A new craft

I made my first diaper cake a few days ago. It was fun, easy, and turned out pretty cute for a first attempt. Below is the first layer. I cut a round piece of cardboard out and covered it in Tinfoil. Then put a box of wipes on the base, surrounded it with two cloth diapers that were embellished with fabric (to be used as burp clothes) and stuffed it with rolled diapers. For the second layer I started with some baby lotion, and then wrapped the rolled diapers around it. The outermost layer is wrapped in coordinating polkadot and "it's a boy" ribbon. All tied together with a tiny piece of white string that's hidden behind the ribbon.

Top layer is composed of a couple bottles, diaper ointment and babywash all wrapped in another embellished cloth diaper/burp cloth and wrapped with ribbon.

And to finish it all off, the best bib ever bunched together and popping off the top.

Cute, right?

5 Months Old!

Dear Eli,


You're 5 months old! You are a sweet, happy baby and very social! You love being held, played with and talked to and will almost always provide a smile for the strangers that comment on how cute you are. Along with that smile, you've started vocalizing a lot. You take a breath and "talk" for as long as that breath holds, and then start again as soon as you've gotten another breath.


You developed a quick love for the blanket your Nana made you. In fact, if you're having a hard time falling asleep I grab the blanket for you. We discovered this one day as you were screaming at the top of your lungs, obviously tired and unable to fall asleep. I gave you your blanket, you rubbed it all over your face for a couple minutes and then you were out! (Thank you Nana for the magic blankets, all of our kids LOVE them.)


You learned to sleep in all sorts of random places this month. Your bouncy seat...

Your feeding chair...

The back pack...

You're much more alert now and really notice things around you. Ryan had just woken up in this picture, but you're wide awake and ready to play!

You discovered some new things this month. I didn't think you were big enough for your jumper, but DM gave it a shot and you love it! When we first put you in it, you could barely reach the floor. Now you can reach the toys in front of you and your legs bend when your feet are flat on the floor. You're also fond of the exosaucer and enjoy all the toys, music and noises you find as you spin yourself around.

You've found your feet and they're currently your favorite toy.

You also decided your fingers are a good snack! No teeth yet, but the drool has begun and you have a little white bump on your gums.

You started solids towards the end of the month. It took a day or two to get the hang of the spoon, but once you did there was no stopping you. You'll pull away from breastfeeding and scream, wanting cereal. We've quickly worked a few veggies into your diet as well, for a little variety. You are as fond of the green veggies as you are of the orange, hopefully that continues. So far you've had rice cereal, green beans, peas and sweet potatoes. We've been giving you just a tablespoon or so of food once a day, but it's obvious you'll be looking for more than that pretty soon.

Now, wee one, lets talk about sleep. You were doing so well. You slept through the night a couple times a week and the other nights you were usually only up once. Over the last month, I think you've only slept through the night a night or two and are up once if not twice. You favor wakings at 1:30 and/or 4:30 and get up for the day anywhere between 5:30 and 8. Your wake up time depends on how many times you are up during the night. You are usually still taking three naps a day. Either the mid morning or mid afternoon nap is good, often lasting 1.5 hours, however the other is anywhere from 20-45 minutes, then as we're making dinner you often catch a quick nap in the backpack. We're hoping our trip to Colorado next month magically makes you start sleeping, like it did with your big brother at this age.

Here's a picture of you with Ryan. He's taking his role as big brother seriously and teaching you the video game ropes early. By the way, can you see the mess your brother and sister can make of a house after only being up for an hour?

As for milestones, you've rolled twice, but not intentionally. Your leg and stomach muscles are really strong so I'm sure it will happen in the next couple weeks. Also, we were at the pediatrician's office for Ryan and while there I thought we'd get your weight and height. With clothes on, you weighed in at 15pounds 5 oz and you're 25inches long.

Looking forward to another fun filled month little man. We love you!!!

Love,

Mommy

Happy Birthday

My friend Jenna would have been 37 today. Happy Birthday Jenna...I miss you!

WOOHOO!

The hubs and I are actually going out tonight! Without our kids!! A friend offered us free tickets to the CMA's!!! I love Little Big Town...seriously, they make me swoon... and the hubs likes the Zac Brown Band, so it should be really fun! One of two scenarios will play out for the babysitting, I'm still waiting to hear. One option has all three kids going to a family friend, the other has them splitting up between two friends. Both women are great with my kids and I trust them completely, unfortunately, just as Makenna got easier I went and had another kiddo. I have issues with other people having to deal with my crying child and hate to put people out, so I'm struggling with someone watching the Wee One tonight. It's all for a good cause though, marital harmony and music are two of my favorite things.

Wordy Wednesday

What was the best part of your day yesterday? Mine was working on a sidewalk chalk masterpiece with Ryan yesterday afternoon. I'm not going to lie, this 3 kid thing is tough and I find myself constantly pulled in multiple directions and feeling like I never meet anyone's needs completely, including my husbands. For a period of time yesterday afternoon Makenna was napping, Eli was happily hanging out in the shade enjoying the breeze and Ryan and I worked side by side to create a sign to welcome daddy home after a long day. I felt more relaxed during that half hour than I've felt in a long time, and for once all my children were happy....or sleeping.

So what was the best part of your day?

Tuesday Twelve

Twelve random thoughts...in no order.

1. It's officially summer! Ryan's last day of school was wednesday although we had to go in friday morning to pick up his report card. He did so well this year and his teacher said she'll really miss him. Ryan's going to miss her too.

2. We'll be doing "homework" and have reading time each day so he doesn't slide during the summer months. He's had fun with it so far.

3. The hubby's company laid off a bunch more people last week. Morale is low, he's stressed and working long hours, and he's wondering if his job will be in the next wave. Gah!

4. We have a trip to Colorado planned this summer. I'm already wondering how the drive with 3 little ones will be and thinking about things I can do to make it smoother! I'm also looking forward to seeing family and getting out of town for a bit.

5. Old Navy had an additional 50% off clearance items last week. Makenna's entire outfit yesterday, capri's, a cute top and flip flops, cost $8. Yay for bargains.

6. We've recently discovered that a builder is trying to build 200 apartments IN OUR SUBDIVISION! Apparently they're small, low rent and can be classified as section 8.

7. This is not going to help us sell our house. The house that is already too small for our family. The house that we've put blood, sweat, tears and money into to increase resale.

8. Did I mention the house next door is for sale and one across the street went into forclosure last week?

9. Makenna went into the childcare at church sunday. Her first time! It took three tries to drop her off and she was sobbing when I picked her up. But she did it!

10. We found out yesterday that my old boss, someone who was once a close friend of ours, passed away. We're waiting to hear results from the autopsy to determine cause of death. I wish we could be in Colorado to meet up with friends and reminisce.

11. Ryan's baseball team finished regular season games this past sunday, now we play in the tournament this weekend. His team probably ranked in the bottom of the gold bracket, meaning they're the worst of the best. I'm proud of Ryan and his team, they've had a great season.

12. We really need to find a plumber. Who knew it would be so difficult? I guess when you add demolition to the plumbing, it makes it more difficult. Maybe a general contractor is in order?

Memories of a friend.

I went to get a pedicure a couple days ago with Jacy. While we were there, I remembered a time I'd been there with my friend Jenna. She'd wanted a pedicure before going on a cruise and I was happy to join her and get my feet ready for spring. I was thinking about that day, and surprised by how much I remembered about it. I remember where we each sat, what she was wearing, what her girls were wearing and where they hung out, what Makenna was wearing and what we talked about. I couldn't figure out why I had such a vivid memory of those moments until it hit me...that day was the last time I saw Jenna happy and excited and full of her contagious laughter. I spent lots of time with her in the months that followed, before she passed away, but I never saw her that happy again.

I'm glad I have those memories and they have remained so complete.

I really miss my friend.

An Interview with Ryan

This is something floating around the blogosphere. I asked Ryan the questions and here are his answers...

1. What is something I always says to you? "Clean your bedroom"
2. What makes me happy? "when I clean my bedroom"
3. What makes me sad? "when I don't clean my bedroom"
4. How do I make you laugh? "by telling jokes"
5. What was I like as a child? "funny"
6. How old am I? "26"
7. How tall am I? "55 inches...and maybe 5 feet"
8. What is my favorite thing to do? "go to babyshowers"
9. What do I when you're not around? "go to the store"
10. If I become famous, what will it be for? "the family"
11. What am I really good at? "working on the computer, cuz you're so fast at it"
12. What am I not very good at? "video games"
13. What do I do for a job? "take care of Eli and Makenna and me"
14.What is my favorite food? "what we had for dinner last night...what was it?"
15.What makes me proud of you? "being nice to my sister"
16. If I were a cartoon character, who would I be? "bugs bunny"
17. What do we do together? "go for walks"
18. How are we the same? "we both like music"
19. How are we different? "I like video games and you like...well you don't like them"
20. How do you know I love you? "you always love me, you tuck me in and read me books"
21. What do I like most about daddy? "you got him as a husband"
22. Where is my favorite place to go? "the restaurants or stores"

Mommy brag

Makenna is amazing me lately. There's not a day that goes by without her learning a new word or five! She's also working really hard on pronunciation. She'll repeat a word over and over until she gets it right. Along with that she sings her ABC's and can count to 10...with a little prodding and minimal help. Not too shabby!

The girl also loves music...she fits right in with the rest of the family. She wakes up in the morning and sings to herself before getting out of bed. Numerous times each day she breaks into song, usually at the top of her lungs. :) She has opinions about what kind of music she likes and what she doesn't, and already shakes her booty and drops it like it's hot. Cute now, but she'll be the death of me when she starts going to dances.

Unfortunately, along with all this growth, has come the two year old independance and temper. She's spending a lot of time in time out right now and I think it may get worse before it gets better. She also knows exactly when to do things she isn't supposed to. In case you're wondering when that is, it's when I'm feeding Eli, or he's in the bath, or I'm changing his diaper. Hmmmm, I'm sensing a pattern. I don't think she's jealous, but I think she gets frustrated with the amount of time I spend with him.

A couple weeks ago we were driving and she was really tired. I looked back to see her rubbing her nose against her car seat. She did that when she was a baby to fall asleep, but I hadn't seen her do that in a really long time. Just when I think she's growing up, she does something like that to remind me she's still my baby girl.

Baby Blues

I haven't been posting much lately, I've been in a bit of a funk. I think the baby blues hit about a month ago and while they aren't terrible, it's been enough to make me grumpy, tearful, impatient and hard to live with. The crashing hormones are also causing my normal postbirth mass exodus of hair. You would not believe the handfuls of hair that fall off my head each day. My hairdresser told me to take biotin along with my prenatals, I might have to give that a try.

Thankfully, the rain seems to have passed for a bit, the sun has been out all week and the humidity hasn't kicked in yet. It's been a glorious week and my mood has improved drastically. Which, in turn, has caused everyone in our house to be happier. The hubs says "when mommy isn't happy, no one's happy." Sadly, this is true. I'm hoping that I'm through the worst of it, especially since Ryan is out of school for the summer in just a couple days.

Oh, and if I ever say I'm moving to Seattle, try not to laugh in my face while gently reminding me what the weather (along with crashing hormones) can do to my mood and feeling of well being.

4 months

Dear Eli,

You're 1/3 of a year old now! How time flies!

You are changing and growing so much. At your well check you weighed in at 14 lbs 3 oz and 23 1/2 inches. This puts you at 38% for weight and 9% for height. Our pediatrician said you're short and chubby, just the way babies are supposed to be. She also said you had the most beautiful head, then went on to tell me it's in the 58th percentile. Ha! Your daddy and I are sure you're going to be a genius. Physically you're right on track with good head control, really strong legs gained through your love of standing, and the ability to push up while on your tummy.

You're much more alert this month, than you have been. You stay awake for much longer periods, take shorter and fewer naps, and hate to miss out on anything fun around you. You love watching Ryan and Makenna play near you and you'll smile constantly if they're laughing and smiling. If they're fighting or Makenna is crying, however, you'll often start to cry as well. It appears that you're already empathetic to your siblings. You started grabbing at toys this month and especially love an elastic string and wooden ball toy that your cousin Sebastian sent you. It's easy to hold and you get so excited when you get one of the wooden pieces into your mouth to chew on. Mommy loves that it's not plastic and nontoxic. (Thank you again Aunt Sheryl!)

You also started belly laughing this month. You do this when we play peek a boo and patty cake, and sometimes when I sing to you and your daddy flys you in the air. We've discovered tickle spots on your belly and under your arms which bring on the giggles too. It cracks your daddy and I up when we change your clothes, just lifting your arms makes you break into laughter...which in turn causes us to do the same.

We had a visit from your Gramps and Grammy this month. It's been a year since we last saw them in Arizona, so we all enjoyed the visit. You were such a good baby and gave them smiles each time they'd chat with you and you loved to hear my dad whistle. His whistle often caused you to stop fussing and look at him for more. Grammy spent lots of time holding you up to look out the window, another sure fire way to calm you, when you're upset. I'm so glad they got a chance to spend time with you at this age, because you're so sweet and fun and smiley right now!

You'd started sleeping through the night, but that stopped early this month. Most nights you were up once and sometimes twice, although we still got a few all nighters. We'll be starting solids sometime in the weeks ahead, so we'll see if that helps you get through the night more consistently. I'm not complaining though, you generally get up, eat and go right back to sleep.

You're still sleeping in the pack n play in our master closet. Once you're consistently sleeping through the night we'll move you into the crib and you and Makenna will share a room. She's in her big girl bed now, so she's ready for a roommate!

Eli, your sly little smirks and gummy grins brighten my day...every day. I'm so happy you're with us and am really enjoying watching you grow.

I love you always!
Mommy

New Post

I just posted Eli's 3 month birthday post, backdated to the 19th. You'll have to scroll down to th to see it. I think it's worth the scroll to see Eli in his Johnny Cash shirt. Not that I'm biased.

8 things...

I was tagged by my friend Meredith...

8 things I'm looking forward to...
1. My dad and stepmom coming to visit for the first time since we've lived here.
2. Praising Makenna tomorrow for sleeping in her big girl bed all night long
3. A good night's sleep.
4. The numbers on my scale dropping...I KNOW it will happen!
5. Figuring out what's wrong with our house and it's numerous plumbing issues.
6. A trip to Colorado.
7. A possible childfree getaway with my husband
8. A girls night out in July, that's already in the planning phase.

8 things I did yesterday...
1. danced!
2. ran a couple errands
3. met friends for lunch, with lots of kiddos in tow
4. Bought sex kitten shoes, which I'll be returning because they're too big. I didn't realize they slid off my heel in the store because I tried them on so quickly. Shopping with 3 kids is difficult.
5. loaded the dishwasher
6. a load of laundry
7. missed my son's baseball game
8. laughed. A lot.

8 things I wish I could do...
1.be more of a risk taker
2. run a marathon
3. shop till I drop
4. Paint my living room and kitchen.
5. buy a bunch of new furniture
6. go back to school
7. build a house from the ground up
8. work out (technically, I know I CAN do this, it's just a matter of finding the time.)

8 shows I watch...
1. Criminal Minds
2. Private Practice
3. Design Inc.
4. Real Housewives of Orange County
5. Amazing Race
6. Survivor
7. House Hunters
8. Flip this House

8 people I tag...
1. Kim @ http://www.simpsonmama.blogspot.com/
2. Tasha @ http://chaoswithadashofsanity.blogspot.com/
3. Julie @ http://rocknrulemama.blogspot.com/
4. Sheryl @ http://ssgriebel.blogspot.com/
5. Rachel @ http://thebeasleyfamily.blogspot.com/
6. Jacy (even though her blog is private)
7. Ellen @ http://mom2chaos.blogspot.com/
8. Christina @ http://kennedyandcatesmomma.blogspot.com/

Cooking Thursday

Ryan, my boy who would eat anything I served him (including raw red onions) until he was 4, is a PICKY eater. He's a carb fiend and the only vegetable I can get into him with any consistency is raw carrots. So, being a sneaky mom, I've been looking for recipes for muffins, breads and cookies that have veggies in them. I had a bunch of zucchini in the fridge about to go bad so today's experiment was Zucchini-Lemon Muffins.

Zucchini-Lemon Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmet

1 cup coursely shredded zucchini

3/4 cup skim milk

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 egg

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl, and make a well in the center of mixture. Combine zucchini, milk, oil, and egg: stir well. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans immediately, and let cool on a wire rack.

Calories 147; Protein 3.1g; Fat 4.3g; Carb 24.3g; Fiber 0.6g; Chol 18 mg; Iron; 1.1 mg; Sodium 62mg; Calc 69 mg

*The cooks changes...

I had enough zucchini to triple this recipe. I used half wheat and half white flour, 1 lemon, not sure what that measures out to, 1 container of fat free plain yogurt in place of the oil, and 6 egg whites in place of 3 eggs.

I thought they were ok, needed more spice and more lemon rind. Ryan's initial response was "these are good!" Then he noticed the little green flecks, causing him to barely finish the muffin.

Here's where I need your help. This is an easy lowfat recipe I'd like to use again, but I need suggestions on how to modify it more. Would you add cinnamon? Vanilla? Raisins? Don't suggest nuts...I think they ruin a baked good! :)

If you make them, post pictures on your blog and any changes you made to the recipe. Then let me know!

Wordless Wednesday

3 Months

Dear Eli,

You're three months old! How can that be? You've left the baby blob stage and no longer look like a newborn. Your cheeks have filled out and that double chin is coming along nicely. Just a couple days into this month you moved out of the fussy evening stage. We were so thrilled the first night you didn't fuss and thrilled that you stopped that so much earlier than we expected. Right about that time you started sleeping through the night. It didn't happen every night, but frequently. I'm in heaven and can't believe the amount of sleep I'm getting with such a young baby in the house!

Like your siblings, you love bath time. You'll sit and splash as long as we let you and hate getting out and getting dressed. Your really tolerant of water on your face and laugh when we try to clean under your chin.

We get tons of smiles from you now. You're especially happy in the morning and love it when we talk to you. Ryan holds you, singing and moving your arms around. You think this is pretty funn and generally reward him with smiles and even giggles. Makenna kisses all over you constantly. Her kisses don't bring giggles, but by the end of this month you started smiling at her. The two of them fight over who gets to hold you, they love you so much!

This month included a couple of exciting things. The first was a short trip to Atlanta and Chattanooga. You traveled really well, the car trips were a breeze. You also did well during the days...sleeping in your carseat or the sleepy wrap and nursing on the go! I was pretty impressed with us as you nursed in the sling while we walked through the Chattanooga aquarium. You went swimming for the first time while in Chattanooga. The water was on the chilly side so we weren't in the pool for long, but you really enjoyed in when I rubbed some of the warm water from the hot tub on your legs. (Thanks to Nana and Papa for your cute swim trunks!)

The other excitement this month was a tornado that hit the town just south of us. We were at a friends house for a playdate and realized that the weather was pretty bad. There were 3 adults and 10 kids, the oldest being 8 and the youngest being you. We spent about an hour piled into a bathroom, most of the kids in the bathtub with mommies and their babies on the floor. You were pretty nonplussed and slept through most of it. The tornado came within a few blocks of us and was classified as an F4. I've had bad dreams since, so I'm glad you don't remember it.

Here's an obligatory shot of you wearing a Johhn Cash Onesie. After all, Music City is your birthplace!

We love you Eli and are looking forward to what the month ahead brings!

Love,

Mommy

Hair Thursday

Three years ago my hair hit my waist when straight, since then I've been slowly chopping it off. I guess it really is true, the more kids you have the shorter your hair gets. I was ready for a change, something fun, edgy, sassy. I was nervous when I left the salon, he diffused it so I had an afro. Now that I've fixed it myself, I'm pretty happy with it.

Hubby is slowly getting on board. His initial response was "woah"...that's it. In his defense, when I left for the appointment I said I was just getting a trim. Surprise!

Could be Wordless Wednesday

Yep, it is what you think it is. The wee one was crying so I left Sassafrass in the tub while I went to get him. When I came back, this is what I saw. I guess I can check off another parental right of passage.

27 Months

Dear Makenna,

You're 2.25 years old and you are full of independance, love, sass and words! Oh my gosh the words! Your vocabulary has exploded over the last couple weeks. It seems that every day you have new words and I love how you say some of them. I need to get it on video because you are so cute. It appears that you and Ryan will both have a southern twang, fitting since we live in Tennessee. You just started saying Thank you...for the longest time in it's place you said "elk" a shortened version of welcome. You call a phone a hello, I love this. Instead of Eli, you call your brother Weewi. It appears to have stuck because now the whole family calls him that. Shower and cereal sound exactly the same, it takes some work to figure out which one you want sometimes. You've begun stringing a couple words together to make short sentances and look so proud when we know exactly what it is you're asking. You will repeat the same thing over and over again until we respond or give you what you want. I hear "Mommy, bye bye?" at least a hundred times each day. We start each day by talking about where each member of the family is. You say "daddy work?" and wait for me to respond. Then you move onto "Bubba school?" and "weewi sleep?". You think it's hilarious when I ask where you and I are. You sing all the time. Current favorites are the ABC's and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

You'd started potty training, but have fallen out of that since our recent travels. We need to get out your potty books again and start reading them numerous times each day. I think that's what initially kicked off your interest.

You LOVE your babies. You have a bunch and seem to love all of them indiscriminately. Numerous times each day you can be found changing a diaper, strolling one around in a stroller, shushing and rocking, wrapping one in a blanket, and you always have a diaper bag in tow...you are a perfect little mommy already! You'd like to use these skills with Eli, but I annoy you by only letting you hold him with constant supervision. You love him so much that you get a little over zealous with your hugs and kisses.

You continue to be a night owl and have begun to fight naps most days. I still get you to take one 3-4 days a week, but you want to go to bed a lot later those days. If I let you, you'll sleep until 9 most mornings and if you haven't had a nap the previous day you'll sleep even longer if I let you.

You are your mommy's daughter and along with babies, your favorite toys are cell phones, keys, books, purses and shoes. We're going to have a lot of fun shopping when you get older little girl.

Sadly, you've started screaming NO when we've made a request you don't like and you and Ryan have begun picking on each other more. You also pick and choose when you want to listen. Consequently, you and your Time Out corner have begun spending a lot more time together.

We've had some challenging times recently, as you've adjusted to having another family member and lots of visitors, but you are still such a joy. Not a day goes by that you don't make me smile and laugh and want to cover you in kisses.

I love you sweet girl!
Mommy

2 Months

Dear Eli,

Happy 2 month birthday!

The past month included a number of Firsts for you! We got to see your first smiles February 25th and you quickly followed them up with your first giggle on March 11. Once you started you haven't stopped and you're especially full of smiles first thing in the morning. I can easily pass an hour just chatting with you and watching your big gummy grin come and go. Along with your grin comes a twinkle in your eye and a scrunched up nose. You are so cute!

Your Nana and Papa came to visit again, towards the end of your second month. They couldn't believe how much you'd grown and changed in the short time since they'd seen you. At the end of their visit you, Makenna and I took a short road trip to Highland to visit your Great Grandma. Your Aunt Sheryl and cousin Sebastian flew in from Colorado, so we had a small family reunion.

You were pretty fussy during one of the days, but the second day you were all smiles and got some good time with GG. You fell asleep on her lap and she loved every minute of it.

You're nursing like a champ, and don't appear to have the tummy troubles Makenna had. Thank goodness! You'll take a bottle from others, but don't like it when I try to give you one. You make a funny face and then let out a pitiful cry. All that nursing is making you grow like a weed. You're weighing in at 10lbs 11oz now and are 22 inches long.

While we were in Highland, your Aunt Sheryl introduced us to the sleepy wrap. You like to be held...a lot, so finding a sling that you like was so exciting! I'm sure you'll spend a lot of time in it during the upcoming months. Your sister and brother are happy about it too, since it means my hands can be free to help them even while I'm holding you.

You're still fussy during the evening hours, but the fussiness has decreased during the last week. During the day you're very content unless one of your needs isn't being met. So far, you've been a really easy going baby. We love this and hope it continues!

I'm looking foward to what the months ahead bring. Watching your relationship develop with Ryan and Makenna will be so fun. I almost forgot to mention that you look so much like Ryan. Here's a picture of Ryan holding you and a picture of him at 3 months. You have the same eyes and nose! Speaking of noses, see Makenna picking hers in the background? She'll hate this picture when she gets older.

I love you little man!

Mommy