"It won't be like this for long"

This and that

2012-05-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Ella has this obsession with cheek to cheek cuddle time. The first couple of times I was all "Awwwwwwwwwwwwww I love my kid." The next 45 I was all "Stop smashing my face. Stop pinching my cheek. Be still. Lay down." I still love cuddle time but she has all of these RULES and I have to lay a certain way. It's insane and hilarious to me. I let her boss me around and I follow all of the rules because I know it won't be cool to cuddle soon enough.
Mother's day was glorious. The entire weekend Jeremy treated me like a queen and I ate it up. I read during the middle of the day(!!!!!). He washed and folded clothes AND put them away without asking. I was in shock. I smelled them to make sure they were clean. :) He also got me an iPad and I freaked. Not freaked in a good way like a normal human, I freaked because they are expensive and I am cheap. He talked me into keeping it and I have to admit I really do like it. I don't really use my laptop anymore and I like reading on it.
Rocky is feeling a lot better (see post below) thankfully. I think the medicine I started has helped me more than I thought it would. When Scottie passed away I was on my knees crying because I don't handle situations like this good at all and I just LOVE animals. But I haven't cried over Rusty. Maybe it's because I would never let Ella see me cry. She is so sensitive and she would cry too. Or maybe it's this medicine I am taking. Either way I'll take it. I miss Rusty but my mother gave him such a wonderful life. He lived on 5 acres and he could of ran away at anytime but he never did because he knew he had it good. :)
Last night at 8:30 P.M. Mom called me and told me she was driving 4 hours away to get a puppy she found online. I reminded her she was crazy and she replied back that she was naming him Cody. She got home at 2:30-3:00 A.M. clarifying she drove like a bat out of....what would of taken a normal human to drive 8 hours took her only 5 or 6. I think it was her therapy to just get in the car and drive. (Sidenote: Mom made me take her defensive driving classes for her online when I was in high school if I wanted her to pay for my car insurance and I never got in trouble for speeding tickets. She's a bit wild behind the wheel.) She told me more about Rusty on the phone and how he yelped before he passed away on his own. Horrible. They found out he did get into something poisonous but we still don't know what yet and she is getting rid of her sego palm tree. Now we have a new puppy in the family and Ella has a new best friend. Life changes fast. I miss Rusty but I 100% understand Mom wanted a new puppy to distract her and Rocky. It was WEIRD to pull up to her house today and not see Rusty but see Cody. It was like he shrunk and became really playful. *Insert Twilight Zone music here*

I just finished a really good book: Can you keep a secret? by Sophie Kinsella. It made me laugh a lot plus it's a good love story, duh! :)
I randomly looked at pictures I was tagged in on Facebook the other day and I discovered this beauty. Oh college, you were so good to me. I wonder what my mother-in-law thought when she saw this? Ha! We were on our way to Florida for spring break:

I also saw this one of my college roomies and it made my day. I love them and miss them. They will always be an important part of my life. Love you Hodge, Bethanial, Sherm and A. Lewis:

Emo Dialing 101

2012-05-16T09:09:00.001-07:00

Rocky & Rusty

Rocky and Rusty are my dogs away from home that live at Mom's house. We got Rocky when I was in high school and Rusty shortly after Scottie was hit by a car when I was home during my freshman year of college for Thanksgiving. (Not to replace Scottie of course but to give Rocky someone to ~~boss around~~ play with.)

I love those boys. They are a hoot. They are really good with Ella. Rusty lets Ella pull his hair and slap him in the face repeatedly. Rocky not as much but he will do ANYTHING for attention so he takes one for the team most of the time.

This morning Rusty passed away. About 36 hours ago he showed signs of being very sick. Last night his kidneys shut down and they told Mom he had been poisoned by something. They think it was a Sego palm tree. The same Sego palm tree that Ella Mae, Mom's grandmother gave her years ago. We have had that thing forever and we moved it with us when we moved to a new home.

I called Mom to ask about Rusty this morning and she started crying and hung up. She texted me after and told me he passed away and they (Mom & Michael) were taking Rocky to the animal hospital because he isn't eating. They want to make sure he isn't poisoned too. The hospital said he has blood in his stool so they are keeping him to watch him. I am hoping Rocky just isn't eating because he knows something happened to Rusty. Both situations are still horrible. :(

So after this news I was kind of numb. I haven't cried yet because I think I am still in shock. I am more worried about Mom than anything else.

So.....

I "emo-dialed" Wall-E's new owners to check on him. I have avoided anything Wall-E related because I don't want to worry about him. I don't want to miss him. I want to accept Jeremy's level of patience. But the truth is I do miss him. Every time I see a dog that looks like him I get knots in my stomach. If you are new to my blog, Wall-E is our old dog that we gave to Jeremy's friend because Wall-E was a hot mess and to summarize- Jeremy hated him. I loved him. He was Marley's destructive TWIN! He was a hyper mess.

The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Hi this is Jeremy's wife, Felicia. How are you?"

Him: "Hi Felicia! I am good."

Me: "I am actually calling to check on Wall-E. How is he doing?"

Him: "Wall-E is good."

Then I just got to the point...

Me: "Is he living inside or outside? Does he play with your daughter a lot? How is your wife doing with him? Do you still run with him?"

Him: Hesitating a minute "Wall-E lives outside but we play with him everyday. We take him on walks a lot and my daughter likes him."

Me: "Oh ok good. I was just calling because my mother's dog passed away this morning and she mentioned that if Wall-E wasn't a good fit for y'all, she could take him."

Him: "Oh..."

Me: "Only if he isn't a good fit though."

Him: "I keep meaning to ask you about Wall-E's bark collar. Does it need a new battery? He barks in the middle of the night sometimes at 2:00 and 3:00 AM."

Me: Smiling because that was my crazy Wall-E "Well I kind of took the battery out awhile ago because I tested the shock collar on myself and I thought I almost died."

Him: "Oh so where do I get a battery?"

Me: "Um you will probably have to buy a new collar. I don't know what kind of battery it is. Sorry. Just let me know if he isn't a good fit because Mom would love to have him. I'll talk to you later!"

Him: ".......ok bye"

Yep. That happened. I hung up irrated he is concerned with a bark collar but the truth is Wall-E probably needs one. I wish he lived inside like I was told he would. But Wall-E is...Wall-E. He is a hard dog with a ton of personality. I shouldn't be judgemental. I just want Wall-E to be living in pure bliss.

........

When Scottie passed away I emo-dialed too. Whoever found (but I think hit) him left a message on our answering machine and I called her back right after I heard it. At 2:00 AM! I had just came home from hanging out with friends and my parents were out of town. She didn't answer of course and my voicemail that I left for her was something like:

"Hiii" The sobs started. "You found my dog? Is he ok? Did he make it?" And I had to pause because I was completely aware that he hadn't made it. "Well call me back please. Is he ok???????"

She never did.

I don't blame her. My voicemail probably scared her for life. ha! Plus I was 19 years old and I am sure that was the most dramatic voicemail she had ever received. The next day a police officer brought me Scottie's collar.

So anyway I've blabbed on about this. Two things you need to take from this:

1. Please pray for Rocky. Rocky is my little man with a short-man complex. He is the bully of the neighborhood and they need him to keep them in line. He is 11 or 12 and although he has had a wonderful life, I am not ready to say goodbye to him too. Who will bark at us when we arrive at Mom's house. Who will run around in circles when I have food in my hand?

2. Do not under any circumstances answer a phone call from me within 24 hours after one of my dogs passes away. I warned you. :)

Currently

2012-05-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

My friends Amanda and Kristen did a "currently" post and I loved reading theirs. I love those ladies for the record. I have some FUN memories with them when we were in college. :)

Reading: Oh goodness since the Fifty Shades series I am pretty much into romance novels. I know! I never thought I would be "that person" but I sure am going through that stage. I think it's like therapy to read. I have been reading every night and at work when it's not busy. It's my weird little vacation. :)

I googled books like Fifty Shades and a ton came up. I rated the ones I read for you. I am typically not a reader AT ALL unless it is a Nicholas Sparks book so my descriptions will be very... not book club talk. Here are some that I have read if you are interested and a new closet romance reader like me:

Knight by Kristen Ashley: This book is the most like Fifty Shades series. I finished this last night. Several instances where you think covering your eyes will make it go away but you want the characters to make it. Knight, the Christian Grey of the book, is not as likeable though. The authors style of writing threw me off because I wanted her to have just ONE normal long sentence. 7/10
Trust in Advertising by Victoria Michaels: I wasn't sure if I would like this one but I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters. When I finished the book I had a dream about their life. Ha! WHO AM I? 9 1/2/10 :)
Hearts in Darkness by Laura Kaye: This is a short novel about two people that get stuck in an elevator. It was a fast read. It was a lot cheesy but I had to see what happened in the end. 4/10
Love Unscripted by Tina Reber: I almost stopped reading this book because I thought the characters weren't believable. I ended up finishing the book and liking the characters in the end. It's a random that falls in love with a huge celebrity. There is a sequel coming soon and I'll read that too. 7/10
Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Rynard: I loved the characters in this book and the story. I really recommend this one, it was my favorite out of all of these. This book has a sequel coming out this month and I can't wait to read that. :) 9/10
Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire: Basically a goody-goody college student meets a bad boy and they have their drama. Sounds cheesy and part of it was but I ended up really liking the book. 8/10
Strangers by Barbara Elsborg: This one threw me off at first but I ended up liking it! The characters meet at a dark time in their life and work through it. 8/10

If you know of any books I should try, TELL ME! I am always looking for something new to read.

Watching: American Idol. I love that Phillip Phillips. I have a confession: I don't like when people pick a favorite and announce to the world that all of the others suck. First, that isn't you up there. Second, that is someone's baby up there. I always cheer for all of them but usually find a favorite.

Thinking About: My contacts always messing up. I can barely see out of my left eye today. Grrr. If I would of won the Mega-whatever-lottery recently I would be in the lasik eye chair right now.

Loving: Ibuprofen. I have had a lot of headaches lately. I think it's because I haven't been eating as much as I should. I don't know if it's the new medicine or the headaches making me not hungry. Jeremy thinks the medicine is causing them. Maybe I am reading too much? I'll figure it out eventually. It could be my vision too? I am reading on Jeremy's Kindle so maybe that is the big problem.

Anticipating: Going to Michigan this summer. My grandmother just discovered Skype and seeing her made me a little emotional. I am so thankful I have a close relationship with her. We gossip about once a week and sometimes we three-way call my Aunt. It makes me laugh so much because Grandma just loves to have the phone to her ear and listen while my aunt and I carry on a conversation. We randomly ask Grandma if she is there and she says "Yes Dear" and my aunt and I go on.

Listening to: A Thousand Years. I haven't seen Twilight but I LOVE this song. L.O.V.E.

Eating: Better. I have lost most of the weight that I gained. I still haven't decided when to start WW again. I am ready for that structure again though.

Feeling thankful for: Ella. She is just so sweet. Last night I had to tell her no more kisses because it was her bedtime. She likes to grab my face and move it so she kisses my nose and cheeks too. 15-20 times. Ha!

Step2 Naturally Playful® Adventure Lodge Play Center with Glider Review & X- Rider Car Giveaway

2012-05-10T15:47:00.002-07:00

When I found out I was pregnant with Ella I just couldn't stop smiling. She was going to change our lives forever and I daydreamed of her firsts: first smile, first time she said my name, first time she walked. What I didn't know is my child would not ever walk. She would start with running. She was hyper. She was...Ella. And? As exhausting as it is some days, I love every second.

I have learned the best way to keep Ella happy is to keep her busy. I believe outdoor play is so important. She is a completely different toddler when she doesn't get to go outside. Not only is playing outside FUN but it has a lot of health benefits: increased oxygen levels, vitamin D absorption, reduced vulnerability to infections, increased fitness, reduced stress, better breathing, improved eyesight and a longer lifespan! Also fresh air and being outside helps with: greater socialization, longer attention spans, more creativity, less aggression, and better grades. Read more about these benefits that I found here.

It's easy to turn on the television and catch up on your to-do list while our child(ren) watch another cartoon but one day very soon our babies are going to be graduating high school and we will look back and wish we would of enjoyed the afternoon outside with them. I may be preaching but you know I am right. :) Ella is almost TWO entire years old and I would argue she was born last week.

As a Step2 Test Drive Mom I get the opportunity to "test drive" products. I have reviewed the All Around Wagon with Canopy and the Art Easel Desk and my family has fallen in love with the Step2 company. When my Step2 representative mentioned reviewing the Naturally Playful Adventure Lodge Play Center with Glider I just about fell off of my chair. I have been drooling over that play center since my first discovery of Step2. We live in Texas so a wooden swing set is not an option. It gets too hot and wood doesn't survive for very long. We end up with warped wood and a lot of splinters. I know wood doesn't do well in harsh winters too.

Assembly

When the delivery truck arrived with the two HUGE boxes I just knew the assembly of the swing set would take years off of my life. It was very intimating but turned out not to be bad at all! It took us 4 hours the first day and 2-3 hours the second day. It was just like a big puzzle with directions. It was fun for us to get together with Ella running around us flipping out excited because she saw a slide. :)

We laid out all of the parts and assigned tasks to each other. I was in charge of the directions and preparation for the next steps. Jeremy was in charge of screwing things together and Mom helped with holding things together and organization. Although three people to help was nice, you only really need two. I read a step, got the washers, screws, etc. ready for Mom and Jeremy and then told them what to do. It was our own little assembly line and it worked perfectly. The directions were AMAZING! On top of the paper instructions, Step2 has a link to how-to video instructions on their website! They were so helpful. It wasn't one long video that you had to find your place in either, it was several videos properly labeled by which step they were on.View the video instructions here. There were a few points in the assembly that I wasn't quite sure how Mom and Jeremy should hold a pole or screw in something and the video was SO helpful! We split the assembly up in two days because it was hot outside and we are sissies but you could easily finish the play center in one day.

Favorite Features

*The Infant to Toddler swing does not come with this play center. We purchased it separately because Ella is still in a transition phase for swings.

It's a clubhouse, ladder, swing set, glider, and basketball goal all in one! Ella stays so busy on this swing set and it's great for children of all ages. Ella busy and happy= Mama happy.
The clubhouse has two stories. The top has a fun steering wheel for her to play pretend and be creative and the bottom has a door that Ella is obsessed with opening and closing. She also loves to hide and just chill out on the bottom story.
The ladder steps and 3/4 climbing wall with a hanging climbing rope give Ella a lot of ways to get to the top story of the clubhouse. She uses the ladder steps now but as she grows the play center will grow with her. It will always have something new for her!
The slide. Oh that slide is our favorite right now for Ella. It's the perfect height for all ages.
The NEW COLOR option is fun! It's lighter and has a nice color scheme. (The play center is available in two color options.) The play center also has a lot of natural textures like stone for a fun and realistic feel.
Double-wall poly construction eliminates common swing set problems like SPLINTERS and warped wood! Ella is way to prissy to enjoy playing on something with splinters. The moment she gets dirt on her hand she usually runs up to me to wipe it off for her. After I did a lot of research on which type of swing set we wanted for Ella, wood just wasn't an option for us. We plan on waiting two years before we have another baby and I need something to last.
The ground anchors are no joke. That play center is very secure to the ground and it's not going anywhere.
This product is recommended for ages 3-8 so it is great for play dates of all ages!

Review Video
Watch the video below to take a tour, see my favorite features and see how our first play date went!

Thank You

Thank you Step2 for encouraging my toddler to LOVE outside. She asks to go outside everyday and just loves it. A happy baby = a happy mama!

Other Favorite New Additions

We recently made some more Step2 purchases to make our backyard a Toddler Heaven. Ella loves the Toddle Tune Coupe and the Play and Shade Pool! She might be a little spoiled but I wanted to get something for her to cool off in this summer. The car was defiantly a "live through my child" moment because I always wanted one as a child!

Step2 is graciously going to give one of my readers a X-Rider Car!

Connect to Step2:

Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Website, Blog, Tumblr

Buy It:

Naturally Playful Adventure Lodge Play Center with Glider

X -Rider, Toddle Tune Coupe, Play and Shade Pool, Infant to Toddler Swing

Win It:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I was provided with the Step2 Naturally Playful Adventure Lodge Play Center with Glider for my honest review. All opinions are 100% my own and no other compensation was or will ever be received. I am not responsible for any lost or missing prizes. All giveaways are open to the United States unless otherwise specified.

Teef Diaries

2012-05-10T11:53:00.005-07:00

Ella has a new FAVORITE routine. If I let her she would brush her teeth all day while standing at that sink. The first thing she does every morning is run into our bathroom, push the stool up to the sink, turn on the water, hand me her toothbrush and toothpaste and impatiently wait to get started. It makes me laugh. Every. Single. Morning.

She is just so psycho about her "teefs" and her O.C.D. comes out more everyday.

She used to hate when I brushed her teeth so I am very thankful for this stage. It's hope that all of her teeth won't fall out one day. :)

She showed a lot of interest in an adult sized toothbrush so I bought her one and she loves being like Mommy & Daddy. She uses her Little Mermaid smaller toothbrush on her babies. She refuses to admit she is not 26.

I have a question for y'all: What kind of toothpaste does your little one use? A lot of the toddler toothpastes have sucralose (sweetner) and I think that is ANNOYING. Anytime I have anything with that I get an intense headache. I want something more natural for her. Right now we are using Aquafresh Training but I would love it if you shared a better brand.

Let's talk about Facebook

2012-05-09T11:41:00.002-07:00

"Fee make a Facebook account!!! Then add me as a friend!!!!!!!"

I remember a couple of friends asking me why I hadn't joined yet. I held out for awhile until I caved when I was a sophomore in college.

Fast forward about 8 or 9 years later and Facebook has taken over y'all. I have to be a tattle tale for a minute and PRAY my boss doesn't read my blog. I've never given her the address so fingers crossed.

My boss is a Facebook addict y'all. She holds nothing back in her status updates and I cringe EVERY time. Telling the world my work schedule? Goodness. I know I am married to an investigator/cop and it makes me paranoid but please don't put my work schedule online. She takes her computer to work and is on there the majority of the day. When I walk in she typically is staring down at her computer screen smiling.

When I ask her how her weekend was her response is "Didn't you see it on Facebook?"

Evidence:

Her personality can be overwhelming sometimes but she has been so nice to us and really helped cater to Jeremy's crazy schedule. And? This weekend I read an entire book at work. It was insanely relaxing and I needed it. So I know I need the job because it's good for my sanity but I don't like Facebook. I still work 1 or 2 days a week.

But. The Facebook status updates KILL ME.

Truth: Maybe I am just bitter that someone else thought of a genius website that took over this planet before me?

Weight Loss Update

2012-05-03T13:41:00.002-07:00

Warning: This is more of a deep update and kind of Debbie Downer. But it feels good to get off of my chest. :)

I use this blog to fulfill my only-child-must-write-thing. I've always had a diary and have this weird thing where I want to share it all but sometimes that's not what I should do. The last time I went to the mall someone from high school came up to me and said she loved my blog. I was flattered but I was instantly a little embarrassed. I have no idea why, I just was. How did she know of my blog? I don't blast it on my personal Facebook page. I actually make it a point not to. Did she read that one time I confessed I was depressed before I deleted it? Does she read my weigh loss updates? Was she staring at my legs to see if I had lost weight or the stain from Ella's lunch? I all of the sudden felt very self-conscious. I was the definition of insecure.

Since then I have had several other acquaintances that I run into tell me they read my blog. Even a friend's mother. I shouldn't be embarrassed. I just need to remember that people actually read my blog and this isn't a diary.

So anywho lesson learned. I've got some "stuff" going on but I am holding on tight and the ride should be over soon. Imagine a scary freakin' roller coaster. :)

But I do want to update y'all on something new.

I took some time off of Weight Watchers because I had a moment of complete failure. I didn't believe in myself. I was eating junk and then starving myself to stay within my points. I wasn't trying to be healthy. Losing weight is so hard. If I had all of my crap together I wouldn't be here in the first place. Yes I have hypothyroidism and PCOS but emotional eating is there. The sweet woman at the cake ball bakery knows Jeremy and I by our first names. SAD!

So?

I am fixing my insides before I can fix my outsides. It took me a month to get in to see the shrink but he was worth it. I didn't know what to expect. I told him about my fears of taking medicine and he told me worrying about that is like worrying about a pirate kidnapping me in the parking lot. It made me laugh and I knew I was in the right place. He also taught me a lot about depression and worrying like I do is a big symptom.

I told him all about my dad and his problems with depression. He reminded me that I am not his twin. If you know my dad you know I love that man. I admire him for a lot of reasons. He is so loving and I will always be a "Daddy's girl." But everyone has flaws and I was scared that taking antidepressants meant I was on his path. I wanted to handle my struggles without a pill. Not because I thought I was better than those that do but because of those strong fears. Deep down we all want to be a better parent than our parents.

I started taking Wellbutrin yesterday. I am not ashamed of it, finally. I am not ashamed that I am getting help and here is why:

My thyroid is broken. I was just born this way. I didn't do anything wrong, it was genetics. So I have to take medicine to fix it. And? My brain needs to be fixed too. Just the part that handles stress and serotonin and all of that stuff that I don't fully understand. So I need to take medicine to fix that too. I have always been ok. But certain things trigger depression and I don't handle them well.

So here I am. Ready for "Chapter 2: Getting back on the wagon." Within the next week or so I plan on beginning Weight Watchers again. I have gained some weight back but not all. Instead of focusing on the negative of that I am going to focus on a fresh start. I knew this journey would be hard but goodness sakes alive, I am ready to be the old me again!

Ella and I were in the car last week and I looked back at her when she was all smiles at a red light and I told her "Mommy is getting better." Then I teared up a little because I knew it was true. :)

Sickies

2012-05-02T11:55:00.003-07:00

Punky gave me her sickies. We are quite the hot mess of a team this week. The house is a huge mess but all of this cuddling is something that I will never take for granted. :) We have officially taken over the master bedroom and Jeremy is being quarantined upstairs in the guest room. Fingers crossed that Jeremy doesn't get sick too.

Flashback Friday

2012-04-27T10:32:00.004-07:00

We went to San Antonio last weekend to go to a fashion show. I know! So Sex and The City fabulous of me. Jeremy's cousin is graduating college this May and she majored in fashion! She made some clothing for the runway and it was a lot of fun.

So anywho while we were in San Antonio I noticed this on Aunt Sally's fridge:

Our old Save the Date. :) I giggled because I thought "Little Fee" was "Little Ella" there for a second. I will always be obsessed with Ella looking like me and I am not sure why. It's the equivalent of someone telling me I look like a beautiful movie star or something. And I think/know I am just obsessed with her in general. I love my little clingy sidekick. I told her yesterday she was a pain in my butt. Now her favorite sentence? "Paifdsfd in the BUTT." Nice.

Back from Vacation with Mr.Grey

2012-04-25T09:34:00.001-07:00

I am not usually one to talk about....s.e.x. It's just not me. Especially not 2008 Sunday School Teacher Me. But I do carry around evidence on my hip everyday that proves I am not a virgin. :) She has strawberry blonde hair and she's currently enjoying gymnastics or biting a little girls finger. Again. At MDO.

Last Thursday I downloaded a free sample of the first book in the Fifty Shades series on my iPhone. I had been reading a somewhat boring book that convinced me someone was going to walk through my cracked bedroom door and kill me. I took a break from... that and started reading about Mr. Grey.

By now most of you have heard of this book but I had no idea I would get sucked into it. I just finished the third book last night....at 3:00 A.M. I am not really a reader either. Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Twlight? Nope. GASP!

It really is a great series and you should give it a chance no matter what you have heard. Do they have sex a lot? Yes. Does the author share a lot of "I think I might need to cover my eyes and read between my fingers" details? Yes. Is it a love story? Yes. Was it what I expected? Nope. Did it make me cry, laugh and swoon? Yes. Do I hope the author keeps writing more books? Yep. I just stalked E. L. James a bit and she is currently working on her next love story.

READ IT. All of it. The entire series. Not just the first book. Now. (Dom.)

I must go tend to chores that I have ignored and possibly take a nap to catch up on my beauty sleep. My vacation with Mr. Grey has come to an end and I am not sure how I feel about it. I will creepily miss the characters and only those that have read it will understand that statement.

Laters, Baby. ;)

P.S. Ella and Ana share the same birthday. Only I would think that was off the chain but hellllloooooooo how fun!

Winnie the.....

2012-04-18T09:18:00.001-07:00

Remember last year when Ella met Winnie the Pooh?

She wasn't very thrilled with him but my oh my things have changed.

We have our first character obsession.

She loves to say "Pooh" and she recently picked up "Viny da Pooh."

Spooky and Emo Post

2012-04-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

I am taking a little break from Weight Watchers if you can't tell. :) I plan to start again after a doctor's appointment on May 1st. More on that later.

I just have to share something spooky and sad with y'all though.

Did you hear about the mother that was shot in a parking lot leaving the pediatrician's office and her 3 day old baby was kidnapped in The Woodlands, TX today? Read about it here. It was just on Nancy Grace but I heard it on the radio earlier. I have been thinking about this all day. Luckily they found the baby boy and he is safe with his dad now.

Anyway guess where my Weight Watchers meetings are? On that road in The Woodlands. Guess where Mom's old office is? A block away. That little area is my area. I visit the grocery store in front of it a few times a month. It's the road my sweet dog Scottie was hit by a car when I was in high school and I thought my life was officially over. It's that road that my dad tried to teach me how to drive a stick shift and I humiliated myself. It's the road I drove to and from work nearly everyday after school to get to work.

And? The mother killed worked at a beauty school that a friend attended. My Facebook is blowing up with people that have connections to her.

It just hits so close to home. I feel so much raw pain for that sweet little boy that just lost his mama. I feel for the father. He just lost his wife and will be raising that little boy by himself.

It's crazy how quickly things happen and how crazy people can be. Give your babies an extra kiss goodnight and pray for this family.

Custom Baby Boutique Review & Giveaway

2012-04-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

I have the honor of reviewing a backpack, lunch box and custom nap mat from Custom Baby Boutique! I can't tell you how many compliments Ella has received already. Her new accessories are just too cute! The best part? They have been an online shop for awhile and recently decided to open their own shop locally in Spring, Texas! To all of my local friends, we have hit jackpot! :) Her new shop will be called "Spring Monogramming & Gifts" and "Custom Baby Boutique" will be located inside of that shop! I also think it's important to include she is a work at home mama and I have so much respect for her hard work! And? She is so nice and friendly! I am so excited to have found a shop with such adorable items!

First off, this nap mat is insane. I obsessively searched online for a nap mat and was disappointed with what is out there. They are either paper thin or made with itchy fabric. This nap mat is hand made with designer fabric, the thickest and softest I have seen and machine washable! Perfect for a king or queen with a little pillow and all. :) You can easily go purchase a cheap nap mat that will last you one year at preschool or you can invest in a nice one that will last up until Kindergarden. It's like the cloth diaper debate: invest in nice ones or spend a fortune on disposables.

Ella loves this nap mat. I tried to get more photos of her with it but she is very territorial. It is her mat. The first thing she did when I opened it up was lie down, put her blanket over her legs and cuddle with her stuffed doggie. My mommy heart was full of joy as I realized she was a big girl ready for changes. She instantly took to the mat and even took a nap on it at her first day at mother's day out. I was thrilled!

Custom Baby Boutique uses several designer fabrics including soft minky fabric. It comes with a durable strap for carrying and it securely velcros closed. It easily rolls and unrolls and Ella can do it herself which was important to me. Nothing difficult. No weird buttons or clasps. They even offer you several options to personalize your own nap mat. Here are just some examples of others available:

Ella also needed a backpack and lunch box for mother's day out. :)

I opted for the larger backpack and lunch box instead of the toddler sized options because I am a hoarder packer and I know Ella will use them for several years due to their high quality. These are from Custom Baby Boutique's seersucker line and they are too cute. The backpack and lunch box are made with high quality materials. You know how you buy something really cute and the zipper breaks after two times you use it? I hate that. These are made with the strong zippers and are nicely constructed. The added plus is of course Ella's name embroidered on them. I love the frame around Ella's name on her backpack. Extra special touch for an extra special baby.

Custom Baby Boutique also offers a "Superset": a backpack, lunch box and matching (not custom) nap mat too! They are available in so many colors and/or sold separately! The nap mats offered are not custom like Ella's above but they are very nicely made! I borrowed the camo set above to look it over before I recommend it to y'all. And? I do! They have a pillow and blanket sewn in similar to Ella's custom nap mat! If you are looking for a great gift this "Superset" is perfect!

We love Ella's new backpack, lunchbox and nap mat but Custom Baby Boutique offers so much more from clothing to totes for Mama! I would happily take two of everything! Don't forget about this amazing website the next time you need a gift or your little ones start school!

Custom Baby Boutique is generously giving away a $50.00 gift certificate to one of my readers!

Connect to Custom Baby Boutique:

Website, Facebook

Buy it:

Custom Nap Mats, Backpacks, Lunch Boxes, More

Win it:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Legs and Nicknames

2012-04-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

Those legs.

They showed up at the park recently.

They are usually in constant running motion.

Mom's new nickname for her is "IBBFF"... Itty Bitty Best Friend Forever.

My new nickname for her "SDF5MASLLAT"... Sit Down For 5 Minutes and Stop Looking Like a Teenager. Not really but that is what "Punky" means. :)

Poser Mama

2012-04-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading my blog for awhile you know I have a strange relationship with money now. "I chose to stay at home with Ella so I should give up things." I could go on and on about this because the mommy guilt takes over but I know I am not alone. I even wanted to sell our house to downsize recently because I felt undeserving. It messes with my mind a lot. These past few weeks have been a crazy little adventure for me. I'll share more about all of that later. I really want to share with y'all the fun pampering I have done for myself lately.

Have y'all heard of "ombre hair" where it is lighter on the bottom of your hair? See this nice stranger I found on Pinterest? I feel creepy placing her photo on here but I just love her hair! It's lighter on the bottom. It's a great way to add highlights and dimension to hair without a lot of upkeep. When they grow out you can't see roots. I had blonde hair in high school and swore I would never go back but my hair is boring when it is natural.

via

Anyway so I just went for it. I walked into a fancy spa and showed her that photo. I skipped the highlights in the front too because that would require upkeep and I can't be having that. Upkeep sounds so...."forever."

So here I am. A true poser. :) I try to be "trendy" but I am way too lame for all of that. I have a love/hate relationship with blonde in my hair. Love= change, fun, subtle. Hate= blonde chunks show up when I wear my hair up. Thankfully I rarely wear my hair up so I am good.

It's almost like the old young me is hidden somewhere in there. Ha. Clearly symbolism that I am slowly becoming my old self again...or something. Not just a mama that I am so thankful to be but my own "Fee" again. :)

And? I did it. I bought some expensive makeup for myself. Kelly from Kellyskorne r & a lot of bloggie friends talked about the Naked eyeshadow pallet and I have been wanting it for awhile. It's off the chain and 100% totally worth it. There are even a ton of fun tutorials on youtube:

What is something fun you have done for yourself lately?

My Dramatic Lifetime Movie Scene: Mother's Day Out

2012-04-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

After visiting several mother's day out programs I finally hit jackpot on one at a gymnastics facility about 10 minutes away. Ella will go there twice a week from 9-2. They have a fun little schedule of lessons with a Christian environment mixed in with gym time. Ella started today and I was so excited and nervous for her. She will be working on her numbers, letters, colors, etc. She will be socialized more. She will have structure. She will learn how to roll and maybe flip. She won't be stuck with her boring mother all day everyday. She will have fun. :)

Everyone tells you the first week or so will be hard and there will be lots of tears and adjustments. They don't tell you the tears will come from you, the mama. I have weird phobias of things happening to Ella. It's scary to let someone else have control of what happens to your baby. A lot of you are thinking "Duh!" but this is my first experience so be gentle. I am "that mom" and ok with it.

Today I created a scene from a Lifetime movie all by myself.

Let's rewind some. Last night I packed her a lunch so big that Jeremy couldn't even finish it because I wasn't sure what she would eat and I wanted her to have a big variety ha! I am already such an embarrassing mother. I packed her backpack. I laid out her special gymnastics clothes that I bought just for her to run around in. I picked out a matching bow. We were set. My mind raced before bed and I imagined how I would handle someone trying to take Ella. Would I just run towards them? Would I threaten them and pretend to have a crazy eye just to spook them away? Would I instantly call 911? I comforted myself with the plan of grabbing Ella, putting her in the car, locking it and then beating the living pulp out of them until the police came. Ha! Seriously. WHO THINKS LIKE THAT? I was nervous and my psycho little plan helped me sleep. I don't think I would/could beat anyone up but I would certainly grab Punky. :)

Ella and I woke up this morning earlier than usual. She wakes up at 9:30 every morning and I had to get her up at 8:30 so she pretty much just laid there while I dressed her and changed her diaper. When we arrived at her "school" we sat down her stuff and her class welcomed her. All of the children were barefoot so I took off her shoes. (I thought that was fun and laid back. I am guessing because it's a gym and they run around a lot.) I asked her teacher what she thought was the best plan for me to leave and she said to just go now and the longer I waited around the harder it would be. Ella wanted me to hold her but I put her down and pushed her in the room with my legs gently as she rested her back on them. Then she slowly walked away and with her back turned against me I snuck out. I waited outside of her classroom for about 5 minutes until the teacher gave me the thumbs up through the window. It was almost too easy. It wasn't what I expected and I planned on staying with her some but I trust her teachers and wanted to make it easy on them too.

As soon as I opened the door to leave the building I lost it. Ugly tears were slinging everywhere. Chin shaking uncontrollably. I don't even know why. Maybe because she is growing up? Maybe because I was worried she would have a bad day and she would be scared? Maybe because it was the first time I was leaving her with women I barely knew. So there I was in my own Lifetime movie scene. Cue the dramatic music. Cue the "I am not on Weight Watchers this week" declaration with a drive thru at the closest donut shop....All while my child was inside playing having a blast.

Her teachers said she did really good her first day. She "is a chatterbox, very affectionate and loves to give hugs, only whimpered when we had the kids pick out a book and read on the floor because it was her first time with that kind of structure, didn't want anything to do with gymnastics the first 20 minutes but then warmed up and loved it, played well with other children, only ate the fruit in her lunch because she was a little nervous, wouldn't lay on her nap mat until we rocked her but eventually took a nap."

I imagined I would be getting a phone call telling me she just wasn't ready but not one phone call. I am so proud of her. For the first two hours or so she was there I pretty much just drove around the area of her school and kept myself busy incase they called. I eventually got more comfortable and went home. Before I knew it it was 1:30 and I raced to get her. I got a little emo talking to her teacher because I was so happy she liked it and did well on her first day. And...she napped??? I was shocked they got her to lay down at all. I just knew she would be running around the classroom screaming something Hitler would say while the other children tried to nap. Ha!

Today was hands down one of my hardest days in parenting so far. I am very lucky to be able to say that. I am excited for her to go again next week. I will begin to love my "me time" and she will learn more each day.

Changes are scary but so good sometimes! :)

**Ella's adorable backpack and lunchbox are from www.custombabyboutique.com. They do have toddler backpacks and lunch boxes available but I went with the bigger ones because I am a hoarder packer. Wait until you see her nap mat, I had no idea cute ones like that even existed! She got a lot of compliments on her little accessories today :) AND they are giving away a $50.00 store credit on this ole blog! Get excited because you will seriously love all that they have available. I need 2 of everything.

A Very Hoppin' Easter

2012-04-11T14:53:00.003-07:00

This year was our most exciting Easter so far! In 2010 I wrote about how exciting holidays would be with a baby added in the mix here and in 2011 I shared about Ella's first Easter here. I love blogging for so many reasons but my favorite of all is documenting this sweet life of ours.

On Wednesday Ella and I met up with a mommy group that I found on Meetup.com. A lot of my friends recommend finding a group on there and I am glad we went. I have met up with that group before and I just kind of forgot about it so we haven't been to anything in awhile. The best thing about a mommy group on Meetup.com is it keeps you up to date with all of the events and places to take kiddos. We met up at the park and had an Easter Egg hunt. Ella and I practiced picking up eggs in the house so she was a pro. Ha! She loved several of the kiddos there and the park itself was off the chain. It had a splash pad, swing set, picnic tables, etc. I plan on taking Ella there this summer a lot. It's a perfect place to let kids run around!

On Friday we went to visit the Easter Bunny. She waved and talked to him for awhile but as soon as she sat down on his lap it was over. She didn't understand how I could put her down or WHY I would ever do that to her. :(

This year the kids* came over to spend this night with us on Saturday night for fun. Ella LOVES them. She is obsessed with Savy. We went to a big Easter egg hunt that was honestly too crowded for me but I think Ella had fun. They had a helicopter drop eggs and Ella is into "Pannnnnnnes" so that was exciting for her. The toddler egg section was so crowded that Ella couldn't really get any. Some parents were filling up numerous Easter baskets and that annoyed me some. There were some children that weren't getting any and you are encouraging your child to fill several baskets? Tools. Maybe my mama claws were just out. When the kids cleared out we threw down some eggs for her and she LOVED her little private hunt. When she was finished and there were no more eggs she was furious ha!

+10 points for you if you can find Ella. :)

On Easter Sunday we gave Ella her Easter basket, hung out some and then we went over to Alec & Savannah's house to hang out with about 20ish people. We ate way too much food and played bocce ball. I never win ANYTHING sports related and I won 5 out of 7 games. Woo hoo! We didn't go to church because we just got on a normal schedule of having the weekends free so I am excited to find a church.

After lunch we went over to Mom's house for a bit and I somehow managed to get Jeremy to pull Ella and I around in the wagon. :) It was a beautiful day and the weather was perfect!

We hope you and your family had a great Easter. Ours was perfecto!

*I was once a nanny to "The kids" (Alec & Savannah/Savy) and we are still very close. They live with their grandparents so it's nice to get away from the older crowd for awhile. The usually have a sleepover in their special room about once every month or two and we celebrate major holidays and birthdays with them. We are very lucky to have them in our lives.

Howdy

2012-04-04T13:18:00.001-07:00

I don't have anything important to post about so I am going to throw together a catch up post. I know, you can barely contain yourself with excitement. :)

Because of Jeremy's new schedule I am going to move weigh-in days to Saturday. One of the best parts of weigh-in days is the ME time. I don't have to worry about anything that morning. I get to go to a meeting without a toddler stealing my apple or a husband asking me where something is. I refuse to take Ella to a meeting. Sorry twirp. Love you.
Because I have an extra 3 or 4 days this week before the weigh-in I should of been more responsible and worked harder for an epic weigh-in but I ended up downing some cake balls knowing I would be able to lose the weight before Saturday. Not perfect in this weight loss journey, that is for sure. Whoever invented cake balls needs to be shot a few times.
Jeremy is loving his new position. He is a legit detective. They issued him a voice recorder, cell phone & nice digital camera. We both like this position a lot more.
The real estate obsession has slowed down. I have it narrowed down to some neighborhoods I would like to live. I did some settings thing on a website where new homes in certain areas will be emailed to me. It's just a waiting game. I am in no hurry but impatient at the same time. It has to be a good deal or I don't want to move.
Ella's mother's day out search is over. Kind of. I am still keeping my eyes and ears open. I have her registered for one that starts in September but I am going on Monday to see one that is at a gymnastics facility. It is part pre-school and part gymnastics. I think Ella would LOVE that. In my true dramatic way I am waiting to hear what kind of background check they do first. Jeremy, THE detective, thinks they need to do the FBI fingerprint kind. :) I would personally like to do my own investigating on who will be with my child that entails sitting in front of their home for hours, going through their trash, etc. Ha! Just kidding. Kind of. This is a scary world y'all.
Ella and I went to a play date at the park today and a mom commented that she wishes she was more like me because she was always over-protective. I was letting Ella climb all over the swing set and it didn't hit me until she commented: I pretty much let Ella act a fool. She probably should stay on the shortest slide but she runs over to the scary slide and goes for it. Sure I have to catch her and one time she let go too early and slid down on her face but she has sooo much fun. Ha! She wasn't upset, she just ran over and did the slide again. I am sure the other mother's think I am a whack job but I want her to learn to just go for it. I was proud in that moment because I felt like for those 10 minutes I was the type of mother that I hoped to be. I will always be over protective about certain things (who watches Ella,etc.) but I am proud that I am not afraid of her getting her knee scraped. :)

Real Estate Confession

2012-04-02T09:30:00.004-07:00

Reading about and taking little tests over real estate has created an itch to either makeover our house some or move completely. I know, I am a whack job. Again.

First option: Makeover.

This is an AWESOME post about kitchen re-dos. I want to paint our kitchen cabinets white or antique white. The photo was taken while we were moving in. I don't have a recent one but this photo shows the cabinet color. I think it would lighten up the kitchen and look soooo good. The tan walls would make the cabinets pop.

I also want to decorate the living room more....me. (I didn't say "us" because Jeremy would be happy with plain black curtains so I've cut him out of our decorating style ha!) We moved into the home fully furnished so it pretty much looks the same except we changed out the couch and gave the chairs to Mom. I feel so ungrateful to say this but I just don't like these curtains at all or the leave metal thingies between the windows. I am more of a straight & modern curtain girl:

via

Read here to read more about the house we live in now. I do love this house. When we moved here I thought I would always work and we would always have two incomes. The truth? I don't see myself returning to work full time for a very long time. Ella will have at least one sibling (fingers crossed.)

We just don't need a house this big. I would be so much happier in a cute one story with a lower mortgage payment.

Second Option: Move

Instead of updating our house and investing money in it, I am thinking of moving into a smaller house. There are SO MANY cute one stories foreclosing right now. This summer there will be even more. I am also open to the idea of buying a P.O.S. foreclosure and fixing it up if it makes sense financially. I love homes built in the 1980s. Their floor plans make so much more sense. We don't need a formal living room or dining room. A lot of the older homes just aren't selling because their kitchens suck. Thanks to Pinterest, I pretty much think I can redo any home ha!

But....We don't need to move. Jeremy isn't thrilled with the idea & moving is a royal pain in the hiney. Jeremy would only jump on board if the house was pretty much already updated. I showed him a P.O.S. foreclosure built in 1980 and he told me he wasn't looking at anymore homes with me and I could just pick. The to-do list was stressing him out. Haha. Whoops.

The deep down truth is having Ella made me so un-materialistic. I loathe spending money now. I have a love/hate relationship with it because I always feel guilty. I have an inner monologue telling me I should be saving this money for her college, etc. I just want a simple, sweet little life. I don't need the "stuff." And this house is "stuff." We can stay here and still be content and happy or move into a smaller house and save more $.

So that's what is new around here. Me deciding. Me defiantly feeling a little guilty because we don't "need" this house. Me annoying Jeremy. :) Me procrastinating studying for my real estate license because I am studying homes (which I have brainwashed myself into believing is studying).

"She...has a lot of energy.."

2012-03-30T12:58:00.003-07:00

The photo above is very blurry but it's a great capture of our constant life in motion. Ha!

I have been on the hunt for some new comfy and cute flip flops. We went into DSW and it was like Ella took a shot of speed and went nuts. She liked to help me try on shoes, loved taking them on and off of the shelves and then she just went for it...she ran up and down aisles, four of them before I decided I was happy with my flip flops I was wearing that day never to search with her again. When we were walking out she was waving to the sales clerk and all he could manage to spit out was "She...has a lot of energy!" Then he gave us a half genuine-she's-cute and half don't-bring-her-back smile.

Funny how I have been parenting this twirp for 18 months and she still surprises me. She is usually great in stores and just likes to hold my hand. Maybe she's just the next Carrie Bradshaw and shoe stores are her true playground?

*****

Another thing on our shopping list is a great summer toy! The weather has really started to warm up and I am excited for Ella to get to play outside more. I have been eyeing this Shady Oasis Sand & Water Play Table from Step2. This weekend it is $15.00 off with the coupon code S2SH312 and everything has $4.99 shipping until Monday, April 2! They also are having a buy more, save more sale! It's a great time to stock up on some summer items!

Weight Watchers: Week 11 Weigh-In

2012-03-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

The good news: I am finally out of the "-15 March Curse." The bad news: I forgot about my period and she's back. Again. She always messes with my weigh-ins. I think I did better than -.8 this week and I am just bloated so hopefully next week will be a better number.

There is something really refreshing about a new month around the corner. It's like a fresh start and I am excited. I have no trips planned, no wisdom teeth being removed. NO excuses. :)

I LOVE this quote that was shared last week at a WW meeting:

"Your life doesn't get better by chance, it gets better by change." -Jim Rohn

-.8

Week 1: -6.6

Week 2: -.6

Week 3: -3.4

Week 4: -1.6

Week 5: -.4

Week 6: -2.4

Week 7: -1

Week 8: +1.2

Week 9: -2.6

Week 10: +1.2

Total Loss: -16.6

18 Months of Pure Love

2012-03-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

Photo posted again because it's a favorite :)

Ella recently went to her 18 month check-up and I am happy to report she is still a healthy, hyper, talkative little toddler.

Ella's stats:

Height is 32 1/2 inches (75%)
Weight 25 lbs 2 oz (50%)
Head (93%)

I thought they wrote her head circumference on the form but they didn't. Oh well. For the longest time I thought her hair just made her head look big and she had grown into her head by now. But I was wrong ha! Sweet little unproportional baby love!

Some important updates on my love:

She went potty for the first time in her big girl potty on her 18 month birthday! I of course wasn't there to see her :( because she was at Mom's house while Jeremy and I were on a date. We aren't ready for serious potty training but I have been talking to her about it a lot and when I go potty, I sit her on her potty to do the same. She recently started to say "Pee pee" and "Pooooo" when she is going in her diaper so maybe she is more ready than I think. I want to teach potty training slowly and fun and not stress everyone out with it.
Reads books to herself out loud, turning each page. Lots of jibber jabber. Lots of pointing to a picture and telling me what it is.
Loves to take her diapers off so shorts or pants are a must.
Can put a sock on her biggest toes but can never fully put the entire thing on. Loves to take those socks off though. Always takes shoes off! When we do laundry she likes to put on clothes herself. She usually puts her arms in the correct holes and is SO PROUD but never figures out where to put her head. Loves to put pants on and will spend 45 minutes maneuvering herself. When I try to help she screams at me. Mrs. Independent.
Is very affectionate. Yesterday at the grocery store she kept hugging me while I was pushing the cart. Long hugs too. I was pushing the cart with her arms wrapped around me. Sweet to me, weird to others hehe. She always gives me a kiss goodnight and now she likes to turn my face to give me kisses on the cheek too. 12 of them. :) Before bed she becomes very affectionate and likes to sit in my lap.
Can say about 70-100 words. She learns new words everyday. Today I told her I was going to go bye bye to get her some money and she replied back with "Monnnnnnnay!" She loves to talk and there are always words coming out of her mouth. Ella's pedi was very impressed by this. I think Ella just loves to learn and I talk to her a lot to stay sane when Jeremy isn't home.
Loves to identify body parts. She knows her: hair, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, belly, toes, foot, hands and we are working on knee caps & belly button.
Loves to identify objects like the fan when we ask her where it is. Jeremy taught her to fetch the remote like she is a puppy! She LOVES to get it for you though. She is always bringing me my "hello!" (cell phone).
Imitates noises and motions. She likes to copy dance moves like raising her hands in the air.
Loves fruit and broccoli. Weight Watchers has seriously made me a better mother. I knew it would but I didn't know the extent of it. I feel much better when I am eating healthier so I understand how important it is for Ella to eat good. I put broccoli in anything I can like her macaroni & cheese. She gobbles it down. She also loves cheese so I put cheese on top of her broccoli and she will go for it. I finally feel like I am being a good mama in that department. She isn't as picky anymore and/or I have learned how to trick her. She also hates juice and I asked her pedi about it and she said juice is just sugar and she can get better vitamins from fresh fruit.
Doodle nation! This child loves to doodle. I always find love notes in my Weight Watchers food tracker and I have to keep pens and writing things away from her. She loves to color!
Loves to climb. She can get in and out of our kitchen chairs by herself and strap herself in the booster chair. When I saw this last night I dropped my mouth. Slow down turbo. She did that about 10 times, climbed in and out and strapped herself in. Luckily she doesn't know how to undo the straps or push the button on her booster or we would be in serious trouble. She also loves the stairs. She knows how to safely go up and down by herself. She holds on to the spindles to help her. I worked with her a lot on this because our stairs are scary and she is sneaky. We have a gate but I have still found her waving a few times from upstairs.
Block Queen '12. She loves to stack blocks. She can pile them as tall as her and if you lift her up to reach the top she will keep going. We were at a friends home recently and she kept the blocks going and everyone was cheering her on. It was hilarious and epic at the same time!
Recently picked up puzzles. She used to slam the pieces together to make music but now she knows where the pieces go.

Things we are working on that I think she needs improvement:

Doesn't like to use silverware. I think our routine of me doing chores while she eats in her high chair with Sesame Street on isn't good. We should be eating at a table together but with Jeremy's schedule we don't eat as a family at the table very often. I know, mommy fail! It was just a great way to be hands free for 20 or so minutes. With his new schedule change we should be able to get in at least one table meal a day so that will be nice!
Co-sleeping. I know! I don't even like to talk about co-sleeping because there are so many opinionated mothers that like to rip my head off but we like it. I like attachment parenting. It's very... me. She was sleeping in her crib for awhile and then she got sick and got used to our bed again. I usually wake up with her rubbing my cheek or arm with her smiling. And lots of kisses. We all lay as a little family of 3 in bed in the morning and talk and play before we all get up. Honestly- no regrets about this. I am not even sure why I am defensive about it. It worked for our family but I can see how it wouldn't for others. We are currently transitioning her into her crib. We took the side off of it so it is now a toddler bed and we put it up to our bed so she is right there next to me but still in her own bed. Fingers crossed. :)
Playing with other children. She is a little mean girl and I am so excited for mother's day out! I am hoping it will really help with this. She doesn't understand why they don't want to hug all day and doesn't do well with sharing. Pretty normal for her age actually. I am excited for her to have friends!
Picking up after herself. I have been working with her. I know she is young and it is early but she knows what "pick it up and put it back" means. She makes the worst messes and I am always stepping on a toy. We have an ottoman with storage in the living room that is just hers. I want to get in a routine of every night before bed we spend 10-15 minutes cleaning up. I am usually just exhausted and we go to bed. It would help so much. This is more of an improvement I want for myself.

18 months went by incredibly quickly. I learned so much about being a parent and myself in general. The first 6 months are the most challenging because everything is so new. Now? Ella is just SO MUCH fun. You never know what she is going to do or say. I've heard a lot that this is the most fun age but it really is. I am very lucky to be her mama. I know Jeremy is very proud to be her Dada too!

Changes: A job promotion, new career and MDO

2012-03-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

Our little family of three has had some fun changes around these parts!

Jeremy got a job promotion. This is HUGE for us because he isn't on the streets anymore patrolling. He will be doing IFR (Investigative First Responder). To read a bit about it go here. Being married to a police officer has a lot of challenges. A small one is he has worked almost every weekend for almost 3 years. Now? He doesn't work weekends! I feel kind of...normal. We have discussed starting to go to church again too!
I shut down Lovella about a month or so ago. I had several offers to sell but my numbers and their numbers weren't very close. Turnkey websites are websites that are already made and items are input for you. You basically pay $1,800- $2,600 and you get a boutique website ready to go. Honestly- that is a great price. The hours you spend inputting items. The design process of the website. The whole thing was exhausting to get started. You could easily make that back the first or second month. Here is a website that sells them. Anyway, I had a turnkey website that I created with loyal customers and social media. It was #3 out of over 1,500 baby boutique websites at one point on topbabyboutiques.com. It was my baby and I was proud of it. I worked hard. :) It's impossible to sell something you love for half of what it's worth. So? I kept it. It's just on pause and I redirected the link to a place holder website saying "See you soon!" When Ella starts elementary school I may try it again. Who knows. No regrets. My freedom lately has been fun. No customers? No annoying vendors? No competitors stealing my ideas daily? No people that don't have jobs emailing me asking for free stuff? Wait that still happens! Ha!

Anywho, I am still working 1-2 days at the candle shop. It's pretty boring if I am being real but it's nice to get out of the house. I always feel like my batteries are recharged after work and I can't wait to get home. I typically work by myself now and my assistant manager just quit for a better paying job (don't blame her). My manager is so nice but I don't see myself there forever. She wants me to work more hours and I had to be kind of...blunt and say "No." I told her if she needed to let me go I completely understand because I don't expect her to cater to my family's schedule. So we shall see. I would like to stay there but I am not going to work every weekend. I love my little family too much.

The big news is random but fun. My step-dad and mother buy homes and "flip" them meaning they buy a cheap home, fix it up and resell. Their realtors make a lot of money off of them very fast so I am getting my real estate license! I already have a lot of connections in the mortgage & real estate world because I worked in it so much in high school. I just finished the first course of five and I got a 93% on my exam and a 97% in the class. It will be a great way to help out my parents and make some money on the side. I have no idea where it will take me but it just seems like too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Ella can be a "mean girl" when she plays with others. I see her as an angel from above until she gets around other children and pulls them down, takes their toys, etc. She needs socialization and someone to boss her around other than her usual crew.

I have been researching and visiting a lot of MDO (mother's day out) programs lately. I can't believe the competitiveness of MDO programs around here. I put Ella on a waiting list for a private MDO really close to our house in November and she still isn't for sure accepted. The other MDO place I love is full for one of her time slots already. (Monday/Friday is full but Tuesday/Thursday is open) I am thankful for my obsessive personality and that I started very early. Most of the MDO programs do not start until September. Anyway it's been a learning experience.

And a tip because I am married to a Popo and hear about the nasty side of society in general. Make sure your facility does a national background check. Preferably with the FBI fingerprint check. There was a woman running a daycare that killed her husband in Florida but lived in Texas. Another woman that worked at a daycare but was accused of abusing her own children in another state. A lot of states are only required to do minimal background checks and those typically include state records only. Scary isn't it? When I was in college I did a presentation on pedophiles in your area for my criminal justice class. I got a 100 because I knew those facts up and down. People are freaks. Go to familywatchdog.us to see the National Sex Offender Registry. You simply type in your address and it locates creeps online in your area WITH a picture. We only have 1 in our neighborhood but you'd be surprised by the results.

Can you tell I am freaking out a little bit about leaving my baby girl with people I don't know. The first 2+ weeks Ella is in a building I am probably going to sit in my car in the parking lot, crying, shoving cake balls in my mouth listening to "It won't be like this for long" by Darius Rucker the entire time. I am NOT ready to leave my Ella with someone I barely know yet but I know it is good for her. It's very new and scary. We are both clingy to each other. I have to get my act together. She LOVED playing with the kiddos today at the playground when we visited today. I even teared up a little because I was so proud/happy/felt lucky to have her. Parents do this all of the time. I don't know why I am so scared something is going to happen to her. I grew up in daycare and loved it.

On a might lighter note I discovered Scentsy thanks to a new sponsor, Ashley! She is so sweet and has a special deal for all of my readers just by mentioning you saw her ad here. Email her at stealing_baby_kisses@yahoo.com if you are interested in this warmer, other fun warmers, scents, etc! Shop here now! You will love their new pretty items! Scentsy is so fun y'all! My house smells amazing! I hesitated to join the Scentsy fun because I get items like these for very cheap from work but nothing compares to the quality that I have seen! I am now an addict. :)

Ella's Easter/ 18 month/ New Photo for My Dad's Wallet because He Washed His...

2012-03-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

One of my friends asked me recently if I wanted to take a photography class with some of our mommy friends. I instantly said yes and I am excited for it in April. Here are some photos I took of Ella at Mom's house two days ago. It was 6:00 in the evening so they are pretty dark. Editing photos is scary and I have no clue how to do it. I look forward to learning more.

I call these "Ella's Easter/ 18 month/ New Photo for My Dad's Wallet because He Washed His..."

This one is really blurry & dark because she was running towards me but I still love it. If it would have been in focus I would of probably blown it up and put it in Ella's shrine on the entry table:

Although she has mastered manipulating me with the word "Please" she still needs some training. :)

And Rocky! I probably haven't told y'all about Rocky. He was my dog in high school and still lives with Mom. He is the most jealous, insecure little Sheltie that I have ever met. He didn't understand why Ella was getting all of the attention.

*Her dress is from Ebay, I made her bow and her shoes were gifted.

Weight Watchers: Week 10 Weigh-In

2012-03-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have basically wasted the entire month of March. First my wisdom teeth and then the vacation. Although losing 15 pounds is amazeballs, I am ready to get to that beautiful -20 & -25 small goals. I can't wait to hold all 25 pounds of Ella and think that I lost as much as she weighs. Ha! Sometimes she gets so heavy on my hip, I can't imagine how much better I will feel when I am lighter.

And? I gained on my vacation. I actually gained more than that but I have been ~~starving myself~~ eating better since I got home to try to make up for it. I made the mistake of telling someone today at my Weight Watchers meeting that there weren't a lot of healthy options at Disneyland and throughout the vacation. She told me she went and only ate their fruit cups and made it work. Thanks? And you only ate fruit cups?? Sorry not my style. Luckily I was saved when one of my WW buddies walked in. She motioned for me to sit by her and I wanted to kiss her on the lips.

So no regrets. I loved sharing an "apple pie apple" covered in who-knows-what with mouse ears on it with Ella. Calorie free or not.. sitting at Disneyland with my baby sharing that memory is worth the calories. The next trip we have planned isn't until this summer {to go to Michigan} so I can be in the comfort of my routine and hopefully knock off some more weight until then. :)

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