Happy New Years!!!!

Thanksgiving and Christmas have come and gone. Too quickly if I may say so.
Hopefully in 2013, I will be able to enjoy them more. This year it was all go, go, go and no enjoyment. I mean, I enjoyed it...just not as full as I wish I could have.

I have a lot of things I want to work on in 2013 and hopefully blogging will keep me in line and honest with it. Here are some things I would like to do in 2013:

1. Work on our house.
I mean, B has boxes from when we moved in from 2008....that still haven't been unpacked. I want to redecorate our bedroom. Finish all the projects that were started: the bathroom, the kitchen and...the basement.
Oh and that darn office....with all the crap in it.... *shudder*
We need to de-clutter....badly.


2. Work on me.
I want to lose weight. I say this often, but I need to make it a reality. I'm overweight. I've about lost all of the weight I gained when I was pregnant, which puts me right where I was in 2011 when I said, "Well, if I'm not pregnant this month, I'm going on a diet for that wedding I'm in...."
Well we know what happened with that.
This also goes for my "attitude". B says I'm negative....I tend to agree, but it's hard not to be (for me anyway). But I would really like to turn this around.

3. Work on crafting.
I really want to open an Etsy shop. I'm just having a hard time with what I would want to make to sell. I feel like I have good ideas....I'm just having a hard time putting them into motion.
Also, I've always wanted to re-purpose furniture that I find out for the trash. I think it would be so fun to do.
I'd also like to get better at sewing.

4. Work on us.
B and I have been together for almost 9 years. Things are usually good between us, but they could be better. I think we can make this happen.

5. Work on my blogs.
This one in particular. I also have my son's blog about his journey with Spina Bifida and a blog B and I started devoted to trying new cocktail recipes.


I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Years.

See you in 2013!

-e

Thankful

C crawled last night.

It's been a hell of almost 14 months. He's behind...obviously...but we knew that.

He's been doing one little crawl here and there before spreading out and army crawling. Last night I caught him on video crawling in the kitchen, a few more crawls before transitioning into army crawling again.

I made him crawl to his room last night. Our hallway is about 15ft long and I got him to crawl after a ball.
He crawled the entire hallway.

And I cried.
Because of the hard, long, uphill, in the snow both ways road we took to get to this point. Because I wad so proud of him for finally accomplishing this goal. Because I'm so thankful that we will start to move on to new adventures.
Because we just showed Spina Bifida who is boss.

I've been a bipolar rollercoaster of emotions the last 24 hours, partly because of this, the rest due to other things going on in my life. So when I got home today, I was spent. Done. If I wasn't a mom, I would have Nyquil-ed it up and went to bed.

Except, there was a card in the mail. With a gift card in it. Just for me. From a secret Santa.
I can't share it with anyone at home. It's to a salon. Now a days, I receive a gift card, I spend it on C and B, instead of myself.
As selfish as this may sound, I a bit glad that I can't use it on them.

I plan to get a couple of mani's with it. Something that I haven't been able to get in a very long time.
To whoever you are who sent that to me: thank you. You can't even imagine how much this means to me.

<3
-e

Crap

Yeah, yeah.

Oops..I did it again....

I THINK about posting all the time... really, I do. It just doesn't happen. Ever.

Something always comes up, or I think about stuff in the car and by the time I get home, I forget.

I've had a busy few months and now the holidays are here...ick. Bah humbug.

My love for the holidays diminishes more and more every year. I don't know if its because the older I get the busier I get and I can't really even enjoy them, or what.

This year, I put up my tree...and some random nick nacks...thats it.

I somehow gained this fabuolus idea that I am going to make our stockings and pj pants as well..HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAA

HA.

O_O

They are great intentions, they are. But the intentions don't realize that there are other priorities that stand in the way, like cooking and cleaning and laundry and everything else in between.

5 stockings and 3 pj pants....by 12/24

The clock is ticking...tick tock....

Oh. Hi.

Yeah. I knew it. I'd slack.

And I'm thinking that this whole "structured" post of the day junk is defeating the purpose of "unpredictable ramblings”. o_O

So. I’m going to do just that, unpredictably ramble. Just like the blog says. No more, Mama Mondays or Did It Work Tuesdays. I’m horrible at schedules, obviously. So, I will just write posts about what is on my mind at the moment.
So. …

My son will be 12 months old tomorrow. Well, more like at 2:03am. For those of you who don’t know about my son, he has Spina Bifida. The journey that I’ve been on for the past 12 months has been a rollercoaster of emotions. Ups and downs. Twists and turns. With a blindfold on. And no direction.
We weren’t prepared for this journey, as we didn’t know he was going to be born with Spina Bifida. But, it is what it is. He’s here. He’s doing great. We’ve climbed that mountain and reached the top.
Is our journey over? No, it’s just beginning. But what I can say is that we’re fortunate to have so many people riding this roller coaster along with us. You know who you are.

Thank you <3

Does it work??

Pumpkin Spice Latte

I found a recipe on Pinterest to make PSL's at home.

A friend of mine found a recipe on Pinterest to make PSL's at home, she tried it and said that it came out really good and that she added more sugar than the recipe called for.

I decided to try it for myself, and I did so on Sunday morning.

Here is the recipe I used, however, I used skim milk, splenda and instant Folgers (because that's what I had in my house).

IT WAS GLORIOUS!!!!

It was so good that if I had the extra time in the morning, I would make it every day!! (I'm not sure what extra time entails, but if you know where I can find some, let me know!)

There was enough for 2 cups (I didn't share, not that B drinks coffee anyway. He thinks it's gross...blasphemy!!!))

I decide to compare to a Starbucks PSL, but with skim milk and splenda, just to see if there was a variation.

I ordered it skinny, and it tasted the exact same!!!!

So, if you are a PSL lover like I am, try it out. It's not that hard to do!



So, does it work? I would say - YES!

-e

Mama Mondays

Happy Monday!

How was your weekend?

We were busy this weekend. We went to a wedding. Did some shopping. Prepared for the big party this weekend. All in all it was a great few days.

I was happy to have a day out with my little man:

For those of you who don't follow our other blog you may not know October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month.

Follow us on Facebook to learn facts about Spina Bifida all month!

<3 e

Mama Monday

Ah. I really don't like Mondays, especially after such an awesome weekend.

Us N's didn't do much of anything this weekend. B wasn't feeling good and it was cold this weekend. We did venture out on Saturday night to see some fireworks.

We had an uneventful Sunday. Laziness followed by Draw Something and movies. I made Mac n Cheese in the crock pot and made a batch of cupcakes for C's party next weekend.

I didn't do laundry, I didn't really clean.

It was a beautiful weekend for the first one of fall.

Mondays always make me sad because we have to get "back to the daily grind" and time spent together during the week is few and far between.

The only good thing about this morning is that C figured out how to drink from a straw.
Yay for small steps!!!!

Happy Monday!
-e

Thankful Thursdays

My husband says I’m a negative person.

Whateves….. I’m not negative, people are just annoying. …

But, in an effort to be less negative…for my husband…

I bring you: Thankful Thursdays

I’m thankful for B (my husband), C (my bebe), my job (which I don’t always like), my house and all my shoes.

I’m thankful for my fingers, so I can write my blogs.
I’m thankful for food, because I like to eat.
I’m thankful for trying Nutella….well (if you have not tried Nutella, you better go do it because it’s awesome sauce…or don’t because you’ll start hiding in rooms eating it with a spoon)

Most of all I’m thankful for my friends (you KNOW who you are) who don’t need constant reminders that I’m thinking of them.


What are you thankful for today?

Mama Mondays

Or Manic Mondays

or Man, I can't believe I still feel hung over from the party Saturday night Monday ...no? Well...


So Man, I can't believe I still feel hung over from the party Saturday night Monday.

Let's have a weekend wrap up:

My b-day party was on Saturday.

It.Was.Epic.

I appreciate all that came to help me...welcome (?) 30.

The evening was great. I had a great time. We closed down Oaks and I definitely paid for it on Sunday. Did my hangover suck? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes.

Good thing I only turn 30 once. I know there are pictures out there....post them...or maybe not.

I saw a video....I hope it never gets leaked ;-)


Next

Manic Monday

I still feel a bit...craptacular today. I'm extra tired. My tummy still doesn't feel 100%.

I'll get over it....is it 4:30pm yet? I'm ready for my jams.



Finally

Mama Monday


As I mentioned in my first post, I'm a mom. I'm going to assume most of my readers know about my son and his struggles. If not, you are more than welcome to read about him here.

In short, he was unexpectedly born with Spina Bifida and also has Hydrocephalus which is controlled by a programmable shunt.

He will be 11 months old on Wednesday and it has been a rollercoaster of learning, accepting, anger, surgeries, specialist appointments....It's a lot.

I don't think people understand how different our lives are comparing us to an average set of parents.

He was in and out of the hospital for the first two months of his life. I didn't get the average maternity leave...I was with him for three weeks before I went back to work. I had to get to know him in those three weeks and for most of that, I played his nurse. I had to give him dressing changes and administer antibiotics. Something a new mother SHOULDN'T have to do.

He had to go back to Chicago monthly for rechecks. In January he had his first shunt revision. He’s had MRI’s and bladder tests and ultrasounds.

In March he had to start wearing glasses. Yet another specialist to add to the ones we already have.

He has therapy every Tuesday.

He had his seventh surgery in August. He was 9 ½ months old.

He goes to see his specialists often.

I don’t think that people understand that this life we have.

It’s not free. We had back to back deductibles and out of pocket payments we had to meet. We have bills and bills and bills. Every time I turn around. We don’t qualify for state help.

We can’t afford to do things like we used to. We have to feed him too.

And he grows like a damn weed, so he’s got to have clothes to wear.

We’re busy. He keeps us busy.

We don’t intentionally not call people. We don’t intentionally not want to hang out with our friends. We do. Our time is just limited.

Being a mom is pretty hard stuff.

Being a mom to a special needs mom is 10x harder.

I just wish people could understand that.


-e

The start

Today, I am 30.

A new day. A new year. A new decade.

The last 10 years have flown by yet so much has happened.

Made new friends. Turned 21. Played softball. Met a boy. Got a new car. Moved out of my mom's. Bought a house. Got a dog. Got married. Got a new car. Got my billing and coding certificate. Got a dog. Got Pregnant. Had a baby.

That's a lot.

But yesterday, when I was still 29, I was feeling sad, anxious....unaccomplished.

I felt like 30 was the end of days for me. I couldn't do what I've become accustomed to. I can't shop in the juniors section anymore. I can't wear platform heels. I can't drink beer, and I can't eat cake when I want. I have to be responsible. I mean, I'm a mom now, so I can't have fun anymore. There was so much I should have done in the last 10 years and now it's too late.

Life.Is.Over.

Or is it?

I woke up at 5:30am today. Seriously? I can't get out of bed at 5:30am any other day, why am I up this early on my day off? *SIGH*

I checked my phone (my crackberry (blackberry) that is seriously on it's last leg...like a crack head that's been in the game for a minute...)and already had numerous FB birthday wishes...which made me feel good about the day.

I tried to go back to bed, but decided to get up and have a cup of coffee in silence.

It was glorious.

I only got about half way through when C woke up. I got him out of bed and he gave me a hug...a birthday hug? We'll call it that. We snuggled for a bit

and I got him a bottle, then let him play on the floor until he jacked his mouth on a toy which his mouth started to bleed because of course he hit right where he is getting a new tooth, so B got up helped me clean up C and then they both went back to bed for an hour or so...blah, blah, blah....

Now were eating pancakes, for the first time ever. :)

See this blog totally IS ramblings!!!!

Anyway....

This is where I'm going to tell that I want to have theme days. You know, structure.
Mama Mondays, Does it work Tuesday, Weight-loss Wednesdays, Thankful Thursdays, Fun Fridays, Random Saturdays, and Photo Sundays.

Now I can't guarantee I'll post every day. I can't guarantee I'll post every week. But I'll post.

And it's Tuesday.

Does it work? NO....ha ha ha...

I'm not going to do one today but for future Tuesdays, I'm going to try something I find on Pinterest, or a product of some sort and write a post about it.

I hope you all will enjoy my blog.

Laterz....(can I say that now that I'm 30? Wutevs.)

-E