Happy and Sad.

Just after a week or so after getting some super exciting baby news from a dear close friend {I guess it's still kinda a secret so no name revealed just yet} while we gone on vacation in AZ I got some terrible news. Something that no parent should ever have to deal with. Another close friend lost her baby, just 7 months old.
I am so heart broken for my friend. She hasn't had the best year, actually a pretty crappy one to be honest and now she has to deal with losing a child.
I couldn't be happier for my one friend and am thrilled for her but my heart is breaking for the other one. The other one that just lost her baby boy.

For me once I became a mom my outlook on everything changed, like I think it does with most. I can't read or watch anything that has to deal with a sick or injured child. I am wreck half the time when watching Grey's and thats just a TV show. My whole outlook on life changed the moment I became a mom, its kinda hard to explain. I would do anything for my kids to keep them out of harms way. I cannot imagine what my friend is going through. No parent should ever lose a child.
Life is pretty crappy sometimes and you never know when the crappy parts are going to happen so hug and squeeze your babies tight and live each day to the fullest.

Exhausted.......

I originally was going to post Bentley's 4 month update today {actually last night} but of course like always things got in the way. I do have it all typed out, I just need to upload some pictures to the computer. So now I write this post in bed from my phone.

Today was kind of a hectic day to say the least. Crazy busy this morning and afternoon running around doing some last minute shopping for our week long trip. And surprisingly I got all my running around done, it took a little longer than planned but it got done. We didn't get home until about 3:00, so like most the day was gone. This late in the day it's so hard for me to get stuff done. Especially just getting home and needing to unload the car plus the kids and their junk. And then it's time to start thinking of dinner and of course like always the kids are running wild and driving me bonkers. They are really trying my patience these days and they are totally getting the best of me. I am going to need a "real" vacation after this one just to recover.

Anyway........so now it's like 9:00 and I am so freaking exhausted and tomorrow afternoon we leave for Arizona and I don't have a single thing packed....heck I am still doing laundry!!!! So tomorrow I have to tidy up the house and pack for 5!!!! Lots and lots of crap to do. We are leaving after Ryan gets home from work so I will be doing most of the packing by myself.

Oh and do you want ho hear the coolest part.....we are driving with all 3 kids!!!! YUP...you read this right, we are driving! And how long of a drive is it you ask....oh like 12 hours....oh yay!!!! The reason for our trip is a family friend is getting married and Ryan is in the wedding;)) It will be good to see them, it's been like 4 years.
I am hoping we can make it like 5 hours, if not then at least 4 hours. We have a DVD player in car for the kids and I bought a couple new movies today for them. I also got them some new color wonder books and a couple other little things to keep them busy {I hope}.

I am sure I will be Instagram-ing it and maybe even a Tweet on Twitter. I still don't really know what I am doing on Twitter but its fun to follow everyone;)) If your on Twitter come find me....@jtsnowchick. I would love to follow some more of my Bloggy land friends;))

Okay folks I am off to pinnin on Pinterest or Draw Something or to sleep I am thinking sleep is going to win.

One Year Ago.

One year ago this week we were here......................

.............in beautiful Mendocino. Our last little getaway just the two of us. Who knows when we will be able to getaway again. Maybe sometime at the beginning of the year {fingers crossed}. We so need to getaway without the little ones, we need some husband and wife time. You can see and read about last years getaway here, here, and here:)

One year ago this week we also found out we were expecting baby #3!!! We were also getting ready to put our house up for sale.....OH man it was a busy week!!!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Our weekend was busy but good. We went over to our friends for a BBQ on Saturday to celebrate his birthday and then on Sunday we had to help my BIL and SIL move.They got a cash offer on their house a day after it went on the market, so they have like 15 days to get out and their new house will not close escrow until the end of October so everything went into PODS. I didn't really do much helping, I was trying to chase after the little ones. And in another month or so we get to help again:)

OUCH!!!

OKAY....yesterday was a crazy busy day and then I WHACKED my toe!!!

A little background story on my toe nail....YES folks I am going to devote this whole post to my toenail. So a few years ago my toe nail started getting little spots right in the middle of the nail, first they were light in color then started to get darker. I thought it was  from running and my toe jamming up against my shoe. Over the years it slowly started to get worse, so I finally went to the doctor and he said there isn't anything to do for it and just be lucky I can paint my toenails.....GEE thanks doc. That was a long time ago.
Fast forward a couple years after that when I was pregnant with Cameron and now the toe nail looks even worse but still looks like a regular toenail with nasty spots on it. It slowly started getting thick and nasty looking. Fast forward a couple years after that and I whacked it on Easton's crib pulling the nail back a little....OUCH!!!!! Okay so now it looks even worse and hurts even more then it did before.

So now today it doesn't grow, it's thick, and looks deformed. I keep it painted at all times and you really can't tell there is anything wrong with it until you look up close.
So yesterday the kids were on my last nerve, not listening and being wild. Well Cameron decided to move his bed and take the mattress off and use it as a slide. After telling him numerous times to move it back I got all pissed and storm in there and push the bed back whacking my freaking toe on the corner of the bed and pulling my toenail up....a few choice words were said and I could feel the throbbing immediately. I shed a few tears because it hurt like a B&*%H!!!! And then Easton started crying because I was upset {that was actually kinda cute}.

All in the middle of this going on I have a cake in the oven {it was a special cake so I really had to watch it so it didn't burn} and Bentley needed feeding. You see we were going to my MIL house for dinner to celebrate my SIL's birthday:)
I text Ryan to let him know I just whacked my toe and my nail is barely connected. Ryan calls and is like you need to call the doctor to get in today, so I did. Well the doctor wasn't much help. I did figure out that I have a toenail fungus and that's probably why it wasn't growing. He said there is really much he could do. He said to just "baby" it. He also said it might just fall off {which I hope it does} or if it's really bothering me he could just remove it but then it probably won't grow back.

I cannot live the rest of my life with this GHETTO ASS toenail!!!! So now I have a band aid on it. It's still oozing out crap and now my foot is starting to hurt from walking all funny.

Of course this has to happen now that I have finally made it back to the gym and starting losing some of that baby weight. How in the hell am I going to put on a tennis shoe right now?!  I think I might try and go next week sometime and ride the bike {i hope i will be able to do that}. Ok I hope I didnt gross anyone out here.

 

I couldn't post a picture of my nasty toenail so here is a picture of Bentley with cousin Landon last night at Grandma's house.

This and That.

First thing first.....My baby boy is changing. His sleeping pattern has totally gone backwards. He now wakes up every 3-4 hours to eat!!! WTF is this all about?! A growth spurt I hope he will just outgrow pretty soon. I usually fall asleep by 10 then up again at about 12:30-1:00 back to sleep 30 minutes later then up again at about 3:15 with Ryan then back to sleep by about 4:30 and then Bentley is usually waking up again to eat. We both liked it so much better when he was sleeping all night and only waking once to eat and that was usually about the time Ryan was waking up. I am not complaining believe me because he is still a way better sleeper than the other two. They are constantly changing at this age.

Only 3 weeks until we leave for AZ! It's about a 12 hour drive from us, so with 3 kids it's probably going to take like 16 hours! I sure hope not!!!! I am already starting to think of some activities to keep them busy on the road besides their little Leapfrog games and movies. The DVD player I think is going to save us lots of misery on this road trip. We will be there for a week and then have to make the drive back.

Last weekend my BFF finally got engaged!!! Super happy and excited for Cynthia and Joe! I am so excited to be able to finally plan a shower for her. Although I was beginning to think it was going to be a baby shower first. The three of us...Vicky {mom}, Rebecca {sister}, and myself are going to have so much fun planning!!! 

I am participating in a giveaway over at Ava Grace's Closet. This is one of my favorite
blogs:) Susan is always posting super cute outfits, things I wish I could get away with wearing. But my most favorite thing about her blog is her sweet little Ava Grace. I just love seeing pictures of this little girl. She is such a cutie!

We got a diaper cake order.....YAY!!! The shop was closed for a little bit, while moving and having a baby.  Not that we usually are flooded with orders or anything. So I will be working on that later today or probably more like later tonight or super early tomorrow morning.

Christmas and birthdays are only like 3 months away!!!!! This I cannot believe!!! So much to start thinking about. I tell myself every year we are going to starting shopping in September, lets see if that happens this year.....yeah right!

A couple weeks ago Cameron had school pictures and this week we have Back to School Night, it's only for pre-school but it's hitting me next year he will be in Kindergarten!!! I don't even want to think about that day. Its going to be a happy and sad day.

Can't wait to get these pictures.....hopefully they got one where he is smiling.

Yes....My cat is FAT!

 

This is an everyday thing in our house with this cat. He is always right in the middle of the bed. What else is he going to do all day?! Oh and he weighs.....21 pounds!!!

3D Pics vs. Newbie Pics.

Okay...I hope none of you are getting tired of seeing sweet baby boy. I wanted to compare the 3D pictures we had taken at 30 weeks to some newbie pictures. I think they look pretty similar. His little chubby cheeks and squishy little lips.....oh and his cute little chin all look the same.  His lips still look like when he's sleeping....so cute.
I think these 3D pictures are pretty darn cool and I wish I would have done it with Cameron and Easton as well.

So what do you think? Do they look similar?

3 months.

Seriously where in the hell did the last 3 months go?! Someone please tell me!!!!

I cannot believe this little cutie is 12 weeks old!

He has officially stolen my heart.

He is the sweetest baby ever. He sleeps pretty much all night, only waking usually once. He is totally giggling, smiling, and talking {well baby talk of course}. He is just the cutest! I cannot get enough of him.
It actually hasn't been that hard adjusting to three kids, much easier than I thought it be. Don't get me wrong...it's totally crazy around here.....but it's because of Bentley that its much easier. He's been in a little routine now for a couple of months, which helps so much.
He is almost rolling over, he gets stuck on his side and can't make it all the way over. He's pretty good at scooting around in circles on his back and tummy. Oh....but he's totally lazy when it comes to tummy time, just scoots around in circles and doesn't lift his head much. I think sometimes he might fall asleep during tummy time. He is doing this new thing where he sucks his little fingers while falling asleep. If you follow me on instagram you may have seen a picture.

And he is finally starting to open those little fists and grabbing stuff....so cute when he does.

I love this picture for whatever reason, his little grip is so tight:) 

Tomorrow night is going to be my first night away from this little guy.....**tears** We are going to a baseball game with some friends. It will be nice to get away and have adult time with no kiddos but that doesn't mean I won't miss this precious little face. He will be in good hands so I know there is no need to worry:)

State Fair 2012.

Last month we took our annual trip to the State Fair with our friends, Jerry and Beth {Thank goodness they still want to hang out after baby #3}. I think this is our 4th year going together. At the beginning of the Summer it's something we all start looking forward and can't wait for it. Of course it was hot and sweaty but still so much fun. The boys had a blast, we left Bentley with my Grandma because it was too hot for him to be out in the miserable heat so he will have to wait until next year:))

First up......FOOD!

Cameron and Dad picking out a slushie flavor.

His new favorite thing he has discovered he likes.



A smile from Cameron would have been nice.

One of the reasons why we come to the fair.....the motorbikes.

These guys are nuts.....I love watching them!

Another reason we come to the fair......Monster truck rides!!!

The boys after the ride.

Of course we had to get nachos and of course Easton just eats the cheese.

Ryan trying a deep fried Twinkie....he says the regular Twinkies are better.

And there you have it. A few snap shots of our trip to the Fair.

My Must Have Baby Items.

Here are some of my favorite baby items. This time around I have discovered a couple items that have seriously been lifesavers for me and I only wish I had them around with the first two babes. These are simply my personal opinions and my opinions only.  

One thing that has seriously been my number one item with Bentley is the Fisher Price Rock N Play Sleeper. It's a hammock thingy the baby can sleep in all night and hang out in it all day, especially when they are newbies and they aren't moving around yet. It's lightweight and easy to carry around from room to room. This time with Bentley I never even used our bassinet. The bassinet is a lot bigger and bulky and the baby lays flat, the rock n play is inclined so the baby isn't laying flat on their backs. And at night I can see Bentley, nothing obstructs my view of him and I can see him perfectly. I highly recommend this instead of a bassinet. Another great thing about it is the weight limit is 25 lbs! The weight limit on our bassinet is 15lbs. Easton had out grown the bassinet before he was 2 months old and had to move into his crib, the bassinet was tilting sideways because he was so heavy:)

Please don't worry my sweet baby boy was not suffocating and could breath just fine:)

Sleeping so peacefully.  I have a ton of pictures like this one where he is sound to sleep like a sweet angel.

Another item I am loving the third time around is the Moby Wrap. With Cameron I bought a cheapo Jeep carrier and both Cameron and Easton were not fans of it. It was hard for them to get comfy and it was uncomfortable for me as well. I barely used it with Easton, probably only a couple of times.

So this time I wanted to try the Moby. At first I always hated the wraps, they kinda freaked me out, like the baby is going to fall out or something. I read about it and asked around and decided to give it a try and I love it! It is a little intimidating at first because it's this long ass piece of fabric and I was like WTF is this?! But after practicing a few times I got the hang of it and both Bentley and I love it. He almost always falls asleep in it. When he is cranky, fussy, and wants to be held I just get out the Moby and wrap him up in it. It's nice when I am trying to get stuff done around the house. And it never fails right when I am trying to do something is when he decides to get cranky. It does get a little hot and sweaty if your outside in the 100 degree heat. I mostly use it when I am indoors.

My favorite receiving blanket is by Swaddle Designs...Ultimate Receiving Blanket. We got this as a gift when Cameron was born. All the other receiving blankets out there were never large enough to wrap up my boys. Maybe a 6 pound baby but not my 10 pound babies. With Cameron I used the Swaddle Me blankets more but Easton couldn't stand his arms being wrapped up and glued to him and this blanket was just perfect, his arms could be loose and free while the rest of him was all snug. And there is a little tag that tells you how to swaddle your babe just in case you forget:)

I always have this blanket in the Rock N Play so when I lay Bentley down and that way I can just wrap up him up when and if he gets chilly from the air conditioner. The Ultimate Receiving blanket is 42X42 inches where as most other blankets are 30x30 or 30x40. I like to use the Gerber receiving blankets for burp clothes. They are perfect when folded in half and draped over your shoulder. It covers almost the whole shoulder area so when baby spits up your covered on the front side and back side:)

After three babies I cannot tell you how many bottles I have tried. With both Cameron and Easton I tried several different brands and hated them all. My biggest complaint was they leaked all over. Tommee Tippee came out right after Easton was born. A couple of my friends tried and loved them, so I decided to give them a try. So far so good. The nipple can get a little inverted and causes the baby to drool a little but that's an easy fix.

These are just some of my favorites and I don't think I could live without any of them.

What are your favorite baby items? What was a lifesaver for you?



Baseball Season has Come to an End.

Another season has come and gone.

Some of you know that Ryan is a baseball coach for high school aged boys. He helps coach the Varsity team at a local high school and also coaches a team in the summer. This past weekend our team lost in playoffs. Of course it would have been great if we advanced onto the state championship this week but I am so glad it's over for now, it's been a long season.

And so the question is....Will Ryan coach next year?! I say he will! He loves it too much. Every year it's the same thing and he says the old same stuff. If it interferes with Cameron's baseball in the Spring I can see him hanging it up. 
Both Cameron and Easton have been going to these games since they were just a couple months old and Bentley followed in their foot steps and made his first appearance at just one week old:) The boys love going out on the field after the games raking and running around. The boys might have withdrawls here within the next couple of weeks but I can assure you I won't :)) Here are some fun memories over the season of my crazy boys having fun and running wild.

Bentley's first baseball game.

The boys wanted to ride home from the game in the Jeep with Dad. I said NO but these kids would not let it go and of course Dad said YES. I followed behind panicked the whole way home:) The boys LOVED it!

New favorite iPhone App.

Okay so I am famous for buying books and never opening them to read. The last book I bought was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and that was a couple months ago, I haven't even opened it yet. We saw the movie back in January so I think that had stopped me from reading it, I should have bought second book in the series. My book light is broken courtesy of Easton and that's really the only time I can or feel like reading is at night in bed. During the day there are just too many distractions to soak anything in that I just read. 

I have been wanting a kindle for a little while now but Ryan says no way to buying one because I never finish a book. But with all the hype that surrounds all these books and how everyone is talking about how good they are, like.......The Hunger Games and 50 Shades of Grey, it so makes me want to read them. We did see the Hunger Games movie {i actually liked it}, I had to see what the big deal was but I think I will just start off on the second book in that series.

So last week my good friend Beth told about the Kindle app for the iPhone, I had no clue there was a Kindle app. And she also told me about this book she had just got done reading...Wild, I believe she said it was on Oprah's book club list. So I bought the book through Amazon and started reading last week. It's kinda weird reading it on the phone but its working for now. And the book is pretty good. I catch myself reading at night and then realizing it's 10:30pm and Bentley has already been asleep for a couple hours, so I better get my butt to sleep because who knows when he will wake up. Actually the little guy is doing really good for just 2 months old, a lot better than the first two.

Eventually someday I would love to get a Kindle or even the Kindle Fire or even maybe an iPad and then just download the Kindle app on that. One day {hopefully} soon.