BIG Lemons

When life drops a truck load of lemons off at a friends' house, I so wish I could do the making of the lemonade part FOR them.




Things will be okay, L. I would be there with you in a second, if I could. Goodness knows, there is a lot of lemonade to be made and enjoyed. I'm here for you whenever you need me. Seriously, I'm up peeing half the night, so don't hesitate to call at ANY time! You are brilliant and amazing and strong. I love you!!!

Okay, so maybe I should throw in a glass or two of this, as well....

A Cheap Fix

I hate camera flashes. With a passion. They wash out the entire picture and there is not much you can do to fix it. Unfortunately, indoors with low lighting and a moving subject, requires that a flash be used. The answer, a pop-up flash diffuser! Really, I'd love an external flash that I could point at the wall for bounced light. But, they are $300-$500 and for $20, this diffuser is pretty fantastic! I've been checking them out for a while and grabbed one at the camera store when I went in for a lens cleaning pen today. The difference in photo quality straight-out-of-the-camera (no editing) is pretty clear. I couldn't be happier! This will help a lot until I can shell out the $$$ for a flash. And that isn't happening until I've gotten a few different lenses, so, this may be a semi-permanent situation. Anyway, I'm impressed and happy to be spending less time trying to fix the flash wash-out situation in Photoshop. Yay for gadgets that actually work on-the-cheap!

Washed out

Even, natural skin tone

Books on Birth

Blogging has taken a backseat lately. I had an OB appointment last week that lit a fire under me to begin a reading frenzy! As far as Naomi goes, the latest ultrasound showed great growth! She has actually jumped from the 70th to the 80th percentile! She is also head down! YAY!!! Since the appt, I'm also quite sure she has begun her descent downward, as my belly seems to have moved down a few inches. I have a few other clear signs, but I'll leave out those few details, for your sake. The best news I received at the appointment, is that the doctor gave me an okay to attempt a VBAC! I really haven't done much birth preparation at all this time, as I was anticipating a C-section, so now I'm playing catch-up and cant read enough! My favorite books, so far, are by a very well-known midwife, Ina May Gaskin. Reading the natural birth stories and the ins and outs of the changes the body and brain go through during birth are so empowering to me. So, rather than spending extra time blogging, I've had my nose in these books preparing for a natural labor and delivery. I can't wait!






Crazy enough, I really don't have to wait that much longer! I'm already 32 weeks, which means the baby will be here in a month or two. During that time, I'll be doing twice-weekly appointments. On Tuesdays, we'll be doing ultrasounds to measure growth and on Fridays, I'll be hooked up to the fetal monitor for a half an hour before seeing the doctor. I saw the comfy chairs you get to relax in during the monitoring, so I'm really looking forward to that! A quick nap, maybe?

So, call me crazy, but I am absolutely obsessed with and excited by the thought of being awake and aware of what's happening when my little girl joins us in this world! I really hope that I'm able to birth naturally this time and don't run into unforeseen problems that would shuttle me back into the OR. The birthing suites at the new hospital here are amazing. Wireless monitors, a large jacuzzi tub and an entire wall of windows looking out over the hills and river. All I really need now, is my husband back home to be witness to the event and a doula! The search is on for a doula!

Well, the books are calling and I'm running out of down-time.... back to learning about The Law of Sphincters. Sounds riveting, doesn't it!?

I'm Not Blogging Today...

I would like to blog today, but I'm feeling tired and huge and honestly can't muster up the energy. I spent all the energy I had on my nesting spree this morning. So, instead of blogging, I'm off to stare at my really organized room in my mother's home and to try to keep Lawson in line with as little movement as possible.

Okay, so I kind of blogged... but does it really count if you blog about why you aren't blogging?

Can One Live in a Stroller?

Dear Zooper,

I recently purchased the 2008 Zooper Tango and am having a slight problem, I wondered if you could help me with. I can not get my son OUT of the stroller! I've dealt with not being able to get him INTO a stroller before, but this is a whole new issue! Any suggestions?!

Sincerely,

Stroller Mama





Literally, he played in his new stroller ALL evening after it arrived. Climbing in and out, pulling the canopy down until all you could see were his feet sticking out, and pushing it around the house. He LOVES it! Maybe even more than I do! Which, actually, makes me love it even more and makes for some stiff competition for who loves it more! I think he would stay in this stroller all the time, if he could.

This pleases me!!!!

It was a BEEautiful Day

And Lawson was doing his part to make things just a little bit greener on Earth Day 2009!

Because Nothing Says Romance Like Tax Day

Four years ago tomorrow, on the very romantic day that taxes are due, I married my best friend. The time has flown, but it also feels like we've been married longer when I really think about it! In a good way, of course! It's hard to believe how much life we've lived in that short of time. Especially since he has been absent a lot of the time! Whether he is at home with us or far away, my love for him continues to grow deeper and more complex.

When I used to picture being married, I never would have imagined myself a military wife. I also would never have imagined myself as happy as I am. My husband is kind, loving, considerate, funny, really handy, an amazing father and he has a sweet ride. Two words. Ford Focus. Need I say more??? No seriously, I am one lucky girl. And I happen to think Lawson and Naomi totally scored in the daddy department. It seems only appropriate that we would become a family of four in our fourth year of marriage. Luckily, we get to wait until our fifth year together to live in our fourth home together.

I can't wait to have him back home with me. Having him back this summer with Lawson and our new little girl is a really happy thought! I wish he were here for our anniversary and his upcoming birthday, but being married to him is worth having to spend some of the special days in our life apart.

Dustin, Happy 4th Anniversary! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! And I "meese" you lots! KEESE, KEESE!!!

Double Stroller

I can't even begin to tell you how much time I have spent pouring over reviews and searching for the perfect stroller. I started searching within a week of finding out I was pregnant and have decided upon strollers and changed my mind about a dozen times since then. I even looked in the UK (thanks to Lindsay's dad who offered to bring it over for me on a visit to the states!) but just couldn't make up my mind in time for him to come. I have a single BOB Revolution stroller that I LOVE and that has made this whole search really complicated, as other strollers just don't compare. I didn't necessarily want another big "SUV" type double stroller, but I really wanted big canopies, an easy almost-flat recline and for it to be as light weight as possible. Along the way, I fell in love with the Bumbleride Indie Twin, but really couldn't justify spending $700 on a double stroller. I also liked the functionality of the City Mini Double, but just couldn't get over the resemblance to a cocoon.

If we go on long walks to the park, I'll likely have Naomi in the sling anyway, so I can still use my BOB to put Lawson in. So, pneumatic tires, nice as they are, aren't really a necessity. I mainly need to be able to run my errands and have both kids in the stroller, able to nap (hence the recline and large canopy options being a must). I finally ran across the Zooper Tango last week and decided it was time to commit. They are fazing out the 2008 model over the next few weeks and I was able to find it marked down $130. However, the red version was all that was left at this price. Normally, I go for nuetral colors. Black would be fantastic and will be available on the 2009 version in a few weeks, but would cost me $200 more since there are no significant changes between the models, other than fabric choice. So, red it is. And without further ado, my new Zooper Tango.


Some of my favorite features about this stroller are:

-Only four wheels (unlike many similar strollers that have six)
-The seats go almost flat
-The individual canopies go all the way down to the belly bar
-Individual adjustable foot rests
-Large storage area underneath
-I can use my Britax infant carrier in it when Naomi is tiny
-Really easy fold down
-Stands on it's own when it's folded
-weighs 27lbs (not too shabby for a solid double)

Now I just have to wait for it to get here and see if I love it as much as I think I will. I can always send it back if I don't, but I'm really hoping that my search is over!!!

Happy Easter

Our Easter was pretty relaxed this year since Lawson and I are both still sick. However, that did not keep us from getting in on the festivities with an indoor Easter egg hunt and a basket from the Easter Bunny! Lawson started running after eggs quicker than I could get my camera in focus!

And we're off!!!

Getting the hang of this...

Found another!!!

Making progress

All his eggs in one basket bowl

He was quite happy about the cereal he found in the eggs!
(think cereal will work next year, too?! Yeah, thought not.)

He thought the little lion that came out of one of the eggs should also enjoy some cereal.

The Easter loot: Bee rain boots, crayons, a coloring pad and two Spring themed books!

The crayons have been the biggest hit so far.

He got to work on a masterpiece straight away!

I'm pretty sure it says "Happy Easter!!!"

Snot Sucking

That's right. Snot sucking. I have been on a quest since Lawson was born to find the best apparatus for sucking the snot out of his nose when he is sick. My journey began with those horrible bulb syringes that cause lots of tears while yielding little to no results. I then stumbled upon the Nose Frida, which is basically a hose with a filter that goes from your mouth to the babies nose so you can quite literally suck out the snot. This worked wonderfully, but was a little high on the gross factor, even with the filter (Let me just be clear, though. NO snot EVER gets in your mouth or near it. It's more the idea that's gross). Finally, I recently found the Zo-Li Breathe. A mechanical snot sucking machine! We have had the unfortunate ability to test it out over the last few days and it works wonders! I'll spare you the details, but it is somewhat shocking and more than a little satisfying when you see what is no longer keeping your child from breathing well. Anyway, I'd recommend this to anyone with children to small to blow their nose well. Worth it's weight in gold. I'm guessing I'll love it even more for a nursing baby who needs to be able to breath to eat. Ah, motherhood. I'm blogging about snot...

Rust Red

I took this the first day I got my camera and then forgot about it. I kind of love it!

Swinging to Sleep

Who didn't love swinging when they were a kid? Heck, who doesn't still love swinging?! In search of an activity for Lawson to do outside as the weather is SLOWLY getting warmer, my mom decided to get a swing for the side yard of her house. It arrived a few days ago and we finally got some hooks to install it today. With an overcast, but mild and dry day, we decided it was time to put it up! After a bit of frustration over not being able to drill the holes into the wood (NOTE: Drills work MUCH better when NOT in REVERSE!!! hahaha) we were able to hang up the swing just before his nap time. We had one happy boy on our hands!!!






What I didn't realize is that even a toddler can still be rocked to sleep! Normally, Lawson gets a story and then I sing to him as he falls asleep for his nap. Well, this time, instead of singing him to sleep, I was swinging him to sleep. After about 10 minutes, the poor little guy could barely keep his eyes open!



I'm looking forward to many warm days ahead for him to enjoy this awesome swing! He can wear himself out and I don't have to chase him anywhere! WIN, WIN!!!

Pocket T's

I love Gap's pocket T's. They are simple, cute and really cheap when you get them at the Gap Outlet. Lawson has several pair of them and they've always been great! he has me rethinking their greatness, however, as he has found a use for the pocket on the front.

On a recent trip outside to get some fresh air, Lawson began grazing through the flower bed as though it were a buffet. He examined every piece of bark with great care and when one struck his fancy, he'd pop it in his mouth! Of course, this was unacceptable and he was told to spit it out, which he obeyed. This did not stop him from picking another seemingly delectable piece of bark from the garden and placing it in his mouth, too. On and on we went, putting bark in, spitting it out, talking about how yucky it was to eat and how it should stay in the garden where we found it. I thought I'd made my point when a few minutes went by without any bark in his mouth. Success!

Eventually, we headed back inside and started in on a diaper change. Well, imagine my surprise when his little hand reached inside the little pocket on his pocket T and pulled out a fresh piece of bark he'd saved up for later! POP! Into the mouth it went. Then, the inevitable spitting out, which lost a bit of it's glory due to the mess it made all over him, the changing pad and the floor.

Pocket T's have a lot going for them, but this whole snack compartment bonus feature is NOT one of them.

I am SAM

SAHM I am.

Tonight, as I was checking my blog, my mom was reading it over my shoulder. Suddenly, she became confused. This led me to become confused. And then, it all became ridiculously clear. It went a little something like this:

MOM: What's a Sam?

ME: A Sam?

MOM: Yeah. What's a Sam?

ME: Um... a Sam. (Not getting it....)

MOM: Yes. S. A. H. M. SAHM. It says in your "about me" that you are a SAHM.

ME: OH! A SAHM! (giggle. laugh. snort. deep breath. giggle some more.) It's an acronym for Stay at Home Mom!!!

LAWSON: hahahahahaha! (He doesn't care why we're laughing. It's just too much fun not to join in!)

Photo Friday

A little Friday rest and relaxation


And a little dancing


To some good tunes with MiMa

Turn a sick day into an okay day!

Temperature Rising

And falling. And rising. And hopefully falling for good soon. My little man has a fever. A fever that reached 104.1 last night. Not fun. Luckily, another dose of Tylenol, a cool cloth on his head and a little peppermint oil on his feet, chest and back brought it down almost three degrees within the hour. He's been in amazingly good spirits, given how crummy he obviously feels. His nose has started stuffing up and his temperature has been staying at around 102, so I'm keeping a close eye. The poor little guy that passed it to him went from a fever to bronchitis in just a few days, so I'm hoping we're not headed down that path. Sick little one's are the most pathetic, sad sight, laying there feeling miserable with big, tired eyes.

Unfortunately, a strange feeling has been settling over my chest and head this morning and I think I could be headed the same direction as Lawson. Looks like we'll be sick buddies. I just hope this passes soon and the sun comes back out, because those couple of days were a blast. This fever-filled, stay-indoors and look at the cloudy drizzle through the windows thing is getting old fast.

Examining the Thermometer. It goes "beep" so it is quite fascinating.

I don't feel so good, Mama!

I took this about a minute ago. Wet washcloth, sleeping on a towel with the sippy cup nearby. And look at those flushed cheeks! Such a sad sight.

To VBAC or Not to VBAC

That is the question. My OB check up today left me with questions I haven't pondered in months. After Lawson came via C-Section, I've wondered if I'd have to do another C-section or not. When we found out about my gene mutations this time around, a repeat C-section was STRONGLY recommended. The blood thinner I am on takes 12 hours to leave the system and until that 12 hours is up, you can not receive a spinal or an epidural. For a scheduled C-section, you can plan around your last shot. For a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean), there is no such thing as a plan.

Up until now, I've just been thinking that we would schedule my C-section, I'd show up and she'd be born. Well, then I started wondering, what if I go into labor early? I asked the doctor that question today and he said that in that case I'd have to be knocked out for this C-section, just like with Lawson. Doing a spinal epidural with blood thinners in my system is out of the question, as it can cause uncontrolled bleeding by the spine. This is obviously a bad thing, so to get around it, we would have to do general anesthesia. So, I ventured to ask if a VBAC at that point would be out of the question. Surprise answer: Not out of the question at all. If I feel I could cope with the pain for at least the first 12 hours (since I'd not be able to receive an epidural) I could absolutely try a VBAC. So, if I could try a VBAC in that situation, why not just go ahead with a planned VBAC? That is the question of the hour for me. Quite a shift in thinking, as I had counted that option out, but an exciting thought, none-the-less.

10

In a mere 10 weeks, these 10 tiny little toes will make their debut.

That is 10 different kinds of unbelievable!

Broken in Baby Knees

Yesterday, Lawson woke up with a bounce in his step and ready to embrace the day! Fresh out of the bath, I was lucky to even catch him and wrangle a diaper on his wiggly little buns! He was crawling into the sunlight and basking in it's warmth!





When I was finally able to get his clothes on, he requested the addition of his hat and shades, which he then refused to remove the rest of the day (much like the finger in his nose). Yes, Lawson wore his sunglasses as we grocery shopped, met Great Grandma for lunch, drove here and there and played at the park. He was one cool cat.

There's that finger in the nose

All it took was one 70 degree day for my little man to break in his baby soft knees! He climbed, danced, ran, squealed and monkeyed his way through the day! And I chased after him with a smile on my face. Sunshine and a happy boy make a very happy mamma.