#445 - little things

"Everyone tries to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of many little things."

-Frank A. Clark

I've heard that optimistic people don't necessarily have that much more good in their lives as those that are not optimistic, it is just that optimistic people try to enjoy and relish in the good times and realize that there is a lot of real life that happens in between.  

Did that make sense?  I hope you understand what I'm trying to say...

Anyway, here are a few of the "little things" that are making me happy and smile right now:

~Oster singing his ABCs to me over the phone while I was trying to talk with Pepe

~Baby noises...the cooing, the squeaks when nursing, the "trying to make a laugh sound", even the gas sounds

~Playing "copy cat" with Oster

~Not getting nervous or knots in my stomach when I had to make a difficult phone call

~Oster going down to bed 2 nights in a row without a huge meltdown

~Oster quietly reading his book in bed in the morning so I can have a little extra time with baby Parker

~Oster's big grin

~getting mail from my sister

~getting a load of laundry done and actually putting it away (this is actually a "big thing")

~depositing checks in the bank

~leftover pizza

~sending checks by "bill pay"...it's free!

~carpet

~craigslist

~Oster and Parker holding hands!

What "little things" make up your life right now?

#444 - 2 hours a day

Took this picture last summer.  Oster is wearing one of Pepe's outfits from when he was a kid.

It's hot here...really hot...like the hotest June on record (I think)...

We spend at least 2 hours a day outside spraying water (with water guns or the hose) and playing in Oster's pool...I'm too lazy to actually go to a real pool, but I don't think Oster really cares...

He just loves getting wet and who could blame him...he's a kid and it's hot...did I already tell you it's super hot?!

#443 - hidden closet, polaroids, chocolate and more

1...mom/dad you should totally add a secret closet to the playroom upstairs
2...love this way to display polaroids! via
3...I'll take all 3 chocolates please!
4...funny facebook post
5...I want to try this out (turns your handwriting into emails)
6...love this poster from Elise and her other ones too!
7...have you seen the Awesome blog yet?  Super cool!

4 exclamation points...not bad.

#442 - cousins

There are so many things I love about this photo!

 

~there is a 6 year age difference between these 2

~but Makena treats Oster like a friend/playmate, she watches out for him and plays with him!

 

~I love these 2 chairs...the wood one is from a thrift store (only $4) and the red one is from Pepe's grandparents

~And isn't Makena's shirt cute...love the yellow stripes

Thanks Makena for being such a great cousin to Oster!

#441 - time...stamps...photographer...and a wish

Seems like I always look at the digital clock (not on purpose) when it is a sequential number, especially, 12:34.  I almost always make a wish...do you?

via

I really want to make a homemade address stamp...is that even possible?  Why, you may ask?  Because it is all over the internet?  No, because I have a ink pad that I really want to use... 

Honestly, do I really have the time for this?  Probably not...

I'd do a "courier font" so if I messed up it would look ok...or maybe calligraphy (I did take calligraphy in the 8th grade).

Here's 2 tutorials...but I need one with pictures.

Oster loves the camera...at least being on the other side taking pictures.  Mostly he gets shots of the carpet or they are really blurry, but every now and then he'll get something in focus...Go O! 

Oh, and that wish I make...it's the same one every time (ba da bing)...it's been the same one for the past 20 years.

#440 - Best Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Do you have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe?  I just tried my old favorite (see smaller cookies in background) and I tried a new favorite (bigger cookies in the foreground).
Here's my new opinion on these cookies (first picture is the "old favorite", second picture is the "new favorite":

#439 - peanut butter and jelly smoothie

Most mornings, we (Oster & me) have a slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and a homemade fruit smoothie for breakfast.

This morning we made a smoothie with frozen bananas, ripe blueberries and water...then at the last minute I threw in a spoonful of peanut butter...yummy!

Oster kept wanting me to take his picture with his smoothie..."me want picture"

Also, notice the plastic cups...I bought a big bag of them (along with paper plates/bowls)  right before I had the baby...it's been a lifesaver!

#438 - my little cowboy

The petting zoo was touch and go...literally!

He wouldn't let me talk his picture, but when I finally snapped him, he looked like such a cute cowboy!



Doesn't he look so small on that horse?  He was such a cool kid riding this horse...nothing phased him.

I'd write more, but blogger is erasing everything i'm writing..frustrating!

#437 - 7 lbs

I wish I was writing about how I lost 7 lbs, but that is not the case.

We watched Seven Pounds on Netflix and it was pretty good for being able to watch a film instantly. It's a drama, so don't say I didn't warn you.

#436 - outside

Pepe took these pictures outside the other day..we are loving being able to pick strawberries, blueberries and eventually grapes...yum!

AND Happy Longest (light wise) Day of the Year!  I love when I can still see a little light at 9:30pm!

#435 - Happy Father's Day Pepe!

Happy Father's Day Pepe!  You are such a great dad to Oster and Parker...we love you so much!

Here's some of the list Oster dictated to me about his dad:
"I like to ride daddy bike, it's too big"
"I like to eat with daddy"
"I like to watch the A-Team with daddy" (they really do watch this a lot, and Oster doesn't like any other tv.)
"I wanna go on a picnic with daddy after my nap"
"Daddy's at work.  Dad's a workin"
"I like rish raw roug" - what?  I think Oster just started making things up at this point.

I'm making chocolate croissants, Fruity Pebbles, sausage, eggs and maybe a Pop Tart for breakfast.  I know, healthy, right?  What are your plans?

#434 - For Pepe...he makes adorable babies!

If I had the time, I'd make a shirt like this for Pepe for Father's Day...isn't it cute? I like the ringer tees and I think that I have adorable babies (yes, I'm biased).

Instead, Oster colored one of these coloring pages for Pepe (thanks mom for the link) and I transcribed a list of things Oster likes about his dad on the back of the coloring page. I'll share some of his list with you tomorrow...it's pretty cute!

#433 - contraction timer

I used a contraction timer for Parker's (aka Baby #2) and I'm glad I did. It's fun to look back and see how it all played out, cause it's crazy how fast you can forget the details. Hope this isn't too personal to be sharing...

I started having constant contractions at 3:30am, every 20-30 minutes.
They weren't super painful (at first), but annoying, so Pepe whipped out his ipod to keep me distracted during my contractions.

9:5oam - started timing
3:17pm - 4:30pm - there is a break in my timing them because the midwife was checking me...I'm already 5-6 cm dialated
5:43pm (i think) - midwife checks me and I am 7cm, I get in the tub (maybe I got in the tub earlier than this, I don't really remember)...Pepe starts timing the contractions for me
6:13 & 6:32pm - contractions are further apart...these seem to be more painful...

Pepe started having me rate the pain (from 1-10):
6:24pm - 7
6:26 - 7
6:28 - 8
6:32 - 8.5
6:33 - 7
6:35 - 8.5
6:38 - 9
6:40 - 7
6:42 - 9.5
6:44 - 8

6:46, 6:48, 6:50 or 6:52pm - during one of these contractions my water breaks. (I think it was 6:46 or 6:48 because Pepe stopped rating my contractions.)

Then...I pretty much have one constant contraction (I would rate that pain at a 20 on a scale of 1-10) until Parker is born at 7:01pm.

click on this to see it larger

In total, I'm guessing I had about 132 contractions
(plus the really painful one that lasted for 7 minutes of pushing, I'm sure it was multiple contractions, but I felt like it was just a long one that might never end)
from 3:30am until 7:01pm.

The key to get through it (at least for me), was to take one contraction at a time and realize that each one was getting me closer to finally having the baby!

OK, that probably was way too much info...

#432 - Some thoughts on the new baby...and a name

i can't believe he is almost 3 weeks old...has it really been that long?
he...
finally gained back his birth weight and then some
is over an inch taller
sleeps a lot, but eats even more
smells so good, especially after his umbilical cord fell off
has darker hair, but it is coming in blond at the front of his head
looks more and more like Oster (nose = me, ears = me & a little Pepe)
smiles when I clap his hands together and has even let out a little laugh
probably has had thousands of kisses from Pepe, Oster and me...we love him

And just wanted to let you know that Baby #2 is going to go by "Parker" on this blog (that was his runner up name).

#431 - BP coffee spill

Yes, I know this is all over the internet, but it's too funny to not post. (warning...couple of swear words in this)
Also, if you are a twitterer...here's a funny BP feed.

#430 - map... tourists vs locals

cool!

it's a map of where tourists vs locals take photos...clearly more locals where i used to live!

#429 - argyle kites

via

I really like the look of argyle!

#428 - cuff links & card for dad

Cool cufflinks for dad.

And an even cooler card for the cufflinks.

#427 - "i love my family"

Oster colored this "I love my family" handout in church and when we hoped in the car on the way home, he immediately torn the dad's "head" off...somebody needed a nap :)

#426 - pretzel m&m's

anyone tried these? the pretzel ones look yum!

#425 - pop tarts

Pepe really likes Pop Tarts, so if I had all the time in the world...

I'd make Pop Tart pillows...

And homemade Pop Tarts!

#424 - cool quilts

I was reading a magazine ( I haven't done that for a long time) and ran across these really cool quilts by Luke Haynes.

I think this red truck is my favorite!

I think this one above I could possibly make? :) (Not really, I'm not that talented.)

I also like the baby portraits he does.

#423 - newborn gown

my friend Anna is so talented...she made this adorable newborn gown and hat for the new baby...what's even more cool is she made it out of one of Pepe's old shirt!

#422 - tv homes

My favorite home - Cosby Show
For the reverse - Full House kitchen, Growing Pains living room
Which house did you like the best?

#421 - baby kisses

Oster is loving his new baby brother!
He wants to be wrapped up in blankets like his baby brother...
He wants to give "baby kisses" and hugs at least every other minute...
His "kisses" are more like him knocking his head against his baby brother's head...
At least if he is wrapped up in a blanket, it slows the impact of his kisses...
These 2 are so cute together!

#420 - he's here!

via

some thoughts on this new baby's entrance to the world...
i was much more relaxed this time around and it made a world of difference
Pepe was cleaning the house while i was having contractions
i didn't want to stop a good thing

by the time we arrived to the hospital i was already 5-6 cm
3 hours later my water broke (weird feeling)
5 minutes later i was pushing
6 minutes later he was born

COOLEST FEELING EVER - new baby being placed on my stomach
wiggly...wet...warm...crying...ALIVE
that "thing" i felt moving around inside...was "a baby" moving around on the outside

he came so fast that they pulled some random nurse in from the hall to help
while pushing the midwife told me to let go of my husband because i was hurting him
we didn't get to take any pictures until a few minutes after he was born because we didn't know he'd be here so fast!

he's almost 3 pounds heavier than Oster
1 inch shorter
4 days overdue
much more relaxed

we are in love with our new little guy...

pictures coming soon...

#419 - baby blues

Yep, baby #2 arrived!
We're super happy!
More about that soon...
In the meantime, I'm really thankful for the benefits of modern meds for post delivery! (see pic above)
How did women do it in the olden days?

I like the soothing blue colors of all the packaging...
ok, this post is tmi...but seriously, if you've had a baby...you know what I'm talking about :)