Time in a Bottle

Did you ever wish that you could actually do that?? Put time in a bottle?? I do! And I know exactly what I would do when I figured out how... I would bottle it up... create a flashy label and a cute catchy jingle... then I would mass market it with a target to stay at home moms... I seriously think I would be rich in a matter of days.

But now... really... come on... I can't do that! So instead I take pictures... Aren't they the best thing to make memories with??

I can't believe that Emma turned two... I can't believe that two years ago I went through three days of labor and then two and half hours of pushing before she graced us with her presence... and while those two years have gone by so fast I have so many memories.

Emma has come so far in the last few months. She is talking in four word sentences... I can't wait to see what she comes up with next! Every day she amazes me with the things that she can do and what she says.

She LOVES to play with her dolls and pretend that she is a mommy. It is so cute to see her put the babies in Josiah's swing and then turn it on... And then when that gets old she feeds them and puts them to bed..

Emma has a love for Elmo... Almost an obsession... and so therfore we will be constructing an Elmo cake for her birthday... the pics will be up sometime after the birthday party next week.

She can count to 5 now and is well on her way to counting to 10... She can pick out some letters and tell me what they are... I can't wait to start teaching her the whole alphabet!

While she throws numerous tantrums every day... and never fails to let me know when she is in a bad mood I still love how she can turn even the worst day into the best one... She will just come up and give me the biggest hug and kiss and then run back off to what she was doing....

Happy 2nd birthday Emma!

God give me strength.

Pete went to a cardiologist today. He had been having some chest pains and "weird feelings" as he called them with his heart.

So due to the fact that he has a cardiac history I begged him to go in and see a doctor. Today was the big day and here is the verdict...

He has fluid around his heart...

Okay I admit it... when he told me my heart literally jumped in my throat and I fought the urge to run to the bathroom and lose my lunch to the porcelain throne. But I held on while he told me what the doctor said... if only I had never gone to nursing school then I wouldn't always assume the worse.

The doctor asked him if he had been sick lately and he told him no. The doctor told him that IF he was older he would be worried about cancer in his lungs or heart. But since he is younger he is going to assume it is a viral infection. Okay... sounds good I guess. He also put him on some medication for the palpatations and flutterings. Something I assume will be long term. And then in a month he will have another echocardiogram (ultrasound) done on his heart and they will check the status of the fluid.

Now... really after all that the doctor had said I really shouldn't be worried. Because if the doctor was worried he would have done more tests... maybe even sent him to the hospital... but nope... just a script and an appointment in a month.

But trying to stay positive when you are already worried in the first place is so hard. The prospect of something even being remotely wrong with the person who you love more than anything in the world shakes you to your very core.

I want to believe and hope that nothing is wrong just as the doctor is doing (might I add he is the BEST cardiologist in the area) but since I tend to be a worry wart by nature and have problems being anxious ALL the time. I am afraid this next month will be a long one for me. And I am sure although he doesn't admit it, Pete is just as nervous. Who wouldn't freak out even the slightest at being told you have fluid around your heart?

So here I am... sitting and waiting... and praying that God will give me the strength to trust in Him that my husband will be around to grow old with me.

"Being careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanskgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace that passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Easter... Another picture review.

Here are our Easter pictures. I made both of the kids outfits. Everyone raved about them. They both looked so cute!

Josiah

Emma holding Grandma's hand.


Emma and Josiah

Emma hunting Easter Eggs

Okay here is our little family picture... pay no mind to me... I am still carrying baby fat!!! :)

And here is a treat... A video of Emma hunting eggs.

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Photo Sharing

Unacceptable!

It seems like I have no time anymore to blog! And when I think about it I am doing something else!

Well I hope to change that... Once a week just isn't enough... So I am going to start with baby steps I think... 2-3 times a week... then build it back up!

I was reading my archives from the pregnancy and I was a bloggin' maniac!! I had a post up nearly every day... in fact it wasn't till here in the last month or so that things have gotten hectic and I find myself way behind in the blogsphere....

So starting FRIDAY I will get back into the swing of things... I will not be home tomorrow... For all of my dedicated and diehard fans... (all 2-3 of you) I am so sorry for the lapse of time I have let go between posts.

Boston: A review in pictures

First I want to apologize to anyone who has dialup, I am sure the page will load slow for you. Second, don't mind some of the blurry pics. I think there may have been a smudge on the lens.

We got to Boston on Saturday afternoon, went to the hotel, and then the ocean for a little bit. Then we got a movie at our hotel room and ate dinner. Sunday we got up early had breakfast and then took the train into Boston. We went to the aquarium, and IMAX movie and Quincy Market where we looked around for a little while. We had lunch at a little restuarant at Quincy Market then we raced to catch the train back to our hotel room. After we got back we went to the ocean again and walked on a beach at sunset. Very romantic! Went back to the hotel, had some dinner, went to bed... and came back to reality.

When we first got to our destination we hopped in the van and went for a drive out to the ocean.


Does anyone else find this remotely funny?? At every entrance to this rundown beach (not in use anymore) there was this little title... Someone obviously had fun with spraypaint!


This was the storm we were trying to race back to our car. We had gone for a walk on the beach Saturday night. And were trying really hard to get back to the car before the rain reached us.


We stayed at a Residence Inn for very cheap. And vowed we will always stay at a Residence Inn from now on. The rooms were awesome and the service was just as great.

Our bed... we were very surprised at the quality of the bedding.. VERY NICE!


This was the "living area" where you could watch tv... on a sofa or the chair... both of which were very comfy.



This was the kitchenette in our hotel room.


Saw some jelly fish at the New England Aquarium. There were a lot more pictures but I really didn't want to bore you! We did see a 3D movie at the IMAX theatre. That was cool!



We found it amusing that this building looked really out of place here.


Pete and his lunch. Is it just me or are those beady little eyes begging you to eat him?


Eww... a picture of me... good thing it wasn't a closeup! But it showed the ocean quite nice so I thought I would share.

Boston skyline at sunset. We were in the small town of Lynn on the causeway that connects the mainland to the island of Nahant. Very pretty.

It was a really nice weekend. We enjoyed not having to worry about diapers, formula and who was hungry or tired. We were able to do what we wanted, when we wanted and not worry about the kids. Very relaxing I must say. All in all I would say we had a really great time. As evidenced by this picture.

Tomorrow

Okay... I promise... sometime tomorrow the Boston Trip review will be up here... I tried to start it tonight... but somehow the darn pictures erased! So I will start again tomorrow and hopefully I will succeed!

Ewwww.... Grooosss....

Emma's new favorite words... soon to be mine as well.

If you have issues reading about bodily fluids I suggest you move along quickly before you feel the need to vomit!

I love doing cloth diapers... Josiah never gets rashes... unless of course I put a disposable on him in a pinch. He doesn't have that nasty disposable diaper plus pee and poo smell... chemicals... nasty... I LOVE folding clean diapers warm and cuddly straight out of the dryer... And I have such a sense of accomplishment when I finish another one to stick on the pile.

But let me tell you something... constant diarrhea 3-4 times a day that DOES NOT wash off is starting to wear on me. I am always changing a poopy diaper... nothing I do gets the poo off... so I just end up throwing them in the washer on a soak cycle... (Pete hates that!) And sometimes I actually envy those who use those nasty paper diapers and are able to throw the offending mess in the trash never to be dealt with again!! Sometimes I wonder what the hey possessed me to do cloth!!

And of course as I sit here, having just changed a poopy diaper and rolled it up to deal with later, the baby has once again filled the nice, new, clean and soft, flannel diaper with the most offensive smelling mess you could ever imagine!
Who would think such nastiness could come from such a cute face!!!

I think this speaks volumes.

I was very impressed with this article... Especially since it was written about men, by a man:

Don't be a guy, the world is full of guys, be a man...

Josiah: 3 months

Wow!!! Another month is gone! I can't believe how fast time is going by...

This month you finally graced us with tons of smiles!! It is so awesome how much you smile in spite of all your problems.

I can't believe that by the time Emma has her birthday next month you will be four months! I miss my little tiny newborn... Although I am enjoying your new found head control... very nice I must say.


While I said that I would never say I wish you were older I am finding myself continually looking forward to your future months and all that it brings with it! In a few weeks we will probably start in with the cereal! I hope it makes your nasty poos solid! Cause I sure am tired of diarrhea!


Mommy is getting VERY addicted to sewing your diapers it is so much fun! I am also sewing clothes now... something I started last year before you were born and finally have the time to do again.

You have discovered you have a sister this month and you love her to death. You smile at her more than you smile at anyone else. You currently enjoy taking a bath with her and peeing in her bathwater... it is hilarious because she says "Aw gross" to which you respond with an earsplitting grin... Too cute.

This month you have also blessed us with two lovely nights of sleep! You slept 8 hours both times... It was so wonderful, although when we woke up the next morning we rushed in to make sure you were okay!

Next month will bring more smiles I am sure... hopefully more sleep and probably the beginnings of getting around baby style.. aka rolling.

Mom is wiping tears and saying good bye to yet another little baby month that she will never experience again... We love you 'Siah!

Just a little reminder

May I please direct everyones' attention to my disclaimer... Read it... memorize it... and live by it. Then if you still have something to say... say it... leave a comment... don't be a coward... don't tell someone else about it so they can tell me... tell me yourself!

Also... until you have been there and done that do not consider yourself an expert in such subjects as pregnancy, childbirth and child rearing.

I think that about does it for tonight... adios!

Boston: Here we come!

I am so excited because next weekend Pete and I are going away for the weekend! ( No kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) We decided on Boston because we would like to see the ocean and the aquarium... overall it looked more interesting than Niagara Falls.

We are going to stay at a Residence Inn so we can cook our own meals and save some money. We were considering whale watching but I am not sure how my stomach would fair out on those high seas!

I am excited to get some uninterrupted sleep... I think that is what excites me the most. I am also looking forward to the alone time I will have with hubby!!

A big HUGE thanks to our "Aunt" Linda for offering to watch the kids... all I can say is "I warned you!!"

In other news: I was all set to write up Josiah's 3 month update but blogger won't let me upload pics!! Darn that blogger. I will hopefully be able to get that up tomoorow.

Also our house is officially on the market. The real estate guy said on average we are looking at 4-7 months to sell it, then either find a temporary place to stay or do a quick scramble for a house... not exactly what we want to do...

Well enough of the hunt and pecking tonight... it gets old typing one handed while holding a baby....

Look what I found today

While talking on the phone today I saw Emma walk by with the box of Qtips.
So I said "Emma the only way you could have gotten those was to have gone under mommy's sink which you aren't supposed to do!"
She just nodded and kept walking towards her room. I finished up my phone call and started walking towards her room. Before I got there this little conversation ensued:

"Emma... are you being bad??"

"Yeesss." (said in a sing songy kind of voice.)

Getting closer to her room she comes flying out of her room screaming:

"NO CORNER!!! NO CORNER!!!" (Meaning please don't put me in the corner I know I did something I shouldn't have!!)

This is what I went in her room and found:
Nothing horrible... but I couldn't stop laughing inside because she was still running as far as she could to get away from me screaming "No Corner!!!"


And a cute little picture of our little guy... Enjoy!

Cookies and other interesting bits.

Yummy!! Look what I made today! Emma was running around screaming cookies because she saw someone eating them on TV... Darn that TV!
So I figured what they heck... I could use some chocolate.
I used my last two sticks of butter Emma! I hope you're happy!!

In other news. I finished two more diapers today. Click on my flickr to check one of them out. I tried it out on Josiah as well. But about five minutes after I put it on he pooed! So I didn't get to see how well the soakers work.


Well... Pete and I are wondering if we should try to find a bigger house now since we ended up with a boy this go around and not another girl. We only have two bedrooms in our mobile home. At the time we desperately needed a home and took what we could get! So unfortunately there aren't enough bedrooms now!

We have a realtor, who specializes in mobile homes, coming by on Friday to take a look and tell us our options. I am all for moving now if it will benefit us due to the fact that mobile homes depreciate with age. However I am also okay with staying put till Emma reaches puberty (at which point sharing a room with her brother will no longer be good!) and saving for a downpayment for a bigger home.

Since we aren't sure what we should do yet we are just exploring our options, seeking advice from our parents and of course giving it over to God and trusting He will provide a way for us no matter which route we take.

How much more can one person take??

Okay...I have about had it...I don't think that I can take much more of this getting up in the wee hours of the morning. You know what I mean... you are in a nice dream about some cute guy... er uh... my husband *wink wink* and suddenly from out of the blue a gut wrenching scream emits from out of the other room causing my heart to go into my throat and giving me an instant wake up call! Usually I lay there for a minute wishing so hard that he would go back to sleep... I mean really... does a three month old really need to eat in the middle of the night?? His sister had stopped her midnight snacking by now.

After I lay for a few minutes to see if maybe just maybe it is a false alarm I look at the clock and groan.... 4 am... as usual... just like clockwork... And since I have only gotten four hours of sleep (better then the two I was getting two months ago!!) my eyes feel like they have sand in them and will hardly stay open. I get up, stumble to the bathroom (darn that pregnancy and childbirth wreaking havoc on my bladder) go to get the bottle and get the baby and sink into the rocker. It is times like these that I wish that I had breastfed and could just whip it out (sorry grandma!) and do it in bed... then maybe I wouldn't notice so much that I am awake...

I had so hoped that this would end by now. I am going on much more than just the last three months of no sleep. I had started to contract at about 27 weeks pregnant... and those contractions would wake me at night and keep me awake. People... that was last October sometime... I mean seriously... how much longer can I really go with this sleep deprivation. I just want some sleep!!!

I have been feeding him at around 6 in the evening. He gets fussy somewhere between 7 and 8 but then usually settles down and falls asleep not to be heard of again until somewhere between 10 and 12. Problem is that when he falls asleep Emma usually isn't in bed yet. Then when she is I sigh in relief because I finally have some alone time. So instead of being smart about it and going to bed for a couple of hours I watch tv, read a book or work on the computer. (Quiet activities so as not to disturb the sleeping children even though Lord knows I want to sew sooooooo badly!!) Then when I finally can't keep my eyes open anymore I wake up the baby and try to feed him so I can go to bed. But because I have woken him up I can barely get him to take half of his bottle. Which is why I believe he isn't sleeping through the night yet. He then sleeps till 4am and I am up with him till nearly 5 am and then Emma is up at 6:30am.

I need to come up with a different system... and fast!!!

This makes it worth it!

After a bad day all around that included: being told our light still isn't in for our saltwater tank so we have to wait another week to bring home "Nemo", being turned down for a loan, being told that our yard is going to be torn up again only this time much more of it, and being told it probably won't be done and reseeded till late spring, I found this.

I put Josiah down on her bed for a sec and she climbed right on in, rambling something about baby and "blank" (her word for blanket) and so I ran and got my camera.

Somehow seeing this really made me smile. I try to keep reminding myself after a long day that these days are fleeting and I will look back ten years from now and miss these "good years".

Sleep Deprevation

You know you are sleep deprived when:

Grandma is holding the baby who is crying. You look for the binky, pick it up and then proceed to stuff it in grandma's mouth all the while wondering why she doesn't want the binky she just asked for!!


(Realization soon sinks in and you feel like the STUPIDEST person in the world!)

Pinch me! I must be dreaming...

Tonight, the kids and I went grocery shopping after Emma got up from her nap. By the time we got back we didn't have much time till bedtime. So I fed Josiah, then got Emma and I something to eat and did the dishes and put the groceries away.

At about 7:45 I got Emma's pj's on, the same time that bedtime usually is! Anyways she walked away after I got her dressed and I finished picking up the living room. It took me a minute to realize I didn't know where Emma was. I looked in her room and found her. She had climbed into her bed, covered up and had her eyes closed!

I went in and asked her if she wanted a drink and her doll. She said yes so I got those things for her, told her good night and walked out. I finished dishes and left the tv on in the living room (her bedroom door opens into the living room) It is now quarter after nine and I never heard from her again.

Seriously though... is it supposed to be this easy to transfer to a toddler bed??

Lord, let Josiah be this easy going about everything... oh and one other thing... could potty training work like this too??

I've been busy!

Aside from all the housework , laundry, dirty diapers and three loads of dishes I do a day ( no dishwasher!) I have managed to find the time to play with my new toy!

If you look over at my sidebar you can check out my brand new flickr account and see what I have accomplished!

On top of all the new diapers I need to make (serious miniature plumber's crack going on over here!) I need to sew both of the kids Easter outfits!

Well I have tons of things I would like to blog about... but no time to do it!! Maybe a bit if a photo blog this weekend... let the pictures say it for me!!

Could it have been that easy??

Today we bought Emma her "big girl bed". We decided to go with the Nemo theme due to her current obsession with "fishes". (And it doesn't hurt that the bedding can be recycled for Josiah!). So we put it all together and got the sheets on and she came running in her room screaming, "Bed!! Bed!!! Bed!! Fishes!!"

She climbed on, covered up and grabbed her doll. It was so cute. So since she was already there I told her it was nap time and she got all excited and said okay. She grabbed a few books and went back to her bed. Covered up and I didn't hear from her for two and half hours.

Tonight was much of the same thing. With the exception of one thing. Emma has had the Fisher Price Fishbowl thing on her crib since birth. Tonight was going to be her first night without it. (Aside from the nights she has spent with Nanni) So after I put her to bed and she told me "Bye" she was quiet for a few minutes then started calling for me and calling for her fishes. So I went in and propped it up all weird on the railing against the wall. Happy as a sky lark she rolled over, hugged her dolly, looked at the fish and went to sleep. Never once getting out of the bed.

Could it really have been that easy?? I am almost sure we will have other nights that won't go that well. As I am also sure that where Emma has been so good at giving up things Josiah will be a totally different story!

One thing is for sure. She must have been ready!!

Our date!

Well we went to see the Phantom of the Opera on Saturday. We had limited view seats, but Pete was unaware of this until we both got there and sat down! But we were still able to see most of it.. and more importantly we could hear the music... I am such a music fanatic that I got goosebumps just listening to the orchestra and the players singing the beautiful songs.

We hope that it will come back to town again and if and when it does we plan on getting front row center seats! So that we can see all the parts that we missed.

It was also very nice to have some time to ourselves without the kiddos. After we went to the play we came home and changed then went out to eat at a new mexican restuarant, Pancho's. It was very good! I just wish that I had had what Pete had for dessert and not what I picked out. He had a caramel cheesecake... soooo good.

We had so much fun that I hope we can go on a date again really soon! Maybe dinner and a movie sometime in the next few months.