1.31.2011

Movie Monday- Ethan in his Gym


1.29.2011

Some random pictures

I know, I know. Two posts in one day is totally ridiculous. However, I have some really cute pictures to share and I couldn't wait! These are some pictures I took on my phone that haven't seen the light of day until now.

Proof that Austine was probably as tired as I was
Looking at this, it's hard to believe he was even that small!

Sleepy little boy.

Awww, those pajamas don't fit anymore :(

Been able to do this since day 1!

Hanging out on our couch


Austine, with Ethan and Edie (the girl I used to watch when I was a nanny).

Edie checking out Ethan, when I first met her she was as big as Ethan was!

Seriously funny faces.


Edie checking out my scarf.

Mr. Lion and Mr. Paci

Wearing the shirt Ava gave him!

Whaaat?

New favorite pastime- chewing on burp rags!

Very interested!

Passed out!

Mr. Bear...he just started holding him and chewing on him.

Being Mom, Being Sick.

Ugh. I am horribly sick....like nose stuffed completely, can't breathe, coughing, sore throat, nausea sick. I haven't been this sick since before I got pregnant with my little guy, and now I'm finding out how hard it is to be MOM+SICK.

For one, a 3.5 month old doesn't give you a break. It doesn't matter that I feel like I'm going to puke, or that everytime I rock him to sleep my sniffling nose wakes him up. 3.5 month olds don't listen to reason, which is obviously expected but a really hard thing for me to get used to. Austine really does help, he tries to put him to sleep when he can...but I'm going to have to face the music sometime. He's starting his new job on Monday and he really can't babysit me and Ethan both...it's just not going to work.

I'm going to have to figure this out. Even if means being addicted to Afrin.

1.25.2011

The wait is over!

Finally, all of our worries can be dealt with! Austine miraculously got 3 interviews this week, and we hit paydirt! He is now working for a carpeting company near our house, doing what he does best- Graphic Design! We are both INSANELY excitied, it's been a long hard two  years looking for a job for him. We've been horribly stressed with finances, and the extra burden having a child will put on you financially. With this job we will be able to pay my parents the rent we owe them, and buy groceries and pay our bills easily. Life is good!

1.17.2011

Job frustrations....a general rant

So yesterday, Austine and I went to his uncles to celebrate his cousins birthday. On the way there we received a call from his friend, who had just gotten wind of the job Austine was offered about 2-3 weeks ago.

The job had no room for growth, and we would have been taking a 500 dollar cut in pay from what Austine is currently making with his dad doing construction and painting. While Austine really does want to be a graphic designer, he had to make the difficult choice between doing what he wants to do in the long run, and providing for our family.

So his friend was apparently very upset, and kept telling him he wasn't going to help him out anymore, and that Austine was going to be stuck in construction forever. I was getting really mad, and just wanted to punch him in the face. I even grabbed the phone from Austine and said so.

I don't get how some people think they can make judgments on the decisions others make in their lives. We did what was best for us. If Austine had been single with no kid, it would have been an easy decision. But, we have this house over our heads, we need to put food on the table for ourselves and Ethan. Now that we've had this discussion with this friend, I keep second guessing our decision. Not that it would change anything but it was steady. I just have no idea how we would have cut 500 in expenses out of our budget.

*sigh* Everyone has an opinion about something don't they?

1.14.2011

Noms!

I've been on a sugar kick recently (ok, when am I not?), and I found a great recipe that another blogger had on her page. If you've never heard of Puppy Chow, you are about to be blown away! Here is the recipe:



Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
9 cups Rice Chex cereal
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions:
1. Combine peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave for one minute then stir to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Stir well.
3. Place the 9 cups of Chex cereal in a very large bowl. (I only had 5 cups, tasted just as good!)
4. Pour the peanut butter-chocolate mixture over the cereal and toss evenly, making sure all the cereal gets a good covering.
5. Coat with powdered sugar, sprinkling evenly over the cereal and tossing as you sprinkle to cover each piece well.

*drool*


Holy moly, it's ridiculous how easy and delicious this was. You really have to try it for yourself.

Credit goes to Michelle for introducing me to this recipe!

1.13.2011

Being a mom has opened my eyes

Two nights ago, someone on the message boards I frequent lost her son. He choked on his own phlegm, and couldn't be revived for an hour. This really hits home for me, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about this poor mom and her little boy. I had no idea that in becoming a mother, you really open yourself  up and become vulnerable. If I lost Ethan I know I would be a wreck. Life is so precious and I really didn't know that before I became a mom.

It really makes me think of my own mother and the trials she had to go through before she had me. My mother had a stillborn boy 3 years before I was born. I can't imagine how heartbreaking it must have been for her. As a child, I never felt there was something missing but I know now that she must have been painfully aware of his absence. Like I said earlier, becoming a mom has only made me more appreciative of my own mother and other mothers out there.

1.12.2011

Wordless Wednesday: Ethan's Morning in Pictures

Why good morning Ma!


Hands are delish!

What to do about this octopus?





You forgot to wipe my face ma!

What the....




Slowly...

getting....

pissed.

1.11.2011

Baby babbles

This video is a tad bit old, but I figured I'd put something newer of my little "pickle pot pie" up since many of you haven't seen him in a while. He's such a funny little guy! I have something special in store for tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled tomorrow night/Wednesday morning!

1.09.2011

5%

is the amount of my body weight I've lost in the 10 weeks since I started weight watchers again. I'm about 12 pounds lighter now and it feels wonderful! Losing weight is great, but it's even better to see the effects on my life and my body.

My engagement ring now fits again! Yay!

My knees no longer hurt when I get off a low chair or couch.

I don't have to wear my skirts around my ribcage anymore.

I think I need a lower band size on my bra!


All in all, I'm not quitting until I see more results. I still have some pre-pregnancy pants that don't fit yet. I set my new goal weight at 10% loss, that's about where I was before I got pregnant. I have all intentions of continuing the weight loss once I hit that goal. For those of you who are thinking of trying to lose weight, I really recommend Weight Watchers, the new points plus system has been working marvelously for me!

1.07.2011

Money saving tactics from a broke mom

So, Austine has been out of a job for such a long time now. He graduated from college 2 years ago with his B.A. (which has done nothing for us) in Graphic Design. He's been working with his dad since he was 16, so he's pretty handy with a hammer and some nails, and that's what gets us through our various expenses. Unfortunately, that kind of work can be really unpredictable. One month you will make buttloads, and the next month you'll have nothing. Right now we are in a nothing month so I am in super saver mode, especially when it comes to groceries.

Tip #1: Whole Chicken

Yup, that's right. The whole bird. There is so many things you can do with this (that is super super easy), and it's so cheap. A largeish chicken will cost 5-6 dollars, which is as much as a pound and a half of chicken breasts. The good thing about a whole chicken is that it's really useful for up to three meals. That's a lot when you're dirt poor. Normally, I will roast it up, eat one side as a meal, then use the other side shredded in tacos, pot pie, or something else. Then I will save the bones and leftover meat and make chicken and dumpling soup. All in all I think each meal costs about 2-3 dollars each this way.

Tip#2: Wholesale Stores

Ok, so this may not be the most unique and secret technique to save money, but it works. The key at stores like Costco and Sams Club is to buy shelf stable items, toiletries, and other things you tend to use on a daily basis. If you buy veggies, meat, or other unstable food items you're going to end up wasting money. I don't know anyone who can eat 10 lbs of grapes in a week. We typically buy toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, condiments, canned, and freezer items there. Our toilet paper managed to last us a whole year (I know, how did that happen with Austine's butt? Only God knows).

Tip#3: Make everything from scratch

Yeah, it's a pain in the butt. But in the long run it saves you money and tastes better. I know our grocery bill always ends up higher when we buy a lot of stuff from the freezer aisle (our own laziness). I can always whip something up from a bit of flour and butter, and it's definitely gotten us out of a few messes (also known as, we have no food, what are we eating?).

Tip#4: Treasure Box

My mom clued me in on this community site that serves California and Arizona. Treasure Box is a website that has a monthly menu that you buy from; you buy a whole box at a time. In this box is a weeks worth of food: for 30-35 dollars. It's a huge savings and makes a big difference on our grocery bill. Obviously we are needy enough to get this, but if we were making more money I don't think I'd feel comfortable using it anymore, there are enough people who really need them.

1.05.2011

My feet are having a love affair

For Christmas, my wonderful husband showered me with gifts of all kinds, but my absolute favorite gift was a pair of Target Uggs knockoffs. I wore them straight for a week and three days (yes those extra days matter!), and suddenly they began to fall apart at the seams. I went through several days of withdrawals (mainly cold feet) until we finally got to Target to return them. This is where I discovered Muk-Luks.

Muk-Luks are like a fusion of a very warm scarf, durable shoes, and a fluffy warm animal. I have to say I'm in love with these much much more than I was in love with my Fuggs, and I was head over heels for those things. They are incredibly warm and comfortable, I don't think I could have done better if I had gotten real Uggs anyways. Besides, the 19.99 price tag was amazing.

P.S. You can buy my exact pair here or find them everywhere online.

Look, my feet are smiling!

1.04.2011

Hush Little Baby....

Ethan has been sleeping so well this past week (knock on wood). I've actually been getting around 7-8 hours of straight sleep each night! Originally he wouldn't even sleep by himself, but we figured out that swaddling him, and rocking him with his pacifier in his mouth would lead to complete dead to the world sleep (at least at bedtime, nap-time is a whole 'nother animal). Normally the rocking will take a while, anywhere from 10-40 minutes (yes, 40 minutes of non-stop rocking). During this time he is half asleep, but if you put him down too soon all hell will break loose.

During this time I entertain myself by thinking of things I could be doing, should be doing, I want to do or get. Most of all, I end up singing Hush Little Baby to him. It normally goes like this:


Hush little baby don't say a word,
Mama's gonna buy you a mocking bird,
And if that mocking bird don't sing,
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring,    
And if that diamond ring don't shine,      (here's where its evident I don't know the words)
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond mine,
And if that mine don't produce,        (ok that doesn't fit)
Mama's gonna buy you a golden goose,
And if that golden goose don't lay,
Mama's gonna buy you a bale of hay, (what every 3 month old is dreaming about for christmas this year)
And if that bale of hay makes you sneeze,    (if you know my husband it probably will)
Mama's gonna buy you some bee's knees.....

And it goes on and on and on and on.

Here's a link to the real lyrics (and more importantly, the history) if you're curious. Feel free to finish my lyrics in the comment section ;)

1.02.2011

Happy New Year!

Well, I haven't blogged in a few months. Life is fast and crazy with a 3 month old! It really is insane how fast children grow. One night he was wearing his 0-3 pajamas, the next morning they didn't fit! He is now 12 lbs and 23 and 3/4 inches (as of the last checkup). His is getting so chubby and cute!

Here are a few photos:


Since it is the New Year, I'd like to put the few goals I have out there for all to see.

Lose Weight
So yes, this is a pretty typical New Years resolution. I gained about 40 pounds (I will be honest, I was 222 when I delivered Ethan). I am now 196.5. This is (obviously) not my ideal weight, or even the weight I was at when I got pregnant. I've always been on the "soft" side, I don't think I've ever not had fat on me. As a child, I was super skinny. When I hit puberty I ballooned up (thank you hormones). I would love to feel healthy. To me, this is really around 155-160.  That's 35-40 lbs that I want to lose. While I have to be honest and say that I probably will not lose it all by next year, I would at least like to weight less than I do now next New Years.

I have a few ways I'm planning on losing the weight. Weight Watchers helped me before I got married, and now I'm turning to them again to lose the weight. I also am planning on joining 24 Hour Fitness when Ethan is 6 months old. This is the age that they accept for the daycare there. Hopefully you all can witness me become a new person. As long as I don't give up, it'll happen eventually, right?


Write here at least once a week
I love writing and even though I may not be that great at it, it's always made me feel a lot better to write down my thoughts and emotions as they run through me. I have a great journal I wrote in my HS years, and I love to look back at it and see how much I've changed. This blog will ideally become a log of how my  family and I have changed over the years.

Get A a job
 I think we've always had this goal, but now more than ever it is important. Right now A and I are in a funk, he has no work with his dad, and of course I am not working anymore. We really need something that brings in at least 15/hr. Recently he got a job offer for 11/hr, but it wouldn't have provided for us...he makes more with his dad. It felt really selfish to turn down a job after we've been hunting for so long, but we had to stay realistic. I'm really hoping we see some upturn in the economy this year.

Pray and attend church
I'll be the first to admit we haven't been as great as we should be at this. For me, it's easy to forget my prayers when I get sucked up into this material world of ours. Church has always been hard for me to go to because I really am not a morning person at all. I feel extremely guilty about this. This year, I want to try and get into a routine, remember to say my prayers everyday, and only miss church if I am sick. 


So there we go: Health, Money, Heart and Soul. A goal for each facet of my life. I'm really looking forward to this year, I bet it is going to be 100x better than 2010!