Leah Addison Shaw...... A Day In The Life!

playoffs baby!

2010-01-09T13:26:00.000-08:00

ABC's

2009-12-17T16:32:00.000-08:00

It's Elmo's World....Happy Haloween!

2009-11-01T16:52:00.001-08:00

What a great Halloween this year!! Leah was able to say"trick or treat" and "happy halloween".I think she really enjoyed it. I let her "pick" her costume out by giving her a catalog and she pointed and screamed "Elmo"!!! We went to the Ridgefield Parade with the baby group and it was so nice all the kids be able to run around this year and really enjoy themselves. Then we got lucky at night where we had one hour that it didn't rain and we went around the development.

Fun days at Fraser Woods

2009-11-01T16:33:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin Day

PE......to funny

music time

Why can't I get her to eat like that with me?

Walking from Breakfast Club

Here are some pics from Leah at school. Although many are with her partner in crime , Riley...she has alot of friends there ( especially Sdy and Livey). But since Leah and Riley are the "all dayer's" they are always together. I wish I had some pics of what they look like at the afterschool program with the Big kids passing them around. It's been a fun school year so far!

19 Months....how quickly time is moving

2009-11-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

Wecome to Fall!
Lele and her Sophie Boo!

Meeting up with her friends at apple picking

As we sing the "brusha brusha brusha" song from Greese.

We had alot of birthdays this month!!!

Mylania, James, Lucas, and welcome baby Jillian!!

Leah and Daddy's first slow dance

We love Brewster Playscape

Leah exploring her favorite park!!

Hanging out with Sydney, Livey, and Sophia

Sometimes you have to just stop and smell the flowers

Happy birthday sweet baby James

Welcome to the world Jillian. Leah this will soon be your very best friend!

Getting ready for pumpkin time at Lucas's Birthday Party

Who gives the best kisses

As you can see, Leah LOVES to see her big brother ( look at that admiration)

This has been a great and busy month. Being back at work will only allow me to write on the blog once in a while so I think I will just do the monthly updates. Leah is growing so fast we can hardly keep up. And we mean physically and developmentally. Her shoe size seems to change daily and her vocabulary just adds new words all the time. It is has been the best and most exciting time with her. Although I loved the "baby" stage, I am REALLY enjoying the toddler time. Now that her tantrums have been put on hold she is soooooo much fun. Her school routine has been great and she comes home happy all the time. There are so many great teachers and friends there that I think this is the best place we could have sent her. She is still in love with her music and I am always fascinated by how many songs she knows all the words to!!! Her favorites things at the moment are horses, singing, reading, taking a bath, WonderPets, brushing her teeth, practicing taking her shoes on and off, parks, dancing, and looking at pictures of her friends and family and saying all their names.

Leah Goes to School

2009-09-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

Today was Leah's first day of school........OMG she is all grown up!!! Off to Fraser Woods she went with Daddy ( who by the way is the BEST DAD IN THE WHOLE WORLD).Seriously he will do anything for his little girl and we love him for it. It is "transition" week so they only stay for an hour each day. The first day went great. She was happy Daddy was there with her but also curious about this new classroom and all the goodies that are in it. Her teachers seem great and loving. We are soo proud of how brave she was and what a great job she did. Casey was there with the camera and we are sooo excited that she got some great pics of their first day. LeLe , Riley, Sydney, and Olivia off to FW....OH boy , let the fun begin. Leah and Riley arrive at the same time and look for their new class
but first.....we have to take their first "official" school pic

We don't want to be late.....Daddy will lead the way

Checking out the furniture

Just making sure Daddy hasn't left me yet

I love this pic....she looks so interested and happy

Bye Bye......a great first day

**** I am writing this entry the DAY AFTER and today was NOT a good day. It was a rough one with everyone in the family crying at some point today. Let's hope tomorrow is better....keep you posted.

Happy 18 Months!!!!

2009-09-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that my little princess is a year and a half. It has been such an amazing ride so far. She has really turned into a little girl, with opinions, a full vocabulary, recognizing friends , family, and has sooooo much love and affection. I started writing down all the words she knows for this blog but when i got to 50 I said what am i doing??? She loves to help around the house and do all different kinds of "tasks". In the last month none of her shoes fit her and she is already a size 6!!!!! There has been so much growth and development that it is hard to keep up with the blog. We love you LeLe and can't wait to see what Fall brings us.

Weekend on the lake

2009-09-02T17:14:00.001-07:00

We had the best weekend with Aunt Marcie , Uncle Jeff, and Jared and Lainey at their summer house in the Catskills. We were right down the street from Woodstock and took Leah to the museum there and hang on the lawn. We got so lucky with the weather ( rained every time we were inside and then got sunny when we needed to go out). We also took out a pontoon and Leah got to take her first jump into a lake. This was the first trip were Leah could say every one's name and she just ADORES her cousins. Everyone in the lake ( except Aunt Marcie our diligent photographer)

Leah contiplating if she is ready for herjumpWoodstock....40 years later

A great day of swimming and italian ices

Leah's Favorite Song

2009-09-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

We just can't get enough of watching Leah sing her songs. Her favorite thing to do lately is to get all of her "friends" into her crib, line them up in a circle and sing the "hello" song to them. So here it is .....and for those of you who don't know the words they are " Hello to ______, it's good to see you!". Soooo cute.

Full Circle

2009-09-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

Leah and I went to visit some of Mommy's best friends from growing up. We don't get to see each other very often but whenever we do it feels like it was yesterday we were having sleepovers in Spring Valley. It feels so crazy to be with these girls and we are all Mommy's now. The craziness we use to put our parents through and now somehow we re all responsible for kids of our own .....is just nuts to me.

What's your name?

2009-08-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

Summer Fun

2009-08-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hanging at different beaches around town
Leah and Sophia start to recognize each other and it is sooo adorable

The first time we had our kids break the law and sneak into a "closed" park.

Make the most of the rainy days and take it to the mall

The last Mother Goose of the summer. Bye bye Melissa, Will, and Baby Dugas.........we will miss you soooooo much.

Some days Mommy and I spend alone time at Brewster Playscape

RyePlayland.....although Leah would rather run around then go on the rides

Pool time with the girls

Reading time at Stepping Stones

Leah at her "Sing and Sign" class.

At the Butterfly Farm....our budding photographer

Leah and Sophia dancing at Mother Goose

I have been so absent from the blog. What a difference a year makes. Leah has been keeping me soooooo busy that it feels like we are out everyday together trying to make the most of my time off with her ( which I am just loving right now!!). Here are some fun pics from over the past month of what we've been up to!

All I want to do is dance

2009-07-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Just a taste of the dancing!!I keep trying to capture the singing on video, but the file is always to big. I will get it shortly.

Sleepover at the Jalosky's

2009-07-17T07:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Daddy

We love nap time!!

and pool time!

While the Daddy's went fishing all the girls went to play at the pool,. We spent the weekend out in Long Island and got to visit our very good friends Jonathan and Becky ( and their little one's Eva and Ethan). We've always had our sleepovers with the Jalosky, whether it be in Rockland, New Rochelle, NYC, CT or Long Island....but oh how the days have changed when you add 3 little ones in the mix. Leah discovered her love for baby strollers and now mommy has to get one. Everytime we leave their place we have a toy we have to buy!!! Here are some pics from the fun weekend:

Bye Bye Baba

2009-07-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the last of the Baba ( bottle). She was only down to the night time one.To be honest, she didn't even care, I think it was harder on me. Soooo......... so long bottle, drop-ins, and measuring milk!

My first trip to the beach

2009-07-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

After the fireworks from 4th of July we had some great weather the next day and went for Leah's first trip to the "real" beach. A little hestitant at first, after a few minutes she was jumping (very small) waves and digging in the sand. One of Mommy's favorites places on earth so I was happy that Leah was sharing in her happiness. A perfect way to start the summer. She also made it the ENTIRE day with no nap, that in itself was a miracle.

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

The windest day ever on top of the Trump Marina...all of our food went flying!
Leah loving the family time

Lainey and Jared never let go!

Sleepy time with Mommy

yes, I am a diva

Best seats in the house for the fireworks

Got my red, white, and blue

Summer has been getting so busy that I am really behind on my postings. July 4th was spent with family and Leah's first trip to Atlantic City. If Noni has anything to do with it, it will not be her last. It was an awesome time with many more "first's" for Leah. One of the coolest things to happen down there was while spending time with her cousins Jared and Lainey, she started calling them Jared and Lainey. Other than Mama and Dada she hasn't really called anyone by their names. The funniest part of all is that she hasn't stopped. Now every time we see a little girl she yells out "Lainey"!!!. Noni got us great tickets to the best fireworks show we ever saw!. It was a late night for Leah ( all the way to 9:00....but she couldn't last and was asleep at 8, pretty much missing the entire show!!). One of the best 4th of July's we ever had!

June is one of my favorite months of the year!!!

2009-06-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

June has been a great month filled with new arrivals, visits with family and friends, Father's Day, a lot of play dates, and the end of Leah at daycare full time! Here are all the fun things we did this month.

Mommy gets a new car and all Leah wants to hear is the "Elmo CD" every time we get in it!

We had lots of fun at Van Saun Park with Noni. LeLe loved the train ride and seeing all of the animals.

Yes there is a new baby in town.....we are so happy to welcome baby Bella ( Isabella) to the world. Congrats to Adam and Dominque, she is a cutie.

Taking her first bath with her bff's Syd and Liv (although Liv was not excited to see Leah in her tub)

I wonder what kind of secret they are sharing????

Here the girls are sharing pajamas, bottles, and books.

BBQ time at the Kurchack's.....saying bye bye to baby Olivia before she leaves for camp.

Meeting up with the cousins at the Children's Museum. Leah gets to sign Lainey's cast!!

More fun at the museum

Lainey.....I can't wait for you to teach me EVERYTHING!!

Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy in the whole world. Seriously...... you rock!

Brunch at Rosie's

Finally we get to plant some pretty flowers. Leah loves to say "ohhh flowers" and then smell them.

And now that June has come to an end Mommy and Leah are soooo excited to be together everyday. I am sure there will be alot to write about over the summer.

camping

2009-06-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

Our first family campring trip was so great. We never imagined that we would make it to the woods this early in her life but was up for the adventure. Luckily we went with great friends and their babies. We stayed in the Catskilss at Ali, Joe and Layla's house. Although some opted to sleep in the pretty cbin we chose to rough it outside. All of the babies were so great and we can't wait to go again.

Here are the Daddy's setting up camp. Look at tht view and the beautiful weather we had

Leah enjoying her first tent experience

All the little ones enjoying dinner in the wilderness

That was Leah's 5th piece of watermelon....you go girl!!!

Mommy's on the hike........yes, your Mommy was so sore the next day.

Daddy's ( and Jodi) starting off the hike.....Of course, your Daddy was not dressed properly!! A good lessoned learned.....never wear nice white sneakers on a hike.

We are ready to go!

pool time

"I love being here"

Happy 15 Month Birthday

2009-06-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

What a big girl you have become!!!!!
Health Update:
If I dare to write this.... we have had a few weeks of amazing health in our house. Leah's persistent running nose and cough have some how come to an end. We can now add allergist to her list of doctor's she has encountered...sat through 3 hours of testing and not allergic to a single thing.....thank g-d for poor Tyson!!) I think when I mentally decided to just stop with all of the dr. appt's and medication it all just came to an end ( maybe it was sitting in the "sick"waiting rooms that kept her soo sick!). Last week we passed by a mother who was cleaning her child's throat tube and it made me realize that your life is so relevant to you until you compare it to others. I have been complaining and complaining about colds and coughs when really things could much worse. We are so grateful for the amazing health that Leah does have and all will run it's course.

Changing all the Time:
They really do become "toddlers" at this age and it is more fun than ever.
Her Words:
ball
cheese
pleeeeease
mama
dada
one, two, ( but never three)
play
down
shhhh ( with the finger over her mouth)
no ( I should have write this one first)
nite nite
blue
baba ( for bottle)
bye bye
hello
book
balloon
shoe
wheeeee! (when she rides on something)
vroom vroom

She can sign for: more, milk, and eat!!!!
Point to a few body parts
Make animal sounds
Sing along to certain songs
LOVES to hear her cd's in the car
HATES to be locked in for to long ( that includes her car seat, high chair, and shopping carts)
Can play hide and seek and will "pretend" to do things ( have tea parties, and pretend to be sleeping)
Can throw mini temper tantrums:
Trying to "discipline" a 15 month old has been quite interesting. She will now test you with the hitting, biting, and we have witnessed a few tantrums ( yes, she has thrown her self on the floor and acted like a complete drama queen). But as I read books, websites, and other blogs....I am not only reassured this is normal but healthy. Or is that a lie to keep us parents sane????

Has about 12 teeth and not sure of weight and height yet since her dr. appt is on Monday

And the winners of my favorite new skills:
Her dancing level has definitely stepped up a notch. She can now twirl around , swing her arms, and bend her knees ( not always to the beat, but that will come later). She actually shakes her butt like beyonce.

and most important.............
Gives the best hugs in the world.

pigtails or afropuffs

2009-06-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

Leah's hair has always been a fun topic....since one day it was straight and now we have super curls. ( as you can tell we are so obsesssed). Well yesterday she came home from daycare with her very first front pigtails. Althpugh they kind of look like buns ( or if you listened to hip hop in the 90's, "afro-puffs". ) The pics don't do justice but they were soo cute. Seems as though they use Leah as a their doll since I keep sending her there with no pigtails and she keeps coming home with them (???). Well even though Daddy thinks they are the cutest thing Mommy had to put an end to them until we can find better rubber bands, since each night she cries when I have to take them out and I pull alot of her hair out with it. Either way here are the pics of her first (and I am sure there will be many more) fun hairstyles.

Day at the Zoo

2009-06-02T18:55:00.001-07:00

The great weekend continued with Leah's first trip to a Zoo. She loves her animals lately and always wants to read a book about them so we knew this would be a hit. We enjoyed the day with friends and especially loved the little pigs!!

Can you say "sooo excited to see the animals"??

My Daddy is king of the jungle

Leah, Noa, and Sydney riding the alligator ( Olivia was not enjoying her ride on the alligator)

Look Mommy.....frogs!

The pretty bird Leah was scared of

ohhhhhh ahhhhhhh

Saturday in the sun

2009-05-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

Summer is getting closer and closer and all the more reason to hit up all the parks and ice cream we can get!!!

Leah and Riley loved their Chariot ride together.

The Nuns there called them "Angels" and they really look it in this pic!

yummy chocolate

Whenever I see pics of Leah and Sophia together I feel like they have a secret

Back in the pool we go.......

2009-05-26T08:34:00.001-07:00

Happy Memorial Day!! We got really lucky this weekend with some amazing weather. After ANOTHER week filled with coughs and sneezes we were all feeling better and really looking forward to not having any plans so the three of us could just be together. Leah got a new sandbox to add to her developing play area downstairs. Even a trip to Stew Leonard's was exciting to us since the animals are back in town. It's okay that every animals says "moooo" according to Leah , she loved it anyway!!! On Memorial Day it was picture perfect hanging at the pool all day. She really enjoyed it last year and we were hoping that excitement wasn't going to go away after a year. Well let's just say she would stay in there all day if she could. It was even better this year since she seems to really know what's going on. I can't wait to teach her to swim this summer. So the weekend was a great start to our favorite time of year.......................

Block Party with Lucas

2009-05-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

I mean really aren't they to young for us to be marrying them off already

Leah is wondering ...how does this boy weigh the same as me???

Lucas loves his Mommy

ummm....did you check out my first nike's?

Leah and Lucas had a hot date in Fishkill. First it started with the tour of the "new pad" and then it was off to the kitchen with some bannanna/tukey/and cheese. As Lucas's' Mommy says , Leah is a cheap and easy date. Then they hit the town for some music and block party events. Thanks for a great night Lucas!

Farewell Party

2009-05-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

Today was bittersweet to say good bye to 2 of Leah's (and Mommy's) good friends. Throughout this blog we have written about how much the baby group has meant to us. We knew no one in CT and now that we have such a nice group of friends has been so much fun!! Well, sadly 2 of the crew are moving away and we had a bbq for them. Janelle/Rylee and Melissa/Will are heading back to their "home"state and we are going to miss them sooooo much. Leah didn't feel so good at the party ( shocking???) and we had to leave early. We just want them to know that we are so lucky to have met them and we will never forget all of the great memories we made with them ( and will continue to make when we take our road trips!!). Here are some pics from the photo shoot we took for them and the party!

Happy Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-14T16:59:00.001-07:00

The best gift I could ever get is spending the day with my whole family. I had such a wonderful Mother's Day and there is nothing I love more than being your Mommy. We went to NJ to spend the day with Daddy,Noni, Aunt Marcie, Uncle Jeff and Jared and Lainey. We pretty much did the exact same thing as last year with a visit to VanSauren Park and then off to a great lunch. I think this is the beginning of a cool tradition. Thanks for all the great gifts and I especially love Leah's first homemade card ( her drawing, hand prints, and a pic of her!!!).

Happy 14 Months!

2009-05-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

So much has changed in the past two months ( which is the last time I did a "Happy___ Months" update). Our baby has turned into a little girl and so many changes now on a daily bases. Well for starters we've decided that she will be off to a new school/daycare in September. We're really excited about Leah being at her new "school" with a few of her friends from playgroup also!!! I'll write more about that when we get closer to the date. But as we speak Mommy has a 37 more days of school and can't wait to spend the whole summer with LeLe. Okay so back to her 14 Month birthday, here are some wonderful changes over the past two months:

1. She is officially a walker. Which I love 90% of the time and find it challenging the other 10%. The challenging part is that she would rather be walking then sitting in her high chair, stroller, shopping carts, bathtime, and diaper changes. But for the most part it is sooo much fun watching her get around. Whether it be the house, the park, the mall.....she is now on the go. I love that one minute she'll want to hold my hand and walk and another she pushes it away so she can do it all on her own.

2. Will hide behind my legs or Daddy's legs when she is playing hide and seek with other people.

3. Can follow alot of directions; such as " can you go get me the banana?""it's time to eat , please go to your high chair"

4. Loves her "Thinking Chair" ( named after the chair in Blue's Clue's). Every night after I put her pajamas on she will go pick out a book and sit in the chair and pretend to read.

5. Can say alot of words and hum songs ( book, balloon,shoe,cheeeese,etc.)

6. Can give you a look that makes you think she is 12 years old.

7. Will call out Mama and Dada

8. Can dance and throw a ball...neither one of those are very good right now.

9. Will give me a hug and say bye-bye when i leave for work ( melts my heart EVERYDAY!)

10. Chases after Tyson and has him chase after her.

Leah's Movie

2009-05-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

When you have a good ten minutes to sit down and relax, take a look at the movie I made for Leah. We have such amazing video and pics and figured I could use a good art's and crafts project over the rainy weekend. It came out really clear and sharp on our computer but can't figure out how to upload it the same way.....so it's a little blurry and the voice isn't so great, but oh well! It's our version of her baby book.Enjoy!

Recent Videos

2009-05-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

Leah practicing her rockstar moves" Bye Bye"

Weekend with the twins

2009-04-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

From the park, to the pool, to the doctor's office...........Leah couldn't get enough of Olivia and Sydney this weekend. It was practically summer in April this past weekend and all we wanted to do was be outside. We got to test out their new kiddie pool and she just loved it. The park and pool were planned but the same doctor appt was totally by accident. Just getting them ready for "school" next year......that story to come in the next blog.

Great news from a great friend!

2009-04-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

What do you think Leah.....a boy or a girl?

Finally the day has come that we can annouce that there will be a Baby Kurchack on the way!!!!! Leah can't wait to have a new best friend in her life. Steph has been Mommy's best friend for 15 years now and to add this new chapter in our "book" is going to be the best yet!!!!!

On her way

2009-04-25T04:55:00.000-07:00

So we think Leah has really begun to walk. It's not all the time but she is getting more and more confident. Mommy just has to remember next time to turn the camera the right way!! Stephanie came over and it really got Leah excited so I think she walked just for her :)Funny.. how Steph was there when I found out I was pregnant and now she gets to witness another "first". Go leah Go!

A baby's best friend

2009-04-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

Leah and Tyson have such an adorable relationship. I could sit there for an hour and just watch the two of them play. He licks her face and then she giggles, she pets him and then crawls away really fast and hides until he catches her. I remember when we first got him ( about a month before we found out that we were pregnant) and I was sooo nervous about if a dog and baby would be okay together. We are so grateful to have them both in our lives and to watch them get closer and closer is so sweet. Okay, we just watched Marley and Me for the first time last week so Tyson gets some extra love. Here is what Leah likes to do lately with her best friend.

Little Miss Fat Jaws

2009-04-13T17:07:00.001-07:00

Because my cheeks are so mushy and everyone loves to kiss them ..........all of Louisiana was calling me "Fat Jaws" ( Big Cheeks as they say in the south). Hey, I love it here.

Every car ride we took , she would sing and clap. I think she got a little of the soul in her down there.

Mommy and Daddy head into New Orleans for a night of Gumbo and Bourbon Street.

Yes, I am a southern belle and I plan on wearing all of the dresses Mommy packed for me. Ohhhh you should have seen her curls down there. " Mommy, I want my food SPICY!!"

Leah's first trip to the Cajun market to look for some craw fish

There were so many salimanders in the front yard. Each morning we went out to look for them. Here is one staring us down.

We took Leah all over town to meet different family members. Here she is with her oldest living relative. It's her Great, Great Uncle Pop Bill, who will be 90 next week. There is a BIG party going on down here but we were a week early. Still, he was so excited to meet the newest member of the family.

LeLe did alot of standing this week ( as long as she was holding onto something she was okay). She was just SOOOO HAPPY to be outside. The waether was amazing, especially since we had such a tough winter. I mean each time we took her out she sqealed in joy. She would bang on the door all morning till we went outside. Luckily Grandma Shirley has a big and beautiful yard for her to explore. She even got to try out her new fancy sandals. Leah and Grandma Shirley just soaking up the sun.

We discovered a brand new and great park/water park for Leah right down the street from Grandma's. Luckily Leah isn't to tall to be asked to leave the water area....yipee!

With her new ear plugs, cute bathing suit , and 90 degree weather she was ready to test out the water toys!

Leah's First Vacation ........Nawlin's Here We Come

2009-04-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

It was our first vacation as a family and we went to visit Grandma Shirley and the rest of the Shaw family in Louisiana ( in Gonzalez....30 min outside of New Orleans).Leah's first plane ride was a success. With a smart move by Mom and Dad we moved seats to be behind a wall and she had her very own play area. She made a million friends on the plane and it was the one time we were happy to be right next to the bathroom ( alot of people to play hide and seek with). The bottle trick was great ( Thanks, Amy and Jodi....my flying experts!). Coming home was a little more tricky since the flight left at 7 am. She was not in the best of moods but wasn't crying either. I just never realized how quiet a packed plane can be that early in the morning.....any peep from her and EVERYONE heard it. But she fell asleep for a while in Daddy's arms ( which she never does, so she was really tired) and we managed the rest of the flight with alot of food, drinks, toys, and distractions.

No more ear infections!!

2009-04-06T08:10:00.001-07:00

We are so grateful that everything went well this morning with Leah's ear surgery. She was such a trooper and in great spirits before ; letting all the doctors and nurses play with her. It was definitely scary seeing her in her robe/socks and in a "hospital" type room. Although Mommy shed a few tears after we brought you in.....a little while later there you were. And how funny was it that I went to camp with the doctor. So now as you sleep I feel overwhelmed with love and affection and hope this only makes you better. We love you sooooo much and thank everyone for their support. We realize this is minor but it's never easy to see your little one in ANY pain. Now we get to pack and be excited to head down to New Orleans tomorrow...........YIPEE!!!

Meeting so many new friends this weekend

2009-04-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Team Jalosky

Eva kissing Leah hello

Leah meeting Olivia

soooooo delicious

Leah, Mommy, and Stephanie

What a great weekend we had. First, we headed down to Long Island to see JJ, Becky, Eva, and new addition to the Jalosky family.....Ethan!! He is soo cute and it was great to watch Eva and Leah play. Jonathan is one of Mommy's oldest friends ( and best man to Corey, he stole my BFF)and we can't believe that we are Mommy's and Daddy's now. Then we headed into Queens to go and see Rosanne and Josh and meet baby Olivia. What a little roasted peanut. They are such naturals and doing really well. Leah's first trip into the city.....that Queens Blvd is scarrrrryyyyy. On Sunday Falbo (Stephanie ) came over and met Leah for the first time. That is another one of Mommy's good friends from college. All weekend, Leah was amazing with new people and we think the "new person" jitters have gone away!!!!! She is so lucky to have such wonderful friends in her life.

Big week ahead of us

2009-04-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

We are all off on vacation next week and we are soooooo excited to spend some nice family time together, not just 2 hours a day that we squeeze in bewteen work, daycare, meals, and then sleeptime!!But first.........Monday Leah will be getting the tubes put in her ears and we are hoping that everything goes well. Then Tuesday we are off for Leah's first plane ride to the Big Easy to meet the rest of her family , enjoy some warm weather, and eat some yummy gumbo!!! We'll keep you posted and of course some pics...........................................

Learning how to be the world's best shopper

2009-04-02T17:39:00.001-07:00

I mean who else than my mommy can teach me how to shop for hours and find the best deals.......NONI!!

We had a great ALL GIRLS day together and no matter how far we had to go to find us some outlet shops on a Sunday in New Jersey, it was all worth it!!! It was the first time Leah was able to "walk" (okay, cruise from one rack to the next) around the mall. Leah and her Noni shared giggles all day!!

our playground test run

2009-03-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from Leah's first time at our playground.

2009-03-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

Fun Leah Updates

2009-03-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

testing out the new shoes

Mommy....please do something with my hair

Leah showing love to her Teddy

Now that all of the birthday parties and recent holidays have simmered down it's just been everyday stuff around the Shaw house. I have to admit those are the days when we get to really sit back and pick up on all of the new things that Leah is learning and going through. Here are some recent updates in her life.

1. Daycare: After two rough weeks of getting adjusted Leah has really found a second home at her daycare. She loves her teachers ( gives them hugs and blows them kisses). I went to pick her up for the first time last week and couldn't believe my eyes. Right there in the corner of a loud classroom Leah was asleep. She had been for an hour and her teachers say that she goes down with no problem. I wasn't convinced this would ever happen for her...but i got to see it with my own eyes. It gave me time to talk and get to know the teachers. They say she loves music and group time ( that we already know) and is a good sharer ( yeah Leah!!). She has a good friend Flint and is happy and smiling most of the day ( Thank G-d!!)

2. Ms. Chatterbox: We can't get enough of just watching her talk and babble away. As soon as she gets home she is non stop. It's almost as though she is telling us about her day at daycare. She LOVES to sing and we can now tell the difference between "row row your boat" and " the abc"'s. Of course she is not saying all the words but we can tell the difference between them. Even her expressions, laughter, and personality are all becoming like a little girl. Even this morning when i left for work she said "by da da" and blew a kiss. Okay....not the right person but close enough! So cute I can't take it.

3. Tubes in the Ears: This has been the least fun part of the past few weeks. Leah has her 7th ear infection and we are off to the ENT to most likely get the tubes in her ears. At this point I would do anything to get her better. Each cold/cough seems to last longer and longer and she is starting to build up an immunity to the antibiotics. Poor thing......at least stays happy and sleeps through the night. Nothing messes with that girls sleep!! So we will keep you posted on that front..........

4. Her Teddies: She has become so affectionate and has a real love for her two big teddy bears in her room. Every time we walk in there she wants to play and hug them.

5. What to do with that hair: One day it's curly , one days it's straight......almost everyday, it's a mess. When she gets home from daycare it looks INSANE!!!! I know this is the "in between stage" but I can't wait for the cold days to be over because her hats are not helping. And now her new favorite thing to do during dinner is mush her food in her hair. FUN!!!

6.Walking Shoes: Last week we got her first pair of real shoes. She was fitted and all.....a wopping size 5!! No surprise there with the big feet. To bad she isn't walking on her own yet, but we think with all the cruising she's doing she could use the support.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

2009-03-18T10:37:00.000-07:00

Top o' the day to ya!
It's par-tay time

I have cool shamrocks

No, she didn't have any green beer

Everyone is Irish on St. Patty's day. Leah actually allowed us to keep her leprechaun hat on for the entire night....what a treat ( since Mommy wore it all day at school!). We headed out for some green beer , fish and chips, and late night partying ( yes 8:00 has actually become LATE NIGHT for us) with Casey, Ryan, and Riley. The little leprechauns stayed occupied by looking at each other in their funny hats and watching the man play the bag pipes. Cheers!!!!

What goes up, must come down.

2009-03-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been just amazing with the words you can say!!! As parents we have been so consumed with the "walking" that we didn't even realize how quickly the langauage development happens at this age.
From your current favorite word ....."down" ( thanks to the window in the toy house) to "no"," that ook" (book),"mama","dada", "aloon" ( balloon), "that".....and so many others. As you can see I don't think the "b"'s are there just yet. Everyday seems like you've learned something new. That must be so cool to figure out how to share your thoughts with the world. If you are anything like your Mommy and Daddy once you get going it will NEVER stop!!!

Spring has sprung.....at least this weekend.

2009-03-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

Leah couldn't wait to test out her new "ride". The sun was shining and the wagon was built.....it was a perfect day for a stroll. It was nice to see all of my neighbors who only come out in the warm weather. I can't wait to walk so Mommy will take me to the playground! Now that I can point and say " what's that?" I am so curious to find out what everything is outside. It's a two seater so looking foward to all of my friends coming to take a ride with me. Thanks Aunt Marcie and Uncle Jeff for the great birthday gift!

1 Year Ago Today........

2009-03-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Leah!

The best aunt and uncle Leah could ask for ( thanks for all of your help!!)

Daddy is so proud of his baby girl

Happy 1st Birthday Princess!

Leah and the wonderful women in her life

Leah is leading the band

We asked her how old she was today and this is what she said ( no joke!!)

Noni and her grandchildren

There were no tears at this birthday cake!

Thank you Mommy for such a great party

Leah surrounded by her best friends

Mommy surrounded by hers!!

Leah is proud to be another Shaw lady!!

The Shaw's and Jalosky's....can anyone say future vacations?

We love our playgroup!!!

..........our whole life changed. Today is your first birthday and we just want you to know that our love for you is bigger than our hearts. You have changed our lives for the better and just make everything sweeter. So much has happend in a year and to watch you grow into a beautiful, sweet, smart, playful little girl has been the best thing to ever happen to us. There are not enough words to explain the feeling we get when we look at you. Not only have you grown over this past year but we have also. You have opened our eyes and our hearts to what really matters in this world.

Today was your birthday party and you were surrounded by your family and friends. It was a beautiful day for the beginning of March ( almost 70 degrees!!) and you were such an angel today. Of course Mommy can be a little crazy planning all week and Daddy couldn't sleep all night he was so excited and anxious........but in Leah fashion you were just AMAZING!!! No more fear of big groups, you just laughed and played the whole day. As soon as the music started you were front and center and clapping. And then when we sang Happy Birthday to you, you again clapped on cue ( I am really starting to think music may be a possible future for you :)....but the cutest was you waiting very nicely for us to cut you a piece of cake and then you just threw the whole thing in your mouth/face. What a ham!!!!!! Overall, the day was just PERFECT. To have Noni, Grandma Shirley, Aunt Marcie & Uncle Jeff, your cousins Jared, Lainey, Jocelyn, and Great Aunts Ethel and Anna Lee , and all of our amazing friends made the day so special.

We love you to pieces and can't wait for all of the memories we will make over the years.

Love, Mommy and Daddy

2009-03-02T12:43:00.000-08:00

We may have said it once before but we'll say it again.......................

WE LOVE SNOW DAYS!!!!!!

my new adventure........DAYCARE

2009-03-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

It has been a new and exciting week for Leah. She started daycare last Monday and although it is a transition for ALL of us we think she started enjoying herself as the week went on. She really likes her teachers but it sad to see Corey leave in the morning. As each day went on we would see her get happier each time he picked her up. It has really made her more affectionate at home ( we get lots of hugs and kisses now). I think she is just so happy to see us and be home. She lost her voice during the week and we were thinking , aww she must be crying alot. While I was at work I tried to imagine that instead of crying alot she lost her voice because she was so busy talking to her new friends ( kind of like how Mommy always lost her voice every summer at camp because of all of the fun she was having).

Well only to find out over the weekend that she was losing her voice because she has a cold AGAIN!!!! When is this winter going to end??? She actually threw up on Saturday from coughing so hard and it made me think of something I read once:

" No one ever told me that becoming a mother would at some point require me to cup my hand in front of my child's mouth in an attempt to capture as much vomit as possible to keep their cloths in tact. And they certainly didn't tell me what to do with the handful once I had it........"

So now it's Monday and we had ANOTHER snowstorm. Which is usually great news because I get the day off, but I am starting to think snowstorm=Leah cold....this will be the 3rd snow day I have off and we take a trip to the doctor. Only 5 days till the big birthday so let's hope this cold is a quick one..........

Leah's very first steps

2009-02-28T16:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday (2/28) Leah took her first steps!!! There were only a few but it was so exciting. I tried to capture it on video but that is not easy. So here are two clips of a few steps ( of course the better video is sideways !) Looking foward to the next few weeks when she realizes she can explore this world on her own.

My trip to PA

2009-02-22T16:56:00.000-08:00

While Mommy and Daddy spend some quality time alone, Leah hung out with Aunt Marcie, Uncle Jeff, and her cousins Jared and Lainey. We missed her sooo much but had a great time celebrating our Valentine's get away at Bear Creek Resort! (Thank you sooooo much Marcie and Jeff, we really appreacited it!)

Mommy remembers when she was little and her big sis Marcie would teach her the piano. Well this is that same piano and now here is Lainey teaching Leah to play. Life really does come full circle.

The future Ms. Alicia Keys

We couldn't wait to go to Chickey and Pete's and since it was Leah's first time it was extra special. I mean where else can you get the BEST baby lobster tails, crabs, wings, and cheese fries....yum!!!

Leah had the best time with her cousins. We miss them so much so to get to spend 4 days with them was such a treat!

Gymboree

2009-02-22T16:53:00.000-08:00

When Mommy has the week off we get to have alot of fun. We went to Gymboree and Ali's house for the day!!

Leah is really into the bubbles....I think I actually heard her say "buba"

This is one of the first times that Leah is doing the class without Mommy's help.

" Some of my bff's.......Sydney, Olivia, and Noa"

Playgroup's 1st Birthday Party!!

2009-02-16T12:14:00.000-08:00

Taking Syd for a ride

Pic of the Mommies

I love my new book!

Leah sneaking away from Ms. Ana ( really she loved the singing!)

Our last comic standing

cupcake time!

I love my Daddy

Riley taking me for a ride

The whole baby group ( missing Emma and Evie :(

Where has a year gone??? Can you measure it in diapers, new toys, different strollers, clothing size........or the experiences you have had with your friends! Leah met her playgroup just a few weeks after she was born. Mommy was just hoping to get some good advice and maybe a friend or two she can have playtime with.....but we got soooo much more! Here we all are celebrating their 1st Birthday!! They are such an amazing group of people and Leah has really made some nice friends. This was such a great idea to have their first birthday party together ( Leah's own party will follow on her actual bday......just like mommy can't be happy with just one party!!). We really can't take any credit for planning the party since most of the group put it together ( hey I am at work all day!!). But between the group siing aling with Ms. Ana, pin the tail on the very low donkey, poster size pics of the baby, a yearbook, a video montage of our year together, books for presents, and cupcakes on the floor......Leah was the happiest baby alive!!

Happy First Valentine's Day

2009-02-16T12:06:00.000-08:00

Daddy is Leah's one and only Valentine and he bought her a Teddy that she just loved. She hugged and kissed it all night!

Thank you so much Tracey

2009-02-13T12:09:00.000-08:00

Well it's been a wonderful 6 months Leah has spent with Tracey. Everyday we dropped her off at Tracey's houes and everyday we picked her up with a smile. It was so sweet to see Leah grow attached and become so affectionate to Tracey. She was so easy to work with and made me going back to work such an easy transition. She never complained ( even with all of those sniffly days) and I am positive that Leah is a better person because of her. All of the reading, singing, hugging,trying new foods, playing with her son Tommy, and even hearing some Italian spoken in the house has done her alot of good. So of course we were sad to find out that her tiem with Tracey would be coming to end. We hiope to still keep in touch and get her together with them to play. I am excited and thinking that at her age daycare will be good for her. Of course this is harder for Mommy then Leah,but Mommy knows that Leah can't wait to make new friends and experiences.

Breaking me in for day care......

2009-02-08T17:15:00.000-08:00

Getting hydrated before the gym!

Leah found Daddy

Okay, this slide thing isn't so bad after all

Mommy and Daddy thought it might be a good idea to get all the practice I can playing in new places and with lots of kids around. This is my last week with Tracey and soon I will be starting daycare. It took about 10 minutes to feel evryone out. Although I was skeptical at first, I relaized thisplace isn't so bad after all. Let's hope daycare is just as fun. I am really excited for my next adventure!!

Leah's New Milestones

2009-02-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent fun videos of Leah showing off her new tricks. She is loving her new walker and woke up early this morning to play with it. The other video is of her playing with one of her favorite toys ( the musical box we got from Aunt Marcie and Uncle Jeff). She has started to follow the directions to the song.......so cute!

The Story of the Lucky Turtle

2009-02-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

Can you guess why this turtle is soo fat?

At night this thing looked like a monster

I realized that we never shared our story of our lucky turtle on leah's blog, so here it goes. We moved to our new home in CT in April of 2007. Corey and I would kid around with everyone how we moved to the country and we were surrounded by farm animals ( really we were just shocked that we couldn't find any yellow american chesse in the state of CT, they only serve white.). About 2 months after we moved in corey was out front one night enjoying the abilty to sit on our steps and breath in some fresh air. Yes, at our previous apartment we had felt like we lived in a cave for 8 years and NEVER got to apprecaite the outdoors. Well this one night I hear Coery scream " Randie ....GET OVER HERE". Corey was really frightened and was convinced there was a monster in our front lawn. I came running out and we had no idea at first what ype of animal was sittting there with it's beaty eyes staring us down. It was HUGE and refused to move. As we got closer we realized it was a turtle.....no ordianary turtle but the kind you see at the Bronx Zoo....this thing was the KING TURTLE. Corey went to get his hockey stick to scare it away and it wouldn't budge. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Corey trying to get the turtle to move with his hockey stick. It was so big there was nothing we could do to move it. We called everyone, both of our mothers, who laughed and made some funny suggestions of their own. We were so freaked out by it's stare we just let it be and ran inside. We kept going out to check if it was there and sure enough, it was not going anywhere. The next morning we came outside and found no turtle but a large hole in the ground ( who ruined all of my pretty flowers)......what was there you ask.......about 10 turtle eggs, that looked like ping pong balls. We finally realized that it was a MAMA turtle who picked our house to begin her family. We officially became Danbury Hospital for this lucky lady. If you have seen where we live then you realize that it must of taken hours for her to walk all the way down from the small lake by our house, and why pick ours????I of course, realized it was a sign and that this would bring us good fortune and now was a good time to start having our own babies......3 weeks later we found out we were pregnant. So as an ode and thanks to our friend the MAMA turtle we bought a metal one to keep outside on our front steps. Here are some pics of the lucky turtle that helped us bring Leah into our lives.

25 Random Things About Leah

2009-02-03T10:51:00.000-08:00

For our upcoming Baby Group Bday Bash we are putting together a Yearbook( well I'm not making it, but we'll be in it) and we were asked to take a page from Facebook's 25 Random Things. Here is Leah's:
1. My favorite song is the itzy bitzy spider
2. I wake up in the morning gigglying in my crib
3. My Mom and Dad think the world of me and kiss me at least 1000 times a day
4. My dog Tyson and I are best friends
5. I'm already a fish...I love to swim and take a bath
6. My hair is either really curly or really straight; depending on the weather
7. My nickname is Lele
8. I'm a big Jets fan......I kind of have no choice
9. Mommy and Daddy picked my name out 10 years ago
10.My favorite TV Shows are Blue's Clue's and Yo Gabba Gabba
11. I was born March 7,2008 and was 8lb 1oz and 19 3/4 in.
12. I have 8 teeth
13. I put everything in my mouth
14. To get me to stop crying ....all you have to do is sing
15. One animal I can always recoginize is a butterfly
16. My favorite foods are yogurt, pancakes, and pizza
17. I voted for Obama
18. I can say Dada, Mama, doggie, Leah, hi, and blue.
19. I sat for the first time during a yoga class
20. My favorite games, are peek-a-boo, tickle monster, and hide and go seek.
21. My family lives in 6 different states
22. Mommy and Daddy think I'll be a good athlete and great in school....but most of all, a good person who cares about others.
23. Right now I can sing songs with one word.....lalalalalalalalalala
24. I have the BEST playgroup ever
25. I am loved

Super Baby Bowl

2009-02-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

It's the last game of the season and we are sad to see football go...but we do love the Super Bowl. Okay it was a no show for the Jets but we make the best of it anyway. We went to Stephanie and Phill's and had a great time. Leah made it to the national anthem and then she was knocked out upstairs. Leah loves spending time with her favorite pretend Aunt and Uncle. We also got to hang with Rosanne and Josh...who are 8 months pregnant, and we are soooooo excited to meet the baby. Of course the Spring Valley crew was there and we always love seeing them. We even found out that they read this blog ( so just for you guys; Eddie, Greg, Jackie.........we love spring val-ley) Not the bottles Daddy has been use to at a Super Bowl party
Celebrating Randie and Josh's Birthdays

The girls hanging at the game

Leah can't wait to meet baby bogard!

Leah and her new friend Jordan.....the ladies had planned the matching colors

What fills our hearts everyday

2009-01-29T18:38:00.000-08:00

There is nothing in the whole world that sounds better than this.

Her first boo boo

2009-01-29T18:36:00.000-08:00

Leah showing off her extra large lip :((

Ohhhh, this cold thing feels good on my boo boo

Today she came home with her first boo boo. She was standing up ( yeah Leah!!!) but attempted to clap at the same time...then proceeded to fall on her face. Those beautiful pearly whites of hers banged into her lip and she has a nice swollen lip. It is so sad, but as usualy she takes it like a trooper and couldn't be happier.

Wake up silly girl

2009-01-29T16:34:00.000-08:00

As I go to Leah's crib each morning, I often wonder what in the world is so funny. At first I will hear noises and then as I make my way to the crib 9 out of 10 times she is laughing about something. I just wish I could get into her head and wonder what she is thinking ( or perhaps seeing?????). Either way it beats a crying baby anyday......and I can only hope that she laughs her way through life.

A visit from Madalyn

2009-01-23T03:12:00.000-08:00

Leah loves seeing her "godsister" Madalyn

Uh-oh......Maddie has a juice box and a microphone,and we know what that means.....crazy Maddie will soon follow.

" Hey Leah, did I tell you.......... I'm gonna have a baby sister!"

Innaugartion Day 2009....A letter to Leah

2009-01-22T10:02:00.001-08:00

Dear Leah,

There have been many new ways that I now know I am a mom. One happened today and I wanted to share it with you. I woke up this morning so excited and proud to watch Barak Obama become the President. Both the inspiration I have felt and the historical context made this day one that I knew I would remember forever. I have always been into politics , history, and social change for the good. I can remember being a little girl and wanting to join the Peace Corp. But with all of the excitement and anticipation about todays's events...all I could think of was you. First off.....I just wanted to spend the day with you. I couldn't , which made me sad but it was really important to me that you see it ( even if you have no clue what's going on). And mostly, all of this hope and change made me think about how much I care about your future, the world you live in, and who will be your role models. Obviously I think it's amazing that the year you were born, a man born to white woman and black father became our President. I think before this event happened I would have always told you "yes, you can" but now it just has such important meaning. So hopefully one day you will grow into a socially conscience , bright, and inspring young woman and you can say ......I saw the day this happened. For me it just puts what is really important to me into perspective. I love you more than anything and hope your future is filled with all the possibilities you can dream of.

Love, Mommy

Holiday Party.....Rescheduled

2009-01-19T06:53:00.000-08:00

The baby crew showing off their hats from Emma!

Leah loves her secret santa gift....she got them a few weeks early, here she is modeling them.

We had tried for weeks to reschedule the holiday party that had to be canceled due to all of our munchkins being so sick. Even though everyone couldn't make it to Janelle's ( poor Riley, both Sophia's, Layla, and Noa off in Israel) we had the party ta it's new location , casa de Madilyn. It was so nice to see everybody and share some holiday spirit even ( yes, you can still celebrate well into January). Mommy may have been happier than Leah since she spent the first half in tears. That's okay little mama you will soon be in daycare and around alot of babies. Thanks so much to Ana and Steve for hosting the last minute party , Emma for our beautiful hat and to our Secret Santa Layla.........we love the boots!

Playtime is back...now we just need some healthy friends.

2009-01-14T18:20:00.000-08:00

Getting more and more confident where she can stand

" Welcome to my house!"

"Look Daddy ....one hand "

Helping Mommy get ready for work

2009-01-14T18:19:00.000-08:00

Lele looking for what she can wear in Mommy's closet

"Mommy, you should wear these....."

Ahhh, nothing like getting dressed for work in the morning. The work day mornings have been very interesting lately. For a few months now Leah has been happy playing in her crib, but lately she wants to be in on the fun of the morning routine and is not happy until she is out among us. So here she is in her favorite place.....my closet.

Look who's feeling better!

2009-01-10T18:15:00.000-08:00

Chris helping Leah feel better

I like food again

"Look Mommy I am all better.....can I please go out with Daddy and Chris?"

Nothing can make you feel better than some brotherly love. It has been a while since we have entered some new posts because there were so many days of not feeling well and no action in the Shaw house. Finally.....Leah has started to become herself again, playful, happy, engegaed, and curious. While Chris was over for the weekend there was a mini snow storm ( although we were gearing up for 8+ inches). It was so cute to see how excited daddy and chris were for the storm....the whole day was built around it.....wake up, go buy new snow pants/boots, visit the sled store to but a small one for Leah and blow up the monster one we have, hang at house until snow falls.........well the snow arrived and daddy and chris went out for some snow fun. We decided that fater 2 weeks of being sick it may not be so great to bring her out there the day she is finally better , so we will just have to wait until the next one.

Such a sad week

2009-01-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

What a week it has been for Leah. She came down with that dreaded stomach bug and we soon followed a day later. Having one day in the house with all of us VERY sick was not easy but thank goodness mine passed after a day. We are now on day 7 and it has been truly horrible. Today was the first day that Leah ate food in a week and it shows. In addition to her not keeping anything down ( i have a new respect for grabage bags as bibs) she now has........ a cold, horrible cough, and her 5th ear infection ( which also means we will be most likely off to an ENT doctor soon). She just sits there and moans, won't move an inch, tears falling without crying, tries to talk and can't (lost her voice), stares into space, and lays on us for hours. Needless to say this has been the most heart wrenching experience. Of course we want her better, but I am most concerned that we won't have the same Leah back. The value of your child's smile is EVERYTHING and I would do anything to get it back. I am home from work with her again today and just praying that it will make some kind of turn around today. I really understand that your health means the world. We just feel so bad that we actually see her in pain, which we have never seen before ( other than a fall and 2 second cry). While yesterday was my birthday and tomorrow is her 10 month birthday , I can only wish for her to get better.

Happy New Year 2009!

2009-01-01T15:59:00.001-08:00

The New Years Crew (minus me)
Lucas ( the Tank) is doing fine in 09

The Shaw Family bringing in the new year

Leah and Lucas's first date

What a wonderful year 2008 has been. Our Leah has come into our lives and nothing in my life has been so special. We are truly grateful for what an amazing year it was and can only hope that 2009 is even better. We went over the Jen, John's and Lucas's for the Baby New Years Bash...but to make it interesting Leah threw up all over Mommy just as she finished getting them both dressed. This was SERIOUS throw up (haven't seen that in months) and it looked like a bomb went off in the kitchen...but we cleaned up and headed to Fishkill. We had such a perfect night, John cooked an amazing dinner ( he needs to be a chef), Leah slept all night but Lucas got to see the ball drop, we drank ( of course) and play games till 3am. We stayed at Bed and Breakfast Redahan (heheh)and loved it.....we even topped it off with a trip of all 6 of us to Cracker Barrel( what a way to start a diet!). Oh wait I forgot........Leah threw up all over their living room the next morning before we went out for breakfast........another outfit GONE!( which promted me to realize it was not overeating and she had a stomach bug :(((. Once we headed home I headed for the doctor and Leah spent the first day of 2009 in my arms wimpering with a stomach virus. I just put her to bed and realize even with craziness like her throwing up all over Mommy I am sooo excited to see what this year has in store for us. I am off to do ALOT of laundry.

Sex in the City Reunion and New Member

2008-12-31T16:14:00.000-08:00

This is my rough and tough Spring Valley look
I love the Ramapo Girls

Leah and Mommy went to Rockland for the day to visit the old work crew. Leah is the newest memeber of SIS ( she will replace the martini for a bottle!) She was such an angel during lunch and it was really nice to see them!

Me and my girlfriends

2008-12-30T17:22:00.000-08:00

Me and my girlfriends

2008-12-30T05:31:00.000-08:00

Miss Independent and Queen of the Adventure

2008-12-28T05:16:00.000-08:00

I look sweet ( and I am ) but I am going to tear this house apart!

So this is what the 9th month is all about. Leah is not even walking on her own yet, but has found her new calling. The house is her new playground and she will discover, eat, throw, rip, pound, climb....on anything and everything. Maybe I am noticing it more now that I am home with her for my vacation.......but it is back breaking. She wants to get into EVERYTHING. And without putting the whole house in a bubble, she will get to it. I have tried to "block" things...but oh no, she will find a way. She also does not want me to feed her anymore and she MUST hold the spoon herself or she will get MAD ( seriously baby diva in action). My new line is "you can't have everything you want sweetie" I think I said that 20x yesterday. This also includes sleeping and changing her diaper. It took her 9 months to figure how to really roll over and that is all she wants to do when you put her for a nap or change her. Corey got to witness this first hand this weekend ( he thought i was exaggerating). So his new name for her is LuLu with a new attitude.

More Xmas Pics!

2008-12-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

I love my Barack Book Aunt Steph!

Dancing to the music

Watching the parade

Merry XMAS everyone!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-26T06:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas with my big brother
Don't even think about touching my gifts!

ohhhhh ahhhhhh

Christmas Morning

I like my silly hat

After a week of Chanukah celebrations Christmas finally came. What a lucky girl to celebrate both in the house. We had a beautiful day with her brother Christopher opening and playing with all of her gifts. It was just us since most of the family is pread out all over the country. We miss them and hopefully we can get everyone together for next year. Most importantly we are so grateful to be able to celebrate these holidays as a new family.

Happy Chanukah!

2008-12-20T18:16:00.000-08:00

I love my new book!

Lighting the candle ( too bad you can't hear the singing in the picture!)

The ladies in the house

My bib says it all

Leah's first Chanukah and we spent it with the only other Jews we know in CT. Thank g-d we found some...just kidding. But really is was a great night over at Amy and Elad's. Seriously some of the best latkas I've had in a really long time ( I didn't know you could put powdered suagr on them). Noa got her helmet off this week and she was showing off her new look ( yeah Noa, you did so great!) Jodi and Mike came too with Syd and Liv. We got "Our First Chanukah "Books and love them. We attempted to say the prayers and sing a song....thank goodness for Elad! Thanks Jodi and Amy for being such great friends and we can't wait to share all of our Chanukahs together!!!!

we got it....SNOW DAY!

2008-12-19T17:46:00.000-08:00

Does this mean I get to watch Blue Clues?
Trying to get the snow in the background

When can we go outside and play??????

ummmmm......this is colder than i thought

My first day in the snow

We got that phone call this morning we love so much....no work and all play. We started our day with some snugglying and then outside it was. I can't really tell how much she liked the snow, she didn't look very excited and yet was unhappy at all.I think she was taking it all in. She did love the snow plow. Hopefully we 'll get to sleigh riding this weekend.

snow day, snow day, snow day!!!!!!

2008-12-18T16:54:00.000-08:00

It was the night before a snow day and all mommy could do was hope and hope for the snow to come.........It could be our first snow day all year. Now, since I've been in education for 10 years I have always loved snow days, but now they have so much MORE meaning. It means I can stay home all day and play with Leah in our pajamas ( or go to the mall)!!! Leah would have loved to play with her friends but they are all sick. Most of the babies and mommy's got a serious virus , so unfortunately everyone is quarantined ( and we hope they get better soon). I guess that has been one advantage of being at work. So if you are ready this tonight please dream of big white flakes falling down tomorrow.

She'll do anything for that remote!

2008-12-18T16:35:00.000-08:00

Guess who's cruising? Our little monster is on the move......but only for the remote!

New adventures in eating

2008-12-18T16:27:00.000-08:00

What was a few months of very pleasant meal times has turned into serious messy time with some real independence. Leah will no longer let me feed her and yells until I give her the spoon. I was very excited about this at first....."wow, she is so grown up feedin herself", but that was short lived until she takes the spoon and flings the food across the kitchen. Thank g-d for Tyson, he is my portable vacum ( hope he is enjoying pureed veggies). Either way it is cute as anything but alot more work. I think jar food is coming to an end.

First words with meaning

2008-12-17T17:08:00.000-08:00

She has been doing the baby talk thing now for about 2 months. She's got Dada down but we're not really sure she means it towards Corey since she says it ALL DAY!!! But she now says "doggie" ( or really "yoggie") when she actually sees Tyson. I knew she liked him the best :).Her friend Rylee did this a while ago at her dog and I wondered if Leah would do the same thing. I guess this would be a good time to talk about our other child, Tyson. Corey bought him for me as a surprise in June 2007, about 3 weeks BEFORE we found out we were pregnant. He says that he got it just in case it was hard for us to get pregnant. Luckily it wasn't and so having a brand new puppy and finding out we were having a baby was alot to take in. I was in love with this little puppy but VERY nervous about how we would handle both and if the dog would eat the baby. But Tyson really has become our other child. He has such a personality and you can really tell how much he loves Leah. We have watched him grow alot of amazement too. All of his milestones were important too;first time he
jumped on the couch, sat on command, and stopped peeing in the house ( well that still happens once in a while). But I have to say it's been very cool to have them both in our lives and to experince them at the same time.

On my way to work this morning

2008-12-11T04:51:00.001-08:00

So on my hour commute each morning and afternoon I have alot of time to think and ponder. My mind usually races between....... Leah, my students, what i'll eat for lunch, when and how can i go on vacation with corey, what i'll eat for dinner, looking foward to the weekend, how can I lose 10 lbs, etc....... This morning I had some random things on my mind so I figured this is the place I can write them down. Why in the world in Leah waking up at 4am this whole week? Does she know I wake up at 5 and wants to spend some extra time with me. Winter is tough getting up, I won't lie....I am exhausted each morning , but can I really complain since she sleeps all the way from 7pm. I am contiplating starting to drink coffee. I know I am one of the few not on the coffee express. Or is it a sign I should stay awake and work out..........yeah, I don't see that happening. I feel selfish but I would do ANTHING for that extra hour. Another thought....I heard that Tracey took Leah yesterday to go see Santa, and she lost it, crying hysterically. I never want her to be sad, but I think it is kinda of funny, because that means she is totally Jewish. I guess she made up her mind already( hehehehe). Friday is her 9 month checkup and I can't wait. Why???? To get her weighed. Sounds nuts, but I love these milestones and hearing all of her stats. I never imagined a doctor appoinment would make me so excited. And lastly, on my way home yesterday I stopped at this really cute consignment shop , the Preppy Turtle and got the best clothing for Leah ever and they were like 5$ each!! I am ofically done with real stores ( goodbuy Gap, Old Navy, and defaintly Denny's and Buy Buy Baby ....where for the past 9 months I have thought it was okay to spend 30$ on a dress, that she will wear once). We are in a recsession and I have to do my part. Plus , if you are really smart you will go to a consignment shop in a rich town because these people sell their beautiful/expensive cloths with the tags still on them! NUTS! Okay I should start my work for the day.....I wonder what Leah is doing right now. Between blogging, facebook, email, and looking at pictures all day I should squeeze some work in........Oh great my Assistant Principal just walked in while I was blogging, if that isn't a sign!

Pics with Casey

2008-12-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

Last week Casey came over and took some family photos. She did an amzing job and we are so lucky to have met her ( and all of the other mommy bff's ).
Click on the link below to look at the video ( keep your volume on).Enjoy!
http://homepage.mac.com/ryanandcaseyragan/Sites/showfolder/shaw08/shaw08index.html

In the past 3 days

2008-11-30T16:55:00.000-08:00

Besides it being a crazy weekend filled with family and friends for the holiday, I think Leah has been inspired to reach some milestones so she can show off to the family. In the past three days she :

1. Has started standing up!! This is CRAZY to me. I put her down to nap and 10 min later I look at the monitor and she is standing in her crib. Now it is all the time trying to stand up....very cool.

2. Will clap on command. I know that sound likes a dog, but really when we sing "Leah likes to clap", she actually does it.

3. She is now pointing at things.

4. Shakes her head no when she is done with food.

5. Sings and I think I even heard a MaMa this weekend ( but that one I could have been imagining)

Thanksgiving Part II and Early Chanukah...(hey we create our own holidays!)

2008-11-30T16:33:00.000-08:00

Aunt Marcie and Uncle Jeff are the best!

Leah can tickle Lainey too!

I love my cousins!!

Candy shopping!

So we kept the holiday rolling all weekend in the Shaw house. Since Aunt Marcie, Uncle Jeff, and Leah's favorite cousins Jared and Lainey couldn't make it on Thursday we celebrated over the weekend. We also did a little Chanukah gift exchanging, yeah we really do celebrate ALL MONTH LONG! Leah got to open her first Chanukah present and LOVES it. She seriously has not left this toy for the past two days. It was so great to see them and psend real time together. We went shopping in Ridgefield, put Jeff to work installing the big girl car seats,out to dinner, early morning breakfast, watched the first real snow stick this season and then off they were. I miss them more than anything and always feel sad that we don't live down the street from each other. But we always make each time we see each other meaningful and special. Love you guys!!!!

More Thanksgiving pics

2008-11-30T16:29:00.000-08:00

Mommy's princess
Leah gives Noni her first real hug!

Look at my new cool toys

So much to be thankful for.....

2008-11-27T16:05:00.000-08:00

Leah is thankful for her Noni!
Quana and Sean came to visit also.

Daddy is cookin up a feast.

Who is bigger Leah or the turkey?

Thanksgiving morning with our two little ones.

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. Since I am usually a poitive person ( glass half full type of girl) giving thanks is my kind of holiday. Yes, I've always been cheesy in that way (making everyone go around the tabel and say what they are thankful for). Well each year in my life there has been something that has stood out to be expecailly thankful for ( going to college, meeting Corey, buying our new home, and last year being pregnant). But NOTHING compares or comes even close to being thankful for our amazing daughter. Everyday has felt like Thanksgiving since she was born. But not only are we so thankful for the blessing of having her in our life, but it has made us realize how great life is.......our family ( near and far, mostly far since our closest family member lives an hour and a half away), our friends....old and new ( who mean the world to us), our jobs ( which actually make us pretty happy most days), our marrige, and just our day to day joys we have. So let's just say it was a pretty amazing Thnksgiving. We actually did the cooking and most of it came out good ( ok, so we are no chefs!). Noni came over and we all know that Leah knows her Noni by now. Being able to make Thanksgiving dinner for my mom kaes me very happy and proud. Quana and Sean came by too. It meant alot for them to be with us since Angel is still in Iraq. Sean and Leah got to play on Leah's new stand-up toys! Of course Leah had to make it extra special and decided to start standing up by herself today.

it's getting COLD outside.....

2008-11-23T17:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it is not easy having a baby in the winter ( I know it's still fall but it feels like winter in CT). There is so much to figure out:

-How do I get Leah in a car seat when she looks like a marshmellow and doesn't fit ?

-I watched her nose turn a slight shade of purple today and lip actually shiver when I had her outside.

-How do they wear gloves? I can't get ANY of them on...Jen suggested wearing socks and I'm going with that one (thanks Jen).

-I wake up at least 5 times a night frightened that she is either suffocating from the heat or freezing when i turn it down.

At least when there is snow it will be fun to play in...

Is it summer yet???????

Wrapped around his finger!

2008-11-23T17:26:00.000-08:00

There is nothing that makes me happier in the world than to watch Leah and her Daddy just being silly. She is such a happy little girl and lights up everytime she is with him. I just see this glow that is in her eyes when thet are together. The whole time Corey and I have been together he has wanted ( and knew we would have ) a little girl. There is something so amazing in the bond they have. Obviously we have one too, but this is my point of view of them. So here is a glimpse into their moments.......

what a week!

2008-11-23T17:08:00.000-08:00

See how one email can get a crew together...you guys rock!
I like toys that help me stand

Tyson had a playdate too! Those boys were getting "busy"

Shafdog and Maya with a suprise visit to Danbury!

Aunt Steph came to hang out for the night...yipee!

The past few days have been so great since we've gotten lucky and seen some of our friends. This time of year is normally so busy with Corey and I working really hard that we have to remind ourselves to really enjoy the weekends. We can't wait for the holidays( to see family, eat, and be on vacation!), and although they may be spent at home ,as long as we are with Leah we are so happy. In one weekend, we went to Gymboree ( and got to see some of the mommy group which made Leah and Mommy very happy!), went holiday shopping, food shopped for Thanksgiving, went out to dinner, had our "photo shoot" with Casey, watched the Jets beat the undefeated Titans ( oh yeah baby!), attended a jewlery party, had housekeepers for the first time ( for most of you who know me , that was a VERY difficult decision since i am already such a neat freak!) and got to see some friends! Wheew.....

our little comedian

2008-11-18T16:28:00.000-08:00

Even though she has been doing "rasberries" for months now, she has stepped it up a notch.This is her new favorite thing to do. She is also waving and pointing, but I can never seem to catch those on camera. Love you LeLe.

Eva's 1st Birthday!

2008-11-10T05:21:00.000-08:00

Can I squeeze your nose?

Happy Birthday Eva!! It was a great day out in Long Island. We can't believe Eva is 1 already. She got so big and was walking all around her party. Leah had a blast ( we've really got this nap thing down good!). All the bagels, lox, and ice cream cake an 8 month old can handle! She loved Minney Mouse and is looking foward to meeting Baby Jalosky when he arrives in January!

Happy 8 Months!

2008-11-07T16:28:00.000-08:00

Happy 8 Month Birthday pumpkin face, cutiepatutie, booboo, princess.....and every other nickname I have for you. Here are your milestones: ( it was a very active month!)

crawling ( each day getting faster and faster, those track legs may just be in you!)

pulling your self up

your new smile ( so hard that your nose disappears)

talking! with words only me, daddy, and tracey somehow understand

drinking juice out of a sippy cup

in the BIG bathtub

sitting in a high chair at restauraunts and flirting with all the waiters!

HUGS and reaching out for us!

We love you so much that words can't describe it!

Look who's crawling!

2008-11-06T17:47:00.001-08:00

We believe that Leah was really imspiried by Obama and decided to crawl foward for the first time as soon as he won. After weeks of going backwards and spinning around, she has finally figured out how to get where she is going in a straight line!!! It is so adorable. Every milestone she reaches just brings just joy to us. We are so grateful to have a healthy( besides her constant sniffles!), happy, and beautiful baby. Now we realize that she is on the gooooo and it changes everything. Babyproofing here we go!

Yes we can!

2008-11-05T20:15:00.000-08:00

Daddy I just voted, can I sit in a high chair now?
I've got the sticker to prove it.

"Rosa sat so Martin could walk, Martin walked so Obama could run, Obama ran so the children could fly"

Call me sappy, but my heart is filled with pride today. Obama won the election and feel like we played a part in making history. Obviously Leah can and will grow up to be what ever her heart desires, but I feel the significance of the year she was born was the year Obama won the presidency. We've always been politically aware and involved, but this race was special and has meaning more than ever before for our daughter. Not just because of the race thing, but because we care so much about the world we are bringing her into. We were soooo excited to go vote and bring Leah in the booth with us. She even got to wear her "i voted" sticker. It was also the first night she sat in a high chair out at a restaraunt....okay not as meaningful , but still special!

Olivia and Sydney's Halloween Party

2008-11-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

This is our love child...Leah
The hostess with the mostess.....Mr. and Mrs. Old McDonald and their chicken and pig ( Olivia and Sydney)

Leah " Can someone get these petals out of my face"

The Mommy Shot

Our sunflower

The ENTIRE baby group got together to celebrate Halloween at Jodi and Mike's house. This was really nice since we haven't seen everyone in a while. It was such a good time....filled with great weather, a million photo ops ( of course Leah cried during the group shot.....she is now 2 for 2), yummy food, and most of all an amzing time with all of her friends. Even some of the parents were dressed up. Mommy and Daddy were hippies and had their flower child with them. I loved this costume the best...Leah just reminds me of a sunflower :)Hopefully we'll do this again next year and it becomes a halloween tradition....

Trick or Treat '08

2008-11-03T16:23:00.000-08:00

I want my candy!!!!!!

Leah the ladybug went out for her first Trick or Treat around Kensington Woods. We were so excited that I think we were the first one's out there (plus she'll be knocked out by 7). I was Hippie Girl ( later titled Foxy Brown) and Corey was Obama. It was classic. He was campaigning and kissing a baby the whole night. She was great and of course there were no words but she screamed and swung her arms with excitement when people came to the door. She ( really Mommy and Daddy) got some great candy. All I could think to myself was......should I check the candy for needles. That was so big in the 80's. I've been waiting to be a mom just to say that. ( meanwhile she can't even eat the candy!!)Another great first experience.......

Leah's Mischief Night

2008-11-03T16:18:00.000-08:00

Okay...so we had one to many halloween costumes and didn't know what to do with them all. We figured she needed an outfit the night before to get her in the mood for the festivities over the next few days. I thought at this age the halloween thing would be all about Corey and I , but I seriously think she loved it to. She was having fun with the costume and made her laugh every time she saw herself!