Hi Everyone!

Hi everyone - since I am stuck on the computer trying desparately to finish a shutterfly album (and the site is not at all cooperating!), I thought I'd actually post! Imagine that! Rylee is two and a half and is such a handful! Terribly stubborn, insanely funny and obnoxiously naughty. She has been speaking in sentences for ages and has been able to count to 20 since before she was two. She is super smart and very sweet although she's on the 14 year plan for potty training. (Do they make pull-ups in teenager size?) I have felt like I have mono for two and a half years now and wonder how on earth people ever have a second child. Yes, theirs clearly must be easier than mine.

I hope you're all doing well!!!

Still alive... really!

Ever get so behind at something that it just keeps snowballing until it's impossible to catch up? Yeah... welcome to my blog. Or lack thereof.

New pics of Rylee here.

The sad thing is that I not only have I not blogged any of Ry's life over the past 6 months but I haven't written any of it down either. I have no idea when many of her major milestones happened and who knows when those last 5 teeth popped up. Sigh. And I thought having all this time go by without scrapping was bad. Now to see that even if I had the time, I wouldn't have the material. I've even slacked on taking pictures of her.

Life is so busy. I'm such a SAHM wannabe. And the husband is a only-work-40-hours-a-week wannabe. At this point I think I might actually give my left arm to be one (SAHM, that is). I hate missing everything and sending her off to daycare. I have a friend who actually gets to stay at home AND have a day to herself (baby goes to grammys) to herself each week! That's like a winning lottery ticket if you ask me. Working weekends is the pits and not having two days off in a row is even worse.

Rylee, you are growing so fast. Seriously. You're changing your baby's diaper as I type. (And putting her Nike's on her) You're a chatty Kathy and say everything under the sun. You say up to four words in a row now ("I miss you, Manny" or "I see that bottle"). We discovered yesterday that you can count to five (although often 'forget' four) and you can sing the "ABCDEFG" of the alphabet song. You make up the rest catching an occassionally letter correctly the rest of the way. You do the hand gestures to the entire "wheels on the bus" song and sing along with the "All through the town" (although you skip the word 'the' every time). Still not into TV although will watch a movie with real kids in it. You like reading a tad more... especially this one sing-along JoJo's circus book. You HATE having your picture taken. You throw a fit when you see the camera. You scream out "UH-OH" just as you're about to throw something. You say "tank-you" a lot but never say please. You hardly eat at all and you're so sick of all the dairy-free crap we have to feed you. I try dairy with you often with the same result: fussiness, diarrhea, hives. You're always pushing your boundaries and standing on things. You try to stand and balance on all of your ride-on toys... often falling off and getting mad. You are SOOOO smart but CANNOT figure out that I am mama and Auntie Michelle and Auntie Darcy is Auntie. You are very confused about this. I get SOOOO frusterated with you when you call me Auntie... which is ALL THE TIME. You are SOOOO social and ask EVERYONE to pick you up. (Which they do) You love people, especially kids and animals, especially dogs. Every animal is a "Manny"... I think you might actually think that is the word for animal. You love to go down for a nap and you love your blankie. Unfortunately you have a constant raw rash on your chin from the satin on the blanket and you won't give it up for a second... even when you're completely asleep. Your bedtime is somewhere around 9pm (give or take an hour) and you rise around 7 am (give or take an hour). Your favorite foods right now are watermelon and peas. You hate meat except for organic chicken hotdogs. You LOVE to swim and had a ball the other day over at Le'Skehan Mansion (your Auntie's house). Your red hair is still getting you all kinds of attention everywhere you go. You keep your father and I laughing all day long. You say and do the funniest things. You are a total snugglebug and love to give hugs and kisses. The other day we took you to your grammy's where we filled up a kiddie pool and you just LOVED splashing around in the water and being independant. You are such a fun loving little ham, Rylee Carmella and we love you so much!!! Love, mom

YAY!!! The one year pictures are up...

Rylee's one year photos are here... check 'em out before they're gone! Use the username Rylee and password Manny. I am amazed that they came out so well! Rylee was in a terrible mood that day and I am shocked to see even a hint of a smile in any of these. Rylee's friend in the early photos is Sophie. Sophie's mom and I go WAY BACK to the days when we were their age. (Except we were closer in age than they were).
My favorites so far... 19, 26, 32 & 40.
While all two of you are here ;) ... check out my niece, Camryn. I blogged a while back about the rare tumor that was taking over her mouth. It's back again but it's not dragging her down! Everyone send some prayers that she'll continue her fast road to recovery!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, RY!

Dear Rylee,
I can't believe it. You're already a year old. Where has the time gone? You celebrated the monumental event on Saturday, January 13th - a few days before your actual birthday. Approximately 35 of your family and friends joined us as we celebrated the wonderful YOU.
You've had a very busy month. You're walking now and although you're still cautious, you're very proud of your new ability. You walk best when you're distracted. You have just started to be able to stand up without the help of furniture. You've also said way more words than I could possibly keep track of. I don't think you know the meaning of most of them but you do repeat most one (and a few two) syllable words that you hear.
You had your first flu this month and right now you're suffering from a bad cold. So much for the health benefits of breast milk! I was afraid that I might have to cancel your birthday party because of your flu but you managed to stay above the weather for the day. The following day we had your 1 year photos taken at the house and you were one grumpy little girl. I still can't wait to see the pictures, though!
At the beginning of month 12 you started sleeping through the night although you've been waking 2-3 times a night since you've been sick. We're feeding you formula through month 13 to give you a little boost in nutrition. We have tested everything under the sun to see if maybe you can tolerate bits of dairy and so far you are allergic to everything. You really like canned fruit and you LOVE bread. On your birthday I made you a dairy-free cake that was terrible... you didn't get far past the chocolate frosting. We let you go to town on a REAL cake the following day during your photo shoot and we certainly paid for it later! We are really struggling to figure out ways to keep you full since there is so little you can eat. I haven't dared to try peanut butter yet. We'll save that for another day far far from now.
You are still an AMAZINGLY happy baby although your stubborn streak has been showing more lately than usual. You are the most defiant baby I know. Even your daycare provider says that you're the most stubborn baby that SHE has ever met. The discipline thing is an ongoing battle and I hope when you have children some day they give you as hard a time as you do me - and I hope they're just as cute as you (which makes it twice as hard). Whenever I say no to you you totally break down laughing. Every once in a while you'll mix things up a bit by mocking me or repeating my "noooo" ... but mostly it's just laughing. You LOVE to climb and are always trying to climb your little chair. We finally had to move it downstairs until you get older. You also love to play with baby dolls... it is so adorable how you "feed" them with the bottles, rock them, pat their backs and burp them on your knee. You are so observant and love to copy children. I can tell that you pick up most of your habits from daycare because you come home doing the funniest things. You still love to dance whenever there is music on or someone singing. And although the lip thing is adorable, meme and bumpa might be right about the "dubba dubba dubba". You still love your baths although instantly try to claw your way out of the time when I start to rinse you off. You still put everything in your mouth. You still have 8 teeth and I think this month you were teething a bit. You are especially cuddly and will give everyone a hug after you walk to them. You are still absolutely infatuated with Manny (and most dogs) and you will dive into his sea of fur everytime that you see him. When I get home from picking you up each day, you look over my arms and squeal until we walk through the door and you can get a look at that dog of yours. You always know that he'll be waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

At your one year well-baby Dr. appt you weighed 19 pounds, 6 ounces and were 30 inches long. That puts you in the 25th percentile for weight and the 75% for height. Mama jokes that if there were an "adult" growth chart, she would like to have those stats, too. You're a tall lean girl with VERY big feet.

You still have the sweetest little quirks and you keep us laughing every day. You go down like a charm at night and wake up with a smile. You're still not very interested in books or TV... you might've spent a total of about 7 minutes in front of both in your life. You love to "share" with people and then immediately take the item back before they have a firm grip on it. And when you throw your tantrums, you quickly glance back at whatever you're about to land on so you can take it easy if it's a hard surface. You're very sly.
I can't begin to tell you how much enjoyment you bring to our lives, Rylee. We absolutely love every moment of you. Happy 1st birthday, Rylee!

Love, Mama

The best birthday gift EVER!

Rylee got an early birthday gift this year and didn't even know it. Nor does she know what a big deal it is to her mom or her dad. On December 29th my mother-in-law increased her chances of seeing Rylee graduate from high school by DOUBLE by QUITTING SMOKING!!!

Among MANY other things, Cigarette smoke contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer. Smoking is directly responsible for approximately 90 percent of lung cancer deaths and approximately 80-90 percent of COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis) deaths.2

Shawn and I could not be more thrilled that you have taken on the battle of quitting smoking and we will do whatever it takes to help you stay smoke-free...

because Rylee is NOT READY TO GIVE UP HER GRANDMA!!! We want you around for years and years to come...

We're so proud of you, mom!!!

Merry Christmas, Rylee!

Dear Ry,

COULD YOU BEEEEE ANY MORE PERFECT???

You have had such a busy, wonderful month. You have learned more than ever and you just could not possibly be anymore fun.

You became a pro at opening gifts on this very first Christmas of yours. You just loved tearing through the packages and find out what was inside. I have been feeling guilty about not having the time to put up a tree or any decorations of the house. You didn't seem to care much about other people's trees so I'm hoping that that is a sign that you won't be scarred for life by it.

Your vocabulary has grown by leaps and bounds. I wish I had written down all of the words that you've been saying because I know I will forget some here. New words for month 11 are (although not on command): No, Yup, Yes, Up, Meme, Bumpa, Stop, Jump, Hi. I still think that the cutest thing that you do is the "bub bub bub bub bub" when you flick your bottom lip but Meme and Bumpa both think that when you tell your "Dubba Dubba Dubba" story (which you do all the time) it's the cutest. We both agree that when you shake your little bootie and dance is a close second. Everytime we sing or play music you instantly sway from side to side which is definitely fatally cute. I've almost died twice.

You wave bye-bye (so cute) and blow kisses. You will mimic everything anyone does until you figure it out. You haven't advanced a single bit in the walking department and I'm still convinced that you'll be 3 before you do. You cruise around everywhere as long as you're hanging on for dear life. Get you away from that couch, however, and you hit the floor running.

You are finally wanting to eat again after a month or so of not caring much about food. You love people food although we've determined that you are definitely still sensitive to dairy. You usually take about 4 bottles a day in addition to your baby food. Most people are surprised to hear that at 11 months we are still feeding you baby food out of a jar but between your dairy allergy and our poor eating habits, it's easier to feed you healthy when it's from a Earth's Best jar. It's not as if we can put french fries and frozen pizza in the food processor so until we find the time to cook real food, baby food it is.

You still wake up once a night to eat. You've always been on the low end of the growth chart when it comes to weight so any time you are willing, so are we. As tired as we are at 3 am, we're happy to feed you at bottle. We plan to feed you formula through your 13th month so you get a little extra nutrition. I have a feeling you've lacked quite a few bottles while at daycare so hopefully that can make up for it.

Once again, your dog comes in as the first place toy. I cannot believe the sheer volume of toys that you got for Christmas and I REALLY can't believe you've got a birthday coming up in a few weeks where you're likely to get more. You still have no interest what so ever in TV or books. I can't get you to sit through more than 7 seconds of a show or 3 pages of a book. And although I'm glad you're not a TV junkie, I think a little TV never hurt anyone. I am hoping you'll aquire a taste for both.

In the last month two new friends were born! On November 18th, Miss Kassidy Claire was born to Jamie and Jenn weighing in at 8 lbs, 6 oz and just last Wednesday Ryan and Jen welcomed Miss Mia Susan. I'll be posting pictures soon of both of your future playmates.

Rylee, I cannot get over to tell you what a sweetheart you are. Everywhere we go people just cannot believe what a well-behaved baby you are. As much as I fear typing this will jinx us, I must declare that you are absolutely perfect. Earlier this week you went 5 straight days without a single nap and you were happy and adorable throughout the entire thing. You never stop smiling and love all the attention that you get for your red hair and sweet demeanor. You are going through a very cuddly phase with those you love and want to hug and cuddle often. We feel so very lucky and blessed to have such a perfect baby girl and we love you so very much. Happy 11 month birthday and very first Christmas, Rylee Carmella! Love, Mom

Better late than never!

photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/74082133@N00/315742781/">
Rylee - Christmas 2006
Originally uploaded by Jaimemjfan.

(To see more of Rylee in her Christmas digs, click here)

Dear Rylee,

I am so sorry that I missed your 10 month post. I literally have not had a second to spare since November 16th.

We had a big month! For starters, you had a bad case of Roseola - which ironically mama had when she was also 10 months old. When mom had it, she was in the hospital, though. You still wake up once a night and when you are sick, you hardly sleep at all. It is the only time mom and dad will let you sleep in bed with them. If I had written this post back when you turned 10 months like I was supposed to, I would be reporting that you are still an absolute angel. The last week, however, you have been replaced by your evil twin, Kylee. You have been Grouchy McGee and when I sing songs to you it is no longer "Old McDonald had a farm EIEIO" it's "Grouchy Rylee had a farm, grouch grouch grouch grouch grouch". I have a "grouch" version for every song out there, not that it has helped. I am beginning to wonder if maybe your daycare is sneaking you dairy products during the day.

You still have 8 teeth - 4 on top and 4 on bottom. You have been walking like a pro on furniture for months now but I'm beginning to think that you're not going to actually walk until you're 3. You won't even try. You won't even THINK ABOUT trying. As you're strolling along the furniture or the back of someone's legs or the wipe container or literally ANYTHING else that is more than 4 inches high, we will try to pull you out where you can't hold on. You refuse to even try to stand even when we holding on to you. YOU have to be the one holding on and you won't budge on that rule.

You're vocabulary in month 10 has grown slightly but not by leaps and bounds. You have added "baby" to the mix and that is about it. And that fiery red-head temper of yours keeps you from saying words on demand. Instead, you say them when YOU want to say them... like right after the video camera gets turned off.

When we had you in the doctor, you weighed in at 18 pounds with clothes on. You're wearing a size 9-12 month clothes. You don't care much for any of your toys. You LOVE to type on the keyboard, play with the mouse, play with the phone and remote and push the knobs on the water cooler. You're also still dedicated to trying that Iam's Small breed and you want desperately to see what all the fuss is about with the outlets.

Your favorite toy - still your dog. You absolutely LOVE Manny. He is getting a little short with you even though he really does love you. You pull his fur out CONSTANTLY so it is a battle of me yelling at you for pulling his fur and yelling at him for nipping at you. You think BOTH are hilarious. In fact, this is the first month that I have attempted to say "No" to you and you think it is down right hysterical. I'd love to not be one of those moms who's child is being a total brat and they think it's funny... but yea, I am. As hysterical as you think it is when I say no to you - I think it almost as great when you laugh back at me. This will change, I know. But for now, I'm just going to enjoy that adorable little giggle of yours and laugh along with you.

I love you, Rylee Carmella. You are the best part of my day.

Love, Mom

Tired...

I'm tired of rushing.
I'm tired of feeling guilty.
I'm tired of feeling guilty for rushing.
I'm tired of being tired.

So I'm in quite a slump these days. Well, that is when I have time to think about my slump. Life is SO HECTIC. It's all a balancing act - who can I NOT piss off today by being busy. I don't have time to do ANYTHING. Ever. I've been working 7 - 5 everyday with a 2 1/2 hour commute. Today is my one day off in a 14-day stretch. I've just spent a zillion hours paying bills when I just want to be sleeping like Rylee. But if I'm sleeping, that means trying to pay bills while she is awake. Impossible.

Last Thursday might've been the worst day of my life. After 3 days of no sleep because of a sick baby with a temp in the 102's, I had to call in sick in the morning so that I could take her to the doctor. That meant calling the girl who rides with me at 4:30 a.m. and pissing her off. Then calling work (who can't spare to have anyone take a minute off b/c we're so busy with a deadline) to tell them I'd be hours late and pissing them off. I took her in to the doctor and got a $100 parking ticket. I ran home after and called everyone in the state of Maine (and their brothers) to try to find someone to watch Rylee. The old stand by: my sister. My sister who is trying to move into her obnoxious new mansion. My sister who already has two kids of her own. My sister who ALWAYS gets called upon to bail me out when I'm in trouble. So by noonish, I was pissing off my sister who was coming to watch Rylee while I ran out the door to work. Did I mention that I had a splitting headache from being up all night STRESSING about the upcoming day from hell? Anyway, it's only gone uphill from there. Rylee has Roseola and has had a fever between 102 and 104 for a full week (and now a lovely rash). I just found out that I need to spend over $300 + labor to get my damn airbag light to go off. I have no scheduled days off in sight. I just had to write a check for $100 for my parking ticket so now I'm brooding all over again (Tonya, are you SURE Gerry can't work his magic and get me out of that? He's like - important!). If you're wondering whether I'd like some cheese to go with my wine - why YES, I would. Cuz god knows I haven't had time to get to the store to buy any.

One of my biggest "guilt" issues right now is Sonya's birthday. Yes, I neglect ALL of my friends (do I even still have any) on a daily basis and never have any time to even email them. But seriously... it was her freakin' birthday and I couldn't even find the time to call OR mail out her gift. Her card is still sitting on the counter - waiting for me to remember to buy stamps when I go shopping. Her gift is still unwrapped in the spare bedroom waiting for me to make it to the post office (which will be a month after I can remember to buy stamps for her card so I figure I might as well wait and mail them together - along with her hubby's gift). I've been whining to Shawn since the night of her birthday about not calling her. If you're reading this Pinky... I'm sorry. :( I suck - I know.

All I can say is THANK GOD for small miracles.
Like my mother-in-law! coming to watch Rylee last Friday when she was too sick to go to daycare. And making us dinner. For the entire week.
Like getting Rylee's 9 month pictures back and LOVING them.
Like having today off so that I can get shit done.
Like Michelle coming over on Saturday to let Manny go pee.

Like the END of my commute!!!

I can survive this month. I can survive this month.

Happy 9 month birthday, Rylee!

Carrot face_r1_r1
Originally uploaded by Jaimemjfan.

Dear Ry, you're 9 months old and where do I begin? For starters, you look like you're 6 months old, feel like you're 12 months old and act like you're 18 months old. You weigh 17 pounds, 10 ounces and are in the 25th percentile for weight. You are 26 inches long putting you in the 75th percentile for height. You are wearing a size 12 month clothes and a size 4 diaper.

You chatter away in your own little language even though your vocabulary has not grown much over the last few months. You say "mum, mama, dad, daddy, dada, no, dog ("duog")". You have 6 full teeth and you show them off everytime you laugh. You speed around everywhere crawling and instantly stand up when you come to a "road block". You stand up with such ease that sometimes I expect you to stand up without the help of whatever you're leaning on. You are clearly not ready for that, yet, because you don't dare to let go of anything, including us when you're standing.
The last month you have slept through the night about half of the time. You usually go to bed between 7:30 and 8:30 and wake up whenever we do. You still go down great, except for the last week when you've had a bad cold (daycare plague) and don't want to go to sleep at all. You also haven't wanted to eat much the last couple of days.
You normally LOVE to eat. You still like almost everything we throw your way and really love "people food" just like your brother. In addition to loving lemons, you also love oranges.
You're still doing well at daycare even though you're there ALL THE TIME. Mama's new job has her commuting 2 1/2 hours a day so add that to the 43 hours that she's actually AT work and that makes for a long week of daycare. Hopefully by the first of the year you'll be spending less than 40 hours a week in daycare since you can stay home with mom one day a week (even though she has to work on the weekends - yuck!).
If we did not have Manny, you would be missing out on one of your favorite joys. When I see you two together I am so thankful for small miracles - like having someone give us a dog and having your daddy say yes to keeping him. You laugh and bury your face in his fur whenever you see him.
You are still a social butterfly but you do have your favorites. Uncle Darren is at the top of your list. Everytime he does his special little "weeeeeeeeee" with you I think of the movie "Liar, Liar" and "the claw". Another little thing that I am grateful for... having people in my life - your life - that I am confident love you as much as I do.
You had your first (and last?) sleepover at your Auntie Darcy's this month while mom and dad went to http://www.flickr.com/photos/74082133@N00/268228037/wedding. According to Aunt Darcy, you were up all night. I'm sure it was probably because you were nervous about sleeping in the same house as your Uncle Scott. He can get pretty grouchy. It looks like we'd better be turning to Auntie Tonya again for our next sleepover.
We've got a fun overnight trip planned! You don't know it yet but soon I'll be packing your many bags and we're heading to North Conway, NH for a night away. I can't wait to take you swimming in the indoor pool. Luckily Grammy was gracious enough to watch your brother while we go.
Last weekend you had your professional pictures taken with Ashton. I had to work so I am extra excited about seeing the finished product. (They should be up on the website on Monday so check back for the link!) It sounds like you were your usual fun-loving ham self so I'm sure they are adorable.
Peanut, you are the sweetest thing I have ever seen. You have the most wonderful personality and are so much fun to watch grow.
I love you so very much!! Love, Mom

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs.!

Holly and Tony
Originally uploaded by Jaimemjfan.

On Saturday Holly and Anthony tied the knot. It was a GORGEOUS ceremony and a fun reception. The weather was beautiful and so was the bride. This picture is my favorite - captured just as they started their first dance as husband and wife (It's your love, by Tim). They were just so adorable!! Shawn had been in Portland since Friday night (he was in the wedding) and we stayed at Jeremy's (thanks, J!), which was a short cab ride from the wedding.
Holly and Tony left for sunny Mexico at the crack of dawn (or before, actually) the morning after the wedding. I'm anxious to see how their all-inclusive paradise trip went and CAN'T WAIT to see pictures. They are just too cute, aren't they!?!

Du du du du du du... you say it's your birthday...

Duke girl
Originally uploaded by Jaimemjfan.

Happy birthday to YOU
Happy birthday to ME
Happy birthday dear Uhhh-US
Happy birthday dear US.

Happy birthday, Tonya!!
It seemed such a strange coincidence that Tonya and I share the same birthday. We met around this time last year and have been great friends ever since!

Uh... On this day 10 years ago I was:
-Getting a tattoo for my 19th birthday
-Living with 4 (5 if you count Vey-u) guys
-Having a raging birthday party in which I took 19 shots of Dr. McGillicuddy's

It was a happy time and yet I look back and get a shiver up my spine. What a strange, strange trip that was. I remember the day - that year - like it was yesterday. I woke up that morning and Ryan gave me the D.J. Kool C.D. that I had been wanting for my birthday. (I'm embarassed to admit that now). Of course I only wanted it for one song - "Let me clear my throat" - but back in the day there were no downloads, maybe no CD singles. Then he and I headed up to Rumford to a sketchy little tattoo parlor to get the tattoo that I had drawn out on a piece of paper using a bottle cap and a Nike swoosh at work. From there we headed back to the apartment for "the party". We called this the eviction party and it held pretty close to true. I'd say close to 70 people showed up to our big apartment on Gamage Ave. I got 5 cakes that year. My boss, my mom, my sister and Shawn all made me cakes. Jennie bought me one from McDonald's. Around 8:00 everyone packed into the kitchen to watch me drink the night away. Shawn, my boyfriend, was supposed to "take care of" me that night. Ryan, my best friend, was angry and refused to have anything to do with my little rendezvous with "the Dr.". Of course this is the end of my story since I have no recollection of anything that happened after the minute and 37 seconds that it took me to swallow my assembly line of shots.

Who the heck was I then? Or who am I now? Do timelines and milestones tend to make anyone else look back the way I do? Back then I wore baggy t-shirts and listened to rap music. I played pick-up ball with the boys. I obsessed over Michael Jordan. I ran almost every day and kept a basketball, field hockey ball, soccer ball in my trunk "just in case" a game might break out. I think my husband and I have switched places over the years. It's just as well... I'm much happier with the me I am today. I'll still show Rylee the scrapbook pages of her young and crazy mom ... but as far as breaking out the D.J. Kool - I'll think I'll pass. I'll stick with my BNL and my Sarah McLachlan. :)