The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. Even with all the chaos of shopping and constant non stop of celebration. Our holidays are always full of lots of happiness and joy with our families. I can't say it enough how blessed we are.
I got cracking on shopping on the early morning of black friday. I normally don't care as much about getting to all the stores, but there were some killer deals I had to get to. To be honest, I enjoyed it. I don't think I ever get sick of shopping. I enjoyed buying things for Laila this year that she would actually be excited about. I was like a kid on Christmas morning...counting down the days until the big Christmas Eve and day.
The week before Christmas, Jason had his work Christmas party at Jackson's Steakhouse in Tampa. We owned our business for a while so years went by without having any holiday work events to go to. I sipped on shirley temples, while Jason drank real alcohol for the both of us. We knew they were giving away a 42 inch flat screen for a door prize. Jason and I were joking about how we never win anything, but prayed that our luck would change this upcoming year since 2010 gave us many obstacles. It was too funny...numbers were being called left and right for little prizes and then came the big daddy of door prizes, the TV. Hot damn, we won! And got to bring home the TV that night. We couldn't believe it considering our other TV just took a dive after 5 years. On the way home we couldn't stop talking about how our luck has changed and we actually won something. Early Christmas present for us!
So, Christmas Eve finally arrived and we spent that afternoon at my parents opening our gifts before heading over to The Little's for our annual Christmas Eve dinner.

Laila had mounds of gifts to open. She got so many toys from her Grandma "Mum", Grandpa "Papa", Nin Nin, GiGi, and Uncle Barry. It took us a good two hours to exchange gifts with everyone. She got her Beauty and the Beast tea cart set that she constantly plays with when we go to the Disney store, Tag Junior, Her kitchen set, ton's of food and goodies for the kitchen set, her PBK shopping cart, and so much more, I can't even remember.

I was most excited to see Laila open all her gifts more then anything, but my Christmas was very special too. I got a new Vera Bradley purse, frill wallet, and make-up bag, gift cards, clothes, martha stewart kitchen bowls, and something that brought me to tears...

When we found out my Grandma "GiGi" June was sick with cancer, it took us by surprise and left us cherishing each day with her because you never know what God has planned. My Grandma had specially made a necklace for me. There isn't one like it. It's my Daisy necklace, and as I read the little note she attached with it, I couldn't help but cry. It is one of the most special gifts I have ever got and will cherish forever. This will be something that will be passed on to my girls with special meaning and will know how special their GiGi is.

After the first round of gifts was over, we headed to The Little's household. Laila then again got spoiled over there by her cousins and Aunt Jen and Uncle John. She got her American Girl bitty baby doll, along with bitty baby rattle, bottle, and matching pajama set for the doll and Laila. After the night passed and it was almost time to leave, Santa came to see the kids. Laila isn't too fond of him yet, but does know who he is by saying "Santa" and "HoHoHo". We will have to work on it for next year.

Jason and I were so excited for Christmas morning now that Laila is older and understood a little better then last year. She woke up at about 7:30 and on the wrong side. She was so cranky, screaming, and having a tantrum. So we told her to go back to her room until she calmed down. After a couple minutes she came out and wanted to open some presents. After the little bump in the road, she was loving it! We couldn't stop laughing with how she reacted to her presents. Mommy and Daddy got her a princess cd player, bath toys, memory, mickey mouse clubhouse set, along with many other little goodies. Her big gift was from Santa...her big B&TB castle. When she opened that it was priceless. She tore the paper all by herself, and as she saw a little of it she said "Is that the beast!?"

After our morning at home, we went to Gramma and Papou's house to open gifts with them and Papa Guy and Gramma Et. She had one of her crabby spells again and didn't want to open any gifts until she opened her Meow Kittyboard. Then she started tearing up some paper and opening more gifts. From her Gramma and Papou she also got her PBK table set, toys for her babies, and her doctor accessessories (so she can be like Dr. Papou). After enjoying a couple hours of opening gifts and breakfast, we hung out for the afternoon until we went to my parents for Christmas dinner. It was more of a relaxing Christmas night. Gifts were all done and all the festivities were coming to a close. Grandpa Santa made an appearance at the end of the night.

The Geraci's were all tuckered out by the end of the night. We all were so spoiled with love and gifts from everyone. All day after Christmas I spent organizing and opening all the presents we got. We are now looking forward to 2011 being a lot better then 2010 was. We have some party planning for Laila's 2nd birthday and my 28th at the end of January, our shower for Baby E, and welcoming our second daughter at the end of May. I'm hoping 2011 will be filled with only happiness and peace.

Here are our resolutions for the Growing Geraci Fam:
Mama G.- Stay calm in stressful situations and don't stress the small stuff, including the things that I shouldn't be stressing over, like Baby E's nursery plans and redoing Lai's room into a big girl room. Deep breathe!
Daddy G.- Get back into shape...we will see how this goes considering it's his resolution every year. ;) And to keep on doing so well at the job.
Miss Laila G.- To get this potty training down in full gear. Which means potty right when she wakes up, and every hour or two. We want her out of diapers before her sister arrives, I think she will do well considering it was a peice of cake getting rid of bottles and binkies.

Hope everyone had a joyous Christmas and a Happy New Year!

One month until the Big 2!

I took Laila to the park today to get some pictures. Yes, it was pretty chilly, but Laila loves the cold and would be outside any chance she gets. I barely got any smiles, as she doesn't get very happy when mommy pulls out her camera. She more so wants to just run around and not be bothered by me telling her to sit and smile. I was preparing her for her birthday photos coming up that I want to take of her. Enjoy these in the mean time. I love her in big sweaters and cowgirl boots. She just melts my heart. I'm so looking forward to another girl and Laila having a special bond with her sister.

Loving the cold weather!

Finally, it began to feel like Christmas. The weather has been very chilly. Most people in Florida complain about it, but I love it! I'de rather bundle up in layers of clothes, then be dripping sweat from the horrible heat and humidity we get here.

Jason and I took Laila to Wiregrass to see Santa. It didn't go over to well again this year. She does say Santa and Ho Ho Ho but doesn't want to be near him. So instead we walked around and did a little shopping. Laila was walking all confident in her red trench jacket. She was moving around so much she barely let me get any pictures of her. I can't resist snapping away on my camera. She makes the funniest faces and I always seem to miss the good shots.

Our neighborhood did a really cute Christmas party for the kids down at the tot lot. They put in a new fire pit and had a petting zoo and goodies. Laila had so much fun and loved all the animals. She loved the Cow Moo Moo. It was a perfect winter day. Kind of felt like it could of snowed with how gloomy the sky looked. Days like those make me excited for Christmas.

It's a...

GIRL!


We went for our ultrasound yesterday to find out the sex of baby #2. Laila is going to have a little sister and we couldn't be more happy. She is absolutely perfect and is measuring 7 inches in length. She looks like she has those long legs like Miss Laila.

It has taken me a while for it to sink in that we are pregnant again. Even though we were trying, life has been so busy and when you have a toddler to chase around you seem to forget you are pregnant sometimes. Seeing the baby yesterday made it so surreal. Having another little girl, means not as much to buy. Which is wonderful! We are so excited and have baby girl's middle name picked out but are working on first names. If we were to leave it up to Laila it would be Minnie or Daisy. ha!

We have lots to look forward to with our new bundle, and lots of planning and things to accomplish before she arrives.

Christmas in Heaven.

I wanted to share this poem that my sister shared with me. For those who have lost a loved one this past year. I know holidays get hard when you have lost someone close, but remember they are with our Lord and Savior.

I see the countless Christmas trees
around the world below
With tiny lights, like Heaven's stars,
reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular,
please wipe away the tear
For I am spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs
that people hold so dear
But the sounds of music can't compare
with the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you,
the joy their voices bring,
For it is beyond description,
to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me,
I see the pain inside your heart.
But I am not so far away,
We really aren't apart.

So be happy for me, dear ones,
You know I hold you dear.
And be glad I'm spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.

I sent you each a special gift,
from my heavenly home above.
I sent you each a memory
of my undying love.

After all, love is a gift more precious
than pure gold.
It was always most important
in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other,
as my Father said to do.
For I can't count the blessing or love
He has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas and
wipe away that tear.
Remember, I am spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year.

22 months going on 22.

Where is the time going? I have been behind on my monthly posting of Laila's new adventures. Life has been extremely busy the past couple months. Laila is now 22 months old! Getting very close to the 2 year mark. She is such a riot and a little miss smarty pants. People can't believe how much she talks and what a personality she has. Her new kick is on "Beauty and the Beast". I popped it in the dvd for her one day since it is one of my all time favorite movies, and she is hooked now. Everything is "The Beast!"

She copies most everything we say. If I call Jason "hunnie" she will mimic me. She hears Jason and I talking to eachother and now she learned to say our names. She walks around going "Jassssson" and "Kimmy". Her vocab is so advanced. She is putting words into sentences already too! She sings "Happy Birthday to you" and says "I Love You" and also says big words like ambulance. It's crazy the things she says. I can start singing a song and she knows the next part. Her knew thing is when she sees Santa she says, "ho, ho, ho". But she sometimes is too smart for her own good. She whines on purpose to TRY and get what she wants. She has her terrible tantrums, even in stores...oh not fun! She gets sent to her room for about 2 minutes until she calms down, then I do hug her and tell her I love her. The doctor said this is all normal for kids her age and just to tell her no then give her no attention. We had an appointment for her this week. She now weighs 30 pounds and is 37 inches long! Holy cow! She is 90th percentile in weight and still off the charts in height. Dr. A. said that she is the height of a 3 year old and that she will have some scholarships on her hands. Such a big girl we have.

Now we are looking forward to her 2nd Christmas and Birthday within the next couple months. Then preparing her for her big girl room (just waiting to find out what we are having so we can transfer crib to the nursery then get her big bed), some major potty training (doing ok with it, she tells me poopy on potty), and becoming a big sis!

Laila's Big Girl Room!

So, now that Laila is going to be a big sister there is so much to think about. She is going to be 2 and it's about time to make her room more grown up. With her personality she already seems like she is 16. I figured I would give the new baby Laila's crib furniture and get Laila a new set. I have been searching the web and have so many ideas I love. I was so in love with the espresso finish on furniture (still am). But as little girls get older I love the look of the light furniture. I absolutely love these rooms! And will work off these ideas. I know it will be hard keeping Laila's room looking this perfect, but what would you expect from a toddler. I just want her to have her own space to play and feel girly. I can't wait to get started, whenever that may be.

Healthy little...

So, this morning we went for our ultrasound testing to check out the baby. Our sweet baby bean #2 couldn't be more perfectly healthy. The babe has a very fast heartbeat and was moving around all over. I was hoping we would be able to find out whether it was a boy or girl, but I didn't want to get my hopes up. Our tech Rhonda kinda guessed what she thought baby was, but didn't want to confirm until she was absolutely sure. She mentioned another sweet baby girl, but then kept saying "he" just in case something happened to pop up in the next few weeks. We go back to find out on December 14th! I'm not going to go crazy with "girl" nursery ideas and shopping until then...at least I'll try. But my gut instinct is telling me another girl. It's funny with all these boys that people are having around me I was kinda getting into boy mode, but I would be totally happy with all girls. I did this exact thing with Laila. We found out it was a girl and I was so happy I started crying but then was seeing boy stuff and got myself sad. Crazy damn hormones!
But, It was so surreal seeing another person growing inside of me, brought back sweet memories of my pregnancy with Laila. And it was amazing how much they resembled eachother in the womb.
I have had names lined up, for some reason I always tend to go more towards the girls names, but I think it's the hardest part. Jason and I always don't agree on that part. But I think if it's a girl we at least agree on the middle name...have to wait and see. Stay tuned!


::baby side view::



::baby bootie view::



::baby heartbeat::



::baby back view::

11 weeks.

I can't believe I am almost into my second trimester already. I have to brag that the beginning of my pregnancies are pretty easy. I never get REALLY sick, just nausea on and off throughout the day and excessive tiredness. I feel the same as I did when I was pregnant with Laila, except I am more tired this time around. I found that odd considering I worked when I was pregnant the first time, but I guess it's because now I'm chasing around a little tot all the time.
I have only had one appointment so far for the basic stuff they do on a first appointment...bloodwork, check the baby, weight...I didn't even ask them what my weight was so next appointment I'll find out so I can keep track on my weight gain with baby #2.
Here's my little pudge for now, showing a lot sooner then I did with Laila. With her you couldn't even tell I was pregnant until like 4 months. Crazy!

Here is our little one #2! (sorry it's sideways...wasn't letting me turn it around considering this was taken with my iPhone). Dr. Marks scared me a little bit when he first took a look...he mentioned twins! aahhh! But then said no...could be the umbilical cord. Now it's an ongoing joke that another baby could be hiding out in there. We go back for our next appointment on the 16th for my NT ultrasound scan. Hoping our ultrasound tech will be able to give us a heads up on the sex and confirm that it is just one baby ha! I will almost be 13 weeks by then, so we shall see. I just want to know already! Everytime I tell Laila she is going to be a big sister, she giggles. I'm so excited!
Due date is now May 27, 2010...let's see if it stays this time.

Laila Mouse!

Happy 2nd Halloween to our Laila Mouse!

Pumpkin Patch!

I have been so behind on my posts. This one has been saved in my drafts for weeks now.
One of my favorite times of the year is fall. There is always something to do. We always go to Hope Church Pumpkin Patch to pick out our pumpkin for Halloween. I thought this year Laila would be a little more cooperative but all she wanted us to do was carry her around. We picked our pumpkin after a good 20 minutes. We procrastinated a little this year on carving it and decided last minute (yes the day before Halloween) to carve Laila's name into it.

Big News!

As everyone knows we are expecting baby #2. I never posted a blog on how we came to find out.
We have been trying for 2 months and I kept close eye on my cycle since we started trying. I was 2 days late and knew there could be a possibility. So as I did with Laila, I took the first response test first. This time I did it mid afternoon, which it says your levels are higher in the mornings. After I was done and a couple minutes passed I only saw one line. A sadness came to me and decided to just let it sit there a little while longer. After tending to Laila, I came back 5 minutes later and saw a very faint second line. I decided to run to the store and get another test, the clearblue that tells your if your pregnant or not, but decided to wait for the next morning.
Being somewhat sure and excited I could possibly be pregnant it was hard for me to sleep that night.

The next morning I got up and took the second test. I left for a good 5 minutes to go get Laila out of bed. When I came back to my surprise (yes, I was surprised even though I kinda knew), it said pregnant! I waited all morning for Jason to get out of bed so I can tell him the news, well actually Laila was going to tell him. He got out of bed and she walked over to him with the test. Jason was clueless thinking Laila grabbed the thermometer out of the drawer. I had to tell him to look at it. He was shocked! It still hasn't set in yet...maybe once my belly starts to grow.