MOMMY'S NIGHT OUT! August 29th...

I promised I'd update you on my special secret night out with my sisters, mom and Aunt. I met my sister (Lynelle) at her house and from there she guided me to "Complexions Day Spa" in Seal Beach. I have to admit my Mom a few days before slipped and told me she was booking a facial and pedicure for Saturday but I didn't believe her as it's a holiday weekend and figured she was covering up for her mistake. At that point I thought we were going to Burke Williams. The day of my birthday, my sister called and said " I scheduled my pedicure with you guys!" WHOOOOOPS... so, that clarified it for me. It's okay, it just goes to show my family is very verbal, excitable and not great at secrets. So, I was still surprised when we got to Complexions. I hadn't been there before. The service was great and I was treated to a Mothers Massage. I was in heaven and as usual my thought was why don't I do this more often. I've had a few massages in my life but never a Maternity Massage and it was just as relaxing. We all got our services done and then chatted in the Quiet Room. Yeah, you know my family, we broke the QUIET ROOM RULES :) Then afterwards, we went to Lyndsay's house to be with our husbands and kids and had my favorite OREO CAKE from Katella Deli. IT WAS A GREAT BIRTHDAY... very relaxing and fulfilling.

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES!

Picture: Chris and I before going out to my Friday night dinner and Surprise!!!

Since last time I blogged, it's been crazy but fun!!! My birthday is today, August 29th.. THE BIG 25!!! And it just so happens that I'm pregnant. That doesn't surprise me, how about you?? LOL So, Chris took me out last Friday night to one of my fav restaurants " Black Angus" then surprised me and we went and stayed at the Woodfin Suites Hotel in Brea. The next day we went home and cleaned and stocked up at Costco for our LONG BEACH CHAMPIONS BARBECUE on Sunday. It was AWESOME. We had a great turn out with all the players and their families. We all piled in Chris and I's home and had some hot dogs, hamburgers and many wonderful side dishes and desserts. I love to get together and have parties like that, so It was enjoyable for me. Monday was mellow but FUN. Alexa and I went to Seal Beach along with the crew that met there every Monday in summer. It was their last time meeting and it was great to see The Johnsons, The Twals, The Boultons and Glonchaks. Funniest part was as I packed the car, my next door neighbor (who has 2 girls) was getting into the car to go to Seal Beach as well so Alexa got to play with them at the beach too! Tuesday rolled around and Chris' parents came down. They helped us paint Brielyn's room put up chair rail and we all had a wonderful dinner at The Cheesecake Factory (MY NEW FAV RESTAURANT) My dish was amazing.. try it next time it's CHICKEN COSTALETTA. Today I'm resting up for my SECRET night out with my sisters, mom and aunts!!!!! Except I kinda heard part of it.... I'll keep you posted and put up some pictures and updates. WHAT A WONDERFUL ONGOING 25TH.. THANKS EVERYONE....

Officially a STAY-AT-HOME MOM!!!

Today is my official first day being a stay at home mom. My company (Discus Dental Inc.) has blessed my family with allowing me to work from home the past 4 1/2 months and now they've put me on Maternity Leave.
My husband and I went back and forth when he started his job in July (should I just quit or work until I have the baby). It's so funny because it was very clear that God Is In Control especially in this situation. First I was going to quit cold turkey but his job was lagging on the benefits waiting for all of his licensing to go through.... so it forced us to send Alexa to Daycare for a few days... then once we sat down and talked I figured instead of quitting since I'm almost due to work part time for a few weeks and get the maternity leave. So I waited on my HR lady to get back to me on how it all would work. By that time, Alexa's Preschool is off August 27-Sept 5th so I needed to stay home and they decided to tell me a week and a half before that their Fall Session they only had one spot open (Thursdays) a week. Well, I'm not going to work just one day a week, it's not worth it. So, that led to me talking to HR about going on maternity leave soon instead of just quitting. IT ALL WORKED OUT, IT ALWAYS DOES.
I'm really feeling blessed and content as well as looking forward to spending more quality time with Alexa before the baby is born.

"WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS"

They did it!!! Chris and Charlie Garrison started a softball team with a group of talented softball players from church as well as friends and family. They practiced every Friday at a park in Long Beach. With much hard work and dedication... THEY WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP!!! Yes, they got Long Beach Champion shirts and they are PROUD!!

It all started when Charlie Garrison was playing on a team with his friends in Newport Beach. Well, they weren't good and Charlie was tired of losing. He asked Chris to come on board so Chris finished off the season with them. Charlie and Chris wanted to be WINNERS, so they decided to start a local team of their own. They thoroughly enjoy it and it's great for us wives and children to socialize at the games...

Chris did sacrifice his leg for the last 2 games in the championships ,but he said " IT WAS ALL WORTH IT" with a smile on his face and trophy in hand!

FRIDAY FUN... August 17th

I have Friday's off of work and my Mom was watching Lynelle's 2 boys so we decided to get the kids together for some fun. What better way than to take them to Downtown Disney! We started off having some lunch at RAINFOREST CAFE. I love that place and our waitress was amazing with the kids (very interactive and sweet) Elijah and Noah got Shirley Temples and I think I drank all of Noah's.... it was super sweet! When Alexa got a taste, she pushed her lemonade aside :)










Noah's trying to figure out what everyone is looking at...
I loved our table with Manatees on it.






Next Stop= THE LEGO STORE it was awesome. I hadn't been there before and if you haven't seen it yet, check out the Giraffe....it's AMAZING!


After that... the long awaited.... BUILD A BEAR! I had never gone to Build A Bear and really wanted to take Alexa. As mentioned she's extremely into baby dolls but I figured she'd love to pick out a stuffed animal. I was wrong. She looked at them and then threw them back in the bins. So..... I made a bear for the new baby. Now atleast Chris doesn't feel like he missed out on anything ( he was at work) We'll definitely take her back in a few months and I'm sure she'll enjoy it. She did like the baby doll in the Anne Gedde's Store but it was $215.00 (don't think daddy would approve of that)! LOL




Alexa did enjoy the washing station she loved to push the pedal to make the air shoot out!

































Then.. on to THE CANDY STORE!! Thank you MIMI (Grandma) for all the goodies. That kept them quiet and happy for a while.
















You can't go to any part of Disney and not take a picture with Mickey Mouse. And that completed our day. We all enjoyed ourselves, were nice and sugared up and sweaty and ready for a good nap! WHAT A FUN FRIDAY AFTERNOON!!!!

GOT KANKLES?

1. KANKLES 2. SLIGHT ANKLES

The reason I ask is because I do! Allow me to educate you on kankles...KANKLES: THIS IS THE STATE OF THE AREA FROM KNEE TO ANKLE RESEMBLING NO WIDTH DIFFERENTIATION- OR -LACK OF ANKLE. Please refer to pictures above for clarification

Well, sometimes I do, it just depends on what time or day you ask me. So, it's about that time. This is when it all goes down hill. (I mean that in a playful way). The pregnancy and swelling of the feet are beginning to get REAL! And the heat is not helpin' a sista out..... Let me give you a bit of background.

I don't think people from church know this, but I TAKE HUGE PRIDE IN MY FEET. I am not joking, there was a point in my life when I called searching for places to get started as a foot model. Well, I just didn't know the right places to call, I guess???? I know the job is out there but even HSN didn't have any answers for me. So, this is hard.. the whole foot swelling thing. MY TOES LOOK LIKE SAUSAGES, THE TOPS OF THEM LOOK LIKE SOMEONE STUFFED A GOOSE DOWN PILLOW IN THEM. I like to call them " CABBAGE PATCH FEET" But, I will tell you, it actually humors me.

But, I can't say my feet are very pretty or modeling material at this time. It's okay, the new baby is well worth a few weeks of swollen feet.

The Little Mommy

Alexa has always been such a girly -girl and I LOVE IT. I'm so thrilled that recently she's been extra interested in taking care of her baby dolls. She was real quiet yesterday so I went to see what kind of damage she was doing. SURPRISE! There she was up in her rocking chair with her baby. She even shares her very own NIGHT NIGHT (blanket) with her babies. It's the most precious thing.... I see her using the same voice and lines I do with her babies telling them " It's okay, don't cry" or " SHHHHH" She always makes sure they have their baba and night night. I could not be more pleased with her increasing interest with babies as the day is drawing near. I'm sure we'll have our days, but overall SHE'S GONNA MAKE A GREAT BIG SISTER! Hope you enjoy the pictures :)

REALITY CHECK

WOW..... Can I just say, time is flying by way too fast. It seems like yesterday Chris and I were in the bathroom anxiously awaiting the pregnancy test results not even believing what was going on. I had been feeling really sick and thought it was the new birth control I was on... But God had better plans. He is blessing us with another little girl.
The whole point of this picture is the fact that since it's my second and I'm busy working and enjoying my time with Alexa, I haven't even payed attention to how far along I am. I mean, I had an idea and general ballpark but with Alexa (the first) I knew to the day how far along I was. If it was possible to know what hour you were giving birth, I would have calculated that as well. Don't get me wrong, I'm as excited to have this one, but I'm just trying to savor my time with Alexa and a bit more relaxed about being pregnant. With my first I was making sure (by the book) I was experiencing the regular symptoms and doing it all right.
So I go to the DR. yesterday (who I love, if you need an OB, let me know) August 7th and she says okay let's see if you are on track... she puts the paper measuring tape on my belly and says " Wow, you are right on." I just looked like, okay that's good news. Then, she hands me the long piece of tape and says "See, you're 32 weeks and look at the tape, no, turn it around we are going by millimeters here." So ..sure enough I turn it around feeling like a complete idiot at that time like I'm a newbie at all this and it says 320mm. I ALMOST FAINTED.... just hearing her say 32 weeks made me cringe. What have I been doing all this time? Am I ready? What about the babies room, it's still an office? A million and one thoughts and questions ran through my head and anxiety kicked in but it was good anxiety. ONLY 8 MORE WEEKS TIL LITTLE BRIELYN HOFF is in the world and ALEXA WILL BE A BIG SISTER... then I get sad (it's the emotional roller coaster syndrome of a pregnant woman) We are so excited to have another little girl as part of the family and I'm even more excited to share our new bundle of joy with all of YOU...

A Day with Archibald AKA-Archie

Soo... Ironic. I was on Rachel's Blog the other day watching video of their week dog sitting; admiring how sweet Caleb is and how the dog was so protective of him in a short amount of time. Then, Friday morning we get a knock at the door . IT'S OUR TURN... it was the neighbor asking if we can dog sit their 10 week old puppy Archibald (Archie) for a day. Absolutely, I was actually excited. That gives me just enough time to get my fix, spoil him, love on him and send him back home! Friday night we took him to my husband's soft ball game (they won!) Then Saturday morning rolled around and we brought him out front with us to water; the neighbor girls came over to see the puppy. They all had a great time chasing him and playing. He's the perfect size for the toddlers. The first thing my (orthodontic brother in law) said when he saw the dog was " check out his underbite" No Doubt Archie has one, but now the poor dog has a complex. Saturday night Archie got a private bath with smell good shampoo, a blow dry and a mist of cologne before going back home. It was a great time! If he was an English Bulldog, we would've kept him. But for now, my husband and I will hold out til the kids are a bit older. I am not ready for 2 kids under 2 along with a dog ( all in diapers) Alexa is still learning how to hold the dog NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED DURING THIS PHOTO SHOOT!

THE O.C. FAIR-with Ziggy Marley

Yes, Chris and I along with our friend Lucas (Chris' old roommate) went to see Ziggy Marley in concert! It was awesome. I remember walking in and my first thought was " I love coming to places like this, just to people watch." The Orange County Fair is the perfect place to do just that. The concert was great, the aroma was great (j/k) and it was nice to be at the Fair with my husband. I love that Chris and I both like Reggae it made the concert enjoyable. But, that's not all we went to the fair for.........The whole reason why I go at least once every year is for the FOOD. Who doesn't? We started off the night with " Australian Potatoes" You have to try them and for those of you who don't know what it is, IT'S HEAVEN. A fat slab of fresh potatoe deep fried in beer batter with your choice of dip(s)... vinegar, ranch and cheddar cheese sauce. Then after the concert, I wasn't letting us leave without having a Funnel Cake, but on the way I was feeling a bit hungry and saw a Cheese on a Stick, so that topped off my hunger. We moved Right on to the Funnel Cake stand to have some dessert topped with powdered sugar, strawberries and you know it... Whipped Cream. I actually shared :) The best part was, my husband had two 1sts that night. He'd never had australian potatoes or funnel cake. Yeah, his mom and I will be having a talk. Who doesn't take their kid to have a funnel cake before he's 22? Well, it was a fun night and I was glad I could introduce Chris to all of my unhealthy indulgences I crave each year at the fair. Looks like Chris and I have a new tradition...Hopefully you can join us for some food and fun!

MY DODGER GIRL....

Yes, Daddy has already brain washed our lil girl. I'm just glad he got her a Dodger dress and not the cheap looking onesies or t-shirts. I let her wear the dress for the first time on Father's Day and with her hair in a pony tail with a bow in it, she looks like a cheerleader... I fell in love with it. I have to admit I was a bit nervous of the outfit at first. So, here's some pictures we got taken of her at 17 mos. We got pictures taken for daddy to put up at his office :) Needless to say, Daddy was HAPPY! Mission accomplished.

T.I.R.E.D.

So the last 3 weeks, no one can stop me from doing dishes, laundry, pacing the house cleaning up every toy as it's being dropped. I was all over with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser in one hand and a towel in the other getting every spot on the table, counter, bathroom, etc..... I was a cleaning freak! CAN WE SAY NESTING? The best part is Alexa (has apparently been watching) and you'll find her on the kitchen floor with a dish towel moving back and forth. Actually, yesterday I was in our shower and we have a glass door, there was Lil' Miss Alexa saying "mommy" as she had a kleenex wiping the glass on the other side. I can't wait til she can help with dishes. J/K

(The picture is me pre- kids.... definitely a different life! Just relaxing.. something I hardly do now. But that's mostly my fault.)

Then Monday, July 30th hit... BOOM... I had no energy, no desire to do anything. I'm praying that I will turn into the cleaning freak because now I'm procrastinating to do anything. I never thought I'd say this, but I want to be the cleaning freak again. It's Wednesday now and I've allowed myself 2 days to put off grocery shopping. But now I'm feeling guilty because my family suffers. Actually, they could probably care less, but I do.

I know it's part of being pregnant and now I'm remembering with Alexa doing the same thing. I think it's your hormones balancing or the lack of balance. One minute you are Speedy Gonzales around the house, the next you're waiting til 7:30PM to put the little one to bed so you can put your feet up. My husband during my cleaning freak stage was so sweet, he looked at me and said " Honey, you are my wife not my slave, sit down and relax" It actually made me feel good that he acknowledged I wanted him to have a clean house. But, it also made me understand, he could care less, he wants me to relax.

So.... I think to make MYSELF feel better I will make it a point to definitely do the grocery shopping today.