Crazy

Just letting you all know where I've been. I'm back from crazy now and I'm off to insanity. I think insanity is the place where I'm able to keep up with everything, but during the process, I lose my mind.

See you soon.

Change?

I forgot to update you all.... Jerry decided to stay at his current job after his employer offered him some great things. I think it'll be good for all of us.

Lions and Jaguars and Colts, OH MY!

So, the football season has officially started. I am now a football widow. Its not just the football on tv that my husband is absorbed with... its the 5 million fantasy leagues that he's joined in hopes of winning at some point... its the Xbox 360 with Madden constantly in there every time I am trying to start 'Nemo' for Cooper... its the hours and hours of pregame and postgame coverage... its the constant need for SportsCenter and ESPN or NFL Network... its that ESPN is on the top of my browser as a 'favorite'. Who's favorite? NOT MINE!

I must admit, I do like to look at the cute quarterbacks and imagine what it would be like to be that quarterback's little trophy wife and spend all of his money. Those thoughts usually don't last very long because then I crack open my bag of Ruffles and Cooper spills something on my lap, thus waking me from my wonderful daydream.

Conversations with my husband when he's watching football are generally a series of grunts. During commercials, I might be able to get a quick couple of sentences in here and there, but then again, he's usually channel surfing during this time to try to find some other coverage of some other sporting event, or if its a Sunday, some other football game.

Oh how I love football season.

I think I'm just going to go shopping one Sunday and leave him home alone with both babies. I think he'd go insane.

Sunny Days

There is something about Sesame Street that makes my son stop in his tracks and stare at the TV. Is he thinking that it is interesting? Or, is he thinking the same thing as me... What the heck is a wooly mammoth doing hanging out with a gigantic yellow bird and talking to people 'in the neighborhood'?

I've also wondered what the reason is for all of the puppets being monsters? Is it to try to show children that monsters are ok? I just really don't understand!

Elmo drives me insane, but once again, Cooper is fascinated by him. Why is it that children are attracted to loud, obnoxious, brightly colored puppets, but are completely panic-stricken upon the sight of Santa Clause?

Oh well... whatever gives me five minutes of peace.

Its Not Like Buying a New Pair of Pants...

I go to the store and I hate shopping for pants. I can never find the perfect pair and once I do find some that fit me better than the rest, aren't ridiculously priced, and are almost the color I wanted, I start my search over looking for a pair that are just a little bit closer to perfect. Then, I start comparing them to the comfy old jeans that I have at home that fit well, just have so many holes that my underwear have started to show. They're comfy, but just not good for me anymore. Eventually, I buy the first pair I found.

Its not like that...

What I'm talking about is making a huge life change. Making a decision that eventually, will be in the best interest of the whole family, but really stinks in the beginning. Taking a huge pay cut is difficult. We've learned to live with the money we make now. I'm a stay at home mom and don't want to send my kids to day care. I would miss them way too much. We will learn to change our spending habits and to count every penny. We will make it. Eventually, we'll think back to this time and be glad that we made the decision. We'll wonder why it took us so much debate to make this sacrifice. In one year, Jerry should be making what he makes now... or at least close. The job he has now offers security and is safe. The new job is uncertain and new... and he's just unsure of the 'fit'. He's been looking for a long while and now the time has come to make that decision. He will take the new job and it'll turn into the comfy secure job that he has now...

Just like that pair of pants... next year, they'll be the comfy pants... next year we'll be pants shopping again and dreading that comparing all aspects to make sure they fit all the wrong places in all the right ways...

I guess it is like buying a new pair of pants...

1/4

Tomorrow I will officially be one quarter of a century old. Twenty-five seems so much older than 24. Its closer to 30 than 20! I already feel old enough being 25 with two kids!

The thing I don't understand is how people, well adults, always dread their birthday. To me its an accomplishment! I SURVIVED ANOTHER YEAR! Now that I have a toddler, every night when I go to bed I think, I survived another day! But anyhow, I really love my birthday! I get to go out to dinner where I pick. It doesn't matter if its kid friendly or if my hubby doesn't want to go there. I get to pick exactly where I want to go and I get to eat exactly what I want. AND, I can get a dessert if I choose (which I always do).

Birthdays are fun! I know I'll enjoy mine!

What are you doing to save the planet?

I used to think that people who wanted to save the planet were a bit off their rockers. They were optimists and pessimists all in one. They thought they could save the world and they also thought the world was coming to an end. These so called 'green' people were more of what I thought a hippy to be. I just thought that it was bit much for me.

Then, one miraculous day I had a child. I, like every other new parent, wanted to give my child the world. How on earth do I attempt that? I would sit and think of all the things I did as a child -- playing in the marsh at the end of my street as a child, exploring the neighborhood for all the creatures I could find, collecting snakes and tadpoles in buckets to watch them... then letting them go, getting down on my hands and knees and enjoying nature and enjoying what the earth had to offer. I don't remember getting a barbie for christmas or a bike for whatever birthday. In order to give my children the world, I have to save the world. I have to make sure that the same mother nature is still around for my kids to explore and I have to make sure that my grandkids have the same opportunites... and their children and grandchildren. It may not affect them today or tomorrow, but all things take planning and preparation.

This is what we are doing with our planet. Instead of fields of green, we're seeing this...

I don't know about you, but that shouldn't be the future of our planet. A lot of people are selfish and have the attitude that they won't see the ramifications of their actions, so why care? My answer is simple.... You have been blessed with a wonderful life. You have happiness in children or work or whatever your passion may be. You are able to do so without worry because our planet is ok... for now. Wouldn't you love for your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and on and on to be able to experience life and happiness as well? If you wish the best for your children, then why not your great-grandchildren's children?

There are so many ways that you can help. You can switch to energy star appliances, recycle more than you dispose, purchase organic items, switch to high efficiency light bulbs, use cloth diapers, instead of plastic bags at the grocery store you can bring your own from home or use paper. There are simple, everyday things that you can do as well! Turn down your thermostat a couple degrees in winter and up a couple degrees in the summer! Turn off lights and unnecessary electronics when not in use. Dispose of your used batteries at appropriate facilities. Use your recycle bin more than your garbage can. Turn the temperature down on your water heater. Instead of using paper towels, use a kitchen towel to clean. Grow your own garden and eat what you grow. There are so many ways you can help.

Personally, my husband still thinks I go overboard. He doesn't initiate any of my ventures, but he does go along with them. He has found that many of the things we've changed have actually made our lives easier. We spend less money and we feel healthier.

Please help save our planet! We want to see THIS!

Look for a cloth diaper blog soon to come! :)

Lies!

Lets face it... It keeps going and going and going is just a lie! Otherwise, my infant swing would still be swinging and my daughter would be asleep. Thank you for NOTHING energizer bunny!

Banishing the Binky

Cooper was a binky addict. Around 7-8 months of age, I realized that it was a bigger problem than we thought. It was then that I ruled the binky a sleepy time item only. It was also then that I told myself that the binky would be gone before Cooper's 1st birthday. Well, I obviously need to stop making rotten promises to myself. Cooper is 20 months old and we've just banished the binky. Its been a hard go and he is toughing it out.

Last Monday, I decided that I didn't want to bring any binkies for him on our next weekend getaway to the cottage. I don't want my two year old walking around with a binky. There was no particular event that led to Tuesday being 'the day'. It was a thought I had on Monday and I figured if I didn't do it just then, I probalby wouldn't do it for a while.

Tuesday was horrible. Although, he did nap for me. It was Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday... Oh yes... Friday... where we had the problems. I'd love to put Friday in my book of days I'd LOVE to forget for the rest of my life. It was one of those days where you actually think about serving yourself a shot of whiskey or drinking an entire bottle of wine. I did neither just for the pure fact that I didn't want to have to explain my sloppiness to my hubby when he came home from work. Crawling in a hole would have been a good option too... it was just too hot to do all that digging. The actual events of Friday weren't all too different from our normal day, except the difficult patches were 10 times harder and seemed to never end. Cooper decided that since I wasn't giving in and giving him a binky, he was going to rebel and get into every single thing that he could. Not a good day for mom. Poking Belle in the eyes was his new hobby just because he knew he shouldn't be doing it. Too bad he's learned to scale the sides of the pack n' play and escape... otherwise that would have been a good tool.

Tomorrow will be a week without the binky. Cold turkey. I see an end in sight although he is not going gently.

I promise... Belle will be done with the binky by her first birthday so I do not have to go through this again. (Don't quote me on that though, k?)

Impressions

Have you ever noticed that you never really know the intentions of others when you are reading things rather than actually seeing a person's face, looking them in the eyes, and seeing their sincerity?

I have found that lately, my comments have been taken out of context several times and I'm really not sure how to handle it. If I try to protect myself and explain, I come off as defensive and if I act like it didn't happen, it just sits in the pit of my stomach because now I know that someone has a skewed vision of who I am. What's even more difficult is when you know these people are talking about you amongst each other. If you've ever had the feeling that you're standing in the middle of a crowded room shouting, then you may have an inkling of how I feel. I want to redeem myself. I want people to know that I am an honest, trustworthy, friendly, open, curious, fun, caring, and sincere person. I want people to know that my intentions are never bad. I wish the best for everyone and just because I do not like someone does not mean that I do not wish them all of the happiness in the world. Everyone deserves the best. We are all God's creatures and we all deserve to enjoy the best of what He has to offer us.

All I can do is the best that I can do.

Friends are hard to come by and the best of those friends will stand by you in your worst time. Friends will defend you when all others are standing by and joining the croud. Friends will not jump to conclusions, they will find out the root and help you get through the rough patches.
True friends... now those are diamonds. Where are my jewels?

Catching Up

I'm taking the time to catch up on my blog. Now you see the adventure of a stay-at-home-mom is never easy. There is always SOMETHING to be done or something that you're neglecting (at the moment, it is the laundry). Sorry in advance for the random thoughts and I try to catch up. I'm also posting a preview to topics I'll be posting about in the near future (children willing). The topics are in no particular order!

• Sesame Street
• Cloth Diapers
• Traveling with 2 under 2
• No More Binky
• Yogurt and other Healthy Snacks
• Starting Solids
• Staying Sane
• Baby Gear and Gadgets
• First Fotos
• Cars
• Terrible Twos

And now for todays blog...

Once again, Cooper takes the majority of my thought in how to creatively discipline him at times where I would love to burst out laughing. He has gotten smarter at his old age (20 months) and he's learning how to do bad things and not get punished. We need to nip this in the bud or I think we'll have T-R-O-U-B-L-E on our hands as he gets older.

Now, we normally shut Cooper's door and leave it shut throughout the night as he is in a toddler bed and we're afraid that he'll wander. That night, we didn't shut his door per usual as the heat was not circulating well through his window (plus, I'm very nervous about leaving his window open and his door shut at the same time in a first floor bedroom). Anyhow... no big deal, right?

Jerry and I wake up in the morning and are laying in bed talking. Jer tells me that he hears something in the family room and we immediately know that it is Coop. Jer gets out of bed and goes to the family room where he tells me that I have to come and look. Well, here is what we found...

We've sinced learned that child locks on drawers do not always work. They are a pain the butt for us and obviously are no match for a curious toddler. He found a permanent marker and drew all over his body. I think the markings in his ear were the most creative spot he decided to 'decorate' himself. In the second photo, you can see where he becomes shy and knows that he did something he shouldn't have. I think that pulling out the camera immediately and taking pictures may have given him the wrong idea about what he did. When he does something he shouldn't, I really need to stop laughing my butt off and taking photos. I think he's sensing that this is how to make mommy laugh. While it does make me laugh, it makes me cringe thinking about how to clean up his inventive creations.

I've just realized that this is my second post about my little boy with something all over his body. This does NOT happen every day (unless you count mealtimes), but the once a month that this does happen is quite funny and unpreventable at the current time. There are so many things that as a parent, you think you are protecting your children from. You then realize that your chidlren are way smarter than you ever thought that they would be and you have to adjust your gameplan. Each day is a new day for your child to explore, learn, and create... while you chase them around and try to figure out how to stop them! I'm guessing that this is a lifetime sentence.

Terrible Twos, Bananas, and Newborn Babies

So much has been going on lately that I haven't had a chance to keep up! I feel like I'm endlessly dumping water from the boat, but its neither sinking nor emptying... we're at a standstill! Luckily, it always happens that when I feel this way, my wonderful hubby comes to the rescue and helps bail me out until next time.


Cooper is 20 months old tomorrow and has hit the 'terrible twos'. He's such a strong-willed child and I'm having trouble disciplining him. We brought the pack n' play back out into the family room for time outs and also for a safe place for Belle to chill. So far, since its been set up, we haven't needed it for Cooper. Go figure! I'm reading a book called 'The New Strong-Willed Child' by Dr. James Dobson. I'm crossing my fingers that it'll have some clearcut advice to help us through this yucky stage. He just needs to listen!


Belle had her first experience with solid foods last night. We were going to hold off until 6 months, but lately she's just seemed like she's needed a bit more than just her bottles. She's been drinking 8 ounces 5 times a day! She's a piggy. She gobbled down her bananas and cereal so quickly and barely spit any out! She loved it! I'm glad that she did so well. I think we'll continue with it each day, but we'll just go slow... I'm thinking one new food every couple of weeks or so and then when she hits 6 months of age, we'll go full-force!


And lastly, I am an aunt! My nephew Kristopher was born July 25th and weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. He looks just like his daddy! I love newborn babies! Unfortunately, it is bittersweet as my nephews parents are quite regimented as to when visitors are allowed. I'm attempting to put this nicely. Today, we called because Jerry wanted to go see his nephew (and godson), but we were turned down. Its just unfortunate that we aren't allowed to see him as much as we would like. I'll leave it at that.


Sorry for the lack of photos! I'll get to some later!

I Love Summer

Summer is definitely my favorite season.

There are so many things to do! I love all of the festivals, parties, people everywhere, and just the abundance of activity! Everything is based outdoors and its so nice to be out of the house! I guess you could also mention the fact that my birthday is in the summer! I'm still young enough to where I still enjoy my birthday!

I could have an entire calendar of events for my summer. Unfortunately, Jerry doesn't share the same passion and loves to sit around on his days off! I know I bug him about going here and there, but I just LOVE summer!

Now that I have kids, my love for summer has grown stronger! I love letting Cooper run around outside in his diaper! I love taking him to the park and letting him explore! I love going to the various sprinkler parks in the area so Coop can run and play with other kids his age! I love walking through the sand with him! I love letting him get dirty and letting him venture all over! Summer is definitely a great time for kids.

I wish I lived in a climate where my kids could do that all year round... Snow isn't fun!

A Little Reminder to Myself

I have two beautiful healthy children. I have a wonderful husband. I have a warm home. I have a wonderful support system. I have people who love me. I have love for others. I have more than a lot of people do. I have all that I need and more.

I just need to give myself a reminder of all of the blessings I have in my life. Lately, I've just been feeling as though everyone else around me is going on and doing bigger and better things and I am just at a standstill in life. I need to remember that the sacrifices in my life that I have made are minimal compared to the benefits those sacrifices have brought. I need to remember that I am young and have a lot of life left to obtain my desires. I need to remember that at this point in life, we are doing the best we can and that is all we can do. I need to remember that I need to celebrate the positive things happening in other people's lives. I need to remember to be a little less self-centered. I need to remember that I'm human and am not perfect. I need to remember that love is greater than any material possession could ever bring.

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep...

New pictures! I had a little photo shoot with my baby girl the other night and forgot to share! Here are the new shots!

She was being such a cutie!

Blue Frosting and Hot Tubs

Sundays are great... Jerry usually has the day off and we normally spend the day doing whatever we want. Today, it just so happened that we were invited to his parent's house for a seafood boil. Oh Yum!

As per usual, we waited for Cooper's morning nap before we left. When we got there, everyone was so eager to see Belle's new earrings! They all thought she looked so cute (so do I)! We walked in their house to yet again, new toys for Cooper! Good thing all of these things they've been buying are staying at their house.

Cooper ran around outside for a bit and I got some great shots of him playing outside. I mean, some really great shots! I've been so proud of myself lately! My portfolio is definitely coming together... even if it is mostly shots of my own kids. My nephew will be born within the next two weeks, so I'll really get some good newborn/mom/dad shots! I can't wait. Anyhow, here's my favorite shot from the day... I haven't had a chance to take any editing to it, so be gentle!

When we came back in, it was time to eat. Cooper gobbled up some shrimp and Jerry and I gobbled up everything else! It was SOOO yummy. If anyone is looking for a good seafood boil recipe, Tyler Florence has a great one! My inlaws watch food network a lot and my mother in law decided it was time for her to make the boil that she's been wanting for a while! I'm glad she made that decision, although my breath tonight has left something to be desired! After dinner, Grandma and Papa had a blue cookie monster frosted chocolate cupcake. This thing had more frosting on it than cupcake! Cooper dug right in and enjoyed eating all the frosting and leaving the cake! HA! He made a big old mess but was cute as can be!After Coop made his gigundo mess with Cookie Monster, we wiped him up as best we could and headed him right to the hot tub to rinse off. He loves playing in their hot tub. I couldn't leave little Belle out, so she got to play in the hot tub too! That girl LOVES being in the water and she just kicks her little feet the entire time she's in there! She really enjoys being mesmorized by the light dancing with the motion of the water...

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

My cousin's baby will not live outside the womb. She just found out Thursday. Her baby has been diagnosed with holoprosencephaly... a big word for the lack of her baby's brain to develop normally. Her baby has the most severe type.

She is a mother already... She loves her baby more than words can say. Her little girl is still alive as long as she is in mommy's womb.

Please pray for both Mommy and Baby during this time.

I LOVE YOU RACHIEL AND I LOVE MY LITTLE 'NIECE'! Let me know if you ever need anything... I'll be there for you!

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Dylan Thomas

Isn't She Lovely!

Belle looks SO stinkin' cute with her new earrings! We went to Claire's to have them done and the girl that did them was so nice and she did a great job. She seemed VERY comfortable with infants and knew all kinds of things to do/check to make them just perfect.

I was so nervous for her! She washed her ears with the disinfectant and then she made her dots for where the earrings were to go. She loaded her guns and did her ears one at a time. I asked if they could do them both at the same time and she said it isn't a good idea as most of the time, the holes end up uneven. She did the first ear and it took Belle a good 5 seconds before she let out the BIGGEST scream. I swear she had tears streaming down her little cheeks! She did the next ear and Belle just kept on crying! I felt SO bad. The bottle that we prepared was useless... she just wanted snuggles! After about 2 minutes, she was done crying and smiling at Jerry. So, a few tears and $40 later, Belle is donning an adorable pair of pink ice earrings! I was going to go with her birthstone (aquamarine), but Jerry had to remind me that most of her clothing is pink, so the pink ice would be a better match! :)

She may be bald, but now she's got some earrings and hopefully people can stop telling me how cute 'HE' is when she's wearing a pink dress sitting in a pink car seat...

The 'Belle' Will Be Ringing

We're taking Anabelle to get her ears pierced today. I'm nervous for her! I hate making my baby cry, but I know it'll be shortlived. I love how little girls look with pierced ears and I can't wait for Belle to join the club! She's going to be such a little princess... well, she already is!

Depending on how the ear-piercing goes, we'll probably head to the beach to let Cooper play at the sprinkler park afterwards. Cooper loves that place and has a riot every time we take him. We try to let him socialize as much as possible with other children since I am a stay at home mom. He really doesn't know how to react to other kids his age. He'll play perfectly with older kids, but rarely does he know what to do with a baby his size. We're hoping that as we bring him more places to socialize, he gets more comfortable!

A friend of mine approached me to watch her 8 month old daughter 5 days a week from about 7:30 till about 5:30. I used to watch kids in my house like that before I had my own kids! The extra money will be great for us, but I'm just nervous that I won't be able to handle them all. I've also agreed to watch my newborn nephew in September when my sister in law has to return to work. Am I nuts agreeing to watch 4 kids under 2?

I will post photos of Belle with her new earrings when we return!

I Told You This Would Be Comical

Good News! The kids slept in, which meant that I snoozed an extra hour or so myself! I think that is where the good news from this morning comes to an end! Belle started stirring, so I hopped out of bed to make her a bottle before she started crying so Cooper could sleep a little longer. I brought her out to the family room and started feeding her. She does her wiggle, wiggle, shake, shake move that means she has a burp. I tip her up and BLAH she pukes all down my pj's. Yuck. She started crying for her bottle, so I propped it up for her to eat while she was in the swing so I could go change. I peaked in Coop's room and he was still sleeping! Belle was making some more uncomfortable noises and so I grabbed her back up and burped her... this time I had protected myself! I wasn't taking any chances!

Fast forward 30 minutes... I'm sitting here watching some dull morning show and eating my cheerios. Belle is in her Bumbo chair just chatting away at this firefly rattle. I hear stirring in Cooper's room and could hear his little feet coming down the hall. He pop's his head around the hall corner....

GROSS!

He has something white smeared all over his head, chest, and of course, his hands. I'm was sitting there having insane flashbacks from the vaseline incident. Ever since then, I've been extremely cautious about the items that we leave within Cooper's reach in his room. Obviously, I had left something that he could get. Did I also happen to mention that he was butt naked?! That little turkey. So, I head to his room to investigate. Once I got to his room, there was NOTHING in there! What the heck did he get into? Just as that thought crossed my mind, I saw the soaked diaper from last night that he obviously took off of himself. I remember that I had put some Triple Paste on his little toosh last night because it was looking like the beginnings of a rash...

DOUBLE GROSS!

He was playing with diaper rash ointment out of his urine-soaked diaper! I grabbed him up and stuck him right in the bathtub... scrubbing him head to toe!

I think I might start duct-taping his diapers on him at night time.

I'm getting the 'oh thats nasty chills' just writing this. There's just something wrong about that boy playing with something that came out of his diaper... although, I'd take diaper rash ointment over something else that could have come from his diaper! **Shudder**

So, that was my morning... Belle is still in his Bumbo and Cooper is clean as a whistle watching Teletubbies. I suppose its my turn to shower and get all of this baby puke washed off!

I never thought I'd have something this good for my second post!

Everything Starts Somewhere

Well, this is my first post in my new blog. My intention is to document my life as a stay at home mom. I'm sure this will be quite comical and will most likely deter more people from having children so close in age!

I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Steph. I hate being called Stephanie. It reminds me of my mom yelling at me and just seems to formal. I'm not a formal person. I'm going to be 25 on August 24th. I got married to a wonderful man on October 9th, 2004. He is Jerry and he is 25. He is the love of my life! Jerry is an absolutely wonderful chef and I cannot wait until he gets the opportunity of a lifetime to take his dream to new heights! I stay at home with our two children. Cooper is 19 months and was born on December 1st, 2005. He's a little ball of fire.... catch him if you can! Anabelle is our little princess. She was born March 6th and is just barely 4 months old. She's definitely asserted herself as the little girl of the household. Cooper loves doting on his little sister and he loves being able to help when she is crying.

A few snipits from my life before I submit my first blog into the cyberworld...
~I am passionate about my children.
~I use cloth diapers.
~We put ethanol in our car and are silently boycotting oil fuels.
~I don't agree with the war.
~I like Dr. Phil and the View.
~I am passionate about car seat safety.
~I love reading books to my kids.
~I can't stand laundry, but I don't mind washing my cloth dipes.
~I know I need to lose weight.
~I'd love a few more children... just not in the next few years!
~I love when my hubby cooks for me!
~One of my vices is good ice cream.
~I do a lot of research on silly things.
~I LOVE photography and would love to start my own business.
~I spend too much money on my children.
~My mom is my hero.
~I enjoy crocheting and love giving baby blankets to expecting moms.

OK... that's it for now! Next blog to come soon! I really have to do some exploring and set up the rest of my blog!