16 Months...a day late

Yesterday my sweet girl was 16 months old.  I was literally dying (feeling a little better today) and didn't get any pics of her and forgot that I didn't even mention her being 16 months old.

I am in disbelief that she is that old.  Where does time go?

She is such a fun girl.  Exactly what I pictured my child to be like.  She is such a people person.  She loves people.  She loves to flirt and smile and play.  She loves all of our animals too.  Especially the cat but she recently realized that Tuck will play tug o' war with her and loves it.  She pulls him all over laughing her head off.  It is pretty stinkin' cute. 

She still doesn't say too much.  She says mama/dada but not to us but she knows who we are.  If that makes sense.  She doesn't actually come up to me and say mama but if D asks her to give something to mama or asks where mama is she will bring it to me or point.  Same goes for D and Tucker and kitty.  Although she calls kitty by name.  

Go figure.

She also says hello (when playing on the phone), and uh oh.  I think thats it.  

Every time music comes on she stops what she is doing to dance.  She loves helping and cleaning up.  After she eats she helps me push her high chair back where it goes.  She is a big helper already.  

Every single day I just love her more and more and more.  There's nothing better than being her mom.

D's Birthday Weekend

This is going to be a quick post since I am pretty sure I am dying.  I am sick.  So sick.

This weekend started out really well.  I went to the doctor on Thursday because I couldn't get over this sinus infection type thing that was going on.  They put me on some giant horse pills and sent me on my way.  Friday I had big plans to start off Dustin's birthday weekend.  I went to get my hair done and while I was doing that his brother and sister in law, Jody were on there way to meet up with me so we could surprise Dustin with a fun weekend.  We met up and went back to our house together!  Dustin was so surprised and excited to be spending his weekend with his brother and I was more than excited to be spending my weekend with Jody :)  

We didn't do much Friday evening, ordered pizza and I of course made Dustin open most of his gifts except his big one!  I got him some new clothes, some new jar glasses that were super cool, and P made daddy this...

She also made him a birthday card and mama put chicago bulls tickets in it for Dustin and Tyler to go to.

Saturday the boys spent the day playing around on xbox and lord knows what else.  Us girls went shopping.  I got P a bunch of new stuff at ikea!  

An easel

It's double sided and has a dry eraser board on the back and also a spot that you can put paper in.

Play kitchen utensils!

They have a baking set and a utensil set that I need to get too!

And last but not least a cute new rug for the playroom!

After shopping neither Jody or I was feeling great but we sucked it up and went to dinner.  Neither of us ended up eating.  

She didn't want to hear us anymore.

yep, shes playing with a knife.  Mom of the year.

Us girls!

Sunday I was feeling realllllly awful.  I called my Dr. thinking that maybe it was a side effect from the medicine I was taking making me feel so awful.  She told me to stop taking it and I spent all day yesterday feeling horrible and laying on the couch and in bed.  Today I am not feeling any better.  I am thinking it is not the medicine because I haven't taken it for over 24 hours now.  Of course Dustin has meetings all day and I can't even get up.  This is miserable.  I just hope P doesn't get it.  She's being such a good girl playing on the floor by herself.  I feel so bad not playing with her but I don't want to get too close.  :(

Fabulous Friday Features....

Today we are featuring Deanna, I absolutely love her blog and you will too....

Hi! I'm Deanna and I blog over at delirious rhapsody. I am the stay at home mom of two wild little boys, Gage (4.5) and Owsley (15 months.) On the rare occasion that I get some time alone, I like to blog, bake, spend time outside, go to concerts and read. I'm a constant daydreamer who collects gnomes and enjoys good desserts. If you have a soft spot for sarcasm and witty humor, then my blog is the perfect spot for you.

Today I'm here taking over Loni's blog to share some things that I wish I had been told while I was pregnant. Every seems to sugarcoat pregnancy, making it out to be some glowing 9 months full of rainbows and unicorns. But hello, that's not it at all. So I'm here to cut some of the crap, and tell you like it is.

*During Pregnancy*

Nod and smile, or else they will drive you crazy. Everyone also has their own pregnancy and parenting advice to pass along, even when you haven't asked for it. Fortunately these folks usually have good intentions, they just don't realize that you don't care. So just nod, smile, and go to that happy place in your mind....because they could be chatting you up for a long time.

Touch my belly, please! Ok. So that was sarcasm, but for some reason your belly becomes public domain for anyone to touch. Perfect strangers will touch your protruding stomach and make comments on how far along you are. Former preggos had always joked about random people touching your belly, but you just don't realize how bad it becomes until you are actually there.

Maternity clothes are unnecessary. Or at least I think they are. Most are overpriced when you consider the short amount of time you'll be wearing them. You might have to give in and buy a pair of pants or two, but if you look in your closet and get creative, you should be able to make due with what is already in your wardrobe.

Hormones, Hormones, Hormones! This is another one of those things that I always thought was exaggerated by someone who had 'been there, done that.' But oh, pregnancy hormones are there, and in full force! One minute you'll be laughing, the next you'll be crying. And you won't really know why. You'll get angry for no reason, and want to sob if someone looks at you the wrong way. And I hate to say it, but it only gets worse for the first 6 weeks or so (sometimes longer) after the baby arrives. Hopefully your partner will be understanding and will try not to take it personally.

Pregnancy doesn't last forever. Even though it might seem that way at times. And once it's over it seems like you were pregnant sooooooo long ago.

Farting. Why doesn't anyone mention this?? You will fart throughout your entire pregnancy, and most of the time you can't even tell they are coming. Oh, and bless you if you're taking iron supplements, because the smell of your gas could knock out an entire army.

Skin tags. I had never heard a single person mention these before, and my ummm.....lady bits grew these horrible chunks of extra skin throughout my entire pregnancy. I was mortified every single time my legs were in the stirrups. Fortunately they kind of dissolved and fell off after my son was born, but still, they were completely foreign to me. I thought I had some sort of weird STD that I didn't know about.

Only the essentials! Babies don't need much, especially not in the beginning. Food, somewhere to sleep, and a couple of outfits. Don't worry with a highchair, exersaucer, even baby toys. Those can come later. They might be fun things to buy, but really they hold no purpose until your baby is older.

*Postpartum*

Breastfeeding hurts. It does. I'm not going to lie to you. I assumed it would be so easy, since your body is naturally equipped to nurse your child. The baby latches on immediately after birth and does great for the continuation of your stay in the hospital. You are so excited because you're a natural at this! Then you come home, your milk comes in, your breasts become so engorged that your little one can't even latch on. That's when the fun really begins. There is a 3 or 4 day span after you come from the hospital that is SO frustrating. I really had to work hard not to give up with Gage. I had the same engorged/latching issues with Owsley, but at least I knew what to expect this time. If you can make it to about three weeks, it's a breeze.

Bleeding Ok, so you haven't had a period for nine months, how nice. Now you're blessed with up to six weeks of bleeding. And those first few weeks are major gushers, to the point you think you might be dying. Especially if you're breastfeeding. Every time your kiddo latches on, your uterus contracts, and your body spews out more. Be prepared. And just know that you could be pushing out clots the size of an orange. I'm just sayin.'

It's normal to be paranoid. I can't tell you how many times I checked Gage while he was sleeping to make sure he was breathing. And it didn't get much better with Owsley. The first time they slept through the night I woke up that morning and raced into their rooms, making sure they were ok.

Let's mention those hormones again. For the past nine months your body has been producing all these extra hormones, and suddenly they are gone. Uh oh. You're going to feel sad and lonely, and at times you are going to be so angry with your partner. You are going to think they aren't pulling their share and not understand how they can sleep through the night while you can't. These feeling will pass. Just try to take one day at a time. And just try extra hard to not punch your husband in the face.

Take time for yourself. Even if it's just a 10 minute walk outside in the sun or a drive to the grocery store. Try to do someone by yourself. You'll enjoy the peace and quiet. And just a few minutes to yourself can work wonders on your mood.

It's ok to be unconventional. Gage wanted to be swaddled until he was about 14 months old, and he slept in his swing until he was a year and a half. Whatever works for you and your family. It's all about what makes things easier.

The television is a good babysitter. (For a short period of time.) I don't mind Gage watching a little bit of tv, especially if I've got something that really needs to be done. And as far as I can tell, it hasn't done any irreversible brain damage. Actually, if you let him pick among watching tv, playing with mommy, going outside,or even helping me clean, tv would always be his last choice.

Thanks for letting me take over your blog, Loni. Hope everyone has a great weekend! And stop by my blog sometime and say hello!

Surprises

Ah...the weekend.  Thank goodness because I am STILL trying to fight this cold off.  I thought I had beat it and BAM today it came back with a vengeance.  Moms don't get sick days but it is the weekend so daddy is on duty tonight.

Speaking of daddy next weekend is his 29th birthday!  I have lots of stuff planned.  I have purchased one gift but I'm not sure if it will be here in time.  Oops.  The other gift I am looking into with the help of his brother....I need to figure that out asap.  I have a surprise dinner for him at a location he has no idea about.  ANNNND some other surprises I can't talk about on here.  Not that he reads this blog but I don't want anyone to spill the beans.  P is also working on something for him.  We went and purchased supplies for that today and made Daddy wait in the car.  :)  Next weekend will be so much fun!

Yesterday P and I headed out to the zoo.  It was nice out.  Jody met us there and we had a blast.  It is nice living close to them so we can meet up!  While waiting for the dolphin show to start this little old man started talking to us and was talking about how precious P is.  He told us he was in his 90's and that kids are so worth it and such a blessing.  He almost made me cry he was so stinkin sweet.  He reminded me of poppy.  After the zoo it was right smack dab in the middle of rush hour so we headed out to get some dinner and go shopping.  I bought a few things for the house using ideas from pinterest as inspiration.  Oh pinterest...you are my best friend and my wallets worst nightmare. 

Hope ya'll have a great weekend!

Fabulous Friday Features....

Today we are featuring Katie from over at All I Know Is....  She's new to the big blogging world so go show her some love....here is her post where she will talking about her birth of her adorable little dude Patrick.

Wow, I'm so honored to have the opportunity to be a guest blogger for Loni. I've had the great privilege of enjoying her humor as a fellow MOOB (Mom of October Babies, group on FB.) Thanks for having me!


A little background about me...I'm 29 years old. I'm married to the most kick butt guy a girl could ever know. I met Tim in 2003 when we were working at the Olive Garden together.  Now we're all grown up and were married in 2008.  In January 2010, we got the amazing, exciting (and slightly terrifying) news that our little Patrick Finn was on his way.  His birth was an amazing experience but it came with a few bumps in the road...
 

Yes, that is a dart board behind us. Yes, I am in a bar, 27 weeks pregnant.  I'm just classy like that. (It was Tim's 30th)

 When you are a first time mom, you think ENDLESSLY about what your birth will  be like.  You plan. You read every book, article, blog, abstract, and menial artifact ever published on art of giving birth. You carefully type out your 45 page birth plan that covers every detail from the music and lighting to your drugs of choice (or lack there of for all those crazies.) You are prepared...Looking back, I call bullsh**!


I was no different from any other mommy. I was huge and happy. Every doctor's visit brought me closer to my due date and my excitement grew by the minute.  By 34 weeks, the dr started checking P-man's position in my belly. It really wasn't difficult to check. His head stuck out just under my ribs. You could palm it like a basketball. He was breech. But my dr assured me it was still early and we had plenty of time for him to turn around. I happily enrolled in my labor and delivery class offered by the local hospital and continued to plan for a normal delivery.  By 36 weeks, dr was less assured.  This baby was happy where he was and was showing no signs of turning around.  


There are options for medically turning a breech baby but to me it was described as "very painful, with a 10-20% success rate in first time moms." Sound like fun? Not so much. And my dr really didn't want to try... So, like any crazed pregnant chic would, I hit the Internet. Hard.  I desperately searched for any way to get this baby to turn around.  Did you know there is a website called Spinning Babies? It is exactly what it sounds like.  101 ways to turn a breech baby.  There was stretches and exercises. Inversion techniques, including positioning yourself  upside down and backwards on a flight of stairs (really graceful at 39 weeks pregnant.) And my personal favorite, attaching clothes pins to your pinky toes. Ouch!  


I did it all...No dice. By 37 weeks, my labor/lamaze class had become the most depressing part of my week. I had to spend 3 hours every Monday night practising techniques that I knew I was never going to need/use.  I cried on the drive home most of the time...This was not the experience I had planned for the last 8 months. I refused to do what my dr wanted.  Still convinced that there was a chance...


At 38 weeks, we threw a hail mary and headed to the chiropractor for a procedure specifically designed to to turn a breech baby (Webster's technique.)  After 3 sessions, my little man was still right where he had always been.  I could feel him try to turn.  The pressure from his big ol' head trying to move nearly made me throw up.  The reality was, we were out of room and out of time.  With sadness and disappointment bearing down on me, I scheduled a c-section.


I had no choice but to quickly come to terms with the situation.  There was still a chance he could turn but more likely, he was coming on October 14. Like it or not.  Once I got over the disappointment, I realized how lucky I was.  I knew EXACTLY when I was giving birth.  My family in Colorado and Oregon made travel plans that we knew would get them there for the birth.  I got my hair cut and highlighted (gasp! Yes, I dyed my hair while pregnant. Get over it.) I got a pedicure and my eyebrows waxed. It was my last supper and I was gonna live it up!


On October 14, I woke up around 7 am.  Showered, blow dried and curled my hair and carefully applied my make-up.  I wasn't getting the birth I wanted so I was gonna be the best looking mama on the post pardum floor damnit! I double, triple, quadruple checked my bag to make sure I had everything I needed and we headed out the door.



 

Now, like any good pregnant lady, I had done my research. I thought I knew what to expect about my new birth plan and I was prepared. Again, bullsh**! The beginning was easy enough.  I went into triage just like all the ladies in labor and got my IV, blood drawn etc. Oh yeah, for the lucky one's like myself you get the added benefit of getting shaved.  I'll let your imagination take that one. The dr came in and gave me one last ultra sound just to ensure that P-man was in fact still upside down.  It occurred to me at that moment, what if he had not been?  What if he magically (and unbeknownst to me) had turned around and was now ready for a vaginal birth? Would they send me home and wait for me to go into labor? NO, NO, NO, I was ready.  I was having a baby that day! It didn't matter any way. That boy hadn't moved in 6 weeks.  Tim and I got on our fancy outfits and headed down to the operating room.  My family is still shocked that I sauntered right by them in waiting room and waved good bye.  I guess they thought I'd be wheeled in on a gurney, drugged and delusional...Not the way it works folks.

I don't know why they have the most god awful socks ever in the hospital but they wouldn't let me wear my own.  I found out why later...

I had to part ways with Tim for a short while. He had to wait outside while I got my spinal block (different from an epidural, no catheter in your spine.) This scared the crap out of me.  I HATE needles. I'm a big fat chicken and Tim is my strength.  I tried to play the 'my husband works in a hospital and gives injections himself' (he does, really!) card in order to get them to let him stay but I was shot down.  I don't know why he couldn't be there. It's just one of many dumb ass rules that hospitals have in place. For perfectly good reason, I'm sure.


I don't know what I thought the operating room would be like but I was not at all prepared.  It was huge.  It was sooo bright.  It was so sterile. It was scary.  I almost immediately started to panic a little.  I started crying and my poor nurse couldn't help.  I was just scared, nervous and overwhelmed.


Once my spinal took effect and I was ready to go, they brought Tim in to sit by my side and it was on.  The surgery itself is pretty surreal. The first thing the dr said when he started was 'Man this kid's got a big butt!' I couldn't feel anything until the he told me 'a little pressure here' and it felt like some one was sitting on my chest and pulling that kid out!  There was no pain and it was all over in 10 minutes.  They told Tim to stand up and peek over the sheet that was blocking our view as they pulled Patrick out. I will never forget the sound of my precious little man's first cries.  Loud and strong. He was here!

After a few short minutes, we found out just why my little man had ran out of room and couldn't turn around.  He was huge!!! Nearly 9lbs 6oz.  I'm not a very big person so that was a whole lot of baby to have in my belly. 

I neglected to mention earlier that I had made a deal with Patrick many months prior.  When he was still just a little shrimp baby and we didn't know he was a 'he', I told him that if he was going to require a c-section that we should do it from the beginning.  I did not want to go through 36 hours of labor and 3 hours of pushing only to end up in surgery anyway.  I'm glad to say my son followed the rules right from the start.  My dr said it was unlikely that I would have been able to deliver him vaginally given his size and my anatomy.


I wouldn't change anything about my birth experience.  It wasn't what I had expected or planned for but the best things in life rarely go as planned. His birth was memorable, beautiful and amazing just as the last 16 months have been... 

Pinterest frame

So thanks to pinterest I saw this super neat picture frame made out of an old window. I found an old window that my father in law had laying around (along with 5 billion other random items).  We sanded it and painted it and then used sandpaper to rough the paint up to make it look old again.  I couldn't find mattes to fit the odd shaped window panes so I used scrapbook paper and had to cut some of them to fit as well.  I just stuck the pictures on top of the paper and BAM!  There it is....

I think I am going to change out the pics and make it so it hangs sideways instead and put it above our bed.  It's nice because you can easily and cheaply change the look of it by using different scrapbook paper and pictures.  Love it.

Weekend Recap!

This past weekend P and I headed to Michigan (again) to go to her boyfriend's first birthday!  We spent the weekend at my dad's house and had a good ol' time.  P is still being very clingy.  My poor dad barely got to hold her without her freaking out.  He shouldn't feel too bad though, when we got home Dustin tried to hold her and she freaked out as well.  She's a mama's girl right now for some reason.  

I don't mind :)

Friday on our way into town we stopped at my friend Tammy's house.  She is in a mom group with me and all of us ladies went together and purchased her a gift.  I took it to her and I think she reallllly loved it and she had no idea that it was coming.  I can't believe I organized and kept a surprise for once.  Usually I suck ha ha.

I had talked about getting P's haircut while we were home well that didn't happen.  Friday night we got a TON of snow.  We tried to make the 30 minute drive to the salon and within a mile of getting on the highway there were crashes everywhere.  One with at least 16 cars.  After that another with a whole bunch of cars.  I decided a haircut wasn't worth the risk of crashing so we turned around and went and spent time with my grandparents instead.  Gotta love Michigan in the winter.  Honestly, it's ok. I was having second thoughts about it anyway so mother nature made the decision for me.  We spent time with meme and pop.  It is SO good to see Poppy feeling well.  When I got to their house he had just snow blowed (is that a word?) the driveway.  He was so excited that P was taking his hand and walking around with him.  He kept doing it.  It's the little things in life that mean the most I tell ya.

Saturday afternoon we headed to Brady boy's birthday.  I was so happy to see Chelsea and Travis and FINALLY meet Brady.  Last time I saw them Brady was just a new little bean in his mamas belly and I was about 29 weeks pregnant.  

p.s. thats my alma mater behind us :)

Brady has seriously got to be one of the cutest babies ever.  I figured since we were at a church anyway we might as well just have their arranged marriage right there on the spot.

Seriously?  Could he be ANY cuter?  no.

Here is P all bundled up before the party....she is so cute.

Don't say anything about her coat in the carseat.  

That coat is literally as thin as a sweatshirt.  She normally doesnt wear a coat in her seat.

P had a great time at the party and followed Chelsea around like a puppy dog.  I'm not sure if she thought she was me or what but it seemed like everywhere she went P was following close behind.

Here is us after the party!  Wouldn't they make a great couple?

Sunday we headed to the baby expo with our pals Tammy and Little A.  It was nice to spend time with them this trip.  Tammy is probably the most adorable pregnant woman I have ever seen.  I might have rubbed her bump a bit.  The girls of course had fun and were probably a bit overwhelmed with everything going on.  There were kids EVERYWHERE.

We finally headed home Sunday night and I was glad to be back.  So was P.  Yesterday Dustin had to leave for work so we spent the day shopping.  I ended up buying a bathing suit I have had pinned on pinterest for awhile.  I was just waiting for them to get in the stores.  I had a really hard time deciding which size top to get.  The small the cups seemed too small but the medium I had to hook on the last hook in order for it to be tight enough.  God, I want some silicone filled boobies.  

I ended up getting a medium.  Not that it matters.

I LOOOOVE the color.  Is it summer yet?!   

Today we spent the morning at story time and then came home to play. 

My little valentine :)

 P opened her little Valentine from us and is now peacefully napping, I'm trying to catch up on all my tivo shows and finish the piles of laundry I have.  

OH pants!

Geez what a difference a year makes.

Happy Valentine's Day

I'll be spending the day with my lady since Daddy is out of town.  I'll update you on our weekend later :)

Fabulous Friday Features....

Today we are featuring Christina Johnson, she will be talking about how to redecorate your home without spending a TON of money.  Since Pinterest has come around I am obsessed with decorating ideas.  I can't get enough of all the beautiful homes I see on that site.  Here are some ideas that Christina has for redecorating on a dime :)

If you are in a place where you are tired of your home’s drab looks, don’t despair! Whether you love your home or you are simply staying there until something better comes along, there are definitely things that you can do to make it better. Decorating a home according to your tastes is a great way to make it really yours, so think about some cheap and fun ways to make the space that you are living in flash and sparkle.

Start with stencils. Stencils are cheaply available at your local craft store, and you’ll find that there are plenty to choose from. Use house paint or acrylic paint to give your walls a fun splash of color. When you are tired of the stencils, paint them over and replace them with new ones. This is a fantastic choice for a child’s room or for the border of your bathroom or kitchen. Use paints that go with your color scheme for a finished effect.

Bring some nature inside. One way to give your home a wild, natural look is to adorn it with branches and flowers. Gather up some thin twigs and bind them together with ribbon. If you want, you can leave the twigs are they are and hang them up on the wall or set them in the corner, or you can make several bundles and bind them together into a rough wreath. This is a lovely choice when you want to add some visual variety to your walls. Similarly, cut flowers from the garden and set them up throughout your home.

When you want a more textured look for your home, don’t forget about fabric. Buy a few yards of pretty fabric from your local fabric store and hang it up on the walls. This gives you a softer effect as well as giving you a good chance to get some color into your room. If you have a few swatches of fabric that you like, trim and hem the edges and then frame them. This allows you to very cheaply make something that looks a great deal like fine art for your walls.

To make a room more comfortable, start making your own pillows. A pillow is only two squares or rectangles of cloth sewn together and then stuffed. A simple pillow can be made in less than a hour if you have a sewing machine, and it is a good way to add more shapes to a room that is plain. Make several pillows to throw on your couch so that you can lounge more comfortably.

Consider what your options are when you want to give your home a brand new look; it is possible to change the look of your home completely without breaking the bank!

Christina Johnson who works remotely for Elliman Prudential in the  NYC Apartments and Rentals market. She is using her journalism major to combine what she loves most, writing and her career. Her specialties include home decor design and DIY home improvement projects.