Today, my little man turned 4!!! It is hard to believe that it has been 4 years since he graced us with his arrival. We had a great day today with the family.
We went to lokomotion, which is a family fun park. It has go-carts, bumper boats, mini golf, laser tag, and arcade games. Blake had a blast "driving" the go-carts with his daddy. He told me, "We went faster fast." It has a cute little steering wheel on the passengers side that makes little ones believe they are driving, which he loved.
I think his favorite activity today though was the bumper boats. He just laughed and laughed and got to shoot the water squirter. It was a little chilly today though so we made the rule of no squirting each other even though mysteriously I ended up wet :)
After lokomotion, we headed back to the house for cookie cake and presents. Blake wasnt too fond of his cookie cake, but he did pick out the M&Ms and eat them. :) Blake got a lot of great gifts. I think he was very overwhelmed by all his new toys. As soon as we got him to open one he wanted to play with it and would forget about his other presents he had to open. We finally did make it through all his gifts, and after we were done it looked like Christmas had come early. I asked Blake several times what his favorite present was and it changed everytime so I know he likes all his presents :)
All in All it was a great day, but I am glad birthdays only come once a year because this little family is tired. :)
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Day 1 of lose that Baby weight
Today, is the first day I have returned to officially working out again. I had lost around 20lbs about 2 yrs ago with the wii fit, but after working at headstart and having a second baby I gained most of it back. So I am starting it back up again. I am hoping to lose around 20-25lbs and keeping it off this time.
I must say though I have tried alot of things to lose weight and I truly have had the most success with the Wii fit plus. My biggest problem is I get bored with my workouts and wii fit plus makes it where you can do something different everyday. It also keeps score of how well u did a certain activity so I always aim to try to beat my high score.
I also used sparkpeople.com to help track my calorie intake and this too was extremly helpful, but I am afraid having 2 kids now I am not going to have alot of time to do this, but I am thinking of starting a food journal. So what are some ways you all try to stay in shape? Any good tips, dvd, classes, Im up for anything so I dont get bored. :)
I must say though I have tried alot of things to lose weight and I truly have had the most success with the Wii fit plus. My biggest problem is I get bored with my workouts and wii fit plus makes it where you can do something different everyday. It also keeps score of how well u did a certain activity so I always aim to try to beat my high score.
I also used sparkpeople.com to help track my calorie intake and this too was extremly helpful, but I am afraid having 2 kids now I am not going to have alot of time to do this, but I am thinking of starting a food journal. So what are some ways you all try to stay in shape? Any good tips, dvd, classes, Im up for anything so I dont get bored. :)
Monday, October 24, 2011
Adalynn's 2 month birthday!
Today Adalynn is 2 months old. Time has certainly flown by. She has grown soo much and I am soo blessed that I get to stay at home and enjoy every minute of it.
Some milestones that have been reached are:
smiling (alot, she is such a happy baby)
cooing, especially when she sees herself in the mirror :)
swatting at hanging objects, her memaw got her a butterfly that hangs down from her playmat, and she constantly whacks that butterfly.
Milestones still working on:
rolling over, she can get to her side, but hasnt made it all the way over yet
Laughing, she did this once, but hasnt since that time
lifting trunk/head, during tummy time she just lays on her mat, and has no desire to do anything else :)
Things Adalynn likes:
Miracle Blanket, she will fuss until I wrap her up in her blanket and then she has the biggest smile on her face
Music, her little womb bear plays lullabys and she will calmly listen to it until it makes her fall asleep.
Gripe Water, I swear at night she will stare at me until I give her the gripe water and then she closes her eyes and goes to sleep :)
Blake (most days), she smiles at her big brother while he talks to her, one of the sweetest things I have seen, just melts my heart.
Things Adalynn doesnt like:
Her swing, she likes to be held until she is just about to fall asleep and then I can put her in the swing.
Tummy Time, she will tolerate it for a little while and then she lets me know that she is done.
Pack-n-play, we have tried a few times to get her to sleep in it, but she rather sleep next to me in her carseat, but that is fine with me I love her next to me. :)
Well, as you can see we have had a great first 2 months. I am excited to see what the next few months bring.
Some milestones that have been reached are:
smiling (alot, she is such a happy baby)
cooing, especially when she sees herself in the mirror :)
swatting at hanging objects, her memaw got her a butterfly that hangs down from her playmat, and she constantly whacks that butterfly.
Milestones still working on:
rolling over, she can get to her side, but hasnt made it all the way over yet
Laughing, she did this once, but hasnt since that time
lifting trunk/head, during tummy time she just lays on her mat, and has no desire to do anything else :)
Things Adalynn likes:
Miracle Blanket, she will fuss until I wrap her up in her blanket and then she has the biggest smile on her face
Music, her little womb bear plays lullabys and she will calmly listen to it until it makes her fall asleep.
Gripe Water, I swear at night she will stare at me until I give her the gripe water and then she closes her eyes and goes to sleep :)
Blake (most days), she smiles at her big brother while he talks to her, one of the sweetest things I have seen, just melts my heart.
Things Adalynn doesnt like:
Her swing, she likes to be held until she is just about to fall asleep and then I can put her in the swing.
Tummy Time, she will tolerate it for a little while and then she lets me know that she is done.
Pack-n-play, we have tried a few times to get her to sleep in it, but she rather sleep next to me in her carseat, but that is fine with me I love her next to me. :)
Well, as you can see we have had a great first 2 months. I am excited to see what the next few months bring.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Slumber Party
So tonight I thought it would be fun to have a slumber party with the kids. Jeff was having to work a late night so I decided to let Blake sleep with me and we would watch UP. Well, what a mistake that turned out to be.
Adalynn went to sleep pretty quickly, but Blake constantly talked and jumped around on my bed. I gave him warning after warning. I told him if he didnt stop jumping around and talking then he would have to go back to his room. Well, I guess he didnt believe me (maybe because I gave him like 20 warnings) but right now he is in his room crying and pounding on the door. I have never seen a child that constantly pushes the limits as much as he does. Of course, I do blame myself for this because I constantly will just give him warnings and then not follow through with the punishment. I am however, getting better at this because I dont want my child to be a brat that all the neighbors talk about.
One of my biggest concerns with Blake is his lack of obeying rules. When I tell him not to do something he just laughs and does it anyway. Then it just makes me more mad and I end up losing my patience with him. I want my son to be well-behaved, but sometimes I literally feel like I am going to pull my hair out with him.
So Jeff and I are doing some tough love with Blake, and it has been hard, but we are making progress. Blake use to get mad and hit me and the pass few times he has controlled himself and not hit me when he got upset because he knows he will get sent to his room and a toy will be taken away. I couldnt help but feel like it was finally sinking in with him when I saw this reaction from him the other day.
I know when it comes to being a parent that it is not all lollipops and gum drops, but I do have to admit I am ready for some happier days with Blake.
Adalynn went to sleep pretty quickly, but Blake constantly talked and jumped around on my bed. I gave him warning after warning. I told him if he didnt stop jumping around and talking then he would have to go back to his room. Well, I guess he didnt believe me (maybe because I gave him like 20 warnings) but right now he is in his room crying and pounding on the door. I have never seen a child that constantly pushes the limits as much as he does. Of course, I do blame myself for this because I constantly will just give him warnings and then not follow through with the punishment. I am however, getting better at this because I dont want my child to be a brat that all the neighbors talk about.
One of my biggest concerns with Blake is his lack of obeying rules. When I tell him not to do something he just laughs and does it anyway. Then it just makes me more mad and I end up losing my patience with him. I want my son to be well-behaved, but sometimes I literally feel like I am going to pull my hair out with him.
So Jeff and I are doing some tough love with Blake, and it has been hard, but we are making progress. Blake use to get mad and hit me and the pass few times he has controlled himself and not hit me when he got upset because he knows he will get sent to his room and a toy will be taken away. I couldnt help but feel like it was finally sinking in with him when I saw this reaction from him the other day.
I know when it comes to being a parent that it is not all lollipops and gum drops, but I do have to admit I am ready for some happier days with Blake.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The Joys of Adalynn
I must admit when I found out I was having a girl I was very nervous. For one, my husband had me convinced he only produced boys. So I always had it in my head that I would have 2 rowdy boys. Also, for as long as I can remember I have always just clicked better with little boys. In my classes that I taught it was usually the little boys that I liked best. So my biggest concern when I was told that I was pregnant with a girl was that I wouldnt be as good of a mom to her as I am to Blake.
However, since I have now been a mom to a little girl for nearly 2 months now I must say that all my fears and concerns were literally just crazy. She is absolute joy and I cant imagine my life without my precious princess. I feel like I am just as good of a mom to her as I am to Blake, and actually I feel like I am actually better because poor Blake being my first has basically been my guinea pig.
Adalynn is a very mellow baby for the most part. She basically only cries when she needs something. She loves being held and talked too, but she is fine with just being in her swing or playing on her activity mat.
She smiles all the time. She loves when Blake talks to her and lights up when he is around her. I love seeing both of them being soo fond of each other already because I was afraid he would be super jealous of her, but he is the best big brother. I know when she starts high school I am going to have a great spy on my team to make sure his sister is making good choices. :)
So I could not be happier that God blessed me with a little girl. I know God gives you what you need and I definitely needed Adalynn. :)
However, since I have now been a mom to a little girl for nearly 2 months now I must say that all my fears and concerns were literally just crazy. She is absolute joy and I cant imagine my life without my precious princess. I feel like I am just as good of a mom to her as I am to Blake, and actually I feel like I am actually better because poor Blake being my first has basically been my guinea pig.
Adalynn is a very mellow baby for the most part. She basically only cries when she needs something. She loves being held and talked too, but she is fine with just being in her swing or playing on her activity mat.
She smiles all the time. She loves when Blake talks to her and lights up when he is around her. I love seeing both of them being soo fond of each other already because I was afraid he would be super jealous of her, but he is the best big brother. I know when she starts high school I am going to have a great spy on my team to make sure his sister is making good choices. :)
So I could not be happier that God blessed me with a little girl. I know God gives you what you need and I definitely needed Adalynn. :)
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Potty Training
I hate to admit this, but I am having a heck of a time with this potty training thing. There are some days I think Blake is really making progress and then the next day it is like we are starting all over again.
I have tried pull ups, which he just saw as another diaper. He had no problem just going in them. I tried having him in big boy underwear, and on a good day I might only have to change him twice, but lately we go through several pairs. I even tried no underwear, and that really didnt work, he would just pee all over the place, like an untrained dog.
My mom suggested throwing cheerios or fruit loops and letting him aim for them in the toilet, or putting blue food coloring in the toilet so when he goes in the potty it would turn green. Basically making a game out of it.
As of right now, I am taking toys away if he goes in his pants and giving toys back if he goes in the potty. I have tried rewards and punishments and it really seems like nothing works. I am really thinking Adalynn might be potty trained before him. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am really sick of changing a nearly 4 yr old.
I have tried pull ups, which he just saw as another diaper. He had no problem just going in them. I tried having him in big boy underwear, and on a good day I might only have to change him twice, but lately we go through several pairs. I even tried no underwear, and that really didnt work, he would just pee all over the place, like an untrained dog.
My mom suggested throwing cheerios or fruit loops and letting him aim for them in the toilet, or putting blue food coloring in the toilet so when he goes in the potty it would turn green. Basically making a game out of it.
As of right now, I am taking toys away if he goes in his pants and giving toys back if he goes in the potty. I have tried rewards and punishments and it really seems like nothing works. I am really thinking Adalynn might be potty trained before him. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am really sick of changing a nearly 4 yr old.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Leslie's Favorites
As I have mentioned before I love finding new products and trying them out so I decided to share some of my favorite baby products.
1. The Miracle Blanket- As I said in another post this is the best swaddling blanket, and I have tried quite a few. Adalynn has not gotten extremely fussy since I started using it.
2. Boppy- You can use it for feedings, snuggle time, and floor time
3. Fisherprice Rainforest Open Top Take-along swing- We bought this when we had Blake and it is great for traveling. It folds up and is small enough where it doesnt take up a lot of room.
4. Fisherprice Rainforest Activity Mat- It is very colorful and plays songs and rainforest sounds. Both kids have really enjoyed playing on it.
5. Bumbo- Although it has been recalled I still love this product. It allows little ones to be able to sit up right and get to experience their surroundings from a different angle. On a side note, Bumbo is not intended to be placed on high surfaces, keep it on the floor.
6. Infant Carrier(carseat)- I put this on my list because without it both of my children would never sleep. Blake started off sleeping in his carseat and so has Adalynn.
7. Basic Nursing Bras(found at target)- They are soo comfortable that I can even wear them to bed.
8. Eddie Bauer pack-n-play- I love this one because it comes with a changing table, bassinet, canopy, diaper organizer, and a lullaby machine. Plus it is easy to put together and pack away.
9. Womb Bear- I cant remember its official name, but it is a teddy bear that makes the sound of the womb. We used it at the hospital and when Adalynn would start to get fussy we would turn it on and she would instantly calm down. It also plays music and nature sounds for when the babies get older.
10. Sassy scented travel diaper bags- This is a great product for anyone traveling with babies or toddlers. It is just a little blue bag, big enough for one diaper and it is scented so if you arent near a trashcan while traveling, or if you are visiting a friend's house the poopy diaper smell is concealed.
So there you have it, some of the best products I have tried. :)
1. The Miracle Blanket- As I said in another post this is the best swaddling blanket, and I have tried quite a few. Adalynn has not gotten extremely fussy since I started using it.
2. Boppy- You can use it for feedings, snuggle time, and floor time
3. Fisherprice Rainforest Open Top Take-along swing- We bought this when we had Blake and it is great for traveling. It folds up and is small enough where it doesnt take up a lot of room.
4. Fisherprice Rainforest Activity Mat- It is very colorful and plays songs and rainforest sounds. Both kids have really enjoyed playing on it.
5. Bumbo- Although it has been recalled I still love this product. It allows little ones to be able to sit up right and get to experience their surroundings from a different angle. On a side note, Bumbo is not intended to be placed on high surfaces, keep it on the floor.
6. Infant Carrier(carseat)- I put this on my list because without it both of my children would never sleep. Blake started off sleeping in his carseat and so has Adalynn.
7. Basic Nursing Bras(found at target)- They are soo comfortable that I can even wear them to bed.
8. Eddie Bauer pack-n-play- I love this one because it comes with a changing table, bassinet, canopy, diaper organizer, and a lullaby machine. Plus it is easy to put together and pack away.
9. Womb Bear- I cant remember its official name, but it is a teddy bear that makes the sound of the womb. We used it at the hospital and when Adalynn would start to get fussy we would turn it on and she would instantly calm down. It also plays music and nature sounds for when the babies get older.
10. Sassy scented travel diaper bags- This is a great product for anyone traveling with babies or toddlers. It is just a little blue bag, big enough for one diaper and it is scented so if you arent near a trashcan while traveling, or if you are visiting a friend's house the poopy diaper smell is concealed.
So there you have it, some of the best products I have tried. :)
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Watching the clock
Adalynn was born 7 weeks ago, and since that time I have felt like my life revolves around watching the clock. Let me give you a glimpse of what I mean.
Today is Thursday, Well, at 3 am Adalynn starts to stir which I know this means that I have about 3 minutes to go to the bathroom, get all her stuff ready for her to be changed and then on my boob for her night feeding before she starts screaming bloody murder. At around 3:45 Adalynn is done and back in bed, and at this time I calculate in my head, "ok, so now her next feeding will be around 7:15, and if I fall alseep right now I can almost get 3 hrs before my alarm goes off at 6."
The sound of the alarm wakes me up at 6 on the dot. I roll over, and think " ok, if I wear my hair in a ponytail, I can sleep for another 20 to 30 minutes. So I choose to do this, so now I wake up at 6:30 and begin to get ready, but now I am really in turbo mode because I need to wake Blake up and get him ready to go to his speech class no later than 7:00.
So now comes the task of getting Blake ready, I enter his room and start stripping him down telling him we have to hurry and get ready for "school" which is what we call his speech class. Of course, he cant make it easy, " I dont want to take my pants off." " I dont want to put my shoes on." All while I am looking at the clock thinking ok I have 15 minutes before Adalynn is going to be up and hungry. Finally, Blake is dressed and eating breakfast.
So now it is time to deal with Adalynn, at about 7:15 I get her up and change her diaper and put her in her going out outfit. I know as soon as the clothes begin to get put on she is going to be mad so again it is a race against the clock. It is now 7:20 and I begin feeding her, of course she decides to be difficult as well, and keeps falling asleep during the process. I really needed her to nurse well so I wouldnt have to do it at Blake's therapy session because I am still not real comfortable breastfeeding in public. So now it is 7:45 and this is as long as I can go now before I have to finish getting myself ready.
I always stay in my pjs until right at the very end because I have learned that if I get on my going out clothes Adalynn will make sure she spits up on them. So now it is 10 til 8 and I am picking out what to wear and putting it on, and of course Blake comes in at this time and says, "Mom, I need my pull-up changed" (yes, we still have not mastered the potty yet), "What?" I didnt plan for this, this is now going to throw off my whole schedule. It is now 7:55 and I am changing his pull up in lightening speed. I glance at the clock and it is now 7:57 when i finish with him. That means I have 3 minutes to put my hair up in a pony tail and get out the door by 8.
7:58 my hair is up, but looking pretty rough, and now I have to get Adalynn and Blake in their carseats and be on the road by 8. Well, I strap Adalynn in her infant carrier, and holler at Blake to move his legs, and out the door we are with no time to spare.
So as you can see, the clock and I have become fast friends and enemies. I never thought my life would ever have to revolve soo much around the clock, but as most parents know schedule and routine are what children crave. So as much as I would like to go with the flow sometimes you have to live by the clock. :)
Today is Thursday, Well, at 3 am Adalynn starts to stir which I know this means that I have about 3 minutes to go to the bathroom, get all her stuff ready for her to be changed and then on my boob for her night feeding before she starts screaming bloody murder. At around 3:45 Adalynn is done and back in bed, and at this time I calculate in my head, "ok, so now her next feeding will be around 7:15, and if I fall alseep right now I can almost get 3 hrs before my alarm goes off at 6."
The sound of the alarm wakes me up at 6 on the dot. I roll over, and think " ok, if I wear my hair in a ponytail, I can sleep for another 20 to 30 minutes. So I choose to do this, so now I wake up at 6:30 and begin to get ready, but now I am really in turbo mode because I need to wake Blake up and get him ready to go to his speech class no later than 7:00.
So now comes the task of getting Blake ready, I enter his room and start stripping him down telling him we have to hurry and get ready for "school" which is what we call his speech class. Of course, he cant make it easy, " I dont want to take my pants off." " I dont want to put my shoes on." All while I am looking at the clock thinking ok I have 15 minutes before Adalynn is going to be up and hungry. Finally, Blake is dressed and eating breakfast.
So now it is time to deal with Adalynn, at about 7:15 I get her up and change her diaper and put her in her going out outfit. I know as soon as the clothes begin to get put on she is going to be mad so again it is a race against the clock. It is now 7:20 and I begin feeding her, of course she decides to be difficult as well, and keeps falling asleep during the process. I really needed her to nurse well so I wouldnt have to do it at Blake's therapy session because I am still not real comfortable breastfeeding in public. So now it is 7:45 and this is as long as I can go now before I have to finish getting myself ready.
I always stay in my pjs until right at the very end because I have learned that if I get on my going out clothes Adalynn will make sure she spits up on them. So now it is 10 til 8 and I am picking out what to wear and putting it on, and of course Blake comes in at this time and says, "Mom, I need my pull-up changed" (yes, we still have not mastered the potty yet), "What?" I didnt plan for this, this is now going to throw off my whole schedule. It is now 7:55 and I am changing his pull up in lightening speed. I glance at the clock and it is now 7:57 when i finish with him. That means I have 3 minutes to put my hair up in a pony tail and get out the door by 8.
7:58 my hair is up, but looking pretty rough, and now I have to get Adalynn and Blake in their carseats and be on the road by 8. Well, I strap Adalynn in her infant carrier, and holler at Blake to move his legs, and out the door we are with no time to spare.
So as you can see, the clock and I have become fast friends and enemies. I never thought my life would ever have to revolve soo much around the clock, but as most parents know schedule and routine are what children crave. So as much as I would like to go with the flow sometimes you have to live by the clock. :)
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Miracle Blanket
I have to say I am a sucker for baby products and love looking over the internet for neat products to make a mom's life easier. So as I was googling baby products I ran across this website miracleblanket.com and found the most amazing swaddling blanket ever.
Adalynn loves to be swaddled, but most of her blankets she could either get out of, or they werent snug enough for her. So this website claimed that babies couldnt get out of their blankets and it would reduce or eliminate fussiness. Well Adalynn has a fussy period almost everyday where she just cries and wants to be held, so I thought well what the heck I will order the blanket and put their claims to the test ( which they also guarantee with money back if not satisified).
Well last night was our first experience with the new swaddling blanket and I have to say so far I give it an A+. When her fussy time started I whipped out that blanket and instead of hours of non-stop crying I had maybe 10 minutes and then silence! WOW! it really is the miracle blanket. It also seems to help her fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. I highly recommend this product, A must have for any new parent. Now if I could only find a product to help keep her paci for falling out of her mouth since I have already gotten up about 20 times since I started writing this blog post. :)
Adalynn loves to be swaddled, but most of her blankets she could either get out of, or they werent snug enough for her. So this website claimed that babies couldnt get out of their blankets and it would reduce or eliminate fussiness. Well Adalynn has a fussy period almost everyday where she just cries and wants to be held, so I thought well what the heck I will order the blanket and put their claims to the test ( which they also guarantee with money back if not satisified).
Well last night was our first experience with the new swaddling blanket and I have to say so far I give it an A+. When her fussy time started I whipped out that blanket and instead of hours of non-stop crying I had maybe 10 minutes and then silence! WOW! it really is the miracle blanket. It also seems to help her fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. I highly recommend this product, A must have for any new parent. Now if I could only find a product to help keep her paci for falling out of her mouth since I have already gotten up about 20 times since I started writing this blog post. :)
Intro
Hi, and welcome to my blog. I am new to the blogging community, but have read quite a few. So a little about me. My name is Leslie and I am 27 years old with two beautiful children. I have a nearly four year old boy, and a 7 week old girl.
I am a stay at home mom as of right now, and on most days love it, but of course like all parents I have those days that I want to pull my hair out and lock myself in my room until all the craziness in my life dies down.
This blog will basically be a way for me to share my wonderful crazy journey of being a stay at home parent. So come join the ride.
I am a stay at home mom as of right now, and on most days love it, but of course like all parents I have those days that I want to pull my hair out and lock myself in my room until all the craziness in my life dies down.
This blog will basically be a way for me to share my wonderful crazy journey of being a stay at home parent. So come join the ride.
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