Can you believe Ella's first birthday party is already tomorrow?
I can't believe on Monday she will be 1 years old.
Where did the time go?
Right now I am spending my time cleaning the entire house, from top to bottom.
I'm happy to say I'm almost done and I can't wait for tomorrow.
I can't wait to share her day with you all!
Well, I haven't done too any real updating the last few days on me and the kids. It's been one week of pure Hell basically. Well, I'm sure Hell would be much hotter and it's pretty damn cold here right now. Have I mentioned before how much I despise winter??
So, what has the Evil one been up to you ask?
Just about everything. She had 3 new teeth make their appearance this week. CJ's teeth always came in one by one, but not Miss Ella. So far she's always gotten her teeth in pairs. But for some reason, she got her third top tooth about a month ago and then BAM! A fourth top one and two more bottoms. Thankfully she really only had like 2 horrible, horrible nights. Which in my book is pretty damn good for having three rockets burst thru your gums and not have any Percocet or Vicodin! But on top of the teething she had a cold, that her wonderful big brother passed on to her. And let me just tell you it was like having a newborn again. And it is with that being said that I know I am very very very happy with the two kids I have! Friday night was just torture with Ella. She was just plain cranky and miserable all day long, not really herself. We did some shopping but she didn't make it an easy task. Luckily CJ was at school all day, however, on this particular day I was not glad that he was. Ella was just in a mood to really be with her Bubba, she was simply lost without him. You could tell she missed him and was looking for him. So I did my best to keep her occupied, but her and I can only take each other for just so long. Probably b/c we are FAR too much alike.
Friday night was the worst night Ella has had since she had Roseola in June. She had a very hard time falling asleep and Randy and I took turns rocking her and calming her down. She finally passed out from pure exhaustion only to wake every hour on the hour until about 7am. It was a difficult night. I really try and stay away from giving her a bottle or anything at night b/c I don't want her to get in the habit of snacking. I finally got her out of that habit a few months back and didn't want to back pedal. But, unfortunately I did break down and make a bottle which Ella very quickly sucked down. I'm willing to bet she's hit her 12 month growth spurt on top of all the other crap going on with her! Let me tell you, FUN TIMES!
Saturday I had a hair appt, but an hour was just not long enough for me to be away. Later that afternoon I planned a dinner out with one of my good friends and her daughter b/c I knew if I didn't get out of the house with Ella, I would drive myself insane if we stayed at home. And shockingly she was quite good. She got a bit antsy at the restaurant, but no one else really seemed to notice. I even had a group of older people (there were 2 couples) tell me that my bf's daughter and mine were the two best behaved babies they had ever seen. That made my night!
Oh and I did treat myself to a new pair of Uggs I've been dying for for the past FIVE YEARS!
But that night was not good for Ella either. She was up a lot and in obvious pain from those teeth. She napped real good at my mom's, we went for a visit Sunday, and Monday was better at night but still during the day it was not good. She was OK last night, only waking up once and I pray tonight is better. She's been happier and close to her normal self, so hopefully that means something.
Oh, somehow I forgot to mention I found a nice nickel sized boil on her fanny. Yep, a boil. Poor girl! Three teeth, a cold, and a freaking boil on her ass. I only know it's a boil b/c I called her pediatrician b/c the bump had me nervous. It's very red, swollen and looking like it's infected. So they said keep an eye on it and if it doesn't start getting smaller by Friday then she has to go in to have it looked at. So far it's looking no better, but also no worse. So we'll see what tomorrow brings us.
My sweet CJ has been doing OK. We've been having bedtime issues with him again lately. We will occasionally find him fast asleep on our floor in the morning. Turns out he will sneak into our bedroom after we've fallen asleep. He grabs his blankets, pillow and sleeps on my side of the bed, all curled up. Although it's a sweet sight to see, he really can't be doing that. So we've cracked down on it, and so far so good. The last two nights he's stayed in his bedroom all night long.
School is going real well for him. Of course he has a girlfriend, and coincidentally his girlfriend's name is Jaci. Cute, b/c his name is CJ. I am pretty sure he is the tallest one in his class, and possibly the most advanced right now. His teachers can't believe how smart he is, but he seems normal to me. He is still giving me a difficult time about wearing long sleeved shirts to school, but at least we've moved past the "short" issue. He can write his numbers and letters pretty well, every once in awhile writing some backwards, but my mom told me that's totally normal.
Randy is still staying busy. He found out he just got a contract in New Paltz. I'm happy b/c any work in the winter is awesome. In this economic period you just never know what can happen. However, it means he will be gone for most of November b/c him and the guys will have to stay overnight. Many overnights I should say. So I'll be a single mommy for much of November. Not that it's really any different than what I'm doing now since he's been so busy, but he won't be around at night. Not my idea of a fun time.
Thank God for my scary dog and ADT!
Welcome to Not me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by Mckmama at www.mycharmingkids.net. Go on over to her blog to read what she and everyone else has not been doing!
So what did I not do today, you ask?
First, I did not put Ella in her crib b/c she was crying uncontrollably b/c of the 3 teeth coming in. She neither wanted up or down so it was time for some alone time. I am not a mother who can't handle anything that comes her way! I'm super woman!
I did not stick CJ in the bathtub while Ella was in her room so I could have quiet time on the computer. Had to update the blog somehow, right?
I did not spend a fortune on my little girl's first birthday party already. And we haven't even bought the cake or food yet. Yikes!
I did not take a ton of aspirin b/c of my migraine I can feel coming on....it's that time of month again. I did not do it so I could find a way to sit thru CJ's gym class.
I did not haphazardly hide CJ's Christmas presents, only to have him not find one of them and ask if he could play with it. I did not proceed to tell him they were for his friend's birthday.
Have a great Monday!
I had a great day planned. Partially with kids too. Then it went to shit. Here's how it started, and here's hoping it ends better!
So I had an appt today to get my hair cut and colored. It's about that time again for me to go dark since it's fall and I am so fair skinned. If I stay blond in the winter I look extremely washed out. I don't like that look really.
I got up with the kids, even if it was way earlier than usual, letting Magellan sleep in. He's been working very late the last 3 days and I knew he would appreciate it. Or at least I was hoping he would! Needless to say I could only keep them quiet for so long, and then CJ wanted to see his Daddy for a bit. I tried to keep Ella busy b/c she does not sit still. She is constantly going 90 miles a minute. Saying she's like a tornado is an understatement.
I'm in the bathroom putting my make-up on, and my phone starts ringing. I check the caller ID, and it's the hair salon. Now, keep in mind this is a new salon for me. My hairdresser just moved places and this was my first time to see her since she switched. Well, they tell my appt was a half hour ago....I'm like WTF? I wrote down 1030a, not 930a. So they tell me I can still come in, I just won't have time to do what I want. UGH!
I fly out the door, as Ella is chasing me down screaming for me. She is still at that stage where it's cute actually! I get there and the receptionist gave me a less than warm welcome. Oh, and did I mention no one from the salon ever called to confirm my appt either? Perhaps if they had, I wouldn't have missed it! I end up having to sit and wait b/c my girl was finishing up with her other client from 10am. I can hear both the receptionists whispering about how I was late. I mean seriously, how can you expect to keep business if that is how you treat your clientele?
I'm human, I make mistakes too believe it or not.
I finally get called to see my hair dresser and she doesn't seem herself. She's usually bubbly, cheery...not today. I apologized profusely, I felt horrible. It sets her behind I'm sure and makes her feel rushed. I felt awful, but she assured me not to worry about it.
So, we get to talking, and decide just to do a cut today b/c we didn't have time to do anything else. I'm OK with that, I really needed a cut over anything else! It was getting shaggy and you could see my dead ends. I ask her if she likes the new place and she kind of rolls her eyes at me and says, "Yes and no."
She need not say more.
The girls that worked there were not friendly. No one even acknowledged her or looked her way. It wasn't a warm, inviting atmosphere at all. Not at all like the last place she was at. She was happy there then. It isn't my business why she left, and I wasn't going to ask. By the way, I am LOVING my new cut. It's short...very short in the back. It's an inverted bob that is more dramatically cut in the back with layers in the back. It's cute, I'm glad I got the nerve to chop it even shorter this time!
Well, I finally get home after having to stop and get a Pumpkin Spice Latte to cheer me up, and I write my stylist on facebook to tell her about my cashing out issue. She immediately writes me back to tell me she quit! She just wasn't happy there and no, the girls did NOT play nice. She has another job lined up, which is awesome for her, so very shortly I will get my hair colored just as I'd been wishing for.
Moral to this story:
Play nice and you will have people who want to come back and play with you.
I realized I haven't posted many pics of my adorable kids...well, except on Wordless Wednesdays. So here are some recent ones:
My newest addiction, well for Ella anyways, is Gymboree. I have occasionally bought things there for CJ, only when they have good sales. Otherwise it is completely ridiculous to me to pay full price for something he might grow out of in a month. And the before sale price is outrageous as well.
Well, having a girl has completely changed my way of thinking. The last month has been bad. I can't stop buying her outfits, and sometimes a ton from one line. If I get the sweater or dress, I must get the pants/leggings to match it. Then the shoes...then the onesie.....I think you get the drift. I am still shopping sales w/coupons though. You know me, queen of cheap.
Today I failed.
I bought an outfit that wasn't on sale, and I didn't have a coupon for it. UGH! I thought Magellan was going to have a stroke. But, he thought the outfit was so cute, he didn't bother to ask the price.
Someone stop me before I put us in debt!
Ella has plenty of clothes, believe me. Her closet is twice the size of a normal one, and it's full. She has about 8 shelves above where her clothes hang and half of those are full with clothes. Now, don't get me wrong. She gets a lot of hand-me-downs too that she wears. In fact I have a friend, who might I add is a bad influence on me, and all her daughter wears is Gymboree. So, Ella has been getting all of her old clothes. I'm thankful that she will have so many winter and summer clothes and I hopefully won't need to keep Gymboree in business anymore, LOL. But they are just so cute. Not to mention I LOVE how they smell.
Is that strange? I love how the clothes smell? I caught myself sniffing her new dress this evening. It's like the addicting smell in Abercrombie & Fitch. It just pulls you into the store. Is it wrong to want to bathe Ella in that smell?? I just love it.
My major weakness is their Gymbucks program. I won't bore you with the details, but that is how I justify buying more lately. I'll have to take some pics of Ella's closet, and maybe I'll put her in her new outfit tomorrow so you all can see just how adorable it is.
On to more important things....
Had a fun play date with a friend from high school today. I got to meet her little boy for the first time. He was born 7/12 and is the cutest, happiest baby. Well, besides my Ella Bella. He was too stinking cute. Ella and CJ had a grand time playing with different toys and CJ actually enjoyed goofing around with my friend's daughter. It's b/c he loves the ladies!
I cannot believe how close we are to Ella's first birthday! I am so excited about it, and about her turning one. She's not a baby anymore! And I'm excited about that b/c she is so much more fun now. And she just sucks everything in like a sponge and learns so quickly. She's quite the charmer, and I still cannot get over what a little personality she has. She loves to laugh and sing. She sings constantly, not with words you or I would understand, but baby words and you can clearly understand she's singing. Not babbling. Ella is our human garbage disposal, she will eat anything and everything that isn't nailed down. She hates to be have her clothes or diapers changed and is VERY strong and stubborn. She loves to copy things I do, like yelling at CJ. I can tell she's gonna be one of those mommy's little helper girls already. And she's sassy. She will tell you NO, and she means it. She's started the drama queen temper tantrums, but when she sees her daddy her whole world just stops and her face lights right up.
Ella is truly in love with Magellan, and he with her I think. If she hears his voice, she will track him down in an instant. She longs for his scruffy kisses and his laughter. She is so used to him meeting us outside when we pull in the driveway (he helps bring any bags and the kids inside), that every time we park the car she calls for him and looks out the window. It is very sweet. Her love for him is far greater than I would've ever imagined. It's a sweet love and I hope she always has it for him. You can tell she just brightens his day.
CJ has been a bit better behaved. Well, better than the last few days anyways. Tomorrow is his first full day at school. He goes to preschool Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and has recently requested a want to spend a full day at the daycare there. So, every Friday he'll stay all day and enjoy lunch, nap time and playtime with his new friends. It is a much needed break for mama!
Now, I need to find a sitter for Ella on Fridays, LOL!
Alas, I probably wouldn't know what to do with a whole day to myself.
I'd probably go shopping at Gymboree....
