Bad Mommy Alert!

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Candy

I am such a terrible blogger! and Mommy!! I feel SOOOOO guilty that I have not blogged at all about Kiera or her milestones. Life has been quite an adjustment with a 2 year old and an infant. It’s not bad or extremely difficult thanks to having a laid back toddler, but finding the time to write here is pretty much impossible.

Kiera is doing great. We started her on Prevacid about a month ago and it has helped her acid reflux tremendously. We have to open the capsules and dump the little granules into her mouth then quickly give her the bottle so she can drink it all down. It’s not that bad but sometimes it’ll gag her a little. I don’t know WHY my children have such weak gag reflexes (they’re BOTH pukers) but they do. Kiera is a little over a week away from turning 5 months old and the child is already taking 8oz bottles! I called my pediatrician yesterday and we are now introducing cereal into her diet. So far she has had a couple of tablespoons and seems to do pretty well with it. This girl is the definition of Chunky Monkey lol! She is getting really good at holding her head up. She LOATHES tummy time so we barely ever do it. She would much rather either be standing (with assistance, of course) or sitting up. Not a fan of laying down for long periods of time.

She is starting to love her Bumbo seat, which makes it easier for me to get things done or feed her the cereal. She is starting to laugh a lot, which I just love. She still loves seeing Zoey and she will laugh and smile at Gene or I, as long as we have an “Who can make the biggest ass out of ourselves” contest in front of her. She has Thunder Thighs and her general girth is… GIRTHY. But her little ankles and feet are so skinny. I know she has a neck but I have yet to find it. Her cheeks are too much for my heart. She is VERY high maintenance. She wants to be entertained during the day time and doesn’t want to be in one position for too long. She needs constant attention and it feels like I am CONSTANTLY feeding her. At night you feed her and lay her down wide awake at 8:30 and she goes to sleep on her own. She doesn’t get up until 8 or 9 AM. So even though she wears me out on most days, I can’t complain because HELLO SHE HAS SLEPT 12-14 HOURS AT NIGHT SINCE SHE WAS 8 WEEKS OLD! Her gums are all swollen, especially the canines and I am always seeing little white nubs/spots at the surface. She is drooling constantly, everywhere!

Zoey is great. Talking more and more every day. Starting to repeat a lot of things we say (Um, we better start watching ourselves!). She is such a big helper with Kiera. She gives her a paci when she cries, she helps feed her, she brings her toys and blankies. She takes her diapers to the trash can for me. She brings me clean diapers. She is just generally a GREAT big sister. While she is helpful with her and I know she loves her, she is also a very independent kid and usually just does her own thing. Plays and talks and plays and talks and plays. Movies and cartoons don’t really keep her attention for very long anymore like they used to. She’s too busy for that stuff! She is best friends with our dog, Emma.. She plays with her ALL THE LIVELONG DAY. Well, she DID.. She messed with Emma’s bad leg a couple of nights ago and Emma snapped at her. I think she either bit or scratched her eye. It’s been red for a couple of days.. So now I am keeping them separated when I am not in the room to supervise them. Emma was just defending herself the only way she knows how, she wasn’t being viscious and Zoey was just playing and despite me CONSTANTLY correcting the way she plays with her and teaching her to be gentle with the dog, it was bound to happen. I’d like to say she learned her lesson but this morning I caught her messing with Emma’s leg again. Gah!

Gene is well. Working and taking care of two kids and we have no time to breathe sometimes. But we love our girls and wouldn’t change a thing. I’m personally having some struggles. I think maybe either PPD or a birth control pill dosage that isn’t working for me.. Not sure. Right now I am trying to help myself with herbal supplements and other things before resorting to seeing a doctor and possibly getting on some real medication. Last week was a downright miserable week for me. I was in pain in so many ways. It was emotional, physical, mental. It was awful! I cried a lot, I lost my temper, I yelled, I cried more. I’m working on it. I’m working on myself.

Sooo… I’m really trying to keep up with this thing. I want to. I want to post about all of the fun we are going to have this summer. Pictures pictures pictures! I have not been very good about taking my camera out, due to the issues I’ve been struggling with lately.. but I am hoping things will lighten up and I can get back to myself and get my life back.

Half way through April already?

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Candy

We’re about half way through the month of April (my favorite month, by the way) and I haven’t even posted once. Can you tell I’ve been busy?

Let me remind you all why April is so insanely crazy in my family:

April 6 – Gene’s birthday
April 8 – Dad’s & cousin’s birthday
April 12 – Wedding Anniversary & Aunt’s birthday
April 13 – My birthday
April 14 – Zoey’s birthday

That’s a LOT of cake and birthday dinners in a two week span. Which also means after Zoey’s party on the 16th, we’re going to have to start a hardcore diet and exercise regimen. After I sit on the couch for an entire day and RELAX after all that has just happened. My goodness, what a busy time!

for Gene’s birthday on April 6th, we went out to dinner at Kona Ranch, a Hawaiian grill place in OKC. Yum yum, it’s one of my favorite places that we don’t go to very often! We went back to the house afterwards and had plain cheesecake (his favorite) and gifts! My sister and her boyfriend got Gene and I tickets to Warped Tour in Dallas this summer! She even worked it out with my Mom to stay with the girls for two nights. I’m so excited!

for my Dad’s birthday we had a cookout, that my Dad himself cooked. It was delicious! We had his favorite layered chocolate cake.

On April 12th, we went out to dinner for my birthday dinner a day early with my family because my Sister had to work on the 13th. We went to Mimi’s Cafe, my favorite restaurant! We went back to my Mom & Dad’s house for cake and presents. My sister made the cutest princess cake for me! My Mom & Dad so graciously got Gene and I a dual gift of a 64GB Wifi+3G iPad! My sister gave me the CUTEST purple rubber gloves to clean house with that have adorable cupcake fabric embelished, some adorable measuring spoons, a cute little japanese doll figure and a hilarious car air freshener. The 12th was also my wedding anniversary!

On April 13th, my actual birthday, my Mama brought me Sonic for lunch and hung out with me and the girls for a couple of hours. Hubby took me and the girls to a Chinese buffet for dinner and I was way too full to have any leftover birthday cake. I didn’t pick up toys (Hubby did) and I didn’t touch the dishes. We sat on the sofa in a food coma and then went to bed. It was a great day!

Today, April 14th, my beautiful little girl is turning 2! I can’t even believe it and I’ll have a whole post about that later. I gave both girls a bath this morning because with how busy we’ve been lately, we just haven’t had time to do it in the evenings. My Mom is bringing Zoey a Toy Story cake this evening and then we’re taking her out to dinner at Cici’s for pizza because it’s her favorite food ever. We’re going to come back to our house afterwards for cake and presents.

Tomorrow, the 15th, my husband is taking off work and we’re going to have a fun filled day with Zoey to celebrate her birthday as a family. Not sure what we’re going to do just yet.. but definitely something FUN! Saturday the 16th is Zoey’s birthday party. We’re having a Toy Story themed party at the park with cupcakes and pizza.

Sunday, the 17th.. a day of REST. We will sit around the house in a food and cake coma and wonder how we made it out of this week ALIVE!

Now, I gotta go.. The news just broke in saying that they expected a tornado outbreak in the county I live in over the next hour. They keep saying the biggest threat is to the east and I consider myself to the West.. but I am still scared to death nonetheless. I HATE tornadoes! I love thunderstorms but when they turn tornadic I tend to freak out. I also hate that I am home alone with the girls while my husband is at work. Wish me luck!

The BIG Birthday Gift

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Candy

This is Zoey’s big birthday gift from Grandma, Grandpa, Mommy & Daddy! It’s a swingset that has this little “play house” area with a slide. It’s small enough that Zoey can play on it now but big enough that it should last until at least 6 years old.

Gene and I slaved 4 (FOUR!) hours putting this thing together. When we did the big “reveal” to her? She didn’t want anything to do with it and seemingly didn’t even NOTICE this huge monstrosity in our back yard. Kids! So she has been scared to death of it and would never go farther than the first step on the ladder.

As you can tell by the picture above, only almost two weeks after we’ve had it, she FINALLY got the courage to go up herself and she was hooked!

After she would climb up, she would sit at the top of the slide with a look of PURE joy on her face. I mean, you can’t even put words into this kind of innocent happiness.

Wheeeeeeeee!

I sat in the chair on the patio and watched her go down the slide and then go back up the ladder, only to go back down the slide again… about 30 times in a row. She would sit down at the top of the slide and wait for me to count to three… “1…. 2….. THREEEEE!” and she would laugh hysterically and push herself down the slide. At the bottom she would hop up on her feet and run as fast as she could towards me and collapse in my arms only to turn around and run back to the structure and do it all over again. THIRTY TIMES. AT LEAST.

To be a kid again! To have all of that excessive energy and find absolutely happiness and joy out of such a simple task. We could all learn a thing or two from these little kids.

Bradford Pears

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Candy

Every year right around the start of spring, usually when the weather has sustained warm-ish temperatures (50-70) for a week, the Bradford Pears start blooming. It is around this time that you can almost hear the entire city sniffling and sneezing if you listen close enough. What are these trees that I speak of? Here is one of the THREE that are in my back yard.

The white blooms on these trees are absolutely beautiful. When you drive around town, you can see them everywhere and they are stunning.

The blooms are short lived. It’s so windy in Oklahoma that as soon as a strong spring wind storm or thunderstorm blows through, you’ll find the ground covered in white flowers. The trees eventually sprout very beautiful, big green leaves.

Can you believe such beauty can really cause such misery? I just LOVE these trees. The white blooms, the vibrant green leaves in the summer time and most of all, the absolutely beautiful, almost perfect pear shape they maintain. I’ll keep my allergy & asthma medication and tissues close by and admire these beautiful trees while they still have white blooms on them because these things do not last long at all.

Zoey absolutely LOVES her “owww-errrs” (Flowers) :-)

Our weekend in pictures

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Candy

We had a busy but great weekend. Friday was my sister’s 20th birthday so we took the girls to see Tangled. Kiera slept through the whole thing and Zoey made it through most of the movie but melted down with 15 minutes to go. Gene took her out. To be fair, it was dinner time and she was refusing the snacks we brought so I know she was just hungry. Saturday night we took our friend Malinda out for a birthday dinner (her birthday was also on Friday!) and watched The IT Crowd Season 3 (hilarious!). Today was a day of laundry and hanging out around the house. We had $10 for Kohl’s that expired today so we went and grabbed a few things.

Here are some photos from our weekend:

My family. Love these guys!!

My beautiful little potsticker. Oh she is just precious!

Zoey helped me do dishes (aka play in the BUBBLES!) this afternoon. I taught her how to make Bubble Beards and she thought that was pretty hilarious.

currently on my mind

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Candy

Hubby is preparing to do our taxes. I’m so ready to be done with them. Probably not getting as much back this year as we did last year but I’m ready for the thought of needing to do them to be off of our shoulders.
Kiera has been screaming out randomly. Not sure what’s going on there. She also seems to be a spitter. Spits up a lot and has projectile vomited a few times as well. It’s just her thing, I guess. Her tummy seems fine though and she is pooping regularly now. Crossing my fingers we dodge the Reflux bullet this time around.
I love going to bed at night knowing that I am going to wake up to a clean and tidy living room and a kitchen sink that is empty. I can’t make this happen every night but I sure try to do it as often as I can.
Zoey was being so silly tonight and laughing uncontrollably when I would tickle her or pretend to blow raspberries into her armpits. Her laughter and smiles make me feel SO happy and carefree. They pretty much wash all of my worries or burdens away.
I went to Target tonight solo. I actually put on my pre-pregnancy non-maternity jeans and a shirt and I felt AMAZING. I listened to the music loud in the car, I drove the non-kid-friendly car, I took my time looking at clothes. I had a magnificent time! By the time I was ready to check out though, my jeans were rubbing against my c-section incision and OW! I was happy to come home and get into something more comfortable and stretchy.
Our swing’s batteries are already dying. They take 4 D batteries. Who invented this thing?! If I could walk into a store and steal anything I wanted without getting caught and without any moral implications, I would steal 4 D batteries. How sad is that?
I put gas in our Toyota Echo, the non-kid-friendly vehicle I spoke of earlier, and oh. my. gosh. $25 to fill it up. A car that I’ve EASILY been able to fill on $10 in the past. Our CR-V needs gas really bad and now I am too scared to take it to the gas station.
I’m ready for spring! Warm weather, playing outside, evening thunderstorms. Winter needs to GO AWAY now!

Well that is all for tonight. It’s time to get Kiera in bed and then get ourselves in bed. We stay up until 1 AM every night but I am faring pretty well so far. It’s amazing how much better I feel now that I am not pregnant anymore. Kiera’s pregnancy just sucked the life out of me. I think it was a combination of taking care of a toddler every day and also that her pregnancy was completely different than Zoey’s.

zoey elise, 22 months – part two!

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Candy

She’s been 22 months old for almost a month now but I couldn’t help but share some fun pictures. I am feeling great for the most part these days and the weather has been GORGEOUS. We’ve been spending the afternoons in the backyard, running off energy that has been building up for the last, oh, FOUR MONTHS.

First, we pick “flowers” (weeds) and smell them.

And by smell, I mean blow. Because the girl is still trying to figure out how to sniff/smell things. We have a scratch n sniff book and when you tell her to smell it, she will put her lips up to the picture and then blow. So, naturally she was blowing on her “flower.” I correct her every time but I secretly hope she’ll keep doing this a little longer. It’s adorable and so innocent.

Her favorite thing right now is STICKS! Except when she says it, it sounds a lot more like DICKS! Another thing that is adorable and hilarious but needs to be corrected. She runs around the yard playing with sticks and only sticks. Sometimes she picks up the occasional rock and says ROSS! (Rocks) Yesterday she picked up a piece of dog poop and yelled ROSS! while holding it up and then proceeded to try to feed it to Emma. Emma understandably turned her head away and then walked off. I explained to Zoey that was not a rock and it was yucky and sanitized the crap (ha ha!) out of her hands.

Those lips. Those big eyes. The puffy cheeks. Every single thing about this little girl is absolutely amazing. I love her more and more every day. I can’t imagine my life without her in it. I don’t even REMEMBER my life before she existed. It feels like a different life altogether and I have to say, I LOVE my new life!

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