Wordless Wednesday!

I am wishing everyone a happy and safe Halloween and of course I will be posting loads of pictures when I turn into a paparazzi this afternoon. Until then, I will post just a regular WW that includes an adorable picture of Brayden!! 

I also wanted to send out my thoughts and prayers to the victims of Hurricane Sandy and the families that have been affected. I have family in New York and thankfully, when I heard from her yesterday, she was safe! I will continue to pray for everyone on the East Coast and hopefully this storm ends soon!

Back to Brayden, which should brighten your day!

This kid is beyond obsessed with baths. They make him happy even when he is the grouchiest toddler ever. Yes, that does happen on occasion. But, take a bath and everything is better! It is such a great way to end the day when he is getting tired, and so am I. It puts a smile on everyone's faces and we all go to bed happy campers. 

Linking up with Jenni From The Blog!

Roasted Rosemary Brussels Sprouts

I have always been a little leery about trying Brussels sprouts mainly because my dad absolutely HATES them! He grew up having to eat them quite often and I am pretty sure it has scarred him for life. Poor guy! He will never know how delicious they actually are! I am so happy I tried them because I love them! Seriously amazing people! And super easy...those are my two favorite things. Anyways, I bought the kind you are supposed to steam in the bag only because they were cheaper for about the same amount I was going to buy in a mesh produce bag. So sorry mother Earth for the extra plastic I put in the garbage but I really needed that extra dollar.

Well I didn't steam them because I knew they would be bland and I was afraid I wouldn't like them that way. I cut them in half, because who can fit a whole brussels sprout in their mouth and not gag??, and tossed them in a little bit of olive oil. I sprinkled some salt and pepper over the top and then added some rosemary. I threw the baking dish in the oven at 350˚ for about 20-30 minutes. I don't exactly remember how long because I was dealing with a SUPER grouchy baby. Once the edges start to just barely turn brown, they are done. 

I ate mine with a chicken breast and some salad! I probably could have eaten half of this dish but I stopped myself to save some for the hubby! They are THAT good. 

If you are skeptical about Brussels sprouts, try this before you completely count them out! 

DIY Wall Art

I got my inspiration from Pinterest (where else do I find inspiration?) and I got working right away. I headed to JoAnn Fabrics about 2 months ago to get my letters and spray paint but they didn't have an Ampersand. I looked everywhere and could not find one unless I bought it online and I just wasn't willing to spend the money. So I waited. I knew a Hobby Lobby was opening in my area so I just waited until it finally opened! Of course they had an ampersand and luckily my dad had some white spray paint! Today I finally got to hang my wall art and see it all done...I LOVE it!

It's hard to tell from the picture but the letters are dark blue, the same shade as the dark blue pillow on the bed. Obviously, the ampersand is white. I really love how it turned out and it was so easy!

I have been trying to make this new apartment more of a home for us. In our past apartments, we didn't really decorate much because we knew it was just temporary. Well I am sick of living in a place that has to heart! I love hanging pictures and decorating so I was determined to make this apartment feel super homey. It is coming along slowly but surely and I have been trying to do everything on the cheap! I will post more of my home decor as it comes along!

Pumpkin Letdown!

The past couple of years I have really regretted not carving a pumpkin for Halloween so this year it was a must! Well, I don't know why I was so excited. You see, the actual carving of the pumpkin is pretty fun, when you aren't getting Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The hubs and I were very proud of our carving skills and he bought special lights...strobe lights!!...to go inside. Then I attempted to bake the pumpkin seeds this year but that was a huge fail...maybe I should actually read the recipe next time. At least our pumpkins looked cool!

Everything was great until the very next day. MOLD!!! Seriously, how does a pumpkin get mold so fast! The small amount of mold added to the creepiness of the hubs awesome pumpkin however, I thought it was rather repulsive! Today the pumpkins went in the trash. They didn't even make it to Halloween day...so super lame! And now I know why I didn't carve pumpkins and I think the only reason I will carve pumpkins in the future is for the seeds...which I will attempt to bake again and hopefully not completely scorch them..yeah. Also, there are so many other ways to decorate pumpkins now and I think we will be going that route next year. Something like these maybe...

These are both from Young House Love

I think Brayden would really enjoy doing the paint and the tissue paper pumpkins and they wouldn't be moldy the next day. So after a disappointing pumpkin situation this year...I am looking forward to next year! Any other pumpkin ideas??

Teeth...and a lot of them!

Yesterday I was talking with another momma (her son is 8 months) and she mentioned how he already has 7 teeth! Brayden is 15 months and has all of his teeth and I guess I didn't realize how fast he got them until I started hearing other mommas talk about teething children that are the same age as Brayden. 

Look at all those teeth!!

Brayden started teething at 3 months and had his first two teeth by 4 months. Since then it has been non-stop teething until now. Finally!! Don't get me wrong, he was usually very good with teething and was never unbearably grouchy or in massive amounts of pain. I was very lucky! He didn't lose much sleep while teething and that is amazing because he practically didn't stop teething until about a month ago when he got his last molars and canines. It would have made for a VERY LONG 15 months had he been in lots of pain! When Brayden was in a little bit of pain, we could usually soothe him with a mesh pacifier filled with frozen fruit and if that didn't work, we would break down and give him some pain reliever. I never tried the amber teething necklace or any other methods. What worked for your teething baby?

Now that Brayden has all of his teeth, we are going to explore some new foods. He understands chewing so we have been giving him bigger chunks of food so he can get used to using his teeth instead of just mushing it around until it was soft and gooey...gross! We have been giving him things like Wheat Thins that are crunchier and harder to chew than the soft crackers we were giving him before. Anyways, when did your child get teeth and how did you soothe them?? 

Wordless Wednesday

Yep, I get to spend my days with this little monster! Could he be any cuter?!? I think not!

Cheers to a Healthy Kid!

Brayden is finally healthy again so we have been having so much fun the last couple of days! I am so unbelievably happy that he is smiling and laughing...those sick days sure felt extra long. I think I acquired a few gray hairs during those sick days...I guess it's just a few of many to come! Anyways, since I have been soaking up the smiling, craziness I thought I would share it with you too!

On a side note, Brayden really loved the flyover to start the Giants game last night! And his overalls are super cute :)

LOVE to see that smile again! So happy!

Playing in the back of Grandpa's truck...he really is ALL boy!

They just might be best friends....when Scooter isn't knocking him over or stealing his toys. Okay so maybe not BEST friends!

If I had a girl...

...I would spoil her with these adorable headbands!! This new Etsy shop was created by a friend of mine and the headbands are seriously precious! She makes them herself and has great prices! Pregnant with a baby girl, have a baby girl or going to a baby shower for a girl anytime soon?? Check out this shop! You won't be disappointed!

She has amazing clips too!

How perfect is this one for the fall season?? I need someone to have a baby girl that I can spoil rotten!

The shop is called RainyBands...be sure to check it out on Etsy!

Oh So Delicious Broccoli!

The hubs and I really do like our veggies but sometimes I find it hard to make them different. Broccoli is one of those veggies that we enjoy eating but not all the time because I would only make it the same way. Boring!! I was browsing Pinterest...my favorite website...and found this recipe for broccoli. It sounded easy and delicious! 

1 full head of broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Fresh lemon

Set the oven at 400˚

So just chop up the broccoli and put it in a baking dish. Pour a little olive oil over the broccoli...just enough to give a slight coat. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Put the baking dish in the oven for about 20 minutes or just until the edges start to get a little brown. Remove the broccoli and squeeze the juice from half a lemon over the top. Serve! The original recipe called for parmesan cheese also but we didn't have any and quite frankly, I don't think it needed any. Less calories and still amazing! Win, win! 

After the hubs attacked the dish of broccoli, this was all that was left and all I could capture! I guess he doesn't understand the whole take-a-picture-of-your-food-before-you-eat-it thing! Oh well! 

This is definitely a veggie dish that I will be making all the time. In fact, the hubs requested it! Awesome! It's the little things in life right!?!

Toddler Fun!!

One morning a while back, Brayden was watching the husband shave before he went to work. Husband quickly decided that Brayden needed to experience the joys of shaving cream! Into the highchair he went and shaving cream was splattered all over his tray. Brayden was a little hesitant at first because he was so unsure. Well that didn't last long. The kid went nuts!!! Waving his arms frantically, yelling at the top of his lungs, laughing at himself, and flinging shaving cream everywhere!! Great idea. Just great.

It's safe to say that we will be doing this little, but messy, activity again soon. It really was a great idea and it was so funny to watching Brayden feel the texture of the shaving cream. Brayden had a blast and surprisingly, didn't try to put the shaving cream in his mouth! Awesome! The best part about this activity...it didn't cost any money! We didn't have to buy a new toy and since the hubs uses super cheap shaving cream, it cost next to nothing for the small amount we let Brayden play with. We are putting this down in the books as one of the best ideas ever....way to go Hubs!!

Just kidding...

We are not back to normal yet, but I am seriously hoping it happens soon. Apparently Brayden's break-out fever was related to Roseola. Don't know what that is?? Good, because neither did I! It is a viral illness that effects kids between 6 months and 2 years. Some symptoms include: loss of appetite (check!), high fever of up to 103˚ (check!), and irritability (check!). The fever ends abruptly and a pink or red rash breaks out on the trunk  and spreads over the body. As if the fever, loss of appetite, and irritability weren't bad enough!!! Good thing is that once the fever breaks and the rash appears, there isn't much to do about it. The rash doesn't really bother Brayden and I think he is just recuperating from the actual fever and illness part of the virus. I THINK the rash is starting to go away (it lasts from just a few hours to a few days) unless it is just my crazy mind wanting the rash to go away...like right this very instant! 

I feel so bad for Brayden because he has had such a rough week. I also feel a little guilty because today I was definitely losing my patience. Most of the time, I am very patient with Brayden and I speak calmly with him because I know that getting upset doesn't do anything to help the situation. However, I have been with a grouchy, whiny, inconsolable toddler for 4 days now. I am getting close to my limit. Thankfully, since it was Sunday, we went over to my parents' house to watch football. My parents are always so helpful and they gave me a much needed break...and some wine! I definitely feel much better and I am hoping to go crash and get some good sleep tonight. I have high hopes that Brayden will feel much better tomorrow and then maybe, just maybe, we will be on the road back to normalcy around here.

On a side note, I apologize for the lack of pictures, but honestly, no one wants to see a crying baby. You will just have to wait until he feels better and then I promise to go camera crazy! 

Almost Back to Normal

...Well as normal as we can get I guess!! Brayden is finally feeling better, woo hoo, and is catching up on some Zzz's as I type this. I should probably do the same but lets be serious, I never nap when he does anymore. Just too much to do! Anyways, I was feeling a little trapped inside since we haven't really made it out of the house much lately, so today we went for a walk and stopped at Brayden's favorite park. It has been quite some time since we went to the park. Between the heat wave we had for a few weeks and then Brayden getting sick, we have been avoiding the outside world almost altogether! Today I decided that enough was enough. We have a beautiful cloudy, cool day that was just begging for us to come outside! I think the fresh air also did Brayden some good...he has been happy for the most part and that makes for a happy momma!

Hopefully those bags under his eyes are gone when he wakes up from his nap. Poor kid needed some sleep!

I am so glad he is feeling better and just hope that the puking episode from the other night doesn't repeat itself anytime soon...gross!

Sick Baby=Worried Mommy

Yesterday seemed pretty normal until Brayden began to be very whiny and very hot. I'm talking, even his hands were hot!! I knew something was up because he wasn't happy and whined even when laying on me. That NEVER happens. And even more rare than that, he didn't want to eat dinner!! Say what?!?! Who was this child that invaded my sweet, happy, hungry little boy?? When we finally got home and walked through the front door, Brayden so kindly took out his pacifier and puked all over me. Lovely. The sweet life of being a mom! Anyways, I immediately gave him some fever reducer and pain reliever and put him down to sleep. I obsessively checked on him throughout the night to make sure he didn't have a fever and his crib was free of vomit. 

Luckily, we had already scheduled his 15-month wellness check for this morning so we were off to the doc after some waffle (which he has kept down so far)! The doc gave us some suggestions as to what to feed him and what to look for in the next few days. We got some Pedialite to keep him hydrated and he will be eating very bland food if his waffle says  down. Lucky him!!

 I absolutely HATE seeing my baby boy not feeling well! I am pretty sure my heart broke last night when he was inconsolable! Poor thing! I could barely sleep last night and checked on him probably at least 5 times but he has been in good spirits this morning, running around and being silly. We are hoping that means he slept off most of this sickness and will be back to normal very soon.

Wordless Wednesday

Sometimes you really do just need to stop and smell the roses!

Linking up with Jenni From the Blog!

Make a list, check it off!

Just like I made a summer bucket list, I have created a fall bucket list for the best season of the year!! I absolutely LOVE fall and I am so excited that it's time for pumpkins, red leaves and yummy baked goods! This time, I will make a point to revisit the bucket list and cross off the things I actually get done. I will also include the recipes for my yummy baked treats for you to try. So here it is....

If there is something I forgot to add or something you like to do with your family every fall, please let me know in a comment!! I would love to add more things to my bucket list and always love hearing what other families do as traditions!

Talking!!!

Well Brayden is finally talking!! Took long enough...sheesh! He started imitating us a long time ago but it never felt like he was talking on his own until a couple of weeks ago. Here is the list of words he is currently saying:
-mama
-cheese
-tree
-hot dog
-dada
-up
-done
-down (which sounds exactly like "done")
-eat
-dog
-hi
-Elmo
-elk
And I think that is all for right now. Some of Brayden's words aren't crystal clear but I can understand what he is saying for the most part. It's been very exciting hearing him try to say new words and then he laughs when I jump up and down with excitement when a new word comes out of his mouth! I will attempt to get some form of spoken words on video for you to hear for yourself!

15 Months Update

Not so shockingly, this is late...again. Oops! Brayden hit the 15 month mark on the 11th and he is a BUSY boy! Sheesh...the kid is hard to keep up with!

Likes:
-running
-food
-being outside
-water
-goldfish
-cheese
-cartoons
-his truck
-Elmo
-his blankies
-making people laugh(more on this below)
-baths
-the pumpkin patch(more on this below as well)
-talking!!
-sleeping
-shoes and socks
-Target
-buttons
-dancing

Dislikes:
-veggies(I have been hiding them in his food)
-things being taken away from him
-being strapped down when he really wants to run
-diaper changes(he doesn't hate them, but they are getting more difficult)

Seriously, my kid likes almost everything! We went to the pumpkin patch a few days ago and he was so happy! He was running around and touching EVERY pumpkin and trying to lift them. He would hit them a few times and then run across the patch to another pumpkin and do the same thing. It was so awesome to see him having so much fun! We will definitely be going back to the pumpkin patch before October is over!! Also, a couple of nights ago, we were at my parents house just hanging out in the backyard and Brayden was cracking us all up! Hubby taught him how to make a fishy face and it is hysterical!! He was making the fishy face and noticed that we were all laughing at him and he really liked it! He began throwing his head back laughing at himself and imitating us adults. That was even funnier!!! He kept doing it because it was making all of us laugh! We might have a class clown on our hands!

 Besides being so silly, he is learning so much and really starting to say real words! Some of these words include : uh oh, cheese, mama, dada, up, down, Elmo, go, stomp, grass, and gone-gone. I am in the process of writing a post about his words so more on this later! I think every day he is trying to say a new word and is copying everything that we do! (I guess we really need to watch what we are saying....the cussing jar could get pretty full!)

Did you notice that there aren't very many "dislikes?!" I had a hard time even coming up with the few things I listed. Obviously my child is not perfect in any way and we have our fair share of tantrums around here. But in all honesty, Brayden is such a happy kid and he is so fun to be around. He is happy so much of the time and just really loves to be around and interact with everyone. I am so in love with my son and I am having such a great time being his mom and teaching him new things and watching his eyes light up when he learns something new...or when I jump up and down because he said a new word...same thing!!

Anyways, we go to the doctor for his 15 month check-up on the 18th so I will have his weight and height updated after his appointment.

And now here is a photo dump :)

If you like this blog, don't forget to vote on Top Baby Blogs...just click here and then on the owl!

Wordless Wednesday!

Boys will be boys...and cover their new shoes with sand. Sweet!

Linking up with Jenni From the Blog!

Time to Vote!!

And not for the new president!! This is easy...I promise! Please take a quick moment to vote for this blog over at Top Baby Blogs. I have found so many other blogs that I love by visiting this site so after you vote, take a moment to check out other awesome blogs. It takes just two clicks to vote for us and we really, really, REALLY love your votes! Just to show you, this is how much we love your votes...

So all you have to do is click on this link, Top Baby Blogs, and then click again on the owl's conversation box. Like I said, super easy!! 

Bath Paints

I have seen bath paints all over Pinterest and decided to give it a try. It had been so hot here that going to the park or doing anything outside was just out of the question, unless it involved water. So, we were stuck inside for pretty much the whole day anytime it was hot. I had to get creative with entertainment. We do watch cartoons but I try to keep that to just the morning and then before naptime or something. I don't like Brayden to watch TV all day. Although the TV may be on, I get Brayden engaged in other things like reading books, doing a puzzle, building with blocks, riding his car, etc. Well, we had done so much of that while it was super hot outside that Brayden was officially over all of it!! So I got back on Pinterest to check out the paint recipe. I didn't have all the ingredients so I kind of made it up myself. I just used water, flour and food coloring. It was a huge success!! Brayden dumped out the paint all over the bath tub floor and swished them around with his hands and "painted" on the tub walls. It was so easy and an even easier clean-up! I just took off his diaper and turned on the water. Done!

I will definitely be doing this again and I really want to make the bath crayons so he can draw on the tub walls! 

Transitions

We have officially transitioned to just one nap a day. Lord help us! Brayden has pretty much always been a good napper and is usually very easy to put down. He lays his head right down and we don't hear a peep. Well that all changed on Wednesday. Brayden decided that he was absolutely NOT going to take his morning nap, which is usually around 10, and he didn't go down until about noon. He took a long nap of about 3 hours and then he was awake until bedtime at about 8. It was a day of seeing this face...

Poor guy! He was so tired and grouchy but apparently he is ready for just one nap. Today is day 3 of one nap and it is much better. He still fights going down but only for a few minutes. He cries when I walk out of the room but then lays down and falls asleep within a few minutes. I am sure the crying will stop altogether in another few days. 

Now that Brayden is down to one nap, we finally have time to go places and get things done. It isn't easy trying to get errands done with your child takes two 2-hour naps every day. Now, we can run morning errands and afternoon errands. Woo hoo! 

As for how this transition came about, Brayden is the one that told me he was ready. Obviously I don't mean he blatantly stated "Mommy, I don't want to take two naps anymore, just one will do." However, when he refused to go down for a morning nap, I knew something was up. So we didn't take a morning nap and I waited to see when he was ready to go to sleep. Around noon he started laying his head down, even on the hardwood floor. It was time! I put him down and walked out, just like I always do with his naps. I didn't want to force him to transition if he wasn't ready. Now I know he is ready and that one nap will suffice. It's a win, win if you ask me!!

Wordless Wednesday

I can't wait to go on another vacation with his handsome man!! We have so much fun and it was so nice to be just the two of us...that hasn't happened in a LONG time!

San Francisco

As promised, here is the rundown from our trip to San Francisco. It all started as birthday presents to me and Chance from my sister and her boyfriend Mike. Best present ever!! All we had to do was buy our flights...check! We purchased our flights for Wednesday the 26th and we would come home Saturday the 29th. Perfect little vacation. Well that all changed when Chance found out he had to take a very important test on the 26th...boo! So as I was in tears thinking that he wouldn't be able to come, my parents suggested we just change his flight to the evening flight instead of the morning flight. Crisis averted. I still flew out on the morning of the 26th by myself and then Chance was going to meet me there that night. I had a great time alone in San Fran! I got a massage on Union Street, ate frozen yogurt, people watched and visited a few stores. Then I headed back to the apartment to wait for Chance, Mike and Sam to get home. As I was waiting to hear from Chance to see how his test went, I started to get very nervous. It was getting very close to his flight and he still wasn't done with his test. He didn't get done with his test until 5:00 pm....his flight left at 4:55 pm. Sad day!! So we just booked him a flight for the next morning. It was a bit of a challenge to get him there!! That night, while it was just me Sam and Mike, we ordered awesome burgers and sweet potato fries and watched TV. It was a great, relaxing night! 

Thursday morning Mike went to the airport to get Chance and then the real vacation started! We took a tour of the city by car (drove to the Golden Gate Bridge, down Lombard Street, Union Street, etc.) and then made our way to a bar to pre-game for the Giants game. 

This was our attempt at taking a picture with the Golden Gate Bridge....it was foggy to say the least!

It ended up being a perfect day for the baseball game!! We got the famous Gilroy Garlic Fries, hot dogs and beer of course. Best part? We were only 4 seats down from the guy that caught a foul ball. I have NEVER been that close to a foul ball before, and to be honest, I don't think I want to be that close ever again. It was scary!! 

After the game, we went back to the apartment, ordered AMAZING Chicago style pizza and watched an agonizing game of Thursday night football!

Friday was our day to be tourists! Sam and Mike both had to work so Chance and I spent all day walking the city! We got up early and walked down to Jefferson Street for some breakfast and then walked to pier 33 for our Alcatraz cruise. We took the freezing boat ride over to the island and then went on the audio tour of the prison. It was AWESOME!! We learned so much about the island and the prison that I would have never known. 

The boat ride over! So chilly!

The island.

Chance standing in front of a typical cell at Alcatraz!

The city behind me...it was a bit windy!

After our tour and cruise back to the city, we walked down Pier 39. This is a very famous pier with tons of shops and the best part?? These guys!

So many seals!! They were crazy too...making loud noises and fighting with each other. The big ones were very territorial and would try to fight any other seal that wanted to be on the same dock. It was so fun to watch them and I think we could have stayed there all day...but we were starving! We headed to Boudin for the famous Clam Chowder Bread Bowls...and they were fantastic! We finished our day by heading back to the apartment for a little rest after our 10 miles of walking.

Then Sam and Mike came home from work and it was time to go to dinner! We had the best dinner I have ever had in my life...no joke! If you ever visit San Francisco, you absolutely MUST go to House of Prime Rib. Holy smokes people, it was delicious! They only have prime rib so you just pick your cut and then you get tons of sides to go with it. It was the perfect way to end our trip. The next morning, we were off to the airport and headed back to 80-90 degree weather. Yuck! We miss the San Francisco fog and cold weather...hopefully we get to visit again soon!

I want to also say thank you to Sam and Mike for everything they did for us while we were in San Francisco. They were the best hosts we could have ever asked for and they totally spoiled us for our birthdays!! We love you guys!

If this didn't inspire you to take a visit to San Francisco, I don't know what will! :)