Merry Christmas 2010!

Every year Christmas just keeps getting better for our family. Obviously becoming a family of four is top on our importance pyramid and we are beyond excited for Bailey to be a member of our family in May! Also, we learn throughout the year to focus on what really matters, the people in our lives and the close friends and family that we have and spend as much time with them that we can...the holidays are perfect for it and this year we are doing just that!

Today is Christmas Eve and Brian and I let Jackson open his gifts from us this morning. It was priceless to see the look on his face (I videotaped it!) when he looked at all the presents. He had a mischievous smile and a creepy laugh before he dug right into opening his toys. I usually am terrible at waiting to open gifts and am happy I made it to at least Christmas Eve, but next year will start our tradition of Christmas morning since he will be old enough to remember and comprehend. It was a cute moment for our family that I will look forward to every year and all the toys kept him busy while we got ourselves ready for our Christmas Eve events!

This year, we were given the opportunity to take Jack caroling at a local senior living center with some cousins. It was the cutest thing ever seeing all these kids singing holiday songs for the seniors and we will definitely make this a tradition every year and continue to give back to the community in other ways as well. It teaches valuable lessons while they are young and certainly gives you a great feeling at the end of the day!

I'm looking foward to spending Christmas Eve with each set of my parents and stopping in at Brian's Aunt and Uncles to say hello. Another NEW thing we are doing is attempting at early Christmas Eve Mass at our Church. We have yet to take Jack to a mass since he was little and since he loves music, Christmas Eve would be a great time to start! We want him to grow up with spirtual guidance and need to start doing so every Sunday - it's our 2011 resolution for our family! Tomorrow we are heading to Sun Prairie to spend Christmas Day with Brian's family and these are the traditions that we will now have every year to look forward to!

I am also looking foward to Brian having the entire week off of work and spending time as a family of four. I have playdates and events scheduled so Brian can see Jack at his finest with his little friends and also some R&R time. I even planned some dinners with girlfriends so Jack & Brian have some time to themselves :)

So cheers to the holidays and all the blessings we have in our lives. We hope that everyone has a great time today and tomorrow and we wish you nothing but good health and cheer for next year!

 xxoo The Leglers (Brian, Kelley, Jack, Bailey & Abbie the dog too!}

It's a GIRL!!

Profile Picture

This was a big week for our entire family as we found out the gender of our baby due in May. On Thursday December 16th we had our 20 week checkup and ultrasound and found out that we are having a little girl! Jack is going to have a sister and Brian and I will have a daughter!

I did not think that I would be such an emotional wreck during the ultrasound appointment. All we have been praying for is a healthy little baby girl or boy and finding out that we will have a girl took things to a whole new {unknown & overwhelming} level.  Brian sat there silent while I sobbed with glee. On the ride home he finally spoke saying that he had really wanted to have a girl; he envisioned our family having one of each and he was just so happy.

I was still in a state of shock when we returned home {after several phone calls} and came home to Brian's parents Randy and Nancy who was there to watch Jack. I handed Nancy an envelope full of the ultrasound pictures with a handmade card that said BAILEY. She instantly saw PINK and started crying. It was such an emotional moment for all of us as she raised three boys and has always yearned to buy a little pink for someone in her own family. This little girl is going to be spoiled {as if Jack isnt!}

4D Ultrasound itching her nose

Brian and I are happy to introduce you to our little Bailey Louise Legler and show off how adorable she looks at only 5 months in the belly. We couldnt have asked for anything more, it truly is one of the greatest Christmas presents we could get!! We cannot wait to meet her and see her cute little face in May 2011!

She's smiling at us!

They Grow So Fast

Today was a very emotional day for me, in more ways than one. My little man is a boy and slept through the night on his full size Big Boy Bed and tonight, he had no problem falling fast asleep again.



Dresser & Book Shelf



About two months ago we bought Jack a full size bed and put it in his room, getting used to it being there and allowing him to play on it whenever he wanted. He learned how to get up and down all by himself and understand that some day we will say "bye bye" to his crib and sleep in his big boy bed.



Last week he started taking naps in his bed. I put him in there thinking he would play with the door closed but ten minutes later I found him sleeping, so the nap routine just stuck. Yesterday we decided to take a leap of faith and take down the crib, finally saying bye bye to his last item from when he was a baby and transforming his room into a "toddler room"...it was a lot harder on me than him!



Toy bin



He slept great through the night, me however, I tossed and turned thinking he would "need me"....Nope. I dont know how I will get through the next of many milestones of him not needing me.

On the flip side, I was so proud of him to see that HE DID IT and he is a big boy. The look on his face when he woke up knowing he slept on his big boy bed just melted my heart. Always always with babies and kids, with the bad there is always double the good.

Fast Asleep in his Big Boy Bed Night #2

Home for the Holidays

This weekend Brian's parents had the kids over for the Legler immediate family Christmas. Barry (Brian's oldest brother) was able to fly in Friday night from South Carolina to spend a short-but-sweet weekend with our family. This was by far the best Legler Christmas as we were able to relax and spend one on one time with the immediate family and enjoy ourselves vs running around to different destinations.

Jack immediately took to his uncles, giving them "bumps" and high fives throughout the day and they were amazed at how much he has grown. We watched him play, slide down his slide and the look on his face when he realized there were presents under the tree in the corner. Jack was Daddy's little helper with handing out presents and both had to wear Elf hats. LOL

Brian's parents spoiled us all, especially Jack. Being the only grandson and nephew, he got a lot of presents (the most out of all of us) and he has had a lot of fun with each and every one. Since coming home, he has played with all of them and I have snapped pictures along the way for scrapbooking. Uncle Scotty saved his present for last, a Schwinn Trike that Jack has just been obsessed with since he saw it. Both Uncle Scott and Barry took turns pushing him on the bike and teaching him how to pedal. It was definitely a show stopper and meant so much more that he put it together himself too! We also cannot forget the cool "blackberry" that Uncle Barry got him this year. Jack thinks of it as his phone and walks around the house with it, even brings it with him while we run errands. Too cute!

 As a close to our Christmas, we tinkered with the timer settings on Nancy's camera and snapped a great family photo of the kids. Brian, Jack and I even got a family picture as well but by the time we took it, Jack was camera shy and ready for the ride home. We got back to our home and Jack slept on me for an hour as he was wiped out by all the Christmas fun.

A Magical Vacation

We've been back from our vacation in Orlando for over a week now returning to snow, cold and everything that coincides with Winter in Wisconsin. My has it been one busy week too! I still have been unable to unpack all our clothes and fold laundry...lucky for me, today is a snow day and we are not going anywhere so we are organizing our home once my coffee kicks in.

Disney was just amazing. Brian and I had to lower our expectations of Jack as we were unsure how he would handle and react to all the entertainment that the Parks had to offer. We didnt know what kind of a traveler he was on an airplane and we were terrified that he wouldnt sleep in a crib in the same room as his snoring parents. Jack exceeded any expectations we had of him on this trip and suprised us by being such a little trooper, making everything so much fun - but a lot of work!

Traveling with a toddler is WORK. You have to plan your vacation days according to when they wake up, when they eat, anticipate when they will nap and pray they do not fall asleep in the stroller as you know they will not sleep there long. You have to pack a lot of STUFF in your suitcase and diaper bag for day trips. Oh, and dont ever forget to bring too many goldfish crackers!

We ate out every day as we received a free dining plan with our resort stay and Jack did great at the table services. It was a fun age to take him as he was interactive and loving attention from other patrons and kids and kept him busy with crayons and singing/dancing. Every night - I hate to admit - but he ate french fries with ketchup that consumed him and kept him quiet for about thirty minutes! Pick your battles, right?

We visted Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom (twice), Epcot (which Jack hated with a passion), Downtown Disney shopping area and Disney Hollywood Studios. Jack is such a thrill seeker so we took him on any rides we could - Dumbo, Buzz Lightyear Space ride, Toy Story Midway Mania, Pirates of the Caribbean and more. He seemed to enjoy the rides the most next to meeting the "real" Woody, Jessie, Buzz and Mickey Mouse".

We set up a  breakfast for Chef Mickey's to meet the characters (Minnie, Mickey, Donald, Daisey, Goofy, Pluto) and Jack was anti. He didnt know what to make of all these characters as he never was really introduced to them. What he really enjoyed was waiting in line with the older kids who doted over him and gave him high fives.  He also really enjoyed the monorail (fell asleep instantly) and the numerous bus rides we took throughout the trip. *Jack would pretend he was the guy on the loudspeaker and tell us what stop we were at by mouthing the words.

Having Randy and Nancy (Jack's grandparents) there was a lot of fun. Brian and Randy rode rides together - as I cannot since I am with child - and Nancy and I shopped around with Jack. They were fun vacation companions and we shared a lot of great memories together that will be captured in our Disney 2010 scrapbooks!

Brian is off of work soon for Holiday shutdown and my goal is to complete some scrapbook pages of our Disney trip. I have closed up shoppe for baby Jack blankets to get back to this loved hobby that Nancy introduced me to. Once I am able to, I will scan some completed pages for all to see.

Bit by the Bug

Well Monday's post was delightful but I havent written since because of that lovely flu bug that has been going around. Monday night I came down with the virus having a stomach ache and vomiting throughout Tuesday. I was on a four day NON EATING streak because I was terrified to throw up again. Thanksgiving came around and I stuffed my face with the food that I yearn for all throughout the year...came home and my stomach hated me once again rejecting it. Not fun!

Besides the flu diet, my body has not gained any weight since finding out we are pregnant. I am amazed that the only time I am ever able to lose weight is by having a baby. All my bad weight shifts and turns into healthy baby weight...if only my body & mind can think about being pregnant all the time, it would help me to drop some lbs after the baby! With Jackson, I breastfed for 6 weeks and dropped 30lbs after he was born but immediately gained it back and then some throughout his 22 months of life! Ahh, the ups and downs of the scale is such a fun game...

Since my Thanksgiving wasn't so eventful, I am going to pig out in Disney - if my stomach & baby allow it. We received the Disney dining plan for free with the purchase of our resort stay so we will be eating in style every night. I look forward to everything I consume and hoping my weight shifts when I return home from our 6 day vaca!!  We leave on Sunday and we are beyond ready for this break :)

Jack just got his crocheted Mickey Mouse ears hat in the mail today which made this vacation oh so real!

A Thirty Minute Stroll

This morning was such a gloomy day. Jack and I ventured to Target to stock up on food and supplies for our upcoming Disney trip {6 days away!}. When we returned home, it was great to see that the rain storms had let up and the sun was shining; also it was 50 degrees outside! Before bringing in the purchased goods, we decided to take a "quick" stroll around the block...on foot.

I cannot walk fast as it is with this pregnancy let alone walk hand-in-hand with a toddler who has little legs but we managed. What was so great about this block walk was the level of fascination Jack had with everything. We stopped to gaze at the water trickling down the stream, the newly laid tar in a neighbor's driveway and the falling wet leaves in the streets. I was amazed that Jack held my hand the entire time and didnt have a melt down!

I was texting Brian and snapping pictures along the way to share with him, letting him "walk with us". We took pictures of our shadows, the pine cone Jack said Hi to 13 times, the stick he brought home for Abbie and the muddy wet shoes after we splashed and played in the puddles.

Normally a walk around our block would take merely five minutes, but admiring the little things and taking your time turns into thirty. Probably the best thirty minutes of my day with my son!

Country Springs Waterpark

Yesterday Brian and I took Jack and met up with some of hsi friends and their parents at the Country Springs Waterpark in Pewaukee. I have to say that this place exceeded our expectations in every way. We planned to go on the Sunday where they offer a $10 off voucher with online purchase so it only cost us $15 per person (kids 2 and under are free).

Jack's little friends Landon and Will were there with their parents Kara and Andrew and Erin and Jeremy. It was such a nice time to be able to run around with the boys, splash around in the kiddie area, float down the lazy river and relax. We all even took the boys down the big tube slide where you sit in a boat raft and speed through the tube...Jack was scared/thrilled and after the ride he kept saying "more". The day brought us a ton of laughs.

We were at the waterpark for about three hours and we could tell Jack was getting tired. He managed to stay up on the ride home but immediately when we got in the house, he looked like he was ready for bed. I asked him if he wanted to go to sleep and he grabbed my finger and lead me to his room by his crib, it was too precious! These boys are just getting so big so fast but we are all enjoying the new adventures that come our way and are looking forward to all the new things to try out in the future.

Closed for 2010

I'm taking a break from it all!! I am excited to say that I am taking the rest of the year off from making baby blankets. Today I am officially on vacation. Well, once I catch up on my holiday blanket orders then I will actually be enjoying my free time. I decided to close up the baby Jack blankets shoppe starting today for the rest of 2010 to catch up on the holiday rush of orders, enjoy the Thanksgiving weekend and not worry about work while on our Disney World vacation. I allowed myself enough time 4-5 weeks to process and complete holiday orders and not stress out about it.

This year has blessed our business in so many ways, we are beyond happy with the success of it all. Being able to continue to create these blankets and allow me to stay home with Jack gives me an enormous amount of gratitude, especially for all those that make it possible - my husband, my mother-in-law, my customers and facebook fans (which reached over 1,300!). I can only hope that 2011 will continue to bring more great things for baby Jack blankets.

What will I do for the rest of 2010? Well, the holidays will consume most of my time (as well as Jack!) but I really want to catch up on scrapbooking Jack's first 2 years before the next child comes along. Nancy and I found a great scrapbook store right down the road (next to Walmart on hwy 100) and we are going to be visiting it often. Along with scrapbooking, we will be creating a fourth bedroom in our basement which will open up the nursery to be completed...projects, projects and more projects. The great thing about these projects is that the baby comes in May so we can take our time as we all know that life gets in the way of plans.

Leveling out

Today's prediction: GIRL. I don't remember my hormones to be this out of control with Jack...my prediction is solely based on the amount of crying and  up & down emotions that have taken over my body for the past two weeks. I feel so out of whack and short-tempered lately that it's got me even more emotional; a terrible cycle I tell ya.

The thing that has been getting me through this stage of the pregnancy is a lot of R&R. My body is telling me that I need to relax and rest as much as possible so I have been listening to it. Also, it doesnt hurt that my husband is SO supportive and keeps reminding me that this little being in my belly is turning my body into a ball of uneven hormones and that I am NOT crazy. He is and always will be my rock.

Healthy mind, healthy body is my belief. I have been reading, writing and taking time away from doing any work to keep me centered and stress-free. Last night as I lay in bed with Brian I explained to him all the thoughts that have been consuming my brain and giving me anxiety; projects galore, traveling with Jack, holidays, getting behind on orders, taking care of Jack along with myself and the baby and many more. He took on some of the worry for me and allowed me to get some sleep.

I woke up refreshed today - it helps with Jack sleeping until 6:30AM lately; as Brian always says when I call him in the morning "You two have it made" {this is coming from someone who wakes up M-F at 4:40AM, puts in a good workout at the gym and then gets to work by 6:45}  I love my sleep and will never take it for granted!

So for now, I am weathering the oh-so-worth-it storm knowing that my emotions are getting the best of me due to the pregnancy. No matter what I do, I am a great mom, wife, friend, sister and daughter and my amazing support system reminds me of this every day.  I am blessed.

I could never be a hoarder...

I feel like I am nesting or something already; maybe it coincides with the 2nd trimester and having more energy but lately I have wanted to organize everything possible in our house. We are starting to build a fourth bedroom in our basement for guests to stay since the baby is taking the current guest bedroom. This fourth bedroom will be removing A LOT of storage space which means we have to be smart about what we are keeping and donate/sell/toss the rest.

We've been slowly working on cleaning items throughout or home, starting with the garage. It's all a pyramid effect in my mind; when the shed is up the garden/lawn items can be moved to there, once the garage is clean, there will be room for tools and more storage, which we can then create the fourth bedroom and move the furniture down there and then start the babies room! My mind never stops with projects whether it's a closet to clean, updating the color scheme of a bedroom or kitchen or just rearranging furniture in our house. I love change; I like a refresh every once in a while and I am unaware if this is normal.

I could never imagine myself being one of those hoarders on television. We threw out so much stuff, donated a plenty and are selling a bunch online. Stuff collects here and my motto is that if we havent missed it in the four years we've been in this house, then ADIOS. We had so many boxes of items outside by the curb for the garbage to collect that people were actually stopping and rummaging through them. I was shocked that people wanted this stuff, but one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Quitting Cold Turkey

The holidays are near, a time for spending it with family and close friends. It's a time where every day is jam packed with plans and we are pulled in every direction possible. This holiday is going to be different...we are learning to decline invites to parties and stay put. We are quitting cold turkey on making too many plans and trying to simplify things a little bit in order to spend more time with those that we love.

Thanksgiving is approaching us next week! I cannot believe how fast this year has flown by.  I am excited to say that this is the very first year {since my parents divorce} that we are starting holiday traditions. Since I havent spent Thanksgiving with my mom in over four years, we have decided to eat by her this year and stop by my dad's house for dessert in the evening. It's the first in five years that we will not be spending it with Brian's family but next year we are planning on going up north {Long Lake} for the entire holiday weekend! As an added bonus to our Thanksgiving holiday, we will be leaving on Sunday November 28th on our first family Disney trip with Brian's parents and staying for the week in Orlando at the Disney Caribbean Beach Resort. Our family has visited Walt Disney World several times and never have I experienced the park during the holiday season...it's going be a trip to remember seeing the Magic Kingdom decorated for Christmas.

It's been extremely important to me to get back to traditions, or to start new family traditions of our own. One thing that is changing this year is our Christmas plans. It has gotten more and more difficult with kids to travel to several houses during the Christmas holiday. We have decided to limit our visits to Christmas Eve with my side {mom's in the AM, dad's in the PM}, spend Christmas morning at our home with our own kids and travel to Sun Priarie to spend the entire late morning and afternoon with Brian's family. With a toddler and another baby on the way, 2010 is the start to simplifying our lives and making the most of it for our immediate family before the hectic plans of 2011 begin in January!

The year 2011 is going to be a crazy one. We have baby showers, bridal showers, births, baptisms, weddings and more to celebrate! Starting at the end of January, my brother and his girlfriend Kim are having their baby shower. They are expecting a little girl on March 24th and I am beyond excited to be a first time Aunt. Of course in February Jackson turns 2 already! I've already started to plan a 2 year olds birthday party inviting his group of friends and his two cousins & their families. Last year we made a big spectacle of his first birthday and this year it's going to stay simple....close family, friends and all at a neutral location with enough room for kids to run around. March leads to more birthdays, births and showers...only to have April near and our due date! We are officially due May 7th but will most likely have a scheduled cesearan 1-2 weeks prior.

There I go again, planning for more plans. I am going to quit while I can and simplify my day by playing with Jack, taking a nap and enjoying all these quick passing moments before they are gone.

A fresh start

I would just like to say that it's great to be back...to writing that is. I haven't been able to keep up with writing, I kindof gave up on my baby Jack blankets blog for the time being. I really wanted to keep that blog business related and create a site that is personal and for family updates; kindof like a daily Christmas letter :)  Many people really enjoyed reading about Jack and his daily adventures but since I have been pregnant with baby #2, blogging seems like a distant passion. My {early} New Years Resolution is to get back at it since it has been so theraputic for me.

Things are changing; rapidly. I cannot believe that it is mid November already and cannot understand where this year has gone. They say that time flies when children are young but that is an understatement! Just yesterday I went through baby clothes of Jack's to attempt to purge and make room for a fourth bedroom build in our basement and I got so sentimental. Seeing his newborn attire, items he was brought home from the hospital just got me all choked up. He's growing so fast and is already 21 months! Every day he is learning new words and is continuing to make us laugh - and proud.  He's a comedian at heart but a very loving little boy who kisses mommy's belly {baby} on a daily basis.

We are already on week 15 of our pregnant {25 to go!} and find out the sex of the baby on December 16th. Many predict that it is a girl since this pregnancy has been far different from with Jack; I have no clue.  My hunch is a girl but every pregnancy is {and should be} different; just as unique as the little personality that emerges from you. All I know is that I am grateful to no longer have morning sickness and that all the side effects of the first trimester have subsided. No matter what it is that is growing inside me, we know for sure that it will be born into a world with endless love and possibilities.

Having two kids changes a lot. It changes your perspective on parenting and also your nerves. You've done it once before and learned a million lessons and are ready to take on this second challenge. Don't get me wrong, there are PLENTY of things that terrify me with #2...like my nap schedule. lol  Every day I am able -and take advantage - of taking a nap when Jack does. Once we have another little one in the house, schedules change and you have to re-adapt. I love schedules and predictability and the unknown is what still scares me about having more kids. The good outweighs the bad and you make it work no matter what; you learn that your body adjusts to 3 hours of sleep and that a 10 min nap recharges you for four more hours. You learn to have so much respect for yourself and for those people that have multiples!

Next week is Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays and I cannot wait to express my gratitude and thanks for so many things this year. Soon will be Christmas, a time to be spent with family and then the New Year, a fresh start to so many things. Reflecting on the year 2010 so far, I wouldnt change a thing besides slowing down and cherishing the time that continues to fly by.