Busy, Busy, Busy!

I can't believe it's mid-week already! Because I had a hard time being a SAHM the first year of P's life, I thought I might struggle with it again. But I couldn't be more wrong. In fact there doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day anymore. Right now I'm enjoying some quiet "Me" time. Not that I don't enjoy time with my boys, but I do cherish the rare moment that I get to just relax sans a preschooler and infant. This week more so than ever because our days are packed until naptime. Because we're so busy in the morning we've (Yes, I usually lay down with them) been laying down later than ever, meaning we're getting up later than usual. Rob gets home about the time we're up and around so then it's family time. By the time I get the boys down for the night I still need to pack Rob's lunch, clean the kitchen and do anything else on my "To Do" list that has yet to get down. Today is an example of when I just push some of my "To Do" stuff to the next day because it's more important to hold my baby and wrestle with my preschooler than wash dishes and fold laundry. Both boys have been under the weather lately so I enjoyed today when everyone felt (almost back to) normal. Tomorrow is another busy day with appointments, errands, household stuff and book club so I should hit the hay and put this day in the books. It's amazing that I ever worked outside of the house and got anything done! Oye!!

****Keep scrolling to the next blog to see our sweet 2 month old.***

A Pound and Less Than an Inch

Has it been 2 months already? It seems like just yesterday he was born and I was so afraid to hold him in fear of breaking him. Now he can almost hold his head up on his own. He coos and smiles at us, especially his big brother. Speaking of his big brother, I find it ironic that at 2 mos. P weighed 10 lbs, 8 ozs and was 23 3/4 inches long and was considered in the 10th percentile for weight and 90th for height. At 2 mos., Easton weighs 11 lbs, 8 oz and is 23 inches long. But he's considered in the 50th percentile all the way around. What a difference a pound and 3/4 inch makes! I'm so glad that I get to be part of every moment in his life. Watching him change and experience "firsts" in the past 2 months has been such a blessing! Happy 2 mos. to our wonderful, happy lil Chunky Monkey!!

Confession

Hi, my name is Jennifer and I'm addicted to Facebook. There, I said it. I feel so much better now. I broke down and got on FB today. 1) Because I wanted to read the NASCAR trash talk. 2) Because I wanted to see what people were saying about the Oscars and 3) Because some of my recent photo shoot pictures were posted and I wanted to see what comments were being made about them. I did not let it consume my day like it's been known to do recently (before I gave it up for Lent) but it was like a breath of fresh air for just a minute. I used to spend the most time on FB in the middle of the night, while nursing Easton. Now I'm becoming a pro at Solitaire and looking for our future dog on Oodle.com. I think I'll create a countdown chain like kids do for Christmas. Only mine will be for Easter when I can get back on FB again. How many more days?? HA!

150s and Counting!

When I first found out I was pregnant with Easton I was at a birthday party for one of P's buddies. I engaged in conversation with a friend and an acquaintance about how much they had gained during one of their pregnancies. I had to work hard to not let my jaw drop because I was amazed at the ending weight both of the ladies had been at before giving birth. At the time I remember thinking, "How can anyone get that big? It's not like you're eating for 2." Well, 9 months later I found out. I don't feel like I ate differently than when I was pregnant with P but I definitely didn't make exercise a priority like I had the first time. I packed on the weight and towards the end I told my doctor that I needed to have Easton soon because I couldn't handle gaining any more weight. Luckily the nurse gave me the option of getting weighed at my last appt before I had Easton. I declined so I don't know what my true ending weight was but I know I had gained way too much! Because a lot of it was water retention, I lost quite a bit within a week of having Easton. Then I plateaued. Because of my sweet tooth and not being cleared to exercise I struggled to lose any more weight than I initially had. Last week I was cleared to resume normal activity so I was quick to use my treadmill again. For 1 1/2 weeks I've used my treadmill pretty much every day. I'm also trying to watch my portion size because giving up my sweet tooth still seems to be a problem. Today I am proud to say that when I got on the scale this morning I was FINALLY in the 150s! I was also able to put on some non-maternity jeans...and button them up!! A month after I had given birth to P I was able to fit into non-maternity jeans. (I also had gained 15 lbs less with P) A month after giving birth to Easton I couldn't pull my jeans up much past my knees. Although I am still 16 lbs away from my starting weight and 22 lbs away from my target weight I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel. Wahoo!

Blog Layout

I don't know why I do this but I always try to change the layout and then get frustrated when I mess it up. I'm aware that the pictures aren't the right proportion. Give me a day or two and hopefully I'll get it to where I like it, to where it's supposed to be. Until then....bear with me.

our man, P

last week rob was sick, running a fever and coughing up a storm. we had hoped he wouldn't share it but sure enough he did. poor p has been congested for about a week and got the horrible cough that goes with it earlier this week. i kept him home from school on tuesday because he had woken up around midnight with a 101+ fever. i took him to the dr and was told it's a common cold that has to run its course. by late afternoon p was acting just fine. he was acting fine yesterday as well with no fever. so i didn't think twice about sending him to school today. bad move! by naptime his fever was back and he was coughing so bad he was close to throwing up. i tried to get both of the boys to take a nap together in our bed with me. another bad move! between p coughing and easton crying none of us really got any sleep. i have a feeling that it's going to be a rough night. hopefully p will get better soon and easton nor i will get it.
on a much happier note, i had my first parent/teacher conference today and i can tell you that as a parent and a teacher i enjoy conferences much better as the parent. p's teacher had nothing but great things to say about him. she was impressed with his number readiness and his verbal skills. she said that she loves his extensive vocabulary. she went on and on for about 15 minutes about what a wonderful, smart boy he is. to top off the conference she made a passing comment that made my heart soar. she said she felt like she didn't really need to have a conference with me since i am so involved and have open communication with her already. to me, that's one of the most important jobs i can have....being involved in our sons' educations. one of the things i enjoy the most about being a sahm is being able to volunteer in p's class. i left the conference beaming because of his great report!
since p and i were told that we could get a little dog to be an indoor dog for the boys i'm thinking this great report and p being sick entitles us to get the shihtzu that we want sooner rather than later. wouldn't you agree??? :)

***can you tell that i'm holding a sleeping baby in my arms while trying to type?***

Picture Withdrawals

OK, I admit it......I'm addicted to FB and having major withdrawals! Mainly because it's the way I posted pictures of the boys for family and friends to see. So, here are a few pics I took this week and don't know where to post them. :) A friend was in town and she's into photography as well so we took a short road trip to try to take pics of bald eagles. We didn't capture any on film but I got a couple water pics that I liked and then we ran into Rob's crew on our way to lunch so I got a couple pics of him working. I don't normally post pics of P but I thought it was too cute that he was so worn out from his time with Gee and BobBob that he laid down and fell asleep in the middle of playing in his room. Of course it wouldn't be a photo blog without a pic of our most adorable baby boy. Enjoy....

I Can't.........

I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to be able to sleep on my stomach again for the first time since last July! I can't begin tell you how nice it is to not have to sleep with a pillow in between my legs for comfort. I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to be able to wear non-maternity tops. I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to be able to carry in all the groceries at once, not having to worry about the weight I'm carrying. I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to be able to RUN on the treadmill. I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to know I'm training to do a 5K with a friend in June. I can't begin to tell you how nice it is wear whatever shoes I choose instead of just flip flops and rain boots. I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to not have to worry about waistbands anymore, worrying about if they'll hurt my incision. I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to be able to wear my real wedding ring again. I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to know I'm slowing working my way back into pre-maternity pants. I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to be able to shave my legs in the shower...and to be able to see them all the way to my ankles. I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to be able to sneeze or cough without worrying about pain. And, most importantly, I can't tell you how nice it is to be able to wrestle P, hold him on my lap and carry him in my arms. Oh, how I've missed being a hands-on mom with him for the past several months. Now when he's hurt I can hold him the way a mom is supposed to hold their child. I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to be a healthy mom to 2 very sweet, loving boys that are my world!

DU.......

This has been another busy weekend! My parents came to town Friday to take P for a weekend getaway at a hotel they like to stay at here in town. Them being in town meant a date night for me and Rob. I can't remember the last time we went to the movies so, although the movie wasn't a favorite of mine, it sure was nice to go on a date. Saturday Rob started the day early by setting up for the DU banquet. While he did that the boys and I hung out with my parents for a few hours. That afternoon my friend came from Sacto and brought a BEAUTIFUL quilt that she had hand sewn for the DU auction.
It was a chaotic banquet, one that Rob and I weren't exactly able to enjoy because we were so busy. Between him running the gun wall before dinner and helping with the live auction after dinner he was running around like a chicken with his head cut off. Between me being the unofficial photographer and taking care of Easton, I didn't have a chance to really visit with any of our friends.
The highlight of the night was hearing about the quilt being auctioned. Items weren't going for very much so I was worried about the quilt bringing in its monetary value, let alone the hours it took for Kirsti to make it. I was on pins and needles, waiting for it to come up for auction. Moments before it was auctioned, Easton started crying and I knew I couldn't hold him off from eating much longer. So I stepped out to nurse him and tried to listen to the auction. I was happy when I heard "$500"! But when I went back into the banquet I found out that I had heard wrong. The quilt had, in fact, been auctioned off for $700, only second to a dove hunt to Argentina!! It would've gone for more but the auctioneer didn't see a man raise his hand for $750 right when he was ending the bidding. I was thrilled that the quilt had raised that much money!

The rest of the night was a blur because of a killer headache but I'm happy to report that I won the silent auction for nursery decor for Easton's room (once we move). Rob also won a gift card to a local basque restaurant. AND it's the least amount of money we've ever spent on raffle stuff. It was a fun night and of course Easton was the life of the party. He was even introduced in front of everyone as the newest Greenwing, making him a banquet celebrity! Great night with great people for a great cause! 

happy hallmark day!

this is jen typing....or rather doing hunt n peck while holding a baby.

when we first started dating i asked rob to do me one favor on feb. 14th. don't celebrate the hallmark holiday. he was more than happy to oblige so, in 5 years, we have yet to celebrate anything on this day where candy and flowers and, yes, hallmark sales soar.
i have to say that this has been my best hallmark holiday ever. p had school so i got to volunteer for his valentine party. he was actually excited about school today! we had fun doing different activities with his class. he also made me a vase with a silk red rose. it melted my heart when he gave it to me! after school he was his sweet self again so we had a nice time together. although rob and i don't celebrate today we want p to celebrate until he can form his own opinion about today. so we gave him candy, a special cup and a Dale Jr car. then we went to an early dinner and i thoroughly enjoyed eating a huge brownie a la mode for my dinner. one of the best parts about today was a few minutes ago when i ran for the first time in 10-11 months. i couldn't win a race but it felt so good to do more than walk for a few minutes. all in all it's been a great day from beginning to end and i hope you've enjoyed your hallmark holiday as well!

Angelic Day

You ever have one of those days where you want to move to Australia because nothing is going right? Well, that pretty much sums up my day yesterday. I was running late from the get go, despite waking up super early. Then when I dropped P off at school it broke my heart to have him cling to me, begging me not to leave. (That'll be a blog for a different day depending on how the next couple days go) From there I had a dr appt that ran late, leaving me no time for a Starbucks run (a tragic event indeed since I wanted to celebrate that I had got the "all clear" to resume normal activity from my dr). Luckily, although I was running late, I got to my photo shoot before my friend (read below about that). But Easton screamed most of the time and her oldest son was having a difficult time following directions while her middle son didn't want to smile for the camera. I also was beating myself up afterwards for messing up my camera settings but in the long run it worked to my benefit. I had to nurse Easton after the photo shoot, leaving me late to get P. When I picked him up from school he was on a roll. He told me, in a rather proud voice mind you, that he had hurt his teachers' feelings by telling them he doesn't like them. Now if you know P you know that he is not like that. He's been having a difficult time transitioning to being a big brother on top of being 3 1/2. When we got home he started mouthing off to me and refusing to follow directions regardless of the consequences. By naptime I had had it between his mouthiness and Easton's fussiness. I just lost it and started crying. At first P started laughing but when I didn't stop he realized it was serious. I told him some days I didn't want to be a mommy because it was hard. That led to a long conversation and I think it was good that he saw me break down. Not because of a change in his behavior, but the day got better after that. I had a chance to work up a sweat on the treadmill and I was able to return a computer cable for another one, despite the fact that I was the one that spliced it.
Today I woke up guardedly optimistic for a better day. I laid the day out for P as soon as he woke up. He was excited to spend some Valentine money that he had received in the mail so I told him if he could behave while running errands he could buy what he wanted. He did a fabulous job and was rewarded with a trip to the toy dept. Naptime is when we have the most battles lately but not today. He willingly went in his room for an hour of quiet play while I did things around the house. Although I felt like I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, it was nice to have that quiet time to make phone calls and get things done without interruption. After naptime we were able to wrestle and play "Daddy Bull", something he's been begging me to do for months. I can't tell you how great it felt to finally be able to pick him up in my arms. The belly laughs I got in response made me realize how much he, too, had missed it. Rob had to work late so I thought that'd effect P's behavior but it didn't in the least. Except for a little mouthiness this evening he did an awesome job today! It's the best day we've had in awhile. Now if we could only have every day be this good......... I can dream, can't I??? :)

Baby K

Yesterday I had the privilege to photography my former teaching partner's boys. Her youngest just turned 6 months (Yes, she's aware that he's huge!) so she asked me to do his 6 month pics as well as some of her other boys and her. I have to say that during the shoot I didn't think I was getting the best pics because Easton was screaming in his carseat, distracting me. But when I started looking through them I was pretty happy. Here are a few of my favorites.....

 

***Keep scrolling down for yet another blog***

Lent

In years past friends have given things up for Lent. I thought it was more of a fad than anything. But this morning I researched it. After doing that I decided to give something up for Lent- to sacrifice, to "fast". I thought about what I should give up. Chocolate? No! I couldn't do that to Rob for 40 days. Going without chocolate should be illegal! Give up my camera? No because that would mean not capturing precious moments on film, preserving and sharing them. So I decided on the next biggest thing....Facebook. Life has been busy but I've still taken time that I don't have to get on FB. So I decided to use that extra time for the next 40 days to spend with my boys and in prayer. This afternoon, after I took the FB app off my phone, every time I thought about FB I prayed.
40 days is a long time to go without something you enjoy but it'll be worth it. That may mean more blogs since I'll have nowhere to post pics so be prepared. If you're on FB you can also be prepared to be bombarded with FB posts and pics after Easter. But until then...bye bye Facebook!

The Ins and Outs

It's been awhile and I finally have some time to myself so you better sit back cause this could be a long one. Being a SAHM is great. I love the special time I get with my boys, seeing their firsts and seeing life through their eyes. That being said, it's also hard. Hard because of a newborn's schedule, hard because of a 3 year old that has been pushing my buttons for a couple months. I work from about 6:30am-9:30pm and am on call every night with 2-3 "call outs". So my "Me" time is precious. Easton barely napped today (a rarity) and was fussy so by the time I got both boys to bed all I could think about was soaking in a hot bubble bath. I even missed part of "The Bachelor" for a bath (You know that's gotta be serious!). I selfishly take naps with the boys most days because a) it's such a special time to cuddle with them and watch them sleep so peacefully and b) it's my time to get some much needed rest (It's my work break so to speak).
I don't see how women work full time away from home and raise young children. I know that it's a necessity for most but I'm thankful that's not the case for me. I don't think I could juggle it all. Between play dates, trips to the library, playing at the Discovery Museum, having friends over, preschool, running errands and housework our days are full. And although life is so busy I'm not as tired as I was when P was a newborn. I'm more worn out, if that makes sense, but not as tired. With P I felt like a zombie for the first several months of his life for many reasons. The 2nd time around it's been easier with a newborn (even though he definitely has his fussy times).
Add to the every day routine with a busy and FUN social calendar lately and some days I don't know which way is up. A friend that I hadn't seen since our wedding FB'd me and asked if she could stay with us this past weekend while she was in town for a wedding. She was rarely around but it was still nice to spend a little time with her. Then Saturday night we went to our friend's birthday party, causing the boys to get off schedule. Today two of my friends came from Sacto to meet Easton and to visit for a few hours. Tomorrow I'm doing a photo shoot for my friend's sons. After tomorrow we have a few days in between company and then Friday my parents come to town to help watch the boys. Saturday another good friend from Sacto is coming to town to attend our annual DU banquet with me and Rob.
I think after our weekend company leaves we'll have some down time. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the company we've had since Easton's birth. We have so many thoughtful, wonderful friends who care for us and for that I'm thankful!

No Tears Thursday

One of P's new favorite cartoons is "Bubble Guppies". On there is a fish named Mr. Grumpfish. So when one of us is grumpy the person earns the title of Mr. Grumpfish.
P started a new preschool a week after Easton was born and he thinks he's there because of Easton's birth. I guess his little mind thinks he's a cast off, which breaks my heart! The first week he did great when I took him but since then he's cried every time. He goes to great lengths, such as trying to bolt from the building, clinging to my leg, etc. to show he doesn't want to be there. But I know it's all an act because he did that at his old daycare until he realized I wasn't going to keep him at home. I'm learning to choose my battles as a parent and this is one I will win because I don't want him to think he can dictate if/where he goes to school. I also don't want him to get the idea at an early age that if he doesn't like school he can quit. But it's been breaking my heart every time I take him to school. I've tried bribing him. I've tried tough love. I've tried praying with him and singing special songs with him. All to no avail. Today I tried a new tactic....which miraculously worked! He's on a kick where, if I taunt him about not being able to do something, it's his goal to prove me wrong. On the way to school this morning I started saying, "You can't go to school without crying because you're Mr. Grumpfish." That got him laughing so I kept repeating it. By the time we got to his school he was laughing a lot. He quickly gave me a hug, proudly yelled "I'm not going to cry because I'm not Mr. Grumpfish" and went off to play with one of the little girls in his class. When I picked him up a couple hours later he was quick to tell me all the fun things he did at school and his teacher was quick to tell me that it was his best day by far. That made me so incredibly happy to hear! In fact it made me so happy that I celebrated by taking him to McDonalds and me to Starbucks!
I would've loved if the rest of the day had been that smooth but we now have 2 boys to contend with. It seems when one isn't being Mr. Grumpfish the other is. Easton graciously took the title-and held it-the rest of the day. The only time he was happy is when he was nursing or sleeping. I don't know if it's a growth spurt or he's colicky but I hope this phase passes quickly. Rob and I were tag teaming him so the other could get stuff done or just have a break. In fact, it took me almost 20 minutes to walk .75 miles on the treadmill because I had to keep stopping it to soothe him. I know this too shall pass and knowing that P had such a great day at school cancels out Easton being Mr. Grumpfish. The joys of parenthood!

Finally Served!

Karma. Justice served. Paybacks. Whatever you want to call it, I am happy to say that it happened yesterday. 4 years ago I took a teaching job in NV. At the time the principal was my best friend. We talked every day and went through some rough times-and great times-together. She was the one who threw my baby shower, whose son was born 2 days after P. But she was also the one who told me confidential employee info that I had no business knowing....reviews teachers had been given, how she was going to take pleasure in destroying one person's admin career, who she liked and who she couldn't stand. There were no secrets. Then our friendship changed a couple years later when I decided to transfer to another school after taking a year's leave of absence. She took the move personally and did everything in her power to sabotage my transfer. She threatened 2 of her employees to terminate their friendships with me or pay the price. So, needless to say, I lost 2 friends who, at the time, were close ones. I tried to warn the friends about what kind of person she was but they were in too tight with her to see it...at the time. Fast forward to about a year ago when I got a random FB message from one of the girls. She apologized for not being open minded about the situation, for not seeing things my way. She had since realized that the principal was exactly the vindictive person I had described. We have mended our friendship although it'll never be the same.
That same girl took a bold step in reporting the bullying that the principal was doing at the school with the teachers. There was a district investigation that didn't result in any action being taken....until yesterday. The other mutual friend of ours that was involved in this drama had sent the friend a text that reopened the investigation. (Ironically last week she sent me a text as well, apologizing for what has happened and asking if we could mend our friendship) The district detective came to retrieve the texts off my friend's phone, which in return reopened the investigation due to some compelling confessions. Since then more teachers have stepped forward to tell about how the principal had threatened and bullied them into doing things they didn't want to.
Yesterday the district announced that this principal would be on administrative leave until further notice. For most people that wouldn't be a huge deal as long as the paychecks were still coming in. But for her this will be a fate worse than death because she's a control freak. Not being there to manipulate and have her nose in everyone's business will be hard on her. But, then again you know what they say about paybacks! I hope that in the end justice will FINALLY be served and her true colors will be revealed!

Trapped

Other than reading and photography, my favorite hobby is traveling. In fact if I had the right personality I would've been a flight attendant just so I could travel the world. That being said, I didn't get to travel much in 2012 due to my pregnancy and work schedule. I'm hoping that changes in 2013. We have talked about some trips but, with finances and Rob's work schedule, we may or may not take them. I do know that I want to make some small weekend trips because I've been feeling trapped. My life is the same 7 days a week, with the exception of play dates during the week and the TV on more during the weekends. That's one of the few drawbacks of being a SAHM....the menonanity (sp?)!
I don't want to go anywhere extravagant like Australia....this year. I'd just like to go to San Francisco because that's such a fun place to take P. I'd also like to go to Santa Cruz and Yosemite because I haven't been there in 10-20 years. One of these days I'd love to go visit where my grandparents used to live and go up to Seattle. Maybe a road trip. The trip I'm really hoping we make is to N. Carolina where we'll go to a NASCAR race and tour the race headquarters.
Next month I'm taking the boys to visit my brother and sister in law. I'm nervous about flying solo with 2 kiddos under the age of 4 but I'm so excited about the trip that I'll get over that part. Just going anywhere would be wonderful! So I'm hoping that when you get our Christmas card at the end of the year we'll include fun details about several trips we've taken throughout the year. Time will tell.