PSA PSA *** NOT PREGNANT***

I published an old post that never got published for sake of keeping up with things for the kidos, etc... it's a post about Parker in my belly NOT #3. There will be no #3 I had an IUD put in on Friday.

Ding Dong the Passy's gone!

So here's how it all went down...

I have been to known to bitch and complain on here about the damn passy. I know shocking! And one of my readers/friends (you're all my friends really!) found a solution that worked for her and past it on to me. Becky and I met at a Nest get together (theNest.com is from theknot.com but for once you're married. and now i'm also on theBump.com because i have kids) at my friend Katie's house and she has been keeping up with my struggles. She popped me an email about this pd.f that she used and suggested I try it. Y'all at this point I would have tried ANYTHING that promised no tears because I was just not ready to handle screams for God knows how long!

So I went to http://www.bye-bye-binky.com/ and downloaded the file (I was worried I was going to be hacked and jacked, sorry but true Becky... but I wasn't!) and read it and it made sense and I thought "Well I have nothing to lose!"

Here's the basic principal. You child has gone to their passy for comfort their whole life! That sucking is soothing to them and it registers in their brain as comfort. You have to get that association to disassociate itself. How? By slowly taking away the suck!

First day round up all the passies without your child knowing and poke holes in them about the size of a ball point pin head. ALL of them. Now put them back where your child looks for their passy. When they suck on them the next time it won't be the "same" and they may ask you about it and just lie to them! "That's funny, I don't know what happened?!?! Did you bite it?" Let it be for 2 days... they'll keep using it but it's working, promise!

Day 3 round up all the passies and cut a hole in the tip. Put them all back. Remember... you don't know what happened to them! OH NO!
This is when K had her break through. She would tell me it's broken and I need to fix it or we'll buy new passies, etc. I told her I can't fix it and we're not getting new ones she just has to use these. AND SHE DIDN'T!!! She set them down and hasn't picked one back up!!! We've gone 2 nights, one nap, and multiple injuries (hey she's a toddler) and she hasn't even ASKED for it!!!! This is BEYOND amazing for us! She was ALWAYS whinning "Where's my passy?" "I want my passy"... blah blah AHHH!

IF your child is still hanging on then on day 4 cut a bigger hole, rinse and repeat your lies. And day 5 cut a slit up the sides.

I'm not positive that this will work for everyone but I'm BEYOND amazed with it!

Cheers to being Passy FREE with NO tears!!!

My Life is starting to get back to the normal...

But please let me update you in one sweeping post again and then we can just move on like I never missed a beat? Yes? Okay.

I will also be using photos from my iphone as I do not know where my camera cord is and well, i haven't taken THAT many photos on it anyway. Moving on.

Kinsley is still very protective of her brother. Sometimes agressively loving, but i'll take that over disliking him!

Parker has a girlfriend, she's cute. He's huge... Milk does a body good! Speaking of milk, it's going well! I Still have a large over supply and have filled 5 trays in the basement for storage. I know it won't always be this amazing so that will help us get through the lean days and hey if it keeps up and i don't have to dip into the stash much then that will be that many more months I can stop early with breastfeeding!

AHHH WHY IS IT UPSIDE DOWN!?!?!?
Every day that is sunny we go outside for a walk after Kinsley gets home from daycare. This is mandatory because it keeps me sane. Without this i would be trapped inside with a fussy toddler and clingy baby until bedtime since the hubs has been getting home later than I approve of. Not. An. Option! So we walk and most the time we walk like this... aint he cute?

Why has life been draining? I mean I stay home all day right? I send my toddler to daycare, hello esay street! Yeah NOT. My infant has refulx and is clingy about it. He isn't fussy as much anymore but he must be held... all the time... by ME. If someone else holds him, he cries. If i put him down and he's not in a DEEP sleep, he cries. Don't get me wrong, the kid gets put down. I need to shower and pee jsut like the rest of y'all and while I can do a lot of things while holding a baby and even while breastfeeding, those are two things I won't cave on. Peeing is ME TIME! Also we're Potty training. I think I've clearly explained before how this sucks... A LOT! My child is fond of peeing in the potty then going and sitting on my couch and peeing agian. YEA! She also likes to scream for whatever it is she wants and she always makes sure she wants something you don't want her to have. Three Packs of fruit snacks for dinner? No sorry but fruit snacks are NOT a meal and aren't even REAL fruit. Enter toddler tantrum. There have been MANY nights where both children and screaming to high hell and the hubs walks in wondering what I've done to them... right what I'VE done to THEM...

SO to try to make sure that Kinsley knows I still love her even though I'm a crazy Momma sometimes I pick her up from daycare early to take her to get ice cream... I don't think she gets what a big deal it is (in my mind) but she enjoys it~

I Technicially started back to work last week. I was teleworking however, and well it wasn't quite like being BACK at work. I did take both kids to daycare each day and well I only teared up about 6 times over leaving Parker. And as a Thank You to Kinsley for watching her brother at daycare and to make sure she knows she is still a big deal to us I got her a new dress up dress~

She liked it until she peed on it. She loves dressing up now and I LOVE it!
Last week we also got our pipes replaced. Our townhouse was built in 1987? and the code for pipes then was different than it is now and since we're going to be refinishing out basement soon we knew that would be the first step. So done and done.

Parker was sick, again, this weekend. Saturday he woke with 102.2 fever. Took him to the pediatrician and it's just a cold but he's been super clingy and puniey. He'll go from this...

to this...

pretty quickly so it's been a struggle since i'm the only one that can take that lip away. Poor guy!

We also had a community yardsale in our circle this weekend.. Kinsley LOVED it because she got to play with all her friends all morning.

WHY all my photos are uploading sideways I DO NOT know but there you have it.
Working from home equals not being a good eater and not working out, which equals no weightloss.

I worked out Monday and Tuesday (this is last week people not this week). I did Insanity. Google it, it's hard. But after being so tired because my kids don't like sleeping and having to work full time again I decided it was in my dropping milks supplies best interest to take a break from everything and sleep... and eat. But now we're "Back in the Saddle again..." Yes i just referenced an extremely cheesy country song. Moving on.

I'm back at work WORK today (HA started this post on Monday, can't you tell... it's now coming to you on a wednesday, more on THAT later). YEA! Is it bad that I look at this as my ME time? Because I do. I know when i get home that I will be wiping noses, butts, and mouths and then there are the kids to take care of! So right now I'm acting like an adult and talking to adults and pumping my boobs dry.

My daughter has had a few break throughs!
1. She started doing AMAZING with her potty training this weekend. We only had poopoo accidents!!! Well one peepee friday night but that was it!

2. I've found that if i really talk more to her and ask her about her feelings or why she doesn't want to do something that things go smoother. Example... "Kinsley would you like to go potty now at home or when we get to school" stops the meltdown of not wanting to peepee at that moment because she feels like she's incontrol. And she will actually hold it until we get to school if that's what she chose to do!

3. Passifier. GONE! Thanks to a lovely lady named Becky that thought of us and our struggles, but THAT all deserves it own post! You'll love me for it (and her since she sent it to me!)

Well now you're caught up... i'll give you another post that will catch you up even more... because I'm always behind now~

Part 3

7/15
We're 8 weeks!!! That's pretty cool! But look at this belly compared to the first go round, like whoa!

Babylove 2.0

Kinsley

WHAT IS THAT?!?!? And i'm TRYING to suck it in! I mean there's some pudge there, i'm not hiding the fact that i'm a bit fluffier this time around but for reals?!?!?
Oh Babylove 2.0 how i love thee, not stop making me feel sick!

Not sure if i'm ready

I go back to work next week. I'm ready for the adult interaction. I'm ready for the schedule. I'm ready even for Parker to be in daycare with his sister (because I LOVE my daycare). I'm not ready for the fact that Parker isn't sleeping through the night and wakes up every 3 hours still. I'm not ready for pumping nonstop. I'm not ready for having to run all errands on the weekends again. I'm going to miss my big boy but I'm not ready for the stress if work.

Parker still has reflux. It SUCKS. He spits up nonstop. He's on meds so he's not fussy most of the time when he's spitting up but he goes through 2-3 outfits a day and 2-3 PJs a night. Now at night it's a different story, it's not the spit up, it's the pee. He pees out the side of his diaper somehow. I always point the boy parts down but since he's on his side it comes out the side. Kinsley slept on her side and never did this. It sucks.

On a positive note...
I've lost another 2.5 pounds this week! Started doing the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred (until my Insanity gets delivered), and have been following weight watchers pretty well! I'm 2 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight and then I get to work on the other 40 I want to loose!

Now lets update my 30 by 30


Thirty BY Thirty
1. Loose weight: Currently (6 weeks post pardum) I'm 178. That's only 6lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight, not too bad. Too bad my pre-baby weight was bad and unhealthy. My ultimate goal weight is 140... that means i have to lose 38lbs!!! Whoa, that's nothing to laugh at. Could I get there by the time I'm 30? Probably... but lets be realistic, so I'm setting my goal at 20lbs. If I lose more by then, GREAT, but that's my first goal. 4lbs down... 16 to go for the 20 goal!

2. Down size clothes to fit the space I have. Currently I have clothes EVERYWHERE! Part of it is the curse of trying to fit back into my clothes again. Part of it is different sizes. Part of it is different seasons. And who am I kidding... I'm a product of the "I MIGHT wear it again one day"... yeah. I want to reduce everything to hit into my closet/drawers and one 30 gallon container. THAT'S IT!

3. Church, we need a church BAD. We need one that fits us as a whole family. That fits all of our needs. That makes us all feel at home. We need a church.

4. Visit a city I've never been to. Like a REAL trip, not a we're going to Sesame Place and I've never been there so that counts, because it doesn't. I've been to PA but I've never been to Philadelphia. That would count. I've been to Nashville, TN but I never really visited it (did a mission project there) and got to SEE it. That would count.

5. Have Kinsley Potty trained. Hopefully this will happen WAY before I'm 30 but it's a goal none the less. this is going well... still working on it though

6. Have Kinsley off her passy.

7. Consistently work out 4-5 days a week.3 days this week so far!

8. Go on at least one date a month with Chris. We REALLY need to make sure we take us time and often we get caught up in the kids or friends, this needs to end.

9. Have a girls night once a month. Whether it's dinner or a drink or a movie. It needs to happen! And Chris should get a guys night too once a month.Chris got a guys night! now it's my turn!

10. Stay on top of my cleaning... i guess organization should be part of this goal. Motivation should be? I don't know what the exact problem is but I'm tired of always being behind and dreading someone stopping by my house unexpectedly.

11. Have a new consultant under me in thirty-one (so then i'll have two!).

12. Have TWO of my thirty-one parties reach over 1000k in sales.

13. Still be breastfeeding Parker (I want to make it a year like it did with K).

14. Have my bedroom painted and look like it has style!

15. Have the basement framed.

16. Be able to run 5 miles.

17. Sew curtains for the den.

18. Finish Parker's baby blanket.

19. Have started Parker's Christmas Stocking.

20. Sew ruffles for lights in dinning room.

21. Sew the ruffle pants i've bought fabric for for Kinsley. I sewed one pair! I want to do more but at least I did that AND a dress for her!

22. Sew Pillows for Dinning Bench.

23. Deep clean and treat couches.

24. Shampoo carpets

25. Do 10 projects off of Pinterest. I have TONS of things on there I want to cook, make, try and I need to  start Cross them off the list rather than thinking "One day I'll do it"
1. Cleaned my Jewelry with a cleaning solution on there
2. Cleaned my stove top with another cleaning solution from there
3. Made a BLT pasta salad reciepe from there
4. Cleaned my dyson following the directions from a post on there

26. Get rid of 30 things, baby items don't count. I need to PURGE and clothes don't count either since that's another goal. If Chris and I want to finish our basement we seriously need to make room down there, so PURGE! Yard sale on Sunday, lets see if i can do this in one sweep!

27. Complete THREE 5ks. (or larger)

28. Go 30 days without buying a single frivolous thing. Target is a down fall. Randomness is a down fall. I need to go 30 days without buying something that I feel the need to justify.yea between going back to work (and needing clothes that fit) and ebay I'm still working on this.

29. Get 3 pedicures with Kinsley. She and I need that bonding time and she enjoys getting her toes painted. We don't need to go every month by any means (I mean I might but she doesn't) but these outings will be special for her.

30. Have a kick butt party for my 30th!

Potty Training sucks!

All these post I've read where their kid is potty trained in 1-3 days... I HATE YOU! What your kid is too good to pee on your couch, mother, floor, or at the dinning room table? Your kid doesn't throw herself on the floor crying in the morning yelling she doesn't want to potty yet will happily go 15 mins later at daycare?

Between dealing with a newborn and all that entails, potty training sucks. I pick her up from school to a bag full of poop covered panties. The lunatic afternoon teacher even left a GIANT turd in one pair. I mean really??? You couldn't just let that one roll into the potty DIRECTLY BEHIND YOU? You HAD to send that home? REALLY? This isn't show and tell people, this isn't the nice artwork that we put up on the fridge, IT'S POOP! Keep it!

We do have good days though, like when we went to the playground up the street and Kinsley taught her friend how to sit down and pee in the grass. Now don't judge me, there's no way I could have gotten her home to pee in a respectable toilet while toting a newborn... so we improvised once and well, she actually learned that lesson. Does she learn MANY others? No. But, peeing in the grass at the playground? Done.

The lesson I learned? Don't let Kinsley pick out her own M&M's for her reward. She's supposed to get ONE, MAYBE two when she pees in the toilet. If you let her pick it out then she will act like she's choosing a color then grab as many as she can and stuff them into her mouth before you even know what is going on... normally at least 5 or 6 pieces.

So Yeah, potty training sucks. I have toddler potties all over my house. I have one in my car and i have a fold-able seat to take into places with us. I have disposable seat covers on the ready and THICK (don't even bother with those damn Elmo or Princess panties, there's no barrier there and it's literally a waterfall when there's an accident) underwear falling out of all my bags.

Anyone have any tips on how to make this go any better?

A complete update~

So i'm going to update you in one long post, don't worry there's a ton of pictures to break it up!

Parker is growing well and fast! He's such a chunker!

He's also found a new best friend in Sadie!

He's becoming more and more alert and has even started to smile for us!

On his 6 week birthday he had to go to the hospital because he had a temp of 100.7 and anything over 100.4 requires a visit to the hospital at his age. After many test (blood test, spinal) it was determined that he just had a cold. The next day there was no fever and we were in the clear! 

His re-flux is still not doing well but is manageable as long as he is on his meds. 

We've been trying to stay busy while i'm still on maternity leave. Kinsley goes to daycare most days to keep things consistent for her, but we've taken her out a few times for fun!

Like the ZOO!

She had so much fun. We went with her little friends Jackson and Nico. "Here Kitty"

The elephants were their favorite! I think because they are always putting elephants on Mickey Mouse Club house. 

She is a big "helper" with her brother. Wants to always hold him, his hand, etc. It gets to be a little aggressive at times, like when we caught her trying to pick him up from his play mat to put him in his swing! YIKES! Mostly though she's sweet about it.

My parents came up for Easter for a visit. Here she is getting her gifts from us, A REAL Micky Mouse Clubhouse!

Going to see what the Easter Bunny brought!

I LOVED her in this easter dress. As soon as i put it on her she started twirling saying "Princess Mommy". She was beyond cute. She also insisted on wearing her candy necklace. 

One of the Moms in our circle organized an Easter Egg hunt! It was so cute and fun!

Here's my 7 week old chunker! Looking dapper!

A smile caught on camera!

It was a great Easter weekend with the whole family!

We are also Potty Training! WHOA! It's stressful to say the least. When we go places we put a pull-up on her so that i don't loose my cool. But on Saturday we went to the inner harbor and the aquarium and she kept it dry all day! She went to the potty, told us a few times even that she needed to go and she pooped in the potty! It's always hit or miss. 

I try to get her to go every 30mins now (used to be 15), sometimes longer. We keep a potty in my car for outings. And she MUST go when she gets up and before bed and before we leave the house. Another thing i learned from her teacher, after she goes and gets excited I tell her to "do more", often she pees just enough to re-leave herself and not to empty her bladder. When she goes to daycare she wears thick panties all day because they are really good at helping to train her!

Parker sleeps okay i guess. He's up every 3-4 hours... normally every 3. Lately it's been 2 again. AND the BIG problem is he's always peeing out of his diapers at night and so that means i have to change him and his bedding. Now he's not in the crib so there's no changing the sheet, but still! KILLING ME!. I've got to get him on a better schedule. Any tips?

I haven't been the best on my weight watchers lately, but now Easter is over and I'm jumping back on. I did jog for the first time on Friday... now i just have to find time to jog again... any tips there? lol. 

Well thanks for reading this horribly long update and i'll try to be better about posting so we don't have to go through this again! lol