grrr...

I botched the tomatoes.  very irritated. 

and my dishwasher is fried.

and my house is a mess.

:)

good morning

It is a good morning because I got to sleep all night.  Savannah went down at 10:30 or so and slept until 5:30!!!!!  I realize that posting this could very well jinx it, but I am so excited about the consecutive hours of sleep that I can't help myself.  I have not had that in over 2 months. {with the exception of one night when faustino fed her a bottle and i was too tired to hear them}  I credit it all to the miracle blanket.  I busted out the swaddle for the first time in a while... why did I stop??

It is also a good morning because it is raining.  It doesn't rain nearly often enough here for my liking - probably because I grew up in East Texas... where rain is more common.  It rained yesterday evening as well...there is hope yet for the garden.  And because it is raining?  I can open my kitchen window when I can tomatoes today.  Good thing because I think they have to be in the boiling water bath for over an hour and a half... and I don't have a vent-a-hood.  You would not believe how hot it gets in my kitchen!

Have a nice Tuesday!

the weekend

hello people who actually read this... {i often wonder, who cares? -- although it is a nice way to look back on things and see photos, etc} ...anyway, I hope you all had lovely weekends. I did...

Friday evening, Faustino and I went out with friends and his colleagues for an annual department graduation dinner. It was a dress up event, and of course, Stephanie-of-many-sizes had to borrow a dress from a sweet friend. Because, when you've had a baby 8 weeks ago, and are that child's source of nourishment, things don't always fit the way they did. plus, my rib cage and hips still seem wider. and I have a little pudge on my stomach. and my hips could stand to benefit from some lunges... but i digress, it was mainly just the whole, nothing fits me in a rated pg sort of way...  i really only have a few pounds to lose before i am back to normal... but quite a few pounds to lose before i feel like i can eat a jake's burger guilt free {now, I am still eating jake's burgers... just not guilt free :)}

so I borrowed a pretty dress. and earlier in the week, I had my hair cut and colored. THANK GOD. and I really love it.  much better than the last time!  It could be because I went to a different salon and stylist!

It is a nice haircut, but you can't see it in photos from the evening because I had already put my hair up...


It was also fun for me to go back to Colonial and see folks that worked in banquets when I was there... They have really spruced the place up... I could have sold the heck out of that place if they had done that when I was there... oh well.  The chipped paint and duct tape on the floor were endearing, right??  Or perhaps no one really noticed when all the candles were lit?  ahh... how glad I am that is over!

other nice things about the weekend??

I stumbled upon a really great sale at the gap and scored a bunch of shirts for $2.40.  God was good to me there as well, considering that I purged many shirts {shirts that were long overdue to be out of my closet} the weekend prior and started thinking... hmm.. what will I wear this summer??

and on Friday morning a sweet friend of mine came over to hold the bebe and allowed me to turn our organic garden into a non-organic garden.  We were sick of the stink bugs {or something that looked like them} sucking the life {literally} out of our tomatoes.  And after I dusted the tomatoes, I even got to take a quick shower, which perhaps spared my life by not leaving traces of poison on my skin. :)  So today, on Sunday, I still haven't seen any bugs...  which is good, because, I will be honest, the thing that drives me nuts about the outdoors is that I don't really like bugs.  I try to suppress this feeling because I don't want Ethan {or Savannah} to have negative feelings about bugs... but I do get the heebie geebies.

another wonderful thing?  it rained.  finally.

another great thing?  I made a new friend.  maybe 2... 

another thing that I {secretly} loved about this weekend?  Ethan didn't feel very well on Saturday...so if I overlooked the whining and crying {which I did} then I got lots of extra hugs and cuddles.  Mmm... so sweet from a boy who is moving too fast now to sit down and snuggle his mommy.   He seems to be all better now.  I hope it is clear I am not some crazy person who wants their kids to be sick.  I like them healthy...

I am also back to potty training in full force.  but have moved to a sticker reward system.  I couldn't seem to stop eating the potty treats.  It was a very bad temptation for me...  now, I do not worry about stealing his stickers... :) 

and the babeakins got along well.  that is my new name for my kiddos... it is how it sounds when Ethan says "baby kittens" with the strays next door {people - are you sure you don't want a kitten??}


and today?  i got locked out of the house... ahh... delightful.  luckily savannah had just eaten and slept inside the whole time.  and ethan was with me... and my cell phone was not {big mistake!} but my awesome neighbor was home... and I was able to remember my husbands phone number.  All in all it was about an hour outside... geez.  It might have been worse, but I got the grand idea to go inside and check on the baby when I saw a guy staring at us after he was digging through the dumpster behind my house and loading up his shopping cart.  {I think I am supposed to reflect fondly on these situations when residency is over - according to a few of the wives I have talked to...}  Anyway, do you memorize phone numbers anymore??  I think I need to commit a few to memory... and perhaps find a place for a hidden key.  hmmm... a very well hidden key.

and the hero of the weekend?  my mother-in-law.  She saved me with a spare key... she watched the kiddos for hours upon hours 3 different times this last week... she went to the store and got Ethan more pullups so we could continue without a break in toilet training.  Thank god for Sue.

So, i must go now... tidy up and get a good night's sleep.  I am determined to have the most productive week yet!  We'll see how that goes... I think I say that in my mind every Sunday evening...

last week, part 3

last week also started Savannah's introduction to the world of baby toys.  with Ethan, i had everything out and waiting for him... we "played" all the time.  Savannah, on the other hand, is just enjoying being along for the ride.  I thought I would see how she responded to the play mat, and to my surprise, she was so ready for it!  She's really gotten in the habit of cooing and smiling at me lately... and I feel like she's turned the corner on fussiness.  Let's hope I didn't speak too soon!





She also likes to snooze after she plays...



and then rewind over 2 years and this is Ethan... I had to explain to him that he got to play with this toy when he was a baby, and now it is Savannah's turn... I showed him this picture, and believe it or not, I think he "got" it.  And looking at this photo makes me SOOO happy we got a new camera!


whew! all done with last week!

part 2...

oh, for those who were wondering, we chose picture b...

but back to last week and the recreation of the disappearing post.

the other reason my last week, and now this week, has been sleepy??  I have been busy in the kitchen.  Produce doesn't seem to care what is going on in your life... when it is ripe, its ripe.  and then you have to pounce.  I've been busy after Ethan goes down for his nap/bedtime... last week I made jam, then pickles, then salsa.  And tonight I have more salsa to make and put up.  {but to keep it real - during the jam making, little baby sweet cheeks flipped out, and for those of you who have canned things, you know that she had to cry it out because mama was busy.  and her nightgown had berry finger prints all over it.  and i thought i was going to be shipped off to the loony bin}  Geez. 

The plus side?? at least I am caught up on the tivo'd episodes of my soap opera!!

In other news... Ethan has been interested in books lately.  More so than normal.  I really underestimated his attention span for the story, because he seems to prefer "baby" chapter books - the ones with pictures but lots of words...

and then there was this -- i was cooking dinner and i came into the living room and saw him reading this and had to get my camera.  seriously, i did not stage these photos!  Mama's don't let your babies grow up to be surgeons!





I kid you not, he "read" this for half an hour!!! What??

what happens when you are too busy to keep things updated? part 1

you end up with a bunch of random things in one post.  and then you manage to delete right before you post it?  {Kristen - perhaps this is a new reoccurring theme for me??}  well... let me just try to reproduce it...

I was recapping last week.  Which started off sleepy, was filled with projects, and ended nicely.

Started off sleepy because Savannah had croup.  Which really was no biggie, but didn't exactly help me out in the sleep department.  So we took her to the pediatrician, and on our way home, stopped by target to get Ethan big boy sheets because {drum roll, please} he has been sleeping in his big boy bed since June 7th!!  But I didn't want to post it for fear of jinxing it!

So... we let him pick out his own sheets {cringe} and he choose choo-choo train sheets.  So, he was excited... and I feel like I have my work cut out for me to make his room cute/complimentary to a girl's room/pulled together... oh well.  I am up for the challenge... a solid duvet cover will help - but is backordered until August!  And I need to make Savannah's bedding... oh the projects on my list!!!





But Ethan is happy, and that is what is important. Well, what's most important is that the transition went so smoothly!! {now potty training...grr...}

and you know what?? since my completed post vanished, I will just make this a 2 or 3 part series...  to be continued! 

help me!!

which one do you like better??

a: 


or b:



i need to know asap!!!

these are my thoughts... you can see more of savannah's face in picture a... but she is also being sassy and sticking out her tongue... in photo b, i like the composition of everyone's hands... i feel like it tells a nice story...

finished photo will be 16 x 24 and have the sepia finish...

please, i need help!  leave a comment!!!

i have my work cut out for me

several hours of this:




created this...




and sadly, this...


and now, I have to wait until the munchkins sleep so I can properly put them up.  wish me luck!

six week old savannah and please take a kitty...

sweet lovely is 6 weeks old today.  so big already!  not yet sleeping through the night {ethan was at 5 weeks!!} but is on a nice feeding schedule {finally!!} and eats roughly every 3 hours.

see how big and chunky she is?? 


for my own selfish record keeping motives - here are the 4 week stats that never made it to the blog:
weight:  10 lbs, 13.5 oz 
length:  23.5 inches
head circumference: 15 inches 

and so I remember for the next kiddo -
@ 2 weeks {9lbs, 4 oz} -- stopped wearing size nb diapers May 17th
@ 6 weeks {approx 11.5 lbs} -- stopped wearing size 1 diapers June 8
size 2 diapers already??? stop growing so fast little one!  it's breaking my heart!!!

and on another note entirely... do you know anybody who would like a kitty??  there are four cute kittens next door that need homes... because if no one takes them, they will grow into alley cats that make me angry and poop or sleep in the garden.  so please... take them!  they are just a week or two older than my baby...  and so cute.  i want one but faustino says no way... plus, i don't have an additional pair of eyes to make sure ethan doesn't love it to death. literally.  if I could pick one, it would be the gray one with dark paws... but I have a thing for cats that color...

I was either crazy or very brave

because I took the kiddos to the zoo. alone.  I had very low expectations for the day, but it all turned out well... i even took a few photos.  Ethan had his listening ears turned off and never responded to my requests for a smile.  bummer.  he was also very sad {i.e. threw a huge fit} to leave without feeding the birds, but it was time for Savannah to eat.  And I had no idea how to feed her without E being chained to a tree.   suggestions??

I really quit caring about how much he saw as well... it was like:  "Ethan there is the giraffe... oh, you just want to climb on the railing...okay, knock yourself out"  I am so glad we have a zoo membership so you can climb on the railings...


getting ready to go... look at those arms! 


sister was on her best behavior... made the whole trip possible. how else could we have kept up with big brother??


he was very interested... and wanted to touch the " 'mingo's" eye... i stopped that and probably saved his fingers...


touching the elephant's eye {do you see why i have to watch him around savannah?}  it isn't evil - just curiosity!!


his fascination with fences...


another railing


and another... at which point i said, forget the photos.  if he doesn't cooperate, no biggie.  at least he's not throwing a fit...

i have very high hopes of learning how to do this better... seriously, if you have suggestions, leave them in the comments section.

braum's

i wish someone had told me this a while back... so now i am telling you...

i love braum's.  i mean, like, in love with braum's like nothing i have ever known.  because of braum's i am actually saving $40 a month.  saving.

their milk is better and so much cheaper than the over processed organic ones... i did a little research on it, and folks, it isn't all that wonderful that your organic milk expires 2 months from when you buy it.  braum's milk even has more calcium in it than other milk.

i don't even like milk all that much, but i seem to drink it all the time now.  it tastes so much better... 

if you have a braum's and you are not buying their milk, you are CRAZY.  I wish I had known about this years ago.  I could have saved almost $500 last year had I known... just sayin'...

do you have a braum's?? are you in love too??

a bullet point list

::  Savannah is becoming quite the chunky monkey.  She has the loveliest, squishy thighs you can imagine.  could eat her -- she is so yummy.



::  right now on the diapering front we are switching between cloth diapers and disposables with rash cream.  miss priss knows how to go through the diapers quite quickly and it makes her rashy.  never had this issue with ethan... but definitely think that she is gaining more weight than big brother did.

:: speaking of diapers... what brand do you use??  I've been using pampers swaddlers... but have heard the dry max isn't good for rashy tushies... so, i went cheap and bought the target diapers...{i use them for Ethan who is quasi potty training}  But, today I found a huggies diaper {which i hated for big brother, but it fit her so nicely!} and loved it.  Something about the target diapers just doesn't absorb well...  I like cloth best, but let's be realistic here... we leave the house, we use rash cream... cloth only works about 75% of the time.

::  Ethan's naps are getting shorter.  Lord help me.

::  How in heaven's name do people take photos of both of their kids??  Geez, I find it impossible... but I will keep trying.  Perhaps after E's nap today.  See my failed attempt??



::  Yesterday we went to our friend's ranch and Faustino helped work cattle.  Would have been nice if I hadn't forgotten my camera.  Might have remembered it had i been better rested or didn't have a really cute baby screaming all morning.  We all had a very nice time...and...

::  Drove home from the farm in the Volvo sans a/c for the last time.  ever.  That's right, you won't have to deal with me complaining all summer long about how we don't have any cold air in the car.  You won't see me bringing a change of clothes places to change into once we arrive at our destination.  You won't see my poor sweaty babies in their car seats with the windows down driving down the highway on ozone action days.  This was to be the third summer with no a/c... thank god for the person who is making this happen.  I am already thinking about how life changing this is.

::  This is my one year anniversary of having the internet at our house.  yes, you read that correctly.   More life changing than the a/c...

::  I am going to finish the thankyou notes I have procrastinated... tonight.  I swear.

::  Braum's milk has changed my life.  Have I posted this before??  This little fact deserves its very own post.

::  Gumdrop pacifiers really are the most spectacular things.  ever.  especially the vanilla scented ones.  just because they are cooler.

::  My mother-in-law and I have built Ethan a little picnic table for the backyard... I will post pictures when it is painted... woodworking is fun.  Apparently I am too clueless to be discouraged... the knock off wood site is inspiring, i tell ya!

::  The garden is growing out of control but needs to be weeded desperately.  it gets all thirsty and sad in the middle of the day because the heat here is out. of. control.  and bugs are eating my lettuce.  the melon patch might take over the back of the yard when it is all said and done... cross your fingers.   it turns out the Ethan enjoys watermelon.  Perhaps tonight i will weed...?  At least the sunflowers like the heat!






::  Today, for the first time in nearly a year... I am wearing shorts I wore last summer.  I still have a ways to go...  I hate you maternity clothes, I hate you.

::  This week should be busy with lots of photo ops... should be fun.  Happy summer, everyone!

just keepin' it real

this could be a post with photos of my son baking cookies with me... I could have taken pictures of it.  you would have seen how delighted he was rolling the cookies in the sprinkles and dancing in front of the oven waiting for them to be done because he was "so hungry for cookies"

but that would not be keeping things real. 

i've talked to several friends who have blogs about this.  sometimes, we let the reader assume that things are a bit more peachy keen than they are.  you know? 

like, today for example.  savannah would not settle down.  not for anything.  i tried the sling, the bjorn, i nursed her extra {off schedule}, i changed her diaper, her outfit. we tried the bouncer, the swing, etc.  the best i could get was 5 minutes without "baby sister, crying.  baby sister, cranky"

and i had promised ethan we would bake this morning.  and use his sprinkles that grammy gave him. 

so, here it was, the morning had come and gone, and seriously was wasted.  and no baking.  so we baked cookies from a mix while savannah cried her head off in her cradle.  see?  that is what the pictures wouldn't show.  you might even think i had a baby that slept sweetly in the morning so that I could spend time with my son.  you might think that i had a surplus of spare time to bake, you know, after i had cooked and cleaned.  you would be wrong.  i baked out of guilt.  my child cried the whole time while the other one was happy.  so my guilty baking led to more guilt.  just thought i would post this to keep it real. 

{and sitting at the computer typing this is strictly an afternoon nursing activity - ethan has to be napping to nurse & type.  if i am not nursing, then i feel guilty wasting time in front of the computer.}