6 months!

 

I can't believe how fast 6 months has gone by.

You are such a joy to all of us.

You aren't sleeping through the night yet, but you will get there soon.

You love cuddling up into the corner of your crib when you fall asleep.

You love food! Any type of food. In fact, I can cut up an avocado and feed it to you right from the skin and you will eat the whole thing!

You are almost ready to sit up on your own.

You recently discovered your feet and try to suck on your own toes.

You like to be tickled on your tummy. 

You love to be held and sometimes cry when you see me and realize that I'm not holding you.

Your brother and sister still think that you are the greatest thing since sliced bread!

So glad you are in our lives. 

I love you, little guy!

2 Simple weekend crafts

So I've been sick for the past 4 days. I've been miserable! My throat is killing me, runny nose, sneezing and coughing. I've been in the bed most days. I was getting restless so I decided to go through my craft stash and see what simple crafts I could whip up to help keep my mind off being so sick.
Here's what I came up with.

 

Wrist warmers made out of socks.

and.....

 

Rosette girl's headband made from an old T shirt.

Quick and easy.
If you'd like me to post a tutorial, I'd be happy to do so. My photos didn't turn out so well, so I figured I'd skip the tutorial this time.
Check out some more fabulous crafts here:




A crafty soiree Thursday
http://frugalfabulousdesign.com/
Feature Yourself Friday 
Momma's Kinda Crafty Friday

Last minute Christmas craft

Nothing like trying to make a Christmas wreath 1 day before Christmas.
Found myself at JoAnn's at 9pm Thursday night. Lo and behold, what to my eyes did appear? Christmas decor was 70% off. I couldn't pass up such a great deal.
I quickly filled up my cart with Christmas balls, tinsel, garland and what ever else caught my fancy.
Came home, looked up how to make a Christmas wreath out of ornaments, pulled out my trusty glue gun and approx. 40 minutes later I completed my project. Just in time for Christmas.
I love it.
Looks like I'll be heading back to JoAnn's to stock up on more supplies to make these as gifts for next year.
If you happen to be the lucky recipient of one of these lovely wreaths, pretend you never saw this posting.

Merry Christmas!

Look what I made!

How cute is this pom pom bib necklace? This was so much fun to make. So cute and versatile. Can be worn with a T shirt or you can wear it with a fancy blouse. I found the tutorial at Little Miss Momma.
It is surprisingly easy to make.
I'm loving this newest creation!
Saw how to make it on another blog and thought I'd give it a try.
Go here to see the tutorial: Pom Pom bib necklace.
What do you think?

See more fabulous items here:
Made with Love Monday
Making the World cuter Monday 
A round to it Monday
Motivate Me Monday
Mad in crafts Monday
Momspiration Monday 
Take a look Tuesday  
All Things Related Tuesday
Get your craft on Tuesday
http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ 
http://thecreativeitchboutique.blogspot.com/2011/01/sew-cute-tuesday-11111.html
Look What I made Wednesday 
While he was napping 
Flaunt it Friday
Home story Friday 
Kojo Friday

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving crafts and family stuff.

Here are a few simple Thanksgiving crafts I  made at the very last minute. I figured if we were staying home to celebrate, I might as well make it look a little festive in our house.

I made this banner with a little bit of help from my personal cricut.

These pumpkins were very easy to make. I simply cut 12 strips of 1 1/2" strips of paper.

It was our little guys very first Thanksgiving. He was able to eat a delicious meal of butternut squash (blended, of course). He seemed to enjoy it.

We feasted on honey glazed ham, mashed potatoes & gravy, stuffing, green beans, bleu cheese stuffed mushrooms and deviled eggs. A very satisfying yet simple meal.

A wholelotta Thankfulness!!

I had each of our family members write down on a piece of paper two things they were thankful for.
I put them in a bowl and then at the dinner table, we each picked out two pieces of paper and shared what was written down.
Here goes:
Hubby is thankful for our family and that everyone is healthy.
My Oldest son is thankful for God and the world and family.
Daughter is thankful for Good (God) and her baby brother.
I'm not sure what baby brother is thankful for but it probably has something to do with food. He loves to eat!
I am thankful for friends and family and that everyone is also healthy.
Isn't it interesting that we all are thankful for family? So happy to have our newest member of the family join us for this special day. I'm very thankful for each one of my children and I'm especially thankful for my wonderful, hard working, keeps me laughing, protector and provider Husband!

2:57 A.M.

2:57 A.M.
I find myself getting up at very strange hours of the early morning with my little guy.
Seems as though he isn't ready so sleep through the night yet.
As much as I want to complain and cry and pull my hair out, I won't.
I realize that our little ones grow way too fast. Before I know it they'll be off to College.
My oldest son is already 8. I have memories of rocking him to sleep at night when he was a baby.
Now, I'm lucky if I get a hug from him before bedtime each night.
My Mom always said that the time goes by too fast.
I agree.
 Life is good, especially at 2:57 A.M.

3 Months

I haven't posted on here in 2 months! Little guy is growing fast...here he is at 3 months.

Two Months!

Our little guy turned 2 months on the 24th.

We discovered that he loves music and singing.

His brother and sister will sing to him and he'll coo along with them.

It's very sweet to hear him sing.

He has discovered his thumb and is able to calm himself down when he's upset by sucking on it.

Getting bigger and bigger every day.

This too shall Pass

This is what my Mom would always say when ever I was dealing with a difficult situation.
I need those words of encouragement and hope today.
I love my baby boy and I'm so glad he's here on this earth with us.
However, I'm having a difficult time dealing with him lately. He wants to be held by his Mom 24/7.
Believe me, I'd love to do nothing else but sit around all day and hold my precious baby, but I also have 2 other children and a Husband who are in need of my attention too.
I need to take a shower and clean the house and do laundry so this leaves me limited time to hold him.
I needed a break today! I put him in his crib while I jumped into the shower, needless to say he cried the whole time.
I feel awful for letting him cry but I didn't have a choice.
I do know that someday "This too shall pass".
It gives me hope that the days won't always be this difficult.
Excuse me now while I go and hold my baby.

1 month old!

Our little guy is one month old today!
Wow. It sure does go by fast.
We are so happy to have him here with us, completing our family.
He's still trying to figure things out. He loves to be held and cuddled.

1 Week Old!

Our cute little guy turned 1 week old on Thursday.
We are so happy to have him complete our family. He is just the sweetest baby. If I could have a guarantee that all my babies would be as sweet as him, I'd have a dozen!
I'll enjoy him for now, the time goes by fast and before I know it, he'll be turning one.

Isn't he just the cutest little monkey you ever saw?

Our Baby is here!

Our precious baby boy arrived this morning at 11:37am.
He weighed in at 7 lbs. 8 oz. and measured 19 1/2 inches long.
It was a quick delivery and Mom and baby are doing well.
Life is good!

It's a waiting game.....

I saw my OB Doctor on Friday. Everything looks great for my 36 week check up.
She said I was dilated 2 cm. and the baby's head was nice and low.
It's a waiting game from here on out.
She also said that she didn't think I would make it to 40 weeks, which is fine with me.
I really have a feeling that this baby could be here within the next 2 to 3 days. I'm having contractions off and on and the baby is very active.
Today my oldest turned 8. We all keep joking about how funny it would be if this baby decided to be born today. That would make birthday's easy to remember, that's for sure.
Until the big day, I'll just keep patiently waiting.

Monkeys, monkeys, everywhere you look, monkeys!

Yesterday, my wonderful friends hosted a baby shower for me.
It was such a great time, I'm sad that this will be my last ever baby shower.
However, I'm so grateful for all the wonderful friends I have in our little community, they are all like family to me.

These women went above and beyond for me and I truly appreciate it.
It was a Monkey theme and we all had a great time!

A table in honor of my Mom. She crocheted the blanket you see on the table.

The winner of the bubblegum, baby sculpting competition.The man responsible for getting all this started. My Amazing Husband!

Mother's Day 2010

Well, I'm a couple of weeks late in posting this.
These are the beautiful gifts that I got from my children for Mother's Day.

Two gorgeous, hand painted coffee mugs.
Artful potter came out to the childrens' school about a week before Mother's day and all the children got to paint a mug for their Moms.

I couldn't have asked for a better gift.
My daughter wanted to know who's mug I was going to drink my coffee out of first.
I told her I would put half my coffee in her mug and half my coffee in my son's mug.
she was satisfied with that answer.

Miserable.

7 weeks. I only have 7 weeks to go until I'm home free.
This baby has hijacked my body for the time being and I'm simply miserable.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy to be pregnant and I'm overjoyed that I'm able to give life to another human being.
However, these past 2 weeks have really been hard on me.
Lately, I've had trouble sleeping. I can't seem to find a comfortable position.
When I wake up in the morning, instead of feeling well rested, I have  aches and pains in my hips and pelvic bone.
Ugh.
In some ways 7 weeks seems like it's a long ways off, but I know that it will go by faster than I think.

I'm trying my best to enjoy these last several weeks, knowing that this is the last time I'll ever be pregnant.
For now, when I'm feeling miserable and in constant pain, I need to remind myself to be focused on the final prize at the end.
A beautiful baby!

Don't call me chubby!

Seriously. It's not funny to call a pregnant woman "Chubby". Even if you are a really good friend of mine and you like joking with me.
Don't do it.

For one, I know I'm not "Chubby", I have a baby growing inside me so I have every reason to have gained 28 lbs.
I'm not ashamed. I'll tell you how much I've gained, you can ask me about my weight, I don't mind, just don't call me "Chubby".
Also, while we are on the subject, please don't say, "Wow, you're huge!" Or, ask me if I'm having twins.
Rude.
Down right rude.

Thankfully, I've only had one personal friend who has called me chubby. Most friends tell me that I look good for being 7 months along and they can't believe the baby is due in 10 weeks.

I had a rough day today, so I'm letting out some of my frustration on my blog.
Please don't think I'm a crabby, pregnant woman, because most of the time I'm not.
Everyone has a right to a bad day.
The day is done and it's time for bed.
Here's to a better day tomorrow.
And don't call me chubby!

Let's get healthy!

At the beginning of the school year, I was so excited to start packing healthy lunches for my kids.
I looked up several websites and got lots of ideas for healthy, unique school lunches.
I would plan out their weekly meals and was so happy to have my kids eating healthier.
Well, that didn't last for long.
About 2 months into the school year I started to slack off and the kids started to eat school lunches more and more often.

Enough! I've seen what my children eat at school and let me tell you, it's not good.
Nachos? A brownie for dessert? Pizza? Yuck.
All of the food is highly processed and microwaved. It doesn't even taste very good, I've tried it before and was not impressed at all.
So, I've decided to try to get back into the swing of things and start packing them healthy lunches again.
I hope I can keep up with this because it is so much better for my children.

Monday:
Ham and cheese roll ups
Pineapple chunks
Veggie chips and applesauce.

My daughter loved the ham and cheese roll ups, both of them ate all of their fruit.
However, my daughter did not like the veggie chips, but my son ate almost all of his lunch. Only a few veggie chips were left over.
Oh yeah, and they both got a small chocolate chip cookie.
We'll see how tomorrow goes.

Tuesday:
Peanut butter & banana sub (made using hot dog buns)
Pineapple chunks
Veggie chips for my son with a strawberry yogurt.
Daughter got applesauce, a wedge of laughing cow cheese and some trail mix.

I'll try to post photos of their lunches, when ever I post them.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that I don't run out of steam this time around.
Only a little over 10 weeks left of school.
We can do it!
Here's to healthy lunches!

Is it March already?

Wow. Time sure does fly. I only have 108 more days to go until this little one inside my tummy makes an appearance.
The kids only have a little over 2 months left until summer vacation.
It is going to be a busy summer, we'll have lots of visitors. I told my kids that there are going to be a lot of changes in their lives after this little one comes along.
They are both very excited for the baby, but I know the novelty is going to ware off in a couple of months or so.
They are good kids and they've been helping me out around the house tons! I'm so grateful for them.
My husband has been super too! He never complains about having to help me out around the house.
He even helps with making dinner when I'm just too tired to make it.
I have two baby showers coming up soon.
One of them will be in Phoenix where all of my family lives. I'm really looking forward to seeing my family and spending time with old friends. Some of my friends I've known since high school, which seems funny because it is my 20 year reunion this year.
The other shower will be here at home. Lots of friends from church and school will be attending.
We have such a close knit community here that it will be really nice to have everyone together for such a special occasion.
I'm feeling good, glad my nausea is all gone, now it's time for the home stretch.
Come on, June......let's do this thing!

Just Kickin it.

The baby is sitting very low in my tummy. He/she just seems to kick the heck out of my bladder. Ouch. Not comfortable at all, but I'm happy every time I feel the baby kick.
On a more exciting note, both of my children have felt the baby kick!
My son felt the baby kick a few days ago. It was funny to see the reaction on his face. His eyes just about popped out of his head and he said, "I felt it, it kicked me!" My daughter finally felt the baby kick last night. She was so happy to feel it for the first time because every other time she tried to feel the baby kick, it wouldn't.
I'm 21 weeks today, half way there.
I'm not sure if my son will want to feel the baby kick anymore because later that evening he said, "It's a little creepy. It kind of feels like you have an alien inside there."
So true, my son, so true.

Simple stir fry recipe

Teriyaki Pork Stir Fry

Simple recipe I made from my Weight watchers Ultimate flex & core cookbook.

• 4 tsp. sunflower oil
• 1lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 1 x 1/4 inch thick strips
• 1/4 lb. fresh shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 Tablespoon grated, peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 lb. fresh snow peas, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
• 3 Tablespoons reduced sodium teriyaki sauce
• 1 tsp. grated orange zest

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Pour in 2 teaspoons of the oil and swirl to coat the pan, then add half the pork. Stir fry until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate with a slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining pork.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the same skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and stir fry until they begin to soften, about 1 minute. Add the bell pepper, ginger and garlic; stir fry until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the pork and snow peas; stir fry until the snow peas turn bright green, about 1 minute. Add the broth, teriyaki sauce, and orange zest; cook until the sauce thickens slightly and the vegetables are crisp tender, about 1 minute.


Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: Approx. 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Points value: 5

Something is definitely wrong.

I know something is wrong because I'm no longer feeling nauseaous 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
It snuck up on me about 3 days ago.
I woke up feeling, well, how can I explain it other than, I felt good! I didn't feel like I was going to throw up, I wasn't gagging at every little scent that came happened to cross my path.
This must be it!
Dare I say my morning sickness is over?
It can't be. I've been used to this sick feeling for 18 weeks.
Now I can actually eat again like a normal person. Yippee! I'm so happy.
To celebrate "No more morning sickness" my Husband toook  me to my favorite Mexican Restaruant and I had a great big bowl of Chil Colorado.

 It really hit the spot.
Sure, I had a bit of heartburn later in the day but an antacid tablet took care of that.
Now I can let out a big sigh of relief.
That was a long, roller coaster ride of nausea but I'm glad it's all behind me.
Time to tackle all of the baby stuff that need to get done before the baby arrives.
I can't wait to see this little monkey!

A little bit of sweetness from my daughter.

I had a particularly bad day of morning sickness. My daughter took it upon herself to make me a "Get well Card".
She gave it to me in the morning as I was lying on the couch, feeling sorry for myself.
She hoped it would help me to feel better.
She handed me the card and then rubbed my tummy and told the baby, "Stop making Mommy sick". It was such a cute moment.
The card really did make me feel better.
It was a reminder that al of this nausea will be worth it in the end.
Thank you sweet Daughter, I love you!

Who are these kids and why are they so sweet?

I have had an awful bout of morning sickness/nausea today.
I've been lying on the couch most of the day trying to rest and keep my mind off of how horrible I feel.
Both of my children stayed home today due to the storm that hit us late last night.
As lunch time approached I wasn't sure how I was going to make lunch for the children and my Husband who would be joining us for lunch at any moment.

Then, out of no where, without me having to say anything, my darling, 7 year old son asked if I wanted him to make lunch? Of course I was ecstatic that he offered. I wasn't exactly sure what he was going to make, but I knew he'd figure something out.
My daughter immediately jumped in to help.
They proceeded to gather together all the items needed for PB & J sandwiches.
My son spread the peanut butter, my daughter spread the jelly, they also put some sliced fruit on the plate and topped it off with peanuts.

I was so proud of them. How sweet of them to help me out!
When I told them that I was very proud of them and that they made my heart smile, my son said, "I'm sorry  you are so sick Mom. I hope you feel better soon so you can do things with us again instead of lying on the couch all day."
What a sweet heart.

Sometimes I doubt myself as a Mom and I wonder if I'm doing a good enough job in raising my children to be responsible, caring, independant people. It's days like this when I know I'm doing a good enough job.

Bargain of the day!

Can you believe I found this lovely dress for only $3.99?

I consider myself a frugal Mom and I love a bargain.
I was at my local Savers thrift store the other day and I came across this beauty for under $4.00!
I thought it would be a lovely Easter dress for my daughter.
There are tons of bargains out there ladies, if you haven't been to your local neighborhood thrift store recently, I encourage you to get out there and start shopping!
It's a great way to be green too, don't you think?


Linked to:
Coastal Charm

Slow cooker chicken posole (mexican stew)

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken trimmed and cut into 1 in. pieces.
1 14.5 oz. can hominey (yellow or white, it doesn't matter).
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies ( I used rotel).
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, such as onion, pepper and celery. I use fresh vegetables and sautee them till softened.
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 garlic clove, minced1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4tsp. black pepper
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges.

Preparation
1. Place all the ingredients except the lime in a 4 to 5 quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 4-5 hours on high or 7 hours on low.
Serve with lime wedges.
May also garnish with chopped cilantro.

This only serves 4, so I usually make a double batch and freeze some for later.

Linked to: Tasty Tuesday Parade 
All things Related Tuesday

Wanna know if it's a boy or a girl?

I want to know too.
However, we won't be finding out the sex of the baby.
Sorry to disappoint you, along with all my other friends and family, but we've decided to not find out.
We didn't find out the sex with our first two pregnancies and it was the best surprise in the world.
It killed me to not know if I was having a boy or a girl.
I'm the kind of girl who does not like surprises!
I was the kind of girl who snuck around the Christmas tree at night when my Parents were asleep and I would search for my presents and carefully peel open one side of the package to see what my gift would be.
Bad, I know.
That's just me.
Fortunately, my Husband talked me into waiting.
Thank you, sweetie for talking me into doing something that I didn't want to do, it truly was worth the wait with each birth.
There was no sneaking around this time.

So just keep in mind, if you know someone who is pregnant and they don't want to know the sex of the baby, be nice to them. Don't ridicule them or exclaim, "What? You don't want to know what you're having?"
I'm sure they have their reasons. They just might want to be as surprised as we were when I thought for sure I was having a boy and I heard those beautiful words I'd been waiting to hear, "Congratulations, it's a girl!"

Hand made jewelry

A few of my creations that I have made with my own two hands.
I started out making jewelry about 2 years ago.
A friend of mine showed me how to get started with the basics. Once I found out how easy it was to do, I was addicted.
I sell some of my items on etsy, but mostly I sell to friends and family. Knowing how to make your own jewelry really does come in handy when you need a last minute gift for someone.Here is just a small sample of some of my items.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.



Enjoy!