(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday

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

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

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

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

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!!

(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?

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

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

100 Days of Gratitude- Day 11

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

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

11 Week Old Check-up & Follow Up Appointment

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

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.