I have been blogging again. And it feels great. Two friends and I have started a blog to document our weight loss journey over at – http://threeskinnytwits.blogspot.com. Go check us out. You can read the introduction here as well.
And here is a somewhat recent picture, since it has been like FOREVER since I posted a picture. :)
This week I went back to work. It has been a rough week. I look forward to the weekend even more than normal. I'm completely exhausted and in bed by around 8ish nightly, and waking up in the morning is nearly impossible. Ryan still isn't sleeping all that great, so that means I'm not sleeping all that great either.
It has been almost 2 months since Ryan was born, and I feel like I'm not capturing these memories like I want to. I'm trying, but honestly, I barely have time to do the bare necessities to keep this house running, much less anything extra. I would really like to make it a point to start blogging again. And as I write this, I think about how this is the 3rd time I've sat down to write this blog post in the last 4 days and wonder if this is possible. But I really would like to get better at it...
So - last week I went back to work (from the beginning of this post). This week is going better. Ryan is sleeping a little bit better but he still has much room for improvement. I've been sleeping in his room with him (we put a bed in his room) so we don't bother Eric or Peyton in the middle of the night. Once he is only getting up once a night I will probably start sleeping in my room again and have him in his room across the house. Then eventually we will hopefully have Peyton sleeping in his room too and all will be good. :)
Ok, and on top of all that productiveness - I finished our 2011 calendar (that we give as gifts) last night. The shutterfly deadline to have it completed by Sunday to get the 50% off each additional calendar really helped me get this done fast! It made me wish I had taken better picture this year...but after I got pg in April/May, I just had no energy to do much extra...so I'll blame it on the baby - HA!
Here it is - you can see the rest of it here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/peytonsmom/
And I got the calendar template at the Sweet Shoppe! www.sweetshoppedesigns.com
Well this has been probably the most productive 3-days I've had in a few years.
The baby room is actually looking like a baby room. Our bed room hasn't been this clean in YEARS. The living room got a bit of a make over (but it is already messy again, darn little boy!) AND Peyton's room got a complete re-org after I took all the baby stuff out of his room.
It. Feels. So. Good.
Really Good!
The baby room isn't finished, but it is all put together. Baby laundry (about 6 loads so far) has all been done for baby NB-3m clothes and blankets/towels/sheets. The room is completely functional, now all I have to do is figure out a few decorating things and I'll consider it done! Feels so good! I can feel the stress melting away as we tackled each room (even though I seriously don't know how I had the energy to do it).
One huge blessing, my sister-in-law. Love her! She came and helped me go through the baby room! In about 3 hrs we went from a room, with a few things out, but mostly about 12-15 boxes of everything baby imaginable...to all clothes sorted and organized, the baby bed done, the boxes put away in the closet with the bigger clothes, the rocking chair and night stand put in place, the lamp unwrapped and put into place, etc. Wow. It felt awesome to finally have a baby room that looked like I could actually bring a baby home to!
I'll post some pictures later!
Is it too early to be thinking about Christmas and Christmas Cards??? I think not. If I don't get them done by the weekend after Thanksgiving, they usually don't get done. And with a baby coming I have so many other things to worry with, that I want to get this done NOW...so three things that I'm going to look into this week...
1. Christmas Photo Cards
Love the looks of all the Shutterfly Christmas cards this year! I don't have to worry with designing my own AND they are going to look great!
I love this one - where I can include multiple photos...
And this one (if we could actually get ONE good family picture):
You can see all the photo cards here: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery
2. Photo Books - as a gift idea!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the shutterfly photo books. They are so easy...I have created a few in the past, this being my favorite one:
You can see more from Peyton's First Year Photo book here: http://whiteconvertible.blogspot.com/2009/02/lookie-lookie.html
Honestly, this is so super easy, I sometimes wonder why I don't just do all my scrapbooking online at Shutterfly. I plan to make a book like this for this new baby too - and they can have matching books!
You can see all the photo books here: http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books
I think this would be a great idea for a 'brag' album for the Grandparents, and I could create one book, and print multiple copies for multiple gifts!
3. Calendars - another great gift idea.
In 2007 - I gave Shutterfly calendars to the Grandparents for Christmas. This is another super easy GREAT gift. When I did this last time, I created all of my layouts myself and uploaded them to a custom album. However, Shutterfly has lots of very cute built in templates as well...so I could make this even easier on myself!!!
This was my May 2008 Calendar Page:
You can see all the Shutterfly calendar options here: http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars
Now I just have to decide which one to do....I might do all 3!!! I'm getting photocards for sure, and after looking at the other options, I think I might do a grandparents book AND a cute wall calendar. So, here's to getting this done by Thanksgiving (or during Thanksgiving break)...after I finish that baby room of course!
Ok, well technically I feel trapped because my house is still so out of sorts.....I can't sleep, I can't focus, I even came back from vacation 3 days early just so I could get more done here. I'm under 60 days from my due date - and considering Peyton came a week early, we can take 7 days off that (to be prepared and all), so I'm rounding this to approximately 50 days.....and wait, here it comes, anxiety attack.
I've started about 5 posts in the last month - and as you can see they haven't been completed...
And I didn't take a single picture on our vacation, so not like me...
And I'm getting a transfer at work, so I'll be changing jobs mid-Dec at 36 wks pregnant...
Yes, I'm insane! It is official...
Happy Birthday to our precious little boy.
This is such a fun age! I love everything about him and his little personality (minus the whining of course).
Right now, his favorite things:
Thomas Trains, Cars, and especially his blocks (have been a favorite for a few years). Lately he has been building ‘block houses’ for his trains and toys.
Chips and Candy, Popsicles, Sweet Tea and his very favorite – french fries from ‘hot donald’s’ (McD’s).
His ‘roller’ – his 4-wheeler
Tumblebus on Tuesdays, Church, ‘Home Day’ (which is a day when we don’t have to go to school/work)
Crazy Hampster (a game on my ipod). The ‘Red Phone’ – which is what he calls the ipod.
Fresh Beat Band, Team Umizumi, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Max and Ruby, Little Einstein's and a few others that he rotates between.
He loves his cousins, and his best little friend at school is Sam, his best friend at church is Caroline. He loves his friends! Always gives them hugs.
His teachers are Mrs. Beth and Mrs. Kelli. Church teacher is Mrs. Brenda and Mrs. Julia. He loves going to church and school. Especially on Tuesdays – Tumblebus day.
Still loves books!
Loves the Movie store…he calls it the ‘Thomas Movie Store’.
He is getting excited about his ‘my baby’aka baby brother coming soon. He talks about things they are going to do together often.
Other notes:
He has been 100% potty trained for at least 6 months, He still sleeps in our room (working on this one), he is a extremely picky eater, he is very smart and picks up on so many things quickly, remembers EVERYTHING, and is still a very sweet little boy that loves to cuddle with mommy (and sometimes daddy).
Happy 4th Birthday Baby! Mommy and Daddy Love you!
OK. Been a few weeks since I’ve updated. I thought getting this HP mini computer was supposed to help me stay more productive. Haha. That never seems to be the case when I think I’m getting some type of technology that is going to make everything so much easier, it still comes down to me actually still making the effort.
So the last few weeks/month, what have I been up to?
Well we had a wonderful trip to the beach, then I got a two year tumor free checkup at my doctor at Emory. I’ve been fighting a sinus infection for a few weeks, fighting to get our pool ‘right’ again, and I’m getting bigger and bigger by the day.
Eric’s final final is tomorrow, and graduation is on Wednesday night. Very excited that this school is OVER. And so proud of him…he is scheduled to that the national registry test next Saturday, and we know that will be very hard!!!
What else – we are really worried about Eric’s sister. She seems to be making some really bad choices lately. She is in the anger stages of grief, and I know I have no idea of how she is feeling, but all we are doing is praying. if we give her advice, she will just push away from us, so we are just trying to listen and pray hard that she stays safe.
Peyton started playing baseball this fall. Thinking this might not have been my best decision so far. Peyton is really having a hard time paying attention!
I’ve been working hard on planning the women’s ministry events for the next year. We are going to have a kickoff for the church year in Oct, so i’m trying hard to get everything worked out before then.
