Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Today Ripley turned 1! Its crazy how fast the time went by and even crazier at how much has happened in just the past year. She has lived in 3 states since the time she was born and has racked up quite the travel miles, I think we counted about 10 fights total in one year! She's quite the jet setter.

So besides liking to travel, she's into crawling lately. She actually first started to crawl right after we moved here, just over 3 weeks ago. So now she's a pro, crawling every where and getting pretty fast and totally tormenting the dog, poor Amingo! He constantly has to run from his bed and hide from her, I actually caught him in a new spot (below) the other day. I'm not sure what will happen once she starts walking, all I hope is that Amingo is faster than she is!

So earlier this month my family came to visit and we had an early celebration for Ripley's birthday, which was a lot of fun. It was so great to be able to share her with them and Ripley just loved all of the attention. Then today, for her actual birthday we had a group of Mom's and their kids who live in the neighborhood come over for a lunch playdate to celebrate. We just moved here less than a month ago and Ripley and I already have friends, how great is that? The Mom's are super friendly and Ripley had a blast being around all the kids. And its so great that all of them are just a few doors down, really convenient. Here they are below right before they all sang happy birthday to her, it was super cute.

So again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ripley!

Top Chef - Chicago

Top Chef is in Chicago this season, gotta love it!! And the first episode starts off in my absolute favorite spot for deep dish pizza....Pizzeria Uno! Watching that episode made me want a piece of deep dish pizza sooo bad, I can't even tell you! No one makes pizza like Chicago, that's for sure! And if you happen to hit a Pizzeria Uno in another area, (like Florida), all I can say is it's not the same. So if you haven't been to the original location on Ohio Street (not to get confused with Due on Wabash) it's a MUST. I highly recommend the spinach & mushroom, but no matter what toppings you get, I am sure you won't be disappointed! It's lovely yummy goodness!

p.s. Is it just me or is the faux hawk getting played out? Don't get me wrong, it's a cute cut, but I think it's a Top Chef requirement these days! (The SNL skit was hilarious!)

From Traveling to Packing to Moving...

Unfortunately with this move we had to pack ourselves, rather than having them do the packing for us, which happened with our last move. Let me just tell you, if you get the chance, have THEM pack it for you, it's definitely the way to go! Thankfully, a lot of our stuff was already packed from the FL house, since we left a lot of our furniture there and decorations, which all arrived in Austin last month, so we just kept that stuff packed, which helped out a lot, but it's not easy trying to pack a house (even just half of it) when you have an 11 month old baby. Why she doesn't want to sit in her pack n play and watch us pack for 8 hours is beyond me, but thankfully after a week of packing, we all got thru it. I am SOO done with moving you can't even understand! All I have to say is we better LOVE Baltimore and Baltimore better love us! ; )

As you can see, Ripley had a blast playing with the boxes!

East Coast Here We Come!

After much consideration over 3 offers in 3 different cities, Matt accepted an offer on Monday for a company just North of Baltimore, MD, so it looks like we'll be East Coasters very soon. We're very excited the interview process is over and we finally know where our new home will be! We expect to move within the next 30 days or so, but first we have to go out there to find a place to live, then come back and deal with all the "fun" stuff that involves moving out of state. Ugh.

A fun fact to report - today I looked up flights from Chicago to Baltimore and was very excited to see the flight is only 2 hours and the prices were under $200, so hopefully this means we'll be seeing friends & family more often : )

To check out the company Matt will be working for, click on Big Huge Games. To hear about the game he's working on, click on RPG on the left side of the screen. To see the work environment click on Jobs, inside BHG. To see his new co-workers go to About, Our Team. To see where he will eat lunch, go to....haha ; )

Happy Valentine's Day!

Where to next?

So as most of you know, Matt got laid off about a month ago. During that month he's had a ton of phone interviews and several on-site interviews, which is great, but unfortunately out of all of those interviews, none of them have been here in Austin. So we're really bummed, since it looks like just after being here for 4 months, we'll be moving again. Having to deal with packing & the actual move is one thing, but leaving a place you really like that fits a lot of what you're looking for in a city is another issue all together. It's an unfortunate turn of events, to say the least.

So where will we be moving you ask? Your guess is a good as mine! Our new destination is yet to be decided. It looks like the East Coast may be the area we end up (back to cold weather, blah), but it's not for certain just yet. Matt currently has an offer for a job in Albany, NY. And he just got back Friday night from an interview with a company just North of Baltimore, MD which went really well. He also has a few other companies in different cities interested in him (Seattle, Dallas & Chicago), but those are in the early stages of the interview process. Since we need to accept an job offer soon, it's definitely crunch time! We hope to have a decision made in the next week, so I'll be sure to keep everyone posted. It's definitely been a roller coaster for us lately, especially for Matt. He has been traveling a lot and doing all day interviews, I don't know how he does it, but I'm sure glad he's hanging in there. Stay tuned...xoxo

A date...a REAL date!

On Saturday night Matt and I went out without Ripley, on an actual date! This was the second time we've been out on a date since she was born and she is about to be 9 months old. How sad is that!? This is one of those downsides of not living close to family. We're hoping as she gets older and we meet more people in the area, our baby-sitter options will start to increase (let's hope so anyway, for the sake of our sanity!).

So I know you are dying to know what we did and who made our date happen, so I'll go ahead and end the suspense. We went to see a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse, which is a theater very close to our house which has a full menu of food & drinks (a wide beer selection & even margarita's) for you to enjoy while you sit back and watch a movie. For those of you familiar with the Brew N View in Chicago, it's even better than that, because you don't need to leave your seat, servers come to you instead! You write down your order on a piece of paper so there's not a bunch of talking involved and the server comes around and fills your request. It's a great way to enjoy a movie! Especially when it's the first movie you've seen in a theater since your baby was born!

We saw I Am Legend with Will Smith. I didn't realize how scary it would be - not monster type scary, but jumpy type scary. I screamed more than once and grabbed onto Matt while in the theater, thankfully it was very loud so only the guy next to me probably heard. There were a few parts of the movie that didn't make complete sense, but if you overlook those I would say it was a pretty good movie. Great to see in the theater. Kinda similar to the movie 28 Days (similar plot), but not creepy & gruesome like that and shot different too. 28 Days is definitely a better film, so don't think I am saying the 2 are on the same playing field, just trying to give you an idea of what the movie is like. If you see both films, I think you'll understand what I'm trying to say, otherwise I probably don't make much sense. ; )

So we had a great time on our date, it felt so GOOD to get out without the baby and feel like real adults. It was much needed. And our friend Megan is the one who made it all possible. So a big THANK YOU to her for offering to take care of Ripley for us and to Jason who kept her company while doing so. You both ROCK!!!

Jason & Megan "rocking" it out.

TV Talk

I have to rave about my favorite tv shows these days.

So let me know if you watch these and share my enthusiasm!

1) The Office - I started watching this series late in the game, so I'm currently watching the earlier seasons on dvd, plus watching the current ones on TV. This show makes me laugh so hard I'm in tears! The characters are hilarious. It's one of those shows that makes you embarrassed for the characters, so I could see how some might not be into it, but has me laughing all the time. Dwight and Michael are probably the funniest, but I have to say I definitely have a crush on Jim (Matt knows this and in return tells me he's into Pam). 2) Project Runway - "Either you're in or you're OUT!" Matt hates reality TV, but this show he'll actually watch with me (shhhh). We love seeing the designs they come up with and I love the personalities and drama, of course! As for this season....our favorites are Victorya and Rami for their designs. As for personality, well Christian is entertaining to me, of course Matt can't stand him. And we both are soooo sick of Ricky crying!!! I believe he's cried in EVERY episode. I can't wait until his final cry when they vote him off. And who just doesn't love Tim Gunn? I heard he wasn't going to be on this season due to his new show, but it looks like that was false info. "Make it work people".

3) Jon & Kate Plus 8 - This show might not be very well known, so here's the scoop... Jon & Kate are the parents and the "8", well that stands for their children, all EIGHT of them! This couple had trouble getting pregnant and decided to go the fertility drug route and had twin girls. Then, three years later they decided to have "one" more and ended up with SIX more instead! 3 girls & 3 boys. The show is about the craziness of their lives with having 8 kids and I just can't get enough of it. I love watching the kids interacting with each other and I love watching Jon & Kate dealing with all the mayhem. All the screaming and fighting (the sextuplets are 3 yrs old) is hectic and may be enough for people to turn off the tv, but I love it. Plus, it makes me realize how easy I have it, just having one! So incase you wanna check it out, its on TLC on Monday nights. As you probably guessed from the description, you either have to be a Mom to appreciate this show or really like kids.

And coming back soon.....LOST, can't wait! Though the show has had its ups and downs, I'm still hanging on and interested for what's next. Matt, on the other hand has given up after the 2nd season, so I'm on my own with this one.

Baby Contest

AND THE WINNER IS......PICTURE #1 without a doubt, EVERYONE picked that picture! Thanks to everyone who played along and voted, some people we're able to submit their vote on my blog, but sent me an email instead. I'll be sure to keep you posted if I get any calls from Regis or Kelly : )

My Dad called me this morning telling me about a baby contest I should enter Ripley in to try and win 125k towards her college education, so I figured....why not? But I need your help choosing the picture I should submit, cause you can only send in one! And....I need to submit it TONIGHT. So please vote for your favorite picture below by clicking on "Comments". When voting, keep in mind it looks like they are cropping the pictures to mainly only display the face, so I don't think the body of her will be shown (if that helps you pick).

L) Picure #1 R) Picture #2


L) Picture #3 (I will fix the red eye on this one) R) Picture #4

Merry Christmas!

This post is a day late, because yesterday was all about relaxing and playing with Ripley. Matt and I stayed in Austin this year for the holiday. This was the first year I wasn't surrounding by a bunch of family for Christmas, which was a little hard, but we did have a great time just the 3 of us. Especially since it was Ripley's first Christmas. She had a blast tearing wrapping paper and playing with all her new toys.

Since we didn't have any plans, we decided to stay in our pj's for the entire day, which was awesome. No running around from house to house driving several places, instead we got a chance to relax and enjoy not having any big plans. We opened presents, cooked a big breakfast, watched A Christmas Story (a must) and even took naps. The weather was great (in the 60's), so we got out and took a walk to the park and also went over to our neighbor's house for a bit. All in all, it was a great day. Hope everyone else had a good time with their loved ones!

I thought it would be fitting to post a couple pictures of Ripley with Santa.....after waiting 2 hours in line, we finally saw him! And guess what? This isn't even the picture they took. They only let you pick one pose (for way too much $$ - they know parents are suckers) and the one they took I didn't even like. Little did I know they will also let you take pictures from your own camera, but I didn't bring mine. So this nice couple in front of me said they would be happy to take some of Ripley with their camera and email them to me. How nice is that? I was so happy they did, because their pictures were way better than the one the mall people took. I kick myself for waiting until the last minute and going on a weekend vs. a weekday, but that's what I get for procrastinating. I'll be sure to plan better next year....yeah right, I'll probably wait til the last minute next year too, but at least I'll know to bring my own camera ; )

Santa's Coming!!!

Love this movie! One more day....

Chicago Trip

I'm kinda late on this post, but been busy with the Holidays coming up and such. As most of you know, Ripley and I went to Chicago earlier this month. My wonderful friends, Lauren & Sarah flew me out to surprise our friend Liz. While there Ripley got to meet many family members for the first time, it was great. Definitely made me miss living in Chicago, that's for sure. Except the weather, that did not make me miss Chicago! It was cold and icey, not a good mix, especially with a baby. Next time we visit it will be in the summer & with Matt.

Sorry we didn't get to see everyone we hoped to see during our trip, we packed in as much as we could in the amount of time we had. Hope to catch you in the summer!

Ripley's buds (Max on left & Evan on right).

L) Very proud "Mema" (Matt's Mom) R) Very proud Great Grandma!

Breakfast of Champions : )

Finally, some new music

Well, it might not be that new, but new for me since I haven't bought music in such a long time, I'm so behind. So here's what I got:
Alicia Keyes - I always like her albums all the way thru, so she's a must have when she comes out with new stuff. So far it's pretty good. Very chill. She has a great voice.
Gwen Stefani - loved her last album, so had to get this one - Matt got it for me. Not sure if I like it as much as her last album, but I'm still getting into it. I haven't listened to the whole thing yet, so can't give the best "review" just yet.
Lily Allen - my friend Liz gave me this cd and I love it. New favorite. Love the beats and lyrics and her accent. She's funny. Puts you in a good mood.

2 new(er) albums I want: 1) Cake and 2) Mary J Blige - maybe after Santa comes I can tell you about those...

Gobble, Gobble......Birthday, Birthday

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday Dear MEeeee, Happy Birthday to ME! : )

Yesterday we went to brunch to celebrate my birthday. Good food, good friends and the loves of my life.....Matt & Ripley, who could ask for more? It was a good day! Megan & Jason (our new Austin Pal's) joined us. We spent Thanksgiving with them as well, which was a great time. We split up the food duties, ended up cooking a turkey breast for the first time, while following some recipes off of the Food Network and everything turned out great. Except for the gravy, that however did not turn out too great, but I'll try and master that for next year!

Some pictures below.....don't you just love Ripley's new hat?

Park Play

While Ryan was here we took Ripley to the park and she had her first ride down a slide!

A couple weeks later she went on the swings for the first time, which she absolutely loved!!

Happy Halloween!

Austin Update

Everything in Austin is great. We really like it here so far. We're located in a really convenient area, everything is just about a 10-15 minute drive from us (we're in Northwest Austin). Except downtown, that's about 20-25 minutes, depending on where you're going. There seems to be a lot unique places to go to, which is what Orlando really lacked. There are also a lot of parks everywhere you go and a lot of green belt areas. So it's pretty.

Matt is enjoying his new job too. He likes the game he's working on and really likes the people there. We actually already made some friends! A guy at work Matt became friends with invited us over for drinks on Friday. So we went and had a really good time. Him and his girlfriend just moved here about 4 months ago. And guess what? She's a nanny and watches a baby who's just a month younger than Ripley, so we're gonna hook up for a play date soon. Plus, she already offered to watch Ripley for us to give Matt and I chance to go out....how great is that? And they live just down the street from us too, which is another plus.

So all and all things are good. The only downfall is our house in FL. No one has even looked at it since it's been on the market. So that's a bummer. If it continues to be this slow for the next few months, we'll be forced to rent it out instead. So that's something we're going to consider, but we're gonna give it a few more months before going that route.

Below are some pictures from a picnic we had in the park.
It was a beautiful day!.

Finally, some real food!

Ripley finally started solid foods, just a day before her 6 month birthday. We were a little slow on introducing it to her, but with the move and all, I wanted to wait until our schedule got back to normal. And let me tell you, she was READY! When we were in AZ, she kept staring at our food like she wanted a bite of it so bad. Poor little thing.

So now she's a pro at cereal and yesterday she moved on to sweet potatoes, which she liked a lot. Tomorrow, it's on to pea's. I hated pea's as a kid, so hopefully she takes after Matt on this one. I can't wait to be able to feed her fun stuff like ice cream and McDonald's fries - insert evil laugh here : )

Hey Ya'll...we're in Austin, Ya'll!

I'm happy to say we all made it to Austin safely. First Matt and Amingo by car and then about a week later Ripley & I joined them. Matt ended up driving the whole way straight thru, which if you talk to him about it, I don't think he'll do again. He was delirious by the end of the drive!

We really like our house. It's got a ton of room and in a very cute, kid-friendly & social neighborhood. Right after we moved in we got a neighborhood newsletter which has so much going on, especially for stay at home Mom's...anything from play groups to stroller walks to bunco! So I'm excited to get a chance to meet people in our area. We're still unpacking and such, but slowly & surely were getting things in order.

Today was Matt's first day at his new job and it went really well. He likes the people he met and is excited about the game he'll be working on. And from the sounds of it, he's gonna be really busy. And I may have a lead for a stay at home job, so hopefully something good will come out of that. That's all for now. xoxo

Trip to Arizona

Ripley and I had such a great visit in Arizona with family! It was awesome spending so much time with my sister-in-law, Nicole and niece, Ava. Seeing Ripley and Ava together was so much fun. Ava was my little helper with Ripley, it was adorable. And seeing Russ with his 2 little grandaughters was priceless. Check below for some pictures from the trip.

Btw, Ripley did really well on the flights again. She is such a great little travel buddy!

Thanks again to Nicole, Buck & Russ for making my trip to Arizona possible. I love you guys!

(L) Ava & Ripley getting acquainted. (R) Proud Grandpa with his Grandaughters!

(L) Ripley & I with Nicole & Ava at the park. (R) Bath time!!

(L) Ava showing Ripley some love!!
(R) Ripley doing what she does best - look cute! : )