ThE DoTY LiFe

We HaVE a VLogEr

2017-05-23T10:45:00.000-04:00

Gem does gymnastics once a week on Saturday mornings for an hour. I signed her up to keep her doing something active and since she swims daily, gymnastics is her other favorite thing to do so it made sense to put her in a class. Her other favorite thing to do is watch YouTube (the kids YouTube) and she watches a lot of gymnastics on there. I was recently sewing (yea I sew lol) some of Gem's clothes and Darin's when I turn around Gem has her yoga mat and her Ipad propped up with the camera on so she could watch herself (i'm assuming). The camera went from her chest up so it wasn't really on her, I asked if she wanted me to fix it so she could watch herself and she said yea, so I propped it up a little better and got back to sewing. A few mins later I hear her start saying stuff like "ok guys", "hey guys" and a few others I can't remember. I turn around to look at what she's doing and it looks like she's trying to show people what she's doing. So I ask "do you want to record your gymnastics so you can watch it later?" and she says yea, so I show her how to hit the red record button to start and then when she's finished to hit it again to stop. She goes on for about 15 mins still saying "hey guys" and it clicks to me, I think she's copying other girls gymnastics videos on YouTube, so I asked if she wanted to get her leotard on and make a YouTube video, she jumps up, screams yea and runs off returning with her leotard. Well I put that on, set up her Ipad again and tell her i'll hit start for her on 3, so 1-2-3 go and she started off with "hey guys" perfectly on cue.....here's the result, her first YouTube video :) my 3 yr old is hilarious!

Click below:
Gem's Gymnastics Tutorial

7 months

2017-05-06T14:15:00.000-04:00

Here at the 7 month (28+ weeks) mark! Starting to really poke out i'd say! I love progression pics, wish I did more of these with this pregnancy....like I said in my last post, the first kid keeps you busy and time just flies by and I forget...prego brain? We're doing good, feeling good and looking forward to Florida in 4 weeks! Baby brother still has no name, we have 2 and can't decide, i'm a planner so I need to know lol, i'm not the "wait and see what he looks like" type, I'm the need to know before type :)

Easter

2017-04-19T16:46:00.000-04:00

For Easter we did our annual stay-cation up in Cattlewash with friends. It's such a nice long weekend every year and this year it was extra fun because Gem was all into the Easter bunny. Since there's 4 other kids in the house, they helped pump her up about the Easter bunny and how he comes and leaves a basket of candy and then there will be an Easter egg hunt with MORE candy! She went to bed so excited and when she woke up in the morning, I whispered to her "i think the Easter bunny came", i've never seen her fly out of bed so fast! Our weekend was filled with relaxing by the pool, watching the ocean, walking on the beach, flying kites, waiting for the ice cream truck, eating good food and having good friends stop by all weekend to visit. Easter weekend here is our favorite stay-cation :)

6 months!

2017-03-30T19:36:00.000-04:00

The 6 month mark feels oh so good! This pregnancy is FLYING by so fast. I always heard your second one you don't take as many pictures, you write less "firsts" down about them, you never finish their baby books and well....it goes for my blogging this pregnancy as well, i've been horrible keeping up and taking pictures of my growing belly. The first kid keeps you busy and the days turn into weeks and before you know it another month has gone by. I've taken pics every few weeks instead of every week so i'm definitely falling into that category of a mom that has second kid syndrome, he just doesn't have the same "social exposure" as the first one :(

I haven't really blogged about how this pregnancy has been and honestly it's been pretty breezy. In the beginning I was turned off of things quickly, like i'd open the fridge to get eggs out and before I reached for the eggs my brain was like nope, not today.....happened a few times with eggs and chicken, lasted about 2 weeks thank goodness because I eat eggs for breakfast a lot, I love eggs! I also was super tired around weeks 5-8, the couch and I were best friends, but that didn't last long either, probably a good thing though. Other than those two things, I've felt pretty good, growing all up front which i'm thankful for and haven't gained much weight (it will prob come at the end, just like with Gem, full force lol).

Hows Gem handling it? Well, Gem isn't my touchy, snugly child, she loves her space. She doesn't snug with us on the couch, she won't hug people or hold hands with other kids, if she sits next to you, your leg better not touch hers and if I go to put my arm around her or rub up on her feet and toes...she scoots away from me :( BUT.....since being pregnant she's become so excited and so snugly!! Its funny how Darin and I would get so excited if she sat with us on the couch, laid down even...it was so rare, we'd jump for our phones to snap a pic and have proof she did actually like us lol!! Now....she has become a snug bug. She loves to sit with us on the couch all bundled up and even sharing a blanket! She loves my belly, rubs it all the time, talks to him, tells him "i love you baby brother" and kisses my belly consantly, seriously the cutest thing EVER! She's very aware and concerned as well, if Darin is playing rough with her around me she tells him to be careful of mommies belly and when we go somewhere with stairs, she tells me to be careful because I have a baby in my belly, thanks kid ;) lol. When she goes to school she tells me bye and she loves me with a kiss and then tells baby bye and i love you and gives him a kiss too. My favorite is when she gets her ipad and comes to sit on the couch next to me, she has one hand on my belly and one hand navigating her ipad haha! Soon it won't be just her and i'll have those cute loving moments to cherish between siblings and i'll have those jealous sibling moments that will probably turn into tears and long conversations, so until then, i'll just enjoy how much I love all these sweet moments between Gem and I :) I just love how cute she is right now, I could eat her up!

BoY or GirL

2017-02-28T16:45:00.000-05:00

o.....since this kiddo will complete our family, we had to know if it was a girl or boy! We really wanted to have a boy, but we have a girl already and she's pretty awesome so having another girl would be awesome as well. We decided to keep Gem out of school and bring her with us to the ultrasound appointment so she could see her little brother or sister in my tummy. She was quite excited but I know she didn't really know what she was excited about lol....when we went in Darin held her and they watched on as the Dr took pics, measured things and explained to Gem what we were seeing; here's his head, his arms, etc. We told the Dr. we wanted to know the sex but to put it on a piece of paper in an envelope for us. We loved with Gem we found out at home just the two of us and we could hug and be happy and celebrate....we didn't want to find out in a Drs. office with me laying there and him standing there with the Dr rubbing goop all over me lol....we loved how intimate it was last time so we wanted to do that again. Seeing the little kiddo was amazing as always, it's something of a miracle seeing that little person inside you.

We left the office with an envelope in hand that had that one word on a piece of paper inside :) I had an idea to go to a local macaroon shop....gave the lady the envelope and told her what was in it and that I wanted a box of white macaroons BUT one pink OR one blue, depending on what the paper in the envelope said :) She felt so honored to know before we knew, she said nobody ever asked her to do this before and she was super excited to be a part of it. We got home and planned on Gem opening the cookie box to tell us if there was a blue cookie or a pink cookie, needless to say we have it on video and she did a great job telling us there was a BLUE macaroon!!! We were both so excited but Darin getting a boy I think had him even more excited, so much so, I got a high five lol.

GeM TuRNs 3!

2017-01-30T18:30:00.000-05:00

Every year I probably say it but where the heck did 3 years go? They fly by so fast these days and it's scary! This year I did a popsicle party for Gem, since we have a great party house with a pool and huge back patio, we kept the party at home this year. Laura and Justin came to visit so it was special having them here as well.

Gem had a fantastic day with all her friends, she even had an ice cream truck come by which was a big hit. She really enjoys all her friends no matter the age and it's so nice to watch her be social and seeing her run around laughing and having so much fun, she's growing up too fast for me.

These days, Gem is such a character, she's her own tiny person.....we enjoy her so much with all her facial expressions (and she's got plenty), her stories that last so long it feels like hours, her imagination going wild while she's playing, how she says certain phrases and words makes us laugh so hard sometimes, she's a goober for sure and we love this age so much. Happy Birthday to our big girl, 3 is going to be a great year, we love you to the moon and back!!

AnoTHeR aDditiON

2016-11-30T17:32:00.000-05:00

CRAIG AND KAIT are having a BABY!! They told us on Thanksgiving and oh how excited I am for them.....also because they have no idea i'm pregnant and when they do find out, Kaitlyn is going to be so excited! I'm so happy my little brother is going to be a daddy, it's the best Thanksgiving news EVER!!

NeW ADdiTioN

2016-11-15T17:09:00.000-05:00

Well.....it was Election Day and it was Trump or Clinton, I won't go into detail of who we were voting for since it's one of the craziest elections ever, I don't really like either and wish there was someone else in the mix.

Anyway.......I also took a pregnancy test and well....I'M PREGNANT, AGAIN!! Our planning has paid off and we couldn't be happier. This will be my 3rd pregnancy, if you read my blog, you know earlier in the year I had an unfortunate miscarriage, so naturally i'm a little more nervous about this one, already keeping my fingers crossed and praying hard that this one sticks. We've decided that this 2nd kiddo will complete our family so we're excited for July 20th when we become a family of 4! Darin knew I was probably pregnant because I told him I had a good feeling I was, I still surprised him a little with a little sign, but deep down, i'm pretty sure he knew it too ;)

We are EXTREMELY happy to see Gemma become a big sister and watch how she adjusts and grows and loves on my tummy these next 9 months. She's a pretty smart cookie so I think she'll love the idea of having a little brother or sister. We've decided not to tell her yet, since she likes to go around to people and school and tells them when anything happens, I went to the dr for a cough or dropped Darin off at the airport and that girl will go announce it to everyone she runs into that day lol, next thing I know people are asking if i'm ok because Gem told them I went to the Dr. this morning...SO...in order to keep our secret, we can't tell her haha.

HalloWeeN

2016-11-04T12:04:00.000-04:00

This Halloween was special for a few reasons, 1. daddy got to enjoy it with Gem and 2. she and her bff matched! They were Jane Fonda and holy cuteness!!

Trinidad & DDI

2016-10-28T11:40:00.000-04:00

Tickets are so cheap to Trinidad right now and a friend asked us if we wanted to go for a long weekend with our families. We've never been but have always wanted to go since a lot of our friends are from there as well. So we booked tickets and off we went on our first family vacation with another family. SO.MUCH.FUN! Besides the 2 yr olds hashing it out 10 times a day, they really enjoyed their time together and so did the adults! DDI stands for Down De Islands, that's where we stayed, at our friends family house. We had to fly in, drive to the yacht club and get our boat loaded to head over. It's a quick 5 min ride so it was really nice to just be on the outside of Trinidad looking back. It was also really nice to pop over and get breakfast and coffee in the morning. We enjoyed every sunset, lots of downtime to enjoy the view, island toured to a beach far far away haha, watched dolphins swim through the bay during sunset, made some awesome food and drove the boat around to other islands to swim in new spots! Definitely will be going back!

Back to School

2016-09-19T11:38:00.000-04:00

Gem started back at the Montessori school she was in since January this year. We love the teachers and all the kids in the class so it was a no brainer to send her back. We are so excited since this is her last year with this little class, next September they all move to "BIG" school together!

September 13, 2016

Quick Summer Trip to Orlando

2016-09-12T11:26:00.000-04:00

Gem doesn't have school till mid September so we decided to take a quick last minute summer trip up to Orlando. We did our usually Seaworld, Target, Chickfila, which are always our favorite things to do when we go up. We did Seaworld twice this trip and Daddy finally got to come! We've been going to Seaworld for a year with our pass and this was Darin's first time getting to see how excited Gem gets when she goes. She absolutely LOVES it!! We had a bit of downtime this trip so it was nice to spend time at home with our families and not be out and about everyday, just almost everyday :) We also got to see Great Grandma a bunch and boy does Gem love her GG!\

Mom, Shelb & Laura Visit

2016-08-08T10:47:00.000-04:00

When we were sailing, Laura was here in Barbados watching Gem. I knew Shelby was going to be here when I got back from sailing but I didn't know "Glamma" (mom T) would be here too! She pulled off a great surprise! We did a few fun island adventure things like island touring, a catamaran cruise, a kadooment fete, swam a wreck and saw some turtles! I also learned how to play Hearts! Their trip was too short as always :( Here's some pics from their fun week in Barbados!

Sailing the Grenadines

2016-07-31T10:31:00.000-04:00

This summer has proven to be an eventful one. The beginning of July we got to check something off the ol bucket list, sailing the Grenadines! We went with our friends Alan & Jenny, rented a catamaran for a week and left from St. Vincent, hitting up island after island, staying the night and a day in each place. The islands are so different in water color (mostly blue), civilization, resort only or anyone can visit. We had a BLAST, watched some beautiful sunsets, swam in the clearest waters with turtles, ate some fabulous food and learned how next time we'll do a power catamaran, screw the actual sailing lol.

GoiNg gLeNN in CaLi

2016-06-30T22:09:00.001-04:00

In June we headed out to California, neither of us has been and some good friends of ours were getting married in the desert at the Joshua Tree (which isn't actually a tree lol, but an area). We flew into LA and spend the day at the Santa Monica pier and rented bikes to ride up and down the coast on the beach, very cool, I recommend it to everyone! We headed out that night to Palm Springs (in the valley, which now I know what that means too), it's about a 3 hr drive so not too bad but when you're tired, it takes forever! There was a pool party and music and it was 113 degrees, the wall when leaving the hotel was no joke, you literally walked into a heater. We walked and shopped a little, then went to a nice sushi dinner with some friends since we had a few days out there before the wedding. So fun and So hot, no humidity though lol.

The wedding was absolutely amazing! We all got bussed out to the desert and dropped off, then had to walk a few mins in the desert to this little half building called the ruin. They had 2 giant tables, lights, vintage furniture to lounge on and a taco bar for dinner!! Probably the sweetest, prettiest, most unique weddings i've ever been to, makes me want to do it again and do it something like that, just so nice. Chris and Davis, thanks for inviting us to celebrate your amazing day!

EuROpE AgaiN

2016-06-30T21:53:00.001-04:00

Time to play catch up....I keep finding myself posting every 2 months on average and that is no bueno. Literally the last few months have been full of traveling. Darin has hardly been on island between managing his other shops, flying to Orlando for meetings and then traveling for weddings and with me to Europe! I last wrote in April just before our big trip. This is the trip I won on boxing day last year for most clever photo with a Virgin Atlantic beach ball! It was so nice to win a free airline ticket but at the same time we weren't sure where to fit it in and we had to use it in a year. Our friends Alicia and Pete helped by taking Gem for the 9 days so we could go alone...first time ever! Alicia and Pete have 2 boys that adore Gem and she loves them all right back. They took her to school, to the beach, to the pool, over to play in a tree fort, had ice cream dates....just did so much fun stuff with them and we are so thankful to have awesome friends like that here.

Off to Europe we went, found a week between Darin's travels and squeezed it in, we only had a few weeks before we left so kinda last minute, but that was ok with us....who likes to wait months and months for a fun trip? We stopped in London first, Darin has only traveled to Italy on this side of the world so all these places he's never been. It was fun playing "i remember some stuff tour guide", we did all the tourist stuff I loved on my last trip and skipped the meh stuff from the last trip. We had a lot of downtime and found pubs to eat and get warm with a cold beer! Fish and chips are my favorite thing, well and a great beer, so I feel like I fit right in over there. I love the buildings, the tubes, the pubs, just really all of London. So much happened while we were in London, we arrived on the Queen's 90th birthday, then the President (Obama) came to see the Queen and the families for 2 days, then they had the London marathon over the weekend, super busy week in London. At the end of our trip we were back in London for the day and what a difference in the amount of people on the streets, you could actually walk straight somewhere lol. Overall London was great, a little cold, but great!

Dublin was next, just a quick 24hrs, which is pretty much all you need....ok maybe 48hrs. If you have more time there then that's when you rent a car and drive the country, but we didn't have time for that. So, instead we got on a bus tour, headed to the Guinness factory and did the whole tour, ended up at the gravity bar where you can see far far far with a 360 degree view, keep in mind this is a bar, and it was awesome! We headed on the bus tour and walked a little bit to temple bar district which was super cool. I can officially say i've had a Guinness in Dublin, in a pub with live REAL irish music! The next day we were off again to another fun country i've been to.

AMSTERDAM! I was so excited to see our extended, extended family over there and introduce Darin to them. We arrived and Klaus took us right to the Keukenhof (tulip gardens). I have never seen so many in my life, it was one of the most beautiful sites ever, just being surrounded by color after color of tulip, the colors go on and on as far as you can see. I will, without a doubt, be going back there again. Irma was making dinner that night so we got to the house and settled in before coming down for dinner, meatballs! We had some other family over so that was nice meeting them and we played spoons and another card game, drank wine and laughed a lot. I love that my (maiden) last name is so unique that I found people on the other side of the world that are my family....it still blows my mind. The next day was Kings Day! Irma wasn't feeling well but Klaus took us into the city to see some sites and watch the boats go by with the partying people and loud music! We all dressed up in orange and had plenty to drink. The ONLY problem with this day was it was SO COLD, the coldest kings day in 50 years lol, of course we were there. We walked around the districts and ate some food but we were so bundled up and cold, we just wanted to go back to our hotel and turn the heat on haha. Sad to leave, but I did promise next time i'd be there a week and not a night or two, so i'm looking forward to the next visit over.

We headed back to London for the day before flying out the next. Met up with some Bajan friends for sushi, went to a bar and then back to the hotel for a good rest before our early flight home.

It was such a great trip. I had so much fun with Darin, just me and him was so nice and new for us. 10 years together and that was our first trip together, hard to believe but it's true. Now we know we can hang out together for 9 days and have a fun time with each other. I loved our trip and look forward to the next one we go on together! We're thinking Italy in 5 years, lets see if it happens :) Love you babe!

A Rough Season of Life

2016-05-01T11:58:00.000-04:00

It's been a while now, but I just wasn't sure how to write about our experience. I feel like I can write about it now from a better place emotionally. So here it goes....at the end of December we were pleasantly surprised with the news of a new little one on the way! Couldn't wait to see Gem be a big sister, told our close friends and family who were also so excited. Went to the dr. it was to early for a heartbeat but I was due September 14th, a perfect day. My parents flew in for Gem's birthday that weekend and that day before they arrived I started bleeding. I texted a girls group that I wasn't well and couldn't make our brunch date when one of them called to make sure I was ok and I lost it on the phone. She immediately came to get me and take me to the emergency clinic while another friend came to get Gem (Darin unfortunately wasn't in town). From one place to another, I heard a heartbeat and felt a huge relief, it was the best sound ever, YOU were safe. I was put on bed rest for a week until my next appointment. My parents arrived and were so happy to spend their whole vacation helping me with Gem, cooking and cleaning. Darin arrived the next day, he couldn't get home fast enough the day before. At some point in the week I had a miscarriage, I had no pain, not a lot of bleeding, no fever, nothing....so going back to our week appointment, we were really hopeful that YOU were still in there safe. You only know the feeling if you've been through it, when the dr has the ultrasound on your belly and can't find the heartbeat.....floods and I mean floods of tears just come over you as your heart breaks into a trillion little pieces, you sit and try to listen to the dr, but you just can't pay attention anymore, it's a feeling I wish on no family. My parents were there when we got back to give us good long hugs that we needed so desperately. Gem just went about her day, laughing, playing, asking us to play in the pool and with her toys, a part of me is so thankful she was too young to know what happened because i'm not sure how I would of got through that with out her bubble of happiness. She reminded us that every life is precious no matter how young and there is still a life to live with her and we can try again to give her that little sibling she deserves.

Mommy, Daddy and your big sister Gemma love you so so much, you were a gift from above and we'll never forget your 6 precious weeks of time with us. All in Gods hands, something just wasn't right....it's true when they say that a miscarriage is a little baby to good for this earth, God has plans for you with him and that's ok. See you one-day little angel of ours xoxo.

WhAt HApPenEd?

2016-04-14T15:55:00.001-04:00

2.5 months? REALLY?!?!? Life obviously has been super crazy. In the middle of March we went to Orlando for 3 weeks but what happened to all of Feb and some of March? We had my parents visit the end of January then Tera and Brent came to visit the beginning of March. Darin has also been traveling a TON lately!! Anyway.....

Gem fully enjoyed her first term at school. She knows all her friends names and had a blast learning about transportation. When the term was over she had a 3 week break so we went to Orlando! She knew so much about the plane, the wings, the tail, the pilot (which I had no idea what she was saying until I realized she was pointing to the front of the plane, duh mom), the clouds and "up", she knew to buckle....I mean really, it was so crazy to see her just know stuff lol. This was also her first flight she had her own, paid for seat! Big kid status!!

Our trip to Orlando was so fun. We had more swim lessons, went to Seaworld and Universal. Did the Crayola factory and had lunch at the American Girl store with Gem's little cousins. Did a lot of shopping and eating Chick-Fila breakfast :) . Attempted a bike trailer ride with Oma and Opa but didn't get out of the driveway without a major meltdown happening, that resulted in a stroller walk with Oma to the park which Gem loves. She loves the dogs and their names are the first thing she says when her eyes open in the morning, she then has to go out and greet them before anything else happens. I got to see an Orlando City soccer game with the Tierney family on a Sunday Funday which was great, went shopping with a friend and no kiddo (which is nice to not have a tiny person grabbing clothes off the rack while strolling by), met up with friends for dinners and enjoyed down time at home with my family. Gem is at a fun stage and most of the time she's a pretty entertaining person and she had us all laughing so hard at her "skipping" and she loved when we tossed plastic eggs on her head and they'd break in half...she'd just laugh and laugh.

The last week of our trip started to go downhill with a fever followed by a super clingy and whiny 2 year old. Once we got the fever down she was good to go, but then on the flight home we could tell something else was happening. She got really whiny and couldn't get comfortable and couldn't sleep, she didn't feel warm at this point but in the morning at home she did, and then it turned into a double ear infection, green boogies, fever again and a little cough.....our poor kid can't catch a break. We seem to be on the mend after going to the Dr so hopefully she'll get back to her fun self soon.

Next week Darin and I go to Europe for 9 days! It's our first trip alone, no friends, no Gem, no sharing hotel rooms, no meeting people there, just him and me.....kind of like a 6 year delayed honeymooon!!

GeM's TWO!

2016-01-30T15:21:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe but our little spunk of kid turned TWO!! I didn't mind the first year and some going by fast but now time can slow down. I LOVE her at this age, she is so much fun! She is so fearless (I have about 15 small heart attacks a day) and independent (the snuggle struggle is real), she's funny, adventurous and loves her friends. She's annoying at times but not for bad reasons, she just repeats herself like a broken record and it drives me bonkers lol. She's a very VERY busy kid, always into something....our place isn't that big but I feel like I prob walk/run a 5k everyday in a matter of a few hours and by night time i'm done, this kid is a lot of work, good work but a lot. The times she's a brat, time outs are our friend, she stands facing the corner and can't come out until she's done crying and ready to smile, it works well for her, we also bribe her, I love it haha. We're lucky to have a really good kid, everything about her I love, all her personality traits and weird things she does as well as her super infectious smile.

I decided (because Gem can't) that she'd have a luau beach party at the Tiki Bar! My parents came for Gem's birthday this year so they brought all the decorations down and i'm so excited! Something I love to do is plan stuff and then set it all up, it's rare that I ever get a chance to do it, so Gem's birthdays are the perfect little parties to create! Instead of gifts this year, we asked people to give money and we are donating on Joss's behalf (Gem's cousin who is 3 and has leukemia) to the CURE foundation in Atlanta, GA. Gem raised $250 at her birthday party!! Her friends are so awesome!

Happiest Birthday to our TWO year old, mom and dad love you to the moon!!

ScHOoL TimE

2016-01-16T21:25:00.001-05:00

We have reached the age where we send Gemma to school! We chose a near by Montessori school and Monday was her first day. She had her lunch packed and her sneakers on ready to go make new friends and learn a lot of cool things. I as well was ready to have my mornings with GMA and coffee also run errands without having to buckle and unbuckle another human on my busy mornings and ALSO.....BLOG!!! I have time to blog now! It's only half day so we pick her up at noon.

Day 1, we talk about school, her lunch box, friends and how much fun she'll have. She gets excited but obviously doesn't know what she's excited about haha. We got to school and dropped her off but had a little resistance and didn't want to leave mommy's arms, she cried a little but we quickly left and before we left she'd found a toy with her teacher and was totally distracted. I did not cry, I know you're wondering. When we went to pick her up she was outside happily on the swing, when she spotted us she started crying haha. She used to do that when Darin came home, she'd get so excited she'd cry, so I guess these were excitement happy tears. She also had NO ACCIDENTS!!

Day 2, making good progress, we had a little whimper but she willingly went to the teacher. I try to make my mornings quick, in and out in less than 15 seconds, literally haha. I don't want to be there and make her more upset because i'm still around, it's like pulling a bandaid off, the quicker you do it, the quicker the pain. Until she's adjusted and goes to school with a smile and understands what her morning routine is, i'll start giving her a proper goodbye at school. Found her on the swing again when I picked her up, no cries, just pointing and "mommy, mommy!". Teacher said she had some good laughing sessions with her friends today, i'm so glad she's adjusting so fast and enjoying her new friends. Also NO ACCIDENTS today too!!

Day 3, no cries, no whimpers, no look back either. My girl put her lunch box on the shelf and went right to the puzzles....peace mom! Alrighty then, so that was awesome! Went to pick her up and she was on the swing AGAIN, she LOOOOVES swings :) she was laughing and smiling, happy to see me but wasn't ready to get off so we swung for a little while longer :) No accidents today either!! I'm so freaking proud of her!!

Day 4, happy as a clam in water, she put up her lunch box and I asked for a kiss, so she kissed me and turned around and headed to the puzzles....this is the moment I teared up. She is such an amazing kid, so independent and brave, my little sweet and fearless soul, i'm so proud of you! xo

Day 5, it's so cute watching her put up her lunch box and then come kiss me bye. I'd say her first week went absolutely awesome. She knows her routine and she's happy to be going to school, I couldn't ask for more. When I picked her up, she was of course on the swings, she actually got off (which she didn't do the other 4 days) ran to the class room and came out with her lunch box and her art project she painted, like ok mom, i'm ready! :) Such a big kid so fast.

She turns TWO next week!!! Ahhhhhh crazy!

NeW yEAr & PoTTy TRaiNiNG

2016-01-10T09:32:00.000-05:00

New Year's Day we spent the ENTIRE day at the beach with friends, it couldn't have been more perfect of a day. We watched the sunset and then all headed home. It was nice with the day being a Friday because then we had the rest of the weekend with Darin. We had a BBQ on Sunday with some friends, which was a great day as well, perfect weather to use the new pool toys!

In December we got our barrel which had all of the potty training supplies :) just a simple seat cover and stool, a few potty books and new panties (girl superheroes) haha. Since Gem has been born i've read a series called Baby Wise, which lead to pre-toddlerwise, toddler wise and potty wise.....I LOVE these books, I think they're spot on with a lot of my personality and parenting ways so I use it as a guide and it's worked wonders. Anyhow, so I read Potty Wise, learned what I could, decided on my way of training, prepared with m+m's as her potty prize and then waited till Monday to start. We started off focusing on the potty and what we do in it, so I let Gem run naked and we sat in the bathroom for most of the day, I had the tv off and prepped the bathroom with coffee, my phone, books, m+m's in a bowl close by so she could see her winnings, some cleaning spray, a rag and some wipes lol, I had made us our own cave of survival. The first day was hard and frustrating, I wanted to give up but I knew I couldn't so we powered through. The second day was WAY easier, about half on the potty and half accidents, I was ok with this though, it showed me progress and that whatever I was doing was working...onto day three when we had no accidents (of pee, lol). Day four we had none and ever since then (it's been about 3 weeks) we have an accident every now and then but nothing major, it's usually she makes it to the bathroom and not quite to the toilet, but she told me she had to go and she tried her best to make it so I count it. Time equals progress and i'm so impressed with how flipping fast she learned that in, it amazes me! I'm so proud of her and also stocked I have no more diapers to change!! Nap and nighttime diapers is all that's left, but I know that part of training will come in time, i'm happy and Gem is happy she gets her candy :)

I won't embarrass the older Gemma and post pics of her on the potty with her ipad and books :) your welcome :)

HoLiDAy SEasOn TwO

2016-01-04T13:19:00.000-05:00

HAPPY 2016!!! We are coming off of a great Christmas season. I miss it already, I love having a tree that lights up at night and smells so good, just something about snugging on the couch with a lit tree.....it's a warm my heart kind of feeling. Gemma and I made my mom's traditional "snowball cookies", she loves to help mix and loves to sit on the counter any chance she can get. Christmas morning was nice, just us. I made Darin waffles which he's been dying for but we didn't have a waffle maker, well guess what Santa brought him this year? Hahahaha!! We toasted to Christmas and had a yummy breakfast before heading off to our friends house for lunch and onto another for dinner. We went to a Christmas party the week before and Santa was there......he brought Gem a present but she didn't seem too pleased with his outfit lol. I learned at Sea World over the summer that she DOES NOT like people dressed up as things, Santa included apparently.

We had a great New Years, spent it at the Franco's and had a nice steak dinner with all the fixings then went to watch the fireworks....Gem barely made it but she made it nonetheless. Here's a peek at our Christmas and New Year week.

HoLidAy SEasOn

2015-12-16T12:59:00.000-05:00

We recently had "Friendsgiving" with a few of our friends the day after Thanksgiving. It was such a lovely night, with all American foods and wine, so we fully enjoyed ourselves. The busy Christmas season is around the corner and I can't wait to get our barrel we sent and wrap all the presents. Our tree this year is gorgeous! At 7ft tall, it's got a great shape and it smells awesome!

About Gem: she continues to amaze us, crazy she will be 2 next month! Her vocabulary is growing and she's super adventurous, she enjoys being a dare devil. She used to call herself "mine" but now says her name and it's probably the cutest thing i've ever heard. She loves watermelon and can't get enough of it, I think she'd eat a whole one if I let her. She loves the skateboard and running around with her friends. One of MY favorite things is time out, sounds crazy but it's pretty hilarious, she will stand in the corner and face it the whole time, when she stops crying I go get her out but it's so nice to see how she knows and respects what time out is and what it's for, she understands so much these days. She went on the boogie board for the first time and LOVED it, even after a total wipeout haha, so we'll probably get her one for Christmas too. Coloring and painting is going to be one of my favorite things i'll always remember doing with her, she's so intense coloring, holding the marker or crayon so tight and perfect only to make a tiny little dot with such concentration is so funny watching. Being thrown in the air by dad will probably be one of her favorite memories, she can't stop, just wants to be in the air again and again, at least Darin gets a good workout :)

She knows all her friends names and gets so excited if I say they're coming over or "lets go see....", I like that she's social, I hope it means she'll have some really great friends in life who she can travel the world with and make memories. Adventure should be her middle name and who better to go on those with than your friends?

JuST LikE ThAt

2015-12-01T14:37:00.000-05:00

Officially our late summer and fall is over and just like that, we're back in Barbados from our 5 week vacation in Orlando. That was the fastest blink of an eye situation ever! We've been home for 2 weeks and I want to post before the holiday season is upon us (which it technically already is). We lived in our new place for a month before Gem and I left to head to Orlando for 5 weeks!! I usually have anxiety going back because i'm pulled so many different ways, also flying alone and having a 6hr layover with a 1yr old was also weighing on my anxiety level. Our flight was terrific, I attempted to use the ipad before we left so she would be distracted for a little while on the flight which worked wonderfully.....now to get past the next 6hrs, including nap time. We got through customs and immigration, then security again and I walked around for 10mins and Gem was out! LUNCH TIME! I got to sit and eat sushi in peace, also had a glass of wine. The next few hours went by without a cry, without a whine, just a happy kid who enjoyed her ipad in TGI Fridays as mommy enjoyed some nice craft beers. We were headed to the gate when Gem passed out again for an afternoon nap and when she woke up, we were boarding. The next flight went so smooth and Gem stayed happy and all that anxiety I had went out the window. I can't believe how well behaved she was, I was shocked, it was the easiest flight ever.

After arriving to Orlando, it's always nice to unpack and chill out the first day or two there so Gem can adjust, then it was off to Seaworld. We got year passes and I was so excited to bring Gem, she loves animals, loves fish, so I knew how much she'd love Seaworld! We got to see penguins, went to the Shamu show which she loved and clapped for them, laughed and smiled the whole time. She loved the big play area and all the aquariums with fish. Great start to our Orlando visit. Gem started the next week in swim lessons at South West Aquatics, 5 days a week every morning for 10mins. Being committed was a task in itself, but in the end, I think it actually help my days stay pretty calm and uneventful. I actually found myself home a lot of afternoons which was really nice. We ventured to the splashpad some days, back to Seaworld a few more times, grabbed lunch together or met up with friends. Finding fun playgrounds was something Gem enjoyed, she loves to swing and go down slides, it's nice to be outside playing so i'm all for some good playground action.

We got to see my family quite a bit. We stay with my parents (Oma & Opa), and Gem didn't take long to say both their names as well as Remie and Casper. Remie and Gem are best friends and were completely obsessed with each other the whole time we were there. Craig and Kait came every Monday to her swim lessons and then grabbed brunch with us after. It was so nice to have our families come show Gem how we were all so excited for her, cheering her on during swim. We went to Laura's place and met more dogs, Gem was in dog heaven this trip. Oma loved having Gem on the counter watching her bake and then rocking her in the evenings before bed. Opa shared ipad moments with Gem while she drank her milk and sat on the couch with him when he got home from work. He went out one night with Gem and I, we went to a skate party and then grabbed pizza on the way home.

Pumpkin patch pictures are my absolute favorite of any kid! I could go without seeing school pictures, holiday pictures, birthday pictures, first poop in the potty pictures (people actually do that), but what I can't go without is pumpkin patch pictures! I missed them last year, we got to Orlando to late, but THIS year, I made it! We planned a day with Oma, Opa, Grammie & Poppie to go see the pumpkin patch and farm animals, eat some kettle corn and go on hayrides. The Early family met us there as well and the day was so nice, family filled.

Halloween also happened while we were there. Last year Gem was to small for it so this was her first trick or treating Halloween. Teya always does these fabulous costumes so I got in on hers and we did a joint one with the 3 kids. Wendy, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell....the cutest kids on the block. Thanks Gem for all the candy! ;)

After Halloween, we flew up to Atlanta and met Darin up there. We got to spend some family time with the Doty side. We haven't seen the girls in a while and knew Joss probably couldn't travel for a bit, so we needed to make a trip. We got brunch on arrival and then headed to the Georgia Aquarium. It's so big, and the different areas are done so well. The big huge tank is amazing, it's HUGE, it's like a really big movie screen with stadium steps to sit on and enjoy the animals swimming by. The dolphin show was SO good, better than Seaworld's! Gem loved it, of course she'd clap and laugh and just smiled the whole way though....by the time that was over, Gem was over lol....her travel day had started to take a toll, it was getting late so we left and headed back to Drey and Shane's house. The next day was a leisure family day at home, we celebrated Jordis's birthday too. It's nice to see the girls get to play together and love on each other, wished we lived closer to each other so we'd have more moments like that. I grew up with my cousins all around, someday I hope Gem can enjoy the same. Grammie & Poppie left that night for their drive back to Orlando and we left the next evening. Before leaving, we brought the girls to a playground so they could run around in the fresh air, it was nice breathing fresh cool air for a change. Our trip was to short, ended too soon, but we had to get back and finish our week before leaving for Barbados.

NeW HOmE

2015-11-09T16:43:00.000-05:00

I obvi wrote this at the beginning of september.....which was like 2 months ago lol....anyway....here's a read, i'll post more this week because a TON has happened since september :)

I meant to post my last entry weeks ago, but after Darin left for Cayman, things got a little crazy and then moving to our new place all by myself with a 1 year old and not having internet for the last two weeks made posting a little difficult. BUT......i'm here, i'm back and 80% unpacked!

With that said....PHEW, these last 3 weeks have been a tornado! Darin had to go to Cayman to help out the shop there and then from there he went to Orlando for a little over a week for work as well, so it was just Gem and I for 2.5 weeks. Normally i'd be ok (i think), it seems long and I probably would of got frustrated at some point but he left a week before we were moving into our new place and that added a whole other bag in the mix of already being a single mom for a bit. I packed slowly, every day I did a little and threw away a lot and gave away a lot. Packing with a 1.5 year old was a tad tricky, I had the back room as my room with all the boxes and kept the door closed, so I really only packed at nap time and after Gem was in bed.....talk about no downtime, holy moly!! On top of moving I also knew we couldn't sit home everyday, Gem needed to get out even if for a little bit so I made sure we had something to do every other day or so, just to keep her from getting stir crazy. Moving day came and my house was packed up, moved and unpacked in under 2 hours. I had 2 great moving men come to my rescue! Once all the boxes were in the new house and the men had left, I was just not motivated to do any unpacking. I had a friend Anna come over and she got started in the kitchen so that's where I started too. Slowly during the week with friends stopping by to lend a helping hand, room by room and box by box got cleaned out and more trash filled the dumpster. Darin wouldn't be home for another week so my goal was to get most of the unpacking done so when he got back he'd feel like he was coming home. I'm still not totally unpacked but i'm at about 80%, the rest will just come in time once I can figure out a storage plan, we're lacking on storage badly here. We've had a few people over to swim and hang on the porch and watch the sun go down, grab a bite at the golf restaurant a few steps away (oh right! i'm on a golf course and it's pretty awesome). We have our first big bbq and pool lime (party) this weekend with everyone, looking forward to a good day and lots of laughs and good food!

Gem has adjusted pretty well here, I was a little nervous at first because she was getting up real early but after trying a few things, I figured out it was the light in the am coming through the windows. No problem some blackout curtains can't fix, and ta-da :) my 8am baby is back!! Darin's now been home for a week and we're settling nicely in our new place. Happy to be here, to have all of us here and I think we'll really like it here.