Amy's Avenue

Random Update

2012-03-01T22:45:00.001-05:00

I have not done an actual update in a while so I thought I would do a bullet style one right quick.

I am currently 22 weeks along! This pregnancy is going by so much faster than it did with Owen. I am sure that is because I am staying quite busy this time around and last time I was pretty lazy feeling sorry for myself! True story!
Due to preterm labor issues, I have started on progesterone shots weekly.
Due to progesterone shots, I have gained 6lbs in one week. YIKES!
My 3 year old has been on a nap strike and I am not so happy about this. I require he has Owen time in his room from 1-3 every day and he knows he has to stay in his room during that time. He has books and stuffed animals in his room he can play with if he chooses. Most of the time he has been playing for a little bit and then sleeping for a good 1.5-2 hours. Not so much the past few days. Please do not say he is done with naps- i need that time!
I watch way more TV than I should, and I get way too into shows. I am a huge bachelor fan but Ben is just killin' me this year. He is so weird looking and kind of a man-whore!
It was 84 degrees here in North Carolina today and I LOVED IT!!!

That is all for now! I really have so much more I want to talk about in the future and I hope to be better at updates soon!

20 week photo

2012-02-28T11:19:00.000-05:00

Ok this was a couple of weeks ago, but here we are in the Bahamas at 20 weeks!

Guest Post- Allison

2012-02-21T10:01:00.002-05:00

The following post was done from my friend Allison. Please scroll to the bottom to read a bit more about her!

‘Wine’ Down DuringDeployment:

Simple ideas to stayclose and stress free

The daily grind is normally enough to send the averageperson above the limit regarding stress, but having a family member, especiallya loved one or spouse can send one to the extreme. At first deployment doesn’tseem all too bad, but then the realization hits. You will be mom and dad forthe next few months or year. Even if you do not have children, not seeing yourbest friend everyday can lead to stress and anxiety which trickle down intoother health problems. Though there is nothing physically one can do toliterally bridge the long distance,there are DYI projects one can participate in to relieve stress in a healthymanner and keep the mind occupied during deployment.

Turn “Trash” IntoSomething Nice

One way to relieve stress is to look at life and everythingin a whole new way; give everyday objects a second life. A way to do this andhave fun is to host a girl’s night with friends, family, and other militarywives. Make some food, open some bottles of wine and have a fun chatty session.

And after the party is over, the real fun just begins. Notonly did the wine and girl time help ease the mind for a few hours, but now thebottles and corks can be used to make a plethora of unique items. For example:

Tiki Torches

Create cool and creative tiki torchesout of the leftover wine bottles. This simple change is a great way to lightenup the backyard and have a conversation starter when people come over. All youneed is a bottle, lamp oil, and a wick, and the job is done.

Tack Boards

One way to always relieve stress is to stay organized. Andwhat better way to do this, then by having the help of a tack board. Now thosethrow-away corks can be used to make a nifty wine-cork tack board. Allyou need is an old frame, super glue/glue gun, and corks. Simple, right?

Mats

And to top of the list for ‘wine’ding down; make unique showermats. This is another simple build that just requires wine corks, a boxframe and some glue. Arrange the cork vertically and you have a one-of-a-kindshower matt.

Thought these are fun ideas to give one a sense ofaccomplishment and help alleviate stress, do not think I am trying to suggestways to not think about your loved one overseas. These are just way to help youget through the time. Also include your loved one in the build of your littleprojects. Send pictures and talk about them, so your hubby, boyfriend, or bestfriend can experience the joy as well. When you are happy, he is happy, and thedistance will seem to vanish. Have fun!

About the Author

My name is Allison and I am a fun-loving, adventurous being.When my job doesn’t have me traveling I normally guest blog, ride my horse, orhang out with friends. I normally write about natural health, but I ampassionate about writing posts regarding natural stress relief and DIY projectsthat can help ease the mind when a loved-one has been deployed.

I’ll be on a boat

2012-02-06T09:26:00.001-05:00

Next week at this time I will be spending my third day on a boat. And BOY I CAN’T WAIT!

17 week ultrasound

2012-01-30T15:49:00.001-05:00

Here are the photos from the 17 week ultrasound!!! Even though he is tiny, I think he is super cute!

How cute is that little tush?!?!?

Hero Owen

2012-01-29T19:43:00.001-05:00

Owen has gotten into dressing up! One morning this week when getting ready for the day he decided he needed a hero outfit complete with bandana, undies, pants for a cape, and house shoes! He makes quite the good hero to me!

Is blue eyeliner ever ok?

2012-01-27T09:56:00.001-05:00

How about when paired with blue-ish mascara?

Does this brighten up the eyes or is it a little too 80’s?

Since getting my nee hair do ive been trying to actually get up and do a little hair/make up each day, and this is one of my new tries.. jury is till out.

What do yall think?

Disclaimer- yes I know I need better eyebrow plucking to happen!

Oh ok, we have been here before!

2012-01-26T15:16:00.001-05:00

This pregnancy has not been as “difficult” as my first with Owen. In that one I threw up every day, several times a day, for the first 25 or so weeks. THAT was hard. I also had some episodes of bleeding that were concerning but eventually worked itself out.

During this pregnancy I have had SEVERAL SEVERAL episodes of bleeding. I have gone into the hospital for this several times. I bleed pretty much every day which during pregnancy is NOT GOOD!

Yesterday we finally got clarification as to WHY this has been happening. I am so glad to have a reason.

I have, for the second time, a condition called placenta previa. It effects .5% of pregnancies and just because you had it in one pregnancy, does not mean that you will develop the condition again.

Well, I did.

We went to Rex Hospital up in Raleigh this week to a Fetal Maternal Specialist. They did a very lengthy 2D/3D ultrasound to check out this little boy and the surrounding area.

Baby boy looks GREAT!!! Squished up in there, but great. The only issue found was a slight previa.

This means : that your placenta is lying unusually low in your uterus, next to or covering your cervix. The placenta is the pancake-shaped organ – normally located near the top of the uterus – that supplies your baby with nutrients through the umbilical cord.

If you're found to have placenta previa early in pregnancy, it's not usually considered a problem. But if the placenta is still close to the cervix later in pregnancy, it can cause bleeding, which can lead to other complications and may mean that you'll need to deliver early. If you have placenta previa when it's time to deliver your baby, you'll need to have a cesarean section.

I am not too worried, we have been through this before. By 28 weeks with Owen the placenta moved and all was well. Hopefully this will be the case this time around as well. My specialist will continue to monitor me for the next several weeks and we should get another high tech ultrasound in March.

It was super fun to see the baby again. He was moving all around and we got some fun views of him. I must say, his tushy is quite cute!!!! He is so flexible and stayed all curled up in his little home. Owen was at the ultrasound as well and he enjoyed seeing his little brother.

We got some 3D pictures of the little guy I will post below. He is 17 weeks so things are a bit difficult to see, but I think he is perfect in every way!!!

{ok the pics are not cooperating, I will post tomorrow! }

Baby Boy Salotti!

2012-01-24T07:43:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we found out Owen is going to have a baby brother!!! YAH! Again, John and Owen were able to attend the ultrasound which made it so much fun for them to see. This little guy is no doubt a boy.

Here are a couple of photos… check out the Salotti nose:

The “money” shot” and the only picture I will ever post of my sons man parts.

The ultrasound was absolutely amazing. I know that there has been a baby growing in my for 17 weeks now, obviously, but when you only feel occasional movements it is easy to forget what is exactly happening. This little boy seems SO BIG! His arms and legs are so huge and he was moving all around. It was so bizarre to see him moving so much and me not be able to feel it yet.

I know that when I do start feeling the big movements they will never stop- he sure is a mover and a shaker!

Now we are going to start looking into bunkbeds for owen and baby number 2, I get to sort through all of Owens old clothes, and I need to decide if I want to do a theme for this little one or keep with Owens airplane theme.

So excited to say I have two sons!

Gender Reveal??

2012-01-22T15:45:00.000-05:00

We have another ultrasound coming up tomorrow and I am hoping to find out the gender of this precious little baby! John says Boy, owen and I say girl... we shall seee!!!!!!

16.5 weeks with a new do!!!

2012-01-22T10:33:00.002-05:00

16.5 weeks with a new hair do!

Yesterday I spent some time by myself up in Raleigh (about an hour away) to do some shopping and to get my hair done. If anyone has been paying attention on Pinterest lately Kate from the Small things blog has been taking over with her amazing hair styling tutorials.

A few months ago I was looking at her tutorial and i thought to myself, gosh I have seen this girl before. Well low and behold her husband and I go way back (like 15 years back) to church camp. We always kept in touch and suddenly i stumbled onto his wife's amazing blog.

So I of course contacted her and yesterday she did my hair for the first time. Can I just say that I LOVE IT!! She took me super blond and gave my cut a sassy little trim. I am so excited!!!

I love finding people with random connections in interesting ways!!

For fun tutorials on how to style your hair, check out Kate at http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/

16 week update

2012-01-19T14:00:00.000-05:00

I am 16 weeks pregnant!! YAH! Tonight I will have John take a photo of my ever growing belly. I am thankful to say that things are going well right now in pregnancy. I have not had any morning sickness in a few weeks. Our family had a touch of the flu last week and I am still recovering from that- but baby wise I am doing great.

We have our next ultrasound on Monday and I am hopeful to find out the sex of the baby. We had an ultrasound about 10 days ago and we MAY have seen boy parts, but I am still not positive that it is a little boy. We shall see :)

Owen got to go with us to the ultrasound a couple of weeks ago and he was so so so amazing. He sat with his eyes wide open as he watched the baby on the screen. After we arrived back hom he got so excited about talking to the baby. HE is going to make a great big brother!

I can not wait to watch this baby grow and for Owen to grow as a brother. This is such an exciting time!

You're My Best Friend

2012-01-19T10:22:00.001-05:00

Today while dropping Owen off at school he turned around and yelled to me "Mommy, you're my best friend".

What a wonderful way to melt my heart and start the day!

I love that little guy!

So excited

2012-01-18T09:05:00.001-05:00

I am so excited about my new blog look... whatta ya think???

My favorite picture

2012-01-16T15:40:00.003-05:00

My favorite photo from our shoot with Lisa is this one of our silly faces!

Makes me laugh every time!!!!

Welcome from Kelly's Korner

2012-01-14T07:48:00.001-05:00

Today I decided to link up to Kelly's Korner Blog for her military family link up. I love meeting new friends in fun new ways and I thought this would be a great way to do that.

My husband and I have been married for 5.5 years. He has been in the military for right around 6 years now. He joined after college and was accepted into Officer training school for the air force. After his commission be began training to be an Air Force Pilot.

We were married in August 2006 and almost immediately moved from Philadelphia all the way to middle of nowhere Oklahoma. It was quite a culture shock for me! The hardest part was moving away from my best friend Erin. We had lived and worked together for almost 3 years and I did not know what to do without seeing her every day! Of course we are still best friends and see each other several times a year.

We moved into our first apartment, began to decorate, compromise on how to live together as a married couple. A few months later we decided to purchase our first home just a few miles away. I absolutely LOVED that little house!

We spent the next year navigating the world of pilot training, doing work on our new house, and enjoying out first year of marriage. In February 2008 we found out we would be moving to Texas unexpectedly. We quickly sold our house, packed it all up, and moved 12 hours south to HOT south Texas.

Texas was so different from Oklahoma. We really enjoyed the outdoors life. John began training and we enjoyed a little more of a relaxed atmosphere. Around July 4th 2008 we found out we were expecting our first child. I spent the first 23 weeks of my pregnancy in Corpus and I had the most wonderful doctors.

One of the best parts about being stationed in Texas was I was able to visit with some of my closest friends on occasion.

I miss them!!!

After being in Texas for about 9 months, we moved to Little Rock Arkansas. John began the last phase of his training in order to become a C-130 pilot. I really enjoyed Little Rock for all of the great things it had to offer. Most of all I love it because it is where our first child, Owen, was born on February 26, 2009.

3 months after Owen was born we packed up once again and moved to Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. Here we purchased our second home, got used to being parents, John was finally in an operational squadron as opposed to in training. It felt like after 3 years of train we were really in the real Air Force.

We have been here in North Carolina for almost 3 years now. While we love our house and our amazing friends, we feel like it is time to move on. This is the longest we have been stationed anywhere so I am beginning to get antsy about where we may go next. We are hoping for Alaska or Colorado! :)

Since getting into the military John has been gone on 2 deployments (only 6 months total), several TDY's lasting from a couple of days to a couple of months, and several schools that have taken him away for periods of time. In fact he just returned home after being away at a school for 2 months making him gone for 7 months total in 2011. We are hoping to get to spend much more time with him in 2012.

We are also expecting our 2nd child on July 4, 2012.

The military has afforded us so many opportunities we would not have had otherwise. We love military life and are so thankful to be a part of this amazing community.

If you came over from Kelly's Korner, make sure to leave a comment so i can check out your blog as well!!!

*Amy!

Blog Makeover

2012-01-13T16:08:00.001-05:00

My blog is going to look weird for a bit. I am in the process of doing a blog makeover that I am SUPER excited about!!! Stay tuned!

Also, after some issues, I have decided to change the way in which comments are left on this blog. Unfortunately this means I am losing all of my comments previously made on here- but it is worth it to me!

15 weeks

2012-01-11T08:38:00.000-05:00

Here is our latest sonogram photo of little baby number 2! We were a bit early to tell the sex of this little one. I am now going to be having ultrasounds every 2 weeks so hopefully we will find out soon!

Owen was able to go to the ultrasound with us which made it super special. He got to actually see the baby in the belly moving around, jumping, dancing, etc. The look on his face was absolutely priceless. Later the night of the ultrasound he wanted to talk to my belly. He told the baby that he was its big brother, and that he was going to teach him/her all kinds of cool things after he/she is born. PRICELESS! I can't wait to see him as a big brother! :)

Poor baby number 2

2012-01-07T11:28:00.001-05:00

If this blog is any indication of the attention baby number two is going to get, he/she is in trouble! With Owen I just loved posting photos of my growing belly, weekly updates, tons of info, etc. This poor kid has had barely a post done! I don't know if it is that I'm just busier this time around chasing after my almost 3 year old (how did that happen so fast???), if my computer crashing has turned me off, or if I just got away from the blogging for a while so I never think about it. But this in no way means I'm less excited about this baby than I was with Owen! In fact, I'm currently chopping at the bit to find out if this is a baby boy or a baby girl..... I am currently 14.5 weeks along. I'm starting to really show! I will post a picture soon! I am actually bigger now than I was at 22 weeks with Owen! Yikes. And if the amount of food I have consumed in the last week is any indication of what I will continue to eat.... My pants have not a chance in the world! There is a small chance we could fine out the sex on Monday, but I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch. Well maybe I am, just a little! In other news, after being gone for 7 of the past 12 months, John is currently on his way home! Thank goodness! I can't wait to have our family back together! Finally!

Meal Plans

2011-12-31T16:31:00.001-05:00

Maybe if I post my meal plans… they will come true… right? I am excited to go to the commissary tomorrow and hopefully find some great deals!

Sunday

B. Pancakes

L. Bagel with peanut butter

D. Spaghetti with meat sauce, making a ton of extra for freezer meals

Snack- yogurt with fruit

Monday

B. Cinnamon Rolls

L. Grilled Cheese

D. crockpot chicken- to freeze tons of extra for taquitos, flauatas, tacos, enchiladas, etc.

Snack- Bagel with cream cheese

Tuesday

B. Waffles with fruit

L. Chicken Nachos

D. Crockpot Chili- to freeze

Snack- Yogurt with fruit

Wednesday

B. Mini Muffins with fruit

L. leftovers buffet!

D. Baked chicken tenders- to freeze extras

Snack- bagel with peanut butter

Thursday

B. Bagel with cream cheese and fruit

L. Carrots, cucumbers, dip, fruit, and cheese

D. Leftovers

Snack- Mini muffins with fruit

Friday

B. Yogurt with fruit

L. Chicken Tenders

D. Lots of baked chicken for wraps, pot pies, etc.

Snack- Veggies with dip

Saturday

B. Waffles

L. Leftovers

D. baked chicken wraps with bacon

Snack- Bagel with cream cheese

Sunday

B. Yogurt with fruit

L. Bagel sandwiches

D. Chili nachos

Snack- cheese and fruit

Monday

B. Yogurt and fruit

L. Sandwiches

D. Chicken Pot pie- make an extra for freezer

Snack- Free day!

Amazing photos of our family!

2011-12-31T10:13:00.001-05:00

While in Pennsylvania for the Holidays, one of my best friends Lisa took some family photos for us. She is an up-and-coming photographer and I could not be happier with the results!

I absolutely can not wait to get some of these framed for our home!!!!

Oh boy this is my last baby!

2011-12-09T08:29:00.001-05:00

I was never that great at the school thing. I got by, but I never tried really hard and I put in minimal effort.

I did the corporate work thing for a while but I was never great at playing the political work game.

I thought the one thing I would be GREAT at was pregnancy.

hahahah

hahaha

hahahah

SO SO SO NOT GOOD AT PREGNANCY!

I am currently 10 weeks along with this little nugget. I have been to the ER 4 times, I have had 6 ultrasounds. Dehydration, proteine in my urine, anemia, bleeding spells, cramping spells. Woah!

Needless to say, I am so so so thankful to be pregnant right now. I can not wait to have one more baby. But this will DEFINITELY be our last. 100% our last. I just can’t do it!!!!

July 4, 2012!!

2011-12-04T20:02:00.001-05:00

Day at the lake

2011-11-07T11:49:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago we headed to Lake Gaston for the day to get a canoe my grandparents were gifting to us. We normally enjoy going to the lake to go boating and swimming, but since it was a bit chilly this time we did more camping style things.

Owen and I enjoyed resting on the hammock!

Peek-a-boo!

Checking out the canoe!

John insisted we make a fire so we could eat some smores!

Thanks for the new fun canoe Mawsy and Doug!

West Produce!

2011-11-06T19:52:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago we went to a local farm/produce place for the day. We had such a fun time as a family!

John was fascinated with a cow eating a pumpkin!

Of course they had some turkeys!

We had a great time on a Hay Ride!

Owen had the most fun on the play area. He loves playing in and around fun things.

Owen has the funniest facial expressions. I wonder where he gets it from ??!?! He and Daddy enjoyed playing in “jail”.

Finally it was time to play on the tractor. Owen did not want to get off and go home!

We are savoring family moments right now!!!

Hope every had a great October!

A sweet homecoming!

2011-10-28T07:54:00.001-04:00

About a month ago John and I went to the base to pick up a friend coming home from a deployment. His wife was still out of town (he was meeting her in a couple of days) so we wanted to go get him and take him out for breakfast. I brought my camera with me to capture photos of lots of our friends arriving home after being overseas for 4 months.

Right at the end I looked out and there was the cutest couple running towards each other in the cutest most dramatic way. I HAD to take some photos. So I snapped a few, and some turned out really good. Afterwards I went up to this woman, who I did not know, and I asked her for her email address. I explained that my husband worked with her hunny, and while I had never met them before, I had captured a few special moments and I would love to send her the photos.

So I emailed the photos along!

A couple of weeks later Marie emailed me asking permission to use the photos in a news article that was being written about them. She had sent the photos to a family member and that member sent it to their local newspaper. I of course said YES and the article can be found HERE.

Aren’t they adorable! I am so thankful I could be a part of their special day!!! And how stunning is Marie?!?!?

Google Reader

2011-10-26T11:37:00.001-04:00

Hey friends, I need some help! Can you please comment on this post and let me know if my blog is coming up in Google reader. I made some setting changes and since I have not seen this blog come on MY google reader.. im just wondering if it is working for others....

thanks so much, friends!

NC State Fair part 2

2011-10-25T19:45:00.000-04:00

Like I said in a previous post, we spent some time at the NC State Fair last weekend. Owen had a wonderful time riding on rides with Mom and Dad. Can I also say how much I love that we had to wear jackets this day.. I just LOVE fall weather!

One of Owen's favorite rides was helicopters. He of course rode this with Daddy! :)

Our little boy had high aspirations for his future to be a pilot :) Helicopters or airplanes, he does not care!

Owen also loved riding on a pony. Daddy of course was right beside him, as he trotted around. A few minutes into riding Owen decided he did not want to be on the mini horse anymore and spent the rest of the "ride" watching.

A cute theme at the fair was school busses, which is right up Owens alley. This mini bus would talk to you and respond to what you were saying. It was really cool for Owen to hear the bus saying "hi Owen"!!!

He also enjoyed touring a real bus and getting to sit in the seats and to pretend like he was the driver!

I had to include this pic, just because! haha. Welcome to the south!

Owen and John got to spend lots of fun time together waiting in lines. He was more than content to be with Daddy all day long!

Of course, the other favorite of the day was the train ride. Owen is in love with trains and loved being the driver for a while!

I do not think that we will go to the state fair in NC again, but I am glad we took Owen this time. I was not a fan of how overpriced the event was. I feel like it made it not attainable for the normal family. But it was a fun once in a while thing :)

2011 Goals- Part III

2011-10-22T01:42:00.000-04:00

Wow, we are on to part 3 of this goals post!

11. To exercise at least 3 times a week. I NEVER exercise. I really need to start doing the 30 day shred and walking each week. I know it would give me so much more energy and make my days much better! I am not wanting to lose weight, just to tone up and get my heart pumping.

12. To spend more time on my marriage. I know I often take John for granted. I HATE THIS. I am so incredibly blessed with the most amazing husband a woman could ask for. He is my rock and my best friend. I need to show him daily how much i truly love him. I need to spend more time hugging and kissing him, more time prasing him and telling him how much i appreciate him, more time in prayer with him and for him, and to spend more time doing things with him that we both enjoy.

13. To be a better meal planner, couponner, and shopper. This is self explanatory.

14. To get Owen potty trained by Christmas. He is good about going on the potty when I ask him to, but he does not tell me when he needs to go. I need to be more diligent with his training and figure out the best way to motivate him.

15. To pray more and to thank God for all of my blessings. There is great power in prayer and I do not take advantage of the amazing things the Lord has to offer me. I need to rely on him more and not try to control situations myself.

I know I have so many other things that I want to work on, but 15 is a lot to ask for in the next couple of months! I pray that I stay motivated to do these things and to better myself.

2011 Goals- Part II

2011-10-21T01:37:00.000-04:00

continued from the last post!

6. To be better about emails and clear out my inbox at least every 2 days. I LOVE having a clean outlook inbox, but it rarely happens. I get so behind sometimes. Also my important emails are often lost amongst the tons of junk I receive. I also need to unsubscribe from this junk each time i get one. Hopefully soon I will not get as much email which will in turn help me keep my inbox cleared out!

7. To post on this blog at least 3 times a week. I absolutely love blogging and I have really fallen off the post bandwagon. I have tons and tons of pictures I want to post and I have not gotten around to it. I love using this blog as a way to keep memories about our life. I love going back and remembering Owens stats, how we handled moves, things that were important to me at a certain time.

8. To post on my new design/craft/cooking blog at least 3 times a week. I opened up a new blog to chronicle my interest in crafty things. I really want to get serious about posting on that blog- which can be found at www.aymesinspired.blogspot.com.It is just starting up and it will take me a bit to get it looking just how I want it, but I am super excited.

9. To be a better friend. This is such a broad statement, but so important to me. I am surrounded by the most amazing friends that a girl could ever ask for. I need to put more time into my friendships, plan more events with friends, and to try and bless my friends just as much as they bless me!

10. To continue to get more organized. I have been really good lately at making lists and sticking to it. I also have been great at keeping a calendar. For christmas I have asked for a new franklin planner- the best of all the planners! I am in love! I feel so much better about myself and my days when I accomplish the lists that I make.

Wow, and I have more still! Goals are addicting!

2011 Goals, Part 1

2011-10-20T01:22:00.002-04:00

I think it is about time for me to revisit some goals I made for 2011 and to make some new ones! In the last few weeks I have really been working on bettering myself emotionally, physically, spiritually, and just all around in general! Here are my current goals, in no particular order!

1. To wear earrings daily. I know, this seems really random. But I have had 2 holes in each ear for over 20 years now and I have probably actually worn earrings a total of 1 year of that time. I always love seeing cute earrings but I just never put them on myself.

2. To accessorize more. I have been anti necklaces since Owen was born. When he was a baby he would pull and yank on my necklaces so I just stopped wearing them at all. However, I have so many cute ones and I want to use them to accessorize more. I also have some really cute rings, belts, etc.

3. To do my hair and makeup at least 3 times a week. Baby steps. I have fallen into the mommy rut of climbing out of bed, caring for the child, and neglecting my appearance. Well NO MORE! I need to make a huge effort to look nice. Along with this I need to change out of my PJ's daily. Sometimes I just think it is easier and more comfortable to stay in leggings and a tank top. However I always feel so much better about myself when I get some cute clothes on!!!!

4. To get on a better sleep schedule. I often seem to get either WAY too much sleep, or significantly not enough sleep. Case in point- it is currently 120am and I am still working on stuff. Last week though I was going to bed by 830 (I had a bad cold) and getting almost 11 hours of sleep. I need to make a commitment to get into bed between 10-11 each night.

5. To be present. So many times I feel like I am doing too many things at once, neglecting to be present in the moment I am in. I need to be more present with Owen- playing on the floor with him, teaching him, and not worrying about anything else. I also need to be more present when interacting with John. I often have so many things floating through my head, questions i remember i need to ask him, or things I need to do in order to truly live in the moment with the love of my life!

I have so many other goals that I will post shortly. Baby Steps Amy. Baby Steps!

2011-10-17T12:33:00.000-04:00

This weekend we attended the NC State Fair! I have always been a fan of state fairs, but I must say the NC one was a bit disappointing. It was mostly fried foods (like deep fried oreo’s, deep fried pickles, deep fried kool-aid???). There were not as many exhibits as we had hoped for, but it was great spending time together as a family. We get such little time to do this, so we cherish every moment!

I am an amusement park lover. I grew up about 15 minutes from Busch Gardens in VA and spent many many weekends there with my friends and family. I love love love roller coasters or anything remotely scary like that. So when we went to the state fair I decided Owen and I should definitely do some fun rides together. The first ride we happened upon was the “battering ram” or pirate ship- which ever you want to call it. I decided to ride it with Owen while John took pictures.

I swear Owen was having fun. He was laughing and smiling. But when the boat would get to the highest point and it would give that little bottoms up feeling in your belly he did not seem to have as much fun. Unfortunately all of the pictures we got reflected these “not so fun” moments.

Terror. Sheer terror on his face. Looks like a parenting fail, but I swear he was having fun!!!
And just to prove he DID love rides at the fair, here are a couple of him riding on a 4-wheeler by himself! I love his smug expression!!

More photos coming soon! :)