, I know it's okay. I will learn from my mistakes and do better next time.
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Weight Watchers Update - Week 5
So here's my weigh-in for week 5: 129.6 pounds!!! I can now fit in a size 4!!! A size I haven't worn in almost 4 years!!!
I'm down a total 10.4 pounds and I'm less than 5-pounds away from my goal weight! All this hard work at the gym and eating right have really paid off. I just hope I can keep up the hard work and achieve my goal weight.
I have found that holding myself accountable for my activity and my eating is a positive thing for me. Logging in my daily activity and food holds me responsible for what I'm doing. And blogging about it helps to hold me accountable, too.
Well, I'd better get off the computer and move around a bit... I skipped the gym today after an intense workout yesterday.
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
I'm down a total 10.4 pounds and I'm less than 5-pounds away from my goal weight! All this hard work at the gym and eating right have really paid off. I just hope I can keep up the hard work and achieve my goal weight.
I have found that holding myself accountable for my activity and my eating is a positive thing for me. Logging in my daily activity and food holds me responsible for what I'm doing. And blogging about it helps to hold me accountable, too.
Well, I'd better get off the computer and move around a bit... I skipped the gym today after an intense workout yesterday.
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'... Part II
Guess who is 3-months-old and rolling over? If you guessed CeCe Rose, then you are correct! Our little CeCe Rose has been rolling sporadically for the past month, but for the past day or so, she's been rolling front-to-back and back-to-front consistently! What a big girl and what a milestone she has reached.
It's funny to think that we wanted to hurry Bella along with every milestone but with Cecilia, I'm proud yet a little sad when she reaches a milestone. Knowing that she could be our last baby is truly bittersweet (and no, that's not definite). But the sheer thought that she could be our last baby makes every milestone and every day extra special.
For nostalgia sake, here is the post about Bella and her rollin' skills: Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' (circa de 2010).
My girls are such awesome little people. I cannot believe how quickly they each are growing up! Can someone please slow down time so I can have more of these wonderful moments in time?!?
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
Monday, July 23, 2012
All day preschool
In an effort to step up our potty training efforts with Bella, we decided to enroll her in school full-time this week. I know it sounds like more of a punishment, but she loves school and does well with potty training at school. Today was her first full day of preschool and she did very well. She napped for an hour, only had one accident (it was #2 by the way) and didn't ask when I was coming to pick her up. Her teachers were very surprised that she did so well, but I'm not. She genuinely seems to love school and likes being around other children. She has fun and learns a little along the way. It's great!
I was expecting a bag full of soiled clothes from accident after accident, but her bag of soiled clothes only contained two pairs of panties and one pair of bloomers. Her teachers said she did great with potty training and will eventually learn to go #2 on the potty. I'm SO proud of my little girl and I know she will get the hang of this in no time. I'm so thankful for the teachers at her school for taking the time to potty train her. I'm so thankful that we will continue with the potty training at home and allow her to wear her big girl panties while she is awake.
Bella was so excited to see me when I arrived to pick her up. She ran over to me and gave me a big hug. I think picking her up from school is one of my favorite things because of her reaction. She is excited to see me, is always happy, wants to show me what she made that day and talks my ear off about her day. We're very lucky to have found such a wonderful school for her to attend for the summer.
Well, tomorrow is another busy day and I need to get my beauty rest. CeCe and I have errands to run and I have some cleaning to do. And best of all, we get to go pick up Bella after another fun-filled day at school. Who knew all-day preschool could be such a positive thing for both Bella and me?!?
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
I was expecting a bag full of soiled clothes from accident after accident, but her bag of soiled clothes only contained two pairs of panties and one pair of bloomers. Her teachers said she did great with potty training and will eventually learn to go #2 on the potty. I'm SO proud of my little girl and I know she will get the hang of this in no time. I'm so thankful for the teachers at her school for taking the time to potty train her. I'm so thankful that we will continue with the potty training at home and allow her to wear her big girl panties while she is awake.
Bella was so excited to see me when I arrived to pick her up. She ran over to me and gave me a big hug. I think picking her up from school is one of my favorite things because of her reaction. She is excited to see me, is always happy, wants to show me what she made that day and talks my ear off about her day. We're very lucky to have found such a wonderful school for her to attend for the summer.
Well, tomorrow is another busy day and I need to get my beauty rest. CeCe and I have errands to run and I have some cleaning to do. And best of all, we get to go pick up Bella after another fun-filled day at school. Who knew all-day preschool could be such a positive thing for both Bella and me?!?
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
Sunday, July 22, 2012
CeCe's first baseball game
Being the second child means that many of CeCe's firsts are happening a lot sooner than Bella's. Today, CeCe attended her first Rays game with us and we all had a fabulous time. I wish every sporting event could be a family event, but unfortunately, that won't be the case for awhile. Today's baseball game was courtesy of Bella's friend, Logan and his parents, in celebration of his birthday. We received the royal treatment with parking passes and an afternoon in a suite at the 'Trop. It was awesome.
We arrived just in time for the first pitch and we stayed the entire duration of the game. This is something we have never done with Bella and I was initially anxious about arriving so "early." It turns out toddlers love suites in sports stadiums as much as adults do because the kids practically entertained themselves. They ate popcorn, peanuts and ran around the suite like maniacs for 9-innings of baseball. The kids could be as loud and as obnoxious as they wanted to be and with the exception of Bella spilling her popcorn on the poor woman sitting in front of the suite, the afternoon went beautifully. The kids chase each other around the hightop tables and climbed the mini-stairs. It was great to share a suite with five other toddlers, two other infants and their parents (of course)!
CeCe enjoyed the baseball game from the vantage point of my arms, Ian's arms and my friend Stephanie's arms. It was sure nice to have two extra sets of arms around. She even received her "My 1st Rays game" pin which I inscribed with the date to document this fun day. Despite the Rays losing (which was a positive thing for my Orioles) and the monsoon we were greeted with after the game, we had a relaxing and fun afternoon with our friends. The kids took naps on the way home and went to bed early... what more could a mother ask for?!?
By the way, there are pictures of this splendid day... I just need to "borrow" them from my friend Stephanie. I'm a ding-dong and forgot to bring our camera and failed to take any pictures with either of our phones. Ooops!
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
We arrived just in time for the first pitch and we stayed the entire duration of the game. This is something we have never done with Bella and I was initially anxious about arriving so "early." It turns out toddlers love suites in sports stadiums as much as adults do because the kids practically entertained themselves. They ate popcorn, peanuts and ran around the suite like maniacs for 9-innings of baseball. The kids could be as loud and as obnoxious as they wanted to be and with the exception of Bella spilling her popcorn on the poor woman sitting in front of the suite, the afternoon went beautifully. The kids chase each other around the hightop tables and climbed the mini-stairs. It was great to share a suite with five other toddlers, two other infants and their parents (of course)!
CeCe enjoyed the baseball game from the vantage point of my arms, Ian's arms and my friend Stephanie's arms. It was sure nice to have two extra sets of arms around. She even received her "My 1st Rays game" pin which I inscribed with the date to document this fun day. Despite the Rays losing (which was a positive thing for my Orioles) and the monsoon we were greeted with after the game, we had a relaxing and fun afternoon with our friends. The kids took naps on the way home and went to bed early... what more could a mother ask for?!?
By the way, there are pictures of this splendid day... I just need to "borrow" them from my friend Stephanie. I'm a ding-dong and forgot to bring our camera and failed to take any pictures with either of our phones. Ooops!
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Boo-boo's for Boo-Boo Bella
Today I received a call from an unfamiliar number, knowing that Bella was at school, I immediately assumed it might have been her school calling me. I "googled" the number and sure enough, it was Bella's school. Fortunately I was sitting in the parking lot of her school, waiting for the clock to strike noon, but I headed inside early.
I went inside Bella's classroom and the kids were all sitting down, eating their lunch. Bella was happy to see me and didn't appear to be the least bit upset. Mrs. Finley, Bella's teacher, informed me that Bella had fallen earlier in the day and bit her tongue in the process. There was a lot of blood, but Bella had been cleaned up pretty well and there was only minimal traces of her accident on her dress. Bella then told me, "I hurt my mouth... I cried." Aww, my poor baby! It really broke my heart to hear this. It could have been a lot worse and I'm glad the teacher was comfortable enough to discuss the incident with me, rather than me receiving an incident report from the administration. I did receive an incident report, but I feel so much better hearing it straight from the source.
Kids are kids and will always get bumps and bruises. I hate it when my kids get hurt. I wish I could switch places with them and take their pain into my own body. Obviously this is impossible, but I can trust that my kids will be comforted by those around them. I think I'll take my little Boo-Boo Bella out for some frozen yogurt after dinner to help numb that sore tongue.
It's going to be difficult switching schools this fall, but it must be done. We've already paid the registration fee, a month's tuition, supply fee and other odds and ends. It makes sense financially for us to send her to the new preschool (one week's tuition at her current school is the price of the ENTIRE month at her new school). While I love the school she attends now, it can wait. Our plans are to enroll her in her current school again next summer, fall and then again for VPK (in two years). Her new school will be wonderful (everyone we know - 5-6 people - who have sent their children there rave about it) and we are looking forward to having a more open schedule during the week. Plus, she can have lunch bunch with a few of her older pals, who will be in VPK this fall.
Anyway... I should have been napping this afternoon, but I felt the need to get some stuff accomplished while the kids are sleeping. The babysitter was here this morning so I was able to run a few errands AND get a massage and pedicure. Both were much needed and well deserved... it was amazing! We'll be heading to the gym this afternoon for my daily workout. Woo-hoo! Ian was already at the gym early this morning, while the girls and I slept. I'll work out, the girls will play in the child care center and then we'll head home for dinner with daddy. Happy Hump Day, y'all!
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
I went inside Bella's classroom and the kids were all sitting down, eating their lunch. Bella was happy to see me and didn't appear to be the least bit upset. Mrs. Finley, Bella's teacher, informed me that Bella had fallen earlier in the day and bit her tongue in the process. There was a lot of blood, but Bella had been cleaned up pretty well and there was only minimal traces of her accident on her dress. Bella then told me, "I hurt my mouth... I cried." Aww, my poor baby! It really broke my heart to hear this. It could have been a lot worse and I'm glad the teacher was comfortable enough to discuss the incident with me, rather than me receiving an incident report from the administration. I did receive an incident report, but I feel so much better hearing it straight from the source.
Kids are kids and will always get bumps and bruises. I hate it when my kids get hurt. I wish I could switch places with them and take their pain into my own body. Obviously this is impossible, but I can trust that my kids will be comforted by those around them. I think I'll take my little Boo-Boo Bella out for some frozen yogurt after dinner to help numb that sore tongue.
It's going to be difficult switching schools this fall, but it must be done. We've already paid the registration fee, a month's tuition, supply fee and other odds and ends. It makes sense financially for us to send her to the new preschool (one week's tuition at her current school is the price of the ENTIRE month at her new school). While I love the school she attends now, it can wait. Our plans are to enroll her in her current school again next summer, fall and then again for VPK (in two years). Her new school will be wonderful (everyone we know - 5-6 people - who have sent their children there rave about it) and we are looking forward to having a more open schedule during the week. Plus, she can have lunch bunch with a few of her older pals, who will be in VPK this fall.
Anyway... I should have been napping this afternoon, but I felt the need to get some stuff accomplished while the kids are sleeping. The babysitter was here this morning so I was able to run a few errands AND get a massage and pedicure. Both were much needed and well deserved... it was amazing! We'll be heading to the gym this afternoon for my daily workout. Woo-hoo! Ian was already at the gym early this morning, while the girls and I slept. I'll work out, the girls will play in the child care center and then we'll head home for dinner with daddy. Happy Hump Day, y'all!
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Weight Watchers - Week 3 Update
This week is the third week I've been following Weight Watchers (WW) and working out. I am pleased to report that I am down 3-pounds this week, bringing my total weight loss to 8-pounds. Woo-hoo!
But before I celebrate too much, I was "warned" by WW that this is not considered healthy weight loss. WW would like for me to slow down. I'm not doing anything drastic, like starving myself or working out like crazy. I'm simply sticking to my recommended daily points (40 because I'm nursing) and working out for 60-minutes almost every day. I would be concerned, too, but I'm still producing enough milk for CeCe and I feel better than I have in years. I don't even really have a goal date in mind, so I honestly don't see how this is an issue. So I dropped 3-pounds this week instead of the recommended 2-pounds? I'm sure I'll gain a pound or two another week to make up for it. Haha!
Obviously I'm not trying to lose more weight than I should, but to appease the folks at WW, I will add an extra protein shake to my daily diet to ensure (haha, no pun intended) and boost (total pun intended) my protein intake. I will not cut back on my exercise because I need those 60-minutes at the YMCA every day for my own sanity. Or maybe I will work out for 30-minutes and lay out by the pool for the other 30-minutes?!?
Only 7-pounds to go on my quest to get back to wedding weight!
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
But before I celebrate too much, I was "warned" by WW that this is not considered healthy weight loss. WW would like for me to slow down. I'm not doing anything drastic, like starving myself or working out like crazy. I'm simply sticking to my recommended daily points (40 because I'm nursing) and working out for 60-minutes almost every day. I would be concerned, too, but I'm still producing enough milk for CeCe and I feel better than I have in years. I don't even really have a goal date in mind, so I honestly don't see how this is an issue. So I dropped 3-pounds this week instead of the recommended 2-pounds? I'm sure I'll gain a pound or two another week to make up for it. Haha!
Obviously I'm not trying to lose more weight than I should, but to appease the folks at WW, I will add an extra protein shake to my daily diet to ensure (haha, no pun intended) and boost (total pun intended) my protein intake. I will not cut back on my exercise because I need those 60-minutes at the YMCA every day for my own sanity. Or maybe I will work out for 30-minutes and lay out by the pool for the other 30-minutes?!?
Only 7-pounds to go on my quest to get back to wedding weight!
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Long live summer!
In Florida, we Floridians live in a summer climate pretty much all year-round! Having moved down here from the north (Maryland) I had to get used to the lack of seasons and it essentially feeling like summer 365-days a year. Fortunately most of my friends and family who live up north (and elsewhere) and I get to live vicariously through their seasons... or I just giggle to myself when they complain about it being too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.
Shutterfly is calling all loyal followers and new followers to embrace the summer season! It's time to take pictures of your families and friends and design something cute to remember these memories! Shutterfly is sweeting the pot by offering a really cool photo contest, with a grand prize of a trip to the Bahamas, complete with a photo shoot to capture all fun in the sun. If you're interested in entering this photo contest, use this link: 2012 Shutterfly Summer Sweepstakes.
We love Shutterfly and have ordered Christmas cards, birth announcements, calendars and prints. The quality is amazing and the prices are really affordable. So come on all you photags, start taking pictures and check out Shutterfly for super cool projects!
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
Shutterfly is calling all loyal followers and new followers to embrace the summer season! It's time to take pictures of your families and friends and design something cute to remember these memories! Shutterfly is sweeting the pot by offering a really cool photo contest, with a grand prize of a trip to the Bahamas, complete with a photo shoot to capture all fun in the sun. If you're interested in entering this photo contest, use this link: 2012 Shutterfly Summer Sweepstakes.
We love Shutterfly and have ordered Christmas cards, birth announcements, calendars and prints. The quality is amazing and the prices are really affordable. So come on all you photags, start taking pictures and check out Shutterfly for super cool projects!
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Cecilia is 3-months-old TODAY!!!
The 4th of July has come and gone and our little Cecilia is now 3-months-old! We celebrated the 4th of July with our friends and their kids, which was a lot of fun. Cecilia is seriously the happiest baby I have ever met. She smiles, giggles, "talks" and rarely cries. We love her more than life itself and she is the perfect addition to our family.
There is no 3-month well check but, but here are some unofficial stats:
Height: about 25 inches (approximately, she is a squirmy baby!)
Weight: about 13 pounds (approximately, conducted while I hold her on the scale).
Sleeping Pattern: CeCe Rose is an amazing little sleeper! She sleeps from 9pm-6am almost every night. Sometimes she wakes up around 3am but we quickly feed her and put her back to bed, and she will then sleep until 8am or even 9am!
Eating Pattern: CeCe Rose is nursing or eating 4 ounces of expressed breast milk about every 2.5-3 hours. I think we finally have this whole nursing and pumping thing down!
Milestones: CeCe Rose smiles, giggles and "talks"! She coos and babbles all day long, it's pretty adorable. She can roll from her tummy to back and usually does this in her crib or on her play mat.
Friends: CeCe's crew of little friends include Zach, Tessa and Brynn. We are back to our normal Thursday play dates and it is fantastic!
Current Events: Andy Griffith passed away, a MAJOR heat wave is causing most of the U.S. to sweat it out, Tropical Storm Debby pounded us with about 3-days of non-stop rain and a severe thunderstorm caused our friends and family in Baltimore to be without power for many days... and most importantly Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes filed for divorce (LOL!).
Happy 3-Month Birthday, Cecilia Rose!
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
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| She smiles with her entire face! Love it! |
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| Looking VERY patriotic! |
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| Talking with Mom. |
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Fun in the sun
After a complete wash out last weekend, we spent a great deal of time outdoors this weekend. Our activities included swimming in the pool, playing in the backyard and a trip to the beach. It was a wonderfully relaxing and fun weekend. Too bad tomorrow is Monday, but at least it will be a short week.
We went to the gym and ran a few errands on Saturday morning, including a trip to the mall. I needed new nursing bras (TMI, I know) and we wanted to look at deep freezers (for breast milk storage, TMI again). Mission accomplished and we came home with new bras for me and a new freezer for our garage. We ended up eating at Chick-fil-a because Bella was starving by the time we finished all of our shopping. We were home just in time for naps and some household chores. We wrapped up the afternoon with some swimming and play time on the swing set.
This morning we headed to Treasure Island to hang out with some friends who are renting a house for the summer. The weather was BEAUTIFUL and we spent the majority of our time relaxing under the umbrella. We were right by Caddy's and treated ourselves to some drinks (a vodka soda for me) and delicious food. I wish we could spend more time at the beach, especially with friends, and I am very much looking forward to our upcoming vacation in Siesta Key!
Tomorrow will be a busy day. Bella begins preschool tomorrow, so the entire family will be dropping her off in the morning. I have some paperwork, prescriptions and other odds and ends to bring as well. I already have her clothes laid out for tomorrow and we should be ready to roll bright and early. I don't have plans for while Bella is at school, but I may hit the gym or run a few errands, sans Bella.
It's been a busy weekend and this mama is exhausted! Good night y'all!
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
We went to the gym and ran a few errands on Saturday morning, including a trip to the mall. I needed new nursing bras (TMI, I know) and we wanted to look at deep freezers (for breast milk storage, TMI again). Mission accomplished and we came home with new bras for me and a new freezer for our garage. We ended up eating at Chick-fil-a because Bella was starving by the time we finished all of our shopping. We were home just in time for naps and some household chores. We wrapped up the afternoon with some swimming and play time on the swing set.
This morning we headed to Treasure Island to hang out with some friends who are renting a house for the summer. The weather was BEAUTIFUL and we spent the majority of our time relaxing under the umbrella. We were right by Caddy's and treated ourselves to some drinks (a vodka soda for me) and delicious food. I wish we could spend more time at the beach, especially with friends, and I am very much looking forward to our upcoming vacation in Siesta Key!
Tomorrow will be a busy day. Bella begins preschool tomorrow, so the entire family will be dropping her off in the morning. I have some paperwork, prescriptions and other odds and ends to bring as well. I already have her clothes laid out for tomorrow and we should be ready to roll bright and early. I don't have plans for while Bella is at school, but I may hit the gym or run a few errands, sans Bella.
It's been a busy weekend and this mama is exhausted! Good night y'all!
Love always,
Ian, Kim, Bella & Cecilia
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