Five on Friday

It's Friday! Not that it makes a difference for Austin and me- big time vacationers and beach pool bums... I'm not bragging. Today, I am participating in a blog "link up" hosted by Darci over at  The Good Life blog, as well as April, Christina, and Natasha. Basically, you are just going to be reading a bunch of randomness from me every Friday, as I'm going to try to stick to this and participate weekly, we will see how that goes...

So let's do the thing.

One.

All things 4th of July.

I am going grocery shopping crazy this weekend to prepare for Thursday's festivities. We've got some family coming all the way from Blue Ridge for the 4th, so we are pretty much going off the deep end over here. I'm not even ashamed to say that Austin now has 3 outfits, as well as a flag swimmy and flag jammies. Juan even bought a matching bathing suit, and Duke ordered himself a bandana. This family is ready to go. Last year for the 4th, Juan and I were in Texas with his family... we didn't do too much to celebrate, so I am incredibly excited to finally be back in the 4th of July groove. 

Two.

Rye Bread.

Wait...what? Yeah, I know... Rye Bread. I can't get over it. Seriously, where has this been all my life? I just discovered this stuff at Peaches house and I could literally sit down and just eat the entire bag. Don't worry, I haven't, yet. 

Three. 
The new section of Magic Kingdom.
My favorite place in the world. Austin will definitely grow up a Disney babe. Juan and I are starting to plan our second annual Disney trip together this fall. This may just be our last time alone! Austin is still too young to enjoy the magic... if that's even possible... but next year he will certainly be there with us, basking in the wonder and bliss of this magical land.
Call us nerds... but we love sneaking around and collecting pins. Read all about Pin Trading here. Last fall, we must have collected a dozen beautiful pins, in return for our cheap, plain ones we bought at the gift shop. That's the trick- you have to go to one of the gift shops (pins are sold all around the park) and buy a pack of the cheap pins, and then trade for the beautiful (more expensive) pins that the Cast members have. And they have to trade with you. Boy, we run around that park collecting pins like it's our job. Try to tell me Austin won't have a great time running around, trading pins to add to our collection.

Magic Kingdom, November 2012

Austin's first (unofficial) Disney World trip

Four. 

New Movie The Heat.

If someone told me that they didn't care for Sandra Bullock or Melissa McCarthy as an actress, or even both of them in the same movie, I would shoot my foot. These ladies are the epitome of a good comedy. I promised Juan I would wait until next week to see it with him- it's hard. It's really hard. My parents are going to see it tonight, and it's taking all of my will power not to tag along. 

And lastly, Five.

This.

My sleeping beauty. I treasure these naps. I love his baby booty in the air, his rosy cheeks, and little baby snores (oh please, baby, don't take after your grandmommy). No nap ninja has protested naps for the past few days. Long gone are his two long, daily naps. I am lucky if he naps for an hour these days. But, such is life. And such is having a babe who is totally thrown off of his normal routine being down here on vacation. But, if Austin is happy and can keep it together with only a little bit of sleep, then so can I! I hope.

Look at this water baby.

He says he would choose pool time over nap time any day.

Hi Daddy!

Late last night, Juan called to tell us that he would be flying in to Fort Pierce today with his aunt and uncle for lunch! There goes my day of pure leisure by the pool. No, quite the opposite, we were so excited! Like Austin would ever allow pure leisure time anyway. Austin hasn't seen daddy in a week, so he was all smiles today. They flew in this morning and spent the day with us. We went to the yacht club for lunch and had some tasty gelato for dessert. Austin even had a lick of daddy's mango. The day was entirely too short, and they had to leave before dark. I am so thankful for Juan's uncle having his pilot's license and a plane! It makes for great getaways and last minute trips. I took a little peak into the plane before they left, and holy cow it is intense. I can only imagine trying to fly one of those things. A crash landing that would be. And that's saying that I even make it off the ground. 

Bye daddy... see you soon! 

A short visit, yes, but it was definitely needed... this lady has gone an entire week without her man. Shout out to you "long distancers" out there. Major props. Juan will be back in a week for the 4th... prepare for major festivities from this All Half American fam! (...and maybe a little bit of German from Duke's side.)

A last little note... Google is getting rid of Google Reader on Monday, so for my few and wonderful "followers", you can keep up with the Martinez Men on Bloglovin. There is a button to follow us at the top of my home page. It's super simple and takes only a couple of minutes to set up. During the set up, it asks if you'd like to import your Google Reader blogs, so click the button and that's it! And based on my page views, I know that there are many of you out there (secretly) following this blog -called out- so please, don't be a stranger and actually "follow" us! 

We Austin loves the attention ;)

Paci vs. Toe

Since the day Austin was born, we have offered him a pacifier about 200 times. Since he was born, Austin has kept a paci in his mouth- with a good strong suck- about 20 times. Some say that this is a good thing, we won't have to wean him off of it later- hah, if only I could stick a paci in their mouths.

When your babe is screaming bloody murder (I'm talking total frown, whimpery limp, give me attention NOW scream), you really just want to be able to stick a paci in his mouth and be done with it. I'm trying my hardest not to be that parent that has to hold her kid 24/7 to keep him from crying. I have a theory that that parent will turn into that parent whose kid throws a fit on the toy aisle when he doesn't get the Hot Wheels he wants.
 It's a fine line between attempting to show your baby that he can entertain himself for a little while, and downright ignoring him to paint your nails. Which, by the way, I only do after he is asleep, otherwise he would suddenly become very needy before the first coat is dry.

Austin doesn't get much consolation from his pacifiers. Gone are the days that I've sat there for 5 minutes playing "stick the paci in, spit the paci out". But, by some miracle, Austin has just recently found his own form of consolation.

His toes.

The toes that were once only Duke's tongue's delight, are now my saving grace and sanity. Unsanitary, maybe. A Godsend, definitely.

"To suck my toe or not to suck my toe..."

"Eh, what the heck, I'm going for it..."

"Almost there... I can almost taste it!"

I haven't decided if his toe sucking warrants glares in public, but I do know that if he's a little upset, I'm not above grabbing his little toe and waving it in front of his face. He loves it and eats it up! 

National Lilly Day!

Today is kind of a big deal. First (official) day of summer... Tropical Smoothie's National Flip Flop Day... my parents' 27th anniversary... and something many of you may or may not have heard of, National Wear Your Lilly Day.

This. Right. Here.

Go read all about Lilly's story here. Bottom line, it has been my absolute favorite clothing line for the past 5 years, and will be for many years to come. LP's dresses look good on little girls (they carry children's clothing) as well as women well into their (later) years. My mom may have more Lilly than I do... which really does work out in my favor while I am still trying to lose the rest of my baby weight.

 It's a way of life- the way you feel wearing one... it seriously just makes me want to go order a drink on the beach just thinking about it. It's the perfect resort dress.The bright and festive colors just scream care free and happy.

A new line is launched every season. I'm going to be honest and say that I usually don't care for the fall prints. But every year, the spring and summer lines make up for it. Big time.

These are a few of my favorite prints from the past couple of years. The top left print, Let's Cha Cha, is currently available now on their website.

My parents actually went on a mini vacation this weekend for their anniversary, and I got this via text message this morning. Well done, mom.

Shirt from last summer's line and wristlet in spring's Chomp Chomp print

And because this is a baby (and company) blog...

Austin sporting daddy's Lilly tie in the State of Mind print

Daddy likes it, too. Despite what he will tell you.

Juan and Duke Easter 2012

Splishin' and a Splashin'

Greetings from Fort Pierce!

I'm done with classes for the summer semester, so Austin and I packed up our suitcases, hopped in the car, and now we are enjoying grandmommy and grandpa's company down south. Because Austin slept so much yesterday, including the entire ride down here, he woke up bright and early today- before sunrise. 

Which is totally fine- he's entitled to a few early mornings, he is normally such a good sleeper. All I'm saying is that it would be my luck that he chooses to wake up at the crack of dawn when we are sleeping in the same room and the closest thing we have to my regular coffee is a Keurig. And no creamer. 

I see a grocery shopping trip in my near future. Tonight. 

This morning we went on a long walk with grand mommy around the neighborhood. Austin was out cold 10 minutes into the walk- we were such troopers, trudging through the heat for 2 whole miles! Don't laugh, this girl sat on her behind throughout her entire pregnancy. Okay, not the entire time. 

After our walk, grandmommy was beet red purple- so we hopped in the pool before the rain came.

Little duckydoodle joined us!

 We stayed in the pool for a good hour, look at these little prunes!

Baby turned 5 months yesterday! Web MD and Baby Center cannot give me enough information and tips for 5 month old babies... I'm always searching online to make sure he is reaching his milestones on time, and pooping enough... sorry, it's true. 

Currently Loving

Clinique Moisturizer: I just found out that the sun hits our apartment's balcony just perfectly from 3 to 5pm each (sunny) day. I'm so excited (probably more than I should be). I can sit outside and attempt a summer glow, and not have to worry about Austin getting burnt or antsy, he chills inside with Mickey Mouse. ANY WAY, this product is great... I use it every morning before I put on my makeup and it offers a little SPF for those trying to (or not trying to) get some sun.

Ford Luggage: I got this 3 piece set from my parents for Christmas, per my request. I feel like such a mom with a 3 piece matching luggage set! Sometimes, Austin gets his own little suitcase- Lord knows high maintenance daddy gets the biggest one. 

Essie Nail Polish: I used to bite my nails. Juan hated it so much he went out and bought me 4 Essie Nail  polishes... it broke my habit, for the most part. I am obsessed with Essie now. I love these summer colors!

"Not Your Daughter's Jeans": Yeah, thanks for reminding me. My first pair of "mom jeans". Lord help me. I really am thankful for such a good find, though. They are certainly on the pricey side, but totally worth it. If you're like me, and not trying to flaunt your extra baby weight, you will love these. 

Pink Frosted Animal Cracker Soap: This is actually a soap, bubble bath, and shampoo, all in one. I use it only for soap and bubble bath. Who knows what it would do to this frizzy mess that I call my hair. But really, this stuff is heaven.

Clinique Chubby Sticks: Other than my Philosophy Foundation, I use all Clinique products. The Chubby sticks are probably my favorite. I hate lipstick. Hate it. Other than my ballet recitals and that one "white trash bash" party, I have never worn lipstick. Wow, I'm not saying it's trashy, that's totally what it sounded like. It's just... sticky... and it gets on my teeth. And it's hard to get off. But, to each her own. I like Chubby Sticks, I have them in 5 colors. My favorite is the Two Ton Tomato.

Jack Rogers: Ah, my Jacks. Too many good things to say about these babes. They can dress up or down any outfit. They come in so many colors, and just recently the website is allowing customers to customize colors! If they weren't so darn expensive I would definitely have more than 3 pairs right now. I have been contemplating for weeks whether to customize myself some Christmas colored Jacks. Mommyyyyy... hint hint.

Michael Kors Wallet: Shout out to the best father-in-law! He just got this for me and I'm in love! It's the perfect summer wallet and it even has a zip pouch for change. Cheers to coins no longer lining the bottom of my purse!

Also...

Currently loving the self timer mode on my camera. Who needs a photographer when I can set the timer for 10 seconds, run to my spot (screaming at the dog to move), make obnoxious noises to get my kid to crack a smile, and manage not to get a stupid background. Ok, that last one didn't work out so well. 

Currently loving all things baby booty. Sleeping baby booty, scootin baby booty (shown below), stretching after a nap baby booty, and bath time nakie baby booty. Not currently loving? Solid foods diaper baby booty.

Currently loving the fact that Austin sits up on his own now. Wahhh wishful thinking. I was holding his hand in this picture. I can't wait until he starts sitting! What a cute little person he will be!

Currently (and have always been) loving these dimples! Ok, this picture doesn't do them justice, but they are there, I promise.

The Colombian Coffee Grind

I've been asked for a post on the fixins of my iced coffee. I'm a wee and wobbly new blogger, so I will answer all questions and take any suggestions! I'm just so excited someone was actually reading my blog- someone other than my husband, my mom, or peach- who likes to refresh, refresh, refresh the page, hoping to find a new post, meanwhile racking up my page views and making me overly excited. 

Coffee in the house of a Colombian man is no joke. We mean business over here, folks. Let me start off by saying that a year or 2 ago if someone had asked me to drink coffee (something other than those calorie overload Frappes from Starbucks), I would have completely shot them down. I've always loved the smell of coffee, but drinking it, forget it.

I slowly started coming around to the taste when I tried this + peppermint.  Christmas in a cup. You better believe anything that tastes like Christmas time is right up my alley. Sometimes, if you get a less than enthused Starbucks employee, they will tell you that you can only order the White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha during seasonal time, November and December. That's bull. I've gotten it in the dead of summer. Try it, I'm serious!

So, back to our coffee. Colombian coffee.

Juan Valdez.

We grind our own coffee beans. We have tons of coffee beans. Whenever Juan's best friend or parents come to visit from Bogota, they bring goodies. You can also buy Juan Valdez coffee on their website.

We brew it pretty strong, mostly for Juan, and then I just completely butcher mine with creamer. 

The serving size for this creamer is 1 tablespoon- I use almost 3. It's delicious.

If it's one of those mornings when I forget to put the liner in the bottle and end up dumping formula all over the floor, or I'm dealing with an insatiable child that demands to be held while I'm brushing my teeth, then I drink my coffee hot. Those mornings, I'm desperate- there is no time for iced coffee. Luckily, we only have those mornings once or twice a week... so I usually finish my coffee to perfection.

On iced coffee mornings, I just pour the creamer right into the coffee pot and then stick it in the freezer for 20 minutes or so. Then, I take it out, plop a few ice cubes in it, and if I'm feeling like I need a little reassurance for all of my hard work, I stick a cutie paper straw in it. Everything tastes better out of a colored straw!

 And then some days we take out the blender and make our own calorie overload frappe! It's Juan's favorite... so it was obviously on the breakfast tray this morning for Father's Day.
Same coffee + 2/3 of blender full of ice + creamer + vanilla ice cream + caramel topping = YUM.

Pop Some Tags

Summer, finally!
It has been disgustingly hot and humid here in Jax, thank goodness for pools and popsicles! I used to say my favorite season was summer. Now I would tell anyone that it is winter, and for so many reasons: boots, scarves, tamed hair, the holidays, all things peppermint... I can go on and on. I think my husband is rubbing off on me- he loves winter time.
Can you even call it winter here in Jacksonville? You can when you are from south Florida!

This summer we are planning a 4th of July trip to Fort Pierce- hello, red, white, and blue drinks and playtime. We got Austin the sweetest 4th of July outfits... I am anticipating tons of pictures to add to our "first" holiday collection!

Austin's first Valentine's Day- almost 1 month old

First St. Patty's Day- just over 2 months old

 First Easter- 3 and a half months old

We got (one of) his 4th of July outfits from a little baby boutique/consignment shop. When your kid is growing at lightning speed it's okay to buy him used clothes from time to time! We always check for even the slightest of stains, and then wash it twice before wearing. Yes, I've considered the fact that someone else's kid could have shat in it, and now I am putting it on my sweet baby boy- but like I said, we check it pretty thoroughly before buying it, and then wash it twice. Some outfits really are just too cute to pass up... Sue me.

 We may or may not have also gotten him an American flag bathing suit and flag nighty while we were out window shopping today...
He also may or may not have relieved himself in the bathing suit when we tried it on him, in the store.


This was certainly a steal- 4 dollars and eighty cents, people.


And his 4th of July outfit... this just makes me want to sing Macklemore's Thrift Shop Take Me Out to the Ballgame and eat a hot dog.

Austin has started to scoot. Backwards. Only backwards. I'm talking up on all fours (well, 2 hands and 2 knees). Next step, crawling? EEEK! When did this happen!? Our apartment is NOT baby proof! We are moving into our condo at the end of August, and I was hoping I could get away with only having to baby proof that. My baby is growing too quickly!

I guess playpens are always an option, but where is the fun in that? I would much rather set up a gate around the entertainment center and let Austin have free roam of the baby proofed house. Ideas?


Tonight is being spent cleaning the apartment and finishing up the last of my school work because  tomorrow morning Santa Clause my best friends are coming to town! Sorry ladies, I'm not that excited.
 Happy weekend!
Don't forget Father's Day! I  Austin almost did...

This week's outdoor fun

Baby Rolls, Clothes, and Mangos

Austin is not a chubby baby... I guess that's good for him in the long run- but who doesn't love thick baby arms and legs??? He's got the perfect round face though.

He has minimal signs of the classic mid thigh baby roll. But it's still there.

I can't get over it. I try to dress him in (baby boy) leggings, short baby shorts, or leave his leggies bare as much as possible. I won't lie and say I didn't buy him a pair of aqua baby girl shorts. Baby boy shorts are just sooo long... I want his shorts to come well above his knee so I can enjoy those sweet legs! So, I have picked up a shameless habit of searching the baby girls' section as well as the baby boys' when I am out shopping. Boys can wear aqua shorts, too! Or yellow... or kelly green...

You can't tell me these shorts are only for girls.

 I can't even.

This week we made up a "Martinez Family Budget" spreadsheet. My husband is the cutest.
I can't believe we've been married over a year and parents for 5 months and haven't had one until now. We now have an incredibly intense spreadsheet taped to our fridge- and it wasn't until we did this that I realized Duke, yes Duke, has a larger budget than his brother. Talk about picking favorites, Jennifer.
In my defense, Austin is still on formula and minimal baby food- and we're still working on the generous amounts of diapers we received as gifts... so his expenses are easily managed for the time being.
The dog?
He's an expensive little shit rascal. And obviously, spoiled.
Yeah, that's where I sleep. Ugh.

Since Austin's first experience with the bananas, he has had peas, pears, and possibly a nibble of pineapple upside down cake. Next is mangos. This stud taste tested Austin's mangos to make sure they were tasty enough. And by taste tested, I mean we bought two at the store and came home with one.
Daddy of the year.
I won't tell anyone about that time he dumped frozen yogurt on his son's head.

BTW, the husband has dropped 20 pounds overnight in the past 2 months.
  

 I've been looking through old scrapbooks, and after crying over flipping through old pictures, I have officially decided it's time to lose my baby weight. Austin is almost 5 months old, and I really can't justify my extra 25 pounds any longer. I was one of those dummies who didn't exercise during pregnancy and gained 50+ pounds. Christ. Thankfully, 30 came off with having Austin and then breastfeeding. But, these last 25 are lingering like the plague. 

I figure if I tell people I am trying to lose weight, I will be held more accountable than if I try to keep it a secret. Here's to looking 21!