Baby Crush

So I think my daughter has develop a new crush.  What you didn't know she already had a boyfriend?  Yep, my little social butterfly has had her eye on Brandon, our friend who is our other friend's (Amie) boyfriend, since she was a baby. She loves him!  Every time she sees him, she laughs non-stop.  She even threw a fit one time when we left.  She was holding out her arms screaming his name...

Coolness herself with her boyfriend.

I told you he could make her laugh.

However, it looks like Brandon might be losing his place as number one for another. Yep, Elizabeth has discovered Flynn Rider in the Disney movie Tangled.

She thinks he is hilarious and while watching the movie will tell me so.

Elizabeth- "he's so funny!!"

Me- "yep, real funny"

Elizabeth- has fit of laughter

Me- "you really like him don't you?"

Elizabeth- "I love him, he's so funny.  He said *insert two year old garbled movie quote here*"

Me- "What?!? You love him?"

Elizabeth- "Oh yes, I love him."

Sorry, Brandon. :(

Utter despair

I'm in utter despair...my soul is crushed. I'm mourning a loss this morning...

EMPTY!!

I'm officially out of my mom's homemade strawberry jam.  It's my favorite.  The only thing that comes close is her apple butter.  Which I am also almost out of, and that makes losing my strawberry jam all the more devastating.

So I hope she is reading this and takes pity on me.  I'd especially like some freezer jam, it's even more delicious.

I also think we'll plant some strawberries this year because I require lots of strawberry jam.  Though the horrible part is they don't produce fruit the first year.  I don't think I can wait that long for jam though.  Looks like it time to get out my begging clothes. ;)

Couch to 5K

Yep, you guessed it, I've joined the bandwagon.  You did see my post about I confess- I totally copy everyone, right?

Anyway, things have just gotten frustrating.  Job stuff, bad weather, etc. etc.  So today my hubby and I were talking about it all, and it didn't go well.  That's when I decided I needed to run.  Now if you know me well, you know this is completely out of character for me. If a bear was chasing me, I would seriously consider whether or not I could take said bear in a fight before starting to run.  I'm the scrappy sort- comes with the red hair.

I could take him!!

But all that aside.  I decided it was time to strap on my tennis shoes and go.  I downloaded the app and did the first day.  I was doing well, except for two things:

1) I am COMPLETELY out of shape.

2) I live in the mountains, which means I have to run up hills.  Running up hills = out of shape Kate about to DIE

But I did finish.  However, I'm going to redo this day.  I couldn't run the whole time for every run portion, and I think I need to go baby slow.  Did I mention I was out of shape?

I also think I need to find a better place to run.  Preferably some place flat and without cars.  Living out in farmland means narrow roads and no sidewalks.  That's not so great for wanting to survive the run...or maybe I'd lose some more calories dodging cars.  ;)

Oh and hubby & I have got over our spat.  Mainly because I was too tired when I got back to talk.  ;)

Nightmare Monday Night

So we had a horrible monday night.  It all started when we went out to eat.  You see Elizabeth and I had been cooped up all day, since the weather has been awful.  No running around means she was not tired at all, which means whiny bedtime.  Wanting to avoid this, I asked if we could go some place with an indoor playground.  So we went to a local fast food place (I know bad health choice, but not letting Elizabeth play is worse).  Two things happened.

1) a little girl ran into a little boy and he fell.  HARD.  I mean we heard his head pop on the tile floor.  Everyone was freaking out.  He had to go to the dr.  It was a total accident, but scary.

2) the same little girl followed Elizabeth up into the playground area. They were playing really well together.  Then we called for Elizabeth to come down.  She was on her way and then all of a sudden started screaming.  I ripped my shoes off and climb up into the play area...the little girl was holding her down.  I got Elizabeth up and asked what was going on.  Elizabeth was too hysterical to answer and the little girl wouldn't.  I think either Elizabeth fell and what started as a hug turned into a hold down or the little girl didn't want her to leave.  To be honest, I think it was the second, because the little girl's dad had also been calling for her and she wouldn't come down.  When I told her that her daddy was looking for her, she told me she was too afraid to go down the slide.  I think when Elizabeth turned to leave, she realized she would be alone and afraid, so she stopped her.  I asked if she wanted to come with us, and she seemed relived.  Needless to say, I'm not going to that type of playground anytime soon.  A nice open playground that I can see my babies seems much safer.  Better yet, time to get that playset up so I don't have to go to the playground!

When we got home, we got the girls settled.  Elizabeth calmed down and after watching a Veggie Tale movie she was back to her old self.  Then I checked my email.  TWO emails both from my two employers with changes to my work.  Now I don't have all the details for either as I have to talk to my bosses some more, but it looks like things are changing.  I'm not losing either job, but if things proceed like I think (especially with one) I may need to look for a better job in the near future.  UGH!!!  Worst monday EVER!!

It's OK- Tuesday

Welcome back to it's ok, Tuesday.  A time to just accept things and let them go all at once.

So it's ok that...

-I let my daughter lick butter off of her biscuit the other morning and not eat the biscuit.  I mean we are southern and except for sweet tea, butter is our life blood.

-my husband has a knack for starting laundry when I get in the shower, so I get a spray of cold followed by hot.  At least he's willing to do laundry...

-I got super excited that we went to Lowe's and got a nice clothesline for really cheap.  I mean, I'm not old...no really, I'm not.

-my oldest daughter likes to steal my disposable breast pads and stick them to the side of her head pretending that she is Larry Boy.  Don't know who Larry Boy is, see below.

-I got two bombshell emails from both of my places of employment. Yes, I still have my jobs, but it looks like things are changing...(cryptic I know, but I don't know all details yet)

-the only time I was alone today was in the car to Chik fil a. It last all of ten minutes. I at least got to listen to some of my music.

-I'm looking forward to grocery shopping, since I'll be able to leave my house for a little while.

-the weather is seriously ticking me off.  I mean would it kill the sun to come out so Mark can install my new clothesline, I can lay out Evie's diapers, we could walk, and Elizabeth could play outside. Oh and no more rain.  I'm tired of rain and cold...it even snowed Monday morning!

-that I'm so busy during the day and getting things together at night, that I can't seem to work in exercise time.  It makes me feel like I should name my fat rolls, since I'll be seeing them for awhile. ugh.

Manic Monday

So it's becoming one of those non-stop days.  I'm actually writing this, while I cram leftover quiche into my mouth.  Not the best of eating habits, but hey that's what a mommy has to do...

Anyway, why manic?  Well, it's my first day back to work.  Now I work from home, but keeping up with two girls, keeping the house clean, and working in time for work is difficult.  So why am I blogging?  Because I want to, don't judge me. ;)

Next up is cleaning the lunch dishes, laundry, changing sheets, and then getting to work.  I'm hoping to work in an exercise hour too, but we'll see...

If I get all of it done and supper too, I'm going to be this:

But feel like this:

Wish me luck!!

BBN Again!!

So did you hear us again?  Elizabeth and I were jumping up and down screaming "WE DID IT"!  Not that we really did anything, but our team certainly did. 

Yet again, my KY Wildcats didn't disappoint.  They ended up beating the UNC Tarheels in an amazing game.  It was close the entire time and definitely a nail biter.  I was super proud of them, since no one really expected our team to get this far. 

I now want this shirt, since we're headed to the final four.  It's wonderful.  But I can't justify it...

But wouldn't I look super cute in it?? ;)

BBN

Wondering what BBN is?  Well, if you are from KY you'd already know.

Hint #1

Now, technically I'm not from KY.  I grew up in east TN and spent the rest of my time in southwestern VA & western NC where my parents are from.  I did have relatives in eastern KY (and still do), but I didn't spend a lot of time there.

Hint #2

No, I became an adoptee of KY right after I got married and left for Lexington.  It's a special place for Mark and I, as we have spent 5 out of our 8 years together there, as well as, having our first daughter there too.

Hint #3

So why did we move to KY? BBN of course!

Hint #4

Have you figured it out yet? Have my hints helped at all?  Ok, so I'm not so subtle and you all are smart.  I'm sure you've figured out that I'm talking about Big Blue Nation.  That's right, we've got a whole nation of avid University of KY Wildcat fans!! (oh and I'm one)

You all probably heard me last night all the way from East TN.  I was jumping up and down screaming.  Don't worry, it was a good thing.  Yes, my UK Wildcats just beat the #1 overall seed Ohio State last night in a nail biter of a game.  I was super worried, but oh so happy!!  We're headed to the Elite Eight and a rematch against UNC (who surprisingly I actually work for as a postdoc).  It happens tomorrow night, and I'm super excited.  Why so excited?

Elizabeth and I on graduation day!

Because I'm an Alumni of course!!

Graduation day with the family.

That's right, I spent 5 years at UK working on my master's and then PhD.  Spending that long in any place really builds the loyalty.  It also doesn't hurt to have the best basketball legacy in the nation either.  Think I'm just being obnoxious...well, I am a little, but that's because UK has the most wins of any team in the nation.  We're also second in NCAA title wins, have the most SEC titles, and in general we just rock.  Can you tell I love them yet?

Pregnant with Elizabeth about the head to the game.

I'm raising my girls as Wildcats too.  We're hoping for two point guards as we're not very tall women. ;)

C-A-T-S, CATS, CATS, CATS!!  Let's go BBN!!

Losing the baby weight- Week 2

It's that time again.  Time to think about how I did this week.  I have to admit I don't feel real good about it either.  Here's why:

1. I had some indulgences- mainly I ate a bunch of chips one night as a snack and they were delicious.  Food shouldn't be that yummy.  :(  I also had a hamburger one day from a fast food restaurant, but I did it because we were on our way to the park, and I didn't pack a picnic like I should have. 

2. I fell prey to my greatest weakness- SODA.  Yes, this should fall under indulgences, but I'm giving it's own category as it is my new nemesis.  Now I will say I was better this week, I have cut my consumption way down, but I still had some.

3. I still have not started strict exercise routine.  I know strict sounds harsh, but I do want to have something I do regularly every week.  I know that will help a lot.

However, I have made some improvements.

1. I cut my soda consumption down.  I call this win-lose.  Less is better, but none would be even better.

2. I have started taking the girls out on walks whenever it is nice enough.  We did it three days in a row and then it stormed like crazy.  I'm serious, hail and everything.  Pushing that double stroller with two kids is tough, particularly up hills.  I go the length of our street and down to llama's paddock.  Then we go back.  My oldest daughter loves it.  So we end up making multiple trips = more calories burned.

3. I have cut down on my snacking.  Except for two nights, I was a good girl.

4. I have kept us at home eating for dinner...better than out to eat, and I tend to eat smaller portions at home.

5. I have finally weighed myself and yes, the little mii on my wii was sad.  One day I vow to make her happy.  Anyway, next week, I'll be able to tell if I have lost or gained.  However, I will say I'm not brave enough to post my weight.  I know, I'm totally chickening out, but I'm just not prepared for anyone to know that about me just yet. 

So next week I'll have some numbers for you and until then head over to Brandy's page at You Don't Know to check out her progress.  She's doing really well, which makes me want to put down the potato chip bag.  No really, I'm super impressed with her progress and you should be too.  So send her some love because it's a nice thing to do.  ;)

I confess- that I totally copy everyone.

I saw this on Brandy's page at You Don't Know, it's the first time she has done it, and she had me rolling in the floor.  So I have to try it, and yes, I am totally copying her...but I'm not that original.  Oops, I probably should save that for the confessions.

I confess-

-that if my oldest daughter doesn't fall asleep right away or at all for her nap, I make her stay in her room in bed.  I mean I view nap time as ME time.  Otherwise, I might be even more crazy than I already am and no one wants to see that- especially my husband.

-that I am super jealous that other people have so many followers.  Yes, it's a petty thing and yes, I've only had a blog for less than a year...and said blog was only for family up to about a month ago, but I'm still super jealous.  I feel like the girl left out of the prom, though that would mean I'm all dressed up ready to go and to be honest I'm lucky I have matching socks today.

-that in an effort to tire my oldest daughter out, I took her to a fast food place playground.  I totally ate things I shouldn't have and it didn't work.

-that I let our youngest daughter sleep with me at nap time yesterday.  She's a snuggle baby and sleeps solid if you are cuddling her...I did mention that nap time was ME time, right?

-that when my husband comes home he changes the majority of dirty diapers.  I mean, I've been doing all day, that's just fair right?

-that I laugh at my own jokes.  No, I'm not funny, but I think that I am, and I'm happy with my current delusion.

-that I make my oldest daughter eat green beans, but eat very few if any myself.  I mean that should be the perk of being an adult right?

-that I went somewhere without a child for the first time in months, and I LOVED it.  I felt like a college student on spring break, only I went to Target and kept my clothes on.

-that I'm reluctant to give up my pregnancy jeans and may wear them forever.  I mean, clothes should be that comfortable all the time, right??

I know I'm not really funny, but hopefully I'm amusing.  Oh, and for those of you who do comment, thank you!  It brightens my day and makes me feel like I'm having a real conversation...and given that most of my conversations are about fairies, llamas, and/or going to the potty, that's saying a lot. ;)

Cooking with my baby

I love to cook and bake.  I'm trying to get Elizabeth to do that too.  So I'm having her help me with some of our cooking.  So far it's been great, she tries hard and loves it.

Using the pastry cutter to work in the shortening.

Last night we had breakfast and together we made spinach-bacon quiche.  I make my on pie crust and decided it was time for Elizabeth to learn.  It actually went well...

Dough is ready to roll out.

It turned out yummy.  Don't believe me though...try my husband- he emailed this to me about taking it for lunch.

"This stuff rocks leftover and warmed up in the microwave!  Your Quiche is quickly becoming one of my favorite meals you cook.  I’m ridiculously lucky to be married to someone that can cook this well.  I’m lucky for lots of other reasons too, but they’ll have to be spelled out in future emails…."

Oh, and I'm totally bragging, call me out on it if you like. ;)

Final product.

Shoe fetish

Yes, you read that right, shoe fetish.  No, it's not my problem or my husband's, it's my daughters...

The little horder getting shoes out of my closet and bringing them to me.

She goes and gets our shoes and put them on our feet.  I must have tried on various shoes for about 30 minutes yesterday.  Am I right...this is a little weird??

Putting shoes on me.

I guess there are worse things, as I do get to sit and rest, while my daughter puts shoes on me...

Little Miss Pigtails

So just recently Elizabeth has gotten enough hair to have pigtails.  It's adorable...when she will keep them in.  Every time I fix them she pulls out the bows, which is especially annoying when she asks you to put them in and then pulls the out.  I did get some pics though and thought I would share.  Too cute not too.

She looks so grown up here...with her jeans and long legs.

Having some breakfast, while watching Cat and the Hat, please ignore my laundry in the background.

It's ok, Tuesday.

So I totally stole this idea.  I saw it on two other blogs, which encouraged me to take it and I completely succumbed to the peer pressure. ;)  Anyway, it's about just stepping back and accepting certain things, which I really think is great.

It's ok...

-that my daughter is so ok with breastfeeding that she lifts up her own shirt to feed her baby sister.

-that instead of cleaning my house that I write a blog post instead and look up silly things online that amuse me.

-that my idea of a great weekend includes a trip to Lowe's to get a clothesline.  I'm so not getting old at all.

-that every time I put my daughter's hair in pigtails she pulls them out, which makes me ask why do I keep making her hair bows?!?

-that Elizabeth will talk to random people about the robot bunny, Gary, in her latest Veggie tale movie, but won't tell them her age.

-that my cat thinks he is one of my children too, and therefore, deserving of a space on my lap when I already have two kids on it.

No seriously, I love this idea.  So I had participate.  You all should too!

You know you're a mom- part 2

Since my last post on being a mom was popular...that is popular to me (I know, I don't have many followers, but hey, I'm working on that.)....I'm going to try to be funny again.  ;)    Let's see if it's a hit or miss.

You know you are a mom if:

-you have entire loads of laundry that are just pink...no not brights, just pink. (sorry moms of boys, I only have girls)

-you declare that a bath in the middle of the day because someone had a poo-poo accident the only bath your child needs that day- and count it lucky that it wasn't outside and didn't involve a hose.

-the only songs you sing in the car consist of some variation polly wolly doogle and hot cross buns.  Oh and you can do hand movements to them too.

-your alone time to collect your thoughts consist of the ten minutes you have in the shower...that is if you got a shower and if your toddler hasn't figured out how to open the door.

-you heart's desire is a fence for your backyard for obvious reasons.

-you realize you've been walking around all morning with your shirt buttoned incorrectly after you nursed the baby...and you wonder how many people saw you like that and didn't tell you.

-you have whole conversations about batgirl and Mr. Peanut, while sitting next to the potty.

-you speak fluent toddler-ese.

-you love the term washable- no seriously, WASHABLE has to be my favorite word!!

As usual, still the best job in the world...but a funny one too.  Hope this one was at least a little funny. ;)

Happy 3 Weeks, Evie!

That's right, Evie is officially three weeks old today.  Time is flying by.  So far in Evie's three weeks, she has:

-been to the dr and got a great checkup,
-gone to Grammy's several times,
-had lots of visitors,
-been for walks with her big sis (yes I've been taking the stroller out and walking- score one for weight loss),
-had her picture taken,
-been out to her first restaurant (stayed covered in the car seat the whole time),
-and been to the playground twice (again stayed in her car seat in the stroller the whole time- great sleeper!).

Once we get the all clear from the pediatrician we're heading to church.  I really miss it, and I know they would love to see her even if it is just in the car seat. ;)

Evie and Elizabeth snuggling in Elizabeth's bed before nap today.  Three weeks old and counting!

Runaway Pigtails

So today while we were outside, Elizabeth told me she was running away.  I asked her where she was going. 

"Grammy's!", she said.

'Are you going to ride your trike?", I asked.

"No.", she answered.

"Are you going to take the stroller?", I asked.

"No.", she answered.

"Are you going to drive the car?", I asked again.

"No.", she answered.

"Well, how are you going to get there?", I wondered.

"Llama!", she answered.

Should have guessed...

Running away from Daddy, complete with pigtails.  Yes, PIGTAILS.  We finally have enough hair for pigtails!!  YAY!

Farmer Kate

So we moved in December of 2011 to our new house, which if you have been reading this blog (and why wouldn't you) you know is in East TN.  We're about 20 minutes or less from NC and VA if that gives you an idea of how east we are.  ;)  But that's not important, the point I want to make is we moved to a house that has 4 acres of land.  I've got a fairly large backyard, huge back side yard, and then a pasture field.  All our neighbors are about the same way, so I'm surrounded by pasture/farmland.  Anyway, everyone who comes to the house wants to know what we are going to do with the land. Now there are several things I want to do, but I also need some ideas and I thought, why not ask you all? So here goes...

I want a nice swing set for Elizabeth in the backyard.  We have a nice level section that I can see from the kitchen window, which would be perfect.  The rest of my land is fairly level, but not as nice as this section.  We have a friend who is getting rid of their nice swing set, so we're trying to get it.  I haven't seen it yet, but it's a nice wooden one.  We'll see.

I want to put in a garden. My Paw-paw is a great gardener and always sends us potatoes, summer squash, strawberries, etc. from his garden in NC.  It's always super delicious, and I think I'd like to try it.  I know it's a lot of work, but I know it would be worth it.  One, we love fresh fruits and veggies.  Two, I plan to make Evie's baby food like I did Elizabeth's and the homegrown veggies were always her favorites. :)  (and Jen, if you are reading this I will have an email out to you about baby food asap, same with the cloth diapering) Three, I'd like to shake off my reputation as the angel of death for plants.  Yes, I even killed our wedding fern.

I want a clothes line. One, because I always love that my mom's sheets smell so good (she has been line drying all my childhood and beyond).  Two, because I know it saves money/energy.  Three, because the sun bleaches out stains on the cloth diapers naturally.  My hubby didn't believe this one, until he saw it himself.

From there I get stuck.  Several people have suggested animals...but I'm not sure about the work.  Plus the only animals I'm used to caring for is cats, dogs, and rats.  (for those of you who don't know, I was a graduate student and then postdoc in neuroscience and worked with rats for about 10 years (from undergrad to postgrad)) Cows, chickens, and other farm animals are not in my expertise.  Though I'm sure I could talk to our neighbors- in our little "neighborhood" there is a pony, llama, donkey, and chickens.

So here's where you all can help.  What would you do with a huge pasture field? 

Not sure the cowboy hat is me??? ;)

Baby Weight Loss- Starting the Challenge

So ok, if you read my post from earlier this week, you'll realize I haven't taken this weight loss challenge very seriously.  But that's about to change.  I've made a few major changes in the last two days, which may not sound like big changes to others, but they are to me.

-I have gotten rid of the soda in the house.  Basically, this means we finished off the last two liter and didn't buy anymore...but hey, that still counts right?

-I'm trying not to limit my calories, but mainly my portions.  This also includes the dreaded night time snack I've been indulging in...so last night while watching basketball (yes, I should be playing it rather than watching it) I did not have my usual (as of this past week) snack of sour cream potato chips.  Yay, me???

-I got Mark to put together our double stroller.  This means I'm obligated to walk the kids around.  I'm thinking the driveway a couple of times.  This actually is quite hard.  You see, I live in the mountains of East Tennessee.  Technically, I'm in a valley surrounded by three mountain chains, but it still means that where I live is hilly.  Our house is on a hill, and my driveway is the hill.  So think stairmaster walk and you've got my driveway. ;)

-I am trying to plan out a garden- but that's another story...still hard labor coming up right?

-I've been chasing Elizabeth around the yard in the afternoons since it's gotten pretty here.  Literally, I chase her.  Yes, I have jiggly post-partum belly, but I still run after her, while she screams "you can't catch me".  Oh, and side note on that one- I need a fence!!

Of course, with each good change I've still had to deal with a few set backs.

-I'm trying hard to ignore nursing related cravings (which are usually high fat choices), but I've not been really successful with that. I had a cheeseburger last night if that tells you how good I've been.

-I still haven't weighed myself.  I'm too afraid.  Yes, this sounds silly, but I really don't want to know.  I just really want my clothes to fit better.  But I guess I better man up and do it.

Wish me luck, and check out Brandy's page You Don't Know to see her progress.  She's doing much better than me, even started the couch to 5K program.  Now that's guts, especially since I LOATHE running.  What can I say, I'm lazy.  Anyway, her button is below and you should go lend her your support.  Mainly because she's awesomely funny and it's a nice thing to do.  Cheers!

You know you're a mom

Yes, I know I'm a mom and my kids definitely don't let me forget it. But I've made a few observations over the last few days and collected a few funnies (or what I think is funny) that I've picked up during motherhood.  Hope you enjoy them as much as me...and yes, I laugh at my own jokes.

So being a mom means...

-you can wipe the nose of one child and while changing the diaper of the other at the same time.

-you have extendable arms that allow you to reach behind you in the car while driving to put a pacy in, wipe a nose, give someone a drink, or threaten a child with finger pointing & "I'll pull this car over" if she yells mommy at the top of her lungs one more time.

-you view consignment sales as guerilla warfare and have a strategy before you shop.  And yes, this also means you are willing to throw some elbows, so that your precious angel can have that certain dress that she'll wear maybe twice, but can't live without. I did this one yesterday. ;)

-you may at anytime of the day have spit-up, throw-up, pee, poop, or any other various excretion on your shirt...and you don't even notice or care.

-your kids have the latest fashions and you have a hole in your sock and mismatched house shoes on.  And if you are wondering, yes, that is my current condition while writing this.

-you never get a warm meal because either one is needing to go to the potty or the other needs to nurse.

-your heart walks around outside of your body.

Had to end on a positive, mainly since no matter all the other stuff, it's still the best job in the world!

Cloth Diapering

So mom and I had planned to make our diapers, but due to sickness and everything else going on, we kept having to reschedule...and then baby arrived.  Now because we were behind, mom ordered some great diaper covers (before arrival) and combined with some prefolds I got from the shower, family, and ordered we had enough for diapering.  Even the wet bags were ordered.  I also knew we would use disposables in the hospital- especially with the first few bowel movements, but we thought soon after we could go to cloth since we were all set up.

What I wasn't prepared for was my diaper covers were too big!  So I ordered some new newborn covers, see picture below.  Got a great deal too, as they were seconds, and I knew she probably wouldn't be in them too long.  We were waiting for the covers to arrive, but she started to get a diaper rash, and I wondered if cloth would help it.  So we got out the prefolds, the snappi, and a waterproof pad to sit her on.

Our diaper cover.

Then the fun really began!  Two college educated people sat huddle around a iphone trying to figure out how to hook that snappi onto the baby.  Thirty minutes later and multiple youtube views our baby was finally diapered.  It actually has worked great since then, and I'm happy to say we have mastered the snappi.  Watch out rubber bands, that means I have your number too! ;)

Eventually our diaper and snappi looked like this...but it took awhile.

But thankfully the covers have arrived and we've been using them.  They do not require the snappi, instead we just lay them folded in the cover and use like a regular diaper.  Now the prefolds are a little bulky on my little baby, but we're going to be making a few this thursday that are a little less bulky to see if it works better.  No rescheduling either...that sewing machine and serger are coming out! :) But even with some bulk, the diaper contains great and her diaper rash has gotten loads better.  Yay!

All in all, I'm super happy with cloth diapering.  I didn't get to try it with Elizabeth as her daycare wouldn't allow it and by the time we moved she was potty training...but I'm glad I get to now.  It is a little extra work, but I wouldn't trade the health and cost saving benefits at all. :)

Oh and speaking of cost saving benefits, since we've been cloth diapering I've noticed on a lot of cloth diapering blogs that they do not use regular detergent as it leave residue etc. in the clothes causing odor problems etc.  So instead of buying the cloth diapering detergent, we have been making our own.  I have to say I really recommend it.  We make one kind for the diapers and another for the rest of our clothes.  It's super simple to make out of items you can find at the grocery store and it is WAY CHEAPER.  I love it and again wouldn't trade the benefits for anything.  If anyone is interested let me know, and I'll send you an email with the details.  I love finding items like this (I was the same way with making my own baby food) and then sharing them.  :)

Weight Loss?!?

So I've not been a good about trying to lose weight.

Instead of exercising, I've been sitting on the couch snuggling the baby. 

Instead of eating right, I've been indulging every nursing provoked craving- this has included a couple of chocolate candy bars and sour cream potato chips.  Not my usual weakness, but definitely a weakness right now. (now other than those indulgences I've been good, trying mainly to eat healthy for baby)

Instead of drinking water and crystal light, I've fallen victim to my old foes- Sprite and Caffeine free Coke.  Ugh.

So I haven't weighed myself, but it can't be good.  I'm also trying to find something to motivate me to get off my rear and get going...but nothing sounds as good as baby snuggling.  Now I have played with Elizabeth everyday since we've been home and that should count as a work out or two.  No, seriously my toddler is that active.

I think tonight I'm finally going to climb on that scale and see the damage...that usually motivates me. Especially when the wii pops up and tells me that I'm overweight.  It's surprising how a machine can make you feel so bad. I mean it kind of makes me want to chuck it, but for some reason I want it's acceptance too...yeah totally demented, but true. ;)

Wish me luck!

Pictures

So to document Evelyn's birth and coming home we had a great photographer come over to the house.  I've written about her before as she took Elizabeth's two year old pictures.  She is absolutely amazing!  I've only gotten the sneak peak so far, but I love them.  I've posted a link to her website so you all can see it too, and if  you are in my area, I'd highly recommend her.  She is great with kids and meticulous with her shots.  She took all the stress out of having to get our picture taken, which I really hate...I'm always thinking the worst, so then I take the worst picture.  But not with Cynthia.  Enjoy the photos and when I get more, I'll post some of my favs.

Cynthia Perdue Photography

Potty Time

You thought you had escaped posts about the potty, didn't you? You guessed wrong! ;)

No, I have to admit, we were going great around my last potty post...but then we got sick. Now surprisingly, being sick didn't disrupt potty training. But something else did. I'm not sure if it was being babied or losing the novelty, but Elizabeth went from telling us and staying dry to having accidents and not telling us. I will also admit I expected this to happen, only after her sister was born...not before.

Well, we kept up with our routine and finally got to a point where she was upset to even go. So new strategy (and big thanks to mom for suggesting it). We decided to take toys that she doesn't play with often and make them bathroom toys. Also in order to play with them, she has to go (and I take her every hour). This has worked perfectly. She goes every time and has been dry for three days! Thank goodness we're back on track. The idea of losing all our progress was going to have me pulling out my hair, and you don't want to see a bald Kate...scary!

The aftermath- the days following birth

So the night Evie arrived in this world, she was amazing. Right away I knew I had a good baby. She slept three hours immediately, and I had to wake her up to feed her. The only reason I knew to do this was the nurses woke me up. Usually I stick with the mantra- don't wake a sleeping baby. ;) But that night she did so well, and I was actually rested. Amazing!!

My good sleeper.

Anyway,over the next two days we had lots of visitors. My sister came by before heading back to NC, then I got to see my mom. Mark's folks came next and then had to leave to go home. My mommy (yes, I am almost 30 and refer to my mom as mommy- that's who she is) then stayed with me, while Mark and Elizabeth had some daddy/daughter time. That let me get another nap. Wonderful! I love grandparents. :) Now that night, was a little more rocky, but we soon figured out we have a cuddle baby, who wants to snuggle before going to bed. How could we say no?

Me and my sister.

Getting some Grammy snuggles.

Meeting her little sister for the second time.

Elizabeth's  best-best friend, Aunt Fran, seeing Evie.

My girls.

My family, not the best pick, but ok. :)

The next day they let us go home. Thankfully, before the 48 hour mark.  I did not want to go home at 8 pm. We headed home around 1:50 pm, and were so happy to be in our own bed. Elizabeth was still with my mom napping and came home a little while later. She was so excited to see her little sister.  All in all great day!

About to come home.

Close up of her coming home outfit, thank you Grammy!!

She didn't like the car seat, but has since come to find it as a nice place to take a nap.

Waiting to be released.

On the way out.

The next day we stayed at home with my mommy to help us and boy, I was glad to have her. Even though I was doing well, it's nice to have someone to help you. Thank you, mommy!!

Finally home!

Princess Aurora holding baby sister.

That Saturday a lot of my family came by. My sister, brother and his family, cousin, and grandparents (sadly, I did not get lots of photos, however, my family did take a bunch- I'll get theirs to post later). We cooked out with hamburgers and hot dogs, which if you know my husband was fantastic! We had a great day...not so great night though. Being held all day made Evie sleepy, so she reversed her good night sleeping to day. But the next day we didn't let that happen and ever since she's been sleeping well at night (getting up once a night). Yay!

My grandfather holding Evie.

My sister and cousin with my two girls.

Since then we've been getting into a routine, and so far we're doing really well. Still not perfect, but I'm happy with the progress we've made. :)

Cuteness.

Evelyn Grace Crow- Birth Story

The night of February 28th, Mark and I left my parent's house and headed to the hospital.  We were told to arrive a little after midnight.  So technically, we were there on March 1st.  It started off interesting, but ended wonderfully.

When we got there they couldn't find our paperwork and had no orders for us.  But they got us in a labor room and got my preliminary vitals (monitored baby etc.).  They found our paperwork shortly after and instead of starting my pitocin then, it looked like I would start around 7 am.  I was really confused as they asked us to come in early.  But it turns out the hospital sets the two times that you can come in for an induction and the doctor sets the time to start.  Weird, right?  Anyway, they let us go to bed and we didn't get up until 6:30.  At 6:30, I got a shower and they got me prepped for the pitocin.  Soon after that they started the ball rolling.  I was still only 1 centimeter dilated though.  I very quickly started contracting, but never noticed.  The nurse had to tell me I was contracting.  About 30 minutes after starting pitocin, my sister arrived.  She and Mark kept me entertained the whole day...and yes, I mean the whole day.  Even though I had multiple people tell me that I would go quickly, it seems that my body doesn't go quickly until the water is broken...but that comes later.

Stylin' green hospital robe!

 Anyway, we all hung out and the nurse slowly upped my pitocin over time.  Around lunchtime I started having some pain associated with my contractions.  It wasn't bad, just really bad back pain.  The nurse gave me some pain meds, but I wasn't allowed an epidural as I was only 2-3 centimeters and my doctor was in a c-section for twins. Around this time, Mark's parents arrived in town, but Mark advised them to head to our house as it wasn't going to be anytime soon.  They went to pick up Elizabeth, and then headed to our house to hang out. I continued on the same road until my doctor was out of the c-section.  By that time I was 3-4 centimeters and they thought they could break my water.  They allowed me to get my epidural before, and I'm glad they did.  A little while later my doctor came in and broke my water.  I was still only 4 centimeters (a little before 4 pm).  My mom arrived a bit later and Mark & Melissa got a break.  I was having some more pain and hit my epidural button. The nurse decided to check me at the same time, I was still at 4 centimeters (around 5:50 pm).  Mark's parents called to see what progress we had made.  They had been out to eat with Elizabeth and wanted to come by.  We said it was fine, but told them it would be better to go home after as Elizabeth would need to go to bed.  Soon after that my dad arrived, and since it was looking like no baby was going to arrive any time soon they let him back.  So we were all sitting around and the pain kept coming through the epidural.  In fact, even pushing my pain button didn't help.  I finally called in the nurse.  It was right around shift change and I was sorry to see my nurse didn't come in, but a new nurse did.  I told her what was going on and she said she would need to check me.  Now it was just around 6:30-6:45, I thought she was a little silly for checking, but they ushered mom and dad out and she checked me.  I was at 10!!  The pain I was feeling was the baby moving into position.  In fact, with one of my contractions, they could see the head!! The nurse commented that I could cough her out. lol My sister ran out to tell my parents who were going to head home.  My dad ended up staying in the waiting room and my mom couldn't sit still so she was walking up and down the hall.  They all scrambled into position (including my original nurse- I was so happy!!) and thank goodness my doctor was still in the building (Mark was trying to tell me to push without her, thank goodness I knew better and waited for the doctor lol).  She was there quickly and we began pushing.  I only pushed through three contractions and she was out!!

At 7:08 pm, Evelyn Grace Crow joined our family.  The doctor laid her on my chest immediately and you definitely could hear her...very healthy lungs.  Just like her older sister she was super mad and very pink under all that goop.  She nursed immediately!  What a champ!  Elizabeth and I had a learning curve, but Evie was ready to go.  They then took her to get cleaned up and weighed.  They handed her back to me and after awhile Mark got her and then my sister.  Sometime during all this Mark's parents called saying they had arrived, little did they know that we had a baby.  They then asked if I wanted to anyone to come back (I was all cleaned up at this time).  I thought only two people could come, so I asked for Elizabeth and my mom.  Elizabeth was so excited to see her baby sister.  She was definitely super excited.  She couldn't stay long as she was so hyped up and it was time for bed.  They took her out and the nurse came in to take Evie back for evaluation.  We asked if the rest of the family could see her, they said it would be fine.  So to my surprise everyone could come back.  My dad, Mr. & Mrs. Crow, and Mark's Aunt Fran came back to see her, while Mom and Melissa watched Elizabeth.  After a lot of oohing and aaahing, they took Evie to the nursery and everyone went home, except my daddy.  He ran out and got me a Big Pal (hamburger).  I was so hungry and it was wonderful.  I think he was surprised at how quickly I could eat it. ha ha.

Ok, we both look rough, but that was when we met. :)

Meeting Grammy for the first time.

Daddy gets a look.

Aunt Melissa gets to see her.

Ma sees her for the first time.

My favorite picture of my Daddy seeing her for the first time.  Just ignore the phone, there wasn't a way to crop it out.

Looking at her Pop-Pop.

Meeting her Poppa.

Aunt Fran gets to meet Evie.

Now because I had hit my epidural button thinking it was contractions and not the baby moving into position my whole left leg was completely numb.  Since I couldn't move it, we had to wait until I could.  Since Evie wasn't back yet either, we turned on the UKY game.  Yes, I'm that big of a fan. Oh and we won. Go BBN!!

Anyway, we kept waiting around and were starting to wonder what was going on.  Can you believe that in our small hospital seven other births happened and they still had more coming in??  They were having to turn over their extra rooms to put people and that was the main hang up.  They didn't have a room.  We were lucky we got there early (didn't have to wait for a labor room), and because we were late delivering we got a larger room as they had to give us an extra room (monitoring room that doubled as a labor room).

Well, the most interesting part, was trying to get me into the bed.  My leg was still super asleep and about 5-6 times I almost fell.  It took both nurses and Mark to get me there.  They gave me some pain meds soon after and wheeled Evie into the room.  She was such a good baby.  She nursed and went right to sleep.  She slept 3 hours and we both woke up when the nurses came in.  One nurse looked at Evie, while the other helped me and trust me (without giving you gory details) with as numb as I still was I needed the help.  Mark, as usual, was able to sleep through it. ;) Anyway, Evie nursed again and slept another 3 hours.  I was so happy.

I have to say, even though it started slow, it went super fast once it got going...and I got the best gift at the end!!

So Beautiful!