Wow!

Yesterday we had a doozy of a storm. One that ripped one of our trees in half and laid it clear across the street. Also one that ripped the power cords from our house and had them laying in our back yard, SWEET! One that also kept us without electricity for 18 hours. Wow, I am glad that's over.

Thursday and Friday I agreed to watch my friend's daughter while she has to go back to work to prepare for the school year. I think having two kids is hard and for the next two days I'll have three! Wee!

Does anyone know what happened to summer? How did it fly by so fast? I think this has been one of my favorite summers ever. Until next year...

The weekend in photos- Now with more donger!

We had a fantastic weekend. Our friday night out was actually us celebrating our 6 year anniversary and our first time away from both kids in 11 months!I even got to wear a pretty dress!

We stayed out a whopping hour and a half, long enough for an appetizer, 2 mojitos and scallops with lobster risotto. The food was actually just OK but the time out was so nice.

self portrait in restaurant

Saturday morning we woke up and drove up to my parents cottage.

the always popular driving photos

It wasn't warm enough to swim and hangout in the lake, so we decided to take Mason and Harper to a Wildwood Zoo.

Mason couldn't ask for a more exciting day.

But, by far the Zebra was most excited!

Booya!

The End.

A-how you say- Date?

Tonight Pedro and I will be attempting our first night out since Harper came into our family. I am so looking forward to a fancy dinner without having to pick chunks of food off the floor or having little food crusted handprints all over my person. Cross you fingers and Harper doesn't flip out as we're walking out the door...I want to wear my pretty dress!

Pictures to follow.

I see you in me.

The past few weeks I've been down. I am not sure if I started evaluating my life or it just came and slapped my face, but the truth? It hurts. I've been thinking about the people in my life that are really there. Through thick and thin, when they don't want to be, when they've got better things to do, they still come through. For me, there are very few.

I think maybe I expect too much. I know that if I commit to something, I follow through every. single. time. Not everyone else is like that and I need to except that and stop letting myself get down. I think I take it personally. When people let me down I always play it out in my head as something else was more important. But really, that sucks. It sucks to feel not important enough.

My Dad is one of those people that is there, always. I know that if I really am in a pinch, he would move mountains to help me out. I was not raised to be all mushy gushy and expressive with my feelings so I never have been able to tell him how much I appreciate the qualities I've gotten from him.

We are both slow to warm-up and sometimes I think it's misinterpreted as coldness. However we'd do anything for people we love.

We are both stubborn.

We are both fun-loving.

We are committed and passionate about things we really believe in.

We walk exactly the same.

Someday I hope to be able to tell him how proud I am to have gotten these qualities from him. But for today, I sincere Thank You will have to do.

The Search for the Perfect Doll!

Wow! You guys have great taste. I have to say my faves were the natural nova dolls and the Waldorf dolls; the two were very similar. But, I am not going with either. I found one courtesy of a friend who read this and called me yesterday. She is soft all over, sweet and cute, blonde, simple with no frills and is reasonably priced at $25.00. The other ones I absolutely loved but I'd be nervous mommy might have a coronary if baby doll got a little dirty. So for now I am getting this one at a third of the cost of the others. Her name is Rosy Cheeks and I think she is as sweet as they come! Thanks Megan!

Introducing...Rosy Cheeks!

For Sale

When Harper farts it smells like cleaning supplies. Is this normal?

I decided today that Friday is the day. I am having a rummage sale. Pedro will have no part in it. My Dad hated them too when my Mom had them. Why is this? Why do men hate rummage sales. I think it is a great way to sell things that have served there time and then use the money to buy things needed now! For the last...oh, 4 years I've been holding onto Mason's tiny preemie things because I just couldn't let go of them; there were too many emotions attached to them. Now? I am ready. I have a perfectly healthy nearly 4 year old that will never fit into those tiny things, but I have him and that is way more important. The rest is just stuff. Stuff that will be sold on Friday.

I want to just keep a very few special things, that way if we have another baby we can use those very special things just one more time. I know I said we were done, but I am not sure anymore. People talk about "feeling complete" with their family. Is this a figure of speech or is there really a feeling of completeness? If there is an actual feeling, I don't have it yet, I don't think? Watch, 6 babies later and I am still waiting for the "feeling" only to find out it's just an expression. No need for a bunch of "I told you" comments about wanting more babies. I am starting to think you guys know me better than I know myself!

On a completely different note. Harper's birthday is coming up and I am thinking of getting her a doll. I just know that I want it to be special. I don't want a Cabbage Patch doll or any of those skanky girly dolls. What I do want is something soft all over and possibly a personalized one that looks like her? Are any of you familiar with a doll like this? Where might I find or order one. Because, soon, like Friday I'm gonna have a pocket full of bling!

Double your pleasure, double the fun!

We need to talk about something okay? Let's talk about the extreme changes we make from first child to second, m'kay?

The basics first. Food. With Mason, the food dropped on the floor and I was on high alert, dashing over to the fallen morsel scooping it up and throwing it away promptly before Mason would *gasp* try to re-eat it. With Harper the more she eats off the floor, the less I must vacuum! Eat away little Hoover-I mean Harper! Not exactly, but close. I have been known to put a little pile of cheerios right on the rug, instead of in a little bowl because a bowl? a 10 month old? Yeah.

Now toys. Harper doesn't have any. Really. I am pretty certain that we haven't bought the girl a single toy. Why? She loves Mason's toys, especially Matchbox cars. What! Babies aren't supposed to play with those? Then I probably shouldn't tell you about the scissors? I do have to tell you about the Nerf ball. Here, take a look.

This ball was in perfect condition until Harper started to realize it felt really cool to take bites like an apple and spit them out like watermelon seeds. And...we let her. Because she was quiet and happy and sometimes cleaning up a mess later is worth the few minutes of "quiet and happy".

I also have a feeling we are way past due on the baby proofing thing. Yesterday I caught Harper playing in a hill of Comet. You know the green stuff you use to scrub your toilets and sinks. Yeah. She only had a little around her mouth. I wish I were kidding, but I am not. She is fine. Today I found her soothing her sore teething gums by gnawing on a candle and also playing patty-cake in the toilet. You guessed it! There was pee in there too, thanks Mason!

Have I relaxed? Oh hell yes. Is it time to baby proof? Oh hell yes.

Funk with a capital F

What?



I know I know. First I am jealous, then I get all pouty and refuse to post, right? Ha. I've got the funk over here.

Harper is totally thumbing her nose at naps these days and I am not handling it well. At all. Now I totally understand why all those baby books tell you to put your child in their crib slightly awake. I get it now. Now . Now! It took me two children and a whole lot of misery to get it. I would nurse Harper until she was practically dead to the world and then ever so gently place her into her perfectly girly crib and tip toe out crossing my fingers that my knees didn't pop on the way out. When Harper would wake up, All Hell Broke Loose! Sometimes it was after 5 minutes, sometimes 3 hours. Usually it was about 45 minutes and I'd do the whole routine over again. It was all consuming. I was becoming a mean resentful Mama and my poor three year old son was fending for himself. Totally not fair. Things had to change. I borrowed the No Cry Sleep Solution and haven't had a chance to read it (remember, all consuming.) but I've come up with my own method and I think it is working! I nurse Harper until she is pretty zoned out and place her into her crib. If and when she wakes up I stay right next to her crib and sing and pat her bum until she falls asleep. Yesterday it took 45 minutes. This morning 25 minutes and she was totally awake when I put her in the crib. This afternoon 5 minutes and tonight not a peep. Hell yeah! I knew I couldn't just let her cry but I wanted her to know that she was staying in her crib and we weren't going to be the whole routine over and over. I want her to know I am there and I won't let her cry, but I do also think it is very important for her to know how to put herself to sleep without my boob every single time. The nursing a bazillion times during the night though, in our bed? We'll worry about that once the pre-bedtime routine is mastered. Baby steps.



Besides that, this is the week of the big fair. I mentioned this last year. It brings out the classiest folk. My friend and I were debating whether or not we wanted to walk down.

Me: I would go down there to get a corn dog and a funnel cake and then be done. But I am not even sure the food is worth it.

Her: I don't know? The fair makes me thankful for what I've got...like all my teeth!

Us: Roaring Laughter.

We didn't go. Not even to see Weird Al!

I told you I had the funk.