Novaley's First Christmas---List! Pt. 1??

A lot of family and friends have been asking what to get Novaley for Christmas this year...yes we will all be back in Minnesota for her first Christmas! 

Side Note: Joe wants shoes, hats, cash...personally, I'll just take cash. People always say cash is so impersonal...well I don't care I'd rather have that then have someone waste their money on something I don't like or use! I buy myself anything I want/need anyways.

So, I've been trying to research and find things that Novaley will need/use in the next few months...so here is a long list of things! Most of the stuff I found on Amazon, but it should be available at Target, Babies R Us, etc.

This is going to be a lonnnnnnnnnng list but I think its nice to give lots of options with different price points. I might start a different list when we get back from FL on Friday. :)

B Zany Zoo:

http://www.amazon.com/B-68603-Zany-Zoo/dp/B002YIX0XA/ref=sr_1_48?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1353015150&sr=1-48&keywords=baby+push+toy

Around We Go Activity Station:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002VBXY40/ref=asc_df_B002VBXY402263149?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-121-17-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395097&creativeASIN=B002VBXY40

Supernova Crocodile Stitch Booties (Make sure to tell the seller that her feet are almost 4 inches so she needs the next size up):

http://www.etsy.com/listing/113456285/supernova-2-brown-crocodile-booties?ref=pr_faveitems

Press-n-Go Inchworm:

http://www.amazon.com/Kidoozie-Press-N-Go-Inchworm/dp/B000C9DYPW/ref=sr_1_23?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1353015122&sr=1-23&keywords=baby+push+toy

Sit to Stand Learning Walker:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NZQ010/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&keywords=baby%20push%20toy&qid=1353015062&s=toys-and-games&sr=1-4

Stack and Roll Cups:

http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Brilliant-Basics-Stack-Roll/dp/B000LSZVJQ/ref=sr_1_16?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1353015014&sr=1-16&keywords=baby+toys+6-12+months

Shape Sorter:

http://www.amazon.com/Tolo-Toys-Rolling-Shape-Sorter/dp/B00005UFC1/ref=sr_1_11?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1353015014&sr=1-11&keywords=baby+toys+6-12+months

Drum:

http://www.amazon.com/B-Parum-Pum-Drum-Lime/dp/B003WE34HC/ref=sr_1_8?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1353015014&sr=1-8&keywords=baby+toys+6-12+months

Fill and Spill Baby Toy:

http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Fill-Spill/dp/B000NV6BZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353014961&sr=8-1&keywords=baby+toys+6-12+months

Click to Learn Remote:

http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Laugh-Learn-Click-Remote/dp/B005XVCR48%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3DSquid630648-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB005XVCR48

Skwish Toy:

http://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-Toy-200980-Skwish-Classic/dp/B000GI0S4E%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3DSquid630648-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000GI0S4E

My First Fish Bowl:

http://www.amazon.com/Lamaze-LC27204-My-First-Fishbowl/dp/B000I2RK8U%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3DSquid630648-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB000I2RK8U

Activity Triangle:

http://www.amazon.com/Infantino-506-161C-Activity-Triangle/dp/B0040GJ0UG%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3DSquid630648-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0040GJ0UG

Knock Knock Blocks:

http://www.amazon.com/IQ-Baby-7068300-Knock-Knock-Blocks/dp/B0000663SF%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3DSquid630648-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0000663SF

Mix and Match Blocks:

http://www.amazon.com/Lamaze-Mix-Match-Activity-Blocks/dp/B004BSFC5A%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3DSquid630648-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB004BSFC5A

Clack and Slide Ball:

http://www.amazon.com/Bright-Starts-Clack-Slide-Activity/dp/B004X0WBHS%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3DSquid630648-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB004X0WBHS

Rhyme and Discover Book:
http://www.amazon.com/VTech-Rhyme-and-Discover-Book/dp/B0027CS7BI%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3DSquid630648-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0027CS7BI

Books in General...........

Learning Laptop:
http://www.amazon.com/VTech-80-073800-Babys-Learning-Laptop/dp/B000M3QJPU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353017166&sr=8-1&keywords=baby+6+months

Baby Band Set:
http://www.amazon.com/Hohner-4-Piece-Baby-Band/dp/B000RGP4ZS/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1353017166&sr=8-16&keywords=baby+6+months

Crawl Along Snail:
http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-1-2-3-Crawl-Along-Snail/dp/B002OSY2T6/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1353017191&sr=8-17&keywords=baby+6+months

Fill and Spill Picnic Basket:
http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Picnic-Basket/dp/B000NV9EFS/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1353017191&sr=8-21&keywords=baby+6+months

Glow Seahorse/Worm...Whatever you want as long its a glow thing..everyone in my baby group swears by these things:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083IXKYE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&keywords=baby%20gloworm&qid=1353017215&sr=8-2

Either of these baby food makers:

Beeba in Gipsy Color:
http://www.amazon.com/Beaba-Babycook-Baby-Food-Maker/dp/B001LQCOIS/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1353017403&sr=8-8&keywords=baby+bullet

Baby Chef:
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Chef-Ultimate-Food-Maker/dp/B004HFQLIO/ref=pd_sbs_ba_1

Sophie Teether:
http://www.amazon.com/Vulli-Sophie-the-Giraffe-Teether/dp/B000IDSLOG/ref=pd_sim_t_3

Toy Winkle:
http://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-Toy-200940-Winkel/dp/B000BNCA4K/ref=pd_sim_t_6


EDIT::

Geometric Stacker:
http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-567-Geometric-Stacker/dp/B0006IRTU0

Reader Chair:
http://www.amazon.com/Pkolino-Little-Reader-Chair-Purple/dp/B0018LYOZM/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1353945004&sr=1-1

Wooden Phone:
http://usa.alexandalexa.com/janod-white-wooden-mobile-phone?utm_source=LS&utm_medium=affil&utm_campaign=generic&siteID=J84DHJLQkR4-6j_Y.fGkJTRDV_kS76iL4g

11/11/11

A year ago today Joe and I found out that we were pregnant! 

It's also our friend Kyle's birthday, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE! :)

To give you a little back story...I have been very eager to have a baby the past few years. My mom had had me when she was very young, and I always wanted to be a young mom as well.

But, everyone said wait until I graduate, get a job and we have stuff in order. 

Well, I decided that after Joe and I had moved to Houston and were settled that it was time. Joe agreed, although he was scared/nervous about the whole idea since he was student teaching and not guaranteed a job afterwards. 

He got a job thank God! 

Anyway, so come October I had read a few books, articles, etc. about becoming pregnant just because I really wanted to be prepared...and I'm just that kind of person who researches everything under the sun before making a decision about anything whether it be a coffee maker or getting pregnant!

We started "trying" in October, and I just hoped for the best!

Come November, Joe and I wanted to start exercising because we both were (are!) totally out of shape. 

I kept giving him the excuse that I didn't have any shoes to work out in, so I got a new pair of easy tones and agreed to go on a run with him. 

As I'm running I'm yawning...so I'm thinking wth is wrong with me?? I was SO exhausted and we had barely ran around the block. Honestly at the time I just thought I was THAT out of shape hahah.

The next few days go by and I'm just so exhausted all the time, no matter how much I slept. 

Friday the 11th came, and we went out to dinner at the Olive Garden. 

TMI for some people so you might want to skip this part lol....

I went to the bathroom because I thought I was getting my period because usually I get it between the 4th-7th every month, like clockwork...but no I didn't get it. 

After dinner, we're driving home and I ask Joe to stop at CVS so I can get some lactose pills.  He waits in the car and I get the pills and a pregnancy test just to check to see if I was pregnant.

We get home, and I take the test while he's watching football or something...

It's positive right away. I didn't even have to wait the 2 minutes or whatever it is....so I'm thinking OMG...never thought that we would get pregnant the first month trying.

I tell Joe and obviously he gets scared lol because he's a typical guy and honestly guys are NEVER 100% prepared for a baby. They're always going to be nervous about something, whether its financially/mentally/emotionally/etc preparing for them.

Anyways, the ironic thing is for years I have told people that something "big" is going to happen for me on 11/11/11. I always thought it would be that I would either get engaged or married...never thought it would be a baby. 

I went to the doctor the following Monday and they confirmed that I was indeed pregnant! 

Eventually we ended up telling our families and then wayyyy later on we told friends. 

To be honest I was SO PARANOID and nervous about something happening to the baby or going wrong I didn't want everyone in our business--if something God forbid, did go wrong. 

But luckily she was born very late and VERY healthy! 

We are so blessed to be her parents! 

She's our little Southern Belle :)

Hopefully Joe takes me to OG tonight...I'm starving and it's my last day before I starve myself for the week to lose my last pound of baby weight that will not go away!!!! (its so annoying I've been stuck at this weight since 3 weeks after having Novaley), so I can fit in my swimsuits next week in Florida. :)

First Halloween!

Yesterday was Novaley's first halloween! 

Haha! These socks were great!

Here was her first outfit:

I forgot I moved all her Halloween themed clothes in her closet to a different side so for the past few days she's been wearing "regular" clothes...so now I have about 5 other halloween outfits she needs to wear..which she will be wearing AFTER halloween lol. oh well......

Anyways, Luckily two days ago I figured out what I wanted her to be.........

here's a clue:

A butterfly!! Her name actually means "chasing butterflies" so it was fitting.

I actually wanted her to be a wint-o-green lifesaver since that's my favorite candy lol, but got too lazy about making the whole costume. 

maybe next year! 

Here's a few more pictures from yesterday....

We took about a million family pictures...this was the best we could get lol.

Then after all the pictures she had her bath.....

 It's funny because afterwards her dad always gives her hair a "New Jersey Blow Out".....as you can see.....

All grown up...

Finally we put her to bed around 10 and she slept until 7 this morning! :)

Novaley's Closet

Everyone knows that I have a serious addiction to baby shopping. Well it first got REALLY bad when I got back to MN and didn't really have anything to do all day, except wait to go into labor..which obviously didn't happen lol. 

Anyways......Novaley hasn't worn the same outfit twice....yet. It might change in the next few months........but probably not judging from the fact that her closet is busting at the seams and only has clothes from 0-6 months in there lol. 

Okay......Yes there is clothes on every hanger.....AHH!........So looking straight into the closet, the clothes all the way on the left are sets of Kicky Pants...which are the softest and BEST baby clothes if you ever ask me. Expensive, but totally worth it!!! 

If you move more right then you start getting to the 0-3 month clothes she has yet to wear...then a little further and there's a small gap where the 0-3 months clothes that she's already worn starts...

Then continues to the next side.....

Then here are some of her pjs that still fit anyways!

Then looking at the other side is where all of her 3-6 month clothes are...oh and her jackets, sports gear, Halloween outfits, etc. 

Then moving down to stuff on the floor......there's all this stuff that's already labeled lol and then hats and in the blue baskets are about 230948230498 bibs and in the back are burp rags that I made.

 Looking on the right side there's a few boxes from some of her baby equipment, a co-sleeper, her boppy and then that whole bin is filled with blankets.

On the left side we have our old computer desk from our last apartment because in the temp apartment that were in now it has a built in study area with a desk and shelves and everything which is nice. 

And, since we had to leave a lot of our storage organizers in MN since there was no room left in the cars, this was a nice substitute!

Anyway....so there's a bunch of misc crap on here and in all those baskets you see....baby heart crochet "sandals", flower ones...pacifier clips, swarovski pacifiers, etc. and more bibs. Ignore those bows I FINALLY got to hang them up tonight! :)

Oh and there is a jewelry box in the back with some of the gifts she got from her baptism, diamond earrings (YES we're getting her ears pierced), rosary's (one from the Vatican even!), her amber teething necklace and bracelet, etc.  

We also have a safe on the desk in her closet...its kind of stupid because we have the keys right on top of it lol. 

Looking down you can see two...they're actually like jewelry organizers from Charming Charlies...full of booties on the left, and barefoot sandals on the right............the backs are almost full too......yeah I know I have a problem lol. 

Here's a close up of her jewelry box......pretty right? The best part is it plays music!

Here is the bow sign that I made tonight to hang some of her other bows. Those are actually going to be her nursery colors once we move into a house in March and aren't crammed in a 2 bedroom apartment........we're not crammed by any means but it'll be nice to get into a house and not have to live on the THIRD floor. Honestly I will never live on the 3rd floor ever again unless there's an elevator...what's worse is when you have to carry the baby and her 239402384 pound seat up all the stairs and its like 100 degrees out...it really sucks. Don't even get me started on having to bring up groceries, taking out the trash that's all the way on the other side both gates, etc. End rant. lol.

Here is the first "bow and headband holder" that we made...obviously it wasn't big enough and it doesn't have enough room for all of her headbands which is a pain, but I try to make all of them stay on there anyways lol. Her bracelets are hanging on there as well....which everyone knows I LOVE!

 Last thing.....here is the nursery letter we had made for her future nursery...yes it was made by a lady on etsy and it really turned out great! I love it...the best part is that 50% of the money I spent on it was being donated to Baby Easton's fund. The lady is super sweet and basically I showed her my nursery colors and she picked different button colors to match and had me approve them before she made the N for Novaley. 

So, if you want a letter, or picture or really anything you can check out her shop here. 

She's running the fundraiser for baby Easton until the end of this month!

That's all for now.

Tomorrow Novaley is 3 months old! 

Where has the time gone??

Family Comes to Visit!!

This week my parents and brother Steven came to visit us for a few days. 

On the drive down they stopped to see my brother Patrick who is currently riding in Oklahoma for a few days as well. 

They were here Thursday night through noon today, and it was sad to see them go back to MN. 

Well first they were going to stop back in OK to see Patrick again, so they'll be leaving back to MN tomorrow!

Anyways. So when they came we went out to a Peruvian restaurant that Joe and I like to go to since its right next to his school. 

There's some of the food that we had...my mom thinks its weird that me and my brothers are always texting each other pictures of our food lol. I guess it is kind of weird now that I think of it......but, oh well! 

We went to a few different stores while they were here, but mostly just bummed around.  Steven went swimming a few times.....Oh, and my mom taught me how to crochet. Well she taught me a few different stitches and chains. I wouldn't say I'm even close to being an expert lol. But these are the basics for pretty much any project. 

Joe had to work Saturday school today which sucked.....and he's actually sleeping right now as he's feeding Novaley. 

So I should probably go and put her to bed since it's wayyyy past her bedtime!

Oh and btw she's been sleeping every night until at least 7:30 for the past week now!!! And really the only reason why she gets up is because Joe is so dang loud when he's getting ready in the morning for work! I'm going to see if she sleeps longer tomorrow since he doesn't have to work.........I guess we will see what happens! :)

I finally got around to somewhat organizing Novaley's closet so I'll take pictures of that tomorrow and post them in the next few days!! 

BYE!

Baby Shower #4

Two days after Novaley and I got back from MN Joe's coworkers threw us a baby shower!! Joe had told his coworkers that we didn't need one since I already had three, but they insisted!

I thought that it was just going to be a small gathering..maybe with cookies and juice but it definitely was not! Almost all the teachers at his school stayed for it after school and there was a TON of food!

It wasn't very surprising though since everyone LOVES Joe at his school!! 

We also got a ton of gifts, gift cards, and about a million diapers! :)

Everyone was so sweet and just loved Novaley! 

 It was a lot of fun and we are both so grateful for everyone coming and for everything they gave Novaley! :)

Shutterfly!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Visit Shutterfly.com to create your own personalized photobook.

I love shutterfly since they give out about 1 million free codes or discounts on stuff...we made 2 books for Novaley's grandparents for grandparents day, and 4 more for both sets of her aunts and uncles...but here is the first of many books we have made for ourselves! 

Enjoy!