FOUND IT!!!

Hahaha... yesterday, i FINALLY found a food Lexi doesn't like! Well, let me clarify- a part of food she doesn't like. If i blend it up, she loves it. If i give her the bottom part, she loves it... but I give her the top- hilarious-ness begins.  :) If i can figure out how to get the video from my phone onto the computer, I'll post it on here! (working on it- bare with me!) I took two videos of it. I'm so mean though. I thought it was so funny that I gave her another piece just so i could catch it on video.

So.... the first food we found that Lexi doesn't like.... RASPBERRIES!! i gave her the actual fruit yesterday and the funny faces and gagging soon followed. I love Lexi so much. She doesn't know to spit it out yet, so she fought... and fought hard to make herself swallow it. She is sooooo cute! How did I get so lucky?! I love my baby girl!! She makes me want a soccer team of babies! (but don't worry- 2 is the limit... 3 TOPS- only if she gets a brother next time!)

Today, we're going to play inside. Lexi is just starting to real crawl, so I want to play with her on the soft carpet so she can "practice" and get better. I can't believe she'll be ONE in just 4 more months!! I'm planning parts of her birthday party and this is what I've got so far:

When: July 17, 2011 2-5pm
Where: my mom's house (more space!)
Theme: Olivia!!

There will be "bars" set up all around the house.
Bar 1- baby bar: this will be all of lexi's favorite snacks (puffs, yogurt chips, lil crunchies, mum mums)
Bar 2- dessert bar: cake balls, cookies, cake, and brownies
Bar 3- fruit and veggie bar
Bar 4- make your own chex mix/ cracker and cheese bar
Bar 5- wine and drink bar (adults!)

As far as decor, I'm going to have an olivia showcase (decorate the tv area to be like a movie theater... playing Olivia throughout the party). There will be a window Chandelier, that I saw here, a happy birthday banner (with pictures!) , and pom poms, too!! The colors are Red, Black, and White... with just a splash of light blue! :)

The center pieces at the tables will be my favorite. They'll be vases filled with red Tulips or daisies, and an Olivia character stuffed animal with balloons tied to the wrist! (1 HUGE red balloon with 4-5 b/w balloons around it).

That's pretty much as far as I've gotten so far. I know it'll be amazing and I can't wait to see it all come together. It's going to be a very LONG 4 month wait.


Well, I hope everyone has a great weekend!! I'm going to give this video thing another try and then it'll be play time for the rest of the day! We're picking G-ma Laura up from the airport at 4 and hopefully get to hang out and show off the new crawling skills! :)

Remembering Maddie!

So today, we decided to get all dressed up and wear the Maddie bow, the purple flower bow we won in the Tiny Wings Auction, hosted by Polka Dot Junkie by Megan Green, in celebration of Maddie's short life. We hope she is having a blast up in Heaven playing with Jesus. I'm sure she'll be so proud of the strength of her mommy and daddy (http://www.kandjstaats.blogspot.com/ ). I wake up and blog stalk Kellie every day to make sure she is having a good day. I am happy when she has a happy day and I shed a tear right along with her when she's having a rough one.

Today, I hope she'll be happy knowing all the support around the WORLD for not just baby Madison Paige, but also for mommy and daddy Staats. I hope they are proud at the impact their daughters life had on everyone.

So, since the weather wasn't really cooperating, we couldn't get our pretty pink Maddie balloon and go to the park like we had planned to release it up to her. We will do it on the next sunny day and take pictures until we can't see it anymore. We moved our "park" time in doors and had a pretty good time in Lexi's room.

I am pretty sure Maddie told Lexi it was okay to crawl, because she did it for the FIRST time today!! I am so proud. I need to mark this day in the baby book- St. Patty's day!! :) I am going to have my hands full now, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I am so thankful for every single day I get to watch, hold, kiss, play with my perfect baby girl.

Camera was on the charger, so we get one cell phone picture for this posting. Sorry for the terrible quality.

So happy to wear her pretty Maddie bow!

Room Makeover!!

So, I've been thinking about adding stuff to Lexi's room (to her walls) but I really had no idea where to start! I recently came across a few AMAZING ideas, so here we go! Today, I'm posting the "before pictures" just after I completely cleaned her room yesterday. It looks sooo much better with her swing out of the way. Now, I can't wait to get the pictures up. We're blowing up one of my favorites to hang above her bed! :) I'm excited to see how that turns out! 

This was all taken in the middle of cleaning. Lexi loves her room!

The last days of these of the bare walls. (I put her pack n play in her closet so that's not between the crib and closet anymore.)

Again, middle of cleaning so please excuse the mess!! :)

Now here is my room inspiration (these WILL be framed on her walls):

Thought this would be super cute by the glider and her books! :)

Nick chose this one to blow up and put above her bed.

I just love her baby feet. :)

This is another one of my favorites! Thinking this should get blown up.

This is the cutest! Thinking of finding a colored frame for this one! :)

I have 2 frames that I'm going to fill with pictures of her, but i'm going CRAZY cuz the picture slots are all strange sizes- makes it impossible!!

Well, I have like 3 blog posts just sitting in my drafts. I've had words but nothing worth posting all week. Lexi is getting SOOOO close to crawling. She scoots herself wherever she wants to be. I can't wait til she figures out to move her hands and legs together instead of lunging herself forward into faceplants. It's cute but I think she'll be happier not face planting all the time (and i'll get peace of mind when she's on our hard wood floors!)

Watch her go!!

I love my sweet baby girl!! :)

Happy Thursday, everyone!! Today is Nick's Wednesday!.. no fun! :(

smiles tears and mirrors

Today was one of “those days”. I am going to blame the time change just to get my mind around it… or maybe the time change AND her cold. yeah. that must be it. Lexi was a cranky little bug today! I wasn’t used to it. She’s always so happy and easy, but today she DEFINITELY gave me a run for my money! There were some really fun times though, of course! We watched Tinkerbell and Hannah Montana Forever. That was fun. She even sat on the counter and “helped” me bake! I wish I took pictures of THAT!!
It was really cute but she would get so scared every time I turned the mixer on! haha She’s a funny little one! Anyways, here’s our day through pictures.

I saw a LOT of this face today. So sad!!

At least she kept playing!

She even cried through her favorite time of day! … meal time! :/

Okay, a bottle and a new outfit made her better…

We decided to switch rooms and play in the living room!

FINALLY!!! A smile!! a very cute one, if I say so myself!

This is the fakest smile I’ve ever seen! glimpse into my future of school pics??

Okay, we’re done playing now. Hold on. Mirror- hey!! I see ME!!

Gotta get a closer look! Yep! Darn, I look good!!

How’d I get in there?! I gotta look REAL close.

Sitting pretty while waiting for Dada to get home and watching Tinkerbell with Mommy!  

We have GOT to figure out this time change. She is all out of sorts. Poor baby!! Anyone else going through this?? It’s times like this that I wish I lived in Arizona, where they don’t change the time.. but SHHHH! don’t tell Nick. Don’t want to get his hopes up! I’ll never willingly leave CA! haha

next time around...

Every parent learns as they go with each experience. I have gotten some amazing (and also really whacky) advice in these last 8 months. With Alexis, we got everything we needed and just a couple things we wanted. I find that I'm always saying "next time..." Well, we do it this time too. There are a few things that will have to wait til next time, but the last few times I've caught myself saying "next time...", I say no- we can still do it this time (getting Lexi a walker, making her baby food, giving her a good first- bday, christmas, easter, etc...)

Here are the things that will have to be "next time"...
1. Newborn photos. We completely failed on this one. I'm sad.
2. custom crib bedding... I LOVE what I've seen on Etsy)
3. custom carset cover. (again, from Etsy)
4. a swing that PLUGS IN!! ...we used the heck out of her swing and were replacing 4 D batteries once a week. Such an unnecessary expense!!
5. wear my baby. I'm getting a moby wrap and wearing my next baby as much as he/ she will let me. I love holding Lexi close and giving her loves but she isn't much of a cuddler anymore. She's good for a hug but would rather sit on her own and play with us.
6. enjoy every second that I can breast feed. I really wanted to BF longer, but she decided she was done. We've had to buy soooo much formula. kind of ridiculous!

I'm sure there are/ will be a million of other "next times..." but I really am enjoying this time. I love my lexi bug!

She's having somewhat of a rough morning. (can i blame the time change??), so I guess I'm just playing it by ear as far as our plans to go to the beach or pool. Poor Alexis has a cold... again!! :/ (but the fever is gone!) We'll be missing yet another gymnastics week.

Whenever she's sick, I give her her favorite snacks and just let her d

o pretty much whatever makes her happy (within reason). Here's what has made her happy today!

Her bottle always makes her a happy baby.

Yum! She loves these!!

These sound so gross to me, but she loves 'em! Blueberry and Sweet Potato Puffs.

yum. These are actually good. I tried one.

Always a Lexi favorite.

Hopefully I can catch a few smiles later. Hope everyone has a great day!

xoxoxooxxo

favorite!

So, I cannot stop listening to this song... It's my favorite. Definitely will be played throughout all of my wedding festivities.

I just love him so much!!

He is too good to me! :)

I can't wait to spend forever with him.

I love our little family so much. I feel so lucky everyday that I have such an amazing man and daughter.... our little klepto kitty is perfect, too.

I feel like I should report Klepto's "presents":

today-

1. sunglasses (found under the coffee table)

2. lasagna (found under a chair)

3. Lexi's puffs (okay- how did she do this!? under our bed)

4. my makeup brush (under the coffee table, and under and on our bed)- she only steals one- but steals it multiple times a day... we're on #3 so far... but it is only noon!

5. Lexi's shoes- she brings them into our bed. (thank you?)

6. Lexi's bibs!! (all over- in the halls, under the table, on and under our bed, on the floor)

7. Grandpa John's black sock- (just one of them... into lexi's room, our room, and under the bed)

Can't wait to see what else she decides to take. She's definitely on a roll today. Gotta love her!

Tsunami and Animal Cruelty...

I went to bed really upset last night.... woke up in shock!

I cannot believe the devastation in Japan! It is the most devastating thing I've seen since 2004ish when the tsunami hit the Phillipines. I cannot imagine what those people are going through and what fear they must feel. My heart and thoughts and prayers are with them.



Yesterday was such an amazing day. Lexi LOVED the beach, she napped and we played until Nick got home. I really had no complaints. Then. as Nick was walking in the door, one of our neighbors handed him a copy of a letter she had received. He didn't really read it (other than the fact that highlighted all over it was Neighborhood watch, warning, police involved....). He just handed it to me. I teared up as I read it. I cannot believe this sick, disgusting low life. Here's the short version of it:

Neighbor's orange kitty is an outdoor kitty and we all are graced with its presence every day as it roams each yard. Kitty really takes to one house and spends time basking in the sun in this neighbors yard and goes to the bathroom in this neighbors garden. Kitty darted across the street and scared this neighbors daughter as she was out on one of her first drives ever, causing her to swerve and just miss hitting a parked car... Somewhere in all of that was this person's breaking point. They sent the neighbor a letter saying that they need to contain their kitty and on Saturday, they will be putting *special* cat food out around their house. Now- what makes this kitty food special is these people are saying they will be adding 3 different medications to it that basically makes it rat poison, in hopes to make this friendly, harmless orange kitty VERY sick and die within hours. 

umm.......

yeah. WHO DOES THAT??!!? It's not like I live in an area where pets are frequently mistreated or an area where animal cruelty happens normally. This is Mission Viejo- a frequent top 10 safest city in the COUNTRY! I cannot believe this is happening, not only in my city, but in my neighborhood! Now, the police are involved and are investigating this, but I really wonder how messed up someone has to be to threaten to kill an animal! There are soooo many more ways to go about this "neusance". There are PLENTY of natural sprays that keep kitties away from areas you don't want them in. Plus, they're natural and won't harm this angry neighbors precious garden.

This blog is more of a rant and I'm sorry for that, but I just can't believe the nerve of some people!! I sincerely hope this person is caught and brought to justice. Thank GOD Animal Cruelty is now a FELONY. It will be a sweet sweet day when this person is caught for sending that nasty letter. I'm just appalled!

Now, I'll continue to watch the news and pray that Japan can catch a rest from this devastation. Also- I hope the tsunami won't be too bad on the CA coast, if it does hit just after 8am as being predicted. I was planning on another beach day today, but now, I'm definitely rethinking it. Stay safe and have a great Friday, friends!

xoxoxo