My Friday Frills - Installment 2

Here's what has made my life easier or more enjoyable this week:

1. Free Time with the Bean:

I forgot how carefree life seemed with one child, and especially with one baby - all the things we used to get done!! Dad took the Monkey for some much needed "guy time" yesterday, and Bean & I just strolled around the mall, ran errands & just laid around & played together. It was nice to have some alone time to enjoy all the new things she's doing at 5 months!

2. Self Control:

This week I have made the decision to try to finally lose some of this baby weight. Let's be honest - as much I have have enjoyed my love affair with ice cream each evening, swimsuit season is

creeping in. Last summer it was a nice excuse to be pregnant & not have to worry about fitting into summer clothes. I have one good week under my belt of trying to just be more conscious of what I am putting into my mouth - damn if it isn't hard though!

3. Smiley Faces:

Monkey is finally showing his crafty side & been sitting with me

at his table in the playroom to draw. He comes to me throughout the day with little surprises & pictures - some of which leave me guessing, and others which are getting easier to figure out. This was a recent favorite that I put up on my side of the bed to make me smile in the morning.

Owls & Birds & Cowboys, Oh My!

I can't even begin to tell you how long overdue this post is - it has been sitting in my box of posts to edit for quite sometime now. The baby is sleeping & daddy has taken the Monkey off for an adventure this afternoon, so here I sit trying to get this out!

I'll start with the boy's room - I am the type of person that will find one thing that I like, fixate on it & then have to decorate an entire room around it. Now that I have put that out there, you'll better understand my thinking for both of my children's rooms. It all started with this fabric I liked, called "Johnny & Buck" - did I mention I found it, and then found out it was discontinued? My obsession for things that are discontinued is almost as great as my previous obsession I mentioned. When told I cannot have something, it then must be mine! Okay, back to the fabric - I found this fabric online & was able to order the last bit of it to make a crib skirt, throw pillow & put some in the back of a bookcase. Well, now that Monkey is 3, we have moved on to a big boy bed, but I still wanted to be able to use the same themes & fabrics so as not to change everything out. Here's what I came up with...

The room now sort of has a camping/cowboy theme - his night light lantern & vintage "W"

A rope mirror that I found at Pier One Kids when it was going out of business -

added my own rod iron antique stars from a flea market

Curtains made by my sister in a ticking red & cream -

cowboy fabric in the back of the bookcase (pardon the mess :))

The fabric that started it all!! Both of my children's gliders came from the thrift store - at different times, and they happen to be the same brand! Paid $30 for each, then had the cushions recovered at a local upholstery place with fabric I bought at Not Just Linens.

An antique lamp my Mom had lying around seemed to fit in with the curtain rods. The rope name was another online find that I thought went well with the theme for the room.

The Monkey! Don't ask me how he sleeps amongst this mess, but somehow it happens!! The wall bookshelf has been a lifesaver for keeping things out of the bed.

Hmm...some days this is doubtful ;)

Now for the Bean's room. I'm not the girliest girl out there, and I knew two things - I didn't want a pink room, and I didn't want to have to buy too many things. The theme for her room started about a year ago - I was at a local craft fair, and found these adorable handmade owls. My sister even said right then & there "You're going to plan the baby's whole room around those owls, aren't you?" - ahh, she knows me too well. There is a lot more owl stuff out there now than there was about a year ago, but I knew again that I wanted it to sort of be a mish-mash of things I could collect from different places. Here's what I came up with:

Found these pink curtains at Pottery Barn Kids & thought they were a good deal.

The mobile was my son's, and the print was a find at Target.

I found these book ends to put inside the shelf on a random trip to Home Goods - at $4.99 each, I couldn't resist!

This cute lamp was another Target find!

This quilt was sort of an impulse buy for the room - may have been the most I spent on anything, but I thought it made for a cute & large wall decor piece. (There's the Bean's feet!!)

The owls that started it all!!

A mobile that I found somewhere online & was given as a gift, a crib bumper donated by my sister, and a sheet again from the Pottery Barn collection. It didn't make the photo, but the crib skirt is a twin blue & white checked bed skirt that I cut down to fit the crib - it was $10 at PBK!

A vintage mirror that belonged to my grandmother - it seemed like a nice girly touch!

My Friday Frills - Installment 1

In the spirit of trying to blog more often, I have decided to at least try to post something of substance each Friday. This post will typically be things that I have enjoyed this week, that have made my life easier, or that I simply must share with readers. Here goes...

1. Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Lavender Scent All Purpose Cleaner*

My husband & I have slowly been trying to make the switch in our house from chemically loaded products to those that are a bit gentler on our family & our household. I LOVE Mrs. Meyer's products & have always used both the dish soap & hand soap (side note - simply cannot be around the Basil scented one though - lived for it before I got pregnant with #2, now the smell just throws me over the edge for some reason) but recently started using the All Purpose Cleaner all over the house, and more importantly to clean some old baby toys & play things that I have been pulling from the attic. With a baby that is currently putting EVERYTHING in her mouth, its nice to know that I can clean with something a little less harmful.

2. Southwest Branch of the Durham Public Library

This newly renovated branch of the library opened up again back in May, and I couldn't be happier. I'll admit I have a soft spot in my heart for the place - it was where Monkey took his first steps! Miss Margaret was showing the kids a puppet at story time, and he just took off across the carpet to get a closer look - even she remembers it! He still loves going to the library to pick out music, movies, books & especially puzzles! The shelves of books for the kids are arranged in a way that small children (for better or worse) can easily access them & make their selections. They even have a kid-sized self check-out so that I can have some help getting all the books scanned. In just a few months, Bean can start story time there, and I look forward to seeing her enjoy the place as much as her brother & I have recently.

3. Downton Abbey on PBS

This new mini-series has totally been my escape for the past few weeks. Created & written by Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park), it takes place in & around 1912, and has such a great story line. It's an hour & a half each Sunday evening, commercial free. If I don't have the time to sit down for the whole thing on a Sunday night, I will save it up over the course of a week for when the kids are napping. I'm not sure how long it will last, but I know I will certainly miss it when it ends - one of the best shows you may not be watching on TV. (Right now, I am fairly certain you can watch full length episodes online to catch up)

*As a blogger, I must tell you that I was not compensated in any way to make these comments about Mrs. Meyer's - just truly love the stuff!

A Letter to My 3 1/2 Year Old Son

Dear Monkey,

Over the holidays we were holding hands to cross the street somewhere, and I noticed something that really struck a chord with me. Your little hand was actually quite rough & calloused, I suppose like that of an active little boy. And it hit me - when did you get so big?

With your sister around these past few months, time has been flying. I haven't had as much time as I used to to stop & just take it all in. But I have a secret to tell you - sometimes in the evenings, when I finally sit down for some free time, I like to get on the computer & look at old pictures of you. Nothing makes me happier than to see how much you have grown, and to remember all the good times we had when it was just you & me.

Our days are certainly a lot more hectic now. I don't tell you enough, but I want you to know that you are an excellent big brother - I love to see your nurturing side come out when you are around Bean. She's lucky to have you, and so am I.

When I reflect back on those old pictures, and all of our good times as a pair, I get excited for what the future holds for you, your sister & me - a new trio. I also want to thank you, for making me the mom that I am. Those 3 years alone with you really shaped who I am in my new "career," and I love you more & more each day. Just in case I forget to tell you...

Mom

Wordless Wednesday: Wish I Were Here

They Grow Up So Fast

Crazy as it may seem, the Bean has already gained almost 5 lbs since birth! Couple that with the fact that we are coming up on her 3 month birthday and once again I am a wreck...

Last night I actually started to get a little choked up when I was nursing her & suddenly realized that her feet were starting to hang off the edge of the Boppy. Just as I was thinking about how quickly she's grown, my husband came in the room & out of nowhere asked "Where will Wyatt & Stella do their homework when they get older?" He didn't realize that his timing was terrible (as a side note, this wasn't a real concern of his at this point, I think he was simply thinking about our house, the logistics, their rooms, etc - you know how the mind wanders) - I was already having a moment thinking about how big my new baby was getting - now he is asking about where my grade school aged kids will be doing their homework?! I'm sure it will be here before we know it...

*Wyatt at birth, 2007

Wordless Wednesday: Sibling Love

Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice

The Gift of Sharing

Remember me? Yes - I used to blog here, but have recently been so busy with the daily life of having two children that I am never on here anymore. I still read all my favorite blogs, but it is usually from the dim light of my iPhone during a nightly feeding session with Bean that I am able to see what everyone is up to. Love the iPhone, but certainly not skilled enough to write blog posts from it, bleary eyed in the middle of the night while I breastfeed.

I've had plenty of good ideas for posts lately, and this morning when I was able to get the baby to nap, I thought I would come down to the computer & hammer one out with some of my free time. Please forgive me in advance for my typos.

My husband & I have been pondering lately what to get the Monkey for Christmas - he really has SO many toys, and after sorting through winter clothes the other day (which I have apparently been stockpiling), I came to the realization that he needs no clothing either. We have a few ideas, but the best one that we came up with so far was participating in Durham's 'Share Your Christmas' program. We have adopted a family for the holidays, and have planned to take Wyatt with us to shop for them, and then deliver our gifts in person. We felt like one of the best gifts we could give him, and ourselves, this season was to share what we can with others.

What prompted all of this really was the fact that our 10 week old little girl has been sleeping soundly through the night since about 8-9 weeks. We were convinced that we would be cursed by our second child because the first was such a good sleeper. Turns out that my breast milk must be part sleeping potion. At any rate, these nights of good sleep have made us want to thank the good Lord for how truly blessed we are in all that we have, and knowing that there are others out there struggling just made us want to share some of our good fortune.

I specifically wanted to find a family parented by a single mother - on my bad days I am constantly tipping my hat to the single mothers out there, wondering how they survive day-to-day. The family we found actually has two children the same age as our children, so we thought it was a great fit. I look forward to shopping with Wyatt & having him help pick out toys & gifts for the family, and then seeing what it is like to deliver the gifts to that family in a few weeks. I really hope to make this a yearly tradition.

Do you have any special holiday traditions that involve helping others? What are some new traditions you'd like to start with your kids this season?

Life with Two

What is life like with two? Well, lets put it this way - I started this post about 3 weeks ago - that's how life with two is. Honestly though, things have been going as well as expected. I hesitate to put anything good down in writing, for fear that I will jinx myself ;)

The sleep deprivation all over again has probably been the hardest adjustment - I could change poop diapers till the cows come home, and really don't mind the fussing or spit-up either. But man, does Mama need her sleep. What makes it exceptionally harder the second time around is having to keep up with #1 while #2 has kept you awake for hours. But somehow the time seems to fly by, and just when I thought I would go insane from lack of sleep we have already hit the 1 month mark! Stella, nicknamed Bean around here, has been sleeping some 4-5 hour stretches lately & developing a bit of a nighttime pattern, which is nice. For the first week, my husband & I were like 2 ships passing in the night - sleeping upstairs & down & taking turns rocking the baby. I was convinced I had ruined our lives & Wyatt's by adding this extra person into the mix, and that my husband& I would never share a bed again. But, by the end of week one, things started to fall into place somewhat.

For those that know me, you know I kept a VERY detailed sleep/milestone/feeding log with Wyatt and, although every child is different, I am hoping it comes in handy later with #2. Well, apparently I didn't log much in the first 6 weeks...and I also have a very selective memory of the first 6 weeks events. No notes, nothing! We got home with Stella and Seth & I kept saying to each other "Do you remember Wyatt doing this?" or "When did we put Wyatt in his crib?" - I immediately called on other friends with 2 kids for advice on how to cope & all provided very helpful hints. Now that we are at 4 weeks, I am feeling a bit better & a lot is coming back to me.

Wyatt has been a stellar big brother - wanting to help change diapers & doting on the baby. There is some occasional squeezing & poking that needs to be monitored :), but other than that, things seem to be going well. He is quite fond of her. I have had to dig deep on many occasions to maintain my patience with him as I work through the moments where both are having meltdowns, are hungry or need something - it does get a little easier everyday.

So, that's the scoop for now - as much as I could type out in the few spare moments that I don't have a toddler in my lap, or a baby in my arms! Here are some favorite photos from the past 4 weeks:

A thumbsucker like her big bro? We shall see!!

With Daddy after the black tie wedding we attended

We have already taken an out-of-state trip with the baby!

Here's me, Stella & Papa at Forsyth Park in Savannah

A visit from cousin Sarah

Our first meal at home as a new family of four!

(Yes, I am nursing Stella at the dinner table - whatever it takes people, whatever it takes...)

We Are Here! We Are Here!

But it may be a while before I crank out any real posts! Getting a hang of this toddler & infant thing will no doubt be a skill to master over the next few weeks & months. I am so lucky to have family & friends close by though - we are all doing well, just a little tired ;)

The Unfortunate Smashing of a Thumb

It all happened about 2 weeks ago, this new chaos in my life. Seth & I often pondered how we would get Wyatt to stop sucking his thumb one of these days. To be honest, it never really bothered either of us, and he's always been such a good self-soother we were going to let things stop on their own. Truth be told, I sucked my thumb until 4th grade people - I mean, not sitting in class at school, but definitely at night...with my blankie...that I still sleep with (another story in itself!)

Back to the story - we had been having some nap issues, but things were still going fairly smoothly. Then came the fateful night that Wyatt, his 'Pop' (grandpa) & Daddy were all in the basement looking at something. Daddy couldn't figure out why this one lever wouldn't close on this thing they were looking at, only to discover the reason being Wyatt's thumb - the precious thumb sucking thumb no doubt - was stuck in it!! Lots of tears & blood ensued, but after a Popsicle & a Band-Aid we were patched up & over it. That night, bath time was touch & go - Wyatt didn't want to get the thumb wet & cried when he tried to suck it, but we didn't think twice about it - it will heal in a day or two we said.

Fast forward two weeks later - the scab is gone, the thumb is healed. But, the thumb sucking is over - as in not. even. interested. at. all. That was easy, right? WRONG - Mommy is convinced that the lack of thumb sucking has ruined her daytime freedom. Nap time has now turned into rest time here, which is hardly quiet time (although we do stay in our bed).

How does a child go from napping up to 3 hours a day to suddenly not napping at all?? I am hoping it is a phase, but until proven wrong I stand by my theory that it is the thumb!

Wordless Wednesday: Long Hot Summer

Another First

This weekend I was feeling a bit nostalgic, so I flipped through some old photos & albums from when Wyatt was born. Since we only have about 4 weeks till #2 is here, I am trying to brush up on as many memories as I can from when W was a tiny baby.

For those that know me well, you know about my infamous feeding/sleeping schedule that I kept diligently for 54 weeks. I knew it would pay off, now that #2 is on the way I have been looking back at it as I remember what Wyatt's feeding & sleeping schedule was like - all I can say is I only PRAY that we get so lucky again...

On page 2 of the spreadsheet is a chart of "milestones" - basically my notes of what Wyatt was up to over the weeks & months that passed. It stopped at about 15 months when he began walking (running), and I was wishing that I had kept up with it more. As my friend Abby is always telling me though, this blog is sort of like a digital baby book, so I have reminders on here as well.

Today as I was looking through the milestones, I didn't realize that one was happening right behind me! Wyatt, who is NEVER interested in coloring or crafting, had taken to drawing with some crayons he found in my desk & a piece of paper from the printer. I turned around to see this, which he said was a picture of himself swimming underwater: (for the untrained eye, this is a stick man with 2 eyes & a smile & some "crazy" hair, as Wyatt described it)

His first real drawing - There is nothing that melts my heart more than a good kid's drawing - especially of people & faces. Who know's if he'll ever repeat it, but it is up on the fridge with name & date to mark the occasion!

Where the Wild Things Are

Three, I've decided, is where the trouble lies. And, I think there are a few moms out there that would agree with me. All things sweet seem to have turned sour when midnight rang in on July 12, 2010...

Our latest battle has been nap time. I realize I am one of the lucky ones whose child still takes a nap at 3, but this child NEEDS a nap every afternoon - trust me, I have seen what happens when he doesn't get one, and it ain't pretty. For some reason nap time has become the best time to pull out all the stops for postponing the inevitable:

"Sing two songs, no one more"

"I need to go pee pee"

"Let's read a book"

"I wanted to get in bed myself"

"I wanted to do a flip into bed"

"I want to put this toy on the shelf"

"My feet aren't covered up"

It's all enough to make this crazy, hormonally imbalanced pregnant mom a bit insane. In fact yesterday, after 1 1/2 hours of trying for a nap (my craziness is that I should have given up after 30 minutes) I opened the door to find that Wyatt had turned his blankie into some sort of tourniquet on his pointer finger, thus making it turn blue at the tip (good thing I checked on him) - he will stop at nothing to get me back in there to check on him. I finally gave up at 2:30 & decided I would lay on my own bed for 5 minutes to calm down, then go in & get him. Fast forward 50 minutes to when I woke on my bed at 3:20. I had the monitor on & was 1 door away, but somehow felt rattled with guilt like I was going to find Wyatt in there with one less finger & stuck under his bed.

I opened the door quietly only to find him haven broken every possible rule - the blinds open, all of the lights on, everything thrown out of the bed & him on the floor next to his bookshelf reading a book. I guess he had given up too. "Hi Mom! Wanna read this with me?" was his greeting - how could I be mad? After all, at least one of us got a nap.

Basket Case

So, in looking at my blog it appears I have done nothing but have a 2 month series of "Wordless Wednesdays." Yes, I have been lazy, but I'm pregnant dammit - pregnant & quite frankly it's too hot out for me to even think straight in my downtime.

There has been a whole lot to blog about, I have just yet to put "pen to paper." Most importantly, my son turned 3 & I am a wreck. There are very little parts of him that are like a baby anymore, with the exception of still changing the occasional Pull-Up. He is proudly sleeping like a champ in his "big boy" bed, he pees standing up by himself, he has graduated to a new car seat...the list continues. One would think I would be excited about all of this new found independence with #2 only 8 weeks away, but I can only find myself wishing time would stop.

Pulling out all of the old baby clothes, toys & books sure hasn't helped either. Every free moment doing so is like a trip down memory lane. I have enjoyed it, but with me being this hormonal it is a dangerous thing - the tears can often come very quickly.

All I can do at this point is look back & be so thankful for the time I have been able to spend with him as a mother & SAHM. I am so grateful for this wonderful little person in my life, and I truly am looking forward to seeing him as a nurturing big brother. Until then, a few videos to rekindle the memories...

Wordless Wednesday: Boys Will Be...

...in trouble when left alone with 3 girls at playgroup!

Wordless Wednesday: Wish We Were There (Again)

Got Cucumbers?

Wordless Wednesday: Like Father, Like Son

My Thumb Turns Green

I'll just start by saying this - I had NO idea how difficult gardening was for one person to tackle. I will be the first to admit that when we moved into our new house & I spotted the garden bed, I envisioned myself out there with the hose, cute garden clogs & adorable hand painted signs for all of my plants. Fast forward a few short months, and I sit here at my desk after 1 1/2 hours of weeding, dripping with sweat & covered in mud, dirt & the occasional bug...

Let me make it clear though - I have really enjoyed gardening. In fact, it was last night that I first realized it. We have been in & out of town for the past few weeks and that, coupled with the enormous amounts of rain we have had have all put a bit of a damper on my garden plans. I am thankful for the rain, but when plants grow, so do weeds (at am alarming rate I might add). It had been several days, if not a week, since I had been able to get in there & it was a mess!

I'll spare you my sob stories about being 26 weeks pregnant, in the hot sun, and at Home Depot trying to find ANYONE who could help a lady with child (and with toddler) get a few tomato cages free from their shelf...(as a side note, lately I feel chivalry is dead). Back to last night - my husband & I are sitting on the sofa & here's how the conversation goes:

Seth: "Have you looked at your garden today?"

Me: "Earlier, but not up close"

Seth: "It looks like some deer ate your cucumber plants down to the nub..."

Me: silence

Seth: "They seemed really short"

Me: (did I mention I am 26 weeks & hormonal?) "No..(tears)...really...(crying)...but...(full blown sobbing)

Seth: Silence, as he realizes just how attached I am to said garden, and maybe he should have used more sensitivity in bringing up it's destruction

We then took a flashlight down & checked things out. Turns out there was one plant that had gotten some nibbles, but the rest were okay. I am learning that there are certain odds that need to be taken into account with gardening as well - for instance, I planted 8 tomato plants. 2 died as soon as I transplanted them to my garden, and now 4 more look a little weak. Even if I only get one little green tomato out of all of this, I will be pleased. But, don't mess with Mama's garden - there are a lots of blood, sweat and yes, tears that have been put into it!

There are only a few veggies in there, as I am still very much a first timer at this - here are some updates on how my garden grows:

Tomato Plants

Pepper Plants

Carrots

Mint

Cucumbers

Go On, Get Out There!

This past weekend the family & I ventured out on our first camping trip. It was supposed to be Mother's Day weekend, but a stomach bug postponed the trip. My hubby & I had been anxiously awaiting this trip, and had talked for a few years now about when the right time would be to take a rising 3 year old - we could not have timed it better!For starters, we are huge fans of the NC State Parks system, and now that you are able to make reservations online & via telephone, instead of "first come, first served," it makes planning that much easier. We selected Hanging Rock State Park for it's proximity from our home (less than 2 hour drive west) & the activities. They have plenty of well appointed family campgrounds & very easy access to water, bath houses, hiking trails, etc. For those that are feeling a bit more inclined to stay closer to the indoors, they even have cabins to rent!

We have always been avid "outdoors people," with our most recent trip to the Canadian Rockies being a 5 day ultralight backpacking excursion. This trip was a serious change of pace, and a real luxury when it comes to camping - coolers, air mattresses, real food (not the dehydrated variety) - this preggo was in heaven ;)

All in all, the trip was a total success with just the right mix of downtime & adventure. After heading to bed fairly late Friday night, Wyatt slept until 8:15 on Saturday morning! Slept through all of the other kids at the campground riding around past the site on their scooters & bikes, and the early morning sounds & smells of campfires & breakfasts being made. A hike lasting a few short miles on Saturday to a waterfall kept us busy, as well as story time up at the Hanging Rock Visitor's Center. Of course there was plenty of time set aside for enjoying a campfire, as well as roasting first marshmallows.

No matter what your level of camping/outdoor experience is, I think anyone would enjoy a camping trip to one of the awesome State Parks in our system. Here are some tips I can share after going with a toddler:

1) Get them their own flashlight - we selected one that was both a lantern & a flashlight. This way, we had the ones we needed, then he had his own to play with all night. We also grabbed a few glow sticks from the dollar bin, which were both entertaining & can serve as a night light in the tent.

2) We purchased a family tent that divides into 2 rooms, which definitely made it easier for all parties to sleep through the night. Wyatt knew we were right next door, but we didn't have to feel like we were right on top of each other. The tent we selected has plenty of room for more than one child on each side, plus each side had it's own door making it easier for Mom & Dad to come to bed after everyone else was asleep without disturbing them.

3) The other purchase we loved for the trip was a kid's Aerobed. Wyatt is still not in a bed, but even so, this mattress has 4 inch sides to it, so throughout all the tossing & turning each night (and there was plenty of it) he never rolled out onto the ground. It came with a fleece sheet, so all he needed was a blanket over top, or even just some warm footed PJ's this time of year in NC. I am already looking forward to using the bed again on vacations & hotel trips.

4) Although being away from all the things we rely on everyday - cell phones, PDA's, Internet, TV, etc - it was such a nice break for us. Wyatt absolutely loved all the undivided & uninterrupted attention from Mom & Dad, as any child would. We were also able to put him to task on quite a few things that he seemed to find pretty rewarding - finding different sized sticks to help with the fire, holding the tent stakes for Dad, helping hammer in the tent stakes & most importantly how to roast a good marshmallow.

Here are some favorite pics from the trip - I hope it inspires you to get out & enjoy the great outdoors with your little one(s) this spring & summer!

This post was cross-posted at Triangle Mamas as well - stop by there for a few more pics!

The Luckiest Boy

Wordless Wednesday: So Proud

Garden Update

Things are moving along, although slowly, with the new garden. Wyatt & I started with the seeds that needed to begin life inside, and plan on putting the others in this weekend. This was going to be a mother/son project, but I broke down & had to enlist the help of my hubby for some of the grunt work & weed pulling. We have laid down our soil & manure & this morning I bought some paint for the garden signs we are going to craft - if nothing grows in there, which is highly likely, at least it will look cute, right? If the inside plants are any indication of how things will turn out, it appears I will need to open a tomato stand in front of the house, but should not count on eating any peppers this summer ;)