hi ho hi ho...its off to work i go

Well, this is it.  12 weeks of playtime.  Of middle of the night feedings.  Of snuggles.  Of love.  Of diaper changes.  Of exploring.  And we're off to the next adventure. 
This weekend, I spent almost every waking (and sometimes sleeping) moments with my little buddy.  And tomorrow...it's a daddy week.  And mommy has to go back to work.
It's kind of surreal....I feel like I just punched out yesterday, but at the same time, I don't know life outside of baby o'clock anymore.  It's like the first day of school.....14 years later.
A new adventure.  For me and Ro-Bear.  Full of excitement.....daddy this week, daycare next week. 

Daddy Time!

And for me....it's a dizzying new jungle gym of fitting in work, family, and me time....grocery shopping, chores, training.....can they fit in with snuggles and baby time?  And let's not forget....husband time?
I'm conflicted.  I haven't been apart from my little dude for more than 4 hours since he was born.  I'm going to miss him terribly.  But at the same time, he gets daddy bonding, which is super important.  And then daycare, where he will have so much fun!
And on my end....it will be nice to be Rae again.  Not just Ro-Bears mommy.  It'll be nice to see my friends and co-workers.  To get it done.  And to...um...eat lunch on my own.  (Is that sad?)
I'm excited.  I'm nervous.  I'm sad......but mostly, I'm ready to head on to the next adventure!  (And hopefully little dude sleeps tonight so I'm not dead in the a.m.)
To my Ro-Bear....we had the bestest time in the last 12 weeks.  And even though I won't be home with you all day, I'm still gonna love you to bits.  We will still read, snuggle, play and have our Ro-Bear Mommy time....I promise!  Love, Mommy.

Eggstra

Well, folks, this is it.  Its my official last day of maternity leave.  I'll leave some thoughts this weekend about where I'm at and about my return to work, but I really have super important things to do today.  Like snuggles with my man.  And game playing.  And going for a jog in the jogging stroller.  And snuggles.  Times a million.  So I know you'll understand that I don't have time to blog.  Or clean.  Or cook.  No problem - crockpot to the rescue again!

Fall Harvest Caponata

1 large eggplant, diced
5 tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 bulb garlic, peeled and minced
1 red pepper, diced
1 tbsp each black pepper and salt

Saute onion and garlic in a saucepan with olive oil until soft (about 5 minutes). Add salt to eggplant and let set for 15 minutes to draw out moisture.  Add everything to the crockpot and simmer on low for 6-8 hours.  Super simple, that's it!  Serve over rice or a nice hunk of french bread (as I did).  Yummy meal.  Barely any prep.  Freezeable leftovers (this serves 4-6). 

 

And that leaves.... time with my little man.

 

Which is obviously most important :-) 

Rochester Half Marathon 2013 - Runnin' Dirty

They see me runnin'....they hatin'...tryin' to catch me runnin' dirty!  Well, as you all know, Sunday was the Rochester Half Marathon.  I've alluded to my race on facebook, but we have to do a race recap, right?  Right!

Pre Race - We had a rough sleep night, so I was pretty tired the morning of the race.  Rob got me up about 4am and we did a feed, then dozed for about an hour.  I got up for good at 5, took a shower, ate some peach oats and made my peanut butter sandwich to eat about a half hour before start.  This has been working well on the long runs I've done so far...I need more fuel now that I am breast feeding, so I figured I would play it safe (HAH).  Tactical error one - I bypassed the immodium.  It's not the healthiest habit, but for half marathons/Olympic Tris and longer, I usually take an immodium to avoid any potential bathroom issues.  It's never happened in a race (ahem, until THEN) but better safe than sorry.  (By the way, if poop offends you, best to skip this post now).  Anyways...I figured I was safe since I don't #2 as much now that I've given birth.  Stupid Rae.  We packed up, I gave little man a top off, and left the house about 6:15ish.  We got to the race site at 7, parked and I went to go potty.  Start time was 745, so we headed off to the start with a thumbs up from my little guy....got in line at the porta potties to pee, but realized I had no time and went to line up.  I lined up with the 1:55 pacers, which was way faster than I expected to go, but I knew I could do a sub 9 minute mile for the first mile and avoid dodging too many people.  For the record- my A goal was a 2:05, but I really was just out to have fun (PR is 1:50- I plan to break that next year!)  I saw a few friends, chatted a bit, and we were off!

Miles 1-4:  I. felt. amazing.  I was averaging 8:40-8:45 minute miles with no issues.  I stopped to grab water and high five my support (I was lucky enough to have 3 people out at various points!) and just kept running, so happy to be out there.  I had to pee, but nothing terrible.  I even ran the hills, which is really abnormal for me.  Nothing felt hard.  It just felt good!

Mile 5-7:  Still feeling great running wise, but I really had to potty.  #1, mayyybe #2.  I was starting to feel gassy....and queasy.  Yuck.  I took in some gatorade...couldn't deal with my race fuel (buttered popcorn jelly beans....noms).  At mile 7 (1:01, still sub 9 minute miles)! I saw my mom and asked her to go potty for me, lol.  We turned onto the canal, and I saw a port o potty....with a line.  Dammit.  I figured I was good enough to not poop myself, so I kept going.  (I am dumb.  This is a theme).  Within 5 minutes, I knew I needed some bushes.  90 seconds later and a few unfortunate leaves....yeah....I was back on the run.  Still feeling good legs wise.

Miles 8-10:  This is where I fell apart.  I went potty AGAIN in the bushes at mile 8...scratched my leg up good.  I was so pissed.  There was a porta potty at mile 9 and I took it.  Tucked some TP in my bra for future emergencies (um, yeah, that was stupid).  Mile 9 - 1:23.  I knew I could get my 2:05, and figured if there were no more pit stops, I could make my 9 minute miles without an issue.  I saw my little dude and Greg at mile 9 in the park, and felt recharged and ready to go!!  2 minutes later....I had to go again.  Dammit!  I was running on the park path, dying, and looking for a bush....but it was a way more populated area, crap.  (Or not).  As I was contemplating my next move, I missed a bump in the path...and the next thing I knew, I was crashing to the ground.  WTF.  I scraped my hands, twisted my ankle, and scraped the hell out of my knee....and of course tore my new tights.  I sat for a minute, stunned.  The awesome runners around me all stopped to make sure I was okay, and I stood up shakily.  I knew I could walk, but wasn't sure if I could run.  A volunteer came running to see if I needed to pull out, and I said Hell No!  (Well, not really, but you know).  I shook out, refused to look at my knee (I knew I would freak out), and then did a walk run to mile 10.  1:34.

Miles 11-13.1:  Good news, bad news.  My aching knee made me forget about pooping, and I could still run.  Bad news...I was kinda over this.  I still didn't feel tired, but I kinda lost my mental edge.  I ticked off mile 11 in 1:43 and knew I couldnt do a sub 2.  But as I was wallowing for 60 seconds, I realized that I could most certainly make my 2:05 goal, and I took off!  Mile 12...1:52.   Mile 13: 2:00...and sprinting toward the finish with a final time of 2:01:17, a 9:16 pace and top third of my age group!!  Woohoo!!

Post Race:  I met up with a friend (who came in second in her age group with a speedy time of 1:43-go Kim!) and um, used the potty.  Found my guys and got some post race noms to bring home....I really couldnt eat yet.  We headed home for an afternoon of football and knee/ankle soaking. 

I need new tights.  And a new knee!

Post race lesson?  Take the damn immodium, idiot!  I could have come in about 3 minutes or more sooner!!  Seriously, though, even though I had a rough race, I am super encouraged.  I killed my goal.  That's a 2:01 with 3 potty breaks, a fall, and 5 off the course hugs. (I would never take those hugs away!!).  And 11 weeks after lil man came along.  And the best part?  I didn't get running tired until mile 12.5.  Aww yeah.  Know what that means?  It means spring marathon, baby.  It means that sub 4 quest?  Oh it is SO ON.  Woohoo!

Running Mama

Well, it's almost here!  Time for the sanity saver Mommy race...tomorrow I will be running 13.1 miles in my first half marathon as a mommy.  I signed up for this race 6 weeks ago, when Rob man turned one month old....not for a PR or some hard core training, but to keep me sane and have some "Rae time" each week.  I've been doing 2-3 runs per week, 3 on the schedule, but only able to do 2 some weeks.  Some of my tempo runs have turned into intervals.  Some of the long runs have turned into tempos.  At least 75% have been done on the treadmill (10 miles on the treadmill = forever).  This run is kind of symbolic for me...I go back to work next week, so it represents my maternity leave in a way.  I began running about 2 weeks after Rob man was born.  Since then, I've run at 4am.  At 9pm.  After sleepless nights. 

After fussy time.  Through some incontinence (sorry TMI).  In double sports bras.  Right after feedings.  During nap times (short as they may be!)  With my buddy right next to me by the treadmill.  WITH my buddy in the jogging stroller.
And tomorrow, I'll be running those 13 miles thinking of my buddy....but also of how much I love to run and am retaining part of me that isn't a mommy. 
So the question is...do I run as a Mom in Motion?  Haven't decided yet, simply because I haven't worn my new jersey and it could snow or be 90 :-P  I've got my play list geared up, my buttered popcorn jelly beans ready for fuel....and I am not rested, not fresh, and not feeling speedy.  It's gonna be a great day, without regard to the time on the clock.  Stay tuned for a weird race report and feel free to track me through yellowjacketracing.com!

Cheese Whiz

Welcome to Crockpot/freezer week!  Even though life has been crazy hectic lately, I know I've only seen a fraction of what it's going to look like in a week when I go back to work.  With that in mind, I'm trying to grab any half hour I can see (which isn't many, as little man is in ANOTHER growth spurt!) and do some batch cooking.  I'm planning on doing a big prep every Sunday to knock out a few days worth of meals, and then another on Wednesday or Thursday.  We'll see how it goes.  Of course, it helps to have an arsenal, so I'm working on freezer meals this week - a double bonus with all of the wonderful seasonal produce!  I made my first batch a few days ago, and since it was rather chilly out, I included soup.  Since Gramma P. was watching Rob and is on a low carb diabetic diet, she requested some kitchen magic.  I can deliver.

Unexpected Broccoli Cheese Soup
(serves 4)

3 cups broccoli, chopped
6 strips turkey bacon
1 cup onion
2 cups celery, diced
1 cup corn (optional - not low carb)
1cup evaporated milk
1 tbsp. cornstarch
3 cups water
1 bulb garlic, minced
1 chicken bouillon cube (can sub in broth, reduce water)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese


In a skillet, brown bacon.  Add onion and garlic to bacon drippings, saute for 5 minutes or until soft.  Dice bacon finely.  Add to the crockpot - broccoli, bacon, onion, celery, corn, water, bouillon, and salt/pepper.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Using an immersion blender, blend the soup as desired (I left some small pieces of veggies).  Add in cheese and milk and cornstarch.  Cover and simmer on low for 30-45 minutes.  If not on low carb (as I am clearly not!)....serve with delicious bread (we opted for pretzel rolls!

Noms.  Delicious on day one (though Greg did comment that the celery made it taste different-not quite the "expected" flavor), delicious as leftovers, and wonderfully freezeable.

More to come! 



Date Night

The three little words that new parents love most (well, other than "The Baby's Asleep" or "Let me takeover (consolidated for effect) are...It's Date Night!  Woohoo!
Last night, Gramma P. and her friend watched the little ro-bearski so that Greg and I could have a date.  Date #2 in 10 weeks...I think we're doin' better with a kiddo than when we didn't have one! ( I jest, I jest).
Backin' up for a sec....Saturday afternoon I got in my last long run before the half marathon this upcoming Sunday.  The run felt...good.  The weather was perfect, my new kicks are just broken in enough, and the capris that used to cut off circulation oof my thighs now fit (how did THAT happen?)  I have some new, crappy pop songs to pep me up (yep, I listen to PXY crap during my runs.  Sue me).  All things considering with this half "training", I feel pretty good about the race.  Not PR good, not even breaking 2 hours good.  But 10 minute mile good.  Having fun good.  And 10 weeks post partum...I'll take that and a bag of chips.  No seriously, I want the chips.  heh. 
Anywhos, after the run and nursing, I felt ready to gnaw my arm off.  So we decided to do the kind of date where...it's not a "impress the spouse" date.  Ya know, where you can order garlic and onions.  Or just a sandwich the size of your head...and then some.
We ventured to Fairport, which is far enough away to be a date and close enough should we need to rush home to the Ro-Bear.  We thought about biking, but it gets dark too damn early now, so we settled for a canal walk of about 2 miles pre dinner...we went to the park, sat in a swing, pretended to like each other....oh wait.  I mean, acted al lovey.  All kidding aside, it was super nice to just snuggle without knowing a baby might cry (even though, yes, we missed the hell out of our little man.  Shucks that kid has our number!)
Post walk, we decided on The Landing Bar and Grille for dinner-casual pub food.  I was about to do my usual lame chicken sandwich or salad when I saw...the blob.  A food challenge of 1.5 pounds of Angus beef, cheddar, fixins, and a plate of fries.  You could go at it alone (if you finished, it's free!) but it was recommended to split 2-4 ways.  Since I just did a 12 miler, I said to Greg "Oh Hell Yeah!"...but not so much on the finishing it (though I probably could post marathon or Ironman!) so we split it.
Good call.
Check this motha out!

No joke.  It's supposed to come on a hard roll, but they ran out-and I actually liked the french bread better!!  We finished half the sandwich and all the fries, which left us full but not stuffed.  My only complaint?  The fires were a bit done for me...I like mine smushy.  But that's a personal preference, so it's not a complaint.  The beef was amazing, and the whole thing was delectably bad food delicious, but not overly greasy.  And all this food?  15.95!  Add in our drinks, subtract the obligatory groupon (c'mon, who pays full price!) and we had date night for two, all for 15 bucks with tip.  Sweet.
All in all, it was a great night catching up with my first love (that would be Greg) but it was also awesome to come home to my current obsession (that would be Rob).  Perfection.
I have two more weeks with little guy before I go back to work full time, and I intend to make them count!  Lots of games, snuggles and Ro-Bear momma time.  Look for some freezer meal recipes coming up as I prep for return to work (hey, I missed out pre baby, you can bet I'm going to prep for return to work!), some ridiculous baby posts, and a half marathon recap coming your way!  Have a great week!

Month 2 - Mommy Check In

Hey, remember me?  Yeah, me either.  It's funny....I love blogging, and it's not time consuming, but lately...it just seems to fall off my radar a bit.  As in....the baby is fed, not crying, I've showered and ate, now do I want to spend the 5 minutes I have with my husband...or writing?  And...Greg wins.  As he should.  But I still miss you guys.  And owe you a "Mommy 2 month update".  So let's get on it.

Now that Rob is 2 months old, I sort of feel like I can remove myself from the.."hey, I just birthed a baby" to..."hey, I'm a mom" persona.  By the way, in case you were wondering, Rob kicked patootie at his 2 month check up...10 pounds 9 ounces!  He keeps moving up in the percentiles, which makes momma and the doctor happy!  Errr, anyways.  Sorry, kiddo brag second there.
So yes...as momma.  How am I doing?  Still a mixed bag, but we keep moving forward ( I think).



Passed out on mommy...aww

Physically - This is always the easiest one for me.  Officially, I am back at the weight I was when I first got pregnant.  I have a few pounds to lose to get back to racing weight, but am wholly unconcerned.  All of my pants fit, and most of my shirts do.  With that said, my body has definitely changed.  My waist is still about 2 inches bigger, obviously my chest is bigger, and I seemed to have lost a bit in my legs (cool).  I can pretty much do anything I used to do-back to running without issue.  I'm doing pretty well at half marathon training, when I have the time to run.  I'm nowhere near as fast as I used to be, which is fine.  I have plenty of more important things on my agenda!  I've been running 2-3 times a week, based on kiddo needs.  Sometimes my 5 milers turn into 3 milers, and sometimes my mile repeats turn into half mile repeats, but I'm excited to just run for fun at the Rochester half.  I'm proud of the fact that I am pretty much back to normal, and haven't been stressing about it.  Because I am breastfeeding, I pretty much eat what I want...within reason of course.  I'm not watching my diet with the exception that I want quality foods because they pass on to my kiddo!!  Ice Cream is quality, right?  C'mon, it has calcium!!

Mentally - I feel drained, still.  Rob man was finally diagnosed with acid reflux, which makes alot of sense with the issues we have had with feeding and sleeping.  The doc gave me some suggestions for how to make him more comfortable and us a bit more sane, which has me hopeful.  We are still working on the sleep thing, and little man eats like a horse.  However, he is turning from an infant to a baby....which sounds silly, but basically I mean we are starting to have way more fun with him!  He smiles quite a bit now, coos, and loves to play games with us and read stories.  So even though I am tapped out in terms of sleep deprivation ( 4 hours in a row sounds like heaven right now)...I'm coping.  We've had some wonderful grandparent help so Greg and I can get out of the house, and Greg has been great about doing Daddy time during the weekends and some nights so I can get out of the house alone....to run, to hang out with friends, or even to grocery shop!

Emotionally- This one is getting quite a bit better.  I've had a few tearful breakdowns at 4am (who hasn't) but I am so lucky to have a supportive, loving husband that is weathering this period with me.  We still try to laugh when the diaper explodes or we get peed on (usually works), and really try to just be there for each other. As for our little man....well, I can honestly say I've never felt such love and amazement as I have with this little guy.  He is perfect - so strong and sweet and snuggly...so funny completely a character of his own....well, I am smitten.  Every smile, laugh, coo,finger grab and toe curl just melts my heart.  I love him to bits more and more every day.  Even though I am honest about the parts that suck about caring for an infant....I would never for a second take it back...and I encourage it for anyone that's thought of having kids (just sleep alot now, do your wild things, and then save about 10k...in that order :-P)  We are on month two of a roller coaster ride, and I can't wait to see what happens next!!

In month 3....we hope to get a more established routine (in progress), some mommy baby jogs in (he is now clear to go running with me!) and prep Ro-Bear for daycare.  I go back to work on September 30, and Greg will be home with little guy for a week.  He starts daycare on October 7, so just after 3 months, which I think will work out well.  My little man is getting so so big!!

Rob 2.0

No, I'm not pregnant again.  Swearsies.  It's just baby's 2nd month milestone....so let's see what my little dude has been up to in month 2!

Rob: Month 2

I'd like to say we are settling into a rhythm, but my kiddo likes to keep it wild and crazy, so we're still working on it.  Days include: 7-10 feeds (yes, really), tummy time (times 2 or 3), walks, stroller rides, singing, dancing, playing puppets, reading books, signing, and endless amounts of laundry and diaper changes.  We start the day about 5am and end about 11pm, with a 2am feed in there an optional sleep between 2am and 5am.  Yikes.  I think I have the least sleep needing baby.  Ever.  But hey, we are taking baby steps.  Heh.  So what's up with my little man?  Read on....

Likes:
You still love music, little man.  Your favorite station is the buzz, and you rock out to late 80s and 90s music all day.  Its your favorite background noise for sleeping (along with the vacuum cleaner, of course).  You adore your books....you really like Winnie the Pooh, and all the Disney stories.  Still aren't so sure about some of the more conventional children's books, but snuggles with mommy or daddy and reading work for you every time.  You also love going for walks-we hooked up your jogging stroller and your car seat snaps right into it, so we go for walks all the time now!  Pretty much, staying in motion is your fave.  Wonder where you got that from....

Dislikes:
You still aren't too sure about the bath.  You don't scream as much anymore, but aren't a super fan.  You hate the sound of paper crinkling...weird. You also hate anywhere from 6pm to 9pm with a passion, Mr. Cranky Pants.  Hey, I get hangry too sometimes.  Hmm....well, you still detest naps, but that's another section so here we go....

Sleep:
Oh my buddy.  You seriously have FOMO.  We got to a decent stretch of about 4 hours for a few days, and now we are back on the 3 hours max at a time...and little or no naps each day.  You hate your swaddle, and we have to stand over you and hold it till you fall asleep.  I'm guessing you average 10 hours on a good day....yikes.  Need more, my guy!  But you just are so interested in the world, little man, who can blame you for wanting to soak it all in?  Um, Mommy.  Yep.  Mommy misses sleep, even though playtime is fun too :-)  On a good note, you work well in your bassinet for the first stretch of sleep at night and sometimes for one nap during the day.  Hopefully we are growing into this!  But you still love sleepin' with us the best....and sometimes, we give in and enjoy it ourselves!

Eating:
Still eating all the time.  We usually feed 7-8 times a day, and Mommy has a hard time keeping up sometimes!  We pumped for a morning last week and you ate 9 ounces in 3 hours!  My big strong man!!  Our scale says you weigh about 10 pounds, which is up almost 4 since birth.  We'll get the real story on Tuesday at your 2 month check up!

Milestones/Firsts:
Laugh - You think mommy and daddy are such silly geese's.  When we play games in the morning, you smile and laugh at us all the time.  You also laugh at the bears in your swing mobile.  You love the bears!
Grocery shops- You aren't up for long mommy and kiddo solo trips, but you do well when we have relief.  Again, loving the motion of the cart.
Out to dinner!  - Your first restaurant?  Charlie's.  Hey, we keep it classy.  You really wanted the fries....but hey, at least you got them second hand!
Race!  - You kicked butt as baby cheerleader at Sodus Tri!  Go Team!!

Best Moment of the Month:
It's a tie - between the first laugh (those smiles and laughs melt my heart) or seeing you at the finish line when I finished Sodus.  There was something so cool about having the whole family be there on a gorgeous day, taking in the race and beauty, that really got to me.  Oh, we are going to have so much fun little man!!

Looking Forward to:
Sitting up (you really do well with head support), more social outings, and hopefully a new sleep schedule...we are working on it, dude!  Am also looking forward to taking you for runs (coming soon- 10 weeks or so!) so that I can teach you how wonderful the breeze in your face feels.  And the falling leaves.  And celebrating my birthday with my little man!  Here's to month 3!

To My Ro-Bear: Month 2

Dear Little Man,

Tomorrow, you will be 2 months old.  Two months!  Don't worry, I will put all the "stats" in your baby book-your height, your weight, your head circumference, and all those neat milestones.  We will talk about those soon enough. Those are super important.  But they aren't the most important things, so let's talk abut those first, shall we?

First of all, of course...I need you to know something.  I love you more and more every. single. day.  And just when I thought it wasn't possible to love someone even more....I wake up the next day and see you...and I fall in love all over again!!  Little man, you are the best thing in the entire world.  Even though you still have a severe dislike for sleep (you are NOT my child in that respect) and can get grumpy, I love you to bits. 
You love mornings best...after our 6am feed, you and I just play games and smile at each other.  We play with our animal puppets, do some tummy time, and just in general have Mommy and Rob time.  Sometimes, when you have had a less than stellar night, we go for a little walk...I'll rock you and show you all of the neat things in your world (mostly the house!) and we'll just have a nice soothing chat.  Other mornings, when you are a happy guy, we'll chatter back and forth, play "head shoulders knees and toes" and you'll give me big, toothless, cheese grins.  Oh, little dude, my heart melts every time I see a smile on your little chubby face!  You sure know how to steal hearts...I kind of feel bad for all the little girl babies you'll meet next month!  Yikes!
We are still learning how to get into a "routine"- working on naps (practically a miracle) and a good sleep schedule.  We get better some days, then go backwards some days, which is pretty normal.  You still have a voracious appetite-you love love love food time.  Seriously.  You hung out with Grandpa and GG last week and ate 9 ounces in 3 hours!  Yikes!  Moo cow Mommy is wearing a hole in the couch with all of our meal times, but the bonding is incredibly worth it.  Sorry about the oatmeal dribble that sometimes decorates your onesies...Mommy has to find a few minutes to eat, too!!
Daddy and I are pretty sure you're the most advanced baby on the block (hey, there are 3 other babies on the block, so I'm not just being silly!).  You adore tummy time, and "walking" on us....and we are working on your signs (Daddy swears you are working on the "daddy" sign, but I know you're working on far more important signs....like 'hungry')
It's funny, little dude.  Sometimes we'll have a day like today where you don't nap and need me to pick you up every 5 minutes...ones where you eat every two hours and spit up and have a gassy tummy.  Days like that are hard and I sit and think....he will grow out of this.  I can do this.  Then you'll fall asleep on my chest and blow your little baby lips out so damn adorably....give a little sigh and scootch up on mommy just a bit more and I think...does it really get any better than this?  I think not, little man.  We have the best Rob and mommy snuggles, hands down.  Man, I hope you never grow out of that!

They don't tell you everything I'm supposed to do with you....sometimes I just stare in frustration at the day gone by where I have no clue what I've done....have I eaten?  Showered?  Anything?  What in the heck am I doing??
Then you'll stop crying, and give me a baby toothless grin.  One that says...Mom...you're doing okay.  We're in this one together.  And I know then that it's all worth it.  These past 8.5 weeks in baby land....is the best place to be.  And even though you'll be on a new adventure next month at daycare, I know we're still going to have plenty of playtime.  And walks.  And play mat adventures.  And story time.  And snuggles.  Did I mention how much I love you?  Well, just in case you forgot in the last 5 seconds...I love you, Ro-Bear.  I can't wait for our next adventure!
 Love,
Your Mommy

Weekend Fun in Links!

Hey hey hey!!  Well, it's a beautiful long weekend and Greg, Rob and I are out and about catching up with family, friends, and just in general having some together time.  I'll be back with some full reporting and baby cuteness on Tuesday, but until then, here's some funnies to fill your down time.....


1.  In honor of back to school time, here's a hilarious clip for those teachers, especially in school districts with some, um, different names....

2.  In case you missed my facebook post, this little gem is hilarious.  My cousin sent it to me, and now Greg and I have a little joke going back and forth about sending Rob to mommy when he is "hungry".  In my husband's defense, sometimes her really is but....still worth a laugh :-P

3.  Bills fan?  I'm so sorry.  Something to put you out of your misery (or drown you in your sorrows).  Not that I agree-pushing out a watermelon in fact DOES suck more...but I feel for you.  I've never seen a team so hell bent on being ridiculous!

4. Looking to get in some last minute shopping before heading back to the grind on Tuesday?  Well, great scott, look no further!  You CAN buy everything on the internets!  ( i die at the comments).

5.  Bored and feel like wasting an hour or two?  Check out honest movie trailers.  Freaking hilarious- we died at Star Trek, The Notebook, Independence Day, Titanic....I could go on and on.

Enjoy your weekend and some aimless internets humor!  Any fun plans?