Perfectly Imperfect Mom

With the year coming to an end the age old question is "What is the top Baby Names of the year?" With names like Hashtag and a woman naming her twins after Barack Obama and Mitt Romney we decided to ask what names you liked. It was tough narrowing it down to just ten names but here are the ones that popped up the most. We also put together a list of the trends you all have noticed going on.



K names: Kylie, Kaylin, Kaylee, Kyle, Kenzie, Kynzie, Kinsey

Names from the Movies

• Twilight: Jacob, Isabella (Bella), Alice, Jasper, Emmitt, Esme
• Hunger Games: Katniss, Rue, Clove, Dale, Primrose, Cato

Vintage Names: Eleanor, Evelyn, Penelope, Hazel, Caroline

Places: Georgia, Scotland, Ireland, Charlotte, Tennessee, India, Savannah

• Blue Ivy (Jay-Z & Beyonce)
• Tennessee (Reese Witherspoon)
• Livingston (Matthew McConaughey)
• Maxwell (Jessica Simpson)
• Wilhelmina (Taylor Hanson)
• Keeva (Alyson Hannigan)
• Exton (Robert Downy Jr.)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! We are spending the day opening presents, seeing family and enjoying everything we have to be thankful for. Here was my favorite memory from last year's Christmas. We spent Christmas in Orlando and were at Celebration where it "snows" every hour. We were dancing and listening to the music with my parents. This makes my heart just ache knowing this will never happen again. We had planned to do it this year but couldn't since my Mom was in the hospital. I just have to keep this beautiful memory in my head and try not to dwell on them not being here.


I hope everyone has a wonderful day. I know this will be a difficult day for my family after the loss of my parents but we know they would want us to be happy and together and that is just what we are doing.

What is everyone else's plans for Christmas?

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Letterman Cardigan: Au Natural Baby Jeans: Old Navy Shoes: Payless

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Right now Citrus Lane has a coupon code for $10 off a 3 month subscription. This would make a great present for someone who has a little one or for yourself and your child. Use code: GIFT10

To see Ace's Citrus Lane box click Here.

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There's some things you expect to tell your kids:  Be nice, don't hit, use your inside voice.  But there are other things that you find yourself saying as a parent that you never dreamed would come out of your mouth.

The list below are 30 things my friends and I never expected to say to our kids...but we did.

Don't lick your brother.
Don't pet the spiders.  They bite.
Don't hang off the bunk bed by your feet!
Don't hide apple cores under your mattress!
Don't pee in the lego box...EVER!
We don't kiss the computer screen--even if there are cute puppies on it.
We don't lick spilled milk off the floor!
We don't eat electricity.
We don't chew on sandpaper.
No, we can't have cake for dinner.
No, you can't ride the dogs.
No, you may not go on the roof!
No, you can't slide down the fire tower railing!
No, we can't swing from the balcony
No, you can't hang a rope off the ceiling fan and swing from it.
Get off the refrigerator!
No feet on the toilet!
Food in the trash stays in the trash! 
Yes, that does make a circle...but don't bite me again.
Take my bra off your head...that's not a toy.
The toilet plunger is not a gun.  Put it back.
The kitchen knives are not pirate swords!
Lollypops are not for sharing.
My shirt is not a kleenex!
Toy planes can't really fly.  If you throw them off the balcony, they break.
I'm sorry, I can't kiss the boo-boo on your tongue.  Maybe a hug will do?
If you climb up the walls, you get to clean the footprints off.
You have to stop digging there--you're exposing the foundation of our house.
Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato need to go back in the fridge now.
What do you mean you have gone to school all week without underwear!?


So, what's the strangest thing you've ever had to say to your children?

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Wild Child!

Dear Acey,
You are 17 months old today.

This month it seems like you have turned into such a little person, it is crazy to me. This was a hard month for me with the loss of your Grandma and Grandpa but having you has made it easier on me. Your beautiful smile and funny personality has been such a blessing to myself and our family.

Because of the loss of your Grandma and Grandpa you have also had a lot of people to entertain. You have been showing off quite a bit this month with your dance moves, talking and signing. Everyone who meets you describes you as funny and such a happy baby. You can have your moments but they are usually short and rare.

Your favorite thing to do is go to the park, play with brooms, dance and watch the beginning song to "Yo Gabba Gabba". You don't have much interested in TV (thankfully!) but you love when a song plays and you shake your butt back and forth. It is hilarious.

Daddy's Crazy Boy

You surprised us by signing "keys" randomly one day when you were looking for someones keys to steal. We haven't used the sign in about a month because you learned to say keys and didn't seem to catch on to the sign but when you did it on your own we were so proud of you. You are also speaking so much more now. Your newest and favorite words are "alright!" and "up" which you also use when you want to get down. You also say "Yo Gabba Gabba". If we tell you to say a word you can usually say it in your own way. I am impressed with how much you can say and how well you communicate. You use signs and speak so I think that helps keep you from throwing tantrums.
And I can't forget this cute milestone. You now say "hi" to everyone you see when we are out. People go crazy over it. You also blow kisses when we ask you to say goodbye to people.

What you have said this month: hi, bite, alright, awake, up, baby, mommy, daddy, Yo Gabba Gabba, Kayla, Grandma (mama), Grandpa (papa), swing, yuck, tickle tickle and the list can go on and on...

A try at a Family Pic

Newest signs: keys, baby, please and thank you

Clothing
Shirts: 24 months
Pants 12 months, if we are lucky some 18 months
Shoes: 5.5
Diaper: 4's, cloth you are still on the middle rise
Teeth: You finally got a new one so you now have 8! I couldn't believe it when I saw it had cut through. You never even complained.

Christiaan, Ace, Brianna, Gavin and Adrien (Ace's cousins)

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I am completely in awe of this article on my parents The Miami Herald wrote about them. They had interviewed my sister so I knew they were doing this but I feel so grateful that they shared their love story with South Florida.
Here is a screen shot of the article. If you would like to read the full article you can HERE.

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They could only be apart for 9 days, Dad missed you too much Mom!

I am taking a leave of absence from my blog. I will have guest posters and previously written posts but I will probably not actively blog for a bit.

As many of you know my Mother passed away on Dec. 3rd but now we are dealing with the sudden loss of my Dad. He passed away on Dec. 12th from a heart attack. I am so devastated and completely heartbroken. I have no idea how this can even be real right now. I thank you all for the support you have given me with my mothers passing. I am at a complete loss right now.

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