5 mos

Ian, you are such a good boy here's what you've been up this past month.

Checking out the inside of your eyelids: You continue to excel in this department. You don't fight sleep at all, you wake up every morning with a smile on your face and talking to yourself and playing with your blanket. I'm enjoying it now because 10yrs from now it will a completly different story. When you go to bed at night you pull your blanket over your face and talk to yourself and drift off to sleepy land. (I could listen to you all night, but I need my sleep)

Eating: have you seen your cheeks, it's spring you can release the acorns you've been storing. There's no doubt you like mealtime you have grasped the concept of a spoon you still prefer a bottle but you'll learn there's lots of things we have to do that we don't like. We'll consider this just another life lesson. You recently tried sweet potatos and you love them, we mix the sweet potatos in with your cereal and viola!! You are back to eating in just your diaper when you eat cereal/veggie combo, easier clean-up and less laundry...yes thank you.

Surroundings: you love it outside, it calms you not that you ever need calming. You love to watch the colors whether there are on the TV with your baby einstein videos or on your toys. They catch your attention. At the sitters Michele says you spend a lot of our time watching the other kiddos and it wears you out. The little girls at the sitters love you, whenever you are there they mock the same actions Michele does with you with their baby dolls. Such little mommas they are.

Activity: you are doing more in your exersaucer, you have rolled over once, I laid you on your tummy and told you had to do tummy time while I made your bottles for the next day I walked into the kitchen turned the bottles over and look in the living room and you were on your back. I ran to you and put you back on your tummy sent daddy to get the camcorder so we would be ready for a 2nd performance and I promised I would have the same excitement but even more because I would see the whole thing. *I'm still waiting:) You love to stand, you're a little top heavy though so you don't stay on your feet for long before you take a seat. We got you a pool and once you got use to the temp of the water you did "ok" I'm sure at first some of the neighbors probably didn't know what to do.


Tough: you made it round 2 of shots without any motrin. The effects of the shots don't hit you till the evening you usually get your shots around 9 and by 4 you just want to be held. You've never had a fever from the shots but unhappiness you've had.

rolled into one

My thoughts this past few days all rolled into one post.

*I haven't had a drop of an adult beverage in over a year (yep a year) and don't intend to until I'm done pumping which will be when we have 3mos worth of milk in our freezer. We currently have 1mos and 2 days in the freezer...we're getting there 1 pump at a time. Should have 3mos worth before the holiday's roll around again...I hope.

*I live life in 3hr segments...that's the time in between pumping and feedings. Although Ian is becoming more of a every 5hr eater. I'm still every 4hrs until my 3rd pump of the day which is usually around 2 then I don't pump again till right before bed.

*I am exiting week 11 of training and I can't be more excited about that. I'm looking forward to taper week. Taper week was always my favorite in swimming and well it also meant we were closer to being able to shave.

*My cousin will be a senior next year at Penn, and his brother (my other cousin) will be entering Penn as a freshman, where does the time go??

*this week was a success with the grocery budget

*I'm going to learn how to drive the jeep...watch out. Last time I tried (forced) to learn I flooded it and we were stuck in a parking lot for an hour while it settled down. This time I want to learn so hopefully the incident won't repeat itself.

*My sister will be here in a week!!

wake up happy

sad day

Our friends Jay and Jen had to say good bye to their Dasiy Mae after having her a part of their family for 8yrs. Below is Daisy and Ethan, they were the dynamic duo and Ethan was Daisy's boy. You say where's your boy to Daisy and she would immediately be at Ethan's side. She was a great dog and will be missed.

weekend wrap up

I have yet to document Marcus' birthday or Mother's Day so on this hot and humid day I will do so.

Marcus' Birthday:
We started celebrating Friday evening with dinner and cupcakes at my parents while there I got Ian's present for him to give to Marcus which he gave to him wrapped in the comic section of the newspaper. He gave him a cake pan filled with flavor ice popsicles (Marcus' favorite and I had to steal them from my parents freezer since they are in-season at Sam's Club just yet). Saturday morning Ian gave Marcus his present, I made french toast and then we hung out at home the rest of the day, took a nap and then headed to Cosmo's Susies's for some yummy pizza with his parents and uncle. From there we headed to my in-laws to indulge in everything we shouldn't indulge in: cake, cheesecake and ice cream. Oh my goodness it was all very good and we continued to eat the cup cakes, cheesecake, and cake all week long. Marcus enjoyed his day and enjoyed staying home not having to do anything or go really anywhere.

Mother's Day:
No sleeping in for this momma which is fine because I'd be afraid if I did I would be capable of spraying milk and we can't risk losing any of the good stuff. Marcus got up made omeletts for breakfast. I had mentioned throughout the week that I wanted us to go to the riverwalk for a nice family walk and then go grocery shopping (yes i wanted to go grocery shopping) we use to go together when we were first married and I enjoyed having a human calculator with me. So Sunday morning I still had no idea what was on the docket for the day. After breakfast Marcus got in the shower and ready to go I took note to what he was wearing and what shoes he wore which told me how I needed to dress. I then showered and texted with my sis for a while getting her opinion on my wardrobe. We feed Ian, I pumped and we were soon walking out the door with me still not knowing what was happening. I mentioned once in the car that I didn't bring a bottle for Ian (I know you're thinking you left the house without a bottle, yes we left the house without a bottle). Marcus told me to close my eyes and he would let me know when I could open them, well I'm really bad with directions so the eyes would randomly open. We were headed to the outlets, I was instructed to buy until Marcus said stop, easy enough right? Well, not so much I'm so accostumed to watching how much I spend on things and talking myself out of things it was tough to go in the complete opposite direction. Gap had some great deals as well as Coach and Gymboree (had to get something for the lil guy) . Ian started revolting while I was in line at Coach so we headed to the car did a diaper change on him and when I went to put him back in the stroller he started revolting again can you blame him though he had been in his carseat for a long time and just wanted to be held so we carried him to Old Navy and then didn't want to risk it any longer without a bottle and headed home. We got carry out and watched a movie. It was a great 1st Mother's Day.

Now it's onto brainstorming for father's day....

would you rather

Run 10 miles or work 10hrs?

I'd rather run 10 miles then go to work.
Why?
I like running. I dislike work.
Running I can do with Ian, work I cannot (I can but the boss lady says NO).
I'd been done in under 2hrs, work I would not.
I find running enjoying, work I do not.

Solution: find someone to pay me to run, or find a job I enjoy and could work from home or work less for the same hourly pay. Easy enough right?

suggestions

I have yet to buy Marcus' b-day present.

Yes you read that right his b-day was May 8th and I have yet to buy him anything. I have two reasons 1)didn't know what to get him 2)he gave me no ideas. Now after sometime (I know I had a whole year to figure this out) he is in need of a new man scent he doesn't know what he wants so I'm on the sniff for something good. Does the man in your life have a scent that you both like? Any suggestions would be delightful as I don't have time to sniff every scent out there.

Thanks in advance for your help.

SEC

Stationary Entertainment Center:


To follow will be a video on how to collaspe the thing: I have no clue, anybody with this model wanna help a girl out who has a tiny house therefore this feature would come in handy? Thanks. For now I will continue to squeeze it through doorways and then go back and pick up whatever toy I have manage to fall off thing during 1-hand transport:)

a boy and his blanket

fraud

This past week in the mail I received a letter from my former hairstylist stating she was moving to a new salon with lower prices...YAY!! In the letter she said on my first visit I would receive 50%off a salon service, let's say YAY again and if I received any type of offer from her former salon she would honor it, repeat YAY!!! I did receive a post card from her former salon so I think I will be using both offers.
Now, I wonder though am I committing hair stylist fraud by going to her to use these offers and then going to a different stylist/salon because their rates are 1/2 the cost of the salon I received the offers from? What is hair stylist etiquette?

momma

Thank you Momma for being in my life, it's a true miracle that you are here today. You have taught me to be who I am today. Ian doesn't understand yet how lucky he is to have you here today. You are a true Grammie Fuss Bucket wanting only the best for him and never wanting to see him unhappy. Thank you and I love you.


Ian, buddy you are a true blessing in my life, I'm lucky to have you. I love the fact that I get to spend a couple days a week with you. I loved spending the day with you and daddy shopping away. I love you and want only the best for you.



You made me a beautiful artwork this past for Mother's Day (we are still working on getting the blue paint off your nails)

birthday boy

It's Marcus' day, 27yrs ago his parents welcomed him to the world.







Happy Birthday to my best friend!

I Lover you
Ash

countdown

Let the countdown begin to May 24th. What's May 24th? You ask, let me show you:



Ali is back to see if she can find her true lover boy, after making the error of leaving Jake for her job she has said goodbye to her apartment, job, personal life and hello to 25 bachelors vying for her love and attention. Will she find her lover boy? We'll have to wait and watch.

active

With childhood obesity on the rise my hope is that Ian sees the importance of being active at a early age. My parents were able to instill activity in mine and my sister's life. They joined the Y and enrolled us in swim lessons at the tender age of 6mos not because they were hoping to have an Olympian swimmer (sorry dad I know you had your eyes set on the Olympics in Greece) but because my grandparents had a pool and it was important to them that we were comfortable in the water and could have fun. Once we were walking without falling on a consistent basis we were enrolled in tumbling to help with coordination and flexibility. The flexibility part was a success but I still question my coordination skills. Later on we dropped tumbling and started school sports. I'm pretty sure if it wasn't for sports in school I wouldn't have done too well. I struggled with school but sports was my motivation to do well because if I didn't do well I couldn't participate. Marcus was also active in high school he played basketball he attended a very competitive high school where making a team whether you sat on the bench or played says a lot about your talent. All his time and energy was spent on basketball playing on different teams during the off season to better himself.

I'll admit after high school and during college I fell off the active lifestyle wagon for about a yr but then slowly got back on and once engaged I was driving the workout wagon with working out 7 days a week. I had to exchange my wedding dress for the same one only 3 sizes smaller and ZERO alterations...talk about a huge savings and a feel good moment. Since being married I have cut back my workouts to just 6 days a week often working out 2-3x a day. I take Ian with me on runs and this summer we will start swim lessons. I hope that by exposing him to these activities he will acquire an interest in being active and understand the importance of being active and exercising. Marcus and I often joke as we drive by soccer and baseball fields on Saturday afternoons that we will be there in a few short years.

Do you intend to enroll your children in sports and activities at a young age?

cravings

Not sure what the deal is but every since Ian entered the world I've had some serious cravings. You name it I pretty much want it although lately it's been chocolate I've been able to cure it with chocolate milk for 2 reasons: 1) I can justify it, it's milk and milk is good for you and 2)we don't keep candy/cookies in the house (anymore) and in order to get chocolate I have to leave the house and spend money 2 things I don't want to do. When I was pregnant I craved NOTHING no pickles, ice cream, chocolate, or any other things women usually crave. Now though I can't get enough food in me, feed every 2 hours and we'll get along just fine. Although if I'm involved in a task of some kind that I'm really interested in I have to be reminded to eat. You would think then while I'm at work I wouldn't be very hungry but that's where it's the worst and to make mattters I only have the food I bring with me each day meaning once it's gone it's gone no getting more. The days I stay home and spend the day with Ian I have to remind myself to eat. What's the deal? Anyone have suggestions before I start eating my work/purse/lunch bag? I changed what cereal I eat in the morning to something with more protein in it and when I do snack it's 1 of the following: banana, yogurt, granola bar, crackers or crasins.