Weekly Wrap-up

Here is a glimpse into what my life looks like right now (besides the chiropractor and ice packs).

What I'm Reading:

I am trying to finish Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight series, but I have slowed down a bit in my obsession with them. I must finish what I have started though.

What I'm Buying:

Not much, but I did order a pizza with Molly today and we shared McDonald's yesterday. She has been taking care of me and my little ones these past two days. Bless her heart.

What I'm Eating:

See above. My appetite has not been very good this week. Does that happen to you when you don't feel good?

What I'm Watching:

Yesterday I watched a creepy movie from the 80's called The Lady in White and tonight I watched another thriller, Time Crimes, with Husband (at least until I heard him snoring at the other end of the couch). I should really watch something uplifting for a change. Any suggestions?

What I'm Wearing:

A whole bunch of yoga pants and t-shirts. This is not a "dressing cute" week.

What I'm Listening To ( I forgot about this one last week):

Sadly (or not so sadly) we have listened to mostly children's music this week, although I am very picky when it comes to music. It has to be something that I enjoy too and that isn't annoying and shows good musical abilities. So, our cd of choice this week was Laurie Berkner's Whaddaya Think of That? Miss A loves singing along to the songs (and maybe, just maybe, I do too).

What I'm Making:

I have started a new scarf with this beautiful yarn/ribbon, although I am not sure how soft it will be. We'll just have to wait and see.

What I'm Perusing:

I have several blogs that I visit on a regular basis. One I have loved this week in particular is http://www.ellebowsandmore.blogspot.com/ It is written by a stay at home mom who has also started her own business selling handmade hair accessories. I encourage you to check it out. It's absolutely adorable.

Have a fantastic week everyone!

Rolling Along

My little Roly Poly has been busy mastering many milestones these days. I can hardly keep up with writing them all in his baby book. Here are some of the highlights:

• He's now got his two bottom teeth. They both came in during the same week and he only seemed to have mild discomfort and fussiness. What a trooper.


• He is so close to crawling and is rocking back and forth on his hands and knees. He can go backwards a little and is still rolling as much as usual, but he wants to go forward so badly. Any day now, little dude.


• He is sitting up without help now. He topples over every now and again, but I think it's intentional so he can start rolling across the room again. He is my Roly Poly, you know.

I am so proud of you, buddy!

He is such a sweet boy and amazes me everyday with his gentle spirit and bright smile. I am truly blessed.

Finally some Answers

So, after a month of severe pain and a car trip that started out toward the ER but, thankfully, ended at the chiropractor instead, I think we know what is going on with my back and why I have been feeling so crappy.

It seems that 2 of the vertebrae in my spine are out of alignment and are separated when they are supposed to be right next to each other. This is causing rubbing and pinching of the nerves around my spine. Sound painful? It is. My chiropractor also thinks this part of the spine has nerves connecting to my stomach, which could be why that has been achy as well.

Although I am still in tremendous pain, I am quite relieved to know what is going on and to hear the chiropractor say that he thinks he can help. He wants me to take it easy for a few days, which is easier said than done with two little ones, but I am trying. Thanks goodness for laptops or I would go crazy just lying in bed. I am also trying to avoid taking too many pain meds because I am still breastfeeding Mr. Roly Poly and don't want him exposed to too much. So, although it doesn't do too much, I am trying to stick with Motrin for the pain and lots of ice packs.

Hopefully I will be feeling better in about 5-7 days. I cannot wait to get back to normal. I miss playing on the floor with my babies. Roly Poly is so close to crawling but I told him he has to wait until Mama feels better. He had better behave! Also, Miss A decided to try to bite a chunk out of his little arm while I was on the couch writhing in pain. I think she can sense that something is not right and so she starts to act up in response. (He is just fine, by the way).

Thanks for your prayers. They are greatly appreciated!

P.S. For those of you who are interested, my injured area is at the vertebrae L1 and T12, in between the lumbar(blue) and thoracic (yellow). You can see this is the diagram above.

Paper Flowers

So, as I said in my Weekly Wrap-Up, I am really getting into making tissue paper flowers. This all started when I found a Martha Stewart kit at Walmart for making a Tissue Paper Bouquet. Walmart carries several Martha Stewart craft kits including pom-pom animals, puppets, and hair clips, and they were all on clearance. I wanted to get them all, but thought I should start with one and see how it goes.

The instructions were simple and it included everything I needed already pre-cut and ready to go. So, I have been making a couple flowers in the evenings after the kids are in bed. It is quite relaxing and every time I finish one I am very proud of myself. Here's what I have made so far:

I am pretty amazed with how real they look, aren't you?

Missing Daddy

Nineteen years ago on Memorial Day my father passed away from pancreatic cancer. I was eleven years old. He was fifty. I was old enough to understand the gravity of the situation but too young to know I should have taken advantage of every moment I was able to spend with him.

My dad's name was Alfred, but everyone called him Fred. He was a plantebiologist at Michigan State University, meaning he was a scientist who studied plants. His area of expertise was beans, so I always called him a Bean Doctor. I did not inherit his science smarts, unfortunately, but I did inherit his ears, his sense of humor, his nose, and his faith in God.

I still miss my dad terribly even though I have now lived more of my life without him than with him. I think he would be proud of me and would love my family. I wish they had been given the opportunity to meet him before he passed away.

For me, Memorial Day is about my dad. I am always a little melancholy on this day, as I am sure many of you are. I wish he was here on Earth with me, but I know I will see him someday in Heaven and will embrace him like no time had passed between us.

I love you, Daddy.

Weekly Wrap-up

This is just a glimpse into what my life looks like right now (besides the diaper changing and potty training).

What I'm reading:


I am loving A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg which is part memoir/ part cookbook. She is a great storyteller and the recipes sound delicious. She is also the author of the blog, Orangette.









What I'm Buying:

I finally got a Ped Egg. I have yet to try it but hope it helps my feet look beautiful. Several of my friends swear by it. I got mine at Walgreen's for $9.99.




What I'm Eating:

We are eating much healthier at our house these days. I am trying to be more conscious of the ingredients of our food and eating things as close to their original state as possible. That being said, we dined on mall food today. Everything in moderation, right?


What I'm Watching:

I loved the movie Rachel Getting Married. I don't usually like to watch movies more than once but I watched this twice within a 24 hour period. It was a very realistic portrayal of a family with issues and beautifully done. I highly recommend it. Husband liked it too and he is even pickier than I am.








What I'm Wearing:

Who knew that JC Penney's had some cute clothes now? Well, they do, and today my good friend, Laura, and I both got this fantastic, long and flowy dress that I plan on wearing all summer long. We even got the same size. This is the first time in 25 years that we can wear the same size. How fun!

What I'm Doing:

Trying to figure out what is wrong with this 30 year old body of mine, more specifically, my back. I have a chiropractor appointment lined up for Tuesday and a massage on Wednesday. I am sick of feeling yuck and having to bail out on things all of the time because I don't "feel good." Pray for me if you think of it. Also, feel free to let me know if I can pray for you in any way.



What I'm Making:

I am really into making tissue paper flowers and I plan on blogging about it in the next few days. Stay tuned. They are so pretty (and easy).

These are some of the things that have filled my days this week. How about you? Have a fantastic week everyone!

New Background

***Update***

This one seems like a good compromise between the 2.... flowery and whimsical, just like me. Opinions?

What do you think of the new background? Did you like the old one better? Let me know and I will fix it if necessary. Shabby Blogs has the best free backgrounds.

Feeling Busted

I am a little frustrated and discouraged by the medical field in general. I have not been feeling "right" for about a month now and doctors are so quick to just prescribe me medicine to cover the problem and not fix it. I just want to know what is wrong with me so that I can move forward.

Has this ever happened to you? It doesn't help that I can be too "nice" and not aggressive enough to demand more attention from doctors. I have actually had my friend, Molly, call people for me because she is better at being direct. (Thanks, Molly) They just don't take me seriously. I hate that.

So, now I am going to try to start over at a new doctor's office and hope for more answers. Until then, I am just going to try to take it easy, which is rather difficult with two little ones. I am lucky to have a husband who is willing to give me what I need to help me feel better (Thanks, babe).

If you think of it, please say a prayer for me and my family that Mama will be back to herself soon. No one's happy if Mama's not happy. Thanks!

Friday Favorites

What I am loving right now:

1. My friend, Molly, and getting to celebrate her birth 29 years ago.

2. Also getting to celebrate Jerry's birthday on Sunday. My mom found such a great guy!

3. Our new cloth diapers.

4. My beautiful Mama.

5. Ice cream

6. Good books

7. Knitting

8. David Gray

9. Tabouli thanks to MckMama (keep praying for her little Stellan)

10. Miss A's new Toddler Bible (it has good lessons for 30 year olds too)

It is officially Saturday. Goodnight.

Cushy Tushies

After 26 months of using disposable diapers, I have decided to make the switch to cloth diapers.I made this decision for several reasons:

1. It is cheaper.


2. It produces less waste.


3. It is gentler on my babies skin.

Since I wanted something a little easier than the traditional pre-fold cloths + pin version, I did a lot of research and discovered that the world of cloth diapering is a whole sub-culture of its own with lingo and terminology I had never heard of before. It took lots of reading and re-reading to get a grasp on what was what. I knew I wanted something easy and quick (and cute) and had a hard time deciding between these brands (even the names are cute):

• bumGenius


• kissaluvs
  
• kushies


• fuzzibunz


• Happy Heiny's
  

In the end, I decided to go with bumGenius 3.0 One Size and ordered 6 diapers to try them out. They have so many great colors to choose from. About 10 minutes ago I put my very first cloth diaper on Mr. Roly-Poly (in the color Ribbit) and I must say, he looks so stinking cute and they look so comfortable. I will let Miss A wear one when she is up from her nap. I'm sure she will tell me what she thinks.

Later...

Miss A loved her new diaper (color: Zinnia) and she even showed it off to Daddy when he got home. So far: no leaks and happy babies. I will keep you updated.

Now the Day is Over

Now the Day is Over by The Innocence Mission

This cd is amazing, not only as a chill-out album for me but as a perfect collection of nighttime songs for the babies. The Innocence Mission is one of my favorite musical groups and I was so thrilled to find this lullaby album by them, although many of their other albums are great for kids as well. I gently nudge you to listen to it for yourself. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Mama Stress

I have come to the conclusion that I am completely stressed out! I'm not sure why it's hit me so hard these past few weeks, but all I know is that the tension is so bad I am just a ball of nervous energy. My back is killing me most of the time and my stomach is in knots. I've noticed that I am not breathing deeply and my shoulders are hunched over a lot. I am sleep deprived, alone-time deprived, and desperately in need of a bubble bath.


Yet, I know for all you moms out there, this is nothing new. It is part of the job description. I love my job as mama but I also know I need to take care of myself too and tonight that meant going out BY MYSELF. I said "goodbye" to Husband and babies and headed to the bookstore.


As I began my outing I was still full of that yucky, anxious feeling in my tummy like I was forgetting someone. I kept glancing at the backseat thinking there were supposed to be children back there. Amazingly, as the evening went on I was able to get totally absorbed in some books and magazines like I haven't done in ages. I sipped my chai and could feel the tension melting away. What an amazing feeling. (Of course, it came back a little bit when I walked in the door, but it takes practice, right?) Us moms need our "Me time" to rejuvenate us and make us better, more loving, and complete wives and mothers. I have neglected making time for myself and am suffering because of it. Don't neglect the mama is my new motto.



P.S. I picked up a new book while out to help me laugh about things even when they're not easy. It's called, "It Sucked and then I Cried," by Heather B. Armstrong of dooce.com. So far, it's working.

Picture Day

Tomorrow is picture day for my little cherubs. We are going to get some professional photos taken as a Mother's Day gift to me! I am a little nervous as Miss A has been known to be somewhat unpredictable with her moods. Please say a prayer that she will be all sunshine and no rain. I am not too worried about Mr. Roly Poly because he is pretty much all smiles all the time. I may even try to sneak myself in a photo or two if I am feeling cute.

I did end up getting some semi-matchy outfits for them to wear for the pictures (courtesy of Target.) Tell me what you think. Keep in mind they will be much cuter full of babies!

Wish me luck!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Last night I was craving nachos but had run out of packaged taco seasoning. Thankfully, I found these instructions for making homemade taco seasoning. It turned out really well and Husband couldn't even tell the difference. Here's how you do it.

In an empty jar mix together:

6 tsp chili powder

5 tsp paprika

4 1/2 tsp cumin

2 1/2 tsp onion powder

2 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

* 7 teaspoons of this mix = 1 store-bought taco seasoning packet

Try it and tell me what you think.

Buttons

Buttons are the greatest thing since library cards here in our house these days. We get these guys out in the morning and don't put them away until bedtime. Unfortunately, Mr. Roly-Poly would just want to eat them so we have to keep them in a special spot just for Miss A. Luckily, she is over eating non-edible objects and she LOVES to sort. I put out a muffin tin for her to put the buttons in, as well as a jar and cookie tin. In the muffin tin, we sort in many ways including color, shape, and size. She especially loves trying to pick them up with her plastic spoon. I highly recommend getting an assortments of buttons at your local craft store. They are inexpensive and offer hours of playful learning.

Spring Cleaning Before and After

Today was the first day of the Spring Cleaning Party at simplemom.net. I love this site and I really needed something like this to get me motivated. Today's task was to do a clean sweep, throwing away trash throughout the house and getting surfaces cleared off. We were also challenged to take some before and after pictures, so although I am slightly embarrassed about revealing my messes, I feel I must oblige.

Here is my beautiful piano covered with a not so beautiful mess:

And after:

A couch side table (can you see it under there?)

And after (there was a baby under all that mess?):

Lastly, a coffee table that's not being used for coffee:

Now, pass me a latte:

Pretty good, huh? This is just the beginning. Feel free to join me and pass along your before and afters. Maybe it would make me feel less naked.

Spring Cleaning

Keep Those Chubby Legs Warm!

I am CRAZY about baby legwarmers. They make diaper changes so much easier plus they are so flippin' cute on my babies chubby little thighs. I love them! I have a few really cute pairs that I have purchased but have less than I would like because they are typically around $12 per pair and I just can't justify spending that much money on glorified socks.



"So," I thought to myself, "What is keeping me from trying to make these seemingly simple things myself?" I found a couple helpful websites like this one and this one and then combined all the ideas and gave it a try. Luckily, I had some cute knee socks from when I was teaching that could use an upgrade.

What do you think of the finished product?