Life with Leah

love

2010-08-30T18:50:00.002-04:00

I L-O-V-E this girl

She is my air.
I love him even more than I did when I married him.
They are my world.

Tuna. out.

Thanks for reading my two followers ;)

il mare

2010-05-02T18:05:00.007-04:00

Il mare.

The ocean.

It sounds more beautiful in italian.

However you say it..

its just gorgeous!

sunset is... magic

il bellisimo sole'

il mare again.

this time, with the dogs.

Doggy beach.

voyo bene a la famiglia

love cup

2010-04-19T19:50:00.005-04:00

My love cup is full! Yes... I have a love cup. Who knew! I always made fun of the saying, but lately I know what that means. My heart is full, fuller than I thought a heart could get. I am amazed constantly; the things she says, the things she gets, and the things she wants to do. She is a really fun kid with serious personality.

This face... well, it got this way after a day at the aquarium. Not my idea, this was all Vin. He mapquested, rationed the tolls for the ride to Miami, made sure the DVD player worked, got the appropriate videos (Tinkerbell, Stuart Little 1 and 2) and we made the trip down. we took in a few shows

woah, did Lee love the animals!

particularly the sea lions

and lets not forget Flipper

Dinner has become a blast! Vin and I make a point of sitting at the dining room table EVERY night to have dinner. Our parents did it, and so shall we :) Except, Leah won't sit in a high chair anymore, no booster seat either, not our laps even if she was bribed with chocolate! Nope, she sits in her big sofa seat which Vin brilliantly placed atop the chair and she is queen bee! No doubt about it!

blurry, but still my favorite

This one is a hamburger smile too

And the weekends... It is hard to motivate to leave the house most days. Leah is so much fun at home, we just love playing here! It rained all day Sunday, perfect stay-in-your-jammies whether. And, yup, thats what we did!

Vin cooks imaginary soup with Lee. He tells her what ingredients to add from her Sesame Street spices (a little Elmo jam, some Grover dishsoap, a splash of BigBird pepper...)

Then, they stir. A lot. And taste. Then they add some more, and stir again, and then we eat on little plates, and Leah gives everyone a fork, and smacks her lips, and loves this game as much as we do. Because...

Her love cup is full too.

And I can say that Vin's is too.

Our cups runneth over.

little bit

2010-04-06T19:43:00.004-04:00

Spring break. Totally eventful, totally exhausting!

We did a little bit of everyting...

we started with a little bit of egg dying just a little, more watching than actual dying. it was messy.

a little bit of naked redneck bathing on the sundeck. not sure why, but when there is a smile, we go with it.

A little bit of the beach with our buddies

A little pushing of our friends, a slight sand toss into a friends eye, a smidge of an apology...

a little shopping.And a little diva behavior. But not enough to be a real diva (yet)

It was such a tease for summer!

Love my girl.

what a blanket can do

2010-03-15T18:38:00.005-04:00

Who knew that a blanket could be so much fun... when Vin is involved, it isn't just fun, its a pee-in-your-pants kinda afternoon, where daddies fly around the front yard, screaming at the top of their manly lungs and put a huge smile on an almost 2year old's face... and make mommy have to immediatley run to the computer to blog about it!

This is hysterical!

It was that kind of day.

this is a MY TURN stance

love my family.

almost 20

2010-03-09T19:44:00.006-05:00

20! Seems like she was 5 yesterday. Rolling over, in her walker, beginning to eat solids....Can it be? No, I refuse to accept it. She cannot be this close to the big 2-4. It feels so fast! Next month I will be packing her back pack for kindergarden and then off to high school, and then she is graduating college and we are doing her resume for her big interview and, AHHHH! But, she is still 19, until Friday...

Check this out! Supa-dupa soccer star dribbles down the sidewalk!

Lee is way into holding hands now, which I LOVE! Finally, some girly stuff! She is such a tomboy, it makes me so happy to see her holding hands, finally giving goodnight kisses, and really enjoying the Botanical Gardens! (sooo foo-foo)

I think this green thumb thing is so from me. We spent a good hour watering the plants at the botanical garden, they had the sweetest little watering cans for the kids, total magic!

I eat up this laugh. I wish I had audio of her laugh. It is a scream that cannot be explained. EVERYTHING daddy does is hysterical! A grab your belly- slap your knee- red in the face kind of hysterical!

Loving 20.

21, I can wait for!

swings and giggles

2010-02-18T20:24:00.008-05:00

big swings. no more baby swings. big swings. enough said.

(weeingssss is how it actually sounds)

white-knuckle-grip

big.

girl.

swings.

and a serious giggle.

Loving my leah girl.

sprout

2010-01-31T09:08:00.004-05:00

I can remember being pregnant and sitting on the big blue couch in the den and looking out the window and closing my eyes to imagine what I hoped Leah would have from me, have from Vin, and be like. I wanted creativity for her, Vin wanted her to be bossy (like mommy, he said).

I try to make sure she always has a bucket of crayons, a stack of paper, and her special Harry Potter cave under the stairs with a big mirror so she can imagine and play... I hoped for independence and strength, love and kindness, and a big head of blond hair! I got it.

I love the weekends, that is our time. I especially love the weekend mornings, early, I mean, early. We check out our projects and play with our stuff and just enjoy the time, because weekends sure do go by fast.

She helped me plant these strawberry seeds and patted the dirt with her chubster fingers. Look at how they have grown. She says "waaaaooowwwhh!" when she sees them :) I love the little green thumb she has brewing, I think I have that, I hope she got that from me. The chalk marks are sprouting up all around the house, outside on the sidewalk, on her chalk board, and now (thanks to a lack of supervision) on the lanai tile. I see two X's and maybe a hopeful 5, I was told it takes two miles of scribbles for a child to gain the strength to write their name. I think all that scribbling is working :)
And then there is the swing. Oh the swing. Wing, swweeeeiiinnnggg, upy, mine, no-mine... it is her swing. Don't think about touching it, or asking for a turn, it's a non-negotiable.

Vin and the neighbor hooked it up. Why it is in a big knot, don't know. But will it come down, um.. no.

But that doesn't matter. Look at the smile from the "wing" she screams, "weeeeee!" and her little teeth show, and I smile, and the neighbors come out to see, and it is just great!

(p.s. I cannot stop giggling about her teeth! Vinny says, "she's a rabbit!" )

poor kid is gonna need braces!

Then she pushes puppy, and sometimes swing gets out of control, and crashes into the tree and puppy is flung from the swing and she says, "uh oh" like it is no big deal, because, in her world, it isn't.

And then she collects her cho-cho, and picks puppy off the ground and goes for a walk. And looks up at the trees, and picks up a leaf from the ground, and attempts to smell what she perceives to be a flower but it is really a napkin stuck to a bush, but she is creative. And she is observant. And she is all mine :)

love that leah bug

18 months

2009-12-27T20:15:00.012-05:00

Things we are really into: (in alphabetical order)

1. Babies- all babies. And, she is really rough with them. This poor baby would be in some serious trouble if she were alive. Broken legs, arms, concussions, brain damage, poked out eyes, but she would not be starving. Leah does feed her quite a bit.

a video I call: leah and the baby

2. The beach: the sand, the surf, and the shells. Finally, I mean.. we are FINALLY out of the shell and sand eating phase (high five!)

we went to see Kimberly and baby Madison at the beach!

3. Birds (really into those too): Lee likes to point at them, yell directions at them, and generally just thinks they are interesting. When they fly away, that is magical! Her little chubby hands go up into that perfect, palms up, fingers spread apart, inquisitive look, like.. where are they going? I just love it!

4. Climbing: we have a mini monkey on our hands. Up trees, slides, tables, chairs, pretty much anything that will support her weight, she climbs on.

5. ELMO- all in caps. Elmo is the MAN right now. Elmo shirts, diapers, toys, shopping carts, she says his name, as well as Ernie and Coo-coo (cookie monster) but nobody, no way, can beat Elmo! We watch him on sesame street online and she loves this one song about elmo with adam sandler... check it out!

http://www.sesamestreet.org/video_player?p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_id=videoPlayer_WAR_sesameportlets4369&p_p_uid=64e94c74-d7fa-4112-9e37-000120c936d7

6. Reading: she loves to read! Leah won't actually sit through a whole book at this moment, but she likes the idea of a book, pictures are cool, words seem interesting....we're working on it.

Loving life with my 18 month old! In fact, I always promised that I would not say Leah's age in months, so starting now, she is a year and a half.

love that leah girl

beach bum and the big top

2009-11-21T18:43:00.008-05:00

We decided to try the beach this morning.

Stephanie and I hang every Saturday since both Leah and Skye are up at the crack of dawn, and we thought, hey... lets beach it!

It was pretty fun. totally gorgeous outside,

hotter than we would have liked,

but gorgeous all the same

Leah snuck up on those birds like a predator, I love when she does that.

who doesn't love a little airplane ride now and again :)Lee and Skye are so stinking cute together, I love when they play :)

Then...

We hit the circus tonight!

Big Top Bertuna's!

There is something so magical about elephants...

their eyes, their wrinkles, they just seem so wise and innocent

we had to pull skye off the stairs, the beauty loves to climb!

we had to pull Leah away from the funnel cake, this beauty loves to eat!

and into the tent we went!

Lee was into it!

and just as the show closed, and the elephants went to sleep, my big girl was big time pooped.

great day.

jets girl

2009-11-15T13:23:00.003-05:00

Leah rocks the number 6

She works the green

and the mesh

and the logo

and the big socks

This is her uniform.

its gameday.

halloween

2009-11-03T20:17:00.004-05:00

Last year didn't count. I mean, at 3 months old it isn't like you know you are wearing a costume or get the concept of trick-or-treating. I am not going to say she got it this time either, but, she did enjoy herself this year and partook in the candy gathering and dressing up:) And seriously, she rocked her costume, that I handmade for my little hamburger! When I was little my mom made our costumes for us, withches, genies, belly dancers, 50's girls, whatever we declared we would be, she made it! I didn't hear a declaration of, "mommy, I want to be Pebbles!" However, I made the executive decision and ran with it.

And so I give you, Pebbles Bertuna...
complete with the teal spanks, she worked her inner pebbles

she rocked out the thong sandals laced up her leg with cheetah fur (faux fur of course)

even gave me a little smooch to show her appreciation

and when it got dark, her inner chocolate lover exploded!

slowly at first...

and then, when that first kit-kat hit her perfect little lips,

it was over... total sugar junkie!"mour, mour" she would say

until there was just no mour

And thats how it went.

Halloween 2009.

Been there, done that, loved it!

sunset

2009-10-24T20:42:00.006-04:00

We went to the beach tonight for sunset. I never get tired of saying we went to the beach, sometimes I forget how beautiful Naples is, totally gorgeous.

she still does it(eating sand), when will this phase go away?

I love watching her run, or attempt to, she is so cute!

26 pounds of pure booty...

And then, there was the camera assult..

a few discoveries

2009-10-16T20:21:00.006-04:00

at 15 months old, I have discovered a few things about my little leah....

my girl loves to be in charge (often when she isn't supposed to be)

she can get herself into quite a pickle

that often is quite difficult to get out of
she loves her toys and school (they love her too)

she loves to scream at the top of her lungs
(if there was sound, imagine high pitched squeal)

she loves to ham it up for the camera

she digs the playground (particularly the swings, but this will do)

she loves schmushing her face against the glass

(often schmusing turns into licking)

she gets into a widdle twubble now and then

sometimes she shares (when she isn't supposed to) and... sometimes she doesn't (when she should, I want queso dip too)

she loves moe's queso dip (almost to a point of obsession)

I have also discovered that I love her even more today than I did yesterday if that is even possible!

love that leah bug

labor day

2009-09-09T18:43:00.003-04:00

Aunt Yoli and Uncle Sal came to visit this past weekend! They couldn't wait to get thier hands on Leah! I loved watching them with her, she was shy at first, but Sal just handed over cheese and french fries throughout the weekend, and now...

they're best buds! Went to Coconut Point for some lunch and Uncle Sal showed Lee around the turtle pond, which she thought was pretty cool.

We went to Isle of Capri...

Yoli got some serious sun, so did Sal, I actually heard him frying!

Vin and Sal thought it might be fun to take out a kayak...

Lee was pissed.

She wanted to go too!

I laughed so hard as the owner showed these two Brooklyn boys a map of the waterways! Could have been speaking latin, they had no idea! They did have a blast on Kelle's waverunners! Vin was so excited, he left before I could snap a picture!

We sure did have fun with them.

Until next time...

everyone's lovin' that Leah bug

ducks

2009-09-02T18:58:00.005-04:00

It's a nightly thing.

She pulls him to the door, she knows this is her time with him.

Just before dinner, they go out to the lake.

To see the ducks.

She says ducks, over and over again until they come.

They have to sneak bread, crackers, goldish, whatever they can get thier hands on before I tell them thats for tomorrow or snack or whatever :)

Its a covert operation that they do together.
I love how he just stands there with her and they wait. they get pretty close.

and she eats what she is supposed to be feeding them.
I just love that!

And when its over, and they are out of snacks, she always says "mour?"

"Mour" time with the ducks?"

Mour" time with daddy?

"Mour" snacks?

she just knows she wants ...

"mour"

I know daddy always wants "mour" time with her.

love my little bug

o-r-e-o

2009-08-29T18:54:00.003-04:00

Oh double stuf goodness, oh cookie of all cookies, oh mess making master... thank you for creating a daddy daughter bonding experience that I was able to catch on camera. One that I know Leah will always remember and probably continue into adulthood. This favorite tradition of oreos and milk after dinner is not the healthiest of traditions, but I am willing to overlook it because it makes my girl smile so big.

Thank you little o-r-e-o ;)

all the parts

2009-08-15T18:10:00.005-04:00

I don't want to share. I am having a very hard time with it.

I don't want to share that little hamburger smile, the one that makes everyone around her smile

I might share the expense of buying toys... Somehow she manages to make me buy the most expensive stuffed animals every time we are at barnes and noble:) Leah has 7 new stuffed animals ranging from bears to owls, most recently was the new stuffed puppy.

I am quite attached to the curly-q part in the back, it just spins her little locks of blondHer quick little hands that grab onto everything... hair, glasses, feet, lips, nothing is off limits and boy she's fast! those chubby little thighs and feet. So pinchable!Her curiosity about everything, watching Leah learn and explore makes life worth living .
I want to be the only one that makes her smile, the only one that she runs to when she trips, and the only one that she points to when she need help getting on the chair to stand on the table and throw pine cones at the dogs.

I know this will be so good for Lee, she will make tons of friends and paint and learn to share more... I think I might need help learning how to share my girl, maybe they have a daycare for parents. love that leah bug

my baby and her bee bee

2009-08-09T18:43:00.002-04:00

When you give leah a stroller, she's going to put her bee bee in it.

Bee bee is anything that fits into a stroller!

And when she has that stroller, she's going to want to push it

(preferrably outside)

When she is pushing it, sometimes it gets stuck in the grass. There is rocky terrain here in Bonita, so it often veers left :)

But no worries. Little baby hercules just picks it all up and places it where she wants it to go.
Thats just how she rolls.

Loving my baby and her bee bee.

love that 1 year old leah bug

all done

2009-07-26T21:11:00.005-04:00

How do we know when lee is done eating?

Well... she tells us!

I love this video, Leah even mimics the way I say it! I think she has been practicing ;)

sun and sand

2009-07-23T13:24:00.002-04:00

Nothing makes me happier than to see my girl smile. The beach ,the doggy beach, makes her smile big!

inquisitive little thing :)

oh how she loves her puppies,
(so much so, that she eats their dog food...we are working on that one!)

love that leah bug

aloha

2009-07-19T15:34:00.006-04:00

We had the best time at Leah's 1st birthday party on Saturday! I know Leah had a blast too, I could tell by the 3 hour nap she took when we got home :)

a little grass skirt just makes a luau that much sweeter!

Mahalo friends!

because she's one

2009-07-16T11:03:00.004-04:00

How can she be so cute?

Honestly...

she looks adorable in hats,

devilishly cute when rummaging through my purse (after I have said no 1o times),

like pebbles with her hair in a pony tail,
and like her daddy with a click of the camera!

AND...

with her friends, I see the girl she will become: that friend that you can goof around with, the one that makes everyone laugh... that will be my girl!

check out this adorable video from our panera mornings ;)

birthday cake

2009-07-12T17:50:00.004-04:00

birthday cake only tastes good if it is everywhere, its a researched and well known fact.yums.
i love my cake eatin' kid!

Happy Birthday Leah

2009-07-12T07:12:00.004-04:00

1 year ago today, my little munchkin made her appearance. It was thoughtful of her to actually decide to be born (I say decide because I know she was in control), considering she strung us along for 2 days! Hooked up on pitocin twice, starved for days, watching other pregnant moms walk in after me and leave before me with thier babies was hard, but I get what she was doing...making sure we knew she was worth the wait.

Oh baby, you were were worth every second! happy 1st birthday my little leah bug

growing up

2009-07-07T21:13:00.006-04:00

You know you are growing up when...

you eat gum and get the concept of chewing it, AND accept that it doesn't always go as planned.

woops.

You know you are growing up when...

your food isn't mashed and you can pick it up and hold it in your hands

woops again.

You know you are growing up when...

someone says "smile" and you actually do it!

sometimes better than others.

You know you are growing up when...

a cooler, big kid comes over, and you totally want to hang out with them, and they want to hang with you!

And finally, you know you are growing up when...

you can get on a chair all by yourself, kinda gracefully, and your toes touch the floor.

right before my very eyes .

I love my leah bug

smiley pants

2009-06-25T17:13:00.004-04:00

Lunch and totally soaking yourself in the fountain, a perfect afternoon for an almost one year old :)

Once Leah's feet hit the ground, she darted over to that fountain, and her white outfit was done.

Leah's buddy Kyle joined her at the fountain and it seemed like she was on a mission to soak him as well.

see.

Here is a little video :)

Leah was so into soaking everyone, I could not get her to look at me!

love my twubble maker

water park and daddy

2009-06-22T20:21:00.003-04:00

Vin drools every time we drive past the water park. In fact, he has been talking about going for at least 6 months. Lee and I finally took him there for father's day. He was in heaven watching Leah mingle through the play area, sneaking off to go down a waterslide, trips down the lazy river, and smuggling food into the park... a perfect father's day trip.

love that leah bug

Kindermusic

2009-06-19T16:06:00.005-04:00

Leah and I were invited to join some friends at The Phil for Kindermusic. It is twice a week for the next three weeks. Today was our second time there, and I think Leah liked it even more this time :) The Phil is such a beautiful setting... I could not resist snapping some pictures in the tree filled grassy area, it was calling our names!

In the program, the kids are encouraged to explore music, friends, and insturments. The instructor has this bear she uses to sing hello and goodbye to friends with. Leah is obsessed with it!

Leah even was sung to today, mostly because she would not leave the teacher alone about the bear, so it worked out well ;)

The kids just play with each other. I think it is the coolest thing to see them socialize.

Today we pulled them around on sheets and in laundry baskets. It was cute.

This looks like a game of dodgeball, but it isn't.

I love the time I get to spend with this kid. She is so fun!

I love when she gets up from her naps... Vin says I get bored without my buddy to play with :)

love my bug!

FMB

2009-06-14T16:29:00.006-04:00

We went to Ft. Myers Beach the other night. It was one of those perfect evenings. Walking by the beach, dinner at a beach front restaurant, and more walking and shopping. Leah was feeling much better and she was all smiles all night :)

They had these fabulous photo areas. Leah was so funny, she was hysterical as Vin put her head in each one, I think she screamed in delight with each one!

Aunt Jen playing it up :)
Tuna, being a tuna

And.. a beautiful sunset, perfection.

love my summer bug

11 months

2009-06-12T16:05:00.007-04:00

All this quirky goodness oozes out of Leah these days. At 11 months (today!), she has such a personality, I love documenting it. These are new and fantastic things that make me want to pull my hair out and laugh at the same time!

Exhibit A: Leah covers her ears now. Mostly when I talk. When I say "no" or "don't feed that to the dogs" or even "time for a nap" the hands go over the ears.

Ear muffs.
Exhibit B: I love the little clip. Color coordinated with her outfit, it sweeps that lock of hair out of her eyes and into a perfect little style, that is soooooo Leah :)
Exhibit C: Why does she need to feed the dogs everything? The concept of that-might-not-be-good-for-them is a bit much for her at 11 months. However, this is one of those laugh and pull my hair out moments. So cute, but... might need to stop.

Exhibit D: Leah pulls off EVERY cookbook I have on the shelf. When I pick them up, she pulls them right off again. The only one that she manages to pick up and tear around the house with is the Italian one (this was on her own, not strategically placed)
Exhibit E-Z: Still quite the artist, now she actually holds the chalk and colors with it! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, that!

I love how she tears off walking, cracks me up!

she still eats the chalk sometimes, but I swear she does color with it too.

As you can see from the evidence, she is oozing personality and I did not fudge it when I said some things make me want to laugh and pull out the hair at the same time :)

11 months old today.

How can this be?

30 more days and she is 1!

The countdown begins!

love my leah bug

sick of being sick

2009-06-09T19:42:00.003-04:00

This is a sad little post. My Leah Bug is sick. Not just ordinary-cold sick, but needs-a-nebulizer sick! It started on Monday last week, throwing up, and morphed into a horrible cough and stuffy nose and a bad case of "punk"This makes me want to cry, she is actually used to this thing now. No more screaming about it, she just takes it, and is ok with it.
Lee still manages to make a mess and turn the house upside down though, no cold could hinder that! Now that she is walking, the mess is endless. She seems to be feeling better, the face says she is refocused and ready to go.
I think by Saturday she should be ready to roll.

I love that sicky bug.

its here

2009-06-03T19:30:00.004-04:00

Summer is here. It actually feels different in our house. Leah knows it too ;) She was so smiley today, and was too cute in the bath tonight. I can't wait for tomorrow, all day with my girl!

ready to ride

2009-05-31T18:01:00.002-04:00

We bought a baby seat for the bikes today and a Cinderella helmet for the bug. She loved every second of the bike ride!Lee wouldn't wear her sunglasses, but I think she was rockin' the helmet!

love that leah bug

beach bum

2009-05-25T20:33:00.005-04:00

Ahhh, the beach... burying mommy's feet in sand,
burying the kid in sand,

sandy feet, and

a sandy face,

curious little shells waiting to be discovered (and eaten).

Oh how I love the beach ;)

and my leah bug

scream-o

2009-05-23T18:19:00.004-04:00

Peek-a-boo is a much quieter game than we have going on here at the Bertuna house. Scream-o is what I am calling the "game" that Vin created to amuse Leah. Vinny sneaks up on the awaiting bug, although she knows he is coming, and screams all the way until he actually touches her. Most of the time she screams right along with him. It is a squeal of pure delight, and totally hysterical! The dogs get into it, I get into it, she is absolutely into it, and Vin has Laryngitis :)

Love that leah bug

She did it!

2009-05-17T19:07:00.004-04:00

She did it! Well, she has been doing it for a few weeks now, but we haven't been able to capture it on video. For some reason, Lee gets camera shy and won't walk! But tonight, we got it!

I am still smiling ear to ear, I am so proud of my Leah bug!

My little bug.

I have had 10 months of watching her grow right before my very eyes! I cannot believe what a great kid she is, in every way! Her personality is outrageous! She has this infectious laugh that you just can't help but laugh with her ;)

Leah loves animals. Dogs. Teddy. They have this bond. A friendship more specifically. He watches over her like a big brother. I love that boy and how he protects his little sister Leah.

I call this Leah's duck face. She does it when she is in the zone. Looks like she might just whistle!

love that little walking leah bug!

mum, maaam, mama and 7 steps

2009-05-10T20:06:00.006-04:00

I know she knows I am her mom, but it comes out different all the time. She cracks me up, sometimes it comes out as a maaaaammm, other times, it is a mim, mum, mom... Whatever way she says it, I know she is talking to me :) She has this new little chair, she sits and watches her toons and I have my coffee. She turns periodically and checks that I am still sitting and watching her, it melts my heart.On Friday, Vinny called me freaking out! Leah took some steps in our room. I raced home after school and she did it again, 7 steps! She took 7 steps! She has been doing it off an on all weekend, I am going to guess by the end of May, she'll be walking!

She knew today was special, that's for sure. I cried in the car on the way to breakfast this morning as she babbled mama in the backseat and blurted out something to Vinny like thanks for making me a mom. I am such a sap.

We had a nice breakfast with the whole family, it was fun.

Happy mother's day.

Thanks for being the best baby Leah bug, you give me a new purpose kid

xoxo.

new adventure

2009-05-03T16:30:00.003-04:00

We went on a new adventure this weekend, to the zoo! It is cool we have a zoo here in Naples, but it isn't like the zoo's that Vin and I are familiar with. For Lee's first zoo experience, she sure did enjoyed herself. In fact, this is the only picture I have of her face! The rest are of the back of her head because she was really into it!We saw cougars and panthers

We saw a lion show that was the topper of the day. Lee was pointing and ooh-ing and aaahhh-ing and squealing with delight as the lion paced around his enclosure. He 'sprayed' a bunch of people, very disgusting, we stayed far away from that nonsense.

We attempted a barette with her hair, her bangs are so long, just always in her eyes! Leah was NOT having it. It might be time for a haircut.

We had a great little Saturday.

I love spending time with my girl, I cannot wait until summer!

love that leahbug

miss independent

2009-04-28T20:12:00.006-04:00

Miss independent is growing up too fast. She insists on trying to feed herself (she pushes, I mean, smacks our hands away), she is holding her own bottle, and now she is on the brink of walking and takes off down the sidewalk by herself! In a flash, she has become a big girl. Where was I?

even the dogs are shocked!

she still needs me to bring her upstairs and put her down for a nap, when she runs out of gas. love that leah bug

Here is a great little video of Lee flying down the sidewalk :)

a patchwork dress and the beach

2009-04-22T20:28:00.005-04:00

Oh... how I love this dress! If they made one in adult size, I would wear it! I love the halter on Leah. Whom ever designed this dress most certainly had a daughter.

I love this little poser, so serious. meticulously plucking the perfect strand of grass to place in her mouth... just small enough that she knows I can't reach it before it goes down the hatch ;)

We took the little devil puppies to the beach tonight. It was beautiful! Not too crowded, not too many dogs, and most importantly... low tide!

Leah crawled all along the beach following Vin as he hit the ball to emma, she loves her daddy!

My Teddy Bear, the social butterfly. He tormented all the dogs on the beach and would come and hang with me on the towel for a short break before going off to play again.

Emma, the warrior, only got into two fights tonight ;) She hates when other dogs even look at her ball, that is just asking for trouble!

what a sand eater!
I love that little leahbug!

playing around

2009-04-20T15:21:00.003-04:00

We went to the park this weekend for this cool beach church that my friend Julie knows about, it was pretty cool and the best was that we got to sit outside on such a beautiful day! People bring their dogs and a cup of coffee and just enjoy the surroundings while being at church, pretty cool. Vinny of course had to torture lee with a pine needle, poor kid had no idea, she kept slapping her ear and thinking it was some sort of bug!

These are from today, aunt jacky was playing around with the bug. She has a new play space under the stair area, and she loves to climb around in there, all her toys and a big mirror, what more could a girl want? Kinda like her little fort!

love that leah bug

pots and pans

2009-04-16T20:23:00.003-04:00

Future chef? Who knows, but this kid loves the pots and pans, more specifically, opening the cabinet and rummaging through the stuff inside...

there is something so cute about diaper butt.

love that curious little leah bug

eggs and bunnies

2009-04-11T16:40:00.005-04:00

Leah's first Easter! We went to the park today where they had an Easter egg hunt. The loud speaker announced, "Parents, this is a children's egg hunt, please don't run and push children out of the way!" I laughed so hard, can you imagine? Anyway, it was so cute ;) Leah was adorable in her new dress (compliments of the New York family) and she totally crawled around and picked up eggs that Vinny pointed to.

Where in the world did this smile come from? kinda devilish, but cute none the less ;)

Later this afternoon we went to lunch at HB's and sat on the water. This is the reason we live in Florida, it was gorgeous today!

I love my family doting over leah, she is spoiled already!

Happy Easter Leah Bug

the big apple

2009-04-08T19:26:00.009-04:00

We just got back from our New York trip! It was quite a trip... family, family, and more family! Vinny has the biggest family ever! Just when I thought we had seen everyone, we were back in the car on our way to Brooklyn to see some more cousins! We left on Saturday afternoon, cancelled flight first, then we re-booked and our new flight was delayed. If I had to grade Lee on the way there, she got a D, she cried, was pulling seats and did not sleep but for the last 30 minutes of the flight! Nonna was so happy to see Leah! She hasn't seen her since she was born, so it was exciting to see her face :)

We walked down the street to Aunt Pina's house and were met by smiley Aunt Pina, cousin Vivi, Matthew (vinny's partner in crime) and Unlce Phil

Getting sleepy already!

Then we headed into Brooklyn to see Cousin Yoli and her family where they had a big dinner waiting for us and Lee met Gabriella who she LOVED! I am nto sure of the family relationship, but for sake of confusion we will call her cousin Gaby.

Aunt Yoli was the only one who could get Lee to eat anything, she was boycotting food the whole trip!

On Monday we were supposed to go to the city, but it was pouring, so we stayed in Staten Island and made Vin take me for some deli food, I love, love, love kinishes, this is a homemade spinach kinish, yummmmm!

When I was pregnant with Leah, all I ate were the half sour pickles like you get in the deli. Aside from her 1 piece of bread the day before, she ate pickles, lots of them!

They had a pickle bar! Pickles as far as the eye could see, cold, crunchy, um... my mouth is watering!

Matzo ball soup + rain= a great afternoon

That night, we had a big dinner at vin's house, cousin Lisa came over with the twins Christopher and Vincent, and her little clone Arianna. Leah loved them!

Joey and Vincent

Arianna and Leah

Hamming it up for her cousins, she was all smiles with them

Lisa knows everything! She has 3 kids who from 3 weeks old slept through the night! I should have called her earlier!

The next day we went back to Brooklyn to see Aunt Lina and Uncle Joe and some more cousins

This is Little Gabriella, she has a new brother named Michael and she was very good with Leah. Gaby was so cute hugging and kissing Lee, it was too cute!

Little Michael

Lee was showing off her crawling to cousin Michael, she is almost walking too, her little Nike's make it so easy :)

Cousin Adelina, she got Lee the cutest outfits! I can't wait to take pictures of her in them. Just wait, cutest ensembles you have ever seen!

Uncle Joey was so cute with Lee. He would shove me out of the way so he could sit next to her ;)

I love this picture!

so we can check off first big trip and plane ride, been there, done that!

Love that Leah (who went to the big apple) bug

little bully

2009-03-24T17:11:00.005-04:00

Leah is one tough cookie, no doubt about it ;)

laundry

2009-03-22T09:00:00.002-04:00

I hate folding laundry. But I love folding Leah's laundry, her little socks, onesies, and pj bottoms with the chicks on them that she looks so cute in;) I love our routine, on the weekends. I let Vin sleep in and Lee and I get up and hang out. I fold her laundry and drink my coffee with vanilla cream and she eats her banana puffs and juice in her excersaucer. She shoots these smiles across the room at me, not ordinary stranger smiles, but ones where her whole face is in the smile. They are the kind that make you smile, the close your eyes, cheeks hurt, toofers showing smiles that make life worth living smiles.

And when it is all folded and done we go for our walk with the dogs. Vinny gets up and she smiles some more and the day goes on. I think it is fair to say that the weekends seem like magic.

sweet sunday afternoon

2009-03-15T14:24:00.004-04:00

Oh what a sweet Sunday afternoon we are having. Vinny is making baked ziti right now, Leah just went down for her nap after her big swim, and I am getting ready to watch a movie on the couch. Does it get any better? We went to the pool earlier. I just love Lee in her cherry bathing suit, I love the ruffles, and the halter top, and I love the smell of her Coppertone baby sunscreen.

I just love the kissy face. Vinny says, "gimme a smooch"

I don't want the day to end, I can't wait for summer, it will be 2 months of sweet Sunday afternoons with my girl.

Love that Leah bug

8 months and a lot of "I love"

2009-03-14T09:45:00.008-04:00

At 8 months old, there are so many I love's, I am just going to list a few...

I love that you scream at the top of your lungs in the car when I think you are sleeping

I love you in your walker, that you figured it out and look darn cute in there too!

Check out this video of her walking around ;)

http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss355/bertunwy/?action=view&current=MVI_2323.flv

I love that you smile with your whole face

I love that even though you are so busy eating your cheerios, you cheer for daddy at his soccer games

I love that you aren't shy and smile at everyone

I love when you point with your little finger and try to touch my pointer finger, like E.T

I love that you mess with the dogs, sometimes they need a little messing with

I love that you stand up and are trying to walk, I am so proud of you for that

I love that you are your own person, you are already so independent!

Love that Leahbug!

Big Eater

2009-03-08T14:08:00.005-04:00

My big eater. Leah loves to sit in her chair and eat. Just like her daddy!

Her little grabber reflex is awesome. She picks up everything and the dogs are getting annoyed because very little falls on the floor anymore :)

Check out the back of the high chair, notice the black smears?
Vinny gave Leah an Oreo cookie the other night. I came home and he had this look on his face, kind of an uh-oh deal. He explained about the Oreo and showed me the highchair, it was COVERED in Oreo. He said it was like a crime scene, Oreo in the hair, on the chair, in the dogs hair, in her nose, he worked feverishly to get the evidence gone before I got home! He was so funny explaining it.

I might have to get a video of him explaining the Oreo incident!

I think in the picture she is doing that Italian thing, you know, all fingers tips pinched together and saying, bopping back and forth... fughettaboutit :)

Here is a video of my big girl and her Nilla wafers and a sippy cup. It almost sounds like she is growling in the video! I think she was ready for a nap!

She goes into "the zone" when she is eating sometimes, Vinny does it too (when he is trying to think of something funny to do)

And here is her funny moment. I guess while she was in "the zone" she decided to show us her cookie :)

daddy

2009-02-26T20:02:00.003-05:00

I really don't know how to express how adorable this kid is with her daddy. Words fail me right now. Sometimes Vin goes out on the balcony to take a phone call, and if leah sees this, she bolts over to the door and smushes her smushable little face against the glass and waits for him. She pulls herself up onto the door to watch. Sometimes she cries for him, but mostly she just watches and waits for him. I remember being so excited when my dad came home from work at night or a business trip, I know this is the same. Daddies and thier little girls.... what else needs to be said?

love that leah bug

the park, take two

2009-02-23T20:13:00.003-05:00

We went to the Pelican Bay park while Vin was playing soccer in the other day. She seemed bigger this time, she fit into the swings differently. Can she really change that much in a month?

I love her hair flying in the breeze, I giggled the whole time. Mouth open, white fingertips from hanging on, a little squeal as she swung. Pure joy.

I have been studying up on advertising stuff for my students at school and a picture looking up at the subject is supposed to represent power and prestige. Does she look powerful?

My attempt at the artsy-fartsy buttons from my photo program, this is called "noise". It looks like an old fashioned photo to me. Old fashioned, but with a fresh face.

love that leah bug

its the real thing

2009-02-21T07:55:00.003-05:00

This is the real thing... no imitations here, no army crawling, no slithering, the REAL, DEAL, CRAWLING! She just figured it out, like overnight! Not only is my big girl crawling, she has a tooth! When we were at the doctor last week, he felt around for a tooth and said, nope not yet... Well, the other day I spotted it! Just a single tooth on the bottom on the left side. No crying and misery from the inevitable tooth, nope, just popped up and she is cool with it. In fact, she bit me a little, I assume it is from trying to pry her mouth open so I can show Vin and take a look at it again, but no big deal, just a little nibble.

This kid is everywhere! We are going to get some locks and those fun socket protectors this afternoon, she is mobile, and we have stairs! Now I am thinking we need to get a gate or two! I sense some shopping today :)

daddy taught her

2009-02-16T18:40:00.005-05:00

Vin taught her this adorable thing, she clicks her tongue. Vin was very proud of himself for teaching her this, I cannot get Lee to stop doing it now. Its cute, but I am afraid she is going to think this is a new kind of greeting;) No hello, no waving, just clicks. hmmmm.... By the way, at the end, I am pretty sure that is a distinct "dada"

Better than a Ferrari!

2009-02-15T13:27:00.005-05:00

Leah is BETTER than a Ferrari! Yesterday we checked out the Ferrari's on 5th. Now, I know nothing about Cars, but Aunt Jen's dad showed his Corvette, and it was pretty cool! Leah was pretty in pink, since it was Valentine's Day, and got more attention than the cars themselves!

I thought so anyway!

Aunt Jen and Mei Lei,

We all had massive burgers at Cheeburger Cheeburger, mmm... grease!

We had to get some ice cream afterwards, Vin and I had gelatto, but aunt jen had to have Kilwin's! The aroma of that store is out of sight! Freah baked waffle cones, chocolate dipped strawberries... um, yum!

Aunt Jen bought Lee a little monkey. Leah hasn't put this monkey down since yesterday!

Drooling over the monkey, she messed up her shirt a little...

The smiles were un-stopable!

She is saying, "No way, get out of town!"

There were more Ferarri's than I had ever seen! I am not totally sure yet, but I am thinking my little Ferrari (Leah) might cost more than these.

This is the car we came to see, the real show stopper! It's orange, apparently only 4000 were made... ever!

Long day+ lots of cars+ lots of laughs+ gelatto+ burgers+ sun... equals NAP.

Happy Valentine's Day Leah Bug

7 Months and some favorites

2009-02-12T20:29:00.004-05:00

That's right, 7 months old. Leah is a little girl now, she even likes little girl things. Headbands are my obsession, I feel like she looks girlie in them, and she doesn't mind wearing them either. Today was her doctor's appointment, it was a month late. I took the whole day off today and we had some fun, prior to the appointment anyway.

Lunch at Panera, our favorite. Leah loves to sit in her high chair and munch on some bread, she is such a good eater!

Leah loves her shoes, and I love this about her too, I bought her the cutest white patent leather ones with pink bows, and she loves to touch the bows. I just love her sneakers, tough with the denim, but still pretty feminine

I brought the camera to document her weight, I was pretty sure she was 18 pounds... but I was wrong.

27 inches long, she is 3 inches longer than she was last time we were there ;)
And for her weight, drum roll..... that says, 19 pounds, 7 oz.! Yes, you read it, it is right there is black and white ;) She is offically a 1 year old! I giggle because Dr. Needle said, "Just to put her weight into perspective, most 1 year olds weigh 20 pounds..." He was fine with her weight though, he said she is getting into her active stage and expects that she will lean out as she really starts moving (crawling). I love the percentiles, that is my favorite, she is 90th percentile for weight and 75th for height.

She flipped over so fast on that scale, the nurse said, "I have been doing this for 20 years and never seen a baby flip that fast, she is a lively one." After she gave Leah her shots she also added, "ooohh, that one has a temper!"

I assume she said this because Leah slapped her after the second shot :)

And Leah's total favorite is her bath, I took a video of it, I love her in the bath. She stays in there for a good 30 minutes and cries when I take her out. She screams in there, not because she is mad, but she loves the echo, Teddy and Emma stay out, it is too loud for them in there!

http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss355/bertunwy/?action=view&current=MVI_2078.flv

love that 7 month old Leah Bug

music to my ears

2009-02-08T18:00:00.004-05:00

Uncle Fab is very talented, he has at least a dozen guitars at his house. The entire time I was pregnant, he promised that he would teach Leah how to play guitar. Well...he is going to have a great student on his hands, because Leah LOVED it! I couldn't stop smiling because it was cool to see how she was drawn to the music! She stared at his fingers and they changed notes and would smile as he played my favorite song, "here comes the sun" and reach to touch the guitar.
He would change insturments Lee would look at him with these interested eyes... It was adorable!

The little musician is partial to the regular acoustic guitar

I have a great little video of Fab playing to Lee, but there were people around, so you hear more of the talking than the music. I will get a better one soon :)

Here are a few smiley pictures, I just love that leah bug!

the park

2009-01-31T17:28:00.005-05:00

I had a goal today... to get my girl on a swing. Mission accomplished! I took Lee to the park today, it will for sure be more fun when she can walk around, but the swings hit the spot ;)

They have this cool "sand" pit, its really gravel. I love it... no mess at all

Vin had soccer practice today, but managed to squeeze in some time at the park with us before he left ;) He loved pushing his girl!

Skye and Stephanie joined us at the park. Skye is 2 days older than Lee and such a pro on the swings!

I did not place Leah's hand on Skye's shoulder, I swear!

Getting the two of them to look at the camera at the exact same time with a smile, harder than one would think!

I swear.. I look at her and I day dream about the kind of person she is going to be. My sister asked me yesterday at dinner what I thought her voice was going to be like... I hear her do the dadada, babab, mblmmmb, but really, how will she sound when she calls my name, or yells NO! in a store and totally embarasses me? The little milestones are pretty cool, she is totally growing up on me.

Love that leah bug

(who is big enough to go on the swings!)

lazy day and funny night

2009-01-25T19:01:00.002-05:00

We went to the field behind our house today with the dogs (we attempted the pool before this and it was just too cold! ). While Lee looked adorable in her bathing suit, this was more picnic weather, so we took advantage of it.

When we came back we had a lazy afternoon, made some almond coconut macaroons from scratch (yes, scratch) while lee was sleeping, and then a tray of Vin's baked ziti. I took a cute video of Lee during her bath, and then Vin the Entertainer took over. Forget the bath video, maybe tomorrow, you have to see this for yourself...
I cannot stop laughing about these!
http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss355/bertunwy/?action=view&current=MVI_2080.flv

here is another one, could be even funnier...

http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss355/bertunwy/?action=view&current=MVI_2081.flv

entertaining

2009-01-23T19:16:00.004-05:00

Vin is the best when it comes to entertaining Lee. He has such an imagination. He totally cracks me up! Little Lee was just enjoying her Bebe pod and and Vin came up with this...

Here is a little video of them tonight. When you get there, click play to see my hubby's creativity ;)
http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss355/bertunwy/?action=view&current=MVI_2041.flv

sidewalk chalk

2009-01-19T19:09:00.006-05:00

Ever since we got a set of crayola sidewalk chalk, Lee loves being outside and enjoying nature. She always enjoyed sitting outside, but her eyes are nowopen out there, and she is really seeing the great outdoors. The artist carefully selects her color palate

reaches for her tool of choice

and ever so gently draws on her face and places the chalk in her mouth I know this isn't the best picture of Lee enjoying her chalk, but it is the only one I got with her eating the actual chalk!Chanel came over and we enjoyed the sidewalk chalk more than little miss creative

The little artist got bored and ventured off into the grass to enjoy the vegetation

Even teddy got into the action. He sat on my creation!

Then Vin came home and I was chopped liver.

Her daddy is here, no one else matters :)

I love days off with my bug, she is so fun!

love that leahbug

big day

2009-01-18T18:56:00.004-05:00

Big girl got baptised today! She looked adorable, as always, in her little white ensemble. I call it "Modern Florida Baptism" I just love the idea of linen pants, crochet, and ribbons :) She was loving her outfit, but a little nervous about the whole event...Her little cheeks got flushed

Checking out the crowd, a little on the shy side...

All went perfect! She did not cry when they poured the water on her head, but really needed a nap so she was a bit cranky as we were standing in front of everyone. More pictures to come, I'm waiting for Chanel (our photographer) to pick out the good ones and share them with me...

Later tonight, she was having a grand old time with her daddy. He really knows how to make her laugh.

Everything in the mouth!

, Lee has Elizabeth Taylor-esque violet eyes! They are pretty blue, but they have a hint of violet ;)

love that leahbug

I have been trying for an hour to upload a video. It didn't work.

Click this link to check out the leahbug laughing!
http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss355/bertunwy/?action=view&current=MVI_1992.flv

my girl

2009-01-17T20:50:00.002-05:00

I NEVER get to be in any pictures with my girl, so I decided to bask in the spotlight for a second. Me and my girl. I think she is starting to look a little like me... I said a little :)

I love to blow rasberries on her cheeks, she tries to open her mouth when I do it. She makes a cute little face ;)

I love those cheeks, can they be any cuter?

She is focused in on the ice cream at the table... looks like she is visualizing herself eating it!

love that leahbug

she's just too cute for words!

growin' up

2009-01-16T19:10:00.006-05:00

So, we're really into eating stuff. Not too particular either. Peas, peaches, pears, squash, green beans, sweet potatoes... you name it, we eat it. As long as she can hold the spoon at some point, all is well in the Bertuna house.

Lee is kinda/sorta crawling! I refer to it as slithering :) She gets on her little hands but can't quite figure out the knees yet, but she pulls herself to where she wants to go! It is so cute!

love that leahbug

half a year

2009-01-14T19:00:00.010-05:00

My girl is 6 months old, a whole half a year! She is cuter than I ever thought a baby could be, and she really has a personality! I like it too, I would totally be friends with Lee if I were in school with her, she is such a personable girl, totally my kinda people!

Leah is almost totally sitting on her own, we have to occasional loss of balance but no big bonks or tears, she just flips over and tries again :)

Everything in the mouth, at least she inspects it first, I guess that is all a mom can ask for...

I always ask her, "whatcha got kid?" No response, just a wiley grin and in the black hole it goes

Along with her legs that keep getting longer,she has those lashes, they go on forever!

That bug does some pretty amazing stuff:
- slithering across the floor

- gets on those hands and knees and is ready to crawl!

- screams at the top of her lungs for no apparent reason

- lights up, full blown smile,when her daddy walks in the room

- eats all the good stuff I put in front of her

- goes to bed without a fight

- is starting to suck her thumb! (Vin and I both did, me until I was 10!)

- Plays with her hair and my hair as she tries to put herself to sleep

- rolls over and back again

- grabs teddy and emma's tails and refuses to let go

Here is my attempt at the monthly picture on the ladybug pillow. I think I need a chair for her or something, no shot she is staying put anymore.

If I kept taking snaps on the camera you would have seen her stand up and walk out the door, she is not into this shot anymore. I got the best one last month, I think the pose for the camera phase is over.

Happy 6 months bug.

Love that Leahbug

A bertuna and a mirror

2009-01-08T19:09:00.007-05:00

I am not saying all Bertunas are vain, but these two here are... Vin and his bug are the two most mirror obsessed people I have ever seen.

Examples; Vinny sits at the head of the table, even when it is just the two of us, not because it is manly, but because he can see himself in the big mirror on the wall and he sees himself eating... like a moth to a flame. The newest Bertuna, watches herself swing in the mirror under the stairs! She contorts herself so she can see her reflection. And... she gazes at the mirror as we walk up into her room, she cries if I don't stop so she can see herself! Now this...

Daddy and his little clone

She even sucks in her cheeks for the cheekbone pose

little ham

practicing her "no more pictures please" look

Loves her books, especially these ones that make sounds, she is in a trance

The best is when she gets her foot going to the music or to the sounds. Sometimes she screams just to say she can :)

love that leah bug

Stags Leap

2009-01-04T08:56:00.013-05:00

Ahhh....vacation. We rented a gorgeous cabin up in the Blue Ridge Mountains for about a week with my parents and sister. We brought all the dogs and packed up Lee at 3 am for the trek to Georgia. It was a long trip! Lee was amazing in the car, sleeping on and off for the better part of the trip. Once we hit the Georgia border, I got a speeding ticket. Vin and Lee were none too pleased! The dogs didn't bark at the cop, but they were mad at me too!

We finally arrived to the mountain, Double Knob Mountain and began the ridiculously long journey to the TOP of the mountain! We were so high up there! I am not a navigator, but somehow always put myself in that position. I navigated us into a wrong turn that brought up even higher than we were supposed to go and as I backed us up, we slid into a ditch! Needless to say, I sat in the cold as the sun was setting waiting for a tow truck to find us out there and pull us to safety. I have to say, again, Vin and Lee were none too pleased.

Once we got to the cabin, called Stags Leap, all was well and we had an awesome time!

I thought Florida sunsets were beautiful....

In our cabin we had 3 floors, one floor was even a game room!

Outdoor fireplace that was going the whole time we were there, I think we exceeded our alloted wood usage...

This is our view from the patio!

Jacky led us on a hike to the creek... Lee loved the walk, however, Vin and I were sweating in 30 degree weather! Vin has his stick, in case of bears! He is such a city boy.

We found a real deal babbling brook, it was pretty neat, I wanted to drink out of it, but I didn't.

a mini waterfall

Flying mountain baby!

Vin's cousins like in a town pretty close to where we were, so we made a trip off the mountain to see them one day. We haven't seen them in close to 4 years! They were HUGE!

Anthony looks just like Uncle Pat.

The Bertuna Boys, and a girl

Emma slept most of the time, Teddy followed me everywhere! He loved wearing his jacket, it was cold!

One of the coolest things was that when I went to brush my teeth on the first night, I found a ladybug on the faucet and another on the mirror of our room. Most of you know that we call Leah, Leah Bug and her whole room is decked out in ladybugs... how neat was that? in 30 degree temperatures at the top of a mountain, a ladybug came to see us ;)

Our roaring fires

Bugs cheeks got so cold, they would turn pink, too cute!

Happy new year!

Love that leah bug

a little late

2008-12-28T18:50:00.004-05:00

I know this is a little late, but I have been so busy! I am not sure what exactly is keeping me busy, maybe this 5 month old who is rolling over and starting to slither across the floor, but it sure has kept me from posting none the less. I am pretty mad at myself, I totally didn't take pictures on Christmas eve! I got in the car and on the drive I realized the camera was at the house. Leah wore this darling outfit that Chanel and Drew bought her, and I have not one picture in it! I think I have an angry friend, Chanel I promise to re-create it tomorrow when I am packing for the big trip!

Chanel and I had a cookie cook date last week, it was fantastic! I am not a baker, I am trying to be, but not really. Lee and I were in shock when Chanel, also not a baker, came over totally prepared, at least 50 cookie cutters and we were ready with dough and candies to decorate!

Lee looked on with excitement knowing that Aunt Chanel would probably try to give her a taste of a cookie.

She is known for this!

Later, we got a package in the mail from Aunt Yoli, it was perfect timing! She send the most beautiful little outfits! Way too stylish, hey she is from New York, it is all about the style! Lee got a Juicy outfit with pants that say Juicy on the butt and a adorable Guess outfit that is equally adorable! On top of Lee's new fashions, she sent a snowglobe that was engraved with her name. I cried a little, it was so beautiful! Lee loved it too, she tried to eat it which means she likes it. Thanks Aunt Yoli ;)

More to come tomorrow, big packing day! We are going on our first family vacation! What do I pack?

under the weather

2008-12-24T08:16:00.005-05:00

My little Lee is under the weather today. She has a cough and a stuffy nose. I totally think slippers make you feel better, warm feet are a good thing.

She got up this morning around 5, better than yesterday at 4, and she took a nice warm vapor bath. She smells like peppermint and eucalyptus! We are going to make some sugar cookies when she gets up from her nap and then... we might get crazy and take a long walk and maybe another nap, who knows, the day is ours :)

I love the leggings... look at those things!

Is it me or does she have that ladybug button nose just like her toy???

love that leah bug (especially when she coughs in my face)