happy girl

Yesterday I received a huge surprise, this:

32GB iPad

I'm still in shock over this.  My dad surprised both my sister and I each with one.  As he was the winner at our local blood bank for donating blood/platelets.  Remember when I posted about donating blood and all the benefits of it?  I forgot to mention giveaways to entice people to donate.  Although giveaway or no giveaway my dad always donates. He has been donating platelets for as long as I can remember he donates every 2wks from both arms.  He is the 2nd top platelet donor in our area and only misses if he is out of town or has a open wound such as a scratch. 

So with both my sister and I shock we immediately asked why he doesn't want to keep them, his reponse "that is too much technology for me to handle".  Oh Daddy Jim you are a funny funny guy.  LOVE YOU and THANK YOU!!!

Tough Love wk 3

Catch up here with week 1 and week 2.  It's been a long 4 month journey of Ian developing the habit of waking up in the middle of the night to cuddle with me. But really we get along much better when we have both had a good night's sleep.

Onto the week's sleeps:

Friday night: woke up around 12 but I stayed strong and he fell back asleep until 7ish.  I still have him napping 2x a day when he's at home or at my parents.  When he's at the sitters he only naps 1x a day but is usually falling asleep during lunch. Apparently the other kiddies find it to be very funny.

Saturday Night: started crying around 5ish so I did get him and bring him into momma and daddy's bed where he slept till 7:30a. It's was Sunday morning don't judge:)

Sunday Night: The whole day Sunday his napping routine was all out of whack.  Luckily it didn't affect his sleeping as I had to wake him up around 7:15 so he could get all dressed up for his V Day party.

Monday Night: woke up around 4 let him cry it out for a while, then went in and got him. Layed with him on the couch and back to his crib he went. Slept till 7:15

Tuesday Night: woke up around 6...made it a little tough getting ready for work.

Wednesday Night: woke up around 11 was not happy at all and we ended up on the couch until about 2:30 then he slept till about 5ish and then it was off and on until about 6:15.

Thursday Night: went to sleep great and slept till 6:15 and then fell back asleep till I woke him about an hr later. I think he would stay asleep longer if we had a master bathroom, but instead his room is next door to the bathroom.  I try to be quiet and shut doors before turning on lights and not dropping my blowdryer on the ground. But some mornings I fail at some of those tasks.

I think I'm done tracking his sleeps and what will be will be.  We have made progress and we are all getting more sleep. 

Inaugural

Today was my inaugural run of 2011.  As it seems the midwest is having a heatwave.  The snow is melting and producing a lot of snirt.  For those who don't know what snirt it is it is a when snow and dirt met. Make sense?
I stuck with our 3 mile route as I had no real good idea of the conditions of the sidewalks and I also did an Insanity workout beforehand so I felt a 3 mile run would be just fine.  Well things were going good till the last mile when there was a long section of sidewalk covered in snow, ice and snirt.  Which affected my time...but what can you do? And what would my 1st run be without my #1 running partner. Love him!!







Buddha Belly

Mom of the Year Award goes to...

Moi!

Remember how I made cookies for each of Ian's friends at the sitters?? Well I failed to make a cookie for Ian my own son, let alone a cookie for Marcus.  They do however have lots of little hearts they can eat but no big sugary goodnees in the shape of a heart.  I may have to redeem myself by making up a quick batch of dough and making some just for them tonight.

Oh epic FAIL!!

Skidamarink I Love You

The title of Ian's current favorite book which was his V-day gift from my parents last year.  Luckily I have it memorized and can whip out the words at any point. 

Sharing his book with Lexus

Ian's other love...

Marcus and I aren't big into celebrating Valentine's day this year we all went out for breakfast.  It was delightful and  because we ate later in the morning no lunch was required and dinner will be leftover pizza.  Tomorrow Marcus has the fire academy so I will be spending the evening with my other favorite guy with a trip to the grocery store.

This weekend involved making Valentine's for Ian's party at his sitters for Valentine's Day.  I was tossing the idea around of just getting a box of Valentine's from the store and writing them and being done with it or making sugar cookies.  I love to bake and gonna toot my own horn here I make some pretty good sugar cookies with homemade frosting (toot toot) and I in general like to make my own stuff whenever possible.  So I went with what I love to do and make an good Ole Fashion Homemade Valentine's.  I only knew of one allergy and that is to red dye.  So for the big cookie I went with white frosting and red sprinkles but for the lil boy with the allergy I used sugar sprinkles.  All the kiddies also got 4 smaller hearts and those I did tint the frosting if nothing else his mom can enjoy them!



Treats for his friends at the sitters



All ready to go

up close of one.

Happy Valentine's Day to each and everyone of you!

Tough Love wk 2

Instead of repeating myself for each day his bedtime is between 8-9 every night.  If he is acting tried around sooner then he goes to bed.

Friday Night: slept till 4 something, and because I didn't update this the day after. I don't remember.


Saturday: (a little more fresh in my memory) Marcus started saying around 7 that Ian needed an ice cream cone and then proceded to beg that Ian needed ice cream for about an hour before I caved. Marcus in his plea stated that if Ian got ice cream he would sleep through the night. Well folks Ian slept through the night, he woke around 6 something to the dogs doing their potty dance. Marcus let the dogs out and brought Ian into our bed where we all slept till 8.

Sunday Night: He woke up around 4 and was tougher to get back to sleep. It's like he knows the days that I have to work.

Monday Night: tuned into some Bachelor madness and Miss Whackadoodle Who Needs to See a Hairstylist STAT (aka Michelle). Folks he slept till 7...

Tuesday Night: woke up around 4, cried it out for a while then I got him and laid with him on the couch for about 5min.  Back to his crib he went where he slept till 5:30 at which point I brought him into our room so I could get ready for work.

Wednesday Night: slept till 6:30 although he still wasn't really ready to get up but didn't want to go back to sleep either. Again not a work night...

Thursday Night: slept till about 6:15 but woke up jabbering and not crying. So he slept about 9.5hrs  This was a work night but Marcus was at the station so maybe he knew I wouldn't get him.  Or he just knew his momma need some sleep.

Folks did you count that he slept through the night for 4 nights...YES 4 nights we are getting somewhere. Hallelujah!!

Because it's Friday

We mind as well go with an old fashion post of randoms.

*it has been bitterly cold here, and I'm over it.

*did a complete NoNo and cheated on my hairstylist and I'm paying for cheating. And taking my prenatal vits to increase hair growth.  It's not that I don't like the cut she just doesn't know my hair and therefore she put a bit to much texture in where I have a cowlick and not I'm constantly trying to keep those pieces from sticking up. You ask why did I cheat? Well I bought a gift certificate for 51% off the price of the service. So I cheated to save a few bucks.  Don't lie you would do the same thing!!

*I started doing the Insanity workout (Thanks Mo) I did my 1st workout yesterday morning and it is intense.  And because I was stressed and feeling like a fatty I did the warm-up and stretching section again...INSANE  Today not too too sore but can definitely feel my calves and hamstrings.

*Ali had asked a few posts ago what my job is and so I thought today would be a good time to address it.  I work for Curves (yes the women workout place).  I manage 2 locations (each location is individually owned and operated, my boss owns a total of 3).  I work 3 days a week, Mon, Wed and Fri usually around 9.5-10hrs on those days at both locations.  This way I get to spend 2 solid days with my boy and play cleaning lady, grocery getter and meal maker. 

*We are 36 days away from the 1st day of the spring. Although living in the midwest that means nothing to us as it's been known to snow into late March early April.  Wow....if that wasn't a bubble burster?

*Ian's current fav book:



this was Ian's vday present last year from his Gram E and PaPa Jim


*Speaking of Ian he is up to taking about 4 steps solidly.  He worked on that 4th step with my Nana and Poppy when he got to spend the day with them on Wednesday.  Not sure who slept better that night him or them but he slept through the night. 

Now that I have just wasted about 3min or your time that you will never get back I hope everyone has a great weekend.  It's suppose to be in the 30's here which means the area college students will be breaking out their flip flops.

tough love week 1

I think my dark circles are starting to fade after some tough love was administered. It all started Friday night, Marcus was at the station and since he is the one with the weak heart for a crying child I deemed that night Cry It Out Night. Ian went to bed between 8:30-9, I went to bed around 11. Fast forward to 1 something and the crying starts, 45min later it either stopped or I fell back asleep, fast forward to 4 something when the crying started again and lasted for 10min. Fast forward to 6:30 when my alarm went off (yes, I set my alarm on Saturday's, gotta get a workout in). I managed to get a workout in and a shower before my lil guy woke up. He ate an entire bowl of oatmeal and we went on with our day with 2 naps and some other good meals.

Saturday Night: Ian went to bed around 9, fast forward to 4a when the crying started. After 30min, Marcus gets up and gets him a drink of water and he goes back to sleep. Now, you are thinking what I'm thinking "Marcus let him cry it out for 30min" oh but wait fast forward to the morning time. Ian slept till 8 something, Marcus then was telling his mom about our night and he didn't even hear him till like 25min into the crying out. Gotta say it typical guy for ya.

Sunday Night: Bed around 8:30, and if you asked me Monday morning how the night went I said he slept through. But according to Marcus he heard Ian moving around so he stuck his head in and then Ian saw him and wanted out so his weak heart for babies kicked in. And basically undo all my tough love.

Monday Night: Same bedtime as the previous nights, however he was not himself. Before bed he had no real appetite and a lot of gas and liquidy messy diapers. I heard him a couple different times throughout the night and went to check on him and he had another liquidy messy diaper. But we did not end up on the couch.

Tuesday Night (Blizzard night): Slept till about 4 then woke up crying, fell back asleep till 6 something when he heard Marcus not so quietly getting ready to snow blow the driveway.

Wednesday Night: bedtime as previous nights, woke up around 1 something I laid with him on the couch and noticed the house was a bit chilly as I ordered both dogs on the couch to have one lay on my legs and the other on my feet. Laid Ian back in his crib and he woke up again at 4 at which point I looked at our thermostat and noticed it was reading about 62 (it's set so the house is at 72) at which point I woke Marcus up and told him I was bringing Ian into our bed.  **Off topic Marcus then got up to looked at it did some flipping and got the heat to kick on but not for long so he got dressed and headed to the closest 24hr store and bought a new thermostat, installed it and we were getting warm again. All this at 4a what a good husband taking care of his family.

Thursday Night: bedtime as previous nights, woke up around 4 again and then went back to bed till I woke him to head to the sitters.

There is week 1 I can't say major progress has been made but I feel we are getting somewhere.  Both Marcus and I (me more) are becoming immuned to the crying.

Blizzard 2011

We survived Blizzard 2011, it was really windy the snowfall amount was not bad but the wind was AWFUL!  I'm lucky enough to make the decision as to if work is opened or closed.  I decided to close around 9p which resulted in sending out emails to over 100 people, update facebook status, making the note on our website and changing the voicemail recordings x2.  Luckily when we closed early Tuesday night I had already drafted emails for Wednesday. Wednesday our county was under a state of emergency and only emergency personal were to be on the roads.  And for once my hubby's work showed that they do have a heart and didn't open any of their branches.  Although Marcus' friend who works at the downtown offices of the bank and is the property manager had to go in and see to it that all the parking lots were taken care of and no damage to any the branches occured.

So we both had snow days, I however did work from home.  Now, I know most people who work from home look forward to being able to do so in their yoga pants and a sweatshirt but seeing as to that is what I wear to work. I look forward to working in our chair and half, my yoga pants, comfy sweatshirt. and in my socks.  Aside from working, I took a nap which I never do and of course worked out and while I was working on my 100 squats Ian wanted me to hold him so I squatted holding Ian for about 90 of the squats. My legs are pretty sore today. Marcus snow blowed and also napped and we both hung out with Ian and practiced his walking skills.  We had a good snow day and what is a snow day without homemade choco chip cookies?

taken Tuesday night 2/1 when it started snowing around 5p

what we woke up Wednesday 2/2, this is after Marcus snow blowed

Pox Box

When both my sister and I got the chicken pox (she got them first) she found a box and decided that she would sit in the box wait for the itchiness to go away and should would watch TV from the box, read and boss me around.

Ian's box arrived today and he got to test it out. Downside to his box it's too tall and he can't see the TV so he'll require a portable DVD player. No, he doesn't have the chicken pox he just wanted to test out a box. This may not be the final box as he may want to upgrade when the time comes.