Product Junkie: Baby Edition

My new friend, Annalee from MOPS did this on her blog and I thought it was fun, so I did it too!

So, here are my picks of things I couldn't live without for my babies.



I didn't discover Mustela until I had Kolby and he had some problem skin. When I started using it, his skin cleared up. I had to rediscover it with Levi when the same thing happened. With the next baby, I'll just start using it from the beginning!





Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Size Diaper Again, I didn't discover these until Kolby and we had two in diapers at the time and I got so sick of buying diapers. It was so stikin expensive. And Drew was in grad school. So, I decided to try cloth diapering. If my mom could do it, so could I! And seriously, these are probably the easiest cloth diapers you can use.




The BOB Dualie is our most favorite stroller. We got it not too long ago and have used it a lot. It pushes so easily, and I have a 42 pound 3 year old and 16 pound 5 month old, I can't tell who is sitting on what side when I push. I can push one handed and hold Sage's hand. This is the most amazing stroller. Drew and I both agree that this is hands down the best stroller we've ever owned. Sage and Kolby can both ride in it or Levi and Kolby or Levi and Sage, any of my boys can and will ride in it. It is so comfortable for them. Last weekend, we walked 2.5 miles with Sage and Kolby in it to pick up the van from Firestone. We had to sell our beloved Phil and Teds to get it and I can't say how happy I am with our new stroller.




Gumdrop Pacifiers are a new favorite. They are just so cute. And Levi likes it. I like that it is all one piece, no water can get in the nipple when I rinse it off. And I can get them in vanilla scent.

















This swing was given to us when Kolby was a baby. We had an ultra cheap one for Sage and it broke when Kolby was 3 months old. A family was moving and their baby was done with the swing so she said if I could come get it, I could have it. It has been the best swing that we've ever had. Kolby took a 2 or 3 hour nap every afternoon in it until he was 10 months old. Levi uses it now, for some naps and in the mornings when he gets up too early. I love it and would replace it the same day if it broke. Probably not with the exact model since it is now selling for $241 but definitely a Fisher Price swing.

Bravado! Nursing Bra. I nurse my babies so I need a nursing bra. These are my favorite. If I formula fed my babies, I would have a favorite bottle.



Baby Bjorn bibs are my favorite bib of all time. I find they work the best when the baby is old enough to start eating finger foods by themselves and trying a spoon. It catches everything and is so easy to clean up, I wash it like a dish. It's just the best bib ever. Kolby still uses one. Levi will start in a few months.








My Hotsling has helped me through many parking lots, malls, bathrooms, restaurants, MOPS meetings, etc.













My Ergo Baby Carrier has also saved my life. I got this when Kolby was 8 months old, 28 pounds, and still (unknown to me) 10 months away from walking. I did many dishes, swiffered, dusted, and kept him happy with him on my back. Levi started using this about a month ago. He has been to the mall, the rodeo, the Astros game, the children's museum and around the house. He falls asleep easily in it and looks so cute with his little eyes peeking out.






I love being a mom and I love products that make my life easier and I enjoy telling others about them. If anyone has found the perfect diaper bag or the perfect handbag, let me know!

Cake...It's what was for dinner

Saturday, I was preparing for our Easter dinner by making this rainbow cake. I thought it would be so fun and festive and springy.

It tasted great!

But, it didn't quite work. One of the 8 inch cakes didn't spread out all the way so when I placed in on top, after frosting it, it split in half.

I didn't want to serve it to our guests so I served it for dinner. With chocolate milk. Hey, it was organic! And maybe expired. It might have been in the closet from Hurricane Ike, last September. Drew thought it was a non-perishable item, like the mini bags of Oreos and packed them away. We were so prepared. Chocolate milk and mini bags of Oreos. What else did we need?






The boys loved it. And drank a second box of milk. And then I threw the rest away.

Awkward Encounters

In just the last week, I've had three awkward encounters. None of them relate to each other but they have all left me walking away from someone thinking, "What?!"

I'm sitting at Community Bible Study, nursing Levi. I had him under my nursing cover and this older woman comes up and starts chatting. I don't really remember what she was talking about, I was so distracted by how she was looking down my nursing cover. I was hoping she just wanted to see the baby. Then she started exclaiming how neat my nursing cover was with how you could still see the baby. The baby wasn't all she could see! Since he was under the cover, I wasn't at all discreet with how I was holding him or where my shirt sat.

Today we were at the post office standing in line to pick up a package. The wait is a post in itself. Just imagine, Levi in the hotsling, Sage jumping and me holding tightly to Kolby's hand. Oh, and Levi was screaming for about 7 minutes until he finally fell asleep. He had wriggled himself into the cradle position and wriggled his arm closest to my body hanging outside the sling. He does this a lot. So, this lady comes up to me and says "Don't you think his arm is hurting like this?"

I know my face did not convey kindness after she turned around. My stress level was through the roof. Did I mention that at one point I was pretty sure Kolby was starting to do number two in his pants (his underwear)? It didn't occur to me that someone else may have passed gas.

The post office line is not where I want to take my three boys. Ever. It is my most dreaded errand. I always avoid eye contact with the other patrons.

We were walking around Hobby Lobby and this man comes up to us and says "Do y'all know the Good News?" I looked at Sage, he looked at me. The man continues, with hand motions, "The Good News that Christ died for our sins, was buried and three days later, rose again?" I told Sage, "Tell him, yes we do!" We continued on looking for chalk boards to write our verses.

Kolby 3 years

42 lbs.

39 inches

Wear size 3, 4 even some 5T clothes

Wear size 10 shoe

Potty training in progress {doing a great job~accidents when no one takes you}

So loving to Sage and Levi

Loves to hold Levi~ you call him "Vi" or "Baby"

Adore Sage

Copies everything Sage does

Say's "Age" for Sage

Calls Drew, "Dew". All the time.

Can put on your own crocs

Can put on and take off your own shirt and pants

Learned to ride your bike! {With training wheels}

Favorite food: pasta

Prefers peanut butter and jelly over ham and cheese

Prefers carrots over broccoli

Quick to cry when told no or when Sage does something you don't like~ throws fits

Has two special blankies, green and yellow

Takes one blankie with us a lot

Used to say "Mine" when I would get the sling or Ergo out for Levi

Calls me "Mama"

Is a great helper

Kills bugs in the house by hitting them with your fist

Cleans up your own spills on the floor

Makes every sound effect

Lines everything up, blocks, cars, pizza toppings {a toy}

Is always ready for the next thing

Favorite Movie: CARS

Wears bar and shoes at night

Plays with cars and trains a lot

Asks "Why?" and doesn't wait for the answer

Makes me smile

Makes me laugh

Makes me pray

Baby Bunny

Afros, I mean Astros

Drew surprised us with tickets to the Astros Opening Night on Monday. He surprised himself as well since he got them from work.

We were all very excited to go. I had just told Drew the day before, I really like watching baseball live.

We got to our seats and realized that we were right behind a wall. A wall that Drew and I could easily see over. Sage could see fine if he was standing, which he willingly did. But, Kolby, well he could only see the wall.





He made do by standing on the chair.

Sage was his typical seemingly unimpressed, not excited self until after he had some ice cream. Then he couldn't stop screaming "Go Astros!"



In this picture, he is jumping and yelling. It was very amusing to see our typically quiet child be so demonstrative. I even took a video but won't bore you with it.

Here's proof that Levi was there. His first baseball game. He was in the Ergo for a while then got hungry then got tired. I took Sage and Levi to go find ice cream and he fell asleep. My plan worked perfectly!



Levi and I were apparently on the big screen during the Smile Cam. I had stopped paying attention because Levi was giving me such big smiles.

We had a lot of fun and had hopes to go to more games but they were diminished when we found out that to help save costs at the office, tickets will go to the people willing to reimburse the company the price of the tickets. Um, $200 for the 5 innings our family can last just isn't in our price range. Oh well.

Levi 4.5 Months

16.3 lbs ~ 97%

27 inches ~ 90%

Wears 3 – 6 month size clothing

Size small Fuzzi Bunz

Size 3 Huggies

Wakes up 1 – 2 times a night

Rolls from front to back

Rolls from back to front (although I’m not sure you’ve figured out you can)

Smiles at anyone who says hello to you

Laughs at big brothers

Watches big brothers from across the room

Chews on fist/thumb all the time

Drools like crazy

Falls asleep by yourself in the crib, or in the sling or Ergo, or in the car

Just discovered feet

Talks a lot

Wants to be with the family ~ if we’re eating dinner, you want to be held

Prefers to be held or have someone in your face

Giggles

Started a new cry with a little scream in it

Is the sweetest 4 month old boy I know

Always brings a smile to my and daddy’s face

Classic April Fools

UPDATE: Drew did not, is not going to lose his job. Thank you for caring about us! And sorry I did not make that clear.

Wednesday I realized it was April Fools Day right as I was about to jump in the shower. Drew was in Austin for a work conference and had been gone since Monday. I decided to send him a quick text.

"I'm pregnant!"

Almost immediately, I got back, "WHAT?!"

And I hopped in the shower. And giggled the whole time. Seriously, I couldn't stop laughing at myself.

Drew, however was not laughing. He was calculating where the next car seat would go in the van, if we had enough car seats, how old Levi would be, etc. Let's just say, he wasn't to the excitement phase.

I'm still giggling about it y'all.

He stepped out of his get to know you meeting to give me a quick call.

I had to decide if I wanted to keep it up all day or let him in on my joke.

I reminded him what day it was and he was so relieved.

About two hours later, I get a text.

"We were just told all employees hired in the past 12 months will be slowly let go over the next 3 months. There will be some severance."

My heart dropped into my stomach, I let out a deep breath. And texted him back.

"Not a funny April Fools Day joke."

And then prayed that was true.

What Sage Thinks About Me

1. What is something mommy always says to you? “Clean up your room. Just kidding. Go to the zoo.”

2. What makes mommy happy? “When I put stickers all over my shirt.”

3. What makes mommy sad? “When I’m mad.”

4. How does your mommy make you laugh? “By tickling me.”

5. What was your mommy like as a child? “Sage.”

6. How old is your mommy? “1.5”

7. How tall is your mommy? “7 inches.”

8. What is her favorite thing to do? “Bake.”

9. What does your mommy do when you're not around? “Watch television.”

10. If your mommy becomes famous, what will it be for? “Cause your name was an easy name to say.”

11. What is your mommy really good at? “Driving.”

12. What is your mommy not very good at? “Playing games that don’t have directions.”

13. What does your mommy do for a job? “Clean the house.”

14.What is your mommy's favorite food? “Don’t know, you never told me.”

15.What makes your mommy proud of you? “If I win a war.”

16. If your mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be? “Sam”

17. What do you and your mommy do together? “Play games and go to the beach.”

18. How are you and your mommy the same? “Cause we have the same hair.”

19. How are you and your mommy different? “Because you have a pony tail and I don’t.”

20. How do you know your mommy loves you? “Because she gives me a heart every Christmas.” {Um, I don't, maybe I should?!}

21. What does your mommy like most about your daddy? “That you call him Babe.”

22. Where is your mommy’s favorite place to go? “Heartland.” {Kids Church and I've never been}

Stellan Made the News

Go view Stellan's news story.

And the blog here.

My Secret Wish

I've always wanted dark hair. Long, dark, thick hair.

I can have long hair.

My hair is kind of thick. When I'm pregnant.

But it definitely isn't dark.

When I say dark, I think of a deep, dark brown.

I don't really have the skin coloring.

What's your secret wish?

Back up

I was all set to take part in this weeks You Capture. I took my pictures of some reflections in some windows. They were pretty cool. I can tell you that because I can't show them to you.

Drew emptied the memory card after I took them, before today.

So I give you this instead. At least my mom will like it.

Sage's Bad Dream

Before I get to the bad dream, I have to tell you about Stellan. Remember him? He had a heart condition in utero that the doctors were sure he would die of? And then he was born full term and completely healthy?

He is having high heart rates again. He could really use our prayers. He is two weeks older than Levi. I can't imagine. I just can't imagine. Their family needs our prayers. Pray now and then finish reading my post. Go on, I'll wait.















Sage woke up crying this morning about 4:45. He said he had a bad dream. I asked him about it but he didn't really want to talk about it. We prayed for Jesus to take his bad thoughts away and then I started talking to him about his birthday party, in July. Anyway, it worked. He calmed down and went back to sleep.

This morning, he told Drew, "In my bad dream, you told me I couldn't have my brackets!"

His brackets are his NCAA tourney bracket he filled out. We all filled one out and watched the games last weekend and kept track of who is picking the right teams. Every time a game came on he would ask if it was a bracket game. He is totally losing.

Random Saturday Spew

I forget that I set my comments to moderate and then forget to check and publish them! So fun getting comments!

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I got to get out of the house today. Without any boys! Me time was much needed. I got my haircut, eyebrows threaded, bought some new um, unmentionables at a store that I don't take the boys, it starts with a V and ends with a Secret and got running shorts and a sports bra. I knew I needed a new one, but I didn't realize what a difference it was going to make! It didn't make me like the middle of my work out though. That would truly be a miracle bra!

I tried on a beautiful dress just because I wanted to. And I tried on lots of stuff at Old Navy and ended up getting stuff for the boys. All baby clothes are $5!

I also got to run without pushing a stroller and not on a treadmill.

All in all, it's been a pretty perfect day for me.

****************************************************************

Yesterday, we went to the rodeo or I should say, we tried to go to the rodeo. We had planned to go to work with Drew and the boys and I would go to a park downtown while he had a meeting. I noticed before we left that Kolby's eye was really blood shot. He's had a cold for, forever.





By the time we were leaving the park for the rodeo it looked worse. At the rodeo, I realized I should probably be taking him to the doctor since it was Friday and if I waited, it could turn into an ER visit. I called and got a 4pm appointment. He was still in pretty good spirits, just seemed miserable. And looked white trash. He had an accident so he was wearing the too small sweatpants that were in the diaper bag, had a runny nose and his eye was constantly watering and mattering. And often, he was crying for some reason or another.

Next year, we'll have to do more at the rodeo. And go when no one is sick. Or potty training.

We did get to eat there which fulfilled one of my desires. The boys gobbled up corn dogs and fries and Drew commented that we should keep corn dogs around for a quick meal. We probably won't be doing that! I got a chicken bar-b-que sandwich and a $2.50, 20oz Coke. The sandwich was yummy and I already look forward to getting it next year! And more. We didn't see any deep fried food like snickers or oreos and I really wanted to try those.





Our day ended with me taking Kolby and Levi to the doctor and Drew delivering a meal to friends who just had a baby. We got Kolby's prescription filled at Target where I bought him a big red bouncy ball.

As we got home, he bounced it happily on the path to our house. He ran after it and SMACK fell and hit his head on our gravel concrete. I didn't see blood right away and thought it was just a bad SMACK. Seriously, I can still hear it and it makes me shudder. When we got inside, we saw a hole in his head. I thought we were headed to the ER for stitches but we determined it wasn't big enough. Deep enough, yes. Wide enough, no.

Cars (the movie), pizza and root beer ended our day on a high.

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Here's what I haven't done this past week.

-I would certainly not lay my baby down in a diaper that I knew needed to be changed just because he was already asleep. I would not justify that I can easily change his crib sheet after he wakes up and the diaper has leaked. I always change my baby's diaper before I nurse him so that would never happen to me! Nope!

-I would also not tell my 4 year old to push the stool over to the counter to get a cup so he could get his own water because I was trying to nap on the couch. That would be lazy and I am not that kind of mother!

-And I would definitely read all directions to a new game before I started playing it with the kids and then get irritated that the game wasn't ending quickly enough and make up my own rules. Not me because I love playing games with my kids!

My Love Hate Relationship

With my gym.

I love going and putting the kids in childcare. Sometimes we all need some time away from each other, yes?

I love starting my workout and ending my workout.

I hate the middle part.

I love showering there with no need of a baby monitor. And then a rush when the baby starts crying.

I hate that I seem to be the only one who works out in an old t-shirt and not a cute work out shirt.

I hate that those work out shirts don't look cute on me.

Which is why I'm there.

I love chocolate chip cookies. And Dr. Pepper.

But that doesn't have to do with the gym.

Well, yes it does.

Pajama Day

It's cold here, in the 40's and rainy so I declared today pajama day.

Here's what my living room looks like at 4 in the afternoon of pajama day.





Just keepin it real here y'all. Sage is wearing Christmas pajamas and I don't care.
The play mat is upside down, at least the baby wasn't laying on it, every bin of toys has been taken out of the bookshelves, and quite a few of the toys are on the floor or what floor is left after pulling out all the bins. And the clutter on top of the bookshelf, not supposed to be there and I can't even blame it on the 3 and 4 year old!

Pajama days are a great idea until about five o'clock when I realize Drew will be home soon and then the mess of the house starts to really get to me. If only I could close the door on that room and walk away.

Weekly Wrap

How did it get to be Friday again already?

It seems like a day has passed since last Friday when I was looking forward to going on a date with Drew. It had been too long since our last date and I felt giddy with excitement. I even bought a new outfit. Husband approved. Buying it, I mean. He did like it, it just wasn't as tight as he would prefer. Not much of my wardrobe is!

Our big goal for the evening was to find a 12 inch bike for Kolby's birthday on the ninth. It proved more difficult than we anticipated. The options were Target $40 bike that might possibly fall apart or $150 bikes that better not fall apart. We thought we found a bargain at REI for $120 and 20% off. Wouldn't you know, they didn't have any in stock and there wasn't one in the entire country?! It would have cost us $60 to have it shipped to us. Um, no thanks.

Craigslist was our last effort. It should have been our first. There was a great bike, originally from REI, for $35. It was in Houston, kind of. I had to drive an hour each way on Sunday afternoon to get it.

The look on Kolby's face as we led him out to the garage wearing his new helmet when we got his "new" yellow bike was priceless. I missed the picture and we planned it wrong to take a video. It was too dark in the hallway of the carport. BUMMER! When he saw it he lit up and said "Mine!" Remember when Sage got his bike for his birthday? Go look at the video, pretty funny of Kolby. Sage was much kinder and happier for his brother.

On Monday, I took the boys to the zoo. Yes, all three all by myself. The first hour, we ate a snack, went to the bathroom and got Levi arranged in the sling. I was slightly frustrated and wanted to go home. Sage convinced me to stay and we ended up having a great time. I forgot the camera. Not that pictures would have been really great since I had Levi in the sling and was pushing the stroller. Sage and Kolby took turns riding in it.

Do you see a theme with the camera? Poor second child. Oh, do I have a third?

For the next couple of months I can say that I have a 4 and 3 year old. That's fun.

In other Kolby news, he is just about potty trained! I'll spare you the details. I got so disgusted at the amount of money I was spending on his size 7 diapers that I decided to just do it. And it has gone surprisingly well. Not nearly as hard as Sage was. We've even had number two success! M&M's, monster trucks, matchbox planes and cars are the bribes of choice. The toys are for number two and candy for number one.

And now I don't know how to end this post. It seems a little gross to end on the subjects of pee and poo. But, all I've got left is that I'm going to make chocolate chip cookies with Sage now.

Matchbox Cars

We have approximately 8 million matchbox cars. Both boys like to line them up, sometimes it's a parking lot, sometimes just a line.

But, don't mess with it.

Tonight, Kolby messed with Sage's line. A fight broke out. A threat was made.

"If you guys keep fighting over your matchbox cars, we're going to give them away to kids who won't fight over them."

Sage answers "Well, all kids fight over them."

Progress

After I wrote my Quiet post, I got on the phone. Today, I finally left a message for the right person. I talked to the speech pathologist at the school for a while this morning and heard what the process will be and what she thinks will happen from hearing what I had to say.

I am encouraged that the ball is rolling, that help is attainable, that the mountain doesn't look so steep.

I know a speech delay is really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, neither was walking at 18 months. But, it can get overwhelming in the moment.

Answers will come, speech will come.

He really is a great kid!

And he turns 3 on Monday!

Overheard in Chick-Fil-A Play Place

Sage: Coe! (4 year old boy we just met)

Coe: My name isn't Coe, it's, I forget. Clark Kent! You can call me Superman.

Quiet

Kolby is speech delayed.

We had him evaluated. And he failed.

And I knew that he would. I knew right after the test that he did.

But today I got the report.

And it made me want to cry.

Because it made it real.

Because that's my baby.

And he is smart.

And good. Sometimes.

He just can't talk.

Yet.

That's what I kept telling myself. Yet.

Someday, he was just going to explode with language.

Except he hasn't.

And he turns 3 on Monday.

And it is hard to understand him. All the time.

And sometimes embarrassing to drop him off at his classes.

Sorry, you can't understand a word he says!

We can only understand 5!

Good luck!

And now the phone calls begin.

And trying to get him the right help.

One word he does say clearly: Why?

The Fluke Continues

Levi rolled over yesterday morning.

He was taking a nap in his crib and I was getting ready for the day. I heard him wake up (start crying) but just needed a few more minutes to finish my hair.

When I went in to get him, he was on his back! He's a tummy sleeper so he surprised me by looking right up at me and giving me a huge grin.

I thought it was a fluke. And it wouldn't happen again for a month or two.

I was wrong.

He woke up at 5 this morning, for the day.

I wanted him to go back to sleep so I kept rocking him and finally tried laying him down in his crib with his passy.

To my surprise, he was content for so long I thought he had fallen asleep. And then he squawked.

He was on his back again!

I congratulated him and flipped him back over.

Heard him squawking again and went back in and watched him roll over.

I put him in the swing to sleep.

He may be able to roll, but I'm still smarter. For now.

Tired

I'm tired. So tired.

It has everything to do with a certain little boy getting up often to eat or a need to be rocked.

My first flesh reaction is to complain. And boy could I!

And then I thought about how badly I would want to get up with him many times if something were to happen to him, if he was all of the sudden gone. And I realized that I need to cherish those moments. And think about what I love about getting up with him instead of the fact that 2 hours of continuous sleep isn't great.

I love watching him nurse so contentedly like I am the only person that will satisfy him at that moment.

I love when he is done and just laying in my arms so totally asleep.

I love when I pick him up to move him to my shoulder, he startles, and both arms go straight in the air, fists closed, knees pulled up to his chest, kind of like he is about to take off like a super hero.

I love when I lay him on my shoulder and his whole body is limp against mine, just snuggled in so content, so trusting and so totally asleep.

I love watching him after I lay him down in his crib as he finds the most perfect, comfortable way to sleep. His knees pull up under him and his little bum sticks up in the air.

I love kissing his fist.

I love kissing his cheeks.

I love kissing him.

I love him.

Getting up in the night isn't so bad.

Random Stranger Lady

Everyone knows that when you have a baby with you, a lot of people like to comment. Most are very kind telling me how cute or how precious he is. Some like to scare me with the future of their mind.

But, this lady today. She takes the cake.

Levi and I were in Target, Levi in the snap-n-go because he had been sleeping. Upon awakening, he started crying. I pushed the stroller a little faster but it didn't work. I stopped in the middle of the aisle, put some of my soon to be purchases on the ground and proceeded to put Levi in the sling.

She walked up behind me, I apologized for my stuff all over the floor, moving the stroller and the stuff to the side.

She kindly said it was no problem and then told me how much babies like to be held and close to their mammas.

She: "They like to be close to that nipple. My perfume for the longest time was breastmilk and sweat."

TMI, lady. TMI.

Manly Men

Bear Grylls drinking turtle blood.

My boys have a new obsession. Bear Grylls.

Sage got a pizza server, sliced his stuffed pandas throat, bent down and slurped soome blood and then told Kolby "Drink the blood, Bo. It has so much protein."

Okay so he didn't tell him it has a lot of protein but that would have been really good since that's what Bear said.

Kolby drank the blood. While Sage went to slaughter another bear.

They also like to pretend that grapes are grasshoppers and eat them.

Would you believe we talked about naming Levi, Bear? We did. I know. Lord, help us if we have a fourth boy!

Twinkle Toes

My mom used to call me twinkle toes. Or so I'm told. She came up with that fabulous nickname because my toes were so long. And because I have a special talent with my long toes.

I can make them in a pattern of one sticking forward, one backward, forward, backward.

I know, don't be jealous. It could've been my talent in a beauty pageant. I could have gotten a pedicure and wowed them with my toes.

My friend's mom used to say I could play the piano with my toes.

I digress.

I've passed on my twinkle toes!

Levi twinkles with the best of them.

I tried to capture it on camera but moving baby feet are hard to photograph. I took a picture of my twinkle toes. And then deleted it.

Just imagine.

Big toe. Pointer toe forward, middle toe back, ring toe forward, pinkie toe back.

It's a gift, y'all.

The Not So Magical Hairbrush

I went to the gym today. And almost died on the treadmill. But that's not my point.

I planned to shower after I worked out. Since all the boys would be in childcare, it seemed like a win-win situation to me. And, they provide most of what you need to shower. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shaving creme, even disposable razors, deodarant and mouthwash too.

But not a brush. Or a comb.

And that was exactly what I forgot.

I wrapped my head in my towel and did a walk of shame.

I walked to the salon and asked if they sold brushes or combs. Nope.

I then walked to the cafe where they sell a few toiletry items. Not there.

So, I took my towel off and started finger combing my hair. It wasn't looking great.
I kept going as I blow dried my hair.

It started looking better. And better. Until it looked totally normal!

Except that I forgot my straightener.

That's How We Roll

Slept in until 8.

Opened V-day presents.

An AM/FM tuner armband radio for the gym.

And the Jane Austin movies from BBC.

The boys each got a book.

Drew got the Bourne dvds.

Made cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

Went shopping for washer and dryer.

Sage and I went to Lifetime.

He played basketball.

I ran on the treadmill.

He slept while watching basketball.

I picked up the house.

Kolby had a fever.

Watched Bear Grylls.

Cancelled the babysitter.

No hot date.

We went to the mall instead.

To eat at Chick-Fil-A.

For dinner.

And then bought diapers.

At Target.

With the three boys.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Here's what I didn't do last week!

- I didn't forget to change Levi's diaper before heading to the park. And his diaper didn't leak while we were there, leaking through his outfit, the sling and onto my shirt.

- After getting home, I didn't just keep wearing my shirt even though it had been peed upon.

- And I certainly didn't not wash my sling because it has to hang dry and I need it. Nope, not me!

Mud Sludge

I asked Sage this morning to go downstairs and make my coffee.

His first response "Nooo!" As in, no silly mommy, make your own coffee.

His second response "How many cups of water do I put in?"

Me "Fill the coffee pot to the 2 line."

Him "How many cups of dirt do I put in?"

Because If I Don't Write it Here, It's Like It Never Happened

Levi did go to his two month doctor appointment a couple weeks ago. Stats were 13lbs. 9 oz., 23 inches long and his head is 16 inches. It put him in the 50th percentile for height and 90th for weight. And I thought he looked proportional!

Kolby went to the doctor for his feet. Again, everything looks perfect and we are just staying the course. He will continue wearing his shoes and brace at night and we'll see the doctor in a year. I only have to email him when we need bigger shoes.

I checked the archives of my blog to find out how much Kolby weighed at 2 months, at 8 weeks, he was 15 lbs. 2 oz with casts on, so I guessed he was really 14 lbs. When Levi went to the doctor he was really over 2 months, about 10 weeks.







Here are all three boys at about the same age. Who do you think Levi looks like? To me, there is an obvious answer.

And I know, I just posted that picture of Levi but I was hard pressed to find another one of him. I know, poor third child.

Part of it is that I have looked at too many blogs of moms who are photographers, have an awesome camera, know what they're doing and have good backgrounds. So, I start to take a picture and it looks horrible to me so I think why bother. Not the best attitude to have, I realize that now and will snap more pics of Levi because he is stinking cute!

My To Do List For Friday

Vacuum. Check

Mop. Check

Go to park. Check

Make pizza dough. Check

Pick up house before appraiser comes. Check




Things Not on My To Do List For Friday

Take Sage to the ER. Check

He poked his eye with a toy. Said toy has been thrown away. It came in an astronaut set and was supposed to have a ball on the end. I don't know how it happened, I was in the kitchen, he was in the living room. He started crying and told me what happened and I saw pink tears coming down. He also told me it hurt to have it closed and it hurt to have it open.

I called the pediatrician who said take him to the ER to make sure he didn't scratch his eyeball.

$154 later and we have an antibiotic eye drop for a scratch under his iris.

As we waited, he acted totally normal and then forgot which eye he had poked. It also stopped hurting.

I went prepared and he played with cars while he waited.



The slope of the bed made a good track.

He looks pretty distressed in those pictures, huh?!




Also, go visit 4 Little Men and Twins to win a pouch sling. If you don't want it, you can always give it to me!

Monster Jam

I love being a mom of 3 boys. I love sending them with their dad to do boy things. He takes them to play basketball, soccor, baseball, football. Sometimes, I go and watch or play, sometimes I stay home and do home things. But last weekend, I decided to go. At first, I was excited and then I was like what am I doing? A monster truck show?!


Above is stadium set up for the time trials.

We got the idea from our friends, Amanda and Curtis. Amanda told me Curtis was plannng to take Jackson. And I thought Drew should take Sage and Kolby. The next thing I know, we're all going and meeting for pizza rolls before heading to Reliant Stadium.

I must have some redneck in me because I loved the show. I was so surprised at how fun it was to watch big trucks jump over a mound of dirt and get air. I think I had a silly grin on my face almost the entire time. I was kind of embarrassed. I thought it would be something I would just tolerate.

There were two parts to the show. Time trials where they race against each other and whichever truck got around the rink, circle, field (what is it called?) three times the fastest, won. Sometimes, it was a photo finish and sometimes the monster truck lost control. But they always got air going over the jump and it always made me grin.


Above: Is that not cool?! I'm embarrassed to tell you how many pictures I took of trucks jumping over cars in the air. Let's just say, there were 12 trucks, 6 match ups, a first round, second round and a final. I took at least one pic for every trial, you do the math.

There were some little trucks that came out to race too. I don't know the significance of these but I chose the Jeep to root for because I was pretty sure my brother, who needs to update his blog was driving. Of course, I'm kidding, he wasn't driving but it made me think of him. And, of course, the Jeep stopped racing, I guess it had some sort of engine trouble or something, it didn't crash but I could just hear my brother talking about how he would have won if his Jeep didn't putter out on him. Anyway, here's the Jeep. Did you know I've always wanted a Jeep Wrangler?



The second part of the show was freestyle. They changed up the course and the trucks could come do whatever they wanted. Apparently, I was enjoying the show too much at this point and took way less pictures. Except of the awesome crashes!







Are you wondering the boys reactions to all this?

Here's Levi:

He slept about half the time and the other was snuggled down in the sling with one ear pressed against me and the other ear I pressed close with my hand.

He also had those squishy ear plugs.


Here's Kolby:


And Sage:

He's thanked God repeatedly for Monster Jam!

In recap, we had a blast. It was loud. I smiled a lot. The boys loved it.

Oops!

Look what I did. I changed my layout and lost a lot of stuff on my blog.

No real thrilled. Need to email blogger.

I had to type in all the html code for what had been on my blog and I lost it all. I don't know how many hours of work, I just know I don't have the time to fix it right now.

I think I had missed some blogger update and I am hoping it will make my fix a whole lot easier.

Last night, I kind of wanted to delete the whole dumb thing.

Heart

Friends,

My heart is heavy as I write this. A family in our Bible study has a sick little boy, I just read a blog of a two year old dieing from cancer and I was frustrated with Levi for wanting to be rocked. I am so blessed, blessed beyond what I can comprehend. I don't deserve any of it. I am so grateful for all of it.

I have been sitting on the sidelines for far too long. Watching as other people find something to be passionate about. I want to be passionate about something. I am tired. Tired of being selfish. I'm a sinner, saved by grace. And oh boy, what grace that is!

To start, our family is going to walk. We're going to walk for hearts, kids hearts, babies hearts, heart research.

It's a small way we can do something. We can support our friends from Bible study and we can help with awareness.

Guess what! You can help too. Read on!




According to the March of Dimes, about 40,000 infants (1 out of every 125) are born with Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) each year in the United States. The defect may be so slight that the baby appears healthy for many years after birth, or so severe that its life is in immediate danger. Studies prove that CHD's are the most common birth defect and are the number one cause of death from birth defects during the first year of life. Nearly twice as many children die from CHD in the United States each year as die from all forms of childhood cancers combined. Over 91,000 life years are lost each year in the US due to CHD. Charges for care exceed 2.2 billion dollars, for inpatient surgery alone.

Most people know someone who has been affected by Congenital Heart Defects or Acquired Heart Defects. On February 21, 2009 we will be helping It's My Heart raise awareness about the devastating affects of CHD at the National IMH CHD Awareness 5KRun & 3KWalk – Noah’s Legacy. Funds raised through the IMH Run & Walk will support national awareness and help to provide comfort bags and programs to families while they are hospitalized throughout the USA. Our goal is to raise $500.00. Your support and donation of $100, $50, $25, $10 will help take a stand against the #1 birth defect and killer of children. Not only will you help us achieve our goal, you will also help It's My Heart make important advances in research, support and awareness of CHD. The IMH CHD Awareness Run & Walk is quickly approaching, so please make your pledge today. Thank you in advance for your support of our journey with CHD. Together we will make a difference!

For more information on It's My Heart visit www.itmyheart.org.

From our hearts,
Kristy, Drew, Sage, Kolby and Levi

Yes! I am happy to support your efforts in the CHD Awareness Run & Walk! You can count on me/us for:
_____$100 _____$50 ______$25 ______$10 _____Other $
Please make check payable to It's My Heart and return this form, along with your check to:

It’s My Heart
19728 Saums Road
PMB# 137
Houston, TX 77084

Please include Joshua's Joggers in the memo of the check.
You can also use Paypal, a quick and easy way to donate. Please include in the message my name and CHD Run & Walk. Just go to www.itsmyheart.org and click on “Donate”.

ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE



PS If everyone who looks at my blog gave $10, we'd make our goal. Help us out! And thanks!