I see you and your looks

That's right cashier-lady at Food Land. I saw you giving me that look. I saw you look at my single item - which was a jar of pickles - then look at my belly and smirk. I know what you are thinking. Where was my ice cream? Yes, I know that is exactly what is going through your head.  Well I will tell you where my ice cream was... in the freezer. I knew I was going to get enough side eyes when I brought a jar of pickles back to work. I didn't need to add to it with a container of ice cream.

...p.s. - for those that don't know. I'm pregnant with BabyP3. Expected in July. The cravings are taking over my mind. body. and maybe soul.

1 year ago today.

1 year ago today, I had no idea how my life was about to change in just 1 week. I had my 39 week appt and thought Asher was never going to come. My poison ivy was finally healing and a new rash was developing. My whole body itched. But that was a.o.k.. School was about to start which meant I was about to have a baby.

People were soooooooo impressed that at 38w 2d pregnant, I could still wear heals. I could still function. I was still happy and smiling. LOVED being pregnant... you know, aside from the itching. That dang rash developed in to PUPPPS.

1 yr ago today, I went home from work around 7:30 and told Ryan this kid HAD to stay in at least 2 weeks, but if he made it just one more week, that was ok. Little did I know, Asher would only give me one more week.

This is how I looked 1 year ago (ok, 1 yr and 1 week... it was taken at 37w 3d)...

Seriously. I need to stop with the breaks.

I really need to stop. Let me just tell you, the summer program at work is absolutely EXHAUSTING. We are in direct contact with the clients from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. and given the level of their severity, it's draining. Then I come home to my sweet wild kids and by 7:00, I wanted to just stare at a wall. I should've stared at this computer screen while writing, instead.

Asher is almost walking. Sometimes I consider pushing him over and forcing him to only crawl. I'm not ready for him to grow up.  Sigh. He'll be 1 THIS month. I cannot believe it. My 6lbs 8oz baby boy is now 18lbs 10oz. Getting soooo big! Surprisingly, he is not on the charts. That's just fine with me though.  He is completely off of the bottle and on to a cup. Sigh.

And Riley. Oh sweet Riley. She is a wild mess. We so have our hands full with her. I keep telling myself that one day we'll be so thankful for her independent spirit. One day.  She is talking SOOO much now and it's getting so clear. Finally. It's reduced the level of frustration in all parties. However, that means we need to watch what WE say now b/c she repeats ev.er.y.thing!

Etsy... it's going well. I'll have an announcement later this week, so watch for that.  Lots going on with that!

Cloth diapering. We're considering it. Asher's had a nasty diaper rash that we can't seem to get rid of.  It starts healing and the minute we don't put the rx cream on it, it's back! I'm so frustrated. We're coming up on 3 or 4 weeks of this. I'm really over it.

That's all for now. I'm working on a post with pictures for tomorrow or Tuesday.

Well I never did update, did I?

So... Riley had her 2.5 yr appt. Kind of. I promise you, at one point, the pediatrician told us that she wanted to see her at 2.5, but when we got there, she was shocked! Oy. But it worked out well. I expressed my concerns about Riley's sleeping. We also talked about her speech. And her wild mess of a self.  Oh and the fact that she snores. LOUD. And the fact that she lost weight when she was already under weight. So the dr suspected sleep apnea. Ok. Makes sense. We went to the ENT... and the adenoids are coming out a week from today. The dr suspects the sleeping will become worlds better after this and that her speech will also greatly improve.

Asher had his 9 month appt on Monday. SOBBING. How is he already 9 months? I can't believe it! I could be having another kid right now! NOT. Please punch me in the jaw when we decide to do this baby thing again. I LOVE the age he is now. It's so much fun watching his little personality explode out of those big blue eyes.  He is still not on the charts for weight - though he DOES weigh more than Riley did at this same age.  He's just a peanut.  He's meeting all of his milestones like a champ.  The dr was smitten with him.

Also at Asher's appt, I mentioned Riley's hips popping whenever she moves them a certain way. The dr is concerned since my dad had to have a hip replacement at <60, so it could be hereditary. So, Riley gets some hip x-rays in a few weeks. Sigh. Poor girl. Hopefully it'll be nothing!

Now... to see the little cuties.

Hey Mr. Bright Eyes

Smiles

Trying to get a tan

Such a happy baby

And sweet Riley with her haircut...

(she was trying to take a picture of herself.  Oh and she got her face painted at the Family First Event and I asked if she wanted a flower or butterfly... she said, "no a spi-yer on my cheeks. color a spi-yer.")

And this is what you get when you try to take a picture of a toddler and infant.

and then I got irritated.

I was going to write this super long, emotional post today. I really was.

Then I got really ticked off about life.  No writing is going on tonight.

Maybe tomorrow night... you know, after Riley's 2.5 yr appt at the Dr... there will be a post. Updated pictures. Pleasant mood.

It's just better for the world if I keep my thoughts inside my head tonight.

Some recipe reviews

So I ventured over to visit my friend at Three Pugs and a Baby and started browsing her recipes as I made my grocery list 2 weeks ago... I found all of my new meal ideas there!

Here was my menu for the time I went grocery shopping for and a brief review. Click on the meal to get the recipe!

Day 1 - London Broil w/ potatoes (Riley INHALED these potatoes! Delicious!)
Day 2 - Steak (leftover) salad
Day 3 - Oven-baked chicken & veggies (I loved it and could definitely see different ways of varying it!)
Day 4 - Stuffed peppers and rice (Sooo yummy!!)
Day 5 - Pizza
Day 6 - stir fry w/ leftover steak and frozen 'stir fry' veggies.
Day 7 - fettucini alfredo (LOTS of leftovers! WONDERFUL re-heated! I just added garlic to it...)
Day 8 - layered mexican corn-cakes (AMAZING!! Will definitely be adding this to my 'go-to' list)
Day 9 - breakfast
Day 10 - leftovers

the haircut

It was bound to happen. I have heard it from every mom out there. Every kid cuts their own hair at some point. I had the knowledge. I knew it'd happen one day. I even see those kids in the store that have already suffered the tragedy and thought to myself, "looks like someone grabbed scissors when mom wasn't looking," knowing one day I'd be that mom with THAT kid. But I had not yet prepared myself for it. I really thought we had a little while... at least a few years... before it happened to us. WRONG. I was WRONG. It happened this week. Monday, to be exact.  If you look at the post below, you can see how Monday was.

And here is how it went...
Sunday night I had been cutting threads off of a project and left the scissors laying on the bookstand. I noticed them when I went to make dinner Monday evening, so I moved them to the kitchen table. Asher was playing in the exersaucer and Riley was in between the living room and the kitchen. All was well. Ryan got home and brought the mail in. I read one of the letters  and made him come and read it b/c I was SO confused.  So he did. We discussed. He went to check on Riley. I hear, "oh.my.gosh. RILEY! What have you done!?" followed by hysterical laughter. I am yelling, "WHAT!? WHAT!? WHAT HAPPENED!?" and see that he has the scissors in one hand and hair in the other. Gut punch. No sir. Don't show that to me. Not today.

She got a good chunk of hair and, quite frankly, the pictures don't do it justice. Bangs... gone. About 3 chunks off the side of her head. And a chunk out of the middle. Yep... she does everything BIG and dramatic. Nothing little with this girl.  We've gotten her hair trimmed, but the camera battery is dead right now... I'll try to get a picture of that tonight. There really was no fixing it though...

The middle chunk...

The side... there are a few clumps hidden in there

The bangs

For reference... this is the other side and the amount of hair that she USED to have on both sides.

Another look at her cuteness w/ the bangs...

Just a bonus picture