The Adventures of Vincent's Mom

Our Trip to Mark Pardo

2012-01-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine is a stylist at one of the Mark Pardo salons in town. So, since I was in serious need of a trim I made myself an appointment. She's great, so after the cut my hair felt alive and well again. I even decided to change it up and go for some wispy bangs! But that definitely wasn't the highlight of our trip there. In fact, it didn't even come close to being as eventful as Vincent's first haircut!!!!

Jay and I were both in agreement that he was more than overdue for a cut. His hair was pretty much a disaster on a daily basis unless we took the time to constantly tame it down in the back. Now I know some people loved the look, and we did too if it was tamed down. But, we decided to go ahead with it anyway. Here's how it went..

A little leery of it at first but not upset, yet.

She used the clippers to trim everything up in the back.

And then came the tears.

And more tears :'(

It got tricky at times. Lucky Shelly is a pro. She has a little man herself who's hair she cuts all the time :0)

It definitely wasn't Vincent's favorite experience.

And it took him awhile to calm down afterwards.

But we absolutely LOVE how it turned out.

And today, he's all smiles :0).

So damn cute.

Crafting with Burlap

2012-01-16T09:53:00.001-07:00

Now that the holidays are over I could not be happier to finally be able to start some crafting for the purpose of decorating my house. Giving homemade creations as gifts is always fun, but to be able to enjoy the hard work you put into something yourself, is nice sometimes too :0).

My latest creation is one I found the idea for on Pinterest. I know, you're surprised right..? ;0) but really, it's THE best place to find some of the most creative ideas ever and this one I just loved, a burlap wreath!

Wreaths are definitely "in" right now. From yarn covered wreaths to wreaths made out of ties, (both of which I have made) they are quite the trend, I'd say. So, when I found one on Pinterest that was made using burlap I was so excited! I loved the idea of having a cute and everyday kind of wreath that can stay up year around.

The link to the tutorial I followed is here. But, for the sake of showing you all how I did it, here's my own tutorial.

Things you'll need:
- a straw wreath form from your local craft store (I bought the largest one they had so as to try and fit my wall)
- burlap fabric (I purchased 2 yards and used every single inch of it)
- glue gun and glue (I used about ten sticks)
- scissors and or rotary cutter
- string or ribbon in order to hang it once your done
- optional: flower accessories.

The first step is to cut the burlap into six inch wide strips. Then glue gun one end of a burlap strip to the wreath and wrap continuously around and around until it's completely covered. If needed, add more glue as you go around. It should look something like this when your done.

Next, take another six inch wide strip of burlap, glue one end to the wreath and begin twisting. The key to this step is to twist the strip of burlap as you wrap it continuously around the wreath.

It took me a couple of tries before I really got the hang of how tight I needed to twist it all up, but really this step comes down to personal preference so just play with it until its to your liking. I used three strips of burlap to complete this step. And, because I wanted a fuller look, I went around it again with another two strips. This is what it looked like when I was done.

Finally, I decided to use some little fabric flowers that were from an old shirt to add some embellishment to the wreath. That, and I added a white ribbon around the top in order to hang it.

And here is the final product!

I really like the way it turned out and the simplicity of the whole thing was even better.

Thanks Pinterest for the inspiration!

London's 2nd Birthday

2012-01-13T14:16:00.001-07:00

I feel like it was just yesterday that some of our best friends came over to tell us they were expecting... And last week, their baby girl turned 2! How does this happen..?

In true London fashion (that's her name, London) she had one girlie girl of a party and she was the star!

I decided instead of buying her something, I would make her gift. And this is what I came up with!

I found the cutest ruby slipper pattern in a crochet magazine but once I started making them I realized they were adult size. So, I improvised as best I could to make them London's size and I was pretty happy with how they turned out.

They don't fit her quite yet but maybe next winter...? At least they weren't too small!

The best part about London's party though wasn't the gift opening. It was the cupcakes! At least that was the best part for Vincent. Let's see If you get the same idea from these pics..

We were supposed to share that cupcake too, guess maybe next time. :0)

Happy Birthday London!!

Monday Funday

2012-01-09T22:22:00.002-07:00

It's a New Year.

And with it has come a new work schedule,

a new love for Mondays & Tuesdays,

and new blog updates!

The new title and background seems to suit me better, I think. That, and I like to change things up every once and awhile :0).

Also, with the help of my computer savvy bro-in-law, I have a much more workable comments section. Since comments are one of the best parts about blogging I thought i should tell you, that in order to do so, you need to go to the actual website. Once there, you'll see a comment section below each post. Feel free to leave me your thoughts. I'd love to hear them!

In the meantime, here's how Jay and I spent our first Monday off together.

Why, what could me more fun than a random photo shoot featuring

none other than our photogenic little guy?!..

I absolutely LOVE this one of Jay and Vincent. It's a framer for sure ;0)

Love me some Vincent kisses :0)

Now that I look at the photos all blown up, I can tell that the quality is definitely not up to par. I guess that's what I get for using my phone.. On that note, my second New Year's Resolution is to start using our real camera more often. Especially now that I think I have it figured out. Yay!

New Year's Resolution

2012-01-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

Christmas and New Year's were particularly nice this year... Or rather last year.. It was so much fun getting to celebrate with out little one year old and be able to share him with all of our family.

There was a lot of reading time with Big Grandpa & Grandma Bonnie.

And plenty of christmas tree lovin

And best of all, there were two families combined to make one amazing Christmas dinner. It was wonderful :0)

Oh and after all of the Christmas festivities were over, this was pretty much how our New Year's went..

But now that the holidays are over and the Christmas decorations are put away, that means its time to relax, right?!.. Wrong! That means it's time for me to get busy working on my New Years Resolution!! And what is my New Years resolution you ask?? Well it's to get my house in tip top organized shape. And I already feel overwhelmed just thinking about the task..

Somehow, in just two and a half short years, our house has filled up with so much stuff!! When Jay and I first moved in together we lived in a one bedroom, one bath apartment and both of our stuff, COMBINED, fit just perfectly. Now, we would be lucky to downsize our stuff into two bedrooms. Although we did add another human being to our household along the way, which is a damn good excuse if you ask me ;0).

Still, my goal for the year is to get rid of stuff we don't use, and to organize our office/guest bedroom/sewing & craft room which sadly includes my mess of a filing cabinet and closet. Just looking at that stupid thing makes me want to give up already and throw it all away. I don't even know where to start with any of it.

But, because nothing but perfectly organized will satisfy me at this point, I've begun the process of getting it all done. And what easier task to start with than organizing yarn?!

This is what it looked like before...

And here it is now!

I went from TWO full drawers of messy or barely used yarn, to ONE perfectly organized drawer that I can easily close. So much better :0).

Eventually, after I've cleaned out the closet in the office, I plan on putting everything into easy access baskets. Ones that match, with pretty little matching labels that all sit perfectly on a clean and organized shelf.. In the meantime though, I at least feel a little satisfaction in completing one task towards organizing the room. After all, rolling yarn into balls was definitely more time consuming and tiresome than I thought. You can even ask Jay, he got to help ;0).

Hopefully, by showing you all of the before pictures of my office I'll be proactive at getting it all organized. I'd love to be able to show finished product pictures before we put our house on the market in May. So stay tuned!!

Oh, and you can pretty much count on one very large garage sale at our house as soon as it gets warm. So much stuff has GOT to go!

Until then, any and all organizing tips would be greatly appreciated :0)

Happy Happy Girl

2011-12-23T09:03:00.001-07:00

Because Christmas came early this year. And what better gift to receive than a girls best friend?? Home safe and sound from her travels abroad.

I don't think I realized how much I really missed her until she rang my door bell last night and I burst into tears at the surprise outside. It's an understatement to say that I am SO glad to have her home.

Vincent is too despite the look on his face as he was showered with all the hugs and kisses Chanelle had to catch up on 😊

And if that gift wasn't enough.. Jay and I were more like ecstatic on Tuesday night when Vincent finally got to meet Santa!!

Pretty much couldn't ask for better first pictures with Santa than these. No line when we got there, no crying in Santa's lap, a smile for the camera. and a new Xmas tradition for our little fam. Absolutely perfect.
Thanks Vincent!! (If you couldn't already tell, It's the small things that make your parents happy 😉).

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!!

Party Time

2011-12-21T08:29:00.001-07:00

I really wanted to make Vincent's first birthday special. I looked up little boy birthday party themes for days and when I finally heard about having a "little man" party I thought, what could be more perfect?! And cute?!

But rather than tell you how it all turned out, how about I show you..?

A tie wreath that eventually ended up on the front door where it belonged for the party. All made from ties that once belonged to his daddy, his grandpa and his papa. This will go as a keep sake in his room next 😃

A hand crafted happy birthday banner, a 1 made out of pictures from his first year, printed signs that matched his theme on the drink containers and mustaches on the straws that you can't see now, but that seemed to be a hit for some very special guests.

Root beer instead of beer (it was a one year olds birthday party afterall), funfetti cupcakes with yellow sprinkles and a new favorite and DElicious jalapeño dip.

The Mustaches were fun all around.. or maybe just with the Turri's ;0)

And baby boy ate his whole cupcake! It was probably for the best too because it helped keep his spirits high as he partied the night away.

Our little house was filled to maximum capacity. And Vincent was the center of attention, of course.

We were both overwhelmed with our guests as they showered Vincent with the most amazing gifts. We opened them for what seemed like forever as Vincent's patience level for sitting like a good boy ran extremely low. Too many new toys to play with and so little time!

Thank you cookies. The least I could do for those who came out to celebrate!

As you can see he is one loved little guy. And we all couldn't have been happier to celebrate him!

Oh and who would have thought that two days later balloons could still be this much fun!!?!

I'd say his party was a success.
And thanks to everyone who came to wish him a happy birthday. You all made it EXTRA special and we appreciate and love you all SO very much.

A Birth Story

2011-12-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

What better time than the anniversary of the day I went into labor to tell the story of how my beautiful son made his debut to the world..? I can’t believe it’s already been a year but in case you couldn’t tell I am quite excited to be able to celebrate this milestone.

So, today is the one year anniversary of the day I went into labor. And somehow, as scared as I was for it all to happen, I survived. The days leading up to the joyous occasion, I swear I was freaking some people out at work. I didn’t have enough paid time off to go on maternity leave early and have a week or two off, stress free from the work place, like so many other mommies-to-be get so, I worked right up until my baby was ready to come. I work with lots of guys and they were all more than a little bit nervous for me to go into labor at work. But not nervous enough to send me home early. Even with looking like this one week before! Oh well..

Anyway, that day I went to an office holiday party, I went on a walk around the building a couple of times. I drove home. I put up Christmas lights. I felt great! I had four days before my actual due date. I had been feeling some contractions on and off throughout the weekend before but nothing consistent or painful enough to be concerned. In fact my doctor was pretty much sure I wasn’t going to go into labor on my own so he went ahead and scheduled me to be induced the night of Christmas eve, which, as you can imagine, I was less than thrilled about. But, because of this little known fact, I decided to take it upon myself to do everything I could to try and go into labor naturally. So, after Jay came home and all the lights were strung in our windows, we decided to walk the mall, do some last minute shopping and maybe get a bite to eat. We walked the entire top half of Cottonwood and after walking half way around the bottom we decided to get some dinner at Johnny Rockets. We had never eaten there before so it sounded good enough (and on a side note, we haven't been back either, ha!) We sat down at the bar and ordered our food when all of a sudden I felt a very small gush. Jay took one look at my face and apparently understood everything that was going through my mind because he said “your water just broke didn’t it?!” The only thing I could do was ask where the rest room was. I immediately went straight there and of course, I couldn’t really tell anything once I started investigating. So I came back out. We ate. I forced Jay to get more food and a shake just in case he wouldn’t eat again for awhile and we went home. I called the hospital, they told me it was probably my water and that I should go take a shower, pack everything up and head on over. So I did. I COMPLETELY got re-ready. I took a shower, I put on makeup, and I did my hair. I figured, people take pictures of you so the least i could do was try to help myself out :0).

We called our parents on our way to the hospital. Our baby was coming.

We arrived around 9:30pm and went straight to Triage. They hooked me up to all sorts of different machines to measure the baby’s heart rate, and my heart rate and my contractions. The ones I couldn't feel yet but were clearly there on the monitor. They checked and checked and checked for any trace of amniotic fluid. I was getting worried that maybe what I had felt wasn’t my water breaking at all. When you’re that far along it could have very easily been me not being able to control my bladder but I was almost 100% certain it wasn’t that. The doctor tried one last test. She even had to look under a microscope to FINALLY discover that yes, it was my water that had broke and YES, I would be meeting my baby boy very very very soon. She left the room in order for us to gather our stuff and I will remember this moment for ever. I sat on that hospital bed and without even realizing it, I stared off. Jay asked me if I was okay and I looked at him and said “we won’t be leaving this hospital without our child” I didn’t know how to process that information so I just sat there. My life was changing right at that very moment. It was all becoming very real. Once they moved us into our room though, that worry never crossed my mind again. I was ready.

Jay’s parents and my Mom met us at our hospital room. Michael and Johnese had told us they would come in the morning once things had progressed a little more but just couldn’t help themselves to come and check in on us. It was so comforting to have everyone there. Everyone went home after awhile and Jay and I were able to enjoy the process alone. I think that time was designated for me to try and get some sleep but I was too anxious for everything that sleep never came. At least not to me.

Since my water hadn’t broken all the way, they broke it the rest of the way once I was admitted. That’s when the contractions started. And they were so very painful. Throughout my pregnancy I was very open to the idea of an epidural but told myself that I would at least try to not have one. Ya right. That whole idea lasted only two hours after the consistent wave of contractions came on. At that point the epidural was the absolute best thing in the whole entire world. I didn’t realize I was cold until the epidural warmed my whole body. My nurse, who was a male by the way, took the time to explain everything to me. And even when they wouldn’t allow Jay in the room to hold my hand while I sat through the contractions and they gave me the medicine, I felt safe. After that, I was relaxed and everything was calm again.

Luckily for me, labor progressed quickly and relatively easily. There were a few times that baby's heart rate dropped so the solution was to lay me on my side. It was a small price to pay in order to assure that my baby was still okay in there while we both prepared ourselves to meet each other.

December 14th, 2010

Finally, 16 hours after my water broke at Johnny Rockets, the nurse informed me that it was time to push! I never really had the urge to push like everyone told me I would have but I was fully dilated and it was time to get that baby boy out!

Then panic set in. Not for me but for the nurse. I saw the look on her eyes when all of a sudden baby's heart rate dropped for over two minutes straight. She told Jay to push the red button next to my bed and then warned me that a bunch of people would be rushing in. Next thing I knew there were five people running in. No one talking directly to me, only to each other. The OBGYN that was on call that day finally looks at me and quickly asks "vacuum or C-Section?" I was so scared at what was going on that I didn't know how to respond. I looked around the room for help on what to decide. No one could answer for me. I asked her for the risks but quickly decided that whichever route was less traumatic for my baby I'd do it. If it meant that i'd have a scar or that I might not ever be able to deliver naturally again, i'd have a C-Section. As long as my baby was ok. But just as quickly as the scariness came on, all of a sudden baby was fine! During the commotion of everyone running in, the nurse had put me back on my side and I that seemed to really help baby out. The OBGYN explained to me that the cord was probably wrapped around his head and by having me on my back, it was basically suffocating him. Needless to say, that's how I remained for the rest of the time. Not the most comfortable but again, I was willing to sacrifice all things for him.

Once things had settled down again in my room, I resumed to two hours of pushing. It was the most exhausting thing yet. I would close my eyes and fall asleep between pushes. I've never been so tired in my life. Then, at 3:25pm on Tuesday, December 14th, my eyes met those of my new born baby son. As he came into this world, the OBGYN unwrapped the cord from around his neck TWICE and then suddenly my arms were filled with all 8 pounds 1.4 ounces of him. And all I could do was cry. I was over joyed with this perfect little human being that my body grew for the last 39 1/2 weeks. That I was finally meeting this baby who I had felt squirm and hiccup and kick in side of my belly. Whose heartbeat had become my favorite sound. Whose face I had only dreamed about. He was real now and he was ours.

We spent only one day at the hospital. The labor and delivery unit was full of new mommies and daddies so the nurses didn't come check on us nearly as often as everyone had warned, which I was thankful for. We had many special visitors come meet our new bundle of joy and I cried as we actually received a poinsettia gift basket from my work. After 24 hours though, I was ready to be in the comfort of our home. Where trying times would come as I tried to embrace breast feeding but realized it was harder than I thought. Where we both bonded with our son and all got to know each other as a new family of three.

My heart grew a thousand times bigger the day I met my son, as it filled with the love that I have for his beautiful little self. People ask us all the time if we plan on having more children and for now I can only imagine loving one as much as I do now. Reflecting back on my pregnancy I miss it like I never thought I would and would do it all over again if it meant that I would be blessed with my sweet Vincent Valentino.

Thank god for all of the love and support our family is surrounded with. I know that more than just myself and Jay feel blessed to have him as part of our lives. He may only be a year old tomorrow but I know that he is destined to do great things and I couldn't be happier to be his Mommy :0).

I LOVE YOU!

Christmas Joy

2011-12-12T08:22:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure there is a better way to get into the Christmas spirit than attending a holiday themed ballet. In fact, it just might have to be a new tradition we start because we had such a wonderful time.

We had great seats.

And I had great company.

I just love getting to dress up and have an afternoon out with my hubby. He was such a trooper about the whole thing. I never heard him complain once, lucky me!! I think it's because he knew how excited I was to go. Ballet is the most amazing thing to watch. It makes me wish that I had loved it more as a child because that could have been me up there!! Ha.

Maybe one day I'll have a little girl who will appreciate it as much as I do now ;0)

Either way, it was a beautiful show and I'm so glad we treated ourselves to such a good time. It was worth it.

Countdown to One. 7 Days to Go!!

2011-12-07T09:49:00.001-07:00

A new mom is never 100% prepared to have her first child. At least not emotionally I don't think, and I was definitely no exception. Sure you hear tons of people try to tell you what it's going to be like, mostly because they think you want them to tell you their scary stories so that you can grasp what it is coming, but each new Mom's experience is so different from each other that no one really can tell you how it's going to be. The one thing I got out of all of it, as I prepared myself mentally for becoming a mom, was that whatever the journey had in store it was going to be exactly what I could handle. That it was going to be amazing. That it is going to be the hardest yet most rewarding thing I could ever do in my life. And it has been. I may not always know what to do but somehow it always works out. Because I couldn't do it all by myself though, I thought I'd give thanks to all the things that made my life easier this year. Yes that's right, I said things. And whoever came up with them, you are my hero!

No. 1: The Binky!! - in the beginning weeks doctors say pacifiers help keep baby safe from SIDs because it forces them to keep breathing. Now, it keeps from sudden infant crying ;0) that one will be hard to break but it's been worth it so far.
No. 2: Velcro Swaddler - only thing that calmed Vincent down enough to sleep through the night from months 2-7. It was a total life saver.
No. 3: Gerber Gentle Formula - saved my baby boys tummy when he was having issues with gas.
No. 4: Kirkland brand wipes from Costco - best kept mom secret. Seriously. They are thick, they don't have any smell and they stay wet even if you forget to close the lid on them all day!Oh and they're only like $20 for 900!!
No. 5: Grippy socks - keeping toesies warm and feet from slipping as they insist on climbing up on everything!
No. 6: Binky strap. & depending on the kind of strap it is, it totally works to keep toys rounded up and attached to high chairs for loads of entertainment that you don't have to keep picking up off the floor ;0)
No. 7: Camera phone - to catch all l those Kodak moments of course!!
No. 8: Glider rocking chair - without this my baby boy would never have gone to bed soundly.
No. 9: Diaper Genie - dirty diapers are yucky, this thing keeps the smell away and keeps them all loaded up and ready to take out at a moments notice.
No. 10: Space Saver bags - for keeping all the outgrown clothes and shoes stored neatly and cleanly.

All of this makes for a happy Mom and a happy little guy. A little man actually, whose new favorite thing is to give big hugs and who is about to turn one in ONE week!!! Ahhh!! Did the clock speed up for December or something..? Geez!!

Snow

2011-12-05T08:06:00.001-07:00

Yay!! It snowed!! And better yet, it is still coming down steadily. So, with my two hour delay, Vincent and I have spent much of the morning staring at it. I can't think of a better way to spend my time :0)

You Don't Look A Day Over 30 ;0)

2011-11-30T09:25:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Pops!!

Hoping this year brings you everything you have ever hoped for and more!

A Few Other Things

2011-11-28T08:57:00.001-07:00

Getting Organized
Monday's
Staying Warm

Over the long weekend I had visions of getting a million things done. While that may not have become my reality, I did manage to be somewhat productive. The rest.. Well, it can wait for another time I guess :0)

One of those things was to tackle the dis-organization of Vincent's toys. One of the simpler things in life that makes me SO happy is to see things neatly in their place. Like have you ever just stared at the racks and racks of colored paper at a craft store just because it looks so organized and beautiful?? No..? Oh, well I'll continue with my story then..

Anyway, the lack of organization of Vincent's toys in the living room was starting to drive me a little crazy. For instance, this is what the corner of my living room looks like on a regular basis..

Two big over sized play toys filled with all of the other small-ish toys along with everything else just sort of strewed about the floor... I get it though, this is exactly how Vincent wants it but I needed to do something about it. For my sanity :0)

Along came Costco Friday morning. And what did they have?? Only the most perfect little storage system for just $19.99!!! For sure my kind of deal. It's one of those snap together kinda but it's light weight and I was able to put it together however I pleased. So I did! And with the help of some adorable Target bins, the look is complete!!
So much better...

We decided to move the big toys to the other side of the couches as barriers to keep a certain little adventurous dude in the living room while we hang out and play.

It works great at keeping the dogs out too! I'd say the living room is FINALLY baby proof. Nice.

Monday's:
Every third Monday Jay gets to stay home. Then I'm the lucky one who gets to drag my butt to work while wishing I could crawl back into bed and snuggle up with these two.

But, as an update to an old post about schedules changing, starting in January I will be going part time!! So on Mondays and Tuesdays I won't even have to bat an eye at my alarm clock when it tries to go off at 5:45. Instead ill be spending quality Zzzz time with my fam. As you can imagine, I'm pretty much counting down the days until that schedule goes into affect.

Staying warm:
This morning I am thankful for a warm house. As yesterday we were not so warm. Our heater decided to act up and as a result we had no heat until about 4:30 in the afternoon. It actually got down to 62 degrees in the house and I was ready to resort to heating the house with the oven. Poor Vincent looked like Randy from A Christmas Story, all bundled up in tons of layers. Not to worry though, all is warm this morning in the Turri house. And Vincent is back to wearing only one layer of clothing :0)

I am ever so grateful for my diligent hubby who worked on it constantly until it worked perfectly. And for saving us however much $$$ it would have cost us to call in a professional. Lucky us!

Countdown to One. 19 Days to go!

2011-11-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and it was definitely a day to be thankful for. But with a year full of things to be thankful for, it was nice to sit down and appreciate them all surrounded by the family who could be with us. Especially since Thanksgiving was the last first holiday for Mr. Vincent. With his love of food, I think it was his favorite holiday so far. But that's just my guess ;0)

Hoping all of you had as wonderful a Thanksgiving as we did.

Now time to get my christmas on! ;0)

Countdown to One. 21 days to go!

2011-11-23T09:49:00.001-07:00

This is exciting.

Because this, is the last can of formula I ever have to buy!! Per doctors orders, a child's first birthday is usually the time when you're "allowed" to switch your baby over to whole milk. So, with only two and a half weeks to go, I'm going full-blown weaning mode. From formula to big boy milk, yes!! Formula is not cheap so really this like a pay increase for us and I'll take it! ;0)

Also, as I prep for his actual birthday party, I thought I'd give you all a sneak peak at one of the things I've crafted up!!

Oh and speaking of his b-day party, if you haven't already marked your calendars for December 17th you should probably go ahead and do so now.

Invites will be coming to a mailbox near you in the next week or so (hopefully).

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!!

Countdown to 1. 27 Days to Go!

2011-11-17T14:15:00.001-07:00

The one year mark has taken on a whole new meaning this week in that some sort of unexpected changes are going to be made to his daily schedule as soon as the new year rolls around. You see, his current care takers are Jay's parents. They have the time and availability that allows them to watch him during the day while Jay and I work. However with their work load about to increase, some adjustments have to be made in order to be sure and accommodate everyone. Things, for now, are still up in the air. But, because they are about to change, I wanted to take a look back at the all the memories Vincent made by being able spend his days with his grandparents.

See the beauty of the whole arrangement we have with Jay's parents is that we get daily pictures of our little bundle of joy on whatever adventures Grandpa and Grandmom (or "GrandPom" as I mistakenly say way too much :0), go on. It helps me feel reassured that the choice I've made to be a working mom is a good one. Because not only do I know that he is ok, but they are able to spend some extra special quality time with him. It's really a win win all around. And it sure has gone by way too fast.. As you can see, he's not really a baby anymore.

Countdown to One

2011-11-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

With it being Vincent's 11 month birthday and all, I find it fitting to begin a countdown to his FIRST (tear) birthday! I thought, more for my own sake than for anything else, I would take the next 30 days to reflect on everything that's happened over the last year. From the actual emotional transformation that took place between how I was before I was a mom and how I am now, to things I would do the same and the things I would do differently as a reminder for the future should I ever be lucky enough to become a mom to another beautiful child. I think it's important to remember these things because life so quickly passes us by and the next thing you know, you don't remember any of it. I find this time extremely precious so I want to be able to remember it for always.

So, it's day 30 of the countdown and I want to to share of my favorite memories. One of my favorites of Vincent's first milestones. His first laugh!

A baby's laugh is one of the most amazing sounds I think I've ever heard. Maybe second to hearing their heartbeat, but a very close second at that. So back in February or March, Vincent was about 2 or 3 months old, Jay and I were having a rough time trying to put Vincent to bed. He was just crying and crying and nothing seemed to be helping to calm him down. After what seemed like forever I finally decided to breakout the swaddle (the #1 thing we could NOT live without for months by the way). I laid him down on the bed, wrapped that swaddle tight around his little body and next thing I hear, is this little creature, who had been so mad just ONE second before, all of a sudden BURST out laughing. I instantly looked up at Jay to make sure he had heard what I just heard and by the surprised smile on his face I knew he had. Our frustrated demeanor from having tried for so long to get him to calm down just melted away in that one instant. With that one little laugh. It was so unexpected and it took forever it seemed before we would hear it again on a more consistent basis but I will never forget it. Vincent isn't the easiest little guy to make laugh so when I can squeeze one out of him I just melt. And I don't care what I look like trying to get him to do it either, haha.

In the spirit of laughing and brightening your day, I've attached a link to the very first laugh I was able to catch on video. You can tell by his size that he isnt 2 or 3 months old anymore. In fact the date on the video says May 14th which means he was exactly 5 months old but hey! a laugh is a laugh, no matter how old you are. :0)

No Hands!!

2011-11-10T16:27:00.001-07:00

"Look Ma, no hands!!" this is what I imagine him saying while he does this... His newest trick!

Just the other day he pulled his hands out of mine and just stood there all by himself. He would even catch himself if he started to feel himself getting off balance. So I counted. And one time, i counted all the way up to 15 seconds! I counted out loud and the higher I went the more excited he got. You can tell that he's so proud of himself. And I'm proud of him too. We clap together when he's done. It's absolutely my new favorite thing he does. :0)

Paper Mobile

2011-11-05T21:15:00.001-06:00

I've wanted to do a paper mobile for Vincent's room for quite some time. I've seen so many different tutorials on them that i was anxious to try one out. And lucky for me, I found the time to finally make one today so I thought i would share how I did it..

Supplies:
- different color paper
- ribbon
- two lollipop sticks
- glue gun
- circle punch
- small hole punch

Instructions:
First I went through all of my scrapbook paper and picked seven colors that I thought would work well together.

Then I punched eight - 1 1/2 inch circles out of each color.

After that, I used a small hole punch to cut ribbon holes on either side of each circle.

Once all of the circles were punched out and each one had two ribbon holes cut into them, I began to string them accordingly onto pieces of ribbon I cut about 23" long. I strung the ribbon though the front of one of the holes so that it went out the back and then I brought the ribbon back through the front of the opposite hole. I did that until I had all seven colors strung together on the strand.

And I repeated that step until all eight strands were strung.

Once the strands were done, I set them aside in order to put together what would ultimately hold the mobile in place. I decided to use lollipop sticks for this part simply because I actually had some left over from another project, however I'm sure there are many other options. Anyway, I placed the sticks together to form a cross and cut out a little indentation for where one would need to sit on top of the other. Then I placed them together, strung my ribbon around it several times and glue gunned the end of the ribbon in place.

Then I glued all of the stands around the stick holder. I put two on each side and tried to make them so that they all didn't hang at the same length. FYI, I found gluing the strands exactly where i wanted them to hang was far easier than trying to tie the ribbon around the sticks like I had originally planned.

Once all of them were in place, I took a final piece of ribbon, strung it around the middle of the sticks, where they cross, and then hung the mobile from the ceiling!! It weighs practically nothing so a tack was sufficient enough to hold it. And thanks to my hubby being so tall and handy, I didn't even need to pull the stool out to hang it up :0)

Here's what the final product looks like..

And for those of you who knew what this area kind of looked like before.. Here's it is all new and improved!

I'm loving how it looks and even happier that I was actually able to complete a project, start to finish in just a couple hours. That's one thing that is definitely hard for me to do..

Happy crafting!!

The Verdict is Out

2011-10-31T16:08:00.001-06:00

And Lion it is...

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Costume Dilemma

2011-10-28T22:07:00.000-06:00

I have never been a fan of Halloween. I stopped trick or treating and dressing up in 3rd grade just because it was never my thing. I hate to be scared. You absolutely positively will never catch me watching a scary movie or going to a haunted house. Ever. If you see me at one you may want to inform any and all authorities because i am there totally against my will. If i could just skip over all of the skulls and cross bones, the ghosts and goblins, you would never hear me complain. This year though, I have a whole new reason to try and embrace the holiday... This little guy :0)

This year, I get to dress this little cutie pie up in whatever costume I want :0)

I dread the day he grows up and wants to be something icky.

That's the year I let Jay take over the task of taking him trick-or-treating..

Anyway, I found a costume at a local kids clothing store and I had to have it. It was so dang cute, and on sale, I just couldn't resist. Even though it was only August I picked it up and have had it sitting in Vincent's closet this whole time, just waiting for the day when I could stuff him in it and show him off.

But then on Monday, I took a trip to Target with a friend and I found ANOTHER costume I couldn't live without. It too was on sale and I just couldn't resist picking it up. At least to try it on him and see which one was cuter. I totally would take back the one I decided I could live without... riiiiiiight.....?

So here's my dilemma.

I put him in both costumes tonight and I totally can not decide which one he should wear!

They're both so stinkin' cute that I want him to wear both. Is that too much to ask?

I SO wanted his costume to be a surprise. For him to come out Halloween night all dressed up for everyone to see for the first time, but instead I need your help.

So i'm leaving it up to you and giving up the whole surprise thing.

Should he be..

A Lion...? Or a Dino????

A Dino..?

or a Lion..??

I love both. He may just have to be both. But i'd like to hear what you all think too.

Can't wait for Monday! - I think I may be coming around.. sort of.

Happy Hallweenieeee!

Feeling Grateful

2011-10-16T21:49:00.000-06:00

Right at this moment, I feel content. I feel one hundred percent satisfied with how my life is. I wouldn't change one thing about it.

As I was putting Vincent to bed just now, all I could think about was how grateful I was feeling for every single thing in my life. Maybe it's because my house is clean. Because my belly is full. Because i've had two glasses of wine ;0). Or maybe it's because I just plain have nothing to complain about. It's definitely not a feeling that happens often so I am taking the opportunity to soak it all in. To take for granted the fact that I may not feel like this tomorrow or even anytime next week! You never know what life has in store for you so, even though I hope to feel this way all the time, realistically I probably won't. That's why tonight I'm going to list all of the things I feel grateful for and bring them to the fore front of my mind. So I can see, in plain black and white, that I am lucky. For everything...

I am grateful for him.

My husband. My best friend. My soul mate. The one who knows how to make me laugh and who takes away all of my worries.

I'm grateful for these this little guy.

My flesh and blood. The one who had my heart before he even entered this world. I will worry about him, love him and cherish him for every second I am alive. Nothing can explain the love I have for him and I am forever grateful he is all mine.

I am grateful for my family.

The ones I get to see often and those I don't. For they all have something to do with making me who I am today. Hoping they know they all are important. They are all loved. They are all special and they all have a place in my heart.

I am grateful for my friends.

Whether we are close like family or just acquaintances, I was meant to meet all of them. They made impressions on me and I use those to reflect on my own self. To learn how to be and how not to be.

I am grateful I have a job to go to tomorrow. So I can help support my family and to give my son everything it is that he may need.

I am grateful for the roof over my head. That i am warm and comfortable at night.

I am grateful for Sundays. A day to put last week in the past and prepare my self to start fresh again tomorrow. A day to reflect. A day to be productive. A day to be lazy. The best day of the week.

Here's to hoping for many more days like today. And to a successful, productive, easy week to come. I am ready to conquer the world. I am ready to take on tomorrow and the next day and the day after that. I look forward to all of the many exciting things that my life has in store for me and I am grateful for all of it.

Crafting is Dangerous

2011-10-13T08:18:00.001-06:00

So beware of the glue gun..
It will attack!

I was only crafting a bday present and my glue gun turned on me - the jerk! Was he distressed? Was he over worked? Was he running low on ~~energy~~ glue sticks?! I never was able to pin it down. He should be lucky he's alive after what he did to me. Only reason he is, is because I still have work to do. We will see if he acts up again. Better not, or he's out!

;0)

Ok I was tired. And maybe i wasn't paying attention and accidentally hit my arm with the tip of the glue gun.. Should have taken a picture then!.. Ouch!!

But, not to worry, I will survive. I will be ok. I persevered through the pain and continued my project, just like I will continue with my project tonight and until I get it done. Because I'm tough like that.. ;0)

Sunday is the Best Day

2011-10-09T17:59:00.001-06:00

Today has been the best day. A day to be thankful for. A day filled with so many great things.

Reason No. 1: Hot air balloons
It is the last day of the balloon fiesta, and sadly that means this Turri family missed out. We were going to try and make it there earlier in the week but the weather turned for the worse and decided to rain for three days so we decided.. maybe next year? Our luck has it though, as I was putting Vincent's clothes away this morning I could hear the burners of a hot air balloon making its way RIGHT by our house! I ran to peak out the window, naturally, and there it was!! Going right into the neighbors front yard! Vincent was just waking up so Jay and I grabbed him and ran out side... This is what we saw...

Perfect photo op!

Here's the balloon in relation to our house..

I guess this was God's way of telling us that He didn't want Vincent to miss out on his first balloon fiesta. It literally came to us this year. It was perfect!

Reason No. 2: McCall's Pumpkin Patch.

I LOVE that place. I've been there once before but this year I was able to experience it as a mom. No, Vincent wasn't able to run around and do all the things his bigger cousins were able to do, but I could see in his eyes the excitement for the whole thing. The yearning to be big enough to run right along with them. Next year baby, next year.

Please Excuse the Mess

2011-10-08T16:22:00.001-06:00

Jay and I are putting our house on the market next year. So, now that the weather is turning cold and we are going to be spending way more time in doors, there is no better time than now to start the process of vamping up the inside in preparation to sell.

First on the endless list of things to do.. Patching cracks.

Next is painting. For now, we are focusing on the kitchen. So, we are saying bye bye to the two different shades of baige that existed when we bought our house and to the gold-ish wall that I painted when we moved in..

In their places I am painting the color "Aged Parchment", or in more descriptive words, off white. I figure most people who buy themselves a new house will want to paint the colors they want, so why waste my time doing something I like when they are probably going to change it anyway. Besides, as I make my way around the room "cutting" all the edges I am finding that I am loving how crisp and clean everything looks. It's a nice change to what was there before..

I cant wait to see it all finished but as you can tell (or maybe you can't) I haven't gotten very far. lucky for me though, I have a three day weekend so I have plenty of time to get it all done. What a great way to spend a holiday right?? ;0)

Sleepy Boy

2011-10-02T16:16:00.001-06:00

Oh my gosh, have you ever seen anything so dang cute?!

Everything about the way he is positioned just screams cuteness to me!

How his legs are all snuggled up under him and how they are criss crossed like that..

How his little booty is stickin way up in the air..

Man, he must be comfy! Makes you want to crawl in there and cuddle up to him. If only he weren't in his crib
ZzZzzz....

This is love...

2011-09-19T09:04:00.001-06:00

Martha Stewart Living - October issue.

Yes that's right.. I love Martha, and all of the fabulously creatively crafty things she makes me want to do. But most of all I love the Fall. So when I got my October issue of Martha Stewart Living in the mail, I was excited! This is what that means for me: it is finally time for warmer clothes. The trees will soon be changing colors. The Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival is just around the corner, and the Balloon Fiesta too! Vincent gets to celebrate his very first Halloween and dress up in THE CUTEST costume I got him at half off the other day. I get to make my homemade green chile stew again. I don't have to use my air conditioner 24/7. And, there will be lots and lots of warm snuggles along with tons of family time as we head into the holidays! ... I think that is plenty to be excited about...

Thanks Martha, for prepping me for my favorite time of year!

P.S. Another reason to be excited.. Jay & I are going to be an aunt & uncle!

It seems fitting to end this by saying.. "it's a good thing" :0)

Celebrating in our own way

2011-09-06T10:52:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was Jay and I's two year wedding anniversary. Here's how it went.. We drove home from Angel Fire. In the fog. It was amazingly beautiful.

Had to take my sweet baby boy to the urgent care because his cough was scaring this mama. Luckily it's just a cold but you can never be too careful :0)

And with a last minute change of plans due to little V being under the weather, Jay and I had take out and spent the evening watching a movie. It was perfect.

We may go through trials and tribulations trying to figure this marriage thing out. But, at the end of the day, all I know is I love you and the life that we have created together. Happy anniversary babe! I can't wait to celebrate many many more with you :0)

And She's Off

2011-08-29T10:13:00.001-06:00

To China!!
My best friend, from when I was only three years old, has set off on the adventure of a life time. Some think she's crazy but personally, I could not be more proud of her for doing this. And all by herself too!!

For those of you who don't know, Miss Chanelle is my bestest bestest friend. I met her in preschool and although those were the only years we spent at school together, we always stayed super close. Now that we are all grown up and have lives of our own, we don't always get to spend as much time together as we would like. Regardless of that, I would do anything for her. And, I know she would do the same for me.
As I think back at all of the important things that have happened in my life, I always see her. Because she has always been a part of them.

We may not have been born from the same family but we were meant to be sisters anyway. I am thankful for the relationship we have and believe that I am a better person for even knowing her.

Chanelle, I know it's probably scary to be setting out on this four month adventure. Where you won't know a soul. Where you won't be able to speak the language. And where you will be thousands of miles away from those who love you. But enjoy every second of it! You are going to have the greatest time ever, I just know it!! I love you to ~~the~~ ~~moon~~ China and back!

To Michelle (Chanelle's mama), I know you already don't know what to do with your self but she will be just fine! She misses you too but she's discovering life in the big world :0) I hope you're proud of the beautiful human being you created.

P.S. I expect you to tell me all of these same things when I'm crying as my son leaves me too - it's inevitable I know... ;0)

See you on skype Chanellie!! Xoxo from New Mexico

Savin' Money & The Environment

2011-08-26T11:01:00.001-06:00

Check out my new ride! ;0)

As gas prices fluctuate and sky rocket into ridiculous-ness, I have decided to stick it to the oil man and join those people who ride the city bus. In order to get to work I have to drive approximately 20 miles, one way. For Albuquerque, that is considered far! I hate doing it. Fortunately for me I live right next to The Northwest Transit center which is a very nice, clean, safe bus stop where I can catch a commuter bus to work.

It picks me up only about five minutes earlier than I would normally leave and drops me off just in time to walk through the base gate and be to work on time! Perfect!

Second awesome reason to take the bus is, it's free! For me at least... because my work gives it's employees free unlimited bus passes - score! I never thought that was a good incentive, but I do now!

I really don't think it could work out more perfectly. It saves money, it saves my car, it helps the environment by keeping one more car off the road for the day and it gets me a little exercise. Why did it take me so long to start doing this?? I don't have an answer to that but I do know that as for now ABQ Ride will be my newest form of transportation to and from work.

See ya at the bus stop!! :0)

Mr & Mrs Franklin!!

2011-08-22T10:38:00.001-06:00

Congrats you two!!!

And welcome to the married club!! We have all been waiting for you ;0)
Your wedding was beautiful. The ceremony made me cry, multiple times. The food was A-mazing!
And the reception was too.
You guys did a great job.
Thank you for allowing Jay and I to share in your special day.
You guys make for one CuTe couple and I wish you too many to count happy happy years together as husband and wife!
Can't wait to see your pictures!!

Love you guys!!

He's a Biter!

2011-08-17T09:13:00.001-06:00

My son is amazing at growing teeth. Over the last three weeks since I've posted (which I apologize for being so M.I.A.), teeth FIVE and SIX (yes he already has that many!) made their debut and whenever he actually let's me take a peek at those pearly whites, I can see teeth SEVEN and EIGHT right at the surface of his gums. He's only 8 months old!! This seriously has to be some sort of record. I told him that after these last two make their official appearance, I hope this teeth growing thing takes a break for awhile - poor baby has been feeling the pain of this for way too long. In the meantime though, it's lots of toys to chew on so that we can ALL get some relief ;0)

P.s. Consider this your warning. If he happens to get your fingers in his mouth, he will bite you. Hard.

Too Much Food

2011-07-27T13:25:00.001-06:00

Today for lunch, I finally got to experience Two Fools Tavern. Some of my fellow worker peeps have been going there forever and have been raving about the food - mostly about their fish and chips, but raving nonetheless. So, I finally left my oh so cozy desk to join them for some lunch at this silly Irish tavern that I had heard so much about. And the verdict... oh em geeee!! I decided, or rather, couldn't decide what to eat because everything on the menu sounded so delish, but eventually I settled on the Jester's Pie (having no clue, by the way, that it would come out looking like this!!)

This, is THE biggest bowl of chicken pot pie I had ever had. The menu describes it as follows: "A not-so traditional chicken pot pie. Slow simmered with chicken, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, peas & green chile topped with a flakey pastry crust." WOW! Obviously the description is what sold me and convinced me to try this over their famous fish & chips. But WOW! When the food came I was definitely taken aback. Luckily I was hungry!!

I dove right in and was so delighted to find that it tasted just as scrumptious as it looked!

The green chile really made this comfort food even more comforting to this New Mexican girl. It was SO YUM! However, there was no way I would have ever been able to finish it all. I was really wishing my trusty garbage disposal of a husband (whose stomach capacity amazes me on a daily basis) would suddenly make an appearance to help me consume this monstrous beast of a lunch, but no such luck.

It was good enough though, that I'm already planning on going again this Friday! This time I've invited Jay. We will just have to see if the other things on the menu are just as good. Will probably venture out and try the fish and chips, but don't want to promise anything!! ;0)

~Until next time~
P.S. You should probably go there now! ;0)

My Newest Addiction

2011-07-15T15:41:00.001-06:00

I never buy CDs, I mostly just download songs that I like and listen to them on my iPod. Lucky for me though, a friend of mine burned me the newest cd by Adele and I have seriously not stopped listening to it for over a week! Jay and I played it over and over and over and over and over on the way too California, while we were there, ALL the way back, and since then I have listened to it every day, all day, at work. I even made a copy for a fellow co-worker and can hear him listening to it in the next office all day. Like I said I don't buy CDs but this one is DEFINITELY worth picking up. Maybe even worth purchasing multiple copies, or making yourself multiple copies, so that you can have it every where you go. In each vehicle. At work on your computer. At home in your cd player. On your iPod. It's seriously worth it. Every single song is good - especially #5, that's my favorite. Take my word for it. Or Jay's word for it. Or my mom's word for it. Or my co-worker's word for it. It is good. If you like "Rolling in the Deep" which has been a hit on the radio for awhile now, you are going to love this cd. It's a good one!

P.S. Adele, you can thank me later for this plug on your cd :0)

Happy listening!!!

I Heart California

2011-07-12T16:04:00.001-06:00

I don't even know what to say about California other than, I absolutely love it. With my whole being. I may not officially be a native of the Golden State but I may as well be, given the amount of time throughout my life I have spent there. California has always been my home away from home. My family roots. My heart. I'm so glad too that Jay and I both have family there now so that we have amazing excuses to visit.

This last visit was everything I hoped it would be. Another new chance for Vincent to experience tons of new things. Enough time to see everyone we have been missing. Time to relax and have some fun. And, the possibility of a new beginning for Jay and I's little family.

We practically drove all day and night to get there, speeding from one state to the next in order to get as far as we could in one tank full of Vincent's patience for his car seat.

Even going so far as to give Vincent this apple to chew/suck/drop/pick up/drop again in order to distract him from the fact that we had hours and hours to go..

I will definitely keep this trick in mind for any future road trips :0)

Once we got there we were welcomed in with open arms to some favorite cousins. These girls have always warmed my heart and to see them interact with Vincent, well, they were almost snatched up and taken home with us. Lucky for Melissa I have SOME self restraint ;0)

Among our family play time there was some serious beach bumin'.
Vincent's little screams as the waves rushed to wet his feet were so adorable!

Thank you Ry & Roche for showing us such a great time in one of your fave beach spots. The waves tried to get the best of us but that only made from an even memorable experience :0)

Our California adventures are few and far between for us but time and space only make this heart grow fonder. Such fun memories are created each and every time we visit. The three of us cannot wait to go back.

Until next time Cali!!

4th of July Weekend

2011-07-06T19:10:00.001-06:00

4th of July was extra special this year because my Dad was in town. Here's some pictures to recap the weekend :0)

Vincent bonding with his Papa in the Airstream.

Learning to hand shake..
"How are ya??"
"Fine thank ya!"
If I heard it once I heard it a million times, come out of my Dad's mouth.

Feet that reach the ground in Vincent's walker on the highest setting. Hoping next will come the actual pushing of himself around in that thing.

Pancake breakfast and car show (yes, that's a Rolls Royce) in Santa Fe. A tradition we may adopt for future 4th of July's.. Quite fun but HOT!

Bum watching

Documenting Vincent's first Independence Day with a Family Portrait.

Hope everyone had as great of a weekend as we did celebrating America's birthday.

And to all of the men and women who do what they do to give us all the freedom we take for granted everyday, thank you! No one can repay you for the sacrifice you make to keep our families safe. True heroes.

Gerber Baby

2011-07-05T15:11:00.001-06:00

Voting starts today!!

For those of you who have Facebook accounts please please please check out Vincent on The 2011 Gerber Generation Photo Search and vote for him!
If he wins his category he will be in the running for a $50,000 scholarship!
All you have to do is visit the website
And vote! I believe you will have to "Like" Gerber's page in order to do it but it is only for the next 27 days so hopefully you won't mind.. It's for a good cause afterall :0)

You can vote once a day
So go there now!
And tomorrow
And the next day
And the day after that!...

And spread the word,
He would really appreciate it

Getting The Hang of It

2011-06-27T09:17:00.001-06:00

About a month and a half ago I was talking to my mom about how Jay and I were saving up to buy ourselves a sewing machine.. She tells me that she has one that she never uses (more like she never had the patience to figure it out without referring to the manual) and that I could have it! My lucky day!!!
So I took it home, Jay got it all set up, Johnese helped teach me how to use it and the rest is sewing history!

Since then I've tried to make baby booties - pattern sucked so they didn't turn out so well... Not even picture worthy.

I've made a name pillow (featured in my "one busy day" post)

And most recently I made some stuff for my office/craft room/guest bedroom...
Here is the story of my latest project...

This drives me crazy.

Yes it's a book case and it's function is to store all of our books, but because our spare bedroom serves so many purposes, this book case just looks way too busy.

So, I decided I would make a curtain for it to hide the clutter.

I bought fabric, I measured the book case and I cut the fabric to size. My biggest problem is that I do not have a good spot to cut large pieces of fabric. Nor do I have a large straight edge that I can use to make the sides perfect. I improvised...
Then i just sewed the edges and tacked it up on the inside of the book case. Not professional but it did the trick.

Remember how I said I didn't have a good space to cut large pieces of fabric though?? Well that turned out to be detrimental. Once I tacked up the curtain I looked down and it wasn't long enough!!! I thought I measured??

Back to improvising..

I found an old black shirt that was in my donate pile and decided to cut it up.

I took the long strips I cut out of the shirt and pleated them along the bottom of the curtain.
Note: I have never pleated before, don't know if you would even call what I did pleating, but needless to say I made it work!

It hides the mess and it matches everything else in the room.
What more can I ask for??

I had some more of the fabric i used for the curtain so i decided I would make some matching pillow cases for the bed that's in that room too!

I just bought some white fabric, watched THE best YouTube video and TADAAAA!!!!

Matching pillow cases!
It has all come together.
I am proud =0)

Nap Time

2011-06-24T09:16:00.001-06:00

As much as I could be running around my house, doing as many things as I can while Vincent takes a nap, for who knows how long. I am taking for granted this moment

Where my son only wants to sleep while I hold him. Where he cries if I try to set him down. Because I know these types of moments are limited and will not happen forever. And, because I know I will miss them when they no longer happen.

So here I sit. As long as I need to, in order to allow my son to dream dream dream away.
It is so precious to me.

Glad too, that I can reach my phone so I can blog about it =0)

Movin' on up

2011-06-21T21:33:00.001-06:00

Just in the last two days Vincent has done two new things, both involving him hangin out like a big boy!

That my friends, is a high chair. With my son in it. Sitting all by himself. Just enjoying dinner with the rest of us!

Next..

This is my son. Sitting in a shopping cart, buckled in of course, but sitting in a shopping cart and not in his car seat in the shopping cart. Just along for the ride. He helped me pick out a new rug for our bathroom at Bed Bath & Beyond. Quite the shopping buddy!! =)

A Happy Father's Day

2011-06-20T09:21:00.002-06:00

Father's Day.. A day of honoring the relationship we have with those special guys in our lives. Unfortunately for Jay and I, both of our Dads were in other cities but, lucky for me, I had a new Daddy in the house who was celebrating his very FIRST Father's Day! I knew I had to make it extra special because Jay is one of the most amazing Daddies around.

Even before Vincent arrived I knew Jay was going to be the best dad because words could not explain how excited he was to be having a child

And the moment he held him in his arms they were instantly bonded. Dad and son. A relationship I will never be able to fully comprehend but one that I am so thankful they have.

Since then Jay has proven himself to be the most loving, caring, supportive, silly, fun dad who needed to be spoiled on his day, for everything he does for his family.

In the morning Jay was delivered presents, cards, and an one excited son

He got to start projects that HE wanted to do, rather than "honey-do's" that he usually gets tasked with ;0)

He got to golf with his buddies
and then we ended the day by spending quality time with people we don't see enough.. My Grandad and his wife Diantha.

As with lots of other things lately, it was so sweet for me to celebrate Father's Day in a whole new way, honoring a brand new dad.

We missed having our own Dad's around to celebrate with, but we hope they know just how much we appreciate everything they have done to mold and shape us into the people we have become.

Hope everyone else had as great of a day as we did and hope all you daddies out there, who sacrifice every day to provide for your family and who love them unconditionally, were spoiled rotten.. But don't get too used to it!! :0)

Little Swimmer

2011-06-18T20:30:00.000-06:00

Oh you know, it was just another day at the pool =) only this time it wasn't a pool party. It was just a relaxing kind of day. Jay's cousin, and one of my best friends, Kristin, invited us out for a day at the pool. We decided to do something a little different so we went to Sandia Casino. After a minor set back of $90 for all of us to get in (YIKES!!!) we really got to enjoy ourselves. We did a little eating, drank a few cocktails (not too many, we still had to be responsible Mommy & Daddy), soaked up the sun and swam and swam.

Ready to go!

Such a fun couple of hours! And, a great reminder that although our life is different now that we have a little one to take care of, it is still important to remember who you were as a person before your life changed and to make it a priority to stay close with those who are important to you. You may not get to do things the way you used but the key is to do things and enjoy experiencing them in a whole new way, through the eyes of your child. I know we have been, and as Vincent grows we will continue to do so.

Much love to those in our life who are SO special to us.. hopefully you know who you are.

:0)

Happy Half Birthday!

2011-06-14T20:04:00.008-06:00

Today marks the six month anniversary of Mr. Vincent's birth and a perfect reason to post more pictures to showcase his cuteness.. Don't you think?!?! I do!

This one is going in his "picture by the month" frame

Happy half-year birthday sweet boy! My life has been more full since you entered it. So proud to be your mama!

Another reason to celebrate... This awesome bib a friend of mine got Vincent =)

It couldn't be more perfect, thanks for thinking of him Nathan & Krysta!

One Busy Day

2011-06-12T12:59:00.001-06:00

Saturday June 11th was probably the most busy day Vincent and I have had in a long time. Here's how it went:

8:00am - G-Lo (my mom) came to pick up Vincent to baby sit while Jay and I played in the 2011 charity Mudd Volleyball Tournament.

9:00am: time to get dirty!

Uh.. Excuse me Jay, I was right here, I could've got that =)

Actually I probably would've missed it too because I am no professional mud volleyball player buy it's fun to pretend ;)

11:45am: A quick cleanup and then I had to dash out of mud volleyball early and head to a birthday party with my mama and Vincent.

My friend Nicole's son turned 1 and we got to celebrate with him at his swim party!

Vincent loved lounging in all of the pool toys that Nicole provided for the party

And my Mom loved getting to share this experience with him

We even ran into some good friends who were partying at the pool too!

2:00pm: time for cake and presents!

I decided to go with the non-traditional route and make his gift, rather than buy him something. I found this pillow idea on marthastewart.com but did some minor adjustments to make it a little more baby proof.. I mean he is only one after all!

Here is the final product!

Loved his little smile!

3:00pm: Head home for a quick cleanup and nap time for Vincent

6:00pm: last stop, Logan & Adam's birthday party. At this point we were all so exhausted that i didn't even think to take any pictures :( BUT, it was so nice to get together with good friends who we haven't had a chance to catch up with in a while.

9:00pm: Homeward bound!

9:25: Phew! We made it! Vincent was still in good spirits and talked until he fell asleep. He was such a trooper!

It's All In A Name

2011-06-08T19:57:00.002-06:00

So Jay and I have gotten comments like "I LOVE that name!!" and "Now that's one big name to live up to" or "it's sounds like he should be a movie star with that name!" but to us, Vincent Valentino is more than two names that sounded good together. Both names bare special meaning to Jay and I and I'm going to share the history of it all with you!

As some of you may know this lovely man right here is my Daddy-O

His name is Vincent Frost, although he goes by Vince, and he is the true reason behind naming my son Vincent. He pushes me to strive for greatness in everything I do and he has taught me never to settle for anything but being happy. I hope to instill these same values in my son as he grows into the man he is destined to be.

The name Valentino on the other hand, came from the long line of Valentino's on Jay' side of the family.

The first of the Valentino's came to the United States from Castlefondo, Italy.
He went by Val.

Jay is so proud to be able to say that his family comes from Italia and it's all thanks to this man.

Next in line came Valentino Turri Jr. He was Valentino Turri Sr's third child.

The story goes, that after he was born neither of his parents could decide on a name for him. Instead of coming up with a name they just called him "baby"... for weeks! Then one day the state came a knockin' asking for the official name of the "baby" and to get them off their back they just named him Valentino Jr!
He goes by Tino now..

And so it continues

Next in line for the Valentino name was this little guy..

Michael Valentino Turri. The first of Valentino Turri Jr's five boys and Jay's cosmic Daddy-O!

If you can't tell this is Jay's dad there is something seriously wrong..
Only real difference is the facial hair. Jay was definitely not blessed in this area :)

Mike is famous for being ultra talented and well known in the local Albuquerque movie biz..
Everyone who knows him just loves him!

He has been a huge support system to Jay and our whole family and we are thankful for everything he does for us everyday!

You're definitely one of the coolest guys I know, Mike!

Next in line was Jay!

And lucky for him he was handed down the Valentino name.

Middle name that is, just like his pops!

And he definitely wins the most proud award for having it.

I think 10 times out of 10 he even wishes Valentino were his first name.
That's one of the reasons he was so thrilled to be having a boy,

so he could continue the Valentino legacy and pass the name on to his son.
And so we did!

Vincent Valentino Turri!

At the end of the day Vincent will become his own person. However, knowing that his family filled with so many great role models, and that he is forever bonded with them through their names, I feel confident that he will become one exceptional human being.

A Nice Relaxing Weekend

2011-06-03T21:32:00.000-06:00

Over Memorial Day weekend, Jay, Vincent and I spent our time relaxing in Angel Fire New Mexico with Jay's parents Michael & Johnese at their house in the mountains. It was a much needed vacation that all of us enjoyed so much! Vincent and I got there one day early because Jay had to work so we passed our time waiting for Dad to arrive by taking pictures. Here are a few from our photo shoot :)

I think he enjoyed posing for them as much as we enjoyed taking them. Or maybe it was just all the new things to look at.. Either way we took so many great pictures. I can't wait to print them and frame them for the house!

Still, we had more waiting to do until Jay got there so we (well actually it was mostly Mike) improvised in a whole new way! The mountain way!

Who needs hands to hold your umbrella when you've got Velcro and a bungee cord??

He loved it!

Mike also rigged his car seat up on their mountain wagon.
We took lots of strolls up and down the road like this

And finally, since the daisies haven't bloomed yet, Johnese showed him a dandelion..

: He tried to eat it

Once Jay got there we were quick to do one of our most favorite things, riding the four-wheeler! This time though we all got to experience it in a whole new way.. by riding slowly and taking Vincent for his first ride... Don't worry folks, his daddy had a good hold of him.

: Ready to cruise.............

As you can tell, it was fun for everyone

We also did some cool projects. Like making the first, of many, concrete blocks that will fill up the back yard. Vincent got to put his hand print and foot print in it. It's so cool to have something like that for us to show him when he gets older.

Overall we had a great time! Mike & Johnese are always great hosts and Jay & I just love watching them interact with our son. Vincent is so blessed to have them in his life.

Thanks for such a great weekend!

Hello world!

2011-05-30T18:06:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my new blog! I've gotten some recent inspiration to creat my own blog in order to share with all of you my incredible life as a new mama. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

To catch you all up, 5 1/2 moths ago I became a mama to the most beautiful baby boy, Vincent Valentino Turri. He was born Tuesday, Dec 14, 2010 @ 3:25pm. He weighed 8lbs 1.4oz & was 21 inches long!

He came into this world with a smile on his face & has brought one continuous smile to my face ever since!

Six days later Vincent got to celebrate his first holiday, Christmas! He also got to meet his Papa who he's named after. It was such a special holiday. I will never forget it as long as I live. Good food, great company and a new bundle of joy to be thankful for.

Since then, Vincent and I both got to be a part of some very BIG events. The first being his uncle Ryan's first movie premier for The Big Foot Election.

The movie was a HIT and Vincent was quiet through the whole thing! I don't think I could say the same thing should he go to a movie now, but needless to say it was an event both of us were very proud to be a part of.

The other amazing event really took the cake. Birthday cake that is!

In April, Vincent's Great Great Grandma Green turned 105!

We drove down to Artesia to help her celebrate the incredible milestone.

In just 5 1/2 short months Vincent has also celebrated six major birthdays including Jay and I's. He's traveled to Artesia, Alamogordo and Angel Fire with an upcoming trip to California in July (hopefully) and New York City in September. And, to include a growth milestones, he's got two teeth already!

Not the best pic, I know, but after 15+ tries this was the best I was going to get...

He is the sweetest, most smily little guy I have ever met! He has brought so much love and joy to my life and to others. I never knew what to expect before being a mama but I wouldn't trade it for the world!

He is growing up so fast but I am SO excited to be able to document all of it, so please stay tuned for more of our adventures!