Max's Birthday

I cannot believe that it has been over a year since I gave birth to the sweetest, most huggable boy I could have imagined. The year has been a crazy one and one of the most challenging I have ever faced, but I can't imagined how I ever survived without Maxie and I am looking forward to another year of being a mommy times two.

In honor of my Max-asarous, here are twelve reasons to love him:
1)He is really so huggable. He loves to bury his face in my neck and squeeze and it is the one thing that is sure to turn my frown immediately upside down.
2)He eats anything! Hailey was always super picky, but Max asked for table food at 11 months and hasn't turned down much since.
3)His nose scrunching snort face (see past blog video) is still the funniest thing I have ever seen. He only does it occasionally now, but when he busts it out I am immediately laughing.
4)Max is so sociable and will let anyone hold him. I am his favorite, but he is willing to give anyone a try :)
5)He gave up his bottles with no problem, after I stressed out about the transition for months!
6)He loves Hailey even though she isn't good at sharing and tends to be grabby with toys. He knows she is just trying to toughen him up :)
7)His favorite game is currently run away from Mommy, which is no fun for me but has provided hours of amusement for others.
8)He has a solid little soul. He never seems frantic or in a hurry, which is a nice contrast to his sister who never walks and literally bounces from place to place. Like her mother, Hailey is incapable of sitting still, but Max is our little rock.
9)He said momma before Da Da :) Hehe
10)He loves his riding toys, so I am sure he is going to be a cowboy when he grows up. His face is so cute when he rocks or bounces!
11)Though sweet and solid, he is no pushover. He puts up with Hailey's pushing and grabbing, but he has a limit and he fights back when necessary. Hailey is on borrowed time until Max catches up with her :)
12)And finally, because he is the best surprise I have ever had and my favorite little man in the world. I look into his sweet blue eyes and know how momma's boys are created and can't imagine how I ever let him grow up so fast. My baby is gone and toddler-hood is on the horizon. I miss my baby Max and I am going to have to figure out a way to stop calling him that!

Thank you Max, for putting up with me cranky and impatient and always giving me hugs when I ask.

MIA

Well, I am back after another LONG absence and I can only say that I have been lazy and embarrassed, and that is why I haven't blogged. You know how procrastinators(such as me) will put something off and then we become embarrassed that it has been too long and then avoid even more than we were before, well that is what happened to my blog. I haven't had pictures and Cam's new job has been a difficult adjustment and my life hasn't been sparkly or fun very often and I hate writing yucky blogs. I will try harder, and I do have a new camera (thanks to a VERY generous influx of money from the inlaws :), so here is a little picture montage of the last month. :)

One of the first pics taken with the new camera of my mom and the kids. They love their Nauni!


Here is a picture of the kids cleaning. I am a slave driver! ;)


Our sad Charlie Brown tree. We are not a big Christmas decorating family, and this is our first year with a tree and kids, so I was just happy we got it up. I promise next year we will get a full size tree.


I will make a new post for Max's first birthday party and tell you all about it. Let me just say, it was not all I dreamed it would be and at least he won't remember it :)

The Fall Festival and purse crazy

The Fall Festival was a bit crazy because Cam was late, so I had to figure out how to get through the line at dinner, find a highchair, get food to the table, and then feed them both, on my own, but Cam showed up in the nick of time and my sanity was saved. I ran off and manned the picture booth and bag decorating which wasn't too bad because I had a really good view of Cam chasing Hailey for an hour while balancing Max on one side. I will admit that I laughed a tiny bit when Hailey took off and Cam was chasing her with a very frustrated expression on his face. The little kids were all so cute and I enjoyed meowing at them in my costume, so we will be back next year.

I have had some requests for more info on my recent Coach purse obsession, so I will leave you with pics of my wish list.

1. The dream bag that is almost $600. I know I will never have it, but it is so pretty.


2.I love the animal print on this one, but it's still pretty pricey. This is the one that I originally fell in love with.


3.This one is really cute, too, and it would look very nice with the new church me. :)


4. And the final bag, which is cute, would be funtional and serve its purpose of making me happy without giving Cam a coronary because of the price tag, but would not send me into purse bliss as the others do. This is the one I will be getting for Christmas, and I am very happy :)


So that is my walk through the Coach purses I have fallen in love with through online shopping, hope you enjoyed it!

Trick or Treat!

Last night we went to my mom's neighborhood and trick-or-treated and it was so much fun! Last year I was 8 months pregnant and Hailey was freaked out by the decorations, so I think we only went to 3 houses. That was a little disappointing because I love Halloween, but I probably couldn't have made it that far anyway. I was huge back then! I'll throw in a little picture of that just to spice up the blog :)

This year, Cam came and we made it about halfway down mom's street (a half an hour), so though I could have gone longer, it was fun and we all got some good loot. Hailey was an adorable fairy princess and Max was a dragon. Max is super cute because he is walking, but he has that Frankenstein walk, so it worked perfectly with his dragon costume. I dressed up as a cat (black shirt, jeans, tail, ears, drawn on whiskers and nose) and almost had to forfeit my costume to a fairy princess who fell in love (Hailey.) Luckily, she was distracted by candy and we continued trick-or-treating. Tonight our church is having its annual Fall Festival, so we all get to dress up again and play some games. It should be fun! Those of you who know me well will be amused by the fact that I was up until midnight last night making Mummy Cupcakes (chocolate cupcakes with white icing, gum tape and M&M eyes) for the cakewalk and have also been roped into working a booth at the festival. I feel much better about working the booth because it means Cam has to take the kids around (hee,hee), so I will have a full report tomorrow.

My camera is still broken, so my mom took pics last night and I may try to borrow it for tonight. I will post the pics as soon as I can :) I should be getting a new camera shortly, and Cam just got his new job assignment, so I may be getting that Coach purse after all ;) His new job includes another raise YEAH!! we desperately need it, but lots of travel BOO! Cam will be a member of the IT team that installs and teaches the inventory control system in all of the Napa distribution centers nationwide. He will fly to the DCs and be there for a week, and them home for a couple of days and then out again. I hate that he is going to be gone so much, but it is such a great opportunity for Cam to network and learn, that I couldn't let him pass it up. Plus, we get to stay here in Charleston for another 18 months, and I have a support system here that I wouldn't have if he was doing this somewhere else. Cam has been told that taking this job will help expedite his career track, so I am willing to take a couple for the team :) Don't think that I won't be asking for some help from others family that have been slacking off, though, and you friends out there might be seeing a little more of me once I become a Napa widow!

I'm BACK!

Hi all! I know it has been a month since I posted, and I am OK. :) Things have been crazy and I have been lazy. Plus my camera broke and it took me awhile to get any pictures loaded into the computer. Santa will be bringing me a new camera for Christmas, so that is happy, but he will not be bringing me the pretty Coach purse that I picked out online (yes Jenn I have succumb to the branded purse monster, feel free to laugh and feel a tiny bit smug:). The reason he will not be bringing my purse is not because of the camera, but due to the speeding ticket I got on the way to preschool last week. Those of you who know about my bad luck with driving will not be surprised to hear that I also rear-ended someone, in my mom's car, on the same day as the ticket. I was convinced by the end of the day to curl up in a ball and just give up!

Other than that crazy day, things have been busy, but normal, and I love being busy, so I'm happy :) Max is walking everywhere and Hailey is potty trained completely. I am so glad that that is over and I am wondering if Max really ever needs to learn. I may just wait until he is around 4 because I just don't want to think about cleaning poo off the floor again any time soon.

Here are a couple pictures highlighting the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!

This is Max on his first swing ride on a visit to the park. Hailey hated the swings when she was his age, but he seemed to really like it.


I also took a group pic of the three of us and I was surprised that it turned out pretty good.


Hailey and Jonathan at the Pumpkin Festival. Hailey is just chillin' on her pumpkin and Jonathan is showing his some love.


My sister-in-law came to visit and we took her and my nephew to the Clay Center. Hailey, my MIL, and Wesely loved playing with the sand and water. Can you tell my MIL hates to have her picture taken :)


Last Saturday was Spooktacular at the Clay Center, so we took the kids and it was fun. I think they will have more fun next year when Max can get out of he stroller, but he looked pretty cute as a dragon, and he stayed smiley most of the morning.


Hailey enjoyed decorating her treat bag with Cam, so I would call it a success.


On Sunday we went to the Milton corn maze with our Sunday school class. It was fun and the kids did great, so I was pleasently surprised. The first couple clues are really hard to find, but keep going because it gets a lot easier. Hailey liked the baby pools full of corn better than the maze itself. Maybe we should get one for the porch?


So that is my month in mini-pic review. I will try to post more often, and hopefully none of you gave up on me and stopped reading my blog!

Hailey's Anatomy Lesson

Jonathan's mommy has inspired me to blog about something funny that happened the other night in the bathtub. Hailey and Max bathe together every night and generally get along well. The other night Hailey was helping me wash Max's back because he is in that standing at all times phase, and she was naming his body parts. I was paying attention , but I was a little distracted because it had been ONE OF THOSE DAYS. You know.

"Washing Maxie's back"
Mmhmm
"Washing Maxie's shoulders"
Mmhmm
"Washing Maxie's belly and button"
MmHmm
"Washing Maxie's 'gina"
Mm...HUH!
"Mommy, Max's 'gina funny"
Yes, it is. Actually that is a penis. He is a boy, so he has a penis. You are girl, so yours is a vagina.
"Ok"

Back to washing her 'gina.

Now I don't know where you all fall on the proper names for private parts, but I have always heard that it is best to call them the correct name, so that is what I am doing. It, however, does not make it any less funny to hear a two-year-old say 'gina. She still refers to his boy parts as a 'gina, so I am waiting to hear its real name soon. I think it will be pretty funny!

New Links

I just wanted to point out that I have added two buttons/links to my blog. Please click on the breast cancer one whenever you visit my blog (if you remember :), and check out the prostate cancer site if you have dads or grandfathers and urge them to have check-ups and have their PSA screenings and exams. My dad is a prostate cancer survivor and his life was literally saved by a coworker that forced him to take part in her wellness fair at their school. His PSA levels were high and that led to further tests which diagnosed him with prostate cancer. It was caught early and after a year of radiation and hormone therepy he has been in remission for 4 years. I thank God and my dad's coworker every day that it was found in time and treated so successfully. That is why I would love for you to click on this link and become educated for that special man in your life, and donate if the urge strikes you :)

Crafty, Crafty!

I spent last night doing Hailey's "homework," an "All About Me" poster for preschool, and I just wanted to show everyone that I can be crafty despite the empty scrapbooks. :) I think I am going to tell her teachers that Hailey did it, though, because despite my best efforts it looks like the work of a preschooler. I have convinced myself that I meant to do that :)

My little Mary Lou Retton

Hailey started gymnastics on Friday and she looked super cute in her new leotard. However, she was the only one in her class and she was crazy! She ran around bouncing from one piece of equipment to another and her teacher and I spent most of the time chasing her and trying to make her focus on one thing. I am not sure it would have been any better with more 2 year olds, but my goal was not one-on-one instruction, so this class may be short lived. I will keep you updated and would love anyone's input :)


This is Hailey yelling "Hello down there!" to her fellow gymnasts before class. One minute later, she fell while attempting to climb the padded bleachers and now has a rather impressive black eye.

Reprieve

Well, Cam heard today that his first placement will be here in Charleston!!! YEAH!!! We get to stay here for another 6 months to a year (approx.), and then we will be moved somewhere else when a service manager job becomes available. I am happy because I really wanted to stick around for the holidays and I love Hailey's preschool, so I am very happy she gets to stay. Though this means we will have to eventually move, hopefully we will have more say in the placement, so I am still pushing for NC or Louisville :)

I will leave you with a pic of the kids in the bathtub last night because I know you are going through withdrawl :)

WVU Widow

Well, Cam is headed to the game this weekend and had to leave tonight because driving cannot affect his tailgating tomorrow (God forbid), and I am officially declaring my status as a WVU widow :) I hope he enjoys the mini vacay, because I am not sure I can handle it every weekend. He deserves the break, though, so I am glad he got the opportunity.

Things have been a bit crazy in the Peterson household lately. Cam is finishing his training at work and could get a call any day and we would have to move in a matter of weeks. Napa has a great relocation program where they buy our house if it won't sell in 60 days, reimburse closing costs, provide money for alternate housing for 60 days, etc., which helps alleviate some of the stress. However, I enjoy being close to my mom and Cam's family, so I am not a huge fan of moving. Unfortunately, I can be a stay-at-home mom anywhere, so I don't have much say in the matter. There are a couple of places that would make moving suck less (Louisville, Charlotte, High Point, NC, Columbia), but others that make the idea REALLY scary (Syracuse, Miami, etc.), so I am chugging along every day trying to live in denial and not freak out until it happens. So far it has not worked so well, but I am trying to at least remain positive when I do obsess. I could get a new house with a great yard or I could move to a great city that just happens to be a stop on the next Jimmy Buffett tour :)

The kids are good, Hailey is going through a rebellious nap phase, but Max is napping great, so I guess I can't get them both great at the same time for any long length of time because that would be unfair. Hailey had her preschool orientation on Thursday and her new teachers were very nice and the room looked like so much fun. I am very excited that she will get to go every Tues and Thur morning, not just for me. I really think she is getting bored with me and needs better teaching than I can provide. I admire her teachers because I know I couldn't handle 8-10 2 year-olds for 4 hours every morning!

Just wanted to share!

Cam's (my husband)sister is pregnant!!! No one that knows her reads this, so I just wanted to spread the good news that I am going to be a Auntie X 2 in North Carolina. I am so happy for her and glad that our kids are going to be close in age. I love Cam's sister tons and that makes it even better, because she is not only family, but a friend, and I think that is more important. In my life I have discovered that family is not a guarantee for strong bonds, but friends are what I value most. Some of my best friends are family (my mom, my sister), but some of my friends I love like family because they have been there when fam has not, so I value them over some of my crappy fam. That is just my experience, and I understand those who don't agree :) Have a great day bloggers and send healthy baby vibes to Fuquay Varina, NC for Cathie. Thanks!

I know you all wanna be me :)

Just thought I would share a tiny bit of my day with you all in blog land...

I was feeding Max lunch today and Hailey was standing in front of the couch beside my knee. I felt her wipe something on my leg and and so I looked over at her and it and said "Is that poop?" "Yes." cute innocent face "WHY ARE YOU WIPING IT ON MY LEG! (this was the volume in my head, but I was fairly calm considering) Do you have to go potty?" (nod yes) "Then go!!" And she did in the potty. Thank you for allowing me to gross you out and enjoy your poo free legs.

Despite this, potty training is actually going very well. We are able to leave the house with panties on and for the last week diapers are only worn when sleeping. Yeah!

Snorty Face

Max makes the funniest snorty face, and at random moments. It makes me laugh so hard! I took some video of it last night, so enjoy!





Go ahead, and tell me this isn't at least a little bit funny. I know I am biased, but it cracks me up!

Reunited, And it feels so good :)

As you may have read on Jonathan's Mommy, Max and I went to Louisville this weekend and we had so much fun. Jennifer and I have been friends for 11 years and we have been through a lot of crazy, sad, fun, and very memorable things together. Over the last three years we have been so busy having babies and being mommies that we have not been able to find time to be just Jenn and Heather. That is why I am so glad that I headed west this weekend and had some much needed girl time! We talked until 3:30am, drank some beer, and just bonded all over again. So, though she has said that I helped her in dealing with her recent tragedy, she helped me feel like ME again for the first time in a long time. THANK YOU! The trip also helped me appreciate what I have because I missed my Hailey and my hubby :)

We only took a couple of pictures, so here are two of Jonathan mowing the grass Saturday (it was unbelievable hot).

Doesn't he look so serious! He did a great job :)


Max enjoyed being outside, but you can tell he was getting hot. We probably only stayed outside for about 20 minutes!


That's all for now, but let me just say that though I am saving a ton of money on diapers. holding Max over the potty everytime he has to go is kinda a pain :)
(read Jonathan's mommy for more info)

Still no pics :)

I seriously need to start carrying my camera everywhere because I am just not taking picture as much as I should. This past weekend in Lexington went well. Hailey was crazy, as usual, and I think I heard my uncle talking about a straitjacket, but only one small thing was broken while Hailey was doing a Spidergirl impression on the side of the deck, so I count it a successful visit. Max was an angel, and could not get enough of my Dad's girlfriend Lisa. I believe she has gotten his seal of approval :), and mine because she offered to babysit! I actually liked her before, but I am never opposed to a bit of sucking up.
Max is crawling everywhere and pulling up on anything within reach, so I know my days of chasing only one are numbered. I am trying to enjoy the bliss of this stage as long as I can. It is crazy how fast they grow up. I know this topic is discussed at length, but I am just shocked at how fast the last 8 months have gone. I miss my tiny delicate infant, but I wouldn't give up the sweet, smiley little man I have now for anything. I guess it will always be this way until they are teenagers, and then we will give anything to have our babies back. Some days I would actually trade Hailey in one of her temper tantrums for Hailey at around 8 months :), but only sometimes. She is learning so much and doing something amazing every day, and when I am in a good mood, the temper tantrums can actually be kinda cute (rarely, but it does happen.) She balls her fists up, squints her eyes, and screams, which is funny when we are not in public or Max isn't screaming.
This weekend Max and I are going to visit Jonathan's mommy and Hailey is having a daddy's weekend. I fully expect her to be full of junk food and literally hanging from the ceiling when I return. I think I may have even heard Cam mention something about golfing. He slyly asked if I was taking both kids, when he has known for weeks that I am taking only Max. Good try, though :) Hailey loves her dad and Cam is great father, so I trust him, and I really think this time will be good for him. Her brain won't completely rot if she watches 16 hours straight of TV, right? I can undo that, can't I? They'll be fine......?

Been awhile!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have not disappeared. July has been a crazy busy month for me and, of course, I have forgotten my camera :) Things are good, kids are good and doing crazy stuff every day.

Hailey has finally figured out that she can easily get out of her crib, but it hasn't been too bad so far. I was hoping she could stay in there until middle school at least, but I guess not :) It usually takes only one warning and she will stay in, so I am trying to buy some more time until the big bed. It would involve switching the kids cribs and a some other issues, so I am hoping that she can last until we may/may not move in Sept.

Max is working on crawling, but he just can't seem to get the arms and legs moving in harmony. Hailey was almost walking by now, so a part of me is worried, but the other part is happy that he is still not mobile. He gets so frustrated, though, and it makes me sad to watch him try so very hard and not get anywhere.

We will be going out of town this weekend to see my cousin who teaches in a missionary school in Port a Prince, Haiti (we are going to KY), so I will try to remember the camera then :) Hope all you bloggers are doing great and are having a great summer with the kids!

Fuquay Varina #1

These are some quick pics I took while visiting my sister-in-law. We had SO much fun and Hailey misses her cousin already.

Max and Hailey on the floor in the living room. Hailey is "cheesin'" for me.


Hailey in the little car in front of their house. They had a little decline in front and Hailey loved going down the "mountain"


Cousin Wesley. We have been told that Hailey and Wesley look like siblings and I think they do more so than Max and Hailey. He is so cute and much quieter than Hailey!


I will post more after Cathie sends me some on email.

Thank you Wendy!

I have been woefully unable to come up with anything to blog about, and your meme gave me something, so THANKS! :)
Here are the rules:
- I have to post these rules before I give you the facts
- Each participant posts eight random facts about themselves
- Tagees should write a blogpost of eight random facts about themselves
- At the end of the post, eight more bloggers are tagged
- Go to their blog, leave a comment telling them they're tagged

1. I am a creature of habit. It makes me feel good to know what is coming and I am not good with surprises. I eat the same thing for breakfast every morning, my kids are super scheduled, and I plan my week in advance in my head. I drive my hubby nuts! :)

2. I can't smell. Yup! Never have and don't ever care to. I was born this way and it was very handy during the first trimester of pregnancy. My nose is cute but nonfunctional :) The pediatrician recently found this out and is now freaking out and wants me to write up an entire family history. Yawn.

3. I am currently committing to losing weight. We can't afford any diet programs or gyms, but I am going to do the best I can and hopefully I can lose a least a little bit, because I am starting to feel really crappy about the way I look.

4. I love animals and as a child I had almost every pet you can think of: cats, dogs, gerbils, mice, hamsters, pigs, snakes, lizards, spiders (not a fan, but I did have one), birds, and a prairie dog. We currently have two dogs and that is one too many for me.

5. I HATE to clean and secretly think that I was meant to be rich so I could hire someone to do it for me :)

6. I am having a HUGE party for my 30th birthday in 9 monthes and I am throwing it for myself! You are all invited :)

7. I miss my best friends and wish I could talk to them more!! Reading their blogs helps, but I miss their beautiful faces and the way that both of them can always make me laugh and know me in such different ways better than anyone. Therefore, I will attempt to force you both to spend more time with me, and you know I can be persistant :)

8. I am really scared about moving in September, and I still don't know if we will have to, or where we are going, but a tiny part of me is excited because new stuff can be better than old, and though I fear change, I am a fan of facing one's fears, so I know you all will wish me luck.

I hereby tag
1.Jenn
2.Andrea Twinmommy
3.Alicia
4.And everyone
5.Else has
6.been tagged
7. And I don't
8.Know anyone else :)

We are going to Fuquay Varina (fun to say), NC on Wednesday to visit my sister-in-law and will be gone until Monday, so I will take some pics and post them. Peace!

Dedicated to Jennifer and Andrea....

I dedicate this blog to my blogger friends Jennifer and Andrea because my son is refusing to nurse and I have finally relented and am giving him formula. :) The dedication is because these two people dealt with me as the nursing freak who "encouraged" them to nurse their children, sure that you can power through and nurse if you really want to no matter what. I still believe that nursing is the best and the most natural choice, and when challenged by it, hard work will result in success, but I am now admitting that I am not a perfect earth mother and am not willing to stress myself out anymore about it.

Over the last month Max has not been nursing well at all. He is distracted easily and probably gets about 5 minutes total of sucking and none of it is vigorous. Every session seemed to be filled with me begging him to eat and worrying about Hailey because we had left her downstairs to find a distraction free zone. Nothing was working and though he didn't seem hungry, he was chowing down on solids. I know that he is supposed to still be getting the majority of his nutrition from his liquid diet, so I was worried. Monday I tested him by nursing and them offering him a bottle to see if he was still hungry after nursing. He sucked down 4 oz after I had nursed/wrestled with him for 30 minutes, and this convinced me that he is trying to wean. My books say that he is teething, and I would have told me a year ago to power through and he will pick it up again, but honestly, I am tired and I just don't have the energy or whatever it will take to make the effort. I have tried pumping, but making the time to do that is close to impossible, and honestly he doesn't seem to like breast milk in the bottle form. So, my two closest friends, feel free to laugh, tease me and feel smug. You have both earned it! :)

However, that doesn't mean the mommy guilt isn't in full force. Hailey got 13 months and Max will only get 6. I feel like he can add this to the long list of ways he gets the short end of me as the second child. Mommy was much perkier with Hailey and yelled less. Mommy spent hours talking to Hailey and playing one-on-one, and Max gets minutes and occasional half-hours when Hailey is sleeping. I realize, though, that Hailey is cheated too, so maybe it will all even out. After all, they have each other to talk about how crazy their mom is an how much I screwed them both up. I know this is just the beginning of the million ways I will be unfair, and it gives me a whole new perspective on the many times I felt cheated by my own parents by what they did for or gave my siblings.
So, Max this is for you, my baby boy. Know that I love you with all my heart and will do everything in my power to be the best mom possible and I love you every bit as much as I love Hailey, even if I could only breastfeed you for half the time! :)

Dinner Massacre

Not much is going on with us Petersons, but dinner last night was an expression of Hailey's artistic instincts (which she gets from my sister, not me) and I took some pictures of her ketchup painting. It looks a bit bloody and was VERY messy. I thought, Kim is going to freak, as I was taking the pictures, so these are for you and Sophie :)



"Oh no! What did I do!"


This is after she rubbed her eyes. I felt bad for her, but was laughing too, I am so mean.


The beginning of the clean up. Needless to say, she went straight to the bathtub afterwards :)


Have a great day everyone and I will blog soon about a new delimma that I don't have time for at the moment (Hailey needs to be threatened to take a nap at the moment)

2 By 2

Jenn has succeeded in getting me to blog :) Not much is going on in the Peterson world, but we will be busier soon, so maybe I will have fun pics then. I have also so recently become obsessed with the show "Brother and Sisters", so much of my free computer time is caught up in watching it online. Sad pathetic life, I know :) So, here is my two by two post!

Two Names You Go By:
1.Heather-I was born in 1978 also, but my mom thought she WAS being creative, just like the millions of other moms in the late 70's that named their girls Heather
2.Mommy-my fave even after the 5 millionth time

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now
1.Pink PJ shirt
2.Blue Daisy DZ shorts from college

Two Things You Want in a Relationship
1.Humor-Cam is still the weirdest and funniest person I know
2.Fun

Two of Your Favorite Things to Do
1.Take the kids places with my mom
2.Hang out sans kids with girlfriends and catch up-the two may seem contradictory, but all moms will understand

Two Things You Want Very Badly at This Moment
1.Nissan Armada-Can you hear Cam laughing until he can't breathe, I can
2.new clothes!!!-nothing fits after two babies...I am too small and too big all at once...my body is just weird now

Two Pets You Have or Had
1.Daisy the wonder Siamese-i still miss her
2.Layla-my sweet lab who Cam and I got to teach us how to be parents and still loves us even though we keep bringing home kids...I promised her that I am done

Two People Who Will Fill This Out First
1.Andrea-because I am evil and can make her :)
2.Alicia-not really, but there is no one else

Two Things You Did Last Night
1.Watched B&S online (see beginning of post)
2.Ate apple pie that Cam made-yum!!

Name Two Chores That You Do Not Like
1.2, only two......wow......I could go on for days, but I will settle for putting away laundry
2. And vacuuming

Two Things You Ate Today
1.yogurt with granola-I eat it every morning for breakfast, I am a creature of habit
2.a cereal bar

Two People You Talked to Last
1.my MIL
2.Hailey

Two Things You are Doing Tomorrow
1.Going to the park
2.small grocery shopping-milk and a few other things

Two Favorite Holidays
1.Thanksgiving-I love the food!!! and Jenn comes to town :)
2.Christmas-I hate the exchanging of presents, but I love to see fam

Two Favorite Beverages
1. I gotta go with Jenn on the Margaritas and Buffett...my fave is drinking them out of paper McD's cups while tailgating for the concert...good times! Buffett in '08 BABY!
2.Sweet tea-I make the best :)

So, I will leave you with a pool pic of Hailey, because it is fun and I like pictures!


She is pouring water on her head, and I love her expression.

Family pool pic

We have only been to the pool a couple of times and it is impossible to juggle/watch my two kids and take pictures, so this one is from Memorial Day weekend when my mom came with us and it's all you are getting for now. Cam has my camera in the Xterra because I hurt it (the xterra)this weekend and he is getting it fixed. Garage doors are mean and one tried to bite my car, that is all I will say. For those of you that know me well, it was only a matter of time before I injured this vehicle. I have been driving it since December, so this accident was due :)


Please ignore my fat legs :(, but other than that and Max not looking at the camera, not bad.


Hailey eating her "sicle". She loves them!

She is proficient at water wings now, so I will try to post some of her in them soon. It is so cute and it makes me cry to see how grown-up she is!!

Sickies

I have been missing for a few days and just wanted to write a quick blog to catch you all up. Hailey woke up Tuesday morning at 5am and that is very early for her (I will tell you all about my mommy doesn't wake up before 6am rule later), but she didn't seem happy, so I snuggled her and let her go downstairs around 6am. She worried me because she didn't eat breakfast, was whiny, and lethargic, but she didn't have a temperature. I gave her motin anyway because I knew something was wrong. I called the doc and got an appointment, which was good because when we went at 1pm her temp was 102 and we discovered that she had a huge blister on her right eardrum. This is all kinda new because Hailey usually only gets little colds and has only had one other ear infection and it was so mild that we only discovered it because she was at a check-up. She is feeling better today and I think we may go to the pool this afternoon for an hour or so. She was "flying" off the couches all morning, and I need to get out, so I think it will be OK :) Max is also teething, so it has been pretty nutty the last couple of days, thus the lack of posts. I will post some pool pics soon, but for now I will leave you with a picture of Hailey riding her trike around the living room.

So cute and onrey!

Happy 6 months Max!

My baby is 6 months old today and as before...my 6 favorite things about my tiny man:

1.Max is the cuddliest person I have ever met. He loves nothing more than to bury his face in my neck and have a good snuggle.


2. He is constantly giving me "kisses". These consist of open mouthed slobbers, but I can see the intention in his eyes.

3. He loves his sister and puts up with her not sharing, and actually laughs most of the time when she is tries to crush him or randomly screams his name into his face when she walks past him.


4. He isn't shy and loves almost anyone to hold him. He is a love sponge :)


5. He is very ticklish and loves to be tickled on his sides.


6. And finally because he puts up with his tired stressed out mommy and doesn't complain when I am holding him and chasing/scolding his sister at the same time. Max is always content to be along for the ride :)

I love you Max-asaurous! You will always be my little man, and I am so blessed that you came into my life. I cannot imagine for a moment not having your sweet face to look at.
Six months ago today this was you, and I have been a goner ever since.

Sand Flea

We got Hailey a sand and water table for her birthday back in April, and yesterday I got motivated to actually get it out. The kids were angels at Lowes to get sand, and my impatient streak made me try to put it together last night. However, I soon discovered that it was going to take some handy-woman skill that I didn't think that I had, so I asked Cam to do it. He didn't (forgot), so this morning as Max was napping, I got the drill out and tapped into my inner Barb Vila :) There is a washer missing (so there is a tiny bit of leakage) and I stripped all the screws (so it cannot be taken apart), but it works and Hailey LOVED it. Luckily towards the end I got the camera and got some very cute pictures of my little sand flea.


She is so excited and having so much fun. Just look at how filthy!


You can see the damage that she did. The sand and the water were originally separate, but that was apparently not the way it was supposed to be.


She worked so hard and was so focused. I was actaully quite impressed.


As you can see, dragon had lots of fun as well :)


Last night of sleep training was good (only 30 minutes), and Max is actually napping better, so YEAH! Hope everyone is having a great week! The pool opens this weekend and I am am SO excited.

Nights 2 and 3

I thought I would update you all on my sleep training progress because based on the number of comments my last blog got, this is fascinating :) Night 2 consisted of about 42 minutes of crying and then waking at 4am. I fed him because he had slept from approximately 8:45 until 4, so that deserved a reward. Last night he cried for about 45 minutes, but after about 2o minutes he was close, but was just too stubborn and kept waking himself up. He slept until 6am and I love it! Tonight will probably be bad because I am moving away from his crib and he really flips out when he can't see me. Hailey had her worst night when I moved away from her crib too, but hopefully we will make it. I am very much enjoying my Friend-assiance, so the whole training thing is really not too bad and Cam says it is great to see me downstairs before 9:45 :)

I feel these blogs are naked without pictures, so here is one of Max trying to crawl at Hailey's family birthday party.

And Training Begins......

Well, as you know from my last blog, I have not been getting much sleep because Max has been having some trouble sleeping. It has gotten to the point where the bedtime bottle in given at 7:30pm and he is asleep anywhere from 9:30-10pm. He no trouble sleeping while being held, but as soon as we set him down, he kicks and flails and wakes himself up. Then he usually wakes up around 1am, 3am, and 5 am, each time taking around 30 minutes to get back to sleep. Needless to say, I am exhausted, angry, and starting to have ugly thoughts about my child, so I bit the bullet last night and started the Sleep Lady Shuffle. I have heard lots of methods of sleep training and read a couple of books, but this is what I found worked really well for me and Hailey. The process is really pretty simple, there are three nights of sitting by the crib comforting (patting, gently shhhhing, whatever works short of picking them up), and this should level off each night, and then three nights in the middle of the room with limited interaction past talking or shhhing, three nights in doorway, etc. until you are putting them down and leaving. I found this preferable to other methods because I felt like I wasn't completely abandoning them, but gradually getting them used to me not being part of falling asleep. Others have said that they can't stand to see them cry and that is why they chose Ferber or other solutions, but this coupled with a schedule is what turned Hailey from a cranky, whiny 8 month old who got up 5 times a night and only took 30 minute naps if I was lucky, into a lovely baby who slept through the night and took regular 2-3 hour naps. Every child is different and all moms know what works for them and their children, but I do recommend checking out "Good Night, Sleep Tight" by Kim West if you are having issues for any young age.

So, last night was our first night and Max screamed, kicked, and flailed for an hour, but I made it armed with my portable DVD player, headphones, and season one of Friends. Max went to sleep by 9pm with minimal help from me, and slept all the way until 7am. YEAH! Tomorrow is a new night, but am I re-energized and ready to tackle this because I have hope and I have seen it work. I also have all ten seasons of Friends on DVD :) I will keep everyone updated on the ups and downs and wish me luck! Please feel free to leave comments on your own experiences. I would love to hear all about them!

This is how Max takes naps, because of his reflux he likes to be elevated :)

Comtemplative Housemommy

It has been a rough couple of days because Max hasn't been sleeping well and a playdate friend is not returning my calls, and compounded by the weather and a need to save money, I haven't really been out of the house much. This has, in turn, made me contemplate how much better I would have it if I worked and has made me feel pretty down. I love being with my kids on most days and never missing a first smile, roll, or step is amazing, but I go crazy for some adult conversation as well.
A working mom friend once went into depth about what a day in her life is like and I was overwhelmed just hearing about it, but I also found myself thinking about all the times she talked to someone over the age of two and how I bet she doesn't just think of herself as mommy, but as wife, mother and lawyer. In the past two years since I left the work force, I have tried to branch out and meet other moms like me to make friends with, but everytime I get a playdate and some hope, it is another 6 months to a year before it happens again. I think that I am pleasent and I have friends who like me, so I don't think they hate me, but I have been trying to enter a mommy-clique and I am thinking that it is not working. I reached out two weeks ago to Kindermusic moms (before I was booted) and we had a playdate, and I thought everyone had a great time. I exchanged numbers and have called them twice this week, with no call back. This has helped in me arriving at the bummed housewife place I am now. I am thinking about trying something just for me (tennis lessons perhaps), but that poses a new problem because no one seems willing to watch both kids at the same time (most especially my hubby), but I am starting to think if I don't do something soon I might just rent a convertible and dissappear forever. Just kidding, sorta :)
I need a hobby, so that is my new goal. I am going to find something that makes me special that has very little to do with being a mom. Now, what can that be? All suggestions are welcome and sorry for laying all this crap on those of you who made it this far :)

I leave you with a recent pic of Max that is so cute I should have it taped beside my TV so I can see it at 1am, 3am, and 5am when I want to give him to a nice home with a sweet tempered mommy who isn't full of frustration and anger.

Mother's Day Vacay

We had a great time on our trip to the Smokies. It was relaxing after the kids were in bed to lounge in the hot tub and the kids seem to enjoy the zoo and the aquarium. Hailey wasn't too cranky and Max was happy as long as he was in the Bjorn :) Here are some cute pics.......

Max in the brief time he spent in the stroller. He looks kinda shiny because he was just slathered with sunscreen and has drool all over his clothes. At least I got good exercise carting him around all weekend :)


They had a petting zoo and Hailey loved brushing the goats. I was amazed at how docile they were. I was a bit freaked out because Hailey is fast and Cam wasn't keeping up with her, but the goats must have been used to it because they didn't bat an eye at my little tasmanian devil.


They had a pretend cow that squirted water and Hailey tried to milk it. Mommy was squirted soon after this pic was taken.


Hailey loved the aquariam the most and spent most of the time screaming "fishies" at each tank. She was fascinted by the sharks and for her good behaviour was rewarded with one from the gift shop.


Hailey was exhausted on the way home and fell asleep like this. I thought it was hilarious and snapped a picture.


I wish I had more pics of Max but my attempts to take pics of him in the Bjorn were unsuccessful. Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day weekend and I will write something more soon. Bye!