Esme is already having a blast with the Sit N Spin my mom got her - I can't believe how fast she got the hang of it! 

Esme opened this huge gift from my mom - a Rocking Horse! 

Tis the Season

Tis the Season

We have begun the holiday rush! Yesterday we went to CT to visit our friends for Christmas. We went to Edwina and Wolfgang's house for a nice, relaxing afternoon. It is always a pleasure to see them! Later we went to our annual Christmas party with Lisa's family. We really look forward to this party and of course we had a great time. This was the first year that Dylan and Roxanne joined us!

One of my first digital photos of my happy happy baby and her daddy! 

A Very Busy Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! During the day we received phone calls and photos from my mom and Charles who were enjoying themselves at the Macy's parade and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York. My brother James also called to wish me a happy Thanksgiving. I made dinner and we had Donna and Edwina & Wolfgang over to share it with us. I am very thankful to have such wonderful people in my life!

Friday morning I woke up just after 5 to hit all the Black Friday sales. I got some great deals! Friday evening I went to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Bushnell with my friend Lance. I hadn't seen Lance in a very long time so that was nice, and the show was just spectacular! Ethan had Kyle over to work on some music they've been collaborating on recently.

Saturday we took Esme and met Lisa and her family at Santa's Land in Vermont. We all had a wonderful time. Esme's favorite parts were the rides and the huge slide! My favorite part was watching Ethan and Esme together. I am so thankful for what a great dad she has!

By Sunday we were all exhausted and slept most of the day away!

Autumn with Esme

Esme and I have been having fun raking in our new yard this year. She has a mini rake and drags it over the leaves and grass trying imitate me. We have a ton of leaves as we have 5 maple trees in our yard. We've had snow once and we're all prepared for our next storm with shovels and salt. My brother Charles is giving us a snowblower so we should be all set for Winter!

Our home is filling up now! Edwina and Wolfgang gave us some beautiful furniture that belonged to her mother. If we could just get rid of the weird flooring we'd really have something going!

We Are All Sick

ooooh poor us! Ethan and I had a heckuva night last night and now all three of us have colds. Sniff sniff! Cough cough! Hopefully it will be brief and we'll be in tip top shape for Dylan's baptism.

Esme has been enjoying her own new house in our new yard! 

settling in

Well we are completely out of our old apartment and settling in to our new house. We finally have our computer back up and running thank goodness! Now if we can just get our washer and dryer hooked up we'll be all set!

We are Homeowners!

It's done! Our house is finally ours! Yay! Now if we can just get moved out our apartment we'll be all set!

Home At Last!

Well the big day is almost here! We'll be signing paperwork late tomorrow or early Thursday and getting the keys to our new home! Yay! We'll be out of our current apartment by Sunday and into our beautiful new home. We can't wait!

Signs of Fall...Esme in a a sweater with a tiny pumpkin! 

Esme enjoyed visiting the pumpkin people in Turners Falls yesterday with her Aunt Stephanie and me! 

I love this photo of our happy baby! It was taken just a couple days after she started walking! 

Exciting News

Last night Charles asked Jenny & I to be godparents for his son Dylan. This is a big honor and we are very excited! It means a lot to me that Charles would ask us. We are looking forward to being a big part of Dylan's life.

Nonna's backyard is a baby's paradise! Esme loves to play on her big toys and is getting great at climbing on them all by herself!  

Esme decides to walk.

Well this Monday Esme decided it was time to start walking. She is 17 months old and has been very cautious about it so far, even though she can pivot, climb, etc. She started walking almost all the time she wants to travel on 8/30 and has mostly given up on crawling except when she wants to carry something. She hasn't got quite that balancing with some extra weight thing yet. I guess when it's time, it's time!

One of my latest scrapbook pages - I'm really proud of this one! 

no time to blog, too busy packing!

I can't believe how quickly our move is approaching! In less than a month we'll be in our very own home!! It's so exciting and stressful at the same time.

So, who wants to have us over for dinner?

We are working very very hard to get every penny saved for our house. My friend just pointed out to me that her wedding (which I am supposed to photograph) is the same day as our closing! Arrrgh! We have so much to do in such a short time.

Esme and I have been doing a lot of swimming lately. Yesterday our friend Clare invited us to a pool to swim for a few hours and Esme had a great time in the water and playing with Liam and Grace.

Happy Birthday Kaitlyn!

Today we went down to CT to go to Kaitlyn's 1st birthday party. She was so cute and full of energy today! She just gets cuter and cuter. Charles came and dressed up as Peanuts for all the kids' entertainment. I had fun watching Dylan even though the poor baby cried part of the time. After the party we went back to my mom's and ate Greenville Pizza. It was fun to hang out with Charles and Dylan, who was much happier once his Daddy arrived.

Ethan is starting his extra work for student rush already. It is hard to give up some of our time with him! But at least we know he'll be getting lots of extra time off to spend time with us.

Tomorrow we are renting the storage space to move all of our stuff into for the big move. It is hard to believe how quickly that is coming up! In a month in a half we'll be in our very own home! Even though I'm not looking forward to moving at all, I am looking forward to making our very own nest.

Mimi is a great Mother's Helper

I am trying to get organized before our move and Mimi is helping me out today by watching Esme. Esme just loves her and has been laughing and playing with her all day.

I can't believe we are moving on 10/1. We have sooo much to do!

30th Birthday Parties Galore!

Yes as of Sunday I am officially 30 years old! Ethan and my mom threw me a wonderful party with my family and some friends Sunday afternoon. Ethan had obviously put so much work into it - he made me feel very special. My mom made up a trivia game for me that I had fun playing and laughing about.

My friend Lisa and her family were away for the weekend so they threw me a second party today! I went to Lisa's house and they made me all my favorite foods and gave me lots of wonderful gifts. It was so nice of them and again made me feel very special.

This photo is of Esme on the swing at Eastern Point. I love to take her there with my mom and Aunt Cathy. She loves to sit in the water and to crawl around on the sand.  

We have found a house! Our offer was accepted Monday and hopefully we'll be moving by the end of Autumn!  

Esme has taken her first steps!

Monday afternoon Esme took her very first step while we were visiting our friend Ellen.  She's taken few more since then but has one little problem.  When we cheer for her she gets excited and wants to start bouncing, but when she bounces she loses her balance and falls down.  
 

I am back from CKU and we had a BLAST!! This photo is of me and one of my scrapping heroines, Becky Higgins! It was so great to share this experience with Lisa and Stephanie. I'm so lucky to have friends like them! If anyone would like to hear more about CKU please give me a call - I love sharing all my fun stories!!  

My mom got Esme a little rocking chair at a yard sale today. 

Esme in the pool, deep in thought. 

Back at my mom's this afternoon for pool party - here;s Esme about to slide into the pool! 

Esme got worn out after a while in the pool. 

Esme and I enjoy a few days together

While Jenny is at CKU, Esme and I have been having fun together. Thursday Ellen came up and visited. We played cribbage while Esme napped and then went to the Bluebonnet. Laster we went to my mom's and Esme played in the wading pool -- she loved it! Check out the pictures below. Yesterday we went to the library and spent some time outside. Today we are going back to the pool this afternoon before Jenny comes home. It has been great being with Esme but we both miss Jenny!

Esme enjoyed climbing in and out of her chair. 

Esme in the pool 

CKU Begins Tomorrow!

Whoo-hooo!! At long last - the day I have been waiting for is tomorrow! Stephanie and I are leaving nice and early from my house and we'll be meeting Lisa there. I can't wait!

Esme talked and sang with Liam and Grace and had a grand old time! 

Last week we went over to swim with Ellen at Joyce's pool. We had a great time with everyone and Esme loved floating around the pool independently in their baby float.  

Looking forward to this weekend...

...to meet the new baby in the family. Dylan is super cute. We are going to a family reunion this weekend in CT and it will be my first time seeing little Dylan in person.

Jenny & I had a nice time in Amherst on Saturday celebrating our anniversary. It was nice to have a few minutes to ourselves after a stressful week. It has been wonderful so far, life with Jenny is always great!

Here's a shot I took of my nephew, Dylan James. 

Esme and I met Dylan yesterday!

Charles brought my new nephew over to Lisa's house yesterday so that I could meet him. He is such a cutie! He has those big baby cheeks that I love! He seemed so light compared to all the other babies I know, and I loved all the little baby sounds he made while I was holding him. He definitely knew his Daddy's voice - he turned his head toward Charles every time Charles spoke. He's a real sweetheart!

our cutie baby 

Our 5 Year Anniversary

We've been married for 5 years today! It's hard to believe that our wedding was that long ago. I am so lucky to have Ethan as my husband, and I love him so very much.

Amherst was having a special street art show tonight so Ethan and I went and walked around downtown for a while. Then we ate dinner on the patio at Amherst Brewing Company. It was a nice, relaxing evening.

stephanie's birthday

Just a note to say happy birthday to our friend Stephanie! She is the best. Jenny & Esme had a nice time with her today while I rested up from a restless night with a sick baby. It looks like we are all on the mend now.

whoo-hoo! School is out!

I have been teaching Middle School for the last week and a half and have found that to be the most difficult age group for me. I am soooo happy school is out for the summer!

Happy Retirement, Mom!

Today was my mom's very last day of school ever! She's been a teacher for a long time and has had a rough year, so she definitely deserves to retire and start this next phase of her life! She has so many plans that I don't know when she'll fit them all in, but I hope she schedules in some times for us!

Father's Day and We're Sick

Yesterday morning I woke up with a cold and since then I've been feeling pretty grumpy and miserable. Last night Esme threw up 3 times within 1 hour. She was in good spirits, and continues to be today, but she still seems a bit under the weather.

I'm disappointed because I really wanted to be able to make today a special day for Ethan.

In case anyone didn't know it, Ethan is the best husband and father in the world. All day he's been taking care of us, and he even ran errands because we were almost out of a few essentials. This is nothing new - Ethan takes great care of us each and every day of the year. We're so lucky!

woke up on the wrong side of the crib

Esme woke up early today and is already very tired (9:15). I am trying put her down for a nap. She is alternating between playing with her toys in the crib and plopping down on the mattress with her thumb in her mouth. More lousy weather today although it is cooler, not sure if we will venture out or not yet.

the well-read baby

I'm off work today taking care of little Esme. We have been reading a lot of books while I copy records. We have read many of them several times. She also had a refreshing bath to cool off. Now she is settling down for a nap (I hope). We may go to the park this afternoon depending on the weather, there is a thunderstorm warning. Esme is great company and a voracious reader.

there IS one good thing about having to be at work at 7:15 / Clare's birthday

When I woke up today at 8, I felt like I had slept in! It was sooo nice to have a day off today, especially after two unpleasant days in a row teaching gifted middle school kids. Esme and I had a nice day together. We stopped in for a visit at the bookstore and then got to visit the Bertrand family this afternoon.

Tomorrow is my friend Clare's 40th birthday. Most of my other friends probably know her as a scrapbooker or Liam & Grace's mom. But I really find her to be an amazing person. I love talking to her because I often find myself thinking about things she said days later. She has some interesting and deeply meaningful parenting philosophies and I feel she has helped to shape my own ideas about being a parent and how I want to raise Esme. She was sooo nice to me and helpful when Esme was born and through my PPD. There was a very significant moment of recovering for me when I called Clare and she said, "You sound like someone I know!" I just wanted to add this to the blog so I can publicly declare how much I appreciate her friendship! Happy Birthday Clare! I hope the next 40 years of your life are the HAPPIEST!

Donna got Esme this little truck to practice walking with. She loves it and once she gets going she doesn't want to stop! 

Esme is on the Go Go Go!!

There have been some big changes in Esme the past few days. She is getting less and less like a baby and more and more like a little girl. Suddenly she can walk while holding hands or pushing something, she can climb off our bed or any other high furniture, and even climb up the stairs! She also is becoming more independent. For instance if one of us were to walk away she would follow us. Now she is crawling away from us instead! She's less interested in being held and will do her best to climb off our laps so she can explore on her own. We'll miss all her baby behavior but it is amazing to watch her grow and learn new things! Every new thing she does reminds me what a miracle a child is!

I'm scrapping!

Ahhh...the most relaxing day of the week - Thursday! I have been scrapping and just finished a page of Esme on Memorial Day. If you haven't seen my layouts lately check out Esme's album at http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/album_display.asp?album_id=11453. The newer layouts are towards the bottom.

Esme has been into EVERYTHING the last few days. She has learned how to climb off furniture and up stairs. I got a recommendation from Wolfgang a while ago and finally got the hardware to properly install our gate. Whew!

I am really looking forward to scrapping with my brother, Charles, this weekend.

a freshy baby already!

I let Esme play in the bathtub for a while tonight due to the heat. She splashed around in the water with her toys and was having a grand ol' time. Unfortunately she seems to enjoy standing up in the tub. Obviously that is not allowed. About the fourth time she did it I said for the fourth time, "Esme, no standing in the tub! Sit down!" She just looked at me so I said again, "Sit down!" She looked right at me and said, "No." I couldn't believe my ears! She said no to me 2 times tonight!

it's a scorcher!

We practically melted today! Esme and I ran some errands so that we could enjoy the air conditioning in the car and in stores. I let her go out without shoes (something I never do) because I figured the less on her the better. When I picked her up from her nap even her sheet was sweaty. The poor baby!

Esme spent Tuesday at Nonna's house - one of her favorite places. This photo is of her in one of Donna's cabinets, with everything else out on the floor.  

a somewhat stressful day

Because our green car almost broke down in CT yesterday, I had to take it to the garage today. On the way in Esme threw up in her carseat and not only covered herself, but also the carseat and the car. I got everything cleaned up, took apart the carseat, and threw it and her clothes in the washer. When I went to get Esme ready to go back to pick up Ethan at work I could hardly figure out how to put the carseat back together! It was very complicated! Ethan had an offsite and had to run but Stephanie was kind enough to drive me to the garage. Esme is feeling fine now thank goodness, and Ethan is home.

another busy but wonderful day

This morning Stephanie and I left for the big annual stamp show in West Springfield. We spent the morning there and then Edwina arrived. Stephanie had seen the whole show so then Edwina and I walked around. I took a class in binding stamped books!

After the stamp show Edwina and Wolfgang took me out for my gradutation dinner! We went to Mulino's in Northampton. They had a guitar player who was sitting right near us, and Esme loved him. After dinner I thanked him for entertaining her and he said, "No, she entertained me." It was such a nice time for all of us.

A great spring day

Today Esme and I went to some yard sales in the morning. Nothing good for sale today but it was nice to get some fresh air. This afternoon we had grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. Esme spent more time playing with hers than eating it but it's a start.

Tonight Jenny is going out on the town to see "Harry Potter" with her friend so I will be putting Esme to bed. Then the party really starts!

This is the card I am sending to anchor Hannah Storm to enter the Making Memories shopping spree contest.