And so it begins....

Jared reported to the Police Academy at 6am this morning.

I don't know which was more difficult...watching him give Lincoln his goodnight snuggles last night, or seeing him off this morning.

I slept awful last night. I kept waking up with that "pit in the bottom of your stomach" feeling, & felt like I was going to throw up. I didn't though. I stayed strong. Until he left. Then I was by myself, alone, in our dark house. I honestly wanted to run into Lincoln's nursery and scoop him up for some cuddles. I decided against that because he was fast asleep. I did however sneak into his room and watch him peacefully sleep for a few minutes.

When Lincoln woke up this morning it made things a little easier. It's hard to not be happy with him. He is my little ray of sunshine :)

I am going to miss him terribly. But I think what bothers me the most, is the time he has to spend away from Lincoln. Jared has seen Lincoln every day since he's been born. He's a very active Father. Lincoln loves his Daddy. To see the pure excitement on his face when his Daddy walks into the room, fills me up with such happiness.

Here is Lincoln with his Daddy before bedtime last night. He was exhausted!

I hope it gets easier. It is hard.

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The Pink Polka Dot Boutique [Review & Giveaway]

The Pink Polka Dot Boutique is a great Etsy shop that specializes in a variety of handmade baby products!

My sweet little Lincoln was sent this super cute animal blanket.

Obviously, he loves it. He was carrying it around the house with him in his walker. He has recently become a huge fan of blankets. He loves to snuggle up with them. It's adorable!

The quality of the blanket is absolutely perfect. I can see Lincoln dragging this blankie around for many, many years :)

The Pink Polka Dot Boutique carries many other items as well. From super cute burp cloths, to adorable nursing pillow covers...there's something for every baby!

One of my [very] lucky readers will be able to win their own baby blanket! Here's how:

Mandatory Entry [leave one comment]:

Visit The Pink Polka Dot Boutique and tell me your favorite product.

Bonus Entries [leave one separate comment for each additional entry]:

Follow my blog publicly [1 entry/comment]

Grab my button [1 entry/comment]

Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs [1 entry/comment per day]

This giveaway will end on Monday, September 6th at 11:59pm EST. I will announce the winner [chosen from random.org]. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the post, or a new winner will be chosen. Good luck everyone!

Please note: I was in no way compensated to perform this review. These opinions are my own.

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Tomorrow is the big day....

....Jared reports to the police academy for the entire week. :::breathes deeply into paper bag:::

He's running a few last minute errands right now, and then we're going to spend the rest of the day, just him, Lincoln, and myself.

I knew this day was coming, but it still doesn't feel "real" yet, if that makes any sense. Tomorrow morning will be tough. Watching him leave bright and early in the morning, and knowing he won't be home until Friday night. Come to think of it, tonight might be harder. He won't see Lincoln in the morning, other than to peak at him before he leaves. He'll be giving Lincoln his extra snuggles and kisses before he goes to bed tonight. That will be hard.

I plan to send Jared a picture of our sweet little Lincoln every day. And Jared also plans to talk to him on the phone every night. I'm going to try to make this as easy as possible for him...because are tough as it's going to be for myself, I cannot imagine what's going on in Jared's head. He has seen Lincoln every day since he's been born. And to suddenly not see him all week long, for 22 weeks...that's going to be unimaginably difficult.

Hope you all enjoy your Sunday. Wish us luck with our new adventure!


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Partners in crime

Our cat Oliver has finally realized that having a little brother [Lincoln] is pretty cool. They have recently started bonding during breakfast, lunch, & dinner. Oliver isn't too picky, he'll gladly eat the waffles Lincoln throws on the floor. And once Lincoln realized Oliver was enjoying his breakfast, he thought it was rather fun to feed him.

I think Oliver prefers lunch though. Here he is awaiting Lincoln to drop some chicken and cheese...

& obviously Lincoln wasn't quick enough, because Oliver thought it was okay to help himself.

Poor kitty doesn't know what fun awaits him. I suspect as soon as Lincoln is more mobile, he'll be chasing Oliver all around the house :)

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9 months old!

Can you stand it? My sweet little Lincoln is 9 months old. It is so bittersweet. I love watching him grow and turn into the sweetest little boy, but I miss my teeny tiny newborn!

I have actually started to think about ideas for his ::gasp:: 1st birthday party!

Lincoln had his 9 month pediatrician visit yesterday, & it was pretty fun for him [and me] because there were no shots :)

He weighs 23 pounds 2 ounces, and he's 30 inches long! He is in the 90th percentile for both his height and his weight!

His pedi said he's absolutely perfect. She also said because he's 9 months old and over 20 pounds, we could start the transition to whole milk. I'm still a little baffled on this because I thought formula was very important for the first year. I'm not too sure how if I'm going to start that transition quite yet.

So what's my sweet boy up to these days?

• He now has one tooth! It's his bottom right, but if you look at him, it looks like he has both bottom teeth. That second one is going to pop through any minute! Also, his pedi said his two top front teeth are on their way too!
• He waves... But only at his Momma :)
• He is this.close to crawling.
• He does the "Downward Facing Dog" yoga pose, which I find hysterical.
• Just yesterday I went to grab him out of his crib after his nap and he was sitting up in his crib!
• He rocks the army crawl quite well.
• He is a talkative little man! He jibber jabbers all day long with his Momma :)
• He is getting better at finger foods, but still loves his purees. He is a cheese maniac! We went out for dinner the other night and I gave him some shredded cheese and he dove right in! I'm not too sure the restaurant appreciated the mess he made though...
• He loves to drink water out of his sippy cup. But his favorite thing to do with it is to fill his mouth up, & then blow it out his mouth. Makes for a fun [messy] time!

I'm sure there are loads of things I'm forgetting. He seriously learns something new each day. To see the joy and excitement on his face when he discovers something new, is the greatest!

And, you know we had a 9 month photo shoot! Here are some of the best shots...

With Daddy....

With Mommy...

He is growing up SO fast!

Oh, and tomorrow is the big day....Jared has his first day at the police academy. It's orientation, so he'll be home later that night. But Monday morning, he reports bright and early [6am] and is there for the duration of the week. I'm d.r.e.a.d.i.n.g it :( I can do this though. Really, I can.

Happy 9 months to my sweet little Lincoln. I love him a little bit more each day :)

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"Hi Momma!"

A HUGE milestone for Lincoln happened last night. My sweet boy started waving on his 9 month birthday! He prefers to only wave to me though. We tried it with Daddy and he just laughed at him. I took this video of him last night to send to my brother...

It wasn't just a one time thing either. He was having a rough night, so at 3am, Jared brought him to bed with us. When he saw me he immediately started waving :)

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Happy Baby Food Winner!

The winner of the Happy Baby Food Giveaway is..... Coment #18 Sarah !!! Congratulations :) Please email me your address at Kaymee81@gmail.com & I'll have your packet of free stuff sent right out to you!

Keep on the lookout for a new giveaway next week!!


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9 month professional photos [outfit]

...yes, I am well aware that my sweet boy just so happens to be 9 months old today :::cue the tears::: however, I am not writing his 9 month post until he has his 9 month pedi visit on Wednesday so I can update with his latest stats :)

I did however want to share his super cute outfit he will be wearing for his 9 month professional pictures in a couple of weeks! Seriously, how adorable is he going to look in this...shoes & all....

The outfit is compliments of Gymboree, aka: my favorite store to shop for my sweet little Lincoln. I'm sure his photos will turn out super adorable, as always...he really loves the camera!

Last week I also picked up his Halloween costume! I'm not going to share what he's going to dress up as yet, but does anyone have any guesses?!?!

There will not be a giveaway this week because I'm trying to soak up as much family time as possible before Jared reports to the Academy...however, today is the last day to enter the Happy Baby Food giveaway! I am in contact with some great companies, & will be having lots of more giveaways soon :)

I also wanted to add that if you win a giveaway, you still can win the next one too! I do not have a rule where you can only win one within a certain time period, so enter away :)

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Time

...it seems as though we always don't have enough of it.

Jared is heading to the Police Academy next Friday. That is really really sneaking up on me all of a sudden. :::breathes into paper bag:::

I am SO proud of him. He is doing a wonderful thing, and it is such a great opportunity for our family. But, it's going to be hard. It's going to be really, I don't know how hard, hard. I give major credit to Military Wives. I do not know how they do it. I am lucky enough that Jared will be home with Lincoln and me on the weekends. Military families do not have that luxury.

I will have plenty to keep me busy while he's away during the week. I have my sweet baby boy, my whole world, to help me get through it. I also plan on taking some trips to Rhode Island to spend some time with my parents and friends. Currently, I'm planning on taking weekly trips and spending two nights there per week. It's a 2 1/2 hour drive though, so we'll see.

Today is Jared's last day of work at his old job. We're going to enjoy this weekend as a family, and spend lots of time, the three of us, the rest of next week before he reports Friday morning.

I will have many distractions to help Lincoln and me get through these 22 weeks. Seriously, how did I get so lucky to have this sweet boy as my son.....

Jared is doing an amazing thing for our family. Lincoln and I are very proud of him, and we'll cherish our special time we get to spend with him before the Academy, & on our fun-filled family weekends :)

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Sick Baby

Lincoln slept until 10am yesterday morning...very unlike him, he's normally awake by 8am. When I took him out of his crib, I thought he felt unusually warm. Sure enough, I took his temp and it read 101.4 :(

I'm chalking it up to teething...although most doctors will tell you that teething does not cause fevers. His top gums are SO swollen, & it looks like he's about to get his bottom left tooth. Oh, and I forgot to mention, he got his first tooth [bottom right] on August 6th. I have had no successful pictures of it yet though, but I promise...I'll get one!

He slept a lot yesterday, & was pretty miserable. His fever didn't go any higher so I decided to just keep an eye on him and not call the pediatrician.

When he woke up this morning, I took his temp again, & it was 99.4....score! I'm hoping he's on the road to recovery! I've been very lucky with Lincoln's health. He hasn't had anything other than the sniffles a few times. It makes me sad to see him not feeling well... :(


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Gap Deal at Groupon Today!!

Just thought I'd share...

Today only you can get a $50 GC for Gap for only $25 on Groupon! You have to use it by November 19th & instores only. But seriously, that's one heck of a deal! I thought I'd share it with you all. You can go directly to the deal by clicking this link http://www.groupon.com/r/uu6309675

Also, don't forget to check out my giveaway for Happy Baby Food

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Wordless Wednesday

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Happy Baby Food [Review & Giveaway]

Have you heard of Happy Baby Food? Happy Baby is committed to making baby food as healthy and delicious as homemade with the essential nutrients needed for optimal growth and development.

[Taken from their website]:

HAPPYBABY is committed to providing families with the healthiest, most optimal nutrition possible. Besides using the best organic ingredients, we also incorporate the best nature has to offer when it comes to added nutrition, like our sustainable source of DHA, pre and probiotics, and supergrains like Salba and Quinoa.

HAPPYBABY has partnered with Dr. Sears, well known author and pediatrician to ensure the healthiest formulations possible for baby's growing body. We work together to create products that he feels good about recommending to his patients and you.

HAPPYBABY has made a promise to ourselves and to you. We work hard every day to ensure that our foods are safe, of the highest quality, so you do not need to think about it! You can count us to offer items without added sugar, trans fats, anything artificial, and always in the safest packaging.

HAPPYBABY makes the best informed decisions about our foods, sourcing and packaging so that we make the very best for our world as well as your family. We are constantly making improvements to our offerings and reducing our carbon footprint. Learn more about our green partnership with Method®.

HAPPYBABY works with Project Peanut Butter to help feed starving children in Malawi. Every package purchased contributes to this effort. Learn more at http://projectpeanutbutter.org

HAPPYBABY wants to feed your mind as well as your tummy. Come to our site to learn and view tips and tricks from our experts as well as other moms, dads and caregivers. Read more in our book—a great resource guide for parents on feeding, nutrition and green parenting options.

HAPPYBABY promises to always support organic.
We believe that children deserve delicious foods free from chemicals, pesticides, artificial ingredients, and preservatives. Healthy bodies, healthy world.

I know that's a lot of information to take in, but I really love this company, and I was delighted when Lincoln had the opportunity to sample some of their foods!

I mostly make Lincoln's baby food. But when we're out and about, grabbing something already made is much easier. I make sure whatever I'm feeding him is organic...& this is no exception when feeding him food that I don't make. Happy Baby offers 100% organic food...which is what made it very appealing to me.

Lincoln tried an array of different foods. Here's the verdict:

Happy Bellies Cereal - HAPPYBELLIES cereals are the first organic baby cereal to incorporate DHA for brain and eye development and the first baby food to incorporate the power of probiotics for baby's wellness .

Lincoln tried the organic multi-grain cereal. I mixed it with 2 ounces of fresh pureed fruit. He gobbled up this cereal VERY quickly! I thought it had a strong smell, but my little man loved it! :)

Happy Puffs - These are little puffs that dissolve in your mouth. They are perfect for starting finger foods, and let me tell you...they're really yummy! I tried the apple ones, and they were quite tasty...Lincoln thought so too ;)

Happy Melts - These are an organic freeze dried yogurt snack. Lincoln tried strawberry and mixed berry. He loved them both, although my husband said strawberry tasted better!

Happy Baby Pouches - Lincoln tested "Gobble Gobble" [turkey] & "Chick Chick" [chicken]. I think he liked the chicken more, but he ate the turkey just fine. These have chunkier pieces for babies starting to get used to transitioning to table foods.

Happy Baby Frozen - I thought Lincoln would love these, because this is exactly how I normally make his food. However, he wasn't a fan. He would make his "yucky" face and spit out the chunks. It really surprised me, because he loved the chicken in the pouches, but not the frozen cubes. Oh well, you can't win them all!

All in all, I was very happy with Happy Baby . I would most definitely recommend their products to anyone who wants to feed their baby nutritious, wholesome food.

One lucky reader will be able to sample products from Happy Baby ! Here's what you can win:

-4 free trial coupons for Happy Bites.

-2 free trial coupons for Happy Bellies.

-2 free trial coupons for Happy Baby Frozen.

-2 free trial coupons for Happy Baby & Tot Pouches.

-2 free trial coupons for Happy Melts.

-1 FAQ on Probiotics & DHA.

-1 Infant & Toddler Nutrition Guide, co-authored by Dr. Sears.

-1 HappyFamily Recipes

That's a lot of stuff! Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry [leave one comment]:

Visit Happy Baby & tell me which product you'd most like to try.

Bonus Entries [leave one separate comment for each additional entry]:

Follow my blog publicly [1 entry/comment]

Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs [1 entry/comment per day]

Like Happy Baby on Facebook [1 entry/commet]

Follow Happy Baby on Twitter [1 entry/comment]

Grab my button [1 entry/comment]

Blog about this giveaway & provide the link [3 entries/comments]

This giveaway will end on Monday, August 23rd, at 11:59pm EST. I will announce the winner [chosen from random.org]. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the post, or a new winner will be chosen. Good luck everyone!

Please note: I was in no way compensated to perform this review. These opinions are my own.

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BZBee Creations Winner

The winner of the I-Spy Bag from BZBee Creations is....

Comment #20 Imavera !!! Congratulations!! Please email me your address at Kaymee81@gmail.com within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. :)

& another great giveaway will be posted later today!!!


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Weekend Recap

Yet another crazy, busy, fun-filled weekend!

We planned to head on over to my parents house on Friday night to spend the weekend with them. The night before we left, Lincoln must have been super anxious, because here he is at 9pm, happily playing away...

We arrived at my parents around 6pm. Lincoln was thrilled to see his Grammy, Grandpa, & Uncle Kyle. Here he is, center of attention, surrounded by toys :)

Our weekend was relatively low key, which was nice because it will probably be the last weekend we're there with Jared for awhile. He'll start the Police Academy soon, and only be home on the weekends, so my plan is to visit my parents during the week. I figure it will help the time go by a lot faster!

Anyway, on Saturday the weather was beautiful, so we went outside. Lincoln had many toys to entertain him, but he found his sandal much more fun!

Saturday night my Mom brought out this little rocking chair that I had when I was a baby. Here is my sweet boy, rocking away!

We left right after lunch Sunday afternoon....here is Lincoln feasting on a massive amount of Puffs [after his lunch of course!]

We had a great weekend! It is crazy to think that Jared is going away so soon! I'm starting to get a little anxious about it, but I'll have my sweet Lincoln, & we'll help eachother get through it!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

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Mmm...Mmmm..Good!

Lincoln loves pancakes!

I was seriously starting to think my sweet boy was going to be on purees for life. Everytime I would give him finger foods of some sort [other than puffs & cheerios], he would give me this disgusted look, purse his lips, & gag on it the second it went into his mouth. Sometimes he would be super dramatic about it and even shiver, because it was that bad.

However, this week he has tried a few new foods, and has done surprisingly well with them! He loves love loves waffles, and just yesterday we tried pancakes, & those were a hit too!

Some other finger foods he's been eating for a while now are: watermelon, banana slices, canteloupe, & cheese. He is like his Momma, & loves cheese!

Don't get me wrong, the boy still loves his purees...but he's starting to branch out!

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Mobility

Lincoln has mastered his walker...watch out now!

He's been cruising around in it like a crazy man for a few weeks now...but I really wanted to share this cutie video with you. Here he is doing is new favorite thing...chasing Mommy :)

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30 Day Blog Challenge

...I'm doing the ultimate...& so can you!

My friend Sarah over at Falling For Baby has started the 30 Day Blog Challenge. It is a great way to keep yourself motivated to blog, & to meet some new bloggers yourself!


Now, you don't have to blog every day for 30 days...that would just be insane! You have to blog 30 days for 6 weeks. So, realistically you could blog Monday-Friday, take the weekends off, & you'll have yourself 30 blog entries. You can do your 30 blog posts in any way that is most convenient for you.


So are you up for it?! If so, visit Sarah's blog here for all the details & to sign up!



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Wordless Wednesday

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BZBee Creations [Product Review & Giveaway]

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to review a bunch of cute products from BZBee Creations . The owner of the shop is super sweet, & such a wonderful person to work with. She really takes pride in her creations, and it certainly shows in the quality.

First up is this way too cute tie onesie. Seriously, how cute is my sweet boy. In fact, he's actually giving me a look that clearly says in his eyes, "Yes Mom, I know I'm handsome." He really is flirting with the camera, already...I'm in trouble :)

I fell in love with the tie onesie. And, so didn't everyone that saw Lincoln wearing it. Even my Father Inlaw made a comment about it...& he's really not one to notice clothing.

I was also sent this adorable dinosaur wipes case & paci clip. Both are great essentials & a must for every Mom to have in her diaper bag. And I love fun wipes cases. I don't think you can ever have too many. They are much cuter than those boring plastic white ones :)

BZBEE Creations offers such a variety of items, that there is something for every little boy or girl.

One of my [very] lucky readers will have the chance to win what I think is their most unique creation. It's called an "I-Spy Bag."

BZBee Creations created the I-Spy Bag, & I have never seen anything like it. What is an I-Spy Bag you ask? It is a [sealed] bag that contains all sorts of miniature items inside of it. There is a tag attached to the bag to let you know what items are hidden inside. Then you can search for the items by moving the bag around. I think children would love this cute little toy! And one can be yours!

To Enter:

Mandatory Entry [leave one comment]:

Tell me if you win, who will receive your I-Spy Bag.

Bonus Entries [leave one separate comment for each additional entry]:

Follow my blog publicly [1 entry/comment]

Grab my button [1 entry/comment]

Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs [1 entry/comment per day]

This giveaway will end on Monday, August 16th, at 11:59pm EST. I will announce the winner [chosen from random.org]. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the post, or a new winner will be chosen. Good luck everyone!

Please note: I was in no way compensated to perform this review. These opinions are my own.

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