Favorites- Anniversary Edition

Happy Friday and Happy Anniversary to this couple! Today is our 4th wedding anniversary. What better way to start out our day than sharing my most favorite moments with my guy.

Buying our home- 

We may have been only dating for 9 months when we bought our home. I guess you could say we just knew. 

Celebrating the day we met at the same apple orchard every year since we met. 

Disney World- 

We were dating about 6 months so going away with one another was pretty interesting. As I have an awful fear of flying it was on this trip when Brian really got to see my fear and anxiety. He handled it like a champ and I was finally able to let my walls down. Plus, its the happiest place on earth. Why wouldn't it be perfect. 

Our multiple trips to North Carolina- On our first trip I swore he would propose, he didn't but I certainly made sure I looked perfect for pictures just in case.

Engagement Day- 

Brian proposed to me where we first met under the tree where he said was the first moment he just knew a few years earlier. 

Our Second Date- 

We stayed up all night. We went to a haunted house, had dinner, sat in a park for hours just taking and  when the sun rose we went to a cafe for coffee. 

When I become his wife. 

Honeymooning in Bermuda- 

Getting to fulfill a lifelong dream of mine to swim with the dolphins. 

When the 2 of us became the 3 of us. 

When we found out the 3 us us would become the 4 of us! 

Happy Anniversary Brian! 

A Little Bit of Positive

About a year ago I was going through a tough time with stress and I created a post filled with positive quotes. I got a lot of great responses. Although I don't have the same stress as last year I had a terrible sonogram appointment yesterday. Thankfully the baby is absolutely fine but the tech who did the sonogram was rude and the doctor was pushy and tried to change my opinion on testing and doing an amnio. I also found out I was sent to this doctor to find downs and CF when I was told it was due to me turning 36 last month. On a day I should have been happy I was really upset and cried most of the day. I guess I could really use some positivity today.

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So have a little positivity to start the day...

17 Weeks!

On the cusp of 18 weeks. 

So much worse with taking pictures this time around. 

How far along: 17 Weeks

Total weight gain: Nothing yet. 

Baby Size: She is about 11 inches long, which is just about one inch shorter than your average 12-inch ruler and most likely crossed the one-pound mark in weight.

Movement: I feel very faint butterflies. Can't wait to feel lots of movement. 

Sleep: Through out my back which makes sleeping impossible. It actually makes most of everything difficult. 

Cravings/Aversions: It's weird. I have no appetite at all! Nothing seems tasty to me. I really am only eating to sustain. I seem to crave things but I usually have a few bites and thats about all I'm interested in. I have been craving juices, iced teas and anything iced cold. Passion fruit shaken tea from Starbucks has been a new favorite. 

Symptoms: Pelvis pain- I initially thought it was round ligament pain but the pain in my pelvis stops me in my tracks! I have to get up really slowly in order to feel less pain. Dry eyes- My eyes are so itchy. I need to get myself some eye drops. Heartburn- I'be already got my large Tums bottle ready for myself. 

Exercise: I've been walking as much as I can. I have also become obsessed with prenatal yoga. I feel like it's really helping. 

Mood: My mood is up and down a lot. My husband and I got in a fight and I didn't speak to him for 4 days. Thankfully everything is ok with us now. On Saturday I had a little meltdown at the meltdown at the mall with my mom because Jack was basically just being a toddler. My back pain has also made it hard for me to be positive. Lots of tears have been shed. 

Miss Anything: Beer. I've really been craving beer lately. I think because it's warm, we have been out on our deck and cooking on our grill. It all goes hand and hand with a nice cold beer. 

Confessions

I CONFESS: 

- I've become obsessed with shaken tea from Starbucks. I should be embarrassed because whenever I pull into the Starbucks drive thru Jack yells "Coffee with Milk!!!" He gets so disappointed when I don't say it. I think we visit way to often!

- My hormones are OUT.OF.CONTROL lately! Holy cow! I'm all over the place! If I hear "Piece By Piece" on the radio I'm sure to be ballin my eyes out! I had a pretty epic fight with my husband last week. I was being such a jerk I didn't talk to him for 4 days!!! I am trying to be more mindful of it but I'm a work in progress!!!

- I'm obsessed with this article! I read it this week and I swear this writer could have been me. I read it several times in shock that some one feels the same way I do. Anxiety is no joke. Anxiety as a parent is just plain old scary.

- Shopping for bathing suits when pregnant and knowing you're only going to get larger kinda sucks! After several trips to the store i have just decided on one.  I don't even care if it makes me look like a whale. So many are cut so low and my up top twins are in no place to be hanging out all over the place.

- I confess I couldn't put my shoes on this morning but refused to wear anything else. Thanks to throwing out my back it took me 10 minutes to put on my shoes. From now on I'm settling for flip flops! I don't care what the people at work think either!

Linking up with Confessions of a Northern Belle. 

2nd Trimester- Thank Goodness You are Finally Here

Technically I'm already at 18 weeks but I'm way behind this pregnancy and this is the only pregnant picture I've taken of myself. 

Weight: Since I am feeling so miserable most of January and all of February I have lost 11 pounds. I was never this sick with Jack. Food just seems gross to me. It's been a tough 1st trimester.

Sleep: I am out cold by 10 every night! I just wish I could stay asleep. I'm usually up to pee and can't fall asleep. Netflix at 3am is my mid morning appointment most days.

Cravings/Aversions:  Coffee, I suddenly can’t drink it. The thought of it, or any hot beverage makes me heave. Anything hot, meat, dairy or soft makes me gag. The only thing that seems ok are cold things, crunchy things, bagels and water with lemon. I have craved things, cooked them and ended up eating 2 bites. I can't wait for this time period to end.

Symptoms: I had missed my period and pushed it off for a few days. After my miscarriage in November I was kind of afraid of a positive. I was so nervous it would happen all over again. EXHAUSTION- was my first symptom. It feels like I'm ready to pass out every night by 8pm and waking up for work has been a total chore. BOOB PROBLEMS- OUCH! First off they get so big so fast then immediately start to hurt. At 8 weeks, just like with Jack, I started to bleed. After a check up and a second ultra sound it was confirmed that Baby G was doing just fine. No real reason for it. It just happened, both times. QUEASY- I am always queasy!!!!

Exercise: I've been sooooo tired the thought of exercising has been the furthest from my head. I have taken as many walks as I can with Jack. I got a fit bit for my birthday last week and it has been an awesome addition. I love it. I think it is going to help me a lot through this pregnancy. 

Mood: Since I'm feeling so sick most the time and tired all the time it has made me a little bit of a whiny brat. I'm feeling really stressed since this will be my 5th pregnancy :/ I look at the toilet paper every time I pee thinking that something has gone wrong. I'm a mess.

Random: Being a Mom to a toddler is exhausting but being a pregnant with a toddler is all out insanity! I feel guilty that I haven't had much energy to much with Jack. We have skipped a few story time days and laid around in our pajamas. I'm trying to sock away the cash. This time around I won't have enough benefit time to cover 3 full months of FMLA cause our country sucks! I'll have to collect disability for a few weeks which only equals $170 a week. We will be so poor by the time next Christmas comes.

Jack- Is doing really well. Its so interesting how easy how he picks up on things. When I ask what is in mommy's belly he points and says baby or "brodda"! We bought him a bunch of big boy stuff to create his big boy room (He will have to share with new sister or brother for now) We also bought him a baby doll and he is doing so great with her. He puts her hat on and makes sure her pacifier is in her mouth. 

Wardrobe Cleanse

There is no denying I have a shopping addiction which leads to very crowded quarters in our walk in closet and limited space in my dresser drawers. Last week I just felt the urge to purge! I felt like I was drowning in stuff; unwanted and unneeded stuff! One afternoon after work I felt compelled to get into my closet and get rid of things! A few hours later and 6 huge garbage bags later I felt so relieved! It wasn't as fun as the notorious Sex and City wardrobe cleanse but still it felt amazing!

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Here are my rules for a solid closet clean up!

- Do I love this?

- Does it fit?

- Do I feel confident in it? 

- Will I wear it again? 

- Have I worn this in the last year? 

Once I got down to it it was pretty easy! I notice the faster I move the less time I have for regret. Any item I doubt I pull off the hanger and its moved to the SELL or DONATE piles. The item doesn't get put back. I tend to by a lot of similar clothes so it was easy to get rid of those.  I also have a ton of pre pregnancy clothes that no longer fit. I've held onto them for too long. My body has changed so much since pregnancy. They do not fit so I let those go too. If I get back to my pre pregnancy wait I think I deserve some new jeans! 

I didn't just toss clothes I tossed old fashion jewelry and shoes too. The jewelry was a little harder to donate because a lot of it was given as gifts. I have a harder time getting rid of gifts than items I purchased myself.  I never realized how many pairs of shoes I have as opposed to how many I actually wear. I have a rotation of 2 boots, 1 black, 1 brown but I had 5 pairs of brown booths and 3 black. I tossed all but 2 pairs of boots. I did the same with sandals too.

I can't believe how refreshing it is to clear things out! It got me on a roll and inspired. I went to the baby's room and did a better job of organizing his items better. M'y husband was inspire too. We had a leak in our closet last year and it is in need of repairs. Since the closet looks so clear he already started patching.

How do you decide what to keep and what to purge?
Do you have a set schedule or do you just get the feeling to do it? 

Babymoon is Booked

After lots of back and forth we have decided to treat ourselves to a babymoon before we become a family of 4. We couldn't decide if we wanted to because I felt so guilty that we should be spending time with Jack instead. Honestly, Brian and I have only had 3 dates since Jack was born. That is 3 in almost 3 years. We promised each other it would be worth it and we deserved it. We also promised each other we would be sure to spend extra loving and fun times with Jack before baby #2 arrives in September. We are planning season passes to the local waterpark as well as trips the the railway museum, local lakes and letting him tell us what he would like to do before baby comes! Before Jack was born we spent a week at the beach in North Carolina. This time around it is very different but its a time for us to reconnect. We spend all of our time focussing on Jack and often ignore one another. 

So we have decided on a 2 night, 3 day stay at Crystal Spring Resorts. The resort is right in our backyard. There is golf for Brian, a spa for me and indoor/outdoor pools for the both of us.   We booked during a special so we were able to reserve a room with full size balcony with a beautiful view of the mountains. In addition to all these great things I can't wait to eat there. 

Biosphere indoor pool 

I can not wait to visit The Chef's Garden where they serve all local grown foods and local meats. 

Dinner at The Cellar sounds amazing but sitting in a wine cellar 6 months pregnant is like a tease! 

All photos courtesy of Crystal Springs Resorts

Have you been on a babymoon? 

If so where have you gone? 

Did you find you were able to reconnect with your spouse? 

You can check out our 1st baby moon posts below:
Road Trip Must Haves
Vacation Recap

We are EGG-specting!

Our little family was so happy to announce that we are so EGG-Specting baby #2.

Here are the details on Baby G2 and how we found out. Baby Gargano due to hatch September 23! We are rather surprised but grateful non the less. Back in January I wasn't feeling so hot but I usually feel crappy before my monthly visitor.  While shopping at Target I realized I was late. I'm never, ever late. I ran across the store to get myself a test. When we got home later on I took the test and and behold I saw a big old "pregnant" on the digital test. My husband and I both laughed.  I think we were both in shock. I think we still are. I waited several weeks to call our doctor as I was worried I might loss this pregnancy like I did back in November.  Miscarriages really have a way of stealing your joy. Jack has been awesome. We bought him a baby doll and we have been telling him there is a baby in mommy's belly. Jack now thinks there is a "brudda" in everyone's belly. I sure hope he doesn't offend the wrong women. He is also asking for a "brudda" who is a girl. We are working on that.

We are going strong at 15+ weeks. Im feeling OK. I'm happy to be out of the 1st trimester. It was rough. I even took a couple of days off work because I just couldn't keep anything down. I lost a lot of weight but baby is doing really good. I have an issue doctors call it a subchorionic hematoma where I have a small blood "pocket" near the baby so I often bleed. It's frightening when you start to bleed. It has happened 3 times and each time I had to go in for a sonogram to ensure baby was fine. Baby is doing well and my doctors told us to not worry as these often clear up on their own. So we will wait patiently for a few more weeks. Cross your fingers for us and think happy thoughts.

Confessions

Happy Wednesday folks. Linking up with Confessions of a Northern Belle today.


I confess I barely ever make dinner any more. Over the summer we started using Hello Fresh and recently switched over to Blue Apron after lots of Hello Fresh mess ups. However, I did make this pot of deliciousness last night and I can't get enough. The entire house smelled delicious yesterday. I can't wait for leftovers for lunch!

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I confess I made out like a bandit at Walmart yesterday on post Easter goodies. I just love to see 50% off sales! We picked up M&Ms because they are potty training magic. Plain decorative eggs to paint next year and some Reese's' Peanut Butter Cups for yours truly because I have no self control.

I got a Fit Bit for my birthday last week and I confess that I am OBSESSED!!! It's the greatest thing I've ever owned. I'm so happy to see what I'm doing each day and trying to outdo myself each day makes me feel good!

 I confess that I've been a little bit upset. My husband did not get the promotion he had went for a few weeks back. No one in his company did so he is really disappointed too. The staff in the corporate sector really made him believe he was a shoe in for it. I was already looking at houses and planning so much. It's a let down and I can't help feel bad for him.

I confess I've been hiding a little something. It's not much of a surprise if you follow me on Instagram.  We are 14 weeks along with Baby G #2! Our hearts are full.

Have a wonderful day!

Birthday Day!

Today is my birthday. Yep, my 36th birthday! How can I feel so old but not so old all at the same time? It's crazy. I feel like I was just 23 and partying with friends and now I'm in bed before 10 and up before the sun! Time just seems to fly by the older I get!

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A few weeks back I saw this awesome birthday post by Stephanie and was completely inspired. To celebrate her birthday she wrote a post about the best things in her life that are free. The best things in life are free and here are my things: 

- Cuddling with Jack

- Sunday dinner with my family

- Watching Jack and other kids playing and enjoying themselves at the park.

- The smell of hyacinths in the spring

- Sand between my toes. 

- A freshly washed comforter

- The filling the last word in a crossword puzzle or number in a sudoku puzzle. 

- Sitting on my back deck after dark with a glass of wine.  

- The smell of rain on a hot summer day. 

- Inside jokes with your best friend

- The first day of spring when you don't have to wear a coat!

- Seeing how happy Jack makes other people. 

- Beating the time set on your GPS

- Looking at old photo albums 

- Your favorite song on the radio

- Dogs! Doggie kisses, doggie cuddles, doggie EVERYTHING! 

- A thank you from a complete stranger

- Jack hugs! 

- Hearing good news about people who truly deserve it. 

These are just a few of the things that make me happy and they don't cost a penny. I intend on spending today with my favorite toddler. I took the day off and the weather looks amazing. It's going to be a park day for us and we may do a little shopping. 

What are some of the best things in your life for free! 

Oh Hey Friday

Happy Friday Friends. With spring upon us and the weekend around the corner I can't help but be excited about it.

- It's March!!! Finally! Bring on the green grass, flowers, days at the park, St. Paddy's Day and Easter! I'm so ready for Spring. Nothing makes me happier than that first day of not having to wear a winter coat. This year we went right from the coat to the tank tops this week!

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- Jack has shown a lot of interest in baby dolls lately. He never liked stuffed animals or showed interest in them. Last week he went shopping with my mom and begged he for a baby in a carriage. The only reason she didn't get it was because it was $40. The other day while shopping with me I picked one up for him. I have nothing against boys playing with dolls and actually thinks its great to teach them how to care for something else. (We have been asking daddy for a new dog too. That may also help.) Plus, its a nice departure from the constant trains!

- Fuller House- Oh my goodness! Brings back so many memories. I just wish that Netflix would have run some of the original episodes. Growing up I loved Full House on Friday nights and remember the first episode so vividly. I have to admit that some of the weird jokes make me cringe. It's kind of strange. Am I the only one? I'm really wishing that it would get better. I'm trying to avoid binge watching like I usually do.


- The Walking Dead- Yep, my husband and I are hooked. He started watching it on Netflix a few weeks ago and we are hooked. We were up till 3am on Saturday watching. It's like we can't stop! How did I wait this long!?!?

- The best news of all is a new baby, our family welcomed my new cousin Noah into the world during the early hours of the morning. He's so new we don't even have a picture yet!



What are you're favorites this week?
Hope you had a great week and have an even better weekend.

Dreams Of Our Forever Home

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We have been living in our townhouse since 2010. We bought it when the market was pretty low and got a good deal on it.  We weren't married or even engaged yet. It was perfect for the two of us. In the last 6 years we have grown as a family and its just not working for us any longer. Although I love our home I really want a house of our own. Our neighbors are ok, the neighborhood is nice but there is just something about having a home of our own.

My husband recently applied for a promotion at his job. He has to wait until the end of March before we find out. Brian would be making a lot more money each year which means we could sell our townhouse and hopefully buy something a little larger. We have our fingers and toes crossed he get this promotion. The promotion won't be easy. It will be pretty tough on him and his hours/days will change but he is prepared for it and even excited about it.

A few things that have been driving me crazy about our townhouse as we've been here for 6 years. First off we only have 2 bedrooms. Although Jack's room is large, has 2 closets and it's own bathroom it is just not big enough for more than one child. He has so much and so many toys they have taken over his room and our basement which has now become our makeshift playroom The only problem is we kind of hate our basement. It's underground and just blah! Another thing, we have an eat in kitchen but no dining room. This makes it impossible for us to host any type of holiday for our large families. We have a lot of square footage but its split on 3 floors. Living in a townhouse community we are stuck with common charges and our development has really been slipping on what they are doing to maintain the exterior even though we pay a ton of money is fees.

Things I'm looking for in a new house:

- A dining room.

- 3 or even 4 bedrooms

- 2.5 or more bathrooms

- Somewhat updated home

- Hardwood flooring- so much better for Jack's lungs

-Spacious entry way

- A garage

- Outdoor/ backyard space preferably something we can fence in and get a dog...shhh! Don't tell my husband.

- Front porch with room for a rocker or swing- Big dreams!!!! 

I'm a big fan of craftsman style homes which are almost impossible to find in my part of NJ. We are the land of split ranch houses. I love them and almost everyone I know lives in one but they aren't my first choice. We also live in an area where there are tons of lake homes that were once 3 season homes and converted so it's difficult time find anything craftsman.

No matter what we are so lucky to have a roof over our head. If we don't get a chance to move I still believe we are the luckiest. We have each other and that is all we need. Please keep us in your thoughts and send us good wishes that my husband gets this promotion and we can start searching for our dream home.

Confessions

It's time for this week's version of I Confess along with Confessions of a Northern Belle. 

First off I have to confess I have become a Walking Dead ADDICT. It's quite bad actually. Back when it first premiered we watched the first episode and never watched again. Two weeks ago I got home from my parent's house to find Brian completely immersed in the first season on Netflix. I got hooked. We were up till all hours of the night this weekend and we are already on season 5! This show is so addicting. The cliffhangers get me all the time! It reminds me a lot of Breaking Bad and how addicted I got to that too. Oh, AMC what are you doing to me!?!?! 

We are total addicts! 

Anyone else? 

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It's March so it is officially Easter time around here. I already got all of Jack's Easter goodies, decorations are up. I don't care if it's supposed to snow this week it is still spring time for me. I'm loving every second of it. Plus March is my birthday month so I'm extra happy it's here! 

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Since it's Easter time I should probably confess my addiction for jelly beans. I don't want any of those black licorice ones. I want the sour Jelly Belly, Starburst and Jolly Rancher. They are not safe around me this time of year! 

Moms at the park. I have to say that I can't stand the majority of the mom's at our local park. Seriously, WATCH YOUR KID!!!! Just because your  child is older doesn't mean you can sit on a bench 20 feet away, drinking your coffee and talking on the phone. Your 5 year old is trampling all the little kids and pushing them around. I don't want to sound like a jerk but come on. Watch your child. Even more than watching your child, have fun with them. Play with them. Let them enjoy your company! Time is so precious!!!!

What are some of your confessions this week? 

My Birthday Wish List

I may have mentioned that my birthday happens to be at the end of March. I've mentioned before I never really ask for anything for my birthday or any holiday. I always like to create a little wish list. It's kind of a dream wish list although this year is a bit different. My husband asked a while back if I'd like a FitBit after he bought them for his parent's for Christmas. I asked him to hold off until my birthday. So I'm still hoping he remembers that conversation and I get one for my birthday.

Here is my little birthday wish list.

birthday by kj2380 featuring round sunglasses

- Truth be told I already bought myself a teal handbag with a gift card I got for Christmas. I'm absolutely in love with it.

- I am in desperate need of a mani and pedi!

- I'd love a pair or strappy sandals for the summer. These are just too cute.

- Everyone is having a Keep Collective party on FB these days. They are super cute but just like all the Alex and Ani bracelets I never wear I should really avoid any more!

- Sunglasses. I have a pair that I adore. I got them at Marshalls years ago for only $10 and surprisingly they have held up so well. I am in need of back up pair.

Jack says...

This toddler of mine cracks me up most of the time. Besides the attitude and the constant craziness toddlers are really darn cool. Lately, he is full of stories too. Some of them true and some of them, not so much, but still pretty darn funny to listen too.He's turned into such a boy and less of a baby everyday. When we take walks he walks the whole way with us rather than in the stroller. He finds things humorous and laughs at the appropriate times. I really like spending my time with my crazy little man.

Here are some of my favorite Jack sayings-

"Help Ju"- Which means Help Me

"Fun Cake"- Cupcakes

"Faffles with dip dip"- Waffle with syrup

"Oopsie Daze"- Whenever anything falls, he trips or throws something.

"O-gurt"- Yogurt

"Uh-sayres"- Upstairs

"Frinkles"- Sprinkles

"Buddies"- Annie's Fruit Snacks

"He flash"- Means he splashes

"Humpy-Dumbee"- He means Humpty Dumpty and those are a method we use in swim class to get him to fall into the pool.

"Roll ova"- Anytime something falls

"I got me"- He yells this when he tackles or hugs me. '"

"I FINE"- Whenever I tell him to be careful or ask to change his diaper

"Up da hill, down da hill"- He says this whenever anything goes up or down.

Those are just a few of my favorites, but I honestly love listening to him talk and could listen all day long. If I give him something he says "Ju Welcome" instead of "Thank you". It is really funny.  We’re working on it though.  If you ask him where someone or something is, he will look at you and say "They working" except for my retired dad. When I ask where his Pop is he will say "He's sleeping". He loves chatting on the phone and really loves FaceTime. If some one does answer the call he says "They sleeping". He tells me about his day when I get home from work and most of the time he rats his cousin out for crying and having temper tantrums; "Ryan cries. Ryan says I don't want it" and he usually laughs about it. He can be so fresh. He loves talking about my in laws dogs and gives me the play by play on how many treats he gives them and if Daisy, the puppy, steals his toys. Recently he saw a squirrel that fell on my in law's deck and he told the story over and over as he laughs his little behind off. 

Toddlers are tough but they are so much fun. 

I feel so blessed! 

What I'm Pinning Lately

Today I'm changing things up from my usual Wednesday post. Many years ago I always posted with Michelle and Pinteresting Wednesday. Sadly, that link up is no more but I've recently found another link up with Jenn from going the Distance. Check back next week for my confessions.

Here is what I'm pinning lately.

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Can you tell I'm having total spring fever?