Don't Judge Me: My Son Sleeps In His Crib

This morning, I read an article called, "Why Co-Sleeping Works For Us, Even If It Scares You" By Brooke Dowd Sacco. While I am absolutely fine with her decision to co-sleep, what I am NOT OK with is comments like this, "I didn’t expect to be able to take off my mom hat between the hours of 7pm and 7am. I’m running a 24 hour operation here." Her statement implies that because my son sleeps in his own room, that I'm somehow not his mother at night? Because he sleeps soundly for several hours at a time, in his own room, that I'm 'off duty'?! 

Here's another comment that irked me, "To me, my daughter is more important than a perfect night’s sleep." Oh, right. That's why I put him in his crib, because he isn't important. Actually, he is important. But he isn't the center of the universe. I happen to have two other boys, two dogs, a home to keep, a full time job, and a HUSBAND! I can't go to bed at 7 pm with the baby, and ignore all of my other responsibilities! Ms. Sacco has a husband, who obviously supports her co-sleeping with their daughter. "In the beginning, when my husband and I discussed where our daughter would sleep, he was happy to hear she wouldn’t be alone in her room downstairs." My son's room was an addition, created by splitting our bedroom in half. So he is extremely close to me. Not that his room being downstairs would be ideal, but it would not lead to co-sleeping.

She continues, "No matter how many times she (her daughter) needs me during the wee hours, he (her husband) wakes up well rested, and for us, this is a good thing. He has to get up and go to work 5 days a week. Happy husband, happy life?" Well, Brooke, I have to get up at the wee hours and go to work. But even if I did stay home, I would not be able to handle not getting any restful sleep. I wouldn't be able to fall asleep with him in my bed- since my husband moves CONSTANTLY in his sleep. I would be worried about the baby! 

Everyone's situation is unique. Some mothers work, some stay home. Some do both, and are home with the children during the day and work at night! Some babies sleep in their parents' bed, some sleep in cribs, and some are in the room in a bassinet. No 'one way' is perfect, and all of us are doing the best we can. This article made me feel like 'my way is right, and your way is wrong' which helps NO ONE. 

Now, please be quiet, my baby is sleeping.

Last Saturday... 11.1.14

I woke up and said, "Soccer at 9:30, right?" The hubs responded, "Yup... that's what you told me." And so began our 'typical' Saturday. It was our day to bring snacks for the soccer team, so after I got a shower- I spent some time putting together little bags of goodies, packing a cooler with mini Gatorades, and packing the diaper bag for #3. We had everything- chairs, the snack, J's ball, extra clothes for the baby. What could go wrong?! Well, soccer was at 12:30, not 9:30. You would THINK I would check my calendar before driving to the field... but nope.

 

The hubs decides that it's a perfect time to head to Costco, since it's not exactly close to where we live. "We're already out, ready for soccer- and we have THREE HOURS!" So, off we went. After taking our sweet time, and filling a shopping cart- we went to check out. Hubs starts to pat his shorts, and the pockets in his sweatshirt... "Um, do YOU have my wallet?" "No." "Hmm, I don't seem to have it!" We are in line, at this point- ready to check out. With perishable food, three children, and a long line behind us. I ran out to the car, to see if I had my wallet in the diaper bag. I usually do, but today? No, of course not.

 

We ended up applying for a Costco American Express card, so we could pay for our groceries! Then, we drove about 30 minutes home- with just enough time to drop off the food and get to the soccer game. I open the garage, and run inside to put some food on the counter. The dogs are both sitting in the front entry way, and looking up. I think it's odd, but I'm in too much of a rush to really process what they are doing. As I re-enter the kitchen, I notice that the backdoor has been open. This. Entire. Time. Then I hear wings beating against glass. CHIRP CHIRP. A panicked little bird had flown into our house, and was stuck against the windows in the front of the house. Out of my reach.

 

Hubs runs upstairs, to grab his wallet and gets dive bombed by the freaked out bird. It ends up in the bathroom. "Close the door!" I end up climbing into our bathtub and opening the bathroom window to let the darn thing out.

 

HELP!

THEN, finally, we get to the soccer game. Little J's team loses, and I have one too few goody bags for the 'younger siblings' so he has to graciously give own bag up. Well, at least we my college football team won that day! Just another Saturday at our crazy house...

 

Electric Eels soccer team, Little J is far right

 

 

 

Here he is!! The newest member of the family

Did you miss me? I have been a very bad blogger! I haven't posted anything since June 23, so it has been 4 whole months. I just wanted to check in and let you know that I had my third baby boy on July 31 and he's doing great! He was 8 pounds and 21 inches long. The delivery went very smoothly.

Our sweet little baby at the hospital, right before we headed home!

He has been suffering from acid reflux, and is already taking Zantac to help keep his stomach settled. He also has to sleep at a slight incline, and his formula is specially designed for acid reflux. But with all those 'fixes', he is doing MUCH better and sleeping pretty well at night. He still doesn't seem to want to sleep during the day, but I hope he will eventually get there.

He is all smiles at 2 months old. His tummy feels so much better!!

I'm back to work now, and things are getting back to 'normal.' On one hand, it feels like everything has changed in the past four months... on the other hand, not much has changed at all! We are a family of 5 now, and the two older boys just adore the baby. I hope you forgive me for being away so long, since I posted cute baby pictures. More to come! 

MMG: Another Weekend of Unrest 6.23.14

Hello!

On Friday, I got to attend the summer birthday celebration for Little J's class. He was a bit confused, "It's not my birthday, is it?" But it was nice to be able to see him enjoying his classmates, and the beautiful southern California weather. Even Mayhem got to participate, which was really nice for him! 

Since our downstairs is still under construction, we've ALL been spending way too much time in the master bedroom. Some of us are enjoying the 'special privilege'... Below are some shots of Ms. Kallie enjoying her time in bed with Mayhem and Momma. Crazy dog...

Then there is this bed hog, Ms. Mollie. Unfortunately, we discovered another large lump on her this weekend. She'll be going in to get it removed tomorrow morning. :( Poor thing. 

Sunday was the US vs. Portugal World Cup game, which was a great game! I have to admit I fell asleep during some parts, I am very pregnant! And while I was cheering for the US (of course), I was enjoying watching this man! 

Cristiano Ronaldo in US vs. Portugal World Cup Game 6.22.14
Image Source: http://www.justjared.com/tags/2014-world-cup/

Thanks to Leeann and Kimberlee for featuring me this week!

How was your weekend, did you watch the World Cup? 

Heroes of the City: Baby App Ages 0-2

In March, I reviewed a Heroes of the City app, which contained 9 different games for kids ages 3-6 years old. Heroes of the City recently released a new Baby app for children 0-2+ years. Their goal was to create a great app for small children that is entertaining, educational and inspires children to be creative. The app is totally free, without advertising and has no in-app purchase. Everything in this app is especially designed for the youngest children. 

In order to property review this app, I downloaded it on my iPhone and had Mayhem test it out. He loved it! His motor skills are still developing, so he gets easily frustrated with some of the 'big kid' games and apps that his older brother plays with. This app is tailor-made for the younger crowd. The Baby App has a game where you simply tap on balloons to pop them- which sounds simple, but that's the point! Mayhem enjoyed playing that, because (I think) he could do it all by himself. 

Another item that he enjoyed was the painting (bottom left icon), because you can color in the Heroes of the City characters. It kept Mayhem busy while his brother was in swim class, which was great! I actually got to watch Little J swim! The center bottom icon was a shape matching game, which I saw him playing for a short time also. 

I would recommend this app to anyone looking for a 'first app', to see how your toddler can handle the touch screen. It is great for the younger crowd, especially if they like the Heroes of the City books and DVDs! 

Links for the app are below, for iTunes or Google Play:

App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/heroes-of-the-city-baby-app/id860084935?mt=8

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rutaett.HeroesBaby&hl=en

MMG: More Remodel Progress! 6.9.14

Photos of our remodel in progress: Left- new kitchen window and new cabinets being built,
Top Right- lower cabinets being built, and Bottom Right- freshly painted laundry room! 

Happy Monday! I can't believe another week has flown by. This weekend, I missed a family gathering (it was across the country, and I'm not able to fly) for my Grandmother's 90th Birthday!! I wish I could have been there to celebrate with her, and the family- since this was a major milestone! Happy Birthday, Grandma! 

Instead, I spent the weekend selecting a granite slab, tile, tile pattern, laminate flooring, and appliances. I know that sounds like fun to some people, but when it isn't something you had planned on doing... it's not very glamorous. On Saturday, my husband worked until noon- so we rushed over to a location about an hour away from home, with two tired boys. Luckily, they were very well behaved and we were able to get a great deal on the granite for our kitchen! We're seeing some real progress in the kitchen with new windows and cabinets going in! See the photos above. 

Quick Baby Update: I'm now 32 weeks pregnant, so this remodel needs to get wrapped up soon- so I can start nesting! Looking at my June calendar, this month is going to FLY. It's packed full of birthdays, BBQs, our wedding anniversary, a visit from Mom and Dad, J's last day of school, etc.! 

How was your weekend?!

MMG: Progress to Report! 6.2.14

Happy Monday! This weekend went WAY too fast! But first, an update on our 'flood status' from last week. We moved back home last Wednesday, because it was just too difficult to deal with the two dogs in a hotel- and also, because everyone was stir crazy. In other words, we moved home so we could use our backyard and sleep in our own beds. The entire first floor of our home is still wiped out- although, we do have a refrigerator? And, several of you have asked what exactly happened- and it was the dishwasher supply line. It burst, and flooded the entire first floor while we were sleeping. It wasn't actually a slab leak.  

We are working on getting quotes from contractors to repair all the damage, and once we settle the amount with the insurance company- we can get started on fixing everything. We have 9 weeks to get it all back together, because that is when Baby Boy is due! I'll wait until you stop laughing... are you done? OK. So, here's how our weekend went! 

Friday, I worked from home- while two contractors measured every square inch of my downstairs... and a handy man fixed our (unrelated) leaky toilet upstairs. And, of course, Mayhem was not feeling well- this is the only picture I have from the entire weekend. It just about sums up my Friday. Luckily, he bounced back quickly and was able to keep up with us this weekend.

Saturday morning, we had swim class and then headed straight to the tile store to look at new granite counter tops and tile floors for the impromptu kitchen remodel. That basically took all afternoon, but we agreed on a floor style, cabinet style/color, and a granite color. So we made progress! Now we need to get the insulation replaced and drywall repaired, so we can paint the entire first floor and then replace the flooring! Baby steps. 

Sunday we went to Laguna Beach for the morning, and had brunch with friends and walked around. It was so nice to get out of the house, and be in the gorgeous California weather for a while. I really needed that! How was your weekend?

  

Where Have I Been? The Residence Inn...

Last Wednesday morning, around 5 am, the hubs and I heard a loud POP! When hubs when downstairs to check it out, he yelled, "KERI! Get down here NOW!" So I scrambled out of bed, not knowing what to expect...and at the bottom of the stairs, I stepped into ankle-deep water. "Oh my god?! Oh my god?!" I just kept saying it. "What happened?!" Where were the dogs? On the couch, looking at me like I was crazy. Why didn't they alert us to what was going on? I guess they just decided to stay out of the water, on the couch, until we came down to rescue them. 

5 a.m.: We walked around the entire downstairs (living room, dining room, kitchen, family room, laundry room, bathroom and garage), and there was water everywhere. Hubs shut off the water, and we wandered around- wondering what to start with. Being 7 months pregnant, I couldn't lift furniture to get it out of the house- so I started moving light things (mainly toys), and trying to wrap my head around what had happened. How could this be?! Whatever it was, it needed to be fixed... like NOW! So I went upstairs to find our home warranty paperwork. And our insurance. 

5:30 a.m.: My mother-in-law and her boyfriend are moving my furniture onto my patio and my front lawn. I'm moving toys onto the back patio, and the dogs to the backyard. Nothing is dry. Nothing. I still can't believe what's going on.

6 a.m.: I realize that I am not going to make it to work today. I also realize that I have no internet. HOW CAN I LIVE LIKE THIS?! Get it together, Keri... The boys wake up. J's reaction: "Ohh. Well, I guess we have to move again." Mayhem just shrugs and says, "Guess we have to live outside now. I'm hungry." 

6:30 a.m.: Feeding the boys breakfast out on the patio, explaining that it's no big deal. We can fix it, as long as we're together- we'll be OK. Trying to believe what I'm saying...

On the left in the photo above, our family room. Soaking wet laminate flooring. You can't tell in the photo, but all the water has soaked into the floor and the rugs. When the restoration people arrived, they removed all our furniture and ripped the flooring out. Then, they cut off the lower part of the drywall, removed the insulation and put fans EVERYWHERE...

By now, we have been told that the house will be 'inhospitable' for the next several days. This is a few days before Memorial Day weekend, and now we're trying to find a hotel to take us and the dogs for the weekend. 

Wherever we were going, these girls wanted to come with us. The boys found this whole process exciting. The packed literally everything- piggy banks, pictures from their rooms, books, toys... I had to unpack their suitcases several times. "Guys, we need CLOTHES and toothbrushes! OK, not so many Legos and stuffed animals..." By Wednesday night, we all (kids AND dogs!) had checked into a Residence Inn about 30 minutes from home- the best we could do on such short notice. More on our experience coming soon!!  

MMG: Nursery Makeover 5.19.14

We are expecting a new member of the family in 11 weeks! When we moved into our 'new' home last August, we decided to split our bedroom into a Master and a 4th bedroom. The photo below shows the nursery as part of the Master bedroom- and how we split it. When our home was built, it was available in a 4-bedroom model. The nursery is where the 4th bedroom would have been, so it was a natural fit. I'm so glad that we didn't decide to 'wait' to do this, because less than a year later- we would be dealing with construction and a newborn!

I decided to paint the nursery a very light grey, and we're reusing the same crib and changing table that we've used with our first two boys. The closet is the Allen and Roth closet organizer from Lowe's. I don't want to show pictures of that until I've removed my maternity clothes, and put baby clothes in. It will be much cuter!

Allen and Roth closet organizer

His bedding is Land of Nod, Make a Splash. I really like how the navy and grey look together. We decided to take the carpet out, and had laminate installed. I love how it turned out! We had a ceiling fan installed, and the finishing touches will be the baseboards and the curtains. It's not quite done, but seeing the room NOW makes me feel a little more ready for his arrival... How was your weekend?

MMG: Mother's Day Weekend 5.11.14

This weekend seemed extremely busy! Thursday, I was at an affordable housing conference for work and then I went for my 28 week glucose test. If you have experienced this before, you know that it's one of the least enjoyable doctor's visits. It involved drinking an 'orange flavored beverage', waiting an hour- and then having your blood drawn. I got so nauseous and light-headed at the one hour mark, that they were unable to draw my blood- and I had to return to try again on Friday morning. 

Friday morning, I dashed off to the doctor's appointment. I was there until 9:30, and Little J's kindergarten "Spring Performance" was at 10. I was, of course, a few minutes late. And, of course, he noticed. Afterwards, I told him how great it was and his response was, "You missed the first three songs, but it's ok, Mommy." I did my best! The kids gave their moms tiles that they had made. 

Little J's tile depicted me (the yellow chicken?), and a variety of animals. I thought his animal choices were interesting, because we actually have two dogs. But instead, he chose to portray a turtle (green), a cat (red), and a mouse (black). I love it, and it's now hanging proudly in our kitchen. I don't have much of his artwork, since he's not very interested in drawing. He'd rather build Legos. 

Little J's "About Mom" poster was pretty funny to me. He is so straightforward. He also drew me with creepy yellow eyes, and apologized that he didn't know what color my eyes are. He's so serious! His "About Mom" info is below:

Mom loves me most when: I do my chores

Mom looks prettiest when: She goes to work.

Mom is good at: typing

Mom is special because: She is pregnant.

Saturday, we had swim class, ran some errands, and my husband worked on the baby's room closet organizer. That took a lot of time. The nursery is almost done! And then Sunday was Mother's Day!

Sunday we went to Disneyland bright and early, to beat the crowds. We were there from about 8:30 to 12:30, which was perfect. It was great to see Disneyland through the eyes of a 3 year old. We've taken him before, but only when he was too young to remember. Everything was so new and special for him. On the way out, we got to ride in the front of the monorail with the driver- which both boys thought was great! 

How was your Mother's Day?!

MMG: Our family weekend 5.5.14

On Saturday, we attended an adorable Super Mario Brothers themed birthday party for two brothers. The themed worked perfectly, since it was two brothers celebrating their birthdays together! The older brother is in Little J's class, and the younger brother is a year older then Mayhem. The party was great, her decorations were adorable. The custom hats and mustaches were so cute! The girls got princess crowns.

At the end of the party, they had Mario and Luigi pinatas. The kids all enjoyed that, and we came home with lots of candy and other goodies! It was a great party, with a bounce house at a playground- so much for the kids to do!

Sunday we took the boys to see Rio 2. They both sat perfectly still through the entire (nearly) 2 hour movie! The movie was pretty cute. It's been really hot for a while, so we wanted to cool down somewhere. The movie theater was perfect for that, and I snuck in our candy from the pinata. :) 

How was your weekend? 

Lessons Learned from Easter

Since I've only been a mother for 5 and a half short years, I am constantly learning. This year, I was excited to be able to have an Easter egg hunt on Easter morning. It was our first year that we had an actual backyard, so we could hide the eggs and have the boys go find them. I was ready to go, I had their Easter baskets all packed up and hidden away. Hubs and I filled the plastic eggs the night before, and hid them after the boys went to bed. I thought we had it all planned out...but of course, it never works as perfectly as you envision it. Here are a few lessons that I learned from Easter this year. 

Easter 2014

1. Timing is everything. This one could also called, "Let your dogs out BEFORE you hide the eggs." There are concerns here, that may not be immediately apparent. But if you have pets, that are going to 'do their business' in the backyard... you MIGHT want to let that happen BEFORE you hide the eggs... Also, check when your sprinklers are supposed to come on. Needless to say, our eggs were a bit wet on Easter morning.
2. But, WHY? Have an answer prepared for the inevitable, "Why does the Easter bunny come here, and how does he get in our house?" Little J caught me half-awake on Easter morning, not ready to answer questions. 
3. Church on Easter is LONG. If you expect your 3 year old to sit through an entire hour of church, you had better have more than a pencil and a piece of paper prepared. That goes for your husband too. 
4. Not everyone likes jellybeans. No matter what cherished, childhood memories you have, your kid doesn't want YOUR LIFE. (Varsity Blues? Anyone?)
5. You are lame. No matter now proud YOU are of the items your selected for their Easter baskets, your child/ren will (probably) think they are lame. Case in point, I bought the LEGO set that was on clearance, and Little J told me that the Easter Bunny probably didn't know there were NEW ones... Sorry, kid, the Easter Bunny isn't made of money.  

How was your Easter weekend? Do you have anything to add? 

My Jet-Setting Shower Weekend! 4.15.14

This weekend, I flew to New Jersey on Friday for my best friend's bridal shower. It felt a little strange to fly across country by myself. I'm used to flying with my entire family! We celebrated on Saturday, with a lovely lunch and lots of gifts! I feel so lucky that I was able to attend, and see her more than once this year. My mom and my sister also got to come to the shower. It was a beautiful day, even though I was exhausted by the end of the shower.

Nora's Bridal Shower!! 

Then on Sunday, my sister coordinated a mini celebration of baby #3 with my mom and a few others. It was mainly an excuse for more treats, and more family time. Kudos to my mom and sister, for an adorable mustache bash!

Mustache Bash. Me and my sis :)

I flew home Monday morning, and I missed the boys so much!! All three of us took a nap, and then it was back to work today.  How was your weekend?

Heroes of the City: Review and Giveaway

Are you ready for another giveaway?! I was fortunate to have the opportunity to review several items from the Heroes of the City series- a book, a DVD, and two toy cars. I also downloaded the free app for my boys to try out. 

One of the things I loved about this series is that the fire truck is a girl! Fiona Fire Truck is a great character, and I feel like the fire trucks in most cartoons are boys. My boys both loved watching the Ready to Rescue DVD, which featured several episodes of adventures with Paulie the Police Car and Fiona Fire Truck. There are many characters in this series, which seemed to keep my boys interested. I would liken it to Thomas the Train, because it is has more of a calm feeling to it then some of the other kids' shows. It's not chaotic or intense like some other children's shows. This show has a great message, and is perfect for ages 2-6. Both of my boys loved the shows. 

Heroes of the City Prize Pack

Mayhem LOVED this series. He loves his toy cars, the app, the book and the DVD. He has renewed interest in his cars (originally Little J's cars), and lines them all up yelling, "Calling all heroes!" It's adorable. After I read the book to him the first time, he told me to find more of them. 


The app is also great, with movies and games for the kids to enjoy. Both of my boys had fun with the 9 different games that come FREE with this app! 

I've got a Heroes of the City prize pack to giveaway to one lucky winner! 

UPDATE: Congratulations to Jenna from www.mommatoldmeblog.com! She is the lucky winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ideas in my head...

This weekend, the hubs worked Saturday morning- so I was determined to spend at least some time working in the yard, together, as a family. It's good for us to be outside, and since we live in southern California the weather doesn't prevent it very often. Plus, my OB said I desperately need Vitamin D. This weekend was beautiful and sunny, of course. So after the lawn was mowed, we decided to trim the citrus trees. 

In my head, I thought, "Oh perfect, the kids can help pick oranges and lemons and we can juice them." In reality, hubs chopped off a huge limb of our orange tree... which has massive thorns... and tried to get the boys to grab some oranges for me to juice. Of course, the first thing out of their mouths is, "MOM!" They need a bowl, they need gloves, they need a break... and does this count as a 'chore'? Because then they each need a dollar too. oh brother. 

Then it's time to juice! They both want to help, so I get my toes smashed by kitchen chairs as they both clamber to the counter where I'm trying to quickly peel what seems like 100 citrus fruits... "I get to go first!" "NO! It's MY TURN!" "Move over, I can't reach!" "MOM!" Why did this seem like a good idea?! The first orange I tried to peel squirted a stream of fresh orange juice straight into my eye, leading to a messy mascara run and trying to explain to my 3 and 5 year old boys what happened. "Just give me a minute, OK?! Don't touch the juicer!" "Why?" "What happened?" "What's wrong with your eye?" "I want to make JUICE!" 

After that all calms down, we juice all the oranges and get like 3 glasses of fresh orange juice and 2 cups of lemon juice. oh yes, that was TOTALLY worth it. In my head, I envisioned sitting outside with a fresh glass of lemonade with two smiling children playing happily in the sun... 

oh well, this is my reality, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Baby #3: 21 Week Update

Well, I'm more than halfway done with this pregnancy. There is a light at the end of the tunnel! August 2 doesn't feel that far away anymore. I can feel his movements several times throughout the day now, which is exciting. Last week, we got to find out the gender- so now we have the 'fun' of naming him! While I feel much larger than this...according to The Bump...

Image source: http://www.thebump.com/

I have been struggling with finding maternity clothes that I can try on in a store! I got lots of maternity clothes at Ann Taylor LOFT the first time around, but now all the maternity clothes are online. I also checked Kohl's, where they told me the same thing! Target has a few items in store, but really, not much for work. I ordered several items from LOFT online about 3 weeks ago. Some of the pants didn't fit, I may have underestimated my size (how did that happen?!)... so I had to ship them back, and I'm still waiting for the new size! I've been wearing leggings quite often this month. GAP maternity leggings are my best friend right now! I'm beyond the Bella Band, which saved me for a while.

Does anyone have any suggestions on where I can find some decent maternity clothes for work, that I can try on?! 

Baby #3: Gender Reveal

On Friday, we went for our 20 week ultrasound on Friday. Do you like the Thinker pose? We found out that the baby is healthy, and measuring perfectly for HIS due date of August 2, 2014. Yup, it's a third boy! We can't wait to meet him, and now I get to decorate his nursery and pick his name!  

Spring 2014 Fashionista Giveaway!

I'm very excited to announce my Spring 2014 Giveaway! The Spring Fashionista Event is hosted by The Chief Blonde at Still Blonde After All These Years and Katy from Modly Chic. This giveaway is the largest Fashion Giveaway event on the internet with $26,000+ in prizes, 100+ participating blogs, and 3/4 million entries. Each individual blog has a minimum $125 prize.

Upcoming Giveaway: Heroes of the City

I'm excited to announce that I will be hosting a giveaway very soon, including a Heroes of the City prize pack. Included will be a DVD, a book, and toys. These products are targeted at children in the 2-6 year old category. The cartoon includes Paulie Police Car, Fiona Fire Engine and their exciting adventures. The show focuses on the importance of working together as a team and friendship. They have just posted a YouTube channel, where you can view full episodes of Season 1. 

Heroes of the City prize pack

There are also two different apps (FREE) and my sons have both been enjoying them! I will do a full review soon, stay tuned for the review and the giveaway!

MMG: Little J's Weekend

Since I was 'down for the count' for most of this week, I thought I would share this weekend through the eyes of Little J. He shared my experiences, but obviously he's a little cuter. And I wasn't about to take pictures of MYSELF being sick!

Friday was Crazy Hair and Sock Day at school. It's hard to do with a boy who has no hair! We found a can of green hairspray from Halloween, and I made polka dots on his head and he wore two different soccer socks. Not exactly wild and crazy, but it got the job done!

Left: Crazy Hair and Sock Day, Middle: Saturday morning not feeling well,
Right: Feeling better! Playing in the backyard

Mom Confession: I Don't Like Being Pregnant

Today I'm 16 weeks pregnant. Only 16 weeks?! I'm looking out towards August 2, 2014 and it seems so far away! I don't really have a 'bump' to show that I'm pregnant. I can't feel the baby kick. I don't know the gender of my child, and everyone keeps asking me when I find out...

This is likely my last pregnancy, and I know I should be savoring it. But I'm not someone who enjoys being pregnant. I love being a mother, but I could do without this part of it. During this pregnancy, I have been more hormonal than I was with the previous two. I'm not used to these mood swings!

Image source: www.thebump.com 

I'm not even (close) to the third trimester yet. I'm not swollen, exhausted, or sore yet. I know that the third trimester is where the real complaints begin! But right now, my digestion is...very...slow... and I have zero appetite.  If I don't eat every few hours, I get nauseous. Yet, nothing sounds appealing to me. It's exhausting to be a mother of two, working full time, and to be pregnant. Here's to hoping that the second trimester goes faster. Eyes on the prize! 

Did you enjoy being pregnant?

MMG: Mayhem's Third Birthday!

During the early part of this weekend, our family dealt with a bit of a stomach bug. Luckily, we all recovered quickly. Friday, Little J stayed home from school and I stayed home sick from work. I was concerned, because we had Mayhem's birthday party on Sunday. But it all worked out in the end.

Saturday - LEGO Movie. Saturday morning we had a soccer game, and then we all went to see the LEGO movie. It was surprisingly good! I laughed out loud several times. We had to sit in the 3rd row, because the matinee was packed! The movie is great, because it's full of action for the kids but they definitely didn't forget about the adults that would be watching. Apparently, it was a huge success and made over $69 million this weekend alone. I highly recommend it!

 The LEGO Movie
Image Source: http://www.forbes.com/

Mollie's Biopsy: The Results

First of all, if you are one of 'those people' who does not consider your dogs/pets a part of your family- you may not want to read this post. Fair warning!

This weekend our basset hound, Mollie, had a lump removed from her chest. The vet told us they would send it out to the lab for a biopsy, and let us know the results. Yesterday, I checked my voicemail- and got the news. "Mollie's lump was a mast cell tumor, please call me to discuss options." I wasn't expecting that AT ALL! Who leaves that on a voicemail!

My heart dropped. I couldn't react the way I wanted to because I was at work. I wanted to run home and hug her, and cry. I really wanted to cry. She drives me NUTS, she really does. She's been trouble from the start, she's been hard to handle, and she's been expensive. But that doesn't mean I don't love her.

I know there are much larger problems in this world. I know that there are PEOPLE with much larger problems. But she's a part of our family, and this hurts.

Our little troublemaker...

Her prognosis is good, but this is still very scary. The vet told me that mast cell tumors usually aren't aggressive, and she could go for years without getting another one. The problem is that they are unpredictable, so she could get another one relatively soon. It's a 'wait and see' approach.

Unfortunately for Mollie our house isn't a quiet and peaceful place, except during nap time. For now, I just hope she's getting some rest so she can feel better soon. I don't think she's done causing trouble quite yet...

Monday Morning Update 2.3.14

On Friday morning, I took our basset hound to the vet for a lump removal. This is not her first lump removal, but so far they have only been fatty lumps. She was not very happy about the procedure, but she's doing well. We find out the results of the biopsy later this week.

Poor Mollie...

Review: Suave Natural Infusion Shampoo and Conditioner

I have been a pretty loyal user of Dove Shampoo/Conditioner. However, I recently had the opportunity to test Suave's new Natural Infusion line. This new line of products from Suave contains no parabens and no dyes, which is great news to me! 

Suave Natural Infusion Products

I tried these products for a week, and I am hooked! They work as well as any professional products, and each costs just over $3. That is impressive. The shampoo and conditioner smell like a spa. What I liked most was the moisture that these products added to my hair. My hair was previously very dry, which I blame on the southern California weather. But after just a week of using these products, I have noticed a difference. 

Kudos, Suave! I highly recommend giving this product line a try. There is also a light leave-in cream, which smells great and helps with dry, split ends. 

Have you tried this new line? If not, would you?

My Third Pregnancy~ How Things are Different This Time

With my first pregnancy, I was young. I was 25, obviously early in my career, and trying hard to prove myself. I worked at private company with a lot of people my age, competing to prove ourselves to the partners. I wasn't at all focused on 'fashion', but rather slept as late as I possibly could and rolled into work with my hair up almost every day.

At this point in my life (five and a half years later), I feel that I have proven myself to be a hard-working individual. I do what I need to do in order to get the work done. I have also made my appearance more of a priority, because I feel better about myself when I do. Not that I am by any means 'high maintenance'- I still get ready from waking up to leaving (including a shower) in 30 minutes. But I dry my hair every morning, and make an effort to look somewhat put together. My sister has helped me out, with makeup tips and accessory purchases.

Anyway, this weekend I was going through my maternity clothes. Most of them were purchased in 2007/08. Yes, I've had a second baby since then- but most of my work clothes are from my first pregnancy. I realized that things have changed since then! I was an XS, for one thing. I'm now wearing what I like to call sh-medium. Small or medium, depending on the fit. Also, my pants size was 2 sizes smaller when I started out with the first pregnancy. And, even the styles have changed. My pants are all very wide in the leg, whereas now everything is 'skinny.' Long story short, I was thinking I wouldn't need any maternity clothes- but now I'm thinking I at least need to get to the tailors!

Have any of you experienced this problem? Any words of wisdom would be very helpful!   

The Reason I've Been M.I.A...

If it feels like I've been gone for a while, it's true. I've been distracted. I didn't want to discuss this publicly until I was ready. But we've been trying to conceive for a year, for our third child. I'm happy to announce that we've (finally) succeeded!! I am officially 12 weeks pregnant, and the due date is August 2, 2014.

I had an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy in December. The image is below. It doesn't exactly look like a baby, but they tell me it is. I'm already convinced that it's a third boy, because I read this article about determining the gender at the first ultrasound. But we'll find out!

The boys are really excited. And I'm happy that I can stop worrying, and look forward to this summer. My best friend is getting married in New Jersey (across the country) on August 23, and I'm determined to be there. I can hope that the baby comes A LITTLE early, can't I?! Also, my oldest son's birthday is August 3rd- and he already shares his birthday with my sister! Apparently, that's a 'sweet spot' for our family. 

Welcome to my journey towards motherhood, for the third time! I'm sure it will be very different for me this time. I already forget that I'm pregnant sometimes! The nursery is in desperate need of some attention. I think I'll get a post up with before/after photos. And I'll check in much more regularly!