Luke Is 10 Months

Oh my precious little boy!  I just can't seem to get enough of you. I smother you in kisses everyday and you eat them up. I dread the day you no longer welcome them. You are getting so big, so fast my little one.

As I think back to those prenatal visits and holding my breath until they were over. Watching that healthy little heart beat... I just couldn't wait to meet you, precious little boy. As I look adoringly at your perfect little face right now. I'm so happy just watching you sleep peacefully. You love for me to talk to you, to play with you and there's no place I'd rather be. I'm cherishing every. single. moment.

This month we presented you to the Lord. You fell asleep literally two minutes before you were to be baptized and you slept the entire time, only to wake at the very end when the entire congregation laid hands on you to offer blessings.

You also had your first Thanksgiving and little taste of turkey and lots of fun with your baby cousins. It was adorable!

My dear sweet boy I do not think I could love you any more than I do right now. My heart is so full.

Love you always,
Mommy

A Mother's Intuition

Yesterday, I woke up and was slow to get out of bed so Luke's dad made sure I moved it along. I was trying to decide whether or not I should go to school because I had watched the news the night before and they mentioned a nor'easter. That sounded pretty bad but I looked outside and all was clear and Luke's dad didn't seem bothered at all by it, so we went...and boy should I have listened to my inner mom voice.
The rain/snow/hail started during my second class. Shortly after the class had started I heard sirens and saw firetrucks come down the road my class was on. Goodness!  As soon as class was over I braved the weather to the car and I checked the road I take to get to the parkway...great. It was blocked by the very same firetrucks and Police cars. So I decided to stay for my last class since I was going no where fast.
Well, Things didn't get much better. The slushy snow/rain turned to real snow that accumulated on my car and as the temperature dropped the roads started to get icy and things got a little crazy.

Lets take it back for a minute though, I went to pick Luke up at daycare. I bundled him up so well his caretakers giggled as I carried him out to the car because he looked so stiff!
I went back to the road that was blocked...turns out the traffic lights that had just been restored from Hurricane Sandy were knocked out again. I slipped by some firetrucks to get onto the parkway going the opposite way I needed to go cause it was my only option. That didn't go so well either...my exit was backed up for an hour. Once I finally got on the parkway, I went 2 mph for the next 2 1/2 hours!  It took me 3 1/2 hours to get home when it usually takes me 30 minutes. Granted, I knew the weather was bad and that It would take a bit longer to get home, but I couldn't imagine it being that bad. I even fed Luke a bottle before I left daycare "just in case."  I didn't want an unhappy little man while driving. He thankfully slept for the first  hour and a half but woke up wanting dinner and out of his car seat. So he cried/screamed the remaining two hours. It was torture! Add to that there were cars spinning out left and right. We almost got hit so many times. So many people with stalled vehicles...God knows how many had little gas to even keep themselves warm in their car (it's been tough here with a gas shortage after hurricane Sandy.) I prayed for each and every one of them wanting to give them a ride in my car to safety. Then came a frightening moment when it appeared lightning had struck a light pole and it was lights out on the parkway for about five minutes with only the lights of other cars to guide you. Luckily we were pretty much at a stand still anyway. The lines on the road that separate the lanes were totally gone so I just continued to follow the car in front of me very slowly. When I finally reached my exit and said thank you God!!! I made a slow right turn, there was a red light and a green van in front of me. I slowly applied my brakes and nothing. I said to myself, I made it safe all this way just to get into an accident...no way, not today!  I turned my wheel left and the car stopped. Whew!

I hugged my baby so much last night, so grateful that we made it home safe. I will NEVER ever disregard my mother's intuition again and endanger my child's life. Nothing can be that important and shame on my school for not having an early dismissal. You put people's lives in danger.

Luke is Nine Months! (another late post)

Oh, little one, you are just growing and growing...

Mommy would like it if time could slow down just a bit, so she could enjoy you even more!

Daddy and I adore you and can think of nothing better than to spend time playing with you and taking you places...even out to dinner with us. Because you are such an amazingly well behaved baby.

My sweet little honey bun!  I love to cuddle up with you just before bedtime and read you a book. I can already tell you will truly enjoy reading when you're old enough. 

You will be a lover of books!

You like watching the world go by, 

kids playing on a swing, a dog passing by. 

You are such a sweet, happy little boy and I hope you remain that way. Always.

Happy 9 months my little munchkin!

Love, 

Mommy

A Very Delayed Halloween Post

Going for a walk in the park is always a beautiful sight. Walking down one of the trails we spotted a fox. Awesome!

How pretty are these steps?  They are a little out of place but this park is located on an old farm. The property is HUGE and I can't imagine the effort the owners took to maintain it, especially during the winter.

I fell in love with the gates below. They led to a never ending driveway but things got a little spooky after that.

Do you see what I see?  Maybe I can help out a little by making the picture black and white.

After seeing this, we high-tailed it out of there before we stumbled on some unknown gravesite somewhere...

The sun was setting and we didn't want anymore surprises!

*** Haha! Just a little halloween prank. I've never seen ghosts at this park, ever!  Hope I didn't creep you out.

Because Mommies Need pampering too

My skin gets dry in the winter and it's not pretty. I actually already have a dry patch on my cheek that I would love to get rid of.

I usually can't wait for the winter to be over, so I don't have to deal with the dry, cracked skin anymore.

Yesterday, I was very happy to receive a Bzz Kit from Bzz Agent.

Burt's Bees Intense Hydration cream cleanser, treatment mask, and night cream. All full sized. 

They are treating this mommy very well. I just love the clean scent!  The moisturizer is wonderful and not greasy in the least. The cream cleanser is about $9.99. It provides intense hydration and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines. Say it with me ladies, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! It makes you look so much more rested. I fell in love instantly with the cleanser. The scent is so relaxing and a huge bonus for me is I don't need to use my eye make-up remover because the cleanser is so creamy it completely dissolves any trace of it. A great time saver.

The night cream is about $17.99 and it replenishes moisture while you sleep. Isn't that wonderful? waking up with skin that's soft, supple, and revitalized. It absorbs quickly because it's non-greasy so you can hop right into bed and not mess your pretty pillow cases. I tried the night cream last night and it felt great on my skin and I looked pretty darn good this morning.

And last but not least, the intense hydration treatment mask $17.99. This is wonderful! It's like being at the spa for me cause I just don't have the time anymore to physically go there much these days. 
You can find Burt's Bees products at your local pharmacy or order online. Check out facebook for more info on the Burt's Bees products 
Or visit their pinterest page or the official Burt's Bees website. 
They have organic baby clothing and bath supplies on the website.

I have 5 samples to give away of the day lotion. There's a coupon on the back of the sample for $3.00 off. I don't know about you, but I love coupons! Comment below if you want a sample.

Pumpkins and cupcake's

We started early this year, getting into all things fall.

We did the pumpkin picking and decorating as you can see above.

I made some glittery girly pumpkins which were fun!

Luke had a pumpkin carved for him by his dad.

too bad it was carved too soon and is now resting in peace...

in our garbage.

The cupcake was extremely yummy!  

Luke's grandma knows the way to my heart is with sweets. 

The cute cupcake costume is what my adorable little niece will be wearing to my buildings annual Halloween party tomorrow. 

So exciting, Luke's first Halloween party.

The kid is ready!  My cousin bought these for him when  I was pregnant. They are 12 mos and he's already wearing them.

See that HUGE pumpkin on the pick up truck?  I wondered all day where it was going. Who rides around NYC with something like that?

Free Shutterfly Offer*

Enjoy a free magnet over at Shutterfly 
Use promo code: BACKTOSCHOOL

OR

Enjoy 2 free 8 x 10 prints
promo code: BACKTOSCHOOL

*You usually have to pay shipping and handling

Seven Slings Promo code: ENBABY or MYSAVINGS for a free baby carrier in new prints
*Shipping and handling charges apply

Super Cute!

Oh! How this little guy lights up my life!

I wanted Luke to Have a picture with the first toy his dad ever bought him. His FAVORITE toy.

Kiddie Kandids did such an AMAZING job with the pictures. 

While on my way to pick up pictures at Kiddie Kandids. I spied some cute Christmas outfits for my little niece.

Luke's dad alway's knows how to make me feel special. He planned a private little picnic by a park bench. There was no one nearby so it was So peaceful.

The sights on a trail. We went for a little walk in the woods. 

It was so relaxing the little one fell asleep!

Here he is, asleep in his brand new Bob's jogger

Sigh! fresh air!

There's the jogger again.

The little guy has some teeth!  Two to be exact. He's adorable when he smiles and I get a glimpse of them.

This child loves the show "Super Why."  I call it the "Once upon a Time" for the kiddies. He squeals while throwing his hands in the air excitedly. So cute!

Brush up, brush down, brush every way!

Brush your teeth two times a day! I LOVED this cute little song on "Super Why" on PBS.

Uh..yeah, thats my kid looking too cool on the couch. He will probably hate me for taking this one in a few years.

I picked the little guy up from daycare. We drive home, I go to take him out of the car and find...this. He is buried in his blanket. Granted it's been chilly here in NY, but I had the heat on in the car and he's bundled up in layers. I had to laugh!

When we went for a walk in the park, I kept stepping on these green lime colored balls on the ground, so I said, "what are these things?!!! "

Turns out they are walnuts!  I had no idea they grow in these green casings.

I came across this online the other day. I always wondered what ever happened to Annie!  She looks amazing.

Poor Little Guy

Luke has been sick all weekend, fever, cough, stuffy nose, congestion. 
Turns out he has a double ear infection : (

He slept through his entire exam.

A Night Out and a Cold

Great indie movie!

The little guy had the beginning signs of being sick on friday. We left him with friends while we went on a "date night." When we got back from the movies, he was asleep. I heard him cough pretty deeply and said uh-oh!  Our friends assured us he would be ok and forced us out the door so we could have a nice dinner and we did. 
Once we got him home he had a temperature, so we gave him infants' Ibuprofen and it seemed to work...for awhile. I did have to get up twice that night because his little nostrils were clogged and needed the aspirator and some fluids.  Poor little guy!
We paged his Doctor and they said we were doing everything right and to keep monitoring him.

Thank God for this Thermometer!  So easy and accurate.

In Love with this mini footed cake plate only $18

We had a few errands to run at Bed Bath and Beyond. He was so good for the majority of the trip, then he had enough and let loose Screaming!  We were almost to the register by then, but that certainly sped things up for sure. 

I fell in LOVE with these dishes. There's a cute mini cake stand in that cute green box. I want it...bad!

Portmeirion® Botanic Garden

We had Japanese for lunch and he sat nicely having a bottle...he slept half time like he usually does. We're so blessed that we can pretty much take him anywhere with us.

Gyoza, clear soup, and a green salad to start. I love Japanese food!

My Parents visited this weekend and Luke soaked up every minute of attention from Grandma and Grandpa. Since he was sick, she gave him extra attention and he didn't want them to leave so we had to walk them all the way to the elevator when it was time for them to leave.

The little guy has finally had a little tooth break through. I actually had a dream last week that he was smiling at me showing off two little pearls of teeth. So cute! My niece is going through the same thing. I tell you, they are like twins!

My niece is also going for pics at Kiddie Kandids this week. They have a special fairy event going on. One day only. They have the wings and costumes included in the photo shoot. Can't wait to see how they come out.

Savoring Every Precious Moment

I had to take this picture so I would always remember just how small your little hands once were in mine.

My precious little boy. How you make my world so bright with just one smile : )

You went for a ride on a swing at the park for the first time last month and boy did you love it!  
Momma is loving all these first moments together : )

You also made mommy tear up and almost cry when you got your first battle wound from playing a little too rough with your toys. So glad the lump didn't last, you were taking pictures like a pro within two hours.

My little wounded boy : (

In just a few more weeks you'll be 8 months...these months have flown by so quickly. I just wish we could slow down for a moment, but time has other plans. It seems each day you grow bigger and bigger.

Momma's little bookworm!

I hope you know that you'll always be my little baby boy no matter how BIG you grow.

                                                                Love, Mommy