mama*rama

2011-12-01T13:23:00.000-05:00

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.... I know. I'm a bad bad bad blogger. It's been 400 years and the kids are already done with college. Ok, it's only been a year or so... I'm going to do a quick haiku recap of the last 2 years, but it's still in the works. Here are a few of the most recent pictures of the peanuts at the Fire Island Light House Christmas Tree decorating. All smiles from the kids until 1. Christian found out he wouldn't be climbing to the top that day, and 2. We had to walk alllllllll the way back. Sprinkling in some weepy whining about pizza on the ride home and that sums up the day. Still a great day.

geez. ok. get on with it, already

2010-01-04T08:18:00.004-05:00

Ok, let's try this again. In the new year I WILL commit to keeping up with this blog. I mean, not now, but you know, like sometime in the new year. Seriously, I'm going to. No, really, just not right this second. lol! A few from Christmas Eve... more to follow. REALLY.

Don't go starting trouble with Santa.

2009-11-20T00:06:00.002-05:00

Yeah, yeah, I know it's been forever... not even trying to make excuses.

Christian comes into the room today.

C: Mom, I need trouble from Santa.

me: Huh, you're not in trouble, buddy. What's up?

C: I need some trouble from Santa.

me: But you don't want to be in trouble with Santa. What did you do?

C: Mom, trouble, I want it.

me: Huh?

At this, Christian opens the desk draw that holds 'the list' and takes his out.

C: Mom. Trouble. Can we put it on the list?

Ahhh, Trouble.

me: You want the game Trouble, buddy?

C: Yes, mama.

packing

2009-06-29T12:46:00.003-04:00

A few months ago, I thought it would be fun to see what would happen if we put our house on the market. Rich and I have talked about moving 100 times before, but always put it off for one reason or another. The market stinks, we can't afford to move, we love our house, Catholic school is fine for Christian and Emma.... I could go on and on. When I brought it up to Rich this time, all of those same reasons came up, but we decided to do it anyway. Just because we put it up, didn't mean we had to sell it, right?

Well, almost immediately, we got offers. The price was right, it is a great house, and it's a great location (minus one totally crazy neighbor, but in his defense, every neighborhood has one and he is harmless enough) if public schools aren't an issue. Once the offers started rolling in, there was no turning back. We were caught up in the lure of a new house and a district where Catholic school wouldn't be necessary, and after a few false alarms, we finally got an offer that stuck, and now, months later (a story for another day) we are scheduled to close. Which brings us to packing.

Now, if you asked me a week ago, heck if you asked me yesterday, how packing was going, I would have told you 'great.' We live fairly minimalistic (considering we have two small littles to keep occupied) and let's face it, we really don't have much space in this house to have too much stuff.

This mornings project; Christian's bedroom.

Mind you, I thought his room was 98% done. I have already packed toys and clothes of his and the room seemed very 'empty.' Well, I must be a very good organizer because the stuff was just coming out the wood works. At one point, I lost Emma all together in the pile of boxes and bins. I knew she was ok when I saw a flurry of elefun butterflies tossed up in the air followed by a belly full of giggles.

Now that Christian's room is really (I hired a 3rd party verification company to confirm this) 98% done, I have relooked at the rest of the house and it's all as I feared. Yup, only about 70% done. I guess that's better than not done at all, but certainly not as good as it as yesterday. Ah, to be that naive again.

I would like to be completely finished with the inside of the house by the end of the day, but as much as I would like this, Emma would like even more to take the stuff out of the boxes and I'm just not that fast of a taper.

Moral... don't leave packing till the last minute. No, really, don't just start packing and think just because you are 70% done, you are 98% done because you're not. Stop lie telling to yourself and get to packin'!

Lu

2009-06-12T22:40:00.000-04:00

Our little Lu is getting to be such a big girl. She is a total mama's girl and I wouldn't have it any other way.

My peoples

2009-06-12T22:24:00.000-04:00

I have been so busy over the past month that it's been hard to find time to post. We are thick in all of the drama of moving. Although this actually doesn't take up any physical time or energy, it does take up an awful lot emotional energy. Geez. How did I ever think this process was going to be fun and exciting. Sadist, I tell ya.

Anywhoozles. I also put together my photography website (http://capturedbyandreakay.com) and blog (http://capturedbyandreakay.com/blog) which has also up alot of time.

Of course the most imporatant time suckers are pictured above. Rich watching Boo and Lu playing ball. So cute!

That Emma. What a pip!

Our little lyricist

2009-04-23T11:11:00.003-04:00

Christian can usually be found singing or humming a tune. As cute as it can be at times, it can also get tiring when Rich and I are trying to have a conversation over his rendition of Beethoven 5th Symphony. Well, all that has changed. Apparently, it's all been leading up to this. His first original song. He's now officially a singer/songwriter. Next stop, the Grammy Awards.

As sung by Christian, "My silly sock has pizza, a banana and a little fish."

I'm not sure where he got the melody, but it sounds familiar, it's always the same and I love it!

What's cookin?

2009-04-08T16:26:00.003-04:00

Me: Christian, what kind of veggies do you want tonight for dinner? Green beans, corn or broccoli?

Christian: Pudding.

Love that kid!

Just one of the million reasons why I love him so...

2009-01-24T08:41:00.002-05:00

Most Saturdays Rich gets up with the kids while I sleep in a bit, and today was no exception. Even though I'm 'sleeping in,' I'm not really sleeping as our house is a little too cozy to sleep through the kids getting up.

As I was relaxing in bed, I hear Christian tell Rich that he'll be back in a second. When he's walking down the hall, this is exactly what I hear Christian say;

A very large sigh, followed by, "What a beautiful day!"

I just love that kid!!!!!

One

2009-01-24T08:39:00.002-05:00

I love walking around, climbing on things, and jumping on pillows and blankets. It makes me laugh uncontrollably when my mommy and daddy put things on their head. I am determined to get on my pink scooter and ride it around. My favorite toy is my rock and play piano. I love putting things in other things. I love cheese, bananas, crackers and apple sauce, and like mommy, I don't like to share my food. I love my dollies, but I love my big brother Christian more. I am Emma, and I am one.

First steps

2008-12-10T10:21:00.000-05:00

I wasn't able to get a picture of her actual 'first' steps, but this was taken immediately after. I was so happy that Rich was there to see them as well. Not only was he there, but she took her first steps right to him... and on her 11 month bday at that. It was perfect. This was yesterday and she has take a few steps here and there since then.
Our girl is growning up.

Sweet Dreams. Be Careful.

2008-12-09T19:10:00.002-05:00

Unless Christian is very tired and asks to turn his light off, we make it a rule to leave his light on for 15 minutes or so in order for him to read whatever book he loves at the moment. Tonight was no exception and I left him reading "Spot and the Windy Day." When I went back in to turn his light off, he was already half asleep hugging Mr. Ducky.

I sat down on his bed...

me: Hey buddy, time to go to bed, huh?

Christian: Yes mommy. Turn off the light, please.

me: Ok buddy, sweet dreams.

...on my way out the door....

Christian: Sweet dreams, mommy. Be careful.

Love that kid...

She's getting ready to walk

2008-12-07T20:49:00.000-05:00

This picture really does say so much about our little Emma. She's a ball loving, sock pulling, nap avoiding, drooler that is just about ready to take her first steps. LOL! She has been standing unassisted for a week or two now, but has really been testing the waters alot this weekend. I'm going to keep the camera on standby tomorrow to get a few choice pics of her in action.

Is the sun coming up or coming down?

2008-12-07T20:35:00.002-05:00

CK: Mom, is it a new brand day?

me: No, buddy, it's the same day as when you woke up.

CK: Is the sun coming up or coming down?

me: The sun is up.
CK: Oh, up, up, up in the sky. as he points his finger high in the air.

or

me: The sun is going down
CK: Oh, ok.

Love that kid!

Number fingers

2008-12-07T20:24:00.003-05:00

For the past few weeks now Christian has been asking to do 'number fingers.' This must have been something Rich taught him because it certainly wasn't me. Mostly he asks when we are in the car. What is number fingers, you ask? Good ole fashion adding and subtracting. Just as long as I keep the numbers and answers between 0-10, he gets them right about 99% of the time.

CK: Oh, mom, can we do number fingers?

me: OK. Got your fingers ready? What's 9 minus 3?

CK: Oh, ok, I think that's probably 6.

me: That's right. Great job.

CK: Can we do another one?

This will go on for quite some time. Until...

CK: OK, that's it for now. We'll do more later, ok?

Now, I don't know if it's age appropriate for him to be adding and subtracting at 3, but I'm just going to go with it. He seems to enjoy it, and it's just so cute when he asks if we can do 'number fingers,' like it's some sort of special treat.

and then there were three

2008-11-26T07:57:00.004-05:00

Jeff dropped Matty off bright and early today to spend the day with us. Getting up at 6:15AM was a tad early for me, but it was a nice change of pace to be up before my kids. When Christian got up at 7am, both me and Matt went in there to get him up. He was still groggy, but when he realized that Matt was there the first thing out of his mouth was, "Mommy, can I give him a hug?" Some serious heart melting happened right there.

It's only an hour later and the house already looks like a toy tsunami came through, but it's all great fun.

Happy

2008-11-24T17:19:00.001-05:00

Me: Christian, how are your noodles?

Christian: My noodles are happy.

The Tree

2008-10-25T00:36:00.002-04:00

Since Christian started preschool, he has only had one incident of being sad or upset in class. The second week of school, I picked Christian up and his teacher let me know that he was asking for me and a bit sad for the last 30 minutes of class. She said that he seemed warm and that maybe he was getting sick.

On the way home, I asked him what he did at school today and his answer was, "I cried, Mommy." Of course, as any mother would, I just about pulled the car over and balled myself, but I held my composure and asked him why he cried. His answer, "I don't like the singing. I don't want to sing songs." Ok, so he wasn't missing me to the point of tears, so I immediately felt better, and as far as problems go, this seemed pretty easy. I'm sure they will only get harder in the future. I simply told him that he didn't have to sing if he didn't want to and that he could just sit quietly and listen to everyone else. That seemed to do the trick because since then he has nothing but love for preschool. Loves it, loves it, loves it. He loves it so much that I decided to sing him up for an additional day. So on Wednesdays he goes to gym class. lol!

Well, if there is something that he loves more than class, it's running around the tree after school. The pictures don't really show the true greatness of this tree, but the branches hang all the way down to the ground and are probably about 20 feet wide. What makes it so great for the kids is that they can easily go into the branches and play. Usually 'play' consists of throwing dried leaves at each other, inevitably resulting in one or two coming out in tears with the parents left to try to piece together the events leading up to the tears since one can't really see what goes on in there, but before the tears are even dry, they are always right back in the mix.

Anyway, Christian has been 'in' the tree about once since school has started. Instead, he just walks around the tree. Occasionally, he runs, but mostly walks. He loves watching the kids and stops and says 'hello' to all the parents standing around the tree waiting. He loves it and I love watching him have so much fun. Definitely a win win.

Christian strolling around the tree.

Getting ready to run.

Warp speed mode.

...and that's one to grow on.

2008-09-23T17:30:00.002-04:00

My dad writes great emails. They are not always about the economy or politics. He writes about the past, the weather, the garden, food... you get the idea. No topic is off limits. He also always adds a picture or two to the email. Sometimes the picture is totally random, and sometimes it is fitting to the subject as it is with this email. In this particular email, he chose to discuss the banking crisis, and I'm happy he did, because I learned more from this simply written short email, than I had trying to wade through articles online.

Thought I would preserve it here for prosperity.

Henry Paulson, our US Treasury Department Chairman is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs. That's Goldman Sucks. He knew about the financial calamity awaiting the bundling and leveraging of the toxic MBS (mortgaged backed securities) along with the other finance gurus a long time ago and definitely way before two weeks ago when all of a sudden it became an emergency to bail out our Banking and Finance System.

It was so obvious that Goldman Sachs sold their toxic MBS to their clients and at the same time they "shorted" it thru their hedge funds. Shorting is a trading technique which is the same as betting on the loser. How would you like to be a Goldman Sachs client when the company that sold you the securitized assets bet on it's loss? These Goldman Sachs are a bunch of crooks. No wonder a lot of folks are pissed off as h**l.

The looming problem was so obvious that even an honest senator running for president of the USA, who claimed that he didn't know much about economics, knew more than enough to warn congress about the problem which the democratic controlled congress pushed aside and ignored very handily.

Yes, Henry Paulson knew about it.... but it wasn't until his alma mater, Goldman Sucks,.... got threatened with extinction thru massive short selling just like the preceding Countrywide Finance, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, IndyMac, AIG, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Lehman Brothers got demolished.....that all of a sudden it was necessary to bail out the US Banking and Finance System....not to mention his alma mater GS. Holy Cow! They had it all figured out.

Yes he knew about it and now he's asking $700 billion taxpayer bucks to bail out his wall street cronies and he wants it right now or.....there'll be a run on the banks. Is he kidding? My money is insured by the FDIC. I know well enough not to have more than $100K in my account. My trading account is guaranteed too. Pension? That's all in US long bonds.

Darn it! Where did he pick up that $700 B figure from anyway? Leave it to a former GS CEO to leverage the figure to the maximum allowable to get the maximum profit from the transaction. The a**hole won't be around for long and he's looking to get himself a massive golden parachute too.

His math is defective. If someone asks for an accurate accounting of the number of houses threatened with foreclosure thru a 90 day non payment of mortgage multiplied by the average selling prices of the houses in each region compared to the foreclosed prices minus mortgage insurance, one gets a more meaningful figure instead of something that this guy just grabbed out of his a**.

The figure he has given is way too high. If congress approves it then we know that congress have found a way to grant themselves an early Christmas present. Life sure is fun.

And all due to this

2008-09-18T16:43:00.001-04:00

I am one mellow little guy. I love hugs, reading and snacktime. I can wink both eyes. Being wrapped in a towel after my bubble bath and carried to my room makes me laugh uncontrolably. Trains, trucks and cars fascinate me. My favorite foods are pizza, grapes and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. My cousins are my very best friends. I'll always try to watch just "one more show." I am Christian, and I am three.

Albeit abreviated, Christian's first day of nursery school.

2008-09-10T08:00:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was Christian's first day at St. Joseph's Nursery School. Rich and I have been mentioning the big day to him for the past few weeks and he seemed genuinely excited by the notion of going to school. Since his only experience with school has been through the magic of television, I chalk this up in the win column of why I love tv. As noggin' says, "It's like preschool, on tv."

I'll start with our family picture. This is the picture they keep on file and refer to when we pick up the kids. This was taken the afternoon before his first day. Emma had just gotten up from her nap and Rich was home for a lunch break. I threw the camera on the wicker bar stool and set the timer. Totally spur of the moment photo.

Here he is having his lunch before heading out. Although he was only going for an hour (12-1) I had visions of him begging for snack the whole time he was there, so I gave him a ham sandwhich at 11:30am.

As you can see from this next one, he didn't show any trepidation in leaving to go.

Here he is trying to pry the locked door open to get in.

Once they opened the door, he was off and running this his class.

First one in the class and right to the train table. A little blurry because the teacher was scooting me out of the room. lol!

I couldn't help looking in the window when it was time to pick him up. The smile says it all.

Here we are leaving. This is the best one I could get as I was caught in a rush of people trying to get out. He was very intrigued by the smiley balloons that were to his right.

In the car on the way home, he said that he played with the trains and then 'no more trains.' I'm sure the teacher redirected him as he loves trains and would have probably played with them the whole time. Other things he said he did were 'shared,' 'sang songs,' 'read books,' 'played.'

Obviously, we are so proud of our lil guy.

Absentminded Mommy

2008-08-18T22:20:00.002-04:00

Christian had to remind me of three things today.

1. Buckling him in his seat belt. I know, I know, this was a big miss, but in my defense, Christian is a huge seat belt freak and never would have let me pull out of the driveway with anyone not buckled in.

2. His overnight diaper. After bath routine dictates a diaper before putting on his pjs. I completely blanked today and went to put on a pair of underwear. "Ohhh noooo, Mommy. I don't think so." Seriously, it was just too cute.

3. Brushing his teeth. I must have been phoning it in today, because I went to go read him his books instead of brushing his teeth.

"OK, Christian, go jump into bed and we'll read some books"

"No, Mommy, brush teeth" Runs to the bathroom, "Aye Aye, Christian"

Yes, 'aye, aye, Christian' is what he says instead of 'captain' and he only says it when we are going to brush his teeth. You really can't even make this stuff up.

Mental note for tomorrow, in case I forget, which if today was any indication, is highly likely, get ginkgo biloba.

7 month boo!

2008-08-15T10:53:00.009-04:00

7 Month Old Boo!!!!

Our little fire cracker is reaching new milestones every day. She's the proud owner of two bottom toofies, and is now eating Cheerios and peas. She loves eating just as much as her brother, which pretty much seals my fate as a future Costco employee. My only hope is that I can quickly work my way up the ranks to sample distribution. I think that position would best play to my strengths as a 'highly motivated, multi-tasker that loves working with people'. hahahahah. I laugh because that was the way literally everyone would describe themselves when I would interview them in my previous life. Yeah, I can already see my business card, because you know I would make them up for myself. International Sample Distribution Associate. Times New Roman. Italics. Embossed. I digress.

Our Cheese Doodle had her doctor's appointment the other day and weighed in at 17lbs 10oz and measuring 27 inches. The nurse told us that falls at the 50% for her age. If I remember correctly, this is exactly what Christian weighed at 4 months. She also got 2 shots and took them like a champ. She didn't cry at all for either of them. She is still way behind in the doctor recommended schedule of vaccinations, but we are sticking to our plan to only give her two shots a visit so the doctor's office will just have to deal.

Overall, she's becoming quite the happy baby. I know, I know, I had my doubts, but she has come quite the long way from the itty bitty baby that would not be put down for even a second.

Adventures in potty training

2008-07-16T23:14:00.003-04:00

Now that Christian is potty trained, I thought it would be a nice time to put together a little retrospective on our potty training highlights, and low lights, of the past month. So as to not forget all the fun.

I'll never forget day one. Father's day. We head up to home depot to get a few things for Rich, when Christian stops in his tracks with a look of total fear in his eyes. Yeah, that was accident numero uno. Right there in front of about 5 employees Christian stood there in a puddle of his own making. lol! "Ut oh, Mommy. I peed." The employees, completely unfazed by this turn of events, just kept on talking while I quickly mopped up the mess with wipes and napkins while Rich whisked Christian away to the car where the potty seat was waiting. Abandoned, however, was the charcoal bbq we were planning on getting Rich.... Never did go back for it, come to think of it.

The worst accident was at Aunt D's house at her Father's Day bbq. Thinking back, it was just too early for us to be putting C in underwear and letting him out in the wild, but potty training wasn't something we planned out, so we were just rolling with the punches. I believe that was the only time he had a 'number 2' accident, but it was quite an accident.

Then there was the time that he peed on Tracy's wood floors about 3 minutes after he went number 2 in his little potty. lol!

The corner was turned about a week after we started. This is when I stopped asking him if he had to go to the bathroom. Over and over I would ask him. It really was starting to annoy myself, so I can't imagine what it was doing to Christian. At this point, I was at my wits end and vowed to put him back in diapers if he had more than 5 accidents without me asking. Actually, I believe it was the day we went to Tracy's house. When we got home, I was talking to Rich on the phone, relaying the fact that I was about 3 seconds from putting C back in diapers, when out of the corner of my eye, I see Christian walk up to the potty, pull down his pants and go pee. Definitely a proud mommy moment.

Since that time, we have been able to transition him off the little potty and he now pees standing up in the big potty. I think this milestone was just as exciting for me as him potty training initially. Bringing the little potty wherever we went was just no fun. Spray park, mall, grocery store, play dates, parks... Yeah, I was definitely thankful to retire the little potty.

He still wears diapers at night but has been really good lately about holding it in while he sleeps. When I get him in the morning, he just looks up at me and says, "I gotta go!" I get him out of bed, take his diaper off and off he scampers down the hall to the bathroom with his pants around his ankles. Seriously cute.

So that's what nature sounds like.

2008-07-07T10:50:00.005-04:00

We have been having sporadic issues with our CAC unit for a few weeks now. It started about a week ago when the AC until turned off and didn't turn back on for almost 24 hours. Nothing we did could turn it back on until it just switched back on itself. This happened two more times over the next week and finally went off and didn't kick back on. That was two days ago. Both Rich and I suspected it was an electrical issue, but we had no idea where to look for it, so we did what anyone else would do, and tried switching out the thermostat. lol! Of course that didn't work, but it was all we knew to do.

So, this morning, I called Universal to have someone come out to take a look. Seriously, the guy was here in like 5 minutes. I was still in my pjs for crying out loud! Can you just imagine?

The repair person, Gene, went right up to the attic and was up there less than a minute when the AC kicked on. Magic! When he came down he told me that it was a loose wire and that he would have to switch something out or whatnot. I really don't speak AC repair talk, so he could have very easily have said something else.

He then told me he was going out to his van and would be back in a while. I was just picturing him out there thumbing through the '08 addition of "How to Charge $600 for a Loose Wire"

When he comes back in, he tells me that he was out there checking the charge. Ut oh. That long to look up a charge? "Charge?" I ask. He just laughs and says that he was checking the charge on the unit outside, and tells me that he isn't going to be charging more than the general service charge. Sweet circulated air, I could have hugged him right then and there.

Take away points;
1. Central Air in the summer is just as important as heat in the winter. I don't care what anyone says!
2. Nature still makes noise. Now this surprised me. It's been a while since I've heard birds chirping and the wind through the trees in the morning. Yeah, i'll admit, it was kind of nice.
3. As nice as nature is, cool air means more to me than nature noises. I mean, if I want nature noises I can download some off the Internet... as God intended. Seeing it through my window while enjoying my humidity free air is just fine with me.

a cart full of groceries later...

2008-07-02T14:07:00.002-04:00

I usually wait for the weekends to go grocery shopping. We either all go together, or Rich will watch the kids while I go alone. A weekend full of birthday parties put a wrench in our normal routine and I wasn't able to go this past weekend. Even though I could have gone at night after Rich got home from work, I decided to go with the kids Tuesday morning.

I double triple made sure Christian went to the bathroom before we headed to the store. Of course, as Murphy's Law would have it, the second we step through the doors, I hear, "Mommy, I have to go to the potty." As I hang my head in defeat, I see another mommy look at me and give a little nod and smile that said, 'I've so been there.'

So, off to aisle 11 we go. Now, Christian is fully a little potty kid. Doesn't like the big potty at all, but I thought I would give it a try since he has on occasion gone on the big potty if I hold him. Apparently, the brand new bathroom at the grocery store wasn't to his liking because he WAS NOT hearing it. Completely crying and having a melt down in the bathroom was more to his liking on this particular day.

I'm trying my best to hold it together while I take him out of the bathroom and tell him that he will have to hold it in until we get home since we are already at the store. The next 15 minutes are a blur of me running up and down the aisles grabbing what I need, Christian crying out for his little potty, two more unsuccessful trips to the bathroom, and Emma just watching it all go down while sucking on her fist.

Now we are on line and Christian is wailing for the bathroom. At this point, I am mostly staying as an act of solidarity to all moms, and dads, out there that have been through this sort of thing. I mean, it's not like I didn't bring him to the bathroom three times while we were there, and it's not like I didn't bribe him with all of his favorite things. So, now he would have to wait. Only thing is, he really wasn't looking like he could wait even one minute longer. ***lightbulb*** I remember that I have a diaper in the car. Time for a new plan. Run out to the car, put a diaper on his and then change him out after he goes.

Of course they were more than happy to allow me to leave my cart in the front for a second. I mean, at this point, people are coming to the front from the frozen food aisle to see what all the hollering is about.

We get out to the car and I realize that I actually don't have an extra diaper in there. Plan F. I take his pants down calmly and tell him to try to pee on the car tire. Yeah, no can do. He was just begging for his little potty.

Again, I bow my head in complete defeat and throw them both in the car. Plan J.

As hard as he tried, he just couldn't hold it in for the whole ride home. I was really rooting for him too.

I keep telling myself that potty training is a process. He's not exactly a daring kid. Ok, i'll admit it, he's a downright scaredy cat, and if climbing up on that big potty scares him, who the heck am I to tell him he can't pee on his little potty... and don't even get me started on peeing standing up. I mean, he's not yet three years old so trying to rationalize with him would be a complete waste of time.

Plan Y. The little potty will now come with us on the road.

Plan Z. Laugh about this story later.

Operation: Potty Power

2008-06-18T20:06:00.006-04:00

Rich and I woke up on Sunday, Father's Day, of all days, and decided that this would be the day to go cold turkey on the diapers. I bet you are thinking, 'Well, Andrea, I'm sure Christian was showing signs of being ready to train. He is such a bright boy.' Well, to that, I would have to say, hells to the no. Seriously, I really think he would marry his diaper if it were legal and socially acceptable. Dirty diaper. No problem for Christian. He would happily play in it for days, if I allowed it. But changing both Christian's and Emma's diapers is just no fun. Not like changing one is any more fun, but two just sucks beans. So planted the seeds of Operation Potty Power.

Day 1: Christian did really good in the morning. He peed on the potty several times and didn't have any accidents until we went to Home Depot. Of course he waited till we were out and about to have his first accident. He's good like that. What I find most interesting is the fact that we brought the potty chair to HD and left it in the car. I'm not sure what we were thinking. I mean, even if he did decide to go in it, where did we think we were going to put the pee. Yeah, totally rookie move right there. He also had a mega-accident at Rich's sister's house later in the day, and by 'mega-accident' I mean he peed and pooped in his pants. Ooooh, yeah, that was good times right there. Nothing like cleaning up a poopy kid in 90 degree heat. I get a little dizzy just thinking about it.

Day 2 and 3 were much the same. Alot of me asking him if he had to go pee and alot of Christian saying 'no' More of me asking him to go sit on the potty and alot of him saying 'no.' Only a few accidents and I decided to start making him help clean up the mess. Basically, he's responsible for getting his clothes off and into the laundry as well as cleaning himself up and I'm responsible for everything else.

So, we come to today, or as I like to refer to it, Potty Pooowwwweeeeerrr! I decided to switch things up today and stop asking him if he needed to go to the bathroom every three seconds. I really was starting to annoy myself with all the asking, so I can't imagine how much I was annoying Christian. This was the true test. If Christian had tons of accidents, I was going to put him back in diapers because it would be obvious that he wasn't ready. We had a p/d in the am and I did put him on the potty when I noticed he was walking sideways. lol! He obviously had to go, and I really didn't feel like going through all the rigmarole of changing him out, so I just put him on the potty and he went. Ok, so I was already breaking the rules, but I live on the edge. I'm a rule breaker, what can I say? LOL!

The true test was when we got home. I was determined not to interfere at all. It was when I was on the phone with Rich that I noticed out of the corner of my eye Christian marching right up to his potty chair and sit his tush on it. I quickly whisper this to Rich and he told me not to say anything to see what Christian would do. Well, all of the sudden, "Here it comes," and "Let's see" as he spread his legs to check out his handy work... and that was it. The rest of the afternoon was spent with him going to the potty all by himself. Right before bed, I had him sit on the potty again and he went poop. I have never ever been so happy to see poop in my life.

Way to go Christian.

Potty training... for real this time!

2008-06-18T18:42:00.001-04:00

update to follow

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-16T09:17:00.003-04:00

Forgot to post this yesterday.

I really am one lucky lady!!!

27 bibs!

2008-06-05T21:45:00.003-04:00

I did Emma's laundry today and while I was folding I counted 27 bibs. 27 bibs! Now, I know what you are thinking, 'you need to do laundry more often, Andrea.' Well, that's just it. I am forever doing laundry. If I did the laundry and counted half as many pairs of pajamas, I would definitely be putting myself in the corner because that's just rank. But for reals, Emma is just our little geyser.

When Christian was a baby, we had a whole draw full of burp clothes that were never used. I often wondered to myself what their purpose was. I honestly didn't know because he never spit up. Of course, I left them in the draw for well over a year just in case an opportunity presented itself to use one. In any case, now that our lil geyser is here, I now know their use. Boy do I know. If anything, I wonder why they make them so small. What's wrong with a nice crib sheet sized burp cloth? I find anything smaller a joke. Don't get me wrong, I still use them, but it's kind of like, I'm still wondering if I am using them wrong, so I keep trying different ways. I know, I know, Emma's just about 5 months, if I haven't figured it out yet, best to move on to something else. What can I say, I'm tenacious.

I'm not crazy

2008-05-30T22:14:00.003-04:00

Took Emma shopping today. Not only did I pick up some well needed flip flops from Ann Taylor, but I learned that talking to yourself is crazy, but once you add a baby into the mix, it's so not that crazy

Case in point.

Shopping for previously mentioned flip flops in Marshall's.

"Jeez, I'm always like 3 weeks too late to get anything good in this place."

The woman next to me turns to look with horror on her face. When she sees me leaning in talking to Emma, who is happily chomping away on whatever she can grasp in her mushy little hands, she immediately softens her expression and gives me a little smile and nod.

And you know if I would have said;
"Jeez, Mommy is always like 3 weeks too late to get anything good in this place, Emma." she never would have turned around in the first place.

It's just so ok to have a running conversation with oneself if you are directing it to your infant baby, and I just LOOOOOVE IT. If I would have known this was a perk of parenthood, I would have had kids alot sooner.

I actually consider this one of the greatest benefits of having a baby. Yes, they are great and cuddly and melt your heart with their smiles, hugs and kisses, but the thoughts in my head are not unlike a bunch of whirling dervishes, and it does feel good to let them out every now and again.

...or else you're in big trouble.

2008-05-20T12:30:00.006-04:00

I'm not sure when exactly when I became a card carrying member of this group, but it must be going on a few weeks now, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Whenever the words pass my lips, I am always expecting a tap on my shoulder from an HR person telling me that he needs to see me in his office because that kind of talk 'just isn't acceptable.'

Although I know I shouldn't use 'or else' as a way to elicit a certain behavior from CK, and it hardly ever works anyway, the situation at the time is usually such that my mind can't formulate any better reason. Now, BE, before Emma, I would have all the time in the world to calmly sit down with Christian and explain ad nauseum how certain behaviours, however fun they seem at the time, will just lead to an undesirable end, and should best be left alone all together. Gone are the days of explaining why it's not ok to take his small plastic toys and watch them 'swim' in the toilet. Now it's just, 'keep your toys out of the bathroom... or else you are in big trouble' LOL! Yeah, I can't believe it myself, but what can I say, when Emma's melting my eyebrows with her screaming, there is fresh spit up all over my shirt, and I just stept on a matchbox car, jungle rules are always going to prevail over more civilized ones.

I guess I just have to accept and embrace my new group membership. As I am sure I will be indoctrinated to so many more as Emma and Christian grow up.

Yeah, may as well just add it to the growing list.

Card carrying member of:
...or else... - probationary member since '08
For the love of Pete - member since '05
Ay, yi yi yi - member since '05
Pretty please - member since '07
Oh, for crimney sake - member since '07

Emma's Christening

2008-05-18T20:21:00.007-04:00

After all of the planning and running around, Emma's Christening and party went off without a hitch. The food was delicious, the drinks were flowing, and everyone had a great time. My feet are paying for it now, but it was definitely worth it.

Even though everyone told me to take lots of pictures, I wasn't able to take any. lol! Of course it was impossible to take any at the church, and then at the party, I was too busy in the kitchen. I am hoping Jeff and Dad were able to get some good ones. They usually do, so i'm not too worried.

Although it rained for most of the party, we were able to fit everyone snuggly into the house, and some people even went out on the deck since we had the awning open.

The church service was very nice. Unlike Christian's Christening, we were able to understand the priest and he delivered a very nice service. Emma was perfect throughout the whole thing and Christian busied himself by reading the hymnal book and listening to Jillian whisper assorted board books to him and Matty.

In the usual Kay fashion, we had way way way too much food and drink, and sent the usuals home with goodies.

By the time the last of the last people left, poor lil Emma had just about had it. She must have been so overtired because it took a while to put her down. Christian, on the other hand, went right down without a peep.

Oh, and the 102 year old McDermott Christaning gown is still in tact, i'm proud to announce. Good thing Emma is on the small size as it's so paper thin. Funny thing is, I don't remember being half as nervous for Christian to wear it and he was so much bigger than Emma. Must be because she's so much more feisty than he was.

Hopefully pictures to follow.

... I feel like I would be short changing the story if I didn't add that I totally wiped out in my kitchen during the party. Did I trip over a bag of marbles that were spilled out on the floor? No. How about some cooking oil that made it's way down there? Well, no. A banana peel that was discarded over the shoulder of my FIL, Gordon? Of course not, silly. I, instead, tripped over absolutely nothing. Just rolled the ankle right out. I am just thankful that there was a houseful of family here at the time to come running in to point and snicker. Well, I'm probably remembering the pointing and snickering incorectly, but it's my story and I'm keeping it in!

shadow hugs...

2008-05-16T09:04:00.007-04:00

Day: today
Time: around breakfast
Location: kitchen
Scene: Taking advantage of Emma's morning nap by sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor. Christian is, of course, right by my side enjoy his am 'bananaAaAaA' Christian turns to the wall and looks at his shadow cast by the kitchen light.

Me: Christian, that's your shadow. I point to his shadow on the wall

Christian: gives his shadow a hug by putting his cheek up against the wall Awwwww, shadow.

Me: heart melts

a wee bit greener

2008-05-15T12:53:00.003-04:00

With Emma's Christening this weekend and all that comes with planning the party, operation 'go green' hasn't been getting the attention it deserves. That changed today when we decided to go full steam ahead with the 7th generation diapers for Emma.

In another step in the greener direction, we are now drinkers of Newman's Organic Coffee. It's also fair trade certified, and taste great to boot, so it's a win win all the way around.

childhood fears...

2008-05-14T14:37:00.004-04:00

I have a theory that childhood fears area like colds. You can't have two at a time, and once you have one, it's one less you will have in the future. So far it looks like Christian is going to be pretty fearless when he gets older.

The current fear is bees.

This fear displaced the fear of the DVD player. Not the actual player itself, but the process the tv goes through when one is turned on to play. This made putting on his DVDs that he actually wanted to watch quite a challenge. lol! Anyway, the bee fear manifested itself two weeks ago at my dad's house. He has these two huge carpenter bees that fly in a constant circle around his back deck. To Christian, they must seem like the size of tennis balls. Let's just say, he won't be going back there any time soon.

Well, since then, he has seen one on our back deck and freaked, Lindsay's and freaked, and Jeff's and freaked. He often forgets that he will see one if he goes outside, and happily romps out the door. The second he see one, watch out.

Yada, yada, yada. He understands bees make honey and that Pooh likes honey. He understands that they would rather land on flowers than any one of us. It all amounts to a hill of beans because he still goes bizerk when he sees one. Actually, it doesn't even have to be a bee anymore. A fly will often elicit the same response. God help us all if one happens to get in the house!

In any case, this morning I decided to finish planting the flowers in the front garden. I put Emma in her car seat and out the garage door we went. The second we stepped outside of the garage, Christian must have seen a fly because he immediately high-tailed it back into the safety of the garage. Since I was determined to finish planting, and Emma was in good spirits, I continued on with my planting, all while Christian was yelling for me to come back and carry him. Mind you, I was all of 5 feet from where he was standing. The neighbors must have loved hearing Christian carry on for the 25 minutes I was out there. I can almost be sure Mrs. Kraus dialed '9' '1' and had her finger hovering over the '1'. lol! I finally called it quits when he ran out of the garage and tackled me. Having a 40lb two year old draped on you with his head buried in the nape of your neck, unwilling to let go, makes it pretty much impossible to get any planting done.

If he hasn't moved on from this fear by August, he will be in for a rude awakening when we are in Lake George for a week. It will either desensitize him to all winged creatures or we'll all be leaving their in straight jackets.

Mulching by moonlight

2008-05-10T20:37:00.005-04:00

One of the side effects of having two kids and a husband that works long hours is that you kind of have to do things whenever the mood strikes and/or it is logistically possible. So brings us to mulching by moonlight.

Today was designated to all things gardening. The plan was simple; shoot up to Home Depot, grab some flowers and mulch and shoot back home to dig dig dig. Plans are great that way. They sound so simple, yet hardly ever turn out that way.

Well, before I get into that, I should add that the morning was actually designated to spa day and lunch with the ladies, until Rich informed me last night that he had to work this morning. Uggg. So, you see, the original plan was already out of whack before the day even began.

Back to our regularly scheduled program.... Off to Home Depot. You have got to be kidding me with the amount of people that were packed into that place. You would think it was mother's day weekend and they were selling flowers. Oh... wait... So, we were out of there faster than you could say dellis hortensis.

We decided, instead, to go to a local nursery where it would be less crowded. A decision that sat better with me anyway. So, in and out, right? No. I learned that I am the most indecisive person when it comes to picking out flowers. It took me a good hour to pick out two flats of assorted annuals and two perennials. The mulch was easy. The cheapest all natural one we could find.

I'll fast forward past Rich and I juggling Christian and Emma, yes, literally juggling them like bowling pins; making dinner, feeding and bathing both of them and putting them to bed. Sounds alot more simplistic than it actually is... If you picture diapers flying through the air while a cloud of powder lingers in the air with the Little Rascal theme chiming in the background, you would be pretty close to actual events. So, somehow it's 7pm and we haven't eaten yet, not to mention the mulch and flowers that were just sitting in the driveway.

We looked at each other over our bbq chix, rice and veggies and I knew in an instant we would fight the urge to plop on the couch and instead pull ourselves up by our boot straps and head on out to tend to our land. If Pa Ingles could do it in the middle of Montana, in the dead of winter...well, you get the idea.

We finally got out into the garden at 7:30pm. Dig, dig, dig. Before I knew it, I found myself pruning the shrubs in the moonlight. I seriously don't know what I will wake to find tomorrow. I am hoping there is more than two toothpicks left standing. At some point, I thought better of myself and put down the pruners and went to the back to check on Rich. I found him back there mulching the garden in just about pitch black conditions. So, of course, I joined him. Why should he have all the fun? By the time we got in from outside it was close to 9pm AND nowhere near done. As tomorrow is such a busy day for us, I'm sure we'll be out there finishing up by the glow of Christian's Little Einstein flash light.

All that said, I now need to kick back and enjoy my Stella....because I both have the time and the mood strikes.

Gotta give Rich props!

2008-05-06T08:19:00.003-04:00

We have been swaddling Emma since she came home from the hospital. At first it was great. Snug as a bug in a rug, right? Then at about 2.5 months, she started rolling over from belly to back, and that kind of put an end to the swaddle party as we knew it.

The fear of her kicking her legs out and rolling herself over was too much for me to bear, so we invested in some swaddle blankets. Great, back to business as usually... well, until about a week ago when she gained the strength and will to kick out of the swaddle blankets. Back to the drawing board.

Mind you, every week or so, I would attempt to put her down unswaddled. I tried reasoning with her, but there is only so much reasoning a 3.5 month old can take, and she was uncompromising to all of my arguments. Back to the swaddle we went. This time we stepped it up a notch to the Miracle Blanket. That's right. Apparently, God granted us mortals a miracle in form of a baby swaddle blanket. When I showed Rich the swaddle blanket he thought for sure that I stopped by Pilgrim State Hospital and picked it up. I'll admit that the way Emma's arms are totally restrained from ever getting out was somewhat unnerving, but the girl just wasn't sleeping unswaddled, so what was I to do?

Anyway, the honeymoon lasted for a few days until she learned to kick out of this one as well. I mean, I don't blame the blanket. Emma's just about 4 months and these blankets really are to be used for the real lil guys.

So, rewind to last Saturday when Rich decided that he was going to get Emma to sleep without the swaddle. Not really sure what he did or how many times he had to go in that first night, but she's now good to go. Unencumbered sleeping at last... as God truly intended.

Phase one of Operation Go Green is complete!

2008-05-03T21:19:00.003-04:00

Phase one was successfully implemented this evening. All it took was a trip to BRU and a trip to Target. Items purchased;

7th generation products;
dish soap
dish washer detergent
all purpose cleaner
diaper wipes
diapers for Emma (verdicts still out on these)

Method products;
soap for Christian
soap for Emma
hand soap
laundry detergent
floor cleaner

Going green...

2008-05-03T16:32:00.002-04:00

A long overdue change is being made in the Kay household. We're going green. I'm not going to kid myself and think this can be done overnight, so I have planned to convert us over in phases. Phase one is cleaning products. When Rich get's home from work, I am going to head out and get all of the necessary purchases to complete phase one. We are pretty much low on everything I am replacing so this change couldn't come at a better time for this thrifty soul.

Update to follow....

I'm not completely convinced...

2008-05-02T22:46:00.004-04:00

I fancy myself quite the music aficionado. I listen to every type of music and like to think I have an pretty good ear in terms of what's good and what's not. Fine, I'll admit that there has been some mistakes... temporary lapses of reason, if you will. Yes, I once owned a Crash Test Dummy cd, but those days are long behind me and I care not to dwell on them.

Along these same lines, I like to think, no, I know, that I have a freakish ear that can identify any artist if I have heard them before. This also goes for musical instruments, but that's a whole other post.

So, what's my point? My point is... and this has been bothering me for quite a while... that I am really not at all convinced that Daughtry and Nickelback aren't actually the same group of people going under two different names. I mean, I don't particularly like either band and only ever hear them on the car radio, but I should be able to tell them apart by now with the amount that I drive and hear their songs, and I just can't. I think there is actually another band in there that has this same exact sound, but I can't remember the name. But really, does it matter? As far as I am concerned, they are all one and the same.

Anyway, I just wanted to get that off my chest as it has been bothering me for some time, and I really needed to free up some brain space for the last of this season's episodes of Lost.

A look back on looking back...

2008-05-02T20:04:00.002-04:00

On a whim I decided to read back on old mypace blog entries and came across this little ditty. It was written right after Christian turned one. As I have long since abandoned that blog, and myspace in general, I decided to add it to this blog.

I'll definitely be updating it with what I have learned in Christian's second year and a half of life, as well as nuggets of knowledge on what I have learned thus far about being a parent to two.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006
What I have learned...
Well, time sure flies when you are birthin' and raisin' a baby. I can't believe it was a year ago that I was yelling at Rich about the fact that he had to both brush his teeth and use mouthwash at 3am before taking me to the hospital to give birth to his son. I mean, really, BOTH. I was having a baby for crying out loud. I still shake my head at that to this day.
But all that is behind us now, and I am sure the next time I go into labor in the middle of the night, he will EITHER brush OR mouth wash, but not both. LOL!
In this past year, I have learned alot. I have learned alot about myself, being a mom and life in general. I know, you are thinking that I am going to get all mushy, and you know what, I probably could, but I will spare all who are ready of such sentimentality.
So, here goes...
What I have learned about being a mom;
1. I have learned that the excitement of waking up with a baby gets old at about 7 months.
2. I have learned that, no matter how much you swear that you won't let you baby watch TV, you will.
3. Same thing applies for chicken nuggets.
4. I have learned that I am a baby clothes snob. I will not have CK leave the house unless he looks 'cool.' I, on the other hand, usually look like a total mess.
5. I have learned that changing a pee pee diaper just isn't high on the priority list as they get older. The thought of pee in his diaper at one month old was a total emergency, and treated as such, now, unless I can smell poop, it can usually wait.
6. I have learned that having a dairy barn down the block from my house is a true gift from the Gods. What, we are out of milk, it's raining and Rich is at work? No problem, i'll just run up to dairy barn. There AND back, in 3 minutes. You really couldn't go wrong if you tried.
7. I have learned that I will pay $1 more a package of diapers b/c they smell nice. I really can't believe this myself, but it's true.
8. I have learned that this past year would have been so much harder if I had never met some pretty awesome moms.
9. I have learned that Rich and I make cute offspring. Whew!

and probably the most important things I have learned is.....

10. I have the greatest husband in the world for doing everything he can so I could stay home with Christian.

Almost got all the way to 10 without getting sappy. Oh well.

Stimulus Package pump fake take two...

2008-05-02T14:49:00.004-04:00

... so I get home from dropping off Christian at my inlaws and check the caller id, [Yes, I like to think I am more important that I actually am.] and see that my dad called. He didn't leave a message which immediately intruiges me since he usually does. Not too soon after, the phone rings and what do you know, it's dad. After exchanging the usual pleasantries, he informs me that our stimulus package check got mailed to his house. lol! Even after telling him that it really isn't the check from the govt., but one of THOSE checks from the dealerships, he assures me that it actual is and states as proof the very official looking envelope and the equally official seal in the address window. Oh, silly dad! I have him open it and lo and behold it's a check from our friends at Atlantic Toyota. I'll give them this much, they are presistent SOBs. Fool me once, Atlantic Toyta, shame on me. Fool me twice, NEVER!

Stimulus Package pump fake

2008-05-02T13:33:00.004-04:00

Went to go get the mail yesterday to find a very official orange envelope in the mailbox with the word 'stimulus package' in the upper left corner. It was addressed to Rich and I could see part of the Statue of Liberty seal in the address window. Oooo, I was so excited to open it up and have the check in my hands. Well, I opened it up only to find that it was a check from Atlantic Toyota. Yeah, one of THOSE checks. Grrrr, I was so peeved. I looked up half expecting to find a guy with an Atlantic Toyota tee shirt standing at my curb holding up a pack of mentos. I shake my fist at you Atlantic Toyota!

Just about 4 months, still potty training, stroller flat.

2008-05-02T13:15:00.003-04:00

Well, Emma's just about 4 months and moving right along. She is spending more and more of her waking hours happy instead of cranky, so that's a very welcome change. She's napping three times a day and still sleeping 12 straight at night.... but when she cries, WATCH OUT. I swear she can break glass with her shrieks. lol! We have our 4 month appt with yet another new doctor, so hopefully he will give us the 'go ahead' to start her on cereal. I am hoping it will decrease the spitting up which is still flowing strong.

Update on Christian's potty training is that there is no update. lol! Actually, he does know that he's not allowed to pee in the tub, floor or underwear. He has also added the window and stool. lol! Basically, what this means is that he now wants me to put on a new diaper immediately after taking one off of him. He will sit on his new potty [baby bjorn] before his bath but that's about the only time he wants to sit on it. Now that we have him registered at St. Joseph's preschool that will accept him in a diaper, I am not that stressed about it and am not going to push the issue.

Stroller... we have used it a few times and had planned on using it the other day until I found out that it had a flat. On the way to our walk, I stopped off at the gas station to fill it up, but it had a big tear in the inner tube, so I am in the process of fixing it. The mailman happened to be at the gas station at the time and he informed me that duct tape would probably work to fix the tear, but I think I am going to take it to Babylon Bike shop just to be sure. I would hate to be in the middle of the walking around Belmont Lake when the tape gives out. Yeah, that definitely would NOT be fun.

stroller, sleeping through the night, and blue moon

2008-04-19T16:53:00.004-04:00

Yes, we got the stroller. In the end, we decided on the Phil and Ted. It met all of the requirements that were important to us, and after using it several times, I am very happy with the purchase. Was it worth the $400 price tag, probably not, but what can I say, I am one crazed stroller lady.

Yeah, so, Emma has followed suit of her brother and decided to sleep through the night early on. At two months, I decided to make her 'bedtime' 7pm. No matter what time she woke up after that, the official, bathtime, pjs, snuggles, book and a prayer would start early enough to make the final touch down on the crib at 7pm. Well, it seemed to work because she sleeps from 7p-7a... now her general mood while she is up... that's a whole other story.

another day...

2008-03-28T15:48:00.003-04:00

.... update on the stroller is that there is no update. After looking online, I realized that the Baby Jogger City Mini won't actually work for us since the weigh limit of each seat is 33lbs and Christian is tipping in at 36lbs. So, the search continues.

I dropped Christian off at Rich's parents today and Rich will pick him up on the way home. I stopped at Toysrus on the way to the supermarket, but didn't get anything. I originally went there to look for a giant roll of paper, but they didn't have that or another other art paper for that matter. Next stop was Shoprite. We are having Jeff, Jenn and Matty over tonight so I wanted to get a few things. We'll probably just order a pizza, but I also picked up cheese, crackers, assorted olives, and salad. Rich will probably pick up beer when he gets home.

I went to my book club last night and had a really good time. We met at Jordi's house and discussed The Other Boylen Girl. Lots of laughs and we picked Water for Elephants for next month....

double stroller dilemma

2008-03-26T15:21:00.002-04:00

Well, Emma is 11 weeks old and we still don't have a double stroller for her and Christian. A few weeks ago, we all went to buybuybaby to check them out and couldn't decide. The plan was to try out the Phil and Ted double, but Christian didn't fit too well in it and it seemed a bit of a pain to adjust. We are going to go back this weekend to look at the baby jogger city double. We saw it the last time we were there but we were looking to get a jogger so didn't try it out. We'll see. At some point, we are going to have to break down and get one... stay tuned.

11 weeks old

2008-03-26T08:16:00.002-04:00

Well, our lil Emma is slowly coming into her own. She is spitting up less and seems to be slowly becoming less gassy. She still isn't a huge fan of playing on the floor, but we're working on that, and she does enjoy being in her bouncy seat.

We have a bit of an evening routine going now. I start with baths at 6pm. Christian gets his first then I give Emma one. After their bath, I give Emma her evening bottle then it's time for bed. Right now I just swaddle and rock her to sleep, but will start reading her a short book tonight.

As for her routine throughout the day, I'm trying to work on the; wake, eat, play, sleep schedule. It seems to be working out so far. She usually has three naps; one at 9, one at 1 and another one at 4pm. She's still sleeping now and it's 8:20am, so I guess the naps will be off today, but I really try to stick to the routine more than the clock with the exception of going down for the night. I really try to get her in her crib by 7-7:30pm.

She has slept through the night a few times, but usually wakes up at 2 or 3am to eat. When she does sleep through, she wakes up at 5:30am, eats then sleeps with me till we get Christian up.

Planning her Christening is our next project. The plan is to have it at Kathy's house, but we'll see.

it may be a fluke...

2008-03-20T09:17:00.001-04:00

... but Emma slept from 7:30pm last night till 5:30am this morning. I just couldnt believe it. She woke up at 5:30am, had a bottle, and went back down till 8:45am. She's now up and actually playing in her bouncy... I think we may have turned a corner. I hope I didn't just jinx myself.

7:29pm....

2008-03-19T19:29:00.002-04:00

... and they are both in their beds, at least for now. Emma is either on her way to falling asleep or full out crying. I should know in about 3 minutes......

We went to get Christian's hair cut today and he cried the whole time. Poor kid totally hates hair cuts. He was relatively fine the last time we went to Danielle's to get his hair cut, but this time, not so much. He didnt' have his nap today so that could have had something to do with it. In any case, it's cut, and he looks adorable.

So, tonight I started getting them ready for bed at 6pm. I gave Christian a bath first while I held Emma. When he was ready to get out of the bath, I put Emma in her bouncy so I could put him in his jams. Emma was out of her bath at around 6:30pm. I started feeding her in a nuby bottle and she fell asleep in my arms. At 7pm, I tried to put her down, but she woke up shortly after so I went in and finished feeding her from a regular bottle. When she was done, I read her the baby disney book, swaddled and rocked her, and put her down when she calmed down.

..... 7:37pm and it looks like she fell asleep. I dare not go in and check...

missed the window

2008-03-18T23:34:00.003-04:00

So, I had Val and Gigi over this afternoon for a pizza p/d and started the evening routine a little late, and boy did it mess up putting Emma down for bed. Geez, can that girl scream. She went totally pistacchio from about 8pm-10pm. Rich, bless his soul, was finally able to get her calm and she fell asleep. Mental note for tomorrow... make sure she's in the crib and dozing off by 7:30pm.

... I have been planning on calling the doctor to ask about Emma and her possible reflux issues, but whenever I go to call, she seems so much better. Well, I am definitely going to call tomorrow. I would rather be safe than sorry. If she does have reflux, hopefully they will be able to recommend something to help her feel better.

... the search for a double jogging stroller continues. I am torn on how much I am willing to spend on one. At first I was set on the Phil and Ted one that is close to $500, but Christian didn't fit comfortably into it, and the reality of the price sunk in. At some point I'm going to have to decide on one and get it.

... I just started going on Facebook. I find that is 100x better than myspace. There are so many people that I know on it and it's refreshing to see some old names from my past. It's great fun to reconnect with old friends and acquaintances.

... Easter is coming up this Sunday and I still have to get the kids something to wear and figure out what i'll be wearing as well. I'm looking forward to brunch at Southwood Ho. I hope the weather is nice so the kids can run around outside for a bit....

napping...

2008-03-18T10:09:00.002-04:00

....schedule. ***christian is hysterically laughing in his room about something*** I'm trying to get Emma on a napping schedule. We are on day three and it seems to be working out ok. The goal is to get her down at 9am then again at 1pm. She'll no doubt need a third nap somewhere in there right now, but two naps is the long term goal. She's napping now, so, so far so good.

ooops.

2008-03-18T00:13:00.004-04:00

fast forward about a year and a half and hear we are.... a family of four. Emma Elizabeth joined the family on January 9, 2008 and we couldn't be any happier. The last 9 weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind. The first 5 weeks were spent holding Emma every minute of the day, then there was her stint in the hospital for RSV.... that was at 7 weeks. She is now all better... knock on wood, and we are back to our routine of trying to establish a routine. lol! Just last night I decided to put her down to sleep at 8pm instead of just winging in till all hours. I woke her up at 11pm to feed her and she hardly came to the surface at all, and was able to sleep through till 5:30am. Tonight I put her down at 7:30pm and didnt wake her to feed her, so we'll see what the rest of the night has in store for us....we're also working on a nap schedule, but i'll save that for another post.

Emma at 6 days old

The Today Show...

2006-08-22T22:33:00.000-04:00

5:45am; I woke Christian up to catch the 6:20am train to Penn. I gently picked him up and put him on his changing table. It truly melted my heart when he openned his eyes and immediately smiled from ear to ear.

6:00am; Left for the train station. As I packed everything up last night, all I had to do is get the baby changed and head for the station. Instead of putting Christian in his stroller, I opted for the peanut shell. I wasn't sure how long he would last in the shell, but he surprised me and happily sat in his shell for the whole ride into the city. Much to the commuters delight, he didn't make one peep the whole train ride in.

7:20am; Met up with Lindsay, Janine, Jordi, Janine and the kiddies and headed up to the show. When we got up there, we linked up with Michelle and her two kids; Devon (11y) and Reegan (11m).

The Justin Roberts performance was alot of fun. We were set up in the VIP area in front of the stage. It was carpeted so we were able to sit down and let the kiddies go crazy. Although he only sang one song, we had a great time. The weather was great and we went in with a great group of people.

Will post pics later...

First Shoes!!!

2006-08-16T09:11:00.000-04:00

Christian's first pair of shoes arrived, via the brown truck, yesterday afternoon, and they are just as cute as they looked online. Here are a few pics;

He wasn't very happy in this next one. The bottoms of the shoes are still very slick, so he wasn't able to stand up in them. I plan on roughening them up a bit on the concrete before I put them on his again today. I think that will remedy the problem.

Park!

2006-08-14T14:38:00.000-04:00

On Friday, Rich called in sick from j2 and we went to the park. The weather was beautiful and Christian had a great time on the swings. Of course lots of pics were taken and I have posted some here.

Look at those cheeks~~!!!

This is my favorite picture of me and Christian.

Pin cushion!

2006-08-10T11:18:00.000-04:00

That is what I feel like right now.

Upon doctor's orders I went to the lab today to get my glucous, thyroid and progesterone checked out. I definitely will never get used to that sugar drink they give you in order to check how you break down the sugar. They give you 5 minutes to drink the whole bottle, and I definitely used every second of it. I really felt so sick forcing it down. Yuck. As a bonus, at my two hour bloodwork, the lab tech missed my vein and had to do it again. Uggggg!

Look who's standing...

2006-08-09T12:44:00.000-04:00

Christian decided that this past weekend would be a good time as any to pull himself up to standing. I am so happy he decided to do this on a weekend so Rich could see as well. I was able to get the camera fast enough to take some pictures. They are a bit blurry, but I was very excited, so I can easily forgive myself such an offense.

Then and now...

2006-08-08T23:07:00.000-04:00

When I downloaded the second picture onto the computer last week, I couldn't believe how alike it was to the picture I took of Christian in the hospital. I just love these two pictures. I can't wait to find a proper frame for them.

Taken in the hospital at one day old....

.... and 10 months later.

Where has the time gone?

2006-08-04T21:44:00.000-04:00

It's now August!!! My little baby will be one years old next month and I can't believe it has gone by as fast as it did. Christian is crawling all around the house and babbling to everything and everyone. He hasn't been able to pull himself up to standing yet, but I am really not worried about it. As of his 9 month checkup, he was 25lbs and 31.5 inches. Yes, he is a big boy, but very well proportioned and his doctor wasn't worried in the least.

It's been quite an adventure so far~!!!

2006-04-20T19:46:00.000-04:00

Awwww, Matty and Christian were hanging out in Matty's crib today, while Jen and I moved Matty's car seat over to my car so we could take a trip to BRU. Aren't they just soooooo huggable?

Finally, I finished the pink newsie hat!!!!

2006-04-10T15:51:00.000-04:00

I really didn't think it was going to happen any time soon, but it happened today. I finished the newsie hat that I have been working on for Jillian. I brought it over to her today and she absolutely loves it. Her sheer joy over this hat makes the hours of uncomfortable knitting with the bulky yarn and sticky needles more than worth it. Well, here are the pics.

Crochet? Don't mind if I do...

2006-03-30T01:23:00.000-05:00

hahahaha. I decided to try my hand at crocheting again. I tried it with little success in the past and wanted to give it another shot. So I got my hook and yarn and started. Again, with little success... that is until I got me The Happy Hooker. It just seemed to bring everything together for me. On top of that, I spent the afternoon with Tess, my best friend's mom and crazy ass crocheter, and she walked me through a bunch of stitches that I hope to remember when I pick up my yarn and hook later.
I can't wait to start on my first crochet project. First, however, I have to finish the newsie hat for Jillian. It is turning out to be quite a bit harder than my first one. I doubled up some cotton and it is such a PIA to do the cables with the plastic needles I am using. I just can't wait to be done with it already. My first project? Probably a blanket, but I have to think about it. Want to keep it simple.

booga bag project

2006-02-27T03:46:00.000-05:00

Well, after knitting a few hats for Christian, one of which is shown below, I decided to kick it up a notch and try a hat out for myself. I started knitting the newsboy hat in Stitches & Bitches. It is actually pretty cool. I still have yet to finish that project and am actuall thinking about starting it over because I am not particularly happy with the way the cables came out, but that is another story entirely. I was at a loss for what to knit next as I didn't want to start another hat, and the weather will be getting warm soon enough, which made a scarf an impractical choice, so I decided on a bag. It didn't take me long to decide on the Booga Bag. It looked fairly straight forward and had a few skills that I haven't yet tried; felting and I-Cord. I started the bag today and have already completed the bottom of the bag as well as about 3 inches of the body. The pattern called for picking up stitches, which I haven't done in a while, so I had to refresh my memory by googling it. Once I reviewed how to do it, it was very easy. Tomorrow I will post some pics of my progress.Hat I made Christian...he wears it every day and just looks too cute.

end of a weekend

2006-01-23T02:45:00.000-05:00

Another weekend has come and gone. The weekends are great because Rich gets to be here the whole time. I miss him so much during the week that I get all jammed up trying to get everything in during the weekends. It's so bad that I find myself following him right into the bathroom. For example, this after noon we were both getting ready for Katie's Sweet 16 party and he wanted just 5 minutes in the bathroom to get ready. I just told him that he was just going to have to get ready with me in there too because I just wanted to 'visit' with him. The rest of the weekend is much like that.Anyway, Saturday was spent spending time at home. We did go out for a bit to do some light shopping, but were only out about an hour. Sunday, today, we went shopping again and then took a ride to the Babylon docks since it was so nice. We got home with just enough time to get ready for the party. Christian was sl

2 hour nap!!!

2006-01-17T03:34:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, the joy of the two hour nap.This morning Christian took a two hour nap. Since I wasn't feeling well I slept too. It was some of the best sleep ever. I think all workers, no matter their job, should be able to steal away for a nap during the day. I will be 100 times more productive today because of it.

I slept till 10am

2006-01-16T13:42:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Rich, God bless his soul, woke up with Christian and took him to go see his parents at 9am. I got up at around 10am and it was great. I must have been really tired because I slept through Christian getting up and them leaving. Rich has off today from both jobs and I am letting him sleep in. He more than deserves it. I am going to meet Heather at the mall to go walking. See if I can't walk off some of this baby weight.

joys of bathtime

2006-01-14T21:34:00.000-05:00

As per the usual routine, Christian gets a bath in his infant tub in the kitchen sink every night. Since it is a solo gig, Rich being at work, I bring him into the kitchen sans clothes and diaper and put him into his high chair. The high chair having a towel on it already for when he gets out. Well, all is going according to plan. One naked Christian; check, tub; check, washcloth; check, baby soap and shampoo; check. All is right with the world. The tub is in the process of getting filled with water while Christian and I are singing a narration of the events of the day when all of the sudden, and simultaniously, Christian spits up and pees. It wasn't just a little spray either, it was a full out stream right onto the floor and my leg.Let's just say, some edits will have to be made to tomorrow's bath time routine.

XB

2006-01-13T01:31:00.000-05:00

Today Christian and I went with Lolo to the Scion dealer. One of the benefits of being home is that I am able to be there for things like this. As it turns out, there wasn't an automatic there to test drive so they had to order one for him contingent on test drive. So it will take 6-8 weeks to get to the dealer which means that there will be more adventures with Lolo since the volvo is currently out of commission.A funny thing, while at the dealer, I saw Frank, a guy that I used to work with at DDA a million years ago. He works at the dealer doing something or other with the return leases. It was pretty cool to see him doing so well. I plan on going back when our Toyota lease is up so maybe I will see him again.Of course when we were at the dealership all the ladies that work there were going gaga over Mushy, and really, could you blame them?

He found his thumb, but I don't think he realized it...

2006-01-11T21:30:00.000-05:00

Christian was playing on the floor today and, as per usual, he had his hands all up in his mouth. Well, I was watching intently when I noticed that he had his thumb in his mouth. I was like, noooooooo, not the thumb. It soon fell out again and he didn't put it back in, so I am hoping it fell in there by accident and that he didn't realize how nice and soothing it could be.

a full day

2006-01-10T14:53:00.000-05:00

Today was a very full day. Mushy and I definitely made up for staying in all last week. We were out of the house before 9am. Destination, Walmart. Had to pick up pics that I ordered from there a few weeks ago. Mental note, try a different place. The pictures never come out that good. Anywho, while I was there I picked up some DVD+RWs so I can download some things for mushy. The plan, while at the mall, was to quickly run to Macys and The Gap for some returning of Christmas gifts, but of course, both stores opened at 10am. So, we walked around the mall a few times and talked to some mommies that were also there waiting for the stores to open. Mushy is quite a good conversation started. So, we got out of there a little before 11 and headed over to Jeff and Jen's to pick up the Laugh and Learn Puppy that Jen got Mushy for Christmas. Then home so we could hang out with Rich on his break. At 1ish we headed for Babylon to meet Kathy for some Kotobuki lunch. Then off to Rumors to meet Bridget who walked up with Colin. Frist time I got to meet the little guy. He's cute.Anyway, we were home by 4:30pm. That is a very busy day.

3 weeks home

2006-01-09T21:27:00.000-05:00

Week 3 of being at home full time with mushy..Well, it's week three. Week one was getting ready for Christian's christening on 1/1 and week two was spent at home nursing him back from a sinus infection and cold. Week three is here and there are almost no sign of his sickness from last week. This weeks adventure is solid foods. I started giving him cereal on Friday and will try him out on oatmeal tonight. Staying at home last week was fine other than the fact that Christian was sick. We got into quite a routine which was good. I did enjoy just spending the day playing with him instead of running all around town. That being said, now that he is better I have quite a list of places to go to this week... Well, he is cranking now, so I must tend to him.

My last day at kaplan...

2006-01-03T18:25:00.001-05:00

My last day at Kaplan was interesting to say the least. It was the Thursday before Christmas so many people were already out on vacation. It started getting interesting after I got back from lunch to realize that my computer tower was already removed from my desk for reimaging. I just couldn't believe it. I mean, my chair wasn't even cold yet. When I saw the manager of the field engineers, I asked him why he took my computer. He told me that some guy grabbed one of the field engineer while he was walking by and told him to take that computer for reimaging. Well, when I heard who it was, let's just say I wasn't surprised. Dumb ass. Anyway, after that kick in the shins, I was just ready to get out of there, but of course they planned a cake with the other managers so I had to stay around till at least then. Well, the cake was just a train wreck. Since many of the mangers were already gone, there were only a few people in there. The cake knife would have been better put to use cutting the tension than the actual cake. 5 good year of putting everything I had into the company and that's the way I go out...All I have to say is, thank God for Brad and his wrestling. OK... so after work a few of us went to Gingers for $3 drinks. Uggggg. I had 4 Long Island Ice Teas and got knocked on my ass. To think that I almost went out with them after.... The 1 1/2 hour train ride home was almost unbearable. I had the crazy spins and almost got out at Jamaica to take a nap outside. It's crazy what constitues for good ideas when you are drunk. Anyway, I didn't let the train leave Jamaica station before I got back on to struggle through the rest of the ride home.It took a good 3 days to get over the hang over and I still am not the same... Mental note: Long Island Ice Teas are evil.... and staying for the cake is never a good idea.

Christian's first cold

2006-01-02T17:23:00.000-05:00

Well, Christian is hopefully in the process of getting over his first sickness. He started getting sick a few weeks ago. Rich took him to Dr. Reyes' office on 12/21 and he told Rich to give Christian PediaCare for decongestion every 4 hours along with saline drops in his nose. Well, we did that for one week and it wasn't clearing up, so I took him back one week later. Dr. Reyes checked his lungs and said that everything was clear but said he may have a sinus infection and wrote out a prescription for Amoxicilan. He also told me to use a warm mist humidifier in his room which I immediately purchased at BRU. Tomorrow will be one week on the Amoxicilan and I can't really tell if he is getting any better. Dr. Rey told us to come back in 10 day if there is no noticable improvement. Friday will be 10 days so hopefully he will get better by then.Even though he is sick, he has been a perfect baby throughout. He is still sleeping though the night and maintains his laid back happy attitude. As a side note, we found out at the dr's office that our little mushy weighs 17lbs 4oz and is 26 inches long. At only 3 1/2 months old, I doubt that is even on the charts

a new year....

2006-01-02T14:40:00.000-05:00

I am going to attempt to chronicle my time as a stay at home mom. I am not sure how long this phase in my life will last, so keeping track of the memories will be fun.
It's January 2, 11:40am and I would usually be at work right now. Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions to be exact. I worked at their Customer Care Center in NYC as their National Manger of Student Services for the past two years. In a nut shell, I managed their Student Services Call Center. Not very glamorous, but it was fun while it lasted... I hear stirring the Christian's room...and coughing... better go check on him... OK, back. It's now 12:18pm and it's just all part of being a mom. He woke up from his nap, I changed him, fed him, changed him again (peeeuw), and now he is sitting in his chair staring at me. Where was I? Oh yes, working... I was working for Kaplan when I got pregnant. When I returned from leave, I no longer felt that my presence at the company was as important as being at home. Although I returned from my leave with no intentions of leaving the company, it only took a few days to realize that while I was out on leave things at worked moved on without me. It just seemed like a perfect opportunity to leave.
Keeping in mind that we are a two family income home, Rich had to get a second job to afford me this luxury. He had an opportunity while I was pregnant to work for another company at night. I told him forget it and that there was no way that he was going to work two jobs. Well, when I got back to work and saw that things weren’t working out, I asked Rich to call that company to see if the job was still available. He did, it was, and that is how it went. It’s not easy for either of us to have him gone all day and night, but we both know that it is the best thing for us as a family right now.
My official last day at work was the Thursday before Christmas ***separate blog entry***, so I have been home with Christian for a little over a week. Last week was spent planning for Christian’s christening. We had his christening yesterday ***separate blog entry*** and had the families over to our house after the church.
By the way, it’s 12:53pm and Christian is back in his crib. While he was sitting in his chair, he gave me a look that could only mean one thing… another diaper change. I changed his diaper and brought him back in here to play on the floor. He started falling asleep, so back into the crib he went. He is fighting a sinus infection ***separate blog entry*** so he has been sleeping all day.
Ut oh, I think I spoke too soon……

Haven't posted in 7 months...

2005-06-03T23:31:00.000-04:00

Haven't posted in 7 months and I am about 7 months pregnant. I am due September 15, 2005. Guess what? It's a boy. Rich and I have decided on the name Christian Kay, but we have still yet to decide on a middle name. In the past 7 months, Rich and I have done some work to the house. We have finished the kitchen, hooked up to the sewer and just about completed the landscaping in the front yard. The sewer and the landscaping were all done just last week. Pics to follow.

Digital Camera

2004-11-16T09:14:00.000-05:00

Rich and I have decided to get a digital camera. We are going to get it for our anniversary. When I have it up and running, I will post pics.