long weekend

sorry if i upset any of you with my previous post- we are not expecting.  again.  sorry. 

i have been very lazy with the blog lately.  mostly because i do not budget my time wisely, plus i have a crazy house & a crazy son- plus i feel like i have a lot less time to do these things now that he is bigger- he requires a lot of my attention.  plus.. potty training. 

for memorial day weekend, we headed to ft. wayne, in to see dave's family (gma, aunt, uncle, cousins) & to have some family/ian photos made.  having photos made of a 2 year old is kind of a joke.  he wasn't having it.  dave's cousin's wife, julie, is a talented photographer though, and i'm sure she was able to make some magic happen somewhere.  other than the photos we just took it easy.  we did spend one day out at dave's aunt & uncle's lake house- heaven!  ian loved going in the water and playing in the sand.  lakes kind of make me nervous, but i went in a couple times and we had a lot of fun just enjoying a gorgeous relaxing day & spending time with the family.  plus.  we want a lake house now.  ahem parents & in-laws....  i definitely wish we could have stayed longer b\c i hate that you spend almost a whole day driving... which is a bummer.  plus, i secretly (or not so secretly) love ft. wayne.  definitely love it more than here.  i don't know what it is about that place-  but i just want to live there! 

it's another busy weekend for us.  dave's sister & her husband are in town from philly & saturday we are celebrating the family may/june birthdays + mother's/father's days.  6 birthdays + the moms & dads.  luckily, we already had a bday party for the nephew & the other nephew is only a month old- so it's actually only 4 birthdays.  best part- one of them is mine! 

i am throwing in the towel on ever losing weight & being thin ever again.  i might as well just have the rest of my children and then let the biggest loser take care of me eventually.  actually, i'm going to have some blood work done soon.  we'll let that be the deciding factor. 

i've been looking for this necklace ever since i found out i was the last person on the planet to know of its existence.  i've found some that i like on ebay.  they may not be of the best quality, but i can't argue at those prices.  thank you china & hong kong!

i'm off to bed for now.  another crazy toddler day.  fits & potty training galore tomorrow. 

catching up - easter

remember last week (or maybe it was the week before..) when i blogged about how i don't have my head on straight and my bedroom looks like a shipping warehouse?  ai yi yi...  well, much to my husband's delight, i finally unpacked that suitcase, and now my child actually has clothes in his room.  i can't figure out why i've been so frazzled lately.  as i'm blogging, i'm multi-tasking by paying a phone bill that was due a week ago, and yesterday, i found out that i had completely forgotten to make a payment on my credit card.  hello late fee.  sorry, husband.  it's like i've never existed in the outside world before... you spend 2 weekends out of town and your entire world flips upside down...  at least if you're me. 

tomorrow dave turns 30.  ian has been running a fever off/on and is a total crankster today.  i need to run to the post office to mail ebay stuff and i need to run a couple more small errands- but cranky doesn't mesh well with errands.  i have to work tonight (of course), so it has to be down in the next 5 hours... luckily, ian is napping now, but who knows how long that will last.  basically, i'm running out of time. 

i've totally blown it on dave's bday.  i am usually so, so, so good at this, but i'm admitting defeat.  i had 2 absolutely wonderful ideas, but they are both well over my budget.  i'm basically grasping at straws here.  dear- i'm sorry.  :(

so, the title of this blog mentioned easter... i probably should too.  we had the pleasure of spending easter in atlanta again this year where once again it was 30 degrees warmer than it was at home.  we saw family, friends, enjoyed delicious mexican food, and i got my hair cut for the 1st time in almost a year.  delightful.  we went to church w\ my parents for easter sunday and ian lasted about 20 minutes before i decided that he would need to go to a church nursery for the 1st time.  he was fine of course. 

a little from our trip...

 we met with family and friends for dinner.  L: dave & ian with ian's cousin landon, and his daddy, ryan.  ryan is married to my cousin, christi.  R:  our little family.

 

outdoor easter picture.  maybe next year we will learn that this tree casts horrible shadows and to take family photos elsewhere... oh, and you can't tell, but ian is wearing a little vest and tie- presh!

here's me and my little boy, and a shot of me.  i was pretty impressed with how this dress ended up looking on me once i added the belt.  it felt nice to feel thin even when you're not.

 ian checking out his goods from the easter bunny

 ian giving my parents georgia bulldog statue a kiss.  go dawgs!

ian with his grandparents!

ian with his great grandparents- gigi & pop

the whole fam

i would ask you what you did for easter, but you probably already blogged about it seeing as it was a little over 2 weeks ago...

stop me if you've heard this one before...

i am so overwhelmed right now!

seriously, i don't know how some moms manage to do it and look so put together!  i haven't showered in 2 days and i'm still in my pj's...  yikes!

we just got back from our 2nd long weekend trip in a row (which, i wish i could say was a vacation).  we love our families dearly, but since they live so far from us, we don't get vacations- b\c the cost to see family is the cost of a vacation.  worth it to see family/friends, but i would like to say that we're going to take a vacation some day...  so our entire house looks like we were out of town...  my suitcase is still packed w\ my stuff (and ian's)... and i keep avoiding it- b\c if it's in a suitcase, then it's not all over my room.  our living room still has a couple bags that aren't completely emptied, and i need to do laundry- the story of my life.

our room also looks like a warehouse.  we are desperately trying to de-clutter, so we've been selling some things on ebay (b\c if i'm getting rid of it, i might as well try and make some money) and i've got boxes that are ready to ship, and boxes filled with stuff still awaiting payment, and boxes with stuff that is currently up for auction...  i have sold only 1 thing on smashion, but i've traded several things which doesn't help when you're supposed to be getting rid of stuff...  we are giving some stuff away however, so we've got to sort through that too.  it's amazing how many things you accumulate in your life...  aaaaaah. 

i'm also trying to sort things out from our car accident- waiting on insurance checks, trying to find out when i can get repairs, getting a rental car, buying a new car seat.  ai yi yi.

well, i've done all my office work, made a grocery list, gotten the car stuff taken care of, packed boxes and blogged.  it's a regular miracle...  i just need to shower and i might feel like a normal person...  dare i even say super mom?  i wish i could just clone myself- and then have my clones do the stuff i don't like doing, like cutting coupons and cleaning the house- folding my laundry and actually getting to the grocery store.  one day people, one day. 

what are your tricks for getting it all done?  certainly i can do all this stuff without staying up until 3 am.  i need tips, people!

happy easter

up from the grave He arose

with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;

He arose a victor from the dark domain

and He lives forever, with His saints to reign.

He arose!  He arose!  hallelujah Christ arose!

-lowery

happy easter everyone!

last day to enter my vera giveaway!  i will draw the winner when we are back from atlanta!  good luck!

30 before thirty update

i wanted to review my 30 before thirty now that we are coming in on 2 months to go!  some items needed an update or an edit as well!   look for the edits below the 1st list...

1.      renew my passport 
2.      visit canada 
3.      start an actual work out plan or start riding a bike 
4.      lose the rest of my baby weight + 10 
5.      bike out to crystal lake and back 
6.      drink less soda 
7.      visit babyland general  CHANGED
8.      develop a weekly plan for keeping our house clean 
9.      finish printing all my pre-baby photos and put them into albums 
10.  plant a garden 
11.  date night with husband twice a month 
12.  finish watching all of the academy awards best pictures or afi top 100     CHANGED-
13.  take our first family vacation 
14.  pay off hospital bills so we can pay off student loans and be debt free! 
15.  teach ian sign language 
16.  get my nose pierced- maybe? 
17.  bake a cake from scratch 
18.  cloth diaper and cloth wipes 
19.  start a compost pile 
20.  make ian’s baby food myself   (done)
21.  eat healthier- more cooking at home! 
22.  finish the love dare  CHANGED
23.  join the rest of the modern world with a smart phone 
24.  get rid of the clothes in my closet/drawers that i’m never going to wear again 
25.  have all my old camp/college tshirts made into quilts 
26.  take ian to the georgia aquarium 
27.  get rid of our junk- have a yard sale at my parents home   CHANGED
28.  file our financial documents- shred the junk! 
29.  visit at least 5 more ballparks  CHANGED
30.  drink at least 32 oz. water a day

7.  This just isn't going to happen since I don't live in GA anymore - it's completely out of the way on a drive to atlanta.  need an idea!
12.  This has been changed to something else.  I just don't have enough time to watch that many movies.  What i changed it to is a secret.  It will not be completed before i'm 30 b\c the event is not until July.  But it's on the calendar. New Item:  Super Secret Item
22.  we're 200+ days into the love dare, but it's not going to be finished by the time my bday rolls around.  we'll still have about 85 days to go.  we must have started later than i though- plus Dave forgets to pack the book every time we go somewhere.  New Item:  Keep working toward finishing the love dare
27.  my grandparents have been gone for 5+ years and all the stuff at mom & dad's house is no closer to being put into a yard sale.  plus, being away from Atlanta just makes sorting through that stuff and selling it nearly impossible.  New Item:  Purge the junk at the house we actually live in.
29.  5 ballparks is really difficult- that's 5 trips, plus i already have a family vacay thrown in- which also looks impossible...  New Item:  Visit 3 ballparks.  

my new 30 before thirty

1.      renew my passport 
2.      visit canada 
3.      start an actual work out plan or start riding a bike 
4.      lose the rest of my baby weight + 10 
5.      bike out to crystal lake and back 
6.      drink less soda 
7.     NEED YOUR IDEAS
8.      develop a weekly plan for keeping our house clean 
9.      finish printing all my pre-baby photos and put them into albums 
10.  plant a garden 
11.  date night with husband twice a month 
12.  super secret Item
13.  take our first family vacation 
14.  pay off hospital bills so we can pay off student loans and be debt free! 
15.  teach ian sign language 
16.  get my nose pierced- maybe? 
17.  bake a cake from scratch 
18.  cloth diaper and cloth wipes 
19.  start a compost pile 
20.  make ian’s baby food myself  
21.  eat healthier- more cooking at home! 
22.  continue growing our marriage by working on the love dare
23.  join the rest of the modern world with a smart phone 
24.  get rid of the clothes in my closet/drawers that i’m never going to wear again 
25.  have all my old camp/college tshirts made into quilts 
26.  take ian to the georgia aquarium 
27. purge our own home of all the stuff we don't need.
28.  file our financial documents- shred the junk! 
29.  visit at least 3 more ballparks 
30.  drink at least 32 oz. water a day

so what should i change my newest item to?! 

just an old sweet song

...keeps georgia forever on my mind.

hello warmer weather. 

tonight we head to husband's christmas party and then we will either leave late tonight or get a few hours of sleep and head out early saturday morning.  thoughts and prayers as we make the 12+ hour drive to georgia.  you'll hear from me once we've arrived!

crazy busy weekend

i wish we could have more relaxing weekends, but those days are gone i fear.  it's always something, and with the holiday season just around the corner, i don't foresee it stopping anytime soon!  this past weekend was no different.  we packed up everything we owned and headed just south of indianapolis to stay in a hotel for the burial of dave's grandparents.  his grandmother passed away over labor day weekend and his grandfather died the week before we got married back in '07.  they were cremated and wanted to be buried at the same time. 

first.  illinois sucks.  people always want to leave, and that's why traffic is so terrible on friday afternoon/evening.  the number of people trying to leave illinois for indiana or michigan is astounding.  our trip to plainfield should've taken about 3 hours.  it took 6.  i wish i was joking.  we rolled up to the hotel around midnight (back in the eastern time zone).  we unpacked our car and our tired baby (who was now wide awake and overly tired) hung out with the in-laws for a bit, and then tried to sleep.  tried.  first off, wyndham hotels have the WORST cribs ever.  completely metal with giant spacing in between the slats.  not only was ian constantly knocking his head against the side, he kept trying to stick his appendages out of the slats.  we ended up putting him in the bed w\ us, but he wouldn't sleep between us, he had to sleep on me.  he probably slept only an hour at a time all night.  it was pretty miserable.

the next day we prepared for our drive to bicknell.  public service announcement: never drive through southern indiana.  what should've been a 2 hour drive was a 4 hour drive.  we went through every dumpy small town in indiana and we were late for the burial...  luckily, so was everyone else.  public service annoucement 2: never trust a detour in indiana.  the road we were taking was closed for about 5 miles, yet we were forced into taking a 30 mile detour.  wtf.  we can laugh at it now, thank goodness. 

we headed to a church in town afterward for dinner- it was nice to be together w\ the entire family- and we got a little surprise while there- we're going to have another niece or nephew!!  dave's sister is due on his birthday!  we're very very excited! 

monday, dave had time off, and we took ian to the pumpkin farm- but that is way too much cute- it needs an entry for itself!

some photos from the weekend...

 our youngest nephew, J.  they came out wearing these shirts, and when we saw he was wearing one, we knew something was up!

 ian and his cousin, annie.  she's going to be a big sister in about 4 weeks!  ian won't be the youngest grandchild anymore!

 i'm not sure this is completely true

i'm not sure this is completely p.c.

have baby, will travel

today i take off for atlanta with ian.  it should be interesting.  we've done a lot of driving with him, but this will be the first flight.  here are some tips/information i've received regarding traveling with your infant.  we'll see how this compares to the reality after i've arrived at my final destination.

i will be flying american airlines to atlanta, and delta airlines back to chicago.  most of my information was taken from the american airlines website.  

mother's are apparently allowed to be really annoying with an overabundance of stuff.  according to american you are allowed a stroller, an infant seat (you can use the seat on the plane for your child w\o paying for a ticket only if there are empty seats at take off- otherwise, they have to sit in your lap). You can also have your carry on, personal item and an diaper bag for the baby.  if you buy a ticket for your child (they don't need one if they're under 2), they are also allowed a carry on and personal item.  while umbrella strollers are prefered, you can bring any size stroller, but airlines are not responsible for damages.  imagine that.  

formula, food and breastmilk are allowed (breastmilk is allowed whether you are flying with an infant or not)- although they may do a "paper" test with them- have you remove the lid and swirl the bottle so release vapors onto a paper above the bottle).  although i have heard of some places making your "sample" what you are carrying.  you just take them out when going through security as you would with the rest of your liquids. 

you can wear your baby while going through security as long as there isn't any metal on them.  thank goodness, because it's already enough of a pain having to take of my shoes and belt every time i fly. 

you MUST go to the ticket counter to check in. I have saved myself a little trouble by already contacting both airlines and notified them that i am traveling with an infant- they asked for his full name and age. You MUST BRING THEIR BIRTH CERTIFICATE. you may not have to show it, but some airlines do ask. the baby may need a boarding pass. with the birth certificate, they are checking to see if the infant is under 2 (quite obvious in our case). 

my plan is to take the stroller and leave the carseat (my parents have one from a friend). I will probably wheel ian through and keep him in the stroller so that he'll have time to play, and so i can feed him.  when it's time to board, then i will put him in the moby and gate check the stroller. i believe traveling with an infant grants you priority boarding (they should also grant priority boarding to pregnant women, but don't get me started).

my friend says ear popping tends to be worse on landing rather than take-off- a pacifier, sippy cup, or just your good ol' boob tends to be the best remedy. luckily, i can discreetly nurse ian while inside the moby.  my friend also gives a light dose of tylenol before take-off so that it may relieve any pain caused by the popping.

My hope is to fit all of our stuff in the suitcase (i am bringing his cloth diapers- and that's my worry), put my stuff in a backpack (maybe a book) and then carry his diaper bag. of course, holding him, i may not need a backpack, so i may carry his diapers that way.

I am going to my parents house, but we are visiting some family in nashville after i get there, and will be staying in a hotel. the hampton inn has pretty nice cribs- (we had to use one labor day wknd when my husband's gma died and we also stayed @ a hampton). both of these hamptons happen to be brand-news, so the cribs should be nice enough. i just bring MY own sheets for it. Note- our crib sheet wouldn't fit, we had to use the pack n play sheet. the hotel also has high chairs in their dining area, but  we also have a "portable" high chair.

You may or may not be able to have your spouse or another family member accompany you to the gate. i won't know this until check in.  luckily for me, when I leave atlanta, my brother is flying to denver at the same time. although we are in different terminals, i will have him to help me at least get into the airport. when husband picks me up, he will probably be picking up our friends who are in town for the wedding.  there will be plenty of help.

most planes have a changing table in the bathroom- for long flights, or if your baby needs a quick change.  just be sure to ask which bathroom it's in- my friend katie, who has flown multiple times with her son says he HATES it b\c the bathroom is REALLY loud. I don't know what's worse though- because changing them in the airport bathroom means you have to take ALL your luggage with you. ugh.  i haven't decided whether i want to carry on everything or not.  i think it's a crime to charge $15+ to check a bag.  highway robbery.  

so, hopefully the trip will go smoothly for the two of us!  i will definitely update you on the joys of traveling with your wee one, once we're on the ground!

updating

a few updates on my recent posts

wedding guest dress - i couldn't decide.  plus, half the dresses went into "out of stock" or "size 2 available mode.  and since most forays into the dressing room for me have a 17% success rate i decided this:  purchase 7 dresses that i liked best ie: were most affordable, try them all on, and send back the 6 losers, hopefully keeping 1 very awesome winner.  my husband frowned upon this idea, wanting me to purchase 2  instead and choose from those.  next time, you can have the baby and jack your body up.


ditch the shampoo - this got worse before it got better.  not only are my grays sticking out and holding up little "look at me" signs; i was wanting to shave my head and vomit every time i saw my hair, which stayed perfectly placed in a ponytail every time i removed my hair band.  gag.  when i was begging for my shampoo, husband suggested i follow the baking soda wash- it made a major improvement to my hair from first wash, and my hair is gradually starting to look cleaner.  i'm hoping that holds up, because it's time to color it... AGAIN. 


shredding - ugh.  epic fail.  i got through 10 days, then hubby's gma died and we were out of town for the long weekend, and it was just so difficult to get back into it.  i may start up again, but for now husband has a big plan for us that i'm keeping to myself for a while.  good news is while i didn't lose any weight, i haven't gained any since then either...

ian and i are flying to the atl tomorrow.  i'm so excited.  i need some south in my life.  we are flying, and did i mention it's just going to be the two of us?  after we get to atlanta, we'll be driving to nashville for the weekend for a family reunion (a little counter-productive) and then it's loads of fun in c-town.  this will be the first time husband has been away from ian- and he's a little bummed (so are we).  thank God for skype.  i'll be sure to include a post on traveling with baby. 

i won't be posting much during my vacay, but i do have some guest posts lined up- so keep checking in!!

looonnngggg weekend

it's been a long weekend.  so long that this is pretty much day 6.  labor day weekend is always a nice week(end) for us because of our anniversary.  this is our 3rd year of marriage- the leather anniversary, and since i'm not into s&m, husband got me a nice red leather photo album with some photos of us inside to start it.  i also got an adorable pair of rain boots b\c i hate when it rains and my pants get wet...  oh, and a gift certificate for a pedicure!  finally!  we went to dinner & had a very nice evening just the 2 of us.

our weekend was supposed to start on friday- husband's company always releases them from work early on friday before a holiday- we were going to be packed and heading to michigan for a nice relaxing weekend at the lake.  i have been looking forward to this trip in months.  while other people are going on a vacation every other day it seems- we have not been on one in 3 years- it sucks.  i had 2 new swimsuits, a baby float, a baby tent and i was ready for my skin to finally see the sun...  well, of course, there's murphy's law...  unfortunately, husband's grandmother passed away on thursday- bye bye lakey.  so we packed for a different trip. i will not cry about the trip to the lake that wasn't- we made the best of what we had, and we had a nice weekend despite the circumstances.

saturday we had a nice family day after ian watched his first uga game - go dawgs!  then sunday afternoon we headed to lincoln to get ready for the funeral.  after we checked into our hotel, we got ready & headed to the church.  my husband's gfather died a few years ago, and i must say, they always plan really nice funerals- it was a wonderful service with happy tears.  eloise was a wonderful lady with good taste in shoes...  she is missed.

monday we had a really fun day at dave's uncle kevin & aunt reva's.  they have a beautiful old farmhouse and lots of land.  we sat around, talking, watching the 6 dogs run around, playing bags & bocce, and shooting guns.  then we had delicious grilled fare for dinner, and made the plans to bury eloise & harry.  it was wonderful time with all the cousins.  although it wasn't the labor day we planned, and the circumstances were sad- we really had a blast.  i don't think i could've asked for a better weekend!  

this is lincoln, illinois from our car.  cornfields on your right, cornfields on your left.

ian had a good time just chillin' out in his tent and playing

mommy had a good time shooting things!

dinner on the go!

i'm sorry, but my son is adorable!

all the cousins with their children, husbands, boyfriends and wife.  yes, i am the lone wife.  dave is the only boy out of all his cousins and it was up to us to have a boy to continue the family name (no pressure).  luckily, we got it right on the first try.  there are also 9 people missing from this picture

one of the first exits on our way home.  this exit boasts the atlanta museum and "historic downtown atlanta".  riiight.

see you and me have a better time than most can dream

have it better than the best

so can pull on through

whatever tears at us, whatever holds us down

and if nothing can be done

we'll make the best of what's around

dave matthews band

the one where i win wife of the year and possibly go mia for a while...

we have been busy.  this past weekend started a month-long stretch of weekends totally packed full of junk!  this past weekend dave's gma was in town, so we had the entire mcfamily get together.  there are 15 of us- and one on the way.  you think that's insane, you should be @ dave's gma's house @ christmas.  there are 40 of us total (and 2 on the way).  it's a bit much, especially considering my entire extended family totals 12 on one side and 14 on the other.  this weekend we have the summer picnic for my office- i'm pretty excited about swimming, i am not exciting about buying my first post-baby swimsuit, and then wearing it.  boo.  the next few weekends i will detail more below, and then we hope to wrap things up with a visit to the beach in michigan.  we decide to forgo a vacation this year because 1.  we are poor, and 2.  we are broke.  dave's parents however are going to stay @ family friend doc's lake house, and we are all invited to stay a few days!!  yippppeeeeee!

so, as i've said already our next few weeks are going to be jam-packed and it all started several months ago- and it's almost here!  background story:  my husband studied international business and german in college- he's made a few trips to deutschland over the years, his last trip in 2004 for his internship.  while there, he made some good friends, and he has kept in touch w\ those friends since said trip.  the aforementioned friends were a couple while dave was over there, but split up while i was pregnant, much to the heartbreak of one of the friends.  we have both tried really hard to cheer up friend, but it seems they've fallen into a bit of a funk.  friend was looking for a place to vacation, and husband told him that he should come visit us here in the good ol' u.s. of a. 

he thought about it, and said, yes, i think i will come visit your family.  how long can i stay?

husband says, as long as you'd like.

friend replies via email- here is my flight itinerary. 

husband forwards flight itinerary to me- am i reading this right, he asks.

i reply, yes, husband, friend is staying with us for 3 weeks.  3 WEEKS?!

first of all, i am jealous that americans don't get 3 weeks of vacation- we're too overworked as it is.  don't even get me started on european maternity leave vs. american.  second, stay as long as you'd like in american means different to an american... BUT..

we're pretty excited.  i don't think he reads my blog, but if you do- don't get us wrong, we are soooo thrilled for you to be here.  we are now over our initial shock.  we have been hard at work on an end all be all list of things to do while he is visiting- places to go, things to see, food to eat (i'm most excited about that, as you and my scale surely know).  i have great plans to become fluent in german, and to have ian, who can't even talk yet, to be fluent in german...  i'm excited to meet someone new, and dave is excited to see a friend that he hasn't seen in years. 

i win wife of the year because i think most women would laugh in their husband's faces if they said someone was taking up residence in their home for 3 weeks, so here is my issue- where do we put our friend?  here's our situation...

2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths (our atlanta house had 3 bedrooms, but that is neither here nor there, and going on about it, won't take me back there).  we obviously occupy 1 room, and ian occupies the other.  both bedrooms have the full bath IN the room.  we obviously want our friend to feel at home, and have some privacy, but we have no extra bed- so he would have to sleep on either the couch or a blow up mattress.  and there's the issue with ian.  do we move him back into our room for 3 weeks (sleeping in his pack n play)- disrupting his sleep space, and giving us no privacy (he naps throughout the day, and goes to bed early, so we would have no where to go).  this is a tricky situation, but i think it can be worked out to where everyone benefits... help...

polishing my award until sunday....

the vacation's over

man, vacations are such good times, and i really enjoyed my time in atlanta, but no one talks about the aftermath of a vacation...

image credit

seriously.  we returned from atlanta last night- an 11-12 hour trip that took 15 hours and ended with me and a husband that i may or may not have wanted to divorce, a screaming baby that made me consider that throwing myself out the car door would be a better way to live my life, a mile-high pile of dirty laundry, a mile-high pile of luggage and other junk to put away, spoiled milk, no food in the refrigerator, dried up plants, a dvr full of crap that i told it NOT to record, junk mail, unpaid bills, crankiness, dust, a family of spiders in the downstairs bathroom, and having to go to work when i clearly need to be home with my child.

debbie downer much?

booo

we are headed back to illinois tomorrow, but that means i'll be back here soon!

week 14

here are the happenings during week 13-14 (april 21-28) in ian's life! he's officially no longer a newborn. ::sigh:: where has the time gone?!

first off: how could i have forgotten?! ian turned 3 months old last week! i just can't believe how big he has gotten! i know i've said it the last couple weeks, but the changes in him are amazing!

ian is still feeding very well. i will still say he's ebf. i mentioned earlier this week though how guilty i was about giving him formula- it was 2 oz. from one of the bottle of pre-made i was given at the hospital. i may be using the other this weekend. i need to just let it go, and remember that 4 oz. of formula isn't making a difference in my baby's life, and if i do ever need to go to formula, that doesn't make me less of a mom. i know lots of moms who feed their baby's formula because it's what they had to do- they are no less of a mom. the fact that you're feeding your baby is making you a good mom...

sleep is another issue. we're still having the problem where ian wakes up at 6 am. it's so odd considering that the 7 o'clock hour has always been ian's feeding hour. i just can't figure it out! naps are also hit or miss. i think he's just going to have to get used to crib sleeping. i'm hoping by next week we'll be in the crib completely. . . ha. regarding naps, i just need to remember the babywise rule: mom, not baby decides when naptime begins and ends. now, if ian will learn that. right now, he's upstairs very angry because i picked him up, rocked him a bit, and laid him back down.

playtime is going well too. we have a variety of activities: play mat, swing, bumbo, and floor time to name a few. ian is thisclose to rolling over! he gets so close, and that darn arm just gets in the way! maybe next week i'll be telling a different story.

this weekend we took another trip. yes, you may be thinking we're absolutely insane. husband finished his masters program last week, so as a graduation gift, i got him tickets to see the detroit redwings in the stanley cup playoffs. so, we loaded up our stuff and ian at 6 AM sunday morning and drove the 5 hours to detroit. we stopped 2 times on the way for feedings- once as soon as we crossed into michigan, and a 2nd time when we were about 15 minutes from the arena. he fell back asleep right before the game began and slept through most of the game. when we woke up, we gave him the formula, and then it was time to leave again. he slept most of the way back, and we stopped once to feed him, and so we could eat as well. then he made it back home for his last feeding and to bed. he travels really really well. lots of people stopped us at the game to ask how old he was, and were amazed that we were out with him. hello?! having a baby doesn't mean your life stops- it means your life gets better, and dave and i love sharing the things we love with our son, even if he's too young to know what's going on. i consider myself blessed. i hope i haven't cursed myself because we're traveling to ft. wayne, indiana, sans husband, but plus mother and sister in law tonight. i'm hoping husband joins us tomorrow night. we're going to the vera bradley outlet sale, and to visit husband's family. don't make fun of me for going to the outlet sale. i once thought vera was stupid too...

that's pretty much it for this week. they fly by so fast, one day just kinda runs into another... so here's the part everyone really enjoys... pictures

 

story time with ian.  we're reading Guess How Much I Love You Sweetheart Edition 

 3 month pictures.  i think he's finally realized that he's sitting on something

daddy and ian being welcomed to Michigan

 the red wings just scored a goal.  here's a photo of how ian and i reacted

family shot

McFatty Monday 2

it's week 2 of getting serious about losing baby weight... and i did just the opposite.  

for starters, the weather has been horrible this week.  ian and i were only able to get out and walk once.  this week doesn't seem like it's going to be any better.  it's low 60's right now.  i guess that shouldn't be an excuse, i should probably just layer up and get out, but i get more worried about him getting cold.  

we went on a road trip this weekend, and for us, any road trip means terrible food.  we both ate breakfast at home before we left, but once we got out on the road, there weren't many options.  every exit seems to be a mcdonald's.  not the best choice for weight loss.  we did avoid mcdonald's, but we didn't avoid taco bell and fazoli's (10 hour trip meant 2 stops- lunch and dinner).  plus, we didn't buy a single snack at a gas station stop- go us!  although the ravioli at fazoli's has less than 500 calories, so i guess i can get on board with that.  maybe.  the positive to this is that we did some walking once we got to our destination!  plus, i carried ian in the bjorn the entire time, it's practically like walking with weights...  even better, i didn't eat anything once we got back home- go me!

i can't figure out if i'm just trying to make myself feel better- or if this is all really good stuff...

so i won't be weighed again for another 2 weeks, so i don't have any weight progress to share.  sometimes i feel like i look smaller, but i don't know that i'm any closer to fitting into my old pants, or anything for that matter.


let me go a different direction though.  let's talk about stretch marks.  they are a pregnant and post-pregnant gal's worst enemy.  i tried my best to be diligent about rubbing cocoa butter on my belly and everywhere else throughout my entire pregnancy.  i succeeded with the belly part.  i remember my ob putting the gel on my belly at one of my last appointments so we could listen with the doppler... she said, 

"oh, wow, you've made it this far, and you don't have any stretch marks"


and i replied, "not really, you just can't see the places where i have my stretch marks."


so, here i am nearly 14 weeks post partum, and with stretch marks abound.  they cover my thighs, my entire thigh is a stretch mark.  i do have a few on my right side, and then on each of my calves.  so some people might say i'm lucky to have them in those places and not my belly.  i strongly disagree- i mean, i don't show my belly everyday when i go out in public- but i do wear skirts and dresses, and dare i say, shorts in the summer- people are going to see my legs.  i mean, how am i going to wear a swimsuit again?!?!


so a few weeks ago, i picked up some Bio Oil after seeing it in a magazine.  it's a tiny bottle of peach-colored oil that has a bazillion uses, but i am going to use it for stretch marks.  basically, i rub it into my stretch marks 2 times a day for 3 months, and they should be visibly reduced.  i'm not doing it twice a day every day, but i'm doing it as often as i feel i have time- and you know what, i think i already see a difference.  i thought about doing before and after photos, but i don't know if i'm brave enough to photograph my inner thigh...  so, there's nothing i can say for bio oil yet, but i will report back on it when ian is about 6 months old!


here's to a better week of eating right and exercising.  we're going out of town again this weekend, but i'm going to try to be better!!

also, i'm not a paid spokesperson for bio oil! 

what a crazy weekend...  more on that later

so crazy, that i gave ian formula today.

i feel so guilty.

:(

heading home (trip to atlanta pt. 4- monday)

the weekend was over before i knew it, and it was time to leave. we got up, fed ian, let my cousin love on him while we packed the car and finished getting ready. then it was time to hit the road. we stopped by my mom's office on the way out so she could tell ian goodbye, and then it was on to atlanta. we made our first stop in grant park, to have lunch with our friends tiffany and tony and their daughter, kaley (their son Carter also was there, but in utero) and our friend Lyn and her daughter, ava. ian slept through most of lunch, but finally woke up just in time to be held!

after we bid our dear friends farewell, we headed to the westside to check on "our house." it is always sad to go because it really isn't ours anymore. of course, when we got there we discovered we didn't have a key to get in (this happened last time we were in town)... i did have my mail key and retrieved the 800 lbs of junk mail, mail that the postman put in our box that didn't belong to us (our poor neighbor is 4 months behind on their insurance probably), and the random things that the post office decides not to forward (you know, important things like our property tax bill, and my jury summons). so we drove away, possibly for the last time. :(

off to the braves game. i didn't realize how stinkin' hot it was- 90+ degrees and a baby- not a good idea. we met my brother, and his friends nic, justin, jenna and audra. i had to sit in the car with ian, with the a/c blasting until we decided to go to our seats. as soon as we got there, i was exhausted- 400 level + 90 degrees + baby on your belly = not a good idea (again). dave informed me if i was ready to go, we could go! we made it through 5 innings and by that time ian had woken up and had his bottle and dave was spitting nails because the cubs stink. go braves! we met my bro on the lower level, said goodbye and we were off.

we made our final stop in ringgold and had dinner with friends heath, april and josh. we stayed too long, but had a blast and then hit the road. the rest i won't go into too much detail with- a long drive back, and me thinking i was going to divorce or kill the love of my life if he made one more stop "to rest" that was not a hotel (we never did). we finally got home around 10 the next morning, bathed the baby and ourselves and slept, and slept, and slept...

i hope i'm back to georgia again... sooner, not later.

week 11

here's what happened during week 10-11 in ian's life!

i ran around like a crazy woman packing for our trip to atlanta. if i thought it was bad packing myself, try packing a baby for a 12+ hour trip! we had a suitcase for me and husband, one for baby, a bag full of bottles, the pump, the bed, easter stuff, and who knows what else. i felt relieved that we would be leaving some of the stuff in atlanta, but we have such sweet friends and family that we ended up coming back with more than we left with!!!

ian traveled very well. we stopped 2x to feed on the way down. he was so good with all my family and friends. he did really well for pictures. he did really well at his first trip with mommy and daddy to church (bad, bad mommy and daddy- seriously, my son is 10 weeks old and this is his first trip to church- but husband does play hockey on sunday mornings which is ridiculous).

the easter bunny spoiled ian rotten!

mommy & daddy thought it would be fun to take ian to opening day for his first braves game (or as daddy would say, cubs game). let's just say it wasn't a great idea. it was 90 degrees. so i sat with ian in the running car in the parking lot until we decided to go in. by the time out of shape mommy climbed the stairs to our seats, with baby on her belly in the baby bjorn, she was ready to leave! ian was passed out though, so we watched 5 innings, and called it a game (daddy was mad anyways b\c the cubs were getting their butts whooped)!

we made a pit stop in ringgold to see friends and then headed back. mommy thought her marriage was going to end early on the way back. mommy was so devastatingly tired she just wanted to sleep in a hotel, and daddy just wanted to make catnap stops every 2-3 hours. but luckily, all was salvaged, and we did make it back in once piece- and still very happily married!

this is one of the first times i can say i've reallly started to notice changes in ian. of course he's different from when he was born, but i felt i could really tell a difference. for starters, he seemed like he's grown a lot. i'm guessing he's close to 12 lbs now, which is almost double his birth weight, his eyes are turning bluer, and his hair is really growing and is getting darker. plus, i've noticed developmental changes. still no laughs, still doesn't seem ready to roll over, but he is now really noticing some of his toys, and he seems to grab at things with a purpose instead of just batting at them.

ian is still sleeping well (except that now he seems to be waking up at 7:30 am EASTERN time (not good for us). i'm hoping that he gets back on central time very soon! ian is also still eating very well. i'm so happy to say that i'm still breastfeeding, and it is still an amazing and very bonding thing. plus, it's easy, cheap and convenient!

we are still experimenting with different sleeping "aids" for ian. whether to just use the sleep sack, let him sleep just in his pj's or to use the swaddle pod. he's become very active with his legs, and he tends to pick both of them up, and then slam them down, which doesn't help him to sleep. i am also planning on extending his nighttime sleep for next week (week 12), and we are going to start transitioning ian into his own room. mommy and daddy need alone time sometimes! also on the agenda: i am planning on shortening nursing time (he has already started to show signs that it's time to), more independent play time, and i want to introduce his bumbo seat. big week coming up!!

i will have a bunch of pictures that i put up for our trip and this week, if i ever get around to it. we've been super-tired since we've gotten back!

we're baaaaack (trip to atlanta pt. 1- friday)

well, our weekend in Georgia was just as i expected it to be- wonderful, and too short. i can't say i'm glad to be home, but after sharing ian with everyone all weekend, and hardly holding him- it's nice to have him all to myself again!! it was almost like i didn't have a baby for a few days!

the drive down went really well. i had mostly everything in the car by the time Dave was home from work, so i fed ian, while he went and gassed up the car. we left around 4:45, which was still later than expected. we had to make 5 stops total- 2 for feedings, which only took 45 minutes a piece (we also got gas both times, and had dinner during one stop), 1 for a husband bathroom break, and for me to drive (i drove from nashville to ringgold), 1 for gas and to switch driving again, and the requisite chick-fil-a stop once we were in conyers.

ian still slept through the night, falling asleep at his usual time, and waking up at his usual time (although both times were technically an hour earlier because of time zone change). we got to my parents' house around 7 am (only a 14 hour trip total) and we set ian's bed up and put it in my parents' room- i fed him, and they put ian down (after some long-awaited snuggles, of course) while dave & i took a much-needed nap. my mom brought ian to me for his next feeding, which we of course fell asleep during! when we finally finished, we threw some clothes on and went to eat at mad dog's. mmm. mad dog's was the first job i ever had besides babysitting, and i still love to eat there, and visit. we got to show ian off to jerry & pat, and wendy & kenny showed up while we were eating too. once we got back home, i fed ian again, and it was time to get ready for our party!

my parents threw us a party so that all my friends (and family too) could meet ian! my grandparents and my dad's cousin, jimmie were staying with us for the weekend and they arrived early to see ian. we had a really good crowd- probably about 40 people. and lots of babies too! 6 total, with the oldest being 6 months, and the youngest being ian, at nearly 3 months. it was really nice! ian was held by just about everyone, and i got to hold all the other babies too- it was a preview of what was to come for ian- and he is going to get heavy!!

as the crowd thinned out we sat around and chatted with friends and just caught up, it was a wonderful evening!! i hope to have some pictures up tomorrow!!

oh, atlanta!

Same old place, same old city.What can I do? I'm falling in love.I'm just an old hound dog
Roaming around, Lord, Lord.I've got all this and heaven above.
Oh, Atlanta I hear you calling.I'm coming back to you one fine day.
No need to worry there ain't no hurry.'Cause I'm on my way back to Georgia
I've get a feeling in me when I remember.All those crazy days and crazier nights
Can't you hear the music playing?You must have heard them saying
We're gonna rip 'em up and light up the night.
Oh, Atlanta I hear you calling.I'm coming back to you one fine day
No need to worry, make no hurry.'Cause I'm on my way back to Georgia
On my way back to Georgia.

t-minus 6 hours until we leave for georgia. to say i'm excited would be an understatement...

have a beautiful easter weekend!