Oh Goodness

Alright, it has been a while. I had a post typed and had it saved in my documents, but you can't copy and paste. So, I will just shorten that up for you. It has been a crazy couple of weeks here. The other week, Oliver woke up with a cough. It wasn't anything serious, but I was keeping an eye on it. Well, it got really bad by noon. It made me nervous to hear him coughing so hard and so much. It was such a big cough for a 7 week old! I called the nurse and she told me to bring him right away. The PA gave him a breathing treatment which really helped his breathing! They tested him for RSV and whopping cough....thankfully, they both came back clear. We got a nebulizer and had to give him breathing treatments throughout the day. We haven't had to give him a treatment in a few days, so hopefully that nasty cough is gone. During this time, Jamie got a cough and runny nose also. At least with him, I can give him medicine to help him feel better.

How about some other updates on the boys? Oh, sorry I won't have any pictures in this post. I need to upload more to the computer. Jamie is awesome. He is feeling better, but still has a bit of a runny nose. It seems like he is talking more and more every week. He loves to read and the other day he brought the Dr. Seuss book, Hop on Pop to me and started reading it! I know he only memorized it, but still. He was so excited to be telling me the story. We got him a Leap Frog Tag Jr. for Christmas. I'm thinking that he will enjoy that. We have been watching a lot of Toy Story 3 here. "Wee Wee" and "B" as Jamie calls them. He also got a new Christmas suit and I had to return it for a 5T! The shirt and vest fit very nicely now, but the pants will have to be hemmed.

As for Oliver....he is feeling much better. He is smiling all the time. Growing like a weed! He has his 2 month (can you believe it!) check-up next week. I had to get out the 6 month clothes the other day. He can wear some 3 month stuff yet, but any one piece things like sleepers, have to be 6 months. He is starting to follow objects. It is so great to see him do more things.

I can't wait to get the house decorated for Christmas. Our house is so cluttered right now because of all the toys. We are moving the boys to the bigger bedroom and making their current room a play room. I can't wait to get those toys out of my living room :) Eric doesn't have to work tomorrow, so I plan on moving more things and get things situated so I can start decorating this weekend. I am also looking forward to taking our picture for our Christmas card. Both the boys have suits with red shirts and Eric and I both have nice red shirts. I went black Friday shopping today with my sister. Wal-Mart's sale started at midnight so we decided to hit that up. It was a bit crazy, I won't lie! I got everything for the boys. But I feel kind of bad. I got all this stuff for Jamie, but nothing for Oliver. I know he won't care, but I just feel bad. Everything I got though, Oliver will use also when he gets older. There just isn't anything that he needs, except for some more cloth diapers. I just don't know what to do about that feeling. I got home around 1:20AM and decided to write this post and watch Supernanny on DVR. I know I should be in bed! Oh, Oliver slept throught the night last night. He ate around 9:30 and fell alseep around 11 or so and didn't get up til 6! Hopefully now that he is feeling better, he will continue to sleep through the night. I am getting tired so I think I will head off to bed now :)

Happy Halloween

So, this was the only picture of the two that I got. Oliver was not very happy, as you can see! We had fun though. It was a nice day also, until the sun went down. Jamie was Woody, but that darn hat kept blowing off his head.

What an adorable puppy! I'm happy that this costume of warm! You know, just for kicks, here is a picture of Jamie as that same puppy from his first Halloween:

Wow...there aren't any similarities there! Oliver really enjoys being in the Moby wrap. I'm so glad I have one! It really comes in handy at home when I need to get things done and he just wants to cry. He helped me make lasagna last night!

Jamie really liked his outfit and he had never seen the Toy Story movies, only commercials. I bought the third movie the other night and he loves it! I have never seen him pay so much attention to one thing! I mean, it still isn't super long, but hey! Well, we turned the clocks back and I am very much looking forward to getting that extra hour of sleep!

A New Perspective

The other day I had a chance to meet up with a friend from church and talk about some things going on in my life. It was nice to hear some different perspectives on things. There are some things going on that have been bugging me off and on for a while now. Every time I think things are getting better, something else happens. It is nice to talk to others and find out that they have similar experiences. Sometimes I feel alone in my thoughts and feelings about things. I try so hard to not let certain things bother me, especially when it happens over and over, but that isn't that easy. It was also nice to have a small break from the boys, I'm not gonna lie. Please, don't get me wrong, I love being home with them, but I need my breaks! I had some other deep thoughts that I was going to write about, but those thoughts have escaped! I think I will add in some pics and of the boys instead!

This little man is so handsome! I just love his smile, his big blue eyes, his dimples, and curly hair! He may drive me crazy most days, but he is so much fun. He is talking more and more now also. This past week or so, he has been putting more and more words together to form sentences. I am excited about this, but at the same time, it is depressing! He is growing up so fast.

This little man has also stolen my heart! He is so much like his big brother. Their baby pictures are almost identical. We also noticed that Oliver has a dimple in the same place and same side as Jamie. He is such a good baby, I really can't complain. The first couple of weeks were a bit rough. Oliver has reflux and is now on medicine for it. That medicine works wonders and I love it! I feel so bad that such a little person has to go through that, but at least he is getting some relief. He has started to pack on the pounds now. He is up to 6 ounce bottles every few hours...and he is only 6 weeks old! He is wearing 3 month clothing, but the shirts and onsie type of shirts are getting a little snug. He has a long torso and long arms (just like his mommy and big brother). He is also starting to smile and that just melts my heart! He "talks" once and a while. He is making the motion with his mouth, I am just waiting for him to figure out that he can makes lots of noise. He is also getting pretty good and holding his head and looking around. Both my boys could hold their heads up the first day they were born. They weren't masters at it, but they were definately holding it pretty well.

What a size difference, huh?! Jamie loves being a big brother. He is so good with Oliver. He loves to help. He always needs to check on him also when he starts to cry. He will say to me, "Ollie, no happy." Jamie tried to share a pop tart with him this morning! Not sure he really understands when I tell him that Oliver can't eat that stuff yet.

He loves giving Oliver hugs!

Jamie also loves our dog, Charlie. Charlie is a big black lab (a little over 100 pounds) and he is the sweetest dog ever! We got him 5 years ago when he was just a small puppy....we apparently do everything big in our house! Anyway, he is such a good dog. He never barks in the house and doesn't even bark outside....only once in a great while will he bark outside. Jamie likes to say hi to him every morning and give him a hug. He even tries to move Charlie out of his way, but that never works! Charlie doesn't move! Hope you all enjoyed the pics. I will do a Halloween post soon....too many pictures to keep moving on here. Have a good night :)

What have we been up to?

We have been really busy around here. Jamie's birthday was Sept. 30th and we had a blast with that. I still can't believe that he is 2! My birthday was Oct. 10th. We had a nice relaxing day, it was perfect. It was just the 4 of us all day. We went to Applebees for lunch and then went to a park near our house. Then we came home to feed Oliver and then went on a nice long walk, which included a visit to another park. Eric surprised me with Lady Antebellum tickets for my birthday! That was on the 9th and we had floor seats, it was awesome! I don't have those pictures on my computer yet, but I will for sure post some.

This past weekend was Oliver's baptism. My family came into town from Wisconsin. That meant 5 extra people staying in our house! It was a fun weekend. It went by way too fast though. Jamie is definately all boy and loves being around grandpa and his uncles. He has been asking where they are. He went into the spare bedroom today and was saying grandma and grandpa. I told them they had to go home. Then he said "uncle Nick byebye."....he's so smart....but it breaks my heart.

Jamie just loves being a big brother. He is always giving Oliver hugs, kisses, holding his hand, and helping me. We still have to remind him to be gentle at times, but he is wonderful. We try to do things with Jamie alone, like going to parks and such, but he always asks for Oliver to come with and gets mad when he doesn't! He really isn't acting any different either since Oliver came home. He is 2 and is defintaley in his terrible 2's, but he isn't throwing any new fits. He also isn't showing any signs of being jealous, which I'm hoping will continue. I signed Jamie up for a signing class also so he and I will have our time together for the next 5 weeks. I thought this class would be good for him so he can at least communicate in some way the words he can't say. I can tell that he wants to say more and gets frustrated because he can't say everything he wants. He likes the class and is doing well with the signs. He knows some of the words and says them along with the sign. I also make sure to always say the word I am signing. I don't want him to only do signs and not say anything.

amie had his 2 year check-up the other week and is growing and doing well. He is just shy of 32 pounds and is 36 inches tall! He is doing so many things now. He can walk down stairs without holding onto anything, he is putting sentences together, putting puzzles together, telling BIG stories, and tries to say new words all the time. He is also sleeping in his big boy bed. He has been climbing out of his crib a lot lately and we were finding him sleeping on the floor. We figured that was his way of telling us he was done with the crib. We started off with naps and then on the third day, he wanted to sleep in there at night. We usually have to sit with him for a bit and he still gets out at times, but he loves the bed. He started sleeping in there last week and he also asked to go on his potty that same week. He went into the bathroom saying "peepee" and pointing to the potty. I put him on there, he didn't produce anything, but this is a good start. I think he already went to the bathroom when he was telling me he wanted to sit on the potty. He also has been telling us more and more when he goes potty, so we will be working on potty training more now.

Oliver is doing well also. I had to take him back to the doc. because he wasn't back to birth weight at his one week check-up. He was 8lbs, 12oz that first appointment and when we went back the next week, he was 9lbs, 10oz! He is definately growing like a weed. Today I had to take him back to see the doctor. He has been having problems with reflux and they weren't getting any better. Jamie was on medication when he was a baby for relfux and so I didn't want to mess around this time. His doctor suggested that we try a different formula that is suppose to help with spitting up. He spits up a lot and sometimes he spits up so hard that it comes out of his nose as well as his mouth. I feel so bad for him when that happens, you can see that it hurts. He also cries real hard. So far, on this new formula he is still spitting up and is still very cranky. I will see how tomorrow goes and will call the office back on Thursday. If things do not get better, then he will be put on medication. Oh, he now weighs 10lbs and 11oz and is 23 3/4 inches tall!

I love this picture of Eric and Jamie. Jamie had to do what daddy was doing! This was on my birthday. It was such a nice, beautiful day. We couldn't just stay inside.

He is such a ham! He wanted to wear Oliver's shirt.

We celebrated his birthday and Eric's parent's house and they had these super cool monkey masks for Jamie and his cousins to wear. He likes to act like a monkey. It is cute because he doesn't say monkey, he calls them "oohh oohh." I think got everything in this post. Well, I need to head to bed. Goodnight all!

Oh my....

We have been sooo busy!! I will keep this post short because I'm sure Oliver will be waking up soon to eat. Things are going well here. Oliver is growing and so is Jamie! Jamie loves being a big brother and is very helpful. He isn't showing any signs of being jealous and I hope it stays that way. Ollie is 4 weeks old....wow, time really does fly. I will post again tomorrow when I have more time. After Oliver eats, I am hitting the hay :)

First week alone....

This was my first week home alone with the boys. My mom was here last week and Eric had the week off of work. Eric works 2nd shift, so my day isn't that long with the boys. Jamie sleeps most of the afternoon. But, of course, this week would be different. Eric had to go in on 1st shift Tuesday and Wednesday for some training....man, that is a long day! We are surviving though. Yesterday we went on a nice walk, the longest I've done in a while! It was probably only a mile or a little more, but I'm happy with that. Our little town is celebrating fall this weekend by having PumpkinFest. They even make pumpkin people...which is a little freaky because they look real! Jamie really liked looking at them yesterday. I will have to take pictures this weekend. Speaking of pictures, I will get more on here of Oliver....and Jamie of course! Eric is actually staying on 1st for the rest of this week. It makes for longer days, but I figured that is better than changing the schedule again. Today is Jamie's 2nd birthday! I can't believe he is 2 already. It makes me sad that he is growing up so fast and doing so many things. He was putting puzzles together yesterday....out of the blue! He would actually look for the right pieces and put in them in the correct spots. And, if they were the wrong way, he knew what I meant when I told him to turn them around. We were reading a book the other night and he told me what the next page said before I turned the page! I'm glad he is doing all this stuff, but still, it makes me sad. This morning I took him to a signing class and again, he blew me away! He was doing some of the signs and some of the alphabet! It was nice to spend the morning with him (Oliver went by grandma's house). Every time I picked Jamie up (which I'm sure I shouldn't be doing that often considering he is like 32 pounds or so) he would give me a big hug. We are going to have a little party for him on Saturday to celebrate. Last year we did a big thing, but this year I just want to do something simple and let him have his special time. There is also a parade and I know Jamie will love that. Whenever I mention his party, he says "hot dog." Now, hot dog means Mickey Mouse. I know it is strange. He can say Mickey, but he loves the hot dog song and just associates that with Mickey. Anyway, I'm making him a Micky Mouse cake and he is so excited for that. I'm a little nervous about it though. I made him a monkey cake last year and that was pretty simple. We'll see what happens. Now, on to Oliver. He is doing great! He had his one week check-up the other day. He grew a half an inch in just one week, but isn't back to his birth weight yet. He only gained 2 ounces. His doctor wants to see him again next week because of that. I was worried at first, but after talking to people, I'm calming down. Jamie packed on the weight and I just thought Oliver was also. He eats a lot! Between 3 and 4 ounces at a time :) I figure that since he grew, that is where the weight went! The kid also loves to sleep, especially at night. Last night, he went to bed around 11 or so and got up at 5:30. The other night he ate around 10 and I woke him up at 6:30 to feed him! I'm not complaining! I'm sure if he ate during the night, he would be gaining weight a little faster also, but I really don't like to wake him, unless it has been a while. Ollie is very much like Jamie when he was a baby. He is content, super good, likes to eat and sleep. He has his crabby moments....he cries more than Jamie did, but it doesn't last for long. I still can't believe that I have 2 little boys now. I'm doing pretty well. I still get sore, but the thing that bothers me the most is my tailbone. I think that is why I walk a lot and do stuff around the house because my tailbone feels better when I'm moving compared to when I'm sitting. But, then I get sore....oh well, the soreness will hopefully be over with soon. The tailbone on the other hand, at least 3 to 4 months :( Well, I think I'm going to get some more cleaning done. I don't have a super messy house, I swear! It seems all I do is clean! I usually work on one thing at a time so I have a few more spots to take of, especially since we have people coming over on Saturday. Hope you all are having a good day :)

Introducing....

Oliver Presley!! Oliver made his entrance last Sunday, Sept. 19th at 8:45am. He is absolutely perfect. I have to say that this delivery was soooo much better than the first. But, lets start from the beginning. Saturday night we went to Chuck E Chesse with my hubby's brother and his family. I really wasn't feeling any different that day. It was a little harder to walk, but I was used to that. We then went to the grocery store to get a few things and saw so many people that we knew. We got home, put Jamie to bed, I folded some laundry and was getting stuff ready for Sunday. We were suppose to go to a baptism for a friend's baby and then a birthday lunch at the in-laws. I went to bed around 1am....I was watching a movie! I was up at 2 to use the bathroom and then again at 3. I laid back down on the air mattress and started getting these cramps. I didn't think much of it at first. I went back to the bathroom and noticed that I was leaking a bit. I tried to fall back asleep, but that wasn't happening. I went upstairs and started to pack a bag. I woke Eric up a little after 3:30 and told him we needed to leave. He called his mom (they live like 2 minutes from us) and she headed over to stay with Jamie until he woke up. We got to hospital (which is also only a couple minutes away) around 4. By this time, I wanted to die! The contractions were horrible! They were already a minute apart by the time we got to the hospital. There was no easing into this birth....Oliver had a different plan! I, or Eric, asked for the epidural right away....haha. Once I got to the bed, I just stayed on my side and grabbed this cart that was next to me....it had open slots on it to push it and that came in handy during the contractions! They had to call in the epidural guy (sorry, can't spell the correct word) and thankfully it didn't take him long to drive in. They gave me some Stadal in the mean time. It doesn't take away the pain, but just helps to relax you a bit. It was enough to hold me over until I got the epidural. I was already dilated to a 7 and completely thinned out when I got to the hospital. I told you, he wasn't messing around! I got the epidural around 4:45. Then my water broke completely and I was dilated to a 10. Can't complain I guess. Well, I could until I got that nice pain medication! It was crazy how fast and hard those contractions were. My hubby knew it was bad when I started to whimper.....yeah, I didn't know what else to do! Anyway, since I was basically ready to have the baby, they waited for him to move down a bit more on his own. Less pushing for me and I wasn't feeling any pain so I didn't care! I could still feel the pressure of the contractions, but that was nothing! My wonderful nurse had me start pushing at 8:15 and after a couple rounds of pushing, she called the doctor in. I pushed a few more rounds with him and then Oliver was here! I was super calm during it all also. I just felt good and knew I could get it done. I was talking and joking. I think I was in shock a bit at how fast everything happened. I mean, I didn't push for very long. Anyway....Oliver was 9 pounds and 21 1/2 inches long! He was bigger than his brother. And he looks just like his brother, except Oliver has darker hair. Oh, Sunday was also our oldest niece's birthday! She was very excited to get a new cousin for her birthday.

Jamie came to visit before church and was so excited to meet his baby brother. I came in the room saying, "baby Ollie, baby Ollie." He wanted to hold him right away. He got a little too excited a few times, as he still does, and was a little rough with Oliver, but Oliver didn't care. I felt really good, and I looked much better, after this delivery. I really didn't feel like I had a kid. Well, except for my tailbone. That is still killing me and it stinks that there isn't anything you can do about it. Oh well, I will take the tailbone pain over all the stuff that happened with Jamie. I have been moving and doing a lot of stuff since we got home also. Then yesterday my side was hurting. Yep, just did too much and pulled the ligament. As long as I take it easy and don't bend over much, that feels better. I will definately post more pictures later. I still have to upload a bunch. Ok, I need to head off. Jamie has a cold and is possibly getting his 2 year molars.

I want to....

Do so many things right now. I want to put the dishes in the dishwasher and run that, I want to put the pop cans in a bag, I have little things I want to put away, but I can't. Every time I stand up, I have this pain in an area that I won't name, but I am sure you could probably figure it out :) I don't like the pain and it makes it hard to walk, it really does. Then I feel pretty pathetic for complaining....just keep walking...but it doesn't go away until I sit down. Maybe it is a sign that I need to sit down and just wait until tomorrow, but I don't want to! The hubby has school in the morning so I won't have any time to do anything then, except go crazy with an almost 2 year old! I just want to be done. But like I sad before, I'm not looking forward to the actual delivery. I think maybe it is worse with the second one because you know what you are getting yourself into. I have been praying a lot lately.....for calmness, for things to go well. I know the big man upstairs is there for me and will help me get through, but man, I am really scared! Sometimes I just break down in tears because of the anxiety. I really don't know what to do anymore.

On a happier note...we went to a fair today. Yes, I am due in 7 days...haha, I was hoping the walking would get things moving :) It was dollar day at the fair and we couldn't pass that up. $3 for us to get in and park, instead of $15. I think Jamie enjoyed his mommy/daddy time. He loves animals and tractors and got to see all of those today. He then decided that he would sleep the 30 minutes home and then not take his nap when we got home. This momma was tired and took a nap though! He did stay in his crib for a couple of hours playing with his blankets, stuffed animals, and just chilling. I'm glad he doesn't mind doing that. I do feel bad, but I was just so tired. It did mean an early bedtime tonight so I guess it worked out nice!

Nerves

I am stressing out like mad here. I am feeling so many different emotions, I don't know what to do! I am super excited to meet our new little guy, but I don't want to go through the whole process. I know, that probably makes me sound like a bad mom, but I didn't have a good experience the first time and I'm so afraid that will happen again. At this point, I'm ready for a C-section....please don't judge. I'm afraid of so many things and I shouldn't be. I guess it is normal to be afraid/nervous/anxious/excited. I just want to meet the little man! I'm a little nervous about how Jamie will react. He LOVES babies, but I know that could change when the baby doesn't leave. I also have to figure out last minute where he will go.....because of plans changing all of a sudden. We have people here that will help, that is not the problem. I would like him to at least sleep at home while I'm in the hospital, just to keep things as normal as possible for him, but I also have to realize that may not be able to happen. I'm trying to keep my mind busy with lots of other things in hopes that I will calm down a little. Ha...good luck, right?! I am due in 10 days and my nerves get worse everyday.

Oh, one more thing. My husband pointed out that in my last post I said I couldn't believe that Jamie was going to be 1....well, duh, he will be 2!!

All about James

First, I can't believe that my little man will be 1 this month!! And that there will be a second baby before that. I thought it would be fun to a post just for Jamie. It would make a nice birthday post, but I'm thinking I might be a little busy and might forget. Jamie is such a precious boy. He may have his moments and is entering his terrible 2's, but he is such a sweet boy.

He wasn't a planned baby....please don't be offended. We just weren't trying and thought we would wait a little bit yet. I really wanted to finish school. When I found out, I was not very happy. I was just so shocked and couldn't believe it. The first couple of months were hard. When I think about it now, I feel bad for feeling that way, but I don't think I was ready at that moment to be a mom. I then got screwed over at school and wasn't allowed to do my internship for my last year. Of course, they won't admit the reason why, but I know. The pregnancy was also hard on me just because I wasn't expecting it and didn't know what to expect during the whole thing. My current pregnancy is hard also, but I know what to expect, what to do and not to do....you know, things you learn after doing it once! I do want to say that I never hated Jamie while I was pregnant. Once I got further into it, things got better. I just had some internal things to deal with. Jamie was born on September 30, two days after his due date. I went in on Monday for a nonstress test because his activty level was going down. I knew something was up because we were in there longer than we should have been. The doctor came in and said that we needed to induce which is something he doesn't do a lot. He said the baby was ok now, but if we waited til Friday (my next test), he could be in a lot more distress and it could result in a C-Section. I started to cry. I wanted to meet him, but I wasn't planning on hearing that news. I was induced around 11am on Monday and Jamie was born at 7:30am on Tuesday. We didn't know the sex so when they said he was a boy, I didn't even care....I was so wore out. About 15 minutes after he was born and things calmed down a bit, and I had some more energy, I was so excited to see him. He weighed 8lbs. 10 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches. He was such a good baby from the beginning. He didn't cry much and when he did, it was such a big boy cry. He changed our life, definately for the good!

One thing I say all the time, is that I can't believe how fast he has grown! He weighed 18 pounds at only 3 months. After the first few weeks, I didn't feel like I had a baby...haha! Even now, he is wearing 3T and 4T clothes, 31 pounds, and about 36 inches tall (or taller, he is reaching a lot more things now!). He was getting rice cereal in his bottle at one month, eating baby food at four months, and drinking completely from sippy cups at ten months. He is a very independent little boy. He needs to do things on his own. I had to stop cutting his bananas up because he wanted to eat them like a big boy. I like the fact that he is so independent, but it makes me sad at times. He is a jabber mouth! He loves to talk, even though you may not be able to make out everything he says! He likes to sing, dance, listen to grandpa's polkas....yes, my dad has a polka band! He is ALL boy. He loves trucks, tractors, balls, mega blocks, dirt. He has a mechanical mind, like his daddy. He likes to know how things work. He will actually take things apart and put them back together, or watch how things works. He is so smart. I know every parent says that about their kids, but I think he is too smart for his own good right now...haha! Eric and I drink Mountain Dew, but I like Code Red and Jamie knows that. He sees a green can and says "daddy" and then points to the red can and says "momma." Just tonight we were working on colors and said something was blue and then he went and found a few other things that were blue...all on his own! He is also an escape artist. He runs outside or upstairs so quick it is insane.

This is one of his 6 month pics and I just love it. My brother is a Marine so he is sporting his camo. This child also has little fear....something I'm not a huge fan of all the time. We have a huge black lab (like 100 pounds at least!) and he has never been afraid of him. I really like that though. He does things all the time that about give me a heart attack and he doesn't care that he could get hurt....until he does. I know that he is going to be a great big brother. I know we will have our moments with him, but I'm not too worried about it. My sister asked him the other day where Oliver was and he said "in momma".....are you kidding me?!! We put the other carseat in the car and I told him it was for Ollie and he just loved that. He was so well behaved in that car with the other seat next to him...haha! I can't wait to see how he acts with Oliver.

This is one of his 1 year pics and it is so Jamie! He makes such crazy faces. Well, I'll stop bragging.....for now! It is getting late and this momma needs some sleep.

Wow

I thought I would start out by giving more stats about Eric's 5K because he did awesome! He ran it in 25:37, which is a 8:15 mile. He finished 201 overall (out of 551) and finished 9th out of 18 in his age group. I think it is so cool because I could never, never do that!

As you may remember...or not..haha...I went to Carter's the other day and got some great deals. I get so excited going there and then adding up the total prices compared to what I spent. I only spent $67.49 before taxes and got 16 items. I'm going to go through the numbers because it excites me....haha, yeah a little strange....sorry. I got a lot of stuff that was a part of their warehouse sale and all those items were an additional 20% off. I had a coupon for 25% off if I spent $40 and then a card for another $10 off. And everything that I bought was on sale. I got the boys matching Halloween shirts that were $14 for $4.59 each. Another shirt was $20 and I got it for $6.53. I got Jamie a pair of jeans for $6.53 (originally $24). A shirt for $1.56 (or. $12), a romper for $3.13 (or. $16), a bodysuit for $1.56 (or. $12), a creeper for $2.08 (or. $10), another creeper for $2.08 (or. $10), an outfit for $5.23 (or. $20), shirt for $2.60 (or. 12), shorts for $2.60 (or. $12), bodysuit for $4.17 (or. 20), shirt for $7.19 (or. $22), and two pairs of PJs for $6.53 each (or. $20). The PJs were buy one, get one free so it was like paying $10 for each, but then cheaper! The total price was $258 before taxes!! I know that is a lot of numbers, but I saved so much...I love it!

Jamie's Clothes

Oliver's clothes

Their matching shirts :D

Tonight, Jamie and I had some snuggle time. I love snuggle time! For the past 2 weeks or so, he hasn't been going to bed for me very well, but goes down for Eric just fine. It is super frustrating because I have things I want to get done after he goes to bed. I thought I would just keep him up for a bit tonight. He went down at 10...yeah, a little late. Anyway, he was laying on my tummy and Oliver kicked his head twice. Jamie looked up at me with the funniest look! He looked so confused and a little freaked out. I started to laugh and said, "did Ollie get you!?" Then he laughed and kept saying Ollie, but he didn't lay back on my belly for a bit. It was just so cute :)

Stream of Consciousness

Eric ran his first 5K on Saturday and did great! He ran it in only 25 min. and 37 seconds! That is the faster than any time while he was training. He is going to keep running and do another 5K in our town on October 2. That day I will be watching the race with 2 little boys....crazy! I had a doc. appointment last week and things are looking good. I asked the doctor if he could guess the weight. He was feeling around and asked if I really wanted to know! Oh man. He asked how big the first one was and I said 8 pounds, 10 ounces and he said if Oliver goes full term he will be at least 9 pounds....holy man! I thought he was going to be smaller because he started off that way...haha! How do you prepare yourself for a monster baby?! I am already scared out of my mind to do the whole thing again and now there is a posibility that he will be even bigger than the first. I keep hoping that he will come early, but with my luck, he will go to the exact due date. It is hot and humid here again. Gotta love 90 degree weather and humidity when you are 9 months pregnant! We will definately be spending some time in the pool. I got a killer cramp in my calf muscle yesterday morning. It was bad! It died down a little bit only to come back again. It is still sore and hard to walk on it. Man, I really hate those cramps. Hopefully being in the pool will help. The tree in front of my house is turning color already! Our road was re-done last summer and new trees were planted. We got a Maple and Flowering Pear tree...which I love! The top half of the maple is a pretty red color right now. A little depressing though. I like having cooler weather, sweat shirt weather, but I do not like really cold weather, or snow...yeah, I'm picky. Jamie was playing last night and I can't believe how fast he is growing :( I'm glad to have a new baby soon, but I know he will grow just as fast as Jamie. Jamie is learning so many new words, making 2 and 3 word sentences, in his terrible 2's for sure, and always keeps us on our toes. It is fun to teach him new words because he really focuses on my mouth and tries his hardest to repeat the word. I went to our local Carter's store over the weekend for their huge sale...I will post more about that later...and got the boys some new clothes. Not like Oliver really needs any because he will be born the same time Jamie was. I got them a few matching shirts...I know, they will hate me, but they will look so adorable :) I got Jamie some 4T things to last throughout the winter and spring, thinking they looked pretty big. I was in for a surprise when I tried them on him! He has some room to grow, but they weren't huge like I thought they would be. I got him some winter pjs and the pants were a bit long. He has a long torsoe (that is totally not the correct spelling, sorry!)...top half...and his legs are a bit short. Well, they really aren't short, they are still long for his age, but his top half is longer....something he gets from me. He will be 2 a month from today and wears 3T and 4T things and his shoe size is 8! He also has long arms and is growing out of some of his long sleeve 3T shirts. I will have to do a post just about him, since I just love talking about him! Well, it is 9:15am and the little man is still sleeping....along with the big man. I need some breakfest...at least a real one! I had some Keebler fudge stripe cookies, but should probably have something healthy...haha!

Full Term!

I am officially full term and so excited for that! I just really want to meet this little guy. I won't lie though....I am looking forward to these darn pains going away! I had some cramping and those fun pains last night for a few hours. But, I can do this! Haha....think positive right?! I've been getting nervous about things though. I was induced with my first one, so I'm really wondering what will happen with this one. I'm afraid that I will be out grocery shopping with my little man and my water breaks. I'm hoping this one comes on his own. The pains were so bad with being induced. I'm also not looking forward to that whole process. I have to try and not think about it too much!

My sister is coming over today to hang out with Jamie. I'm really hoping to get some stuff done around the house. I just have to remember to pace myself so I'm not paying for it later. It will be nice to have a small break from the little one also. He is hitting his terrible 2's for sure! He has beeen throwing some nice fits and being super attached to us at times. I feel bad for needing a break, but I think it is good for both of us. I think the hardest thing when Oliver is born, is me being away from Jamie. I'm not worried about how he will react to the baby....he loves babies...and I know, we will have our days.

Eric's big 5K is this weekend and I'm getting excited for him. He has been working real hard on his running. It will be a very early day for us, but it will be a fun day. There is another 5K in our town in October that he also wants to do. We talked about gettting some nice, expensive running shoes next year. I want to make sure this is something he really wants to do and with him only doing 2 races this year, it doesn't really make sense to get them now. I think running is something that he will keep doing. It makes me feel like a whimp though because I cannot run! I have such bad knees and asthma that I can't do it. I do like how a lot of the 5K's have walks also, so I will probably do some of those next year. My mother-in-law is also training for a 100 mile bike ride. I'm going to look up different bike rides in Michigan...maybe there are ones that are shorter than 100 miles! I like to ride my bike and it is something that I can do pretty easily with my knee problems. It will be a good way to stay in shape also. Oh, I've also decided to join the Zumba craze after Oliver is born! It looks fun.

Success!!

I am happy to say that all my jars of tomato sauce have stayed sealed! I am so excited about this! I had exactly enough tomatoes for 6 quarts and 2 pints. I was in the kitchen for a few hours and that took it's toll on me. It was super hot that day and night and so was my kitchen! My feet were so swollen, it was nuts. But, oh well, I got them canned, right!?

On Sunday, my sister had a baby shower for me. I am so thankful for the people that showed up. I wasn't expecting a shower at all since this is my second baby, but my sister thought it would be nice to get some help with the cloth diapers. We got some more to add to our stash, but still need more...haha...that way I don't have to do laundry everday. We aren't starting Oliver on cloth til he is about 1 month anyway, so we have time. I had so much fun at the shower. It was nice to laugh, tell crazy stories, and just hang out for a few hours.

We are finally getting a break from the crazy heat this week. I am so excited about that! It is so nice to turn off the air conditioner and open the windows and feel that nice breeze. Since it is cooler this week, I'm hoping to get more cleaned in the house. It always seems...at least in my house...that things get worse before they get better when it comes to cleaning! I want to get things nice and clean before Oliver comes. Then we just have to keep it that way! We also have some yard work to get done. Nothing major, but stuff that needs to be done before it snows :)

Baby Update

I had my doc. appoitment yesterday and things are looking good. I am 34 1/2 weeks, but measuring 33 weeks. This is a little strange to me just because I measured so big with my first! I know, don't compare pregnancies because they are different. I also got a note to be off of work, although the doctor wasn't too happy about it. He believes in women working up until their due date. I have no problem with that, but my job is a little different. For one, it is only 4 hours a week, is it really that big of a deal?! I work for a cleaning company and I have to vacuum, sweep, and mop. Not that big a deal to do at home because I don't have a time frame to get it done, I can take breaks at home. At work, I have to have things done in a certain amount of time, it is a lot of twisting, lifting, and bending. I do all that stuff at home, but at my pace. I tried explaining that to my doctor, telling him that I don't sit around....I mean come on, I have an almost 2 year old to chase around! I clean, go grocery shopping, mow the lawn. I also told him how much better I felt last week when I wasn't working, less stress. Oliver's activity has also started to increase....shouldn't that be a reason to stay home?! If I had a desk job, I would most certainly continue working. I then talked to one of the ladies who works in the office and she agreed with me. Everyone is different. Oh well, I'm trying to forget about what he said. He is a good doctor, but lets face it, he is a male! He should also know that I don't just sit around....I am pushing 180 pounds...gasp!!!....but I most certainly do not look like it! I have to stop dwelling on it though, less stress and I need that!

Last Saturday, we went to the farmer's market. I was excited to get 6 huge cumumbers for only $1! I also got two paper shopping bags full of tomatoes to can for only $12. My dad always makes homemade tomato sauce and gives us some, but I wanted to try it on my own also. I did the other year, but didn't have much luck with the jars staying sealed. I'm hoping to have better luck this year. The lady I brought the tomatoes from said I could freeze the sauce it they came unsealed....I did not know that! My sister is coming over to play with Jamie tonight so I can get the tomatoes done. It has been in the 90's and high humidity so I have the tomatoes sitting by the air conditioner...haha!

Finally, I follow this blog and also on Facebook....Mommy and Me Giveways. They are having two sweet giveaways right now that I'm pretty excited about. I'm hoping to win something....I never win anything! Their first one is a Doopsy cloth diaper giveaway. You can check out their website here http://www.doopsy.com/ These diapers are fun, bright colors, have extra absnorbancy, and are a little cheaper than most. We are doing cloth diapering with Oliver and I like trying different kinds. Their second giveaway is for a Little Tikes Spray and Rescue Fire Truck http://www.littletikes.com/toys/spray-rescue-fire-truck.aspx. I need to figure out how to put these links in a post with just one word instead of all this other stuff! Anyway, I love this truck! Jamie loves trucks and loves water so I know he would have a blast with it. So, if you are interested in any of these, check them out http://mommyandmegiveaways.com. Alright, I am off to make spaghetti for dinner.

Positive

I am trying to stay positive these days, and not just about pregnancy. There are so many things going on and I really don't know what to do, how to handle things. I try to push things aside, but that usually makes things worse. I feel like I'm being judged anytime I complain about being pregnant. I love the end result of pregnancy, but do not enjoy the whole process. It is not easy for me. Last night, I had a breakdown. I just couldn't take the braxton hicks, and then Jamie didn't want to go to bed. He climbed out of bed and proceeded to come downstairs. I think my crying made things worse for him. I called Eric and had him come home from work for a bit just so he could sit with him and put him back to bed. I'm so thankful that his job allows him to do that and that he only works a few miles from home. It kind of irratates me when others talk about how fun their pregnancies are....but then I try to forget about it because it could be worse...I am very thankful that I am able to have children. It really sucks to feel sick all the time, wondering when you are going to throw up, what foods will get you that day. I hate that I don't have much energy these days to play with my little man. I don't even feel like cleaning my house! I know it has to be done, and it is getting there....slowly! People have been on my mind lately....friends, family, why some act the way they do. How much do you try with people before giving up? Like I said, I'm trying to be positive. Things have to get better, right?! It does help to get my feelings out on here...even if it might tick some people off! I plan on posting tomorrow, but with a lighter post, happier! I have a doctor's appoitment in the morning and then we are spending some time in the pool....90 plus weather is not fun! Oh, funny, random fact. We went to see some fireworks on Saturday night and when we got home, my feet were so swollen! My shoes weren't tight and I was sitting most of the time. My socks had circle designs on them and those designs were then on the tops of my feet! Oh, the joys :)

Complain, complain

That is what I feel like I do all the time now. I don't want this blog to be me only whinning about things, so I will make this one quick!

Being pregnant is hard for me. It is a wonderful thing, don't get me wrong, but I do not enjoy most of it. I have so many pains, I can't walk or even sit for long periods of time because I feel light headed or dizzy. I have been getting itchy also...not really sure what that is all about. There is usually a couple times a day when I feel itchy everywhere, but no rashes or anything, just strange. Ok, done with that!

I stopped at my doctor's office yesterday to get a note to stop work and the doctor wouldn't sign off on it! My doctor wasn't there and they told me I have to wait til next Thursday when I have my appointment. Shouldn't it be my decision about when I want to stop working? The more I think about it and talk with the hubby, I am agreeing with him on the work situation. I have a hard time getting through work and then come home and deal with contractions for most of the night. I'm going to call work in the morning and explain the deal and I'm sure they will tell me to stay home and just bring the note in next week....well, here's hoping!

This morning, Jamie and I went to see a friend and have a play date with her son. Jamie loves playing with anyone, but this little boy takes a while to warm up to Jamie. He is usually afraid, like Jamie is going to beat him up! I am happy to say that they actually played with each other today! It was really cute and they were both sad when we had to leave. I liked catching up with my friend and seeing her new little baby girl. Oh, we also got Dish Network today! Oh, the little things that excite me. We had Charter, but I was sick of getting screwed by them. Goodbye charter!! I'm also thinking that tomorrow will be a pool day. It is going to be hot and humid again (my next pregnancy will be during the winter!). Jamie loves the pool and mamma likes it also :)

This little man makes me smile. Question.....does anyone have an easy way of putting pics on here? I added it and it put it in the beginning and I had to drag it down. Is that the only way of doing it?

Stream of Consciousness

So, I really need to get back in the swing of blogging and getting on here more. Things have been a little hectic here. I have been having contractions for a couple of weeks now...pretty sure just Braxton Hicks, but they are still annoying. Oliver's activty has been slowing down also. He started off as pretty active and now he is having more and more lazy days. The other night I was up most of the night with lower back pain and contractions and the baby hardly moved at all. I should have called the doctor, but it was like 3AM and the hubby had just gotten home from work and I wanted him to sleep. I did call the office in the morning and had to have a non stress test. Everything was fine....of course! I just have to keep paying attention to things. They also registered some contractions, nothing big and nothing like the night before! I didn't go to work tonight...I only work 4 hours a week...haha! I work for a cleaning company and things have been getting worse for me after work. The hubby doesn't want me to work anymore. I understand where he is coming from, but at the same time I feel lazy and like a baby because I am having such problems. My job isn't hard at all, but I have to do a lot of bending over, twisting....I don't know, it just frustrates me because I don't want people to think I am lazy. I do all that same stuff at home, but I can take breaks and I don't have a time frame to get things done in. I will admit that my cleaning has been slacking here lately! I really am looking forward to being done with this pregnancy. I'm starting to get nervous and scared though. I didn't have a good experience the first time....I will write about that later.....so I'm afraid that the same things will happen again. I'm just not looking forward to the whole process! We still haven't really tried putting Jamie on his potty chair yet. I know we need to, but I never seem to remember. We've been working more with the cloth diapers. EcoBuns, the store we get our lovely stuff from, just moved to an actual store front and had a grand opening the other day and we got 2 more diapers. I still put a disposable diaper on for nap time because he usually wakes up with a dirty diaper and the hubby still hasn't hooked up the sprayer to the toliet...haha. Jamie really enjoys the diapers, he gets mad when I don't put one on him. It is a little more work just because I have to do laundry more, but I think it is totally worth it. Jamie's skin also looks better when he wears the cloth diapers. We are going to wait about a month or so with Oliver before we start him on them, just because of how messy those diapers can be! My sister is throwing me a baby shower. She thought it would be nice since we are switching diapers. I'm hoping it turns out nice and we get some more diapers. I don't want that to sound greedy or anything. The diapers are a little pricey, but you save sooo much. Eric has been working a lot. This is nice, but at the same time really sucks. He works second shift and it gets boring at night after Jamie goes to bed. Maybe that is why I keep him up til 8:30 or 9. Some days, Eric works 3-3. He even worked 7 hours on Saturday. I'm happy for all the overtime, we really need it. I'm still looking for a job, hopefully something that has to do with my major. I would be happy with something part time. I go crazy being home all the time. I love my little man, but I really do need a job and get out for a bit. I just keep praying that something will come up. I am excited because I have some more followers! I found a blog that had a Follow Me Friday. I'm looking forward to going through more of the blogs, including my new followers, and following them! Right now, I need to finish up some laundry and some knitting. I can't wait to post again, I have so many ideas.

I am....

So many different things. I am 31 weeks pregnant and ready to be done. I know having a child is a blessing, but I am sick of all the pains, feeling like dirt, being tired all the time, not being able to do a whole lot, and being super hot all the time. Just because someone is pregnant, does not mean they have to enjoy every minute! I just want to meet my new little boy. I'm anxious to see who he looks like, how similar/different he will be from my other son, and so many other things. I am happy that Jamie is starting to understand that there is a baby in mommy's belly. He likes to touch my belly, give hugs and kisses and says "hi Ollie." I wish I had another job. I only get about 4 hours a week at my current job and I need more. I'm so tired of worrying about our finances while others seem to be getting everything that they want. I don't want extra money to spend on foolish things, I just want to be able to pay our bills and not worry about it. I feel as though places of employment are holding my pregnancy against me. I know they can't, and they won't say they are, but you know it happens. I'm still very upset with the college I just graduated from for making me change my plans how many times and then didn't even let me graduate in the major that I wanted to. Of course, all the jobs I find right now are for social workers and my new degree is in behavioral science. I can still get counseling jobs, but don't know if people really want that social work degree. I feel like such a failure sometimes because of this. I know I did nothing wrong, but it still feels like I did, like I wasn't good enough. I also feel like I don't fit in to some places here. I try so hard to make new friends, but never get too far. I'm starting to think that it is time to give up, at least for a bit. I just can't do it anymore. I am also sick of most things that start with an "i".....you know, the ipads, iphones. I don't know. I just feel like they are making people lazy and rude. Do people know how to read a map anymore?! I don't need some silly app to tell me how to get somewhere, I can look it up and I can read a map! These things are all so expensive just to get them started. I have an ipod, but I could live without it! As you can see, there are so many things going through my head. I just need to relax and just forget about things. I need to focus more on our new baby coming. I need to get his little clothes washed and put in the bedroom. I also need to rearrange rooms upstairs. I also need to work on potty training the other little man. I know, he is only 21 months, but he tells us when he is poopy, pee pee, and tries to help change his diaper. My goal is to have him at least almost potty trained before the new baby. I think we can do it, we just need to stick with it.

Starting Over

I have decided to start my blog all over. I want to blog about our crazy life which includes some new adventures in cloth diapering. That is right....cloth diapers! We decided that this would be a good move for our family. I will have lots more to say later. I just wanted to get things going here!