Hoppy Easter!

We've been busy with Easter activities for the past few days! It's Dominic's first Easter where he's been old enough to enjoy an Easter egg hunt and egg dyeing.

Last year we were just arriving in AK and we did a last-minute run to Target for a basket for Dominic. Here's a pic from last year at 7 months:



And this year at 19 months:

We went to the Easter egg hunt on base today! And just like I thought, it was like Def Con 5. I've never seen so many children under the age of 4 in one place. It was interesting for sure. Dominic didn't mind picking up the eggs but he thought it was more fun to throw them as opposed to putting them in his basket. Everytime he threw one he exclaimed, "I DID IT!!". He ended up with 3 in his basket and he was so tickled!

Next up was our first Easter egg dyeing as a family. I thought Dominic would be covered in the dye but luckily he was more interested spinning the eggs than the dye itself.

His very first egg!


Making an egg for baby sister


Kisses for Mommy (Proving that she isn't just an urban myth)


Our super-bright Easter eggs!

Hoppy Easter to everyone!

Squeaky Clean!

Our little guy has finally outgrown his bath seat and is now using the tub like a big boy. He had that magnetic "W" on his head for a good 5 minutes before he realized it was up there. He keeps us smiling for sure.

The belly!

Here is a photo of my belly at almost 25 weeks! I went to get a pedicure today and realized when I stood up that I can't see my feet anymore. :( The girl who did my pedi said my toes looked great though :) Baby girl must be growing at a rapid pace now!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We're having a great St. Patty's Day around here! We've had shamrock shakes and we'll eat corned beef and cabbage tonight!

Here are some photos of our little man:
Having such a good day!


When will the corned beef and cabbage be ready, Ma?

Menu Plan Monday!

It's time for Menu Plan Monday! Here is our menu for the week of March 14th!

Monday: Leftover "Poor Man's Steak", mashed potatoes and mixed veggies

Tuesday: Italian Herb Chicken with sauteed veggies and linguine (trying out Philadelphia Cream Cheese's new Cooking Cream)

Wednesday: Leftover Italian Herb Chicken

Thursday: St. Patty's Day! Corned beef and cabbage in the slow cooker with veggies!

Friday: Chinese carryout

Saturday: Family date night!

Have a great week and head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for more Menu Plan Monday ideas!

Menu Plan Monday and 20 weeks!

It's Menu Plan Monday! Here is this week's menu for dinner:

Monday: Spaghetti with homemade meat marinara (since we ended up having chicken cacciatore last week)

Tuesday: Fat Tuesday!! Blueberry pancakes and scrapple

Wednesday: Chicken and Dumplings in the slowcooker

Thursday: Baked spinach gnocchi

Friday: Chinese carryout (meatless for Lent!)

Saturday: Leftovers!

I'm 20 weeks today! Happy half-way to me! We have our big ultrasound tomorrow in the morning! Stay tuned for tomorrow's post with all the details!

Iditarod 2011

We went downtown this morning to watch the start of the Iditarod race! It was a little chilly but we managed to have a great time! Here are some photos from our day:

Flashback Friday: Spring flowers

I'm dreaming of springtime. This photo was taken at the Zoo last Spring and it always makes me happy. We haven't seen the green grass here since the first weekend in November. It's been a long winter for sure. And there are signs that it is coming to an end (we can actually see the lines on the road again). C'mon spring! We're waiting for you!!

Visit Christopher and Tia: documentary of us for more flashbacks! Have a great weekend everyone!

So very blessed!

Just recently, I has started to think about what to do with Dom's big boy room and whether we should move him into a larger bed or buy a new set of furniture for the new baby. Either way, we would have to start making our ideas a reality since it takes time to order and deliver furniture to this side of the world.

Then one day as I was visiting my usual website favorites Project Nursery, Pottery Barn Kids (I am in L-O-V-E with their bedding), BabySteals- just to name a few. I decided to enter Project Nursery's Kendall Low-Profile Crib Giveaway. I figured, what do I have to lose? There's a strong probability I won't win but you don't know unless you try, right?

Well, lady luck must have been on my side because I WON! I was one of two winners of this fabulous crib. It was delivered today and I have to tell you, I squealed like a child on Christmas Day when I opened my front door. It will stay in it's box until we arrive back in MD this summer but I am SO tickled we actually own it!

Here is a picture of the enormous box

The color swatch of the crib

The Kendall Low-Profile design

Crib color in the original Kendall design

This crib will match a dresser and rocking chair we currently have at my parent's home in MD. We can't wait to put it together for our new little one!!

A HUGE 'thank you' to the ladies at Project Nursery and Pottery Barn Kids for this amazing prize! We are indeed blessed!

Menu Plan Monday!

Okay! It's time for Menu Plan Monday!

Monday: Grilled halibut, roasted potatoes and green beans

Tuesday: Chicken Cacciatore (the hubs is cooking this one)

Wednesday: Spaghetti with homemade meat marinara and Italian bread

Thursday: Philly Cheesesteaks and sweet potato fries

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Leftovers again!

Flashback Friday: Crazy Coif

Me, circa 1983 (age 2)

Welcome to this week's installment of "Flashback Friday" (sponsored by Christopher and Tia)! Just yesterday as I was getting Dom ready to go to the indoor playground with his friends, I was combing his hair and thought, "He has the craziest hair I've ever seen!". How soon I forget.

You see when I was his age I had already endured a least a dozen haircuts beginning at 6 weeks because I looked like Cousin It. My head of hair was fairly unmanageable (and still is some days)so my Mom took to the ponytail a lot. When I look at this photo, I see Dominic...you know, the female version. His hair might be a different color and texture, but the craziness is ALL me.

It makes me wonder what kind of hair this new baby will have. Will it be super straight and dark or lighter and curly? Half of me wants a "mini-me" and the other wants Dominic: The Sequel.

I guess we'll have to wait and see!

The song you're listening to was one of the top 10 songs in 1983...just added for ambiance :)

Menu Plan Monday and 18 weeks!

Well today I am 18 weeks! You know what that means- only two more weeks until the anatomy scan! Of course we are getting really anxious to see our baby again and make sure he/she is doing great. Naturally, we are also excited to see if Dominic will have a baby sister or brother to love on in a few months. We shall see!

I am feeling great! I have started feeling tiny flutters and last night, one good kick. Craving all kinds of dairy products like yogurt, cheese, ice cream and just plain 'ole skim milk. My new thing is Cheerios and milk in the morning. With Dominic, I craved Mexican food (not too easy to find in Central VA), peanut butter, and pineapple. I know that sounds terribly weird. I can still see my feet (yay) but I have definitely popped. My favorite pair of jeans are the skinny pair from Old Navy.com. I could literally sleep in them- they're just that comfortable. Oddly enough, my pre-pregnancy tops still fit and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

I've also been trying to be more organized in all areas of life. And one of my biggest organizational hurdles is trying to maintain a menu every week for the family. Dinner is a big deal in this house. All 3 (well, 4 by proxy) sit down every night to eat dinner as a family and what we eat holds a lot of weight. I stumbled upon a website that has all kinds of organizational tips, downloads and ideas for keeping your house (and your mind) in order. It's called I'm An Organizing Junkie and there seems to be a ton of good ideas and information.

Menu Plan Monday allows you to link up your blog post on the website so other blog readers can see what kinds of dinners they have planned for their families. I have already got some great ideas to give our menu some variety. Here is our menu for the week:

Monday: Homemade Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese

Tuesday: Rotisserie Chicken with Potatoes and Peas

Wednesday: Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Thursday: Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas

Friday: Spaghetti with homemade marinara

Saturday: Leftovers!

Hope you have a great week!

Just because I love my two men...

I snapped this one tonight while preparing dinner. The boys where playing on the floor together when Dominic pushed his father down to give him a hug. Of course being the acrobatic mother I am, I leaped over them to grab my camera out of the closet before all that love gave way to body slams. :)

Happy Friday everyone!

L-O-V-E

We had the best Valentine's Day weekend!

We took the little man to hear Valentine's stories and make crafts, cooked a fantastic meal and exchanged presents! Here are some photos from the weekend!

Making Daddy some artwork

L is for Love!

Rockin my new T-shirt

Our sweet Valentine :)

Candy and hearts!

Happy Valentine's Day to our family and friends!

New year, new goals!

I don't really believe in New Years resolutions. Mostly because I know I can't keep them. I'm a more goal-oriented type of gal so I thought I would branch out- you know, try something new.

I've decided to participate in Project 365. It's a challenge where you take one picture everyday for 365 days of the year to document your life. They won't be fancy...just capturing the everyday routine. I am excited to start this because of all the new things happening to our family in 2011 :)

I'll be back-logged with my photos until Sunday, January 9th, but I'll have all of them up under the 'Photo Challenges' tab at the top of this screen. And because I HATE to post without a picture, here's one for you!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing all our family, friends and blog readers a Merry Christmas!

First visit with Santa!

Okay, so we've been horrendously busy this Christmas season but I had to add these photos for your viewing pleasure. We visited Santa today and it went SO much better than I thought it would. Well, have a look for yourself!

And then the elf tried to tickle him...

Merry Christmas everyone!

Pumpkin pancakes

Well, these were a hit around my house last weekend. Dominic loved them, Bill loved them, it was great! It's a perfect breakfast meal for the season!

Pumpkin Pancakes
2 cups Bisquick
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
a pinch of allspice


Preheat electric skillet to 375 degrees.

Whisk all ingredients together until well blended. Do not over mix. Let it rest for 10 minutes. If you prefer a thinner batter, add more milk to desired consistency.

Turn the skillet down to 350 degrees.

Ladle quarter cup portions onto the skillet. Once edges are firm and bubbles appear, flip them once and cook another 1-3 minutes.

Serve immediately with margarine and syrup!