tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60162440637069587092024-03-13T04:35:16.065-07:00two of everything but me...ramblings of a 30-something single mom of two beautiful girls...kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-47142020640095215502010-10-02T13:25:00.000-07:002010-10-02T13:35:37.518-07:00glutton for punishmenti've decided its time for a change. i want to reclaim my sleep. which means i need to get suriah to somehow sleep better through the night. the only way i can think to do this is to end the all night nurse-a-thons, and the only way i can think to do that is to get her sleeping on her own. i will miss her in my bed but she isnt really all that safe there anymore since she moves so much when she sleeps. so as of tonight i am going to be beyond exhausted....because i am starting to have her sleep in the pack and play. and because i am a glutton for punishment, i also decided to switch emerson to a "big girl bed"...meaning a twin bed. i tried this at naptime and already failed. emerson fell asleep on the floor at the door of the bedroom. hopefully bedtime goes better because i am sure that i will be dealing with a screaming, tired baby as well as trying to get emerson to sleep in her bed. i am prepared to not sleep tonight. and probably tomorrow night as well. i timed this while my parents are going to be gone in the hopes that by the time they return in a few days, the kiddos might be not protesting it so much. i know i have high hopes but i really hope that this goes well....otherwise i wont be sleeping for a LONG time.<br /><br /> i wish i had a partner to help me out with this so i could take naps during the day or maybe have them do a shift at night or even take care of one kid while i take care of the other, but wishing for a partner doesnt change anything, unless a magic genie does exist. if that happens to be the case and i get 3 wishes, i would my partner to also be incredibly hot, be happy at his job which makes lots of money and would like for him and i to be incredibly compatible. not too much to ask for right?? and for my other 2 wishes....i would love to be able to figure out how to work and negotiate daycare and be able to have some money. oh...and having my own place again in an area that i love might be fabulous as well. thanks magic genie. :)<br /><br />anyway, wish me luck tonight as i embark on changing both kids bedtime routines simultaneously. i might be crazy for doing this but i feel like i might as well live in total hell for a little while rather than a little bit of hell for a long time.... tonight at 8pm it begins.....kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-11212658226080991142010-09-19T13:27:00.000-07:002010-09-19T13:35:26.261-07:00the invisible mommyi think i do a pretty good job recording the things my kids do by photographing events. i could take more pictures but i think the amount i take shows a good representation of the things they do and their personalities. i am starting to really realize that regardless of how proud i will be when my kids get to look back at the photos of themselves as children (how will they do that btw....look online on my computer or on my flash drives?? weird), it saddens me to think that there aren't many pictures of me with them. being a single mom means that i am usually the one taking all the pictures. actually, let's be honest...i was taking all the pictures even before i was a single mom. that's just my "thing". but i envision pictures of myself with my girls that just don't exist. i think to myself "this would be a great photo opportunity!!" but then i end up with just pictures of them. sometimes i am with family during those great opportunities, but they are mostly camera useless so the picture that i envision in my head (me walking with emerson in a pumpkin patch or playing in the sand with suriah at the beach), never ends up looking the way i hoped. its a weird angle or my head is cut off, etc.<br /><br />i love pictures of my girls but after they are grown and moved out, i know that i want to be able to reminisce about all of us together....our little family. i know i can do it with my memories in my head but i would love to not be the invisible mommy and be able to look at beautiful pictures of the 3 of us enjoying life together....kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-84050304437012543692010-08-03T07:18:00.000-07:002010-08-03T07:31:54.070-07:00really a "mommy" nowsince having my second baby, i am more and more aware of how easy it is/was to just have one kid. granted, when you go from no kids to one kid, it's definitely a big change but it really wasn't all that hard for me. emerson was very portable. i still pretty much did whatever i wanted (except go to bars at night...which i wasn't really doing much anyway) and i just brought her along. shopping? no problem. eating out at restaurants? no problem!going on international vacations? well, i didnt get to do that before OR after having her so that didnt really matter. haha. but in all seriousness, it was cake. the kid slept well almost from the start. if anything my problem was that she took too MANY naps. it put a crimp in my style having to stay home so much. but we still went out and did tons of things. i was a "mommy" technically but i felt like i was still ME....and i just happened to have a cute little emerson with me.<br /><br />now that i have 2 kids, i FEEL like a mommy. every day is a battle to get both to nap on the same schedule, or else we NEVER leave the house. bathing them is a huge chore and always involves one (or both) of them screaming once they get out because i cant get both of them dressed and cuddled at the same time. i have to force myself to go places because sometimes it just doesnt seem worth it to get myself and both of them ready, downstairs, pack up what i need in the diaper bag and then get them into the car.... i think of the expression that one kid feels like one, but two kids feel like ten. and its so true. actually i kid often that i have 14 kids. it feels that way sometimes. haha<br /><br />in all of this craziness i still bring them to the park and to outdoor concerts and walks, etc. i know they enjoy it and i (mostly) do. its hard and frustrating to chase emerson at the park while she is going nuts while i am wearing suriah. or while suriah hangs out in the carseat next to the play structure. i cant help but remember that when emerson was this age, i was putting her on slides or sliding with her, but suriah kind of gets the shaft most of the time because i am so busy making sure emerson isnt killing herself that i dont have the time to be able to do that stuff with suriah. i feel bad about it too. as a single mom, i often feel that i cant meet everyones needs. i firmly believe now that there is a REASON why it takes two people to have kids. because there should be two people raising them as well. i know that's not how it happens these days and its really unfortunate for everyone, even though i know that in some cases (ours included) it was better to be a single mom than be with their dad for so many reasons. <br /><br />anyway...back to the point of my post. having two kids makes me feel like a TRUE mommy. this is both good and bad. i feel like i have lost more of myself, which may also be because i am not working at the moment so i dont have much to do ASIDE from be a mommy. i love it because i love my kids of course and it is fun (and frustrating) at times....but i guess i wouldnt trade my 14 (or 2) kids for the world.. some day i will get to rediscover myself and i am trying to hold onto the pieces of myself that were strong before and keep hobbies that i used to have. its a struggle to balance it all but i am working on it every day....kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-9725651270007967732010-07-13T18:14:00.000-07:002010-07-13T19:22:19.947-07:0014 months apart! you must be crazy!I feel kind of bad because a lot of people will ask me about my girls and how close together they are and then make some sort of comment about their lack of age difference....and i always adamently say something to the like of "i didn't plan it!" and i didn't. i would never have planned to get pregnant when one of my kids was only 6 months old. i know some people WANT kids close together but i wouldnt have planned that. <br /><br />but it is what it is. i didnt PLAN it but they are 14 months apart and there is no changing that. that is the course my life has taken. its overwhelming at times and really awesome at other times. being a single mom only amplifies the overwhelming part of it, which really sucks. i truely believe that mother nature intended it to take two people to have a baby because it takes (at least) two people to raise a baby. you NEED someone to trade off with. someone who has had just as much a part of the kid as yourself. having family help out is great, but its FAVORS and BABYSITTING...its different than when its your own child.<br /><br />but i love my girls...and as much as i didnt want them close together and as hard as it was having suriah in a really crazy time in my life, i have TWO children. TWO blessings. things with their father didnt work out and i wish everyday that they had...but i also accept that they most likely never will work out. i just wish for my kids (and myself) that they had been able to grow up in an intact family. i know that the rate of divorce is 50% and that plenty of kids are born to single mothers so my kids won't be alone...but it's just not the life i envisioned for them or for myself.<br /><br />so although i wouldn't have planned it and i tell people that all the time, i kind of feel like i am saying i didnt want them. i didnt PLAN for them, but they are so wanted and loved and they chose to come when they did. they might not have the "perfect" family, but they will always have me and they will always have each other. i need to work on a better response to people when they comment about their age difference that relays to them that although they werent planned, they are very much loved and wanted.kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-72291870776619758242010-05-07T19:24:00.000-07:002010-05-07T19:38:22.081-07:00life keeps getting in the way...sometimes i blog and sometimes i dont. but dont you worry...i do think about it when i am not blogging. its just a matter of finding the time and energy to actually get uninterrupted time on the computer to write things out...<br /><br />anyway, let me catch you up. april 11th, my teeny little suriah rolled over from belly to back, for the first time. she is growing up so quickly and is actually pretty big for her age. we (my sister and i) also cut off her rat tail...so now she has a boy haircut but its better than a rat tail in my opinion... emerson is talking up a storm. still working on getting her to feed herself, which would be a major feat in my book as that will make my life infinitely easier. i think we might embark on potty training at some point this summer, although i'm not really sure i want to yet. she tells me when she has to poop but when i put her on the potty, she gets all weirded out. honestly, i am going to have to change diapers anyway, so i dont have much motivation to potty train her. plus, i havent met an adult who wasnt potty trained, so i figure that she will eventually just pick it up right? haha<br /><br />onto my fabulous life...i have a pretty decent social calendar, hanging out with new friends and long lost friends. all fine and good in my book. i actually had to print out a blank calendar so i can keep track of my plans. granted, i have a calendar in my phone but i cant really figure the thing out, so yeah, i'm kicking it old school with paper and pen. <br /><br />for those of you who care (is anyone even reading this? haha) brad (father of the girlies) is still living in ny. he hasnt been out to see them yet and its pretty depressing to think about. i am not sure why i care about him being in their life but it just makes me feel bad for them to not have their family together. granted, i dont think i could ever be with him again, but i guess i feel guilty that their family didnt work out. nothing i could have really done about it. i tried to make things work and i tried way longer than i should have because of emerson and then suriah but sometimes things werent meant to work out. i am hoping that there is a better plan for us, and although its all fine and lovely to be living at my parents house (to which i am eternally greatful to them), i hope that that isnt the master plan for my little family forever (and i'm sure my parents think the same thing! haha).<br /><br />well...cross your fingers that i find time to blog more! i have thought of what to blog about but then by the time i get to the computer, all i put in there is updates. i'll work on that. maybe. hahakristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-50846843403791848032010-03-23T11:25:00.000-07:002010-03-23T11:30:39.641-07:00they hate me...i am being ganged up on. 2 teeny little munchkins are controlling my life and trying to make me go crazy. haha. seriously...both emerson and suriah want to be held all day today and if i hold them both at the same time, a fight ensues. believe it or not, suriah doesn't seem to want me to give emerson attention. the minute i hold emerson, suriah will cry....and vice versa. its exhausting. i need to somehow clone myself.<br /><br />last night suriah decided to break her sleeping through the night habit and woke up at 4am. i nursed her and she went back to sleep but my little friend emerson decided to wake up at 630am. sweet. i need someone to drug me at 9pm so i will be in bed by 10pm. i'm tired and cranky and i swear if i hear emerson scream one more time i might just jump out the window.<br /><br />...i will not murder my child, even though she screams like a banshee.... (thank you kim for giving me that mantra) haha<br /><br />well, i thought i had a moment to myself...a moment where they were both sleeping, but it only lasted about 5 minutes. suriah is awake and crying again. some days, caffiene just isnt enough to make it through the day. so much for showering...again.kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-53231453863278056072010-03-17T19:08:00.001-07:002010-03-17T19:13:10.985-07:00no more nursing at night!so i was going to get ready for bed last night and was about to put on my usual sleep attire...a nursing bra and nursing pajama gown, when i realized that suriah has been sleeping through the night now for well over a week so i didnt really need to wear any nursing attire to bed anymore!!! <br /><br />it was such a weird thought and i dont know why i hadnt thought of it before. so i went into my pj drawer in my dresser and pulled out my previous nighttime attire....a tank top and comfy shorts. <br /><br />i have been so happy that suriah has been sleeping through the night but i also miss the cuddling in my bed, so today after yet another night of her sleeping 12 hours straight through, i hopped into bed with her and nursed her and we cuddled for a little while. i love watching my babies grow up but a part of me wishes they could stay cute little baby blobs forever!kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-55972140544281906012010-03-16T20:10:00.000-07:002010-03-16T20:19:44.707-07:00kid leashes...today i became one of THOSE moms.<br /><br />i bought and used one of those kid backpack leashes on emerson. i seriously wanted to murder myself and pretend that this wasnt really me holding my dog...i mean, KID, on a leash. haha<br /><br />but seriously, it was me and my sister versus suriah, emerson, a vacuum and NO stroller at a mall where they don't believe in those kid carriages. we were losing...big time! the leash seemed to be the only option at the time, and it was only $5.<br /><br />at first emerson hated it..i think she was freaked out by the animal on her back...haha. she kept turning in circles...like a dog chasing it's tail. haha. but then she realized she could WALK and after that, she went crazy...in a good way.<br /><br />it was the best worst idea ever. she could walk, but we couldnt really control the direction she went in, which involved her getting pulled occasionally across the floor on her butt. haha. or her stopping walking and us continuing...and then her getting tossed on her butt....and dragged again. haha.<br /><br />but she really loved it (minus not being able to go wherever she wanted all the time). she was laughing and doing some weird walk-dance and would scream happily. she was blowing kisses to all sorts of people as she walked around....kids, kiosk workers, clothing store mannequins, pretty much everyone we walked by. she was also blowing the kisses and then saying bye bye and waving at the people...then she would take off running......well, until she got yanked back by the leash! haha...<br /><br />my sister and i were seriously laughing at ourselves SO HARD because it was just ridiculous and if you had seen us tonight, you would have laughed uncontrollably. it was the worst but funniest night ever, which involved not only a stupid kid leash and carrying a vacuum around through the mall, but also emerson spilling the contents of her entire 11oz sippy cup on herself and then we undressed her while in the cheesecake factory to try to take her clothes into the bathroom to use the hand dryer to dry them off...only they didnt have one. so we put her coat on, with no shirt and took her to another bathroom, only to realize it wasnt working and so we went back out to the car (she stayed inside with my sister), in torrential downpours (we had a crazy nor-easter and its been raining for days and everywhere is super flooded), to try to get out an outfit that my sister had luckily just bought. and this progressed to her running around the mall with a kid leash on and general craziness ensued. this really isnt even a description of half of our night. it was a disaster but it was hilarious...<br /><br />and i cant belive that i turned into one of THOSE moms who uses a leash! i HATE those stupid things, but man, i certainly understand the purpose. i swore up and down that the only people who use those are people who dont pay attention to their kid or doesnt know how to control them. now i understand that sometime, disaster strikes and you just dont have enough hands!<br /><br />dont hate me....i already hate myself a teeny bit for buying and using the darn thing! hahakristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-30860949912613110522010-03-09T11:22:00.000-08:002010-03-09T11:32:07.908-08:00food is my enemy..don't get me wrong...i LOVE food. i love eating it and i love the way it tastes...i just hate shopping for it, preparing it and cooking it. i love it most when someone else cooks for me. even a sandwich made by someone else tastes better than my own. it's just that food and i don't seem to be having a good time with each other lately. part of this is because of suriah's issues...i can't have any dairy so i am at a loss of what to eat, which sucks. and my past favorites need to be eliminated or substituted with something that usually doesn't taste as good. i am working with it but really, i am sick of having to even think of alternatives. why can't i just go back to eating ice cream and drinking lots of milk??<br /><br />but anyway, my main point of this post isn't really about food..it's more about MEALS. i know that i can be a good parent. i have worked with kids for years and years and i know i can deal with the crap they eventually bring. i was never worried about whether i would be able to handle my kids....except in one way. i have always worried about feeding them. as previously mentioned, i hate cooking. it's easy to breastfeed or formula feed, but once we start getting into real food, i knew i was gonna suck. and i think it's safe to say that i really do suck at feeding emerson. it's nice that i am now at my parents house, and my mother cooks actual meals because emerson can eat those and isn't forced to eat chef boyardee and peanut butter sandwiches for dinner every night of her life. <br /><br />granted, she doesn't exactly make this easy on me either. i mean, the kid won't eat grilled cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese or lunch meats. do you know ANY kids who won't eat mac and cheese? i didn't....until i had my own. so i have no idea what to feed this kid. it's beyond frustrating.<br /><br />so being home takes a bit of that stress off, but i am already anxious for the day that i move out and the feeding of both my kids will lie solely on me. i already feel bad for them. i am hoping that before that day happens, that i magically meet some guy who LOVES to cook and is good at it cuz man, that would make my life a whole lot easier!<br /><br />i think it's interesting that of all the things that come with parenting, feeding my children is my biggest stressor. i hope i get better at it someday...for the sake of my kids. hahakristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-69540832534351112082010-03-08T06:06:00.001-08:002010-03-08T06:13:45.442-08:00parenting...failsince suriah was born, emerson has had a tough time with adjusting. she isn't too thrilled with the idea of sharing me with anyone else. it's getting slightly better because we are living around other people right now so she can get attention from other people, but it's still tough.<br /><br />take a few days ago for example...suriah was wearing this super cute one piece hooded zutano outfit with little elephants on it. so cute! and i decided to put her in the bumbo to see if she could sit in it yet. she was pretty happy sitting it in...emerson was not. i dont know if emerson remembers the bumbo and didn't want to share or what, but she threw a FIT when she saw suriah in it. she went over to suriah and grabbed her hood and tried pulling her out of the bumbo by her hood. it didnt work (and suriah was getting choked!) and so emerson decided to kick her instead. NICE... i would officially like to pronounce that as a FAIL. <br /><br />i dont know what to do to make emerson be nice to suriah or to not get as jealous and try to kill her off. this totally reminds me of growing up with my older brother and to this day, we really aren't too keen on each other. he has spent his whole life trying to kill me (and some of my friends) off. luckily it never worked and i think he might have given up at this point, but we never really got along. i hope that this isn't a forshadowing of what is to come with emerson and suriah. i would like them to at least somewhat like each other, rather than always hating each other and being in competition. <br /><br />if you have any suggestions on how to make emerson be nicer to suriah and learn to share me, let me know.kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-43907161331719686722010-03-07T19:55:00.000-08:002010-03-07T20:14:06.321-08:00resurrection...well, its been a long hiatus from blogging. those of you who know me well know how absolutely crazy life has been in the past few months with all that has gone on between myself and brad, and on top of it all, let's throw the holidays in there for fun as well....oh yeah, and having another baby AND moving out of state. nothing is ever easy, thats for sure!<br /><br />anyway, to catch everyone up, brad (baby's father) and i are no longer together. if you know me well, you know the reasons. if you dont know me well, then the reasons dont really matter. it was difficult being a newly single mom of a 1 year old and also being super pregnant. but somehow i managed to do it without anyone going completely crazy (although that might be debatable), and on january 1st, 2010 i had another beautiful baby. one thing i can say without a doubt...even though brad and i might not make a good couple, we certainly make beautiful little girls! :) of course, i am biased, but i swear if you have ever seen pics or seen them in person, you would probably agree with me. <br /><br />to go into more depth, i was aiming for a VBAC, which is a vaginal birth after cesarean. i had gotten some amazing doulas (highly recommend getting a doula if you can!) and was well prepared for a natural birth. well, in typical murphy's law style, after 9 hours of drug free labor, i had to have a c-section because of pain i was having by my previous c-section scar. however, the result of all this was a cute little baby girl, who we named suriah elizabeth. she was 7lbs 6oz and 21 inches long. i left the hospital early, during one of the biggest snowstorms of the year. it was a VERY stressful drive home. suriah has been such a sweet baby, with lots of smiles and she started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks old. we have had some trials and tribulations in the 2 months she has been around...first dealing with her pooping blood. yep...pooping blood. a little freaky to discover. not exactly what you want to see in your baby's diaper 2 days after returning home from the hospital. turns out she is severely allergic to some stuff...which at this point we think is dairy related products. however, i originally had to cut out all dairy, soy, seafood and tree nuts out of my diet in order to keep breastfeeding. and if i chose not to bf anymore, the formula was super expensive...<br /><br />i am proud to announce that we have been successfully exclusively breastfeeding for over 2 months now and i have worked soy, seafood and tree nuts back into my diet. still waiting on the dairy, and still figuring out what i can eat. we had some issues with her not being able to latch correctly in the beginning but have since worked things out...<br /><br />so...after having suriah, things have gotten even crazier. i had to try to pack up my house with a 1 year old and newborn, and move in with my parents in MA. yeah, you read that right...i moved home with my parents at 31 years old. not really something i am proud of, but i am thankful they welcomed me back home and are willing to adjust their whole lives to help accomodate me and my girlies. its still an adjustment for all of us and it hasnt been easy, probably for any of us.<br /><br />now that i am "home", my main purpose of blogging is useless. it was to keep everyone at home updated on me and emerson. now that we are around all these people, my purpose has changed. i am blogging for me and my girlies...for memories.<br /><br />so blogging has been resurrected....with a new purpose and a new name. i am now outnumbered by my kids....haha.kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-25084057893721415492009-11-05T21:27:00.000-08:002010-03-07T19:49:53.960-08:00to transition or not to transition??that is the question... <br /><br />wondering what i am talking about? well, as you all know, emerson sleeps in an amby baby hammock. i have loved the hammock and all that it has to offer in the year that we have used it. emerson has always slept so well in it and its really been great. however, eventually she needs to sleep in her crib. by eventually, i mean BEFORE newbaby is born! <br /><br />i feel bad making her transition out of it and honestly, i am afraid that she wont sleep as well in the crib as she does in the hammock. she cant possibly sleep in the hammock forever though (even though the spring will hold up to 45lbs!)<br /><br />so....i keep procrastinating. i was going to transition her after i went back home with her in october. however, when i got back, i realized that her room was in shambles and there was a ton of stuff piled in her crib. so i have been working on this and trying to get things organized. i guess i could have just tossed everything on the floor and put her in the crib, but i am procrastinating... hehe..<br /><br />so now its november. and i plan to go home for thanksgiving. so now i am thinking that maybe i should just wait until after thanksgiving to transition her to the crib. that way she can sleep in the hammock while i am home. its familiar to her and she doesnt sleep as well back at my parents house as she does in her own room...so i hate to transition her to a crib and then make her sleep in the pack and play (which she HATES). i think she wouldnt sleep at all in gloucester. <br /><br />so i think i might have just made up my mind. i think i am going to procrastinate further and transition her after thanksgiving. of course, that is cutting it a little close. i am hoping that the transition doesnt take longer than a week or two. it cant possibly take a month right?<br /><br />well.....if need be, i know i can always borrow another amby baby hammock from a friend for newbaby! hehe..kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-20727908825427147352009-10-31T07:26:00.000-07:002010-03-07T19:49:53.970-08:00one year old!!!well...over a year has passed since emerson was born...and i cant believe it! it went by so quickly and it was so amazing to watch her grow and change over the past year. this time last year she was a cute, teeny little baby blob. today she is a silly, excitable, walking little girl. its amazing. she says lots of words and is a snuggle bug. she loves her momma :) ...maybe a little too much. she is awfully attached but i dont mind most of the time. hehe. <br /><br />anyway, she had her one year appointment. just to compare, here are her newborn stats:<br />length: 19.25 inches<br />weight: 6lbs 11oz<br />head:14 inches<br /><br />now for her one year stats!<br />length: 29 inches (50th percentile)<br />weight: 19lbs (13th percentile)<br />head: 19 inches (97th percentile)<br /><br />yep...she has a BIG noggin!! haha. takes after her dad and his big noggin!<br /><br />her birthday party went great and almost everyone showed up. she loved her cupcake. she was a little weirded out at first but got into the swing of things eventually. after eating and opening her presents, we all went outside and the kids played in the leaves. <br /><br />anyway, here are some pics, in reverse chronological order since i never remember that this blog posts things opposite....<br /><div align="center">on her actual birthday we got her ears pierced and got her some cold stone creamery ice cream!</div><div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SuxKZYL9xNI/AAAAAAAAATI/k6HjvcfBL5E/s1600-h/1+year+old+013.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398771853160203474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SuxKZYL9xNI/AAAAAAAAATI/k6HjvcfBL5E/s320/1+year+old+013.JPG" border="0" /></a> playing in the leaves at her bday party<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SuxKZFBujEI/AAAAAAAAATA/ujL44fgUfaY/s1600-h/emersons+bday+party+117.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398771848016989250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SuxKZFBujEI/AAAAAAAAATA/ujL44fgUfaY/s320/emersons+bday+party+117.JPG" border="0" /></a> birthday cupcake face!<br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SuxKY_Z78wI/AAAAAAAAAS4/inQSMqi-eT4/s1600-h/emersons+bday+party+065.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398771846507918082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SuxKY_Z78wI/AAAAAAAAAS4/inQSMqi-eT4/s320/emersons+bday+party+065.JPG" border="0" /></a> first bite of the cupcake...examining the situation<br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SuxKYVRNm-I/AAAAAAAAASw/nP-GT955U0g/s1600-h/emersons+bday+party+047.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398771835197037538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SuxKYVRNm-I/AAAAAAAAASw/nP-GT955U0g/s320/emersons+bday+party+047.JPG" border="0" /></a> emerson's halloween and bday costume...a little devil, just like her auntie ashley!<br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SuxKYH6rolI/AAAAAAAAASo/A65R_mSK0cg/s1600-h/emersons+bday+party+044.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398771831612875346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SuxKYH6rolI/AAAAAAAAASo/A65R_mSK0cg/s320/emersons+bday+party+044.JPG" border="0" /></a></div></div></div><br /></div>kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-69276094693008615382009-09-30T18:19:00.000-07:002010-03-07T19:49:53.978-08:00updates a plenty..well, after a crazy month that left me with not much time and very unmotivated to do much of anything (hey, i am pregnant after all!!), i am back! sorry it has taken so long to update again and i know people were sitting around anxiously awaiting my next post!<br /><br />a few things i wanted to touch on before i get to the "what emerson is up to these days" part. first, i doubt i will post videos on this blog anymore. sorry. it is wayyy too much of a pain to do it. i have to download the videos and then convert them to an online format and then upload them onto this site. the whole process takes over a half hour for a 30 second video....much longer for a long video. so, if you want to see videos, check my facebook because its much quicker there (and i have 2 videos to post tonight).<br /><br />also, i am linking up with my friend kim for a new site that she is running <a href="http://www.mamaneedsthis.com/">www.mamaneedsthis.com</a> . i am helping to write reviews on products for the site. its a cool site, though still in the beginner stages but we are working on adding content. its a neat site and will be loaded with reviews of great products that moms could really use. you should go check out the site and see what is up there. i wrote 2 of the reviews already, and hope/plan to do more. i am in the process of contacting companies to get products to review, but in the meantime i reviewed some kick butt products that moms need (and i so happen to already own!). anyway, in addition to checking out that site, you should go check out her other site, which is mainly for green related baby products and cloth diapering. she does lots of giveaways and stuff... its <a href="http://www.dirtydiaperlaundry.com/">www.dirtydiaperlaundry.com</a> (see link in my sidebar)<br /><br />so...emersons 1st birthday is approaching soon!!! i dont know if i should be jumping up and down with excitement or if i should crawl into a ball and cry :( i cant believe its been almost a year!!! and newbaby's birthdate isnt too much further past that! (Still no name yet in case you are wondering!) i am excited about emersons birthday party, which is next weekend. its gonna be pretty small, but then again, my house is tiny...haha. it couldnt be a big party if i wanted it to be! its halloween themed...and every party from now until she can protest will be halloween themed. haha! so grandparents (and everyone else), get your costumes ready! emerson is going to be something super cute for halloween, but i wont say yet..i will post pics eventually though.<br /><br />i also should probably update a little on this pregnancy. i feel like i should start a new blog after the new baby is born, but i hate to leave this one behind. i wish i had come up with a more neutral web address since it is obviously emerson-specific. is it unfair to newbaby to just include her on this website?? well, regardless, i will post updates on the pregnancy here and there on this site for now and figure it out later. anyway, all that being said, as i mentioned above, newbaby doesnt have a name yet. we are still in discussions regarding it and are having a hard time agreeing on names. i think our top favorites now are: eli, tessa and amalie. i am not sure which one is my absolute favorite but brads favorite is eli. i have a feeling that eli might be the name to win out, but maybe we will just wait and see what she looks like and go from there. we have had the middle name picked out since we started talking names. well, there are technically 2 middle names we know we are using.....not sure if we will pick one of the 2 or if we will use both and have newbaby have 2 middle names like emerson does. it will depend on which first name we go with i guess, since one of the 2 names doesnt flow well with most names. its a secret though so dont bother trying to get it out of me!! (hey, gotta have some sort of secrets since you all know its another girl and i am sharing first names. i knew i couldnt keep either a secret but i can keep the middle name a secret a lot easier). <br /><br />on my end, pregnancy is going well. tired as usual and feeling kinda round, but i guess both are to be expected. haha. its hard having enough motivation and energy for emerson. mom, i dont know how you did it....especially since michael was hellbaby. props to you. just in case anyone was wondering, i do plan to have a vbac (vaginal birth after cesarean) this time. well, i hope to anyway. i found a doctor/midwife team that is very supportive and i feel really confident that they will help me achieve my goal. i am also working on seeing if i can get a doula but finances might make it impossible. i am hoping that i can have the natural childbirth that i wanted last time, this time. :) cross your fingers for me!<br /><br />lastly, emerson updates! she is "talking" up a storm, having conversations with everyone and everything. she doesnt make much sense but does say certain "real" words. in addition to mama and dada, she says cat, kitty, doggie, dante (one of our cats names), tickle tickle tickle (she never says it just once...haha) and some other words i probably am forgetting. she will say words once sometimes and then wont say it again. she is also walking, or at least on the brink of walking. i decided that saying your kid can walk is subjective. she takes many steps in a row, but isnt walking full time. she will prefer to walk over crawl though...she will only crawl if she cant stand up first or after she falls from walking and is still trying to get somewhere. i think within the next few weeks she is going to be walking full time. she also claps for herself and others and is making the funniest face ever when she eats. i will have to have brad get a video of it because it is seriously the most funny and cutest thing ever.<br /><br />okay...so this is seriously long!! lots to catch up on though. i will try to upload some pics soon, but until then, go watch some videos of her on facebook!!kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-30944213299007215382009-09-05T19:53:00.000-07:002010-03-07T19:49:53.986-08:00at the state fair.. and a video or two<div align="left">so we went to the state fair on wednesday with our friends. it was a good, but long day! here are some pics from the day and a few videos at the end so you can see how big and grown up emerson is getting. hehe. i miss her being a baby blob! </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">she actually found a 4 leaf clover! but she ripped it apart before i could grab it and save it!</div><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SqMuJnUrw7I/AAAAAAAAASg/rPQY87A3CHY/s1600-h/emerson+10+months+052.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378193122719941554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SqMuJnUrw7I/AAAAAAAAASg/rPQY87A3CHY/s320/emerson+10+months+052.JPG" border="0" /></a> i get sooo many compliments on this dress. thanks auntie ashley!<br /><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SqMuJXhkg3I/AAAAAAAAASY/fsXbe3-SndY/s1600-h/emerson+10+months+048.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378193118479025010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SqMuJXhkg3I/AAAAAAAAASY/fsXbe3-SndY/s320/emerson+10+months+048.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />at her first african drum circle... she loves to drum!<br /><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SqMuI0VRqGI/AAAAAAAAASQ/0BLqK6aRHJE/s1600-h/emerson+10+months+035.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378193109032216674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SqMuI0VRqGI/AAAAAAAAASQ/0BLqK6aRHJE/s320/emerson+10+months+035.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />check it out! i have 2 teefers!<br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SqMuIQ1ZUZI/AAAAAAAAASI/YmbzisVNiC0/s1600-h/emerson+10+months+020.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378193099503260050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SqMuIQ1ZUZI/AAAAAAAAASI/YmbzisVNiC0/s320/emerson+10+months+020.JPG" border="0" /></a>funny face...<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SqMuIGuGQNI/AAAAAAAAASA/7vJbBX9u71M/s1600-h/emerson+10+months+019.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378193096788295890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SqMuIGuGQNI/AAAAAAAAASA/7vJbBX9u71M/s320/emerson+10+months+019.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzWHbnj6-KHVnGNc9zWj8MJ2GfG5dTWodNmg3yV7eIR1fhwnwVfJ8ddeCGTohBiLuLCrKEIdqdqPpPLnB5nsg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz_v5Kqxm8PnvbcgEfWFIU2o-lKyHslucJUNQzKmqD2Yz4poG2nWmT33CwnOSRqQI3ha3HurVnFxFs37vP_Iw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p></div></div></div></div>kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-85109692767668408842009-09-01T18:37:00.000-07:002010-03-07T19:49:53.997-08:00birthday ideas...okay...as i mentioned before, some people are asking what to get emerson for her birthday. we are obviously open to any ideas or gifts that you would want to get and even if you dont want to get any, thats fine too. but i did want to make a list of things in case people wanted ideas for her birthday, or even for christmas. some stuff is cheap, and others are probably something that people would pitch in if interested. her birthday is going to be the sunday of columbus day weekend, which i think is oct 11th or something.<br /><br />anyway, her friend has a kitchen set and i think it would be cool for her to have one too. she liked to play with it and it would be nice for both her and new baby to play with as they get older. i did some research on different ones and wasnt so interested in the cheapie plastic ones since they crack and break and generally dont last as long....so here is the one i found (i love the color and that its a retro kitchen:<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/KidKraft-53156-Red-Vintage-Kitchen/dp/B001FP3WZO/ref=pd_sbs_t_5">http://www.amazon.com/KidKraft-53156-Red-Vintage-Kitchen/dp/B001FP3WZO/ref=pd_sbs_t_5</a><br /><br />and to go along with the kitchen, some pots and pans:<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Toys-Super-Cooking-Set/dp/B000F3S0B8/ref=pd_sim_t_2">http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Toys-Super-Cooking-Set/dp/B000F3S0B8/ref=pd_sim_t_2</a><br />or<br /><a href="http://www.constplay.com/cgi-bin/constplay_cgi.sh/WService=constplay/constplay.com/family/product.htm?stateInfo=?&dept_id=26&pf_id=CHN-20L&utm_source=shopzilla.com&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=CHN-20L&utm_campaign=WEB+20090827">http://www.constplay.com/cgi-bin/constplay_cgi.sh/WService=constplay/constplay.com/family/product.htm?stateInfo=?&dept_id=26&pf_id=CHN-20L&utm_source=shopzilla.com&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=CHN-20L&utm_campaign=WEB+20090827</a><br />or<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Junior-Chef-Cookware-11-PC/dp/B0001V3QUE/ref=pd_sbs_t_1">http://www.amazon.com/Junior-Chef-Cookware-11-PC/dp/B0001V3QUE/ref=pd_sbs_t_1</a><br /><br />some food would be good too. i dont have any specific one chosen, although i like the wooden food more than plastic food with those cheapie cardboard boxes that last all of 5 seconds. i looked around on amazon but i didnt want to post a link because this is probably something that you could buy in a store, like a toy store or target, and not pay shipping. also, it would be good to see it in person and figure out whether its a choking hazard. since i couldnt see the sizes online i am not going to link to anything...but playfood is good.<br /><br />this coat for winter...i love that it has built in mittens! she probably would be between 12 and 18 months so i would prolly go with 18 to be safe:<br /><a href="http://www.columbia.com/baby-jackets/kids-baby-jackets,default,sc.html?sz=1&start=1">http://www.columbia.com/baby-jackets/kids-baby-jackets,default,sc.html?sz=1&start=1</a><br /><br />emerson loves musical instruments, so age appropriate musical instruments are always good...things like maracas, tamborine, etc.<br /><br />winter clothes in 12-18 month sizes. stuff like pants, sweaters, sweatshirts, long sleeved shirts, etc.<br /><br />developmentally appropriate toys. toys that take brain power to figure out how they work.<br /><br />please dont buy elmo or dora or any other "character" type stuff. we are trying to keep media exposure to a minimum. hehe. plus she doesnt care for any of those characters and we kind of want to keep it that way!<br /><br />so...obviously there are a million other things that would be great for her as well but those are some suggestions if you cant think of anything. we appreciate anything you would choose to buy.<br /><br />we plan to get her balls to make a ball pit out of her pack and play or her blow up swimming pool. she loves balls and the ballpit at the ymca so i think she will like it. i also might take her to build a bear so she can make her own teddy, although i have no idea how much that costs so i might skip that. hehe.<br /><br />if you are coming to her bday party....and you are all invited, make sure you are thinking of what your costume is going to be! its a halloween party!kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-63907094447175749702009-08-27T07:04:00.000-07:002010-03-07T19:49:54.005-08:00a peaceful moment...ahhhhh.....all it at peace. hehe.. i woke emerson up bright and early today (8am..she usually sleeps till 9-930am) and got her all dressed and ready and we jetted out of the house to go meet with a certified car seat technician. did you know you are supposed to get your car seat checked? yeah, well apparently most people dont and up to 80% of car seats are installed incorrectly!! so anyway, i wanted to double check on her carseat and make sure we were all up to par and safe. so off we went to the police station for our 830am appt. turns out i had things pretty much okay...phew. there was one adjustment...instead of using the seatbelt clip to lock the seatbelt, the tech took it off and did some fancy tightening with the seatbelt that i wasnt able to master, so the carseat is now tighter than i could get it. she also mentioned that i should get rid of that mirror to see emerson in the backseat and also the side window shades. i kind of ignored that though. i cant NOT watch her in the mirror. it might be an addiction, and i knew those things arent supposed to be used. i wonder why they are allowed to make and sell them if they arent safe during a crash? i am super obsessed with carseats and carseat safety (so you would think i would take out the mirror...hehe) and i might look up what it takes to get certified myself. not sure if i can or what i would do with that certification but it seems like a good thing to get certified in.<br /><br />anyway, we got home and i walked emerson over to starbucks for a little java fix....for me, not her! hehe. when e got back i figured it would be cheerios time but emerson decided that she had wnough of being awake this early and wanted to go back to bed. and who am i to stop a tired baby from sleeping so that i can have a hour or so of time to myself??? exactly....so i put her to bed and now have a few moments to breathe and chill...and enjoy my peppermint mocha from starbucks. not only that but since emerson hasnt been up long today, there isnt a mess in the livingroom prompting me to clean it. yay!! (granted there are dishes to wash but i am selectively ignoring them. hehe)<br /><br />onto other news...i am now 21 weeks preggo. i am starting to get a little belly and its soo weird being pregnant again. i kind of keep forgetting and then the baby moves and reminds me. sometimes i am really excited about the idea of having another baby, since i never wanted emerson to be an only child, but other times i am just really stressed about the whole thing...especially money. luckily i still have most of the stuff for emerson, and there are some things i stupidly got rid of because i wasnt planning to have another so soon, and we had no where to store stuff. so i gave away some clothes, but luckily kept the stuff i really loved. i will probably need to get the stuff i stored down from the attic and see what we need. i know i gave away most of the onesies and the winter sleep sacks, so i will probably need to buy those again. all the other big stuff i can use again, although i hate the bouncer i have for emerson. its my own fault, since i registered for it, but you never really know what is good until you have a baby in it. i hated it and i want to sell it or something and get a papasan one that will actually bounce. <br /><br />i already bought a double stroller, used off craigslist. i love it and used it with emerson and her buddy fletcher. it steers so nice but i know that it will be a pain to store since when its folded it takes up the whole back part of my car. i wish i could wake up one day and have my honda element back or another suv. i would consider trading my car in if i actually had a job. something tells me that they wont let me buy a car with no job. hehe. plus, thanks to working at whitesboro, my car has like 70,000 miles or something on it...and its a 2008!! i doubt i would get much for trading it in, even though a lot of people like honda fits cuz they are good on gas.<br /><br />hmmm..what else?? oh, i am buying another dresser for the new baby's clothes to go in. i found it already on craigslist (someday i will be rich and actually be able to buy things NEW...and things that MATCH. hehe). its a baby armoire that has 3 drawers, 2 shelves and a part to hang clothes. so it will be nice to have....even though its white and totally doesnt match anything in the room (and you cant paint it cuz its got like that plastic veneer or whatever on it). i figure if i get stuff gradually then it wont seem as overwhelming of an expense.<br /><br />anyway, this post is waayyy long. hope someone is still reading! hehe. in the coming weeks i am planning emersons bday party...to be held in ny (sorry massachusetts people! but if you want to come to ny, you are invited! let me know if you want to come and i will send you an invite, but otherwise, i am going to assume that ma people wont come unless they are family...). it is going to be a costume halloween party and i am keeping emersons costume a secret!! she is going to look adorable though and it has been really hard to not make her be yoda this year. while that would be awesomely hilarious, i figure i have to at least vary the ridiculous (lobster) with something a little more "normal"...although it is different and super cute! <br /><br />also, people have been asking me what they should buy emerson for her birthday. i dont know how kosher it is to do this, but since people are asking, i am eventually going to make a post of bday gift suggestions for her. so if you are interested, that will be coming in the next few weeks, once i figure some more things out. i know a few things..and i know what i want to get her, but i want to make sure of some other things before i go suggesting it as a gift for those who need suggestions. (this by no means is implying that people buy her gifts!! this is just for those who plan to buy something anyway and are at a loss for what to get her)...<br /><br />well, i probably should go tend to those dishes or maybe some laundry! hope you enjoyed my majorly long post!!kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-50300161494392727372009-08-21T14:23:00.001-07:002010-03-07T19:49:54.039-08:00blogging protest!!kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-57374658748222505462009-08-21T14:23:00.000-07:002010-03-07T19:49:54.015-08:00blogging protest!!i'm not blogging anymore until i get some comments people! i need encouragement that people are reading this and i'm not wasting my time.....<br /><br />but i will give you an update on emerson. she had her 9 month dr appt last week...just a few days shy of 10 months. she is now 28 inches tall (50th%), 18lbs 3oz (23rd%) and has a big ol noggin that put her in the 89th%! she is doing well and is hitting appropriate milestones. we are waiting for her to say more words and walk and stand on her own soon. she is eating us out of house and home...the girl likes to eat! you wouldnt know it by her weight but she will eat just about anything. yesterday she feasted on some hummus and pita bread with her mommy :) we both enjoyed it. <br /><br />anyway, there is your update. i had some good posts recently and havent heard from anyone so comment away!kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-71121088222681734832009-08-15T18:54:00.000-07:002010-03-07T19:49:54.047-08:00beach house and catit has been hot. like H.O.T, hot lately. actually, it hasnt been too bad outside but if you have been in my house lately, its like an oven....which is funny because we cant actually USE our oven. a little ironic. anyway, as most of you know, our central ac had to be disconnected because it was being crazy and stealing power from the rest of the house. well, it has been a mild summer, so i havent bothered to waste money to fix it. the result? it eventually got hot and we are dying. literally. yesterday i spent almost an hour laying on the floor with a fan pointed towards me and emerson crawling all over me. i didnt move for an hour. it was too hot. then i got a grand idea to walk to starbucks cuz it 1. has air conditioning and 2. has tasty frappucinos. it was a great idea....but i didnt want to leave. <br /><br />anyway, i decided to beat the heat and visit my friend robin at her beach house on lake ontario. it was a multi-purposed trip. i got to get out of my hot house, go to the beach, let emerson play in the water and sand, see robin and one of the best things was i got to see her teeny baby ryan again! he is a super cutie and emerson loved his feet. hehe. anyway, the day was great, minus emerson being a crabby butt because she was on napping strike today (though once i got into the car to come back home, she passed out before we even left robin's driveway!)<br /><br />here are pics from the day:<br /><br /><div align="center">yo, what up moms?</div><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SodpQfvjfyI/AAAAAAAAAR4/NidxyYxbo3A/s1600-h/beach+house+09+019.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370376812782386978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SodpQfvjfyI/AAAAAAAAAR4/NidxyYxbo3A/s320/beach+house+09+019.JPG" border="0" /></a> one second before she put her sandy hand in her mouth<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SodpP81JKTI/AAAAAAAAARw/BAS89vAqh8g/s1600-h/beach+house+09+015.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370376803410585906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SodpP81JKTI/AAAAAAAAARw/BAS89vAqh8g/s320/beach+house+09+015.JPG" border="0" /></a> playing with her sand shovel<br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SodpPTs0d5I/AAAAAAAAARo/4qjH7mcoC_g/s1600-h/beach+house+09+008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370376792369821586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SodpPTs0d5I/AAAAAAAAARo/4qjH7mcoC_g/s320/beach+house+09+008.JPG" border="0" /></a>taking the sand out of her bucket<br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SodpOsk--tI/AAAAAAAAARg/AcA9PiAYVc8/s1600-h/beach+house+09+005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370376781867973330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SodpOsk--tI/AAAAAAAAARg/AcA9PiAYVc8/s320/beach+house+09+005.JPG" border="0" /></a>trying to cuddle with oscar<br /><div align="left"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SodpOWcR6EI/AAAAAAAAARY/OqxqEdputvE/s1600-h/beach+house+09+002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370376775925884994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_-yiuOjXEOJw/SodpOWcR6EI/AAAAAAAAARY/OqxqEdputvE/s320/beach+house+09+002.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="left">so..in addition to going to the beach today, when we got home tonight, emerson looked right at ophelia and said "cat!". i was unsure of what i heard so i said, "emerson, say cat!" and she did. i kept saying it and went to show brad, and told her to say it again and she did. sometimes she pronounces it a little better than others but she definitely is saying cat. and she looks for dante or ophelia when she is saying it. it isnt her first word but is her first noun that she is appropriately associating with the object. she says mama and dada but doesnt do it correctly to the right person and sometimes still just babbles the sounds. she has also said "stop" a few times and we are pretty sure she says "sh*t". hmm...not sure where she learned that. i wondered if she was saying that but doubted it, then a friend asked if thats what she said...so if other people are noticing it, i think she is saying it. hehe.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">anyway, yay for beaches, babies and cats!</div></div></div><br /></div>kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-55230190900140161602009-08-07T06:10:00.000-07:002010-03-07T19:49:54.054-08:00video of you know who!<p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxKglvSXAtctjIarK0SffdLNQX0MewuyNPze8pSTV5pkxdHtyC8Yftx-r3Bvc5Ey1Me6pd9EA_B6-JWALrdWQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p>rough housing with emerson. she loves it!</p><p> </p>kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-61035282361254743032009-08-07T06:03:00.000-07:002010-03-07T19:49:54.062-08:00houston, we have teeth!well, to be honest, there is only one teeny tip that poked through but there is more to come! i know the other bottom one will break through soon as well and they will get taller. the only way you can tell is to feel inside her mouth. as soon as you can see it i will take pics...<br /><br />now, in addition to that, i believe we have an official first word. "stop" hehe. funny first word but she has said it a few times....when brad was tickling her and when i have been changing her. she does sometimes sound like she says hi or hey, and babbles mama and dada, among other things but hasnt differentiated between us. so i am officially calling "stop" her first word. hehe<br /><br />now...regarding posting the pic of her in the crib and a new video. i havent uploaded the pic yet and i cant get the video to post. so i will keep working on that and post it as soon as i can...kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-37380258820084614892009-08-04T13:57:00.000-07:002010-03-07T19:49:54.069-08:00transition from hammock to crib...well, as i type, emerson is sleeping for the first time in her crib! woot woot! it was more out of necessity because i am washing her hammock and i knew it was nappy time, so i put her in the crib and figured she would scream. to my surprise, she didnt! i had a few stuffed toys in there so she was playing with them for a few and after about 5-10 minutes i went in adn she was holding onto a teddy bear, sleeping on it. it was so cute! i even have a picture of it...i will upload it soon and post it. i also have a funny video from yesterday that i need to upload...<br /><br />so...now that i know it is possible to get to sleep in the crib, i am slowly going to transition her over. i dont want her in there until bradley leaves but i might put her in for some naps and see how things go. that way she gets used to the idea and we can eventually pack away the hammock. my goal had been to keep her in the hammock for 9 months..and she is 9 months old. if she has trouble with the transition then i guess i will take more time for the transition but i think its about time. i just hope she sleeps as well in the crib as she does in the hammock.<br /><br />well...she just woke up screaming. totally different from waking up in the hammock and bouncing herself. i think she was freaked cuz she has never slept anywhere but her hammock or in bed with me. all in all it was an okay nap...about 45 minutes....kinda shorter than normal but thats to be expected.<br /><br />in other news, for those who didnt know, emerson is going to be a big sister in january. thats right....we are expecting another little munchkin. weird. heh. we find out the sex next week and maybe i will update you all. hehe...kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-29134107136626899072009-07-20T06:36:00.000-07:002010-03-07T19:49:54.077-08:00giveaways and i'm going awayfirst, my friend kim has a pretty cool blog. there is a link to it on the side of my site, but i also wanted to tell you about it. she does all sorts of stuff on it (not just writing about her kid, which is what i do). she does reviews of products and has all sorts of free give aways. she tests out different cloth diapers and different "green" products. this week she is doing tons of give aways. you should go check out her site at <a href="http://www.dirtydiaperlaundry.com/">www.dirtydiaperlaundry.com</a> and enter yourself in one of her giveaways! i know i am!! who doesn't love free stuff and winning things?!?!<br /><br />also, we are headed back to gloucester tomorrow. we are picking up brads mom at logan airport and spending a few days in gloucester with her, showing her all the sites and taking her on a boat tour and other neat things. she has never been to the north east before, so it will be cool to show her around. also, i think she will get along well with my parents, though the accent difference will be interesting! it will also be her first time getting to meet emerson and bradley. she is going to be beside herself...especially with emerson! this is her only grand daughter....out of 9 (soon to be 10!) grandkids! so...although i would love to get together with other massachusetts peeps, this vacation is going to be pretty much strictly family. weird. hehe.<br /><br />it also should be interested driving back to ny for 6-7 hours with me, brad, brads mom, bradley and emerson in my tiny honda fit....along with all of our stuff and her luggage. i should take pictures of us in the car...because i am sure its going to look like a clown car!<br /><br />anyway, go check out kim's site for the giveaways...and also check out some cute pics of her son fletcher. there are even pics of emerson and fletcher on her site. they are gonna get married someday! hehe...kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016244063706958709.post-2454563025475327602009-07-10T19:34:00.000-07:002010-03-07T19:49:54.084-08:00catching up..its been a while. i know. well, here is the skinny on what has been going on lately. i haven't actually read my own blog in a while so if i repeat myself, deal with it. hehe. okay, to update on the height issue with emerson...she grew 1.5 inches, so i guess we are all good. she was just holding out on us! <br /><br />we just got back from a weeklong visit in gloucester. the next post has lots of pics. while i was home, i let emerson break the news that brad and i are expecting again. emerson had a cute shirt she was wearing when they came home...it said on the front "guess what a little birdie told me" and on the back it said "i'm going to be a big sister!" it took my family a long time to catch on, and ashley finally had to help tip them off. it was pretty funny. <br /><br />but anyway, the visit went well. better than expected. obviously there was some apprehension with how the family would deal with my news, and also with having a 6 year old constantly around. although they could have been a little quicker to pick up on my news, they dealt really well with brads son, which was great. also, for most of the trip, bradley had really good behavior.<br /><br />of course, that all went out the window today once we were home. haha. today we dealt with him wanting to watch tv all day (it was beautiful outside!) and asking numerous times if he can play video games. we also dealt with tantrums at target and the grocery store (most 6 year olds dont like running errands, but hey..they have to deal with it or we will never have food or household supplies!) we did go to the park today. it was hilarious. bradley was afraid to climb any of the climbing parts of the playground. there was a pirate ship that he had fun in, and he went down the slide a few times. i convinced him to come swing with me and emerson and it turns out he doesnt know how to swing. i tried teaching him but he didnt quite get that you had to lean your body back to go up. he would just look up to the sky. he was too afraid to lean back. brad came over and gave him a good push....which resulted in bradley crying and screaming because i guess he is too afraid to actually swing. its funny because it is totally the opposite of how brad and i were as kids. we are trying so hard to let him have fun and try to expose him to new things, but are shocked time and time again by the results. i hope that some of it soaks in and he can appreciate that we arent just trying to be "mean" by not letting him play video games and watch tv all day. i hope that he will see that we were trying to help him by making him be more active and also hopefully help him to fit in better with other kids once he goes home so they dont make fun of him as much. my mother had a good idea to write in a book..i think that brad is going to make a scrapbook of pictures and short stories of this summer so bradley can take it home with him. that way he can remember what he did this summer and also remember fun times with his dad and sister. <br /><br />anyway, on to emerson. she is doing the army crawl and is probably days from crawling. i need a baby proofing fairy to come to my house. i also need a magical fairy to make me a basement to put all the extra crap in my house. she is starting to pull up on things and is super funny. she blows kisses but doesnt get the right motion, so she sucks in her lip instead. it makes the same noise but looks hilarious. <br /><br />anyway, this post and the following picture post has taken me about 2 hours. i am done. heh. happy robin?? hahakristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12117407699413969350noreply@blogger.com1