Project 365: {Days 258-264}

Day 258: Our final day in Iowa.  Brian golfed most of the day and put the final check mark on his list of places to eat by grabbing Flying Burrito.  We had a nice time laying low that day, took good naps, worked out, said goodbye to Brian's folks, had a delicious Salmon dinner and completed the night with cookies and ice cream.  Bapa is teasing me by pretending to feed Luke ice cream.  Of course I did not allow it.

Day 259: One of our little airport buddies.  Brian & I really weren't stressed about the long day of travels we had and the trip went really well...but when I reflect I think...holy cow...we woke up at 8am, packed our 3 checked bags, 2 roller boards, 2 back packs, two children and one carseat, made lunch AND dinner, drove to the airport, waited, boarded, flew, got off, walked thru the Detroit airport, waited for another couple hours, ate ice cream, boarded, flew, got off, waited for bags, waited for shuttle, rode to our car, then drove a half an hour home: 12 hours en route.  Our kids were great...but the time intensive part of traveling has the potential to be more stressful than getting ones finger caught in a food processor. 

Day 260:  Carly's first day of dance!

Day 261: He's really on the go! 8 months & 3 days and he's off!

Day 262:  The only photo I took for the day was this text to Brian.  Carly loves to instruct her & I to put on our heels and do the hot dog dance!  It doesn't sound very family friendly but I assure you it is. ;)

Day 263: I absolutely LOVE getting pictures from Rachel when I'm at work.  I think this caption read, "Luke is a prince & Carly is the princess."

Day 264: I think were still stuck in vacation mode!  After Brian got off work we ventured over to DAK and rode the last safari and closed the park! It was awesome. :)

"Tonight's Gona Be a Good Night" {Luke 8 Months}

We are going to pretend I wrote this 2 weeks ago when Luke actually turned 8 months....because his 9 month post is like 10 days from being written.  I won't go into detail about 8 months and this title is like...well...kind of mean (you'll see the sarcasm momentarily)...but hey it was reality from month 7-8.  Luke's a great kid, but this month was definitely our toughest yet.  I think it partially stemmed from an expectation that I just thought he would be a more independent baby by now.  Although I continue to give myself pep talks that I should continue to carry him around because soon enough he wont want to be in my arms anymore....and that I should continue to comfort him in the night because these years are so short...blah blah blah...the matter of fact is I'm exhausted and every now and then I'd like to have some free arms to clean, cook dinner, hold Carly, go to the bathroom (yes...he sits on my lap while I pee), fold laundry...the list continues.  Please don't take this as a complaint.  I adore my kids and I have a very blessed life.  This month he was just annoying.  That's it. That's all. Still love him. ;)

The night thing is tough because I do feel obligated as a parent to teach my child how to sleep.  He's not hungry but I have committed to feeding him once in the night until breastfeeding is no longer a thing.  The two, three, FOUR times he wakes up screaming in the night, however, just isn't okay.  We usually comfort him due to fear that he will wake his sister, but I'm to the point that CIO might just have to happen.  I guess I'll let you know where we land.  I'm way past "tired" and certainly in "exhausted past normal brain function."  I think we can all agree that when a mama works such late hours and will only get 5 hours of pillow time in the first place, it becomes taxing emotionally and mentally when he's up 3 times in those 5 hours.  Plus the head pain level is pretty extreme...the other day I nearly fell down the stairs because I just couldn't get my eyes to focus.  I'm dizzy a lot.  Needless to say, my baby needs to sleep.  What suggestions do you have for us?

Luke is a happy and very social boy.  He loves going to the church nursery and really enjoys play dates.  I think I expected him to be more of an introvert since I already have such an extrovert!  Silly me.  As of exactly 8 months he still wasn't crawling (well...it depends on your definition...he was army crawling but not on all fours) and therefore quite frustrated at that.  He loves being outdoors, thinks we should all live in the water, enjoys anything with lights and has an incredibly high pain tolerance!  Any of this sounding familiar?  I think those 4 things were how I'd describe Carly at 8 months as well!

Here are his pics!

Why do I even try?? ;) ;)

Project 365: {Days 251-257}

Day 251: Our first vacation since returning from maternity leave back in March!  It was unplanned time off and certainly a treat.  I worked 45-hours in 4 days to accommodate taking a week off but it was totally worth it! Our first morning I woke up to Luke crying & Brian wasn't in bed so I waited a minute for him to retrieve him.  After a few minutes I got up and Brian & Carly were no where to be found...which is quite strange for those two to disappear!  Well...I found them like this:

Brian spent his first day of vacation golfing with a friend who was visiting from Iowa.  After their round we took them (Mark & Chelsey) to Magic Kingdom for the evening.

Day 252: Up and at DHS to begin the day! We saw the Frozen parade (which Carly LOVED), went to Beauty & the Beast, shared some ice cream and left the kiddos with the Bradshaw's for approximately 12 minutes so Brian and I could ride Rockin Rollercoaster.  I have been pregnant or with a babe in a carrier for so long I cant remember the last time I rode my favorite ride.  Unfortunately it wasn't very fun due to the current neck/head issue I have going on...but whatever.  The rest of the evening was spent cleaning and packing!  I took these sweet photos of the kiddos at Hollywood Studios.  I love brick walls!

Day 253:  Had breakfast and a cup o coffee before loading our 3 checked bags, 2 roller boards, 2 backpacks, 2 small children and a car seat up for...5 days in Iowa.  The trip through Atlanta went super smooth...even the running through the airport with all in tow trying to catch our second flight in 30 minutes!  Carly had the whole plane laughing as we descended into the Des Moines airport.  "IOWA! There's IOWA, guys!! Bapa, Nana, Gpa, Gma, Mimi.....they all live there!!"  Bapa picked us up and we were treated to dinner at Mimi's house that evening.  We visited with my aunt, uncle & cousin and then got the kiddos in their jammies so they could snooze on the trip to Ames.  We learned that Luke is not a good sleeper in foreign places...we were up 7 times with him that first night.

Day 254:  Thursday I headed to Clive to see my dear friend Lindsay and her kiddos; Julia Mae being only one month old!  We've had 5 children in the 4 years we've been away and it's been a blessing to meet each of them within their first two months of life.  Lindsay and I could chat all day....and now our kids could play all day!  I dream of living closer to them!

We drove back to Ames where we were able to meet Cooper Christopher!  He is one of the most handsome babes I've ever seen and I was delighted to snuggle him and visit with his parents. Brian & Chris have been best buds for years and Nikki is one of the easiest people to be friends with.  I also dream of spending weekends in Cedar Rapids with them.

Brian and the kids took off with his Mom to meet some friends so I decided to head to Carley's house to meet Beckett Henry! That's right...I wanted to meet three new babes while in Iowa and I accomplished it all in the first day!  Beckett and Luke are only 10 weeks a part and I am sure will be good buds one day.  Can you guess what I'm going to say next?  Yes...I daydream of being able to raise my son alongside Carley.

That night we ordered Great Plains. Check!

Day 255: Friday morning we hung out with Brian's dad before I met my dad at US Cellular to get a brand new....flip phone...while Brian & his dad golfed in the 45 degree...rain.  My Grandma met us at El Azteca for lunch where Luke was introduced to both refried beans and rice.  Check!

Lydia visited with me in the afternoon; a dear friend from high school I haven't seen for over two years!  I think I can officially say our friendship is one that can go years without much time spent together and just pick up where we left off. She is a special lady and just became a Vet!

Hickory Park was on the docket for dinner that night (Check!) and we spent time with Brian's cousin, Lisa, while touring her new home.

Day 256: Game Day!  GO STATE! BEAT IOWA! That's right...we did!  Nathan, Angel & Jackson came to Ames and spent the day with us!  Angel looks like a beaming mother-to-be and we are anxiously awaiting the call that he has made his debut into the world!

That morning I was also able to spend some time with Carley & Beckett and we introduced the boys.

Brian's extended family stopped in throughout the day and it's always so wonderful to connect with each of them.  We feel so loved when we visit.  After the very exciting game and after stuffing our faces with delicious food all day long, Jayne (another dear friend from my childhood who I haven't seen in a while) joined the party. I think her and I chatted until 11pm that night...which is rather late for a mama & papa who are getting up with their babe every hour in the night. ;)

Day 257: We attended church with Brian's folks then parted ways so I could spend time with my sister who had made the trek from the twin cities to spend Sunday with us.  Had I known the final service at E. Free would be one week later I would have gone to church...but at the moment we deemed it more important to spend time with Tiff.  We met my Dad, Mom & Grammy at Jeff's Pizza (Check!) who had just returned to the states from a European Cruise!  We spent the day laying low and enjoying one another's company.

What a great vacation!  We had one day left before traveling back home....but of course that day will be highlighted on next week's post.

"Mommy, Wow, I'm a Big Kid Now"

I want to do a recap of potty training now that it's all said & done.  It was a very pleasant experience since Carly initiated the process...but still want to jot down a few notes to keep in mind.

1. We introduced a potty and panties in April...but she not only didn't have interest but was utterly and completely stressed out by the entire thing.  So...we left the potty in the bathroom and didn't push it again.
2.  June 23rd...Carly was just over 28 months old...she asked me to take off her diaper.  I took it off..she ran to the potty...sat down...wiped and came running out shouting "I did it!"
3. We then encouraged the potty and she successfully went for 3 days before having her first accident.  We did the happy dance each time.
4. We put diapers on for nap, nighttime and to go out that first week.  She took the liberty of going poo poo when she had a diaper on the first few days but was able to go in the toilet after that.
5. She had her first accident in the aisle of Target.  That wasn't fun.
6. It took her a while to be comfortable on a public potty...and 2 months later still can't go numero dos in public.
7. She ran around naked for about a month when we were home because she had trouble pulling down her pants by herself.  We tried to transition to dresses but the back of them kept getting wet because she didn't understand that the skirt was falling into the toilet. Lol.
8. If she is having too much fun she feels it is an inconvenience to stop to go to the bathroom so we are still working on not starting the process in ones pants.  Fortunately I keep a stash of panties & shorts in the diaper bag and have always remembered to replace them.  The day we are out & about and I don't have another pair of shorts for her will not be a good day.  Let's just hope that doesn't happen.
9. She enjoys picking out her panties and usually goes for the Minnie Mouse ones.  Shocking.
10. My favorite story is that we were reading books one day and I started to nod off.  She was not happy about that so she climbed down from my lap, spread her legs & peed right on the floor.  I guess I deserved that.
11. She can make it through naps without going potty but after 2 nights of getting up in the middle of the night to take her to the bathroom we all agreed that she could wear diapers at night.  She had been waking up dry only bc she was going in the middle of the night.  We already have a child who wakes us up multiple times/night so we decided we didn't need another one.
12. Numero uno is called "potty" and numero dos is called "poo poo."  I have a strong dislike toward the words, "pee" & "butt" so we call her behind a booty or a bottom.

Well that's what I remember from the past two months.  Not sure if that will be helpful to anyone or to myself as I train future 2-year-olds (especially the wearing dresses part...not sure I'll use that technique with Luke) but maybe it'll be fun to look back on nonetheless.  

Project 365: {Days 244-250}

Day 244: Labor Day! September 1st! Almost Fall!  A fun morning spent with Carrie & Holden. :)

Day 245: The day after Labor Day equals Autumn in my book!  Here in Florida we like to pretend we get to feel the crisp air, hear the leaves under our feet and spend our evenings in sweatshirts by a bonfire all while enjoying the taste of pumpkin.  I can dream, right?  So...I put out the fall decor.  I think this wreath will do the trick for $15 and about 20 minutes of my time. ;)

Day 246:  Luke was introduced to the Cheerio and thought it was the best thing since oatmeal.  For some reason they keep getting spilled...I'm not sure why. ;)

Day 247: Being out and about means snuggles during naps.

Day 248: Deja vu from earlier this year...another Nutella picture! Carly helped me bake 100 scotcharoos, two pans of brownies & 100 Nutella cookies for a recognition event I was throwing at work.

Day 249: Let's pretend they were actually sleeping like this.

Day 250:  The fuzz ball of a head that inspired me to buzz it the next day.  He's seriously wondering why he's still not crawling. ;)

Project 365: {Days 237-243}

Day 237: Fried Chicken Night! I was getting made fun of for not knowing how to cook fried chicken so we decided to get together so I could learn! Kenethia was a rockin awesome cook and Christina is a vegetarian...hence the watermelon.  Fun was had by all and some delicious fried chicken was made.

Day 238: Pool & Pizza night with great friends.

Day 239: This is my happy face.  Loving our weekly play date as a family.  This photo is right outside Ariel's Grotto in New Fantasyland.

Day 240: Minnie obsession? No way.  (yes she has one of every size...look closely at her right hand)

Day 241: A text from Brian..."Ummm....may be time to lower the crib...like tonight.  Also...I don't think he's ready for his nap" is what I read along with this photo. Good thing he is only able to pull up to his knees!

Day 242:  We will support STATE win or lose...#welovefootball

Day 243:  He wants to crawl SO bad but just can't figure out the coordination.  The muscles are there...but his mind is a little behind his body.  C'mon buddy...we are rooting for ya!