Whirlwind of activity!

Wow. June is turning out to be as busy as May!
On Saturday, we went to Fuss's best friend, Gracie's, 4th Birthday Party. Everyone had a great time. Then we all came home and we all had a nap. Mine was short, though, because I had a Thirty-One party that night and I had to finish packing up for that (since I hadn't quite finished unpacking from our trip yet. Oops!). I had a great time partying with some great ladies and made a new friend!

Fuss started her first VBS of the year (there will be THREE this year!) this morning and had a great time learning and singing and playing with her friends (this one is at Gracie's church and their third little friend is also joining them.) I got some stuff done (errands and a visit with my Gram) and tonight we will be going to cheer on Aunt LP, Auntie Amy, and Uncle Nate at a softball game!

This week is also my MIL's birthday, so this weekend we will be celebrating that on Saturday during the day with the family and then, Saturday night, my wonderful husband and I will be celebrating SEVEN years of wedded bliss on a date night while the kids stay w/ Aunt J (and then Fuss is going to have her first aunt-sleepover and hang out with her Aunt J overnight). Sunday is Father's Day and also the performance of the VBS kids at Gracie's church (we haven't exactly figured out how to schedule all this yet) and a baseball game with my step-dad's side of the family, and dinner with them at my mom's house. And next week is Fuss's SECOND VBS of the summer, with Aunt J!

I also found out that my newly-discovered sister's birthday is this week and I need to make sure to acknowledge that and pester my dad to do so as well. I'm HOPING that some time soon my dad will be going up to his old home town and meeting her face-to-face and I'm really hoping things will work out so the kids and I can go with him and see my aunt and meet said sister. I haven't mentioned it to her yet, though. I don't want anyone to get their hopes too high!

On the diet front, I was very discouraged with my situation when according to the scale at Publix (our local grocery store) I'd actually GAINED 2 pounds this week, but I was encouraged when my mom assured me that the accuracy of that scale is questionable and we bought a scale of our very own that comes recommended. According to that one, I'm a little lower than I was, though of course, you can't really count that since I don't know what I was on that scale at the beginning. Here's hoping. I also used a free pass at the Y this weekend and spent half an hour on the bike. I can totally do the bike thing, but I learned that I really need new athletic shoes! 

Busy, busy and emptying out!

It's 9:30 and I have already changed 3 diapers - 2 of them poopy, wiped one poopy bottom, and cleaned up a puddle of pee on the floor and 2 yogurt messes. It's going to be one of THOSE days.

I ignored my business responsibilities this weekend and didn't make any calls that I should have made. But you know, it happens. We had a very successful weekend - had a garage sale on Saturday and got rid of a ton of junk and made some money in the process. We then purged and emptied another section of the main room in the house - so now things around my desk are much more organized and clear. I know one part of the party order I just submitted is already on it's way! (a direct ship order) But that probably means that the rest of the order is coming along, too and I'm so excited to get it!!!

We had a few cool days recently, weather-wise. I actually had the opportunity to put the kids in a few of their warmer clothes and I broke out one of my long-sleeved tees for the garage sale the other day. It's fun to see the new stuff.

I got Fuss's new tights for ballet in the mail and the new Children's Place order I ordered for her - a couple of dancing themed shirts, some leggings, and a tutu-like skirt to wear over leggings. She looks ADORABLE in it. And she LOVES it, so score one for mom. The Little Man has a couple of hoodies that are keeping him warm and I got both of the items I had to have for their Halloween costumes this weekend, too. (Her new tights have an opening in the bottom so that they can be peeled back off her foot when she's not wearing her dancing shoes. Reminds me of the footless tights the more advanced students in my own ballet school wore - I was so jealous. I thought they were SO cool.) But I'm hoping that these are more comfortable for her - they seem like they are WAY better quality, so here's hoping they last longer.


I am loving the need to purge all the junk and unused items in my house. My husband is very supportive. I even sold a table that I had an emotional attachment to, but was really just taking up space in my home at the garage sale. It wasn't useful to me, and when someone made me a good offer, I took it. My husband was surprised, but pleased. I am just so over having all this stuff taking up space. I haven't purged all my knick knacks yet, but things are thinning out.

I also sold my Christmas wreath at the garage sale - which means I get to buy a new one!!! I'm sort of psyched about that!

Grrr. Argh. and then something good.

Last night I was stressed, grumpy, achy, frustrated. I don't know if it was hormonal, chemical, exhaustion or what. I took a bath. I picked up my Kindle and soaked for awhile. It helped my aches. But as I went to sit up, I put my hand on the soap holder and ended up pulling it down on top of me. So there's a whole in the wall of our shower. And a leak in the faucet. And I think I'll just go sit down and cry now, thanks.

I had a rough morning. I was rushing around and the baby was fussing (his favorite thing to do these days) and Fuss was dawdling and I had to go to Bible study... I didn't want to go. I was grumpy about the subject matter (Genesis/Creation - something I've studied a million times through school) but I really wanted to have this extra time with my friend Kat and it IS 90 minutes of free babysitting while I get to talk intelligently with other adults, so I made myself go. I had to stop at 7/11 to get a cup of Coke. (because of course, I didn't have any caffeine in the house!) I also didn't have my "homework" done - so I had to rush in the car and finish answering at least some more of the questions.

Once I got there, I still felt so rushed and pushed and my head was pounding (lack of caffeine) and I just didn't want to be there. BUT once the discussion started... I got into it. I got passionate about it and it was really good. I took notes during the lecture that followed (never a strong suit of mine in high school or college, but at least I won't be tested on this!) and it was really good.

At the end of the lecture, I picked up the kids and made plans for a play date next week with Kat. I struggled to get the kids in the car (diaper bag, bag with my stuff, baby who doesn't walk, toddler who does...) and came home. I arrived home and settled the kids down (Little Man missed his nap this morning and consequently fell asleep in the car, so I plopped him in his crib when we got home) and found an email from my friend April (thanks again!) who told me she was willing to do a party for my new business! I have my 4 parties now, so I can get started! That really helped my mood.

I ate my carryout sushi (from last night) and my dad came over to look at the bathroom catastrophe. I'm hoping the rest of the day continues to improve! I have cake class tonight, but I need to dump this headache before then, ideally.

In review

Wow. So I've been ignoring my blog lately. I don't know what it is exactly - a combination of things, really, I'd guess. I'm busy with stuff - we had VBS and now we're leaving for a working vacation of sorts, my cake class, just all sorts of stuff really.

The kids are doing great, though the Little Man seems to be starting either a cold (runny nose, cough, cranky) or another tooth because he's been cranky and not sleeping well again. Fuss has been a handful, but she's also been a joy. When she is being good, she is SO much fun. She sings and dances and is just a major entertainment. I love it. She's curious about everything, she's learning her letters, she's been playing with her friends and she is just a ball full of energy.

It is dreadfully hot, so I pretty much hate doing anything outside. We're planning a couple of play dates indoors soon - bowling, the bounce house place, etc. Should be a good time.

We leave tonight after my final cake class. I wish I could say that the teacher had improved, but I can't. She's scatter-brained and rude to the students, though I have learned a lot about beginning cake decorating. I look forward to tonight's class and putting together what we've learned on a big cake.

I'll be gone all week on a trip to North Carolina. Looking forward to seeing my SIL and nieces. Also hoping to get some reading done, though I won't hold my breath.

Weekend in Review

We got a sort of last minute invitation to join my MIL, my SIL LP and her roommate and friend Aunt Amy (what we have the kids call her - I have a lot of friends named Amy) strawberry picking on the last day the fields were opened for the season. It was a beautiful day and there were some gorgeous strawberries out in the fields. We were very happy with our harvest!

We came home and washed and sorted our strawberries and let Fuss play and both kids took a nap. Then we went on a long list of quick errands - diapers from Target, picking up last week's pictures from JCPenney and then I scored a great deal on Earth's Best Organic Baby food thanks to a coupon in combination with a sale that a friend called my attention to. (Thanks again, Bex!)

We spent the evening with my mom and step-dad while my husband fixed my step-dad's computer and Fuss entertained us all over pizza. We came home and put the kids to bed and watched Veronica Mars on TV (my idea. I've been thinking in VM quotes lately and it's been awhile since we watched the show.)

On Sunday the kids both slept in after multiple wakings in the night and so we lazed around the house having breakfast (blueberry muffins with strawberries. Juice for the Fuss, coffee for the adults) until my dad showed up unannounced and then we rushed around getting ready for my BFF's son D's birthday party.

We had a blast at this place that had both indoor token-style games (Ski-ball, Gator Smash, arcade games, games of chance and slots) and outdoor activity type games (go karts, bumper boats, mini golf, batting cages) and rides (mini roller coaster, train rides). Fuss had SO much fun, but we stayed a really long time and basically missed the main naptime for both kids.

We settled down to watch the end of the Burn Notice Marathon and the new (made for TV) movie Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe. We are BIG fans of Burn Notice, so we were hoping for a good time. We broke out the beer and margaritas (I'm not experienced in making Mojitos) and appetizers for dinner (we felt it was very Sam-ish) but the kids kept waking up over and over and over, so it wasn't the most relaxing night we've ever had, but it was fun and eventually, the kids let us sleep (for about 6 hours) and all was right with the world.

I believe there are angels among us...

I had the most unusual experience today.

I'd had a rough morning, but I needed to get to Target and pick up some things. We get there and trying to get Fuss to cooperate is like pulling teeth. She wasn't tantruming, but she was being difficult and kept walking in front of the cart, going off in the wrong direction, wouldn't make up her mind about things, etc. And then when we were in the absolute furthest place in the store from the bathroom, she informs me that she needs to go potty. Of course she does. So back we go to the front of the store to go to the potty. The family bathroom is under maintenance, so we have to go into the regular one. And I had tried the cart cover for the first time for Little Man, so I had to pull him out of the cart and carry him around, while also lifting her onto the toilet. Ugh. It wasn't fun.

We get back to our shopping, finish out what we need. Get in line - they have 3 open registers and one of them is blinking and there are like 10 people in line between the other two.

It's finally my turn and the lady rings me up. I put in my debit card for payment of the $75 bill and I'm dealing with a fussy baby and Fuss who keeps pulling the cart away from me and pulling it into the candy display... and the cashier says my card was rejected. So I think I put my PIN in wrong and I do it again. Still no go. No idea why it won't go through. So she's able to suspend my order so I can call the bank or my husband to get it sorted out.

And my phone dies. The baby had been playing with it, it had limited battery to begin with, and now I have no power at all.

The cashier directs me to the public phone at Guest Services. I call my husband and get him to look at the bank account and fix the problem. So then, while I'm standing there, I can't find the suspended slip. Which means I have to do the whole thing all over again. And the lines are still as busy as they were when I started the check out process, so I'm looking at another long wait with a fussy, hungry baby and an antsy toddler. The cashier walks up to me and hands me the receipt. She tells me it's done, taken care of. I ask if the payment went through. She says someone took care of it. I am a little shocked and tell her thank you. I'm amazed. As I walk to the car, I think about what just happened. Somebody - some stranger - paid $75 for my stuff.

I can't believe someone would do that. A $20 amount, maybe, but that much? A box of diapers for the young mom with 2 kids, maybe, but all my junk including a bunch of bubbles (Fuss is obsessed with bubbles these days) and a present for my husband's co-worker's 3-yr-old daughter included.

There are angels among us. And I thank them for helping me out of a rough situation and a crappy day.

The Best Day (for my mom on her birthday)

The Best Day
by Taylor Swift


I'm five years old and it's getting cold
I've got my pink coat on
I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you
I run and run
Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides
Look now the sky is gold
I hug your legs and fall asleep on the way home

I don't know why all the trees change in the fall
I know you're not scared of anything at all
Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away
But I know I had the best day with you today

I'm thirteen now and don't know how my friends could be so mean
I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys
And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away
And we talk and window shop till I forgot all their names

I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at school
But I know I'm laughing on the car ride home with you
Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day with you today

I have an excellent father
His strength is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother
Inside and out he's better than I am

I grew up in a pretty house and I had space to run
And I had the best days with you

There is a video I found from back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you're talking to me
It's the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarfs
Daddy's smart and you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world

Now I know why all the trees change in the fall
I know you were on my side even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
Staying back and watching me shine and I didn't know if you knew
So I'm taking this chance to say that I had the best day with you today



This song always reminds me of my mom. And it should, I suppose, since it's a song for a mom. But it's SO us. I had a pink coat when I was 5 and I used to fall asleep in the car a lot. My friends and I were obsessed with the 7 Dwarfs, even through high school, so the mentions periodically of Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs are particularly poetic. And when I was in 7th grade there was a brief period where all my friends turned on me and wouldn't talk to me, etc. My mom wasn't the only one to try and help me feel better about that, but she helped. And I truly remember thinking that my daddy was the the handsomest and smartest guy out there and my mom was "the prettiest lady in the whole wide world."

I had a great day with my mom yesterday. She helped me take the kids to the pediatrician for Little Man's 4 month appointment, then we went and visited her office so she could get a picture of Fuss sitting at her desk, pretending to answer the phone like I did at a similar age. And then we went to lunch. The kids were well-behaved, lunch was fantastic and I loved hanging out with my mommy.

My mom isn't perfect, but she did a fantastic job being my mom (and pretty much the only parent with an active roll in my life growing up) and she is an even better friend to me now that I am an adult and have children of my own. My mom is one of my best friends and I am so happy to have her in my life.

Happy Birthday, Mama! I love you very much.

Wow. I had no idea trying to squeeze work-out in with 2 kids was going to be this hard. I hate exercise, so I honestly thought that the actually DOING it was going to be the worst part (and maybe it still is - I have yet to actually start a work out) but just getting to it, seems to be a challenge I wasn't anticipating.

Monday morning I couldn't get out of bed. Daddy Fuss and I had had a disagreement the night before, had ended up staying up way too late and I just couldn't get out of bed when my alarm went off. Then, Fuss, who has been waking up between 8-9 the last 2 weeks was up by 7:15 and had taken over the living room.

I then had to rush around getting myself showered and dressed, her dressed, the baby dressed and fed, her undressed, bathed (because she coated herself in a combination of my deoderant and lotion) and re-dressed and out the door to the mechanic's to get the blower in my AC in my van fixed. We went directly from there (2 hours later) to Chuck E. Cheese to meet up w/ April and Spencer and Henry for lunch and I had a couple of slices of pizza, even though I was *planning* to get the salad bar (but we had a coupon for pizza!). By the time we got home, it was late, I had to get both kids to sleep so that we could leave for my husband's early (6:30) softball game. It was the play-offs, so I was actually hoping he'd lose (they did, though he specifically had a GREAT game) so we could go get some dinner and go home at a decent hour. He wasn't in the mood for dinner, though, having wolfed down a half a sub before the game. But he was very kind and agreed to go get me some Thai take-out. He ended up getting me some spring rolls (which are one of my absolute favorite things from the Thai place) so I ended up with a fried snack thrown in to my dinner, but that's okay! It was delicious, and I have to say I really enjoyed every single bite.

Tuesday morning, the Little Man who had been doing SO well with his overnight sleeping woke at 5:30 and demanded to eat. I rolled over when he was done and was going to snooze for just a few minutes and ended up sleeping until after 7. I got up and popped in the Jillian DVD, but as I was frantically searching for the remote, Fuss got up and took over the living room.

I wasn't sure it was going to happen during naptime, since Little Man started a crying fit and would not lay down in his bassinet for his nap. But eventually, I got started. Note to self: invest in a sports bra, especially if you are going to work out with breast-feeding boobs.

Jillian kicked my butt. And I couldn't do it all. I'm sure there are plenty of people (like my sisters-in-law) who are rolling their eyes at that statement. But seriously. I couldn't keep up. I am THAT out of shape. I know it's a 20-minute work out. I get it. And I truly believe that I SHOULD be able to do it, but I can't seem to keep that pace, even for 20 minutes and believe me when I tell you that I have no ab muscles. No seriously. Other than keeping my bones in their place, I have no ab muscles. I never have. I can't do a proper crunch to save my life. Not even one. So this is going to be interesting.

I'm not looking to get hard-bodied in 30 days. I'm more realistic than that. But I am looking to be able to complete a 20 minute work out. That would be nice.

Some bits of randomness

• Today is the anniversary of my favorite uncle's birthday. Yesterday was the anniversary of his death. Ironic, huh? All day yesterday I kept thinking "there is something significant about this date" but I couldn't come up with anything other than an obscure former co-worker's birthday. (We haven't kept in touch for over 3 years, hence the "obscure" title) Last night during one of my many wake-ups I realized that it was the anniversary of his death. I'll call my Gramma today to let her know I am thinking of her today.

• Wouldn't it be nice to start the year off with a potty-trained toddler? Yeah. It would. But unless today and tomorrow get a miracle, I'll still be prodding her to pee on the potty instead of in her diaper/pull up/on my couch. (okay, so I stopped putting her in panties because of the one couch incident. Maybe I should say "on my floor" since that's usually what happened when I put her in panties.) She asked me for panties today and I told her that if she could keep her pull-up dry for a few hours, she could have panties. About 15 minutes later, she announced that she had to potty and we went, and she went, but we already had a very wet pull-up. Grrrr. So frustrating.

• I got a great deal on a J Crew cardigan today online. My first J Crew anything, actually. I usually find their stuff too pricey for my budget, but this was a final sale price, plus 30% off, so... a $90 sweater for $20, including shipping and I'm psyched. I'm looking at a lot of cardigans lately because of the Emma Pillsbury inspiration. Her skirts, while adorable, aren't practical for my life, but I can do the cardigans without issue.

• I am heading to Target today to buy some new bins. Fuss got a bunch of toys for Christmas that need to be contained, and they have these huge bins on wheels on sale that I think might fit ALL of our Christmas decorations. Wouldn't it be nice to just have ONE big bin and not have to spread 5 boxes all over my living room at Christmas time? Yeah, I thought so too. Step one to getting organized.
  
  

• My husband got his wisdom teeth removed yesterday (2 of them) and he was going to try and do it with just novacaine. He passed out on them during the numbing process, so they had to put him under. Poor guy was so groggy afterwards. But he was really a great patient and was helping out with the kids by mid-afternoon. He felt well enough to go to work this morning (it was a half day, and there's no reason to eat up his vacation days for a half day if he's feeling okay, I guess.) I wouldn't still be in my nightclothes at 10:45am if he was home, but...

7 Quick Takes: Christmas Eve Edition

1. At 2 am I was lying in my bed attempting to get comfortable from the ache in my neck that was making my head pound (again) when I heard the baby start to stir. He was quite congested, poor little guy! He was having trouble breathing while lying down, so I fed him to calm him down and then tried putting him in the bouncy seat (sitting up) next to the vapor-plug to help him breathe more easily. That didn't last long, so by 3, my husband got up and took him into the living room where they both slept in the recliner. Wednesday, Fuss started in with the sniffles (I guess it was Tuesday night, really) and my husband came home from work on Wednesday with the same. I guess it was inevitable.

2. Thursday night some local workers busted through a 4-foot water main that caused little to no water for half the county for the evening/night. I was thankful that almost all of my laundry was done (and none of the stuff that wasn't was needed for the holiday!) but Little Man was supposed to get a bath and he couldn't.

3. I am even more grateful that we have water today. We're under a boil order (boil any water from the tap that you are going to consume) for the next few days, which is inconvenient, but manageable. But we were able to get showers this morning and the baby is now clean and I can do my dishes (which was the highest thing on the priorities for Christmas prep)! I am grateful to the workers and plumbers who worked through the night to get service back as quickly as possible. I am praying for the people in the immediate area of the break that still don't have water.

4. We were able to put two sizable checks in the bank yesterday thanks to the generosity of my Gramma and a payment coming through from one of my husband's freelance clients. I have no idea what to do with the money from Gramma - part of me wants to spend it on clothes and have some fun, but part of me wants to use it towards something more significant.

5. My shopping is done (and then some. Sometimes I think I have a shopping addiction at Christmas. I keep finding little things that I want to get, but that weren't on my original list or radar) and my own wrapping is done. We are hoping to put together Fuss's play kitchen while she naps today so that it is ready to put under the tree once we get her to bed tonight after we come home from my dad's house.

6. We are going to my dad's house for Christmas Eve dinner, as is our tradition. The year my parents split up, I began the tradition of hanging out with my dad on Christmas Eve (and when he was single, I spent the night at his apartment and we went to breakfast Christmas morning, then I'd go home to my mom and have our bigger family celebration that afternoon.) When he moved in with his girlfriend years ago, I would spend the evening with them and go home at the end of the night (at the time, often coinciding with C's exit to midnight mass) and then they began including Daddy Fuss and now it's such a thing that Fuss (and now Little Man) get to open their presents from Grandpa on Christmas Eve, even though both my dad and C come to Christmas dinner at my house on Christmas Day. I think my mom is jealous, but this year, we made the concession that she and my step-dad are coming late Christmas morning and enjoying brunch with us and a private gift-opening session with the kids. This is, in part, due to the fact that my mom went a little nuts with presents for Fuss this year and I don't want my MIL to be intimidated.

7. If I can get the house cleaned up, I am really going to enjoy this Christmas. I love the way Fuss's eyes light up when she gets excited and I know that some of her gifts are going to be big hits this year!

There are no Quick Takes at Conversion Diary this week, but I thought I'd do them anyhow.

Merry Christmas to all! I hope that we can all remember the Reason for the Season and spend time with our loved ones!

Random thoughts 2 days before Christmas

• I survived my awful headache, and feel a bit better today. I NEED to go see the chiropractor, but I have no idea WHEN that might happen...

• Anyhow, so lots of cleaning to do, but I think I'm done w/ the wrapping. Fuss is contentedly watching Mickey's Christmas Carol and my husband is "working from home" today and the baby slept through the night until 8:30 this morning! (Unfortunately, I was up for 2 hours on my own with a headache/neck ache. But I got to sleep in a tiny bit, so that was helpful.)

• I plan to back one more batch of Snickerdoodle cookies today and then hand out some cookies to our neighbors. I made these great (and simple!) chocolate pretzel things last night, plus my Oatmeal Toffee Lace Cookies. I think I'm over the baking, but I have commitments to keep...

• Last night my MIL called me, standing in front of some "play food" sets at a store. She said, "I gathered from our conversation last night that Fuss is getting a play kitchen for Christmas. Does she need food for it?" Apparently she didn't bother to read the email I sent her WEEKS ago after she asked what the kids would want for Christmas. I spelled out all the big gifts she would be getting for Christmas and listed some ideas for gifts. I practically did her shopping for her. And SHE NEVER READ IT. How hard is it to open an email that is labeled "Gift ideas for Fuss and Little Man" from your DIL? Why do I bother?
  

• I have become interested in the style of Emma Pillsbury from Glee. (I am slow to the bandwagon, but I'm really getting into Glee. I am getting season 1 on DVD for Christmas and I'm psyched. We have been getting it from Netflix and I'm addicted. Anyhow, I got a new haircut with layers like Jayma Mays's hair (I'm not doing the flip, though) and I'm suddenly obsessed with cardigans and pencil skirts. I'm psyched to have $25 worth of coupons/Kohl's cash to spend at Kohl's the week after Christmas. I don't think I want to dress like that all the time, but it's cute and fun and girlie and preppy - all things I like!
  

High-functioning Headache

We went to dinner with my husband's family last night - we were celebrating Uncle James' birthday (he lost both his SIL - our Gma - who was his closest friend and his wife this year. He has no other local family, so it was important to have a celebration for him.) On our way over, (it's a about a 40-minute drive) my back was really bothering me, but I just thought my muscles were sore from carting the baby around and maybe from working - stretching in ways I was no longer used to. As the evening wore on, my pain and discomfort grew and by the time we were on our way home, I had a full-blown tension headache that was threatening to make me scream.

I took some ibuprofen when we got home and tried to relax a bit. I was able to fall asleep and slept several hours, but when the baby woke me at 5am, my head was still pounding pretty hard. I got up and took some more ibuprofen and went back to bed after he ate. Two hours later, it was no better. I took a shower - often that helps - and it did help a bit, but as soon as I got out of the shower, it came back with full-force. (I considered calling my husband to come home, but I knew it wouldn't be possible. He is working from home tomorrow, and he's taking 1 or 2 days off next week to get his wisdom teeth removed.) I fed the baby and then took one of my prescription pills from when I was pregnant, assuming that they were okay while nursing.

Once it kicked in, I was feeling better. But there is still this nagging ache, but not as strong and somehow, it feels more "distant." I was able to meet up with my best friend and her boys for a last-minute trip to Kohl's (my current favorite store other than Target) and do some laundry.

I'm accomplishing stuff today, but I feel awful. I am grateful that I don't have to work today (as was originally assumed) and I just have so much to do! I'm hoping to clean up the living room and finish wrapping presents when the kids take their naps. But I may end up sleeping myself.

I confess that I have parked Fuss in front of the TV to keep her quiet. I have supplied her with snacks ranging from very healthy (grapes and yogurt) to not-bad-for-her (goldfish crackers) and she is happy and quiet. And that is what I need right now.

Headaches - real and toddler-related

How did it become December already? Times flies...

So excited because we're getting cold weather - we're not expected to see 70 today! (I know you northerners are rolling their eyes, but yesterday? My AC kicked on when my in-house temperature reached 83, so you can see how happy this makes me!)

We had a leak in our closet recently and about half my 30 for 30 is in the bag to go to the cleaners. So I skipped yesterday, though I DID put together an outfit complete with coordinating jewelry, etc. I am very excited about today's outfit, though, but I think you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see it, since the only camera with batteries is the one I can't off-load from onto my computer, so I have to wait until the husband comes home.

My head continues to pound - it's been a daily thing this week. I thought it was stress, but someone pointed out that it could be hormone related by comparing the baby's age... However, right now we're talking constant squeezing/pounding that began without ceasing late last night (I had a headache during the day, but it got better before it got worse) and my toddler's whining is driving me up the wall.

I had a case of the Mondays (Day 22)

There has been an upswing in the amount of baby vomit in this house lately. This makes doing 30 for 30 difficult. On Monday, before I had even done my make-up and decided whether or not my new (gifted!) hat was going to be part of my outfit (it never made it) I had been drooled and spit up on. Twice. But for the record, I was wearing my blue v-neck (Loft) and my jeans. I had my chunky blue necklace on and was debating on the hat.

Around noon, the baby began having a meltdown. Seriously. He would scream his head off if I so much as set him down for a millisecond. If I even sat down while holding him, he would yell and cry. He liked looking at the Christmas tree lights, but I couldn't set him down even while looking at them. hen

At the same time, Fuss decided it was time to get serious about this potty training thing and needed help with that. And when I couldn't drop everything to help her the exact second she demanded it, she had a melt down too!

I FINALLY got the baby settled and put him down for a nap. Then Fuss wanted to snuggle and watch TV before her naptime. I had a horrible headache, but she and I made it through her show and she went to bed fairly easily. I did some dishes (my kitchen over flows), fed the baby and put him back down (he didn't seem to want to be awake) and then attempted to lay down myself. I hadn't been down for long when Little Man stirred and fussed, but I was able to quiet him quickly by replacing his paci. He woke up after an hour, though, ready to eat again (early) and still very fussy.

I was worried he was having an ear problem since he wanted to be straight up, not angled at all and if I laid him down, he'd scream so much!

Fuss got up a little later and repeatedly went to the potty successfully all afternoon long! We're still using pull-ups because she isn't 100% yet (most of her pull-ups were soiled somehow even with her frequent trips to the potty, but that's okay! She's doing SO much better!)

My husband had a softball game at 8:30. Often, I will take the kids to his games, even when they are that late (they rotate times) but as stressed as I was (and I didn't think my MIL would be coming to help corral Fuss) I didn't think I could handle it. But my husband knew I needed to get out of the house, so he called his mom and convinced her to come and help me out and we went. (This puts Fuss to bed late, but then she sleeps in the next morning, so it works well, usually.) It was fun - he won and both Fuss and Little Man were much happier and much more tired out by the time we got home.

I was tired. I fed the baby (who wanted to eat and eat and EAT) and went to bed. He was wide awake, so my husband stayed up with him until he could get him to sleep (thanks, hun!) and we all had a good night's sleep.

Day 14 - Night Out!

Saturday, I spent the entire morning in sweats, because we were having a garage sale. We then met some friends (2 of my oldest friends - we met in Kindergarten and 1st grade, respectively) and their husbands for a triple date of a movie and dinner. (Saw Harry Potter, ate at a great new place that Cherry had a TON of gift certificates for and so no one had to pay for anything!) So I finally got to have an excuse to dress up a bit. My mom was babysitting both kids for the first time (it worked, but she had some troubles) and brought me an early Christmas present when she showed up - a new necklace that happened to go great with my outfit, so voila! a new look!

My outfit consists of those jeans that I'm sure everyone is getting sick of, my black criss-cross tank (Target) and a blue tencel over-shirt (Dress Barn, approximately 10 years ago) and my black boots (argyle knee socks underneath!). I'm wearing silver earrings (the kind I can't wear around the baby anymore since his fingers get caught in the rings and then he pulls accidentally) and my new necklace.

Busy, busy

I haven't had a week this booked since the first week we had the baby home and we had Dr's appointments and errands to run every day.

The kids and I went thrift store shopping w/ April and her youngest on Monday, looking for pieces to complete our Halloween costumes (for the adults. The kids were taken care of long ago).

Tuesday, we met up with April again and took all 4 kids to Chuck E. Cheese to play and have lunch. (btw, if you are going to go there with a couple of toddlers, during the week is the way to go. There was almost no one there, and all the kids were under the age of about 3. We could just let the kids run all over the "ride" area, get a little mommy talk time in, and still see them without having to follow them all over the place constantly. It was kinda perfect.) Fuss is, of course, fearless - she was climbing on the rides and such before I had a chance to turn around. We have long suspected that she got her daddy's penchant for roller coasters and we were correct. Now, if only she was tall enough to ride them...

We went home and I immediately put the kids down for a nap. (Oddly, Fuss went down easily and Little Man resisted.) Then my sisters-in-law picked up both kids to take them to a volleyball game being played by the team from the school my SIL J works at (also all of our alma mater). I spent the next couple of hours kid-free and ran some errands that would be way faster without having to lug the kids around. Then Daddy Fuss and I met our friend M at the shooting range and tried out a couple of different types of guns. M hadn't ever shot a hand gun before, but she was pretty good. We all enjoyed ourselves. Then M went home and Daddy Fuss and I went to dinner.

Today my new washer(!) is being delivered and I need to pick up the exterior paint that I ordered. Daddy Fuss will be cooking corn chowder tonight, so I also need to make sure I go to the grocery store and buy some milk and hopefully, get the cupcakes baked for Daddy Fuss's Halloween potluck tomorrow.

Friday night we have our Halloween party at SIL LP's house. Daddy Fuss has to go to the party store during his lunch break today to get the last 2 items on our costume list (he needs a prop gun and I need fishnet stockings).

Saturday Daddy Fuss is working for the photographer he helps out and then he will start painting the outside of the house. His friend (who was the best man at our wedding) is coming over in the afternoon to help him out.

I imagine that there will likely be more painting on Sunday and then Trick or Treating in the evening. Fuss is very excited.

I am very excited about the washer and I can't wait to get started on the laundry that's been piling up! (I can't believe I just typed that. Really? Obviously, my world has become very small and dull).

I'm hoping to get together with my mom either Thursday or Friday as she has a few days off this week and next, but has a big project for her Plant Society to get ready for next week and will be focused on that for the bulk of her time off. We shall see.

7 Quick Takes: My Birthday Weekend

1. I have a VERY busy weekend planned. Tonight I am going out for a Girl's Nite with 2 of my girlfriends to celebrate my friend M's birthday earlier this week. (I guess in part, also my birthday, but I'm focusing on her!) We are having dinner at a Japanese Steakhouse and going to a movie. I'm looking forward to it!

2. Tomorrow morning is my second shower. It's a small group of women from church, hosted by my friend Jo. As long as she is feeling better. She was sick earlier this week and I'm hoping she is feeling much better by now!

3. Tomorrow night, Daddy Fuss and I are going out to dinner at Melting Pot. This is a special place for us - usually reserved for our anniversary, though we had to miss that this year, since we were in St. Augustine and there is no Melting Pot in St Augustine. They make my favorite cocktail there, but I'll have to skip it this year, of course!

4. We've turned the weekend into a 3-day weekend, by scheduling my husband off on Monday for my birthday and we're going to have a family day. Possibly the last one of just the 3 of us! I'm hoping to take some pictures of the 3 of us while we're together and I know he's planning to take us to a new Cajun restaurant for lunch. The only thing is... I have no idea what Fuss might eat at a Cajun place... I'm sure we'll find something!

5. Lots of cleaning and organizing going to happen today. Also hoping to get a few minutes to myself to go spend a $25 gift card to CVS that I recently came across. I would like to get some new eye makeup, but that's not an easy thing to do with Fuss in tow!

6. Fuss's 2-yr-old pictures turned out great yesterday! Our photographer friend was training a new photographer in little kid pictures (they do lots of schools/day cares and so experience w/ young children is ideal) and I think the woman needs more practice. She kept waiting for the perfect poses - looking straight at her, hands folded nicely, etc. There were a ton of potentially great pictures that I felt like she missed because she wouldn't just take the pictures that were happening. But there were plenty of great ones, regardless, so I'm not really complaining. There was one that was our friend's favorite that made her look like a preschooler! It was adorable, but I'm not quite ready for her to look that old yet! I'll have to get Daddy Fuss to scan some of the proofs to post...

7. This is my last weekend in my 30's. I know that 30 years old isn't that old, but somehow it feels like leaving childhood behind for good. You're not supposed to be immature and child-like when you're 30. (though I know plenty of people who still are, regardless!)

For more Quick Takes, click here!

(Nearly) 33 weeks

I had my bi-monthly appointment at the OB yesterday and learned a lot.

The best and biggest thing was that they are still very much on board with inducing me at 39 weeks, due to the proposed size of said munchkin. This has been a worry of mine over the last few weeks, since they won't put it on the schedule until 36-37 weeks and I've been sort of counting on that date as my "end date." (Plus, it's super convenient for everybody. My mom and SIL have requested time off, the following weekend is Labor Day weekend, so everybody has a little extra time off to come play with both Fuss and the little guy, etc.)

My BP is up - still not in the scary zone, but higher than it's been, and higher than it ever was w/ Fuss. She asked me if I'd been having headaches before I even got the chance to mention my 48-hour headache. She asked a bunch of questions about swelling (very little, though a few sporadic episodes where it's been really bad for an hour or two) and indigestion feelings, and she checked my reflexes and verified that my protein levels were normal in my samples. (Yes) Basically, I have a few symptoms of possible pre-ecclampsia and she wants me to monitor my symptoms more closely and to call if they get worse, etc. She also encouraged me to go ahead and take the Rx I have for my headache to try and kill it and see if we could then start from scratch.

The other info I got was that the hospital tour isn't necessary. They were able to give me my paperwork at the Dr's office and I can mail it in for pre-registration. Daddy Fuss and I haven't discussed it yet, but I'm leaning towards skipping the tour altogether and just making my mom happy about the shower schedule.

I'm not happy that there is a chance I might have pre-ecclampsia, but I am happy that I feel like they are taking some of my more annoying symptoms a little more seriously. The one midwife often blows everything off - don't worry, you're fine, you feel different during pregnancy, etc. She is probably right, but I've been asking about my elevated-for-me BP since the end of my 1st trimester when I started getting the pregnancy migraines, and this is the first time I feel like they have truly listened/noticed a potential problem.

I took Fuss to my BFF's house yesterday while I was at my appointment. She ran around with BFF's boys (ages 7 and 3) for several hours and then we all went swimming in their pool when I got there after my appointment. Fuss took an unprecedented 4-hour nap that afternoon. (But then she didn't want to go to bed and woke WAY early for her this morning, so I guess we paid for it, either way.) Now we're both tired and I am really looking forward to nap time!

I had a play date with my husband.

You know what baffles me? That ice cream at the grocery store is tax-free, but toilet paper (certainly the more "needed for life" of the two) is not. That just messes with my sense of logic. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the tax break on the ice cream - because I love ice cream, but my sense of reason just cannot fathom that.

On Sunday, my SIL, J offered to take Fuss from 8:30am to 4:30pm to join a group from her church to go to the local zoo (it was $5 zoo day, I learned later. I figured there was something going on - maybe a group discount or something, because those darn adult tickets are expensive). We offered to make breakfast for the 2 aunts (my other SIL, LP, was also going) and then they took her on to church and were going over to the zoo immediately following.

For the first time in her life, Fuss needed someone called out of church during the service. No one has any idea what was happening, or why she was suddenly fussy and upset. (She had been in this class before, had walked right in without an issue, had made a friend, and had been there for a couple of hours already. They figured out later that she was very hungry, but she had had a good breakfast and they give a small snack in the class, so I am still confused as to what caused it, but I will likely never know.) They ended up skipping the zoo because she was fussy and complaining that she was tired and hungry and taking her to lunch w/ Oma (my MIL) and then brought her home. She apparently ate everything in sight but then refused to take a nap until mommy and daddy got home at 3 (a very late nap for her), coming home earlier than planned because of her issue. No big deal, we had had a nice day together, etc. but it was sort of strange, overall. She was clingy to me after her nap, as well, though totally willing to go down for her nap as soon as we got home. (She apparently kept asking for Aunt J in the class, and then when Aunt J got there, she burst into tears and cried "I want my mommy!" which is a new experience overall! I have heard stories about separation anxiety, and clingy phases that children go through, and I've waited for them to happen, and never actually seen them. This 15 minute episode is the closest I've seen in my obviously very Independent girl. )

When J offered to take Fuss, she set one stipulation: we were not allowed to work. This was a play day. We appreciated that - Daddy Fuss has been working SO hard, such long hours at the office, picking up freelance jobs and helping my dad with the construction. We had quite a time figuring out what to do with all this proposed freedom! We went over to the fancy mall and walked around. We checked out the iPad at the Apple store (love it, we're dreaming about it) and went to Build-a-Bear for our upcoming arrival and had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (and cheesecake, of course. Simply delicious cheesecake!). We walked into some of the high-end stores that I typically don't go into (I like shopping, but I am really the type that I'm not going to look if I know that I for sure cannot buy anything, therefore I usually don't go into Coach stores - the outlet, maybe, but not the regular retail store - and Tiffany's, etc.) but it was fun to window shop. We also stopped at Brookstone and sat in the massage chairs for a little while, getting electronic massages.

I've been plagued with some bad headaches again lately, but today seems to be the worst in awhile. I woke with it, feeling like I'd slept funny and I know I slept poorly all night - my longest (by far) stretch of sleep without waking was 90 minutes. But my usual tricks to get past a morning where I wake up with a headache didn't completely work. (it's better than it was - I can function and take care of Fuss as needed, though I imagine she'll be watching a little more TV than is ideal today, but we've already been to Target, where she was happily very well behaved)

I'm hoping for an easy day. I have things to do, of course, but I plan to take it easy. I've also noticed an increase in contractions this morning (including one in the shower that I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't scrubbing my tummy at the time - apparently the idea of a water birth really has some merit!) so, yet another reason to take it a little easier.

About a Dad

I kinda hate shopping for Father's Day cards for my dad. Mostly because, while we have a great relationship right now, we didn't have very much of a relationship when I was younger. So when looking for a mushy card (the kind that my daddy prefers - and truth be told, so do I) it's hard to find ones that don't wax poetical about how the father was there through thick and thin and taught you all those milestones through childhood, etc. and... my dad didn't. He was around when I was a kid (my parents didn't divorce until my 20s) but he was a workaholic and there were a lot of years where I think he just didn't know what to do with me/how to relate to me. (say, from about ages 5-17) Our relationship really developed when my parents were going through their divorce - which, in my opinion was the only good result in their divorce in the first place. (though I adore my step-parents too) I've always been a Daddy's Girl at heart, though, always wanting to please my dad, thinking he was a hero, and respecting him as a man. There have been years, even as an adult, that I bought him little girl cards instead of adult-daughter to father cards.

This year I was able to find one that talked about the bond between father and daughter and how they have a special relationship and that the best way to tell him how I feel is to say "I love you." So it was perfect. (Fuss got him one that talked about how she wanted to be able to fix things, too, just like Grandpa - which seemed especially appropriate since he's been taking things apart at the house while doing the work on the new room and she keeps telling him he broke things. She drew him a very convincing picture of a scribbled umbrella - she really just did some random scribbles, but it looked very much like an umbrella and we had been using the umbrella off and on all morning in the rain, so when I said "it looks like an umbrella!" she told him it was an umbrella. He liked it, but I think he would have liked anything she did)