I saw some of my kids yesterday!!

I'm not talking about Zayden or Ivy! I'm talking about "my" kids that I work with!! Every year there is a special wrestling event that the doc that works for my company puts on. He was a professional wrestler in a past life, and now he is just a kick ass pediatric doc changing lives! Anyway, each year he organizes this wrestling event where he, "doctor doom" and another guy "cargo", wrestle kids with special needs. It is AWESOME!! It is sooo much fun!! Last year I had every kid over the age of 3 that I work with participate!! :) This year 2 of my kiddos couldn't do it though. (One is in Florida with Make a wish). Anyway, I took Zayden to it and it was sooooo much fun!! Zayden enjoyed it, and I enjoyed seeing my other kids. I'm sharing some pictures. The kid sporting the mohawk is "my" David aka Screamin Demon!! I *heart* david so much!!! Many of you have heard me talk about him before. He is one of the most amazing individuals I have ever met!!! I've known him for 5 years now, and I hope that he will always be in my life in some capacity!!

By the way the mohawk is real, the color is permanent, and school pictures are this Thursday!! LOVE it!!! :)

(sorry the pics are all over the place...I'm still figuring out this blog stuff)

My weekend usually starts on Friday since both Brian and I are always off on Fridays....well usually off. Brian worked overtime this weekend on both Friday and Saturday though. Friday we didn't do too much. I ran to the store with the kids, which I am starting to do more often! Ivy luckily enjoys being worn enough and Z is good in the cart so it works out without too much crying (by me) for the most part!! :)
Then later we went to a park. Zayden started going down the big tall slides by himself a little before Ivy was born. However, we had a first this Friday. I was on the ground waiting for him to come down a big tunnel slide, but I couldn't see him because the slide winded around a little, and I was at the bottom. However, I thought for a second that I saw his shadow from the top of the slide, and what I saw was the end of the tunnel and possibly 2 legs sticking out....I didn't have much time to register what was going on before I see and hear my giggling boy come sliding out the tunnel head first! I just had to laugh. Luckily the slide wasn't too fast...and Z wanted to do this again and again. I love "firsts". This wasn't a big deal, but it was the "first" time he tried it and did it, and it just made me happy as most of his "firsts" do. ;)
Satruday Zayden had a birthday party to go to at a gymboree. I was hoping Ivy could stay home with her daddy, but since he was working she had to join us. I was very nervous about the party though. Since it was a gymboree party I was required to participate in activites and play with Zayden, which I knew could be difficult with a baby with me. I was also nervous about the cake and ice cream aspect, since Zayden wouldn't be allowed to join the other kids with the gobbling of the goodies. However, it all went surprisingly well!! I wore Ivy in my Moby wrap, and she must have wanted her brother to have a good time, because she was awesome in there. She did not even cry once the entire 1.5 hours we were there!! She fell asleep for quite awhile also wich was nice. The other mom's and dad's were really impressed with the wrap and myself and kept making comments. One mom told me she couldn't stop watching me, and couldn't believe all that I could do while Ivy was in the wrap (I was helping Z climb, lifting him in the air, doing the games with him on my lap, doing the parachute play, etc...). I had to tell people about my wrap and where to get them, because other mom's decided they wanted one! ;)
The cake situation went fine too. Zayden ate his new fave snack...Captain crunch cereal, which he loved, and he didn't even seem to mind missing out on the cake and icecream. I do have to share a picture from Saturday night....haha.... I gave Ivy a bath with Z's help of course (he washes her feet). I then pulled her out of the tub, and took her to her changing table to dry her off and get her dressed. I then hear Zayden doing his fake cry. I walk into the bathroom, and find him like this:

Our busy Sunday will be saved for another post!

Zayden Funny

Me: "Zayden do you want to wrestle?"

Zayden: "Right now I'm pooping!"

Baby Mama

Zayden calls Ivy, "baby Ivy" often, and will call other babies "baby ___" . He says baby Coen, and baby Jordin, etc..
Zayden also likes to pretend that he is a baby, since Ivy showed up. He'll even sometimes ask to be carried or held like a baby. Sometimes if Ivy is in her swing, and crying and I take her out, he'll run and climb into the swing and then do his fake cry. ;)
Yesterday I sat Ivy in a little bumbo seat for a minute. When I pulled her out Zayden jumped in and did the fake cry. I said, "oh you're a baby?? Well I'm a baby too". Than I laid underneath Ivy's little playgym and did my own fake cry (I know so mature, huh?). Zayden started laughing and said, "Oh baby mama do you need help?? I'll help you baby mama". Then he pulled me out. Of course he wanted to do this again and again, and each time he would call me "baby mama" and ask if I needed help.
I think Zayden is the first one to refer to me as "baby mama". I don't even think Brian calls me that! ;)

Two Stressful

Okay Today I took my TWO year old son and my TWO month old daughter to a portrait studio to get their pictures done, and we were there for TWO hours! Can I say that those TWO hours with my TWO were stressful!!
Overall it actually went very well, and I was pretty pleased with the end result. Zayden was just acting like a typical two year old though, and not really wanting his picture taken. He definitely did NOT want to pose next to Ivy and smile. haha!! NO WAY! He wanted to just run around the whole time. The only way we could get him to get near her to get pictures of them together was to ask him to kiss her, which he did at least do that! He also sat in a chair briefly next to her! I had to bribe him with a dried fruit snack!
Then when the girl wanted to take pics of just Z I would nurse Ivy or bounce around with her to try to keep her happy. Of course Zayden was not interested in the photographer. He just wanted to play with the stuffed animals and run from her!! There was another girl in training there who was watching. At one point Ivy fell asleep, so I handed her off to the new girl who held Ivy very awkwardly and stiff while I tried to help get a couple decent pics of Z.
When we were done taking pics then I had to look at them all and choose my favorites. This is so difficult for someone as indecisive as me!! Luckily I had my sling, and Ivy slept happily in there while I was choosing, and Zayden ran around and played. I had to go grab him a few times though, because he decided to try to get into other children's photo shoots!!
I really think the photographer was getting frustrated with Zayden with the pics, and then with me having to chase him around taking breaks from picking my pictures, but he even got her to laugh once, when he pointed at a picture of a little girl on a motorcycle that was up on the wall and said, "There's a motorcycle, Where is her helmet, Where is her helmet, Mommy??"
THEN we had to wait for the pics to be printed.
The worst was leaving. Once we were finally all done, Zayden did not want to put back the stuffed animals he was carrying around. So, when I took them away he threw a huge fit, and threw himself on the floor. I walked out of the store, and when he saw me do that he came running. I was so relieved that he was coming for us and I didn't have to carry him out, so I held the door wide open for him smiling and telling him to "come on"....and then he ran out the door right past me, and took off sprinting down the sidewalk (of this outdoor mall).
After those 2 hours of stress all I could do was laugh. I held onto Ivy's bobbing head which was sticking out of my sling and took off running after him in my flip flops while laughing, and when Zayden heard me behind him laughing he started laughing too, but ran faster! I am sure it was quite a sight! I finally caught him, and somewhat dragged him back to our car. By this time Ivy was screaming, and they both screamed much of the way home.
At least I got my pictures!! I think next time I'll make sure there are TWO adults present to take the TWO kids!! ;)
Here's a few of the pics from our session (oh and I am cropped out of them in the pics we bought!! :) )

Things you don't want to hear your toddler say from the other room!!

1. He's in the toilet! He's swimming!
2. I'm way up there, I'm way up there, I'm way up there!
3. Mommy, what is in my mouth??

These are 3 phrases that have caused me to leap up and dash down my hall this week!

The first one took me a minute to register. I (almost) always shut the bathroom door, so when Z said "he's in the toilet", I thought maybe he was doing pretend play or looking at a book, but then when he said, "he's swimming" I took a look, and there was Z standing over the toilet looking at his blue bird stuffed animal in the toilet....luckily it was clean!!

The 2nd phrase really scared me. I ran into his room, and he had climbed up onto this tote that holds books and had one leg inside his toy shopping cart, trying to climb in. He wasn't WAY up there, but high enough, and could have fallen, so I was happy for the warning!!

The 3rd one happened last night, and made me realize I am never going to win a parenting award. We were getting ready for bed, and Zayden went to his room before me, while I was getting his sippy cup. When I heard the phrase, "mommy what is in my mouth" I ran in thinking maybe he put an object in his mouth and could choke. I said, "I don't know what is in your mouth", and as I got closer I saw something chunky and white on his chin, and he had a very odd look on his face. I then looked down and on the floor beside him was a sippy cup that I hadn't seen for DAYS!! I quickly picked it up and looked in, and there was spoiled soy milk!! YUCK!! Zayden then got his first lesson on spitting!!

Oh Oma......

I wish I could reach 1000 miles and give my Oma (grandma) a huge hug!! She needs many hugs!! She is such a good, sweet, and loving person and she just always has too much stress and unhappiness in her life!! It isn't fair.
This 83 year old woman has been through A LOT!! She was in Germany during WWII, and lost her home and much of her family. Her first husband had to fight in the war, and leave her when she was pregnant with her first child, and he died in the war. She was raped by a Russian soldier. She lived in poverty, etc...
Her and My Opa had 3 more kids, and moved to US. My Opa worked his way to the top careerwise, and they had many good times, but then Opa got Alzheimers and Parkinsons and s-l-o-w-l-y regressed. My grandmother took care of him for years, and it was soo hard on her. He was always very confused and physically needed a lot of help. At one point when Oma was in her late 70's she was having to transfer him to a bedside commode on her own for him to go the bathroom. She would change his diapers. She would help him walk, eat, shave, bathe etc... When he fell, My Oma would lay a pillow under his head and cover him with a blanket, and then call her son or a neighbor for help.
Finally one day he got sick and was admitted to the hospital, and the doctor told my Oma she couldn't take care of him anymore on her own. So Oma put him in a nursing home reluctantly! Even though he was there with full care, Oma still never stopped caring for him. She was at the Nursing home daily and usually 2-3x/day. She would go there at meal time to feed him. She also shaved him every day. She cut his nails, and brought him treats regulary as well!! She just couldn't stop caring for him....that is who she is!
He passed away January of 2006, and as much as that broke Oma's heart, I think it was a relief as well.
AND now...she has to worry all the time about her immature children!! They are all constantly causing so much stress and sadness in her life. 3 of the 4 are alcoholics....and all 3 of the alcoholics live near her. The one sober one is the one in Indiana. The 3 in Florida are ALWAYS fighting and putting Oma in the middle of it. It sucks, and I hate all the drama she has to deal with daily!! I could offer many stories, but won't.

I'm just going to share the latest. My aunt Lorraine has really f*cked up!! I am beyond angry!! My Oma is very comfortable financially (because of Opa's years of hard work). She has a nice Condo that has been paid for, for years! Well last week she gets a knock on the door and she receives a summons to court, and notification that her Condo is being foreclosed!!
She calls my dad who loves to be the knight in shinging armor and save the day (only so he can tell everyone for YEARS all the wonderful things he does, so that we may overlook all the shitty things he also does). He takes her to the bank, and they find out that Lorraine tricked Oma into signing for a home equity loan, and then Lorraine didnt' make the payments!!
2 years ago Lorraine decided she had to have a Porsche. *eye roll* So, she needed $10, 000 and asked Oma to co-sign on the loan. Oma agreed, and was meant to believe that all she was doing was being a co-signer on a loan. Well Lorraines credit is so bad that she couldn't get a loan even with a co-signer so she tricked Oma and got the loan in just Oma's name. The lady at the bank told Oma that Lorraine made hardly any payments on the loan, and they had sent her MANY notices, and made phone calls (however all the notices/calls went to lorraine and her husband....Oma never knew).
Now because of late fees that 10k loan is now up to nearly 14K. So, Oma had to go to the bank this week and pay it off. So, Oma paid 14K, and Lorraine is driving a porsche! It almost isn't even surprising, because THIS is just how her kids treat her. It's disgusting!!! Disgusting!!! Disgusting!!!
I talked to Oma on Friday and asked her how she was feeling. She said she was sad, and is going to deduct the 14K from her will for Lorraine, but she still loves her daughter and is still talking to her. She said someday she wants to sit down with Lorraine and ask her why she did this, but for now she'll just let things be. She just has that unconditional motherly love which I wouldn't have understood 3 years ago!!
I just wish my 83 year old Oma had an easier life!! I wish I could hug her, and I wish I could shake some sense into her kids!!
I think I realy need to make a trip to Florida soon to spread some light!! My brother and his family is going next month, and I know she'll love that. (My brother is one of the 3 normal people in the family! ;) )

Have fun, wish I could join you!!

Today is the day for catch up blogging! :)

Brian and Zayden just left for Brian's work picnic that is on the other side of town. Brian never asked me if I wanted to go. He just assumed I didn't want to, and told me that he was taking Zayden. I told him that it bothered me that he wouldn't ask me to go with him, and he told me he honestly didn't think I would want to go. He then said that he wants to stay for a few hours. He said I am welcome to come, but he doesn't want to leave after just an hour. I then told him that I wouldn't go then, because I couldn't guarantee how long Ivy would last. If she was super fussy, I wouldn't want to stay more than an hour. He said okay, fine and he got him and Z ready and they left. He has no idea that I am still bothered by this. I'll probably tell him tonight.

What bothers me is that he isn't the guy who puts me or his entire family first. He doesn't say/think, "I really want my wife to join me, as well as my daughter. Hopefully Ivy will be in a great mood, and we can spend the afternoon there. But, if she is not then we will all come home as a family!". Instead he is that guy that thinks, "I want to have fun today, and if my wife and daughter might get in my way than I better go by myself or just take the easy kid!". It seems like I have so many friends who have those husbands that would have thought the first way. I actually had tears in my eyes after the boys told me bye, and I sat there rocking my baby to sleep.

And it's not like this is the only time this kind of thing has happened. It happens a lot!! I am never put first or even second in his life. I've been asking him to do a couple things around the house for weeks. They have not got done. However, today he noticed a neighbor having trouble with his garage door. So, Brian went over and after an hour or so had it fixed for him. Brian than came home all proud telling me about it. I think that is great. I love that Brian is that type of guy who is first to help anyone and everyone with stuff.....but what about me. Why doesn't he see that I need help and attention too.

Okay...done with the pouting!

Ives!

Well....Ivy is now called Ives sometimes....I guess that is her first official nickname. So I've got Z and Ives. I also call them stinker and booger. ;)
Anyway Ivy turned 2 months yesterday! I can't believe how fast 2 months have flown by!! She doesn't seem like a little newborn anymore. She is more baby-like. She is smiling constantly. And she is even giggling some!! When I talk to her, she totally tries to talk back and it is sooo cute!!
She has been more easy going lately about being left on her own lying on the floor or in her contraptions (swing/bouncy). She won't stay there super long...but 5-10 minutes at least...which is progress!
She is trying to bat at toys, and sometimes will grab one. She seems to even reach up towards my face at times. She really is so cute, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. I am not exagerating when I say that Z looks at her and says, "She is so cute!" at least 15 times a day!! My boy is in love with his sister!! :D
She also is getting better about being worn. Today I wore her in my Mei Tai for about 1.5 hours while she was all snuggled up napping. I went for a walk, fed Z lunch, changed a very yucky diaper, unloaded the dishwasher, and even sat and read for awhile while we snuggled!! I love wearing her!! I wish I would have tried to wear Z more. I think I gave up too soon with him.
AND last night she slept her best EVER. Yay!! She was very fussy last night and didn't want to go to bed, but I finally got her to sleep a little after 9 (she had been up since 4:45). She didn't wake up again until around 3:00. woo hoo!! Then after I nurse her she fell back asleep until 6:45!! I woke up very engorged but revived! I am not going to get my hopes up that this is a patter, but it sure was nice!! She usually gets up 2-3 times per night.
I love my baby girl!! My Ives!

Zayden Funnies!

Sometimes I think this kid is going to be a comedian, and then other times I realize that maybe I find him sooo funny because he is mine!! Here's a few recent funnies:
Yesterday, he was singing "itsy bitsy spider". He sang it once, and then went to sing it again, except changed the words and sang, "itsy bitsy baby ivy went up the water spout.......washed ivy out.....etc....". It was so funny and creative!!
Also yesterday I was lying on the floor playing with Ivy, and Zayden walked over to me and said, "Hi mommy". I didn't look up right away so he said a little louder, "Hi MOTHER....goose!" haha!! I laughed so hard that he called me mother goose 3 more times. I don't know where he even learned mother goose...seriously!
Also yesterday I was feeding him and we were sitting in the kitchen. Brian had the job of keeping Ivy content, and after a minute or 2 of holding her, he went to put Ivy in her bouncy seat right by Zayden and I. I was feeling annoyed as I watched Brian do this knowing that the bouncy seat wouldn't last long, and Brian was probably going to get busy with something else, when Zayden looked at me shook his head and said, "Ivy is going to be mad in there, mama!!" Brian and I both laughed. But I was also happy that Zayden was on my side...saying what I was thinking!! ;)
Zayden also told me last night that he had a surprise for me. I asked him what it was, and he wouldn't tell me he just kept smiling and telling me that he had a surprise for me!! :) I did find a surprise later in his diaper...I wonder if that was it. ;)

Zayden Funny!

Yesterday Zayden was eating breakfast, and I was sitting across from him. He pointed at me and said, "Mommy you have a moustache!". LOL!! (I don't by the way....but it was funny to be told that). Sometimes I put a green bean or something above my upper lip and tell him to look at my moustache, so I can only assume that is where he got that!

I joined a gym!

I am so hyped that I joined a gym!! Last time I was a member of a gym, when Brian and I met, I was in the best shape of my life, and was loving it. Right now I feel like a flabby blob of jello, and sooo need to get in shape. I never quite got back in shape after Zayden, and just added to my blob getting pregnant with Ivy....so now I have hope to develop some blob-be-gone! I also just want to have somewhere to release stress, and jogging or working out does that for me! So this is an added bonus. Finally, I want to feel more fit. I want to be able to jump/run/skip/flip/hop/roll/crawl around with my kids all day with lots of energy and ease, and I need to be in better shape to do so!!
Now, here is the irony......I join a gym come home and an hour or 2 later, I think I break a toe. ugh! So....I don't even know that I'll be able to work out much for awhile. grrrrr!! I don't see myself putting on a tennis shoe anytime soon. My toe that is next to my pinky is now very swollen, bruised, and throbbing. I was in the kitchen with Zayden as he was finishing up dinner, and Ivy started to cry (she was in her swing). I got up to go get her, and kicked and tripped on Brian's big hard work boot that was in the middle of the room (that should be an entire different post). This caused me to fall onto the gate separating the kitchen from the living room, and I came crashing down onto the gate, and landed in the living room, right where I wanted to be at the foot of Ivy's swing. :D This is typical of me....I'm such a klutz, but I think this is my first broken toe.
Here is the sweetest part of that injury. When I fell, Brian quickly asked, "Are you alright?". I didn't yell or curse or anything with the kick/fall since both kids were within 10 feet of me, but I told him calmly "no". Then Zayden, yells out in a panicked voice after hearing Brian ask the question, "Mommy are you alright?". I tell Z, "yes", However, this incident must have really scared Zayden because he started sobbing, and saying something about mommy and blah blah blah. We couldn't understand him because he was crying so hard. I kept telling him "i'm okay, i'm okay, mommy's okay" as I was taking Ivy out of her swing to comfort her. But Zayden was freaking out. Brian got him out of his booster, and Z came running to me and jumped in the 1/2 of my lap that Ivy wasn't sitting in. I hugged him and told him agian I was fine. He then seemed to realize I was really okay, and he jumped up and found a toy to play with. ;) Even though I don't like to see my boy cry and be upset, I have to admit it was so sweet and I was so touched to see the emotion that he had when he thought I was hurt.
So, anyway....back to the gym thing. Hopefully my toe heals quickly and I can start a gym groove thing asap!!!

Is it weird I am excited to go to the dentist??

I have a dentist appointment in about 2.5 hours, and I am looking forward to it! Is that weird? This means I will have at least an hour to myself without being on mom duty, and I can't wait!!
Is it obvious I need a little break!!
I am also hoping to join a gym this weekeend, and one of the motivations for me to workout is that someone else will watch my kids for an hour while I can blow off some steam.
I REALLY really really love my kids and love spending tons of time with them....but everyone needs a break, right??

Zayden Funnies!

Last night when Brian came home from work Zayden looked up at him and said, "Daddy I want to be brave just like you!" LOL!! Brian and I were totally cracking up. I think he must have got this from his new favorite movie the Lion King.

Zayden is now constantly asking Brian and I, "What are you doing today?". I don't know why, but it always makes me laugh, and then I have to come up with what we are doing!

When Zayden is getting in trouble, and I talk sternly to him, he gives me a huge smile and says, "Hi mommy....you're cute!".

The other day we were playing outside, and he was by some poison ivy. I told him to not walk over there, and he asked why. I told him there was poison ivy over there, and he shouldn't get near it, and he looked at me so confused and said, "poison baby ivy?"

Yesterday Zayden came up to me and said very matter of fact, "Ivy is not a boy, she is a baby!"


I could go on and on....but those are the ones on the brain today!

Zayden is TWO now!!

I can't believe my baby boy is two!! Time sure does fly!! It has been a wonderful two years, and I couldn't ask for a better kid!! He is sooo smart and funny and silly and sweet and loving and imaginative and caring and cute and much much more!!!!
He had about the best b-day a 2 year old could have!! Saturday I just organized a big playdate for him! I had all his "friends" show up at a really nice park. There were 13 kids all together including him and Ivy. I made cupcakes and other yummies, and we sang to him. It was a lot of fun and EASY.
Sunday we had a birthday party for him at my in-laws house with them and my small family. He opened gifts and had cake, and then the kids went swimming.
Yesterday on his actual birthday my in-laws watched Ivy for the morning, and I took Z to the zoo. We had a great time!! It was so nice to have some of that one on one time that we don't get much anymore! He is so much fun to hang out with now. I didn't even take his stroller, we just walked all around the zoo hand in hand, and Z talked my ear off about all the animals we saw!! I wish we could do that kind of thing more often!!
I definitely need to make a point to have some more one on one time with both of my kids!!

"He's such a great guy!!!"

My husband IS a good guy, and has such a huge heart. I don't understand though why he is sooo great to everyone, but me. I fell in love with him because of his kind heart, but why am I the only one who now doesn't get that side of him??
Yesterday, he was driving home from work and he saw a woman in her 80's walking in the rain with a small shopping cart. He pulled over, grabbed her cart, and asked her where she was going. She was walking to a church to get some food from their food pantry. She lived like 3 miles away, and makes this walk every other Thursday. My husband drove her to the church and even gave her his phone number and told her to call him, whenever she needs a ride, so she doesn't have to walk so far! Then after he was home for about an hour, he left again to go see if she needed a ride home. He went to the church and walked in, and talked to some people there, and they told him that she already got a ride home from someone else. However, my husband told me that he plans to take this woman to the pantry every other thursday now! This IS the man I married and the man I love. He IS a great guy, but why don't I get a tenth of that kindness projected my way. I don't get it!

I'm a bad blogger!

Well, I thought I was going to jump on the bandwagon....I wrote something in March and not since. haha! I guess I have been busy!! I had a student at work, and then with Zayden and pregnancy and then having the baby, well life happened.
I hope to write more now....I definitely need an outlet! I've been stressed a lot lately, and I need to have somewhere to vent.
I'll still talk about my amazing kids too, because that is my favorite topic!