Breastfeeding is Offensive

I recently read this on a blog that I follow..... I absolutely love it!

What do you think??

This is not my original content, it was found here and I would like to share it with you. I could not find an original author to credit, but if you are the author contact me and I will credit you!

I'm thankful for not having ta tas thrown in my face all the time by offensive and indecent breastfeeding mothers like the ones below:

Wait...Well, this is a bad example. Let's try again.

Hmm...Just a minute. I'm sure I can find better ones than these...

Eh, still not offensive enough. I'll check one more time.

That is better. LOOK AT THAT! I see about a half inch. DISGUSTING.

UGH. Look at that indecency! She must be from some third world country to be exposed like that!

Now that's just...There are no words to descripe how inappropriate that is. Something needs to be done!

But why stop at breasfeeding women? There are ta tas everywhere. Beware! If you thought the above photos were offensive, you WILL DEFINITELY be offended by the photos below.

Not this one, though. This one was in plain view on news stands and in mail boxes in 19 countries world wide!

Not this one, either. This one actually won an award!

Oh, and I guess this one is fine too. Everyone knows you can't sell jeans without someone being topless.

Or beer, for that matter.

Or sunglasses.

Or movie tickets.

Or CDs...

You know what? Maybe I'm crazy, but I think that someone mixed up some photos here. The first batch are offensive, but the second batch are just fine and dandy???

People who live in glass bras:

Shouldn't throw stones:

If you think women have the right to breastfeed their children no matter where they are, please repost this...comment vote it popular whatever . Support breastfed babies and their right to eat in public!

"Out of this World" night with Buzz Aldrin

Last night we were invited as "special" guests of Pat Kerr Tigrett to an "OUT OF THIS WORLD" evening honoring Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Legendary Astronaut. Thursday night Marcus did a hub tour for Buzz Aldrin (and company). Pat Kerr Tigrett was among the tourees. Needless to say she thoroughly enjoyed Marcus, I mean WHO doesnt? She invited both of us to an event she was hosting to honor Buzz. Marcus was quite reluctant on attending, and i on the other hand was really excited. This is just the OPPOSITE of how it usually is around here. He is usually the one dragging me out of the house and begging me to get dressed up in anything other than pjs. I was only concerned about what was on the menu, because of my limitations when it comes to food, that is always on my mind. Since this was a black tie event and it was such late notice, I had my work cut out for me in regards to our attire for the evening. I was able to SQUEEZE into the little black cocktail dress that I got for Marcus' 10 year reunion (oh like 6 years ago). I borrowed some jewelry and a little clutch purse from Rita and Ceire, and we were off. Oh I did manage to throw on some makeup and a splash of perfume, probably for the 1st time in.......well lets just say I cant remember the last time. Marcus cleaned up nicely, sporting black suit (very slimming I might add) and a grey striped tie. He looked fantastic!

When we arrived at the building they had valet services provided. Marcus and I made our way to the table to check in and get our table assignment. After a brief survey of the crowd that was already there we both no longer felt under dressed. I do, however, wish that I would have had on a long dress, and that it wouldnt have been so tight.

We watched as Memphis' "high society" arrived and saw many different people, from musicians (not exactly sure who they were but famous no doubt), George Klein, the owners of Stax records, a high-falutin' bank president, and many others. They escorted us to The Grand Lobby of One Commerce Square, one of Memphis' most elegant buildings (formerly the NBC/SunTrust bank at Monroe and Main). This lobby was exquisite! The marble columns were SO beautiful. The tables were decorated nicely with a floral arrangement in the middle. We were sitting at the table with the wife of the man who was on Buzz and Pat's security detail, Marcus had met him at the hub tour the night before and he just so happened to be from Ireland. We had fun chatting with him as he would stop by our table to visit his wife or just talk to us. There was another couple to the right of us, and a very strange family on the opposite side of the table (we couldnt quite figure out how they "went" together). When I say strange, one example is the man almost ate the left-overs of a complete stranger who was sitting next to him when she got up to go to the bathroom. He was actually considering it! He was just strange, anyway you looked at it.

Here was the menu for the night:

First Course

A Moon-Drop Salad with Galaxy Topped Gazpacho

translation: tomato cerise willow gazpacho topped with a fancy pastry and some sort of lettuce greens

Entree

"Rocket Man" Fillet of Beef surrounded by mushroom pastry served on a bed of saffron potatoes and green beans

I was able to get a "specially" cooked order so that it would be gluten free, thanks Chef!!!

Dessert

"Out of this World" chocolate Gateau with stairway to the moon

translation: NOT GF! After googling this particular dessert I learned that it could be made with Almond flour instead of wheat flour, which would have made it GF, but I was told by our waitress that it was NOT GF therefore I did not indulge. The "stairway to the moon" was a ladder with a moon at the top made from chocolate. I did however eat mine and Marcus'.

I got a little taste of what Marcus feels like when I eat all the food on his plate. He made me get the dessert even though I couldnt eat it, and then he proceeded to eat both his AND mine right in front of me. How rude!

Here are some of the hand painted Gibson Guitars that were available through the silent auction

Laundry Balls

I'm sorry if the title of this post offends anyone

My most recent "green" purchase is the enza-wash balls. Currently we use this specific company's septic cleaner and have been pretty pleased. I mean we haven't had a problem with our septic in the 9 years we have lived here. Holy Crap! Has it really been 9 years? That's amazing!Anyways I have been searching and researching for "greener", cheaper, better ways to do everything around the house. I know it has been a while since I posted anything about being green, that doesn't imply that I have fallen off the wagon, I just have been busy posting about the girls and house and everything else. I am still living greener by the day. I haven't bought paper towels now in about a year (yes I said YEAR), I use vinegar for just about everything (I just taught Marcus that vinegar is good for mosquito bites and sunburns, try it, it really works), we use reusable bags at the grocery store, buy everything my wallet can handle that is organic, I am still trying to convince my dad that "organic" does not mean "grown in the ground" (dad you don't HAVE TO use chemicals), we recycle EVERYTHING and drive nearly 40 miles to do so (even Kaylee knows what gets recycled), changed most our bulbs to CF, I am sure there is more that we do but it is so routine that it has escaped me this very moment. And I know there are a thousand more things that we could be doing to help our planet Earth! Now if I could just get Marcus to not run the shower for 10 minutes before getting in and the sink the entire time he gets ready, that would really help with our water waste.

Back to my laundry balls, I was just about to run out of my laundry detergent and start a new venture in making my own, when I got a call to purchase these little "puppies". It all sounded like just what I have been looking for

1 less or no chemicals
2 good for the environment
3 not harmful to the septic
4 saving money
5 easy on me

This product seems to have fit all the criteria. Now, I know that sales pitches are designed for just that reason, to sell a product. So all of the products positive attributes are highlighted and all the negative ones (if any) are forgotten or not mentioned. I decided to pay the 90 bucks for the product of my dreams and try it. The 30 day money back guarantee made the decision a little bit easier, I figured I could do a whole lotta washing in those 30 days to thoroughly test them out.

The enza-wash balls are about the size of a softball and are made of a non-toxic plastic. Inside the plastic balls are 4 different types of small ceramic balls. First are the de-chlorinating balls that alter the PH level of the water for natural bleaching and softening. The second type of ceramic balls are the anti-bacterial balls. They sterilize harmful bacteria and absorb the impurities and harmful heavy metals. The third type of ball is the super ceramic ball. They have a high far infrared emission (not quite sure what that means). And the last ceramic ball is the negative ion ball. These ionize the wash water to effectively penetrate all types of fabrics.

So it has been about a few weeks now and I am loving my laundry balls so far. They are so easy, you just keep them in the washing machine, no detergent to measure or anything. You just put them outside in the sun to "recharge" every couple of weeks or so. One of the first things I learned when starting to live greener.....most smells/scents are artificial. And by that I mean chemicals. When you pull your load of wash out of the washer and get a big whiff of that TIDE (or whatever detergent you use) that smell comes from the chemicals in the detergent. No smell=clean and chemical free! And that is what I have with these laundry balls. Thankfully our family doesn't suffer from any sort of skin allergies/reactions, but if we did then these would be good for that too. So far I am super pleased with them.

Another thing I like (and makes them all the more green) is the packaging. They came in a little box with just 2 pieces of paper. Think about this..... how much money is wasted on packaging and fuel to ship other detergents all around the world. Most detergents are heavy and bulky and packaged in plastic, the thought of all that waste.......where does it all go? Even if you do recycle! Have you ever driven down a street on trash day and noticed every ones overflowing trash cans, it is amazing how much waste we create.

Now I cant say that these are the "cure ALL" for laundry. They do not get out EVERY stain! But they do work pretty darn good. I don't treat most of our stains anymore, just the really bad ones. And depending on the load, I do add a bit of baking soda and/ or vinegar to the load. And if there are some REALLY bad stains, I add 1/4 of our regular detergent, as directed by the enza-wash balls. I am going to keep them, and enjoy 1,500 wash loads before buying more detergent! I still have enough left from last years purchase to get me through the really rough stains.

I am super excited about these little balls. Now if I could just find something that will fold and put away the clothes after coming out of the dryer.

When it rains, it pours

Here is the 3rd bad thing to go with the other 2 that happened late last week.

Kaylee slipped on the stairs last night. She cried longer than usual and wanted to be held longer than usual, but like I said she only slipped on the stairs she didn't even fall. We really didn't think much of if cause she has been pretty whiny lately. But when we let her down and she attempted to walk, that's when I became concerned. She walked a few steps with a very noticeable limp and then wouldn't walk any further. She wanted to be carried everywhere the rest of the night. She was more sedentary last night than she has ever been, including when she was a baby. She has ALWAYS been on the go! I called her pediatrician last night to ask what we should do. She assured me that we wouldn't do any more damage by leaving it until the morning. She didn't seem in any pain, well unless she put pressure on it, there was little or no swelling and no discoloration. We decided that we would try getting through the night and reevaluate in the morning. I figured if it was still bothering her in the morning after she had "forgotten" about it, then I would bring her in to be looked at. When I went to get her this morning she was sitting in her crib rather than standing like she usually, but I thought no big deal. Then I tried to stand her up in the crib and she wouldn't put pressure on it but she didn't wince in pain or anything. I figured let me try putting her down and letting her walk, well the second I put her down she let out a moan. And said "my ankle still hurts, I walk on 1 foot mommy." I knew then that something must be wrong. I carried her the rest of the morning everywhere she needed/ wanted to go. When Marcus got home we decided I would take her in, but I wasn't quite sure if I should take her to her pediatrician or to an orthopedic. I should have followed my gut, but didn't! Especially since we were reffered to a "horrible" orthopedic. I'll explain more later.

Under the advice from her pediatrician , I took her to her doctor1st and was sent to an orthopedic after that. After a MASSIVE struggle to get her calm enough to take the x-rays the doctor told me that they didn't see anything on the first 3 x-rays they took. And they couldn't figure out why she wouldn't put pressure on it. So she decided to x-ray her foot and that is when they saw the 2 fractures on the top of her foot. We had to bribe her with a lollipop and keep me in the room holding her to be able to get the second set of x-rays. She was absolutely terrified of that machine. She was shaking, it was so sad watching her be so afraid.

After they found the fractures they gave me the choice of a boot or a cast. I first choose the boot, but then after thinking about all the advantages and disadvantages I decided that a cast would be better. She was fitted with her purple cast without a fuss. I even paid the extra 40 bucks to get the water-proof cast so that she could bathe as usual and wouldn't have to worry about getting it wet.

It took her a little while to figure out how to walk in her "new shoe", as she calls it. But by the time we got home she was running around the whole house. She has only said "I ready to take this off now" one time so far. I really think that she forgets that it is on sometimes. She seems to be adjusting to it in the sleep department too, she went down for her nap fine and for bedtime too. However, she has woken up twice already, but lately that has been the case anyways so I cant really blame that on the cast. She is down for the night now......hopefully.

After this huge ordeal today I couldn't even take her out to lunch, because I.left.my.purse.at.home!!! YEP! I had no money, no wallet, no insurance card, NOTHING! I swear I would forget my head sometimes if it weren't attached!

Ok, back to the reason why I didn't like the orthopedic doctor AT ALL! I understand that they "worked us in," but actually I never even asked for them to do that in the first place. She cant have the excuse that she was too busy, because the waiting room was empty. The doctor never even came in our room and sat down. Our visit went like this. The nurse brought us from the waiting room to our room. She wrote down on Kaylee's chart what happened to her and told me that the tech would be coming to get her and take her to x-ray. After the x-rays we waited in the room for the doctor to give us the results. She came in told us nothing was broken, she pushed and prodded on her ankle for literally a few seconds (like I said didn't even sit down). I asked her what we were going to do since she wont put pressure on it. She said "I guess we will go ahead and put a cast on it, because there are areas that are difficult to see with an x-ray. And that could be the problem, like if it is in the growth plate." That was pretty much a direct quote. Then she said "let me x-ray her foot too." I thought to myself "what the heck did you just x-ray?" But apparently the first time they focused more on her ankle than her foot. After giving me the news that she found 2 fractures, she still hadn't been in the room for more than 5 minutes at one time, probably not even 5 minutes TOTAL! She got upset when I changed my mind from a boot to a cast, even though the cast was what she recommended. I heard her make a few comments about us out in the hall, which didn't make me happy either. We were sent to a different room to have the cast put on, but I still had more questions to ask her. I asked her a few while she was passing by in the hall, but she didn't even stop to answer them, she didnt come to check on us, to see if everything was ok, to make sure I didn't have any more questions and understood everything. I had to ask the nurse who put the cast on some of my questions as well. All in all I just didn't leave there happy. I felt like we were a burden on her, like we weren't welcome there. That is not the way I like to feel when I leave the doctors office, ESPECIALLY when it is regards to my child. I know I am not the best at thinking of all my questions at the appropriate time, and I was really really flustered today by everything that was going on. I just wish that she could have made me feel more comfortable. I really hope that I don't have to bring Kaylee back there for her follow-up appointment and to get her cast removed. Anyone know of a good pediatric orthopedic? Are my expectations of doctors too high? Am I just crazy? I know I should probably be better at asserting myself when I am in that kind of situation, I regret not being more of an advocate for my child today. I dont think she received horrible care, I just felt like the whole situation could have been better (mostly for me, I think she was happy through it all).

AND...........as if that weren't enough excitement for 1 day Ainslee decided to try and get some attention of her own. She seemed to be running a fever all day, but since we were out all day I didn't get a chance to check it until tonight. She surprised me with a 101.7 fever. I know that this is probably from her shots on Monday, but it doesn't take away the fear that sets in when your baby isn't behaving normally. She seemed happy most of the day, a little more cranky at times but that was not too bad. She had a runny nose, felt warm, and wasn't nursing normally. I just hope that she can bounce back quickly from this, it is so hard watching her not feel well.


Disclaimer: I know some of you were so mad at me that you found out about this on FB or on the blog today, but honestly my phone died in the middle of the day so I had to put it in the car to charge. But also, with all the commotion there was no way that I was going to be able to call everyone. I apologize if I hurt your feelings. But guess what, the only person I called was my mom. I didnt leave SOME people out of the loop I left everyone out of the loop

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesdays Twelve

1. I have been trying really hard to trust Kaylee and give her some independence when we are out in public, and yesterday seemed to be no different. I was holding her hand in the store when she decided that she wanted to walk by herself, I agreed after she said "I stay right by mommy!" As I walk faster than her she began running to stay next to me. I figured that was fine, she could burn off a little extra energy. Then when it was time I told her to hold my hand, but instead of insisting I let her away with not listening (poor judgement) because soon after that she fell and split her lip open. Kaylee is one TOUGH cookie. She rarely cries when she gets hurt and if she does cry she stops almost immediately. I used to think that she had some sort of problem with her pain sensors, but have since decided that they are fine, she just has a high tolerance for pain. Anyways after falling I figured it must be bad for the way she was bawling, but her lip looked ok. Then all of a sudden the blood started gushing out. I was scrambling to find something to soak it up with. Then a man and his child came up and the father ran to get some tissues. He broke open the tissues and gave them to me, I was able to finally calm her enough to look at her lip. It looked good, and we went to the bathroom to clean up. The man put the remainder of the tissues in his basket and paid for them, how sweet of him! After all the commotion was over Kaylee was left with a pretty fat lip and some M&M's for the pain.

2. Ainslee had her 6 month check-up yesterday. She weighed in at 18.2 lbs and measured 25.5 inches long (I think she was over 26 inches, but the nurse didn't quite measure her correctly). Nonetheless she is in the 90% for weight and 50% for height. She did really great with all the poking and prodding, and even her shots. The 1st one didn't phase her, the second she gave a little fuss, and by the third one she was like "what the heck are they doing to me?" She stopped crying after about 10 seconds and seemed to be ok the rest of the day. I hope that she rests well tonight.

3. Ainslee has added a few more foods to her diet, broccoli, cauliflower, pasta (GF of course), apples, and turkey. I think that is all we have tried. She loves them all, however the broccoli seems to be making her a bit to gassy so we are stopping that for awhile. I have my eyes set on some pumpkin and plum for her next foods to try, we will see how they go over with her.

4. Kaylee is 2 weeks away from starting MDO. I am so excited for her, I know she is going to LOVE it! I hope that I am able to cut down on the novel I wrote for her teachers. You know they have you fill out a "get to know your child" form, and I cant seem to answer in short sentences. All my answers are like paragraphs. They are going to think I am a crazy obsessed mom, but then again I am a CRAZY and OBSESSED mom. And I am ok with that!

5. We are 18 days away from our big trip to Boston. I know I shouldn't be but I am nervous! I have so much to pack and prepare for. And with the new luggage fees, we are going to be spending so much money just for our "baby supplies". The fact that Ainslee is having MUCHO trouble nursing and even more trouble nursing in public with all the distractions, I'm not exactly sure what I am going to do about the take-off and landing. I just hope that she turns out to be a good traveller like her big sister. Look out Boston HERE.WE.COME!!!

6. Kaylee has still been a little "out of sorts" lately. I tried blaming it on the 2 molars she was cutting, but now that they are in I am not quite sure what to blame her erratic behavior on. I do think that she has a yeast infection, so maybe that is the cause. Or the fact that she banged her head on the concrete floor today. Heck, cant a girl catch a break?

7. Ainslee is really close to having her 1st tooth erupt, even Dr. Best mentioned how close they were to coming in.

8. I am hopfully about to start a new "job" to help bring in some much needed spending money. I'll keep you posted on that as it progresses.

9. Tahoe had his first bath in I dont know how long. I honestly dont think he has had a bath since Kaylee was born. How neglectful are we? He sure does look like a new dog

10. Marcus and I are COMPLETELY obsessed with Hell's Kitchen......Thank God for Tivo!

11. After much deliberation and stress Marcus was finally able to assist his mom with the purchase of her new car. And Acura RDX, what as sweet ride for Amma Rita. And Kaylee loved being able to ride in it for the first time yesterday.

12. I FINALLY found the last item on Kaylee's school supply list. It only took me about 6 stores to find JUMBO crayons. Now if I could find a way to have them use cloth napkins and towels instead of 4,000 paper towels, I would be a happy camper. I am going to be on a mission this year. I just hope that I am not the mom that all the teachers talk about. Oh well if I am!

New Lovies

Here are the

lovies/ blankets/ chewies

that my mom and I made for Ainslee. As you know she has a crazy obsession and I thought I might as well be prepared. So I got out some of the fabric that I bought to make diapers (Yeah I never got past my prototype) and some ribbon from Auntie Ceire and Amma Barbara. I had the idea in my head of how I wanted the lovies to be and they turned out pretty much perfectly. We made 4 separate ones, and she seems to really like them. She especially loves chewy and sucking on the ribbons. And I like the idea of being able to attach them to anything to prevent them from falling on the ground. She still shows favoritism to her "yellow" blanket, but these seem to comfort her in the car and other places, just not so much in the bed.

There is one blanket missing, I'm not exactly sure why, it must have been in the wash or something

Frozen

When we got home from our trip this week I noticed that the fridge wasn't quite as cold as it usually is. I just attributed it to the fact that it was crammed full. In hindsight I should have realized that it hadn't even been opened the past 4 days, so it shouldn't had had a problem staying cold. My first clue was when I took a sip of my OJ the morning after we returned, it was more like room temp than like I just pulled it out of the refrigerator. When I went to get Kaylee's frozen berries for her oatmeal, I thought to myself that they weren't quite as solid as they usually are. Later that evening I realized that stuff in the freezer was thawing. I could hear the freezer running, but it wasn't keeping the stuff frozen. Maybe I had left the door open, or maybe Kaylee had, I could figure out what was going on. The next morning, the milk I had pumped the night before and put in the freezer was still NOT frozen. I decided then to transfer everything to our deep freezer and little fridge in the garage. I threw away most of the stuff in the fridge just to be safe, including a couple bottles which really made me mad. I think my wasted bottle count is up to like 10 now, and it kills me to have wasted so much precious milk. After transferring all the items I noticed ice all on the back wall of the freezer. It was kind of like that snow cone ice. I took this opportunity to really clean out the freezer, I took out all the shelves and the drawer, and scrubbed them. It is amazing how nasty it can get, I mean how often do people actually empty their freezer and clean it out? well around here it MIGHT happen once or twice a year.
I called a friend of the family who is a retired GE repair man and explained my problem, he told me exactly what part was broken and what to do. I began defrosting the freezer immediately, as in I was still on the phone with him when I poulled it away from the wall and found the small dog that had taken up resisance underneath. He suggested that I get lots of towels to soak up the water and get a put a blow dryer on low on one of the shelves. It took about 2 1/2 - 3 hours for it to be completely defrosted. He said after I defrosted it I would be able to turn it back on and usee it, but that the same thing would happen in about 7-10 days. He also said that he wouldn't be able to come out and fix it for us, so I decided to call America Home Shield, I mean that is why we pay them every month so that if something breaks they fix it. It was then that I learned our deductible has gone up AGAIN (I was probably sent something about this in the mail, but once again either I forgot or never read it in the first place). They scheduled a repair man to come out Friday to fix the problem. So hopefully now we wont have to deal with that appliance having any other problems for a few years, or NEVER!

So what's next? Dont bad things usually come in 3's? The freezer, the Jetta, what is next?

Big Mistake

Any of you readers out there that have been following my blog for a long time (or that I talk to on a regular basis) know that I cant stand it when men think that women are incompetent just because we are women. For example tonight Marcus and I are watching Hells Kitchen, our new favorite obsession, and there was this one guy on there who said something negative about women EVERY TIME he opened his mouth. The first couple of comments I just ignored, but then I was so sick of it that I actually mentioned it to Marcus. And guess who went home this episode.....Mr. Can't Say Anything Nice about Women! HA!

Anyways back to my post, so if you have been following my blog for about the last 1 1/2 years you might remember this post where I ranted about men thinking I cant put gas in my own car. Well today I proved those men right! Yes my friends I did it, i did exactly what I thought I would NEVER EVER EVER NEVER do.....I put gas in our car. Now that doesn't sound like such a bad thing except that it is a DIESEL! Thank God I noticed my mistake BEFORE I started the car!

After making the call to Marcus to tell him what I had done, to my friend to tell her I wouldn't be able to make it for my shift, my dad to just vent, the VW dealership to ask them what their recommendations were, my mom to give her the update because she had Kaylee and plans would be changing in regard to her, and roadside assistance asking for a tow truck, I broke down. I couldn't believe that I had been so stupid! I did surprise myself though, I didn't freak out like I would have in the past, I was just so pissed at myself for making such a stupid mistake. And as I reflect on the situation now while typing this post I wonder "what in the heck would I have done without my cell phone?" I know I would have managed, but how much easier it made the situation to be able to make the necessary calls immediately from my car.

My dad recommended that I call the dealership, which I did, and that is where I learned that I could siphon out the gas myself, but I would run the risk of residue being left over that could eventually damage other/ bigger parts of the car, so i decided that it was better to spend a little extra money now to have the job done right, than run the risk of having to fork out huge bucks later. We do plan on driving that little car until the wheels fall off! Anyways so the VW service man informed me that I had free roadside assistance (which I probably knew at one point but had forgotten). I called them up and they sent the tow truck. Marcus came to pick me up, and my mom brought Kaylee out to our house to wait for the freezer repair man (that's a WHOLE nother story). It all worked out in the end, but then again it really isn't the end yet. We will find out on Monday what kind of damage I have done to our bank account.

I am not making excuses, well maybe just a few, but I have not driven the jetta much lately, much less put diesel in it. It had been so long since I had, that I could not even remember what side the gas tank was on and there isn't a little arrow on the dash to tell you. On top of that I was talking on the phone when I pulled up to the pump (I know you aren't supposed to talk on the phone when you are pumping gas) and just started pumping the premium out of habit. YES premium, that is what we have to put in my car. So on top of the money we have to spend to fix my mistake I wasted $40 on the gas i put in the tank. GOSH I am such an idiot!

I was so thankful that Marcus didn't once say anything negative to me about this. He didn't throw out even the slightest comment. I know I was pissed off enough for the both of us, and I knew what I did was wrong and stupid. I am SO glad that he didn't throw it back in my face. Thanks babe! I LOVE YOU!!!

Prepare to laugh

As you know we just got back from our trip to Missouri. And we had a BLAST!!! Here are 2 of the videos from our trip. Kristi tried to warn me before we went on this little outing in these videos. She wanted to take us on the mule to see her dads property and meet his cows. Nothing she said prepared me for what was to come. And I learned, once again, that I am NOT a country girl. I squealed like a baby about everything, and when I say everything I mean EVERYTHING! Ainslee sat as content as could be on my lap, Kristi's dad sat next to us driving, Marcus, Kristi, Kaylee, and Johnny (Kristi's youngest son, 3 1/2 yrs old) sat in the backseat.

Please feel free to laugh your a** off! Too bad Marcus didn't get more of my screaming for your enjoyment. I'm sure the look on my face was priceless too, and I am SO glad that he was not able to capture that on video, it probably would have made you pee in your pants.

Ellie, the cow that they are petting, was bottle raised and is apparently as tame as she can be. She lets the kids sit on her and everything, however we didn't try that. I sat on the mule the entire time, scared to death to get off. The second video Marcus started recording about 5 seconds too late. The cow came right up to his face and sorta did a sneeze (or something) and got snot all over him and then mooed in his face. It was hilarious. Kaylee was trying to moo like them too. Kaylee loved loved LOVED it! She was swinging from the crossbar of the mule and smiling the entire time. She asked many more times if we could do it again. Too bad our trip was so short that we were not able to do it again.

Here are the videos from Jump Mania.

Once again, Kaylee had a BLAST!

Fingerpaints

I decided to face my fears and let Kaylee try her new fingerpaints. Auntie Ceire bought these for her, and I honestly thought that she would keep them at her house for when Kaylee visits. But she sent them home with her. Last week Kaylee asked if she could open them. Relucantly I agreed, and this is what the outcome was. I know I need to loosen up some and be OKAY with making messes, but it is really hard for me.

She LOVED every minute of it!

Wordless Wednesday

A few shots from our trip....

Attachment and Obsession

Is it possible, at 6 months old, that a child could be so attached to an item that, in its absence, it would not be possible for her to go about her normal routine?

Today, like every other day before a trip, I was frantic about getting EVERYTHING done! I couldn't sit down, there was wash to do, dishes to clean, floors to be swept and reswept (I despise coming home to a dirty house), children to be bathed (did I even take a shower today?), bags to be packed, car to be cleaned out, car to be packed, lists to check and recheck, and more laundry to do.

In my get ready for our trip frenzy I decided to wash all of Ainslee's blankets. If you know Ainslee you know that she has been a thumb sucker, blanket chewer, insatiable oral fixator, for about the past 3 months now. She hasn't really shown a preference to any particular blanket or object in the past. However I do have a blanket that I put in the crib with her all the time, just like I did with Kaylee, and I even have a spare of the exact same blanket. And because the love she has shown for having some sort of "blanket" I decided to make her a few extras that way we can always have one on hand. I will post more on those blankets another time.

Like I said I decided to wash all of her blankets for the trip, I am not quite sure what I was thinking at the time, I could have at least kept 1 out for her. Anyways so it was time for her afternoon little cat nap, and I tried and tried and TRIED to get her to go down. She usually goes down without a fuss at all. And she was so exhausted that she just about rubbed her poor little eye raw. I felt so sorry for her. And in hindsight, I wonder if she refused to go down because she did not have ANY of her blankets in the crib. I did give her a replacement blanket, but I guess it wasn't good enough.

I am really scared about having her be SO attached to a particular item. What if I forget it? It is really nice that Kaylee has her special blanket, but if she doesn't have that particular one she is completely fine with a replacement, or no blanket at all. Ainslee is going to be the child that has her blanket in the car, while shopping, outside playing, watching TV (no wait my kids don't watch TV), at a friends house playing, and basically everywhere.

Oh and WHY IN THE WORLD AM I BLOGGING NOW??? I told myself I was going to go to bed early tonight, and here I am blogging. Let's see who is the one that is obsessed? I am not going to check FB at all tonight (not like I've been on there much lately anyways) I refuse to waste anymore of my precious sleep.


Are your children attached to a particular object? At what age did they develop this attachment?

Gastroenterologist

Kaylee's doctor's appointment yesterday seemed to turn out to be more for me than for her, well I mean ultimately it was for HER but......well......to calm MY nerves. I decided to schedule an appointment with a specialist to figure out what our action plan was going to be for our children, in regards to gluten. As you all of you know I have Celiac Disease, and unfortunately this is a genetic disease, therefore my little munchkins have a fairly high chance of inheriting it from me (which makes me very very sad). I know the amount of pain and suffering I went through and that is the LAST thing that I want my children to have to go through. That is why I have had Kaylee on a GF diet all of her life, and am planning to have Ainslee on the same diet until she is able to talk as well. I feel like not only is it a healthier diet to be on, it is more convenient since they are eating with me and that is what I am eating. I do not feel like I am depriving my child of anything.
Yesterday the doctor recommended that I start introducing gluten to Kaylee very slowly. I was in tears (literally) while talking to him about feeding my child a certain type of food......are you kidding me? Can I still blame that on pregnancy hormones? Really!
The thought of feeding her gluten really makes me nervous, anxious, and down right scared. When Marcus woke up and before he went to work, he asked how the appointment went. I told him everything the doctor said and that he suggested we start introducing gluten slowly, Marcus said he wasn't sure he wanted to start giving her gluten and he was happy with the diet we have her on and the choices we have made for her. After I heard him say that, I felt like I was able to breathe again. I felt like I had been holding my breath from the moment the doctor gave me his advice. I was relieved that Marcus felt the same way as I, and there was no argument or discussion about it. We both agreed and came to our agreement independently. It makes me so happy that we, as parents, are on the same page when it comes to parenting issues. Now I'm not sure where we will go from here, Marcus and I have lots of talking to do, and what a better time to talk than a 6 hour road trip?
I bet that was the easiest appointment that doctor has EVER had! Here he is a highly trained and specialized doctor and I bring in my completely healthy, non symptomatic child because of a FEAR I have! Am I crazy? Because I am being to feel like I am!

While I feel like we have been unjustly criticized about how we have chosen to raise our daughters, we feel like we are making the right choices for them. Our decisions are not meant to affect anyone other than our own family. And I pray everyday that our children do not have to go through the pain and suffering that is caused by this horrible disease.

Busy busy

Monday-
shots and errands all day

Tuesday-
housework and play date with Aunt Mary

Wednesday-
play date with "old" friends and dinner at my parents

Thursday-
Dr. appointment for Kaylee (*more about this later), housework, and errands
I just LOVE spending 1 on 1 time with either child. It is so nice to be able to devote that individual attention to them. And what makes it even nicer is when the child behaves magnificently. When I say magnificently I mean there is not one single/ solitary thing that I could say negative (or even critical) about her behavior. She sat perfectly for the 20 minutes I talked to the doctor (I think she sensed my fear), she rode beautifully in the car, she listened, we talked, she ate her lunch, she was great in the stores, it was just an all around FABULOUS couple of hours with just her. During times like this all I can think about is soaking in each and every second because before I know it she is going to be grown and gone.

Friday-
cancelled play date (this was a combo decision between both us mommys and I am really happy we decided to postpone it to next week), housework, and packing

Saturday-
leave vewy vewy vewy early for Springfield, MO. Pick daddy up at work and hit the road JACK!

It doesn't look like much on paper (or on computer), but man I am WHOOPED!!! It is only Thursday night, I haven't been able to get to sleep before midnight any night this week. Tonight I am shooting for before 9......holy moly I better hurry up! I am so ready for this weekend, and excited that I get to see one of my bestest (i love that word) friends in the WHOLE world. She is cancer free! And our kids will be meeting for the very first time. Her 4 boys + my 2 girls = a whole lota fun!!!

I apologize now if i cant get around to blogging this weekend, not that anyones listening or anything

Wordless Wednesday (part 2)

I couldnt resist posting this one I took at my parents house today......

Wordless Wednesday

This is all it got for you today.....

Resourceful

Yesterday we were out all day running errands, while Marcus went car shopping with his mom. We were running so late that we decided to catch a bite to eat out, so that when we got home all we needed to do was get the girls to bed. This turned out to be a GREAT idea on our part! After eating dinner I got a REALLY bad head ache and asked Marcus if he would drive the girls home and put them down, while I drove the other car to drop off his mom and sis, fill up with gas, and pick up our groceries I had left in their frig while we ate dinner. But my headache proved to be too bad (I could barely see to drive home), I was in so much pain I decided to just go straight home and skip everything else. Marcus called me when he got home and informed me that the power was out in the house.....FANTASTIC!!! He proceeded to start getting Kaylee ready for bed, by the time I got home he had her stripped down and teeth brushed. She greeted me in the driveway in her birthday suit with one of those flashlights you wear on your head. I just had to laugh, and wish I would have had my camera handy! That was the only way they could see to brush teeth, because the bathroom was so dark, good thinking daddy and Kaylee loved the idea of using the flashlights to brush teeth. Marcus and I had to explain to her a million times why the lights switches were not working and she finally agreed that "the worker man had to come fix them, and put new batteries in them." Marcus called the electric company to find out what the deal was with the lights and they said that it was being worked on and would be fixed shortly. Thankfully it was, and we were only without power for a couple of hours. If we wouldn't have eaten out, we wouldn't have been able to cook our dinner at home.

After leaving my groceries at my in laws house last night, I realized that I had NO food for Ainslee. Well I do have some carrots and spaghetti squash, but I really didn't want to give her that for breakfast. I looked in the pantry and found some dried apricots that I bought when I was pregnant, they are packed with vitamins (cant remember which ones), but I just couldn't stomach them when I was pregnant, I would throw them up almost every time. And Kaylee used to love them, but decided one day that she wasn't going to eat them anymore. I must have just forgotten about them, and good thing because I needed them now. I decided to boil some water and soak them for a few minutes to soften them, and then mix them in the blender (using the water I soaked them it to soften them a bit). So now I have a wonderful breakfast for Ainslee for the next couple of days.

Oh and last night at dinner, I forgot to pack something for Ainslee to eat while we were at the restaurant so she had to eat off our plate. She tried our garlic mashed potatoes and chicken. Ainslee about came out of our skin with delight when she experienced the sheer goodness of the mashed potatoes.

Helpful BIG Sister

Kaylee is quite the little mommy. Or at least she "trys" to be. She would do just about anything for her baby sister, and is proud to do it. And now that Ainslee is a pretty competent eater (of solids) I don't mind allowing Kaylee to help out in that department too. Here is a video of Kaylee feeding Ainslee some sweet potatoes. She smeared a little on her face, gagged her a few times with the spoon, teased her with an empty spoon, and just about gave her whiplash when she moved the high chair......but hey that's what being a big sister is all about, right?

Oh and Ainslee has added nectarines, spaghetti squash, and chicken (from my chicken Marsala) to her diet. The chicken is a HUGE hit, just like it was with her big sister, all I can say is my girls like some flavor!

Wordless Wednesday

Kaylee is getting better at dressing (and undressing) herself. Too bad she cant put her own socks on this easily

The new swing

(sorry, camera lense fogged up)

Yes! Our little streaker does not have a shirt on in this picture. She sure does LOVE the new swing!

Ainslee and her little friend Chole (Chole is 4 weeks older)

Ainslee and her little friend Mary Thomas (Ainslee is only 4 1/2 weeks older)

She really loves her avocado and banana (despite the look on her face in this video)