Forever Charmed

Copy Cat

2013-02-10T18:34:00.003-06:00

Lately Scarlett has been imitating EVERYTHING! She says what I say <>, she does what I do and wants to be everywhere I am. As cute as that is it can also be highly annoying. If she doesn't get her way she ends up following me crying for me to pick her up. Sometime it just isn't possible to hold her.
Today when I was doing my hair....I had a curling iron and explaining that it is hot just doesn't cut it for her. So I tried something else. I gave her some Velcro curlers and let her loose. After a few minutes of silence I looked down to her head covered in rollers and her smiling face...."pretty" she said.
aaahhhh.
Now thats cute.

Don't Feed the Dogs

2013-02-08T20:08:00.001-06:00

Scarlett has a really bad habit of feeding Lady and Nala whatever I give her to eat. I tell her NO NO feed the dogs. She cries. I feel bad and hug her.....then as soon as I turn around she is at it again. ARG!! I'm sure she understands me. I know the dogs understand me. They run and hide as soon as they see me coming if they are eating Scarletts food. I don't know what to do.

Daddy Time

2013-02-05T23:24:00.003-06:00

Scarlett and I spent last week with my sister in Prattville, AL about 3 hours away from home (and daddy). It started out great. Scarlett and her cousin Joseph got along so great and her older cousin Alita watched over her like a mother hen. But at about day 3 she started getting clingy. She cried ALL the time. She wanted me to hold her ALL the time and God help me if I walked into the bathroom without her.

GAH!!

At first I couldn't figure it out....

Then it hit me...she is a daddies girl. She wanted to go home. Even though I was planning on staying till Monday I ended up cutting the visit down and leaving on Saturday night. Thank God I did because now that I am home I KNOW for sure that is what it was. No more crying.

She is actually cuddled up with daddy right now sleeping like a baby and it is so nice to be able to use both hands freely without her screaming in my ears.

Lady and Nala

2013-02-02T03:11:00.000-06:00

One of the last posts I made in Chicago before I went on break was about how badly Blake and I wanted a dog. A few months before we moved to Bama we found a Great Pryanees named Daisy and would have adopted her if we would have had the room in our Chicago home. Well it wasn't meant to be. BUT when we moved to Alabama one of the things Blake and I looked for was a fenced in back yard so Scarlett could play safely outside and Blake could have a dog. We found one.

No sooner did we get our boxes unpacked We found our companions. Let me introduce Lady and Nala. We found these sisters on craigslist at the bargain price of $60 for the pair. When I saw them I knew Blake wouldn't be able to control himself and that they were already part of our family. When we went to pick them up they were strictly outside dogs. The yard they lived in looked like it had NEVER been mowed and they slept in a big whole of red clay they dug out under a tree! NOT KIDDING. Their white coats were red with mud and dirt, their tails were covered in burrs. It was so sad. After their first night with us it was clear the previous owners were unkind to them.
They wouldn't even come close ANY doorways even to come in from the rain into the garage or shed in the back yard. It took a lot of love....((mostly by Blakesters cause I can't stand dog smell. I have the most insane sense of smell))...but they are now fully integrated. They mostly sleep in the garage but are indoors often keeping Scarlett company. They are about a year old and each weight about 110lbs which is HUGE but they are so gentle with Scarlett and she LOVES them so much. She climbs on them and chases them around the dinning room. I love them too even though I have never really been a dog person and now I can't imagine our family without them.

xoxo
Calista

Baby News

2013-02-01T00:11:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I announced that I am back...

Today I announce that I am pregnant...

That really isn't news to anybody who personally knows me since I am 25 weeks and 4 days today and am HUGE! I am defiantly bigger this time around than I was with Scarlett, although it feels like I am not gaining a lot of weight other than just a huge basketball belly thank GOD!

We are so excited about this bundle of joy. We found out about a month ago that we are having a girl. YAY! Her name will be Juliett Victoria....or should it be Victoria Juliett?? AND we are having some issues deciding on the spelling. Should it be Juliett with no E like Scarlett....or Juliette? I don't like the English spelling which is Juliet. I am just not sure. What do you think??

I'm Back

2013-01-31T01:48:00.003-06:00

Well HELLO blog world!!

We're back!!

I have been missing my blogger buddies for a while now, not that they know who lil' ol' me was....but I sure felt like I was "friends" with them, and have wanted to come back but I was just not sure where to start. SO I guess starting now is how I'll do it.

As of my last post you can see that I have moved back home to sweet home Alabama. At first I thought that moving home was going to be the best for my lil family to be close to my in-laws and have some support from them with Scarlett. WELL....I totally under estimated how close I had become to my Chicago gals and how little I really knew my in-laws. Don't get me wrong...they are great people and they defiantly love my husband and Scarlett...but I feel quite like an outsider here. I have NO friends in the area and unlike Chicago where there were so many people looking to reach out to new comers, Alabama is not like that at all. There are cliques within cliques here. Even at church and Sunday school and close to a year later I have yet to meet one person in this town that I would call MY friend. It is very lonely. Luckily I have my sister who only lives 3 hours away and that is where I am now. With her...soaking up the love of a person that loves me for just being me. She loves me just because. Not because I am the wife of their son or brother....or because I am the mother to their grandchild or niece. It is nice to feel a part of something so that is why I'm coming back...to belong somewhere. I will belong here.

xoxo
Cali

Moving!

2012-04-03T15:23:00.000-05:00

We're moving!!
A few weeks ago we went to Huntsville to visit hubbys family. On our trip Blake went on a small job hunt to see how the job market was in his home town. After only one day on the hunt my husband had 2 call backs and within 24 hours we had a bona-fide job offer. Oh yea! They are matching our current salary and the best part, they are helping us move home.

As much as I have loved living in Chicago, when Blake and I found out that his mother has breast cancer we knew that as soon as we had the opportunity to move closer to home we would. Now that we are moving it almost doesn't seam real. The pictures are off the wall and there are boxes piled all over the house but until our home is empty and we are on the road it seams surreal.

On a lighter note, I painted Scarletts toes for the first time and OMG is it the cutest thing I have ever seen. I love baby toes already. The way they wiggle while she tries to keep her balance. They way she opens her toes wide when I put them up to my lips....oooohhh I love them.

AHHH!!! I am loosing my hair!!

2011-11-05T20:23:00.000-05:00

When I was pregnant my hair was so luscious and healthy. I would only loose 1 or 2 strands in the shower. It was wonderful. What I didn't know was that now that I am not preggers I am loosing my hair in mass! I loose so much that I have to clean my brush out twice or more every time I brush my hair!

Is this happening to anybody else?

Will it stop??

I am freaking out over hear!

Roll Tide :)

Family Pet

2011-11-04T23:57:00.000-05:00

For the past few months Blake and I have been tossing around the idea of getting a dog. I have never really been a dog person but there are a few breeds that I love.

Boxers and Great Pyrenees.

A friend of mine has 2 boxers. She talks to them like they are people and they respond like they are people!! It is so funny and they are ridiculously smart!!

Blakes family pet is a Great Pyrenees. She is so calm and loving and would be the perfect addition to our family.

BUT. Blake put some restrictions on getting a pet. He said we had to find a rescue and it had to be free. It had to be either a boxer or great Pyrenees because it is the only 2 dogs that we both agreed on and finally it had to be a full grown dog. We didn't want a puppy and an infant in the house.

Then we found Daisy.

Daisy is a 3 year old Great Pyrenees and is with a great foster home right now that rescued her from Arkansas where she was left outside chained to a tree while her owners went out of town. The average weight for a GP is 80lbs but when she was rescued she only weighed 45lbs.

Blake wants her so much he has this picture as the background on his phone.

We are praying everything can work out so we can be her forever home.

If not I hope that she will find a loving family that will keep her save and loved for the rest of her life.

So hear me all, so help me God!

2011-11-02T02:11:00.002-05:00

I feel like I am pretty new at couponing {you like how "coupon-ING is a verb, LOL}, but the success that I have had lately is MIND BLOWING!

Stats since I have started couponing at CVS July - Now:

Saved: $857.10
Spent: $130.78

UNBELIEVABLE!!

The best part is that I feel confident enough to start passing on what I have learned to my friends an have enjoyed shopping with them.

I feel like that "Coupon Suzie" commercial pleading with everybody I know to start looking for savings. Now that I have started I will never go back.

SO.....

I vow here and now to never spend full retail for ANY health and beauty products, cleaning supplies or diapers.

So hear me all, so help me God!

Here was todays shopping trip....

Spent: $2.86 out of pocket
Earned: $20 AMX gift card!!

I LOVE CVS!!

2011-10-31T04:16:00.001-05:00

I love CVS so much that I am naming my next {if any} daughter after it...

I spent $6.18{including tax}and got all this stuff worth $141.07{not including tax}...

PLUS

$11 ECB & $20 AMX gift card!!

To make this deal even sweeter {if possible} I spent over $100 on beauty products {pre-coupon}, so the next time I visit CVS I should get $5 per $50 I spent on beauty products!! What a money maker!!! I am so excited!!

If you are not couponing I challange you to pick up next weeks paper and see what you can do.

You should NEVER pay for these items if you keep your eyes open....

toothpaste
toothbrushes
razors
body wash
diapers
baby wipes
dish soap
deodorant

If you have any questions feel free to ask...I LOVE sharing my coupon "knowledge". ;)

Also try visiting this site...Simply CVS...it has been very helpful pointing out good deals.

GOOD LUCK :)

Oh yea....in case you were wondering.....

CVS = Charlotte Victoria Smith

Costume

2011-10-29T16:50:00.001-05:00

Scarlett has changed everything in my life. From simple things like the clothes I wear to the big things like work {or lack there of}. The most recent change I have noticed are the holidays. Before Scarlett, Halloween was all about getting as sexy as possible and going out with the girls. This year I spent hours looking at fuzzy costumes for the baby girl online and at every baby store within a 10 mile radius. Not once did I look at an outfit for myself and God forbid I wear one of my old costumes trick or treating with my playgroup!

I am already planning the fun we will have at Christmas watching sweet baby open her gifts under the tree and playing in the snow. Everything is a photo op. Everything is about making memories for her.

Now check out my sweet babies costume. She IS{the essence of}Halloween.

Lazy mommy = Lazy baby

2011-10-27T00:18:00.001-05:00

Have I mentioned to you that I have been having some sleep issues? I CAN'T sleep. I go to bed and play solitar on my iPhone for HOURS!! This has been a problem for the past month at least....

Scarlett {on the other hand} is a sleeper.
She sleeps in until 10:30am pretty regularly. She is my alarm clock.
When I hear her I get up and bring her back to bed with me to eat breakfast {nurse}. The problem today was she slept in until 1:45PM!!!!

Yes, that's right! 1:45PM!!

So I also didn't wake up until 1:45PM!! My milk was so freaking full!!! I was leaking all over the place!!! How is it possible that a baby sleeps that long. I don't know if I am lucky or if I am creating a monster.

I am so shocked by this....how....why?? She goes to sleep at about 10PM every night. I think it is time to start laying her down at 7PM or 8PM. I just hope that I am not passing on my worst quality....oversleeping.

Birth Video

2011-10-25T01:48:00.001-05:00

I want to share the most wonderful moment of my life with you. I have made this short video viewer friendly (no blood or lady parts), but this is still the birth of my sweet Scarlett so viewer discression advised. :)

PS: you might want to get a tissue ready cause I cry EVERY TIME!

2011-10-23T12:48:00.001-05:00

Mom and dad came to town today for my moms 48th birthday. I helped my dad make reservations at The Signature room on the 97th floor of the John Hancock building for dinner and they stayed at the Windham hotel.

Isn't my momma and daddy so SUPER FINE!! :)

I love seeing my mom and dad happy together. My dad is in the Army and is stationed in Saudi Arabia for 2 years, while my mom lives in Hawaii with my brother and sister. They met in the middle here in Chicago. Today they called me and told me they were coming over after they made a stop at the Wal-mart on North Ave. If you are not from Chicago let me tell you that Wal-marts here in town are not like the Wal-marts in the 'burbs or in any other part of the country.

The first (and only) time I went it was to price check a camera. Let me tell you what I saw.

There is a HUGE car wash attached to the Wal-mart parking lot and outside along the car wash wall there are several tables set up selling knock-off perfume, sneakers and sweat suits. NO JOKE.

Inside Wal-mart where normally there is a McDonnalds there is an Uncle Elmers Fried Chicken.

This Wal-mart looks like a thrift store because there are boxes of unstocked merchandice lining the isles.

It was BY FAR the most ghetto Wal-mart I have ever been to in my life, BUT don't take my word for it, check out some of the reviews on google. Not one person gave it more than two stars and most people gave it only one...

"toni ‎ - Jun 10, 2011 gave 1 star out of 5
Ok, lets start and acknowledge that i' m obviously not from here... (read my profile). Once I stepped into this Wal-Mart.. I regretted even walking in!!! The store was a huge mess; piles of trash everywhere, and many, many, employees running around talking about which woman they were going to "feel up" on at the local club. This store should never be out of stock, hence it looks as if they missed like 5 deliveries and it was in the aisles... I'm never coming back.."

"daniel ‎ - Apr 13, 2011 gave 1 star out of 5

these walmart isnt worthy of a one star but without rating i cant post this....but omg ghetto is not the word to describe these place, i am not racist but after going there i came out thinking like the kkk. never seen so many rude monkeys in my entire life. i will never shop there until they get new staff including managers that are worthless aswell. death to these walmart i hope it burns down with all their staff in it."

"VESEMIR ‎ - Sep 9, 2011 gave 1 star out of 5

CANT BELIEVE PLACE LIKE THIS EXIST...."

"Mark Pio ‎ - Jul 6, 2011 gave 1 star out of 5

Worst store ever doesn't do justice"
"Briana ‎ - Apr 20, 2010 gave 1 star out of 5

rude! Whoever is responsible for the employees at this Wal-mart ought to be ashamed themselves. These people are just plain rude. It is absolutely ridiculous."

How I love you...let me count the ways

2011-10-18T04:05:00.000-05:00

My sweet sweet Scarlett,

You have only been the center of my life for four and a half months but already I can not imagine my life without you. Everything that I do....I do for you. Everything I want....I want for you. Everything I have....I'll give to you

I love everything about you. I love waking up hearing you coo-ing in your crib. I remember the first time you rolled over in your crib and I was so proud of you.

I love it when I nurse you, your toes wiggle against my arm. My heart melts and I feel the need to suck your toes....until I see the lint, and realize I might need to give you a bath.

I love it when I take a shower and you lay in your bouncy seat between the tub and the jon giggling at me until its your turn. When I pull you in, your sweet soft skin all clean and I nurse you under a warm shower. I can't tell you how much joy you bring into my life.

You are the best sleeper at night and happy baby in the morning which makes my job easy in addition to the most exciting, fulfilling, satisfying (really this list of happy words go on and on) job I have. Thank you for being my baby. I love you.

Change is Good

2011-10-17T05:04:00.000-05:00

I received some advice this week from a reader and one of my personal favorite blogger mommies with some wonderful advice on how to better the look of my page. I learned 2 things:

1: Someone is reading my page!! YAY! :)

2: The motivation she gave me to want change made me realize, I can learn anything in the world on YouTube!!!

I have found so many great ideas trolling around YouTube that I keep finding myself still sitting on the couch as my husbands morning alarm is going off.

I found some great tutorials teaching me how to use Adobe Illustrator AND I also found this....

Water marbling nail art! Prepare to be amazed! Whoever came up with this is a genius.

The point of this post is that I will be making some visual changes in the very near future so be ready :)

Mastisis

2011-10-15T15:09:00.000-05:00

On Thursday night I was feeling some tenderness in my left breast. I thought that my bra might have been too tight so I said a prayer and went to bed. I guess I might have said my prayer a little late because when I woke up the next morning I was immobilized with pain. My left breast was swollen and extremely tender. I had a fever and my entire body was tingling. My husband wanted to take me to the hospital but of course as stubborn as I am, I said no. Now after how ~~HORRIBLE~~ yesterday was and today is not looking any better I wish I would have listened to him. Maybe sometimes he is right....SOMETIMES. :)

Rant: Baby Killers

2011-10-12T00:54:00.000-05:00

What is wrong with these evil mothers killing their babies!
It makes me absolutely sick to my stomach to see the pictures of babies who are missing and mothers who are acting as if their dog ran away!!
This is not a pet....it is your flesh and blood....a human being with a future and a soul!!!
How are you not losing your mind without your baby.
How are you sleeping without knowing where your baby is???
OBVIOUSLY you are an EVIL B*** with no heart.
Death penalty to any woman that can kill their own baby with their own hands.

Lindsey Lowe, 25, Hides pregnancy and smothers twin boys at birth.

Crazy mother suffocats her 4 month old they carries him around in her baby bjorn for hours of shopping!!

I am literally crying as I am typing this because it hurts my heart so much. I don't understand how a woman can carry a life inside her and hold a precious, innocent baby and not feel complete love.

I have to go. I need to hold my baby right now and tell her how much I love her and assure her that I will NEVER hurt her. She has to know that for the rest of my life I will be devoted to her happiness.

Poop & Puke

2011-10-11T01:39:00.001-05:00

Baby girl blew out her diaper for the first time today...time to move up to size 2 diapers. I didn't realize it but I had yellow poop ALL OVER MY SHIRT as I strolled around CVS & McDonalds.

Yep, I am the mom that lives with my hair in buns, poopy shirts and baby puke running down my back.

Oh well, at least my legs are shaved and I wore deodorant today. Success!!

Oh, Yea.....click here please.....we need your vote. :)

Disney Movies

2011-10-10T02:39:00.001-05:00

I was baby sitting the other day and the kids were watching the Lion King. I have always loved this movie. I remember crying when Mufasa died. Watching it again as an adult I was thinking how inappropriate some of the content is in kids movies.

For instance....

Lion King: A power crazed brother of the king plots to kill both his brother and nephew in order to enslave the queen and the rest of the pride. SAD!!

Little Mermaid: A teenage girl rebels against her father turning to witchcraft to seduce a prince. Once her plan backfires her father must turn over the kingdom to an exiled witch to save his daughter. In the end her father gives in to his daughter and allows his 16 year old daughter to GET MARRIED!! Scarlett better not think that works at our house....nope.

Beauty & the Beast: A cursed prince holds a woman hostage in hope that she will fall in love with him. In the end he gets his way. Did anybody mention that kidnapping is a crime and crime doesn't pay?!

I don't know....maybe I am thinking to much about this.

Perfect Fall Day

2011-10-09T17:13:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a perfect Fall day.

12:30PM - 77 degrees: Scarlett and I started the day off at Cornucopia @ Eugene Field Park with our new friends Andrea, JJ & baby Keaton. The weather could not have been better. The air was crisp and clear and the leaves were falling with every burst of wind. There is no other word to describe it.....perfect.

2:00PM - 80 degrees: Scarlett and I went downtown to eat lunch with my honey-bunny at his new Jason's deli. His new job is in the center of downtown Chicago so while I was driving around looking for parking I came across this.....

....an anti-war protest marching down State St. I don't understand the point of protesting. Three hundred people marching down the street with a blow horn and a piece of finger painted cardboard doesn't change anything. I am all about making a difference but anything less than 100,000 people is not enough. Anyway....It was good to see my hubby. He worked 108 hours this week at work. I miss him so much.

3:00PM - 80 degrees: We headed down to Oz park for another meetup. This meed up was mostly for couples but since honey was still working I me up with my "day-wife/Chicago bestie" Megan and her husband and my other fun mammas.

Being a mamma in Chicago is a full time job :)

24th Percentile

2011-10-08T01:06:00.001-05:00

Scarlett had her 4 month doctors visit yesterday.

I am always nervous when we go into the clinic because I have elected not to give Scarlett her shots yet (possibly never). This is such a touchy subject for moms and so far I am not sure that the risk of the actual illness is worth the risk of the side effects. I have no idea what to do. My mom told me that when I got my shots as a 4 year old she noticed that my behavior changed drastically. My best friend had her daughter in the hospital 3 times in a month with a high fever after her 1 year shots. I get so nervous because Scarlett is SO SMALL. She is in the 24th% for her weight and height. My doctor is wonderful and I love her but she is very pushy about getting her vaccinated. Yesterday she tried to bribe me into getting her vaccinated by promising to pierce her ears after her first set of shots. IDK what to do.

In my confused and terrified state, I have decided to read 2 books....

and.....

I hope this can help me understand what the best decision is for my baby. All I want is the best for her for the rest of her life. I don't want her to get sick from lack of vaccines or because of the vaccines. SCARY!

Cooking = Domestication

2011-10-07T03:48:00.000-05:00

This week my husband has been working from 5AM - 12AM!! (19 hours a day!!!) He works for Jason's Deli and is in the process of opening a new store in downtown Chicago. I feel so bad for him!!

So to show my support the past 2 days I have been cooking for him. As a stay at home mom, some people might think that it is just expected that cooking for my hubby is "obviously" my wifely duty, but for me it has been a struggle. I am literally afraid of the kitchen. I feel totally overwhelmed and emotionally challenged standing in front of the stove. Today was the first time in our marriage that I have cooked a full meal (a meat, starch and a veg.)

I was so proud of myself and think I might start making this a routine.

By the way....

I honestly believe that by getting dressed with hair and make up done has been the motivating factor behind getting my house clean and cooking. :)

Chicago Moms Network

2011-10-06T03:23:00.000-05:00

Today was a PERFECT fall day!! It was a crisp 75 degrees out side with a cool breeze, ideal for an outdoors play date under a shade tree on a picnic blanket. When I moved to Chicago I didn't know anybody. Thank GOD for Meetup.com!! It has introduced me to some amazing moms. These moms, like me, are not from the area so we are leaning on each other for the support we are missing from our family and friends back home. Just a month ago I was itching to go back home to Alabama but after a day like today with my new friends and this perfect mid-west fall weather....I feel like this could be home. :)

If you live in a metro area (like Chicago) check out meetup.com....you might meet your new best friend. :)