I said I would never...

I'm sure that this will be the beginning of a never-ending list.  I know I've mentioned on here before, but B-Man was a complete surprise.  E and I had loft goals of where we wanted to be in life before we started a family...and that was not in the plans for another 5-7 years.  Well...sometimes you can do all the planning you want and it doesn't make a difference in the world.  Before you start asking questions, YES I was on birth control and YES I am living proof that it is NOT 100% effective.  More on this little story another time.  B-Man was a surprise.  I was scared. Actually, I cried. We weren't ready.  We weren't prepared.  We hadn't talked about what we would ACTUALLY do if we ever got pregnant because there was no way we would be having kids anytime soon.  I will never forget coming in crying, and E (being the calm and logical one that he is) asking me why I was crying.  We both have good jobs, a house, savings...we were married.  It really wasn't a bad spot to be in.  And while I hated nearly every minute of pregnancy, I love nearly every second of motherhood (...so far, anyways).  I've quickly learned that there are several things I "knew" I would never do that...well, I've done.  And so begins my list.

1. Bring my baby out without shoes or socks on.  You read so much about how babies can't regulate their temperature and this is an ABSOLUTE must.  B-man doesn't even have a pair of shoes right now.  And socks...forget about it.  I used to always make sure he had socks on...for him to rip them right off.  I learned quickly that if it's chilly out, a cozy blanky tucked in under his feet in the car seat was DEFINITELY the way to go.  I'm sure my opinion will change on this once the New England winter sets in...but for now, I'm just happy he's in a onezie when we leave the house these days. 
2. Co-sleep.  I swore this one off as soon as I found out I was pregnant.  And admittedly, if we were in a different situation we probably wouldn't co-sleep.  But when you have a screaming infant in the middle of the night along with your in-laws in the next bedroom over...you will do anything you can to calm him down.  I know this is developing some terrible habits.  Terrible.  The concept of self-soothing is nearly non-existent at this point.  B-Man's been teething recently and I think between that and a little cold he had he was starting to wake up earlier and earlier, and get into bed earlier and earlier with us.  The past few days it's been at 5/530 AM, which isn't too bad.  And let's be real, he's pretty darn cute and cuddly.  Sometimes circumstances are a game changer!
3. Lose my patience.  Especially this young.  B is almost 9 months old.  I knew the first couple of weeks, maybe two months would be tough.  But he was so good after that for so long that I really didn't think I'd lose my patience with him until we hit the terrible two's.  But now.  Guess who doesn't like to lie/sit down while getting his diaper change.  Changing a poopy diaper on a squirming baby who just wants to crawl, is not fun.  There have been more than a few times where poor E hears "TOOTS I need  you in here....NOW."  It's not his fault.  And it's not B's fault...I know he doesn't understand yet.  But that doesn't make it any easier. :) 

I'm sure there are more that I can't even think of right now...and without a doubt there will be more added to this list in the coming years...it's just a matter of time.

And because no post is complete without a picture....

Yep, that's B in our bed...sleeping right next to where I was sleeping a few minutes before I snapped this...

Quick and Easy Weekend Recipes

While I wish I could tell you about all the healthy food I ate this past weekend, lobster was probably all I've got for you.  BUT I will tell you that I'm a huge fan of easy recipes and I've got a few up my sleeve that everybody seems to enjoy.  This weekend E asked me why I hadn't made 7 layer dip yet this year.  I didn't really have a good reason, aside from the fact that I made it this weekend, in this 8x8 dish...and I'm pretty sure I ate about 85% of it.  That, hubby, is why I don't make this.  My 7 layer dip also turned into 6 layer dip because E doesn't like tomatoes.  But I'll let you in on a secret.  It's super easy to make!  If you ever need a last minute app to bring to a party...this baby is your friend.  Here's all you need: 

1. 1 can refried beans
2. 16 oz sour cream
3. Guacamole (homemade or premade...below i just used premade)
4. 1 jar of  salsa
5. Lettuce
6. Shredded cheese
7. Tomatoes

I've even replaced tomatoes with a sprinkling of onions before and that was pretty good, too.  Usually I use a 9x12 baking dish, but decided to go a little smaller this time.  So I used about half the amount of ingredients I normally would.  And of course, I forgot to take some pictures before I dug into it so was stuck with an after picture.  Some people see the refried beans and get scared away (I'll admit, it doesn't look all too appetizing right now) but i promise you it's well worth the 7 minutes it takes to put this together.  Plus, no baking required!  Just put the 7 layers together and you're good to go!

My next adventure this weekend was making whole wheat BBQ chicken calzones.  I cheated (again) and bought pre-made whole wheat over the weekend.  I took some flour and rolled it out onto a pizza pan basically as thin as I could make it.  I used Kraft Honey BBQ Sauce and put a little layer on the bottom.  I added some [left over] diced & grilled chicken, sprinkled in some red onion, colby jack cheese and then put a little more BBQ sauce on, folded it up, pinched the edges together and baked for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  Delish! Again, I didn't take a before picture!  This made more than enough for E and I, his mom even had a little and we still had some left over.  It was a pretty large dough ball, but the dough only cost $0.89!  Talk about a cheap, yummy and somewhat healthy lunch!

Yum.

Happy Birthday, Nagy

Now I know I'm writing a post that will likely never be seen by the one person I would love to see it.  You see, today is my Nagymama's birthday.  And she's 79. She is one of the sweetest and most amazing people I've ever met.  I wish I had my old photos from when I was growing up right now because I have so many of them.  She used to live in a giant old house and I have so many fond memories running around there when I was a little girl.  Anytime I would run into one of her huge pieces of furniture and stub my toe or knee, she would always hit the furniture and tell it not to hurt me.  I can remember several of my soccer games that she came to growing up.  And the time my parents went to Hawaii for my dad's work...Nagy watched us all week.  If I didn't mention it yet, Nagy's from Hungary.  The stories that she has are amazing. BUT she's famous for her kiffles.  My mom and dad left for a little trip to Hawaii when I was in probably 3rd grade and Nagy came up to stay with us and taught my sister and I how to make kiffles.  I'm pretty sure the end result was the three of us covered in flour, but I'm sure there were also some amazing kiffles at the end of it.  Nagy is such a laid back and down to earth person.  It makes me sad that I only get to see her a few times a year.  Buy Nagy, if you ever happen to read this, just know that there's a picture of you and B-Man hanging on my desk wall at work.  We can't wait to see you again, and once we're in our house, I know E and I both hope that you'll be able to take a trip up here to visit us.  

One of my all-time favorite pictures

We love you, happy 79th birthday...and many, many more to come. 

It's time.

It's time to get fit.  I think ever since I graduated high school I've been saying it's time to get fit.  Time to get back in shape.  In high school I always played a sport, soccer or tennis.  After my sophomore year I gave up on soccer and played tennis year round.  Fast forward to college where I didn't have an organized sports commitment...and my weight has been up and down.  I'll workout for a little while and then fall off the bandwagon.  My biggest problem is that once I'm off, it never seems like it's the "right time" get get back on! "I'll start on Monday..." "My diet begins tomorrow..." "Well my breakfast was already unhealthy so today's still a cheat day..." Sound familiar?  The biggest problem now?  I gained 40 lbs with B-Man.  And while I could use the excuse of "I just had a baby" for a few months...it's now been just about 9 months...and I haven't lost any weight.  In fact, if anything, I've probably gained more.  So today is the day.  I'm going to hop on the scale, see my weight, get my BMI and check my blood pressure.  I'm expecting everything but my blood pressure to be gross.  I'm going to run...and I'm going to be winded and disgusted at how long it takes me to run a mile.  BUT I need to start working out.  It's going to be a lifestyle change. Not a diet. Not an exercise kick.  I want to look and feel good again.  Because I don't right now.  I'm hoping that writing this down encourages me to workout more.  I have a tendency to get into a funk.  To stop working out because it doesn't fit my schedule.  What is more important in life than working out and keeping yourself healthy?  If there's anything to spend time on shouldn't it be that?  I want to be around for a long time.  B-Man was crawling all over the bed this weekend and I was lying there with him when I realized I had NO energy; I wanted to nap more than he did.  And I KNOW that I always feel better when I workout.  I'm more positive, more pleasant to be around and feel better in general.  It's a no brainer right?

It's not going to be easy, it will take time and I will get there. 

Now let's not be crazy here...I want to be skinny.  What girl doesn't?! But being healthier and having confidence is much sexier than just being skinny.

So what's my ultimate goal?  I'm going to run until I don't jiggle anymore.  Then I'm going to run some more. And so I'm off.  I've scheduled time on my calendar every day this week for a workout and I'm ready to go.  My first weigh-in (I can't believe I'm putting this on here...but hopefully it will even more motivation) is 163.  I've got 25 pounds that I'd like to lose before B-Man turns one.  Three months and counting...

Weekend Recap

I was looking for pictures from this weekend when I realized the only pictures I have were from my phone...and they are almost all food.  We spent a good chunk of the Saturday looking at houses...but walking away without a whole lot of progress.  Saturday evening we had a lobster fest!  B man officially tried his first taste of lobster.  There's a little place around these parts where they actual cook the lobsters for you for a tiny bit more than you would otherwise pay.

This is what these bad boys looked like when we opened the bag.

I promise this isn't what B-Man actually ate...Just for the purpose of pictures!  You can actually see how orange his little nose is from the sweet potatoes he was indulging in earlier!  And can I just say that I can't believe my little man is already eating lobster???  We also went food shopping this weekend...and I didn't buy one jar of baby food because B-Man has already outgrown jarred food.  He much prefers real pasta, veggies, chicken or fruit than the jarred food. Fine by me...but it's all going by much too fast!

Grandma, Grandpa and A Mall

After our fun filled Saturday (and a rough night...did I mention how much wine I drank? Suffice it to say it's a good thing E's parents watched Brady on Saturday...and here's to hoping E will drive me home again in the future...love you, toots!).  Anyways, Sunday morning, we were up and at it, ready to go again.  We haven't seen my parents in a couple of months, since they flew back across the country with Bman (more on that another time!).  It had been about two months, and luckily there's a mall and a bunch of restaurants almost exactly halfway between where we live and where they live.  We decided to meet up at Red Robin and had a delicious lunch.  Bman got to try some new foods, too.  I stress foods, as in plural.  He's recently started eating more and more solid foods (yes, we picked him up from daycare one day and his provider told us he had half a waffle for breakfast....my baby is growing up too fast!).  At lunch on Sunday, the small list of new foods he tried were...olives, avocados, blue cheese and the inside of potato fries.  He was in his glory.

Once we were done with lunch, we headed over to the mall up the hill and walked around for a while. We found a play area and we all had a blast watching Bman explore, find new games, and slowly venture further and further out.  But he always came back to us in between his little ventures.  There was a lot going on but I think he loved crawling around and finding new toys!

Standing on the turtle!

Hanging out with Grandpa

Giving kisses...to himself...on a mirror. Nothing like strengthening that immune system!

A new favorite game!

Venturing out...

After the play area, you would think B would have been exhausted, no? Well it turns out, this mall has a carousel.  What better time to take the little guy on his first ride?  He did SO well the first two spins - he had us all going thinking that he was having a great time....

Unfortunately, by spin three, the day was getting to bug.  He was tired, didn't want to be on the tiger anymore and was probably getting dizzy.  After E and I did some careful maneuvering and planted our feet, we rescued little B from the tiger, got him off the carousel, into his stroller and back to the car, where he promptly passed out as soon as we started moving.  It was quite the day for such a little man!

A Fabulous Event

I have no idea how it's already gotten to be Tuesday!  We had quite the weekend round here.  One of my best work friends got MARRIED this weekend!  I remember the beginning days of her planning her wedding...and now it's come and gone.  It was at an absolutely beautiful barn, and she got married under a gorgeous oak tree on a hill side.  She and her fiancee looked absolutely gorgeous.  E finally got to meet some of the girlies I work with and we all had a great time.  Joc & G I know I speak for all of us when we say I wish you nothing but a lifetime of love and happiness....you two looked gorgeous and are a perfect for one another.  I hope you loved your day. Nothing but the best in the life ahead of you both.

Hope you two are enjoying your honeymoon!

Favorites for baby: Birth – 8 (1/2) months

When I started this little blog here a few weeks ago, I had in my head that I would give a recap of my favorite baby products when B-man turned one.  But I can’t help myself.  There are some things that I can’t imagine not having had.  Before B-man was born, I Googled like crazy, spent wayyyy too much time reviewing baby products and was still completely overwhelmed when we registered.  From birth through now, these are the things that we have been using and can’t imagine not having had them.  I’m not an expert and every family is different, but hopefully some of you mama’s to be out there will find this helpful!

1. Johnson's Baby Bedtime Lotion - This stuff is a miracle worker.  B-man gets this every night after his bath and before he gets his bedtime bottle.  The few nights he hasn't had it before he went to sleep, I swear he woke up more than normal.  Miracle.
2. Carter's Onesie's - Carter's onesies are my favorite.  The Gerber ones shrink too easily, there are others that are too thin or too thick.  Carter's are my favorite.  And we love shopping at JCP for B-man.  SO much more affordable than some other places and for how fast they grow, I'm convinced this is the best value. 
   
   
   
   
3. Luv's Diapers - I'll admit it...Pampers were my favorite for a while.  Being a new mom, I loved the wetness indicator.  We didn't waste many diapers because if the line wasn't yellow, we let B-man be.  But once you get the hang of it...it's expensive to keep up with the Pampers.  I like Huggies, too because they're cute.  But I found the Luvs and Huggies to be about the same quality, but Luvs are significantly cheaper.  Target diapers are also great, but I've found them to typically be more expensive than Luvs unless they're on sale. 
4. Crane Cool Mist Drop Shape Humidifier - Blue - We lived in the desert from when Brady was about 5 weeks until he was about 5 months.  It was SO dry and B's skin got very dry and his throat got really scratchy after the first few days.  Enter this humidifier. It directs the mist towards him without soaking him.  This was a must have every night. 
   
5. Johnson's Lavendar Shampoo - We didn't start using this until a couple of month's ago when B actually grew enough hair.  But is smells wonderful and is just like the bedtime lotion...it's become a part of our nighttime routine.
6. Graco DuoDiner 3-in-1 High Chair - Bermuda - We didn't start using this until we moved back to New England, when B was about 6 months old, but it's quickly become one of his favorite places.  Later on, it also converts to a space saving booster...we're not there yet, but I love something I can use for a long time!  This chair isn't great just for feeding time (which it's obviously amazing for!) but if the fam is hanging out on the deck, bug fits right in when he's hanging in this high chair...which is definitely a weekly occurrence... 
   
7. Animal Krackers Jumparoo - Something else we didn't use until came back home.  B-man LOVES this thing.  It keeps him amused for a longgg time.  There are two settings - talking and singing.  And there's just so much going on.  So much to grab, pull, swat at and yell about. I was trying to find a video of him jumping in this thing but I can't find one right now. This is my favorite for when I have to get some dishes done or E and I are both getting ready for work and need a few minutes to get things done.  Enter the Jumparoo :)
8. Philips Avent Bottles - Our attempt at breastfeeding is a completely different post for another day.  B-man has been 100% bottle fed since about week 1.5 of life...and he's done very well with it!  We used Philips bottles, starting with the 4 oz bottles and moving on to the 11 oz bottles.  They're great and we've never had a reason to look for any other kind of bottle.  (When B was a newborn, we used the nipples we got from the hospital, tiny newborn nipples with Medela bottles, then switching to the Medela nipples...this was probably for the firs 4-5 weeks).
9. Disney Baby The Lion King Premiere Convert Me Swing-2-Seat - This was brilliant when bug was little (he's outgrown it now, but the first few months this was great).  One of B-man's birth announcement pictures was even in this.  It would sway him to sleep, or he would just stare at the leaves dangling down over him.  Perfect when Mommy needed to stretch out on the couch for a few or empty the dishwasher! 
   
10. Jeep Liberty Limited All Terrain 3 Wheel Stroller - Galaxy - So this stroller was actually recalled, or the wheels were.  The wheels are rubber.  The recall let you know that if something sharp got into the wheels, the wheels could pop.  But, i still love this stroller.  It's heavy duty...fits Graco car seats, fits all my bags and there were even a few times that I've had to run out to grab a few small things, I just bring the stroller and fill the front compartment with things that I need to buy...no cart necessary!  It IS a little heavy and I read reviews that if you're short or petite it can be tough to handle...but for us, it's perfect! 
    
11. Graco Pack N Play - This is all that B knows as his bed.  We used the bassinet when he was newborn (we never really used the diaper changing station) but this is all B has ever known.  Since we moved across the country (temporarily) and are still searching for a our home, I'm not sure what we would have done without the Pack N Play...and the elephant design is just too cute.  The storage hamper is great too!
12. Lollypop Muslin Swaddle Blankets - These fall into the category of AMAZING.  I didn't start using them until B was 2 months old (I actually got mine cheaper at Marshall's) BUT once I started a nighttime routine, I started swaddling B...and within about a week he started sleeping 10-12 hours a night.  This would be my absolute number one recommendation for any new mommas! The patterns below were the actual blankets that we got, too!  They've become more of a security blanky to bug at this point.
    
    
    
    
13. Diaper Genie Elite Advanced Diaper Disposal System - I thought this would speak for itself but I have heard some say that they hated using the Diaper Genie.  It was perfect for us and actually does compact the diapers nicely.  Just make sure you empty it before it gets too full.  Otherwise you'll end up elbow deep in dirty diapers and trying to extricate stuck diapers and plastic...not fun.

All in all, I'd say all of these have made for one happy little guy!

Why "Our Home" is blank...

I mentioned in yesterday's post that we are currently crashing with the hubs' parents.  We've had an interesting couple of years.  It's a story that I could really drag out...but I won't. :) We always knew that we wanted to be landlords at some point, and the opportunity presented itself sooner than we had expected.  We were out in the southwestern part of this beautiful country... (more on how much I loved it out there at another time...but I guess I can share one picture!)

...on a work assignment for a few months and while we were out there, we were able to rent out the house that we bought two years ago.  It seemed like things were lining up perfectly.  The only problem?  We had about three days between when we moved back east and the time that our new tenants would be moving in. Somehow, we managed to make that happen.  (Actually, we know exactly how...with the help of some of our great friends is how!)  We thought we'd be crashing with E's parents for a month, max.  Well, a month has turned into two.  We're supposed to be closing on a house this Thursday, but it looks like that house may not even be a possibility anymore.  The appraisal isn't in, but from what we've heard it's low.  We've had a couple of other issues and it's not looking too hopeful that we'll be able to come to an agreement with the sellers.  But that's okay...if it's not meant to be it's not meant to be.  We have a few more houses that we've found online that we want to look at if all doesn't go well.  Needless to say, four adults and an infant living in one house can get a little tight sometimes.  Oh.  And we have a husky.  Who lives outdoors.  And is currently in the process of destroying my in-laws yard.  *Sigh* Here's to hoping all goes well in the next few days. Once we find a place where we can get settled, I'll be sure to share with you all what it looks like!  E and I are ready to find a house and make it our home!

Sunday Funday

Like I said, this weekend was full of relaxation.  E's grandma came down for the weekend, as well.  Did I mention our living situation?  That's a post for another day...but long story short is that we're staying with hubs' parents for the time being.  So when I say his grandma came to stay, she didn't exactly come to stay just to see us.  But it was nice seeing her either way.  It was actually the first time she met her great grandson, too.  We did some grocery shopping and hung out while Papa H grilled.  It was one of those days where there aren't too many words to describe it...but the pictures do all the talking.

 Ok, so this was actually the hubs grilling on Friday...but I had to include the picture :) 

 Hanging out with Grandma on the deck

B has finally started to taking a liking to Jack!

 The new way of expressing himself is to yell. Just. Yell.

 Long day for pup...he's never this relaxed!