Our week in a nutshell!

I can't believe I haven't posted that much this week. This past week has been quite crazy... here's what the Schiff family has been up to! 

• Sunday, the 22nd, was our 1 year anniversary!! 
• My in-laws (Jesse's dad and step-mom) gave us a car to use! :) 
• We had a delicious steak dinner for our anniversary! 
• Gabe started sitting up a lot more on his own... 
• He also has been going to sleep in his crib on his own and not crying...what a big boy! :)
• Jesse had mine classes this past week... 
• He FINALLY started full time... 
• Which means a $10.00 raise...HECK YES!
• We finally heard back from our insurance company about our Jeep...on Thursday!
• Only after I made several phone calls and spoke to several supervisors did this happen... 
• I guess they were tired of hearing me complain...hah! 
• Gabe had a Doctor's appointment... 
• He is a whole 13 pounds! 
• And healthy... 
• And more advanced than most preemies his age! 
• Oh & just in case anyone had any doubts... his doctor told me that I am a GREAT Mom... 
• Not that I ever doubted it... 
• Just nice of him to compliment me... seeing that Gabe is way ahead of where he should be... 
• So, yes, I AM a Fabulous, Great Mother! 
• I got to spend time with my mom and niece, Emeri! 
• She always makes me smile...:) 
• Jesse and I watched the movie "Real Steel"
• It was a lot better than I anticipated.. 
• I highly recommend it! 
• We also watched the movie "50/50" 
• Wow!! It was awesome!! 
• I definitely recommend that one! 
• Our laundry room shelf decided to collapse this week! 
• That was GREAT! 
• It's finally almost back to normal! 
• Gabe loves his doorway jumper thing... (not sure on the correct term) 
• He literally jumped for about 45 minutes today! 
• SO, SO cute! 
• Gabe is also talking up a storm... 
• He laughs a lot too... 
• Actually, it's more like a scream/laugh... 
• It's hilarious! 
• Rylee really needs a bath... 
• Mommy is just really tired! haha. 
• However, Gabe still LOVES bath time.. 
• He sat up the whole time in his bath tonight... 
• And then preceded to splash himself and Mommy in the face.. 
• I also swear he said "Mommy" the other night... 
• But then, it could have been my imagination! haha. 
• He's also finally getting over his little cold... 
• I'm so happy... 
• Thank God for humidifiers! 
• It helped... A LOT! 
• However, Mommy and Daddy are now sick.. 
• Gotta love that cute, little boy coughing in your face! 
• Oh well, we're finally starting to feel better.
• We watched "Erin Brockovich" tonight... 
• Man, What a great movie...it never gets old! 
• Did I mention that I love Julia Roberts... 
• Oh & George Clooney and Will Smith, too!
• Looking forward to next weekend... 
• Hopefully catching up on some much needed time spent with our good friends! 
• And possible a date night...courtesy of our movie gift certificates... 
• We both really want to see "Into the Grey" 
• Because Liam Neeson is pretty much amazing.. 
• Ok, maybe I do like him a bit more than George Clooney... 
• I started a new diet plan today... 
• I made Jesse help me come up with a plan last night... 
• I WILL lose 30 pounds by April 
• And another 10-20 by my best friend's wedding in June... 
• Today was day one of no sweet tea, soda, or just sugar in general.. 
• I've had a headache all day... 
• I know it's bound to get better... 
• And that's pretty much our week in a nutshell.. 

Night ALL! :) 

Mommy's sleeping boy!

All Smiles! :) 

Week of change!!

So, Jesse and I celebrated our first anniversary today! Can you believe it? 365 days!! That's like 50 years in Hollywood time! :) Anyway, I made us a steak dinner... complete with mashed potatoes, bread, and salad! YUMMY!!! Steak is Jesse's favorite... so he was happy! 

This week is a week of change for us. Jesse starts full time at the mines!! WOOOO!!! He is also on days for the week because of having to go to new hire classes! So, Gabe and Mommy get to have Daddy home at night. I'm so excited! Gabe was so excited that he passed out in his swing. He played with daddy for a bit, took a bath, and then passed out!! Love that little man!

This week also means that we FINALLY hear back from our insurance company about the jeep! Whew, that will be a relief! Oh & we got a car. Jesse's dad and step-mom are letting us borrow one of their extras until we figure things out. We're very thankful...because we wondering what we were going to do since our rental is due back and Jesse has classes! Thankfully, he now has a car to get back and forth! Gotta make that money!! haha. 


This week also means that since Jesse is getting hired on full time...we will get to start working on paying some things off and save, save, save that $$$$!! We still would like to take a night trip to StL for some R&R and to celebrate our anniversary. We're hopefully going to go sometime in mid-February... that way we can celebrate Valentine's Day too! Our 2nd Valentine's as a married couple... it's the simple things in life that you gotta enjoy! 


Oh & of course, my little man... well guess what he did tonight!? He was sitting on daddy...just playing... when all of the sudden he reached up and grabbed Daddy's shirt and pulled himself up to stand. Such a big boy!! He also gave daddy a bunch of hugs & kisses...but of course, he saved some for mommy too! :) Our little boy is growing up... watch out ladies! He's going to be a heartbreaker! :) 

Anyway, friends, it's bedtime for this momma. Gabe FINALLY went to sleep. Poor little boy hasn't been feeling well and had a coughing spell for about 20 minutes. But I gave him some medicine, we turned his humidifier on, gave him a warm bottle, and rocked him to sleep. He's sleeping like... well, like a baby of course! 


I'm going to leave you with another poem I found... those first few months in the hospital seem so far away now, but I never take for granted that my son is a miracle from God. I am so amazed at how well he is doing... but then, I never had a doubt that he would be anything but amazing! :) I see those big brown eyes look up at me every morning when I go to get him out of his crib and I thank God for our precious little boy...he is the best little boy we could have ever hoped for! xoxo. 

Good night all...Have a great week! 


A Gift from God 
At first glance
you were so small
I hardly saw a baby at all,
with tubes and wires
a frightening sight
but you were in for a
big fight.
Not even two pounds
just skin and bones,
your body so small
with problems so big,
but you fought hard
and continued to grow.

So many fears
So many tears.

You are home now
and growing big
I love you dear,
more than words can say.

A miracle baby
A gift from God.
You showed the world
You showed us all.

Happy Anniversary!!

Happy 1 Year Anniversary to my Husband!! 

We've made it through our crazy first year!! 

Cheers to many, many more!

<3 Ami Lee

Happy 7 months, Gabriel Lee!

Happy 7 Months, Gabriel Lee!! <3

Hey friends!! Well, today Gabriel is 7 months old! Can you believe it? Time is flyyinggg by!! Before I get to what he's been up to lately... I wanted to tell you all a little story about my little man. Yesterday, Mom and I took Gabe to his follow-up appointment at Cardinal Glennon. We went to the Physical Therapy dept. first for them to check him out... and the lady said that Gabe was doing very well. She has no worries about him at all...and she also said that we should expect him to be crawling within the next month. She said not to be surprised if he starts crawling before sitting up all on his own! :) He's not behind at all... which makes me very, very happy! 

Next, we went to the nursery for them to check him out there. He has a cold and the doctor thought that he was wheezing a bit. So, to be on the safe side, they sent us down to have an x-ray...just to make sure he didn't swallow anything. Luckily, all was clear...and they said it was because of his cold. Then, we were off to get some blood taken for our next appointment.  I was a little worried that he would get upset and start crying while taking his blood. INSTEAD, my little man thought it would be better to just laugh while the lady did it. Such a tough little guy! :)) 

Anyway, here's what Gabe's been up to.. Happy 7 months! 

• He is taking about 6 ounces each feeding...however, we're taking it to about 8 now. 
• Sleeping most of the night. Lately, he's been getting up at 3:30-4:00ish to eat. 
• We've started eating cereal... so this should help keep him from getting up in the middle of the night. :) 
• Starting to sit up a little bit better on his own. 
• Sleeping like a big boy in his crib. 
• Rolling allllll the time. 
• He is scooting across the floor. 
• Talks to mommy all the time too... 
• Still teething... 
• Loves putting his slobbery hands in my face! :) 
• Still absolutely LOVES bathtime! 
• Enjoys watching t.v. 
• Can never seem to keep his socks on! He's a one-sock little man! 
• Definitely knows who mommy and daddy are...and Mama and Papa!
• Papa Ray is teaching him how to stick his tongue out! :) haha 
• Still pretty much hates his carseat! 
• However, he will fall asleep in the car. 
• Like to watch Rylee run and play! 
• Demands to be held most of the time. 
• Wearing 3-6 month and a few 6 month clothes... 0-3 are now too small! 
• He's a whole 12 pounds 11 ounces now!! WHOA!! 
• Loves to chew on his hands... 
• Like to give kisses...slobbery ones in fact. 
• and of course, getting cuter everyday! :) 

And that is what my favorite little guy has been up to lately. I can't believe he is already 7 months. He's getting so big! 

Now, here's a prayer that I found on another blog. I like to think that this is what Gabriel was saying during his stay in the NICU! I still can't believe that we spent 2 months in the hospital and how well Gabe has done and surpassed so many expectations. He's such a strong little man! 

here's my little many yesterday! He's my little boxer! haha. 

Happy 7 months Gabriel Lee!! 

Mommy & Daddy Love you!!!!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Dear God,

 as you look down upon me,

I know that you might have to squint.

I'm located here in the NICU,

It's the nursery that I rent.

There are many alarms and sirens,

Connected to condos and flats.

The nurses tape my booties on,

And dress me in funny hats.

We have a lot in common,

All of us were in a hurry.

For many different reasons,

Our storks came a little early.

Some of us don't know why,

We bursted out from our bubbles.

We entered into this world,

Never meaning to cause any troubles.

Mommy and Daddy are worried sick,

About the odds that I must beat.

Please God, help them to realize,

That seeing me grow is a treat.

Breath by breath, I'll learn to breathe.

Ounce by ounce I'll tip the scale.

I'm like a boat in the ocean,

That knows not sink- only sail.

For I am a living miracle,

Mommy and Daddy must simply believe,

That you have angels watching over me;

From the time we arrive, till the time we leave.

Author Unknown

A Wonderful Mother...

I just read this on another blog of a mother who also has a preemie baby. I loved it and figured I would share it with you. You don't quite understand what it's like having a premature baby until you've lived through it. Sure, people can sympathize, empathize, and say nice words... but unless you experience it first hand... you don't understand how the littlest things are HUGE, how gaining just one ounce deserves a party, and how a little poop in the diaper is one of the biggest things to be celebrated. And that's completely understandable... because for most, these "milestones" happen without thinking...but for us with a preemie child... they were things to be celebrated and remembered! So, yes this poem basically sums it all up. How do I know I am the BEST mother for my child... Read on and you will know! :) 

There are women that become mothers without effort, without thought, without patience or loss, and though they are good mothers and love their children, 

I know that I will be better. 

I will be better not because of genetics, or money, or that I have read more books,

 but because I have struggled and toiled for this child.

I have sat in the NICU and waited.

I have cried and prayed.

I have endured.

Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation

 are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.

I will notice everything about my child.

I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore and discover.

I will marvel at my surviving miracle every day for the rest of my life.

I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child,

 knowing that I can comfort, hold and feed him 

and that I am not waking to an alarm going off, 

another round of meds

 or because I am crying tears for fear of the unknown.

I will be happy because my baby is alive and crying out for me.

I count myself lucky in this sense;

 that God has given me this insight,

 this special vision

 with which I will look upon my child that

 my friends will not see.

Whether I parent a preemie with physical challenges or medical issues, 

I will not be careless with my love.

I will be a better mother for all that I have endured.

 I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, 

neighbor, friend and sister

 because I have known pain.

I know disillusionment as I have been betrayed by my own body.

I have been tried by fire and hell that many never face, 

yet given time,

 I stood tall.

I have prevailed.

I have succeeded.

I have won.

So now, when others hurt around me, 

I do not run from their pain in order to save myself discomfort.

 I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs.

I listen.

And even though I cannot make it better,

 I can make it less lonely.

 I have learned the immense power of another hand holding tight to mine, 

of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth 

and when life is beyond hard....

I have learned a compassion

 that only comes with walking in those shoes.

I have learned to appreciate life.

Yes, I will be a wonderful mother.

Author Unknown

Bye, Bye Jeep Grand Cherokee!

Hello friends!

Well, to say the least, we've had a crazy few days. Last night, Jesse was on his way to work and wrecked our Jeep. He swerved to miss a deer coming around a curve, ended up going off the road, hitting a culvert, and landing on the other side of it. Thankfully, he is ok. He was sore, has a few cuts, bruises, and a seatbelt mark...but other than that he is fine. Thank goodness! It definitely could have been a lot worse! 

So, today I was blessed to get the day off so we could run around and get everything figured out. My dad took us to the car rental place in Marion and then we headed to the towing place in Eldorado to clean our car out. After that, Jesse took me by where he wrecked! Now, you can imagine our frustration when we found out that we don't have rental reimbursement through insurance. So, needless to say our rental car is going to cost us close to $400/week. Oh MY!! So, we're hoping that the insurance will come appraise it in the next few days and then we can figure out what we're going to do. We're almost positive it's totaled...and when you see the pictures below...I'm pretty sure that you'll see why!

It seems that when things go wrong...they REALLLYYY go wrong!! OH well, it'll all work out! Now, if the insurance appraiser doesn't call us back by tomorrow...you better believe phone calls are going to be made until we get some answers! Oh, and get this... the guy that rented us our car totally lied to our face about the price...but what are we going to do? That's why we want to figure this out soon... so we don't waste a lot of money on this stupid rental! 

Alright, that's all folks. Hope you all have a good one! :) 

this is where he went off the road... where it's greener... 

if you look close, you can see the tire marks in the grass. 

This is the culvert that he went through... 

(not so sure about that spelling!)

OH & that black thing laying on the ground is part of our transmission plate! 

And this is the other side where the car landed... 

and here's our Jeep... Like I said, probably totaled!

Part of the front bumper. 

Passenger side!

Big, BIG news!

Hello Friends!! 

We have big news...HUGE!! Ready!? ......Jesse starts full time at the mines on Monday, January 23rd!! WOOOO!! This means... double in pay and no more contractor!! :) We are beyond excited!! Originally, we were told that he would only have to work for the contractor for about 3 months... however, that was wrong. So, we've been waiting patiently..ok, maybe a bit impatiently... for this to finally happen! Hello, MONEY!! 

Some other big news... Do you all remember a few weeks ago when I told you about that job I interviewed for had reposted and how I never heard anything back from the company I interviewed with. Well, I FINALLY sent an email to the president of the company and I literally received a phone call from the director of the so. ill office within an hour! I was shocked! She was very nice and assured me that the situation would be handled appropriately and that they would help me find a full time job! Also, the job I applied for had reposted because the company decided to wait to hire due to changes in their budget. So, since the job is still posted, my resume and application FINALLY got sent to them. I heard from the lady this morning and she said that she sent it all over to the company! yayy! I also received several phone calls from them today asking how they could help me and assuring me that they were eagerly looking for a job that would suit me. I guess a little bit of complaining can go a long way! :) Needless to say, I'm very happy that I sent that email. Maybe now I can find a full time job in my field! 

Well, tomorrow we are going to visit Jesse's Granny, Great-Grandma, Dad, Stepmom, and little brother. We're super excited! Jesse's Granny is up for a visit from Florida, so we're definitely excited to see and spend some time with her! 

That's all she wrote folks... Have a great weekend! :) 

No heat and diaper rashes!

Well, last night our heat went out. Yep, that's right. In the middle of the night and in the middle of winter... we had absolutely NO heat! AHHHH!!! I woke up to a house that was 54 degrees! Jesse tried everything this morning to try to fix it... but nothing was working. Luckily, our landlord came over and fixed it. In the meantime, I got a few space heaters from my parent's house and we made due with those. It got quite a bit warmer during the day though...it got up to a whole 60 degrees in this house. Needless to say, I had Gabe all bundled up. hah! He was wearing socks, a sleeper, and a hat. He was definitely warm. 

With that being said, I frantically started cleaning our house today since our landlord was coming over. I don't like our house being messy when we expect company... so this was just the boost I needed to get it clean. I managed to finish the little area for Gabe's toys in our living room and hang a few more pictures up! :) I must say, our house is starting to look better... slowly but surely! 

So, today I realized that Gabe has NEVER had a diaper rash...and he's 6 1/2 months old! I don't know how common this is or if it really is a big deal... but for us, it is. I made it a goal when we had him that he would not ever have a diaper rash. So far, so good! :) What's our secret weapon!? Baby Powder of course! I baby powder his little butt all the time.. and when he had diarrhea this past week, I also used some vaseline to keep it from getting too red and dry! Works wonders I tell you! :) 

It's a Pinterest kind of day!

Today I want to share some of my favorite home ideas from Pinterest. These are all things that I swear I will get around to doing eventually! 

Enjoy! :) 

Love this...going to do it in black and red! 

Such a cute idea! :) 

This pictures says it all! <3

OK.. when we get a bigger house.. I am totally going to find curtains like these.

Definitely matches our living room theme! :)

With an "S" of course... This past weekend I hung up some pictures...and I have the perfect spot for this! 

I LOVE this! I think it's a very classy, yet modern style for a front door "wreath" 

So true! I'm definitely working on Gabe's schedule these days!

How stinkin' cute is this!? I love this idea!

"Time Spent with Family is Worth Every Second" 

Love this twist on a wall clock! :)

Don't forget that you, too, can follow me on Pinterest. Just click ...

HERE!

Happy Pinning Friends! :)  

Bacon wrapped potato skins

I realized that I haven't posted a recipe on here in quite some time. So tonight, I want to share a new recipe that I tried recently. I got this recipe from Rachael Ray... I LOVE her! Her show always makes me want to cook some good food! :) 

Anyways, the other night I made us a steak and potato dinner. Nothing special about the steak...but the potatoes are what I want to share with you all. They're bacon wrapped potato skins...yummm!!! so delicous!! I mean, anything with bacon is good, right!? 

So, here's the recipe from Rachael Ray's site. 

Ingredients

• 2 large baking potatoes
• EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for liberal drizzling
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup super-sharp white cheddar
• 8 slices bacon
• 
  

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Rub potatoes with a little oil and season skins with salt and pepper. Roast about 40 minutes until just tender when poked with tines of a fork. Remove potatoes and cool.

When potatoes have cooled enough to handle, halve potatoes lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh, season with salt and pepper, and mash with sour cream, butter, cheese, horseradish and chives. Fill potato skins with mashed potatoes and wrap each potato entirely in bacon, overlapping slices a little as you wrap around the skins. Arrange on baking rack over baking sheet and roast until bacon crispy, 15-20 minutes.

Ok, so I made some slight variations. I didn't use sour cream in my potato mixture and I also used some fresh shredded sharp cheddar cheese instead of the white cheddar. I also added some fresh minced garlic! However, they still turned out totally delicious. I do suggest cooking them on a baking rack.. Unfortunately, I don't have one...but I do think the bacon would have cooked more evenly if I did! :)

Speaking of Rachael Ray... I am absolutely obsessed with all of her cookware! I've decided that when we move and get a nicer house, one of my first steps is going to be swapping out all of my current baking pans, dish pans, cooking utensils, etc... for all Rachael Ray things! I also have a slight obsession with her EVOO bottle that she uses on the show to pour it! I am for SURE getting one of those soon! Here's a few pics of the items on my wish list! 

Happy Cooking Friends...Have a Great week! :) 

2012. New Year. Fresh Start

Well, I just realized that I hadn't posted my goals for 2012. I'm not big on making new year resolutions...because most of the time I never accomplish them or I forget about them 2 months down the road. But, I'm going to post them...so just in case I forget, you all can remind me. I made my goals fairly simple for this year. Some are personal goals and a few are goals that we have for our family. 

We're determined that 2012 is going to be a great year for us. We've had our share of hardships this past year...so it can only get better. Jesse's getting ready to get hired on full time at the mines, and I've been applying for all the jobs I can in my field. So, with a little bit of hope and lots of prayers...I'm determined that something will come through. 

So, yes, 2012 is going to be even better for us. We're staying positive about this. :) 

Now, here's my top 12 goals for 2012. 

Cold, Hard Truth

Hello Friends... 

I have a sleeping baby boy on me right now...so I thought this was the perfect time to get some blogging time in! 

I hate to admit this but I've never been too good at forgiving or forgetting. Just ask anyone I know... I'm not proud of it and it is something I'm working on. But, with that being said.. there are two truths on this subject: 

1. My husband is quicker to forgive than I. 

2. He's teaching me to expect less of people I expected more from... and to realize that some people are just plain selfish. 

Now... I don't want to be a downer or anything...but like I said, truth is...my husband can forgive and forget easier than me. Something I've realized a lot lately. And with that in mind...  here's a little lesson on respect, forgiveness, and family. 

I was blessed enough to be adopted by a loving family that I know will do anything for me. I have great set of people that I love to call family...and I couldn't ask for anyone better. I know that they will always respect me and forgive me for anything...because that's what family does. I'm also blessed to have a few good friends that I basically consider family as well. The same goes for them as well... I know they're always there for me and that they'd die for me if they had too...and they know I'd do the same for them. 

Now, I think it's important to know that we should ALWAYS respect and honor our family. I mean...they're the ones that are always going to be in your life...like it or not. However, respect goes both ways... if you want to be respect, you gotta show a little respect in return. I mean, seriously...it's not rocket science people!! You love, honor, and respect your family members no matter what. You don't let others talk about your family and get away with it. And you certainly don't let them think it's ok to do so. Show a little respect. 

Anyway... on to another subject. Gabe was sick for about 4 days this past week. Thankfully, he's a lot better now. We had him on pedialyte for 24 hours... my little guy couldn't seem to keep anything down and he had diarrhea. :( I'm so glad that's over. He's getting so big and talking so much more these days. He's been trying to sit up a lot more too. Such a big boy! 

Did you all see that story about the young widowed mother that shot and killed an intruder? How amazing was that? Good for her! When I thought about it... I figured that I would have done the exact same thing. I mean, seriously, you do what you have to do to protect your children. If you can prevent harm in any way... you go to extraordinary measures to do so. You don't sit around and wait for something to happen...you get up and do something about it to prevent it. That's a lesson I think some should learn from this brave, young mother. I think she shows us an important part of being a parent. :) 

Now, here's some pics of my favorite little boy!