Our Elf on the Shelf

This year we decided to start a new tradition with The Elf on the Shelf. Peanut was so excited about it last night. We had a little issue with her wanting to change his name frequently, but we decided on Sparky the Christmas Elf. I thought he would work better for bedtime, but we're getting there. It is nice to remind her that he's watching so she needs to be a good listener. The best part was this morning..I was in the shower and she was watching TV in my bed. All of a sudden I hear stomping feet running into the bathroom. She says "Mommy, the elf is gone!!" I had to remind her that after he flies back from the North Pole he sometimes sits in a different spot. She was so excited to get back down there and find him!!

A little later I hear her saying "I love you." So I said I love you too. And she says, "I was talking to the elf." Geez!

So Funny

If the book is as funny as these few pictures, I can't wait to see it!!

Absent

Forgive me bloggers, for I have sinned. It's been 6 weeks since my last blog. It's not that I don't think about it, I do. I've wanted to post things but hadn't found the time. Maybe it's the house or the kids or the husband or the MOMS Club or the Pure Romance or the free lance meeting planning or Facebook or...well, I guess its all of that. But I'm back...at least for now. :)

Buddy is now 8 months old, crawling, sprouted a tooth and just recently pulled himself up for the first time. Time sure is flying by. He has bundles of energy and LOVES to take Peanut's toys. :)

Peanut LOVES preschool and has increased her vocabulary even more than I thought possible. Her imagination is out of this world even more so since we're reading a book about the solar system! Her imaginary friends Tika and Rajn are still a part of our lives as well.

A look back at my babies:

And where they are now:

Our future

In our house we love to listen to music and dance all around. This has made Peanut quite the dancer. I can only assume the dancing bug will be passed down to Buddy. This video is a glimpse of our future...LOL!

**The previous video was removed for whatever reason so I just found it again!

Bad words for toddlers

The other day Franklin said something mean to me. He was basically being a smart ass. Anyhow, I called him an A-hole. And I said it just like that, I left out the s's. And then Peanut, who was sitting right there, says "Daddy, you're an acorn!" Yes that's right Peanut, sometimes Daddy is a total acorn. :)

One of these things is not like the others...

Hmmm.....whether you're a fan of HGTV or the NRA..this store is for you!!

MOMS Club at Work

I've been part of my local MOMS Club for the last 2+ years and we've done many fundraisers to help local charities that benefit women and/or children. This past Spring we decided to take on a VERY large project. We wanted to raise money for new playground equipment at one of our local parks. Because the city recently spent a lot of money on this park putting in a splash pad they don't want to use any more for awhile. But the playground at the splash pad is awful! So as a club we decided to do something about it. We had a small fundraiser this Spring but we're going to continue our effort, especially because a local reporter heard about what we were doing and did a story about it!! You can find the article here. Hopefully things will get rolling and we'll be able to have new equipment soon!

Buddy is 6 Month's Old!

Can you believe my baby boy is 1/2 a year old already??? I sure can't! His check up was yesterday and he's a whopping 18 lbs 3 oz (70%) and get this... 29 1/4" long! Greater than the 95th percentile!!! He gained 3 lbs and grew 3 inches in two months! He's officially WAY bigger than Peanut was at this age. And I'm doing my best to keep him immobile. :)

The words parents dread....

Last night we decided to go and get some ice cream after dinner. It's about a 10 min trip and just over half way there Peanut said those words I've been dreading...."Are we there yet?" Ugh!! While this may not be a big deal to some, with all the travel we do I can see this being a BIG annoyance in the future. God help me!

This is me...if I could rap

Super Wet Kitchen

I've just learned that my baby boy is ready to have his baths in the bathtub rather than on the counter. I learned this the hard way. Not only am I soaking wet, so is the kitchen window, the napkins, the phone, the plant (which desperately needed water anyway), the floor and Peanut. Poor thing wanted to watch and had NO IDEA she would get wet!

Alas, another milestone to tell me my baby is getting bigger. :(

Reasons you don't try and photograph children

Yesterday sitting at the mall an employee from Kiddie Kandids comes over and tells me I can get a free 5x7, no obligations to buy anything else. My first instinct is to say "No thanks," I mean there was a reason I stopped going there. My second was like "Okay, a free pic of the two of them would be nice." I told her I would think about it but would have to wait till my Mom got back. Yes, I felt like I was back in school again waiting for my Mommy's permission. But I can't lift my baby right now so it was fact.

Once Mom got back she thought it was a good idea. Never mind that the children are in totally clashing outfits or that Peanut didn't have a good nap or that Buddy has a bad diaper rash. So we head on over!

It started out fine, Peanut does love getting her picture taken so she was all for it. The tears started when it was Buddy's turn and she couldn't be in the picture. Trying to get the both of them was fun because she wanted to look at his face rather than the photographer and of course she had just been crying. Buddy didn't give his big usual smiles, could've been the diaper rash or the three crazy women making weird noises at him.

And then it was over, and I was once again reminded why I stopped going there. BUT I did make it out of there with just the free 5x7 and I was very proud of myself. :)

Radioactive

On our way home from MI I wasn't feeling well. I thought it was just indigestion but it wouldn't go away. After awhile I suspected it was my gall bladder. So after an ER visit, an ultrasound and bloodwork they determined that it was the cause. Even though I didn't have any gall stones (Thank God!) it still seemed to be what was bugging me. They had me go for a HIDA scan two days later.

The HIDA scan wasn't so bad, they injected me with the radioactive material to go through my body and show up in pictures. I had to lay under a big machine for a LONG time. Even though it wasn't the most comfortable place, I fell asleep. :) I don't get that much time alone having to lay still and listen to the radio. I probably could have stayed there all day!! LOL

The fun part began as they were taking my IV out. The guy asks if I have any small children at home, I say yes. He says, "Well, you can care for them, but you can't hug them or hold them for two days." Umm.....WTF??? How can I care for my infant without holding him??? And why didn't anyone tell me this was going to happen??? After my initial shock and anger, I realize I'm just going to have to pack up and head to my parents. Franklin HAS to work after being on vacation for so long and I can't really take care of my babies without touching them. So I head BACK to MI after only 2 1/2 days at home. Technically it was only a day earlier than I had to planned to go back, but still. I hadn't packed ANYTHING! I wasn't even done with laundry!

So there I was at my parents, not being able to hold or hug my children. It sucked. I really should've enjoyed it more, but I didn't. LOL If I had had some extra money I would've spent the day at the spa!!

Vacation...continued

After less than 24 hours at home we continued our vacation by heading to MI. It was 4th of July weekend as well as Peanut's 3rd birthday. Basically the vacation consisted of three parties for Peanut!

The first was a party with her "friends" at Chuck E. Cheese. I say it that way because it mostly consisted of MY friends with children the same age as her!! LOL Oh well. The kids had a great time and didn't care that they didn't know each other. :) And Peanut loves Strawberry Shortcake so we had that on the cake.

We spent the 4th of July at my parents and celebrated Peanut's birthday with my family. Here are my very patriotic children:



Another birthday cake! This one was strawberry flavored..basically because Peanut LOVES pink.
And then on Peanut's actual birthday we went to Franklin's parents to celebrate with his family. And yet another birthday cake!!



As much fun as I had on the vacation I COULD NOT wait to get home.

Happy 3rd Birthday Peanut!!!

I can't believe my baby girl is three years old. Much of the day Franklin and I thought back to the long day in the hospital waiting for her to come out. I guess I'll probably always think of that day on her birthday. Even now it makes me teary eyed.

Peanut, you're so smart...probably too smart for your own good. You're so imaginative. Even though Tika seems to break things a lot and Rajn is always at the doctor, I love your imaginary friends. And some days I would like to throw all of your dress up clothes away, I wonder why I even bother putting you in regular clothes some days. BUT, you do make a beautiful princess and I do love being Queen Mama.

Happy Birthday Peanut!! We LOVE You!!

Our vacation...so far

We have been traveling..A LOT! Here is a little bit of what we did the last week of June, before we continued our vacation in MI.

We decided to make a stop on our way down to Virginia instead of driving straight thru. We went to The Wilds, its an animal safari nature preserve in southeastern Ohio. It was so beautiful and Peanut loved seeing the animals.




That night I found out we were staying at a hotel owned by friends of our family!! What are the odds! And the next morning we went to breakfast at their restaurant too, it was so surreal.

Then we headed to Virginia to meet up with the rest of the family for the Deel reunion. This is an annual event for my Mom's side of the family. It's always held at Breaks Interstate Park which is a beautiful park that connects Virginia and Kentucky. They have many overlooks that you can walk to, I've been doing it for years and now Franklin loves it too!



I used to see this side of the family three times a year, now its only one, but with the blessing of Facebook we are able to keep in touch much better!


This year also marked the wedding of my cousin Shana. Her and David went down to Florida to get married on the beach a week before and then had a reception after our reunion. She was gorgeous, the venue was beautiful and we all had a great time! Congratulations Shana and David!!!


The morning after the reception we headed back to Ohio. We weren't going home, only continuing our vacation in a cottage at a state park. The first two hours of our drive were all in the mountains. And along the way we saw many interesting things...buckets for mailboxes, Christmas lights and this bridge:


Once we got out of the mountains the adventure didn't end. As we were driving on the highway in West Virginia we saw a wild turkey fly into someone's windshield!! It was a HUGE mess with feathers, glass and turkey blood everywhere! I felt so bad for those people.

We absolutely loved the cottage we stayed in at the park. It was quite homey and comfortable. Peanut loved helping Daddy make breakfast.


We went to the lake, the indoor pool and the playground. We were only there for two nights but had so much fun we plan on going back as soon as we can!




Stay tuned for the rest of our adventures and the celebration of Peanut's 3rd Birthday!!!

My baby boy is getting so big!!

Buddy's 4 Month Checkup!

It's been a few weeks since I've posted, our life is somewhat returning to normal, Peanut still asks about Sophie almost every day. :(

But today was an exciting day, for me anyway, it was the 4 month check up for my baby boy!! I'm sure he was less than thrilled with the exam and shots, but I always love to find out how much they've grown. He is now just barely over 15 lbs (55%) and 26 inches long (90%). That is slightly less than Peanut weighed at the same time but almost an inch longer! At this rate I will have two tall, skinny kids!

Unbelievably Hard Day

I thought I was prepared. I thought since I had planned for it I would handle it better. I thought I knew what to expect. I was wrong. Yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life. We put Sophie to sleep. It sounds so peaceful but it's still ending her life. Even though I know she was in pain. Even though I know she had suffered a long time, it was still hard. I held her as she fell asleep in my arms. I hadn't been able to hold her like that for a long time because she wasn't comfortable. It was comforting and heartbreaking at the same time. I didn't get to hold her as she received the final shot but I saw her take her last breath.

Having Peanut has been both a blessing and a curse in this situation. In one way I had to get control of my emotions and not let her see that I was so upset. And as I was able to go through the day because of this it made it that much harder when she kept asking for Sophie last night. She didn't want her to go on her trip, she wanted her to come home. She wanted to be with her. I hope as each day goes by she asks about her less and less. I love that she loved her as much as I did and I know she doesn't understand she's causing me pain, but it hurts so much.

To Sophie...you were a wonderful dog. You were my first baby. You were always there for me when I needed you. You will be forever loved and missed.

Why? Why? Why??

Why does a 2 1/2 year old know exactly how to push your buttons? Why won't they listen? Why do I have to be punished for THEIR bad behavior???? Whew. Okay, I obviously know the answer to all of these but I needed to get it out. Once again I had to leave a store because of my daughter's behavior. Unlike last time I did choose to check out, but that was ONLY because I had her prescription. If it hadn't been for that I would've drug her butt right out of there!! And it was Target, my favorite store. We had been having such a good time walking around and making her birthday list. And then it turned terribly wrong when she wanted a wagon filled with sand toys and I told her no. She didn't want to add it to her birthday list she wanted to take it home NOW. I keep telling her no and then she starts to hit me. OMG, oh no she didn't!! A fairly quiet ride home (since the tv was taken away from her) and I thought she had gotten over it. She apologized, said she was listening. And then we got home and it started all over again. One time out later and now it's blissful naptime. I don't think she's sleeping yet, but I don't care. She's in her room and being quiet. Right now I can't ask for much more than that!

Princess Tea

Yesterday I took Peanut to a Mommy and Me Princess Tea. She wore her finest princess attire and had a blast! She got to have some make up put on, received new jewelry, decorated a crown and learned from "real" princesses how to walk and wave like a princess. It was tons of fun and she totally fell in love with Cinderella. She was not however a fan of Prince Charming. :)

Buddy's Two Months Old!!

Last week I took Buddy for his two month check up. The appointment was about two weeks behind when he actually turned 2 months so it made it harder to compare his growth to Peanut's. But, he's now 12 lbs, 15 oz and 24" long. 75% in both weight and height. Peanut was just under 12 lbs and 1/4" shorter at her two month, but hers was right at two months. So basically I think their growth is the same at this point. He was a trooper through the shots. He's starting to coo a lot which I love and of course, he smiles all the time. The doctor said he has a twinkle in his eye when he smiles, and I would have to agree!

My GPS Adventure

Now I've always been a fan of geography, I get it from my dad. And I LOVE taking roads I've never taken just to see where they go. It's how I learned where everything was when we moved to Ohio. I was laid off and had nothing better to do than drive around and learn all the back ways to get places. :)

And even though I'm good at remembering directions and I'm confident being on roads I don't know, I LOVE the GPS. It's so much fun! The other day I was leaving a friends house and I knew exactly how to get home, but thought I would see which way the GPS would take me. It was quite the adventure. I was on two different roads that I had never been on nor had even heard of! Peanut liked it because they had slides (hills).

Okay, so after reading this I realized I'm even more easily entertained than I thought. :)

BUT, the funny part of the story was that I told Peanut we were on a GPS Adventure and she asked if we would get in one of the big trucks. She thought I meant UPS. :)

It tastes piggy

At breakfast one morning my Mom was eating bacon and said she wasn't sure she liked it. It tasted too piggy. LOL And what does "too piggy" taste like? She couldn't describe.

A few days later she called me on the phone after reading an article about some sort of dairy product made with goat milk and that people had responded to it saying it tasted too goaty.

People have always talked about certain fish being too fishy, so why not all the other animal products?

Terrible Toddler

They call it "Terrible Twos" and believe me, they can be. But then everyone says that three-year olds are so much worse! And really the bad behavior starts before they turn two. So I've decided to call it Terrible Toddler.

Here are a couple of "fun" things Peanut has said to us lately:

Daddy: Why are you yelling?
Peanut: Dada, don't even.

Daddy: Peanut, get your coat on.
Peanut: I can't.
Daddy: Peanut, put your coat on now.
Peanut: Did you hear me? I CAN'T!!

(Oh yes, you read it right. And with this one I totally lost it. I laughed so hard I cried.)

Daddy: Come downstairs.
Peanut: No.
Daddy: Come downstairs, now.
Peanut: I can't, I have lots of stuff to do.

(Unfortunately she gets this one from me. I say that a lot when she asks me to do stuff with her. Now I feel bad.)

Happy Mother's Day!!

I sit here typing this post in an unusually quiet house and I'm all alone. Also very unusual. It's Mother's Day and I wonder if wanting to enjoy the day all to myself is wrong? Or is it normal? Sometimes I think I should want to spend the day doing wonderful things with my kids, but I'm lucky to do that every day. So to me, this is a holiday, a day off for Mommy. And fortunately, Franklin goes along with it! LOL

The day started off the same as the last two, sleeping in and breakfast in bed. And then one of the best things, a long shower in the bathroom...alone. To those who aren't moms this may not seem unusual but it is. I often shower and sing 'Old MacDonald' at the same time. And I rush through the shower worried that the older child may harm the younger. So a long shower alone in the bathroom is a holiday in itself.

When I finally made it downstairs it was time for hugs, kisses and presents. Peanut got me a back brush/massager for the shower. Buddy got me a gift card to the movies and Franklin got me the MOST wonderful gift...plane tickets to Atlanta!!! I get to visit one of my bestest friends!! I'm so excited!! I literally cried, I don't think I've ever done that over a present.

Then I left the house and went to the nursery to get hanging baskets, the library and then to Target. It's been a LONG time since I spent a leisurely time in Target. I'm usually speed walking through the store getting everything I need while supplying snacks to a hungry toddler and constantly saying "no, you can't have that," "sit down," "do you want a time out???" It was heaven. And even though I only bought the essentials it was nice to walk around and look at whatever I wanted.

And now, I'm sitting here desperately needing to update this blog with all the happenings of our lives. And I only have 8 hours left, apparently Mommy turns into a pumpkin at midnight and the holiday is over. :)

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!!!

Facebook Forgetfulness

I, like many of my friends, am addicted to Facebook. I don't get to spend as much time on it as I would like, but I spend enough. And I love that I get to stay up to date with all the happenings of my friends and family and returning the same favor. But I realized in doing that, I neglect my blog. And I created this so that I could keep ALL of our friends and family up to date with what was going on. And because they all don't have FB accounts, I must get better about this. I'll try, Girl Scouts honor. :)

Yup...we're definitely in Ohio!

Many things...

Over the past couple of weeks several things have happened that I wanted to blog about, but when I finally sat at the computer I either couldn't remember them or just didn't feel in a funny enough mood to type them out. I really wish I could blog like you can twitter. Not that I want to type out a whole blog via texting or anything, but I need something that mobile. I guess I better start carrying a tape recorder so that I can record EXACTLY what I want to say when it happens!

I promise I'll put some stories up later. :)

Pre-pregnancy Jeans!!!

So this morning I put on a pair of non-maternity pants...and they fit!! I can zip them up, button them, walk and even sit down in them!! Now, I do have some serious muffin top, but that's nothing that can't be covered with a long shirt. Yippee!!

Ambulance Chasers

This past weekend we took an impromptu trip to MI. I NEEDED to get out of the house. :) Anyhow, on Saturday we were at my parents and I was laying on the couch after being up several times the night before and my Dad says, "There's a fire!" Franklin and I jumped up and ran to the kitchen to see what he was talking about. It appeared that a house was on fire on the street behind them, tons of black smoke in the air. So what do we do? Franklin and I jump in the car to go check it out!! I was still in my pajamas but didn't care. :) (My mom did call 911 too)

Turns out it wasn't on the street behind them but on the main road in front of their subdivision. It was a big garage that was on fire. We were not the only ones gawking either. :) We got there before the firemen so we got to see them pull in and go into action. I had never seen that in real life and it was very impressive. Four fire trucks in all arrived and it was put out without any damage to the house next to it. Thank God there are people out there willing to fight fire for us, I couldn't believe how close they got to it!

Buddy's 1 Month Old!!!

I can't believe a month has gone by since I delivered him. In some ways it feels like much longer but mostly it's flown by. I'm starting to feel better finally, physically at least. This stupid infected incision has prevented me from recuperating as fast as I wanted, but now I'm on a second round of antibiotics and alas I am finally on the mend.

We have his one month check up on Wednesday so I'll post new stats then. I can tell he's getting bigger but I'm not sure by how much. I do know that he's out of the newborn clothes and into 0-3 month. :) But that's primarily because his toes were about to break through the feet of the newborn clothes!!

Our 2 Week Checkups

This past Friday was a doctor day. I went for my two week check up, unexpectedly early because my incision was bulging and hard (gross!!). Turns out I have a fluid build up and infection so now I'm on antibiotics 4 times a day!! But the highlight of the appointment was that I had already lost 27 lbs! Woohoo!!

Buddy's check up also went very well. He's back up to his birth weight, exactly 7lbs. 4 oz and he grew an inch! The doctor thinks he looks fabulous and we go back when he's a month old.

Think goodness they're washable!

I recently purchased some washable markers for Peanut. She loves to draw with markers all the time so I knew if she had them, they had to be washable. The other evening she said she was going to draw a smiley face on her hand. I thought it was harmless and since I'm all about her keeping herself busy I was okay with it. The next thing I know she's tattooed both her arms!! She was very, very proud of it though. :) Fortunately it all washed off right away so no harm done.

Big Sister!!

After constantly asking about Mommy, Daddy and Brother's bracelets at the hospital a nurse made a special one for Peanut. She wore it proudly for days and days! She really loves her baby brother which I'm extremely thankful for. She likes to hold him, help with diaper changes and hold the bottle while he eats. Fortunately she hasn't taken over too much and is okay when told no. :)

Home

Here is a picture of Buddy and I going home. We've been home just over a week now and have gone through some major adjustments. First, the day we were coming home we had a pipe burst in our basement. Thankfully Franklin had gone home to check on Peanut and saw the mess before we came home! We almost stayed another night at the hospital because of it but fortunately Franklin got things fixed and had someone there to dry things out quickly!

Peanut has also been having some problems. She loves her baby brother and doesn't seem to be jealous of him, but is having trouble listening and being a good girl. I think she was pissed off I was gone for a few days! She's also not used to be home ALL the time. With MOMS Club we're on the go several days a week and staying cooped up every day is not her cup of tea. And because I haven't been cleared to drive yet, it makes things even more difficult. We did get out yesterday and she was able to play at the mall. Her behavior was a little better last night and bedtime went smoothly.

I've also been struggling with nursing. My milk has come in "slightly" but it's not nearly enough to feed Buddy. So, I had started supplementing with formula at the hospital and after 10 days of constant nursing and/or pumping, I've decided to give it up and go totally to formula. It was a very tough decision for me because not only do I want to do what's best for my baby and save money, I was very unhappy and it was making things harder on everyone else as well. Now that I've switched I finally feel somewhat normal. :)

Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

This skirt is super cute!!!

Welcome Landon Thomas!!

Yesterday was the big day!! Landon Thomas Faro was brought into the world at 10:12 am weighing 7lbs 4 oz and 20 1/4" long. I think he's pretty darn cute!!

Everything went very well, the only glitch was that it took 3 tries to get my spinal in. Ouch! Not fun, but worth it when it went in correctly. :) It was a far better experience than the first time.

So far Landon is a wonderful baby. He's nursing well and doesn't fuss much at all. And of course as I type this he's starting to get fussy!


Big Sister Maya wasn't that impressed at first with her baby brother. She did get a little more interested in him before she left, but was having way more fun with her cousins. Tonight she told me how cute he was, sang to him and held his foot in her hands to keep it warm. I think she'll be a great big sister!

Landon and I are hanging out in the hospital till Tuesday. I should be able to post regularly, thank goodness for free wi-fi!!

38 Weeks!!

This may be my last pregnancy picture, 38 weeks. I can't believe I only have 4 more days before I go in to deliver baby brother!! Yikes!! It still doesn't seem real, but I'm sure it will soon. I certainly am ready to be done with being pregnant. My body hurts more and more every day!!

Our Valentine's Dinner

This is a picture of our Valentine's Dinner. Even though we had it on a different night due to a birthday party it was still special. Two steaks and two lobster tails, YUMMY!! They turned out awesome and I only set the smoke alarm off once...damn broiler! I think I may be hooked at cooking lobster all the time, it was so tasty.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day!!!

Booty Song

Peanut's latest thing is to stand on the stool with a microphone and sing the Booty song. It goes like this, "Booty song, booty song, booty song, booty song..." Sometimes she shakes her booty while she sings, but she doesn't always have the coordination. :) She's our little American Idol!

Pretty Toes

When I wanted to cut Peanut's toenails she said no. And even though I was cutting them anyhow, I thought I would humor her with a bargain. If she let me cut her toenails I would paint them for her. She was so excited!! I even let her pick out the color. :) So here are her pretty toes that she still likes to show off to people!