Here are some photos I took of the girls for my Photography class.
Sisters!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Horse Farm
Sunday we visited some friends on their horse farm. Stella loved it. However, she kept asking, "Where's the chickens? And the rooster?" Just not completely satisfied with the 3 horses and 1 dog. Funny girl.
Do you think she had a good time? She was wiped out!!
FUN DAY!Sunday, September 27, 2009
More Florida
I've uploaded all of our Florida photos to Shutterfly. Here's our website http://thewadesphotos.shutterfly.com/. Email me if you need the password.
Stella LOVED Aunt Kay's Pool:
Charlotte did a lot of napping on the beach and poolside:
Cutey Pie:
Stella and Papa Kenny found a Baby Lizard on his balcony:
Charlotte did a lot of napping on the beach and poolside:Cutey Pie:
Stella and Papa Kenny found a Baby Lizard on his balcony:Thursday, September 24, 2009
Florida!
We just got home from Florida tonight. We spent Friday-Sunday with my aunt, uncle and cousins in Tarpon Springs, FL. Then we drove to Ft. Lauderdale and stayed with my dad until today. Trip was great! Here's a sneak-peek at the photos. More to come soon.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Weighing on My Mind
This is a VERY touchy topic with many women…but, here's my story.
Let's go back to January 2002 when Andy and I lived in Nashville. I was 25 years old and about to do what I never thought I would have to do…I was about to outgrow my size 10 pants and have to go, yet again, another size up. My body frame should not be a size 12 (some should). More importantly, I didn’t feel very healthy and I had high cholesterol. I was never really into exercising on a consistent basis. I tried every diet out there (what woman hasn't?). I LOVED food. And food was my filler – when I was bored, when I was sad, when I was happy…it just added to any emotion I had. I knew something had to change.
Friends of ours had just tried Weight Watchers with great success. They explained the concept and Andy and I thought we'd give it a try. The one thing I will say is that we truly had set a goal to make it a lifestyle change, not just another diet. If you are not aware of the Weight Watchers concept (first, where have you been??), the idea is that each food is worth a certain amount of points (based upon calories, fat & fiber) and you only get a specified amount of points each day based upon your weight. (There are updates to the program now, but that's not the point of this mind-dump.) There are zero point items like carrot sticks. There are 5 point items like M&Ms. My daily maximum was 21-23 points. So I COULD have M&Ms, but that was a huge chunk of my daily points.
The first few weeks, I was starving. I won't lie. I was SO HUNGRY. All diets say it takes your stomach a few weeks to "shrink" back to a "normal" size. I will say this is true. But although I was hungry, I actually felt better. I had more energy. See I still wanted to keep my food filler and be able to eat snacks, etc. So I ate a lot of zero and 1-point foods which happen to be mainly fruits and vegetables. So I was eating much healthier and starting to focus on portion control. I COULD eat potato chips, but only 12 of them…not half the bag.
Did this work? YES! Andy and I stuck to it and were successful. Do we follow it today? Not completely. We have more treats than before, but still stick to portion control. Every morning I still have 1 cup of cereal with ½ cup of milk and 4 oz. of orange juice. I still have a 10 AM and 3 PM 2-3 point snack. I try to pack my lunch. At dinner, Andy and I usually split one chicken breast or pork chop. I measure my pasta and sauce. Little quirks still live with me. I check the calories, fat & fiber of most foods. I allow myself to eat whatever I want between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Have I gained some weight back since 2002? Absolutely! Especially since I LOVE sweets. However, I only eat a few bites now and I've started exercising consistently.
In all of this, what's "weighing" on my mind today is people's reactions to my weight loss. After losing the initial weight Andy and I did start exercising when we moved to Birmingham. We biked and ran. That helped keep off the pounds even when we ate more. We felt great. That was the important part. I never had a goal clothing size. I just wanted to feel physically fit when I got pregnant. However, as a result of this, I was the smallest size I'd ever been in my life. (You're asking, "what size?" aren't you??) A size 4 – more fitting for my body structure.
Some friends, family and acquaintances were surprised when we returned to Cincinnati "less" than we were before (Andy also lost some weight – about 40 lbs!). Immediate reactions from many included, "You're too skinny. You need to eat more. Are you starving yourself?" (Don't get me wrong – some choose the crash-diet route and do in fact swing the opposite way and lose TOO much weight – again, not my point here.) When I ordered at a restaurant, the waiter/waitress would say, "Is that all you want?" And finding appropriate and not outrageously expensive work clothing in my new size was near impossible.
And when I got pregnant…wow! People say the strangest things. I was constantly asked, "Are you gaining enough?", "Don't you know you're eating for two?" and "Is your baby getting enough food?" My doctor thought I was doing great. She talked about the misconceptions about how much weight you should really gain when pregnant. She told me I was the "poster child" for perfect pregnancy weight gain and it made me proud.
We live in a supersized world with most people being overweight. Why can we not celebrate when people are healthy and fit? When people take care of themselves?
That is why I began volunteering with the nonprofit group Girls on the Run. I want young girls to know that it is in fact ok to be healthy and fit. (The focus should be more on that than the weight number itself.) See opposite of being made fun of for being fat (which I never was), I was now being made fun of for being skinny. Something I NEVER thought would occur. It was so interesting to me.
If you are not familiar with Girls on the Run, check out our local website. It's www.gotrcincinnati.org. I am passionate about this organization. If you have a daughter, look into this program. Also, be sure to visit Dove's website and watch both the Onslaught and the Evolution videos:
http://www.dove.us/#/features/videos/videogallery.aspx/ Onslaught and Evolution
As women, we must continue to fight the negative talk about body image. We must emphasize healthy choices. We must not focus on weight. I have been on both sides. It's been an interesting and eye-opening thing for me. I want Stella and Charlotte to be comfortable in their bodies. Yes, I still have the Bucher butt and the Gleason thighs. Those things will never go away. But I'm active and healthy. I make good food choices that impact my energy levels. Do I know what I weigh? Honestly, I don't. I haven't been on a scale since my 38-week dr. appointment before Charlotte was born.
You could be reading this saying, "Easy for her to say, she lost her weight." Don't focus on that. It truly was a result of changing my eating habits and exercising more. I know other women that did the same thing and didn't lose as much. However, they still feel better. That's what it's all about. Some of you say, "I eat like crap and feel just fine." That also is your choice. But in the long run, I don't believe it will keep working.
Ah. I feel much lighter now!
Let's go back to January 2002 when Andy and I lived in Nashville. I was 25 years old and about to do what I never thought I would have to do…I was about to outgrow my size 10 pants and have to go, yet again, another size up. My body frame should not be a size 12 (some should). More importantly, I didn’t feel very healthy and I had high cholesterol. I was never really into exercising on a consistent basis. I tried every diet out there (what woman hasn't?). I LOVED food. And food was my filler – when I was bored, when I was sad, when I was happy…it just added to any emotion I had. I knew something had to change.
Friends of ours had just tried Weight Watchers with great success. They explained the concept and Andy and I thought we'd give it a try. The one thing I will say is that we truly had set a goal to make it a lifestyle change, not just another diet. If you are not aware of the Weight Watchers concept (first, where have you been??), the idea is that each food is worth a certain amount of points (based upon calories, fat & fiber) and you only get a specified amount of points each day based upon your weight. (There are updates to the program now, but that's not the point of this mind-dump.) There are zero point items like carrot sticks. There are 5 point items like M&Ms. My daily maximum was 21-23 points. So I COULD have M&Ms, but that was a huge chunk of my daily points.
The first few weeks, I was starving. I won't lie. I was SO HUNGRY. All diets say it takes your stomach a few weeks to "shrink" back to a "normal" size. I will say this is true. But although I was hungry, I actually felt better. I had more energy. See I still wanted to keep my food filler and be able to eat snacks, etc. So I ate a lot of zero and 1-point foods which happen to be mainly fruits and vegetables. So I was eating much healthier and starting to focus on portion control. I COULD eat potato chips, but only 12 of them…not half the bag.
Did this work? YES! Andy and I stuck to it and were successful. Do we follow it today? Not completely. We have more treats than before, but still stick to portion control. Every morning I still have 1 cup of cereal with ½ cup of milk and 4 oz. of orange juice. I still have a 10 AM and 3 PM 2-3 point snack. I try to pack my lunch. At dinner, Andy and I usually split one chicken breast or pork chop. I measure my pasta and sauce. Little quirks still live with me. I check the calories, fat & fiber of most foods. I allow myself to eat whatever I want between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Have I gained some weight back since 2002? Absolutely! Especially since I LOVE sweets. However, I only eat a few bites now and I've started exercising consistently.
In all of this, what's "weighing" on my mind today is people's reactions to my weight loss. After losing the initial weight Andy and I did start exercising when we moved to Birmingham. We biked and ran. That helped keep off the pounds even when we ate more. We felt great. That was the important part. I never had a goal clothing size. I just wanted to feel physically fit when I got pregnant. However, as a result of this, I was the smallest size I'd ever been in my life. (You're asking, "what size?" aren't you??) A size 4 – more fitting for my body structure.
Some friends, family and acquaintances were surprised when we returned to Cincinnati "less" than we were before (Andy also lost some weight – about 40 lbs!). Immediate reactions from many included, "You're too skinny. You need to eat more. Are you starving yourself?" (Don't get me wrong – some choose the crash-diet route and do in fact swing the opposite way and lose TOO much weight – again, not my point here.) When I ordered at a restaurant, the waiter/waitress would say, "Is that all you want?" And finding appropriate and not outrageously expensive work clothing in my new size was near impossible.
And when I got pregnant…wow! People say the strangest things. I was constantly asked, "Are you gaining enough?", "Don't you know you're eating for two?" and "Is your baby getting enough food?" My doctor thought I was doing great. She talked about the misconceptions about how much weight you should really gain when pregnant. She told me I was the "poster child" for perfect pregnancy weight gain and it made me proud.
We live in a supersized world with most people being overweight. Why can we not celebrate when people are healthy and fit? When people take care of themselves?
That is why I began volunteering with the nonprofit group Girls on the Run. I want young girls to know that it is in fact ok to be healthy and fit. (The focus should be more on that than the weight number itself.) See opposite of being made fun of for being fat (which I never was), I was now being made fun of for being skinny. Something I NEVER thought would occur. It was so interesting to me.
If you are not familiar with Girls on the Run, check out our local website. It's www.gotrcincinnati.org. I am passionate about this organization. If you have a daughter, look into this program. Also, be sure to visit Dove's website and watch both the Onslaught and the Evolution videos:
http://www.dove.us/#/features/videos/videogallery.aspx/ Onslaught and Evolution
As women, we must continue to fight the negative talk about body image. We must emphasize healthy choices. We must not focus on weight. I have been on both sides. It's been an interesting and eye-opening thing for me. I want Stella and Charlotte to be comfortable in their bodies. Yes, I still have the Bucher butt and the Gleason thighs. Those things will never go away. But I'm active and healthy. I make good food choices that impact my energy levels. Do I know what I weigh? Honestly, I don't. I haven't been on a scale since my 38-week dr. appointment before Charlotte was born.
You could be reading this saying, "Easy for her to say, she lost her weight." Don't focus on that. It truly was a result of changing my eating habits and exercising more. I know other women that did the same thing and didn't lose as much. However, they still feel better. That's what it's all about. Some of you say, "I eat like crap and feel just fine." That also is your choice. But in the long run, I don't believe it will keep working.
Ah. I feel much lighter now!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Shopping Success Part 2
Some of you out there have asked if it's really worth shopping the Mother's Exchange Sales. Well, decide for yourself. Here's what I got yesterday for $66:
Angel Fish Rocker ($5)
Gas Pump ($2)
For Stella:
2 Christmas/holiday PJs
3 2-piece fall sets
1 3-piece PJs
1 Sweatshirt
3 Pairs of jeans
3 Pairs of fall pants
3 Pairs of sweat pants
5 Long-sleeve fall/Halloween/holiday shirts
8 Long-sleeve shirts
For Charlotte:
2 1-piece fall sets
1 Pair of pants
1 Sweater
2 Halloween shirts
So that's basically $59 for 37 pieces of clothing! Most of the brands were Gymboree, Children's Place, Carter's and Gap. A few things were Old Navy and Sonoma. You do have to wait in line, put up with the crowds and dig through clothes. That's not for everyone. But it's TOTALLY worth it for me!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Shopping Success
The Mother's Exchange Sale was a great success for me today. I could have shopped even longer had we not had a hair appointment for Stella. I had been wanting one of these Angel Fish Rockers...and now we have one. It was a great "catch" - ha ha. I got it for $5!! Stella LOVES it.
I also found her this gas pump for $2. She wanted to be just like mommy and put gas in her car. She did this for about 30 minutes. At one point she got tired of standing and decided to just sit down (see below).
Friday, September 11, 2009
The In-Betweeners
This topic hit me about a month ago while talking to another In-Betweener and I've hesitated on putting my thoughts together and posting about it. Some of you are NOT going to like this one. Remember, it's one girl's opinion.
As most of you know, there is a never-ending battle (whether you agree with it or not) between stay at home moms (SAHM) and work outside of the home moms (WOHM). Go to any mommy message board and it can be brutal. Both sides can be extremely opinionated about the other and the choices women make today. However, I have noticed that the WOHMs typically HAVE to work in order to provide the basics – the house, the cars, and the food on the table. (Could they downgrade to cheaper apartment living and drive older cars? Sure. But that's not the point I'm going to make. I'm talking about the women that don't work just for the "extras" as I'll describe in a moment.)
So I think I'm an In-Betweener. I don't HAVE to work. (Although Andy may disagree!) If we chose to, I know we could make it on one salary. Would we give up A LOT? Yep. But I'd have to admit the things we'd give up would be niceties, the "extras". Cable (we get all the channels). Dinners out. Housecleaning. The ability to host things we absolutely love like cookouts with friends, our Annual Wade Picnic and our Annual Holiday Open House. The ability to support multiple local charities. Vacations. Swim Lessons. Photography classes. And we'd give up material purchases/projects we've been able to do over the past couple of years – a new master closet, the treadmill, the front porch, and the patio for example. And selfishly, I enjoy dinner out with the girls once a month, a facial/manicure/pedicure a couple times a year and lunch out with co-workers every couple of weeks. Those things would probably go as well or really be downgraded.
Do I spend frivolously? Absolutely not. Those that know me well, know I am a frugal person and I don't buy anything that's not on sale and 99% of the time I have a coupon. So I don't work to throw money away. Remember, I'm married to a finance/accounting guy…we budget every penny and account for every dollar spent. That's a whole other post topic.
But as an In-Betweener, neither the SAHM nor the WOHM really understands me. The SAHM questions "Why not stay at home with your kids? Isn't it worth it? Do you really need the extras? Aren't you missing out? Do you want someone else to raise your kids?" etc. The WOHM sometimes resents me. Some don't have a choice and given the choice, they'd be home in a heartbeat so they can't understand why that's not my choice. The career-driven WOHM wishes I would just stay home. To them, I only give enough now to be above average. I no longer over-achieve for super-duper star. I don't come in early and I don't stay late. I no longer work through lunches – that's my errand time. I'm tired at my desk everyday, and no, I'm not as productive as I used to be. And some days (most lately!) my kids are sick and I'm not there (but then I'm at my computer catching up on work during naps and at night). And I'm no longer worrying about climbing that career ladder anymore. I just want a job where I can contribute to something by doing great work that interests me and get my mind away from diapers, toddler speak, Dora, and sweat pants. I want a reason to shower and adults to converse with.
As I've met more moms over the past 2 years I've run into more In-Betweeners and we put so much guilt on ourselves (like all moms, right?). Why do we sometimes enjoy dropping our kids at a daycare and going to work? Are we selfish? Are we too materialistic? Are we not "mommy-enough"? Are PB&J play dates at the park not good enough for us? (Eileen that one was for you!) If you think I don't ask myself these questions EVERY DAY, you are wrong. EVERY DAY I wonder if I'm making the right choice by choosing to continue to work. EVERY DAY I mentally put together the Pro/Con list of our work/daycare decision. EVERY DAY I wonder how it is affecting my girls. EVERY DAY I wonder what we will do with work/daycare if we are blessed with another child. EVERY DAY.
And I'm sure if you are a mom, you do the same thing about your situation no matter what it is. The best thing we can do is support each other's decision and NOT judge each others'. Being a mom is hard enough (although the rewards totally make up for it) – having to defend your decisions shouldn't be added to that. We are already questioning ourselves daily. We all strive for balance. What works for me, may not work for you. For now, I'm an In-Betweener.
As most of you know, there is a never-ending battle (whether you agree with it or not) between stay at home moms (SAHM) and work outside of the home moms (WOHM). Go to any mommy message board and it can be brutal. Both sides can be extremely opinionated about the other and the choices women make today. However, I have noticed that the WOHMs typically HAVE to work in order to provide the basics – the house, the cars, and the food on the table. (Could they downgrade to cheaper apartment living and drive older cars? Sure. But that's not the point I'm going to make. I'm talking about the women that don't work just for the "extras" as I'll describe in a moment.)
So I think I'm an In-Betweener. I don't HAVE to work. (Although Andy may disagree!) If we chose to, I know we could make it on one salary. Would we give up A LOT? Yep. But I'd have to admit the things we'd give up would be niceties, the "extras". Cable (we get all the channels). Dinners out. Housecleaning. The ability to host things we absolutely love like cookouts with friends, our Annual Wade Picnic and our Annual Holiday Open House. The ability to support multiple local charities. Vacations. Swim Lessons. Photography classes. And we'd give up material purchases/projects we've been able to do over the past couple of years – a new master closet, the treadmill, the front porch, and the patio for example. And selfishly, I enjoy dinner out with the girls once a month, a facial/manicure/pedicure a couple times a year and lunch out with co-workers every couple of weeks. Those things would probably go as well or really be downgraded.
Do I spend frivolously? Absolutely not. Those that know me well, know I am a frugal person and I don't buy anything that's not on sale and 99% of the time I have a coupon. So I don't work to throw money away. Remember, I'm married to a finance/accounting guy…we budget every penny and account for every dollar spent. That's a whole other post topic.
But as an In-Betweener, neither the SAHM nor the WOHM really understands me. The SAHM questions "Why not stay at home with your kids? Isn't it worth it? Do you really need the extras? Aren't you missing out? Do you want someone else to raise your kids?" etc. The WOHM sometimes resents me. Some don't have a choice and given the choice, they'd be home in a heartbeat so they can't understand why that's not my choice. The career-driven WOHM wishes I would just stay home. To them, I only give enough now to be above average. I no longer over-achieve for super-duper star. I don't come in early and I don't stay late. I no longer work through lunches – that's my errand time. I'm tired at my desk everyday, and no, I'm not as productive as I used to be. And some days (most lately!) my kids are sick and I'm not there (but then I'm at my computer catching up on work during naps and at night). And I'm no longer worrying about climbing that career ladder anymore. I just want a job where I can contribute to something by doing great work that interests me and get my mind away from diapers, toddler speak, Dora, and sweat pants. I want a reason to shower and adults to converse with.
As I've met more moms over the past 2 years I've run into more In-Betweeners and we put so much guilt on ourselves (like all moms, right?). Why do we sometimes enjoy dropping our kids at a daycare and going to work? Are we selfish? Are we too materialistic? Are we not "mommy-enough"? Are PB&J play dates at the park not good enough for us? (Eileen that one was for you!) If you think I don't ask myself these questions EVERY DAY, you are wrong. EVERY DAY I wonder if I'm making the right choice by choosing to continue to work. EVERY DAY I mentally put together the Pro/Con list of our work/daycare decision. EVERY DAY I wonder how it is affecting my girls. EVERY DAY I wonder what we will do with work/daycare if we are blessed with another child. EVERY DAY.
And I'm sure if you are a mom, you do the same thing about your situation no matter what it is. The best thing we can do is support each other's decision and NOT judge each others'. Being a mom is hard enough (although the rewards totally make up for it) – having to defend your decisions shouldn't be added to that. We are already questioning ourselves daily. We all strive for balance. What works for me, may not work for you. For now, I'm an In-Betweener.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Jumperoo
Charlotte tried out the Jumperoo this week and LOVES it. Sadly, Stella was never big enough for it. When she finally fit in it she was already crawling and did NOT want to be contained in something. So we are excited that Charlotte is enjoying it. Here is a quick video. You will note my assistant Stella grabbed her camera as well in order to do a photo shoot. You can here her in the background saying "Say Cheese! Smile! Smile Charlotte! Good Job!"
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Frugal Me - Mother's Exchanges
I've written a bit about this in the past, but I must say again that I LOVE Mother's Exchanges. Seriously, I count down the days until the sales. I am a bargain junkie and I don't mind hand-me-downs. For those of you unaware of what a Mother's Exchange is...it's basically a HUGE garage sale. About 100 moms sign up to sell their gently used stuff - anything from kids clothes to furniture to baby equipment, etc. The sales are held at our 2 local high schools. However, unlike some sales, you don't "rent" a booth for these if you are a seller. All the moms bring in their items pre-tagged and everything is sorted by size, item type, etc. So for example, there's a table of all 2T clothing and a room full of bouncy seats and exersaucers. It makes it much easier to shop for what you want.
For most of these sales, you can be a seller, a buyer or both! I have a few friends that have sold items, but for now, I'm just a buyer. And as a buyer, you have to arrive EARLY. The sale starts at 8AM and women are lining up at the door by 7AM with laundry baskets in tow (to use as shopping carts). It's crazy. Admission is $1 and all sales are cash only and FINAL. The sales I have been to are extremely organized and the items are in great condition. It might help that they are located in West Chester/Liberty Township where I've discovered a lot of moms spend crazy money on kid clothes based upon the brands.
Some people hate the idea of hand-me-downs and not knowing who owned the items beforehand. My thought is that as long as I can either throw it directly into the washer or dishwasher or I can take a Lysol wipe to it...it's mine. And I particularly look for stuff that will be ruined at daycare anyway. I'd much rather spend $3 on Gymboree/Children's Place pants than full price!! One of my best finds was a Fisher Price farm set (barn and all animals included) for $5 which is currently retailing for $35.
So I'm making my list for this Saturday morning. Stella needs 24 month and 2T items for fall and winter. Poor thing is just now outgrowing 12-18 month pants. And actually the waist still fits on some, but they are quickly becoming capris!! She also needs jammies. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when she (very soon) outgrows her Dora pjs (thanks again Julie S) because she will be heartbroken. (Although Julie the new favorites are her "silky jammies" - the ones that Madison has on in the picture on your blog homepage) And sadly, I've discovered Charlotte needs clothes as well. Stella's 9-12 month hand-me-downs are all SUMMER, not fall/winter. I will also look for some cute Halloween/fall decor shirts (found great ones last year) and maybe a Halloween costume for Stella depending on if I can clean it. I think we are set on coats, toys and baby equipment this time around!
If anyone else is heading to the sale...see you there!
For most of these sales, you can be a seller, a buyer or both! I have a few friends that have sold items, but for now, I'm just a buyer. And as a buyer, you have to arrive EARLY. The sale starts at 8AM and women are lining up at the door by 7AM with laundry baskets in tow (to use as shopping carts). It's crazy. Admission is $1 and all sales are cash only and FINAL. The sales I have been to are extremely organized and the items are in great condition. It might help that they are located in West Chester/Liberty Township where I've discovered a lot of moms spend crazy money on kid clothes based upon the brands.
Some people hate the idea of hand-me-downs and not knowing who owned the items beforehand. My thought is that as long as I can either throw it directly into the washer or dishwasher or I can take a Lysol wipe to it...it's mine. And I particularly look for stuff that will be ruined at daycare anyway. I'd much rather spend $3 on Gymboree/Children's Place pants than full price!! One of my best finds was a Fisher Price farm set (barn and all animals included) for $5 which is currently retailing for $35.
So I'm making my list for this Saturday morning. Stella needs 24 month and 2T items for fall and winter. Poor thing is just now outgrowing 12-18 month pants. And actually the waist still fits on some, but they are quickly becoming capris!! She also needs jammies. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when she (very soon) outgrows her Dora pjs (thanks again Julie S) because she will be heartbroken. (Although Julie the new favorites are her "silky jammies" - the ones that Madison has on in the picture on your blog homepage) And sadly, I've discovered Charlotte needs clothes as well. Stella's 9-12 month hand-me-downs are all SUMMER, not fall/winter. I will also look for some cute Halloween/fall decor shirts (found great ones last year) and maybe a Halloween costume for Stella depending on if I can clean it. I think we are set on coats, toys and baby equipment this time around!
If anyone else is heading to the sale...see you there!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Long Long Weekend!
Charlotte had croup last week. She went to her 6-month appointment on Thursday and got a steroid for the croup and also got her 6-month shots. (She now weighs 17 lbs!) Friday morning she was much better. She was still a little warm, but all of the vaccine papers said she may have a fever. We packed everyone up and headed to Owensboro around 2:00. It was a long trip. Stella would not fall asleep and Charlotte kept falling asleep but waking herself up with a little cough. However, she didn't sound any worse. We finally pulled into Andy's parents around 7:00 and Charlotte woke up and had shortness of breath and was ON FIRE. We took her temperature and it was 104.5. So we left Stella with the grandparents and headed to urgent care. They took one look at Charlotte and sent us to the ER. They said that a lot of croup was going around and that they were admitting the little ones.
The ER was PACKED. There was a 3-4 hour wait. However, 6 month old + 104.5 fever + shortness of breath = bumped to the top of the list. In the triage room she had a 105 fever and we were taken back to an exam room. We were there about 6 hours...2 breathing treatments, 2 IVs with antibiotics, 1 catheter, 1 finger prick for blood, and a chest x-ray = pneumonia. She was a trooper. We finally left around 2:30 AM. Exhausted.
Saturday was a lazy day at the in-laws. Thankfully, they entertained Stella. By Sunday, Andy was not feeling well. His dad took him to urgent care and he got an antibiotic. He was ready to go home, but feeling queasy and nauseous. SO, his dad drove him home and the girls and I followed. Stella started getting car sick. I think I would have absolutely lost it if she started throwing up. Thankfully having the windows down, singing songs, and stopping for a break at a rest area helped and she survived.
Monday we all recuperated. My mom came to help with the girls so that I could go to the grocery, etc. Andy wasn't feeling much better but didn't feel it was necessary to go back to the doctor. Charlotte was acting normal again and Stella was just excited to have another day with a grandparent.
Andy is still down and out today, but the girls both made it back to daycare and I made it to work. Charlotte has a follow-up appointment tomorrow afternoon. (They couldn't get her in today because 2 pediatricians called in sick!)
Long long weekend, but we LOVED the Wade's new house! Hope everyone out there is HEALTHY!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Baby Products I've Learned to HATE #1 - Velcro Bibs
Please remember, I am still sleep deprived. So my harshness may be partially due to that fact. I HATE velcro bibs. Hate is a strong word, and YES, I'm using it for this. I am planning to ban all velcro bibs from my house. I have actually been out to Target, Walmart and Kohls searching for bibs that snap. WHERE THE *&%$^&* are they??? Doesn't anyone else share my hate this much that should require these stores to carry something other than crappy velcro bibs??
Now let me tell you why I hate them. 1) My kids pull them off. Doesn't matter how "strong" the velcro is...pulled off. 2) They are RUINING my laundry. I have to put all the velcro bibs into those lingerie bags (because we all know they aren't being used for that purpose!) in order to wash them. Which would be fine, but they don't seem to get as clean and now they are tearing up the lingerie bags.
Totally frustrated. Must get to Babies R Us...surely in the 1000s of bibs along that bib wall of theirs, there has GOT TO BE A SNAP BIB!!!
If you love velcro, tell me how you fight this battle.
Now let me tell you why I hate them. 1) My kids pull them off. Doesn't matter how "strong" the velcro is...pulled off. 2) They are RUINING my laundry. I have to put all the velcro bibs into those lingerie bags (because we all know they aren't being used for that purpose!) in order to wash them. Which would be fine, but they don't seem to get as clean and now they are tearing up the lingerie bags.
Totally frustrated. Must get to Babies R Us...surely in the 1000s of bibs along that bib wall of theirs, there has GOT TO BE A SNAP BIB!!!
If you love velcro, tell me how you fight this battle.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Slumber Party & Homework
Warning: I am sleep deprived. We've been battling croup at our house. Stella had it last week and Charlotte has it this week. Therefore, we haven't gotten much sleep at our house either. I have been up the past two nights with Charlotte. She just cannot seem to get comfortable. This is when I am EXTREMELY thankful for having an actual bed in our "nursery". I know a LOT of people think it's tacky and takes away from the baby's room...I don't care. Others thought we were silly for not getting a changing table and other "real" nursery furniture...I don't care. Others thought it didn't even look like a nursery...I don't care. See, I DO care that I've NOT been sleeping on her floor (like some moms without the bed option) and that I've NOT been sleeping in a chair (like other moms without the bed option). And I'm NOT going back and forth to my room waking Andy constantly. (Why he doesn't share in this much sleep deprivation is a whole other blog topic...he needs more sleep than me!)So in our house when the baby is sick, mommy sleeps in the big bed in the nursery with the baby. Yep, WITH the baby. Another "no-no" for some, but not here. It works for us. And when I say "works", I really mean that I at least get to lay down and have my head on a pillow and have covers while I'm patting and soothing. It does also mean that I am jolted awake by either a stiff neck or an arm that fell asleep from trying not to move an inch or by teeny tiny arms and legs punching me at times. (Charlotte managed to move herself around and kick me right in the face the other night.) I never achieve the deep refreshing sleep, but I do get to close my eyes. So to the other mommies out there...do what works. Enjoy any sleep you get. I miss it.
On another note, I started Photography class this Tuesday. I have a homework assignment - take 24 pictures by next week. So as to not bore the class with 24 photos of the kids I headed into the backyard for a few quick moments tonight. Here's one of my photos that will soon be critiqued. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Little Builders
For a promotional project at work, I had to get some pictures of the kids in my hard hat while they were doing something with "construction". Thought I'd share the results. Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Bunch of Crazy Animals
My extended family on my dad's side went to the zoo on Sunday. 25 of us made it there. We used to go when my cousins (there are 17 of us now) and I were little (see below). So we decided that now that there are 14 great-grandkids we would try to get together again at the zoo. Some of us even wore our "Bucher" family t-shirt from our reunion this summer.
L to R...Andy, Chris, Rob, Tricia, Pam, Joe, Susie, Molly, Dan, Renee, Jen, Laura
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