Friday Free for All

This week has been a little quiet around here thanks to this:

 

That would be my husband, holding Jonathan in the pre-op room on Wednesday.  Yes, Jonathan had surgery. Nothing major, just tubes in his ears, but it has made for a busy snuggly week. All we did Wednesday when we got home was snuggle and nap off and on all day...It was great! He's back to normal Jonathan now, which is wonderful after the past month of illness!

The night before he had surgery Chris and I took Carson to Family Reading Night at his school. They had activities, snacks, and a book swap. We could take old books, redeem them for tickets, then redeem the tickets for "new" (to us) books. Carson absolutely loved it and it was great to get time with just the three of us.

In 8 days, I will run my first official 5k! I can't wait! I have been walking or jogging every day lately to get ready for it. I even go to the gym or walk around town on my lunch break. I'm serious about losing my muffin top!

Last night, the boys and I did yard work and played outside, it was wonderful! The sun was shining and it was in the upper 50s. Today's weather is supposed to be nice and warm, then the bottom is going to drop out and their talking of snow again next week?!? Go away Winter! I'm ready for Spring!

Hope you all have a great weekend! 

A Weekend Away with Cloth Diapers

This past weekend we took a little trip to Chicago, well the suburbs of Chicago anyhow.   I decided I wanted to take cloth diapers with us as a trial run for our vacation this summer. I packed our Flip diaper system along with stay dry and disposable inserts.  We were only going to be gone for one night, we left at 8am Saturday and returned Sunday evening, so I figure this was our best option.

 Here's what I packed in the diaper bag:
    ---2 Flip covers
    ---6 Stay Dry Inserts
    ---6 Disposable inserts
    ---1 Geffen Baby Jersey fleece prefold (for overnight)
    ---A few emergency disposables, just in case!
    ---Two medium wetbags

Overall, it went very well.  On the car ride up, I put Jonathan in a BumGenius Freetime with two added cotton doublers.  He fell asleep for the entire 3 1/2 hour drive, including a pit stop for us to potty, so I'm glad I opted for the extra doublers! His pants were dry, but the diaper was soaked when we got to our destination.  From this point on, we used the flip system almost exclusively!

The stay dry inserts worked well for us the entire trip, except when we had a poop incident. Jonathan had a bowel movement, but no one knew he did. He crawled around, walked, fell down, etc., which meant the poop got on the cover, not just the insert. No big deal! I just hand washed the cover in the bathroom sink and hung it to dry. I rinsed the dirty insert and put in the wet bag to deal with when we got home.  We continued using the Flip system even for bedtime. I pad folded the prefold and put it in the cover and thought we were set for the night. I didn't take into account that Jonathan would wake up every 2 hours that night and drink a total of 20 oz during the night either.  At 4:30am I woke to a wet baby. When I unsnapped the cover, urine literally ran out of the cover onto my legs, bed, and hands! I forgot to add a hemp doubler like we usually do at home, so this was really my own fault.

::Enter a disposable::  I put on a disposable, until I could get this cover rinsed and dry also.

In the morning, I put the flip cover back on with the disposable inserts. I was leery of what would happen when I front carried him that day while we shopped, but there was no need for it! He stayed dry and all the messes were contained.  We used the disposables while we shopped, had lunch, and even on the way home with no problems!

The only problem I ran into was I should have packed more covers. Again, my mistake, not the diaper's fault.  I was very pleased with our weekend away with cloth, and really hope to use cloth when we are gone for 8 days this summer!

***This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using the links provided, I will receive a small percentage as commission.

The "Dirty Thirty"

It's true folks. Today I turned the "Dirty Thirty" I can't figure out why everyone makes such a big deal about turning 30? It's just another day, another year older and wiser.

In honor Celebration of turning 30, here are 30 facts about me!

1) I have only moved once in my life. From my parents house to the home I now live in with my family.

2) I share a birthday with my uncle. He was 18 when I was born.  My husband's cousin also gave birth on my birthday 6 years ago. So I share this day with her daughter too!

3) I have 2 sons and love it! People often ask if we will try for a girl...Nope! I embrace my title of "Boymom"

4) I have had 2 shelter dogs in the last 8 years. One now lives with my in-laws, the other still lives with us.

5) I was born with the "nubs"  and "extra skin" for 6th fingers, but the doctors tied them off with string when I was born, leaving me with what looked like warts on my hands.

7) I had my belly button pierced my senior year of high school. It lasted 6 years then I took it out when I was pregnant with Carson.

8) I've performed CPR on 2 adults, and resuscitation measures on a few babies during my work as a CNA, then as a RN.

9) I love working Labor & Delivery/Newborn Nursery. I just didn't like the hours :(

10) I only need 5 classes to complete my bachelor's in nursing. Someday I will finish!

11) I love to run.

12) I still like to call people on the phone, not just text!

13) I own less than 10 pairs of shoes, only 4 of those do I wear regularly.

14) The bathroom is my favorite room to clean. The kitchen is my least favorite.

15) I won a gold medal at national convention for FCCLA Parliamentary Procedure when I was a freshman in high school.

16) I always wanted a husband, 2 kids, and a dog....that has been achieved!

17) I wanted to be a nurse since I was 5 years old. Over the years I would think about other jobs, but eventually came back to wanting to be a nurse during my first year of college.

18) I love hard pear cider and white wine.

19) I am a steak and potatoes kind of gal.

20) I've traveled to 21 states and 3 other countries, but never been any farther west than Oklahoma.

21)  I’ve been with my husband for 12 year and married to him for 7. (soon to be 8)

22) I played every sport that was offered at my junior high. That was basketball, volleyball, and track.

23) I used to be able to play the trumpet and piano in band. I can still play the piano, but not the trumpet.

24) I love boating in the summer. I learned to ski when I was 6 and was able to slalom by age 10. I can still slalom today!

25) I love living in a small town. Even if everyone knows your business before you know it yourself, haha!

26) Are we to 30 yet?!?

27) My favorite flowers are not roses. I actually prefer Gerber daisies or irises.

28)  I have 3 God children.

29) I grew up with severe anxiety, to the point I gave myself ulcers actually. So it is not really that surprising that Carson has the anxiety he does.

30) My family is my life. I can’t imagine my life without each and every one of them, from husband to kids to parents to grandparents.

Dropping the Muffin Top!

For a while now I've been trying to drop my muffin top from having Jonathan. Oh who am I trying to kid?! It was there before he was conceived! Anyways, this past week I took my first steps toward getting serious about it! I made two big purchases to start getting out and being more active.

Purchase #1

Photo Source: Amazon.com

I have to be honest. I have been drooling over this stroller since I found out we were expecting again in October 2012.  I kept saying it was too much to spend on a stroller that I wouldn't use that much...Then my faithful old stroller died last fall and I needed a new one.  I decided if I was going to get fit, I had to have the right equipment to do so, regardless of the cost. Thus, I researched for months and finally decided to bite the bullet and buy a B.O.B. I've only had this a couple of weeks and taken it out a couple of times, but so far I am in love! I look forward to writing a review of it soon for any readers who may be in the market for a jogging stroller.

Purchase #2

Photo source: Brooksrunning.com

You can't have a new stroller without having a new pair of running shoes.  Enter: Brooks PureCadence 3.  I went and had my feet "fitted" at a local running store for shoes that would work for me. I cannot tell you how awesome it is to have shoes that fit perfectly! My husband bought me these for my birthday and I love them! I've worn these for two walks now and can't wait to run in them tonight.

I look forward to sharing my weight loss and fitness journey with all of you in the weeks and months ahead!

This post was not sponsored by any company. Both products have been purchased by myself/my family for my use. All opinions shared are entirely my own.

Friday Free For All

It's FRIDAY!!!!!!! It has been a long week, so today's post is a mix of stuff ;)

Last week we had a very sick little baby and this week he's finally getting back to his normal self! We even took him swimming for the first time last night! He loved it!

The weather seems to finally be looking more like Spring.  Today it is 55 degrees and sunny. The lowest high for the next week is in the upper 30s. I can handle that!

Tomorrow is Carson's last "Bitty Ball" game. Then we get our weekends back for a few weeks. He's really enjoyed basketball this past 8 weeks, he's done a great job listening and learning the game.

In one week, I turn 30....only 7 days left in my 20s....How do I feel about that? Hmm....I'm ok with it!

Hope you all have a great weekend! I know I am spending some time outside soaking up some much needed Vitamin D!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is my dad's birthday, he's 54 today!

Dad and I at my brother's wedding...July 2005.

This man means the world to me and my boys. He's always been there for us all and I can't thank him enough for that! Love you daddy!

Throwback Thursday!

Carson 5 years ago this week!  Look like anyone else we know???

The Lasts

When I was pregnant with Carson, a friend gave me a book titled Let Me Hold You Longer. I read it that night, then put it away in the closet. Fast forward almost 5 years. I was pregnant with Jonathan and cleaning out the closet in the boys' room. I stumbled across the book again. That night I read it to Carson, and bawled through almost the entire book. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend you do! The book goes through the raising of a child from his mothers eyes. She reflects on how he will grow up, but will she recognize when he does something for the last time.

As I pack away baby clothes to donate or take to resale, it hits me that every first for Jonathan is our last first. Jonathan is our last child.  We won't have a child roll over for the first time again. There won't be a first food again. No first steps or first words. Every time he does something for the first time. It's a last for us.

 Right now, it is absolutely adorable when Jonathan does something new. Carson will exclaim "He just said his first word!" or "He just took his first step!", even though it may be the third or fourth time he's done something. Carson recognizes the significance of each milestone, but do we? Often I sit and watch the boys play, I wonder to myself, "when did he start doing that?" or "where did he learn that?" My heart aches when I see Jonathan do something that shows us he's growing up. When he cruises the furniture or rolls a ball to his brother. He's my last baby and time isn't going to slow down. I'm not ready for the last. Not ready for the last time he takes his bottle, the last time he wakes up in the night just wanting to be rocked, the last time he needs momma.

I am just as guilty as the next person of spending way too much time "plugged in".  Too often, as parents, we are so wrapped up in the house that needs picked up, the fundraiser that needs to be done by tomorrow, the next school project, the text that needs a reply, and so on, that we are missing what is going on right in front of us.   Are we in such a rush as parents that we are missing the little things that are actually big things?  Will we recognize his lasts?  Will we remember his firsts?

 I'm guilty of this with Carson too. So caught up in work and the house and his little brother that I catch him doing (or notice him not doing) something and think to myself...when did that happen? I remember his firsts, but will they stick with me forever? Will I recognize the lasts? The last time he comes home from school bursting with excitement about his day? The last time he wants walked to the school door? The last time he lets me kiss him good night?

Put down the electronics, silence the phone and enjoy your little ones (and big ones!).  The house and the internet can wait, babies won't keep!  I'm NOT READY for the lasts. Not one bit. Not for Carson. Not for Jonathan. Not for us as parents. Are you?