The Big Move

First of all, I apologize for not posting yesterday but my entire day was unpredictible. A freak snow storm caused all of the surrounding counties to cancel school yesterday. Since Royal Learners follows the Fayette County school closings due to bad weather, my munchkins had to stay home yesterday. Not too big of a deal, except when I went to turn on the TV in our living room, it wouldn't turn on. So I was stranded at home with 3 children, all of us in some stage of an illness, without a TV and the weather too cold to allow us some fresh air time. I tried to get to the computer...trust me I tried. Then last night once relief came (in the form of daddy), we packed up and went TV shopping.

So here I am, ready to end the suspense.....

Click HERE.

We're Moving

I don't want to give too much away so all I'll say is "We're Moving!". Look for more details on Monday, March 2nd.

Have a great weekend!!!

Our Babies

I know it's been a while since I posted any pictures of our babies. There's a reason for that....I have ZERO free time while at home. The second I make my way to the computer, the boys insist on knowing what I'm doing, want to sit on my lap, want to "help" edit the pictures...etc. So instead of pumping right now, I'm editing/posting pictures. The girls may be in some serious pain right now, but at least I finally posted some pictures of Ayden, Jameson and Ava!!

Saving Some Money

We have two wonderful fur babies that we absolutely adore. Bonnie and Clyde are very spoiled with their large fenced in back yard. Both my mom and I use a pet sitter who comes to our home daily to let the poopers out while we're at work. David makes a womping $280 per month ($70/week) just to let our dogs out to pee. It's ridiculous!

Jason and I have tossing the idea of a doggy door for some time now. I didn't like the idea of having a hole in our door or wall though. I was also worried about bugs, rain, losing heat/air conditioning, having animals other than our dogs get into our house and other safety issues. After spending a lot of time researching doggie doors, we think we have found the best there is to offer. This bad boy is meant for the frigid temps of the frozen tundra (aka Wisconsin) and has dual flaps to keep the bugs and bad weather out. The best part?? There is a doggie door that just left La Crosse WI and is headed our way via UPS. Our very own Max Seal Wall Mount Pet Door is scheduled to arrive this Thursday!

As much as I love David, it's going to be nice to save that $70 every week!

Looking For A Change?

Are you disatisfied with the template designs that Blogger provides for you? Then check out this website for some premade designs that totally rock!

I think this one is my favorite so keep your grubby paws off!

Life Is Good

Last night after the boys were both tucked in, I stood at the kitchen sink washing bottles while Jason snuggled with Ava on the couch.

Jason: You know what?

Me: What?

Jason: I'm really happy we had one more.

Me: Good! Because I was seriously starting to consider putting her back where she came from.

In all honesty, Jason's statement that he's "happy" we had one more baby brings me so much joy. This is the man that was absolutely adamant that we not have any more children. The same man that took about 4 months before he could accept the fact that we had managed to get ourselves pregnant again. This is also the same man who almost fell over when I told him we were having a girl. Now he's a man who has fallen madly in love with a baby girl named Ava.

Life Is Good

Career Change????

Sorry for another post today, but look what I just stumbled across! If I didn't have to worry about a stable, well paying job with benefits; I'd go for it!

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/fbh/1036656364.html

Inspiration Wednesday

I just love this painting from Pottery Barn Kids. For some reason it makes me think of the row houses in Chicago. Before moving back to Wisconsin, it was a dream of mine to become a CPA and own a row house in Old Town.

I want this print! It puts a smile on my face every time I read it. Check out Studio Mela's Etsy's Shop here!
Some of my absolute favorite scrapbook supplies come from American Crafts. I just love, love, love everything they come out with. One of the new releases from CHA is their Craft Fair line. Another must have!
I simply adore Elizabeth Kartchner and follow her blog daily. She writes a lovely column for CK Magazine and her scrapping style is perfection. I love this layout she did and will probably lift it some day in the near future.
I love family pictures...especially when displayed in black frames in unique ways. I love the use of shelves, monograms and writing in this display. I may have to do something similar in our hallway.



See you next week for more inspiration!

I'm an overproducer

When I first started to nurse Ayden, I had a problem producing enough milk. After working with two very awesome lactation consultants at Theda Clark, I started to take herbal supplements to increase my supply. Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle are both known to stimulate milk production and they did the trick for me.

Now, 4 1/2 years later, I seem to be having the exact opposite problem. I am making way too much milk. On an average day I pump 72 ounces (18 ounces, 4 times a day) and sweet baby Ava only drinks 24-28 ounces. I'm freezing a lot of breastmilk. Actually, I now have about 600 bags of frozen breastmilk and I'm running out of room. Not only am I having storage issues, but I'm constantly in a state of discomfort. My goal is to pump only 24 ounces per day, but at this point I'm not against quiting altogether. It's not like I don't have a 4 month supply sitting in the freezer!

So after some research and okaying it with the lactation consultants at Piedmont, I'm going to start by drinking 3-6 cups of peppermint tea every day (this shows I'm desperate because I don't like tea). If the tea doesn't do the trick, they've also recommended trying sage capsules and antihistamines (Benadryl). I'll let you know how it goes

Sorry for getting so personal, but it's been something I've needed to get off my chest...ha ha ha. Get it? I crack myself up!

Update: After telling my boss about my game plan, she pulled out an entire box of organic peppermint tea from her drawer! I'm on my first cup of tea and I have to admit that it's not horrible tasting. Hopefully it works...

Cupcakes Galore

I love cupcakes. I love to bake them, decorate them and eat them...even just look at them. I really wanted to bake some cupcakes for Valentine's Day this year, but unfortunately we didn't get around to it. So for this week's Inspiration Wednesday (2 days late but who's counting) it's all about the cupcake!

Check out this book for fabulous recipes and decorating tips for cookies, cakes and cupcakes. You can also cruise their website for an abundance of eye candy:)

Robeez may cost a fortune but aren't they totally adorable???
What little girl's wardrobe is complete without a cupcake dress??? Check out Coco Bonbon's website. They're a tad on the pricey side, but they've got great sales!Do you think people would make fun of me if I were to walk around with this adorable cupcake umbrella? And last but not least, some Valentine's Day love via cupcakes. They look too good to eat!Hopefully this inspires you to dust off your KitchenAid mixer and whip up a yummy batch of cupcakes this weekend!

Busy Little Bee

It's been busy, busy, busy lately! Between doctor appointments, behavioral therapy, Valentine's Day parties, birthday parties and work there hasn't been a lot of down time. I haven't downloaded pictures since....okay, so I can't remember the last time I had time to download/edit pictures.

So this post is to say sorry to my blog readers (all 2 of you). I hope to find some time tomorrow for a proper post.

XOXO

Lots of good things to look forward to

1. Warm weather! It's supposed to be in the upper 60's all weekend so we'll finally be able to get outside and do some yard work. I desperately need to go through the outside toys and get rid of a bunch of stuff.

2. Double header birthday parties. Tomorrow is Caitlin's party at one those inflatable jumpy places. They didn't have quite the response they'd been hoping for so Jameson is being allowed to tag along. Sunday is Maddie's indoor pool party at the Peachtree Dive Center. This is where Ayden takes his swim lessons so he should be more than comfortable in the water.

3. Ayden starts Level 1 swim lessons in March. He did fabulous in PreLevel 2 when daddy took him in December. I love watching his progress!

4. Soccer, soccer and more soccer. The instructor for Soccer Shots (program offered at RL) told me after the spring session that Ayden shows true talent. She advised that we get him involved the Tyrone Rec Dept's soccer league so Ayden is now registered for the Smart Soccer (designed for 3-4 year olds) program that begins 4/18. He'll have practice/games ever Tuesday and Saturday for 5 weeks. I'm not sure who's more excited...Ayden, me or Mimi! If he does well, he can join the 5 year old league in the fall.

5. The first annual Diva's Scrap Retreat. Two full days (5/2-5/3) of scrapping, eating, drinking and laughing with 4 of my favorite women is definitely something to get excited about. Each one of us will be teaching a class and I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.

6. As usual, I always look forward to my children's birthdays. Jameson will be 3 in May, Ayden will be 5 in August and sweet baby Ava turns 1 in November.

6. It's a long ways away, but I'm seriously looking forward to Christmas this year for 2 main reasons. It will be Ava's first Christmas (I don't count last year since she was only a month old) and we'll be celebrating in Orlando. Yes, we're making another family trip to Disney with Mimi and Bumpa. It sort of breaks my rule about being away from home for Christmas, but I think we can make an exception for Mickey Mouse!

Do you have anything that you're looking forward to in 2009?

Inspiration Wednesday...a day late

I had so much fun last week cruising around checking out some of the fabulous eye candy out there! Besides, roaming from site to site is about all I can actually do while spending 30 minutes (twice a day) pumping in my office. So here's what I've found today....

I simply love these prints. Yes, I can buy them for $25, but I'd much rather make them myself. I'll include the link though because I'll probably end up not making anything due to lack of free time and I want to remember where the heck I saw them.

How flippin awesome is this? Anything that has to do with preserving my children's lives just gives me tingles. I still remember how excited I would be every time I lost another tooth!

I don't understand my fascination with mobiles lately, but this one is also calling out my name. You can buy it here from Pottery Barn Kids (it's even on sale!), but I'd love to find a way to make it on my own.

I'm thinking about participating in this in April.

My mom and Chere made these two projects while attending the Ultimate Scrapbook Cruise in January. Karen Russel is selling them on her blog...I may have to whip out the credit card for this one.

I absolutely love this phrase....can't remember where I read it though. "Champagne and orange juice go together like a lens cap and camera". It must of been on some photographer's website. Thinking about taking pictures while sipping mimosas make me happy.

Thinking about "going green" but dislike the reusable bags for sale at Publix and Target? Take a look at these cuties! At $29.95 (for a set of 3), they're pretty reasonable! Okay, that's probably enough for one day. Well, I'm sorta done pumping too. More eye candy will be available next Wednesday.

Keepin' It Real

12:30am - Pump
3:30am - Ava wakes up for a bottle
4:30am - After more snuggle time than normally necessary, Ava goes back to bed and I pump
5:00am - Hop in shower. Okay, so I didn't exactly hop...it was more of a crawl
6:00am - Pack up bottles, wipes and change of clothes for Ava, breast pump for me and backpacks for the boys
6:30am - Wake up boys with a sippy of juice and Flinstone gummy vitamin. With minimal amount of screaming from Jameson, both boys get dressed and brush their teeth
7:00am - Get the boys shoes and coats on (it was only 16 degrees out this morning!) and shove them out the door to get in the truck
7:10am - Ava is up, diaper changed, dressed and in her carseat
7:30am - All kids are dropped off at Royal Learners and I'm on my way to work
8:00am - Pull into parking lot and make my way across the park
8:30am - Pump
12:00pm - Freeze my ass off while walking across the street to work out
1:00pm - Freeze my ass off while walking back across the street
1:15pm - Pump (note to self - pump before working out)
3:00pm - Realize I'm totally exhausted and decide to take a break to blog

What's in store for the evening?

Pick up kids, go home to pump and make dinner, give all 3 kids a bath, practice alphabet flashcards with Ayden, get boys in bed by 7:30, clean up the kitchen, do a few loads of laundry, awe heck...let's pump again, give Ava a bottle and snuggle, wash bottles and finally pour myself into bed.

Just keepin' it real

Inspiration Wednesday

Wow. It seems like I have been surrounded by yummy visual goodness this entire week (yes, I realize it's only Wednesday) and I just have to share some of my favorites!

• I think I heard the angels singing when I saw this! I'd love to do something similar for Ava's room.

• Calling all moms and Mimis! Have you seen this website?


• When I see this apron, it makes me want to whip up a yummy batch of brownies. I must have it! Check out the website here.


• I still think that I want to take this class. It's self-paced via an instant download and only costs $12. What a bargain!


• I love, love, love this necklace. You can buy the supplies and get the directions on how to make it from this website. The final cost is only $15...who can pass that up??? I love the idea of making some of my own jewelry so this website will definitely come in handy!!


• This photo makes me want to organize my scrap area. It's a total mess right now and not from scrapping. This is the "dumping" place. Don't know where to put something??? Oh, just "dump" it over in my scrap area!

Have you seen any great visual inspirtion lately?

Embracing My Life

Always

leave enough

room

in your

life

to do something

that makes you

happy,

satisfied

or even joyous.

-Paul Hawken

I love this quote! It reminds me that even though I enjoy spending time with my family, a little "me time" is also necessary to keep the balance. I think that a trip to the park with the boys on Saturday and some quality scrapping time and possible photo shoot of Ava on Sunday would definitely make me feel happy, satisfied and joyous!

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

6 Random Things

I've been tagged by Debra (my mom) at Georgia Rectors with a meme.

Here are the rules:

Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Write six random things about yourself.
Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
Let each person know that they were been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
Let the tagger know when your entry is up.


Okay, here it goes...

1. I simply can not function without a routine. I need to know where I'm supposed to be and what I'm supposed to be doing at all times. Without my routine, nothing will get done. I swear it's like my brain just shuts down.

2. Jason was the first and only guy I dated after moving back to Wisconsin in 2000. We met at my cousin's birthday party an entire month before I moved from Chicago. The day of my big move he called to ask me out and we were together only 4 months before he proposed. This year will be our 8th wedding anniversary!

3. I can pick up almost anything with my toes and I can roll my tongue but I can't wink.

4. I'm a list maker. I make lists for just about everything. I even have lists to manage my lists. I know...pathetic!

5. I would love, love, love to own a beach house. Maybe when we win the lottery....

6. If I could have plastic surgery on one part of my body, I'd choose my breasts. Nursing/pumping for three children has definitely taken it's toll on the girls. I just want them put back where they belong...is that too much to ask for???

Here's where I now have a problem. My mom tagged almost everyone I know who has a blog, so I'm only tagging my sister.

Kelly at Half Dozen

My 2009 Word

Do you remember this post from last year? All I can say is that I failed...big time. I did absolutely nothing to simplify my life in '08. In fact, a lot of things happened that only complicated it more!

1. Pregnancy (which turned out to be a totally awesome thing, but being pregnant isn't always easy)
2. Jameson's behavior/speech problems
3. Moving Jameson to Royal Learners (which also turned out to be a totally awesome thing, but the transition was killer)
4. Getting Ayden used to wearing glasses
5. Studying for and taking the CPP exam...sure am glad that's over!

There's so much more but I won't continue to bore you.

So when we rang in the new year, I thought I would give up on having a "word" for 2009. Why add more pressure to my life? But then I realized that even though I failed at simplifying my life, I wouldn't trade it for the world. And then I knew what my 2009 "word" just had to be....

Embrace

I'm going to embrace my life instead of trying to change it. Every person goes through struggles in life. When I think about what some of the people in this country are facing right now, I realize I need to embrace all of the positive things in my life.

1. My family - I love my husband and he loves me. He's a fantastic provider, husband, father and friend. I have three beautiful children who keep me entertained 24/7. They drive me nuts, they make me laugh and they can bring tears to my eyes with just one sweet hug and kiss.
2. My job - I'm employed by a wonderful organization and in these times of economic turmoil I am grateful for even receiving a paycheck.
3. My health - I have Lupus but fortunately it does not control my life and I know that it could be so much worse. My doctor loves to inform me that I'm one of the lucky ones.
4. My friends - I may not have a ton of friends but I believe in quality not quantity. The friends that I have are loyal, honest and devoted. If I ever truly needed anything, they would all be there for me...even the Wisconsinites.

I will continue to experience both ups and downs...that's just a part of life. In 2009 I want to embrace both the good and the bad. In the end, the challenges make me a better person and the joys make it all worthwhile. So if you see me complain too much this year, be sure to remind me of my '09 word!!

What about the rest of you? Did you have a "word" for 2008? Did you succeed, fail or end up somewhere in between? Has anyone chosen a word for 2009?

I miss her

Today is Ava's first day in the nursery at Royal Learners. I don't actually go back to work until tomorrow, but I thought it would be nice to have a "me" day. Now that she's actually gone, all I want to do is go get my baby. I miss her so much! I guess that it's better I'm doing this today instead of tomorrow though. Bawling my eyes out at work is much more embarrassing than bawling my eyes out at home.

So what am I going to do with all of my free time today (sniff, sniff, sniff)? I just took a uninterrupted shower. In 15 minutes I'm going to pump without one of my precious babies needing something from me. Then I'm heading down to Newnan. I have to stop off at Ulta, Old Navy and Kohls. I won't have to lug in a stroller/carseat combo or a diaper bag. I also won't be searching for the boys underneath one of the numerous clothing racks. I'll have lunch with my mom and then return home to pump again. I plan on spending the rest of my afternoon cleaning the house.

Who am I kidding? It took me almost an hour to type this post because I keep staring at the clock...is it time to pick up Ava yet???

All of these were taken last week...our baby girl was 7 weeks old on Friday!

Current Stuff

1. I've got 5 dogs in my house right now and 1 pile of crap. I have no idea who to yell at.
2. Jason is working out of town. 5 dogs + 3 kids - Jason = crazy house
3. I miss my parents. I can't wait until they get back from their cruise on Saturday!
4. I'm not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. At least Ava is coming with me.
5. I got rid of half of the toys in the boys' room yesterday. Their room no longer looks like a miniature Toys R Us.
6. I have to count out 100 peanut M&M's to celebrate Ayden's 100th day of school tomorrow. I swear that his teacher comes up with this stuff to make life more difficult for us parents.
7. I love finding people on Facebook. I just reunited with an old friend from elementary school tonight!
8. I still smell dog crap. There must be more somewhere in this house...
9. I hope my Lupus tests come back with good news and it's just my arthritis acting up right now.
10. Ava is still wearing newborn clothes. I can't wait until she's finally into her 0-3 months stuff!

The one who started it all

After Jason and I got married in 2001, we wanted to start a family right away. We tried to get pregnant for 2 years and ended up thinking that something may be wrong with one or both of us. Then the unexpected happened. My lupus had been in remission for 9 years and out of the blue I was in a full blown flare. My specialist advised us to not get pregnant during a flare but Jason and I were not concerned...we had been trying to get pregnant for some time now without success so there was no way I was going to turn up pregnant now. Ayden - 6 months
Ayden - 1 year

I went in for my routine "girlie exam" right after Christmas in 2003. Because I couldn't recall when my last period was (they were always a little on again-off again), they made me take a pregnancy test. I remember thinking it was such a waste of time and was actually annoyed at my doctor. Imagine my surprise when she walked in the door to tell me that I was pregnant! I almost fell off the exam table!! All through out my pregnancy, my Lupus continued to improve despite my specialist predicting worse case scenario. I never experienced morning sickness or any other typical pregnancy problems. If it weren't for my expanding belly, I would never have known that I was pregnant. Ayden - 2 years

Ayden - 3 years

On August 18th, 2004 I gave birth to Ayden Steven. He was beautiful and we were so excited to finally be parents. It was an easy delivery and Ayden proved to be a very easy baby. We have been through many stages with Ayden and with each one I'm convinced it's the end of the world. We were doomed to never make it through the biting stage and I would cry my eyes out at work because I was convinced that nothing could be worse. Surprisingly, we were on to a new stage about 1 month later and then that became the worse thing ever. When I look back at it all, he may go through the typical stages of childhood but they're short lived and easy to get through.

Ayden - 4 years

Right now Ayden is in the Pre-K program at Royal Learners and is doing fantastic. He participates in the karate, soccer and playball programs as well. He loves it...all of it! He loves to learn and I get so excited every night to hear about what they're working on. Ayden is our squishy little 4 year old. He's super sensitive and can easily get his feelings hurt simply by having mommy or daddy upset with him. I love that he still has his baby fat. I love that he lets me kiss him as much as I want. I love that he is such a chatter box. I love that his imagination seems to constantly be working at high speed. I love that he can be so loving and such a helpful brother. Ayden is a such a wonderful little boy and I enjoy being his mommy every day. Ayden - Thanksgiving 2008

Our Middle Child

I think since Jameson was born he just knew that he would someday be a middle child. At least that would explain most of his behavior issues. We were all very concerned about how Jameson would handle having another baby in the family. I had nightmares of him poking Ava in the eyes, dragging her across the floor by her legs, pushing her off the couch and hitting her in an attempt to gain access to my lap. Jason and I were both prepared for the worse. I like to remind everyone that since joining Ayden at Royal Learners, we have seen some major improvements in Jameson. He has been sleeping in his own bed for quite some time now without complaint. He is starting to show more remorse when he does something wrong...especially if it causes pain (hitting, kicking...etc.). We still struggle in the mornings with drop offs at school, but he quickly gets over being upset and snuggles up to Ms Heather all day.

This week is huge for us. We're starting the potty training process again. We had started potty training while at Marguerite's but it came to an abrupt halt when we moved to RL. Monday was horrible. He had temper tantrums every time he was put on the potty and he had accident after accident until he was out of clean clothes some time around noon. Heather and I were completely discouraged, but decided to keep up the fight. Amazingly, Jameson was accident free on Tuesday and wasn't bothered at all when Ms Heather took him to the potty every 20 minutes. Wednesday went even better because instead of being told to go potty, he voluntarily used the toilet when he had to go and again was accident free.

This morning Jameson surprised me yet again. I was trying to get the boys ready for school while baby Ava rested on the couch. After kicking her legs around for a good 10 minutes, she was bored and started to get fussy. I was getting Ayden's shoes on and looked over to find Jameson stroking Ava's tummy in a loving way and "talking" to her with a soft voice. I praised Jameson for being such a good brother and he simply turned around, gave me a beaming smile and went back to loving on his sister. Because of him, Ava calmed down and gave me the time I needed to finish up with Ayden. My heart just about burst with all the love and pride I felt at that moment.

Despite being a middle child, I think Jameson is handling himself very well. He's still a typical two year old with lots of attitude and spunk but I think that's what makes him so much fun. One minute he'll chastise me for helping him with his dinner and the next he's snuggled up on my lap while sucking his thumb. I still love to crawl into bed with him in the morning because he lets me wrap my arms around him and give as many kisses as I want. But when snuggle time is over, he's back to tearing up the house in typical Jameson style. We love him for his sweetness, his sassiness and his unpredictability. He keeps us on our toes and we're constantly wondering what he'll get into next.

We love you little man!

What we do all day

After waking up, Ava gets her diaper changed. She poops a lot! Ava loves to be swaddled. If she goes to bed without being swaddled, she just doesn't sleep very well.

After being swaddled, it's time for a yummy bottle. Ava drinks anywhere from 4-6 ounces. After every 2 ounces she'll spit her bottle out which is how we know that she's ready for a burp.

She's exhausted after her breakfast and is ready for nap #1. She'll sleep for about 3-4 hours and we'll repeat the process all over again.What do I do after putting Ava down in her crib? I pump! It became very painful to both pump and nurse Ava after she was released from the NICU. I was producing waaaay more than she was consuming so I kept getting clogged up. After many frustrating weeks of trying to do both, I decided to stick to pumping and bottle feeding. Below you see 12 ounces of breast milk that I pumped out this morning...I'm a total overproducer!So what do we do with all of the extra milk? We freeze it. Unfortunately, we're running out of space. This is one of the bins of the freezer inside the house. It's packed.

So is the top shelf.So is the freezer in the garage!It's a good thing that we also have a chest freezer. Jason just threw away everything last night and gave it a good cleaning with bleach water. Now I have plenty of room for more frozen breast milk.

How much have we stored up so far? We have over 200 bags of frozen breast milk with approximately 6 ounces in each bag. I'm starting to feel like a cow!

So now you know how we spend our day...eating, pooping, sleeping and pumping!