coffee date

Hey you! Yes, you. Would you like to come over to my place for a little coffee date?

via

If you were to come over, I'd tell you to bring your kiddos (if you have any), as mine love anyone new and my daughter is constantly begging me to let her have friends over.

Being that both of my little ones are home all summer, you will definitely be stepping over all of the toys that are strewn around, while I apologize and explain that no matter how many times I clean them up in a day, they always find their way back onto the floor (or couches, or tables, or counters) before I can blink an eye.

I would then offer you coffee, or hot tea, or a chai latte (Oregon, no Tazo for this girl), and while I was making it I'm sure that Audrey would be dragging you to her room to show you her new bed, and her toys, and her summer reading challenge bookworm, all the while talking your ear off about all of her plans for this summer.

Finally, once the kiddos are settled (does that ever really happen?!) and we are settled onto my couches with our beverage of choice, we could start to talk.

I would probably start off by talking about the kids WAY too much. You would hear about how Lawson has been super fussy lately due to teething. And how we are currently sleep training him and in doing so have basically been kicked out of our own room, since that is where his crib is. I would tell you that since Lawson is now a year old, and I know MANY people having babies, I have been getting the fever. Baby fever! You would hear how, even though I already have my hands full at the stages my kids are in, I still long for another one.

About this time Audrey would run in to sing a little song, or show you how well she can read. She would tell you that even though the start of school is still two months away, she has decided that she wants to be homeschooled, solely to remain home home with mommy. Quickly she would move on to the next subject, which undoubtedly would be how she just lost her third tooth. This would be followed by a firsthand display of the spot where her tooth used to be.

At some point in there I would remark how it all goes by too fast. That before you know it your oldest is a Kindergarten graduate and your youngest is a year and on his way to walking.

Eventually I would realize that I've talked for too long about my children, so I'd try to smoothly change the subject, so not to bore you.

I'd show you the little pots of seedlings I planted that will hopefully grow to be basil and cilantro, if my black thumb doesn't get there first. I would confess that I would love to have my own vegetable, herb and flower gardens one day, although I can never keep a plant alive.

At some point you would probably comment on the mountain of books piled on top of my bookcase, to which I would respond how at 28 years old I rediscovered the joy that is the public library and have been reading like a crazy person since then. 48 books completed in 2012 so far!!!

I would ask if you have any big plans for the upcoming weekend and when you eventually respond in kind I would tell you that we will probably do what we always do. Stay home and read and relax and watch tv and eat good food. And I would tell you that it is my FAVORITE thing to do on the weekends, since my home is my favorite place, my husband is my absolute best friend, and my kids bring me so much joy.

By this time Lawson will be getting whiny and I'll probably hint that I need to put him down for nap. So we'll say our good-byes and with my kiddos at my feet I'll hug you at the front door and tell you to please come by again soon!!

xoxo

Thanks to Casey, Maggie, and Ashley for inspiring me with their previous "coffee date" posts.

this, that and the other :: the weekend, crafty projects, etc.

Happy Friday, y'all!!

Yes, I'm from Texas and I say, "y'all".

No, I don't ride a horse or have an accent (that I know of).

Random sidenote - speaking of the word y'all, one of my pet peeves is when people spell it ya'll instead of y'all. It's a contraction of the words "you" and "all", hence the placement of the apostrophe. 

Get it right people!!

Anywho, the weekend is ahead of us, do you have any plans?

I plan to finish a home craft project that I've been working on today.

Here's a little hint, it includes aqua paint and my kitchen.

Stay tuned for a look-see.

Also on the agenda is a whole lot of reading.

Currently I'm going through two books.

One is 700+ pages; the other 800+.

Why do I do this to myself?!

Baby LL sleeping update - for those who are interested, Baby LL is sleeping SO much better!!

The hubs, bless him, came home from work the day I posted about making a baby nook and promptly moved some furniture around in our room and set up the crib.

That was two nights ago, and guess what?!

Those are the two best night of sleep that Baby LL has had in several months!!

He's also taken a few naps that have lasted more than two hours!

Who knew that just putting him in a new sleep space would make that much of a difference?

We're not on to a FULL night's sleep yet, but I'll totally take this over the waking every 1-2 hours.

I might be around here this weekend; I might not.

I also have something in the works that I'm (tentatively) planning to unveil on Monday, the 16th,

so stick around!!

xo

routine

Tomorrow starts "real life" for us as a family again.

Kid A goes back to school and Baby LL and I go back to work (the hubs started back at work yesterday).

With that comes the need to get back into a routine.

When Kid A started school in August, I had a nighttime routine down pat.

After about two months, I started relaxing bit by bit in the routine, and (of course) over the Christmas holidays that routine completely flew out the window.

I've also noticed that over the past few months Baby LL's attitude and sleep ability has really deteriorated, could there be a correlation??

No matter what, I know that having a routine with these kiddos brings at least me some peace and comfort.

I know that everything gets done, nothing gets overlooked.

And selfishly, I know that at a certain point each night, I'll have some quiet time to read or watch tv or craft.

Lately Baby LL's sleeping has been so screwed up.

He wants to be held and he wants to be nursing.

He wants to sleep in my bed and if I'm actually able to put him in his own bed, he only sleeps for 1 1/2 hours, TOPS.

This is the same kid who used to sleep a 6-8 hour stretch, followed by a 3-4 hour stretch EVERY NIGHT.

And with this erratic sleep pattern, his days can be less than pleasant.

Baby is tired. Mama is tired.

I have to keep in mind that he probably won't just jump back in to an incredible sleep habit, it will probably be rough for a few nights, but hopefully getting back into a nightly routine will help us get back there.

As a mom, all I want to do is make my babies happy.

So when Baby LL gets fussy I hold him; I nurse him; I do whatever I can to keep a smile on his face and tears out of his eyes.

Obviously this hasn't completely worked out, as he spends a good amount of time each day fussing, whether I'm holding him or not.

And simple tasks such as doing my hair, folding laundry or cooking dinner have become frustrating for me because I have to do them with a baby screaming.

Time to toughen up, mama.

Hopefully since his crib is now set up (yay, baby nook!!) and his sleeping space is now bigger and comfier, he will start staying asleep longer.

I know that when he learns to self soothe and is sleeping longer stretches and more soundly, we will both be FAR happier.

I just have to be strong enough to get us to that point.

And I have to realize that it's not going to happen overnight.

So, routine, my old love, we're coming back to you.

creating a baby nook

Recently the hubs and I decided to go ahead and renew our lease.

Despite being on the small side for our growing family, the pros of staying outweighed the cons.

So now comes the fun part of figuring out how to reorganize our stuff (and redecorate a bit!) to better accommodate our stuff and create a comfy and cozy abode for our little familia for the next 13 months.

Honestly, as soon as the decision to stay was made, I had multiple projects buzzing about in my brain.

One of them being creating a "baby nook" for Baby LL Cool J in the master bedroom.

We are in a two bedroom apartment, for now, and while I will eventually have the kids bunk together, that is just not feasible right now, what with L's erratic sleeping/eating schedule.

It's just not fair to sacrifice Kid A's sleep for that.

As of right now Baby LL has a pack n' play set up next to our bed, and being that he is 7 months old and nearly 19 pounds, he is fast outgrowing it.

He actually spends more time than not sleeping in our bed.

So the faster we get his crib set up, the faster thee hubs and I can reclaim space in our bed.

This will also help solve some of our space issues as we can store the bassinet and move the pieces of crib from the various corners of our apartment.
 

The area where I would create a nook is basically just big enough for his crib, so there is not really a whole lot I can do, decor-wise.

But I figured I could at least get in a wall hanging (or two) and a mobile of some sort.

I really am excited about creating a little space specifically for my lil' monkey. :)

Here is some baby nook inspiration that I found while scouring the interwebz.

How about some wall hangings/mobiles?!

{all photos via}

Lots of ideas to ponder!!
Of course, I will keep you up to date with our progress.

inspiration workshop! - flowers

So, I've already missed the deadline for this week's Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop! linky party.

Oh well! I'll still put this post up.

The prompt was FLOWERS!

The first thought that came to mind along for this prompt was this cutie patootie here:

That's right, that's my little Kid A, better known as Sweet Pea.

When she was born my mom started calling her Itty Bitty Sweet Pea, due to her size (a whopping 3lbs 15oz).

And well, the Sweet Pea part stuck.

It is not only a super cute nickname, but the flower for the month of April (A's birth month) is, you guessed it. 

The sweet pea.

{via}

In March of 2010 I got a tattoo of a sweet pea on my foot, a kind of dedication to this wonderful little girl who fulfilled my lifelong dream of becoming a mommy.

Funny story: a few months back I was talking and cooing at Baby LL and I accidentally called him Sweet Pea. 

Let me tell you, A jumped all over that with a, "He's not your Sweet Pea, I AM!!".

Oh, how I love her!

monday misc. :: sick weekend

Within 2 hours of coming home from school on Friday, Kid A got sick.

 She had a yucky 24 hour stomach bug/fever.

So, the hubs quarantined her and himself into our bedroom, so that he could take care of her and not risk Baby LL or myself getting sick.

Sure enough, in the early morning hours of Sunday, he caught it.

Good thing is, Kid A is over it and hopefully the hubs can come out of his hidey hole tomorrow for our anniversary.

And let me tell you, after sleeping on the couch for a few nights, I am more than ready to get back into my comfy bed.

During a trip to Target with Baby LL, I picked up some Clorox wipes and have been using them like crazy.

Clorox wipes, you are my life now. :)

It was/is very hard to not be able to be around Kid A or the hubs, but I have spent every waking (and sleeping) moment for the past 3 days with Baby LL.

He is SUCH a happy baby, and has the greatest disposition.

He even took a 2 1/2 hour long nap with me today.

 Thanks for that buddy, mama really needed it.

 

I love this little guy!

I also realized that he LOVES his stuffed giraffe (it plays Twinkle, Twinkle).

It's half the size that he is, but he's loving quality giraffe snuggling time.

 

During our Target excursion we also picked up a little somethin' somethin' for the little dude.

He'll be 5 months old later this week and we got the green light from the pedi to start solids whenever we wanted.

And seeing that this little boy can eat something FIERCE, we will be starting rice cereal  this week.

Just waiting for daddy to get better, so he can watch (and I can have a photographer).

 

Late  last week I took a little shopping trip to Anthropologie  to use the gift card that my mama got me for my birthday.

Here are my shopping spoils.

I actually received the vase and sugar bowl as presents.

 I still have a bit left on the card, so I will be headed back soon.

And yes, I have already put the mini colander to use holding our tea bags.

I haven't been very hungry today, but I'm craving a BIG bowl of Cheerios (with ice cold milk) something fierce!!

And seeing that this weekend didn't go as we planned, I thought  the following sentiment was appropriate.

{via}

vulnerability like you've never known

Thursday was rough.

Actually rough doesn't even do the day justice.

Baby LL had his four month shots on Wednesday and judging by how the rest of the afternoon went, I thought we had dodged a bullet and were in the clear.

When he got his two month shots the rest of the day was pretty bad. 

Baby LL and I laid in bed, while her nursed, for hours.

But the next day he was a-okay.

This time around he did wonderfully the day of the dreaded shots.

He only let out one cry during the shots and was quickly pacified when I picked him up immediately afterward.

The rest of the day passed and the only difference from any other day was that he napped a little more.

So this mama did a premature victory dance.

And taunted those vaccinations with a, "TAKE THAT!!".

BIG mistake.

Thursday started off okay, but it quickly went downhill.

I was supposed to work on Thursday morning, but left halfway through my shift because it was pretty evident that all I was going to be doing was try and pacify my cranky baby.

On the way home, he fell asleep, so I ran by the grocery store.

He stayed asleep through my quick jaunt in and out and didn't wake up until we walked in our front door.

That's when the proverbial sh!t hit the fan.

He went through major periods all day where he couldn't be pacified.

I gave up on trying to get anything done in the late morning/early afternoon.

Every time I thought he was calming down, something would set him off.

Talk about a bad mama day.

We're supposed to have all of the answers.

We're supposed to know how to calm down a screaming baby.

We're supposed to have the magic touch.

Right?!

Well, I didn't have any of those things and that made me feel like a complete failure as a mom.

Rationally I know that me feeling that way is absurd.

I know that I'm a good mom and I care about my babies SO VERY MUCH.

But I am human.

And I don't have all of the answers.

And sometimes I have an off day, when I don't feel good and I'm cranky and no one can make me feel better.

So why do I expect that my kiddos won't go through the same thing?

And why do I blame myself for that?

Because....my kids are the most important things in my life.

 Because....they own me heart and soul.

Because....when they hurt, I hurt. Emotionally and physically.

Because....I want to protect them from EVERY single bad thing out there.

Because....their joy is my joy. There is nothing like seeing your kiddos belly laugh.

Because....my life is completely entwined with these little beings. 

And has been since I first heard their heartbeats and felt their little kicks in my tummy.

I have come to realize that this feeling will most likely NEVER go away.

Even as they grow up and become independent, I will always want to save them, but I won't always be able to.

And I really don't think that I'll ever be okay with that.

Why don't they tell you in parenting classes/books that becoming a parent makes you vulnerable in ways you can't even imagine until you're there?

Oh, and by the way, so far we've had a MUCH better and calmer Friday....

weekend update :: birthday edition

This weekend was BUSY, yet AMAZING at the same time!

As you can probably tell from the post title, my birthday was this past weekend.

All of the celebrations kicked off on Friday.

The hubs took the day off, that way we could celebrate and go out to lunch together while Kid A was in school.

I absolutely LOVED spending the day with wonderful husband. 

We got to have a quiet lunch at Chili's, during which Baby LL napped. 

And later that night, after Kid A went to bed we just relaxed on the couch, had a few drinks and watched 'Bridesmaids'.

Then, on Saturday, my aunt and uncle (who live out of state), and my mom and grandma came into town a we had a great lunch (completely with a delicious margarita) on the lake at a local  restaurant called The Oasis.

On top of that my mom  and grandma took Kid A for the night, so that the hubs and I could relax a bit more.

Later on that night, the hubs endured my love for Paul Walker by renting (and watching) 'Fast Five'.

Sunday was my actual birthday and it started off tremendously.

I woke up to an iced coffee (my current obsession) and donut holes from Dunkin Donuts.

As the morning progressed, Baby LL took a super nap, and the hubs and I got to sit out on the balcony and enjoy 2 hours of great conversation on a nice, cool, rainy morning.

Later that day I had a birthday lunch with my in laws (pizza and pineapple upside down cake!), which was wonderful! 

Our time with them is always full of fun and laughter.

And, Sunday night, I went out to  Pappasitos for a girls' night with my sister, mom and grandma.

Mexican food and margaritas = YUM!!

I was definitely spoiled this year with gifts too.

Two bottles of wine, a Barnes & Noble gift card, and an Anthropologie gift card were among my spoils!!

All in all, this was most definitely the best birthday I've had in recent years.

Thanks to everyone (especially my SPECTACULAR husband!!) for making this birthday SO special!!

{all photos via}

a father and his children

I just walked into my bedroom to see how the hubs was doing with Baby L
(he was in there giving him a bottle).
Instead of finding my two guys wide awake, I found them sound asleep.
On the same pillow, facing each other.
It was really, so very sweet.



One of my favorite things in the whole world is to watch my husband with our children.
For someone who was "not a kid person", he sure loves those kids with his whole being.
You can just see the love emanating from him when he's interacting with them.
And it makes me all teary eyed.
I love knowing that I made the right choice for who I would spend the rest of my life with,
and in turn, have children with.

worcestershire sauce

One of my favorite condiments of all time is Worcestershire Sauce. When I use it on a food, my consumption of it can be a little on the excessive side. I douse my food in it, time and time again.

I do, however, pronounce the word worcestershire "wrong". The correct pronunciation is 'woos-tar-sher', but I say it like it's spelled (I've only met one other person that pronounces it like I do). And let me tell you, my way of saying it is more fun. It is probably one of my favorite words to say, and often the "sauce" part of the phrase worcestershire sauce, comes out sounding like shauce, which I find myself giggling at.

Oh, and my favorite thing to drown in a pool of this condiment from above??



A yummy steak, preferably cooked by the hubs. On a sidenote, I ate SO MUCH steak when I was pregnant with Baby L. I am normally not a huge meat eater, but boy did I crave it when pregnant.

What is your condiment of choice for a steak?

on parenting

Being a parent is HARD. There are so many trying times. Frustration is a feeling that you feel on almost a daily basis. The smallest thing, be it the way your child reacts to something, or the way you react can make you second guess yourself as a good parent. Other people, whether they are parents or not, seem to think that in order for you to be a good and effective parent, your child has to act a certain way, eat certain things, be smarter than other kids their age, etc., etc. Also, you as the parent must react accordingly. Never raise your voice. Don't spank. Speak soothingly. Yada, yada, yada.

I had a moment today where I just wanted to bury my head in my pillow and scream until I was hoarse. My 5 year old did something that just plain made me mad. Not frustrated, or annoyed, but MAD. Without going into specific detail, there was an accident that happened, that wasn't really an "accident". I happened to be nursing my 11 week old during said "accident", which was probably a good thing, because it caused me to make sure I kept my cool even that much more. And, of course, the rest of the day I've had to keep my frustration in check because everything the 5 year old does today is getting on my nerves. This, in turn, makes me feel like a failure as a parent. I know, logically, that I'm not, but the feeling is still there, bubbling under the surface. Aren't us moms supposed to be perfect? Aren't we supposed to be ever understanding of our child's behavior? Aren't we supposed to want to be around our children every second of every day? Plain and simple the answer to all of those questions is NO! We are human. And, to be frank, our kids can be little monsters sometimes, no matter how "good" we are at this whole parenting thing.

Now, before you all label me as a Negative Nelly, let me say that there is a whole other side of being a parent as well. There are so many moments that make your heart swell with so much love and joy that you think it's going to burst. My kids are truly the most important things in my life. I love them so incredibly much! There is nothing like looking into the face of your giggling child. And nothing breaks your heart more than looking into the eyes of your child when they are sad. From the giggles to the belly laughs to the snuggles to the pure adoration and love that come from your child. There is really nothing better. And, if I have to take a few frustrating, pull your hair out kind of days along the way, I'm more than willing. Bring it on! Because being a parent is the best thing in the world.

If this post seems to be a rambling one, then I apologize. I just wrote was I was thinking at the moment.

me, a-z

(a)ge - 27 years young (but that will change in less than 2 months).

(b)ed size - Queen. It's from Ikea and it's SUPER comfy!

(c)hore you dislike - Dishes!! YUCK!!

(d)ogs - None right now. But ever since I was a kid I've wanted a female Golden Retriever named Sadie.

(e)ssential start to your day - Iced tea or Dr. Pepper. Give me caffeine!!

(f)avorite color - Turquoise.

(g)old or silver - Generally silver, but gold is starting to grow on me.

(h)eight - 5'3 3/4". Yes, I claim that 3/4 of an inch.

(i)nstruments you play(ed) - Used to play piano. I WILL pick it up again one day.

(j)ob title - Currently, Mommy.

(k)ids - 2 cuties. Audrey is 5 year old (going on 15) and Lawson is 10 weeks old.

(l)ive - Central Texas. IT IS HOT!!!

(m)om's name - Charlotte.

(n)icknames - Jen, Jenny, J, JJ, etc.

(o)vernight hospital stays - Twice. When each of my kiddos were born.

(p)et peeves - My main one is when people use the word, irregardless. Also, text speak.

(q)uote from a movie - "I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly. Mm, mm, mm."

(r)ighty or lefty - Mainly right, but I'm pretty ambidextrous.

(s)iblings - 2 older brothers, 1 younger sister, 1 younger brother.

(t)ime you wake up - Which time? Normally between 6 and 8, although that will change in the coming weeks, when A starts Kindergarten.

(u)nderwear - Ummm, yes please?

(v)egetables you don't like - Beets and spinach from a can. BLECH!!

(w)hat makes you run late - My kids and the hubs. Plain and simple.

(x)rays you've had - Dental, arm and foot.

(y)ummy food you make - I'm a pretty decent cook, but a few family favorites are spaghetti, chicken fried steak, arroz con pollo and cupcakes.

(z)oo animal favorites - Hmmmm....giraffes and hippos.

the face rubbers....

....this is what I have nicknamed my 3 loves.

It all started with the hubs. We can be sitting next to each other, lying next to each other or standing next to each other and he will rub his face on my arm or shoulder.

I then realized awhile back that A did the same thing. Only to me.

And now, at barely 2 months old, Baby L does the same thing if I'm holding him with his head on my chest.

It is so funny to me, but both the hubs and A swear up and down that it feels good and brings them comfort in a way. Also, I've noticed that the face rubbing increases when they are tired. I guess I can understand. I'm an eye rubber. At any given moment (but normally when I'm tired) I can start rubbing my eyes. And I've been doing this ever since I can remember. It is one of the reasons that I dislike wearing eye makeup. Why wear it if it's either: a. going to be rubbed off OR b. going to get smeared and smudged?

Anyways, file that away under "quirks of the L family".

What are your "tired" quirks?

random eight

1. When I first got pregnant with A, I developed an aversion to spaghetti that lasted for almost 3 years. Now we eat spaghetti AT LEAST once a week.




2. The hubs and I got married after dating for less than 8 months (less than 2 weeks after I turned 20). We are now going on 8 years of marriage.




3. I do not like dark meat chicken, UNLESS it is a fried chicken drumstick.




4. My favorite author of all time is Dean Koontz.




5. My parents once figured out that by the time I turned 18, we had moved upwards of 15 times (most of it in the same city). How many times have they moved since then? Zero.




6. Pregnancy amnesia is real. Even though I was super sick and uncomfortable while I was pregnant this last time, within a week of Baby L being born I missed being pregnant.




7. My favorite superhero is Dr. Jean Grey/Phoenix.




8. And, speaking of the X-Men, Baby L was *almost* named Logan, after Wolverine, who is the hubs favorite superhero of all time.