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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Valentines Day Catch Up

This year, Valentine's Day was extra special because I had two valentines!

We stayed home, and I made a yummy dinner of home-made chicken parmesan and spaghetti with red sauce. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but it was possibly the best chicken parm I have ever had (and it is one of my favorite meals!).



My hubby loves smores, so for dessert I made baked smores. I cut out two cute little hearts, put them on a plate, and before I could take a picture Chris scooped out the remains and plopped them onto the plate making it look not so pretty anymore. To make it up to me, after we ate our dessert, he went into the kitchen and did his best to cut out two more hearts so that I could have my picture. Isn't he sweet?

 

November through March is like a never ending spending spree in our house, and since Caden was born in October, we can add another month to that list. Besides all the holidays, we also celebrate my birthday in January (Chris really spoiled me this year by getting me a diamond bracelet) and our anniversary in March. So, long story short, we decided that there would be no expensive gifts this year, which I personally think is better for valentines day because it forces you to do something from the heart.

This year Chris really proved how well he knows me.. He knows how much I love chocolate, so he spoiled me with a box of godiva chocolates; he knows how much I "like coupons" so he made me his own coupon book full of things like "Take the night off, I got Caden;" and instead of flowers, he started me my own little garden, which I have been wanting for the longest time. I love that man.

 


I had a hard time figuring out what to do for the hubs, especially since it isn't easy for me to get out of the house during the week and the weekends we spend together, but I ended up finding a really cute idea on another blog (you can find it here) and making it my own. All I had to buy was a map when I went grocery shopping, and the rest we had at home.

 
 
Friday we spent with our friends, Sarah and Marcus, whose son is only 5 weeks older than Caden. They were so cute together, especially since the last time we saw them was Thanksgiving, and the boys were too little to notice each other then. This time, they were actually old enough to interact and it was absolutely adorable. Seeing the two of them together made me a realize how big my little guy is- he is 5 weeks younger than Junior but has at least two pounds on him. No wonder my back is always sore! We all went out to lunch then Sarah and I took the boys to the mall for a 'mommy and me' date. It was so nice to get out of the house and have some girl time. The rest of the weekend was filled with a duty day, catching up on homework, and taking advantage of a sale at Babies r Us. I'm finally caught up with my class, housework, and blogging. Yay!


Friday, February 15, 2013

Friday's Letters

Caden's vday present- a high chair! (Looks like a baby lazy boy to me)

Dear Baby Boy, You are growing way too fast! This week I had to put away all of your 0-3 month clothes. Dear Father of my Child, I'm sorry, but we can't keep every one of Caden's outfits that looked cute on him. I know it is possible that we will have another boy, but let's face it- our son makes every outfit look cute, and we just don't have the storage for that! Dear Sleep, Where have you been lately? Dear Fibro Pain, You are really kicking my butt this week. I know, if I improve my relationship with sleep you will get a teensy bit better. I'm tryingDear Valentines Day, I know you get a bad rep from some people, but I am so glad to know you! Dear Caden, You get two letters this week because you rolled over!! Couldn't you have waited for me to get my video camera ready though? Dear Hubby, You also get two letters, since you were so thoughtful and sweet on v-day. I am so lucky to be your wife.

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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

pumpkin pie cinnabon

 
Coffee, that is..
 
 

We are BIG coffee drinkers at my house, and we love trying new flavors. This is def my new favorite creamer, hands down! I absolutely love cinnamon rolls, but they are usually an occasional treat for my fam, but not anymore, now I can have a 'cinnabon' every morning! And it is super yummy with pumpkin pie coffee. You have to try it!
Now that I've had my morning coffee, lets see how much cleaning and homework I can get done before the little one gets up from his nap..

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Sleeping baby

Like a million other moms out there will tell you, getting a baby to sleep is a constant battle. I have something to be grateful for- Caden sleeps from 10-8 almost every night, while many babies don't sleep through the night until they are much much older. Grateful is an understatement- I don't know how I would have survived if Caden didn't start sleeping through the night.. I am the kind of person who needs 9-10 hours of sleep a night, and a big part of that is because with my fibromyalgia, I don't relax my muscles enough to allow my body to rest. So I constantly remind myself that I am blessed that my baby sleeps through the night.


But that doesn't mean we don't have our problems. Like the fact that Caden wakes up starting around 11 or 12 every single night because he wants to come into bed with me. Most nights I wrap him back up, stick his binkie in his mouth, and rub his face until he falls asleep at least three times before I give in. And while I love snuggling with my baby, its not easy on me. He wiggles around nonstop, and he has to sleep either on my chest or half on me.. I have never been a back sleeper, and the constant weight on my chest makes my back hurt more than normal. Oh, and did I mention that Caden will only sleep with me? Chris tried to give me a break the other night, and as soon as I handed him over, Caden started screaming.. After a few minutes I took him back, and of course he fell asleep as soon as he hit my chest. I love that my son loves cuddling with his momma so much, but I wish it wasn;t such a battle.


I try to sneak out of bed to get his bottle ready before he fully wakes up in the morning. This adorable face is hard to leave though!


Caden has also decided that he doesn't like napping, and that might be because I have been leaving his arms out of his swaddle during the day so that we can break him of the habit. The last two days, I have left both arms out, and it has made for some frustrating yet funny moments..
 


Yesterday, about 20 minutes into his usually 45 minute long nap, Caden woke up with his "I need attention now!" scream that he uses when something has scared or hurt him. I knew he scared himself with his arms, so I tried to soothe him without picking him up.. When it wasn't working, I decided to give in, but as soon as my hands went under his arms, the crying got quieter, so I pulled back.. Caden's eyes opened, the corners of his mouth turned down, and he stuck his bottom lip out.
He was about to let out a cry when he noticed me smiling at his pouting face, so he ended up smiling mid-cry.
I wish I could better explain the cuteness of that moment. Yes, I gave in and picked up the little stinker.
Today, his first nap lasted 20 minutes once again, so right before his next nap, a light bulb went off in my head.. I set an alarm on my phone with a white noise app and left it next to him so that 20 minutes into the nap, the sound would gradually come on. I went in to check on him after the alarm went off, and Caden's eyes were rolling back to sleep.

Success!

But then he saw me, and my plan backfired.

And now he is asleep in my arms. Oh, the innocence of a sleeping baby..

Friday, February 1, 2013

Friday's Letters

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Dear U.S. Navy, Thank you for recognizing national-nurse-your-hangover-day and giving my husband the day after the superbowl off of work. However, it doesn't make up for all the missed birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. Dear Jack, As much as as I wanted to get rid of your annoying (cat) toy that quacks like a duck, I won't now that I heard you imitating it this morning. Your puppy whine sounds nothing like a quack, but nice try. Dear Baby Boy, You did the sweetest thing this week.. You were laying on the floor, and I was kissing your cheeks to make you laugh. When I picked my head up to see your expression, you put your hands on either side of my face and pulled me down to give you another kiss. Yes, it made me tear up. I love being your Mama. Dear Hubs, As I'm writing this, I can hear you playing with our son in his room. You both think it is so funny when you pull his arms down and say, "Get your hands out of your mouth!" I think its adorable.