Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 in Review

Apparently while I'm on vacation I am worse at blogging and reading blogs/commenting then when I'm working! Onward and upward!

With only a few hours before 2012, but I thought I'd do a quick recap post of 2011!

January
February
  • Visited Lake Tahoe (end of January too!) and even though I didn't get to ski, I had a great time!
March
  • Contemplated what baby boy's nursery was going to look like and wondered if I could convince the husband to paint squares on his wall.
  • Had my first baby shower in NY with my family.
April
May
June
July
August
  • A quiet month on the blog front.  Went and saw The Help and it had a great message (besides the intended story line).
September
October
November
December
Hubs and I are spending the night home, watching some movies/tv, enjoying a few snacks.  Most likely I'll be asleep before mid-night too!  No complaints here though.  2011 was fabulous, here's to 2012 and all that it will bring us!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!



Joy to the world! The Lord is come: 
let earth receive her King!  
Let every heart prepare him room  
and heaven and nature sing. 


Merry Christmas!

Friday, December 23, 2011

#WEverb11 #6-#11: Playing Catch-Up #1

Rather than bombard you with several posts, I thought I would group them together from now on. Here's the first set to catch-up! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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#6:  Favor

What was your favorite month of 2011?  Why did it beat out all 11 the other months?
      contributed by Jen [http://livingabrighterlife.blogspot.com] 

Ok, so I feel like all my replies are baby related, but hey that's what happened this year.

My favorite month was June!  That's when Alex was born!  I feel like the 5 before that were all just waiting in anticipation.  The 6 after that were great too
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#7:  Travel

Where did you travel this year? What was your favorite part? If you didn’t get to travel, where do you want to go next year?
      Contributed by Allison [hisbirdiesnest.blogspot.com]

I feel like we actually did get to travel quite a bit this year.  I went to my parents house 4 times this year, which is a ton!  At the beginning of the year we also got to go to Lake Tahoe, which was fun (though I wish I could have actually skiied!  I think my favorite part of all our traveling was everyone meeting Alex.  I was so happy he got to meet so much family and all of the love they showed us.  Next year I hope that we get to go on vacation as a family!
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#8:  Choose

What was the biggest choice you made in 2011? What caused you to choose what you chose?
      contributed by Melissa [53blonde.com] 

The biggest choice we made in 2011 (Though I guess it was really 2010) was Alex, and we had to 'cater' to him.  That meant we couldn't go out and just do whatever/whenever.  That felt huge to us.  Sometimes we felt stuck at home, but he is so easy/versatile that we definitely went out a lot and were not those ppl that stay home and do nothing because we have a kid.  We chose to work him into our lives instead of letting him keep us from what we want to do.
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#9:  Appreciate

In which moment did you find yourself flooded with gratitude? How will you rally around gratitude in 2012?
      contributed by Megan [everlastingpresent.com] 

I'm pretty sure this goes without say, but the moment I saw my son for the first time was just a flood of emotions.  Gratitude being one of them.  The fact that we were able to have a baby and not struggle like so many people do.  That he was healthy and a fairly 'easy' newborn.  That we had friends and family around us that loved him already and did whatever for us and him!
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#10:  Create

Share a creative project you undertook this year (art, writing, DIY, cooking, home decoration, crafts, photography … whatever comes to mind). How do you use your creativity to express yourself?
      contributed by Tara [twowishes.com] 

I was all ready to say my creativity was pretty low this year and then I went back and looked on the blog and realized that I felt extremely creative when we did the wall to the nursery!  I seriously love it so much and when I'm sitting and feeding Alex, I'll just look at it and think of the fun we had painting it and making it work.

I find that creativity is the easiest way to express myself because sometimes I tend to struggle with words, but when I create something I feel really proud of it and want the person I created it for to feel loved and the work that I put into it.  I really hope that in 2012 I can put my 'creative cap' back on and do some more projects than I did in 2011.
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#11:  Try

What 12 new things do you want to do/accomplish in 2012?
      contributed by Kimba [ultratrailgoddess.com] 

These aren't all new, but all things I want to do/accomplish!
  1. Run in a 10K race
  2. Pay off my car! - This will be the first car I've 100% owned
  3. Seek out a new job
  4. Some re-decorating around the house (mostly just accessories)
  5. Create Alex's 1yr book
  6. Finish my pregnancy book
  7. Create photo books for the last few years and/or organize/back-up photos.
  8. Reorganize my office/workspace/craft/sewing area
  9. Highlight/Color my hair - I know this sounds silly, but I've never had my hair salon colored and only highlighted once (like 7yrs ago)
  10. Find local things to do around Raleigh - especially free/kid friendly
  11. Get myself back to church more regularly - We attended regularly before Alex was born, but a newborn really got us off track.
  12. Read more!  I was reading lots before and I don't think I've read a single book since June. 
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For more info on #WEverb11, check it out here, and join in!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

6 Months!

Happy 6 month Birthday Alex! (Posting a little late)

Sleep:
  • You've been going to bed around 7:30 - 8:00.  Some mornings you sleep in and I have to wake you up at 7:45/8:00 so I can feed you and get to work!
  • You've been sleeping in on the weekends, until 8:30, and sometimes 9:00.
  • At home you seem to be doing pretty good.  You do not like taking naps at daycare yet so we'll see how that goes!  Most days you are so tired from not sleeping at daycare that you come home and pass out!
Feeding:
  • You are eating every 3hs (5x/day).  You take 6.5oz bottles at daycare.
  • We started solids just before Thanksgiving.  So far, you've had cereal, pears, apples and sweet potatoes.  You love them!  Just once a day for now.

Weight:
  • You weighed in at 17lbs 4oz - 46%

Length:
  •  You measured 26 1/8in - 38%

Diapers:
  • We're still doing cloth diapers.  We use the BumGenius Elemental Organic All-In-One One-Size.  You're on the second setting.
  • When we travel or are out much we do disposables.  We also do them at night.  We just moved to the size 3's.
  • Cloth diapering with solids is proving to be interesting!
Clothes:
  • For most of the month you wore 3-6mo clothes.  The last week or so we broke out the 6-9mo clothes and packed away the 3-6mo ones.  Waiting for after Christmas sales to stock up a bit!
And let's be honest this is what you were doing most of the time in the crib for those pictures (we don't have the bumpers in while sleeping, just for pictures)
Personality/Likes/Miscellaneous:
  • You absolutely love sitting up.  That is all that you want to do, you've pretty much mastered it.
  • You sleep on your belly, face down.
  • When we gave you solids, we couldn't get them in fast enough.
  • You are quite the giggler now.  Especially when playing peek-a-boo!
  • We traveled to NY/VT for Thanksgiving.  You did well on the plane again.  You charmed/flirted with lots of passengers.
  • Spent time with both set of grandparents, and got to meet lots of new people on daddy's side of the family.
  • Starting to jump in the jumperoo.
  • We had our family pictures taken this month, but you weren't a big fan that day, kinda grumpy.
  • You did not do as well after your 6mo shots. 
What we've been up to:
And because I think it's fun to compare (though I wish I could work Picasa better!)!



Wednesday, December 21, 2011

24 Christmas Questions

I saw Little Moments Like This post this today and I thought it would be fun to do the same!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? It depends.  I'm mostly a wrapper, but I do love a good gift bag.  Depends on the gift, if it's hard to wrap (and Kurt won't do it for me) then I go with the gift bag.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. For as long as I can remember we've had artificial at my parents and we got an artificial one a few years ago.  I honestly don't know if we'll ever get a real one (I know some of you are cringing at that). 

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Since I don't do Black Friday shopping, I use that to get decorations out.

4. When do you take the tree down? Before New Years.  Generally 3-4 days after Christmas (depending on travel).

5. Do you like eggnog? I just told my husband this the other day, I have never even tasted EggNog.  I really should.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hmm, I don't know if I really have one.  I loved my cabbage patch dolls though!

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No, but I just told Kurt that I wanted to get the Willow Tree House one.  I think it would be fun to get Alex a plush one like I've seen around the blog world lately.
 
8. Hardest person to buy for? Kurt.  He's totally the person that does his research and buys it when he has a bonus or something.  He has every tech gadget out there!  I can never figure out what to get him. 

9. Easiest person to buy for? Alex - there are so many great kids toys out there.  I had to stop myself.  I did my best at keeping it low key this year since he really has no idea what is going on, but it was so hard!


10. Mail or email Christmas cards?  Mail!  I love the Erin Condren cards we got this year!  (repeat from yesterday's post)



11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Hmmm, I really can't think of one.  I've gotten a few from random people that weren't really my cup of tea (not my style clothes, etc), but nothing that was terrible.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? This is hard.  I love Christmas movies (and music).  I love "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", "Elf" and all the Hallmark channel movies too!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?  I'd like to say like October or something, but so not true.  I used to take 2 days off from work and do all my Christmas shopping then.  This year, I spread it out so that I could take Alex to playgroup and do some shopping.  I started in early December.

14. Ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can remember

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?  7-Steps (can you make them w/o coconut - guess that would only be 6), Peanut Butter Butterscotch/Choc Chip Rice Krispies.  Umm, all of them! :-)

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? I'm a white lights only girl.  I don't have any colored ones in my house!
17. Favorite Christmas song? I LOVE Christmas music.  I like every variety, my favorites are probably more religious, like "Angels we Have Heard on High/Gloria", "Silent Night", "O Come All Ye Faithful".  For "non-religious", I'm becoming a huge fan of the Sugarland Gold and Green Album.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? This year - Home!  And I am soooo excited about that.  Usually, it goes something like this.  About 3 days before Christmas, drive 13hrs to the in-laws, on Christmas Eve, drive 3hrs to Kurt's Grandmother's and back, on Christmas morning (at like 5), drive 4hrs to my parents, 3-4 days after Christmas, drive 13hrs home.  Ugh, that's like 36hrs over 6-7days!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?  Dasher, Dancer, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Prancer, Vixen, Rudolph - I think I got them all!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We have a star that I bought when we got our tree from Target. 

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I've always done Christmas morning (sometimes with PJ's on Christmas Eve).  With weird travel, we've done gifts 2-days before, then family gifts on Christmas Eve and then gifts with my parents on Christmas day.  This year, we're doing Christmas morning, with PJ's Christmas eve, though I don't know if I'll wrap the PJ's this year.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Traffic/driving/drivers!  I have to go by a shopping center to get home from work, it's kinda hard to avoid and oh my goodness the ppl going to WalMart drive me ca-razy!  Then there's driving around the mall and trying to find a parking spot.  Makes me think I really need to find a new way home and do online shopping!

23. Favorite ornament, theme, or color?  We usually use the white and silver bulbs that we bought.  We have a few sports ones that we've been given.  This year I love the First Christmas ornament we got Alex and I can't wait to start a new tradition and get him a new one each year.  Theme wise, I stick with silver and white, plus either blue or red depending on the room.  And then snowmen!

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? I really didn't have anything I really wanted this year.  I made a "wish-list" of things that I wouldn't mind, but nothing that was an I really want. 


And because I couldn't resist, this is what Alex is wearing today.  "Elf-Sized"  I love it!!!


I really need to go take some more Christmas pictures tonight!!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

#WEverb11 #5: Befriend

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Learn

Did you meet any new friends this year? How did they impact your 2011?
      contributed by Jen [http://livingabrighterlife.blogspot.com] 

I have a really hard time meeting new friends/new people. When Alex was born I struggled a lot. I was home alone many days and I knew that I needed to do something about that. I also knew that it would be important to meet kids Alex's age so that he had kids to play with out side of daycare. I joined a mom's exercise group at the hospital. When I was there I met several new mom's and they were all really nice. I invited a few to a party that we had at the house to get to know them. We also formed our own weekly playgroup. It is definitely harder now to go to playgroup. I can't always go to weekday playgroups (except in December I can join!) but I do try to go to the weekend outings that we have scheduled.

This year I also "re-friended" a college friend. She had a baby a few weeks before Alex was born. It's funny how you all of a sudden can have something to talk about! She was always one of those people that it was easy to talk to after months (years?) of not speaking and this year we started talking a bit more and it's great. We don't talk all the time. We just randomly send one another emails and if I'm in town I'll try to meet up with her. I really feel like I need to work on befriending more people. I am making that one of my goals for 2012.
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For more info on #WEverb11, check it out here, and join in!

Check out the other replies for today's prompt!


Christmas Card 2011

Whoa, I last blogged on 12/4, are you serious?!?!  The holidays are soooo busy.  So while I play catch-up on blogging, I thought I'd share our Christmas card.

For the last 2 years I've made our Christmas cards but this year I knew I wanted a picture card and I love it.  In October I ended up ordering them from Erin Condren.  So worth it to have the address labels already and the great colored envelopes! 


I won 25 Shutterfly cards on another blog and have plans for those too, just as soon as they make a 30hr day!  :-)

Sunday, December 4, 2011

#WEverb11 #4: Haiku

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Learn

Sum up your year, via haiku.

a new life is born
our family has grown
memories are made


I'm not much of a poetry person, that was not easy!

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For more info on #WEverb11, check it out here, and join in!

Check out the other replies for today's prompt!


#WEverb11 #3: Learn

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Learn

What lesson did you learn in 2011 from “The School of Life” rather than a classroom?
      Contributed by Julie Jordan Scott [http://www.fivepassions.com] 

This year I learned to be content.  I've always been one who wanted more.  I always wanted what was next in life, to be married, to buy a house, to have a kid, a different job.  I know that there is always something more that I will want, but with Alex's arrival I have learned that I need to be content with what I have.  I have learned that if I don't start living with what's going on today, I'm going to miss all those milestones and developments.  I don't want to be wishing away Alex's childhood.  I want to enjoy it watch him grow.  I want to enjoy my time with my family and build memories to last a lifetime.  So what if the picture isn't perfect or we don't have the best there is.  Time to be happy with what I have!


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For more info on #WEverb11, check it out here, and join in!

Check out the other replies for today's prompt!


Friday, December 2, 2011

#WEverb11 #2: Listen

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Listen

What song did you listen to in 2011 to completely change your mood? Think about ways you can you add more music to your life in 2012. 
      contributed by Bella [bellaonthebeach.wordpress.com] 

I am a huge music lover but this was really hard for me!  Mostly because I love to sing along!  Yes, I'm the one you see singing in the car at the stoplight next to you.  :-)

I'd have to pick "Walk on Water" by Britt Nicole.  I heard this song on Biggest Loser and I searched and searched to find the full song/lyrics when I first heard it.  It was really inspiring to me.

Walk on Water by Britt Nicole
You look around
It's staring back at you
Another wave of doubt
Will it pull you under
You wonder

What if I'm overtaken

What if I never make it
What if no one's there?
Will you hear my prayer?

When you take that first step

Into the unknown
You know that He won't let you go

[Chorus:]

So what are you waiting for?
What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities try to alter you

You know you're made for more

So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all
It takes in you
You can walk on the water too

So get out

And let your fear fall to the ground
No time to waste
Don't wait
Don't you turn around and miss out
Everything you were made for
I know you're not sure
So you play it safe
Try to run away

If you take that first step

Into the unknown
He won't let you go

[Chorus]


[Bridge:]

(Step Out)
Even when a storm hits
(Step Out)
Even when you're broken
(Step Out)
Even when your heart is telling you, telling you to give up
(Step Out)
When your hope is stolen
(Step Out)
You can't see where you're going
You don't have to be afraid

So what are you waiting for?


[Chorus]


For 2012, I really would like to bring more music in by expanding my music selection.  I'm most definitely a country girl, but I've heard some artists lately (like Adele), that I definitely like.  Expanding out and find more artists that I like is the perfect was to add more music to 2012.  (Oh and I'm sure I'll have some kid's music added in too)

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For more info on #WEverb11, check it out here, and join in!

Check out the other replies for today's prompt!


Thursday, December 1, 2011

#WEverb11 #1: One Word


Ok, so second post for the day, what you say?  Yes, I'm going to do my best to participate in #WEverb11 this year!  I've never done anything like this, so you may have to bear with me!

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 Choose one word.

Encapsulate the year 2011 in one word. Explain why. Imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2012 for you?

In the spirit of where this all started… this is the same first prompt from 2010.

For me the word that best explains 2011 is blessed.


This year we were blessed with so many things, the biggest being a happy, healthy, baby boy.  We've had such a great year.  Everyone is happy and healthy.  We've been able to see family and friends (at home and traveling).  We have jobs, we have a home, and we have amazing people around us.  We've laughed, we've cried and most of all we've made it through with very few scrapes, bumps, or bruises.  We've watched our little boy change so much over the last 6months, it's incredible.  2011 was such a blessing!

The word I think I would like to capture 2012, is accomplished.  We have some financial goals that we'd like to accomplish sooner rather than later.  I also have some career goals/changes/advancements that I'd like to accomplish as well.  Oh and I'd say surviving the first year of Alex's life will be a huge accomplishment (while solely breastfeeding would make it even better)!

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For more info on #WEverb11, check it out here, and join in!

Check out the other replies for today's prompt!


It's OK . . .


Today I'm linking up with Amber and Neely (for the first time)!

It's ok:

- to want to get Alex the same outfit in the next 2 sizes, I love it so much! (The pants are my fav!)

- to feel sad/guilty when I have to leave for work every morning.

- to have come to grips with the fact that we may have to supplement in the next few months (more on this later).

- to have a Christmas wish list that's mostly clothes, shoes and jackets.

- to be several weeks behind posting pictures on the baby blog.

- to have plans to lots of baby holiday pictures this weekend!


- to look forward to the mess that will happen tonight as I leave Kurt home to feed Alex solids himself.

- to have sent Alex to daycare in pants that were too small/too short for the last few days.  I was in denial that he needed to move up, but I came to grips yesterday!

- to listen to Christmas music all day and not get tired of it!

- to be really excited about Christmas this year!  (see above!)

- to put off doing work, dishes, etc just so I can get some more giggles out of the little guy.

- to have purchased several holiday onsies for Alex on CyberMonday and no other Christmas gifts (I had every intention and several shopping bags full of stuff, that were discarded)!

- to send out/take funny pictures of Alex whenever possible, hopefully he'll find them funny in the future!


What?  Can't you put both feet to your mouth while laying down?



Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Oh what a day . . . .

Do you ever have one of those days . . . . . . I had every intention of writing a few different posts over the last few days and nothing.

But today, today took the cake. . . . .
  • I forgot to bring a pacifier for Alex to daycare (took it home yesterday because he was fussy).
  • Today was bring your favorite book day to daycare and I forgot that also.
  • Then, I get there to pick him up and he's wearing something I've never seen.  Turns out he only had 1 spare outfit in his cubby and wet through/messed on the one he was wearing and the spare one. 
  • Then, we planned to stop at the store after work/pick-up and we get inside and I realize, I have no diaper bag/nothing - no diapers, no pacifier, no blanket, no toys.  It's not something I normally bring with me every day and I didn't think of it today. 
But, luckily . . . .
  • They said he was fine at daycare and they sterilized an extra one and he used that if he really needed it.  Not ideal but ok.
  • Doesn't look like any other kids brought in books today.  At least we weren't the only ones.
  • They had some extra pj's at daycare that he was able to wear.  Thankfully he didn't have to wear just a diaper all day (Ok, I know they wouldn't have left him in a diaper, but still).
  • We made it through 2 stores with no meltdown, dirty diaper and the weather wasn't too cold so a blanket wasn't needed (He did have a jacket on).  He's so laid back and such a good kid.
So, I'll wallow in my fails/oopsies for the rest of the evening. 

Tomorrow brush it off, and start over again, it's a new day, right?  Happy hump day!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Christmas Traditions


 Picture from here

Christmas is quickly approaching and it's one of my favorite times of year!  When we were kids our traditions consisted of Christmas Eve mass and then going to grandma and grandpa's.  We got to come home and usually got a new pair of PJ's.  Then my sister and I would sleep together in the same bed.  She'd wake up early, and I'd ignore her for as long as possible.  Christmas morning we'd open gifts, and my mom would make a nice big breakfast!  We'd get together with my extended family again and play with my cousins most of the day.  I can't remember any other traditions but I'm going to ask my mom when I visit with her over Thanksgiving.

With all that said, I was trying to start some Christmas traditions with Alex.  I realize that he's young this year and won't really remember much/participate this year.  I was trying to come up with some traditions to start.  Here are some ideas that I've seen.
  1. Elf on the Shelf - I've seen this all over the blog world and I think that this is a great idea once Alex is old enough!
  2. Yearly Ornament - My parents didn't do this for us but I really like the idea of buying an ornament each year.  Then when they move away they have ornaments to bring with them for their tree. 
  3. Cookie Baking - I love making Christmas cookies.  The season always seems to pass to quickly, but I really want to at least have an afternoon of baking each year.
  4. Christmas books Advent Calendar - I initially saw this blogged about here.  I think I'll buy books after Christmas this year (get some on sale) to start next year.  Though, maybe I'll only buy 12 books this year for next and then 12 new ones the year after and do an every other day kind of thing.  I'm sure we'll get some books this year.
  5. Christmas Tree - Making a special day out of putting up the Christmas tree and other decorations.
  6. Christmas Movies - I LOVE watching Christmas movies on TV.  Maybe watching a Christmas movie once a week in December.  (i.e. Elf, The Grinch)
  7. Visiting Santa - Actually I'm kind of on the fence about this one.  Maybe this sounds silly but I don't want him to think that Christmas is just about getting gifts and for some reason standing in the mall forever in lines to tell Santa what you want just doesn't appeal to me.  Call me crazy.
  8. Sleigh Ride/Riding around looking at lights - One thing I like about the season is looking at all of the lights and decorations that people put up.  Here in the south not as many people put up as many lights/decorations as they do in the north (at least in my opinion), but it's still fun to drive around.  And I know that there are lots of Lights on the Lake/Park, etc type places that would be cool too.  The sleigh ride is something I used to do in NY, though that doesn't work as well here in the south.
  9. Giving/Volunteering - I really, really want to stress to Alex (and any other kids we have) that Christmas isn't about getting gifts but it's about giving to people too.  Helping those that are less fortunate (though why does this come up the most during Christmas, we should be doing this all year round!) and just helping the community in general.  Kurt and I have found ways to give over the last few years, we purchase gifts for the kids on the trees at the mall or volunteer at the Food Banks.
  10. Meaning of the Season - With all that said, it's not about Santa or any of that for the true meaning of Christmas.  I don't usually blog about religion, but Christmas is really about the birth of Jesus Christ and that's what we're truly celebrating and we need to remember this the whole season long, not just by going to church on Christmas/Christmas Eve.
What traditions do you and your families have?  Any that you would suggest adding/doing, etc?  What are your favorite Christmas books/movies?

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thankful . . . . . .

For the 2 boys in my life who I can't imagine being without




Hope you and your family are having a fantastic Thanksgiving!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Giggles!

Not much going on today! We're visiting family for the Thanksgiving holiday but I couldn't resist sharing this cute video of Alex giggling while playing peek-a-boo with my mom!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Day in the Life

I thought it'd be fun to do a day-in-the-life post.  I've got a few pictures (some are from different days) too!  This is pretty much how it has gone since I went back to work (except for Alex's wake-up time), so months 4 and 5, though I know it'll change frequently in the future... 

5:45AM - Alarm goes off.  I try to hit the snooze, but know that I shouldn't and I get up.  I pump and hop in the shower, get ready for the day.

7:00AM - Downstairs to make some breakfast, bottles for the day (if I haven't the night before) and pack up my bag for work, as well as anything that the babe needs for the day.  (Note, I used to bring 3-4 different bags to work - laptop bag, pump bag, purse and lunch bag and had to put the ka-bash on that.  I found this huge one from Lands End that holds everything!)  Depending on if Alex is awake, I might get to do a little laundry too.

7:45AM - 8:00AM - Lately Alex has been sleeping in until past 8:00, so on work days I try to let him go as long as possibly but I have to wake him by 8:00.  The morning is usually greeted with a smile and some loud squeals, it's always fun to have a happy baby in the morning.  I feed Alex and watch some news.


8:15AM - 8:30AM - Everybody packs up and out the door we go.  Luckily Kurt takes Alex to daycare so I head straight to work.  When I started back at work he was getting up around 7:00, so I was going to work much earlier.

8:45AMish - Time to work.  E-mail, e-mail, conference call, meeting etc.

9:30AM - Quick break to check the cameras and check in to see how the little guy is doing at daycare.  I usually open them up about this time during the day and check them randomly depending on what's going on.

10:00AM - First pumping session of the day.  I have to head down to a separate room, which is so annoying.  Sometimes there is another woman in there pumping.  Sometimes there are people using it as a conference room.  I generally am not pleasant if it's the latter and kick them out ASAP.

10:30AM - Back to my desk, more e-mail and conference calls/meetings.

12:15PM - Lunch!  I've pushed my lunch back much later now.  When I was pregnant I used to eat at 11:00 and no later!  I try to bring my lunch, but I'm terrible at remembering, so I usually just head to the cafeteria to get something quick and work right through lunch.  Definitely check-in during lunch time.  Score - nap time today (did I mention Alex doesn't like taking naps at daycare)! 

1:00PM - Second pumping session of the day.

1:30PM - Back to my desk, more e-mail and conference calls/meetings.

4:00PM - Last pumping session at work.

5:00PM - Out the door!  I try to leave as early as possible.  Some days it's 5:00, some days a little bit after.

5:30PM - I'm usually there to pick up Alex by 5:30.  I chat with his teachers to see how his day was while I'm getting him ready to go.

6:00PM - We're home and spending some time together.  Depending on the night we just hang out and play with Alex.  Some nights we eat dinner and he plays in his high chair while we eat, some nights we wait until after he goes to bed to eat dinner.  We have a 'loose' no technology rule during this time.  We are generally not on the computer during this time, though we sometimes have the TV on in the background.  We also try to stay off our phones during this time.  We play on the floor, play with Maya.


7:00PM - We start bath and bedtime routine.  We give him a bath every other day usually (Kid LOVES bathtime!).  He eats, and we read a book and then it's time for bed.  Most nights he is in bed at 7:30.


7:30PM - It's usually a scramble and different every night.  This is a variety of laundry, some nights work (I have weekly conference calls on Tuesdays at 9pm - the joys of working for a global company), tv/dvr catch-up, dinner (if we didn't eat earlier), blogging.  Time to wash bottles and pump parts too.

10:30PM - Last pumping session for the day. 

11:00PM - Bedtime.  I honestly have no idea why we stay up so late.  It just seems to happen.  We look up and it's 11:00 already!  Where did the night go.  I wish I could go to bed earlier but it never seems to happen!


Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Cloth Diaper Update part 1 (before solids)

So like I mentioned before we decided to go with cloth diapers.  We ended up just going all-in right from the start with 1 brand.  I thought I'd share a few lessons learned, pros/cons, etc.  Though, I'm guess some of my opinions will change when we start solids and I have to break out the diaper sprayer!


Lesson's Learned
  • There is no need to buy all of your diapers before baby arrives and make your final decision before you give a few a try.  Ok, I'm just one of those people that plans things and does them all or nothing.  This is one of those things I wished I'd waited on.  Now, don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean I'd chose different diapers, it just means I wish that I had tried out more options.  Say maybe starting out with a sampler pack.  Plus (at least for us), we went with disposables for the newborn size and started cloth once he moved up to size 1's.
  • It's ok to just have a day where you want to use a disposable.  There are just some days that are tough and you have to give yourself a break some time, so go ahead, use a disposable!  We use them traveling and when we'll be out of the house for an extended period of time.
  • More detergent does not mean cleaner diapers (who knew?!?!).  When Alex was about 4 months old we were having some major leakage issues at daycare.  I did some research and it turns out that if you use too much detergent then you can have some build up in your diapers.  Following the directions on the BumGenius website we stripped our diapers one weekend and all was better.  Stripping means washing in Dawn Original Dish washing detergent, followed by several rinse cycles.
Pros
  • I don't have to run out to the store because we're out of diapers.  Usually we wash at night so we put a diaper on him (a disposable) and then hit the washing machine with the dirty ones 2-3x/wk.
  • Though some might disagree, I feel like we're at least being more environmentally friendly.
  • I don't have to worry about having diapers in the next size, since ours size up with a just a few changes in snaps! 
  • Less blowouts!  I had soooo many #2 blowouts with disposables.  But I think we've had 1 #2 blow-out with cloth.
Cons
  • Holy upfront investment!  It's a lot to buy all of the diapers at first!  Then you add in wetbags and detergent.
  • Not all clothes fit.  So maybe this is kind of stupid but, we have trouble with some of Alex's clothes fitting once he reaches the bigger end of that size and have to size up on pants so that fit over his cute tush!  
  • One-size/All-In-Ones can be bulky (see above) and sometimes just look plain funny.  I found once you size up to the next size, much better!
  • New diaper changers need some guidance.  We got snap diapers since I was worried about velcro issues.  The down-side is that if someone new is hanging him, we have to show them which snaps to use so they make sure that they're tight enough.
  • Laundry - Ick, I hate laundry, though these are really easy (so far).  A rinse cycle, a wash cycle, throw them in the dryer with a towel and they're dry in 2 60-minutes cycles. 
  • The absorbancy without an added layer isn't as great so things like overnight just don't work as well unless you invest in some other liners.  So far I haven't done that and I'm just not sure it would really work well with the All-In-Ones, so we're just sticking to disposables.

You can do it at daycare too!
  • Just Ask!
  • When we were looking for daycares this is one of the questions that we asked.  And it was high on our priority list.  If we couldn't find a daycare that we liked that would do cloth diapers then we might have nixed the idea as a whole on the diapers, because at that point the investment didn't seem worth it to us.  But, luckily 2 of our top 3 daycare choices would do cloth.
  • It took some 'training/getting used to'.  We had to show them the right snaps a few times and you will have more leaks in the beginning until they get the hang of it (or you strip you diapers because you had build-up :-) ).
  • We bring in diapers at the beginning of the week, plus some wet bags (we got 3 Planet Wise large bags).  Each night we bring home a bag of dirty ones.  Usually on Wednesday we wash and bring in more clean ones and the empty wet bags!
Also, don't let friends/family badger you in either direction.  My mom was not a fan/advocate of cloth-diapering.  (Ok so maybe that made me want to do it even more)  She has only changed cloth a handful of times and didn't have any trouble.

Cloth diapering is sooo over-whelming when you start.  It's like bam-information overload.  Where to begin.  I've learned a lot from the posts I linked to the first time.  I also had a co-worker who did cloth and helped a little, though I use completely different diapers than her and that's fine too!

If you find it doesn't work for you, then don't do it anymore.  There was a point where I was ready to just call it quits, sell the diapers and move on.  They were just becoming a pain because there were so many leaks.  Once we figured that problem out, things have become much better (I should say that I was dealing with other issues at the time so it was all so overwhelming).

That's my update for now, ask me again in a month when we start solids, how much a really like it!  Installing the diaper sprayer is #1 on the honey-do list right now!  

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Tuesday Thoughts

Apparently I'm not coming back to blogging as quickly as expected!  Some random thoughts for today.  (I've tried writing the post for several hours now!)
  1. We're leaving on Friday for Thanksgiving and flying to NY.  I'm so glad that I'm not flying alone this time!  Having Kurt with me will be super helpful.
  2. We had our pictures taken on Sunday and I'm looking forward to getting them back!  Unfortunately the babe is sick so he wasn't happy but he smiled for a few.
  3. Confession:  I turned iTunes on shuffle on Friday and it started playing Christmas music and I didn't change it!  Ok, I'm definitely not rushing through Thanksgiving, but I simply LOVE Christmas music!
  4. I'm actually coming up with a Christmas wish list this year.  Top on my list:  Clothes!  Being pregnant last year I didn't get any new clothes so my wardrobe is all out of sorts this year.
  5. I also need shoes.  I'm not one for heels, anyone have any comfortable flat-ish (casual and dressier) suggestions.
  6. Pinterest - I signed up a while back but still haven't figured out how to use it that well.  I can't figure out how to follow people unless they're my facebook friends.  I need some help!  Are you on Pinterest?  How do I follow you?  I'm adding my "follow-me" button so maybe if you follow me I'll find you.  Ha ha!
  7. I feel like I need a mega-crafting weekend or something!  I want to do some crafting ASAP but need the time.  What Christmas crafts are you working on that you'd suggest?
  8. Christmas gifts are as usual a mystery to me.  Luckily our "to-but-for" list has shrunk this year but I'm still stumped.  I like the idea of calendar's on Shutterfly for the grandparents, but that's about as far as I've thought.  I really should probably get on that.
  9. Alex is starting to grow out of his 3-6mo clothes. :-(  He's in that in-between stage, 3-6's are getting short and 6-9's/6-12 are big.  He doesn't have many of the next size up and I was hoping to wait and stock up during after-Christmas sales and from Christmas gifts.  I'm not sure if we can hold out that long though.
  10. And because I don't want to leave you with an odd number #10.  :-)
Hope you all are having a great week!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

5 Months!

Happy 5 month Birthday Alex! (Posting a little late)

Sleep:
  • You've been going to bed around 7:30 - 8:00.  Some mornings you sleep in and I have to wake you up at 7:45/8:00 so I can feed you and get to work!
  • There was about a week or so where you were up every night several times.  Luckily we nipped that quickly and we're back to normal.
  • At home you seem to be doing ok with some naps, but it's generally hit or miss.  You do not like taking naps at daycare yet so we'll see how that goes!  Most days you are so tired from not sleeping at daycare that you come home and pass out!
Feeding:
  • You are eating every 3hs (5x/day).  You take 6oz bottles at daycare.
  • Still no solids yet though you definitely seem interested!
Weight:
  • No appointment but we're thinking about 17lbs.
  • Everyone says you're a big boy!

Length:
  •  Not sure, no appointment this month.
Diapers:
  • We're still doing primarily cloth diapers.  We use the BumGenius Elemental Organic All-In-One One-Size.  You're on the second setting.
  • When we travel or are out much we do disposables.  We also do them at night.  You are wearing the last of the few size 2's that we have.

Clothes:
  • Wearing all 3-6 month/6month still.  Still in the same for PJ's.
  • One piece clothes are out of the picture.

Personality/Likes/Miscellaneous:
  • You are still trying really hard to sit up on your own.  You're getting much better at it!
  • Your baptism was this month and you loved getting dunked into the water.
  • Uncle Keith and Grandma and Grandpa came to visit for your baptism.
  • We visited the NC State Fair this month.
  • You love hanging out on your floormat. 
  • You started rolling over this month.  I watched you do it on the camera at daycare (October 19th), but it was several weeks before you would do it at home for us.  Now you roll back and forth without too much trouble.  You sleep on your tummy now.
  • You love it when someone claps your hands together or the bottoms of your feet.  A sure-fire way to get you to laugh.
  • Everyone says lately that you are a mix of both mom and dad.
  • We finally got to meet up with everyone from playgroup and went to the pumpkin patch.  It was so great to see everyone and your 'girlfriend' Kate was there!
  • It was your first Halloween.  We went to 2 parties on Saturday and dressed you up like a football and mom and dad were football players.
  • For Halloween night and at daycare you were a monkey and loved every minute of it!
  • You are completely fascinated by Maya lately.  You love when she comes by you and in the morning we usually get a big smile when you 'pet' her (aka she licks you) for the first time.  You like to sit next to her and pet her (aka tug on her ears).  She's pretty tolerable so far but you're always on our laps.  We/she better watch out when you're mobile!

What we've been up to:

Monday, October 31, 2011

Friday, October 28, 2011

4 Months!

Time to play catch-up!  I'm feeling much better!

Happy 4 month Birthday Alex! (Posting a little late)

Sleep:
  • You generally go to bed around 8:00 and are up somewhere between 7:00 and 7:30.
  • For about a week or so you would wake up and squeal with delight for 10-15 minutes (somewhere between 5:15 and 6:30) and then go back to bed!
  • At home you seem to be doing ok with some naps, but it's generally hit or miss.  You do not like taking naps at daycare yet so we'll see how that goes!
Feeding:
  • For most of the month you were eating every 2.5hrs (6x/day) - 7:30, 10:00, 12:30, 3:00, 5:30, 7:00, about 4-5oz bottles when you took a bottle.  
  • Towards the end of the month you got sick and stretched yourself to ever 3hrs.  (5x/day) - 7:30, 10:30, 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, about 5-6oz when taking a bottle (sometimes wanting more)
  • Still holding out on solids for another month or 2 hopefully though your interest in food is starting to show. 
Weight:
  • 15lbs 11oz (60%)
  • Everyone says you're a big boy!
Length:
  •  24.5in (30%)
Diapers:
  • Wearing a size 2 in disposables (I like the Huggies Little Snugglers the best, thought the Huggies Snug & Dry work well too), though once we run out we'll probably just go to size 3's when we need disposables rather than buy too many size 2s.
  • Cloth diapers are working out pretty well still. 
  • Still using disposables at night and sometimes when we go out.
Clothes:
  • Wearing all 3-6 month.
  • One piece clothes feel like they're getting too short. 

Personality/Likes/Miscellaneous:
  • Auntie Marcy came to visit this month and you were a big flirt!  She baby sat for a night while mom and dad went to a wedding and you did great.
  • Auntie Sarah also baby sat on your 4mo. birthday and mom and dad went out to dinner.
  • Still, likes to watch T.V. so we have found the Disney channel and put on some Mickey Mouse occassionally.
  • Got you a jumperoo and you are a big fan!
  • The floor mat is starting to become a favorite of yours.
  • You giggled for the first time on Friday, October 16th!
  • Love it when someone claps your hands together or the bottoms of your feet.  A sure-fire way to get you to laugh.
  • You are working hard at sitting up on your own as evidence in the pictures we tried to take this month!
  • Grandma worked hard at teaching you to blow bubbles and you are all about the bubbles/raspberries!
  • The girls at daycare love you and say that you are a sweetheart and so easy going.
What we've been up to:
And for comparison:
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Monday, October 3, 2011

To be honest . . . .

To be honest . . . . . I love my little bugger and being his mom, but after a trip to the Dr.'s office on Sunday (with a high temp), I'm worried that I'm missing something.  Should I have caught this earlier on Saturday? Is he eating enough?  Am I giving him enough attention?   (He's doing better, waiting for lab results)

To be honest . . . . . Being back to work is a high and a low.  Leaving him is such a low, and I feel so stressed having to go to work, stay on top of things, pump and make sure I get out on time to pick him up on time.  Then we get home and it's like 2hrs maximum with him and he's off to bed.

To be honest . . . . . My husband has been gone with his team for several weekends this summer and this weekend was the last one, but it really got to me.  I feel like we need some time to reconnect.

To be honest . . . . . I didn't even think about the blog all week/weekend and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

Honestly, I'm going to take a bloggy break and see where it leads me.  Seems to me that the same thing happened this time last year and I felt better after a break (though I don't anticipating it being so long this time).

I hope you all have a fantastic week and enjoyed your weekend.  I'll be back sometime soon.  Happy fall y'all!

Oh and if you need your Alex fix, I still intend to post pictures on the baby blog.


Thursday, September 22, 2011

And then it hit me


In 4 days my baby boy will be going to daycare.

In 6 days I'll be back to work full-time.

It all hit me today as I dropped off the paperwork.  My chest got a little tight and I started to feel a little teary-eyed.

The anxiety started to settle in and my mind is playing the game of 20 questions with myself . . . .

How can I leave my baby boy all day? 
How will they know what's wrong when he cries?  
What if he doesn't take any naps?
How can I manage a job, a house, a marriage and a baby?
Can I keep up with pumping/breast-feeding at work?
Can I keep up with washing the cloth diapers?
Will I ever make it to work on time?
Will I ever get to exercise again?  (selfish - maybe, but valid)
What if he stops sleeping so well at night with all the change?
What if I can't get out of work on time to pick him up?

And the list goes on and on . . . . . 

Then I look at my baby boy and he just melts my heart (crazy eyes and all).


And I know that we'll find a way, somehow, we'll make it work, it'll all be worth it in the end.

I may not get as much sleep.
My house might not be as clean as I'd like it.
I might be late for work.

But we'll figure it out and do what works best for us (or so my husband has reassured me).