Pumpkin Patch 2013

5 Months!

Well, 8 days ago my baby was 5 months old! 5 MONTHS! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!? Where did the time go? I was looking through pictures of when he was born and it's so hard to believe it was that long ago. I don't want him to grow up! Gabe is going to be 3 next year! Why oh Why are they growing up so fast!? 

Anyway, here's our 5 month update: 

- Rolling CONSTANTLY! Yes, I mean constantly. That boy would roll across a room if I'd let him! 

- Still breastfeeding and taking 4 oz of bottle when I can't breastfeed. 

- He found his toes and now LOVES playing with them!

- Enjoys sitting in his walker watching Mommy cook! 

- Enjoys watching shows with his brother... Mickey Mouse, Curious George, Daniel the Tiger... 

- Still poops & pees a lot. 

- Has the cutest little laugh around

- Loves bath time! 

- Loves watching his brother play

- Does NOT enjoy it when his brother tries to lay on top of him... 

- He DOES enjoy it when his brother gives him hugs and kisses

- Weighs 15 pounds! 

- Wearing 3-6 months and some 6 months in shirts; size 3 months in pants

- Size 2 diapers

- Loves to cover his face with blankets

- Loves playing with his hands

My baby boy is growing up and learning new things every single day. He's already trying to crawl. I think he's going to be a fast learner from watching his older bro all of the time! Boy, am I going to have my hands full or what when they're both walking!? I better catch up on my rest while I still can! 

How cute is this burlap "Pumpkin" wreath I made last night! I'm loving it!

Rant of the Day

it's time to vent. I never vent, right? haha. ok. but seriously- this is what's grinding my gears tonight. 

You should first know that... I've been a Grey's Anatomy fan since the beginning as well as Scandal. I'm also a big Army Wives fan. 

Upset #1: Army Wives was cancelled. Seriously!? If any of you watch it- you know that they needed at least one more season to completely tie up the story lines. but whatever. And while we're on the subject... what the heck happened to Kim Delaney since she left the show? THIS bothers me... there is no new news on her since that drunken speech she gave. 

Upset #2: For some reason our TV is not receiving local channels or the Disney channel. This started today. We have EVERY other channel in our package but these channels. Do you know what this means? I missed the season premier of Scandal and this week's episode of Grey's. It also means that we'll miss tomorrow's recordings of Mickey Mouse. I was on the phone forever tonight with the DISH people and they couldn't get it fixed. Luckily, they're sending out a tech to get it fixed but he can't get here until Saturday. Really DISH, how does this help my situation tonight?  The lady was kind enough to waive the $15 fee... yeah, I wasn't planning on paying that anyway. 

Upset #3: It's midnight. Jesse's in bed and I forgot that tomorrow is trash day. I hate going outside in the dark. Dilemma. 

Upset #4: There's a huge knot in my hair that I can't get out. It's driving me crazy. 

 

Upset #5: Jesse heard that they're supposed to get a bonus check tomorrow. No one will confirm or deny. Really!? 

Upset #6: Government Shutdown. Enough Said.  

Ok, I'm done with my vent. How about some other news? 

Lincoln has to get a helmet next week. Yes, a helmet. He has Plagiocephaly- basically his head is a little misshapen. You can't notice it unless you look really hard, but our Dr. thought we should get it fixed now since our insurance covers it. In the past month it's corrected itself some, but not enough. So, Jesse and I are taking him on Friday to get his helmet. He had his fitting and casting on Tuesday. I don't like the idea- but he's still going to be so cute. 

Gabriel Lee got his haircut. I seriously almost cried. I hated seeing all of those curls go away. He looks just like his Daddy now (which Jesse loves). I'm still getting used to it. I mean, he's still the most beautiful boy you'll ever see...but I sure do miss that hair! 

Anyway, I got a few crafts up my sleeve for the next few weeks. Hopefully I'll get them done and I'll be able to share them with you all! Oh- Did you notice the new pictures at the top of the blog? Super cute, right!? My friend, Amber does an AWESOME job with my boys. They just love her...hence the reason that they'll only take pro pics for her! :) Alright, i'm going to bed now. This Momma is pooped and needs some sleep! 

You're Not A Terrible Parent

2 posts in one night... I know, something MUST be wrong with me. But, my previous post was all about my boys... this one is more about everything else! :) 

I recently read this article from the Huffington Post titled "To the Parents of Small Children- Let me be the one to say it out Loud" If you have the chance to read it, I strongly encourage you to do so. It was so accurate and just makes you feel better about parenthood. In the article, he states everything that we as parents don't want to say out loud. Like, how sometimes, it's okay to just go totally crazy! It's okay to want to be at work on those difficult days! And how it's okay  to look forward to bathtime... The author states that you're not a terrible parent if you thing about these things. And it is SO true! I mean, how many of us parents can honestly say that we've never thought about wanting to be at work instead of home? I know I have! I'm not afraid to admit it. There's been those days where I have thought, "Man, I would be LESS busy if I was working full time." haha. Seriously, being a stay-at-home mother is a full time job. It's no joke! I've also had those days where bed time just couldn't come soon enough. You know, those days where your children are bouncing off the walls and just driving you crazy in general. I think goodness, bed time needs to get here. We all feel that way at times. And it's good to remember that feelings like that are normal. They don't make you a bad parent. It makes you human. All it takes is for my 2 year old to say "Momma" or my 4 month old to smile and it makes all that crazy, busy life fade away. Those boys know how to drive me crazy- but they also know how to melt my heart. I wouldn't trade a single day at home with them for a day at work. You can read the article HERE!

Last week was the annual Kidsignment Sale at the Marion Pavilion. Seriously, if you're from So. Ill and you've never gone- YOU NEED TO GO!! Let me tell ya- this sale has EVERYTHING for kids... clothes, toys, baby gear, more clothes... haha. And get this, everything is at GREAT prices. I won't lie- I got almost ALL of my Christmas shopping done at the sale. I know, I know... you may be thinking... "you bought used things for Christmas gifts?" The answer is, Yes- Yes I did! Let me explain... if your a parent then you are aware that toys these days are beyond expensive! It's ridiculous! Especially when we all know that children play with toys for a few days until they lose interest! I know that Jesse and I certainly don't enjoy paying full price for a toy that Gabe will lose interest in so soon. I honestly try not to spend full price on toys... because well, you know me- I like to shop and I like my boys to have everything... so full price would literally put us in the poor house! haha. So, back on topic, luckily both of our families understand this and are practical thinkers in terms of used toys so they were all on board with this idea. We have 6 nieces and nephews plus our 2 boys- so you can imagine that Christmas time can get expensive. I Literally got all our Christmas shopping done at this sale for $80! SCORE! The best thing is- all of the toys that I got look brand new! Who can beat that!? :) I also picked up a walker for Lincoln and Gabe got several new pairs of Crocs! That boy does love his Crocs! He's got a new sandal pair and a new pair for the winter! He's been wearing the sandals everyday since! So cute! OH & I got the boys' Halloween costumes! So SO cute!! :) 

Speaking of Christmas time... Who's excited!? This Girl is! I can not wait for Christmas this year. Gabe is at the age that he understands and somewhat enjoys opening gifts. So far, we've gotten him a lot of fun toys! I can't wait to see his face on Christmas morning when he opens his gifts. Granted, we do have a few more things that we'd like to get the boys but most of our shopping is done. 

OK, that's all for tonight friends! This Mama has been exhausted all week- so it's tonight it's an early bedtime! Have a good one! 

4 months and Holiday World

I really need to update more! I'm so sorry- I'm just so busy and tired all of the time. Anyway, on the 2nd of this month Lincoln was 4 months old! Can you believe it? He's growing up so fast. He weighs a whopping 13 pounds 4 ounces. He is literally 7 pounds lighter than Gabe. Whew! No wonder that carseat is getting heavier everyday! He's going to be bigger than Gabe in no time... which is why we have got to get my big boy to start eating more! haha. 

Anyway, Lincoln rolled over for the first time a few weeks ago! It was so exciting. He's starting to "Talk" a lot more and we have began the teething phase. Oh, how I despise the teething phase. Not only is Lincoln beginning to teeth, but Gabe's molars are coming in now too. Fun!? Uh, NO! Gabe's were hurting him so bad that he was scraping at his mouth and filling it up with blood! Terrible! He was in so much pain. He had a couple of these episodes until I finally figured out what was hurting him. Thankfully a little Motrin did the trick and he was better. Did I mention how much I hate teething? haha. Right Now, Lincoln is just in the drooling and wanting to chew on his hands phase. There's been a few times when he's been really grouchy and irritable. We gave him a little tylenol and he that did the trick. Oh yes, what fun we have ahead of us. 

A few weekends ago, we took our big boy to Holiday World for the first time. The company that Jess works for took all of their employees for free. So, we took Jesse's little sister and Gabe with us. We had a blast! Gabe absolutely LOVED the water park. They have a little mini park inside the water park just for kids- complete with little slides and the fountains that shoot up from the ground. He LOVED it. We also took him to the wave pool and let him swim his little heart out. He had so much fun in that too. He rode a couple of rides and by the end of the day he was EXHAUSTED! We rented a wagon and my little man was actually sitting up asleep- that's how tired he was! 

Some Milestones & Favorites for my boys: 

Lincoln:: 

First time rolling over: August 24, 2013

First time standing in his walker: September 11, 2013

Favorite Song: Pat-A-Cake

Favorite activity: Playing in his exersaucer and walker

Favorite toy: Sophie the Giraffe & Cocoa the Monkey (Teething toys) 

Car rides: LOVE! Sleeps most of the time!

Other Favorites: Being Outside, Being Held, Bathtime!

Gabriel:: 

First trip to Holiday World: September 7, 2013

Favorite Song: Jesus is My Rock

Favorite toys: His Cars

Favorite activities: Playing with his cars, playing outside, mowing with Papa, swimming

Favorite foods: Macaroni, pizza, spaghetti, bananas, animal crackers, cheerios, goldfish

Favorite drinks: Milk and Apple Juice

Favorite Shows: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Adventures of Chuck the Truck, and his newest favorite, Daniel the Tiger

Favorite time of day: Bath time! 

Favorite Movies: Cars, Cars 2, and Horton Hears A Who (he loves that silly elephant!) 

Things he is saying now: "I Wanna go to papa's and mow" 
"awwww...baby!" (while giving Lincoln Hugs) 
"See the P's" (P's = birds)
"Bye-Bye Goat" Or "Hi Goat" (Goats= deer)
"Hear the choo-choo!?"
"Go-Go-GO!"
"See my Car cars?"
"I brush my teeth"

The Blunt, Honest, Kinda Hilarious Truth about Motherhood...with 2!

A while back I did a post on the things I've learned since being a mother. I've learned A LOT since having Gabriel and I'm still learning more everyday. I've also found that life with 2 boys is quite different than life with 1. So here's the blunt, honest, kinda hilarious truth about motherhood with 2 boys:: 

1) If one is crying- the other one will most likely start to cry as well. I mean, really? This usually happens to me on car rides when Gabe is really tired. He'll start crying uncontrollably, wake Lincoln up, and then Lincoln starts crying as well. It's usually one of those moments where I just take a deep breath and deal until we can stop or we get home. 

2) Your oldest will take interest in the youngest one's toys. Yes, this is a fact... at least in this house it is. Gabe LOVES playing with all of Lincoln's things. His walker, rock n play sleeper, teethers, swing, bouncy seat... you name it, he loves it. Thank Goodness that boy doesn't weigh to much- so I don't have to worry about him breaking them! haha. 

3) God does have a sense of humor! :) I'm a firm believer that God does a sense of humor... I mean, he gave me 2 boys! haha. If you know me, you know I love ALL things girly... but God gave me these 2 boys and now I'm learning to love Cars, dirt, and playing outside. It's definitely interesting and there is never a dull moment. But I love every second of it. 

4) The youngest child will learn so much quicker than the first. I'm a firm believer that children learn by observing other children. Lincoln is already catching on to things so quickly- and I believe it is because he has his older bro to look up to.

5) Diaper changing will become more of a hobby-you'll just do it without thinking. Seriously, I probably change at least 10 diapers a day...probably more than that. Perhaps I should count how many I change in 1 day. It's crazy! And the craziest thing of it all?? My boys will always, always poop as soon as I change them. It NEVER fails! 

6) You will freak out anytime they are near any thing that could possibly hurt them. I'm on edge every time that Gabe takes off running on our concrete playing. It freaks me out. I know it's inevitable for him to get a scraped knee or need stitches, Again, but I REALLY want to avoid that. Oh boy, what am I going to do when they are BOTH running!? 

7) You will do more laundry for these small people than you ever have before! haha. I feel like I do laundry every single day... and on those days that I don't feel like folding- I just hit start on the dryer again! shhh... don't tell! 

8) Night Terrors. They're terrible! Gabe recently started having night terrors and I absolutely hate it. He is still asleep and he starts crying out loud or whining- and he's inconsolable during these times. I've read about them and most say to just block them from anything that can injure them. That most likely they won't remember any of it in the morning. And yes, that's true. I'm usually more traumatized than Gabe is the following morning... not to mention more tired! 

9) Toddlers are like little tornadoes. My house constantly looks like a tornado went through and just threw our toys everywhere...and yes, I mean EVERYWHERE! Granted, it's partially my fault for buying the kid so many toys.. but seriously, how does one little boy make such a mess? Can you imagine life when they're both running and playing? Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it. 

10) Your body won't be the same after birth. Don't we all know this already? Boy, what I'd do to have that old body back. But, these boys are worth every bit of it! 

11) You will be exhausted and yes I mean EXHAUSTED!!!! Keeping up with these 2 boys has me more tired than I have ever been. I was just telling Jesse how I wish I could just have one day to catch up on my sleep. 

12) Again, people will always comment and give their own parenting advice. Just take it in stride- that's all I can say. I remember taking Gabe to the grocery store when he was still a baby... I had him in his carrier and thought that he'd be just fine. We weren't in the store more than 5 minutes and he started screaming. I had just fed and changed him so I knew that wasn't it. Well, this older lady came up to me and said- "Oh, I think he's hungry... is he on the breast?" I simply replied, no he's not hungry- he's just mad." Again, she said, "I think he's hungry." What can ya do? Just smile and move on! haha. 

13) Following the previous post...shopping in general will be hard with 2 if you are alone. I usually try to only take 1 of the boys with me when I do my grocery shopping OR I go with my mom so she can help too. I must say that the last few times I've gone grocery shopping with just Lincoln (he's always in his carrier) I've had people offer to unload my cart for me. This always restores my faith in humanity. 

Saying's, Weightloss Journey and PICS!

Ok- so here's the deal on why I haven't gotten any pictures up yet. My laptop is currently broken- so I'm using Jesse's. For some reason- his files don't show the picture when I'm trying to upload them and so I have no idea which one I'm choosing. However, I'm going to get some pics up on here soon- it's just going to take me some time. 

Anywho, Last weekend Jesse and I went out for the night- kind of the first LONG night out we've had in quite some time. We got a babysitter for the boys and headed to the winery. It was fabulous. The weather was perfect, the cheese dish was delicious, and the Sangria was WONDERFUL! :) haha. 

My 2 baby boys are growing up sooooo fast. Seriously! I hate it. Lincoln is getting so, so big. He's definitely my laid-back child. He just loves watching his brother play and jump and run. haha. He sleeps in and goes to bed early (most nights). It's perfection. Gabriel on the other hand- he's my high maintenance child. He's always playing, running, screaming, laughing, and talking. He gets up super early and stays up super late. haha. But man, I do love those boys. In the mornings, Lincoln and I move to the couch, turn Mickey on for Gabe, and take small naps between shows while Gabe drinks his morning milk and watches Mickey. 

Can you believe that my little baby boy, who was born so early, is talking up a storm now? What is he saying? Well, let me tell you some of his favorite sayings... 

"Goooiiinnnn' to Papa's" (on our way to Mama and Papa's house) 
"Mommy, Papa's mowin'. Papa's mowin' Mommy" (As he's running to the door to go outside to mow with Papa)
"Cow- MOOOOOO see the cow?" 
"See the P's?(P's = Birds) 
"See baby- see my baby Momma" (talking about Lincoln)
"Baby cryin'" (talking about Lincoln)
"Mickey Momma- Bubble" (talking about the Mickey episode "Pluto's bath" 
"Car-Car!!" (talking about his cars
"Momma- I poop" (Self- explanatory)
"Here we go" 
"1-2-3 GO!" 
"See Bebe- goin to see Bebe?" (Bebe= his cousin, Emeri!) :) 

He's saying so much more- I could probably write out 2 pages of my little man's sayings. He's so darn cute. He's starting to love his stuffed animals more these days. When we took him to the zoo one of his favorite animals was a Hippo. About a week later, I found him a stuffed Hippo at Goodwill for $1.00. (It was one of the ones that Kohl's had some time ago- so a buck was a score! haha). He also got a stuffed Leopard at a yard sale with Mama this past week (Which was from Build a Bear) that he also loves. He has to sleep with them every night. It's adorable. 

Speaking of sleeping...My little man is having night terrors. I hate it. He screams out in his sleep and tosses around for about 5-10 minutes at a time. It doesn't happen every night but on the nights that it does it goes on for about 3 hours. They say not to wake your child up- just to hold him and block him from anything that might hurt him. I sure do wish that these terrors would stop. I hate seeing my little boy having a bad night. :( Good thing he's been sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's room- that way he's close.

Have I told you all about Jesse's new job yet? I know I should know this- but let me tell you- sometimes I can't even remember what I did yesterday! hahaha. Anyway, Jesse got a new job at the coal mines. And let me tell you- this changes everything for us! We're finally on the road to getting completely out of debt. YAY! My new goal is to have us debt free in one year. I know we can do it with some discipline and determination! Some prayers for this would be appreciated too! :) 

Well, it's that time again- you know, DIET time. I've been so sick and tired of being fat. I thought for sure that breastfeeding and keeping up with 2 boys would make all this weight just fall off. Boy, was I WRONG! So, starting this week I've become determined to start this weight loss journey. I've done a lot of researching on the best and most natural ways to lose weight. Obviously, it's no shocker that eating clean and exercising is the way to go. So, I'm going to start eating a more clean diet and exercising. I started walking today- my goal is to walk 2 miles at least 3-4 times a week. I'd like to lose 10 pounds this month and a total of at least 40 by December. I know I can do it as long as I stay on track and stay determined. I want to be healthier. I want to be healthy for my kids so I can run and play with them without getting tired. I'm refusing to buy clothes- i'm determined to fit into my pre-pre pregnancy clothes. :) Stay tuned as I'll be updating every few weeks on my weightloss journey! :)

That's it for tonight folks. I got Jesse's bucket packed for work, the kitchen clean, and both boys to bed. So, it's time for this tired Momma to get some sleep too! I have several crafty ideas and recipes to try - so check back soon for some updates on those as well! Have a good one! 

Lincoln Alexander Schiff

Gabe meeting his brother for the 1st time

Amber & Lincoln

Time to go home!

I LOVE this picture that my Brother Josh took! 

Gabe loved his brother's swing! 

He was sooooo hairy! haha

Smiling in his sleep

1st bath- he wasn't a fan. 

Luckily, he loves bathtime now!

Date night with Mommy & Daddy

1st trip to the zoo!

Watching the HIPPO'S

<3 Brothers & Best Friends!

Photo courtesy of You-nique Capture Photography. 

Do NOT copy. 

silly boy. 

Waiting for Emeri to come down the slide! 

Cape that Mommy made him1

Photo courtesy of You-nique Capture Photography. 

Do NOT copy.