Looking back over the last year...

First off, I cant believe we are here already. That almost one year ago, I was going to the hospital and leaving with the most beautiful and precious little baby girl. So I started working on Leila's Baby book. It was one that someone gave to us in with all the moving got put up in Leila's closet and I found when taking all her too small clothes and putting them into storage(which usually involves tears!lol). So I was looking through it and filling out things I could remember, going back and finding the doctor notes with her weight and height at all the month stages, and I took a second and thought back to the first couple of hours, days, weeks. We are so blessed to have such a  smart and vibrant little girl.

Maternity Pictures taken
the day before she came

I can still remember her birth. How excited i was to see her, how fast everything was going, and how amazing Brian was with my every need. He did great! I remember everything about the day of August 20th, 2010. It started with my doctor telling me i had to pick a day to be induced because i was already 2 days late. I was furious. Both my parents, at different times which is funny, told me to tell them January 1st!! They think too much alike. I took a nap while watching The Rock while brian went to BB&B to get a  blow up mattress for some company we were going to be having shortly after Leila came. When i woke up, i was late for a dinner date with Sabrina and Catie and while getting ready my water broke. Well at the time i wasnt sure thats what had happened, at that point pregnant moms are peeing every 20 secs anyways. So I had to cancel dinner plans, Brian came home with like a $300 blow up mattress, all because i didnt answer my phone (he says), and my grandma and cousin from denmark had just arrived in town. I went and had some peaches and ice cream with family, told my mom what was going on and then went home to relax, prepare for the contractions, and watch the Twins game!!

We can skip all the labor details, because I'm sure those who read this either already know or dont want to! lol But i can remember when Leila was 12 hours old (at around 3pm) and Brian and I looked at each other and were SO happy. Like this is going to change our world, rock it off its stand, but make it more filled with love and adventures (for sure!). It was amazing!

Leila's First Picture

So I am going to apologize if you are getting teary eyed, Lord knows I am, but its is so crazy to think that a whole year has flown by when i feel like she just got here.

In that last year we have done quite a lot.... here are some of our adventures:

• Jacksonville at 3 weeks old
• Minnesota for a month when she was a month old
• Her first flight... now she has been on 8!
• North Carolina for Thanksgiving with Cita's side of the Family
• Aquariums (3) Florida, The Keys, and Tarpon Springs
• Zoo - Minneapolis
• Miami after christmas
• The Beach... too many to count
• Road trip to Tallahassee and Georgia
• UGA Football game
• Minnesota Twins Games (2)
• Tampa Bay Rays Games (3)
• GooGoo Dolls Concert (that she slept through) 
• The Keys! Glass bottom boat trip!
• Florida Marlins Baseball game
• Tons of Play Dates
• Shopping at Mall of America
• Lived in 3 different Houses (Thanks to renovations!!)
• 2 Roadtrips from Florida to Minnesota (28hr drive each way)
• Nashville,TN
• Memphis, TN for the 4th of July
• Jackson, TN to visit The McLeary's
• Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, SD Winery
• All the states she has been in:
• Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Dakota, North Dakota, Virginia, and Missouri. I believe that is it, but could be wrong!

The Family in NC  for Thanksgiving

Leila in Minneapolis
1-2 months old

So you can see how the year has flown by. This week is going to be crazy busy gearing up for one of the best Birthday Parties.. EVER! I am excited for everyone to come out, enjoy the Hula Show, Pool, Food, and Drinks in celebration of Leila's first year and so many more to come.... Aloha for now!

What I Love Wednesday...

Last night I was making dinner and Leila spotted broccoli. First off I know she likes broccoli, but i didn't realize how much. She threw a fit because I would not give it to her, because it was being steamed! So in order to hold her off for the 5 minutes it needed to finish, I gave her the broccoli stalk! She looked at it, explored it a little bit, and then proceeded to chew on it! This girl has a love for broccoli! So what i love today is how great of an eater Leila is turning out to be. I know some moms out there are going to say "Wait until she turns 4", but i disagree! I think if i keep her loving her little "trees" she will continue to! Yay for starting kids young on veggies!

Also i am really excited for Trivia Night with Jessica tonight!!

Thankful Thursday 8-4-2011

Today I am thankful for a sleeping baby. Leila has turned a new leaf and likes to sleep. Almost like a teenager. She stays up a bit later, but it sleeping until 11! Although I am working on changing the times she goes to bed and wakes up, i am still grateful for the hours I get to clean, catch up on work stuff, and blog! Since i have not been able to sleep in past 8 i have extra time to accomplish stuff with out my little mini-me behind me "helping"! Now if only i can work on my sleeping!

My precious baby cuddling with her
Mommy and Daddy Bears

Getting into the groove...

Our days have been packed since we have arrived back in Florida, but i didn't expect anything less. I knew there would be a lot to catch up on. It started with Story time with Brett and Emma and a little play date to follow. It was great to see all the babies moving around.

Sunday we attended Jessica and Brian's Christmas in July party. First off, such a cute idea. Second, it was filled with laughs, sangria, and presents! That is definitely something we are going to have to do annually! Props to Brian for grilling out in 100 degree weather!

Monday, July 25th,  was also a BIG DAY for us. Leila and I went to visit Aunt NeeNee and Aunt Linda.  And boy was it a great visit. We laughed, we crawled, we ate all of her fruit, and then SHE WALKED! 8 whole steps! She has been pulling herself up on everything for a while and is a pro at walking along the couch, but this was all by herself walking!! YAY!! I know all the moms that have kids walking and running are like "girl you are crazy", but its still such a huge milestone and i love getting to new ones with her. After that she started showing off and taking steps to walk from the couch to me and then to NeeNee. It was a great day!

She followed her BIG monday with a HUGE tuesday! 15 steps at Sabrina's! And since then she has been walking everywhere. She walks to get a toy. She walks to cry and look for mom. She walks into the bathroom if i forget to close the door. She walks everywhere.

Last week we had lots of play dates with friends. We got to see Sara and Mike, Lauren and her niece Melanie, Sabrina, and Aunt NeeNee and Linda. Plus an added bonus of Brian coming into town on Friday! A long weekend with Brian!

Over the weekend, we got a lot of quality time in. We visited the water park at Del Holmes. It was a blast. There is water going in every direction and Leila just had a blast with it. We would take turns running through the fountains with her and then let her explore. It was precious to see her walking around and playing in the water. That is going to be somewhere we go more often!

We had a great time over the weekend, and of course the day came that i hate, when brian leaves. And this was twice as bad because his flight was at 7:30 AM! Which means wake up at 6! We get everyone up, and are making great time. As i am driving over the skyway i hear a weird noise and then driving becomes more difficult! I knew it had to be a flat tire, but i could see the airport exit and i didnt want him to be late. Well I have to pull over, but luckily i have a handy man, because he changed that tire, found the spare (bc i had no idea where it was), and put the new one on. I drove quickly to the terminal, dropped him off at 7:14 and he made his flight! Thats what i call crazy! But that is our life and I love it!

Thankful Thursday 7-21-2011

First off I have to start today with Happy 11 months to my baby girl. It is crazy to think she is 11 months old, only one month until she is ONE! how crazy! At the same time when I look back at the last 11 months it has been a fun and crazy trip.


Today I am thankful for my mom. We just drove a 30 hour drive in three days and did it successfully! And we are still friends! That much time in a car.. wooo!

But in all seriousness, she is amazing. And helped Leila and I all the way back to florida. Not many people would sign up to drive that many miles with a baby, in a packed car through floods, a million construction zones, and mountains! She is a trooper!

Thanks Mom <3

Summer in North Country...

They say you can take the girl out of Florida, but you cant take the FLORIDA out of the girl.  Our first summer in Minnesota has been a little bit cooler than expected. Temperature wise. I cant remember a time when Florida had a 57 degrees day in June! Then turn around and have a 93. Talk about crazy. One thing i love is consistency, and thats something you lose with weather in a state not surrounded by water. Water helps stabilize temperatures and weather patterns, just in case you were wondering! Gotta show off that biology degree when i can!

We went to our first Farmer's Market early June. Its a little different than the ones we went to in Florida, but still fun to go out and se. They had a lot more danishes, breads, and treats tables than fruits and veggies, but i think that is because their summer hasnt started yet.

The weather is beginning to stay warm, but its definitely a different kind of heat than what i am used to. Humidity.... not here! It can be 75 outside but then a wind comes  that makes it feel 60! A little dramatic, but i have never gotten so many goose bumps while in the sun.

We finally got our bike attachment set up so Leila and I can go on bike rides. I AM SO EXCITED!! Its something we can do outside, its active, and we can explore new parks and the bike trail. We went to the park on the North Dakota side of town.  Leila did great for the first time in a new contraption. We brought all of our essentials. The classic quilt, toys, snacks, and the CAMERA!! And its a good thing, she has started to do a twist dance. Its the cutest ever. I attached some pictures from our adventure at the bottom.


Speaking of Leila and her new advancements....She is growing up too fast. She is 10 months, well i guess 10.5 months now. Yea im one of those moms. She is a great eater. She eats prety much everything i cook. Last night we had some chicken and esparagus and she ate it all! I am really thankful of all the books and magazines i read when she was little about expanding her palate, because she eats all her veggies and fruits and meats. I am blessed that is for sure. She has been having a little hesitation to dairy, so we have cut it out a little, but making up for the nutrients other places. Truth be told she even loves peas! Not mashed up like "baby" food, but the real thing. Her Favorites are eggs and bananas in the morning, Plum organic fruit pouches, chicken, watermelon, and gosh you name it she loves it. Strawberries are in season up here now so she is back on her berry kick. And if you put a blueberry near her face its gone!!

She is almost walking. which is ok with me. Take your time. I love that she is mobile and i wont lie i was excited when she started crawling even though i knew it was going to require a lot more work. So i am happy she is mobile but am totally okay with her walking a little later. Less for me to baby proof up here. She has recently found the stairs and likes going up them. She has figured how to get down from the bed and couch. She swings her legs down first and cautiously propels down. Now Brian and I are always there watching but she has some kahunas. She is a dare devil.


This weekend is going to be a BIG EVENT! One that we dont have to leave town for. My MOM IS COMING TO US!! And Leila is going to get Baptized. So that calls for a big party with Brian's Family and of course my mom! If you are reading this and live in the EGF area or would like to attend her baptism and party, email me. I dont have everyones number or address, so its word of mouth from me! We would love everyone to be there, The more the merrier. So i will be driving to Fargo saturday morning to pick up the best Cita ever. It has been tough being away from my family this long, so I am so excited to see her! I am excited to show her everything up here and for everyone to meet the woman who raised me, also an amazing person! lol

Thats all i can think of right now for life's adventures. I feel another bike ride coming today which is going to be fun! Some sun, fun, and time with my Leila!!

Leila the Explorer

Talking away about our Adventures

Pure Sweetness Captured

I dont think its possible to get any cuter...
She is my doll!

After drinking water Leila likes to blow Raspberries!

Celebrating the Fourth in the city of Rock and Roll... Memphis, TN

For the Fourth of July, our company Family Heritage, had its mid year meeting in Memphis, TN, home of Graceland, Elvis, and The Peabody Hotel. If you have never heard of the Peabody hotel, it is famous for the ducks. There is a huge fountain the main lobby and at 10am and 4pm the ducks waddle from the elevator down a red carpet and climb the couple of stairs and hop into the fountain. It brings people from everywhere to see this. I am talking there was like 10 people deep no matter where you went on the main floor and upstairs. It was crazy. Even on a Tuesday at 10... dont people have jobs. lol. Well, Leila was excited to see the ducks. She thought they were pretty cool. Brian, Leila, Carla (Brian's mom), and I were already for a busy weekend full of fun.

Saturday night was dinner and drinks at Alfredo's. The food was good and the drinks were great! It was outside and i wont lie i was loving the heat. You know you have been out of Florida too long when you long for heat and humidity!

Sunday was really special and we got to take a tour of St. Judes Childrens hospital. In case you dont know, its one if not the best cancer hospitals for children. The people we met were great and the facility is completely geared for children and keeping their spirits high. There was a wall of the ABC's of Cancer, where each letter was written by a different child. Here are a few, some are funny, but they all show the childrens fight.

The Hospital's budget is 1.7 million dollars a day! A day! Thats amazing. That money goes towards research for better and more accurate treatments, housing the children AND their families, paying for their transportation, schooling the children, and even providing therapy or guidance for all the family members. Its an amazing thing that they do. I applaud all of the staff and research specialist that are working with these children for a better tomorrow.






After the tour, we all went to a baseball game. The rocky redbirds may be the name... i dont know. I spent more time hanging out with some friends i havent seen in years. There was a minor rain shower, but it cooled the temperature down and made for a great game! Leila spilled two beers, but atleast she was keeping up. lol JUST KIDDING!

Monday was the 4th. A day which is normally filled with fireworks, hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon, maybe some coleslaw if you like, and a softball tournament that we had arranged. A little competition between the different organizations. The weather was sunny and hott, so we were sure to pack extra water. But then at 5am, Leila woke up coughing. I rushed to her bed thinking maybe she woke up and put something in her mouth, but to my surprise she was puking. She has never done that before. I was worried, so i scooped her up, but she fell right asleep. For the next 3 hours every 20 minutes, Leila would wake up puke and go back to sleep. I called our pediatrician back in FL after a couple hours and asked what she should because i was nervous of her dehydrating. They said if there is a 30 minute span where she doesnt puke, give her 2 teaspoons of pedialite every 5 minutes. During that phone call leila got sick again. I was not about to chance it, especially since we had been in the heat the day before. So Carla and I took Leila to the ER.

I felt so helpless. Here she is sick, puking up nothing because its all out but her body is heaving. Almost brings me to tears again. The Doc says its a stomach bug and that she will give her some anti nausea and some pedialite. Small doses of course. A stomach bug, like they could be more vague. How did she get it? Possibly from the ducks at the hotel? is it contagious? What can i do to help it go away? all these questions but she was outta there. For the rest of the day we took it easy. Leila napped good, and i was right there in case anything were to happen. When she woke up, it was as if she was never sick. Her mood was drastically different and enthusiasm was at an all time high. She was ready to play. We still took it easy.

That night at dinner, she had had some formula and out of nowhere she got sick again.

The next day was our national meeting. So i only got to see Leila at lunch and right before getting ready for Graceland! Brian and I had already gone, but it was going to be fun to attend the sock hop at the Kings Palace. Then things took a turn for the worst. Brian and I both got sick. At least it was on the Kings Throne... sorry i had to throw in some potty humor!! Needless to say We went straight home. I may or may not have puked in front of the VP of our company in the Lobby! Nice one Malia!  All i have to say is that was the worst pain Brian and I have been in in our entire lives. I would have given birth 5 more times than go through what we did again. I will digress with the details but just know it was bad.

Our next day was a trip planned to see my host Family in Jackson. We were moving a bit slower than usual, but we got there and were able to hang out and visit with our amazing friends. Leila really like Pat and Sid. We will have to come back when we are feeling better for sure.















Thursday we flew out of memphis, not a day later, we were ready to be back in our beds, which wasn't going to happen for another 4 days, but at least get us away from memphis! We had a lot of fun while it lasted. The airplanes had downgraded the plane to a sardine can and lucky for us we were the second to last row. YAY! 30 minutes into Leila pukes all down Brian's shirt. The nice flight attendant then took the next 10-15 minutes to flirt and get drinks for the men behind us. I was about to throw some bows. While Brian was washing up, Leila then continued to projectile vomit on me and the seat next to me. Now you know i normally have Leila in a cute outfit especially on vacations, but she landed in Minneapolis wrapped in a red delta blanket and shoes! Just the perfect way to end the perfect vacation!!

So that was how we celebrated our country's independence. I hope you all had better holiday weekends. At least we got to spend the time together. What doesnt kill us makes us stronger?


I will also try to update on life in MN soon... Ta ta for now!!