Tuesday randoms

• I've actually written two blog entries since I last posted but forgot to publish. Whoops.
• So, last Wednesday hubs had a minor surgery, to remove a nodule from his vocal cord. Everything seems to have gone well and he has a follow up planned for tomorrow. The worst part of it all is that he's been on vocal rest for a week - which is essentially no talking or whispering. Frustrating.
• Little Mister marked 14 months last Wednesday! Once I get him to sit still for a few pictures, I'll have a little post :)

• Last week, our college president called a meeting in which he refocused our department. I'm super excited about these changes and feel it will be for the best.
• The weather here is absolutely crazy. I'm definitely not complaining about temps in the 60s in January, however.

• I'm really considering purchasing this weekender/garment bag that's being featured on Groop Dealz today. Super reasonable, and I think I need it for our upcoming Vegas trip!

• If you are a mom of a toddler, or have nieces and nephews, what do you feed them? I feel like, other than lunch/supper, C eats the same food day in and day out. He really loves some foods, like cheese, bananas, cheerios, cherry tomatoes, and applesauce, but I don't want to burn him out. To be honest, he has hot dogs and frozen pizza more often than I care to admit. Also, I have a really hard time with the veggies. HELP!
• Hubby got a new work truck. We are very excited. I probably looked/sounded like a dork with all my "oohs" and "aahs" but I'm so proud of him. This is his first new truck since he started this role almost eight years ago, and he's grown his route to be the second largest out of his market center, so I am really happy for him.

Why yes, that is a Tonka truck in the driveway :)

• In addition to the nice weather, I'm really anticipating spring/summer for the garage sales!
• I'm thrilled that I've done really well on my money/budgeting since posting about attempting to use all cash for my personal purchases, minus gas! Between a check from my freelancing and mileage, I paid all but $200 on our fridge last weekend, and am also paying the facility rental fee for a baby shower I'm helping to host with cash! I'm almost positive I'll have the fridge taken care of in the next few weeks, and then it's on to saving for car insurance (blech), my new iPhone, and Vegas!
• Working out/eating healthier is going pretty well. I think I'll save all that for a more in-depth post later this week.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Life lately

Oh, hi.....

I always have these great intentions of getting back on the blog train, but let's fact it - life is crazy. Which I totally love, don't get me wrong, blogging is just taking a back seat. So I've decided not to hold myself to posting every day, every other day, or even once a week.

• Baby Ender was born last Tuesday! She is beautiful!!!

• I didn't get to go see her until Friday because hubs and I both got sick early Wednesday morning. Blech. But when we met on Friday night, it was pure love.

Be still my ovaries!

• My desk was sporting some interesting additions last week. Love this photo of my boys :)

• No matter how old you are, you still want your mom when you are sick. Especially when it's 4 a.m. and you are cleaning up your mess.
• Mister Cooper had his nine month well check on Tuesday. He is 20 pounds and 28 inches. 48th and 50th percentiles. Absolutely perfect, according to the doctor.
• On Mondays, hubby often leaves the house before C makes it out of bed. So I try to take a picture to send with a good morning message :)

When I washed this sleeper, I thought it was way to tall for my boy. But to my dismay, it fits perfectly.

• Poor baby has been going through some separation anxiety. We are told this is perfectly normal, but it's troubling. Our sweet boy wants to be held all the time {teething may play a role in this ...} and is having a tough time going to sleep. We used to be able to sing, give him hugs and kisses and lie him down, but now it takes a bit of back rubbing and consoling, then ultimately letting him cry a few minutes. Breaks my heart.
• Little Mister is also sporting a new tooth! He now has the bottom middle ones, and the top middle and eye to the right of his mouth. The other two on top will be coming through any day.
• The 5K we are planning to run is in just under two weeks! After taking a week off of running due to the silly stomach bug, we headed out yesterday and I just about made it 2.5 miles. I'm hoping to get in a good three-miler later this week. That being sad, I won't be devastated if I have to walk part of the 5K, but would love to run the whole thing.
• My hometown has a "Neighbor Days" festival every year over Labor Day weekend, so we took Super Cooper there this weekend. He had fun!

• He also loves his second cousin, Morgan :) Seriously he did not want to let her go!



Gosh I love that gummy grin



• I've only worked three days each the past two weeks. Totally not looking forward to five this week.
• This weekend we decided to visit the park. Unfortunately the one we ended up at didn't have the little kids swings, but C seemed to have a lot of fun going down the slide with his dada.

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Brain dump

• So, the last two weeks have been crazy busy. All good though :) But between work and a teething little one, I just haven't had a lot of time to blog.
• A couple weekends ago, we went up to Cape for a bit. Mostly because Mister needed diapers and I really like the price and quality of the Target brand. While there, my boys took me to Bagger Dave's, which recently opened. It was great! And while it's technically a tavern, we felt right at home with Coop - practically everyone had a child at their table, and his constant {happy} shrieking didn't bother us in the slightest.
• To solve the shed/flood insurance debacle, we are building a base for our shed. Well, mostly hubby. He was on vacation all last week and worked his butt off on it. Concrete was poured before we left for St. Louis last Friday, and we're planning to take apart the frames, fill with rock and get the shed moved in the next couple weeks.
• I was actually off last Monday, so I helped a bit, with setting up the stringline. I had work functions Tuesday & Thursday evening and didn't get home until late, but was able to help some with the braces on Wednesday.
• At one of my functions, we made a presentation to a civic group at a bingo hall and I felt like I REEKED of smoke. I changed clothes and pulled up my hair before even holding Coop.
• This weekend, we have a wedding reception at a winery on Friday and are playing poker with friends on Saturday night.
• Although I love having Fridays off, I am so glad to only have one more full week of summer hours. It's definitely not worth the long, 10-hour days to have a three-day weekend. That being said, I have accomplished some good projects during my time off. But I'm REALLY looking forward to resuming the 8-5 work day.
• This Friday, my mom is going to help me make salsa. A couple years ago, I tried making some using the Mrs. Wages seasoning packets and we really loved it. This time, I'm taking the easy way out and instead of cooking, peeling and dicing the tomatoes, purchased a gallon-sized can of them. We also like to run ours through the Ninja to make them extra fine :)
• Speaking of the Ninja ... I think it's time to venture into finding some new baby food recipes for C. Fruits, veggies and pizza just don't seem to be cutting it anymore! I'm bored with them all, so I'm sure he is, too.
• I think I could live on pizza and spaghetti. Seriously ... I just picked up Pizza Hut breadsticks for lunch!
• I'm helping plan a sprinkle for a good friend this Sunday. We opted to have it at a local restaurant and it's by far the easiest shower I've ever planned! It is a bit pricey, but it's a fixed cost, with the menu options being determined by the total number of guests we have. And we figured that by the time we rented a hall, decorated it and paid for cups, napkins, tableclothes, plates, etc. it would be over $150, where it's all basically FREE with this venue. I'm so excited for all the yumminess.
• This morning, I spent about an hour rearranging my desk. I had a huge printer on my desk and my desk space was extremely cluttered. Like overwhelmingly so. I was talking to a coworker and she suggested finding a small table for my printer ... so I swiped one from our lobby :) So far, I am LOVING the new setup.
• So glad the work week is on the downhill slope. It's been a long week - probably because I haven't worked a full 40 the past two!

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Thursday randoms

• I love having this weekly hodge-podge of thoughts :)
• This week, I haven't had anything work-related in the evenings, but man, I am exhausted! I didn't sleep very well on Sunday or Monday nights, so I'm sure that had something to do with it.
• Of course, this morning we overslept. Alarm was set, just didn't go off. No idea what happened. Thankfully I was still to work on time.
• What happened to my baby? Tear. Napping in daddy's "spot" on the couch. And don't worry, hubby was sitting on the couch right beside him.

• I'm not entirely sure what it is, but I feel some sort of hormonal shift going on. {TMI} Although I've been cycling since January due to going back on BC early on, I can tell that, over the past couple of months, things have just been different. No substantial hair loss {yet ... thank goodness} but just weird things, like headaches and lots of mood swings. When I opened my email to see one from The Bump with the subject "Why you hate your hubby right now" I instantly felt better though. No, I don't really hate him, but I'm getting easily overwhelmed and frustrated, similar to my feelings when I first came back to work. 
• One of my friends wants me to join her and some others for dinner and to see Magic Mike tomorrow night. I can't make up my mind. 
• Little man's second tooth isn't too far from popping up, I think. We give him the frozen teething rings while we are eating, and he LOVES them. Nom nom nom. 

• I purchased hubby's anniversary gift last night! I didn't intend to do anything big, but when this Living Social deal popped up in my email, I knew I had to get it. The first anniversary is supposed to be paper, so he'll get the paper certificate :)
• Hubby and I are going to begin the 30 day/300 ab challenge on Sunday. I'm ready to see some results ... what I've seen on other's blogs is amazing! He also wants the two of us to start running/walking at night.
• I don't see that happening anytime soon, with this forecast for the next week:

• This week has been absolutely insane. Thankfully, with next week as a holiday week, I'm planning to devote my time to some more internal tasks and get my office in better shape so I can work a lot more efficiently.
• This is the purse of a mom.

• 
• I'm hating on the bank/flood insurance right now. A couple weeks ago, we received a letter from the bank regarding our flood insurance. Apparently, while auditing our loans, they saw that we had added a shed to our property and while we added it to our homeowners policy, we did not to our flood. Let me say right now, we absolutely hate flood insurance and think it's an absolute crock of crap. There is no competition and it's run by the federal government, which also controls flood maps. There is no federal mandate to purchase flood insurance if your home is in a flood zone, but the bank can require it to cover their interests. Therefore, we only carry on our mortgage balance. Since we don't owe on our shed and it's portable, we didn't think of adding the flood insurance ... but of course, "they" say we need it, and if we don't add it, we'll be out of compliance for our home loan. 
• The kicker is that they're wanting to charge us over $100 a year for a $3,000 shed! And we have to pay a surveyor for the flood elevation certificate!
• Our house actually isn't in the flood zone, but a portion of our property is. We have a walkout basement and, unfortunately, it's a few inches below base flood elevation. 
• We were planning to level out some ground and move the shed this fall anyhow. So now, we're accelerating that plan and will actually build up the ground in the next few weeks so it's ABOVE base flood elevation, then we'll hopefully get out of it all together. Fingers crossed. 
•  I'm driving hubby's truck today. I used to love it. Now I hate it.
• We got muffins for a coworkers birthday today. I am on a sugar hiiiiiiigh ...
• Happy weekend :)

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Wednesday randoms

• Whew. The past two weeks, I've come to work on Wednesday and the week is halfway over. Today, it wasn't until noon that I hit humpday. Boy, am I glad it's on the downside now. I worked 13 hours yesterday and have been on the phone most of today, so I'm beat.
• Hubby bought me some tanning minutes a couple months ago and I was doing a great job of keeping some color, but this crazy work schedule has taken it out of me.
• A couple months ago I got a wild hair {pun not intended} and had about four inches of my hair chopped off. I needed it, but I miss it.
• My hair is in desperate need of a highlight, but it hasn't really held color since I got pregnant, so I figure why waste the money.
• This weekend I would like a book and a pool.
• I'm actually taking "off" on Friday and am so excited to have nothing to do ... or maybe clean house at a more leisurely pace.
• I've been working on this blog post for THREE HOURS and this is as far as I've gotten.
• No less than 12 post-it notes are scattered around my desk. Seriously, Michelle?
• My car is in desperate need of being vacuumed.
• The first couple hours of the day drug by, the middle flew, and now I feel the next 1.5 hours are going to drag as well.
• My supply has dipped again. Ugh. I think it's a combination of it tanking last week because I was at main campus and not pumping as much, as well as cycling ... Bring on the Fenugreek and power pumping!
• I'm getting the itch to go through my closet again. I last did it in the early  spring when I wasn't quite back to my pre-preggo size, but now that I am, I'm finding lots of shirts that are too short or just don't fit right.
• We're going to try avocado tonight :) Personally, I think the stuff is gross.
• So far, Cooper's favorite foods have been sweet potatoes and sweet peas. Kid LOVES his peas. Surprisingly, he hasn't been too thrilled with bananas.
• I feel like I'm rambling, so I'm just going to stop right there ...

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Cheese, please

After working a 12-hour day on Tuesday, I clearly wanted to go straight home after my hour drive.

But instead, I got the joy of stopping at the grocery store. Not for dinner staples, but for one particular item - cheese. Kraft American singles, to be exact.

My husband has this obsession with Kraft American cheese. It is all he will eat. Personally, I find the stuff nasty and definitely prefer Swiss - the Aldi brand, in fact. But he lives & dies for his Kraft, and since I somehow allowed us to run out, I had to stop so he wouldn't be heartbroken not to have his favorite cheese on his sandwich today.

Then I got to thinking about my preferences. I'm definitely a bargain hunter and oftentimes will just buy whatever is on sale or the generic, less expensive item. But there are a few brands I am very loyal to, such as ...

• Miracle Whip. Mayo is gross.
• Coke products
• Bunny Bread buns
• Pizza Hut
• Nesquik
• Lays chips
• Chef Boyardee
• Hunt's spaghetti sauce

Are there any brands that you absolutely cannot stand to deviate from?

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Wednesday randoms

• Is it only Wednesday? With our summer hours, our monthly planning meetings that were Wednesday, Thursday & Friday are now Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, so I'm seriously confused. Add that to the fact that I've worked 11 hours both days this week {two of which were driving} and I'm just plain exhausted already!
• Baby sitter's husband is having surgery today, so Super Coop is with my parents for the day. My dad, bless his heart, even drove down to pick up little man at 6:45 to save me some hassle.
• Tomorrow, he's staying at home with our friend Lynn. I'll have him Friday, of course, and also on Monday ... totally looking forward to a day off!
• Hubby and BIL were baling hay on Sunday and I got roped into helping since it looked like it may rain. Picking up 50 lbs. of hay is a workout for this girl ... I am still sore!
• My brother and SIL are coming in for a visit next weekend, so I've gotten roped into helping my my clean her house to help prepare on Friday. I know I owe her, but man, this mama is just worn out. I will be sleeping in, that's for sure.
• I had my office in pretty good shape when I left on Friday and haven't been here the past two days, but it somehow looks like something exploded. Lovely, Michelle
• Did I ever mention that about a month ago, I met Meadowlark Lemmon? I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I had no idea who he was .. he came to our main campus for a visit on a day that I happened to be there :)

• When we found out he was coming, a staff member went out to buy a bunch of basketballs for him to autograph. Coop really liked his :)



5.10.12 ... super delayed posting this



• Speaking of balls, we were at a friend's house last week and they pulled out a large ball and Cooper really loved it! We may need to buy him one to roll around with us soon.
• Moms - since we've began giving C food, he hasn't been finishing all of his second bottle. Typically I nurse in the morning, he takes all 8 oz. around 11 a.m., has food at 1:30 p.m. (I'd prefer it be earlier but that doesn't really work for the sitter...) then she gives him his last bottle around 4 but he's only been taking about 6 oz. Should I scale him back to just one cube of food for lunch? I'd prefer he get the calories and nutrition of milk than veggies at this point.
• How is Father's Day this weekend already? I have no clue what to buy for hubby. I mean, he's mentioned some tools, but I just don't know if that's appropriate to give ... but then again, I don't want to get some cutesy thing he doesn't really like but thinks he needs to keep just to be appreciative.
• If you are adding anyone to your prayer list, please keep my friend Jessica's dad, Mickael, in them, as well as Mr. Jim, our sitter's husband. Jim is having back surgery, while Mike has had cancer for almost four years and they just found a tumor on his brain. They've done surgery and everything looks OK, but man, that's just scary.
• C has decided he wants to be a farmer :) I spent last Friday at my parent's house and let him go ride the tractor with cousin Trent again for a bit. Actually, he rode in the "buddy seat" with my dad first when dad moved the tractor, then took an hour ride later. Trent said he was an angel and they sang and had all sorts of fun. That's my boy! If C really wants to farm, though, he will have to learn to stay awake while in the machinery :)



excited and being a very big boy :)



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Friday randoms

Thank goodness the weekend is almost here! I went to a Chamber of Commerce coffee this morning, so that definitely is helping the day pass by. I feel like Fridays are always such long days.

I mentioned in Coop's six month post that he had begun flipping over onto his tummy some. Well, apparently he's decided that's how he prefers to sleep! Before going to bed last night, I checked on him and he was on his tummy, so we flipped him back over. This morning, he was on the tummy again. I'm trying not to worry too much about this ... he has good head control and such, so I figure his chances of suffocating himself are small ... right?




this morning ....

 Yes, that is a pacifier, AKA foo-foo, in the crib. We really don't like using it. But our son has turned into a thumb-sucker over the past week or so, and we figure while a foo foo can disappear, thumbs can't. And since a 3-year-old we know still sucks her thumb, and recently had an infection, we discourage it as much as possible!

Last night, hubby sent the following photo to me with the message "What happened to this little guy?" I have no idea ...

Four days old {I think}. I've always loved this photo!

We've been having lots of pork loin this week, frozen leftovers from my family reunion back in December. Well, my aunt and uncle are having a graduation party for my cousins tomorrow and guess what's on the menu ... that's right, pork loin! Luckily it's really good and we've been eating it a variety of ways.

As luck would have it, the weekend we are going somewhere with a large, in-ground pool, it is going to be cool. It's been in the 90s for weeks, but of course, the projected high tomorrow is around 80. Srsly?

Despite that, I have been pretty lucky lately! Our electric company is a cooperative, and last night was the annual meeting, where they also have drawings for several prizes. I won a George Foreman grill. We already have two, but this is a middle size so we think it will work well. And at the coffee I attended this morning, I won a travel coffee mug.

Little man is loving his food and I'm sure will be eating us out of house & home before long! He was kinda just like whatever with green beans, not at all excited about carrots at first but then caught on, and had his first peas last night and loved them! I mean like shoving the spoon in his mouth and giggling the entire time! He eats one cube around lunch at daycare, and one when we get home at night, and is still having his two 8 ounce bottles at daycare and nursing morning & night. We'll probably move on to sweet potatoes next, then some oatmeal ... I'm trying to get a good variety in so that once he starts eating fruits I can mix in the veggies for lunch and oatmeal for breakfast.

Speaking of all that eating, hubby commented last night that C looked rounded and was feeling heavier. According to our scale, he's gained about a pound in the last week! Mind you this weighing was right after eating and last week at the doctor he was approaching feeding time, but still ...

This is my last Friday having to work until August! Super excited for all the three-day weekends in my future!

I am researching things to do for our anniversary coming up in July. I'm still waffling on whether C should go with us and we do a family outing, or if we should leave him for the day. We're considering St. Louis, which is only about 2 hours away, so we may leave him ... if anything happens, we won't be that far away. Suggestions on fun things to do? No baseball games in town that weekend :(

Happy weekend!

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Thursday thoughts

• Super Cooper did a great job eating his green beans last night! His face at first taste was priceless. And it did take a bit to get the hang of swallowing. But he finished off all of the cube (I froze in ice cube trays) so I was very impressed. I'll probably begin sending food to the sitter next week if he continues to do well.
• Next up is carrots, and then probably oatmeal.
• My good friend Bel is in for the next few days and I am so excited! I saw her for about 2 hours over Christmas, so I've really been missing her! Last night some of our group of friends got together at our house for pizza. Today we may have a lunch date. And tomorrow night we are hitting the winery.
• I am so, so ready for this three-day weekend! Since the temps are forecast for the mid-90s, I am planning to spend a lot of time playing in the pool with Coop. And those are the only plans I have.
• I've been waffling over whether I will like summer hours at work, and I think I've decided it will stink. Best I can tell, I'll be getting to the office around 7:15 (sitter doesn't open until 7), taking 30-45 minutes for lunch, then leaving at 5:45 or 6 p.m. every night, and depending on hubs to pick up Mister. I think of how cramped our weeknights are now, and am just not thrilled about losing an hour. That and waking up around 5:45 a.m. every day.
• I dressed semi-casual and didn't really fix my hair this morning, and my boss just asked me to attend an afternoon meeting. Sigh.
• When we took our photos a couple weeks ago, we purchased a package that gives us some membership so we can get a free photo session and 8x10 print any time for the next year. So, of course, I'm going to schedule a session for Saturday when we pick up the prints, and only get my 8x10. Duh.
• Hubby has grilled twice this week. Gosh, I love BBQ food. And it makes life so much easier when all I have to worry about for dinner is reheating and sides!
• Since "they" recommend using frozen breastmilk within six months, I've been thawing everything from November through February and using it for bottles, then freezing what I pump. And let me tell you, that crap is for the birds. Way too much work.
• I've been really horrible about drinking enough water here lately. I think I'm just starting to get bored with it. I make it through about three bottles, then I'm done.
• It doesn't help that we have leftover sodas from an event at work so I've been drinking one most every day. 
• Our spare bedroom is an absolute mess. It's mostly because we still haven't bought a file cabinet to replace the storage the desk provided. I'm about to go in there armed with trash bags and do some major clearing out.
• I'm accepting applications for a housekeeper/cook. You will receive free room & board and lots of baby smooches.
• I'm not sure if I've mentioned it yet, and need to do a post, but we have a new dog. Definitely not a replacement for Hank - Coco actually came to live with us two weeks before he went to Heaven. She is very, very sweet and also a chocolate lab. We love her.

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Friday's letters

Dear Husband:

Thank you for going to Walmart and getting me medicine at 10 p.m. last Friday. But would it kill you to pitch in and help me do the dishes and clean up the kitchen at night?

Dear Laundry:

Please wash, dry and fold yourself.

Dear Mom:

Thank you for giving up your time to come watch my baby tonight. And best of all, telling me to leave a list of any household chores I need done and that you will work on them for me. You are the best.

Dear Basement Proofing Systems:

Why are you so expensive?

Dear Boss:

Thank you for getting me out of commencement on Sunday. I really didn't want to work all weekend long with volunteering on Saturday, and I want to go to cousin Tyler's graduation!

Dear Z Pack:

You are making me feel loads better, but I hate that you have given my son a yeast infection. Seriously? Heal quickly, Little Mister!

Dear Walmart guest services lady:

Thank you for being so patient yesterday as I returned over $200 of baby merchandise, in addition to exchanging SIX packages of diapers!

Dear God:

PLEASE let shots be a much more enjoyable experience this time around. Watching C get shots makes me want to take shots.

Dear Friday:

I'm glad you are here. But why did it take you so long?

Dear Employer:

I am very excited about our employee awards gala this evening. Thank you, also, for closing the school at 2 p.m. so I have time to get all fancied up!

Dear Cooper:

Thank you for being such a sweet, lovable child. Mommy loves you so much!

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This & That

I can't tell you how many times I've started a post the past couple weeks only to feel like I have nothing to say. Anyhow, for documenting sake, here's a little update on our lives.

• After feeling under the weather since Friday and getting a really bad cough earlier this week and losing my voice, I went to the doc yesterday. Thank goodness I did, since I have bronchitis and an ear infection. Good meds though, thankfully.
• Little Mister didn't feel very well last week. He had a bunch of eye gunk and a phlegm-y cough for several days. He never ran a fever, though, so I tried not to worry too much since there's nothing we can do.
• Last week was a definite roller coaster at work. Good meetings and bad meetings, but we are definitely moving forward.
• I absolutely loved the HIMYM season finale. My next kid's middle name will be Waitforit.
• My first Mother's Day was wonderful. After I fed Coop and pumped, hubby let me go back to bed and sleep for a bit, then my boys woke me up with a sweet card and pancakes and bacon. I also got a new Willow Tree angel to add to my collection.
• We have a gala/awards banquet for work on Friday and I'm super excited. Due to the event, the school is also closing at 2 p.m. that day :)
• My baby is 25 weeks old today. In a week, he'll be half a year. Time sure does fly.
• I brought a cookie cake to work today as we had some snacks to celebrate a coworker who is retiring, and I feel like it is taunting me to eat more & more.
• We took some family photos last week, and I am excited to share them! I'd also like to get some up on the hall walls :)
• I feel like it's time for a blog redesign. I'm wanting something cleaner, that reflects our entire family, but don't want to spend a small fortune. Suggestions?
• My house is a disaster. I want to go home and take a good nap tonight, but really feel like I need to clean instead, since I don't want my parents to think a bomb went off when they come to spend time with C this Friday night.
• My good friend Bel is coming in for a visit next week and I am SO EXCITED! We have a lunch date and trip to the winery planned so far.
• Over the weekend, hubs graciously took care of Coop in Target so I could look for some clothes. I found a few new things :)
• Does anyone else absolutely hate the lighting in dressing rooms? I think it is so unflattering.
• Is it Friday yet?

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Mish Mash

It's been a bit since I've done a random bulleted post. I know you missed them, right?

• Coop gets a daddy day today. The babysitter took off and luckily hubby was scheduled to be off. This will be the longest hubby has ever had Coop alone, but I'm sure they'll do great! Just in case, I did go over the schedule though :)
• I got two photos of my little love before 8:30 a.m.
• For the first time today, he finished off an 8 ounce bottle. Seriously? I have a feeling that once he gets solids in a few weeks, he'll begin eating us out of house & home.
• Hubby was supposed to be off work the entire week, but he's off next week instead. This was the last week of a sales contest and he only lacked $100 in new accounts (recurring business) to win us a four-day trip. We think he got it! The sales just have to track out so we aren't totally sure.
• To be honest, it works better for him to be off next week. I have an evening meeting Monday & Thursday and an 8 a.m. on Wednesday, so having him home to pick up/drop off/take care of Coop is a really great thing.
• Super Cooper had another great Parents As Teachers visit last night. By the time she comes back in September, he'll probably be ready for college :)
• He's beginning to use the jumperoo at Miss Robin's and at home and seems to really enjoy it.
• Still working on getting a tooth ... I think. He's just a bit fussier than usual, and baby Orajel seems to do the trick.
• I feel like the first half of the week crawled by, but the last couple days have flown. Me likey.
• Yesterday, I heard Rodney Atkins' song "He's Mine" for the first time. I giggled and immediately looked up the lyrics. Totally a daddy-Coopy song :)

• We're shifting gears on our savings goals. Originally, we planned to get hubby's truck and another loan paid off this year so we only owe on our house and SUV. Truck = done. And in the past month, I've decided I really want to get our basement completely finished by October. We have tile and painted walls and a tub, but need to have it sealed, hook up the water, install a toilet, sink & vanity, and do trim and doors. So that's what we're saving for now, instead of throwing all the extra money toward that loan. We'd also like to buy a new TV for our main living room and put the old one downstairs, along with some furniture {new or used} but that will depend on how much all the other repairs cost.
• I'm really loving Draw Something. You can find me at michelle1761
• I'm very excited for my first Mother's Day in just over a week. Cooper told me he's asked Daddy for a loan :)
• The weather here has been really beautiful the past week - 80s and 90s every day - and I've loved it. It does make me wish that my office had a window, however. Sometimes I break away from the computer screen, walk down the hall, and look outside.
• This weekend, we are going to a carnival/family day so I can work the booth for the United Way board, on which I serve. It should be a lot of fun and we are excited.
• Happy Weekend!

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Where do you ...

shop for clothes?

Since Cooper was born, I've not done much clothes shopping. Don't get me wrong, I definitely need to - my closet needs a little updating and in a different job, I'd like a few more professional pieces.

I just don't know where to do it. I go to the juniors department and everything looks too young. I walk to the women's/misses department and everything looks frumpy and old.

I seem to have the most luck at Old Navy - I love the classic look. But they are a bit too casual for what I'm needing.

Say I'm at a store and find something that may work. The dressing room is even more of an enemy these days, friends - and I'm not totally sure why. Yes, I just had a baby. But I weigh about 5 lbs. less than I did when I got pregnant! {Thank you, breastfeeding} Now, I have to deal with larger lady lumps, a very loose tummy, and a shrinking butt.

Yes, you read that right. I truly believe having a baby made my butt smaller. My pants that were stretched out in that area now look a bit too loose.

I think I had this problem before, but lied to myself and bought the too-young clothes anyhow so I could be hip and look younger. While I still like a lot of those, it's not really feasible right now either - I shy away from tops too tight on my boobs/tummy, and definitely can't wear anything very low because nursing bras are crap.

So what are you suggestions? Best styles for a new (nursing) mom? Department to shop in? Specific stores? Keep in mind, I live pretty much in BFE, so my choices are limited to basically Kohls, JCP, Old Navy, Macys, Charlotte Russe and NY&Co. Oh, and I'm sure it goes without saying, but I'd like to have affordable items that I can easily mix & match.

And, because it's boring to have a post without pictures, my little love bug. Who is so worth it all!

Little rancher 4.21.12

Who knew toes could be so interesting?

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life in bullets

• It's been a rough past week. Work keeps knocking me on my behind, and in the past week, I've had: one night presentation, one luncheon, and three days working at our main campus. So I'm more or less exhausted and in need of a little break. Thank goodness for naps.

• Easter weekend was amazing! Mister Cooper had a great time and totally made out from the Easter Bunny. His Grandma & PaPa gave him some new clothes, too.

• Comparing the two pictures above, I think it's safe to say my baby's hair is coming back. Every morning it looks a bit thicker and I love it!
• Thank goodness we had some beautiful weather Easter weekend. Obviously when extended families get together, it tends to get a bit loud inside, which tends to frazzle Coop a bit, so it was nice to be able to take him outside. Also, so nice to have one gathering on Saturday and the other on Sunday ... and I'm planning to do an Easter recap soon.
• As the holiday weekend ended, things took a quick nosedive. Once we got home from Arkansas, I took a shower and all of a sudden I just felt like I had been run over by a mack truck ... and I was freezing. I was running a fever that continued through the night and unfortunately, I HAD to go to work on Monday. The fever continued and finally broke around 6 a.m. Tuesday. Since a 24 hour bug was going around, I figured I caught that or maybe Coop's virus from the week before. Well, when I had little blisters on my hands, feet and in my mouth later in the week, we knew I ended up with Cooper's virus. Ugh.
• Sometimes, a boy just wants milk & cookies. Ha! Cooper has taken such an interest in real food, but we are holding strong on making him wait until six months. I told hubby we'll have to make sure we give him something really good first ... I'm thinking carrots.

• I know so many pregnant people. It's exciting!
• I miss being pregnant. I got to thinking and, other than those last few weeks and when I had kidney stones, I really loved it.
• Earlier today, I got to thinking of how much extra time I'll have in my life once I stop breastfeeding - God-willing, in November. Just think - I spend about 30 minutes in the morning between feeding and pumping, three pumping breaks at work that amount to about 45 minutes, I'd guess, and then two more 20-minute sessions in the evening. That's a lot of time! But so worth it.
• I've decided I need to start working out again, but I have no idea what to do, or how to carve out the time.
• Hubby is on vacation the first week of May. It seems so far away, but that's in less than two weeks! Where is the time going?
• We went to a birthday party for one of Coop's little friends this weekend and he did great!
• I'm working really hard on getting back in the groove of blogging. Which includes commenting on yours :) I've been reading, just not taking the time to comment. i know...

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monday mish mash

• Yes, my last post was also a bulleted one, but oh well.
• How is it already April? I mean, seriously. And my calendar for the month is already quite full, so I'm sure this month will fly by, too.
• It hit 90 degrees here yesterday. Yowza. Naturally, I decided to spend some time outside and wash my car, so I ended up with a burn.
• Mister Cooper was a big redneck this weekend and hung out in nothing more than a diaper most of the time.



04.01.12

• We turned on the air today. We usually make it to mid-May or even June, but enough was enough. Yesterday, I had the windows open and fans running. I think it hit about 85 in the house? Before bed, we closed the windows that someone could get into the house through, and it just stayed SO hot.
• Not to mention, my little boo didn't take the heat too well. Around bedtime, we noticed he was hot, and his temp was around 101. At first he didn't want to eat which concerned me, but he did 30 minutes later. Hand, foot and mouth is going around at his daycare, so I figured he was developing that. Well, he slept well until about 3 a.m., then woke up and was still burning up and no rash. So I made the executive decision to just turn on the air. We did that and Tylenol, and by 6:30 a.m., his temp was back to normal. Worth every penny.
• Sometimes, it just feels good to be a gangsta :)



3.30.12

• He discovered his tongue late last week, and now you'd think it's the greatest thing ever. And don't get me started on how intrigued he is by his feet/toes when he remembers about them.
• Coop has a new friend, Daisy. She's a Scentsy pal from his Aunt Amy :)



3.31.12

• My sweet hubby knows that my self-image isn't the greatest, so he bought me some tanning minutes last week and surprised me on Friday :) My legs have been looking so pasty and pale, which in turn, makes me think they look thick. He even bought them at the most expensive place in town, because it's two blocks from my work so super easy for me to get there. Of course they are booked today, but there's an appointment on Wednesday afternoon with my name on it.
• This big guy celebrated his 18th birthday last week :)

• I think I'm going to finally try OMG Chicken this week. Hubby said no, becauase of all the mayo, but I'm told you can sub Greek yogurt, so that's how we'll have ours.

Source: theenchantedcook.blogspot.com via Michelle on Pinterest

• I royally sucked at my March goals. I don't even want to embarrass myself by recapping them.
• Maybe I should just repeat all of those goals for the month of April. And sign up for a 5K so I'll have to train for it?
• I'm very intrigued about the Hunger Games. I just know that once I start reading, I won't stop ... and I don't exactly have a full weekend to burn ...

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This & That

• The past two days have been an absolute madhouse around here. I foresee Monday & Tuesday being quite hectic as well.
• I'm not sure there are words to describe how exhausted I am right now. My calves hurt from wearing heels for so long yesterday!
• Thank goodness we are off next Thursday & Friday for Easter Break. I need it.
• I'm using Thursday to get a little pampering. I've got to do something with my hair {it's so think & long and driving me insane!} and I'm going to take advantage of a gift certificate a sweet friend gave me after Coop was born to get some shellac. Excited doesn't even begin to cover it.
• Speaking of Christine, I get to see her this weekend! So excited :)
• We also get to pick up some pictures of an adorable little kidlet this weekend. I've had some I snapped on my phone but I've been waiting to share.
• The witch really seems to have sucked Coop in at night. He's been pretty fussy for us this week - sorta the fighting sleep and crying uncontrollably for a half hour or so before finally passing out. Then last night his auntie Jessica watched him and he flat-out refused to take his bottle and was also fussy until he finally gave in and slept. It's so weird ... and definitely not like him not to eat! I was afraid he was getting sick but once we picked him up, he nursed like a champ, giggled and talked to us, slept just fine and seemed like his normal self this morning.
• I can't believe it's going to be April this weekend. Time is passing by SO quickly. Maybe time will slow down over the summer - haha!
• Do you do April Fools? I wish I could, but I'm the worst liar/jokester in the world. I need an EASY but harmless prank for the hubs.
• Little Mister loves the water, so I want to get him a pool for this summer. Hubs thinks it's dangerous, but come on ... one of us will be in it with Coop the entire time. Any suggestions for a cheap one that is shallow but big enough for Coop's tall daddy to fit in as well?
• I have three goals for the weekend: clean the main areas/do laundry {always}; finish painting Coop's letters & hang in the nursery; and clean the spare bedroom. Surely I can accomplish all that.

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bathroom cleaning tip

I'm not alone in my hatred of cleaning the bathroom, right?

I mean, it's one of the most detested chores around my house. Which explains why sometimes I go weeks longer than I should between cleaning the tub. Unless they are staying the night, visitors don't use it, so I can close the curtain and pretend it is sparkling.

Well, this weekend it had been a few weeks since it had been cleaned, so I took the plunge and tried a homemade cleaner I'd heard great things about. Ladies, this will change your life.

You mix together equal parts of these two ingredients:

... heat approximately 45 seconds in the microwave

Then pour in a spray bottle. And voila! You have the BEST tub and tile cleaner known to man. Seriously, my tub was in awful shape and I sprayed this on, waited a couple minutes and wiped {not scrubbed} it off. Genius!

I have this weird thing for the smell of vinegar, so that made it even better!

Seriously ladies, try this. And you can thank me later :)

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