Sun & Sand (& Sickness)

Well, the Binky Fairy decided to postpone her visit for a few more days since she felt that a sick little Leila needed the comfort of her bink for a little bit longer. I think it was a good decision on her part because Leila was pretty miserable when our weekend started off. She spiked a nasty fever in the middle of Friday night and wasn't quite herself for most of Saturday. Today however, she seemed much better. Here are some bits & pieces of our weekend fun in the sun...

Leila mowing the lawn with Daddy...






A trip to the lake afforded us some much needed fun in the sun...


Leila just thought it was the funniest thing to rub sand all over "baby brudder"...


Oh yeah, I fearlessly rocked the bikini. But, at the same time I was very aware of the love handles and extra cellulite on my thighs that seemed to glimmer in the sun.


Other weekend highlights? I took a paper flower making class with some girlfriends (I will have to post pics of those!), we had friends over for a fantabulous summer BBQ, we dined at a delicious Italian restaurant that we had never been to, and I cut out the fabric for a couple of blankies for my little man (a post dedicated to that soon)! Overall, very busy and very much FUN!

Back to the grind tomorrow. Off to bed for me now...

A Mommy Moment

Today was a typical, dull day at work. Nothing exciting. So, by the time 5 o'clock rolled around I was super stoked for the weekend ahead. I eagerly ran out of the office at 5-on-the-dot with plans to spend the evening having a picnic dinner with my beautiful daughter in the 80+ degree weather.

Upon arriving at daycare, my plans and excitement instantly disappeared. I walked in to find a sad, sick little girl with big tears dripping down her face and a faucet of snot coming out of her nose.

My poor baby.


Mommy mode kicked into high gear. I gathered her up in my arms and she melted into me. She needed her mommy. Sure, my plans for a carefree evening full of frolicking outside with my 2 year old went down the drain, but my mommy ego was at a high. I got her home, gave her some medicine and juice, let her watch some Dora, and we snuggled on the couch.

It really doesn't get much better than knowing you are making the most important person in the whole wide world to you feel good.

After a while, Leila started to rally. We did end up going outside for a little while and I even got her to eat some carrots and give me a fake smile...





I guess we'll see how this little cold affects our summertime weekend plans that were supposed to include a visit from the Binky Fairy (who takes away binkies from big kids and gives them to babies... not sure if I want her to visit while Leila is sick).

Happy Weekending!!!

Wise Words Wednesday: Imagination

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities." - Dr. Seuss

My Daughter, The Surgeon


I think my daughter is going to be a surgeon when she grows up. Or at least some sort of doctor. She has always been super coordinated and pays really close attention to detail. I've thought this since she was 6 months old and would sit and carefully take a pen lid off and put it back on. Pretty good for a baby!

The last week has confirmed my prediction. Leila has discovered our little first aid kit (which made its first appearance here) and has developed an obsession with it. She has also started to really play "make believe." She will sit for over an hour in her room playing "doctor" with her babies. She cleans their little knees with baby wipes and puts band aids on them. She kisses their "owies." And then at night when it's time for bed, she clutches her first aid kit tight as she falls asleep.



The gloves crack me up!


Oh how I love this age - to see her imagination really developing! Isn't it funny how at some point most of us grow out of it? We lose our sense of imagination. I wish I could pinpoint the moment when I lost interest in playing with Barbies. Because I know that one day I played with them and the next day I didn't. Isn't it strange how that happens? Do any of you remember when you grew out of really "playing?"

I'm hoping that through my children I can get some of my imagination back. That I can be inspired by them to think in ways outside of reality. To escape a little through my mind. I miss those innocent childhood days!

28 weeks

Baby got back...



Pregnancy tid-bits for this week...

• Weight gain = 23 lbs so far... I'm only a couple pounds away from my ending weight with Leila. I feel like I don't really look that much bigger than 28 weeks with her, but I do think my butt is bigger. I need to go underwear shopping... big time!
• I had another ultrasound last week to check on my low-lying placenta. Looks like it hasn't moved much. Soooooooooo, there's a good chance I'm going to end up with a c-section this time. Pooey. I will get another U/S in a few weeks to check it one last time. Keeping my fingers crossed!
• Besides my stupid placenta, everything is great! My boy is nice and big and healthy! Above avg for weight so far (I don't remember how much they estimated he weighed though).
• Baby Boy is finally starting to accumulate some things! We're getting our cloth diaper stash started and he has a nice little wardrobe of cute Carter's clothing that I've purchased on clearance. This past weekend I also bought him some towels (so he won't have to use Leila's pink flowery ones), receiving blankets, and tiny little shoes!
• I just feel super happy lately. This pregnancy is treating me really well (knocking on wood right now)! I don't think it looks like I have a pregnancy "glow" but I totally feel it.
• Haven't been a huge fan of water this pregnancy which is strange because that's pretty much all I drink when I'm not. I just feel like it hasn't been quenching my thirst and I need something tart or tangy to do that. I just discovered Crystal Light Pure packets - they don't contain artificial sweeteners, so I don't feel guilty drinking them (artificial sweetener gives me the creeps). SOOOOOOO YUMMY!

That's all I got for now. Oh man, my hair was super shiny with Leila! Did ya notice? Hmmmmm....

Pull-Ups & Potties & Other Fun Things

Boy oh Boy, did I have a FUN weekend or what!? (Only partial sarcasm there.) Here's a little peek at what I was up to...



With my hubby working all weekend, it was just me and my girl. I went into the weekend with plans of us spending some quality time at home working on the potty training. We started out Saturday morning, diving right on in! I whipped out some new Dora undies and Leila was stoked! She did a little happy dance when I put her in them and instantly wanted to see my undies, saying "Mama undies, too!" Then I proceeded to follow her around closely, knowing that an accident would occur at any moment. She sat on her potty every 20 minutes or so, but by the time noon rolled around we had gone through 3 pairs of undies (one with poo - EWWWW!) and had zero potties on the toilet. I was exhausted! After the poo I said "screw it!" with the undies and busted out the Pull-Ups. She was just as excited with those. I put her in bed for her nap, started singing her a lullaby and she jumped up saying, "Potty! Potty!" She crawled off her bed, and ran down the hall to her potty. I just lounged on her bed, waiting for her to return. After a couple minutes, I went and checked on her... she was mid-pee... in the potty!!! Momma lost it. I did a little happy dance and showered her with kisses! After that she took a SWEET 2.5 hour nap and I got my relax on!

Nothing like a cold, fizzy drink and a good gossip mag out in the sunshine...


I painted my toes, too! (Ewwwww... looks like I also effed up with the fake tanner - HA!)


And, Billy did some sun-bathing...


I know it's wrong, but I was so excited about that one pee in the potty that I kind of gave up after that. I mean, I just kept her in pull-ups most of the weekend and encouraged her to sit on the potty a lot, but I didn't push it. And, we had no more luck all weekend. But that's ok! I'm really not in a hurry for her to be potty trained...but, it would be nice!

Other than that, my weekend consisted of a walk in the park & lunch with my gal pals and shopping with my momma (again, I went crazy... hubby isn't too happy... but, it was mainly baby things!)

I will leave you with one last HILARIOUS potty pic...

Leila brushing her teeth on the potty while holding her favorite thing in the world, a first aid kit. And Billy in the background is the icing on the cake! HA!


Hope your weekend was as exciting as mine! ;-)

From Funk to Spunk!

Sometimes you just gotta sleep it off! Yesterday I was totally in a funk (which stemmed from a very intense pregnancy craving gone wrong when my hubby failed to buy the correct item from the store). I went to bed early, feeling grouchy and uncomfortable and unmotivated, just wanting the day to be over with. What do ya know? I awoke bright and early, before my alarm went off, and I am feeling spunky!

It's Friday, Friday, Gotta Get Down on FRIDAY!!! He He!
(I'm a nut, I know.)

Anyhoooooooooooooooooo... I decided to get over any hesitations and "what ifs" that have been holding me back over the past week and spend some money online today! Oh yeah!

Here's a little collage of what I purchased...



I am a baaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddd girl! BUT, every item was purchased with good reason (let's just hope my hubby agrees once he sees this)...

1. Me Stuff:  Old Navy is having a great deal today! An extra 30% off men and women's clothing with code "ONBIG30"...even clearance items! So, I got 3 basic maternity/nursing tanks, a pair of maternity capri jeans, and 2 pairs of leggings... all for $41 after tax! Pretty dang good, huh?
2. Jewelry Making:  There's no turning back now! I just spent $200 to get my jewelry making dreams started. I ordered some wholesale sterling silver ball chains and various sizes of bezel cups. I paid more for sterling silver because I really want to create quality items (and I personally am allergic to crap metals). You will see much more on this in the future, once I get going.
3. Baby Things:  Cotton Babies is having a killer deal on certain BumGenius cloth diapers right now. So, I ordered 6 newborn all-in-ones for $6 a piece - that's over half off! Plus, they have FREE shipping. I love free shipping. Total $ spent on CDing so far = approx. $66. I also purchased orange and blue minky dot fabric via Etsy to finish making some swaddling blankies for my little man. Can't wait to get my craft on!

So, maybe I did some damage to the ole bank account today, BUT at least I'm taking some initiative and making things happen! Baby steps! Now I just need to put what I bought to good use (won't have a problem doing that with the clothes at least... CDing, jewelry making, & sewing are still up in the air, though).

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Wise Words Wednesday: Simplicity

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." - Confucius

One of my better qualities is that I am really good at getting joy out of the simplest of things. I love the simple life. It's mundane, everyday things that often make me smile the most. Take the above pic for example. That is a plant that Leila gave me for Mother's Day via daycare. When I got it it consisted of teeny tiny little shoots. And now it is full and wild and has sprouted the prettiest little purple flower. This makes me very happy.



As I cooked dinner tonight, I was soooooo content in the moment. Leila sat on the floor, playing quietly, a nice breeze was blowing through the window, and I was off in dreamland while I cooked up some delightful spaghetti sauce. It's funny how sometimes even cooking makes me happy! (If you don't already know, I struggle with food prep and my attempt at meal planning has pretty much failed.)



Sometimes I see things like this intricate rose and it really makes me ponder life. There are so many little details in all of our lives. This can add up to all sorts of stress, but why do we let it? If we get back to basics, if we focus on the simple things, life can be so much more enjoyable.

All of these thoughts running through my head right now have made me realize what could be at the root of my "what ifs" problem, the real reason why I don't push myself to accomplish more, to shoot for the stars. What if I go for it and my life is no longer simple? What if I succeed so much that I don't have time to take in the little details? To relax? To stop and appreciate a pretty, little flower?

I just need to find a way to make my life more complex while still keeping its simplicity. Does that make any sense at all? I didn't think so.

:-)

27 weeks

Here I am...



Pregnancy tid-bits...

• I can't stop eating. I swear a couple weeks ago I lost my appetite and nothing sounded good and I would get full really fast. Now? I eat three helpings of taco salad and I still want more (but I'm too embarrassed to go back for fourths). Baby must be hitting a growth spurt or something.
• My little man still isn't close to having a real name yet. Boy names are tough! And the hubby and I are having a helluva time agreeing on names. No fun at all. Any suggestions? :-)
• I get another ultrasound on Wednesday! I get so excited every time I get to have a sneak peak at my little bugger. This will probably be the last one, but I only have 3 months to go until I see him in person!
• Got our first cloth diapers in the mail this past weekend! They are super cute (see below). I ordered a couple GoGreen pocket diapers (since she was in stock and seems to run out frequently). They seem really nice! Next I am going to order some BumGenius all in ones. And probably get prefolds and covers for when he is a newborn. I still have 3 months to get my act together!
• Admission... I am super scared to have another child. Leila is still my baby! I am nervous about having enough time for her. I'm nervous about balancing two kids and work and my hubby and a social life. I'm nervous about feeling inadequate in it all because I already struggle with that. Deep down I know everything will be great, though.

No turning back now! I already have $30 invested in cloth diapering...

Summer Brain

I've got a serious case of summer brain going on right now. You know, nothing on the mind but soakin' up the sun, sparkly water, cold drinks, relaxation with the fam. Today is just one of those days when I really can't take life seriously. If my hubby were to bring up finances or chores or anything serious and un-fun right now, I would walk away from him. All I want to do is this...

Chillaxing on our new hammock with a Sonic cherry limeade - HEAVEN on Earth!


And this is what life really is all about, right? Enjoying each little moment in its simplicity. Oh yeah!

Billy decided to crash my hammock party earlier today...


Along with the last couple of hours spent relaxing at home, our weekend consisted of a trip to our hometown for a family wedding. Leila insisted on bringing her baby and bear blankie everywhere with her. It was actually quite annoying at the wedding because she would take 2 steps and the baby would fall out of its carrier and she'd have to situate it all over again. Over and over again...

Beautiful garden at the wedding (and my baby obsessed little one)...






Stunning wedding party...


Leila loves heading north to visit her grandmas and grandpas. We drove up Friday evening, leaving right at Leila's bed time. She conked out in the car and I assumed we would be able to transfer her into bed once we arrived at Andy's parents' house. Wrong! As soon as the car stopped her eyes opened up wide and she yelled, "Grandma & Grandpa!" Yeah, she didn't fall asleep until past 11pm that night. Too much excitement!

With a wonderful, summery weekend coming to a close I really hope I can transition from summer brain to work brain by tomorrow morning. The thought of work just makes me sick right now!

Random Thoughts & Random Pics

It's Friday and my brain is shot. Therefore, here is a post full of some random thoughts running through my head right now along with some random pics taken over the last week (neither of which have anything to do with each other)...



...My hubby is funny and he possesses a quality I wish I had. He develops a passion for a hobby and runs with it full throttle. Take cooking for example. In college he would bake chocolate chip cookies for our house of roomies and everyone loved them. This inspired him to start cooking other things. He suddenly became passionate about cooking, so much that it made him question whether he should quite pharmacy school and run off to Europe for cooking school. I love this hobby of his! But now, his newest obsession is gardening (if you're questioning my hubby's manhood, he still very much is obsessed with sports and drinking beer and being a slob). It just cracks me up! He takes such good care of his flowers and bushes that sometimes I get jealous of the time he spends with them! I wish I could find a hobby and run with it the way he does.



...As you may know, I am going to take a stab at cloth diapering #2. I had NO clue how much there is to learn about this and all the crazy abbreviations in the world of CDing! There's AIO, AI2, CPF, IPF, PUL, BG, FB... ahhhhhhhhhhh! You need a friggin guide to decipher some of the CDing discussion boards out there if you're a newbie. I've got a lot to learn.

Ha ha ha ha!


...I could REALLY use a nap right now. Leila woke up at 4am in a complete panic, crying for her "new baby" (from her b-day). She must have had a dream that it had been taken away or something. Soooooooooo, we had to go on a mission for it to get her settled down. She fell asleep instantly, but I just drifted in and out until my alarm went off.



...PANIC! New baby gets here in THREE MONTHS! I don't feel ready at all. Mentally or physically. I am excited to meet him, though.



...I really want to re-do our office into my own little craft room. Remember this post in which I organized our office? Yeah, well that lasted about 2 days and now it is worse than ever. If I'm going to tackle my jewelry making dreams, I'm going to need an organized space to do it in. I just don't know how to find the time or motivation to do it in.



THE END. Here's to a fabulous family time weekend ahead!

Wise Words Wednesday: Battling the "What Ifs"

"But what if I fail of my purpose here? It is but to keep the nerves at strain, to dry one's eyes and laugh at a fall, and baffled, get up and begin again." - Robert Browning

Get ready... I'm about to get deep and vulnerable on ya. It's time for a little therapy session with myself.

I have a problem and I think it is something that A LOT of us struggle with. I am always holding myself back from going for my "dreams" because of the stupid "what ifs." I think this is rooted in a fear of success. I'm not sure why. Why am I scared to succeed? Is it because I'm scared that I'll fail?

For as long as I can remember I have been a people pleaser. I am constantly worrying about what people think of me and how I am affecting the people around me. I know this can be a good thing, but it is my biggest barrier in life. I spend so much time wondering how others see me and worrying about others that I don't focus as much on myself and what is truly best for me. I know I have gotten a LOT better (especially this past year), but this little struggle has held me back from a lot in life.

Take college for example. In high school I really had no clue what I wanted to do in life (I still don't, though). BUT, I did know that I was interested in the arts - that I loved being creative. In my head I toyed around with studying graphic design, or fashion design, or interior design. But for some reason I was scared to pick one field and go for it. Instead I based my college selection on where my friends were going and location. I ended up at a school where you had to have an art portfolio and an extra application just to get considered for entry into their art department. So what did I do? Nothing. I had too many "what ifs" running through my head. What if I don't get in? What would I tell people? What if I get in and I don't like the program? What if everyone else in it is so much more talented than me? So, what did I do? I picked a subject I was mildly interested in (Psychology) and I went with it. And I studied web design on the side because it was through the Computer Science department and anyone could take classes. All of those stupid "what ifs" that I asked back then have led me to a bigger one today... what if I could go back and choose a different college or a different path of study? What's even worse than asking yourself "what if" about the future is wondering "what if" about the past.

This is just one little example of how my own thought processes have held me back from just "going for it." I am happy in my current career and I am super happy with where my life is right now, BUT I'm sick of being my own worst enemy. I'm sick of worrying about what will happen if I take a risk. I'm sick of worrying about what others think of me.

So, what brought on this post? I've been thinking a lot about my dream list and what I want in life. For the most part I am clueless, but I do know about things I want to try. Like jewelry making and selling online. I know this is a hobby I could possibly turn into a little extra income. I have a supportive hubby and the financial means to buy supplies and get started. Heck, I even have the design skills and technical knowledge to get going online. So what is holding me back? It's those stupid "what ifs." What if I spend all this money on supplies and I don't even like making jewelry? What if I can't find time for it with another little one on the way? What if people don't want to buy it? What will people think of me?

Right now I am making a commitment to KILL those stupid "what ifs."

I WILL NO LONGER LET MY FEARS & INSECURITIES HOLD ME BACK FROM TRYING NEW THINGS AND JUST GOING FOR IT.

Now, it's time for me to find some supplies to order online. :-)

26 weeks

Baby makes the belly go round...



Don't you think I look quite a bit rounder than last pregnancy? It's funny because last week I could hardly tell the difference, but this week I totally can!

Pregnancy tid-bits for this week...

• My skin is SUPER dry. I have no clue if this is a pregnancy thing or not, but my face is like flaking off and it is disgusting! Any suggestions? I seriously have been gobbing the lotion on, but it's not helping much.
• I'm still feeling pretty dang good. I've been sleeping like crap this past week, but I don't think that has to do with baby. It's just the heat and my restless mind.
• My diet is awful. I have been giving in to every pregnancy craving without a second thought... until this moment. Maybe I should try to eat healthier? For baby's sake? We'll see.
• My boobs have started leaking. Cool, huh?
• I think like being pregnant smack in the middle of summer. It's easier to dress a big belly in flowy summer clothing. And, I rocked the bikini for the first time the other weekend. It's funny how many people stare at you when you're pregnant in a swim suit.

That's all for now folks!

The Birthday Pics...

Here is a little synopsis of Leila's 2nd birthday...



We had the BEST day! I took the day off work and started it off with huckleberry pancakes with my b-day girl. Leila was so excited that her big day was finally here! After breakfast I got to go get my hair done (Finally!) while Leila spent some quality time with her daddy. Following a nap and some lunch, we headed out to our town's beautiful carousel with Leila's cousin Beau, for their FIRST carousel ride!

Pre-ride, getting excited (well, mommy is anyway!)...


On the move! Leila wasn't quite sure what to think...


After the carousel ride we headed home for some last minute party prep before the rest of the family arrived. We kept it pretty simple for Leila's party. We had family over for BBQ hamburgers & hot dogs, potato salad & pasta salad, some delightful punch, and of course, delicious dessert consisting of lemon raspberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (made by Andy) & chocolate cupcake pops (made my me!). Check out these cupcake pops/balls I made! For those who know me, this is totally not me. I am not a baker in any way, shape, or form so I impressed myself even!

Thank you Bakerella for the great idea!






All of our family had arrived by 4:30pm and at 4:47 (Leila's birth time), we all sang the happy birthday song to Leila. It was pretty hilarious because she was standing in the middle of a circle of us and started smiling really big and then ran away during the song.

After chowing down on some goods, it was present time! I loved every second of watching her open her gifts because she truly enjoyed it and was so into it! She wasn't all about tearing everything open... as she opened each one she wanted to play with her gift before moving on to the next. She really appreciated everything she got and was soooooooooo happy!







And finally, some family pics...

Leila ate 3 cake pops that day!


This was the best family pic we got. I'm not a huge fan, but it's better than nothing!


Leila's party went on until about 7pm. The rest of the evening was spent playing with all her new toys! Despite being completely exhausted by bedtime, Leila was still too excited to settle down. I put her to bed with her new dolls and little backpack she got and I kept checking on her - every time she was just sitting in bed playing away. It was so cute that I couldn't get frustrated. I think she finally conked out around 9pm.

Overall, we had a GREAT day and I can't wait until she turns 3! (okay, maybe this is a lie...)

:-)