21 Week Bumpdate!!

21 weeks? Holy shit! How am I already halfway through this pregnancy? Thank goodness for BabyCenter which keeps me up to date...oh and my growing belly!

Hi baby (yet-to-be-named) boy!!..and scuzzy school bathroom..

New maternity top courtesy of Old Navy..gotta love that signature side ruching.

I feel like my belly doubled in size since we found out the gender last week. One day i'm wearing my regular pants and the next i'm busting out the maternity clothing. And i'm wearing leggings for the second time already this week. Praise the lord for working in a district with no actual dress code!

Total Weight Gained/Loss? At my 17 week appointment I had gained a whopping 6 pounds. I head back to the doctor tomorrow..and pretty sure that number has doubled due to amount of DQ blizzards that I am inhaling on a weekly basis

Maternity Clothes? Oh absolutely. Tops & pants. Just so much more comfortable. I change into yoga pants as soon as I get home. I'm anxiously awaiting a package from Gap with some new maternity clothing. Especially the support camis that will hopefully keep my new porn-star boobs in place. 

Sleep? Like heaven on earth. I can't wait to crawl into bed at night..only to wake up a few hours later to pee..and pee some more. It's like a geyser up in here.

Best Moment of the Week? Finding out we are having a boy..and beginning to feel little kicks and jabs from our future soccer player.

Cravings? Ice cream, popsicles, iced coffee, Golden Peak iced tea. Anybody see a trend here?

Gender? BOY!!!

Labor Signs? No thank you.

What I miss? Having a margarita for Cinco de Mayo! Missing out on all the drinking holidays clearly.

What I'm looking forward to: Purchasing boy crib bedding, ransacking the Pottery Barn Kids outlet, clearly shopping is on the brain today.

Happy Hump Day!

Playing Catch-Up

Because I haven't blogged since like Will2K came out, I figured it was time to get this forgotten blog up to date with our crazy life..

and this new Blogger is certainly throwing me off. Why do they insist on making changes when the old version was just fine? Like that facebook timeline shit. I can't stand it. I refuse to switch until they force me dammit.

So what's been up with the L family?

First of all..we survived the chicken pox. Thank god it was a mild case and she was only out of the babysitter for a few days. We had plenty of oatmeal baths and calamine lotion rubdowns. Plus lots of mommy and daddy snuggles..at 2 am, 4 am, 6 am. I guess that's what I get for following an alternative vaccination schedule that delays the chicken pox vaccine. Thanks Jenny McCarthy.

Luckily the chicken pox cleared up just in time for my Spring Break. We headed down South to Hilton Head Island for a week and then spent Easter weekend in Pinehurst with my family. It was a much-needed vacation, after a stressful few months at work and the pox. Our days were filled with sunshine, bike-riding, boat-spotting, and swimming. Saige also managed to wrangle the dogs into being her own personal playmates and pillows.

And on the baby #2 home front..we just found out yesterday that we are having a little BOY!!! We are absolutely thrilled with the news that a handsome little man will be joining our family in September. I was 20 weeks yesterday and desperately need to do a pregnancy update. Thanks for all sticking around as my blogging skills have been far below sub par in the past month..
Have a fabulous weekend
xoxo

We got da Pox

The Chicken Pox that is...

...plus a nasty ear infection

Poor girl can't catch a break..and neither can her parents

Sweet girl has been such a trooper. She was fine all weekend..just seemed to not eat much, which is pretty normal lately with her. When I picked her up from the sitter on Monday I noticed a rash on her neck but I thought it was just from teething as she had been having diarrhea and chewing on her hands. She also has been waking up in the middle of the night wanting to be cuddled and rocked, but I contributed that to her teeth again. Clearly I have no sick child mom intuition.

Yesterday we woke up late so we dressed her in a hurry and when I got to the sitter, I lifted up her shirt to show her the rash on her neck..and was shocked to see little red bumps all over her chest and back. A few had also popped up on her head and face. I immediately started freaking out, promptly left the sitter & called the pediatrician. My husband came and met me as I couldn't miss work, and when he took her to the doctor they told him chicken pox and a bad ear infection. He also said they treated Saige like she had the plague and whisked them out a secret sick kid door. Poor girl.

I absolutely hate ear infections. First off, I never know that she has one until I take her to the doctor for an unrelated issue..and find out she has one. Then I feel like an awful mom for not knowing about it after I let her cry in her crib the previous night. And then there is the amoxicillin which gives her the worst diarrhea and diaper rash. But at least it tastes like bubble gum. 

So anyway..since she had the MMRV vaccine at her 12 month checkup, it should hopefully be just a mild case. She hasn't gotten any more spots and they don't seem to itch or irritate her. I have no idea where she got it from as none of the kids at the sitter are showing any signs or symptoms. It could have been the park or just being out & about. The silver lining though? The Dr. said it's best to have it young when it's not as severe.

Luckily both of her grandmas came to the rescue and will be giving her all the TLC she needs while mom & dad are at work. Thank you all for your kind words & prayers for my spotty lady.

xoxo

A co-ed sleepover gone wrong

After much arguing and pleading with him not to go, my husband bounded out the door Saturday morning to head to Hoboken for an unnecessary day of St. Patrick's Day festivities. I swear i'm still not bitter/holding a grudge/almost threw all his stuff onto the front lawn. No not at all. 

Anyway, S and I had a day at home to clean, nap, call the hubs 13 times, and just relax. One of my best friends Ali so kindly asked us over for a sleepover at her place in the city. She has an 8 month old boy named Mason and it seemed like a fabulous idea, much better than spending the night in our recently crime-ridden neighborhood alone. I headed to the big city around 5 with my whiny toddler who refused to take a second nap that day. As soon as we got to their place, she was busy busy busy. Clearly she's getting sick of her toys at home because new toys? So much more thrilling. She also recognized her jumperoo that we had lent to them. She was all "mine, mine, mine".  

Saige was all about Mason. After all, it will be an arranged marriage. She wanted to help feed him, shared all the toys, and even kissed his cheek. So meant to be. Now as for the actual sleeping part of the sleepover? Didn't go as well. They both went down around 8 and S slept fine until around 11:30. Then she was up and squirmish and had no interest in going back into the pack n play. So at 2:00 am..we went home. Our first co-ed sleepover was a bust. Clearly she isn't made for city livin'.

But the good news? She slept until 1:00 in the afternoon. And so did I.

Winning. 

My first Bumpdate {11 weeks}

It's finally here...my first baby bump update!!

Does it make me a loser that one of the most exciting things about being pregnant was being able to do these updates? Yes I think so. I wasn't blogging when pregnant with Saige so I am so looking forward to posting about this pregnancy and having weekly pictures to see my expanding belly.

So there is baby #2..beginning to show way earlier than I did with Saige. I guess it's true what they say about those muscles not being as tight the 2nd time around. And no I'm not usually that tan..you can thank the lady at Old City Tans for her fabulous airbrushing technique. 

Total Weight Gained/Loss? At my 8 week appointment I weighed the same as I did for my 8 week appointment with Saige. And now? I think only my boobs have gained weight. Shit. I wish they would stay the same..porn star tits are not high on my priority list. I gained 31 pounds with S and hope to be around or less with baby #2. 

Maternity Clothes? Nope. Not needed as of yet. However, I am looking forward to a wardrobe of leggings, summer dresses, and my Joes jean shorts, capris, and skirt. I wore those 3 items weekly last time and I absolutely love them! I plan on spending my May birthday money on a Pea in the Pod shopping spree!

Sleep? I am exhausted all.day.long. I could sleep for weeks if it was possible. I am out from the moment my head hits the pillow. I am a tummy sleeper so it is always a rough adjustment when the baby bump pops.

Best Moment of the Week? Getting giddy while online shopping for multi-video monitors and double strollers. It's the little things that excite me!

Movement? I swear I feel little waves and butterflies already. Or perhaps its just gas? I only felt Saige around 21 weeks but things are definitely progressing quicker this time around. 

Food Craving? Any kind of food. I'm hungry all the time..no lie. When we flew to Georgia last weekend, I ate a breakfast sandwich, pretzels, and cinnabon..all before 9 am. I blame it on all the airport options. Just too much right at your fingertips. 

Food aversions? None this time around! I didn't have any with S and don't expect any to come around this time either.

Morning sickness? There's been some pukage but not on a consistent basis. It's more like all day nausea..or as soon as my stomach feels empty. I need to walk around with a bag of saltines or something. 

Gender? No idea! But I would say boy..just because I feel much differently than I did with S. I only found out at 21 weeks with S..but I may spend the extra $$ and find out at 16 weeks. I'm way too anxious!

Labor Signs? No thank you.

Belly Button? I have a permanent outie. And let's not even discuss what pregnancy did to my belly button ring holes. It like stretched out the scar tissue even though I had it out for a few years before I was even pregnant. Believe me, it's not pretty. 

What I miss? Pinot Grigio. Riesling. Beer. Not feeling like i'm going to throw up any minute. 

What I'm looking forward to: Having a legit baby bump. Maternity clothing shopping. And of course finding out if baby #2 is a boy or girl!

Happy Valentines Day!!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Tonight I will put down my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook so my husband will realize that..

xoxoxo

Are you in there baby?

"Can we hurry up to the ultrasound to see if a baby is actually in there?"...

These were among the first words I said to the OB yesterday..a little aggressive eh?

I have a feeling that pregnancy #2 is going to be way different than the first. I would never have believed I was actually pregnant if it weren't for the 4 positive tests I took in the last month and the fact that I haven't had my lovely friend since December. That's why I was so anxious for my appointment yesterday. I felt so nervous and scared. I thought they were going to stick that awful long rod where the sun don't shine..and find nothing. Just an empty uterus. But...it wasn't empty at all, not one bit. It is currently the warm & cozy home of my kidney bean sized baby..with a pounding heartbeat.

I felt instant relief & all my worries flew out the window. I explained to the doctor, the same doctor who delivered Saige, that my symptoms have been so different this time around. At 8 weeks last time I was carrying around a bag of saltines & ritz crackers because I felt so nauseous. I was coming home from work and taking a 4 hour nap. I was also inhaling quarts of Rita's water ice on a daily basis. Now given, I have a 15 month old, so those afternoon naps are no longer a possibility as i'm constantly kept on my toes. But my level of exhaustion is nowhere near where it was the last time and i'm not hugging the toilet after drinking apple juice. Granted with Saige, I only got sick actually once, but I did feel nauseous for most of the day. This could all come back and bite me in the ass if I wake up tomorrow feeling like I was just run over by a truck.  Maybe this means it's a boy? Or maybe I need to go knock on wood because I just screwed myself talking about how good I feel..
Either way..my heart skips a beat just looking at the little kidney bean that will be joining our family in September.
Happy Friday!xoxo

Two under Two...here we come!!

FINALLY...after seeing our new little peanut & its healthy pounding heartbeat, I can confirm that Baby #2 will be joining the family around September 20, 2012.

We couldn't be more thrilled with our expanding waistline family!!

More to come...

What's YOUR Love Story?!

Today I am showing my hubby some love & linking up with Becky for....

First I would like confess my undying and passionate love for Becky...or whatever her real name may be.  She has quickly become one of my blogger/twitter besties due to her humor, kindness, and the fact that she has smokin hot bod! I mean no wonder her hubs is always taking pictures of her ass instead of her adorable girl Elliana!  All humor aside, she truly inspires me to be a better mother, wife, and cook.  She does it all and I admire her! I am so excited to link up with her today in honor of Valentines Day next Tuesday.  So here goes my love story....
1. How long have you and your significant other been together?
Are you ready for this?? Nearly a decade. We started dating the summer before our senior year in high school..so it will be 10 years this coming June.  I can't believe how young we were when I look back at a few old pictures..

2. How did you meet?
We have known each other ever since grade school. Our houses are literally 8 minutes away from each other..don't worry - I had it timed perfectly to be able to make it home at curfew.  We were always friends and even swam together on the same swim team.  Our best friends dated one another all throughout high school but we never had any romantic connection..only a quick make out session our freshman year oops. However, we started to hang out more towards the end of our junior year..and then he had the nerve to start hanging out with some skank freshman.  I finally realized that I cared about him more than a friend..and of course he was always madly in love with me..so the rest is history. A match made in the jealous throes of high school. 
3. How long have you been married?
We tied the knot on May 22, 2010..and it was one hell of a party.

4. Where did you get married? Big or small wedding?

We got married back in our hometown of Lebanon, PA. The ceremony was at my parents church and the reception was held at the Lebanon Country Club.  This was also the same reception site as my parents, how special! Around 200 people attended and it was one of the best days of our lives. To be surrounded by all our family and friends while we pledged our love for one another..the fun, laugher, and dancing..can we get married again? Actually scratch that, I don't think my Dads checkbook could handle that. 

5. Do you have any nicknames that you call one another?

Nothing special besides the typical hunny, lovebug, asshole & sweetheart. He does occasionally call me "Quinny" which has been around since I was a little girl. 

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

The love he has for Saige & myself, his hard-working ethic, and his BIG heart for his family & friends.

7. Tell us how he proposed.

If you read my "Story About Us"..you would see that we had a unconventional way of getting married. We decided that it was the right thing to do at the time..and we had been dating for 8 years..so why the hell not?! I picked out hinted at the ring I wanted, he bought it on the spot, and popped the question right in the car. Not exactly a romantic proposal but we clearly like to shake things up a bit!

8. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day.

Travel more of the world..go on a Mediterranean or Alaskan cruise. We have done a lot of traveling with our families but not many vacations with just the two of us. We took a babymoon to San Diego & Laguna Beach before Saige was born and had a fantastic time. Of course it would have been better had I been able to booze my face off. Keepin it classy as always. 

9. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

10. Show us a picture what love means to you.

Seeing my husband hold our baby girl for the first time. I never knew my heart could feel so full & lucky.

So head on over to From Mrs. to Mama, LINK UP...and share your love story!

Doing all that I can

As a school counselor, my duties can fall under one large category; to look out for and protect the welfare of my students..whether this be emotional, mental, or physical.  I also have one significant role as well..I am a "mandated reporter".  I am required to report whenever physical & sexual abuse is suspected, or when there is evidence of neglect, knowledge of an incident, or any risk of suspected harm.   

This is a very tough part of my job. To hear young innocent children talk about what is happening to them outside school. Whether they are denied food, clean clothes, and the means to bathe..or being beaten on a weekly basis. Or perhaps they are on medication and their guardian hasn't refilled the script for weeks.  All of these issues cause problems at school. The child may have behavior problems at school, they may be aggressive with others, or they may be made fun by others due to their body odor. They may have to take care of themselves in the morning which is why they are consistently late or absent from school.  Kids just can't be kids anymore, especially the children whose families are struggling financially and mentally. They are put in charge of younger siblings when their parent works the night shift. No one is there to check their homework at night. Some families even lock the refrigerator when they are gone.  And the kids are left to fend for themselves.  It is an awful pattern. Babies having babies..and then the grandparents, aunts, and uncles have to step in and take guardianship. 

However, when any parent or guardian abuses their child, I am required to report the incident. Many of you may be wondering why i've been having such a tough time at work. I can't go into many specifics, but its due to the fact that I am doing everything I can to protect these kids...and other faculty members are not backing me up. Clearly they can't be bothered with these serious issues. Apparently we should send kids back home to their abuser even when they confided in me that they are afraid to go home. Can you imagine..finally getting up the guts to tell a teacher what is going on at home...then being sent back to that same home the very night? No? Because I can't. And it is something I would never do. It is our moral obligation to have the child's best interest at heart..even if it may be an inconvenience to stay at school later than normal.  I took the proper precautions and followed the correct protocol..and then was shot down and "dismissed". 

So things have become very hostile and uncomfortable around these parts. I haven't backed down as I know I did the right thing...and others didn't. So therefore I have reached out for help from my union as situations like this cannot happen again. So please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I see this situation through. I apologize for being so vague and appreciate all your concerns and comments.

Like Mother - Not Like Daughter/A Lost Hobby

Pre-baby: My head buried in a book.

Post-baby: Barely getting through a page on my kindle before passing out at night.

I have been and still am an avid reader. Even at a young age I would sit and read books to my dolls. I had entire books memorized from cover to cover. My bookcases at home are jam-packed with books and i've sold hundreds on Amazon..well until they banned me from selling. But that's a bullshit story for another time. Heading to the beach for vacation meant a time to breeze through 8+ good summer reads. I used to constantly swap books with my hometown bff and always had a pile of books on my nightstand.  

And then I became a mom...

I soon exchanged my "chick lit" for sleep training manuals and books with titles such as "Sleep, Eat, Poop". When I would have a few minutes to pick up a book I found it more important to lay my head down on the kitchen floor pillow and take a nap. Instead of relaxing on the beach with a book in my hand I now found myself digging sand out of Saige's mouth and running back and forth between the house and the beach. 

I miss my long-lost hobby. I truly need to get back to it...as it is one of my passions. I have always identified myself as a reader. Luckily my Amazon wish list is jam-packed with some upcoming books from my favorite authors:

I also hope and pray that Saige will enjoy reading as much as her mother. She currently has the attention span of a gnat when it comes to books. I think she enjoys pulling all the books off the shelves more than she does the actual book. We are more into the "Touch and Feel" books right now but I hope as she grows that she will learn to enjoy the words & the illustrations. But for now? She is more into iPhones, blocks, and trying to eat the cat food.

Now i'm off to finally start "The Hunger Games"....or go to bed.

25 All-Time Favorite Mommy Confessions

The great irony of motherhood is that despite never actually being alone (hello, can I please freaking pee in peace?!), you can find yourself feeling more isolated and lonely than ever before. Whenever I'm feeling like I'm the only mother who's ever silently sung "shut the hell up" in my head or let my child throw herself on the floor for the 5th time, I check my email to find a message from my cousin with a link to the 25 all-time favorite mommy confessions, and I instantly feel better. It's reassuring to know there are other mommies just like me who are frustrated and insecure...and human.

So without further ado...

1. I'm wearing maternity jeans but I haven't been pregnant in six years.

2. I hate reading bedtime stories. I only do it because I know I have to. Sometimes, I just let them fall asleep watching TV.

3. I kiss my young teenager goodbye in the morning as she leaves for school, rising above the hormone-fueled snarling and histrionics. Then I close the front door and flip her off, with both hands.

4. I forget to brush my 1- and 2-year-olds' teeth. I am not sure why it’s so hard for me to remember, but it’s a good thing that these teeth will fall out.

5. Hidden in the pantry in a box labeled “flour” is top of the line chocolate and a few joints. I rarely resort to it, but it’s a comfort knowing it’s there.

6. I miss the career I gave up more than I miss my son when I go to the grocery store. But I always get to go back to him.

AND MY PERSONAL FAVORITE:
7. Once a woman asked me if I breastfed my baby, so I asked her if she shaved her vagina. Sorry, you don't like personal questions? Me neither.

8. I confiscated my teenager's stash of pot, gave her a lecture, and have been smoking it ever since myself.

9. I joined a gym just for the free daycare. I drop the kids off and read magazines and blogs in the locker room.

10. At the end if the day, my needs are really simple: To be able to shit in peace.

11. I throw candy wrappers behind the couch and then blame the kids when my husband finds them.

12. My kids hardly bathe in the summer. The pool totally counts.

13. I knew my daughter had lice and I sent her to school anyway because I didn't want to cancel my hair appointment.

14. I buy store-made muffins and pass them off as my own for bake sales.

15. Everyone thinks I'm such a great mom for teaching my daughter how to read already. It wasn't me. It was the Leapfrog pen. I had no idea she could read.

16. I have a favorite child and I am hardest on him because I feel so guilty about it.

17. I clock out of motherhood at 8 p.m. I'm so done that I walk out even if they aren't all tucked in bed and go hide in the basement with my laptop and a beer.

18. Mother dropping her kid for a sleepover at my house: “No food dye, no dairy, just soy milk, only organic food, and we don’t eat ANY fast food.” I let them eat all the junk they wanted. They seemed fine.

19. When my daughter asked me what comes after a trillion, I told her "a gazillion." Um, we are homeschoolers. Not supposed to just make shit up.

20. Three kids and my husband has never changed a poopy diaper. He says he hates the smell -- like I like it?! I'm going to shove the next one in his pillow.

21. I often see kids and say, "My baby is WAAAY cuter." Not every baby is cute.

22. I've been socking away $5s and $10s for years and finally have two thousand dollars. No idea what I'll do with it, but having my own money again is empowering.

23. Questions of the day: 1) How did the pepperoni get stuck to the ceiling? 2) Why didn't gravity kick in & make it fall? 3) How did I not notice this? 4) When did we have pizza last?

24. I put my kids to bed in their clothes so I don't need to get them dressed the next day.

25. I confess that most days, I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. Everyone thinks I have it all together -- good wife, good mom, successful career -- but I really don't. I'm ready to stop pretending to be perfect now.

I think some of us can relate to all a few of these.

So, what's YOUR mommy confession?

Monday Musings

....Changing/dressing my toddler now resembles something you would see on Animal Planet, like alligator wrestling. It is a fight. EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. You would think I was seriously hurting her judging by the shrieks and screams. I don't get it. How can I make it more pleasant? My usual tricks don't work anymore. The only thing I've found useful is putting a youtube video on my iPhone while she holds it..but even that trick doesn't keep her still long. She is soon going to stick one of her flailing feet in a stinky diaper. And that will not be pleasant.

.....Speaking of above-mentioned toddler, her fingernails and toenails will soon resemble talons if she doesn't let me clip them. Basically, I have an active toddler who doesn't like sitting still for anything. I'm sure many of you can relate. Ugh.

.....I just signed up for an 8 week photography course that includes a field trip (even adults love field trips). I have had my Canon Rebel since the Fall and still only use the automatic setting. I am so looking forward to becoming more acquainted with the manual features and was thrilled to see this class offered through Main Line School Night.  It starts on March 6 and is every Thursday for 2 hours.

.....Our wedding count for this year is already at 7, and it's only the end of January. We will be flying to Georgia on February 24 to take part in the nuptials of Amy & Tyson. My bridesmaid dress was just delivered on Friday and it is a gorgeous Jim Hjelm floor-length gown. It is going to such a classy affair and i'm honored to stand beside her on her special day.

.....Thanks for all the support for "Fuck It Friday".  It has been a rough work week..very emotionally draining. Luckily I had the weekend to mentally recover and will hopefully have a more pleasant week.

.....Why am I just discovering Shellac manicures? Coming from me who picks off their nail polish in a few short hours...it is amazing. My nails looked great for almost 2 weeks. Now if I could just find a way to work it into our new monthly budget? Hmm.

Happy Monday ya'll.

F It Friday

Welcome to the first and only "Fuck It Friday"

I can't even describe the week that I have had without using the F word a gazillion times. So to sum it up...

Have a great fucking weekend

xoxo

A perfect excuse for some cute photos

Saturday morning we woke up to the first significant snowfall of the season...of course it happened on a weekend and not on a school day. Damn you mother nature. But anyway..

The husband went off to shovel the walks as Saige and I whipped up some fluffy scrambled eggs & snuggled inside. After we had finished our breakfast, we did the obligatory parent with child snow thing. Aka bundled up our toddler in a bulky snowsuit and ushered her outside. Sure she could barely walk in the crunchy snow and may have face planted ten a few times, her nose may have been dripping and her cheeks certainly rosy, but her smile as she walked through the neighborhood made up for it all.

Let's cross our fingers for some more (weekday) snow this season. I could use a day off.

xoxo.

Decorating for Dummies

  Do you know what is a great Christmas gift for 2 spankin new homeowners with no style?

An interior decorator consult.

And not just with any rando...a spectacular & creative woman who did all this when we said "I do"...

Mary is a good friend of my parents and was more than happy to spend her MLK day moving around furniture, nailing holes in the wall, and organizing my pantry (true story, it looks FAB). She loved our house from the minute she walked in and was running ideas past us before I could even hang up her coat. There were 2 main areas of the house that I wanted to focus on throughout the day; the living room & eat-in kitchen. The previous owners had knocked down the wall between the dining room & living area and now it is one long family room. This was appealing to us as we would rather not have a formal dining room. We have the room divided into two parts: one is our living space where we spend the majority of our time. The back part..will be our soon to be playroom/office..ta da!! We will also be painting the walls a more neutral tan color.

Mary had a great idea of putting tall bookcases on either side of the back window and then a shorter bookcase underneath the window. To resemble a classy storage wall system. We can put baskets at the bottom to organize Saige's toys and fill the rest of the shelves with books, frames, and other knick knacks. Something around this look but a dark oak color:

Mary is on the hunt for the bookshelves while we will be heading to Home Depot this weekend to buy materials for our desk nook. There is a little nook off our eat-in kitchen which will be turned into a work/study area. Somewhere to keep ourselves organized..instead of throwing everything on the entryway table. So guilty of that. Here is the  area now:

..and here is just the basic gist of what we will be building. Just a simple desk with shelves.

I am so excited about these new projects and even more anxious to see what Mary finds for our house. It has such great potential and it was so helpful to have someone with a set of fresh eyes and a knack for decor. Stay tuned!!

So What! Wednesday

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

1) I occasionally chuck one of my cats across the room when they won't leave me the hell alone. Or turn the shower on when they are drinking water from the bathtub.

2) I had to buy urine gone this weekend bc one of the above mentioned felines decided to pee on the carpet. It does come with a black light and is pretty nifty.

*side note - remember that show on MTV called "room raiders" where they would use the black light in guys beds? Yuck*

3) I ate a DQ Oreo blizzard for dinner on Monday night. But then my dumbass put the leftovers in the fridge and not the freezer. No bueno.

4) Saige eats pizza about 3x a week. It's absolutely one of her favorites and when everything else gets thrown on the floor? Pizza it is...again.

5) I'm slightly devastated that this is the final season for Desperate Housewives. I've watched it since Day 1 and am a huge fan. Sure it's gotten somewhat crazy this final season but damn those housewives have got it going on. I secretly inspire to be a mix of Gaby and Bree. Seductive beauty meets Martha effin Stewart.

6) I probably give all my neighbors a weekly peep show due to the limited number of times I close the blinds. The hubs scolds me on this weekly. Our bedroom has 3 windows, all which face the street. Hope there are no peeping toms in Havertown.

7) I have left my keys in the door overnight. But what makes it much more frightening - there have been burglaries over the holiday season. Lesson learned. Won't happen for a bit again.

8) There are Little People all over my house. Yesterday I found a donkey in my slipper. The day before, a princess in the fridge. And I swore we wouldn't be that family with toys everywhere.

What are you saying SO WHAT! to this week?

Life threw us a curveball

Life doesn't always go as you planned..

Things come up that throw off all your plans, especially when you add a new home and baby to the mix.

On Saturday we had plans to head to the dirty Jerz to visit some of the hubs college friends who live in Hoboken and Rutherford. We hadn't seen a few of them for awhile and one happens to expecting a little bundle of joy come June. So Friday night we had a relaxing night at home and put S to sleep around 8. She fell asleep quickly but woke up around 10 shrieking and hollering like hell. Nothing would calm her down. Not milk, not rocking, not rubbing her back, none of my usual tricks. We were so desperate around midnight that we put her in the car and drove around, which is something we've never had to do in the last 15 months. 

It didn't work. She finally fell back asleep around 1 am but was back up to party from 2-4. Needless to say, we were both exhausted & cranky when we woke up Saturday morning. Not only were we tired..but we were freezing. The heat had stopped working and our house was at a chilly 59 degrees. We layered ourselves with sweatshirts & vests until the serviceman finally arrived around noon. We ended up paying a ton of $$ for about 20 minutes of service and a new ignition switch. The joys of home ownership.

Needless to say we didn't get to NJ. Instead we spent the rest of the day taking naps and checking out bed skirts. And for Saige and her sleep? Damn you molars. You're lucky you're cute.

The Great TV Debate

Welcome to a typical night in the L household

The babe has been fed, bathed, hydrated, and is now off to dreamland..

We have ate a frozen meal in front of the tv dined, cleaned up, and now are on to the relaxation part of the evening..which includes more tv watching, blog reading, online shopping, etc.

As usual..my sports-obsessed hubby has on some sort of sporting event. UGH. Or we are flipping back and forth between ESPN and the NBA, which is the absolute worst in my opinion. So after a few minutes and some not so nice words to the hubby, I retreat upstairs to watch TV in the bedroom. 

I catch up on my DVR'ed shows peacefully while lying in bed..and then I turn off the lights to go to sleep. Before I know it, the hubs is trudging up the stairs asking if he can watch the rest of the game upstairs. And this is how our nightly convo will go:

Q: "Brandon, NO!! I came up here to watch what I wanted to watch and now i'm going to sleep"

B: "It's only 9:30 just let me watch the game"

Q: "I don't want to watch a stupid basketball game, go back downstairs"

B: "It is in the 4th quarter with 10 minutes left"

Q: "Yeah well that is about a half hour in basketball time"

**he grabs remote and turns channel**

Q: "Turn the damn TV off i'm trying to sleep"

...and then the conversation quickly erupts into much more foul language and me storming off to the guest room to sleep.

This may seem petty but this happens multiple time a week. Just watch your TV downstairs and let me go to bed in peace, without whistles and cheers in the background.

Does this happen to anyone else? Or am I just an irrational bitch?

Wait...don't answer that.

A Saige Update

Once Saige turned 12 months I have gotten lazy stopped my monthly update posts.  She is doing so many fun and exciting things lately that I thought I would write down a few here so that I don't forget this stage (and I also need something to blog about, to be honest).  She is now about 14.5 months old going on 13 basing it on her love for electronics. Why play with our expensive toys when we can have the remote, iphone, macbook, or iPad? She did get a new toy phone for Christmas but obviously prefers the real deal. She puts all sorts of objects up to her ear and says "Hiiiiii". It's pretty freaking adorable. Sometimes we even conference call with the remote on one ear and the phone on the other.

She also has developed a new love/obsession for accessorizing. Everything that will fit goes on her wrist or her ankles. My MIL has given her a ton of plastic bangles that she carries around constantly...and she throws a mini tantrum if you try to take them away. Over Christmas break she was destroying going through my bathroom cabinet at my parents house and found a set of pearls that now she has deemed her own. I have no idea if they are real or not but I will certainly never be getting them back. 

A major event is that we are finally wearing hats...woohoo!!! It was going to have to happen at sometime or else we were moving to Florida. And i'm not a lover of 100 degree temps, alligators, and humidity. 

We have battled the sickies this past month and Saige literally runs away from me when she sees me coming towards her to wipe her nose. That damn nose has been running like a fountain lately. We have also been battling at all mealtimes due to her pickiness with food. I think she would eat fruit all day long if she could..mixed with some goldfish and applesauce. She is a bit finicky with textured food such as spiral macaroni or spaghettios.  She loves french toast sticks, mini pancakes, ziti, string cheese, and chex mix. We used to like chicken nuggets but now we lick the ketchup off and spit the chicken out? Oh the toddler years. It can be incredibly frustrating but we couldn't love her anymore. I could kiss those sweet cheeks forever.

xoxo

2012 is kicking my ass

I had set such high hopes on Tuesday when I returned back to work after the Holiday vacation. I was somewhat excited about my resolutions and had a precent decent morning at work until...

I got this dreaded email from my principal:

"I just found out that Ms. Odom will no longer be with us. Please do not send kids to the Nurse unless it is an emergency. We are due to have a two day Nurse only. (Tues. & Thur.)"

Please insert foot into my ass and hand me a bandaid and stethoscope.

You see, my school district is basically broke. Actually it is broke. We barely have any white copy paper left - true story. They are laying off employees like mad..yet there is still as much work to be done. So that work is being passed on to others, also known as myself.

I used to just be a school counselor. I did peer mediation, led small counseling groups, handled conflict resolution..all that good stuff that I went to graduate school for and enjoyed. Now this year? I barely have time to drink my morning coffee. Because now do I not only handle my previous counseling duties, but I also am in charge of attendance, discipline/behavior, late slips, student of the month, Friday Bingo, and other miscellaneous duties.  We used to have a Student Advisor & Parent Ombdudsman but both those positions were axed from the district.

One of my fellow counselor friends is at another school in district where they also have a part-time nurse.  And guess who ends up slapping bandaids on kids, stabbing legs with epipens, and finding a dry pair of pants for the first grader who decided to pee himself? Yep thats right...its all her.  And I am 99% sure that will be me.

Now I haven't been at work since Tuesday..because I woke up yesterday wanting to claw my eyes out.  Like my eyebrow bone actually hurt. I went to the eye doctor only to find out that I have pink eye in both eyes, a scratch on my cornea, and an infection from contact lens overwear.  Oh and it's contagious. Awesome. So I have been hiding out in our bedroom...wearing sunglasses over my glasses due to the light sensitivity. I wish I was kidding. These antibiotic eye drops better start working soon or I may lock myself in a dark room forever.

Basically what I want to say is....F off 2012.  

Another year bites the dust

HELLO 2012!!

(WAVING HI..OR SAYING HI IN SAIGE'S SINGY-SONGY VOICE)

So what is going to happen in 2012? The hubs and I will turn 27, we will celebrate our 2 year anniversary, Saige will turn 2, I will hopefully find a new job (crossing our fingers & toes)...so not a whole lot of major events. Except many weddings, baby showers, bridal showers to attend. 

In previous years, we always brought in the New Year with vodka, beer, and ridiculous dance moves. This year we played it low-key by having a seafood fest with the family and our heads hitting the pillows at approximately 12:03 am. We had already had quite the day, witnessing a horrific tragic car accident, so I was sure to count my blessings and say my prayers that night.  As we surge into 2012, I do have some resolutions, hopes/desires that will hopefully be fulfilled:

1. Be a better blogger. Gah I am terrible at staying on top of it. I love reading all your blogs - just can never think of anything to write on my own. Or maybe its that I need to write about more personal topics. I think I focus too much on trying to be witty. I just need to write for me. So my personal goal is to blog at least 4 days a week. Thats right. And I plan on sticking to that goal, and I need more followers. 

2. Become a morning person aka stop hitting snooze five times and then running around trying to get myself and the babes ready. Because i'm pretty sure thats what happens 5/5 days a week. I have already gotten a memo this school year about latenesses and I can't get anymore. I literally need an alarm that yanks me out of bed and throws me in the shower. I'm sure my mornings would be much more pleasant if I wasn't so rushed 99% of the time.

3. Stop/minimize the nagging of the husband. Sure he doesn't put his dishes in the dishwasher or hang his towel up, but the hubs needs some encouragement & love. Not just a little gnat in his ear looking over his every move. Hmm..or perhaps one of his resolutions should be to be more helpful? I also need to make some time for hubs/wife dates. So often I find myself exhausted by 9 pm that the last thing I want to do is have quality time with the hubs. I'd rather go upstairs to the bedroom, watch some reality tv, and go to bed. It seems that many wifes/moms have fallen into this trend.

4. Save $$ & stop excessive spending. Remember that budget post I wrote back in August? Well guess how much I have saved since then? Not a whole lot. And now with the holidays and expenses for the new house, there isn't much disposable income around the L household. So I hope to start off 2012 with less purchases (now only if Lilly, JCrew, and Loft would stop sending me emails). 

So here we go, let's see how I do. Don't let me down.