Reflection on 2012

Wow! Can you believe that its almost 2013?! Wow! I swear that it wasn't too long ago that I was thinking, woah, its almost 2012. This year has really flown by. I swear, as I have gotten older, time flew by significantly faster than when I was a child. I just remember the time during the summer school break felt like an internity. Those months now come and go as the wind blows!

This year was a pretty great year for my family. We had some fun times and celebrated a lot of 1st'! Also the neat thing is too that there is just so much to come this next year too. Next year, the hubs and I will be Aunts and Uncles! How cool is that. C & N will be cousins and I get to have an excuse to buy little baby stuff again. I know my kiddos aren't that old yet, but I truly miss those little helpless months where they are so tiny & little. Also, we will be moving! As of right now, not sure where that will be, however, if my dear friend, who is also a Coastie wife, had it her way, we would be headed back out west to Oregon. If you'd like to enjoy her blog on why she loves shameless plugs about her demands on us going to OR, I've attached the link. Its pretty funny! Hubs and I will also celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary. Not to mention, birthdays and other exciting things to come. So much to look forward to!

This year started with a lot of my youngest's 1st. He started to sit up, crawl and eat big boy foods. Its amazing how quickly he transistioned throughout the stages. My boy was really getting big so fast. He also celebrated his 1st birthday and learned to walk. (Of course while I was gone...read on) He also started to speak words like, Elmo, trash, choo choo and uh oh. He so amazingly different than my daughter in every way. Such a snuggler and mamas boy. Hes incredibly smart and learning something everyday.


March 2012



This year I also celebrated my 1st Mother's day with both my kiddos. We had a nice brunch and played outside. Thats how our family celebrates things! We are always outside, if the temperature is good. Nothing better than having mother's day with a complete family. All the love you recieve from your children is overwhemling. Its so nice to feel appreciated.

Mothers Day 2012

June of this year, we had to say goodbye to our "family" friends as they were transferring to OR. This family is "our" family. The ones you can be yourself with and spend all day with. It wasn't unsual to have my friend show up, open the door and say, Ok I am here so I don't hurt my child. We co-parented and I love her children as if they're my own. It was an unspoken rule that they were always welcome over for supper that night. The guys would geek it up and the girls would chit chat. It was a match. One of the hardest times of this year was saying goodbye to them all. I know it won't be forever, but still very difficult. They made such an impression on our lives as a family that we are forever grateful for them.







This year also marked the 1st time EVER that I left either one of the kids for an extended period of time. I was lucky enough to be able to attend the MOPS convention in Dallas, TX with a great friend. It was so refreshing and I had such a wonderful time recharging my mom/wife battery. I also was able to connect with M so much that weekend. We got to know each other on a different level (that happens when you share a hotel room and both mamas are breastfeeding and need to pump *smile*) I will always remember that weekend we shared.

Keith and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary. What an accomplishment for us! I remember when we got married and I was 21, I know people had there doubts. But whatever life has thrown us, we have just came back from it 100 times stronger. I love him more now than I did on our wedding day over 5 years ago. I know he we put in my life on purpose and I am so thankful for that. He is rock, go-to, love, back bone etc for me. I don't know where my life would be without him.

*As I tried to find a picture of just him and I, its non-exsistant. Its all with kiddos. So please excuse me, promise next time I will have one!

Lastly, we celebrated 4 amazing years with my daughter. She is more beautiful, smarter and funny everyday. She keeps me on my toes and gets me out of bed every morning <---literally 6am. I love discovering life with her and teaching her all new things. She started dance and school this year and I love where that is going in her life. She's my twin visually, but Daddy's personality. She keeps me going and if I am right, she definitely will have her Daddy's humor.

What an amazing year. There are so many other things that I did this year but its too long to type. Many summer days at the Chespeake Bay. Lots of popsicles and juice boxes. Few tears and hard goodbyes; Plently of smiles and laughter; So many memories that 2012 will have in my heart forever.

Christmas Ornament Fun

Today, to get into the holiday spirt, the kids and I made cinnamon salt dough ornaments. I never have made cinnamon ones before, but I thought, what the hey, it can't hurt. Besides, these are SO simple to make and so much fun for them as well. Heres the recipe, just incase you were curious!

Cinnamon Salt Dough Ornaments

2 cups flour
1 cup warm water
1 cup salt

Optional: (but makes your house smell absoutely amazing)
4 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven 325F. Mix dry ingredients and slowly add water and mix with spoon. Then dig your hands in there and voila! you have this dough you can play with and create fun ornaments. Dont forget to poke a hole in the top to add string for the tree. Bake on cookie sheet for 1 hour and let cool down. Paint to decorate or leave as is.


We made christmas trees, stars, hearts and gingerbread boys. And in the spirt of Christmas, C through in some Thomas the Trains as well...long story short, the girl loves her trains. N enjoyed himself as well. Sat and "cut" shapes out of the dough. Mostly, he just enjoyed smashing his hands in the dough and picking pieces out to show me. C, well she was intense. As if these ornaments were going to go on the christmas tree in Rockefeller center. She had to have everything perfect and fancy. I just love her spirit.

He was just showing me his sprinkles

Look mom!



Our ornaments. We will be painting them tomorrow



Christmas & what it really means

As December approaches, you can't help but notice Christmas is coming. I mean, its everywhere you turn. From the commericals on tv, posters in the stores, loads of catalogs arriving in your mail (or is that just me), etc, its hard not to notice that its coming soon. What is starteling to me, is that its really becoming very in your face about all the "stuff" you "need" for Christmas.

One commerical in particular is for a car. A husband (boyfriend, baby-daddy) buys his wife (girlfriend, baby mamma) a new car. It happens to be a smart car. She hugs him and looks thankful, but then another car, I believe a Buick drives by and she is immediately drooling over that car, instead of the one that her significant other bought. Looks back at him dissapointed. What sort of message is that conveying? That even if you buy your spouse a car, they're really not satisified? (On a lighter note, I can understand why the woman would be drooling over another car. I mean, really, Smart Car??! What respectable man buys one of those?? But stilll...thought that counts right?)

Shouldn't Christmas be more than cars, jewelery and all the glitz? Why are we so obsessed with stuff? Why don't we see the big picture here? What is Christmas really about?

Christmas, on a spirtual level, is to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Its his birthday, not ours. Shouldn't our gifts be for him? Like showing him our love for others and reading His word?

Another way to look at it, isn't Christmas about spending time with those you love? Time is such a wonderful gift that we don't always give. Sharing food and genuinely loving one another.

Don't get me wrong, I love to buy gifts for others. I love looking for that one special gift that shows the reciepent that I really put thought into it. Watching them open it and seeing their face makes me happy. However, I feel that there is a line of too much Christmas and sometimes we toy with that. Over the top gifts, jewelery, cars, vacations...What happened to creative gifts from the heart?

I hate this time of the year for all the buy this, buy that, save 80% now!!, look your wife wants this $1000 ring!! BUY BUY  BUY! everytime I watch tv or venture into a shopping place.

I hope to instill in my children that Christmas isn't all about stuff. I plan to teach them the real reason for Christmas and yes they will be recieving gifts, but on a controlled basis. My husband and I used the Something to Wear, Something to Read, Something they want, Something they need theory. Its our first time doing this. It might just stick with us for awhile. I really liked shopping with that in mind.

C's Pinkalicious 4th Birthday

Well, last week, was my babies 4th birthday. I was so excited to write a birth story about her. I feel like it was just yesterday that I carried her around in my belly. I swear that 4 years just magically appeared out of nowhere and BAM, here we are.

Every year we let C pick what kind of birthday she wants. This year, to my ut-most suprise, she wanted a Pinkalicious birthday. For those of you who aren't aware, she is NOT girly or well wasn't girly. Not too much into pink, girly stuff or anything of that nature. However, lately she has been tapping into her girly side. So, we had a super pink party! She invited a few friends over to celebrate and play. I think it was a great success. I love planning parties and celebrating with people, so I was totally in my element. C and friends liked the games and food. Go figure....

C and her food!

MMM pink snacks!

I read the Silverlicious story, so that everyone could know who Pinkalicious was

We decorated fairy wands to find the candy outside

Pink cupcakes, just like in the book!

Ciera's Birth Story part 2

So, yesterday I left off with me finally be admitted into the hospital with a confirmed torn amniotic sac! I knew I had been peeing my pants! (If you've just tuned in, please refer to the previous blog.) My contractions were becoming very strong, and even though I was in labour, my doctor needed to speed up the process with pitocin. Because of the tear for a few days, myself as well as baby, were susceptable to infections, so they needed her out as soon as they could!

When the medication started to take place, I swear I could not do this anymore. I started to become very internal and kept my eyes closed. In the meantime, my "entourage" had shown up. They said they heard me screaming from out in the waiting room. I was in the last room down a long hall and through the doors was the waiting room. I don't remember being that loud, but apprarently I was. HEHE!
Prior to being in labour, I knew I wanted a natural labour. I wanted to be in control the whole way and feel everything. Also, the appeal of taking a shower post-labour, sounded really nice to me. I told the nurses and doctor, who really supported my decision, not to offer any pain medications to me. I was doing really well and really digging deep until I reached about 7 centimeters.

I decided to move to the jacuzzi tub. The nurse filled it up with hot water and I proceed to get in. Walked through the room, stark naked, and got into the tub. Immediately, I relaxed and was able to gain control again. I have never felt better during labour. I think this was my lifesaver; helped me get to where I needed to be going. In 45 mins, I dilated 3 centimeters. I told the nurse that I felt like I was ready to push. Stood up and started pushing. She said, WAIT! Dont' push!! REALLY!?! Tell a labouring woman not to push...you really cannot help it. I walked back to the bed and bled the entire way. I felt so nervous and scared. I knew what was about to happen.

My doctor came over and said, alright, give it a try. I pushed with every being in my body. I swear, i was going to burst! Anyone who says the ring of fire doesn't hurt like hell, is a big liar! I have 6 solid pushes and then my doctor became very serious. She said her heart rate was dropping so I needed to change postions. I told her that I was so uncomfortable on my side, but she said, Please DO it anyways. I saw by the look in her eyes, she meant buisness, so I followed her. Flipped again to the other said and she said, I need to get her out. Do you need me to explain the procedure and risks? I said no, I trust your judgement and she got the vaccum extractor out. On a side note, I was really lucky that I had the same doctor who took care of me throughout my entire pregnancy, deliver my baby. I really loved her a lot. She was calm and very detailed and caring.

I gave 2 more pushes and along with the vaccum, my baby came into this world at 8:56pm on Sunday November 30th 2008. The baby, (we didn't know the gender yet), was laid on my chest and Keith said, we have a little girl. I was so suprised. I thought all a long, we were having a boy :) Floods of emotions swept over me and I looked into her little eyes and said, why hello Ciera Marie, I am your mommy. My entourage came into the room in full tears and admired our beautiful creation. I remember just staring at her for a long time. She weighed in at 7 13oz.  She was perfect; beautitful and I saw her life flash before my eyes.

Our new family.

As all this beautiful family bonding was going on, my doctor delivered my placenta and stitched me up. From the vaccum, I tore a 3rd degree laceration. It was pretty gnarly. Then she explained from the leak for days, I had developed a placental infection and Ciera and I had to be put on antibiotics. She looked at my chart and saw the nurse discharged me and my claims of leaking. I told her the entire situation. She explained that because of the nurse, I got this infection as Ciera should had been delievered days before. I was lucky it was just a simple infection. The doctor did get that nurse in trouble. Kind of had my neiner neiner neiner moment for a second.

Being weighed. What a cutie already!

Due to the infection, I had to stay an extra day in the hospital. I didn't sleep a wink the night Ciera was born. I was on a crazy high and she and I slept in bed together all night long. Keith on the other hand, slept. The following night was a blur. Wow, Ciera didn't sleep, neither did I. It was my, oh my goodness, I have a newborn night. Crazy, chaotic and exhausting.

Few hours after we got home.

Fast forward 4 years later, I am lucky to have a pretty awesome little girl. She is kind, sweet, smart, strongwilled and stubborn. She loves to dance, sing, colour pictures and play. She is still a daddy's girl and will drop me at the drop of a dime for her daddy. She loves her baby brother and is a great big sister. Its been a great 4 years and cannot wait to see whats in store next.

November 2012