Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Wordless Wednesday

Gotta love Chicago weather. I mean where else can it be 60 degrees one day and then snow flurries and 35 degrees the next day? Gabe and I took advantage of the "nice" weather yesterday, lots of bulldozer playing time.

























Gabe's fake smile...but he was genuinely happy to be outside. I cannot wait for spring to come. (or a good snow day when it's not zero out)

-jen

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

OCD kiddo

My kid hates having his hands dirty. And yet, he loves playing in the dirt and totally loved the leaves this fall. But when it comes to anything else, food, paint, he screams "wipe! wipe!"



I tried to do a handprint project this morning with paint and he totally flipped! It took me almost 15 minutes to even sit down after I said he'd be putting the paint on his hands. I finally got him to do it, but as soon as he picked his hand up he was calling for wipes.

Ten minutes later he wanted to paint some more. I got out the finger paints, set up an area for him to paint in...and he flipped again. He did NOT like finger painting at all. He also doesn't like washing his hands because of the soap. Yep, potty training will be tons of fun!


I tried to show him what to do and how fun it was...all I got was a picture that I made.


-jen

Friday, January 25, 2013

Flashback friday


It's not too far of a flashback, but I realized that I never really posted any pictures from Christmas. It was a lot more fun with a two year old! Gabe loved helping pass out presents and helping people open their presents. I can't wait for next year!




Bow butt!



Such a happy kiddo that day!



Lucifer wanted to get in on the action too






Arr! Gabes a pirate!



Papa and gabe getting ready to play with the castle



Jasmin crying tears of joy into her Johnny depp shirt

-Jen

Friday, January 18, 2013

Another mom update

Mom has her good days and her bad days. She began chemo at northwestern on january 4th. She will have chemo once every three weeks for twelve weeks. That's a total of four times in twelve weeks. The day after chemo is not so bad, the following two days she feels very tired. Luckily, there has been no nausea.

A few weekends ago, I took her to get her hair cut. They have said she will definitely lose her hair. I am thinking about shaving gabes head when she does. A few clumps have fallen out already.

Last Friday, she needed to get some fluids. Her sodium and potassium were very low. She can eat all of the salt that she wants! Monday she got a blood transfusion, she was borderline anemic. It helped a lot though! She has seemed to have more energy and not as tired.

Thanks to everyone for their prayers and support.

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤


-jen

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Wordless Wednesday


One of my favorite blogs, rockin mama, has been....I don't know...cancelled? She's got a lot of changes going on in her life right down so she has quite blogging. You cannot even go see past posts. She did start me on "my life rocks", which I really enjoy so I am going to continue it. I may not have been doing much lately, but I have been on instagram.


I got baby Jesus in the three kings bread



I finally got my hair cut!



sniffles and monster trucks



crazy kid made me laugh, big boy undies and a snow boot



this is how the cool kids sit on the potty



nutella for breakfast...best mom of the year award?



knocked out



this kiddo loves nutella



gabe needs a snuggie for when he's on the potty
-jen

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Off track




Life always has ups and downs. Lately though, I feel like life's little downs have really thrown me off track. I haven't eaten well, exercised, crafted or cleaned the house with any kind of schedule or consistency. It's taking a toll on me (and gabe).

I was going to write about gabe not napping, but I think that's all wrapped up in everything else being "wrong". I don't know how to fix any of it. I feel like I don't have the energy, or motivation, to fix it. I hate that my laziness (is it laziness?) has caused gabe to be off his schedule. Maybe that's how it all started? If gabe doesn't nap I feel very thrown off, like I haven't been able to recharge either.



I hope I can get back on track, and get gabe there too, very soon. I hate feeling this way.


-jen

Monday, January 14, 2013

Embarrassed


Last night gabe and I went to dinner with Dave, Stacey and lilah (and their friend joe, and his two kiddos). Jorge stayed home sick, he could hardly keep his eyes open. I was pretty excited, I like Dave and stacey and I like where we were going to dinner. However, it turned into one of my most embarrassing moments EVER.

First, gabe wouldn't sit still. I didn't get a highchair for him, because I thought it would be worse, like trying to climb out. I finally got him to sit still when the balloon man came by (can't have a balloon if you're not sitting in your chair). He sat, and raised his hand when the guy said he could do a zombie. "Me! Zombie! ZOMBIE!!" ok, I was cracking up from that. That was the only bright side to the evening.



The waitress was horrible! And I had recommended this place so 1st embarrassment. She was not listening, sighing and making us feel like we were the ones fucking up the orders. Nope, all you chick.

But that's besides the point, after dinner was mostly over gabe decided to climb off his chair, crawl under the table, run around the back of my seat and then run back and forth between the two rooms of the restaurant. I calmly followed him, thank god the place was pretty empty. In my head however, I was screaming and soooooo embarrassed. Gabe was starting to cough from all of the running and his bronchitis, but he just kept going. Until....he started throwing up!

I think I reacted very well. I had already been holding him, so I just put my hand under his mouth and walked VERY VERY quickly to the bathroom. I don't know how I stayed so calm or didn't just freeze. Obviously, at this point dinner was definitely over.

I don't know what I was more embarrassed about. Oh! And the waitresses also all asked if he was my only one. I wonder why? Because I was obviously not in control of the situation? Whatever, I have never been more embarrassed.

-jen

Friday, January 11, 2013

Baby pangs

Gabe has bronchitis, and last night his medicine made him really *i mean really* hyper. It was after ten and he was still jumping all over the bed. I started to rub his back and belly, but it would only last for a few minutes. Then I got the idea to sit up a little and try to lay him on my chest. I thought at maybe my heartbeat and calm breathing would help.



It did! He fell asleep almost instantly. But then I got a little emotional. I remembered how wonderful it felt when gabe was a baby and would fall asleep on my chest, the heavy sweetness. Jorge and I have been talking about baby #2, but it's just talk, we can't really afford another baby. Then, I got sad because I'd never really know what breast feeding felt like. (it was late, it was a loooong day) those two things made me think about another baby....but I know we won't be able to have one, so I've got to put those little baby pangs out of my mind (and out of others minds).




-jen

Thursday, January 10, 2013

It's potty time!


We got gabe a potty for an early Xmas present. He's sat on it a few times, for extended periods of time, (seriously, like 45 minutes) with nothing.



The other day though we came home, he pulled off his pants and diaper immediately and sat down on the potty. And he peed!! I realize this may be tmi, but I was so excited! He pooped on the potty that night too. (that was more because I saw the "poop squat" and put him on the potty.


There's only been that one time so far, but I'm hopeful because he constantly wants to sit on the potty. Maybe diapers will be a thing of the past soon.





jen

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Five years

Last Saturday, December 29th, was our five year wedding anniversary. In some ways, it seems like just last week. In other ways, it seems like FOREVER. (I kid *kinda)

Here are some of my favorite photos from that magical day (I'm sorry if I shared these before, i tried to double check)
























It's not the best picture in the world, but I did try my dress on. It fit! Um...well...it looked like it fit. There was a gap in the back. What a great goal for the year though!




-jen

Friday, January 4, 2013

I don't know what day it is!


Help! Holidays, Molly's surgery, I just don't know what day it is. I just thought about blogging and thought "cool, tomorrow's Wednesday, I'll get a wordless Wednesday ready".

Um...yeah. It's Friday night. Also, gabe is asleep at 8:30 (and has been for an hour) so now I'm even more thrown off.

Anyways...the other night Megan, will and Kyle came over. The boys were so funny! I put on some music, got them guitar hero guitars and they jammed! Adorable! Some of the pictures are a little blurry because they were dancing so much.



















-jen

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Need advice...

Ok guys, I really need some advice. I don't know why I want to undertake this project with all that is going on, but I feel the NEED to make stuff.

I've blogged before about being crafty and wanting to be crafty. What would you guys suggest? Should I go back to making cards? Should I give making candles a try? Or should I take a big leap and try to learn how to crochet? I really don't know what I want to do. I just want to do SOMETHING.

Help!



-jen