Pinterest Project Fail

I'm in the process of tackling Pinterest projects like it's my job. I need to figure out what works and what doesn't work before winter and endless hours in the house comes knocking on my door. Add a newborn to the mix and I'm in dire need for some Pinterest help.

Pinterest did not help me here.

Shaving Cream Bathtub Paint. You mix shaving cream with food coloring, put it in a muffin tin, find an empty bathtub, a nakey baby, and a paint brush and off you go.

At first Parker digged it.

Then she decided to move from paint brush to hands. Bad idea. "Hands dirty."

This girly girl "no like hands dirty."

I wiped her up and let her continue. Hands in the paint, freak out and cry "hands dirty," wipe hands, tears stop. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

I was too slow with the towel one time so Parker tried wiping her hands on her belly. End.of.the.world. Sobbing ensued.

10 minutes of me wiping her and "Daddy pick (me) up" and we had a tear stained face on a food coloring stained baby.

And the real kicker? The food coloring dyed the white grout shades of green and yellow. Remember...I hate white grout.

I was having flashbacks of Parker's 2nd Halloween.

This project will be on the back burner for some time. Fingers crossed that we have better luck with future pins!

31 Weeks

Pictureless for now. Maybe if I wasn't up until 1130pm last night painting I would have remembered to take a picture. Damn nesting.

How far along: 31 weeks. Single digit countdown, baby. Only 9 more weeks to go!

Total weight gain: 127lbs, up 15lbs

Maternity Clothes: I love Target's clearance section. Cute shirts, size medium or large, at 50% off. Sign me up.

Movement: this girl is a wild woman, The kicks and rolls and rib punches do not stop.

Food Cravings: mashed potatoes. The only thing that could make it better would be turkey gravy. If only it wasn't 100 degrees every day I might consider making a summer Thanksgiving feast.

Sleep: I'm so exhausted by the end of the day that I'm in lala land minutes after my head hits the pillow.

Milestones: Baby will gain about 1/2lb each week from now until her birthday. All five senses are up and running. She weights about 3 1/2lbs and is 16 inches long.

Best moment of the week: splashing around in the lake for endless hours on Monday. I'm really going to miss all this fun Michigan outdoorness come winter. I have a feeling that many of my maternity leave days will be spent at the hands on museums and Jungle Java in order to avoid cabin fever.

Random:
-my belly button still hasn't popped. It never did with Parker so FX that it stays in place this time around. However, my belly button ring hole looks creepy.
-my thighs BURN. Burn like I'm doing 500 Suzanne Somer's Thigh Masters each night.
-my ability to get out of bed is no longer there. I have to roll off.
-when Parker's teachers ask her where her baby sister is she says "mommy's belly." :)

So no belly pic until tonight, but for now here's proof that not everything with the bean bag purchase was a tragedy.

We scored an awesomely huge box out of the deal.

Kris snapped a picture as Parker said "say cheese!" and gave me a big hug. And this is precisely why the Duggar's have 2908 kiddos. Too precious to stop popping 'em out!

Bean Bag Sad Face

It's no secret that I tend to be pretty crunchy. But even the tree burning, Styrofoam using, non-organic eaters out there would probably stop and think for a second after seeing a warning label like this:





















The bean bag search has been going on in the S house for quite some time. Fun color + fabric material + huge + no loan required to pay for the thing = does not exist. That is until I found this bad boy compliments of Walmart.

I'm not a Walmart chic. I haven't shopped there in years. Sure, I don't like how they invade small towns and ruin local businesses among other things, but that's not what really keeps me from there. It's the fact that it's 4 miles away from my house (terribly long for me lol) and the lines are insane. Yeah, no thanks. But come on--this bean bag met all the requirements except it was vinyl so into my walmart.com shopping cart it went.

Two days of fun later, Kris saw the warning label. Sure, California is sort of in their own world but come on. If something says it's linked to cancer and things I'd rather skip it. I did some Google research and discovered that the vinyl has lead in it. California is concerned with the lead transferring from your hands to your mouth to your body. Sounds legit to me.

I'm bummed but the bean bag is currently in my trunk waiting to be returned. Looks like vinyl is out. Now if only I could find a fabric one for less than $300...

I hope Parker won't be too heartbroken. I have a feeling that tomorrow's delivery will make her happy.















Hopefully I can schedule the installation for next week and we'll be in swing set business. Squee!

21 Months

We are coasting to that 2nd birthday. Hard to believe...

Every month since Parker was born Kris and I say to each other that she can't get any cooler than she is at this very moment. And every month she proves us wrong.

I'm loving this age. Parker repeats absolutely everything we say, aka you gotta watch your mouth around this pumpkin. She's been doing this for a while but now it's out of control. I'm done keeping track of her vocabulary since that would take a million pages to write, but some of my favorites this month are:

-cunny. I called Kris "honey" most of the time so Parker follows suit. Cracks me up.
-oh my gosh. When Parker does something crazy, like trying to somersault from the top of the couch, she says "oh my gosh, Parker."
-yeah. Not yes, but yeah.
-i pretty. I hear this often when I fix her hair. She loves when I put flowers (hair clips) in. Actually, she demands it now.
-big girl. And this one makes me sad :( Where did my baby go?

Other new things--

Parker entered the scared-of-things phase. If something is "too loud," like a car running or a loud plane she needs to be picked up and comforted. We were next to a school bus this week and I don't think Parker could have gripped my leg any tighter than she did. The other day the windows in the basement were scaring her (random) and she refused to stay downstairs. At first I thought it was the corner making her scared so I asked her if that's what it was. "Corner, no like it," she said.

She felt the same about Elmo.






































Parker loves Elmo (I swear). As Kris was driving back from dinner in VA Beach we spotted him. My heart seriously started racing. We had to see him, HAD TO. We finally found a parking spot blocks away and ran down the street, fingers crossed that he didn't leave. When Parker saw him from afar she was pumped. Up close, not so much. So we said our hello's and surveyed him from a few feet back for 15 minutes. Seeing Elmo in person must have blown her mind.

I'm obsessed with lip gloss so of course Parker is too. When the lip gloss comes out her lips purse up. She "rock a baby" all of her babies. Kris was being silly one day and rocked Sydney. Now Parker also likes us to "rock a Sydney."

Parker was coined a risk taker by her teachers at the ripe old age of 9 months. Now at 21 months it still proves to be true.






































Yeah, lets swing on this bar right on cement. I'm sure my hands won't slip.

Diapering her baby dolls makes her happy as does singing ABC's. ABCDE...some other letters in between..TUVWXYZ...something that resembles "now I know my ABC's" and so on.

She counts to 10 (occasionally minus the number 7, who needs it anyways). I'm shocked by this. Seriously, how did she get so smart? She likes to count down to epic things, like "1, 2, 3..." then she pours one full glass of water into another full class of water and cheers "woohoo!" when it overflows.

Sleep is going awesome. I'm telling you, buying her new bedding was the trick. I'll update with pics of her big girl room when it's all done, but for now just know that ladybug bedding gives her the motivation to stay in her bed all night. We've had multiple nights of her sleeping through the night. Sure, it took 21 months, but I never had to let her cry it out. I'm glad that our ways finally paid off and we have a (pretty) excellent sleeper on our hands.

See? I even have proof. Once the twin bed gets delivered we should have no more floor sleeping babes.

We get a ton of hugs, kisses, affectionate back pats, and "I love you's" from the little miss. The baby dolls aren't shorted out of the love either.

Sorry, Sydney. Parker loves yogurt pops. You're outta luck.

See the joy on Parker's face from this huge bean bag. When I took it out of the box I even got a "thank you, mommy." Welp, the joy is about to be ripped away. I'll talk about this later but basically bean bags = cancer risk? Good to know. This sucker is getting returned stat.

Happy 21 months, precious girl!

30 weeks down!

30 weeks now...

30 weeks with Parker.

My face is a bit more of a chunky monkey with Parker but for the most part I feel like the bumps looks pretty similar.

How far along: 30 weeks

Total weight gain: 126lbs, down a pound to 14lb total gain.

Maternity Clothes: some of my dress pants are getting to uncomfortable in my hip area when I sit but I'm anti paying $70+ for maternity pants this late in the game. Dresses were my go to item with Parker but these damn varicose veins (that keeps growing up my leg (seriously, WTF) has made me not want to show off the leg region to an office of 100 people.

Movement: still a lot of booty shaking going on in the womb

Food Cravings: I toasted NutriGrain bars this morning and let me tell you, they were amazing. I felt so clever when I thought of this idea. You heat up Pop-Tarts right? Why not NutriGrain bars?

Sleep: I only got up once to pee last night and Parker slept through the night. ::cue singing angels::

Milestones: Baby's brain is growing rapidly. When baby is awake her eyes are wide open. She's about 3lbs and 15 inches.

Random: I can't shut it out of my mind any longer. I have to actually birth this baby. Without the help of drugs. Hold me.

The Hypnobirthing classes I took with Parker were not effective for me but since every birth is different I'm not throwing out the method this time around. I listen to the birth affirmations nightly and try to keep any negative thoughts about the birth process out of my mind. While at times the labor pain was unbearable with Parker I've decided to think about that in a positive way. Now I know what to expect and that can only make me more prepared this time around.

After I delivered Parker I swore up and down that I would never ever in a million years deliver naturally again. But here we are again and for many reasons I can't bring myself to consider an epidural. I survived with Parker and I'll survive again ;)

And if you're in the mood for a good med-free birth story, check out my new tab. All 4 pages of a Word document for your reading pleasure detailing Parker's labor and delivery. I still can't believe that we got to the hospital at 5am and I delivered her at 6:45am. Talk about cutting it close!

Weekend Recap

10 weeks to go = breaking out Parker's baby clothes for baby girl number two. Excited doesn't even describe how I feel about putting these adorb outfits to use again. Don't worry about baby being short changed though. Parker and I have a mommy daughter date planned one week from today which will include a lot of clothes buying. The new fall lines are out and I have visions of cutsey matching outfits. I always thought matching outfits were the definition of lame. That is, until I found out I was having another girl.



We got our fair share of lake time all morning and early afternoon on Saturday and Sunday. This brand new playground is what it's all about.



Someone is certainly digging the swing.





The water felt the love too. Little miss was all about it, running and splashing for hours. There must be something a bit more calming about a lake versus an ocean. See her there on the left?



Popsicles for breakfast are A OK in my book.

Honey Yogurt Berry Pops
-1 cup berries (I used strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries)
-2 cups greek yogurt
-1/2 cup honey

Combine, pour in popsicle molds, freeze, enjoy.



Soap beard fun.




"I stuck"



We share carrots in this house.



And baby dolls.



And cookies too. Adapting this recipe will not happen next time. These turned out delish but I must try the real deal.

Now if only I could figure out to have more weekends and less weekdays I'd be all set ;)

Finally Friday

The week back to reality after vacation is brutal. I swear, this week lasted like 4 months. I'm ready to skip out of work early today and spend the weekend at the lake. Lakes are more fun than mulching, unless you ask Parker.

One day she will realize that chores suck.

Hold up...helping isn't acutally fun? It's work?

I need a drink after that bombshell.

And to end, if you have any experience with a toddler you'll most likely find Honest Toddler's tweets to be hilarious. I actually think that Parker might be tweeting these when we're not looking. I really can relate.

@HonestToddler
I know where your keys are.

I won't be eating much dinner tonight. Thanks for cooking though.

No, you misunderstand. I don't want you to pat my back to sleep I want you to pat it until morning.

Mom has been wearing the same pants for three days but I'm "the mess." OK.

Stay out as late as you'd like. I'll be up slightly before dawn. #datenight

Skipped my nap today. Exhausted. Will go right to bed. LOL. NOT. FEEL LIKE ADRENALINE & RED BULL ARE PUMPING THROUGH MY BABY VEINS.

Barista just asked me not to touch the pastry display glass. Licked it. In yo face.

Weird how these "maternal instincts" don't apply to knowing what I'd like for lunch. Just an observation.

"Oh well. Failed again at going to bed at a reasonable time. May as well FB/Tweet/Pin until 1AM. There's always coffee." -All the parents

Happy weekend!

29 Weeks

I swear that I'm usually a bit more put together during the day and that I don't run around with wet hair and PJs.

How far along: 29 weeks. Um, that means I only have about 11 more weeks to go. 11 more weeks to...paint and decorate the nursery, paint the laundry room walls, cabinets, and add new hardware, paint the crown molding, make my entryway bench and shelf (the wood is cut but I need a tutorial on using a nail gun), transform Parker's nursery into a big girl room, and pitch in where needed with the master bath remodel. And the only time I work on things is during Parker's nap on the weekends. Yeah...

Total weight gain: 127lbs, still up 15 pounds. I have a feeling that the bulk of my weight gain happened in 2nd tri just like it did with Parker. At this point it's hard for me to eat a lot. I don't have much room in there anymore and I get full so fast.

Maternity Clothes: still going strong in my current wardrobe.

Best moment this week: even though vacay was a blast it was nice to get back home. And these 80 degree days and windows open at night? Loving it.

Movement: I'm still feeling baby girl all the time. I had an anterior placenta with Parker so a lot of the movement I felt wasn't terribly strong so this is all new. Baby girl likes to dig her way into my ribs quite often and let me tell you, it makes sitting pretty damn uncomfortable.

Food Cravings: My cravings are gone but I did buy one of those huge pails of vanilla ice cream with fudge and topped it off with Cupcake Magic Shell. It is heavenly.

Sleep: I'm exhausted but I've hit that nesting phase and it makes me stay up later than I need to. It also makes my mind go a million miles a minute in the middle of the night when I get up to pee. I run through all the things I need to do then can't fall back asleep for a while.

Milestones: Baby's brain can now control her breathing and body temperature. She can also cough, and her sucking abilities have been perfected. She's 15 inches long and weights 3lbs.

Random: As I laid with Parker during her nap and baby girl was making my belly move all over the place I couldn't help but tear up at how excited I am to have two little girls in no time. As much as I'm nervous about how Parker will adjust, how baby girl will fit into our lives, and how we'll manage with two little ones and everything else that's going on in our lives I am absolutely over the moon excited to expand our family.

On a totally different note I'm trying to figure out the best situation for Parker during my maternity leave. Pulling her from daycare is not an option. With all that she learns and all the fun she has with her friends it's not fair to take that away from her. Plus, I don't want to drastically change her routine. There's going to be enough change with a newborn in our house. I just need to figure out the right balance. I'll drop her down part time though I"m not sure of the days. At first I was thinking of every day for a half a day, but now I'm leaning more towards two full days a week. Parker will have her friend time which she will love (seriously, this girl talks about her friends all the time. She calls them by name and recently started calling them "friends." So cute) and I'll get some one on one time with baby girl. Sounds like a win-win to me.

And on another totally different note, Parker is fully into the independent, "I do this" stage. This morning she found her sunglasses and demanded to wear them. They were worn in the car and also made an appearance in her classroom. Thankfully I was able to trade her a blankie for the sunglasses but I realized that I left them in her cubby. Hopefully her teachers hid them. If not, it will be diva day in Toddler I.

If you have endless free hours today...

...you can check out my three million vacation photos.

In a nutshell Virginia Beach was the perfect getaway. It was super family friendly which was what I was hoping for. I didn't know if we would be surrounded by keg pounding beach goers but the only thing I saw being pounded on the beach were juice boxes. The weather was a little toasty (helloooo 100 degree days) but we worked with it by spending the morning at the beach and pool and the afternoon doing indoor things like the Aquarium, Children's Museums, and mini golf. Thanks to recommendations by conceirge we dined at amazing local restaurants and stuffed ourselves silly. Getting away from the hustle and bustle of normal everyday life was much needed. No cooking, no cleaning, no errands...only fun in the sun. My kind of trip.

We learned a couple things from this vacation. One, a single hotel room doesn't cut it with a child. We'll be going the seperate room suite route from now on. Keeping everyone in one room when one of those people nap (make that two. I took full advantage of being lazy) would have been much easier with a second room. Second, we need a bigger car asap. My crossover SUV was packed to the brim. Once baby girl arrives we'll really be strapped for space. I'm patiently waiting for a great deal on a GMC Acadia to pop up. Third, a stroller would have been a nice addition. I've never been a huge stroller fan other than using the BOB for runs but when Parker wanted to be held, she wanted to be held. 7 months pregnant + 110 heat index + 25lb Parker = no weight gain for the week even though I made it my job to indulge. Talk about a work out.

I had so much fun that I'm already planning our next beach vacation!


I'm so excited to be in Virginia Beach!


Naked with sand on her face. Whatever makes her happy.


Out on the beautiful beach




Have I mentioned that Parker is obsessed with birds? Because she is.


She was also obsessed with her shovel and bucket. Once it got full she would say "ready" for us to tip it over and make a sand castle.






But obsessed with the water?



Not so much.

We took Parker in the ocean every day and while she tolerated it, she made sure to say "not nice, water" and "stay, water" and "be nice, water." One night she did decide that she loved the ocean and was running around in the water like a crazy woman. I got loads of hugs and kisses that night and heard lots of "come here, water," "this is fun," and "I love this."

Mommy and daughter matching pink toes :)



That's right. Pregnant in a bikini.





Aquarium time.









Parker wanted to bring these turtles home with us. She was mesmerized. Thankfully this place had a thousand turtle exhibits. Seriously.









Nature Trail connecting one side of the Aquarium to the other.




There was no shortage of pinecones in this forest.





My two daredevils decided to climb up the treetop lookout tower. Parker climbed all the way up four monstrous sets of stairs. I relaxed down below on the bench.












WATCH OUT FOR THE SHARK!!!






Perhaps the coolest thing about vacationing on the ocean during the 4th was the beachside fireworks.


"Mommy's silly"







Parker had mixed emotions about the fireworks. At first she was scared ("too loud"), then she was in shock (see above), then she dozed in and out on Kris' shoulder.


Finally, a way to keep Parker in a bubble.




Unfortunately these bubbles pop way too easy.


Children's Museums have the neatest ideas. The bubble room was absolutely fantastic.


"I do this"






The grocery store section was packed with yummy things.



In the process of taking baby's clothes off on the dentist chair. This kid prefers her baby dolls sans clothing. Baby Stella has been in the nude for endless months.


Look at me, I'm a vet!


Ahhh, get me back here asap!




And this is how the beach looks super early in the morning. While most people were sleeping we were playing in the sand. Not exactly by our choice though. Parker had some pull in this decision.








See Kris way out there?





Another Children's Museum. Parker loved this carosel. She started off holding my hand but right about now she's pushing me away and saying, "Mommy, go." Where did this big girl come from??

Let me check my list...Cheez It's? Check. Green pepper? Check. Parker? Check.

Melts my heart :)


Parker's awwww, hell no face when some boy tried to steal her car.




There's only one person having fun in this picture and I'm pretty sure it's not Parker.

So there you have it. Memories made to last a lifetime.