Day 113 - Happy cat

greets us everyday. Bachan brought him back from one of her trips to Japan a few years ago. He's such a happy, fat cat. 

Day 112 - Hot deals, Hotwire

We are heading to the Windy City in a couple weeks. YAY! 

My Woman and I are planners. We like to plan well in advance. Not only so can we figure out our budget, but it allows us to keep a countdown of the next time we get to see one another. Our hotel, the Comfort Suites, was booked way in advance, but a couple weeks ago we ran into a snafu with the rates. They increased our rates because we added one night. The nerve! I was hot...still am. We decided to look at other hotels.

My Woman has been talking up priceline and hotwire for some time. She kept telling me we should check it out and that we would end up with a much lower rate at a better hotel. These sites give you the price per night and certain details (amenities, general vicinity, Trip Advisor ratings), but you do not know where you are going to stay until you book the hotel. I was hesitant. The Type A/planner in me was telling me that it was better to book directly through a hotel. It's the safe route. Well, all of that went out the window when My Woman scored the Embassy Suites for $89/night! With the help of http://betterbidding.com/ she was able to determine where the hotel would be before booking! She used the same boards to help me score rooms at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers for $122/night (typically $300/night)...and to think that we were going to pay $250/night for the Comfort Suites! We are getting a sweet deal and I cannot imagine ever paying full price for a hotel again! Still sound risky? The rates are guaranteed. You receive a confirmation number from the hotel and hotwire. If you're a Clark Howard fan (ahem...mom and michi) this is the only way he books his hotel stays and highly recommends these sites. A HUGE thank you to My Woman for helping us see the light!!! 

I am so excited that I had to blog about it and take a picture of my receipt...

Day 111 - Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu!

Happy Birthday, Michi! We love you!

Day 110 - Typical evening...

The past few nights Josh has passed out on the floor and Molly follows his lead...

Day 109 - Vote for me!

Parents Magazine is looking for a model for the cover of their magazine. Wouldn't this kid look great on the cover? Seriously. I'm so glad that Aunt Sally sent me the information about the contest. I submitted six pictures and this is the one that made it through to the first round.

Vote for Josh by clicking here: http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/244730

Day 108 - Puppy love

Puppy once belonged to Eric. Grandma Doyle brought Puppy back to life, so he could be loved by another little boy. 

Day 107 - Splish, Splash!

Josh and I love our swim class! Every week we spend an hour with other mommies and their babies. We swim, exercise and have a great time! Josh has the best time kicking, splashing and laughing. E watched our session this morning and took this picture...

Day 106 - Gimme those!

Josh discovered daddy's glasses! Looks like E may need to invest in a back-up pair.

Day 105 - Peggy Sue!

It's your birthday, OLE! Happy Birthday, Peggy Sue!!! We love you!!

Day 104 - Chef E

E decided to be the baby food chef tonight. On the menu: sweet potatoes and peas. YUM!

Day 103 - A cold, a carseat and some much needed rest

Poor kiddo! It's been a rough few days. He's still fighting a cold and sleep has not been very easy for him. Tonight, we ran errands and he fell fast asleep in his car seat. Look how peaceful he is. I should post a picture of him a few minutes later...not so peaceful. 

Day 102 - Two peas in a pod...sick peas

My poor boys. Not only is Josh sick, but E is too. After washing dishes, bottles, diapers, etc I walked into the living room and this is what I found...

Day 101 - Two words...

COLDS SUCK! AGAIN...another cold!!! I think we had maybe four days without any coughing, sneezing, watery eyes and a runny nose. Our poor kiddo has had a cold every month since November! I'm starting to think that we can deal with the period of purple crying again...did I just say that? Tonight's picture clearly shows how we feel about J's colds.

Day 100 - P, the Pirate ship and dinosaurs...

Although, we had to cancel a trip to Concord this weekend we were able to spend a fun Saturday night with one our favorite little ones, Mr. P! Tonight, we took a short walk to our neighborhood park. At the park, P took command of the Pirate ship and caught some friendly dinosaurs on his journey. Uncle E served as his first mate. Josh and I had a great time being entertained by two of our favorite pirates!

Day 99 - Big boy laugh

Josh is laughing like a big boy. He has a hearty, full chuckle, which causes his shoulders to move up and down. It's pretty hilarious. In this picture he is laughing at his daddy, because his daddy is laughing at him. Gosh, he's adorable. 

Day 97 - Woof

Molly in the afternoon. So sweet. 

Day 96 - Happy Birthday, E!!!

E pictured with his two faves: Guinness & Dots 

Happy Birthday to my dearest one! We love you!

Day 95 - A great idea!

My friend, Jen, keeps an emergency kit in her car. This emergency kit comes in handy for the uh-oh moments, like forgetting the diaper bag or running out of diapers, wipes or when your kid spits up and needs an outfit change. Thanks for sharing such a great idea, Jen! 

Day 94 - Meet our new personal chef...

Ev came over this afternoon to hang out with Josh and I. He asked if he could stay for dinner and I told him, "Absolutely, but only on one condition. You must cook dinner!" HA! Of course, I was only joking, well kinda. Let me tell you this kid can cook!We dined on lemon pasta with shrimp. YUM! Thanks for fixin' dinner for us little brother!

Day 93 - Goodbye!

On Friday, we said goodbye to Josh's teacher, Julie. She has a wonderful opportunity with Head Start and we wish her all the best! We'd like to thank her for making the past few months a little easier for us as we transitioned into daycare.

Day 92 - Whoopsie!

Oh, Josh! I had the best of intentions! He was playing so well, sitting up like such a big boy and wearing his super cute overalls. I just had to take pictures! During our impromptu photo shoot he lost his balance and fell backwards (onto a pillow). My cousin told me not to freak out when your kid falls, but to distract them, by cheering or laughing. It works. He was happy as a clam seconds after this picture was taken.

Day 91 - "Jumpin' Jesus, Holy Cow"

E & I had an absolute blast on our date night! We've been waiting years for David Gray to make his way back to NC. He is an amazing singer-songwriter from England, who is best known for his songs, "Babylon" and "This Year's Love". His performance blew me away, especially when he sang "Shine". If you closed your eyes it was like listening to his CD. At the end of the show we made our way to the stage door and ended up with pictures and an autograph. SIGH. We could not have asked for a better evening.

A huge THANKS to Aunt C and Uncle Ant for watching J! He loved spending time with his aunt and uncle.

Day 90 - Oh the faces we make

My Woman took this funny picture of Josh. He makes the silliest faces and she was able to capture it. I love it!

Day 89 - PJs

I love these PJs! Gap and Old Navy have some pretty cute sets. Of course, I never pay full price :) They look so adorable on Josh.

Day 88 - Just call us Gerber...

We finally made our first batch of baby food! MMMMM....sweet potatoes! This kid LOVES sweet potatoes, so our first batch should be a hit. Of course, we are still working on avocados. It's nice knowing where his food is coming from. There are no questionable ingredients. Sweet potatoes are sweet potatoes and that's that. Also, it's not that time consuming. We feel it is a win-win situation for our family!

Day 87 - Teething

Josh's teeth are coming in! Two teeth! He has been handling teething like a champ. One comfort measure has been teething rings, which are not only soothing, but fun to play with. Nom. Nom. Nom.

Day 86 - Easter gets one thumb up...

I took a trip to the emergency room this afternoon. It's not as bad as it looks. I was slicin' and dicin' and my thumb got in the way. Opps. Thankfully, the cut was sealed with super glue and not stitches. All will be better within a week. From here on out I am sticking to the slap chop. 

Happy Easter, Y'all!

Day 85 - Bliss

Pedicures are bliss. My friends and I enjoyed an afternoon of pedis, Starbucks and girl talk. I think we all agree that our feet look and feel fantastic! Curious about the color on my toes? I decided to go with Opi Red Hot Ayers Rock. I love it! Check out our pampered feet:

Day 84 - Return of the...

COLD!!!! REALLY? SERIOUSLY? Yep, Josh has already been to the doctor twice in less than a week. The first visit was his 6 month well-baby check, the second was to have his non-stop cough checked out. Of course, the coughing stops right before we see the doctor. "All is clear", says the doctor. Two days later, the runny nose and coughing has gotten worse. Break out the booger getter outer, saline drops, humidifier, etc. Oh wait, those things never made it back into the medicine cabinet.

Day 83 - Motherland beats

TAO Taiko Drummers are amazingly talented (watch the video on their website)! If you ever have a chance to see their show you must go! We experienced 2 hours of fast paced, athletic drumming mixed with dancing and Japanese chanting. The drummers were very entertaining and interactive with the audience. We had a fantastic time! I would like to thank Michi for treating us all to such a fun evening!

Meymandi Hall

Yoshinori Suito - love that hair!