Town of Manlius 2025 Budget Public Hearing

To learn more about Town of Manlius budget, visit concernedmanliusresidents.com

Here are my comments on the town’s 2025 budget: (Video posted below, 3 people speak, recommend watching board’s response.)

I do not support the increases in the 2025 town budget. I also did not support and did not vote on the final 2024 budget last year as I did not support the 9% increase in expenses. To have to come before the board this year to express my opposition to an even larger increase after last year’s is exhausting. This year’s preliminary budget looks to increase expenses by an additional 10% and this only includes the 4 funds the town board has complete control over. The total tax levy increases by over 14% when you include special districts. 

The increases proposed in the 2025 budget are not one-time expenses, these are annual costs. You are expanding town government at an unsustainable rate. Adding positions that we can not afford. Our neighboring municipalities are not seeing these same increases as the Town of Dewitt, Pompey, Cicero and Clay are only proposing increases of 2% or less. With rising rent, housing prices, potential utility increases as National Grid is asking for one of the largest rate hikes, and with last night’s election results, I would hope you agree we need to protect residents from any unnecessary additional increases in costs wherever we can. 

Over 90% of the parcels in the Town of Manlius are residential. When you increase our taxes you are making it more expensive to live here. People need relief, not more taxes.  

I have gone through this budget line by line over the last 5 years. I know that there are areas where you can save money. One area is information technology, we spend over a quarter of a million dollars on this line. Earlier this year, the Village of Manlius voted to move to use BOCES (https://www.cnyric.org/) for their services as they stated in their meeting notes: “the fee is substantially lower than Garam Group” and “the Fire Department is currently using BOCES and having no issues.” This is actually one of the recommendations in Onondaga County’s 2017 study on Local Government Modernization which I recommend you all read for additional ways to save taxpayers money while improving services. https://www.cgr.org/consensuscny/

We pay more in town taxes than in county. This doesn’t work and is getting more expensive each year as municipalities continue to compete with each other. Enough. We need solutions, not a more expensive status quo. Past studies have repeatedly shown the more local governments work with the county, the more we could improve efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness while saving taxpayers money. 

As I know this budget is not final, I ask you to review each line, each department and find a way to keep us under the tax cap as our neighboring municipalities have. 

Thank you.

Onondaga County 2025 Budget Public Hearing

To learn more about Onondaga County’s budget, I created some resources on cnysolidarity.org.

Here are my comments on the county’s 2025 budget:

I have gone through this year’s budget and I believe we can do better. From what I see, this is the status quo. Not much change from last year’s budget and our problems continue to go unaddressed. We have the highest rate of childhood poverty in the country. Homelessness continues to increase in our community and people have nowhere to go. We will keep managing, surviving but this budget doesn’t help us thrive. 

I am glad to see Children & Family Services is proposed to get an additional 16 positions. However Children & Family Services and many other departments have a lot of unfilled open positions. What is the county doing to get these positions filled, to retain staff? Does the county pay enough, how are working conditions? 

For the last 6 years the county has ended the year with a surplus. Onondaga County has over $200 million in reserves, 26% of the general fund revenue. 15% is the county’s goal for a healthy reserve. You have millions in reserves you could use to fund more services for residents, build housing for people, add additional staff for our board of elections, have consistent hours for our libraries across the county and so much more.

There is nothing in the budget for the aquarium which I find odd but strongly agree not one more penny of taxpayer dollars should go towards it. The latest bid for construction has come in at $57.4 – $67.8 million putting the aquarium costs at $19 – $30 million OVER budget.

Please cancel the aquarium! It’s not too late. We can use the funds that have not been spent yet to build public housing for families! We should not be wasting valuable time and resources looking for private donations of millions of dollars to house fish when we do not have enough housing for people in our own communities! Let’s build housing for families with our taxpayer dollars, not a prison for fish!

This legislature can add an amendment to the budget that moves the remaining aquarium funds into a fund to build housing. I hope one of you makes that motion, takes actions to address actual issues facing Onondaga County residents and help us thrive instead of barely getting by.

It’s not too late, Cancel the Aquarium!

posted in: Govern.mental, Writings | 0

Sent to Onondaga County Legislators on March 26, 2024

We have now seen the reports that what the feasibility study said could work here is not financially feasible due to rising costs and has to be scaled back. This is concerning as the county’s very own feasibility study stated: “A smaller aquarium would face the risk of insufficient market drawing power, particularly for tourists and repeat visitation. This scenario shows that even at its mid-range attendance profile for the smaller aquarium, a much higher ratio of contributed revenues would be needed, and there would be greater financial risk of not achieving its mid-range attendance potential.” (page 2 of the study)

I am once again asking you to stop the aquarium project. With the site work that has been done on this parcel, let’s use the remaining funds to build housing for people. We need low income housing for these low income jobs that have been granted tax breaks like Destiny & Amazon. We need to provide housing for the people who work at these low paying jobs. It is not too late to pause this project! The next bid for the aquarium is not due until March 28th, 2024. The Legislature has the say on where our tax dollars go. You set aside 85 million for this project, you can take it back. 

We have a housing crisis and we have seen the headlines about how “family homelessness has exploded this year in Onondaga County. The numbers are staggering — triple what they were at this time last year and five times what they were before Covid-19, according to the Housing and Homeless Coalition of Central New York.” Investing over 80 million in housing for people will help our community so much more than an expensive aquarium many of us may not afford to enjoy. 

I also hope you will consider these comments from ZoOceanarium, a company that specializes in developing and operating aquarium and zoological facilities: “Quite simply put, the company believes the traditional aquarium, with a museum-like experience is on a dead-end path. Modern guests are no longer satisfied with walking around, simply looking through acrylic tanks at swimming fish.” 

“Considering there are other, well-established aquariums within a couple of hours drive and with one of the most respected aquariums in the country just a four and a half hour drive away, the result is a relatively sophisticated market compared to aquariums located in other cities. Due to this and just a general trend of modernizing public aquariums, zoos and museums, it is going to be imperative that Onondaga County Aquarium offers a markedly different experience than guests would get at other aquariums they may have visited. Experiences will need to be compelling enough to get residents coming back multiple times a year and also unique enough so to reliably attract a reasonable percentage of the visitor market.”

Please stop the aquarium project.

We can do better, Vote Yes March 19th!

posted in: Govern.mental, Writings | 0

Villages that move their elections to November saw increased voter turnout. The Village of Elbridge saw a 4.5x increase in voters and the Village of Tully saw over 8x the turnout when they moved their village elections to November compared to the previous March election.

The proposition to move the Village of Fayetteville election to November was initiated by the residents of the village. More residents signed the petition than voted in the March 2023 village election. If elected officials truly believed that the village government is of, for and by the people they would be celebrating resident activism to strengthen their democracy by expanding opportunities for residents to vote. Having the election in November gives residents 10 days to vote while saving money on their taxes.

Since 2016 I have been working to increase voter turnout by providing information residents need to make informed decisions. Have you tried to find information on local elections? I have and it is not easy. Most of the time I am lucky if I can find more than the name of who is running in village elections.

Let’s be honest. There is no such thing as a nonpartisan election. Village politicians hide their party affiliations behind made up party lines. This doesn’t change the fact that they are registered and often a member of their local political party. Wouldn’t it be better if you knew who you were actually voting for?

On March 19th please vote Yes on moving village elections to November. Also vote for Sara Bollinger for Mayor & Casey Cleary for Village Trustee. Sara and Casey are listening to village residents and working to increase engagement in local government.

Letter to the Editor published in Eagle Bulletin February 28, 2024 & on Syracuse.com on March 13, 2024

Beehive Design Collective

posted in: Art | 0

Saw these amazing narrative posters by @beehivedesigncollective last night at @artragegallery We learned all about the “True Cost of Coal” There is so much detail and so many stories in these amazing pieces. I learned so much and I’m glad I brought my whole family! My kids loved all the graphics and kept raising their hands to talk about the animals they noticed, like the crab and the waterwheel. Check out their website to see their work, educational materials & more! https://beehivecollective.org/

Public Comment Against Onondaga County Lawsuit

posted in: Govern.mental, Writings | 0

At the February session of the Onondaga County Legislature, there was a resolution that appeared the day before on their agenda that gave the County Executive $100,000 of taxpayer money to sue the state over moving elections to even years to increase turnout. I attended the legislative session and gave a public comment against the resolution. Unfortunately the legislature still voted on this rushed resolution and it passed with 11 Republicans voting for it & 5 Democrats against.

Here are my comments:

Good afternoon, I am Elaine Denton, a resident of the Town of Manlius and former Town of Manlius Town Councilor.

As a town councilor, I advocated for this bill to be signed by the Governor last year and I am glad she did.

70% of Onondaga County voters stay home in odd year elections. 70% did not vote! By moving local elections to even years, New York State has passed a common sense change to our elections to strengthen New York’s democracy in a smart and practical way. This will reduce voter fatigue and save taxpayer’s money. In even-year elections turnout increases dramatically across parties which means participation in our Democracy increases. All good things. This change is good for all voters whether you are a Republican, Democrat or unaffiliated with a party.

If you support Democracy, Vote No on resolution 4a that amends the county budget to allocate $100,000 of taxpayer money for a frivolous lawsuit.

If you support fiscal responsibility, Vote No on resolution 4a as these costs are just the beginning to an expensive lawsuit taxpayers would be paying to both litigate and defend.

If you voted to amend the County Charter last year striking mentions of “corrections”, vote no on resolution 4a. And instead make an amendment to change “odd” to “even” in the county charter. An easy zero-cost fix as it is only mentioned once.

An option that should have been discussed in a committee meeting before coming to the legislature for a vote. But once again Ryan McMahon has no respect for your process or interest in giving the public or the legislature time to comment and discuss. Instead this resolution was added as a last minute addition the day before the session telling you to use our taxpayer money to keep Democracy at barely 30% in Onondaga county.

I hope that you will put partisan politics aside and support increasing voter turnout for everyone. Please vote No on resolution 4a.

Thank you.

posted in: Hello | 0

What if it was socially accepted to go 5 miles under the speed limit vs 5 miles over. Think of the lives saved, improved safety, lower car crashes and more.

Growing Fruit

posted in: Gardening | 0

Our veggie garden is a lot of work and it feels like we are feeding the animals more than ourselves. But our fruit is producing and we love it! We had a great cherry harvest, our grapes are growing and the black raspberries were delicious. 🖤

Blueberries are next and almost ready. 💙

Check out some of our fruit pics below.

Bold & Blue

posted in: Hello | 0

Our bathroom remodel is finished! I just love how it came out. Can’t believe this is our bathroom now. 😍😍😍

We started demo in March 2021 and took our time to pick out what we wanted to put back in. I mostly worked on the design and Matthew installed everything with some help from my Dad. ❤️

So excited it is finished. Now I am thinking of painting our other bathroom. ☺️

One of my favorite pieces is the medicine cabinet we updated by just replacing the door with a frame. 😍

Here are the products we chose.

DELLA TORRE Cementina Black and White

We love the bold pattern on this ceramic tile and that is made from natural ingredients. We tried to make choices that were sustainable.

Panasonic WhisperValue Lighted Bathroom Fan

We installed this fan in our other bathroom a few years ago as it needed to be replaced. We liked it so much we purchased the same one for this bathroom as well. It is so quiet.

Frey Double Sconce

In our last house we updated our bathroom too and installed lights from Pottery Barn. We liked the quality of the lights and was excited to find a light for this bathroom from Pottery Barn again.

DreamLine Enigma-XT Glass Shower Door

After a lot of comparing and searching for a glass shower enclosure we decided on this one. Great size for our small bathroom. We also went with a black base which we love how it goes with the floor tile.

allen + roth vanity

Another item that we spent a lot of time considering. We wanted a small vanity with as many drawers as we could find but most of those pieces were expensive. In the end we decided to go with this piece from Lowes. It was a good color tone for the room, included one drawer and has the soft closing feature.

Pfister Matte Black Faucet

Love this faucet we picked out. We updated the faucets in our other bathroom to the waterfall style and although I love the look they are not easy to clean. This ones is great. Simple and sophisticated.

Pfister Shower Faucet

We like this faucet but I am curious on how long it will last. The water comes out in a nice gentle spray but it will be interesting when we need to clean it. Time will tell.

Glass Subway Wall Tile

We went through a lot of samples before deciding on this tile. We wanted a white tile since we were painting the bathroom a deep blue. We decided on a glass tile as this is a more sustainable option than a stone tile. I love how we installed it vertical.

2023

posted in: Drawing, Thoughts | 0

Happy New Year! My word for 2023 is Solutions. I am tired of debating the problems making no progress, it is time to focus on Solutions. Our problems are not unique or mysterious. There are so many solutions out there that will help. No one solution (or person for that matter) will ever be able to fix everything. It will take different approaches and solutions to work towards a better world.

#Solutions#Intention#2023#VoteInEveryElection

Past Year Words

2022 – Planning
2021 – Balance
2020 – Focused
2019 – Brave

First #NoSocialMediaSaturday

posted in: Thoughts | 0

One of my plans for 2022 is to stay off social media platforms on Saturdays this year. I usually check my phone throughout the day and find that when I’m bored or idle I reach for my phone.

If I want to stay off I can but it does have to be an intention of mine on that day or week to do so.

So I have decided to keep off social media platforms on Saturdays this year giving me 52 days free from these platforms for the year.

Just from my first #NoSocialMediaSaturday I can see this expanding but my goal will be one day a week for now.

It was pretty good day. Time moved a little slower. One reason I picked Saturday is that it is usually family day for us. So sometimes I don’t check social media anyway since we are busy spending time together. But after we are done with whatever we did that day I do usually take a break by doom scrolling.

But today I did not. I did catch myself almost hitting those buttons on my phone since it is such a habit but I caught myself. I did not limit my phone use on these days since I use my phone for a camera to catch memories and as a resource.

Today I was able to organize some photos, update my computer, clean my desktop and write blog posts instead of doom strolling. Things I usually want or need to do but don’t usually get too.

I have no interest in this extra time to be productive, it doesn’t need to be. But bonus when it is. I hope to just be able to be idle. Do nothing. Rest, Relax & Breathe.

Happy 2022!

2022

posted in: Thoughts | 0
My word for 2022 is planning. As we continue to live through this pandemic, I don’t know what else I can do while we stay home. So I will be planning this year for the future.

Happy New Year.

Emotions

posted in: Thoughts | 0

Full of emotions that are locked inside.

How can I get them out?

To release them.

When I finally can let them go, the circle will start all over again.

Need to break the cycle, but until I can unhealthy I’ll remain.

10 years

posted in: Hello, Mom | 0

10 years of bedtime stories.

10 years of songs or chatting before bed.

10 years of growing, soaring, becoming who you are.

10 years of being your mom, guiding you, letting you find your own way, you and me learning together.

10 years, a decade of being and so far to go.

10 years of loving you each and every day, and I hope you know where ever you go I won’t be far away.


I love you, Caprice. You inspire me daily.

They told me

posted in: Thoughts | 0

They told me racism was over.
They told me we are all equal and free.
They told me this was the greatest country.

They lied.

And I didn’t realize this until a white supremacist was elected the President of the United States.

Read. Think. Listen. Question. Vote.

posted in: Thoughts | 0

When you get elected there is no defined job description. You have responsibilities like attending meetings, but it’s really on the individual to figure out how they want to fill their role as an elected official.

6 months in here is what I have so far. I read, think, listen, ask questions & vote.

I’m going to keep doing my best. And if I can do this, you can! We always need more people to run for office! Visit https://runforsomething.net/ if you are thinking of running for office!

Census 2020

posted in: Civics, Drawing | 0

Make Sure You Count! We need to count everyone. The Census helps determines how much federal funding states receive for education, transportation, community resources and more! You can take the census online at www.2020census.gov, by phone 844-330-2020 or by mail. Share this with everyone you know! #Census #2020Census

Elaine Michele Denton

posted in: Hello | 0

Elaine DentonHi! Welcome to my personal website. I am a mom of three little ones, wife, graphic designer and an active citizen. I have a love for making things.

I have been freelancing for the past 8 years as iamme interactive (now Elaine Michele Designs) and love working with my clients. Recently I have decided to focus more on an artistic approach to my design work and have been creating more of my own projects. If you have an idea for a project, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I love working with other minds to enhance the creative process.

I begin every project/idea with research and brainstorming. I learn about the project’s overall goal and the problems we are trying to improve and solve with design. I look at the project’s objectives, target audience, competitors and more before I starting designing a solution. This is why I love design, I am always learning. As a graduate of RIT, I was trained in both design & technology and bring a multitude of skills to every project.

In my free time I enjoy having fun with my family while we make crafts, practice yoga, sing, dance and play with all our animals.

VIEW RESUME

Laser Cutting

posted in: Ideas | 0
Image of an umbrella laser cut into paper

More laser cutting experiments ? Love how the light shines through the engraved area. The lines that let more light through I engraved twice with the laser. Made a nice bridal shower card for my future sister in law. 🙂 …

Business Card Idea

posted in: Ideas | 0

Here is business card idea I had a couple years ago when designing Denton FEA’s logo. With access to a laser cutter I can now produce my idea ? This was my first experiment & I say it is a success! Just need to print the cards out, cut them without so many scorch marks & assemble. Pretty cool.

August @ 18 months

posted in: Hello | 0
  • says airplane, up, up & away, mama, ball, so many words <3
  • knows all his animals sounds
  • keeps up with his brother & sister
  • rode a pony
  • climbs everything, is part monkey
  • is amazing baby until you want him to do something he doesn’t want to do
  • go pee pee in the potty occasionally
  • calls everyone Mama
  • loves saying ball & pointing to all the basketball hoops when we go for walks
  • rides a 3 wheeler scooter
  • loves playing in water (shallow water), he likes to touch & splash
  • loves rocks ever since vacation at Lake Michigan
  • likes going with kids to daycare at Lena’s
  • does so many art projects with her there
  • is a great eater, loves pretty much all food but he has his picky days
  • has all teeth except 4 or (2)? middle ones
  • loves giving kisses but can’t just give one, has to give one to everyone

Removing Nail Wraps

posted in: Jamberry | 0

This is how I remove my jams!! I usually use heat & Jamberry’s nail oil or I use Jamberry wrap remover.

Just to let you know how easy it is to remove your nail wraps. I took this video while my 9 month old played on the floor next to me!! Once again why I love Jamberry! I get hang out with my little one and do something creative, like shoot a movie!!

Let me know what you think and if you have any questions. I plan to shoot an application one too so let me know what you like and think could be better. Thanks!

Removing Your Jamberry Nail Wraps from Elaine Michele on Vimeo.

August @ 10 months

posted in: Hello | 0
  • trying to stand more & more
  • crawling sometime on his hands & feet
  • enjoys bouncing in his bouncer
  • eats everything in sight
  • crawls with one knee & one foot & is getting fast
  • think it is hilarious if we try to chase him
  • says mama, dada & ball
  • loves to put toys/objects into other objects boxes, bigger toys anything (mama’s lap)
  • sits on his knees
  • spins in circle on his butt
  • has 2 teeth on bottom 4 on top
  • in 18 months clothes
  • love bath time sits in his baby tub, puts his face in the water & splashes everywhere
  • likes to watch brother & sister in the tub too
  • waves hi & bye & is starting to sign some
  • loves peek a boo
  • takes his socks off constantly

August @ 9 Months

posted in: Hello | 0
  • weighs 21 lbs 14 oz
  • Is 29 & 1/2 inches tall
  • Is officially crawling on his hands & knees
  • says mama & dada
  • loves playing with the puppies especially Apollo. Apollo will give August kisses & clean his ears
  • loves to eat smacks his lips
  • still eats every 3 – 4 hours
  • went to Nantucket for Uncle Chad’s wedding
  • touched the ocean
  • loves going for walks in the stroller
  • has 4 teeth 2 & 2 top & bottom
  • fights his naps sometimes just take one long one, one short one, 2 short ones. It’s all over no schedule
  • loves sleeping with mommy & daddy
  • plays with his toys with his brother & sister or just by himself
  • such a happy little guy <3
  • does a great job on the potty
  • loves to clap
  • rolls the ball back & forth to you. He is amazing.
  • his coordinating skills are amazing

August @ 6 Month

posted in: Hello | 0

  • Has tried sweet potato & peas 
  • Loves to hold the spoon himself but mostly just spits it out 
  • Spent a night away from mommy and did great (Mommy did a painting night & spent the night at Ashley’s for her 30th birthday!!)
  • Just wants to watch & play with sister & brother all day long 
  • Laughs & giggles at Caprice 
  • Can sit up by himself 
  • Still seems to eat on demand every 2-3 hours
  • Likes to take a small nap in the morning around 10
  • Then sometimes takes one long nap in the afternoon or 2 little ones throughout the rest of the day
  • Can roll on his belly & back to his back
  • He is getting his legs underneath himself on his belly 
  • He can push up with his legs on his back and scoot backwards
  • Loves going for walks in the stroller
  • Not a huge fan of being in the carrier, he would rather stroll
  • Loves his bouncer 
  • Puts everything in his mouth and has amazing hand rye coordination 
  • Holds his bottle when he gets one
  • Loves sleeping with mom & dad
  • Is outgrowning his baby bathtub and his 9 MONTH clothes!!
  • Has two bottom teeth
  • Enjoys sitting on his little potty and does pretty good going pee pee in it

August @ 5 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

  

  • Weighs 16 lbs & 10 ounces 
  • Is 27 1/2″ tall
  • Was a champ at his doctors apt this month & with his shots
  • Traveled to Buffalo to see his cousins
  • Can get his butt in the air when he is on his tummy 
  • Always rolls right over to his tummy to play
  • Can get his chest off the ground and can move better than you think he can 
  • Likes to suck on his big toes 
  • Still not a fan of diaper changes
  • Has gone pee pee in the potty and lots of times with no diaper
  • Varies on naps, still no set schedule since everyday is so different 
  • Has been eating more during the night and sleeps better next to us
  • Have no idea how we will get him to sleep in his crib yet 
  • Screams when he is not happy
  • Pinches & kicks
  • Can grab anything within reach and put it in his mouth
  • Seems to enjoy car rides most of the time
  • Is starting talk which we love to listen too. Sounds like actual words. A lot of it is DaDaDa. 
  • MaMaMa when he is upset 
  • Loves to fly in the air and bounce
  • Enjoys hanging out in the bouncer
  • Love love loves watching brother & sister

Lunch

posted in: Food, Recipe | 0

A delicious salad with Spinach, carrots, eggs, sausage, peppers tomatoes, mozzarella cheese ranch dressing with a side of pears. A shot glass of strawberry juice & water. 
 

Breakfast

posted in: Food, Recipe | 0

  

 

Started the morning right  with 2 eggs, 100% whole wheat English muffin, granola with dried blueberries, Enjoy Life chocolate chips & banana. Enjoyed this great breakfast with delicious ice coffee with almond milk.  Note I am breastfeeding so my portion size is a little lager than normal.  This was actually a little big even for me but I went to Baby Bootcamp with August later & was satisfied till lunch later. 

August @ 4 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

  

  • Loves to be outside. Going for a walk in the stroller, swinging in the backyard, laying on a blanket in the grass or on the trampoline.
  • Is ticklish under the arms, feet & on his right side when I give him kisses on his cheeks & neck 
  • Loves holding hands 
  • Still seems to be eating every 2-3 hours sometimes 3-4 hours. 
  • Sleeps through the night feeding once or twice 
  • Is in 6 month clothes 
  • Loves naked time & peeing with no diaper on 
  • Tried putting him in the potty, hated the first time I think the hard plastic scared him, but will sit (with lots of help) on his little potty for a little while cracking it out 
  • Loves Mommy’s boobs. 
  • Is such a good baby but he is starting to get angry if we put him down, decides he’s hungry, not a fan of diaper changes 
  • Smiles & laughs with you <3
  • Likes to play peak a boo with blankets putting them over his head
  • Is always kicking he is so long
  • Favorite belly time is on mommy & daddy’s chest

August @ 3 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

 This little boy is amazing! Such a happy and good little boy. 

  • Sleeps through the night 
  • Stays up with us at night sometimes & loves laying between us in our bed as we read
  • Laughs!! So cute, smiles so big!
  • Drools
  • Plays with his toys, grabs them & eats them
  • Almost gets his feet 
  • Loves to curl up having his feet up high. Especially when you take his diaper off. 
  • Loves to kick. 
  • Was a champ getting his shots, although it made Mommy pretty emotional 
  • Loves his bath in his little tub with no sling 
  • Does really good traveling with us everywhere
  • Spent the night at Grandma & Grandpa Moo with us and did great
  • Spent the whole day with Grandpa & Grandma while we were at a conference and was an awesome little man, with bottles and all
  • Is in 6 month clothes
  • Takes lots of little naps during the day and one big one
  • Love, loves, loves being held & carried 
  • Laughs at Sissy & Brother 

Lionel @ 2 and 1/2

posted in: Hello | 0

  

  • weighs 34 pounds
  • Does what he wants
  • Gets upset if he can’t do want he wants
  • Everything must be fun 
  • Is fully potty trained (still working on night time)
  • Is a very silly kid, loves to make you and himself laugh 
  • Loves Loves loves his big Sissy
  • Has his own ideas and can now really tell you want he wants (or doesn’t want) 
  • A Very independent little man
  • Loves to do a million things like games, painting, trains and more but only for about 3 mintues then it’s on to something new 
  • Loves his little brother, although sometimes he tells Mommy or Daddy to put him down
  • Is a very good big brother 

August @ 2 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

 

  •  Loves kicking off blankets, he is never covered in the morning 
  • Loves being wrapped up with mommy! He gives a big smile when he sees me getting ready. 
  • Sleeps great at night almost 7 hours!! Just one feeding around 4 or 5
  • Then sleeps till 8 even if Capri and Lionel get up at 7
  • Just lights up with every smile
  • Likes looking in mirrors 
  • Starting to play on his playmat, hitting the toys with his hands
  • Not a huge fan of tummy time but squirms all over the place
  • Loved kicking his feet
  • Follows you with his eyes & face
  • Is a Taylor Swift fan and Burlesque fan 
  • Has almost out grown most of his 3 month clothes 
  • Cooing and Goo Gooing away
  • Tries to giggle when he is really happy or sometimes in his dream <3

August Knight @ 1 month

posted in: Baby Things, Mom | 0



  • weighs 11lbs
  • is 23.5″ tall
  • Loves watching faces
  • Enjoys belly time, lifts his head right off the floor & moves his arms & legs like he is ready to crawl
  • Loves naked time & peeing during it usually when we are distracted
  • Has the biggest smiles for Mommy, especially after his belly is full
  • Eats great and is such a natural, of course I am more comforable after the first 2 
  • Sleeps great even if he sleeps all day he still seems to sleep pretty good at night 
  • Usually takes one big nap during day at some point with lots of little ones during the day 
  • Will sleep when brother and sister are running and playing all around him 
  • Wakes right up with brother and sister head to bed for Mommy & Daddy time 
  • His first outing was to the chiropractor, besides his doctor appointments just too cold for him to go outside with this crazy cold weather we are having 
  • Caprice loves to hold him, lay with him on the floor and rock him in the swing 
  • Lionel loves to check his diaper for poopy, then runs away 
  •  Lionel also likes to hold August but usually it is pretty quick 
  • August loves watching his big sister
  • He loves baths in his hammock bath tub and Caprice & Lionel love to help

Refusing the 3 hour Glucose Test

posted in: Baby Things, Mom, Pregnancy | 0

I did it! I stood up for myself and my baby today.

I fail my first one hour test at 28 weeks. By the new standards at least. My test result was 137. The old standard was anything over 140 was failing but now the new standard is anything over 130 depending on the practice you go to. Of course I can’t even find the article I where I saw this information. Now everything I search says anything over 140 is failing. I would say I passed the test, but my doctor must use the 130 value and wanted me to take the 3 hour glucose test.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007562.htm

I went into the doctors office today planning to take my 3 hour test and move on, but I was feeling very protective of my baby growing inside of my belly waiting for me to eat breakfast. My family and I get as much organic food we can and really try to limit the amount of process food that we eat. We know it is no good for us. I really wanted to avoid subjecting my baby to this artificial drink once again. I already gave in once with the test at 28 weeks and felt horrible afterwards because of that nasty drink and because of the guilt I had over drinking this drink that is not beneficial to me or my baby. I also refused this test earlier in my pregnancy because I have large babies they recommend testing earlier in the pregnancy as well. With both of my other pregnancies, everything came back normal so I just felt there was no reason for this extra test.

In the end, I will be testing my blood sugar 4x a day for 2 weeks. This may sound like a lot of work on my part and even more of a pain then being at the doctor’s office for 3 hours or more. But I feel it is the best solution for me. I will learn so much from how my body is reacting to what I am eating. I will be provided with so much data on where I am instead of shocking my system with something I would never eat or drink in the first place. I don’t see how this provides any useful information and if I did fail the 3 hour test I would be required to test my blood sugar daily anyway. So I am just skipping a step that makes me uncomfortable.

I am not saying this is for everyone, but this is my experience I would like to share to encourage you to speak up for you and your baby. Ask questions and know that if it doesn’t make sense to you, realize you have a choice.

I actually feel the glucose test makes complete sense. I just don’t understand why we are forced to drink an artificial drink full of fake ingredients and artificial colors. Why can’t we have a real food option? Like honey, maple syrup candy, juice, non-gmo jelly beans, or organic lollypops? Not sure what exactly needs to be the requirements on how much sugar needs to be in the drink or food options, but I am sure it could easily be found out.

Here are some other articles that helped me make my choice.

http://foodbabe.com/2014/05/13/shocking-why-are-doctors-recommending-this-toxic-drink/

http://wellnessmama.com/6214/pregnancy-prenatal-care/

 

Kids A Growing

posted in: Baby Things, Mom | 0

Miss Caprice is sleeping in her twin bed with no gates.

And Lionel is sleeping in boxers. His choice!! I <3 infant potty training!!! We just stay consist and they make all the progress. They choose when they are ready to move to the next step. We just give him the building blocks. Infant potty training and cloth diapers are SO worth it!!

Lionel @ 18 Months

posted in: Mom | 0

…weighs
…is tall
…is one crazy man
…loves his daddy especially after bath time currently he won’t let him go
…loves his sister and is getting better at taking turns and sharing
…likes to push Capri which she isn’t a fan of
…will push threw a crowd to so he can see the monkeys at the zoo or whatever his heart desires at the moment
…has his own language which i love listening too
…loves outside but doesn’t last too long in the snow
…throws his food when he is done or doesn’t want what we are having that night
…loves to snack
…uses milk sign for drinks
…does good on the potty for us but also fights us as well, good days and bad days right but I know once he next that next step he will be awesome at it
…love love loves to climb EVERYWHERE
…loves to slide, still not a huge fan of swinging
…enjoys are busy schedule of going somewhere everyday especially MyGym & Billy Beez
…is a pretty good eater usually it is just getting him to stop playing with his food to take that first bite and then CHOMP its gone
…loves pulled pork

A Website is Never done.

posted in: Thoughts | 0

The word redesign is starting to bugging me. Technology is changing hourly nowadays. Your website or even your brand shouldn’t need a redesign if they were done correctly. It just needs updating and maintenance. Let’s update our websites and designs to embrace new technology and avoid redesigning.

Mom Tip

posted in: Mom | 0

Sick of watching the same movie over and over again? Watch in a different language. I love Toy Story 3. When you choose a different language everything changes. What a great way to expose your kids to a different language. Especially because they understand what is going on since they have seen the movie 100x.

Bonus you can turn on captions to see the different language as they speak it.

Au revoir.

Reflections

posted in: Mom | 0

It’s amazing how much they grow when they are away for you for 8 hours.

&

It’s amazing how they grow when they are with you for 8 hours.

Loving life with my 2.5 year old, 17 month old and amazing husband.

<3 My Family

Adobe

posted in: Hello | 0

I have finally updated from CS3 to the Creative Cloud. I am enjoying the up-to-date software but I also feel like I have sided with the dark side.

Lionel @ 13 months

posted in: Hello | 0

Lionel is growing so fast now.
He is starting to use sign language. He signs milk when he wants milk or food. Will sign food if you ask him if he wants to eat or have food.
I asked him to get his shoes today if he wanted to go outside and he went to the shoe basket
His coordination skills are amazing. He loves putting things into things. Especially balls.
He walks everywhere unless I want him too then he will crawl. At the park last weekend he went down a bump/hill and we thought for sure he was going down. But he surprised us again and pretty much run down the hill
Is a peek a boo pro Bahhh

Lionel @ 12 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

Weighs 22 pounds
Is 29″ inches tall
Wants to walk sooo bad but isn’t quit ready yet
Super fast at crawling, using his walker and climbing on everything
Loved his first vacation at the ocean
Loves to clap
Loves to be chased and play hide and seek especially upstairs
Eats EVERYTHING!!
Isn’t a fan of diapers being put on LOVES when they come off
Would climb stairs 24/7
Pees on the potty all the time #2 sometimes. Hates being wet or messy. Pees too much to catch everyone so far. Boys are much different then girls

Lionel @ 11 months

posted in: Hello | 0

Weighs 20 pounds
Is crazy fast at crawling especially if you are trying to catch him and put a diaper on
Sitting in his knees
Pulls him self up from anything
Loves walking when you hold his two hands
Not a fan of shoes and usually isn’t wearing any
Just starting to use his walker
Loves loves loves climbing (crawling up ) stairs
Takes your hands and walks down stairs too
Likes stuff animals. He squeezes them and eats them
Still eats everything sight and throw a fit if u say no and take it away
Takes two naps but is getting ready to change his schedule he wants to only take one but he doesn’t quite make it
Is usually up round 6:30Am
Claps
Just started to stand by himself for a couple seconds

Lionel @ 9 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

weighs 19.75
tall 24″?
likes to stand up & doesn’t mind when he falls
loves eating everything we do favorites are meats, chicken, hamburger, turkey burger, steak, potatoes, sweet potatoes, PUFFs, yogurt usually with some kind of fruit
Pulls himself up on Everything
Claps his hands
Uses the potty pretty well especially for #2’s
Loves loves loves his sister
Crawls all around on his hands and knees and still is wants to start walking
Just started climbing the stairs
First time in the pool at JCC & Green Lakes
Takes baths with no bath seat now. And crawls and stands the whole time. It’s hard to clean him as he just goes and goes and goes. He loves loves his bath & the water. Comes a crawling when he heard the water.
Sleeps on his side or his belly
Is crazy ticklish

Lionel @ 9 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

weighs 19.75
tall
likes to stand up & doesn’t mind when he falls
loves eating everything we do favorites are meats, chicken, hamburger, turkey burger, steak, potatoes, sweet potatoes, PUFFs, yogurt usually with some kind of fruit

Caprice @ 2

posted in: Hello | 0

Weighs
Tall
Talks and talks all day long
Learns new words every day
Puts words together like sentences
In the No phase and Why phase already
Loves to jump, dance and sing
Is counting almost all the way up to 10
And can sing some of her abcs
Enjoys painting usually with paint brushes but is starting to have fun using her hands
Loves to swing and slide and CLIMB especially at the park and at JCC
Goes to JCC on Tuesdays and Fridays
She likes going although she is not a fan of Daddy leaving
Hangs out with her friend Crystal alot there ( one of the teachers )
Loves going outside never wants to go in now that the weather is warmer
Does the cutest brrrrr nose and holds her arms together in front of her and shakes Too Cute
Loves wearing shoes and is the only thing she will make me buy her in the store
Loves her puppies talks about them all the time and loves Uncle’s Izzy
Knows her colors purple blue green yellow pink
Is very independent or at least really really wants to be walks up and down stairs be herself but will take a hand of she needs one (shhh don’t tell her)
Went to the circus
Is a very good eater most of the time
Is an amazing helper & listener
Wears panties all day and night!! with only accidents every once in a while
Rarely takes naps at home even at school she will skip her nap
Calls her brother sissy

Lionel @ 8 Month

posted in: Hello | 0

Weight
Tall
Is starting to rock on his hands and feet
Eats breakfast and dinner usually bananas, yogurt, some of mommys muffin 🙂 then veggies for dinner peas, corn or sweet potatoes sometimes applesauce
Has 4 teeth 2 top 2 bottom
Likes to be outside
Enjoys swinging outside
Goes down the slide with lots of help from Mommy
Eats 5x a day still big boy
Loves sitting on the potty and pulls up on mommy to get up
Loves bath time
Loves that his big sister wants to play with him
Starting to talk more pretty close to mama and dada
Loves faces and pulling hair
Can stand pretty good by holding on things
Still curls up and squeals when he is really happy or excited
Rolling all around
Usually takes 2 naps one morning one and one afternoon

Lionel @ 7 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

Weighs
Is tall
Loves grabbing everything and putting it in his mouth especially books and papers
Wants everything he shouldn’t have
Plays with things that are not toys like lotion bottles, wipe packages, wipe case & especially strings
Still eats 5 times a day usually 8, 12, 4, 7 & 10
Just started eating breakfast this past week and dinner
Has eaten bananas, oatmeal cereal, apple sauce, peas, tried a grape
So far loves his fruit but we need to offer him more veggies (hard with season) will be better as spring gets here
Loves sitting on his potty and standing up from it holding my hands
Takes at least 2 naps, small one in the morning & longer one in afternoon
Doesn’t let me work to much if he is awake on my “work days”
Is very ticklish like his Daddy on his sides
Has a cute laugh but usually only comes fully out when you are tickling him and he is in a really good mood
Usually just makes cute goo sounds

Almost 2!!

posted in: Hello | 0

Miss Capri is once again amazing us everyday with new words, counting, singing songs and her amazing dance moves. Everyday she talks more and more and it is like we are meeting her all over again. <3

Lionel @ 6 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

weighs
is tall
Has his 2 two bottom teeth one just peaking through
Loves when you play with him whether it is you throwing him around, up, swinging him around or just talking to him making fun faces and noises
Sits all by himself although we try to keep pillows around for when he tips although he doesn’t seem to mind falling over and usually does it on purpose
Loves books/papers and tries to eat them and rip them
Still takes 3 naps usually vary depending on what we are doing
Has eaten rice cereal but is only interested in it occasionally
Still sticks his tongue out a ton
Laughs and curls up when he squeals
Is in 12 month clothes
Has grown out of his car seat and bath tub
Took his first bath with his sister in his new bath seat
Is getting really good of grabbing whatever he wants (toys, plates, cups)
Loves watching me drink water and he puts his mouth on it and drools on the cup
Is getting stronger at standing
Has pooped in the potty once so far
Goes pee every once in a while
Seems like he is pretty close to saying DaDa GaGa Mmmmm
Loves his feet especially when naked
Tries to put everything in his mouth

Lionel @ 5 months

posted in: Hello | 0

Weighs 19.5 lbs
Is tall
Is such a talker
Can grab and play with his feet
Loves belly time especially with no diaper on
Can almost sit up on his own. Still falls over in a short time but he is getting good.
Still does his baby sit-ups even when he is sleeping
Eats every 3-4 hours longer at night
Loves splishing and splashing in the whale tub which he is getting to big for
Takes 3-4 naps during the day. Mostly short ones but sometimes will take a long 2 hour nap
Loves bouncing in his bouncer. Especially when his sister helps him bounce and play in there
Practices walking in his bouncer
Can get his butt up when he is on his belly
Can slither and turn on his belly
Enjoys the swing. Capri loves to push him in the swing
Grabs at toys very well now and can chuck them pretty good
Screams when he is happy or upset
Only cry cries when he gets really overwhelmed
Loves when mommy or daddy fly him around the house
Loves his reflection. He is so handsome with his big beautiful blue eyes
His voice reminds me off Capri’s
Loves chewing on blankets
Screams when he is happy or upset

Lionel @ 4 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

Weighs 17.3 lbs
Tall
Rolls over from his back to his tummy
Still love love loves to be naked
Does baby sit-ups
Grabs his new toys he got for Christmas
Sleeps through the night
Loves sleeping in his room
Smiles when he sees himself in mirror
Is crazy happy when he wakes up in the morning
Is starting to play with toys
Loves when his sister talks to him or plays with him

Lionel @ 3 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

Weighs 15.9 lbs
Tall
Loves sitting up with lots of help although he usually spits up
Puts weight on his legs
Has a pretty good size bald spot on the back of his head from his head threshing

Caprice @ 18 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

Weighs 26 pounds
Is tall
Loves being a big sister
Gives kisses
Loves big hugs
Hates taking naps but still needs one in the afternoon and sleeps for hours once you get her to sleep
Is binky free
Loves to dance
Is a pretty good eater overall Miss Capri has her favorites like olives, black beans, oranges, grilled cheese, crackers, bread, pasta, French toast, mini pancakes, oatmeal, yogurt and raisins
Sleeps in her new twin bed
Loves to jump
Is potty trained, wears undies and training pants mostly still has an occasional accident
Loves to splash and play in her baths and clean Daddy’s arms
Would always be outside if she could
Has a great time at her daycare, plays with her friends and gets dropped off without tears now and shows you all around when you pick her up
Is talking but still not too clearly
Claps
Climbs on the couch by herself
Crawls!!!
Using mommy and daddy as her own personal jungle gym
Loves to be thrown
Talks to herself

Lionel @ 2 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

Weighs 14 lbs 4 ounces
Is tall 24″
Smiles when you talk and play with him
Swats at toys on his play mat
Loves seeing himself in mirrors
Cooes and baby sounds
Loves to suck on his finger and hand when he can catch them
Pushes himself away from you
Squeals when he is happy especially when mommy picks him up
Loves to be naked
Hates wearing diapers
Sticks out his tongue
Is starting to drool a little bit
Coos and goos more and more everyday
Loves tummy time if he is in a good mood
Loves to hold your hands
Still has some screaming fits every other day but is overall a pretty happy baby

Lionel @ One Month

posted in: Hello | 0

Weighs 12 lbs
Tall 21 inches
Has so much control over his head already and pretty much since he was born
Is soooo strong
Loves to be held and cuddled
Is a fighter… Kicks and kicks during diaper changes
Is getting more and more alert everyday
Still eats every 3 hours
Sounds like a chick muck sometimes
Makes crazy noises like grunting
Has a pretty loud cry
Snores like his Daddy
Loves his warm baths in the whale tub
Loves his sister watches and listens to her when she is close
Likes seeing his reflection
Enjoys belly time if he is in a good mood lifts he head right up and even can move himself
Loves to give kisses to mommy
Prefers to be held up right on ur shoulder or tummy to tummy
Seems like he is pretty close to rolling over from his back to tummy
Always wants to be held and walking around
Has a very strong grip
Likes holding your hand
Is so different than Caprice which I love but also am not sure how to handle

A New Day

posted in: Baby Things | 0

Well our first full day of all formula went very well. Feeding-wise. The falling of the potty not so well. She is fine. She is a trooper. So strong. Mommy doesn’t feel so great. :/ Was reminded once again to slow down and do one thing at a time. Smell the roses.

One good thing about not having to pump is that I have time to write and play with Capri. Hopefully that means I will be blogging away finally.

Hopefully she will sleep good tonight. Tomorrow is a new day.

The End of the Breast

posted in: Baby Things | 0

Today is the last day my little girl will have breast milk. Can’t believe it has been just about 8 1/2 months since we first started on the day she was born. My goal was to make it as long as I could. Before Capri was born, I was hoping to make it 6 months. When she was born though I really wanted to breast feed for full year. Especially since I had to have a caesarean. But my supply seemed to start running low around 7 1/2 months and more teeth began to come in.

I feel like Capri was ready to be weaned from breastfeeding. We follow her cues as best we can. She was teething again and I was so fearful that she would decide to use my boobs as teething toys. Ouch!! This disrupted our nice quite time together during feedings. This would be more my cue that it was time to go to just bottle feedings. She did this when she first got her bottom teeth in at 5 – 6 months but we made it threw that challenge. At that time though it seemed as it was an accident. Capri didn’t realize what she was doing when she would bite down. But now at 7 1/2 months (I know only a few months later but it is amazing what they learn in just hours, days, weeks) she was biting on her toys and her bottle nipples when she would get a bottle of breast milk. She understood it made her mouth/teeth feel better.

That was just one of the cues that she was ready for just bottle feeding. More importantly she used to be pretty focused during her breastfeedings. But now at 7 1/2 months she was so much more curious, she didn’t want to be still for long. She wanted to be looking around, playing with her toys or just watch anything that was going on. Even if we were in a quite area with low lighting she was just not as focus as she used to be. Not sure if this was because my supply was lower or if she just started to prefer a bottle. With a bottle she was able to eat, look all around and watch what was going on.

Capri was also learning that she could hold her own bottle which gave her even more independence. She has always liked to do things herself if she could. If you tried to help her she would just stop trying. As if to say fine if you do it if you won’t let me be.

Those are the primary reason I decided that it was time to just bottle feed and start into our freezer supply of breast milk. I also continued to pump but I didn’t get as much as I used to. Instead of getting 4 or 5 ounce out of one boob I would get barely 4 ounce out of both after pumping for 45 minutes to an hour. It was frustrating. We also decided to give her one bottle of formula everyday to make my supply last as long as possible. Which was barely 2 weeks I believe.

Capri enjoys her new schedule and does not seem to mind the formula either which makes me happy just knowing that she is just as happy as always. It reassured me that she is strong, healthy and going to be fine when we make the switch completely over to formula.

Capri & my rational side were completely making sense and I was okay with this next stage we were about to begin. However, my emotional side is now running wild since it is the very end. I mean there is no more frozen breast milk in the freezer. I could keep pumping but I am lucky if I can get 3 ounces now. It would take me days to fill an 8 ounce bottle. I am sad that I will be no longer providing her with the awesome powers of breast milk.

I will be asking my pediatrician lots of questions at Capri’s 9 month appointment. Till then we will be all formula as it is the end of the breast. Until the next baby at least.

Caprice @ 8 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

…kicks her feet when she is happy/excited
loves loves loves to bounce 🙂 especially with Mommy
…loves to sit & stand still not to much of a fan of being on her belly she just rolls over on her back
…can pull herself up pretty well with some help
…plays with all her toys interested in everything still no def favorites yet
…loves to play with balls especially with Apollo’s she thinks it’s fun to play with him
…is getting her top teeth not peeking through yet but they are there
…usually takes one long nap during the day
…she had her first christmas & enjoyed opening her gifts we thought she would love & eat the paper but as soon as she saw the toy she wanted it 🙂
…wears 12 month clothes & is growing out of the smaller ones like her pjs
…sleeps through the night without making any noise which freaks out mommy & daddy
…she likes/loves snowglobes 🙂 mommy bought her very first one for Christmas
…uses her big binkies now no more little ones
…has playdates with Logan where he rollovers around her & she just stares at him like what are you doing?
…eats all kinds of food & feeds herself some foods like puffs, oranges, bananas, chicken
…still feed her cereal with fruit, yogurt, sweet potato, squash, potato, blueberries <3, strawberries, etc
…tries to clap
…waves 🙂
…like to hold her own bottle of milk all by herself

 

Caprice @ 6 Months

posted in: Hello | 0

…weighs 18 lbs
…is 28″ tall
…starting to talk on and on and we love listening to her
…goes to the bathroom all the time and I can’t even remember the last time she sent #2 in her diaper
…sits up unassisted but with pillows all around for when she tips
…throws her toys because she can
…plays with her feet especially with no diaper on
…still loves to put everything in her mouth
…has two bottom teeth
…takes 2 naps in the day one long and one short
…tries climbing on me when she sits next to me
…loves flying, being thrown up and looking in mirrors
…when she is tired and can’t fall asleep, she enjoys being sung too
…grabs at everything you have
…holds her hands together and waves them up and down when she is happy or excited
…loves my feet
…gives the best hugs ever
…blows and makes farting noises on her arms and any part of Mommy
…has eaten carrots, apples and squash
…loves eating oatmeal cereal
…kinda says mama when she is upset crying
…shakes when she is excited whether for her food or something she wants like her books that she likes to eat
…squeals and laughs when she is having fun

Caprice @ 5 months

posted in: Hello | 0

…weighs 17.8 lbs
…27″ long (mommy and daddy measuring)
…always has morning smiles for mommy and daddy
…loves to stands up
…plays in her bounce toy and fits in it now too although we are getting her a new one that she can really jump in because she kicks everything so she needs something to excerise those legs
…rattles and plays with any toy you give her
…loves music and being sung too (yes mommy has started on the christmas songs already)
…loves to put everything in her mouth
…loves to watch and pet the puppies
…eat once a day rice cereal or oatmeal
…squeaks whenever I pick her up (most times) 🙂
…eats 5 times a day
…is such an amazing little girl / my angel she is growing so fast
…loves just to watch everything around her going on
…usually takes 1 or 2 naps in the day depends when she wakes in the morning
…still loves bath time even though she is getting big for her little whale tub
…laughs and giggles in the air although mommy’s arms get tired fast
…smiles and talks to her reflection especially in the big mirror in the bathroom
…loves to talk to you and makes the cutest noises
…started sucking on her tongue but does this less and less now as well
…goes potty sometime 1 – 3 times a day in her little toilet or big potty

 

Caprice @ 4 months

posted in: Hello | 0

…weighs 16lbs 2 ounces
…26″ long
…44cm head size
…is such a happy baby
…wakes up at 9-10AM with a big smile for mommy 🙂
…loves all her toys any stuffed animal
…plays with her play matt toys, elephant toys (she loves their noses to grab) octopus we call him Auto right now
…loves music
…does great on her tummy holds her head up high with her arms love her elegant neck my little turtle
…has rolled over 3 times from belly to back
…still loves to be on her back she laughs and kicks so fast
…but not as much as she loves to sit up can sit all by herself in her bimbo seat
…takes naps in her swing and sometimes in our bed (usually needs mommy or daddy next to her to fall asleep)
…sleeps very well in her own room she loves her crib and all the fun things and colors in her room
…eats five times a day
…loves bath time
…loves just to watch everything around her
…loves mommy and daddy and knows when we are the ones holding her
…is a very good girl though when grandparents watch her for a few hours
…has more and more energy
…wears 6 to 9 month clothes
…favorite thing to do is to brrrr with her lips which blows bubbles and lets out a lot of drool
…does good on her potty usually goes pee pee at least once in the potty everyday, like it because she lives to sit up so she plays with her feet and sits Indian style on her potty
…arms go up and rub her head and rubs her eyes when she gets tired

Caprice @ 3 months

posted in: Hello | 0

…weighs 15lbs
…height 26 inches
…loves to sleep
…takes her time waking up and usually has the happiest face for mommy when she does. one of my favorite moments of the day
…wakes up for a feeding around 6AM then sleeps until 9AM for another feeding
…does amazing on her tummy, picking her head up, chest, grabbing blankets with her hands, kicking her feet up, up and away looks like she is flying sometimes tummy time doesn’t last too long because Capri gets frustrated that she isn’t moving
…Capri’s favorite time is on her back on her playmat with her friends 🙂 she loves the music that plays with her matt 🙂
…loves her bath time although getting a little big for her whale tub and isn’t a fan of getting out
…laughs all the time especially when you are talking to her and playing with her
…grabbed at her feet for the first time exactly at 3 months
…loves to run and swing her arms on her back as she laughs
…starting to lift up her butt when she is on her back
…she is usually crazy happy when changing her diaper especially after a feeding or in the morning 🙂

Caprice @ 2 months

posted in: Hello | 0

…weighs 13 llbs 3 ounces
…measures 25 inches!!!
…head size 40 cm
…stays awake longer and has her eyes open a lot more
…think she is smiling more on purpose now and she is one happy baby
… likes to suck on her hands and sometimes gets her tumb mostly gets her fist like her daddy used to
…started giving her the binky when she wants to suck on her hands because we realize we can eventually take that away
…still loves tummy time moves her head around pretty good and talks the most on tummy time
…watches faces and follows us around with her eyes
…we call her Miss Bubbles, Naked Baby, Storie
…has an amazing grip
…looks at her puppies
…farting away (silent but deadly) (lol)

Caprice @ 1 Month

posted in: Hello | 0

…weighs 11.9llbs
…measures 24 inches
…loves to blow bubbles
…loves tummy time
…loves to sleep still have to wake her up to eat
…not a fan of sponge baths
…doesn’t know it but definitely smiles
…doesn’t cry much unless she is hungry or wants to be held
…cry is still quiet
…doesn’t like to open her eyes too much still only couple hours out of the day
…is always sleeping when visitors come of course they hold her the whole time though 🙂
…still has her umbical cord (should fall off in another week or two)
…makes the cutest coos at tummy time
…has found her hands at times and tries to suck on her whole hand gets frustrated when it doesn’t fit or keeps moving away