Cabo

Eric and I had a wonderful trip to Cabo with his fellow incentive trip winners. The Hilton Resort was beautiful, the days were relaxing, and we came home feeling refreshed and tanned! Our hotel was located in "the corridor" which is between Cabo San Lucas (party town) and Cabo San Jose (relaxing town).

Our trip began on Sunday, November 1 very early in the morning. It was uneventful as far as the plane ride& layovers were concerned, but Eric and I were extremely anxious to get to our destination. We arrived around lunchtime on Sunday and since our room wasn't ready we decided to relax by the pool. Luckily, we packed our suits in our carry-on. :)


Sunday evening, the company provided a welcome reception. Before we left the room, we had to take a few pictures from our balcony.
Daytime view from our balcony. Just beautiful...

On Monday, we explored the hotel, walked the beach, and enjoyed the pool. In the evening, we headed into Cabo San Lucas for dinner at The One and Only Palmilla Restaurant. It was quite fancy, and we had a lovely evening.

The wine list was very interesting and VERY EXPENSIVE. That menu is in DOLLARS not pesos. I don't think we've ever been to a restaurant with a $16,000 bottle of wine on the menu. Yikes, that's extravagant.

Our dinner crowd --- the six of us became fast friends.

On Tuesday, we enjoyed some beach time and the scenery.

In the afternoon, our party of six ventured into Cabo San Lucas to experience the party atmosphere. It reminded me of Spring Break...our group decided we definitely didn't fit into this lifestyle anymore. Nevertheless, we had a blast. In front of the hotel before we left.

Eating a delicious authentic Mexican lunch complete with mariachi band.

The view of the marina from our table.

Eric and I at lunch.

Us in front of all the boats

The boardwalk with all of the vendors, shops, & restaurants.

Can't go to Mexico and not have one of these photos taken!

Our group was all about experiencing some authentic Mexican because the tourist trap-spring break-like bars were just not working for us. So, we stumbled (no pun intended) into this tequila boutique (yep, I said boutique) where we did a tequila tasting. I personally am not a fan of tequila but this was no ordinary tequila! We tasted tequila that didn't make your insides feel like they were about to explode because it was so smooth. We tasted chocolate tequila (YUM), coffee flavored tequila (yummy even though it sounds disgusting), and a tequila similar to that of Bailey's. Needless to say, our group experienced authentic Mexican here, and it was educational, that is if learning about tequila can be called "educational".

At the end of the evening, we tried one last tourist trap, Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo. It was a good time and more low key than some of the other places like this.

Eric and I at Cabo Wabo.

The boys put their new found tequila knowledge to good use and did a shot at Cabo Wabo. We girls opted out of this one. :) Someone had to flag down a respectable taxi!

On Wednesday, the company organized a catamaran/snorkel trip for the afternoon. Super fun!

The famous Arch...apparently, you aren't supposed to leave Cabo without seeing this!

On Thursday, while Eric was deep sea fishing, I was getting a deluxe treatment at the spa! Eric's boat caught one marlin and four mahi mahi.

These birds were scoping out the bait.

Eric's boat with their marlin.

On Thursday night, our six-some enjoyed the fresh catch for dinner. YUMMIEST dinner of the week. The fearless fisherman relaxing at the bar.

The ladies...Susannah (middle) and I enjoyed the spa while Jessica (right) went on the fishing trip.

Sushi was made with some of the fresh catch.

Ceviche was also very delicious.

Finally, the main course was several types of grilling styles.

Dessert and coffee ended the meal just right.

On Friday afternoon, Eric and I joined some others in an ATV tour over dunes, beaches, rocky terrain, and desert trails. Normally, this is not my cup of tea, but I really enjoyed riding with Eric.

The scenery was gorgeous.

Friday night was special. Eric surprised me with a dinner for two on the beach. He had a table arranged on the beach just for us. It was pretty romantic and sweet! The little tiny light in the center is the candle on our table.

On our last night, the company provided a farewell dinner for all of us. Prior to dinner, we met up with our favorite friends for cocktails and appetizers.

While we were having drinks and appetizers, we saw the aquarium being cleaned up a bit. He had quite the audience.

We had live music at our dinner.

Unfortunately, Saturday came to an end, and our wonderful trip to Cabo ended bright and early on Sunday morning. We had a blast, made some great friends, and had some really special "Anne & Eric" time.

It's Finally Here!

Remember my dear husband winning an incentive trip to Cabo San Lucas? Well, the long awaited trip is upon us, and we couldn't be more thrilled for a much needed (FREE!!) vacation! We are off for a week of sunshine, beach, poolside waitress service, Anne & Eric alone time, and relaxation!

Household chores are completed. Our bags are packed, and our little princess is packed up to stay with Grandma and Grandpa. I'm a little sad to leave Madeline behind for so long, but I know my parents have a week of FUN planned for this special one-on-one granddaughter -- grandparent time. They have been instructed to takes lots of pictures of their adventures for the blog. Meanwhile, our camera is charging away...perhaps we'll spot some famous people. :)

Nevertheless, how can you not miss this face?

Happy Halloween from Our Little Sweet!

We hope all of your trick-or-treating dreams come true!

Madeline is 14 Months Old!

Madeline's little personality is really coming into her own, and she's quite the little character. Unfortunately, this month's picture session did not go as planned. I suppose she just wasn't in the mood to smile for the camera nor was she in the mood to let that brush go. However, she laughed and giggled all day as long as the camera wasn't on her! Little stinker!


At 14 Months, Madeline loves:

• walking anywhere and everywhere
• reading her books either alone or with someone
• laughing & being tickled
• "talking" (it's all jibber jabber but she definitely has something to say!)
• saying "UH-OH" (even where there's nothing to uh-oh about)
• giving kisses and hugs
• music of any kind which leads to hilarious dancing
• her paci, bunny lovey, and bedtime bottle routine
• her Daddy
• the ladies at the gym who work in the nursery
• greeting others with a big toothy grin and the sweetest "HI!" you've ever heard
• hot dogs, mac-n-cheese, mandarin oranges, green beans, applesauce, milk, & yogurt
• wandering around outside & "oooohhing" at birds, dogs, grass, flowers, & even litter
• playing with her ball popper & baby dolls
• the mop, broom, vacuum, and dust buster
• getting into the tupperware cabinet
• unrolling the toilet paper off the roll until it makes a big heap on the bathroom floor
• going up and down the stairs like a big girl
• bathtime
• playing & talking to herself in her bed for ~30 minutes all by herself once she wakes up in the morning or after nap
• playing "This Little Piggie..." with her toes
• putting shoes on and off (hers or anyone else's)
• getting her haircut (strange, I know. She loves the brushes and all the mirrors!)
• riding face forward in the car

At 14 months, Madeline hates (luckily, it's a very short list!):

• getting out of her bed immediately when she wakes up
• stopping her play for a diaper change
• being scolded by her Daddy

At 14 months, Madeline can:

• follow simple directions like "Come with Mama!", "Shut the door." "Push the button." (b/c it's part of our daily routine)
• make me laugh or bite my cheeks to keep from laughing with her antics
• say "hi", "uh-oh", "woa", "ow", "mama", "dada", "woof-woof" (in Madeline's eyes ALL animals say "woof"), "boo"
• imitate hugging, kissing, and patting her baby dolls on the back just like we do to her
• blow kisses
• wave
• play a serious game of peek-a-boo where she jumps out from behind a wall or around a corner yelling "boo!"
• do the Itsy Bitsy Spider movements (sort of) & pat-a-cake movements
• throw a nasty temper tantrum if she doesn't get her way or at least flop down on the floor in a dramatic way to show she's mad (or that I've "hurt her feelings") --- see below :)
  
• sleep 12-13 hours at night & nap for 2-3 hours in the afternoon
• "blow" on her food when it's too hot
• use a fork properly if someone stabs the food for her; we're working on the spoon
• walk into the gym nursery and immediately go to/hug/kiss the ladies without as much as a glance over her shoulder to see if I'm still there (How awesome is that? I can't thank them enough for treating Madeline so special!)
• really chow down at meal time when she's hungry

Madeline is so happy that it's infectious. We get stopped all the time to be asked if she's always this happy and outgoing. Eric and I marvel at this child we created, and we thank God everyday that she was chosen to be our little girl.

Big Girl Shoes

Madeline learned to walk in the perfect season. It was summertime and warm --- perfect for bare feet. (I LOVE baby bare feet.) When she needed shoes at the nurseries, playdates, etc., I used her Robeez. But, with the cooler weather and Madeline's more proficient walking, it was time to put the Robeez away. I was a little sad. Madeline is growing up so fast, but it was really fun to take her to Stride Rite to get her fitted for "real" shoes. She, of course, loved it. The man who helped us made her laugh, and she just loved walking around the store "testing" out different shoes. And, the mirrors at her level were a huge hit. I don't think there was a mirror in the store that didn't have Madeline's lip prints or hand prints on it...yes, she's that vain that she kisses herself! :) Unfortunately, I didn't document the Stride Rite experience, but a few days later, I documented the first time she wore her big girl shoes to the gym! It's amazing what a pair of shoes does to her "look" --- I feel like she looks so toddler-like instead of baby-like in the following picture.

Sporting her new sneakers...Madeline has quite the Fred Flinstone foot (she wears a wide) and she turns her little ankles in a little bit when she walks. (I had no idea how knowledgeable these Stride Rite people are! He informed me about socks, shoes, feet!) So we ended up with shoes different than I had imagined, but they are still cute. You know me, I was looking for something stylish! The lovely man who helped reminded me that Madeline is only one and practical is important! :) So we came home with a casual shoe and a dress shoe, and Madeline seems perfectly comfortable walking in both pair!

Playtime Fun

In our efforts to regain our groove, we've spent lots of time just going about our normal business. After Madeline's afternoon nap, lots of playing around the house has taken place. Unfortunately for us, the yard in this rental house is a bit scary, so we can't take advantage of the awesome weather and play outside. So, indoors it is, but that's okay. Madeline doesn't seem to mind.

The ball popper balls are fun to carry around the house. Unfortunately, they end up in random places, so in efforts not to lose them, I try to keep an eye out for where they get dropped. We've had several go MIA, but luckily, Daddy's keen eye found them for us!

Madeline is not much of a climber, but she has started to take some daring moves (well, daring for Madeline) to stand on the bean bag in efforts to climb to the sofa. She's not terribly persistent or dead set on getting onto the sofa, so she ends up flailing around on the bean bag.

When Daddy is around, stuff like this ends up happening...

Flailing around in the bean bag is big fun! This really gets Madeline's belly laughs going. It's super cute to watch.

The ball popper Madeline received for her birthday is a huge hit. She loves to lean over the fan part and let it blow her hair and in her face. At first, Madeline would let all the balls pop everywhere, and we would have to retrieve them for her. Now, she chases after them, puts them back into the hole, and starts it all over again. Lots of entertainment in such a simple toy...

Madeline is 13 months old (a little late)!

For now, I've given up on placing the sign near Madeline. She just can't resist playing with it, and I can't get a cute picture when it's near her. So, for now, this is the new "monthly sign picture."


Madeline has treated us to another month of fun! She's definitely an official biped now...walking is her main mode of transportation, and she wants to walk everywhere by herself. So, you can only imagine how long it takes us to get places when I actually let her walk. Not to mention, she is still very fascinated with everything that pops into her vision --- "oohing" at everything --- shrubs, leaves, yard lights, you name it, she ogles and studies over it until I give her a little tug to move along. It's very sweet to watch her ooh and ah over the world around her when I'm not in a rush.
Her little personality is still so happy, curious, sweet, and easy going (95% of the time), but she's definitely showing more and more a mind of her own. Madeline is a stubborn little thing which right now can lead to a nasty tantrum, but this trait will serve her well down the road once she learns how to put it into a positive direction. Full blown flailing the head back, kicking the legs, swatting the arms temper tantrums have entered our world in full force! WOW, it's not happened very much, but it definitely caught me off guard! When she's not allowed to go somewhere or touch something, she lets us and everyone else know that she's not happy about it. The few times she's had one, she's been tired and/or hungry which makes them that much worse. I don't make excuses for them because it is unacceptable, but I am sure to be much more proactive these days when it comes to eating her meals and getting that afternoon nap in. Since she's an only child, I can keep her on a pretty strict schedule which help any nasty attitudes that can surface.

My girl loves other people greeting them with an enthusiastic "HI!" as they walk by. Luckily others indulge Madeline's over-friendliness with a response which just makes her day. She's especially fond of other children greeting them with an even more excited "HI" over and over, but they're also are the recipients of gigantic toothy smiles and arm flailing which I'm guessing is supposed to be an overly excited wave. I've actually heard other children comment to their parents, "Why is that baby doing that?" to which the nice parents usually respond with something like, "She really likes you and just wants to say hi." Madeline has never met a stranger. Luckily for us, this makes dropping her off at nurseries and babysitters a piece of cake. Music and dancing have captured Madeline's heart. She head bobs and dances to music all day long --- in the car, at the house, at the gym kids' care, and even the elevator music at the grocery store. Right now, her rhythm is questionable, but there is no doubt that music and dance will be in her future activities.
Madeline's a mover and a shaker. Running errands, going to the gym, cruising the grocery store, taking a walk, walking through the mall, going somewhere, anywhere...all of these fit into "it's been a great day" category for Madeline. That makes us happy since we like to be out and about instead of cooped up in the house all day.
Madeline is a hot dog, Cheerio, mandarin orange, cheese, and green bean eating machine. These are by far her favorites at meal time, but she's getting much better about eating what she is served. I do give her credit with regard to her tasting...she will taste and eat anything we stick in her mouth for the first time. Now, if she's not a fan, she won't have another bite, but she's not been spitting out food or throwing it to the floor if she doesn't like it. We are, however, working on table manners with regard to dropping food to the floor on purpose. Madeline seems to think this activity makes for a perfect excuse to use the word, "UH-OH!" Unfortunately, for her, we are working on nipping this bad habit in the bud.

Madeline's vocabulary is pretty minimal...mama, Dada, hi. "Uh-oh" and "woa" are new additions over the last month. She intently studies our lips when we are talking to her, and you can see her little brain trying to make her lips do what ours do. Sometimes, she makes a sound similar to ours and sometimes not. I love watching her trying to learn vocabulary. Madeline wants to verbally communicate badly, and I'm sure it just will happen "overnight"...just like when she popped out with "uh-oh" after she dropped her toy. Madeline loves her stories, and she's by no means what I would call an attentive audience, but she'll sit still for a few pages of actual reading/talking about the pictures. And, when she's playing by herself, she'll pick up a book, turn the pages one by one, and study the pictures. All the while, she's jibber-jabbering as if she's telling herself a story. I love to see her do this. She will do this over and over with some of her favorite books. Madeline has 7 teeth, and we think her molars are working their way up to the surface. She's pretty much a regular gal with her schedule sleeping from 7 PM to 7 AM, napping in the afternoon, eating breakfast/lunch/dinner with a snack thrown in here and there if needed. The two things this mama must break out of are the two bottles Madeline receives right before her nap and bed and the paci. We limit paci and lovey to bed only, and the bottle I just need to brace myself and go cold turkey.
Madeline brings something new to each day that makes her daddy and I just smile and makes our hearts just swell with love. I try to treasure each day, even the hard ones, because it's all going by so quickly. As someone said to me this morning, "Madeline is becoming such a big girl. It's happened almost overnight." So true, so true baby girl! Madeline Grace, we love you so much.

Where does the time go?

Good gracious, is it really September 28? Have I really not blogged about anything terribly earth-shattering in the last month? Did September 17, Madeline's 13 month-day, come and go without a post? Shame on me.

September turned into a crazy month with packing, moving, closing, and getting adjusted to our new temporary living quarters. So, yes, that was a time consuming and daunting task. However, we are settled, but for some reason we cannot get our rhythm back.

Part of our issue is that everything seemed to happen at once...the move, some extra curricular activities with our church, hunting season (my sweet hubby is bound and determined to bring home a Bambi this hunting season), Eric's boss's boss spending 3 days with him, working out some kinks with the rental house, Eric making some rather large presentations that have required much of his home time to be working, and my couple of regularly scheduled evening "Mama escapes" seemed to all fall within the last few weeks. I suppose it's no wonder that the blog has taken a hit. When the three of us are home together and not completely exhausted, we are enjoying each other's company. With all this craziness, Eric and I have made it a point to have our own dinner after Madeline goes to bed in order to stay connected. Ultimately, we've let the computer remain "asleep" in the evenings.

My goal this week is to get our day-to-day rhythm back...regular grocery trips (my grocery gaming has taken a hit as well), daily gym workouts that involve more than just a run, Eric making it to the gym after work, home cooked healthy dinners, truly relaxing over the weekend, and resuming normal close to home activities (blogging, laundry, scheduling some much needed appointments, & cleaning) on a regular schedule. I hope our funk is behind us, and we can resume some normalcy instead of operating on "survival mode".

Bittersweet


Eric and I closed on our little starter home this past Friday, and we made it through the first leg of our move without too many dings or scratches. We admit that we are so very excited to have sold our house for a good price in this buyer's market, but we are a little sad to leave our sweet house behind. After all, it was our first house as newlyweds. All of "our traditions" started in that house, and of course, we expanded our little family in that house. As I took the last of our things out of that house on Friday morning, I looked over my shoulder and got a little teary. It's bittersweet. Of course, when one chapter ends, a new one begins. And, for sure, a new exciting chapter has begun for us...our "forever" house being built in a larger neighborhood that seems to be busting at the seams with families like us. Our thoughts of backyard BBQs with lots of kids running around playing with one another while all the adults enjoy each other's company certainly dries up any tears we may have about leaving our sweet little house behind. Not to mention, the couple that bought our home seems just like us when we first built that house --- young newlyweds learning how to care for a yard, excited about all their new kitchen dishes and appliances they received as wedding presents, and just thrilled to have a space larger than a one bedroom apartment. I was very excited for them at the closing as I've been in those shoes not long ago.

We are getting adjusted to the rental house, and things slowly but surely seem to be getting back to a normal routine. Madeline seems to be adjusting to the new house rather well. She has more space to explore, and the stairs are her new favorite addition to her daily routine. This child loves to climb the steps --- up and down all day long --- if I'd let her. Unfortunately, a few times a day is all she gets.

All in all, we're happy the move is behind us for now, and we're really happy to have all of our stuff out of storage and under one roof again. Now, we look forward to driving by the new house to see what's happening. A new chapter in the Stewart family is certainly being scripted with each new day, and it's exciting.

What's happening with the Stewart family?!

Eric is on his annual boys' weekend...much needed and well deserved! I'm home packing and organizing sans husband input. :)

Moving into our rental house (which we have secured one not far from here) is first and foremost happening. My friend, Nancy, offered her house up for rent, but unfortunately for us (ie ERIC) the commute would be too much. I'd love to do it --- Madeline would love all the playdates! Nancy's friends/neighbors look like so much fun!!!! :) I'm not terribly excited about the rental house simply because it's temporary, so we're only unpacking (not really packing just moving (in our car) the dishes, clothes, etc. in laundry baskets and unsealed boxes) the things we really NEED for 6 months. Other than that, we'll be living amongst sealed boxes, random misplaced furniture, and clutter. Well, in my OCD world it's clutter. It's all good because we are building "the house", and we are so excited about that. It's VERY much worth the wait. It's interesting trying to pack with a one year old underfoot by the way. Our current house is set to close on September 18, and so far, inspections, etc. have gone well. We're pretty sure things will go as planned. We have our movers, rental house, etc. all set up for next weekend, so that I can do any last minute things around here if needed.

And, as I've mentioned before, Eric and I have become more involved in our church. I've said this before and will say again, we will never be "Mr. and Mrs. Church", but we want a solid, Christian foundation in which we can raise our children. We love our church although it's a bit traditional, and the majority of the congregation is significantly older than us. Our minister is youthful and inspiring! The church is making great strides to bring young families into the congregation. However, there are 3 couples (us being one of the three) that are working towards building a "young family" group/Sunday School class. The six of us clicked as if we'd been friends from way back. I say all of this to explain the following pictures. The six of us (and hopefully some of the other youngin's in the congregation because there are a few!!!) are planning to study the Love Dare bible study in Sunday School this fall. We plan to watch the Fireproof movie and follow up with the Love Dare curriculum. Our church is holding a rally on September 12 to showcase the different Sunday school classes, and our fellas created a fire truck to demonstrate our group. The boys got together (and had a BLAST) doing the "construction" while the girls will do the decor. Decor pictures to follow....the boys assured us that once we "staple" our decor to the outside of this frame that it will look like a fire truck. (As a side note, I've decided that my husband "borrowed" this four wheeler from a friend in order to test it out because it's for sale, & my honey just happens to want a four wheeler. Small coincidence...) Boys just like to build stuff.....

On a Madeline note, she IS walking 100% although if she's looking to get somewhere ASAP, she does her crazy crab crawl. However, her preferred mode of movement seems to be walking because she does walk more than crawl these days. She's cutting two molars and another bottom tooth just popped through, so her attitude has been a bit snarky lately....so much so that I baked fresh-that-morning-with-steam-in-the-Tupperware-container chocolate chip banana bread and pecan pie muffins for the ladies at the gym that keep Madeline because her attitude has been MUCH less than sweet as of late. But, they assure me that she's still their favorite! :)

And, WOW! Does this child have a mind of her own?! Madeline can't crawl INTO the dishwasher and play with dirty dishes or pull out clean knives for that matter, or Madeline can't play with the remote controls or touch the TV screen, or Madeline can't dig out the dirt in Mommy's houseplants and eat it!? Seriously, she has all these GREAT toys and touchy-feely books that she loves, and these are the things she wants to do lately?! So, needless to say, this Mama is doing A LOT of "No, Ma'am" and swat the hand...I guess that's why so many children are allowed to do whatever they want b/c this is time consuming and draining when you have a toddler living in your house. (I've gained a new appreciation for well behaved children and their parents. I hope to join those ranks!) Oh, and she KNOWS what not to play with because she looks at me and puts her pudgy finger NEXT to it...sneaky little devil. Unfortunately, the temptation is too great, and she touches, and Mommy has to scold. Crying ensues. It's all good...she'll figure out that this Mama is VERY consistent and isn't mean but means what she says! I do pick my battles...how many times have I refolded the laundry into the basket or put the clothes back into the drawer?!

My parents are enjoying Australia right now, and I'm happy for them. My dad just recently "retired" (I use that term loosely as he still keeps his hand in the working world.), and my mom has always traveled with her lady friends. Well, since my dad has claimed retirement, he's decided that traveling and seeing the world is not so bad. So he's jumped on my mom's bandwagon to see the world. My mom has been everywhere from Thailand eating crunchy bugs to Greece's feta cheese to New Zealand's alpacas. Needless to say with three grown children, now is their time to enjoy life for themselves and their grandchildren. They're "young", in good health, in good financial status, and willing to see the world. Unfortunately, in true McCarthy fashion, they didn't share much of their travel itinerary with us because no news is good news, right?! Well, my mom's dad passed away this morning very unexpectedly (he was 94 years old and in good shape considering), so I've had to spend much of my day tracking down my parents in Australia! Luckily, I know enough of their friends and neighbors that I could piece together enough information to figure out the travel agency they used to call the customer service line that let me know how to get in touch with them in Australia. So my brother and his wife were able to get in touch with my mom and dad to deliver the not-so-good news.

In a nutshell, we're busier than normal, but we're good.

Fun Around the House

Madeline spends the majority of her day exercising her ability to walk. She loves her stroller to cruise around the house. She's becoming more and more daring to take steps all by herself, and lately, she's been going farther and farther without assistance. The ladies at the gym daycare have really gotten her to be more adventurous. Madeline will be a proficient walker before we know it. Until then, she's enjoying her stroller assisted walks around the house.

And, as you can see from the very first picture, she has quite the set of teeth. Unfortunately for her, she probably inherited those "famous McCarthy teeth" that she'll have to grow into. But, she's still pretty darn cute.