Valentines's Weekend

Back in February David and I were able to get away to Chicago for the weekend. We left the kids with gma/gpa and headed out for a few days of adult time.  It was freezing and snowed while there, but we made the most of it. We had no plans/agenda and enjoyed sleeping in and rediscovering the city we once called home. 

We meet up with one of David's law school friends on Saturday night for drinks then devoured one two of the best pretzels we've tasted.  

The next day was Valentine's Day. Since we hadn't made reservations anywhere we decided to have a lunch date at Lou Malnatis. The pizza did not disappoint. Afterwards we walked off our 1,000 calorie lunch in the snow. 

Later that night we headed out again in search of dinner and drinks. We were surprised to find Davanti still had tables available. We first experienced Davanti in San Diego. They serve the best honeycomb and ricotta cheese spread.

Our flight on Monday wasn't until that evening so again we enjoyed sleeping in and grabbing donuts from one of our favorite Chicago donut place, Donut Vault.  We grabbed drinks at our favorite tea/coffee places and enjoyed a slow morning. We checked out of our hotel and hit up another pizza joint, Peaquods. Later we grabbed our bags and headed to the airport. It was a relaxing weekend.

But we were excited to get home to these two cuties!

Everett: 10 - 12 Months

10 Months

Disclaimer: Since you spent over 2 weeks at grandmas/grandpas house I don't have much to report this month.

Height: 28.25 inches; 47th percentile*
Weight: 17.3 pounds; 12th percentile*
Head Size: 17.75 inches; 53 percentile*
Diaper Size: Still in size 3 diapers
Clothes: 9 Month clothes and some 12 month stuff
Sleep: You have become a great sleeper. The length of your naps might not be consistent, but you will take 2 naps a day and go down so easily at night.
Eating: You are still a great eater. You want whatever I am eating and don't want anyone to feed you. You've tried cheerios, grapes, veggie sticks and pirate's booty and are getting better at trying more pouches.
Mommy Milestones: You finally have 2 teeth! You can crawl three different ways and love to stand. You have an amazing grip on balls and can throw them. I love watching you experiment with toys and try to figure out how they work or fit together. You still adore your big sister who love to make you laugh. You can say mama and dada. You have also picked up signing milk.

*9 month stats

C's 10 Month Comparison

11 Months

Height: 28.25 inches; 47th percentile*
Weight: 17.3 pounds; 12th percentile*
Head Size: 17.75 inches; 53 percentile*
Diaper Size: Still in size 3 diapers
Clothes: Mostly 12 month stuff
Sleep: You are still taking 2 naps a day and sleep well at night, most of the time. I am still blown away by how easily you do to sleep at night.
Eating: You are still a pretty good eater, but have started to become more opinionated about what you eat.
Mommy Milestones: You are a ham and love to perform. You have started to stand on your own and have taken a few steps. You are definitely a mommy's boy and are showing signs of separation anxiety. You love to say ball and call anything that's round a ball. You can now sign all done when you are finished eating.

*9 month stats

C's 11 Month Comparison

12 Months

Height: 28.5 inches; 10th percentile
Weight: 18.6 pounds; 5th percentile
Head Size: 18.5 inches; between 50 - 75th percentile
Diaper Size: Still in size 3 diapers
Clothes: 12 month stuff and some 18 month stuff
Sleep: You are still taking 2 naps a day and sleep well at night, most of the time. I am still blown away by how easily you do to sleep at night.
Eating: You are still a pretty good eater, but have started to become more opinionated about what you eat.
Mommy Milestones: We are loving watching your personality develop. You enjoying entertaining and have the best laugh. You love to dance, but only have a few moves. You can sign more, but don't use it very often. You are rocking' the best mullet.


C's 12 Month Comparsion

San Diego

When we first relocated back to the Midwest we purchased tickets back to SD for the middle of January. I thought we had scheduled our trip for the weekend of MLK Day so imagine my surprise when I received an email informing me about my upcoming flight which happened to be the next day. We had planned a visit the weekend before MLK day because it was less expensive and we had completely forgotten the dates. After some texting to see if my friends would be available for us to stay the next day we decided to go ahead and go. 

Charlotte had been asking to see her friends for a couple weeks and was excited it was finally time for our trip. We decided to leave E at home and I'm so glad we did. It was so much easier flying with one kid and not needing to lug around a stroller or carrier. 

Making herself comfortable while waiting to board the plane. 

Enjoying some inflight entertainment. 

We of course would have loved to see all of our friends. But time and notice prevented us from doing all our favorite SD things. We were able to catch up with our Friday MOMs group and hang out all day. C had a blast playing with everyone and I loved catching up all my friends too.

On Saturday we visited our favorite donut place and Farmers Market. 

That night we went to Chuck E Cheeses to celebrate birthdays! It was packed. I don't know what I was thinking when I suggested we go on a Saturday night. The pizza took over an hour to arrive, but the kids had a blast playing the games and riding the rides.

Sunday was a lazy day that we spent relaxing and hanging out. She is attempting to make a rainbow loom bracelet. 

This girl and I are 20 weeks and due on the same day in May. How crazy is that! It's hard being away from her especially during this exciting time. 

We had so much fun and it was hard to leave, but we know that we have made lifelong friends. This trip came at a great time and left us both feeling refreshed. We are looking forward to our next trip to SoCal. 

What's Up Wednesday: February Edition

I've been working on several recap posts but none of them are finished so I thought I would start with a relatively easy one.

I'm linking up with Mel and Shay for this month's What's Up Edition.

1. What we're eating this week...

Lots of different stuff, but my favorite might be Teriyaki Chicken with Pineapple Rice. 

2. What I'm reminiscing about...

Our trip to San Diego a few weeks ago

3. What I'm loving...

It's almost Valentine's Day and I'm loving all the decor, food and valentines. One of my favorites that I saw recently was this Shopkins valentine.

4. What we've been up to...

We've played in the snow some...

And we've been doing all sorts of house stuff. (more to come)

5. What I'm dreading...

Moving next month. We close at the end of February. I'm looking forward to getting settled in our new home and unpacking, but I'm dreading all of the changes.

6. What I'm working on...

Researching preschools for next fall, looking for dance classes, creating school tools and trying to get caught up on my blog.

7. What I'm excited about...

Newsies this weekend at the FOX!!!! I have loved this movie since I was a young girl. 

8. What I'm watching/reading....

I finished reading two of Elin Hilderbrand books Winter Street and Winter Stroll

Winter Shows have started and I'm excited about...

And I've picked up Blacklist and Chicago Med in addition to all my fall shows which return next month. 

9. What I'm listening to...

The sound of my kids crying... LOL We have been struggling with sleep this past month

10. What I'm wearing...

PJs, boots and sweaters

11. What I'm doing this weekend...

Heading to STL to see Newsies

12. What I'm looking forward to next month..

Moving into our new house and a weekend trip to Chicago

13. What else is new...

Looking for and buying a house has consumed most of our time this past month

14. What is my favorite Valentine's Treat..

Chocolate Fondue

It's a New Year, time to start blogging again

As the new year has come and gone I thought it was time to start blogging again. I'm working on several posts to recap the past 3 months and what we've been up to. I pray everyone had an incredible Christmas and Happy New Year.

This year we are focusing on gratitude and simple happiness. We have so much to be thankful for and enjoying/appreciating the little things has recently been hard for me. The days can be LONG sometimes, especially since this is our first real winter in years, but I know that I'll miss these days, eventually.

I hope you'll stay tuned to see how we ended our year and see what this year brings.