Updates

We went to the Dr. on Saturday.  Can I just say how much I LOVE Nicky's doctor?  Love her.  I feel like we could just go have a beer and hang out.  Plus I think she likes that we are easy going. For example she started to go into a winded lecture about the benefits of the shots Nicky was about to get when I stopped her and said, "You don't have to convince us, we are pro vaccine, shoot em in."  Then Nick added, "Yeah, we aren't Jenny McCarthy."  To wish she sighed and said, "Ok good!"Granted we live in a town where I imagine there are many parents that are concerned about the "effects" of vaccines and she has to convince them to get them.

Stats:
Length: 23 1/2 inches (still 75th percentile)
Weight: 10 pounds 9 ounces (10-25th percentile)

So we have a tall skinny man.  No wonder his 3 month clothes are still big-ish, but he fills them to the limit length-wise. Look out Uncle Jeff, you have competition!

We asked the doc about his gas issue.  He screams in pain pretty much all the time from gas.  She switched us to a different formula.  Hopefully if he tolerates this formula better, he will put on some more weight.  It is day 2 of the new formula and I already see a difference.  He is drinking it much better and consistently taking 4oz. instead of 3 here, 4 there, 2 1/2 here.  He isn't arching his back or stopping after a few sips to scream.  The only downfall, this formula is $24 a can!  gulp......whatever works.

Nicky also got 4 shots, and a liquid vaccine.  He took them like a champ (although I think daddy almost fainted).  She went to give him the liquid and did all this prep for him possibly spitting it out and not swallowing.  Evidently she has a lot of trouble getting little ones to take it.  Not our boy.  He sucked it down and then licked his lips for more.  Next time we should have her give that after the shots so it can be his reward!

Now my sweet shopping deals:  I have taken an interest in coupons.  I want to be on that extreme couponing show.  I'm starting out slow but get super excited about the deals I get.  Everyone needs a hobby right?

Trip 1: 24 ibuprofen tablets for free with coupon!!!!

Trip 2: 
     52 pack of Huggies on sale for $8
          $2.50 off Target coupon
          $3 off manufacturers coupon
       Final price=$2.50 (less than 5cents a diaper!)
    I also had a coupon for $1 off Circo item and Circo socks are $1 which means.......free socks!!!!


Yes you can all be jealous of my sweet shopping experience.


Sorry no pictures today

I have a laundry situation

I took this picture at 10am.  This was his third outfit of the morning.  Nicky clearly thinks it's hilarious.  Momma does not.

Graduation!!!

My baby has graduated!!!  He is now in his big boy crib

 We started with the bassinet, but it got too cold in the bedroom (right above the unheated garage). No I did not make my bed and yes the bassinet now houses the baby monitor.  So we moved to:

 Pack n Play in the living room.  He was doing pretty good in there, but Uncle Ryan came over this weekend and stayed on the couch, so we moved up to:

 Crib!!!!  He is doing really well so far.  He looks so tiny in the big crib but I think about all the moms out there that have trouble getting their child to transition to the crib that I figured we might as well start now.  Plus going up and down the stairs in the middle of the night is great exercise.  Son, when you read this in the future, you are the only one that I would trek up all those stairs at 3am for.

P.S.  This is how we have spent the past 2 hours:

Uncontrollable screaming.  The only thing that worked was hanging him upside down from our outstretched arms and bouncing up and down.....it got old.  Future Nicky, you owe me one.

Worst ever

Not to hate....but I feel it is my motherly duty to make the public aware of terrible products.  So I give you....worst baby wipes ever

 Seventh Generation claims to be saving the world by going green.  Since I have to use 4x more to wipe a butt, they seem to be doing the opposite of saving the world.  They were like dollar store paper towels...sandpaper and not absorbent.   Do not recommend.

Luck O the Irish

What a beeeeeeutiful day today is!  Right now I have a window open downstairs to air out all the winter germs.  Watch out this is a long post:

I LOOOOVE St. Patrick's Day!  It is one of my favorite holidays.  I always like the little ones that are often forgotten.  For most kids it just means wearing green.  For college students it means drinking from sun up to sun down.  And for older adults, it means absolutely nothing.  But I will always love it.  St. Patrick's Day makes me miss being a preschool teacher.  Man you can tell 4 years olds anything and they will believe it.  I loved telling kids about leprechauns and how they are sneaky and love to play tricks.  We would make traps for them, write letters to them, and dream about what we would do with a pot of gold.  I would turn everything green on St. Patrick's Day. We would make pudding in the morning and it would amazingly turn green while they were sleeping.  I would sneak into the kitchen and make everything green (milk, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese) much to my coworkers disgust and blame it all on sneaky leprechauns.  I would somehow always get a dry throat in the middle of a lesson and the whole class would need to escort me down the hall to get a drink from the fountain. Then I would sneak away while they were distracted and dump over desks, throw chairs across the room and switch around all the toys!  It was madness!!!  When we got back to the room, those crazy leprechauns had made such a mess!  It was amazing how quickly 4 year olds could clean up a room all by themselves just to see if the leprechauns would do it again so they could catch them this time.  I would leave a pile of green glitter on the floor and then announce, "OH my goodness LOOK they must have been here."  Then I would motion to expertly placed, slightly open window that the leprechaun MUST have snuck out of when we weren't looking.  The entire day is madness and SO MUCH FUN!  It's the little things like that I can't wait to share with my little ones when they are big enough.  Is making a bottle of formula green a little overboard?  I think so..........next year!

Here is my little Irish man:

Ahh the dog keeps messing up my picture

This is my serious look

Doing an Irish Jig

Ok Mom done with the hat

What? Next year I get green pancakes for breakfast???

You'll never get me lucky charms!

Cutest leprechaun ever

In honor of the holiday, I made a yummy treat.  I successfully chose the box that was not sugar free this time.

 Can you guess what I'm making yet?

My  helper fell asleep on me.  He danced one too many jigs today and tuckered out in the middle of the kitchen floor.

Fresh from the oven

Topped with a yummy cloud

Yummy rainbow cupcakes with cloud icing.  They are way easy to make and a good lesson on color mixing for kids.  Just separate your cake batter into equal bowls and color each bowl with a color of the rainbow.  My violet ended up plum and my orange ended up peach because I was rocking a baby while color mixing.  Or a least that's the excuse I'm going to use.  Then fill cupcake holders with one color at a time.  I put each color in piping bags (aka ziplock bags with the tip cut) so they got in evenly.  then bake a usual.  So cute and the colors don't run together!  I promptly sent 90% of them off with Nick to his work because I could not keep them in the house or I would eat all 14 cupcakes.  I don't know why 14, that's just how many they made.

In honor of the beautiful weather (even up north), we made our first trip outside!!!!!!!  So exciting!!!!

First we need an outfit change because of a minor vomit issue.

I swear I won't throw up....at least for a couple hours mom.

Psssst  Mom, Let's blow this Popsicle stand

All bundled up.  There may have been extra bundling, but we weren't taking any chances

Enjoying the view

Charlie came too. This was the first time, I did not want to put him up for sale

Loved it!!

Nicky had a blast and slept pretty much the entire time. Charlie was surprisingly good too and stayed with me the whole time.  I think we were all just so grateful to bust out of the house.  Nicky came home and slept for 3 more hours.  He just woke up so I've gotta go.


I-Rish you all a happy St. Patty's day!

1 more day!

Have you picked out your green yet???

2 more days

Happy 2 days until St. Patty's

There is green there

puppy kisses

well rested

 I have to document this because I will forget but the last two nights he has slept wonderfully!!!!
Sunday night: Slept from 9-1:30, ate 4 ounces
          Slept 2-5:30
Monday night: Slept from 10-3, ate 4 ounces
            Slept 3:30-7:30

I thought he would never stop going only 3 hours between feedings.  The downside is he is awake more during the day and wants to be held alllllll day so momma can't get anything done.  Oh well, BIG fan of the sleeping at night...although I probably just ruined it by saying something.

SMILES

Nicky smiled at me for the first time today.  A real smile...not gas induced.  I tried to capture it.  I'll have to record video of it soon.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day this week, we will be wearing green all week.  Here is day 1:

"Woah Wait. I didn't agree to a fashion show."

"Ok. You don't have to twist my arm.  But get my left side this time."

 ***Update on the Coming Home show.  Did anyone watch last nights episode.  The little girl with the violin was asked how it was seeing her dad and she said, "It was like hugging a rainbow."  TEAR
 

Worst Show Ever!

***Warning*** No baby pictures***If that's what you're looking for give up on this one****

I just watched both the worst and best show on television.

  The show is  called Coming Home and is on Lifetime (oh Lifetime how i love thee).  You should all watch it if you can make it through the previews.  Seriously this show had me like this:

 I cried watching the 30 second preview for the show.  Coming Home is a show about soldiers coming home from war and surprising their children.

 Seriously I was bawling, shaking uncontrollably, and sobbing all at once. Tissues couldn't even help.  These little kids get so surprised when their dad pops out around the corner and the little voice just says, "Daddy?" and you melt down. You seriously have no soul if you don't at least tear up while watching this. My favorite one was the high school football star that was doing a press conference about his college choice. Dad had been overseas for his whole senior year and dad came around the corner and yelled, "That's my boy!" The 18 year old boy started sobbing.  So good!!!!!!!

This has made me think of my all time favorite movies, shows, books that give you a good cry....

1. Stepmom

When Susan Sarandon finally lets Julia Roberts in and Julia tells her that she fears during Anna's wedding day she will look down and say, "I wish my mom was here." and Susan says, "My fear is she won't."  AHHH, tearjerker!


2. Let's Roll

Ok Most of you probably haven't ever heard of this book but it's a good one.  It's written by a wife of one of the victims of the flight 93 crash during 911.  It has transcripts from phone calls made to families before the crash.  Heartbreaking.  If you read it, get a box of lotion tissues because you're nose will be raw from wiping.


3. Extreme Makeover Home Edition

Even though Ty Pennington is cracked out, this show still tugs at your heartstrings


4. My Sister's Keeper

The book...not the movie.  The movie is ruined by Cameron Diaz's presence because all you can think of is her role in There's Something About Mary

The book however is way better.  Even though I was completely pissed off at the way it ended, you can't help but get that relief feeling after a good cry.


5. The Notebook

How can you not love this one?  Probably one of the best chick flicks ever.  I mean Ryan Gosling won over all females and everyone forgot about his terrible performance on The Mickey Mouse Club.....ha ha not me Ryan...I never forget.

The notebook will definitely become a classic and the ticket for guys for years to come to get into a girls pants.  Such a good movie though!!!


I'm sure I've forgotten some great other tearjerkers.  What is your favorite movie/show/book that makes you cry?

Big Weekend

This past weekend was a big weekend.  On Saturday Nicky and I went to Great Grandad's house, and then Grandma and Grandpa Bowden's.  I took lots of pictures.  On Sunday we went to visit Grandma and Grandpa Kelley.  I forgot to take any pictures on Sunday.  Nicky does really well in the car and usually sleeps the whole time (just like momma).  I planned our route so that we left for Newark right after a feeding and arrived before the next feeding.  It worked really well.  Nicky only got upset when we were on the way home and about 10 minutes away from the house.  Here is the documentation of the weekend:

Oh, before we get to Saturday, Nicky was so rotten on Friday.  He fussed all day and refused to be put down.  I would rock him to sleep and go to put him down and he would immediately wake up and scream.  He slept maybe 20 minutes throughout the whole day.  By  the time daddy walked in the door Friday night, I passed him the baby and had to get out the door.  I went to the store to get some gas drops for Nicky's upset tummy and as soon as I got home and gave them to him, he stopped fussing and fell right to sleep.  Go figure, all that fussing was just an upset belly.  While I was at the store, I used a gift card and got a bumbo seat:

My first big boy chair

"Now that I'm a big boy, does this mean I have to use the potty?"

"This gives me a whole new perspective on the ceiling fan"

Saturday morning we woke up like this:

Do you see it?

A foot sticking out of the footed pajamas.  How does this happen?  The holes really aren't very big, but he seems to enjoy doing this because he wakes up several times like this.  Silly boy.

Great Grandad's house:

4 generations. Grandma, Great Grandad, Nick, Momma (sorry it's small)

 I actually like this picture.....shocker

Gotta love a good open mouth picture

Great Aunt Lorraine. Nicky was looking at the light on the ceiling....one of his favorite things.

Cousin Sarah.  He fell asleep with her for a good hour.

I like the outtakes better than the posed picture.  It's what life is really like. 90% of the pictures I take are like this...Nicky screaming.


We left Great Grandad's house and went to Grandma and Grandpa's.  As soon as I walked in the door, Grandpa ripped the baby out of the carseat.  "Hi dad, nice to see you too." (No one cares to see me anymore, it's all about the baby)

"Woah Grandpa, you've got some serious wiskers!"

Grandpa went into baby mode and wouldn't let anyone else have a turn:

Changing diapers

Feeding

Having some dude time on the floor

Grandpa took lots of pictures

Uncle Jeff and Aunt Ang came over too for dinner.  Uncle Jeff made some yummy lasagna. Sorry Auntie Angela I didn't get any pictures of you.
We had a great weekend and momma got to stop at her favorite baby consignment shop for some great deals.  Seriously anyone in the Newark area looking for baby stuff, go to Lullaby's consignment.  They have tons of stuff and really good prices.