Flashback Friday

You know it's a good party when the tie comes off!

My cousin Ricky, me, and Bob at my cousin Jorge's wedding in Miami (April 2006).

New Blog Design

In case you haven't been over here, I wanted to let everyone know I've got a new blog design! Shannon, over at Webbisodes designed the header and template for me. I absolutely LOVE it! So, a BIG THANK YOU to Shannon!

Head on over to her blog, and catch a glimpse into her family's life. They are Gators (just like us!), living in Mobile, AL. Shannon, and her husband, also have a sweet baby girl, Gillian Grace who is 7 months old. Shannon does a fantastic job of documenting the Diapers, Drool, and Drama in First Time Parenthood!

*(also, I have relabeled my posts - so, hopefully you can easily reference anything that you may need).

Discovery

image courtesy of Discovery United Methodist church

Two weeks ago, Bob, Bobby, and I visited a new church - Discovery United Methodist. I am happy to say, that I feel like it is THE ONE our family will attend going forward. The service was very similar to our old church. I had been searching for a church here, that was much like Northland, A Church Distributed, in Orlando. To me, there are two very important elements that move me in a service - the praise and worship portion, and of course, the sermon. This church's praise and worship speaks to my soul. I love a good hymn, but I feel closest to God while singing songs like "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High" or "Here I am to Worship" or "Shout to the Lord." Anyhow, the praise and worship portion was exactly what I had missed so greatly at Northland. The church is a Methodist one, which is great. I was raised Methodist, so that was icing on the cake. I felt though, that it was more of a non-denominational church (which is what Northland is) and that speaks volumes for me. To me, I'd rather cut out all the "religious" extras, and hear straight from God's Word.

Oh, and I forgot to mention - it's really close to our house! Score!

I'm looking forward to our family laying some roots in this church. We both felt very welcomed there. The church is also small, and we won't be lost in the shuffle. I'll probably be attending services alone some weeks, (if I work Saturdays, Bob trains Sundays) but, I am ok with that. We also met the lady that keeps the infants in the nursery, and she was very sweet.

Double score!

Overall, I'm just thankful that God led us to this church. The name of the church suits it very well.

Mercedes Half Marathon - February 14, 2010

Bob and I ran in the Mercedes-Benz Half Marathon on Sunday, February 14th. This race is Birmingham's biggest race, with 10,000 runners each year. It was 13.1 miles through downtown Birmingham, and it's urban neighborhoods. The weather was perfect for a long run too - sunny, and highs never reaching above 40.

Bob and I totally winged this race, with "training" runs never maxing out over 5 miles. We both have had previous injuries that held us back from properly training. We opted to run for 4 minutes, and walk 1 minute. With that method, we were able to comfortably run without feeling too much fatigue. We did that until about mile 10, and then we chose to run the remaining 3.1 miles. As for me, my IT Band issues did not creep up on me until mile 7. I was actually thankful for that. I went into the race thinking that I'd start to feel pain by mile 4. Anyhow, miles 7-9 were extremely painful, but I kept at it. I stopped and stretched a couple of times, as my right leg felt like a block of concrete - tight! After mile 9, the pain went numb. Again, I was thankful for that too. I kept at it, again, with stopping to stretch one more time. The last 1/2 mile was tough for me. At that point, the pain had returned, and the fatigue had finally set-in. I was so thankful to have my husband there to cheer me on. Without him, I'm not sure if I would have finished it!

We proudly finished with a time of -

2:13!!!

We really thought our time would be closer to 2:30, but I suppose with the race atmosphere and the adrenaline that ensues, we finished sooner. Our average pace was a 10:04 mile. Unfortunately, Bob's parents (they kept Bobby) missed us crossing the finish line, because we finished earlier. Better luck next year!

Onto the pictures, taken by Bob's dad...

Our motto, "Couples who run together, stay together."

Family pic, post-race.

Boutwell Auditorium hosted the after-race party.

Bobby and I, with Amy and Drew. They were there to cheer Bart on, as he also ran the half.

Mike, me, and Bob - three peas in a pod.

Drew and his daddy, Bart. Amy made Drew a onesie with his daddy's race bib number on it. It said "Team Wilder" on the back, and "Go Daddy" on the front. Too cute!!!

Winter Storm of 2010

Birmingham got close to 4 inches of snow, on Friday, February 11th. We had a great afternoon playing in it. Bob's dad was there to capture the magic on film. I say magic, because Birmingham does not get snow very often, and for us Floridians; it is definitely a treat! Oddly though, I believe we've already been hit three times this year with winter weather.

What's that about global warming again?

Snow angel making...

A tackle ensues...

He's so J. Crew.

Snowball shield!

Keepin' warm with Grandma.

Postcard perfect.

My three boys.

Our snow castle.

Winter Wonderland.

Sunday Savings

I have been clipping coupons, and trying to be thrifty for a few years now. I have definitely taken this "sport" more seriously at times, than others. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, then you might remember me talking about the website, The Grocery Game.

I am no longer using that site, but am now using Southern Savers. The concept is basically the same as The Grocery Game. Each week, you can access your store's sales for the week. For example, I shop at Publix. I can access Publix's weekly ad online - and, on top of that, the site will list where you can find coupons for most items on sale. The Grocery Game did the same thing, except you had to pay a fee (boo!), and they did not supply links to sites where you could print the coupons. So, obviously, Southern Savers is a much better option!

I have been very serious with my saving since October of 2009. I can honestly say, there has probably only been 2 or 3 trips to the store, where I shopped blindly; without a list, and without my coupons. Aside from that, I always plan accordingly for the week. As a stay-at-home mom, I feel it is important for me to help out in any way possible. And, I would like to help you!

So, I am going to attempt to bring you a tip on saving money each Sunday. I am by no means an expert, but I feel like I have learned some tricks of the trade that may be helpful to others. And, I am also always looking for ideas and tips. So, please, if you are frugal - leave me a comment!

As of 10/2009, I have saved at Publix:

$876.09

Tip of the Week:

Seek out support or help to get started.

Whether you have a thrifty friend or family member, or even the internet... get help! The art of saving is just that, an art. People often will become discouraged, if they don't see immediate results. Talk to people, consult websites, and prepare for the challenge of saving.

Here are some sites to get you started:

Southern Savers

Fiddledeedee!

CouponMom.com

Coupons.com

Redplum.com

Good luck!

And, if you have any tips or comments you'd like me to share in a future post, please let me know!

Ya know... just hangin' out.

Don't ask how anyone can sleep like this...

Funk

Courtesy of Google Images

I have been in a major blog funk lately. I haven't taken too many pictures of Bobby, just video. I need to get them uploaded onto my laptop, and share them on here. He is just too darn cute to not share!

I feel like I tend to get in a life funk overall, when the weather is bad. It's times like these, when I really miss the warm weather and sunshine in Florida. I checked the temperature awhile ago, and it was 36 degrees, and with the wind chill, it felt like 27. I know I shouldn't complain though, as the Northeast and Midwest are getting pounded with snow. All I can say is this - I am thankful to be living in the South, even if it is not Florida. Without our runs outside, or daily treks to the park, it can be a bit boring around here. I am thinking of heading up to Tuesday Morning after Bobby wakes up from his nap. He's been asleep for 2 hours, so it should be soon.

Other than my weather-induced funk, there's not too much else to say. I have my monthly Book Club tomorrow evening. I'm looking forward to some girl time, wine, good food, and conversation. We read the book Blame, and I recommend it. It deals a lot with the topic of sobriety. We also have a play date tomorrow too. This weekend, we are running the Mercedes Half-Marathon. My IT Band flared up again a few days ago (after almost a month of running pain free!). At this point, I just want to finish the race, even if I walk a lot of it. The good thing about the event, is that Bob's parents will be here for a visit. I think they will be surprised to see how much Bobby has grown, and changed. He's definitely entering into toddler hood.

Well, I'm sure I am on borrowed time. Sorry this post was not too exciting, but that's what's been going on in the Ross household.

Stay warm everyone! :) :) :)

Standing Tall

This is how I found Bobby today after his nap...

Really?!? Baby Boy, please stop growing so quickly! You're getting to be a big boy, and it is making your momma sad!

Nine Months Old

Bobby turned Nine months old on January 30, 2010.

Couldn't get him to sit still at all for this picture, and had to resort to the Bumbo seat. I promptly packed it up after our little photo session. As you can see, he was trying to flip out of it! Goodbye, Bumbo seat, goodbye!

Weight: 19.8 lbs. (5oth percentile)

Length: 29 inches (75th percentile)

Head circumference: 18.5 inches (90th percentile)

Sleeping Patterns: Bobby's sleep habits are pretty solid these days. He's in bed still around 7pm every night. He wakes up anytime between 6-7am... lately, it's been closer to 7am. He goes down for his first nap between 9-10am, and he goes down for nap #2 between 1-2pm. It really depends on what time he wakes up each morning. He is also now standing up in his crib! It's pretty hilarious!

Eating Habits: We've had a few changes since the 8th month post. He's still drinking 4 bottles of formula per day, with three meals of solids. We've tried some table food lately: bread, cheese, hamburger meat, green beans, yogurt, and Yogurt Melts. Our pediatrician says the next three months will be him most likely testing the waters with table food. I am trying to make a conscious effort of eating our meals the same time as Bobby. He had some of my PB&J sandwich today at lunch. :)

New discoveries & Accomplishments: Bobby is crawling everywhere! He is pulling up on everything too. He is so curious about everything! He says momma all the time! It is so sweet. He has also said dada (twice), hi, and night-night. Of course he said dada during the day, when Bob was at work. Bobby loves running errands with me, and is pretty content no matter what we do. He and Winston are finally starting to realize that they can be playmates! He is wearing 9-12 months in clothes, and size 3 diapers. We are about to move into size 4. So far, he has 2 bottom teeth. I believe his top teeth will soon be cutting through his gums. I can feel them under the gum line. We have also started brushing his teeth in the bathtub each night. Overall, he smiles and laughs all the time, and really is a great baby.

Places you love: Kindermusik, runs with mommy in the jogging stroller, wagon rides, the park, swinging at the park, running errands, bath time, and playing with your toys.

Special Friends: Bobby has gotten to spend a lot of time with Harper and Cameron at the park. Ginger (Harper's mommy) and Claire (Cameron's mommy) have become buds through living in the neighborhood, and Kindermusik. Bobby and Drew still see each quite a bit too, and spent a whole day together on MLK Jr. Day.

Current Events: Earthquake in Haiti, GOP momentum building in politics, University of Alabama wins BCS Championship, Taylor Swift wins top honors at Grammy's.

What We did This Day: We went to Publix, a run in the neighborhood, and a trip to the park.

9 Months and other stuff...

Bobby turned 9 months old on Friday! As soon as we have his 9 month wellness appointment, I'll post his monthly progress. We go tomorrow.

Poor munchkin is sick right now. He and I have a cold. Bob and I were joking yesterday about how Bobby and I will probably always pass sicknesses back and forth to one another. I'm sure most moms can relate. He seems to be doing better today. We have to miss Kindermusik, but will make it up later in the week.

Bobby is a crawling machine! It is so cute to see this little baby crawling all over the place. It is also constant supervision. So far, so good though!

As for the week... we don't have too much planned. I'm supposed to watch The Bachelor tonight with some girls in the neighborhood, but will probably have to skip it. I definitely don't want to get other mommies sick. We have Bobby's appointment tomorrow. And, a play group on Thursday morning. It will be our first meeting, and I'm looking forward to having a regular one for us to attend! We meet twice a month, and it may turn into a weekly thing. Hopefully we'll all be well by then! And, of course, we'll run our regular weekly errands.

Exciting, right? But, in actuality, I wouldn't want it any other way! Ha!

I hope everyone has a great week!