Ticket to Passing

If you remember this post, you may remember DH is taking the CFA Level III exam this year. It is next week. He is in crunch time and has been spending late evenings and weekends studying. If all goes well, this will be the last one (thank goodness).

Right now it isn't unusual to find these scrap pieces of paper with study notes around the house. This one is on the back of one of his plane tickets.

I love this man. I love how hard he works. I love how smart he is. I love his intensity. I love you sweetheart. Good Luck, we will be cheering for you!

THREE is CHARMING!

DD is no longer a newborn (snif snif). She had her 3rd month birthday last week and is now considered just a baby. I love watching her change daily - she can now roll tummy to back, grasp objects, smile, laugh, and coo.

Best of all - a wonderful relationship is unfolding before my eyes as DD and DS have really noticed each other more lately. She lights up and stares at him when he is in the room and DS has become extremely gentle and nurturing towards her. DS will ask where she is if he does not see her immediately upon entering a room, "where baby sister Mommy?". Once he has located her he goes back to his business (which is usually a truck, car, bulldozer, etc.). I love it - already keeping a protective eye on his little sister!

Now that she is out of the newborn phase, does this mean my babymoon is now over?! Oh, I am still nursing, thank goodness. Speaking of nursing ... my recent bra shopping excursion was quite the event. The bra fitting started before feeding time and actually trying on the bras ended after feeding time ... and just about a cup size smaller. LOL! WOW, how much is this girl eating is all I could say?! I think the salesgirl was more embarrassed then I was. If you agreed with my review on Hanky Panky panties, you will definitely agree that Chantelle makes the best bras ever and worth every penny (& this is coming from a former Wacoal fan!). When the salesgirl at Nordstrom gave me my total I drowned out DH's voice in my head ("you spent how much on bras, are you crazy?) with Stacy and Clinton's voice instead, "a good bra makes all the difference.". That would be the Stacy and Clinton from TLC's What not to Wear. Wouldn't you just love to have those two go through your closet and then hand over a MasterCard for a new wardrobe ...

I want to eat canyon Mommy, please!

DS's age is unbelievable ... everyday he is learning something new. He just amazes me. He already can name correctly every planet in the Solar system, correctly recognizes his uppercase letters 100% accuracy, he is starting to learn his lower case letters and just recently read his first word. (Okay, okay, it was sight recognition only but it still amazes me ... he stated each letter first H-O-M-E and then said "HOME"). The word is in the last page of one of his favorite books. :)

**and yes, I know this is a bit of a brag but just can't help myself, I could also include that DD rolled over for the first time yesterday at 2 months, 3 1/2 weeks old but I will leave that for another post, LOL!!!**

Okay, back on topic ... But then there are plenty of moments that remind me of just how little & young he really is, like yesterday. It was unbelievably hot here but on Monday's I still need my coffee despite the weather. So after getting my coffee I decided to stay in the air conditioned car and drive down Laguna Canyon and give him a narrated tour of our surroundings and make a quick stop at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center to see the elephant seals. As I am drinking my warm coffee in my cool car I tell him we are driving down Laguna Canyon Road. I say, "look to your right there are hills (he looks), look to your left there are hills (he looks) and we are driving in the middle, that is called a canyon.". I see his little mind working and he looks at me in the rear view mirror and says, "I want to eat it Mommy. (& then he continues since there is a long pause by me as I wonder what in the heck he is talking about) I want to eat Canyon Mommy, please.".

After about 2 minutes of trying desperately to relate to toddler talk it comes to me (I think). He must be thinking CANDY not CANYON. So I ask, "Do you mean you want to eat candy?". I continue, "Mommy said canyon not candy. You don't eat canyon.". I think I lost him at that point since he remained silent and my narrated tour down Laguna Canyon Road was useless until our stop at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center where he enjoyed visiting the rescued elephant seals.

A coffee break

I still have a love affair with coffee. You would have thought pregnancy and nursing would be enough to keep me away from my daily cup of java but it doesn't. Coffee house coffee is even better but I don't always like to pay for it (for what ever reason coffee in a cardboard cup with a plastic lid always seems to taste better, why is that?).

Lucky me, I have been able to enjoy my last few trips to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf absolutely FREE. Thanks to the below picture. I won 3rd place in the Irvine World News section of the Orange County Register & they sent me a gift card to my favorite local Coffee shop.

That would be "a Regular flavored coffee, double cup, no sleeve, please!". (a Regular would be a Grande to you Starbucks folks!)

One minute, thirty-eight seconds ...

... is the average time a viewer stays on my blog. I find all these averages quite fascinating but even more interesting are all the viewers that find my Blog through a google search. I always get a good laugh when I click to find out what they actually entered into their google search to come upon my Blog. Are you interested too???

Most common search criteria: "female sous chef"

Man, how they must be disappointed when the click on my blog. LOL!!!

Second most common search criteria: "Jesus loves me lyrics". Remember this post?!

Yes, I am watching, yes, it is fun knowing that you're reading! Please leave a comment. You don't know how nice it is to have something to read when you are breastfeeding a baby at 3:00am!

Thanks in advance! :)

Appreciation Day!

As usual, DH did a fantastic job making my Mother's Day special! I must say my DH is a true renaissance man. He showered me with 2 dozen roses, wine (usually it is champagne but this year two very special meaningful bottles of wine) and chocolates. I love that he works hard and is a manly man but always manages to show his romantic side on special occasions. But really, the best gift of all this year was DH having our 26 month old greet me in the morning with a "Happy Mother's Day Mommy" with a kiss and hug!

I hope you all had a wonderful day too!