Hanna Mania

catching up

2012-01-30T17:54:00.000-08:00

I feel like a terrible blogger lately. I haven't kept up on anything but my 365 photo. Honestly nothing new has happened with us Hanna's. We are pretty routine.

I have been on a steady workout routine for 2 weeks now and I can say I feel 100% better about myself inside and out.
I also found a 5k I plan to run in March, this will be the first time in my entire life I will run for more than 1 mile so prayers that I don't die are welcome

Mason is still getting over his cold from 2 weeks ago, he feels and looks better but snot just keeps flowing out of that little nose.

Also, he had his first little tooth come through tonight, you can barely see it but you sure can feel it!!

I am slowing preparing for my craft fair in June but honestly can't find the motivation right now to really get ready. The plan was to use these 6 months before hand to have everything together but I have a feeling I will be rushing around the month before.

Anyone else absolutely loving this winter weather??

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods and thanks for stopping by, I promise to work harder on this blogging thing =)

365:week4

2012-01-29T05:55:00.000-08:00

already a month in and still on track!

half

my other half decided against the funny face

ugly

Little man has been fighting an ugly cold for a way too long

royal

purple, the color of royalty

identity

self portrait of my identity; a mom with grown out roots, hair in a ponytail, sweats in the middle of the day, loving on a baby =)

i missed thursday which was tradition, i had it all planned out but mason wasn't up for going on a drive so hopefully i can add that shot to next week

smell

my favorite smell...coffee beans

funny
this has nothing to do with the theme but i loved watching my little man and his daddy work on a project together

little worker

2012-01-28T13:50:00.000-08:00

this weekend we decided we needed to get a bedside shelf for austin. we like to watch Dexter after putting little man to bed on the weekends and i was the only one with a little shelf on my side on the bed, this resulted in me constantly passing asutin his coke or him holding it.

we went to target and found a nice little 3 foot shelf that would fit perfectly in between the wall and bed. when we returned home mason grabbed his hammer and helped daddy put together the shelf.

my camera battery went dead midway through the process so i missed some of the action =(

first we grab our hammer

and gather our parts

then we hammer away

here dad, i will hold and you hammer

now you hold while i hammer

it was great seeing them work together on a project. mason really enjoyed helping

at one point mason got a hold of the instructions and decided to eat them, he is a typical man; no need for instructions!!

valentines

2012-01-24T19:12:00.000-08:00

today we got the 2 best friends together for Valentine pictures

It was quite the experience. a 6 month old and a 7 month old kind of do their own thing.

they love playing together but have the attention span of .01 second

here are some of the fun shots we got

whispering sweet nothings

eating his arm

and then the individuals

sometimes we have a real bad cough

I hate pictures!

and the best of the best

I love getting these two together! and of course having coffee with her mama is a plus

tough

2012-01-21T13:57:00.000-08:00

that is the one and only word i can use to describe today.

we all have those days, you wake up on the wrong side of the bed and your whole day is off

i waited for austin to get home from work last night so we could watch an episode of Dexter before bed, he was home at 1030pm and the episode was an hour long. I wasn't asleep till about midnight, my own fault there. between the hours of 230 and 7 mason was up 3 times. i woke up tired and irritate before i even got out of bed.

it's okay i thought because today i am meeting a friend for lunch. I just need to have my coffee, playtime with mason and get ready. mason is going through a i am going to cry unless you hold me stage. getting ready was near impossible. i couldn't wait to step out for an hour.

after lunch i came back home, still not in a great mood but excited to see my boys. austin left to meet his cousin, mas and i headed to Target and Hobby Lobby. he was fine. when we got home it began again, i put him down for 5 seconds to use the restroom and he was throwing a fit. i picked him up and he continued to cry while pulling out handfuls of my hair.

deep breaths later i sat him next to me on the floor so we could play and i could put up my pictures for the week. somehow he reached the off button on the computer which closed out all my programs and turned it off. i closed it and went to put it on the end table so i could just lay with him on the floor, in this 2 second period he tipped over, landing on a pillow and started throwing a fit again.

i swiped him up to love on him for a minute, it was obvious we were both having a hard day. i just wanted to love him and him love me. i wanted quiet snuggle time but instead got this...

sweet child, i love you. i know we will have our rough days and i wouldn't trade them for anything.

tomorrow is a new day and it will be better

365:week 3

2012-01-21T13:38:00.000-08:00

This weeks pictures!

notice the paths our dog has continuously ran and killed all chances of there ever being grass

teamwork

this yard may not look like much yet but it has taken a lot of teamwork to get this far. after mason was born our main sewer line needed replaced. Austin first teamed with my dad to dig up and replace the line. then he teamed up with his dad to till and replant grass

don't worry be happy

i totally forgot i was going to stock up on pumpkin spice creamer before they discontinued it for the year. luckily i was able to snatch up the last one at Wal Mart Monday and it was on sale! i thought this fit the prompt perfect

oops

i decided to give up pop this month while trying to get rid of my baby flab around my tummy. today after austin left for work i noticed he left half a pop on the table, i couldn't just throw it away so....oops

strong
mind, body and soul
and if i didn't have love handles and was ripped like Jillian Michaels

hahaha this makes me laugh

Fire

when i read today's prompt i thought of my fire pit in the backyard and this special stick I can't bring myself to burn.

I got my fire pit for my birthday, Mason was just 3 months old. Austin took him to the backyard to collect sticks to start a fire later that night. He handed one to Mason and told him to hold it for his mama. Although Mason still hadn't got a handle on holding things, he somehow carried it through the yard and dropped it in the stick pile. I know it is silly but I can't burn it, it's kind of like my first gift from my little man.

Behind

cute baby behind

bridge

this has nothing to do with a bridge. I am lacking motivation and creativity today. Mason was up on and off all night. he hasn't stopped crying all day. i am tired and about to snap. on a good note this came in the mail today, now i can make my coin purse!

how is everyone's 365 project coming along? leave me a link to yours so i can check it out

be sure to stop by these fellow 365-ers

andrea

megan

laura

mason and mommy pictures

2012-01-17T15:31:00.000-08:00

ever wonder what happens when you snuggle up next to your 7 month old and try to take a few pictures with him?

this is exactly what happens....

the first picture you take he is laughing and having fun, you haven't annoyed him yet, however, you forgot to change your aperture so he is out of focus

second picture he becomes interested in your camera strap dangling right in front of him

third picture you try to snuggle him but again the strap is more interesting

fourth picture you completely forget to put yourself in

by the fifth he has decided to roll over and grab a toy

finally you give up and realize everyone just wants to see the adorable baby anyways

dear..

2012-01-17T12:41:00.000-08:00

Dear extra flab on my belly,
I have been working out, eating less and doing crunches till I can barely get out of bed. Can you please disappear at your earliest convenience?

k, thanks,
Mama who wishes to not look like she just had a baby

__________________________________________________

Dear laundry pile.
there are only 3 of us in this little family, why is it that you are always there? Daily laundry should not be a chore.

sincerely,
lady whose house the laundry fairy skips

_________________________________________________

Dear sinus pressure,
I would really like to enjoy a happy baby and sick free husband. Is there anyway you can go away for awhile or forever?

Thanks in advance,
Wife and mommy of sick boys

________________________________________________

Dear kitchen cabinets,
I would greatly appreciate if you would refill yourselves with groceries every week. I very much dislike grocery shopping and if the weather gets bad it will be such a hassle to bundle up a baby and drag him to the store. I will even leave a list of what we need each week

Yours truely,
Mama who hates Wal Mart

my photography

2012-01-16T13:15:00.000-08:00

i have decided that this year i am really going to work hard to improve my photography. I love to photograph our lives and others.

I have dabbled in and out of learning the fundamentals but never went too in depth. lately i have been seriously sitting down to read and practice.

I wanted to show off some of my recent work because, yes, i am proud of how far i have come.

Thanks for looking!

meal planning;week 2

2012-01-16T07:28:00.000-08:00

here is what the menu in our house looks like this week

Monday- south of the border pasta-- from last week, somehow our days got mixed up and then we had dinner at the in-laws one night so this dish was never prepared
Tuesday-Hawaiin Chicken
Wednesday- spaghetti
Thursday-crispy chedder chicken
Friday- Pesto chicken
1 can cream of chicken/mushroom soup, i jar pesto sauce, 1/4 c milk, 2 chicken breast, pasta. cook chicken, add soup, milk and pesto. stir over medium heat till smooth. mix with cooked pasta
Saturday- fajitas

whats on your menu this week??

sewing project 2

2012-01-15T07:30:00.000-08:00

sticking to my goal of becoming a better sewer (is that a word?) i have marked a few patterns i want to try.

First on my list was a bucket bag. I love carrying just big enough purses that can fit all my junk along with a few diapers, wipes and some toys for mason.

once i got the pattern i immediately knew what fabric i wanted, i just needed to find it. don't you hate when you picture something in your head then it is nonexistent? after searching all over town i finally resorted to the internet, i really didnt want to pay as much for shipping as for the fabric but decided $10 for a yard of corduroy shipped was worth it when it happened to be exactly what i was wanting.

next i thought i wanted a nice bright turquoises or a grey for the inside but when you are digging through a thrift store and find 2 yards of your favorite color green for a buck you can't pass it up!

here are a few photos of my new bag. I tried some early morning backlighting for fun...

the pattern was pretty simple and took about 2 hours to put together. It ended up being the perfect size. I doubled the length of the strap so i could wear messenger bag style. the only thing i would add to the pattern would be 2 little pockets on the inside.

all in all i think my sewing goal is looking like a success and its fun to make new cute things for myslef

365 : week 2

2012-01-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

This week I tried to be more creative in my picture taking, I hope i accomplished this

broken

my family is short. we all got jeans for Christmas. between the 3 of us girls I had 9 pairs of pants to hem, apparently i got a bit carried away

lines

while laying on the floor with mason day after day, i see the lines of his toy basket often

black

i was lazy and didn't grocery shop on the designated shopping day therefore i went without coffee creamer for 2 days. coffee black is super gross, don't try it

fluffy

warm, fluffy boots

bow

I really wanted a picture of Austin with his hunting bow but because my car had broken down he was trying to work on it before i had to leave for work and of course when i got off work he was gone to work. i settled for me trying to hold the dang thing with one arm while taking a picture looking through the site

mug shot
again i was lame, i wanted to set up a mug shot like i was being booked into jail but lack of time resulted in a quick side view mug shot

dinning
we enjoy dinning in 7 nights a week =)

Meal Planning : week 1

2012-01-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

This year one of the things I wanted to be better at was meal planning, I wanted to have a plan for everyday of the week.
I didn't want to hear "there is nothing to eat" or run to get fast food at 8 pm because I didn't have anything to make.

I decided I would plan for the whole month at the beginning of each month. This would make it easier to put together my grocery list and help minimize the number of times we ate the same thing.

Some of my friends said they were interested in meal planning but didn't have the time, it is consuming but worth it! I thought it would be a good idea to post each week what is on our menu and give you the links or recipes so you would have 7 options right at your finger tips.

sunday- brisket tacos
monday- Chicken enchiladas (recipe found on can of Old El Paso enchilada sauce)
tuesday- beef stroganoff
wednesday- Chicken Alfredo
                chicken breast, mushrooms, 2 tbsp butter, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 cup heavy cream, garlic salt, pepper, pasta.
cook and drain pasta. brown chicken and mushrooms in butter. add garlic salt and pepper to taste. add heavy cream and stir until thickened. add parmesan and serve over noodles
thursday-sweddish meatballs
friday- south of the border pasta
             1/2 can corn, 4-6 tbsp cream cheese, 1 cup salsa, 2 chicken breast, pasta
cook and drain pasta. Cube and cook chicken. add cream cheese, salsa and corn. cover and simmer over med-low heat until cream cheese is melted stirring occasionally. mix in pasta.
saturday- chili
                 1 lb ground beef, 1 can rotel, 1 can diced green chili, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can chili beans, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder.
brown beef, add all ingredients. cover and simmer at least 45 minutes.

I hope this helps some of you out there looking for ideas! I will try to post my meals each week

365-week 1

2012-01-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

i decided to post my photos weekly on this blog instead of daily on my 365 blog, 2 blogs was too much and I don't always have time to post daily.
also i am linking up with Between the Lines

here is week one


day 1 light

forgot about this one till it was too dark to take a picture of anything but the lamp inside


day 2 tall

day 3 craft

More times than not there is a half finished craft laying around my house

day 4 switch

day 5 leftovers

this boy never leaves leftovers!

day 6 up

Mason always looks up to me so I strive to be a good role model and mother

day 7 clear

Our week in phone photos

2012-01-06T06:11:00.000-08:00

Just some images from our week captured by the less than adequate camera on the ol' blackberry

this boy can eat!

2012-01-05T17:49:00.000-08:00

when i first started Mason on solids he acted like he had eaten them everyday of his life.
He loves to eat.

I like to feed him, he makes this "mmmmm" noise after every bite
Very cute.

His favorites foods are oatmeal in the morning and sweet potatoes and squash during the day.

I am worried I might be feeding him too much solids... today he barely nursed when offered but ate almost 7 cubes of food... is this normal for a 7 month old.

That aside he always finishes a meal
=)

side note- I do not let him feed himself yet nor does he usually get to lick the bowl, he got a little crazy when i was trying to take a few pictures.

small review homemade bathroom cleaner

2012-01-04T06:04:00.000-08:00

I have been trying out homemade cleaners around the house. So far I have found a laundry soap recipe and a kitchen cleaner recipe i like. I found one for bathroom cleaner that I decided to try out yesterday.

It was easy to make and only involved using baking soda and dawn dish soup. all you have to do is pour however much baking soda you need in a tupperwear and add enough dawn to make it paste like.

I used about 3/4 c. baking soda and 1/4 c. Dawn.

I used a scrubbing sponge to clean the sink, bathtub, and toilet. Here is my review.

Things I liked about it....
Easy to make, all ingredients on hand

Worked as well as store bought cleaner both generic and brand name. Many reviews I read said it worked so much better than any other bought cleaner. Although I liked the way it cleaned, I would say it was just as good but not better than store bought.

It has a nice clean smell thanks to the Dawn dish soup
It wasn't harsh . I hate how bad store bought tub cleaner smells, it is potent and always makes me cough/gag.

Things I didn't like....
There really isn't anything I didn't like about this cleaner

Other notes.....
After using it on the sink I added a little water to my mixture to make it less paste like and more like a thick glue. I liked this because it was easier to rinse and removed the sand paper film the baking soda leaves.

All in all I really liked this cleaning method. It was easy, convinent, quick, worked well, and didn't have harsh chemical smells.
That being said, go try it !!

7 months

2012-01-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

Mason isn't technically 7 months till next week but my sister was over today so i decided while i had the help i better take his photos.

He is a little rascal when the camera comes out. He is always on the move!

He weights 17.5 lbs and is 26.5 inches

He likes eating sweet potatoes and squash, he is unsure of eating anything green

He is happy for the most part and loves to jump!

His sleeping varies. Some nights he will go all night and others he is up 3 times

He likes to talk and sing, bath time, eating time, jumping, pulling daddy's bread and mama's hair, watching football and looking outside.
He doesn't have many things he doesn't like right now
He is getting his hair back and starting to look less and less like a baby =(

future gamer

2011-12-30T18:06:00.000-08:00

austin has done a lot of his usual gaming doing break.

This year he has a little buddy helping him

He likes to point out the bad guys for daddy

and when daddy isn't doing it just right, he says "just let me do it"

His favorite move is throwing grenades

Sewing project 1

2011-12-30T17:09:00.000-08:00

As I noted in my last post I am going to improve my sewing skills in 2012.

I started a bit early making a few Christmas gifts. One of them was for my photographically talented sister in law, Andrea.

I made a lens case and camera strap. Many asked to see the final result and after meeting with her this afternoon for coffee, which was a great hour away with adult mommy/friend talk, I can share

I has a lot of fun making this gift. The pattern was suppose to make a case for her small lens, 50 mm, but it ended up being bigger than I thought. She will be able to use it for her zoom lens and I will alter the pattern for a smaller one. After making hers, I put together one for myself =)

what's happening in 2012

2011-12-29T18:17:00.000-08:00

I read that only 1/3 of people who make New Year's resolutions keep them and I am guilty of being in the 2/3's that don't. This year instead of making resolutions I am making a list of thing I am doing.

1. See this pre baby body? well by the time I can take Mason to the pool I will have this body back

yeah this is me =)

2. Meal plan- The number of times I hear "there is nothing to eat in this house" are going to be significantly fewer

3. Sew- I am going to master my sewing machine

4. Save- We are going to start building our savings account

5. Start and finish my 365 blog

6. Enjoy this little man to the fullest

7. Grow my hair out

Here's to to-do lists that are getting done this year!

Mason's first chirstmas

2011-12-26T19:13:00.000-08:00

This post will have little words and a ton of pictures..... its better that way

Christmas morning started out with Austin thinking Mason was ready to open gifts before the sun when really he just wanted to eat and laid back down for an hour. Since Austin was already up he and I opened our gifts to each other and waited for little man to wake up.

Mason first opened his gifts from us

mason LOVED ripping the wrapping paper

and played with them

and then papa came over with lots of gifts

after they were opened they were played with

Later that day we headed over to grandma and grandpa's, where even more gifts were opened

all in all mason's first Christmas was a success and he was greatly spoiled by his loved ones.

it's almost time....

2011-12-19T06:06:00.000-08:00

for a haircut!

I can't bring myself to cut his little hair but it is starting to get a bit ridiculous

just not yet

graduation day!

2011-12-18T10:53:00.000-08:00

We made the haul up to Missouri Friday to watch Brooke graduate from the nursing program at Missouri Western.

The plan was to leave Wichita at 3 (mason's nap time) in hopes that he would sleep a majority of the way. Emily was coming home from school in Oklahoma and ended up arriving a little late. We didn't hit the road till closer to 4pm. Mason did fall asleep rather quickly....

but that only lasted 30 minutes.

after about 45 minutes of playing fine in his carseat we stopped about an hour out to feed Mason in hopes that he would go back to sleep till we got there. We had dinner plans with Brooke and Nate so we needed him to hopefully not be cranky. By this time it was getting dark and Mason absolutely HATES being in the car when it is dark, thus being said he whined for 40 minutes before finally drifting to sleep

I wasn't sure how he was going to sleep in the hotel room. We had 2 full sized beds, my thought was to bring some of the blankets he uses around the house and put him in one bed to himself. Luckily he slept great, all night infact, 9:30-6:30.

Graduation day was the real test. Brooke had pinning at 8:30 and graduation at 11. This left little time for a morning nap. We got ready, ate breakfast and heading to the pinning. Normally Mas naps around 8:30-9 so i was slightly worried we might have a mealtdown.

I am happy to say we didn't! He did fall asleep during the speaker but once they announced the first name and everyone started clapping he was woken up. He sat with Austin, so I could take pictures, and he thought playing with daddy's beard was quite entertaining.

getting pinned

Brooke and Nate

Mason with Auntie Brooke

After the pinning we took Mason to Brooke's dorm to get a quick nap before the ceremony. He was able to sleep 30 minutes before we had to head to the next event. About 10 minutes into graduation he was over it, luckily Austin took him to a little waiting area they had with chairs and a tv. Austin said there were quite a few dads out there with little babies =)

we were on the balcony so pictures were a chanllange

Mason was exhausted at this time and I don't blame him, he hadn't really got a nap and most of the time he is on a 3-4 nap a day schedule! We headed to lunch and this was where he melted down. Poor baby was just over all the running around. Needless to say after multiple attempts to stop his screaming in the restaurant (everyone tried-grandma, me, austin, and even grandpa) I took him to the car so he would fall asleep.

The ride home was much better, he slept the first 2 hours and played the last hour.

We were so proud to see Brooke graduate with honors. She has worked so hard, between soccer, school, and clinicals she has pushed herself. She received a job at Children's Mercy in Kansas City just days before graduating. We are sad she will not be moving home but excited she has the opportunity to work in the field she was hoping to, pediatric oncology.

the whole family

Congratulations Brooke!

who doesn't like a chubby naked kid

2011-12-15T18:37:00.000-08:00

tonight was the first night i put Mas in the real bathtub instead of his baby tub.

we don't have a slip resistant mat so he was sliding all over the place but liked it for the most part

i was worried he wasn't going to have it considering when we moved his baby tub from kitchen sink to bathroom he was terrified and cried 2 nights before he was okay with it

most of these pictures are blurry but what can you expect when you are trying to take a photo of a 6 month old, who still falls over when sitting sometimes, in a bathtub without a slip mat?? plus i didn't want my iso above 400 because i get grain so my shutter was slower than needed to capture a moving baby!

who doesn't like a chunky nakie baby??

splashin'

my camera strap

2011-12-14T17:58:00.000-08:00

I spent the morning looking through etsy for a padded camera strap.

I searched 100's of listings for just the right one.

i couldn't find it

I found a few i liked but I wasn't settling for one I just liked, I wanted to love it, especially if I was dishing out $20+

I ended up not buying one. Instead I went to Hobby Lobby to see if I could find that fabric I just loved.

I did't

BUT I did find some decent fabric on clearance and fleece (for padding)

I am not totally in love with it but for a total of $4 I am pretty pleased with the outcome until I find what I want.

This is the first time I made a camera strap and wasn't completely sure how to do it.

I cut two pieces of the cotton and one piece of fleece which I sewed sandwiched in between the outer fabric to add padding.

I sewed a small pocket on the outside to put my lens cap in while I am shooting.

When I was finished I noted a few things I wish to do differently next time.

I also found some owl patterned fabric I had left over from a previous project that I plan to make a strap for as a Christmas gift, I have the perfect person in mind for it =)

6 months

2011-12-13T05:29:00.000-08:00

my sweet boy is 6 months

time has flown by

he has changed so so much in these few months

Mason is the perfect addition to our family. everyday we grow closer to him and love him more and more. He brings happiness to Austin and I as well as both of our families. He brings smiles to our faces everyday

Likes:

his jumpee

bath time

eating

seeing our faces when he wakes up

playing peek a boo

Dislikes:

tummy time (big surprise)

naps (sometimes)

loud noises ie blender, coffee grinder, hair dryer

getting dresser/wearing a jacket

He is sitting by himself for the most part but if he does fall over he will tip over, not even attempt to catch himself and then just lay there. I find it quite funny

He still is not rolling over nor does he show any interest in doing so. He will lay and if something is out of reach he doesn't reach for but rather just look at it then remain just laying there.

I almost cry every time I think about how much he has grown. Although he is just half a year old, I feel like so much of his life has gone by. I don't want him to grow anymore. It is only a matter of time before I can't cuddle him. Mason if you can read this, stop growing up! Love mom =)

i imagined it different

2011-12-12T18:22:00.000-08:00

when i was thinking about starting mason on solids i contemplated over and over what his first food would be and how he would react to it.

I gave him cereal for 3 day just to let him get the hang of what eating was all about. Finally i decided on sweet potatoes. I bought one tonight, baked it, pureed it and got ready to feed him it. I sat him in high chair and got my camera ready for what i thought would be a funny experience.

who would have thought...he loved it

not even one funny, confused face with the first bite or any bite thereafter.

give me some of that sweet goodness

mmmmmm mm MM mm

this is what i'm talking about!

my boy is going to be an healthy eater

sometimes

2011-12-12T14:22:00.000-08:00

fun times with daddy

turn into sad times

but daddy always cheers us up

melts my heart

meeting santa

2011-12-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

i have been looking around at places that santa would be visiting before Christmas so we could take Mason to meet him.

I really didn't want to go to the mall...just something about it wasn't settling with me. I wanted a smaller, less crowded place in case we had a melt down.

A friend informed me that Santa would be visiting the bakery she worked at today. I thought this was the perfect place; it would a little crowd and afterwards we could get some cookies!

Austin went hunting so I called my mom and had her come help. When we got there, there wasn't a line and only one other family in there. Santa was awesome. He waited while i got my camera ready then put Mason on his lap.

at first Mason wanted nothing to do with him.

Santa talked to Mason and tried to get him to smile or at least look at him

finally he looked at him

and upon realizing it was a stranger proceed to wrinkle his little face up, shiver his lips and cry

Santa smiled and said make sure you get one of that.

I am so happy we found this location to visit Santa, it was definitely the perfect first experience with him

the sippy

2011-12-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

We have introduced the sippy cup to Mason and he has been quite entertaining with it.

We noticed in the bath tub he was taking his plastic cup we use to rinse his hair out and dunking it in the water then with 2 hands bringing it to his face and drinking so we decided it was time.

first he insisted to hold it between his feet and take his mouth to it but obviously you can't get any water that way so i helped him

his reaction....

this isn't mama's milk!

i will not stand for this!

get out of here

and with that the sippy stands alone.

He really likes shaking it and bringing it to his mouth but once he takes a drink and realizes it is just water he gets mad. I know it will just take a short while before he gets the hang of it.

tonight we try cereal for the first time! I am excited but sad to see my little man grow up

come over here..

2011-12-06T16:01:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

I wanted to let you all know I will be posting on a second blog come January. This blog will still be updated as usual but I am starting a 365 blog as well.

Please stop by and take a look, actually do more than that, follow me!

It won't take the place of this blog but rather serve as a home to my daily picture.

c'mon you know you are interested!!

here is the link one more time

See you there =)

it's the little things

2011-12-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

like having an extra pair of tiny hands helping with the Christmas tree this year

A hot cup of coffee on a cold day

A peaceful sleeping face

a new toaster when you might have accidentally started your old one on fire last week

A happy, healthy little man that brings a smile to your face every. single. day

thrift store

2011-11-30T09:44:00.000-08:00

I love thrift store shopping. You can always find a deal on things you need when crafting. I loaded Mason up the other day and we headed to a small store just 2 blocks away.

This is how mason chilled during our outing, I am positive shopping will be easier once he can sit by himself and before he can walk and talk =)

These are my finds. I have ideas for some of them and the others were just too hard to pass up. I will let you in on what I am making after the Holidays.... some are gifts

EASY pumpkin bread

2011-11-29T15:35:00.000-08:00

I bought a can of pumpkin a few weeks ago with intent to make something pumpkin around Thanksgiving.... i never did

I decide some bread would be perfect to munch on while enjoying coffee and I would feel better about myself after eating multiple pieces a day, even though I knew it would be just an unhealthy as a pie would be. I searched around for an easy recipe that didn't take 100 ingredients that i didn't have

I came across this recipe

1 cup pumpkin

4 eggs

2 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

Mix

Add:

2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

mix and divide into 3 bread pans. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes

I ALMOST made the mistake of doubling the recipe simply because the can of pumpkin was 2 cups and I didn't want to throw away half of it. Luckily I didn't because we would have been eating pumpkin bread for weeks!!

over the break

2011-11-28T19:01:00.000-08:00

We had a lot of family relaxation time over the break

Here is some of what we enjoyed

wearing hats like daddy

practicing our harmonica

FINALLY reaching the annoying bird that hits us in the head when we jump

Then we enjoyed Thanksgiving

Papa visited us

Lounged with Grandpa

got spoiled by our aunties

finished with the Christmas tree!

And amused mom for one picture

mini shoot

2011-11-25T10:44:00.000-08:00

As promised, i finally got Mason all dressed up in his tux and suit for some pictures.

He only made it through the tux and one vest but what can you expect from a 5 month old?

Thanks to a high shutter speed and photoshot we got a few good pictures in between the falling over and drool

happy friday all

future blogger

2011-11-21T13:34:00.000-08:00

I am usually on the floor with Mason, whether we are playing, talking, or just hanging out.

A few weeks ago I was blogging and I got up to get a drink, when I came back Mason was finishing my post up for me =)

Austin said he was trying to get a message out for someone to come save him

and i am done

a little baking

2011-11-18T16:03:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I asked for a Kitchen Aid mixer. Last week for our anniversary Austin got me one, he said the sooner I got it the sooner I could make him treats.

Today I decided Mason and I would put it to some good use

We gathered all our ingredients and put together a quick cake with homemade frosting

Yes, I was so excited to use it that I stood over and watched it.

While the cake part was baking Mas and I hung out

and when it had cooled we threw together the frosting.

Of course we tested it out.

On a funny note, after I ate my piece I kissed him and placed him down for a nap. When he woke up and I went to get him, I leaned in to kiss him and he smelled of chocolate frosting!

Back to cake baking, 2 things I learned today...

do not leave the butter sticks you are planning to use for the frosting on the stove while the cake is baking in attempts to soften them... they melted everywhere

Also, do not and I mean do NOT lick the spoon used to scrap the unsweetened melted chocolate into the mixer. I almost puked...seriously

Crochet-a-thon

2011-11-18T15:49:00.000-08:00

The last week has been a mad rush to crochet as many things as I possible can.

My aunt lives in Alaska and runs a children's boutique

I send her items to sell in hershop

Sunday she told me she would be attending a very large craft fair in 2 weeks and if i sent her stuff she was almost sure it would sell. I had a huge tub of yarn that needed used up so I told her I would kick my butt in gear and send her as much as I could. Even though the craft fair still was 2 weeks away, shipping to Alaska takes 4-5 days so I only had a week to get my stuff together and shipped

Every night this week after putting Mason to bed around 7:15 i have spent four hours crocheting. Needless to say I do get distracting here and there but I really worked hard on getting her as much as I could.

not only would it be good Christmas money but I also wanted to help build the craft side of her shop. Her shop sells adorable clothing, toys, diaper covers, knitted goods, and hair accessories. She is super kind to allow me to sell my good there and even labels each of my products with my etsy shop label.

This is what my dinning table has looked like for the last week

And here is a sample of the finished goods I sent her

She sent Mason the cutest suit and tux that I just can't wait to photograph him in, be sure to check back next week for that!!

winner winner chicken dinner

2011-11-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

I didn't have time to get a whole post up today

but...

I wanted to let the winner of my cowl giveaway in on the news

MICHELLE!!

Please e-mail me your address and I will have a lovely package sent your way by the end of next week

Have a happy weekend all!

hanging with daddy

2011-11-08T17:17:00.000-08:00

Over the last few weeks we have decided that instead of driving all the way east to my mom's just to drive all the way west to work I was going to leave Mason at home with Austin at least one day out of the week. I would have to leave work early but with the colder weather things slow down.

When Mas was first born both Austin and I were overwhelmed, how could we have not been? First time parents not knowing what to expect. Austin never kept Mason alone, a lot of that had to due with the fact he is breastfed.

It has taken Austin some time to get use to having a small child around but he has become an excellent dad. I always knew he would be. He loves hanging with Mason and vise versa.

They are two silly boys and I am grateful for them both. I love watching Austin take care of him, making him laugh and telling him about all the ~~trouble~~ things they are going to do together.

I definitely have my hands full with these two but I love that they are best buds!

All Over

2011-11-07T14:31:00.000-08:00

This post is going to be all over the place.

It is raining out today so Mason and I are enjoying the warmth of inside.

I love this picture of Mas and Me, I wish it wasn't blurry

I want more coffee.

The time change has Mason up at 6 am.

I dyed my hair today, I put red and caramel highlights in it. My friend, Allie, did a fantastic job on it. It is different and I am still getting use to it.

I finally found my mustard colored yarn! It was labeled marigold but it is the exact color I imagined in my head. I finished a cowl out of it and love it.

I think I now have an addiction to cowls.

I want a turquoises one.

I put this outfit on just for this picture. I really wanted to show off my mustard cowl.

I am actually wearing a Wichita State baseball shirt and sweats, both of which are grey

It's Monday so this is the best excuse for a post that you are going to get
=)

Playdate

2011-11-07T06:19:00.000-08:00

Friday Mason had a playdate with Clara. Not only was it nice for him to have a little buddy but it was nice for me to have some time with a friend as well.

Clara was born just 2 weeks after Mason and it has been great building a closer relationship with her mama, Emma. We were able to go through pregnancy together, chat about symptoms and what kind of moms we would be. Now that our babies are here we love watching them grow together and talking about a whole new range of topics.

Right now they just lay on the floor together and share a hatred for tummy time

They are literally the exact same size, weight and height

They were so cute together. Clara was a chatter and Mason couldn't get 2 words in. Guess he better get use to that, girls will be girls.

They looked into eachother's eyes, smiling, talking and holding hands.

it was priceless

something for me and ~giveaway~

2011-11-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

I am always crocheting things for my shop or for Mason. Last night I decided I wanted to make something for me. As the weather is getting cooler I was interested in a warm scarf or cowl.

I really wanted a cowl but wasn't sure if it was for me... Could I pull it off or would I look silly in it?

Lucky for me I grabbed this massive ball of yarn at Hobby Lobby a few months back when they were clearancing it out. It was only $10 and a million yards long. I had no plan for it but couldn't pass the deal up. Austin called it a basketball of yarn. What better way to try out a cowl then with already bought yarn?

No trip to the store and if I didn't like it I wasn't dishing out any money I already hadn't dished out

I sat down and began crocheting, I had no pattern but cowls are simple and you can basically crochet rows however you want then sew them together to make a circle.

When it was finally done and on me I loved it! It was warm and neither too thick or long!

I want more! I know I want a mustard yellow one but I can't find the right color/thickness of yarn I am picturing in my head anywhere! I might have to break down and order it =(

With that being said I want to let you guys in on the awesomeness of this cowl, that's right I didn't use the whole basketball of yarn and I have plenty more to make one of you lucky readers one as well. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me what you like best about Fall time; the Holidays? Warm tasty drinks/treats? Being with Family? Wearing cute scarves/cowls? Whatever it is I want to hear!

I will randomly pick a winner Friday Nov. 11

First Fish

2011-11-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

On the what could be the last decent weather day of the year we took Mason fishing for just the second time. And he caught his first fish

Austin loves to put Mason in his pack and wanted him to be right there when they caught a fish. As you can see Mason was less than thrilled when they reeled one in

A man stopped and smiled at us and said "starting him young" We both love fishing and spend many days and evening out doing so, so we hope Mason will enjoy it just as much

Mason spent most of his time with his tongue out or making silly faces in the wind

The weather, other than the wind, was perfect fall weather. The trees were turning colors and the sun was just warm enough to keep us comfortable in light jackets.

WIWW

2011-11-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

I have never done a what I wore Wednesday and that's probably due to the fact I wear sweats or gym shorts most days and a t-shirt. I usually throw my hair in a ponytail and I don't do much in the make up department.

I actually wore this outfit on Tuesday but was excited I put myself together semi decent so I though I would share

Shirt - Old Navy clearance $3.49

Earrings from Beads By Desi $3.99

Jeans - American Eagle 19.99 (2 years ago)

Watch - Target 12.99

Shoes - Toms, birthday gift

Maybe next week I will keep it real and show you my pajama outfit

My favorite Days

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

If any of you have been following me for awhile you know how I felt about working and being a mama pre-Mason. I thought it was going to be totally awesome to work full time and be a mom. I didn't want to stay home all day when I had a little one, I wanted to contribute.

That being said I went and had me a baby and my feelings could not have changed more. I am lucky that I work only 3 days a week and only for 3 hours a day.

Now that Mason is here I have no idea what I would do if I worked full time. I love being home with him, playing with him, seeing him smile, hearing him coo, watching him grow.

My favorite days are my days off and the weekends when Austin gets to spend the day with us. I am also grateful that when I do work my mom is able to watch him 2 days a week and on Mondays Austin keeps him. I think it is good for him to spend time with his daddy and his grandparent so he doesn't become too much of a momma's boy and not allow me time to myself later down the road.

Being a mom is special and awesome. Looking back on the idea of working 40 hours a week and having someone else care for Mason almost all day everyday seems crazy. I am one lucky mama to be able to work enough to contribute but stay home enough to love on my little man

Rolling

2011-10-31T00:37:00.000-07:00

Don't get too excited we are not rolling over yet.

We are working on it, with little effort because that is how we roll (get it?)

When I took Mason for his 4 month check up the doctor asked me if he was rolling yet. My response was "rolling? Ha is hasn't even attempted to do that." Apparently that was the wrong response. She informed me that he should have been doing that by now or at least trying. I wasn't too concerned that he he had not reached this milestone yet, he will when he is ready, but I have been spending more time on the floor with him rolling him from side to side hoping he will get the hang of it

I try holding and placing toys just out of reach and guiding him to get them. Usually he just lays there and flops whichever way he falls once I let him go.

My first Halloween

2011-10-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

This year is my first Halloween.

I am not too excited because it's not like I can have candy or anything, mom seems to think I just need milks still.

Lame

Mom picked out this dinosaur costume for me at a second hand shop, she thought it would be warm and cute.

Now if you know anything about my mom you know she likes to snap pictures of me constantly. I mean c'mon, I can't even lay on my silly floor mat for 5 seconds without hearing "Mason look over here, smile, look at mama"

Its annoying, so tonight when she decided to put me in my "cute" Halloween costume I decided to teach her a lesson.

They thought they were going to put me on my tummy and I would just lift right up, look at the camera and smile....wrong

Lift me up or I will just lay here and cry

Yeah, I laid here like I had never been on my tummy before and had no idea what to do.

I sure showed them!

Happy Halloween

Going Bald

2011-10-29T08:15:00.000-07:00

Mason has always had a ton of hair! He was born with lushes locks but lately we are noticing some bald spots. And not just your typical baby bald spot on the back of the head but all around

Yes, we give him a comb over to hide his already balding head. Poor boy is already sporting a grandpa hairstyle. Notice how it wraps all around his head?? He has a thick patch right up front and that's about it

p.s. As you can tell we are still loving every minute of tummy time and trying extra hard to life ourselves...not =)

umm ...Really?!

2011-10-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Austin was vacuuming the other day and I was in the kitchen with Mason, when we went to the living room this is what we found

Yes, Austin was vacuuming under the cushions but instead of using the hose he had lifted the whole vacuum up. He informed me it might not be easier but it was faster. Only a man would do this

is dad really doing that?!

at a second look, yes yes he is!

A week in my phone

2011-10-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

I love snapping pictures of Mason throughout the day. Mostly I send them to his Aunties who are away at school or his great grandparents.

Here are some phone photos from this week

Playing with daddy

Checking out the ladies walking down the street

discovering his foot

The last picture is one of him in rare form, he usually hates the bumbo and cries in it and just lately has he decided to grab his foot. I put it in his hands all the time and help him bring it to his face because he thinks it is absolutely hilarious when it touches his cheeks or is in his mouth but he hasn't figure out how to do it himself.

Faces of Mas

2011-10-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

As I was going through my phone tonight I realized how many faces Mason likes to make. He has always made us laugh with his expression so I thought I would share and maybe give you guys a smile =)

This is the look that is one his face more times than not

He has moved away from blue steel but it was a favorite when he was younger

This is his Play Girl pose

The "I am not interested"

Zero expression, very common still today

AHHHH with Pauly D hair

Sour milk??

I. hate. my. l.ife

Do I live with a bunch of idiots?!?

Vaseline Hair

2011-10-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't heard the story here it is...

Mason ~~has~~ had cradle cap, not bad but we have been trying to get rid of it since he was born. We make sure to rinse all the baby shampoo out of his hair during bath but it wasn't going away. At his 4 month check up I asked his doctor what I could do, she suggested rubbing Vaseline in his hair before bath and placing a warm cloth on top to help soak it in then bathe him and wash it out.

sounds simple enough right?!

Far from simple. He has a head full of hair and Vaseline is NOT easy to wash out.

I washed it for 10 minutes that night and little came out. When I was rocking him to sleep his hair was still standing up just like that. When he woke it the morning it was STILL in the same position!

Austin helped wash it in the sink the next morning but we couldn't get it all out. Needless to say it took about 3 days before it was back to normal. His cradle cap is better but was it worth it? If you ask him he will probably say no =)

sleep baby sleep

2011-10-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

As I am writing this post I am listening to my almost 5 month year old throw a fit in his bed. It is 7:30 and he is choking himself screaming.

Pause- I must go calm him

It took 7 minutes of patting, singing and talking to him for him to calm, by calm I mean he is at a fuss and tired talking not complete quiet. This is day 2 of our sleep training.

If you remember awhile back I wrote this post. At first I wanted Mason to sleep on his own and for longer than 2 hours. It took him 3 and a half months to sleep more than 2 hours at a time at night. I was exhausted to say the least and was ready to sleep train at 3 months. I asked for advice and realized I needed to cherish the moments of rocking/nursing him to bed. After all the comments and encouragement I decided I was going to wait till Mason was 6 months to sleep train him. I spent the next month rocking him to sleep through cries and hours of shhing.

Things have changed. Before Mason would fuss when being rocked but it was a tired fuss, he would whimper and dose off just to wake up and whimper more. I thought it was cute. The last 2 weeks he has decided to take him whimper to a full blown scream/shriek/yell/choke. At first I thought he was just extra fussy or tired but as the days continued he continued. He was doing this any time we tried to put him to sleep, all 3 naps and bed time, he was also doing it for 2+ hours at a time. It was getting old fast. I am home in the evening with Mason by myself during the week due to Austin's work schedule and I was getting stressed quickly.

I always told Austin of the struggle at bed time and how I didn't know what to do. I tried moving bed time up but unless I nursed him to sleep then held him super still for 20-30 minutes before putting him in bed it was a scream fest.

Last weekend Austin experienced it with him. After 3 horrible naps attempts and 2 hours at bedtime we both decided we had to do something.

Like I said I wanted to wait to sleep train him but when he is screaming uncontrollably in attempts to fight his sleep we knew we had to stop it. We have no problem rocking/walking/singing him to sleep but when he is acting this way through all of that we knew it was best to teach him. Yesterday he napped nicely, falling asleep within 5 minutes of being placed in his crib. Night was different. He cried for 44 minutes, I patted and talked to him the whole time.

Another thing you need to know is that when I go to calm him, patting does not work, I consistently patted and talked to him for the whole 44 minutes and never once did he calm till he fell asleep. I have stopped writing this post numerous times to go in and calm him. I can pat and pat till my hands have fallen asleep and it doesn't work, picking him up only makes it worse as well. Once we pick him up he continues to cry for a good 5-10 minutes and the second he is placed back it starts again.

Today he napped twice. First time laying down nicely and the second throwing a fit for 20 minutes. I hate hearing him cry,it breaks my heart.Doesn't help that it sounds like "ma ma mamama" but I know I am doing the right thing, for us at least. He needs to learn that sleep time is not a time to throw fits.

I wish I could rock him to bed every night but when it has gotten to the point that it is at what else can a mama do?

It took me 53 minutes to write this post and him to fall asleep tonight. I hope this gets easier for him and me

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

We were super excited to take Mason to his first pumpkin patch! We wanted to go to one with lots of different stuff to do and see.

We loaded up and headed to Clearwater with some friends. Mason napped on the way there which was nice so we would have time to hang out, pick pumpkins, play around and see all the farm animals.

Mason enjoyed "driving" the tractor

Farmer Mas

We first watched the pig races, my favorite. Then we played in a small maze, sat on a tractor, went through some tunnels, and dressed Mason as a farmer.

Next we put him in the swing which was his favorite! We weren't sure if he would get scared or love it, he loved it. All smiles


I love this picture,even though you can't see his whole face you can tell by his eyes he is loving it!

Finally we saw some animals

Went through a larger maze

and picked our pumpkins

We had a great time and I can't wait to take him next year when will be able to enjoy it just a bit more

4 months

2011-10-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

Mason is 4 months!

He has changed so much! We finally have a pretty set schedule and Austin and I have learned so much about parenting in these 4 months. Looking back I laugh at how little we knew when we first had him. Poor guy probably thought he had the worst parents ever.

Here are some likes....
playing, smiling, talking, BATH TIME, eating, bouncing, being outside, trying to hold himself in a sitting position, cheech.

Dislikes.....
changes in his schedule (he pretty much likes the same thing to happen at the same time each day, a blessing and a curse)
his teething toys in the freezer, putting himself to sleep, the carseat, wet diapers, and the bumbo

Zoo

2011-10-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

I was super excited to take Mas to the zoo and secretly much of the reason was because I wanted to go myself

We headed to the petting zoo first. We thought he would be more excited than he was because he shows lots of interest in our dog. I think he was a bit confused about all the animals

next we saw the penguins

snakes

my favroite, the jungle!

then crashed for a bit

woke for the tigers

and finally the chimps

we had a great time and the weather was perfect! can't wait to go back

Daddy's "big" little helper

2011-09-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

With all the nice weather this weekend Austin spent a lot of time working in the backyard. We have finally found time to fill the massive hole we had from the sewer line and are working on tilling the yard and planting grass.

Mason was able to "help" dad with the work.

First they watered the hole to make sure the dirt had settled and wasn't going to sink. Next they cleaned the boat.

Cheech spent most of the time between my legs after they sprayed him

Mason stayed quite content in his pack.

Tummy Time

2011-09-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Mason absolutely HATES tummy time. Most of the time it last 2 minutes before he throws a fit.Lately he has been more tolerable of it and starting to get the hang of using his arms.

It works best on Sundays when there is football on the tv (already loves watching football!)

And when he is done he is done

Meeting Cheech

2011-09-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

As many of you may or may not know we are down to just one dog. Rockie got out about a month or so ago and we were unable to find him. A few weeks ago we had to get rid of Bo because he was super destructive and tearing things up, as in our cable box off the house numerous times, boards off the fence, and even chewing through the under ground shock wire.The other day we took Mason out to meet little Cheech since he will soon be an indoor dog when the weather becomes too cold for him to remain outside. Both were very interested in each other. Cheech kept wanting kiss Mas. Mason kept smiling at Cheech.

Cheech is a very grumpy but friendly dog who doesn't like to be disturbed or messed with so we are interested in seeing how he does this winter once Mason becomes mobile. We know he will not hurt Mason but he is quite vocal in grunting and sighing, just like an irritated little old man.

Cheech decided he wanted on dad's lap too =)

Hanging out

2011-09-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mas and I spend most of our days playing. He is really getting the hang of his toys and tries so hard to grab them purposely.He will stare at his turtle rattle and slowly move his hand all the way to it. He continues to stare but can't quite seem to make his hand open.I love watching him try to figure out new things by himself

And just some photos of my cutie

Bath Hair

2011-09-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

Mason's hair has grown out of control! It is so long and when it is wet it is crazy. I love playing with it during and after his bath

The before....

and the during...

Good thing he is such a trooper and just plays while I mess with him =)

3 months

2011-09-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

Mason turned 3 months last week.

He is growing fast and learns new things everyday.

Is still hates tummy time but is starting to at least try to lift his head with his arms

He loves to play and laugh

He talks and smiles A LOT

He HATES the carseat, as in screams every time he is put in it

He wears 6 month clothes and weighs 14.5 lbs!

Mason's first Fishing Adventure

2011-09-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

austin and i have always talked about how we can't wait to go fishing with our little boy so decided to pack him up and go.

we left early in the morning before it got hot and right after feeding Mason breakfast, we hoped he would last a few hours. Austin threw in his lines and we enjoyed the cool morning air

needless to say Mas didn't last long and this is how he spent most of the morning

We still had fun fishing as a family and i know there is a lot more fishing memories to be made

The Move

2011-09-12T14:34:00.000-07:00

I finally did it, I moved Mas out of our room and into his own crib in his own room.

I had been debating moving him for some time.
Reasons to move-
Bassinet was becoming too small, he likes to sleep in a T position and was mad his arms couldn't stretch out
He is a loud sleeper so even on nights when he slept well I was up due to the fact I am a light sleeper
Austin gets off work at 11:00 and isn't home and ready for bed till 12-1 am. Then he has to hope he doesn't wake Mason when he gets into bed
A lot of the time Mason wakes and talks, when he is in out room I hurry to get him up and back to sleep so he doesn't wake Austin, if he were in his room he could talk himself back to sleep

I was worried about moving him because I put him on his tummy to sleep. He DOES NOT sleep on his back and instantly wakes if placed on his back. I wasn't comfortable for a long time having him in another room and sleeping on his tummy.

Finally i decided I just needed to do it.

This is the best decision I have ever made, other than having the little guy. He has been in his own room and crib for a week and sleeping amazing. I hope I am not writing this post prematurely but so far his sleep has been 8pm-at least 3am sometimes even 5 or 6 am. Then we feed and lay back down till 8 am ! Talk about a happy mama!! I am even having to set an alarm for the mornings I work when I use to be up hours before I needed to be.

We made it!

2011-09-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

-This is a breastfeeding post, so if you don't want to read about my boobies stop here-

We have hit the 3 month mark and according to BabyCenter that gives me a Bronze Booby Award! I still plan on continuing to breastfeed but making this far is an accomplishment in itself for me.

When we started out Mason was lazy, he didn't want to latch for more than 10 seconds. It seemed like once the milk came he thought he could just open his mouth and let it flow in. Once the milk stopped he would scream and shake his head making it near impossible to get him back on. Imagine how frustrating this was every. single. feeding. We spent way to much time trying to get one feeding it and I was an emotional wreck as he just screamed. I was also tired from lack of sleep.

After he figured out how to eat we hit our next hurdle; pumping. If i was to return to work and we were strictly wanting to breastfeed I was going to have to pump. I asked a few people I knew pumped what was the best way to go about this. I only needed to pump once or twice a day considering my work schedule is just 3-4 hours a day. Of course everybody had different answers as when to pump. I was confused and just went at it. At first it hurt and nothing was coming out. I spent days using the wrong size shields pumping in pain to get zero results. After I did some researching and ordered the right parts things started getting better.

It seemed as though breastfeeding was going to work out until we hit our growth weeks at 3 weeks and 6 weeks. Mason was nursing almost hourly day and night. I was exhausted to say the least, why wasn't he getting enough? Was this eating pattern going to continue and for how long? Not only was I still tired but I no time for anything but feeding Mason. I was at a breaking point. I wanted to give him a bottle. Luckily this past and he slowly got into a routine of eating.

Our last challenge was sleeping at night. Mason was up every 2 hours and sometimes more frequently until just lately, as in days ago. He was constantly getting up to be nursed, obviously he wasn't getting enough. I contemplated supplementing a formula bottle before bed just so I could get some sleep. Everyday when I picked Mason up from my moms we would talk about it and every day i would leave saying tonight I am trying a formula bottle and I never did. I was constantly talking myself out of it. I didn't want him on formula, there is nothing wrong with it and for all you moms who do formula feed that's great, it is what works for you!

I am so happy and proud for sticking with it through all our troubles. I am happy I was not selfish and gave into my needs, although sleep is pretty essential. I can honestly say it was all worth it and I am a proud breastfeeding mama! Here's to more months of mommy-mason-boob time!

Visitors

2011-09-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

A month or so ago my grandparents made the long drive up from New Mexico to meet their great grandson.

My grandma had been more than excited and eager to meet him since she found out he was on the way.

It was great to have them in town for a few days, I hadn't seen them since my wedding 3 years ago! Mason was definitely showered with love and kisses.

I hope they will be able to visit many more times as Mason grows

Man Project

2011-09-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

This is what I came home to the other day

In case you couldn't read the note here is a close up

Yes, Austin and Mason were preparing for their first project together. Austin was making a deer feeder to take to the farm where he hunts and Mason was going to help.

Austin put him in his swing right in front of where he was working. Mason LOVED it. I was making dinner and all I could hear was Mason cooing, laughing and talking as Austin was working.

I knew right then and there Mason is going to love helping his dad build (and destroy) things as he grows =)

Outside

2011-09-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for this nice weather!!

Mas and I decided it would be fun to sit out and enjoy it for a bit, plus we needed to work on our tans =)
At first he wasn't too sure about the wind.

We definitely could get use to these temperatures!

Photo Dump playmat

2011-09-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

Mason absolutely LOVES his play mat. He spends a ton of time on it. He started out just laying and looking at himself in the mirror, he would smile and smile.

Nowadays he has begun hitting his toys which then make noise

He also likes to grab and swing them

Big Boned

2011-09-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Grandma says I am not fat but when all my clothes are off I have a few rolls

=)

Enjoying the hard times

2011-08-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

I complain too much. There I said it.

I complain.....
my child doesn't sleep enough
I am tired
He fusses too much
it's hard to get him to sleep
it is hard to take him places

The other night I asked my facebook friends for help, how do I get mason to sleep himself and for more than 2 hours a night. I got TONS of comments from parents new and old, from parents young and not so young. I thank you for these comments because it really opened my eyes.

I wasn't enjoying mommyhood or Mason nearly enough as I should have been. I use past tense because this past week I have loved every minute of being with my son. I have enjoyed his crying, his waking up, his refusal to fall asleep. I have napped with him instead of doing house work.

After reading everyone's advice, things really touched my heart. I cried a few times at what I was being told. You all are great and RIGHT. I need to step back and enjoy these hard times. They will pass and I will miss them. I will miss Mason being so small and young. I will miss Mason wanting me and only me in the middle of the night. I will miss being his only safe haven.

I thought I wanted Mason to grow up faster, to sleep on his own and to allow me time to myself but I DON"T. I want to cherish every little part of my time as a mom. I don't care that I have to rock him to sleep 4 times a day while he fusses for 10-20 minutes because he is tired but doesn't want to nap. I don't care that he is a mommy's boy and sometimes I am lazy and nurse him to sleep. I don't care that he sometimes sleep in bed with me because I want another hour of sleep and he isn't having the bassinet anymore. Nobody is perfect and that means me too. I do not want to raise my child to be self dependent at 2 months old. I want him to want me. I will not spoil him and bend over because he doesn't want to sit in his swing while i cook dinner but I will love, comfort and rock him whenever he wants me.

When times are hard it is easy to complain and I realize I do this WAY too much. I don't want to complain and stress but instead enjoy these moments as they are only temporary. I love being a mom SO much more now that I have opened my mind and heart.

Thank you again to everyone who had encouraged me with helpful words and advice.

2 months

2011-08-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

Mason turned 2 months last week.

He is continuing to grow WAY too fast

i love watching him change, smile and talk everyday

Slow down mister!!

saying good bye

2011-08-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

Mason's aunties left for school this week.

They have grown very close to him since he has been born and have seen him almost everyday of his little life.

Brooke has become quite attached to him and saying good bye for the next 3 months was hard.

He will grow quick and when they return he will be a completely different person, luckily we live in a world of blogs, picture messages, and skype.

Growing

2011-07-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

Mason is only 7 weeks old but has grown and changed SO much lately.

He is out of newborn clothes and fitting 0-3 months and even plain 3 month outfits!!

He now wears size one diapers

He smiles all the time and LOVES to be talked to

His sleep schedule is developing nicely as he tends to make his stretches about 4 hours long =) This makes for a happy mama

He is getting strong too, he loves to use his legs to push off you and can almost hold his head up regularly

He is constantly pulling his poor little hair and can't seem to connect that to the pain he is causing himself. I finally bought him a little toy so he could grab onto that instead but he doesn't like it yet.

He is big on hand holding which I love!

He likes to explode his diaper and smile while you change it

He loves to look at ceiling fans and is very curious of his surroundings at all times

He grows more handsome everyday and we adore him more and more everyday

Bath Time

2011-07-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

Our nightly routine involves daddy giving Mason a bath

I like how involved Austin gets at night since I care for him throughout the day

swing

2011-07-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

Mason tends to not like things the first time around.

I was totally bummed the first 3 attempts at putting him in my sleepy wrap, he screamed bloody murder the entire time. Now a days he loves it, it is the only way I can grocery shop.

Another thing he hated the first few times he tried was the swing. I had heard how useful putting them in the swing could be; while showering, getting ready, eating, cooking, cleaning, blogging =)

After a few failed attempts, where he again screamed the entire time, he has grown to love the swing (for short amounts of time). Tonight he fell asleep while Austin and I ate dinner.

and I can't get over how dang cute his little hands and feet are. They are my favorite!

Mason likes to..........

2011-07-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

sleep, in small shifts before waking to eat and repeat.

where does the time go..?

2011-07-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

When you have a baby.

Even though I have been staying home (until this Wednesday) I feel like I have accomplish NOTHING since Mason has arrived.

I haven't read a blog in weeks

I haven't cleaned the bathroom (fully) since he was born. Finally last night I left him fussing for 10 minutes so I could.

Slightly embarrassed to say I cleaned the fridge and freezer this morning and filled 2 trash bags

My laundry room is full of clean but stacked clothes that only gets removed from the dryer after sitting for 2 days because I need to dry another load. From the dryer it gets folded and placed randomly on the washer, a shelf, or in a basket on the floor.

I swept the kitchen for the first time in over a week

I actually got to dust the living room last night while Austin gave cranky Mason a bath and tended to him so I could.

On to the little one.

He had his one month check up today and he is getting so big!

He is up to 9 lbs 13 oz and 21.5 inches. If you remember he was only 6 lbs 14 oz at birth and 19.5 inches.

Time not only flies around the house but with him too. Stop growing!! but feel free to sleep through the night =)

and here is a photo dump

mom I said no pictures!

I will not look at you

You are making me tired

I am done

Lets be honest

2011-07-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

being a mom is hard. Being a first time mom is hard.

Don't get me wrong I LOVE being a mom and I love my little guy to death.

What is hard about being a mom is.....

~not knowing what to expect or when

~Not getting sleep therefore always feeling stressed, overwhelmed and on edge

~wearing gym shorts and a tank everyday

~combing your hair once maybe twice a week

~not being able to jump in the car and go run an errand without packing a bag, feeding the baby and wondering if he will behave in the car and store or if he will throw a fit cause he is hungry

~wanting to cry every now and again. I don't know why but some days I feel like sitting and crying, maybe it's hormones

~continuing to keep a house clean, laundry washed, meals made, food in the cupboards, a happy baby and still finding a split second for yourself

I am so happy we have Mason in our lives and I wouldn't trade it for anything but on a real note mommyhood is hard.

Kuddos to all you mamas out there!

Like Daddy

2011-06-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Austin sleeps the same way every night, one hand up and across his head.

The other day I noticed that Mason always has a hand up when he sleeps. He is already taking after his daddy and he doesn't even know it.

I hope he continues to take after Austin

Our little glow worm

2011-06-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Mason had some jaundice when he was a week old. It wasn't too extreme but bad enough he was put on a light blanket overnight.

Of course he was fine but being my first little one and my hormones all over I was pretty emotional over the situation. I didn't like him not being okay and I didn't like the blanket.

My family was very supportive and helped me from getting so worked up over the situation.

We called him our little glow worm for the day.

Sewer Failure

2011-06-24T08:46:00.001-07:00

Being as we just had a baby there had to be something that went wrong in the first week. Not only had we been sleep deprived and adjusting to having a newborn around but our main sewer line broke and had to be replaced.

Our yard was a dug up mess but luckily my dad and Austin were able to replace it themselves and save us some money.

They worked hard and long getting it done in just 2 days. They would work all day at their jobs then spend 5 hours in the heat working to finish it.

We are very appreciative that it was able to get fixed and that Austin and my dad were so willing to work so hard to finish it quickly!

Father's Day

2011-06-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

I was super excited to celebrate Father's Day this year.

It was Austin's first and with Mason only being a week old it was a special time.

Austin woke to kisses from Mason

and a gift. Austin wanted a carrier for when Mason is a bit bigger. He is excited to take him fishing and this is the perfect way for little man to tag along.

Our first Days

2011-06-14T07:16:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures I snapped on my phone of the first 2 days with Mason.

He is a good baby, sleeps most of the day. We are working on sleeping at night still =) The first 2 nights were rough but now that he is getting the hang of nursing he isn't so grumpy at 2 am

Mason's Story

2011-06-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

Mason is finally here and we couldn't be more happy, grateful, excited, tired, loved (I could go on and on ).

Mason was born at home Saturday morning at 4:50 am. He weighed 6lbs 14 oz and was 19.5 inches long. Although he wasn't a big baby he was a lot bigger than we thought he was going to be

Here is his story and some pictures

Thursday I went to see the midwife and she checked me for the first time, I was 39 weeks and anxious to know if anything was going on. I was 1 cm and 80% enfaced. She said baby was in good position and low enough that he should give me a good labor.

Friday morning when Austin got up for work at 3 am I felt some cramping and for some reason I just knew today was the day, as he left I told him "Mason is coming today, I know it" I have told him this often so he just brushed it aside and said I say that all the time. This time I knew.

I got up later that morning to go to work, I normally have Fridays off but I picked up a shift because I knew I would be having this baby anytime and I wanted the extra hours, plus I wanted to keep occupied and moving as much as I could. I went to work still having small cramp like feelings all morning, some hurt a lot and others were just uncomfortable. When I got off work I started feeling my first real contractions. They hurt. I went home and tried to take a nap but couldn't fall asleep. They were still super far apart, about 30-40 minutes apart, so I thought nothing of it. Austin worked a 12 1/2 hour day and came home exhausted, he decided he was going to skip a nap and go to bed super early. The contractions started getting worse but still only twice an hour.

I decided we would just pick something up for dinner and I would let Austin go to sleep. While eating I was noticing the contractions getting stronger and varied closer in time anywhere from 12-30 minutes apart. About 8:30 I told Austin to lay down and if any change happened I would wake him. At 10 I woke him up because they were getting super painful and only 7 minutes apart. I told him I wasn't sure if they would go away or what; this was our first go at labor and I had no idea what to expect. I kept thinking this was a false alarm because every story I have heard or read always seem to have a false alarm.

Between 10 and 12:30 the contractions continued to get stronger and still remain 3-6 minutes apart. We decided to time for another hour then call the midwife. at 1:30 I was unable to walk, talk, move and barely breath through them. I was hunching over in extreme pain every 3 minutes contracting. We called the midwife and my mom. My family showed up quickly before 2 am and my mom was a super help keeping me calm and reminding me to breath. Austin and my sisters set up the pool and got things ready.

Just after 2 am Kathy (our midwife) came. She checked me and I was already a 7! I laid in bed during the transition. This was an unpleasant time, I was uncomfortable and throwing up. At one point it was coming out of my nose, TMI?? I remember saying, "it's coming out of my nose, make it stop!"

Finally I moved to the pool. This was the most relaxing thing EVER!! I hurt still, I hurt bad. I was crying and trying my hardest to breath. The pool was amazing, the water was warm and allowed me to move into positions freely. Kathy checked his heartbeat and measured me again. I was a 9 and in a matter of time could start pushing. I was ready, I had the feeling to push but waited. Finally it was time. He was coming and I was ready. Austin positioned behind me supporting my back and whenever I contracted I pushed and pushed.

He began to come and all everyone could say was "look at all the hair" "honey he has so much hair" "oh Sarah his hair" Finally his head was out but his cord was tight around his neck. Austin said Kathy looked concerned but calm, she continued to tell me to give one more push. After a push or 2 she said out loud his cord was tight and he needed out. I was exhausted, hurting and had no energy but upon hearing that I was determine to push so hard, my baby needed out and NOW. With just 2 more pushed he was freed and placed in my arms.

He was perfect. His mouth and nose were suctioned and his little cried filled the room. Our baby was here and in my arms. I looked at him and then at Austin, I couldn't have been more happy. Austin immediately checked to make sure he was a boy, which of course he was =)

The cord was cut and Mason was handed to grandma while Kathy and Austin helped me out of the pool and to the bed. I was then given Mason immediately and was able to love him before he was bathed and clothed. The time was just before 5 am and everyone was surprised I went so quick. At the time it sure didn't feel quick to me but looking back it all went pretty fast. Kathy was certain when she got there that it was going to be another 12 hours before delivery. Man, am I glad it wasn't.

Mason is perfect in every way and the home birth was amazing.

feautred & giveaway

2011-06-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Have you checked out my Etsy shop lately? If you haven't you should, it has really grown and I am proud of where it is going.

Today I am being featured on a local blog and you all need to stop by and enter her giveaway!

It's wonderful to see something I have worked hard on grow and attract others.

missing =(

2011-06-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

If you happen to see Rockie anywhere please let us know

Cheech has taken up digging the last month and is always in the neighbors yard or out in our front yard. The other 2 dogs don't dig unless Cheech happens to get out and we don't notice for awhile, they then think they need out too.

Saturday Cheech dug out and the other 2 followed while we were at Austin's moms for dinner. We got a call saying Bo was found and Cheech had snuggled his way back into our yard. When we got home sure enough Cheech was back in the backyard and the lady returned Bo. She said a man a few blocks over had picked up Rockie. When Austin went to get him the man told us that he had let Rockie out front with his dog thinking he would stay but of course Rockie ran. Austin drove around for almost 2 hours looking but no luck. We still haven't heard from anyone about him.

We hope he is returned home soon, if for some reason he is not I hope that whoever has him is giving him a good home and lots of love.

Almost Time

2011-06-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

I have begun the waiting game. 38 weeks along and I am ready for this little guy to be here. The days have become longer and my only thoughts surround when he will make his entrance into the world.

I have been experiencing some Braxton Hicks and they are not too fun. At night I barely sleep because no matter my position he is fully pressed on my bladder.

I make Austin tell him each night that needs to come out but he doesn't seem to listen.

I am happy he is comfortable but I can't wait to meet, hold and love my little boy.

Little Emily Graduates

2011-05-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Monday we attended Emily's graduation from high school

We are so proud of you Little Emily!

Check this out

2011-05-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

If you don't know my friend kyle you definitely need to stop by her blog and check her out.

She is currently growing her new etsy shop and has these super awesome rings, necklaces,and hair pins up. I stopped by this afternoon and had to purchase a ring!

Isn't it sweet??

Be sure sure to enter her giveaway for your chance to win a ring and set of hair clips!

Friday Confessions

2011-05-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

Today I confess..

~ I have a million things on my to-do list today as it is my only day off this week, I will probably read blogs, crochet, and nap instead of doing half of them

~ I was late to work twice this week because I am a blog stalker and find the need to read everyone's blog before showering and getting ready in the morning

~ I might wear my pajamas all day

~ We have eaten entirely too much fast food lately. For some reason 35 weeks pregnant = lack of desire to cook and clean a kitchen in the evening

~ Since I have been working I have put household chores on the back burner, after doing some this morning I realize they need to tended to regularly again. Sorry to my husband for my lack of attention to our home

I am in love

2011-05-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

with this awesome camera bag from Jo Totes

and this breast feeding watch from Con Leche Watches

Austin has been excited to get one of these for when Mason is older

And after 2 weeks of looking at this pattern everyday I finally purchased it because it is too cute not to have.

34 weeks

2011-05-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

With just over a month till our little man is due our excitement is growing each day. Here are some things that have been going on in my 8th month of pregnancy.

I am starting to feel like there is no more room for this baby to grow. I am stretched to my limit which in turns means I am constantly uncomfortable. Sitting and laying just aren't my favorite things to do.

Austin likes when the little guy is, as I say, acting a fool in my tummy. He will come over real close to him and say things like " Mason! This is your dad, kick if you like me more than mommy." or "kick if you want mom to go bake us a cake" or ~~my favorite~~ "kick if you think mommy is stinky and needs to go shower" (this is typical Austin)

I have gained a total of 9 pounds which puts me at a big 120 lbs!

Silly songs on the radio make me cry for no reason other than I am pregnant. Lyrics that get me every time include
"won't he be a sight to see with his football helmet on, this will be his first love till his first love comes along"

"doctor says the baby's fine but you'll have to leave, his momma's fading fast...."

"...I won't be there to see the birth of our little girl. I hope she looks like you, I hope she fights like me...."

My tummy is constantly lop sided, hard and doing the worm. I love it, little movements keep me assured he is okay.

I can't even look at a glass of water without having to pee.

That is pretty much the low down with my pregnancy right now

our Easter

2011-04-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

Our Easter was filled with family and food.

I was in charge of dessert for Easter lunch and being as I am pregnant I made 3 different dishes. Cheese cake, cupcakes, and oreo chicks.

It was nice to see both my sisters as Brooke is away for school and Emily will be leaving in August for school this year as well.

Hope you all had a great Easter!

wordless wednesday

2011-04-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

our decision

2011-04-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

As you know we are planning to have a home water birth for Mason. Lots of people question why we would do this.

Austin and I spent some time talking about what we liked to have happen when we got pregnant and how we would like to deliver. We both were all for the idea of having a natural birth. At first I was thinking we would do this in a hospital and honestly kind of weary of the idea of having a home birth. His sister had done it once before and and was planning her second one. Her and her husband talked greatly of the experience and wanted to help inform us about it in any way they could. Honestly I wasn't too hone on the idea.

Was it safe?
Who does home births in 2011?
What happens if something goes wrong?

We watched a very informative video, The business of Being Born, and instantly I knew this is what I wanted to do.

I want to make my own decisions without pressure from nurses or doctors.

I want to labor and deliver naturally

I want to have a personal experience with my husband and not 25 staff members

I want to hold my baby immediately after birth for how ever long I want before he is rushed away to be clean, measured and weighed.

I want to be in my house, where I can shower, clean, feed and rest in my bed the night I deliver.

Austin and I both strongly believe this is what is right for us and we have a very knowledgeable midwife we put our trust in. We know the baby and I will be safe and proper care will be given to us. We understand some situations may occur where this birth will not be able to be preformed at home and in that case we trust our midwife to make the necessary decisions and take proper actions in time to get us safely to a hospital.

Although some believe this is still a crazy idea we are more than certain this will be a wonderful experience we will remember and charish.

and to Mason

This is not only your room but where you will be born

this is not only our kitchen sink but where you will take your first bath

this is not only your mommy and daddy's bed but where you will sleep your first night

this is not only where you will be born but it is your home

We are already so in love with you and can't wait to meet you!

this week

2011-04-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

I will try not to ruin dinner 2 nights in a row resulting in two nights of fast food

I will put on my walking shoes and enjoy this weather

I start a waitressing job. I will only be working a few days a week but its perfect to get me out of the house, making a little money and walking around

I will put away ~~all~~ as much of the clean folded laundry as I can ( some of Austin's stuff goes on the shelf of the closet and we all know I can't reach that)

I will bathe the dogs instead of telling Austin every night I will do it tomorrow

I will be 32 week pregnant!