Let Freedom Ring!

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! We certainly did! I had a huge family get-together at my house. Usually, the parties are at my aunt's, but this year I was nominated...and I was so excited! Steven had 3 days off in a row before the holiday, so he worked his butt off to make the outside of our house look nice. We really had been neglecting it...there were weeds everywhere and the shrubbery was out of control. We had 2 yards of mulch delivered and he worked on it for 2 days straight...on his days off.

This is what he had to work with. It was like this everywhere.

He's a miracle worker, isn't he??

So, the yard looks excellent and the party was a blast. Not as many people showed up as I had hoped, but that just ended with us having lots of yummy leftovers! Sorry I don't have any pictures...I was trying to be a good hostess and had no time to step back and snap and shots.

We took the kids to watch fireworks on Monday night. I was very surprised, but Brooklyn was laughing hysterically the entire time! She loved them!! Carter was a bit more leary of them, but after he got used to the loud noises, I think he really enjoyed them, too. I had my friend's 5 year old daughter man my point-and-shoot camera for the evening to make sure we got a couple family pictures. She wants to follow in my footsteps and be a photographer...so I put her to work every chance I get!

Now I'm onto planning our next party, which will be Brookie's 1st birthday. She has grown so fast!! I can't believe it has been 10 months since we were blessed with our adorable little diva. She is now crawling, talking like crazy, and pulling herself up on everything she can get her hands on. She loves being independent, very much unlike her snuggly-buggly older brother, and prefers being on the floor by herself over being held. She is an amazing eater, also unlike her brother. We still have to bribe him to eat. He's so skinny. Brookie only weighs 10 pounds less than Carter. She wears a size 3 diaper, he wears a size 4. Even though they are so different, they love each other to pieces and they interact so well. It melts my heart.

I am one very blessed mama!

Making it Work

Steven is doing great with his new job. It has been somewhat tough because he works swing shift, 12 hour days. I have had very little help, especially when he works from 7pm-7am. I am not able to transfer myself into my bed from my wheelchair, so I have had to stay up all night long to be sure that I can care for the kids in the event that they may need me in the middle of the night. I am, however, able to get to the couch by myself. So, I went to Babies R Us last night and got the Delta Portable Crib. 

Now, I can put it next to me, whether I have help into bed or I get to the couch alone. Carter is mobile enough to be able to come to me if he needs me, so I will just have to be sure I have everything I could possibly need within reach before I lay down for the night. 

While I was at Babies R Us, I finally caved and purchased the Combi All-in-One Activity Walker in pink for Brooklyn. I have been wanting to buy it for a long time and I just had to do it! Isn't it adorable?

She is still getting the hang of it, since Carter's old Jeep Liberty Renegade Walker has back wheels that only go forward and backward...and these ones also go side to side. She will figure it out in no time!

So...onto me. About 3 weeks ago, I caught my big toenail on my shoe when I was putting it on and it bent backwards. It was all bloody underneath and started to pull away from my nail bed. I caught it a couple more times after that, since it was sticking up a bit. It just kept getting worse, so I called my doctor and told her. She told me to put Neosporin on it and keep it covered. I did as she said and it just never got any better, so she referred me to a specialist. I went today. He told me I had 2 choices. I could keep the nail and he could poke a hole in it to drain the blood underneath, or he could remove the nail. He said it would eventually fall off anyway, so I told him just to take it off so I could speed up the process. I was not at all excited about going all summer with no toenail, but he said I could keep a Band-Aid over it so nobody could see it. He gave me 3 injections to numb my foot and removed my toenail...it was still painted pink. I went directly to Walmart and bought leopard print Band-Aids for the re-growth process, which will take 6-9 months. I tell you, only I can injure my foot without ever walking on it!

Well, I'm off to play with the kiddos for the last hour before Steven gets home from work...then we are grilling out for dinner! Yum!! 

Sunshine & Summer Time!

I have been slacking on picture posts, so I took a few with my point & shoot the last week or so. I lost both my camera USB plug and my card reader...thankfully, Steven's cell phone USB works, too! We've been having a great time this summer, indoors and out! I should have lots more photos after this weekend. I'm throwing a huge 4th of July Celebration on Sunday. 

Yesterday, I went to get all of the decorations, plates, cups, etc. for the party. I will be picking up a ton of red, white, and blue balloons Sunday morning to deck the back yard out! I love balloons!! Steven has been working on a huge gift for me. Something I have been begging him for since we moved in almost 5 years ago. I will post photos when he is all finished. Its going to be amazing and a beautiful addition to our back yard. Stay tuned!

OK...onto the pictures!!

We Love Organics!

I haven't posted recently about home made baby food. This is mainly because I haven't had much time on my hands since Steven has gone back to work. I have been slacking on things in that department...but Brookie hasn't suffered from it! Although I am not making the food, I am still feeding her all organic. 

I have learned a lot about shopping for organics and what products are (in my humble, motherly opinion) the best. As far as baby food, when I cannot steam my own fresh (or frozen) foods, I use Earth's Best.

Not many baby food brands offer all of the diverse combinations that Earth's Best does. I went shopping 2 days ago at Walmart and picked up Pumpkin & Apples and a few different Fruit & Whole Grain Combinations. I really like that I can give Brooklyn all of the different tastes that I would if I was making the food myself.

Another money saving quick organic food that I give her is just plain unsweetened apple sauce. I usually either buy the store brand or Musselman's.

Snacks are a bit harder to find. There aren't many organic snack foods that are soft enough to give to a 6-9 month old. I recently found that my local Babies R Us has an excellent organic foods section. The baby food is much cheaper at Walmart, but they have lots of snacks that no other stores carry. Right now, Brooklyn loves the Plum Organics Super Puffs as well as the Organic Mum Mum cookies.

I plan to continue giving Brooklyn both fresh and jarred baby food. I know she certainly enjoys it either way!! Eventually, I hope to go completely organic for the entire family. 

Why Brooklyn Had 3 Baths Yesterday

So, yesterday was by far the most difficult day (physically) I have had since I entered the crazy world of motherhood. Steven had to work 7am-7pm and I was with the kids all day by myself. Normally, I have a little help, but yesterday was Saturday and everyone was either working or busy. No big deal...they're my kids. I can handle it. Famous last words.

The day began fairly normally. We took Carter to the drive-in to see Cars 2 on Friday night, so he slept in a bit. Normal morning. The afternoon was when things started to go crazy. We had leftover subs in the refrigerator that we were planning on eating for lunch. I got Brooklyn in her Pack n' Play with a bottle of apple juice then set Carter up at the table with his food. Then I got my own. About 5 minutes later, I looked over at Brookie and she was covered in juice from head to toe. I put my sandwich down and took her into the bathroom for a "sink tubby" as Carter calls it. He followed me in, of course. I got her cleaned up and brought her back out to get dressed. As I came back into the kitchen, our boxer Bianca is licking her lips. I knew. Both of our subs were gone. 

I got Carter some cereal for lunch, fixed the leaky juice bottle and put both kids down for their naps. I wiped down the inside of the playpen and did some housework while they were asleep. The afternoon after that was pretty non-eventful. 

My aunt brought my little cousins over after nap time. They stayed for a little while and visited. After they left, Brooklyn started to fall asleep in my arms, so I made a bottle and put her in her crib. I listened in on the baby monitor and peeked in every few minutes. She didn't fall asleep, but was perfectly content playing with her crib toys. After about 15 minutes, Carter and I went in to get her. I was putting clothes away in her drawers, so when Carter climbed in her crib with her, I didn't mind. I went to grab them back out and I see something brown up Carter's arm. I was like "Oh no! He pooped!" Well, I was wrong. It was Brooklyn...and it was everywhere. I called my mom for re-enforcements! She is on night shift, so she was home sleeping. I got Carter out, undressed, wiped down, and got him in the tub. Then I went back for her. There was no way to pick her up and wheel us both into the bathroom without covering myself in poop...but I had to do it. So, I put her in my lap, poop and all, and got her to the sink...again. I started to get her undressed and my mom came in. Thank God! She took over with Brooklyn and I got myself washed up and changed my clothes. Then I finished Carter's bath. I got all of the poopy clothes and bedding in the wash and I had to wipe down the entire crib. It was awful!

Needless to say, I was exhausted by the time Steven got home. At some point after the 2nd bath, something got all over Brookie's face and hair. I assume it was baby food, because it ended up drying and got all crusty...bath #3. We ordered out for dinner because I had absolutely no time to cook, then I went straight to bed. And I'm up this morning doing it all over again...hopefully without the poop! Thank God Steven is off for the next 2 days!!

Dance, Dance

I took this photo of my mom and the kids last month at my cousin's wedding...just thought I'd share! They are getting so big!!

And here is a video that Steven took on his phone of little man playing video games...just like Daddy!!

I hope you all like my new look! I spent part of yesterday giving myself a blog makeover! Not bad for DIY!!

What did I get myself into?

Normally, I do not blog about the negative things in life...I feel like if I put them out there for the world to see, then I will be faced with the reality of how I feel. Well, this is just something I cannot shake and I need to get it off my chest.

I thought getting my tubes tied was the right thing. My body really didn't handle my last pregnancy very well and when I had my c-section, my OB even told me that I had a really thin spot on my uterus that could've ruptured. So, why do I feel so wrong about the fact that I am done having kids? I feel like my situation just isn't fair. I grew up saying that I would have lots of babies. I wanted kids crawling all over me as I got older. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for what I have...but the worst thing I hear (and I hear it a lot) is "Well, you have the perfect family. One boy and one girl." OK, so is that supposed to make me feel complete? Because it really doesn't. Another thing I have heard that frustrates me is "Be happy that you have the 2 that you have. Don't be selfish." Really?? I have been through the crazy emotional world of infertility...I know how to be thankful for what I have. But does it really make me selfish for wanting lots of children? Its not like I want to be Octomom or Michelle Duggar (not that I think they're wrong for having as many as they do...I get it.) I just wish I could've chosen how many children I wanted and said "OK, I'm done." when I truly felt complete. 

I know there is always adoption or surrogacy, but I just wish things were easier. God knows the plan for my life...I just wish I did, too. I love my children more than anything in the world. That is absolutely true. I am very blessed and I will continue to be thankful for my perfect babies. I hope this awful feeling passes eventually. It isn't an easy one to deal with.

Its been a month, already?

Wow! Seriously, this blog has been neglected. I am so sorry!! I have been hard at work on my photography business and taking care of this crazy family, that I haven't had much time for anything else. Let me see if I can catch you all up...

Carter is now 2 1/2 and he is outside his mind about 16 hours a day. I find myself using the phrase "Are you nuts??" quite often as I am rushing to stop him from doing something disastrous. He definitely keeps us on our toes! He is totally into claymation/stop motion type movies...right now, and for about the past few months, he has been obsessed with Coraline. He quotes phrases in his daily life. It is amazing to me that he remembers so much. We are still working on potty training, but without much luck. I am trying to stay optimistic, but I am desperately hoping that he catches on soon.

Carter was in Steven's cousin's wedding last weekend. What a ham! He made sure he was the star of the show. Steven had to sit in the very first pew holding up a bag of M&Ms just to get him to come down the aisle. He ran directly to my mother-in-law, yelling "Dramma! Dramma!" before he successfully made it up front. Then, after being announced at the reception, he chose the optimal time to show his break dancing skills...during the couple's 1st dance. The flower girl, Ava, joined him.

He had a blast and so did the rest of us! Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Scott Moyer!!

Carter with the MOB, Aunt Becky.

Steven and I with our little ring bearer.

I love him more today than the day I married him.

Onto Miss Brooklyn. She is now 8 months old. She has 2 teeth and is very very mobile. She runs around the house in her walker, chasing her brother. She said her 1st word a couple weeks ago, which was "Dada", but since then, she has not stopped saying "Mama"! I love to hear it! She is our "Ears pierced, toenails painted, glitter loving" girly girl and she gets cuter every time I look at her!

Steven and I have been doing good. We finally returned to being a 2-car family. Steven also got some excellent news last week. After a year and a half of searching, he finally landed an insanely excellent job!! It is swing shift to start, so things will be difficult, but eventually they will get better. I know that I have plenty of family and friends to help if I need it, so that is something I am very thankful for. He starts tomorrow. Please keep him in your prayers!

Well, that's about it. I'm off to enjoy the rest of this lazy Sunday with the ones I love. Hope you all had a great weekend!

Clickin' Moms

I am working on an update post, seeing as how its been a month since I last posted, but for now, I just wanted to share something with you all! I have been trying to get my photography business off the ground and found a great forum that is dedicated to helping all women learn more about their cameras and how to take great photos. I have learned so much!! Click below to join...you won't regret it!!

Mommy's Beauty Queen

Brooklyn had her very first pageant this past weekend. I did them when I was little, so naturally I would want my daughter to follow in my footsteps. I did the same pageant circuit when I was in Jr. High as Brooklyn did this weekend. I was 1st Runner-up 3 years in a row. My daughter, however, took home the crown on her first try!

There was no ramp onto the stage, so my wonderful

husband stepped in and helped Brookie out...

She won "Best Attire" and "Top Model Look"...

She also won "Most Photogenic" and 

Overall Beauty for the Under 1 age division.

By winning this preliminary, she advanced to the state competition in May. We are very proud of our little beauty queen!

Baby Food Recipes #3 & #4

Apples & Chicken

1 Chicken Breast
3 Organic Apples
1/2 cup Water or Apple Juice

Grill chicken until fully cooked. Peel, core, and slice apples and put into a pan with enough water to slightly cover. Cover pan and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until tender, stirring often. Put chicken into blender and blend until you have a powder. Add water or apple juice and apples. Blend to desired consistency. Makes about 4 servings.

(No photo, sorry.)

Chicken with Noodles

1 Chicken Breast

3/4 cup Noodles

1/4 cup Water or Chicken Broth

Grill chicken until fully cooked. Cook noodles thoroughly. Put chicken into blender and blend until you have a powder. Add water or chicken broth and noodles. Blend to desired consistency. Makes about 3 servings.

(No photo, sorry)

March Madness!

Hello! It has been awhile since I have posted about how we are doing. Everything is going well. Carter is as crazy as ever. He is such a little jokester and has no fear! We are signing him up for soccer this week. Brooklyn has 2 teeth now and weighs almost 14 pounds. My kids have so much fun with each other and remind me of how God has blessed my life every day. Steven and I are still hanging in. No work for either of us yet, but I am pretty confident that I am going to be hearing something from our public library very soon. Fingers crossed! I am also still truckin along trying to build my photography business. 

Tomorrow, we are thinking of going to the NCAA Basketball practice at Quicken Loans Arena. It is our 2 favorite teams...Ohio State and Syracuse. I will post pictures...until then, enjoy these ones of my little Buckeyes in their OSU attire!

These ones I am planning on putting on canvases in our living room...

And here are a couple more that I just loved!

And another one of me and my little cheerleader! Love her to bits!!