Simply Mel(Formerly Mama Monoblogs)

Katelyn's First Baseball Game/Summer Update 2

We've been to three birthday parties this past summer. Katelyn has enjoyed every single one of them. Unfortunately, I didn't take poor Madelyn to any of them, although she was invited. Because I was going by myself to each of them either the time of day or location of the party was not conducive to me bringing Madelyn. I'm sure once she gets older she get more than her fair share of parties! These next pictures were taken at a Lowell Spinners( a local minor league team) baseball game. Katelyn's friend Jonathan's birthday party was held there. Oh, and FYI, in case you're wondering why I don't seem to have as many pictures of Madelyn as I do of Katelyn recently it's because Maddy is super uncooperative with pictures as of late! I can't get her to smile or stay still long enough to get a picture. If I ever do get a good picture it's because she was either a) in a silly, camera friendly mood or b) caught off guard! Katelyn, on the other hand, doesn't find one moment that isn't a photo op or a Maybeline moment!lol

*My girls have really gotten in to "Strawberry Shortcake" recently. Which I'm thrilled about because my sister and I loved her and her friends when we were little. Maddy calls her "Bawberry Shirtcake".

Katelyn was a little overwhelmed and distracted when she first go there. There was so much to see and so much commotion. She finally settled down a bit. All she cared about were the mascots dressed as alligators. She wanted them to come up and say "hi" to her. Chick-Fil-A was doing a promotion there and they had a "cow" passing out little cows and hats. Katelyn was inexplicably terrified of even getting close to this character, yet she wanted the alligators to come up and talk to her. My arms were full of food and drinks and she was standing behind be grabbing my stretchy pants for dear life and almost pulling them down. I stood there yelling at her through gritted teeth to "LET GO!!" of my pants and that "THE COW ISN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING TO YOU!!" She finally let go and I made it back to our seat without losing my pants.

 

 

This was a shot of some of the party goers. The little boy in the red is the birthday boy, Jonathan.

Part of the party package was going to the play area at the stadium called "Swamp Land". I couldn't believe that Katelyn actually wanted to climb up and go down this slide. It was really high. But she did it.

You can see a bit of her "surprise" in this shot at how fast she went down. I was hoping to get a better shot of her going down but it happened so fast this is the best I could get!

"That was fun! Can I do it again?"

Katelyn played this little "t-ball" game. A stream of air kept the ball in the air so the kids could hit it. The next two (very short) clips are of Katelyn playing this game and a ball toss game.

Me with the Spinners' mascot the " Canalligator". Of course, Katelyn refused to get a picture with him.

A final group shot of the birthday boy, his family and some friends from the party outside the stadium.

Wordless Wednesday

Nap-time. Two days ago.

Sleeping like a Build-A-Bear....

Summer Update

This is the first is some family updates I have to post about. I have a bunch of  random pictures and stuff to write that I have nowhere else to put! So...here it is!

*Madelyn will be TWO next month! She is talking so much and speaking in complete sentences most of the time. Her terrible two's stage is also coming out in her personality. Mike even said the other day " We really need to start making her obey". I agree! Before, it was cute. Now, not so much. She can definitely be defiant when she wants to be but it's in a different way than Katelyn was. It's funny to compare her and Katelyn's personalities at this age. Madelyn is definitely  more laid back. When she disobeys it's  usually in the form of just ignoring us. And when she is reprimanded for it she just giggles and says " Ok, mama. I do it". When Katelyn did it at this age it was- " No!!!"
Some of the things Madelyn is saying/has said recently:

M: Mama can I play your game?" (Bejeweled Blitz)
me: "No Baby, you're too little to play my game"
M: "I not to yittle!!"

She asks "Why not?" all the time. She also will say "Because...." when we ask her something.

"I do it!. By. My. Self."

She also "wuvs" everything right now. "Mama, I wuuuv my bear." "Mama, I wuuuv my baby" "Mama, I wuuuuv  i-keem" (ice cream)

Whenever she gets upset she'll say " No, Ma.Ma! Don't want to" and I'll say " I don't care. You have to." and she'll cross her arms over her chest, stick her lips out and say " I don't care either!!"

The girls were playing with some of their little friends, Jenna and Addy, the other day. Katelyn was pestering Addy a little bit so Addy was kind of ignoring her. Katelyn kept calling Addy's name and Addy wasn't answering. Madelyn marched up to Addy and pointed to Addy and then to Katelyn and said " Addy! You talk Tee-Dee!!" I laughed so hard. I also thought it was cute that Madelyn was defending Katelyn.(Maddy still calls Katelyn "Tee-Dee".

She still loves her "chawky milk". That's the first thing she ask for in the morning. No  matter what I suggest/ tell her to do/ ask her ,her reply is always the same.

Me: Madelyn, lets get dressed
M: No thanks, just want chawky milk

Me: Madelyn, what do you want to watch on t.v this morning?
M: No thanks, just want chawky milk

Me: Madelyn, do you want a bagle or a waffle for breakfast?
Madelyn: No thanks, just want chawky milk. I wuuuuv chawky milk.

You think I'd learn my lesson. Just give that girl her "chawky milk" !!!

She keeps us laughing every day with the stuff that she says.

*Katelyn started getting regular adjustments at the Chiropractor last week. She was finally able to sit still long enough for a thermal scan to do be done on her back. Our office does this scan so we and they can see where there is signal interference going to our organs and muscles and what the best course of action is to get rid of the interference and irritation through adjustments is. The scan doesn't hurt but you have to sit still so they can slowly roll the scanner down your back. The printout shows all these colors in different spots where the interference and irritation is. Each color means a different severity.I was not so surprised to find out that Katelyn's scan came out like the signature scan of a child with ADD!! Our Chiropractors have had a huge success in treating kids with ADD/ADHD. Most have even been able to stop taking any medications they were on. My Chiropractor said that because of the interferences in her body she feels like she is in constant "Fight or Flight" mode and has adrenaline coursing through her veins all the time. He asked me if she is very active and I said "YES!!". He also asked me if she ate stuff with lots of sugar, artificial colors and flavors in it as that can aggravate her symptoms. I'm really trying to weed all of that stuff out but I'm sure Katelyn still eats food with that stuff in it. Her love for junk food has not been diminished at all by my trying to get her to eat healthier and getting rid of the junk. It's also been our habit in the past to reward her with ring pops or candy for good behavior or some other accomplishment. So I've really been keeping an eye on what she's eating and really trying to control any extra sugar or artificial stuff in her food.  Her first adjustment after the scan went terribly. She laid on the table just fine until Dr. Chris started rubbing her neck and then she freaked out and started crying, screaming and kicking hysterically. Dr. Chris was able to get a little adjusting in but she was truly terrified so I didn't want to get too upset with her. Of course, through the whole ordeal, Madelyn is saying " My turn! My turn!! Can I do it? "That was last Wednesday. I had the rest of the week to talk to her about going back  on Monday and how the adjustment was not going to hurt if she just laid there and let Dr. Chris do it quickly. Of course, what did I bribe her with if she agreed to lay still and  not go into fits of hysteria? A ring pop.(She loves those and would do anything for them! I didn't know what else to offer her!)  Anyway, at first she laid down quietly and was fine. The second Dr. Chris started touching her neck she sad up quickly, got off the table and said " No, I don't want to". So the doctor and I both tried to get her to get back on the table but she was starting to get hysterical again. She saw a different table ( that is lower to the ground and not for the actual adjusting but for other things they do) and said she wanted to lay on that. Dr. Chris said he could work with that. So she laid on that table on her back and he talked soothingly to her and asked her silly questions and adjusted her without her realizing she was getting adjusted! Hopefully that good experience will slowly get her to get on the actual adjusting table. After each adjustment she's had she's has slept so well! I'm curious to see if getting her adjusted twice a week is going to slow her down a bit.

*Our weather this Summer has been crappy!! We've had rain, rain and more rain. What other state has 60 degree weather in July?(other than Alaska-lol) We've been able to go into the pool a handful of times. Summer better keep going long into September this year.

*We are planning a trip to Texas on Lonza's(Mike's employer) dime. They wanted to reward Mike for all of his hard work this year so they said they would pay plane tickets to Texas. We are shooting for the week of Katelyn's birthday so we can have a party there with family. We're looking forward to seeing my new niece, Brooklyn, for the first time too. It's already been planned that since my sister will be working then, I'll be caring for Brooklyn so my mom can spend time with my girls. Sounds like a good plan to me! While we're there we'll also get too meet my new little (second) cousin, Cooper, and celebrate my brother in law Waylon's,  my sister Steph's and my Grandma Ross' birthdays!

*My natural living quest is going slowly but steadily. You haven't heard(read?) me talking about it much since I'm taking such small baby steps. I'm slowly discovering what I can and will do versus what I'll most likely never do no matter how "good" or "easy" it's supposed to be! More on that later.

Here are a few pictures.....

Playing with Play Doh on our deck...

Playing A Farm Memory Game...

Here are some pictures of my "deck garden"......

These are Gerbera Daisies Katelyn and I planted as seedlings and they have gotten too tall for the pot. I'm going to plant them in my garden. They are actually even fuller and more colorful than when I took these pictures.

 

My Dahlias...

 

I "nursed back to health" two of these hanging baskets that were dying on me. I had them hanging on my front stoop and they were slowly dying and I was going to throw them out. since I spent $25.00 on each basket I couldn't stand the thought of wasting that kind of money. So I put them on my back deck and watered them faithfully, and added plant food and they started thriving again. I don't know what mix of  flowers are in these baskets but they're really starting to bloom!

My New Guinea Impatiens...(has also bloomed a lot more since this picture was taken)

More updates to come!

Guess That Drawing!

THE ANSWER TO GUESS THAT DRAWING!:

What did Katelyn draw in the picture below? You all had great guesses(on my blog and on Facebook) and they were all close.

Katelyn's picture is of her wearing a polka dotted dress, the "animal" looking thing is indeed Benny, the thing that looks like a flower is, well, a flower and the cloud looking thing? A caterpillar.

Thanks for playing, ya'll!

********************************************************************

Katelyn has been at it again. Drawing cute pictures that just beg to be analyzed.

What has Katelyn drawn in this picture? Bonus points if you can "name" everything in this picture.

Pet Peeve Of The Day/Friendly(hopefully)Discussion

I may be opening a can of worms with this Pet Peeve/discussion. And I may not, depending on who decides to join in on it. I hope many people will chime in with their views on this today. And I hope we can all walk away(still) friends.Let me start by saying I mean no offense to any woman reading this and I am not picking on anybody specifically.(Other than the general group of women I'm talking about, of course.) This is just my opinion and my feelings on the subject.

So what in the heck am I going to talk about that needed this huge introduction? Natural Delivery vs Drug Assisted Delivery/Parenting styles/ Breastfeeding vs Bottle of, course!

With the gaggle of family and friends having new babies this spring and summer all of these topics have been a source of discussion all around. So, I figured I'd discuss on my blog.

Here are my Pet Peeves and thoughts on these subjects-

*Women who think they are superior to other women and deserve a medal of honor by the fact that they had a natural delivery. Let's face it, we all know a mom like that. Anytime the subject of birth comes up she mentions in a "better than thou" patronizing tone how she had 50 hours of labor, and pushed for 10 hours all with NO DRUGS!!! *

And you know what? That's great. And sharing that information during a birth conversation is absolutely fine.But you know the kind of woman I'm talking about. The one who wants applause once she done with her all natural birth story. If she chooses to have her baby that way and go through everything she went through that is her right. Good for her. Me? Not so much. I think if you are able to deliver a healthy baby with minimal complications-good for you! I think all women deserve a pat on the back no matter how they delivered their baby. I know the number of women having c-sections is on the rise. I don't agree with elective c-sections but if your doctor and you feel that during labor a c-section is called for, I say go for it. I personally would have loved to have delivered my girls naturally(although it most likely would have been drug assisted). And, surprisingly enough, even though I had c-sections, they're smart! And healthy! And have developed normally. I even spoke to my doctor about a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) with Madelyn. But after looking at my labor history with Katelyn and getting some more info on VBACs I decided to go with the c-section with Madelyn. And now..who knows with my next one? My uterus was nicked during Madelyn's delivery and I had extra blood loss so a VBAC may not be an option anymore. I have friends and family who have had their babies all naturally and it was a good experience for them. Or...as good as giving birth can be! And they are very pleasant and non superior-acting about it.

*Women who push their opinions on breast feeding and they're preferred parenting style on other women*

We all also know women like that.The way they parent and feed their children is the
only and best way. We have all heard that breast is best and I agree. I think breastfeeding has a wealth of benefits for mothers and babies. I didn't breast feed either of my girls because of the seizure medication I was on. Now that I have new information on that subject  I would like to try to breastfeed any of my future children. I think if you can breastfeed and feel comfortable doing so you should do it. Anywhere, anytime. However, many women these days don't  like/ can't/don't want to/ don't find it comfortable/ don't lead the kind of  lifestyle to breastfeed. It stresses and overwhelms the best of moms. I don't think women who choose not to breastfeed are terrible mothers. I don't think their children are going to grow up and not be able to get into Harvard because they weren't breastfed. Again, I have family and friends who go from one end of the spectrum to the other. I have friends who think breastfeeding is just plain gross!!

Then we get to parenting styles...aaahhh. To spank or not to spank? Timeouts? Let the baby cry it out or not? Can you ever spoil an infant? Tummy sleeping even though it's not recommended anymore? Co-sleeping or children sleeping in their beds? Should toddlers watch t.v? Home school or public/private school?

Here's how I've chosen to parent- I do believe in spanking. I'm sure I'll write a post on that at some point. I don't believe in abuse or beatings. I don't believe in spanking out of anger. I do believe there is a right way to spank. I don't think spanking teaches children that it's ok to hit. I think it's ok for children to know that parents can spank them but they do not have the right to hit another child. I also think time outs can be used at the right time. I don't personally agree with co-sleeping although it seems like there are many family's who have done it and have been happy with the results. My babies have gone in their cribs as early as four weeks old. They slept better this way and so did I. I got my children on routines as early as possible. I let them learn to put themselves to sleep at an early age. I let them cry a bit but never for too long. I did rock them but not to put them to sleep. Unless they were sick. As result my girls have always been fabulous sleepers and have slept through the night at an early age. I let my girls watch t.v. Probably too much by some standards.  But they are also very smart, creative and active. I don't think it's hindered their growth one bit.  I say this because I know women who think some of those things are terrible and make me a terrible mother.And they have the right to that opinion. Just don't force that opinion on me! 

We haven't made up our minds about how we are going to school our children. We're keeping an open mind, however.

So have I successfully offended everyone reading this post? If I haven't then I haven't done my job. Just kidding... just kidding.

So, what are your thoughts and opinions on these subjects? Do you think I'm terribly wrong? Totally agree with me? Somewhere in the middle? Tell me!

Oh, and ...be nice. Please.

Fourth Of July Pics and Videos

We had  a great Fourth Of July weekend. Friday night we went to Fourth of July festivities hosted by the town my in laws' church is in. Their church set up a booth and sold corn on the cob with all the fixings for it. It was delicious! The girls enjoyed running around, looking at all the different booths and eating ice cream,fried dough and of course, freshly grilled corn on the cob. Saturday we spent the day at my in laws' house. We swam in the pool and grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and corn on the cob for lunch. We didn't get to see any fireworks, unfortunately, but it was still a great time.

Our Fourth Of July Pool Babe

 

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of this, but Madelyn also went down the slide. And since this day, not only do the girls go down the slide, they jump off the diving board!Madelyn floats around on her own with her floaties( under our watchful eye ,of course) and kicks her legs to get around. She's turning into a fish just like Katelyn did.

I

One...two...three.......

SSPPLLAASSHH!

Eating our delicious lunch.

And here are some videos from our first time in the pool and Fourth Of July. I had a couple of better videos of the girls but they were soooo not flattering of me and Mike. So...I spared your eyes.

You're welcome. No applause necessary.

"The Love Dare" Recap 3

I know it seems like I've been a little absent from blog world. I've had some things going on and needed to take a little break. I've also been working on my new blog layout that I hope to be unveiling soon. I am also finally getting around to my Love Dare recap. This has been quite an interesting little journey! I am loving this book. Mike is going to be reading it pretty soon himself and I'm curious to see what he thinks of it.

UPDATE: Mike still hasn't told me his three things that bother him about me yet. I need to get on him about that. I was finally able to do "something out of the ordinary" from day 10. I gassed up his car for him while I was out instead of leaving it for him to gas up on the way to work. He was surprised and appreciative.

So...here we go!

DAY 11- LOVE CHERISHES

(I figured I'd write the title of  the chapters to give you more of an idea of what they are about.)

Today I was supposed meet a need of Mikes whether be an errand I could run for him, back massage or something else he needed. I was supposed to choose a gesture that said "I cherish you"and do it with a smile.

Not to toot my own horn, but I thought I did pretty good with this dare. Remember those stinkin' trash barrels? Well, I finally took them out. Two weeks worth of trash and three weeks worth of recycling. Four trips up and down our long driveway. When Mike came home(late) and saw that he  asked me if I was trying to make him cry. I asked why and he said it was such a huge favor to him to come home, tired from work, and find that the dreaded chore of taking out the trash had already been done.I gotta say, that made it worth it for me. I've been taking the trash out for trash day ever since. On this day I also picked up his contacts for him which he really appreciated. I did it all with a smile and without "keeping score". It was actually quite liberating to do something just out of love and not expecting something in return.

Day 12- LOVE LETS THE OTHER WIN

Today the dare was to willingly give in to an area of disagreement between me and Mike. I was supposed to tell Mike that I was putting his preferences first.

Again, this was a personal dare and it involved several smaller areas of disagreement. After I initially got over having to swallow my pride, personal preference and resentment, it wasn't so bad. And Mike really appreciated it. Which made for a nice day! *grins*

Day 13- LOVE FIGHTS FAIR

Today's dare was that I was supposed to talk to Mike about establishing healthy rules of engagement. We were supposed to sit down and talk about rules we would follow during a fight  and resolve to abide by them the next time we fought. 

Unfortunately, this is one of the dares I haven't completed yet. Mike worked late hours last week and by the time he came home I didn't feel like delving into deep conversation like that. The book gives some really good rules to abide by so we'll probably end up taking those as our own. The dares this week seem to have required more thought and time.

Day 14-LOVE TAKES DELIGHT

Today I was to purposefully neglect an activity I would normally do so I could spend some quality time with Mike. I was supposed to do something he would love to do or work on a project he would like to work on. The purpose was to just enjoy being together.

This may not sound super exciting but I gave up having my laptop in my lap and uploading picturing or blogging while we watched an On Demand movie together. I usually do this and many times Mike will ask  me to please put it away. This time I didn't even start out with it. I also rubbed his back which is "activity" he loves. One of the things I was supposed to journal about was what did I learn or relearn about my spouse while doing this. Well, not much really! I just learned how nice it is to just watch a movie together while neither of us was trying to do something else during the movie.

Day 15- LOVE IS HONORABLE

The dare today was to show honor and respect to Mike that was above my normal routine. (i.e more attention to small details, the way I listen or speak etc) I was to show Mike that he is highly esteemed in my eyes.

This dare was harder for me because I don't spend a lot of  (awake)hours with Mike during the week and I already do stuff like washing and putting his clothes away, ironing them, making his lunch etc. While I do those things because I love him and want to help him, I've also started doing them just out of habit and routine, without giving them much though. So, I basically tried to pay attention to small details and going the extra mile with stuff I did for him. One thing I tend to procrastinate on is when he asks me to call and make appointments for stuff or to have stuff fixed. This week I called a place he asked me to call the very next day. He really appreciated that and said so. Although I didn't do anything major I think eventually Mike will start noticing that I am going the extra mile with the little things. I do want him to know I do things for him because I esteem and value him and not just out of duty.

I have to admit that with everything going on last week and the week before it was harder to keep up with the dares and commit to reading the book faithfully every day. In fact, I didn't read the book every day. I'm not going to let life get in the way though. I may not do the dares on the exact day the books wants me to but I'll get them done eventually!

Pictures of My New Niece!

This is my new niece Brooklyn Alivia born yesterday, July 16th, 9lbs 6 oz, 21 1/2 inches long. She is the cutest, chubbiest thing ever!

I'm Not Here Today

I'm over here at my sister's blog, updating everyone on her labor and delivery. Looks like Brooklyn Alivia will be making her grand entrance at some point today. Go there if you want to read the updates. I'm going to be an aunt!

Pictures Of Our New Fence

I finally have all the pictures I wanted to post of our new fence. I know my mom has been dying to see them, so here they are!

These are the before shots. I took the pictures once they put the posts in but you get the idea of what it looked like before the fence

This is so you can see where the fence is in relation to the deck

 

And now.....voila! The new fence!

 

Here's a cropped version of the photo before this one so my mom can see Katelyn sitting  on the slide while talking to her the other day. While I was taking these pictures Katelyn said to my mom  " Geemaw, my mom is taking a picture of me!" (which I was really trying to get the fence but I was happy to include her!) So my mom wanted to see the picture that I took when she said that. Unfortunately the quality is not that great.

This is the view from the front yard in front of the little bushes.

 

This is the gate in front of our driveway(obviously). This gate has been a blessing and is keeping the kids, balls and bikes from going down the driveway anymore!

This angle is from the top of the driveway so you can see the fence opened and how our driveway goes right into a busy street!

We are so thankful for this generous gift from my inlaws. It has been awesome telling the kids to go play outside while I can watch them from my windows inside and know they are safely gated in the play area.