Morning Sickness and Weight Gain

Well, I am over 15 weeks pregnant, and I still get nauseous regularly. With AJU5, I thought it was over by Week 16. But, then there was the kidney infection and nausea until about Week 23. I don't know if all of that was the kidney infection/medicine or not. So, maybe it lasted until Week 23 with AJU5 - I don't know.

My battle right now is determining when to take Zofran. Twice over the last two weeks I have started to feel blah but didn't take it. It was night, I was going to bed soon, and I thought I could survive. I ended up throwing up and feeling horrible the next morning. So, I am now taking it when I start to feel that way. I don't like having to take medicine, but I think it is better than throwing up.

One way I try to deal with the morning sickness BEFORE taking the Zofran is to eat something. The problem - I gained 6 pounds in 5 weeks! I weighed 148 pounds at my first OB appointment and 154 pounds at the second. I know it is because I was eating, but that is still a lot of weight. 2-3 lounds would have been expected, as I weighed about 150 pounds when I got pregnant. So, I am trying to eat better and smarter. I bought apples and bananas at the stores this week. I also bought salad makings so my lunch meals (I normally eat two lunches) are healthier. Hopefully at my next OB appointment I won't weigh more than 155 pounds!

I am also following all of you out there that are on weight loss plans right now. I am "taking notes" on what works for after this little one comes. My goal weight is about 145, as I haven't weighed less than 140 lbs since 9th grade (and that includes the period of time I was exercises 4-6 hours a day, 5-6 days a week). So, I don't think my body would ever agree to less than 140 (and still be "healthy"). Hopefully y'all will be good inspiration!

Silly LIttle Girl

Here are some of AJU5's recent antics:

This morning I went to change her diaper for the first time (wet and dirty). I got the pajamas off, but then she bolted. As she was running down the hall, her diaper was sagging more and more. It almost wasn't on her booty any more by the time I got to her and forced her to get changed!

AJU5 seems to only be willing to drink out of a sippy cup in her bed these days. Otherwise, she refuses and asks for what we have (even if it is the same beverage). So, she has been getting water in an adult water bottle. But, because she prefers some flavor, she isn't drinking as much. Luckily, the last two days she has "asked" to go to bed and drank one full glass in solitude. As soon as she was done drinking, she asked to get out of bed...

Yesterday I forgot to grab her pacifiers off the floor after the failed nap attempt (see above drinking instead). So, she found them soon after. I told her they needed to go back to bed before we went bye-bye. Before too long, she came back with only two (she started with three). I repeated the rules, and she came back with one. Finally, after repeating the rules, she took me to her room and deposited the last one.

Finally, she is insisting on being carried a lot more than we are willing to do. So, we are training her. Last night, she tried to climb both my husband and I after we had refused to pick her up (and told her we are not carrying her). We were upstairs, so we went downstairs while she threw a tantrum. It last for about 20 minutes! Finally, she came down and had dinner. The rest of the night she didn't ask to be carried around though! This morning I had the battle again, but it hasn't been as bad. She cries when I lay her on the floor, but then she comes and sees me soon after in a good mood.

What silly antics are your kids up to?

Busy Weekend

Okay, so this week I will get back to the Product Review Friday and Home Improvement Saturday. I have topics in my head, but I didn't have time this weekend to write them. Now for why I didn't have time:

Friday's Time Line:
Morning: Breakfast, playing, then nap. During nap time, I shower and get all of my papers ready for work. I also "chat" with a colleague about one of our classes (issue had come up).
After nap - lunch then leave for work.
Spend about an hour at work coping, turning in papers, etc.
Then, head to the zoo with friends. We spent 4 hours there! Needless to say, we were both exhausted when we got home.
After zoo, ran to Papa Murphy's to get dinner
Eat, bed for AJU5, and then movie for husband and I.

Saturday's Time Line:
Pancake Breakfast (charity) at church. We are there from 7:30 until about 9:30.
Quick run to Lowe's for a few items
Nap for AJU5, laundry and organizing for me
Lunch, play time, laundry, and emptying boxes all afternoon
Another movie at night

Sunday's Time Line:
Church in the am
Then catching up on reading for a class (final later on Sunday)
Final around 5:15 (class at church over Bible)
Evening service and ice cream social at church after test
Bed!

So, as you can see, we were busy. I forgot the camera on Friday. I might try to get some pictures from our friends though. Even if I had grabbed the camera, it wouldn't have done any good- the battery was dead (and my husband hadn't told me).

How was your weekend?

Behavior

So, here are some of AJU5's recent behaviors:

1. She will now inform us when she wants to go to bed - at least some times. She will lead us to her bed and will try to climb into the crib. This isn't an every day, every sleeping time behavior, but it has repeated itself enough times to know that it is somehting she is capable of and willing to do.
2. Last night we were back at church after two weeks (since we were gone). AJU5 was not sure of it for a while. She cried and kept wanting us to hold her (something we are trying to limit because she is getting heavier, etc). Eventually, she realized something and went and played with her friends. But, I think it took a good 10-20 minutes! Luckily, I don't expect us to be gone from church that long until at least Christmas time...
3. Today I had an OB appointment. I carried her in and put her down while I checked in. She was NOT sure of where we were. She wasn't asking to be held the whole time, but she just stayed very close. I think part of it was the crowd. The midwives in the practice were running behind (my doctor was actually ahead) - most of those in the waiting room when we got there were still there when we left.
   
4. She is talking a lot more. There are definitely more words these days. She even is trying to say grandma! One problem: shoe, juice, and cheese are almost indistinguishable. Add to this that juice can refer to food or drink, and it can become a guessing game really easily! Luckily, she has put more and juice together if she wants more of what she just had. At least then I know what she wants!

Well, time to go play. I need to stop gaining weight I think (I gained 6 pounds in 5 weeks...). Now, some of the weight I gained was making up for what I lost early on throwing up and not eating much, but hopefully I won't have any more big weight gains. I did have one with AJU5, so I am not too worried (it was later though because I had issues throwing up until 20 weeks).

Wordless Wednesday - Trip Pictures

Home Again

So, I was out of town for a little over a week. That is why I didn't blog, comment, etc. We went to the in-laws where there is "high-speed" internet, but it was very slow! Also, for safety issues, I didn't want the world to know we were gone (and end up with our house broken into or something).

The trip went fine. We drove this time, and it took two days each way. On the way there, we met friends that live two miles away from us for dinner (and stayed at the same hotel). We can't seem to get together in town, so we had to arrange to meet over 600 miles away. But, it did add some fun to that leg of the journey with the periodic checks to see where each other was.

AJU5 did fairly well. There were crying fits, but normally they coincided with a need for a nap. So, we just let her cry it out until she crashed most of the time. If I didn't think she was sleepy and I had tried all of the snacks and toys we had, I sang to her. Luckily, there were few of these.

The in-laws was okay. They live in the middle of no where, so it was kind of boring. It takes about 30 minutes to get to a grocery store or any real store, so we spent most of our time just hanging out at the house. AJU5 had fun with their cat - she even would go and touch her by the end. She also loved to go out and see the dogs. She actually like their huge dog (st. bernard size, but I am not sure of the breed) better than their beagle. She did pet the big dog a few times, but she normally just liked to be close to him with us there. There was also daily walks around the yard.

The best part of the trip was the four nights we didn't have anything to do with AJU5 from when we put her to bed until we got up. All but one of those nights she didn't need tending too, and the other time she went back to sleep quickly with a little rocking. I loved being able to sleep in though! The last three nights weren't as great though. The first one she refused to go back down so we were summoned to deal with her (she ended up in bed with us). The next night we just had her in the morning because she had moved rooms and was closer to us. The final night she woke up once and required snuggling. And again I had morning detail (AJU1 slept in because we were leaving and he needed rest since he does all the driving).

Pictures will come once they are off the camera. We haven't even been home 24 hours, and it has been busy around here! First was lunch. Next there was catching up on my work (Mondays are grading days). Then there was a trip to Costco for groceries. While AJU5 and I were at the store, AJU1 started the yard work. Not too long after that was AJU5's bed time and a movie for us (now that we have a TV downstairs). I ended up sleeping with AJU5 from 11pm on, and have been trying to do work and take care of her needs all morning. Hopefully by tomorrow life will be "normal" again!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that while we were at the in-laws, AJU5 had a runny nose and was very cranky. I think it was just allergies and teeth (she is filling in between her front teeth and molars), but AJU1 also got sick. So, there was also a lot of Gilligan's Island watching during the day!

All Is Well

I know - I haven't blogged in a while. I actually haven't even commented on many blogs lately. But all is well. I am just taking a little break (expect me back next week). Things are going well, but I have just been busy. I guess life can be like that sometimes!

Animals

AJU5 has a love/hate relationship with animals. She loves to look at them. She hates to be close to them. And the definition of close varies based on the animal and parental closeness. She will say "kitty" and "Puppy" these days when she sees or hears them (in the case of the dogs). But, if they come close, she runs away. Earlier this week, we went for a walk and saw a very nice older cat whom we have pet before. We got him to come over, but he walked to close to AJU5 and they both got scared! So, we followed him across the street and sat down. He then was willing to come over to me so I could pet him. But AJU5 still wasn't sure. At one point he rubbed up against her and she did not like it. Luckily, this time he wasn't phased by her reaction.

Yesterday we went to the zoo for the first time. She seemed to like it. Some of the animals I don't think she saw because they were "hiding," but others she loved to watch. The ones that were most entertaining for us were the polar bears, cougar/mountain lion, small birds, and koala bears. We also spent a good amount of time at the seals and sea lions and ape exhibits, but I don't know how much she actually saw of the animals. The plan is to go back every few weeks. Hopefully by the end of the summer she will know at least the "fun" animals!

Pregnant with a Toddler

Bessie Viola asked what it is like to be pregnant with a toddler. They currently have a 15 month (plus or minus a few weeks) old daughter and are considering when to expand their family again.

First, let me say that many of the readers of this blog have already gone before me! Hopefully you ladies will correct me if I am wrong :)

Now, the worst thing so far is dealing with AJU5 when I feel terrible. Being a WAHM makes this worse because I have to juggle her and work already. When I was throwing up multiple times a day, I could tell she didn't have a good day either. Luckily, AJU1 would play with her outside when he got home so she could burn off her energy and cheer up. In Bessie Viola's case, this won't be as bad. She is a working mom, so her daughter Madeline won't notice the difference when she is at day care.

Another thing to deal with is moodiness. I find myself getting to my breaking point a lot faster these days. As a result, AJU5 has ended up crying it out in bed a few times (note: I resort to this only near nap time). I have also left her to cry in a room where she could access me when she was done with her fit.

The third "big" hurdle to overcome is fatigue. AJU5 likes to be carried these days - inside that is. Outside she prefers to walk until she is exhausted :) It is hard to explain to her that Mommy can't carry her around the house meeting her every whim when she is already tired. This is the main reason for many of the fits mentioned above... Hopefully the second trimester will give me a little more energy!

I guess that is it so far. Again, you moms to more than one, feel free to share your experience! I am talking to you Becca, Sarah, Coach Mom, NoWheyMom, and any others that haven't commented in the last month or so!

Sleep...

I wonder if AJU5 has hit the 18 month sleep regression? She is 17 months old today, and getting her to bed at night has become a huge chore. We put her down at her normal time (and she is tired), but all she does is scream. She has everything she needs - pacifiers, water cup, blankets, etc - but she cries and then screams for over 30 minutes. Then, we give in and let her out. Around 9pm she is finally ready to give up. Now, 9pm is also our bed time. so she has NO CHOICE. Once she is down, she normally doesn't have many issues that require us. Lately, the only times I have had to go in are for pacifiers (I had only given her one one night on accident, and she lost it) and wind issues (open wind + high wind = scared little girl). She does go back to sleep fairly quickly after these with a little snuggling. But this bedtime thing - not fun. At first I thought it was because some days she takes two naps. But yesterday she only had one nap. And she got a good amount of exercise. So, I don't know what the issues really are. Hopefully she will grow out of this soon!

In other news - I have yet to take a Zofran today. It is amazing to not feel pukey! Hopefully the days to come will be like this.

Fun Trip to Target - NOT!

So, AJU5 is/was in need of ride on toys. So, we went to Target today to see what they had. After scanning the clothing areas (nothing at a good price...), we headed to toys. We first stopped at the more "indoor" ride on toys. First I had her try the Little People Fire Truck, which she liked. Then we saw the Leap Frog version. At our store, the Leap Frog one was only $19.99 (Little People was $24.99). so we put that int he cart and headed to the "outdoor" ride on toy area. There were a few cries along the way, but once she saw an outdoor ride on (note: the one in the store was pink), she climbed on and was happy. But, I didn't see a price. So, I had to get her off, carry it to the scanner, and scan it (not easy to do). It was $59.99 - more than I wanted to spend, especially for something pink! So, I had to put it back with her screaming the whole way. Now we headed to the card area so I could buy a graduation card for my BIL. She was NOT a happy camper. She walked some, but would take off down aisles as we walked by. With a mixture of carrying and coaxing, we made it to the cards. But, she was not happy. She kept pointing to her toy. So, I got it out and let her sit on it while I picked out a card. Once I was done, she wasn't ready to get off. So, I also picked out Father's Day cards. Then, I had to deal with a screaming kid again while I put the toy back in the cart and headed to the check-out. We did make it through, but it wasn't fun.

Now that we are home, we have only had one scream fit. She wanted to get the pop-ups open, but she refused to push the buttons. She was trying to pull them open. Luckily, she has figured it out now and is happy. I might regret this purchase though. The sounds are quite loud. But, I guess I could take the batteries out (and it might have a volume control - we will look for that tonight once she is asleep)!

What is your worst shopping experience?

Words

Here are the words AJU5 currently uses:
Dada (Daddy)
Bye (Leaving the Building)
Juice (Wants a drink or food)
Choe (Shoe)
Done (Done Eating - doesn't always sound like done, but the d is there - include bye hand movement)
MaMa (Mommy - sometimes with a b sound)
Ball (I don't know if the l sound is always there though)
**Mo (More - as in More Food Please)

Here are the words we think she might have:
Ba (Bath - includes splashing hand movement)
Blankie (Blanket)
Thank You
Friend's Name
Uh (Up - working on the u sound/p added)

When she went for her 15 month check up back in March, I said she had 4-5 words. Looking at the top list, she might have had all but ball down by then actually. But, if you don't write them down, it can be hard to count!

She is a big talker though. She has lots of conversations with herself and us. It just isn't in English! She definitely can make lots of sounds, so I am not too worried there. She does refuse to talk on the phone if someone is on the other end though! She will play talk all day long, but as soon as someone is other the other end, she is as quiet as a mouse...

How many words does you child have? Are they big talkers or the quiet type?

Pregnancy So Far

So, I had a feeling that I might be pregnant very early on. But, I waited until my period was actually late to test (and of course, it was positive). The morning sickness slowly started from there. In the beginning, I was just a little blah every now and then. By mid-April, I was miserable. I was throwing up 4+ times a day, not keeping much if anything down, etc. So, I called my doctor's office and asked for something. Unfortunately, Phenergan did not work! I was still throwing up multiple times a day. I gave it 4 days and then called the doctor again. Now I am on Zofran. It helps at least. I still have to watch what I eat and when, but at least I am not throwing up on a regular basis (once a week or less). Nights are the worst. On top of that being the "normal" bad time of day, the medicine runs out and the effects of the prenatal vitamins kick in. Luckily, I can either veg in front of the "TV" or go to bed (depending on how tired I am).

I had my first OB appointment on April 30. Everything looked good then, but my doctor "requested" an ultrasound for peace of mind, etc. Unfortunately, the sonographer was off that week, so I had to wait until last Wednesday. Luckily, Junior #3 is healthy and growing well! My next appointment isn't until June 4 because my doctor is on vacation the week of Memorial Day. Hopefully by then the morning sickness will be gone. With AJU5, it was Week 16 when I felt like eating, although I started to feel better around Week 10.

Oh, and AJU5 is already cute about this pregnancy! Now, I don't think she really has a clue what is going on, but she is already pulling up my shirt and pointing to my belly! I have already started to remind her to be gentle with Mommy's belly. But, she is still beating up on her baby brother or sister ocassionally! She didn't come with me to the OB appointment or ultrasound, but I plan on bringing her to the "short" OB appointments in the future. Hopefully by November she won't be too shocked when the little one arrives!

Due Date: November 28, 2009!

Happy Mother's Day from AJU5!

Pre-Lunch, Very Hungry Little Girl

Later in the Day - Happier but Sleepy!

Food...

So, it has been a while since I have talked much about AJU5's eating skills. So, here you go!

She has mastered the fork - well, unless the food is being difficult. She can stab anything that isn't too hard or slippery. This includes things you may not consider stabbing - fruit snacks, veggie fries, etc. She is good at getting the food in her mouth unless the piece is too big (and doesn't fit). Very little ends up in her lap this way.

Now, the spoon is another issue. We don't let her feed herself yogurt, so the only thing she practices with is cereal. As you can imagine, eating cereal with a spoon is quite tricky. So, normally she ends up holding the spoon and using her fingers (other hand) to actually eat with. We know she has the idea, but she isn't there with the coordination.

She is great with a straw - unless it is a straw cup that is. If it is a "fast food" cup or one of our Tupperware cups with the lid for a straw, there is absolutely no issue. Well, except for when she wants to play with the straw, but that is a play issue. Now, she isn't as good with the straw sports cups though. She tries to tip those and doesn't suck hard enough half of the time. So, we don't use them often.

She can also drink out of a normal cup (no lid) IF we keep the contents limited. She normally gets the last bits of our drinks as a result. We have given her larger amounts of fluid, but it normally ends up down her front - soaking her! But, at least she has the idea!. Now she just needs to learn about angles and when to put the cup down.

As for what she eats, it depends on the day. There isn't anything she has refused completely, but she gets tired of things. She ate waffles (Eggo) for a week and then refused them. So, now we are on cereal until she stops eating that. Lunch and dinner are what ever I am having OR chicken and cheese and veggie.

As for drinks, she took a liking to juice lately. She was refusing her milk even because she wanted the juice. But, the last few days she has been drinking at least two small cups of milk. So, I think it is like the waffles - she was just tired of milk! I guess she just likes to keep me on my toes!

What is your little one eating the most of these days?

There Is Hope!

For my husband. That the house may be clean eventually. That the clothes may someday be folded and put away.

Why does he have such hope?

AJU5 has some cleanliness genes in her! She has mastered the art of throwing away garbage (and I have only found one non-garbage item in the garbage so far). She has also acquired a love for wiping things with rags - in a dusting/cleaning sort of way. We are still working on her laundry skills, but I don't expect a 16.5 month old to fold clothes JUST yet. She does like to take them out of the basket and play with them though...

So, I guess I get to do the laundry for now. I have folded three baskets so far this afternoon. I have about 3-4 left to do. The guest bed was COVERED in clothes! But, now that the closet has storage (more on that in the days to come), my husband is pushing me to put the clothes away. And, I guess it is about time...

Product Review Friday - One Day Late

Okay, I need YOUR help this time. AJU5 is in desperate need for an outside, ride-on toy (bike/trike, etc). We have lots of concrete in our backyard for her to "ride" on, but we have nothing for her to ride yet!

Also, if you have another favorite outdoor toy, let me know! Our backyard is still in the remodeling stage, but there is still lots of concrete for her to play on. Maybe in a month or so there will also be some grass to play on as well. Next summer we plan on building a play-set in the upper portion, but that area needs even more attention!
Big dirt area is where grass seed has been planted. Concrete area is about as large!

Home Improvement Saturday - Ideas

I don't know what to cover next! So, I need you input. Tell me what you want to know more about. Below you will find a list of some of the things we have done (and I haven't covered yet). But, if there is something not on the list, don't be afraid to mention it. There is a good chance we have done it :)

• Staining
• Interior and Exterior Doors
• Window Replacement
• Closet Stuff
• Drywall
• Bathroom Fixutres
  

Almost done...

It is finals week for us. I have one class done - grades entered into our Banner system even. Now I just need to finish the other course. I have to pick up their finals today, grade them, and finish a few last minute grading pieces (late assignments, etc).

It feels great to be almost done. I have two weeks "off" before summer starts. During those two weeks, I have to total redo one course because we are changing books. Luckily, about half of my stuff I just have to make very minor changes to (like section numbers). But, it will be nice to not have to grade for three weeks!

What are you looking forward to right now?

Dreams, etc.

AJU5 periodically has a bad night and requires someone to snuggle with. It happened Friday night and Sunday night (I didn't even hear a peep from her last night...). Friday night I went and laid with her until I realized she was ready to sleep (she was thirsty - she had refused her cup most of hte day for some reason). About four hours later she woke again, but that time AJU1 went and slept with her (it was the time he would have gotten up if it had been a work day).

So, to Sunday night... She woke and cried. I got up to get her (went downstairs to get her cup). She got quiet before I headed upstairs so I went to bed. About 30 minutes later she was screaming again. So, to her bedroom I went. I ended up having to sleep with her for the rest of the night (which means a fitful night for me). During this night, I had a kind of scary dream...

I dreamt AJU5 had a seizure and was a limp rag. She wasn't able to stand. She wasn't able to hold herself up. It was very freaky. Luckily, I soon realized it was a dream. She was fine. She was sleeping at my feet.

But then I thought of all of the people who have gone through worse things. I think of Kayleigh. I think of all of the babies that die at birth or shortly after that. I think of those who have lost a little one lately. I am blessed to have a happy, healthy little girl. Others aren't that lucky. I guess it was just a reality check for me...

Home Improvement Saturday - Countertops

Now, installing countertops may or may not be a do-it-yourself job. A lot depends on the material you are using and the situation. We have only installed small vanity tops ourselves actually. We bought the cultured marble - out of the box ones for our first house. They weren't hard to install because they were fairly small. The main tools we needed were adhesive (silcone-type glue) and caulk (to fill all of the gaps).

We were going to install a laminate top in the old house, but because it took almost a month to get it, they installed it for us for free. This was actually very nice because the walls in that house were not straight! The more curvy the walls, the harder it is to install countertops well. Plus, they had the caulk to fill the gap between the two pieces that matched fairly well. Now, if you have a fairly flat wall and a not-to-huge kitchen, laminate countertops can be a do-it-yourself job. You will need some screws to fasten it to the cabinets and some caulk (again, for the gaps in the back). If there is a bump in the wall, you might want a belt sander to make it fit better.

Now, if you are going with a solid surface like Corinan (we used EOS in this house) or stone, then it is NOT a do-it-yourself job (unless it is VERY small). The price you are quoted for the material will include installation. But, the benefit of this over laminate is that you can have an integrated or undermount sink - which is easier to clean. Also, scratches aren't seen as easily.

Hopefully that gives you a little info about countertops. If you have any questions, let me know!

Back at it Again...

Yesterday I got my second prescription medicine. This one actually works! I am so happy to be able to function again! I am not 100%, but I am definitely back in the world of the living!

I was going to post some pictures, but Blogger/Firefox/My Computer is not cooperating. I tried twice, but both times I froze Firefox. So, maybe tomorrow :)

Yeah, I Need to Post More Often...

I am still battle this bug. It is no fun! Luckily my doctor's office has called in a different prescription (the one I got last week was a complete failure), so hopefully I will be better ASAP!

As for happenings around the U household, AJU1 was out of town last Thursday-Sunday. It is part of the reason I didn't get a Home Improvement Saturday post up - AJU5 does not like me typing! (She is napping now)

AJU1 and 5 have been working on the back yard - trying to get grass to grow back there. Well, AJU1 does 99.9% of the work and AJU5 just enjoys being outside. But it is cute to watch her walk abound with the little garden rake (hand-held). Hopefully the seeds will grow and we will have some grass for AJU5 to play in (there is grass in the front, but there is also a drop-off into the neighbor's yard that isn't so safe...)

Well, I better take a shower and get ready to pick up my medicine while AJU5 is still asleep!

Product Review Friday - Eddie Bauer Harness Buddy

AJU5 HATES holding hands. She loves her freedom! But, that isn't always safe. So, I bought her a harness buddy at Target. I wasn't sure about getting a leash for my child, but it became necessary... They coming in different animals (she picked the monkey), and they are all cute. We have used it quite a bit in the last few weeks. When we go shopping (for more than one item), I put it on her before we leave the car. She can then walk into the store if she wants. I do put her in the cart. but she doesn't like to stay there. So, I let her out periodically and walk around. The harness allows me some control of where she goes and has kept her from emptying too many things off of shelves. She doesn't cry when I put it on her, so I think he is perfectly fine with it. We have gotten a lot of comments on how cute it is!

For $12, I think they are worth it if you have an independent child. It is also a backpack, but the storage area is very small. It might keep a toy or two, but that is it. When I did a search online for them, I found other brands as well. I bet they are all about the same in terms on quality, etc.

Do you have a harness for you kid? Have you considered it?

Oh , Yeah, My Blog...

Life has been a little crazy around here. Sorry for the lack of posts! Hopefully things are calming down though... Nothing major - just the normal life busy-ness - but it is crazy enough.

Easter was nothing too special. I did get AJU5 some plastic eggs and two balls - but that is it. She has enjoyed opening and closing the eggs (and throwing them). The balls have joined the others - coming out when she finds them for some throwing fun and then disappearing for another day. She did get to wear her Easter dress, but no pictures were taken. She needed a bath since she didn't get one the night before, so the morning was a little rushed. Then, when we got home from church (accidentally left camera at home), she got changed quickly because (a) it was kind of chilly around here and (b) we wanted to keep the food off of it. I do have pictures of her eating a chicken leg for the first time though (still on the camera...).

Well, the semester is almost over - which means I am up to my ears in grading... so I better be off...

Product Review Friday - Sippy Cups

So, AJU5 has had a few different kinds of sippy cups. Here I reviewed them when she was just learning to use them. But, now my feelings have changed!

I still think the silcone topped ones (Munchkin or Nubby) are great starter cups. But, as time goes by, they start to fall apart. The spout pieces can break, causing a leaky mess! So, these cups have been put away! Also, at least for the Munchkin ones, you can't buy new silcone parts (like you can buy nipples for bottles), so it can be a waste!

So, now we are using the Playtex Insulators. Since she is a sipper half the time, the insulated cup is nice. Plus, they are easy to find in stores and have interchangeable parts with the Playtex My First Sippy (which we have two of). They seem to be fairly durable and are working just fine for AJU5.

Is there a sippy cup you like? What do you like or dislike about the sippy cups your child uses?

And It Continues

AJU5 is still struggling with the teeth. She doesn't go to sleep until 9pm or later each night (even though we try to get her down earlier). We have resorted to allowing her to have her pacifiers at any hour to stop the crying when not held (while one of us is standing). But, there has been humor in all of this!

Last night, we put her down at 9 (since that is when we go to bed). Around 9:45, she was whining too much for me to sleep. So, I went to see if I could get her to sleep with me. Well, after a little bit, she started to play. She walked over to her night-light and stared at it. She touched it, and then came back to me. After about ten rounds of this, she started to add a little walking in circles to this. Of course, she ended up falling down some - which led to laughing. It was fun to watch! Eventually she came back over and snuggled. (So she went to bed and slept until 2:30ish - and then back to bed by 3 - and slept until 7.

Today she has been attached to me. It is making it hard to work, etc. But, I love the snuggle time! I just wish we had a tv so we could sit in front of it and snuggle!

Home Improvement Saturday - Cabinets Part 2

So, last week I talked about planning and ordering cabinets. This week we will go over installation.

The difficulty factor for installation is related mainly to the amount of connecting cabinets you have. If you are only installing one cabinet (like a vanity cabinet), then it is fairly easy. On the other hand, if you have cabinets along two walls that connect, then it will be harder. Why? You have to make sure everything is level and such! If you only have one cabinet, then you just need to level it and attach it. If you have multiple, then you need to find the high/low spots and take into consideration wall bumps. If the wall isn't "flat" or the floor is like a roller coaster, making sure everything is level and the faces are smooth will be harder.

For a small base (floor) cabinet only job, one person can handle everything with a few clamps, shims, and screws. For wall cabinets or a bigger job, you will need more people. You might want to make some "dummies" to hold the wall cabinets in place (a T of 2x4s works) if you don't have a lot of muscle!

Oh, and buy lots of shims! They are very important. Unless you house is PERFECT, you will probably end up using a few shims per cabinet, if not more. It never hurts to have too many shims!

Once you get the boxes in place (take doors, shelves, and drawers out/off first - it is easier that way), you will be ready to trim. We used scribe molding in most places. It is the most basic of moldings and will cover the gaps between the walls and ceilings. You can also use crown molding at the top if you aren't mounting the cabinet right to the ceiling. You will also have some toe kick to install along with some edge molding if there is an exposed corner (to cover the edge of the toe kick).

All in all, it is a fairly easy job. It is definitely something a do-it-yourself person could do if they had a little help. I would recommend starting with a bathroom (few cabinets) and then moving to a bigger job!TR: Merrilot Cabinets - Kitchen House 1
TM: Merrilot Cabinets - Kitchen House 1
BR: Cardell Cabinets - Kitchen House 2
BL: Cardell Cabinets - Kitchen House 2
LT: Shenandoah Cabinets - Laundry House 2
LM (2): Merrilot Cabinets - Kitchen House 1 (being installed)
LB: Shenandoah Cabinets - Master Bath House 2

Yeah, One of Those Days...

AJU5 had a terrible night:

• Went down at 6:30
• Awake by 8:30
• Cranky until 11ish
• Took her to her room and sang her to sleep
  
• Slept on floor of her room with me until almost 5 am - with some wake ups in there that is
• Woke up within minutes of me leaving the room
• AJU1 got her and tried to get her back to sleep (failed)
• Laid in bed with me/us until 7ish
• Demanded breakfast... so we were up for the day

Tonight is looking just as bad. She is drugged - so we don't know what the problem is...
On top of all of this, AJU1 decided that we should finish unpacking the office today. So, the room with the "TV" and all is not AJU5-proofed in any way shape or form. There are computer pieces, cables, and other random things all over the place. This is actually very little floor showing at the moment. But, with her being awake, he can't get anything done (she is a Daddy's girl most of the time)... So, maybe tomorrow this room will get back to normal (I have a little to do, but I need some space to lay things out and sort them...)

So, Product Review Friday is taking a week off...
Next week - either sippy cups of backpack/leashes...

Using Force

AJU5 knows how to get what she wants - cry or use force! If she wants me to do something, she just makes my body do what she wants. She pulls our fingers until we follow her. she manipulates our hands to do what she wants. She even rolled me over last night so she could snuggle in another position. She is quite strong for a toddler I think.

... okay.... where was I... AJU5 came up and bothered me... then we played... then we went to the library... then we came home and had lunch... then I caught up on some blog reading and put her down for a nap... now back to this post... yeah...

Oh, yeah...

Last night she woke around 1am. Her molars are starting to pop through, and it is making her miserable. It was too early for more motrin, so I laid on the floor with her and tried to sleep. She was all over the place forcing her little head into different spots on my body - between my chin and head, on my shoulder, on my chest - anywhere she thought might be comfortable. Around 2:30 I gave up and took her downstairs for some Motrin. She had started to play a little instead of laying down, and I was EXHAUSTED. The Motrin worked luckily and I was able to return to bed around 3.

Hopefully, the teeth will come all the way through ASAP so we can get some sleep around here!

Work...

Today AJU5 and I went to my work. I had to drop of my laptop for "maintenance." Hopefully ITS won't mess it up too much! I also went ahead and dropped off my next set of exams at the testing center so I didn't have to make another trip next week.

AJU5 loves one of our secretaries! She isn't afraid of anyone in the office other than our dean (who is the only male in the office), but she will go right to E. E picks her up and lets her play with things on her desk. It is so fun just to see her interact with all of the ladies in the office actually. None of them have little ones, so they enjoy watching her grow. Our dean has two little girls (2 and 0), but they aren't as friendly as AJU5 supposedly. So, they take great pleasure in just watching her grow and play.

After hanging out the the ladies for a while, we went and dropped off the exams. I put AJU5 in a chair while I readjusted my purse, and she found that the tray attached to the chair swiveled in and out. She sat there and played with the two she could reach for quite a while. While we were still sitting there, my old boss (she was the dean for a while) walked by. Her and I have had issues (didn't see eye to eye on something AT ALL), but she stopped and said hi and asked how old AJU5 was now. It is kind of weird seeing her though. I was so happy when she moved on to another position so I didn't have to see her, but then I think it might have been better if she had stayed around so we could have dealt with the issue better. But, that is all in the past...

Well, I guess I should go clean the kitchen now. We have piles of papers, etc that need to get sorted and put away. We are trying to get the down stairs looking nice, now that we have it all mostly done (still need some furniture, etc - but the main building pieces are done). But I don't know where to put the papers! My desk is a mess because I end up pushing things to the back to prevent AJU5 from getting them. So, really I need to clean my desk and sort through it, but I told me husband I would work on the kitchen... maybe I will end up bringing a box of papers up?

Home Improvement Saturday - Cabinets (Part 1)

So, because I am sleepy, I am going to keep this one short and do a second part to cabinets next Saturday.

The first thing you need to decide is what brand cabinets you are going to use. We have used three brands, and in general the actual construction is identical. A cabinet box is a cabinet box is a cabinet box. The difference comes in options, look, and material. Personally, we have found Shenandoah cabinets (at Lowe's) to be a really good buy. You can spend extra for KraftMaid, but the quality is almost identical between the two.

Once you have the brand chosen, you need to pick the door style. Some times the door style dictates the design and what cabinets are available. The big question normally is full overlay verses regular overlay. There are also no overlay cabinets out there, but we haven't used those (I don't think they are common here due to the humidity conditions, etc). With full overlay, you don't see the frame when the doors are closed, but with regular overlay there is a border of the frame showing.

The best thing to do is go to a design center (Lowe's or Home Depot work just fine) and look at the cabinets. We have gone with special order, but for budget projects or small projects, you might want to consider the in-stock cabinets. I would DEFINITELY get a free design/price quote of at least one special order set of cabinets, as this will allow you to compare costs AND get a design to work from.

Nest week I will talk about pieces to not forget and installation!

*I had about 4 hours of sleep last night/this morning. I didn't get home until after 2:30 and couldn't sleep until after 3. AJU5 was up just before 7, so I "supervised" her and napped a little before heading back to scrap some more (about 10-3:30). I got through Month 11 - 30 pages completed! Hopefully I can find little pieces of time here and there to do come more of it in the next few months.

Project Review Friday - Munchkin Suction Cup Bowls

I had seen the Munchkin Stay-Put Suction Bowls on their webpage, but I hadn't seen them in the stores until I went to Wal-Mart (for a totally unrelated purchase - I HATE the Wal-Marts near use because they are a ZOO and not very clean). I thought I would give them a try. I had wanted to get something like this for AJU5 so she can work on her spoon usage (no way am I giving her a bowl that is not attached to her tray!). They are working okay. She can pull them off, but it takes a lot of effort and time. So, all in all, they meet our needs. She gets her morning cereal in them now, and seems to like them. She still uses her fingers more than the spoon, but now I don't have to feed her the cereal! It is making it easier for me to eat at the same time for sure (she insists on having the same things we are having these days).

So, overall, I will give these a B. They say they won't budge (which is a lie), but only a persistent child will get them loose.

********************************************************

Cart Packed.
Everything Ready.
A Night of Scrapbooking Is Coming.
Pray for AJU1 has he has AJU5 duty until midnight!

New Method

AJU5 has found a new way of getting what she wants. She takes her baby or a stuffed animal and gets us to cooperate with that. Then, she requests the same treatment for herself.

She has used this to:

1. Get to sit in my lap
2. Get picked up and carried
3. Get put in her spot on the sofa (it is a reclining love seat - and she gets the middle high spot)

How can I say no to her when I said yes to her doll or stuffed animal?

Some of the Collages for the Scrapbook

In the Hospital (0-7 days old)

3 Months Old (March 15-April 13, 2008)

Birthday Cake (December 14, 2008)

Christmas Presents at Home (Late December 2008)

Another Party Idea

This Friday/Saturday our church is having a Ladies Slumber Party (slumber optional). There will be lots of scrapbooking going on over the two days, as well as some eating and fellowship. This is my idea of a girls-only party - food, friends, and crafts. I am a big craft person, but I rarely have time to do it. I actually haven't even started AJU5's scrapbook. Luckily for me, she wrote a letter every month for the first year and then one at 15 months. This is going to make it easier for sure!

Another thing I have done is create a collage (using Picasa) for each month a major event. I am having 28 (8x10s) of these printed a Costco (I pick them up this afternoon). I still need to go through here and pull of all of the major milestone dates (as well as emails of these as well). Hopefully I will be able to at least get a good start on the scrapbooks this weekend!

Do you scrapbook? Are you crafty? How far behind are you on your kids' baby books?

Partying Some More!

So, this has been a weekend of partying!

Saturday, AJU5 was invited to a 2 year old's birthday party at Chucky Cheese. It was CRAZY! But, she seemed to really like it. She loved playing with the balls (Skee Ball) and riding some of the rides. She even left the group (while I was turning in our tickets) to play skee ball on her own (luckily we found her quickly). We lost one other kid- he was hiding in the tunnels while Chucky was on stage (he is aftraid of Chucky). Luckily, after about 5 minutes of looking, he came down (as Chucky was done on the stage).

Yesterday was AJU1's 30th birthday. I ordered him a cake Saturday and had a friend pick it up so we could have it at church. It was good to surprise him! He didn't want anything for his birthday (he had already bought himself stuff a few weeks earlier), so that was all we did. But, it was fun none the less.

Have you done any real partying during the Ultimate Blog Party?

What is a perfect party for you?

Home Improvement Saturday - Grout

Well, last week a took a week off from the Home Improvement posts to ski. Can you blame me? There was no home improvement going on at the house, so I didn't post about any of the projects we had completed. But, it is back again!

The last two posts have been about tiling. The last step in tiling is grouting (and sealing). Grout it the stuff between the tiles. For really small grout lines, you use unsanded grout. But, we have only used the sanded grout since we have stuck with the larger grout lines (all floor tile should have sanded grout). The first thing you have to do is decide the color of the grout. There are lots of options! One thing you might want to do is see if the brand/color comes in caulk as well, as it may come in *handy in the future.

Now, for how to grout. First you have to mix the stuff with water (and the big beater bar you used when you mixed the thin set). The bag will give you proportions. BUT, I recommend not adding that much water to begin with. It is a lot easier to add more water as you go until it gets to the right consistency. You want something that is a brownie or cake batter consistency - something that you can move around but isn't too thin. Once you have it mixed (and waited and mixed again according to the bag directions), then you have two options for application. You can put the grout into a bag and squeeze it into the cracks like a pastry bag or you can use the grout floats and just cover the floor. Personally, I like to just cover the floor. But, if you are doing a small area (like an entry), it might be easier. Either way, the goal is to fill the grout lines so that they are level with the tile. Then you want to let it dry a LITTLE. Once a haze appears on the tiles, you can start cleaning them. Use a tile sponge - removing as much water as possible before wiping the tiles. Move diagonally across the tiles so you don't remove too much out of the grout lines. For the first pass, you just want to smooth the grout lines out and get some of the excess off the top of the tiles. Then, once another haze appears, you can focus on getting the tiles a little cleaner. Rinse the sponge out more often and replace the water more often to get a fairly clean looking tile (it will still have a haze though). Let it dry for a few hours and then go back over it again. After 3-4 sponging ones, you can mop it with a fairly dry mop.

The grouting itself isn't hard. But the cleaning can take a long time! It can be a fun party activity though! Just make sure your guests don't like to throw mud...

Up next: Cabinets!

* We are using the caulk where the new floor meets the tile to fill the gap. We also used it in the bathrooms around the tub, etc.

PICTURES TO COME LATER (my computer is fighting a nasty Trojan, so getting to the files is a pain).

Ultimate Blog Party 2009

First, let me introduce myself and the other main characters in this blog.

I am AJU5's Mom. Yes, I do have a name, but I like to keep my blog as anonymous as possible. I teach online math classes for the local community college (I worked full time before becoming a mom). I am also a Christian and very involved in my church. As for hobbies, our house remodel has taken all of our time the last 16 months. But, I used to love hiking, skiing, and crafts (including scrapbooking).

AJU5 is my 15 month old daughter. She is our first - but hopefully not our last here on earth. She is already a big sister with a baby brother or sister in heaven (miscarriage). As for her hobbies, there is the daily walking, playing, eating, and sleeping. She loves to have all of Mommy or Daddy's attention or to play with other kids.

AJU1 is my husband. He works. He is a dad. He enjoys the same hobbies as me (except not the crafts). Other than that, he stays out of the blog...

I have a second blog - http://ssumusings.blogspot.com - where I post about more controversial topics - faith, religion, politics, etc. This blog is a mommy blog. I limit the posts to family, work (since many of my readers are also involved in education), and home remodeling.

Now for some partying!

Get your favorite drink and snack.
Turn on your favorite music.
Dance with your kids and have fun!

The Whole U Gang Last Weekend
(we are on the far right)

Cross Post...

I thought I would "promote" a post I made on my other blog on birth control. The point of this post was not to say one method is best or one method is wrong. Instead, I wanted to inform others about the moral objections some have to different forms of birth control. The idea came after reading two blogs. One was about the Duggar family and the wedding episode. I read some of the comments, and although I definitely don't want that many kids, I felt the comments were a bit harsh. The commenters didn't seem to understand at all any of the moral issues the Duggars had faced in the past about birth control. The second post was by someone I know about how they got pregnant while not trying. She explained some of the struggles they had morally deciding what birth control to use, etc.

So, please read it and see if there is anything in the post that you didn't know. I don't care if you have no problem with any of the forms of birth control. But, I wish people weren't so rude about others not wanting to use certain methods.

Girlie-Girl or Not

AJU5 has some girlie-girl in her, but not completely:
She loves to play with her doll these days - she holds her, hugs her, "feeds" her, etc.
She had ZERO interest in dresses at Target yesterday. She was a lot more interested in the pants, skorts, shorts, and t-shirts.
She loves to play outside.
She also loves to just sit in my lap and snuggle.

So, will she be a girlie-girl or not? I am actually hoping that it is not. I am not a girlie-girl. I don't mind dresses/skirts when I am dressing up, but day to day I prefer pants or shorts. I love to do active things like hiking and skiing - especially over mall shopping.

Are you a girlie-girl? If you have a daughter, do you wish that she will be a tom boy or a girlie girl?

Big Girl Car Seat It Is

AJU5 had her 15 month check up today. She is now 20lbs 8.5 oz! That is a big gain - jumping the curve a little even. Her height jumped curves too - she is now 30in tall. Her head is 48cm - large as always. So, as a result of this big weight gain (even in the last month since she was sick), she is no longer within the weight limit for the infant carrier. So, while she slept in the infant carrier (in the car), I installed her big girl car seat on the other side. She has ridden in this car seat in AJU1s car around Christmas and this past weekend. So, she is "used to" it already. We are going to let her face forward, as she seems to be strong enough and all.

When did you turn your child around? When did you go from the infant carrier to the big kid car seat?

P.S. I do listen to AJU5 regardless of what she said in her last post. I just don't always do what she wants me to do!

Why Does Mommy Not Listen?

Hi. Mommy doesn't know I am on the computer right now. So, I thought I would make a quick post about her inability to listen to me.

Why can't she understand that I don't want to use my sippy cups? The cups Mommy and Daddy use are so much more fun. They let me drink out of them sometimes, but they are always watching me. Can't I drink in private?

Also, why won't Mommy let me go without my diaper? It is very annoying to always have that thing attached to me. I try and try to get away before she gets it completely on, but she is too fast/strong for me. I have taken it off a few times, but normally she puts clothes on me that make it very hard to get to the diaper. It just isn't fair...

Finally, why won't Mommy let me run around outside? She always has to be right next to me. Something about a street is normally what she says. But, I like my freedom. I like to walk around outside in the nice warm sun. People out there always comment on how cute I am. How can I get those comments if I just stay next to Mommy?

Well, I think Mommy is coming to find me, so I better go.

Love, AJU5

Great Weekend!

We went on a trip this past weekend. We met AJU1's family in the town that his brother (AJU3) lives right now (he is a ski instructor). We left Thursday and came back yesterday. Here is a run down of the weekend.

Thursday:
Less than a mile from home I realized that I didn't have my wedding ring on. We returned to home in hopes of finding it. After twenty minutes we gave up. The finger is smaller now than it was when I got married, so it can slip off. I don't want to get it resized until I am done with kids though, as it could get larger again!
AJU5 did pretty good on the trip. She slept/played for the first 3 hours. Then she wanted to eat. Unfortunately, there wasn't an open fast food restaurant open yet. So, she had to wait until about four hours in. Then she made it the last five or so hours without stopping (we stopped about 45 minutes after lunch for gas). She would have been more than happy to stop about an hour earlier, but there aren't good places to stop!
Once we got to the hotel and checked in, we emptied the car. While I was emptying the back seat, I found my ring! I was so happy. Shortly after getting everything to the room, AJU3 showed up and we went to Olive Garden for dinner. Then it was back to the hotel to hang out/rest until more of the family showed up (around 11pm).

Sleep: AJU5 ended up in our bed in the middle of the night. It is SO much fun to have a little one sleeping on your head/shoulder...

Friday:
After breakfast at the hotel, we got ready to go skiing. AJU5 stayed with her grandma - shopping, etc. It was great to ski since I hadn't in almost two years. Skiing is like riding a bike - you don't forget how! I was surprised that I didn't get tired or warn out before the guys!
After heading back to the hotel, we hung out and had dinner. Then we headed to Cabela's for a while. AJU5 fell asleep in the car on the way there. She stayed asleep in AJU1's arms until we tried to switch (AJU1 was getting tired). Then she rode around in the cart. She was happy as long as we were looking at the animals/fish. But, she was exhausted! She didn't fall asleep on the way back to the hotel because she saw her cup. She wanted her milk, but the cup was empty! It was not a fun 10-15 minutes ride back to the hotel.

Sleep: AJU5 slept like the night before - in our bed by around 2am.

Saturday: Around midnight, the other two showed up (AJU2 and his wife- they had to work on Friday). The rest of the day was somewhat like Friday. Skiing for the guys and I, AJU5 with Grandma and Aunt K. This time the "girls" went up to the mountain to ride on the tram and look around. By the end of the day though, I was tired/sore. My shins got bruised as usual, so I was worn out for sure. Back at the hotel, we had dinner and watched TV as a family. There was some picture taking, but as usual they are still on the camera.

Sleep: Same as before, except this time she was thristy as well at 1:30am (and 6am).

Sunday: After breakfast, we packed up, said goodbye, and hit the road. The others headed to church, but because it was in the opposite directions of where we were headed and it would make us get home quite late, we just left. AJU5 did fairly well this way as well. She wished to get out more, but it wasn't too bad.

One thing I did learn on this trip is that I am glad to be a stay at home/work at home mom. It felt weird not knowing what AJU5 was doing during the day. I missed seeing her experience the snow/tram ride. I missed being with her. Skiiing was great. I got to spend time alone with my husband on the lifts quite a bit. But, I missed my little one!

Now life is back to normal for a few more months probably - no trips scheduled/planned until May. Home Improvement Saturday will return this Saturday with grouting.

Product Review Friday - Toddler Chairs

AJU5 got one of the Wal-Mart plush toddler chairs for her birthday. She loves it now! She sits in it and reads books at least daily. If we try to use it as a pillow (it is the perfect height), she will lift our head (by the hair) so she can get in. Although I don't necessarily love that they only come in commercial characters, for $20, I can live with that. There are also other kinds of toddler chairs out there. At church, there is a rocking chair her size that she likes as well as a table and chairs set. The one problem with the table and chairs set is that she can climb on top of the table (by climbing on the chair first). So, I am going to wait and buy her a table and chairs when she is older (and won't climb on the table hopefully).

My recommendations:
Buy some sort of toddler chair for your kid.
Let them try out chairs at a store, library, or where ever else you can find them first.
Decide what looks best in your home/what you want to look at all the time!

Hi!

It's AJU5 here. Yeah, I know it is 8pm and I should be sleeping, but I don't want to sleep. See, I got cranky and sleepy at 6:30, so Mommy put me to bed. But it was still light outside. So, I didn't want to go to sleep for the night. I wanted to play! So, I cried and cried and cried. Eventually Mommy felt sorry for me and got me out of bed. We have been playing for about 30 minutes now. and I don't know if I am going to want to go to bed soon or not. Sunday night I didn't go to bed until 7:30 because we had church until 7. Last night Mommy and Daddy had class, so I got to stay up until almost 9pm. So, tonight was the first night I could go to sleep before 7 since this Day Light Savings thing happened. I don't know if I like it. It is dark when I wake up now, and it is light when Mommy tries to put me to bed. This is just wrong. It should be the other way around!

Well, I better go play some more. If I spend too much time just sitting here, Mommy will think I am tired and put me to bed again! Bye!

Situational Awareness and Naps

AJU5 has some situational awareness, but she is lacking in some areas! She is very cautious around male strangers. Today we had three men in our house installing a fireplace insert. She would stand frozen when they came into the room (for at least a few minutes, then she would warm up). But, she isn't so aware of her height. Last night at class she hit her head at least four times. Two of those were on the tables. She used to be able to walk under them, but now she has to duck a little. She often forgets this fact and bangs her head. Hopefully she will be over this soon, as her head probably was getting a little sore last night! She hasn't gotten any battle scars on her head lately, but she still cries a lot when she wacks her head!

As for naps, it seems like we might be going to one nap. Sundays and Thursdays she ends up with one nap normally anyways because of morning activities. It might just be easier for me to have her take one long (2-3 hour) nap after lunch then to have to try to get her to take two naps, one after breakfast and a little play and one mid afternoon. But, I did like two periods to get things done. I am just going to have to play it by ear.

Edible?

AJU5 is trying to eat everything these days. She is NOT HAPPY when I tell her she can't put something in her mouth or if I take something away from her. Today's candidates for edible or not are:
Twistable crayon (luckily these aren't as bad as regular crayons, but she is still getting some in her mouth)
Hair clips
Pennies

The hard thing is that I can't find the hair clips and change when I go to clean up! She is great at finding hidden things. The hair clips are the hardest though because she pulls them out of my hair sometimes. So they end up all over the house! I guess I need to baby proof some more!

Last Sunday I think she ate a pencil eraser at church (someone left it in a pew, and she found it and chewed it off). She also got some crayon ingested on Wednesday and Thursday (at church and story time). Luckily she has yet to choke on anything or eat anything too hardful for her (she did eat some Desitin, but at her age, it isn't a poison issue per se).

Off to go check and make sure she isn't eating else she shouldn't be!

Home Improvement Saturday - Wall Tile

We have tiled the walls in three bathrooms (one int he old house, two in this house) and also tiled around the fireplace in this house. We choose to use floor tiles in each case, but you can use any tile on the wall really. The difference between wall and floor tiles is the quality/strength. Floor tiles are stronger and normally heavier and bigger as a result.

Tiling walls isn't much different from tiling floors. You use the exact same tools and same order of steps. The only difference is that gravity is no longer your friend. The thin set will slide down the wall if you aren't careful. Tiles can slide as well, so spacers are definitely necessary. You may also need supports for tiles if there isn't going to be a tile below them (or you haven't cut that tile yet). Small jobs like a back splash should be fairly easy because you are starting with a level surface (the countertop) and aren't going very high. Showers are a little harder because of the amount of tiles that will be in a column. We did our showers over a few days, building up a few rows and letting the thinset dry before going too high.

If you want a decorative border, you can go with listas. But, they are expensive ($5 a foot or more)! So, for this house we did the border using other types of tiles. In the master bath, we cut the corners off of a different style tile and used the triangles as the border. In the full bath (AJU5/guest bath), we used tile squares that come in 12x12 sheets. I liked the idea of this, but it turns out the height of the tiles was different, which made it look a little off in spots. So, be sure to check the thickness of the tile if you are going to use different ones on the same area!

Pictures:
Top Row: Master Bath (Back Wall), Full Bath (Shower Area) Full Bath (Shower Area)
Middle Row: Full Bath (Shower Area), Full Bath (Shower Area), Fireplace
Bottom Row: Shower in Old House

Product Review Friday - Picasa

Okay, I know some of you already use it, but Picasa is an awesome free program from Google.

Here are the features I use a lot (and love):

• I'm Feeling Lucky (auto color, etc)
• Batch Edit (with above most of the time)
• Black and White/Sepia (pretty cool that you can do this to any picture!)
• Collage
• Blog This
• Movie/Slide Show
• Red Eye
  

All of these are very easy to do as well. My current project is getting collages made for AJU5's scrapbook (we are having a ~36 hour scrapbooking marathon at our church on the 28th). I can star photo, then preview and edit them, and then make a collage. It will make the scrapbooking easier because I all have 8x10 sheets to just mat and journal, instead of having 50 million individual pictures to work with.

Have you used Picasa?
What do you like/dislike about it?

No More Unsipervised Play

I have been letting AJU5 play unsupervised downstairs. She only has access to the living room, kitchen, dining room, and entry/hall. The doors to the family room (which is still not done) and the bathroom are closed. There are a few cabinets she can get into, but they only have Tupperware in them. The living room just has her toys and the couches/recliner in it. The dining room just has the tables, chairs, and shoes in it. So, I wasn't worried about her getting into anything that would be too difficult to clean up or that would hurt her. This was the case until yesterday afternoon. She is now strong enough to open the freezer. We have a bottom freezer, so it is the perfect height for her to empty it. She had pulled out a bunch of ice cubes, her vegetables, and a few other items that just had to be put back. The ice had melted some on the floor, but it actually cleaned that area. She carried the bag of vegetables (corn, carrots, and peas) to her chair and then proceeded to empty the bag (there was a bit left in the bag - but there was definitely more on the floor). So, I had to clean all of that up too! I guess I should have checked on her sooner, as she had been quiet for longer than I expected (we had just had a snack after playing in the park). But, she has been known to sit and read her books for a while before coming and finding me. She then tried to re-empty the freezer while I was making dinner. I wish there was a way to lock the freezer, but I can't figure out an easy way for doing that. So, until we are ready to buy a new one or she learns to follow the rules, I am going to have to be on my toes!

Wordless Wednesday Take 2 - Shoes and Park

Wordless Wednesday - Big Helper!

Computer Issues...

The USB port on the front of my computer no longer works. It actually hasn't worked since we set it up in this house a few months ago. That means I can't easily plug in anything USB - pen drive, camera, MP3 player, etc. As a result, AJU1 is in charge of removing pictures from the camera. But, getting him to do this isn't always easy. It isn't that he refuses, but it involves me reminding him when he is at the computer. I have been wanting to get pictures off the camera for a while, but it just hasn't happened. There are som great pictures on there that I want to share with everyone, but they will have to wait!

I am due for a new computer once we stop the flood of money out of our accounts for the home remodel. AJU1 actually builds all of our desktops. My current one will probably got to AJU5 so she has her own (and stops beating up on ours). This computer is fine, but it gets a little slow when I try running a bunch of things at once. So, the new one will have a better processor (duh) and possibly more RAM. But, that is about all I need in terms of new things!

How is the computer situation at your house? Do you have your own? Is it a desktop or a laptop?

(I do have a laptop from work, but it is really slow. I just use it for the internet when I am down stairs mainly. AJU1 has his own computer, and we also have a server and HTPC.)

Rambling Again

I am pretty sure AJU5's molars are about to pop through. I can definitely feel the bottom ones through the gums. We think this is the cause of the slight sleeping issues. She woke up at 5 am on Saturday and Sunday. She laid in bed with us for about 20 minutes each time, then got some milk and went back to be until close to 7. Last night (Sunday) she woke up around 9:30. Milk wasn't enough, so I also gave her a dose of Motrin and she slept until 5:45ish. Then she got her snuggle time and milk before going back to bed until 7 again. Luckily this isn't too hard on us! Five isn't that early.

She is also a huge lover of the park these days. She didn't get to go yesterday (Sundays are weird with church, etc), but we went the four previous days. Saturday she got cold, so we didn't get to play as long as normal (bad mommy for not bringing her coat). She hates leaving the park though - there is a lot of screaming as we walk home.

I can't believe how much AJU5 eats for breakfast! She eats a whole package of apple cinnamon oatmeal (Quaker Oats) and about four or five frosted mini wheats (from my breakfast). She doesn't always eat as much at other meals though. But, breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

I think that is it for now.

Oh - the next few weeks of Home Improvement Saturday will also be on tiling (walls and grouting). THen I dodn't know where I will go!

Home Improvement Saturday - Floor Tile

Welcome to the first installment of Home Improvement Saturday. We will start off with floor tile - the first thing we tackle other than painting (and well, painting is no fun to do OR talk about!).

In House #1, we tiled the kitchen, eating area, walkways, bathrooms, and laundry room all with the same tile (floors only). It was a little over 400 square feet! In House #2, we have done the same areas (although they are larger in this house), but have used a variety of tiles.

Tiling isn't that hard. One of the hardest parts is laying out the design and determining where to start. The big thing you have to avoid is slivers of tile in obvious places. To make our lives easier, we tiled under the cabinets. But, if you aren't removing these, you will have to make even more cuts. You can lay the tiles on the floor, draw lines, or make a drawing of the room to help you determine where to start with the full tiles.

Now, on to cutting tile. We are on our second tile saw. We bought the first one at Home Depot and it made it through our first house, a tile job at church, a tile job at the in-laws, and the kitchen and dining room of House #2 until we decided to replace it. The blade wasn't staying vertical anymore due to all of the use! So, we bought a new one at Lowe's. My husband prefers the Home Depot one, but both are very reasonably priced (~$200 I think). If you are just doing an entry way or other small job with only straight cuts, you can get the tile cutter thing that scores and snaps the tile. But, for big jobs or lots of cuts, the tile saw is worth it! It is no harder to use than a standard table saw if you go slowly (and don't have any crazy cuts that could cause the tile to break).

Other tools you will need:

• Notched Trowel - size of notches depends on the tile size, etc!
• Tile Spacers - you can space by hand, but the spacers make things easier and are good for cleaning out the grout lines!
• Trowel or other tool to get the thin set out of the bucket with (and to help clean up the edges) - I prefer the offset kind
• Mixing Bar (looks like a big beater used for mixing the thin set)
• Corded Drill (to attach mixing bar to)

When you buy your tile, make sure to buy at least one full box extra. You will break a tile or two! Plus, with the cutting, some times you waste quite a bit.

Prep Work: Remove old flooring if it isn't the asbestos tile (if it is that tile, leave it unless it is coming up). If you aren't on a slab, install cement board first. I also recommend "mudding" and taping the boards with thin set and the mesh tape to prevent cracks in the grout (if they end up lining up with the seams in the boards). If you are on a slab, you might want to level the floor if possible. Small variations in teh floor aren't hard to deal with though.

Here are some pictures!

Top Left, Top Middle, and Bottom Right: House #2 Kitchen/Dining Room
Top Right: House #2 Hall/Half Bath /Entry (we did the triangle to prevent a sliver at the edge)
Bottom Left: House #1 Kitchen/Dining
Bottom Middle: House #2 AJU5/Guest Bath

Notice in top middle picture that there are three guys working. If you are doing a large area, at least two people are recommended - one to apply the thin set and one to lay the tiles. Guy #3 was cutting and mixing (tiling was done on AJU5's 1 month birthday and my first day back at work - with AJU5 in tow).

Product Review Friday - Snack Trap

The Snack Trap is a cup with a lid that allows kids to pull out their snack without spilling them all over the place. I bought ours at Babies-r-Us after seeing another kid using one. The idea is great. If the kid turns the cup upside down and shakes, the only thing that comes out are any crumbs you put in with the snack. But, when the kid goes to pull out the snacks, there can be problems. First, there are kids (AJU5 has done it) that take great joy in emptying the cup. This definitely is just as messy as if she had just dumped the whole container (but it did take longer at least!). Also, when she pulls one snack out, a few extra tend to come with it because she holds it sideways. This isn't a huge problem though because she has this issue with a normal cup as well - Cheerios get stuck between her fingers! Another possible problem we have yet to have (but I have a friend who had it) is that the lid can be removed fairly easily. If your child figures this out, the cup is just a normal cup!

It cost less than $5, so I think it is a fairly good product. It isn't perfect, but a lot depends on your child's mentality and how you use it. If you only give it to your kid when you are watching him/her, then it will probably be neater than most alternatives. Even with the past emptying by AJU5, she seems to have learned that if she empties it, then it disappears. So, she uses it properly most of the time now.

I will give this product a B+. The idea is great, but some kids are too smart or devious for it to work!

Storytime Comparison

Last week, the normal librarian/story teller was sick. So, one of the other librarians filled in. Here is a comparison of their styles:

Normal:

• Hand warm up
• Book
• Felt story
• Thumbkin
• Story (book or felt)
  
• Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
• Story (book or felt)
• Itsy, Bitsy Spider
• Bye activity (clapping, etc)

Substitute:

• Different warm up - but similiar
• Book 1
• Thumbkin
• Book 2
• Another song/activity
• Book 3
• Bye activity

The substitute's stories were all related (about lions) and she had a stuff lion/puppet to help her tell the stories. The normal librarian has no theme to the stories/activities. She does have more stories and activities and there is a routine, but I think I liked the theme! I know our normal story teller is fairly new at this (less than a year on the job). I wish she would get advice from the other librarian on the theme! It made the stories a lot more fun to listen to.

Oh, one other issue with story time today. During the felt story, she was supposed to have five fish. There were eight on the board. She didn't take three down before she started! So, she had the wrong number up (and admitted it through out the story). It was kind of annoying to me!

Do you go to a story time? What is it like? Where is it?

New Idea

So, we are FINALLY almost done remodeling the inside of this house. We just have flooring and finish work left. It has been over 15 months of work - a lot longer than we had expected. Between this house and our first house, we have done a wide variety of home improvement projects. Would you be interested in hearing a little about them? I was thinking of including the following in the posts:

• Pictures (of course!)
• Tools/materials needed
• Time required
• Skill level needed
• Muscle/Strength needed
• Tips and hints

If no one is interested in this info, I won't post it. So leave a comment and tell me how you feel about it!

Project we have done:

• Tiling - floors and walls
• Painting
• Railing (stairs)
• Cabinet installation
• Countertop installation
• Doors - interior, closet, standard exterior, French exterior, and sliding glass
• Window replacement
• Staining
• Light and bathroom fixtures
• And probably more that I can't think of right now!
  

AJU5 and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Hour or So...

I went to get AJU5 out of her bed yesterday afternoon (following a nap), and found a DISGUSTING mess (I will leave it to you to figure out what I am referring to there). So, off to the bath tub we went. I hosed her down, rinsed out her clothes, and started the bath for her. I then went and stripped her bed and threw everything in the washing machine (I had just run her stuff in the washer, so I just re-ran that load with the additional items). She was due for a bath last night anyways (we do every other day), so I washed her hair, etc. I left the shampoo on the side of the tub and just let her play. Next thing I know she is screaming because she pulled the shampoo bottle down. I think it hit her leg pretty hard, and it hurt (but I am not 100% sure - it could have also been the splash is caused as well). Needless to say, she wanted OUT of the bathtub then. So, out she came. Then came her next unliked event - diaper and clothing! She hates this time - probably because she is cold and just wants to snuggle. By the time I got her dressed, she was very thirsty, so she was even more miserable until I got her downstairs to her cup. But the cup was empty since she had lunch right before her nap. So, she had to wait for me to fix her another one.

After that, things were good! We went outside to get the mail, and she got to walk around some. The only mail we got was a catalog, so I let her carry it. she enjoyed being able to "freely" roam outside. I bet she would have stayed out there for hours if I had let her! Unfortunately, I was getting hot, so we went inside eventually. Then she became clingy later, but she was probably tired and just wanted attention (AJU1 was home late from work, and the clingy-ness started about when he should have gotten home). Today, she seems her happy self!