Chic Blvd New MOM

my little crab...

2008-08-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

now how precious!

2008-08-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

my sweet boy!

2008-08-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

nana bathed him in the pedi sinks at fingers & toes...too cute!

2008-08-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

Popop and deige on father's day....DENVER ZOO

2008-08-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

reception area

2008-06-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

2008-06-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

fingers and toes...

2008-06-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

baby's pool

2008-05-28T05:31:00.000-07:00

my new nail adventure...

2008-05-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

so, my mom and i opened up our own nail salon in denver =) it's thrilling, really. we can't wait. the doors actually open on may 16th. a lot of work and dedication has gone into the place and we are so excited to have friends and family come see the finished product. come see us! you'll love the experience. check out our website at www.fingersandtoes.net.

and no, i'm not moving to denver =) i married a fish!! can you imagine my micah with no ocean? that would be a sad day. so...we'll just fly to colorado more often now that the business is there =) xxoo

my sweet little one!

2008-04-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

2008-04-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

@ daddy's surf contest... hanging on the beach w the guys...

2008-04-06T16:50:00.000-07:00

uncle shalen, daddy & deige

2008-04-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

baby mommy and "hunners" at easter lunch...

2008-04-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

2008-03-24T04:11:00.000-07:00

you think this is a big boy...wait til you see his easter pictures! tomorrow is his 6month check up at the dr. we can't WAIT to see his charts. how much he weighs, his percentile...etc. big growing baby boy! happy and healthy! Praise God!

Colorado...

2008-03-24T04:02:00.000-07:00

So deige and I took our first airplane flight to colorado in february. it was so much fun! we had a blast! my parents had so much fun with us and we with them. it was really really nice and refreshing for us to get away. and he did SOOOO well on the airplane! he loved it, actually. stayed awake the entire time, talking to people around us! very sweet.

we were able to surprise deige's godmother Molly while we were there. she is my best friend in the entire world and we had been missing eachother like crazy! she kept saying, while micah's in samoa, you should come here... well, i planned on that without telling her. so, on monday morning, we showed up at her work with flowers and balloons. it was so fun! i've never really kept a good secret before. i am the girl who tells people what their christmas gifts and birthday presents are before they open them! naughty! so, it was a big deal for me to have actually surprised her! the look on her face was CLASSIC! she was truly surprised. and it made my day! =) i cried the second i saw her. it was so much fun!

i spent a lot of time with my mama, too, on this trip. she took the week off of work so that we could hang out. she played this game called "open the envelope"...=) well, i don't know if that's what it was called, but...that's what we did! =) she had an envelope for every day of the week. and in the morning, deige was allowed to pick an envelope out of her hands. whatever envelope he chose, we opened. so, one day it had $50 in it, and so that's what we were "allowed" to spend that day. =) so fun! one day had a shopping spree for deigey in it! so fun! we went to castlerock where the outlet malls are and had a hay day! =) so much fun! he got an ENTIRE summer wardrobe! it was so much fun! my parents really spoiled him, and me! =)

we had a lot of fun....thanks, mom and dad! (nana and papa!) and molly. =) can't wait to see you all again asap! xoxoxo

belly laughs

2008-03-24T03:54:00.001-07:00

so, deige LOVES when his daddy, or mommy, kiss on his belly. he thinks it is the funniest thing in the world!!! so cute! so sweet! the best sound in the world is my baby laughing. xoxox

yay for new bottles

2008-02-23T18:49:00.001-08:00

i used to use the avent bottles. the 4 ozers...they were good. but the new ones i use are GREAT!!! any new moms or moms to be need to buy these! they are called "the breastflow technology bottles" by the first years company. i bought mine at target. they are awesome, and they litterally look like a breast. they have two layers of nipple and the outer part is soft and forms to their mouth. deige has never taken a bottle so well as he did today! so sweet. i love love love this bottle! i swear by this bottle! you should ALL trust me on this and get them for your little ones. so worth it~! =)

okay! that's all for now...

daddy is in samoa!

2008-02-17T18:41:00.000-08:00

so this week has been different only because micah is in samoa. i really miss him. i get lonely for him. its not that i'm lonely in general, its that i'm lonely for him. he is my world! definitely makes me appreciate all micah does around here. like, the laundry. =) micah does ALL the laundry and i take that for granted. but its so nice and helps me out so much. its been hard juggling all the household duties plus deige and ava. but, its not too much longer. he will be home in a little less than 2 weeks. it will be fun to have him home. i'm hoping to get deige crawling by the time he returns. we'll see if i can do it! xxoo

yay! good work, baby!!!!

2008-02-13T14:47:00.000-08:00

first day at zoo

2008-02-12T16:19:00.000-08:00

we took deigey to the santa ana zoo on friday last week. so fun! my parents were in town so they were able to go with us. deigey didn't really notice many of the animals. but, he loved being outside. we walked and walked and he did so well. he loves the outdoors. its so fun to take him places. we walk all the time. which is good for me too! and good for ava, our dog! =) today we walked to blockbuster. which is pretty far! anyway, this is baby at the zoo! xoxo

-ALLI

auntie anna

2008-02-12T16:06:00.000-08:00

my boys and their blue eyes...

2008-02-02T22:03:00.000-08:00

my boys have GORGEOUS eyes! both of them! they are so beautiful and blue. sometimes micah's are more green. but deigey's eyes are killer blue! i love this picture because their blue outfits make their eyes seem more blue in color =) so precious!

green beans!

2008-02-02T21:58:00.001-08:00

deigey eats green beans now once a day! its my favorite!!! so cute to feed him cause he LOVES them and he makes such a mess! so sweet! i love love love this time of day!

me in the crib...

2008-02-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

my sister, anna, caught me taking a nap with deige and ava in the crib! how all 3 of us fit in the crib is beyond my imagination...but, it worked and it was fun! =)

2008-01-29T14:12:00.000-08:00

baby deige

2008-01-29T10:56:00.000-08:00

deigey isn't so "baby baby" anymore. he's a big baby! yay! getting so big. he's growing up right before my very eyes. i get sad every now and then because it really does happen fast! i always laughed when moms would say how quickly their kids grew up...but it's true! and now i'm one of the mommy's who says it! =) deige is such a good boy. he eats green beans now and rice cereal along with breastmilk and formula. i've been home a lot and my milk supply is really strong again because i've had more time to breastfeed him. i enjoy that more than anything. its such a special bonding time with little deige. he looks up and giggles while he eats and it melts my heart!

the little man started getting teeth. none have popped through the skin...but they are coming. he's a little fussy from it, but nothing major. baby and i take walks every day around the neighborhood with ava our dog. i think ava loves it more than anyone else. but deige enjoys being outside a lot. it's been rainy lately so i've taken deige to target to walk around when it was raining outside. he loves being in his baby bjorn. so cute! my sister, anna, brought him to the salon to see me on saturday. and she walked in with deige in the baby bjorn. it was adorable! everyone stopped working to come see her and the baby.

a few big changes happened for me this week. i learned how to "let go" a little bit. i allowed anna to drive deige in the car without me. before now, i've been REALLY cautious of anyone driving him other than micah or myself. but since anna is the nanny while i am at work, i had to let go of that a little bit. otherwise anna and baby would be house-bound every day. and deige loves getting out as much as any of us. so...big step for mommy alli~ =) i know it sounds silly, cause its not really a big deal. but to me it was.

also, i have deige sleeping in his crib about 5 hours each night. i know a lot of you may be saying, "what? he doesn't sleep in his crib?" well, no! he doesn't. he has always slept with us in our bed. when he was really little that was the only way i could get even 2 hours of sleep each night. as his crying spells lessened, i was able to grab 4 hours, then 6 hours. now we sleep solid 8-10 hours a night with him in our bed. its nice. everyone is happy because we all get to rest at night. but it has created this sleep pattern for deige where he can't sleep all night long without feeling me next to him. hearing me breathe, hearing my heart beat...all of that good stuff. so, he now falls asleep in his crib around 8 or 9. and sleeps okay...not soundly. he will whine a little and he moves a lot. but he sleeps until around 12:30. i usually can calm him down and get him back to sleep until around 2 am. then, its over. he HAS to be with me. so, one night at a time. 4 hours last night, hopefully 6 hours tonight. we'll see... but, while some of you look at this as a set-back. it's actually a big step forward in our home. so yay deige! learning the stillness of the crib is his big challenge right now.

anyway, that's our update. more later. i also have really cute pics to share. look for those! =) xxoo

LOVE,
alli

2008-01-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

grand junction, colorado

2008-01-18T09:56:00.000-08:00

on the way to denver to see my parents for christmas, we were able to stop in grand junction, colorado! that is where my grandparents and my auntie and her family live. it was nice to see them with deige. it's the first time any of them have seen him! so special. this is my papaw and my bamma with deige. so sweet.

XOXO,
alli

nana and grandpa w deige

2008-01-17T15:28:00.000-08:00

17 pounder!

2008-01-17T15:13:00.000-08:00

my big boy is now seventeen whopping pounds! can you believe that? he is ginormous! =) i am so thrilled. he is truly thriving. he is such a good boy, too. he is now eating rice cereal in the morning, mid afternoon and evening. its adorable but absolutely disgusting and messy! rice cereal gets EVERYWHERE! i think its adorable until i have to clean it up. =) but even then, i still love every minute of feeding him actual food! he also sleeps much better with a completely full belly. i love that! but the stinky side of that is literally STINKY! his poopy is soooo stinkly its mind-blowing! i heard it only gets worse from here! looking forward to the many nasty diaper changes to come...

so we survived our road trip to colorado for christmas. it was a long haul. but so worth the trip. we had a great time seeing family and friends. and deigey was of course SPOILED rotten for his first christmas! my family and micah's family went ga-ga over buying deigey christmas gifts. we were so stuffed with presents that our car ride home felt slower because of all the extra weight! =) anyway, it was a nice time. i will post pictures...look out for them!

i've been awful at writing. but i will PROMISE to write more later. mark my word! =) talk to you all then...

XOXO,
alli

deigey was dedicated in church...

2007-12-25T12:35:00.000-08:00

my "papaw preach" was able to dedicate our son at his church on sunday, dec. 23rd. it was really special because it is my papaw's 3rd great grandchild...but the only one he's been able to pray over in church. it was sweet. my family was there and so was deigey's godmother molly. she's my best friend and deigey LOVES her! molly is family and has been forever. so it was a special touch to have her there as well. and my uncle tim and his family were here from michigan. everyone had a special time. and of course... i cried. i am always such a soppy mess when emotional events take place. when my papaw prayed for micah and i as parents was when the tears began to roll. =) anyway, good tears. good day. special day for deigey.

xoxo,
alli

UNCLE JOHN FERRAIOLO =)

2007-12-17T22:45:00.000-08:00

deigey so big!!!

2007-12-17T22:36:00.000-08:00

WE WENT TO THE DR. TODAY BECAUSE I AM A HYPOCHONDRIAC! I SWEAR! I JUST STRESS OVER EVERYTHING. AND I FEEL LIKE DRS HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS! =) SO, I'M CONSTANTLY CALLING THE NURSES AND HIS DR. AND REALLY ANYONE I CAN TALK TO ABOUT MEDICAL ADVICE =) MY BEST FRIEND MOLLY IS GOING TO BE A DR. AND I'M CONSTANTLY CALLING OR TEXTING HER FOR ADVICE TOO =) AND THE FUNNY THING IS THAT I'M NOT JUST A PARANOID FIRST TIME MOM. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY. I CALL DRS WITH QUESTIONS REGARDING MICAH AND MYSELF ALL THE TIME! =) ANYWAY, DEIGE HAS BEEN KINDA BUGGERY LATELY. SO, I CALLED THIS MORNING AND THEY HAD ME BRING HIM IN JUST IN CASE =) WE WENT AND OF COURSE HE IS FINE! BUT...GUESS HOW MUCH HE WEIGHS!!!??? OH MY! BIG BOY! HE WEIGHS 14 POUNDS 7 OUNCES! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? HE OUTGREW ANOTHER DIAPER SIZE! FROM NEWBORN DIAPIES TO SIZE ONE...NOW A SIZE TWO! WOW! BIG DAY IN THE BYRNE HOUSEHOLD! =)

STAY TUNED...
XOXOX,
ALLI

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christmas in colorado...

2007-12-11T10:29:00.000-08:00

we leave in nine days to go to colorado for christmas! we are really excited because we havent gone in several years 4 the winter season. and deige will get to see snow! =) my grandparents on both sides get to meet deigey this trip. and he will meet my great grandmother on my mom's side =) pretty cool. =) 5 generations!!! im also looking forward to deige meeting my godmother maggie. it will be special to have my godmother meet him. she has such a tender place in my heart. i look up to her in so many ways! she was/ is the perfect boy mom ever! she has 3 sons and they are wonderful! and she handles them with such love. she is fabulous! i wish all of you could meet her =) anyway, i will post pictures as soon as i get there!

xxoo,
alli
To see more reality internet, sign up for ChicMail at getchicmail.com from ChicBlvd.com.

Wanna Be on TV????

2007-12-08T23:02:00.000-08:00

CMT Network is airing a Valentine’s Day TV special featuring an engaged couple—and they’ve asked us to help recruit YOU.

This is a positive “premarital counseling school” that truly wants to help couples merge their two worlds as they surround them with a team of experts--to ensure they have a long lasting happily ever after marriage.

Would you like to be featured… and win the GRAND PRIZE: A GREAT HONEYMOON PACKAGE!
Does he find it a challenge to be romantic? If so, CMT will take you both on a romantic picnic and show him how it’s done. Does your man find that you have a hard time even cooking Mac N Cheese? If so, CMT’s experts will bring in a famous chef to give you some tips.

Taping will be on January 3, 4 and 5th. Please email a photo, where you live, and a brief description of yourself to contactus@chicblvd.com before next Friday, December 14th.

P.S. We are also taking applications for the next ChicBlvd.com Bride to Be!
Sign up for ChicMail!

ChicBlvd: 2151 Michelson Dr Ste 140 Irvine, CA 92612

i love watching him grow

2007-12-08T15:26:00.000-08:00

i am so in love with this little man1 it amazes me how he grows a little more every day. not just in size, either! he is becoming more and more alert and aware of everything! he loves baby einstein movies. he loves his bumble bee mobile. he loves ava, our dog. he loves us! its so fun to see his face when micah comes in the room. or when i get home from work...he lights up! he is so fun!

xxoo,
alli

2007-11-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

aw, deige and uncle jeff

2007-11-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

baby luvs tummy time

2007-11-15T09:54:00.000-08:00

funny

2007-11-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

i came home from work and this was how deige was sleeping....what a weirdo, but a cute weirdo...

little man loves bath time now

2007-11-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

little man deige LOVES his bath time now. FINALLY! he hated it forever. but we learned that he is much happier when he gets in the big person bath tub with his daddy. =) he LOVES water. and loves to be covered in warm water while he bathes. so we put him in with micah and micah holds him and dips his little legs and body in the water while i suds him up. he giggles and laughs. he LOVES it. i have the most adorable picture of it and i will have to remember to post it on here. so...be on the lookout for it!~

XOXO,
alli

my ava the lobster =)

2007-10-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

eventbliss.com

2007-10-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

oh my goodness! super cute! www.eventbliss.com sent me the best thing in the world! they are mommy calling cards! ah! so cute! its a business card for mommy's they say, alli byrne mommy to deige byrne. and then my contact information. i LOVE this! especially now that i'm going back to work a few days a week. its a great thing to leave with a babysitter. =) i also received some matching stationary with my name on it. it's beautiful. and i'm obsessed with stationary. it's one of my favorite things in the world! so, i felt like such a lucky girl the day these great items came in the mail! =) thanks, marlynn!

XOXO,
alli

zoe and zane's halloween party

2007-10-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

our neighbors, zoe and zane, had a halloween party. deige dressed as a pumpkin. zoe was dorothy from the wizard of oz. she's 5 and so so cute~ she was busy partying with her friends...but zane had time to hold little deige. zane was a dragon. so cute! i love the photo of them together. zoe and zane are going to be great friends with deige. having great neighbors makes all the difference in the world. we love them!

XOXO,
alli

2007-10-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

2007-10-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

amusemebaby.com

2007-10-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

ever since amusemebaby.com sent me a nursing cover, i have literally used it several times a day! it makes it SOOO much easier to go out in public. i took it to my friend's home for a dinner party. i was able to sit at the table and eat with everyone while i nursed deige under the pretty curtain. it's so cute! their fabrics are gorgeous! i would definitely recommend these to all nursing moms. i may have to get another one before i'm done nursing this year! =)

www.amusemebaby.com

XOXO,
alli

Ramalama

2007-10-19T14:31:00.000-07:00

So, i know i already wrote a blog about it, but this is just such a fabulous bag that i have to talk about it again! seriously, this diaper bag doesn't even look like a diaper bag. its super chic and so soft! people think it's my purse, not a bulky diaper bag. i LOVE that! it's called RAMALAMA and its from a darling website called www.mamasandmunchkins.com They have TONS of great items if youre a new mom, a mom to be, or even just getting a gift for someone who is a mom. I also love their Built NY double thirsty totes. they strap on strollers or diaper bags and make bottle finding MUCH easier than digging through a bag. they are super cute, too! anyway, thanks to Teri from www.mamasandmunchins.com i now have the BEST diaper bag ever! Don't forget to check them out!

XOXO,
alli

aida jane

2007-10-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

we went to see his second cousin aida =) she is 3 months and such a doll! her daddy is micah's first cousin. he actually married us =) he is a wonderful pastor...he was actually just out here to do a friend's wedding over the weekend. and we LOVED having them near by. we've missed them so much! he and his pretty wife moved their family of 4 to oregon. we all miss them a lot. if carrie and adam lived here, micah and i would literally be best friends w them and raise our kids around eachother. its a shame we're so far from eachother. but that will make their visits more meaningful. and im sure we'll eventually take lil deige to oregon to see them. did you see how pink aida was compared to my little olive skinned baby? =)

XOXO,
alli

deige and his cousin aida=)

2007-10-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

first day of work

2007-10-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

i went back to work at the salon yesterday. it was really hard for me to do. but im easing into being a working mom. im only working a few hours 3 days a week. so, its manageable. i really wanted to be a stay at home mommy, but now is not the right timing. i do love my clients and i love my art form, but nothing compares to the love for your child. and because of that, i just always want to be with him. anyway, i will keep you posted as how mommyhood treats me...for more updates on my blog, make sure you sign up for chicmail =)

XOXO,
alli

nursing happily in public with my new curtain!

2007-10-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

yay! this adorable company, www.amusemebaby.com, sent me a really sassy nursing curtain. i don't always have time to pump enough milk for a bottle before i leave the house. so, this nursing curtain is totally going to come in handy! i'm really excited to use it! you should check out their products. they aren't cheezy at all...they are super cute and practical. i'm really into their fun patterns. thanks so much, amusemebaby! i really appreciate the thoughtful gift!

XOXO,
alli

NEW MOM Alli Season TWO

2007-10-05T11:27:00.001-07:00

NEW MOM - ALLI SEASON TWO :

my sweet little family
10/04/07

me and my best friend =)
10/04/07

Deige loves his Godmother Molly
10/04/07

deige and his sister ava =)
10/04/07

Godmother Molly in town
9/28/07

My best friend, Molly, came into town yesterday to meet her god-son. =) she's so sweet with him. it's really fun to have her here. she's so natural with him. molly is like a sister to me. she's family and i'm so lucky to have her in my life. and now in deige's life. i'll post some beautiful pictures of them soon. have to find time to upload the photos. =) anyway, she leaves tomorrow and it will be sad to see her go. we miss here. she used to live here in california, but moved home to colorado after college. it's okay, though. we are going to make sure we visit her as often as we can. molly is such an important part of this family. i'll make sure to write more later.

XOXO,
alli

mamas and munchkins diaper bag
9/28/07

okay, so today the mail man came and i was so excited! a) because i got the door BEFORE the dog barked. so the baby didn't wake up. =) and b) because he brought me the best gift in the world! =) www.mamasandmuchkins.com sent me the most beautiful leather brown diaper bag and i'm obsessed with it! it's super stylish and sassy. i'll feel cute in public with a bag like that. it's not at all cheezy like a lot of diaper bags are. so...for any of you looking for a great bag...check this site out! their products are top of the line! i also enjoy their post its for babysitters. they give information numbers and stuff like that on them. super cute. and super useful. it may take me a while to let a babysitter watch my little one. but when i'm ready, the post its will definitely come in handy! anyway, thank you so so so so much, mamas and munchkins! i love the beautiful diaper bag! it's perfect!

XOXO,
alli

loving his swing
9/28/07

the dirty flu
9/28/07

so...on tues morning, around 3am, micah and i woke up super sick to our tummies. not fun. at 1st we thought it was just food poisoning. but then the throw ups and the aches and pains came along. it was really hard to handle while taking care of deige. i took deige to the dr that morning cuz i was paranoid he would get sick. and paranoid that my milk wouldnt be the best since i couldnt eat or drink. but, she assured me that deige would be fine cuz he gets all of my antibodies from my milk. she said, "not to be mean, but you dont matter any more to mother nature. all of your nutrients and antibodies go to deige. especially when youre sick." she said that because of that, it may take me longer to get better. which, was true. by 3pm, micah was feeling much better. and i was still throwing up everything. including water. i was so dehydrated. it was so hard to nurse when my body was running on empty. 7pm rolled around and i lost it. i thought i was going to lose my mind. literally felt like i was having a nervous breakdown. i was nursing and sick to my tummy and keeping nothing in my body. my milk was getting thicker and deige wasn't satisfied. so i constantly had him on my breast. poor guy. it broke my heart. 730 came and i called micah's mom. she took me to the er. we waited there from 8-1130. when we got there, we were one of 2 people in the er. by the time 1130 rolled around, we were in a packed waiting room. everyone kept getting seen before me because their emergencies were worse than mine. although, at the time, i didn't agree that was the case. but it was. there were people in there with chest pains, open wounds, everything. i thought mine was a bigger emergency only because i was trying to feed another human being with my run down body. deige nursed once in the er and fell asleep. thank God. he slept the whole time. by 1130 i was so tired of waiting my turn. already miserable, i decided to just be miserable at home. so karen took us home. micah, karen, deige and i snuggled up in the living room for a lot of the night. we all had blankets and water and watched LA Ink. water finally stayed down. i think the last time i threw up was around midnight. it was a long haul. from 3am to midnight...wow. my body is still recovering. micah's is too. and deige is happy to have his milk back to normal.

i think the neatest thing through all of this is that Deige was protected from my sickness by drinking milk from my body. it's neat that i can protect him even when i'm not protected myself. i love the bond between mother and baby. we are so dependent on eachother, it's crazy. my body made his body. him nursing me, helped heal my body. and him nursing allows me to keep his body healthy. really neat how that works out. anyway, i'm rambling. so, the flu sucked. make sure you all get flu shots this year! its worth it!
XOXO,
alli

Daddy and Deige
9/24/07

For more updates on my journey, sign up for www.getchicmail.com at ChicBlvd.com.

nap time
9/24/07

dietary cuts....bummer!
9/24/07

big bummer for mommy, good thing for deigey! little man's tummy is ultra sensitive and i've had to cut nearly everything out of my diet. i cut out dairy, turkey, caffeine, sweets, everything! i was basically eating plain chicken and a few veggies here and there. drinking TONS of water! =) but, anyway, i've slowly added things to figure out what he's sensitive to. i think i've narrowed it down. he is sensitive to apple juice, caffeine, (which, duh, i shouldn't have that anyway...although i feel like it's my saving grace after a long night), turkey, and dairy. little man didn't like turkey when i was pregnant, and he still doesn't like it now. =) how funny. his tummy is ultra sensi. it's fun learning him. i have fun learning new things about him every day. he's so sweet. his personality is super sweet. he loves to cuddle and be close. he's learned what kisses are. and he'll put is face on my lips when i'm holding him if he wants more kisses. super sweet. i love it. and sometimes he'll even smile when i kiss his face off! =) micah shaved his facial hair today for deige's sake. i think he'll like his daddy's soft skin better than the pokey hair. =) i like micah with a shaved face too. i think it makes him look so handsome. anyway, today we gave him his first bath. we couldn't give him a real bath before now because of the belly button healing and also his circumcision. everything is healed now, so we took a bath! yay! it was so fun! micah and i video taped it and took pictures. so fun. he's so funny cause he screamed bloody murder during the bath, but smiled so big when we took him out. he felt so yummy and clean. he loved lounging in his robe and he loved having me massage lotion into his little skin. he smells so pretty! and now that his hair is washed, it looks even more blonde! it's fun to see his features changing before our very eyes. he looks different every day. so fun. baby is the love of our lives. we are so blessed.

XOXO,
alli

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Getting it down
9/24/07

we're starting to get it down...this whole parenting thing. =) we're learning to get into more of a routine. we're learning deige and he is learning us. it's fun. but really tiring. we took deige to see my dear friend rachael yesterday. her parents were thrilled to see him as well. and it got me out of the house for a few hours. micah and i really had fun over there. good friends are hard to come by. it was nice cause they didn't make me feel pressured at all to bring him over, or to see him. even though rachael was only in town for a few days. they are just genuinely good fun people to be around and i felt comfortable bringing my 2 week old baby over to see them. i'm still being protective mommy, though, when it comes to people coming over to our home. i'm still ultra protective around kids especially. he hasn't had any vaccinations yet and the dr. advised me to limit visitors and especially kid visitors. she said that it's especially important because it's back to school time and kids are full of germs and the flu virus is potentially fatal to a little 2 week boy. so, she said any one who comes around him needs to have the flu vaccine. i'm all about that. i get it every year any way.

1st time in swing
9/20/07

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one week old
9/20/07

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9/18/07
very tired, very happy

it's weird being a new mommy. you're so tired, but it's strange cause you just don't care to sleep cause you're so happy to have a little one. i'm definitely running on exhaustion, but i know it will only get better from here. deige has been having fits late at night. they last about 3 hours. it's definitely his fussy time. last night, though, he did well. started his fit early and we were all in bed by 12. deige and i slept about 6 hours last night in between feedings and diaper changes. so, that was the most we've slept in the last week. very exciting.

i'm still really trying hard to heal my body. it's been rough. i have these horrible leg pains on the top of my legs from my hips to my knees. it's a tingling sensation that feels much like the tingle of the epidural. and when the tingling stops, i get surges of hot blood running down my legs and it makes me cry. it's horrible. i went to the dr yesterday to check it out and she said i have nerve damage from holding my legs so hard during labor. she said it's normal for some women. and to let it take it's course. she also thought i was anemic because my head was feeling dizzy when i would have leg pains. and i would almost black out because of it. but, i took a blood test, and i'm fine. just a weird coincidence that the head aches, blackouts, and dizziness is all at the same time as my tingling legs. anyway, hoping it gets better every day.

i still feel really icky and haven't wanted any men around because of it. i've felt bad because i haven't wanted the two grandpas around because of the icky way i feel. and its hard to have friends over for the same reason. i don't know if other moms have felt this way or not, but i really only want women around me. for a while, my husband even drove me nuts to be around. i wasn't the nicest to him in the hospital. but, we're learning to help eachother become parents and from that, we've fallen in love all over again. so, that's a good thing. but, my raging hormones, my aching body, and all my leaking going on in the boob department has really made me not want men around at all. my dad, bless his heart, has been so understanding. he flew here from colorado and really doesn't make me feel guilty about not wanting men around. he leaves tomorrow, so i'm sure he'll spend some time with deige today. anyway, the baby is crying...i have to go feed. i'll spend more time writing later.

XOXO,
alli

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a proud daddy
9/16/07

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I'm a mommy!!!!
9/15/07

yay! i'm a mommy! it finally happened...baby deige came into our world on september 11, 2007 @4:55am. i had a 9 hour labor, but pushed for 45. they tried to stop my contractions because they were so big and one on top of the other. it was very painful, had two epidurals...still felt the birth! =( so, it wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't the worst thing in the world, either. i'm so much in love with my son. i would have labored for 9 months, and been pregnant a day if that was what it took. he is perfect and i'm so thankful that he is healthy and strong. he weighed 7 punds 12 ounces. he is nineteen inches long. and he has blonde hair and blue eyes at the moment. he looks exactly like micah's baby pictures. =) super sweet. he is a biscuit. we LOVE this little man! i'll write more later. still recovering...i'm very tired.
XOXO,
alli

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So Proud!

2007-07-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

So Proud!

I actually JOGGED last weekend! What an accomplishment~ And I owe it in huge part to PUSH TV and my trainer Mike Monroe. I just started session #3 with PUSH and it is the first one that has REALLY challenged me. The previous sessions have kind of been building on each other and the most recent left me sore, a good sore, the next day. I'm continuing to "plug away" at my workouts and am feeling really great. I can tell it's given me more energy throughout the day.
My next goal is to begin swimming as exercise. I've never been a strong swimmer...I think it started in grade school when I failed swimming lessons (yes, you really can fail:). But I'm going to turn over a new leaf and give it a try. It's an important part of my overlying goal of eventually competing in a triatholon!
Sophia Update: She's EVERYWHERE!! Crawling all over, pulling herself up on everything...it's a wonder I have a moment to spare for exercising!

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Cool Shades...

2007-07-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

Cool Shades...

So I have to tell everyone about this great find that I have been using for Sophia's stroller. Ever since I've had a baby, I've been OBSESSED with protecting her from the sun. I figure, I should start her out by protecting her from as much sun damage as possible...hopefully by the time she's a teenager, it won't be "in" to have a constant dark tan like it was when I was that age!
Anyway, in addition to massive amounts of sunscreen, I've been using this great Stroller Sun Shade Attachment that you can find at www.stylishlyprotected.com or www.protectabub.com. This sun cover easily attaches to almost any stroller (I have two strollers and it works with both) and protects against 98% of the sun's UVA & UVB rays. Plus when she's getting a little drowsy in her stroller, I can pull the shade down to help her take a nap (and buy me some time:-)

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I will survive!

2007-07-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

I will survive!

Sophia has been a little under the weather for the past week. She was feeling better today so we spent some time outside "playing". Mommy needed some "outside time" too. I'm feeling a little claustrophobic!
Well...I've made it past the first 2 weeks of my fitness program with PUSH, and I have to say, they make it really easy for me to workout with my new life situation..i.e."trying to get in shape after having and trying to keep up with a baby!"(now mind you, "making it easy", and just going ahead and doing the workout for me are two VERY different things:-)
My fitness trainer, Mike, calls me every two weeks to check in, see if I have any questions, and basically encourage me in reaching my goals. The current challenge he's given me is investigating a competitive event that I can set as my future goal. I'm looking at some triatholons, or maybe a 1/2 marathon. Haven't decided yet.

Yesterday, for Mother's Day, Justin, Sophia and I went for a hike. And boy, was it a hike! It definitely made me realize that I still have a long way to go to acheive all of my fitness goals, but finishing the hike encouraged me that I'm not a total "lost cause" :)

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Exercise Programs to Purchase - www.push.tv/chicblvd

2007-06-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

Exercise Programs to Purchase - www.push.tv/chicblvd

Hi Ladies... so I'm joining 2 More Hours with PUSH tv and ChicBlvd.com!

I had my first phone call with one of the trainers on Wednesday!

I'll share more later, but please join me on this journey at www.push.tv/chicblvd (get a FREE 30-DAY TRIAL!)

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Happy as a "Daisy"...

2007-06-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

Happy as a "Daisy"...

I threw on her new hat from Maggie's Rose. It's one of the most adorable hats she owns! I can hardly take her out in public without getting stopped and people asking me where I picked up this cute hat. You can see what Maggie's Rose has to offer at www.maggiesrose.com. You can also scope out where you can pick one up for your little darling. We just celebrated our friend, Celia's, first birthday and gave her one...it was a hit! And she looked adorable in it too.

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Sophia is my little Rock Star!

2007-05-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

Sophia is my little Rock Star!

If you want to bring out the rockstar in your baby check out the hip and trendy onesies from My Rockstar Baby. Their onesies are printed with unique and funny phrases that accurately describe the life and times of babies everywhere - with just a touch of attitude! Phrases like "poop happens", "active doodie" and "i'm pooped" are just some of the designs offered at My Rockstar Baby. All designs are printed on super-soft onesies available in short-sleeve and long-sleeve. My Rockstar Baby was created by the passion and desires of best friends Emmy and Mookie. Their love of babies and all things associated, along with the desire to own their own company, helped them to create this unique and fun line of onesies.

Check it out! :)

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Just can't get enough

2007-04-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

Just can't get enough

I've found there are two things that I thought I had TONS of when Sophia was born...I even thought that maybe I had two many. I was wrong! I've since learned that you can never have enough burp clothes and blankets.
One of Sophia's favorite blankets is the Cuddle Zabba from AllyZabba. It's an adorable kiwi color "snugly" blanket with a beautiful trim. I get lots of compliments on it when we go out.
AllyZabba also has beautiful burp cloths. Or as they call them...Burpie Zabbas :)Just because you use them for spit up doesn't mean they shouldn't' be beautiful, right!
So anyway, just wanted to give you the tip...check out AllyZabba.com. If you're like I am, I'm not only always in the market for cool baby stuff for my little gal, but also for the dozens of friends I know who are having babies!

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The Queen on her Throne!

2007-04-15T20:58:00.000-07:00

The Queen on her Throne!

Each day Sophia becomes more of a little person. Her newest discovery is the view she has from her highchair. We just started feeding her in it regulary this week. It's so cute to see her little body in the big chair. Not only does she love sitting up so high like a "big girl", but we have dinner entertainment now!
The only problem is, I've quickly discovered the downside of having carpet in the eating area of the kitchen...gross! There's a smattering of squash, apples, and peas on the ground.
Also, we've discovered the beauty of those little "Puffs" that melt in her mouth. She's LOVES those things...and they are great from "buying some time" while I'm working on something!

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A Special Week

2007-04-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

A Special Week

My husbands parents just left today after a week long trip to our place in California from their home in Illinois. I was reminded just how special seeing our parents interacting with our little girl. It's so neat to see Justin's mom sing songs and nursery rhymes to Sophia. It allows me to glimpse back in time to when Justin was a baby and she sang those same songs to him.
Because our families are so far away, Sophia is the beneficiary of some MAJOR spoiling when she does see her grandmas and grandpas! And I get spoiled too by getting a break from diaper changes and baths:)
My family (Dad, Mom, Sister, Brother, Aunt and Uncle) is coming out to visit over Easter to see us...who am I kidding...to see Sophia! We can't wait.
I've realized that even though a couple of thousand miles separate us, the time we are now able to spend with our family is not taken for granted anymore. We value each minute we're able to be together. And our communication during the time we're not together is much more frequent, via phone, email, webcam, than it was when we lived just a few miles away.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2007-03-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Thanks to those of you who keep checking back for an update on this blog. I’m FINALLY getting around to posting…motherhood is a lot of things, and one of those things is a FULL TIME JOB!

Since I’ve last written, we’ve traveled across the country with Sophia, she’s started to roll over on her own (and roll very quickly!!), started eating solid foods, cut her first two teeth, gotten her first fever and has been busy changing and growing each day.

I’ve started going to a group called MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) at a local church. It’s been such a huge blessing to me (you can find a MOPS meeting in your area by visiting www.mops.org). MOPS has been a great time to connect with other new moms like myself, moms who’ve had a few years experience, and “mentor moms” who are usually “grandma age” to guide all of us through the process.

In my group at MOPS, two of the moms have newborns. While Sophia and the other kids hang out in the nursery, the newborns get to come to the meeting with us. In the couple of times I’ve gotten to cradle these little cuties in my arms, I’ve realized that in my mind, Sophia never really grew out of this stage. I didn’t realize how big she really was until I held a newborn again. Another reminder of how fast this time has gone!

Since Sophia has started eating solids, I feel like most of my day is spent either feeding her or preparing her food (I’m making most of it at home in my blender). I suppose it’s a small price to pay to be able to know exactly what is going into her body and that it’s healthy, fresh produce, but I didn’t know how much time it takes to feed a baby J She’s good to go on the yellow veggies, but the green veggie introduction hasn’t gone quite as smoothly as I would have hoped. She gagged on the avocadoes and broccoli was a “no go”. I was going to try green beans next but I’m not very hopeful. Any advice anyone might have on introducing the “green guys”, send it my way!

Thanks to those of you who keep checking back for an update on this blog. I’m FINALLY getting around to posting…motherhood is a lot of things, and one of those things is a FULL TIME JOB!

Since I’ve last written, we’ve traveled across the country with Sophia, she’s started to roll over on her own (and roll very quickly!!), started eating solid foods, cut her first two teeth, gotten her first fever and has been busy changing and growing each day.

I’ve started going to a group called MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) at a local church. It’s been such a huge blessing to me (you can find a MOPS meeting in your area by visiting www.mops.org). MOPS has been a great time to connect with other new moms like myself, moms who’ve had a few years experience, and “mentor moms” who are usually “grandma age” to guide all of us through the process.

In my group at MOPS, two of the moms have newborns. While Sophia and the other kids hang out in the nursery, the newborns get to come to the meeting with us. In the couple of times I’ve gotten to cradle these little cuties in my arms, I’ve realized that in my mind, Sophia never really grew out of this stage. I didn’t realize how big she really was until I held a newborn again. Another reminder of how fast this time has gone!

Since Sophia has started eating solids, I feel like most of my day is spent either feeding her or preparing her food (I’m making most of it at home in my blender). I suppose it’s a small price to pay to be able to know exactly what is going into her body and that it’s healthy, fresh produce, but I didn’t know how much time it takes to feed a baby J She’s good to go on the yellow veggies, but the green veggie introduction hasn’t gone quite as smoothly as I would have hoped. She gagged on the avocadoes and broccoli was a “no go”. I was going to try green beans next but I’m not very hopeful. Any advice anyone might have on introducing the “green guys”, send it my way!

I Want to be A Chain Starter!

2006-12-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

I Want to be A Chain Starter!

This December we ALL have an exciting opportunity to take up the cause of finding a cure for a disease that has taken the lives of more than 25 millions people worldwide. As World AIDS Day arrives on December 1st, I’m going to do my part by being a “Tin Carrier” for Kabre and Jean Paul! What is a “Tin Carrier”…and who in the world are Kabre and Jean Paul, you ask?!?! Keep reading... :-)

(you can also find the details at http://www.chicblvd.com/aids)…

Hint Mint, http://www.hintmint.com/ along with ChicBlvd.com is launching this, the first annual, CarryATin4AidsCampaign. The companies are selecting 50 people to begin an awareness chain by presenting us with a uniquely numbered, Limited Edition AIDS Awareness Tin and asking us to take one mint and pass along the tin. The ultimate goal is for the participant to inspire 34 more people (whether they be friends, family or random encounters) to do the same until ultimately, 35 mints later, the now empty tin is sent to the office of YouthAIDS/ PSI in Washington, DC on or before January 1st, 2007 deadline. The goal of the journeys of these tins is to raise $50,000 for the cause.

Why am I participating? …because of two adorable little boys on the other side of the world. My husband and I sponsor Kabre from Burkina Faso and Jean Paul from Rwanda Compassion International. Although we’ve never met these little guys, they’ve come to mean a lot to us through letters and prayer. They are both part of Compassion projects in areas that are highly affected by AIDS…most likely, their family is directly impacted by the disease. This is another way that I can help these little guys and the vicious epidemic that is sweeping their country, community, and family.

Here are our boys...

Kabre
Jean Paul

I’m asking all the people who get my tin to email me so I can document where the tin is across the US on its way to DC...I’ll give you updates here on my blog!

Hardest, Best Job Ever!!!

2006-11-04T20:54:00.000-08:00

Hardest, Best Job Ever!!!

Being a mom is the hardest, most wonderful job I’ve ever had! I know once Sophia becomes mobile, life will change even more. But even now, as she just reaches 12 weeks, trying to get everyday things done has taken on a whole new dimension!

A typical day in our house now completely centers around our “1 Foot 11 Inch Queen”!

7:00am: Get up to feed Sophia and start her day…if she hasn’t already woken us up at 6:30am when I’m just not quite ready to get out of bed (after having woken up at LEAST once in the middle of the night!).

7:20am: Try to keep myself awake while Sophia and Justin share a few minutes before he heads off to work…by the way, this is a VERY “smiley” part of Sophia’s day:)

8:00am: Good thing Sophia loves the lights in our bathroom…she hangs out in her bouncy seat while I enjoy a nice hot shower. Uh-oh…she’s getting bored…I guess my legs won’t get shaved today:-(

8:30am: “Please take your morning nap, Sophia” (so that I can have one too!)

9:30am: Try to get a few things picked up around the house which looks like it’s been hit by the “Cyclone That Leaves Only Baby Stuff Behind”, read a few emails, pay bills, etc.

10:00am: Feeding Round #2….hopefully by this time I have grabbed something of sustenance for myself to eat since I AM keeping a little person alive. Sometimes it’s so hard to remember or have the time to EAT! (Mental Note: Try to focus on my H2O intake too.)

10:20am: Enjoy some time with my little angel. Her new favorite toy on her activity mat is her Gangly Green Bunny…he’s kinda growin’ on me too. If Sophia’s in a REALLY good mood, she might like a little tummy time. I should spend a little time on my tummy too, but getting in an ab workout these days is nearly impossible.

11:00am: Sophia starts to get crabby…probably time for another nap, but she’s fighting it. Guess I’ll just hold her for awhile…I might get a smile before she dozes off, anyway:)

11:30am: Laid her down…now maybe I’ll have a few minutes to do something fun. My project of choice for today will be working on Sophie’s scrapbook. I have an amazing one for her that I got from Jack Scrapbooks it’s called Baby Feats. You can find them at www.jackscrapbooks.com. I can record the darling details of her life up to age 5 in this book and it will last forever….its cover is made of wood and it has stainless steal hardware. So if Sophia gets her hands on it in the next couple of years, it may survive!

1:00pm: Feeding Round #3…yikes…”Surprise Spit-up”...good thing I have some very special burp clothes from MoMo Baby Gifts (www.momobabygifts.com). They have Sophia’s name embroidered on them…what a spoiled little girl:) But seriously…great gift idea for baby showers! MoMo also has adorable and affordable outfits that you can have embroidered for any little cutie.

1:30pm: Since Soph is in a good mood…I think we’ll try to run some errands. It’s funny how little I get out these days…it seems like I have to have a REALLY important reason to put forth the effort to walk out the door. Will it ever be easy to go to the mall again?!?! I have some boxes to mail…I think we’ll try to swing by the post office.

1:45pm: After strapping on the Baby Bjorn, getting the little munchkin situated in
it, juggling 3 HUGE boxes up to the post office (mind you, no one offering to open the door for me), I take my number (#82) only to find that they’re on #51…ugh. After about 3 minutes, Sophia starts freaking out so we turn around…back out the door with all 3 huge boxes, unload her from the Baby Bjorn and head back home…she screams all the way.

Well…I could go on, but you get the idea. What makes it all worth it are moments like the one I had just the other day...I could hear Sophia just waking up from her nap and fussing a bit. When I cracked her door to take a peek, I saw her looking up at the smiling bugs on her new mobile. She was smiling right back at her new friends with her biggest, gummiest grin…those are the snapshots in time that simply melt my heart and make being a mom “The Best”!

*Disclaimer: Times indicated above are the framework for what a wonderful typical day would be….this rarely happens:0

Here's Sophia in her Halloween Costume...I had every intention of putting her in the adorable "Pea in the Pod" costume that I've seen in years past...but once I saw the "Lobster", I knew it was meant to be!