Blog Linkup: Reveal

Earlier this month, Alycia, Casey, and Danielle put together a blog party gift exchange. I got paired up with Alexis {and I'm so glad I did}!



A few weeks ago I was asking for some tried-and-true crockpot recipes. And... look what showed up on mama's door step! :)





Alexis is such a cute mom to Crewe {LOVE his name!}. Her and her husband are getting ready to move into their new house... so check out her blog to see what I got her! :)

Valentine's Day Challenge: Favorite Date

I haven't participated in a blog challenge in a longgg time; but these are fun and it's an easy way to find new blogs. Amber from Brunch with Amber is hosting this one with a Neely and Casey.

Day 1: Favorite Date

Chris and I didn't date for very long. I guess when you know, you just know. Or when you get pregnant, you trap them. Tomato, tommaaattoo. :)

For the 4th of July {my favorite holiday}, we got tickets to the Cubs vs Cardinals game in St. Louis. Chris got us a room across from Union Station and we just ate and gallivanted around downtown all day.

Why I decided to dress like a Flinstone is beyond me...

We enjoyed the game and then headed out of the stadium to watch the fireworks over the arch.

Since we were sitting in a field, it never really felt like a proposal. In the middle of the fireworks, he started telling how much he loved me, how excited he was to have a baby, how glad he was that he moved to STL.... and then out popped the ring! :)

I would have been paying more attention if I knew what he was leading to; but I was thrilled nonetheless.

We got married three months after the proposal... had Haven four months after that.... And haven't slowed down since.

Caffeine

When I found out I was pregnant with Olive, I cut out caffeine. I love some diet soda, but knew it was for the best after I saw her in an ultrasound doing front flips.

Fast forward 9 months later. I am back on my healthy bandwagon and even did a 10 day herbal cleanse to get rid of all of my water weight. Part of what I read, is that if you drink a little caffeine while dieting, it can help move things though you. The fancy wording they used was "helpful to elimination."

Anyway, I had 1/2 a soda the other morning. I wasn't sure if it was the caffeine or the fact that it was the announcement of our bonus, but I did a happy dance and fell on my co-workers chair. Similar to a punch-drunk feeling.

Anyway, I bought some herbal vitamins as well and yesterday was my first day taking them. I don't eat meat and I'm pretty picky about most things healthy, so I thought this was a good idea. I took this vitamin pack with my healthy dinner of lentils and green beans.

About an hour later, I started to feel light headed. When I laid down with Olive on my bed, I felt like I was circling into the bed Alice-in-Wonderland-style. At one point, I told Chris to come in and watch me sleep because I thought I was dying.


{I snapped a photo of my little bug asleep on her mama}

Side story: One time when I got the stomach flu, I thought I was dying, too. I think I kind of hallucinated because Chris said he heard me screaming in the bathroom, "JUST TAKE ME, JESUS!" {Yes, I am very dramatic}

Back to last night... All I kept thinking about was how I was never taking a damn vitamin ever again- herbal or not.

When I got up this morning, I went to toss the packets of vitamins away. I looked at the back of them and it said that the herbal vitamins contain the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee.

I repeated this to Chris and he responded by saying, "When you thought you were dying last night, you told me that I couldn't remarry; that I don't have your blessing."

Caffeine makes me crazy. And also one more thing... This is my public declaration that Chris does not have my blessing to ever remarry. Period. :)

Wednesday Loves

I love reading these... and I'm known to be a complainer... So why not link up with Jamie and tell you what I LOVE today?!

1. I love all of my blog friends. Like, for real LOVE. I wish we could all meet in real life, craft, eat cookies, and talk about how cute our husbands are. {Hey Tots, when are we getting donuts? You promised me donuts. Ha}

2. I love that Haven is talking more. The tubes and speech therapy have done wonders. He even asks "Mummy.... Whhyyy?" after every request and I don't even mind. :)



3. I love that some of this baby weight is finally shaking off. Or at least dispersing to other parts of my body so that I can button my jeans.

4. I love that Haven's birthday is next month. He requested a robot theme. I'm trying to find someone to come over dressed as a robot and teach the kids the robot dance. I may or may not have to resort to Craiglist and wish for the best. Annyyy takers?!

5. I love that today is bonus day at work. Big money.. big money... no whammy... no whammy... Mama wants to have a field day at Tar-Jay!

6. I love that Chris has gotten up with Olive EVERY night since I stopped nursing. BEST. HUSBAND. EVER.



7. And who doesn't love a baby who just wakes up and smells like rainbows and milk?!



Happy Wednesday! What is everyone making for dinner tonight? I have some left over chili, so I think I'm making the boys some chili-mac.

Birth Control At It's Finest

Sunday nights at our house are pretty routine... I usually make a late lunch and we graze on it for dinner. I pack lunches and lay out clothes, while Chris gives the kids a bath. Haven watches a show, I wipe down the house... and then Chris and I check our cell phones every five minutes to see if it's 8pm yet.

And when at 8pm comes, we separate and are left with one of the children to be put to bed. The goal is to not fall asleep with them, so that we can actually lay on the couch in peace. TOGETHER... Without trying to maneuver the remote while keeping the bottle to your chin so that it doesn't come out of the baby's mouth, all while cradling her with the other hand at the same time. The other person is to keep our toddler from taking every liquid container out of the fridge, putting toys in the microwave, and from eating the dog's food. A daily dose of cardio, manipulation, and bribery.

So anyway... here we are.... chores are done... kids are bathed, and now we just must keep the peace for another half hour until bedtime.

The football game was on, so I set Haven up with a coloring book and {what I thought were washable} markers in the kitchen, while carrying Olive around the house hoping to shake out whatever air was in her belly that was making her so fussy. Where were you, gravity?

TWO MINUTES LATER.... Chris walks into THIS.



And the artist was very proud. He even left a few boogers on the wall for us. But don't worry, he ate them after I asked him what he did.



This is me. In all of my glory. At this moment I was probably thinking about which of my friends I could call to get a monthly supply of birth control pills from. Crushing them and stirring them in a smoothie sounded yummy.



When Chris is mad, he doesn't say anything. And any response that you do get, is just mumbles coming through his tight lips.



In the end.... toothpaste was the only thing that got the marker off of the butcher block bar. And 45 minutes of scrubbing.

Favorite Crockpot Meal

Please leave in the comments your favorite go-to crockpot meal recipe.

I threw dinner in the crockpot yesterday morning. Chicken tacos for Chris and Haven. It was a glorious feeling walking into a smell-good house and dinner ready.

I need that more often.

I have shows to watch. Blogs to read. A toddler who wants something to drink every 5 minutes. Oh, and my hair needs washed too.

So please help a girlfriend out. OK? :)

By the way... when I ran a spell-check on this... It kept wanting to change crockpot to crackpot. Someone please tell me what a crackpot is. Googling it at work doesn't seem like the brightest idea.

Another Tattoo Linkup!

Raven is having a tattoo linkup...




I've already posted about my nutty Bill Clinton tattoo, but if you would like to read about it then click HERE.

Back to Work

Six weeks flew by. I didn't win the lotto or find a sugar daddy, so I'm back. But I'm happy to be back. How could I not be? I work with my friends, I have a job.... and well, those are the only two reasons I can come up with right now. :)

My desk was decorated and we're having a potluck. Food and Christmas ornaments are my love languages.







But I can't wait to get home, snuggle my pumpkin pie, and catch up on my blogs.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

(My Son) Has a Dream...

Haven has a dream that this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of it's creed: MORE COOKIES.

Daycare, Pee, Snow, and Hotcakes

My First World Problems Rant of the Week... :)

My morning started about 2:30am today. Haven crawled into bed, kicked Chris to the couch, and then huddled his body as close to me as possible asking, "Mommy... Pinch??" {This means that he wants my elbow so that he can rub the extra skin on it until he falls asleep. Oh this isn't normal?}

So I enable his weirdo habit and let him pinch me until he dozes off.

About an hour later, I'm wet. Haven had an accident.

Ok, no big deal... I have some Woolite Oxy Clean. I throw down a towel {yes, I'm that mom} and pray that our chatter doesn't wake up Olive in the next room. I had the next feeding shift and I wanted to close my eyes without being mutilated by my toddler.

In what felt like 3 minutes later, I hear Olive hungry. Chris has to jump in the shower. Haven needs a bath. And I'll be dammed if it didn't snow a couple inches... Which means we have to hurry since the highway will be an artic zoo.

So Haven gets bathed, sheets get thrown in the washer, the boys leave, and I'm left with my little snuggle bug to feed in a quiet house.

I check the news and Facebook and everyone is going crazy over this snow. Chris called and said he saw cars sliding backwards down the hill by Haven's school. I guess there was a layer of black ice under the snow. Most schools canceled, but Chris had to work. He texted me when he made it and said 1/2 the faculty didn't show up.

So I'm watching tv and scrubbing my pissed engulfed mattress when my phone rings. It's Haven's daycare... He has had TWO accidents today. I'm thinking... What's wrong with my child....

I thought she was just going to tell me that they were going to put him in borrowed pants, so don't be alarmed when you pick him up and he looks like a unemployed 50 year old who lives in his moms basement...

No, that isn't what they said. They wanted me to bring him in some extra clothes.

I know that I don't have the pregnancy card to pull out, but I still have the infant one that I haven't been able to use very much.

And Jesse Palmer was co-hosting Live! with Kelly. But whatever. The weather was bad and I didn't want to leave with Olive.

So I look out my window, but I notice my neighbor, Veronica, is gone. She offered to babysit once {be careful what you offer}. With no other choice, I head out to the shaggin' wagon and warm it up. The ice scraper wasn't in the backseat... So what do I do? I scour the house for something until I came upon this.... The carpet attachment for my steam mop. It worked like a beauty.




I get Olive packed up, snow scraped, and head to the school. I walk in and I must have looked like a sight to see because she immediately asked me if I was okay. I've been reading Joel Osteen's "Every Day A Friday," so I was silently chanting to myself not to give away my power. I just chuckled through a cold smile and said, "these are for Haven."

Then I got out to the car, saw a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and did the Home Alone face. I wasn't wearing make up. And when I don't wear makeup, I look like Charlize Theron from Monster. And even that is giving myself too much credit.

Before the intersection to go back to my house, there is a McDonald's. And you know what they say... When in Rome....

Anyway, I pulled into my driveway, grab my sack of hotcakes, waddled like a penguin over to get Olive, and then headed in the house. As I was tip toeing up, I see the lady across the street shoveling her drive way. She must of thought that I was a real fatty for taking my newborn out on these roads just to get some McDonald's breakfast.



And now that I'm loaded it up on chemical carbs and sugar... I'm ready for a nap so that I can wake up and have a re-do of my day.

But the mattress is still wet.

Reality TV

Greetings blog friends of my wife. I hope the year 2012 is going well for you.

Growing up in the 80-90’s, the 2000’s still seem like a distant future. The fact that it’s 2012 is crazy to me. I thought the technology would be insane; flying cars, robot butlers, and tv’s in our eyelids.

But, the only thing that has really advanced is that there are more dipping sauces at McDonalds…which is almost as good. However, I’ll keep hope alive that any technological advances we get this year can help me become slightly lazier…when will the iPhone put cheese on things for me!

Also, the tv shows (which we have to still watch on TV’s) are getting significantly more terrible. Luckily the reality show fad is fading. I’ve jotted down some thoughts on the remaining few.

The Bachelor: It seems that shaving the Geico caveman was the best idea the network had for a new hunk.

The Bachelorette: Usually these women are so awful that they are only a few steps away from being on a VH1 show.

Survivor: People pretend that they don’t live in America.

Big Brother: The Real World, with some class.

Dancing with the Stars: Dancing with people who were kind of famous 20 years ago or related to someone kind of famous 20 years ago.

The Amazing Race: I’ll watch, but don’t try and teach me anything!

American Idol: Every annoying person you hated in high school gathers to do karaoke.

Biggest Loser: Never has a title been truer. KIDDING.

That being said, I like watching these shows for the same reasons that everyone else does…in hopes of seeing someone freak-out or get hurt.

Have a good 2012!

Happy Things

A new steam mop... reading Every Day A Friday... a sweet baby girl (who would like some Grey Poupon)... and some veggie tacos for lunch :)

Happy Tuesday!

(New Parenthood tonight- woot!)

Co-ed Nursery: Tough Challenge

I'm posting from my phone... I'm still looking for an iPad app for blogger that allows you to edit your HTML. I like to change the size of my images and do link-backs, but I'll live. #firstworldproblems

Like I've mentioned on here a few times, we sold our house earlier this spring and were sent on a hunt to find a leased house that we could move into immediately.

I knew I was pregnant when we committed to this house, but didn't know what we were having yet.

The other houses we liked wouldn't allow us to have our dog.. So it was either send Chauncey to live with the in laws or bunk two kids in the same room. My husband won that decision. ;-)

Anyway, here is the co-ed nursery. Haven has a finished playroom downstairs-- so no mommy guilt!

To keep things neutral, I went with an ABC theme and bright colors.

Betty Lou: One Month

Today I take Olive for her one month check up. Thank you for all of your comments about my nursing guilt; I'm feeling pretty fearless today. :)

This whole month has flown by. A funeral, some colds, Christmas, New Years, and bam here we are!

Olive is such an easy baby. Very calm. She enjoys falling asleep on her tummy while laying on one of us... and she also enjoys a warm, little bath at night. Her hair is curly unless we comb it while it's wet.



We have been bringing her crib out into the dining room so that we can watch her sleep. She wakes up twice in the night, midnight and 4am, but has been falling back to sleep pretty easy.





Haven loves his "baby." :)



Since we didn't get a family photo on Christmas, I tried to re-create one on New Years. It was bed time and we were all pretty worn out, but I love it.



Happy Friday, friends! :)