First off, let me say no…we are not looking at homes like the one in the picture…I wish! When I moved my current home I saw it as a “for now” home. It’s a townhouse, two bedrooms, and I just felt like we would’ve grown out of it pretty quickly. Now, five years later we are still here. It became a home that I never thought it would, and I love it here. But, love of the home isn’t enough for me at this point. We are quickly growing out of it, and it’s time to move on. That’s right, Captain Awesome and I are going to be making a big move soon, and I am absolutely terrified. Terrified for many reasons, but a main one being I am not entirely positive our marriage will survive this process. Fingers crossed….because it’s going to be a bumpy ride!

The original plan was to put the house on the market in the fall of 2011. That time came and we decided the new year would be best. Then, the new year came and we panicked so we picked the arbitrary date of March 1st to put our house on the market. When I say “on the market” I am using the term very lightly. I can’t go into all the details, but since bought this house with a special program we can not sell it on the open market. So to get our house “on the market” means to right a letter. That means THIS WEEK we will be doing that.

I have never truly loved Long Island (still don’t), and a major reason is the ridiculously high housing costs. You pay so much for so little here, so I have always known it would be hard for me to search for a house. The Captain on the other hand is a Long Island boy through and the high house price tag doesn’t seem to bother him as much. So enter the first problem…..

The second problem? I am emotional. I guess being a woman will do that to you! So I know full well that selling my home will make me emotional, and finding a house I like will be even worse. Even though there is a waiting list to buy in our neighborhood, it doesn’t mean selling will be easy. People in our neighborhood have sold with in 3 months….others it took over a year to sell. Can you see how that’s a problem? Therefore, The Captain and I have decided to totally sell first…..then put up offers. Where does that leave us when we sell? Moving in with my in laws. Now we have problem 3.

I am sooo appreciative that we have the opportunity, and a place to go when we sell. My hesitancy has nothing to do with the in laws themselves, it has to do with the fact that I have lived on my own since I was 23. Now, I will be moving into someone else’s home, so an unknown amount of time. The Captain will go to work each day….and I will just be at their house out of my element. That scares me.

I am well aware that I will want to rush every part of this process. I will get anxious and want to sell, and then I worry that due to being scared of not having a place to go once I do sell that I will settle on a home that I don’t love. That terrifies me. I really need this next home to be a HOME. One that I am excited about and Love. I love every other aspect of my life so I am so excited to make my next house a home. The Captain will be happy to go slow. He is more practical and calm…the complete opposite of me. Not too much scares him, and he doesn’t get anxious. The idea of moving in with his parents with no end in sight doesn’t seem to bother him, and that bothers me.

I am already losing sleep just thinking about what is ahead, and he is already losing patience with me constantly talking about it (he doesn’t really like to talk about things lol, and I like to talk them to death!). All this and our house isn’t even on the market! So this week it is. It all really begins. I just hope our marriage can make it through. It’s been a joke since we bought this house 5 years ago that we wouldn’t make it through our next home purchase…now that time is here. So wish me luck! It begins!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Twelve years ago today The Captain and I went on our very FIRST date! Can you believe it? I remember so many things about that Valentine’s as well as many after that including the day he proposed to me. Yes, he proposed on Valentine’s day at the very same restaurant we went to on our very first date. So of course this day is always special in our life.

The romantic day does change a bit once kids come into the mix. Last year our son was just a few months old so exhausted we ordered food in. This year, we thought we’d be doing the same thing, but then my mother in law came through and told us she would be able to watch our little man. Woo hoo! It’s amazing how hard it is to get last minute reservations on Valentine’s day, but we were going to do our best. Then, our little man came up with some plans of his own.

He got sick…..yes, he got his first real fever. It’s amazing..how I never thought I would be able to tell if someone had a fever until my son actually had one. I knew right away. I guess it’s just a talent you get when you become a mom? Doc is guessing it’s Rosiola, but either way it seems to be a virus. That means we just have to wait it out.

Captain Awesome and I decided to postpone our dinner plans till tomorrow. If we went tonight I wouldn’t have fun and would just worry about my son. He needs his mamma, so I will be here to cuddle him. Our romantic Valentine’s Day dinner can wait.

We still know how special this day is no matter how we celebrate. Just funny how much has changed over the last 12 years. All for the better of course! Happy Valentine’s day to all, and an even bigger Happy Valentine’s day to my Captain Awesome! The most wonderful husband, friend and father. I Love you more with each passing year!

He Said: Why is Fresh Beat Band so stupid and unrealistic?

She Said: It’s more real than Family Guy

He Said: There is no way! Family Guy is much more realistic! Who is supervising these kids?

She Said: Why is there a talking dog who goes on dates?

He said: Why do they break out in song?

She said: I love to break out randomly in song! (I totally do!) Why does Peter fight with a big chicken and why does Stewie talk and go on dates?

My Mom: You are both losers for having this conversation….

Well played mom….well played….the truth hurts.

I have always loved to be the hostess. Whether its for a quiet night in, game night or a nice dinner party I prefer to have people over to my house. It’s not that my house is set up great to entertain (it’s not), but I just truly enjoy having people over. Am I good at it? Not necessarily, but it’s fun. That all changed when I was pregnant and especially when I had my son. For some reason I lost the desire to host things at my house. It was the dinner party that really got pushed aside. When my son was born I couldn’t even make dinner for myself let alone others. The good news is that after over a year I finally have that desire to host again. How great is that!? I’m back to being the hostess!

It kind of came out of no where. The Captain and I decided to have people over for New Years Eve. Even though we ordered in food, I brought out my china and crystal and we had a nice dinner. I lit candles and cleaned the house and it was fun! Then the next week I suggested we invite 2 couples from my Captain Awesome’s work over for dinner. This time I cooked! We did appetizers, entre (Rachel Ray’s Lazy Baked Greek Chicken)  and dessert and I loved it! The little guy was put to bed and I was able to start my night. I loved the feeling that I COULD do this.

Later that weekend I cooked dinner for the inlaws (meatballs and sauce), and again, I proved to myself that I can take care of my son, but still make things for others. I am sure for some it’s easy, but for me it all sounded so overwhelming for a while.

In the past I hosted wine tasting parties in the back yard, 80’s themed parties and murder mystery parties. It was so fun! I want to get back to doing that. Who doesn’t love a good theme party!?

My house will never be the cleanest,I will never be the best cook, and maybe someday I will have the perfect home to entertain, but I think what makes a great hostess is someone who looks forward to having the job. Most of all I like people to be comfortable. Sit back, relax and enjoy. This hostess is back….now what should I do for my next dinner party?

I think if someone was willing to pay for it I would have a wedding every year. I would get to wear a big pretty dress and have everyone cheer for me when I came into the room. Who wouldn’t want that? But I can think of a few things that I may do differently. Let’s start with the wedding invitation cards. Although I agree that they set the tone for the wedding, I don’t think I would do the pocket style again. It was just too much work, and I don’t think anyone really noticed the effort that went into them. I think that’s a main point…a lot of people didn’t notice the little things I did…I probably wouldn’t pay for napkins with my name on them, and did anyone really care about the little jewels I glued onto each and every place card?

I planned the entire day to a T! I think that’s just my personality. I’d like to say that I would relax more if I did it again, but let’s face it. I wouldn’t. I put my all into every detail of my son’s first birthday party. It’s just my nature. The bottom line is that it was an amazing and perfect day. I loved taking some time to think about it again. With my little man taking up my entire life these days it’s nice to remember where our family began. We are just an old married couple….lol….with many more years ahead of us!

What is that Paula Abdul song?? Opposites Attract? You know the one…the one where she is dancing with that cat? Well it’s a great and catchy tune, and sometimes I will agree with that statement, but sometimes it couldn’t be farther than from the truth. Sometimes opposites cause tension in relationships, and when that happens what are we supposed to do? In a marriage, what happens when opposites don’t attract?

Although Captain Awesome and I are similar in some ways, I’d have to say that when it comes to most things we are the complete opposites. He’s very laid back, and I am much more uptight. He flies by the seat of his pants, and I am a planner to a fault (his is to a fault too might I add!). I could go on and on, but these two traits are the ones that triggered this post so it is probably best we just focus on these.

Normally these differences complement each other. When I get worked up over something, his laid back attitude keeps me calm. It soothes me and settles my head a bit. When it comes to his lack of planning this is where we clash. I will NEVER be ok with waiting till the last minute to do things. It’s not how I operate, and normally it’s OK because I take the reigns on most of the planning. Usually he just sits back and let’s me do my thing. The tension comes when I need him to take charge and do something about the plans. This is when we struggle.

I like to just take care of things. When I get something that is on my mind done it’s like one large check mark appears and that plan/thought gets to be put aside and I can focus on other things. When it came to the planning of The Captains 30th birthday trip to Atlanta I had to give the reigns over to him. He wanted to make the plans. I was OK with that until he was procrastinating on actually making those plans. With no hotel, flight or game tickets (we are going to see the Falcon’s play) I started to get flustered. He on the other hand kept telling me to stop asking about it and to let him take care of it. Unfortunately “letting go” is not my strong suit and I kept asking him to do it. I kept asking until we fought regularly about it. My argument was that it didn’t hurt him to just make the plans, but by him NOT making the plans I felt a ton of stress. He didn’t seem to care about that point. Eventually of course the plans were made and at a month before our departure we are fully set. Luckily for him it all worked out, but it was not done in a way that was ideal for me.

So how do we work this out? Are we destined to argue the rest of our married days when it comes to planning in advance? Do we just accept our roles? Me the planner and him the procrastinator? I think that’s the way it has to be.

So in your relationship what traits do you and your partner clash about. When do your opposites NOT attract you to each other?

Today I am thankful for my husband. That’s right dear readers, as much as I pick on him on this blog, I am truly thankful for him every day. He is my best friend, my support, my protector and my provider. I am one lucky lady.

In particular I am thankful that I am able to stay home with my son every day, and a huge reason I am able to do that is because The Captain does everything in his power to allow that to happen.

Yes, I do work, and I do contribute to this family financially, but my main job is taking care of our son. I count my blessings every day because I can’t imagine doing anything else. He sees how important it is for our son to have his mom home with him every day. He doesn’t pressure me to spend more time doing my job, and respects my job as a mom. Not all men would be the same.

I live in a rather materialistic area. It’s a place where if you don’t drive a Mercedes you haven’t “made it”. Well that’s not how I was raised. And I am thankful that The Captain values being financially responsible as much as I do. He works hard all day, then comes home and works some more. He does all this so that we can comfortably raise our son. He does this so that I can spend my days teaching our son everything about life, and he does this so I can fulfill my dream of being a stay at home mom.

As hard as he works he is always present. He comes home to be with us for lunch, and he does most of his personal work after I go to bed. As much as I joke that he is more of an assistant then a co pilot when it comes to raising our son I am always thankful to have him as a partner. Just having him there makes all the difference in my day.

I am thankful for a lot of things….but today I am extra thankful for Captain Awesome

Most every waking minute of my day is spent with my son. I love it and I wouldn’t trade that in for the world. He is a busy little boy, so from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to bed, we are on the move. That means that when he does finally go to bed at night I am exhausted. All I want to do is curl up on the couch and relax and reset. The Captain is tired too from his long days, so the both of us crash on the couches and zone out. That isn’t really a formula for romance.

My mother in law is always generous and will watch our son whenever we ask, but it has seemed that our summer is so busy that when we do go out it’s normally in a group setting. Unfortunately “date night” has had to be put on hold, and our time to connect has been limited.

It’s not that Captain Awesome and I don’t spend time together. On the contrary actually. He comes home for lunch almost every day, and we eat dinner together every night. But quantity doesn’t always equal quality time.

A strong marriage is extremely important. I know that. We have a strong marriage, but I can see where it is difficult to connect as husband and wife when you have a child. My role as mom overshadows my role of wife right now, and I always believed I’d be able to balance the two better.

Tomorrow night Captain Awesome and I will be going into Manhattan to see “Rock of Ages” on Broadway and will have a nice romantic dinner for two. It will be a much needed night out together. I have to focus more on the balance between wife and mother. .Both roles are extremely important in making this family the wonderful entity it is.

Those who knew The Captain and I in college will understand why it’s so appropriate that The Captain and I began our relationship on St. Paddy’s day. Some would say we like to indulge and party a bit, so you can imagine how the whole “let’s be boyfriend and girlfriend” speech went. As a matter of fact, I am not sure I totally remember! (Sad, but true!) That happened 10 years ago today!

I just can’t believe that this St. Patrick’s Day will mark ten years that Captain Awesome and I started our relationship. It took him a while to get the clue that he wanted to be “exclusive”, but I am so glad that he finally did. We have grown up together, and you have to agree that 10 years is pretty long for any relationship. Especially when you reach 10 years at 30!

Being an Irish girl myself, it’s nice to celebrate this holiday for multiple reasons. Plus, it’s always easy to remember! Although we’ve replaced this anniversary with our wedding one, we still make sure we celebrate today. As a matter of fact, mommy and daddy are going out to dinner tonight! Last year we did a bunch of shots to mark the day…this year may be a little more reserved. Mommy still has to wake up with her little man!

So for ten years the sorority girl, and the fraternity boy have made a life together. I wonder what our college selves would say if they knew that ten years later we’d be married with a baby! I’d like to think they knew we’d end up here all along.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

They say it’s extremely important to still focus on your marriage after having a baby, because it’s very easy for that baby to consume your entire life. You find that your daily conversions are more about poopy diapers and toys rather than anything resembling adult conversation. Normally, that’s just wonderful because that’s what being a parent is all about..but sometimes you need some husband and wife time and that is exactly what The Captain and I did this past Friday night…at 8 1/2 weeks in we had our first official date night. v

First thing we needed was a babysitter. We are lucky enough to currently live close to my in laws and my mother in law was kind enough to agree to watch our little guy. So that part was easy. Next, I wanted to make myself a little pretty (which is difficult with this horrendous hair on my head desperately needing a haircut…but I digress..). It felt nice to get dressed up. I haven’t gotten to do that much lately and I enjoy it. Then came making sure the baby’s scheduled worked out so he had eaten right before we left. That way he’d be content and wouldn’t need a bottle until right before his bed time. His schedule didn’t work out exactly..but I was able to “top him off” before we left. This left him in a nice milk coma for nana. She was bummed he wasn’t awake, but I reminded her it was either a milk coma or a cranky hungry baby!

As much as I was excited to go out, it was also hard for me to leave him. It’s not that I was worried about leaving him with my mother in law, it’s that I hate leaving him in general. Because no matter what I am always thinking about him when I’m gone. Definitely bitter sweet. The Captain and I went to a nice Italian restaurant in a neighboring town. We had some wine with dinner, although I didn’t have too much (which is way different for me!). I definitely wanted to hold back because although I do love to get wine drunk…I doubted it was worth the hangover when I had to be up in the middle of the night feeding the baby, and I really had no desire to “pump and dump”. So a little wine to relax was perfect. Dinner was yummy, and The Captain and I laughed and talked like we usually do. Although we did talk about the baby, we even ventured on to more adult topics! Yay for us!

We really stink at making dinner last a long time. We had all 3 courses, and took our time and were still home at 9:45. Ya, we are losers. We tried though! We came home and to our surprise our little cherub was still awake! It was lucky that I didn’t really drink at dinner because after a 6 oz bottle he was still hungry! So I quickly thanked nana and went upstairs to nurse him to sleep. I thought maybe he’d be full fast, but not our guy. He nursed on both sides and it took a good 20 minutes for him to nurse to sleep. I am pretty baffled at how much milk he is actually getting when I nurse, or how much to leave in a bottle when I go. I guess it’s just trial and error? I do hope he can drink from a bottle before bed…let’s hope this doesn’t become an ongoing problem!

After he was down, Captain Awesome and I opened another bottle of wine and relaxed. Our night out was great and it was nice to just enjoy each others company. We will have to be sure to do that again sometime soon. It’s definitely healthy on the marriage!