Some Days are Just LikeThat

When you get stuck at work way later than you planned on and when you do finally get home you just want to play with your little boy.  But he's having an off day and is fussy and nothing seems to comfort him.  Then your heart feels guilty because you're annoyed with him for not being his sweet usual self.  When you failed to plan a healthy dinner and just end up eating chips and salsa instead, some days are just like that.  When your house never seems to be picked up and the laundry never seems to end, some days are just like that.  

I had one of these days today, and I just have to remind myself, some days are just like that.  Not every day is going to be great or even good.  Some days are going to be plain bad.  But that's life, it's hard and messy yet so amazing at the same time.      

10 Months

Evan is 10 months old today.  I know every parent says this, but time truly does fly.  It’s amazing to see how much he’s changed these past 10 months.  The biggest change is that he’s now mobile and boy does he know it.  He’s figured out that crawling gets him anywhere he wants to be.  Between E and Josie there’s always somebody following me around.  I now understand when parents say they can’t even go to the bathroom in peace!  I either let E come in with me or he’ll be waiting right outside, standing and pounding against the door.  I've determined that my child is fearless and I’m preparing myself for many ER visits in the future.  Between diving headfirst off furniture, climbing onto everything and thinking he can walk (he can’t), I’m surprised (and thankful) we haven’t been to the ER yet.

Head first off the couch...must hang on at all times!

I've also resorted to changing diapers on the floor instead of using the changing table.  It’s less risk of a fall with all the wiggling he does.  I consider diaper changing and putting on clothes my exercise for the day because by the time I’m done, I've worked up a sweat.  You've got to get him pinned down before he can do a flip.  A toy for distraction sometimes works but if you don’t take control fast you’ll end up changing a diaper upside down or while he’s standing up.  There are many times none of these things work and he just ends up in the bathtub and I have extra laundry to do. 

Looking for a good read.

At 10 months, E has become much more independent and as Mike says “a real boy”.  I think what Mike means is that E’s not so much a baby anymore.  E can feed himself now which makes mealtime a lot easier.  It's fun to watch him play, he likes to transfer blocks from one container to another one by one.  E also loves books which makes me so happy!  He loves to be read to and flip through books himself.  

These past 10 months may have flown by but I'm doing my best to enjoy every minute.  I am so grateful for this little man entering my life.  Evan, you are a special one and I love you very much!

Happy 10 Months my Little Man!  

     

    

  

Monday Funday

Mike was in Vegas this weekend for one of his best friend's bachelor party.  Mike hadn't been away overnight from Evan since he was 3 weeks old.  I asked Mike how it was being away from Evan.  He said it was harder than he thought it was going to be and he missed E terribly.  Mike said he thought about him a lot and looking at pictures of E on his phone made it harder.  He still had fun with his friends but it was different this time. When you're used to having a little buddy attached to you 24/7 it's hard when he isn't there.

While Mike was away, my mom came up Thursday night so she could watch Evan on Friday since I had to work.  She stayed through Monday morning and it was so nice to have her here!  With a busy almost 10 month old, the extra pair of hands was nice to have but I also love to spend time with my mom.

That extra pair of hands was nice to have at dinner time.

On Saturday E, Mom, and I went shopping and out to lunch.  Saturday afternoon I don't know what we did because I slept for 2 hours!  I can't remember the last time I took that long of a nap.  Needless to say, Saturday was very relaxing.  Sunday was another relaxing day spent playing with E, cooking, and going out to lunch.  I also met up with a friend for coffee in the afternoon.

Mike came home on Monday and it was good to have him back. Our family is complete now and I know E missed his Daddy.

Getting caught up on stories.

No Mike = No Coffee

I consider myself comfortable and confident in the kitchen.  In fact, I would even describe myself as a good cook.  But there is one thing I just can't seem to get the hang of, making coffee.  It seems so simple, but whenever I try to make coffee it comes out looking like mud or light brown water.  Mike is the designated coffee maker in our house.  The coffee pot always gets the best of me.  

Mike is out of town this weekend so coffee on Saturday morning was up to me. I tried to follow the instructions he's given me numerous times. I measured my water out correctly, I counted out my scoops of coffee and turned the coffee pot on.  So far so good.  The sounds were normal, the smell smelled like delicious coffee brewing.  When it was done,  I poured myself a cup and added my splash of half and half and took my first sip.  It was bitter mud.


I'm one of those people who needs coffee in the morning.  It's not just that I need the caffeine, I genuinely enjoy the taste of coffee.  There's also something about the act of drinking coffee, holding that warm cup and sipping the deliciousness.  My day is just not complete without it.

Thank goodness Starbucks is right down the road and they have a drive-thru so I can just jump in the car and go.  And thank goodness Mike is home tomorrow. I'm excited to see him but I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty excited to wake up and have my coffee waiting for me.    

Baked Oatmeal Muffins and Buffalo Chicken Soup

I love trying new recipes and Pinterest is a great place to find them.  Here are two that I tried over the weekend.

I was looking for an alternative weekday breakfast. I used to eat a Cliff bar or LUNA bar for breakfast on my way to work.  I leave my house at 4:30 a.m. so I need something quick and easy. When I took a deeper look at the label, I realized the bars weren't as nutritious as I orginally thought. I found this baked oatmeal muffin recipe and I think I have a winner. They're filling and I can control the ingredients that go in them.  I left out the flax seed because I didn't have any and I left out the banana because I didn't have one ripe enough. I used natural honey as the sweetener and I added raisins and 5 chocolate chips (yes I counted out 5 for each muffin) for toppings. The recipe gave me 24 muffins. These muffins don't rise, so I filled the muffin tins to the rim.

Next time I make the muffins I’m going to mix the toppings into the batter. I found the raisins got a little crispy for my liking. I’m also thinking I could add some pumpkin, fruit, shredded carrots or anything else to add more nutrients. Mike approved of this recipe so I will defiantly be making them again next weekend.

 Link to Baked Oatmeal Muffin recipe

http://pinterest.com/pin/406309197601911653/

The next recipe I tried was a Buffalo Chicken Soup.  I love buffalo wings so I thought why not?  This is not a healthy recipe but it’s good for a splurge.  I used rotisserie chicken from the grocery store because I was feeling lazy.  I recommend adding the cheese mixture to the soup very slowly and whisking briskly to make sure it melts.  I added more hot sauce to my individual bowl and ate it with celery sticks.  I don’t think this recipe will be a staple in our house but it will be perfect for those times when I’m in a cooking rut and need something different.

Link to Buffalo Chicken Soup

 http://pinterest.com/pin/406309197601910625/

Monday Funday

In our house we have Monday Funday instead of Sunday Funday.  I work Tuesday-Friday so Monday is the end to our Weekend.  This week I covered for someone at work and worked on Saturday.  I forgot how short two day weekends really are, we had to cram a lot into two days!

Sunday was St. Patrick's Day.  It used to be one of my favorite holidays.  A day that encourages daytime drinking and lots of celebration.  What's not to love?  So many fond memories!  I still enjoy the idea of the holiday, I just don't celebrate it like I used to.  This year, my boys and I went out for lunch and had some traditional corned beef and cabbage.  I did enjoy a green beer as well :-)

St. Patrick's Day 2007

St. Patrick's Day 2013  

After lunch, we went to the mall and E played in the kids play area.  He's a little young for it but he did enjoy the mini slide with Mom and Dad's help.

Monday was the usual, chores and errands.  We also attend an Early Childhood Family Education class (ECFE) on Monday afternoons.  It gives Evan a chance to interact with other babies which is good since he doesn't go to daycare.  Personally, it's way too many kids for me, but Evan seems to enjoy so I do it for him.

On Mondays I try to get as much cooking done for the week as I can.  Tonight I'm trying a Buffalo Chicken Soup recipe I found on Pinterest.  I'll let you know how it turns out.  I also cooked some ground turkey up to use in taco salads and have with pasta later in the week.  I'm going to try another Pinterest recipe, Baked Oatmeal Muffins.  I plan to eat these for breakfast on my way to work.  I'll let you know what I think.

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  Happy Monday Funday!

What Happened to My House?

I suffer from OCS, Only Child Syndrome.  It's a real thing, I've never actually researched it, but I'm pretty sure it is.  Because of my OCS, I don't handle it well when things don't go my way.  Right now, I'm struggling with the state my house is in.  E is into everything, crawls everywhere, and climbs on anything (including people so make sure you hold on to your pants, he's been known to pull them down). I've had to completely change the decor and organization of my home.  Here are a few examples...

No coffee table in front of the couch.  Now where do I put my feet up and drink my coffee?

I now have to bend over to get a towel because the cleaning supplies I had on the lower shelf had to be moved.

If  I want a snack, I need to get a running start and hurdle just to get into the kitchen.

Needless to say, my OCS has really kicked in because my house has been turned upside down.  But when I see this..

I really don't care what my house looks like after all.   

Reflecting on Maternity Leave

Tonight my neighbor stopped over to drop off a stroller they don't want anymore. She's pregnant with her second child and is getting a double stroller to use. She's due in 4 weeks and we were talking about how her maternity leave will be different now with 2 kids. It got me thinking about my maternity leave and how much I loved it.

I remembered being so emotional that last day of maternity leave. I felt sad; sad that time was no longer a luxury.  I loved the feeling that I had nothing to do but be with Evan. In the early days, we would have our nest on the couch, just E and me.  We would have blankets and our boppy, my big jug of water, and the remote.  We would read some books watch our shows and sleep.  I would sit for hours with E sleeping on my chest. I was so nervous to take him out by myself. We’d had a few outings when Grandma was here but other than that when it was just E and me, we would go for short walks around the neighborhood to get out of the house and that was pretty much it.

As I gained more confidence in myself as a mom, I would pack E up along with a full diaper bag and we’d head to Target and look at baby clothes and get a Starbucks.  Soon, I felt like, “Hey, I’ve got this.” and our outings were more frequent and longer.  We spent many of our days hitting up Starbucks or Panera and then walking in the park.  I would bring my book and read while Evan snoozed in his stroller.  

I loved my maternity leave. Yes, the first 4 weeks were difficult but then after I stopped trying to nurse, things just clicked. I remember waking up one day shortly after I decided to stop nursing and just felt this amazing love for him.  From that moment I didn't want to leave E at all.  I loved holding him and as he grew I loved watching him start to play more and more.  The best is getting him to smile and laugh.  I could do that all day.  

I know the reality is that I have to work, especially now that we've made the decision Mike will be a stay at home Dad. But there are times when I would love to go back to those glorious 3 months. They were such a special time in my life.    

Summer Bucket List

It was light out at 7pm today!  I don't mind losing an hour of sleep if it means we are this much closer to spring and summer.  My family is going stir crazy and can't wait to get outside.  I had the window open the other day just for some fresh air in the house.

While Mike and I were at brunch on Sunday we were talking about how in Minnesota, we only get 3-4 months of really nice weather and before we know it, we'll be back to snow.  We decided to be prepared and make a Summer Bucket List so we can take advantage of the short but beautiful Minnesota summer.

Here's what we have so far.  As we cross things off the list, we'll be sure to add more:-)

Our inspiration for the Summer Bucket List

E will be running around this year!

1.Visit Como Zoo
2. Splash Pad in St. Louis Park
3. Roast marshmallows in our backyard
4. Sit in the driveway and drink a beer
5. Grill as much as possible
6. Plant a tomato and pepper plant
7. Grow fresh cilantro
8. Drink morning coffee on our patio
9. Walk to Caribou with E and Josie for morning coffee
10. Take Evan to one of Minnesota's many lakes
11. Visit Itasca State Park
12. Go Fishing
13. Go to the Farmer's Market as much as possible
14. Golf
15. Eat at Sea Salt
16. Adele's for frozen custard
17. Take E to a playground
18. Take E to a parade
19. Pull E with the bike
20. IA or MN State Fair

I'm Starting a Blog!

Why I wanted to start blogging.

I wanted to start this blog mostly for myself.  I wanted a way to document this most wonderful time in my life. I also thought blogging would be good for me in a therapeutic sort of way.  I thought about starting a journal but I’m not really a journal person, whatever that means, but I’m just not.  Blogging just seemed better.  Plus there are things that I want to share with my family and friends.  Whether they're interested or not, who knows but it will be out there if they are.  I know at least Shar (my mother) will read.

I also love reading blogs, not just mommy blogs but all kinds of blogs.  And I always have something to say and am not shy about sharing my opinion.  What a better opportunity to express my thoughts and ideas than a blog.  So that’s it, that’s why I started this blog.  Thanks for reading!!