Baby names & Birthday Party Plannin'

Im indecisive. So, incredibly indecisive. I dont like to hurt anyone's feelings, choose too soon, choose out of impulse, choose too late, or regret that decision either. Its a vicious cycle.

Im 10 weeks and a day prego today and am already thinking about baby names. Mainly boy names. We're 'supposed' to have a boy next! We were dead set on one for about a month, but threw that one out the window already. Im kinda bummed about it, but we'll see what happens! I really like boy names that start with C or K. Alyvia was going to be Hayden if she was a boy, but we know a Hayden now and dont want to steal the name from them! Ive asked opinions and got so many responses. It made me.....even more confused, LOL :)


Alyvia will be 2 in 7 weeks. I hate the fact that I just admitted that. I MUST start getting things together for her party. I know the theme of it, colors (mostly), have her outfit for her pictures that are NEXT weekend, know what her centerpieces are; Im going to make the cake/cupcakes myself, and have 'mini' foods to eat. Beanie weenies, cheese, chips and dip, fruits, veggies. Im determined to put together something very special too, with the help of my SIL. :) Invites need to be out the end of the 3rd week of January. I like to have them out a little early so people have time to RSVP. Yes, PLEASE RSVP whether you can come or not! Thank you :)

A few Alyvia updates!

She is 22 months old now! I am NOT ready for her to be 2 and not my little baby anymore :( I have been planning her birthday party in my head, and need to start applying those thoughts soon!

She is saying SO many new things. Gum is the newest one. She knows when Im chewing it, and asks for some (of course I dont give her a piece); we compromise with half a tootsie roll; hey, its chewy, and she doesn't know the difference!
She says hot now, instead of just blowing on things that are hot. She calls books 'kooks', and loves to read them. She says No-No, instead of Na-Na. She can say blankie, and HAS to sleep with one, her silky and her bunny every single night. Oh, I almost forgot, she loves bread and butter flavored pickles, just like her Momma. And she'll ask for them. Cickle! I love it. She loves to tell stories at the dinner table. She'll point at Dev and I and start saying 'MY dada, mama, lylia, caya, home'. We've been talking A LOT about Ho Ho coming to her house and leaving her presents if she's a good girl. I'll ask her if she was a good girl today, and she'll respond 'Mhm!' and tell me about her day in her jibberish. Then I'll tell her if she continues to be a good girl Santa can come to her house. She'll smile and ask, 'ZaZa?!' She is SO concerned with Santa stopping at Zoe's house too. It is so funny.
She can say most of the foods we eat, please, thank you, and all her body parts. She knows her left from right; daddy is so proud of that because that was one thing he wanted to teach her himeself :)

I know there are lots more, but I think thats enough for now!

Christmas week!

My shopping is pretty much done! I just have 2 giftcards to pick up sometime before Saturday :) Im very proud of myself for only spending the amount I did on Alyvia this year. She got a lot, but I stayed within a reasonable budget. Double score! She needs big girl stuff; a lot of the toys she has now are baby-ish and she's losing interest. I'm so excited for her to wake up on Christmas morning. Devon said she'll lose interest, probaby about halfway through opening her gifts, but I dont care! I know she'll play with everything we got her...well that Santa got her. Im really, REALLY excited for the kitchen her Granny & Poppy got her! And the barnyard set my Mom is supposed to get her.

Yesterday we ate lunch at Texas Roadhouse; I forgot how much I LOVE that place. Just talking about it makes me want to eat it now! We finished up shopping and all 3 of us napped when we got home :)

Devon is home tonight. I dont remember the last time he was home on a Monday night. He works Tues-Fri, but will be home for Chritmas :)

I dont have much wrapping to do either! Devon helped me with most of Alyvia's on Saturday night. I'm totally excited to make cookies...its another one of my favorite traditions!

If I dont get to blog before Saturday, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Worn out.

Its only *currently cringing as I type this* Wednesday. And I am beyond pooped. Devon has been at work since Monday night, and has to work again tonight...oh, AND tomorrow night. After work, I pick Alyvia up and get home as quickly as I can because I know I wont have much, if any, relaxing time; so, the sooner I'm home, the sooner I can relax. Its about a half hour drive from Tasha's and since the snow has hit, it takes about 45 minutes. YUCK. I can't get out of the car without Alyvia asking for num-nums or hearing Caya whine. She's in her cage when Devon is at the FH so as soon as I get home, the routine goes a little like this:
QUICKLY drop all my stuff, lug Alyvia with me to let Caya out (because she wants to help), sit Alyvia down in her booster, put our coats away and (even more QUICKLY) get dinner ready for her. Let Caya back in, get Lyv a quick snack while she's waiting for her dinner to cook, start putting things away because by this time the door to our garage is barricaded with all kinds of stuff in front of it. Alyvia eats dinner and I whip up something easy for myself (usually soup, sandwhich, of leftovers). This whole time I'm constantly telling Caya to stop begging; we dont give her table scraps.
Alyvia's finished in about a half hour and completely covered in whatever she ate, so to the bath we go. She loves the bath, so we usually play around for a little bit before it's time to get out. PJ's, clean up (dishes, counters, table), books/playdough/or coloring, either sweeping or laundry. By this time, its almost 7 and I pop in a movie for Alyvia. I call it her 'unwinding time'; she's an early bird and ready for bed about 730-8pm.
I'll probably eat something else or finish my dinner, change my clothes, and sit down with her to read another book or 2. Bed time, shower for me, MAYBE...MAYBE a TV show for me and Im ready to crash by at least 9.

Needless to say, with Devon being gone every single night this week, I'm ready for a LONG, hot bubble bath and a buffet style dinner. He's off Friday, but we have a Christmas party to go to, Photos with Santa and shoppping Saturday, and another photoshoot with Tash Sunday.

Now, I need a nap.

Happy Birthday Babe!

Today is Devon's 22nd Birthday! I hope you have a great day [sleeping :)]. I love you!

An Early Christmas for You!

Here's a sneak peek of Alyvia's Christmas Photos! Courtesy of Tasha Braniff :)

I dont wanna share TOO many because you may be getting one with your Christmas Card! :)

Tonight we are cutting down our Christmas tree! One of my favorite traditions! Cant wait! :)

More to be Thankful for!

Thanksgiving came and went. Its one of my favorites. We had a schedule conflict, so we asked my mom, 2 brothers and sister to come over for breakfast since we couldn't make it to dinner. They stayed til about noon, Alyvia took a nap and I ran to Walmart. We left for Devon's parents' around 3 to visit with them before we ate at 5. We had more company than expected, but thats always a good thing! After dinner, Tash took some photos of Alyvia in her Christmas dress. We turned on the music so she'd cooperate a little more, and it worked for the most part! She was well behaved the whole night, and had lots of fun :)

We had a little surprise for everyone. Alyvia wore a special t-shirt to bed that said 'I'm the Big Sister'!!!!!!!! We broke the news to my Mom that morning as well. Dev and I found out we were expecting Sunday, November 21st! We are totally excited and I have so many ideas that I need to start on soon! :)

Turkey Week!

We didnt do much this weekend, and it was pretty NICE! Saturday I went grocery shoppin, and Dev worked that night. Sunday was my little cousin's 4th birthday party. It was a fashion show theme. You can bet Alyvia participated! She put on a pair of sunglasses and owned the runway. It was totally cute.

Its a short week at work and Thursday is Thanksgiving! Y-A-Y! Its my favorite, besides Christmas! We have SO MUCH to be thankful for. More than I have ever realized in the past! Wednesday I have to pick a little surprise up for some family and then Thursday we have 3 dinners to go to! We probably wont be able to squeeze the 2 earlier ones in, but we're gonna try!

I dont think we have ANYTHING planned this coming weekend, and Im kinda excited about it!
Devon's birthday is about 2 weeks away. We're getting OLD! He probably has to work, or has a continued education class that day. I cant keep up with his schedule anymore. But he is plannin on applying at Norwich Twnshp that day!
Dec 4th (a few days before that) is his grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary party, and then we're going out to BD's for his birthday. YUMM-O! And HOPEFULLY we'll (almost) finish Christmas shoppin that weekend too!
Im going to book Alyvia's birthday venue this week, and hopefully start buying decorations, etc., for it soon! We are also planning to send out our Christmas cards next week!

I have so many places to go for Christmas gifts. But Im happy we'll be able to buy for everyone this year! I am SO excited :)

Our First Adoption!

Meet Caya! She officially became part of the family last night! We adopted her from SOS of Ohio. She is the BEST puppy. Crate trained, working on potty training, has all her shots, been spayed, de-wormed, knows a lot of commands and is a total SUNGGLER! She loves to give Alyvia kisses. Alyvia loves her too, but is pretty impatient like her momma so sometimes the kisses get a little overwhelming!

So far, so good! She only whined in her crate for about 10 mins last night, and didnt again until about 5am this morning! She's supposed to hit about 40 pounds; she's a pretty perfect size for our home!

If you're thinking about getting a dog, think about adoption! There are lots of animals out there that need loving homes.

Randoms!!!

A lot has happened since our last post, but Im having trouble organizing it in my head, so if my post is sparatic and all over the place I apologize ahead of time!

Alyvia is almost 21 months old. She has quite the attitude. Her newest thing is crossing her arms - when she's mad, pouting, or doesnt want to do something you ask her to do. It is the hardest thing in the world to try not to laugh. Oh and if you cross your arms, she'll mock you. Yep - she's attitude with a capital A! She throws fits sometimes. Screams her 'AHHMM!' which means no (yes, she can say no but she choses not to); she'll make her body limp if you try to pick her up and throw herself on the floor. This fit-throwing typically lasts about 3 minutes, then she's back to her goofy ol self. She's a nose picker and gets it from her father. Oh and this child is OCD about shutting the bathroom door. She HAS to be in the bathroom with whoever is in there. She'll sit on her potty for a minute then get up, shut the door as quickly as she can and waddle back to her potty. Every. Single. Time. Its pretty amusing.
Her hair is getting curlier by the day. I love it. She loves to watch me get ready when we have plans for the day. She'll open (my side of the sink) cabinet and go through all my hair products. She loves for me to put some in her hair. If we're brushing our teeth, she must brush her teeth too. She loves to stand on the bathroom counter and dance and laugh in front of the mirror. We have a big mirror on the back of our bedroom door too - She'll go in there everyday just to talk to herself. She'll say 'Hi Lylia!' (Makes her kissy noise and signs I love you). And she'll stick her tongue out and crack up histerically. I have to get it on video!
She is so into Rudolph. I love it. She loves to watch Santa on TV and sing 'HO! HO! HO!' However, she is not a fan of the in-person Santa. I have a feeling she'll grow out of it.
A few weekends ago we had a little photoshoot with our photographers; Alyvia and some other kiddos got their pics taken with Santa for a mini-session announcement. It was totally cute! Anywho, I think she picked up the word 'Hey!' from Sarah and LeAnne - they say Hey Girl Hey a lot and LeAnne's little girl says it too; its totally cute - and Alyvia has been saying 'Hey!' since then. So last night, I taught her to say girl and she can say it pretty darn well for her age! We're working on putting the 2 together :)
She can say pretty much anything you ask her to. I am in awe everyday with the progress she has made.
I bought her Christmas dress - her Granny helped me pick it out :) And cant wait to buy her little shoes to go with it! We started a little Christmas shopping and have quite a bit more to get, but we are determined to make it work! Its hard with no credit cards, but we will manage.
About a week ago, we went to Mingle with the Mutts and right away Dev fell in love with a 10 week old pitmix. We scheduled her home visit for this Saturday and hopefully will be able to keep her!!!!

Have a good weekend!

Fall Photos!

These are (some of) the photos I have been talking about! I love them! Im going to use one of them on our Christmas card....Something I look forward to every year :)

Devon has been working since Sunday morning. Ive been by myself (with Alyvia) for the past 3 nights, and will be again tonight too. He has all weekend off, minus the time he'll sleep Saturday from working til 7a. Im hoping to get some Christmas shopping done!!!!!!

Friday night I am meeting up with a few girls that I was really close with in high school. We havent had a girls night since we graduated almost 4 years ago! There is lots of catching up to do!

Tomorrow night Dev and I are going to a benefit dinner for a pregnancy resource center. My MIL is a board member, and its a really good foundation. Elizabeth's Hope, check em out!

Trick or Treat was A LOT of fun. Alyvia was to-die-for cute in her Sulley outfit! We went to Amanda last Thursday and Commercial Point Sunday.

Speaking of the cutie, she loves Rudolph. I am a HUGE holiday buff; its really important to me to have a great holiday season...and Im totally into all the movies, music, decorations, and food! I want her to love the holidays as much as I do! She sat and watched the whole movie with me before bed time. Another holiday buff in the making... :)

She gets smarter by the day. I dont have much time to post new milestones. So stay tuned! :)

Trick or Treat!

Tomorrow is my hometown's trick-or-treat. Alyvia is totally obsessed with Monsters Inc. So, she will be Mr. Sulley -- a girl-ified one! You just wait til you see the photos. Tash has helped me put together the costume, and Miss Z Weezy will be her bff, Mike! Im such a little kid, but it'll be lots of fun!

Our mini session sneek peaks are up. I fall in love with every picture those 2 take of us. They capture moments that come and go too quickly, and I cant wait to see all of them!

Tasha also does photography (if you didnt already know that!) . She's taken thousands of pictures for us. Literally. Today we decided on Alyvia's (sad face) birthday pictures. They'll be great. Planning ahead is my thing, but Im not ready for my baby to be 2.

Dev has been gone, a lot. Working...but when this next paycheck comes, we have to start, are you ready for it...CHRISTMAS shopping!!! I cannot wait. Ive put together Alyvia's list, and have a good idea of what we're getting other family members. But I have NO idea what to get Dev. Gotta brainstorm that one.

Im reading a book; 'Battlefield of the Mind'. Im not a religious person, but right off the bat, the book related to me. Im hoping to catch up on some reading tonight.

Alyvia still amazes me everyday. She starting to say 'love you'. Makes my heart melt.

Pumpkin Show and Milestones!

My baby will be TWO in FOUR months. That to me shouldn't be possible. She's starting to put together sentences and thoughts. She knows when I pick her up from Auntie Tasha's, we go 'ommmme' to eat 'num nums'. She recognizes Elmo, and calls him 'MolMo'. Its totally cute when she makes the face right before she says it. She knows the 'babay' goes 'ni-night, shhhh!' She knows to put her 'szoos on'; how to 'buush tees'; and so many others. It makes me SO proud to see her learn new things.

Last weekend, we had a (mini) photo session with S&S. I am SO anxious and excited to see them. Some of you will get one with your Christmas Letter! These girls are the bomb diggity.

Dev and I also had a date night last Saturday. The first one in a VERY long time. We went to see Life as We Know It - LOVED it. He did too :)

I cannot wait to take Alyvia trick or treating this year. She is gonna be (yet again) so SUPER cute! This year, she can walk, so it'll be even more fun than last!

We went to the Pumpkin Show last night. Crowded, cold, but I love to go. We primarily wanted to see the parade of bands, but it was a little too cold for Alyvia to be out. So we left an hour before and went home!

Tomorrow we are going to Boo at the Zoo. Its supposed to be nice and probaby the last time we'll be able to go this year...besides the Christmas Lights! It'll be fun!

I dont tell you enough...

Dev has worked a LOT this week. Sometimes, I miss him working the 'normal' 40 hour work week. He has started working his 7p-7a shift at the hospital, and a 24 hour shift somewhere in the week at the firehouse. So, 3 12 hr shifts and 1 24 hour shift every week, at least. 60 hours a week at minimum. He can be a pain in my rear, but I miss him. Lyvi does too. She asks for him all the time. But luckily, starting next week she'll be able to stay home with him 2-3 days a week. This Wednesday-Thursday is gonna suck. He works from 9a Wednesday to 7a Thursday. Then again Friday night. Saturday he'll sleep til about noon, then we have family photos at 3 with S&S! :) I am so excited! Then, he works Sunday for 24 hours. AND Monday night. BOOO.


I dont tell him enough how proud I am of him. We started dating in Summer 07; right after graduation. To rewind a bit, we went to elementary school together (3rd grade) and for some reason, I always remembered him. We 'dated' in 8th grade, and always kept in touch thoughout high school. I went to Kent State the first year we were together. One of the hardest things Ive ever experienced. I hated it. I had no roomate, 2 jobs, and Dev was the only one who visited me...which was about once a month. Its like a 3 hour drive. When I finally moved home, and in with him. Our one year anniversary, we found out we were expecting; Dev was about to graduate from EMT School. We got engaged October 2008; Alyvia arrived February 17, 2009! Dev started Paramedic in June 2009 and graduated a year later! All while working a full-time job and also a part-time job at the firehouse.

He got his new job with OSUMC about 2 months ago, and is still working at the firehouse about once a week. I am so very lucky to have a hard working hubby and the best father to our little girl :)

THE Wedding Post!

Shame on me. I just realized I havent posted a 'formal' blog about our wedding day! Not many people read this, but I like to post and read about it later :)

June 19th was the big day. We set up the rehearsal Friday; I couldnt sleep the night before. We had our rehearsal dinner at Rising Park in Lancaster and then my mom took me and the girls out for a few drinks; Dev and the boys stayed at the apartment. He also kept Lyv so I wouldnt stress about getting her ready or be overwhelmed!

My hair appt was at Kenneth's. A friend of mine, Kristi (we grew up together), works there and has done my hair before so and said she'd do it for the wedding! As you know, my hair doesnt need curled, so a few bobbypins and headband did the trick! Loved it :)

My boss/family friend met us at the church to do my bridesmaids' hair with no cost to me :) Just a side, curled ponytail with a flower; cute and simple. The boys got ready fairly quickly, thank goodness! Tash took most of our pictures before, and soon enough it was 4:30pm.

My Uncle Bub (Eric) was the handsome usher and his 2 (of 3) little girls welcome guests and had them sign the guest book. His wife and 4 kids mean a lot to me.
I wanted our ceremony to be different; I didnt want the traditional wedding march being played. I wanted to walk down to a song I chose based on how I feel. Sara Evans, Could not ask for more. Perfect. Tash's sister-in-law, Jessi, sang and a lady from their church played the chords on the piano. They did a wonderful job. My friend Lacey started crying before I did...it was a moment Im glad we shared together. The song fit how I feel; Kudos to me :) (And my hubby for making me feel that way)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EVd_zghQXA&ob=av2e <--Video and song!


My brother walked me down the aisle, and my mom met us at the end to give me away -- it was a bittersweet moment.
My uncle was the pastor who officiated the ceremony. He made a few jokes and made it very personal. He did a great job.

(PS...I ripped my dress walking up the stairs. Thank goodness no one noticed!)

After everyone was dismissed, they let go balloons as we walked out of the church and we finished up photos!

The reception was at KofC. Pinks, greens and browns everywhere...A Solid Gold Sound was our DJ (I love to dance. The music was the BIGGEST thing for me, and I had SO MUCH FUN!)...Family and friends shared the day with us and it was all I hoped for.

Devon and I danced to 'Bless the Broken Road' by Rascal Flatts. I knew from the day we started dating, that was the song we'd dance to at our wedding. If you know my past, it just fits perfect. I will never forget that moment. Every time I hear that song, I get chills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkWGwY5nq7A <-- Our song!

Reception was over at 10. Talea took Alyvia home around 8; she was perfect the whole night. Dev and I stayed at Fort Rapids that night and spent the day there Sunday with Alyvia for Father's Day. Sunday evening, we opened gifts and relaxed.

I miss our wedding day and wish we could do it all over again. I wouldnt want to share the memory with anyone other than Devon and our little girl.

Thank you to everyone who played any part into our big day.

A few decisions.

Devon and I rarely buy anything for ourselves...ever. I didnt have much growing up (meaning material things...phones, cars..) and he isn't the 'money-blower' he used to be. Thanks in great part, to me! That boy had more clothes than I did when we first started dating. He had a motorcylcle -- that I miss sometimes -- the latest phone, expensive shoes, etc. He worked all throughout high school, so it wasnt like he was a spoiled brat. But he had to learn what was necessary. He, since then, has sold multiple 'toys' to pay bills, or just because he knew there were other things we needed. The biggest seller was his baby before his baby; that oh so gorgeous 2007 Honda CBR 600 RR. He was IN LOVE with that thing. I liked it too...maybe more than I admitted ;) As soon as I found out I was pregnant, he sold it. I think thats when I knew he'd do whatever it took to provide for us.

Over 2 years later we have moved twice; sold clothes, guns, toys, cars, 4hweelers and other things to get us by. We're finally outta that gross old apartment and in a house we love. We have good jobs, and a 20 month old monster.

Our phone contracts with verizon are about up and Devon is head-over-heels with his brother's-in-law iPhone. I, on the other hand, could care less what my phone looks like or does. As long as it calls and txts, we're good. Its not a necessity to me. Well, I finally broke down and took a peep at em online. I like them, a lot. We'll be paying less - or about the same - on our monthly bill as we do now with Verizon, but we get all the good stuff with AT&T; 3G, apps, touch screen, and lots of other thigns at the palm of our hand. The brand new ones are about $250-$300. OUCH. I came across the Refurbs -- which were about $150 -- and thought 'hey, we can do that!' And you can get insurance on the Refurbs. So, soon-ish, we will be owners of the 'new' iPhone 4!

You gotta understand; we cant spend money we dont have. We have ZERO credit cards. ZILTCH. We got into trouble with them and had to consolidate the monthly payments and are now digging ourselves out of a very deep hole. We're doin it tho. I think we have about 2 years left until they're all paid off. So, when making money spending decisions -- usually any over $100 -- its a big decision for us. Almost a milestone for me. I HATE spending money on a single thing that costs that much! We also have to stock up Alyvia and my fall wardrobe. Poor thing has almost nothing...neither of us do at that. All my stuff is maternity or too big, or not 'business-y' enough. And she, well, has grown and we haven't bought much lately! I TRY to only go shopping when I have a coupon (Carter's is the bomb-diggity), and so far Ive been pretty good with that! Which reminds me, my October coupon should be in my inbox! :)

This weekend consists of shoppin and makin'. Makin Alyvia's Halloween costume, that is! With the help of both my MIL and SIL -- they're my mentor's with a lot of stuff! Im so excited; she'll be a-freakin-dorable!

80 days til the most wonderful day of the year! I am the BIGGEST holiday buff. Dev makes fun of me for it, but I know deep down he is too :) I already made a rough draft for my list and pretty much know what we're gonna get Alyvia. I had something in mind for Dev, but I'm not sure if we're gonna be able to do it just yet. We will see!

Little Buckeye.

Love letter.

Alyvia has these bath crayons. We practice getting to know our colors, shapes, and doodle when she's in the bathtub. We CANT take a bath without using them. She knows what a circle is -- AKA, ball. Lol. She asks me to draw it and we talk about the shape and color. I write her name and the letter A to show her 'A is for Alyvia' and we write I love you over and over and over again.

Alyvia isnt the only one who likes those crayons. One night this week, she was taking a shower with Daddy and told him she was 'done'. I went in to get her and Dev told me to not come back in cuz he was writting Mommy a letter. Oh gosh, I thought...usually he writes Mommy smells worse than Daddy or Mommy is a weirdo. But this time it was different.

After he got out of the shower I sneaked in there and opened the shower curtain. Instead of a silly remark I saw 'I Love You Because...'

There were about 10 reasons, some of them funny, that Dev listed. One was 'you havent killed me yet'. He makes me laugh everyday....

SOOO BIGG!

This is what we have been telling Alyvia A LOT lately. When we take her shirt off, when she brushes her teeth, says a new word, and most recently...when she uses the BIG GIRL potty! The past week, she's gone a few times all by herself! We'll let her run around nakey, and I think she's starting to understand when its time to 'go'. Last night, all 3 of us were in the bathroom (yes, its a group effort) and Daddy had to go potty (sorry if this is TMI), so we asked Lyvi to sit on the potty and low and behold she had already gone! She walked her happy little butt in there right before all 3 of us ended up in there and went all by herself! She gets a 'stitey' (sticker) everytime she goes...right after we flush the toilet and say 'bye-bye'. She RUNS for the kitchen and asks for one...then we put in on her chart together, clap and say YAY, SOOO BIG! She gets so proud of herself, and I love it.

Granny got her an old school desk. Ive been wanting on for a while. This girl loves to read and color, and Granny ended up finding one at an antique store! I may repaint it, but I havent decided yet. Eventually, I want to get a little table for her play room too...for when we have more kids, and they have friends over. It feels so weird to say that. Play dates, sleep overs...they'll be lots of fun :)

This past weekend we (Talea, Tash & Zoe, Melissa & Logann, and Alyvia & I) made a trip to Marietta for the Sternwheel fest and visited some family. I love it down there. We ate some fair food, visited and met some family we hadn't yet, and watched the awesome fireworks. Im tellin ya, they are better than RR&B! We ended up staying in a hotel and drove home in the morning. We need to go down there more often...nevertheless, it was fun!

Ive had a few rough days...some things I just cant accept or let go of. Some things I dont understand, wonder why, or what if. Im trying, but sometimes, I just explode. I know what is the root of my anger...or should I say the numerous things that are the root of my anger...I just need to learn to not let it effect everything else. Im trying to learn how.

Sunday, Tash took a friend of mine's family photos. She's never had them done so I decided to make it a Christmas gift. Another friend helped me pay for them. Cant wait to see em!

Our family photos are scheduled with S & S on October 16th...Im really excited for them- I have a few ideas and they always do great!

I am totally excited for the Holidays!!! Its going to be such a fun time of the year this year. Well, it always is...but each year gets better than the last!

Tell me this isnt the CUTEST thing you've ever seen...

Miss Alyiva. She will be 19 months in about a week-ish. She has grown into quite the little lady. Check out the bling...necklaces are a MUST. Every single day, at some point in time, she HAS to have a necklace on. Her straight jeans. I just love her little tush in them. And her ballin' Nikes. Pink and Fabulous. She loves shoes, and likes to tap dance with them on our wood floors. The hat, LOVE. She wears it longer than I expect her to...and it just looks so cute on her big ol' head. Her baby blues MELT my heart. And her little 'big' girl smile with all those teeth, I cant get enough :)

Impatience.

So, remember those 'changes' I've been anticipating for a while...well I'll be able to elaborate...tomorrow. Hopefully. Im the most impatient person in the world, so Im pretty proud of myself for letting it go this long.

After almost only 2 weeks of being at his new job, Dev got a $2/hr raise. When he came home last night and told me, I was like...seriously? 'Yep, Im pretty sweet.' His response to everything...lol. I can tell he really likes it, a lot. He's been working 7a-7p's this week...his schedule isn't consistant yet cuz he's still in training. But in about a week or so, it'll be 7p-7a most of the time.

Since Dev's schedule change, he is able to stay home one week day and spend the day with Alyvia. I know he enjoys that. When I came home Tuesday...she was laughing and running around like a crazy woman. I knew she had a good day. We took her to my sister's volleyball game that night...and she was bound and determined to be on that floor playing too! If you dont know, her momma (aka, me!) was quite the volleyball player in high school. And man do I miss it! I really, really, really, really hope she plays too!

Our friends Zack and Kaley will be moving to SC soon... :( Happy for him, he got a job as a firefighter down there, but we have grown pretty close the past year or so. We may take a mini vacation and help them move...and of course, go to the beach!!! They'll be married soon too! We love you guys and are very happy for you!

Saturday is our house warming party. Im excited, but bummed that I sent out more than one email to people asking them to RSVP...and they never did. If you cant come, then RSVP 'Sorry, cant make it!' Dont just leave me hangin'! We're still expectin about 20 people or so...I love grilling out and bon-fires, so it should be fun!

I am so excited to have a 3 day weekend...Labor Day Sales...YES!!!

Better days!

My last post...I was having a horrible day. I will probably elaborate on it more in a later post...but I dont really think anyone reads this anyway so I guess it doesnt matter! LOL.

Devon got a new job at OSUMC as a Paramedic in the ER. You can tell he's going to love it. He'll be working mainly 7p-7a 3 nights a week, with plenty of opportunity for overtime. All the schooling is finally worth it!

Alyvia is growing into this little young lady and it makes me smile all the time. She's very girly when it comes to fashion...she LOVES necklaces, bracelets, hair bows (which she calls 'pretties') and shoes. She loves to get all dressed up and push around her baby stoller. At the same time, she'll go outside all dressed up, then pick up a handful of dirt. Love it.

She is beginning to say her name. She does a pretty good job! It sounds more like 'LivleeA!'

She is in LOVE with the movie Monsters Inc. We watch it once a day...she'll grab the dvd case and walk up to us growling...thats her way of asking to watch it. 'RAWRRRR peeeese!'

Ring around the rosey is her new thing. She loves to spin around in circles and then yell DOWN really loud.

She loves the swing, slide and her water table...and her pet bunny! She calls it 'ba ba nunny'. SO funny.

We got her first pair of Nikes. They make her look so big.

She is in the 40th percentile in her height....but not on the chart for her weight. Oh well!

This past Thursday, we spent the majority of the night in the ER. She basically had an asthma attack. She was breathing twice as many reps as she needed to. They prescribed her an inhaler and steriods. She is much better.

Zoe's birthday party was totally cute. She got lots of goodies and mommy (Tash) did a great job decorating. It has my head spinning with ideas for Alyvia's 2nd birthday already!

We are having a house warming party Sept 4th...so excited for everyone to finally see it :)

'Remember what matters'...thats what Ive been living by these past few days. I love me some words of inspiration.

Secrets.

This isnt necessarily a secret, just something I hate talking about, or admitting to...or even thinking about. I need to vent about it, and feel like not many people listen, or understand...so I'm blogging about it.


Let Down.
Thats something I've been used to. From before I was even born. When my mom was expecting me, my dad wasnt around. When I was born, he didnt want to be in the DR. The earliest memory I have with him...seeing my mom walk up the stairs with a bloody lip. I think I was about 3. Glass thrown at walls, holes in the wall, cops at the house, hitting instead of spanking, yelling instead of talking, fights with my uncle, broken arms, broken hearts...thats what I got from my dad. Nothing but being let down. I dont remember the last kiss I had from him, I dont remember the last time he called. I do remember ME trying. Inviting him to sporting events because thats the one thing we have in common...we love sports. He showed up to 4 in 4 years...thats including my volleyball senior night. He didnt even stay for the game, or tell me he was proud.
Choices.
He chose to not have relationship with me, or with my sister. Just my brother. He would pick him up, drop him off, buy him things for Christmas and birthdays. The last thing I got for my birthday...a phone call on my 13th birthday with him telling me to change my last name. I wish I would have. (As Im typing this, the song "Only Exception" by Paramore is on...ironic, cuz it fits my life perfectly).
Divorce.
I remember walking into our house to a mess, and seeing my dad covering his face, crying. I knew it right then that it had finally happened. It would soon all be over. Relief, or at least I had hoped. I didnt feel bad that he was crying because he never felt bad when we were. We moved away for a year...then my mom and him tried to work it out.
Abuse.
3am. Kicks on the front door...all the paint off of it was gone. We were renting, so that came out of our pocket. Table coffee thrown. He was kicked out. Another 3am morning...his truck was parked in our backyard. My mom had gone out, and as soon as she got home, chaos began. I was used to it. I was 10 years old and used to it. Sad, right? Cops were called, he was arrested.
Try again...why not? If it was my choice, I would have ran away. But I couldnt hurt my mom. She had been hurt too much. I was at a birthday party for a very good friend, Crystal. My mom called the house and I could tell she was crying. My heart sank. When was enough, enough? She picked me up and he had broke her arm.
FINALLY. It was a motifiying experience, but it was finally over.
Round 2.
Long story short, she married a family friend. He was an emotional abuser, to her and her kids. He had 3 of his own, and were treated like gold compared to us. I didnt understand. At 16, my curfew was 9pm according to him, and I barely saw my friends outside of school. I wasn't allowed on the computer for some reason. Thats just the little stuff. He called us names, called my mom everything imaginable, made her quit her job...with 7 kids in the house...so he could 'work' late at night and she wouldnt have to. Too bad we had our car repoed and he was actually having an affair. I hated him. Still do. Hate is a strong word, but thats the only word that fits.
FINALLY. She kicked him out. My junior year, and we moved, yet again....

Updates!

Well, we finally moved into our house! Last Friday :) WE LOVE IT! Absolutely perfect. 3 bedroom, wood floors, on a half acre, Alyvia has a swing set (which we have played on every night so far!), 2 car garage...we're renting, but it feels like home.

Tash and Talea stayed with me that night to help organize and help put things away; Dev was at the firehouse until Saturday night. I had errands to run Saturday morning, and when I came home, the house was 80% put together! I coouldn't have done it without them. Dev is always, ALWAYS in the garage...he's turned into quite the handy man. I dont know exactly WHAT he does out there, but I know he enjoys having his own space.
I love that the house isnt so CLUTTERED! The apartment got cluttered so quick...but since Alyvia has a playroom, my living room is actually a...LIVING ROOM! :) She loves that it has wood floors. She'll go around "tap dancing" or jumping up and down, laughing at herself. Gotta love her :)

Devon is supposed to hear back from OSU this week about a potential job. He would be a paramedic in the ER. Which I know he will enjoy. The yucky part (minus all the blood and guts he'll see)...he'll be on 12 hour shifts at night :( It IS just 3 nights a week tho. I think we'll be able to manage. Its a little bit more money, AWESOME benefits, and he'll still work at the firehouse about once a week.

Miss Z weezy will be a year old next Friday. Crazy. But its so awesome to see her and Alyvia grow up together. I'm helpin with some decorations for her party tonight, while Dev takes Alyvia home for some daddy-daughter time. He works Saturday morning to Sunday morning. :(

Tomorrow I am going YARD SALING! One of my favorite things to do. Its in my hometown and I always find SOMETHING good. This year, Im aiming for 'big girl' toys for Alyvia, some outdoor toys too, maybe a patio furniture set, and whatever else catches my eye... :)

A few Lyvi updates:
She doesnt hug...she gives you a 'squeeze'. If you ask her for a hug, she wont do it, but if you say "Lyvi, can I have a squeeze?" She'll wrap her arms around your neck and squuuuueeeeze as hard as she can. Adorable.
I have (mistakingly) taught her to point and say no. Woops.
I cannot believe how much this girl can eat. She is such a peanut. Sometimes, I get a little worried about how little she is...(about 21 pounds)...but, Dev and I are petite too. So until a doctor is concerned, I'm not gonna worry about it, too much.
Her favorite things at the zoo: Peguins and Monkeys. She has a little monkey that she carries around and says "AH AH AH!" Hilarious.
She knows absolutely all of her body parts. Proud momma.
When we're in the car, she likes to read to herself. All the way home you hear her jibber jabberin about whatever book she's reading. And if she see's something she recognizes she'll point at it and say it over and over again.
Little booger likes to climb on everything. The other night, she climbed to the TOP of the couch so she could see out the window. Momma had to get a picture before I smacked her butt and told her no... hehe.

I am plannin on putting her in tumble bear gymnastics so she can socialize with new kids her age. She sees and plays with Zoe, Aubree and Jackson...but I would like her to be able to warm up and play with other kids her age, too. I am so excited, she'll love it!

17 month Alyvia!

1. She's starting to speak more clearly. She says please when she wants something, can usually tell us what she wants to eat, can say bath -- and gets SO excited -- and a lots of others.

2. She's climber. Furniture, toilets, toys, whatever. And she can usually do it herself.

3. Her hair is SO blonde. Its getting thicker by the day and I cant wait to see those curls.

4. She says yes and shakes her head up and down when we ask her a yes or no question. It is absolutely adorable.

5. Her favorite movies/cartoons are: Clifford, Wonder Pets, Yo Gabba Gabba and Olivia! We dont have cable at home, so she doesnt watch them often, but she loves to dance to the music when she does!

6. Her absolute best friend is Miss Zoe, aka Za Za. They love seeing each other every day. And they are gonna cause so much trouble together!

7. She has about 12 teeth. There are teeth marks on her crib from chewing on it when she's supposed to be sleeping!

8. Shes still a GREAT sleeper. And puts herself to sleep (she has since about 9 months). She sleeps with a bunny, baby and her 'silky' that she rubs on her face. So cute.

9. Her favorite foods right now: ANTHING with cheese, fig nutons and nutrigrain bars, watermelon, the mini lunchables with ham, spaghetti with meatballs, iced animal cookies, taco meat (mixed with sour cream, salsa and cheese), pizza, bananas and corn! She doesnt LOVE green beans, but she'll eat them. BUT she's still a PEANUT! Only about 21 pounds. Oh well :)

10. She is currently in potty training 101, and likes to flush the toilet.

11. Her favorite nursery song is itsy-bitsy spider. She can do the motions all my herself.

12. She has to kiss everyone bye-bye.

13. She loves to play the drums, just like her daddy. And is still a dancin machine.

There's more...but momma's gotta get back to work!

Changes are on the way!

I absolutely cannot believe 2010 is more than half way over. I absolutely cannot believe that my little one will be a year and a half in August. I cannot believe its beent that long since I carried her in my belly.

We have started the potty training process! We're slowly introducing her to it. And the first day she went in the big girl potty!!! I am such a proud mommy, even tho she went twice on the couch and once on the carpet too. :) She has a sticker chart, we plan on giving her rewards every so often, but ALWAYS praising her, even if she just 'tries'. It should be interesting!!

We move into our new house in 18 days! I am beyond ready to move into a HOUSE and out of the APARTMENT! We're having a house warming/labor day party about a month after we move in...I am so excited.

Devon has a job interview tomorrow at OSU for a Medic position. I have total faith :) He is also supposed to be named head of the medic at his firehouse, and he has been working there a lot more lately, now that he is done with school. We're hoping a full-time position comes along soon.

I'm going back to school in November. Online and part time. I have a good job, but I feel like something is missing without a degree. I need a degree in something!

And one more thing...but I'm saving that for later!

Wedding Photos! :)

Courtsey of Tasha Braniff...my SIL and personal photographer :)

Wedding and our new Home!

We're finally married! The wedding was so. much. fun. I can't believe its already been 10 days. But, everything went really well. And we're happy :)

We got a house! Well, we're renting, but we dont want to rush the buying process. We're both pickey, and want to (try to) be patient! Its so worth the money, has a half acre fenced in yard, 3 bedrooms, wood floors...LOVE IT! We are going over there tonight to do some measuring and planning...and move in the 30th of July! :)

Dev is done with school! YAY! He's been working at the firehouse a lot lately, but the money will be nice. We're agreed from now on, one week day and one weekend day is plenty for him to work there, especially on top of his full time job!

Alyvia update!

12 teeth, and counting! They're all comin in at the same time. She loves to "CHEESE" when we're taking her picture :)

She's in between size 12 months & 12-18 months. Depends on where the clothes are from. She's a peanut...but an adorable one!

Speaking of peanut...I dont know how she is so little. Last night for example, she ate a whole can of ravioli, half an apple, goldfish, about 4 animal cookies, and a container of applesauce. P I G! She's starting to try to use a spoon. Auntie Tasha introduced her to it, and she's starting to get the hang of it.

She is picking up more words. Please, cheese, berries, she knows A LOT of animal sounds...she knows which animal makes the sound too. Its so cute. Her favorite song is OMG by Usher. She and Daddy jam out to it in the car. She'll sing the "Oh Oh Oh Oh" part. She'll put her hand in the air, wiggle her butt, and try to snap her fingers. HILARIOUS. She can do the itsy bitsy spider. She holds onto one finger and twists it around and she'll cover her head when you say "down came the rain and washed the spider out!" She says, "Dance mama Dance!" We love to dance together :)

She climbs on EVERYTHING. Stairs, couch, boxes, kitchen chair, toilet seat, toys...you name it. You cant take your eye off of her for one minute!

When she knows she's in trouble, she'll say "HIIIIIIII!" and giggle, and try to give you kisses. Booger.

She says "HIIIIIIII" to everyone. Such a ham.

I know theres more, but work duty calls!

I'm Here!

Just been really busy. A list of things happening:

- The wedding is 26 (eeeeek!) days away!

- Dev is about to graduate paramedic school...and he has a interview at Truro Township Wednesday :) You could say I'm really proud of him.
- We finished marriage counseling, and loved it. We met with a mentor couple 3 times to talk about values, communication, conflict resolution, etc. We plan on meeting with them after the wedding.

- Got some family photos taken...see above :)

- Work is great. Busy, but great. I work 7-330 everyday.

- Alyvia is walking, running, talking..you name it! She took off on April 25th, and hasn't stopped being on the go since. :)

- She's about 20 pounds, 30 inches, has about 7 teeth, and her hair is starting to get curly :)

- I started tanning... thank goodness.

- We are looking for a house to rent by the end of July, and not having ANY luck :/

- I'm getting a new car, Mazda CX9 in August...it's a hot momma car and I can't wait.

- We're also taking a family vacation in August...hopefully California :)

- Ordered our wedding bands. We picked Dev's up yesterday and will have mine in about a week!

- My sister turned 16 and my brother 18. His graduation is Sunday...sigh.

I'll go more into detail later...see ya!

Hippity, Hoppity...

We love Easter! Here are some photos of Alyvia and Zoe!

Not much has changed lately! Dev is in his LAST quarter paramedic school! He also got called back to take the test at Truro Township Fire Department. Its a part time position, but they hire their full time guys from their part time staff. He completed most of his clinicals there, and seems to like it a lot! Im super happy and proud of him! He would still work part time at Scioto, and until he knows if he got on Truro, he will remain at his full time job he has now.

Wedding things are coming along...its crunch time! We have all the little things left to do. But it's coming along! My first bridal shower is April 17th!

Work is good. I work 4 nine hour days and a half day Friday, which is great! And I won a referral contest to receive a free photography session! I am SO excited for that!

Off to do my nightly workout. Tomorrow is my half day, woo hooo!

13 months!

Here are some recent photos of Alyvia :)

She's growing, almost walking, starting to "say" more words, jumps up and down when she's dancing, eating nonstop, and her hair is finally starting to grow in too :)

Celebrations!

After Alyvia's birthday came mine. The big 2-1! Im a big home body, so we just had some friends over Friday night. Dev let me sleep in a bit on Saturday then we headed out to get Lyvi's Easter outfit & our Target Wedding Registry done! It was lots of fun! Our themes of each room we're chosen as well :) We're going to register at Macy's, Kohl's, and Bed Bath & Beyond as well. He's at the firehouse today, so I may go do one of those myself!

We have decided that we want to start trying for another little one in August or September! :) We are expecting for it not to be 'too hard'; we conceived Lyvi pretty quickly (sorry if this is TMI)! It is said we're supposed to have a boy next, according to the pencil and needle test. We will see! I have names and bedroom themes already picked out!

Dev has less than 3 months of school left. It has been a LONG, HARD road. But totally worth it. I just keep thinking about how successful we will be at such a young age! He put his application in at a fire department he wants to be a part of more than any other one. It is for a part-time position, but they hire full-time off from their part-time employees. He is still at Scioto and plans being there as well. I am just ready for him to be happy with where he's at career wise, and making great money! My new income and his is more than we could have asked for, and I am so grateful for that!

We are househunting in the Teays Valley School District. We've kinda narrowed it down to a few areas and hopefully will be looking at our first one next weekend.

Alyvia is closer and closer to walking everyday, and the joy of my life! :)

Bikini Season, Here I come!

New job equals AWESOME. Money is GREAT, hours are bareable, I work for a family friend and my department gets along great! For those of you who don't know exactly what I'm doing, my official title is BPC Investigator and Adjudicator for the Office of Unemployment Compensation in the Integrity and Assurance Department! Sounds fancy, huh?! Basically, we catch those who lie about their unemployment benefits. I'm still in training, and will be for a few weeks, but so far so good!

I've been working out, every night! I know I'm not "overweight", but I would like to have my long lost 6 pack back and a toned booty for summer time! As soon as that happens, I can shop for a cute new bikini!

Alyvia is alllmooosttt walking. She loves her little lion walker, and doesn't really need it, but she's stubborn (like her momma) and likes to be goofy when she lets go and falls on her butt. Goober. I want to find her a music class, and get her into some modeling...I just need to find a place that doesn't just want my money!

My 21st birthday is next Saturday! I want to go out with all my girlfriends...but haven't been out in so long so Im clueless as to what is out there!

My mom, aunt and sister are planning my bridal shower. My 1st one is for my family and is April 17th! Yes, Tash we moved it!!

Thats it for now!

Partyin with the Birthday Girl!

1st Birthdays are so Bittersweet!

Thats my princess! And yep, she's a year old! Wednesday the 17th she had her first birthday, and a great one at that! Despite daddy having class, we celebrated at the daycare with friends and cupcakes, then in the evening family came over for cake and ice cream! I did make the cake all by myself and it didnt turn out too bad! She devouered it, as you can see in the photo above! Sunday is her party; she's excited to celebrate it with friends and family! And of course, to eat another cake :)

She now has 4 teeth. 2 bottom ones are completely cut in and her 2 fang teeth are cutting through! The bottle is nonexistant...that was a piece of cake! She's drinks vitamin D milk and eats table food. And boy, does she eat! She hasn't turned down any new food yet. Being a peanut hasnt changed, but at her 1 year appointment, the doctor said she isnt worried, and her growth is just fine! She's walking along and between things, and loves her lion walker. I have a feeling she's going to take off within a few weeks. Lord help us all! She's such a booger.

She "blows kisses". Its so cute. She'll smack her little lips at you when you ask her for a kiss. I love it! She's also a spitter...she loves to blow out of her mouth while she sticks her tongue out. And if you say "Hello?", she'll put her hand up to her ear like she's talking on the phone :)

She can say "What's that", but it sounds more like a slur of the words..."wassat". And she points at everything. Baby signs are sinking in! She can sign more and all done, with her own little twist of course. We read every night, and she loves it!

I'm sure there are tons more milestones I'm forgetting. Something new happens almost everyday!

My new job is with the State unemployment office. I was lucky enough to have a family friend who referred me and I got the job! I start Monday! It's a change of environment and pace, but the money will be great! Alyvia will be spending her days with Tasha and Zoe. And some other friends too!

4 months from today I will be a MRS! Plans are coming together, thanks to all the help! Dev also graduates a week before then. Its been a long time coming!

Sweetdreams!

ONE YEAR ALREADY!

Yesterday was my princess' FIRST birthday!
She had an awesome day with family and friends...and definitely enjoyed her cake!
Pics will be up soon!

Sunday is her party! We are so excited!

I start my new, awesome job Monday. I will be working for the state. Prayers were definitely answered!

Life is great :)

Our little Model.

I've been wanting to get Alyvia involved in some modeling, but need to find the right agency. (If anyone knows of one, let me know!)

She loves the camera, is such a HAM, and has the best personality. Why not?

So we started out small. Thanks to our photographers LeAnne and Sarah posting a casting call, we had the opportunity for Alyvia to model with some other little ones for a lady who makes awesome bows!

They turned out great...and I've only seen a few and cant wait to see the rest!