Our favorite spot

I have taken about a million pictures at this park. I consider it our backyard, since we don't have one. We visit this park at least once a day. It's so close to our apartment Leila can walk all the way there!

Such a big girl, who suddenly has an opinion about wearing a hat.


We've been teaching her our own version of baby sign language and she's getting the hang of it. She signs "milk" for milk or water, "more", "all done", and this is her showing me "up".


Leila likes to collect treasures from where ever we go. Sometimes they are for me. Other times they end up clenched in her fist until we get to our door. Today I got a seashell, a juice box, two rocks, and a piece of plastic that some how ended up coming home with me.


This picture is so typical of her these days.

It seems like Betsy is the only person that can get her to look at the camera. (Check out how we spent Thanksgiving at Betsylife!)



She picked out her own outfit today. (Too cute!) We have so many sundresses in her size right now. I'm glad we're having unseasonably warm weather this week!

Christmas photo FAIL

Most of the time it is me behind the camera taking pictures of Leila. On Thanksgiving I handed the camera over to my sister in hopes of the perfect family Christmas card photo.

Here are some of the pictures we will NOT be using. Can you guess why?

I now know who Leila gets this face from.


Look! I can make fun of myself too.


Jeff is literally holding up the palm branch here.


Looks like I'm the only one that can keep smiling for this long. (Notice Jeff and Leila making the same face again!)


Turns out we did get a "good enough for who it's for" Christmas card photo. You'll just have to wait and see :)

Jen + Jeff

Twenty years ago we met in the halls of our high school. Thank goodness I do not have a way to scan and post our freshman year homecoming dance picture. (Let's just say we looked adorable and cool.)

Two years ago we got married.


We drive each other crazy, but we love each other more.


And I wouldn't have it any other way.


Here's to two years...and counting!

Fall- San Diego style

Lately instead of pushing Leila in the stroller, we've been taking her on walks (yes, sorta like a dog) around town. I usually stay within a two block radius of our apartment, but Jeff and Leila walked about a mile yesterday. No wonder she took a three hour morning nap!

Friday was a real San Diego fall day. Leila left the house in a hat to keep her bald head warm, but I was wearing flip flops. I love this kind of fall! You can pull off sandals and a tank or boots and a scarf. Perfect if you ask me!

This was Leila's first experience playing in the fallen leaves.

She knows how to step on the leaves to crunch them, but I had to show her how to throw them up in the the air.

Check out the awesome leaf pile we found. (Better than nothing!)


Leading the way. She's just a tad independent!


Yes, Leila, Momma is still here.


Who am I kidding, this girl doesn't walk. She runs!


People warned me, "Just wait until she walks." Like it was a bad thing or something. Actually it's been the best for us all. She can explore and be independent while I get to just sit back and enjoy life through her eyes.

Looks like we all win!

Elmo who?

My favorite moment of the week happened at Sea World when Elmo tried to get this little girl's attention.

Elmo who? I'm headed towards the water-play area. See ya!


Are you seriously trying to hug me?


Why did I agree to this? I want to play in the water!!


Mean Daddy won't let me.


I love that I got a picture of Leila's pouty cry face. She's so cute when she's mad!

Is it wrong that my favorite moment of the week ended with my daughter upset?!?

Art for the fridge

When I saw Leila pretending to write with a pen on a notepad, instead of eating it, I figured she might be out of the "I eat crayons" stage. I was right!

Check out Leila's first artwork for the fridge.

At Target the next day I picked up her first stocking stuffer...fat crayons for her little hands!

Project ME

I am determined not to gain weight this holiday season! Actually, I would love to lose weight, but I'm trying to be realistic here. It's no secret around here that these last 7 pregnancy pounds (alright, 10) have been hanging out on my body for way too long. Even though I workout an average of six days a week, I eat and drink enough to average it all out.



Challenge #1: No drinking during the week. Sounds simple enough to me.

(I am in charge, so I can make and break the rules. I WILL be drinking at all weekday holiday events! We all need some carefree fun once in a while!)

Let the challenge begin! Who's with me?

I love Sundays

Sunday at our house consists of football, football, and maybe some football. Since Leila's been around, Sunday is the only day I find it acceptable NOT to leave the house.

So I am kind of bragging when I say, I did leave the house today to run three miles in preparation for a Thanksgiving Day 5K. Who else wakes up at 7:30 without an alarm on a weekend...and then runs?!? Oh yeah, old people. I'm sure there was no one under 60 out this morning.

During my run I saw a man running in his Detroit Lions t-shirt. As we passed each other I blurted "Bears!". I felt really bad ass for the rest of my run.



It's hard to be a Bears fan on the West coast.

Before baby, Jeff and I would set an alarm so we could make it to the bar before the 10 am kickoff. We had to get there early, it's the only Bears bar in town and always ends up being standing room only.

These days we are lucky to listen to the Bear's game on the radio. There are just too many California football teams hogging up the television. And this is not the kind of bar I could bring my baby to. (There is such a thing.)

We still watch football all day long and love it. There is some tension in the room today though. My fantasy football team is currently putting a smack down on Jeff's team.

Better post this before his team makes a comeback.

Happy Sunday!

I have more to say!

When I discovered I was pregnant I learned blogging was the best way to share our life with our friends and family living across the country. Some friends of ours (and Leila's future in-laws if I have anything to say about it!) started writing a blog and I thought their idea was genius.

At the time, I had no idea that this whole blogosphere even existed. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Betsy, my real life bff from Betsylife, started blogging around the same time and has really taught me a lot.

Now read a ton of blogs. I love mom blogs, organizing blogs, food blogs, coupon blogs, fitness blogs, lifestyle blogs, crafty blogs, daddy blogs... I do not discriminate. Do you have a blog? I probably read it.

As I blogged about my pregnancy I discovered my love of writing. I found my voice. I realized I was writing a story, one really long story, about our life. Reading old posts makes me so happy. Happy that I can relive my pregnancy and Leila's first year of life!

Then it dawned on me, although it may be Leilaland, I am NOT just along for the ride. I have something more to say! It's my blog and I'll write what I want to, write what I want to, write what I want to...(Are you singing this? You should be. I am.)

I will still be writing about Leila. But I am planning to include more posts about things I do and love.

Everyone has a story. I hope you enjoy mine!




I cannot remember the last time I posted a picture of just me!

Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!

Not really. More like elephants, Sky Ride, and goats...enough! Our first visit to the zoo was short and sweet.

My sister and her husband joke about how they have wanted to go to the zoo every time they visit us, yet we never leave the confines of our little beach town.

Well, we did it.


Checking out the zoo from above. Holding onto Mommy for dear life, until she realized how cool everything looked from up there.


Leila did not love the petting zoo. The goats were not as interesting as this tunnel.



Leila was the perfect excuse to finally be a good tour guide.

Happy Halloween!

This is Leila's first year to wear a costume. She didn't wear one last year. (She was still pretty curled up at only one month old.)




So this year, to make up for that "lost" year, she wore two costumes.

And I decided to go EXTREMELY overboard with pictures. I just couldn't resist capturing this "first" Halloween!

Say hello to...Valerina!

This is Aunt Valerie's turtleneck from when she was Leila's age. All three of us girls received one as a gift from our Aunt Carrie. (Val is the only one that can locate hers.) This ballerina costume was the perfect way to show love to her Aunt Val!

Leila LOVES walks. Not in her stroller though, she wants to walk like us!


Almost home...


Hi neighbor Tony! Like my costume?


And now we have a little Leila ladybug!


She is apparently over her pumpkin hating.


Heading out for some treats!


My first bite of candy. Thanks for the sugar-high Betsy!


Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween.