Favorite Things: My Big Buddha Hibiscus Tote!

So you all know I am a purse whore and buy 2-3 new "investments" a year right?! Really, I change bags like you change underwear and have a closet to prove it. Usually its Michael Kors, B. Maskosky, Coach, Loius Vitton, or Dooney & Bourke. Those are my staple brands. But back in June while at Kay's dance recital I ran into another mom who just happened to open up her own spa/boutique and she was carrying the.most.fabulous.must get.my.hands.on.immediately bag! So of course the convo went like this:

"Oh hey....Kate is so big now.....omg your bag is fabulous, WHERE CAN I GET ONE!"

It was so different that any other bags I have seen right now. She could have said Target and I would have ran right over. I don't discriminate, but I do like quality bags that will last me a lifetime- so that's why I don't mind spending  investing a little money. She said her store was carrying them, and that this bag in particular was sold out as soon as they came in. BUT that she would order me one and let me know when it arrived. At the time, I didn't ask what brand it was and I didnt care, I just wanted THAT bag.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago....she called me to let me know that my bag was in that I could come pick it up whenever I wanted. Of course, I ran right over.....And now you can you see why?? LOVE!

It is the Big Buddha Hibiscus Tote in White from their spring 2010 collection. The picture doesn't show this bags true beauty. The brown is a metallic flecked brown canvas like material, so its slightly shimmer and it's beautiful in person. The pattern is so feminine and pretty. It is a large bag (which I love!), and even has pockets the sides, and is so roomy that it really could be used at as diaper bag too!  I can tell you this; ever since I put that bag on my shoulder, everywhere I go someone stops me and says how much they love it! Its a show stopper I tell ya!

The quality is not as good as what I'm used to (but I'm also used to paying 400+++). This bag was $88.00 and it's defiantly worth every cent! I've since got a sneak peak at their fall 2010 line, and I must say Big Buddha is now on my list- SO fun, fashion forward, and affordable!

iPhone Photos and The Past, The Present, and The Future

Last night while laying in bed setting my alarm on my phone, I decided I'd scroll through the 375 pictures on my iPhone (Yes, 374 pictures and 44 videos to be exact!) I went back towards the beginning, and saw this:

I was about 20-24 weeks pregnant here, and I miss it :( Just seeing my belly and knowing that Little M was growing in there makes me miss it so much more. Then I found these frighting national geographic photos:

Yeah. Pretty impressive huh?! I was about 37 weeks here, and even though I look like a dumpling in these photos, and most people would be screaming about how miserable and swollen they were.....I didn't, I loved every minute and I miss it :( 

Then I found these from when M was first born:

and I looked at how cute and small she was...

And I started to cry.

I just cant believe how big she is getting, how fast it is going, and how much I miss her being a baby already...even though she's still a baby. I know that in a blink of an eye I will be standing at the doors of a preschool sending  my baby away and in a blink of an eye this will be over. All these little things that I never want to forget will slowly fade away, and as each day that goes by she will become farther and farther from being "my little baby" and will be inching closer and closer to becoming a little person.

I sat there and sobbed quietly, then my husband walked in. He asked what I was doing and why I was upset. I told him how I just cant believe that M is a "big" baby now, and its makes me so sad to think about her getting bigger. Right then and there I wanted to go grab her out of her crib, squeeze her tightly, bring her to my bed, and cuddle with her all night. But I didn't. I just lied there and cried. Until I saw this:

that made me laugh for a minute....

But then I saw these and started to cry again:

I look at Kay and cant imagine her ever being that small., and I look at M and cant imagine he ever being that big. DH said to me, "Cant you wait to see what kind of little girl she becomes, cant you wait to see her growing up, cant you wait to see what she's like when she's Kay's age?" and the answer is NO! I CAN WAIT! And I wish I could wait. Because the closer I get to that, the father away from being a baby she will become. I wish I could make it stop- and I know every mother says this because it is true. It all goes by way too fast. Seriously. I look at Kay and cant believe how big she is, and just know that in another blink of an eye, she'll be off to high school, crying over boys, and giving me another anxiety disorder.

Part of me knows that that was the last time I'll ever be pregnant, that this will be the last time I mother a infant, and part of me knows that maybe, just maybe, I can talk my DH into trying for another sometime in the future. Even if that part is small and even if our odds are low with only 2 samples of crappy frozen sperm, but part of me knows that that answer will probably be no before we ever even got that far. So instead of facing that issue, talking to my husband, and seeing where our reproductive future lies. I keep in it. I don't brig it up, for fear that if I do, I will hear the word no and wont be able to accept it. So for now- I hold on to that other "part" because sometimes ignorance is bliss.  

Homework

I got a homework assignment from Kay's teacher to write IN A MILLION WORDS OR LESS all about her. Her likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, hopes, dreams, or anything that could help her learn more about her and her personality. Here is what I wrote:

All About K. L. P.

Born Monday April 19, 2004 at 4:51 pm

Kay is an aires and acts like one. Just as her horoscope says Kay is a bundle of energy and very dynamic, leading people along with her charm and charisma. She really is a pure joy to be around! She is very well liked, outgoing, talkative (too much so at times so watch out), sweet and thoughtful. She is full of energy and will keep you entertained for hours just being herself. She's dramatic, a little over the top, but that's what makes her her. Kay makes friends anywhere she goes, and isn’t afraid to be the center of attention. She is a very good girl; sweet and polite but can stubborn at times.

She is very creative, loves arts and crafts, and loves math! She will sit and do math problems on her own for hours. She loves the challenge that math offers her! She really does well with it and its fun for her. Reading however is a little more frustrating. She seems to get impatient and easily frustrated when trying to read on her own, although we are working on it. Every night before bed we take turns reading. I read one night, she read the next night and so on. Despite her frustrations, she really enjoys books and is captivated by the story line. She’s also very curious in science, bugs and animals, and the world around her.

In her free time she takes ballet and jazz dance classes, loves to swim, play cards, do puzzles, watch movies with her dad, get pedicures with mom, and play with her little sister. She loves her little sister! She is a picky eater, has a fear of elevators, is sometimes scared to try new things- however most of the time if you can get her to do it once, she loves it (going down a water slide for example). It’s more of the fear of the unknown that stops her from wanting to try new things. This shows me that despite her wild streak, she is in fact tactful and contemplative. Her favorite food is pizza; she loves vanilla ice cream, and is very much a girly girl if you couldn’t tell :)

I tell her each and every day how beautiful she is, and how special she is us. I simply can’t imagine having a better daughter than Kay! She is the light of my life and we can’t wait to see what a beautiful person she grows up to be.

Lisa P.,

Kay’s Mom (My greatest title)

Wordless Wednesday

Mornings

Ahhhhhhh  mornings. Mornings are always fun around here. Well really I should say weekday mornings. Now that school has started again every morning 5 days a week, at approximately 8:15-8:17am I am scrambling around like a chicken with my head cut off yelling at Kay to get into the car and get in her seat, with a baby on my hip while frantically looking for my sunglasses and keys with 29847263 bags on my other arm (well really not that many but my diaper bag, my gym bag and/or my purse). It is pure and utter chaos.

It doesn't matter what time I get up, I am always rushing out the door on school days. ALWAYS. After the madness, I try and reflect on what I can do differently the next morning to make my life easier, and not so rushed every morning. So every night I make sure the diaper bag is fully packed and ready to go, lay out Kay and M's cloths for the next day, pack Kay's lunch so all she has to do it grab it, write my to do lists for the following day, pull out my calender to check the next days events, and set my coffee pot to automatically brew at 6:00 am. I even set my alarm and get up at 6:00 am. A full hour before Miss M usually wakes up!!

You would think after doing all this, I would have a seamless exit. WRONG. What is my problem? Here is how the nearly 2 1/2 before the exit break down:

6:00 am- My alarm goes off....not gonna lie I hit the snooze button. But only once!

6:10 am- I get up, make a cup of coffee and head to the computer. While sipping my coffee I check my emails, read my dailies, and maybe post a blog. I don't have to get up at 6:00, but I like to have a few moments to myself before the baby wakes up and the day starts.

7:00 am- Miss M wakes up! Change her and feed her a bottle.

7:15ish- Little M and I head into my room so I can get dressed. Instead of hearing her cry for me in her pack n play in the living room, or tearing up my bedroom/bathroom and getting into stuff she shouldn't, I've started sitting her in my sink while I do my makeup :)

She has a grand ole time in there!! I give her a few toys,

 she stares at herself in the mirror,

she finds new things to chew on...

and I stand behind her and do my makeup! Which doesn't take me very long.- 10 min. or less for the essentials.

7:30 am - We go wake up sister. She is SO funny, every night for the last 6 months she HAS to sleep with her sleeping mask on. Seriously, she wont sleep without it. She has 3 different ones in the rotation, and this one is by far my fav :)

I make her breakfast right away, because at this point we only have 45 min. left until it's time to leave.

While she eats, I also feed M her breakfast- oatmeal mixed with the rest of her bottle (she's not a big eater in the morning and never finishes her first bottle) and fruit. So while Kay is eating, I am also feeding M...we're all in the kitchen together.  

8:00 am-  Rush Kay off to her room to get changed, teeth brushed, glasses on,  and we fix her hair. She usually sleeps with rollers in her hair, so while she's eating I take them out. Then all we have to do is fix it...ya know, add bows, headbands, or whatever hair accessories she wants to wear that day. :::This is where things start to go terribly wrong...and I think this is where my problem lies::: During this time I am also rushing Little M to her room to change her into her cloths for the day, get my shoes on, and be out the door NO LATER than 8:17. So really we only have 15 minutes to get all that done and that doesn't include any major meltdowns from Kay over hair, or what to wear, or which shoes she likes and doesn't like! Although she is getting better..

8:15 am- Leave! I have it down to a science, ideally we need to leave at 8:15 or 8:16 to get there 2-3 minutes before the first bell rings at 8:25. If we leave at 8:17, we get stuck behind the B153 bus in our neighborhood (which is painfully slow) and we get there right after the first bell, but before the tardy bell at 8:30 (not ideal). So as you can see, every minute counts. Literally.

Looking back at this post, I am realizing that everything gets crazy after 7:30 when I get Kay up, and she only has 45 min. from waking up until we have to be out the door. Should I get her up earlier? Should I wake up even earlier? What's my problem here people? I'm organized and prepared, but always rushing!

Updates

Okay friends this is all around update post about the random things going on in my life. Lets start here, remember this?? Yeah....I remember. This time was supposed to be different, it was going to work out, I was really going to try, blah, blah, blah. I kinda knew what was going to happen. It was only a matter of time. Well now Mr. Tomato Head looks like this. DEAD.

 Poor thing didnt have a chance once it came under my care. I started out with good intentions, and I did try but about a month later, or really when we went to California and didn't water it for a week, things went down hill fast. Notice the basil though....it's still growing strong! So the moral of the story is, if you kill everything like me: Plant basil. It's impossible to kill! Impossible. If I havent killed it, anyone can grow it. I have no idea how this thing has managed to not only survive the 110+ degree temps, but survive without water and still GROW! It's pretty amazing. I use it all the time while cooking- I send Kay out with her little basket to pick some basil leaves, she has fun. Too bad we never got to pick any tomatoes :( I was looking forward to that. But this was typical me.

And now onto the the most important update of all, the one you are all dying to hear about....my botox update! For those that have just joined that party, I got botox for the first time in May. You can read about how this all got started here, and then all about my first experience here (including progression pics!) .

So it has been 3 months, and it is just starting to wear off. At this point it has only begin to wear off a little teeny bit. See what I didn't now is that botox wears off little by little, so its not like you wake up one morning and its gone. Basically, every couple days that goes by after the 3 month mark, you notice that when you make that squinty face, you can see it losing its potency little by little. Right now, when I make that face it looks like somewhere in between my day 3 pic and my day 7 pic. Not as bad as day 3, but not as frozen as day 7.

It's not quite time for a touch up yet, but I can tell by mid to late September it will be. So guess who's going back to the chair? That would be me! I called my dermatologists office yesterday to find out when their botox day is next month so I can come in. They do a "cosmetic day" once a month, where you can get all the injectables at a discounted rate on that day. They didn't know the day yet, as they just had their August one, so I'll have to call back in a couple weeks.

I am really hoping I can get in before Italy!!

Too Late??

Miss M has never been into the binky aka the pacifier. The first 2 months, I tried a few different brands trying and trying to get her to take one (because that's what babies do) and she just was never really interested. So eventually I gave up. It wasn't meant to be, and I just accepted the fact that Miss M (total opposite of Kay) would never been into it. During those early months, I wanted her to like it. I knew it could help soothe her, but you cant make a baby suck on a pacifier. If she ever found one lying around, she would mostly chew on it, look at at cross eyed, then throw it across the room. And thats the way she's been the last few months..

But fast forward to the last few days. She found one the other day, and instead of her usual reaction, she looked at it cross eyed, THEN stuck it in her mouth and starting sucking away! She was sort of in awe of this weird sucking devise. It was quite funny actually, she would suck on it for a few minutes, pull it out, look at it, put it back in, suck suck suck, pull it out, examine it, put it back in, suck suck suck. We were all laughing because she looks so different with a binky in her mouth. It reminds me so much of Kay (she was a total binky addict and you will never get me to say how long she had that thing!). Then today, I walked out of the shower, walked in the play room, and there she was sucking away! I went to put her down for a nap and she fell asleep with it in her mouth. This is not my child! 

Do you think it is crazy if I give her a binky at this point? If we've gone 7.5 months without one, why start now right? I know how bad the habit is....its like kicking crack! So I should just gather them all up and throw them away? Right?!

First Day of First Grade

Kay started school again on Monday! Hello first grade! The morning went much smoother than last years drama. She was excited and ready to see her friends again. She really wanted to have straight hair for the first day, and I swear she looks like a different child! So beautiful! And beautifully accessorized too I might add ;)

Her new ballerina ballet flats. You know how much she loves theses??!!! More than ice cream and cake!!

Proud Mommy!

I'm really looking forward to first grade! This year they really start learning how to read, and are given much more responsibilities. She has her own desk, where she has to keep track and organize all her own supplies (in kinder they were all shared). They don't have someone holding there hand all the time, and are really treated like "big kids". She's still my baby, so its kinda hard for me to see her on her own doing some of these things! She's growing up....and I guess I need to accept that sometime in the near future ;) It really is hard to let go, and she tells me all the time "I can do it myself" or "I don't need you to do that, I can" and I just have to back off. 

I'm lucky to have such an amazing little girl!!!  

7 (1/2) Months!!

I cant believe I am 2 weeks late posting this, but better late than never right? I'll load this post with pictures to make myself feel better, K?

I literally had to take this picture in a flash...and am lucky I even got it...

because she wont sit still even for a second!! There went my paper again...

This month has been crazy! Time is flying by, and she is growing so much with each day. Since last month, she's started pulling up on everything,

Even slowly starting to cruise along the furniture, has got her bottom left tooth and the right just popped through, and has started self feeding. Here she is with some cottage cheese the other day.

So far we've tried tiny pieces of banana, bread, cottage cheese, avocado, cheerios, mum mum rice rusks, and puffs. All of which she loves. She's also getting better with the sippy cup and loves cold water!

I don't have stats, but I am guessing she's in the 17-18 pound range. Fun facts about Miss M right now are:

-She wears a size 3 diaper and 6-9 or 9 month cloths; all of her 6 months are too small, and the 6-9 are getting kinda snug too. 
- She sleeps from 7 pm to 7 am and takes 3 naps per day. First one around 9, then 1ish (both of those naps are about 1-1 1/2 hour long) and then a short nap around 4:00.
- She eats 2 solid meals; breakfast (oatmeal and fruit) and dinner (veggie) and has 4-5 6 oz. bottles per day.
- She isn't babbling yet, but makes lots of noises and is quite loud I must say ; ) Still waiting for the babbling (babababa, dadadada) to start though.

- She loves: Our cat Lucy, I mean LOVES her. Daddy calls her the walking stuffed animal and M does anything in her power to get her when she sees her! She also loves cold water, bath time (although she stands almost the whole time), the pool, Sophie, any toy that makes noise or lights up.

- She hates: Anything that requires her to stay still for any lenght of time; diapers changes, changing cloths, getting in the car seat. Being bossed around by her sister, Kay is always dragging her around and trying to get her to go things and M gets pissed!

The Setup

The layout of our house is very open, which I love!! But while still pregnant I knew these stairs that separate the kitchen from the play area and living room (which is really just one huge room) was going to be a challenge.

We have tried to think of any possible way to baby proof these stairs, but really there is no solution. There is no where to anchor anything on the one side, and they are 16-18 feet long. The longest gate I found on the market was 12 feet. And if, and I mean if I could find a way to anchor on the one side, I would need so many extension kits it would cost around 350++. And speaking of the stairs....she's mastered those! Oh yes, she gets her little 7 month old behind right up all 3 in about 2 seconds. She's quick! And I panic...

But instead of buying a traditional baby jail and keeping this little face (notice the tooth!) locked up...

We created our own :)

 No, its not fool proof and there are ways to get out (hence why we have the pack n play set up for bathroom runs, etc. but she keeps herself pretty entertained in there! She has fun and it gives her plenty of room to play! Sometimes you just have to work with whatcha got right?!

Cheerios Are Good

We've been giving little M puffs and cheerios for the last two weeks. Not only to practice with eating, but to work on her fine motor skills. While I'm making her dinner, I throw some on her tray. She does great with them, but will occasionally gag if one gets on the back of her tongue. When that happens I panic of course, even Kay says "Mom don't freak out!  I swoop it out and she's fine....But she's getting better and really seems to like self feeding! We've also tried little pieces of banana, and she loves that.

I really to post her 7 month update- being that she's 7.5 months now! Geez, the time gets away from me and this month has been very busy!

Ciao Bella Italy!!

If you follow me on Twitter, then you already know, but I forgot to share this lovely bit of news of my blog...

We're going to ITALY next month!!

Yes, Italy! The place I've always dreamed of going! So when we saw an opportunity to go for work, we jumped at the chance. I mean we aren't dumb! In my husbands eyes, this is the perfect vacation- work and play. Have I mentioned that he is a workaholic? Well he is, this man works 16 hours a day and NEVER takes a day off. Even on our honeymoon he brought his lap top so he could work a few hours a day. Yes, on our honeymoon! It drives me crazy sometimes because I know everyone needs a break now and then, but I also am learning that that's the entrepreneur way. I mean, not everyone is cut out to own their own  business, it really takes a certain kind of person. I never wanted to own my own business ironically enough, actually I am the complete opposite. I like to do my job, put in my 8, then leave. When your a business owner, there is NONE of that! There is no "home life" and "work life"... it all blends together. It's always there, always on your mind, you live it, you breath it, its your life!

So back to Italy.

Because its for work we can write it off which is even better! It turns out that the the largest European expo in our field is in Northern Italy in September. We are going for 8 nights, 7 days and will only have to work 3 of those days.We are still planning our activities, researching hotels, and trying to plan out our trip to maximize our time there. It's all so exciting!

Then there is the children.

My two beautiful girls. We will miss them dearly. This will be the first time we have ever left Miss M more than one night, and only the second time we've been away from Kay for this long (longest we've been apart was on our week long honeymoon when she was 3 1/2). My mom is using her vacation days to come to our house to stay with the kids. Kay will be in school, so it works best that way. A little mommy guilt is creeping in because M will only be 8 months old, and I would have never left Kay that long at 8 months : ( But I guess that's all part of motherhood the second time around. You do things like that. I know they will be in good hands with grandma, and I am glad they will be staying at home with their comforts. We are also planning on bringing our web cam so we can video chat while we are away. As much as I will miss them (and man I will miss them a lot) there is no way I was letting this opportunity pass me by!

So if any of you have been to Italy, or have any tips or tricks of navigating through Italy, or traveling abroad- please share! This is my first time to Europe. Oh and PS- lets talk about how gangster Miss M looks in this picture...too funny! Love it!

Torticollis Update

Today was Miss M's 6 week follow up appointment with the physical therapist since starting her neck stretches at home. Going in I was a little worried because I was supposed to be doing each stretch at every diaper change, and in reality that wasn't happening. It was especially hard while out running errands, and we are very busy people so I was doing them about 60 % of the time. Despite that fact, the physical therapist was very impressed with her improvement! In the last 6 weeks, she has grown 16 weeks in gross motor skills, and that really helped her neck.

So even though I wasn't stretching her like I was supposed to, her crawling and her vast physical development was a big factor in her improvement. She said that the last little tilt that she has left will correct itself as she continues to crawl, but to still do her tilt stretch daily when possible. And guess what? We don't need to go back! She said if I have any questions or concerns, that I could email or call her and she looks great! YAY!

  This picture is a sneak peak  from our 6 month photo shoot! DIE! Cant wait to post the rest soon ;)

Cool as a Cucumber

Usually I keep some sliced english cucumbers (you know the long ones wrapped in plastic?) in a Ziploc bag in the fridge for snacking and my salads through the week. I like the english version because I find them to be crunchier than regular cucumbers, and the skin does not have that waxy coating that the regular ones do. So last week as I was munching away, it came to me....This would make the perfect teether! That and she was pawing to get them out of my hands :) So I gave her a slice and she went to town. Ever since then Miss M has been hooked!

It really is smart. They are cold, the perfect size, and as long as you slice them thick enough and on a slight angle, they can gnaw at them for quite a while! Try it!

Lots Going On

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately, we've had so much going on that it has left me with little to no free time.  And what free time I have had I've been hitting the gym in efforts to shed this last little infertility weight I've been hanging onto. A full post on that soon, but I fit into a pair of old jeans yesterday so that's very exciting!

Kay started dance again, and this year since she is going into first grade, she is starting real dance classes.

These last 3 years is was all combo classes and learning the essentials and basics of dance. Now there is no running around playing, a strict dress code, and they really expect them to be big girls and learn actual technique. She is taking 2 classes; ballet and jazz. I cant tell you how proud I was of her, she looks like a real dancer! She really is growing up to be such a beautiful child.

Little M finally cut that tooth she's been working on!!!

Excuse the carrots in her nose ; ) She just got done eating. Each day it grows in a little more. It looks like she has 2 in this picture, but 1 has only cut through..although it looks like the other is on the verge because her gums are bulging there too and that's exactly what happened before the first one came in. My baby's growing up : (

School is about to start in less than 2 weeks now, which means my PTO duties have kicked back into gear full force again. For example, today I am going to help stuff 600 back to school folders that every student will get on the first day of school, Tuesday we have a board meeting, Friday we have the back to school luncheon for the teachers, and then open houses, so so busy with all that. 

Then there is my regular job and it has been hellacious! Our office manager quit on us with no notice (who does that after 3 years??!! Someone with no soul that's who!) So I've had to try and weed through the 164 applicants and set up interviews to find someone else to replace her on top of my regular work. I so did not not have time for this to happen right now, but what can I do?

So as you can see blogging has taken a back seat. Hopefully once school starts again I will have a little more free time to catch up.