Liam's 14 months

Last Saturday, May 21st, my little Liam turned 14 months old! I can't believe how much time has gone by. This time last year he was just a little tiny baby. Only 2 months old. My mommom and poppop and dad came down to visit and met him for the very first time :) It was so nice and so special to me that they we're able to come and not only meet their grandson and great-grandson, but celebrate my college graduation with me. 

I miss my poppop everyday but am so thankful that he was able to meet my children! and that he had such a great part in my life. 

Poppop holding Liam for the first time. Liam at almost 2 months old

Liam has changed so much in the past 14 months. He is running everywhere, climbing on top of everything. He is my little monkey! He falls all the time, yells "uhhh-ohhh" and just gets right back up and goes. Once he has his mind set on doing something he is determined to to it, even if we are chasing after him and telling him no. He doesn't talk awhole lot, but he talks enough for now. Chloe was a talker at a very early age. By her 1st birthday she would say 2-3 word sentences. It was great to be able to communicate with her but you also couldn't get her to stop talking and you still can't! Lol she talks all the time and loves it and my dad tells her that shes just like her momma! hehe ;) What can I say...we have lots to say!
Anyway, I know that alot of things factor into Liam's speech, he has tubes now in his ears so his talking will come when he is good and ready. He says, momma, dada and daduuu is his new name for daddy sometimes, and Sean loves when he says daduu. He says bye-bye, hello (which sounds more like he-rro) But when he does it he puts his hands to his ear like hes answering a phone! (Sooo stinkin' cute!) He also says form of sissy and grandma. I feel like I am missing something but atleast its written in his baby book. 

Probably the funniest thing Liam is doing right now, is barking like a dog! ALL the time time! He hears a dog bark and he starts jumping up and down and going "roh roh roh roh" Its so funny to watch and he looks so happy doing it. He loves animals, especially dogs! Good thing there are 2 in the house to keep him busy and entertained. 

Dancing to music is another of his favorite things to do, he hears music on the radio or tv and loves to dance. 

He is also pointing to everything. If you ask him where something is like his cup, teddy bear, blanket, he points to it. He wants something, he points to it. Grandma made cookies over the weekend and since he had his first cookie from the batch, he knew where they were kept on the counter and would push a stool over and climb up, point and yell. Sean finally hid the box of them so that he would stop trying to climb. 

Here are a few pics of my growing boy when we we're camping on Saturday! 

running around the campsite

my baby boy

watching the fire

A little sad that he is getting so big but it's so exciting watching him grow :) 

<3 Liz 

Shiny Red Digital Camera

So for Mother's Day this year I got a shiny red new camera...well ALMOST LOL.
I got a picture of a shiny red new camera that I had been eying for awhile. Sean and Chloe and Liam too, worked together to make mommy a beautiful card and then printed out the picture of the camera I wanted and taped it to my card with a note saying that I could go pick out the camera.
It was soo cute and so sweet, especially because I wasn't expecting much this year.


With our big life change, and move we have been being very practical lately, we usually are but we've been even better about it since we moved. We also have been spending ALOT of family time together so I knew that Sean and the kids hadn't been out shopping lately and there haven't been any deliveries made to the house either.
Anyway I decided to wait to get the camera. I wanted to shop around and find the best deal, I've been doing that for everything and usually in the past have too but now that I've officially become addicted to couponing, I am even more addicted to SAVING then I was before! :)


So last week I ordered my shiny RED NEW CAMERA! :) I got it the next day and have been snapping pictures ever since! :)

Its touch screen and has WIFI so I can upload my pics and share right to facebook and email :p 

I wanted something small and easy to travel with. I take my camera everywhere so that was definitely important! 

<3 Liz 

Mommom

I went to PA this past Thursday to visit with my mommom. Recently we found out that she has breast cancer and then found out that she needed to have her breast removed. I have always been close to mommom, she was more like my mom, or a mix between a mom and my grandmother growing up. I had the woman in my life that supported me, encouraged me and was always there when I needed her, and I also got the woman that would take me on trips with her and do lots of fun stuff! Mommom and Poppop would care for us when my dad was at work, or working on the house. Late snowy winter nights, when dad would be at work plowing the snow, we'd be sleeping over, baking cookies, and having mommom braid our hair. Most people know the history behind my relationship with my mother and know that she wasn't in my life often and when she was it wasn't very long. It would start out good and end very badly. So mommom has always been the most important woman in my life! And I love her so much and owe her alot of credit when it comes to my independence and strength. I have always seen her as such an independent woman and I always looked up to that and wanted to be that way too. 


We were able to spend a few hours with her on Thursday afternoon/early evening, before she had to go and take care of a few things. Then Friday morning was her surgery, the doctor said that everything went well. I didn't go to the hospital in the morning because I wasn't sure how long it would last and I knew that even though my kids are really well behaved when we are out, they wouldn't be if we were stuck in a hospital waiting room for hours and hours. We waited til noon, I called the hospital and she hadn't been moved to a room yet so she was still in recovery. My aunt called and said she would be in a room soon so we piled in the car, got lunch and then headed over. My Gram works at the same hospital so we visited with her for a few minutes, she checked and mommom still hadn't been moved to a room so we headed to the waiting room and waited for about 2 hours. She finally had a room and we got to see her, she looked really good for someone that just had surgery and they said she should be ready to go home the next day! I was so happy and relieved to see that she looked pretty much herself and I'm so happy that we were able to be there with her. There were so many times when my Poppop was in the hospital, before he passed away, and I always wanted to be there with him. I wanted to be like the rest of the family and be there by his side. Being in NC made the so much more difficult. I am so thankful that we live closer and are only 3 hours away! I am so thankful that mommom is ok right now and pray that whatever comes next, that she stays strong.
Thank you to everyone who was thinking of us and praying! 






<3 Liz  

Couponing! Pathmark trip 5/15

OK so I officially am crazy obsessed with couponing! I know I 'm not the only one that has seen the new show on TLC because almost everywhere I go I come across people that are talking about it. 
I started watching it the first week that we arrived in NY. It was Wednesday night and there were a bunch on before the new one. I was in our bedroom cleaning, organizing and getting things unpacked and I got glued to the TV. During the commercial I ran out to the den and told Sean about it, he wasn't too impressed but after the second commercial when I came running out telling him that someone got about $1800 worth of groceries for around $100 he had to see for himself and changed the channel :) I then had my MIL watching too and was determined to give it a try! 
Now I don't expect to save hundreds of dollars in one trip, but I have always loved to save, I mean who doesn't, so I have been clipping coupons alot more than I ever have in the past, and following blogs of other extreme couponers! I look forward to Wednesdays when I get a sneak peek at the sales, Thursdays when the weekly circulars come in the paper and Sunday when all the coupons come! It has been a little overwhelming but I've been figuring out a system that works for me! 


With such a huge change in our life, Sean getting out of the Army after 7 years, moving to NY, still owning a home in NC, and trying to raise our family, saving is even bigger on my list of things to do. It's always been a priority but now its an even bigger one. 
This past weekend Pathmark advertised that they would have TRIPLE coupons. BONUS! 
I got all of this for FREE :) 

4 Bottles of Ken's dressing
2 Bags of Lay's Kettle Cooked Chips
2 Bottles of FUZE
1 Herbal Essence Shampoo
1 Herbal Essence Conditioner
1 Country Crock Soft Spread Butter
2 Jars of Tostito Restaurant Style Salsa
1 Jar of Tostito Salsa Con Queso
1 Bag of Werther's Original
1 Lunchable with fruit

On top of getting all of that for FREE I got all of this discounted

Using other coupons, my pathmark card, and adding from zavers I got 2 bottles of apple juice at $2 each, 2 bags of Herr's tortilla chips 89 cents each, 4 boxes of pasta at 88 cents a piece, AIM toothpaste at 88 cents 2 cans of PAM at 74 cents each and 4 cans of tuna at 75 cents each. 

Great deals all around and I've still got a ton more coupons and planning :) 

I am going to try my best to document it all so I can continue to encourage myself and others of all the ways to save! Happy couponing :) 

<3 Liz 

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!

I wanted to say Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day, to all the lovely ladies that I have had the pleasure to meet and grow great friendships with during my time as an Army wife. I love you all and am sooo very thankful to have you in my life <3

The past month...its been a long one

We'll I am sorry it has been so long but moving was crazy! and it wasn't just moving it was everything that happened all at once. 


Our last week in NC was great but sad all at the same time. It was nice to spend time with friends but sad to say goodbyes. We really miss all of our friends! but we know we will keep in touch and see you again!

Liam's surgery was also 2 days before our move, it went very well and we can really tell a difference. He has been to his new pediatrician this week. He got a referral to the ENT and will be seeing him soon for another check and hearing test. His pediatrician said he is doing well, the tubes in his ears look good. He is 25 lbs and 31 inches long! I can't believe how big my boy is getting. When we first arrived in NY he had a hard time adjusting. He wanted momma all the time and that was all he was saying. He would follow me around and yell " mommmm, momma" over and over again! As a mommy I love feeling needed by my kids but it was difficult at times with trying to move and unpack and get settled. But he is doing much better now and is pretty well adjusted. He went back to saying all the words he was using and learning the past few months and last night said a form of "grandma" for the first time! It was soo cute! My MIL came home from work last night and when she was saying hi to him he started waving and said something like "gamma" cute! and she loved it! He said it again a few times this evening. 


Chloe is adjusting well to the move too! She pushes her limits at times because she is around Grandma and knows she will get away with more but we've been staying on top of her to make sure that she listens and behaves as she is supposed to and continues to know that the move doesn't mean the rules change. 
She has spent alot of time at the library since we got here, and the first week we we're here, Chloe, Liam and I got library cards. She goes often with Grandma and other times with Liam and I. The library here is pretty cool, it has a play place, amazing children's section with ALOT of DVD's so Chloe loves to get them! We also see the little frogs there and got to see the chicks through webcam that just hatched today!
She misses her friends alot, she is always talking about her boyfriend Robert, and her friends Lillian and Gabrielle. She plays Barbie's and will name them after her friends that she misses. She has made a new friend here named Gianna, she really likes playing with her and asks me each day when she can again.


I have had a difficult time adjusting. It's hard not being in my own home, living with my MIL is taking some getting use to but I am dealing with it all as best I can and taking it one day at a time. Some days are great and other days can be miserable. It all depends on the day and whats going on. I am very grateful that we are able to stay with her, especially since our NC house is still empty. Not having all of my friends around is hard too. I know people here through Sean, but haven't spent alot of time with them in the past so it kind of feels like the getting to know you part of a friendship. Not many people we know here have kids either, which is a huge thing we have in common with all of our friends in NC. I know this will all change with time.  Its also difficult learning where things are located, how to get there and how long it takes to get there. I took Liam to his pediatrician on Wednesday and the closest one that our insurance covers is 45 mins away :/ and on top of that it was pouring rain the whole way there and back. I've been job hunting and not having much luck. I went on 3 interviews, the first I was OVERqualified...seriously! and the other 2 we're for the same place, it seemed a done deal and then they never called back. So that has been pretty frustrating. I've sent out over 100 resumes at this point so we'll just see what happens. Atleast I have my work at home business :) I LOVE THIRTY-ONE!!! <3


Some days Sean goes stir-crazy, he was sooo looking forward to all this time off but he gets sooo bored! LOL.  He even started to look for jobs! Just looked though, no applications! hehe. He got accepted to Stonybrook University, so he is all set to start school at the end of the month. He is registered for summer classes and that will help to keep him busy and not go crazy at home with me and the kids! He even said to me one day, "I don't know how you do this all day!" Haha...made my day! 
He also took us to see the lighthouse out in Montauk! Made me and Chloe happy and Liam had fun! He's been telling me since we met that he was going to and Chloe likes a song that has a part about the lighthouse in Montauk so she had really been wanting to go! It was beautiful!! 

Lighthouse in Montauk, NY

So happy she's at the lighthouse

daddy and Liam throwing rocks

We celebrated Easter with Sean's mom, his Aunt Barbara and his cousin, Kristin and her bf, Victor. I made a big Ham and all the sides! Sean made a yummy ricotta cheesecake :) We dyed eggs and the kids had an egg hunt to their baskets in the morning and then one outside after dinner. They we're both soo happy, and for the most part it turned out to be a really good day! 

trying to eat the eggs

Liam in his cute Easter outfit

my pretty girl 

Love my kiddos <3

momma and Chloe <3

this has become a lonnng blog, maybe my longest, maybe not, and I'm sure I've forgotten ALOT that we have been up to but the plan is that now that we are more settled I will be on top of my blog!! Promise :) 

until next time...

<3 Liz