Live.Love.Laugh.

These boots were made for walking....well standing

2012-01-27T09:00:00.001-06:00

We ordered B a stander last month, to help him be in the standing position and get off his back. It takes 3 months to receive the equipment so in the mean time we got referred to an orthopedist to get some leg braces custom made for B. (AFO's)

Wednesday I went to the office to pick them up and they are super cute. I surprised D with the design I chose a few weeks ago. (He's a Packer fan and I'm a Bears fan). B will wear them during the day to get a good stretch in his feet and help with correct foot position. He will wear them when he is in the stander to assist with correct positioning to teach the body what it is suppose to do.

All the special needs equipment and tools have been getting is a little overwhelming at first but all this stuff is really helping B and that makes me happy!

And because there is nothing better than a sleeping babies face....

Perfectly Posh WINNER

2012-01-27T08:00:00.009-06:00

I loved reading about the ways you like to be pampered. Makes me want to book myself a massage and a mani-pedi...hint hint for the hubby!

The winner was chosen at random and she is:

Kristen at First Name Smith
All I really need is a glass of wine. But i'll take a bath. And a pedicure if someone is offering!

Congrats! You have won the Perfectly Posh Lovey Dovey gift set. Please send me your email and I'll pass your info along. Enjoy a little pampering momma!

livelovelaughblog@yahoo.com

Perfectly Posh GIVEAWAY

2012-01-25T19:31:00.000-06:00

Just in time for Valentine's Day and I have a pamper-rific giveaway!!! Erin from Perfectly Posh is giving away the Lovey Dovey set to one of my readers.

Lovey Dovey set (a $29 value):

Pink Vanilla Massage Mud, Bubble Love Bombinator & a Lovey Dovey Soap Set (pink, sparkling & Vanilla Confetti).

Here is a little info on this fab line...

Perfectly Posh is a brand new company that launched in October of 2011.

All of Perfectly Posh's products are made right here in the United States. Perfectly Posh is proud to say there are no parabens, no animal bi-products, no animal testing, no SLS, no gluten or soy in their products.

The products are filled with vitamin E, which makes your skin feel fantastic. We currently have 40 products, but will be doubling that in March!

I am a fan and no chemicals and gluten free. Can't beat that.

Leave me a comment and let me know your favorite way to pamper yourself or be pampered!!! One lucky winner will be picked at random.

Winner announced FRIDAY!!

Product Review

2012-01-22T10:45:00.000-06:00

Now that the 'going green' overhaul is in full effect I thought it was time to do some reviews of what I have found. It's been fun to research and find new things. I feel better already.

Deodorant-
On recommendation of the Whole Foods lady I am trying Life Stinks powder. It's been hard to get used to since I have been using a solid deodorant my whole life. I am not 100% happy with it but again it's like comparing apples to oranges. I am going to stick with it since I am committed to using a natural product and getting rid of the nasty aluminum in regular deodorant. The link to breast cancer is just too scary and not worth it.

Alba Brand-
I have there lotion, shave cream, face scrub, body scrub, shampoo-conditioner, styling cream. I am in love with this brand. I have been happy with each product I have tried. They carry natural sunscreen that will be great in the summer.

Dr Bronners-
I have been using this soap for a few years and I can't rave enough about it. I keep the peppermint, lavender, and almond in my shower so I can choose my scent for the day. It is the best soap I have ever used.

California Baby-
I don't know why I didn't use this brand form day one that B was born. It is everything they say it is and more. I use the Calendula line because B has sensitive-eczema prone skin. His skin has been so soft and clear of any dry skin. The cream can be used as a diaper rash cream if needed so we are using that for the booty as well. It's a bit pricier but it's worth it. I plan to order the half gallon sizes online to save money.

Hand sanitizer-
Clean Well brand was suggested to me by the lady at Whole Foods and it's great stuff. I hated using Purell because it smelled and if it made it's way to your mouth it tasted horrible. This stuff is alcohol free and kid safe. They also carry cleaning products which I have not tried yet.

Makeup-
I got Bare Minerals to try and I love it!! I have been using it for a week and I am super happy. It has taken a while to get used to as everything is in powder form but I'm getting the hang of it. I had never found mascara that would beat my Lancome I was using and this stuff is better. I love that they carry 100+ colors of eye shadow. I can't wait to get more. Now there lip gloss color, it is the most amazing lip stuff I have ever used!! Not sticky, not dry, doesn't get all goopy in the corners of your lips. Love!!

The Hubby-
D has been using the Giovanni brand I got him. It's a unisex brand and the shampoo and face washes/lotions are scent free which is what D wanted and he likes them. I got him Kiss My Face body wash in the Woodland Pine and Ginsing scent and it seems to be a hit.

Hair spray-
I am having a hard time giving up my Loreal aerosol. A lot of the natural hair sprays also have wheat protein in them...not gluten free!! This will be a work in progress for me.

Hand cream-
This is the best hand lotion ever!!!!!! I can't put enough exclamation marks on that one. I use Andalou Naturals. There lavender hand cream is great stuff. It absorbs super quick and works really well. I highly recommend!

I hope this review helps anyone looking for alternative products. I know that all natural can be a bit more pricey but I think cutting the chemicals make it worth it. And if anyone uses natural hair spray...send the suggestions on over!

Product overload!

2012-01-16T14:38:00.000-06:00

My last post was about getting the chemicals out of the house and let me tell you I started this with the good intentions to get my family healthy and I am so overwhelmed.

I thought if I'm going to change one thing might as well check on all the products we use. It has been like a domino effect.

I did research on brands and hit the mall this weekend. L'Occtain, Aveda, Origins...all these products I read claim to be natural. Upon visiting the stores and reading labels I learned they are not! I finally decided to try Whole Foods and they are a huge selection of wonderful products. The sales lady working that day, she was a life saver. Lotion, hand soap, hand lotion, natural deodorant, hair gel, shave cream...check check check!!

Next I am going to find D a bath soap he will like. I have been using Dr Bronners soap for a few years and I love it. It's all natural and the best stuff ever! I have 4 scents that I alternate between. D doesn't care for it but I'll keep trying.

It's crazy all the products I own that have chemicals. This is where the overwhelming part come in. Shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, hair gel, shine spray, sunscreen, shaving cream....and worst of all my makeup!!!! Once I started checking all my stuff it was like 'oh my god it's in everything'!!! No wonder cancer rate so high!

I really want to do this 100% so I am willing to find a new makeup line I like. I have heard rave reviews about Bare Minerals. Anyone use there products?

Some of you asked what I use now.

I use Kiehl's natural line for face wash, face lotion. (I buy it at Nordstrom) I found Alba lotion, shave cream, hair styling cream, sugar scrub I love, why haven't I been using this shave cream all my life? The deodorant is from Life Stinks, so far I like it. It's a powder, weird I know, but it's working well. I worked out this morning and no smell! Kiss my Face hand soap.

B used Johnson's Naturals as a baby and then I switched to Aveeno so I'm going back to the Naturals and I got him some Baby Bee soap and lotion. I used it on him last night and today he has a small rash. Looks like eczema or hives? So we'll see if his skin just doesn't like the Baby Bee line.

I am really committed to changing over our products, without wasting what I have and spending a fortune of course. Actually some of the stuff I found so far is cheap than what I was buying. It's kind of like when I found out I had Celiac and had to change most of all my foods. It was overwhelming at first and now it's just normal for me. I eat foods without gluten, I'm used to it. This will become easy too. Slowly and surely the change is good!!! Does this mean I'm Green now??

Out with the bad....

2012-01-14T10:46:00.001-06:00

I have been thinking about getting all the chemical products out of my house for awhile. A lot of beauty products contain parabens and the nasty PEG in the ingredients. I am stubborn and I like my products but I decided it is time. Chemicals all over my skin and B's skin....can't be good in the long run. I eat ~~mostly~~ healthy foods so why not do the same on the outside.

I am obsessed with my hand cream and body lotion. Kiehl's. But unfortunately there it was, PEG in the bottle. I am silently morning the loss of these wonderful products but I must say goodbye. I use there face care products and they are all 100% natural so no worries there.

My friend got me a lotion and soap for my birthday from a brand called 100 percent pure and I really like them. I think I'll try and love it just as much.

Now as far as B goes. I love his Aveeno creamy wash but it's loaded with chemicals. His Aveeno lotion is fine but I think I want to switch over to Baby Bee. There whole line is all natural. Has anyone tried this?? Or any other chemical free stuff you like? We use Johnsons Natual line but I'm not super happy with the lotion.

Has anyone else gone natural?? I notice my shampoo and hair spray is loaded too....small steps. One thing at a time!

The Brayden Bunch-second annual walk!

2012-01-13T08:00:00.003-06:00

The Brayden Bunch is back for the second year to join the March for Babies walk!! Our walk is set for April 29th and we have lots of work to do before then. Last year my team and I raised over $5000 to go to March of Dimes research for healthy babies. This year we hope to beat it!

I would love the blog world support again this year. If your in the area we'd love to see you. If you have the platform I'd love you to blog about the cause and raise awareness. If you feel it right in your hearts I'd love for you to donate and help our team and this wonderful cause.

Please visit our team page for more info. We are very excited to be apart of this years walk and continue our fight in honor of our own fighter, B!

Brayden-4 days old

On the move

2012-01-12T09:12:00.001-06:00

With B's delays and disabilities he is pretty stationary. He is content on his play mat but you can tell he desperately wants to move. He mastered rolling from front to back early on, mainly because he hates to be on his tummy. Lately he has been so close to rolling form back to front. You can see him motor planning and the determination on his face. Well, Tues he did it! And again this morning. He has an accomplished smile on his face.

These are huge steps for us! We relish in each milestone he hits. Proud momma!

Resolution FAIL

2012-01-09T08:08:00.000-06:00

One of my goals/resolutions for this year was to be a better blogger and I must say I get a big fat FAIL already. I feel like with blogging I go through phases. I will be super awesome and post every day and then I go to a blah phase and post twice a week. Not sure why but I have been feeling the blah phase lately. Maybe it's winter and everything tends to go a bit slower in general? Any who I want to blog more and be a better blogger and blog reader, guilty in that department too!

Off my lazy train and back to blogging....B will stay on the lazy train!

The worst day 1-4-11

2012-01-04T12:27:00.000-06:00

This day, Jan 4, last year Brayden went in for his second surgery. His crainiotomy and EVD drain. Even though B had a total of five surgeries with each being hard on me, this one was the hardest. A crainiotomy is major surgery and scary. Even the word brain surgery still scares me. This was our last ditch effort to get rid of the infection that B had had for so long. If this didn't work we were out of options. Even this didn't come with a 100% guarantee. It wasn't even a question at the time. I remember meeting with the surgeon, agreeing to the surgery and then 30 minutes later B was under. It was a long 3 hour wait and when he came back he looked rough for sure. Still sedated from surgery and the meds they give for the breathing tube but he looked worn out, so did I!

We all know this story has a happy ending but the next few weeks after this operation were tough on us. B ended up needing three additional surgeries after this one and each of them had great results.

I still get sad when I see these pictures and how sick B was. Breaks my heart.

The towel was for his eyes to shield the light. He was hyper sensitive. He ended up needing heat lamps for two days because the crainiotomy had effected the temperature control part of the brain for a few days. B still has temperature issues. He gets cold easily.

This is today. Happy little man with no signs of any surgery, you can't even see the scars! We've come a long way!

A New Year

2012-01-02T13:55:00.001-06:00

Today I am feeling my age and still recovering from New Years Eve festivities. A night out these days means two days of recovery. I remember being 21 in college and having multiple nights of going out in a row and feeling great. Now one night every 3-4 months is all I can take.

We had a great time and a fabulous meal. I tried duck for the first time, yum!

My friends Amy and I. She has tons of pictures on her camera that I will get soon of the night.

This year are happy to be starting out at home and healthy. Last year we woke up New Years Day in the ICU with a very sick baby. The start of our year was rough but as the year went on things kept going up and we star this year on the up!

I never make resolutions because I think I just set myself up to fail but I have a few goals.

*Save more money than I spend.

*Be more patient. Being a parent has taught me tons of patience but I still have a ways to go.

*Have more dates with the hubby.

*Plan a trip. I am way overdue for a vacation. I am thinking wine country in northern cali.

*Be a better blogger!!

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year and your 2012 is fulfilling.

Off to play with my ladies man....

A very Merry Christmas

2011-12-27T08:24:00.001-06:00

I always get that sad feeling after Christmas and realize we will have to wait another year. I look forward to New Years and the promise of a fresh start, so to speak. January I find is always the slowest month and the coldest!

We had a wonderful Christmas. The eve spent with my in laws and xmas day with my parents. We were all spoiled this year. We feel very blessed.

Derek had off yesterday and we braved the mall, Ha! He needed new black shoes so we made a quick in and out at Macy's and got a really good deal!! I also popped into Yankee candle to hit the end of the year sale, 50% off!

Being silly!

Father-son naps on Christmas!

Christmas jammies. We wore them all day!!

Hope you had a great holiday and Santa was good to you!!!

The everything Brayden post

2011-12-22T09:44:00.000-06:00

Aren't they all about little B?? LOL. I have had some of you asked for a Brayden update lately so here it goes...

Eating
B is eating pureed baby foods, that I make, 1-2 times a day with his special spoons we get through the speech therapist. He likes the vibrating spoon with the textured tip the best. (Z Vibe) He gets 4 bottles a day of Similac Formula 6-7 oz each. He takes his meds with a little bit of Vanilla Pediasure. He is still pretty slow with eating but he makes improvements each week. A bottle usually takes 30 minutes and we like it to be quiet or low noise to help him not get distracted. If we are out and about we usually find a quiet room to feed him in. He is on level 2 Born free nipple. He will occasionally get water with a splash of juice, he's not a big fan so we are slowly trying to get more clear fluids in.

Medications
B takes two seizure meds. Phenobarbital (since one week old) and Keppra. He gets blood drawn every 2.5 pounds he gains to make sure the drug levels are at a therapeutic dose. His neurologist wants to discontinue both next year and put him on a different med for seizures. Phenobar has been shown to make older kids fussy so we want to get him off. Eventually the goal is to be off all meds but it's a slow process. Even though he hasn't had a seizure since Feb 2011 we can't just take him off a medicine he has been on since one week old, it could have the adverse withdrawal effect. He takes his meds really well twice a day but I'm anxious to get him off them.

Sleep
B takes a cat nap in between each bottle, so three short naps a day. Usually 20-50 minutes. He naps in his crib or on a lap, he's a major cuddle bug! He goes to bed around 10 till around 8. He sleeps in his pack and play in our room at night. We will be making the night time sleep switch to the crib soon, although I love being a co-sleeper. I have converted to being a huge fan!

Development
B is very behind developmentally but his therapist are doing great things with him. He sees his physical, occupational, and vision therapist once a week and his speech therapist twice a month. He loves his ladies and they adore him, he's quite the charmer!

He is getting stronger each day and slowly making improvements. He is almost sitting up. He can go 10-20 seconds on his own. He has most of his head control. He gets tired and needs to rest his head. He has almost figured out how to roll from back to front. He still hates being on his tummy but has gotten so strong from it. His right hand is always in his mouth. If you give him a toy he will hold it and eat it. His therapist are confident he will walk with assistance, it will be at a much later date. He may need a motor chair before he walks to help get around as he gets heavier.

Therapy Tools
Besides the spoons he has a bench we use to help him sit at. As he gets older we will use it to sit on and help him get a good 90* angle when sitting. We use an exercise ball to help him get movement and strength training. We have a stander and chair on order. These are special equipment to help give him support in a standing and sitting position.

Here is B in the sample stander they brought us to try, his will be blue. He likes it and it's great to get him in an upright position.

Talking
B is not talking. He says 'hi' and makes tons of noises. His speech therapist is pleased with how he plays with sound, noise, and tone. He doesn't laugh per say but he makes cute little noises when he smiles, which is all the time. Yes, he really is that smiley!

Smarty Pants
I think the belief with special needs or brain damage is that the child is dumb. I know I had that belief when I was younger and I'd see a child that was different. B is very smart. He hears very well and is extremely perceptive. He responds to verbal cues and us or his therapists asking him to do certain things with his body. He understands his world around him he just responds and does things differently. He does not cry but he has his ways of letting us know he's unhappy, happy, just so so. We have mastered his cues. He has a bit of a feisty attitude. We have started calling him drama. He likes to be fussy and if we say 'hey Mr drama are you being a faker' he'll stop being fussy and flash you a big smile. Needless to say his personality is huge!

Vision
His vision therapist is amazing!! B tracks better and makes much better eye contact. It has improved so much and we only expect it to get better. When he gets his stander and chair his vision we expect to grow more. Laying down so much doesn't allow your vision to develop fully. Being in a more upright position you have better range and optimal position to see better and interpret what your seeing better.

That about covers it. If you have a specific question feel free to ask. I'm an open book pretty much. And bottom line B may be different, he may have special needs, but he is such an amazing little guy. He stole my heart and he continues to steel hearts along the way. Life with him comes with challenges and bad days but overall the joy makes up for a bad day and having him makes me a better person. We learn as we go and B takes us on his own journey...smiling the whole way...or sleeping LOL.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-21T08:40:00.000-06:00

This pic is on the back...

Happy Holidays from us to you!

Randoms

2011-12-20T11:27:00.000-06:00

*Christmas is 5 days away. My little kid excitement is kicking in!!

*We celebrated my nieces 2nd birthday on Sunday (her b-day is Friday). She was the cutest little birthday princess. And the little Dirt Devil vacuums they make, adorable!!

*My grandparents sent us a card from my late great-grandmother, she passed this summer. She wanted to give her family a card and money gift for Christmas. It was so sweet to see a gift from her.

*I am in love with B's new big boy hair. He looks like a toddler now.

*I am obsessed with these mini frozen g-free pizzas I found. They are the perfect small size and only 350 calories. I stocked up at the store last night and bought 12.

*B has been doing well with eating. He loves the vibrating spoon (Z Vibe).

*I finally watched Elf over the weekend. Best Holiday movie!

*I am 100% done with Christmas shopping!

*I am so excited to be going out for NYE. Last year I was asleep at 11 in B's ICU room. SO happy to have fun plans and he is healthy!!

*I love that B cuddles with me.

*He is the funniest sleeper. Deep in thought.

*D has two three day weekends coming up!! Excited to have him home!

*I think B may really actually be teething. I have been saying this for months now but he is a drool machine and that hand is always in his mouth.

*I realize in finding pictures to post 99% of my pics are of B, LOL. That's what happens when you have kids!

*I need a haircut SO bad. I have had to push it back because of holiday stuff and my hair dressers schedule. I am waiting until Jan 7 and it should have been cut in November. It will be in a pony tail until then!

*My mom and I copied Cheesecakes Factory arugula salad about a year ago and I am still obsessed with it. Arugula (or Spring Mix), blanched or sliced almonds, shaved Parmesan, golden raisins, lemon olive oil dressing (equal parts squeezed lemon and olive oil-salt and pepper). YUM!

Happy Tuesday!

Snow-1 Car-0

2011-12-17T14:18:00.000-06:00

Today Chicagoland got it's first snow. This is typically a happy event but I am a scrooge towards winter. Snow, ice, 10* weather, 20 layers and I'm still cold....not a fan!!!

So I left the house this morning bright and early (630am) for my womens group that meets twice a month and when I opened the front door...SNOW! About 1.5 inches and more was falling. Uhhh. Realizing that cleaning my car off would make me late I hauled some ass to get it done. Also not too thrilled I would be the one testing how the new car did in snow, I pressed on.

I was almost to my group and I turned into the parking lot at 5mph and slid...and slid...right into the curb. Thinking to myself "SHIT the car is brand f*ing new". I parked and stepped out to asses the damage. I see a black tire where my hub cap used to be. I walked in to tell my group what happened and that I needed to go find my hub cap. I called D on my way back to the scene of the incident (aka across the parking lot). There it was, my sad little hub cap, right next to the curb!

Damn you snow!

After group I got a better look and magically the car body doesn't have a scratch but the hub cap didn't fair so well, it's cracked!

So call Mazda, order a new one...$59. WHAT THE HELL. For a plastic hub cap. Oh well it could have been worse.

Well winter you win this round!

B's first haircut!

2011-12-13T08:00:00.001-06:00

We call B crazy hair because well his hair is crazy!! He has the cutest curls but the hair is a little out of control!!

I decided to cut it. i have been wanting to for two months now and I was chicken. Well yesterday morning I looked at B, grabbed the scissors, and said it's time!! I have never cut hair before so I just winged it and I did a good job I must say.

Before the cut...

And a few inches less later...

I totally get that mom anxiety with the first cut. After I did it I was like 'my babies curls are gone'. But change is good and his hair grows fast like mine.

"Santa! I know him"

2011-12-12T08:53:00.000-06:00

This weekend B met Santa and Mrs. Clause (aka my friends parents who dress up every year). He was so happy, he loved Mrs. Clause!!

Santa was a success and my birthday weekend was wonderful. We had a great family dinner and my North Face coat is amazing!!! I have more sugar in my house from cake, cupcakes, cookies, brownies......uh.....time to hit the play button on Jillian! Pics to come (there on my p's camera).

Curling wand?

2011-12-11T09:00:00.005-06:00

I think I may chicken out of bangs. I think a good hair cut and color refresher will cure my 'I hate my hair phase' I get when I need a cut really bad. My apt is the 17th.

My hair is long now and I love the look of curled hair. I have always wanted a curling wand. I have a cheap curling iron I never use. I like the look of the wands better, more natural.

So I need advice on a brand? Does anyone own a good wand they would recommend? I have Ulta gift cards on my Christmas wish list to buy one. I need a new hair dryer too, my stylish recamends Salono for a dryer.

As far as wands I found some cheap ones and some not so cheap ones. I know that cheap can also perform cheap too. My gut says to get this Chi. So help a girl out!!!

29 years old!

2011-12-09T09:17:00.001-06:00

Yup today is my birthday and I have entered the last year of my 20's!! One more year till thirty. I used to be afraid of thirty but as the 20's have been slowing going away I have been learning to embrace it. They say 30 is the new 20 and I hope not. I would not want to be 20 again. Although being an adult sometimes blows, I love myself at this age, I love being a mom and wife, and I love the few wrinkles I've earned.

So I still have one year and I will do my last year in my 20's proud!!

Today my parents are bringing me lunch. I asked for a salad and corn bread (I'm obsessed with Pamela's gf cornbread mix). Tonight Derek is picking up dinner of my choice.

Tomorrow we are having lunch with my friend Amy and seeing Santa. And we have dinner plans with our families and a few friends at Wild Fire!!

D and B got me some pretty flowers.

This was also on my wish list...North Face coat...just in time for the cold that is coming!! A little birdy told me I may get it tomorrow!

Happy Birthday to me!

I love the holidays...

2011-12-08T08:00:00.011-06:00

I love this time of year. I have already received a handful of Christmas cards, which I love. Mine have been put in the mail today.

Every year we get personalized ornaments for the tree and this year instead of doing the mall kiosk I ordered them online (ornaments.com). They have the same ones as the mall plus a ton more.

Of course we have a Starbucks ornament too, LOL. I love the ones we got this year. This year I wanted to get something for B's therapist since they do so much for him and us but having 4 therapist the gifts can add up. I decided to do a little treat Tupperware. Glade has cute holiday Tupperware, Dove peppermint chocolates, Hershy's peppermint kisses, and cookies. I think they turned out really cute and an inexpensive way to give a great gift.

Christmas will be here in no time. This weekend we are going to my friends martini bar and eatery to see Santa and Mrs Clause. Her mom and step dad dress up every year so the kiddos can take pictures with them. A much better alternative to the craziness at the mall. Last year we took B to there house to do pics with them, to avoid all the people since he was newly home from the NICU. We can't wait!!

This is from last year...

He has grown so much in one year!! Only 17 more days till Christmas...

And guess what tomorrow is?? MY BIRTHDAY! The big 29!

Giving Back

2011-12-05T08:00:00.003-06:00

Saturday we made plans to cook a meal for the Ronald McDonald House, the one we lived at for 3 months.

The RMDH was such a special place for us that we wanted to give back to the families staying there now with sick children. It was surreal to be back at a place we associated with Brayden being sick and having B there with us and healthy was awesome.

One of B's NICU nurses stopped by to say hello and see her tiny preemie now a 23lb big boy. We swung by the NICU on the way home and our fave Dr was there. Dr Vega, she was in the delivery room with me to tend to B when he was born. She was on his team throughout the NICU stay and was a big part of his early life. It was great to see everyone.

B of course turned on the charm around all the ladies(nurses), such a little flirt!

We loved being able to give back, especially around the holidays. We plan to go back every year to cook.

My mom making the pasta

My step dad taking a football break

Chillin with Ronald!

Big Boy!

2011-12-03T11:28:00.001-06:00

This morning B had his 15 month check up and he did so well with his shots. He never even cries. The nurses are always so surprised at how much of a champ he is!! He also got blood work to check his medication levels, he gets it checked every 2.5 pounds he gains. And just like the shots, drawing blood is no biggie for him!

My big boy is 23lb 11oz 32in

Today we are cooking a meal for the Ronald McDonald House that we stayed at while B was in the NICU. We wanted to give back for the holidays and this is something close to our hearts so we thought it was perfect. We lived there for 3 months and every night we had a hot meal provided to us. There was always food and snacks for us at no charge. I don't know what we would have done if we didn't have the RMH. This is something we are going to do every year to give back and help families with sick children, like we once were.

Happy Saturday...pics to come!

Bangs?

2011-12-02T09:30:00.000-06:00

Should I get bangs? I feel like I ask myself this every six months or so, I cut my bangs, two months later they are driving me crazy, I grow them out, and then I'm back to wanting them again...LOL.

My hair has changed a lot over the last few years. I went from blonde to very dark. I love the color I have now but I think I may try it with a heavier bang.

Here is some past hair looks I pulled of myself:

Short very blonde with a long bang

Short blonde with a long bang

Long blonde with a short bang. This is what I'm think of doing again, maybe a bit heavier though.

Long blonde with no bang

Light brown with a long bang(ish)

Dark with no bang

This is what I was thinking. I'd love some feedback on the bangs? I wear my hair up a lot because it ends up driving me nuts having it down all day. I think having a pulled up style with a bang would be better than the 'mom ponytail' I have been sporting lately.

Cat Saddler (love her, E News). A heavier bang with dark hair

Let me say I hated Kim K with these bags and frankly I'm not a huge fan of her (I love Khloe) but this is sort of what I was thinking for a bang.

25 Days

2011-11-30T08:00:00.004-06:00

Christmas is only 25 days away...and tomorrow is December...craziness. I will be 29 in 10 days. Lots to be excited for!

Blocks found on Etsy here

Little man was so sleepy yesterday after his therapy, they work him out good. He started eating his bottle and fell asleep within 30 seconds and slept for an hour (usually he takes 3-30min naps a day). Such a cute sleeper! And B's got some crazy long curly hair!!! I need to cut it soon!

Christmas came early

2011-11-27T11:58:00.001-06:00

We finally bought a car!!! It only took us dragging our feet for 6 weeks but she is here!

We chose a silver 2010 Mazda 6. I love the car. It's a little bigger than the Jetta and fits the car seat much better. It only has 50k miles and it's in great condition.

We downloaded a music touch app for B, as suggested by his therapist, and he likes it. He loves music!

B is also 15 months old today!!! Where is the time going? Seriously! He has a check up next weekend and I will post his stats. I'm thinking he's almost 25lb and super long!

Happy Sunday...we have enjoyed the long weekend!

The Feast!

2011-11-25T10:57:00.002-06:00

I love Thanksgiving weekend. Four days with the hubby home and relaxing! We are seeing Twilight tonight while my parents watch B. I am like a little teenage excited girl! Funny fact though, I have never read the books and D has read them twice. LOL, I call him a nerdy girl! And as much as I love shopping I do not go near the malls on Black Friday. Five minutes with that crowd of people and I'm pretty sure I would end up killing someone, I hate crowds! My mom did hit up the online deals for B today though. FYI for the moms, Caters online deals are the same as in store today 50% off everything.

Yesterday did not disappoint with the feast! We went to my parents and it was nice to have a small dinner with the five of us. We brine our turkey and it is super yummy. I ate a ton yesterday and took two naps, ha, yes two! The whole meal was gluten free, except the crescent rolls we made for the guys.

Best place for a nap!

I know many people toss out the bag of 'nasty stuff' inside the turkey but it's the best part! The neck is the best meat on the turkey!!

'Frida' our 20 lb turkey. Tons and tons of leftovers!

Honey glazed brussel sprouts.

Mushroom gravy.

My grandmothers recipe for cranberry fruit salad. SOOOO yummy!

Baked sweet potatos with Fluff. If you haven't tried this you must!

B's spent!

Pumpkin cream cheese cake. AMAZING!!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Now onto Christmas. On the drive home last night we saw all the houses lit up already and B wore his xmas jammies. 30 days!

Thankful

2011-11-24T09:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have so much to be thankful for this year. B has been home and healthy since February. We have an amazing team of therapist that work with him. Our family has been healthy. I am able to stay home with little man. We have a 4 day weekend to spend together. And we have an amazing gluten free dinner to look forward to.

I love Thanksgiving dinner and best of all...left overs!I am excited to try the new (gf) recipe we found for a pumpkin cream cheese cake!

Have a wonderful Turkey Day!

You snooze you lose!

2011-11-21T09:19:00.000-06:00

Well we had plans to go see the Mazda we liked on Tuesday and last night we saw online it had SOLD. Bummer. Back to the drawing board I guess.

I think we are set on a Mazda 6 now. Not that any of us have ever owned a Mazda but I hear good things.

Does anyone have a Mazda they would like to give some feedback? Good or bad?

One year old, adjusted that is, and coming home

2011-11-18T08:00:00.003-06:00

Today, Nov 18th, was my due date last year. While B is almost 15 months old, his adjusted age is now one!

With preemies they pretty much stop using the adjusted age after two for weight and development and such but for now I have a 15 month one year old....LOL. Confusing I know.

Weight and height B is on track for his real age, 15 months. Developmentally B is very behind but that's OK, he's making the rules on that one.

Tomorrow, the 19th, is the day last we took B home fro the NICU. I remember how happy and scary that day was. At the time we didn't know B would be readmitted but we were just so happy to get him home.

Heading home from the NICU

Saying goodbye to our favorite nurse Sarah. We still keep in contact.

World Prematurity Day

2011-11-17T10:41:00.000-06:00

I am joining the millions who are using today to raise awareness of prematurity. It is a cause that sits very close to our hearts. Most people know someone who has had a premmie as 1 in 8 babies are born too soon, but most people don't know the reality of living through having a preemie. I want to one day make sure no one has to live through that.

Spread the word. Know the facts and signs. No one is invincible, I thought I was until one day my son was born early and quick!

Keep fighting for babies!!

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-11-15T21:10:00.000-06:00

40 days till Christmas and the tree and decorations are up!!!

When I was younger I used to hate putting the tree up until after my birthday (Dec 9). Now I cant get it up fast enough. Some people crinkle there noses and say it's too early but the early it goes up the longer you get to enjoy it!

B even sported his holiday shirt today while I tried to take some pics for the Christmas cards. I love this one the most of any Etsy shirt I have ordered! (found here)

So I can't wait to stuff my belly on Thanksgiving but I am more excited that Christmas (and my birthday) are right around the corner.

Randoms

2011-11-13T21:06:00.001-06:00

*HI I'm Heather and I'm a bad blogger!

*My Christmas stuff is out and ready to go up. Yup I'm well aware it's still 2 weeks out for Thanksgiving but I like to do it early!! My house already smells like trees from my Yankee candles!

*I bought and wrapped a few xmas gifts today. The mall had great sales and I try to get all my shopping done before Dec when the mall is just a mad house. B was helping me wrap.

*B met his great grandma for the first time. My step dads mom, she was in town for his 50th birthday!!

*I realized this weekend just how evil even the smallest amount of gluten is for someone with Celiac. It somehow snuck into my food and I thought I was going to die. TMI alert....in and out of the porcelain room for 4 hours and I finally was able to sleep. My stomach was a mess!

*My birthday is in 3 weeks!

*I love B's new shirt, Etsy of course. Found here.

*We finally found a car we like. A 2008 Mazda 6, silver. D is going to look at it this week.

*B started getting a cold on Friday and now my throat is sore. I was hoping to avoid the dreaded pre-winter virus. No such luck! Hopefully it leaves quickly.

*I am dying for Chinese food. 98% of it is loaded with the dreaded G word but I want some fried rice!!!

A weekend in Southern IL

2011-11-07T10:03:00.000-06:00

D and I left Friday morning and headed to Southern IL (Marion) to watch my college sorority sister get married.

We dropped little man off at Mema and Papas and made the 6 hour drive south. Let me tell you I made this drive many many times in college and it was just as boring as ever. Central IL is SO boring, it's all fields and farms!

Giant cross in Effingham IL

Friday night was the rehersal and then Saturday we got to the fun stuff...wedding day!

Runaway bridesmaids. We had an hour to kill after pictures before the ceremony so naturally we all went to the local bar!

My friend Sarah

We had a great weekend away. I saw old friends I hadn't seen in years. We drank too much and realized in the morning we aren't 21 anymore, LOL. All in all a great weekend, lots of driving, and some adult fun time! I could not wait to get home on Sunday to see my B, missed him like crazy!

A Dr filled day

2011-11-03T14:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday B and I headed to Milwaukee (one hour north) for his follow up appointments. I usually go with D but he needed to be at work yesterday. Mom alone with baby for all day Dr appointments equals Murphys Law!

When B needed to eat he wasn't having it. Luckily they let me use an empty room to feed him in quiet while we waited for our second appt. Our neurosurgeon wanted to get a last minute MRI. We had to wait extra long for insurance approval and then wait to be squeezed in for an MRI. All the mean time I'm slightly freaked that he needed an MRI. Since the MRI wasn't planned I didn't bring another bottle or snacks for me, so we are both tired, hungry, and cranky! On the way home the truck in front of me caught on fire, no joke, his wheel well was in flames!

Needless to say I took a long bath last night and relaxed once D got home. I was pooped!

The good news is B looks great. They called with his MRI results and everything looks great!! Maybe next time I plan all his apts in one day I'll bring a buddy or at least more food!

B tried to sneak in some naps while we waited.

Prematurity Awareness Month

2011-11-01T11:31:00.000-05:00

November is here and it's Prematurity Awareness Month. With Nov 17th being awareness day.

The March of Dimes is working hard to educate people about prematurity and the costs it can have on a family.

Every year, more than half a million babies are born too soon in the United States. Our country’s premature birth rate has risen by 36 percent over the last 25 years. That’s serious cause for concern.

Premature birth costs society more than $26 billion a year and takes a high toll on families. Babies born just a few weeks early are at risk of severe health problems and lifelong disabilities. Premature birth is the number 1 killer of newborns.

These facts are just crazy to me. Most people at least know someone who has been affected by a premature infant if they themselves have not been directly affected. Most women, including myself, were oblivious to ever having anything other than a healthy full term baby. Unfortunately this is not always the case and awareness is the best way to educate.

Like me, 40% of women will never know why they delivered early. Sometimes it just happens and happens quick. The March of Dimes is working to wipe out the unknown and make it preventable.

While many preemies don't make it, we are fortunate to have B here with us to keep. Brayden survived but will have lifelong disabilities as a direct result from being premature.

Please join in the fight to help all babies be born full term and healthy. Know the signs, get educated, and spread the word about preemies!

Brayden-1 day old

Our little monkey on Halloween!

2011-10-30T20:56:00.000-05:00

We didn't do much (or any) trick or treating but we had a few opportunities to put B in his costume. Our little chunky monkey!

My handsome man. We spent the day at my in laws today and it was fun to see all the little kiddos (my SIL friends kids) all dressed up. My niece was not having any of her lady bug costume but she was still adorable.

One day left until Nov...aka Christmas time!!!

In other news. Yesterday I took my bridesmaids dress to my friends mom house for her to hem it. I was nervous as I hadn't tried it on in two weeks when I could barley zip it. Well two weeks of eating healthy and working out....it zips and fits great!! Whoohoo!! I lost 6 pounds! Maybe I'll save some Halloween candy for after the wedding!

15 things you may not know

2011-10-28T08:33:00.002-05:00

I may have ~~stolen~~ borrowed this idea from April but I liked it so here it goes.

15 things you may not know about me....

1. I used to be 80 lbs heavier! (Lost it after college)

2. Along with the coaching D and I do with our therapist I am involved in three groups, growth work related.

3. When I have 'mommy alone time' I like to walk around the mall.

4. I HATE egg nog. Makes me gag a little.

5. I want to work at Starbucks part time. I think the social atmosphere is right up my alley.

6. I have a step sister who I haven't seen or spoken to since I was young.

7. I love forensic shows. The Investigative Discovery channel=awesome!

8. My least favorite chore is unloading the dishwasher. I always leave it for D to do.

9. I hate lipstick. Chap stick all the way. I found a tinted chap stick from Laura Mercer that I love!

10. I only wear heels like 4 times a year. I am wearing flip flops to the wedding next weekend since the bride is wearing flats herself! And I myself got married in flip flops/barefoot.

11. I hate surprises. I even like to pick out my own gifts.

12. If I could go back to school and get a different degree I would become a pediatric physical therapist with a minor in photography. A couple of B's therapists have said I am a natural at his therapies.

13. I traveled to Florida to be a hair model back in my early 20's. They died my hair super blond, put colored extensions in, and I wore this crazy avant garde dress. It was fun but all the pulling, hair dye, and up do practice was murder on my hair!

14. I have to take a bath before I go to bed. Even though they are only 10-15 minutes. I can't stay in longer than that, I get way too hot!

15. I don't own any clothing that is brown. My closet is 98% black, gray, white, or red, with a little purple.

Happy Friday!!

Wednesday Randoms

2011-10-26T08:43:00.000-05:00

*I have been doing The Shred everyday and so far so good. I think I may be able to breath in my bridesmaids dress after all. Fingers crossed. After the wedding I am going to eat an entire chocolate cake...GF of course!

*I want to skip Nov and go straight to Christmas, maybe that's why my tree is going up Nov 13th!

*My new fave, low calorie, Starbucks drink is Awake tea, 3 Truvia, splash of cream. Yum!

*I have recently caught up with Rachel Zoe Project and I love to hate her. I want her closet!

*B is doing SOO well in therapy. He gets rave reviews every week and they all tell me how much they love him!

Vision therapist

*My birthday is in 5 weeks!

*I have already bought one xmas gift. I like to get it done early to beat the mad house at the mall plus there are great sales right now.

*This little man was so tired last night. I picked him up and he passed out within 30 seconds and snored the whole time.

*We have made zero progress on getting D a new car. I'm secretly hoping we will win a car or someone will just give us one, LOL. We need to get the ball rolling!

*B is still sleeping...it's 8:40am!

*I tried to make pumpkin pecan pancakes last night by adding pumpkin puree to the mix, I got mushy doughy cakes. FAIL!

Holiday Card Winners

2011-10-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

I loved reading everyone's comments about Christmas, it made me really excited!! I even convinced D to let me put our tree up before Thanksgiving!!!

I have chosen three winners at random and here they are:

Fran said...
I LOVE shutterfly! Their cards are always beautiful. I can't wait to see which card your choose :-)

Jennifer and Mark Kiel said...
I love Shutterfly holiday cards. I've been using them for years. With 3 young children, it would be awesome to win the giveaway. My favorite part of the holidays is definitely seeing everything through my childrens eyes (ages 5,3 &2). There is just something so magical about the sweet innocence of my babies!

Lisa said...
I love the time together with family, and the cold weather. I hope we get snow here in GA this winter. My son is 2 and would LOVE playing in it.

Congrats ladies!! Email me and I'll send you your code for 25 free holiday cards.

livelovelaughblog@yahoo

Random Weekends and Pumpkins!

2011-10-23T18:29:00.000-05:00

Well another weekend comes and flies by. I can't believe next weekend is Halloween. So excited. I love the magic of Halloween!

At the mall today I got excited for all the Christmas stuff out. I purchased some holiday scents at Yankee. My tree is going up Nov 13th!!

Here's my random. We always joke about how crazy B's hair is. It's curly, some straight, long, and all over the place! I always blame D for B's hair because D has some crazy curly hair too. This weekend I came across an old picture of me circa late 80's and I couldn't stop laughing, maybe I'm to blame for the crazy hair! LOL

Here's some of B

We even got it to look like Elvis!

Now here's me

LOL, now that is some crazy hair. My mom assures me it looked like this often! Good thing I discovered a flat iron later in life!

****
Our Sunday funday consisted of ~~finally~~ carving our pumpkins! We made a third this year for B. I love the way jack-o-lanterns look all lit up!

D gets credit for using the cool stencils (middle)

And of course I made some yummy seeds!

Holiday Card Time and a giveaway!

2011-10-20T13:17:00.000-05:00

It's about that time of year again...holiday cards!! I have been approached by Shutterfly to write about there holiday cards. I also have a giveaway for 3 readers!!

We have been using Shutterfly for our cards for a few years now and we are always super happy with them. The price for the quality can't be beat, and envelopes are included! Just looking at all the cards makes me excited to get mine done!

I have already picked my top two favorites for us and here are a few others I love.

Along with holiday cards they also have great photo books, calendars, and greeting cards. We also get all our digital prints from them. They are inexpensive and fast.

****
Shutterfly has also offered a giveaway for 3 of my readers. 25 free holiday cards! Leave me a comment about what you love about the holidays. I will pick 3 at random who will receive codes for 25 free holiday cards. I will pick the winners Monday (10-24).

A VERY sleepy baby

2011-10-18T11:18:00.000-05:00

B is typically a light sleeper. He stirs at sounds and we have trained ourselves to do almost any task with little to no sound.

This morning I let B nap on my lap before his therapy session, he is such a cuddler, I love it! I had to wake him up to change him to get ready for his therapist. As I walked him to the changing table he stirred a bit and then as soon as I laid him down he was out again.

OK so maybe he's just really tired and doesn't want to wake up. Surely he'll wake up once I get him naked, something he typically doesn't care for. Nope, once naked out again.

I continue on: wipe, cream, diaper applied....still out!

Seemingly annoyed but not even opening his eyes, he squirms through getting dressed. And....back to sleep.

I thought surely the walk to the living room would wake him, as I was actually trying to wake him up at this point. I laid him down on his mat and still asleep. LOL.

He was squirming to get comfy with that nose crinkled eyes closed 'are you done messing with me mom' attitude. He slept until his therapist came and woke him up. Silly boy.

Happy 2nd Anniversary!

2011-10-17T08:00:00.012-05:00

Two years ago we were in Hawaii getting married. It seems like just months ago, time flies. It's been a crazy two years for us but we have made it through tough times and come out on top.

Happy 2 years babe!

And I definitely think this little guy is our best accomplishment!

Anniversary dinner Helvey style

2011-10-16T08:54:00.001-05:00

A few months ago we made reservations at The Signature Room on the 95th of the John Hancock building, also where we got engaged. Two weeks ago we changed our reservation to a favorite spot closer to home. And last week we decided just to do dinner at home. All these grand plans right?

Since we are in the market for a new (used) car we wanted to save money. And since we just bought a new table we thought we could break it in for dinner.

Well the table was not set up by the time I returned home last night with our Outback, a fave gluten free spot. We decided to improvise and eat with B.

It's not the glamorous night out but it was perfect. A good meal with all of us together. My kind of celebration.

And shortly after the table was finished!

Target! We have a lot of pieces from Target, honestly they have great stuff!!

I need a miracle...or a plastic surgeon!

2011-10-14T09:14:00.001-05:00

So here's the rundown. I am in a wedding in 3 weeks. I ordered my bridesmaid dress 3 months ago from the store. I provided them with my measurements and they ordered the suggested size I needed.

I wear a size 6-8. They suggested I needed a dress size 14. I almost gasped. Huh? There's no way. Against there advice, because I thought she had lost her mind, I ordered a 12, which I still thought was humorously huge!

I get my dress in the mail yesterday and when I pulled it out of the box I got nervous. Luckily my mom was on her way over so she could help me zip it. And we needed all the help we could get. It is SOOOO tight. Maybe the crazy sales girl was right. Why is a size 12 really like a 4?? Makes no sense. Isn't the wedding party suppose to feel pretty? Not like a moose who can barley zip a size 12, when I don't even wear a 12!

So enter panic....wedding is in 3 weeks. I am on a serious diet until then. No Halloween candy. No rich and yummy anniversary dinner. No more Starbucks soy chais! My 30 day shred DVD has been busted out and will be in daily rotation. And I need a serious pair of spanks!

Wish me luck!!!

Wednesday Randoms

2011-10-12T13:53:00.000-05:00

*My anniversary is this weekend, well Monday actually.

*We may have had our last walk of the year, cold weather on it's way.

*D's car has officially died. It's not worth the $5000 for a new engine so I think we will be getting a new (used) car. This of course comes after we just bought a new kitchen table and coffee table. Why does that always happen? I am less than excited for a car payment.

*B got a new feeding chair from his therapist. He needs the extra support and every high chair on the market doesn't offer the support needed for a special needs 13 month old. This fits him perfect. Since it's borrowed it has no base so we feed on the floor. Fine with me, is it crazy that these retail for $500+. Ha, no thanks.

*In three weeks we are heading down to Carbondale (where I went to college) for a wedding, that I'm in! Looking forward to seeing everyone. Not looking forward to the 6 hour drive or missing B for 3 days.

*I have three pumpkins that I'm dying to carve! And make pumpkin seeds!!

*Facebook on my iPhone crashed after the update for 24 hours and I almost had to stalk Mark Z to fix it! What was that whole part of the movie that FB never crashes?

*Check out these super cute Turkey shirts on Etsy. I just got B's in the mail. I found a reindeer one for Christmas time. Love me some Etsy.

I'm not 21 anymore

2011-10-10T10:00:00.001-05:00

That's for sure. I am definitely feeling my age (almost 29). My reunion was a success, we stayed out way too late, had a few too many drinks, and woke up feeling old and crappy LOL. It was one of those morning when you go pick the kiddo up and wish somehow he could watch himself for a day....luckily we have an easy baby.

So we had fun on our rare night out. I am good for another 10 years!! I did take pictures with my small camera that I never use and after 20 minutes of trying to put the pictures on my computer I gave up. Ha, I can use a high tech digital but my small camera not so much.

We spent yesterday relaxing and I'm still a bit tired today, this is where the feeling old comes in. We had lots of this with B....

In other news it's been 80* here. I enjoy the (60's) Fall weather so this heat wave is not welcome. Luckily it's cooling down this week so we can go back to Fall.

Bath Time

2011-10-06T19:58:00.000-05:00

First of all my cold is gone! Just in time for the weekend. Just a slight runny nose is lingering but it's not too bad. Glad is was quick and no one else around me got sick, especially B.

I have a bath question. I know every kiddo and every stage is different but how often do you bathe your kids?

B is prone to dry/eczema skin so we bathe him every 3-4 days (2-3 in the summer when it's hot/sweaty). This seems to work for him and he's not real mobile so he doesn't get real dirty. Sometime it feels like he should bathe more but then his skin gets really dry. We've found Aveena products (Johnsons shampoo) work well for him.

We also have a strange routine but it works really well for us. I love baths, I take one almost daily. On B's bath days I will start my bath with him in it with me. I wash him and when done D takes him to dry off, lotion up, change. I finish my bath. It works well for us especially since B isn't sitting and he's getting heavy so leaning over a tub to wash him is awkward. It's so much easier if he just sits in my lap and I can wash him. It's quick and I enjoy my bath time with him.

Wednesday Randoms

2011-10-05T09:49:00.001-05:00

*MY BOOK CAME!! Can you tell I'm excited? I worked on this book for months and it's finally done, printed, and here. I'm so proud of it. I would share it but there are some nakey pics of B I wanted in there which I don't want floating around the cyber world. Mixbook is amazing! I have already started his second year book!

*I still feel like sh*t! My wonderful hubby came home last night took over baby duty so I could bathe and rest....still feeling the funk though.

*I love Pan Am. I caught up on the first two episodes on Hulu and I love!

*B is making great progress in his therapies. I think adding vision was key. All of them together have made his progress really noticeable.

His vision therapist with the drums he loves. She gave them to us to keep!

*After searching, buying, returning a few winter suits I finally found one that fits B. His torso is so long that one pieces don't fit him right. Diapers.com had these Columbia fleece suits on sale and it fits great in size 24mo. And it's super cute!

*B's swallow study last week went well. No changes will be made to his food or formula. Trying to get him to sit still in this radiology machine and eat food with barium mixed in, it was a process but B did great.

*We have signed up to provide a meal for the Ronald McDonald House where we lived for three months while B was in the NICU. I am excited to be able to give back to the families living there now. I don't know what we would have done without the RMDH when B was sick, they are amazing. It's a great organization for families with hospitalized children. Dec 3rd is our meal day. We will also stop into the NICU to say hello and show off how big B is.

*Last week B and I woke up to his bottle/meds ready to go and a chai tea for me with a sweet note from dad. Thanks babe!

*I was given info on a site for a little boy named Ronan who battled cancer. Sweet family and a touching story. Read here.

Happy Wednesday!

Under the weather and reunions

2011-10-04T10:10:00.001-05:00

I woke up Monday morning with the worst sore throat. I think maybe all the (germy) people at the apple festival? Who knows but I have been living in a mask in hopes that B doesn't catch whatever this is I have. I am loading up on the emergen-c and Day-quill. Seriously this stuff is amazing...

For all the moms out there, why is it so much harder to be sick with kiddos? Instead of just laying in bed all day to feel better I am up and about taking care of little man. It's my job now, happy to do it, but man I just want a day in bed.

In other news my 10 year High School Reunion is this Saturday. Seriously, 10 years? I'm not that old am I? I always said I wouldn't go to my reunion but it is being held at my good friends wine bar/restaurant. So I decided to go and hang out with her and have yummy food. I am actually looking forward to it.

Well I'm off to wash my hands for the 20th time today already and take some vit c....cold please go away fast!

Fall Time Fun

2011-10-02T17:24:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful Fall weekend. The trees have all started to change, the weather is gorgeous, and all the Fall fun stuff is in full bloom.

Saturday we headed to the apple orchard we go to every year and stock up on honey crisp apples. They are worth the 45 min drive (both ways) to get the yummy goodness. They stay good in the crisper for months! You don't actually pick the apples you just buy them at the orchard, way easier that way!

Sunday we went to an apple festival in a neighboring town. It was our first time to this and it was a mad house of people!! Holy Moly! I get kind of antsy in large crowds, not my thing. But I must say, what a beautiful day! I couldn't par-take in most of the gluten filled goodness but I did find some yummy treats. I couldn't try the apple doughnuts that had a 90 min line but they sure did smell good.

Mr. sleepy fighting his nap all day!

Roasted corn....yum!

And Carmel corn....extra yum!

My gorg momma

Once in the car we finally pass out!

Ahhh Fall is here!!!

Wednesday Randoms

2011-09-28T12:56:00.001-05:00

*Yesterday was my moms birthday and we had dinner last night at Wildfire, they have the best g-free menu. B decided it was nap time during dinner.

*I am SOO excited to go to the apple orchard this weekend. I look forward to Honey crisps, aka the best apples ever, every year.

*Tomorrow B has his swallow study at Children's Hospital.

*On request of B's speech therapist we ordered him a cool new spoon (Z vibe), it vibrates and has cool attachments to help with eating purees/solids.

*I love B in stripes. He looks so cute.

*I was really excite for the new show Up All Night and after two weeks I have decided it's really quite bad.

*Any Grey's fans? I am worried where the show is going this season.

*The other day I woke up to B stirring at 1am and for some reason I could not sleep. I was up playing on my phone until 430. When B woke up at 730 I felt like my eye lids had 10lb weights on them, so tired.

*I have found the most amazing baby boy pants at GAP. I ordered them in the next size up because I love them so much. They look just like jeans but are made of legging material. (Found here)

Happy Wednesday.

Another weekend flies by

2011-09-25T20:55:00.000-05:00

Why do weekends have to go by so fast? They come and go in a blink.

Unfortunately is was cold and rainy all weekend so we are pushing back the apple orchard until next weekend.

Saturday I headed downtown to get my hair done. I desperately needed a haircut and I was trying to push it as long as I could because my 10 year reunion is in two weeks. Holy crap 10 ten years....that's another post. Anyways, my hair was photographing a bit red in pics I noticed so John ~~my fabulous hair dresser~~ and I decided to go dark for Fall. Really dark! I am still getting used to it but I love the change! Please excuse my awesome self camera skills, LOL.

My mom and I had some fun with B's crazy hair! Yes he looks like a girl. I was also very excited to bust out the Halloween jammies!

Sunday was the Bears vs Packers game....also known as war in our house. D a Packer fan and me a Bears fan! Since the Packers won the Superbowl last year (yak) I bite my tongue and let B be a Packer fan.

Packers won and I must say, B looks very cute in his mini jersey, even if it is the wrong colors.

It's official....FALL

2011-09-23T09:00:00.003-05:00

Today is not only Friday but the official first day of Fall. Although subtle hints have been everywhere in the weather, a few bright red leaves here and there, and favorites back on the menu at Starbucks, today it's official.

I love the chill in the air. I will pretty much live in scarves until April. I love soy chai lattes. I love the smell of leaves. I love it all.

I know the dreaded Chicago winter is looming just behind all this wonderful-ness so I will soak up all I can before we are covered in 10 inches of snow and I can't feel my nose.

To celebrate Fall I wanted to make Chili. What better way to cuddle up, watch weekend football (well at least the hubs and B will), and eat some Chili.

Lots of fresh veggies, ground turkey, and a little extra Tabasco for some kick!! Yum!

Add some noodles (G free for me), cheddar cheese, fresh onion, and sour cream. Delish!!!

Happy Fall!!!

IF...

2011-09-21T09:45:00.000-05:00

I'm 'borrowing' a post from a few other bloggers. Fill in the blanks...

If I were to get pregnant again I would first freak out and then see a specialist to make sure I carried to full term.
If I could have any job in the world I'd be a party planner or full time (paid) blogger.
If I had a day to myself I would get a Starbucks on my way to my manicure and then go shopping.
If I could get married all over again I would do it the same. I would have cut the train off my dress. I tripped on it all day.
If I could live anywhere in the US I would stay where I am. I love it here. Although come freezing cold January I will complain and think 'it's way warmer in Florida'!
If Brayden were a girl he would have been named Avery.
If I could have any talent in the world I would like to be able to carry a tune. I have no singing skills.
If you met me in real life I think you'd like me.
If I could go back to school and get a different degree I would major in English.
If money were not an object I'd live in a house, D would have a brand new SUV (his car is on it's last life), I would have no debt, and I would eat out all the time.
If I could meet one celebrity I think I would want to meet Nicole Richie, love her.
If I could only shop at one store for the rest of my life it'd be Nordstrom, hands down.
If we get another pet I would want a cat. I grew up with cats my whole life, I love them.
If I could go on a trip, RIGHT NOW, I'd want to go to Napa Valley. Wine, food, and more wine, yes please!
If I had to chose between a house cleaner and a personal chef, I'd pick the house cleaner. I love to cook, hate to clean.
If I had the option of plastic surgery I'd get a boob lift and that's all. Having a baby is great. Nursing can seriously take a toll on the 'girls'.

Big Boy

2011-09-20T11:28:00.002-05:00

Last night B was laying on his tummy, which is rare these days. He hates being on his stomach. It reminded me of a picture I had from when B was just a little dude. The comparison is in size from only 10 months is crazy. He is growing like a weed.

1 year old

3 months old-Dec 2010

On the cold front news B is about 97% better. D and I felt a cold coming on but with lots of Vit C we are feeling fine. I'm glad it didn't turn into something we just pass back and forth. Fingers crossed for good weather and B being nice and healthy this weekend for the apple and pumpkin orchards!!

ER's and x-rays and ambulances....oh my!

2011-09-18T11:47:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we had the most random 9 hours and today we are all exhausted.

This story has a happy ending but very random none the less....

B has had a cold for about a week and Saturday he developed a weird cough. He would wake up from a nap coughing for about 10 seconds ending in gagging and trying to catch his breath. After the second time it happened I was getting a little worried because he seemed to loose a little pinkness in his lips with each episode. The on call pediatrician suggested we go to the walk in clinic just to get him looked at...given him being a preemie and having an extensive medical history.

We arrive at the clinic at 3pm and after a 30 min wait we saw the doctor.

He was concerned about the cough causing him to possibly be turning blue. Whooping cough was ruled out when we realized B is up to date on his vaccines which pretty much covers it. He suggested we go to the ER, they are more equipped to run more tests. Luckily the ER was in the same medical building we were in. This is the same ER we went to back in December when B came down with his third round of meningitis.

We walked over, waited some more, and once again gave the run down to doctor number two. He ordered an x ray to check his lungs and when the results came back he said B had an enlarged heart and he was talking to the Cardiologist at Children's Hospital and waiting for a transfer.....wait....what??? We were so confused. We came in for a cough and now we are waiting for an ambulance to take us to Children's (the same hospital B had his previous hospital stay, one hour away) and meeting with a cardiologist. His heart has always been fine...? We were a little freaked out and in a state of deje vu as last time we came to this ER we were transferred via ambulance to Children's. The small ER we were at was not capable of caring for a cardiac pediatric case. I asked if we could just drive him there ourselves and they said given that he'd turned blue he was a breathing risk. I'm trying to do some back tracking at this point...I never said he turned blue!

While waiting for transfer B took a nap and had another coughing spell. This time I specifically watched him and his lips were perfectly pink! I told the Dr but the plan would still be the same.

The Dr said we were being taken to the ICU. Still confused and my head spinning a bit....ICU? What? They did an EKG and got B ready for transport. I refused the IV, yay for parents rights. He didn't need fluid, he was eating fine. I'm not going to poke him if he doesn't need it. And B as always was in good spirits through it all. Our old pro!

The transfer EMT team arrived and after they evaluated him they said he looked fine and they called the cardiologist and decided he didn't need to go to the ICU that we would admit him to the Children's ER to get this all sorted out. This was a relief, I would rather talk to the cardio dr before we start admitting him to a $10,000 a night ICU....where we have stayed before.

I rode in the front of the ambulance and B was in back watching Leap Frog videos with the EMT's. D met us there. Did I mention it's an hour north!

We arrive, get checked in, and again we wait. B had another coughing spell while he was napping and this time he was hooked up to an oxygen monitor and during the spell his oxygen never dropped.

We met with yet another doctor and went through the whole schpeal again. They said we needed to wait for the cardiologist to review the x-rays and he would come talk to us. More waiting...

Luckily we finally were given the OK to feed B, who was starving and tired at this point.

Enter pediatric cardiologist....FINALLY!!! He reviewed his history, looked at his previous ECHO (heart ultra sound) from the NICU, and reviewed the x-ray and decided his heart was fine. The previous ER doctor had slightly mis-read the x-ray to believe his heart was very large. The cough was not related to an enlarged heart it was just a cold. He said he did not think we needed to be admitted for the night and that we could go home. Sigh of relief.

I understand that with B being a preemie and having a history of severe illness we need to be more cautious. I do not regret taking him to the doctor, I will always be cautious as a mom. I am so grateful he is OK and his little heart is perfect. And with that said....was all this really necessary? Seemed like a lot of hoopla and $$$ (thank god for good insurance) just to tell me he has a cold.

Unfortunately D and I are pros at this hospital game so we stayed pretty calm. B was in good spirits so in a weird way we were able to make light and try to enjoy our random night together. My mom instinct was never really super worried, I just felt like he was OK. There is something to say about how powerful your gut can be. Like before he got round three of meningitis, I knew in the back of my mind that something wasn't right and low and behold he got sick again.

We all finally snuggled into bed at 130am. B slept like a log with no more coughing episodes. B slept in and is now chilling with dad watching football!!

WANTED

2011-09-14T13:46:00.000-05:00

Lap Wanted!

Person needed to hold me upright to allow my snot to drain properly. I prefer a comfortable lap that will sit still while I look cute and nap. You will need to apply Vicks to me every so often to help me breath. You may set me down but only for changing and to quickly grab something, otherwise you must hold me. I will provide the cable and comfortable chair with foot rest. Food is minimal as my parents need to go grocery shopping. I am slightly crabby due to having a cold but I am still very smiling and cute. I may also need the occasional 'booger sucker' which I hate so some ninja skills are required to complete this.

Please contact my mom with interest. Thanks!

-Brayden

Snotty Baby

2011-09-13T09:57:00.000-05:00

How is it we made it a whole year without B getting a cold?? Well we do wash our hands like 20x a day. And we hibernated most of last winter, on advise from the hospital. Anywho....it's no fun!

B is really congested and sleepy. Although he has no fever, is eating fine, and still laughing and smiling as he's sniffling all the snot back, gross. Could this really be teething or a cold? Either way as long as he is fever free I'm happy. My mom brain immediately starts searching signs of pneumonia or something more serious, he is a preemie that was in the hospital for 5.5 months after all. I think I'm allowed to over worry!

I tried the Vicks on the feet and I guess it works...?? Can't say either way. He slept well, he'd wake up to cough or choke on his snot....that's fun! But fell back to sleep right away. I on the other hand did not sleep well. I was convinced I needed to check breathing every so often, you moms know the crazy mom brain I'm talking about. I slept better when I just put him in bed with me. He sleeps better too, go figure.

So today is a lot of holding upright and naps.

Martinis, lazy Sundays, and lots of Baby Vicks

2011-09-12T12:27:00.000-05:00

I am feeling my age today...I know 28 is not old but man I feel old.

On Saturday night I met a good friend for some martinis. We had a blast. D stayed home with B and we had our girls night. Even a few drinks will knock me on my arse the next day.

Hence our lazy Sunday watching football and 9-11 shows. I haven't been that lazy in a long time but it was nice to vedge around with the hubs and B. And of course pizza! I finally found some yummy g free pizza that delivers.

I was looking forward to my Sunday night sleep but little man had other plans. He's really congested, so sleep didn't happen. Poor guy. No fever and he's acting semi normal, a little sleepier than usual. I busted out my humidifiers, might as well get them going before it gets cooler. And Baby Vicks is on the way thanks to hubs. Hopefully it's teething related and he doesn't get a cold. Fingers are crossed.

I heard that Vicks on there feet at night helps? Is this an old wives tale or has anyone tried this?

Football season is open

2011-09-08T11:24:00.000-05:00

Today is the opening game for the NFL and of course it's the Packers!! My whole family is Packers fans, except me, Go Bears!! I don't get much love especially since the Packers won the Superbowl. It's OK, I'll have my day!

D is going to the game today in Green Bay and to commemorate I dressed B in his Packer best. I must admit, the jersey is super cute!

He was given the jersey (size 18mo) about 10 months ago from my step dad while in the NICU. Back then we thought it would never fit. Now it's perfect!

8 weeks old in the NICU

So for the sake of my hubby coming home crabby, Go Pack Go!! ;-)

My first Vlog

2011-09-06T11:18:00.000-05:00

I jumped on the band wagon and decided to do a vlog (video blog). I like the accent one that is being passed around so I decided to do that one as my first intro to the video land.

Sorry for the shifty eyes, I was trying to read the questions. B also got in on the action.

Here's what you are suppose to say and answer.

Say these words:

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

And answer these questions:

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a group of people?
What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
What is the thing you use to change the TV channel?

There will definitely be more vlogs to come. PS, it took me an hour to figure out how to use my web cam, LOL. And this is after my husband couldn't figure it out. Good thing I know how it works now!

A day at the pool and poof it's Fall!

2011-09-05T19:20:00.001-05:00

Labor Day weekend started off with great weather and we headed to our friends families pool for the afternoon. B loves to swim with dad. Great day, great friends. And the most precious new pup, Louise. I heart her. She's our friends new addition.

The weekend ended perfectly, with Fall weather. The perfect 'unofficial' end to summer, 63* and sunny. My mom and I made yummy g-free pumpkin bread. I tore the tags off my new sweater and finally got to wear it. B was cozy in some cool weather clothes. I wish every weekend were 3 days!

I heart Fall...I hope the weather stays!

Pumpkin Bread recipe found here. We also add cream cheese to the middle (8oz cream cheese, 1/4c sugar, 1 egg beaten)

Friday Randoms

2011-09-02T08:00:00.007-05:00

*I'm thinking about doing a vlog (video blog). My fave bloggers have been doing them lately and I may give it a try. Anyone really interested in this?

*Finally found some good G-free pancakes. Pamela's brand. And they don't cost a million dollars. And yes I ate all these myself!

*I am ~~overly~~ excited about the Holidays. I may have already put out a few Fall things and bought B some holiday socks!!

*It's going to be 95* today and 65* on Monday. Come on Chicago let's get this biopolar-ness under control and pick a temp.

*I'm obsessed with the Tiny Zoo Ap. Any one else? It's so addicting!

*B got a new Leap Frog friend for his bday. I had it on his wish list, it's a great toy, but it creeps me out. You can personalize it for babies name and fav color-food. They way it sings B's name cracks me up. He LOVES it!!

*Is anyone interested in a gently used OiOi leather diaper bag? Message/Email me if your interested for more details.

*When I heard that Americas Next Top Model was all stars this season I screamed like a teenage girl. Love that show!

*Love my new nail polish, very Fall-ish and I love purple. OPI Siberian Nights.

*For my pop culture followers....I HATED Kim K's hair thing she wore at her wedding. Yuck!

Happy Labor Day weekend!! Un-official end of Summer. Hello Fall!!

One year check up!

2011-08-30T18:58:00.001-05:00

B had his one year wellness check up today at his pediatrician. He is 75th for height and 60th for weight. Great for a little preemie who is now quite the chunky monkey (which he's being for Halloween).

He got shots and blood work today, to test his medication levels. No cries and not even a real fuss. He's a pro!

Today we also met his new speech therapist. She is going to help B be more efficiant with eating, help him eat quicker (hoping to reduce his 30 min bottles), and help him transition to sippys (eventually). he did great. She wants to get a swallow study done at the hospital to make sure everything is working properly inside. He chokes, gags more than he should. The worry is he is aspirating so the test will let us know for sure. He had one in the NICU and it didn't show anything to worry about.

B also met with his new PT. We are now going through Early Intervention, a program run by the state. Our insurance only allows us a certain amount of private insurance so we can now do both. The plus, they come to the house! Our new PT comes highly recommended by my old one. They even called each other to chat about B. So far so good. She will come once a week. Speech will come twice a month. His vision specialist will come once a week. All to the house. How did he get so lucky to get all this attention!!

So needless to say after the Dr and all B's therapies today he was out like a light. He usually stirs when I place him in his crib (after lulling him to sleep with his pacifier and a lap). Today he was dead weight and took an extra long nap! He's due for some relaxing tomorrow!!

B's Party!

2011-08-29T08:00:00.015-05:00

Saturday we had B's birthday party and what a great day it was. The weather could not have been better.

I started my day off with a girls pedicure with my mom and grandma. Moms need some papering too!

We had tons of food, I am still full. Of course I made some of the items G-free so I could also eat them. The cupcakes, from my fave bakery, were not GF but we picked up some yummy chocolate ones so my mom and I could have dessert.

B got lots of nice things. I made a wish list at Babies to help people out since B didn't need toys as he's not quite there yet to playing with big boy toys. We got some great clothes, some much needed essentials (lotion and wipes are excellent gifts), and some music toys which B loves.

There was not the typical one year cake smashing since B isn't there feeding wise but we did sing him happy birthday and I sure did tear up. It hit me when I started singing to him as he was sitting in my lap.

I can't believe he is one!! I can now print my 'Bs first year' book. SO excited, more on that to come.

Here's some pics from the party. The theme was blue and orange. We had it at my parents house since they have an awesome backyard!

Here's to continued health and development....go B go!!

Happy Birthday B

2011-08-27T09:00:00.035-05:00

One Year ago this little man entered the world at 2 lbs 14 oz. 12 weeks early but full of fight!

Now a big healthy (22lb 7oz 30.5in) boy who's had one hell of a year. He's survived the impossible and has shown just how much he wants to be here. Our special little man has touched many lives, most of all ours.

Happy 1st Birthday my sweet miracle!

Tomorrow

2011-08-26T08:00:00.037-05:00

I have been thinking about, dreaming about tomorrow for a while. It's a scary and happy day all at the same time. I have every emotion and then some. Tomorrow my son turns ONE!

Ask a preemie mom about their child's birth day and it's usually the same terrifying story ending with you alone in a room while your tiny baby is in the NICU with wires and tubes and you haven't even gotten to hold them yet. The day my son was born is no different. It was a heartbreaking day and I had never been so scared in my life. I saw my son for a few seconds before they took him and my husband to another hospital to stay in the NICU. The joy of having a baby was over shadowed by uncertainty and worry. No happy visitors and a sleeping baby waiting to nurse. Just an empty room and no promise your child would live.

For a long time I wasn't certain I would ever see my son turn one, we never had a guarantee. I never even let myself dream of his first birthday party until recently when he was officially healthy.

Tomorrow I know I'll feel a lot of the same feelings I did the day he was born, they are burned in me forever. But tomorrow is different, tomorrow we get to celebrate the little life that was born that day. He gets a day filled with joy and happiness, all the things he didn't get one year ago from an ICU incubator.

He's had a tough year and has fought hard to be here and be healthy. Tomorrow we celebrate him! He is one and that is a miracle!

Read his full birth story here

One Year Ago....28 weeks

2011-08-24T08:15:00.001-05:00

This time last year I was 7 months pregnant, just entering my third trimester, and putting all the finishing touches to prepare for our little man. My pregnancy had been perfect. Healthy weight gain, good glucose test, and baby looked great. This week I thought was like any other, I had no clue I would soon meet my son, way too early.

I replay this week in my head often. Was there a clue I missed? Were what I thought was braxton hicks happening more than they should? Why didn't I know I was in labor? As a first time mom I thought my pains were braxton hicks, my high pain tolerance did not allow for them to hurt as actual contractions and I didn't notice they were getting more frequent. I blamed my sleepless night and sore back on the third trimester, not labor.

This week is also very fond for me. It was the last week I carried my son, safe inside. His birth was sudden and quick and then he was here. I get asked a lot why I had a preemie and the answer is I don't know. I will never know which is frustrating and scary if we decide to give B a sibling, it could happen again.

Even for 7 months I had a nicely round belly. I loved it!

These were taken the day before B was born.

Canvas Giveaway WINNER

2011-08-24T08:00:00.003-05:00

And the winner is.......

Rachel @ Our Life in West Virginia

She wants a print done of her one year old. Congrats and enjoy. Just send me your email address and I will pass along your info.

livelovelaughblog (at) yahoo.com

Canvas GIVEAWAY

2011-08-22T08:00:00.043-05:00

I recently worked with Easy Canvas Prints to get one of B's pictures made. I love it. It turned out so good. We added it to our canvas collage wall.

I am hosting a GIVEAWAY with them for my readers. The winner will receive one 8x10 custom canvas. This is a great prize!!!

To enter leave me a comment letting me know why you want to win the canvas.

For an extra entry 'like' them on Facebook here.

Winner will be announced Wednesday!!

A day at the park and some randoms

2011-08-19T16:43:00.000-05:00

Today I am embracing summer and the cool breeze we are finally getting. I met my friend Amy at the park and B enjoyed himself. He loves the fresh air and shade.

This park, my first time there, was crazy huge! I wanted to play on the play sets, yes there was like 6. The park is handicap accessible with ramps and handicap swing sets. Perfect for when B is older he can use the swings with more support and should he ever need a chair he can still play on the jungle gyms.

*****

*This weekend I have all my last minute party stuff to do. Can't believe little man will be one next week.

*I have a really good giveaway I am hosting on Monday....stay tuned and make sure to enter!

*I have some posts next week about B, our year, my pregnancy. All in time for him turning one!

*Congrats to Megan and her hubby who welcomed there twins today. I have been following and bloggie friends with her since before she was pregnant with her sweet Cohen who is now in heaven. So happy for them. Head over and send some love.

*B's crib napping couldn't be going any better. He loves it!

*This morning we headed to our local Macy's to speak to the sales team about the Shop For a Cause event. It was cool to go as a representative for the MoD. The sales team liked putting a face to the event. Since the event date is B's birthday they deemed it Brayden day!

Happy Weekend everyone!!!

SHOP FOR A CAUSE

2011-08-17T09:13:00.001-05:00

This year Macy's has teamed up with The March of Dimes for a SHOP FOR A CAUSE event. I was asked to go speak to our local Macy's corporate team about MoD. (I think I'm going Friday).

Here's how it works. You go to Macy's and buy a coupon for $5, all money goes to MoD. This coupon will get you 25% off all day. The day they chose is August 27th...B's birthday. How cool is that!

You can also learn more and buy coupons here.

So if you shop at Macy's please head and pick up this coupon and help out a good cause. Think of B when your saving all that money on the 27th!!!

I purchased mine and although I wont make it to the mall that day (B's party) the coupon is also good online!!! I will be making my order via computer!

Crib Confession

2011-08-16T13:13:00.001-05:00

As far as sleeping in our house B is still in our room. First in a co-sleeper and now in his pack n play. He naps on his play mat, where he typically plays himself to sleep. Also on a lap, I like my B cuddle time once a day. And he will also nap in his pack n play. B's crib has been used for storage, gasp, I know such a waste of a great bed. His clothes bins, extra toys, blankets, they all lived there.

Until yesterday that is. I decided it was FINALLY time to wash the sheets, mount the monitor, and let B get some comfy cozy napping in his own room.

I rocked him to sleep with his paci and then laid him down and not a peep for 30 minutes. Today was met with the same success, although he would have napped longer if the noisy mail guy wasn't banging on the mail boxes outside.

So it only took a year to use the crib...but now we are up and running...next step is full nights in there....baby steps LOL.

Questions answered

2011-08-12T11:52:00.001-05:00

Thanks for all the questions. I loved hearing what you wanted to know.

Anonymous asked:
how did you get past the trauma of preterm labor and the nicu? my labor was similar to yours at 32 weeks and i still struggle everyday.

Preterm labor is tough. I struggled a lot in the beginning. I really had to mourn the loss of the birth and baby I had expected. Through mourning I was able to see more clearly my situation and except my sons birth. The NICU is a crazy roller coaster no one should have to ride. I dove in head first to help my son. I researched and became fluent in 'NICU speak' and how it all worked. I was proactive with my sons care. I became friends with the nurses, they helped me a ton, especially his primary nurse Sarah whom I still talk to. I have been going to a therapist/life coach for years and he helped us learn to cope with the trauma better than we could on our own. I had good days and bad days, it truly is a roller coaster of up and downs. The bad days are less now but I still have flash backs to our time in the NICU and those feelings still come back, especially more now that my sons birthday is approaching. I have been reflecting on his year more and the weeks before I had him. So like with any trauma I would say, learn, get support, talk about what's going on, and allow yourself to grieve.

Cole asked:
How are Brayden and Bella getting along?

Bella loves Brayden. She likes to like him and lay next to him. Brayden could care less about Bella but he does smile when she licks him. Bella currently still lives with my parents. We have her over all the time. It's hard to have a barkey dog and a sleeping baby.

Ashley asked:
What advice would you give first time parents to help them go from being just a couple to being parents? (I find a lot of people struggle with this).

LOL, this is a huge learning experience. I learn something new everyday. It's hard. I would say stay in communication and like I've blogged about before I'm a huge fan of life coaching to help mentally refresh yourself and keep working and growing and improving yourself. Allow yourself to make mistakes and do what works for you as a couple, it's different for everyone. Also, make time to spend alone and don't talk about the baby!!

Mara asked:
Do you have a favorite color you like to dress B in?
He wears a of blue. For the obvious, he's a boy and the majority of boy clothes are blue. He looks good in orange, a color I own none of, but I like to put on B. I like to buy mix and match clothes so basic color pallets that can mix pants and tops.

Do you have a favorite brand of clothing for him?
I love Baby Gap. They are have such cute trendy clothes that fit him well. Since they are on the more pricey side, for something he only wears for 3-5 months, I also like Old Navy and Carters. Carters oneises are long which is perfect since B has a really long torso and short legs....just like dad LOL!

Anonymous asked:
Do you plan on having more children?
Maybe? We have not decided either way. We have just started talking about what we want to do. With B being special needs I am not sure what kind of care/attention he will need as he gets older and it might be selfish to add another person to the mix who gets less attention. Also I would like to have a different birth experience so having another is very appealing to me. If it does happen I want another boy for sure....I love having a son. As I am open with pretty much everything I will also let everyone in on if/when #2 would be coming. Either way there wouldn't be a baby on board for at least a year.

Email question:
How is Brayden doing developmentally?
He is very behind but with all his therapies he is making good progress. It's hard somethings to think he will be one and can't sit or move around a lot. But then again from where he's been and how far he's come he is doing wonderfully. We knew his development would be effected because of the brain damage and it is. He is on his own path and everyone he works with is confident he will hit all the milestones he needs to, just on his own time. I must say most kids his age are into everything, all over the house. B loves play mat and I don't worry if he's eating my shoe and he loves to cuddle, something most moms would have lost months ago!! He has such a big personality and even though he's different everyone he meets he's able to melt there hearts.

Happy Friday everyone. We watched Bella this week while my P's were on vacay and she just loved B!

If you have more questions please feel free to ask.

You run the show!

2011-08-10T09:32:00.002-05:00

I wanted to follow suit of some of my fave bloggers and open my comments up to questions. I have some FAQ's I get in emails I will answer too. Please ask away. I am open to talking about anything.

My little ~~big~~ potato sack was sleepy the other day when we took him out of the car. Sweetness!

I look forward to reading what you come up with!!

I spy Fall!

2011-08-08T17:31:00.001-05:00

Thank you Carters for being obnoxiously early with your Halloween stuff....Fall is right around the corner. And of course I snatched this up! Gap also has some cute pre-order onesies!

They also had Thanksgiving stuff, maybe a little too early for that. To be honest if I knew what size B would be wearing then...I would have bought that too. I love Fall and the holidays!

I think the recent rain mixed with humidity...aka mosquito's everywhere is making me hate summer even more. I'm over it! I am ready to step out in jeans, a scarf, a cuddly sweater, and head to get a chai latte....are those gluten free?? I hope so! In the mean time I'll scratch my bug bites and deal with the rest of summer.

Friday Randoms

2011-08-05T08:00:00.003-05:00

First of all this week flew by...is it really Friday? Though I am a stay at home mom ~~babysitter~~ I love the weekend because the hubby is home to hang out with us ~~watch B~~.

*Props to the hubby this week for discovering UNOs has gluten free pizza!! It wasn't too bad.

*The heat hasn't been too bad this week so nightly walks with B were more pleasant. I love our walks.

*My parents left for Australia yesterday for work and they conveniently have a few days for fun/touring. I'm so jealous but I have requested they return with some UGG's for B...since they are from Aussie!

*I am officially boycotting summer and am dreaming of my Fall sweaters and scarves!

*Brayden is getting an evaluation today from four developmental specialists (PT/Developmental/Speach/Vision) to determine how often he needs therapy and what to focus on.

*My husband box of chocolate donuts, which I bought him, are taunting me. I have serious had to talk myself out of a massive headache if I eat them....I hid them in the back of the pantry so I don't have to look at them.

*My little man is doing so good at sitting practice. He's making such good progress.

*I bought a $7 box of g-free muffin mix only to mix up the milk and oil amount completely ruining the mixture. Damn you ingredients.

*I am 98% done with B's 'My First Year' book I made him on Mix Book. I can't wait to see it printed and bound in a book.

Happy Friday!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T16:23:00.000-05:00

My toy!!

Heat Wave

2011-07-31T19:15:00.001-05:00

This heat wave we are having is really making me want Fall. I heart Fall so much!! I already bought a sweater and a leaves scented candle. Summer, it was fun but it's time to go.

B's birthday is well on it's way. My mom and I hit the party store in Saturday. Menu is done. RSVP's are slowly coming in...and his Etsy shirt is waiting for him to wear (which i am SO in love with)!!

B has been waking up around 7am lately and we put him in bed with us and he dozes off right away. Such a cuddler. I can never sleep with him in bed, I am too nervous of fluffy pillows, soft mattress, ect. My mom brain won't let me sleep and that's ok. I like watching my sweet baby.

So we have a another hot week ahead of us...B and I will stay cool inside!

Happy Sunday!

Seriously...stop growing! (11 months old)

2011-07-27T09:21:00.000-05:00

My little preemie is HUGE! He is also 11 months old today! I can't wrap my head around the fact that his 1st birthday is right around the corner.

He has been in a growth spurt. We started the summer in size 6mo and we are now in 12mo clothes. I put some things in the storage bin that he only wore once because who knew he would fly through so many sizes. I had bought some winter clothes on clearance in Spring for this winter and I'm nervous they will be too small. I now know to buy clothes as he needs them and not a season ahead.

Weight: 20 lbs 6 oz
Height: 29.5"
Diapers: size 3...almost ready for 4

Celiac...one week later

2011-07-26T08:54:00.000-05:00

It's been over a week since I got my diagnosis and this 'gluten' word has been thrust full force into my life and it's been a roller coaster so far.

I read my Celiacs for Dummies and learned a ton. I am half way through Elizabeth Hasselbeck's book and although I really don't like her I do like her book.

I have called every single product number for all my products, meds, lotions, lip glosses, and anything that B could possibly ingest, even his diaper wipes that we sometimes use on his face. Most companies were very quick and helpful but some were very vague. I realized that my hair spray...which I love clearly states WHEAT in the ingredients. Since I breath in my aerosol it was out.

I have discovered a few restaurants that have G free menus. Outbacks was pretty large, Olive Garden was small but the pasta was good. Next up to try is PF Changs.

I have found some yummy foods which is making this exciting to find all these new foods and they are unfortunately 2-3x more expensive.

These Think Thin bars are SO good. I wish I knew about them before I was g free. I was always trying to find a good protein/snack bar and I finally found one.

My mom bought these and made cupcakes. Gluten free baked goods are so much richer and moist(I hate that word but it's true). I am a cake lover and I would say I like them better.

On advice from my readers I tried Udi's and you were all right, it's the best!

We have a G free bakery by us that sells at Whole Foods. YUM!

The hardest part so far has been traveling and attending parties. We went to a birthday party on Saturday and I do not expect anyone to cater to my diet needs so I brought my own snacks. It was hard to watch everyone eat the yummy foods I would normally be eating. I'm sure it will get easier and I know to always bring snacks and plan ahead.

So how I am I feeling? SO much better. My back pain is gone. I don't need a nap to make it through the day. I'm not bloated anymore. And (TMI) my body is much more regular.

My mom was tested and she does not have Celiac but she does have a gluten sensitivity so she will be going G free too. My grandfather and dad will also be getting tested as it's a genetic condition and runs in families. We plan to get B tested at age 3 with a genetic profile test to see if he has the gene, since he wont be eating gluten it wouldn't show up in a normal blood test.

So this meaningless word has now taken over my daily life...LOL. It gets easier each day.

And because every post needs some B....he will be 11 months tomorrow!

Sleep eating!

Eyes closed smile

2011-07-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

When B smiles, he smiles with his entire face. Mouth wide open and eyes closed. It is such an infectious smile and it cracks us up that if he's smiling, his eyes will not be open. Oddly enough this is just how my mom smiles. Almost every time we take pictures with her we have to retake the shot because shes got her eyes closed, LOL.

Seeing a trend?? LOL

Gluten Free Bisquick

2011-07-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

I am still in my infancy stage of eating gluten free and so far it's been full of ups and downs. I have found some yummy foods and some pretty disgusting stuff. It's all still trial and error.

My hubby found gluten free Bisquick at Dominick's. I was so excited!! Let's make pancakes. After researching Aunt Jemima's I found I can eat there syrup. I thought they were really yummy!! D liked too! Downside is you get a small box for $6.99, blah!

Last night I wanted to try the breaded chicken recipe and again yummy!!! I will be keeping this in my house at all times. I really want to make there garlic biscuit recipe.

This Amy's mac n cheese is also really good. I have been buying this long before I was eating GF. Good stuff!

Additional Bisquick recipes found here.

Wedding Weekend

2011-07-18T16:11:00.000-05:00

Not going to lie, I am still pooped from our wedding weekend. We had a blast watching our friends Joe and Lauren get married. We were so honored to both be in the wedding. Her bridesmaids dresses were amazing, she's an awesome bride and let us pick at J Crew!

B did great at my parents house. I think he eats better for my mom, LOL. As much fun as we had I still woke up missing my B.

Family Pictures

2011-07-17T20:10:00.000-05:00

The wedding weekend was awesome. I am fully exhausted and partied out. I am a bad blogger and didn't take pics but some are being emailed to me, coming soon. My friend Lauren was the most beautiful bride. I can't wait to post her picture!

*****

In the mail today waiting for me was our family pictures we had taken on July 2. We used the same photographer, Danielle Main, as before and once again she out did herself. I am SO SO happy with them. Here is a sampling...

Cousins!

Derek's side of the family

Three generations with my mom

My family

My beautiful niece Zoe

Pictures were taken at my in laws lake house...we lucked out with a beautiful day!

It all makes sense now

2011-07-15T08:06:00.001-05:00

Day two of this gluten free word and my head isn't spinning so much, I have learned a ton in just one day.

I bought Elizabeth Hasselbecks book The G Free Diet and Celiac Disease for Dummies. I have read half of the Dummies and it's got some good info. All my symptoms that were so unrelated put together are all part of Celiac.

My itchy skin that I went to a dermatologist for in March. My fatigue that I assumed was from being a stay at home mom. My achy joints I assumed were from being up and down all day with a 20 lb potato sack aka baby. My stomach aches I was told were acid reflux. My anxiety I thought was from having a hospitalized child was amplified by the Celiac. My constipation, TMI sorry. My mood swings all related to Celiac. Separately these could all be assumed unrelated but now that I put it together it all makes sense!

My book says that often Celiac people don't realize how much the symptoms are really affecting them. They get so used to the daily aches and such that it just becomes normal to them. They don't realize just how bad it was until they see how the no gluten is making them feel 10x better. My Dr said it may take 2-3 months to be completely symptom free so we'll see how it goes.

I have also decided to make B gluten free and I want him to be tested, another blood test for my poor little man. Either way he will be g free. I have already gathered a bag of his foods that I will donate to my friend. Baby oatmeal out, some baby food mixes out, teething biscuits out. Luckily I make all his food with the exception of some Gerber, Earth's Best store bought food we keep for travel. It was also really handy when the power was out. I have emailed Earth's Best to get a list of there gluten free items. B loves his oatmeal and I need to find a substitute that doesn't plug him up like rice cereal.

My normal breakfast was just replaced with rice bread. Which toasted with butter was pretty good!

And M&M's are gluten free!! As are pretty much all of the Hershey products.

Our wedding weekend begins today. My dear friend has called the venue to make my meal gluten free. Love her. I have many snacks just in case I can't eat certain things...I'll be learning as I go. And champagne...gluten free...yes please!

Celiac Disease

2011-07-14T12:27:00.000-05:00

I spoke with my GI Dr today and my blood results show I do have Celiac Disease. I will need to go gluten free and repeat another endoscopy in one year to see how things are healing, in my small intestine.

I am headed to the book store to get some reads, I hear Elizabeth Haselbecks book is good. I found some iPhone apps that are all about G-free and so the journey begins.

I have already found some good g-free blogs and if you know of any others please link them to my comments.

I am scared and feeling a bit over whelmed. I know it will get easier and I will feel much better. A whole new lifestyle change is a big deal. Slowly but surely I'll get there and I'm sure there will be many more blogs about gluten to come.

It's on It's on It's on

2011-07-13T19:41:00.001-05:00

Hallelujah!!! It kicked on right after D got home from work and we both (literally) did a happy dance. Welcome back to 2011 I will never take power for granted! It was not a moment too soon, I was going a bit nutty!

Load 1 of 10 is in the wash, dishwasher on, grocery list made, ice tea brewing....ahh back to life.

Here is a tree by our house that the storm took. There are trees and limbs all over the place.

Now onto packing and planning for our big weekend away. SO excited for our besties friends wedding!

Going on 60 hours...no power

2011-07-13T13:32:00.000-05:00

I am writing this from my husbands office cubicle with B on the floor and my iPhone charging because we have NO POWER!!!

Monday morning a nasty storm came through the Chicago area and our town was one the hardest hit. It went through quick and made a total mess of things. We have been without power since then and according to reports we wont have it until tomorrow at midnight. Insert every swear word here!

The stop lights in our town just started working last night, that made for fun traffic. And all the gas stations were out for 2 days. Basically we have been living in the 1800's.

By some miracle we have hot water...?? Not sure but I'm not going to complain. My parents are also without power and they have no water.

This weekend we have a wedding downtown and B is staying with my parents. Luckily it doesn't take power to take care of B. If we don't get power by Friday I will have to go get Derek some T's and underwear since our laundry pile is huge!

I managed to save all my homemade baby food, we took it to Derek's office freezer right after the power went out so at least my hours of work will still be there but all our other food is gone. Been living off takeout!

Fingers crossed it comes back on soon....I may go crazy in the mean time!

Friday Randoms

2011-07-08T09:59:00.003-05:00

*I am getting anxious waiting for the results from my GI Dr. I am contemplating being that person who stalks the receptionist until she goes and runs the blood herself.

*Next weekend is our good friends wedding. D and I are both in the wedding and so excited. It's going to be a beautiful downtown Chicago affair!! My (beautiful black J Crew bridesmaids) dress is pressed and ready to go!

*B's rash is pretty much (finally) gone! Our chemistry experiment is working...LOL. Our NICU nurse Sarah commented on the rash post and suggested a mixture they use, thanks for the help! We switch between that and Neosporine.
(maalox, aquaphore, desitine or triple paste mixed together)

*I have grown to HATE velcro. As in all of B's bibs are velcro and stick to everything in the wash, even in a wash bag. If you don't take his bib off oh so delicate it will leave a nice red scratch from the velcro. I am going to splurge and buy more Aden + Anais burpy bibs,that snap! We have 2 and love them!

*My new baby sling is on it's way. Now that B is out of the (wonderful and easy) infant carrier, my arms are on the verge of falling off. My Moby wrap is too confusing and takes forever and our Bjorn is awkward for me, much better on dad. My love for Etsy has not failed me, hello easy Sling!

*B's birthday invites will be in the mail next week...I'm so excited for his birthday and party!!

*I wanted B to have a memory book/ baby book and I am not the scrap booking type. I have the attention span of a 4 year old most of the time. I love photography and anything digital so I found an amazing digital scrap booking site I started using, Mixbook. I started making B's book when he was in the ICU at Children's and I would just sit with him for hours and work on the book. I work on it every week or so and so far I have 89 pages. After his birthday party I will finish the book and have it printed. It has been so easy to make and I have full creative design control. It's a great way to use all my pictures I take. I plan to make one for each year for B. I am so proud of this book so far.

*For B's birthday I created a Babies R Us wish list and I am loving it. It's like baby registry all over again. It's a great way to let people know the things you need...because baby essentials add up quick. B is blessed and has many toys and clothes so this can help him get some much needed daily essentials.

*I mentioned my 4 year old attention span. This post has taken me 2 hours to write as I'm doing laundry, feeding munchkin, changing diapers, ordering my sling, and blogging all at the same time!

*My freezer is full of baby food! B is stocked for awhile with lots of yummy combos. B loves the homemade so much and it's so much better for him we rarely use the store bought stuff. He does prefer Gerber banana blends to fresh but otherwise he loves my recipes!!

*B has the most dreamy long eyelashes...why is it always the boys?

Happy Friday!

Car Seat-FAIL

2011-07-07T20:11:00.002-05:00

B got his big boy car seat back in April when my dad was here and bought it for him. We put him in it once and he looked good so we stored it away until ~~the last possible second~~ he had out grown his infant carrier. He hit 29" and it was time!

We pulled it out, set it up, looked great. Our first ride was up to Milwaukee (1 hour) for a neurology follow at Children's Hospital. The ride up was great, B was happy and alert. The ride home, not so much. B was tired and his head was a floppy mess. I sat in the back seat and held his head up while he fussed/slept. Fun!! This was clearly not going to work....big fail!

And the biggest fail of all I threw the box away!! A 9pm run to Babies R Us that night, with wet hair...very classy, and me begging the lady to take it back sans box after 2 months. I assured her I had only used it literally 2 hours. She finally said I could do an exchange....hallelujah!

I knew which one I wanted. We had been torn between two when we bought the first one. I got our second choice, which should have been the first choice.

Installed, took his first ride....PERFECT!! I love this seat and so does B!

We got the Graco My Ride 65. I highly recommend for the infant carrier-car seat transition. The bucket shape is perfect for younger (car nap prone) babies. It fits up to 65 pounds front facing so it will last a while. And we can rear face until 40 pounds for extra safety!

Our first one was Safety 1st brand seat that fit up to 100 lbs. Not a fan!

Rash from hell

2011-07-06T09:41:00.000-05:00

B has always been a rash prone baby since day 1. Two weeks ago we noticed one forming, worse than the normal slightly red (baboon) butt. Constipation from too much banana? Teething? Who knows...probably a combo of both. Despite all the triple paste lathering the rash got worse and worse until it was nasty red with open sores, poor guy. I have talked to our Dr's nurse twice in hopes to get rid of this thing for good. Maalox on the area gets rid of the rash (teething makes urine very acidic and Maalox cuts the acid) and triple paste (great stuff). Now the rash is gone and the open sores are still there. Neosporine at each diaper change, lots of open air time, and using the blow dryer (on low-cool) to speed up the drying process. Slowly but surely it's going away. I hope we never see another rash like this.

This is how you'll see B for most of his day....good thing for 'potty pads'. He's loving being nakey!

Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T10:27:00.000-05:00

What a whirlwind busy fun weekend....whew. I'm exhausted. We have had a fun filled weekend and today we are relaxing.

Saturday we headed to my in laws lake for family photo day. We used the photographer we hired to shoot B back in March and I must say she's are new permanent go to person, she's awesome. It was beautiful outside and we got some great shots out by the lake. My parents were also there. 8 adults-2 kids-hundreds of shots-less than 3 hours. She's good! I can't wait to see them. She showed me a few on her camera and I loved. I will also be hitting up Danielle for an updated header!

Sunday we headed back to the lake for a BBQ. Lots of people and kiddos. Great weather....great day!! B had his first dip in the lake and his first boat ride. The fresh air and heat wore him out, he took long naps and slept in 2 hours this morning. Little man had fun. Unfortunately we missed fireworks as we had to head home early because my stomach was acting up. Uhh....damn stomach! All in all a great weekend.

Steaks are thawing for tonight and the three of us can relax.

2nd Blog-iversary!!

2011-07-01T08:00:00.001-05:00

Well I've been at it for 2 years now. I have had many life changes and all have been documented right here. I love my blog, my readers, and my commenters.

I have made many friends through blog land and received a lot of support, especially after having a preemie. The blog world is amazing and I'm glad I'm a part of it!

***
Thanks for all the comments and references on my gluten free post yesterday. I heard over and over how being gluten free has made people feel much better, that's a huge plus. I will post my results when I have them.

Gluten Free

2011-06-30T12:56:00.001-05:00

I received results from my biopsy they did during my endoscopy. My small intestine showed some inflammation so I need to get blood work done to test for celiac disease. This is an intolerance to wheat (gluten). If I test positive I will have to change my diet to completely gluten free. I am getting blood work tomorrow and 1-2 weeks for results. Adult onset can be caused by high stress and pregnancy...check and check!

Hopefully I don't have it but my suspicions are peeked after researching it. A common side effect is a skin condition that causes itchy skin, which I went to dermatologist for a few months back, she gave me an allergy med Rx for sensitive skin...?? I'll just have to wait and see.

I know I don't have answers yet but I have done some 'gluten free' research and I feel very overwhelmed. I love bread, cake, ice cream....scared about completely changing my diet. And not by choice but because I would have to, to avoid possible serious complications.

Does anyone currently have this or chooses to live a gluten free lifestyle. I know gluten free is becoming a common trend.

Cuddle bug

2011-06-30T07:34:00.001-05:00

B is such a little cuddler. If he can have a warm comfy lap, he will nap. He will nap well in bed but he prefers a lap! I love that he still lays on me. I hope it never stops. Sometimes his quick cat nap turns into an hour later, my butt or leg is numb, I have to pee, I can't reach the remote...but it's all worth it!

I miss when he would lay on my chest as a little dude. I try to trick him all the time and put him on his tummy, he wiggles his way out. I'll take what I can get.

Last Dec...little nugget!

10 months old!

2011-06-28T08:42:00.000-05:00

B is 10 months old (7months adjusted)

My little tiny preemie has caught up to his real age size...he's huge and SO long!

19 lbs 2 oz
29in

Clothes size 9-12mo
size 3 diapers

This week his infant carrier will go into storage, time for the big boy car seat!

B is doing awesome in PT/OT. He is developmentally pretty behind but all in all he's doing great. No signs of CP so far and he's getting all his milestones down slowly but surely. He's on his own time line and that's fine with us, he makes the rules!

He has moved out of our bed co-sleeper into the pack n play next to the bed. Next step will be (finally) the crib. Just like B, slowly but surely this mom is getting there.

He eats food twice a day and does great. Eats all that we give him. He loves bananas, mango, and butternut squash. He loves all the homemade goodies I've made him so far.

Birthday plans are well in place. My invites will go out in two weeks. I can't wait!

Chunky monkey goodness!!

This is how we find him every morning...sideways! Loving all his room!

Live.Love.Laugh.

These boots were made for walking....well standing

Perfectly Posh WINNER

Perfectly Posh GIVEAWAY

Product Review

Product overload!

Out with the bad....

The Brayden Bunch-second annual walk!

On the move

Resolution FAIL

The worst day 1-4-11

A New Year

A very Merry Christmas

The everything Brayden post

Merry Christmas

Randoms

Snow-1 Car-0

B's first haircut!

"Santa! I know him"

Curling wand?

29 years old!

I love the holidays...

Giving Back

Big Boy!

Bangs?

25 Days

Christmas came early

The Feast!

Thankful

You snooze you lose!

One year old, adjusted that is, and coming home

World Prematurity Day

Oh Christmas Tree

Randoms

A weekend in Southern IL

A Dr filled day

Prematurity Awareness Month

Our little monkey on Halloween!

15 things you may not know

Wednesday Randoms

Holiday Card Winners

Random Weekends and Pumpkins!

Holiday Card Time and a giveaway!

A VERY sleepy baby

Happy 2nd Anniversary!

Anniversary dinner Helvey style

I need a miracle...or a plastic surgeon!

Wednesday Randoms

I'm not 21 anymore

Bath Time

Wednesday Randoms

Under the weather and reunions

Fall Time Fun

Wednesday Randoms

Another weekend flies by

It's official....FALL

IF...

Big Boy

ER's and x-rays and ambulances....oh my!

WANTED

Snotty Baby

Martinis, lazy Sundays, and lots of Baby Vicks

Football season is open

My first Vlog

A day at the pool and poof it's Fall!

Friday Randoms

One year check up!

B's Party!

Happy Birthday B

Tomorrow

One Year Ago....28 weeks

Canvas Giveaway WINNER

Canvas GIVEAWAY

A day at the park and some randoms

SHOP FOR A CAUSE

Crib Confession

More questions and a lake day

Questions answered

You run the show!

I spy Fall!