my day

This morning I woke up at 5:45, like usual. However the nice part was that I didn't get up for another hour and a half! After some emailing, reading, and watching TV, I got up and got some good cleaning done. Yes, I know this is a "me" weekend, but I would feel a little too lazy if I let it slip by without any cleaning!

I also put up the curtains in the nursery. We are pretty much done except for the letters on the wall.


Chris made these pictures for the wall. I wanted them super simple and I think they came out quite cute!


After getting ready, I met my friend Ruth for lunch. We had such a great time, talking the entire time, as usual. One thing I love about Ruth is the fact that we often find ourselves having such interesting conversations.



After lunch, I got a pedicure on the way home. I would love to get these weekly, rather than 2-3 times a year. But I guess the nice thing is that when I do get one, it makes it all the more enjoyable!

So what is on the agenda tonight? Not much. But I do know that this piece of cake will get a run for its money! I got it to go from Martha Green's (where we ate lunch). It is actually the exact same one I had made for our wedding and I've always been bitter because I only got one bite of it that day...and it is soooo good!!



Yes, I have enjoyed my weekend so far, but to be honest, I miss Chris and Cam and am already anxious for them to get home tomorrow. Two days is plenty of alone time for me!

relaxing in the tub

Cam woke up today with the most horrific diarrhea. He proceeded to have several bouts throughout the day, accompanied by a very little appetite. In order to help his equally horrific diaper rash, we let him watch his favorite TV show (Oswald) while sitting in the tub. Relaxing in a nice bath watching TV sounds pretty nice to me!!



Chris and Cam leave tomorrow for Chris's parents for the weekend. I'm staying behind to basically relax and do absolutely nothing all weekend. While I'll miss both of them, I'm sooo looking forward to this time. I can't wait to wake up and stay in bed for however long I want, watch movies, maybe get a pedicure, and have lunch with my friend Ruth. Ahhh...just thinking about it makes me relaxed. :) I'm also excited because Chris's parent's place is like Disneyland for Cam. He adores the outside as they live on a ranch so there is unlimited space for him to run around, not to mention get licked by their two dogs, which he also loves. Chris will get to play golf with his dad, which he is excited about. So basically the three of us will have an awesome weekend, just not with each other this time. :)

impulse buy

When I first quit my job to stay at home with Cam, I didn't realize what a good friend Target would become. Staying at home full time = many, many hours of trying to come up with things to do and different outings to take. Target soon became a frequent outing and still is. Who doesn't love Target??

I quickly learned, however, that impulse buying can be a nasty temptation. After falling prey too often early on, I had to make the conscious decision that from then on I would only buy things that were necessities, not cute toys that Cam was drawn to that day or clothes that were on sale.

I'm quite proud to say that I have stuck to that decision pretty well. However the other day I couldn't resist buying this shirt for Cam. I justified it because I had had a bad night's sleep and wasn't in the best of moods (yes, I know that is not a unique excuse and probably a common one!).



Due to the shirt being quite metro sexual (mainly the colors), I texted a picture from the store to my manly husband to get his approval. I couldn't help but laugh when I took this picture. No, our son doesn't "strut" when he walks, but this picture sure makes it look that way and I found it ironic considering the type of shirt it was. :)

all better

Apparently Cam just had a 24 hour bug and was back to normal this morning (I'm just fine if he waits a good long while for another throwing up session!). He felt good enough for the two of us to go to Disneyland. We have pretty much been going weekly mainly because I want to get as much in as possible before it gets too uncomfortable (meaning I get too huge) for me to take him by myself. We had SUCH a great time today. He was soo good and happy the entire time. The weather was awesome and I've found that Tuesdays are great days for few crowds.

We tried the Haunted House for the first time. He could give or take. It really isn't THAT interesting for kids because it is so dark, in contrast to a ride like Small World where there are bright colors everywhere. His favorite ride is still Pirates and he giggles and says, "crash!" every time the cannons hit the water during the boat fight scene.

When we returned, I was exhausted! I made him play by himself (which is something we are working on) while I rested a while. However I couldn't resist grabbing the camera when his favorite song came on. Take a look...

big boy bed night #2

Yesterday Cam was remarkably cheerful considering his bad night and only giving me an hour nap. We went to the 8:00am service because, after all, we had both been awake for 3 1/2 hours already!! After his nap/lunch we headed out to our favorite park in Palm Springs. It was so nice and warm there. Chris got home from his golfing weekend shortly after we did . We both went to bed early as I was obviously tired and so was Chris.

Last night Cam again went down great. He woke at 1:30 (I never go in as that would make things MUCH worse) and cried for a few minutes, then was again up for good at 4:20. I never get him when he wakes THAT early, so I waited until about 5:30.

As I went in, I noticed he had thrown up all over his bed. Boy did the mommy guilt pile on because who knows when he did it? Poor thing. He threw up twice in the next hour. The strange part was that he seemed totally happy and playful until...blek, he would throw up. We are playing it safe with his diet today and he hasn't seemed that hungry anyway.

So due to whatever bug he must have and the fact that the past two nights haven't been the best, we are reverting back to the crib for a while. We might try again, or we might just let him keep his crib and put baby girl in the pack n' play when she arrives since she'll be in the "I'm a lump and don't move" stage for quite a while anyway.

big boy bed night #1

Attempted the big boy bed for the first time overnight last night.

7:15- put to bed. Went down great.
8:55- woke up and cried for a few minutes
9:15- cried for a few minutes (just as I had started drifting back to sleep)
2:15- cried for a few minutes (lots of "down pees!")
4:45- cried for longer than a "few minutes" b/c he was up for good. :(

Wow. This is going to be a long and possibly very cranky day. I guess I can be thankful that he never got out of bed, so I never had to get up and go into his room. But still...I'm a little tired.

best all around bar

Back in Jr. High, a friend of mine introduced me to what would become my all time favorite cookie bar, Gooey Bars. We used to make them all the time and in fact, on one of my birthdays, her present was actually a box full of ingredients enough to make 5 batches. :)

I still love these bars (and probably make a batch weekly for different people) but not only now for their good taste, but because they are:

*Super easy and quick to make
*Great to make and put into the freezer for when you need to bring treats sometime
*Great to mail. They stay fresh for sooo long! I mailed some to Chris's aunt back when she had knee surgery. For some reason, she wasn't able to open the package for a week after she received them. They were still yummy!

So if you are looking for a good all around cookie bar, these are awesome. I like to underbake them a little, especially if I'm mailing them. I feel like they take longer to dry out.

Here is a plate I made last night for Chris. He is spending the weekend with his aunt (golfing) and I figured they could use some treats out on the holes. :) The green you see are just some M&M's I threw in (sidenote: why on earth would a "Valentines" bag of M&M's be all green???).


Gooey Bars

1 package (3 come in a box) of crushed graham crackers
1 stick melted butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup coconut
1 cup chocolate chips (or any flavor...butterscotch is really good)

Mix all ingredients in order. Spread into a greased 8x8 pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350.

long day...literally

BAD: Last night we put Cam down extra early so that we could leave the sitter here and head to Bible study. Not sure if it was the early bedtime, or the fact that he had peed through to his pajamas, but he woke up at 4:10.

GOOD: We had a beautiful walk to the park this morning. It was so clear and nice. At the park, Cam said, "Let's go home". This was VERY exciting for me because he doesn't have many three word phrases like that and I love hearing my little guy improve on his speech!

BAD: Since we had an important meeting this afternoon, we were hoping we would get a long nap out of him seeing as he has been up since before dawn. We switched back to his crib, hoping that might help. It didn't. 45 minutes later, he was up and cranky.

GOOD: Despite the 4:10 wake up and 45 minute nap, he did really well at our meeting. This was his "Annual Review" where we discussed his progress, the services he has received (speech, OT, etc.) and his future. It was 2 hours long, but luckily Cam didn't need to be there for most of it so we let him watch a movie in Chris's office which let us concentrate on the meeting.

BAD: I felt like our case carrier made some comments that were unwarranted. I won't get into it, but she implied potential roads we might head down with Cam that I felt should fall under "worst case scenarios". I realize she can't sugar coat things and needs to be up front about all of the options. However I felt like that line was crossed and Chris and I both agreed that some things needed to be taken with a grain of salt.

GOOD: We are both looking forward to a yummy dinner of french toast and eggs. Chris's parents always bring us the yummiest (and most uniquely flavored) bread from a place called The Great Harvest Bread Company. We are using the last of it for a tasty dinner. I'm super excited and could use some relaxing time after a very looooong day. :)

random things

Although I don't have Facebook (nothing against it...just don't want to add yet another thing to my computer stuff), but a few of my friends have told me or blogged about something that is going around, which is 25 random things about yourself. I'm not going to do 25, I'll just start and see how far I get...

1. The only bone I've ever broken was in my foot. It happened back when The Never Ending Story II came out. As we pulled up to the theater, I stepped out too soon and the back wheel of the car rolled over my foot. Needless to say we didn't see the movie.

2. I have NEVER in my life had a chocolate dessert that I considered "too rich".

3. Ever since I was a kid, I would cry if anyone raised their voice or scolded me (like a teacher). This hasn't happened much as an adult (because adults don't tend to scold other adults too much), but even if I can sense someone is frustrated with me...I'll have to fight back tears.

4. I have never liked saunas or steam rooms. I see absolutely no point in sweating that much unless you are burning calories...and I don't quite believe it "cleanses" you enough to warrant the sweat either.

5. People used to tell me that you could never explain the type of love you have for a child until you have/adopt one of your own. I now completely agree and find it almost scary at times to think about how much I love little Cam.

6. I have always secretly wanted bleach blond hair (I mean like white bleach). I'm debating giving it a try once I get my normal self back (after baby that is).

7. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people are late, without calling. I'm pretty easy going about it as long as you at least call to let me know and aren't late EVERY time we meet.

8. Things I used to HATE as a kid but like now: onions, sour cream, nuts in fruit salad (but ONLY fruit salad, never dessert), coconut, tomatoes in moderation. :)

9. One thing I regret not doing before kids was taking a few cooking classes. I LOVE to cook/bake and think it would be so fun to learn new recipes every week and actually make them in class.

10. My all time favorite show is Felicity.

11. For some reason Renee Zellweger kind of bugs me.

12. Over the past few years, people have asked me if it is hard to have Chris work at home, meaning do we get sick of one another. I don't think it would be abnormal if we did, but we don't at all. I actually am bummed when he has to spend a day out in OC for business.

13. Ice cream is ok, but not my favorite dessert by any means...unless it is about 1/3 ice cream and 2/3 stuff (meaning toppings like oreos, brownies, etc.)

15. Jen Scholte has been my best friend since Jr. High...something pretty cool about having a friend who has literally seen you through almost EVERYTHING. :)

16. My dream vacation would be some place tropical, hot, and at a super nice resort. I'm not a fan of international travel...except if it is to see my sister.

17. I don't like cats and would never own one, but I do find really fat ones quite adorable.

18. Probably not really new news as I have mentioned her before, but I LOVE Dr. Laura. I agree with 98% of what she says. Yes, there are a few things I don't agree with...but overall she has helped me, my marriage, my perspective on mommyhood, etc. IMMENSELY. If you think she is too harsh...get over it and just listen to what she is saying. :)

Ok...I'll quite here. I can't think of much else. Would love to hear anyone else give this a try!!

not quite as we planned

Tonight didn't turn out quite as we had thought. We had planned on going out to dinner at a new restaurant for Valentines. Our sitter was supposed to come at 6:30. We put Cam down for bed extra early and were ready to go. We waited...and waited. Our sitter unfortunately forgot. In her defense, this was SO UNLIKE her. She is super responsible, which is why we weren't upset. A little bummed, but not upset. There was no way we could have made our reservation in time, so we just canceled and stayed at home. Oh well.

After a nice meal of take out Mexican, we exchanged our cards. Since our anniversary is less than a month away, we just exchange cards on V-day, then gifts for our anniversary. I did want to do a little something special, so I made Chris's favorite Girls Scout Cookies, Samoas (thanks for the recipe, Jessica!). One word: wow! Quite tasty and very similar to the real thing. I made my own Girls Scout box as my presentation. It was a fun little project. :)




So that was our Valentines night. Not quite what we had pictured, but special none the less.

this isn't THAT bad, is it??

I've discovered something new. Now that Cam is the age to where he can (or at least should) be eating most everything, we are able to order kids meals at restaurants. The only problem is that since he is soooo picky, he would never touch anything in the kids meal (yes, even yummy french fries or fun shaped chicken nuggets don't entice him). To be honest, however, I see this more as a blessing b/c it saves us that much more money whenever we go out. Adding $5 to your meal adds up, and since he is just fine with a PB sandwich and apple, it's fine with us.

However what I have noticed is that kids meals are typically the perfect portion for myself. So since I can save about $4-5, I've started ordering a kids meal for myself. I've never had it questioned because we are standing there, ordering our food, with a two year old on our hip. I realize that technically this isn't 100% honest of me, because some menus do stipulate an age for the kids menu. But I guess my conscience hasn't affected me to the point of stopping my evil habit. And I guess I also justify it in that I never did this when Cam was a baby. I only started when he was technically old enough to be eating the meals. Not sure why, but this fact makes me feel better. :)

Yesterday we went to Palm Springs and I had the most delightful meal of a soft taco, rice, beans, and a drink for $4.99. Nice.

now don't get too cocky

*My huge nap success (and therefore cockiness about the ease of the whole transition) in the big boy bed ended abruptly today. After screaming off and on for 45 minutes, we finally got him up. Then literally 5 minutes later he was asleep in the car on our way to Costco. Sigh. We'll try again tomorrow!!

*It snowed several times today. Very pretty...although I'm ready for our normal weather again. :)

*"Damages" is probably the best show I have ever seen as far as the amazingly thrilling plot, great acting, and the way they hook you in week after week!

*Last week at Costco we got a bag of Gnocchies (tiny potato dumpling things). We have ordered this dish at Maggiano's twice, served with a Tomato Cream sauce. Our dish turned out ok. Not great though. Maybe we need to try a different kind of sauce.

*When you have to go to the bathroom really bad, boy is that feeling compounded by a little one kicking and kicking you!

success!!!

This morning Chris woke up feeling rather yucky. I ended up taking Cam to my parent's church. To be quite honest, I wimp out quite often on going to our own church simply because Cam does so well at Trinity (my parent's). This is due in large part to the fact that he is there for Bible Study every Wed. and my mom's group every other Friday. Knowing I have a guaranteed service of relaxing and not having to worry about him...I many times head toward Trinity.

Anyway, upon my return we prepared for our first nap in the big boy bed. I couldn't believe it but we had success...easy success!! After reading our books, I had him climb up and explained that we were going to take our nap on our big boy bed today. He fussed and started to squirm down, to which I used my firm mommy voice and said, "Cameron, you need to stay on the bed. We are taking our nap on our big boy bed." After leaving the room, he cried for 2 minutes, talked for 15, then was out! I never had to go back in and put him back on the bed!! He did sleep for a shorter amount of time than is normal, but it was still a success! Here is to hoping this continues. We will try the nighttime next week.

After nap we headed to Target. I needed a few things, but mainly wanted to give us something to do since we couldn't go outside. Right now Cam is watching his new favorite TV show, Oswald (thanks Rebekah!). We were excited to learn about this since it adds to the whopping one show he will normally watch. :) It is super slow paced and simple, which appeals to our little guy.

That's about all for our Sunday. Tonight we'll catch up on some Lost and eat frozen pizza. I know...all too exciting around here!!

saturday

I really hate the rain now that I'm a mom. Boy does it throw a kink in days typically filled with lots of outdoor activities. Luckily this morning we had our MyGym class, which took up a nice chunk of time. This afternoon we drove into OC and attempted to spend some time at a mall. Not quite sure what we were thinking as everyone and their mother also had the same idea. The play area was just too crowded for Cam. Luckily we stumbled across a cute little train and treated Cam to a ride.



Afterward we met up with Jeremy and Ana for dinner at Red Robin. Red Robin is sooo great for kids. A) It is nice and noisy B) We never have to wait, even on a Saturday evening C) They always get your food to you super fast. Cam was somewhat squirmy during dinner, but nothing that couldn't be subdued with snacks. :) We had a nice time and hit no traffic on the way home. Supposedly we only have two more days of rain to go (and yes, I realize I'm a wimp and I have no right to complain considering places other people live that have 10x the rain...but I still don't like it!).

ta-da!!

Here is Cameron's new room. We are still working on making the room familiar to him and haven't attempted sleeping in it, but he seems to enjoy playing in it so that is good. :)

So you can see our theme is baseball. On the left side, you can see part of Chris's ball cabinet. It is filled with a few of the homerun balls Chris's dad collected from Chris's baseball career...kind of special, huh?


Chris made the poster in the center and put a poem on it that his dad gave to him about life and baseball. Underneath is Cam's toy table which Chris's dad made.

happy birthday dad!

Back in high school, Jen and I started a tradition of writing poems for sisters' and friends' wedding receptions. I have to admit they were quite a hit. I kept up that tradition and will often write a poem for my family when it is one of their birthdays. Tonight we celebrated my dad's birthday and I couldn't resist...

Happy Birthday Dad!!
Here is to a dad that could never be matched
His parents surely knew his greatness back when he was hatched
As time goes on and as every week passes
He looks for ways to serve God, like passing out glasses
He flies around the world like it is no big deal
Knowing there are thousands of people whose hurts are very real
While he can’t reach them all, nor get to every one
He won’t stop until as many hearts for Christ he has won
Over my 29 years I have had time to log complaints
As many daughters have lists of how their dads weren’t exactly saints
But the number of things on my list amount to a whopping zero
You can’t find much wrong with a dad who is your hero
He may be a bit quirky, like eating butter by itself
But if he were a trophy, he would deserve the top shelf!!

project under way

Except for the curtains, which I will work on tonight, we are done with Cam's new room. Project "get him acquainted in the hopes it will be a smooth transition" has begun with daddy reading him some books on his big boy bed...



Interesting phenomenon with Cam and his naps. I've learned that if he falls asleep on the way home from something around nap time (which all of his things seem to fall around that time unfortunately and it is all I can do sometimes to keep him awake), it throws him off completely. Even if he falls asleep for less than 5 minutes, like today. I thought I was in the clear because he barely fell asleep, but was still obviously super tired by the time we got home. So what happened after we put him down? He jumped, talked, and yelled for over an hour. No nap. What the heck?? I know he was tired!!!