Viva Las Vegas

Heading to one of my favorite places in the world!

This time tomorrow we'll be loading up the truck for a mini vacation to Sin City. I'm really excited because this past year was the first year Shaun and I did no traveling what-so-ever for the first time since we had been married. Vegas is just a hop skip and a jump away for us, so its always been our go to for when we needed to get away for a few days. On average we visit the city about 3-4 times a year, so needless to say I'm excited to finally be getting back. Its like a home away from home for us.

Almost the same exact time last year (give or take a few weeks) we were in Vegas celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary. As Shaun says, Sully came with Daddy and left with Mommy on that trip. It'll be different this year for two reasons; the main one obviously is that we're taking a baby with us. Yes, to Vegas. We're either really brave or really stupid. We talked about leaving him with my folks (thanks for the offer Mom and Dad) until Saturday but ultimately decided that we're just not ready for that yet. I don't want to ruin this small vacation we've been able to squeeze in by wondering if he's okay, if he's sleeping, is he crying because his teeth hurt, is he giving my folks are hard time, are they tired and have locked him in a closet somewhere or left him with the dogs to babysit. I'm kidding - maybe. We agreed we would like to try somewhere overnight a little closer to home in the event that something did happen or come up, so until then, he's coming with us. This is made a little easier by the next reason why this trip is different - my baby sister finally turned 21! Her and one of her best friends are joining us this time around for their first legal adventures in Vegas. They've been kind enough to offer watching Sully so Shaun and I can have a night out - so, so incredibly sweet of them to give up one of their days.

We plan on dropping them off at the strip so we can get in some shopping time, and a trip to Margaritaville has been demanded by my sister the night that we arrive. (For the amount of times we go to Vegas, I don't think we've been back to visit good ol Jimmy since New Orleans) One night Shaun will be staying in with the kiddo so I can join my sister and her friend out one night for some drink and gambling at the slots. I suck in a major way at the tables. I'd rather have a mindless time playing little games at the slots and winning my fortune one penny machine at a time. What can I say, I'm simple. Shaun on the other hand loves poker and craps, so one night he'll be taking the girls out to teach them how to play while Sully and I get some mommy and little guy time.

More than anything I'm looking forward to spending time with my family, with no distractions to have to worry about - and FINALLY get to show my sister around one of our favorite places. It's been 7 long years in wait!

Have a great weekend everyone and wish us luck!

Feel like fishing?

We have a lot of family that we don't live close to - mainly Shaun's dad and step mom who live in Texas. Pictures are the main way they're able to keep up with Sully's milestones and watch him grow - and god do we have a lot of pictures.

While I really like the photo kiosks at Target and find them really easy to use, its not always necessarily convenient for me - and really your only choice is to print pictures out to take home or frame. I lag in a major way getting things like cards, announcements or pictures sent out to people. It sounds stupid but sometimes its such a hassle to go and get the pictures printed, get them in a envelope and make it to the post office to get them sent out. I need something easier.

I've looked at Target's photo online as well as Kodak's, but by far my favorite has been Snapfish.com Its a lot cheaper than the other sites too, a big plus when you're always looking for ways to save mula. Aside from printing out quality photos and mailing them to you for about 9 cents a piece (without coupons or promotional print rewards) they also have a fairly well priced online store that includes pretty much anything you could think about posting a picture on. One of my favorite things I've done so far is make Sully a book all about the 9 months I was pregnant with him. For about $50 (before I used a coupon) I got roughly 50 pages of a book I was able to design for him. Using numerous templates and pre-designed pages I was able to directly place the 9 months worth of online journals and pictures I kept about our experience into the book. I plan on making him another one following his first year. I personally find it easier than scrapbooking (although maybe slightly less personal with it not being handmade and all) but find it to be a fun and relaxing pastime. Your work can be saved so you're in no hurry to have to make it and get it paid for unless you want to.

I also LOVE LOVE LOVE their flipbooks. They start at $4.99 for a standard 4x6 book which includes 5 pages I think. You can add on additional pages (5 pages for 99 cents). We send them to Shaun's dad and step mom because I don't have to worry about getting the photo's processed, they don't have to worry about storing them because they come in a neat little book and we can leave little comments for each picture for them to make it a little more personal. (You do have to get pretty creative with the comments since they don't give you very much room) Plus, I get to also ship it directly to them. So easy.

They're always running specials, rewards programs for free prints or points towards shipping, and you can always do like I do and find coupon codes for the site. I'm usually always able to find one for 25%-40% off a purchase any given time at another one of my favorite places - RetailMeNot.com

I also ordered Sully's birth announcements from Snapfish. While not a huge selection (okay so another complaint), the price was fair for the amount of announcements you get, plus envelopes.

One of the books I ordered did have problems - a blank page to be exact. I was able to email someone at the site however, and not only did they credit me my entire purchase of the book so I could order a new one (this time with all my pages they promised) they also threw in some free prints for the future for my inconvenience. Pretty nice huh? They let me keep the defunct book to boot.

What a difference a year makes 8/18/09

Exactly one year ago today my hands stopped shaking long enough for me to take a picture of this (and the roughly other 15 sticks that followed suit that day). It was my parents 29th anniversary (Happy 30th anniversary Mom and Dad!) and I remember Shaun and I joking that we'd never be able to pull off a present as good as this ever again. For those unaware, Shaun and I tried for roughly 3 years to get pregnant on one of the worst roller coaster rides of our lives. I was diagnosed with having PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) like symptoms. I was put on Metformin to help me to start ovulating again. I also lost 40 lbs which was HUGE for me since the last 7 years of my life had been a constant uphill battle to get the scale to budge in even the slightest amount. After 6 months of manually charting we knew something was still off. My doctor wanted to place me on Clomid, but because of the higher chances of getting multiple births, I asked him to give me an additional 6 months and bought a fertility monitor to help give us a more accurate charting schedule.

I 100% believe that without the monitor, I would not be here writing this as we speak. It turns out I was off by almost a week the ENTIRE 6 months that I had been charting! Multiple times I've been asked what monitor we used, (and have had friends have the same success we did with it) and if this helps anybody else, I'm more than happy to continue to share. So here it goes.

The monitor is the Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor. I found it to be fairly user friendly after some additional reading that comes with it. The readings on the monitor itself are very easy to understand, and it lets you know what your low, high and optimal fertility dates are. The other thing I loved about this gadget is that it keeps track and stores all the information that can be downloaded by your doctor should you need it. The sticks have to be purchased separately, and usually enough come in a pack to get you through a few months of testing your cycle. The monitor itself can run upwards to about $200 but I found what I think to be one of the best deals from Drugstore.com where they sell it for around $140-$150 and usually free shipping. The test sticks can be bought from this site too and will run about $40 bucks or so. Clearblue also makes a one time use ovulation stick that you use like a PT test. They usually run about $30, but if you think you may need more than just one months worth, I think the monitor is a much better deal.

Never in my wildest dreams, through all the anxiety and nerves, did I think that little stick would turn into this little monster exactly a year later. Its funny how we're able to look back in hindsight at struggles and say that it was all worth it, because when you're in it, it seems like this bottomless hole you're never going to find your way out of. I'm happy that having Sullivan was such a struggle for us. It tested us a people and as a couple brought us to our limits physically and emotionally but ultimately brought us closer together in the end. I wouldn't trade what we had to go through for him for any easier road if I was given the choice. We wouldn't be who we are today because of it - he wouldn't be who he is today because of it. And who he is, is pretty freaking awesome.

You're going down Barney 8/18/09

I love babies. I love music. I'm just not a huge fan of babies mixing with my music - until now.

Don't get me wrong, I love singing baby songs to my son, I just don't really enjoy listening to them all the time. My threshold is only so big for the over enthusiastic, high pitched vocalizations of grown adults talking and singing like children.

Coming from a musical household and background, I'm a huge believer that music plays a vital roles in children's lives from a young age. It helps with brain stimulation, speech, word play, encourages movement and helps with creativity. (Sorry I could go on and on) I remember some of my first introductions to music weren't of baby tunes but of Motown, Oldies and Rock like Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Queen and Alice Cooper. I guess I was destined to be biased from a young age. (Thanks Mom and Dad!)

While I was setting up this blog, Shaun (my husband) was playing with Sully (my son) and trying to get him down for the night. The background music he had playing was from a line of music called Rockabye Baby! that my sister introduced us to. It has been a lifesaver. Its a child and parent friendly line of music that take tunes from artists like Coldplay, The Cure, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Queen, No Doubt, Queens of the Stoneage and Tool (just to name a few) and makes them child friendly. Here are two of Sully's favorites ...




The music is words-free and set to baby friendly melodic tunes that are easy on babies ears as well as mom and dad's. Its fun to sing along to or just have as some background noise.

I'm still going to sing those silly baby songs with my son - but - if you're like me and like something different every now and again, I would highly recommend looking into them. You can find Rockabye Baby! at www.rockabyebabymusic.com Be sure to check out some of their sample tunes on the main page!

I might very well be crazy. 8/16/2009

Like I needed one more thing to start.

I've decided to start writing again. I need a release because as Shaun said, I'm bound to end up having a stroke if I don't figure out something - and soon.

So instead of just leaving it to myspace and facebook, I've decided to start a bona fide blog. I'm hoping that since I know so many new mommies out there as well as second and third time mommies, that between my resources at work, my teaching days and my pension for being a cheapskate (I mean frugal) that people will actually be able to get something out of this. This is of course under the assumption that people will actually read this.

If not, it'll still be something I can channel my energy on instead of the ice cream container.

Countdown

I should be sleeping. I'm not. That's obvious. My mind is going a hundred miles per minute with thoughts.

Yesterday was a little bit of a rough day and I have a feeling this week won't be much easier. The countdown to me having to return to work has begun. I thought I was ready, I thought it would be easy, I thought I had prepared myself - I thought at least, and I was wrong.

I've been super blessed to be able to stay home with my little guy for the past four months, which is more than I know a lot of people get to have. I also have the amazing chance to be able to work from home a couple days a week when I go back. I'm pretty sure the last time I talked to my boss my apprehensions about returning to work were written all over my face, and was just happy I was coming back in the end. I'm also lucky to have a mom thats been more than willing to help out and take Sully on the days that I do have to be at work so we can be a few of the fortunate working parents out there that get to keep their child at home with a family member.

I'm not sure I'm 100% cut out to be a stay home mom all the time either - I'd probably fail in a miserable way at that. I like my job, I like what I do, I like helping people and all the responsibilities and chaos that comes with having my own program. I like having an identity outside of this house - I just love my son more. Part of me feels guilty for still wanting those things. I get anxious and worry that Shaun or I won't be around for the first steps, the first words, the first new anythings. I know these feelings aren't anything new for parents - but it is new for me, its new for us. I can't imagine not being the one to share his days with Shaun. Deep down I keep telling myself this is what is best for him - to not live paycheck to paycheck, to be able to give him all the things we want to - to one day give him his own house with his own yard. But everything is my head keeps screaming wrong wrong wrong - that it be better to be poor and with him than the alternative.

I know what people are thinking - Christ Steph he's not dying, you're just going back to work, like the millions of people with families out there have to do. I work in this field and I know how important it is for a parent to be home with their children when they can. This is a situation where Steph knows too much information about the subject and its become a hinderance, not a help. I guess I'm just kind of pissed that I'm not in the position where money doesn't matter, but it does - and it sucks. Struggling sucks. But I knew what I was signing on for when we did this - I knew not working wasn't an option for us.

I guess its going to be another balancing act - and we'll get it right, but that doesn't mean its not hard. I look at him and feel my heart starting to tug. I mean, he's finally got to the point where he's actually fun and has this awesome personality and I get to leave - right as its all getting good.

Shaun told me to quit and that he'd pick up a second job. Thats not what I want either, for him to never be around just so I can. How is that fair? I do love him dearly for giving my that option though, even though I'm pretty sure he knows I'd never take that out - sneaky little effer.

Is this a world-ender? No. Will we survive? Yes. Will he even remember these years? Shit, probably not. But I will.

I'm learning that nothing prepares you for this kind of love, this kind of desire and hope that you're making the right choices, and not royally fucking things up for them by the ones we're choosing to make now. I just want to do right by him, whatever that happens to be.

I thought I was prepared. I thought this would be easy.
Thats laughable.
There is no such thing.

3 months a few days late

So our BIG little boy is now 3 months old, almost 14 weeks which is just impossibly hard to believe sometimes. It really does go by in light speed fashion. We've had a pretty busy week followed by an even more hectic weekend, so while I took these pics on his 3 month "b-day", I'm just getting round to post them now ...


Still got his two different colored eyes going on. Sometimes I close my eyes and just look at the brown eye or the blue - to see what he'd look like, and ya know, he just doesn't look right to me without one of each!


He's learned to roll over and will do it till you stop him some days ...

In fact, he likes to roll over - over and over and over again when he doesn't want to do tummy time in hopes we'll just give up on it.



He's been standing on his legs since he was about a month old, but his balance is getting better each day (and he finds this hilarious)



My poor attempt to capture him standing on his own just leaning against me. You can see where my one hand is, the other obviously on the camera!

My little bruiser has now grown out of all his "little" baby shoes! He's almost grown out of the converse size 1's that I bought him too. Some friends were over with their 9 MONTH OLD and Sully's feet were bigger! Aye-aye-aye


Big feet and all, I'll take my 'lil bruiser any day of the week. How could I not when this is the face I get to wake up to every morning. He really is smiling like this every morning when we wake up (the nights are a totally different story) - but he's pretty much the happiest, sweetest baby ever. We're so lucky. Happy 3 months Sully!