CLICK HERE FOR FREE BLOG LAYOUTS, LINK BUTTONS AND MORE! »

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The system....

My system seems to be working well. I love this meal planner and have been using it for a while now. My friend Sara also has a nice one she has found and uses. My binder system for recipes to try is working well too. I've been trying new recipes again and its so n ice to get out of that rut. This keeps me organized and I love it.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Holidays....

We had a great holiday weekend with family. It's always so fun to all be together and laugh and joke. Also always good to come home and sleep in your own bed....I know I was ready to sleep in my bed all propped up with pillows on each side :) The boys enjoyed themselves so much playing with all their cousins and Aunts and Uncles and of course the Grandparents. Hard to believe that the holidays are quickly coming to an end and a new year is just around the corner. Sorry I will not be posting any pictures from the weekend!!!

We have been sick here as usual yesterday was especially bad for Conner. We were all up early and I was all ready along with the kids to head out the door by 7:30 in the morning to get a little bit of shopping done. Conner was acting a bit funny but I figured that it was just the cold. We were about 10 minutes from home when he threw up ALLLLL over the in the car. Poor kid I felt so bad. I pulled over wiped him up as best as I could and drove home with the puke still all over....ugghhh the smell was terrible. We made it home without any of us throwing up though I was gagging the entire time. Got Conner all cleaned up and gave him a bath then headed outside to clean up the car....yuck. I have a feeling the smell will hang around a while. All I can say is thank goodness for leather seats. We did end up heading out again because Conner really wanted to see his daddy....no more throwing up tho!!
This morning he is burning up with a fever all congested and simply not feeling good. So we will be staying home and doing NOTHING. I need to plan my meals and put together a grocery list and coupons which always takes forever. Hopefully when Ethan wakes up he is feeling better. He is sick as well!!!

Have I mentioned I LOVE freecycle!!! I scored a free bread maker that I need to pick up Friday in Madison.....I AM SO EXCITED. I have been wanting one for so long now. I do not know what kind of condition it's in but she said it works just fine :))))) Can't wait to try it out!!! I did get the jogging stroller I picked up last week all washed and cleaned up and it looks AMAZING.....like new really. The brake on it is broken but I don't really care I don't need it. I do not have one on the double stroller either.

I should probably get the day started now....Ethan still sleeping but Conner and I are hungry so time to go make some breakfast :)))))  Conners request....home made waffles!!!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Happy 1st day of winter.....

Sad it's only the 1st day of winter and I am so ready for it to be over, the dry skin, the chapped lips, the COLD.....yuck yuck and yuck. I really do not understand how people can enjoy this kind of weather but they do. It will go by quick tho....my calendar if filling up :)

Today also marks the 25th week of pregnancy.....15 weeks to go. I have begun this countdown way to early. Over the span of a week I went from still wearing regular clothes to graduating to maternity clothes and feeling rather uncomfortable. I feel myself stretching every day!!! The little man is very active especially when I want to sleep. I have my dr. appointment tomorrow morning....looking forward to it as always. I love hearing the heartbeat it's simply the best. Neal and I still have NO NAME......ahhhh!!! Having a really hard time deciding on something. I wanted to get started on the announcements but if we can't pick a name I may just be doing the Snapfish or Kodak ones....there is no knowing what will happen in the next few months if we will be moving or what. Might not have time to make home made ones this time around.

Well I better get this day started. Already 8:30 and I have NOTHING accomplished. Just ate breakfast with the kids and have not even had coffee......needdddd.......cooffffeeeee ;)

Monday, December 20, 2010

Hoping....


Really hoping this works out :)))) Another FREE find!!!

Misc pictures....

Our breakfast lately....pretty fitting don't ya think!
 We have been venturing out into the snow with the kids but can't say I like it one tiny little bit.
 I finally got him some snow pants so he can now play in the snow too!!
 Seriously like the BEST salad EVER.....lettice, spinach, carrots, apples, mandarin oranges (canned), candied walnuts (a little bit of butter and brown sugar) and pomegranate with poppy seed dressing. I'm drooling again :)
The highlight of EVERY Dr. visit is that we get to come home with rubber glove balloons.....haha.....they love them!!!!

We area germ fest over here again.....Neal is super sick and Conner just came down with a cold as well. Really hoping to get all better by this coming weekend or we will be staying home :( do not want to get every one else sick too!! I'm actually ok just a little sore throat and Ethan seems fine for now too....hopping that we do not get any worst. Neal has TWO more LONG days of work then hoping he can get a little break.....miss him and can't wait to see him tonight :))))))

Cookies anyone......

Yesterday the kids and I headed for my sisters house for our yearly cookie baking :) Someone PLEASE come and take some of these cookies outa here. Ugghhh being pregnant during the holidays is tough!! It was so much fun though as always. We made so many different kind.....sugar cookies, gingerbread, gingerbread house, a shortbread recipe that made 3 different cookies, polish delights, cheesy sticks, and M&M ones. Can we say sugar HiGh :) My boys LOVE playing with his 2 older cousins and it's always such a break for me because they are such great little mamas. It was fun but it is also nice to be home now.
Kidos coloring at the table!!!
 We pre baked the sugar cookies, the gingerbread house, and the gingerbread cookies yesterday then decorated them today. The kids had so much fun with the cut outs and all the different sprinkles :)
 HUNDREDS of cookie cutters!!!
 Me working on the gingerbread house. I love how the windows I cut out turned out.
 The one kid that stayed interested in the baking the whole two days :) Way to go Katie and thanks for all the help!!!
 My babies all zonked out for the night.
 Babcia working on the cheesy sticks. I remember this recipe from my childhood. So incredibly yummy!!!!
 Katie cutting out the sticks.
 My mama!!!
 Sigh my sweet little man.....I missed my boys and it feels so good to be snuggled up in bed with them right now. I don;t even really know I have kids when their cousins are present!!!
 The boxes getting slowly filled with cookies.
 One of the shortbread cookies.
 JoY!!!!
 Diana....missesd you this year Barbara :(
 I never actually expected him to fall a sleep but I told him to lay down on the couch and go night night so the sweet little man did even with all the commotion going on.

 Katie rolling the polish delights in the nuts and sneaking in some right into her mouth :)
 My box is completely full of yumminess.
 Putting together the gingerbread house.

 Girls decorating the house.
How fun is that. The house even had a little door opened. This has become one of my favorite holiday traditions and we look forward to it every year :)

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Yay....

I am super excited right now. I just scored a FREEEE jogging stroller. I have to drive into Madison to pick it up but hey it's FREE. Neal and I were wanting one so that we could go running together again this next year but sure did not want to spend the money on one. Now we can load up all 3 kids and go together :)))))

Thank you Sara for introducing me to Frecycle!!! 

Friday, December 17, 2010

I know I know I'm pregnant but still I am super frustrated with myself. We were gone for a couple days and I just ate WAYYYYY toooo much. I stepped on the scale this afternoon and felt very frustrated with myself. At home it is so much easier for me to eat less or maybe it's the fact that I munch on apples, carrots, and oranges to keep me full most the day that when I sit down for a meal I don't feel like I need to eat as much. Ohh well that's in the past tomorrow is a new day and I will do better.....only 15 weeks to go I can do this....I can do this.

I took Conner to the Dr. this afternoon. It was the 1st appointment EVER that I left the Dr.'s office NOT feeling terrible. Yes my baby is still little but I got the reassurance that I so DESPERATELY needed that he is ok. He is now in the 20th percentile and had a very good year for thriving.....sigh of relief. Not a real concern about the throwing up episodes. He might just have a sensitive tummy. He also said that sometimes it may be a side affect of migraines and since I suffer from migraines and it also runs in the family it is a strong possibility but also very difficult to diagnose at such a young age. As long as he does not run a fever, which he never does, and does not have other symptoms it's not a real concern. As for his eye we or now on a very LOOOONG waiting list to see a specialist. I did not realize that you had to wait 10 months to see an eye specialist. They did an eye exam and it sure does seem like he might need glasses. He also had 4 shots today and did really well...poor little guy sure got tortured. Now we just have to go back in for a hearing test I just have to make sure it's covered by our insurance. He had SO much nervous energy he was excited to go see the dr. and scared and nervous but did better than he has ever before. Going to the dr. is always very stressful with him he has never handled being poked and checked very well. We went and got some ice cream after and that made everything all better.

Looking forward to the next week to be over, we will most likely not see Neal at all till Thursday night :( The kids and I are going to Rockford for a couple days. I decided that since he will be working so much that we mind as well go spend some time with family. We hate being away from him but at least this way he can rest when he is at home!!!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Growing up....

While I was putting Ethan down for his nap Conner picked up his toys and laid down for a nap all by himself. I love that kid.....he can be such a good little kid....and so rotten sometimes!!!

I think I found it.....

I think I found my motivation dress. I did this after Ethan and it worked really well I got a pair of super cute Jeans in a size (blank.....the size I wanted to fit into again) and hung them up on my closet door for me to see every day till the day I was able to get them on. It took forever but eventually I was able sqeeze into them but I still remember the glorious day that they just easily slipped on and zipped up.

I'm still not sure if a dress is the right way to go because a dress can be easily stretched but for now I will keep this in mind and if I come across something that would work better I will get that. This time I am setting a more realistic goal for loosing the weight.....Neal will be right there with me helping me along again so I am thankful for that.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Stuck in a rut......

We have been stuck in a food rut and I hate that. Ever since the 2nd month of this pregnancy I have been a bit lazy with my cooking mostly because of all the nausea....cooking was just not fun. Now that I'm feeling better again I want to get a little more creative with my cooking again. Especially the meals the kids and I have alone without Neal. 
I have a super tight budget when it comes to food so being creative is key!!!
I have a kids cookbook though this one only has a limited amount of ideas because it's a KIDS cookbook I would like to find one that is a little better. Does anyone have one they would recommend? I usually make a menu for a week or if I'm really motivated for two weeks and stock up on the ingredients for those recipes. The less trips you take to the store the less money you spend. It's always easy to grab a few unnecessary things and put them in the cart white shopping or picking up just a few things.
What's your favorite meal....we love breakfast at our house. Even more so when Neal is home and we can all sit down as a family. We have a neighbor who has made a comment to us this fall. They recently moved but it was an older couple and they were directly across from our kitchen window. She said she was very impressed to see us sit together and eat meals as a family......well how else do you eat a meal people :) 
I love sleepy little boys eating their breakfast in the morning :0 My kids are ready to eat first thing in the morning as it is also their favorite meal of the day. Waffles are their favorite at the moment.....I usually make a double batch and freeze them and use them all week long. Also good toasted sliced into strips with peanut butter and banana on top....yum. 

Magazine....

I love this magazine.....I look forward to it's arrival every month and I just received the January copy. It's one of those magazines that pays for itself each month. It has great tips for everything from gardening to fashion!!! What do you do with your magazines????

I recently started a new system because I signed up for a few different ones. I try to go through them as soon as I can then I cut out any recipes that i want to try or decorating tips that appeal to me and store them in a binder. If I try the recipe and like it I transfer it to my recipe box. 
Do any of you have a better system????

23 1/2 weeks......

Its amazing what a good nights sleep does to me. I slept so good last night I was out by 10 and did not wake up till 6:00 this morning feeling so refreshed. I love that feeling and wish that I felt that way more often.

I am now 23 almost 24 weeks.....seriously!!!! I feel so NOT ready the last week that I have had so much anxiety about it. I wish that I did not stress about things like I do. With Conner and Ethan by this point I had the room ready, their clothes all ready, packed for the hospital, car seat washed and ready, and I felt more prepared. This time I have no idea what the sleeping arrangements will be, or even if we will be in this apartment, all the baby stuff is in storage, ohh and the kids BOTH of them are in this stage where Dad can't even GET the coat for them MOM has to do everything. I know its just a phase and it will pass in a few days or weeks but it has to get better before the baby comes along. Neal is still hoping to get 3 or 4 weeks off. He has SOOOOOOO much vacation time that it's crazy......he never takes time off or personal time and those hours quickly add up. BUT if we end up moving around the same time the baby arrives those weeks will go by super fast!!! Ughhh anxiety SUCKS I hate it.....I really want a switch to just turn my brain off sometimes.....it does help to write it down though!!!

I am feeling SOOOOO much better these days. Nausea is just about COMPLETELY gone and it makes my days so much easier it also makes me less crabby and moody feeling so much better. I'm sure my kids appreciate that a bit ;) Conner is all better today too no more throwing up and he is back to being a happy little guy. He woke up at 6:00 this morning when I was making coffee and getting Neals things ready for work and has been playing on his Lepster waiting for Ethan to wake up.

We have to go and get a few groceries today :p as much as I hate going out in the cold I have nothing to make tonight for supper and I need FRUIT and CARROTS otherwise I will resort to the Halloween candy when I'm hungry and that's just not a good idea. I hate the scale right now and wish that I could just relax a little about the whole weight thing BUT I just do not want to put on A WHOLE ton of weight this time. I have a really hard time getting the weight off, even with exercise and dieting and a whole lot MORE exercising and even nursing for some reason the weight does not want to come off. I just hope that I do not come home from the hospital after delivery weighing more than I did going in like I did with Conner.....that's depressing.

Now that I have my thoughts down i can get the days started....

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Having a really crapy morning.....

Conner has managed to pick up another bug....I think this kid should have a bubble!!!! I have been cleaning up throw up since 4:30 this morning. He usually does really well throwing up into a bowl but it's just really coming up this morning. I finally decided to keep him in one spot watching some videos still I'm on the 2nd set of sheets and I have been in the way of one of the incidents so I of course had to throw up myself.....ughh!!!! This too shall pass. Poor kid though is white as a ghost though and very very tired!!Hoping the rest of the day goes a bit better and he gets a good nap in this afternoon and keeps something down.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Thanks sis....

 This thing is awesome....it's a dry erase large activity things that we LOVE Conner is having so much fun with it.
He's been busy working on it since they left 2 hours ago....he loves things like this!!! And I love things like this because they are educational they teach him so much....he is doing the mazes and learning his numbers and working with matching letters with colors and practices his writing. It also has pictures to color in or where you search for letters and pictures and different games.....and you can use it over and over because it's dry erase....awesome :)

B-day shout out.....

Dear Conner, 

We are better because of you and so lucky to have you!! Happy 4th b-day big guy!!!

Love, 
Mom Dad Ethan and baby

Conners 4th b-day was this past Friday. I'm not sure how we got here already or where the time went but somehow my baby has grown into a little boy. He is simply a joy and I love him more than words can say. We did not do anything special on Friday if anything i would say I tortured him by dragging him from store to store then to another store :) Poor guy, as usual he was a trooper. Some days I think he has more patience than I do. He even made my shopping easier by keeping his brother happy when he got tired. 

I believe that he now thinks his b-day celebration lasts for days at a time since it seems like we have celebrated that many times. We had a party for him a while back now (because of Neals schedule). Neals family came up and celebrated with us.....SUPER special and Conner had a blast with his G'ma and G'pa and adorable cousins and LOVED LOVED all his new presents. Then we went to see his Babcia and Dziadzia who spoiled him with lots of love and an awesome new kitchen. Today my sister and Madzia came up for a little b-day fun and more presents. He even has one MORE present coming from another aunt and uncle and I know he is super excited about that. Ohh all the toys I believe that our children are too spoiled with THINGS. I like what a friend recently posted on her blog on Thanksgiving. To teach our children to be happy with the things they have and appreciate and love the things they do have. I think we all struggle with that a little. 
On with the pictures!!!
 Cousins minus baby Cole.
 Conner waiting to blow out the candles.
 Tricky sparkler candles.
 4 layer cake....Conners favorite chocolate with chocolate frosting.
 Supper time.....can;t wait to one day have our big table back :)
 Opening presents.
 SUnday morning the kids playing before meeting.
Conner with his favorite uncle Mike....I love this picture!!!
Conner with his new kitchen cooking up a storm....he loves this thing!!!

 Opening his presents today.
 Madzia
 This was cute....Ethan was trying to sit really close to Conner to get in on the new toys.
 Singing Happy b-day
 Blowing out the tricky candles....I love these!!!! We made cupcakes instead of a cake with the favorite chocolate frosting.

 mmmmmm....yummmm!!!!
Ethan eating his cupcake.....he was so tired while we were eating our treat and at one point his head just bobbed forward into the cupcake like he was falling a sleep. It was awesome :) 

Thank you EVERYONE for making our prince feel so special he and us are so lucky to have such awesome family!!!