This Past Weekend

This weekend was pretty great. Are you ever in a moment in time and realize it will probably be remembered as one of your most favorite days? I had one of these moments this weekend.

I started off the weekend early and took Friday off. My parents and I took Jack pumpkin picking. I wish I could say it was a good trip but poor Jack is fighting another cough and really didn't feel well. He cried for most of the day and as we were getting ready to leave the poor kid coughed so hard he threw up! After a full night sleep, 12 hours worth, he was feeling a bit better on Saturday. We still had a very easy going day. He spent most of Saturday in his pajamas cuddling,

Sunday we had the best day. We got out early to our favorite state park. When Brian and I were dating we would do day dates there and picnics overlooking the water so it is always nice to bring Jack to places where our relationship had it's first few dates. We had a fantastic hike, ate lunch and it really was the perfect morning. We finished off the day at one of our new favorite places. BrookHollow Barnyard is the cutest little farm. They have a bunch of farm animals you can feed with  a shovel and a bucket of carrots. They have a train ride, sandboxes, hayrides and tractors. It was a kids dream! We all had such a fantastic time. It was definitely one of those days that will go down as one of my most favorite!

Friday Favorites

Fridays that start a 3 day weekend are always my favorite. My work anniversary is coming up shortly and I have a bunch of vacation and personal days I still need to use before I lose them in November. Today my parents and I are heading to the farm with Jack and picking more pumpkins, you can never have enough pumpkins, and they will be watching Jack tonight while I join Brian for his work fundraiser. It will be nice for the 2 of us to get out and do adult things like eat a meal warm and not cutting up tiny human's food.

Here are a few things I'm loving this week.

Sparta Books

This is our local bookstore. Sparta Books has been around for over 50 years. It is our local gem. Each week Jack and I go to story time with Ms. Michelle who reads, sings and does crafts with all the children. She, along with the rest of the staff are wonderful. Last weekend we met Oliver the Goose at the book store and next week we are going to a Halloween party and parade. We are so lucky to have found such an awesome place.

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Matt Bellassai

Oh My Hilarious!!!! If you like cursing and a little vulgarity than Matt is for you! His buzz feed videos are hysterical! I can watch multiple times and find it just as funny. His most recent video about fall is the best.

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Gotham

We started watching the first season last week on Netflix. Brian and I have a hard time agreeing on television. We barely ever agree. The only thing we really ever agreed on were American Horror Story and Breaking Bad. I really like Donal Logue and Ben Mackenzie. Brian loves the connection to the comic books. So far so good.

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Shea Moisture Products-

 I started using their baby line not long after Jack was born. I love that they are certified organic and made with shea butter. Our favorite for Jack is the raw shea chamomile and argan oil with frankincense and myrrh. For myself I started using the 10 in 1 renewal hair masque and all types of their bar soaps! They are probably my most favorite products. They leave out all potentially harmful ingredients and do not test on animals. I feel somewhat safe using them on my son.

The Night Before Books-

I just love the series of The Night Before books. We have started out a little collection. They are the cutest books all set to The Night Before Christmas rhyme. We just picked up The Night Before Halloween.

"'Twas the night before Halloween, and all through the house, All the creatures were stirring, except for the mouse. The monsters had gathered to plan and prepare, For the trick-or-treaters who soon would be there."

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Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

How I Try To Survive a Toddler Meltdown

Attitude for days... 

Some time during his 17th month of life Jack went from being the sweetest and most cuddly little boy to a fiery, "NO" screaming and temper tantrum filled maniac, most days! He is becoming his own person. He knows what he wants and when he wants it. I think I have a real strong willed kid on my hands. I'm totally ok with it. But for now, the tantrums, holy cow, I can't believe how quickly the toddler tantrum thing happened. I also can't believe how caught off guard and unequipped to deal with them I was.

There are a few things people have told me on how to deal with Jack's tantrums. I have tried to use the "Gentle Parenting" method in almost everything I do with Jack. Although this method often blames the parents for the meltdowns. Like I need more stress thinking I'm not a good enough parent?!?! I have a temper although not when I was a child. I have adult meltdowns so I try not to blame Jack. Jack has also began hitting. I hate it. It is often only towards me. I get so upset and think he hates me. Most times I try and immediately redirect. I redirect by quickly asking him for a hug. I ask him to gentle touch. Almost always this method works. We have also began requesting him to say "I'm sorry". It seems to work well but I tell ya it is the saddest thing to hear that little voice say those words.

I get what it's like to be frustrated and feel like there is no outlet for his frustration. Jack has a pretty large vocabulary but he doesn't always have the words so it must be so hard. I attempt to calm him I try and offer support. I often ask him to "show me" what he wants. There are times when he is told no. Like last night when he refused to sleep and wanted goldfish because he saw me putting away the bowl he usually has his snack in. When I told him no he had an all our meltdown. Screaming at the top of his lungs. It was late. I was tired and I gave up and walked away from the screams. He was in no danger of hurting himself. He was just laying on the kitchen floor, overtired and a screaming his bloody head off. This completely goes against the gentle me. He calmed himself after only a couple of minutes. I think it was harder on me than it was on him.

What I learned from last night was that no real method works all the time. Sometimes the best thing for my sanity and his sanity is to walk away. I was so exhausted I knew I couldn't give him the support he deserved. I was getting frustrated and the 2 temper tantrums would not have been good for anyone!  Not long after the mega meltdown Jack cuddled up with daddy and was fast asleep with in 3 minutes.

What are some of the ways you deal with the toddler tantrums?

7

It was 7 years ago today I went out on a date with a guy who followed none of the rules and quoted Dane Cook. I can't believe that was my LAST first date. Our first date was a kind of marathon. We started off apple picking, followed it up with dinner and drinks and finished it off by drinking coffee and closing up cafe. As I type it I almost can't believe that it has been that long but at the same time it feels like it has been forever. Our seven years have been filled with many ups and downs as well. In honor of the last seven years I'd like to share just a few of my favorite moments.

Our first vacation to Disney World together. He really got to see my true colors on the flight considering I didn't tell him how deathly afraid of flying I was. We had such a wonderful time together. I can't wait for Jack to get a little over so we can't return as a family. 

The day we purchased our first home. I can remember the nervous excitement that we both felt. After dating only 9 months we questioned ourselves as to if it were the right decision. We are still here 6 years later. We have made this little house our home. 

The day Brian proposed! During our regular Sunday morning softball game Brian seemed so off. When we went apple picking later that day he was even weirder and I was getting a strange vibe. That was until he asked me to join him under a tree and followed it up by a "Will you marry me?"

Every year since our first date we visit the same orchard and the very same tree. 

The day we were married. The day we both vowed to love and honor one another. One of our happiest days. It strange that people always talk about their wedding and their favorite moments. I must say that sharing the happiest day with all the people we hold dear was my most favorite part! 

Brian's journey to fatherhood In his own special way he was excited. I know that part of him was frightened after our first 2 losses but equally as excited. I just loved the moments when he first started touching my growing belly and talking to baby. 

This moment- our first night home from the hospital. We didn't get much time together with our new baby in the hospital so on our first night home and seeing this moment between father and son couldn't be more special to me. 

Watching Brian become a daddy. Being a wife isn't always easy and being a mom is harder than I ever thought. Brian is finding his way as a dad and he's doing a great job. He never gets worked up or stressed out. I love watching him teach Jack new things and look forward to all the moments still waiting for us. 

Cheers to 7 years and many more. 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! I'm thrilled at the idea of getting out of work this afternoon and having a blast with my little man this weekend. We are set to do a meet and greet at a local bookstore with an author and her goose! Plus, we are in for some real Autumn like weather.

Since I haven't been around the blog world lately I must admit that Friday posts are the ones I miss most! I just love Friday Favorites posts!

 I love Here are a few things I'm loving lately!

1. Walmart booties! I am not a huge Walmart shopper. Most of the time I avoid shopping there. Recently I noticed the kids t shirts and socks are ridiculously cheap. Jack is hard on his clothes so we need a lot more than I thought I would need. While I was in the kids section I noticed these adorable booties. Would you believe me if I told you these cuties were only $19? They are really comfortable and they look adorable!

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2. While I'm on the topic of Walmart I gotta say the Pioneer Woman line is super cute. I love it all. My local Walmart has a crap selection but I did get my hand on one of the mason jar cup for work. Am I the only one who tends to drink a lot more water out of a cute cup especially one with a straw? 

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3.  Hockey is back and my Rangers are looking GOOD!

4. Fall inspired beverages! I am a sucker for pumpkin and apple everything. I will drink my pumpkin coffee all year long if I could. My love of seasonal beverages does not stop at breakfast. I'm loving all kinds of fall flavored beer and wines. My favorite this season has been Jack -o- Traveler Pumpkin. I had it a few weeks back at Buffalo Wild Wings but can't seem to find it any where else.

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5. Fall family activities. I just love fall activities. We have been jammed packed with outings. We have picked apples, pumpkins, corn mazes, and tractor rides. Everything is so much more fun with a toddler! I can't believe this picture was already a year ago! I can't wait to go back to our favorite farm this year too!

 

 

What are you loving this week?

 

Remember Last Month?

Hey there, remember last month when I said I was back, haha. Just kidding! Maybe I'll try this again. It just seems so difficult to get back into blogging with so very much going on. I used to blog early in the morning or late in the evening after Jack had fallen asleep. I just can't seem to find inspiration at any time. Honestly, having a toddler is so much harder than I thought. I feel exhausted all.the.time!!! Jack runs me ragged and barely ever sleeps. Right now he is napping so I thought picking up my laptop might be a good idea.

Since the last time I blogged a few things have happened. We lost our beloved Bogart. It has been a sad few weeks. It happened quicker than we expected as he was given 3-4 months and he passed after only 6 weeks of his diagnosis. My sweet boy, we will love you forever.

via Katrina Sleder Photography

We started renovating a few things around our home. My husband has been working lots of overtime in hopes to help offset some of the costs. We purchased our home 5 years ago and we are trying to make our small 2 bedroom townhouse feel as spacious as possible. We finally added new windows to our kitchen and we are in the process or prices hardwood floors for our main living area. Jack's room is our most difficult spot. We are attempting to make it a big boy room but want to be sure we leave space in case we decide on baby number 2.

We took Jack to his most recent clinical visit and everything looks great. He has been fighting a cough and cold so we were surprised his lungs sounded clear. He is doing so well and we are so pleased. The one thing I worry about constantly is his health. After his Cystic Fibrosis diagnosis I became a completely different person. I worry all the time. I stress all the time. I have tried so many different things to quiet the stress but it's really difficult. It has put a strain on many relationships, made me avoid family/friend functions and has hurt my marriage as well as my health. I don't think I'll ever not worry about Jack or his health. Isn't that what us moms do?!?!?

Once again, I'm looking forward to posting. Hopefully, some of followers are still out there and interested in our little life.. For those of you still reading, thanks for sticking around.

Anybody Out There?!?!

Well, I have officially been out of the blog loop for just over 2 months. I haven't written a post and I haven't even read a blog in months. In all actuality it was unintentional but I also feel like it was a godsend. In the 2 months I've been away from the blog world I realized what blogging was doing to me. I got caught up in the stress of feeling as if blogging was another job in addition to my full time job and being Jack's mommy. I also found myself getting stuck in the world of comparison. The blog world is a such a pretty and perfect place and it reminded me of my not so pretty and imperfect life. It started to get me me down. The break was a good thing. I was able to focus on a lot of other things with my down time and there was less pressure. That is always a good thing. With all of that being said I don't necessarily want to quit blogging. I think I am just going to no take it too seriously anymore. I did miss following several of my favorite ladies. I will most likely catch up their lives here and there. In the meantime, for those of you who still follow along I can offer a few updates on what has taken place this summer.

First off, Jack is doing pretty amazing. His health is excellent. He is a ball of energy and never stops! Not even to sleep at night! We are still struggling with getting Jack to sleep in his own bed. We set up his toddler bed in hopes it would get better but not so much. Jack loves to read, take walks, he is super social and just loves his dogs, cousins and friends. Jack has already started potty training. He initiated it last week and we couldn't be more proud. He will be 20 months old tomorrow. It is crazy how time flies!

We received terrible news this summer about my beloved Bogart. In August he started acting very sick. He began collapsing and panting. We rushed him to the hospital and we found out he has a tumor on the side of his heart. It is inoperable. The vet does not believe that chemotherapy would make him better. It may only extend his life 3 extra months. His prognosis is not good and he may only live another 2 or 3 months. It makes me so very sad. He has been with me for so many years. Over the last 12 years he has been with me from college graduation, many boyfriends (even scaring one away), marriage and a baby. He has taught Jack so much in the short time they have spent together and I will be forever grateful for all that he has done. Please keep my little Bogart in your thoughts.

Part of the reason why I found it difficult to blog was because I was having some issues with marriage. It has taken lots of soul searching and work to get us back on track. It will still take more but we are getting there. It's the real world and people have problems but no one really wants to hear about them on blogs and I couldn't stand to be fake so I just avoided it.

In other news; this summer I became an aunt again. I was a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding. I hurt my back terribly and turns out its a herniated disc. I got a different position at work and I am in LOVE with it! My hours are much better and I get to spend lots of time with Jack. I've been able to cook for him and eat dinner with him each night. It's pretty great.

If you're still here and reading, Thank You!

Speak My Love Language

Ever heard of the 5 languages of love? I hadn't until just recently. Basically the languages of love are the things that make your heart sing. Here are a list of the things that make my heart sing!
(Mostly for comedic purposes!)

1. Start the coffee pot before leaving for work.

2. Since we are on the topic of coffee, bring me home one just because.

3. Text me just because.

4. Bring me wine.

5. Ignore the fact that I stutter or forget what I'm saying when I get nervous.

6. Ask me if I want to go shopping. During said shopping trip don't look miserable.

7. Occasionally drop F-bombs. In the appropriate location of course!

8. Change the toilet paper, paper towel roll when you finish it! Don't just lay a new role on top of holder!

9. Don't "almost" eat the last of everything and don't leave an empty container in the pantry.

10. Let me have control of Netflix for a little while, or a whole weekend...


What are your the things that make your heart sing, comical and heartfelt?

Team Super Jack 2015

Last weekend we spent time as a family to support our little Super Jack a the Great Strides walk for Cystic Fibrosis. This was the second year we did some fundraising and walked to support people living with CF.

If your new around these parts our son Jack was diagnosed at 2 weeks with Cystic Fibrosis. This isn't the path we expected to walk with our son but we would do anything and everything to support our son.

"Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-threatening genetic disease that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system. An estimated 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide) have CF.
In people with CF, a defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infection and obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down food and absorb vital nutrients.

In the 1950s, few children with CF lived to attend elementary school. Since then, tremendous progress in understanding and treating CF has led to dramatic improvements in the length and quality of life for those with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond."

I'm so proud to say we far surpassed our goal of raising $1,500! Thanks to our friends, family and the blogging community for helping us with our fundraising goals.

The morning of the walk was crazy. The weather went from torrential downpours to the sun beaming down on us. Many of the families who have lost loved ones to Cystic Fibrosis thought it was their loved ones smiling down on all of us.

Jack was amazing! He just adores people and crowds so the walk was the perfect place for him to show off. We brought along Jack's wagon with us so he could ride but he wasn't very interested. He wanted to walk and he walked 2 laps around the track equalling a half mile!

Just as the walk ended the skies opened up and it poured. I'm so glad we got to participate and support a cause near and dear to our hearts.

Oh Hey Friday

It's been a while since I've done one of these!

[one]

Tonight is the first night I'll sleep away from Jack.
Every night for 17 months I've kissed him goodnight before putting him to bed.
To be honest I'm really sad about him staying with grandma tonight
(I have a bridal shower to set up bright an early tomorrow morning.)

[two]

I am SO sick and tired of people trying to sell me their "stuff" on Instagram and Facebook
I swear it is every day some one is commenting or posting about their wraps, greens, oils, beach body, shakes, weight loss pills.
I get it.
I understand the hustle but come on!!!!
I do not believe that you're making a $20,000 bonus this month and eating Ellio's pizza and your big night out is Panera!
So from now on I've decided to delete anyone who only posts about what they are selling!
I rather see your kids, dogs and food posts.

[three]

I started my new position at work this week.
I'm still assisting the woman who took over my position.
I feel a little lost because I'm so new at it. There are lots of questions but I can do it!

[four]
Plus, getting out at 5pm is pretty awesome. I actually went shopping by myself last night.
I used a gift card and bought myself a new Alex and Ani!

Source

Jonquil: the flower of the wondrous heart. With radiant petals of gold, this flower’s high-vibrating energy is said to attract forest nymphs, bestowing a blessing upon all who appreciate its beauty. Associated with March, the delightful Jonquil promotes self-love. 

[five]

Most importantly this week Jack had his clinical appointment.
He did pretty incredible.
I feel so bad for him but know this is our life and he is so well cared for.
His doctors are so happy with how well he is doing and how well his lungs sound.
We made sure we finished our day off after the appointments with tons of fun, dinner, Toys R Us and TCBY.

Happy Friday!!!

Currently...

Reading...  The Fringe Hours. Well, I'd like to be reading them. The reason I got the book is to help me find time for myself. Clearly, I need it because I got it 3 weeks ago, read 7 pages and now can't find it. It's probably in a toy box some where around here. 

Loving… Sun tea. I've got some on our back deck as I type. I can't wait to toss in some frozen fruit for a citrus treat tonight. 

Wearing… Lots of capris and sun dresses. I got a bunch of Old Navy dresses and I love them. I'm all about the light weight cardigans from Old Navy. I dislike my large arms and like to cover them up as much as possible. 

Eating… I've been all about the salads lately! I hate cooking when I get home at 7:15  (which will end tomorrow, see last post HERE) so we often toss on chicken, steak or shrimp. I always top it with Ken's Italian Dressing. I throw on some fried onions, artichoke hearts, olives and a little cheese! YUM! 

Watching… I started re watching the 3rd season of Longmire on Netflix. I am so excited that Netflix picked up the 4th season! I was pissed when A&E cancelled it last year! I just finished up Revenge. It ended so well! I hate that it's over but I was happy with the way it ended. 

Making… Mac and cheese with broccoli for my little man and prepping steak for grilling. 

Excited About… a bunch of vacation days this summer. 

Looking Forward To… Planning our beach vacation this September, spending some summer nights on our back deck, taking walks with little man and spending some time at our pool. 

Thinking About… All the fun adventures I'd like to take with Jack this summer; the beach, zoo, orchards and anything else he might enjoy! I am so excited! 

Wanting… to spend as much time with Jack. Rekindling some happy moments with my husband. Parenting is tough. Taking time for our relationship has not been easy. Marriage is hard... love, dislike, laughter, annoyance and thats all in one day. I have to always remember love and laughter. It's not always the easiest thing to do and I'm wanting, no needing, to do it.