Proof that she really is my child

she is my little helper & loves to clean

(my mom always tells me that I was straightening rugs at 3...HA!)

earning her keep




She loves chapstick just like her mama.
She says "stick! stick!"

...and smacks her lips after she puts it on

Baby Vance!!

On Friday, February 26th Steven "Vance" Tomaszewski was born at 7:15 p.m. and weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. I am so thankful that I was able to be there. I made the 6 hour trip that morning and got to the hospital at 10:30. The doctor thought that he would be born between 12 & 1, so I didn't want to miss it. Obviously Vance was on "Tutwiler time" because he decided to come a few hours later. He is perfect & sweet as can be. I am so proud of Laura! She was such a trooper throughout the entire delivery. Everyone is doing great and I can't wait to go back to visit!

proud papa

(L to R) Gaga & Gran Gran


sweet baby Vance


Big brother Grady

Vance & Me

Baby Josh is here!

Congrats to Michelle & Tom!!

Joshua is healthy and absolutely perfect!

Valentine's Day

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day!

Ella's little "happy"

(Nick used a pepto bottle as a weight for the balloons.)

She was soooooo excited when

she walked in her room!

Her fav...chocolate chip pancakes & mandarin oranges

She is obsessed with this chair that her daddy picked out.

She loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!

reading her new book

reading with Daddy

Dinner with our little Valentine

Our 5 year anniversary was last Friday. Go us!! We didn't do too much celebrating because I had a yucky virus...tear. Sunday while we were at the Pollan's house for their Super Bowl party Nick started feeling yucky too. It was bound to happen. Needless to say, it has not been a fun week around the Pollan household. Poor Ella, two sick parents are just no fun to be around. So tonight, we took her to Cedar Hill Farm for a Valentine's/Anniversary dinner. A date with my 2 favorite people doesn't get much better than that. The food was FABULOUS and we were so stuffed by the time we left. I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day!!

such a daddy's girl

mama's little suga booga

I LOVE kisses from that baby

counting the ducks

V-Day Package & Potty Time

Ella received a Valentine's Day package yesterday from my parents and she was so excited! I told her it was from Gram & Pops and she kept saying "Pop! Pop!". My Mom knows how much I love anything with a character theme (I'm being very sarcastic) so she couldn't resist. She got a Playtex sippy cup with Ariel from The Little Mermaid on it, a bib, pjs, a card and some candy. She looked so cute modeling her new pjs. Thanks MOM!!

side view

drinking some juice from her new sippy cup





reading her card


her new thing...she loves to throw away trash







My parents gave Ella this potty for Christmas, so we figured we would go ahead and introduce it. She lets us know as soon as she messes up her diaper....sometimes before. She says "tt" or "poo poo". She brings us diapers, wipes, or whatever she can find to let us know it's time to change her diaper. It will be a while before we really start the potty training process but figured we would at least set it out.


helping dada take out the potty

this is the coolest potty

foot first

She said "potty!"

checking it all out

she threw a SLIGHT hissy when I told her that her potty

has to stay in the bathroom :(

trying to explain to dada why she was so upset...

It's a little difficult trying to reason with an "almost" 18 month old

She eventually got over it and gave me a big smile!


Daddy gave her some chocolate to dry her tears

winding down before bedtime

If the shoe fits

I was cleaning up after breakfast yesterday and heard "Mama, Mama!! Shoes!" When I turned around I saw Ella standing in the living room with both of my shoes on. She is so funny! I wish I had a picture of her with both on but I just wasn't fast enough.

Sporting her "I Heart Hugs" t-shirt

and some major bed head