Friday, August 28, 2009

In a nutshell....

My original idea was to make this short, quick and to the point, but then what fun is that? I'm sure you all want to hear every little detail of my Las Vegas trip, right? The best part is when Magellan got himself lost....hence his wonderful name! It was quite funny. But that comes a few paragraphs down. The first fiasco is our damn flights! Have I mentioned I hate freaking flying???

So, Magellan and I made a very late night of it last Thursday, the day before we were to fly out. Our flight was scheduled at 9am, we were preparing to leave around 7am. Neither one of us likes to sit in the airport, so we usually wait till the last possible minute to leave. This trip was NO exception. I think I fell asleep around 1am, only to have Ella wake up wailing around 145a. I guess she must've known I was going away and just had to see me one last time. Randy and I always joke around that she knows when I leave b/c she's always absolutely miserable. Sometimes I choose to do my shopping or quiet time after she goes to bed, but it never fails. After 10 1/2 months, she will still wake up and wail for almost an hour. Randy, of course, goes to check on it, but she typically wants nothing but Mommy. OK, I'm getting off track now....so, I finally pass back out around 230, and here Magellan come in close to 315 or so. Well, around 330a my phone starts buzzing and I can hear Magellan mumble, "Who the hell is calling you?" And naturally, I would know?? I don't recognize the number so I ignore the call and roll over. Well, a few minutes later it buzzes, which signifies a message was left. Of course, I listen to it, knowing that the majority of my immediate family is already in Vegas....you never know what could happen. Low and behold to my utter amazement, it's a status update for our 630AM FLIGHT! I'm thinking, what the hell? I run downstairs to double check on the computer, and yes indeed, our flight leaves at 630a. You do realize what this means right? We have to get up NOW and leave for the airport by like 445a. I am not happy and I am dreading waking the grizzly bear (that's my husband, in case you didn't know!) I lightly shake him to no avail....after about 5 minutes of shaking and whispering his name, he finally answered me and said to get him up in a few minutes. I think the only reason neither one of us was really ticked off was b/c we had SO been looking forward to this vacation for many months, and it was with NO children. I think we were just so glad to have Magellan/Lindsay time. We make it to the airport, very late b/c we didn't leave on time. And of course, the line to hand in our baggage was longer than anything I have ever seen. Something was wrong with all the Northwest/Delta printers and no one had gotten their bags checked in yet. Thank god though, b/c that meant the plane wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. There wouldn't have been anyone one board, LOL! Then doesn't it figure, we are the only flight that doesn't have it's gate assignment showing on the board. And of course, there are no agents to help us at either one of the concourses. So while I send Randy to grab a quick bite to eat, I'm running around like a moron looking for our gate. I finally found an agent to help me who responds with an attitude like, "Duh!" I should've had like X ray vision or something. We finally board and eat our breakfast and are off! YAY! We get to Detroit and find out we have 3 hours before our next flight. Ick! I hate waiting that long...so I ball up my sweatshirt, find a sunny spot, and sleep on the floor. I didn't care, I was so tired.


We made it in one piece to Vegas, and it's blistering hot out and sunny. Of course, we just want to chill for a bit, so we put our suits on and head down to the pool. It was so nice to just sit and enjoy the sun and warm water. Later on we head down to the main part of the strip. I had a purse store that was calling my name, and Magellan and my little bro wanted to go to Caesar's to gamble a bit. I found some wonderful things and then the boys decided to go to the casino while my sister in law and I walked around shopping for a bit and people watching. If you ever want to have an awesome time people watching, just go to Vegas. Seriously. The most intriguing people live there and visit there. I had a ball just staring at people walk by. I mean, I don't think half the people there ever use a mirror. Case in point below:



On to the "Lost Hubby" part. Apparently he was doing really well at whatever Casino he was at. And anyone who has gambled knows, if you're gambling you get free drinks. So of course, he was drinking it up. Well, the Jack and Coke did him in b/c he decided to walk back to our hotel, which by the way, is NOT far from the strip. But at 2am when you're drunk and tired, you really just want to get back. Well, the joke is that Magellan had other things on his mind b/c he walked right by our street, and before he realized where he was, he was in front of Hooter's. Hysterical, b/c that's like 30 mins out of the way. My mom felt bad for him, the rest of us just called him a dumb ass. Needless to say, he finally made it back around 245a, and then slept till 11am the next day!



Everything else went great. Oh, except for the damn weather. Can you believe it rained EVERY DAY we were there! I had no choice but to spend it shopping! We had a blast at the mile mall at Planet Hollywood. We wandered around the MGM, watched the lions, went to the Aquarium at Mandalay Bay and I even got a new tattoo. This is my LAST ONE! It was by far, the most painful one I have gotten yet. But the guy was fantastic, and yes, it cost a fortune. Apparently we choose the studio where all the stars go, but heck, it was worth it! It still looks so fake to me...and I have yet to come to terms with the fact that I got it on my foot! It's adorable, and I do not get a tattoo that doesn't have any sort of meaning either. So it's not a waste to me. My mother, who HATES tattoos (and threatened to disown me if I ever got one!) loves it. She thinks it's adorable. Here's a picture:



The black are CJ's initials, and the ladybugs represent Ella. We decorated her room in ladybugs and she always ends up with clothes with ladybugs...and if you haven't noticed the name of my blog? Yep, she's my little ladybug. So there you have it. My trip in a nutshell. Oh, did I mention I had to walk like I had a broken foot for two days? That is how painful it was afterwards. I actually almost passed out from the pain at one point. And I typically have a very high threshold for pain. Believe it or not it is still a bit red and swollen. But I love it and am glad I didn't chicken out at the last minute.


Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Wordless Wednesdays - LAS VEGAS






























Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Wordless Wednesdays - Happy 10 Months Ella Dominique!













Tuesday, August 11, 2009

All about me


While the kids are busying themselves, I decided today is a good day to blog about what I want. Not that I don't like blogging about my kids and crazy life, but I just felt that I had to get some things off my chest. Typically I like to hold things in, keep them bottled up while I figure out how to deal with them, but I've been told it's not such a good thing to do. And it's my blog right, so I can blog about what I want!

Where to start....hmmm...well first off, I hate the fact that some people assume that just because I stay at home with my kids means I'm stupid or incompatent. Like, people say, "Oh what do you DO?" And I say, "Oh I stay at home and raise my children." And then I get the classic shocked look and the same old response, "OOOOhhhhhh." I do have a degree, in fact, I have a degree and a half, LOL. Not that either one is doing me any good and probably never will at this point in my life, but just because I stay at home with my kids does not mean I dropped out of school or am too stupid to get a job. I am actually surprised at all the mommy friends I have that DO stay at home. When I worked, it didn't seem so common at all. Probably b/c I worked with all women who had kids and HAD to work to support the family. I am lucky enough to have a hard working (sometimes annoying and stressed out) husband who is very successful and therefore I can stay at home and we can still do some special things for the kids.

Secondly, staying at home is NOT easy. There are days I would rather have a daytime job to turn to just to have some adult interaction or a break from screaming, whining children. And I am by NO means saying working full time and taking care of a family is easy either. I did it for 3 years. That is very stressful too, and I can remember constantly feeling like CJ never got to see or do enough things with Randy and I. Now, it's almost like he does too much with me, LOL. But, there's always a con to whatever you choose to do. Back to the point, when a woman stays at home, they are expected to take care of everything else imaginable. For instance, I take care of CJ and Ella, clean the house almost every day, do the laundry, do the dishes, make breakfast/lunch/dinner, pick up after the kids AND the hubby (after 33 years he still hasn't figured out how to pick up after himself!), and at the end of the day after all is said and done, I have MAYBE a 1/2 hour of time all by myself. Phew!

My son has severe allergies. He also has asthma. He also has some pretty tasty skin b/c the bugs love him every summer! Every year he gets a few awful colds b/c of his allergies and asthma. And NO, it's not because I didn't nurse him. It's not b/c he was formula fed, or b/c I gave him rice cereal at 3 months, or took his paci away at 12 months. He was born this way. Unfortunately, he inherited my family's allergy history. CJ was just unlucky in that department. And tagging along for the lifelong ride with his severe allergies is asthma. Actually it is quite common to have allergies AND asthma b/c of the inflammation in the lungs. Other than that, CJ is a pretty normal healthy guy. He hasn't had the flu or a strain of it in over 2 years. Ella wasn't nursed either. She was formula fed from her second day in this world and still is **gasp**. She had severe reflux, has a derma cyst above her eye which she will need surgery for to remove it, has 3 hemangioma birthmarks but it is NOT b/c she was formula fed. I just really want to tell people that reflux has nothing to do with breastmilk or formula. Read the studies....do the math. My cousin, who exclusively nursed all 3 of her kids, had 2 babies with reflux. They just had dairy issues. My good friend who nurses her daughter also had severe reflux and was put on the same meds as Ella as a baby. Again, it was an issue with the gut not being mature enough to handle dairy products. All they were told was to cut all dairy out of their diet. Wouldn't you know, they make a non dairy formula? It's called Similac Alimentum, and from the day we put Ella on it, she thrived and packed on the pounds. And guess what? Now she can tolerate milk based formula and dairy products. I did not neglect my kids b/c they were formula fed, rather I had supply issues and according to all the lactation consultants in the hospital, parts of my anatomy were not made to naturally nurse. So rather than frustrate my children and I, I took a more simpler approach. Sometimes, I do get all misty-eyed and wish I had made more of an effort to nurse at least one of my children for at least a few weeks, but it was not in the plan I suppose. And for those of you who do, I congratulate you b/c I am sure it is an awesome feeling to provide for your child in that way. Not to mention it's WAY CHEAPER!!!! I am not one of those people who can't stand to see nursing mother's in public either. Rather, I think the U.S. should be more open and accepting of it b/c it's a natural thing. I will also never frown on someone who chooses to formula feed rather than nurse. Everyone has their reasoning and should never be judged. So, for those of you who think to yourself, oh that baby has issues b/c they were/are formula fed, please think before putting your foot in your mouth. Some of the most sickly children that I know personally were exclusively nursed for many months. So there you go.

Friday, August 7, 2009

War Wounds


So, the fam and I finally had a rare opportunity to go out together and get some ice cream. Here in Rochester, summer's don't last too much longer, so I figured better get out while we can! Usually Randy is working late on Fridays in the summer, but this time he wasn't. So off we went! I knew Ella would love it b/c she is such a people watcher, and CJ likes to be able to run around. Although what little boy doesn't?? Anyway, we ate our ice cream, and poor Miss Ella was being very neglected! She was growling and making all sorts of noises b/c she just wanted someone to share their food with her! So, I gave in and she had some yummy chocolate with peanut butter cups. Don't hate me 'cause I gave her peanut butter and she's only 10 months old, LOL. If you know me, I do NOTHING by the book with Ella. We fly by the seat of our pants. She loved every minute of it and I swear ate half my dish of ice cream. CJ couldn't get thru all of his, but not b/c he wasn't interested. Only b/c there was a huge trampoline type thing that he wanted to jump with all the other kids. We were sitting right in front of it, so we said he could go. And of course saying "Be Careful" falls on little boys deaf ears. Not more than 10 minutes later we heard the classic CJ screech. For anyone who has never heard this, thank your lucky stars! It is, and always has been, the loudest most ear piercing shrill screech I have ever had the luxury of experiencing. You would think at 4 years old he would've maybe moved past that embarrassing sound, but heavens no!!!!!!! Anyway, we see him holding his face and crying so hard he was barely breathing. Randy ran up to get him, and being the OCD man that Randy is, he stands there trying to take his shoes off (there was a sign that said no shoes while jumping). I'm worried about CJ, not knowing what to expect when he finally peels his hand from his mouth, and Randy is standing there playing with his shoes. Good God mister, just go grab your screaming kid! He carried CJ over to me, and of course he had some blood in and around his mouth. He actually had a couple splashes on his shirt, poor little man. Apparently him and the other boy were running and not paying attention (big shock there!), and just collided. The other boy had a bloody nose I guess, and CJ had a HUGE lip. He looked like a platypus (If that's even how you spell it!) I felt so bad for him....he kept saying how his teeth and head hurt really bad. Finally he calmed down and I went out and jumped with him. Then we did some running around on the playground while Daddy spent quality time with his little lady, and then we finally called it a night. Ella sucked down her bottle and was out cold! CJ and Daddy are currently playing transformers in the other room, and I will be going upstairs to read my gossip mag and finish my beer. Good night!!



Wednesday, August 5, 2009

While she cries


I swear I've been graced with two children who have the gift to NOT want to sleep. I don't understand it. I mean, Randy doesn't exactly embrace bedtime, but I LOVE my sleep. If I could sleep for a job I would, totally. I would nap if it still meant I could go to bed by 11pm every night. I miss sleeping in and curling up with my cold pillow in the dark to listen to absolutely nothing. The last week has been hell with Ella continuosly fighting naptime. She is the most miserable child when she doesn't get enough sleep....well, other than CJ that is. Anyway, she is currently upstairs in her crib, screaming bloody murder b/c she doesn't want to nap. 45 mins of sleepytime for her is not enough, good god! You would think she was auditioning for a part in Scream or something. And although our neighbors are not close, I am sure they can hear her. They must think I'm the worst mother, LOL, but do I care? Absolutely not. So, while she cries, I've blasted the radio and decided to blog, hoping that in about 20 mins she will have given up. Have I mentioned how damn stubborn she is? OMG, I am really in for it when she gets to being able to speak for herself. She has already started wailing on my head when she's mad at me and can't have what she wants. She's also to that stage where she will cry for something, throws it on the floor when you get it for her, and then waits for you to pick it up. But, for some reason, it's different with her than what I remember with CJ. She's way more sassy and bitchy about it. She also loves to pull hair and your shirt if you really piss her off. And I swear she is already saying "no". That's fantastic in my book. She's too young to be so sassy, but I guess I really had it coming to me. Oh, and by the way, she is still wailing away. Ugh, I wish I could either wear earplugs all day long, or just bang my head on the wall. Letting them cry it out can be so hard! But, everytime I give in I know it just lets her think she can always have her way. Won't make that mistake!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

A very rough weekend






My sister in law, Nicole, was in town from Colorado. It's about damn time she came in for a visit! But, anyway, we've been planning this visit for months and we were so excited about it. We had a very busy weekend ahead of us with all the family stuff planned. Friday night Nicole and I had plans to go out drinking...I haven't been out since CJ was probably 16 months old. So it's been awhile. Lee had offered, or rather was choosen, to be the designated driver. I had no CLUE what was in store for me. They say hindsight is 20/20...now I see why!



So, we started our night around 930p or so at Hooligans in Webster. It was a good place to start, and chill, but really, it was a lot like a high school reunion. Just way too many people I knew. And not people I was friends with ever. So down the road we went to Daisy Dukes, which was really lame if I may say so. A lot of very old people, who were pretty scary looking. We had a drink there then I got a text from my old drinking buddy saying she was downtown. It was a prefect opportunity to get silly b/c she never goes out anymore either. Nicole and I finally convinced Lee to drive to Pig and Whistle downtown and we met up with a few of my friends. It was a real great time apparently, b/c I don't remember much from that point on. I have no clue what I was drinking either... I've been told it was whatever Nicole was drinking! I remember doing a shot and then dancing with Nicole, and right at that moment she split her pants...no lie! I have never actually experienced this with someone....I mean, who splits their pants, honestly? I asked her for days how in the hell someone splits their pants. She said she was getting down to low while she was dancing. Well shit, the girl should've been a ballerina then b/c who gets that low at a dance club?? It was quite hysterical though. And I suppose this is a regular accurance for her b/c our Aunt Mimi said, "Oh Nicole, again?!"






The drive home was a complete blur and then Lee realized I didn't have my keys with me so we couldn't get in the house. So we had to search for a set of keys...brilliant, huh? I don't have a clue as to how I got upstairs, or how I got my jammies on, but I ended up puking my guts out and then passing out on the bathroom floor. I can remember Randy saying how gross it was, and in all honesty, it did NOT make me feel better. The room was still spinning like a mary go round and I still felt like absolute shit. CJ woke me up around 5am asking me why I was sleeping on the bathroom floor. I don't know what I said to him, but he thought he could curl up with me. I finally convinced my little man that we were better off in his bed, and before I knew it Ella was awake. Bright and early, calling for me at 6am!! I don't even think I got a full 3 hours of sleep. I'm pretty sure I was still tipsy when I got up to feed her. All I know is my head hurt like a freight train had ran it over and my stomach was trying to eat itself. It was not a good feeling. I vowed never to drink that much again. I am way too old for it and there's nothing like dealing with two rambunctious children while nursing a hangover. I admit, it was pretty stupid to lose control like that, b/c it's not like me at all. My kids always come first, but hey, what can I say? It was a rare opportunity to not have a child attached to my hip for once and I seized that moment. Thankfully, the rest of the day slowly got better, but sleep was calling my name. And food was too, but my stomach couldn't handle it. The hardest part was getting my ass motivated enough to pack 3 bags for me and the kids b/c we were going to my mother in law's for the weekend. We had a Pig Roast that night with some of their friends, and then Nicole's family party the next day. Ugh, what a horrible ride down to Honeoye!! I did eat my heart out finally, at the pig roast. So much good food I couldn't help myself. It did make me feel better too. But absolutely no drinking for me that night. Ella gave me quite the hard time about sleeping that night. And naturally, when we need it the most is when we don't get it. She was very restless all night long, and woke up a lot. I wouldn't have slept well anyway as long as I was in the same room as the kids. CJ is also very restless in his sleep and we were sharing a bed. Not to mention there is a fan going, a sound machine on right by my ear and a nightlight on. I am the type of person who needs absolute silence and darkness to sleep. Oh well. It was still fun. The best part is I got to enjoy the hot tub all by myself b/c I left the Pig Roast early. Gram, Cathy, Russ and CJ stayed till after dark b/c there were doing fireworks. Oh, and after CJ got home that night, he informed me he found the girl he's going to marry. Fiona...enough said!



The family party the next day was fun. More good food, and no drinking once again. I think I had one drink and then that was it for me. I was still tired, but caught my second wind when Nicole and I went out tubing. We had a blast, I got pretty banged up, but nothing beats the warm water and a boat ride.