Lydia's birthday party with friends (January 2009)

     Yep. You guessed it. I'm getting caught up on some pictures. Sadly, I'm still in January! Lydia turned three on February 6th, and at the end of January we had a party with her friends. She was very much into Tinkerbell! Everyone dressed in their favorite fairly or princess dress.

Dad's Visit (January 2009)

I don't see my father as much as I'd like. He lives in California so it's quite expensive to fly the family out for a visit. We have been to California twice and both have been wonderful visits that I wish didn't have to end. The last time I saw my father was this past January. He came for grandma's (his mother's) birthday. Sadly I wish I had taken more pictures. I didn't even get a picture of us together! I do wish that I could see dad more now that I have two children. I feel sad that he is missing so much of their lives. I do need to be better about sending pictures, but as you can see, I tend to leave photos on my camera for months before I get around to uploading them onto the computer. And this is just a little reminder for dad: When you were here, you mentioned about coming back next summer for our annual Fine Camping Trip!! Mark it on your calendar dad!

 

Boot Camp

   

  

   I have the boot camp orientation today for the free 2-week trial that's starting on Monday. It's free. It might be at 6:00am, but it's free, so why not do it? I will admit that I am a little crazy with my wee hour workouts but it's what works best for me. I lack consistency with afternoon and evening workouts, unless I'm meeting a friend for a class, only then do I follow through. Otherwise, I want to leave work and go see my kids. It will be interesting to see how everything pans out when I return to work in November. Instead of going to the gym, I decided to invest in a decent treadmill and some weights so I can get my workout in before work and still be home to help Pete get the kids ready for the day. We're still going to keep the gym membership because for both of us, it's only $19.00. It can't be beat. I have a friend who teaches classes at the gym and another friend who said they'd go to a class with me. I'd like to catch a class or two during the week, just to mix it up a little. We'll have to see how it all goes. If I find I don't do it, I'll cancel the membership. I do have two friends meeting me for the boot camp wee hour classes. One is from Lydia and Jon's playgroup and another is a blast from the past from Facebook! It's funny how Facebook can bring people back together. If anyone wonders where my motivation comes from, it's a drive to fit into more work clothes when November rolls around. I'd rather not need to shop for clothes that I'll only need for a month or two. 
     Weight Watchers is going well. The scale continues to move in the right direction. I've been diligent with my tracking. My newest food of choice is roasted red peppers or pepadews with hummus on a pita. Yesterday I made a really good veggie sandwich with hummus on a flatbread. Yum! This week is chicken week in the Bojlevski household. I found a few chicken recipes I want to make from Hungry Girl.  Last night I made chicken cordon bleu and a garden salad with homemade low fat caesar dressing.
     Lydia had a great time at the festival. She enjoyed the horse trail ride, wagon ride, and petting zoo the best. Jonny slept the whole time in the front chest carrier. I really do need to upload those photos off the camera. We have a few cut ones of Lyds on a white horse! "My favorite horse," she said. 
     Last weekend we went to Harvest Fest at Beaver Lake Nature Center.  The food selection was awesome even though Pete didn't like waiting in the long lines. I decided I wanted a falafel pita, which of course had the longest lines. Pete was so annoyed he decided to order a gyro so he didn't have to wait in another line!  
     Lydia is back in Sunday School. I'm glad she enjoys it. Jonathan's baptism is in November and I asked my cousin Jean to be the godmother. As we did for Lydia, we are baptizing Orthodox, even though we attend a Methodist church. I really don't mind since it's all under the Holy Trinity. The Orthodox baptism a cultural rich baptism and involves a bit more than the typical protestant baptism.
     Lydia's behavior continues to be so-so. She is good about taking her new "quiet time hours." I started those when she wouldn't take a nap anymore. I found I still need my sanity so an hour of quiet times gives me that. I am finding that about 50% of the time the quiet time does actually turn into a nap for her. I'll go check on her and find her sleeping in her bed.
     This weekend Pete is working a fly fishing seminar for disabled veterns. He is really looking forward to the experience. He will forever be a nut about his fly fishing. It's his passion. The other week he took Lyds fishing and bought her a new pole. Lyds had a blast catching sunfish.  I do think that Pete had more fun than Lyds though. He was so excited that she enjoys fishing. Hopefully she doesn't outgrow that. 
     Off to upload some photos. I have photos from July on the camera!

Fascination

Today Lydia told me she wanted to wear a bra on her boobas like Ariel.

Jonny's not going away

     Good news for me. I've extended my maternity leave until the end of October! It gives me a few more weeks home and that makes me happy. 

     Lydia's behavior is still testy. The utopia of new baby brother has worn off and for a couple of weeks some jealously must have kicked in because her behavior was out of this world, naughty like she's never been naughty before. It was a rough period. I think we are now entering the period of "Jonny's not going away so I might as well get used to it." She still has her naughty moments, but not nearly as bad, and she is much quicker to reign herself back in. The terrible three's and competition of a new baby brother makes for a crazed mama. Please ignore all the wine bottles in my recycling bin. (kidding)

     I'm back to rockin' the Weight Watchers. I hope that I'll see some good results again. I was nervous the chocolate chip cookies mom sent home the other day would derail me, but Petar was quick on the draw so I didn't even have a chance.  Thanks Pete. I did manage to score two to make a small cookie ice cream sandwich, which was very yummy.
     My running continues to improve. I love my new treadmill. Sometimes Lydia likes to come down when I am running on the treadmill so she can have a turn. Yesterday morning while Lyds was getting her morning treadmill walk she asked, "Mom, did you buy this treadmill at the store?" I said, "Yep." She replied, "It must have been a pretty big bag!"

just do it

     On Monday (Happy Labor Day), we went to Fillmore Glen State Park.  There is nothing like hiking up a steep incline at a gorge with a baby in a chest carrier. It kicked my tush! My butt and legs felt like they might fall off after the hike. It was a great workout. Lyds loved hiking and exploring! She said she is exercising like mommy. It's nice to know I am instilling healthy habits in my daughter. When I run on the treadmill, she calls it "running in place" and often asks me, "Are you going to run in place today mommy?"
     I'm finally running again. Just a few short walk breaks here and there but yeah, thankfully, I am full on running. I'm not up to speed yet, but it's getting there and I don't feel like death warmed over when I'm doing it. So while losing the baby weight is daunting, I am very glad that running came back so easily.
     I found a boot camp class and I have a few friends interested in doing it with me. The boot camp is new to the area and running a free two-week trial for their classes. The free classes are at 6am. It looks like the other location also has evening classes--and one is at 4:30pm so perhaps I can give that a swing when I return to work.

Pinch an Inch

     Good freaking lord. How disheartening. I went through my fat bins of clothes. I did find some things that fit now that didn't a few weeks ago--so yippee in that respect, but my are they frumpy. My skinny clothes, also in the same bins, are so cute. What the hell. And they seem forever and a day away. I tried some on, just for shits and giggles, and I can't believe they are my clothes and that they fit me once. Again, yippee for getting there last year, but I am still miles away from them.
     Yeah, yeah, I know. It's just been eight weeks. Eight weeks exactly tomorrow. (Happy 8-weeks Jon.) Thankfully I have just under eight weeks to continue losing before I return to work. Hopefully I can lose a size or two before then, otherwise I'll have to go shopping for some temporary work clothes. I'd rather save my money. I didn't realize how many clothes I had altered as I was losing. I have less clothes in larger sizes than I thought I had. And the ones I didn't have altered--I know EXACTLY why I didn't have them altered. They are freaking frumpy.

Tracy's visit to New York

     My sister and her kids came for a visit (from Wasilla, Alaska) five days after Jonathan was born. I do have some pictures to share--these are from mom and Tracy's cameras because I haven't uploaded the photos off my camera yet. I haven't seen my sister or the kids in three years so I was really looking forward to their visit. Thankfully I had a great recovery with Jon so it was easy to get around and do things with them. It was a whirlwind of activity but it was thoroughly enjoyable. They are planning on coming home for another visit in two years and we're thinking of renting a camp on Lake Ontario to relive some of our awesome childhood memories camping on the lake. 

Visiting at mom's house

Jessie and Jonathan

Jessie fell in love with Jon and made her think she wanted a million babies, however, Lydia's constant activity quickly made her rethink that idea!

Ava and Jon

Ava and Jon share the same birthday. Ava turned two this year!

 

 Ava and Jessie

Ava and Tracy 

A visit at my house

Jessie brought her best friend Chance.

Chance and Lydia became fast friends.

  

Grandma Group and Jon

Jonathan Petar

Dustin 

A visit at Aunt Andrea and Uncle George's house

Amelia and Dustin

Amelia loved her cousin Dustin and rarely left his side! 

 

Gram and her grandchildren--Carrie, John, Gram, Jean, Tracy (missing Rudy)

 

This is a rare occasion---ALL the great grandchildren with Gram Osuchowski.

Ava, Amelia, Dustin and Paul, Gram, Jessie and Jon, Joe, Lydia 

The oldest great grandchildren holding the youngest.

Dustin and Paul, Gram, Jessie and Jon 

Paul, my cousin Jean's son. He was born the week before Jonathan.

Ava and Joe (cousin Jean's son)

Joe was born two months after Lydia. You would have thought Jean and I planned both our pregnancies together but we didn't!

Tracy and Jonny 

Jessie is taking guitar lessons. She's having a jam session with Uncle George.

Ava's 2nd birthday party

 

Gram Group and Ava

 

Lydia and Ava

a few old ones

     I just ran across these old videos in my Google Video account. Both are of Lyds in the Summer of 2007. They totally capture her personality!


wild child


book kisses

Lydia meets her brother Jonathan!

     We're still playing catch-up. These are photos from Lyds meeting Jonny for the first time. I wanted to be sure that Lydia was the first person to met her brother. I wouldn't even let my mom hold him until Lydia had her turn! Mom brought Lydia up the the hospital an hour or so after Jon was born. We have a video somewhere...I think it's still on my camera. These are the photos that my mom took during that visit. It was really a precious time. She was so excited to meet her new brother.