Closet Envy

I'm having me some serious closet envy. I stare at my closet, my son's closet, my daughter's closest, the spare bedroom closet.....U.G.L.Y. (you ain't got no alibi, you ugly, hey hey, you ugly) compared to these pretties. Here's a little closet eye candy for you all. Oh, how I covet you meticulously organized closets. Maybe I could find something to wear if my closet were as organized as these?
I got an email from Land of Nod yesterday...this was the first picture I saw. B.E.A.U.tiful!

And how stinkin' cute is this little girl's closet? Having a closet with no doors or curtains to hide the clutter is very risky at my house. As my husband says, I'm an of out-of-sight-out-of-mind kind of gal. I wouldn't say that my closets are hideous, but they certainly aren't as pleasing to the eye as these are.

Maybe if I had several more weeks of maternity leave I would consider giving my closets a makeover.....but sadly I don't--so for now I'll just have to dream. Do real people actually have closets like these? If so, I'm super jealous!

Hodgepodge

Brace yourselves....VERY LONG POST AHEAD!!! We've had a busy 2 weeks. Griff & Hubs got the stomach bug that was going around. Griff also had ear infection. Good times. But the illness couldn't keep the little guy down. He was still busy building forts & making a mess!
But he did get a little rest. This is a rare moment. The kid is constantly going 100 miles an hour.

Here he is modeling his winter coat for next year. Gotta LOVE the Outlet Mall end of the season sales (and MIL spoiling the kids rotten! THANKS!!!) He is also sporting my socks.

Sexy legs buddy! Channing is 7 weeks old today. Hard to believe this is my last week of maternity leave. It has gone by so quickly. I'm ready to get back into my normal routine, but I'm also a little sad to take my princess to daycare.

For the most part, she's a pretty happy baby. She loves to lay on a blanket & play. She smiles a lot & loves to watch big brother act silly.

Unfortunately, she's still not sleeping through the night. She hates her crib. HATES her crib! She sleeps in her swing or in her little vibrating chair. We've tried the crib numerous times, but she'll sleep soundly for about an hour & then wake up screaming. I don't think it is a reflux issue because she doesn't mind laying flat when we play. Pretty sure she's just a high maintenance little lady. We'll keep working on the crib & one of these days she's going to LOVE it!

I've done a couple more things around the house. Figure I won't have any free time once I go back to work! I added some shelves going down the stairs. I'm not sure if I love the frame arrangement, but I'll leave it for now. Changed up the decor on the buffet

My FIL found this old suitcase when he was cleaning out his attic. He was going to throw it away, but my MIL knew I could find a place for it. I love it!

I'd like a little collection of old suitcases. Until I get my stackable collection, this is where this guy will sit.

& I updated the pictures on the wall

And finally, A movie review.....sort of.

I love movies....except for The Lovely Bones. Not my cup of tea. I should have listened to my SIL's warnings. I should have checked out some reviews on the internet. I should have saved my $10. It stunk....like Griff's dirty pants (speaking of Griff, he initiated peeing in the potty twice on Saturday!!! nope, none on Sunday though). Anyway...my sister & I were excited to go to the movies. I love the high calorie popcorn & oh the joy I get when I add those plain M&Ms. I also love me some fountain Mt. Dew. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! I love watching the previews for upcoming movies...I can even handle the stupid commercials/ads they throw in there once in a while. Well, the movie was too "out there" for me. The only thing that kept this sleep deprived girl awake was Dumb & Dumber sitting next to us. They came in after the previews, arms full of jumbo tubs of popcorn & the largest soda they could get. They were little people, so I thought WOW, that is a popcorn fan. 1/2 way through the movie the dude got up and got refills on both the popcorn & soda. He was a rather loud eater. CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH....wipes his hands on his napkin CRUMPLE, CRUMPLE, CRUMPLE. Slurps his soda & repeat. That wasn't the worst of it. The man & woman talked the ENTIRE movie. At first they were just making comments here & there. Then towards the end they were having a full-on conversation about every minute detail. And the man used a lot of profanity. Much to my sisters dismay, I shhh'd the guy quite loudly. It didn't phase him. The couple in front of us turned around & told him to shut up, but he didn't listen to them either. They were in their own little world. The movie may have been terrible, but this obnoxious couple next to us had my sister & I rolling by the end of the movie. It was just good to get out of the house & laugh!

I'll leave you with Griff reciting his ABC's. Toward the end of the alphabet everything kind of runs together.

Earthquake in Haiti

What happened in Haiti is devastating. Kelly over at Kelly's Korner is spreading the word about donating money to the people of Haiti. It is super easy & just takes a quick second to send a text message. Please give to those less fortunate! If you don't know how to text, ask your kids to help you :)

Text "Haiti" to 90999 to give $10 to the Red Cross. It will be on your next phone bill. OR you can text "disaster" to 90999 to give $10 to Compassion's disaster relief program. Either way, it is incredibly easy & you are making a difference. Please give.

A Professional Photo Shoot

Channing had some professional pictures taken today. They turned out a little better than the ones I took earlier this week.

You wouldn't even know that she cried almost the entire time we were getting them done.
The lady taking the pictures was wonderful.
She was able to calm my child down better than I could.
A little pathetic on my part! I think those photographers take some sort of course in making silly faces & strange sounds to amuse babies.

I'm going to have to sign me up for one of them classes.

Luckily after the pictures Channing fell fast asleep so my MIL & I were able to grab a bite to eat & do some shopping (another weekly Target run...spending a fortune on diapers, wipes, formula, etc)

& I ended up spending WAY more on the pictures than I had anticipated. I'm glad I had so many good ones to choose from, but it would be much easier on the pocket book if there was only one or two to pick from!

Random Questions

When you are up at 4AM many a night, your mind starts to wander. I have these random questions that pop into my head & I wish I could find the answers.......

1) What is the best age to take your kids on a Disney vacation? (saw a commercial & I REALLY want to see Mickey!)2) What painter honestly thinks FLAT paint is a good idea in a home with children?

3) When will this flabby belly go away?

4) Do we have any ice cream left?

5) Why does my 2 year old get out of his bed at 5AM EVERY morning?

6) Could Super Nanny help keep my child in his own bed?

7) Why would anyone want to date Jon Gosselin?
8) How did I get so lucky to go to bed at night & the thing I worry about most is which kid will be waking up first....I don't have to worry about bombings, earthquakes, starvation....SO LUCKY.

9) How does adding one kid increase you laundry loads exponentially?

10) How am I going to keep up with this laundry when I go back to work?

11) When does "It's Complicated" come out on DVD? I absolutely loved that movie (saw with MIL last weekend....so great to get out of the house!)

12) Will I ever get to see Journey in concert again? Don't Stop Believing......

13) Did Channing poop AGAIN?

14) Am I really done having kids?

15) What the heck is the movie Avatar about?

16) What took us so long to get a DVR? (Hours & hours of Barney & Friends recorded to keep Griff happy!)

17) Will my volleyball team kick me off the squad if I'm absolutely terrible tonight?

18) Does anyone else find George Stephanopoulos extremely sexy (in spite of his Ken-like hair)? Grrrrr

19) Was Amy serious about going to see PINK or Lady Gaga in concert this summer? (I hope so!)

20) Will I get a nap today?

anyway...that's what I ponder at 4 in the morning.

Amateur Photo Shoot

After Channing's bath this afternoon she begged me to take some photos of her since she was feeling oh so pretty. She decided to put on her party dress--even though we weren't having guests or going anywhere. My kind of gal--dressing up just because!

I was never a big fan of bows on little girls. Looks like they are wrapped up like presents.....but I have to admit, I'm starting to change my attitude towards them.
It is pretty darn cute.

What a little flirt!

She's starting to smile!

Channing 5 weeks old

She also wanted to show her athletic side.

Future WNBA star? Maybe an Olympic gold medalist in track? Possibly a professional tennis player? Golf pro?

The possibilities are endless.

Well almost.

I'm guessing she won't be a gymnast or a horse jockey. Not if the size of her feet are any indication of how big she'll be!

Check out those long piggies!

What I've Learned (so far)

I've learned a few things about myself these past few weeks being a temporary stay-at-home mom of two children, and all. The first thing I have learned is that I will NEVER be a permanent stay-at-home mom. I have the utmost respect for moms that are able to stay at home with their children. I LOVE my kids more than life itself, but I do not have the energy to be with them 24/7. It is hard work! Is that wrong? I am fortunate that I love my job outside of the home, & we need the income, so I'll keep on working!

I've learned that you have to multi-task with a toddler & a newborn. This morning as I was feeding Channing, & Hubs was taking a nap {He first let me take a 2 1/2 hour nap. It was WONDERFUL!}, Griff went to his usual place behind the chair to do his business. Moments later he came around the chair stating he needed to go potty. Well, I could smell that he had already done the deed, so I said no, just wait a few minutes & Mommy will change your diaper. Well, the kid proceeded to run into the bathroom, take off his soiled diaper, put his hands in the poo, & then sit on the potty....meanwhile getting poo on everything around him. Excellent. Silly me, I should have been able to assist my child to the toilet & feed my baby simultaneously. {sorry, no pics, I was too frazzled to find the whole ordeal amusing at the time}

I've learned that my memory is fading. I seriously cannot remember the last time Griff had a bath. We usually bathe him every other day...unless it is summer & he is playing outside--then sometimes the kid gets several baths in a day---anyway, I know he had a bath Tuesday before the Orange Bowl, but after that everything is fuzzy. Oh, and we won't get parents of the year for constantly forgetting to change his diaper. I change Channing's so often, that I sometimes forget to change Griff's for hours. Poor neglected kid. He'll most likely be the smelly kid in school & I'm certain he's going to have some sort of complex & need therapy down the road.

I've learned that the longer I am stuck in the house, the more redecorating I will do, the more internet shopping I will do, and ultimately, the more money I will spend. When you constantly stare at your mantel, or a wall, or your laundry room, or your bathroom, or your bedroom....the more you want to change things up. I really need a change of scenery!

Here are some pics of the mantel. I haven't changed anything else...and don't plan to {relax Hubs}, but I did need to get rid of the Christmas decor & I thought I'd freshen things up. It might be a little too much glass; but for now, I like it.

I've learned I hate snow. {I think at some point in my life I already knew that one}
I also hate windchill.
These negative degree days SUCK!


I've learned that Channing is developing her own little personality. She's starting to talk & play more. She hates to nap in her crib, loves to eat, & we're all in trouble if she doesn't burp.

She's also starting to go bald. Bye bye pretty dark hair. I was concerned at first, but the trusty internet tells me that this happens with fluctuations in hormone levels after birth. But, the most important thing I've learned is that my babies go from this.......

{griff 7wks old}

....to this

in such a short period of time & even though some days are VERY frustrating, I shouldn't take any of it for granted. Time flies, and I need to cherish every moment with my kids!

{Have I mentioned Griff hates wearing pants? Hope the indecent exposure phase will pass.}

Channing 4 weeks old

Hard to believe this tank was 4 weeks old on Tuesday. She keeps growing & growing. Since the holidays are over with, my newest challenge is trying to get her to sleep more at night & not so much during the day. Unfortunately that task isn't going so well. The girl has her days & nights mixed up. I try to keep her up more during the day, but she starts to get overly tired & VERY cranky. Then Momma starts to get cranky. Bad combo. Channing loves her swing. I also love her swing. That seems to be our go-to at 2AM when she can't seem to get comfortable anywhere else. Hubs & I just keep reminding ourselves that she is ONLY 4 weeks old. Some babies do not sleep through the night until they are 11 months old (right Hubs?). I think the most frustrating part is that Griff has decided he needs to be getting up during the night also....& it is usually after we've put Channing back to sleep & are starting to fall back to sleep ourselves. At this point we would be elated if just ONE kid would sleep through the night!

Aah, parenthood.She might have my eyes, but she still has Daddy's cheeks!

And what is up with this weather?

Can it get any colder?

Could we get any more snow?

Yes & Yes.

I'm happy to be warm & cozy in my house, but it would be nice to be able to start taking Channing out into the world. I was hoping to be able to walk the mall with her by now, but it is too dang cold to be taking my newborn out. I guess our mother/daughter shopping sprees will have to wait.


Oh, & How about them Hawkeyes?!

My kiddos really enjoyed the victory!

Should I Be Concerned?

With all the toys Griff got for Christmas, all he wanted to do was play with the breast pump.