Weekend Top 10.

It was one of those nice relaxing hang around the house type of weekends.......ahhhh I love those soooo refreshing usually we are running around all over the place.

1. Our weekend nights were filled up watching True Blood that we rented from Netflix......once the kiddies went to sleep of course.

2. Me and Tay made some wonderfully delicous red velvet cupcakes with homemade cream cheese icing my fave flavor!

3. School {Pre-k for Tay} starts in 2 weeks......I can't believe one year from now Tay will be starting kindergarten.

4. I recently came across a great company Clairmont Designs that sells beautiful frames and sign for your kiddies rooms. I will definitely be ordering one soon.........

5. We had our fair share of rain this weekend and thunderstorms and I LOVED it.

6. Even with the rain we made our way to the beach when we found a pocket of clear of skies and guess what we saw floating around in the crystal clear waters????!!!! SWANS!!! Yes swans two beautiful white swans has anyone ever seen this before?? That's weird right? I thought it was totally random, but they were such a sight to see.

7. Teddy did his fair share of pee-pee and #2 in the potty. Woohooooo

8. I am getting excited for Halloween....I know its still far, but Bath and Body Works had there halloween candle lit in their store and it smelled delishhhhhhh. And I want this from there too

9. I finished the first book of 8 total in the Pretty Little Liars book series......it was very good and mysterious can't wait to read the next 7!!!

10. Love running with my dog Roscoe........even if he got a little heat exhaustation and laid down on the ground refusing to get up for a solid 15 minutes in the blistering sun!!! No more middle day runs for us!!!

So how was everyone's weekend??!!! Hope it was good one =)

Teddy's First Haircut!!!!!!!!!!

So this past weekened Teddy now a 1 1/2 year old, and one month finally got his FIRST HAIRCUT!!!! One of the many milestones that usually happens in toddlerhood. However......I do believe this milestone usually consists of a mommy and/or daddy or even a LICENSED hair cutter person doing the job...........not his

4 YEAR OLD SISTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, my daughter decided it would be a good idea to take her craft scissors {safety first right}, and cut her baby brother's little blonde curls that caused him to have a baby mullet......see Teddy has barely no hair on top, but has {HAD} pretty good hair growth going on in the back of head that was curly and pretty long therefore:

short on top long in the back=mullet status.

I just felt so bad cutting it since he barely had any hair to begin with, but Taylor had other plans in the works. When me and hubs seen his hair was cut........he immediately blamed me!!! Because, I have said many times the mullet needs to go, and of course the hubs thought it was cool and funny to show off to his friends. Anywho, my daughter being the daddy's girl's she is told Thomas that I cut it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anddddd he believed her.....I know the nerve of that man!!!! So, for about 30 minutes he kept telling me that he knew I did it until he was looking around in Tay's room and stumble upon...............

some curly blonde hair behind her toy box.

We had a talk with her, and she had no princess bike riding for the weekend.....she took that pretty hard. I just can't believe my 4 year old cut his hair, hid it and then lied about it.....she may have been misbehaving, but I was more amazed with her ability to plan all of that!!!!

Have any of you had hair cutting adventures with your kids???

the happiest place on earth.

If you have been following my blog you should know I lived in Cali for a few years....and you probably don't know that I along with my 4 year old LOVEEEEEEEEEEEE Disneyland.

Exhibit A:

We love anything disney for that matter. Disney movies, disney toys, the disney store......and of course DISNEYWORLD!!!!!!! I went as a child many times being that my mama's side of the fam lives in Florida, so at least once a year we would visit the magical kingdom. Since, we are now livng in Florida I can not wait to take the kiddies to one of my favorite childhood places................

hopefully we get to soon

anddddd then the next day we can go here:

seashore, seashells, and sand castles

Since moving to Florida it has been a pretty easy transition......both for me, the hubs, and the kids. One reason the hubs has all his friends from officer's school down here {I know lucky him}. For me and the kids well there is plenty to do to fill our days at home. We live only 15 minutes from one of our fave places to go.........the BEACH.

Oh how I love that place.

My parents live a whole 5 minutes away from the beach, so you can imagine during my high school years how much I frequented the beach. ALOT. Even in the winter months I would go for a walk or a run.......have you ever been on the beach with snow on it??!! It is a sight to see. So, when I lived in Cali I lived far from the beach. I know everyone always thinks that if you live in California you are within walking distance from the beach and Hollywood. I am here to tell you a secret..........there are places in Cali that are far far from the beach and the city of Angels. We lived about 2 hours away from the beach.......that was really tough on me!!! I am just sooooo estatic to be back by the ocean!!!!!!!

This week I am thankful for so many things

let me narrow it down for ya:

25. living close to the beach once again

26. Teddy and Tay's love for the beach

27. my husband for the joining the navy......most

of his potential duty stations are close to a beach

28. building sand castles

29. finding pretty seashells

30. days at the swimming pool

31. the pond in our neighborhood

32. crab cakes.......Mmmmm I loveeee them

33.sunblock

34. lunchtime in the sunshine

35. rainy days in the summer

So make your day a little brighter and tell me what you are thankful for??

anddddd link up too =)

unplanned bathroom birth.

After my Versatile Blogger post I had a few requests to expand on....

#4 aka Teddy's very UNPLANNED bathroom birth.

With both Tay and Teddy I wrote their birth stories shortly after they were born......so its be pretty accurate I am just not too sure on times since I wasn't really paying attention to that. here ya go my unplanned, un-assisted, homebirth.....

Little background first:

With Tay I had some complications after her birth that could've been prevented, but the nurses on duty did not believe me when I kept telling them something was wrong I was in an immense amount of pain way more than childbirth.........turns out I was right I had a hematoma in my left labia that was left untreated which resulted in it exploding {sorry for the TMI}, emergency surgery on my vagina just hours after birth, 50+ stitches, an a blood transfusion......I was tramatized, angry, sad, not confident at all in my body to birth a child. So, when we decided to start trying for a second I had already done alot research about childbirth, and had come to terms with the events that happened after Tay's birth. I researched online, I read many books, and watched the Business of Being Born. My confidence was re-newed, and I decided to go with a hospital-based midwife this time around........

Teddy's birth story

It was January 3rd 9 days before my due date. I woke up to contractions at around 6 am.....they were very light, faint, so I went on with my morning. There was cleaning that needed to be done, so thats what I did, and talked on the phone with my mom. Contractions were not patterned at all I would have one then not another for a half hr., then the next would be 10 minutes.....very random so I figured it was going to be a while. Boy was I completely WRONG!!!

After four hours of very unpatterned contractions.....all of sudden at around 10 am they became about 3 minutes apart and INTENSE. We had absolutely NO warning, there was nothing about my contractions that hinted the transistioning stage of labor was just around the corner. So, Thomas immediately calls the sis in law (Charlotte), and tells her to come over to get Tay. The car had been loaded with hospital bag and car seat for a few hours, so we were ready to go.
But, then I went into the bathroom I had a urge to just sit, squat something to relieve the pain.....so I sat on the toilet....what a relief that was. Then as I stood up I heard a POP water came gushing out, and Tay said running down the hall........

"Daddy mommy peed her pants!!!"

At this point I guess my birthing instincts kicked in, and I wasn't even thinking of the fact that this baby was going to be born now in the house.....no doctor no midwife no nurse.....just me, my very excited 2 yr old, and my hubs who was running up and down hall for no appearant reason. So, I told Thomas to look down there and he said I think its a head!!! He then didn't stay to help me, but run out of the bathroom to who knows where {he was freaking out....a bit in shock couldn't imagine why}. Oh, did I mention Tay has been in the doorway of the bathroom this whole time just watching me, being completely calm, and asking me if I am ok. So, instincts take over again....I squat on the ground of the bathroom, and literally I didn't even have to push. There was 3 parts first the top of his head, then his head, and then his full body......I caught him {what an AMAZING feeling}, and Tay says " Ohhhh hi baby brother"......not even scared just had a huge smile on her face.....I know who is this child right??!!!!

By this time Thomas is talking to the 911 operator told her he is born, and she instructed him to get a towel to wrapped out him....we do....he is breathing, beautiful, eyes wide open just taking in his new world. Then about 5 to 10 minutes after Teddy was born Char walks in to pick up Tay so we can go to the hospital to have our son.....oops already had him.....she just stands in the doorway speechless taking in her nephew. Thomas.....he's still freaking out....doing who knows what. Then several minutes after Char arrived so did the fire department and ambulance.....my peaceful, amazing, incredible birth experience....is interrupted with a bunch of guys in my bathroom doorway starring at me.

EMBARRASSINGGGGGGGGGGG.

More so, because I went to high school with one of the EMT's......yeah I know. Good thing I had my shirt on and the way the towel was I was pretty covered. But, they were all so great....they cut the cord, and put us up on the bed thingy. They even stayed at the hospital till we got settled because the nurses on duty were being quite rude to us, the EMT's were amazing I will always remember their kindness.

So there you have it. Throughout my entire pregnancy I prayed, did some positive thinking, had matras, all about having a natural birth, with no complications, where I could be free to labor how I wanted......well God answered my prayers just not in the way I thought he would. He has a humor I have learned.

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I've been set free!!!

Free from breastfeeding that is.

Last week Teddy officially stopped breastfeeding. No doing on my part, he weaned himself........and just didn't care for the early morning feedings that were left of our breastfeeding sessions. Even though, he hasn't been full time breastfeeding for a while just the one or two sessions a day, now he is down to zero nursing so I feel like its totally official now. That means I am no longer a milk makin' mama. Don't get me wrong I absolutely love the bonding time that happens when you nurse, and all the other benefits that come along with breastfeeding. For me luckily breastfeeding both times was pretty easy. But, I must admit it is nice to not be limited to the 400mg of caffeine a day, wonder if that chip and salsa midnight snack will give the babe gas, have a margarita when I please without making sure if there is a bag of non-alcoholic milk in the fridge, and I don't have to worry about PUMPING!!!

Let me tell you how much I despise pumping...............

I really don't know why. It has never been hard for me. Even with Tay I was able to always pump out the amount I needed......but I.just.do.not.like.doing.it. I really don't know what it is maybe that I have to just sit there for 10 plus minutes, and can't do to much else when pumping. Whatever it is I am glad those pumping days are long gone!!! I hated it, but breastfeeding is what I wanted to do so I dealt with it. A whole freakin year of pumping while working a 40 hour week let me tell you I was beginning to feel like a.......diary farm. But, I won't complain that much since it was my choice so I am done. Thanks for listening =)

Anywho......

back to my point its so nice to just be able to have as much coffee as I want in the morning, and even grab a refreshing red bull without worrying if I am going to create a hyper active baby. I have been limited on my beverages {sometimes food intake} since I got preggers which was in........April 2008!!! And as you should know by now I lurveeee starbucks particularly the high caffeine drinks there, red bulls, sweet tea, a margarita from time to time, a nice glass of wine.....all of those contain either caffeine or alcohol. Which, I still had during my breastfeeding era, but just within limitation, and with the alcohol I would pump before. You get the point if you want a glass or two of wine you can't just drink it without planning first or double checking the frozen milk supply. So, I feel like I can be a bit excited about this moment.....right??!!

But, another thing I must admit weaning both times has definitely been harder on me than on the babies. I am excited to be able to eat and drink what I want when I want.......but I also miss those days of a growing baby in my belly, the first moments right after giving birth that are so amazing, and those times when a little baby would just fall asleep in my arms......

Does anyone else find it exciting to be able to eat/drink{in particular caffeine} what you want after breastfeeding?! Or if you didn't breastfeed after being preggers??

the greatest gift ever.

This Thursday I am very thankful for my two beautiful children. In the mommy blogging world we talk about our kids ALL the time. So its obvious that we love our children, but rarely do I put it out there so plainly that I am so very very thankful that I have my children. They are truly a gift, but with the crayons drawings on the walls, diaper explosions, meltdowns, etc.....sometimes I forget about what an amazing thing it is to be a mom. I have been realizing more and more I just need to sit back, and let some stuff go. Early mornings and late nights, getting peed on, a screaming toddler in a fully packed grocery store is going to happen. Sometimes in the moment I forget that alot of these things will pass with time,and that these things do not happen the majority of the time. Most of the time its a too smart for her own good 4 year old who is obsessed with disney movies and will do a monologue of Princess and the Frog upon request {southern accent included}, and a toddler how is such a mama's boy and eats every 10 minutes. I absolutely love being mother. And I have so much love for my children its amazing.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

the fruit of the womb a reward.

Like arrows in a hand of warrior

are the children of one's youth
Blessed is the man

who fills his quiver with them!

He shall not be put to shame

when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Psalms 127:3-5


According to God children are a reward! Yes a reward......we should treat them as such. With love and respect. Respecting our children may seem a bit backward. But if we give respect, then we will get it. Like when my 4 year old is trying to show me the 10th picture she has colored today, when I am attmepting to cook dinner. I need stop just for a sec and say " Wow that is so pretty great job" instead of "ok sweety in a minute (aka never)". Children are a reward, gift, but they are also our responsiblity. Part of showing them our love and showing God that we are very thankful for them is taking our time guide them, so that they grow up with strong values and morals...........

Train up a child in the way he should go;

even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

I am so very thankful for my children, and my job of being mother. There is no greater gift that I will ever receive. And, I will do my very best to treat my gifts with the utmost love, respect, and guidance.

This week I am thankful for:

18. my two children

18. teddy saying "sissy"

19. taylor riding her princess bike

20. long walks around our neighborhood

21. our seashell collection

22. a toddler that will actually help doing clean up time

23. finishing our picture wall

24. hobby lobby and spray paint......both can do wonders to your home!

the list could go on and on.....but I will save for next thursday =)
What are you thankful for?!!! Do tell and link up have a beautiful day!!!