Pumpkin Carving

We had a little pumpkin carving party at our house last night.  Jack was very excited to have a party.  He thinks cake and ice cream are at every party.  I kinda agree with him, there SHOULD be cake and ice cream at all parties.  We were suppose to go to Anne Ledbetter's house for a pumpkin carving party on Wednesday, but it was rained out, so I offered to host.

We had chili, salad and cookies, it was super low-key.  Jack really wanted to see inside the pumpkin, so it was fun carving the pumpkin to show him.  Having children really makes you enjoy things you take for granted.  I remember carving our pumpkin last year, but he was younger and not really into it (like Abby).  This year it was all new and exciting, which made it new and exciting for me.

(King of the mountain)

Love putting Abby in dresses

I really just wanted a post to show off some seriously cute pictures of Abby in a few dresses.  I didn't think she would ever start walking so she could wear a dress.  Crawling and dresses don't mix.  She would just get angry when the dress would get caught under her knee.  Then, finally at 14 months she walked!  Yay!  She had been cruising since 9 months, so I thought I was going go to have an early walker on my hands.  Goes to show you never know with children.  They beat to their own drum.

Hairbows!

So, I went back to my craft tonight.  Doug had a BNO (boys night out) so I decided to have some wine and make bows.  I think they came out pretty good.  Interestingly enough, I really enjoy doing this.  It is like stuffing cloth diapers, it is really relaxing.  I put on Pandora, played a Matchbox 20 station and just went to work on bows, well, mainly clippies. 

The pictures aren't all that great.  The flash sort of washed them out.  I made an extra set of the paw print bows to give to Sam Shelton for her daughter, Emily.  Sam sent me a bunch of bows she got a yard sale and I LOVE them.  They are really nice boutique bows, I am not there yet, but hope to be soon.

Sunday at Nana & Pops

Sunday morning I loaded up the kids and went to my parents for a visit.  Diane met us at the house and we had a great time.  Diane was so kind and generous and brought a giant bag of Gymboree clothes for Jack and Abby, including a strawberry princess costume for Abby.  It was just too cute.  I am so lucky to have such a wonderful Aunt who makes sure I have the best dressed kids in town. 

While Jack & Abby napped, Doug and I went riding (see here).  After our ride, we went to my parents for a family dinner.  Alexis & Bobby came, so did Chris and PJ.  It was very relaxing and great to see everyone.  Of course, we had to make the mad dash home to get the kids in bed.  So, we missed dessert.  All in all, it was a fabulous Sunday!

Mountain biking at Yellow River

Yesterday Doug and I went for a short ride at Yellow River.  It was such a beautiful day.  When I got to the trails all I really wanted to do was lay down on a blanket and take a nap.  Instead, I finished getting ready and put the front wheel on my bike.  I met Doug at the trails and he was already out riding.  After a  bit, I decided to call him since he wasn't back at the truck.  He showed up minutes later and off we went. 

I felt pretty good on the bike, which was nice since I have only been on 2 rides in the last few months.  We went on a trail that amazingly enough, I hadn't been on before.  I thought I had ridden all the trails there, since I have ridden there so many times.  It wasn't single track, it was really more of a road than anything else, but it was downhill and it was FAST.  I loved it.  I think I went the fastest on my bike I have ever gone.  I just love the downhills.

Halloween Party

Today was Jack's Halloween party for school.  I headed over to Glenlake Park at 8:30am to help setup.  It was cold than I thought it was, so I was pretty happy I grabbed my sweatshirt on the way out.  I think it was a success, Jack had fun at least.  He won a cake doing the cake walk, that boy has some serious luck.  He won a cake last year too.  He didn't want to wear his costume, so we waited until the costume contest to put it on.  He didn't win, but is a seriously cute monster.  Abby just had on a Halloween outfit, I added a tutu to make it festive.

There was a soccer game going on, so of course Abby was drawn like bees to honey.  That girl loves her a ball!  I wonder which ball sport she will play. 

This afternoon I think we will wash the car and hang out around the house.  It is just beautiful outside, no reason to be inside.

Sothern Belle Farm

Last weekend we went to the Southern Belle Farm in McDonough, Ga.  We had a great FABULOUS time.  The farm opened at 10am, but we didn't get there until 10:30am.  I tried not to let it bother me that we were 30 min late.  I get this from my mom.  If she is paying to go somewhere and the doors open at x o'clock, we had better be there when it opened.  As a child I didn't get it, as a boderline OCD mom, I totally do.  Anyrate, we got there and Jack just took off running.  There was so much to do.  We went on a hay ride, jumped on a giant pillow, went on the cow train, picked our pumpkin, ate free hots dogs (thanks to my coupons!), fired off the corn cannon, went down the slide, saw all the stinky animals, etc.  It really was a great time and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.  Abby wasn't as much into it, but I am sure next year she will be all over it.  Jack now refers this to this as "his" farm.

I have a craft!

I am the most UN-craftiest person I know.  I have great ideas, I can visualize, but then when I try to put my ideas to the test, I fail miserably.  Now, I LOVE putting Abby in hairbows, either a single bow at the base of her sprout or in each pigtail.  So, I thought, hey, let me try to make hair bows.  Well, I wasn't all that bad at it!  Below are my first trys.  I did 2 clipies and a bow (which is a little uneven, but it was a first try).  I LOVE IT!  I finally had a use for the hot glue gun I asked for Christmas 5+ years ago that has sat in my basement ever since.  Not that they are all that good, but they don't suck!    Now, I am trying to figure out how to make a hair bow orgainzer.  I want to get a big letter A and hang ribbon off it but I am having a hard time finding a big A that I like (I want one that is 6-8").  

Wagon ride to the park

Today we headed over to Glenlake Park to do some recon for Jack's Halloween party.  It was a beautiful day.  Abby didn't nap yesterday, so she was a bit crabby, so we had to leave early.  We got home and both went down for early naps.  Hopefully, I will have two happy kids when they get up.  Then we will go the gym so I can run on the treadmill.  I am determined to run this baby fat off.  I have been pregnant or nursing for 4 years.  I am ready to get my body back!

Smart phone

I generally keep my cell phone in my back pocket which isn't the greatest idea.  So, last night, I am hurrying to go to the bathroom, Jack, Abby AND Doug are all in there and in my haste to pull up my shorts, my phone falls into the toilet.  I instantly grab my phone (hey, urine is sterile!) and pray it works.  Um, no.  The green light is flashing, but that is it.  My friend Denise Dolan said to put it in an airtight container with rice.  So, I did that and hoped for the best. 

Well, when I woke up this morning, the phone was dead.  So, I load up both kids and drive to Verizon.  I was pretty excited to use my double umbrella stroller for the first time.  I got it for $4 at a consignment shop which I thought was a steal, anyway, back at Verizon I find out I need to file a claim with the insurance company, not them.  So, it was a wasted trip.  Ugh.  At least I got to use my "new" stroller. 

Operation Night Wean

Success!

So, up until 3 weeks ago, Abby was starting to wake up to nurse about every hour to two hours, then getting up for the day at 5am. I was literally a basket case. I was a sucky, screaming, angry mom. I was logging her night wakes to implement the No Cry Sleep Solution, so I was really seeing how little sleep I was getting. It was also affecting her naps. She couldn't nap for 2 hours without waking to nurse. Then, finally, at midnight on Wed, Sept 29th, I. just. couldn't. take. it. anymore. Nursing her at night felt like nursing my dad (not that I have, but you get the picture). I went into our bed room and told Doug, I couldn't do it. He needed to go in there. He did. He sat with her while she pitched a tantrum on and off for TWO hours. He sat next to her crib, held her, rocked her, talked to her while she cried and screamed and played and then finally she fell asleep. I HATED it. Doug and I don't believe in CIO (Cry it Out), so he had no problem sitting with her. (I brought Jack into bed with me since they share a room). Then the next night, Thurs, I dream fed her before I went to bed and when she woke around 12am, Doug went in and did the same thing. Then, Friday night, I went to bed at 11:30pm and slept until 7am?!!?!?!!!? I slept 7.5 hrs for the first time since before she was born. Possibly since my 2nd trimester. I think I could have ran a marathon.

Since then, she has been sleeping through the night. I HATED it she was crying but since Doug was with her the whole time, according to Dr Sears, that isn't CIO (although, it sure felt like it was). I do wonder if Doug wasn't in there and we did do CIO, if she would have cried for more or less time? She didn't cry for a straight 2 hrs, she would ramp up and then down. The 2nd night I went in when I heard her really getting mad and just made it worse. Doug was not happy. I am still the only one to put her to sleep, but hey, at least I am getting 7 hrs at night. It is AMAZING the difference sleep makes. Seriously. It has almost been 2 weeks and she has only woken up one other time after the first 2 nights and Doug went to her and stayed until she fell asleep. Sometimes she will cry out and then fall back asleep. She is still nursing during the day and I added back her after nap nursing session (which she had dropped). I am just so happy!