Time Flies

It's crazy when I sit down and look at this blog and realize that so much time has ACTUALLY gone by, when it really doesn't seem as if it's possible. Well, it is, apparently. It's been 6 months and I wonder where the time has gone... I am really going to try to get better at this.. One day, I hope to get it printed into a book and keep it for Giuliana. Maybe she'd like to have it, or maybe she'll think I was crazy for doing it. Who knows.. I am clearly hoping for the 1st response. Ah well.. Only time will tell. She's got so much personality that it's hard to tell what she'll think or do.



Speaking of "The Queen"... That's what I have been referring to her lately. She started watching the Disney princess movies a few months back and she picked up key phrases like " Your royal highness " and variations of that. Ever since then, she's been " The Queen ".


Her birthday was in Feb. She's a big girl of 3 now and she is careful to remind me of that whenever she feels like it is going to drive her point home. She never uses it at the right now, like a lot of her points, but they sure are funny. I hope I remember them for years to come, I try to capture as much of this time in my head as possible in hopes that the memories stay with me for a life time.



The weather has finally come around and it's been beach weather since about Mid March. We started going about the end of March and we've been pretty much every weekend since then. She enjoys the beach. She runs through the waves, chases them back out, and then shrieks and runs from them as if they are chasing her back into the shore. It's a lot of fun to watch. I enjoy watching her be a kid and be innocent. It's nice. It relaxes me to just be AT the beach but to see her enjoy it so much-- well, that's just a plus.



In a few weeks Giuliana is moving into a new classroom. It's sort of like a Pre-K. She goes to a private school and they have their own way of doing things. People thought I was crazy when they found out I was putting her there (she was 4 mths old when she started) and that there was no way an infant would learn to sign to me before she would speak to me. Well, she did. She's learned everything they have tried to teach her-- INCLUDING how to write her own name. Yep, she's 3 years old, and she's learning to write. Wanna know the best part? She actually enjoys it and comes home and wants to work in her workbooks or color inside the lines. Her teachers are impressed with her ability to pick up and retain things. She's done really well. I'm proud. Now, if we could just get her to focus on ONE thing at a time and maybe, just maybe, LISTEN to her Momma :)

A New Year & Decade begins...

I have had so many people say to me " I didn't realize it was the end of a DECADE..", but it was. I started writing my "decade in review" last week, but I have not gotten it finished. When I do, I'll post it. I am not sure people would be too interested in reading it, but I have enjoyed writing it and remembering all the things that happened each year- After all, when I began this decade I had just graduated from high school and I turned 18 at the end of that 1st year. Crazy how things have changed in my life since then.



Christmas was a lot of fun. We spent time with family and ate great food. I think Giuliana opened gifts for a week! She got some really cool stuff from everyone and I have had to go through her old toys and get them together to be donated. You have to make room for the new stuff,plus her birthday is right around the corner. It's hard to believe my little baby is going to be 3 soon.



New years resolutions... It seems to me, that everyone makes them, and no one really follows them. Myself included for the most part. Last year I made 2. The first was to simply GET THROUGH '09 and the 2ed one was to loose some weight. I didn't really work on number 1 till about June or July, and I am happy to report I really have gotten a lot of my "self" back. And the loosing weight thing-- that happened quite on accident at work back in April. Since then, I have lost 19.5 pounds. I am pretty excited about that, and I am looking tons better! I still have about 12-15 pounds to go until I am at my pre-baby weight and shape, but it's coming right along. I'll hopefully get the last bit of weight off before summer. I don't think Ill ever look as great as I once did, and you wont catch me in a bikini ever again, but I sure can feel good and look good again, and I intend to do just that :)

Here are a few pictures from Christmas/New Years.

Wonderful-ness

Did you know that "Wonderful-ness" was a word? It is. I've decided. Do you know what it means, or what I means to me anyway? It's the way I feel inside when Giuliana says " I love you Mom" when I haven't even said it to her. It's great. It's a new thing she started doing a few weeks back and it still catches me off guard when she says it. I've been waiting MONTHS, okay maybe 2 yrs and 10 months to be exact, for the day when she would finally say it to ME for no reason other than she wanted me to know :) I tell her all the time, sometimes she doesn't even acknowledge that I've said it, but I'm sure she's been hearing me all along and has finally figured out that she too can say is just as sporadically as I do!

Holiday Season!

I love the Holidays. Doesn't everyone?? Sure, there is a lot of work to be done and a lot of money gets spent. But they are also so rich in the things that really matter. I share laughs, good times, and great food with some of the best and greatful people. This Holiday Season is no different!

Halloween was a lot of fun, and Giuliana was a Florida State Cheerleader :) I loveeddd it! It was hard to get some pictures of her in her costume because the child doesn't like to sit still, but hey, some is better than none!





Stacey put on this costume and I thought Giuliana was going to scream. I figured she would have been okay with is, she saw her put the mask on.. but it didnt matter. It took her about 30 minutes of trick-or-treating with her before she finally decided that it was okay to hold hands with her even though she didnt look like "Aunt Stacey"





For Thanksgiving we went back to Tallahassee to see Giuliana's family ( on her Dad's side) and then of course my Father's side of the family too. It was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed seeing everyone. As usual, Giuliana was sick, but thats usually how it is when we travel. She managed to get all stuffy, and then of course, she also got a stomach bug (which she then passed on to me and I was layed up allll last weekend sicker than a dog, go figure!). I did get a few pictures here and there, not near as many as I usually take, but I was busy trying to take care of her and keep her sitting still so she didnt upset her stomach all the time.

Ashley GreatGrandma Marna Jillian & Dave

Ashley Jillian Stephanie & ME!

Jillian & Cody

Aunt Jillian & Giuliana

"Cheeeeese MOM!"

Playing games with Lori and Julie

My Sister Parisa & I

I wanted to take a nice picture of Giuliana, and this was what she gave me.. she's a comedian!

Stacey Julie & Giuliana at the FSU vs UF (game) party we went to...Stacey is a little confused which of the 2 teams she roots for.. she was half Nole and half Gator!

Giuliana & Jacob with Aunt Lisa, Aunt Sharon & Aunt Stephanie


Just imagine if I would have taken a BUNCH of pictures.. haha!!

Now that we have Thanksgiving done, It's been CHIRSTMAS all month long. All Giuliana wants to do is go look for xmas lights, trees, or sing xmas songs. It's really sweet. I love that she is as into the Holidays as I was as a kid. I suppose that the Holidays really *ARE* more for the kids than the adults. Today we are going to finally put the tree up and get some lights and decorations going. She's been asking for her "own tree" for about a week or so now... I figure it prob about time I get her one :) I'll try to take some pictures to post.

Holding Hands

Tonight as we walked back to our car from the Jazz Festival here in town, I walked holding Giuliana's hand. Her hand is so tiny inside of mine, and I have small hands to begin with. It was sweet. I wish I had a picture of it. I wonder how soon the time will come where she won't let me hold her hand any more :( Every day that goes by she gets older and more independent than the day before. She thinks shes so grown. Im proud of her, but I am sad too. My little baby is growing up and one day, not to far off into the future, she won't hold my hand, and for me that's a sad thing. She may always be "my little baby" but the reality of the situation is that she won't actually be. I'm going to hold her hand more often, cuddle her closer, and hug her even more than I already do, because one day she's going to say with a disgusted tone of voice "Mooomm! we're in public!" and that will be the end of that.



I love this picture. It was taken at Jillian's wedding a few weeks ago. It's not perfect or even that great of a photo, but it's one of the few times she actually held still in my arms long enough for someone to snap a picture of us together.

Oh, Hello!

Hi :) Sorry, Its been about 6 weeks since the last time I posted on my blog. I do think thats the longest I have ever gone without a post :/ oops! Where have I been you may be wondering? Well, I have actually been OUT and living my life, as oppossed to staying home all the time. I have also been spending a lot of time at the gym trying to get my pre-baby body back. Its been a slow process, and I am not having any fun with it, but the results are amazing and have done WONDERS for me and my self esteem. Which is important. I have a picture I can post, but its not a full body shot. But you can even see the difference in my face, and finally, my eyes look like they have some "life" in them again. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed the past few years with Giuliana and all the one-on-one time I have spent with her, but it was way past time for me to start doing some things for myself too. So, I have been. Sometime around the end of October I am going to ask Allison take some new pictures of Giuliana and I, all dressed up, and I'll be sure to post those as well.



Giuliana has been doing well, and has been in swim classes for about a month now. Its crazy the kind of transition that shes has made from staring up at me underneath the water blinking at me for help, to now swimming like a little fish. She's got to be the best little floater I have ever seen. Its also the ONLY time in her LIFE where she lays perfectly still ;) I'll have to get some pictures of that so I can post them here as well. I'll take some at her lessons this week. I didnt want to take any when we first started because all she did was whine and moan the whole time she was in the water.

I've also been taking Giuliana to see her dad a lot the past few weeks. We've been able to work our time out so that she's been able to spend time with him. Either out and about and just at his work. It's something. Plus, she doesnt care where she gets to see him, aslong as she does.




We were in Tallahassee last weekend for Dave's birthday party. That was a lot of fun,and it's always great to get together with the Guthrie's and all of their diverse-ness ;) Jillian is getting married in less than a month, so I will be seeing them all again soon!! I can not *WAIT* to go to the wedding, its a beach ceremony, and the prettiest courtyard for the reception.

My Hero

Do you know who My Hero is? Don't laugh, and don't roll your eyes.. Hear me out...

Giuliana is My Hero & I couldn't pick a better person to admire.

See this picture below... It's a perfect example of why.... Really LOOK at this picture...


Care Free, Fun, Happy, TASTING life & Living It!

Not only is she happy to be alive but she is also happy with her life. That's more than I can say for a lot of people (myself included at times). She is loved, and she loves. She see the good in people and is happy to just be near you. Giuliana doesn't notice your faults. She doesn't judge you. If you are nice to her she likes you. She's simple & enjoys it that way. I call Giuliana "The Mayor" because everywhere we go she is always greeting the people passing by her. She is so outgoing & will befriend anyone regardless of age, color or gender.

Like I said, she's my hero. I want to be more like her every day in every way.