Love.Marriage.Carriage.

New Blog

2010-08-31T20:54:00.001-04:00

I doubt anyone is still reading this, but if you are, we've moved. :) I can't keep up with the writing so I've just gone to a 'picture' blog.

www.picturemethisday.blogspot.com

Breakfast time

2010-07-30T07:40:00.001-04:00

Early morning booby.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Poor Second Baby

2010-05-18T17:42:00.002-04:00

I've often heard it said(and replied that I'd never do such a thing) that second babies are neglected from the moment of conception. 'Psssh,' I thought. 'The moms are just being lazy!' Fast forward to now and I feel like I'm constantly scrambling to do something baby-related, or realizing that the weeks are ticking by so quickly. Shoot, I still have yet to finish Charlie's baby book. This poor little girl barely has a simple photo album and I still haven't found all my ultrasound shots to put in there! We are approximately eight weeks away from her birth. By this point with Charlie, everything was done. I was almost bored because it just seemed like alot of waiting. This time is so different, though. I don't know if it's lack of energy or just being busy with life. I feel kind of bad for the poor girl. So, this post is all about her!

The last time I wrote about Scarlett was to say that she was a girl. I was trying to do monthly updates which I've failed miserably at. Things are going well, though, and she's healthy and growing normally. I'm thirty two weeks pregnant tomorrow and feeling every bit of it. There is definitely no moving quickly going on around here. Bending to pick toys up off the floor is torture. She has her feet pressed firmly into my lungs making every breath a chore. It sort of feels like the start of an asthma attack, all the time. Anyway, we had a little scare a few weeks ago when the midwife went to measure my fundal height: 5 weeks ahead. Yikes. So of course they scheduled me for a growth ultrasound that showed she was only laying funny and not a huge monstrosity of a baby. ;) In fact, she's measuring about a week ahead in her growth and that's totally normal. That same week we finally got a good 3D glimpse of her which you can see below. I think she's pretty cute!

All this time I've been totally unsure if she was actually a girl. At my 20 week ultrasound they didn't give me a 'money shot' to take home even though two techs swore up and down there was a vagina. It wasn't until a couple weeks ago that she actually gave us a decent peek between the legs and I felt comfortable to start taking tags off of things.

She also likes being dramatic. During the ultrasound she had a hand up on her forehead as if to say, 'Seriously? You make me tired.' At one point, she took a deep breath and then settled further down into my belly, putting her arm across her face.

Here is my favorite 3D shot of her. Scarlett is on the left and that's Charlie on the right. These were taken around the same gestation. I think Scarlett looks a little rounder all over while Charlie definitely has the Husband's chin. It's so funny how they look alike and different at the same time. I can't wait to see her when she's born and find out if she's really as cute as I already think!

And lastly, a belly shot from 31 weeks. She's so much lower than Charlie ever was, and has been the whole pregnancy. I feel like she's constantly grinding against my pelvic bones. Ouch!

So that is the update on the babe. If I'm being honest? You probably won't hear about her again until she's born...but we'll see. ;)

More from our trip

2010-05-13T20:39:00.003-04:00

Energy has been hard to come by the last couple of weeks, so the next few posts are probably going to be more 'picture dump' than anything.

Before we went to Florida, I knew I wanted to have Charlie's hair cut at the Magic Kingdom. He'd had it trimmed before, but this time, all the baby curls were coming off. I was tired of that mop top(even though I wouldn't admit it).

Here's where we started.

Miss Diane did a fabulous job for us!

The finished product. So grown up!

One of the bazillion new toys we brought home, courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa!

Checking out his new look while waiting to ride Dumbo.

He was SO excited to see Pluto. He's never shown any real interest in him before but Pluto found a special place in Charlie's heart!

Enjoying some icecream during the parade.

Spending time with Mickey and Minnie. He got a little extra time thanks to a Mommy almost passing out incident.

More later...

Currently...

2010-05-09T12:37:00.001-04:00

The only somewhat comfortable way to sit. There's a head harassing my right hip bone, a hand on my cervix, some feet in my left lung and another hand pushing on my right boob. July is a long way away. Sigh.

And notice Charlie's 'step stool.'

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Ready, Set, Go!

2010-04-28T16:24:00.005-04:00

Now that I'm feeling recovered from our recent trip, I figured it was time to share about it. On Wednesday, April 14, Charlie and I set out(alone, mind you) from Providence airport bound for Orlando. Along the way we met my Mom in Charlotte who was a GREAT help on the last leg of travel. She got to sit by Charlie while I sat in the aisle seat and caught up on some knitting. ;) I was a bit worried because two days prior to our departure, Charlie was diagnosed with a double ear infection and had all kinds of lovely cough and snot grossness. Thankfully his pediatrician put him on a high-powered antibiotic and a couple days into our trip he was acting more like himself. Unfortunately, by the time he was feeling better, it was almost over. Ahh well..maybe next time. Anyway, after a long morning and half-afternoon of travel, someone finally decided to fall asleep in the car. You have to understand my shock as this NEVER happens. I mean ever. So of course I took pictures!

Later that afternoon we got settled into our resort and spend the evening resting and going to bed early-ish. The next morning, Charlie was eager to snuggle with Grandma before we started our day of shopping. No one was in a big rush to get out the door. We were all still pretty tired. Hey, you manage a suitcase, two carry-ons, a gate-checked stroller, a carseat that goes on the plane with you and a toddler by yourself and see how YOU feel!

After breakfast we got dressed and ready to go shopping at the outlets. Charlie posed for a few quick pictures.

'Take Bear Bear's picture,' he demanded.

A quick drink before we leave!

While shopping at the outlets, we found out that my kid is a model on the sly. Now, where are my royalties?

After shopping for awhile, someone decided to go into meltdown mode so I had to sit with him outside a store. He didn't want to sit in the stroller, he didn't want to walk, he couldn't be made happy...until I found a fountain for him to look at. And as a side note, best travel stroller ever.

After meltdown time we went back to the hotel to have a late nap and wait on Grandpa to arrive from work. One little boy was very happy to see his Grandpa and just his presence seemed to cheer Charlie up. We had a great dinner at Benihana(and someone behaved himself!) and then went back to the hotel for the night.

To be continued!

Where Magic Happens...

2010-04-20T13:12:00.001-04:00

edit, originally uploaded by cotyandtristan.

Lots to tell, no energy yet. Soon, I promise!

Vacationing

2010-04-17T08:27:00.001-04:00

I have so many pictures to share in a few days, but this should hold you over for now.

-- Post From My iPhone

The best medicine

2010-04-11T12:21:00.000-04:00

So i've tried for the last few days to convince him that sleep is the best medicine. Sometimes he falls for that, especially if he gets to sleep in Mommy's bed.

-- Post From My iPhone

Good while it lasted

2010-04-08T16:48:00.001-04:00

How do you go from this...

To this, so fast?

Poor baby's got Croup and Mommy's suffering from exhaustion after being up all night. :(

-- Post From My iPhone

Egg Dying

2010-04-05T10:04:00.002-04:00

We went outside Saturday morning to dye our Easter eggs. At first Charlie was a little confused because he's confusing dyeing with dying. As in, 'the batteries are dead.' So he kept telling me the eggs were dead. LOL

He really enjoyed putting the color tablets into the cups and watching them 'fizz.'

That kid has some fierce concentration skills. Note the tongue.

Yellow!

Green!

A few of our finished eggs. :)

I hope everyone had a GREAT Easter weekend. We sure did!

Potty training's finest

2010-04-04T17:49:00.001-04:00

His girlfriend will love me for this, later. Potty break in the back of Daddy's car at a state park.

-- Post From My iPhone

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T10:25:00.001-04:00

-- Post From My iPhone

Mah belly

2010-04-03T18:52:00.001-04:00

Mah belly, originally uploaded by cotyandtristan.

A little spring in my step

2010-04-03T15:45:00.001-04:00

We've had some gorgeous days after the " flood of 2010," so it's only fitting to spend alot of time outside. And not only are we playing outside, we're crafting outside!

Charlie painted this cute little windchime yesterday and he's so proud!

-- Post From My iPhone

I have not failed!

2010-03-30T20:34:00.002-04:00

I promise! I swear! I'm here, really, and paying attention. We didn't do a whole lot last week, just hung around the house. If I were to share pictures you'd see alot of this:

This:

And this:

That's right. Monday morning my boy woke up and announced, 'I go peepee in the potty get jellybeans.' Whatever, kid! Imagine my amazement when he did it. And then he did it the rest of the day. And then he did number two. And then he continued all week long, even at school! I feel like running victory laps around the house but I know we've got quite a ways to go, still. He's still wearing diapers at night and we're experimenting with Pull-Ups and a potty in his room at naptime.

So yeah, you can see why there's not much going on. We're kind of confined to the house which is fine because the weather is crappy. He's officially completed a full week of using the potty and is almost halfway into his second. Go Charlie go!

Best friends make life better

2010-03-18T20:05:00.010-04:00

It's amazing to think that such a little person can have such a dynamic social life. Well, it's true, folks. Even a toddler can have a best friend. What makes a best friend different than another friend? Well the toddler will ask for this particular friend all.the.time and will drive you batshit crazy when he goes too long without seeing his friend. These friends don't need constant entertainment. The entertain each other. They share well and get along. There's no hitting or biting, none of the usual toddler behavior. They hang out just like adult best friends do, spending all day together laughing at life's mundane details.

What rips me apart? The fact that I'm going to have to separate my boy from his best friend. The fact that she's moving across the country. How do I explain to my sweet little man that we can't just load into the car and go see her? What do I do when he cries for her(just as he did for his other best friend last time we moved)? Can a two year old really understand and properly grieve his loss, or does he just forget over time? All of these things have my mind in a tizzy. Thing is? I'm losing my best friend, too. I'll be grieving right alongside my boy, only I know that it's a temporary loss and my friend is always just a phone call away.

But for right now? We all, toddlers and adults, enjoy the time we have together and make the most of it.

The good, the bad, and the downright weird...dreams.

2010-03-18T20:05:00.007-04:00

When I was pregnant with Charlie, I never really dreamt. Well, occasionally I would be I'd say they were all pretty normal. Mostly about babies and stuff. This time? Oh man. I feel like I'm tripping on magic brownies or something. Let me fill you on an a few of them:

One night I dreamt I had two friends over at my house and they were being so mean to me. One went down to my basement(which doesn't exist, btw) and stuffed my brand new washer full of poopy G-diaper inserts. These are meant to be flushed down the toilet so of course, that was very, very disgusting. Then I found the other friend in my guest bathroom clogging my toilet with microfiber inserts. These are made to be washed and are pretty bulky. I don't think you could flush one, much less a toilet full. When I confronted them, they both denied doing those things even though I'd seen it with my own eyes!

In another dream, there was somthing about me coming to visit a friend and her wanting me to have the University of Wisconsin experience. She bought me tickets to the game and told me I MUST go see the marching band's pre-game show. Apparently it was a special Halloween theme and they were performing in the underground tunnels of the stadium. So I went down(with two carseats and a stroller?) to watch. Their drum major was dressed as the Wicked Witch of the West and the band members dressed like zombies, ghouls and monsters. I was right at the corner and at the very end when they rounded it, someone pushed me over and I fell back onto my carseats. After the show was over, I realized my weight had broken the EPS foam and I was pissed because I knew insurance wouldn't replace them. So I was walking around the stadium trying to find my friend and the elevators only went to certain floors and no one would tell me how to get to ground level.

On a different night, I dreamt about some friends inviting me over for dinner. It was very yummy spaghetti. After we we were all done eating, we met some other friends out in 'town square' for a photography lesson. There were lots of adorable little black children running around, and one of my friends was telling me that Atlanta had a surplus of Haitian orphans??? Then they all ran off and we looked out into the distance to see huge mountains(like you'd see out west) and indians riding camels.

And my wierdest dream to date...this happened just last week. Two pieces of fried chicken(a leg and a breast, mind you) were getting.it.on. The female was the leg, and the male was the breast. The female was stripping away the male's crunchy skin and he was really getting into it. Strange, I tell you. Strange.

My BIG handsome boy

2010-03-18T20:05:00.006-04:00

Umm...WHERE did this big kid come from? Not only is he physically big(measured him at 41" tall the other day), but his words and his actions are mimicking bigger kids and not babies. My little boy is growing up. And while sad, at the same time I am eager to see who he becomes.

Cute, Squishy Goodness

2010-03-18T20:04:00.002-04:00

I was doing really good up until the last few days keeping up with things. I got a little busy. Well, a lot busy. Monday through Wednesday, I made the drive from my house to a friend's house to 'help' her with her new baby. I use the term 'help' lightly because I really didn't do much other than sit on her couch and keep her company. Shoot, Charlie did more work than I did. It was his job to keep her daughter entertained. You see, when you put two toddlers together, they keep each other occupied. It's kind of brilliant really. So anyway, the finer points:

Total miles driven-341

Total times my toddler complained-a million and three

*Newborns are tiny. Really, really tiny. Somehow over the last 2.5 years I've forgotten this.

*Apparently I have the coldest hands ever. I'm pretty sure I'll forever be known as 'Aunt Cold Hands' to this particular babe.

*Little, tiny penises freak new moms out. I remember going through the same anxiety that my friend is now going through. The funny thing is, now it's no big deal at all to me. Point it down when diapering? Sure, no problem. Got a little poop around the head? Eh, gimme a wipe. You'll get used to it, S. ;)

*I kind of rock at installing carseats. Three-across? Gotcha covered.

*My child has a breaking point with his friends. Toddlers CAN spend too much time together. Then? It gets really, really annoying.

*Bridge tolls suck.

*And last but not least...holy cow. I'm gonna have to be doing all this on my own in a few months. Yikes!

5 Months!

2010-03-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

How far along? 20 weeks

Total weight gain: Still down by over 15 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Oh yes. Can't live without 'em.

Sleep: Much better now that I dug out my pregnancy pillow, although waking up three times a night to pee is no fun. It only gets worse from here.

Food cravings: Occasionally I'll crave a good sub sandwich or some chocolate. Still nothing major, though.

Best moment this week: Finding out the gender!

Movement: Much more subtle than with Charlie, but still there. Babe is laying transverse where Charlie was head down. Makes for different feelings!

Gender: It's a GIRL!

Labor Signs: Just your normal Braxton Hicks. Fun stuff.

Belly Button in or out? In. And it probably will stay in. My belly button is like a mile deep. It never even got close to popping out with Charlie.

What I miss: Spicy food. It's not heartburn, it's the burning in my mouth after I eat it. I can barely touch mild sauce!

What I am looking forward to: Doing more work on Scarlett's nursery.

Weekly Wisdom: Cherish every night of heartburn and every stab of pain.

Milestones: Half-baked!

*Okay, so I cheated a little. This picture was taken at 22 weeks. ;)

Elmo's Song

2010-03-12T09:49:00.001-05:00

, originally uploaded by cotyandtristan.

Here's a short video of Charlie singing Elmo's Song on the way to school this morning. I love that he's singing now. Must take after his Mama. ;)

Pepper Clovers

2010-03-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

After seeing one of the great crafts a fellow blogger did with her daughter, I just had to put my own spin on it with Charlie. He had a great time painting the pepper and stamping it on the paper. After we'd done a couple 'form' ones, I just let him go to town with the brush and the pepper. Great fun!

Hiatus

2010-03-09T10:27:00.004-05:00

Not sure why but I've always love that word. It's fun to say, rolls easily off the tongue and all that jazz. No real reason for my hiatus other than laziness. I feel like I might actually be coming out of the pregnancy fog and into real life again. Charlie's behavior has also moderately improved and I can definitely thank that for feeling more human, again. There are lots of transitions going on in all of our lives right now and I can only assume that will continue to be the case for awhile. I know all this probably sounds disjointed but let me assure you...what's in my head is just as disjointed. ;) I feel like my brain is going one hundred different directions at a million miles a minute. Everyday, mundane tasks like getting up out of bed is a huge to-do. Getting everyone fed and bathed and dressed is even harder. I truly believe alot of it is winter blues. We've had some beautiful days over the last week(oh please stick around!) and on those days, I feel about 80% better. I think there's something to be said for winter 'hibernation' and the lack of motivation it brings. Sure I could blame it all on pregnancy but that would be a lie.

Anyway, on to updates!

Charlie is growing and changing every single day. He amazes me by what he picks up and the things he says. I don't know where he learns half the stuff! We've recently been dabbling in using the potty. He actually did it once but hasn't again in a week. It's okay. I'll be washing diapers for the next three years anyway. ;) He's also developed some of the 'normal' toddler quirks, like demanding to wear shoes to bed. Whatever. It's hardly the worst thing. Well, except for when he wakes screaming in the middle of the night because they've fallen off under the covers and he can't find them. I don't think he's gone barefoot in over a month, now. Shoot, I even found him wearing his Crocs in the bathtub last night.

As far as babe number two, we found out we're having a little princess. Her name is Scarlett Adelaide and I am just getting more excited about her by the day. Knowing she's a girl makes it easier to 'close the baby factory' if you will. We've always said we wanted two kids. We're not outnumbered and everyone gets enough attention. I knew, though, that if this babe were a boy it would be very, very hard for me to feel done. But this seems perfect and I'm very excited to move on from diapers and lullabies to have full-fledged 'big' kids and doing new things.

The Husband is busy trying to make changes to his career. I won't go into detail since nothing is set in stone, yet. He's basically got three options and they're all pretty much a toss-up. Hopefully we hear something soon, though!

I'm not going to make any promises about posting regularly, though I HOPE to. I've contemplated moving the blog to a different location and renaming it but I'm not sure yet. We'll see. Transitions, right?

4 Months!

2010-02-08T10:11:00.003-05:00

How far along? 16 weeks

Total weight gain: Down 19 lbs. on my scale.

Maternity clothes? Pants, yes. Shirts, maybe.

Sleep: Some nights are better than others. I'm finding it hard to get comfortable and having a good bit of hip pain.

Food cravings: Nothing I absolutely have to have right now. Still forcing myself to eat.

Best moment this week: Feeling little thumps and bumps.

Movement: See last question!

Gender: We get to find out on February 19, 2010.

Labor Signs: Too early for that mess.

Belly Button in or out? In. And it probably will stay in. My belly button is like a mile deep. It never even got close to popping out with Charlie.

What I miss: Enjoying food...and sleep.

What I am looking forward to: Finding out the gender!

Weekly Wisdom: My body does the best on the 'pregnancy diet.'

Milestones: We decided on a name for each gender!

Quickly!

2010-01-09T10:59:00.002-05:00

Not alot of time to update but I have to say that I'M ALONE! FINALLY! I can walk naked around my house. I can sleep with my bedroom door open. I can burp and fart, and it's AWESOME!

*Charlie hasn't been sleeping for shit, lately. I guess the holidays and lack of routine and schedule got him all jacked up. It's been awful. Truly, truly awful.

*We had our NT scan last Tuesday. Baby looks great and is developing normally. Can't wait for our gender ultrasound on February 19. It can't come soon enough!

*I'm tired. I don't know if it's Charlie, or pregnancy, or what. But I'm freaking tired. I could sleep all day and then some.

*It's cold. It snowed again yesterday. Thank the lord there was barely any accumulation. Snow is pretty when it's falling, but now it's just becoming a nuisance. It's all over my car, Charlie's carseat, our shoes, our floor, etc. Go away!

*My friend Becky is trying to teach me how to knit. It's highly amusing. ;)

*I think that's all. More detailed info on our NT scan when I do the '4 months pregnant' post. :)

2009 Review

2010-01-01T16:33:00.004-05:00

Everybody does these stupid little review things. I'm no exception to the rule, so here goes. ;)

January- I finally took my 'pathetic love addiction' to the next level and got certified as a Child Passenger Safety Technician.

February- The Husband and I parted ways temporarily. He had to report to his new command in Groton, CT and Charlie and me were forced to stay beh

ind until our house could sell.

March- Charlie got to see and play in his first snow while we were visiting family in SC. Also, our house was under contract, thank the LORD!

April- Charlie and I drove down to Orlando, Florida to spend Spring Break with our friends Jen, Dave, and Aidyn. We had a GREAT time even though Charlie was a little sniffly. We also closed on our house and made the move up to Connecticut to be with The Husband. Yay!

May- I was a blogging slacker and have no record of what went on. I believe we were busy with settling into our new house. ;)

June- Charlie turned TWO and along with a bigger age came a bigger attitude. For his birthday we spent the day at A Day Out With Thomas at Edaville U

SA. Later on in the weekend, Grandma and Grandpa took us for our first trip into New York City!

July- I weaned Charlie off of his beloved 'Effi' and he did great!

August- The Husband and I celebrated our fifth anniversary. He was gone. What's new. LOL Charlie and took the most AMAZING(and possibly life changing) trip to Wisconsin to visit with Jen, Dave and Aidyn again. While there we met up with several other July '07 Moms at the Mall of America and had a great girl's night. Boy were we sorry the next day!

September- Tragedy struck close to home when my friend Kristen from July '07 Moms lost her baby girl Isabelle the day she was to be induced. I will never forget September 2009 and the heartbreak and sorrow that went along with it. RIP Isabelle Lynn.

October- We moved Charlie from the crib to the 'big boy bed.' My back just couldn't take lifting all thirty pounds of him in and out! This was also the first year he understood Halloween. I had a blast taking him Trick or Treating. :) We were also shocked to find out we were expecting Baby number 2!

November- Charlie and I went to visit my family in South Carolina and had a great time. We also celebrated our first Thanksgiving away from family. Instead, we visited with The Silly's and had a blast.

December- I don't think any month could top December. And nothing else could top the gift that showed up at my front door on Christmas Eve: My Parents! After telling me for weeks that there was no way for them to be with us for Christmas, they sure did fool me!!

And just for fun, let's see a comparison picture of Charlie LAST January and THIS January:

3 Months

2009-12-31T20:46:00.004-05:00

How far along? 12 weeks

Total weight gain: Couldn't tell you. I haven't stepped on a scale in ages!

Maternity clothes? Mmm...yeah. Definitely the pants. The shirts just make me look about half-baked, which prompts alot of questions from passersby.
Sleep: Well I'm sick right now, and Charlie's having difficulties too, so that makes sleep hard to come by. I'm getting by, though.

Food cravings: Nothing I absolutely have to have right now.

Best moment this week: Haven't had one pregnancy-related but I will say I'm looking forward to my NT scan next Tuesday.

Movement: Too early, unless you count my gas bubbles. ;)
Gender: We get to find out on February 19, 2010 officially, but I'm asking for a guess at next week's ultrasound.

Labor Signs: Too early for that mess.

Belly Button in or out? In. And it probably will stay in. My belly button is like a mile deep. It never even got close to popping out with Charlie.

What I miss: Being able to get up and go like I used to. Mornings now require time and planning to make sure I've got the nausea taken care of before I proceed with my day.
What I am looking forward to: Seeing our little Pumpkin Seed again on Tuesday.

Weekly Wisdom: If you think you're as big as a house(already), then you probably are.

Milestones: Next week will mark the end of my first trimester!

Pardon the strange expression on my face. The Husband made me laugh mid-snap!

Sleigh...errr...Car Ride

2009-12-07T14:01:00.001-05:00

, originally uploaded by cotyandtristan.

He's pretty much got the holiday spirit. Don't you think?

Salt Dough Ornaments

2009-12-06T19:29:00.002-05:00

I remember making these as a kid and I thought Charlie would have alot of fun with it since he loves Play-Doh and 'making pizza.' ;) We set out to work this morning using this recipe. It says it's enough for a classroom of twenty, but we only managed ten. Granted, I rolled them out pretty thick to prevent cracks and breaking, and Charlie ended up with a handful to play with after we were done. I think you could probably stretch it out alot more than we did.

We started out by mixing up our dough...

He very quickly got the hang of the rolling pin. I was surprised by how good he is at it!

This is where playing with Play-Doh comes in handy. He already knew what to do!

Here are our ornaments, ready to go into to oven. Don't mind my nasty pizza pan. It's clean, I promise. Just well loved!

While the ornaments were baking, Charlie busied himself with 'making pizza.'

And our finished product. Some of them aren't 'Christmas' but we can pretend. He was very hung up on my cutters from the Air and Space Museum. LOL That purple thing in the middle is a space shuttle, and there are a helicopter and airplane on the bottom.

Here's a little video of our fun. Enjoy!

And so it begins...

2009-12-05T09:31:00.003-05:00

We have one, very healthy little bean measuring 8 weeks and 2 days. Spot on to what I was estimating. So, my due date is July 14, 2010. Gosh, that seems so far away! Anyway, baby was paddling all around in there and the doctor had to move the ultrasound probe around several times to keep up with him/her. Heartbeat was good although she didn't tell me an exact number. When I asked for it later, she said she didn't even measure it and that at this point it didn't matter so much what it was, just that it was there. I concur with that thought. My blood pressure was good at 90/70. I always run on the low side, so no worries there. All my labwork came back fine, and I'm down 14 lbs. since finding out I was pregnant. So anyway, here is baby pumpkin seed, upside down.

Tiny Break Dancer

How far along? 8 weeks

Total weight gain: Down 14 lbs. since finding out I was pregnant.

Maternity clothes? Just pants. I've still got the dreaded first trimester bloat, so it ain't baby. It's gas.

Sleep: Is for the weak. Seriously. I'm up to pee like five times a night, and my hips are aching because I'm not used to sleeping on my side.

Food cravings: Wendy's Frostys. Obviously not the healthiest choice but it sure does make us happy!

Best moment this week: Seeing our little pumpkin seed and knowing that without a doubt, there is actually something in there.

Movement: It's not obvious to me or anyone else yet, but on the ultrasound yesterday, baby was moving around like crazy, waving it's little arms all around.

Gender: We get to find out on February 19, 2010. My OB's office has already scheduled my next three appointments!

Labor Signs: Too early for that mess.

Belly Button in or out? In. And it probably will stay in. My belly button is like a mile deep. It never even got close to popping out with Charlie.

What I miss: Being able to get up and go like I used to. Mornings now require time and planning to make sure I've got the nausea taken care of before I proceed with my day.

What I am looking forward to: Being out of the first trimester and having my next ultrasound in a couple weeks. :)

Weekly Wisdom: If your pregnant wife wants a Frosty. you better get her a damn Frosty!

Milestones: Is coming out of the morning sickness fog a milestone?

2 months pregnant

I'll be doing these little meme updates about once a month. Don't want to bore you with every single detail, but I would like this kid documented just like Charlie has been. ;)

And For This, I(Belatedly, of course) Give Thanks..

2009-11-28T20:25:00.006-05:00

I've been wanting to make a Thanksgiving post, but just couldn't come up with the right words. While the words are still escaping me, I figured I should do this before Christmas rolls around. Especially with my track record, these days. ;)

2009 is the first year I've spent away from my family...ever. We're always together during the holidays, and I have to admit that even though I went 'home' a few weeks ago, part of me still wished to be there during Thanksgiving. But no matter the longing in my heart, it's nice to know that I'm creating my own traditions with my immediate family. The Husband had to work this year. *sigh* This is only the second(I think) Thanksgiving I've spent apart from him. While yes, it sucks, it's sort of a 'chin up and onward' thing I've grown used to over the years. At least he's getting a three-day weekend to make up for it.

So being without The Husband, and my family, I decided we'd still have a great Thanksgiving. About a month ago, we made plans to gather over at The Sillys' house for the holiday. This worked out splendidly because Charlie and Smushy basically kept each other occupied and out of our hair in the kitchen. It was great. I mean really, really great. The perfect combination of what I'm used to(the food) and a little bit different(the food/location/people). This was the first Thanksgiving I got to spend with my best friend, and pregnancy hormones onlymade it sweeter. It really was a perfect day. Okay, aside from the fact my kid didn't nap. What's new? But it really, truly was one of the best Thanksgivings I've ever had.

So in 2009, I give thanks for:

The Husband: he works long and hard to provide for our family. Of course it doesn't come without complaint, but I can't imagine there are many days I don't complain about staying at home with the kid. ;) We're growing together even more over the last few months, and I can't help but get the warm fuzzies when I think about our relationship.

My Charlie: How he tests me and makes me want to pull my hair ou

t. He's a spirited boy, but oh so smart and sweet. I know we must be doing something right.

My Little Pumpkin Seed: What the surprise you are! I'm thankful for the constant nausea that reassures me that everything's okay in there, even if I complain about it alot.

Our parents and grandparents: Always at the ready to help us out in any way, you are all truly my rock.

Keurig: Thank you for inventing the single-cup brewer. I could not live a day without you.

The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond: For helping me make a macaroni and cheese that didn't even come close to killing anyone this Thanksgiving. Okay, it tried, but only the best BEST way possible. It was THAT good, y'all.

And to the Silly Family: Thank you for making Thanksgiving one of the sweetest days of my year. I'm so glad we finally got to spend one together, and that our kids get to give and experience the love that each of our families has to share.

Trick or Treat

2009-11-23T09:00:00.005-05:00

10.31.09

Go ahead. I'll give you a minute to wrap your mind around it. It's taken us a couple weeks, too. Not that this was totally unplanned, but given our history of 'hardship' while trying to conceive, let's just say no one thought it'd happen this quickly. Especially when one of two parties involved has been in and out, and in and out, and in and out(to sea, you perv!). And the other party? Well, we could use the words non-functioning ovaries.

I've been becoming well acquainted with this guy, hence my absence...

Due date of v.2.0 has not yet been established. Ultrasound on 12/4 should provide concrete answers, although it's believed to be mid-July 2010.

Who Does This Remind You of?

2009-11-09T09:18:00.001-05:00

Phillip, originally uploaded by cotyandtristan.

This is actually a picture of my Dad. It was shown to me since we're down in SC visiting right now, and I can't believe how much Charlie resembles him!

'I'm Reading A Book!'

2009-10-25T23:15:00.003-04:00

Make sure you watch and listen for the 'the end' throw. :S He's getting so destructive these days!

More Fall Fun!

2009-10-24T21:58:00.005-04:00

Boy, between Charlie's school and the different mommy blogs I read, I sure do come up with alot of ideas for fun these days! One day, I'll figure out a way to thank everyone. But for right now, have some pictures!

In these pictures you'll see an idea that I took from Charlie's school and made our own. Well, that's what I thought. Go figure that the next day I saw another blogger doing the same thing! Anyway, it's called a Sensory Table at his school. Every day his teachers fill the table with different things and the kids seem to have so much fun. One of Charlie's favorites is Bubble Day with rubber duckies. I decided to hit Walmart and Dollar Tree to see if I could find some cheap little toys to put in his Sensory Bin at home. He is in LOVE and will seriously sit down to play for a good half hour. Even after that initial 'WOW!' reaction and playtime, he'll continue to go back to the bin for the rest of the day.

This particular day I told him we were going on a mouse hunt!

And, we've been doing more painting. He really cannot get enough of that. He asks everyday to paint and sometimes gets grumpy when I tell him no. I'm always on the lookout for things he can decorate with paint, markers, stickers, and glue, so these cute Halloween picture frames at Christmas Tree Shop were no exception! I figure we'll put some pictures of him in his costume in the frames.

We've also decorated several pumpkins.

This morning, we attended a free Halloween festival put on by Mitchell College. All they asked was a donation of one canned good for entry. Easy peasy! Charlie had so much fun playing the different games, working on small crafts, and even having his face painted. He also participated in a short costume parade and followed the leader's directions so well. I was very impressed! He was so cute telling everyone, 'I a BLUE monster. Raaawrr!'

One of his favorite things was the balloon guy. He made him a cool monster hat to match his costume. But wait for it...I need you to see the enormity of this thing...

That's right, it was about 3.5' in diameter. Poor Charlie kept running into everyone and everything!

But seriously..have you ever seen a cuter blue monster?

I didn't think so!

Things You Do In The North...

2009-10-22T02:19:00.003-04:00

That you don't do in the South.

Get bundled up to go outside during the middle of the day in October.

Apple picking in the crisp, cool weather.

This.

Go a little overboard with fall crafting because you can actually teach your kid what fall is/looks like.

More to come.

3 out of 4

2009-10-20T14:01:00.004-04:00

In parenting, I've always thought there are four big milestones that are tremendous to you and your child. They're hard. They're brutal. They're downright scary. Let me list them for you(although you might want to put on your rose-colored glasses if you're not there, yet):

1. Weaning from the boob or the bottle

2. Weaning from the pacifier

3. Transitioning out of the crib

4. Potty training

If you ask your fellow mommies and daddies about any of those four topics, there eyes will probably turn wide and they'll surely have a story to tell. They might even take off running if they haven't been there yet!

Here at L.M.C. we've already discussed weaning from the pacifier. I'm sure y'all remember how terrified I was of that particular ordeal. Charlie gave me an easy time when it came to weaning from the boob. At exactly one year old, he decided he'd had enough. He was already good with a cup so we never relied on bottles. I count my lucky stars for that. Potty training? Yeah, that's one where my eyes glaze over. He's nowhere near ready and the only time he'll sit on the potty is if he is promised a sticker(or ten). It's not a huge deal because he's only two. If he isn't showing more interest by three then I may have to enroll him in Mommy Potty Bootcamp. ;)

So that leaves one thing: Transitioning out of the crib. The Husband and I talked it over, and because he was getting a bonus, decided that we should go ahead and buy the 'big boy bed' while we actually had the extra funds lying around. I figured at some point we'd get around to setting it up, but it was so cute I just went ahead and did it! The part I roll my eyes at, is the part where I actually expected Charlie to sleep in his crib when there was a fun, big boy bed in his room, too. Oh yeah. That went over well. He screamed, he cried, he threw himself on the floor. Fine. I told him if he wanted to sleep in the big boy bed, that he had to stay in there, be still and quiet, and go to sleep. I walked out the door half chuckling to myself thinking that was never gonna happen. Boy did he surprise me! I don't think I've ever heard him be so quiet or lay so still. I checked the monitor and didn't see any movement at all. Finally, after an hour of him not moving, I decided he must be asleep. I poked my head in the door and sure enough, he was! I couldn't believe it!! So from that night on he has slept in the big boy bed. I took the crib down a couple of weeks ago, and while sad to see it go, relieved that we are now done with 3 out of 4.

Charlie's new big boy room. I wish I could paint the walls, but we rent. :(

So we do lots of colorful projects to add a little zing. ;)

I'm going to add a couple more pictures on that blank space.

Happy Birthday Fall!

2009-10-03T13:39:00.003-04:00

Fall is officially here and I couldn't be happier. I've never actually gotten to experience such a change in seasons, and not only is it refreshing, it's beautiful! Of course, cooler weather begs for new home decorations so we went off to Michael's in search of those the other day. I didn't get a chance to hang them up before Charlie went to bed, so he didn't see them until the next morning when we were leaving for school.

Apparently, all decorations equal a birthday party. What did he say when he walked out the door?
'Happy birthday!' I laughed and gently corrected him that it was, 'Happy Fall.' To that he said, 'Happy Birthday, Fall!'

To The Fair!

2009-09-23T12:39:00.003-04:00

On Monday, we spent our day with friends at The Big E. We had a great time even though the weather was a little warmer than we've gotten used to over the past few weeks. It was a long day that left us all exhausted, but it was fun. :)

Charlie and Smushy holding hands in the car.

He had SO much fun on the various rides and fun houses.

And what fair is complete without a caffeine overdose...

...and a sugar high?

This was our bestest-favoritest moment, though.

Something we could do together. :)

Mommy: Charlie, what are we doing?

Charlie: We ride Dumbo elephant.

Mommy: Oh yeah! This is fun!!

Charlie: He has big ears *pausing as if to think* And little hairs!

Funniest.Kid.Ever.

The end.

Made By Mama <3

2009-09-22T12:57:00.005-04:00

Last week, I finally got the chance to work on a project I've been looking forward to since June! A couple years ago I stumbled across the Carseat Poncho and thought it was a very innovative way of keeping children safe AND warm in the car during the colder months. I only paused when I saw the price. Ouch.

Back then, I hadn't yet learned to use a sewing machine. It is only recently I've become confident enough to even sew a couple square of fabric together. ;) I found this pattern at Joann Fabrics in June and have been waiting for cooler weather to get started on it. It was very simple and straightforward and only took about 45 minute from cutting to finish. I let Charlie pick out his own fleece and he's very excited about his Thomas poncho! Charlie is 37" tall and weighs 30 lbs. I cut the pattern to a 3T and it's a great fit with a little room to grow. :)

Even though I got the amount of fabric listed for the pattern, I still ended up with alot of extra. One day while Charlie was at school I free-styled a matching pair of pants. It really wasn't that hard and now I know exactly what to do! Fleece is(thankfully, for me) very forgiving and easy to work with.

Here's Charlie modeling how he'll use his poncho in the car this winter. Children should not wear bulky coats or snowsuits under their 5-point harness because in a crash the fabric will compress leaving alot of slack. Sometimes enough for a child to be ejected! What they can wear, however, is a light fleece jacket, a thin sweater, or even leg warmers on their arms. Top this with a fleece poncho and you can be they'll be super toasty!

See how the poncho doesn't affect his harness at all?

Now of course, don't go thinking I'm going to freeze my child. ;) We'll keep a heavier coat in the car for outings and such.

Our First Fall Craft!

2009-09-16T09:24:00.003-04:00

I totally stole this idea from a blog that I read, but decided to use leaves instead of apples. I pre-cut the letters out so they would be ready for him to color. Then we talked about the different letters, and words that start with those letters, and why we were coloring them red and orange. After they'd been colored, Charlie spread glue over them and then sprinkled cinnamon on top for a smelly-good effect. Voila!

Just Thought You Should Be Aware...

2009-09-12T10:33:00.000-04:00

Long Week

2009-09-08T13:55:00.002-04:00

It's been such a tremendously long week. I had all these plans to post some fun pictures and stories, but then a terrible tragedy struck one of my friends and I just felt(and still feel) that all of my thoughts should go to their family.

Last Wednesday, one of my fellow July mama's went in for a routine induction to have her second child. At her appointment the day before, everything was totally fine. The morning of the induction she was posting her excitement and bemoaning the fact that she couldn't have coffee! But when she got to the hospital, the unthinkable happened and the mood quickly changed. Something had happened between her appointment the day before and her induction. Her little girl's heartbeat was nowhere to be found.

What a grave reminder to us that no one can ever predict the outcome of anything. Our July '07 community will never be the same because of Isabelle Lynn. We have all been saddened at Kristen's loss and will never forget.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time tragedy has struck our community. During July of 2007 when each of us were welcoming our babes home, another of our own lost her life due to amniotic embolism. We've also had premature births where is was just too early for the babes to survive, many miscarriages, and so much heartbreak.

I take great pride in my 'tribe' and love them all as they were each my very own sisters. My life has been greatly enriched by their presence and I've even had the good fortune of meeting many of them in person. Who knew that an online community of mothers could touch one so deeply?

May you rest in peace, Isabelle Lynn. You will never be forgotten.

More Dress-Up

2009-08-26T07:00:00.002-04:00

It all started innocently enough. I picked up a pair of snowbibs at Goodwill the other day. Charlie will need two sets; one for home and one for school. I'm not carting that stuff around everyday. No way! Anyway, they are a size 4 so I decided to try them on to see if they'd swallow him whole. Thankfully they're pretty adjustable and I think with a pair of snowboots on, he should be tall enough to pull them off.

He really, really loves his snowbibs, though. It was 80 degrees in our house(thank you, no central A/C!) but he refused to take them off. Everytime I'd get near him he'd scream, 'No! Leave on! Pants on!'

Eventually I talked him out of the snowbibs by promising to look for other things he could wear. We went traipsing around the house picking up a few things and then made our way back out the the living room to get dressed.

Here you see the beginning of his ensemble, a striped hat. He's also getting a little cuddle from his Bankie.

Tada! After a complete 'makeover' his ensemble is complete with matching accessories(necklace and size stickers from other clothing) and shoes! He's so good at this, even his diaper matches!

Scare Tactics

2009-08-25T14:25:00.003-04:00

I try to do alot of things with Charlie. Keeping him busy with activities throughout the day means that he's not bored and driving me crazy. There are some things though that just scare me. Remember the library? Yeah, that's one of them. Another thing that scares me is concerts. I love music, the husband loves music, even Charlie loves music. I want him to grow to appreciate the arts as we have, and teach him how to act appropriately during performances. However, this is hard to accomplish with a two-year-old.

A few weeks ago I started seeing a 'What To Do This Weekend' email in my inbox. After checking it out, I found that our town holds free concerts in the park every Friday evening. 'This is perfect!' I thought. We can go and take a picnic dinner. Charlie can run around. It would be great! So that's what we did. We picked up a bucket of KFC on the way to the park that night and prepared for Charlie's first 'real' concert. That particular night was big band. While not the most exciting thing to him, he did seem to be interested.

At some point he started being a little too rambunctious(yes, even outside!) and the husband had to take him for a walk, farther away from the stage. We decided to pack it up and leave during intermission. Charlie was clearly bored and acting out. It was a nice start, though. I figure if we keep taking him to these kinds of things, eventually he will learn to appreciate it, right? RIGHT?!?

Five Years

2009-08-21T08:33:00.002-04:00

That's it. Nothing big. :)

My Little Fairy

2009-08-19T10:31:00.002-04:00

Someone has been developing quite the personality, lately. He's very adamant about what he needs when we leave the house. Here is a picture from the weekend as we left to go grocery shopping. In his right hand, Bear Bear. We never, ever go anywhere without Bear Bear. Not even into the next room. In his left hand, cold Thomas. Cold Thomas is an icepack, hence the cold. I happened to open the freezer right before we left and he spotted cold Thomas. Apparently he needed to accompany us to the commissary. Around his neck you'll see my 'muddy neckace.' He thinks the bling is money for some reason. Anyway, he insisted he needed to wear that along with his Popeye shirt. What can I say, the boy can accessorize! The thing you don't see is the three inch long barcode sticker on his shirt. Again, very, very adamant that he NEEDED that to go shopping.

Now, what to think when you see this kid at the commissary and he's yelling for 'Tinkabuh 'nacks!' He has a new obsession with Tinkerbell thanks to his little girlfriend Aidyn. ;) My child is a fruit. :p

Blogging: Fail

2009-08-17T11:07:00.003-04:00

I'm just gonna stop apologizing for lack of blogging. ;) Things have been busy, and that's that. We had SO much fun visiting Jen, Dave and Aidyn in WI. I had the most amazing get-together with my mama girlfriends. And I totally stole these pictures from them, because I was too drunk that night to take pictures. ;)

*Disclaimer: All children were tucked safely into bed with Daddies and Grandmas looking out for them. :)

All our J07 kiddos earlier in the day. L to R: Aedan, Rylee, Aidyn, Jake, Charlie, and Axel.

Very tired boy on the way home.

For the bulk of my pictures, visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2013979&id=1492140001&l=9011599f21

Quick Catch-up

2009-08-02T12:23:00.003-04:00

Things are moving quickly around here. The husband is home from Hawaii and we're having a blast with him! Charlie and I are getting ready to leave for Jen's in Wisconsin. Will be a fun adventure. We're staying a week and while we're there, meeting up with LOTS of July moms and 'babies' and even new siblings at Mall of America, next weekend. I am stoked! Packing for a week-long trip with a toddler is challenging. Nothing I haven't done before, but his needs seem to change from trip to trip. At least I'm familiar with the baby-on-my-back-carseat-on-luggage-cart-carryon-in-carseat routine. ;) And they say traveling with a carseat can't be done. BAH! I do it ALONE! Watch this wonder woman go.

Charlie is as crazy and hellacious as ever. It's always something new that he'll surprise me with. I jokingly asked him to bring me scissors earlier(I was opening a package) and he came back with my wine bottle opener. Smart kid! It actually did have a little fold-away knife inside. He loves to go 'shoppun on base' at the 'comsay' and the NEX. His other favorite stores include 'Tigget' and 'Baby's Us' where we always play with the 'cahseats.' These days if you ask him what he wants to eat he actually TELLS you. Favorites include 'cheebugers tate tots, chicken peas, mac cheese, puzza, little tees, and cockarts.' :giggle: Since weaning from the paci his vocabulary and singing ability have grown. In the car he'll tell me when a song goes off, 'Yike dat song, Mommy.' His favorites right now are, 'Chay Foos'(video to come) and 'Ring Raybow.' He's such a silly little boy and I love every...eerrr...most moments with him. ;)

I'll try to get some new pictures and videos on here soon. Hopefully I can do some mobile blogging from the Land 'O Cheese. :D

Water Fun

2009-07-21T20:31:00.000-04:00

We've finally had some warm days up here in CT so we got out the water table and had a blast!

The Paci Wars: Final Edition

2009-07-21T10:17:00.002-04:00

I am happy to say that after a week, we have No.More.Paci! Charlie has done so well and I'm so proud of him I could almost burst. He does still ask for it occasionally(like when he gets hurt), but he's sleeping just fine without it. It's almost comical when I put him to bed, now. He spends a good half hour yelling, chanting, and singing random things. He also has woken up two nights asking for it, one of which I 'logged.' He's quickly consoled my a sippy of water and more stuffed animals in his crib. If you're interested in what the first week looked like, I took notes. Here they are!

Night One:

6:30 pm Bed, Screaming before I leave the room

6:45 pm Went in to soothe, set timer for 20 minutes

6:55 pm Charlie strips, go in to change, reset timer for 15 minutes

7:00 pm Crying turns to whining

7:13 pm Quiet, seems like he's attempting sleep, rolled onto side/belly instead of back.

7:24 pm Definitely asleep.

8:25 am First wake up :)

Day 2:

12:15 pm Naptime, crying

12:18 pm playing in crib

2:30 pm No nap, Get out of crib

6:50 pm Bedtime, no crying but asking for Effi.

8:30 pm Asleep, sleeps through night

Day 3:

12:15 pm Naptime, crying

2:30 pm No nap, get out of crib

8:20 pm Late bedtime, crying, asking for Effi.

8:22 pm Stops crying, laying quietly, trying to undress.

8:26 pm Fails to undress(I put pj's on backwards!) and rolls over.

8:29 pm I think he's asleep

9:55 pm Wakeup crying, back to sleep himself

10:07 pm Wakeup crying again, mommy goes in and holds till stopping, then back down with no crying

10:18 pm More crying

10:30 pm Took water in and held, back to bed, SCREAMING for Effi :(

10:38 pm Drinking water in crib, stops crying

10:44 pm Asleep again

Day 4:

1:30 pm Naptime, asleep after 15 minutes and no crying

2:40 pm Mom woke up from nap(had an event to attend)

6:20 pm Bedtime after lake activity, tantrum for more books but nothing about effi.

6:23 pm Stops crying

6:42 pm trying to go to sleep

8:00 pm asleep

Day 5:

12:30 pm Down for nap

12:50 pm Asleep

2:00 pm Awake but lying happily

2:30 pm Get out of crib

6:55 pm Bedtime, Crying because wants more books

6:57 pm Stops crying and playing in bed.

7:30 Asleep

Day 6:

12:00-2:00 pm No nap but rested quietly at school

6:30 pm Bedtime, no crying or tantrums for books

7:18 pm Asleep

Day 7:

12:00-2:00 pm No nap but rested quietly at school, again

6:30 pm Bedtime, no crying or tantrums for books

6:55 pm Asleep

For those of you getting ready to embark on this journey, I hope these entries give you some encouragement. It was hard at times but much, much easier than I could've ever imagined. I would highly recommend the 'cold turkey' method over others like snipping the tip of the paci each night. By doing it this way, we've cut out a lot of time and anguish over the 'stub' of what's left. That said, every child is different. Do what works(or what you think will work) for your family. And lastly, once you start, don't turn back!

Paci Wars: Day 2, Final Update

2009-07-13T08:56:00.002-04:00

I've been keeping a minute-by-minute log of goings on in the nursery during this time. However, after no nap yesterday and another early bedtime, I found the log unneeded. Here is what I wrote:

6:50 pm Bed, asked for Effi, no crying yet

Yep, that's it. Sometime between 6:50 and 8:30 he fell asleep with NO crying. Wahoo! He slept through the night again and I didn't hear a peep from him until 8:45 this morning. Even then he didn't wake up crying. Instead he was contentedly playing and singing in his crib. :) Yay!

Since the last two nights have been such a success, I think I will hold off on anymore updates for the rest of the week. Thursday will be his big test. He'll be going to school where a few other kids still have their paci's at naptime. I informed his teachers of these changes last week, and brought the daycare paci home with me on Friday.

Paci Wars: Day 2, Vol. 1

2009-07-12T12:22:00.003-04:00

Here goes today's attempt at naptime. Let's see what we can do with it!

12:15 pm -Down for nap; Asked about Effi and began to cry when I said there was no more.

12:18 pm- Playing in the crib

12:19 pm- Heard over the monitor: 'Grey shirt. Night night. Charlie's blue shorts. Grey shirt. Hey! Biiiiiiiiiig choo choo!! Night night, grey shirt. Woohoo!'

12:26 pm -Just saw a huge yawn over the monitor. I'm also seeing fingers in the mouth. I hope he's not doing what I think he's doing.

12:45 pm- Eating his shirt? Strange, I tell you.

12:53 pm-Singing Bob The Builder theme song...Oy. He's not going without a fight.

1:01 pm- Whining for Effi.

2:30 pm-Give up on nap. Sigh

Paci Wars: Day 1 Final Update

2009-07-12T08:47:00.002-04:00

By golly, he did it! I didn't hear a peep till his normal wakeup time at 8:30 am. I'm not calling it a success...yet. We've probably still got a few rough naps/nights ahead of us. But we BOTH know he can do it at this point. So..YAHOO CHARLIE! I'm so proud of my little guy. Here's a picture of him sleeping like a rock, on his BACK! He's normally a tummy sleeper.

Sweet, Sweet Sleep

2009-07-11T20:09:00.001-04:00

The Paci Wars: Day 1, Vol. 4

2009-07-11T19:18:00.003-04:00

Things suddenly got quiet and he's rolled onto his belly. Let's hope that's a good sign! I'm still nervous about the middle of the night wakeups, though. They're still pretty frequent even WITH a paci.

Paci Wars: Day 1, Vol. 3

2009-07-11T18:58:00.003-04:00

Annnd...he just stripped. Yep. Took all of his clothes off and his diaper. He's pissed, and rightfully so. I had to go in before my timer was up and re-dress him in different jammies. Apparently he can now get out of anything that has buttons or snaps. Second time this week, actually. I got all excited when the crying stopped and then realized what he was doing. Oy.

The Paci Wars: Day 1, Vol. 2

2009-07-11T18:27:00.003-04:00

Down for an early bedtime at 6:30 because of no naptime. We played hard this afternoon and I just followed his sleepy signals. As soon as I put him in his bed he was asking for Effi. When I told him that there was no more Effi he lost it. Started screaming before I could even leave the room. Tonight is gonna suck, I think.

To be continued...

The Paci Wars: Day 1, Vol.1

2009-07-11T14:33:00.003-04:00

We actually started on this epic journey Wednesday. When Charlie awoke I told him, 'In 3 days, it's time to say bye bye to the Paci. You are going to be a big boy!' I repeated this mantra everytime he went near the bed or the car(places where he usually has his beloved Effi). As the days changed, so did the number. 'In 2 days...' 'Tomorrow...' I have also been witholding it in the car for the last two days. When he would ask I just replied that, 'I think we left it at home.' That seemed a suitable answer to him and he went on with whatever he was doing.

This morning, we walked around the house together with a plastic bag, filling it with

pacis. Charlie did the dirty work while I held the bag open. Pretty soon we'd rounded up the whole collection...

From there, we loaded up into the car and set off for the mall. I had devised a plan for him to trade his pacis for a new toy. We went to the toy store and before I let him loose from the stroller, asked the cashier if she'd play along. With her permission, we set forth on the lookout for an even trade. Walking all over the store, Charlie stopped every few feet to ooh and ahh over something new. Eventually, he stumbled into the train section and spent a good twenty minutes there. Looking carefully over the selection, he decided on a 3-pack of [Thomas] engines. I told him to take the paci bag to the cashier and she was going to ring up his trains so he could pay. He dutifully marched over to the counter and laid the bag down. I paid for the toys and made sure he physically said, 'bye bye pacis,' and off we went.

He has clutched the trains tightly ever since. We played around at the play area to run off some energy and came home. I laid him down for his nap at 1:15. Now it is 2:45 and there is no sleep in sight. He's not crying, but he did whine for Effi for at least 15 minutes. I let him take his new purchases to bed to hopefully ease the transition but it's causing him to play rather than try to fall asleep. Not sure how that will play into tonight. I have yet to make that decision. I plan to keep him in the bed until 3:15 and then he may get up and play until bedtime. That will mean he rested for 2 hours even though he did not actually sleep.

To be continued...

Feeling Better

2009-07-11T14:25:00.003-04:00

So it's been a few days since I blogged and I'm feeling refreshed. I love the support of my family and girlfriends so much. They truly are the best. And also, I got that email from the Husband that'd I'd been wishing for. I know that he misses us, too, but it's especially nice when he vocalizes it. He also said something along the lines of, "I'm sorry you guys are going through this." I love that he empathizes with me about all of the daily challenges of living a military life, and that he's not just thinking about work all the time while he's gone.

But we need to talk about something serious, readers. It's something that's been affecting my child and me for years, now. It's ugly. We're both too dependent on it and I think it's time to say goodbye. So long. Adios....

Pacifier. Soother. Binkie. Num Num. Whatever you call it, it's a problem in this house. Charlie refers to his as, 'Effi.' Not a clue where that came from. I have always been pretty strict about Effi staying in the bed and the car, but I'm tired of keeping up with it. I'm tired of having to find it for him in the middle of the night when he can't. I'm tired of it being in his mouth when I take pictures. And I'm tired of him trying to talk with it in his mouth. It is time for so long, Effi. I will be blogging this epic journey in 'real time,' so be sure to check back often.

Fireworks Aren't The Only Things Exploding

2009-07-04T18:43:00.004-04:00

I honestly cannot say what my problem is this past week. I suppose it's a combination of things like everyone leaving around the same time, the 'week three funk' of deployment, and feeling completely disconnected from everything/everyone around me.

While this is the thirteenth time I've had to say goodbye to The Husband in our almost five years of marriage, it is seeming to be the hardest. Let me just say that temporary duty sucks. When he's on a permanent assignment, I also have my own 'assigned' FRG(Family Readiness Group). The FRG is made up of other spouses from the same command. We hang out together, have meetings, do fun stuff for the kiddos and just generally support one another. Well, with this temporary assignment, I have no FRG. I also have no idea when The Husband is coming home. Usually I at least have a general timeframe of about +/- five days. Compound this with the fact that it's been over a week since I've heard from him, and you've got moody, sullen me. I know. It's not pretty. No one wants to be around that, and I get it. I'm the wife that's always telling other wives to 'shut up and deal with it. This is what you signed on for.' I am just not handling this well, though. I can't pinpoint any exact cause and it's driving me nuts. I've tried every remedy I know for the deployment blues and nothing's helping. Let's just say that I'm hoping that at least part of it is hormonal, if you know what I mean. Give me another week and I may just be my spritely self again.

I am finding joy in some simple things, though. My all time favorite is, of course, a glass of wine after Charlie goes off to bed. ;) I've also started clogging again. I took dance for eight years when I was younger, and the last two of those studied clogging. I quit clogging so I could join the marching band(which really worked out for me) but I've always missed it. Honest to goodness I never thought I'd find such a Southern opportunity up North. ;) If you're unfamiliar with clogging, check out this video. I'm by no means this good, but you'll see what a fun 'workout' it is for me!

And, here is the other thing getting me by. :)

Start Spreadin' The News...

2009-06-30T21:38:00.005-04:00

We left CT on Sunday to head into NYC for the second part of Charlie's birthday weekend. Grandma and Grandpa treated him(and me!) to all sorts of wonderful experiences and we are so grateful. Thank you both, again, for truly fabulous weekend!

We knew the ride would be on the long side so I had the iPod loaded with Charlie's favorite songs and videos.

After finding parking, our first walking stop was none other than Times Square!

Charlie was fascinated by all the things to look at.

Grandpa was so excited to show Charlie the great big city.

After walking around a bit we wandered over to Rockefeller Center to take the elevator up to Top of the Rock.

What a breathtaking view as Central Park sprawled beneath us!

Reminders of The Husband were everywhere. It was a bittersweet weekend without him around. :(

Charlie loved M&M's World!

He polished off two whole bags of M&M's that day!

Once our feet got tired we opted for a carriage ride through Central Park. It was such a gorgeous day that it seemed everyone was there!

Charlie loved the 'horsey,' especially when it licked his leg.

Listening to our driver narrate the ride.

And our last big stop of the day...

Posing with the toy soldier, Charlie was mesmerized by the stuffed dog he was holding.

Thank you Mom and Jack for a fantastic weekend. I have high hopes that Charlie will at least remember parts of it for the rest of his life. I know I will.

Happy Birthday, Charlie!

2009-06-29T18:13:00.004-04:00

It's so hard to believe. I feel like it was just minutes ago that he was lying on my chest, screaming his head off, blue and bloody. I feel like I just took my first look at him, just started counting his fingers and toes. Now look at us, counting the years... Less a baby and more a kid. Growing and surprising me everyday. I'm so proud of him I could just burst!

The husband and I decided that instead of giving him lots of gifts, we'd like to give him a day. After looking around earlier this year, I found A Day Out With Thomas at Edaville USA. If you know my kid at all, then you know his love of Thomas! I just knew it'd be perfect, and it was! Although his Daddy was not able to attend, he was surrounded by friends and family. Grandma and Grandpa even came up from SC! Boy, did he love that!!

Ready to begin his day at Edaville. Happy Birthday, Charlie!

Playing with one of the many train tables in the party room. There was also a ball pit, a maze, and coloring tables.

Time for pizza!

Blowing out his candles. He tried really hard but needed a little help from Mommy. Notice the hands holding him back from a face-first dive into the fire. ;)

Eating his huge homeade cupcake!

When we first boarded the train, he didn't realize that Thomas was pulling us. He wasn't quite sure why we were just sitting and waiting. But then we started rolling, and that familiar Thomas music came on the speakers...

There's that smile we love!

Charlie and Mommy with Thomas the Train.

Riding the caterpillar with Grandma.

Riding the turtles all by himself like a big boy! I was so surprised he sat as well as he did!

Charlie and Mommy on the flying elephants. Just seconds before this picture he told me, 'Wow. I flying!'

The adults even got in on the fun. ;)

All tuckered out on the way home...

Happy birthday, baby.

The RTFH

2009-06-16T13:51:00.003-04:00

Raging Toddler From Hell.

Yeah, that was my day, yesterday. I swear, we've hit the terrible two's hardcore the last couple of days. Now mind you, this could be due to several factors other than age. The husband is getting ready to go on another journey. I think the RTFH may be picking up on this. It's normal around this stage of the game for him to be completely thrown off. Also, RTFH doesn't nap on his worse RTFH days. Let's take yesterday for example:

RTFH slept in and woke at 9:30. We did our morning activities of breakfast/cartoons/playtime just as usual. Then we had to go get groceries. We usually shop at the Commissary, but it is closed on Monday. BOOOOOOO! So we went up the road to Stop and Shop where I was in completely unfamiliar territory. It was also insanely busy since it was payday. I also had a hyper toddler. Now, the worst part is this particular store has kiddie carts with a car on the front. Great, right? Wrong. He was so low to the ground the he could see and touch entirely too many things. Forty-five minutes later we'd made it out of the store. I'd only forgotten about ten things, but I'll get those while he's in school on Thursday.

We get home, where RTFH demands chicken and beans for lunch, only to not eat any of it. I decide my nerves are shot for the morning and down he goes for a non-nap. This consisted of alternating screams of joy and frustration that he was 'trapped' in his crib. After two hours, I entered the Boy Cave to a giggle and a smile. I thought for sure the rest of the day would be more peaceful. I got the RTFH dressed and changed, and we headed over to the base. RTFH was behind on one of his vaccinations, so I figured we'd go take care of that and then go to the library as a special treat afterwards. In the waiting room, RT

FH ran all around acting crazy, pulling pamphlets from the displays, shrieking in delight at his own chaos, and playing with the water fountain. His name was finally called, he got his shot(and two stickers!) and we went back to the waiting area. You have to sit for a few minutes to make sure there's no reaction. We waited our time and then I told him we were going to the library to get some books. His smile told me that would be great fun, but his actions told me otherwise. As soon as I uttered the words, 'let's go!' the RTFH literally

melted into a puddle on the floor. Laughing at me as I tried to pull him to a stand. Sitting across from us was a dad with his newborn, chuckling. CHUCKLING at me. I was pissed. I looked at him and said, 'just you wait. Your time will come.' He continued to laugh. Whatever, butthead. Finally, I picked up the RTFH and threw him over my shoulder, garnering stares from everyone in the clinic, and made my way to the car.

Things were okay on the way to the library. RTFH was occupied by his bagpipes cd(yes, strange child) and a Thomas the Train. We find parking and then walk to the library. RTFH surprises me and actually holds my hand without prompting. I'm impressed. Inside the library, we make our way to the children's room. First off...who puts TOYS in a library? I couldn't tear him away from the toys long enough to even glance at one book. After so

me tears, he walked over to the bookshelf and proceeded to grab fifteen books and push them onto the floor. Ugh. So I said FINE. I'll pick out a couple books for you. RTFH is all, 'whatever. i don't care. go on with your bad self, ma.' Enter another round of tears and, 'OMG my mom is BEATING ME!!! HELP!!!' noises as we exit the children's room to go check out. At this point, I'm just downright tired. While waiting in line, RTFH takes off and is running through the library, cackling maniacally, and sendig books flying every direction. All the while smiling at me. I stop him(eventually) and tell him that's not nice and to come stand in line with me. At the desk, RTFH proceeds to knock down the entire Bestsellers display and I decide we're done. I grabbed his hand, and RTFH limp noodles it again. AARRGH! I'm pissed. Like, I'm seriously about to lose my shit in a public place. ON A MILITARY BASE. I had to get out of there. I flung him up onto my hip and away we went, him screaming the entire way.

As we get to the car, I'm like a ticking time bomb ready to explode. Digging in my purse for the keys, RTFH flings himself downwards towards its contents, looking for 'nacks! nacks!' I literally yelled NO, right in his ear. Crying ensues...again. I find the keys, open the door, and feel blessed at having a carseat. RTFH is now restrained. Being the mean mommy that I am, I took away ALL his sticker, ALL his toys, and ALL his comfort objects. I tell RTFH, 'you can sit there ALONE until we get home. You were NAUGHTY.' Maybe I'm wierd, but I took comfort in taking HIS comfort objects away. I'm a horrible person, aren't I? Seriously, though. That was the only thing that kept me from dumping his cloth-diapered ass on the side of the road.

He cried the whole way home. Shocker, huh? Then when we got home he was still acting up. I just laid on the couch, silently counting the minutes until bed

time. At that point, I just did not care. Not one single bit.

I'm normally not like this. But the RTFH sure knows how to bring out my mean side. I know he's almost two, but really...that's not an excuse to act like a damn fool. He knew he shouldn't be doing the things he was, because he was LAUGHING while doing them. Just like I'm sure you're laughing at ME now. ;) It's okay, though. Writing about it does make it seem a little more funny.

That's Right...I'm NOT Crazy!

2009-06-12T17:27:00.003-04:00

Rear-facing car seats protect toddlers better
Researchers urge change in safety seats for kids up to 4 years

Children under 4 years of age fare better in motor vehicle accidents when they are riding in rear-facing rather than forward-facing car seats, according to a report published online in the British Medical Journal.
Infants are typically switched from a rear- to a forward-facing seat when they reach about 20 pounds, which occurs at roughly 8 months of age for an average boy, study authors Dr. Elizabeth A. Watson and Dr. Michael J. Monteiro, from Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, U.K., note. They add, however, that growing evidence suggests it may be best to delay the switch until 4 years of age.

For example, there are data that many fatalities in young forward-facing riders could have been averted with a rear-facing seat. An analysis of U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data of 870 children involved in crashes from 1998 to 2003 found that through 23 months of age, better protection from all crash types was provided with rear-facing seats.
In terms of specific injuries, recent crash test results suggest that rear- rather than forward-facing seats provide better protection of the lower neck and chest, the authors note. In another crash simulation study, it was concluded that manufacturers should developed rear-facing seats for children up to 4 years old.

Watson and Monteiro note that in contrast to forward-facing seats, rear-facing seats provide full alignment of the head, neck, and spine, so that crash forces are dispersed over these areas rather than centered on one site.

The message for health care professionals, the authors say, is that they should recommend rear-facing car seats for children under 4

years of age. To fully address the issue, however, seat manufacturers and retailers need to increase the availability of rear-facing car seats for older children.

Find it on MSNBC

*As a general disclaimer, we do not eat suckers in the car while driving. Just so you know. ;)

And just as I come around...

2009-06-10T13:54:00.002-04:00

My computer dies. Ding. Dong. Dead. Turn it on and you get the black screen of death saying, 'Operating System Not Found.' Ugh. I called Toshiba and the best they could give me was, 'we can try the recovery disk for $24.95 as well as a $35 tech support charge. But mostly likely, it's your hard disk.' No, no, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

On the bright side, I've been moving all my pictures and vids over to my Flickr account for the past couple of weeks. I think there's only one set of pictures that I didn't get off of my desktop, and they were the husband's. Oops. Sorry, honey!

No clue when I'll be blogging again. For right now I'm borrowing The Husband's laptop, but that will soon come to an end. Stupid Navy.

Party Tricks

2009-06-08T14:09:00.001-04:00

Party Tricks, originally uploaded by cotyandtristan.

This is Charlie's newest 'party trick.' I'm not sure how we discovered he could do it, but now it's part of our daily activities. We've also taught him how to Wheelbarrow Race. ;)

Picture Dump!

2009-06-06T09:38:00.004-04:00

A Fresh Start

2009-06-04T21:22:00.000-04:00

One of the great things about moving is that you tend to weed out your clutter. Not just physical clutter, but mental as well. After having our house in Georgia on the market, I needed some major weed-whacking in my brain. It had all become about keeping the tidiest house possible, keeping all the paperwork straight, writing down dates of different things on the calendar, and other endless chaos. But now that we're in CT? Now that our home is in semi-order? I feel so refreshed. I can spend time playing with Charlie without worrying about someone calling to see the house in five minutes. We can make a mess(and we do!), and it's so much fun.

Moving has also allowed Charlie to gain a fresh start. While he loved his school in GA, I've been able to find a comparable one up here in CT. It is a bit more expensive, though. Almost twice what we were paying! Quite a shock to our budget. He still goes two days a week, for the same hours(9-2). He actually had his first day on Thursday and I'm happy to report that it went off without a hitch. Unfortunately, I was less than a stellar parent and forgot to make his picture that morning!

And finally, The Husband has his fresh start at a new command. While he's doing temporary duty on another boat, he will eventually get to his 'real' job on the USS New Boat. Unfortunately, this temporary duty involves a sort of deployment. It stinks, for sure, but I'm(we're) used to it. I just wish he had a little more time to get settled in at home.

So that's our fresh start....and it's lovely!

So Lemme Catch You Up!

2009-06-04T20:59:00.003-04:00

April 17, 2009-Moving Day.

April 19, 2009-Picking up The Husband from the aeroport.

April 21, 2009-Embarking on our aeroplane journey to CT, while The Husband drives my car up, sparing me from 20 hours with a toddler. Hooray!

Watching movies during our 1.5 hour delay.

Second leg of our journey. Sleep at last!

April 25, 2009-The Husband has arrived with my car(Yay!) and we get into our new house.

April 28, 2009-Awaiting the arrival of our household goods. And you thought carseats were only good for the car!

May 15, 2009-Finally adjusting to Northern life and finding myself quite happy with it!

Bridge Over Trouble Water

2009-05-26T21:10:00.003-04:00

This is going to sound very sadistic, so don't go taking it the wrong way. ;) I was recently reading a website about blog prompts, and they suggested using your camera phone to take pictures of inspirational things. Driving down the road today, I began taking mental snapshots of things that are interesting to me.

Going into Providence, RI there are all kinds of signs saying 'trucks over such and such weight take detour. No allowance on bridge-$3000 fine.' Bridges have always held a curiousity for me so this sign caught my eye. When I see things like that, though, my mind immediately goes to some trucker driver breaking the rules and driving on the bridge. In my head, the bridge collapses and all the cars(including mine) are dropped into the water. I panic, unable to get a grasp on the situation. Finally as the car begins to fill with water and I feel it's icey-cold breathe, I come to and take hold. First I take my seatbelt off. Then I reach for the door. But wait...Charlie is still in his carseat. I reach back, fumbling with the harness and buckles. The water is deeper around my ankles and begins to drip from the sunroof. I know it's only a matter of time until my car succumbs to the water's weight. My hands are like jello along the chest clip of the carseat. Grasping and sliding. I can't get him out! I start to panic and my mind begins to race again. Drops of water are hitting me on the head, faster and faster, colder and colder. I push out of my seat and jump into the back. Finally...finally the buckle lets loose. 'Damn these American carseats,' I think. In Europe this would not be a problem. I pull my baby out, both of us shivering. Now what? The water is up to my knees. There is no escaping the cold. Doors still won't budge. I look around the car for something to bust the window. CDs, iPod, cell phone, pens, rubber ball, board book, all useless. And then I spot it. The shiny metal glimmering under the surface of the water. The blue paint seeming to scream, 'I am here!' I reach out to grab Charlie's Thomas the Train Engine toy, all the while praising God that he insisted on bringing it with him. I smash the magnetic front into the window with all my strength. Nothing. I go again. Still nothing. Once more I try, garnering strength only from the thought of helping my little boy to the surface. The window gives way and in rushes a flood of cold water. So cold I've never felt anything like it. I push Charlie out of the hole and remembering to keep ahold of him until I am also out. I struggle through the window. My arm is wrapped into a funny position because of holding onto Charlie. Finally I am through. My chest feels as if it will burst and the look of terror on my baby's face is one I never want to see again. I straighten my arms with Charlie at the top of them. Kicking my feet. Kick, kick, kick. We swim towards the surface and burst through like a submarine performing and emergency blow. Gasp. Gasp. Gasp. Heart pounding. Shivering, both of us. Charlie screaming at the top of his lungs, clinging to me, clinging to life. We're alive, we're okay. I look to see helicopters swirling above our heads. Ambulance and fire trucks the banks of the river. I know we're okay, and I breathe a sigh of relief. And it feels so good.

What are your fears?

And so it is...

2009-05-25T11:10:00.003-04:00

It's been about a month since I first really began thinking about ending this blog. During this time, I've thought of the pros and cons of keeping it vs. just throwing the whole thing to hell in a handbasket. Honestly? I have tons to talk about and no motivation to write. Sure, I could tell Charlie stories all day long. But I want this blog to be about more than being a mom. I want it to reflect who I am, and I'm really not sure who that is anymore. My whole persona has been modified into 'Charlie's Mommy.' That's great. Really, it is. I'm not being sarcastic. But who is Coty? Where has she gone? What defines her and why does she do the things she does? As much as I try, I can't really answer those questions. So in my effort, I'm going to start blogging about things totally unrelated to motherhood. I need to broaden my horizons, so to speak. Don't worry...I'll still be blogging about my toddler. ;) I just need to find myself, come into my own. Any idea where to start? I'm open to all ideas and quests! I'd also like to figure out how to make a tabbed blog, so if any of you know how to work that magic, lemme know. Also, I'm going to be doing a little site renovation, so pardon our mess!

So the big answer is, we're baaaaaa-aaaack! :)

Thinking of ending it

2009-04-30T17:37:00.002-04:00

I just can't seem to get into blogging, lately, hence the sporadic posts. Most of the people I blog for/about are on Facebook. I'm still undecided, though. This is a great means of chronicaling Charlie's life. We shall see. But for now, I'm on an indefinite hiatus. If you miss me too much, shoot me an email. :)

Spring Break Pt. II

2009-04-10T22:04:00.002-04:00

So you've seen how grand our 'room' was. Now I'll tell you what most of the excitement was about! The whole reason we went to Orlando was to meet and hang out with a fellow July mommy and her family. All the way from Wisconsin, sweet little Aidyn, Jen and Dave(and Jen's parents!)!! Charlie loved Aidyn and knew exactly who she was. We had been talking for weeks about her and he'd even learned to say her name.

They became fast friends, sharing toys across the van in their rear-facing carseats. They played on the beach together, shared snacks, and even rode in the same 'little blue car' at Sea World. Charlie and I are hoping to make a visit to Wisconsin this summer, and we can't wait!

I've shared this with some of you...

2009-04-08T09:08:00.003-04:00

But a few of you still don't know. A couple fellow Navy wives have their own Etsy store that I just LOVE. You guys...the bows they make are friggin' adorable. I wish Charlie would let me put bows in his hair! Maybe the next baby will be a more willing subject. Not only are their bows cute, but they sell a variety of other baby items like cute burp cloths(can never have too many!), baby blankets, and lovies. How I wish Charlie was still in that stage for me to buy these items, but he's growing into such a big boy. :sniff: I will, however, be keeping BANANA BEAR BOUTIQUE at the top of my bookmarks for Baby #2 when the time comes. :)

So, my fellow mommies....ready, set, shop! BANANA BEAR BOUTIQUE

Think He's Ready?

2009-04-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

I kid, I kid! Obviously my 21 month old, 27 lb. toddler is NOT ready for a Graco highback Turbo booster. It's so scary how well it fits him, though. If the lap belt were about a centimeter lower, it'd be considered 'safe.' No wonder you see so many 2 and 3 year olds in them. Aargh! Not my kid though. He'll be harnessed until college if I have anything to do with it!

Spring Break Pt. 1

2009-04-05T20:31:00.005-04:00

Charlie and I were lucky enough to take a little vacation in Orlando last month. We had some friends coming in from Wisconsin that we wanted to spend some time with! Lucky for us, we were able to stay at the same resort(where we have a timeshare): The Fountains. When I called to get reservations, I was told there was limited availability because of Spring Break. For just a few points more, I was able to bump us up from a 2 bed/2 bath to the 2700 sq. ft. Presidential Suite. Holy Cow!

Cause to celebrate!

2009-04-05T20:29:00.001-04:00

As a Child Passenger Safety technician, the American Academy of Pediatrics gets my two thumbs up for their revised recommendations:

Keep your toddler in a rear-facing car seat until age 2 (not 1)

Lori O’Keefe
Correspondent

New research indicates that toddlers are more than five timessafer riding rear-facing in a car safety seat up to their secondbirthday. Following are some safety tips for car seat use:

All infants should ride rear-facing in either an infant carseat or convertible seat.

If an infant car seat is used, the infant should be switchedto a rear-facing convertible car seat once the maximum height(when the infant’s head is within 1 inch of the top ofthe seat) and weight (usually 22 pounds to 32 pounds) have beenreached for that infant seat as suggested by the car seat manufacturer.

Toddlers should remain rear-facing in a convertible car seatuntil they have reached the maximum height and weight recommendedfor the model, or at least the age of 2.

To see if your car seat is installed properly and to find acertified passenger safety technician in your area, visit www.seatcheck.orgor www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm. You also cancall 866-SEATCHECK (866-732-8243) or 888-327-4236.

Backyard Buddies

2009-04-05T07:00:00.002-04:00

Little did I know that selling one of my carseats would turn into a friend-making oppurtunity for Charlie! We had a little playdate over at our house a few days later and the boys had SUCH fun, getting into everything.

Thank you, Corbin, for coming to play! I really had fun. Maybe we can do it again before I move?

Love, Charlie

Missing Daddy

2009-04-04T07:00:00.002-04:00

Charlie is now very, very aware of the fact that although Tristan is not here, he does still exist. He surprises me by bringing Dada up every now and again. One day while I was hanging up clothes, Charlie ran over to Tristan's closet and started tugging on a shirt that Tristan wears often. 'Dada shirt,' he kept repeating. Eventually I asked him if he wanted to wear Dada's shirt and he got very excited. I swear, he kept it on the rest of the day and even napped in it!

Teach Me

2009-04-03T22:20:00.002-04:00

I've been meaning to post these for awhile, but Charlie started 'school' a few weeks ago. He goes every Monday and Friday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at a local daycare. I admit, I was desperate to get him out of my hair for a few hours each week, but I think it's good for both of us. He's been saying so many new words since he started. It's incredible! He's also learned how to nap in a place other than his bed: his mat at school! Here are a few pictures from his first day:

'Mama, I'm tired!'

'Okay, I'm ready to go to school!'

Pondering if he'll get to have his paci at school...

...The answer is yes, sometimes. Naps only. :)

He's doing great. There is less and less crying each time I drop him off. I love getting to bring his artwork home. Hopefully I can share some of that on here soon!

Take the time...

2009-03-29T13:30:00.002-04:00

Seems my blogging has been all over the place lately. I apologize. So many things are going on right now that my head is spinning. I figured I'd give all of you the 'short' updates before I start in with the pictures and 'good' stuff:

-'Grandpa' came through his surgery just fine! A CAT scan the following week showed everything that needed to be removed, was. He's recovering nicely, it seems. :)

-I've found a great Mom and Me workout program on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. It's on the base, so anyone who's interested in going, let me know!

-Charlie was not feeling too well last week. I think it was mainly teething, but could've been more? He didn't eat much for about five days and was just very, very sleepy and clingy.

-I got sick on Friday. Some kind of stomach bug walloped me upside the head in the early hours of the morning. It was not a fun day, to say the least.

-And the biggest news. The one we've all been waiting for......are you ready?.......are you sure you can handle it?.....No, I'm not pregnant!.....Wonder what it could be?....

OUR HOUSE IS UNDER CONTRACT!!!!!

Granted, we're practically giving it away and definitely not making any profit. But our family will be together, and I can get the hell out of Georgia! WHOOP! We're set to close April 20 and I'm hoping to be up in CT by May 1st. :) :) :) :) :) :)

So those are you 'shorts.' I'll hopefully resume posting more regular updates this week(with about one-week hiatus during moving time). Thank you for being patient. Yes, Mother. That means You. ;)

Dear Grandpa...

2009-03-16T01:00:00.000-04:00

Good luck with your surgery today! Me and Mommy will be thinking of you.

PS-We learned about doctors last week at school, so I'm going to wear this cool 'hat' today in your honor.

Love, Charlie

My Life

2009-03-15T21:41:00.000-04:00

We are heading full force toward the terrible two's. One minute he's happily playing...

...and the next he's totally pissed off for no good reason.

Time To Catch Up!

2009-03-14T21:16:00.004-04:00

And what better way to do that with some snow! Charlie's first snow, in fact. :) We happened to be up at my mom's at a 'lucky' time of the month. It all started out with the forecast of flurries, and then turned into the...

We had been to visit my grandparents and were driving home when it started. It was time for bed but I let Grandpa take Charlie for a quick peek. He loved it and cried when he was brought inside.

After a full-night's sleep, we woke up to this

Eager to get out and play, Charlie hurried through breakfast and stood by the door waiting

After awhile, his hands got cold. So he borrowed Grandpa's gloves. :)

He found the ice 'drum'

We made ourselves a little french snowman, complete with tiny moustache and a seashell beret. ;)

And then Charlie plucked the pieces away, one by one...

Posing for one last picture before going inside. I think this is one of my favorites, ever.

She Stared...

2009-03-10T14:02:00.003-04:00

I've been on a bit of a hiatus. We're fine, just busy. The husband is now gone to CT without us and we're still stuck here. Boo hiss. I'll get back to regular blogging, shortly, but for now I want to share this.

Charlie and I were running errands yesterday, and of course, inevitably got caught at a red light. As we rolled to a stop, I(like I always do) checked the cars around me for carseats and boosters. There was an SUV that I couldn't see into, because it had a baby shade hanging from the rear window. But I knew there was a kid there, at least at some point. I noticed in the driver's seat a young mother, probably about my age. She wore hip sunglasses and looked tired. Charlie was singing along to his DVD and clapping. Generally making a fool of himself. :p I happened to glance in my mirror and saw the young mother take a good, long look at Charlie. She removed her sunglasses and put them on top of her head, all the while staring at him. She looked perplexed, and perhaps, amused. I'm sure she was thinking, 'why is that big boy still rear-facing? Doesn't his mother know that isn't safe?' At least that's what most people think that I talk to. I continued to watch her reactions and finally the light turned green. She pulled ahead and turned onto another street. I'm hoping she was going home to look up 'maximum age for rear-facing' on the internet. I doubt she did, though. I just hope that Charlie and I can lead by example. It's such a hard fight and we hardly ever win. People are not open to 'new' ideas. They are led to believe, by generations before them as well as their pediatricians, that you must turn your child forward-facing at one year and twenty pounds. Oh, how they are misinformed! But now I'm going off on a tangent. I just hope that by seeing Charlie(in one of his happy moments) rear-facing, that perhaps she might think about just a little more than she otherwise would have. If not for her own child, then someone else's.

And the winner is...

2009-02-24T20:44:00.004-05:00

Okay, so not one winner, but eight! Miss Hope over at The Edge was kind enough to gift me my first(second?) blog award:

Thank You!

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find friends and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships will be propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly- written text into the body of their award."

I am passing this award on to:

1. The Brady-Boy Blog

2. Following In My Shoes

3. Buddventures

4. Judecorp.

5. Just Another Day

6. Sara Joanna

7. Silly Me

8. A Simple Life

Don't forget to pass it on!

What's With The Naked Baby?

2009-02-22T07:00:00.002-05:00

Listen for 'muffin, fruit, hotdog, chicken, cheese, cookie, juice, apple, oh no, and boat."

The little 'dance' is what he does when he wants string cheese. Much funnier when he's standing, though. ;)

Moderately Inappropriate?

2009-02-20T07:00:00.003-05:00

My kid has always done some strange things. These newfound 'skills' are no exception. Here he demonstrates wearing 'bear bear' on his head. A fun, but also hazardous activity.

In this picture, he runs from me as a I chase him with a diaper. Not an uncommon occurence these days...

...Notice anything funny?...

"Bear bear' is hitching a ride. "Look Ma, no hands!"

As an aside, I'm sure he'll hate me one day for posting these 'moderately inappropriate' images on the WWW. ;)

Still Cloth Diapering

2009-02-19T07:00:00.002-05:00

How many of you thought I'd have given up by now? Be honest. Let's see a show of hands!

It's actually evolved into this huge thing. I have a system. A good system, if I do say so myself. I started out with one-size pocket diapers. They were easy. They were safe. Eventually I ventured into other types and found I like them better. This is how the last 20 months have looked for me:

One-size pockets

All-in-ones

All-in-twos

One-size fitteds

Prefolds

Wool

Turned & topstitched fitteds

All-in-twos(again)

See? I told you it has evolved! I'm pretty sure for the next baby I'll only be using prefolds, fitteds, and AI2's. Those just make my life easier.

To be completely honest with you, readers, sometimes *I* am surprised that I'm still cloth diapering. Usually it happens on a day when I'm(for the fifth time) plopping and rinsing poop into the toilet, while Charlie hovers under my arms saying, 'bye bye poo poos.' I'm not gonna lie. It is ALOT easier to stick my kid in a 'sposie and call it a day. But you know what? I don't like them. They smell. The tabs tear off. They weigh ten pounds after he pees in them once, and blow up like balloons. They pollute the Earth. AND THEY'RE UGLY!

So there you have it...my 'evolution' of cloth!

For Kelly and Brady!

2009-02-18T23:06:00.001-05:00

I couldn't get him to recreate it, but I did catch him asking for it...again and again and again. LOL His reactions during the song are pretty funny, too.

Blocks

2009-02-18T22:34:00.000-05:00

HOTDOG!

2009-02-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a story that our friends Kelly and Brady will love!

Every morning we get up and watch cartoons during breakfast. Occasionally, Charlie watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse instead of Thomas and Friends. ;) Yesterday we were watching MMCH and the 'hot dog' song came on. This one:

To our surprise, Charlie started singing along! "Hot dog, hot dog, hot dooooogggg..." It was so funny. Too bad I can't get him to re-create it for a video. :(

Random Cell Phone Pics

2009-02-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

I try to clear my phone out once a month, so here goes...

I love seeing this. I know my kiddo is safe. PS-It's his foot hanging over the side of his carseat. His favored position for car trips. :)

Through the window. Giggly boy.

His new favorite car ride hobby: ignoring my singing.

A balmy February day.

Having lunch at the zoo.

Mommy and Charlie on the zoo choo choo!

Sunset over Jacksonville...and rush hour traffic.

Walking the mall. We don't bother with the stroller much, anymore.

Another car ride

Scary picture of me. "I seeeeee intoooo your soooouuul."

Bored at CPST certification classes. ;)

My fake baby at CPST classes.

Charlie 'helping.'

That's all for this month. I have to say, I love my Canon SOOOOO much after seeing the horrible quality of these pics.

I LOVE this outfit!

2009-02-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Although our weather is far from 'leveling out,' we've had a couple of quite balmy days lately. The mornings start out chilly, though. In the a.m. you definitely need pants, but by the p.m., you're sweating if you don't have shorts. Bring on the Babylegs! Here's Charlie modeling one of his newere Gymbo outfits from the Rock On line. He's wearing flame babylegs underneath it, with his black Converse. :)

A Hat!

2009-02-15T07:00:00.002-05:00

If you read me regularly, you're no stranger to Charlie's obsession with hats. A few evenings ago during our bed playtime, Charlie spotted one of his diaper covers and held it to his head exclaiming, 'Hat!' I obliged him and he couldn't have been happier. He wore the thing for a solid half hour before I MADE him take it off. He wanted to walk with me to get the mail, and I refused to let him go outside with a diaper on his head. Mean Mommy!

Happy Hallmark Day!

2009-02-14T16:40:00.003-05:00

Here, Charlie is enjoying his celebratory breakfast cupcakes. Yes, breakfast. Yes, more than one. Bite me. ;)

I ran out of auto-publish :)

2009-02-05T19:49:00.002-05:00

If you've noticed, I've been doing a great job of posting most days thanks to my new friend 'auto-publish.' Alas, I've run out of posts and pictures. Can you believe it? So I guess I will just do a general run-down of what's been going on here.

The house is still on the market. We've not had one person look at it. Last weekend we had an open house and no one showed up except the realtor. It's also officially on the rental market, now. Any of you bubbleheads looking for a place should look into it. The Husband's official report date is March 11, but he'll be heading north the last week in February. This makes me sad for a couple reasons: The biggest is that my family will be separated for an unknown amount of time. The second is because he is leaving before my birthday, so I have to spend it alone. No dinner and a movie for me. :( But regardless, he has to leave, and we have to stay behind.

While The Husband is in CT, I'll be concentrating a few different things. The first of which is saving money/paying off debt. I really, really, reeeeeally would like to have another baby(sooner rather than later), but that involves having some extra cash. Right now, there is none, and I'm making it my goal to rectify that by 2010. So that is my first priority. My second is practicing my sewing. I was gifted a sewing machine for Christmas, and I really haven't had much of a chance to use it. Having some alone time at night will give me plenty of opportunities. Another thing I want to do is(continue to) clear the clutter. Anything I haven't used in the past year is finding a new home. We just have so much 'stuff,' and it's not making me any happier having it around. When we DO get to move, I'd like it to be as simple a process as possible.

Charlie is growing and developing every single day. He seems to have had another growth spurt. I think it actually occured in his legs this time. They look longer to me! He's signing new words and saying them, too. Every morning when I get him out of his bed, the first thing he says and signs is, 'EAT!' The boy is an eating machine and snacks constantly. It certainly doesn't interfere with regular mealtimes, either. I'm so amazed by that. Where does it all go? He's also cutting his eye teeth right now. Poor guy. But he's doing good with it, so I'm pleased.

Anyway, that's the latest 'round here. Pretty interesting stuff, huh? ;)

The Devil's Millhopper

2009-02-04T07:00:00.005-05:00

Last Saturday, we needed to get out of the house(for a very uneventful open house event) so we headed down to Devil's Millhopper State Geological Park in Florida. The husband had found it a few months ago, but it was not open the day he was there. We had a really great time and really wore Charlie out!

The main focus of the park is the sink hole. There are 236 steps down into the hole.

We saddled Charlie up for the ride down, otherwise it would've taken five years to get anywhere. ;)

Needle Palms are abundant in the park.

We decided to let Charlie walk back up as far as he would go. To our amazement he walked about 2/3 of the steps!

About half way up, he figured out he could hold onto the rail and actually 'walk.'

Coming up out of the sink hole, we started around the 1/2 mile nature trail.

Charlie ran ahead and was content to pick up stick, leaves, and Spanish moss.

We're on a bridge, Charlie!

After walking about 3/4 of the trail, he got tired and was ready for a snack. And he also wanted to be carried the rest of the way to the car. :)