Things I will miss about nursing

Bubba will be turning 1 on Saturday...that's right 1. I know, time has flown by and I just can't believe it! Here I was this time last year...



Here was Sister. She was just 19 months when he was born. I thought she was so big then- and when I look back, she was still such a baby. She use to pull up my shirt and rub my belly and suck her fingers (while I was pregnant, y'all. not recently. I had a pic of this but didn't think you would want to see my pregnant belly)



Here was Little Man after his first bath with Daddy.



And here at 6 weeks...



Since he is about to be 1, I have weined him to milk from a cup. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be with him. Harder on me, I guess. I remember breaking down on Sissy's 1st birthday because anyone could give her milk in a cup. Then, the next week I found out I was pregnant and I was fine because I knew I would be doing it all over again! This time, I am pretty sure I won't be finding out the same news. So, this might be it.
Here are a few things I will miss about nursing...

1. The time that I got to spend doing nothing else but sitting down with my baby and holding him. I will miss the cuddle time, although, he still likes to be rocked, for now.
2. The ability to eat whatever I want just because "I am nursing and need the extra calories."
3. The sense of accomplishment that I am A)saving our family some serious moolah by making this stuff my own personal self, and B)able to feed my baby the 'natural way' (although I didn't know 'natural' things could hurt so bad in the beginning.)
4. Being able to say, 'I can't, I've got to feed the baby' when there were things someone wanted me to do and I didn't necessarily want to do them.

So now I am back to wearing these things around that have no certain purpose at all and trying to figure out if there is any way (without surgery) I can get them to rest somewhere close to where they were 3 years ago.

Tagged...

So Erika tagged me. She is a friend from way back...I miss her since we don't get to see each other at church anymore (she goes where I grew up). Apparently, I am suppose to come up with 5 things I am addicted to. This is hard for me because I don't have a favorite restaurant, drink, food, etc. I am going to have to go a different route...here goes.

I am addicted to
1. Nap Time- Anyone who knows me knows that my kids DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE miss nap!! I will fight you on this one. I do not care what is going on in the world, crisis or not, my babies are going to take a nap. Period. And it will be planned at pretty close to the same time every day. Bubba might miss a good,long morning nap if we have something to do, but come afternoon, he is going down for a long one. If there is ever anything going on, it has to wait until after everyone has had the appropriate nap and I do not apologize for this.
I do not have the luxury of having a hubby that comes home at the same time every night just in time for me to hand the kids over. Meaning, I have them 'babies up to babies down' every day. Therefore, for my sanity, I need the break during the day (even if it is just 20 minutes that they are both down at the same time) in order to be a good mommy.
Now, if you want to come over and field the crying, gnashing of teeth, and screaming in the floor that happens after a nap is missed, be my guest. I am sure there is somewhere I could go. Otherwise, I will take nap time, thank you very much.

2. Our bed- Our bed is the most comfortable thing I have ever slept in. We got our mattresses at COSTCO a few years ago and they are the best. They are one of those S brands (sealy, serta, something) with a small pillow top. Not too soft, but not too firm. They cry for me at night and when I get out of them in the morning. Once topped with 500+ thread count sheets (WB is a sheet snob and will only sleep on soft ones) that have been washed with Costco brand Tide and Costco brand Downy softener, all of my thoughts just melt away. That is until I am awakened by WB's snoring.

3. My babies- I LURVE my kids! I could just pinch them and kiss them and hug them all of the time. I love to hear Sissy sing and talk and be so concerned about her brother after she knocks him in the head with the bathroom door. I love to see Bubba smile and giggle and squeal at the top of his lungs and hear him say Sis Sis. Even though there are times that things get a little hairy, I still could not imagine life without them!

4. My hubby- I love WB so much. He is my support system, my safety net, my best friend. I love it that he calls me at the same time every day (after job #1) to tell me how his day went and what he is up to next (job #2). I love to hear the key pop in the door every time he comes home. And I thank God each day that I hear this because I know that he is safe. I love that he is a provider and am certain that I do not have to worry about our family because no matter what happens, he will always make sure that we are taken care of. I love that I am who he confides in about everything from business decisions, to work issues, to which socks to wear with his khakis. I love that he wears his wedding band all of the time, even though it is dangerous sometimes (high voltage electricity + metal doesn't always mix well), but he does it because I have a thing about people wearing wedding bands when they are married. I am thankful that when I finally got serious about starting a business that he pushed me to do it and is doing everything he can to help me. I also love that he drives me absolutely insane on any given day and there are times that I could turn him over on my knee and wear him out (if he weren't bigger than me). That means that we have a normal relationship and I am thankful for that.

5. Being productive- I cannot just do one thing at a time. If I am watching a movie or TV show, I must be folding laundry, washing dishes, reading a magazine, filing paperwork, or something, at the same time. I can't just sit there and stare at the TV. If I am cooking supper, I also have to be coloring, doing a sticker book, or singing with Sister while playing ball with Bubba. I am not a good idle person.
This all ties into this whole business thing. For the last 3+ years of my life I have been producing either a child or milk for said child (with a few months of producing both simultaneously) and since we are supposedly done (for now) I feel the need to be doing something with my time. That is why I am trying to start my new adventure. So, I guess being productive is my last addiction.

I don't think I am going to tag anyone because this was a hard one. If you wanna do it, go ahead.

Hey Bachelor Fans!!!

I've found something you might enjoy...it's Chris Harrison's blog! I found it over at BooMama's and let me tell y'all that she also has the best review of the show each week. I couldn't say it better myself.
I am particularly interested this year since we have a local gal on there. Let me say publicly that she may overaccessorize a little but at least she is classy and doesn't puke/cry each episode. I am proud that she isn't making Alabama look bad.
And you are welcome for the blog link! Enjoy!!

Update and some pics

Here are my cutie pies in their Valentine's shirts I made. You can't really see them good, but they are puppies for Puppy Love! And, yes that is the Wiggles Guitar knocking Bubba in the head. Sister is afraid to let go of it. "Fruit Salad, Yummy, Yummy"

I am working on this business y'all and hoping to get some inventory in the next month or so...just in time for spring. I am hoping to stock bags, diaper bags, personalized umbrellas, etc.
I can do custom embroidery on your items now. I can also applique(or embroider) burp cloths, shirts and beach towels now. I hope to have my blog done in the next week or so. I will let you all know here and on facebook.

I will leave you with this final picture with the caption:
"Did someone lose their keys?"

**Booty to remain nameless...but I will say that it is NOT one of mine, but one that my little boy will be learning a lot from.

Exciting News coming soon!

There is good reason for it being so long since updating! I am in the process of trying to start a new little business!
I have always wanted my own business and the dream has changed so many times over the years. When I was little, I wanted to own a bank. (I think I have told yall about my obsession with hording money and not spending a dime) Then, as I got older, I wanted to have a wedding dress shop or be a wedding planner. After I got married, I realized that I didn't care anything about weddings anymore. So, I settled with WB's landscaping business. I will tell you that this was no way what I had dreamed of, but it has afforded us things (like staying home with the babies) and taught me the ups and downs of owning a business. Through all of the downs, I still wanted more.

So, since WB says no more kids for now, I must do something with myself. (ok, he says no more. I just add the for now because I am not convinced we are done)Therefore, I have purchased all things embroidery machine and will begin to monogram my way to realizing my dream...slowly. I will start out embroidering things people request (anything from outfits to bags to burp cloths to hats). The next step is to purchase bags, etc and begin selling at craft shows. Then, who knows. I would love to have my own retail site one day, if it comes to that. But, if it doesn't, I will be happy to just make enough so that I can be with the kids when they get out of school.

I am working on a dedicated blog for this business and toying around with a few names. In the meantime, if you need something embroidered, please email me - 2honeas{at}bellsouth{dot}net. I will be glad to do it for you! And keep checking in with me for updates!

Where is Bubba and a new recipe

So the other night I was finishing supper dishes while WB, Sissy, and Bubba were playing in Sissy's room. Evidently, Bubba wasn't really interested in what they were doing because he wandered off. Here is where we found him.


The Carpenter's Song "We've only just begun" is replaying in my head.

Since it's the new year and everyone resolved to eat better, I thought I would give y'all a less fattening cake recipe to try. The other one you can make in March when you have gone and broken your resolution. (You know you're gonna!)
This cake is a Weight Watcher recipe and is only 2 points per serving. Careful not to eat it all in the first night.

1 box of Angel Food cake mix
1 large can (20 oz. maybe) crushed pineapple in juice (not heavy syrup)
1 carton Cool Whip - I use the real stuff because there is a difference in taste

Combine cake mix and pineapple (don't drain pineapple). Pour into an ungreased 13X9 pan or pyrex dish. Bake according to the directions on the box. Serve with cool whip on top.
**This cake will get really brown and you think you are gonna burn it. You're not...well, hopefully anyway. Make sure the center bounces back when you touch it. It won't taste good if it isn't cooked all the way.

7 years ago today and the best cake you will ever eat

Seven years ago today (Jan. 4, 2002), WB and I got engaged! What a night that was...let me just tell y'all what happened. Well, I guess I should give you a little background first.

WB and I were set up on a blind date on November 3, 2001. I was not keen on the idea because I thought I was just fine getting dates on my own and did not need anyone to set me up thank you very much. But, I went, but I would only meet him at the restaurant. I did not want him to pick me up...I was also going through this independent stage. Anyway, we met at Darryl's Restaurant (which has sense been torn down) and after 4 hours of conversation, we decided we might should call it a night, especially since the waitress was glaring at us.
By date 3, I told my parents that I was going to marry him. I "just knew." (Before then, I never believed people when they would say they "just knew." I am a believer)WB said that we "had to date for 1 year before we could get engaged." I thought that was dumb and knew he wouldn't hold out that long. So, I said, whatever, I just need 6 months to plan the wedding.

So, fast forward (but not too fast, you might miss it) to our 2 month anniversary, January 4, 2002. It was an EXTREMELY COLD Friday night. WB had called me at work and said he had made reservations for dinner at The Clock Tower (which is also now closed, see a pattern? you will know why soon). So, I try to leave work early to not look like I had been in an office all day. He picked me up and off to dinner we went.
He ordered a steak (which he never does) and I got prime rib. It tasted a little funny, but I didn't say anything because I didn't want to upset him. (I sorta knew something was up that night, but I will NEVER tell him! He doesn't read our blog because it isn't about tractors, so I am pretty safe saying it here) So, about 5 minutes after dinner, it started...I had severe stomach cramps. I mean I thought I was going to die.
WB says, "Hey, let's go to the park!" UGH!! For one, it was 14 degrees. Secondly, I was trying not to get sick in his car. But, I went along with him. He wanted to walk to the bridge...I could only make it to the bench outside of the Museum of Art (halfway to the bridge). I sat down trying so hard not to be sick right there on the ducks. He asked me to marry him (I can honestly say that is all I remember him saying), I said yes. Then I said..."Do you think we can hurry up and get home?"
In between me contemplating if I could make it all the way to my parent's house or if we needed to go to his apartment and trying not to get sick in his car, he was saying 'Why aren't you crying?' 'Are you sure you want to do this?' 'Are you ok?' (Later he told me that I had a horrible look on my face and he thought I was having second thoughts! HA If he could have only felt the pain I was feeling!)
So, I call my mom and tell her to have the back door open for when we get there. And she does, so as I am trying to run in, she is saying "Let me see, let me see!" and standing right in my way. Seriously. So, I am not sure what I said (I am sure it wasn't nice), but she moved and I finally got to the bathroom. Poor old WB was still unsure if I "really wanted to do this" and I thought I was dying right there in the powder room. And, here comes momma "What did you get! Let me see!" not, "are you ok, can I help you, do you need a wet wash cloth?" Nothing like that.
So, finally after about an hour and a half, when there was nothing left in my body, I was able to muster up a few tears and really enjoy the fact that I was engaged! And, since I cried, I guess WB was happy and thought maybe I did want to marry him.
Not how I had dreamed that I would get engaged, but typical for my life. At least I had already lost a few pounds for my big day, right?
And, we were married 5 months later, without a hitch. But, then there was the incident about an hour after we closed on our house. (another day, another blog) For years, WB would have sworn that I "reacted this way during stressful situations." HA!

In honor of our mini-versary, I will leave you with a recipe for the best cake you will ever eat. Completely worth the trouble...it's WB's favorite. My grandmother use to make it for my grandfather all of the time. hmmmm.

Better Than Sex Cake
1 box butter cake mix
1 bag sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1 large box french vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 box German chocolate, grated (I usually omit this because I am lazy)
8 oz sour cream
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs (I have made it with 2 before and it has been fine)
1 stick butter melted

Icing: 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 box powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
nuts and coconut (optional)

Mix all cake ingredients together and pour in greased and floured bundt pan. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.
While baking, mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add in vanilla, nuts and coconut. Ice cake when cooled. (Sometimes I only make about 1/2 batch of icing and just ice the top. Just to cut down on the calories)

WB and I like this cake refrigerated and with a big ol glass of milk. It's rich, y'all but so good.
The name says it all! You might not want to tell your husband what it's called because he might not eat it. I like to take this cake to people who have just had a baby.
Enjoy!