Easter Weekend

We had a nice weekend. We enjoyed some time celebrating a baby shower and a birthday on Saturday. We enjoyed a low key Easter Sunday with mass and Easter dinner with Grandpa Bear. All was great until Baby Bear threw up during Easter dinner. She wasn't eating anything and wouldn't even have a cookie, which should have been a clue that she wasn't feeling well. So she vomitted on Mama Bear twice. Other than that it was a nice Easter.

This girl loves to run everywhere she goes.





and she loves her daddy.



Our yummy Easter dinner.

Baby Bear's day at the beach

It was a beautitful weekend. We decided to head out to the beach on Saturday afternoon. We got out of the IE and head down to the OC for a beach day. Baby Bear had been to the beach a couple of times, but this was her first official beach day. At first she was a little unsure of the sand.



She did like her bucket.





We checked out the water and waves.



She was not a great fan.



So we headed back to the towels to try out the sand again. After she got comfortable, she really enjoyed the sand.



She really had a blast.







She got really comfortable at the beach and even ventured out from us a bit.





But she would come back.





A regular beach babe.



Baby Bear loved the sand, she pretty much bathed herself in it. A good time was defintiely had.

Hanging with daddy on the porch

Some pictures I found on our camera card from a couple of weeks ago, just hanging out on a beautiful day.

I absolutely love this picture. My two favorite people in the whole wide world.







Baby Bear just loves to run.

No more Mama Milk

Our breastfeeding days are done. It has been a week since Baby Bear asked for "mama milk." We had gone down to breastfeeding only one time a day, every morning around 5:30am the about a month ago, I would give her a choice between a bottle and "mama milk" and she stopped asking for "mama milk" about a week ago. We went 22 months of breastfeeding. I first started with a goal of 1 year and made it that far. After Baby Bear turned a year, she was no where near ready to stop. I decided to stop pumping at work at about 15 months, and used up the last bag of pumped milk just before 18 months. We continued to breastfeed in the morning and evenings and weekends until 19 months. Then we went to just morning and night, then just mornings in the last couple of months. I did not actively wean her, it just gradually moved that way. Now we are done and a part of me is sad but I am also happy that my body is my own again. For 31 months, my body was not just my own. I had to watch what I put in my body because it didn't just impact me, but also Baby Bear for 9 months of pregnancy and then 22 months of breastfeeding. I am proud of myself for sticking to it, even through the difficulties of breastfeeding. I am thankful that I was blessed with the oppourtunity to provide Baby Bear the very best.

MS Walk 2011: Team The J Crew

Today we as a family participated in the MS Walk 2011 Inland Empire. As a family we raised a total of $570. Thank you to all our wonderful family and friends who gave to such a great cause. As a team we raised over $7000!! Isn't that awesome!!

This was a very special walk for us because just a months ago, my close friend, John, was diagnosed with MS.



I have known John since high school and we have remained friends through all these years. There is a reason why we remain friends, he is a wonderful person. Through college he was one of a few of my high school friends that visited me at college. He was like a big brother who went to check in on his little sister while she was away at college, I always knew I could count on him.

John walking with his beautiful little girl. We do this so that he can keep on walking, running, and playing with his little girl.



His beautiful and supportive wife led our team to raise all that money for the National MS Society. She is awesome!



Team The J Crew sporting our great team shirts! (Thanks Aileen and Marcy)





We had a great turn out for our Team! Our team even won most spirited!! Go The J Crew!



Baby Bear had a great time.



Baby Bear with her medal after completing the walk (rather ride in her stroller).



Having some lunch after a great walk.

NYC Day 7: Delayed at the airport

Day 6 was Mama Bear's work day, the whole reason we were in the Big Apple. Baby Bear and Papa Bear hung out during the day while Mama Bear went to meetings and an award dinner event. No pictures were taken.

Day 7 was a travel day to head on home. We arrived in the Big Apple to beautiful 73 degree weather and we were leaving NYC with snow. There were snow flurries in the air. We got to the airport and learned that our flight was delayed. The snow caused several flight delays and so we were delayed a few hours. We had some lunch and let Baby Bear walk up and down the terminals to wear her out until our plane arrived and we were able to board. She loved walking up and down the airport terminal (Mama Bear defintely got some exercise) and watching the airplanes and "choo choo trains" (aka baggage transports). Fortunately, Baby Bear slept for 3 hours on the plane and was amazing for the second half of the trip. She is just an awesome little traveler.







We got into LAX around 9pm and after getting our luggage and back to our car we made our way back to the IE for home. It was half way home that Baby Bear decided to get cranky. What do you expect from a toddler who has been on a plane and car for hours. We got home and we let her unwind and run around a bit before putting her down to bed.