My name is Lorraine and I am an addict....

OK so it is not what you think. I am addicted to free! Yes FREE! Who isn't right! I have recently discovered Swagbucks.com. This is a site that you use the search engine and just by searching and doing your everyday browsing you win swagbucks. You trade these in for real prizes, or enter into sweepstakes for prizes. It is pretty awesome and a little addicting. I get my fix when that little box pops up. LOL If you would like to at least check it out, I am sure you will like it. Who doesn't like free?





And my new fav site is Listia.com. It is kind of like a trade site. People list things and you bid credits on them. It is like ebay but without the money. If you sell something on there you get credits to buy more stuff. Pretty awesome. And there is no fee! So if you have things you want to get rid of and do not want to deal with fees like ebay, check them out!!


Swagbucks.com

Listia.com

Fast Times at Levering High

It has been awhile since my last post. I honestly just have not felt like blogging. There are a few reasons for this which include nice weather, new babies to visit, and just not really thinking anyone reads anyway, so what is the point. But so much has changed that I feel like I should at least update.

OK so Brooklyn is 6 months old. All within a week she started crawling, got her first tooth and is now pulling herself up on her knees. CRAZY!!! It is like she went from newborn to progressive infant in a very short amount of time. I am just amazed at how fast she learns and how curious and determined she is.

Braxton is still struggling with potty training. It is super frustrating and I have to admit there are days I feel like giving up and putting his butt back in diapers. But I am doing my best at being patient and encouraging him that using the potty is a good and positive thing.

Oh yeah and Brooklyn is also babbling. This includes "dada" and what sounds like "hi" Her little voice is adorable!!

Bean vs Cow, bean wins

OK so, on my quest to get healthy and lose weight I have discovered soy milk. And when I say discovered I don;t mean I did not know about it. I knew it was out there. I just thought it was another health nut fad, so I never worried about it. I joined Curves and with my membership I got a goodie bag. It had a sample of soy milk in it. I was confused because it was not refrigerated. But it said to serve chilled, so I stuck it in the fridge. A few days went by, and I decided to give it a try. It was chocolate, and it was not bad. I said I would drink it again one day. No big deal. 


So then I get my Parents magazine. You know the one that always makes me second guess my parenting skills. LOL but anyway, there was an article in there about constipation. Braxton has frequent constipation and it said it could be caused my a milk intolerance. So this was my chance. I talked to Rick about trying to switch to soy milk and he was on board. And since it stated that babies are supposed to poop a few times a day, and Brooklyn is not a regular pooper, I decided to switch her formula to a lactose free one. So far she is tolerating it pretty well. She is still not pooping everyday, but she is tolerating the switch fine. I hope to see more dirty diapers in the near future. Weird for a Mom to say huh? As far as Braxton goes he is not crazy about the taste of the soy milk. We even tried Almond milk and he refused to drink it. So we are taking it a little slower with him, but we will get there. 


As for me. I LOVE it. It tastes so good! I prefer it over cow's milk. It is better for me, and you can;t beat that. It is a little more expensive, but I think it is worth it. The benefits can't be denied. So if you are a milk drinker, or even just put it on your cereal, I challenge you to give it a try. Keep an open mind. I think you will like it :o) 


Here is a breakdown of soy vs cow milk. If you do try it, or already drink it. Let me know. I would like to hear your opinions.

We have a sitter!!!

Brooklyn can now sit unsupported for little spurts of time. I took advantage of the nice weather to take some pics.

and this is Brooklyn's shadow box. I still have to add her first shoes to it.

Just a few things

 The weather has been beautiful and I have taken full advantage of it. I have taken the kids for walks around the park. I alternate who I take each day, and if it is Braxton's day I take him to the park to play after I am done my walk. I have been hanging my clothes out to dry. And also the fresh air has really helped Brooklyn sleep more soundly during naps and nighttime.

Braxton- now standing to pee in the toilet. But still no poo in the potty yet. Slowly but surely we will get there.

Brooklyn- she has now mastered rolling, and does this funny thing when she is on her back she uses her legs to scoot herself upwards all over the room. It is the funniest thing!

Me- I have decided to join Curves. I have done it before, but stopped when I lost my job (years ago). They have improved their machines by personalizing your workout so I can be challenged. I am trying to get my Mom to join with me, since it is much more fun with someone. So hopefully I can feel better about my post baby(s) body that I am struggling with accepting.

Here are some pics I took while out on a gorgeous day!

One of my many talents

Ok, so I don't REALLY have many talents. This is just something I offered to do, came up with the concept and it turned out really well. Or at least I think so. So "Beep Beep" that was my own horn. LOL

I made baby shower favors for my one of my Best Friends girlfriends. I was asked to be the God Mother, so this kinda like family to me. So I treated this project like a job interview. I wanted to impress. Here are a few pics of the favors.

The tags say her full name "Victoria Elizabeth Raine Smith"

That's right Raine, after me :o) That is what he has always called me along with everyone else in my family. I hope they like them. We will find out tomorrow.

Closing the gates

Barbie asks: about getting your tubes tied: how long did the process take? did it feel funny while they were doing it? were you awake for it? anything else you'd like to add? lol. 


First of all, sorry it took me so long to answer, I haven't checked my blog in awhile.  Ok, well let me start by saying I had my tubes ties right after my c-section. I was already opened up and numb, etc. so they did it at that time. It was discussed well in advance. It took about 10-15 mins after the baby was out. Then they had to put everything back in place which took about another 10-15 mins. I was awake and alert, I could not hear/feel anything. Also I did not notice anything different in the healing process from my first c-section. 


I have to add, since I assume you will not be having a c-section, that I believe they do this laproscopicly <- (spelling?) now.  I had a friend that went back a few weeks after her delivery and they just went in through her belly button and clamped them off.  She was awake ( I think) and was a little sore afterward. About 2-3 days.  But I think it all depends on your doctor.  Here is a great explanation of it tuballigation. 

Update

Well it has been awhile since my last post. Lots going on around here. We had doctors appointments, i have a baby shower I am helping with, Rick has been working overtime etc etc. I also have things I want to do, like shadow boxes for the kids. So I am just taking it day by day.

I will start with an update in my kiddos checkup's. Which was on my birthday, how fun!

Braxton: 3 year checkup
Height: 38 3/4 inches yes that is 3ft 2 3/4 inches! 70th percentile
Weight: 35.8 80th percentile!
Vision: 20/30 in both eyes. Which I am told is perfect at this age.
He got his H1N1 shot, and will need a booster in a month
Doctor said he is growing great and developing great!

Brooklyn: 4 month checkup
Height: 24 1/2 inches 45th percentile
Weight 12lbs 14 1/2 oz 20th percentile
Head: 16" 25th percentile
She is also doing great. She got 3 vaccines and cried less than her big brother with one shot. LOL
Her Tylenol dosage also went up to 0.8 now. So she is getting bigger.

I think it is so funny how my kids are on opposite sides of the percentile scale. My sister and I were the same way. I am What I call "huge" and she is petite. She is a little over 5ft and super tiny. I am 5'4" and have a large frame. :o/


Brooklyn is still teething, but she has mastered the art of the teething ring, which is such a relief. Now she is not crying as much because she can sooth herself a little better. She has also found her feet, which keeps her entertained for a good amount of time.

I will be taking Braxton to his first dentist appointment on Wednesday. I am really not sure how this is going to go. He loves to brush his teeth, but sometimes gives me a problem when I tell him it is my turn to brush for him to make sure he got it all. I am taking him to my old dentist, I say old because I changed dentists when I was living in Middletown. Now I don;t have dental, so I don't have a dentist. I chose them because I know the place, they are very nice. I am not sure how kid friendly they are, I guess we will see. I am sure it will be blog worthy. LOL

Flashing those pearly white for me

Weaning

Okay, so I have decided to stop breast feeding. I have gone back and forth with the decision for awhile now. I am doing what I feel is best for Brooklyn. I am kinda worn out about the whole situation. I have really been beating myself up about it. But Brooklyn seems to be happier when she is full. And the only way she gets full is when she drinks formula. I just have to accept that I tried and we BF for awhile and now it is time to move on. I would much rather have a healthy happy baby. Why do I feel like I have to defend myself while explaining this?

Oh and by the way....this is pretty painful literally and emotionally.

One of our final feedings

Blizzard #2

There was a lot of anticipation for the 2nd Blizzard in a week to hit. I was looking forward to it, only because I don't have to travel in it. And I enjoy playing in the snow with Braxton and I wanted to build another snow man. Also part of me was in denial. There is no way we were going to get another big snowfall in one winter when we had gone so long with very little snow each winter. I was wrong.....

Rick was asked to spend Tuesday night at work so they could get a jump start on the snow removal and work through the night so they did not get behind. It was double time and we could sure use the money. Well, he was there for 3 days straight. Due to the state of emergency he could not come home even if he wanted to. And they still had lots of work to do at the school. I missed him, Braxton missed him. There is nothing like being snowed in with 2 kids and missing their Daddy. When he finally did get home he was EXHAUSTED! He looked like hell. He got very little sleep while he was there, and he worked his butt to the bone. So I couldn't complain when he wanted to get some sleep. And to top it all off, he had to go in at 3am the next day. SO I tried to be quiet and keep the kids quiet while he slept. He did get up to eat dinner and then laid back down. He took Brooklyn so I could eat dinner and they were both asleep before I knew it.

I took advantage of the moment. LOL

So once things got back to normal a little I took Braxton outside to play in the snow. I tried to build another snowman, but the snow was really hard and I could only get these 2 little guys. 

But Braxton had fun throwing himself in the snow and trying to make snow angels. 

Our Weekend

Usually I don't really care about Valentine's Day. Yes I would appreciate a card or flowers but I don't NEED that stuff. We love each other everyday, and the "just because" flowers have much more meaning to me. I did tell Rick I wanted to get some chocolate covered strawberries. I had them for the first time when I was in the hospital after having Brooklyn. I fell in love. LOL. So Acme was having a special so we had my Mom pick some up while she was there. Not as good as the ones from Edible Arrangements, but they did the trick. But he insisted on getting me flowers, an iTunes gift card, a balloon, and a card from him and another from the kids. It was very sweet, and nice. But really I would have been fine without. I know he just wants to show me he loves me.

As for the kids. It was the SWEETEST thing when Braxton brought me the flowers and card and said "Happy ValentiMes Day Mommy, I love you too" It made the day so much more special! He says I Love you Too because I usually say I love you first. It was just priceless!

Rick and I had planned on going to Bj's to pick up some stuff and then we stopped by Wal Mart on the way home so I could get some gifts for the kids. Brooklyn got a jumper and Braxton got Spike the Dinosaur Jr. They both got a book that I could read to them. It is called "I Love my Family" Very cute!

In her Jumper thingy.

Spike Jr! He roars and walks!

First Foods

Well this weekend we tried Brooklyn on her first foods. The poor child always seems hungry, so I figured we should try. She hit all the required milestones to try food. So I tried some cereal. She wasn't that into it. She only took a few bites. So I figured she wasn't quite ready yet. SO Rick went to the grocery store and while he was there he picked up a couple first foods. So he decided to give her a few bites of prunes. Which is an odd first food, but our little girl is not a regular pooper so he was trying to kill to birds with one stone. Well she loved it! She ate about 2 tablespoons. We wanted to start slow. But she just ate it up!

See her little tongue!

She has been super fussy for a few weeks now. She is teething like crazy. She will bite my knuckle so hard it gets sore. Poor little stinker. So we got Gripe Water for her. It is for a number of things including teething. I have to say it works wonders. I recommend it to anyone that is having a fussy baby due to gas, teething, ear aches etc. I didn;t use it with Braxton but it was recommended to me by a friend. What a life saver!

New camera

SO I finally invested in a nice camera. Best Buy was having a sale so I decided to take advantage of it. I think it is going to take a little practice to get the kind of pictures I am looking for, but here are a few I took as soon as I got the camera, so they are not the best. But I can tell a huge difference in the quality of the picture already. And that is what I am going for.

My baby boy's gorgeous eyes

The princess

Braxton and his crazy expressions

Brooklyn is now a thumb sucker

So far I am happy with the camera. I am sure I will be even happier once I get it all figured out. It shouldn;t take me long since I am always snapping shots of the kids!

Milestones

This weekend was a great one. We got our tax refund and we "caught up" on a lot of things we had been putting off since we are always broke. We got Brooklyn's ears pierced. I was reluctant to do it, because I didn't want to cause her unnecessary pain. But everyone I talked to that has a daughter got them done at her age, or wish they got them done at her age. They heal better, since they can't mess with them. They won't remember the pain. Etc.  So we did it. She only cried for a second. really. I was so surprised. She did great and was all smile a few mins later. I am glad I did it. The rule in my house was you had to wait until you were 12 to get them done. I thought that rule was dumb, and I definitely didn't want to continue that tradition. So this is her at 14 weeks.

This is a few mins after. She was fine!

Brooklyn is also rolling from her stomach to her back. This little girl is growing up so much faster that Braxton did. It's nuts! Her teeth are still right below the surface. She has her good days and bad days. I can't wait until she feels better again. Her ears are healing fine. They actually look like they have always been there. No redness, no bleeding, no nasty crusty stuff. I have no regrets :o)

House of 4......will you add more?

 barbie said...

Do you think you will ever have any more kids? If not, will you get your tubes tied? Will Rick get "snipped"?

Well, this is something we talked about over and over again while pregnant with Brooklyn. We both come from 2 children households, and we wondered if we would continue the tradition, or go for more. Our decision was 2 is what we are happy with. No matter what the sex of the baby would have been we agreed that 2 was our max. We were blessed and very lucky to get one of each so we can experience the differences raising a boy and a girl. But I don't think I would have changed my mind if I had another boy. Not at all.

So I discussed this with my doctor and  we decided to tie my tubes during my c-section. I had to sign papers a month before my scheduled surgery, so I had time to think about it. It is quite a big deal, and my doctor at least, wanted to make sure I was making the right choice for me and my family. Which I believe I did.

I already miss being pregnant. Weird I know. And knowing that I will never be pregnant again is hard. But I know it was the right thing to do. Being a surrogate has even crossed my mind. LOL But if I ever feel the need to be a mother to more than 2 children, I would love to adopt and give a child a home that was not blessed enough to be born into one. Now of course that is in the very far future. WE have a lot to get in order with our own family first.

what's new....

Poor Brooklyn has been eating her hand and drooling everywhere. She has been a fussy little munchkin for a few days now. Her little tooth is trying to come through and it must be painful. She usually prefers to lay on her belly but lately she wants to lay on her back so she can chew on her little hands. She is also spitting up more frequently. I want to get her 3 month pictures taken but she has been so fussy. We may just have to stick with Mommy's amateur shots.

As for Braxton, potty training is still something we are working on. But he is doing pretty well. He has been saying some really funny stuff! Yesterday he said "whew, that was a close one!" It was so cute! He has also started "mocking" us. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's not. He will discipline himself. I will say his name and he will say "I know, be nice" or "I know eat your oatmeal" I tend to say "Braxton Michael James" when he does something wrong. James is not even his name, but it is Rick's middle name. It just sounds better when telling him no. LOL, So now when I give him the Mom look he says "Braxton Michael James" real fast like me. So funny! He keeps me laughing that's for sure. He still continues to be a great Big Brother and really looks out for Brooklyn. He makes sure she has her blanket and binkie and that her glider is on and the music is playing. He is such a lover. My little man.

I think I might....

I am back into my cooking phase again. What this means is I find new and interesting recipes and cook them for the family and then get their opinions. I prefer to use odd ingredients or things that don't sound good so when people try it and I tell them what it was they are surprised. This has lead to me using recipes as a guide, but creating my own version. But I have to say my feelings do get hurt when I am told "it was ok". But I get over it. LOL

I also like to try things that my fellow bloggers have posted. So that gave me an idea to also blog about my recipes and post pics etc. Then we could all share our favorite things and recommend them or not. And I could also share my "creations"

SO what do you think? Yay or Nay?

The first few weeks as a Mommy of 2....

 barbie said...

how hard were those first few weeks being home alone with a newborn and your toddler? how did you function all day with him when you hardly got any sleep the night before?

I am not sure if "hard" is the right word. Challenging, yes. I was lucky enough that Rick took off for a week after Brooklyn was born. This gave me a chance to try to establish a routine for her while Rick solely took care of Braxton. But even after that week, I was still juggling and taking it day by day. I am so so so so lucky that Braxton is a really independent child.  He is really good about occupying himself and playing with his toys. So at times when I had to BF, or take time with Brooklyn I would put him in his room and he would play. Then when I was finished doing whatever it was he could come back out and play with us. To this day, everyday is different, and some days are harder than others.  But just keep reminding yourself that this is temporary and try to enjoy every minute you can. It's not only about watching the new baby grow, but about the Big Brother grow in a different way now.

As far as functioning on little or no sleep. I have no idea how I did it. I think Mommy mode just takes over and you do what needs to be done for both kids. Lots of other things never got done, like dishes, laundry, or a shower. But when Rick came home he would take over and I could do things I needed to do. This is when the "good team" really comes in handy. There were plenty of nights that I felt like I was sleepwalking while getting up to change/feed Brooklyn. But during the day, I made it happen. Now I am lucky that they both take their 'long" naps around the same time in the afternoon. So I can usually get a power nap in if I am lucky.

Oh and another crazy thing that I realized while taking care of both kids is how big Braxton was/is. Before Brooklyn was born he was still my baby and I still considered him completely dependent on me. But once I had a newborn again, I realized just how much growing up Braxton had done, and what a "big boy" he had become. So I kind of rediscovered him again too. Which is happy and heartbreaking all at the same time.

Ask me anything

So I am taking this idea from Barbie and Alicia. I need some ideas on what to blog about. So if you have any questions for me at all just post it here and I will try to blog the answer. It can be anything about my Mommy life, to my relationship with Rick. Anything at all. I am open to it!

Crib transition and cradle cap

Ok, so yesterday Brooklyn was 3 months old. I can not believe how fast she is growing. Anyway, following instructions on the bassinet, I decided this was the time I would have her start sleeping in her crib. So Last night was the first night and she did very well. It was not an issue at all. She went to bed around 9:30, which is normal. She woke up at 5:30 to eat then went back to bed until 8. I have to say I was very pleased! So I will now in the next few days break down the bassinet, and wash it so it is ready for my God-Daughter Victoria!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention my Best guy friend Kurt asked me to be his daughter on the way's God-Mother. I have to say I was honored to say the least. What an awesome responsibility! And to top it off, her middle name is going to be Raine....after me :o) She is due in April.

Back to Brooklyn. She has had cradle cap, I think. I thought it was just me not washing the shampoo out of her hair well enough. I don't bathe her every day, so I didn't think it was just dry. So I took my Mom's advice and tried baby oil in her hair. I had read somewhere about how to use the cradle cap shampoo. You add it to their hair, then brush it gently then wash it out. So I was planning on giving her a bath today anyway so I put the oil in her hair and used the little brush they give you in the hospital and gently brushed her scalp. The flakes started just coming off! I have to say it looked pretty nasty, and if it was not my daughter I think I would have been grossed out! But after a few times brushing it, it seemed to be all loosened up. Then I gave her a bath and shampooed her hair. And it was a success! It seems that her cradle cap is gone! Braxton never had that issue, so this was new to me. So I am sharing this with you Mommies so you don't go buy the $7:00 shampoo for cradle cap, and just use good old baby oil!

not already!

Ok, so I think little Miss Brooklyn is getting her 1st tooth! Already!! She has been super fussy. I noticed she was drooling a lot and also started spitting up more. After reading Alica's blog about Jude teething it clicked. She is only 12 weeks old! So I stuck my finger in her mouth and I could feel a tiny little ridge in there. I could not believe it! I remember Braxton getting his first tooth pretty early, I think around 4 or 5 months. But wow, 3 months! So I have been massaging her little gums when she gets fussy. She bites down on my finger at times and chews a little. Poor little mama.

I guess with her being my last baby,  I want to take everything slow, one day at a time, and she is just zipping right by. It is so funny. With Braxton I was so anxious and waited everyday for Braxton to do something new, or hit that milestone. With Brooklyn I am so patient and will wait as long as I have to to savor each little moment and milestone with her. I think it is because now I know how fast it really goes. How quickly they grow, and before you know it they are 3!

So we will see when the little tooth actually breaks the surface. But I am not hoping for any day too soon.

days fly by....

Wow. All I can say is wow. It is a new year/decade. I have 2 beautiful babies and love being a stay at home Mom. I can honestly say I never expected this to be my life. I knew I always wanted kids, but never thought it would happen. I am not sure why. I have been with Rick since high school but never expected us to actually be a family some day. Then Brax came along, it was the best moment of my life! Even as he was growing up I thought he would forever be an only child. But I enjoyed being a Mommy so much I wanted just one more. And here I am! I could not ask for anything better than being a mother of 2. And even though it has taken A LOT of sacrifice, I am so happy to be able to stay at home with them.

So I am still breastfeeding. It is going very well. I still have formula as a back up. She seems to hit these growth spurts that my body will just not keep up with! It only takes about 1 day for my body to adjust, so I only have to supplement a few ounces. Brooklyn is getting bigger and she is healthy. She is almost 11lbs! She is growing so fast, I am trying to savor each moment with her since this is my last baby.

Braxton turned 3 on the 29th of December. We took him to Hullabaloo to play and he loved it! A few days before Christmas, he started potty training. He is doing pretty well. He even tells me when we are out that he has to go, and I sit him on those humongous toilets and he goes! I definitely thought that would be a problem, but he proved me wrong very quickly. I am really proud of him. And he continues to be a great Big Brother.

I have been taking time out of each day after Rick gets home from work to spend one on one time with Braxton. I have to say those moments are one of my favorite parts of my day. I can tell he enjoys it too. We usually read some books. Some over and over. Yesterday I had some errands to run and I decided to take him with me. We went to the eye doctor to pick up my contacts, Kohls, and Wal Mart. He was very well behaved. So I bought him 2 cars at Wal Mart. I really enjoy my time with him. Especially when he is a good boy :o)


Hopefully I can update a little more frequently in the future. Here's to hoping.....