Our Family of Three.....

It's hard to believe that we just finished our last weekend together as a family of three. Next weekend, we will be a family of four, which is just crazy to think!

Yesterday was a nice "me" day....I met a friend (and old coworker) of mine for breakfast. Then I went to the AT&T store to get a new phone. Long story short....I inherited Gabe's old iPhone and it started randomly shutting off on me and the only way I could get it back on was to plug it in. I took it to the Apple Store and they tried doing something to it and it didn't work. So I had to bite the bullet and buy a new one.  After going to AT&T, I had an appointment to get my haircut. Gabe had Avery over at my In-Laws' house for most of the morning for a nice visit. 

Once they got home, we played then went out to Moe's for dinner.  We put Avery to bed and just relaxed.

This morning Avery and I went to one of her friend's house for a playdate. The kids had a great time!  After coming home and getting lunch for Avery, I went grocery shopping.  We spent the rest of the day just relaxing and playing with Avery. 

Just gearing up for the week ahead-work and the arrival of the new baby on Friday (if not before)!

A Very Busy Saturday

Yesterday was quite a busy day for us.

We got up in the morning and got ready to take Avery to her first Halloween event of the year. The library I take her to for story time does a Fall Festival along with the town hall and police dept (their buildings are all connected). We took Avery there last year and we enjoyed it so we decided to hit it again this year.

Avery was so excited to put her costume on! When I showed it to her in the morning, she wanted it on right away. Once she finished breakfast, I got it on her and she wore it right up until naptime!

Doesn't she look adorable?! We got to the party and the first thing we saw were two characters-one was a dog named "Biscuit" and one was a cat (not sure of the name). Avery was obsessed with them-always saying "hi" when they walked by and showing them her costume. Lots of hugs and high-fives. She wasn't too fond of the cat at first (hence no photos of it) but finally gave him a high-five at the end. She loved "Biscuit" though!

Then we took her to the trick-or-treat area. They set up "houses" and you got to trick-or-treat. She got a lot of cute stuff-candy, pencils, stickers, toothbrushes, etc.

Here she is getting her first treat-her fave, M&M's!

A close up of Avery:

And a quick family shot (Avery is saying "cheese"): They had pony rides set up outside and she really wanted to go on. The line was pretty long, but we decided to wait. Thankfully when it was her turn, she actually went on! I was fearing waiting in line only for her to decide not to go on. But, she donned a helmet and got right on the pony! Taking her walk around:

Checking out her helmet:
Our last stop was in the library where they had a few animals on display. This year they brought an owl:
And a duck!
The duck actually nibbled Avery's fingers, but she just laughed at it! Then she sat down and made a fall themed wreath which turned out cute.

And that was just the start of our day!

When we got home, Gabe's parents came over to babysit Avery while we went out looking for our kitchen backsplash. Luckily we only went to one store and found something we liked so that was good! Then we got home and my Mom showed up to spend the day/night with us. Gabe and I took off again to go to a local baby furniture store that was having their tent sale this weekend. It's the same store we bought Avery's crib set from and the quality is very good so we were interested in seeing what they had. Originally we went looking to buy Avery a new bedroom set-full size bed and dressers. But we ended up just buying a new crib set and dressers for the baby. Avery's crib converts to a bed anyways and they had a great deal we couldn't pass up! So, we now have baby furniture for #2!

After shopping, we all met Gabe's parents out for dinner which was nice. Then it was home and time for Avery to get to bed. It was a super busy day for us, but a productive one at that!

Our Weekend

Our weekend was nice and it was a little busy with some random stuff.

Saturday we all went to the place to look at granite for our new house. It ended up being a waste of a trip (with all of us outside freezing in the rain) so that was disappointing, but at least we found a few that we might consider. Once we got Avery down for a nap, I ran to Carter's (had $10 I had to spend that day) then went grocery shopping. After I got everything put away, I started frosting cakes for a family function on Sunday. When Avery got up, we all went to some furniture stores to try and get some ideas for Avery's new bedroom. Then we stopped at Moe's and had a quick bite to eat before heading home. It was a late night for Avery-we didn't get home until around 8:30 which is when we try to put her down for bed.

Today we didn't do too much this morning. Gabe had to run to the tile store to pick out the grout for all of the tile work at the new house. When he got home, I ran to another furniture store to look around real fast. Avery unfortunately didn't take a nap, so when I got home we headed out to our cousin's house for our annual clam bake. We got there probably around 3:30 and it seemed as though everyone had eaten already, so we ate pretty much when we got there. Relaxed, visited, and ate way too much.

I was on cake duty-we had 2 birthdays we were celebrating so these are what I brought:

We got home, gave Avery a bath and got her to bed early-I think she was actually asleep by 8, which is good for her!

I had to add in a few pics of Avery from earlier this week. We were getting her ready for bed and she still (sometimes) wears a sleep sack. Well, on this particular night, she wanted her Dora doll in her sleep sack with her. It was too funny-looked like she was using a baby carrier or something! I had Gabe run and get my camera to get a few shots of her!

Look at her smile!

Oh yeah, and Happy October!

Weekend Recap

We had a very nice weekend....pretty much the last one of summer (*tear*).

Saturday I went to the gym in the morning. After Avery went down for a nap, I got in the shower. My Mom and Aunt Pat showed up around 4pm. We visited for awhile then went out to dinner right on the lake. It was a beautiful night and we had a very yummy dinner! After dinner, they went to visit a friend. Avery wanted ice cream so before we left the lake, we got her an ice cream. Then we just came home and relaxed after Avery went to bed.

Yesterday I met my friend for breakfast in the morning. While Avery napped, Gabe rant to TJMaxx for a few things. He got Avery a pair of Dora sneakers (which she loved, but they were still a little too big for her). After Avery napped, we all took a ride to the airport to pick up my in-laws' van. They left for vacation on Saturday and didn't want the van sitting at the airport all week. So we picked it up and drove it back to their house. Then we made a run to TJMaxx to get her Dora sneakers that fit her now (she insisted on wearing the big ones which just fell off of her feet so we figured for $6 we'd get her a pair she can wear now too). Then we did a family grocery trip to Wegmans. After that, it was dinner, bath for Avery then bedtime!

And just like that the weekend is over :(

Deals!

I have to say I love a good deal!

Gabe always laughs when I come home with some story about saving money on something, but I can't help it!

Today I got some good deals....

Avery and I went to Target (*love*) this morning and I swear I can never leave that place without spending under $50....and today was no exception. But I did get some great deals! They had a lot of kids summer clothes on clearance so I bought Avery a tank top for $2 (normally $5) and a skirt for $2 (normally $5) for next year. I also bought her a pair of bootcut jeans with an adjustable waist (score!) for $4 (normally $8). They had packs of baby wipes on sale for $2 and I had a $1 off coupon. They had Garnier shampoo (the HUGE size) on sale for $4.50 and I had 2 coupons (1 target, 1mfg) each for $1 off. I also had $6 in diaper coupons that I used to stock up on her diapers, which is always nice too! I think for my whole shopping trip I had like $13 in coupons which for me is really good!

Then yesterday I got a Lands End catalog with their huge summer clearance in it as well. So I went online today and ordered myself some tank tops for $5 each (normally $15) and I got Avery 2 summer shirts for next year for $5 each (normally $15). And the best? Free shipping (code BACKPACKHQ2 and pin 9425....good until 7/19). And FYI they also have an extra 30% off swimwear/sandals with codes they have on their site as well!

There are some good summer deals out there right now but it's sad to see the summer stuff go! I wasn't too happy that Target was filled with Back to School stuff already----ugh! Summer vacation just started!

32

I am now 32 years old (gulp)!

Yesterday was my birthday. My day started out by me having to go to work. It was a very busy day and I got stuck there a half hour late (it should have been longer, but since it was my birthday, I cut out of there!). Then I picked up Avery from daycare and raced home to my Mom who was patiently awaiting our arrival (locked out of our house!).

Gabe's Dad came over and my Mom made us all a yummy dinner of pasta with broccoli, salad and bread. Dessert was the cake I made in class Monday night and it was a big hit!!

Avery of course had to be by my side to help blow out the candles! Here we are when everyone was singing:

Blow out the candles!

Yay!

Avery loved the cake! I cut her the smallest piece I could and she ended up eating 3 of them!! Yeah, she has a sweet tooth just like her Mama!

It was a very nice get together and I got some wonderful gifts! My Mom got me a shirt, and some baking supplies and a gift card to Michael's. Gabe got me a one night getaway (Avery is almost 2 and I've never spent the night away from her)-we're going this Saturday night to a nearby nice hotel...having both dinner and breakfast there and I'm having a massage done too! I can't wait!! Of course the best gift was just being able to spend my day with my family. It was so nice that my Mom could come out and just relaxing with her, Gabe and Avery was wonderful!

My Mom stayed overnight so we were up playing this morning. Avery has become a big fan of our dustbuster! She loves using the thing!

My Mom's birthday was about 2 weeks ago and I got her a gift card to the Brow Diva. So today she went for her appointment.

Here's her before shot:

And her after shot:

I think they turned out great! My Mom watched Avery today while I ran to buy Avery a new booster seat and did some Easter shopping. After her nap, we just hung around and played. My Mom left around dinner time.

Avery was all wound up before bed running around and dancing to music. At one point, she stopped and was making this big time poop face and I tried catching it on camera...I wasn't so successful....this is what I got instead:

Love that girl...she's so cute!!

This Land is Your Land....

This land is my (our) land....

Today we really had nothing planned, besides my usual workout at the gym on Saturday morning. After Avery's nap, we decided to go look at our land!

It's hard to believe if all goes well, our house will be sitting on this piece of land in a few short months!

The builder actually has the house staked out on the property. It's very hard to see in the photos though-they're little wooden stakes that outline the house (not the big white things you can see really well). Looking towards our neighbor's house:

Looking towards the main road (we have a corner lot):

The sign they have up!

We were hoping to walk around the area a little bit to get some roof and siding color ideas. We put Avery in the stroller, but after a few houses, it was just too cold out to be walking around. So we got back in the car and drove around a little bit to take a look at some houses.

Then we decided to head to the mall to walk around and grab some dinner.

Avery is obsessed with the fountains there so we had to pay them a visit.

A nice pic of Avery and Gabe:

Avery walking around the fountain:

Avery and Gabe at the fountain:

At dinner, Avery was imitating how I was sitting....it was so funny!

After dinner, we headed home and put the little one to bed! I followed shortly after....

Weekend

We had a pretty good weekend.

Friday Avery had an eye appointment to check on the tube in her left eye. It's still in place, which is a good thing, and all looks well. We'll go back in 3 more months for another checkup. After that, we met Gabe at another daycare to check it out. Then Friday night we didn't do much-had dinner and relaxed.

Saturday I went to the gym in the morning, then had to take my car in for an inspection and something that was recalled. After Avery's nap, we took a trip to the huge Wegman's, which we hardly ever go to. While there, Gabe and I picked up some stuff for dinner....he got some sushi and I tried one of their burritos from the burrito bar (highly recommend it!). Then we came home and had dinner. Avery got to try chocolate pudding as a treat for dessert!

Then today we just hung out most of the morning and early afternoon. When Avery napped, I got some things together for the Superbowl. Around dinnertime, Gabe's sister and her family came over for the Superbowl. None of us really cared about the game-we were busy watching the kids and interested more in the commercials. We had some yummy food and just relaxed and visited-it seems like we haven't seen them in such a long time!

Avery was wearing all of her rings as bracelets:

And was loving that her cousins were here (giving hugs):

I actually have off of work tomorrow-Gabe's parents are in Italy so I'm on Avery duty for the day! Hopefully her and I will make a trip to the mall!

Day 2 in The Big Apple

Today we were up and out of the hotel by 9:30 to get sightseeing!



But first, a few more shots out of our hotel window....the hotel across from us:
And a little city view:

We decided to start at 5th Avenue to check out the shops!

St. Patrick's Cathedral:

View of the side:

The Cartier store (this was my favorite outdoor decor):

Fendi and Tommy Hilfiger:

Armani:

Trump Tower:

Burberry:

We took a little detour from 5th and went up to 3rd to see Dylan's Candy Bar. Wow, this place was a candy heaven! Although it wasn't stroller friendly so Gabe stayed with Avery while I checked out the 3 story building! They had everything you can imagine! They had one area where celebrities picked their favorite candy and put it in an autographed box. I had to take a pic of the Yankees:

Our other detour was FAO Schwarz. We went in through some random side entrance we saw and thank God we did....when we left the store, the line to enter the store wrapped around the building and went almost all the way down the block! And the entrance we went in was blocked off so you had to wait in line. We got lucky because there was no way we would have waited. Anyways, the place was a mob scene-I have no idea how people shop in NYC because most stores we went into was wall to wall people. I don't know how you accomplish anything like that!

Here's a jellybean soldier in FAO:

A pic of the first floor craziness in FAO...again, it was a 3 story store.

When we left FAO, we passed Rockefeller Center again so I got another pic:

And I had to get one of my trooper in her pigtails!
When we left FAO, we stopped at Cafe Metro for lunch, which was pretty good. Then it was off to do more walking! We decided to go back to 5th Ave and work our way down to Macy's. Very close to Macy's was the Empire State Building...this is us right at it:

Family shot in front of the Empire State Building:

A view of it as we got closer to Macy's:

Macy's:

Macy's was pretty impressive inside. On 5th Ave, we really didn't go into too many stores, just looked at them from the outside. Macy's was decorated like you wouldn't believe. And the store is HUGE. It's 9 floors full of shopping and each floor is probably bigger than any Macy's you've been to. It's insane. This is the entrance (see all of the people?!):

The ceiling decorations (just one small section...the entire ceiling is like this):

We decided to take Avery to see Santa while at Macy's....little did we know it would take us an hour and a half to see him!! And the line to see him and the way they had it configured throughout the store was pretty impressive...it went through office areas and wound around so many times-it was amazing! And in the end we found out there is more than one Santa working (ssssh!). Here is Gabe and Avery waiting in line:

Avery and I in line:

Finally within a few minutes of seeing Santa! At his train!

Inside the train:

Once you passed through the train, you entered The North Pole-more winding lines to wait in! Gabe, Avery and the tree:

A tree they had set up with a train around it:

Needless to say, when we made it to Santa, she didn't want to sit with him. So, we got a family photo of all of us with Santa with her just about ready to have a meltdown! Of course we didn't get one with our camera!

On our walk back, we hit up a bakery I spotted for some dessert later:

Can I have one of these for my next birthday?!

Then we went to dinner at Daniela Restaurant which was very good. After that, it was back to our hotel...

Like I said, we left around 9:30am and got back probably after 7pm. We did so much walking...I tried to map it out and it was at least 5miles! To give you an idea, we started at our hotel (Broadway and 48th) then made it to 5th and E60th (with some detours as well) then walked to Macy's with is at 34th, then back to the hotel. Avery was great being in her stroller most of the time and we were pretty beat by the time we got back!