Pictures- the afternoon the lil man got into EVERYTHING

Haven't I already proven to you that you shouldn't leave the door to fridge/freezer open?

AND I found a paci, you just think they are for bed and car only. 

Next, we knocked over the laundry basket and used it as a ladder to get on the couch.

Almost made it. 

Isn't this mine?

Bruno share those crumbs with me!

Mom, he's not sharing! 

Aren't I cute in my plane!

I decided to stick my hand in my dinner and smear it all over my face. Is it bath time yet?

Sneaky little piglet!

I left the freezer open as I was unloading some food for dinner.... the little man snuck right on by me and found his favorite baby food, apples. Of course he knew how to open the ziplock back (seriously?!? when did you figure that out) and helped himself. 

I could not stop laughing as he shoved the whole frozen piece in his mouth. 

Not the least bit concerned I caught him. 

Look at the cute mess he was. 

And then I shut the door. A caused one of these....

Yes we have been having lots of tantrums lately... AWESOME! 

If you have tip on how best to handle them with a 8 month old let me know.  I know photography of said events quite possibly may be encouraging them. 

When you fall off the wagon...

YOU GET BACK ON!

That is what this week is for, getting back on the wagon of weight-loss.

The rod of satan aka my IUD has made its glorious exit from my body and my hope is that along with it will go the remaining EJ weight.  Beside making the wicked witch of east AND west, I also had not lost a single pound since it entered my body despite my dieting and working out efforts.  I have new found motivation, being back on birth control  which is risk for us.  I am not having another baby until all my baby weight is OFF. There are like 5 pictures of me and EJ because I don't like pictures of my chubby self at the moment and that needs to change.  So this week, I will get back to the water pact and EJ and are walking every single day.

So here's to this week, some sun on my pale skin, a happy baby and a few steps closer to my goal weight and my favorite pre-preggo clothes.

And the best reason to get in shape and healthy is this cute blue eyed, blonde who loves to crawl right to my feet saying "momma".

Robe time

A lazy morning lounging with dad in our robes...

Look at that drool!

Not too sure what to think about the slippers. 

Look at what I got... the remote!!!

I love my daddy!

City gal gone country...

Mixer doing the hard work... kneading.

Finished product.

I attempted it again yesterday with bread flour, much tastier.  I took it a step further this morning and the fam enjoyed french toast with homemade bread. I loved that I knew exactly what we all were eating. EJ loved it and ate a whole slice.

A few days of yard work...

So for the first time in my life, cause I am a GIRL, and girls find rentals that have landlords that handle yard work,  I have found yard work on my to do list. YUCK, I can't wait for us to make enough money to hire a yard man but alas we are not there yet. So this past weekend we raked and raked and even broke a rake. And half way through it looked like this....

But 60 bags of leaves later  completed most of the work. Yes, I still have to do all the front beds and then replant some flowers since the many snows we suffered this winter murdered all our pretty flowers. EJ thought it was great fun and took some time playing with the rake. 

Such a cutie! And then when we took the time to move the bags to street EJ hung out in the grass watching and being SOOO good or so I thought...

until I caught him like this... with leaves & DIRT in his hand...

And then he shoved it in his mouth, seriously yuck. 

Yes that is DIRT in his mouth. GROSS! and all boy

(not to worry as soon as I documented the mess I washed his mouth out and got rid of all the dirt!) PROMISE!

The curl

Ahhh I am in love.  The curls are coming in. Look at that!

I could just eat him and that cute face!

And today I cried...

in the pediatrician's office. Yes, like sat in the waiting room hugging my adorable child to my chest and bawled.

Now why would you do a thing like that, you ask?  Let's rewind about 45 minutes when I was pouring a cup of coffee and watched EJ crawl to the dining room. Not too concerned its pretty bare, I will add the sugar to the cup and go get him. Suddenly there was a loud crash and mega scream, it was that scream the one that makes your heart stop for a minute. I run to the room to find ej standing against our buffet stomping his foot with blood gushing everywhere and a bottle of wine rolled across the room.

Damn, the kid is stronger than I thought. He had pulled the wine bottle out of the wine rack and it hit his middle toe perfectly. What does any level headed granddaughter of surgeon do??? Scoop him up and run to bathroom to immediately clean it, peroxide and all. In that moment of cleaning the WHOLE nail and nail bed started to fall off. The blood gushing, the nail moving oh my god my heart skipped 2 beats and I called the doctor. I must add that EJ was over it, just sat there smiling at me as I wondered if he had just lost the tip of cute toe.

Then the nurse said she would have to call me back and then after 15 minutes she calls to ask if it was still bleeding.. YES you crazy women all over me and my carpet. Well go ahead and come in. DONE, in the car within 5 minutes and on my way, I was mess and left EJ insurance card. Surely they don't need it we were just there and he's less than year we are there ALL the time. WRONG, the made me talk to the insurance lady, who I might add did not know the password for Blue Cross/ Blue Shield.. seriously? And then when I about had a meltdown in the hallway I'm covered in blood talking about insurance a nurse takes me back to the waiting room while I waited for 25 minutes for them to get it together and call me back. Its not like I didn't watch 5 people come check in, sit and wait a sec and then go back but they had their cards.  So what did I do cry until they called me back and had the nerve to ask me what was wrong today. I pull the blood stained towel away to his his poor mangled foot. "Oh let me grab the doctor, YEAH DO THAT!

After 2 docs looked at said toe, they decided that he needed one stitch to put the nail back on that fell off while I was trying to maintain the mess in the waiting room and apparently they can't do ONE stitch there so what did we do... go to the emergency room.  Where after waiting 2 more hours the doctors there decided the nail was fine off and sent us home with a bandaid.

Awesome.

A new slice of life

I am so bit behind on my latest obsession... when I mention said interest I get a lot of nodes and "oh yes, I love her". Her being Pioneer Woman. Check her out, she is so inspiring.
This lady has the life, and if you had told me 5 years ago that I would think a women living on a farm that is all about mothering, cooking, gardening etc would interested me I would have laughed, laughed REAL hard.
Five years ago I was on one track, the track to female greatness, big bucks and anyone who got in my way, well, better move. I worked, worked and worked. And when I wasn't working you could find me Jr. Leauging, Hotspot eating, working out, spend endless hours at the salon perfectly highlighted locks, manicured hands and feet, gym-going lady. I had more friends than I knew what to do with and I had a meeting for some organization or involvement 3 or 4 evenings a week. I had schedule: work, play, and work some more. I slept 5 hrs a night, I got up every morning downed black coffee and worked out. GROSS, that makes my stomach hurts thinking about a morning run on coffee, blah. I loved my life, I wouldn't have traded it for the world and then something happened... I fell in love and quite frankly I discovered life, real life (real life for me, ie there absolutely nothing wrong with that life it just didn't make me happy really).  The life our parents talked about and I got it.
I find it crazy that I hope we move to smaller city one day, buy a house with some land and I channel pioneer women a bit. But its a good crazy. I hope my son one day talks about his mom who made sure he ate fresh great food and spent lots of time with him outside and taught him that a simple life is a great life.

For now I am just focusing on how to be a pioneer women in the city. I am starting a garden this week and baking homemade bread. Small steps.  I let you know how it goes.

What?!?!

"Momma, I like this basket"

This is the downfall of a mobile baby. If you do anything with your back turned be warned you have no idea where you will find the baby boy.  Case and point with the above pic. I unloaded the dish washer, EJ in turn unloaded a laundry basket of fresh clothes and climbed right in. At one point he was leaned back in the basket, basking in the glow of the sky light. Too cute!

Baby Boy loves his bath

8 Months

Happy 8th Months Little Boy! It seems like yesterday I was walking myself to death trying to get you to join us outside of my body.  Everyone kept telling me to enjoy it that you were much easier in than out. But between you and me I like you so much better when I can see you and talk to you.

You are light of your dad and I's life. What a joy you are every day! You have such a curious spirit and love smile. I thank God for you every day!

You are crawling like a mad man, pulling up on everything and attempting to walk. Your push lion is your favorite toy and you push him around the house all day long. You are wearing 9 month clothes and love to eat. No teeth yet but you sure are trying. You are seriously over the bottle but mom makes you take one 3 times a day and you will keep doing it until you are 1.

I love you so much little boy!

** I know its out of focus but its too funny not to share

All boy

No, the little angel has not been in a street fight... Instead we are attempting to walk and he has had a few encounters with our hard wood floor. As you can see the floor is winning at the moment.  I will say 90% of the time EJ shakes it off and tries again. No tears here, we have one tough little buddy.

My sweet little angel WILL grow up to be a Gentleman!

As you know I follow the blog "Heir to Blair",  she makes laugh what can I say. In a guest blog appearance she referenced the BEST. ARTICLE. EVER.  and I just had to share it and my two sense with y'all.

"Are you raising a douche bag?"

"Your indulgent parenting is spawning a generation of hipster brats" that truly is the most amazing byline ever. I read it, I laughed really hard, I reread it (images of obnoxious children I have encountered ran through my head) and then I vowed to make sure we never raised one (one being a douche bag).

EJ is my heart and soul walking on the Earth. If he grows up to a guest appearance on the Jersey Shore or is one of many awful males that mistreat girls and think way too much of their reflection in the mirror I will just dig my own grave and lay in it. Yes, I am already telling to say things like "Yes, ma'am" and "Yes, sir" and yes I am well aware the only thing we are actually saying at the moment is Baabababa and Maamamama but nonetheless he is hearing it. He will say please and thank you, he will pay for his date's dinner, he will open doors for any women both young and old and he will ask the love of his life's father for her hand in marriage. He will not toy with girls emotions and he will be a gentleman or I swear  I will give him a piece of my mind.

I would move the world and lasso the moon for EJ but he is a member of this family, not the president and certainly not the decision maker.  I have no idea what has gotten into the general public lately thinking that its appropriate for children to make all the family choices. There are a lot of bratty children out there and guess who is to blame... Mom and Dad.  So if you ever think you may embark on parenting or have a child of your own read this comical article and then actually think about it.