2011 in a Nutshell...

So, I'm going to start by saying that I don't typically do these things, but I saw it on Laura's blog and it seemed like a pretty good procrastination tool mindless blog entry. So here we go....2011 in a nutshell:

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

This is the first year I blogged, tweeted, or pinned anything. Oh, and I also had a baby! :)

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I've never been a huge fan of new year's resolutions -- it's always the same -- eat better and exercise more. Last year, I opted for something more realistic -- improve myself! That being said, my focus was to be a better person all around - healthier, happier, less stressed, more organized, and more positive - I wanted to be someone that I would want to be around. I'd say I did a pretty decent job of this considering I was pregnant, living with my parents and building a house turned sleep deprived working mom trying to keep my head above water. My goal for 2012 is to be more financially savvy, manage time better and be the best wife and mom possible, all while improving myself!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Besides myself?  My sister, my cousin, a best friend, tons of facebook friends and lots of ladies in the blogging world.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Bryan's cousin's husband died of cancer in March and a college friend died in July

5. What countries did you visit?

None. Nada. Zip. Zero.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

A vacation.....and more sleep!

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

April 6, and November 22&23 -- they were both life changing for me; Easton's birth and Easton's cancer diagnosis/surgery to remove a Wilm's Tumor

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

My biggest achievement was becoming a mother. I have surprised myself in so many ways and it is the most rewarding thing I've ever done.

9. What was your biggest failure?

No matter how many to do lists I make or stuff I get done around the house, I still manage to feel disorganized and have piles of stuff I don't know what to do with.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Thankfully, no. Just the typical headaches, body aches, sore throat, stuffy nose stuff....

11. What was the best thing you bought?

My iphone. I don't know how I survived so long without one.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Hubs, for sure. Even though he is not a fan of the newborn stage (to put it lightly), he has been SO GOOD with Easton and has really made an effort to help more around the house.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Hmmm..nobody really comes to find. At least nobody I can talk about on here. ;)

14. Where did most of your money go?

Where DIDN’T most of my money go? (Wait – I know that one – my savings account!) We had so many new expenses this year -- new (more expensive) house and bills, daycare, diapers, formula, baby food, baby clothes, baby toys, second car payment....and the list goes on.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Moving into our new house, starting our family, meeting Easton :)

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

I hate questions like this...

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

– happier or sadder? Happier
– thinner or fatter? I weigh less, yet I’m somehow fatter
– richer or poorer? Poorer, for sure - but richer with love :)

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Cleaning, exercising, sleeping, pedicures. The usual.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?


Cleaning, working, on the computer, stressing, yelling at Bryan haha

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Easton's First Christmas post is coming soon, but in a nutshell, we spent Chrsitmas Eve with Bryan's family, Chrismtas morning opening gifts at our house, then went to my parents for more gifts, annual Christmas Breakfast with the Koesters and relaxed the rest of the day.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?

Yes, with my new baby boy.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

New to me this year was Big Brother, and other favs are Modern Family, Suburgatory, The Bachelor/ette, Grey's, and Desperate.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
 Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

24. What was the best book you read?

The only books I've read this year are "What to Expect when You're Expecting", "What to Expect the First Year" and "A Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding". I did however, read lots of great blogs. :)

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Nikki Minaj, Adele and Mumford & Sons...

26. What did you want and get?

Easton, a new house, a new car, new dslr camera, iphone

27. What did you want and not get?

To win the lotto.....

28. What was your favorite film this year?

Haven't watched many but from what I can remember I'd have to say Bridesmaids and Friends with Benefits.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I was 29 and I spent it at a work dinner. At least it was free and yummy!

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

No cancer....

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?

My personal fashion concept = my sisters personal fashion concept :)

32. What kept you sane?

Easton, my mom, blogging, pinterest and Bryan. In that order (haha).

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Bradley Cooper, Matthew McConuaghey

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Casey Anthony -- makes me sick that she got off!

35. Who did you miss?

Good friends that live out of state -- if you are reading this, you know who you are.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Easton, duh! Oh, and LoVal - she's new this year and she's a keeper. ;)

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.


PICK YOUR BATTLES! I learned that it’s WAY BETTER and EASIER to not nag Bryan and to just do whatever I want done myself. Nagging only makes me feel crappy about my marriage, and the longer it doesn’t get done, the crappier I feel. If I just do whatever I want done, when I want it done, the way I want it done, I am way happier, and I can focus on the tons of good things Bryan DOES do for our family instead of the few things he doesn't.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

"Where you invest your love, you invest your life" -Mumford and Sons, Awake My Soul

Cheers to an even more fabulous, happy and healthy 2012!!

Merry Christmas!

Taking a break to celebrate the season ~ Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

I'll be back next week.

Crazy Eight!

18lbs, 27.25 inches long

This month has been both the worst and the most eventful of them all!

We started the month by welcoming 2 teeth, within 2 days of each other. That explains the late night wake ups, fussiness, diaper rash and puddles of drool. I'm glad for both of us that that is over with -- for now!

Next up, sitting like a big boy in the shopping cart! Not only did you like this, but mommy did too! I have a feeling we'll be doing this a lot more often.

You have mastered the 'scoot' and are working on perfecting the crawl. You put yourself on all fours from the sitting position and love rocking back and forth. You are so close to grasping the concept of crawling. It's just a matter of time!

We have a talker! You love your 'dada' and you aren't afraid to say it! Now, let's work on 'mama'.

You continue to be a great eater. You have mastered finger foods. Raviolis, chicken terrazini and ham and pineapple are new on the menu this month. You also got table food for the first time this month -- Saturday morning pancakes and you loved them! Nursing came to an end this month during your hospital stay (more on this below). We were down to 2 nursing sessions a day (morning and night), and it was just too much for mommy to worry about pumping, etc. while in the hospital and taking care of you. This was bittersweet for mommy - while she was sad that bonding time had come to an end, she was happy to have been able to do it for 7.5 months, and was glad it wasn't a decision she had to make on her own. She is also excited to be able to have some drinks and not have to 'pump n' dump'! :)

This past month has been life changing for us. On 11/22, our worst nightmare came true - you were diagnosed with a cancerous Wilm's Tumor on your right kidney that mommy found. On 11/23, you had major surgery to remove the kidney and a 2/3 lb. tumor. Doctors were very pleased with the outcome of surgery and were fairly confident that the tumor was completely encapsulated and that chemotherapy would not be needed. We spent 4 days in the hospital recovering and went home on 11/27. Two days later, pathology reports confirmed Stage I Wilm's Tumor, in which doctors felt chemotherapy was not needed, and close observation would be the best course of treatment. We have never felt so relieved and thankful! You will be monitored by University of Michigan's Department of Pediatric Oncology and Children's Oncology Group every 3 months for the next several years. This is a huge relief to mommy and daddy (and everyone else for that matter) and will help minimize our worry with recurrence or relapse knowing that you are being closely monitored.

The doctors and medical professionals at U-M were outstanding and were everything we could have hoped for during your care. And the support team we had behind us pulling for you -- WOW!!! There sure are a lot of people out there that love us. And while the onset of this tumor was nothin' but bad luck, we sure got lucky with the best possible outcome!! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you for being such a strong, brave little boy!

1st day home, happy as can be!

Nine days post surgery, you had your first vomiting episode. This scared mommy. Since this was new to us, mommy called the pediatrician who suggested we call the pediatric surgeon at U-M who performed the surgery to let them in on our status. Little did we know they'd tell us to come in, but they did, so to Ann Arbor we went. An x-ray showed constipation, blood work showed risk of infection and urinalysis showed dehydration. Thankfully the CT scan crossed out possible infections, but being that you are a renal patient who just underwent major surgery, they wanted to monitor you. 2 days later we were sent home.

So here we are, 2 weeks post surgery and one would never know what you've been through. They say babies are so resilient and you proved them right. We have our happy, playful, smiley baby back!

And we're ready for the holidays! We have so much to celebrate this year. :)

Likes:
puffs
yogurt melts
Daddy
pancakes
peek-a-boo
reading books
taking your socks off

Dislike
blood pressure cuff
being tired
sippy cup

8 month photos - despite everything you've been through, you're nothin' but smiles!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Easton's 1st Christmas is just around the corner and we are super excited to create new memories and traditions with him! Bring in: Christmas Tree (room lights on)

(room lights off)

One would think the tree would be an instant attraction for a baby -- the sparkling lights and ornaments dangling in his reach, but Easton is hardly phased by it -- for the better. Our main concern is Cooper's whip of a tail.

The Mantle (my favorite)

just waiting on our stockings which should be here anyday

The Foyer kept simple

And the kitchen with my pinterest crafts (& beautiful Gardinia plant from my cousin Ellen)

This picture humors me. Hubby hanging Christmas lights from the roof - oh, the things he does for me. :)

Testing out the Santa hat for our Christmas Card photo shoot. Thankfully he tolerated it fairly well. :)

More to come as we dive into the holiday festivities. First up, Young Family Christmas this weekend! Easton is so excited. :)

The Saga continues....

Well, our weekend didn't exactly go as planned. Up until Friday, Easton was doing great and was right back to his old self. Friday morning started out normal until Easton was refusing to nap. Well I had things I needed to get done, so mom and I decided to load Easton into the car and run some errands in hopes that he'd fall asleep in the carseat. That didn't go as planned. After just a 20 minute catnap, Easton woke and was not his normal self. We were in Costco and I knew my time was limited so I made it a quick trip, but it wasn't quick enough. We get back in the car and Easton is hysterical, so we head home. I am sitting in the backseat with Easton trying to feed him and he's refusing to eat anything. He's screaming, then falling asleep, waking and screaming, then falling asleep. The next thing I know, Easton starts throwing up - this was a first for him, and me for that matter, and it totally freaked me out! My mom pulled over and we took the puke-covered baby out of the car. As a new mom, and since this was new to us, I called Easton's pediatrician who suggested I contact the pediatic surgeon who did his surgery to let them know of his status. Little did I know they would tell us to come down...but they did, so we headed to Ann Arbor.
Four hours, an x-ray, ultrasound, and labwork later, they decided to admit him to monitor him since he is a renal patient and just had major surgery. The x-ray showed that he was very backed up, and labs showed signs of dehydration and infection. Thankfully the ultrasound and no fever crossed out infection but doctors were concerned about constipation and dehydration. So back up to 7 Mott we went. Poor Easton was so uncomfortable and you could tell he didn't feel good. Suppositories helped, but we weren't going home until everything was functioning on it's own. It was a long 2 days with an uncomfortable baby to say the least.  Doctors are certain it was a case of gastroenteritis and sent us on our way first thing Sunday morning.
So we're back home now and Easton is doing much better. I think he agrees with the motto "There's no place like home"!

Gettin' Back in the Groove!

I'm in a blog funk. It's been a long week and I have so much on my mind that I don't even know where to start. I still can't believe everything that has happened. But given everything that we've been through, we got the best possible outcome.We returned home on Sunday after 5 days in the hospital with a cancer diagnosis and surgery to remove the cancerous tumor and Easton is recovering great. He is just as happy, playful and giggly as ever and a 6 inch incision on his belly doesn't even phase him! Pathology reports from the Wilms Tumor came back, and as doctors expected, the tumor was completely encased, did not spread and Easton will not need chemo. We are so incredibly relieved!! This past week has been quite a rollercoaster ride but the biggest ride is over and the lines should be much shorter from here on out. We have decided to enroll Easton in a clinical trial in which he'll be monitored closely for the next 3-5 years by oncologists at UofM. We are scheduled to meet with the oncologists next Tuesday to discuss details of the trail and get a better understanding of it.

Easton post-surgery

In the meantime, I took this week off work to focus on Easton, compose myself and get my life back in order. And while I'm sad that my time off is coming to an end, I'm relieved that it's because Easton is doing well and we are able to return to life as we once knew it - although I'm sure I'll be the most paranoid mother ever from here on out.

This incident has changed our lives in so many ways, it has strengthened so many relationships and opened our eyes to a whole new world of friendships. Every facebook and blog post resulted in comments and I am still shocked by the 152 facebook 'likes'  on my most recent status update that Easton will not need chemo. 152!!! I am BLOWN AWAY! Not to mention the cards, visits, meals and care packages from friends, family and neighbors. We are seriously surroundedby  an army of supporters and feel so fortunate to know we touch the lives of some many! So thank you to everyone who has reached out to us - one way or another! The power of prayer is amazing!
Who would ever think this little boy just had major surgery? 4 days post-op and he's back!

And check it out -- our friend Sophie joined us at the hospital and got us featured over at Hello Jack blog!

Thankful November Catch Up - Thanksgiving Day

So I've been slacking with Thankful November but I guess I've had some other things on my mind. Over the past few days, I have gained an entire new appreciation for today, Thanksgiving, and I'm going to rattle off some of the things that have made my 'thankful list' over the course of the last few days:
Mommy intuition to catch a cancerous tumor early
A world-class Children's hospital close by
The "Leaders and Best" - an incredible team of fast acting medical experts who couldn't have been more thorough, accommodating, understanding, honest and communicative with us
Successful surgery
The most caring nurses I could ask for taking care of our son
An absolutely amazing support system, including HUNDREDS of Facebook and blog comments, prayers and well wishes
Family who sat at our side while we waited for hours for outcomes
Friends who have been there every step of the way
Neighbors who sent the most amazing care packages
Fellow bloggers, Alex, Kalyn and Leah,for the most touching blog posts ever
Cousins who take in our high maintenance dog
Coworkers who have sent emails and texts and made visits, reminding me to give everything I have to Easton and not worry about work
My amazingly strong husband who has been my rock through this all
And last by certainly not least, we are so thankful for the power of prayer. Without all the love, prayers and support we've received, we wouldn't have gotten through this without them!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

I can breathe again

I can hardly keep my eyes open, but wanted to send a quick update. A 9am surgery got bumped to 11, only to get bumped to 1:43pm - that's 14 hours from his last feeding! The morning actually wasn't as bad as intended, considering we had an extra 3+ hours to distract a very hungry baby.

According to the doctors, surgery went as well as could be expected, or better than expected if you ask me. His right kidney and appendix were removed, along with a tumor weighing in at 2/3lbs! The tumor was encapsulated which is the best news if all. Drs are still confident it is a Wilms tumor and based on what they can tell thus far, chemotherapy will not be needed! This wont be confirmed until Pathology takes a closer look at it, and being that tomorrow is a holiday, it could be a few days. This is seriously the best case scenario and our fingers and toes are crossed. Please continue to keep us in your prayers until we know more. For now, we will camp out on Mott 7.

Easton is recovering nicely. Of course it's always difficult to see your child in any sort if pain (and thankfully the tumor wasn't causing pain) and I'm sure when he 'comes to', he will nit be impressed with all the darn cords. Our focus for the next few days is to make sure Easton is comfortable and provide him with anything he needs. We are looking forward to going home soon!

I'll post more later but this girl needs to catch sme zzz's. Thank you for the outpour of love and support!

My worst nightmare come true

Never in a million years did I think this blog would be used for this purpose, but I guess there is a reason for everything. As I sit by the bedside of my sweet baby boy at the University of Mchigan hospital a hundred bajillion things run thru my mind- Why Easton? Why us? How did this happen? Is he going to be ok? He NEEDS to be ok.

It all started about a week ago when I noticed some firmness in Easton's belly. I watched him carefully and treated it as bowel related adjusting his diet to accommodate constipation. A few days later with completely normal activity - playing, laughing, eating, and pooping the spot was still firm, so I did what any paranoid mom would do and I made an appt with his pediatrician. Almost instantly the doctor knew something was abnormal and said we had to figure out what it is and get it out ASAP. So we left with a script for a pediatric ultrasound in the morning.

Well we didn't last until morning - last night was a rough one with out of the norm wake ups, feedings and resistance to anything sleep related - screaming, flailing all over, arching his back, I knew something was wrong. To the ER we went. An ultrasound, cat scan and lots of bloodwork later, we heard the inevitable, dreaded word - cancer.

Nothing is 100%, but doctors are fairly confident that it's a Wilms tumor attached to his kidney and are going into surgery tomorrow with plans to remove the tumor and kidney. They will know more once they get in there, and are prepared for all possible situations. Surgery is scheduled for 9am tomorrow morning and we are confident that the amazing team of medical doctors are going to take great care of our baby.

After living the life of a dad with cancer, who by the way has fought an unbelievable fight, I neveR could have imagined my own son having to go through that. Today goes down as the worst day in history, although the next few days, even months could hand us more than we know. We are prepared to fight the fight of our life and will give it all we've got (and more than I'm sure we even know we have!) We are so fortunate to have the most amazing supper system behind us. Please keep us in your prayers - we need all we can get. Gooo Easton!

Easton's Wish List

Dear Santa (and Grandma and Papa, and Nana and Papa and Aunties and Uncles and Mommy and Daddy),
I'm so excited for my first Christmas! I have been a very good boy this year and from what I hear, that gets you lots of presents That being said, here are some things I've spotted that I really, really want:

1.   PBK Anywhere Chair - check! ;)
2.   Detroit Tigers Hat - Toddler size for my big head
3.   Wooden Activity Cube/Incrediblock - check!
4.   Tiny Toms (size 4)
5.   Fisher-Price Sesame Street Silly Sounds Remote
6.   Poppin' Park Elefun - check!
7.   Skidders (size 12 months)
8.   Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Dance and Play Puppy - check!
9.   Laugh & Learn Farm
10. Melissa & Doug Standard Unit Wood Blocks

I will, of course, accept other gifts as well! Can't wait to celebrate Christmas with you.
Love, Easton

Thankful November - Day 16 & 17

Peanut Butter & (Raspberry) Jelly

Day 16 & 17 go together like PB&J! Who doesn't love a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich? They are quick, easy and probably average less than .50 cents per sandwich. PB&J has always been my go-to sandwich. Open-face is my preference, while Bryan enjoys a triple decker. We eat these on the regular at our house - and actually, it kinda sounds good for dinner tonight! :)

Wordless Wednesday

Whooooo's the cutest?!?!

Easy Beef Enchiladas

This was my first attempt at beef enchiladas and I have to say I was impressed, as was the hubby. Not only were these super easy for a weekday meal, but they were delicious -- and also fed us for the next 2 meals. I have to give credit to Molly for these -- as I do for most of my recipes. Thanks to Molly, you have helped  renew my love for cooking!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup cooked white rice (yes that says cooked!)
1 can refried beans (not warmed!)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I've used cream of mush before and it was just as good)
1 jar of salsa
8 burrito size tortilla shells
2 cups shredded chesse

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan. Brown the ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning and however much water it calls for. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add in the (cooked) rice and stir it up real good!
2. Take the tortilla, spread a spoonful of refried beans on the tortilla. Spoon the meat mixture on top of that. Sprinkle with cheese and roll it up. Put the rolled tortilla seam side down into the 9x13 pan. Repeat until all your tortillas are gone- or the meat mix is gone - or the pan is full.
3. Combine the cream of chicken soup and the jar of salsa in a bowl. Mix well. Pour the mix over the tortillas in the pan. Sprinkle with the remainder of the cheese.
4. Put the pan in the oven for 30 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove, cool and enjoy! I like to serve with a side of sour cream, avocado and sometimes extra salsa. YUM!

Thankful November - Day 15

Facebook

Although it occupies waaaay too much of my time, and keeps me up way too late at night, I am so thankful for Facebook for allowing me to easily keep in touch with friends and family who live in other parts of the world that I don't get to see/talk to as often as I'd like. 

Thankful Novemeber - Day 14

Blog Awards

MetzgerFamilyLove just received its first award!! I'm so excited and proud and THANKFUL that there are people out there who enjoy reading what I have to say (er, write).

Thank you Kalyn for thinking of me and giving me this award. If you haven't already, check out Kalyn's blog at And I Thought I Loved You Then.  

The Sunshine Blog Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogosphere. I am so grateful to be considered a part of this community. I originally created this blog to document and share the life of my new baby boy and because of other bloggers like Kalyn, I have been more motivated to make the most of it.

Here are the rules for accepting this award:

1. Thank the person who gave this award and write a post about it

2. Answer the following questions below.
3. And pass the award to 10~12 fabulous bloggers, link their blogs and let them know you awarded them.

Here are my answers:

Favorite color?  Depends on the day, my moom and what we're talking about - overall favorite color: pink. clothes: black, white, gray. clothes for Easton: blue and anything striped

Favorite animal? I love giraffes, so does Easton :)

Favorite number? my keno numbers are 4, 6, 10, 16, 28, 68, 72

Favorite drink? Diet Dr. Pepper and Riesling

Facebook or Twitter? Facebook for sure.

Your passion? My family (hubby and son), my family (parents and sisters) and my friends

Giving or getting presents?  Giving, all the way. There is nothing better than seeing the expression on someone's face when you give them a gift! Plus, I love shopping and buying gifts for others is just another reason to shop. :)

Favorite day?  Hmmm...I could justify them all as being my favorite (with the exception of Monday), but overall I'd have to go with Sundays. Sunday is usually a lazy day with my boys and almost always a family nap.

Favorite flowers?  Gerber Daisys, Calla Lilies and Hydrangeas

And there you have it, now, it's time for me to share the love. The blogs that I am listing below keep me smiling, inspired, entertained, informed and looking forward to their next post! Check them out and you'll see why.

The Diniwilks

My Happy House

And I Thought I Loved You Then

The Silly Monkeys

The Lollipop Kid

I Wanna Feel That Fire

The Smitton Mintons

Tiny Mitten Secrets
Our Sweet Life
La Dolce Vita
And a few newbies I'm looking forward to following:
The Franklin's
My Messmerized Life

Pinteresting Idea - DIY Blog Party

Last week I linked up with a DIY Blog Party for some holiday decor inspirtation/motivation and I'm super excited to have more reasons to be crafty! So here's to week 1.

Dare to...be thankful!!

As I was putting away my Halloween decor and pulling out my fall/Thanksgiving decor, I realized I'm severly lacking decor for Thanksgiving. I don't have a good "fall" selection - everything is either Halloween or Chrismtas, with the exception of a few ceramic pilgrims from my grandma and a scarecrow my mom picked up for me last year. So while I have been on the lookout for a few more 'fall' things, I decided to try my hand, or Easton's to be exact,  at some Thanksgiving decor.

 

Yes, Easton is eating puffs off the floor. It was the only way I could distract him while I painted his hand. I had to do one finger at a time because all he wanted to do was put his hand in his mouth. This kid will do anything for puffs. 

Hating fingerpainting! I hope I didn't traumitize him for kindergarten.

This project was super easy. I used a 5x7 canvas, and bought several different colors of paint (red, orange, green, yellow and brown). I started by painting the palm of Easton's hand brown, and put that on the canvas. Next, I did each finger, one at a time, and each a different color. Before you press the fingers down, make sure you match up the palm every time so the fingers are lined up. You will also want to wait a few minutes between each fingers to let the previous paint dry. It actually took me two nights to do this because Easton was not very happy with me after 3 fingers so I figured I better give it a rest. When you've done the whole hand, use a skinny shapie to draw feet and eyes (I used a googly eye) and orange paint for the gobbler.

 The final product!

I am in love with this! I can't wait to display it year after year to remember Easton's first Thanksgiving!

Thanksful November - Day 13

Pacifiers
Today especially, I am thankful that my poor little, not only teething but has a cold, son takes a pacifier. I hate to even complain because I feel that we have honestly be blessed with such a great baby - happy, healthy, giggly, independent, and the list goes on, but this teething business is hell. Sleepless nights, drool everywhere, chin rash, runny nose, cough, excessive tears and fussiness are getting the best of us and it's no fun at all. So while what I'm really thankful for is children's motrin, I thought I might get looked down upon, and so I'm covering my butt by saying I am thankful for pacifiers which help sooth my poor baby. A normally very happy, smiley Easton in the morning and after naps has turned into screaming bloody murder baby and thankfully the pacifier provides comfort until the motrin kicks in. :) One tooth is on the verge of cutting through (the gums are nice and swollen and the first tooth has slighly broken the skin) and the second isn't too far behind. Fingers crossed for some relief once this one pops through, at least until the next one.

Weekend Recap

I love weekends like this one. Not a whole lot of plans = no red and lots of blue!

Friday
Work
Dinner & Drag Queen Bingo for Jessica's birthday - so fun!

Saturday
Joann's for craft supplies
Craft day with my sister - need to do this more often. Click on the image below to view the pinterest original and step-by-step directions (a.k.a. save me from writing them out)

Sunday
Church with my sister
Catch up on some DVR shows
Hang with my boys

Thankful November - Day 12

Tim Horton's Iced Cappuccino

[iced kap-oo-chee-noh] noun. 1. Ice cold deliciousness 2. Highly addictive blended beverage 3. Not your traditional coffee drink. 4. Ah-maze-ing.

I'm not a big coffee drinker, never have been. But something about Tim Horton's iced capp gets me everytime and I couldn't be happier about it. I will take one any chance I get - morning, night, summer and yes, even winter. It can be below zero and if I drive past a Timmy, you can bet I'll be stopping. It's one of the most satisfying drinks I've ever had and I'm so thankful every time I have one in my hand. As much as I wish there was one in South Lyon, it's probably a good thing there's not! If you haven't ever tried one, do it! You won't be disappointed.

Thankful November - Day 11

11.11

Today, I am thankful for today. Not only am I thankful for all the brave soliders who serve and protect our country, but I am thankful that on this day, 26 years ago, Jessica Irene was born into this world. I feel so lucky to get to eat lunch, go for walks, meditate, dilly-dally work with such a wonderful person everyday, and am beyond grateful that our work relationship has blossomed into one of the best friendships I could ask for. I don't think I could survive this crazy place without her. I know this is a friendship for life!

Happy Birthday Auntie Jessie!!

Weekend Planning

Yay for the weekend! And a very low key weekend at that. Looking forward to doing a whole lot of nothing, or a whole lot of whatever I want, on Saturday and Sunday!

Friday
Work
Dinner & Drag Queen Bingo for Jessica's birthday!

Saturday
No plans what-so-ever

Sunday
No plans what-so-ever

I like the looks of this weekend - I can do whatever I feel like doing, whenever I want to do it, taking Easton's schedule into consideration, of course. I'll be interested to see what the weekend recap looks like on Sunday.

Pinteresting Ideas

I know I often complain about not having time to cook, clean or watch tv, but I do manage to find time for blogging and pinterest -- funny how that works! Here is a sneak peek of some of the crafts we've made - and I say we because Easton has helped. :)

This was super easy, and super cheap.

Supplies:
wood frame for $1 at Michaels
a small bottle of green paint for like .79 cents
 three packages of googly eyes ($2 each - I bought variety pack for different sizes)
about 1/3 yard of black ribbon
wooden letters that were like .19 cents each
a couple small foam bushes.

I think I spent a total of like $10. I started by painting the frame and letters green, the proceeded to glue the googly eyes on the frame. I started using a glue stick, but then switched to super glue because I wasn't sure how well the glue stick would hold on the wood. Once the eyes were all one, I wrapped the ribbon tightly around the bottom and glued it down on the back, and the used the hot glue gun to adhere the letters. Voila!  Now I just need to print some Halloween pictures.

Next up, family ghost feet! Check out Kalyn's page for step by step directions. I had a hard time capturing pictures in the making.  I still can't believe I convinced Bryan to participate. Here is the (almost) final product.

Last weekend we had an organized girl's craft night. Being a mom is a full time job and as in real life, we all enjoy breaks from work, so therefore my girlfriends and I were in need of a kid-free night out, and what better idea than to all make a craft together. It was a blast as always, and we walked away with new decor for our house. We decided to make a winter decoration that we saw on pinterest (where else!), and was again a super easy, inexpensive craft.

Supplies:
3 wine bottles (different shapes and sizes are good)
white spray primer
spray adhesive
epsom salt
silver sticks

Because there were several of us, we needed lots of wine bottles - check!

We opted to remove the labels. Not sure this is 100% necessary, but we thought it would look better - and it does. Next, spray the bottles with white primer. We sprayed half of all the bottles, let them dry, and then sprayed the other half. Once the primer is dry, spray the bottles with adhesive, and then roll them in the epsom salt.

Arrange bottles on a silver platter with accessories to your liking - I chose silver sticks from Michaels, silver beads and sparkly silver ornament. Small tea candles may be added....

And lastly, as I mentioned before, the Christmas countdown blocks. We are already counting down at our house!

That's all for now. Check back soon for new crafts that are in the works, assuming Easton cooperates.

Thankful November - Day 10

DVR

Today, I am thankful for the advances in technology and the invention of DVR. Growing up, I never had cable tv, let alone a device in which I could set up a series recording to record my favorite shows, without needing a VHS tape to watch it on. Not only that, but you can pause shows in real time to tend to a crying baby, make a phone call or use the bathroom, without missing a beat. Being a mom doesn't allow for much tv time until after the little one is in bed, and  even then, between cooking dinner, cleaning up from dinner, doing laundry, and cleaning the house, I hardly sit down until I get into bed. This is why DVR is key - it records the shows on the living room tv, and I can watch the show in bed. I can't tell you how nice it is to watch my favorite shows on my time, with no interruptions and fast forwarding through commercials.

And since there isn't an appropriate picture for the DVR, I'll leave you with a little something else I'm thankful for: Easton making smushy faces against his playpen. :)



Thankful November - Day 9

Blogs

If it weren't for all the awesome blogs I'm hooked on, I may have never been inclinded to start my own blog. Nor would I have expanded my recipe collection - which now includes many new and refreshing, and of course delicious, recipes, or have so many fun crafts to do (I can thank pinterest for this too)! However, if it weren't for blogs, my house would be a lot cleaner and I'd need a new excuse to not workout - like blogging is a good excuse. But those things aren't fun anyway, so it looks like a win-win situation to me! So anyway, today I am thankful for blogs, and for those who follow mine. I do it for those who aren't able to physically be here to be a part of our daily life and to allow them to watch Easton grow, and when I'm old and senile, Easton will have documentation of all the fun things we did (and ate!)

 ******************************

First things first, vote for me! It's just two simple clicks, and you can vote every 24 hours.

******************************

Secondly, if you don't already, follow me! On the right hand side of this page under "Followers", click to join - it's super easy. You can also sign up for email notifications of new posts.

******************************

Lastly, here are some of my favorite blogs that I follow (in no particular order):

**Start with this entry, and get the kleenex!

The Silly Monkeys

My Happy Meals

The Lollipop Kid

The Diniwilks

And I Thought I Loved You Then

Tiny Mitten Secrets

A Nest Full of Nies
Young House Love