Paxton 18 Months *a day late

Happy 18 months to my handsome, sweet, little man.

You love climbing...you are a daredevil!

You love your big sister and try to do everything she does.

You give the best hugs and kisses, though right now, you are a total Daddy's boy.

You say Mama and Dada, but not often.

You wave, clap, and dance all of the time.

You love to play your keyboard, kick your soccer balls, and play with trucks.

You still refuse solid food.

You weigh approximately 26 lbs and wear size 18 month clothes and size 4 diaper.

You are amazing and wonderful. You have a contagious smile and we love you more than words could ever say.

Disney Princesses

This picture has been all over pinterest and I could not help but post it as well. Please note, I would NEVER dress up as a Disney Princess but I've got to say, I'm liking Jasmine, Mulan, and Tiana's outfit.

If.....

-If our car had not been stolen on the morning of our wedding (true story), we would not have been able to afford a new kitchen (thanks home owners insurance)!
-If I had known what it meant when people said..."when you marry a man, you marry his family", I might have insisted we stay in Northern VA (just kidding---kind of).
-If I had not dated a bunch of total jerks, I would not have learned to truly appreciate the great guy I married.
-If I had given birth to twin girls, their names would have been Mia Kennedy and McKenzie Rosalie.
-If I had given birth to twin boys, their names would have been Parker Kennedy and Cooper (something).
If Paxton had been a girl, his name would have been Peyton McKenzie
-If I had not had a miscarriage in May 2009, I would not have Paxton.
-If I had free time, I would LOVE to volunteer at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Alexandria, VA again. I loved feeling like I was making a difference and helping to bring those kids home. It is a cause I am really passionate about.
-If I were rich and could afford several nanny's and baby nurses, I'd adopt as many kids as I could so that I could give them a loving happy home to grow up in.
-If my daughter does not stop throwing tantrums....I may need to start drinking on a regular basis.
-If my son does not eat regular food soon (and take less than 1.5 hours to eat 1 meal, I may need to start drinking.
If I had time and money, I'd join the gym again. I miss working out. I feel less motivated at home--when I have the choice to sit my fat butt on the sofa and watch tv.

Work Out Plan---and new stats.

I don't know it is possible since I was weighed 2-3 weeks ago, but I went to the Dr. today I am weight 122 lbs. That's right....122!! I haven't weighed that much since my wedding. Woo hoo! To celebrate, I had 2 tacos and chips and salsa from Chipoltle and....of course...a Choco Taco. I am addicted.
But...on to my workout plan. I'm joining Kristen's (www.firstnamesmith.com) firm fridays. To get back in shape I will:

1. Take Yoga on Mondays at work
2. Take bandercize on Tuesdays.
3. Walk the stairs (7 flights) every day at least once a day
4. Do a minimum of 50 crunches on my exercise ball every night.

Friday workout stats

First and foremost, I may be the most technology challenged person ever. Seriously, can't figure out how to put a button thingy on my blog and I still can't figure out how to put pictures where I want them to go. Ugh.... For someone married to an IT manager, you'd think I'd be a little more up on technology.

Ok, now to my stats --and FYI--the above picture is the most current one I have. Sad, but true. Currently, I am 5' 5 1/2", 128 lbs, size 4/6. I'm at my pre-pregnancy weight, but NOT in pre-pregnancy shape. I used to work out 5-6 days a week. I was toned and in shape and had a flat stomach. I could walk up 10 flights of stairs (which I did a few times a day at work for exercise) without being winded. Now I can't make it up one flight without being out of breath.

My goal is not to lose weight. My goal is to increase my endurance and tone my arms and legs. My hope is to run a 5k in the fall and be able to bike ride with my kids this summer without feeling like I might die. Seems simple enough, right?

New Year...New Resolutions

I normally do not do New Years Resolutions; however, I think I am going to this year. I have found that I've become less patient and annoyed more easily (especially when it comes to our parents), more out of shape, and terrible with following things through. This year, I plan to:

1. Be a better teacher and example for my kids. I mean this in every aspect of parenting. I worked with Mia daily to teach her words, animal sounds, etc. I just find that I am exhausted now and I work less with Paxton. I also need to somehow figure out how to make God more a part of our daily life. Mia prays every night, but it isn't without a fight.

2. Be a better daughter/daughter in law. I often feel very overwhelmed with my husbands LARGE Italian family. They do everything together and I feel like I'm sufficating. I don't like others to tell me how to parent my kids, give them food without checking with me first, etc. But...that said, I need to be more accepting and tolerant. With my mom, I often feel like her parent as well instead of her daughter. I need to be nicer and more patient with her. She is becoming very forgetful and instead of being annoyed, I need to try to help her more.

3. Make more of an effort to help my kids get to know my Dad. I've had mixed feelings on this as I felt like he should make the effort. I felt like -"why should I have to travel to FL with 2 toddlers when he has no responsibilities and can travel much more easily--He does take cruises a few times a year yet he has only met my son once for 3 hours when we went to Disney". Oh well...I need to step up and take matters into my own hands. My Dad recently had colon cancer surgery for the 2nd time in 3 years. I realize now how little time we all have. I need to stop holding grudges and feeling like others should be responsible. If I want something, I need to do it myself. Therefore, I will travel with my kids to Florida more often so they can build a relationship.

4. Wear makeup to cover the dark circles under my eyes. Seriously...sometimes, I am just too lazy.

5. Lastly, I want to start running. Though I've lost all of my pregnancy weight and I'm happy with my size, I am really out of shape. I can barely make it up a flight of stairs without being out of breath. It's pathetic really. I used to go to the gym 6 days a week. I had a flat stomach, awesome abs, and toned legs and arms. Now...not so much.

After Christmas

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. Everyone is happy. Christmas caroles are playing and the stores have extended hours. It is my favorite time of year. Seeing the kids faces this year on Christmas morning made it my best Christmas yet. It exceeded all of my expectations. With that said....the only thing good about AFTER all of the Christmas excitement are the after Christmas sales. Can I just tell you...they have been fantastic this year. I scored a cute gray and yellow plaid jacket from Old Navy for.....wait for it....$10!! Yes, $10!!! It was 75% off and then I used my $20 groupon (purchased for $10).
I also got the kids winter coats for next year from Crazy 8 for $11.99! I got another one for Pax from Target for $12. I couldn't pass up the camofladge. Super Cute.
Lastly, I purchased about 20 roles of wrapping paper from Kmart for 75% off--some of it wasn't even Christmas! Yay!!
Have you gotten any good deals lately?