Finally! A new video!

At Wildlife World Zoo/Aquarium :) We had lots of fun and took so much video footage, I wish I can show everything! Leland was so happy to be there!

Imagine

John Lennon - Imagine

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Our day at Schnepf Farms

Never too young to play video games

New photos of Leland!

What a handsome fella!

Lee trying a lemon

Later he still wanted more!

I put Leland down in his crib for his nap at 10am... right now it's 11:20! WOW!!! He's taking a real nap!!

So Leland was introduced to baby food this week. We first gave him some on Monday night. I doubt he even swallowed any of it. We started with sweet peas, once a night, Monday through Wednesday. And it looks like he wasn't too pleased with the taste. The disgusted look on his face kind of gave that away. So last night I introduced green beans and apparently he liked those much better. He ended up wearing more of it then eating it, but he was happy the entire time and looked like he wanted to try more. What a big boy.

He's been sleeping so much better too! This morning he napped nearly 45 minutes in his crib and right now he's down for a second nap and it has been 30 minutes so far! Progress!! YES!!!

Okaaay.... what happened to all the videos I posted?? ;_;

Here's a video montage of Lee from this past week! He's such a cutie!!

He's now finally discovering how much power his hands have. He is grabbing at everything he can, from toys and cell phones to daddy's nose and doggy's fur. He's getting so much better at tummy time too. My little boy is growing up so fast!

Saturday morning we took Leland to the new Sea life Aquarium in the Arizona Mills mall. It was a lot of fun and I can tell he had a great time. It wore him out too, he was sleeping like a rock after the trip. We took a few photos and video clips, but now I wish we took even more videos, especially of him seeing all the fish. It was so cute!

So this morning I was watching last night's Glee episode with Leland. The theme was Gaga and as soon as Bad Romance was performed, Lee's eyes were glued to the screen. So we find if he gets fussy, we can play that clip and he's completely hypnotized. I just had to record it.

So we introduced Lee to the pool. Well, really the spa, since warm water sounded much more appealing. So we got his swimmer diaper on and he sat in it with me for a short while, not sure what to think and then kinda freaked out lol. The spa bubbles were on for a while and I think that might have scared him. When we turned them off, he was still pretty upset, as you can tell from the video. So pool time was pretty short. As soon as he was out, he was content and ready to take a nap. Oh well, soon enough he'll be a water-baby.

Today is our 3 year Anniversary! We celebrated on Saturday night at a restaurant called T. Cooks at The Royal Palms Resort. It was very fancy. We also ate outside and the weather was perfect for that. I wasn't too impressed with the food though, I've had better. But we still had a good time and it was romantic. Leland stayed at my parents' house in the meantime. It was the longest I've ever been apart from him! Even though it was great to finally have a proper date alone with Jeff, when we were driving home I was anxious to see my baby! Apparently, shortly after we left him with my parents, he had a little separation anxiety and cried--tears and everything. Poor guy! I think after he got a bottle, my mom was able to sooth him to sleep and he was fine the rest of the time he was there.

Last night, the funniest thing happened. Leland thought that Jeff brushing his teeth was hilarious! I was holding Lee and he was watching his daddy through the mirror's reflection and kept laughing at the silly faces his dad had to make to clean his teeth or whenever he spit in the sink. It was so cute! We couldn't stop laughing with him!

Dinner last night was Eggplant Parmesan. It turned out great! I found out the important thing was to get most of the moisture out of the eggplant before cooking it. So I had to have slices sit in a colander in the sink with some course salt for about half and hour. That definitely sucked a lot of the moisture out. So after prepping them and dipping the slices in seasoned breadcrumbs and baking them, they turned out perfectly tender and tasty!

I also made some Bruschetta. That turned out good too! I used up the leftover crumbled goat cheese for that. Yum!

We had a fabulous dinner tonight! *kisses fingers* Magnifique!!
My mom came by today and helped me prepare a healthy full course meal with:

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad...

...including a homemade Lemon Tarragon Dressing...

...and for the main dish,
Chickpea Cakes with Goat Cheese and a Roasted Red Pepper topping...

...and for dessert we made a Mango-Ginger Upside-Down Cake...

Delicious!

*kisses fingers some more* Sensationnel!! Merveilleux!! Magnifique! Bon Appetit!!

Dinner tonight: Chicken and Greek salad... I totally forgot to add some red onions to the salad. That would have been much tastier. But it was still good. And for dessert we had poached pears with dark chocolate sauce!

We had a nice visit and dinner yesterday at Grandpa and Grandma Heywood's! Leland was in a great mood and had a wonderful time talking to everyone.

Leland loves to read!

Yesterday Leland laughed for the first time!! We can't get him to do it that many more times, but it was definitely a laugh. The first time I was tickling him and then when Jeff came home, he blew into Lee's belly and got another laugh out of him! So cute!

I've been pretty lazy adding to this blog lately! Sorry 'bout that!

My legs are so sore! That EA Active Wii program must be doing it's job! So cool!

Dinner tonight was "Foil-pack Chicken and Mushroom Dinner" I got the recipe from here. It turned out really good!

Here's a cute video from Saturday. Leland got to see all his cousins!

The Wii is tons of fun! And what's really exciting is that we finally got EA Active in the mail, which is a workout program for the Wii. So we're starting that today... since P90X wasn't working out so well for us... we're such bums. But what's cool is EA Active got a 30 challenge for us to follow. We just started this evening and it was great! I was sweating! I feel much more motivated to do this.

Leland watched The Road to El Dorado this morning while I was tidying up the house. So cute! The TV is an excellent babysitter sometimes. He also got to spend time with his Nana today while I went to a doctor's appointment. Fun!

Dinner: Pita Sandwiches! (with zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, cheese and tomatoes) Tasty!

Leland enjoyed the first 15 minutes of The Pagemaster, before falling asleep. What a cutie.

Dinner was Grilled Bruschetta Chicken, with mashed potatoes and cucumbers. It turned out really good!

Leland had his 2 month check up and shots yesterday. Poor little guy! It was heartbreaking to hear him cry after the shots. I think that would be the first time I heard him cry that hard in pain and fear. I think it's also the first time I've seen him cry with tears! Just tears your heart out. By the time we got back out to the car though, he completely forgot about it.

Last night was kinda tough. I think he was having major gas pains, or maybe his legs were sore from the 3 shots he had yesterday... I'm not sure, but he was NOT HAPPY. I finally had him sleep next to me in bed and after a while he calmed down and felt right to sleep. But if I were to move or jostle him in any way, he'd wake up crying again. So I just let him sleep there the entire night. He woke up happy this morning though!

Jeff and I caved and ordered the Wii online... now we waiting very patiently for it to get here. I think it will be good for us, it should get us moving more. Plus it would be fun to play games together. Usually I'm just watching Jeff play his video games. I don't have much interest in the shoot-'em-up games that he likes to play. So, can't wait for the Wii to get here!!

Gus and Leland are totally buddies:

Dinner: Fajitas!

We just had breakfast for dinner! German oven pancakes, with ham and cantaloupe.
As usual the house smells yummy.

It's Tuesday night! You know what that means... another new episode of Lost! It's just barely starting so I'll just leave you with this cute video of Leland.

Dinner: Hawaiian Haystack!! :)

Wow! We've been bad... For me, it's so much more motivating to make a meal every evening than it is to exercise everyday. I don't want to give up of course, we'll try to do better this week.

Looks like I got some part-time work to do, which is what kept me busy this afternoon. I met with a company called Mosaic Team, who's office is not too far from here. I'm going to be doing some design work for them from home. Always good to make a little extra money!

Leland was such a happy boy today too! He also got to visit with his Grandma Heywood while I met with the Mosaic Team. Apparently he slept the whole time I was gone.

Dinner tonight was BLT wraps. Instead of lettuce it was spinach... so really it was BST wraps. Yum!

Dinner was baked potato, the last of our carrots, and, you guessed it, salad!

Throughout my pregnancy, I kept reminding myself to cherish the time Jeff and I had left and not take anything for granted, like date nights, vacations, sleeping, taking a shower... Still nothing prepares you for feeling like a prisoner in your own house and your baby is your ball and chain! And, oh boy, do I miss sleep. REAL sleep! But, still, it's so sweet to see him smile at me first thing in the morning. It makes me forget the life Jeff and I had not too long ago without him. Leland has the sweetest smile and it melts my heart that he gets excited to see my face.

P90X was arms and shoulders today. I think of all the workouts, this is the one I like best. Or, to be honest, the only one I like. Maybe because it's the easiest! With arms, I can workout, feel the burn and still keep going!

I put together a Chicken Caesar Salad for dinner. We had so much salad to use up still. It was a nice, light dinner. Not bad tasting either.

Enjoy this cute video of Gus Gus!!

This morning, Leland woke up with nothing but smiles! That's a big change from yesterday. He also got to spend some quality time with Grandma Heywood this afternoon while I did some grocery shopping.

It's Jeff's birthday today! Dinner was sour cream meatloaf and mash potatoes (both made from scratch by yours truly!) and it turned out delicious!! Jeff was excited to come home and find it cooking in the oven. And for dessert I picked up Marie Calendar's Dutch Apple Pie. Yum!

We both haven't done our P90X today. Dinner smelled too good! We were ready to eat as soon as Jeff got home. Also, tonight is Lost night!

Here is a cute video clip of Leland (and company). Enjoy!

Leland has been a grump most of today. I played with him on the floor off and on, moving his legs a lot, since it's probably gas. That seems to help sometimes. I put Finding Nemo on the television as well and he definitely was watching it, which was kinda cute.

I managed to squeeze in P90X today (chest, back and abs), despite Mr. Grumpy Gills. I did about half the program though, before he got too fussy.

Of course, as soon as Jeff gets home, Leland decides then to sleep like an angel. Literally. Most of today his naps were 20 minutes tops and now he's got such a peaceful look on his face, with his hands folded over each other, making his daddy think "Mommy's a liar! I've been super sweet just like this..."

Easter weekend was fun. Got to see family, enjoy yummy food, show off baby Leland to everybody, and not have time to go to the grocery store and plan meals for the week! We got a lot of salad leftover from yesterday, however. Which means, this week we'll be eating a lot of salad! We just had spaghetti tonight, with a salad and garlic bread. I didn't bother taking a photo this time. It was a pretty boring meal! Plus, I burned the bread...

Rubber Ducky I'm Awfully Fond of You...!

Your (almost) Daily Dose of Leland. Enjoy!

Dinner: Chicken stuffed with cheese (mixed with green onions, garlic, and Italian seasoning) and spinach/strawberry salad (I needed to use up the strawberries)

Leland was in a good mood for the first time when I gave him tummy time. He usually seems so upset when I put him on his tummy. But today, I wish I had my video camera out, 'cause he was talking and cooing and seemed excited to look at me when he lifted his head. Yay!

P90X was arms, shoulders and abs today. Woohoo!

Dinner was taco salad!

What a busy evening, last night! I got so caught up in everything that right before going to bed, I shut down my computer and then realized, too late, "oh no! I didn't update the blog!!"

Last night was "Lost" night! So after a delicious homemade dinner of Stuffed Mushrooms and Strawberry/Spinach salad, plus a refreshing berry pie dessert I whipped together, we sat down and got our "Lost" fix. During the show, I was still keeping busy getting some freelance work done, while Jeff kept Leland entertained, who was very much awake and active.

Here are the yummy photos!

Got some cute footage of Leland today, so I had to post it of course! :)

Last night Leland slept great! Only waking up for meals and diaper changes. He was wide awake most of today, so it was hard to get much done, but it was nice get more sleep during the night. He's been such a cutie though.

P90X: Today was supposed to be chest and back and abs. I managed to squeeze in some ab work outs before Leland was demanding attention and dinner had to be made. Before I knew it Jeff was already home. Unfortunately, he had a paper to write, therefore only just enough time to do that and eat dinner. We'll have to make up for it tomorrow by putting our all into Plyometrics.

Dinner: Baked Potato (with broccoli, green onions, spinach and cheese mixed in) and a Cabbage and Apple Saute. Turned out pretty good! The house smells tasty too.

You know how Saturdays are... how they just make you eat fattening Chipotle tacos for lunch and not want to do any strenuous sort of exercise? Yeah, that's how they are.

Those tacos were delicious by the way. :)


P90X Update: Jeff was the good boy and he did the work out, which was Kempo.

Me, well... Did you know that I burn calories nursing a baby? :p


Dinner: Jeff just finished his protein shake, it looked... green. I'll try to force myself not to just say "screw it", jump in the car and buy a big tub of Ben & Jerry's and settle with leftover Chicken Parmesan instead.


Time to set up next week's menu!

P90X Update: Yowza!! Today was legs and back. I'm pretty pleased with the workout though. I hope I have great looking legs just in time for summer! I want to look awesome in my swimsuit this year.

Dinner: I actually had no dinner planned for tonight, until I watched Oprah and was inspired to make chicken strips. She was interviewing Jamie Oliver from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and he was making the same thing on the show. I used what was left of the chicken breasts in the freezer, flour, egg yolk and I happened to have some seasoned bread crumbs from who knows when, but it was still good. Voila! Turned out great!

After Leland's bath today we tried to do some tummy time... but as soon as I set him down, he decided a nap was a better idea.

P90X Update: Today was Yoga. The stretching was definitely what Jeff and I both needed, we were pretty sore from the last few days, especially Jeff! I definitely gotta work on balancing, I was tumbling all over the place. It didn't help that the dogs decided to play chase around my feet at the time too. I had to cut out about 30 minutes worth of the workout though, it was an hour and a half long!

Dinner: Chicken Parmesan and Zucchini.


A bowl of ice cream sounds so good right now... I'll have to settle with yogurt.

Leland drank 2 whole ounces of milk from a bottle! He complained in the beginning, but then calmed down and drank like a pro. Yay! Soon enough Jeff can start feeding Leland as well!

P90X update: Today was arms, shoulders and abs. Leland napped so well during my workout!

Dinner: I had to cheat today and just heat up a can of Campbell's Chunky soup for dinner with some crackers. I cooked a side of carrots, which came from our own garden by the way! We were short on time, because we had some visitors stop by the house. It's amazing how little time we have! We try to get to bed early enough so Jeff can get enough sleep to get up early for his carpool. So losing just a half hour of our evening makes a huge difference! I wish these P90X workouts were shorter. :(

Leland had a lovely bath today. He was very talkative too. Usually when I give him baths, he just has a confused look on his face and is completely silent. Today, he still looked stunned, but was cooing happily. I think his favorite part of bath time is getting all wrapped up in a warm towel in the end. Then I get plenty of cooing and smiles.

P90x Update: I just finished my workout about an hour ago. Today was "Plyometrics". I definitely felt the burn!! Jeff, having just got home a short while ago, is now in the workout room.

Tonight's dinner: Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese and onions (I can't make omelettes for the life of me! So we have to settle with scrambled.) and cantaloupe. Yum!

Just over a month ago Jeff and I welcomed little Leland into our lives. We're still getting the hang of parenthood, but I think all three of us are adapting our new lifestyle well and loving every moment, despite the exhaustion, constant feedings and diaper changes!

We decided to give blogging a shot. And after looking in the mirror at my post-pregnancy body and Jeff's sympathy weight, I thought that perhaps this will be a great opportunity to get into shape, without slacking off. So I plan to post a blog entry every day, if possible, to show our progress. We're going to P90X our way through the next 3 months! I also plan to prepare daily meals (served in smaller portions) that include at least one side of veggies, more protein, and less carbs. I hope to post a photo of every dinner for the next 90 days. We will rid our pantry and fridge of processed and junk foods, including chips, sugary cereals, cookies (*whimper*), frozen pizza, soda... etc.


Today was our first day of P90X... Jeff felt like puking when he finished. After a 1 and a half hour workout, I don't blame him. I did my own personal workout just before Jeff got home from work and I'm already questioning my capability to continue this for 90 days straight.


Dinner was hamburger patties, mash potatoes, with cream of mushroom gravy, and cooked broccoli. Yes, the mash potatoes are a big no no... but we wanted to finish off the box, therefore ridding the pantry of another high carb food.

There you have it! 1 Day down and 89 more to go.


Thanks for reading!