Momma Loves a GIVEAWAY!

For those that don't know, I love mail. Plain and simple...mail makes me happy! I am always the first to run to the mailbox and I am constantly checking my email. There is just something about mail, no matter how it comes! So, you could imagine my surprise when CSN contacted ME about doing a giveaway on my blog! I was so surprised and so excited!!! After perusing all of the great goodies on this site and this site It was hard, but I chose two things and one lucky reader will win their pick! Woo-hoo, I love giving things away!

In addition to mail, I love Melissa and Doug toys for Connor - we have tons! I think we might have all the puzzles, the nesting blocks, the train and on and on. I just think they are great toys and something tells me they will stand up to the destructive ways of my little toddler man :) We have the fish fill and spill and it's so cute so I thought I would share the love...

Here is the deal, you can choose either the Picnic Fill and Spill

or...

the mailbox fill and spill!

Here is how you win:

For one Entry: Visit the website, peruse the goodies, leave me a comment saying hi!
For two entries: Become a Follower!
For Three Entries: Post about this Giveaway on your blog - be sure to leave me your blog address so I can say hi! I will use the random number generator to pick a winner next Friday February 5th!

Good luck and here's to hoping for some comments :)

Connor is really starting to get the hang of the old walking thing! He is starting to walk to more and more things and people that are close by. He kind of has a little bit of a sideways walk - we think it's pretty sweet! We know it won't be long before we have a complete walker on our hands! Do you love that all the pictures and videos are of him in his jammies? I promise we sometimes put clothes on the poor boy! We have noticed he is dragging his left leg a little we are going to call the doctor and see if it's just the way he is learning to walk or if we need to do some physical therapy with him. Momma's of walkers out there, did you kiddo's experience anything like that?

Penne Pasta with Sausage and Cheesy Garlic Bread

G and Co. were nice enough to visit us for dinner tonight, we love it when they visit! We like to think that they come to visit us, but we know they only come to see Connor Man! :) I told them I was making sausage pasta and they had to stay and eat with us. My mom found this recipe on the Food Network, courtesy of Sandra Lee - the first time I made it we were hooked! It was a crowd pleaser last night, so I thought I would share! I don't know if the picture does it justice, but everyone gobbled it up, Connor had three helpings!

Ingredients:

1 pound penne pasta

2 tblsp. olive oil

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

1 tblsp. garlic, chopped (I use the minced)

1 tblsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, optional

4 pork sausages, cut into 1/2 in. slices (I use turkey sausage, you could also use chicken sausage)

1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained (I used two and don't drain them)

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c. heavy cream

basil leaves for garnish

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions

In a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add onion, garlic, Italian seasoning mix and red pepper. Stir frequently and cook until the onions are soft and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Add sausage and cook for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, stirring all the ingredients together to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and mix well.

Drain the pasta and add directly to the skillet with the sauce. Toss the pasta to coat, transfer to serving bowl and garnish with basil leaves. I serve it with cheesy garlic bread and a salad! Enjoy!

Hot Mess...

We had to wake up the little sweet pea last night so we could get over to the Johnson's for Pa-Pa's birthday dinner and this is what we found when we walked in the room :) I mean...of course I made Bj run and grab the camera! Lord only knows how he managed to shift around his bumper pads! Do you like the brown sheet? I have wanted a brown and white polka dot sheet but I refuse to pay $25 for one so I settled for the plain brown, what do you think?

Song For a Fifth Child

I don't remember where I came across this sweet poem, but I thought I would share:

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

Hang out the washing, make up the bed,

Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,

Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew

And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo

But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo

Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?

Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow

But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

-Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Little steps! The little moose is really starting to enjoy this whole walking thing! The silly camera battery died in the middle of the video, but here are a few steps - don't worry I will get a longer video and post more!! :)

Mornin' Sunshine

My little hot mess after his afternoon snooze yesterday :) I love those little baby legs!!

The Magic House

In order to make our schedules work, Bj takes off Tuesday and Wednesday to watch the little man and it's great. I love that they have that time to spend together to hang out and play and do daddy/Connor things. So yesterday afternoon I got home and asked my mom where they were and she said The Magic House! I was so excited for them to get home to see how the day was, it was Connor's first trip to The Magic House and I just knew he was going to have fun! They got home and both of my boys were all smiles, my sweet Bj even took the camera so he could document the day for me!! He knows how much I like to have pictures of the little man during the day because it makes my day go that much faster. I don't know if I have remembered to mention, but these days Connor loves balls, light switches and water. As you can see he was pretty excited with all that was around him! Bj said he liked to watch the other kiddos and he even ran into his friend Eli and his daddy!

I love that little face and those little fingers splashing in the water - I secretly love that having kids means you get to be a kid again and enjoy all of the fun kid centered places like the magic house! I mean...who doesn't want to splash around in water with their friends?
These pictures make me laugh because I just know that in Connor's mind having a wall of light switches that he can turn on and off is like his heaven. To him, life doesn't get much better than that! Bj said he could have stood there all day, he loved it! Ah, isn't it fun watching your kiddo's do something for the first time? I think it was a great day at the Magic House, we can't wait to go back!

Little Puddin'

I don't really have a lot to say to these pictures because a) I am still laughing and b) I really think they say it all! I wasn't kidding when I said we had a lot of pudding, soup and Popsicles around our house - some were just more excited to eat them than others! HaHa!
I seriously couldn't decide which pictures to post, I think they are just a riot! While Connor was doing this, my mom was sitting on the couch but couldn't see his face. She was laughing so hard when I finally told her to turn around. I mean...look at the smile on his face because that is the smile he know gives when you say "say cheese!". He is a total ham and I have a feeling this is not the last messy face we will be cleaning :)

He loves baths, so what else is a momma to do with a little puddin' face? Stick him straight in the sink of course! It was kind of funny to wrastle him in the sink though, he kept trying to climb out!

13 Months!

You know what happens when you turn 13 months old the weekend your momma gets her wisdom teeth taken out? She forgets to make you a sign! Oh well...something tells me you aren't going to be too terribly upset with me. Wow, you are 13 months old, I can't say you are just "one" anymore, I have to say "13 months". I was talking to Nana and we were talking about how this time last year we had only just brought you home from the hospital, the day before your one month birthday. Looking back I still can't believe that you spent a month in the NICU and to look at you know, you would never know. You have been so busy this month - you took your first steps, got your first pair of "pre-walker" shoes, and lots of new toys! You are still wearing 12 month clothing - I got a little ahead of myself and pulled out all the 18 month stuff but you just aren't there yet.We bought you some "snack traps" and you love pulling your treats out and putting them back in. It makes me chuckle - it does keep you entertained for awhile though! You are talking up a storm lately and you are starting to point at things you want, it is also kind of funny. You still love to read books, play with your cars, ride in shopping carts and get into everything! You are so funny and we laugh with you all the time - you have started laughing right along with us when we talk about something - its pretty sweet. Realizing that you were indeed 13 months old, it made me realize I need to post your birthday video, one of these days I will get to it. Hopefully before you turn 14 months old! Ha! We think you are just pretty great and we love you to the moon and back!

Wisdom Teeth/The Face

So sorry for being quiet over here in the midwest, I had my wisdom teeth taken out on Thursday afternoon and it has quieted me down for a bit! I didn't think I would be up and running the next day, but I was hoping to be! I just kept saying I don't have time to be laid up on the couch, I have too many things to do. It is also a lot harder to "recover" when you have a little one to care for! Thankfully my aunt and cousin helped me with Connor on Thursday night when my mom went out (Bj was at work) and my mom helped me when she could on Friday and Saturday. I am feeling much better today - I still look like a chipmunk on one side and I have a little bruising, but nothing I can't handle :) Thankfully we were blessed with a pretty great baby who was so good to his momma all weekend - he is a great sleeper and we both took great naps on Friday! Nothing very exciting around here, lots of Popsicles, pudding, ice cream and soup for us! On a funny note - I went to get Connor up from his nap on Saturday and he had pulled ALL of his laundry from the basket into his crib! He is too much! I didn't have a camera handy, but I sure wish I did. Oh and the above face in the above picture? He has been making this face lately and we can't help but laugh. It is a riot. It's like "really people, don't you understand how hard it is to be one!?" Ha! Oh and by the way - look at those eyes? Those eyes are going to walk all over me when he is older!

Snow!

We in the midwest were graced with some SNOW this last week - it was so beautiful, I love the freshly fallen snow! I love it the most though when I don't have to go anywhere and we can enjoy it from the comforts of our jammies (which we did, all weekend long!) Connor doesn't have any good "snow gear" so after reading Kelly's post on bringing the snow to Harper, I thought I would steal the idea! Connor was pretty excited about the snow, a little uncertain at times, but cute as could be! He kept touching it and looking up at me like "momma, it's COLD!" and the he wanted to eat it and stir it with his wooden spoon. It is so fun to watch them do little things like this for the first time. I tried to find some food coloring to make the snow some fun colors, but couldn't locate any, so white snow for us it was!

First Steps!

Yep, you read that correctly - this sweet boy took his first steps on Saturday! Ah!!!!! I was screaming, crying and hollering - I was so excited for my little man! I called Bj right away and then Aunt Steph, as I knew she would be as excited as I! Granny D wasn't home so she had to wait, but it was so fun! I don't think anyone believed me until he did it three more times for everyone else - Bj and I were like "uh-oh" we are going to have a walker soon. He gets into plenty as a crawling man - our lives as we know it are now over if he is a walking man! Ha! Don't worry, I will get it on video and share but for now the little picture will have to do!

Cuteness

I love the little butt sticking up in the air, so so incredibly sweet! Can you tell I love sleeping baby pictures? I think he just looks so sweet and innocent, not a care in the world as he snoozes away. You can't see it, but he is sleeping on top of bunny :)

The Hair...

Look at that sweet head of curly hair, is that not the sweetest? I can't cut it, I just can't. I don't want to cut those sweet little baby hairs, am I crazy? I am afraid he will look like too much of a big boy - maybe we could trim it? Was it hard for you to get the first hair cut?

5 Years...

In some ways it is so hard to believe that it has been 5 years already. That is until I think about all that has happened in five years, all that he has missed in five years. Sometimes I really can't believe that he wasn't here to walk me down the aisle and see me marry Bj or there to share in the excitement of his first grandbaby, or the pride as his son is about to become a fire fighter. All of the little moments in between too - the laughing with my mom about something, seeing a good movie or enjoying times with friends and family. All of the huge things that have happened in our lives that he has missed. I still sometimes am blown away by the fact that no matter how good I am or how much I pray or miss him, we really will spend the rest of our lives with out him. I miss him so much sometimes I really can't think about it - on the days when I wish I could hear his voice or have lunch with him - I look at Connor and see his little birth mark and I am overcome with a sense of peace - he really is watching out for us. He is taking care of us as our guardian angel and he knows that we are all doing well and taking care of each other. I like to think that he really isn't missing out on anything, he is just seeing it from a different perspective. For the first time, I was home on the anniversary. My mom always takes everyone to Pat's Bar and Grill (my dad's favorite place) for dinner as a thank you for everyone who has been there for her, and a way to be together on a tough day. It was a really nice night - we had good food, good friends, family and conversation. It really hit me at the table though just how we didn't just lose a dad and husband - those closest to us lost a best friend, son, son-in-law, uncle, and brother, brother-in-law and grandpa. Being with everyone we love sure made the night a little easier - I thought about all the fun and happy memories and not the painful memories of the day. I took a few other pictures, but I will post those later - the highlight was Frankie in the bar! Thank you for listening :) Oh, and be on the look out for an exciting post about what happened on January 9th!

Remember the kleenex?

...apparently Connor is still upset with the amount of food we are feeding him and has moved on to toilet paper. I looked at the toilet paper roll this morning and it has little bites out of it! Ha!! There really is never a dull moment around our house and I love it that way!

Rough...

Just wanted everyone to know what a rough life the dogs live at Casa de Granny...I feel bad for them, don't you? Don't worry, Sedona was just on the other couch when I took the picture, she was feeling "camera shy". Scout's eyes look a little funny, I don't think the flash was doing him any justice during his little siesta :)

Kleenex anyone?

Sunday afternoon my mom and I were doing a few things in the kitchen when all of a sudden we realized it was way too quiet for their to be a one year old around. All of a sudden we saw some commotion in between the couches and found the little man helping himself to the kleenex box! Apparently we don't feed him enough so he has had to resort to eating tissues right out of the box :) Ha! If you look closely you can see the tissue between his teeth, he is a funny, funny little man. This funny, funny little man is getting into everything these days too! I thought I had a little more time before we realized that the sounds of silence meant he was into something! :)

Budding Artist

This is probably surprising to some of you...I love anything crafty. I am not great, but I sure like to pretend that I am super crafty. I just love creating things and it is a love I hope to pass along to my children. I have been waiting patiently to get out the finger paints, crayons and markers for the little man. Well, I decided this weekend was as good a time as any and here goes! My little artist creating for the very first time! Oh, I see so many projects in my future and I am giddy with excitement!!He was like mom, can't you see I am working here?! Notice how the paint and markers went STRAIGHT into the old mouth!?

Working so hard, look at those sweet little fingers!Ta-Da! The finished product. I think he is shaping up to be a great little artist this one! :)

Pig Pen

We keep lovingly referring to Connor as "Pig Pen" (from Peanuts) around the house. He now a days want to feed himself...his way. Some days that includes using the spoon, some days he just likes to use his fingers - or my favorite, licking it out of the bowl! We are all about self feeing over here (and my we, I mean me...daddy takes a slighly cleaner approach to feeding time!). He is such a funny little rugrat, I love the grin on his face as he is covered in his oatmeal. On more than one occassion we have had to take him straight from breakfast to the bathtub!

Welcome, 2010!

Happy New Year!

We went over to Greg and Meredith's house for a little bit, ate lots of food and played apples to apples. It was perfect - we just hung out, Connor had fun playing and we were home in time to get him to bed. After that Bj and I quickly changed into our jammies and watched Harry Potter 3. We didn't make it till midnight and it was perfect - just what we wanted. A nice evening with the family! My mom had some friends over so we did manage to make an appearance with them! She keeps laughing at how old we are, she is always up later than we are!

(i really just wanted to show off C's super cute ugg boots. Don't they look so sweet on his feet? He loves them - though he likes to pull the stuff off the inside and eat it while in his car seat! ha!)

I can't believe it, where has this year gone? Thinking back on where we were last year compared to now is crazy. Last year Bj ran though the hospital to kiss Connor and I, arriving one minute before New Years. He didn't yet weigh five pounds and was 3.5 weeks away from going home for the first time. Now, we have just celebrated his first birthday and he has been a joy from the minute he was born. Looking back, I am so thankful for this year and thankful for our sweet boy...and just really, really happy and thankful in general. This year we saw lots and lots and lots of change - we packed up our life and moved to St. Louis, started new jobs, settled into parenting and a new life. What I remember most is being happy - happy with my life and happy with my new little family. I know there are things I want to work on this year, but most of all I hope to be just as happy next year as was this next year. I can't wait to see what we all get into this new year and new decade. I will leave you all with that, I hope everyone has a safe, happy and healthy new year!

Happy New Year!

What a great year - so many firsts and new memories, more to come but first, our 2009 in photos!