1 Year

Today was Chase's 1 year birthday...

I can't believe how fast it has gone by.  It feels like we were in the hospital with him just yesterday.  I feel so lucky to be Chase's mom - there really isn't anything that can compare to a mother's love.

Some of my favorite things about the last year:

- Delivery itself - it was so exciting and amazing

- Holding Chase for the very first time

- Chase's tiny hands and feet

- The way Chase buries his face against me when he is giving me hugs

- Chase's open mouth kisses

- The Yum Yum dance

- Checking on Chase while he sleeps

- All of the firsts - rolling, crawling, walking, words, waving, etc.

- Naked baby after a bath

- Chase's soft fluffy hair

- The way babies smell

- How Chase loves tags more than anything else

- Watching my parents with Chase

- Pretty much just about everything!

I can't imagine going back to life before Chase....

What a Cute Birthday Boy

This weekend was Chase's 1st birthday party. His Grammy hosted the party and it was a huge success. He got a ton of amazing gifts including a convertible, a hand painted wagon, lots of books, a ball toy, balloons, bubbles, an ATV, and a penguin pillow. He is such a spoiled kid.

The funniest thing is that I think Chase takes after Boris when it comes to cleanliness. We could not get him to dive into the cake! Grammy had to break it into pieces for him and even then he stayed pretty clean.

Check out the rest of Chase's birthday pictures at his website.

Ouchy!

Poor Chase!  He had his first accident today, he fell and cut his lip on his tooth.  His poor lip is all swollen and bloody!  I feel so bad for him.  He cried a lot when it happened but he seems to be doing better.

There is something about seeing your child injured that just breaks your heart.  I wanted to do something to fix it so bad but there wasn't really anything I could do other then snuggle him.  How am I going to survive all of his future accidents?!

PS.  Chase is pretty much walking now!!!

Family Night Out

Boris, Chase, and I had some quality family time on Tuesday. We went to the mall and ate soft pretzels followed by a trip to The Counter for milk shakes, ham and cheese sandwiches, fries, onion strings, and sweet potatoe fries. It wasn't exactly a nutrious night but we had a lot of fun. Chase loves going for walks and being outside now so he enjoyed the new outdoor addition to Park Meadows. Boris and I also ended up investing in some new fleece lined Crocs (which Boris likes to refer to as Cr-Ugs). They are amazing! I highly recommend them to everyone - it is well worth the money.

Cute Chase Update: Chase's favorite word right now is Uh-Oh! He doesn't exactly use it right - just about everything is UH-OOHHHHHHH! It is adorable! He is also getting so close to walking! Yesterday he took 4 steps...so close...

Where to Start...

I haven't blogged in so long I don't know where to start!  So this blog is going to be comprised of a bunch of random thoughts.  Also check out my crafting blog - I've actually had time to finish a few projects lately.

Ignoring the Budget:

So Boris and I are suppose to be budgeting (mainly because we are moving Chase to a new daycare that is insanely expensive - what a parent won't do for their child...).  Unfortunately, no matter how hard I try I can't seem to control myself lately.  I just keep spending spending spending.  Some of my more recent purchases included:

- a new pocket camera (I am tired of always hauling my SLR around)

- a penguin costume for Chase for Halloween

- new pants for Chase

- some Old Navy clothes for everyone in the family

- crafting supplies

- Zoo pass for Chase's birthday

- there are also these necklaces that my friend showed me and I'm sure I'll cave soon and purchase one of those also

Chase Update:

Chase has been adorable lately.  He has taken a few steps and he learned how to drink from a straw.  I can't wait until he is full on walking.  He is getting to be so big - I think he will even need a hair cut soon!

Health Update:

I'm still sick - and it still makes me miserable.  I had a test done where they drew my blood, took out the white blood cells, and then flagged them and re-injected them back into my body to see if they all went to some kind of infected area.  It didn't turn anything up but it was the most uncomfortable thing I have ever had to do.  It involved 4 attempts at an IV and sitting still for 45 minutes while they scanned my body (and of course in that 45 minutes my limbs all fell asleep and I had an itchy nose etc etc).  I am tired of being sick...

Family Update:

My brother in law and his wife had their second baby.  I haven't had a chance to see her yet but I guess they named her Sophie...  I saw pictures and she looks just like her dad... I guess the Kalikstein genes are rather strong.  I'm surprised Chase looks as much like me as he does.  Also we went to Boris's grandma's 85th birthday party today.  It was very fun - I can't imagine what life will be like when I'm 85...

The Long Weekend

The three day weekend was just what I needed...

Friday - Boris and I went to Barolo Grill which is our all time favorite place to eat.  I had Ricotta Gnocci, Mushroom Risotto, and Creme Brulee.  The service was amazing as always and the food was just perfect.  We even got to take the Porsche to dinner - it was a wonderful night.

Saturday - My mom ended up taking Chase to a birthday party so I got the chance to do some sewing.  I made a tote bag and finished a quilt that I have been working on for awhile.  Check them out on my crafting blog.

Sunday - Chase and I went with Jamie and Everett to the zoo.  It was Chase's first time and he was busy pointing at everything.  He enjoyed the train a lot but was terrified of the carousel, can you blame him?  Then in the evening Kathy watched Chase for us and Boris and I went out to dinner with friends.

Monday - Boris and I got up early and went to Kohls.  We got Chase a new truck which he LOVES.  Then we went for a walk and now I am getting some time to catch up on blogging finally!

Overall it was a great weekend.

Also, check out some of the bugs that we found outside our house this morning!

Still No Regrets...

Isn't she lovely!!!

Long Time...No Blog...

My life has felt a bit hectic lately...

It has been quite awhile since I have had the chance to get around to any of my hobbies, including blogging! I haven't been feeling that well lately (I think I am on like day 10 with a fever over 100) which isn't helping my lack of time situation. To top it off the doctor suspects that Chase has Roseola which has resulted in him not being able to go to daycare since last Friday! Boris and I are both feeling extreme guilt for missing so much work. Not to mention that "cranky baby" sure does take a lot of work!

The most exciting piece of news that I have is that we bought a Porsche Boxster the other weekend! It is wonderful - as soon as I get a spare minute to take pictures I will post them. The second exciting piece of news is that I did find a little bit of time to start working on a redwork quilt (thanks to some grandma babysitting). I can't wait until I can escape for another afternoon and finish it. It is much more traditional than my usual style but I like it anyways...

More to come...hopefully soon....

Lost in a Story

One of my favorite all time hobbies is reading...

The last few days I have been driving Boris crazy because I found a new series of books to read. I'm the type of person where when I am reading I am pretty much zoned out and I don't like to be distrurbed for hours at a time. I think the appeal for me is the ability to completely leave my own little life and take a break from reality. That is the reason that fantasy and romance novels are my two favorite types of books - definately the best escapes.

Boris's irritation at my long reading spurts made me start to wonder what it is about the way my brain is wired that makes it capable for me to get so involved in a book where as to other people it is just a story. I swear I literally get "lost" in the stories and I relate to the characters and I can hardly wait to find out what's next (I'm one of those people who often read the last page of a book when I am about 1/3 of the way in - I am also one of those people who will re-read a book 15 - 20 times).

The other thing that I have started to think about is whether or not I can influence someone's interest in reading. For example, if I read to Chase a lot when he is little will he become an avid reader or is that already predetermined by how his little brain is wired?

Brio

Boris and I discovered an amazing new restaurant today...

This morning we went out for brunch at a new place in Lone Tree called Brio.  It is a Tuscan grill and the food was amazing!!!  I had turkey, bacon, and egg crepes with some kind of cheese sauce that were to die for.  Not to mention the most amazing mini muffins and bread.  Boris had the worlds best Mango Bellini and some kind of beef tenderloin thing with mashed potatoes.  It is definitely worth checking out (they also had great service - probably some of the best service I have had in a long time).

In addition to our great meal we also did some shopping.  We picked up some new books for me and new shoes for Chase.  Overall it was the perfect morning.  Aren't Chase's new shoes adorable!