Friday, April 27, 2012

Decisions

The calendar is surely making its way to the end of August/ beginning of September...I mean my bags need to be packed and everything ready in 15 weeks! That doesn't seem very far away! (no I am not due in 15 weeks, that will put me at 36 weeks. I doubt he will come that early but it's always good to be prepared).

Anyway the point being I need to start getting some things in order for this baby boy's arrival! I am so excited because we have been making lots of decisions and starting some work! Yippee!!!

Decision 1).

We have a name picked out!!! Well we actually have for a while but the letters are bought and ready to be painted so it makes it seem more real! Are we planning to keep this one a secret??? Yes, but I will not be at all surprised if we (mostly me) slip up and spill the beans. Keeping this kind of secret takes a good deal of mental energy and I basically have none! Lol! Not only that names are flying around here all the time and I am already mixed up. So I won't be surprised if his name just comes out one time! Just the other day I asked Dan if he could take Pierce outside to go potty...of course meaning Crash. LOL oops!!!!!

2).

I have finally decided room arrangements! Saffryn is moving to a big girl bed (a full size mattress) and her crib will go into Pierce's room! The boys are going to share a room!!!!! We are going to start her transition into a new bed in the next few weeks...and she could not be more excited about it! I am going to sell all her baby crib bedding. I think it will be sad to let go of it and realize that chapter is forever closed. Man it goes by fast...

3).

Before I get too sappy let's move on to number 3. This one will come with some pictures...fun! We decided to put baby boys crib across the room from Pierce's crib. So we wanted to do something with his wall and make it fit with the rest of the room. So we first had to move the book shelf by Pierce's crib and take the stuff of the walls and move it. I think I found good homes for everything. Then I painted the wall...wait for it...ORANGE!!! If you remember (if not I have pictures) Pierce's wall is chocolate brown with orange letters...so little boy's will be orange with brown letters. Here are some pics...




Here is a picture of the process of me moving everything...it was kind of a mess. LOL.




Here is a crummy picture of the shelf and toys put away!




Here is a better one!

Now for the orange wall...











I am really happy with it! I think the brown letters and crib in front of it will help tone it down even more! Are you wondering how I managed to paint and watch 2 kids...




Make them play in the crib together! Hehe

I think we are making good progress and will keep you updated as we do more work!

P.S. I am for sure feeling the baby now...and I LOVE it!!!! Dan even saw him kick a couple of times...which tells me he is strong and ready to play with his 2 older siblings! :)

P.S.S I was so sure this baby was a girl so it took me a bit to wrap my head around a boy. But getting the room ready has made me so SO excited to say, "boys room". I am super excited to welcome another busy and cute and lovable boy to our family. I am so eager to meet him and snuggle snuggle snuggle him!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Painting

If you have not done this activity with your children you NEED to!

Get an old bucket and fill it with water. Set it outside. Get an old paint brush or two and set it in the bucket. Then let your children loose!

It is SO easy and so so fun! It is basically mess free....the water will dry! All though if your kids are anything like mine they will get very wet so be prepared for that! It is fun for all ages!

Here are some pictures of our afternoon of water painting!




Pierce loved using the brush and getting to splash in the water!




The big boy painting!




Saffryn busy working hard on her painting!!!




Yes she is in her jammies...she wanted to wear them all day. Hehe




Now my windows are so clean....




I forgot to mention its fun for your pets, too!




Having fun!




Look who got soaking wet.




Momma and sweet girly!




Momma and baby boy!




Momma and baby baby boy! Can't forget about him....he will be here in just a few short months :)


Water painting....it's fun. Now you try!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

1 Year Pictures

I know this is a tad early...Pierce's 1st birthday is a little over a week away. But I had the time and energy and thought it was better to be a little early than forget and never get them done!!! Enjoy :)

What a big boy!!!

Beach baby!!! (and a little ornery)

He is 1!!!!

I love this one!

Option 1 in color!

Option 2 in black and white!

Just getting his morning news in :)

And my absolute favorite!!!!
Cant believe he is about to turn 1! I will not cry...I will not cry.... hehe.

Love you Pierce!!!!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Looking at my measly 5 posts in April it's safe to say my blogging has been lacking. The why is a little more confusing though. Yes part of it is pregnancy exhaustion, part of it is having 2 kids, a husband and a dog to take care of. But the real reason is I feel as though I am living on an emotional roller coaster that literally changes at the drop of a hat so I don't know what I am feeling or what to say! One minute me and the kids are all laughing have a blast together and I am filled with love and joy. Then 5 minutes later I have a toddler who has pushed her brother. He hits his head and Saffryn is throwing the hugest tantrum and I am left exhausted and discouraged. Then an hour later we are back to having fun. Then I am so tired and no one is taking naps and discouragement sets in again. Only to have it replaced by a laughing fit of fun (are you as confused as I am???). So I decided to do a long post summarizing the past few weeks. I don't think I am exaggerating when I say it will be long so read at your own discretion.

THE UGLY: I am starting with this so I can end with good :)

The past few weeks we have lived in a little place called tantrum city. And can I just tell you. It. Is. Exhausting. I thought I was prepared for toddler hood. I mean I have a degree in Early Childhood Education for crying out loud!!! I have spent lots of time learning about and working with toddlers. I have nannied for toddlers and watched friends go through the toddler stage so I thought...I am ready! Wrong. Again. Being a parent of a toddler is a totally different game then being a teacher of one. My toddler doesn't stop tantrums at 5pm when the work day is over. Nor does it end on the weekends so I can get a much needed break. I am on all day, everyday. It is so tough. Oh yea and I am by myself all day without any input from other adults and no help. It is so hard because she walks away from a tantrum smiling, singing and jumping around...while I walk away from one completely drained emotionally and physically.

So a couple of weeks ago I felt like I needed a little bit of a boost in the tantrum department. I wanted some tools to see how to handle them and a refresher if you will. My mother recommended an early childhood philosophy called Conscious Discipline. So I went to it and immediately went to their tantrums section under resources. The first thing they tell you to do when handling a tantrum is to stay calm. Ummm...I did not read the rest of the article because I was SO ANNOYED. Really??? That is step 1...THAT IS THE HARD PART!!! I need like 10 steps to how to stay calm. It is easy to stay calm during the first 10 tantrums...its when it has been all day long, and you need to take care of your other child and dog and self that the patience starts wearing pretty thin. Anyway after I got over myself for a minute I read through the rest of the article and found it pretty helpful. No it did not make the tantrums vanish (unfortunately) but it did give me some tools on how to talk to her during tantrums. It also gave her some tools on how to control herself so tantrums can actually be a learning experience.


THE BAD:

My son is now at the age where he is learning rules and boundaries. He is also the personality that likes to push the boundaries and do exactly what it is you are asking him not to! So in order to teach the rules I must follow through with him. Every. Single. Time. It is pretty exhausting. The worst part...he smiles and laughs about it. STINKER!

My daughter has discovered the small and harmless creature we like to call ants. Only she has decided they are not small and they are not harmless. She has decided any bugs and anything resembling a bug (bird poop, mulch, a leaf blowing in the wind) is something to be upset and scared about. We have been talking about it a lot and when we are in the house she is as cool as a cucumber and can process that they are not harmful to us. But when we are outside and she sees one (or thinks she sees one) it is a totally different story. Now to be fair when she is rested (which is rare and a totally different issue) and has her shoes on she can handle it much better than when she is tired and has decided to not wear shoes. I am kind of discouraged because I had such high hopes for this summer. I envisioned all of the amazing and fun things we would all do together and if she doesn't "get over" this fear I am afraid (no pun intended) our summer is going to be pretty crummy.

Nap times. I feel like this needs to be a post in and of itself. I have one child (the little boy) who needs 2 naps a day no exceptions. This has its downfalls because it limits our outings and fun things. I have another child (the big girl) who is convinced she no longer needs to nap...in fact lets just cut out sleep altogether! This is a challenge to me because her body needs the rest. She is a mess without it. So I am trying to balance out these two extremes. It is nice when we are home and Pierce is taking a morning nap because it gives Saffryn and I a chance to spend some time together. I am also back to enforcing "quiet time" for Saffryn so I can have at least 20-30 minutes of time to myself.


OK.....now to THE GOOD:

Sorry the ugly and bad took up so much. It is fair to say I am exhausted and am finding this stage pretty tough. But it is not all bad. I promise. We have fun! Saffryn says the funniest and sweetest things! She has started really pretend playing and it is really neat. While playing together Saffryn tells me, "Hold my hand. There are cars everywhere. But I will keep you safe." She also chased down her brother while he was running toward the street (for the umpteenth time) and yells, "NO BUDDY! No buddy. Don't go in the street. It is not safe for you boy!" Pierce has started saying is first spoken word, "uh oh." That was actually Saffryn's first word too. You can guess what I must say a lot around the house. hahahah!!! They love to play together and Crash always joins in on the fun. Pierce walks all around the house now and they spend lots of time chasing each other.

My energy during the day is back!!!! I have been starting to be pretty productive and getting ready for baby 3. While I was going through Saffryn's room and organizing she kept asking me what I was doing. So I told her we were making room for her new big girl bed. She started jumping up and down and is so so so excited to be getting a new big girl bed in a few weeks! We have been talking about it non-stop! We are going to move Saffryn's crib to Pierce's room and have the boys share a room! So fun to think about getting things ready for him!

We had no damage done to us when that nasty storm and tornado came through last weekend. What a blessing! The kids were so great when we had to wake them up and go in the basement and lost power. We played with the flashlight and just talked about the sirens and storm. I was SO proud of them!!!

Pierce has learned to drink through a straw which means...special drinks for all!!!!! I gave him his first special drink yesterday while we were getting the car's oil changed. It was a Caribbean way smoothie. It is safe to say he loved it!!!!

Well that basically sums up the last several weeks. Hope it wasn't too much of a downer...but hey I gotta keep it real. Being a mom is tough....my mother in law says.."its the hardest job you'll ever love" (which I think she said is actually a slogan from the marines...but lets face it...totally fits the parenting role). And yes I do truly love it.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday, April 13, 2012

11 a Little Late

Pierce is already 11 months old!

Here are some of the things he is up to:


He is walking EVERYWHERE!!!! He really doesn't crawl at all anymore. If he falls down he is able to stand up by himself and he just keeps going! He is so proud of himself and loves following his big sister around!




He loves balls so so much. Actually he loves to throw balls. He loves Crash. He loves music and has just recently started dancing to it. He loves to eat and still loves bottles!



He still takes 2 naps a day. If he doesn't get one of his naps his whole day gets thrown off which will then throw off his night. He is one of those kids where sleep begets sleep. He goes to sleep around 7 most nights and has some how tricked us into rocking him to sleep again! Lol. He is a sneaky!!! But since he is sleeping through the night now I have no problem rocking him and in fact enjoy this time together!




He is super busy and is always on the go! He loves to push chairs around the house, open cabinets and put toys in there and pull books off of the shelf. He just recently got over his aversion to grass and will play in it. He loves water play and is king of the splashes!




He knows 3 signs. "more", "all done" and "milk"! He understands so much and usually listens to directions. However he is a little sneak and quietly finds things he shouldn't have. He has recently discovered candy by stealing his sisters when I was not looking. Oops!



He is our cuddle bug. He is so sweet and easy going. He is so much fun and we sure love having him around!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Birthday

Today is my 27th birthday! Woo!!! Everyone celebrate me.....just kidding!

Actually this post is celebrating someone else. The last few years on my birthday I can't help but think of my parents (probably because I am now a parent myself).

Do you know the show on MTV called Teen Mom??? Well that was my parents. I was a big surprise to my teen parents.

How easy it would have been for my mother to get an abortion. She could have moved on with her life and gotten to do everything she wanted. She was not prepared for me. But instead of doing that she sacrificed. She sacrificed her body, her future, her dreams and wants. She decided to keep and raise me.

If you have seen the show I am talking about you will have seen over and over again the teen boys throwing their hands up in frustration and walking away never to return. They did not sign up for the harsh reality of growing up and supporting a family. How easy it would have been for my dad to do that. But he didn't. He stuck by my mom's side. He raised me. He sacrificed his future, his dreams and his wants.

You want to know the most amazing part? They never even once made me (or my sister) feel like a burden. They never told us what they sacrificed. They not only chose to give me life, they chose to give me a full life. One with love, guidance, support and so many memories.

Now that I am a parent I am completely blown away by mine. I am beyond humbled by their love and willingness to sacrifice so much for me. How can I ever truly thank them for what they have done. Mom and Dad I love you so much. Today I celebrate you and the choice you both made to give me a full and rich life!!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sunday, April 8, 2012

A Day At The Park

This post is thanks to my Mother-in-Law who remembered to bring her camera with her the day we went to the park together!!! She took such great photos!!! Enjoy :)





- Playing on the teeter toter together!




Going through the tunnel!





Pierce loves to swing! Look at his big boy teeth!!!!





Swinging together!





Cutie baby!





In the car on our way back from the park! What a fun day! Thanks for joining us Gigi!!!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Gender Reveal

We had our sonogram this morning!!! WOOO!

Can I first just say...it really doesn't get old seeing your sweet baby. I could just be in that room all day watching the baby move around and get a glimpse of their secret little world!

My tummy at 18 weeks!

another one



So here is a pic of the baby's profile! ADORABLE!!!


Here is some of the hands...
Live long and prosper...hahaha!

Gave a thumbs up! What a character already!
I know you don't really care about the hands...you want a shot of the baby's gender...

Well we found out pretty quickly in the appt. I asked the lady to check a few more times to make sure we saw what we saw....





We saw a little Penis!!! LOL!!! I was SO surprised (which is why I had her check a few times). I was sure it was going to be a little girl. This little boy is a delight already. Can't believe we are almost halfway along in the pregnancy. It wont be too long before we meet this sweet little addition!

Yay for a BOY!!!!!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Look What We Got

It has been crazy warm here so I thought this was a needed item!





Yay! So much fun!!!





If you are wondering what the blue on Pierce's mouth is...




His first popsicle!




He thought it was so yummy!




So did his sister. I am so excited to spend more time outside eating Popsicles and playing in the water....summer here we come!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad