Thursday, March 31, 2011

Some Thoughts on the Paci Fairy, and other things.

Apparently the paci fairy is a big hit for all of the parents with little ones who have paci's! I hope that some of my "strife" with the paci will lead to someone else not having to deal with it. Afterall, that's why I blogged about her visits in the first place.

Last night was a little more rough than the first day. Brayden started crying immediately when we started praying, and pretty much didn't quit until 8pm (that's about 1 hour of crying). Ofcourse, he quit once I went in, consoled him, and scratched his back and sang Jesus Loves Me (he actually asked for this, asking for "back" and "my Jesus"... apparently my Mom did that while they were here and he fell in love with the bedtime ritual). I did this again around 10pm, and then he slept until 6:30. Still not sleeping in how he used to, but between the big boy bed transition and the paci transition, I figure I have a long haul of early mornings. {SIGH}.

Several of you have asked if I came up with the idea on my own. Not really. I read about it on another blog, and upon googling it last night realized that the paci fairy has a book and everything. I did create the story about her, and how she is Jesus' helper. I like to incorporate Jesus as much as I can. I am very much of the mindset that I will not remove some of the make believe characters that children think are real (ie, Easter Bunny, Santa, tooth fairy, etc), however I want them to not be what the event or holiday are revolved around. Sadly, I have had several friends over the past 3 years who have lost babies, either before or after birth, so my heart is always thinking about those babies and those mommas. The removal of the paci seemed a fitting way to fit those very real precious ones whom I think about daily, into Brayden's life and thought process, ever so innocently. So that's basically how I came up with the story.

We'll see how Brayden does today with the no paci thing... he's asked for them several times since the paci fairy came, but when I remind him, he tends to be OK with it. He's at Mothers Day Out today, so I'll be interested to see how he does during a nap in a different place than his own home.

As for me, I am honestly shocked with how smoothly it has gone. Sure, he still cries, but I kind of expected it. Perhaps because my expectations were SO low, that the result really had not other way but to succeed in my eyes! I will admit that on that first night when we were tucking him in and he was crying that my heart was grieved. I had to choke back the tears actually. For you see, this is the first sense of real loss that my child has ever experienced. And in some ways, I am inflicting it on him. It's one of the parts of parenting that really sucks. In some ways (definitely not all), I want him to remain a baby forever. I feel like this entire process is a small taste of what it means to really parent; I'm not here to hold his hand through life forever. I have to teach him to be what a big boy, and eventual adult, is all about. Just typing that makes me teary eyed. For I know, in the not too distant future, it will be something else, something bigger that we're trying to teach. And then all too soon, he'll be a big boy and won't need me anymore. Ackk... I can't talk about this anymore. It's making me all mushy :) I'll finish my thoughts on this later...

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Paci Fairy Part 3: She Came.

Well, the paci fairy made good on her promise, and left an awesome Thomas the Train for our big boy to enjoy now. It was quite a hit.

Ofcourse, I don't think the paci fairy thought through leaving a battery powered device outside in the cold all night, so Thomas is currently out of batteries. Daddy will be fixing that upon his arrival from work this evening.

Brayden did pretty well last night all things considered. He went to be screaming, but it stopped after about 10 minutes. He woke again around 11pm, but we went and explained to him again that he was a big boy now and that he needed to help out the paci fairy and Jesus, since the babies in Heaven don't have pacis right now. He went back to sleep quickly. He woke early this morning (6:15am), so I am hoping that that is not a new trend. Then today at nap time he asked for his paci, but when I explained again that he was a big boy and the paci fairy had taken his paci's, he didn't really blink an eye and went right to sleep. Should I knock on wood when I say that it's gone far better than I had imagined? I think I shall, just for good measure.

Walgreens Register Rewards Game

I have joined in on the extreme couponing bandwagon, and tried my hand at the Walgreens Register Rewards game. I've read blogs for a while where they tout getting things for free, or nearly free, by rolling register rewards at Walgreens. I've been a skeptic, but I think after tonight I am a skeptic no longer. I'm not one of those people who just buys stuff because I am getting a good deal (quit laughing Drew), but I want it to be practical... you know, things that we REALLY use on a day to day basis. This week, when I saw all of the things that were on sale with register rewards points, I knew this was my week to try it. So last night, after I got Connor down for the night, I headed to Walgreens, stacked all of my coupons up, walked the aisles and headed to the counter. Here's an overview of my first try at this thing... let's see how I did.

FIRST TRANSACTION
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Lady Speedstick
On sale for $1.99
minus $0.50 manufacturing coupon
Total out of pocket $1.49
(received $1 in register rewards)

SECOND TRANSACTION
IMG_1041
Skintimate Shave Gel
On sale for 2 for $4
minus $0.55 manufacturer coupon
minus $1 register reward coupon (from first transaction)
Total out of pocket $2.45
(received $2 in register rewards)

THIRD TRANSACTION
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Colgate Toothpaste & toothbrush
On sale for 2 for $6
minus $1.00 manufacturer coupon
minus $1.50 manufacturer coupon
minus $2.00 register reward coupon (from second transaction)
Total out of pocket $1.65
(received $4 in register rewards)

FOURTH TRANSACTION
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Dove body wash and deodorant
On sale for 4 for $15
minus $1.00 manufacturer coupon
minus $1.00 manufacturer coupon
minus $1.00 manufacturer coupon
minus $0.75 manufacturer coupon
minus $4 register reward coupon (from third transaction)
Total out of pocket $7.38
(received $5 in register rewards)

FIFTH TRANSACTION
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Garnier Fructis Shampoo and Styling products
On sale for 4 for $14
minus $1.00 manufacturer coupon
minus $1.00 manufacturer coupon
minus $1.00 manufacturer coupon
minus $1.00 manufacturer coupon
minus $5.00 register reward coupon (from fourth transaction)
(this is where I got lucky. This transaction should have landed me a $4 register reward coupon, good on the next purchase. However, for whatever reason, the register reward would not print. The cashier and I both checked that the volumes and products were correct, and they were, so the manager was called to the front. Instead of dealing with the hassle of trying to get a register reward to print, he just credited my card $4 off the transaction! Score one for me!).
Total out of pocket $1.13 (this includes the $4 credit that I received due to the register reward coupon malfunction).

Total out of pocket for all transactions: $14.10
(this averages out to $1.08 per item, well below the retail price of these items, even at Walmart!)

Not too shabby for my first go at this little game. I'm not sure how often I'll do it since I want to stick to the practical things that we use, but it is fun watching how much you can save by being smart with coupons!
Do you play the register rewards game, or do extreme couponing? I'd love to hear your tips!!!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Paci Fairy Part 2: She's On Her Way.

(If you're not familiar with the paci fairy yet, you might want to go back and read part 1 first).
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After two days of hyping up her arrival, the paci fairy has a date tonight. I don't think Brayden really understood the little talks we had before naptime and bedtime the past two days, but regardless, he was excited about packing up the paci's tonight for our new fairy friend.
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He kept saying "heaven" while we were packing the paci's up, since I've been telling him that the paci fairy takes the paci's to heaven for the babies that are with Jesus. He proudly brought the box to the door on his own.
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We said "bye bye" to the paci's... several times in fact.
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We looked out of the window after we had come inside. Yep, the pacis were still there.
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We said our prayers (Woody always joins in on prayer time as well), and thanked God for the paci fairy, who helps Jesus.

And then we went to bed. Crying.

Wailing is probably a better term.

It lasted a whole 10 minutes. And then abruptly stopped.

Drew and I are wondering how rocky tonight will be. But I am determined to hold my ground (this is where having a strong will comes in handy! haha!).

As for the pacis...
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They are awaiting the arrival of our fairy friend on our front porch. Rumor has it that she is bringing a Thomas the Tank Engine tonight.

But don't tell her I told you ;)

Monday, March 28, 2011

The Paci Fairy.

With the impending second birthday of my first born, I thought it necessary to bite the bullet and invite the paci fairy to our home. For the past year I have said on more than one occasion that I'd be inviting her here and we'd be dropping the paci. For good. But for some reason things always seemed to come up. Things that I could use as an excuse to not invite that dear old fairy. You know like, a wedding in the family, long car rides, me being pregnant, me having a baby, and so forth. But it's time. I can no longer stand idly by as my son grows into a toddler and allow him to suck on the most expensive piece of silicone sold (seriously, why are paci's so darn expensive? That has to be the highest retail mark up at Walmart!). So, last night was the first paci fairy conversation. It went a little something like this:

(Brayden getting ready for bed).
Mommy: Hey B, mommy needs to have a conversation with you, can you sit over here on your bottom?
(After about 5 minutes of chasing Brayden around, I finally got him to sit still).
Mommy: B, do you see this paci?
Brayden: Yessss.
Mommy: Well, you know how you're getting to be a big boy?
Brayden: Big boy? Yessss.
Mommy: Well, big boys don't use paci's. They're only for little babies, like Connor.
Brayden: bebe Ton?
Mommy: Yes. Baby Connor. When big boys get to be big, a lady called the paci fairy comes and takes the paci's away to all the babies in heaven. They need paci's too!
(Brayden, starting to look perplexed, continues to listen. I continue...)
So tonight, you can use your paci. And tomorrow, you can use your paci, but the next day, we're going to put ALL of your paci's in a box on the front door step. And then, the paci fairy will come and take them away, to heaven, and she's going to leave you a COOL big boy gift. Probably a TOY!
Brayden: Otay momma. Otay. Yessss. Yesss. Toy!

Then he grabbed the paci, popped it in his mouth, grabbed his blankets and ran to his bed for 'night night.'

The kid doesn't know what's coming.

And honestly, neither do we.

A Letter to LeapFrog

Dear Leapfrog,

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for the many ways you've contributed to the increasing knowledge my son has displayed recently. You know, like the colors and sounds of animals and the sounds and shapes of letters. It makes me so proud to know that my son is learning things so quickly thanks to your handy little toys and videos. However. I feel it's necessary for me to point out one weakness in your tools. Specifically, your Letter Factory DVD. It's great. Really. It is. Brayden loves it. We watched it a million times during the snowpacalypse of 2011.. And that's when it all went downhill for me.

You see, it's clear to both me and my dear husband, that you didn't have a parent review over your sound examples before you released the DVD to the masses. Or perhaps the parents that reviewed the DVD didn't have children like Brayden (which could very easily be the case, since B is a rare gem). While the K very much says "kuh", using an example like a Kite or a Kitten, or something more gentle, would have been far more appropriate than Karate. For now, my son not only knows that the K says "kuh", he also knows that KICK starts with the letter K, and that the K's on leapfrog KICK the wall. "I Kick the wall" is a common saying around our house now. He even has so much pride in his newfound letter knowledge that he accurately displayed it to his pediatrician at the clinic. Yep. Declared to the doc that he "kicks the wall" and went on over and kicked the wall. And while it gave the ped a good chuckle, I was a bit mortified.

So Leapfrog, thank you for all you are doing. But please, for the love of all things holy, try to have a parent watch the videos before you release them. Otherwise, we might have wall destroyers on our hands for generations to come.

Sincerely,

Brayden's Momma

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Weekend in Review

Oh, what a fun weekend we have had here at our house. For the first time in what feels like FOREVER, we have all remained relatively healthy. For the first time since Christmas we have seen my parents, and were able to not only celebrate my birthday, but also Brayden's (which is only 2 weeks away... sniff, sniff). It was a good weekend indeed.

My parents actually arrived on Wednesday night, so we had an early start to weekend festivities. Drew was able to get off early on Thursday and Friday to spend time with us. On Thursday, mom and I took the boys to see one of her friends who is in a rehab hospital right now. I was kind of nervous, because you never really know when an implosion might happen, but both boys did so well, and it brought a smile to my mom's friend's face. After the hospital we took the boys to Target. Always a fun adventure, this trip didn't disappoint either, with Brayden throwing a fit in the shoe section because he wanted a pair of flip flops, and ending with B throwing a plastic cup out of the buggy, which subsequently broke on impact. Thankfully Target does not hold to a "you break, you buy" policy (don't worry, we checked!).

Friday morning my dad took Brayden on a little date to the donut shop. He LOVED it, and I am so glad Dad has started that tradition with him when they are here. Friday mom also treated me to a pedicure. I'm pretty sure pedicures are my most favorite thing right now as a mom. Basically it's silence accompanied by sitting in a massage chair and having someone scrub your legs and feet. LOVE. Afterward we went shopping together, something that I love doing with my momma. We actually went shoe shopping because I've been looking at getting a GOOD pair of flip flops, and she said that that could be my birthday present. So we went... and... I joined the Chaco cult. haha! I actually don't really like the chaco sandals, but there are these chaco flip flop hybrid shoes that I have looked at and really like the way they felt on my feet. Anyways, now I am a proud owner of Chaco hipthongs:
 (Image from HERE)


These are really comfortable, and give me A LOT better arch support than the Old Navy flops I've been wearing for the past 3 years. BTW, while we were there, mom tried on the most comfortable pair of actual flip flops I have ever felt. They are called OluKai flip flops, and are amazing. Of course, they are also $80, but seriously, they are worth it. I promise.

After shopping we met up with Drew, my dad and the boys and headed to dinner at HuHot. I was kind of nervous bringing B there since you never know how he's going to act, and overall he did OK. Towards the end he was getting antsy, but he did well for a 2 year old at a Mongolian Grill.

Saturday we kind of just hung out around the house until the afternoon, where mom and dad brought B to Toys R Us to get his birthday present... a SANDBOX! B was so sidetracked with all of the toys there that he really didn't understand everything going on, so he doesn't know what fun awaits him in the backyard once this dreary weather passes and we get back to springtime temps! Saturday night we went to dinner to celebrate my birthday at a local Italian restaurant, Joe's. SO yummy! Brayden LOVED it. Seriously, he sat there the entire time eating rolls and ziti. I wanted to make sure we did something special with a cake or something, for B's birthday since my parents won't be able to come up for his actual party in two weeks. SO, after dinner we went next door to Braum's and got B an m&m sundae and sang happy birthday.

Here's a few pics from the weekend:


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Smiliest guy this side of the Mississippi :)
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we had to cheat a little and tickle him to smile
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this was our attempt at getting both boys with Gigi. Clearly Brayden was not having it, and Connor looks disturbed by the screaming (a common occurrence at our house-- haha!).
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Papa bought B some bubbles on their little date on Friday
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the blue eyed babe just hanging out!
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my mom got Brayden a cheerios book. I've not seen him sit that still in one place for a LONG time!
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Mom and Dad left this morning, so we are experiencing the lull after company :( Drew has a midterm tomorrow so he's busy studying, so today we've laid low and not done much. I am hopeful that this week we can stay well to enjoy doing some things outside of the house again! Hope yall have a good week!

A Year Ago Today

Last year, on March 27th, I found myself sitting on the floor of our bathroom, staring at a stick. Brayden was in my arms, crying for some reason (who knows why), and I was starting to join in with him. For you see, that stick I was staring at was a little smiley face, with the word "pregnant" on it. How humorous of God to have us try so hard to get pregnant with Brayden for close to a year, and then have a miraculous mistake happen with Connor. Ofcourse, Connor is no mistake. God knew my son's days before we had yet to know he would even exist. Such is the miracle of life. I smile thinking how God has intricately woven together the story of our family. Life is an amazing, precious gift. My little Connor man is living breathing proof of that fact.

So this year, on March 27th, I am taking the time to reflect on God's promise that He is enough. That His grace will cover the (many) inadequacies I have as a mom, and that He will provide what I need to get through each and every day. His promises have remained true through this past year as I have many times felt as though I couldn't get through it on my own. And His promises will never fail. Thank you God for the precious gifts that are my sons. May I always hold them lightly, for they were never mine to begin with, but Yours on loan to me and Drew.


 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
         Wonderful are Your works,
         And my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139:14

Friday, March 25, 2011

Facebook Status Friday.



Well, no one else linked up last week :( That's OK though. I'm a big girl and can handle the fact that I may be the only facebook fanatic that changes her status oodles each day. Here are my favorite status' from this past week:

I don't know why we thought it was a good idea to get Brayden a set of golf clubs. He uses them more as weapons of mass destruction than as actual tools for the game of golf.

cake batter chocolate bark=heaven.

today at Target I had a whiny toddler, and an infant blowing raspberries as loud as he could. I am sure I was quite the sight (and sound) to behold.

Wanna join in on the facebook status fun? Just grab the button and link on up! Happy Friday everyone!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Drop the Poo... And Other Things I find Myself Saying...

That's right folks. It's time for another round of "things I find myself saying." And yes, there are times I can't believe I am saying this stuff either. Let's just laugh together shall we?
  • Brayden, Connor really doesn't want you to stab your finger in his eye. 
  • Drop the poo... RIGHT NOW!
  • those shoes are made for Daddy to wear, not for you to eat, please take them out of your mouth. 
  • let's not throw our food...
  • ...or our cups. 
  • that's nice of you to say hi to that man, but he is not your daddy, so let's not call him that ok?
  • I don't think we're going to watch jump jump (read: Chunky from Madagascar 2) right now, we just watched it for 15 minutes straight.
  • Brayden, please don't throw dirt chunks in the house. Thank you.
  • No, your food doesn't go in your eye, it goes in your mouth.
  • the screwdriver doesn't go in Connor's eye. 
  • Wow, look how high you jump!
  • Do not hit the (enter one of the following: furniture, house, cabinets) with your golf club. Thank you.
  • I love you too, and I know you're sorry, but that doesn't mean there aren't consequences (this is a sad one for me to say sometimes)
  • I'm sorry baby, but I don't think you can pump milk. God didn't make you that way.
  • It's mommy's turn to talk on the phone, I think you're through saying "hello."
What have YOU been saying lately to YOUR kids???
       

        Monday, March 21, 2011

        Parenting Lessons.

        Have you ever heard yourself say something in regards to your kids and then suddenly think "that's probably what God thinks." It's an incredibly humbling experience, this parenting journey, for as I come across different circumstances that stretch me more than I think I can be stretched, I realize that the actions that I loathe from my toddler are often times my actions towards God. I really wanted to write some of them down so I wouldn't forget, so here are some of my favorite lessons from God, through a toddler.

        "Love is patient. Are you being patient?" Sometimes I feel like God has me say this to Brayden so He can remind me to be patient. I'll admit, patience is probably my biggest weakness as a sinner saved by Grace. I am constantly mortified watching my toddler's actions and wondering if I sometimes come across the same way.

        One day Brayden was throwing an absolute FIT when we were leaving to go somewhere (I think it was Chick-Fil-A, or some other fun thing like that). I was SO frustrated, because I was trying to get Brayden out of the door to do something fun, but all he could think about is how he couldn't get his way right then and there. It made me think about how many time God tries to get me to change my ways, and I refuse, making him drag me by the heel in His ways, only to be completely embarrassed of myself when we get to the destination, for His plans were far greater than anything I was doing at the time.

        A few weeks ago a friend of mine texted me about how frustrated she was at having to say the same things OVER and OVER and OVER again to her toddler and preschooler, and even still they wouldn't listen. I'm sure  "It doesn't matter how I say it, they still don't listen!" comes out of the mouth of every mom at one time or another. And I'm pretty sure God feels the same way as us moms, having to constantly remind us of His promises, of Himself and of His presence. And yet, even though He may be SHOUTING at us, we still seem to walk around in a haze of ignorance.

        I am sure there are more lessons, but these are the first three that come to mind. Parenting is a humbling journey, is it not?

        Sunday, March 20, 2011

        4 Months

        Dear Connor,

        Please forgive me for getting this post up a day late. I'm sure you won't mind I took a mommy vacation on your four month birthday. It makes me a better mommy, and I want to be the best I can be for you sweet cheeks ;)

        You are a true delight to our family, and I am not quite sure what we'd do without your constant smiles and teeny giggles. I grow more in love with you each day, and feel so blessed that God chose me to be your mommy! So what are you up to these days, now that you're a big 4 months old?
        • You sleep through the night, most nights sleeping from 8pm till 8am the next morning, with only a dream feed at 10pm at night. 
        • You like to wake up around 5am to talk. At first I thought you were waking up because you thought it was morning, but I quickly learned you just wanted to jibber and then go back to sleep... thank goodness! 5am is way too early for this momma!
        • You LOVE blowing raspberries. It's hilarious, and you don't even do it to get attention... you just do it because you love it!
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        • You wear size 2 diapers during the day, but are quickly outgrowing them, and I think after this pack that we're using we'll be bumping up a size. At night you wear size 3 diapers.
        • You wear a slew of sizes. Mostly 3-6 months, but there are several outfits where you wear 6-9 months. 
        • You have found your hands, and will sometimes clasp them together and just stare at them. Ofcourse, no starefest is complete without popping those little hands in your mouth. 
        • You love to sleep on your side... I'll put you in your crib on your back, and you'll roll over to your side almost immediately.
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        • You love having a lovie next to you when you sleep. That and a paci and you are good to go!
        • You are still exclusively breastfed, eating every 3-3.5 hours or so. You take about 3 naps... sometimes a 4th catnap is in there, but sometimes you don't really want anything to do with it, so I don't force it. 
        • You've really gotten into kicking your feet. You kick them ALL. THE. TIME. It cracks me up watching you get so excited from your little exercise moves you do :)
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        Connor-man, I love you so, so, so much and am so grateful to be able to call you my son! Happy 4 month birthday big guy!

        Love, Mama

        Weekend in Review

        This weekend, I experienced something I haven't been able to experience in close to 2 years. Yes, thanks to my awesome husband, I was able to retreat for close to 24 hours of pure solitude. Well, perhaps pure solitude is not the right word, since I did my fair share of shopping at the beginning of my excursion. You see, I've blogged about, and talked about my dream to be able to get away, kids free, and be able to sit in a hotel room by myself. So when Drew came home this week to let me know that he was giving me my birthday present a bit early: he was going to let me get away this Saturday. I jumped for joy stalled. Yes, you read that right. I stalled. After thinking over why I stalled I think it had more to do with the fact that Brayden has just gotten over the world's worst stomach virus, both boys are on meds, and that can get confusing, and I am a control freak and have a hard time letting go and letting people do things for me. But I went, because I knew I needed it, and who knows when the opportunity will arise again. So Saturday, after our typical visit to Sam's club (and it was our first excursion out since B had gotten sick one week prior), we got B down for a nap and I left the house, bags in tow. My first stop: the promenade. Saturday was a beautiful day, and I was able to enjoy a shopping trip, whipping in and out of stores, and only have to feel pity to the mommies who all wanted to the same thing but had whiny kids. After shopping, I checked in to the hotel (I stayed at Aloft, the same hotel chain we stayed at in Dallas, and I must say, I'm in love!) and laid on the bed. To have an entire king sized bed (with extra pillows-- Drew asked for them when he made my reservation) all to myself and only hear the hum of an air conditioner was pure bliss. I basically laid in bed for the remainder of the evening, only getting up to make a quick trip to Olive Garden for dinner. My peace was fabulous, and much needed. Thanks Drew for such an incredible birthday gift!

        Today when I got back Brayden was ecstatic to see me, and we enjoyed lunch while talking about the things him and Drew did together while I was away. This basically consisted of him repeating "baseball, basketball and football" over and over again, with the word "daddy" interjected in for good measure. The boy LOVES sports :) After lunch we decided to cash in on the good weather and head to the park.

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        Connor, chillaxin' in the stroller
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        I think he was telling me how you shoot a basketball and then get a "GOAL!"
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        He's starting to want to get on the big boy swings
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        climbing on the ropes
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        Brayden had a blast meeting new friends and running around. We headed home for nap times this afternoon, and then once the boys woke up from naps we headed to Aldi's for a weekly grocery run, and then ended the day by playing in the backyard.


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        my 3 boys-- love all 3 of them!
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        I love this little outfit I got at Rhea Lana's. Sad part? It's size 9 month. :( Baby boy is getting big!


        We've got a busy, fun filled week planned. Hope yall have a good week!

        Friday, March 18, 2011

        Facebook Status Friday.



        Hey yall! Welcome to the first ever Facebook Status Friday, where you get to see some of my fave status' from this past week, and hopefully other's will join in as well and we can see theirs! This is a really easy hop. Basically, just copy and paste your favorite status' from this past Saturday-Thursday, grab the Facebook Status Friday blog button, publish your blog post and link up here! So without further ado, I give you MY fave status'.
        {1}
        In hopes of having a successful run at reverse psychology, I asked Brayden if HE could hold ME. He looked at me funny, then said "OK". So we sat on the floor and I sat in his lap. After 5 seconds he said "Mommy, off!" hahaha. Oh well. It was a good try on my part!
         {2}
        wow J. Lo. The hair. It's... indescribable.
         {3}
        "I sure wish I could suck at my job and get $1.8 million when I got fired." -Drew 
         




        Facebook Status Friday






        So what are you waiting for? Join in!


        Thursday, March 17, 2011

        My Little Shamrocks.

        (If you missed my post earlier about the new blog hop I'm hosting tomorrow, don't forget to check it out!)

        Despite the never ending sickness that seems to abound in our home these days, I still dressed up the boys in their matching green polo shirts today. Connor was more into the photo session than Brayden. And yes, that's spit up on Connor's shirt. He stayed clean for 0.2 seconds after I dressed him. So I kept him in his shirt anyways. That's how we roll these days. Don't judge. And I didn't want to take pics of the boys together since I have been keeping B WAY away from Connor due to the stomach crap he's got going on right now.
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        eating a banana, one of the few things he has eaten in the past week.
        Picnik collage
        The littlest one, being cute, like always :)

        And yes, Brayden is STILL sick. Thank you for all of the prayers and support. I honestly need them more than anyone right now. I am on the verge of having a mental breakdown. I've been washing laundry, lysoling, disinfecting and mopping for 5 whole days now. It seems there is no end in sight. Just this morning, when I thought we might be in the clear after Brayden had a "normal" diaper, he had 3 "abnormal" diapers afterward. So away we went to the pediatrician's office. Can I just say, that I ABHORE the pediatrician's office when it's for anything other than a well child checkup. I'm so, so, so nervous about all of the germs floating around. And having a toddler who wants to touch EVERYTHING doesn't help my anxiety over the matter. And doesn't it always work out that when you're there at the doctor your kid acts totally normal, is asymptomatic, and then the minute you walk out of the clinic they start running a fever? Yes, that really happened. UNBELIEVABLE. The nurse we saw said that she thinks it's still just a virus that's taking FOREVER to clear up. But she sent me home with a stool sample kit in case B has yet another abnormal diaper. Lovely. Not that scooping the poo will be all that different from trying to keep it in the diaper. The nurse also said that both of Brayden's ears were red and had fluid on them. Brayden hasn't made mention of the fact that his ears hurt, but then again, he has the highest pain tolerance I've ever seen in a child. Since an antibiotic could worsen the, ahem, bottom issues we've been dealing with, we decided to see if some antihistamines will dry up the ears before they become infected. Problem is, when we walked in the door of our house this afternoon after the appointment, B felt warm, and upon taking his temp, he was running a low grade fever. I seriously thought I might cry. B fell asleep on my lap until Drew got home, and then was whiny for the rest of the night. It's obvious he still doesn't feel well. I just feel terrible for him. I'm just praying, praying, praying that we truly are on the mend from this virus, that it really is a virus and not something else we have to chase down to figure out, that I don't have to do a stool sample, and that by some miracle the rest of us in this household don't come down with the stomach crud. Oh, and that Brayden's ears would heal. THAT, would be awesome. So please, please pray. I'll keep you posted as we progress along this journey.

        Oh, and just because, a cute pic of two of my boys.
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        Story Time with Daddy.

        One of my all time favorite pictures is this one of Brayden with Drew:
        Now I have one to match it, with Connor and Drew, taken this weekend:
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        Isn't story time with Daddy the best?

        A New Blog Hop Idea

        I've wanted to come up with a blog hop for a while now. I just think they are a fun way to meet people, especially when there are fun questions or the like. Problem was, every time I would think of something and google it, it seemed someone else already had the hop going. So I'd go back to the drawing board. Then yesterday, it hit me. What if I did a blog hop for people to share their favorite facebook status' from the week? I love seeing people's status'. I think it shares what people are going through right then: joy, funnies, heartache, etc. Wouldn't it be fun to have a blog hop where we could see those things from our bloggy friends? I think so, which is why I am giving "Facebook Status Friday" a go.
        Photobucket

        So tomorrow, blog about your favorite facebook status from this past Sunday through Thursday (be sure to grab the button!), come back here, link up, and share with the rest of the blog community a glimpse into your life. This should be fun!

        Wednesday, March 16, 2011

        PJ Colony.

        Greetings from the first PJ colony of Northwest Arkansas. No. Seriously. We've been in our pjs since Sunday. Showers? Thing of the past. Around here we boast of greasy hair, vomit soaked t-shirts, and huge walmart bags of poo filled diapers. Sound appealing? No? Then don't sign up to have kids. A day like this is in the future of all mothers, for that I am certain.

        To be clear, we're not quite sure at this point what's going on. Most virus' will last 24-48 hours. If you calculate, we're going on day 5 of Brayden's INSIDES wanting to be OUTSIDE. It's horrible. I feel so terribly sorry for  him. The little guy LOVES to eat, and I know he's hungry because he tells me so, but then anything he eats just comes right out-- of one end or the other. My nerves are being worn to the very core-- one can only handle a sick, clingy toddler on top of a needy infant so much before she cracks. I'm not sure I'm at the cracking point yet, but it's close. I took a shower today just to see if that would help (I hadn't taken one since Sunday night-- I know, gross, but honestly, I haven't quite had time to worry about my own personal hygiene at this point). It did, until B threw up on me about 30 minutes after I was clean. Go figure. We called the doctor's office this afternoon, and he has an appointment tomorrow afternoon. I'm just praying for answers.

        The ray of sunshine in the midst of these clouds of sickness is the smile:
        Despite the whining (which I can't really say I blame him after endless runny diapers, a HORRID diaper rash and constant vomiting), he really is one of the sweetest boys around.

        Almost 4 Months Old.

        Connor officially turns 4 months old this weekend, but the only time we could get into see our pediatrician was last week, so we went last Thursday. He's a big boy weighing in at 15 pounds 5 ounces (75th percentile), and measuring 24.5 inches long (50th percentile). I can't remember his head circumference, other than the fact that it was 75th percentile). C-man did really well with shots, letting out a long scream to let us all know he was angry about it, and then immediately quieted down once I picked him up (such a momma's boy and I LOVE it!). I took this pic before our appointment... it's one of my FAVE outfits that he has, and is starting to get too small :( He's my little heartbreaker, wouldn't you say? :)
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        Monday, March 14, 2011

        Pictures

        Sorry to not put any pictures for our Weekend in Review. I am SO exhausted from caring for a sick baby and not getting enough rest myself that I can barely keep my eyes open. Brayden has been able to hold down crackers and gatorade, but still feels pretty puny. He's weak, so it's hard for him to get around, so he mainly just lays on the floor on his pallet we made for him, watching movies. For those of you who know Brayden, this is EXTREMELY rare. I feel so sorry for him. Anyways, here's some pics from our weekend.

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        Connor hanging out in the stroller at the park. He's the sweetest :)
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        I couldn't get this boy to sit still for a picture... go figure!
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        we got a dog from build a bear on friday, and B loved it! He especially liked the "bath" that they give them after they are stuffed. What a fun experience!
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        Brayden at the party on Saturday
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        LOVED the bounce house!
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        all the bebes :) John (on the left) is a month younger than Connor. And Colson (on the right) is 8 months old. Precious little boys!
         

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