Hats

I tried my hand at crocheting a couple of beanies for Cole. The first one is very plain, but it went well so I tried a striped one. The first try was too small, not even close! The second I thought was still too small. However, I was trying to put it on him while he was sleeping and I didn't want to wake him. I just couldn't wait to try it. That didn't work so I tried it on him the next day. It fit, I just needed to add a couple more rows (then I added 2 too many...oh well).

Here they are!

Christmas 2010

Happy Snowflakes Christmas

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This and That

It seems I'm right on target timewise with this post. I don't seem to post much anymore. Life with work and the boys has gotten busy.

I went back to work on Nov. 1st. It hasn't been fun. I have had mess after mess to clean up. Lots of reservations to handle and I miss my boys so much. I have been testing out working at home 2 days a week, but unless I can figure out a "office" in this house, I don't think it's going to work long term. Plus, some days it's so hard to work and not give in to the desire to play with Elliot and Cole.

Cole had his 2 month well check on Nov. 12th. He was 10 weeks, 12 pounds and 24.5 inches. A few ounces and 2 full inches bigger than his brother at this age. He's already moved into 3-6 month clothes.

Elliot is still an awesome big brother. He is becoming such a big boy. I can't believe that in 5 short weeks he will be 2....better start planning that party.

We had a very untraditional Thanksgiving. We decided to get away for a couple of days and took Elliot to an indoor waterpark on Thanksgiving morning. He LOVED it.

And since I am done Christmas shopping, except a couple of things for the hubby, I have decided to use my extra time and teach myself to crochet. I made a hat for Cole last night. Didn't turn out half bad. I'll post pics soon!

Happy Halloween

I know the night is almost over, but I just had to share pics of my boys. Elliot had a blast on both trick or treating treks. He even learned to say "Trick or Treat" just in time!

The End is Near

I can't believe how fast time is going by. I have one week left with the boys before it's back to work. ONE WEEK...SEVEN already went by...HOW???? It's just not enough. Even more than when I returned to work when Elliot was born, I feel this overwhelming desire to stay home with them. No, not desire, a need, an overwhelming NEED to be a stay at home mom. Just the thought of going back to work makes me sick to my stomach. I MUST win the lottery by November 1st, I must. I NEED to stay home.

Cole has been diagnosed with reflux. We put rice cereal in his bottle and he takes .5 ml of Zantac twice a day. At his 2 month well check we will evaluate how he's doing and possibly stop the cereal. All the crying, fussing, screaming out in his sleep in pain from the acid coming up, spitting up has pretty much stopped. He's a whole new baby. Last night he slept 7 hours straight. May have been a fluke, but hopefully the long sleeping spells at night continue. Elliot starting sleeping 8 hours a night just before I returned to work...maybe Cole is following in his big brother's footsteps. My boys love me ;)

They Grow Up Too Fast

So, because wondering minds want to know, that being MY wondering mind...I measured and weighed the boys this morning.

If my measurements are correct:

Elliot: 30 lbs 34.5 ins

Cole: 9 lbs 21.5 ins

Updates

Cole had his weight check on 9.15. After a weekend of him barely eating I was worried. The nurse wanted us to make him eat every 2 hours. All that happened was he ate less than before. So instead of stressing us all out, I let him go back to his own schedule. I guess that was the trick because he gained 8 ounces!! He passed his birth weight and weighed in at 7 lb. 4 oz...one ounce over! NO MORE WEIGHT CHECKS!!

He hasn't stopped eating since. He has become Mommy's little piggy.

Elliot is still a wonderful big brother. He tries to help burp Cole, feed him, console him when he cries. Still no jealousy either!

Now, if I could only get them to nap at the same time.

Brotherly Love

How sweet is this?? Elliot is already an AWESOME big brother. He likes to help feed and burp baby Cole and is obsessed with his toes.

Cole is very laid back, much like his big brother was as a little baby (now he has more energy than 10 toddlers and we can't keep up!). He does, however, seem to have a bit of an issue gaining weight. On the plus side, as of Friday he hadn't lost anymore, but he just doesn't gain. So we get to have weight checks every week until he hits his birth weight. Wednesday is our next one and I am hoping to hear that he has gained something. This little guy needs to grow so he isn't swimming in his clothes anymore!

Introducing....

Cole Thomas:

Born 9.1.10 at 12:39am

Weight: 7 lbs. 3 ozs.

Height: 19.5 inches

Head: 35 cm

Being checked out by awesome, big brother Elliot.

I'm Crafty!

I finished my letters for the boys! I just need to decide if I will attach ribbon and hang them or somehow attach them flat to the walls.

I'm Bad

I'm a bad blogger...I have been neglectful of my blog and therefore, my bragging about my little man.

I'm a bad cleaner...my house is a complete disaster, I just can't seem to keep up.

I'm a bad pregnant lady...I'm big, I ache and I'm OVER IT!

I'm a bad crafter...I've had the stuff to do both Elliot's and Cole's letters for their rooms for a week now and I haven't even taken the supplies out of the bags.

I'm a bad fur mommy...they have all been driving me nuts and I sometimes think of how nice it would be to not have so many. 3 cats and 2 dogs are wearing me out.

But, apparently, today I am AWESOME at complaining.

Finally

I have researched and researched and researched double strollers hoping to find ONE that would fit pretty much all my needs so I didn't have a garage full of strollers. I already have 3 singles which get used depending on what I am doing or where I am going.

The stroller needed to:
1. Fit a newborn and a toddler
2. Fit in my trunk (hopefully with room to spare)
3. Fit through doorways
4. Have sturdy wheels for our crappy roads and sidewalks. Air filled work best
5. Still be able to make shopping trips easy

I decided on the Valco Tri Mode EX with a toddler seat. It can function as a single or a double (#1), is the size of a single (#2, #3, #5), and is a jogger style so great for my long walks (#4). The stroller will hopefully be here by the end of the week and the toddler seat should be in stock mid August (Valco is coming out with a new version). Plus I will sell my other jogger so there will still be only 3 stroller in the garage!

I will give everyone a review once I have the stroller and then I will have to let you know about the toddler seat later. In the meantime, check it out here, I got the Hot Chocolate. Hmmmm, that seems fitting for my cold climate!

They Grow So Fast

Last night was Elliot's first night in a "big boy" bed. We have moved him to a twin bed. He has been trying to climb out of his crib, so his pediatrician thought we might want to try soon before he gets hurt. Then I had him sleeping in his new room in a Pack N Play because his room was so hot. Tried the crib yesterday and he wouldn't have anything to do with it.

So yesterday we set up the twin bed, got the room ready and tested it out. He was extra tired since it was past his bed time, but he went right to sleep and slept all night without an issue. I can't say that it will be that easy for his nap today or tonight, but I have hope it will all go well.

I am pretty sad about it though. Just means that my baby isn't my baby anymore. He's turning into my little boy instead. Why do they have to grow so fast??

Where Does Time Go?

I am having a hard time believing that tomorrow Elliot will be 18 months old. It feels like I just got home from the hospital with him. Every day is a new word, new skill.

He have even had his first real injury. Poor Elliot lost a fingernail. It still looks pretty yucky, but at least it's scabbed over and healing. We are just hoping the nail grows back, and it's pretty likely it will.

I also can't believe that in 11 short weeks, baby #2 will make his arrival. I'm excited and sad all at the same time. I'm excited to have another bundle of joy. I'm excited for Elliot to be a big brother. But I am sad because my baby won't be the baby anymore. I am sad because all my attention won't be able to be on Elliot and he will have to share his mommy.

I Won, I Won...#2

I won another giveaway...my second ever! I will be getting some address labels from Pear Tree Greetings, courtesy of You Don't Know. Thanks Brandy!!

I chose these labels because I plan to get matching announcements once the new baby is born.

Simply and cute...that's what I like! I'd post pics, but I don't want to get in trouble with the company so I will just link to the them instead.

Baby Boy #2 Has a Name!!!

Cole Thomas should be arriving in 3 short months!

Now, to make sure Tony doesn't change his mind on the name between now and then!!

The Best Things in Life

Bubbles...

Balls...

Walks...

Naps...

Sleepless Nights

I really didn't plan to have sleepless nights again until the baby was born, but the puppy has other ideas. She seems to hate sleeping in a crate at night, but cannot be trusted to run about as she is only 8 weeks and not housebroken. So, it's been 2 weeks of being kept up with whining and crying from her. So I am trying something different...a cat carrier. It's smaller and darker and maybe, just maybe, it'll work.

On another note, I participated in a Flip Flop Swap with some other bloggy moms and followers. I sent a cute pair of flops to my person. I, however, got stiffed. I know it's the chance you take, but I am a bit bummed. Oh well.

It's a...

GIRL!!

Meet our newest addition, Priscilla. (Yeah, I know...but everyone thinks it's a perfect name!)

There are Flintstone Feet...

And there are Elliot's feet.

On our mini vacation taken this past weekend I was able to find a Stride Rite outlet. I have heard they are a great place to find wide shoes for babies. So, we had Elliot's feet sized for the first time (we have simply put shoes on and if they fit we bought them!). To our surprise Elliot doesn't just have wide feet like we thought...he has EXTRA wide feet. We had to get him 6XW shoes!!

By the way, he gets those wide feet from his daddy. I have tiny feet.

Those Things are Dangerous!

Anyone who knows me IRL knows that I get hurt doing the dumbest things. Fracture my wrist falling UP stairs, fall off a Pogo Ball and bust up my elbow, crack my head open going from crouching to standing up in the bathroom. Yes, these are just a few examples of the things that happen to me.

Yesterday, after getting home from a FABULOUS lunch at a local restaurant, I was setting Elliot down. In my coat pocket was this cup...

Now, I know it didn't fit perfectly into the pocket, but my hands were full with Elliot and his books. Well...as I put Elliot down this thing falls from my pocket and lands on my toe. I jumped up and down, trying not to cry, screaming "OW, OW, OW!" because it hurt sooooo bad. I think my toe might be broken, or at least very, very bruised and injured. It's still swollen this morning, I had to find a pair of shoes that didn't squish it or it would kill me and any little bump sends shooting pains through it.

Only me!

Dollar Bills

I have spent too many of these this past week. Summer clothes for Elliot, summer maternity clothes for me (most used even), a new computer (tax $), and now we are going on a mini vacation next weekend (also tax $). That's lots of dollar bills flowing from my bank account. While it's necessary and I got good deals, I don't like it...not all at once anyway. I feel broke and payday is still a week away.

I am excited for a faster computer and that we are taking Elliot on his first trip to a zoo!!

Elliot is Getting....

A brother.

I had my anatomy scan today and we found out this one is a boy too. While we were hoping for that little girl, I am happy that Elliot is going to have a brother. I hope they will be best pals.

Unfortunately, that brings the count to Girls 2 - Boys 6. I have one queen of a cat on my side and that's it. But we are strong and will defend our ground.

On the plus side, we kept all the baby stuff, including Elliot's clothes. So we won't need to spend much this time. We are hoping Elliot will be ready for a toddler bed this summer, so much cheaper than another crib.

And because I am such a slacker with this blog...some Easter pics...

Elliot has decided to take up golf....or maybe he's looking for a career as a caddy!

We've had some crazy weather lately, some days are very spring like then winter comes back and it is cold and snowy. This weekend is supposed to be in the 70's. Highly unusual for Upstate NY this time of year. We plan to make the most of it!!

Elliot has been a terrible eater lately. Pretty much no fruits or veggies, although this has been a problem since we moved away from baby food. Plus he's been going through the "I will only eat mac n cheese today" stage. Of course the food changes each day. His usual favorites are best left to the dog...or thrown at him. Needless to say, Elvis has gained some weight lately and will need a diet and extra exercise.

I can hardly believe that I am 16 weeks pregnant and in 2 weeks we should be able to learn the sex of the baby. I have a strong feeling it's another boy, Tony feels it's a girl. One of us is going to be right, the question is which one??!!

Missing: One Good Sleeping Infant

Replaced with one that won't nap, well barely, and wakes super early in the morning now. I want the good sleeper back. I need that hour in the morning, especially these days because I don't sleep well due to pregnancy. I hate the evenings filled with grumpiness.

Who took my good sleeping baby???? Please return him. No questions will be asked. I will just be grateful to have my happy, rested boy back.

Sunday Morning Browns?

The best way to start off a lazy, gray, snowy Sunday morning??? Why, with a chocolate donut!!

Snow, Cold???

You don't know what snow and cold is when it's 25 degrees and you have a couple of inches.

I was watching the Weather Channel this morning and there was a story about the weather in Raleigh, NC. I took interest because my brother lives in that area. I lived there for almost a year once, I get that a couple of inches can reak havoc on their world. But stop whining it's cold. I live in one of the coldest areas in the country. It was -24 degrees last night...25 degrees colder than the Weather Channel reported for Raleigh. And 2 inches of snow is a dusting....we can get many, many feet here. Not that we have it right now, just a couple of feet maybe (we had rain last week and it melted lots of snow---YAY!) I do laugh at my brother each year when they get snow....he just can't seem to get away from it!

On another note, I had my first prenatal appointment yesterday. Got to see the baby and hear the heartbeat. Everything looks good and the heart rate was 124 bpm. And I think it's another boy. I woke up yesterday morning thinking it was a boy. I'm not sure why, I just do. Tony really, really wants a girl so I hope I'm wrong.

Birthdays and...Babies???

We are nearing the end of January and I am glad. The beginning was pretty hectic. First Elliot's birthday was 12.31, then mine 1.1, Elliot's party 1.3, Tony's birthday 1.8 and in between a little surprise...1.6 we found out I am pregnant-Baby #2 is on the way!

Elliot was a bit more interested in unwrapping for his actual birthday, but not his party so Mommy got to do all those. I took his birthday off of work and we had a fairly quiet day at home, just us. It was nice. His party was full of family and friends...about 35 people all together. And it was during a snowstorm. Luckily most people were local, only my sister and her family had to make an hour trek, but they came. Elliot is almost 13 months old and I can't believe it.

I also can't believe that come September I will be a mother of 2 under 2. At least for about 3 months. After having a feeling I was, a number of negative tests, finally a positive, then a negative at the doctor's office, I had blood work done and it was confirmed. Our next baby bug is due 9.14.09. We are very excited and think that this one will complete our family.

Now for pictures....

Elliot's Birthday

The Party Cake

Elliot's Smash Cake

Not a fan of the party hat, but it looked so cute and matched his shirt.

Testing the frosting...

Digging in!!