Owen Update: 4 1/2 months old

Ok, I missed the 4 month mark, but I'm catching up...

Owen is rolling over...everywhere! He is never exactly where you put him anymore if you lay him on the floor. This is a fun, but scary development! Now I need to be more mindful of what is in a three foot radius around him. It's amazing how quickly this has happened! He loves his brother and sister and always lights up when they call his name or get in his face. The new part of this is now he grabs for them, or at least whatever part of them is in striking range. So far, no major damage, just a few desperate cries..."Mom! Owen has my ear!"

He continues to sleep through the night and we are even getting a bit more time in the evenings with the other two in bed before 8p and Owen soon after by 8:30p. Life is good when you can hold a conversation with your spouse without falling asleep.

Owen is a fabulous eater. He is very willing to go between nursing and the bottle, which has helped as now he is with a sitter or family member 2 1/2 days a week. He chugs 8 oz. of formula twice a day, belches a good one and is all smiles until nap time. He doesn't seem to be too temperature-sensitive, so bottle making isn't a stressful thing either. I still treasure our times of nursing first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Right now that is such a blessing as school has started and I see less of him during the week.

He's growing out of his clothes like crazy and I'm am again so blessed to have the benefit of hand-me-downs from the Hub's aunt and Josh's stuff.

I am constantly fighting the battle of wishing these days away and then wanting them never to leave. Owen is a precious gift and God is generous in giving Owen a sweet, easy-going and lovable personality. I can't wait to see him grow even more!


Here's a couple pictures of our growing boy. The first is him goin' all Steve Irwin on his crocodile, and the second is his other new favorite thing....finding his toes.

PULL OVER!

A funny thing happened on the way home from my sister-in-law's the other weekend. We had gone to visit for my niece's birthday. Before we left we dug up one of the many extra evergreen trees that adorn their property to add to our non-existent landscaping in our backyard. It was a good sized one, but we could still fit it in the back. So, soon we were all loaded up in our family van enjoying a smooth ride home. I was in the back by Josh giving Owen a bottle. (Now before you report me to the authorities, he just isn't a happy car rider, so this was the best plan for everyone). Josh and I were chatting about what a great weekend we had, sharing our favorite moments...when....."MOM! LOOK!"

And so I did.

What I saw was a HUGE spider crawling across the ceiling RIGHT ABOVE MY HEAD.
(insert scary spider music).
I just about jumped into Josh's lap!
I started to yell at the Hubs, "Get me a kleenex! (hindsight being 20/20...one kleenex was NOT going to do it with this big guy).

There was much confusion that followed, ending in me just about throwing Owen into his car seat (see, now he's safe)....us pulling over...the Hubs laughing at me (see I told you he laughs at my mishaps)...and me, in an act of tiger-mother-like fury, finding a WAD of kleenex to finally put an end to our unwanted passenger. It was only later that I remember my first thought being..."save the kids." (a bit dramatic??) (second thought...the tree should have been on the roof.)

It was the size of a orange when you include the length of it's legs.
It's legs were yellow-orange and black striped and it's body was actually shiny silver.
It was the creepiest thing I have EVER seen.

I am still checking the van's ceiling every now and then.

New post

Oh friends, it has been way too long since I blogged. I am hoping to get some in during this half of the week. My work schedule will allow for more posts in the later part of the week, so come back and visit!

To tempt the reader...
1. Owen update
2. BIG Spider
3. New posts of family outings..(hopefully)


See you soon!
K

Today

Get up 6 am. Convince self it's a good idea to get out of bed early to get the morning started.
Shower, get dressed, check self in mirror...eeeck. Knowing by 9 am I will be sweating in our non-AC school building, decide it's just not worth it...pony tail wins.
Go downstairs where smiling children are getting juice and breakfast from oh-so-amazing Hubs so Mom could get ready.
Nurse smallest family member...take a quiet moment to thank God for blessings of time and a schedule that seems to be working for all involved.
Realize that it is TIME TO GO!
Race upstairs...brush everyone's teeth...run downstairs...(exercise for the day)...grab all that's needed for 4 different people going in 3 different places.
In the van...have interesting conversation about how doctors take a picture of babies in mommy's tummies (not mine...) which quickly changes as next question is regarding Mr. M.(the new sound in kindergarten class this week)
Drop off 2 children at the sitter's house. Give rundown of how they are doing this morning and when I'll be back to pick them up. Hugs. Kisses. Silent tears. Out the door.
Off to drop off last child at kindergarten.
Get to school, where I drop my firstborn off in a VERY quiet classroom with a VERY old 8th grade teacher who insists they work QUIETLY at a desk. Convince my 5 year old that this is fine and he only has about 10 minutes with the "happy" man.
Leave. Silent tears.
Back in van...off to my school.
( there is entirely way to much to say about all that I accomplished in my half day of work, so I'll just sum it up.....work my a** off so I can leave as soon as my time is up)
Noon.
Get back in van. Get 2 children from sitter. Hear great stories and see terrific art work that my 3 year old has done while I was away...say silent prayer of thanks for finding amazing sitter.
Pack up van with children and paraphernalia and we're home...for 45 minutes.
Back in van for smallest one's 4 month doctors appointment.
Entertain until appointment time. Smallest one falls asleep exactly 30 seconds before they call our name.
Disrobe sleeping baby to get weight check, etc. He smiles...short grateful prayer for easygoing baby.
Smell something. something stinky. Think about how 3 year old is wearing undies. Ignore the obvious until I get the chance to deal with it.
Finish appoitment.
Nurse smallest family member...checking time to see if I can make it to pick up kindergartner on time... small prayer for working vehicles...think about painting my van yellow and black, taxi style...entertain 3 year old with I spy game, 3 clues game and how many times I can ask her if she has pooped in her undies....change 3 year old undies.
Back in van...head to school for 5 year old. Watch other moms reading books as they wait for their children...think about how I can't wait for book club again...see 5 year old coming out of school. Smile.
BIG HUG.
Back in van.
Heading home. All are collected, all are together. 2 of 3 are crying, but I don't care. We've made it so far...home is just around the corner...Hubs will be home soon...the weekend is coming. And we are getting the hang of this school year... Small prayer for His blessings on everything we do.

Happy Anniversary

My modem has been temperamental lately so I haven't been able to post as much as I would like. I can't believe how much it has bothered me not to be able to get online just to see what everyone is up to.

Although, it's probably good because, tomorrow, Josh and I start school. *sigh* I could blog a book about how oddly emotional I am about it (today I lost it just filling in his hot lunch choices for the semester..."what if he doesn't like it?? who will he tell?? what else will he eat??will he wash his hands??"). I was glad to run into this prayer recently and I think I might have to staple gun it to my forehead...backwards...so I can read it whenever I look in the mirror.

Anyway, I had an excellent anniversary night with my Hubs with furniture browsing (without worries of my kids wrecking the place) and a quiet meal with continued coherent conversation. (minus a few giggles from the margarita!) So, I want to pay tribute to my ever-loving man by giving you my top twelve (for twelve years of marriage) reasons why I love this man I married.

1. He has a good sense of humor. He has to, he married me. He laughs loud, which I love because it shows how much he doesn't care what others think...he's just having fun. He also has taught me the joys of pratfalls and I have taught him that farting really is funny.

2. His arms and his shoulders. I know I may be sharing a bit too much here, but I LOVE to be wrapped up in his arms and shoulders. mmmmm.

3. He is a GREAT dad. He comes home every night and hits the ground running. He plays, gives baths, and wrestles. They LOVE him. And I know why....he loves them, too, and it shows. When we first were married he confessed that he didn't know how he would do as a dad, but married me because he knew I'd be a good mom. Well, confessions time.....I KNEW he'd be a great dad, too.

4. He is a very reflective guy. He likes to reinvent himself every now and then. He is always trying to become a better person, even though I think he's doing a super job already.

5. He likes to try new things. He's brave and makes me step out of my comfort zone with him. I might be holding on for dear life, but I'm holding onto him, so I'm all good.

6. He's generous. Not with just money (mostly because we're our own charity case..hehe) but his time and his prayers and his thoughts.

7. He LOVES music. There aren't too many quiet moments in our house because there is always some music playing someplace. Sometimes in several places. He is a great dancer and I think that is one of the first things I loved about him.

8. He has a great sense of design. He has to..it's his job...but he is REALLY good at it...and our house looks better because of it.

9. He writes really well. His cards for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. are ones that are thoughtful and meaningful. Maybe that's why I can never throw any of them away.

10. He is gentle. For a big guy, he is gentle with our kids, and with me. I think I will never forget the mental picture of him holding our small little babies for the first time. They were so small in his strong arms. And I knew that he was holding them as if they would break, with a gentle cuddle that put them ALL instantly to sleep.

11. He loves movies. Not necessarily the same ones I do, but he loves them for their soundtracks, the way the camera moves and the drama of a great story.

12. He's made me a better person. I laugh, cry, mother, create, write, cook, care, organize, plan, purchase and most of all love better because I have known him the way God intended us when he placed us together.


I could write a ton on each one of these but school starts tomorrow and I need sleep something fierce. So to my loving husband.....

I love you always,
K

Don't know what you have 'til it's gone

Hi friends! Did you miss me? Where was I? Our modem was on the fuzz and it took a few days to get it replaced. Boy, I had no idea how much I used our home internet connection until it was not available! I didn't have much to say anyway this week with school starting next week. BUT, I think I missed visiting all the blogs of those I have gotten to know. So I just spent a good half an hour catching up!

I do want to take a good friend's idea and blog about my darling Hubs. We are having our 12th wedding anniversary this weekend. SO, when I get a chance I'll be sharing my top twelve favorite things/reasons why I love my husband. See you soon!
K

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Here's some of the fun that has been said around our house lately:

At Ellie's pool party her aunt asked how old she was going to be.
Ellie: Five!
Auntie: Really??
Cousin Kyra: No, Ellie we are getting 3!
(Kyra is also turning three next week)

Ellie has the measuring tape out and is measuring all that she can.
Ellie: Mom, I measure you.
Mom: Ok, what do I measure?
Ellie: HUNGRY.
(Maybe it was because we were watching the food channel at the time? Was the drool on my mouth that obvious?)


Check out some other great kiddos at Mary's blog!

Bathroom Hijinks

The ladies over at Pinks & Blues are having a giveaway...one that gives me a good excuse to tell a couple entertaining bathroom stories. So...

A couple of years ago, soon in Josh's potty training days I tried to get him to go sitting down, so the idea wouldn't be too foreign to him. Unfortunately, boy's anatomy doesn't jive with that position and soon I heard..."MOM! I made a fountain!" Clean up on aisle 7.

Oddly, we've had the same experience with Ellie recently. How so you ask? I have no idea. Girls should naturally pee down, right? Guess not! "MOM! I peed OVER!" Clean up aisle 7.

In our efforts to potty train Ellie, I wanted to encourage her to wear undies as often as possible. She really got into this. It was great. Until we needed to go to the grocery store. She INSISTED on wearing her "Ponies" undies to the store. (cue ominous music here) I thought "This is going to be great, this will add to my wonderful adventures at the store. Now I can be the lady streaking down the aisles with a little girl holding herself and yelling, "I GOTTA PEE!" So we went with a quick prayer under my breath and three kids in tow. Owen, our little 4 month old, was not a fan of his car seat at the time and often would fuss after being in there after awhile. I had the idea to preempt his fussiness by putting him the Baby Bjorn carrier. The carrier is great, but after 3 kids, it's a bit stretched, so you occasionally feel the need to keep a hand on the front of him so he won't go spilling out onto the floor. All was going well, until..." Mom, I gotta pee." OK. I was ready for this. Off we went, swiftly and eagerly to encounter our first public bathroom. We all piled into the handicap stall, you know, the ones with the REALLY high seats. I realized that she wouldn't be able to get up there by herself. OK. I needed to help her, but I also needed to keep a hand on Owen so he wouldn't fall out. OK. Here goes. I squatted right in front of the toilet (too close for my comfort) and lifted Ellie onto the seat. At that moment, Owen, who is actually sleeping at this point, startles, and just about ends up on top of Ellie face forward in the toilet. That was one close call. But, we all survived. Oh, and Ellie didn't really need to pee. Apparently, she got the memo from toddlerville that says it's funny to see your momma rush you to the bathroom only to sit, smile
and say, "No pee coming, mom?!"

POOL PARTY!

IT WAS A SUCCESS! As far as I can tell the pool party was a success! For those who were there, I've sent pictures, but for my bloggy friends, here are a few shots and a bit of details about the day.

This picture is my dearest daughter at 8:15 in the AM filling up one of the four pools we had blown up for the day of fun. She and Josh were SOOO excited that by 8:45 AM they were in their suits and in the pools already. It was so neat to see them so excited, but it made it a bit difficult for me to keep getting ready, because I didn't want to leave them unattended while I ran around a bit more. Thankfully, the Hubs was so helpful the night before, so there wasn't much to get ready in the morning. (love ya, dear!) Of course, by 9:15 am, Ellie is standing at the back door yelling, "I DONE!" ("Oh, no, dear, we have hours of water-splashing fun ahead, so pace yourself!") Soon our friends and family began to arrive and our first super-fun activity began...TYE DYE! Yes, we threw back to our junior high days and tye-dyed some pint-sized shirts for our little ones. (ps. thanks to all the moms who took the brunt of this "kids' craft")

The slip-n-slide was a ton of fun and thanks to the slight slant of our backyard, most kids who dared to try it, were able to actually slide! Kids had a great time throwing water balloons, too. We started with a "game" where they had to toss it to someone, take a step back and then toss again. This proved a bit challenging to our preschool set, so soon we were just hucking them at eachother. Some liked that, some did not! The food was great, thanks to everyone pitching in something yummy for the table. Our "submarine" sandwiches filled their little tummies along with chips, watermelon and veggies. All in all, it was a great day and I think this shot of our sunkissed and tye-dyed little ones tells all...it was a day to remember!

Blog Virus

Recently I was having trouble getting to some of my favorite bloggy sites. I guess there was a virus. SO...please check your blog for this. You need to start at the TEMPLATE tab and then click on your EDIT HTML link to get the screen to see if you have the virus. Read this to find out what it looks like and how to get rid of it. Thanks to Amber and Morningsong for their help!

So cute

This was written by Ellie's Grandma Carol in her birthday card. I think you'll see that her grandma is one talented lady and also knows her granddaughter very well.

**To the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star**

Ellie loves to dance and play
With her her dollie every day.
In her cart the baby goes,
Ellie dancing on her toes,
Whirling, twirling, round they go,
Shopping for some food, you know.

Ellie loves to read some books
And give Owen funny looks.
Runs and play with Josh all day,
Loves her bread with strawberry "J"!
She's a big girl, fun and free,
And the best of all...she's three!

Thanks Grandma Carol for making this special rhyme for Ellie and letting me share it with others!

Happy Birthday, Ellie!

Happy Birthday, Ellie

My dearest Elle Belle,

Today is your 3rd birthday. We are having a pool party with all of your friends and family to celebrate. You have gradually gotten to love the slip-n-slide over the summer and shown how brave you can be when given a little time. You like to be with your friends and are kind, silly and fun-loving when you are with them. You are 3 going on 5! You love to play with your older brother, and often can be found trailing behind him, with a sneaky look on your face.

I can still remember when we found out we were going to have you. We were living in our second house when we took the little test that said you were on your way. Daddy and I laughed because we were so excited and the first thought I had was..."I hope it's a girl." At one of our ultrasounds we found out that my wish had come true...our little girl was there...growing and moving. We did have a little scare before you were born. There were some lines on the ultrasound that could have been these bands that would have made it hard for you to grow and fill in the space when you got bigger. After a more detailed check, we found out things were fine, and I'm pretty sure I cried. You were fine and we couldn't wait for you to come!

When we began trying to think of your name it was so much fun. Daddy and I poured through the books looking for the perfect name for you. We wanted it to be strong, playful and girly. I think the deal was sealed when your Daddy said, "I would really like to have a girl who I could call Ellie. Yep, I want an Ellie." So, the search was on for a name that would work...Elissa Grace. The name Grace came from my grandmother, and I never knew what a pretty name it was, until I saw it with yours.

You came into the world, well, you had to be induced into the world, and I loved you instantly. You were so different from your brother, who was calm and predictable. Your eyes were open often and you always let us know what you were thinking (read:crying!). You did give us a run for our money when you were small and I think you still are. You are the reason that I love the color pink now.

Ellie, you are an adorable little girl with a knack for the mischievous. You've written on the walls(several times), the carpet and the table, peed on the floor, mixed up several puzzles, driven your brother crazy, screamed at a pitch I didn't think could come from such a small person and overall, given us a challenge. But, I look at you and you smile, you cuddle, you twirl, you dance and you sing. While I know that turning three is not a great milestone, looking back I see so many things that you have done and I am so proud of you. I can't even remember what it was like before you could talk with those sweet little pronunciations and scrunched up nose.

You have spunk and sweetness all wrapped up in pigtails and dirty fingernails. I love you and I promise to be the best mommy I can, so you can grow up and be a great mommy, too.

Love always,

Mommy

P.S. Your daddy is quite smitten with you. Take full advantage of this as long as you can;)

The calm before the storm

Tomorrow we are having a pool party with 20 of our kids' closest friends. I looked at the guest list...the kids outnumber the adults. Don't tell them that...they may use that to their advantage.

Our house is in full pre-party mode.

Our garage holds a few pools already blown up and ready to be filled as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.

The dining room is stacked with all the essentials ready and waiting to be put to good party fun.

The kids keep asking when everyone is coming and the house smells like sugar from the cupcakes hanging out on the counter.

Water balloons wait filled and tied in the bucket, ready to explode on impact.

I feel an ominous countdown coming on...

Moments

Josh: This kid is going to be a great dad someday. (Thanks, for the good example, Hubs!) BTW-that is not his little brother in there...it's a baby doll.


Owen: I love coming to get you from naptime or first thing in the morning, because this is the face I see.



Ellie: My two-fisted-party-treat-eater, ahh...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Carey: This morning Josh was polite and used kind words while I got him breakfast. I complimented him on using kindness and respect when talking to his mom. He said.."DADDY!" What? "Daddy reminded me to use nice words today." Thank you my ever-loving man for being such a good Daddy. (ps. I'm not posting any more pictures of you, the last time I did....well, you know.)



Me: I had a moment with Owen yesterday as he drank down his first formula bottle. I'm gradually giving him a couple formula bottles during the day, so when I go back to school I can do without pumping, but still nurse him at night and first thing in the morning. Even with all of my ambivalent feelings about nursing, I still felt a bit sad as I saw him relax and drink away. He's my last one, and it's already beginning...some part of his day where he won't really need me. Good, yes, and sad, too.

Works for Me Wednesday

Ok, here's one for anyone who still gets magazines. I still get a couple good ones and like to reference the articles later, but found keeping the whole magazine was too much. So, I read somewhere that you should rip out the articles that you would like to save and then file them. I did this and it has been great. I created a few hanging file folders with subjects like: Parties, Shopping, Food, and Parenting. Whenever I'm done with my magazine I go through and rip out only the articles I would like to keep and file them in the filing cabinet under the coordinating subject. It has been very helpful while planning different birthday parties, finding a good gift idea, or referencing potty training tips. Hope you found this helpful!
Check out a ton of great ideas here!

Addiction

71%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Calgary Singles from Mingle²

I'm toast. I really do like to blog and I love to read blogs. Once school starts in a couple of weeks...

Tiny Talk Tuesday

This is more a script of one hilarious event that happened today.

Josh and Ellie are outside on our new Triple Racer Slip-n-Slide. For some reason, Josh began "announcing" the races they were having, complete with imaginary microphone.

Josh: All right ladies (apparently it's a popular with the ladies only), we have Ellie and the imaginary friend here. Ellie is on the yellow and imaginary friend on the gray. OK, GO!

After Ellie speeds down the slide, it's Josh's turn.

There is an actual handoff of the imaginary microphone.

Ellie: Ok, here are. Josh going and ready, set and beautiful day!

This went on for several races and I'm sure that they always won.


Check out more great funnies at Mary's blog!

Backpeddling

Ok, I need to make amends to my darling Hubs. He has received a lot of flack for a previous post on an incident that happened while he was working hard at beautifying our home. My darling man has only had a chance to work on a few projects this summer, and each one has been a bit of disaster. He installed a ceiling fan in our bedroom (love it!), that took at least a month because of faulty parts and help from customer service that wasn't very... well... helpful. He installed a closet organization system in my closet (REALLY love it!) that took some time because of previous shelving and a pesky wife looking over his shoulder with orders about how she would like it to look. (hehe). So this latest installment of his summer projects was about the last straw. I'm sure I won't see him wielding any sort of tool or project idea anytime soon, or at least until the wounds on his leg from breaking through the plastic chair heal. (yeah...forgot to mention that he incurred quite a few scars from his fall when I originally told the tale). So, in closing, I am VERY sorry that my dearest love has had a difficult time with projects this summer, and that I, his ever-loving wife, posted it on my blog. I love you, dear and won't post anymore embarrassing photos of you anymore...maybe...I'm mean no, never...unless it's really funny, or cute....No, I mean of course not...but what if it's more funny than embarrassing??...ok no, I know.....

PT Update

It's amazing. I believe timing is everything. My dearest Elle Belle seems to potty trained! I know it's a bit much to jump the gun and label her as trained, but she really seems to have it! She goes on her own. In fact, her favorite phrase now is, "Mom, you leave me alone, ok?" (This came when she first started going and I didn't exactly want to stand in the bathroom on tinkle patrol, so I told her I'd leave her alone and check back in a few minutes.) She has even come in from playing to go. We've certainly not nailed down the pooping thing (which her older brother seems very interested in..."MOM, Ellie's poop was HUGE!"..TMI??), and I know we will still have our share of accidents, but we are definitely on the way to independence! I'd like to relate this to some great lesson or "moral of the story", but I'm afraid this is just one for the books. A milestone for everyone involved, mom included.

Overheard

I know, I couldn't help it, I just had to blog these before my "day off" (I feel like someone who's about to go on a diet, eating all I can...)

Mom comes down the stairs with Owen, first thing in the morning...
Owen gives Josh a HUGE grin.
Josh: I got Owen's first smile of the day!

Ellie comes crying to Mom...
Mom: What's the matter, honey?
Ellie: I not cute!
Mom: Oh, of course you are!
Ellie: NO, I NOT cute, and Josh said I was!

Ellie drops a chip on the kitchen floor,
Mom: Oh, honey, would you pick that up, please?
Ellie: Nah, the bugs will get it.
(I told you I have to clean my house.)

Taking the day off

Ok, I love blogging. Actually, I really love reading my about bloggy friends each day. BUT, tomorrow I NEED to take the day off. Ok, well, I have one more post I'd like to do to update on potty training, but then after that...well, it would be nice to update on Owen, too...oh, and Ellie and Josh did say a few cute things today.

Well, if you see me in the blogsphere tomorrow, just remind me that I need to get back to cleaning my house. hehe
K

Nursing

Yep, it was bound to happen, I need to write about nursing. (I can't even say the word "breastfeeding" because it has the word, "breast" in it. What am I, eleven?)

My relationship with nursing is an ambivalent one. I love it one moment, and then despise it the next. It probably starts with the fact that I'm the only one who can do it for my little one (awww), and I'm the only one who can do it for my little one (grrr). So here's my list: the things I love about it and, well, the things that are not so fun....

Loving it because:

• of the looks you get while they are nursing. There little eyes find you and smile.
  
• their hands finding your undergarments or shirt, and holding on as if when they let go, the goodies will be gone.
  
• their little bodies wrapped around your middle, tucked in and cozy.
• their legs crunch up and a foot inevitably finds its way to tuck into your shoulder or against your arm.
  
• it's portable.
• it's a quiet moment. You can watch them unabashedly while your heart fills with that momma love.
• it's a part of you that they need, really need. It's a physical connection.
  

NOT loving it because:

• of the look you get after they decide you could be the next best chew toy. (it's a naughty one!)
  
• the hands that are grabbing uncontrollably at whatever is near (read:skin) in excitement and hunger.
• their HOT bodies curled up next to you in 90 degree heat. It's like your very own laptop oven.
• their legs are flailing about a bit harder as they grow.
• it's portable. Which means that anytime and anywhere (bottom of waterfall on the rocks on vacation, middle of restaurant, parking lot of Target, teeball games and countless car trips) you are on call...or at least part of you is.
• it's part of you...that's attached...and not detachable. Of course, with the pump you can get a break, but then how fabulous are you when you get to find a spot to subtlety "milk" yourself with that odd sounding machine attached.
  

All in all, the pros outweigh the cons for me for now. For all the moms out there who went to formula, send me coupons, because we are on the road to cutting back on handing out "boob sandwiches" (as my friend, Steph, affectionately labeled it). With school starting soon, I'll have to cut back on nursing and I'm not up for pumping, huddled in the corner of my classroom again. I know that because this is our last little one these times are precious, but I also know that my "shape" will never be the same (someone REALLY should have forewarned me about that one). I love nursing and, I don't love it, I guess it just depends on the time...and the day...and the place...and the looks...and the feet...and the...........

I love contests

Check out this cute onesie at Apples and Oranges!

Works for Me Wednesday

First, I'm totally with our host of this great carnival when she says to laugh with your kids (unless the occasion calls to laugh at them and what they are doing!) But I can also say that my best parenting advice is have great friends who are and aren't moms. They will keep you sane, let you vent and give you some of the best advice you'd never think you'd find. Trust me, when you're daughter is peeing over the front of the toliet, your friends will not laugh at this, instead they will tell you numerous ways to change her peeing ways. The friends that you have who do not have children are the ones who will remind you that there is life outside of kids. Really. There is.

P.S. Here is a great post about the friends a mom needs.

It's Dinnertime!

One of my favorite things about discovering blogging is that I have learned SO much from other women. I've learned about kids, God, and even what to make for dinner. Here are some GREAT recipes that my blogging friend, Sarah, posted here and here. I made them this week and they were terrific! Her pictures are definately more appealing, so I guess I'll just have to learn a bit more about "plating" my dinners now that I have wonderful recipes to make! Thanks, Sarah (the family thanks you, too!)

New favorite thing

As you can see in these before and after photos, Ellie decided to add her own special touch to the walls in her bedroom. I guess I shouldn't be surprised right? I can even see her line of thinking..."Mom drew the flowers on the walls...therefore..I can also make marks on the walls...with my nightlight." Yep, perfectly logical. (I'm sure she even used the word, "therefore.") Anyway, I was worried that her marks were to be a permanent reminder of her days as a two-year-old, and then I found this!

This is a great product, mostly because it does EXACTLY what it says it will...(go fig, eh?) I'm even thinking of writing the company because I was so happy with the results! If you even see Mr. Clean, give his head a rub for me!