My baby is now one and walking...boo!!

Just kidding, but there is something bitter sweet about your baby turning one. This sums up Alex:

• laid back


• funny


• fussy only when he is hungry or tired


• loves to torture Anthony and pull his hair


• loves to wrestle Anthony


• was the hairiest baby when he was born, especially his ears and lower part of his back


• still has crazy hair- I love his hair!


• really learned to walk a day before he turned one


• will eat anything and when he is done clamps done his mouth and shakes his head no


• loves to take a bath, if he hears water he is cruising to the bathroom


• loved to snuggle with me and sleep with me when he was a baby-always around 2-3 am


• hates to have his face cleaned, clearly does not mind food stuck to his face or a runny nose


• is very strong, can put up a mean fight when dressing him


• definitely worth the wait


• loves his piano and music in general, dance, dance, dance


• loves the camera-hence his modeling career


• has Flinstone feet like his mommy


• looks like a bat baby with only his eye teeth coming in


• loves his papa who will walk him around everywhere to check it all out


• everything goes in his mouth


• poops like a champion

Erik and I are just so in love with him and very grateful he is ours. Happy Birthday Alex!

I lost 22 lbs today!!

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY! I just got back from a "health" analysis at Cold Fusion. Of course one of the things I needed to do was get weighed. Groan....He puts me on the scale and it reads 22 lbs less than I normally weigh. Although thrilled I tell him that it is not true because I weighed myself this morning. His batteries must be going dead. By the way I weigh myself every morning, why I am not sure?? He tells me it had to be accurate because it is a very expensive scale-blah, blah, blah. So we go to his colleague's office and I get on the scale. I weigh the same as his scale! My scale at home has added 20 lbs to me the past two months. I felt like I had put on 5 lbs maybe but not 20 lbs. So the good news is that we concluded that the batteries in mine were probably going bad. Well I tell you what, when I feel lighter in my new silver ballet zebra shoes from Target today, ladies I mean it!!!

Today is the day.

As you all know our Pug Charlie has been having health problems. This past weekend was particularly tough. He had 8 seizures on Saturday and 6 on Sunday. Those were just the ones that we were witness to. Poor guy is walking into walls, trying to walk through the spindles in our staircase, and cannot find his kennel. Erik and I decided that it is time to let Charlie go and put him to sleep. I am very sad. Even though Charlie is always in my face, has rancid breath, and extremely bad gas. He is also very loyal, has never hurt either of my children or even growled at them matter of fact, and has been my husbands little companion from the get go. When we picked Charlie up in the trailer court in Hawley he was TINY. Maybe 6 weeks old, he was the last one left and the owners told us the neediest. Charlie has always been needy but also very giving. Anthony is very sad about it, he almost talked me into keeping Charlie and not sending him to heaven this morning but I know it is the right thing to do. I love you Charlie.

Happy Birthday Stu!

Last night we were invited over to the Oberg's for Stuart's third birthday party. Which included their pool, pizzas, and a pinata. Pinatas have been surrounding me lately. Anyways, we had a blast! I have a special spot in my heart for Stuart. We waited a long time for him and he has made the wait all worth it. He has so much energy I swear I do not know how Leslie does it sometimes. Anthony made him a card and when he opened up his presents he started to read the card,"Dear Stu..."It was so cute. Stuart is potty training right now and definitely loved the Thomas the Train underwear Anthony picked out. I took Anthony shopping with me yesterday and he was very particular as to what we were going to buy Stuart for his birthday present. It turns out he did a great job because Stu and Jack were all about the hotwheels/ shark/ some kind of track thing we bought. Boys toys still confuse me? We sang happy birthday, Anthony swam in the deep end without his life jacket, and jumped off the diving board. Erik and I were so proud of him. I spoke to Leslie this morning and Stu didn't go to bed until 1:30 (way too much sugar and excitement) and was up at the crack of dawn to play with his birthday gifts. Motherhood is bliss, especially when you are sharing your baby's third birthday with all of his big boy friends. It goes by way too fast!

Water anyone?

So today I was at lunch with one of my girlfriend's. We were chatting, nothing crazy. A person walks past, I turn my head and make eye contact. Keep talking, don't even mention it to my friend. Wonder why I had to wear the "mom" polka dot shirt today? Let me clarify something before all you hens start clucking. I am very happy with my husband. I am very grateful his path is the one I chose to go down. But there are always those "others" in the world that are from you past that have you sometimes wondering "what if"?

Before Erik and I married we were living together, I broke up with him, moved out. and started seeing this other person. It was for a summer. Maybe my "summer romance" like on Grease (lol) but without John Travolta. I thought he was great. We spent a lot of fun unquality time together. He was different than Erik in many ways and at the time was very endearing to me. Until I asked him for a glass of water. He brought me a plastic cup of luke warm tap water. Yep, that did it. Erik always brought me ice cold water with lots of ice in a tall glass, just the way I liked it. I literally left that other person's house, drove home, and called Erik and told him that we had to get back together. I did not want to go another day without him and I never called or spoke to that other person again. Well not until I ran into him Valentine's Day the following year and told him I was engaged. Uncomfortable conversation. Regardless I still tease Erik that he is my tall drink of water without admitting to him why. Some things are best unsaid. I think we are reminded why we have chosen the partners we have when we run into the "what ifs" of this world. If there is one thing I know for sure is I love Erik and he pours a mean drink of water.

Celebrate good times c'mon!!

That was the theme for us this past weekend. Complete with a family conga line with the song "Celebration" blaring from the speakers and a pinata. For those of you who know my family we did not disappoint. We celebrated my Uncle Kenny's 60th birthday and Alex's 1st birthday. My Uncle Kenny is my dad's eldest sibling out of 12. He was born 2 1/2 months premature and was tiny when he was born. My grandma slipped on a stairwell and went in to pre-term labor. When he was born he had the cord wrapped around his neck and the story was always told that they did not get oxygen to his brain fast enough so back then he was deemed "retarded". Funny thing is when that term became socially "unacceptable" my grandma still always called him her retarded son when she was telling a story about him. Not because she was being demeaning because that is just how she knew it. Regardless, Kenny is funny. He is definitely a Capouch. Very social, loves to be with people, and have a good time. He is OBSESSED with watches and wears four at all times, two on each arm. All with different time zones. If your clock is off in your house he will get to it, whatever it takes to fix it. Last year when we were out at Leslie's swimming he stood on a barstool to get to her clock. Did not care if he was going to fall on wet concrete, he was going to make sure her clock was the right time. He also has a passion for pens and his pocket protector. If he comes to visit it is best to hide your pens because they will disappear, but if you go visit him he has ice cream buckets full so he will be sure to send you home with a hand full. At the party was my Capouch family, many of Kenny's friends including his roommate's, etc. My family rented out All Star Bowl for the night-great idea if you are looking for a place to have a party. Leslie brought Stu and we took the kids bowling, they loved it! Anthony and Stu were fun to watch. Anthony scored a troll out of the claw machine, he was SO proud. Probably only cost maybe $20 or so by the time he was done but he got it. Erik bowled with my dad and uncles, he was mostly verbally abused the entire time. In my family it is harass or be harassed. After all these years Erik is holding is own. Besides he knows they all love him. When it came time to eat his first birthday cake Alex did not disappoint. We put it on the tray. He smiled, instead of picking at the cake he started to lick it. He couldn't quite figure out what to do but once Jeff ripped off a piece he went to town! Anthony is crying in the background the entire time. He was beside himself that Alex was eating the only cake even though there was a huge cake three feet away for Kenny's birthday. Jealousy comes out at the most significant moments.

We ended the night with a slide show my Aunt Joann had put together of when they were all growing up. So cool to see how they all wore pretty dresses, hats, gloves, etc all the time. Unlike ho0dies and jeans. My dad and I ended up going to Jeff's for a night cap until 3 in the morning. We both were in trouble the next day...little too much fun for the both of us but what can I say? It is in my blood.

It's official, my child is a genius!!

So today Anthony and I are sitting at the kitchen table. I am looking through his blue folder from school that has his material that goes back and forth. Included in his folder is the Scholastic book order form. Do you remember those? I LOVED these when I was a child, loved the book fairs, and the smell of all the books in the room waiting to be bought. Anyways, Anthony picks it up and points to a book.

"Mom, do you know this guy?"
"I do, do you know his name? It is Martin Luther King Jr." Assuming he doesn't know.
"I know mom, Mrs. Quibell has the book. People didn't like him and were really mean to him. They didn't like what he said and they killed him."

Woah! Threw (or through?) me for a loop. At first I was a little confused why it is necessary for a four year old to learn this. But it is, it is our history. By the time Anthony grows up and is my age there might even have been another black president, a female president, a black female president. Not only was I proud of him but also his teacher. She is awesome! The kids love her and I am very grateful for all of the knowledge she is sharing with my absorbent four year old.

So I told Anthony he could pick out two books.
"I know the one I really want, it is so cool." My heart is so proud because I know it is about Martin Luther King Jr.

Nope-Power Rangers Mystic Force and Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! The Wubb Clubb

"Mom, can you believe it? That's so cool!"
It sure is cool...what do you do?

By the way, kudos to Bonnie for becoming my new referral machine. Bonnie, if you ever need a job....:)