Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Still can't figure out what to do...

... about these darn lampshades. I am not sure if you remember the big flowers I made to put on these lampshades? They just didn't look right, mostly because they weren't made out of solid fabric. I didn't really want to have to start all over, they were very time consuming to make. So I thought this might work for a punch of color? My accent color is coral, so I thought maybe it'd be a nice place to put some. I am just not sure how I feel about it. I am going to leave it for now, and then see how it looks in the room. I also still have the large flowers. I was thinking I might try spray painting them to make them solid.

I guess I'll see how this looks first. Might be just a bit too frilly for me.



Working on it!

We have been working on sitting lately. Aubrey was fully sitting around 5 months, she was very sturdy, I think it was all her chunk! Addi was sitting closer to 6 months, she was so itty bitty she didn't have much to make her sturdy. Greyson seems to be right in the middle of them, in the chunk department.

He is doing an awesome job at learning to sit. He is fairy sturdy (even with his skinny legs). This is my absolute FAVORITE milestone.

Why, you ask?

This is the milestone that makes it easier to put them down, and easier for them to interact and play! They still aren't mobile, so you can put them down and they play so nicely and contently and they stay right where you put them. The girls will have an easier time interacting with him, and him with them!

I can't wait. But once he starts sitting, that is when I would like all this growing up business to STOP!


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Let's Recap.

Let's recap my day thus far. I started to make dinner, getting it ready to put it in the crockpot. I quickly washed the pint of blueberries that we had gotten for the week, to give the girls to keep them occupied while I "quickly" put dinner together. I was just about to finish up and remembered I needed to add red pepper flakes. I quickly got the container and went to sprinkle some on, the inner top had not been fully on and almost the whole container of red pepper flakes ended up on my roast. I freaked out! I started trying to spoon them out, but there were just too many and I was taking out too much sauce in the process. Strain it, I thought! I grabbed a sifter and started pouring spoonfuls of the sauce through it. What feels like an hour later, but is probably really only 15 minutes later, I'm still doing it and there is still a ton. I give up! I take the roast out and start making the sauce all over again. What a waste.

I finally go over to the girls to find they have eaten the entire weeks worth of blueberries. They had been talking and playing in the other part of the kitchen so I didn't think they were really eating that many, and in my panic to save dinner I totally forgot to take them away.

So then, I was playing with the girls and Aubrey was getting this plastic school bus toy off the shelf and hit me right in the corner of my eye. Scratching my eye ball and face. Fun times.

On top of that Addi has pretty much been a teething, whiney mess.

To end the fun morning...I was putting Greyson in tummy time and I turn around to see Addi splashing around in Aubrey's little potty, which turns out Aubrey had JUST peed in.

Is this day over yet?

P.S. Right after I finished posting this, I went to change Greyson's diaper. Yep, just got peed on by Greyson for the first time. (Guess I should consider myself lucky that I lasted this long without getting peed on).

Changes.

Greyson has been sleeping in his own room for two weeks now. He has been doing an awesome job. Over this past week or so, he has created a very strange schedule for himself. Mostly strange because he clumps his feedings together. Here has been a typical schedule for us (this has been going on since Friday the 18th).

Bedtime: 7:30-8:00PM
Wakes up to eat: 6:30-7:30AM (sleeping anywhere from 11-12 hours before waking to eat).
Goes back to sleep until: 8:00-8:30 (Eats again when he wakes up)
Naps: 10:00-12:00AM
Plays: 12:00-2:00PM
Eats: 2:00PM
Plays:2:30-3:30PM
Eats: 3:30PM
Sleeps- 4:00-6:45PM
Plays: 6:45-7:15PM
Eats- 7:15PM
Bedtime: 7:30-8:00PM

Isn't that just crazy! He eats in the morning twice within two hours, then not again for 6 hours. Then eats twice again with an hour or so, then naps for almost three hours eats, and then sleeps for almost 12 hours. Very strange schedule, compared to the girls who spaced out their feedings equally. I guess if I really think about it, he has just adjusted to our schedule. We are usually very busy in the mornings, so he doesn't eat then, he waits until we get home. Then just eats as much as he can to store up for his nap and bedtime.

Greyson has also tried two new fun activities! Swinging and jumping. Well actually his sisters are the ones bouncing him up and down in the jumperoo, so he isn't so much "jumping" yet, but I didn't want to put jumperooing, it just sounded silly!

So yeah, back to the swinging and jumping. He loves them both! He laughs and giggles the whole time.

BTW, he has the BEST giggle EVER! (Check out the video!)



So in other news, I have kicked up my working-out into full gear. I have NEVER been one to work out, and definitely not one to do it everyday. Well let me just shock you all by saying, I have started working out almost an hour everyday. I know some of you may have just fallen out of your chair in shock, so I will give you a second to process that.

La, La, Laaaaaaaaa.... Mel is working out EVERYDAY... La, La, LA, Lahhh.... for almost an hour...  DEE, DAAAAH!

So you back with me yet? Ok ready for another shock?

I am actually quite enjoying it!

Bet you never thought you'd hear (see) those words come out of my mouth. Well, it's true. I actually look forward to it, it wakes me up. Breastfeeding really wipes me out, and I feel like I am in a fog until I work out.

(Yes you are still reading the right blog, and... NO, Greg has not snuck on here pretending to be me).

Believe me, Greg is in just as much shock as you all are. For those who aren't shocked, then you don't know how little I have worked out in my lifetime. I think most people work out more in a week than I usually do in a year. It was THAT bad. The only times I have really ever worked out was after having Aubrey, and a tiny bit after having Addi. Even then I was only working out once or twice a week, max (and dreaded almost every second of it). That is not to say I wasn't active, because I did play softball my whole childhood, and I loved me some racquetball in college. I just didn't "work-out", I found it to be very boring.

So there you go. Consider yourself updated (well for the most part). :)

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Two Weeks.

It's exactly two weeks until Aubrey turns 3. I can hardly believe it! She has grown up so quickly.
Last night as we started looking into preschools for her, I got kind of sad. I Imagined dropping her off at school for a few hours to fend for herself, then imagined being apart from her for that long, it all just seems unbearable. I know that sounds crazy, but I love every second with her. Well almost every second, I could do with out the crazy attitude she's had lately. That's besides the point. Most times she is an awesome, funny, sweet, and silly little girl. She is so helpful with Addi and Greyson, and is just so wise beyond her years. I love having her to talk to.

I just can't wrap my head around how much she's grown. How can three years have gone by already?

This year we are going to have a belated birthday party for her. I feel awful for putting it off but I really wanted to have her party at our house. I am just tired of doing it at a park, its always unbearably cold. So now we will just have to wait. We will do a small family party now, so she will at least get a fun celebration around her actual birthday! We also plan on taking her to Disney for her birthday, I CAN NOT wait to see how much she loves it! She is going to have a blast!

I am so excited to see how much she learns and changes this year. I just hope it doesn't go by too fast!



Tuesday, January 22, 2013

My giggly boy!

Greyson is such a happy baby. He is always talking and giggling his little head off (well, maybe more his BIG head off hehehe, gotta love all my big headed babies). He is just so fun to be around. I am just enjoying every second of this stage. He stays stills, he coos, he smiles, he laughs, he rarely cries. Can't get much better than that! Can he please just stay this age forever! Well maybe not FOREVER, but at least for a good bit longer!

Doesn't his large gash in his forehead make him look all rough and tough, lol! That boy has some crazy sharp nails. ;P

Thursday, January 17, 2013

The Battle.

Greyson did great again last night! No crying at all and after my day yesterday I really needed it.

Yesterday was one of the most trying days I have had yet. If you haven't read my post about Aubrey, (http://moorecraziness.blogspot.com/2013/01/2-going-on-16.html) then read that first. Yesterday she took it up a notch.

Addi was really tired, so I was putting her down for a nap. Aubrey joined me in Addi's room to help me put her down for her nap, as she usually does. She decided to start snooping through boxes. Well she found one with some of her birthday gifts in it. I asked her not to look in it. She thought it was Grandma's, so she moved it out into the middle of the kitchen. I asked her not to, then picked it up and put it back. She FREAKED. She started screaming at me, then slammed the door in my face. I went in and got her out, since Addi was trying to sleep in there. She threw herself on the ground and screamed at me more. I told her she seemed tired so it was nap time. She then yelled "NO! I NOT NAP EBER." Then ran into the living room (still crying hysterically) and slammed the door and locked it. I followed asking her to unlock it or she would be in trouble. She unlocked it and ran in her room. I followed and started putting her nap time diaper on. She kicked at me screaming "Leave me alone." The kicking continued, I basically wrestled the diaper on her and put her in bed. One minute later she is out running around the house naked with her underwear in hand, screaming "I NOT WANT TO GO TO BED YET."

I finally got her calmed down and we had a nice and long discussion about how she acted. She apologized and gave sweet hugs and kisses and then told me she had a really bad headache. Probably got it from screaming her head off. After some Tylenol, she went right to bed, no problem. I swear she flips a switch from happy to mad back to happy in the blink of an eye. I literally felt like I fought a battle. If it was a battle, I am pretty sure I was defeated.

Later that night she was having a blast working out with Grandma (video and pic to follow, don't you worry), and I walked in and she freaked out all over again. I swear it's me, she is just so mad at me. ALL THE TIME. I am wondering if it is because we have been stuck home so much lately.

Too tired to think about it all right now. So here is the video and picture I promised!


Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Nights 2 & 3.

Night two was amazing! Greyson went down with no problem. We put him down awake at 8:30 and he was asleep within 5 minutes, no fussing, no crying, not a single peep! He then slept until 4:30, ate, and went right back to sleep. He slept until 8:30.

On a kind of unrelated/related note, Greyson has found his thumb. He still loves his paci, but if he can't find it to put it in, he just pops his thumb in and is content. I think this might be making this transition go more smoothly. We haven't even had any issues at all with naps. We put him down awake every time, and he just goes to sleep. Naps were always tougher for the girls. They cried a lot more at nap time then they ever did at night.

So onto night three (the final night, according to my doctor it only takes three nights to have them self soothing and going to bed on their own) was pretty good. I put him down around 6:30 he usually does a short little nap around dinner time. Well he decided it was bedtime and slept until midnight. I was getting nervous because he didn't get his last feed in before calling it a night. He woke (didn't cry at all, but I got him because of skipping his last feeding), ate, and went right back to sleep. He then woke up at his normal 4:30 feeding. He woke, ate, and then cried for about 10 minutes then finally went back to sleep. He then slept in until 9:15. So not a bad night if you ask me. We normally would not wake up for two feedings in one night, but since he skipped his last feeding I didn't really count it as two night feeds.

It seems like things have improved greatly from the first night. Now I just need to see if he weighs enough to sleep through the night, then we will get rid of that night feed all together! Then maybe I will be able to think straight again...

Doubt it! :P

Sucking his thumb.   





Monday, January 14, 2013

Sad the Weekend is Over.

This weekend was so much fun. I got to hang out with friends I hadn't seen in forever. A few weeks ago we started planning a girls night. Yes, it is sad. I now have to plan weeks in advance to see my long lost friends. We are all just so busy. I miss the days where we were planning things the night of because we already knew we'd be doing something no matter what, just didn't know what yet. Those were the good ol' days.

It was so awesome to be back together again. I miss them all like crazy. It is nice to know though, that when I am home with my kids feeling pretty lame that they aren't partying it up. I thought for sure I was missing out on EVERYTHING, but they are pretty much doing the same thing (maybe not as much as me) just minus the kids. It was such a fun night, although I had the most fun when we weren't at the loudest bar ever. Yes, I am old and you know what I don't care. I think I am much more into house parties, bbq's, and small get togethers than I am going to a bar. At least I can hear people there lol.

Wow I am sounding older and older the more that I type. Oh well.



Besides all that fun, we also had a great family weekend. We took Aubrey to get her first hair cut. I was so nervous about it because Aubrey is not good with strangers. She was awesome. She seemed to really like the lady who was cutting her hair. She started off by adding some sparkly polish to her teal nails (Yes. I am passing on my love for all things teal to my daughter). She got to pick out a show to watch, and got stickers to play with while the hair stylist did her stuff.


Before


After



Checking herself out!
Isn't she just adorable?

On Sunday we headed over to Pam and Todd's house. It is really just so nice getting together with them. We always have so much fun, and their son Ben and Aubrey play together so well. It's so cute to watch them. When we are there we have a hard time leaving because the kids are having such a good time, as are we. It is nice to have another couple/family to hang out with! :) Don't worry Emily and Daniel we still miss you guys a ton!

So yep! It was a great weekend. I really wish it had lasted longer. Monday always comes too soon.

Night 1

Last night was rough. We put Greyson in his own room, and he went to sleep easily. He then woke up and cried. He is used to sleeping in the rock and play but we figured we'd transition to crib and his own room in one go. He finally went to sleep and then woke up again and cried, then again, and again. He never wakes up this much. It is usually once a night, twice at most. I am exhausted. I think he hates sleeping flat.

So now I don't know what to do?

Put him in his own room in the rock and play, or continue on?


Friday, January 11, 2013

4 Months.

Greyson is just days away from being 4 months old. This is the point where everything changes around here. I know you are thinking, "huh, why four months?".

Well it goes all the way back to Aubrey. When she was a newborn, she never slept, she always ate, and we were pushed to our limit. We were permanently exhausted and we had just switched to a new pediatrician (I believe I have written a post about all this before?). He asked how sleeping was going and we both deliriously laughed and asked "What sleep?". He then asked if she was in her own room yet. I told him "Heck no, that will not be happening until 6 months at the earliest." I am a crazy worrier and everything I had read about SIDS said no earlier than 6 months, and not only that Aubrey woke up every other hour to eat. There was no way I was going to get fully out of bed to go get her and feed her. I just didn't have the energy to do that. Our doctor went on to say it was time, and she shouldn't be waking to eat at all because she is a big baby. I was so skeptical.

We followed his directions and it literally took one night and she was sleeping 12+ hours. Then we did the same thing with Addi. Addi was smaller so we knew she would still need fed at least once a night, but she cut that feeding out within a month or so. So now it is Greyson's turn. I have been looking forward to/ dreading this for a while now. I'm looking forward to not having a baby in our room. I am not looking forward to putting him to bed awake, and possibly having to hear him cry. He is not much of a crier, so I think it will break my heart a little bit if he cries. I am also a little sad that it kind of means his newborn stage is over. I won't get night time cuddles with him anymore. :( He is my last baby and I just don't want him to grow up.

Anyways, we start Monday. I actually did start naps today. Usually he naps wherever I am. Today, for his morning nap I put him down awake in his bed. He cried for maybe a minute and then was out. I want to go check on him so badly, since I totally forgot to set up the video monitor in there.

I must resist.

MUST resist.

Darn it, I am going to go check. I just want to make sure he's sleeping well.

(Will update with picture in just a few).

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Lunch with us.

Me: (pointing at Aubrey's plate) "Aubrey can you please eat your lunch?"
Aubrey: "DON'T point at my food!"
Me: "Well if you start eating it, I won't point at it."
Aubrey: "Don't point at my food, EBER."
Me: "Please stop with the attitude."
Aubrey: "YOU STOP WITH THE ATTITUDE MAMA!"

Meanwhile little miss Addi is covered from head to toe in yogurt and cheese sauce, and is meticulously picking all her chicken out of her Mac n' Cheese and throwing it on the ground.

Fun times.









Monday, January 7, 2013

Updated.

So I just didn't like how this turned out. I posted this project month's ago. It's been bugging me ever since.

So I changed it.
Still have to spray it with a glossy finish. Then the new color won't seem as shiny compared to the other colors.




New Year, so far so great!!

We rang in the New Year down in Melbourne visiting some great friends (some that happen to be family!). We had a blast. Kayla and I kicked butt playing beer pong. We actually let people continue playing after they lost the game. I was actually telling these boys we were playing about a beer tournament I was in with my friend Jenny. Jenny and I actually made it further than the guys we came with and we were doing really well. (Jenny don't kill me for telling this story). Anyways it was our fourth game of the night and Jenny had done the majority of the drinking, because she is an awesome friend like that. Anyways we were ahead and next thing I know I see Jenny's arms swinging and our cups go flying and there is beer everywhere. We automatically lost. Anyways I was telling this story to these guys and next thing you know one of them knocks their remaining cups over. I gave them such crap for it because I had literally just warned them not to. We let them reset their cups, because if I win something I want it to be because I was legitimately better. Anyways we went on to win that game and the whole tournament for the night! Are you saddened by my competitiveness? LOL! I blame it on growing up with three super competitive brothers. :) We had fun with sparklers, stacking cups, and ice luges. We ended the night with our annual poker game, it lasted a bit later than I would of liked (we only got about 3 hours of sleep before the girls woke up). They have been having this party for 4 years now (I think), and each year is more fun than the last (if that's even possible).
I didn't remember to take many pics after the beginning of the night. Oops!










 The kids actually came with us and slept in the guest bedroom. We had all three kids in there together. It was interesting to say the least. Aubrey and Addi stayed up laughing hysterically and playing until around 11 (WAY past their bedtime). Guess they knew it was time to celebrate the new year! Greg and I brought our video monitor so we could watch them all. They played peek a boo for a while (Addi would pop up out of her pack and play and they'd die laughing), they were playing with their cloud b constellation lights (it was basically an awesome light show in there, since they both have one), and Aubrey was crawling over to Addi's pack and play and tickling her. It was so funny to watch. We'd stick our heads in to tell them to go back to sleep and Aubrey would scurry back to her spot on the bed. It was too funny. We figured they were allowed a fun night sleeping in the same room since it was a holiday! At least Greyson slept like a champ. Never woke up, and slept through all the giggles.

This past weekend we went on a double date with Jeff and Kristin. It was so nice to go out with friends and not feel like a Mom for once. We bowled a few games and then went back to their place and played poker, felt just like old times! It will be really nice when we move back, they live less than 5 minutes from our new place! We may have a lot of game nights in our future!!! :D
We got 4 strikes in a row!! :)






2... going on 16.

This is my second time writing this post. I am not happy one bit. I wrote it on the blogger app and it deleted itself somehow. This is the second time it's happened. I thought the first time was my mistake, but this time I was just adding pics to my post and it just disappeared and all that was left was my pictures. GRRRR...

Anyways, back to my original post.

First let me start by saying, those who have met Aubrey pretty much know what an easy toddler she has been. I have been told countless times how lucky I am, and I definitely agree. I am very lucky. So please don't hate me for complaining just a bit. Well I don't really want to call it "complaining", lets call it sharing.

Lately, Aubrey has started to act less and less like herself. She is full of attitude. She is moody, snarky, sarcastic, and just down right nasty at times. She tells us how she thinks it is or should be. She is just too smart for her own good.

Here are a few of her favorite phrases:

"Don't touch that. EVER!"
"Leave me alone!"
"I didn't DO ANY-thing."
"Seriously? SERIOUS-LEEE?"
"Get me _______, NOW!"
"I'm NOT listening to you. I need time out and a spanking!"
"I don't want to. EVER!."

My Mom commented yesterday that she is pretty sure Aubrey has skipped right to being a teenager. Unfortunately, I am inclined to agree. It is a constant battle at our house. She can go from being sweet as pie one second to screaming the next. (See pics below)

Sweet Aubrey...
Smiling, laughing...
Literally the very next second...
Moody Aubrey emerges.
She can turn on you in mere seconds. When she gets really worked up she ends up putting herself in time out (mostly just to get away from us, I think), and once she calms down she returns. I am really at a lose on what to do. For now I have just been trying to stay calm and ask her to rephrase what she is saying and say it in a nice tone. It works some of the time. If she is demanding something, she doesn't get it, until she apologizes and says it nicely. Lastly if those don't work and she hasn't already put herself in time out, we then put her in time out until she is calm (which only takes a couple minutes). She is really sweet and usually an awesome listener. I'd say about 10-15% of the time we get the unruly, crazy teenager. In those moments I feel I lose just a bit more of my already depleted sanity. I fear I will not have any left for when she is actually a teenager.

We may be in for a very bumpy ride.

So goes my life.




Friday, January 4, 2013

Christmas! (Better late than never.)

Christmas this year was nothing like I had envisioned it to be. I imagined being all moved into our new house, decorating, walking around our neighborhood to see all the Christmas lights, hanging our own Christmas lights, starting new Christmas traditions with the girls, and putting up our fake tree. Yes, I said FAKE tree. I like my tree to look perfect and not make a mess in my house, so we have a pre-lit fake tree. I actually really love shaping the tree to look just so. For those who have seen me do crafts with Aubrey you know how anal I am when it comes to creative things. I want them to be perfect, and doing crafts with kids is NEVER perfect, and I go a little insane. I am so bad, I actually fix what Aubrey does. I am working on trying not to do that, because I really don't want her to think she isn't doing it well enough. I'm really trying, PROMISE. 

Ok. (Focus Mel.)

Back to my original topic.

So Christmas wasn't exactly what I imagined. We may have a lot of our own Christmas's ahead, where we can do all those things I envisioned (at least I hope so). It was just really nice to have Christmas like I used to when I was little. Baking with my Mom, opening ornaments on Christmas Eve with my family, decorating a real fresh delicious smelling (Charlie Brown) Christmas tree. Somehow my Mom is the opposite of me when it comes to decorating and crafting. She loves things just the way they are, and feels bad for the tree's that aren't so pretty and has to save them. Needless to say she is awesome at crafting with Aubrey and lets her do things her way. Lol.


Anyways as I was saying, Christmas was just so wonderful. We got to spend time with Greg's family and mine. Christmas Eve we went to Mary's Church to hear her sing. I was really looking forward to it, Aubrey just loves singing.
We then went home and opened ornaments with my family, and Greg put together the kitchen the girls were getting for Christmas. Aubrey had a bit of a rough time going to bed that night. She is terrified of Santa. She asked my brothers and Greg to protect her from Santa, and to make sure he didn't come in her room. We tried to explain that he was nice, but Aubrey wasn't buying it. She is pretty darn smart. If you really stop and think about it, it's pretty scary that a big fat old man, that you don't really know, is coming into your house while you are sleeping. I don't blame her one bit for being scared.

After getting her to bed, we all just hung out, chatting and watching Christmas Vacation (one of my family's faves). We then put all the presents under the tree! I couldn't wait for the girls to wake up and see that Santa had come!
On Christmas Morning, Aubrey ran straight to the tree. She was so excited. We wanted to wait for everyone to arrive before anyone opened anything. Marc had been at his in laws house for Christmas Eve and morning. So it wouldn't be until lunch time that we'd be opening gifts. To pass the time we made Crockpot Hot Chocolate (http://pinterest.com/pin/120260252520507787/). It was the most AMAZING hot chocolate I have ever had. We put extra milk in it because it is very sweet. While we were doing that, the boys went and played our family's traditional basketball game (growing up we either played basketball or football on Christmas day, so fun!). Aubrey had a blast watching them play. She was being very patient about waiting for Uncle Marc. She would ask every hour or so if we could open gifts now, and we'd remind her we were waiting for Uncle Marc and she would say "Oh yeah, not yet. I remember now.".





When she saw Uncle Marc arrive she was SO excited, it was finally present time! The next two hours were a blur of flying wrapping paper and gift bags. Addi opened one gift and played with it the entire time. Aubrey opened the rest of Addi's, most of Greyson's and her own. She had a blast. It was so fun to watch.
Addi using her gift from Uncle Greg in Snoopy's dog bed. A quick and cushy ball pit!



She's ready for rain!



We then ate a yummy meal, put the girls down for quick naps, and squeezed in a family game before heading to Greg's Mom's house. I was a little worried about cutting the girls naps short, but they were was so excited about seeing their cousins that they were great. We got there and Aubrey instantly started opening her gifts, then the kids ran off to play in the playroom. They had a blast. We then had a delicious dinner, after that all the kids were done. They were so funny, rolling around on the ground deliriously. 




The cousins went home, and the girls went to bed. We then decided to play yet another game (can you tell we love games, we love anything competitive. LOL). We headed to bed a little after midnight. We were so exhausted from such a long, fun day. It was truly a fantastic Christmas. Aubrey still talks about how much fun she had. 

While opening gifts was fun, I think the best part for our little family was getting to spend it with our families. 

So yes, It wasn't exactly the Christmas I envisioned. It was even better.