holidays are here again!

I can't believe how fast December has flown by. it seems like a whirlwind since we got back from Hawaii. it was a successful and very fun vacation and Vaughn did amazing. we visited the zoo, drove around the island, had beach time, plenty of pool time, and lots of walks! thanks to Grandma for entertaining him! they really bonded on this trip. we ate Thanksgiving dinner at the Marriott buffet. I think Vaughn's favorite past time of the trip was eating at buffets and playing in his pack-n-play. he loved playing in it more than sleeping in it! he also used the hotel room to figure out how to climb, scale and start cruising around. once he realized he could crawl faster than army crawl, he was off! and hasn't stopped! Keith and I had a few nice dinners out, went snorkeling and to a luau. we also watched the Cougs get beat by the Hawaii Warriors in the rain. the weather was hot and a little humid but I love that weather... I really miss my aloha!

since we've been back Vaughn has managed to catch his first cold. he was well enough today to visit Santa. he loved pulling on his beard and staring at him intently. it was really cute. we are excited to spend Christmas at Grandma's house with all of my family. then when we get back to Santa Cruz, some of Keith's family will be here to celebrate even more. then it is New Years, probably a quiet night at home, and then it will be time to celebrate Vaughn's first birthday! can you believe it? my little baby is already grown up... it was a long year, but a very rewarding one!

Apple Cup!

Apple Cup 2008 was a success! the Cougs beat the Huskies in double overtime. since we watched it kind of late, after Vaughn went to bed, we watched the end this morning so Vaughn could see his first Apple Cup victory! hope the enthusiasum and excitment follow to Hawaii so we can see a good game and another victory. GO COUGS!

Happy Halloween!

daddy let Vaughn have his first taste of chocolate! and he loved it of course! at least its halloween... :)

day 6...

didn't end up making more soup... I snacked on chicken pieces all day and drank an iced coffee after my workout. didn't really feel hungry. probably not good, but there was no time to chop up veggies and make soup this afternoon. then night rolls around and I am tired and not wanting to do anything... so I had a can of chicken noodle soup again. next time I do this, which I plan to do the week before Hawaii, Keith will be gone so I probably won't run out of soup half way through. that was my demise. the thought of making more and eating it... I just couldn't make myself do it! so, I failed. sorry readers... but I do feel like I got myself back into the habit of eating good things and smaller portions again. so, if nothing else, I reprogrammed my mindset into what it was before I got pregnant! that was basically my goal... so, ah ha! I didn't fail! :)

day 5

didn't feel as starving today. I am down 6 pounds so far. I feel good. ran out of soup at lunch and didn't have time to make more, so I had to eat a can of chicken noodle soup for dinner. its hard when you have a kid! I didn't have coffee today either. just soup and chicken and a few carrots. and tons of water. I need to remember to drink lots of water, even after this, because I feel so much better!

I will make a half of batch of soup for the next two days. Keith likes it too so we will eat it until its gone! and Thursday I can put cheese in mine. :)

day 4

a glass of milk never tasted so sweet! it was a nice treat after four days of fruits, veggies and soup. I ate 3 or 4 bananas, two big bowls of soup, and a couple glasses of milk. I felt much better yesterday. a banana and milk is a great dessert and it fills you up!

the best part of yesterday was Vaughn scooted across the floor to reach his toys! he usually rolls but he is learning that any form of crawling will get him there faster. its too cute. and, since daddy loves nicknames, his new one is Scooter. :)

day 3

woke up with a killer migraine so I ate a banana at like 2am. don't think I'm eating enough soup... didn't feel that great today but am better now, just tired. you know how you have those days where you don't feel like doing anything? that was me today. its pretty impossible to have those days with a kid, but at least Keith was around to occupy Vaughn while I took a nap this afternoon. and thank goodness Vaughn is such a good kid... he is seriously amazing. I love my boy so much. he is giving kisses now which is so cute! sigh...

so, I ate a banana for breakfast. a big bowl of soup for lunch. an apple after my nap. got a cup of coffee at Starbucks during my walk with Vaughn and then had another big bowl of soup for dinner. I'm pretty tired of the soup, but it is really good. it gets better everyday as it marinates in the broth... Keith loves it too, although he gets to put cheese in it. :)

day 2

it was a gorgeous day today! felt like summer... I love Santa Cruz in the fall. we went to the Cold Water Classic today and walked all around and saw some great surf. it was awesome. Vaughn loves watching the waves crashing and checking out all the people. he is such a social baby. so happy!

had coffee and cantaloupe for breakfast. today was hard because we were out and about and it would've been so easy to eat out. but Keith is supportive so we came home and had soup for lunch... was starving by then! snacked on a few carrots. had a peach later on. then for dinner had a baked potato with a little butter, and sauteed broccoli and onions. just now finished an apple. the scale is down only one pound, but I'm sure to see more tomorrow.

goodnight!

cabbage soup detox- day 1

so, with 5 weeks and counting until Hawaii, I am determined to lose the final 10 pounds of baby weight. thanks to Brooke for suggesting the Cabbage Soup Detox Diet. to keep accountable, I am going to report daily to my faithful readers. :) there are many variations of it, but the one I linked to, I liked the best and will follow it completely.

I am going to let myself have one cup of coffee a day (so I won't go completely insane with no caffeine!) with nonfat milk and little sugar to sweeten. that's it for faltering on the 7 day plan. so, today I drank a cup of coffee and ate some cantaloupe for breakfast. then I went to my mommy exercise group. Thursday really kicks butt (ask Wendy!) so by noon I was starving. I had a bowl of soup for lunch and some more cantaloupe. I ate a peach around 4. dinner was more soup and some raisins. I've had a ton of water today and feel pretty good. I'm a little hungry, but will totally manage. I have another peach and some grapes to snack on if I can't make it to bedtime.

today looks to be the least amount of food, so I know that this is a very doable diet.

9 months in, 9 months out!

Happy Nine Months Sunshine! we celebrated with a trip to the pumpkin patch. there is this great pumpkin patch at Rodoni Farms up Highway 1. today was a beautiful day with blue skies, white fluffy clouds and a wild sea with waves crashing against the cliffs. we got a daddy, mommy and a baby pumpkin. Vaughn had fun grabbing the hay and looking at all the different sizes and shapes of pumpkins and squash.

Vaughn also had his first swim lessons in the hot tub last week. he was too cute in his little swimmers with Nemo on his bottom. daddy is a great teacher, with all the time he spends in the hot tub. :)

busy month

I have been so bad about updating this... posting just once a month! but keeping Vaughn busy all day wears me out, so by 7pm, after we eat dinner, all I want to do is zone out with the TV. all you mamas out there know what I mean!

a few things we have done since the last post: travelled to Kingsburg for Cory's going away shower. SO GREAT to have all the girls together! went to the Begonia Festival in Capitola and saw the pretty floats. walked around the Art & Wine Festival, admiring the beautiful weather and amazing artists. went to the County Fair and saw all sorts of animals and exhibits! can't wait for next year when Vaughn can really enjoy the animals.

anyway, September has proved to be a growing up month for our baby boy too. he is officially sleeping in his crib in his own room. the switch from the co-sleeper in our room to his crib was so much easier than I was anticipating. he sleeps like a champ (most nights) and loves his freedom. also, last Tuesday was our last nursing. he is adjusting better than me! he takes his bottle very well and we are trying to find what formula is best for his sensitive tummy... we are trying soy at the moment. he is also getting his two bottom teeth and is chewing on everything and drooling everywhere! sometimes I don't know how this kid keeps producing so much spit! I think he has entered the attachment phase because he wants to be held constantly. its doesn't matter who, as long as someone is holding him. becomes pretty draining when it is just us all day, but Keith hasn't travelled all month, so it has been AMAZING having him home for so long.

I have also been super busy planning my 10 year class reunion. go Vikings! it is this weekend so I am anxious to be eating and drinking with old classmates and be able to put the planning behind me. I will be sure to post about that. I found a cute dress to wear and I am excited to see everyone! plus, that means we get to stay at Grandma's for the weekend so Vaughn gets lots of Grammy attention and Mommy gets a little break! fun for everyone!

summer fun

here are some more photos of our fun summer. Vaughn is a little over 7 months and doing all sorts of new things! rolls all over the floor, sits up all by himself (for a few minutes, then tumbles back down), loves peaches, pear, even peas! he is growing up so fast already. is very ticklish on his feet, back, and neck and has the cutest little giggle! we love our baby boy!

Vaughn on the swings at the park by our house.

Vaughn with cousins Sam and Erica at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center in Santa Cruz.

us in front of "Ms. Blue" the world's largest whale skeleton.

Grandma with her grandchildren.

Birthday girl! Sullivan Phelan turns 2!

Vaughn partying in his bumbo chair at Sullivan's party.

tried to get the sqirmy kids still for a photo... didn't work!

a whole bunch of firsts!

first airplane trip (to Seattle)

first boat ride

he finally found his toes! and hasn't stopped sucking them...

first wedding and 100+ degree heat!
first messy face and full belly from pears.
first parade on the 4th of July.

and now he finally mastered rolling over!

Happy 6 months, baby boy!

Fresno, you KNOW!

yay Fresno State! I'm proud of them for winning tonight. It was fun watching them come back and really spank those other bulldogs! our little boy loves watching sports and is already gearing up for his baseball career!

how the months fly by

I can't believe its been a month since I've posted! you'd think I'd have a ton of time on my hands, but that is not the case. Vaughn is a very good baby, but demands mama's attention all day! he is almost 5 months and such a happy, healthy baby. my best friend!

here are some photos from mother's day, our trip to San Francisco, his new baseball bat from grandpa Hank and Katie's bridal shower. enjoy!

the girls back together: Brooke, Cory, Katie, Vaughn, me, and Wendy.

Happy 2nd Anniversary!

two years ago I thought I was the happiest girl in the world... but today I am happier than ever! We celebrated our anniversary last night with a nice dinner at home, carrot cake and wine. I have been looking at our wedding photos and I still remeber that day like it was yesterday. can you say best wedding ever? :)

family time

Keith's family came to visit a few weeks ago. it was so fun to have them here! Keith's nephew, Zack, loved his new baby cousin and played with him the whole time. they even played hide and seek, with the help of auntie Renee!

Here are all the boys, before their golf outing.
Here is Vaughn with Grandpa Hank! we miss him already!
April has been a fun month. lots of visitors and Vaughn is all smiles! he is such a happy baby... greets me with a smile every morning. I am offically a full time mommy now and we are having so much fun together. I feel very lucky to be with Vaughn everyday.

Happy Easter, Happy Spring!