Wednesday, October 31, 2012

William Learns to Trick or Treat

Rudy ended up taking William to the Fall Festival last Saturday while I worked.  We planned on going together but he could not pass up on free entertainment.  Ha.  Rudy said William figured out how to "ask" for candy rather quickly.  Rudy held him the first pass and on the way back William did it all by himself, no fear!  Sidenote-I know he needed a hat; yes it was cold.  In order for him to wear a hat I would have to glue it on his head.  Suggestions are always welcome :)



Now for a snack.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Just Like Riding a Bike

  Compass (my employer) is putting on a "Family Fun Day" in December which includes a 5K.  I ran one a few years ago and trained for it by doing "Couch25K."  I guess I slowly quit running after the 5K which I think has a lot to do with not having a reason to run.  As much as I love running I need motivation and the best motivator is competition! 
  This is where "Family Fun Day" comes into the picture.  My only concern is that its on December 8th which is right around the corner.  I knew I did not have time for the original program so I figured I would just do my best.  I spoke with my friend, Yachira, who happens to be a runner.  She had confidence that I could run at least one mile without stopping.  What??  No freaking way!!
  Obviously yours truly needs to work on her self confidence because I did it.  To add to my excitement I ran it in about 10 minutes which is not fast but fast for someone who has not ran since birthing a babe.  Then I walked a bit and felt good enough to run more.  What??  I guess she is right--its a mind game.  I am looking forward to Wednesday and I did survive the day waking up at 4:30AM (with the help of a large coffee from McDonald's).  Will keep this updated for tracking purposes on my time.  I may even throw in some before and after pics, maybe. 

Monday, October 29, 2012

Show and Tell Link Up



1. Tell us about how and when you met your love and what attracted you most to him.

Well...it is a funny story.  I was out celebrating with one of my best gal friends, Montana, who had graduated from Auburn earlier that day.  So...obviously two college girls would be out celebrating at a bar and of course it would be Supper Club.  My future hubs was also in town celebrating one his friend's graduation and what do you know Montana and Rudy knew each other.  They had met through Rudy's fraternity because Montana was a "little sister" or something like that.  We ended talking because Montana had walked off for some reason and I was playing the "I am on the phone game when really I just don't wanna look like a loser standing alone in the bar."  We ended hanging out all evening and started dating shortly after.  As far as attraction stuff I immediately fell for Rudy.  I thought he was tall, lean and handsome.  I also fell for him because he was older and had a full time job.  He was over the college "fun" and had a degree to show for it. 

2. Show us the very first {or one of the first} pictures you guys ever took together. {Feel free to show us more than one}

I will say I looked through years of pictures and we did not take many just the two of us when we first met.  The first one is 2007 (we met in December of 2006) and the 2nd one is 2009.  I also will add I should never be fat again, that is all.  First pic is pre Weight Watchers and second one I am right in the middle of the diet plan. 




3. Tell us some of your favorite memories that you two had together.

Our honeymoon to Las Vegas was a lot of fun.  We saw a lot of things, ate at this "diner" in our hotel almost every night, and just enjoyed each other's company.

The night William was born; we will never forget that, ever.

4. Tell us your favorite qualities about this man, what makes him "the one."

He loves us!  Rudy works hard on our home and if there was a money tree in our backyard he would put even more into the house.  He makes William laugh which in turn puts a smile on my face.  Rudy may not "love" his current job but he knows he can not quit because he has a family to take care of. 

5. Tell us what your "date nights" typically look like.

Um, eating take out while the bud runs around.  Ha.  We do not get out much now that we have William but we enjoy movies and dinner.  Before life happened I would ride with him while he played golf.  I guess that should be under memories but we also treated those like dates because we got to know each other.  Honestly, we are a low key couple.  We enjoy running errands, seeing new things, etc.   

Friday, October 26, 2012

5 Minute Friday Link Up

Five Minute Friday

  Voice, we should all strive to make ours heard.  We all have opinions, wants, and needs.  Our voice is what makes these known.  We speak to others and then we listen.  Our babies who may not yet speak have a voice.  They will quickly let you know what is wrong through crying or even a fit.  That is their voice.  But as adults we should be able to voice our opinions in an educated, mature manner.  Let's not teach our babies who are learning from us to voice their opinions negatively.  Do not have a bad attitude or pitch a fit (seen it happen) if when you speak its not immediately heard.  Have your facts together when you voice an argument.  Never expect someone to take your opinion seriously if it is not backed by facts.  Continue to let your voice be heard but do not be a "baby" about it.  Remember babies do not know any better; you are their voice. 

Thursday, October 25, 2012

4 Year Anniversary

I can not believe I am celebrating 4 years of marriage.  I also can not believe I am celebrating 4 years of marriage with an almost 2 year old in tow.  I am very proud of how far we have come in 4 years: I graduated, worked full time, bought a house, graduated again w/ a Master's in teaching, had the bud, and now working full time again.  Rudy has been working on the house ever since we bought it and I am so thankful for that.  Back to the marriage thing...

This time 4 years ago we were getting ready for the wedding, packing for Vegas, and pretty much chilling.  Now I am getting off work at 5, rushing to get Budsy, begging him to eat dinner, keeping him calm, and pretty much not chilling at all.  It is so funny how life changes in a blink of an eye (in a good way).  Our marriage has come a long way from when it started 4 years ago.  Even though we lived together before (don't judge) we learned a lot about one another after we married.  Of course, I will spare you the details.  I am still learning and Rudy is still learning.
I have learned to be a little more cheap frugal and Rudy has learned to accept the fact I get soda in restaurants.  Is marriage easy?  No, I am not going to sugar coat it for the blog.  Do we argue?  Uh-huh.  Do we laugh, joke and enjoy each other's company?  You betcha.  At the end of the day Rudy is my husband and I love him.  I work hard at our marriage and I like to think he does the same.  I will say we both have let the little things go.  Sometimes its just not worth arguing about.  Here is to 4 more years (this is not meant to be sarcastic)!



Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Why I am Still an Advocate for Sleep Training

  You can read about my decision to sleep train here and here.  I felt like an update was in order since William is almost 2 years old (yikes).  Our evening routine goes something like this: bath, pjs, milk and snack, playtime with us, then sleep diaper, meds, and crib.  That does seem like a lot written out but its not difficult at all.  William asks for a bath by going to the staircase and grunting (no words for bath yet) around 6:30.  Once we get through the bath and dressed its after 7.  I give him a snack (muffins, pouch, etc.), and milk.  He will color but mostly runs around taking a bite here drinking a sip there.  Finally, around 8 we tell William its time for a sleep diaper and bedtime.  He usually shakes his head no and most of the time puts up a fight on the changing table.
  Once he is in his crib we talk with him, Rudy makes him belly laugh, he fusses to get out, calms down and we say our loves you and leave the room.  We usually spend about 5-10 minutes with him in his room based on his attitude towards bedtime.  William "talks" to himself most nights and the time varies between 5 and 30 minutes.  Very rarely does he cry and we need to check on him.  If he fusses in the middle of the night I can ignore it and he will put himself back to sleep.  You may be thinking: horrible mother; what if he is sick?  After almost 2 years of being William's mother I know his cries like the back of my hand.  When he is battling an ear infection I comfort him.  If William's cry sounds like he is scared I will console him (very rare).
  I will never ignore William if he needs us, ever.  Even when William's ears were infected recently and I let him sleep with us he did not want to.  He is only comfortable in his crib and any other environment does not mean bedtime.  This can be an issue at times when we are in the car or my parent's house during nap time.  You will never see William asleep on our shoulders or a stroller (unless he is running a fever) and this can also be a bit frustrating when we travel.  I will take the 10-11 hours of uninterrupted sleep any day over a nap in the stroller. 
  I wrote this post as a reminder for myself for my future children more than anything else.  Who knows, I may be a softy with the "baby" of the family.  Doing this allowed me not only "Mommy" time before I go to bed but taught William how to sleep.  Just like anything else William had to learn sleep is part of his day.  He does not get a choice to nap or go to bed at a decent time.  It is for his health that I make sure his sleep times are consistent.  The only times William is fussy and hard to handle is if his sleep times are off.  Of course, he has his toddler moments but for the most part if he is pitching a fit in a restaurant he did not nap well.  So this works for us and I happy I put myself through sleep training.  I say "myself" because William will not remember when he was 7 months old and thats when I did it. 

Monday, October 22, 2012

New School

William had his first day at his new school today and did great.  Rudy had taken him 2x last week and then this morning had no trouble leaving him.  His teacher did say he got a little clingy this afternoon and was pointing for his blanket and lovey.  William is not attached to any one particular blanket or lovey so when she said this I was shocked.  He also had to hold them the entire ride home; first day nerves I guess. 
Once we got home he even held them for a few minutes before a piece of cheese lured him into the highchair.  I read his sheet on the way home and it said he was not shy at all.  This also surprises me because he is not a fan of someone pushing his cart at Publix on the way to the car.  To top off the day he took over a 2 hour nap.  As of now he is super fussy and I am hoping its just his teeth (4 canines at once I would say, yes).   
So why the change in schools?  Well, I will not go into a lot of detail but I have been struggling with the decision for months.
Ever since he moved up I have been less than impressed with the level of care.  I do believe his teachers cared about him but just were not overly concerned with his safety.  On  numerous occassions there were kids on tables, toys, etc.  William also came home with lots of "uh-oh's" and several of those no one had a clue.  Lastly, William was covered in dirt: hair, face, ears from playing outside.  I do not mind him playing outside; I want it.  However, allocate time for cleaning up afterwards.  Finally, he is still not saying much so after all the testing we have done we figured he may need a change in schools.  The new daycare we chose has a daily lesson plan as well as a classroom free of anything that can be climbed.  Again, I will say the daycare I left cared for William a lot just did not pay attention to the small things I guess. 


First day at his new school.  Serious sidenote:  "That's My Boy" DVD in his hand is by far one of the dirtiest movies I have ever watched.  Adam Sandler is one of my favs but this one was beyond ridiculous.  William was in bed when we watched it!!

William's first day of school EVER--October, 2011.  What a difference a year makes.  

Halloween Now and Then

William with the pumpkins from this year...
 
 
Mommy with the pumpkins from 2010 with a William in her belly...

 
Makes me very thankful for a healthy and happy boy!
 
Have a Blessed Monday.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Weekend

  This weekend has been nice since both Rudy and I were off work.  Usually one of us has to work Saturday.  William's weekend started early with a pick up from daycare by Grammie and Papa.  This is was his last day (more on that later) so I felt bad but did not want William to miss out on time with his g-parents.  I thought they would just bring him to our house but they took him to the Galleria (sans diaper bag).  It is so funny because I won't go to the Walgreen's without it and my parents thought nothing of it.  William cashed in on some new clothes and of course a cookie with chocolate milk.
  We had dinner at home from TX Roadhouse and we planned on meeting after the Auburn game the next day.  Rudy and I ended up running errands way before the end of the game because its TERRIBLE to watch.  Literally breaks my heart!  We brought up the zoo to my parents and they were fine with it but since its "Boo at the Zoo" they close early.  My dad had to finish the game so we would not have had anytime to enjoy it.  William settled for the park and had a blast (sorry no pics).  He was sliding all by himself and playing in the tunnel on the playsets.  Sidenote: I will say "big" kids are a little rude and after that park trip I am making a point to teach William to be kind to toddlers.  Seriously, they trapped him in the tunnel!! 
  William had a super early nap Saturday so dinner out was chaotic to say the least.  Let's just say I took him out for a breather.  I could not blame him but I can blame those canines taking their sweet time breaking through.  Today, Rudy and my dad played golf then after William's nap we headed to the outlet mall.  To say we are thankful for all of the nice things Budsy got would be an understatement.  Lots of outfits from Carter's and two new pair of shoes!  Of course, all Mommy got was a diet coke.  Funny how things change when you give your parents grandchildren. 
 



Tuesday, October 16, 2012

What's in Your Diaper Bag?

Yes, I still carry a diaper bag with me on the weekends.  I have come close to just carrying diapers and wipes in a small backpack William got for his birthday.  However, even at 20 months William needs a lot of "stuff."  Of course the main items are diapers and wipes but I still carry a change of clothes.  This is the by far the best decision I have made and probably will always have a change of clothes for my kids.  William occassionally still spits up and it is so much worse now than when he was an infant.  I know hard to believe, huh?  Here are other things you may find in my diaper bag:



I also try to keep juice boxes but I do not use the same brand every time.  The pouches are an easy go to item while on the go and we even use them in the car.  William has learned how to squeeze just enough not to make a mess. 

There is "Mommy" items in there as well-wallet, sunglasses, cell phone, etc.  I find it easier to throw my things in with his but I admit I look forward to the day I can just carry a purse.  As a mom I do not know when this would be.  Even older kids need things for school, sports, etc.  Once a mother always a mother.  Right?

I think there is still diaper cream even though William has not had diaper rash in a long, long time (knock on wood).  I try to be as prepared as possible (obviously) and there are times I need something I do not have with me.  It is usually more snacks!

I have a couple of diaper bags but this is the one I am using now-

Vera Bradley-given to me as a Christmas gift before William was born.  I really do not have any complaints and I think its perfect for the Fall/Winter months. 

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Pumpkin Patch

We made it to the Pumpkin Patch today since William ended up sick last weekend.  The morning started off with lunch with my Dad and then the drive to Clanton.  Yes, I actually allowed him to miss napping in his crib but he napped in the car so all was well in our world.  He woke up laughing when we pulled in the parking lot; perfect timing.  I wanted to change his diaper (in the trunk of course) and my Toms filled with ants.  Once we got past the ants and the fact that the hubs thought we could use debit cards at a pumpkin patch the fun began.  Thank goodness they had allowed debit cards in the "souvenir shop" which also sold hay ride tickets. 
We took the ride to the patch and William did great.  It was very hot and he wanted to be held most of the time but was in a good mood.  After we got our pumpkin which took 1000 forevers (thanks hubs) we gave the Petting Zoo a go.  And you will see in the picture William was not at all into the farm animals. 


Just look at the camera sweet boy.

William refused this photo op so I took advantage.


Really do not know what Budsy is doing here.

Not even sure if this was the "one" or just a tester pumpkin.


He was sad about the stem and tried to put it back on...

3.00 ticket to petting zoo..FAILURE.

Just proof William STILL despises the car.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Drops, drops, drops

  My dad called me last Thursday about going to the Auburn game.  He has season tickets and my mom was having back pain.  I enjoyed the day with my dad but there really aren't words for the game.  Seriously!!  Rudy texted me saying William fell asleep in the car and stayed asleep in Wal Mart.  I just had that "mommy feeling" that William must be getting sick.  He never stays asleep after we take him from the car.  Sure enough when I got home his eye was full of "gunk."  I knew it was pink eye because he has had it before.  I wanted him to get on meds ASAP but our pediatrician is closed on Sunday's now so I opted for the Urgent Care.  William got eye drops for pink eye, Zithromax for any bacterial stuff that was starting, cough meds and a missing tube in left ear. 
  His ear canal is very narrow so I was hoping she just could not see it.  Later that night William is rubbing his right ear and fussing.  I just thought it was water from his bath because we had just seen the doctor.  He screamed for a couple of hours and we knew it must be ears.  This is what William does when his ears are infected-screams at night.  But, no, he just saw a doctor so must be the eye tooth.  I called the ENT so we could confirm the tube in the left ear.  Yes, both tubes are there and yes his right ear is infected. 
  We leave with more drops.  The pink eye also moved to his other eye and is worse.  William's personality is not much different until nap time.  I had to rock him to sleep but luckily he slept over an hour and a half once asleep.  This morning his eyes look a lot better, his ear is draining, but his cough is worse.  This is the norm and the cough usually lasts a good 10 days.  I plan on putting him back on his regular allergy meds tonight and hopefully this will aid in drying up some of the mucous. 

Friday, October 5, 2012

20 Months

This is William but you can not see his whole body.  :(

Not his smile for real.

He is so annoyed with me!

Sums up how this picture session went this month.
  • Size 4 Diapers, 5 at night
  • 18-24 Months Clothes--his waist is tiny so his winter pants are a little lot loose
  • Home scale ranges from 25-26 lbs. and 35" day of surgery
  • Size 6 shoe
  • 12 teeth and working on at least one more (top) but now loathes getting his teeth brushed. 
  • Bedtime b/t 7:45-8:30 (depending on nap) wakes around 6AM--trying to work on a later wake up time.  I would be jumping for joy with 7AM!  Naps around 1-2 hrs and we will sometimes see a short nap at daycare.
  • Eats mostly the same.  Sometimes refuses a meal.  Favs: banana, toddler pouches, mums, cereals, cheese, MILK, milk, MILK, peas and carrots.  Not a huge meat fan.  Will eat a bite of my bagel w/ strawberry cream cheese.  Still working on untensils.  William really wants to use them but always misses the food when using the fork. 
  • Same vocabulary for most part.  Will point and say: "car," and "dog."  Has said "baby" and "color."  I can understand "milk."  I work with him as much as I can.  Rudy has even said stop saying whatever word because I am a broken record.  Signs "more" and "eat."
  • Loves, loves outside and is on his best behavior when outdoors.  Speaking of behavior-started time out in the pack n play and is working for the most part.
  • Colors more and more but also likes to eat crayons.  Yuck.
  • William understands basic commands and questions.  He will nod yes when asked if ready for a bath.  Sits down for his shoes.  Occassionally lays down when asked if he needs diaper change.  Puts his toys away (most of the time).  Washes his body with wash cloth and leans head in when he sees me with the shampoo.  Can take off his pants but has not mastered pulling them back up.  He does other things of course but I never remember when I am doing the monthly update.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Big Shoes to Fill

William loves walking around in our shoes.  He took it to another level when he had to have Daddy's socks on as well.  Who teaches him these things?  And yes that is his changing pad which he now prefers on the ground.  He actually lays down without a fuss to get changed if we keep it on the ground.  Silly, silly boy!



Monday, October 1, 2012

All my Favorites



1. Tell us about your 5 favorite memories in your life.
             In no particular order...
  • Meeting my sweet William for the first time. 
  • Meeting Montana and Erin-yes I am meshing these into one memory.  I met Montana working at McAlister's Deli and Erin in class.  These girls changed my life and made for wonderful memories in Auburn!
  • Graduating from Auburn.  After 5 years (immature girl) I made it to graduation and moved to Birmingham.
  • Meeting the Hubs.  I knew almost immediately he was going to be my hubs.  Montana and I were celebrating her graduation (mine to had I not been an immature girl) at Supper Club.  He was there with mutual friends of Montana's.  I remember asking her, "He won't drug me will he?"  HAHAHA!  We had a rule: no drinks from random guys, ever.  She assurred me he was safe.
  • My wedding day which is full of memories.  My Dad walking me down the isle and seeing the hubs at the end waiting on me. 
2. Show us 3 of your favorite beauty products.
          Eeks..not a beauty product lover but,
 
 
 
 

3. Tell us what your favorite TV shows are to watch.
  • Dexter-I absolutely love this show and I know it is BAD.  I am admitting I watch a BAD show!  He is gorgeous and kills bad people.  I am not one to judge him.  No really the show is great.
  • Gossip Girl- Until last season and if you watch it you understand.  All I can say is Chuck Bass...
  • Back in my younger days--Dawson's Creek and Felicity.  Embarassed to say sometimes I get the "craving" for certain episodes and re-watch. 
4. Show us 2 of your favorite pictures.



5. Tell us your favorite things to do during "me time."
  • Read-I love to read.  My goal right now and has been for a while: read non-fiction books.  As much as I love to read I need to be learning from it.
  • Blog-This is perfect for a baby/family scrapbook.  I had a baby book for William but I kept this updated a lot more.