The Reel Family

Baby Mine

2012-01-25T10:06:00.000-05:00

Drifting off to sleep I heard the first rustle and whimper escape from the nursery. Sleepily I stumbled to his side to find a pitiful sight. A wet diaper, excessive amount of spit up and a very snotty face met my eyes as my youngest cried out for me. I scooped him up and tried to comfort him as best I could while cleaning him up. Once he was dry and changed with a recently cleaned out nose, I tried to get him back to sleep. Finally he calms enough for me to lay him back into his bed and no sooner than I tipped toed out of the room did he rustle and cry out for me again. As I reached back down to pat his back, he grabbed my finger and held on tight. His fever filled cheeks glistened back at me and I knew that it was about to be a long night.

All night I paced the living room as he drifted in out of a restless sleep. Every so often I curled up on the couch and dosed off for a few minutes here and there. But I would be awakened by pained cries and we would start walking again.

Pat, pat, hum, hum, pace, pace.

With only the glow of a night light and the faint shadow of the moon through the sky light we walked through the night. Motherhood brings out the very best in you. With nothing but compassion and love, I walked and prayed that he would get some relief. I watched him drift to sleep and startle awake in pain. No amount of exhaustion would stop me from walking. Around 5am we both passed out on the couch only to be awakened by slightly larger feet an hour later asking for milk and Mikey.

It is crazy how things have changed through the years. I live a simple life now yet I see immense beauty in it. Today I am seeing just how much sleep depravation I can stand and yet I wouldn't trade it for the world. My child needed me. But the reality is I needed him just as much.

The before and afters

2012-01-24T14:52:00.001-05:00

The Kitchen Before and After.

We are still on the hunt for the perfect bar stools and decorating but here is the final product so far.

Please excuse the camera phone pics but while the house was in disarray I misplaced our camera.

I know how could I do that, I am so upset. I can't wait to find it.

Transitions

2012-01-17T14:34:00.000-05:00

At this point I have transitioned from new mom to just mom to mom of two. And with this latest transition I have realized something...I am a much better mother to two kids than I ever was to one. Now let me say nothing pissed me off more than being told that you weren't really a parent until you had more than one kid. That thought process is rude and categorically untrue. But, for me and my journey through motherhood, I have discovered that Jack is getting a way better parent. And by default so is EJ.
I was fairly relaxed mom with EJ. I was not one of those hyperactive new moms that fretted over every little thing but I was lacking in confidence. I was wading through unfamiliar waters and with everyone's willingness to share their opinions with me all the time I was left totality insecure about my decisions. I wondered way more than I ever should and poor EJ got a momma who was a tid bit stressed out.
I took a hard look at myself the other day and I realized that I am so much more relaxed and gosh darn it I am confident. These boys are mine and I know what is best for them. I know that Jack may be just shy of six months but this little guy needs lots of sleep and that means to bed he heads at 6:30pm. Yes, that is early and all the books say another feeding should happen but for him I know its what is best. He, also, has the driest skin in the world so bath time is limited to twice a week. I know that EJ has to have structure or he goes insane and days that aren't structured well tend to end in screaming from everyone. Its just little things that I know about my kids that no one, not even dad at times, know.
I can trust my instincts and let life happen. We have a schedule and most days its the way life goes but I also let things interrupt it because that is life and my kids need to learn to be flexible. I know that EJ throws huge temper tantrums and the best way to handle it to send him to his room immediately. Time outs and redirecting may be the thing to do now but for us does not work. I am ok with telling others that. I don't kept my difference in parenting styles to myself. I just do what works for us. And sometimes that all you can do is just listen to gut and say a prayer it works.

Phase 2

2012-01-11T14:35:00.000-05:00

Apparently I lost my mind. Two small kids and agreeing to do a Kitchen renovation is a not something a sane person agrees to, right? I'm not totally crazy its just a few quick fixes and the contractor promised a week. Which we all know in that really means two but I thought we could handle it. I might have been wrong. Good thing it looks AMAZING so I just focus on that. Because in reality we have stuff everywhere and the odor of paint even with windows open and fans going is a headache waiting to happen. But if you want a good laugh check out the state of my house at the moment.

Hopefully in a few days I can share the finished product! We did have pretty good timing because this weekend is Scotts Antique market. I fully intend on spending my entire Mothers Morning Out free time on Friday there looking for stuff to finish off the space!!!

Day one: half the granite comes off to build a proper breakfast bar and add beadboard.

Meanwhile the rest of the house looks like this...

Yes, that is a coffee station set. We must start the day with coffee. I really am not even human until coffee happens.

It also didn't occur to me that this also means no place to sit and eat. I thought I was so clever planing us a week of Crockpot meals. But I didn't really think ahead to where the meal would happen and lets just say a 2 year old and food at the coffee table is one BIG MESS!

What you don't line your floor with spices and cooking oils?

Yet another purpose for the bassinet house china.

Day 2 & 3: Bring on the paint and headache.

It is already SO much brighter.

I can not even explain to you how excited I am to have a legit eat in bar.

A new year

2012-01-06T12:57:00.000-05:00

Another year has arrived, its almost like someone is hitting the fast forward button these days.
It feels like only yesterday I walked into a party blissfully unaware that my future husband was just steps away from me. In a matter of seconds the amateur night known as New Years Eve would morph into the most pivotal day of my life. That first kiss was my last first kiss and thus begun our story.

It has been five years and we sure do have a lot to show for it. Numerous trips, concerts, hysterical moments, lots of good times and a few bad times but most importantly we have two beautiful boys. When I think towards the dreams I have for the new year I remind myself of the wise quote suggesting that we trip ourselves up with letting our dreams get in the way of loving our reality.

So for this new year I vow to learn to love each day. This life is the one I choose and it's my happily ever after. No specific goals in mind just continue to work on the daily job of strengthening our family. For Craig and I to continue to grow in love so that our foundation is firm. For patience as I learn every day how to better mother my boys and teach them to be good people. And for the ability to be able to see that I am at the end of my rope. I will not mommy martyr myself into an ugly place. I will let the house go some days, I will guiltlessly drop the boys off at school and I will teach myself that its ok to be someone other than a mother. I will never be the best mother and wife if I feel as though I am looking through a foggy window at a shadow of myself. And hopefully in 12 short months we will still see the same picture of a family just a little older with a bit more strength and a whole year full of happiness.

A photo dump

2011-12-05T21:20:00.000-05:00

Because these photos are just too darn cute not to share...

Oh the eyes on my two boys. They make me swoon.

I love this photo. So their personalities. EJ cutting up and Jack just chillin.

I love how Jack is like "really Bro what are doing?"

He will hate me one day for taking this picture. Warning little boy if Momma doesn't approve of a girl you bring home rest assured this picture will be brought out in hopes that your too embarrassed to ever call her again.

He got a big boy hair cut it makes me sad. He looks so old and sort of like dennis the menace ironically he acts like him too!

This little boy is soooo happy.all.the.time. Well unless he's hungry but who came blame him.

He is also growing up way too fast!

Bruno and EJ are trouble all the time and always together. Its rather adorable.

See the face. DENNIS THE MENACE I tell ya.

They love each other.

Brothers.

On Holidays

2011-12-01T08:45:00.000-05:00

Oh how I love the holiday season. It is the only time in the year I am willing to tolerate cold weather. There is just something magical about pumpkins, fires and christmas trees. I have wonderful memories of childhood christmas pasts. One's filled with all my family, rooms full of people and laughter. Great times with cousins and siblings.

As I have moved past the childhood stage and into the adult stage of the holidays I see the stress. I see how easily the true meaning of the holidays can get lost in the shuffle. I have found myself trying to recreate the holidays of the past. I yearn to give my children similar memories. I so desperately want them to feel the love and magic that holidays can be. However, while cooking my first family thanksgiving this year it occurred to me that those are my memories, my childhood. The boys are making their own memories. These are the memories that they will hopefully look back on with love as the grow older and form families of their own.

We have worked hard to make our family our own. To set boundaries that works for us because this family that we made now is the most important. So as I go through this season and the years to come I am going to focus less on what I have always done and more on what is best for the boys. We may not have the family filled crazed celebrations but that does not mean that they won't be just as memorable. Hosting Thanksgiving was truly wonderful moment. There was no loading up the car and driving into the wee hours of the morning. No shuffling through luggage, and running from house to house. Both of us commented on how much we loved having everyone over. It was a perfect thanksgiving and I hope in the years to come their are many more just like it.

Who are these big boys?

2011-11-12T08:28:00.000-05:00

I mean seriously, when did these children get so big. A little brother bonding time watching Thomas while Momma folded laundry. I sure do love these little guys!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T10:43:00.001-04:00

Halloween is quite frankly one of my least favorite holidays. I have no idea why. I am just not such a huge fan of it. Craig says its because I am no fun and do not like dressing up but whatever the reason it's not really my thing. Craig loves it so I generally decorate and attempt to be a good supportive wife and enjoy the holiday for him. This year, however, our house is covered in a layer of dust with a daily dose of construction workers so I decided it was not worth the effort. I am going to have to go all out next year to make-up for it I am sure.

After a bit of a debate we decided to take EJ trick or treating. Honestly, it was somewhat of a fail. He didn't really understand the concept, ran into a number of the houses as soon as the door was open and tried to eat the candy the minute they handed it to him. Tantrums ensued and we bailed early on the whole thing. But, it was fun to dress both boys up and I am sure we have many years of many hours of trick or treating ahead of us.

Without further ado I present to you ...

Our Resident Dinosaur

& Our Baby Bear

Here's our failed attempts at a group photo. We are in the depths of the refusing to look at the camera and smile phase of toddlerhood.

Advice and Crazy Moms

2011-10-25T13:53:00.001-04:00

A friend posted this article on the book today and I found it so interesting.

Among discussing the ridiculous rivalry that exists in within the realm of Motherhood today it also had her advice for new moms. Honestly, I wish I had read this before EJ was born it may not have made a difference but it really is some of the best advice. There is nothing as wonderful or crazy as motherhood, nothing. But, with all things there is a learning curve. The person you become when you are under extreme sleep depravation is unrecognizable. The emotions are all over the place and not taking time for yourself will result in one insane momma, trust me I know. I learned the hard way. Take a moment and read it. It's a good read for sure.

What are the most important pieces of advice that you can offer to new moms?

JZ: Here are some healthful tid bits for women to savor as they embark on motherhood. Trust yourself. Rely on others. Ask for help. Seek support. Connect with loved ones. Take time for yourself. Expect to feel amazing, awful, and everything in between. Throw perfection out the window!

Be present. Get professional guidance if you feel you want/need it. Read books about parenting if you find them helpful but ultimately be sure to integrate their wisdom with your own mothering methods. Respect your body and the postpartum journey. Curb unrealistic expectations. Be the role model you always dreamed of having. Be wholeheartedly honest with yourself. Experience whatever it is you are experiencing. Denying feelings does not make them go away. Feelings are feelings not facts. Change is possible. Communication is key. Depression and anxiety do not go away on their own.

Rest when you can. Honor your emotional temperature. Surround yourself with people who make you feel good about being you. It’s never too late to revisit your childhood experiences – doing so will benefit and enliven the family you’ve created. Don’t take little people’s behaviors personally. Newborns/infants do not manipulate. Treat yourself like a queen when you can (whatever that means to you). As soon as you feel you finally “figured it out”, “it” will change. Be flexible. LAUGH. Address burning feelings. Whatever you are feeling, other mothers have felt. You are not alone. No feeling is off limits. (New) motherhood is ubiquitously overwhelming. Sleep deprivation can make you meet a version of yourself you never wanted to know. There is not one way to give birth, feed, sleep, or raise your child. Do what feels resonant for you and your baby, not what is trendy. Plan and then roll with what arises. Play and enjoy the ever-changing ride!

Jessica Zucker is a psychologist in Los Angeles specializing in women’s health with a focus on transitions in motherhood, perinatal and postpartum mood disorders, and early parent-child attachment.

The boys

2011-10-19T14:24:00.000-04:00

Watching the bond form between the two boys may be my favorite aspect of having another child. Jack loves to watch EJ and much like his brother he is in a big ol hurry to grow up. At 11 weeks old he tries to sit up and quite frankly is better at exercising his core than I am. He wants to roll over so bad and boy does he get mad when he gets stuck on his side. EJ is dying for him to play with him and requests that Jack "sit" with him about a million times a day.

I have a feeling I am going to get lots of this look from both them in the coming years.

Inside joke

Jack siting in his chair at the toddler table. EJ can't wait for them to eat lunch together.

EJ loves to kiss his brother. I am going to remind him of this when they get in to fights in the coming years.

Life as we know it.

2011-10-17T20:58:00.000-04:00

I have spent the last 11 and 1/2 weeks figuring out what our new normal is.
It's funny with the first baby the whole world stops while you run in circles like a chicken with its head cut off trying to figure this whole parent thing out. I will never forget the panic that in sued the first night EJ woke up at 3am screaming and yes that was at 3 days old. He kindly waited until after we left the hospital to start the night wake-ups. Craig and I both jumped up and nearly ran smack into each other. EJ was a screamer so within seconds my mom was knocking at the door asking if we needed help. It's comical to think about it now.
Everything was a mess then, some had nothing to do with the new baby just life stuff and other messes were all baby related. It took awhile to get our groove, our confidence and it took me a while to fall in love with this awesome gift of motherhood.
This time, well, he just fit right in. It was like we had been waiting on him. Everything has been easier and better. Sometimes the mom guilt sets in as I realize that I am enjoying Jack's early days in way that I did not with EJ. But, I think that is normal. Everyone should have their second baby first, its so much better the second time around.
I love having both my boys and its funny how not stressed I am when they both melt down or things just aren't going my way. I just keep plugging away. If Jack has to cry for a minute while I deal with EJ or vice versa it is ok. And quite frankly it's life. Sometimes we have to wait a minute whether we want to or not.
Jack is an incredible baby, he sleeps, eats and smiles. He loves to cuddle in the morning as he eats and quite frankly I enjoy it most mornings even if its still dark outside.
EJ is at such a fun and hard stage. It's so fun getting to see his personality and getting to talk to him but he is one strong willed little boy. He wants things his way and will often choose punishment over stopping. It is a daily process in patience on my part and trying to figure out what is going through his head. I just repeat to myself my grandmother's wise words "children are born heathens and its our job to teach them how to be responsible little people". As his Momma it is my job to help mold him into the man he is meant to be and that is a great honor and big job but one I am happy to have.
Kids change you completely. Today, I think twice about everything from my behavior to the food I put in my mouth. I have 4 little eyes watching my every move and I better teach them well. Because really they learn a lot by our actions not our just words.

Where have we been AKA iPhone Photo Dump

2011-10-13T09:54:00.000-04:00

A hurt foot, a nursing baby and an energetic toddler can keep you pretty busy. Throw in home renovations and a few trips into the mix and you have one crazy hectic few weeks.

It's full on baby leg season and I love it!

Such a smiley child!

It's a BABY party. Jack and I made a short trip up to Knoxville to meet two of my very best friends little additions. It was such a fun night. I hope these boys grow up to be buds.

While in Knoxville, we all went out to dinner. This was our view in the elevator.

EJ got to spend a week at the farm with my parents while Jack and I got a some good one on one time. It was so nice to spend some time giving him all the attention :)

Someone got a cold thanks to many kisses from his big bro so we spent a few afternoons like this. All propped up and snug.

Look at how long this child is! I am guessing he is going to give his uncles a run for their money in the height department.

Big bro is teaching little bro all about butterflies!

Renovations in progress!

THIS is a sign near my parents. Seriously only in Tennessee.

Boys ready for some quality time at the pumpkin patch!

Because I am crazy apparently, I also decided to ditch the pull-ups.

Such a good little road tripper!

6 hours later windows rolled down and shirt is off!

Pretty sure this kid most favorite place on earth is at his grandparents farm.

CUTIES

2011-09-29T15:06:00.002-04:00

Well it's official we make them CUTE!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T07:54:00.000-04:00

My little boys... oh how they love each other already.

Stay tuned update to come its been a whirlwind of a few weeks with renovations starting, a trip to Memphis and Momma injuring her foot, well feet, badly. I am off to the dr again today so hopefully we can get to the bottom of this.

No doubt

2011-09-06T14:25:00.000-04:00

EJ at 2 months

Jack at 3 weeks

These boys are certainly brothers. And no I did not pose either one of them. In fact, we catch them both sleeping in that exact pose rather often.

Momma's army

2011-08-24T09:53:00.001-04:00

This child absolutely loves his brother. It is unreal to me that a person who is all of 2 years old can grasp the concept of how lucky he is to have a brother. If Jack cries he is the first on the scene. He is the paci police always near to place back in his mouth :: and take it off his hands if spits it back out:: He wants to "hold" and "carry"" Jack all the time. And insists on pushing with Momma's help his stroller. He is already protecting and loving him with such wild abandonment I can't help but be anything less than proud.

It's no secret I was on Team Pink at the beginning of this pregnancy. Honestly, my entire life I had wanted 3 or 4 kids until this past pregnancy. Once I entered into my third week of all day sickness with an 18 month old, I changed my tune. By the time I was admitted to the hospital with an acute kidney infection from severe dehydration as a result of all the throwing up I was all but begging God to bless us with pink so that I could send Craig straight to the urologist. I was so done with this making and baking a baby thing. But as usual God had other plans and as usual I was pissed... at first.

But, now I look at both my baby boys and think I not only can I not imagine not having at least one more. I am so thankful that these two boys have each other. At 25 months apart they will have many similar interests and it is my hope that they will grow up not just fighting but also loving each other. They have a built-in best friend. So in the words of a wise older women when I confessed that we were having another boy... "right now I am building my army" and eventually we will have princess for Daddy.

And it is really such an honor to be these little boys' Momma.

What we have been up to...

2011-08-22T11:32:00.000-04:00

There has been lots of sleeping from this little guy

And lots of eating

Some home improvements
New paint, new furniture arrangement

Does this pose look familiar? Must be genetic... my kids, they like to chill.

This little no BIG boy has been hilarious.
Please note the cap and stool... the rest of us were in seats. He claimed it and drug it over.

More home improvements. See ya later ugly wallpaper.
HELLO red walls underneath. It takes 2 coats of primer to cover that mess.

They love each other already. Best Friends in the making.

The hilarity of potty training

2011-08-18T11:19:00.000-04:00

Potty Training is an interesting parental right of passage. As an adult you have condition yourself to not speak of the things that occur in the bathroom as it is consider in poor taste. Potty mouth is a common referral for someone who uses bad language so it becomes quite a change of pace to eat, sleep and breathe pee and poop.

EJ has always been a bit ahead of the curve. He is the typical first born with quite the independent streak that has spent the majority of his life in cloth diapers. I am pretty sure the cloth not only helped greatly with rash issues but also taught him early on what it felt like to be wet. Needless to say we hit 18 months and he started show interest in the potty. After some research I decided that for a boy he was most likely a bit young to head down that road but I went ahead and got a potty and basically just let it hang out in the bathroom.

When he wanted we let him sit on it we let him and thus began the constant dialogue of bathroom talk. Around 23 months he went full force into training. I totally let him take the lead and we were there for pee almost immediately. I knew that if I just pulled the pull-ups and left him big boy under ware we get there in a few days. My kid is smart and would ask for a pull-up to poop. But, with Jack arriving in less than a month I decided to wait. The likelihood of a regression was high and who needs that stress with a newborn, not me that is for sure.

He did just as I expected and totally regressed about a week before Jack entered the world and I just left it. I have enough to deal with, we will revisit this fall. Well EJ had other plans and woke up one day this week and refused his pull-ups only wants his Cars under ware which he wears BACKWARDS so he can see the car. So here I am in the throws of potty training with a newborn. God sure does have a sense of humor.

And this my friends was the result of timeout in his room for acting out while I was nursing Jack...

You guessed it... that is poop everywhere. Thank goodness for hard wood floors. If that I had been carpet I might have had a meltdown.

He was pretty happy with the result, a mid-day bath. Its a good thing this kid is so darn cute.
Wish us luck... Potty or Bust!

He's here

2011-08-05T10:06:00.000-04:00

On July 28, 2011 at 12:36pm after the easiest delivery in the world.

Yes, this confirmed our plans that we in fact are not done making and baking babies.

Jackson Robert Holman joined our family.

Weighing in at 8 pounds 8 ounces and 22 inches long we were told that he was "large for his gestational age".
I wonder what another week of baking would have done to our already big man. It's good thing we decided it was in everyone's best interest to evict at 39 weeks and 1 day.

This child is a true joy and such an easy baby. Life for me is so much better this time. I think back to the struggles and baby blues of EJ's birth and thank God that I am not in that place this time.

We are rocking and rolling with the breast feeding. I already have tons of milk stashed and he is gaining weight like a rockstar. Pretty much everything is better this time around and I could not be more thankful.

More to come later. But I will leave you with this doll face. Don't you just want to kiss those cheeks?

July 27th it is!

2011-07-23T16:20:00.001-04:00

Friday morning while trying to wrangle EJ in order to get a few hours of pool time in hopes for a long afternoon nap my phone rings. As I try to juggle digging it out of my purse and helping EJ up and into his seat. I notice that its my OB office. Not too sure what in the world they could be calling for since I have been there twice this week already so I hesitantly answer. I hear a familiar voice of one of the nurses that always seems to get the pleasure of calling me. She is, also, the nurse that side-eyed my weight gain at 6 months. She's a tough cookie but seems to be good at her job so I can respect that. She begins by telling me that since my induction is elective that I have been bumped for a medically needed one.

Fear creeps through me as I wonder what that means, she relaxes me a bit with the great news that I am now in for Wednesday instead of Thursday.

But, I am still holding my breathe. Who is the dr on call? I really like my OB. He's good. He listens. He pays attention. He doesn't waste your time.

Overwhelming the practice is full of dr's just like him but there is one that is just plain awful. Like makes me want to run away at thought of dealing with her. She's mean, she doesn't listen (aka spent half of a visit reading someone else's file and dismissing me when I was like umm I already had that test etc.) and quite frankly I just really do not want to deal with her.

Well the heavens parted and I was told that another one of the drs I really like was on call that day and would be doing it. Awesome. Sounds like plan see you then.

And my very favorite the final comment was I know your in prodromal labor and pretty dilated so we can all hope that you will have to come in before then... yes, we can all hope.

However, I am not too hopeful. My children are stubborn.

So countdown to baby day is T minus 5 days.

T minus 14 days until official eviction.

2011-07-14T10:13:00.000-04:00

37 weeks, measuring 38 weeks.

Back and thighs have hit their weight limit. If your missing me find a pool, I will probably be floating. Jack is stubborn and since I am showing no progress at this point. I suspect I will make it another 2 weeks.

The final product

2011-06-27T21:25:00.000-04:00

Jackson's Room is all done.

Momma can knock that off her list of things to do.

Now on the the 50 million other things I want/need to do.

This room is an example of bargain shopping at it's best! You would be shocked to know just how little was spent.

Birthday week begins!

2011-06-26T09:24:00.000-04:00

My baby turns 2 this week. TWO!

My head explodes when I think of this time just a few short years ago. I laugh to myself thinking how the last thing I thought I would be at this time is 34 weeks pregnant again with another little boy. Yeah right. I am pretty sure I claimed our 2nd child was 4 years away. Funny what a difference a few years can make.

I have foot and mouth disease so really I just need to learn to shut up.

But Craig couldn't take it anymore and we went ahead and gave EJ his big present yesterday. Needless to say I think it was a big hit.

Boy Momma

2011-06-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

Source: etsy.com via LA on Pinterest

This is me, at least for now. I pray that one day we add some pink to our world but for now I find hot wheels in my make-up bag and trucks in bed. I bathe off dirt and stickiness many times a day. My son literally growls at me and runs away laughing. The movie Cars is shown on repeat here and I laugh to myself as I watch my boy and his father wrestle on the floor every night imagining to myself the picture that it will soon be with 2 little boys loving on their daddy that way. I believe strongly in that boys are boys and that their heart is different from start. I know that even though Momma wants to stop every fall and comfort every hurt that they have the need to explore and see the world in a way that I may never fully understand.

I love some of things I have found lately via Pineterest (move over facebook this now the world's greatest time suck) and thought I would share it with you. If you are a boy momma you will most likely be able to relate to these things just as much as me.

Source: minglovemark.tumblr.com via Heather*Proper on Pinterest

Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com via Heather*Proper on Pinterest

Source: colourherhope.com via

Source: itsallbeendonebefore.tumblr.com via Jaimie on Pinterest

This is real life

2011-06-23T10:18:00.000-04:00

It's midnight, heartburn is flaring. Swallow some Tums. Prop myself up has high as I can go on my side and try to fall back asleep.
3 am arrives the heartburn is back. Pop some more Tums and roll over. It's now 4am Momma instinct kicks in. I wake and listen hard for a whimper. Suddenly a wail and cry for me pierces the silence as I stumble to the boy's room. I cuddle a scared boy and lay with him until he falls back asleep.
As I sneak back to my room, my stomach starts to rumble. I manage to lay down for only for a minute before I race to the bathroom. The 3rd trimester sickness has set in. Husband wakes a few minutes later to his boy yelling for him and his wife sick in the bathroom. Quite the symphony of sounds.
Not sure who to help he heads for the boy. For the rest of night he cuddled a scared boy who fought sleep by racing hot wheels up and down Daddy's arms and legs.
This is real life. Not a fun party but bittersweet all in its own right. Just a picture of unconditional love as we muddle through yet another moment in our lives.

Rocking the Bump

2011-06-17T21:49:00.000-04:00

Since I have taken a few bump photos this time, I thought I would join in and rock my latest baby bump!

Here's baby Jack at 14 weeks starting to show a bit even through the massive amounts of throwing up that Momma was doing at the time. I was down quite a few pounds at that point so that's all baby pudge.

16 weeks down, still sick as a dog.

24 weeks down, finally starting to feel better and baby boy is really filling out.

26 weeks down. Momma's hiding a very swollen face.

BOOM!!
3rd Trimester, 28 weeks.

30 weeks

33 weeks... Whoa 6 weeks or less to go. CRAZY!

Its so true that it goes by much quicker the 2nd time around! And I can not believe I am admitting this but I am actually glad that I am documenting the bump this time. It's fun to see the progression. However, I am getting to the "so over this pregnancy" point. Oh well soon enough!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T12:44:00.000-04:00

Sweet, sweet husband got his bride new guards! I love that man, glad he caught me that fateful new years night.

Disclaimer- I feel that way diamonds or not but this was a wonderful treat:)

This too shall pass

2011-06-06T12:23:00.000-04:00

I have heard it a lot lately, "oh you are going to have your hands full" in response to my rather large belly and the crazy kid running around at my feet. It amazes me the freedom people feel in speaking their "truth" to you when it comes to opinions on children. I honestly believe that a good number of people really enjoy fear mongering expectant parents. I can not for the life me figure out why.

Before EJ was born I was told I would never sleep again. That I should enjoy quiet because it's over soon. The array of other personal comments and opinions that was launched at me was mind boggling. I didn't understand it then and still don't today. Primarily because of the obvious. It's not like I can do anything about it now. This baby is coming whether we like it or not. Get over it and get ready is my motto. I get excited. Some days I am scared but that's normal. Trust me I do not need you spilling your guts to me about how much work I am about to be in for. I will learn soon enough on my own.

And guess what there were sleepless nights, there were days when I wanted to pull every strand of my hair out and scream. I have been exhausted, frustrated and overwhelmed but you know what?

It's worth it. And it passed.

I love my kid so much it hurts. I love being his momma and even when he makes me crazy I can not imagine my life without him. I love my husband more each and every day because he loves our kid so much. We are committed to each other in a different way because we know and embrace the reality that we are the foundation of our family. This family of ours is so important to us that we work hard daily to make sure that there are no cracks in that foundation. That kind of commitment is amazing. That kind of love is worth it even if it means a few sleepless nights.

I don't doubt that two small children may make head spin some days and I will wonder if their is enough of me to go around. I will worry about dumb things and life will have its ups and downs. Yes, my hands are going to be full but they are big enough to juggle it. And my heart is going to grow that July day even bigger and life without my two little boys will be totally unimaginable.

So for me I try very hard to never say anything negative to new parents or parents-to-be. I know they hear enough junk and I always speak my truth which is "Just remember this too shall pass and focus on the reality that it is so worth it. There is nothing like having your own family, absolutely nothing like it".

A week in pics

2011-06-06T10:11:00.000-04:00

Thanks to my fantastic, awesome hubs, I finally am cool enough to posses my very own Iphone. So in honor of that I thought I would join the week in pics bandwagon.

Week One
A yummy doughnut breakfast before hitting the road to meet the grandparents!
And yes that child ate like 4 and insisted on having them all right there for him to choose.
How he is so skinny is beyond me.

While the child was away Mom....

SEWED

And scored a great find on Craig's List....

Organized lots of baby clothes...

Started cleaning out the nursery and painted some letters....

Cleaned out all my diapers bags and admitted I may have PPB problem...

Monogrammed a few bibs...

And got the big boy's room cleaned out and organized. All baby stuffed moved on to his brother and now there is plenty of room for millions of match box cars, puzzles, trucks and lots of everything in between!

A Saturday Drive

2011-05-31T10:27:00.000-04:00

We woke up per usual to little feet pitter pattering around his room waiting for someone to come get him. With the standard sigh as I pulled myself from our comfortable bed, I went to rescue my boy. A soft cry for "Momma" as he heard my door open... and it begin just it like it does most days. Except this day, Momma packed a bag for just one and after a delicious breakfast of doughnuts and chocolate milk we pilled in the car to drive 3 hrs to meet his MiMi and CorCor.

We pulled in at the exact same time and out jumped my parents eager to see their boy. I watched as his eyes immediately lit up. All through lunch Mom and Dad were ignored as he enjoyed to attention that only grandparents can give. As we left he grabbed my mom's hand and off he gladly went to their car. Without even the slightest glance or apprehension, he climbed in and waved "byebye".

I leaned in and he planted a big kiss on both me and his Dad and he was ready to go. Perhaps it was the promise of dirt, tractors, dogs and lots of boy fun or just the love he has for his grandparents. All I know, the one left sad to part was me and only me.

I am so proud of the little boy I am raising. I love his independence and joy for life. I have always preached the importance of independence and security and for me I know we are doing our job when he can leave us without a tear. I know he knows that Mom and Dad are just a phone call away and we always come back. Chances are we are missed in the moments where only Mom can make it better and when Dad plays just the right way but overall he is happy and content being apart. Absences does make the heart grow fonder and for his Dad and I this a great way to spend some quality time together and reconnect. Our marriage is our children's greatest gift and its up to us make sure we honor it and nourish it. Not to mention the baby boy rapidly growing in my belly. I need to make sure that we are ready for his arrival as his brother.

As we drove away and sadness crept through my heart, I remembered that before I knew we would back on the same road driving back to meet our boy both rested and rejuvenated. Something that I believe is good for the soul and the family.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T21:02:00.000-04:00

30 weeks down, 9 to go!

Please excuse the crazy eyes. I just noticed them.

The to do list

2011-05-24T14:11:00.000-04:00

Welcome 30 weeks. Welcome said conversation with Dr. planning Jack's arrival aka if he chooses stay baking we will force him on this day.
BOOM!
I have a time frame now and work well with time frames and deadlines. So in that spirit here is my list of what I would love to happen in the next 9 weeks.

1. Finish EJ's first year book. Its mostly done sitting in virtual land but I need to complete it. AND send it to the printer. I have decided that each child because we plan to have a few will get their very own book and hopefully a DVD of the their first year of life. After that we are doing family year books for everyone. At the end of each year hopefully I can get the highlights down and in book. We shall see. Its the plan for now.

2. Figure out what in the world I want to put on Jack's walls. As in there is not a.single.thing. hanging on the wall. He needs his name somewhere and few prints.

3. Clean out all closets and get the junk to GOODWILL. I really hope and pray we get the awesome call from our Realtor informing us that a contract is coming on our house. And when we move I want it to be easy because one of two things is going to happen, I will either be very pregnant or have a newborn and a toddler. Both scenarios need some ease so if there is no junk to worry about then just about anyone can pack.

4. We need to actually purchase the infant seat we picked out for Jack and find him a dresser!

5. I need to buy diapers, wipes, dreft, pacifiers, new nipples, formula, nursing tanks, and breast feeding gear.

6. Oh the pulling out and organizing that needs to be done, there is a lots of that that needs to be happening. Then there's sanitizing things and doing lots of newborn laundry with the overpriced but oh so lovely smelling dreft.

I am slightly shocked that I have only come up with 6 items. I am confident there is more to be added.

So here you go cyberspace, my to do list published for all to see. Hopefully this is a good way for me to make sure it happens.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

2011-05-23T16:57:00.000-04:00

I mean could this child be anymore of a boy? Note the food all over the face and clothes holding a truck in the middle of the sand. Lets just say we left with him kicking and screaming, he was in heaven.

Lately life has been slightly busy. I feel it just comes with the territory in the spring and summer. Something about beautiful weather makes everyone come out of hibernation and things can get hectic.

We changed relators and got ourselves quite the go-getter. I have faith that he plans to get our house sold which would make us very happy. This past weekend we finally narrowed down an area to focus on. For the last 9 months, we have tossed around ideas about what area to head to and finally we figured it out. It's a beautiful area that feels like its smack dab in the country even though its not and has a very small town feel. Craig and I felt quite at home, so hopefully this means our house will sell. Only time will tell and until then all we can do is say a prayer and hope for the best. Something that my impatient pregnancy hormones have issues with at times.

Jack is growing like a weed. I am measuring 2 weeks ahead of schedule and he is head down already. My dr made my month today when he told me that he would let me schedule an induction for late July should he not come earlier so that we can plan for it. I have this major fear of a super fast delivery. EJ was less than 8 hrs and I was induced. I am not interested natural childbirth one bit. I have heard one too many people inform me that their second went so fast that there was no time for drugs and that is not ok with me. Needless to say I have basically been praying for an induction the whole time. The planner in me loves it. I can get everything in order and when I go to the hospital I know I am leaving with a baby. It's good for my soul and I could have kissed the dr he when he said that would be no issue at all. So let the countdown begin we have roughly 9 weeks to go!

Craig spoiled this Momma and got me an the Imac that I have been drooling over for years for my birthday. Its big, its beautiful and its has a full creative suite. I can do all my designing, edit all my pictures and keep all my sewing files in order. Needless to say I feel pretty lucky to married to a man who takes such great care of me. Or a man who wants me to get off his laptop since it has all the programs I like to play with.

I got EJ his very own Vineyard Vines bathing suit and I am so in love with it. Both my boy's sport them. All I can say is I have very adorable little family.

This past weekend we took the little man swimming and lets just say he is taking after his parents and their love for water. These photos are totally raw and am I working on learning how to handle the Manual function so please excuse them they are a work in progress.

Birthdays

2011-05-20T07:05:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was my birthday. A big one some might say as it ushered in the last year of my roaring 20's. Honestly, at this point I have no issues turning 30. I took the stereotype seriously and had a pretty major internal freak out for my quarter life crisis aka 25. Turning 30 at this point doesn't seem to be such a big deal. Ask me again in 364 days, who know I may feel different.

Birthdays have always been a big deal in my family surrounded with much celebration. I have fond memories of great birthday parties, trips to exotic places and basically just being surround by lots of love. I never felt alone and boy have I some great memories. Ever since entering my mid to late 20's birthdays have been rather bland and some, well not so great. A few years ago when the husband and I were still dating he had a bit of freak out and my brother went into cardiac arrest in Cambodia while on a family trip with my mother, aunt and grandparents. Its OK, I married that boy who scared me and made me cry that night at dinner and my brother proved not to have some rare heart disease but instead a drug addiction. I, also, have a habit of being very pregnant over my birthday which means I am uncomfortable wanting my body back and some what of an emotional mess. I cry for no reason and maintain a state of general pissed offness. Hormones are the pitts that is for sure.

All that to say that I have about decided that birthdays are more for kids. Us, adults, well its just another day that we turn a year older. There is nothing magical about it and as much as try I can't remember a birthday in recent years where I did not cry at least once. I seem to think more of my mother and what this day must mean to her. June 29 is more special to me than my own birthday now. It's the day I became a mother and discovered just how amazing motherhood is. It is the day that we welcomed our own special child into this world and for me I know I will carry on my family tradition of making that day as special as I can for as long as can for my little boy. I am guessing whatever day Jack decides to enter the world will also get filed away as top day to me. Yes, its the day they were born but its the day that Momma birthed them here and met the little guys that I carried with me for so long. And to me that is a pretty darn special day.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T10:12:00.000-04:00

BOOM!

Hello 3rd Trimester.

12 weeks or less to go.

Please excuse me while my head explodes. The second time around as flown by.

The whole truth

2011-05-09T12:12:00.000-04:00

Mondays in the blogging world, at least the Mom blogging world, mean one thing weight loss posts. Honestly, it's an awesome way to look for ideas and find support while weeding through the reality that we are no longer teenagers that can eat whatever we please without gaining a pound.
Lately, I have been tuning out of Monday's post because I am pregnant and dieting while pregnant is not really allowed or a good idea. But, today I am going to be honest. I am so discouraged with the weight gain this time around. I look in the mirror and want to scream and cry. Swollen face and hands, legs mascaraing as tree trunks and let's not even discuss the behind that is growing. It.is.not.me.at.all.
I have tried to do it right and lay off the nasty fatty food and be aware of what I am putting in my mouth but y'all it has flat out not worked. I gained a whopping 10lbs in 7 weeks, yep that right 20 lbs prior to me walking into my 3rd trimester (yay Wednesday!). The nurse gave me the side eye and mentioned it more than once. Yes, I did hear you clearly the first time now kindly shut up before I preggo rage your skinny butt to the wall.
I walked out of the office committed to being very careful, very, for the remainder of the pregnancy. Can we just say that is backfired in a big way as I have hit the ravishing hunger stage of pregnancy. The "there is not enough food in the world to help" this hunger. And me watching food went out the window and front door because when I am that hungry I am a mean pregnant lady. And honestly that is not saying much because I am historically an angry preggo. It's just the way it is. My pissed off demeanor is just a fact of life for most of the 10 months. Throw the hunger card into it and watch out world. I am not happy at all.
So basically this a plea for help. Momma's what did you do to keep the weight in check and not walk around hungry? Do you have trick for handling it all or what did you not do that given a chance for a redo you change?
And go ahead and plan that come August, I will vomiting all over the interwebs my quest to actually look better in my 30's than in my 20's.

A Mother's Day Challenge

2011-05-03T12:30:00.000-04:00

As yet another year races by I find myself faced with my 3rd Mother's Day. I have mixed emotions about Mother's Day much like Valentine's Day I find the day to be more a marketing ploy than anything. Mothers & Fathers alike have big, hard jobs and they should be honored for it but I think it should be a daily thing not a once a year I will stop and say your great.
In all honesty the year it meant the most to me was a year that some claimed was not mine to celebrate. I was carrying him in my belly instead of holding my baby boy in arms and some felt that I had not earned my mom card yet. I was just about full term and pretty miserable thanks to high blood pressure and irregular contractions. I will probably be myphed for the rest of my life for those comments because there is no harder job than baking a baby. In my mind your a mother the minute the + sign appears, end of story.
So this Mother's day, I challenge you to look to the pregnant women in your life and stop for a moment and give them some love. Stop yourself from sharing battle stories, imparting advice or telling them to enjoy the peace now because all hell is about to break lose just say congratulations you are about to get the best gift in the world. Because really, they are and the rest of it is just a mix of good and bad days. And the good make the bad more than worth it because they are your kids. A living, breathing reminder of your love for your partner. Proof that even with all the bad in the world, there still is good.

26.5 weeks

2011-04-30T22:06:00.000-04:00

It's gotten to point that my belly isn't the only thing showing. It's official my face as joined the preggo club which means I am back to avoiding mirrors. Yuck, I hate it when my face swells. But things here are moving along. Monday is the lovely glucose test blergh.

But here's the belly in all it's glory!

The Boy

2011-04-29T12:47:00.000-04:00

Lately, this blog seems to be all about Momma being pregnant and little Jack's impending arrival. While the new baby will surely bless this family in ways we can not even fathom we still have our first born. And boy is he growing up fast. Currently, we are potty training. Can you believe it? 22 months ago today I was at the hospital gearing up for him to join our family and today we talk, run, play and, well, potty train.

The last few weeks have been beautiful in the South. Yes, there have been some horrid storms and major destruction but the days that are pretty have been nothing short of beautiful. We have played outside for hours, headed to a strawberry patch to pick our own fresh berries and spent a wonderful family filled weekend in Memphis with family on the farm.

EJ is a farm boy, he loves not only the fire engine bed my mother has for him but the dirt, dogs, toys, tractors, and all other farm things. He is the happiest child in the world while there and melts down almost every time he is forced to the car to leave. I fully expect a day to come where he begs me to send him to his grandparents. And I am sure his grandparents will eagerly agree. He is truly the apple of both of their eyes.

Below is quite the picture explosion of the last few weeks.

You know your pregnant when

2011-04-28T11:35:00.000-04:00

You stand in front of an open fridge and freezer because you are that overheated

You sit down on the ground to watch your son play on his swing set only to realize that you may not be able to get back up.

Your son sleeps with you and your husband and instead of loving the family time you contemplate moving rooms because you are not only being kicked from the inside, someone on the outside is kicking you too!

Life pisses you off. Seriously, life is on my sh*t list today.

You are starving and nauseated at the same time.

Don't you wish you pregnant??

Honestly, I am super thankful that I can not only make a baby with ease. I carry them with little issues but seriously y'all its hard work this business of baking a baby.

Men have it way too easy, way too easy.

Shock and Awe

2011-04-27T14:58:00.000-04:00

Have you ever experienced something that literally stopped you in your tracks and made your mouth fall open? Yesterday, we fired off yet another email to our listing agent, we had a number of showings in the last week and had not received any feedback at all. This was not the first time this had happened it is the norm with this couple. I would say less than 5% of the showings would result in anything other than radio silence from them. We had asked nicely, demanded and discussed time and time again that we wanted to hear how it went even if it was they walked in and walked right back out. Personally, I found it to be a perfectly reasonable request. If your house is on the market and you have an agent you are about to make them a lot of money especially us, since we wanted to buy and sell in the same area aka they get to be a part of two closings. Therefor basic communication would be nice. I honestly do not know why I am surprised they are all talk and zero follow through and I had realized this awhile back.

Craig and I had even discussed terminating our contract with them due to their extreme laziness with our listing. But, we are people of our word and we gave our word that we would give them 90 days and so we decided to just go with it. Well, guess who ended up getting fired? US.

Yes, you read that right our agents fired us for requesting that they follow up on every showing. I am flabbergasted by their extreme unprofessionalism and laziness. We weren't asking for much just a quick text and some how that request is too great. I promise you we did nothing but ask for them to take us seriously. We would have paid college for their daughter next year with our two transactions so you would think that might inspire a bit of respect.

But, hey that's ok I am so done with them and their ways. Not only will we find a good agent that will sell our house in a timely manner. We will find one that isn't too busy playing tennis, spring breaking in Florida and hoping that modern technology will do their job. No worries we will come out on top but seriously who gets fired by their listing agent? Apparently we do but thats cool my husband has big mouth and is furious so watch out Cross Team you have just made our shit list.

Nursery progress

2011-04-18T09:41:00.000-04:00

It's a work in progress but here is Jack's nursery thus far.

Yes, I made the bumper myself and yes he is getting polka dots. Craig swears they are girlie and I disagree... It's dots, please!

What I'm loving these days...

2011-04-15T07:31:00.000-04:00

I have expensive taste. I blame my mother and grandmother who taught me early on the value of beautiful clothes, shoes and generally everything. If given a choice of 3 items without the price listed inevitably I will want the most expensive item. It's a curse and blessing. I have good taste but I always have running list of things I'm loving. But really who doesn't wish they had the ability to buy whatever, whenever they wanted? Unless your a member of the Trump family it's not reality and that's OK. I am blessed beyond measure but if I go on a spending spree here are some of my recent HOT items.

Jack and any future baby H needs this don't they??

image credit

Confession, I love just about anything Restoration Hardware. Clean, simple and classy. If I ever get a little girl she will sleep in the Iron Restoration Hardware crib. Overpriced or not its beautiful!

My swollen preggo feet needs these don't you think?

Image Credit

While we are showing off all that is Tori Burch. This bag is pretty spectacular don't you think? I see it being a perfect poolside addition.

I do love a good bag, I am a self proclaimed bag whore. Doesn't this look like the perfect addition to freshly baked baby? Ah Petunia Pickle Bottom you get it right every.single.time.

And who doesn't need a camera strap? I am Mom, therefor my camera is always by side and since the Husband hooked up my obsession with picture taking with an awesome setup. It only makes sense that I add a beautiful strap right?

Image Credit

Yep one word sums all this up it up
:: SWOON ::

24 weeks down, 16 weeks to go

2011-04-14T20:45:00.000-04:00

I think little Jack is going to be big one. Kid is already moving and shaking my entire belly most evenings while proving that he is just as active as his big brother. The numb leg has returned and by the end of the day most days I walk with a touch of a limp. It's all worth tin the end I know but you just case you didn't realize it...
there is NOTHING glamourous about pregnancy.

Here's to hoping it's more like 15 weeks to go. I can't wait to meet my little man and indulge in a large margarita.

A wild ride

2011-04-05T15:33:00.001-04:00

It started off as a beautiful spring day at the beach. I spent the morning getting a manicure and pedicure with my cousin aka little sister and the afternoon doing flowers with all the women in my family. We laughed and remembered the past while making centerpiece after centerpiece. Meanwhile the men were off fishing and before I knew it it was time to get dressed. While the caterers set tables and the band warmed up family trickled to their rooms to get to ready. Photographers caught it all as I played with my veil and Craig causally played pool. The sky darkened and it started to rain. The wedding planner in me played it cool as I told everyone to just wait. I was getting married on that beach, the rain would clear up. The bar opened and appetizers were passed and sure enough the clouds parted.

That day I met my love on the beach wearing a big white dress and promised that through thick and thin, good times and bad we would walk through this life together. No struggle too great, no victory too small, we will love each other always. It's been two years and wild ride it has already been but I wouldn't trade it for the world. My love for him grows with each passing day and I can't imagine life without him in it. Our family of four means the world to me and I can not wait to see what the future has in store for us.

For those of you who want to see a glimpse into Our Big Day here is the slideshow. The music is great so turn up the volume and enjoy.

A reason why #2 is more fun

2011-04-02T22:04:00.000-04:00

While preparing for the first baby life is consumed with learning all about baby gear and what is the best out there. Your life revolves around safety tests and some slight panic on how in the world are you ever going to acquire all this expensive stuff that babies need. Momma's everywhere share their best and worst products and you are left weeding through all this new found knowledge to select what you love the most for you and your little one. If your like me you gather tons of goodies, ignore the advice from others who may know what they are talking about and basically realize 6 months down the line that you do not like all your stuff. I hated my infant car seat with a passion. I could have listened to my Grandmother. She promise me that I would hate it but instead I listen to the masses. I learned my lesson. It sucked. So far it took me 3 strollers to find one I loved and we are on infant seat #2.

When #2 comes around, you have so much of the stuff that you need already and suddenly preparing for this baby is a lot of fun. I know what I like and I know what I don't. I have been there already so I have an idea of what I used and what I didn't. I know baby brands and I know which ones work for us. It is great fun to know enough to just enjoy collecting sweet blankets, clothes, and such. This time I fret over so much less and spend more time just staring at my sweet baby boy's new clothes and goodies. Not that I have a lot of time to stare at anything with a crazy 2 year old under foot but honestly I can say all this time around is better.

I know that these baby kicks will one day be painful and that sooner than later I will swell and feel gross and be hot all the time. So today, I will enjoy feeling the babe flip and kick and remember that even if I am more tired than I feel I can handle and I hate the scale with a passion this is a blessing. A gift that not all get with ease or ever. So for me even through the sickness and exhaustion I find that pregnancy with number 2 is way more fun.

Freshly Baked and in Public

2011-03-19T19:44:00.000-04:00

I was lurking on twitter today, an often occurrence when I am too tired to chat, and I ran across a conversation amongst some of the mommas on when they took their brand new baby out in public for the first time. I will honestly say I was very excited to hear others opinions on what I feel is a hotly debated topic.

I am pretty low-key parent. I am not a germaphobe at all and really do not understand the fuss about keeping life sterile with new babies. As my ob said minutes after delivery "his days of sterile living are over". And let me preface this with I mean full term babies. Preemies are a game changer and I cannot speak to that style of parenting at all. But, me, I wasn't worried at all about public places with EJ. Honestly, I was more worried about me freaking out because I don't do cooped up well. I am very go, go type of person and being told I need to stay inside for 6 or 8 weeks is enough to make me batshitcrazy. Just ask my husband mid-February when I have it deemed it too cold to leave for weeks which means I have been at home for days on end. I am many things and nice and sane are not them.

I was pleasantly surprised to read women after women announce they left for the first within a week of their little one's birth. I took a brutal chastising from a few members of my family for taking EJ out to a very late lunch when he was 6 days old, aka we were the only ones there and he was tucked away in my sling. Which meant not a single person could touch him and you could not see him unless I showed you his sweet self. I needed the fresh air and life outside of my inlaws (yes we were living there at the moment) which meant venturing into public.

Since then I have taken note of what others have done simply because I wondered if I was weird. I can say that one thing I have notice which each additional child parents seem to care less and less. I even had one friend tell me of another who stopped for a Margarita with her husband and freshly baked baby # 4 on the way home from the hospital. Hysterical! I guess I just believe that life goes on and things need to get done. I am pretty sure I am not going to be able to pause life for 2 months come August and quite frankly I have no desire to do so. But, that is why I must have summer babies, no flu season for me. I am also the obnoxious person that follows up every person who questions me on my thoughts with you know some people take public transportation home from the hospital right? And to me that is about as germy as you can get.

Plans

2011-03-12T17:21:00.000-05:00

We said we would wait awhile. We figured pregnancy and selling a house went together like oil and water. We made plans for 2 years from now and even painted the nursery. In my ear there had always been a whisper... "you can do it, it would be for the best".
I ignored it and continued to plan. This week that whisper morphed into a scream and we both realized regardless the commitment it was the right thing to do. This nudge I hope means that this time we will find a buyer. This time our efforts will not go unseen and come August 3, 2011 sweet baby Jack will come home to new house. One that suits our growing family better.
This weekend we are staging the house. All our family pictures have come down. Furniture is being packed away. Our personal touch is being removed in hopes of inspiring another family to call this place home. For some it might be a bittersweet moment. I think it is for Craig, for me I have never been emotionally attached to this house. It's only ever been just a house. Maybe next time we will find ourselves a home. Until then we will go back to clean mode and say a silent prayer that in time we will get ourselves a buyer.
And we can dream of the new house that we will find and hope that house brings the home we so desire.

Preggo Rant

2011-03-11T14:06:00.001-05:00

This morning we overslept. Maybe it was because this has been an emotionally draining week. Maybe it was because for the first night in weeks I fell asleep fast and stayed that way all night or maybe we are just that exhausted. Whatever the reason we both missed all the queues to get up and I rolled over at 8:20 to realize that we needed to move.

Fridays are a school day and that means before 9am I am supposed to get us all up, dressed, fed and lunches packed. Not a huge deal but if I was going to do it all in the next 30 minutes I needed to work. I managed my time things got done and as I started to get EJ dressed I noticed that instead of eating all his oatmeal he decided to use it as hair gel. Yep, sticky nasty oatmeal in the hair on day that I did not have time to deal with it. I just stared as he laughed and had a very hormonally charged moment where I almost cried and I said to myself this is why I need a girl in this house.

My husband is all man. We have 2 male dogs. And to round it out we make male children. Everything is sticky here and my husband insists that we decorate with fish. I live in a man cave with more testosterone then I even know what to do with. I am forbidden to have anything girly and lets just say I am over it. I like polka dots and Craig swears that they are girly like lost his cookies with me in the middle of Target because I wanted to get EJ polka dot sheets. I was nice and got trucks but guess what too bad for Jackson. I found some crib sheets that I liked and polka dot or not I bought them.

Baby #3 is getting frills and lace and vintage whether it is a girl or boy and my husband can get over it. I love my little men but this girly girl is drowning in sea of masculinity and I need some reinforcements.

A Lakehouse Reunion

2011-03-09T10:45:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I packed one bag and slipped out the door all alone. I spent 3 hours in a quiet car and drove north to Knoxville, TN. For the past 11 years I have been escaping life for 2 days to sit in a room with dear friends and do nothing more than eat and talk. These women entered my life when we were just girls and through thick and thin have remained by my side through it all. We have watched each other fall in love and get married, held each other up through heartache and deaths of parents. It is amazing to me the relationship that I have with these women. In the last 3 years 5 lakehouse babies have been born and 4 more are due by the end of the summer.

Craig got EJ all to himself for 2 days and I was more than ready to get home to my boys. It is truly amazing how much I miss waking up next to my love and hearing my son asking for me to come get him. A lot has changed since those early days of our friendship but one thing is for sure... time and distance will never keep us from picking right back up where we left off. These friends are truly some of my best friends and I look forward to many more years of memories with them.

Preparing for another sweet boy

2011-03-03T09:40:00.000-05:00

After much debate I decided that each of my boys will get their own "Coming Home" outfit. I opted to get EJ his own outfit instead of using mine because it has a lot of lace on it. In the South, we tend to save important occasion outfits and pass them down through generations. I have friend's that have multigenerational Christening gowns, with each new addition another set if initials is embroidered in it and it is truly a family heirloom. My husband is not Southern and really doesn't get things like day gowns and traditions. But he handles it well. Because I am well aware that sharing important things among cousins can get complicated and may not work. I decided that each child will get their own outfit and they will be able to pass it down to their family. EJ has sweet day gown with a sailboat on it, much more simple since I was weening my husband into my Southern ways. I found this sweet number at a consignment store still with the original tags and grabbed it. It is so sweet and I can not wait to put our baby in it and bring him to his family. And this time, I will get to go to my own house with my things and we will have proper celebration because the day you bring your baby home should be celebrated!

My parents got me the best christmas present! I am way too cheap to purchase all the appliqued and monogramed stuff I want. It is hard to justify the cost when really it is a cloth that gets thrown-up on. But now I can do it myself! No more 35 dollar tshirts just to get a monogramed one. I have been practicing on burp clothes because it does take some practive to get it right. These are some of my first attempts. Sweet little Jack and EJ will have thier name on everything. And Lord help me if a girl ever joins our house. The things that I am learning to make are just too much. Until then Lord help all of my friend's with girls cause Aunt LA is showering them with goodies.

A day in the life

2011-03-01T13:33:00.000-05:00

Today I have
*showered
* made muffins for the boy's breakfast
*made my husband a breakfast sandwich & packed his lunch
* Made and consumed a few cups of coffee
* changed 3 diapers
* cleaned up one very bloody lip and provided lots of Momma cuddles and soothing
* made 3 burp clothes for baby Jack
* Prepared dinner and smelled the goodness all morning
* Enjoyed a pb & j with my little boy and laughed over a banana
* Successfully messed up and cleaned a kitchen
* completed 2 loads of laundry
* dealt with both good and bad behavior

and its only 1pm. A day in the life of the momma is a busy one. One that I love more and more with each passing day.

Manic Meal Planning

2011-02-28T15:31:00.000-05:00

So I am finally back to somewhat of myself, as much of oneself as you can get while pregnant. Which means trying to get us all back on track with healthy living. We need to retire the almost daily fast food and takeout asap. It is just not good for us and makes me oh so guilty.
And the best way I have found for us to stay on track and not have the 4pm meltdown of "ugh what's for dinner" is to meal plan.
I have noticed a lot of other bloggers listing out their weekly menus and I have to say I love it. It is so easy to get into a rut of eating the same foods all the time and I like variety and so does my husband.

This week's menu is as follows
Monday- Tacos and Homemade Salsa
Tuesday- Roasted Turkey Breast, Red Potatoes, & Green Beans
Wednesday- Vodka Pasta with Chicken
Thursday- Pork Chops with Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Onions
Friday- Homemade Chicken Pesto Pizza

I was able to rock it at the grocery and stock us with everything and tons of fruit, snacks and breakfast goods for 88 bucks. I was way impressed with my shopping and couponing this week. Our healthy living has really upped our grocery bill but its important to me so its worth it. What are y'all making this week? Anything good that I want to try for next week?

The evolving role of Mom

2011-02-27T09:07:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that I am doing exactly what I was made for. I am good at this job of mine. You know the job where I manage a husband, a toddler, and a house. I can stick to a budget with the best of them. I can sniff out a bargain on just about anything. I am creative and organized and very clean. And most days I wake up very happy to yet another day doing what I love for the people I love the most.
Not to say I wasn't a great at my profession. I am good event planner. I can create it, organize it and implement it and some days I miss the face paced world of suits, flowers, and tablecloths. I laugh to myself as I reflect on days not too long ago where while in a suit and heels I stopped traffic in Downtown Atlanta so I could get my chartered buses lined up for a shuttle. I used to thrive on clipboards, spreadsheets and budgets. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely do not miss the hours and crazy clients. I do not miss that my only free time ever was before 10am on even given day and the special day of others always took precedent to any plans I ever formed.
I get asked often if I will ever go back to it or some other profession. I find it funny that this day in age it is just assumed that once school starts our job at home is done. I, personally, do not feel that way at all.
Once school starts managing life is a priority. Suddenly, we are juggling school, homework, extracurricular activities and emotionally supporting the needs of an entire busy family. The availability of Mom to handle all kinds of new roles to me seems to be an asset. Whether it is running carpool, errands for the weeks needs and making sure healthy food is readily available for hungry busy kids I feel like a Mom's work is not done.
Just because the bottles have been retired, diapers have been replaced with underwear and babies are nothing more than a memory it doesn't mean Mom is any less important. I admire working moms, I honestly think I would loose my cookies if I was one. We would certainly live on takeout with dirty clothes in squalor if I tried to juggle all those responsibilities but I do feel like as society we need to back off the pressure of stay at home moms. I spend a lot of time justifying why I am just not sure that in 5 years I will restart my career. Of course, if its a financial issue I will do it in a heartbeat but if we can afford to not I am not sure I will. I pretty sure I would be more useful being a room mom, a chauffeur and making sure that if my kids want to do something that logistics will not be the reason we do not do something. Am I the only who feels this way?

Flashback

2011-02-24T14:38:00.001-05:00

Seriously where has the time gone? Today, I awoke to a knock on the door and a faint "Momma" Yes, our little boy not only sleeps soundly in a full size bed he now has figured out how to get himself out of bed, open his door and go get his parents. He is such a big boy and it is so hard for me to believe that this was him this time last year.

Now he looks like this...

When did he grow up and how do I make it stop?

Nursery Ideas

2011-02-18T11:12:00.000-05:00

Little Jack's Nursey has been my focus since Sunday. I had already gathered and planned a perfectly girly shabby chique nursery since I was postive Jack was actually Amelia. Well, as usual my perfectly laid plans were wrong and I suddenly realized that I needed to get my head on straight and manly. I had major issues while pregnant with EJ. I felt most nursery decore was not manly but baby blue girly. And my little boy will have an all boy nursery. We have decided to do a woodlands theme with a focus on bears. The walls will be painted a green. I am thinking this shade.

We will use EJ's crib because its a manly crib that Craig loves and I hate. I am holding out hope round three will bring a pink and I can buy that beautiful iron crib I have been lusting over for years. So for now we will use lovely item.

I found this crib set on Etsy and not only is she going to make it for me she promised to sell me some fabric to make valences and pillow covers for my window seats.

I am going to order this and frame it for over his bed.

I am thinking a minky slipcover for the most comfortable rocky chair ever and finding an awesome fluffy orange shag rug for the floor.

Of course, we will have the usual things that I gather here and there and buy the boy his fair share of bears. EJ was elephants and man that kid has a ton. I think this a good jumping off point though, don't you? What do you think?

My goal is that come May 19th, my birthday, the room will 100% completed. That means I can spend June celebrating my boys and their special days and the month of July floating, relaxing and waiting not so patiently for August 3rd to arrive.

16 Weeks

2011-02-17T09:24:00.000-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 16 weeks

Size of Baby: The Wee One is the size of a avacado

Maternity Clothes: Yes, in that I am in all my "maternity" clothes from EJ which was a lot of reg. clothes in bigger sizes.
Gender: BOY... Jack!

Movement: starting to feel him pretty regularly, he proving to be just as active as his brother was
Sleep: Improving
What I Miss: Having the energy to make it through a busy day without a break
Cravings: doughnuts
Symptoms: The nerve pain is back, which means if I get on the floor I can't get up without help
Best Moment of the Week: Nausea has finally chilled out and I feel much better most days!

Have you heard yet?

2011-02-14T08:45:00.000-05:00

The wee one is actually a BOY. I know, right?!?! Could I have any 2 more different pregnancies? My guess this one is going to be a little bugger and we better what out:)

Craig is estatic and I am slightly petrified by the thought of having 2 crazy little boys. My dreams of tea parties, reading books, ballet and such are tabled for now as we prepare for our little Jackson Robert "Jack".

Cute little boy who has profile similar to his big brother.

Showing off his good for us, after putting up quite a fight. It took almost 8 minutes to get him to uncross his legs.

I will say right now that this little boy will get his own little world of stuff. I have issues with making the 2nd child be the hand me down king. It's not their fault they were 2nd so I have to head back to the drawing board and get to working on masculine nursery for the next son. However, as much as I hate our crib (thank you husband who bought it without me there) its a boy crib so that may be his hand me down... the furniture. Especially since we have decided that EJ and Jack will be getting bunk beds in a few years and will share a room for awhile. And as far as clothes go EJ destroyed half of his clothes anyway with his projectile spit-up and mess ways. Good thing we have a Carter's store nearby, its their fantastic sales make this little Mommy quirk of mine be a reality.

Already Loved

2011-02-04T14:15:00.000-05:00

We haven't gotten far enough along to learn the gender but this little one is already getting showered with love. My parents have been great and have already helped us get started on all the goodies we will need for our new bundle of joy. EJ thinks the new double stroller is great. And Momma's you should see this stroller... it folds in half FLAT. I have the single and it is pretty amazing. After "test" driving all the doubles out there I decided that it is the best single and double stroller on the market hands down. I can not get into the ones that stack. I know some of ya'll love them but I can't get over the proximity to the floor. It's just me I am sure. Then we even got some clothes, a beautiful hand crafted day gown, the softest blanket in the world and some cute pjs. Oh sweet baby of mine, I can not wait to find out if you are a boy or a girl. I am chomping at the bit to get this nursery going.

Who needs a sibling when there is Elmo?

14 weeks

2011-02-02T09:00:00.011-05:00

I swore that I would never ever do belly shots, but with so many family and friends so far away I decided to do it this time. I know how much I enjoy seeing my friends grow from a far so here I am belly and all.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 14 weeks

Size of Baby: The Wee One is the size of a peach

Maternity Clothes: Yep, its amazing how quickly you show the 2nd time around
Gender: 2 weeks to go!

Movement: the occasional thump...flipping over I assume from our few ultrasounds this child wiggles
Sleep: Awful.
What I Miss: A day without nausea
Cravings: salsa and ice cream
Symptoms: NAUSEA and a total lack of energy
Best Moment of the Week: Laying on the couch and feeling the baby move a few times.

The New Year Card

2011-02-01T14:39:00.002-05:00

By now the cards should have arrived to most, our poor northern friends may be delayed due to Snowmagaden 2011.

In lue of the traditional Christmas Card, we have started a new tradition in our family. New Year's means a lot to Craig and I because its the night we met. It will forever be a special time for our family and the New Year's Card is a great way to honor that.

It was suppose to go out a tad bit earlier than it did but life, health and new babies got in the way. I hope everyone enjoyed our year in review.

Year In Pictures New Year's Card

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View the entire collection of cards.

My new lens

2011-01-25T06:38:00.001-05:00

For Christmas, Craig went a bit crazy and bought me one heck of a present. We have a Nikon D60 and I have used the heck out of the basic lens combo since EJ was born. I love taking pictures and have made it quite the hobby. As I have gotten more into it, I started looking into adding some lens to our collection. I was shocked to discover that even though our camera was less than 2 years old it was already outdated and the lens were double what the newest model lens were.

After whining to twitter and facebook, I learned that was the main issue with Nikon. Once you were outdated you spent a ton of money, however Canon was different. I am a Canon girl anyway, my high school graduation present was the Canon Rebel 35mm, a camera that I loved and drug all over the States, Europe and Africa. I told Craig that we should start saving and upgrade our stuff to Canon in a year or so.

Well, the man sure got me. Not only did he upgrade me to a Canon, he got me just about every lens you could ever want for a hobby... wide angle, 50mm, telephoto, and fish eye. He got me a bag, filters and a few other odds and ends. Seriously, the only thing I need is to get a strap cover. My husband is amazing and made my Xbox Kinex present look rather lame.

Needless to say I have been sick as a dog since the week after Thanksgiving thanks to the Wee One so I haven't gotten to play with it as much as I wanted but here are a few taken with the 50 mm lens, the lens that started it all.

PS. This lens rocks but is going to take some time to learn the ins and outs of it. So bear with me as I stumble my way through it.

My Kid's eyes sure are amazing.

He looks so old here that it almost makes me sad. No baby here.

Craig took this of our favorite puggle and EJ's BFF Bruno.

Enjoying the Man Cave (playhouse) his Gammie bought him.

On a side note if you have camera strap cover that you love will you please tell me were you got yours? I would forever be appreciative.

When All Day Sickness gets scary

2011-01-24T07:31:00.000-05:00

This pregnancy has made me hate life. Within days of happily watching a plus sign appear I have spent my days green with nausea. That coupled with my chronic UTIs and one kidney has proven to be a deadly combo.
I thought I was possibly getting a bit better. I actually craved something and successful ate it last weekend and was very hopeful that 12 weeks would bring some relief. I had been having mega issues for weeks drinking water. I just couldn't drink more than 8 ozs every few hours, the lack of taste made me gag and throwing up water is nasty.
Needless to say I got extremely, extremely dehydrated which is bad news for me pregnant or not. But, the scary thing is I did not realize just how dehydrated I was. My body was doing its job and taking care of the wee one and was sucking the rest of my body dry. Monday morning I woke with a UTI, not a big deal. I get them all.the.time. I know how to deal with them and 90% of the time I am able to get over them without meds. I was in a lot of pain Monday night but woke on Tuesday "thinking" I had gotten over it. I felt much better except a very dull, very low backache.
Anyone who has ever had kidney problems knows that a backache on either side of your body is a scary sign of a kidney infection but this time it was in a totally different place. So I called the OB we decided that since it was really low and I had no fever we would wait it out. I was due for my big 12 week appointment the next day so she order some additional labs and I figured I would be fine until the next morning.
Yeah, right. By midnight, I could not stand. I could not sit. All I could do was pace. I was in more pain than I had ever been in while in labor. And I had back labor and waited until 8 cms to get drugs. Thank god my Mom was in town so I woke her up and told her were going to the closest hospital right then. I figured I was over reacting I still had no fever and I wanted Craig to sleep so he would not die at work the next day.
Fast forward a few hours the Dr in the ER walks in on me on all fours in tears due the pain and quickly got me a shot of morphine. A shot that took 15 minutes to take effect and wore off within 2 hours. That means bad pain. After a few hours and few phone consults and some labs it became apparent the lack of fever was fake sign. I was in bad shape with one hell of UTI and Kidney infection. And inpatient I became. On a sidebar, you know you must really be sick when you look at your Dr when she says she is admitting you and you say that you think its a good idea. I was a pitiful mess the next 48 hrs. I couldn't eat and I was totally out of it due to serious amounts of percocet. God bless the person who invented that drug. I spent the rest of the week on IV meds and fluids. It took me days to get re hydrated and all I can say is God was watching the wee one, he/she is perfect. I was petrified I was going to lose the baby, absolutely scared to death. And then I had the best ultrasound. The wee one was having a blast, arms and legs a going and wiggling all over the place. I got to see its sweet profile... eyes, nose and mouth.
I am home now after 5 days in the hospital and still feel pretty terrible. I am now faced with some serious Dr appointments. I am going to have to be monitored by a couple of specialists the remainder of this pregnancy and I am going to have to spend the next 6 months taking it easy. Not something I am very good at but I would rather take a step back now then push my luck and find myself on bed rest.

Cabo 2011

2011-01-16T08:52:00.000-05:00

It has been awhile since Craig and I have vacationed and since EJ we have spent no more than 3 nights away. I have been proud of us for leaving him at all. I know so many parents who do not have the means to get away but thanks to a great family we have been lucky enough to get away here and there which something I feel strongly about. Craig and I are number one and the best gift we will ever give EJ and his sibling on the way is a healthy, happy marriage. And that happy marriage takes work, but so does anything worth having.
I can not recommend getting away for more than a day or two enough. It took us 3 days to get off "EJ" alarm but once we settled into enjoying each other and the decreased responsibilities it became a wonderful week. One that made us miss our boy dearly but one that we enjoyed so much that we have vowed to do again summer of 2012. Maybe not as exotic as Cabo, but mark my words we will get away just the two of us for a week.
As par for the course with this pregnancy I felt pretty awful. I wake up ok but by 3pm it's downhill. I learned that I needed to eat a big breakfast because by the time dinner rolled around. I just couldn't eat much. I hit 11 weeks in Cabo and after throwing up in 5 star restaurant on the beach I started praying hard that come next week this nausea will subside. Thank god for drugs is all I can say. They don't make it go away but at least I feel human for a bit.

First night there, pale and ready for some sun!

Yes, I feel a bad as I look.

The difference of a new pregnancy

2011-01-06T10:26:00.000-05:00

Can I just say that I thought I had a handle of what being pregnant entailed after, you know, experiencing it once before. As I watched the plus sign appear there was no panic of what! there is a baby in there and there is only one way out! There was no how am I going to feel? Is Craig going to run away from home for watching me simultaneously loose my grasp on reality and gain a few pounds? Instead I smiled to myself, remembered the wonder of a new baby smells and cuddles and thought to myself I got this.

And then I got sick. It started slow, a little sick to my stomach one morning and within a week, well, I wanted to die. If I started throwing up I could not stop until there was a total system evacuation. If I manage to stop myself from throwing up I could barely muster up the strength to get off the couch. With EJ I was fine, never once got sick. Let's all remember who missed the first trimester completely. Yeah, I felt that good. This time around I would have never missed anything. I have honesty had moments where I would give anything to loose my sense of smell. I can smell out ANYTHING, anything I tell you. And that is not a great gift with a toddler in diapers, two dogs and husband who isn't bothered by dirty dishes.

With EJ all I did was sleep. I would be asleep by 7pm and sleep until 7 or 8am the next day. A few slight wakeful moments but nothing major. This time I am part bat. I am so nauseated at night that my prescription medicine often does not even work. I lay there on a heating pad because my slight bump is already causing lower back pain and my hips feel like they are being cranked open. I can't get comfortable and am not even that tired.

So fellow Mommas don't think you got this when the time comes for number 2 or 3 or 4. Because if I have learned anything every single pregnancy is very different and there is nothing standard about growing a human.

Crockpot Pot Addict

2011-01-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

Hello my name is LA and I am addicted to my crock pot.
I have used my crock pot to make everything from appetizers to meals to homemade baby food. Seriously, I use it all the time.

In honor of today's crock pot blog hop I thought I would share a few of my favorite recipes.

Buffalo Chicken Dip- perfect for a party

2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained (please don't be grossed out, it makes it easy you can use chopped cooked chicken too)
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup hot sauce (We LOVE Crystal's hot sauce)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Literally toss it all in together and set to low it will be ready to devour in a hour or less. I typically serve with homemade bread pieces (store bought french bread works well too), apple slices and celery.

Amazing Pork Tenderloin- perfect week day dinner

1 pork tenderloin
1 package of Beefy Onion Dressing Mix ( I recommend Liptons)
1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup of water or Red Wine
Fingerling Potatoes
Bag of Carrots

Mix the Beefy Onion Mix, Cream of Mushroom Soup and Red Wine together. Place the potatoes and carrots in the crock pot, layer the pork tenderloin on top with a dash of salt and pepper. Pour liquid over the pork and vegetables (it will be very thick and chunky).

Cook on Low heat for 8 hours or High for 4 give or take a little depending on the size of your meat.

Homemade Applesauce- its just perfection, plain and simple

1 bag of Red Delicious Apples
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves
Sugar
Butter

In our house the boy is very, very thin. Which is mildly hysterical because he eats nonstop. Don't ask I have no idea where it goes. So after the doctor requested we try to fatten him up a bit, I came up with an applesauce recipes that may not be great for the hips but let me tell you is so good that it's worth the extra calories. And it smells amazing, amazing!! That alone makes it worth it to me.

I cheat with my trusty apple slicer and then peel the apples. Throw them all in to the crock pot then sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon over the apples, a dash of nutmeg and dash of cloves. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of butter sliced. Cover and turn on low heat for 8 to 10 hours. The longer you cook it the softer it will be, if you leave it long enough you will not even have to run it through a food processor. I taste it as I go and add spices as needed. Its really good, I promise!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-05T07:43:00.000-05:00

EJ is very excited for everyone to know he is going to be a BIG BROTHER.

We are 10 weeks and our little gummy bear is due August 3, 2011

2010: A Recap

2011-01-01T16:53:00.000-05:00

As we embark another year with all the hopes and anticipations of what this year will bring. I can't help but reflect on the year we just left and all we have been through... the great, the good, the bad and the ugly.

We ushered in the New Year with a cousin reunion. A concert and football game back-to-back left us with a packed night but lots of fun memories. A moment of uncertainty hit our little family as we experienced yet another job loss, but before we had time to fret too much life turned around and Craig landed a fantastic job with a company that he had been trying to get on with for years. Craig jumped on an airplane for man's weekend of fishing while the boy and I spent a weekend snowed in to a lake house with my oldest and dearest friends. We baptised our babe and spent a crazy weekend alone. I got smart and regained control of my life and emotions by removing the IUD that had left me a fragment of myself. Nothing like a hormone induced crazy fest to make you value your sanity.
Spring arrived and EJ moved from crawling to walking and grew a full head of hair overnight. I finally got to use my wedding flutes as we toasted to us and our day. We celebrated Mother's Day rocking out to Zac Brown, I turned a year older and so did Craig. Craig finally got his hearts desire in a fishing canoe and we spent a relaxing long weekend with a favorite couple that lives way too far away. We celebrated our boy and his first birthday and then celebrated the fact we made it through our first year as parents in one piece with night away and some Phish. We watched my brother get married to an old friend and ushered in the fall full of Rocky Top Pride. Craig put his nose to ground and prepared for the GMAT and EJ became a total toddler.
As the fall ended and holidays began we spent some quality time on my parents farm and ate ourselves into many a food coma. A plus sign left us full of excitement as we realised that 2011 would bring us a new addition. Craig interviewed and got accepted into UGA MBA program and after a whirlwind Christmas family tour we heard our sweet new baby's heart beat for the first time, fast and perfect.
The year concluded with a night of friends and food. There is nothing quite as special is finding other couples like you to share your time with and celebrate together. This little family of ours is truly blessed. I look to 2011 with hope and faith that through the good and the bad we will continue to grow and continue to love each other more with each new day.

This Man

2010-12-15T09:42:00.001-05:00

This man who loves his family enough to get up and go tirelessly to work to provide us financial stability.
This man whose chest is the perfect pillow for a stuffy nosed child and strong arms comfort when the world seems dark.
This man who has worked hard the last six months to apply for graduate school.
This man who is committed to devoting himself to family and work is once again a student.
This man is officially a member of the Fall 2011 UGA Executive MBA program.
And I could not be more proud of him.

This family is now committed to doing what we have to do to get him through these next few years.

Because it what is right for us and our future.

Congrats my love, we are so very proud of you.

The Great Holiday Stress Out

2010-12-07T11:00:00.001-05:00

I have a love affair with the holiday season. I absolutely love everything about it, the traditions, the decor and even the cool weather. Christmas trees should be accompanied by a fire and hot cup of cocoa.
However, I don't need the snow. It's pretty and all but I prefer to not feel like my limbs are going to freeze off. A few years ago, Craig and I spent Christmas in Colorado and let me tell you I had quite the perfect picture in my head about how wonderful a white Christmas would be. I was dead wrong. It is not for me. It was down right cold and I did not even leave the condo on Christmas. Not to mention, we did not exchange any gifts. We did it before we left so we wouldn't have to travel with them and it really felt like any other day. It was downright weird. It was not a favorite memory at all. I missed my family, I missed the hustle and bustle of waking early making coffee and cinnamon rolls and opening gifts. This Southern Gal likes "her Christmas" cool but not frigid and full of family.

My only complaint with the holidays is undoubtedly there is stress. Presents for friends and family, getting the decorations up, parties and Christmas cards. Last year, I failed at Christmas. I ordered pictures too late so I had to come up with new presents literally the day before Christmas. I was wrapping at the final hour and the Christmas cards resulted in me staying up way too late one night texting friends for current addresses and addressing envelopes. I am pretty confident that most got there card after Christmas. It was nightmare. I vowed to never repeat it.

This year,I started coming up with presents early fall and by December 1st my gifts were bought AND wrapped. We put up our tree and I immediately placed all the gifts under it. Santa is in hiding. Our decorations are out and this year I am having fun with the holidays. Baking cookies, watching movies and relaxing. Relishing in what should be done this season not stressing out. And when I realized we had no good pictures for the Christmas card and that we would need to take a few and then that would mean cards arriving too close to Christmas to not cause stress I came up with a new plan. The New Years card. I think its fantastic and it just may be our family's thing. It will arrive after the masses. Not to mention NYE is a very special night to me. It is the night not too many years ago I met my dashing man sporting a bow tie and the rest is, well, history.

And the holiday season will be low stress because I am not ruining the season over a card, presents or decorations ever again.

A perfect day

2010-12-06T09:59:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a perfect day. It began with quiet cuddles, eggs and a warm cup of coffee. EJ and I let Daddy sleep in while we lounged in our pjs and did laundry. Later, we got dressed and headed to the mountains in quest of the perfect Christmas tree. Winter arrived just in time for us to step out of the car and realize that our trip would be brief but completely worth it. After checking the selection we picked our tree and bought it, grabbed a quick cup of cocoo, a few family pics and headed home.

We decorated the tree, relaxed and watched football. While EJ and Momma naped Daddy blew leaves and after the babe was in all snug in his bed for the night we built a fire and relaxed together. By 10pm we had both dozed off and headed to bed. It was quiet day of family fun. But it was perfect.

Farm Boy

2010-12-01T10:09:00.000-05:00

I am pretty sure that within the next few years the boy will be begging to go to the Farm constantly. Its a good thing he is the apple of my parents eye. I have sneaky suspinion that all it will take is a phone call to Gammie and farm bound he will be. He is right at home in the dirt, mud, puppies, tractors and ducks. Needless to say he is all boy.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2010-11-22T12:03:00.001-05:00

EVERYWHERE YOU GO!
Stores are decked to the nines, carols are softly playing and for me the mental list is ticking...

Top of my list is of course presents. And with a highly photogenic little boy I know that a cherished gift will of course be one with his handsome face on it. I am big fan of personalized gifts. I think it shows you care. There are some great gift ideas out there that one can personalize and places like Shutterfly are a mecca for these items. They have an array of goodies that will satisfy even that person on your list that has everything.

They have the cutest desk calendars I have ever seen. The design process is super user friendly and the quality is unmatched. I was so impressed with my purchase.
This summer one a dear friend of Reel Daddy got married and they had the cutest rehearsal dinner invitation . The event planner in me quickly turned over the invite to see who the designer was and I was shocked to discover it was Shutterfly. I had no idea that they were doing print material and was very impressed. They have some great designs this holiday season for the ever important Family Holiday Card.
I love canvas art. I mean LOVE.IT. I love the clean lines and the look on wall. Plus I love looking at pictures that we took. It makes me happy. It makes it home to me. And you can not go wrong with shutterfly's canvas prints. Yes, they are more pricey than some sites out there. But let me tell you the quality that I have seen is superior. Bite the bullet spend the money and trust me you will not be sorry.

I hope this helps your christmas shopping and if you want to check out my fav's see below.
Christmas Cards
Desk Calendars
Canvas Wall Art

**disclaimer** Shutterfly is offering bloggers free holiday cards for promotional reviews. However, all these thoughts are my own & am great believer in their products.

Manic Meal Planning

2010-11-08T09:52:00.000-05:00

I have been doing it on and off for the last few months... Meal Planning that is. And when I do it successfully I am always so thankful. Yes, I stay at home and one would think I would have plenty of time to dream up meals on the fly.
But guess what? My child ate my brain.
It started off slow with bouts of preggo brain. "Oh I forgot to renew my car tags." "Oh I forgot to clean the bathroom before company." Minor things that were fixable, not a huge deal. However, it has progressed into full on motherhood dementia. Like I left the water running in the sink and left the house for 2 HOURS. You read that right, for 2 hours the water in my sink ran NONSTOP. Awesome.
And guess what my least favorite time of the day is around 430... its EJs cocktail hour. And normally results in him being fussy which makes Momma fussy. And the strong desire to throw my hands in the air and yell "I just don't care.. Take-out it is" results.
Which completely counteracts my desire to be waistline and budget conscience. I started slowly with making lists on Sunday when the sales come out. Planning our meals accordingly and attempting to shop ONCE each week. No daily 20 dollar runs for dinner. I am by no means an expert but its been working. Yesterday I score $150 worth of groceries for 90 bucks by sale shopping and using coupons. And no I do not buy a bunch of junk. I am big on staying away from processed foods, the result of growing up in a Cardiologist's family. I grew up believing that salt was the devil's dust.
Because I am nice I thought I might start sharing some of my easy recipes that work great for meal planning aka if you so choose you can make ahead and heat up. But in return please share some of the goodness you make. Variety is key. I have a spreadsheet going of all my meals and it helps me lots.
Our dinners this week looks like this..

Sunday- Gumbo and Cheese toast
Monday- PW's 16 minute Beef and Bean Burritos (I use ground turkey)
Tuesday- Ginger Chicken with Zucchini and Onions (a throw back to yummy goodness that is Benihana's)
Wednesday- Kabobs (its predicted to be 80, seriously fall where are you?)
Thursday- Night out
Friday- Meat Ball sandwiches (turkey and homemade rolls)
Saturday- Deconstructed Chicken Pot pie

And that's our week, you should also know I make the husband breakfast (breakfast sandwiches) and his lunch every day. His coworkers know when I fail to send breakfast because is mood is that bad and if left him to eat lunch on his own he either skips it or eats french fries. Which is a no go when trying to diet, which he is. So my family eats ALL its meals for around 120 a week. Pretty good, huh?

So if you want specific recipe let me know and I will post it. Do you meal plan? What are your tricks?

Halloween Photo Playdate

2010-11-01T22:12:00.000-04:00

EJ and I are members of a wonderful playgroup here in Atlanta. One of my favorite aspects of the group is, of course, hosting my own play dates. Craig and I love to entertain and with my past life in the event industry I have to put my best foot forward. Not to mention I love doing it.

It was supposed to be an afternoon in the back yard with all the kids decked out in their Halloween gear for a photo op and some playtime. As fate would have it Atlanta got hit with some horrid storms that day so I moved the play date inside. Space was a bit more limited, but we did the best with had to work with and I know EJ had a blast.

We snacked on pumpkin muffins, fruit, and pumpkin dip with ginger snaps. The kids played with EJ's ball pit and millions of toys and the moms were able to visit.

Here we have a homemade cupcake tower. Yes that is cans of soup with scrap booking paper and cake plates with scrap booking border glued to it. Affordable and easy. I made the muffin toppers with the same paper and border. Easy, easy and very cute if I do say so myself.

Homemade sign. An hour with some glue, paint and paper. A nice quiet nap activity. If you want instructions on how to make your own let me know.

Photo Op set with a black sheet tacked to the wall and some homemade poms. I moved our planters from outside and Voila cute photos. My kid wasn't interested in posing so my pictures leave a bit to be desired but there were some cute ones of the other less squirmy kids.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-01T11:57:00.000-04:00

The day begun with a slight chill in the air and seemed to be the first taste of fall. Ready to embrace this new season we made plans to head to the country and take EJ to a pumpkin patch. We dressed in anticipation of a cool day and lots of pictures. By the time we arrived at Southern Belle Farm the chill had faded to humidity but even in the heat we had a wonderful day. Craig put it perfectly when he said "That day was a great day" and a great day it was.

Morning Cereal

2010-10-29T10:27:00.000-04:00

Its been 16 months. 16 months today, I woke up in the wee hours of the morning to shower and started the processes of meeting my little man. By 10am my water had broken and at 3:05pm he flew into this world. Today, I am in awe of the difference a few months makes.

I awoke as I do many mornings to the pitter patter of feet playing and a call for "Momma". As I open the door little fingers appear from behind and he stands up to be hugged. We laugh most mornings and he runs down the hall to pear into Daddy still tucked into bed. Food is first on the agenda and as aways bananas are the favorite. We laugh, we play and we send Dad to work.

On days like today, we relish in being lazy. As I sat down with a bowl of cereal EJ appeared at my feet and crawled into my lap. And this morning while Elmo bounced across the screen we shared. One bit for me, one bit for him. Every time I tried to sneak a second bite "No Momma mine" exploded from his mouth. When the last bit had been taken, he grabbed my face and planted slobbery kiss right on my lips and smiled.

Its only been 16 months but what an amazing 16 months it has been. Happy Birthday my love, you have no idea how much you have changed your momma and daddy's lives.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-27T10:22:00.000-04:00

Since EJ has killed yet another Mac cord I am limited to the photos already backed up and I must admit I am way behind. So here are some fun vintage photos.

My brother's wedding... Don't the husband and I look ridiculously tall? We laugh every time we look at the photo.

EJ sporting his adorable smocked bubble. I love it!

My baby this time last yr.

My baby at the pumpkin patch this year. And yes I am aware he is not so much of a baby anymore.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful on a Thursday

2010-10-21T11:27:00.000-04:00

Our days are getting shorter and shorter. Rising early to a beautiful sunrise is simply not the norm any more. My alarm goes off and the darkness of the world inspires me to snuggle down, close my eyes and hit snooze over and over again. Gone are the days of pool play dates and wanting to hide inside to escape the heat. We have traded those days in for cool mornings and warm afternoons, pumpkins and changing leaves. Stores have exploded holiday decor and news stations have started the shopping days to Christmas countdown. This is my favorite time of the year. I love the smell of the crisp air as the world prepares itself for winter and watching the leaves slowly turn bright orange and yellow as they prepare to fall to the ground.

I love cooking for the holidays and look forward to the day when everyone comes to us. When our family plays host and everyone gets excited to come join the fun, food and football. I love the Macy's day parade and love watching Santa roll in. In that moment for me Christmas can begin. The hysterics of Black Friday get my blood rushing as the promise of a great bargain inspires me to get up way too early and hit the stores. Christmas carols and beautifully decorated trees make me smile all the way down to my toes.

Its this time of year that reminds me I am so thankful for a family that I love and the little family of three we have made. As I watch EJ grow and start to understand things the promise of the holidays to come excite me beyond belief. I can not wait for the day when our family holidays are full of cousins and siblings. When the days are focused around the kids and making their memories special. Gone are days of sleeping to 10 and slowly opening presents while we recover from way to much wine from the night before. We may still be recovering from too much adult fun but the doors will be knocked on and excitement will rise us early on Christmas morning.

What a wonderful day it will be. And I am so thankful for the promise of the days to come. For my big extended family and most importantly for the family I made... my husband and my boy.

I am thankful for pumpkins spiced lattes, pumpkin bread and pumpkin patches.
I am thankful for afternoon hikes alone with my husband even when I get attacked by chiggers.
I am thankful for the pitter patter of my son's feet playing quietly each morning as he waits for us to come get him.
I am thankful for fall and the promise of the holiday season.

Blogging Break

2010-09-30T10:37:00.001-04:00

Hi Friends!
I know we have been missing for a bit, please excuse the impromptu blogging break. The last few weeks have been a mix of fun, busy and challenging and before I knew it quite a bit of time had past since my last post.
We have gotten our house together and it officially hit the market on Sunday. After a whirlwind week of deep cleaning, pressuring washing, removing all window screens and bleaching all windows our house was photographed and hit the FMLS. We have shown it twice but with nothing to report, hopefully someone will fall in love with it soon.
Craig has taken the GMAT. My bladder and kidney have been giving me fits again and I have been battling one heck of bladder infection for the last two weeks. EJ has discovered he can climb on everything and has managed to have multiple near death experiences, well not really but in my eyes... terrifying. He also has discovered the art of communication and has become very opinionated. In perfect EJ fashion, he decided to cut not one, not two but THREE molars all at once. Needless to say there has been lots of screaming, lots of temper tantrums and lots of stress on Momma. My mother has been here for a week dealing with brother issues and he is finally out of inpatient care. Only time will tell what the next step will entail we all are truly hoping for the best. And to round out these fun filled weeks the entire family, including my mom contracted the flu. Craig and I spent the better part of Sunday throwing up with chills and basically dying. It was no fun at all. So as you can tell life took over and we have been doing our best to just stay afloat. But, bear with me I plan to get it together this weekend and you just wait I will lots of fun things to share. Have a wonderful day and fall weekend!

EJ latest accessory... bowl hat. Watch out fashionistas he just may be starting a new trend!

Thankful on a Thursday.

2010-09-16T11:45:00.000-04:00

Life has been busy lately. We seem to go from one place to another. Spending our days with one project after another to complete. And as each day passes by a little too quickly, I seem to feel more of a loss and less completion.

I am one more day away from babyhood turning toddlerhood. One day, the sight of me will not bring a huge grin and great big bear hug. One day, I will be boring old mom who doesn't get it. I will be uncool and will need to walk three steps behind him. My heart breaks a little for those days to come. I was reminded this week that these are the best days of my life. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with life, bills, toddlerhood that I swear it can't be true. But, if you take step back and look at the generations that have walk this road before the majority have nothing but fondness for these days. Yes, they have more money, more stability, and more things but there is always a special place in their heart for the memory of life as young family. Its bittersweet but I try to soak it in and remember that there will be a day I will miss this moment. Even yearn for it.

This week, I have tried to live in the day. Ignore the mess that is our bathroom. Ignore the disaster that is our laundry room. I have stayed home everyday and done a lot of nothing. I rediscovered my love for creativity, designing some labels and thought ahead to our holiday card. I took a nap because I was totally worn out from playing outside all morning with my kid. We have had a family walk at the park the last three nights and they have been amazing. Craig enjoys the quiet and peace of the outdoors. I enjoy the togetherness of our family with no other distractions. I squashed my mild panic attack as it occurred to me that there is no way EJ will make his bedtime if we take a walk every night. Instead, I centered my focus on what really was important... that we were being active as a family, that we were together and that we ate healthy every night even it meant staying up an extra 30 minutes so I could cook. I overcame the urge every night to freak out that my precious schedule was being tampered with and just enjoyed us.

I snuggled with my husband instead of popping out of bed. I have just enjoyed my life this week. We have laughed, we have made messes; we have just hung out. I am vowing to be better about staying still, being home and keeping my cleaning freak-outs minimal. Because I am so blessed.

This week I am thankful that I get to be a wife to a wonderful man, that I was blessed to be a Mom and that through thick and thin “our” little family is really all that matters.

Thankful on a Thursday is brought to you by The Outdoor Wife.

Check her out she is all kinds of inspiring.

The Wind Blown Look

2010-09-15T11:41:00.000-04:00

Nothing like a morning boat ride to dry your hair in style.

Ouch

2010-09-14T09:51:00.000-04:00

My poor little man is cutting 2 molars at once. We have a pacifier that has ridges on it and he spends all day rubbing it across his gums. It really is heartbreaking to watch him drool and chew on anything he can get his hand on to. Yesterday, I looked over and EJ had pulled a bookend off our book case and was chewing on it. Yes, the wooden bookend seemed to feel awesome on his hurting gums.

I have been trying to help him as much as I can with Infant Motrin and a number of frozen goodies. His favorite so far has been frozen blueberries. He ate almost a whole bag yesterday. As you can see from the pic, he needed a bath after he was done and lets just say the poo has been... well interesting.

I also have been making use of my frozen baby food that he will not eat anymore. Throw it into a mesh feeder and voila tasty, healthy teething toy. Today, I am letting him enjoy some frozen watermelon. I have heard the high water content of watermelon makes it a great frozen treat for teething.

What are your tried and true tricks? How do you keep the family sane and the pain at bay when the teething monster strikes?

A shift in priorities

2010-09-13T13:28:00.002-04:00

I have been halfway participating in Blair's McFatty Monday for last 8 months. It hasn't really been working for me. Others have had quite the success stories and me, well, not so much. It is not all my fault. I screwed with my hormone stability after EJ's birth by inserting the Mirena IUD that was a really.bad.idea. I mean REALLY.BAD.IDEA.

I was wreck. I was certifiably batshitcrazy. I was miserable. I could not loose weight. In February, I wised up and removed the rod of Satan and things started slowly improving. Hormones can kick your butt. When I am jacked up on hormones I am a different person. No, seriously, I am. And guess what? I really do not like that person. I am short tempered. I hate my awesome husband for no reason and the worst side effect I am chubby. So let's just say I cannot wait until the last baby arrives and hubs gets sniped. He can whine all he wants. LA on hormones strains our marriage and I went through childbirth. We will not even discuss the months leading up to it. That's the least the men in our lives can do.

:: Steps off soapbox::

Regardless of the reason, I just have not been able to be successful in my attempts and that has been very discouraging and resulted in a lot of throwing in the towel.

Until today.

Until I watch the Doctors, a show I typically hate.

After watching a super healthy doctor eat a crappy diet with no exercise for 5 days and the affect it had on his body and mind something clicked. WOW, that is me.

My energy levels are not what the used to be.

I have a love/hate relationship with the greasy food I love. Hate the way I feel after said meal. Love the way it tastes so I go back for more. I used to be so healthy, so energetic, and so happy and care free.

Today, I am sleepy a lot. My skin has seen better days and life can stress me out in two point five seconds.

Yes, a lot has changed. I have child that I am responsible for. My job is at home now. Things have changed but my zest for life should be the same or greater and its just not.

So, today my priorities have changed, no more desperate attempts for scales to produce a certain number or for clothes to look a certain way. No more staring at old pictures and lusting after that flat, firm belly.

I am a Mother. I baked a baby for 10 months. I birthed him. I nursed him. I wear the armor of motherhood... loose skin, stretch marks, wider hips and not-so-perky boobs. But, I have a walking and talking product of my deep love for my husband. A child who stares back at me with my own eyes.

Instead of working towards a number, I am working towards health. A better blood pressure, an active life style and diet free of junk.

S0 what are your long term goals? How have your priorities changed?

All Smiles Here

2010-09-13T10:30:00.000-04:00

My little guy is one resistant little boy. After days of whining, drooling, wanting nothing more than to cuddle and just all around unhappy, his fever broke.

Saturday we woke up to this...

A very happy and energetic little boy!

And he rest of the weekend he was back to his old self.

Loving his food.

Playing outside.

And back to running. Lots and lots of running.

The Plague

2010-09-10T16:06:00.000-04:00

Today I am running on empty. I am tired, irritable and emotional. I cried while cooking breakfast and honestly did not even react when my kid pulled my hair. Its been one of those weeks.

EJ is sick for the first time ever. And really that is crazy. He is 14 1/2 months old. But, beside a few minor colds and an ear infection that we did not know he had, he has been perfectly healthy. And no, I am not a germ freak at.all. Y'all my kid eats dirt. I have no choice, get over germs or lose my mind.

See DIRT all around his mouth.

Until this week when he started running 102+ fevers. I get its a virus, it was bound to happen. But man am I tired. Emotional drained from worrying. Physically drained from a serious lack of sleep.

Welcome to Motherhood! I am sure the day that he wakes up in the middle of the night yakking everywhere and in my dazed state I find myself cleaning vom off the floor will be worse. But, for today, its the worst we have had and Momma is tired.

Sick or not, the kid is pretty darn adorable. Don't you think?

My very first Guest Blogging Appearance

2010-09-10T10:57:00.003-04:00

CLICK HERE

Head on over to Life of a Sippy Cup Mom and I promise you will not be disappointed.

Thanks so much Sippy Cup Mom, I am so honored to be posting on your blog!

Ready... Set... GO!

Homework from my gal Jess

2010-09-09T09:35:00.000-04:00

Have you visited Straight Talk with Jess? She runs, she is a lawyer, her daughter is a model in the making and after losing her momma to cancer she has a life mission to kick cancer to the curb. She hails from Texas and shares my love for all things music and cooking. Recently, she created a green chile recipe for a cooking contest at Whole Foods Austin.

The Green Chile Throwdow

Doesn't that look so good? This gal is awesome and I am pretty darn lucky to call her a friend.
Earlier this week she gave me a few questions to answer. Its been one of those weeks here in Atlanta so it took me a few days to get it knocked out. But, with further delay here ya go!

1. What is your favorite memory from High School?
It was a fall of our junior year, and the college crunch had begun. I had spent the better part of my life hearing SEC tales of football, parties and sororities from my parents and I couldn't be more excited to attend a state school in the South. Even though they went to Alabama, I had my sights set on checking out all the great schools and my first visit was to the University of Tennessee. My oldest, dearest and best friend's dad was an alum and he took us up for a football game. We toured the school, visited his frat house and went to the UT vs Bama football game. We sat right behind some of the football hostess. I decided then and there that I was going to Tennessee. I was going to rush and I was going to be a football hostess. All things that I accomplished. And let me tell ya it was a great experience.

2. What's your favorite thing to do with "me" time?
"Me" time is a work in progress. I forgot how to have it for a bit and was pretty obvious. I have learned the hard way that we can't be everything to everyone and that stopping and passing off the babe is very needed at times. Now that I have learned the magic of MDO, momma is finding time for herself. So far I have gotten a pedicure, walked Target with a Pumpkin Spice Latte (oh how I love fall) and sat in a completely silent room reading with coffee. I loved it all, a lot. So if I had to choose a favorite, I would say anything involving quiet, its pretty darn amazing.

3. What gets you through a crazy, stressful day?
One word- BEDTIME (and maybe a ~~goblet~~ glass of red wine ;) )
I just focus that the day will be over eventually and tomorrow brings a new day. And hopefully things will be better. They aren't always but eventually they are.

4. What is your favorite indulgence?
A Mani/Pedi. That hour and half makes me feel pretty, relaxed and human again. It is the best 40 bucks I spend every month.

SOO BIG!

2010-09-02T10:45:00.000-04:00

Overnight EJ morphed from a baby boy to a little boy. There is no doubt that he is all boy either. He is covered in bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes. I honestly don't know where half of them come from because he is one tough cookie. A scream only occurs if he knows I am watching or if it REALLY hurts.

The weather has cooled just enough that we can comfortably play outside again in the afternoons. And like most little boys, he is happiest when he is exploring the world. Yesterday, I grabbed the camera and snapped away as he was hanging out in our backyard.

So annoyed that focus is on the leaves.

Finally figured how to climb up the slide.

The blower provided quite a bit of fun.

This kid kills me, smiling at his reflection in the window.

Telling me all about something, I wish I knew what he was saying. It was very important.

Finally decided to just chill for a few minutes. EJ agrees this weather is amazing.

Hunger strike

2010-08-30T10:03:00.000-04:00

Reel Baby is now a Reel Toddler. He talks nonstop even though most of it is gibberish. He is prone to frustrated screams and went from eating almost anything you put in front of him to refusing everything. He shakes is head no and spits food out. Yesterday's love will be tomorrows hate.

It didn't not take long for me to realize this is part of the gig with a toddler. There is something about realizing that you are an independent person that inspires a fierce desire to push back. And when meal time rolls around pushing back is the main experience. I admit that I am weird about his food. I want it to be healthy and I try very hard to make sure he has fresh food. I make as much as I can from scratch but sometimes you have to go with what works and for our picky toddler here are some of the stuff that "works" for him.

If you are going through this stage these might give you some ideas to try or if you have been here and have some advice I would love to hear it.

1. Baby Food Pouches

Info

EJ will NOT let me feed him anymore. He is way too independent for that kind of momma help. He bats the spoon away or grabs it out of my hand. Which results in puree everywhere and even in places the dogs will not clean up. But, he also hasn't gotten the spoon down enough to not spill puree everywhere. Now I hand him a pouch and voila he can drink it. Plus, he gets veggies which is something I have always struggled with getting him to eat.

2. Yogurt Smoothies

Info

Another item that he can drink. I just pour it into a sippy cup and off he goes. I buy the Yo Baby simply because it is full fat milk and my kid is skin and bones. We need all the fat we can get. I have some great recipes for homemade smoothies but it tends to make too much and a big mess so I just buy it, I know lazy.

3. Homemade Muffins.
I can throw anything in these muffins... veggies, fruits, whole wheat flour and he will eat them. Instead of oil I use applesauce, I always use regular butter and Greek yogurt works well instead of sour cream. I make a big batch and freeze them in a Ziploc bag. Pop it the microwave for 10 secs you have quick and easy snack or breakfast.

4. Breakfast Casserole Muffins
I discovered over Christmas that EJ loves our family holiday casserole. It is nothing more than bread, eggs, milk, a bit of butter, cheese and ham. It's easy and good but makes a huge casserole dish full. It would take him months to eat a whole one and for some reason its doesn't work to make a small batch. One of my favorite food blogs sent out this recipe and it got my brain working. I adapted it to my Mom's classic dish and it was perfect. Again freeze what you don't eat and you have an easy meal full of protein and tasty enough to inspire a picky toddler to ask for more.

The one thing I have learned is adapting any and everything so that it is in a form that he can handle and feed himself. Independence is key.

OK, Mommas what are your tricks? I would love to hear them!

Dancing in the Rain

2010-08-26T11:19:00.003-04:00

This is one amazing woman, I dare you to read her blog

Have you stopped and looked at life through your child's eyes? Really paused and tried to see the world the way they do? I try really hard to pause and soak in the wonder of playing in the rain or the first taste of chocolate milk. But, the business of life robs me of this act more than I would like to admit.

Our to-do list couldn't be longer and the reality that our family's fall seems to be busier than our summer this year doesn't help. I seem to be drowning in world of boxes, touch-up painting and cleaning out. Instead of seeing the joy in my son's eyes as he climbs in out of a big box or dumping my freshly folded laundry on the floor I find myself boiling over with annoyance. Selling a house is hard work but needed. Is it imperative that we sell it? Absolutely not. Will it make our lives easier to move out to the suburbs? Certainly. We are just throwing our hat in the ring and seeing what happens but I am overachiever. If I am going to do something then I put 110% effort into and do it right.

I broke down this week and ugly cried for hours... like snotty, stressed ball of mess. Along with getting our house sell ready, I also decided to move the baby boy to a toddler bed. Mr. Monkey Man climbs right out of his crib with zero effort and does what he wants. Banging his head on our hard wood floor haunted me so onto the toddler bed we went and it was awesome... for about 2 weeks. He slept better than he has slept in months. And then a switch flipped and refused to stay in bed would trash his room, play and scream for hours. Well the screaming has about sent me to a mental institution.

Last night, I screamed "uncle" and put the crib back together in hopes of resetting that switch. He has at least forgotten how to climb out of the crib for now. My plan is that he will learn to sleep again, recover from the sheer exhaustion of many sleepless nights and then we will retry the toddler bed. Hopefully with more success this time. The house is getting there and I even got the hubs to agree to spend all weekend helping me get this house in ship shape. We are getting there slowly but surely and I am just excited to see the light at the end of this tunnel.

This Thursday, I am thankful for loving supportive families. One that offers to drive hours to take a child for a few nights so that you can breathe and get some sleep even if they know I will not take them up on it. A husband who tries to see life from my perspective even if he doesn't really get it. A perfectly beautiful son whose zest for life is intoxicating. Whether it be dancing in the rain, eating his Great Grandma's homemade fried chicken or telling me who's really boss when it comes to bedtime, I am so thankful for his energy for life even if it leaves me exhausted.

So this week, vow to be a cliche. Stop and smell the roses or dance in the rain. It is those little wonders that can turn an ordinary day extraordinary.

Dancing in the Rain in his brand new rain coat.

No, you may not take my chicken bone, its way too yummy!

I want to be just like my Daddy!

Yes, I am a Monkey... that's all.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-25T09:18:00.000-04:00

Who needs walking when you can RUN...

The Momma Chef

2010-08-20T11:03:00.001-04:00

I am a football widow. Don't get me wrong, I love cheering on my Vols and have a special place in my heart for any college football. I grew up in Tennessee when the Titans were still living big in Texas and sporting the Oilers on their jerseys. Tennessee finally got their act together when I started college and who cares about Pro when you get free tickets in Neyland stadium every week to watch the Vols destroy their apposing team? We used to be good, you just wait Rocky Top will be great again.

But, you see Reel Daddy lives for all things football. We watch any and every game, even random schools I have never heard of. And thanks to fantasy football, we cheer on various players all day Sunday and Monday night. I don't get it. But, I try to understand it for my husband. I try to support his love for the sport and the best way I know how is setting the game time mood with a festive meal. So for all you football widows here's a meal for you... quick, easy and above all delicious.

A Duo of Chicken Pizzas

BBQ & Buffalo

A few notes before we get started, I make my own pizza dough. If you have a bread machine, its beyond easy. I prefer to make it myself because I use half whole wheat flour and half white. If you want the recipe for the dough let me know in the comments and I will add it. If you are too busy to make your own dough most bakeries at your local grocery store sell it, just ask at the counter. Or call your favorite pizza joint, most are more than willing to sell you a few pounds of dough.
I have a pizza stone and I do not think it makes a huge difference. Maybe its my oven, but I find it to be more of a hassle than a help. So I typically do not use it.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza
1 large chicken breast grilled and sliced
1/2 pound of pizza dough
3/4 cup of your favorite Hot Sauce (I use Crystals)
1 stick of butter
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 cup of Ranch dressing
2 cups shredded Mozzarella or 1 cup Mozzarella and 1 cup crumbled Blue Cheese
2 cups of chopped Romain Lettuce
1/2 large onion sliced
A dash of white sugar

(1)Roll out your dough. I roll it right into a square cookie pan. Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of good olive oil and sprinkle a bit of sugar right on the dough. Set it aside and let the dough rise for a few minutes. (2) Melt the stick of butter in the microwave and add the Hot sauce to it. Whisk in the vinegar and taste. If it is too hot for you add a little more vinegar. If it needs some more heat add some more hot sauce. (3) Spread 1/4 cup of Ranch and 1/4 cup of Hot Sauce on the dough, Mix sauces together with a spoon, you will want a thin layer all the way around the pizza. (4) Spread 1 cup of Mozzarella on top of sauce. (5) In a separate bowl toss the sliced chicken in 1/4 cup of wing sauce and then layer the chicken and onions on top of the cheese. (6) Spread either the 1 cup of Mozzarella or 1 cup Blue Cheese on top of the chicken and onions. (7) Take a spoon and drizzle the wing sauce on the pizza. (8) Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees. (9) Before serving sprinkle a layer of lettuce on top.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 large chicken breast grilled and sliced
1/2 pound of pizza dough
1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
2 cups shredded Mozzarella
1/2 large purple onion sliced
A dash of white sugar

(1)Roll out your dough. I roll it right into a square cookie pan. Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of good olive oil and sprinkle a bit of sugar right on the dough. Set it aside and let the dough rise for a few minutes. (2) Spread 3/4 cup of BBQ sauce on the dough. You will want a thin layer all the way around the pizza. (3) Spread 1 cup of Mozzarella on top of sauce. (4) Layer the chicken and onions on top of the cheese. (5) Spread the additional cup of Mozzarella on top of the chicken and onions. (6) Take a spoon and drizzle the BBQ sauce on the pizza. (7) Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Serve with your favorite local brew. I promise any football fan will appreciate the good food while they cheer on their favorite team.

GOOO ROCKY TOP!

Our list

2010-08-18T10:32:00.000-04:00

Yesterday afternoon baby boy and I walked outside. After a day of cleaning, laundry and indoor living I decided that the afternoon rain may have cooled the world down just enough to enjoy some time on our swing set.

As we walked outside I took a deep breathe of fresh air and as I exhaled I noticed something. I noticed the faint smell of fall in the air. Inhaling again just to make sure, I realized that Fall was indeed in the air. Yes, it is still very warm outside but the days are becoming slightly shorter and the evenings just a bit brisker. All signs that Fall is indeed on it's way.

Fall is truly one of my favorite seasons. Fall means football, pumpkins, apple cider and so much more. In anticipation of this new season I have made us a bucket list for the fall. Just a few dreams and plans for us to fill our weekends with as we enjoy eat other and a new season.

Our Fall

~ Pick pumpkins at a real pumpkin patch
~ Take EJ on his first hayride
~ Get professional family photos outside
~ Host a tailgate party with some of our closest friends
~ Introduce EJ to our favorite sport, football
~ Make homemade s'mores on our fire pit
~ Carve pumpkins together as a family
~ Make a Homemade Pumpkin Cake
~ Take EJ trick or treating

Here's a flashback to Fall 2009

What are your plans for Fall 2010?

Mommy needs a Martini

2010-08-13T15:09:00.001-04:00

Once upon a time in a big southern city lived a young, energetic event planner. She spent her days planning parties and counting down until her next vacation. Such a workaholic was she, but once the day was over she relaxed. She drank wine, she vacationed across America, she knew how to be still. She learned the art of turning her brain off and relishing in a good old fashion chick flick.

One day she woke up with prince charming by her side and a sweet babe sleeping next door. She was living her fairy tale. But with this fairy tale came a new set of stresses; a different life all together. She received the gift of spending her days making sure her babe was clean, happy and full and those former workaholic ways started to resurface. But with this job there is no PTO and there is no closing up shop for the day. This job is 7 days a week, 24 hours a day and this girl turned momma has found herself a bit haggard.

Learning that there is such a thing as clean enough, that there will always be more laundry, that take out is OK sometimes and that my version of supermom is a bit lofty and tad unrealistic has been a major issue. My house is really clean, the babe is fast asleep and instead of stopping for a lunch break I caught myself stressing about laundry. Yes, there are at least 5 loads to do. Yes, I need to put away clothes and do something about the clothes that fall out of the closest when I open the door. But, waiting until after lunch is OK.

Why was I so good at managing my time when I paid to do it and so bad it in my new role? Why do I put so much pressure on myself to justify my life at home by being the perfect housewife? Why can't I turn my brain off?

So today I am vowing to give myself some PTO, to relax a little more and realize that laundry and dishes can wait just like clients and flowers did once upon time. Today this Mommy is watching a silly movie and drinking some tea. Then tonight she is toasting to her Prince Charming with a stiff Martini while the baby is in bed.

Before

2010-08-12T09:11:00.000-04:00

I really don't remember life before...life before Reel Daddy. I remember meeting him, I remember seeing him and thinking to myself "He's really good looking" and I remember the days, months and years after.

But, what I can't remember is making through a day without thinking about him, kissing him and just spending time with him. It is strange to think that there was life before him and it was good but just not as great as it now. It is strange to think how I went from being nervous about what to wear around him to having him hold my numb leg up while I pushed our son out.

Before us there was no EJ, no silly puggle named Bruno. There were a lot of pieces missing. Here I was walking through life thinking it was good yet having no idea how good it was going to be. I had no idea that I would form my own arm of our family clan. I had plans to do it and dreamed about it but I no idea the beauty of what was to come.

Family is the greatest gift of life. There is nothing like spending a few days with all the people that you love to remind you just how blessed you are.

This Thursday I am reminded of the gift of family. Immediate and extended. Near and far. I am so thankful to a part of great, big family and I really wouldn't have it any other way.

Isn't he handsome? Taken at the begining of the night we met.

Our first concert together, the first of many.

Where I have been.

2010-08-11T19:35:00.000-04:00

I know, I know its been a whole week since you all saw my face. I am very sorry but I had a very important wedding to travel to, attend and then recoup from. It was one heck of a party that lasted for days. There is always something about going back to a familar place, my former home, the place I grew up that makes my heart smile. I got to stand next to an old friend and watch her marry my brother. I got to watch great grandparents spend hours attending to my baby boy. I got to sleep in because family was lined up to take care of the babe. I got to watch my son get spoiled and loved on by half the city. I got to spend an evening with just my husband and even found time to take nap. It was glorious. I loved every minute if it. I am even a little homesick. Here is a selection of the many photos that were taken this weekend. Congrats Marion & Robert!

Gammie juice, it's "thier secret" and we caught her!

My beautiful family, can you tell we had a good time the night before? The bride and groom sure did throw a good party.

This is probably my favorite picture. So sweet.

My story

2010-08-04T08:11:00.003-04:00

Fall of my freshman year was starting. I was going through the normal pains that one deals with at 14 when they walk the halls of high school for the first time. The clock starts counting down to college, high school sororities enter the picture, football, insecurities, emotional imbalances... life is full of enough questions and thoughts adding Cancer to the picture was almost too much to stomach.

It came out of nowhere a routine mammogram just a few short weeks away from a big overseas trip. Honestly, I do not even think I knew my grandmother was going in for it but it wasn't long before I knew the result. The story goes that she had the xray and went to the waiting room to wait for the result. After being there for a bit too long my grandfather suddenly appears. He is a doctor and as many people have told me through the years "he's not just my boss, he's my boss's boss". She knew something had to be wrong when he walked through the door. It's breast cancer.

Breast Cancer? No, that can't be right. This my vibrant grandmother that picks me up all the time, takes me shopping and to plays. She plays on the floor with me and teaches me how to clean and cook. We bake bunny cakes for Easter and she get's all the supplies together so Granddaddy and I can win science fairs and paint pumpkins. She can not be sick with cancer.

I remember sitting in Algebra staring out the window the day she had surgery watching the clock, I knew she was in, I knew she was having mastectomy. I couldn't listen. I was not in class, really. I was pleading with God to not take her away from us. I wanted her at my wedding, I needed her to meet my kids, I was not letting her go.

We were lucky our stint with the cancer moster was short. They caught it early, they aggressively attacked it. It did not spread. I remember the day my Grandfather ran through the door with the pathology reports... it's gone. We opened a bottle of champagne right then. We toasted to life and modern medicine and the look of love and relief on their faces was vivid.

This tale has a happy ending, we passed the five year mark many years ago. I get to tell tales of reconstructive surgery and insurance company bull shit. We get to laugh about how when she had the chance to be a bigger cup size she decided not to go for it. But, let it be a lessons to all my friends, my readers to not take advantage of your health. Go to the doctor for routine checkups and tests. I know they may seem unnecessary, you feel fine. But, so did she. The year before there was nothing there to even keep an eye on. A year later it was rapidly spreading cancer. And, to me at least, that is just scary.

Running to September 30th

2010-08-02T10:18:00.000-04:00

Today, I crawled out of bed at 6:45am stumbled to the bathroom and got dressed. I stole the Reel Daddy's Iphone and hit the pavement. It was hot. It was sticky. It was early.

I owned GetRunning as I successfully completed my first run of Couch to 5k. I wanted to hurl at least once, I was bored with his music, but I kept going and even ended the run going up a really big hill. I hit it hard and sprinted through the final 30 secs.

Do I feel awesome? Not really. Do I have a natural high? Nope. Will I do it again on Wednesday? You betcha.

I do not know when I got this out of shape but it sucks and until September 30th you will see automatic updates on twitter that I completed the run 3 days a week early in the morning. Excuses are not allowed. If I go a week and those updates did not appear 3 times someone better call my butt out. Because I am a lot happier when I am in shape and eating right. Veggies, lean protein, fruit. This is my new life. And I am in it to WIN it.