Looking Forward To - May Edition

This month will probably be the busiest month I've had in a loooong time... I was feeling the stress late last week and wound up having to go to the Triage because I thought I had some contractions to go along with stomach and back pain topped off with nausea.  Me and baby are fine.  We had a lovely restful weekend and I was able to write out about 20 lists and get all this information out of my head.  That alone seemed to take a lot of stress off my shoulders.  Here's a list of the things I'm anxiously looking forward to this month (in no particular order)!

• My little boy turns FOUR years old!  
• We have a doctors appointment and ultrasound  - although we aren't finding out the gender, I cant wait to see this baby's little face and hear his/her heart beat again :)
• Florida -the beach- for 7 days - need I say more?!
• TJ will become a 100% outside dog.  I've taken some heat from this from my friends, but my mom reminded me this idea of an "inside dog" is a thing that started 20 some years ago and dogs have lived outside for hundreds and hundreds of years.  He will be fine, and most importantly I'll gain some sanity back!
• I'll get to see one of my bestest friends, Whitney Knight!  I always love when she comes in town, and so do my kids!
• My sister, my mom, and myself are hosting a baby shower for my sister in law. 
• My parents are going to celebrate their 36th anniversary.
• I'm getting a pedicure before our vacation with my momma. I only have 2-3 of these a year so this is quite a treat!
• I get to celebrate Mother's Day with 2 of the greatest kids in the world.  
• I get to do a little baking this month (for Hayden's birthday and for the shower).  I'm keeping things simple (which is hard for me), but I'm still looking forward to it!
• My BFF Amy and I are going to go see "What to Expect When You're Expecting".  I'm hoping to make a full evening out of it if she can break away from her boys that long!   
• Mother's Morning Out officially comes to an end for the semester.  I won't be returning next year so I'll look forward to having all my days off again :)

Happy May to you all!
 

Fresh Flowers

One of my favorite things are a bouquet of fresh cut flowers from a garden!  I love the color and the fragrance (and the fact they are free)!  I'd love to have a large rose garden one day - that's probably going to be 10+ years down the road.  Peonies are my second favorite bouquet.  My mom's are in full bloom right now and I was happy to take a bouquet home!  I'm looking forward to planting some landscape so I can start gathering my own bouquets :)

Only When I'm Pregnant - Week 18

I'm hoping this next week goes by quickly!  One week from today is my next doctors appointment and we'll get to have an ultrasound.  I think Hayden is going to go with us, and I'm excited he wants to go.  I will admit, I'm getting a little more curious about the sex of this baby and the thought about finding out has crossed my mind more than once.  I know Kevin would never go for it, and because he can wait, I guess I can too.  (And I kind of want to torture my BFF Amy like she has done me with her last couple pregnancies!  Have I mentioned she's pregnant too?  Baby #4 is due on Halloween, but she has a history of going a month early, so we may be having our babies close to the same time!)

I caught a little stomach bug on Monday that lasted till Tuesday.  I think it's what Allie had last week.  I lost my appetite the last few days so I don't have any fun cravings to report.  The only other sad thing left to report is my sound sleeping days are behind me.  I'm waking up multiple times a night either because I'm uncomfortable or I have to pee.  Last night as I struggled to find a suitable sleeping position, I started doing the math in my head - 5 more months of sleeping like this, then another 6-8 months of sleep deprivation once baby gets here.  I almost cried.  That's the other thing!  I've been a ball of emotions lately!  If I think about anything for too long, it gets me teary eyed.  I don't remember doing this with Hayden or Allie. 

This week I bought a pair of maternity jean capris and maternity jean shorts (My mom had an extra 30% off at Kohls so I couldn't resist).  The ones I have are too big and I know I need some for next month when we go to Florida.  I hope the weather warms up enough here at home for me to start wearing them frequently too.  I have a tub of summer maternity clothes and a tub of winter maternity clothes and I haven't  broken into either of them.  I really just want to open the summer stuff and start wearing it, but I really need the winter clothes with the cold temps we've been having.  I guess I will just keep wearing my regular cotton shirts and let my growing belly bust out of them. 

Baby is 5 1/2 inches long and weighs 7oz - about the size of a sweet potato. 

Attitude is Everything

That saying in the bible (Galations 6:7), "You reap what you sow" has given me some new thoughts about my attitude lately.  Let me do a little confession.  In the last week, I have talked to Kevin many times about: TJ being a mistake... maybe we shouldn't have gotten him... the kids aren't old enough for a pup... Tj won't stop biting Allie (in the face sometimes)... I've really just had a bad bad bad attitude about him.  I was annoyed that I am getting woken up at 5:45 every morning (an hour of sleep really does make a difference!) to take TJ out.  It's nearly impossible to take 2 kids and a puppy for walk by yourself.  Ok, have I convinced you not to ever buy a puppy?  Just kidding, that's not my goal.

I do wish we would have done more planning and researching so I would have had some clue what I was in for.  Kevin has kept a positive attitude about the whole situation so that has helped.  Then I started thinking; I haven't been positive at all.  I wake up with negative feelings towards him, and I get frustrated when he potties in the house, and when he eats one of Allie's hair bows, and when he won't stop picking on the cats.  I was talking to my neighbor Jim about TJ being a handful and he told me something so simple, but yet it made me think.  He said TJ was just being a puppy - all puppies act the way he does.  Which meant, #1 he isn't bad and #2 my expectations were just wrong.
      
A couple days ago, I woke up and I told myself he's going to have accidents in the house today, he is going to chew up stuff he's not supposed to - but it will all be ok.  And we had a great day!  I realized that when I tell myself "I can't stand him", "We shouldn't have gotten him", "He's such a bad puppy" that I'm just planting bad seeds and I will only have a bad attitude about him.  When I plant good seeds "It's really no big deal"  "He's still learning, he's just a pup" my attitude is exactly in line with the thoughts I plant. 

*Feedback Week* Day 5

I've had many random people tell me they have looked at or follow my blog.  I really think that's cool because most of the time I feel like I'm writing and posting just for myself.  So, my last post this week on feedback has to do with my blog!  What do you like reading about?  Let me give you a list and you can pick your top 3 :)  I want to post what ever you all want to read!

1. Recipes
2. Kid stories and pictures
3. Cat stories and pictures
4. Dog stories and pictures
5. Holiday ideas
6. Pregnancy updates and info
7. My life (mostly about being a mom/wife)
8. Mid Month Updates and Looking Forward To posts
9. Things I read that I find encouraging
10. Frugal tips and deals I find

*Feedback Week* Day 4

I love traditions!  LOVE them!  I want our kids to look back fondly at how we spent these days.  Here are our top four things we do as a family all summer long:

1. Go fishing
2. Eat (Roy Boy) snow cones (usually a couple times a week)
3. Feed the ducks and geese
4. Walk by the river

I'd love some inexpensive ideas for fun things to do this summer!  I asked Kevin if he could build me a lazy river in the backyard so I could float on a raft for half the summer, but he wasn't wild about the idea (actually he thought I was kidding, but I wasn't).... We bought season passes to Holiday World last year, but we really didn't use them as much as we anticipated.  Maybe in 5 years, when our kids are older, that's something that would be more fun for them (and us parents!).  I'm open to suggestions so suggest away~

Mowin Mama!

This picture wasn't supposed to be of Hayden and TJ - they just kinda jumped in.  I was trying to show off the beautiful stripes I made in the yard when I was mowing!  I kind of took over the mowing duties from Kevin because I really (I know it's strange) enjoy mowing with the Scag.  Now, when it's 100* in the dead of summer and I'm mongo pregnant, I may not be so gung ho about getting on the mower twice a week!  But for now, it gives me a break from my typical duties and I'm glad to be helping with some outdoor chore!

*Feedback Week* Day 3

 

This is for dog people out there...... I love our new little pup but I'm worried our house may start smelling like "dog" the bigger he gets.  How do you avoid that?  Frequent baths aren't an option for us since TJ has dry skin.  Any cleaning products (for the home or doggy) that you'd recommend?  Do I just need to mop my floors weekly? 

These pics are the reason we got a dog!  I knew the kids would love him!

Only When I'm Pregnant - Week 17

As I was filling out my "Belly Book" last week, I was suppose to note any unwelcomed changes.  It took me a minute to think of something, but then it hit me.  My appetite is through the roof.  I can't say it's because I'm bored.  I'm busier than ever with keeping an eye on 2 kids and a puppy that still isn't 100% house broke, and doing all the wife/mother things I need to do every day.  I'm not overly stressed so I can't blame that either.  I think different foods just sound good all the time, so therefore I want to eat all the time!  I'm (intentionally) trying to eating more fruit and vegetables than I ever have before.  I'm also on a chip kick.  Garden Salsa Sun Chips have been a favorite of mine the last week or so!  All the Easter candy laying around the house isn't helping either!  I'm thinking on Friday I'm sending it all to work with Kevin! (I've gotta eat the rest of the Twix out - and maybe the bubble gum that's left in there too - the Libs chocolate bunnies are long gone...)

I'm definitely leaning more towards the baby being a _____.  (I may tell you what I'm leaning towards later on, but not yet).   I still have some symptoms/cravings of the opposite gender.  I really don't think about this babies gender that much.  I thought it would drive me crazy not knowing, but I guess I really, honestly, don't have a preference!  We are 100% settled on a girls name, and Kevin's still trying to convince me to love the boys name he's picked out.  I'm working on it.... I've been woken up late at night/early in the morning to lots of round ligament pain in my stomach.  Not fun.  They really do hurt!

Hayden asked several times if he could "pet the baby" this week.  He really gets a kick out of rubbing my fat roll belly.  I told him in a few weeks the baby will be able to kick and punch back and he'll get to feel it.  I think he's going to love that!  He wasn't really interested in doing that a ton when I was pregnant with Allie.  Little Allie has been a monkey lately and likes to plop down on my belly any chance she gets.  I've had to tell her several times to "be nice to the baby".  Then she'll pat my belly and say, "Niiiiiice baby".  I should be feeling #3 move any day now (I maybe did a couple days ago, but I wasn't 100% sure that's what it was)... looking forward to that :)

I think these "inside the womb" pictures are so neat!  This is what a baby looks like at 17 weeks!  S/he weighs about 5 oz and is 5 inches long this week!

Mid Month Update - April

Holy Smokes, I'm a few days late on this!  Better late than never, right!?
Outside my window . . .it's dark and a tad colder than I prefer

I am thinking . . .I really should have waited till tomorrow to write this post!  (It's past my bedtime!)

I am thankful for . . . my kids.  I let too much little stuff get to me.  I had a bad day this week and was in a bad mood.... after I tucked Hayden in bed he said, "You're the best mommy in the world."  Glad he still loves me on my bad days!

In the kitchen . . .my counter is a DISASTER!!!  We use to leave a lot of "stuff" on the floors.  TJ eats everything that's in his path, so whatever we use to put on the floor, now gets thrown on the counter.  (Trust me, it ain't pretty!)

I am wearing . . . Old Navy jeans, a tshirt I got in junior high, and a sweatshirt jacket! 

I am creating . . .a list of things to do before May gets here.  Next month is going to be in-sane!

I am going . . . to bed as soon as I finish this!  Well, I'll try to anyways...

I am wondering . . . if I'm going to miss these puppy days - because I really don't think I will!  All the nipping and peeing - ok I won't start venting!

I am reading . . .Nothing right now!  I almost started a book today, but I chose a nap instead!

I am hoping . . .My energy high lasts many many more weeks!  I hate feeling lazy.

I am looking forward to . . .a date night with Kevin on Sunday.  My usual Sunday show is not on that night, so he's taking me out to dinner then to see The Lucky One.  Can't Wait!

I am hearing . . .My fridge.  It makes all kinds of weird noises... I always think I got a text or alert on my phone, but it's just the fridge!

Around the house . . .my floors are cleaner than they have ever been!  I've sprayed about a whole bottle of hardwood floor cleaners on them this last week cleaning up little "puddles".  Come to think of it, TJ only had one accident inside today!  That's progress!

One of my favorite things . . .is my quiet time at night.  Gives me time to reflect and usually the next day I'm in good spirits :)

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . Well, I got all the laundry done yesterday (all 6 loads, plus the 2 I did the day before), so I guess just cook, do dishes, and take some walks by the river!

*Feedback Week* Day 2

I love menu planning, I just hate feeling like we eat the same ol' things every month!  In the summer we do lots of grilling and salads, and in the winter we do lots of crock potting and soups.  Then I have my "usuals".  One of my favorite (and my family's favorites) staple meals is Ham & Noodle Casserole.  What's one of your staple meals?

(I'm making it tomorrow for dinner so I'll repost a picture then ;))
Here's the recipe (my version) for the Ham & Noodle Casserole...
13 oz box of pasta (I prefer Barilla Mini Penne)
2 cans cream of chicken
2 C light sour cream
diced/cubed ham to taste (I usually put in about 1 1/2C)
12 slices swiss cheese
Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350*
Prepare pasta according to box.  Mine is usually done in 7 minutes.... while the pasta is boiling, in a large bowl, mix together cream of chicken, sour cream, ham, & salt & pepper to taste.  Spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray.  Once the pasta is done, add it to the mixture.  Pour half of mixture into 9x13 dish.  Layer with 6 slices of swiss cheese.  Put in the rest of the mixture and top with the last 6 layers of cheese.  Bake for 1 hour.  Easy and delicious!

*Feedback Week* Day 1

I'm looking for suggestions on a few random things... everyday I'm going to ask a question and let me know what you prefer/like/use/recommend.  Thanks in advance for all suggestions :) 

Today's question.... What are "must haves" that I need to pack for Florida.  I'm looking for ideas that I'm not going to think of on my own (clothes, toiletries, swimsuits & beach towels - I know that kinda stuff).  I want to be as prepared as possible!  Our plans for the week:  lots of beach time, doing some cooking in our condo and eating out the other half of the time, & checking out some local shopping.  One more thing pertaining to our trip;  Allie has a history of getting car sick.  I'm looking in to buying her those wrist bands for motion sickness, a shade for her window, and queasy pops.  Would you recommend anything else for kids?

Latest Update on Life With TJ

• Having a puppy is much more exhausting than I ever imagined - and TJ is a good great puppy so I can't even imagine having a bad dog!  I think what's most exhausting is this house breaking business.  He has just a couple accidents every day and they are always my fault for not paying attention.  I'm use to giving Hayden and Allie my 100% attention and now I have to throw TJ in that mix. 
• The cats are still hissing quite a bit.  I really thought Harry would be mad at me for bringing TJ home, but he has been just as affectionate with me as ever - maybe more.  I'm hope the cats come around soon.
• Last night (his 3rd night home), he woke up with a dry blanket!  I was glad I didn't have to start my day with a load of laundry.
• Hayden asks every night if TJ can sleep with him.  TJ tucks Hayden in bed along with me and Kevin, and he will snuggle up at the foot of his bed and we have to carry him out.  I think he wants to sleep with Hayden just as much.  Maybe once he's 100% house broke we'll let him do that occasionally. 
• Hayden gets so upset when I don't let him take TJ out to potty.  I know the newness will wear off, but he seems to really like taking care of him and giving him a treat for going potty.  

We had a little photo shoot outside today.... Here are some pictures from that.

First Doggy Bath

I can't recall giving a puppy a bath lately.  I think I did back in junior high when I was volunteering at the Human Society, but that has been a looooong time ago!  We took TJ in to the vet for his first puppy check up.  I also had some concerns about his dry/itchy skin.  We left with a new conditioner to try out on his coat.  I was instructed to give him a bath then let the conditioner air dry in his coat.  Shelly (his foster mom) said he did really good during bath time, and she wasn't kidding!  He stood still, didn't make a peep, and let me wash him.  Have I mentioned he is about the greatest puppy ever?  He smelled SO good after his bath.  We will have to do baths more often once we get this dry skin problem cleared up. 

10 Things I've Learned about TJ

I've learned a LOT about TJ in the last almost 24 hours we've had him... some good things, some not so good things.....

1. Crates are amazing and I'm so lucky TJ likes his!  He slept from 9:30-6:15 last night without a peep!
2. A sleeping puppy is about the cutest thing EVER!
3. TJ is figuring out where to go potty.  He's had 2 accidents in the house and both were my fault - I didn't leave him out long enough the first time, and the second time I just wasn't watching and he peed right next to the door.  He's a smart little guy.  
4. The biggest drama I had today:  Allie dropped a glass of milk on the floor, busted the glass and milk went everywhere.  I was trying to clean up that mess and Hayden told me TJ "peed a circle on the floor".  Hayden stepped in and helped me out though!
5. Dogs are really much more friendly and accepting than cats.  Little TJ couldn't wait to see Harry and Holeshot this morning (he bounced out to the garage with a big puppy smile on his face) and was greeted with a double hiss!
6. I have never woken up to a puppy - didn't really know what to expect (I was thinking a stretchy/yawning puppy) but woke up to a very loud whine.  As I hurried to let him out of his crate it was madness!  Ankle biting, pant biting, running laps through the house kinda madness.
7. Watching Hayden and TJ play together just about melts my heart.  I thought TJ would be Allie's dog, but he's definitely bonded with Hayden!
8. There are way too many kids of dog shampoos!  It took me a good 15 mins to smell and read all the puppy options at PetSmart.  I'm hoping I picked a good one!
9. Biggest fail of the day - I let Hayden pee outside - and (true story) TJ must have thought it s a sprinkler because I couldn't get him to stop running through the stream!  
10. He definitely has made our day 100% more fun!

Only When I'm Pregnant - Week 16

Am I really already 16 weeks??  Geez!  It's been a good week.  Nothing bad to report!  I did have some some foods that sounded good this week and one major craving.  The night we celebrated our anniversary we couldn't decided where to eat.  The only thing that sounded good was corn and potatoes, so I talked Kevin in to taking me to the Log Inn.  I definitely ate for two!  :)  Monday morning I woke up and thought I NEED FROSTED FLAKES!  I couldn't shake the craving, so I went to Walmart and got a value box!  It was my snack all day!

Most days I feel like my energy is exactly the same as it was before I was pregnant.  I'm still sleeping really well (even with the new pup - he's amazing!) and I'm trying to appreciate that every day!  I didn't weigh myself today, but I did earlier in the week.  I've gained into the double digits now!  I'm definitely smaller than I was with Hayden or Allie (weight wise) so I'm hoping I don't end up seeing a +50lbs this time around. 

Baby is the size of an avocado this week.  I had Kevin take my picture this morning... my belly is always the smallest in the morning before I eat breakfast, so if you see me out and about and I look huge to you, that's why :)

Expanding our Famiy - Puppy Edition

Last Friday morning, my day started the same as it always does.  I got up, put in my contacts, and checked my email.  I decided to check my facebook too because I was up early and I knew I had some time before the kids got up.  As I was checking my news feed, I saw one of my friends, Shelly, posted a picture of a puppy she was fostering named Joey.  (The picture is below).

It was love at first sight for me!  I immediately texted Kevin (who was on his way home from work) a picture of him and asked if I could get more information about him.  Kevin said yes!  When Kevin got home I was still waiting to hear back from Shelly, but Kevin thought this was Shelly's new puppy - he didn't realize the puppy was a foster pup looking for a home.  As soon as he found out the puppy could be ours, he got really excited (texing me non stop throughout the day!).  I tried to go about my day as usual, but I was dying to know what we needed to do to make him ours!

To make the situation even more weird, in the last month, I've probably told a dozen people we weren't going to get a dog this summer (like we had planned)!  We knew our Florida trip was coming up, and about the time we get home, I'll be entering my third trimester.  I know my energy goes back down a bit and I didn't want to over due it.  Little Joey was the exception.  His description said he loved animals and people, loved to snuggle, and loved car rides.  One of the things Kevin's said over and over is he wants a dog that will ride in his jeep with him.  We felt like Joey was just meant to be part of our family.  We made sure we had some options for a pet sitter (for Florida) before we turned in our application for him. 

The only problem is we were one of several families interested in Joey and we had no guarantee that he was going to be ours.  That day we found out about him, we went to PetSmart and got everything we needed for a new pup - just in case he came to live with us - and because we are just antsy people like that!  We also were able to go visit him after our PetSmart trip on Friday night.  We all fell in love with him - which we knew was bound to happen!  We waited several days, trying not to get our hopes up (maybe even stressing out a bit on my part), but today, on day 5, the wait was over!  Shelly sent me a message and said, "You're approved!... He's yours now!"  I immediately told the kids that the puppy we went to visit was coming to live with us.  Hayden was SO excited!  He was saying "YAY" over and over.  Allie was saying "Yay puppy dog"!

This is my first dog - ever!  Kevin had several in and out during his childhood, but he hasn't had one in years.  We know some people think we're crazy, but I keep telling Kevin not to listen to the nay sayers!  We only live once!  The kids are thrilled and we are excited to give this puppy a forever home!  (The cats may not be so thrilled....at least not yet) We already love our new furry addition and I'm sure he'll be featured in LOTS more blog posts in the future :)  Oh yea, and Kevin renamed him TJ.  Here are some pictures from his first few hours home!

Hayden trying out TJ's new bed.  His idea, not mine!

Some doggy supplies!

TJ's foster parent's - Shelly & Chris  (She's been grrrrreat at answering all the doggy questions I have!)

Harry checking out TJ when we first got home.

TJ eating dinner.

Hayden telling me TJ was HIS puppy!

Hayden showed him ALL his toys as soon as we got home.  I think TJ was a little overwhelmed!

TJ meets Holeshot - Hisssssss

Playing outside

He was really interested in eating the bark off the tree!

He has half a blue eye.  He's got the cutest, fuzziest puppy head!

Kevin is smitten with TJ.

Easter 2012

We had a busy but very fun Easter weekend!  Saturday the Easter Bunny dropped some eggs off at our house for the kids to hunt.  That evening, Kevin and I went to Log Inn and had a wonderful dinner!  The next morning, the kids opened their Easter baskets, we went to church, we went to Kevin's families get together, then we finished the day off at my parent's house.  The kids were exhausted today, but hopefully they'll get caught up on their sleep this week :)  Here are some pictures....

He gets his egg hunting skills from his mama!

She insisted on dragging her own bucket.

She also wanted to open every egg she picked up before moving on to the next!

I let her have a gummi bunni before breakfast!

Us with Kevin's parents

Grand kids with my parents and the Millers.

Dying Eggs

Hayden was pumped to color eggs tonight.  Every year we've done it (this is his 3rd year to do them) it's been very messy and a little stressful!  I was prepared for the same thing this year, but was pleasantly surprised how smooth it all went!  Hayden is old enough to understand being careful, and Allie really wasn't very interested in dying the eggs so we let her color with her crayons.  Here are some (dark - I forgot I turned my flash off) pictures from the evening :)

We had him start with 2 colors.

Round #1 of eggs

He graduated to 8 colors on round #2!

Allie coloring

We decorated the colored eggs with stickers and Allie got really into that!