3WF

I'm normally on the ball and rarely forget anything - and I mean anything.  But this week, I think my memory had checked out.  I suspect it's chilling on a beach somewhere, while I slave away. 

Forgetting to post yesterday was one of the many things I forgot this week.  I forgot meetings, to take medicine, assignments, promises to do things, phone calls...the list can go on and on.  I blame it on the lack on sleep.  The bug hasn't wanted to sleep at night.  After 3 months of solid sleeping through the night, I forgot what it was like to be this tired.  We thought it was because he was hungry.  Eating cerel hasn't gone well, so we've started putting in his bottle as well to at least keep him full.  Turns out, he's got an ear infection - AGAIN!  That's right - the 5th one in about 2 1/2 months.  Unfortunately the doctor didn't have a good solution for how to prevent it other than what we're already doing. 

Which means....tubes are in future!  I hear most parents dread this news and freak out when it finally comes.  But seriously, I'm counting down the days until we can.  I hate seeing my little guy in pain and feeling bad.  And I hate even more having to constantly keep him on meds.  It's bad enough that he's allergic to penecillin.  We have to use other antibiotics, and being allergic to penecillin too, I know there are only a few options. Hopefully this latest round will help and with fall coming and hopefully cooler weather {...It's been 95-100 for the last couple of days} we are praying his allergies calm down and we get a break.

Momma needs a break and some sleep.  Hopefully this weekend I can rest, and my mind returns from whatever remote island it's been lounging on.

Tuesday Top 10

I don't remember where I picked this up, but I recently saw on someone's blog a Top 10 Tuesday - and thought it was a great idea!  So today, in honor of tomorrow being the Official First Day of Fall, I'm giving you my top 10 favorite things about fall!

Welcome to Fall! 
 10.  The End of Yard Work - I don't mind yard work, but to not have to worry about mowing the grass or watering the flowers is a very nice change after months!
 9.  The End of the Oppressive Heat! - So while I don't always enjoy the end of warm weather, this fall I am glad to see it leave.  Here in Kentucky, we pretty consistantly posted 90+ degree days, and frankly I'm ready to walk out my door and be able to breath.
 8.  Football - I'm not a huge football fan in general, but there's something about the "Boys of Fall" as Kenny Chesney puts it that gets me excited.
 7.  Leaves Changing - I find the changing leaves so beautiful and peaceful.
 6.  Chili - For whatever reason, I can't bring myself to make or even eat chili during the summer, so at the first hint of cooler weather, I get to bust out the chili pot!  Plus you can't have football without Chili!
 5.  Campfires - I love spending evenings outside with our friends by a fire.
 4.  Beer Roast - One of our favorite dishes but it's such a hearty dish that we can't make it during the summer!  I'll post the receipe soon!
 3.  Pumpkin Patches - I love pumpkins!  They are just so cute and sweet looking!
 2.   Sweaters and Coats - I love fall clothing!  It always makes my weekend when I can finally break out my cozy sweaters, and fun coats.  Boots don't fall far behind, because I love me some shoes!
 1.  Halloween! - From a very young age, I've been obsessed with Halloween.  I love the spookiness.  I love the creepy crawly critters.  I'm not all about the blood and gore, but I love the holiday! I also can't help myself with all the cute little costumes!

3WF

1 Year Ago

Today marks a very special day!  It was 1 year ago today that I found out I was expecting and that my life would be forever changed.

Unlike a lot of people, I didn't have the exciting "Look Honey it's Positive" moment.  For several days leading up to the 17th I wasn't feeling great, but figured it was Aunt Flo on her way.  Then on the 16th I was sitting in the middle of a team meeting when I felt like I was going to puke.  I immediately headed home thinking it was the flu and proceeded to spend the next 24 hours puking.  Finally at the urging of my mom and husband, I went to immediate care.  I laugh now, because on the way I joked with my husband that I really hoped it was just the flu because if I was pregnant and had to feel like this for weeks on end I wouldn't survive.  At the care center, I went back to the exam room while the husband waited in the waiting room.  The doctor immediately asked if I could be pregnant and sent me to take a test.

Waiting for those results probably only took 10 minutes, but it felt like hours. Finally the doctor came in and told me - all alone - the news.  I was PREGNANT!  Dumbfounded is the only word that could come close to describing how I felt.  When I finally made it out to the waiting room - I burst into tears.  I think Chris thought I had lost my mind until I told him the news.  Those first few days, I think we were both terrified.  I continued my puking streak and after a tearful call to the OB, convinced them to get me in for a visit in just 3 days.  I vividly remember days of crying because I felt so bad, and wondering how on earth I was going to survive.  But we did.  It's amazing the difference a year can make and we wouldn't change it for the world!

Doctor Update

Today we took the bug in for his 4 month check up.  Neither Chris nor I guessed right on the weight.  Michael weighed in exactly inbetween our guesses at 17 lbs 1 oz.  And he measured 25 1/2 inches long.  I think he's prepping for a big growth spurt.  The doctor then did her exam and said he was doing Great - of course! :-) 

But we had the dreaded shots waiting to wrap up the visit.  No mom enjoys watching her baby get shots, but I know it's for the best, which is what I have to remind myself when I watch him wiggle away from the nurse.  The first one happened without even a flinch.  I don't think he felt a thing with his chunky legs.  Then the second.  The nurse warned us it burned - and she was right - when the meds went in, our little guy came alive!  We experienced super sonic screams! Within a few minutes our boy was back to him normal giggly self - thankfully!  Overall a successful visit - now if we could only master this spoon feeding thing.

4 Months Old

Today we've made it 1/3 of the way through a year.  I can't believe it's already been 4 months.  Our time with Michael has been so unbelievable wonderful.  Everyday I count my blessings for the gift that we've been given with such a great baby.  Of course, all parents thinks their child is the best!

The last few nights we've woken up to Michael crying because....well...we think he's hungry.  The little piglet eats at least 8 ounces every night but still wants a midnight snack.  Last night, right on schedule I heard the familiar rumblings coming from the nursery - but they weren't cries.  It took me a minute to fully tune in, but what I ulitmately heard was babbling and laughter.  The bug was enjoying his conversation with I guess the mobile, but within just a couple minutes he was off to sleep.  It made me laugh until I realized 40 minutes later I was still awake!

Tomorrow we go for the 4 month check up.  I'm betting the little guy weighs in at 17 1/2 lbs.  Chris is betting 16 lbs 10 oz.  We'll see!

Sew I Did It!

This weekend I should have been cleaning or doing laundry, but after the last few cram-packed weekends I decided I wasn’t doing anything but relax. I didn’t want to sit around the house though – so Saturday we decided to go shopping because the bug is growing so much, he was just about out of clothing that fits. I managed to score some great deals for him at Macy’s and Old Navy and even snagged a cute pair of jeans {skinny ones at that} for me. I also picked up some fabric to make Michael a coat.


Sundays are football day so while Chris went off to watch his game, I started working on the jacket. Now, I’m not a great seamstress. It’s been several years since I even attempted to make something that actually required a proper fit {although 3 years ago I made some awesome capes for our Harry Potter costumes} and never have I actually produced a wearable item of clothing. Needless to say I wasn’t sure how this was going to work, but I was determined to make it work!

Here's the pattern I used.  I used a nice thick fleece so that bug can wear it this winter.  This entire set could easily be done in a number of fabrics.

Step One – Cut the pattern. I usually rush through this part – never really taking the time to accurately cut, yet alone iron the pattern – but I was determined, so I did every single step. Iron the paper pattern – Check! Pin down to the fabric – Check! Cut in a straight and neat way – sort of Check! Fleece is a difficult fabric to cut.


Step Two – Start sewing. I read the instructions 3 times to make sure I didn’t forget anything {remember that game from middle school that's suppose to teach you to read the entire directions first} – then I dove in. 15 minutes later I realized I had no idea how to attach/use bias tape and the instructions in the pattern made no sense – so off to Google I went! I swear, I don’t know what people did before Google. 5 minutes later I found a video, watched it and was back to sewing.

Step Three - Don't go crazy.  While this pattern was easy to follow - there were a few steps that I thought were out of order.  Because I was determined to make this coat, I followed the pattern and steps exactly.  Next time, I'll be doing a few things different.


3 hours later though, I was finished. Somewhere in there Michael had to be fed and played with – which really kills the momentum but once I was finished he loved it! And so did Daddy! This next weekend I’m going to make him a UK one too. It was sew {pun intended} much fun that I can’t wait to start my next project. Maybe something for me?!

Modeling his new coat!

The finished product!

3WF

So I meant to post this yesterday, but I was busy from sun up to sun down.  Either way, I had to post to share the big news - we've starting eating cereal!  After a trying weekend and little sleep - we were back at the doctor first thing Tuesday morning with yet again, another ear infection.  The doctor suspects little Mikey has allergies {big surprise there} so we were back on antibiotics and Benadryl.  The doctor also suggested we start him on rice cereal.  Yippee!  So Thursday night we tried and it did not go over well. 

This was the first bite.  Not a big fan!

We're three days in now and doing a little better.  The face is less horrified when the spoon goes in our mouth, but we still refuse to open our mouth.  So a little playing is involved to get bug to laugh, then we sneak the spoon in.  He's still not a fan but not nearly as upset. 

Much Better!

Weekend Wrap Up

Wow, even long weekends never seem to have enough time. Every week, when everything is getting to me and I'm exhausted, I always plan for a relaxing weekend. Unfortunately, that doesn't always {maybe never} actually happen, and this past long weekend was no exception.


We started our weekend Friday night with a lovely dinner and wine tasting with our neighbors at our house. Not only are we lucky enough to have great neighbors, one happens to be furthering his education in wine, and we get the benefit. If you're fan of wine - I highly recommend his blog Everdayday Wine Choices. Unfortunately as our evening progress, our little guy began getting fussy, so we had to cut the evening short in favor of rocking a baby - who at the time I thought was just over stimulated.

Turns out - not the case! Saturday morning, bright and early, he woke up with a 100.7º temperature. So after 40 minutes on the phone trying to get an appointment, we trekked to the doctor. 2 hours later, I was told to treat the fever and go to Urgent Treatment if he got worse. {Yesterday we made another trip to the doctor to confirm it was an ear infection – the 4th in just 2 months, JOY!} We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the first batch of chili and some college football! GO CATS!

Sunday, we made the trip to my mom’s house for a family cookout. It was a great visit but incredibly tiring. I swear, taking a just shy of 4-month-old anywhere for any period of time, is like packing the whole house and then some. Of course, Michael enjoyed seeing his Mimi and slept just fine, but mom and dad were sure ready for bed after the day.


Finally, Monday came around and we had Chris’ family down for lunch and visiting. It was great to see everyone, especially the Foley clan, since in just a few weeks they are moving to Florida. This was also the first time that Michael really noticed his cousin Crews who’s 10 weeks older. They had a blast playing together.

Hey! You look interesting!

Let's Wrestle!

Sucessfull Weekend - Check!
Ready for the next weekend {hopefully a relaxing one} – Double Check!

Easy Beef Enchiladas

I'm always looking for easy meals that are quick to fix on a weekday night after work - or even better, on the weekend that I can then freeze and reheat later.  So for all the busy moms, I'll try to post some of my recipes.  This week I did super easy Beef Enchiladas.

Ingredients:
1lb Lean Ground Beef (Chicken will also work well)
1 Large Green Bell Pepper
1 Large Red Bell Pepper
1/2 Medium Onion
8 Small Soft Taco Shells
4 Cups Taco/Nacho Shredded Cheese (Or just plain Cheddar works too)
1 Can Tomato Soup
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
9 x 13 Baking Dish (Grease with light cooking or spray oil)

1) Chop Green & Red Bell Peppers and Onion into small pieces (to save time I use a food processor).  Set Aside.
2) In a large skillet, brown the ground beef.  Once cooked drained any grease.
3) Add in chopped peppers and onion.  Saute until peppers are soft.
4) Using 2 cups of cheese, lightly line each shell with cheese.
5) Add in the beef and pepper mixture to each shell and role up.  Place each shell with the overlapping ends down in the dish.
6) In a seperate bowl, mix together tomato soup, tace seasoning, sour cream, and 1/2 can water.
7) Pour sauce mixture over stuff shells.  Cover with remaining cheese.
8) Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Depending on your schedule you can fix the dish - minus the cheese on top - and freeze.  To cook - unthaw, add cheese to the top, and bake for 30-35 minutes.  This is a great option too for freezer meals when friends need it!

Alternatively, you can fix the beef mixture ahead of time, and simply refrigerate until your ready to fix the rest of the dish. 

Hope you enjoy!

3 Word Fridays

That's Right!  College Football season has begun which means it's time for tailgates {which might be interesting with a 4 month old} and chili!  And this weekend the University of Kentucky Wilcats take on the University of Louisville Cardinals the in the Governors Cup.  It's the match up of the season, and we'll all {at least in my house} be sporting our Blue and White to cheer on the CATS. 

Personally I'm not a huge football fan - well really sports in general - but the husband is, so it's a mandatory thing in our household.  What it does mean though, is that fall is just around the corner.  I simply can't wait for the first crisp morning.  Fall is my favorite time of year!  So whoever you cheer for, I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!

It's a little blurry - but even Michael was decked out in UK Blue today!