Getting to know ME..the unedited version

So I thought we would get all close & personal..

maybe reach 2nd base? no? ok.

So instead of doing a boring get to know me post..I will let you all in on 5 things you wish you didn't know about me.

aka - the embarrassing/gross/can't believe i'm telling you all this shit stuff.

Hopefully you guys will all still like me, I promise i'm really cool in real life, just ask AP.

1. I'm always super gassy, like all.the.time. I don't understand how people don't fart, like what do they do? I literally farted in a meeting with our realtor, and blamed it on Saige. No lie. That one will go down in the books. Also, another time, my dad answered his cell phone due to the vibration against the chair. I blame that on his rapid loss of hearing.

2. I pick my scabs..gross I know. I have scars all over my legs from bugbites that I never let heal properly. And if I have a pimple? Oh god, I will butcher my face. I have created mountains out of molehills from tiny little blemishes.

3. I used to ice-skate when I was younger and I went to the Keystone State Games, a Pennsylvania athletic competition. I placed 6th. Out of 7 skaters, only because a skater was disqualified. Guess I wasn't too good. I was also that girl who was placed in the back during dance recitals. I blame that on my huge pink glasses. No one puts the ugly girls in front.

4. I never wash my face before going to bed. I never wear much makeup to begin with and it mostly all wears off by the night anyway. I also don't brush my teeth before bed. I never understood the point when you are going to brush them when you wake up anyway? I also loathe washing my hands. I'm lucky I haven't contracted some awful hand-foot-mouth disease.

5. I used to stutter A LOT when I was younger, and I still do every now and then. I thankfully went to a speech therapist back in grade school and it has definitely improved. I still have to think about what I'm going to say before I say it, and if I get too excited, I sometimes can't make out the sound.

Speaking of this..last fall, shortly after I had Saige, my husband and I took her for a walk outside. We ran into a neighbor who we hadn't met yet and we chit-chatted about the new baby. As we were about to part ways, I said, "By the way, my name is.......". And then absolute silence, I couldn't sound out the Q of my name. I actually looked to my husband for help. It was AWFUL. I swear she thought we had kidnapped a baby and were using different names.

That's all I got for now, believe me, I could on and on..

but I do want more followers and don't want to scare you all away.

please love me.

Hurricane Fever

We survived Irene. She turned out to be quite weak in our little condo community. We were pretty much hermits for 24 hours - it was some intense bonding time. I was practically shoving Brandon out the door this morning, its true love I swear. Saturday night we watched Limitless where I drowned in Bradley Coopers blue eyes. S slept for 12 straight hours, all that hurricane hype must have been exhausting.

S started getting all amped up towards the evening hours, luckily I caught her shenanigans on my iPhone.

She cracks us up, and apparently herself as well.

Friday Fragments

-Hurricane Irene is a nasty woman. She needs to take herself back where she came from as she is not welcome in the Northeast. We had a lovely low-key weekend planned filled with some furniture shopping and relaxation. Now, the husband is shipping myself and the babes back home to my parents as he heads to Maryland with his Dad to help keep an eye on their boat. I secretly think he just wants an excuse to drink lots of beer. We have been so busy this summer that I was looking forward to just staying put, and not having to pack an overnight bag for the 20348th time.

-We finally got our mortgage commitment. Only after we provided Wells Fargo with 26 years of banking history, copies of rent checks, and our first-born. No really, it was ridiculous. My printer hasn't had so much scanning/copying action in years. The next step is settlement on the 15th of September..then it's moving timeee!!!

-Kristen @ Little Laws Prints has designed some adorable invitations for Saige's 1st Birthday party. She has been such a pleasure to work with and put up with my indecisive/pain in the ass requests and is also hooking me up with some kick-ass cupcake toppers/banners/signs as well. I am still on the hunt for some first year photoshoot worthy outfits, I have some ideas in mind, just need some more options.

-The hubs & I had a lovely dinner date tonight at Mas Cantina in West Chester. S was with family who actually lives right nearby, they had gotten us the gift certificate for our wedding last year. It was nice to be out, sans baby. I could drink my Coronas in peace w/o having to occupy a 10 month old who wants to clear everything off the table.

Everyone stay safe this weekend if you are in the path of Irene, lets hope she slows down and heads back where she came from.

xoxo

Beauty, Pain, and the Phillies

Many of you may be grossed out/disgusted curious about my recent posts on Twitter about my gum shaving episode that happened on Monday. You see, I have this awful gum receding issue going on, it has been happening for years. When I got my braces off in high school (yes I had braces in high school, I literally have the mouth of a 5 year old), I was expecting this glamorous smile, instead, all I had was a lot of gum. So quickly after I got my braces off, I had my first gum shaving procedure. Basically, it entails a lot of novocaine and a quick shaving of the gums...and VOILA, you can see your teeth again!

Unfortunately for me..this is a recurring problem as my pesty gums continue to grow back again...and again. So this is the 4th time I have had this done and will continue to go back every few years. I have a huge smile and it is something that bothers me when I look at myself in pictures and see a lot of gum. Luckily I am a gum-shaving veteran and barely flinch. I have a wonderful periodontist who truly does remarkable work.

Before------------------->After

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now onto a more pleasant topic...we took Saige to her 2nd Phillies game on Tuesday night! Every year they have a Hill School alumni tailgating/game event at the ballpark and we've attended for the past 3 years. My younger brother, dad, and grandfather all attended The Hill School, which is a 9-12 prep school located in Pottstown, PA. It is always a good time and who wouldn't enjoy free beer, food, and tailgating games? Saige was such a trooper and hung in there until the end of the 5th inning. They are very accommodating to babies at the stadium, you can bring the stroller and just cruise around. You even get a little first game certificate.

                           

And who doesn't love a baby in a coors light cooler? Clearly she has good taste.

xoxo

10 MONTHS!

Saige Marie...you are 10 months old!

*on 8/21*

You, my little lady, are quite the firecracker this month. Your personality is really beginning to come out, as well as your desire to get into everything, including the cat food bowl, the toilet, and the fireplace. You are crawling a mile a minute and never stay in one place for too long. You always want to be where I am - there is no more going to the bathroom in private around here. And the standing? Is everywhere. On any object. You pull yourself up all the time. You LOVE to stand. Especially at the coffee table where you sweep everything onto the floor. You have also started opening cabinets and drawers. Clearly drawer locks will need to be installed on the lower cabinets at your new house.

Your hair is as blonde as ever, probably due to our beach trips this past month. We went to Bethany Beach for a week with the in-laws and you were very happy on the beach to just hang out in your inflatable pool. You rode your first carousel on the Rehoboth boardwalk and had many late nights out on the deck. We also survived our first solo flight together. We flew to Pinehurst to visit Nana & Poppy and survived checking in, security, and the hour long flight. Now coming home was a different story, it was an 8 hour car ride and you did wonderfully. As long as someone is sitting in the back with you, you are a happy traveler.

We haven't been to the doctor since our 9 month well visit, but you my dear, weighed a whopping 19 lbs 10 oz. You had gained 2+ pounds since your 8 month visit. You are eating 3 meals day and typically 3-4 6 oz bottles. You were also 27 1/4 inches tall. We tried the Gerber macaroni & cheese this month and it is a BIG hit. Luckily, you show no signs of being a picky eater (except for that nasty dog-food-like Sprout packet). Ugh, mama wouldn't like that either babes. You typically wear 9 month clothing but still fit in some 6/9 month outfits. We are due for some fall wardrobe updates, as well as some shoes, since I am pretty sure you will soon be walking. Mama is already eyeing up some Uggs for the winter time, perhaps they will be a birthday gift, hint hint Nana!

You are becoming so much more animated each and everyday. You are constantly blabbering and blowing serious raspberries. Clapping your hands and doing "So Big" is one of your favorite activities. I love your huge dimply smile and it makes my day to see you cheesing at me when I collect you from your crib...standing of course. It cracks me up in the morning when you stand there with a paci in your mouth and 1 in each hand. You LOVE your pacifiers and it will be a huge transition when we decide to get rid of them, whenever that may be. You even have tried to bring them into the bathtub! As soon as you hear the water running in the bath, you speed crawl to the bathroom and stand at the tub waiting to get in..it makes us giggle every time.

Mama has so enjoyed having her summer off, it has been amazing to watch your grow over the last few months. I adore every part of you and am so proud to be your mama. It's hard to believe that in just 2 short months, you will be ONE. I will have a toddler. While it is a bit upsetting, I am so anxious to see what these next months will bring, I can only imagine it will get more entertaining. We love you to the moon and back.

xoxo

The Dreaded "B" Word

disclaimer *I know this may be a controversial topic, so please no judgies*

Nope, it's not a curse word, it is FAR worse..

It's.......budget.
I cringe just typing that dreaded word.

I have to put myself on one of these so-called budgets according to my husband...probably due to the fact that I have nothing to show for myself as I save zilch. Nada. $0.


Oops.


Since we are buying a house, our monthly expenses are going to dramatically increase. By adding a mortgage, full time childcare, and house expenses...this lady is not going to have much "play $$" anymore. Thankfully my husband has contributed to our savings account and we were able to use our wedding money as our down payment. I'm just going to be honest here, I have a difficult time differentiating between what I need and what I want. It is a very blurry area for me and I have a hard time determining the difference because..


Hi, my name is Quinn and I love to shop.


I have about every retail credit card that one could possibly have and they are way too easy to use. JCrew, Ann Taylor Loft, and Banana get WAY too much use, I am literally like a platinum member. I do always pay them off in time and let me add, I do have excellent credit. It is so easy to get sucked into purchasing items when you receive an email that says "40% off your entire order" or "Buy 1 sweater get the second 1/2 off". I just buy right into their advertising..i'm such a sucker. It has gotten even worse since I have had Saige, seriously, could little girl clothing be any more tempting? She had so much clothing for 0-9 months, some that was never even worn.


I really need to sit back and look at my finances. We both make a decent living, have plenty of nice things, and aren't buried under student loans like many others. There is no reason why I shouldn't be putting a nice sum of my paycheck into savings every month. I should be contributing more to Saige's college fund, rather than spending $100 at Target when I all I needed was cat litter. I don't want to dig myself into a hole that I can't find my way out of, that wouldn't be fair to my family. So here it goes...my attempt at NEED VS. WANT.


Wish me luck.

Saturday Morning Scene & More...

We are linking up with Katie @ Loves of Life for......

This morning my lovely anal Dad gave me the task of getting rid of some things in my childhood bedroom. Even though I haven't lived here for quite some time, the closet is still jam packed with books, clothes, odds & ends, etc..

It got me thinking about the things I have that I always knew I would save for my children. Now that we have S, this thought has become a reality. Will she enjoy the same books and dolls? Will she play the same sports? Or am I saving my entire Babysitters Club collection only to toss it in a few years?

Will she enjoy Sweet Valley Twins or my massive collection of Archie Comics? My older brother & I during long car rides would have a huge bag of them between us, and we would whip through them one after the other. What about Angelina Ballerina? I am so looking forward to reading these books to S as she gets older.

Aaaahhh...and my American Girl dolls, all 5 of them. It was such a treat to receive a doll as a birthday or Christmas present. I still have all the clothes and accessories stored in a hat box, just waiting for another little girl to use them again. Now there are American Girl doll stores..and about 29384 new dolls. I secretly look at the magazine every now and then.

And finally..this is completely embarrasing. I can't believe i'm sharing this with all of you. My parents decided to get these 3 life-size posters made of us when we were younger to hang in the basement. This is what mine looked like..

Check out those huge pink glasses..I was pretty much a knockout.
Who knows if S will ever want to be a cheerleader? Perhaps she will get into golf, or tennis, swimming? I mean her mama was an all-star athlete.

Hint Hint, much of those were just for participation. Except for tennis, I was pretty kick-ass throughout high school.


All this makes me wonder about what her interests will be. Will she be a bookworm like her mama? Or maybe she will like to draw and paint. Lord knows I can barely draw a stick figure. However, whatever path she chooses, she will have all our love & support.


Have a great weekend ya'll.
xoxo

What We Love: 0-10 Months

I have recently been spending some time putting some of S's old things away in storage and it got me thinking about some of our favorite items..the old faithful products that were and still currently being put to good use. So without further ado..

#1

Fisher Price Rock n' Play Sleeper

This was absolutely one of our favorites. S would still be sleeping in this if she hadn't exceeded the length requirements. I literally thought we were going to have to build an extension off the end. It is so portable and she slept in this till she was about 6 months. It finally had to be retired once she tried to flip over in it and got stuck (eek scary moment).

#2

Homedics Sound Machine

I purchased about 3 white noise machines before I was finally satisfied with this glorious baby whisperer. Why do I love it? Because it's loud as hell, it can block out barking dogs, sirens, obnoxious loud neighbors, a fighting husband and wife, loud trucks outside..you get the idea. It also projects "soothing" images onto the ceiling, but S never really seemed into it.

#3

Swaddleme/Sleepsacks

S was swaddled like a little burrito until she was about 6 months old. Then I slowly started weaning her off by letting her have one arm free...then another...and then we finally transitioned to the sleepsack. I love the summer infant swaddles as they have the velcro for us incompetent swaddlers. You know how they bring you the baby all swaddled in the hospital? Yeah ours never looked like that after the first day..I needed velcro.

#4

MAM Pacifiers

I think I have a bit of a pacifier obsession. S literally has about 20 of them..in every color possible. I also have probably misplaced 20 more, apparently we not only have a sock monster but also a paci monster? Ugh. Basically I like these pacis because they are cute and they don't take up her entire face, like those soothies they give you at the hospital. The downside? There aren't many paci clips that work with these babies. I just purchased these pacifiers in the nighttime glow in the dark model. It is hilarious to see in the middle of the night. I mean i've never had anything glow in the dark in my mouth? That's what she said.

#5

Chicco DJ Baby Walker

This is our current new favorite. S plays some sick beats on this DJ tray. It can keep her entertained for hours, until she backs herself into a table, true story. She has learned to manuever herself around quite well and can get herself out of any corner. It also allows her to grab objects off of tables, including magazines, glass bowls, and food.

So that's all I got for now..our top 5.

Happy Thursday!

xoxo

So What! Wednesday

This week i'm saying SO WHAT! if....

1) The only thing I have to eat in my house is Cheerios, Cheese Puffs, and Sun Chips. I seriously need to get to the grocery store ASAP. Because that is not a healthy diet clearly. Today I ate a bowl of cheerios around 1 and then Chilis at 7. You would think I would have been starving, but I wasn't. Guess thats why I am 5 pounds less than my pre-pregnancy weight (damn MILF alert?)

2) I'm currently watching High School Musical 3 and literally drooling over Zac Efron. He is literally gorgeous and have you seen his body? Oww oww!! (Sorry hubs). And yes I am watching HSM3 and have seen the others multiple times. I just love Troy and Gabriella. And Camp Rock. Ok I should move on before I embarrass myself.

3) I tried CIO with Saige and lasted about 15 minutes. I may just be rocking her to sleep until she is too heavy to fit in my lap anymore. Just the sound and sight of her standing her in crib wailing was too much for this mama. I'm such a wimp and yes she is spoiled.

4) I don't understand how moms can physically paint their babies toenails. I can't even get S to sit still long enough for me to clip her nails, much less paint them, and allow them to dry? Hell no. How do they do it?

5) I'm actually a little bit anxious for school to start. I love a fresh start and am looking forward to seeing all my work friends. Also the chance to browse the internet without any interruptions meet new students and get back in the swing of things.

6) I'm already overwhelmed by the number of weddings we have next year. I'm happy for all ya'll but stop getting engaged, k? Thanks. Since now it is protocol to give $150-$200 as a wedding gift in these areas. This new homeowner couple will be eating Ramen and drinking water for the rest of our lives. Yummy.

7) I now have 2 Erin Condren planners and barely have enough life plans to fill up one of them. I got the one I ordered before the site was hacked..did this happen to anyone else? Luckily I still got the 2nd one as I changed up the personalization and liked that one better. Anyone have my name and need a planner? Probably not.

8) Speaking of names, S will never be able to find a keychain, cup, necklace with her name on it, without it being special ordered. It drove me crazy when I was younger that I could never find the name "Quinn". Now i've done the same to my daughter. Sorry love - we are just unique.

What are you saying SO WHAT! to this week?

A Nursery Peak

I have had a few requests for pictures of S's nursery...

so here is a look into her pink & green sanctuary!

We didn't bother painting the room as we are just renters and knew we would be moving out within a year.  Her room at the new house will be painted a light green color (incase the next little one happens to be a boy), don't worry, no baby #2 yet!

The last 3 were taken with my iPhone, as I added the letters, mirror, and shelf after I had taken the original nursery photos


Rocker: Best Chairs
Curtains/Crib/Bedding: Pottery Barn Kids
Dresser: LEA Furniture
Cat: Local Vet Office


Enjoy!!

Back to school..Back to school..

That's right folks.

This SAHM gig I have going on will come to a close on September 1st - it's back to the real world..until next summer.

I truly do enjoy my job, but I have so enjoyed spending my summer month with this little ray of sunshine..

I work as a school counselor in a K-8 school..so I have the real little tykes all the way up to the middle schoolers who are frequently taller than me. I never planned to be a school counselor, I actually wanted to be an elementary teacher all my life. I took a course my first winter term at Elon where I was in a classroom everyday for 3 weeks. I found myself not really loving the whole teacher gig, it was exhausting keeping up with 20+ kids and you never had a moment to yourself except for prep and lunch.

I soon switched my major to communications, but then I earned a C- in my first communications class. I blame it on the partying fast pace of the class. I later switched to Psychology and I did enjoy most of the classes that were required - especially Child Psychology. My senior year I attended a career night where there were 2 speakers; one a school psychologist and the other a school counselor. A school psychologist does tons of testing and report writing, while the counselor gets to have small groups, teach classroom guidance lessons, and have a hopefully positive influence on their students lives. I would still be in the school setting with the rockin' school schedule, I just wouldn't be in charge of a whole classroom. Perfect!

Sooo...what I am getting at is that even though I can't be a SAHM (wahhh) at this point in my life, I feel that I still have a great job that is accommodating to having children. Just hear, I mean read the perks.

I work 8:20-3:09

I don't bring any work home with me

I have many days off for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a week-long spring break

and most importantly...the whole summer off to be with the fam!

So for the next 15 days..I will be enjoying a life of leisure..and lots of baby snuggles.

xoxo

Saturday Morning Scene

We are linking up with Katie @ Loves of Life for......

It is a dreary morning down here in North Carolina, it has been raining and storming for the past 2 hours. Hopefully it will clear up so that we will be able to go to the pool later this afternoon. Saige was pounding on the windows this morning and entertaining herself with a silver dog whistle, a gross dog-slobber ball, and of course, a dog.

Mom of the year right here folks.

Now excuse me while I try to catch some more zzz's.

Have a fantastic (and hopefully sunny) weekend ya'll.

xoxo.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Well we're movin on up,

To the east side.

To a deluxe apartment in the sky..

...or to a quaint house in the 'burbs!!

We've initialed and signed a gazillion papers, handed over our first born, negotiated inspection, and will be homeowners as of September 15th!!

Can I get a woot woot?

no? ok.

I made my inaugural trip to Furnitureland South with my mom yesterday down here in NC. It was overwhelming, to say the least. It is over a million square feet of furniture, my legs were exhausted when the day was over. I didn't purchase anything but I did find some brands (furniture brands?) that are reasonably priced and our style. We are looking for a sofa & loveseat for the family room and a bedroom set for our room. It's all very exciting, I cannot wait to have our own home. I'm not looking forward to being responsible for all repairs, as we may be looking at a new roof in about 3 years. We were busting out of the seams at our 2 bedroom apartment, my husband and I were literally renting out space from Saige.

Unfortunately, since we are moving from one side of the Schuylkill River to the other, I need to find a new daycare option for S. She currently goes to a woman's home who watches about 7 kids...and I love the arrangement. It is right on my way to work, affordable ($35/day, who could beat that?!), and S has really adjusted nicely. She was only going 2-3x a week last school year as my mom watched her 1-2 days and my MIL came on Fridays. This coming school year we need full-time care as neither of our moms can make the commitment again, which I understand. It was a lot for both of them to make the 1 1/2 hr drive each week. So I have been researching my options, whether it be a daycare or an in-home sitter. I just hope it will be an easy transition for S, because it will be tough enough to have me not with her every day as I have been this summer.

Yikes..that was a bit of a debby downer post. Sorry peeps.

xoxo

Internet Dating & 1st Birthday Prep

First and foremost, thanks for all the sweet & helpful comments on my previous post. It feels great to know that i'm not alone in my sleep training battle..and that there is hope (it will be accompanied by a giant bottle of wine and earplugs for sure).

I will begin some hard-core CIO when we get back from Pinehurst next week

I have every intention of doing it..I swear. Keep posted.

Saige and I flew down to Raleigh on Tuesday and are now enjoying our 2034th summer vacation at my parents lake house in Pinehurst. This whole having summers off deal kicks major ass.

ANYWAY...incase you haven't heard...I met in real life the infamous Ashley Paige of ILYMTC!!

and..

She was wonderful...and so was the Mr., Baby C, and Sheepie. We are all pretty much bff, it's ok to be jealous.

It so happened that we were about 10 minutes away from each other as I was at the shore with my in-laws and AP was at her in-laws beach house as well. We messaged each other for a bit and the next thing I knew...S and I were heading down Route 1 to AP's place. Of course the hubs made me give him her phone # and address incase she happened to be the next craigslist killer. I kid.

It was basically love at first sight..between AP & I..and also Carter & Saige. They shared slobbery toys on the beach and took a romantic stroll along the shore. AP snapped some terrific pics since she is a professional photog and all..

Hopefully she will be sharing some more..hint, hint AP. We have already planned an arranged marriage for S and C. They would have super-cute towhead babies and AP would not be a crazycakes MIL..like her own. That girl has it rough, she deserves a medal for the shit she goes through!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So speaking of AP...after seeing Carters amazing birthday party, I am off and running with plans for Saige's 1st birthday party. Eek, my baby will be one in practically 2 months. I have decided to go with a polka-dot theme and have found a seller on Etsy who has an ultimate party package. Just what I need for my uncreativeness.

I have scheduled her 1st birthday photoshoot with Kristine Kraft in Lancaster. She did pictures for my friend Alisha and her little girl Emmie..I can't even stand the cuteness.

Now I am scouring Etsy for outfits, tutus, and 1-year tops. This could be dangerous to my credit card, watch out hubs.

xoxo

Mom Fail: Sleep Training

Sleep training is the bane of my existence...

It is awful

and I truly fucked myself over by not doing it earlier.

excuse my language peeps.

I read every sleep training book out there...believe me. I knew what I needed to do. I kept telling myself that I would start next week...then it was the next month..or when we got back from vacation.

But no..here I am now with a 9 month old baby, who has sporadic/hair-pulling/tears-inducing sleep habits:

I rock her to sleep - for both naps and nighttime

I feed her a bottle in the middle of the night if she wakes up

I will insert her pacifier multiple times if she loses it

If she cries and can't calm down, I will pick her up out of her crib and rock her

TOTAL MOM FAIL

which has led to this...

AND if it couldn't get any more stress-inducing...

..she will now stand in her crib, throw her pacis on the floor, and shriek.

I know she's proud of her new standing abilities..but good lord child just lay down!

So i'm at a wall. I know she can sleep through the night, because she has it done many times. I just don't know how to improve her sleep habits - I feel that i've taken so many wrong turns that it will be difficult to get back on the right path.

Any suggestions would be wonderful.

xoxo