Goodbyes and Hellos: The 2012 Review

Okay so I've been slacking on this blog. Clearly one of my goals (not resolutions) for the '13 is to be better about this.

Anyway 2012 was a very interesting year. If I had to pick a title to sum it up it would have to be as such: 2012, the Year of Goodbyes and Hellos. In 2012 I said goodbye to my job and hello to being unemployed. For many this would be devastating, but for me it was a breath of fresh air and an opportunity to find a job where I could advance, contribute and shine. I was very fortunate and blessed to have people in my corner to support me through this rough transition and by God's GRACE I said Hello to a new opportunity within three and a half months after my goodbye from my previous employer.

My biggest hello was to 30!!! Yeah that dreaded number that I've long since waited in utter agony for finally arrived and you know what....I'm FINE! 30 is not the big, bad, wolf I thought it to be. Turns out I was happy to say goodbye to my 20's. Since turning 30 I've felt more mature and hopefully acted that way as well...hahaha! :) 

I said goodbye to my son's infancy and hello to him becoming a more independent little person...i.e., toddlerdom! That little boy truly amazes me! I am so thankful and blessed to have him in my life. Watching him grow is my life's greatest joy.

Most importantly, I said goodbye to some people in my life. Actually, now that I think of it, it was only one person. Though I think of my friend often I also remember that "for everything there is a season..." and our season is done.

Secretly I think I said goodbye to my old attitude and way of thinking and hello to a more positive me. I'm happy about that because no matter what happens in my life I know that everything will work out for the best. I'm thankful for my new perspective and even more thankful for the people in my life who help me maintain it.

My last goodbye will be to 2012....its been real! It's been a great learning experience...one that I shan't forget! I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store for me and my family.

We've Reached Toddler-dom!

So once again I have to say my baby is no longer a baby because he's officially ONE!!! I swear it's so surreal! I can't believe a whole year has gone by. Toddlerdom is bittersweet for me because I miss my sweet little infant son but then again I just love how much he has grown and changed in this past year. It's truly a blessing to see and I'm thankful that I get to see it and live it everyday! Okay so I know I owe some pictures but of course being the kind of Mom I am (the do-it yourself Mom) I didn't really take many pictures at his party because I was too busy running around making sure everything was perfect. But one of my family members did manage to capture a few with my iPad.

Anyway, the party was a sesame street themed bash complete with a fabulous looking and tasting cake and of course my homemade cupcakes (check out the pic below). So.....I won't take up anymore time blabbing, enjoy the pics!

L.J. splashing in his pool the week of his birthday! Very appropriate since it had been so humid and hot in MD

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

I guess L.J. decided that he'd had enough for the day!

Opening gifts with Mommy

LOL! L.J. is over it in this picture with his Dad

These are my labor of love for L.J. I got the idea from Pinterest. YES I made these myself!

So in case you didn't notice, L.J. got his first haircut! I wasn't there (THANK GOD) because I just felt like that was a moment L.J. should share with his father. I do have some hair trimmings though! I heard L.J. went off!! So I'm glad I wasn't there because he probably would have come home with no haircut. I hate to see him cry. But it was all for the best and I now LOVE the haircut. I was a little skeptical about it at first but my baby looks great!

And now last, but certainly not least, we are off to the Pedi today for his one-year check-up. I can't wait to get the confirmation from the Pedi to start L.J. on whole milk because we are OVER buying this expensive formula; makes me wonder if I should have BF'd L.J. longer??

A Time for Everything

So my baby is not such a baby anymore. Yes, I am a little sad as I realize I now have a toddler on my hands. Mr. L.J. eats what I eat, he walks, talks (hi, bye, mama, da-da, thank-u) and has loads of personality. It is so amazing to think that around this time last year I was just going out on maternity leave and anticipating June 17th. Of course June 17th would come and go with no baby in sight. Even then L.J. was doing things in his own time.

In exactly five days my son will be a whole year old! I'm so excited to plan the first of his many birthday parties. Of course this party will be attended mostly by family and friends. I can't wait for my little guy to go off to daycare and make some friends. Although I'm not looking forward to that weekly tuition, Hubs and I believe L.J. could benefit from being around other kids. Heck, I took L.J. for a playdate with his Godbrother Cameron (almost 2 years old) and ever since then L.J. has been a steady walker! :)

Anyway, I'll update my next post with lots of pictures and video!

Hello 30, You Look GOOD on Me!

Hello out there to those who still read my lil ole blog! So I've been the big 3-0 for about four days now and honestly....ITS NOT A BIG DEAL! LOL! I've been dreading this number/age for quite some time and when I finally arrive at its destination it was rather anti-climatic. Don't get me wrong, its weird to think to myself that I'm this old (yes I know "old" is relative) but I can happily and truthfully say that I'm glad to be here. Many people I know didn't make it to see 30 so I can't help but feel blessed to still be above ground, healthy, in my right mind, and surrounded by people who love me.

So, I would love to write a blog post and reflect on my twenties, but I haven't had time to even think about them. However, what I can tell you is 20 feels a lifetime ago; I was so immature and dating all the wrong people. I think the biggest take-away from my twenties was the life lessons I learned. And as much as I would love to hop in my pretend time machine and go back and prevent some of the stupid things I did, I can't because everything that happened then made me the fabulous 30 year old I am today.

At the moment the only thing that bothers me in life in general is my slowly moving (sometimes crawling) career. However, taking a lesson from my twenties, I may not be where I want to be when I want to be there, but I'll get there in God's time. And in God's time things are just so much better!

Anyway, stay tuned for my adventures in my thirties!

Grow Baby Grow!

Ilandus Jr.'s first Easter

So it's kind of hard continuing this blog when there is no commentary what so ever. Anyway, I will continue if only to document my son's first year of life. Obviously, I'm terribly behind. The last couple of months have flown by but here are some updates:

- as of L.J.'s last doctor's visit in March he weighed 22lbs exactly and he was 30 inches tall.
- the doctor advised me to start giving him food from our plates.
- he got another shot and some blood drawn.

Currently, L.J. is walking on the back of his walker and of course using the furniture to keep his balance. He did take a few steps on his own yesterday (a proud mommy moment) but for the most part he is still not confident enough to walk on his own.

He has five teeth with at least 3-4 more little teeth buds. At this point I can't help but feel like he's not a little baby anymore. L.J. has a bundle of energy! He's wild and fearless and gets into everything...I guess you can say he is a typical boy.

Since L.J. is getting older Hubby and I have definitely thought about moving him into a daycare center. I love and appreciate my parents for keeping my lil man all this time but for personal reasons as well as L.J.'s growth and development, we think its best for him to go to a daycare center. Problem is, where do we put him? There are so many centers in the area that we don't know where to start!!!

I did visit this one center with my mom and L.J. It's within walking distance to both of our homes, their tuition seems reasonable (childcare in my area is going to run you at least $1000 a month...sigh almost a mortgage payment), the center itself is bright and decorative, they have lots of activities and the curriculum seems on point. Best of call (don't judge me when I say this....) for an extra fee per month, you can login to the video surveillance system they have in each class and check on your child. I'm sorry but what a relief this is for first-time parents who are apprehensive about leaving their child with strangers. I suspect that I won't have the need to do this for long, but its nice to know that option is available. The center also has an open door policy so I, my mom, dad, hubby, close friends can drop by and check on L.J. anytime!

So far, that center is my #1 choice. I visited another center when I was still pregnant and didn't really get a good vibe from them so needless to say I won't be paying them another visit. I'm also interested in the center where my mom took me. Back in the 80's it was called Gerber day care center. Now, its called childtime. I checked their website and I like what I see so I'm hoping to pay them a visit in the coming week.

I strongly believe that soon after lil man's first birthday he'll be in a daycare center. I'm excited about it given that he'll be around other kids, he'll have a more structured environment, and best of all when I pick him up on my way home from work he'll be pooped! :)

Speaking of lil man's birthday, I've been on Pinterest (follow me) getting ideas for his birthday. I've decided to do a sesame street theme! I loved sesame street growing up and its as good now as it was back then. When L.J. is able to sit down and focus (for all of 5 mins if I'm lucky) he loves it too! I've decided I'm going to do the impossible and make my own sesame street cupcakes and smash cake for L.J. #killmenow LOL! I'll of course post photos and let everyone know how it goes...wish me luck!

Let It Go and Let It Burn

I see its been sometime well here I am again. And even though most of my blog friends have given up on their respective blogs I'm still going strong! :)

So recently I ended a friendship. It was sad, but it was time. Even though I don't like the way it ended, I can't help but be happy that its over. Time and time again my mom always tells me "don't burn your bridges." Well, I'm happy to say that this time, I'm not the one who did the burning.

I am disappointed in how I allowed this former friend to push me to a place where I had to become belligerent. That's really not the person I am and I can't help but beat myself up a little bit for having gone there. But I guess this is what happens when you allow things to build up in a relationship instead of facing them head on and trying to resolve the problems or let the friendship expire. Though I must admit, I thought I had dealt with past indiscretions but I guess I had not. Oh well! Again, I'm glad that relationship is over because it added no value to my life. Former friend was very negative and honestly, negative energy transfers. Sorry boo! I don't need that in my life. I'm trying to stay positive Polly over here...not negative Nancy. Further, I began to sense that this person was envious of my life. Warning life lesson coming up....

I learned the hard way a long time ago that what God has for you is for you. Therefore, just because the Lord blesses someone else with wealth, family, marriage, new job, new car, etc. does not mean that your blessings should mirror those of someone else. If you know the Lord, then you know that if you follow his word he will give you the desires of your heart. I am a walking example of this and tried to tell this to former friend. However, former friend didn't want to wait on the Lord. Now, sometimes we want to rush things along because we have our own timeline, but the Lord laughs at our plans and timeline. All things happen in HIS time (for everything there is a season) and in all honesty the Lord is ALWAYS right on time. Many many many times I tried explaining these concepts to former friend but it fell on deaf ears and a closed heart. What more can you do for someone like this...pray!

So today, even though our friendship is over, I am going to pray for my former friend. I'm even going to pray for myself because I'm still so angry with former friend. I know in time my anger will subside and hopefully former friend will see the light.

Moving Forward

Wow its been a while! I guess I shouldn't say Happy New Year as we're 17 days into 2012...but I said it anyway :) L.J. is growing like a little weed! In fact I had to get a new car seat because he outgrew his infant seat. Also, he was getting close to the weight limit (22lbs) so I thought it was time to move on and put the infant seat away. I swear it feels like the end of an era.

So here are some pictures of my lil man I've been meaning to post:





Okay I think that pretty much updates the first 6 months of L.J.'s life. So the stats:

- Weight: 19 lbs (as of his 6 month visit)
- Height: 27.5 inches

Both stats are in the 75th percentile. So L.J. has come a long way! Unfortunately, my lil man has had one cold after another. :( Right now he is on antibiotics for his first ear infection. I'm hoping that he'll be 100% soon. But I must say that through it all he has been a jovial and good spirited baby. He's always smiling even when he doesn't feel well. He truly brightens my day.

Also, L.J.'s first tooth has finally pushed through his gums! Not sure if you can see it in the picture, but it's definitely there. I'm so glad because this little boy has been teething and trying to "cut these teeth" (that's what the old folks say) since he was three months old. At this point the slobbing is back but I don't mind. I'm just glad his has his first tooth...well almost.

L.J. got a big Christmas gift: the gift of real food and water! It's been six months in the making but finally...REAL FOOD AND WATER!!!!

And now for my Product Recommendations:

The Baby Bullet:



I absolutely love this gadget! It makes making L.J.'s food hassle free! It even comes with a food log and a recipe book as well as recommendations for baby's first foods. So my Pedi recommended that L.J. starts eating vegetables first and then fruits later. He can have no more than 4 oz of water and or clear juices (apple, pear, white grape) a day.

We started L.J. with spinach...that was interesting. He didn't like it at first and really I think it was more him getting used to eating this way versus him not liking spinach. But after a week of eating spinach he took to it. Next we tried carrots which he loves! Then we stopped for a little while just because of his cold turned ear infection. But Saturday we started him on peas. I think next we'll do sweet potato and when he goes back for his follow-up I'll have my Mom ask if its okay to start fruits. I can't wait til we can start mixing different foods. I haven't tried giving L.J. juice yet and quite frankly after doing some research even IF I give L.J. juice I will be making it myself from organic fruits. I'm to the point I may start my own vegetable and fruit garden. I swear all the chemicals they put in our food is ridiculous! I mean ARSENIC in our apple juice!!! Not for my baby! So needless to say if I give my child juice I'll be investing in a juicer.

Evenflo Convertible Car Seat:
I love love LOVE this car seat. This makes me wonder why I listed on my friends and even purchased an infant car seat/stroller or travel system. What a total waste! This particular car seat: Evenflo Symphony 65 XL features a secure latch system which is basically two connectors that hook into the anchors in your car. Installation is literally less than a minute using these. The shoulder straps are super easy to tighten and loosen as well as adjust up or down. The picture shown is the exact one I purchased and it looks awesome in the car. The seat also features three recline positions and can hold a child rear facing up to 40 lbs and forward facing up to 100lbs. It was totally worth the money and not to mention it was a the top of the consumer reporter for safest car seat. I highly recommend this seat.

Okay so back to L.J....my lil man is sitting up like a big boy and has been doing so since about 5.5-6 months of age. He's still not quite crawling but he does take steps if I or my hubby stands him up on his feet. I think he'll actually skip crawling and go straight to walking. Yikes! I guess its time to start looking into baby-proofing.

Goodbye 2011 and Hello 2012

Okay so I haven't posted in a while...sue me! In fact most of my fellow bloggers haven't blogged in a while either so at least I'm still hanging in there.

So I hardly had ill feelings about 2011 but I'm always glad and blessed to usher in a new year. Though 2011 was an amazing year for many reasons most of all the birth of my son! I love that boy so much I can't imagine life without him. I love being a mom its the best feeling in the world. Sorry to go on about it but it truly is a blessing and I am thankful for each day I have that little boy in my life. My husband and I are truly blessed.

In 2012 I really want to reach the following goals for myself and family:

- Find a church home: Uber important!!! Hubby and I have been putting our search on hold for so long but I am definitely going to make strides to get us to a church this Sunday. We need our foundation to remain strong.

- Do some home improvements: Hubs and I have been playing with the idea of selling our house and moving into a bigger, cheaper home. However, with the constantly downward-spiraling economy we would only break even if we sold our home, and this simply is not good enough. We don't want to rent the house so I guess we'll just stay put for now and do more improvements and organization to create more space.

- Lose Weight: Hubs and I are both on the weight loss kick. At this point I need to shed at least 100lbs. YES! I've already gotten started with Zumba and doing some things in the house. I don't want to avoid the gym completely but I don't find going to the gym to be productive for me. But I may have to do anyway. At this point I just want the weight off so however it comes off the fastest and stays off is the way I'll hold on to.

- Let folks go: It's always sad to let someone go who you deem yourself close to. But honestly some people are just for a season for a reason. I'm finding that I have less and less in common with 1-2 of my closer girlfriends and really and truly I've been trying to hang out but I just can't and won't anymore.

Those are the major goals...there are some others but I won't go into those. At any rate, this year I want to be a better more productive ME instead of a NEW me. I've been a new me for several years. I like who I am at the moment. Just need some enhancements if you will...LOL!

Anyway Happy New Year Peeps! Make it a great one!