Ghosts

Steve is trying to convince me we have them. I am dead serious!  What a perfect time of the year except this crap has been going on for over a year. 

First let me say I do not believe in ghosts so I am a tough sell.  But he has been working on me for a while.  There was the page turning incident in the dining room where Steve swears "someone" turned the page when he left the room.  The funniest part of this was picturing Steve trying to see if a page could turn from walking by his magazine really fast.  LMAO!  Then there were a few light incidents.  These involved the kitchen lights getting dimmer or brighter randomly.  And how could I forget the motion detectors going off in the house when we weren't moving.  Steve is certain we have ghosts and that they mess with him.  I thought it was weird when I was finding the remote upstairs.  He would leave the TV on until he got to the landing and then click it off at the last second and run upstairs.  Which again just makes me laugh that this 225lb. guy is freaked out by this stuff.  I am a practical person, Type A with a moderate case of OCD.  I do not have time for nonsense.  Why don't these ghosts mess with me?   No one has died in this house, it's 10 years old for crying out loud.  And I can chalk all the light nonsense to our wonky dimmer switches and our son walking like an elephant through the house.  Or the air conditioning clicking on and drawing power from the lights.  And as stupid as our dog is, wouldn't Butter notice some of this paranormal activity?  I thought dogs have a sense for this.  Now here is where I draw the line.  He woke me up the other night because he was scared.  Ain't nobody got time for that!  I told Steve maybe he should burn some sage or call the ghostbusters if it makes him feel better.  But do not wake a sleeping mom of a newborn - or else!     

Premature Excitement

Home for Sale...Well not yet, but someday.  For those that don't know when we became pregnant with our first son, Steve was still living in his house and I had my own in Tonawanda.  Steve owns a duplex and was renting out the top half.  He now rents out both and don't even get me started on his tenants.  My blood pressure will rise.  I had a tiny, 2 bedroom cape cod that I loved!  Well, we outgrew that house the moment Baby came home from the hospital.  Not to mention Steve's dad was driving from West Seneca to Tonawanda at 5:30 in the morning to pick up Brady when I worked 2 days a week.  So we needed to move and fast.  We found our current house driving over to Steve's parents one day.  It is a mile and a half away from their house.  We were not in love with the outside to say the least.  It is a box with a roof and garage.  See Below.

Is this not the house every kid draws?

But we loved the inside and thought 2000 square feet would be roomy.  Cue to 4 years later and we need more space.  We met with a realtor when we became pregnant with baby #3 and got some good news and feedback about selling our home.  The problem is we love our street, just not our house on it.  We live in a cul de sac with lots of kids and families.  There are 2 areas in West Seneca that have new houses being built right now.  One area is by Fisher Court, which I do NOT want to live by.  The other is on the border of West Seneca and Orchard Park.  We looked into building and really loved the builder and what he had to offer.  However, I am not crazy about that area either and having to drive by the psych center every time I go home.  So ideally we want a house on our street but just not ours.  Well, our neighbors who live in the house, with the big pillars, we love!! on our street told us they want to sell.  As soon as their youngest son graduates high school and he is a Junior now.  So not this Spring, but next Spring.  By selling to us they could avoid a realtor.  And I am beyond prematurely excited!  Their house is 2600 square feet, 4 bedrooms, and they have a pantry and fireplace.  Woo Hoo!!!  I desperately want a pantry for all these kids snacks and a mantle for decorating and stockings at Christmas time.  I'm kind of getting sick of being hit in the head with a box of fruit roll-ups when I want a bowl.  The realtor told us not to put anymore money into our house because of the prices for homes in this area.  So we are kind of stuck in a house that we aren't in love with but can't spend any more to get it the way we want.  Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for this house and have good memories of bringing home 2 babies in it but I will be able to see it every time I drive home :)  Definitely something to look forward to.  Now next Spring can hurry up and get here!    

Stinkies!

Oh boy we had a bad case of them.  Not us silly but in our cloth diapers!  My diapers would smell nice and clean coming out of the washer and then as soon as the urine would hit them - bam!  They would stink.  Johnny-on-the-spot stink.  Ammonia smell can make your eyes water and that's what was happening.  I knew it was a problem when Brady our oldest would say 'Pierce stinks' and when I would check it was only pee in that diaper.  The smell was making me not want to put the diapers on our 6 week old.  So what's a mama to do? Well, first I changed detergents.  I was using BumGenius detergent and switched to Ecosprout.  I did the big soak and nothing happened.  Then I purchased some Funk Rock and tried that twice!  Nothing happened again.  I tried adding another rinse and sunning outside and nothing.  I was about to do the Dawn method of stripping but found that was only for diaper cream build-up and we don't have that.  After reading all kinds of blogs and websites on what to do I decided to take a chance.  After talking with another cloth diapering mama I used the XXsanitary cycle.  The cycle you aren't supposed to use but I was desperate people!  And it worked - HAPPY DANCE!  My diapers don't stink and came out nice and soft.  Cloth diapers aren't perfect but ya' know what, either are disposables.  And you don't have to cloth diaper 100% of the time to make a difference. We are going to keep on keeping on in our cloth!  :)   

Products

I love reading blogs, especially about products people are loving and have to have.  This is how I found my love for Dior mascara and Boden clothes.  Well I have a couple new ones to share.  I really want to stop nibbling my nails.  I have been biting my nails since High School.  I was in Sephora a while back and found the perfect pink gel nail polish.  It is a clear pink but brightens the whites of your nails and strengthens them.  It is amazing!  It is by a company called Perfect Formula and available online at Sephora. 

 

 

I am hoping the fact that my nails look cute (short) will deter me from nibbling.  So far, it has! 

And the next product is by YSL and called Touche Eclat. 

In an effort not look like death, I went shopping for a good concealer for the circles and got a sample from Sephora of this.  OMG!  I am in love and am never leaving the house without this and my eyebrows penciled in.  It instantly covers the dark circles and brightens your eyes so you look refreshed and awake.  It is pricey but SO worth it!   

Busy Busy

How my life has changed.  I have never been busier in my life than I am right now.  Which is weird because I am home every single day.  But there is always something to do.  This maternity leave is flying by.  A 3rd child means an extra trip every time you leave or come home to your house.  It means more time getting in and out of the car each and every time.  It means doing chores daily instead of every other day like sweeping, dishwasher and laundry.  It means getting home from the grocery store and running out of  more things you didn't buy.  I feel like I always have a list going.  I have been doing Wegman's twice a week and a trip to Target for some more items.  Who Knew?  But we are all doing great and wouldn't change a thing!

Brady has finally adjusted to school.  After a few issues in the beginning with bullies I can finally say he wants to go.  He also wants to ride the bus home too which is where one incident in particular happened.  He has started speech in school and still needs to work on eye contact.  Because of his stuttering, Brady is a nervous child and has a hard time standing still and looking people in the eye.  His therapist is great and sees him weekly.  And he has started reading.  Totally blows my mind!!  But already knows about 15 sight words.   And he is seriously obsessed with wrestling.  He went to see it when it came to town with Steve and it has been "Daniel Brian" ever since!  There may even be a pay-per-view in his future if he is good. 

Pierce is saying new words every singe day.  And he has started putting them together.  Big truck, bye da da, more juice.  I love having a 1 year old.  It is my favorite age :) He still hates being told No.  He will put that big lip out and pout when he hears no and sometimes cry.  And his blonde hair grows like a weed!!  But I secretly love it and love to put my fingers through it.  He is so easy to make laugh and is so sweet to the baby.  Except when he steals his binky.  But we can work on that right?  

Speaking of the baby, Mr. Reid is over 10 lbs.!  He is now in 3 months clothes and wearing cloth diapers (finally).  He has reflux like his older brother so he started taking Zantac.  We have noticed an improvement already.  He still goes to bed at 8 and likes to nurse twice a night.  And over the weekend he smiled his first smile (on purpose) at me.  It was delicious!!  

Steve is still working at BGH and doing well in school.  He doesn't love psychology (like his wife) but has gotten good grades on all his quizzes and papers.  He has a big test coming up on Thursday.   

What about mom?   Well, I found out my position in the PACU was eliminated.  This is a total bummer because I loved it down there.  I haven't found out what my options will be for a new job yet.  I am hoping and praying it is something decent that won't interrupt our family life too much.  (Specifically please God no nights or the 3rd floor!)  I had to give my employer a return to work date to be able to get my options so I picked Nov. 18th.  I can't stand waiting!  I took on the responsibility of room mom for Brady's kindergarten class.  So I have been busy planning the Halloween party with crafts and snacks.  And I have my 6 week check-up tomorrow from my C-section.  I am really looking forward to Halloween and taking a pic of all 3 boys in their costumes :)  And who am I kidding - eating all of Brady's chocolate because he still doesn't eat it!

A Clock for Kids

My kids get up early.  Early as in the butt crack of dawn.  And now more than ever I need every minute of sleep I can get with a newborn.  We have tried moving the bedtime back but it just results in him getting up at the same time and getting less sleep.  Brady is a true early bird.  After 4 exhausting days in Disney and him staying up till 11pm for fireworks he slept past 8am for the first time ever!  I found this clock a while back and I love it.  I have really been appreciating it lately because Brady has been getting up at 5:30 or 6am because he is anxious about school.  He can't tell time yet so the colors on this clock tell him when it is ok to wake up mom.  When the clock is blue it is time for sleep, when the clock turns yellow it is time to get mom.  And trust me he gets me at 7:01. 

Super simple to set too.  And the clock can be used for nap times and time outs. 

It works as a nightlight too.  And when Brady gets older and likes to sleep in, I can set it for an alarm clock.  We love our My Tot Clock!!
www.mytotclock.com

Truth

I am going to give it you to straight.  This is the real honest truth about breastfeeding.  The stuff they don't tell you in the class.  Which is probably a good thing or no one would choose breastfeeding. 

IT IS HARD!  Sometimes I think if you aren't passionate about breastfeeding or 100% committed you will give up.  And supplementing is the beginning of the end my friend.  Imagine setting a timer to go off every 2 hours during your day.  And when the timer sounds you have to drop everything sit down and strap an infant to your chest.  Basically, it is like living your life in 2 hour increments trying to get things done.  And this goes on and on.  The first 6 weeks are the hardest.  And just when you think you are going to give up your 6 week old goes through a nasty growth spurt leaving him wanting to nurse EVERY hour.  This is when you just about give up.  With my first, I called my friend Nella who talked me off the cliff so to speak.  With my second, I told my husband I was done and went to bed telling him to give him a bottle of formula.  Well luckily my baby slept for 8 hours that night and it was just what I needed to not give up.  After the 6 week growth spurt it does get better.  Not to sound too much like the coming out campaign. 

During the first months of breastfeeding you will be SO sick of seeing your own boobs out.  (Your Husband may not)  Actually, if your boobs could talk they would demand to be put away and left alone.  The class doesn't teach you how sick of smelling like milk you will be,  how you will wake up in a puddle and not be able to sleep on your stomach because of your swollen engorged achy breasts.  And let's not forget about mastitis.  I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.  Mastitis is the absolute worst, its pretty much kicking someone when they are already down.  Imagine the worst headache in the world accompanied by body aches, chills and sweats.  It feels like you got hit by a truck.  And when you call the Dr.'s office they will tell you to go to bed.  Try and resist the urge to crawl through the phone and punch that Dr. in the junk. 

It is easier in the long run.  But you have to make it there to truly appreciate it.  Leaving the house with diapers is enough for me to handle.  I don't want to remember formula and water and bottles.  And did I mention I hate washing bottles.  And middle of the night, boobs > bottles!       

BUT, one day you will be feeding your baby and he will come off.  He will be laying there in a milk coma with the sweetest milk grin on his face as if to say "thanks mom for the best stuff on earth and for working so hard to give it to me" and all of the above will melt away and it will have all been totally worth it. 

Gifts for Me

Hey I have been working hard breastfeeding, I deserve to shop.  I'm not supposed to be BUT I needed to add some cloth diapers to my stash because very, very, soon we will have 2 wearing them.  Actually, I put the last newborn size diaper on Reid yesterday :(   The cloth diapers I use will fit both babies with a few quick snaps.  I had about 28 diapers for Pierce so I need to add more because I like washing every other day.  I ordered some Bumgenius freetimes, a new grovia and a bottombumper.  I only like Grovia because it is SO trim but very pricey!  I am really liking the bottombumpers these days and their bold colors.  I find myself reaching for those first.  Bumgenius is coming out today with new colors and I can't wait to see them!  I am not so secretly hoping for some chevron or stars. I love to cloth diaper for the environment but who can resist these cute diapers.  Way cuter than paper if you ask me.  Making the switch to cloth can be a little daunting with all the choices and types but I would love to help anyone make the switch. It is so worth it! 

And after wearing maternity clothes for 9 long months a new mom should really order herself some new jeans.  I am back down to my pre-pregnancy weight but this stomach is a big ole' mess.  No stretch marks but the skin hasn't exactly gone back to the way it was.  Here's to hoping it will.  But I ordered 2 pairs of C. Wonder skinnies that I have been admiring for a while anyway.  Black and White.  According to Pinterest you can wear white all year.  And if it is on Pinterest it can't be wrong.

And while I'm at it how bout some cute new undies in my old size.  Throwing away all those mediums was fun.  Victoria's Secret just had 7 for $26, you can't beat that!!      

Bread Dip

Who doesn't love Bread Dip?  We do.  Steve asks me to make this every once in a while and then I end up eating most of it while watching football.  If you are in need of a bread dip fix, get a rye or pumpernickel bagel with chive cream cheese.  It will satisfy the craving.  But I beg you - Do NOT buy that pre-made dill crap from the store before the next party.  I sampled this recipe walking through Wegman's and it so much better!!  Trust me.

2/3 c. mayonnaise
2/3 c. sour cream
1 tbsp. green onions chopped
1 tbsp. Parsley Flakes
1/2 tsp. Spice Island Beau Monde Seasoning
1/2 tsp. Dill Weed

Blend it all together in a bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes so the flavors blend.  I like to make it several hours in advance so everything gets happy!  Serve with Rye or pumpernickel bread and veggies. 

Here is a pic of the beau Monde seasoning.  It is pretty easy to find at most stores.

Let's get Mushy

How I love my meatball, Let me count the ways. Cheese Alert! 

No But Seriously, I read something once about falling in love with your husband so much more and for un-romantic ways once you have children.  And that is exactly how I feel these days.  I love to watch Steve wrestle with the boys and throw them in the air.  I have fallen more in love with him after seeing what a great dad he is to our children.  And trust me he does not have too many good role models, his age, to look up to.  I used to be worried that Steve wouldn't be affectionate with the boys because him and his father don't hug but he is!  He loves kissing the boys and they are all pretty much obsessed with him.  I met Steve 7+ years ago and things are better than ever.  Trust me we have been through some pretty tough times.  I don't want to elaborate too much but we have had dark moments.  But I wouldn't give up and fought for this relationship and I am so glad I did.  He has given me the 3 best anyone can give someone.  And I am SO grateful.  And he puts up with my crazy, which is great because sometimes my OCD gets the best of me.  And I put up with him being a slob and a worry-wart.  But after all this time he is still the best looking man in the room to me and I am lucky to have him. 

Someone once told me that Steve and I were SO different.  This bothered me for a long time and I couldn't figure out why.  I think it would be weird if I was covered in tattoos and drove a Harley like him - right?  We used to go to dinner with married couples (when we weren't married) and I would feel like our relationship wasn't going to last.  It wasn't anything else said I just somehow felt like we weren't a "couple" enough.  Well, we are still together and some of those married couples aren't.  So basically, it doesn't matter if there is a piece of paper involved.  What matters is how you feel about one another and how hard you want to be with that person.   

Steve and I both have strange extremes in our taste of music.  Steve loves gangster rap especially Rick Ross but also loves Journey.  I love Country and Britney Spears and may have some Michael Bolton on my ipod.  (I'm a dork) So if we both like a song it is extremely rare!  Every couple has a song right?  Well, Our song is Alicia Keys "No One".  I love my meatball with all my heart. <3

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rywUS-ohqeE


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Pumping :(

Oh how I hate it.  I used to just leave my pump out all the time right by the TV because watching any show makes pumping somewhat bearable.  However, the one year old in my life dictates that everything be put away and out of reach.  This have left me to drag out the pump each and every time to use it.  And there are days if I'm home that I pump 3 times so I can stash it away for later.  Which sometimes means standing and pumping at the kitchen counter.  I got this hands-free bra when pregnant with #2 and it has become a mommy must-have!  Now I can eat, drink or talk on the phone and pump!  Awesome for breaks at work.  It's by Pump-ease and comes in cute colors and polka-dots, mine is Hot Pink.  It has bra hooks so its adjustable.  You want a snug fit because those bottles can get heavy.  Totally worth it if you ask me.  And isn't it really all about multi-tasking?  

 

Beer Chili

Who doesn't love a nice bowl of chili and some Football?  We do!!  I make this in the crockpot and it is SO easy.  The alcohol from the beer cooks out for the kiddos and it is delicious.  We sometimes take this skiing with a nice baguette and butter from Wegmans. 

Beer Chili:

1# Ground Beef (I use 95%, 5%), cooked
1 Lg. Onion
1 Lg. Pepper (I use red)
1 pkg. of Hidden Valley Ranch
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning
1 can or bottle of beer (I usually use whatever we have, Coors or Miller)
1 Lg. can of crushed tomatoes in puree
I skip the beans because Steve hates them but feel free.  I also add a little water sometimes because we don't like hearty chili. 

Throw it all in there and cook it on Low for 4 hours. I top each bowl with some cheese, sour cream and serve with tostitos.  Have you tried the slow cooker liners?  They are a must!  No cleaning needed.  Enjoy!

Scissor-gate

Class picture day is SO stressful and it was yesterday.  Picking out the clothes and doing the hair just right = pressure.  Admittedly, Dad does the gel/spike thing way better than me but I do my best.  So after my super fun colonoscopy, (I'm fine by the way) I arrived home at 5:45pm and found Brady watching TV with a hole in his shirt.  Let me describe the hole: Big, chest level, size of quarter and I could see skin hole!  So of course I start the interrogation: how did this happen? when did this happen? before or after pictures? Did anyone help/notice? OMG!  Brady tells me he cut it with his camouflage scissors.  Apparently, someone wasn't using proper cutting technique where you cut away from yourself.  So now the most important question: was this before or after class pictures?  He tells me BEFORE!  And he didn't want to tell the teacher because he didn't want to get in trouble or have those precious scissors taken away.  I. Can't. Breathe.  So now the fun wait till the photos actually make it home to find out do I have the child in the class photo with the hole in his shirt?   Oh and he told me he was in the front.  Awesome, freakin Awesome!       

What I'm Loving

First some baby stuff.  My pump.  I have a love/hate relationship with it but I use it every night.  It's a medela.  I don't even want to post a picture because I am hating on pumping right now.  These days, I cannot live without my boppy and the covers from pbk are super soft.  This pillow is a must for breastfeeding mommies.  Pricey covers but I think they are worth it!  And my other one from there has orange in it which is one of my favorite colors :)

 

My Fischer Price swing is a life saver.  Reid takes all his daytime naps in there.  And  love that it has volume control for the music.  It allows me to drown out the noise from the other 2 kiddos. 

 
Now for some stuff for mommy!  Candy corn Philosophy body wash!  OMG it smells amazing. 

And I need my dry shampoo.  I have tried several kinds, cheap and expensive and this one is my favorite.  I am trying not to wash my hair everyday and this product allows me to do that.  I go to the salon every 6 weeks to get the grays covered and after 3 weeks they are back.  I am starting to consider dyeing my own hair.  Olia got some great reviews but I'm worried about the mess.  I always buy the dry shampoo from Ulta.

And sometimes in October for Breast Cancer Awareness they come in pink and they only cost like $10!  I am going to stock up. 

I am on clear liquids all day today for a test I have tomorrow and I am already starving!  I am going to be very cranky.  Especially making all those boys in my life dinner later.  Perhaps, having this test done while breastfeeding is a huge mistake.  I eat non-stop.  Now pass the damn freezie pops!