Adventures of a New Mom

tomorrow

2013-04-11T19:44:00.001-04:00

tomorrow is the day. the day we find out if Oliver is going to have a little brother or a little sister. and we're all super excited!

bump it up

2013-04-05T01:08:00.001-04:00

pregnancy catch-up

2013-04-04T22:24:00.001-04:00

I know I'll look back and regret if I don't document more of my second pregnancy and the last few months of Oliver being the only child. so these will be random facts and events and pictures for me to remember and not be so concerned about typos or interesting content for readers. because that's not what it's about.

I was sick a couple times in the first trimester, but it multiplied in the beginning of the second. from 13 weeks to 17 weeks, I was puking about every other day. it only ended less than a week ago.

finally craving-
sharp cheddar cheese (I'm talking straight off the brick style)
McDonald's hashbrowns
tomatoes

Oliver giving his sibling a check-up.

he's truly so in love. he talks to my belly at least once a day. and the shirt is not allowed to be down haha. he talks right through the belly button. he tells me he's watching his cartoons with "bebe". and according to him, he's having a baby brother.

I've had one gender dream so far: we were doing the cutesy newborn pictures where the baby's wrapped in gauze and sitting in a nest or whatever. the baby had tons of DARK hair (unlike big brother who is still rocking the blond!) and Oliver wanted to be in all the shots. said "but I want a pik-ture wiff bebe bwuover!"

18 weeks

2013-04-04T18:45:00.000-04:00

I'm so grateful that this baby is healthy, growing big and strong. hearing the heartbeat (and kicks!) is maybe my favorite part of a pregnancy. and with all the troubles this little fetus has been giving me, it's so worth it. I love whoever is in there so much already. can't wait to see who it is next week. (sorry for the sap, it's been a rough couple weeks.)

kind of long story halfway shortened: a good friend of mine lost her unborn baby recently. and we were only a couple weeks apart in due date. so needless to say, it most definitely took a toll on me. I also only just stopped being sick less than a week ago. all of this, combined with the fact that I left Oliver (with someone other than steve) for my appointment today, gave me high blood pressure. but just knowing that the baby is still there and doing fantastic, made everything perfect. the baby kicked the doppler and even rolled over/ moved away from being poked. I recorded all the audio to put my mind at ease this week.

my OB is so great, too. she wishes I would've called right after my friend's loss, she would've listened to the heartbeat right away for me. I love that I also get to keep the same OB and pediatrician for this new babe.

and! obviously, I am so excited to see if Oliver's going to have a little brother or little sister next week!

bring it on, 2013

2013-01-19T14:10:00.001-05:00

happy birthday dinner to me!

creme brûlée white chocolate

my sister made me an ice cream cake for my birthday! devils food cake with vanilla ice cream with fudge swirl and peanut butter cups, toffee brownie brittle, fresh whipped cream, ganache and a crushed up salted caramel chocolate bar.

officially engaged!

pregnancy announcement, my birthday and an engagement all in one week! bring it on, 2013!

debuting this fall

2013-01-17T00:38:00.000-05:00

that one time we went to the zoo

2012-11-19T13:41:00.000-05:00

And I'm Back in The Game!

2012-10-30T22:59:00.000-04:00

Oh wow, okay, so I just got my first laptop in over two years! This means I'll hopefully start blogging again. the whole reason I got an iPhone was to blog... didn't work out like I'd have thought! I will say, typing on a computer feels super weird after not using one forever. I obviously don't have any pictures uploaded yet or anything extremely interesting to blog about right now, but I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things, scheduled posts, the whole shebang!

Is there any in particular you can remember me doing that you actually enjoyed? haha anything that you'd like to see from me or know or or or? I'm thinking I'll probably try some "favorite Friday's" again. Do you like seeing all the vintage stuff I find?

Which is something I'll be able to do again; actually run my etsy business! I haven't done anything new with that sucker in easily a year. couldn't upload pictures straight to etsy from an iPhone. poor pity me, I know.

Well, that's all, I guess! Feels good to be back! I'm also pretty excited to catch up on your lives. since I haven't so much as opened google reader in over a year. forgive me and love me back!

2012-10-02T23:03:00.000-04:00

we live mere miles from the beach and don't go. basically ever. so we're trying to enjoy it as much as we can as the weather gets nicer.

I decided to randomly pack up Oliver and head out there while Steve was at work. just to see if I could physically do it by myself. oh the breeze. the glorious breeze made all the sand worth it.

and since that made Steve jealous, we were right back there the very next morning haha.

2012-09-24T23:23:00.001-04:00

oh wow, forgot I had a blog. okay.

my favorite person in the whole world

2012-08-05T22:01:00.000-04:00

8 week time warp

2012-07-19T15:55:00.000-04:00

I figured this would be the best way for me to somewhat catch up on blogging; photobombing you with all my pictures from instagram. which is why I don't blog; instagram (reneekristine) is a lot quicker and easier and I feel like most of you have me added on there and see my day to day as it happens.

okay here goes. oh! you may want to go through this backwards if you're looking for chronological order, since they're listed newest to oldest.

someone stickered themself. // the only hat Oliver will really wear (it's the head to last year's Halloween costume.) he's never been a fan of having anything on his head. // just lookin' all cute and grown and stuff. // I have a hard time getting Oliver to eat anything other than goldfish on most days, so fresh juices and smoothies is how we do it. this one was 1 whole green apple, 1 whole kiwi, 1 large carrot and some frozen guava pulp. // I play old school games during naptime. // sorting through Oliver's thrifted vintage book collection and these are just some of my favorites. 1944-1983. // always yelling. demanding. something. anything. everything. // just being cute, reading books and eating snickity-snacks. // HUGE new playground just miles from our house. // wearing onesie pjs is the only time I think he looks like a baby anymore. // "mommy. daddy. nigh-night. seeping. aw." says Oliver. a real nap would be nice. // summertime floral curtains and sleepy cat ears.

attempting to spruce up the joint by adding a thrifted table runner to the back of our ratty couch. // dyed my hair and chopped it all off. // baby blues. // mr. spinach smoothie face talkin' my ears off about colors and stuff. // one shoe, backwards hat, no pants. running in circles, filling his shopping cart with random items and asking "what's this?" then answering himself right away and gives me a kiss. this went on for days. // gummie fruit snack. // fancy eater. // Florida sunsets. // best salad on the planet: spinach and mixed greens with garbanzo beans, dried cranberries, tomatoes, goat cheese and candied walnuts with vinaigrette. // my niece. // sleeping in style. // I put on Oliver's 1st birthday outfit for shits n' giggles. amazing. totally worth it. // someone fell out of love with their unused owl candle collection. // self explanatory meme. // superhero.

family story time. // embroidery wall cluster. // I'm the best seat in the house. // my boys. // overdue vacation. // flashback to 10 days before I popped out homeboy. // looking like a teenager. // first carwash. loved it. // laundromats are pretty when you're not forced to use them. // shave ice for dinner. // ready to go. // legit deals happen through my blog. // a collection of purple that took me an hour to find, since apparently we don't like purple. // cookie. // red velvet brownie.

climbing without a ball in your hand would make it a lot easier, but no thanks. // cotton candy skies after a day of storming and right before another one. // goof. // long and tiring day. // long and tiring day for both of us, I guess. // best Target advice I've ever seen. from pinterest. // followed by the truest Target meme. // the fried eggplant and honey that I blogged about. // trying to drink more water. I don't drink nearly as much as I should and need to cut back on the diet soda. // you know you're up too late when you grab your kid's art supplies and start doodling. // exercise is laughable. // sk8. // father's day flashback of Oliver first steps. // I do this every couple weeks. // target buddy.

I can't believe how tiny Oliver used to be. // father's day kisses. // and even more Florida sunsets. // swim swim swim. // ducks. // Oliver as a wittle 3 month old. // more awesome memes. // teeth brushin' in the tub. // salmon patty with sautéed mushrooms and asparagus. // water park fun for dayz and my dude's baby blues.

good morning, alfalfa. // singing to me and being über handsome. // calm during a car nap while daddy graduated medical school. // looking huge with his big boy hair cut at daddy's graduation. // purple skies. // I can't believe I chopped it all off. it felt good. and a month+ later, I'm so glad I did. the curls stayed. // I curse a lot. // applewood smoked turkey sandwich with bangin' potato salad. // life. // blowing me kisses as he kicks me out of his room. // fam bam jam. // first date we've had since our son was born over two years ago. // creme brûlée.

fancy date night spot. // date night outfit. // beach. // no crying for the pediatrician means you get to have a lollipop and hang in the front seat. // bathtub narwhal. // first time having molten lava cake. // and drinks with one of my oldest childhood friends. // that outfit. // artichoke and melted butter dinner. // dear dishes, I won. // oh hi, cat. // thrifted blues. // fruit dishes. // hanging with his baby bud.

solo thrifting is the best kind. // go ahead and just flip that whole donut try into my mouthhole. // beach. // now it's officially summer. // fruit snacks for the beach sunset. // face first. // waterpark. // cupcakes. // Walmart makes us crazy. // this cart is my worst nightmare. // strawberry. // my boys. // his curls. // bird feeder.

stealing my tea. // alien. // sitting so proper. // edamame. // hey, I sure am
cute when I'm not napping. // rice krispie treats cereal. // steak, black beans and rice burritos with salsa and sour cream. // breakdancer. // froyo for dinner. // park hangs. //

last of the park. // they're best friends. we all are. it's a nice feeling. // sticker belly. // me as a kid. you're welcome. // we got addicted to Sons of Anarchy and watched the series start to finish in two weeks. my kind of man sandwich. // digging and running in the backyard. // caaaaake. // hair. // thrifted glasses, a wooden pizza, awesome clothes for Oliver and some dishes. // sleepy dude.

well, there it is. caught up on the last 8 weeks of my life.

something. anything.

2012-07-09T22:15:00.000-04:00

I figure I should blog something. anything. so here's just some random pictures of my kid being the coolest person I know. and he makes me so proud to be his mama. aside from the normal terrible two stuff (that I never believed would be true but damn, it is) it always shocks me how kind he is. okay I won't gush but these are things I want to remember about him. he's so eager to learn. loves animals. coloring is his favorite.

ah, my dude.

Fried Eggplant with a Honey Drizzle

2012-06-21T12:47:00.000-04:00

ever since tasting these, I've literally had dreams about it. so I obviously had to make them at home a couple weeks later. and trust me, I can't believe I made it that long without trying haha.

the ones I tried in the restaurant were like patties, as if you were making eggplant parmesan. but I found this a little more difficult because we were just folding it, pizza slice style, and dipping it in the honey. so I started out at home that way but ended up liking it as fries/ pieces a lot better.

what you'll need:
eggplant
eggs (I used 2)
flour
panko bread crumbs (or Italian)
olive oil
hot hot pan pan (yeah, extra hot)

I sliced them (some patties and some fry-like pieces for the sake of experiment) and covered them liberally with salt on a layer of paper towels for about a half hour to soak up moisture. I don't really know if the moisture really makes much of a difference when frying but hey!

next was the basic dredging. dip your eggplant in egg. then flour. then roll and pat into panko.

make sure your olive oil is smokin' hot. literally. you might want to pop on that overhead fan. I lowered the heat to medium high at some points, but high worked best for me.

toss in your coated eggplant parts in batches, as to not overcrowd and allow them the cook evenly. it should only be about 2-3 minutes per side.

once done frying, place on paper towels to cool and soak up the extra oil. make sure to salt them when they're still a little damp! layer and continue.

plate and drizzle with honey! good old fashioned honey. have it on the side to dip if you'd like. so so good!

not a super sophisticated recipe or fancy pictures, but trust me, they're AMAZING! even my man shoveled them into his facehole. success! next time I'll experiment with more spices and combinations (pepper, dill, cayenne etc). maybe even try a sweet one with cinnamon and sugar! mmmmm

yields: a lot! I didn't even make it through the whole eggplant. this could easily serve 4+

2012-06-01T12:17:00.000-04:00

hotel shenanigans

this dude got in a fight with the hotel door. and lost. Steve went out to get ice, came back in and Oliver TRIPPED and smacked his noggin right into the edge of the door. I cried more than him. and almost a month later, there's still a small mark on his forehead. oh, my little dude.

Oliver LOVED the Cat in the Hat ride!

after the ride, there was a live action character show.

as you can see, there were kisses and hugs for everyone! once the show was over, he went from character to character pointing to each one before running over to them. and before touching any of them, he pointed to each me and Steve and said "mama. dada." very factual "these are my parents". I LOVE that he does this (with everyone). also, one of the characters tried to take his hand so they could walk to the next one together... Oliver high fived him then pulled his hand away and pointed to me. yes, that's right, you DON'T walk with strangers. I teared up hahaha. I never taught him this, he just knows.

ugh there's even more still. whatever. post.

Harry Potter 1

2012-06-01T11:17:00.000-04:00

oh right, I have a blog. okay so we went to Islands of Adventure a few weeks ago, specifically for Harry Potter obviously. we've been wanting to go for a while but didn't think it'd be much fun with Oliver being so little. we figured we needed to go before we moved out of state so now was the time! we made it a 7 year anniversary gift to ourselves, combined with Oliver's second birthday. since those events are only a week apart. alright, here's photos from almost a month ago.

Oliver's first ride ever! he was pretty skeptical since he wasn't allowed to sit on my lap, therefore is flying in circles without being able to see what's coming ahead of him. while be sprayed in the face with water. I'd cry, too.

during Oliver's super quick half hour nap, this happened. we couldn't get over how nice the squirrels were. and by nice I mean, if you run out of goldfish, they will follow you.

I was all about these jellybeans. it's the main reason I ducked into the candy shop. but they were über expensive and didn't tell me a single flavor. which I wouldn't normally mind but isn't there booger and dirt flavored ones in there?

merry go round was a hit! but, of course we were on the last ride of the day (closing early for one of those high school senior night things)

all of these were taken one right after the other in what, less than 30 seconds? I love him and all his adorable ridiculousness.

a well deserved anniversary cocktail after our 90* adventure walk. oh, and George Clinton's hair.

avocado club with lemon mayo.

individual sized creme brûlée might just be one of the best ideas.

the day we went also happened to be on the day that one of the best musical minds lost his battle with cancer. it was surreal having it be Beastie Boys night in the Hard Rock. nothing better than drinking a cocktail to Sabotage, though.

and that's the end of day one? "one?! you mean there's a day two?!" yep! I guess I'll make that in another post since this one took so long; another drawback of posting. I just let all the days and photos build up then I don't want to blog. I guess the only way I'll post the second half of our trip is if I do it right now.

2012-05-26T15:25:00.000-04:00

life is good.

oh right

2012-05-14T21:00:00.000-04:00

oh right, I have a blog. you've heard the story time and time again; writer's block. not that I'm a fancy writer or anything. but I have no desire to sit and make posts anymore. I WANT to want to. but I feel like instagram covers my needs. and when I started this blog, it was for me and me alone. now that it's public, that also comes along with being judged by other parents for every little step I take. which makes me second guess my writing, which I really hate. my blog was supposed to be a place I could write absolutely whatever I wanted. and it doesn't feel that way anymore. it's all about how many readers you have, what giveaway you're doing, whose baby is cuter, who has better clothes. I don't know. it's lost its meaning for me right now. and until I get the fuck over it, I'm not sure I'll be here much. just a heads up. as if you hadn't already noticed.

addicted to thrifting

2012-04-20T16:10:00.001-04:00

here's some recent treasures.

ah-one, ah-two

2012-04-16T13:12:00.001-04:00

I just can't believe my dude is almost two. me? the ma to a two year old? in less than a month? slap me in the face.

zzzz's

2012-04-13T00:17:00.001-04:00

every so often I miss the days when I snuggled Oliver to sleep. when he was so tiny that he just slept under my chin. like a little puppy, t'awww. and sometimes when I check on him that one last time before I head off to bed, and I see him all squishy and baby like. I just want to climb in there with him. or take him into my bed.

then I realize I don't want my wake up call to be an uppercut to the throat. and I remember how I was always in constant fear that he'd roll off. I really enjoy that he has such a good sleeping routine that's worked so well since he was about 2 months.

I don't really know where I was going with this post. but I love standing in his room an extra long minute to stare at him before bed. then sprawl out all over mine and wake up to an owl hooting boy from the other room. yes, owl hooting. he cute.

Well-Check

2012-04-05T15:38:00.001-04:00

today we had a pediatrician update. we actually wet yesterday and they kindly let us know I had confused my days. sounds about right.

The doctor asked me two weeks ago to work on a list of the things Oliver does. I really hadn't thought about until this point but I'm really glad she gave me this "homework".

says- book. banana. momma. dadda. kitty. blue. yellow. green. bye. hi. please. thank you. whoa. wow. cheese. yeah. bubble. ball. baby. boy. hot. shoes. boat. balloon. yes. no. what? mm-hmm. hat. flower. good job. cookie.

body parts- points and says
knee. eyes. nose. toes. ears. teeth. hair. fingers. elbow. foot. penis. belly button. points to tongue

alphabet- points and says
e. m. b. w. y. o. a. s. L. i. g. c. d. v. r.
knows he is o-l-i-v-e-r

can identify 1-10. tries on fingers. covers his eyes.
knows 1 2 3

animals- says and imitates
cat- meow
dog- woof
bird- tweet
snake. hisss
donkey. heehaw
monkey. ahhahh
owl. hoohoo
dinosaur. Rawr
lion, tiger, bear etc. Rawr
fish. kissy face
chicken. clicks his tongue
bunny. teeth noises
horse. naaaa
sheep. baaaa
pig. snorts
cow. mooooo

developmentally
dances. claps. tries to snap. high fives. hugs. kisses. blows kisses. blows hot. tickles. tries to jump. flushes toilet. tries to wipe. drinks from a straw. draws. paints. climbs and slides alone. loves other kids and animals. throws a ball. ball in hoop. kicks a ball. swings a golf club.

kicks with his left foot. writes with both hands but mainly right.

likes-
puzzles. books. drums. cars. blocks. fake sleeps/ snores. putting things in things- blocks inside of a box, sorting blocks into baskets etc

sleeps from 9:30pm-9:30am
1-2 hour nap at 2pm
gets 2 minute times outs. knows where it is, why it happens, when to get up. gives a hug and a kiss and nods when I ask if he's sorry.

it makes me feel proud that I'm doing my job right. this is what I need to hang onto when all I want to do is scream and cry at the end of a long day.

and at almost 23 months, he is 34in tall, 28lbs (68% for both).

Boys Can Have Buns, Too

2012-04-03T15:17:00.000-04:00

okay so here's the thing; when we're home, Oliver's hair is usually up. why? well, it all started when he got his first cold a couple weeks ago. the snot overflowith and was making his hair über crusty. not a good look. so in walked what I deemed "the booger pony". what's the booger pony, you may be asking yourself? well, it looks something like this

(and if I'm being honest, it started back with teething boogers, actually)

it really helped! not with just the boogs, but for sweaty playing! see, we're right at the awkward stage where his bangs are about to fit behind his ears but it's crazy annoying in the process. so we noticed once the cold stopped, the hair was still being put up. why? because every time Oliver wakes up for the day or from nap, he asks me to. he points to the hair tie on my wrist, turns around, backs up in-between my knees and waits for me to put his hair up.

I clearly think it's the cutest thing ever. but I really wish that it was more socially acceptable for him to look like this in public. I know I shouldn't care, but get real; homeboy will for sure, without a doubt, be called a girl. I mean, he gets called a girl at least once every time we go out. even when he's in the ergo and you can't see his hair. even when he's head to toe in blue. doesn't matter. so sending him out with a topknot? I get it. but it still sucks. I like to call it "The Soccer Player Bun". yeah, whatever.

I just wish it didn't matter. I wish I didn't feel the judgment already before even publishing this post. that's what happens, the over analyzing. but I think he looks cute. and he's happy. and he's a boy that loves dinosaurs and puzzles and books and trucks. what his hair looks like doesn't determine who he is. other than awesome, because clearly, I mean... come on.

and I've thought about cutting his hair. but the baby curls? I can't. I envision putting his hair in a low pony and chopping it off at the nape of the neck. my heart sinks into my butt. my body gets that cold rush followed by hot. and you know what? it's my decision. why should I have to cut his hair? because I'm "supposed" to. says who?

music monday

2012-04-02T13:00:00.007-04:00

any songs that can give me goosebumps and make me want to get in my car with the windows down, screaming the lyrics at the top of my lungs, I'm in. I'm also a sucker for... I don't know, just notes or something because certain songs make cry. weird songs that shouldn't. and there's no hidden meaning. it's just when they hit a certain key or... whatever. I'm a freak, i already know this. i don't think I'm fooling anyone there.

but these guys. I'm excited to see what their debut album has to offer this week. yeah, I'm sure I'm late in the game with this band. but i don't care. I'm early enough to know that their album comes out this week and it makes me not feel like an old, unhip fart parent when i listen to music.

so anyone I can share that feeling with. the love of ridiculous stoplight screaming, crying, embarrassing yourself type songs because you can't stop listening; you're welcome.

yes, it's the same song three times. yes, they're that good. To say I'm obsessed would be a total understatement. It's on repeat. no really. it is.

Just Livin' Life

2012-03-29T11:29:00.001-04:00