OLIW

Stash Update

2012-01-26T12:24:00.000-05:00

The ever changing diaper stash is at a stand still:

For Luke:

AIO/Pockets: 22

2 Thirsties Duo Size 2
3 BG 3.0
8 Fuzzi Bunz (combo of Mediums & OS)
2 Alva Baby (day-time stuffing)
6 Alva Baby (overnight stuffing)
1 WAHM AIO

Fitteds: 5

1 SBish Snapless Multi
1 Butterfly Baby Snapless
3 Soggy Bottom Baby Mediums

For Vinnie:

AIOs/Pockets: 24

9 BG 3.0s Velcro
6 BG 3.0s Snap
3 BottomBumpers (OS)
2 Sunbaby
1 Swaddleebees
1 Grovia AIO
1 Haute Pocket
1 Blueberry

Fitteds: 9

4 BSRBs
3 Soggy Bottom Baby Smalls
1 WAHM
1 Wonderwrap

Luke's Wool:

Vinnie's Wool:

PUL/ Fleece:

Not in Rotation Wool:

All the diapers & wool in the organizer.

All the buckets laid out, so you can see what is in them.
The empty one is there to represent the 21 diapers that are coming!

I need to count up the wool & covers & then I'll add those. There are a lot of diapers out for repair right now. My friend JoAnna is repairing 8 BG 3.0s that my friend Jennifer gave us & 7 other diapers I sent her. I also have 6 more Bottombumpers that are out for repair with them. So, that will add another 21 diapers to our stash too. Some of those diapers will be Luke's, some will be Vinnie's, so I will wait to add them to the list until I know who is getting what in their "stash".

5 Month Birthday

2012-01-21T22:31:00.000-05:00

How is it that my baby boy is 1 month away from being HALF A YEAR old????

It is crazy to think that Vinnie has been a part of our lives for so long! It seems like it was just yesterday that I was finding out & announcing the pregnancy...not more than a year ago. Of course the pregnancy is long gone and having Vinnie in our family is just NORMAL....but still wow, five months old big boy!

So, Vinnie is rolling both ways, sits in a tripod and even unassisted for small bursts of time, and is a happy talkative baby.

He reaches for toys, puts toys into his mouth, laughs and giggles. He is so much fun. He learns new things every day. He enjoys Luke and bouncing on his exercise ball.

He has terrible excema and since the first of the year, I've been dairy free in an attempt to get that under control. We also suspect dogs with hair, cats, and fleece as possible allergens too, so we are avoiding all of those things as well.

Update

2012-01-21T22:25:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I had time to blog, I've been busy and the boys have been off and on again sick. :(

On January 2, we started our homeschooling journey! We are doing really well & I am pleased with Luke's success so far!

Both boy came down with RSV, upper respiratory infection, sinus infection, and Luke managed to get an ear infection too. We basically just survived through that week with both of them feeling miserable.

Showing off how I wear Vinnie facing out in the Moby

On Saturday Jan. 7, Mandy took Luke (still sick and feverish!) to the movies to see Puss in Boots with Grayson & Spencer. He LOVES his big "cousins" and had a blast!

Vinnie showing off the new shirt Mandy bought him...

On Sunday Jan. 8, Vinnie and I went on a date. We went to Cinema Cafe to see "Breaking Dawn" and it was great. Vinnie did really well. He sat in my lap & watched the movie for the first hour or so, then played and coo'ed in my lap for a bit, before nursing and falling asleep. Tim stayed at home with Luke.

On Monday, Jan. 9, Tim stayed home from work so that he could keep the boys while I went to the dentist. It was the third time I'd left Vinnie.

The first time was when he was only 1 month old, for Luke's surgery on Sept. 13. The 2nd time I don't even remember when it was, but I just ran to Food Lion & Subway for dinner while both boys slept at home with Tim.

This time was a lot more serious, since I knew I'd be gone a couple hours and that they'd both be AWAKE while I was gone. I knew Tim could handle it, but that didn't make leaving them any easier!

The dentist had to give me the Novocaine twice so I was pretty drugged up when he finished filling my tooth. I ended up needing to walk around for about 20 minutes before I could even drive home!

As soon as I got home, it was time to get Tim & the boys & head to the eye doctor!

I had an eye exam & apparently my pregnancy with Vinnie CORRECTED my vision! So, the reason things have been so blurry while driving (the only time I wear my glasses) is because my lenses were too strong! :) So, I do still need glasses for driving, but a much lower prescription.

Since the boys were sick we didn't do as well as we'd hoped the first week of homeschooling, so we extended A, Red, One, and Circle for a second week. By the end of the second week Luke knew everything except for red. He is really struggling with the concept of color. We are taking him in February for an eye exam.

On Wednesday, the 11th, Vinnie has his follow up for the RSV and we were cleared to resume our normal activities. So, that night we went to Central Baptist Church for the women's Bible study and for Puggles for Luke. (Its the 2 year old class at Awana's.)

Friday the 13th we spent doing playdates! In the morning we went to the monthly Babywearers of Hampton Roads meeting in Norfolk. It was fun and I saw quite a few familiar faces.

From there we went to a McDonald's for lunch & the internet & then we headed to Casey T.'s house for a Cloth Diaper playdate and swap! I only made $9, but I got some stuff cleared out. :)

It was about 4 when we left there so it was definitely time to head home.

Sunday we went to church and then to Tom & Peggy's house.

On Monday the 16th, we started B, Blue, Two, and Square. It's the end of the week and we never really covered square or the B sounds, so we will keep doing these skills next week.

Luke does know how to count to four all by himself. He can also count to 10 with some help. He can say all of the letters of the alphabet correctly & recognizes A & its sound. When we say the alphabet he can say the "next" letter several times & always gets the Z which is "last". He understands, first, next, and last and will tell you that he wants to do whatever it is FIRST, when you're trying to get him to do something!

He also learned to say excuse me, understands taking turns, and knows the emotions happy, sad, and mad.

We had Aaron on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and didn't really do much. We went to Rock a Bye Baby in Va Beach and exchanged some stuff and drove around so the boys could nap.

I also visited the Vitamin Shoppe for some probiotics for Vinnie and went by the bank. That night I went grocery shopping.

On Tuesday we ran errands all day. We went to Luke's doctor's appointment, to find out that he has another really bad ear infection. Then we went to Amy H.'s house to buy some diapers & covers. From there we went by Jenna's house to pick up a few diapers and visit for a bit. Then we went to Jene's house to borrow a wrap (but its too short for me). From there we went to Heather's house to pick up the diapers she had repaired for me and visit. After that we made a stop at Hilary's house to pick up some diapers I bought from her & then finally stopped at the pharmacy to drop off Luke's prescription.

Wednesday, Luke was super miserable so I wasn't able to go judge the Science Fair like I wanted to, so we just hung out at home. Betti did babysit for an hour for me, which was awesome. I got to run to the Post Office and Hardee's with no little boys. I was okay with it, since they were both asleep.

Thursday Tim had to stay home from work again, so I could make an emergency trip to the dentist. The filling he placed isn't working out & I need a root canal. I am not looking forward to it, but I will be glad to not be in pain any more!

When I got home, I grabbed the boys and we drove all the way to the oceanfront for a playdate with Selena.

Yesterday, Friday the 20th, we hung out at home until it was time for our playdate at the Bounce House with Karen, Liz, and Hilary! We had fun!

Two crummy shots of Luke at the Bounce House...he just will NOT hold still.

Today, Saturday 1/21, we hung out around the house all day. :)

Luke rocking his red FuzziBunz diaper. I am seriously loving the new colors in our diaper stash!

Overhauling!

2012-01-17T09:07:00.001-05:00

My diaper stash that is....is getting overhauled!

Through several sales on Diaperswappers and in person, through the generosity of friends (both online & in real life) I've been able to get our diaper stash back in the green! :)

(Top Left-Vinnie's Pockets, Top Right-Luke's Pockets)
(2nd Row Left-Vinnie's Pockets, 2nd Row Right- Luke's PUL diapers, Luke's Fitted Diapers)
(3rd Row Left-Empty-waiting for the rest of Vinnie's stash to be back from repairs, 3rd Row Right-Luke's wool)
(Bottom Left-Vinnie's Fitteds, Vinnie's Wool, PUL/Fleece Covers, Outgrown/Not in use Wool)
Current Numbers:

PUL Diapers: 57

Large (Luke only): 2

Large BG 3.0 (out for repair)
Large Drybee AIO (out for repair)

One Size (shared): 42

27 BG 3.0 Pockets (18 in house, the rest out for repair)
4 Thirsties Duo Size 2 (picking 2 up today)
9 Bottombumpers (some are Mediums/some are OS) (3 OS in house, rest out for repair)
2 BG 1.0 Pockets (out for repair)

Medium (Luke only): 7

1 WAHM AIO
6 Medium FuzziBunz

Small (Vinnie only): 6

2 Sunbaby Pockets (out for repair)
Haute Pocket
Swaddlebee Pocket
Small BG (almost outgrown) (out for repair)
Sm Wonderwap (out for repair)

Fitted Diapers: 12

One Size (shared): 2

1 SBish Snapless Multi
1 Butterfly Baby

Medium (Luke only): 3

3 Medium Soggy Bottom Baby

Small (Vinnie only): 7

3 Small Soggy Bottom Baby
1 Small Wonderwrap w/ shot PUL
2 Small Fuzzi Bunz with shot PUL
1 Small BG with shot PUL

OTW Diapers: 8

8 Alva Baby OS Pockets

---

When we have all of the diapers in the house & in action, we'll have a decent sized stash. Until then, we're making do as best as we can. I think with the new numbers we will be pretty well set. I'm slowly selling off Vinnie's wool as he outgrows it, since we are using almost exclusively AIOs/Pockets.

Wordless Wednesday-Both boys, 5 months old!

2012-01-11T07:33:00.002-05:00

Can you tell them apart. Its so easy its not funny for me!

Current Cloth Diaper Stash

2012-01-07T21:43:00.001-05:00

Luke's Diapers:

AIOs/Pockets: (16)
12 Bum Genius 3.0 Pockets
2 Thirsties Duo Size 2 Pockets
1 WAHM AIO
1 Yellow Bottombumpers OS AIO

Fitteds: (11)
8 MamaGoetschCreations Pocket Fitteds
3 Soggy Bottom Baby Fitteds

Vinnie's Diapers:

AIOs/Pockets: (17)
11 BumGenius AIOs Size Sm
2 White Bottombumpers OS AIO
2 Sunbaby OS Pockets
1 Haute Pocket OS
1 Swaddlebees Snap Converted Pocket

Fitteds: (12)
3 Soggy Bottom Baby Fitteds
3 MamaGoetschCreations Pocket Fitteds
1 Sbish Snapless Fitted
1 Butterfly Baby Fitted
1 Wonderwrap (shot PUL)
2 FuzziBunz Size Sm (shot PUL)
1 BumGenius AIOs Size Sm (shot PUL)

On The Way Diapers: (20)
6 Bottombumpers AIOs (heading out for repair)
8 Alva Baby Pocket Diaper
6 Snap Converted BG 3.0 OS Pockets (from our stash)

Still Sick

2012-01-07T08:31:00.000-05:00

Sat. Jan 7

The boys are still mega sick. Which means we aren't doing much of anything.

Luke now has an ear infection on top of the sinus infection, upper respiratory infection, and RSV that he is sharing with his brother.

We took him to the doctor yesterday because he had only 3 wet diapers between Thursday at noon & Friday at 10 am, but they weren't concerned. They said with his energy level its obvious he's not dehydrated.

He did have another wet (a lot wet) diaper before bed last night & wet one during the night too. So, since Thursday at noon (its now Saturday at 8:30am) he's had 5 wet diapers and one runny bowel movement. He's definitely headed into dehydration territory.

His temperature is up to 104.4 this morning and he's not feeling well at all.

Vinnie's cough seems to be getting worse instead of better. He definitely NEEDS the inhaler every 6 hours and it helps a lot. His temperature has remained stable around 99.9*, but I've been giving him the Tylenol just to help with the yuckiness he is feeling. It seems to help him rest better.

The biggest *joy* is that now I'm getting some sinus-y thing going on. Its miserable and my head is killing me. There is no room for a sick Mama when both babies are sick, so this needs to vamoose quickly!

I finally started working on laundry yesterday, after taking all week off to take care of the boys, and I have 11 loads to wash, fold, and put away! :/ A couple of those are just linens that have been puked/poo'ed on. :(

Lots of friends have offered help, and while I KNOW we could USE help, I'm not sure HOW. I mean, quite obviously I could use someone to cook, clean, and do laundry, so I can snuggle and love on my sick little boys...but I can't ask even our closest friends to come do my chores. Its just part of being a parent...life goes on and you do what you can & what you can't do, just doesn't get done. Oh well.

I'm doing a pretty good job of not stressing over the mess, dishes piling up, laundry all over the kitchen and laundry, and floors needing vacuumed/mopped, but it definitely takes focus.

All in all, this has to pass eventually. We'll make it through & then we'll catch up on the housework. My boys need me to snuggle and nurse and love on them, so that has to be my priority.

Arr Ess Vee

2012-01-05T18:00:00.001-05:00

RSV--my boys have it and it sucks.

On Monday the 2nd they both developed coughs. Tuesday we did the whole "wait & see" thing and they got steadily worse.

By Wednesday, I knew it was time to go to the doctor's. Vinnie's RSV test came back positive immediately and was glaring....they said it was the fastest/brightest positive they'd seen! :/

Luke was running a temperature of about 101* and Vinnie's was at about 99*. Both boys also have sinus/upper respiratory infections and "gunky" ear/nose/throat canals/tubes.

Dr. G (the touchy one) prescribed antibiotics to both boys and an inhaler for Vinnie. She also said to keep giving Luke his cough & cold strips & to give both boys Tylenol as needed for pain/fever management.

Luke's fever is raging today. It got up to 103.3* and this mama was pretty upset. Both boys just want to snuggle, nurse, and cuddle, and sleep.

Earlier we went from this (above) Both boys screaming & Mommy at her wit's end...

To this (below) Both boys passed out & in a milk coma....

I'm worried about them. We've been SOOOO sick since October and just can't seem to catch a break.

This is what the little sicklings look like now:

Luke, with cheeseball face.....but you can see the "sick" in his eyes

3 Month Comparison Shot

2011-12-31T22:58:00.000-05:00

Here's a 3 month comparison of the boys. Luke on the left (obviously). I don't think they really look alike at all. Luke was heavier, but longer. Vinnie is lighter, but chunkier.

Luke had a perfectly round head (still does). Vinnie does not, his head is shaped just like Tim's.

Luke has a dimple in his right cheek, Vinnie's is in his left cheek and not as pronounced as Luke's is.

Vinnie has my wide, round eyes. Luke's are more almond shaped.

Vinnie has big hands & lots of chub. Luke was a skinny mini.

At 3 months old, Luke was a pro at playing and splashing in the tub...but at almost 5 months old, Vinnie is still figuring it out.

I love my boys and I love that they are so unique!!

Bloggy Blues & Major Updating

2011-12-31T22:44:00.000-05:00

I've got the bloggy blues. I hate it when I get behind on my blogging & then I don't feel like blogging because I feel like I have to play catch-up.

December got away from me. Hopefully in January I'll be able to keep up with it. We've got a pretty good routine going on and things are running pretty smoothly. There's lots to work on still, and we'll get through it together, but I think its safe to say we're in a groove as a family of 4. :)

So, this will be my re-cap post. Quick and dirty and probably missing some stuff, but oh well.

The biggest news I can think of is that Baby J didn't make it. He passed away after 3 weeks and 6 days on Christmas Eve. My heart broke. Its still broken. I cannot imagine going through all that my friend Andrea has. And yet, her Facebook posts are uplifting and in good spirits. She seems to be doing pretty well, all things considered. I wish I had her faith.
I just find myself asking WHY? Why have him survive 2 extra weeks in utero with no fluid, why have him survive a traumatic birth, why have him be SO healthy and pink and WELL (for a 25 week gestation baby) at first, why take him on Christmas Eve of all days, why have THOUSANDS of people around the GLOBE praying for him, only to take him? WHY WHY WHY? I do not understand. I will NEVER understand how bad things happening to babies and children is part of God's plan. I just don't get it. They are innocent. Can't these things happen to BAD people instead? It's not fair.

The next biggest news is that "the sick" seems to have left our home, thank goodness. Luke has a touch of runny nose, but not bad enough for me to keep him home and there is no fever associated with it. :) Vinnie is well.

Other big news, Vinnie learned to roll from front to back and then from back to front. I'm not 100% on this, but I'm going to say Dec. 22 is when he started rolling from front to back. It was pretty funny because Tim was in the bedroom with him and hollered out to the living room, "Hey, when did Vinnie start rolling over?" Ha ha! I hollered back as I went back there, "He doesn't roll yet!" Only to walk in and see him rolling on the bed with Tim! Dec. 29 is when he started rolling from back to front. He doesn't like to do it, but will with lots of prompting! So he was 4 months and 2 weeks when he rolled from to back and 4 months & 3 weeks for back to front rolling. Luke was delayed (thanks to his torticollis) on rolling and didn't do it until 7 months. But, then Luke crawled within 6 weeks. I can't imagine Vinnie being able to crawl so soon! :/ We'll see what he does.

On the topic of sleeping habits this is where we are:

I nurse Vinnie around 7/8 ish. Normally he falls asleep then.
Then I nurse Luke. He doesn't fall asleep. He wants Tim. So, when he is MOSTLY asleep and tummy full of milk, Tim comes in and snuggles him to sleep. The whole process takes maybe 20 minutes on a good night& at most 30 minutes on a bad night.
Vinnie normally wakes up around 1:30, 3:30, and 5:30. Sometimes he surprises me and skips the 1:30 nursing...which is nice. He prefers to sleep in the bed with us, but will sleep in his swing. We are trying to transition him to the crib.
Luke normally sleeps until about 1:45 or 2and then nurses in our bed. I carry him back to his bed where he will sleep until about 5:00. The last few days he has actually gotten up that early, but most days (including today) I nurse him and he goes back to sleep until around 7.
Luke takes a nap around 12:30 or 1 and normally sleeps at least 1 1/2 hours but can sleep up to 3 hours.

And some pictures to break up the text...

We had to get creative on Dec. 19, to keep a cranky Luke occupied while we baked cookies. Here he is driving a truck through flour & sugar "snow". :)

And, gift wrapping wore Vinnie out...here is he passed out on the floor at Mandy's house.

Vinnie normally gets up early, around 6 or 7, and stays awake long enough to get his diaper changed. Then he'll go back to sleep until 8:30 or 9. Around 11 he's ready for a morning nap which can range from 20 minutes to a couple hours. Then his other naps normally fall around 2 and 5 with bedtime around 6:45 or 7 for him. :)

Another little tid-bit. I LOVE Freecycle.

I try not to throw anything away that others might be able to use & I post at least once every couple months to give things away. Freecycle is awesome. I also love GETTING stuff on Freecycle. I go through phases where sometimes I keep up with my Yahoo mail and watch the inbox and other times I don't. I was SO glad that I was on top of it in December, because I managed to score a "box of train stuff" that had ALL THIS wooden train stuff in it!

Washed up and ready to play with (above)

And laid out on the kitchen table to see just how much was in there!!

I ended up throwing out a few of the trains and pieces of track because they were broken beyond repair, but all in all it was an awesome deal.

The best part is that there was a pair of Fisher Price in-line starter skates in the box and a transformers toy. There were a few other toys that were basically trash (in my opinion) because they were broken or missing pieces. But, there was plenty in there to make us happy! :)

Freecycle is awesome. If you're not doing it, you should be!

This is my current favorite picture of myself.

Vinnie at 3 months old. We NEVER call him Vince, but we only had one set of bath letters, so I couldn't spell Vincent or Vinnie! (We fixed that at Christmas!)

And just for comparison's sake...here's Luke's 3 month bath-tub picture. (Apparently I didn't get any PG versions...) I don't think they look anything alike. Although Vinnie actually weighs less than Luke did, Vinnie is much stockier.

These are some Christmas pictures I took of the boys. The first three are going on my walls as 5x7s. :)

I'm sure I am missing things. If I have time to go back through my pictures & calendars and find what's missing, I'll add it. But if not, know that it was just day-to-day life in our house & I'm sorry I missed blogging it!

It's 10:45 pm on New Year's Eve. Both boys have been asleep since 9ish. Tim and I are heading to bed. Yes, we realize we are boring. I'll blog about Christmas & Heather's surprise visit another day!

100 Days of Gratitude Days 41-49

2011-12-31T21:51:00.000-05:00

Dec. 15-19 I missed.

(41)20
I'm thankful for my beautiful niece Brianna Kay. She's 13 now!

(42)21
I'm thankful for a great day spent with my beautiful niece Evangeline Grace! I can't wait until Loren & Heather move back home & Vinnie & Evangeline can grow up together!

(43)22
I'm thankful for my kid sister's help!

(4423
I'm thankful for Tim having vacation time!

(45)24
I'm thankful for a mostly drama free holiday at Mom & Dad's house.

(4625
I'm thankful for a big family/friend gathering at OUR house.

(47)26
I'm thankful for a mostly lazy day with family and friends.

(48)27
I'm thankful that Wazowski's x-rays went well & that we have about 6 weeks before we really need to do his surgery.

Dec. 28-30 I missed.

(49) Dec. 31
I'm thankful for my boys & the ways they make me smile.

Baby J

2011-12-15T10:52:00.000-05:00

I apologize in advance for the lack of details/pictures in this post.

A dear internet friend of mine, A, had a baby boy: J, born on Nov. 27. He was born after 2 tremulous weeks in the hospital at 25 weeks and 5 days gestation.

His mom, A, dad, T, sister L, and brother B, could all use their prayers as their family goes through the hourly/daily struggle of life with a micro-preemie.

Little J is really sick right now and I'd like to ask anybody that reads my little old blog to please petition the Heavenly Father on his behalf. Pray that J gets strong enough to fight off this infection, that his parents have strength & peace. Pray that the nurses and doctors are gentle, kind, caring, happy, and have sure fingers when they are treating little baby J.

I'd really appreciate it & I know A does too.

Wordless Wednesday--Chrissy's Kids

2011-12-14T10:09:00.000-05:00

100 Days of Gratitude Days 38-40

2011-12-14T09:52:00.000-05:00

Day 38
Dec. 12
I'm thankful for my husband being able to go with me to doctor's appointments for the boys.

Day 39
Dec. 13
I'm thankful for productive days at home!

Day 40
Dec. 14
I'm thankful for white cheddar popcorn. Mmm mmm good!

100 Days of Gratitude 30-35

2011-12-11T09:20:00.000-05:00

Nov. 30-Dec. 3---I missed. Oopsie-daisy. I'll make up for them on the end I guess!

Day 30
Dec. 4-I am thankful for James & Missy, our dear friends and their two sweet boys, Trevor & Colton!

Day 31
Dec. 5 I am thankful for my nephew, Tyler. Happy 15th Birthday kiddo! I remember the day you were born....and that is weird.

Day 32
Dec. 6- I am thankful for Tim's class ending. :)

Day 33
Dec. 7-I am thankful for Indian Summer and a BEAUTIFUL December day at the park.

Day 34

Dec. 8--I am thankful for 4 months with Vinnie in our family! He is such a joy & at 13 pounds 6 oz he is getting to be quite the big boy too!

Day 35
Dec. 9--I am thankful for sweet baby laughter!

100 Days of Gratitude Days 36 & 37

2011-12-11T08:57:00.000-05:00

Day 36
Dec. 10
I'm thankful for my beautiful niece Carolynn. She is such a fun kid & I love her to pieces. :)

Day 37
Dec. 11
I'm thankful for new milestones for my baby boy!!

STTN

2011-12-04T07:15:00.000-05:00

Well, Vinnie WAS sleeping through the night...until about this week. He was going from 7(ish) PM until about 3 or 4 am without any wake-ups. Then, nursing, and going back to sleep until about 5 or 6 am. It was nice while it lasted.

Now, he's getting up around 1 am, 3 am, and 6 am to nurse...which is normal & totally still okay for a 3 1/2 month old.

Luke on the other hand is getting MUCH better at sleeping through the night & last night 12/3/2011- 12/4/2011 he actually went to bed with Tim and slept until 6:30 am all by himself in his OWN bed! :)

We'll see how long it lasts! Tim has been the one getting up with him during the night for about a week now (full-time, and for about 4 months part-time) so he is mostly night weaned. He is still nursing to sleep and then again around 5 am, normally.

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T07:09:00.000-05:00

I <3 LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE <3 this picture of Vinnie.

I needed to get something done (can't remember what was so important) so I stuck him in the cradle w/ the iPad on the "Rattle" app. Although he doesn't LOOK happy he was actually giggling & squealing with delight.

Bath time! Vinnie is pretty much too big to use with the PUJ now (even though he only weighs about 13 lbs) but that's okay because he loves playing in the big tub.

Top 10 Tuesday

2011-11-29T21:42:00.000-05:00

Ugh. I'm a bad blogger. I'm a good Mommy though.

Today's Top 10 Tuesday is a list of things I DON'T like at the moment:

1. Sick children. I love my children, I don't love the sickness. They are so miserable and there's not much I can do besides nurse & snuggle. Which, while I LOVE nursing & snuggling and even doing both at the same time, I do have to get OTHER things done daily.

2. Tim having class and not coming home until after bed time. I miss him. The kids miss him. My sanity is thrown out the window by dinner time. BUT, he needs to go to school to get a degree and earn the big buck-a-roos.

3. Sprained ankles--its been 2 weeks (as of tomorrow) and my darn ankle still hurts. Not bad enough to wear the brace, but bad enough that I know its still sore.

4. Unorganized house...agh, we're still recovering from reorganizing the house 2 weeks ago & we're not done "organizing"...close but not their yet.

5. No sweets in the house & not being able to eat birthday cake flavored ice cream. I REALLY want birthday cake ice cream...but it seems to be upsetting Vinnie's tummy when I have too much dairy and we already knew it made his excema break out. :( Not having any alternative sweets in the house is just about killing me.

6. Not having my camera's battery charged & at the ready. I like taking pictures. Whenever I want. I do NOT like a dead battery on my camera.

7. Sore feet.

8. Laundry. I HATE folding/putting away laundry.

9. Noisy dogs waking up my babies.

10. An itchy back and no husband at home to scratch it

100 Days of Gratitude 19-29

2011-11-29T14:58:00.000-05:00

Fell behind on posting these, but not on being thankful for each of them daily!

Nov. 19--I'm thankful for getting housework done and for getting groceries bought.

Nov. 20--I'm thankful for all the clothes we have, which means I have tons of laundry to do.

Nov. 21--I'm thankful for my Mom & Dad spending time with my boys and loving on them.

Nov. 22--I'm thankful that I'm an American & have so many rights given to me!

Nov. 23--I'm thankful to NOT have to cook the turkey dinner tomorrow!

Nov. 24-Thanksgiving
I'm thankful for my family, friends, and loved ones in real life and on the internet who lift me up and support me daily. I'm thankful for being surrounded by such awesome people & for the God who knew to put them all in my life!

Nov. 25--I'm thankful for AMAZING Black Friday shopping deals & for online shopping at Toys R Us!

Nov. 26--I'm thankful for lazy days to recover from busy shopping spree days!

Nov. 27--I'm thankful for quiet time in the car. Time to think, reflect, and calm down when needed.

Nov. 28-- I'm thankful for left-overs. Easy dinner and saving a little money by not having to cook a full meal every day.

Nov. 29--I'm thankful for simultaneous naps, no matter how brief they are. :)

Hand, Foot, Mouth 15 Weeks Yuckiness

2011-11-22T20:34:00.000-05:00

So, 2 weeks ago, Luke was diagnosed with a double ear infection after 2 weeks of having a cold & FINALLY spiking a fever.

He wouldn't take the ammoxicillan, so a week later we were back at the doctor's. Still had the double ear infection & they prescribed a Z-Pack.

He didn't really take that & today he was STILL running a temperature, so we headed back to the doctor.

Vinnie ran a temperature on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Monday morning he was normal, but by 4 in the afternoon he'd popped another fever & was just a mess.

So, I had both boys looked at.

The doctor examined Vinnie first & didn't see any reason for his fevers. :(

Then he examined Luke. The good news is that both of Luke's ear infections are healed up! Yay! Without any obvious scar damage! Woot!

The bad news is, a--his ears were SERIOUSLY gunky which was gross and b--he has a great big ulcer on the right side of his throat. The doctor said that's probably why he was crying about his ears hurting.

He has another sore coming on his hand, but other than that so far it seems to be a pretty mild case.

Luke weighed in at 24.2 lbs and Vinnie was 12 lbs and 14 oz. My little chunker! I can't believe he's almost 13 lbs already!

Top 10 Tuesday

2011-11-21T23:18:00.000-05:00

10 Things I Do Everyday!

(1) Make the beds--Luke's new twin big boy bed and our bed

(2) Brush my hair--MUST brush my hair, if I'm not showering that day I put it up in clips so I don't have to deal with it at all, all day long

(3) Vacuum--I cannot STAND dog hair visible on the carpet...therefore I vacuum--a lot.

(4) Laundry-I am constantly washing or putting away laundry

(5) Nurse my babies--around the clock

(6) Change diapers

(7) Use my iPad to surf the internet or read a book (often Twilight)

(8) Dishes--in some way, shape, or form, I do dishes daily

(9) Talk on the phone--I'm a talker, always have been

(10) Sleep- Ha ha, lame one, but I'm tired so its making the list....

Happy 3 Months Old to Vinnie!!

2011-11-18T22:37:00.002-05:00

(started writing this post on the 8th....
finally publishing it on the 18th)

Wow--three months has FLOWN by!

I cannot believe my sweet little Vinnie J is three months old today. He was 13 weeks yesterday.

He is our tiny peanut, still only weighing in around 11 lbs and 23 1/2 inches long.

Luke at (one, two, and) three months old.

Vinnie at three months old:

Vinnie at 2 Months:

Vinnie at 1 Month:

Vinnie at Birth:

What's On Your Fridge?

2011-11-18T22:29:00.000-05:00

So, about a week ago, some of the lovely ladies who I "follow" on the Blog-O-Sphere did a little segment called, "What's on Your Fridge?" and shared a quick snapshot of their refrigerator & what lives ON it (not IN it!)

Dirty Diaper Laundry
Eco-Friendly Family
All About Cloth Diapers

It took me a while, but I am finally able to play along!!

Front:

From the top left--to top right:

Norfolk Air magnet--they did our AC the summer I was pregnant with Luke, we'd totally recommend them to anybody.
Optima Partners in Pregnancy magnet--nurse help line
Phonics flash cards (laying on top of fridge)
Vinnie's ultrasound pictures, yep that's where I store them
The teddy bear is the mock-up Mom made for Luke's baby shower invitation. It was too small.
Purina Pet Lover magnet/frame
Angel picture holders trip (on top of fridge) I gave these to Grams a few years back & they are one of the belongings I asked for when she passed away
Bon Secours No Wait emergency info magnet--not yet filled out
Poison Control Magnet--I've called them plenty of times--glad I have that handy!

Down a "layer":

The green dot is a magnet
On the kitchen clip are free frosty coupons from Wendy's & under that is one of Luke's alien magnets from Toy Story
Birth announcement for Tim's (our) cousin Daniel, the announcement is covered by 2 different frames, the Credit Union one & one my Mom made
Bounce House coupons
Vinnie's ultrasound pictures
A picture of Frankie & I, in a pink magnetic frame
A purple magnet
New York apple magnet from my one & only trip to NYC
Paperwork for Vinnie to go to the GI (but I cancelled that appointment)
A handful of wallets

Down a "layer":

A different nurse line magnet
Pastor Rachel's daughter, Izzie's baptism invite
Magnetically framed picture of our Godson, Trevor
2010 Calendar of Luke
Big Brother picture of Luke Framed in the "One in a Melon" frame Mom made
Toy Story magnets

Bottom Half:

Fridge Phonics toy

Left Side of the Fridge:

Our wedding Save The Date
The Save the Date for a friend's wedding
Kiddie Magnet
Kiddie Magnetic Frame w/ Vinnie's Little Brother 5x7 in it

Right Side of the Fridge:

Magnetic Tot-Lock Key for all the bottom cabinets
Voter's Registration Cards for Tim & I
Chip Clip
More Toy Story Magnets
Luke's Big Brother picture that we used to announce my pregnancy

So, our fridge isn't TOO bad & it all either has meaning or is important...so I don't feel bad sharing it with you!

100 Days of Gratitude -Days 12-18

2011-11-18T22:08:00.000-05:00

Nov. 12
I'm thankful for getting lots of housework done.

Nov. 13
I'm thankful for the Bounce House & how much fun my boy has there. :)

Nov. 14
I'm thankful for my planner.

Nov. 15
I'm thankful for MOPS & the new friends I'm making there.

Nov. 16
I'm thankful for CiCi's Pizza coupons. Yep.

Nov. 17
I'm thankful for Tim NOT having a meeting or class tonight.

Nov. 18
I'm thankful for "alone" time. By alone I mean, just Vinnie & I, with no real agenda, just browsing at a few stores, by ourselves for a couple hours tonight. It was nice & it did me good.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T08:09:00.000-05:00

100 Days of Gratitude- Day 11

2011-11-11T07:43:00.000-05:00

Nov. 11

Today I am thankful for our military. I am thankful for all those who have served in the past, who are currently serving (at home & abroad) and those who WILL serve in the future.

I am thankful for the freedoms we enjoy & take for granted on a daily basis and that we live in a country where we know our rights are protected.

Happy Veteran's Day!

100 Days of Gratitude Days 7-10

2011-11-10T10:03:00.000-05:00

Monday Nov. 7
I'm thankful for my washing machines.

We bought the laundry when we bought our house in June of 2007. They are still going strong even though they get PLENTY of use and abuse!

I love them!

Tuesday Nov. 8
I'm thankful for a great pediatrician!

So, Luke developed a fever during the night & I had to take him to the pediatrician. They are so awesome there.

While we were waiting for the doctor, Luke managed to pinch his thumb in the canopy of the stroller for the THIRD time. This time was REALLY bad though. I couldn't get his hand out. I had to get a nurse to come pull his hand while I pulled on the stroller. It was terrible.

The doctor came right in to examine his hand but it was too swollen for her to tell anything. She gave me advice and support.

A few hours later, Luke still wouldn't use the finger, so I called them back. The doctor got on the phone with me and gave me advice again. She recommended that we go to Patient First for some x-rays.

It ended up not being broken, but we all felt better knowing that!

Wednesday Nov. 9
I'm thankful for my sister in law and good naps. :)

My sister in law, Beth, is often home during the day (she works nights a lot of the time) and therefore is available to help out with the boys at the "drop of a hat" notice. This is a life-saver to me. Without her help there are many days I feel like I'd go insane.

Yesterday, Beth met me at a doctor's appointment and took care of BOTH boys for me. I really appreciate her doing that & she's really good with them!

On Tuesday, she came over in the middle of the day to help out with my cranky boys and stayed through taking Luke to the urgent care center.

Thursday Nov. 10
I'm thankful for cute clothes for my kids.

There are rarely days that I can't dress the boys matching or coordinating. The best part is, I really didn't buy most of their clothes!

Grams was so awesome while I was pregnant with Lucas. She bought clothing across all four seasons in all sizes, since we had no idea what size baby to expect. Because of this, there were some things that didn't get worn or didn't get worn much with Luke that were like-new for Vinnie! :)

It warms my heart to be able to dress them so that they are matching and are totally adorable.

The clothes that didn't come from Grams, are hand-me-downs from friends and family. I love hand-me-downs. It is so nice to see clothes getting extra love rather than being tossed!

Wordless Wednesday--My Boys

2011-11-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

11 Week Old Check-up & Follow Up Appointment

2011-11-07T21:27:00.001-05:00

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 was both boys well-baby visits.

Our appointment was at 1:45 and we got there about 20 minutes early. (go me!)

Luke was asleep in our double stroller, so we started with Vinnie.

He weighed in at 11.2 lbs and was 23.5 inches long.

I can't remember & didn't write down what percentiles they said the boys were in, but my internet research is putting Vinnie at:

Weight for Age: 10-25%
Length for Age: 50-75%

According to this website.

This site says his weight for age is 15.3% & that his length for age is 40%.

I'm not too crazy about the percentiles though, because I've become a believer in "look at the kid, not the numbers."

Since we declined any shots in the hospital, Vinnie was due for 3 shots that covered a wide variety of vaccines. I don't like to get more than 2 at a time, so we opted to skip the Hep B shot for a while longer.

Now, I'm regretting getting him 2 shots, because he ended up getting lumps under both shots, one of which was warm to the touch & red. So, he's on his first ever dose of antibiotics (Keflex) for a possible infection in the shot site. :(

His other reactions to the shots were that he slept from about 3:00 until 7:00, nursed for about 5 minutes & then fussed to sleep (in the car) and didn't nurse again until about 2:00 am, then not again until the morning. He was super-mega cranky all day long and I couldn't put him down, get him to sleep or nurse all day.

I took him to the doctor and then of course, he was all smiles, but they did give me the antibiotic for his leg, so it wasn't a wasted trip. After that he was all better.

The rest of his doctor's appointment was fine, he got all the usual things checked and she asked me about his nursing habits and other little things.

This practice doesn't do the million question long paperwork that Nansemond uses so I didn't have any list to check out his progress by, I guess I'll have to look it up myself.

Hmmm--I'm 99% sure I finished this post & Google has somehow managed to eat it. I'm just going to go ahead & publish it with what there is!

Halloween Traditions

2011-11-07T21:23:00.001-05:00

Right now, our family doesn't have a lot of Halloween traditions, but I hope as the boys get older that we will establish some!

So far, we have the pumpkin patch tradition, which will definitely be kept in place, even after the boys are a bit older we will still go for the hay rides!

Last year we went to a farm here in Chesapeake with the entire family, Mandy, Grayson, Spencer, Frankie, Chrissy, Tyler, Brianna, Ashley, and Carolynn, as well as Mom & Dad all joined up at the farm! We had a good time, but it was expensive and they didn't have a lot to do.

This year, Luke, Vinnie, & I went to Taylor Farm with the Attachment Parenting group. We had a blast. From now on Taylor Farm is my farm of choice!

The only other tradition we have is going trick or treating, and that some part of or all of the costume has to be Mama made!

For Luke's first Halloween he wasn't even two full weeks old, so we just visited with Mom & Dad at their hotel room.

Last year, we dressed him as Charlie Brown and I made the shirt & tote bag for him.

This year, Luke went as Buzz Lightyear. While he did wear a hand-me-down store costume, I spruced it up quite a bit. I also made a carrier cover to go alone with Vinnie's store bought monkey costume.

I think next year we will add in two new traditions.

The first one is to watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" as a family. That one is easy as pie!

The second one is to donate most of our trick or treat candy to the military (through a dentist or other organization) and have the boys receive a gift from "the Great Pumpkin" instead.

This post was inspired by The Mother Huddle.

Top 10 Tuesday

2011-11-07T21:07:00.000-05:00

I haven't done this Meme since the first time I played along!

As far as I can tell, there is no "set" thing to post about, so I am going to go with my top 10 favorite pictures, right now.

8/5/2006 Our Wedding

10/18/2009 Luke's Birthday

10/19/2009 In the hospital with Luke

10/19/2009 Mother-Son connection

Memorial Day 2011 At Tom & Peggy's house

September 2011

8/8/2011 Vincent's Birthday

8/16/2011 Newborn Photos

11/6/2011 Smiling while talking to Mama

100 Days of Gratitude-Day 7

2011-11-07T20:46:00.000-05:00

November 7-My mom & dad!

Mom & Dad drove in today so Dad could go to a doctor's appointment.

I love them so much & am so thankful for them. :)

I really LOVE seeing them interact with my kids. They both dote on them so much and just truly enjoy the time they get to spend with the kids.

As much as I know it hurts him, my Dad continues to get down on the floor to play whatever Luke desires and Luke loves every minute of his Pap's attention.

Today they played trucks, tools, trains, more trucks, more tools, potato head, and jump-jump. Luke certainly has the attention span of a 2 year old and his Pap tolerated it really well!

I hope Luke and Dad's relationship stays as strong as it is now & that they continue to be best buddies!

Mom has the magic touch with Vinnie. Ever since he was born, she can get him to sleep. She got to snuggle him for the best part of an hour today & he just loved napping on her chest!

100 Days of Gratitude -Days 4, 5, & 6

2011-11-06T09:43:00.000-05:00

November 4- Good medicine/health insurance

I'm thankful that we have good insurance & that I can get medical advice, help, and treatment as often as I need to. The third round of mastitis in a month kicked my butt, but at least I was able to talk to my doctor and get the medicine I needed!

November 5- Doing fun things with my family!

On the spur of the moment, we decided to take Aaron and Luke to Bounce House in Virginia Beach! They had a blast, even though we didn't stay more than an hour & a half! It was an expense we probably shouldn't have made, but it was worth it to see the boys enjoy their Saturday afternoon!

November 6- Lazy days at home with my boys

I skipped church today since Tim had to run sound. I've been up since 7:30 and it is now 9:45 am and we still haven't done anything! In fact, Luke is completely naked, Vinnie has a diaper & onesie on, and I am in my pjs! :) We've been playing & having a lot of fun together though!!

100 Days of Gratitude -Day 3

2011-11-04T08:22:00.000-04:00

Nov. 3-Day 3 of 100

I'm thankful for my husband who loves me!

I got slammed with another case of mastitis yesterday. I hate that & I am hoping Dr. M can figure out why I keep getting it (3 times in 1 month) and do something to help me.

I ended up calling Peggy to come over after work because Tim had homework that needed done. She was a huge help & I got to take a nap.

After dinner, Tim put Luke to sleep while I put Vinnie to bed. Then Tim gave me a back rub and rubbed my arms and helped me pump. I had aches and pains all over my body and I was just NOT feeling good and the only thing I can take is tylenol, which doesn't help much. Tim was patient and loving and helped me not feel so bad.

I don't know what I'd do without that man!

100 Days of Gratitude -Day 2

2011-11-03T10:04:00.000-04:00

Nov. 2--100 Days Of Gratitude

I am thankful for good friends!

We had dinner with the Johnson family last night. I started a pot of sauce at noon for our 7:15 dinner & it was DELICIOUS I also had bread sticks (frozen from a box) and salad (from a bag) as part of our dinner.

We had a great visit & really enjoyed just relaxing together. I didn't feel the need to make my house spotless before they arrived because I know they love us unconditionally and wouldn't judge me for the pile of pots & pans I haven't found time to scrub. :)

It was about 9:00 when they headed out, which is a bit late for us to be just starting our bedtime routine with Luke & Vinnie, but it was such a nice visit that we weren't in the least bit upset.

I can't wait to get together with them (and our other friends!) soon!

2 Year Old Check-Up

2011-11-02T12:05:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 was both boys well-baby visits.

Our appointment was at 1:45 and we got there about 20 minutes early. (go me!)

Luke fell asleep on the way over & then stayed asleep while I put him in the double stroller. (It was our maiden voyage.)

We got Vinnie's part of the check-up done while Luke napped & then it was time to wake him up & have him weighed.

He was 32.5 inches tall and weighed in at a measly 23.5 lbs. I thought for sure we'd see some weight gain in the months since Vinnie was born (since Luke is now nursing several times a day/night) but was shocked when he hadn't grown AT ALL in that 11 weeks.

I mean I know my milk is fatty---Vinnie is chunking right on up.

So, Luke's stats according to my internet research are:

Length for Age: 3-5%
Weight for Age: 5-10%

According to this website.

This site's calculator puts him in the 7.5% for height and the 4.7% for weight.

The doctor said that since she didn't have Luke's records (just another way Nansemond Pediatrics sucks) she couldn't tell me how he was trending, but I assured her those numbers were good for Luke, since he wasn't even ON the charts at his 18 & 12 month well-baby visits.

He is clearly a healthy & intelligent little boy, even if he is a little peanut. He is growing (he was 29 inches at 18 months) and is just going to be skinny like his daddy & short like his mommy.

They do not use the gigantic, million question diagnostic for growth & development that Nansemond uses, so we just went over his general behaviors and he got the a-okay from the doctor. Since he just graduated from occupational therapy a few months ago, I already knew he was on track with all of his skills.

Baby Center

Child's Age	Mastered Skills (most kids can do)	Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)	Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
19 months	Uses a spoon and fork Runs Throws a ball underhand Enjoys helping around the house	Understands as many as 200 words Recognizes when something is wrong (e.g., calling a dog a cat)	Washes and dries own hands with help Points to picture or object when you call it by name May know when she needs to pee
20 months	Feeds doll Takes off own clothes Dumps an object in imitation, such as throwing garbage away	Learns words at a rate of ten or more a day Can walk up stairs (but probably not down)	May start exploring genitals Draws a straight line Names several body parts
21 months	Can walk up stairs Able to set simple goals (e.g., deciding to put a toy in a certain place)	Throws a ball overhand Kicks ball forward Stacks six blocks	Names simple picture in a book Can walk down stairs
22 months	Kicks ball forward Follows two-step requests(e.g., "Get your doll and bring it here")	Does simple puzzles Draws a straight line Names several body parts	Puts on loose-fitting clothes Might be ready for a big bed Understands opposites (e.g., tall vs. short)
23 months	Names simple picture in a book Uses 50 to 70 words	Opens doors Sings simple tunes Takes more of an interest in playing with other kids	Talks about self (likes, dislikes) Asks "why?"
24 months	Names at least six body parts Half of speech is understandable Makes two- to three-word sentences	Talks about self Arranges things in categories Can walk down stairs	Begins to understand abstract concepts (e.g., sooner and later) Becomes attuned to gender differences Learns to jump

Luke can do everything on that chart, except for sing tunes. He doesn't sing with words, just kind of hums along when we sing or if a song is on the radio.

Here's a great check-list by the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center...and Luke is on track with them as well!

Luke didn't get any shots, since they didn't have his records and that is fine by me! I'm willing to delay as long as I can and only get the ones I have fully researched. :)

Happy Halloween!!

2011-11-02T10:57:00.000-04:00

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!

Seriously, its my favorite holiday. Most people have a Christmas village---I have a Halloween one. :)

So, our celebrating began on Saturday when I had to make cupcakes to donate to Seton House, for church. I like making cupcakes and am excited to donate some more this month.

Here is the cupcake Aaron got to help decorate:

And here are the cupcakes I donated:

Sunday was just a church day and we didn't do any celebrating, besides dressing the boys in their Halloween clothes.

On Monday, I had Grayson and Spencer all day. Frankie came over to help me out with them, which was a life-saver.

Without Frankie's help I never would have finished my sewing on the "Monkey On My Back" carrier cover or Luke's Buzz Lightyear gloves & boots.

The day was very stressful for me & I had little patience with the nonsense of three little boys (Vinnie is an angel, always) so I would have gone crazy without Frankie's help.

Around 4:00 we started getting ready to go. Vinnie was of course the easiest to get dressed. Here is his little monkey costume, that I bought at the thrift store for $4.00!! (It's a Carter's costume.)

Vinnie was 12 weeks old on his first Halloween.

His eyes are so red because we are ALL fighting a head cold.

And in action in the baby carrier:

These are the Buzz Lightyear boot covers I made for Luke. His costume was a hand-me-down so we had to hide a few imperfections (it was too short) and make it personalized.

I also made cool gloves for Luke. I took a pair of purple gloves and cut the wrists off, then I cut the fingers off of a pair of white gloves. I slipped the purple gloves inside the white ones and sewed them together. Wallah--purple tipped, white space ranger gloves!

The final touch (and coolest part) of Luke's costume was the Buzz Lightyear ski mask I found at Wal-Mart for $6.00. At first he wouldn't wear it, but when the boys wanted to then he was all about it. (because you know 2 year olds--they hate sharing)

Luke had a blast pretending to fly like Buzz. He was 2 years and 2 weeks old on Halloween.

We were supposed to go to Greenbrier Mall to trick or treat from 5:00-5:45 and then over to Central Baptist Church for Trunk or Treat, but I wasn't ready to go on time, so we just went to McDonald's for dinner, then Food Lion, and finally to Trunk or Treat.

They had a Bounce House. Luke had 2 or three turns, each 2 turns long (bc he was the youngest kid in there & they let him stay in) and loved every minute of it. I really think one of those for the back yard would be a worthwhile investment for us!

Luke was NOT a fan of waiting in line though, so when it was time to trick or treat he got bored, really quickly.

I didn't get any pictures of him wearing them, but my friend, Liz, lent us a pair of Buzz Lightyear wings for Luke to wear too...he was SO cute!

We ended up heading to the van by 7:15 and being home before 8 pm. (I had to nurse Vinnie before we could leave.)

I enjoyed our celebration & dressing the boys up. I can't wait until next year! I told Tim my "resolution" for 2012 is to actually put up all of the decorations we own!

2011-11-02T09:31:00.000-04:00

I'm a follower. (some of the time)

So, yea, I'm on Pinterest now. I have to say its a fun way to bookmark things, but I don't really see the addiction that others are talking about.

If I'm looking for something crafty or inspiring it is a good place to go to see what other people are doing.

So, check it out. :)

I've got the following categories/boards already:

Christmas
Products I Love
Books Worth Reading (also includes blogs)
For the Home
Arts & Crafts
Knitting
Cloth Diapering
Sewing Tutorials
Homeschooling
Shopping
Photography/Picture Ideas
Recipes
Reflux
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Toy Story Bathroom
Toy Story Ideas
Blog Ideas

So, yea, you can see I've been busy pinning things!

The first thing I did was clean up my 10+ year old favorites list--any dead links I deleted & any that were still pertinent to me, I went ahead and added to Pinterest instead of keeping them on my Favorites list. They are much easier to see/sort/access on Pinterest.

I downloaded the toolbar button so I can pin while I'm browsing the internet and while it does lock up, a LOT, I'm enjoying using it. :)

100 Days of Gratitude -Day 1 & Introduction

2011-11-02T08:25:00.001-04:00

So, the buzz around the internet yesterday was that November is "Giving Thanks" month and that it is also a great time to start 100 Days of Gratitude.
I like the idea & think it will be fun to reflect on my days & say something I am thankful for! So, from Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2011 through Wednesday February 8, 2012, I will be keeping a record of the things I am greatful for!

Won't you join along??

(1) Nov. 1 -I am thankful for Pet Birthday Cake ice cream & both boys asleep by 9:30.

I was having a rough few days, with very little sleep, thanks to the entire family having head colds.
I managed to get out and do the grocery shopping, restocking our supply of Pet Birthday Cake ice cream. That stuff is DELICIOUS. It is seriously the best ice cream I've ever eaten. (Its better than Cold Stone Creamery's cake batter flavor!)
I also got at least two weeks' worth of meat and plenty of other food and supplies. It is such a blessing to be able to buy groceries without worrying about going over a certain amount or not having enough money to buy the little treats we enjoy. I am glad that Tim's new job gives us that security and for now we can afford a few luxuries (like ice cream!)
So, really, I'm thankful for Tim's job and the security the boys and I have, knowing Daddy is taking good care of us and meeting our needs. (and sacrificing his own to spoil his wifey)
I was also very thankful that I finally got Luke to bed at 8 pm and then that I was able to get in bed with Vinnie at 8:40. I am so tired that just laying down to nurse him, knowing I didn't have to get up again any time soon (Tim was on his way home) was so nice.

So, starting small and not too deep, but there you have it, that's what I'm thankful for today.

100 Days of Gratitude List

2011-11-02T08:20:00.007-04:00

1-Nov. 1- Ice cream, Tim's job, the boys going to bed early
2-Nov. 2- Good friends
3-Nov. 3- My husband
4-Nov. 4-Good medicine/health insurance
5-Nov. 5-Doing fun things with my family
6-Nov. 6-Lazy days at home with my boys
7-Nov. 7- My washing machines
8-Nov. 8-A great pediatrician
9-Nov. 9- Beth
10-Nov. 10- Cute clothes!

11-Nov. 11- For our military security!
12-Nov. 12-Lots of housework getting done
13-Nov. 13- Bounce House
14-Nov. 14-my planner (gotta love pencil & paper)
15-Nov. 15- MOPS & my new friends
16-Nov. 16- Ci Ci's Pizza coupons
17-Nov. 17-Tim NOT having class or meetings tonight!
18-Nov. 18-Alone time
19-Nov.19- Housework done & groceries bought!
20-Nov.20- Laundry!

21-Nov. 21- Mom & Dad loving on the boys
22-Nov. 22-Being an American
23-Nov. 23-Not having to cook
24-Nov. 24-Family, friends, love ones, God
25-Nov. 25- Shopping deals in store & online
26-Nov.26-Lazy days
27-Nov. 27- Quiet time in the car
28-Nov. 28- Left-overs
29-Nov. 29-Simultaneous naps

Nov. 30- Dec. 4 Missed :(

30-Dec. 4-The Hayes Family
31-Dec. 5- Tyler
32-Dec.6-End of the semester for Tim
33-Dec.7-Indian Summer
34-Dec.8-4 Months w/ Vinnie
35-Dec.9- Baby Laughter
36-Dec.10
37- Dec. 11
38-Dec. 12
39-Dec. 13
40-Dec. 14

11 Week Old Check-up & Follow Up Appointment

2011-11-02T07:46:00.000-04:00

Child's Age

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)

1 month	Lifts head when lying on tummy Responds to sound Stares at faces	Follows objects briefly with eyes Vocalizes: oohs and aahs Can see black-and-white patterns	Smiles, laughs Holds head at 45-degree angle
2 months	Vocalizes: gurgles and coos Follows objects across field of vision Notices his hands Holds head up for short periods	Smiles, laughs Holds head at 45-degree angle Makes smoother movements

Well, that's a check + for Vinnie, he does all of those things. He doesn't do the things in the advanced skills for 2 month olds yet. So, we'll have to up the tummy-time to get him there!

Here's a great check-list by the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center....Vinnie is right on track according to them too!

WebMD has a great check-list with lots of good information there too. Again, he's right on track!

I can't believe how quickly Vinnie is growing up...I know that this first year will just fly by, but I am actually looking forward to seeing what kind of little boy he will become.

PUJ Bath Tub

2011-11-01T17:54:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, we decided we needed a baby bath seat for Vinnie. We never had one for Luke & I never really thought I'd be a mom to use one. Then, we got into the habit of giving our gassy, colicy, fussy boy a bath in the kitchen sink 2-3 times a day and baths got to be a chore.

I had a read a good review of a new "seat" (on one of my favorite Mom blogs....www.momdot.com) called the PUJ tub so I decided to check Craigslist to see if I could find a used one within our budget. It was my lucky day, I guess, because I found one for $5! This tub retails for $40 new!

We are technically NOT using it correctly. We give Vinnie sink baths so that he can soak in the warm water, which helps him relax and relieve some gas. SO, we NEED the sink to be full of water & not drain. The PUJ tub clearly states that it is NOT intended for use in this way & that you should NOT have a plug in the basin you are using.

We do not use the PUJ for hands-free bathing, rather we use it to give our backs/hands a break when we are standing at the sink for 20 minutes while Vinnie has his bath.

The PUJ tub uses magnets to go from being a flat piece of foam to a chair shaped bath seat. The magnets are very strong and require two hands to undo.

I was quickly able to figure out which side of thesink the PUJ would fit in best (though it does fit in both sides) and get started giving Vinnie a bath.

I do fill the sink 1/2 way with water before I start. When I first put Vinnie in, I put him in the sink without the PUJ. I like to wash his hair in the water where I can "dunk" his head to rinse it. He also likes to splash around a bit.

When I'm ready, I take the PUJ and slip it in the sink (holding Vinnie in one arm & the PUJ in the other) so that the seat fills with water but the tub is still suspended/supported by the sides of the sink.

Then I set Vinnie in the PUJ and finish washing him up. You CAN let go, if you use common sense, which makes it nice to do a 2 handed wash of the baby. Your hands are technically still ON them, but you aren't actually holding their weight up.

I generally wash Vinnie up really quickly, splash some clean water on him from the faucet and then turn it off, so he can soak in the water pooled around his belly.

If you are using the PUJ as directed that water will drain pretty quickly, so you kind of have to keep the faucet going if only to refill the little seat every couple minutes.

The way we use it, the seat stays full of water all around the middle parts of Vinnie, with his chest & feet out of the water. His tummy is where its important though (since the warm water helps relieve gas) so it is working nicely for us.

Since we bought the PUJ (ours was 2nd-hand, already loved by 2 kids) Vinnie has only had 1 "tub" bath & all the rest have been in the sink. I LOVE giving my babies tub baths and letting them play in the water, but the PUJ is just so convenient, its our go-to when Vinnie needs washed up!

Steps for bathing a baby with the PUJ tub:

1. Find a ridiculously cute baby that needs/wants a bath.

2. Fold both sides of the PUJ up until the magnets catch. Rest the PUJ in your sink.

Right basin

Left basin

3. If this is your first time--take a dry run to see which side baby fits in best while still allowing the faucet to reach baby.

Step 4: Set the water temperature to a comfortable warm and turn the faucet so it runs into the PUJ but not onto baby.

Step 5: Add a naked baby.

Step 6: Wash that baby up! I find that I can scoop water from between his legs and beside his belly to use to rinse him with. This makes washing his hair & toes SO much easier, since I don't have to worry about his head going under.

Fire Department Trip

2011-10-31T14:48:00.000-04:00

Free, fun, educational--the three best things that can be said about entertainment for kids, right?

A couple Saturdays ago, we had to go to the local fire department to get car seats installed. While we were there, they let Aaron and Luke check out the firetrucks. It was a great impromptu afternoon event.

The fire fighter answered all of Aaron's questions, put Luke up in the truck, and really made them feel special.

Aaron enjoyed climbing in and out of the truck and learning about the jaws of life.

Luke was fascinated with the TRUCK and wanted to push ALL of the buttons in the driver's seat. (I hope they double-check all of that before heading out!)

We will definitely go back again (many times) over the years for Luke to learn all about the trucks and the firemen and their jobs. I love that the station is right in our neighborhood!

I can't wait until Luke is old enough to not be scared of the gear, so he can see a fireman all suited up. :)

I've got a baby, sue me....Sunday Update Sept. 27-Oct. 23

2011-10-23T22:36:00.001-04:00

Not really, don't sue me, I don't have any money!

But, I do have a bunch of good excuses for not blogging for a month, so please forgive my lack of posting about anything at all!

I think this will be one of those updates that's best to go in reverse order, since the more recent stuff is more fresh in my mind!

Sun. Oct. 23
The boys are both sick. This morning their temperatures were 100.1 (Vinnie) and 100.0 (Luke). Vinnie has a cough & Luke has a runny nose. They are both extra tired and cranky.

We stayed home from church and took a nice nap together. I love snuggling my little guys!

Sat. 22
In the morning, Tim, Aaron, and I got the housework done. Around 11:45 I headed to the fire department to have the car seats rearranged.

It took 4 firemen over 30 minutes to get Luke's Radian 80SL installed in the third row. Luke & Aaron got to play on a fire truck and talk to a fireman though. :)

After we finally got the car seats taken care of, we headed to McDonald's. That took forever too, but around 12:45 we were finally headed to Amanda's house.

We picked Mandy, Grayson, and Spencer up & then drove to Emporia.

Mandy & Mom worked on getting stuff from the garage into the attic, while I went to the grocery store & helped out in the house.

We had spaghetti for dinner and then Mandy put all the boxes into the attic. It was 8:30 before we headed home & it was 10:45 by the time I got Mandy & the boys dropped off, Aaron dropped off, and our van unloaded.

Fri. 21
I took Vinnie to the doctor on Friday morning, while Beth stayed home with Luke. Vinnie had a low-grade temperature and had a cough starting Thursday night. They did an RSV test but it was negative so they said he just has a nasty cold. We were sent home with directions to nurse, use the humidifer, and just let him work through it. If he gets irritable for 3 hours or more, a temperature over 102, or has no wet diapers for 6 hours we are to take him back, OR if he is still sick on Monday. Since he's still sick this afternoon I foreshadow a trip to the doctor for him tomorrow.

Vinnie weighed in at 11.1 lbs, putting him just under the 15% for the WHO charts and was 23.5 inches long coming in at just under the 50% for the WHO charts.

Thurs. 20

Weds. 19
Tim stayed home sick from work, again.
I took Luke to Wal-Mart to get his pictures done in the morning & ended up forgetting my purse, so Tim brought it to me. Then he took Luke home, while I took Vinnie with me to take Mom to the doctor.

After Mom's doctor's appointment we went to Ci-Ci's for lunch.

Tues. 18
Happy 2nd Birthday Lucas Wayne Goetsch!
Tim ended up taking the day off, because he was sick, so we had a lazy day at home.

Tim stayed home in the morning with Luke while Vinnie & I went to MOPS. When we got home all three guys took a nap while I did housework.

After dinner, I took Luke and Vinnie for a walk to the park. (hoping we can keep this a tradition) We got some cute pictures & video of Luke playing. Vince hung out in the Moby wrap the whole time.

When we got home, Tim was at class, so Luke and I had birthday cake flavored ice cream together, before his bath & bedtime.

Mon. 17
Vincent 10 weeks old!
Both boys had temperatures and Luke had a cold, so I rescheduled their well-baby appointments.

Sun. 16
Tim had to run sound, so we didn't go to church again.

Sat. 15
Luke's birthday party--separate post!

Fri. 14
Still sick with mastitis but I did manage to go to Target and get Luke's hair cut.

Thurs. 13
I got hit with mastitis. :/

Weds. 12

Tues. 11
I had to take Mom to the doctor at 12 and then I had my own doctor's appointment in the afternoon. It was a pain in the butt with both boys, but I managed. I did decide I needed a double stroller though.

Mon. 10
Vincent 9 weeks old!

Sun. 9
After church, Peggy picked Luke up and took him to her house & then to Cracker Barrel for lunch. Tim & I took Vinnie and went to "Pint with the Pastor" at Guadalajara's.

Sat. 8
We spent the day getting the kitchen cleaned & organized.

In the evening, I left Tim with Luke while Vinnie & I went to a Divorce Party with my old college friends. It was a good time.

Fri. 7
APSEVA Taylor Farm play-date- separate post!

That night, Liz, Karen, and I met at the Bounce House for a play-date. Luke got over his fear of the jump-jumps that morning at the farm, so he played hard.

Thurs. 6
I actually got a chance to sew and added this fun Ooga Booga panel to my Moby. I love it. Vinnie does too, though I'm sure he could care less.

Is this not the cutest thing you ever saw? I love snuggling with these two!

Vinnie's 0-3 month sleepers are completely filled out.

Grayson & Spencer showing off some brotherly love!

Weds. 5

Tues. 4
MOPS!

I managed to pump before MOPS and so I was able to put Vinnie in the nursery. This was a huge step for me.

Tim had class.
Mon. 3
Vincent 8 weeks old!

Sun. 2
Tim had to run sound, so the boys & I didn't make it to church.

Sat. 1

Fri. Sept. 30
I met up with Liz and her two boys at MacArthur mall in the morning. Then the boys & I walked around for a bit before heading home for nap time.

Thurs. 29

Weds. 28
Vinnie got to wear a cute onesie that was bought for Luke, that Luke had never worn! So I took pictures. It made me think of Grams, she is the one who bought Luke this outfit & I'm glad that my 2nd son got to wear something from her, even though she never met him. I'm sure she liked looking down on us that day!

We got new woolies in the mail, so we had to do a fashion shoot! We've since worn most of them a few times!

Tues. 27
Tim had class.

APSEVA Taylor Farm Play Date

2011-10-23T22:25:00.000-04:00

We went to our first Attachment Parents of Southeast Virginia event this month!

Taylor Farm is an awesome pumpkin patch experience & I would recommend it to anybody!

We started out at the first playground. They have a wooden train which was a big hit with Luke!

Then we got to go meet the goats.

After the goats we walked by & saw the donkeys.

After the donkeys there was another play-ground, but I didn't take any pictures of that one.

On the way to the hay-ride there were some mini-horses. I nursed Vinnie while we waited our turn & then some more on the hay-ride.

At the pumpkin patch there was a jump-jump and that's ALL Luke wanted to do.

When it was time to get back on the hay-ride, Luke grabbed a pumpkin.

Then he tried to grab two more! I managed to get him back to the tram with only ONE pumpkin in tow.

After the hay-ride the "group" part of the day was over, so we took our time visiting with Aubrey & her mom Hilary.

Both kids got a kick out of checking out the pigs.

Then they played on the playground some more. (This is a boat play-place.)

In the fire-house.

When we finally left after 1pm both boys were exhausted.

All-in-all, we had a great time!

Luke's 2nd Birthday Party

2011-10-23T22:19:00.000-04:00

Hanging out before the party

Rainbow cake, getting ready to bake

All baked up

And decorated with Toy Story Hot Wheels

The "game" (color me puzzle) and table set-up

Additional cake!

Ashley holding Vinnie for the first tim e

Coloring!

Brianna holding Vinnie for the first time

Beth & her new boy friend playing with the birthday boy!

Birthday balloons!

Auntie Mandy & Vinnie snuggling!

Present time!

Frankie worked hard to make a saying in Luke's new blocks!

Rainbow cake!

Bye-bye Love

Children's Museum--in Pictures

2011-10-23T22:07:00.001-04:00

September 24, 2011

Free Museum Day courtesy of the Smithsonian Institute. It was a nasty rainy day but I ventured out with the three little ones and met Mandy & Frankie at the Children's Museum of Portsmouth.

All together it was a very good day!

My view of Luke for most of the day. From behind, chasing after him!

Trains!

This train set up had a button to push to make the train go. Luke LOVED it. He ran around & around & around the table over & over again chasing that train! I got some video of it too!

More trains.

Checking out the fire truck. Luke was actually terrified of the display & didn't go much farther than that!

Which is funny, because yesterday (10/22) we went to the fire station up the road and he was totally fearless.

Checking out the soapbox derby cars.

Oh hi Mom.

Mandy, Frankie, and the kids trying to make a huge bubble.

Frankie figured out you needed less people to get the bubble higher....Carolynn wasn't much phased by being surrounded by the bubble.

This is how Luke "blows" bubbles.

And we ended with some playtime in the kiddie area.

So our overall goal in going to the free day (super-mega-crowded) was to decide if we wanted to get a membership. We decided the train room alone makes it totally worth it for us....especially since it is literally 15 minutes from home. Our new double stroller will come in super handy at the museum!

Luke enjoyed playing on the Thomas tables they have set up & just exploring the entire place.

The art exhibit is a bit over his head & the circus themed exhibit area was much too loud & overwhelming for him, so there is plenty for him to grow into. I think we'll have plenty of visits JUST to see the trains!

Luke's Surgery-In Pictures

2011-10-23T22:07:00.000-04:00

September 13, 2011

Luke had his "surgery" in the middle of September, it was a huge pain in the butt and trying time for me and I have no desire to relive it via blog, so this will be a short recap.

We had to be at the hospital at 5:45 am. Mom was here to go with us and help out with Vince.

We started out in the "play" waiting room. Then we got taken into this room for triage & to get Luke into his surgery gear.

In this room we met a few of the nurses & they took turns taking Luke away from us for a few minutes at a time to get him used to walking away with them. That didn't help at all when the time came for them to take him. In the future if we ever go through this kind of procedure again I think I will refuse to leave him. I hated that part.

After the triage room we went to the recovery room. Luke was allowed to play with some toys but ended up slipping on the dumb no-slip socks and busting his head. He was in tears when they came to get him to go back and they had to rip him away from me. My poor boy. I hated that they didn't put him to sleep in my arms like they did for his MRI when he was a tiny boy.

When they woke him up he was alone, they brought us back to the recovery room and he was crying for us. My heart was breaking.

I was not impressed with the recovery process. They had to take x-rays and didn't want Tim or I to be near him while they did them. That wasn't happening. I ended up getting in there & they forced him to lay down for a ton of x-rays only to find out the darn machine was broken.

So, I pulled him into my lap and then he immediately ripped out his tube. :( So, we decided to let them have ONE try to re-insert the tube into his nose (with only mild sedation) and then re-do the x-rays. They managed to get the tube in and then do the x-rays.

Luke was hysterical and I snuggled him until I got him to sleep. Then we put the "no-nos" on his arms so that he couldn't pull the tube from his nose again.

When we got up to his room he took a little while to get the anesthesia out of his system and to get used to the no-nos.

He ended up perking up pretty quickly & we spent the entire day chasing him around the hospital and the room. They did have a couple play rooms but they were only open sporadically. He took a good nap and was in bed by 9:30.

Around 11:00 Mom took Vinnie home with her and left us at the hospital with Luke. Tim stayed up with him until 3:30 am and then I took over until about 5:30. I ended up falling asleep for a bit before Luke got up for the day.

We had to record every time Luke nursed, ate, sat up, laid down, and cried by both pushing a button on his "pack-pack" and recording it on a chart. It was a pain in the butt.

Ultimately, we got the results of 16 biopsies (from his throat) and the pH probe test and learned a lot of nothing. Luke has reflux. He didn't spasm/twitch at all while the probe was in, so there is no way to confirm/deny that the twitches are in fact Sandifer's syndrome & NOT real seizures.

Fortunately he hasn't had ANY twitches since the last week of July. (knockonwood)

We are glad we did the test, even if we didn't learn much. If Luke does have more spasms/twitches we will be heading to the ER at CHKD to have them treated as seizures.

Wordless Wednesday-Blog Face Lift

2011-09-28T12:12:00.001-04:00

The blog got a seasonal face-lift and a little side-bar clean-up! If you're reading on a "reader" please click through & let me know what you think! I made the header myself!

Sunday Update Sept.4-26

2011-09-26T14:30:00.001-04:00

So, this is going to be brief!

Life with a newborn (he's 7 weeks old today, is he still a newborn?) is hectic & hard to predict. We do have a rhythm and we are getting stuff done, but finding time to blog, when I should be getting stuff accomplished is hard!

Sun. 4
After church, we went to Mt.Trashmore park & let Luke play on the new Kids' Cove! It was really nice, but we definitely need 2 adults to keep up with him!

Mon. 5
Vincent 4 Weeks Old!

Tues. 6

Weds. 7

Thurs. 8
Laura came to visit! Mom & Dad were also in town for doctor's appointments.

Fri. 9
Vinnie smiled his first intentional smile!

Sat. 10
La Leche League Family picnic in Norfolk--it was SO nice to get out & see some of my friends & reconnect after almost a year of being sick & miserable!

Sun. 11

Mon. 12
Vincent 5 Weeks Old!
Took Vince to the doctor for reflux medicine.

Tues. 13
Luke's surgery--separate post!

Weds. 14
Happy Birthday Colton Fisher Hayes!
Got home from hospital, everybody over for chili & hot dogs dinner at our house.
Tom & Peggy came over and took care of the boys while Tim & I cleaned & showered.

Thurs. 15
Happy Birthday Mom!
Cancelled my doctor's appointment
Took Beth & ran errands--Carter's, Wal-Mart, Stride Rite
Dinner at Tom & Peggy's

Fri. 16
Visited James & Missy in the evening

Sat. 17
Relaxed at home all day!
Tim had a meeting at church

Sun. 18
Luke 23 Months Old!
Zoo trip!

Mon. 19
Vincent 6 Weeks Old!
Mom's surgery...we spent the morning cleaning house & headed to the hospital around 4:30, we visited for a couple hours and then headed home for dinner.

6 Weeks old--time to break out the Halloween clothes!

Frankie & Vinnie snuggling in the hospital.

Tues. 20
Luke fell asleep in his high chair after eating spaghetti! It was cute.

Smiling in his sleep :)

Weds. 21
Happy Birthday to Dad!
Dad spent the day at the hospital.
Tim grilled steaks and we had baked potatoes and corn on the cob with Mandy & Frankie. Mandy bought an ice-cream cake too! It was a good party for Dad.

Thurs. 22
I went to the hospital & stayed until about 10 pm.

I love those big blue eyes! He is such a handsome little dude!

I took comparison pictures of Vinnie this week to make this collage. Can you tell who is who? No cheating if you already saw the answer on Facebook!

Friday 23
Happy Birthday to Evangeline Grace Goetsch!!
Mom got transferred to the nursing home. Frankie & I were there from about 12:45 until 4:00 getting her all set up.
I started taking a low-low dose of "happy pills" for PPD. I'm sad that I wasn't able to keep it away this time, but glad that I have supportive friends & family who help me recognize the signs & symptoms and get the help I need. This low dose of medicine really does the trick for me and hopefully I'll be able to wean from it before Vince's birthday. :)

Sat. 24
Carolynn, Luke, and I met up with Mandy & Frankie at the Children's Museum in Portsmouth for Free Museum Day. We had a good time exploring the museum for a couple hours. I'll post a separate post about it with all the pictures!
I went to the hospital around 7:45 and stayed until 10 pm.

Sun. 25
Happy 28th Birthday to ME!
We got up and attempted to get ready for church. Luke & I were dressed and ready to go, but Vinnie was still asleep (in pjs) and Tim hadn't even showered yet when it was time to leave, so we skipped out.
We ended up doing a whole lot of nothing all day, except for the normal housework & tending to the boys' needs.
Luke was feeling off and really cranky/whiney. Vinnie was his normal self!
Dad came home around 12:30 to have lunch, play with Luke and take a nap.
We had dinner at 3:15 (shells & sauce, with meatballs& sausage) and then got ourselves ready to head out.
We ended up not leaving the house until after 5 though and missed our chance at having a babysitter, so we turned around and headed back towards home.
On the way, I talked to my parents and we decided to go visit Mom.
Luke was naughty as usual (he really doesn't like the nursing home) but Vinnie was good. We visited for about 40 minutes and then headed to Wal-Mart. We picked up a few groceries and some pictures of the boys. Then we headed home...both boys fell asleep on the way home, but neither stayed asleep when we carried them in.
I nursed Luke back to sleep and then sat up with Vinnie until around 11.

Mon. 26
Vincent 7 Weeks Old!
It's 2:00 today, so I'll go ahead and start this post out. I've gotten a bit of housework done, a lot of laundry done, and bathed/dressed both boys. Vince is napping on the boob & Luke is asleep in the bed.
The Corolla flooded in the rainstorm on Friday but we didn't realize it until Tim went to leave for work today, so he's home from work & out there working on that. It's not pretty.
Today was his first day back at his old job. (Almost 2 years ago he left HP to work for CACI and now he is back at HP in his same position but with maybe a bit more responsibilities. They didn't do well without him & are now willing to pay him what he's worth!)
We're planning tacos for dinner with home-made cheese dip, since I didn't get to go to Cheeseburger in Paradise for crab dip like I wanted for my birthday!

And that my folks is the month of September minus a few days!

Favorite Toys By Age: Vince

2011-09-21T10:25:00.003-04:00

Newborn to 1 Month

talking to Mom & Dad"

Playing with Luke

2 Months
The barbell rattle is another favorite. He enjoys tracking it, when he has a rare happy, quiet moment.

Favorite Toys by Age: Luke

2011-09-21T10:19:00.000-04:00

Another blog that I read mentioned making a list of "favorite" toys by ages for her kids to help others with toy selection & gift buying. I thought it was a great idea for those reasons, but then also just to have that momento, to remember what my boys were "into" at different ages/stages of their lives.

Now, remembering back to Luke's infancy will be difficult for me, but hopefully keeping track of it from the get-go for Vincent will make his list a little more complete!

This post is a work-in-progress, but I'm going to go ahead & publish it anyway!

Newborn-One Month
Talking to Mom & Dad--Luke was a BIG talker

2 Months
Taking a bath!

This Bright Starts barbell rattle! I haven't met a baby yet who doesn't like it!

3 Months
Spinning rattles--these ones. We suction cupped them to his high chair tray.

6 Months

8 Months

10 Months

One Year

14 Months

16 Months

18 Months

20 Months

22 Months
Cars! Cars dominate Luke's life right now. He recently got some Hot Wheels/Matchbox type cars and he can pretty much always be seen with one in his hand. He loves having a "table" to drive them on,but is just as happy driving them on his lap or flying them through the air.

He also loves trains & driving on the "tracks". He has all of the Little Engineers from Thomas & then has a handful of "real" trains.

2 Years

Happy 23 Months to Lucas! Zoo trip!

2011-09-19T11:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Sun. Sept. 18, Luke was officially 23 months old. That means his birthday (TWO) is only a month away. Wow. I'm going to have a two year old!

To celebrate we went to the zoo for the first time, with Auntie Mandy, Grayson & Spencer!

Current Cloth Diaper Situation

2011-09-17T16:10:00.000-04:00

So, a LOT of our diapers are in need of repair. Which means we're having to be creative. :)

Minus what is on the butt or in the wash this is what we have as of this morning.

(Thanks to some awesome friends!)

Vince's "Stash"

AIOs/Pockets:
S Wonderworks AIO
1 S Rumpsters AIO
3 XS Thirsties AIOs
S BG AIO
2 Happy Heinys Pocket
2 Happy Heinys Pocket w/ 3 snap rise
NB Knicker Nappy Pocket
3 FuzziBunz S Pockets

To grow into:
S Drybee AIO
S Soggy Bottom Baby AIO tester
S Honey Boy AIO
S Happy Heiny Pocket (that is WAY bigger than the other two for some reason)

Fitteds:
6 S Nana's Bottoms Fitteds
2 NB Nanipoos
7 Well-loved/Shrunk BSRBs

To grow into:
S Cover Your Clovers
M/Slim Sweetiebum
6 WAHM Bamboo Sm
3 Soggy Bottom Baby Sm
WAHM Girly bamboo
5 bigger BSRBs
8 MamaGoetsch's Pocket Fitteds

Prefolds: (too small)
2 dozen preemie GMDs (though some are used to stuff diapers)

Luke's "Stash"

AIOs/Pockets:
WAHM M AIO
Bottombumpers SS OS AIO
2 Thirsties Duo Pockets Sz. 2
Swaddlebees OS Pocket
7 BG 3.0s OS

Fitteds:
3 Soggy Bottom Baby (super well loved)
SBish Snapless Multi OS
9 MamaGoetsch's Pocket Fitteds

Prefolds:
7 Premiums

Wordless Wednesday--Matchy-matchy

2011-09-07T12:49:00.000-04:00

Luke--4 Weeks Old (Nov. 15, 2009)

Vince-- 2 Weeks Old (August 18, 2011)

Carolynn holding Luke (6 days old--Oct. 23, 2009)

Carolynn holding Vince (10 days old--Aug. 18, 2011)

Letter to Teenage Daughters

2011-09-06T08:11:00.000-04:00

I really like Diaper Diaries & especially this post. Its intended for the blogger's daughters, BUT, I think most of it can be applied to teenage boys too. I'm linking it here so I can find it when I need it. Go read it, its worth it, especially if you have "little" girls who are growing up WAY too fast.

4 Weeks Old

2011-09-05T22:30:00.002-04:00

My baby boy is 4 weeks old today! Wow, that first month just flew by, but I'm glad that this time I will REMEMBER it! Things with Vince have been SO much different from Luke....

Vince is a great nurser, a good sleeper, and overall a super great baby. He is quite gassy most of the time and so we've had the fun of dealing with that, but I don't think he is showing signs of any food allergies or intolerances.

We have been treating everybody for thrust/yeast since Thursday...and I noticed Saturday that the "milk tooth" in Vince's mouth seems to be almost gone. He still has a tiny nub in there on the top left and a bigger one on the bottom right (that is new?!?) so who knows what is going on there.

When I weighed us last week on the scale, he weighed about 8 1/2 lbs. :)

I took his measurements today for new woolies and diapers and this is what I came up with:

Chest Circumference: 15 1/2 inches
Length (for romper) (shoulder to heel): 17 inches
Foot Length: 3 3/4 inches
Shoulder to bottom of shirt hem: 9 inches
Arm inseam: 4 1/2 inches
Waist:15
Hips:16 3/4-17
Rise:13
Inseam:5 1/2-6
Thigh:8

Vincent James--4 weeks old first time playing with toys!

Another Update

2011-09-03T17:24:00.000-04:00

Sat. 8/20
Tom, Peggy, and Beth ended up staying for a long visit and having dinner with us.

Peggy & I went to Babies R Us and she bought both of the boys some things. Vince got 2 3 piece outfits & Luke got an outfit & 2 pairs of pjs.

Sun. 8/21

We woke up late & attempted to get ready to go to church at The Gathering, but that wasn't going to happen, so we went to Courthouse instead. It was a nice visit & I really enjoyed it.

When we got home, Tim took a nap in the rocking chair until time for his class and I took care of the boys.

In the evening Mom & I took the boys to A.C. Moore's midnight madness sale & then to Kohl's.

Mon. 8/22
My follow up appointment. I've lost 16 lbs. I had a popped and bleeding stitch. Basically Dr. M said, be careful not to pop anymore, we discussed birth control, and that was that. I go back when I'm 6 weeks post-partum.

Tuesday 8/23

Dad came in for a doctor's appointment. Before his appointment though, he gave Vincent his "Pap Bath".

Mom took Luke to see Winnie the Pooh at Cinema Cafe, but it was sold out when they got there, so instead they went to see Cars 2. Luke ended up falling asleep mid-way through the movie, so they came home for nap time, but all in all, it was a good trip. (Luke & Grandmom got to spend some good quality time together.)

Tim also had his first night of classes at TCC.

Weds. 8/24
Mom had her doctor's appointments and then left for Emporia. It was our first partial day by ourselves.

We had a little impromptu photo shoot out back.

Thurs. 8/25
Tim got off early because the computers were being shut down.

I cant remember what we did or didnt do...I'm pretty sure we were in survival mode until Tim got home.

Fri. 8/26
Tim was off for the hurricane and so we decided to go ahead & head out to Emporia. We ended up not getting there until about 9:45 at night!

Sat. 8/27
Hurricane Irene raged outside & we all stayed cool, dry, and well fed at Mom & Dad's. Got to love generator power that powers the entire house!

The kids all played well together and the so did the adults!

Sun. 8/28
The storm moved out overnight and the sun was shining. The kids, Tim, Mandy, and Frankie all helped Dad clean up the yard. Then Mandy & the boys left.

We hung out and were happy to get word that Tim didn't have to work on Monday, since our house still didn't have power.

Uncle Dave arrived in the afternoon, so we had a nice visit with him.

Mon. 8/29
We got up to a home cooked breakfast (sausage, bacon, scrambled or fried eggs, toast, milk gravy, and pancakes!)

Then we took the kids outside to play. We got word that our power was back on, so before lunch we started loading up.

We headed home around 2:15.

Tues. 8/30
Dad's surgery, up early to take him to the appointment. Went to Lynnhaven Mall playplace. Picked Dad up & brought him home.

Mandy came & helped me get him in the house. He spent the night.

Weds. 8/31

Dad played with Luke in between naps and I did housework.

Mom came in the evening to pick Dad up. Tim took care of Luke while Vince & I napped for a bit in the late evening.

Thurs. 9/1

Mom came for a surprise visit so I could nap. Heavenly.

(Vince has just about outgrown the NB Lil Joeys. :( So, I'm working on selling off too small diapers to buy some new ones that fit!)

When Tim got home we went to the pharmacy & Target.

And, Vince plays with toys now!! I've been laying him in his cradle with this toy & he's been batting his hands at the dangly things & looking at his face in the mirror.

Started thrush treatment (gentian violet) in Vince.

Fri. 9/2
Started thrush treatment for Luke & I.

Went & met Heather & dropped off fabric. Lunch at KFC. Went to Ingleside to visit. Went to Tom & Peggy's house.

Wordless Wednesday Vincent 3 Weeks Old

2011-08-31T08:38:00.000-04:00

Aug. 15 One Week Old

Aug. 21-23 Two Weeks Old

Aug. 28- Three Weeks Old

Vinnie is 3 weeks old now & we are in love!

Vincent James 11 Day Old Check-Up

2011-08-20T12:17:00.000-04:00

So, eventually I'll get Vince's first few days typed up & onto the blog, but rather than fall behind as I wait on time to do that, I figured I'll update on the recent events!

Super Quick Recap:

Mon. 8-Water broke at 4 am, Birthday @ 7:32, Family visited throughout the day
Tuesday. 9-Hospital-Vince had his first bath, assisted by Peggy & Beth, Chrissy visited, Luke got sick so Tim stayed home with him :(
Wed.10- Discharged from hospital, Rachel brought spaghetti, Engorged
Thurs. 11-Still engorged
Friday. 12-Vince & Luke go to doctor, Luke has strep, Vince weighed 5 lbs 12 oz.
Sat. 13-Still engorged, Mom & Mandy took Luke to Emporia
Sun. 14- Still engorged but almost gone! Tim managed to get a nap in...we're almost caught up on sleep! The Johnson family brought dinner.
Mon. 15-1 Week Old! Tim went back to work
Tues. 16- Tim got off early for the boys' photo shoot with Cocoa Bean Photography, then went to Golden Corral for dinner
Weds. 17-Vince was still exhausted from his photo shoot & ran a slight temperature (around 99.8, which the doc said was okay)
Thurs. 18- Mom took Luke to story time at the library, I gave Vince his third sponge bath after he had a blow-out in a disposable diaper

Friday Aug. 19 was my scheduled c-section date, but since Vince was already here, that obviously wasn't happening.

Instead it was Vince's "1 week" check-up.

Mom slept in & I took care of the boys and some of the laundry/housework by myself. We aimed to leave at 12:15 and managed to get out of the house by 12:30!

We got to the doctor's office in 15 minutes and I waited until the "re-opened" at 1:00.

They are super awesome there and we got in & out quickly. Vince still measured 19", so we're pretty sure that the hospital was wrong. He weighed in at 6 1/2 lbs! He gained 3/4 of a lb in one week's time, which is really awesome!!

He also didn't need any shots or any more Vitamin K and doesn't show any signs of jaundice!! Things are SO different this time around!!

Since he is gaining well and looked good we are set to go until his 2 month check-up without being seen again. How totally awesome is that!?! She did cauterize his umbilicus since it was a little green from where the stump came off that morning.

While I was at the doctor's, Mom got herself lunch (we had already fed Luke) and drove around so Luke could nap.

When they picked me up, we went to Chic Fil A and I got some lunch and then we went to Wal-Mart. Mom took Luke to Garden Ridge with her and I did the shopping with Vince in the Moby wrap. :)

I didn't think about the weight of the shopping cart though, and so by the end of the shopping trip I was hurting and I am still hurting today.

After grocery shopping, we headed home and Frankie took care of carrying in the groceries.

Mom and Frankie headed out to Mandy's work (Grayson & Spencer were asleep in the car) and I was home alone with the boys for a couple hours.

Vince needed attention right away, so the groceries had to wait, and fortunately Luke was entertained by "Cars".

When Tim got home, I was just finishing up with putting away the groceries.

We had a relaxed evening and Tim & Luke picked up a pizza for dinner.

Bedtime did not go so well though, but I'd rather not memorialize that on the blog!

Saturday Aug. 20
We got up around 8:00 this morning and Tim tended to Vince while I got Luke breakfast & a show.

We managed to get thing moving and by 11ish Tim was out cutting the grass.

Mom & Frankie showed up and ended up taking Luke with them to the Regent campus for Frankie's move-in day.

Vincent & I are going to get some laundry done while they are gone and before Tom & Peggy come over for a visit.

Introducing...

2011-08-17T14:26:00.002-04:00

Vincent James Goetsch

August 8, 2011

7:32 AM

5 lbs 13.6 oz

20 inches

Via Elective Repeat C/S

Just born

OR Family Picture

With the scale

3 Days Old--PJs heading to bed

Updated Baby To Do List

2011-08-05T09:31:00.003-04:00

Getting ready for #2 To Do List:

Before Baby:
~~Pre-register & tour hospital/ Ask questions~~

Steam clean hallway

Call Security Company

Put stickers on van

~~Get & put on new screws for cradle~~

Scrub & disinfect all of Luke's toys

~~Mop~~

Put up Luke's border

Make new cradle bedding (or buy new set $18 at BRU)

Bird cage cover

Bjorn cover

After Baby To Do List:
List FSOT
Shop for mattress for Luke's toddler bed
Sewing/Mending
I-Spy Quilt for Luke
ABC toy for Luke
Monster's Inc. curtains for guest room
Leslie's Trade
Ooga Booga PJs

Order sunglasses (waiting on funds)
Organize/clean Closets (install Closetmaid)
Get cupboards cleaned & filled

Waiting for Baby!

2011-08-04T09:32:00.005-04:00

Wednesday 8/3
So, I spent Wednesday doing housework and getting the last of my to-do list things in order. I am trying to be "ready" for baby, hoping that will make his appearance sooner!
I had lots of contractions over night on Tuesday (into Wednesday) and they fizzled out through the morning. What a bummer.
It left my belly & back ACHING.
Luke pee'd on his potty 2 more times, all on his own. He is getting to be such a big boy!
In the afternoon, Luke and I went to Petsmart & got the dog food & then we went to Babies R Us to walk around. They didn't have much of anything in preemie or newborn summer clothes, so that was a bust.
I did buy a Toy Story gift bag to put Luke's big brother present in.
When I got home, I got that all put together & worked on laundry, while Tim, Frankie, and Luke worked/played out back.
Tim's got almost all of the fence line cleaned!
When they were done, they went to WaWa & the grocery store, while I made chicken tacos for dinner.
We ate, I cleaned the kitchen & cut Tim's hair, and then it was time to get ready for bed.
The house was clean and the chores were all done...it would have been perfect timing to go into labor.

Thursday 8/4
BUT, no luck. Instead I've got this intense pain all around my belly & back that won't go away.
#2 decided to take his merry old time waking up this morning, I got up at 7:40 and didn't feel him move until 9:15. Mama doesn't need that kind of stress little boy!!
I'm going to be working on housework as much as I can today, trying to get these things off of my to-do list!

Fold/Put away white laundry
~~Wash diapers/Put away~~
~~Baby Laundry~~
Call hospital & ask questions
Call Security Company
Steam clean the hall
Scrub & disinfect all of Luke's toys
Mop
~~Clean out van~~
Put up Luke's border
Get & put on new screws for cradle
Bjorn Cover
Birdcage Cover
Cradle Bedding

I'm in pain though, so I'm going to be taking breaks. Starting now.

So, I ended up taking a nap with Luke today & not getting as much done as I wanted to.

Oh well.

This evening I got the van completely cleaned out, and after I got Luke to sleep I did dishes and folded diapers. Moving right along, thankyouverymuch!

Sunday Update July 29-Aug. 2

2011-08-03T08:27:00.000-04:00

Friday July 29
Happy 19th Birthday Frankie
Friday morning, we were up early...so we got right to work. I did a good job and got us out of the house almost on time to get our errands run!

We skipped the post office which was supposed to be first and went to Michael's to return some extra yarn I had. Then we went to two different free-cycle pick-ups and got some hangers for the boys' clothes.

By the second pick up, Luke was asleep. So, I went to Chic Fil A and got some breakfast and then drove around, letting him nap. He was still asleep when Mom & Dad were getting close so I headed home.

Luke woke up at 11:30, which is when I wanted to be HOME, but instead I ran out to Food Lion & raced through getting the groceries together.

We got back to the house & met up with Mom, Dad, and Frankie before they headed out to see Cowboys & Aliens.

While they were gone we did housework, I baked and decorated Frankie's birthday cake, and I prepped most of everything for a taco dinner.

When they all got back we got dinner on the table and ate. Tim got home from work just as we were finishing up, so he joined us. We ate cake with Frankie & then he & Dad had to head home.

Mom is in town for the weekend, so she stayed to play with Luke. After I got the kitchen clean, she and I took Luke & went out.

We first went to Micheal's to get the crochet hooks she needs for the baby's hat. They were $10 though and I knew I had a 55% off coupon in my email, that started Saturday, so we didn't buy them.

We went to Target to walk and look around (neither of us has any money to spend!) and we stayed there a good long while. Walking does wonders for getting the baby DOWN and the contractions going...but we're still too early & they just peter out when I rest. Oh well.

Luke had napped through Michael's, so he was wide awake when we got home. He ended up being a cranky fuss-butt until we finally got him to sleep.

Saturday July 30
Tim woke up and got to work around 8:30 in the morning. He is such a good husband!

It took me a while longer to get moving and Mom didn't rise & shine until closer to 11!

I worked on the normal housework and stuff and then started dinner all before lunch time. Luke wouldn't really eat lunch, even though I offered him 3 different things. :(

Mom had to run out to the pool to see Frankie (and take him some lunch) so she took Luke along for the ride with her & he got a good hour & a half long nap in the car. While she was gone I helped Tim with the garage a little bit, but it was WAY too hot out there for me & I got dizzy/woozy even though I had a wet rag on my neck & head. I ended up moving inside to go through the boxes he wanted me to look at.

My cousin Betti and her son Aaron showed up right around dinner time and we had a nice visit with them.

Then, we had dinner. Tim & I ate it, Mom says she was "tired" of that kind of meal (she had similar meals 3x last week--how was I to know?) and Frankie doesn't eat it at all. Oh well.

After dinner, we gave Luke a bath in the sink (he had dumped popsicle & juice box all over himself) and rinsed the dinner dishes before heading back out.

We went to Micheal's to get the crochet hooks with the coupon & then to Food Lion so I could get some groceries & disposable diapers. (Luke is napping & sleeping in disposables right now...he is a HEAVY wetter!)

While I was in Food Lion I was having some good contractions, but they pretty much shut down as soon as we got home.

Luke napped in the car again and so he was a cranky fuss-butt again before bed.

Sunday July 31
I slept pretty well though, considering I was up to pee, with Luke, to pee & eat, with Tim's alarm, and then with Luke...between 11 and 7 am.

Between Mom & I, we managed to get the house clean, lunch made, and a ton of laundry done.

Mom got all the Preemie, Newborn, 0-3 months, 3 months, and 3-6 months clothes hung up in the baby's closet. Now of course there are still several more loads that need washed/sorted, but we are almost through ALL the baby stuff. :)

Luke took a nap and I got to sew a bit. Tim came home from church & he even took a nap before heading BACK out to church.

We skipped going to the pool, because it closed early due to the rain, so Frankie & Mandy came over to my house.

We all just hung out (I sewed most of the time) and played with Luke.

After Mandy & Frankie left, Tim came home, and we had a LATE supper...but it was good & that's all that counts!

After dinner, Mom bathed Luke while Tim & I straitened up before bed.

I put Luke to sleep & then sewed some more! It was late when we finally went to bed.

My snoring kept Tim awake & he eventually moved to the couch to sleep. Apparently it has gotten pretty ridiculous in the last few days. The only thing I can think is because I have been puking again lately (gotta love morning sickness) and maybe that is making a difference.

Monday Aug. 1
36 Weeks & 6 days--the same gestation Luke was born at!
I got up and cleaned the house, then got to work on my sewing.

I got most of my Bjorn cover done thanks to a tutorial I found online! I am modifying mine some and tweaking the pattern to make it suit my needs, but ultimately I am following that pretty well.

Then I worked on the 2nd diaper and soaker for the trade I was doing locally. I got that finished around lunch time and left Luke with mom while I ran to deliver it. The cocoon & hat I had made for #2 are so cute & I can't wait to see him wrapped up in it!

When I got back, we loaded up and headed to Amanda & Frank's work to go swimming. Luke slept on the way there & for about another 40 minutes (inside with Mandy) while Mom & I swam with Frankie. Then he got his life jacket on & swam with us! It was SO nice in the water.

At 2:45, we got out & dried off (I got changed) and Mom dressed Luke, so we could head to Emporia.

After a bit of run-in and cursing out of the Wendy's workers who screwed up Frankie's order, we got on the road.

We got mom to her swimming class just in time and then Frank & I headed to their house.

Dad had made spaghetti so we ate dinner with him. He gave Luke a bunch of fruit & stuff too. We had some yummy locally grown watermelon for dessert.

Frankie ran out & picked mom up from her class and then when they got back we got the van loaded up & got ready to head home.

We left at 7:00 and I dropped Frankie off at his truck at about 8:15. I got home with Luke just before 9:00.

Tim gave him a bath and I unpacked all our stuff and cooked Tim some dinner.

While we were gone, Tim got the willow tree out back pruned & all the branches cut down from along the fence line. The yard work is really coming along and by the time we're ready to have the baby's Baptismal party it should be really nice out there!

After the house was straightened up we all went to bed.

Tuesday Aug. 2
37 Weeks Pregnant--FULL TERM!
So far today, I've not accomplished much.

I got up early with Luke and really had big hopes for the day. Unfortunately, around 11 am I got hit with a HUGE wave of exhaustion & could hardly keep my eyes open. So, I put Cars on t.v. for Luke & laid on the couch (its so pathetic to see how I have to lay to be comfortable) and took a nice "snooze".

Definition of "Snooze"--a nap, in which you are not 100% asleep because your child still needs your attention & climbs on you, bounces on you, kisses you, pats your hugely pregnant belly, and if you DO happen to pass the "snooze" point into "sleep" mode you immediately SNAP awake (to a full attention nearly) and frantically check to make sure said child DID not harm himself in any way.....the art of snoozing is very useful for weary stay at home pregnant moms with toddlers who have their OWN schedules!

When I woke up at about 12:20, it was well past lunch time & the kitchen was still a mess. So I made Luke an almond butter & apple jelly sandwich and stuck him in his high chair while I cleaned the kitchen. He was talking to me and chattering away one minute & then the next, he was sound asleep with the last bite of sandwich in his mouth!

While he's been napping, I got the kitchen clean, laundry running (though I have MOUNTAINS of clean clothes to put away), tea made, and have eaten a snack.

Update:
After Luke's nap, we got showered & straightened up the house a tiny bit more. Then we headed out to the Post Office to mail a couple packages & then to do a Freecycle pick-up.

I got some classic metal Tonka trucks that Tim is going to take apart & refinish for Luke!

After that we headed home, met up with Tim, and I then left to go to my breastfeeding group in Virginia Beach.

It was a good group, there were 3 newbie babies (a 6 week old, a 10 week old, and an 8 week old) another preggo Mama and a 4 month old. I got to talk to the LC about our plan of action for maintaining a HEALTHY milk supply while tandeming, when we know I'm going to be expecting a huge over supply.

After that group, I stopped at McDonald's to fill up and then went to Farm Fresh for groceries. When I got home Tim & Luke were outside waiting for me! Luke was so happy that I was home!

We pretty much went straight to bed.

I had been having contractions throughout the meeting (the doula could see them from across the room!) and they continued until about 1 am...even though I'd been in bed since 9:40. I got up at 1, had a drink & a snack, and then tried going back to sleep. They kept me awake at least another hour before I could finally sleep through them. Then, before 5 o'clock I was awake with them again. It wasn't until after Tim's 5:30 alarm went off that I was able to get back to sleep.

So, two nights of yucky sleep in a row.

Happy 19th Birthday Frankie!

2011-07-29T07:27:00.001-04:00

Today is Frankie's 19th birthday!

(And I'm secretly hoping #2 wants to share it!)

Let's see how many "fun" pictures I can find of the kid brother!

Sometime between 2005-2007

Halloween 2003?

Summer 2004

Disney World Vacation 2004

Halloween 2009

Working hard in our kitchen, this spring