Random Ramblings of a Working Mom...

Impromptu pictures

2012-01-22T21:35:00.000-05:00

Today Amelia and I set out for a girl's day. Shopping, lunch and then more shopping. We ran out the door and I grabbed my camera for no particular reason, but I like to have it with me in the off chance there is a moment, or two, I want to capture forever. Today, it happened. I stopped by this turn-around area just north of our house and hopped out. Amelia was very obliging and she did not need any coaxing to turn on that beautiful smile. I've seen some other photographers taking pictures in the woods, and well, this is as close as I got. :) Of course, I am in no way even close to being a photographer, but I do like to take cute, sometimes creative, pictures of my babes. Here is what I came up with.

We started here, a little bit of a forced smile.

We moved to this, a little more fun.

There's that beautiful, natural smile. :)

And, that mischievous grin.

My favorite.

I love how this shows her baby blues. <3

I need to take some pictures of baby boy. I don't think he would stand still so well in this type of environment, so I'll have to think of something a little less distracting. :)

Hold me closer, Tony Danza

2012-01-21T08:07:00.000-05:00

My little girl began "Baby Ballet" the other night. It is a class offered through our local Park & Recs and I had been eyeballing it for a while. The rule was 3 AND PT'ed, which she accomplished just a few months ago. So, once winter session opened up, I signed her up...I might have been the first to register I was so excited. :)

It started this past Wednesday and will run a total of 6 weeks. I wondered how it would go, a class full of 3-4 year olds trying to follow an instructor in ballet poses. I remember Amelia's tumbling class and how unorganized it felt at times. But, this class was different. For the most part all of the girls followed instruction and did what the instructor did. Initially, Amelia and her BFF Selby were a little timid and stared at her like she had 3 heads, but they eventually fell into line and became our little ballerinas. Amelia kept looking at us throughout the class, almost for reassurance, but to also say "Look at me!"

This is her just before the class started.


She and BFF Selby

Notice the blank stares. :)

One of the cutest pictures, ever!

Up on her toes!

Perfecting the moves.

Another one of those reassurance/gloating glances. :)

I had a lot of fun picking out her outfit. The leotard and tights are from Target, the ballet shoes (Capezio brand) are from eBay and the leg warmers were made by Selby's Mom, Meg. She has an Etsy shop and takes custom orders, check her out sometime!

Road to Vegas

2012-01-07T21:49:00.000-05:00

I have a confession; one of my main reasons to lose a few lbs is because we recently booked a 4-day trip to Vegas in March!!! I haven't been to Vegas since the year before Amelia was born, and I've missed it! I'm not a big gambler, but I love the atmosphere and can't wait for our trip! That being said, I've been doing well so far on my "diet." I kicked it off on 1/3/12 with the help of an app called Lose It.

Did I mention it was free?

Well, it is and its amazing! You begin by entering your height, weight, goal weight, sex (male or female, dirty birds) and then it tells you how much you can eat in a day. Then, you can log your meals every day to calculate your calories. If you exercise, you get more calories for the day (note to self: exercise more). However, if you lose weight, it takes away calories ('tis happened, and I was sad; I'm not sure when/if I'll get on a scale again to avoid this heartbreak). My most favorite feature (wait for it), it will scan the barcode of the food you're eating and find it in its database! This feature, I LOVE! I have yet to scan a food it didn't recognize. All in all though, its an easy app to use and it has many features that I will not further bore you with. If you sign up, please let me know because I need more friends on there to motivate me. :)

So since I started this post about a week ago, I'll give you a status update already; I've been doing well with it. The ~~cold sweats~~ ~~starvation~~ adjustment only lasted about a week or so. I stay pretty close to my daily allowance of calories, sometimes I go over, sometimes I stay under, but I try to aim for my allotted amount (b/c every calorie counts in my belly!). It has definitely opened my eyes to all that I can consume in a day's time. Wow. Those little things you never think about can really add up to several calories, or several hundred. I've been trying to find healthier recipes; quite frankly, what we make for dinner is not that bad, but it helps to save where you can...so that I can snack. :) I will say, my portion size has changed considerably. I bought an inexpensive food scale recently and, geez oh man, can the littlest things weigh A LOT! I also learned protein is key to staying full longer. I recently discovered greek yogurt, which is a protein goldmine! I try to have it for a late afternoon snack when the munchies are kicking in hardcore in the afternoon; its very helpful when there's a jar full of chocolate literally staring at me 2' away. One of the hardest things for me, though, is cutting back on my coffee creamer. I did initially, but I cannot drink coffee without a load of cream. Therefore, I've decided I will just have 1 cup each day with the right amount of cream, instead of 2 cups and splitting the creamer between the two. This was a reasonable compromise, one cup of creamer with coffee for a smaller ass.

I hope to blog more about my road to trimness. I also hope to exercise more (I wouldn't hold your breath for exercise tips), so stay tuned!

New Year

2011-12-26T21:39:00.008-05:00

So, I was rereading my blog from the other day that I posted...and, I realized its the only post for December. Therefore, I set out to at least post once more before 2012 hits. Here it is.

I promise that's not all. :)

With the new year fast approaching, I am setting a few goals for myself. This is a rarity for me because I do not feel goals can/should only be set with an upcoming new year, but since its almost here and I need to change a few things, here I go.

Get into shape* (I plan to start this before the New Year because what's the point in waiting if I know its something I need to do). My friend/neighbor, Meg plans to join me, thank you Meg!!
Learn to use my camera better. I've been shooting in manual mode, and I thought I was getting the hang of it, but I am not that happy about my Christmas pictures (too blurry) and I realize I need to learn more.
I think 2 goals is sufficient for now. :)

With that being said, what are your goals for the New Year?

*Ok, I will admit, this goal is also partly in place because we just booked a long weekend in Vegas in March! I am super excited!!

I nearly forgot; I always post my holiday card for the year and [drum roll please] here it is:

Poor Stink; I had to blur out his head mark. I think I did an Ok job, but you can still tell something was there. Oh well, next year we'll put him in a bubble suit a few weeks leading up to December so he's looking his best. :)

Tis the wrapping season

2011-12-22T23:56:00.003-05:00

Tonight I began to tackle the insurmountable task of wrapping Christmas gifts. I thought I would wait until Christmas Eve, but then I thought I would be shorting myself a little given all the gifts I bought. I put the kids to bed, by myself (hubs was out with friends), and got to work. First, I had to do a little prep work. I uncorked a bottle of wine, opened my brand new Twilight movies and brought up the gifts. I was ready...to go to work with Edward. :)

I wrapped almost of all the Santa's gifts, boy he is one lazy gift giver. :) While I was doing so, I began feeling guilty of how little I bought for my babehs [or what I perceived as how little]. They are not getting a ton, I will admit. But, I know they will get enough. I still have a few of their gifts to go, but I have everyone else's left as well. I know I can [try to] tackle the rest while the babes are awake.

I was, however, completely glad I bought the clearance Disney Princess wrapping paper last year. I bought a generic car wrapping paper for Lincoln and saved the Mickey/Minnie for next year. I know Amelia will be super excited over Santa's wrapping choices. :)

Merry @&*^%& Christmas.

2011-11-30T21:12:00.007-05:00

*Warning: this post may contain expletives*

Today while at work, which was my first day back in the office since last Wednesday morning (read: very busy morning), I was meeting with a worker when a co-worker walks in to tell me my car was just hit. By a flying tire. And, then she shows me a picture.

Ouch.

I proceed with my day, b/c there's nothing I can do at that point. The damage occurred, the totally oblivious driver kept on driving without missing a beat and no one snagged his/her license plate number. I learned a while later its being reported to the Deputy stationed in our building because the local police would not come out since it was a hit and skip. So, I head downstairs to submit my report, which requires me getting some information from the car. I head to my car to survey the damage. Not only was I hit shown above, but my back tail light was busted.

Um, ok.

THEN, someone else points out I have a dent on the top part of my driver's side door. Fan-freaking-tastic. This, I do not have a picture of yet.

Let me try, try, to put this in perspective. My car was hit on the front passenger hood/side panel, my back driver's side tail light, and the top part of my driver's side door. Three.totally.different.spots. Its almost nearly inconceivable to imagine. The tire somehow ping-ponged b/t my car and the one parked next to mine.

I proceed to look for my needed documentation and during my search, I realize I never renewed my tags. Damn. We received our yearly reminders, but it was for Jamie's car (my old car) and the car he turned in, not my current vehicle. At that time, in October, I mentally reminded myself to get to the DMV. Apparently, that calendar does not work so well. I forgot. And, my tags technically expired about 2 weeks ago, but I had until tonight at midnight to renew them without the fear of being pulled over and given additional sanctions. Silver lining, people.

After reporting the not-to-ever-be-investigated hit and skip, I return to my desk to report the claim to my insurance, when I'm promptly told we'll be responsible for a $250 deductible. Racket, what? Sidebar: My Mom (retired) and husband both work(ed) in insurance. I think its a scam. You pay all this money to be covered and then they want more. How was I supposed to prevent a flying, completely random tire that hits my car in three different spots?! How am I the responsible person paying the $250 to have it fixed. This does not seem right even in the slightest.

I then head to the BMV. I call in advance because I know they only accept a few payment methods (cash and check if you're heading that way) and I learn of the fee so I can withdraw enough funds. Normal tag renewal is $55, my tag renewal since I was 12 days late is $69.50. The awesome continued to increase and finally peaked on my [shitastic] day.

The moral of today's story, the cost of me going to work was MUCH more than I ever earned today. Merry #$(#&*)( Christmas to me.

Christmas Craft

2011-11-29T21:07:00.007-05:00

In the spirit of Christmas, I finally completed a craft I found on the Internet. I know [hope] you can relate that there are so, so, so many resources out there for putting together the craftiest crafts and yet they never come to fruition. :crickets: Ok, just me, then.

Nonetheless, I found this DIY craft on Pinterest that I had to try. I pinned it a few weeks ago and finally the other night I went to Michael's to buy the one item I didn't have on hand; a clear ornament. I didn't opt for glass because I have kiddos that cannot keep their hands off the tree. The ornament itself was a wallet-busting $0.74. Cheapest craft ever.

At any rate, I bought the ornament, found one of my old wedding invitations (yes, I am a hoarder) and got out scissors and a pen.

Step #1:

Gather the necessary materials.

Step #2:

Cut the invitation in small strips; do not cut through the wording itself...you'll see why later.

Step 3:

Curl each strip around a pen or pencil, whatever you have on hand.

Ste 4:

Put each of them into the ball and close it up.

Step 5:

Display it beautifully [and proudly] on your tree.

Now, I said I would reveal why to preserve the invitation wording; as you can see from the picture above, you can still read some of the wording itself. This is fairly cool, if you ask me. For mine, I see "first of...", "Together with" and "Tabor". I'm sure you can finish the first two fragments, but the last is not so easy. :)

I think this is a great gift idea for anyone who might have saved someone else's wedding invitation (used to, but the hoarder in me allowed some things to go). However, I do wish mine were more full. I am contemplating either cutting up another invite (oh yes, I have more) or just cutting up the blank side of the ornament as a filler. Thoughts?

Instagram

2011-11-27T08:23:00.011-05:00

Its like crack for iPhone users. Or, maybe just me.

I love it, in case you couldn't tell from all the pictures on my FB feed or pictures I use on here (including my blog header), 95% of them are from my Instagram app. In my opinion, it takes great pictures and turns them into something even greater. I love the old feeling it gives each and every shot. And, there are so many filters to choose from so each picture can truly be unique. The only downfall, in my opinion [b/c it is my blog], is that it cuts so much out of the picture. I need to be mindful with that because typically I get in close for a shot and then I get irritated half of it is gone with this app. However, the good outweighs the one bad, so don't fret, more Instagram pictures will be coming your way. :)

With all that being said, I was super excited to learn of a company that makes magnets out of my favorite Instagrams. I purchased 9 magnets for $14.99 [free shipping!]! That's a deal, if you ask me. It was definitely hard to narrow it down to 9, but somehow I did it. I know I'll be ordering more as time goes by, but [for now] these 9 will suffice. There are also other ideas out there for making Instagram collages and the like. Someday, I might, just might, make a big collage for my living room.

Until then, here is a little Instagram collage I put together with the help of Photobucket. These are not exactly the 9 that I ordered, but some of them were made into magnets. I'll let you wonder which ones. :)

Oh, and in case you don't already follow me, I'm lyndsayq on Instagram.

Disrespecting the turkey

2011-11-23T21:42:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and while Thanksgiving is literally one of my favorite holidays (food, family, gorging, mmmm...), I also feel its the appropriate benchmark for putting up the Christmas tree. :) Therefore, tonight the kids [well more so Amelia than Lincoln] and I put up the tree. It was interesting to say the least. The last two years I've successfully put it up on my own, which allows me time to reflect on and ponder each and every ornament placement (yes, I'm that crazy). However, I knew Amelia would love to help and I wanted to start the yearly tradition, so I gritted my teeth and suppressed my OCD.

Here is she geared up in her "Mommy's little helper" tee. :)

Amelia having the honor of placing the first ornament.

And, Lincoln having the honor of trying to remove it.

Oh, my OCD.

The finished [rearranged] product.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My little storm trooper

2011-11-08T20:55:00.004-05:00

The past few days for my little guy have been terrible. It started Saturday night when he fell head first into our ceramic, metal, glass coffee table [aka death trap]. It was awful; he screamed, it swelled, but he seemed Ok after a few minutes. Therefore, no ER visit [this time].

Sunday came and went without any additional injuries, thankfully.

Monday morning came and did not go so well. Lincoln was playing in my bathroom, which is a typical morning for me. Annoying, but typical. He was sitting in the corner next to me and the next thing I know he had grabbed my flat iron cord and pulled it down on his hand. OUCH! He immediately started crying, I picked him up and ran him downstairs to Jamie and told him we would be making a trip to the ER today. After about 5 minutes, he seemed fine once again. If his hand hadn't been peeling, I might not have taken him to the ER because of his mild manner. But, it was coming off, so off we went.

This is him while at the hospital. You can just barely see the burn on his right hand. :(

This is him after it was bandaged. He handled it rather well; even the nurses were surprised.

This is him last night after we re-bandaged his hand. It has to be done nightly and I hate it. He, again, did really well and was only squirmy from having to be held still.

If you can see from the stages of pictures, his head seems to be getting worse looking, but I think because its healing. He is handling it all so well. I told the nurses when we arrived to the ER I felt he had a high pain tolerance. Apparently, how long a child cries is an indicator of the burn degree. I think they were skeptical at first, but once they saw how he under reacted to the hand cleaning and dressing, they believed me. The ER Doctor said he had a 2nd degree burn, but the nurse felt it might have been worse. I take him to the Children's Hospital burn clinic tomorrow [that just sounds terrible], so we shall see. I only hope it heals quickly because I hate seeing him like this and I hate having to redress it everyday with the chance he'll scream in agony. Tonight was the first bath following the incident and he was fine until he had to plunge his hand in the water. :( He cried and I got him out quickly. I redressed it, on my own, and he was fine once again. He is such a boy. Everyone I've talked to said this is only the beginning. So, if its going to get worse than almost his head almost splitting and a 2nd degree hand burn, I don't know how my heart will survive.

NINE!

2011-11-03T21:43:00.004-04:00

I just realized that I posted NINE times in the month of October. Sure, it was random, and probably all babbling, but I can't believe I posted that many times! I didn't even know I had that much to talk about.

Since, I don't want this post to be short, I will submit a couple of complaints I just randomly thought of.

One, my iPhone continues to download emails long after I've deleted them. Super annoying since I receive about 40 emails each day. Anyone know how to fix that?

Two, whenever trying to upload photos from my iPhoto, it does not always show my most recently uploaded pictures. This is really aggravating when I'm trying to upload more pictures onto my blog and using their upload tool, sucks.

Three, uploading to Blogger directly sucks. I prefer to use Tinypic.com. Any other good sites out there to use??

Martha Stewart, watch out!

2011-10-29T11:19:00.005-04:00

Today, I experimented with a homemade Pumpkin Spice doughnut receipt I had found on Pinterest. It looked simple enough and all I needed was a doughnut pan, Luckily, my Mom has pretty much everything a baker needs so she happily supplied me with hers. I had all the ingredients on hand, which for anyone who's made Pumpkin Pie, should as well. Here it is in the making...(ignore the pumpkin seeds, which were not part of the recipe or the final product ::).

And, here's the final product.

Now, they may not be the prettiest doughnuts you've every seen, but for homemade, they can't be beat! Most of them pictured are without the sugar, cinnamon & butter topping, but they are good with or without [and messy with, just so you're prepared]. CLICK HERE for the simple and yummy recipe that everyone can, and WILL, enjoy!

You're welcome in advance. :)

One more October post

2011-10-26T20:55:00.005-04:00

I cannot believe November is next week. The weather certainly does not feel that way, but I'm not complaining. Bring on the mild weather as much as possible until the freeze sets in. At any rate, a few posts ago I promised you more pumpkin patch picture and I KNOW you've all been dying to see them. :)

Amelia and her cousin, Gabby, on the banana ride.

Linc and his crazy hair.

LOVE his curls!!

Wrangling baby's.

<3

The pumpkin patch at Leed's Farm was a lot of fun. As if you couldn't tell from the pictures. :)

Shutterfly, yo!

2011-10-25T21:06:00.006-04:00

I created a personalized card on Shutterfly this evening in honor of my Mom helping immensely with Amelia's recent birthday party. Side note: It didn't hurt I had a free code for the card since I had just ordered about 80 prints. Nonetheless, at the end of my order, I received another offer to get $10 off if I post about it on my blog. Free stuff?! My specialty! :)

Therefore, behold the card I designed:

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Its adorable, it has most of my favorite pictures from the party and I know my Mom will LOVE IT! Win, win.

My big girl :sob:

2011-10-16T21:40:00.004-04:00

My baby is turning THREE in six days. In honor of the big day, we [finally] decided to transition her crib into a big girl bed. We tried it almost a year ago and it was a disaster. We thought it couldn't happen again, right? ... Moving on, Friday night we put together the bed and Amelia was super excited. We talked it up and told her how she would sleep in it like a "big girl." She climbed right in and looked cute as can be. Little did we know, this would be the cutest she would look for the next few hours.

She lasted approximately 15 minutes in her bed, which is the same time Jamie left the room to let her "sleep." For hours, we heard the pitter-patter of her feet above until about 10:30 pm when Jamie went to lay down with her. Sigh. This would not be as easy as we imagined. The next day we went to a Pumpkin Patch and her nap was shortened significantly (and not in her bed). She was still up until 10:30 pm running around lapping up the freedom. :-| One positive to the late nights, she actually slept in past 7:00 am. :)

Today, we stayed home and she took zero nap (despite my husband's futile efforts). Fortunately, she was completely exhausted by tonight. And as luck would have it, she stayed in her bed and fell asleep within minutes.

I snuck in to take pictures of the phenomenon.

I seriously thought we were going to have to break out the crib again and keep her there until college.

Now, here comes my pessimistic side; I certainly hope this isn't the pattern for the future.

Fall Fun

2011-10-15T20:35:00.003-04:00

One week ago today, I met my e-turned IRL-friend, Ashley for an afternoon of fall festivities at Honey Haven Farm. Our kids are weeks apart, respectively, so every time we're together it's a win-win for all! It was a bit of a drive, but well worth it in the end. There was no entry fee and the hayride was driven by real live horses (low cost and horses?! was this farm made for me or what.). We drank their yummy cider and slurped up the even yummier pumpkin ice cream (mixed with vanilla, yep). The kids enjoyed the Clifford bounce house, face painting, horse drawn hayride (my fave, can you tell) and the pumpkin patch itself. They were in pumpkin haven, lol. The weather was nice, but not at all fall-like. However, it was nice not to freeze given it is October.

A not so thrilled Amelia with the face painting...she announced about 5 minutes before we arrived that she was tired. Oy.

She requested a witch; he did rather well considering it was free-hand.

The obligatory pose in the fall cut-outs.

This is before she stopped smiling for the camera.

At least he didn't fall every three feet this time.

Our explorers...

The best group photo possible with four rowdy ones.

Believe it or not, we hit up another Pumpkin Patch today. Those pictures will come later. :)

15 Months, yesterday

2011-10-11T07:38:00.003-04:00

I have been terrible in regards to keeping up with Lincoln's monthly "birthdays." With Amelia, and I'm sure most of you remember, I was posting about her weekly. However, I did happen to remember, mid-day, yesterday that he turned 15 months. He is up to plenty of things these days. He has mastered walking [aka running], climbing [and falling like a boy], clapping and waving, and he's starting to say more words that we can make out. So far, [we think] he's said "cat, dog, and duck." Most of the times he just points and yells "DAH!" That is his word for most everything. :) He loves his sister like no other, and he loves following her around. Most of the time, she enjoys this attention. I love to watch them interact and even though a lot of times I think to myself, "Why did we have a second?!" I know instantly from watching them is exactly why. <3

This is him, at the Zoo yesterday, right before we loaded onto the Carousel. It was the first time he was permitted to ride a horse, and he hated it. He didn't last but a few seconds once we started going around. :)

I'm fancy

2011-10-09T18:43:00.006-04:00

I have a new blog header [look up!], and I made it! :pats self on back: My creativity kicked in, and along with several helpful online tutorials, I managed to make my own header with Photoshop Elements. This was no easy feat. Especially with two babies running around, not to mention I was home all weekend by myself. Nonetheless, its done. I have to be satisfied with it because I have no idea when/WHY I would ever make another. :) I do, however, wish it were bigger.

Now, for all you serious bloggers out there, I plan [hope] to add a "grab my button" so you can link me up. WHICH, I also designed on my own. [I'm so proud, can ya tell?!] I'm about to become a serious blogger myself..not really, but it's a nice thought. I do plan to blog more, with all the gobs of time I have on my hands. :insert sarcasm:

BTW, for all my Facebook readers, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, click HERE and you'll see for yourself.

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-05T20:49:00.002-04:00

This past Saturday we visited a local Pumpkin Patch, Renick's to be exact. We went there when Amelia was 1, but I think we had more fun than she did. However, this time Amelia had a blast! She and Lincoln were running through the pumpkin patch and Amelia took painstakingly care in picking out her pumpkins. She even picked out one of my favorites. :) Lincoln had fun, but he could not walk a few feet without falling flat on his face. He did have fun, but eventually I was sacking him around along with a pumpkin or two I wanted to snag. All in all we brought home two big, two medium and two small pumpkins. Its an all you can carry patch for $25. There was also a playground the kids could play on along with a haystack maze. Amelia and Lincoln particularly loved this, evidenced below.

Here are some other pictures from that day. It was also a beautiful fall day; sunny and a bit of nip in the air.

Amelia, Lincoln and their cousin, Addison

Catching Lincoln mid-fall

Me and Lincoln; he would not look at the camera for anything!

<3

Fall is my favorite time of the year and I hope my kids love it just as much. They did appear to enjoy themselves that day. Since then they've they oooh'ed and aaah'ed over the pumpkins displayed on our porch, well Amelia more so than Lincoln. He just points at everything and says "DAH!" :)

Party Planning

2011-10-01T21:27:00.005-04:00

Amelia's 3rd birthday party planning is in full swing. I feel like its her first birthday with all the excitement I have over planning this birthday. I think its because for the first time she requested a theme. A Hello Kitty theme, which I gladly obliged. Now, she has been talking about this since probably July or August. Why would she start talking about her birthday that early, you ask? Because her brother had a birthday party in July and sister was super jealous. So, we built up her upcoming birthday and she picked the theme...which I am thankful, because my creativity is pretty dried up these days.

Thankfully, with all the ideas on the Internet, including the newest evil Pinterest, not to mention the new Hobby Lobby that is just a few miles from the house now(!!), I have an abundance of ideas! Hobby Lobby delivered with some adorable napkins and plates that match her invite to a tee; it didn't hurt one bit they were also on clearance. :) I also found Hello Kitty party bags at Target to go with the theme. My Mom found an adorable cake and cupcake idea online that seem simple enough for us to tackle. My e-friend, who I've also met IRL, Natalie created an adorable Hello Kitty hair korker. I would direct you to her etsy shop, but sadly she's shut it down temporarily. :( Hopefully, she reopens soon to peddle more of her homemade girlie goodies! I also finalized the invite from Jumping Jax Designs; it is completely adorable and I LOVE IT! I will post it soon enough and brag on the designer, yet again. :) I also have another friend that is putting together a Hello Kitty birthday shirt for the special day, which I plan to put together with a homemade tutu (wish me luck). I told you I was going above and beyond. This party will top all so far and I just know Amelia will love it! The party is in 3 weeks, so pictures will follow sometime after then. :)

In other news, I did finally update my Shutterfly site. You are more than welcome to check out the newest pictures of my babies. However, here are some newer ones, or ones that I favor.

Happy October!

Boys will be boys...*

2011-09-15T20:32:00.007-04:00

It's been a while since I blogged, I'm sorry for any loyal followers out there...all two of you. I would love to say I promise to do better, but been there, done that, got a magnet, and still not doing better. Currently, my life is at an all-time high of crazy busy. Therefore, all that is fun and mindless goes to the wayside ('cept Facebook, me needs a little bit of stalking in my day). Needless to say, my day is filled with kids, work, kids, work, a little sleep [kids also while I sleep], rinse and repeat. Except for those two glorious days, called Saturday and Sunday. They are my friends, but they certainly come too slowly and go too quickly. Whoever thought a 5-day work week was a good idea, needs taken out back and beaten Office Space printer style. Just sayin'.

Onto the babes, they are doing great. This post mainly started out about Lincoln [hence the title], but since I haven't updated in a while, you're going to get a slew of updates. However, back to Lincoln; the little man has found his little manhood...if you know what I mean, which I'm certain you do. It is true that men cannot not touch it any time the opportunity is there (i.e. diaper changes, bathtime, you get the drift). I will just say, its been completely different having a boy versus a girl, this is no exception. Lincoln is also quite the bruiser; he falls more often, climbs more often and cries less often. His growth has slowed, only 50th percentile range for a 12-month'er, but he's still a brute. He's eating like a champ, three meals a day now plus the boob milk. His sleep remains the same, not great. He was down to waking only once at night and then there were a few days it was none, but now we're back to at least two night wakings. I'm tired, a lot, everyday. I think though, my body would not know how to function with an uninterrupted 8 hours of sleep.

On to the almost 3 year old (can you believe it?!). She's amazing. She has quite the personality these days. Her ability to communicate is fascinating. I should keep a running log of what she says to remember forever. It is true [and shocking] that she turns 3 in 6 weeks. A party is in the works, although I don't think I'll ever be able to pull off a shindig like my friend, Ashley. For serious, she needs to be a professional party planner. Anyhow, the princess requested a "Hello Kitty birthday party", which Mom is all too happy to grant her any wish. I'm having her birthday card designed by Jumping Jax Designs, because I can never find anything worthy in the stores. She's an amazing designer (cards and blogs); needless to say I'm very excited to see the card.

I will apologize in advance for the lack of pictures. I hate to upload to Blogger, because quite frankly, its a pain. I will however upload two of the recent (and cutest) photos just to give you a little something. You're welcome in advance. :)

*Disclaimer: You can also exchange the words "men" for "boys."

Lincoln's First Birthday

2011-07-10T21:15:00.006-04:00

Its hard to imagine my little [big] guy is 1! I know every parent has this heartbreaking thought, but it is so true. I look at Amelia and think, "Geez, I thought she was so old when she turned 1"...little did I know. :) Lincoln still looks so much like a baby, compared to her. Although, he is walking, a lot. He still hasn't uttered his first word, other than Mamamamama and Dadadadada. He's cute as a button, fear not, proof is below, and he adores his big Sis like no other. His sleeping still is much to be desired, but its [slowly] improving. He's cut 6 teeth, the 2 most recent (his canines) being this weekend. He's eating more table food and hasn't found a food he won't eat, yet. If we don't offer him food at the table, he'll let us know (and maybe our neighbors, too). I'm still nursing him and he definitely eats more than his sister did at this age! {I'm so ready to go Office Space on my pump} We are having a first birthday party for him next weekend. I imagine his sister will be waaaaay more excited and disappointed at the same time since the presents won't be hers. She is quick to say, "My birthday is Oktober." <3 Unfortunately 2, almost 3, year olds have a poor sense of time. Anyway, I'm rambling, so I'll leave you with some adorable pictures of my now 1 year old.

Happy Birthday, Lincoln!

o-HI-o

2011-06-25T07:44:00.004-04:00

I've always been proud and happy to live in Ohio. I mean, we have the Buckeyes, what more could we need? :) Anyhow, I was born in North Carolina and I always felt a pull to go back there despite never remembering anything about my 3 short years there [if that]. However, most of my family is here and I could never imagine living anywhere else. Until I saw this post. No, I don't want to live in Ft. Myers, but it would be nice to live within an hour of an actual beach. Consider the possibilities of having a beach you can drive off to every weekend or once monthly or whenever you have the urge and don't have a day or more to get there. In Ohio the closest beach is ick and it really isn't a beach [if you ask me, and it is my blog, so ya].

Will I ever move, most likely not (calm down, Larissa), but its fun to think about it and wonder how different things would be. Its like a new life, a new start, a new beginning. Would I miss my family more than words could express, most definitely. Therefore, I stay here, where the average temperature is in the 50's and the weather is mostly cloudy 90% of the time. :-\

Buuuuut, wouldn't it be nice to see this more often, and not just in pictures? :)

Have a great weekend!

55-200

2011-06-23T21:16:00.006-04:00

I needz it. I have to have it. Oh, you're wondering what it is. Well, its the lens I want for my DSLR camera. My bestest friend, Amy, allowed me to borrow hers to take some decent shots at SIL's wedding this weekend (not in any professional manner, btw). I immediately put it on my camera in exchange for the 18-55 mm it comes w/ and started shooting. Crystal clear shots with plenty of bokeh, which I personally love. I grace you w/ one of said great shots below. Please note, this was taken about 25 feet away with no flash. <3 Oh, and I know there are much better lens out there, but this is for amateur purposes and I'm not a Rockefeller. :)

I guess it doesn't hurt that the subject is completely cute. :)

Mommy Poker

2011-06-09T21:14:00.005-04:00

THIS post sums up how I feel about my children compared to others. Yes, I think my night/day/week is worse than any other parent's on record, but I know its not [always] true. I must always remind myself of this b/f I start bitching about how terrible things are; it doesn't always work mind you and the bitching almost always commences. I will try better. ;)

In all honesty, being a parent has been one of the most challenging roles I've ever had. Its frustrating, exhausting, and irritating...hey, I'm just being honest. BUT, being a parent is also the best feeling ever at the same time...ok, well maybe a few minutes after the crisis at hand simmers down. :) I would have to say the good definitely outweighs any headache and I'm glad I'm a parent.

One more thought b/f I go, Lincoln is almost ONE! How can that be? Wasn't I just birthing him in a bathtub the other day?!

Groundhog Day

2011-03-28T20:42:00.003-04:00

Ever see that movie with Bill Murray where every day is the same for what seems like an eternity? Well, I feel confident I'm stuck in that movie. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate my life, but everyday feels the same and it repeats itself over, and over, and over, and over, well, you get the idea.

What do you do to break the rut of life?

Sometimes it hits me like a truck

2011-03-23T20:36:00.005-04:00

My son was born at home without the assistance of a medical team or epidural, but yet it worked out perfectly. I have these vivid memories of that day and sometimes it almost makes me cry thinking, "What if?" I feel so lucky he was born alive and did not have any major complications given his quick and unassisted delivery.

In case you missed it the first time, HERE is his birth story.

Just a little walk down nostalgia lane. :)

Hello, again

2011-03-16T21:20:00.004-04:00

I think this is the most neglectful I've been with my blog in a while. No real reason, other than pure laziness. :) I do miss blogging, and have high hopes to keep up with it. I do have time to stay up to date on my favorite blogs -----> see my list to the right [under "My Blog List"]. I feel very uncreative and rarely come up with anything interesting to say these days. What I can report is the kids are doing great and growing like crazy. Lincoln officially has two teeth(!) and is crawling like a man with a mission. Oh, and he also pulls to stand; me thinks walking isn't too far away. Amelia is the charmer, and she has quite the personality these days. She can switch from being the biggest sweetheart you'll ever meet, to a smaller form of the exorcist. Ok, that's a small exaggeration, but she has her moments [as we all do]. I haven't posted pictures in a while and my Shutterfly site is also lacking [read: total slacker]. But, I can assure you, they're still adorable. :)

I do have something heavy on my heart these days. Two of my friends from high school are suffering through something a person of our age shouldn't have to go through, in my honest opinion. They both have cancer and are battling it fiercely. I won't share the specifics of their cancer, but I can say it breaks my heart to know these two women with families are fighting for their lives, literally. Events like this remind me how important and fragile life is and to cherish everyday and every moment because you never know. I want to wish my girls, Danica and Melissa, all the best in their respective battles. You ladies are both in my hearts and in my thoughts. And, thanks to my recent blog followers. I don't know how you find me, but I appreciate the "popularity." :)

Mada's Place [with a special offer]

2011-01-21T20:01:00.000-05:00

What is that, you ask? Well, that's a great question and I'm going to tell you all about it. :) Mada's Place is a little Etsy shop that sells all kinds of great, HOMEMADE items. Specifically, she, who is local [to me], sells wristlets, key fobs, bibs, pacifier clips, blankets, burp cloths, and most importantly [and my personal fave] reusable snack and sandwich bags. If you click HERE you'll be directed to the shop itself so you can begin browsing all the great and unique products.

However, let me tell you some more about her reusable snack and sandwich bags, from personal experience. One, they're great quality!! I bought another set of bags and the quality was nowhere near in comparison! They wash up great, whether with a wash cloth or in the wash itself. Second, the various patterns offered are adorable, great for boys, girls, ladies and MEN! Some of my favorites are:

Amelia has the hedgehog pattern above.

I want to buy this new owl pattern for myself.

This newest pattern I plan to buy for Lincoln;
who doesn't love some monsters in their lunch box. :)

However, this dog pattern is awfully cute for Lincoln, too...

She has at least 36 different patterns to choose from. I already have 3 sets, but plan to buy at least 1 or 2 [ok, 3] more, along with a pacifier clip. They're also priced at a reasonable cost. When I initially began looking for reusable snack bags, these were the most reasonable in cost. I was happy to purchase, especially after knowing the seller is local to me. If you convo her, she will combine a set for you or you can mix and match for a little variety. :)

In honor of my blog and my loyal readers, I'm pleased to offer a 10% discount on your total purchase in her shop. Just enter GOGREEN10 in the comment sections when you purchase and the amount will be credited to your payment method. This offer is valid through the end of February, so act quick! You'll be able to find something to buy for yourself or a friend with this great [and limited time] discount.

I nearly forgot! To become a fan of Mada's Place on Facebook, click

HERE!

T'was the Night before Christmas

2010-12-24T22:05:00.000-05:00

...when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse [well, maybe Mommy].

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas [Eve]

2010-12-24T08:37:00.000-05:00

I hope your holidays are filled with great family, friends and food! :)

Its Baaaaack! Wish List Wednesday!

2010-12-22T22:32:00.000-05:00

Its only three days before Christmas, but I'm already jonseing for things I know won't be under my tree this year. That's Ok, my family loves me, but I can, at times, have expensive taste. So here goes.

About a year ago I had included this on my list, but here is it again, just for kicks. An iPod touch! Amazon is actually having a good deal on the 8GB 4th generation model; I've talked myself in and out of it all day today. :gulp:

My second, but most coveted item, a Nikon D3100! :swoon: I've also talked myself in and out of buying this for a few weeks now.

I will leave my list at this for now, since it is still three days until Christmas. Maybe Kris Kringle will come through and bring me one or both of these items. :)

Another Shutterfly Plug

2010-11-28T13:15:00.000-05:00

Its the holidays and who can't resist free or discounted items?! ME!!!! Most of you know this about me and tease me relentlessly about always finding the best deal. Nonetheless, Shutterfly is offering more free stuff for their loyal customers...and I'm cashing in!

So, I'm going back in time to highlight the birth announcement I made after Lincoln entered our world a few months ago. The photo card is a product of Shutterfly and it fit my needs perfectly! He's changed so much already since then, but I still love these pictures of him as a newbie.

Enjoy!

Checkers Cherry Solid Colors

Unique party invitations and greeting cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

ETA: If you're a blogger and you want to receive the same promo, click HERE for instructions. :)

Under Construction

2010-11-25T23:17:00.001-05:00

As some of you may have noticed, if you're visiting my blog recently, its going through a few changes. If you're reading this on FB and thinking, "WTF?", click "View Original Post" [at the bottom] and you'll see the blog which auto-feeds onto my FB page. I was growing bored of my blog being the same, so I changed it a bit. I'm satisfied for now, but depending on if I get really savvy, I may make a few more slight changes.

Its the most wonderful time of the year...

2010-11-23T21:12:00.000-05:00

The Holidays are upon us and my Christmas shopping has begun! This is shocking information in itself given I still have over a month to buy. :) Anyway, one of my favorite things, since having children, is compiling a Christmas card of my adorable babehs to share with my friends and family. As most of you know, I love taking [and sharing] pictures; some of you may say its an obsession of mine...guilty as charged. :) I've already taken pictures for this year's card and rest assured, they're A-Dorable.

One of the greatest sites for storing and sharing photos is Shutterfly. As most of you know, I have a share site there, which automatically sends an email to my members anytime I upload new photos. You can see it by clicking here. Another fun fact, there is no limit to storing photos on the site nor is there a requirement to purchase pictures to maintain the pictures in storage (like other photo sites). But, if you're in the mood to shop, Shutterfly offers many different products to choose from. Some of my favorites include the greeting cards, photo cards, and CHRISTMAS cards. I've already began browsing the Christmas cards selection; selecting the perfect one is already proving a challenge.

One of my favorite projects include Amelia's birth announcement, which doubled as our Christmas card that year. I was so excited about selecting the right photos for the card. And, given I had taken a picture [or four or five] a day, I had plenty to choose from. How do you think I did?

You may be wondering the purpose of this post, other than to say how great Shutterfly is; well, I was selected to blog about their products to receive 50 holiday cards in return for free. If you're a blogger and would love to receive 50 free cards, click here to find out more. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Happy [belated] Halloween!

2010-11-02T21:10:00.000-04:00

Its a few days late, but Halloween was this past weekend and Amelia had a ball! Last Halloween she was still a little unclear on the festivities, but this year she really got into it. She would run up to the houses [with her costumed butt wagging] and say the obligatory "Trick or Treat" and then "Thank you." She would then want to eat the candy, even if it was chocolate, which is a no-no for her (dairy sensitivity). Each night, she ToT'ed two nights [lucky gal], I allowed her to eat a few pieces to placate her while walking the neighborhood. Lincoln was unaware of the holiday, except for the adorable dog costume he wore. My Mom bought it while I was still pregnant and it was the.cutest.ever. When walking with Amelia people thought he was a stuffed animal, until he moved. :)

To celebrate the holiday I made ghost and pumpkin orange shaped french toast. Amelia loved them! We also took some Halloween pictures of both in costume and they turned out FANTASTIC, if I do say so myself. :-D I will give you my two favorites, because its unnecessary to post them all, you might just die from cuteness overload. ;)

<------They're to your left, in case you missed them.

Two?!

2010-10-26T20:54:00.000-04:00

Can it be? Did my baby girl just turn 2? Was it really 2 years ago that I was sitting in Riverside Hospital giving birth to my baby girl?! It seems like yesterday, even though some of the details of the last two years are sketchy (Mommy brain).

She's growing so fast (such a repetitive things us parents say) and I am amazed daily by how much she changes. She's still a little peanut, in my eyes, but she's so talkative and personable. She picks up on things, very quickly; not always the greatest thing when you're not used to an audience when angry/upset. She mastered the art of fake smiling; we captured about 20 fake smiles at her recent birthday party. :) She dotes on her brother and loves him more than anything. She loves Toy Story, Shrek, Mickey Mouse and most of all Dora. She especially loves her new play kitchen, which we and my Mom bought for her birthday. She cooks up food daily and we love to pretend eat it with her.

There are so many things to say about our Amelia, but I have only so much time as Lincoln once again is refusing to be asleep on his own. Speaking of the Linc man, he's also getting really big. I have no doubt he's doubled his birth weight and then some. We'll find out next month when he goes in for his 4 month check-up. He eats like a freaking champ; I should know since I supply his food...its amazing I don't weigh about 20 lbs less. He is nowhere near close to sleeping more than 4, or even 3, hours at night. This makes for one tired Momma considering I'm back to work full-time. He smiles a lot and rarely fusses, which make up for all his night-time wakings. :-D He pretty much exclusively sleeps in our bed, the other times (which are rare) he is not in our bed is when he goes to sleep b/f us, again, this is rare [emphasize rare]. I think I'm raising myself a co-dependent sleeper.

I have tons of new pictures, but am too lazy to post them. If you want to see them, go here: http://thebrumfields.shutterfly.com, bookmark and check it regularly (sorry if its not clicky, again, too lazy). If you're a FB friend, you've seen them all or at least enough I'm sure. :)

I hope to post again soon; I know I have a really bad track record right now. I have tons to say, but hardly any time to say it.

I loathe bedtime

2010-10-03T21:17:00.000-04:00

For the past 2 years now Jamie and I have a slave to bedtime. First it was rocking Amelia to sleep until she was almost twenty [20] months old. {In case you're wondering, no, that's not a typo; I said 20 months.} Now its Lincoln and trying to get him into a routine. Amelia is the easier one these days (at night-time only) as we take her upstairs, read her a book, lay her down and give her the pacifier. Bedtime might become a struggle again once we try to remove the pacifier from the equation, but that battle is for another day, probably a day far away. I digress.

To put this "complaint" into perspective, we've probably logged approximately 700 hours [or more] of rocking. That's almost 30 DAYS! Don't get me wrong, I know they grow up fast and it should be enjoyed now, but its hard when the only time you have to yourself is after the baby goes to bed and getting said baby to bed basically takes until your bedtime. :-|

Right now I'm currently struggling with Lincoln and assisting him with a bedtime, other than mine. He is taking some effort; approximately 60 minutes or more to get him to sleep, lay him down and KEEP him asleep. Currently he's sleeping upstairs after an hour of nursing, rocking, shushing, bouncing, and laying him down three times before he finally gave in to the Sandman. During the day he's easy-peasy to get to sleep. Swaddle him and put him in the swing; he'll sleep for HOURS! For some reason he will not sleep in the swing at night, tis weird. At any rate, I hope we fall into a routine soon with my return to work in 8 days [insert sad face].

You thought I was done, right? Think again. :) Lincoln is also cluster feeding overnight, which is not fun. He was up, and I'm not lying, almost every hour last night to nurse. I don't know if its me or him that has the problem b/c anytime he stirs I stick a boob in his face. Maybe I need to give him a few minutes to see if he's really hungry or if he's just stirring for a more comfortable position. Oh, and the last update on Lincoln, and yet another complaint, is that he's refusing bottles. We gave him a bottle around 8 weeks and he did fine (I have pictures to prove it). We never tried again b/c I assumed, like his sister, he wouldn't have a problem switching b/t real and artificial (Yes, they're real! :)). Unfortunately I was mistaken. I dropped him off w/ the sitter the other day and she was only able to get 2 oz in him (1 oz at a time) over the course of 6 hours. I'm taking him back over there twice this week to practice some more and we'll see how it goes. Wish us luck and share any advice you may have on stubborn babies (Ha!).

ETA: After all that work, he's already up. He slept for a grand-total of 45 minutes w/o me holding or rocking him. Ugh.

Uhmelia Brum-feld

2010-09-11T21:24:00.000-04:00

That's how my little girl says her name these days. <3 Daddy taught her our last name recently so now she walks around saying everyone's first name (i.e. Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Brandt, etc.) and adds Brum-feld to it. Its terribly cute.

Recently I began thinking about Amelia's second birthday (holy cow, she's turning TWO!!!), and we decided to have a Halloween themed party this year since last year we did a generic fall theme last year. My friend, Suzanne, actually gave me the idea for last year, but I passed on it at the time. Well, she's not really into one character right now (thank gawd) and I lurve Halloween, so spider webs, scary costumes, and black cats it is! We're going to have just the kids dress up, but the rest of the details are very sketchy right now since we literally just thought of the theme. If you have any ideas, feel free to share them here. :)

In Lincoln news, he's TWO months old! He's growing by the minute, literally. He weighed 7 lb 10 oz at birth, 10 lb 10 oz ONE month later, and then 12 lb 5 oz just TEN days later. We go Monday for his two-month appointment so we'll see how much bigger our future linebacker has grown. Apparently [Mommy's] milk is doing his body good. :) In not so great news, today marks one more month until I return to work (booooo!). Mommy may not cry as hard this time (b/c he's going to the same sitter Amelia has for the last 20+ months and she's great), but it'll definitely be a sad, sad day that I do NOT look forward to. :( So, if you hear a grown woman sobbing near the Columbus area on 10/11/10, have no fear, its just me leaving both babehs after being home with them for three months.

Our Three-Ring Circus, aka a night out

2010-08-27T21:24:00.000-04:00

So, the hubby and I had yet to do a night out since little Linc joined our crew. We decided tonight would be the night despite Amelia not having a very long nap today. We started at Kohl's (who BTW is having a GREAT clearance on baby/kids summer clothes - 60-90% OFF!), and initially Amelia ASKED to go into the shopping cart. No problemo. Within minutes she wanted "down." I attempted to distract, told her no a few times, and then handed her over to Jamie so I could shop the clearance in peace. I had Lincoln w/ me and he was sound asleep...fast forward about 30 seconds and he began to cry. ::pulling out hair:: I rush through the clearance racks holding him to minimize the screaming and then Jamie comes over to tell me Amelia is being a maniac. He wants to leave, so I attempt to take both kids into the dressing room so I can at least satisfy (aka nurse) Lincoln. Well, the doors don't go to the floor and Amelia immediately opened the door (that did not lock). And yes, I was already exposed. Jamie grabs her and I continue to feed Linc. After 10 minutes or so I finish up and go out to find Jamie wrestling with Amelia, while she screams (which I could hear in the dressing room several feet away). I told him I would pay for what I had and then go to the car. I go to the car and finish feeding Lincoln while Amelia calms down with some Chex Mix I luckily had with me.

We then head to dinner at El Vaquero, luckily there was no wait, woohoo! We go to the table and don't even attempt to put Amelia in a booster or high chair, even though we asked for one. She prefers to kneel or stand in the booth, whatever makes her scream less. We get chips and salsa w/in seconds and immediately Amelia digs in. Well, then she decides she wants to dip the chips in the salsa, BuT not eat it. So, we move the salsa (tantrum #10, maybe?). Then she wants Jamie's water, sans lid. He hands it to her to get her to stop practically screaming for it. W/in minutes Jamie spills it while leaning over to help Amelia with something. He's immediately irritated, rightfully so, and wants to get our dinner to go. I encourage him to stay and we order. We asked the waitress to put a rush on her dinner to distract her; it came after ours and we had to ask for it. Awesome. Oh, and while delivering our food the waiter spills another glass of water everywhere. Luckily, this one did not go onto our seats. We attempt to rush through dinner, to avoid several more mishaps and/or meltdowns. Amelia eats a few fries, some grapes (I packed) and 1/2 her yogurt. Once I start packing up her dinner, she immediately demands it. ::severe irritation setting in::

We get to our car and put both kiddos inside. The entire ride home consisted of "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy", "What?!" And, then babbling. Next it was "Daddy, Daddy..." you get the idea. Its amazing all 4 of us survived w/o some sort of Prozac or psychotic break.

A Cherry on Top

2010-08-08T21:05:00.000-04:00

So a few months ago, I saw a discount for an etsy shop 'A Cherry on Top', on www.neverpayretailagain.net. I cannot remember the exact discount, but I think it was like 15% off with free shipping. So because I lurve a good deal, I bit and looked at some of the products offered. They were incredibly cute and I was hooked on buying one for Amelia's big girl pillow, which she had just started using. I think all in all I paid around $18.00 or something (my memory isn't so good these days w/ 2 babies). Well it arrived and I was not only impressed with the product, but incredibly impressed with the packaging of the product. I took a few pictures of it all in order to blog about it (just now getting around to that). Here are the pictures:

This is the inside packaging of the pillowcase (i.e. inside the mailing envelope).

This is the actual embroidering of Amelia's name in the colors I chose.

This is an embroidered "tag" on the other side of the pillowcase.

I just checked her shop (www.acherryontop.etsy.com) and unfortunately she's closed for the summer. But later this month she's supposed to reopen and I encourage you to check out the products b/c they're all extremely cute! I may even buy one for little Lincoln, even if it is a little girly (despite the boy color schemes she offers :)). And, for those of you who aren't familiar with etsy itself (www.etsy.com), please familiarize yourself with the site because there are TONS and TONS of adorably cute homemade gear for all.

10

2010-08-05T15:17:00.000-04:00

That is the number my daughter can count to; is that crazy or what?! The other day I was laying in bed w/ her (I wasn't feeling well from yet another clogged duct) and we were watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (a little something to keep her from being a monkey in the bed :)). Mickey and his friends stacked blocks up and Amelia pointed to the screen and began counting...and she counted to EIGHT without any assistance from me or the characters. I think if someone had taken a picture they would have seen my jaw drop open. Anyway, I dropped her off w/ the sitter that day since I was feeling so lousy and Jamie picked her up. He returned home and immediately asked if I knew she could count to 10. I replied, "Yes, as of this morning I did." :) He said on his way home he began counting w/ her and she went all the way to 10. Now, we think its more of a memorization and not actual counting, but either way we're darn proud! :)

First Smile!

2010-07-31T09:18:00.000-04:00

Lincoln has already smiled, and in fact we swear he started smiling LAST WEEK at almost 2 weeks!! I didn't believe it at first so I just "ignored" it, but he did it again this week and then yesterday. And, its not while he's sleeping. :) He smiles when I'm talking to him. Its of course the cutest thing! I actually managed to catch it on my cell phone camera a few times yesterday as proof. See for yourself.

He actually beat his sister to this milestone; she was 3 weeks when she first smiled at Daddy playing Pat-a-Cake. He was actually 2 weeks and 4 days when he smiled at me earlier this week, but these pictures are from yesterday at 2 weeks and 6 days. So, he's 3 weeks old today!! Time is already flying fast, but I'm used to that by now. Used to it, but not happy about it. :(

I did take some 2 weeks pictures last week and I think they turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. :) Here are my favorites.

First week of insanity

2010-07-23T13:37:00.000-04:00

This past Monday thru today was my first week home with two rugrats under two. Eh, it wasn't that bad; however, I did have a few moments of complete insanity (I'll spare you the details). Amelia is a fairly independent child who actually plays independently rather well throughout the day. She does, however, call for me....oh, I don't know....1000x's/day. :-/ I hear her saying "Mommee" in my sleep I hear it so much now. It is cute, but I'm seriously thinking of changing my name to something like Rumplestiltskin. It might take her a few years to master that one. :)

Lincoln is growing, I think. He still looks minute next to his big sister. He still sleeps, a lot. So much so I have no idea what to expect in the future because I can't remember if Amelia slept as much at his age. He sleeps in bed with us (gasp!), but I have put him in his cradle twice now for a few hours. During the day he either sleeps in my hotsling or in the pnp. He is still breastfeeding well, but I've hit a small bump in the road with it. I'm feeling better overall, but fear the original problem is still there and it just might re-manifest itself once I'm through my 7 days of antibiotics. :( I will try to stay optimistic and hope it clears up soon.

I have no new pictures to share at this time as I'm lazy and haven't uploaded the latest. I do have to admit, sheepishly, that I am not as diligent about capturing every tiny detail of Lincoln's first few weeks as I was with Amelia. I hope he someday can forgive me in therapy. :) And, most of the pictures I do take are of the both of them together. Amelia will have thousands (no lie) of just herself to admire and share as an adult while Lincoln will always look like he's spoken for by his sister, as I do my own brother. :) But, stay tuned, I hope to have new ones the next time I post (whenever that might be). In the meantime, wish me another semi-sane 11 weeks to go!

The first week

2010-07-16T12:04:00.000-04:00

Well as of tomorrow it'll be one week since Lincoln arrived in "style" and changed our lives once again. So far, and I'm trying to say this quietly while knocking on wood, things have been going well. Mainly because my husband has been off this week so Amelia is still getting a lot of attention and I can tend to Lincoln and his frequent nursing needs. :) Jamie returns to work on Tues so we'll see if all you know what breaks loose after then.

Amelia has become the doting big sister and constantly wants to hold, kiss, cover him with a blanket or give him a "bubby" (her name for her pacifier). She's learning to be gentle and becoming quite good at it. She's poked him in the eye once or twice and she's stopped always trying to touch his soft spot. As I mentioned, so far she's had a lot of attention and I wonder how she'll react next week when its just her and I. Wish me luck.

Lincoln is doing great. He had his first pediatrician appt this previous Tues and he weighed the same as his discharge weight (7'7"), but it was only 48 hours after his discharge. We only stayed in the hospital one night b/c I felt so good and ready to go home so we could all be together. Lincoln sleeps in 2-4 hours stretches, the longer stretches tend to be during the day. He had one night of terrible fussiness, but since then I've implemented the Happiest Baby on the Block tips and it quiets him quickly and he's ready for bed w/in an hour of his evening peak. If you have a newborn or are expecting, I HIGHLY recommend this DVD. It is a lifesaver for those "witching" hours. He nurses a lot and (pardon the frankness) my nipples HURT!! I've been medicating them with various things and hoping the pain will subside soon so my toes can stop curling each time he latches on.

I plan to post a few more details over time re: Lincoln's unexpected home birth so stay tuned for those. For now, I'll leave you with a few pictures of our first week together. Our photographer is coming tonight to take pictures of him and us. She came and photographed Amelia in the hospital shortly after her arrival and the pictures turned out great! So I'm expecting the same this time around as she and her husband also photographed our wedding.

Lincoln's Birth Story, the uncut version

2010-07-13T12:46:00.000-04:00

Wow…where to even begin since I’m still trying to remember all the details myself and I have different flashbacks throughout the days since his birth (all 3 days). I will warn you, this will probably be long because as you all know I love details! :) Plus, I want this documented so I can tell Lincoln when he’s old enough to understand.

Well, most of you already know little Lincoln was a few days late and it was driving Momma NUTS! I was still at work, past my due date, being hounded by the “You’re still here?!” comments every 5 minutes (grrr!). I finally got serious about the situation and walked with my neighbor two nights in a row (Thurs & Fri) for about 45 minutes/walk. I was willing to do pretty much anything to get him moving on out!

Anyway, Fri night I walked and went to bed as normal around 11:00 pm. I woke up shortly before 5:00 am and thought I felt what might have been a contraction. It was fairly mild and I wasn’t about to get my hopes up over nothing. I also didn’t know if it was a contraction because I had all back labor with Amelia and this felt completely different. I went to the bathroom and returned to bed thinking, “Well I should at least rest just in case.” I felt the feeling to use the restroom again so I did, noticed a tiny amount of blood, but I again returned to bed. I felt another cramp or two and finally got up and thought, “I’ll at least start timing these things just in case.” I walked down into the living room and googled Contraction Master and started timing them. I also wondered if I could take a Tylenol to take the edge off the cramping, so I googled that as well. To no avail, I found no information about taking Tylenol during contractions. My OB later joked it wouldn't have helped. :) My contractions were coming about every 7-8 minutes initially lasting 30-45 seconds. Over the course of a few minutes the contractions became slightly more uncomfortable and more frequent, especially if I stood up. I also felt mini gushes of water, which I believed might have been my water breaking. I decided to take a shower, again just in case, and returned upstairs. Jamie was asleep the entire time, even throughout my shower. I think this was around 5:25 am that I went upstairs. I was in the shower and the cramping became increasingly more painful and more frequent. I got out of the shower and immediately sat on the toilet. It felt better sitting there and I was reassured in case anything happened to fall out. LOL. As I was sitting down more of my water gushed onto the floor and my just washed right foot (yuck!). I began to yell for Jamie and he finally woke up. I told him to shower quickly because I was sure I was in labor. At 5:54 am (cell phone records rock!) I called my Mom and told her to hurry because as she said, “It [was] happening.” I then called my OB’s office at 6:09 am and talked to the answering service. While sitting there trying to breathe and distract myself through the contractions, my OB left a voicemail (it never rang in).

This is when it becomes fuzzy. Amelia woke up while Jamie was showering and I couldn’t get up to get her. I also couldn’t get up for more than a few seconds at a time. At one point I laid on the bed and thought I might vomit so I returned to the bathroom. I also grabbed underwear so I was somewhat dressed to go. :) Jamie came out of the bathroom and grabbed Amelia; he set her on our bed to watch cartoons while he finished getting ready. She sat on our bed throughout the ordeal until my parents arrived. At one point Jamie said she was as far as she could go on the bed trying to peek in at all the commotion. I was telling him to grab various things I had not yet packed as I sat on the toilet and struggled through each contraction. I wondered how I was going to make it from the toilet to the car, while getting dressed, because I was convinced I could not get up for more than a few seconds. I made him bring in a fan because I was sweating from the pain. At one point I felt a strong urge to push and Jamie gave me a deer in headlights look and I reassured him it was something else, although I wasn’t quite sure myself. A minute or so later another urge came along and I asked him to look if he saw anything. He looked and immediately said, “Oh my god, YES!” He asked what should he do and I told him to call 911. As he was racing off for a phone, running past the one laying on our bathroom floor, I got into the bathtub. He returned to the bathroom, I was sitting in the tub and Lincoln was starting to crown. The dispatcher told him to grab a clean towel to wipe his face and mouth. Of course, Jamie grabbed one of the good towels and began wiping off all that gunk (double yuck!). After he grabbed the second good towel I yelled at him and made him get a different one. LOL. Lincoln also had the cord ½-way wrapped around his neck and we both unwrapped it from him. His shoulders, body and legs followed within a minute or two of that and we wrapped him in the towel and I held him since we were still “attached.” Throughout the birth Jamie kept yelling “Oh my god!” I yelled for him to stop saying that and I later learned the dispatcher repeatedly told him to calm down as well. :) However, I think if I were in his shoes I would have freaked out just as much. Anyway, the dispatcher told him to grab something to tie off the umbilical cord 6” from his body; Jamie grabbed a shoelace from one of my shoes and we proceeded to tie it off the best we could. I now remember being terrified when it started happening and I told Jamie I couldn’t stop it; but, once it began it was such a relief since the pain and pressure subsided as he was born. We learned later the time of birth was 6:27 am, which was provided by the dispatcher on the phone with Jamie.

Jamie remained on the phone with the dispatcher and then I heard someone outside because the dog was barking. He ran downstairs and greeted my Mom and step-Dad outside and informed them of what happened. My Mom ran up to see me and immediately freaked out. She asked what to do and at that point I was feeling just fine because the pain/pressure was gone and Lincoln was out breathing on my chest. I told her to call my OB’s office again and tell them what happened. She called them at 6:33 am and my OB called back 4 minutes later. My OB asked a few questions and then just told my Mom he would see us at Riverside Hospital. In the meantime, Jamie returned downstairs and flagged down the squad aimlessly searching for our house.

As my Mom was finishing up the phone call with my OB, the medics arrived. I don’t think they knew what to expect because they all looked somewhat dumbfounded when they saw me and Lincoln and the guy in charge said, “Ummmm…we’re going to need another medic.” Here I am sitting there naked, barely covered by a towel that was meant for Lincoln and my bathroom, bedroom, and my hair were all a hot mess (I had washed it, but hadn’t combed it and naturally curly hair doesn’t dry well on its own). Yes, I’m that vain. :) Goes to show you never know when people may unexpectedly see the rooms you never want anyone to see! Anyway, the medics began checking out Lincoln and cleaning him up better. They sunctioned his mouth and gave him oxygen, which helped his color go from white to pink. They clamped and cut his cord and continued to monitor him. They devised a game plan on how to get us out of the room and into the squad. They took Lincoln and then 2 guys hoisted me out of the tub, covered by nothing but blankets, and then they carried me down our stairs out the front door on a stretcher. As I was passing the upstairs landing my brother stood there also in a daze; he had stayed the night and didn’t even hear the commotion before Jamie woke him up. As I was wheeled outside, I saw my step-Dad holding Amelia on our driveway and she began saying, “Mommy.” At that point I teared up and I think finally started processing what had happened. I waved to her and told her I loved her and they wheeled me into the squad. I also saw a fire truck and another medic truck (I think) on our street with the lights on. I wondered if any of our neighbors had noticed because it was only about 7:00 am.

Once inside the medic, I saw my Mom holding Lincoln. My Mom was holding oxygen over his face, but overall he was doing great! Jamie followed us in my car and I called my sister from the squad using one of the medic’s phones. The guys were all so great and nice and I later learned only 1 out of 6 had ever handled an accidental home birth. We arrived to Riverside and were wheeled in through the ER. We went straight to L&D where I saw my OB waiting for me with this incredulous look on his face. I reminded him he told me he would see me today and he nodded his head and laughed. Back story: While at my last OB appointment on 7/6/10 he scheduled to induce me on 7/15/10, but then pointed to Saturday on his calendar and said he would probably see me then. :) He was right, but he didn’t know he wouldn’t have to do ½ of his job.

Lincoln weighed in at 7 lb and 10 oz, he measured 20” in length and his head was 14” around. I was a bit surprised because I was convinced he would be smaller than Amelia since he came out without the assistance of pain meds (ouch!). He was a little more in weight (5 oz) and length (2”), but I think their heads were about the same. He has done great so far, no lasting effects from the trauma of the 1-½ hours of labor and delivery. Yep, you read that right; he was born 1 hour and approximately 30 minutes after the first noticeable contraction. His face is slightly bruised because of his “fast descent”, but nothing significant. He is breastfeeding great and sleeps most of the time. Big sister is either fascinated or oblivious to him. Of course, I’m taking plenty of pictures; although, I didn’t have my camera initially at the hospital due to leaving in such a rush. Thankfully, my OB had a new cell phone with an awesome camera so he snapped a few for us at the hospital. My OB told me the next day I was the talk of the hospital, which surprises me since its the number 1 hospital for birthing babies in Ohio (at least it has been in the past). My OB already jokes about inducing me a week early IF we have another baby; doubtful. :) All the nurses at the hospital were talking about it as well; they called me their “hero.” I tried to convince them all it was not intentional and I would have loved the epidural if given the chance! :)

Thanks for reading and I apologize for the length. I also apologize if it seems a little choppy; as I mentioned I keep remembering more and more details.

He's here!

2010-07-11T21:44:00.000-04:00

Lincoln Allen Brumfield arrived 7/10/10 6:27 am in the "comforts" of the bathtub...at home! It was completely unplanned, unscripted, unassisted and definitely unmedicated! He weighed 7 lb 10 oz and measured 20" long. The time of his birth came from the dispatcher who walked Jamie through the birthing and the measurements came about an hour after his birth once we were transported to Riverside. I plan to post a full story in the next few days (I hope!). Two under two is already a struggle, hopefully things will adjust into a "routine" soon enough. :)

For now, here are a few pictures following his roller coaster of an arrival! :)

14 days!

2010-06-23T20:43:00.001-04:00

I cannot believe I'm only 14 days from having another baby! Of course, I know there is some variation to the actual date, but being that close regardless is mind-boggling! I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions and they are bit more intense than the ones that started a few weeks ago; they also seem to be more frequent. I'm wondering if this is the start of something or just another discomfort I'll have to endure the next several days until the real thing starts. And so, the waiting game starts. This time I seem more in-tune with my body and what its doing, maybe b/c I'm more anxious about getting this over with! I'm also scared out of my mind and wonder if I'll be able to handle two under two (2U2). I guess only time will tell.

Speaking of my little girl, she hit a major milestone tonight (IMO). She spoon-fed herself applesauce. Now she's been using a fork for sometime, but hadn't quite mastered the scoop & feed and usually just stabbed her foods. Tonight I was feeding her the applesauce (with calcium) she has most nights and she insisted on trying it herself. She did it immediately and didn't drop one drop! I just sat there in amazement and almost cried thinking of how big she's become. :( I wonder daily how she'll react to another baby in the house since she's been our complete focus the past 20 months (yes, that was yesterday's milestone). I know she'll love him in the end, but its the initial reaction that scares me most. She's such a Momma's girl, which I love. <3

I would post new pictures, but my camera/memory card is still on the fritz. I ordered a new memory card so we'll see if that helps with future pictures, but I still have @ 100 pictures to upload on my current memory card. As soon as its up & running, I'll post some new ones. :)

Camera trouble

2010-06-17T19:24:00.000-04:00

Since we took Amelia to the Zoo I have not been able to upload any new pictures. Every time I try, I get the error "Communication Error" similar to the picture on the right, but it shows on my camera instead of my computer screen. I thought maybe my camera was overloaded with pictures so slowly, and painstakingly, I began deleting already uploaded, "unimportant" pictures. So far, no luck. However, we keep taking pictures so this may be part of the problem. I have probably 20-30, or more, pictures to upload and I'm getting antsy. Maybe tomorrow I'll take it to Best Buy and see if they can fix it, without losing any photos. I know its not my computer, the USB cord, or the USB port, so it must be the camera or the memory card. :( Does anyone have any ideas, other than taking it in to have it fixed?? I hate not being able to upload pictures, its something I do weekly so I can share w/ everyone. :)

In pregnancy news, I am officially full term! That means, baby boy can make his appearance any time now with no complications. I do prefer he give me at least one more week so I can work and try to get things done b/f leaving my co-workers in a lurch. I have no idea when I'll deliver, but I'm already 2 cm and half-way thinned (effaced). I am still having Braxton Hicks, but I ignore them most of the time b/c they really don't mean anything at this point. I am curious how labor might present itself this time. Last time with Amelia it started with a not-so-pleasant bloody show and then a few hours later back labor ensued. Only time will tell, and I'm sure once the dust settles I'll blog about it here for keepsake purposes. :)

Wish me luck and thanks for reading!

I feel so honored...

2010-05-30T21:39:00.000-04:00

I officially have 5 (non-private) followers, and I rarely update this thing! :) Thanks to those who found me and added me to your VIP list. I hope to do better in the future, buuuuuut I can't make any promises.

<--I found this image when googling "followers" and I thought it was funny. Not making fun of my followers, b/c I am 110% flattered, but it made me laugh since FB/Twitter are the hottest things right now and seem to have everyone captivated...at least in my area. :)

I do have new news, if you aren't already a friend of mine on FB or see me on "my website" as Jamie refers to it, but I am now on modified bed-rest. I was put on MBR, as I'll refer to it, b/c I'm contracting so much (Braxton Hicks b/c they are painless). The contractions are not yet affecting my dilation, but I am 70% effaced. I get checked again on Tues so we'll see if there is any change b/t now and then. I only hope he stays in there long enough to be born healthy and not pre-term (i.e. b/f 37 weeks). Wish me luck!

Oh, and I would post new pictures, but my USB cord or something is on the fritz and I cannot upload any recent pictures. :(

I'm "Published!" :)

2010-05-18T20:01:00.000-04:00

One of my friends I met via a Mom chat website started a very cool Blog for clean eating. Well she asked me recently to write an "article" about my experience in cutting out dairy when I suspected Amelia was allergic. I was happy to oblige b/c I remember my experience in trying to determine if Amelia was allergic and how frustrating it was. I did a lot of research in the beginning on symptoms and the difference b/t a dairy allergy and lactose intolerance; Amelia is definitely allergic based on her symptoms and her intolerance of dairy (not just lactose). I also initially suspected it was reflux b/f I wanted to consider an allergy. Can you tell I didn't want to give up my dairy?! :) In the end, I determined she is allergic to dairy. Its still not officially diagnosed, but she is scheduled for allergy testing in 2 weeks to determine if she has other allergies or not. I currently suspect a strawberry allergy. Unfortunately, food allergies run heavily in my family (i.e. dairy, soy, strawberries, shrimp, yeast, crab and that's it for now).

I know this is my first post in a really.long.time and for that I apologize. I know many of you were waiting with abated breath for my next post (I kid, I kid). :) Things are going well on my end. Amelia is growing like a weed and saying more and more words everyday! She also repeats 99% of what we say, so we're definitely watching our mouths right now. Her attitude, jury still out on whether good or bad, is definitely developing. Some days she's sweet as pie and other days she acts possessed yelling "Noooooo!" and hitting. :-/ I'm sure its just a phase and we're handling it the best we can (spanking, whippings, etc.)...j/k!

I am still pregnant, yes, still! I'm 33 weeks, but I really feel like 43 weeks. I can only hope Baby Boy makes his entrance a tad early, say 2 weeks. I don't want him too early, but anytime after he can be born healthy is fine w/ me! Although, I know life as I know it will turn upside-down and I may want to run away after a few days. :) I'm preparing for a nice long maternity leave (13 weeks), and I'm still working my tail off...for now. This pregnancy has definitely been harder; Amelia's was a breeze. I have more aches and pains, weight gain in different areas, and the baby has sat lower almost the entire time. He also likes using my bladder as a punching bag. Oy. He moves a lot and he is more forceful than I remember Amelia to be. I can't wait to meet him, even if I may want to pull my hair out shortly thereafter. Wish me luck! I promise (fingers crossed) to post something else again soon.

I suck...

2010-03-28T17:16:00.000-04:00

at blogging. That is all.

Chatty Cathy, er I mean Amelia

2010-03-05T21:38:00.000-05:00

Its been a while since I updated my blog and especially long since I updated anything in reference to our darling baby girl. Well for starters, she's not much of a baby these days (unless you count the tantrums). She walks, talks, dances, grins mischievously, and puts herself to sleep (most nights...::knock on wood::). She also has teensy attitude, and did I mention the tantrums? :) She really isn't bad; they typically only last 30-60 seconds and she can be distracted fairly easily. However, she does throw them rather quickly and over the smallest things.

Anyway, she is becoming quite the talker. We had friends stop over yesterday and from the minute they walked in the door she walked right up to them and started jibber jabbering away! It was amazing. She says a lot of words (apple, baby, ball, banana, elephant, bear, cat, dog, eye, ear, nose, mouth, hair, thank you, cookie, juice, Mommy, Daddy, names of various individuals we know, car, duck, shoes, socks, fish, etc.). The list of words she can say is quite endless. She is also a mimic; we can ask her to say a word and 99% of the time she'll say it back. Due to this recent revelation, we've been watching our language a bit more these days. :)

Well recently, we've noticed she's starting to say short sentences. At first I poo-poo'ed the idea thinking, "No, it can't be." Well it is. She will say "I want up," "I want juice," among other short sentences (my mind is drawing a blank right now). She really is quite the talker, which makes me wonder if the next baby will be mute, LOL.

Speaking of baby #2, things are going well with him. He moves quite frequently and I *think* he can be felt on the outside, sometimes. Jamie has yet to feel him move, but these days there isn't much time to just sit and wait to feel the baby move. We're slowly preparing for his arrival, but the nursery is still not even touched nor do we have bedding. So far, we have a crib, changing table, and some clothes I picked up on clearance and consignment. I'm a bargain shopper! :)

Snakes, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails!

2010-02-17T19:58:00.001-05:00

That's right, you guessed it...baby #2 is a BOY!! :) We're very lucky the ultrasound also showed a very healthy baby, but we're also thrilled to finally know the sex. He's right on track for his 7/7/2010 due date, so let's hope he makes a timely entrance as his sister did. We have selected a name, but we plan to wait a little long before revealing it to everyone; sorry! But rest assured, its as cute as our name selection Amelia. :)

Now that we know we're expecting a boy, the planning can begin. :) Jamie wants to decorate the room in scarlet and grey, but I'm not so sure yet. I am more of a neutral girl and would love just a plain blue/tan baby room and then later we can get more specific with the Buckeye theme. We will definitely try to compromise...I'm sure.

Big sister, Amelia, is definitely unaware of the impending arrival, but we know she'll love him from day 1. She continues to amaze us daily with her personality and "knowledge." She's quick to pick up on the words we use, therefore we must be careful in what we say now. :) She also speaks full (babble) sentences, which I know will transition into non-stop, actual chatter soon enough. Currently she's going through a growth spurt, I think, b/c she's eating non-stop and consuming bigger proportions. Which makes me sad b/c I know she won't be little forever. :(

Another carrier; this time a sling

2010-02-09T21:20:00.000-05:00

So I purchased another carrier for Amelia and the new baby. I've been looking for a carrier more geared towards newborns and the one I found is perfect! It can be used now for Amelia and also for the new baby once s/he arrives. Its called a hotsling and they're fairly popular with baby-wearing Momma's. I didn't consider one until I found it 50% off at Buy Buy Baby! It was marked down from $60 to $30 so I was instantly hooked. :)

The sizing was a little confusing and after much debate with Amelia's DCP and an exchange the day after my initial purchase, I decided on a size 2; this is not indicative of the clothing size I wear. :) The sizing chart is a little confusing, so I want to caution those considering a sling like this. The best way to determine your size is to measure from your shoulder to the opposite hip in inches and the chart will guide you to the size you need. I measured approximately 22.5", which was between a 1 and a 2. The 1 was tight, so I opted for a 2.

I've used it a few times with Amelia so far. She actually likes it; it probably has to do with her DCP also wearing her in one periodically. Its amazingly comfortable and convenient. I can't wait to wear the new baby in it! The picture included is me wearing the size 5, which is way too big. The size 2 is more snug and Amelia sits in it w/o any assistance or support from me. I love the fabric too; its girly with the flower design, but boyish with the blue colors. :)

Also, ONE more week until the big ultrasound!!!!

Two weeks from today...

2010-02-02T19:49:00.000-05:00

We will find out the sex of baby #2! Jamie, of course, is hoping for a boy, but honestly I don't have a preference one way or the other. I always wanted one of each, but now that we have a girl and we have all girl stuff it might be easier to have another girl. :) I think we have the names decided for both sexes, at least I do. Jamie is not yet convinced, maybe because we don't know the sex. I think I have pretty good history of name selection; I did choose Amelia, and then it was given the seal of approval by Daddy. However, the name won't be revealed until the baby is born! For some reason I'm weird in that I love my name choice so much I don't want to share it with others for fear they'll use it and "steal" it! :)

I am now in week 18 and according to my scale I've barely gained any weight since my last OB appointment (which I had lost 2 lbs per their scale). I swear I'm not dieting or restricting calories. If anything, I'm eating more than I normally do and not skipping the sweets! Maybe this baby needs more calories, who knows. I just hope I don't jinx myself and start gaining 1lb/day anytime soon. :) I'm Ok with the lack of weight gain, b/c as most of you know I could afford not to gain some lb's! Here is my latest bump picture and you can see there's definitely a bump! I am finally showing, and it is earlier than Amelia. I'm still able to wear most of my pre-pregnancy pants, but my shirts are a little more questionable. I prefer wearing form-fitting, long shirts instead of those tents most popular in the 80's. :-/ I also prefer my stomach doesn't stick out of the bottom like most young girls in the 00's. :) If anyone knows of a good maternity sale, please pass it along. I stalk the Target clearance racks since maternity wear only last a few months, but I'm still in search for a few classic items. Thanks!

Terrible Blogger!

2010-01-26T21:21:00.000-05:00

I've been a bad blogger recently. And I really have no excuse b/c I have plenty to blog about and some time in the evenings, but its pure laziness preventing me from blogging my days away. :) I hope you can understand.

I promise to blog something worth-while sometime in the next week. Maybe another baby bump picture b/c one is definitely popping out these days! :) Or if you want to give me ideas, please do share!!

OB Appointment

2010-01-12T20:46:00.000-05:00

So I had another OB appointment today; actually, I shouldn't say another one b/c it makes it seem like I've had several when this was only my 3rd visit and with Amelia this would have been my 4th or 5th already. Per my OB I know what I'm doing so I don't need seen as often...I guess that's ok. :)

Anyway, I was excited to learn my BP is great (106/60), my weight went DOWN (2 lbs), and the baby's heartbeat was WNL (156)! And, our anatomy u/s is scheduled!! 2/16/2010 at 12:30 pm!! I'm so excited and I can't believe its only 5 weeks away. INSANE!

In other pregnancy news I could have sworn my baby bump was sticking out recently, but I made Jamie take the obligatory bump photo and its barely noticeable. They say you show sooner the 2nd time around, but I'm not so sure yet...at least for myself.
You be the judge-->
And of course I had to snag a photo with Amelia. She definitely needs documented in these bump photos since she'll be the big sis! :)

Also, I'm feeling great! The nausea has subsided, thankfully and I can eat healthy again (the nausea made me crave greasy, fatty goods and nothing good)! In other big news, I can eat dairy again! YAY!!!

My three favorite "words"

2010-01-05T21:22:00.001-05:00

Amelia is talking up a storm these days and her recent vocabulary has me laughing and reveling on a daily basis! She says "Ow," "Thank you" and she attempts to say "Elephant" which comes out as "Ella." However, tonight we swear she said the entire word. We have no idea why she's so fascinated with elephants, but she is mesmerized with the pictures and can't practice saying the word enough. Now that we discovered her love of elephants we show her pictures, videos and TV shows (we can find) about elephants. Its too cute watching her little face light up!

Probably my favorite word she's saying is "Ow!" She initially said it when Jamie lit a fire in our fireplace b/c we were teaching her "hot." She now says it frequently, including when she hits me or pulls my hair. I can't help but laugh and encourage it, often. :)

The last phrase that has become a favorite is "Thank you," which she's been saying for some time now. She picked up on it from us; every time she handed us something we responded with "Thank you." Now she says it when she hands us something. Its.the.cutest!

In other news, check out my new ticker! Yep, you saw it right, I'm pregnant again!! :-)

Season's Greetings!

2009-12-12T18:34:00.000-05:00

I mailed our Christmas cards earlier this week and I below is a copy of the card I designed on www.seehere.com. It turned out great, although the best part is the two pictures of my adorable baby girl! :) And before you ask, I took the pictures (of her) in my kitchen with a white sheet and a piece of glass. I did have to order two batches (both free with two different codes) because the first set cut off part of the design (my faulty designing), but the 2nd set was perfect!

I hope everyone has a great holiday season!

Oh, and as an update to my post the other day about Christmas shopping...still slacking in that department. :( I hope to accomplish a few things tomorrow however; wish me luck!

Christmas Shopping

2009-12-09T21:35:00.001-05:00

This used to be something I had a great time doing. I love picking out gifts I know my family will enjoy and seeing the looks on their faces when they open them. However, last year and this year it might be the most dreaded task on my list of things to do. Before Amelia arrived I would shop during work hours (on lunch of course!), after work and on the weekends. Now, my work is so busy I rarely have time to eat, let alone shop, after work I race home to spend every minute I can with my darling baby girl and the weekends are full of chores I didn't complete during the week. Please someone tell me where I might be able to fit my shopping in?!? I do have off 12/23 and 12/24, but I'm sure you all know these are the two worst shopping days and the stores are filled with slackers! :) Hopefully I'll find the time to knock a few gifts off my list and I won't be running around last minute buying thoughtless gifts. :-/

I would love to post a picture of Amelia, but I haven't uploaded the most recent. Next time, I promise. :)

Tree is up!

2009-11-29T16:25:00.000-05:00

We hosted Thanksgiving this past week so I put up our tree in honor of the holiday. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know Thanksgiving has nothing to do w/ Christmas, but they're so close together on the calendar and I just can't help myself. :) I love our Christmas tree and would love to have it up year-round; however, Jamie is Mr. Scrooge and he dreads the holidays and can frequently be overheard saying "Bah Humbug."

This year I was a bit apprehensive about putting up the tree mainly b/c we now have a 1-year old walking/running around the house and into everything. So far it hasn't been disastrous, but there are still several weeks to go. :) Amelia is fascinated with the ornaments and she often touches them and yanks on them. I only hung non-breakable ornaments w/in her reach and I put them on so they can't come off too easily. The tree is pretty sturdy so I have no fear of it toppling on her. We did snap a few pictures Thanksgiving day of her in front of the tree. Notice the new LED lights I purchased this year; I'm still adjusting to the blue-ish tint, but it is growing on me slowly.

This one turned out the best, IMO.

Here she is holding the FAO Schwartz teddy bear I bought in NYC while in HS.

Here she is w/ our dog, Bella; I took the picture with the wrong flash, hence the bright tree and no lights.

My Birthday

2009-11-19T18:06:00.000-05:00

So my 32nd birthday was last week; this post was originally written just a day later, but time has flown and I don't seem to have the energy to keep up. :) Anyways, for the first time ever I didn't wake up with the initial thought of "Its my birthday!" I guess that's what happens when you have an adorable baby girl to dote on 24/7. :) My birthday was greeted with the hubby saying the obligatory "Happy Birthday," but then I received two gifts; one from him - an OSU white hoodie, love it(!) and a "Mommy & Me" frame from Amelia. I did work on my birthday, but thankfully it was a short day (only 5 hours, whoops!). I had lunch with my Mom; we went to the Mohawk in German Village. I had the greatest chicken salad wrap, even if it did have celery in it. :) I didn't have any birthday dessert, mainly b/c everything I want I can't have since I'm still avoiding dairy. :( Sooner or later this won't be the case, but for now its what is best for Amelia and I'm willing to sacrifice a little bit longer. I digress; for dinner Jamie made my my favorite spaghetti dinner. All in all it was a great birthday and I'm thankful to have such a great family to share in it with me!

Kiss of death

2009-11-10T09:16:00.000-05:00

So all day yesterday Jamie bragged about Amelia's great sleep the past few days. I warned him against it & told him what would happen, yet he didn't heed my advice. And I imagine you can all guess what happened; yep, that's right, she didn't sleep thru the night. She woke up around 2:00 am & it took over an hour before she fell asleep again. Ugh. This morning I feel awful; my eyelids are heavy, my head hurts and I'm just plain exhausted! This morning I told him "I told you so" & he just said I was being superstitious. Yeah, he'll learn...I hope.

Out of ideas...for now

2009-11-07T21:31:00.001-05:00

For days now I've tried to come up with some ideas to blog, yet my mind is blank. I have something in the wings, but it'll have to wait a while. ;-) Until then, I apologize for my lack of posts, as I know most of you are so anxiously waiting to see what's new with me and most importantly Amelia.

Nothing new on my end, but Amelia did cut a molar this week. Today she's been snotty and running a low grade fever; I don't know if its due to teething or an actual illness. Overall she acts fine and it hasn't really slowed her down. To prove it; here are a few adorable pictures I took of her today. She was given the balloon at our dinner last night and its been so fascinating to her ever since. She also began saying "Thank You" this week, but as of recently she's mum about it again. She goes back and forth with her words; one day she'll be saying something over and over again and the next day its as if she's never heard the word. She's always keeping us guessing that's for sure!

We hope to have her 1-year pictures taken tomorrow, 2 weeks later. However, she has another boo-boo; a bruise on her upper lip and two marks under her bottom lip from taking a tumble at the sitter. I'm also a little weary b/c of her fever and snotty nose today. Now I regret not having them taken 2 weeks ago when we originally scheduled them; she'll be going on 2 b/f they're done.

And to wrap things up, did you watch that game today?! Buckeyes tromped Penn State!! It was unexpected, but definitely deserved. Go Bucks!!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T17:14:00.000-05:00

Amelia's 2nd Halloween was yesterday and I do believe she had much more fun this time versus last year. If you can remember, this is her from last year:

She was only 9 days old and still so new!! Above is her scary ghost impression. :)

This year she was much more active and interested in the festivities. We dressed her up, let her walk around the house for a bit, she greeted trick-or-treat'ers, and then we took her out so the neighbors could ooooh and awwww over her. :) We were accompanied by my Mom and Amelia's three cousins. Amelia was a good sport riding in her Red Flyer wagon and holding her light-up pumpkin and juice cup the whole time. She only tried to escape a few times, thank goodness for the seat belt. :)

She didn't score any candy, although several neighbors tried to give her some. Unfortunately her milk allergy prevents her from having most of the candy being handed out, plus she's still just a baby and all that sugar is unnecessary. We walked for approximately an hour while my nieces filled their bags with goodies and Amelia watched from her cozy seat.Here she is in her bee costume. I bought it at Once Upon a Child for $6!!

And here she is modeling her new, hand-crafted OSU trick-or-treat bag. Thanks Kimberly!!!

I hope you all had as great of a Halloween. My husband can attest it is one of my favorite holidays!! Happy Halloween, one day later. :)

1st Year Pictures

2009-10-24T08:56:00.000-04:00

I know you're all anxiously waiting to see Amelia's 1st year pictures, or at least I think you are (LOL!), but we decided to put them off for a week. We made this decision for two reasons; one, we're extremely busy with all the other activities we have planned this weekend and two, because she still has that nasty bruise on the bridge of her nose and we want it to heal before photographing the evidence. J/K!! So we plan to do them next weekend when things are less hectic.

Today we're preparing for tomorrow's party. That includes cooking, cleaning and pulling out our hair in the process! Whoever voluntarily chooses to host a 30+ people (1/2 being kids!) at their house needs their head examined, so I'm signing myself for one later today! :-) Once its over I'll breathe easy, but until then I might just have to drink lots of wine. J/K, maybe. ;-)

And for those of you who missed the 1st birthday photos here are a few we took that day:

Me and her waiting for the baby judging contest, with her birthday sign.

Drinking her juice in her adorable outfit.

The priceless look on her face when presented with her birthday cupcake!

And her adorable face when she realized it was hers! :)

One Year Ago Today!

2009-10-22T13:16:00.000-04:00

Our little girl burst into our lives at exactly 9:46 am. She weighed 7 lb 5 oz and measured 18 1/4" long. She had a head full of hair and a face that instantly touched my heart. You can read her birth story HERE. This first year of her life has been magnificent, joyful, and at times trying. :) We now can't imagine life without her and each day brings a new joy while watching her play and "talk" to us.

In honor of Amelia's birthday a party is scheduled this Sunday. I hope it goes smoothly and my only fear is that I'm not yet prepared and its in just a few days! I'm going to tackle making the cake myself, which anyone who knows me knows I'm not a baker. However, I can follow a recipe and hopefully it'll turn out great!

And tomorrow we are having Amelia's first birthday photos taken at Portrait Innovations, which is where we've gone the last 3 times. They do a wonderful job and we can never narrow it down without a lot of hemming and hawing. I'm still trying to decide on her outfits (they allow 2); however, I know the pictures will be beautiful regardless of her dressing changes. :)

Happy Birthday darling baby girl! Don't grow up too fast!!

The Circleville Pumpkin Show!

2009-10-21T21:38:00.000-04:00

Its here!! The Greatest Free Show on Earth officially opened tonight although food vendors were open last night. Normally I visit the show on Wednesdays (and stuff my face), since its one of the busiest nights, but this week is too hectic and we're going tomorrow anyway. This week includes Amelia's birthday (tomorrow), Amelia's baby parade debut, Amelia's 1-year pictures, and Amelia's birthday party. Can I squeeze in anything more?! I certainly hope not. Anyways, its probably a good thing I didn't go tonight since most of the food contains dairy and since I'm still
avoiding dairy since Amelia is allergic and I'm still breastfeeding (tomorrow will be my 1-year goal!!). At any rate, the Pumpkin Show runs through Saturday night and anyone in the Central Ohio area is strongly encouraged to partake in all things pumpkin! :)

As I mentioned above, Amelia is in the Pumpkin Show baby parade tomorrow. It is a long-standing tradition for residents of Pickaway County to enter their babies/toddlers in a 'for fun' baby judging contest. Since Amelia is my first, I was dying to enter her and show off her adorableness. I picked her outfit from Old Navy--> , a matching hat from Target, and shoes on Clearance also at Old Navy. I personally believe she'll be the cutest contestant there; however, I'm also completely biased! There will be one small glitch, Amelia fell and hit her nose on our stone coffee table. She has a nasty bruise on the bridge of her nose and a small scratch. :( She was a good sport and she recovered quickly, but Jamie and I still felt terrible about it. :( And one last accessory for Amelia's baby parade is this adorable sign my friend, Amy, made for her tonight. I knew once I learned the parade was the same day as her birthday I would have to acknowledge it somehow! :) Wish us luck; however, I don't care if we win or not, it'll be a great experience for both of us. And don't worry, pictures will soon follow!

Three Words Thursday

2009-10-15T21:23:00.001-04:00

Seven more days...

Kegs and Eggs

2009-10-10T09:11:00.001-04:00

Today marks the first day of tailgating for me in almost TWO years! Last year I was pregnant and then Amelia arrived, so the last time I tailgated was 2007. Wow. Considering we used to tailgate for every game, and we were usually there when Kegs and Eggs had started. :)

OSU plays undefeated Wisconsin today, and of course we're hoping for a win. OSU is definitely better than Wisconsin; however, Wisconsin will have a chip on their shoulder from being 5-0. I hope that plays in OSU's favor, and it doesn't hurt its a home game.

We'll be tailgating with my brother, in from Arizona, our high school friends, Travis and Jennifer (her husband Scott), as well as Jamie's sister, Carla. The weather is supposed to be beautiful (sunny and 59') and only a win could make it more of a perfect day! With that being said...

GO BUCKEYES!!!

Be a Friend to the Environment; SWACO it!

2009-10-09T17:38:00.000-04:00

A few months ago my employer began recycling; they distributed blue bins and asked for plastic, glass, cardboard, paper (ads, newspaper, magazine, etc.), and aluminum. One of my co-workers, Cassy, who joined the committee responsible for collecting the bins, sent out an email about SWACO encouraging us all to recycle at home, FOR FREE!

I was reluctant at first, not because I didn't love the environment or didn't want to help save it, but because I already had so much on my plate and adding one more task seemed overwhelming. After a few weeks I bite the bullet and added an extra trash can to our garage strictly for recyclables. The first week we recycled was amazing! I couldn't believe how much recycled trash we threw away!! Our collected trash was cut to 1/3! We had 1 bag of trash versus 2 bags of recyclables every week. Once we began recycling I made the promise every two weeks to drop off the recycling to a drop-off site on my way to work; its über convenient and did I mention, FREE?!

Before I was informed of SWACO and its free drop-off sites I hated the idea you had to pay to recycle. I mean c'mon, I have to pay to help save the environment?! It just seemed so backward! So I am so grateful to help the environment without any added cost on my end. Click HERE to find a SWACO drop-off near you (if you're in Central OH). And for those of you not located in Central Ohio I encourage you to research local free recycling as I'm sure its offered.

Be a friend to the environment, RECYCLE! :)

Three Words Thursday

2009-10-08T07:57:00.000-04:00

In Two Weeks

www.pumpkinshow.com

Babywearing Part II

2009-10-06T21:33:00.001-04:00

This is a continuation of my previous post regarding Babywearing. If you missed the first entry, click HERE. Here are my top two picks, based on the carriers I've used.

2. Baby Hawk, aka Mei Tai

This is the wrap I actually own, as of a few weeks ago. I was in search of a Beco (see below), and was hoping for a gently used, more economically priced carried. I had heard great things about the Baby Hawk, so when I found it for $25 I snapped it up! Pro's: Can be worn front, back or side, Easy to Use, Can be used for an infant or toddler, Cute designs; Con's: It has a tendency to slide off the shoulders if tied traditionally, It wraps/ties versus snaps, Pricier ($70-100).

I have yet to snap a picture of me wearing Amelia in this wrap, so here are two complete strangers modeling it for me. :)

1. Beco

I borrowed this wrap from my baby-sitter; it is the BEST wrap ever!! Of course I am only comparing it to a few wraps, but I seriously love this one the best! Pro's: Very comfortable, Can be worn front or back, Can be used for infants to toddlers, Cute designs; Con's: Very expensive, that's all I got for this one ($120-150). :)

Amelia loves being on my back; this is usually the face we see while we're wearing her. :)

Thank you for your interest in my blog and my "knowledge" about babywearing.

Babywearing Part 1

2009-10-06T19:53:00.001-04:00

As many of you have witnessed in the numerous pictures I've snapped and shared, I love to wear Amelia! Babywearing is one of the oldest traditions and now there are several different types of carriers to use. Babywearing is highly recommended by Dr. Sears, who also promotes Attachment Parenting. Attachment parenting is a form of nuturing parenting I attempt to follow, although I don't follow all of the eight principles.

I personally love wearing Amelia because when she was an infant she preferred to be held ALL.THE.TIME. Putting her in a baby carrier was a savior in regards to actually accomplishing things around the house while on maternity leave or after work. :) Now I love to wear her because its easiest when shopping or while on a walk. Amelia becomes a bit unsettled after a while in a grocery cart or stroller. Wearing her from the get-go saves a headache of having to carry her the latter part of my trip. My favorite reason for wearing Amelia is the attachment and bonding it promotes. I do want to clarify; those who don't wear their babies will not have poor attachment or bonding (there are plenty of other ways to promote bonding), but I strongly encourage you with small children to try it. I promise you'll love it!

In this blog entry I will highlight a few of the ones I've used, although I only own one. I've used the Baby Bjorn, Beco, Moby, and most recently the Baby Hawk. The Moby, Beco, and Bjorn were all "rented," the Baby Hawk is all mine and purchased for a great price ($25) at Once Upon a Child. I will rate each carrier, by personal preference, and highlight the pro's and con's of each.

4. Baby Bjorn

I borrowed this carrier from a friend when I was struggling with how to carry Amelia and still be productive around the home. The Bjorn is very popular; however, there is some controversy about how the child/infant is seated in the carrier. There is suggestion how the infant/child sits can be detrimental to the hip and spine; click here to read an article that discusses infant/child positioning. Pro's: Very convenient to use, Child can be faced in or out, Can be used for an Infant or Small Toddler; Con's: Can only be worn on the front, Can become uncomfortable as the child's weight increases, Possible hip/spine interference.

This is not a very good picture of the Bjorn, but its the best I have.

3. Moby Wrap

I borrowed this wrap from a neighbor. Amelia loved this wrap and I primarily used it while she was 3-5 months old. I believe this wrap is best for infants; it simulates the womb (in my opinion) and keeps them tight to the body; the baby's arms and legs can be wrapped inside the fabric. I wish I would have had this wrap from the beginning, but it did work well for the time frame I borrowed it. The particular Moby I used was a heavy fabric, so it was best for winter; however, the Moby can be made in different fabrics. Most individuals can make their own Moby's and there are numerous websites giving explicit instructions. Pro's: Great for infants! Great for nursing "on the go," Several different positions to choose from (front, back or side carry), Can be used for twins, Can be made for as little as $15-20; Con's: A lot of wrapping, Can be somewhat cumbersome, Several different positions to choose from (yes a pro and a con for those that are indecisive like me!), A lot of fabric to wrangle.

This is one of my favorite pictures, even if Amelia isn't looking. :)

Stay tuned for Part II, which will be posted tomorrow or the following day. You don't want to miss my top two picks! :)

Wish List Wednesday, back again

2009-09-30T21:37:00.000-04:00

I am revisiting the Wish List Wednesday, because every girl can dream and I have yet to win the lottery...nor do I play it. Oooops.

I wish I had an unlimited gift card to my favorite store in the entire world, TARGET!! In college I shopped there weekly; most of my credit card debt, which wasn't much, was from my Target-sprees. Gotta love their clearance!!
Because Jamie and I are always fighting over the laptop, and the laptop we currently have is getting clogged with the millions of Amelia's pictures not to mention all the fantasy sport sites my husband visits; I want a Mac Book and this one is super cute! I've heard great things about Mac Books and it may be our next investment.

And because my time with Amelia is so limited, I want to be a Stay-at-Home Mom, at least part-time...I do need some adult social interaction. :-)

I will again only stick with three as to not covet too much. Plus genie's usually only grant three wishes right? Well....

I can't help it, here's my 4th wish. I wish I had a 16G I-Pod Touch. I've never wanted an I-Pod, but now I have an aching for one so badly.

Stay tuned for next week's installment, or it may be a different Wednesday theme. Something just to spruce up Hump Day.

Cold and Flu Season is here...well almost

2009-09-27T21:03:00.000-04:00

So earlier last week my niece was sick with the H1N1 flu; well, she had the flu and right now they're classifying all cases of the flu as the H1N1 because its the only flu making its rounds. Poor girl was running high fevers for 4 days straight! Thankfully she became better and is acting like herself again. Well, the past few days Amelia has been acting funny and we found out yesterday she's been exposed to Mononucleosis, aka Mono. So all weekend we watched Amelia and her behaviors like a hawk. She's clingier, not sleeping well at night, more difficult to fall asleep, running low-grade fevers at times, and her voice sounds scratchy. Apparently babies who contract mono have less severe symptoms, thankfully. And babies with mono often go undetected because the symptoms are similar to a cold. Other statistics show most children by the time school starts have already been exposed to the virus. So I really hope she doesn't have Mono; but on the other hand, if she gets it now she won't have it as an adult. Lets just hope for a speedy recovery regardless of the diagnosis. And I wish you all a healthy cold and flu season; especially with all the various types of flu going around.

T-Minus 29 days

2009-09-22T21:32:00.000-04:00

One more month til my baby's first birthday. ::sniff-sniff:: That's right, she turned 11 months today. Amelia's milestones this month:

She began walking
She says "Mommy" still somewhat randomly
She dances to tunes, and especially loves the Hot Dawg dance :-)
She gives kisses on demand
She is able to break-through our hill-billy baby gate (aka two chairs laid flat on the floor)
She is sleeping through the night (as in til the next morning) 3-5x/week!!
She's completely on table food (in addition to breastmilk of course)
She has 8 teeth total, yes EIGHT!
She's quite possibly the happiest baby alive; however, this is not new ;-)

In honor of her first birthday we are hosting a fall themed birthday party, with chili, pumpkin bars, caramel apples (I hope), apple cidar, etc. I plan to have a pumpkin cake for Amelia and possibly a bigger version for the others. I hope to have the cake made with low sugar as she did not react well to eating a sugary cupcake the other day at a friend's birthday party. It took well over an hour to get her to sleep and the entire night was a bit restless. I digress. So the party is in 4+ weeks and I am excited, yet I want time to stop so I can keep her as my little baby. I still can't believe its almost been a year since Jamie and I drove to the hospital at 4:00 am anticipating the arrival of our daughter.

Here are a few of the 11-month pictures I took this evening; she thought it was the funniest thing that I kept pushing her back against the chair. Little did she know I was only doing it so she didn't face plant as she did a few months ago. :-/

Myrtle Beach 2009

2009-09-20T19:09:00.001-04:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Since I may never post these on FB directly, here they are! Enjoy!

In Rememberance

2009-09-11T21:08:00.000-04:00

Where were you when 9/11 occurred? I was on my way to my old high school to visit a child in foster care. I was completely oblivious to the attacks as I was listening to a CD versus the radio as I drove. I finally found out once I arrived to the school and the TV was on in the office. I was dumb founded by what was occurring and I was still a little clueless about the ordeal. I met with my foster child for a while and then drove back to Columbus. I drove straight to my Mom's work to check on her since she works in a high-rise downtown Columbus. My Mom and her co-workers had been sent home due to the attacks. I then continued onto work where most of my co-workers were either watching TV or listening to the radio. I spent the day watching and listening to the aftermath and wondering what would become of our country. I went home that day still in shock. Eight years later, the memory of that day is still fresh in my mind. It is one of those moments that will live on forever. Those lost that fateful day will never be forgotten.

Here comes the hot stepper!

2009-09-10T20:19:00.000-04:00

Amelia is taking a few steps at a time!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH! I was hoping this milestone might be more along the lines of a normal development (12+ months) versus an early one, but she may just start walking b/f I'm ready. However, similar to crawling and pulling herself up in the same day she is standing independently longer and taking steps. Tonight alone (in the past hour) she has taken 8 steps (2 at a time)!! She keeps trying too; at first I thought it was an accident, but I think she knows what she is doing and trying to perfect it. Uh oh. We just spent a week with an almost 1 year old walker and watching her was scary b/c at that age they're still so unsteady. And just b/c I haven't posted a recent picture of the baby recently, here she is on our trip to Myrtle Beach. I hope to get the rest of them uploaded soon; I've been a slacker this week with my picture uploads.

Home is where the Heart is...

2009-09-06T10:35:00.000-04:00

We arrived home from our trip to Myrtle Beach last night. We're so excited about being home, but also sad returning to reality. :( Oh well. I uploaded my pictures from the trip (over 400 total, YIKES!), but I need to go through them and edit. Stay tuned because they will be posted...well some of them! :-)

Amelia did great on the 10+ hour drive; she had a few meltdowns, but overall she did really well considering her age and the long drive. I'm not sure if she was happy to be home because she slept rather horribly last night. Hopefully its just a minor adjustment and by tomorrow night she'll be back to normal. She also did great while on vacation. This time she loved the beach, including the water, the sand, and the waves! Hope everyone had a great week while we were gone!

~Lyndsay

10 Months (yesterday) with Pictures!

2009-08-23T09:57:00.000-04:00

Amelia turned 10 months yesterday; in two months I will officially have a toddler. :-( She's doing great, as expected. She's pretty much completely on table foods with the exception of pureed fruits in the morning so I can get rid of the homemade. She loves table food and eats most anything you put in front of her. So she far she's had spaghetti, steak, green beans, taco meat, sloppy joe, baked fries, chicken, roast, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, banana bread (homemade), waffles, french fries, toast, bread rolls, soy yogurt, mangos, bananas, blueberries, cherries, clementines, melon (not yet a big fan), and that's all I can think of for now although there's probably plenty more. ;-) She's still crawling like a champ, cruising along the furniture, climbs onto things to get onto other things, and standing for an extra second or two independently. She is on the verge of saying cat and Mama. She also points with her index finger, which she started last weekend. She dances and shakes her booty to any music or just us clapping. The list really could go on because she's doing something new almost everyday. Anyway, here are a few of the 10-month pictures I captured yesterday; and yes, there was an outfit change b/t naps.

We tried some outside photos, but she was too interested in the outside.

Getting her to smile was a little difficult.

Then I tried inside photos, and she preferred to stand!

This is what I got when I made her sit and grabbed the camera quickly.

Finally a smile, but these monthly pictures are getting too hard to capture! :)

Huh, I'm supposed to smile?

At least we can see her pretty face.

Here's a smile, but aimed the wrong way!

Playing with Daddy's phone; in just a few minutes she accessed the Internet, called our friend Lutz 2x, and had the phone "talking." The new generation really is better with technology! :)

Wish List Wednesday

2009-08-19T19:19:00.000-04:00

Inspired by a blog I visit, today's entry is dedicated to Wish List Wednesday.
Because money doesn't grow on trees, here are a few of my wishes:

1. A personal trainer for the rest of my life; this would include a trainer who does all of the work for me, but yet I lose all the weight!

2. An unlimited amount of money to spend at the Banana for my new bod; I <3 Banana Republic!

3. A lifetime supply of Dark Chocolate Raspberry Hershey Kisses (after Amelia is weaned of course). These are honestly the best pieces of chocolate I've had melt in my mouth...they are only available during Valentine's Day sales. This past year I bought several bags on clearance only to find out within a week or two of that purchase that Amelia is allergic to milk. :-/

{{Of course this wish defeats wish #1}}I will limit my wishes to 3 for today because I could honestly go on and on and on and...
Covet much? :-)

My Amelia, making a liar out of me...

2009-08-18T21:29:00.000-04:00

So I blogged last night that Amelia was sleeping better, and I knew I ran the risk of her proving me wrong once I hit the "publish post" button. Well she did; last night instead of the normal 1 waking around 3:00 am, she woke up 3 times before 6:00 am! I'm not sure why because she didn't have milk and she didn't poop (normally pooping wakes her). The only other culprit is teething, and if that's the case my little girl just might have a full set of teeth before the age of 1! She has 6 teeth already. :-/ So I've decided never to talk about my daughter again in the context of sleeping well. This isn't the first time she's "tricked" me. LOL.

Blissful 8 hours stretches...again

2009-08-17T21:37:00.001-04:00

Since approximately 4-5 months of age Amelia has slept 8 hour stretches at night for the most part. Recently though with all the teething business and some unknown milk exposure her sleep had regressed; she began waking 2-3x/night versus the normal 1x/night. It was a bit of a nightmare, literally. However, I am glad to report, but also scared to jinx it, she has resumed the 8-hour stretches at night. Now this means she still wakes between 3 and 4 am to nurse; however, I can deal. I am just thankful her sleeping pattern is extending and I may see her sleep through til the morning sometime before the first year {fingers crossed}.

Amelia has also started to climb almost anything she can climb. Its fairly amusing, that is until she falls and bumps her head or mouth. Thankfully her bruising has been at a minimum, but I can only see the welts now when she begins walking/running. She stands quite well and will at times stand isolated for a few seconds. No steps yet and she still prefers to crawl, which she is a FAST crawler! And she loves to crawl away as fast as she can while you chase her down; her giggles are contagious and her smile is infectious! She brings a smile to our faces a few hundred times per day, and that's really not an exaggeration.

And as always, below are a few of the 55 pictures I took over the weekend; I realized my photo snapping had ceased. YIKES! What would my little girl do without a picture everyday of her first year. :)

Apparently Amelia has found her love of Seinfeld similar to her Daddy, b/c this is what I call her Costanza pose. LOL.

Here she is trying to touch the TV, aka glow box, and the characters that move "inside" of it.

And this is her enjoying her homemade teething biscuit. Its a rolled up piece of wheat bread microwaved for 1 minute; it really works and she loved it!

Where's my motivation?

2009-08-15T15:21:00.000-04:00

I've lost all motivation to be productive. Life seems so overwhelming right now, so I take frequent breaks to sit, look on the Internet, check my phone (email), and stare at Amelia. And those frequent breaks last much longer than any few moments of actual work. My house is in disorder and I do a few things each weekend, but near as much as it needs. I think I'm so busy when Amelia is awake, that I need to decompress anytime she's down for a nap or at night. Its been almost 10 months since she's been born and I still struggle to regain my independence whenever I can. Alright, well I'm off to do...something...hopefully. Well after I upload a few pictures. Amelia has taken a liking to looking at books. She will pull out one of her numerous books and just thumb through the pages; its the cutest thing! Amy, she really likes the Percival the Caterpillar Turned Butterfly books you bought; I think its the flashy pictures that catch her eye.

And this one is of Jamie teaching her how to "draw." She seemed disinterested at first, but then cried when Jamie put her down. :)

Update on the Shred

2009-08-06T21:46:00.000-04:00

So I started the Shred a few weeks ago and I started strong (6 out of 7 days!). We went camping last weekend and it fell to the wayside. I picked it up again this week, but tonight was my 2nd night "off." In my defense, I power walked with my neighbor the past two nights I took a break. However, I hope to start again and do it at least 5 days/week because I need to lose a few pounds or at least tone up prior to our upcoming Myrtle Beach trip. I have noticed a tiny difference with my arms and stomach, which is definitely a motivator for me. As far as weight loss, I'm not sure, maybe a pound or two. I have noticed my clothes are fitting better and are not as tight nor does my stomach look as if I'm still 4 months pregnant. Yay! Again, these are all motivators because results are what keeps me going!!

I also wanted to say that I plan to write Jillian Michaels and ask for some sort of commission because ever since I started to post (on FB mainly) about the Shred, people have been buying it! I'm glad I can be of assistance to people in their weight loss journey, but I seriously need a cut for my unofficial marketing! :) Hope all who bought the DVD are enjoying it and seeing a difference! I would love to hear successes and I will continue to share mine.

Climbing Stairs :-/

2009-08-03T19:50:00.001-04:00

Amelia climbed 4 stairs today...under close supervision of course. She had trouble with the first, but then began climbing like a champ. She hit the 4th step and I think a fear of heights set in because she began to sit down; luckily, I was there to catch her since her butt doesn't quite fit! LOL. So now more than ever do we need to watch her and her adventurous attitude. Another first today is I brushed her five (yes, 5!) teeth this evening. I wondered how easy it might be since she typically hates when I stick my fingers in to do a tooth check. It must have tickled because she laughed and giggled throughout the scrubbing, which pretty darn cute. While brushing I noticed the 5th tooth had broken through, a top incisor. Her other top incisor is right.there so I'm sure it will break through soon. And I'm also quite sure if will be preceded by a few nights of restless sleep...for her and us!

Continuing in the oral area, recently we began giving her more food from our plates. Usually I give her baby food, homemade, and then a few bites from our plates. Well, she loves the finger foods from our plates. Tonight she had her vegetable beef baby food, applesauce, edamame cut into 4, chicken pieces, and plum pieces. She ate every last bite! Sometimes I wonder where she puts it, but then I look at those chubby little legs and I just know. :) And in honor of her new eating skills, here she is showing off her (other) newest trick...

The Shred

2009-07-24T22:20:00.000-04:00

I started Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred earlier this week, Tuesday to be exact. So far I've done three nights with a break last night (I power-ish walked instead). The first night was the hardest! I had to stop a few times and I was so out of breath I thought I was going to pass out or puke. Somehow I survived and the past two times have been much more manageable. My hope is it will help get my body back into shape. As most of you are aware, child-birth is one of the worst things for a woman's body; however, becoming a mother, by whatever means, is the best thing a person can experience! I had to say that b/c no matter how bad my body may have been affected, Amelia is more than worth it!! Anywho, I hope to lose 15-20 lbs and/or tone up majorly. Its sad to admit, but I was actually skinnier at 6 weeks post-partum than I am now. To assist with the weight lose/body reformation, I've already altered my diet slightly to include more protein and less candy and late-night snacking. The diet hasn't been too hard, I still eat fairly often, I just eat better. I hope the differences can be seen in my future pictures and in how my clothes fit; I'm not a fan of sharing before & after pictures.

Please wish me luck!!

9 Months

2009-07-22T21:50:00.001-04:00

Amelia turned 9 months today (7/22/09). She's growing quickly (do I say that every month?) and making leaps and bounds in discovering new "talents." On Monday (7/20/09) she went to the pediatrician; she weighed 19 lbs 2 oz (50%) and measured 27" (25%). She received one immunization and she handled it like a pro! Here is the other latest on Amelia:

4 teeth total
Crawling EVERYWHERE
Pulling herself up on EVERYTHING
Cruising to get into ANYTHING
Eating like a champ, still
Feeding herself finger foods
Dancing to music, or any rhythm
Walking behind this
Babbling up a storm
Stealing our hearts, well that's not new...
And getting cuter by the second!!!! Ok, that's not new either. :)

And these are the type of pictures you get when trying to photograph a moving object (i.e. a very mobile 9 month old):

First Birthday

2009-07-18T22:07:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know it's still 3 months away; however, we attended a first birthday party for one of Amelia's BFFs and it made me realize how soon she'll turn 1. :( She's growing so fast and doing new things everyday! I just want to bottle every moment so I will remember it forever!! I hate knowing the baby phase is coming to an end, I swear it'll be my favorite stage. Everyone says it just gets better and so far I agree; but, I'm not so sure about the upcoming months. Only time will tell. I love my little Princess P (P is for Punkin). And I want her to stay my little girl forever. It makes me appreciate my Mom even more and wonder how she let me go when I left for college.

As usual, here are a couple pictures from today's party. She enjoyed all the new toys (Jack has a TON!) and the other babies/children in attendance.
Happy 1st Birthday Jack!!The infamous "stink" face. LOVE it!Amelia and Daddy; he's intent on making every picture laughable. :)

Tooth #3 is here!

2009-07-13T20:30:00.000-04:00

Her left top incisor made its ugly appearance sometime overnight or today. I'm guessing late last night, which is why she screamed every time we tried putting her down to sleep. It was like someone was chopping off her arm, but really something was just chomping at her gums. Poor baby. Right now her teething records show an average of one tooth every month, so we'll see if it keeps that pattern for the next one.

Yesterday Amelia and I visited our pool. It was a beautiful day and she had a great time playing in the pool or even just lounging poolside with her toys and puffs. She's such a good baby and so pleasant to be around. She self-entertains so well and is only needy when hungry or tired. I couldn't ask for a better baby! Ok, enough bragging. :) Her Buckeye swimsuit is courtesy of one of Jamie's co-workers; isn't it cute?! She'll definitely be a Buckeye!!

Sleep 1, Swaddle 0

2009-07-10T22:38:00.000-04:00

Backstory: Amelia has been swaddled since around 3 months of age. Amelia never went to sleep unswaddled, unless exhausted, and then she would not stay asleep unswaddled. As a newborn she often startled herself, which is completely normal, but we found that she had to have her arms held down to sleep peacefully. So we started swaddling to assist with her sleep. Well it's been going on for months, to the point of being on my mind every night and morning b/c she's nearing 1 y.o. and I didn't see an end in sight. Jamie and I talked about our options, I consulted a message board I frequent, and we finally decided to bite the bullet after some previous unsuccessful attempts. Last night she fell asleep nursing and I gingerly took her upstairs and laid her down. Jamie rubbed her legs and she briefly woke up, to go right back to sleep. She slept from 9:30 pm until 3:30 am!!!! And then again after nursing until 8:30 am! I probably shouldn't even be posting this b/c today and tonight all H could break lose, but I am just beside myself with amazement, excitement, and disbelief.

On the flip side, Amelia is into e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g!!! She crawls and pulls herself up so well and is starting to cruise while standing, just a bit. She is no longer satisfied with her toys, unless we're entertaining her with them. She wants anything and everything she shouldn't have. Jamie and I came to the conclusion that if there's silence, there's trouble. ;-)

She's like Mikey!

2009-07-08T21:47:00.000-04:00

She eats just about anything! Seriously. The only time she has hesitation is when there is a weird texture, but even then she'll eat most of it and always eat all of it on the second try. Last night I gave her whole wheat rotini's, in addition to the carrots & chicken and a fruit (my mind is at a loss trying to remember which one). She showed no hesitation in shoving the rotini's in her mouth. So I plan to give her more table foods, i.e. finger foods. Currently she's mostly on purees with some finger foods as snacks (puffs, Cherrios, etc.). I'm just worried about introducing our table food b/c we use a lot of olive oil, onion, garlic, and spices. Anyone know if these are Ok for a baby (under 1 y.o.)?

Anyhow, she's crawling like a champ, pulling herself up on everything, and vocalizing more. We have yet to hear a Mama or Dada, but she is practing the Baba. Stay tuned. :)

How much is that doggy in the window?

2009-07-02T22:34:00.001-04:00

I've been signing this song to Amelia for the past few days, but changed the word "doggy" to "girlie." She always giggled at my personalized rendition or rather my silliness. Well coincidentally for months people have told me Amelia would eventually eat or attempt to eat our dog's food. I refused to believe it b/c we have a 95 lb chocolate Labrador (see below) and she eats her food twice a day in about 45 seconds flat! Well today she proved everyone else right, and me 100% wrong! Amelia crawled over to Bella's bowl and I thought she was just playing in the water, which is one of her newest obsessions. I finally noticed she had her hand past the water bowl and into the food bowl and I picked her up. I immediately checked her mouth for dog food and I thought we were in the clear. Well I put her down, far away from the dog bowls, and realized she was sucking on something in her mouth. I went in again and came out w/ a piece of dog food, luckily still intact. After I took it out, she licked her chops and appeared fairly disappointed she no longer had the lamb & rice morsel in her mouth. YUCK! I will have to do a better job policing the dog food since my dog doesn't mind sharing.
In other Amelia news, I can see 3 tooth buds on her upper gums. Both front teeth and one of her incisors. I have a bit of anxiety regarding her upper teeth cutting since I'm still breastfeeding...we shall see.

Amelia's Birth Story...8+ Months Later

2009-06-24T22:09:00.001-04:00

I realized recently I never posted a birth story, and I thought some might be interested but most importantly I wanted to document it so I can share it with Amelia when she gets older. B/c we all know by then senility will set in, as it runs in the family, and I'll tell her she was birthed on a farm! :) I digress. My birth story is as follows...to the best of my memory:

I was 39 weeks and 6 days along and still working full-time. That day (a Tuesday) I went to work as usual, which consisted of an all day class, and prayed and hoped I would not have to return the next day to work b/c quite honestly I was sick of working (still am!). I came home that night and Jamie was preparing spaghetti for dinner (my favorite, although not a great choice of dinners to have the night b/f giving birth...I'll spare you those details). Just b/f eating I had a sign that indicated labor was imminent. I told Jamie to be prepared that sometime in the next 24-72 hours we would welcome our little girl and our lives would change forever. We were ecstatic at the possibility as we had been preparing for 39 weeks and 6 days now...ok, maybe just 34 weeks and some change (I didn't know I was pregnant until 5 weeks). So I next went on a walk w/ my neighbor, Julie, who walked me like I was going to give birth right there on the sidewalk. I politely asked her to slow down and told her my suspicion about labor...and I think that made her walk faster! :) I returned home after my brisk, hour-long walk, to sit on the computer and catch up on the Interwebz. As I sat there, exactly where I sit now, I remember my back hurting like a dull, constant ache. I thought nothing of it other than my posture was probably bad (sorry Mom!). I took a shower b/f going to bed just in case and I tried to sleep. As I tried to drift off into oblivion my back began hurting even more and it started throbbing more to the point I noticed. I called the OB on call, this was around midnight, and she informed me I was probably in early labor, to rest, and call again when the contractions are lasting 1 min in length and occurring every 5 minutes. I had also talked to my BFF, Amy, and told her about the possibility of delivery and she of course was excited, as was I. I tried to rest, but anyone who's gone into early labor and knows what is coming can probably attest that rest ain't going to happen! As I tried to lay down again I remember my back began hurting more and I had started to look at the clock and I noticed the contractions were coming more regularly and lasting several seconds at a time. I got up to start timing them and noticed they were coming every 7-8 minutes lasting 45 - 60 seconds. So I started to labor, alone. And I labored with back labor, the.entire.time. Stupid me allowed Jamie to rest b/c you know, I might be going into labor and at least one of us should sleep. By the time 3:20 am rolled around I was rolling around on the floor in the worst pain I had ever experienced. I tried every damn position the labor instructor showed us to alleviate the back labor, but nada, zilch, nothing helped! Finally I called the OB again and she suggested I make my way to the hospital to be checked since the contractions were averaging 4-6 minutes apart and 1-2 minutes in length. I went upstairs, woke up Jamie, and told him to get his butt in gear. I chuckle now, but at the time I wanted to kill him when he said "Do I have time to take a shower?" I gave him the death look and said, maybe I screamed, "MAKE IT QUICK!" Oh, and I forgot to mention, this was all going on while he was on crutches. Yep, I was almost 8 months pregnant and my loving husband ruptured his Achilles...for the 2nd time! We hopped into the car, Jamie stashed his crutches in the back seat, and then said "I forgot my wallet." Insert another death stare and I marched into the house to grab it all the while cursing at him and inquiring why on earth would he forget when we're going to be gone for at least 2 days?!?!

Off we went to the hospital, after his shower and me retrieving his wallet. We arrived in good time since it was 4:00 am. Another funny story; as we parked, which was valet, the valet attendant was nowhere to be found. Luckily within 30-60 seconds he arrived and Jamie handed over the keys. We were borrowing my Mom's car b/c Jamie's car is a stick shift and his ruptured Achilles was his clutch foot. Anywho, we began walking towards the elevators and Jamie said "Wait, let me show the valet which is the right key." I gave him yet another death stare, I'm fairly good at those, and barked "If he can't figure it out, then he shouldn't be a valet. I'm going on towards the elevators!" I don't think I've ever seen my husband move that fast on crutches; luckily (for him) he caught up to me b/f the elevator arrived. So we checked in and immediately I was examined by a nurse and found to be 4 cm dilated! YEA! They asked if I wanted an epidural and I said "Now, YES!" I had to wait for my room b/f the epidural could be administered, but luckily I was moved quickly. While waiting for my room I was pacing the room, a la butt hanging out of my backless couture gown, barking at Jamie to rub/push/massage my back as hard as he could when a contraction started. Thankfully I had packed a hard massage ball that was a LIFESAVER during these moments. We moved to the L&D room and shortly after that the blessed epidural woman came in to administer the best drug ever experienced (although that is a short list) at 5:20 am. The nurse checked me again shortly after the epidural and I was 7 cm, WOOHOO! She broke my water and within an hour, give or take a few minutes, I was 9 cm, ummmm...wow. Funny story about my water breaking (I'm full of them, huh?); when your water breaks, whether naturally or by someone poking it as with me, it can gush everywhere with no means to control it. Well some of it went onto my foot, which I had socks on, and when Jamie went to hold my foot to help me push he felt some of the remnants of my water and was rather distubed. For some of you that don't know Jamie that well, he's a germaphobe. Needless to say, after that first initial shock of touching my wet foot he grabbed a hospital glove to protect his skin from further "exposure"...yes, this is the father of our child.

I began to practice push around 8:00 am, which with the epidural felt like nothing. The nurse assured me I was doing well and making progress. After about an hour of pushing I finally started to feel something going on, mainly a lot of pressure with each contraction. That's when the fun began. Every time a contraction came along I had to push, or else I felt like I was going to split in two. My OB came in towards the end of my pushing...which lasted almost TWO HOURS! As I continued pushing Amelia's heart rate kept decelerating and not rebounding as it should. I was exhausted, as you might imagine. I wanted to be done, didn't want to do anything else, and asked my OB to finish it off; but, somewhere I found the will power to push two more times, which is when she finally arrived. My OB had to use the vacuum twice. He remained calm throughout the delivery, but my sister later told me things were getting pretty serious because of Amelia's heart rate. I was also on O2 to assist with my levels and Amelia's stress. I also failed to mention the entire time I was pushing, almost TWO HOURS, I had a student nurse observing the entire thing. Not always the most comfortable feeling when your gown is being lifted every 5 minutes and a complete stranger is just sitting 6 ft from the bottom of my bed and you know what.

Every single second of my pregnancy, back labor, and delivery was well worth it! Amelia Nadine Brumfield arrived at 9:46 am on 10/22/2008, which was coincidentally her due date (from my calculations). She stole our heart at that moment and continues to fascinate and amaze us as the days go on.

Crawling, Standing and Teething, OH MY!

2009-06-17T21:09:00.000-04:00

Amelia officially started crawling today! Shortly after I noticed that milestone, she pulled herself up standing! I tried to get a picture, but then she fell; she was Ok, no fears! And finally, I believe my child's (continued) crappy sleep pattern is due to more teething. After the 2nd tooth cut her sleep went back to normal...until a few days ago. Once again we are in night-time hell and I believe (and hope) that its teething.

Otherwise, Amelia is doing great and she remains the brightest spot in our days. There isn't a day that goes by w/o myself or Jamie remarking on how great she is or how grateful we are to have her in our lives (until the night-time of course!). ;) Everyday is something new and exciting! She is a delight, a blessing, and our love.

And because I love posting pictures of my beautiful little girl; here are a few from the other night when she was tasting a sucker for the 2nd time ever. Jamie snagged one from the doctor's office Monday morning and put it to the test; it passed with blazing, flying colors! She LOVES it! She grabbed for it and had a death grip on it. We were able to get it from her; we only allow a few licks at a time since the first and only ingredient is sugar. It is rather amusing to watch.

Another tooth...

2009-06-12T21:55:00.000-04:00

arrived on Tuesday, 6/9/09. I didn't even notice it (bad Mommy); the sitter texted me to ask if I had. I've been feeling her gums daily b/c the sister tooth to the first one that cut was just under the surface and I knew it wouldn't be long. Well the morning it cut I didn't yet feel her gums and the sitter did. Thankfully this tooth was the culprit to her horrible sleeping! For days she wouldn't go down easily, woke up more frequently, and was just fussy overnight! It was horrible!! I felt like we were in the newborn stage again, which I did not enjoy. However, since the tooth cut she's been back to normal...somewhat.

In other news, Amelia's sleep has somewhat regressed. She used to put herself to sleep and now we're having to do it and even then sometimes she wakes to be rocked back to sleep again. Last night it took 4 tries to get her down. :-/ I was an unhappy camper. We've tried letting her cry, which really isn't a cry, but something that I thought might wear her down and allow her to sleep. No such luck, that girl will go on and on! I've never let her go that long, but she shows no signs of quitting and I can't stand to hear her cry...even if its not a full-on cry. She's also still swaddled, which is another crutch to her sleeping. I've tried breaking her of it, slowly and quickly, neither way worked. Either she has to grow out of her sleep habits or a sleep training technique will be implemented. I hope the former occurs b/c I'm afraid of sleep training. :(

And finally, some updated pictures of our baby girl! She's so stinkin' cute! Of course I am biased, but seriously she is adorable! :)

Arizona May 2009

2009-06-03T21:56:00.001-04:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Amelia and I flew to Phoeniz AZ with my Mom and sister to visit my brother, Brandt. It was pretty hot (90's), but we had a great time. And Amelia enjoyed meeting her Uncle for the first time.