Andrew is ONE month old already!

How did THAT happen?

  Well 4 fast weeks have come and gone and our little guy is a whole month old already. I still feel like I'm going to wake up at any moment and realize this whole mommy thing has all been a crazy awesome dream! I'm not even kidding when I say it took me a full year to actually fully wrap my mind around the fact that 1, Eli was mine, 2, he was mine to keep, and 3, I made that little person. I think when he actually could call me "mommy" is when it all really sunk in. Weird, right?? I'm kind of in that place right now with Andrew too. I look at this perfect little human being, my heart swelling to max capacity, and I can't believe I made him. He's really truly here. One thing is for sure, I. Am. Blessed.

  Before I jump into his stats I'm happy to report that for those of you who followed my horrendous nipple pain issues with Eli, this time around, although by no means pain free, is WAY better! I mean night and day better! I don't dread nursing him and the pain is tolerable without needing prescription strength motrin. Halleluia! But, with that being said, I still wish I had a bullet proof vest or something to prevent even a wayward sneeze from accidentally sending a gust of wind my way. I like to think I have a high pain tolerance (heck I delivered 2 babies!) but this nerve type pain turns me into a whiney baby and it doesn't take much to make me want to cry out. Aside from the nipple pain/sensitivity, does anyone know when the rest of my boobs won't feel like I got donkey kicked repeatedly?? Anyone??? My girls look pretty amazing right now, but what a total waste if even looking at them hurts....

  Anyhoo, lets move onto what's new with Andrew, shall we?

Eli crashing Andrew's photo session. Andrew's like "hey, I thought this was about ME?"

Size: This kiddo has just gained 2 pounds in 2 weeks! If you recall, his birth weight was 8lbs 2oz and he's now up to 10lbs 10oz! So far he's beating Eli for age because he was 9lbs 9oz at one month. He's now filling out his 3 month clothing pretty well and I've since retired the newborn clothes (and no, I don't want to talk about it. **sniffle......snort...sob!**)

Likes: Naps, his big brother (he can't see a whole lot yet but he tends to track his brother moving around him like a maniac), being rocked, having his butt patted, eating, lying on his belly, and going for walks tucked snuggly in his wrap against mommy.

Dislikes: His carseat (I reeeeeally hope he grows to like this because the hysterical cries in the back seat that only subside when the car is moving and start back up at stop lights, is gut wrenching for the mommy all the way up in the front seat), and diaper changes.

Feeding: He is exclusively breastfed and for now I feed on demand being that he's a newborn. It took almost 6 freakin' days for my milk to come in so I made it a point to nurse as often as I could to prevent the jaundice issues we experienced with Eli and to encourage my milk to make an appearance eventually. He also had a tongue tie at birth like his brother so our pediatrician snipped that at our first well visit and he's nursing like a pro now.

Sleeping: He's a newborn! Enough said, ha ha. He eats, poops, and sleeps, in that order. During the day, he can only stand being awake for about an hour max (including feeding time) before he gets fussy and overtired and then he'll take a 2 hour nap. The past few days he's been able to stay awake a little longer, stretching it to an hour and a half or 2 hours in between naps. At nighttime he does his longest stretch first, sleeping for about 4hrs, then he wakes up 3hrs later, then 2hrs later and then 1hr until we're up for the day around 7:30. His morning wake time is still very erratic at this point but I'm hoping he'll start to fall into a predictable pattern soon.

Milestones: Rolls! He's starting to fill out nicely. Also neck and head control. I'm not even kidding but this kid could lift his head and turn it from side to side while laying on his belly from week one! He made it look so easy and I had to constantly remind myself how young he was because it makes him seem so much older! Even in my wrap, he would push off and hold his head up to stare at me! Hilarious! 

Rolls! That's some good eatin'

   So that's it! I'll try to find some more time here in the next few days to update you all on how it's been with 2 kids and how they get along.

   Here's some of our outtakes from our month one photo attempts:

   

Giving Eli the stink eye for crowding his picture moment, ha ha

"Wait, what am I supposed to do again here?"

Winner winner, chicken dinner!

Until next time...

-Linds

My birth story!

**Disclaimer** This is MY personal story. I am NOT an OB/GYN, labor & delivery nurse OR Doula. This post is not meant to give medical advice. I'm just a momma with an opinion...and a blog.

He's just a couple hours old here

He has such great hair.

   Well naturally, having done this whole birthing thing before, I can't help but compare the two. So I apologize if jumping back and forth gets annoying. Both my birthing experiences were very similar, yet also very different. As you may remember from my first birth post, I had every intention of laboring at home as much as possible because I didn't want any hospital interventions (IV pitocin, breaking my water, epidural etc.) and my feelings hadn't changed this time around either. In fact I was even more certain of my choice to labor at home as much as possible. I didn't plan to go pain med free just so I could have bragging rights, but simply because I knew I could do it and the added bonus would be a quicker recovery for me and baby. I believe our bodies are designed to carry and deliver babies and the medical profession is complicating all that with unnecessary interventions. (Seriously about to get on my soap box with this topic so I better just move on. If you wonder what I mean, please watch Ricky Lake's documentary "The business of being born" and you'll see exactly what I mean.) And ladies, what's with us intentionally trying to scare other momma-to-be's with the pain of child birth? "You're gonna get an epidural right??" or "omygosh I thought I was gonna die until I got the epidural!" Stop. Just stop. Yes child birth is painful. It's one of the worst pains I've ever gone through but hear me when I say this, its TOLERABLE and it's WORTH IT. Do your research and I have no doubt you'll release that fear too.

  So with Eli's birth, I had just had the privilege of witnessing my best friend's birth 7 months earlier and after being admitted with contractions every 5 minutes, she decided to go home because she was barely dilated and did not want her water broken for her and pitocin started in order to "get things going." I remember thinking I would never have had the guts to get there and leave because I wouldn't want to inconvenience them. It was an eye opening experience for me. Her drive was only 7 minutes to the hospital but mine was 30. I couldn't imagine driving to the hospital with the contractions I was having and choosing to go home because I wasn't "progressing" as fast as they wanted, and do that drive another 2 times. So I waited. With Eli I waited until my water broke at home and thats when the contractions became super intense and I knew it was time to go to the hospital. I thought I'd do the same with this one but this time around, it was very different.

    I woke up at 11:30pm thinking I might have felt a little wetness, wondering if my water had broken. Sure enough I noticed my underwear was slightly damp but I showed no other signs that it had actually truly broken (ex: passing my mucous plug, bleeding or being soaked.) Also at this time I started to feel an achy sensation to both sides of my lower back, that would shoot down to my rectum and then wrap up to my lower belly where it felt like menstrual cramping. Pleasant. NOT! So. Much. Pressure. I was afraid of 2 things with labor; laboring through the night where I'd lose my beloved sleep (Waaah!) and the dreaded "back labor," and here I was starting it off with the two things I was hoping to avoid. This rattled my confidence a little, I'm not gonna lie, but then I just chose to focus on getting through each contraction (which were every 2-5 minutes from the get-go. No training wheels, no ramping up, just "go" time. Thanks uterus.) This is it. It's the real deal. No noticeable braxton hicks for this girl.

   I decided to let my hubby sleep for a bit before I let him in on the big news because I knew I wasn't ready to head to the hospital yet and I figured he had a long road ahead of him if I was going to labor for 16hrs like I did with Eli. I decided to text my mom instead because she's way more helpful when I'm in pain or sick than my hubby is. But just a few hours later at 1:45am I realized the pain was getting intense and that it was almost time to leave so I woke him and Steph. We actually didn't leave until 3:30am and that was only because the contractions were every 2-3minutes and super intense to the point where I thought I had to be close. I was disappointed my water hadn't broken yet because I really didn't want them to insist on doing this for me once I was at the hospital. 

  Once we got there, the nurse checked to see how far dilated I was and it felt like she shoved her whole hand up there which made me think I wasn't even close. I thought his head should have stopped her at some point if I was "close" but it didn't seem to. Sure enough though, she confirmed that I WAS just about there because once again I came in at 9 ½ cm dilated and his head was "right there". Deja vu. I'd heard those exact words over 3 years ago. Looks like I'd be having both my boys at 39 weeks and 1 day. Ha! Consistent, that's me! They called my doc and also decided to call the in-house on call doctor because they didn't think mine would get there in time. Turns out my doc and the in-house doc got there at the same time (within 12 minutes!) They had just gotten me to the bed, strapped the fetal monitor on my belly, applied the BP cuff to my arm, and helped me to lie down on my side when the craziest sensation ripped through my body. My water broke! Holy cow! With Eli it was a slow trickle that made me even wonder if it HAD broken, but with this one, it reminded me of the Coneheads movie where her water breaks and comes out in a torrential downpour and floods the floor! I'm not even kidding. The best way I can describe it is this huge release of backed up pressure like a giant water balloon being shoved through a small hole and finally giving way under the enormous pressure and exploding everywhere! Move out of the way, this baby was coming! My doc had enough time to put on gloves and this was how I welcomed her to the party. Hey doc! (In hindsight, I find it comical that I put on a pad "just in case" for the car ride to the hospital and what a joke that would have been if my water broke with such magnitude in the car. Oh. Em. Gee! We would have needed to buy a new car! Ha ha ha. But I digress...)

My "birth plan" that I asked Steph, Aaron and Jac to help me with

   During my mental prep and research about the best laboring positions and natural childbirth, I had read that even a comatose woman could birth a baby! The body WILL do the work and that technically you didn't even have to push--the contractions are THAT strong. I had also learned that for some reason, the united states was slow to respond to the current evidence that "coached" pushing or "blue pushing" (where mom holds her breath and "bears down" to a count of ten with each contraction, thereby denying herself and her baby much needed oxygen during a crucial time) was BAD for mom and baby and actually NOT recommended. How come with the 3 labors I attended, Jac's, Steph's and my own, we were ALL told to do this?!? Well that does it. I made up my mind that I was NOT pushing. No siree bob. With Eli, the nurse treated me like an epidural patient and told me when I was contracting (thanks, I feel that you know) and instructed me to push while counting to 10. My gut and body said it was wrong. It felt wrong and I had no desire to push, hence the reason she kept telling me I was "doing it wrong". There were only a select few contractions that made me WANT to push, but not all of them did. To me it was a waste of precious energy to push when my body said not to. My research has since indicated that the new evidence says that mom should only push when she feels the urge and not to push with every contraction simply since she's 10 cm dilated. I felt vindicated! Then I felt angry. Never again would I doubt my instincts.

   After my Conehead experience, (skip to 1:33 of the video if you want to know what I mean) I didn't have to do anything. No seriously. My hubby held up my leg, I moaned/groaned (a tight jaw=a tight perineum. Did you know that?? I didn't) and let that baby come on his own. I "pushed" (shhh, no I didn't) 4 times (read:4 contractions did the work FOR me) and he was out. I was admitted to the hospital at 4am, baby in my arms by 4:35am. Only 10 minutes after hitting the delivery room. Halleluia! Each nurse who took care of me during my short hospital stay kept saying "so I heard you barely made it to the hospital on time." Not true. I had no urge to push until I got to the hospital. We had time.

This is my so-relieved-to-be-done face

Meeting each other for the first time

Daddy cutting the cord

I can't even believe he's finally here!

He looks like he has a cone head here but that's because the blanket is covering part of it. He actually had a perfect shaped head!

Proud daddy, got a son that looks like him!

I present to you, Andrew Major Scicluna

  When I mentioned being consistent earlier, Andrew weighed in 1 ounce smaller than his big bro at 8lbs and 2oz. He's an inch smaller at 19 ½ inches but we joke that Eli had a conehead that gave him the extra height, ha ha.

  The best part of a natural labor was that I was up and moving around later that morning. I had zero swelling because I didn't get a ton of IV fluids to combat low blood pressure if I would have chosen an epidural, no spinal headache from said epidural, and no urinary catheter. Yay for that alone! I was ready to take on the demands of being a mommy of TWO!

  So yes, I mentioned how birth was one of the most painful things I've ever gone through but I chose to go without pain meds twice because it was the best thing for ME. I have friends who have had uncomplicated deliveries with an epidural and rave about them and I say more power to you. I get more discouraged when I hear stories of "I got xyz (insert: epidural, pitocin, cervidil, induced etc) because "they recommended it" or "that's just what they told me I had to do." Then my heart breaks when I hear of the adverse effects that follow and eventually leads to that "emergency" c-section. To go through the pushing stage in labor and endure contractions, only to end up with a c-section is my worst nightmare. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

  I'd like to especially thank my hubby, my sister, Jac and my friend Caylan for their incredible support and guidance.  Just knowing that my hubby, sis and Jac were there to advocate for me gave me tremendous relief and my friend Caylan, although not in the delivery room with me, is a doula and mommy of 3 (with her 4th just born a couple days after me!) allowed me to pick her brain as often as I needed and gave me invaluable advice that ultimately gave me the most confidence. Muuuuah to you lovies! I can't thank you all enough.

Welp, that's my story. We're home and getting adjusted to being parents of 2 boys but so far its pretty dang awesome. Stay tuned for updates.

-Linds

p.s   A super awesome natural birthing link that rocked my world regarding the pushing stage was this one. If you're pregnant, I highly recommend it.

   

   

Preschooler in the hiz-ouse!

Yay for preschool!

   Wow the time has come where I'm sending my first born off to school! I remember the first 3 days of his life vividly as if they occurred yesterday and now he's 3 years old and I have another little one on the way and due in just a few short weeks. **mind=boggled**.   

   Well believe it or not, I didn't shed a tear. I was and am, super excited for him to experience this next chapter in his life. I suppose if he was extremely shy and/or was scared to leave my side I might have handled things differently but if you know anything about Eli, being shy is not something he knows! He didn't hesitate one bit to jump right into friend making and toy exploring. He's nosey (like his momma) and an extrovert (like his daddy) so I feel other kiddos may be more overwhelmed with him than him with them. I realize kids can be down right cruel and that I can't control other parent's brats offspring so as a mother I'm focusing on teaching/guiding my child to be a leader, not a follower. I can't put him in a bubble but I can help build his confidence. I can't stop bullies but I can encourage my kid to stand up for other people. I have to just stay focused on the things I can do and let God handle the rest. Sigh. Easier said than done I know.

  

Stealing kisses while he's too young to protest.

  I almost didn't sign him up for preschool this fall because I was too lazy to fill out the stack of paperwork almost missed the deadline and luckily got my butt in gear and snagged the last slot for his age group. I heavily debated even doing it because of this new baby on its way but then got to thinking how nice it would be to have a nice 2 hour chunk of time in the mornings, 3 days a week to just have with Andrew or to squeeze in a nap while Eli is entertained and surrounded by friends...AND he'd come home for his OWN 2 hour nap after that for a total of 4hrs of "me time"! I started to get lightheaded from all the giddiness inside me! "Me time" again? I seriously heard angels singing!

  Then the reality sank in and my bubble of bliss deflated. Yes I'd get "me time" again, and yes Eli would be in a super awesome learning environment right down the street, BUT now he'll be among the other kids bringing home every germ known to man and I'd have a vulnerable newborn at home. Ugh. Right decision, or was I being selfish??? I sure hope Breastfeeding and the school's huge emphasize on hand washing will save us. So if you're the praying kind, put us on your list please and thank you.

He'll alway be my baby

     After his first day, I of course grilled him for details and laughed when he started with "well my ladies took my handprint and we made a craft project!" Ha ha ha ha. His "ladies" would be his 2 teachers. He seems to really like them and school in general so far after only 2 days of attendance so I'm excited.

  Anywho, did you notice his snazzy new backpack?? I'm super proud of this creation. I absolutely love his Planes movie backpack that we use for everything but when I got his supplies list required for school I realized it wouldn't fit a binder (come to find out, the binder was only needed the first day and his Planes one would have sufficed but I had already made this new one.) I followed a few different tutorials to get the look I wanted. This was the tutorial that got me started, but I didn't like the strap placement in the middle of the back of the bag so I changed that up and then just used my previous bag making experience to finish it. This bag tutorial was another excellent resource if you're interested in making one for the little person in your life.

Here are some more detailed pics:

I added a simple velcro closure to the front pocket

   Best part is it's fully lined! I loathe raw edges. For the lining you just repeat the same construction steps as the outside of the bag but instead of doing the zipper part again, you just fold over those edges and either sew over the outside zipper stitches or hand sew in place. I chose to hand sew it so that it would look more finished. I lucked out having all the supplies on hand including the little plastic adjustable strap pieces! (shhhh, don't tell my hubby but he had a bag that they were a part of that I swear were on there just for decorative purposes so I seam-ripped those puppies off and stole them. You'd never notice they were gone so don't tell him!) Thrifty thrifty sir.

    I get a stupid grin on my face every time I see him wearing it. I just love that kid. Here's to a successful first year of school bud! Mmmmmuah!

-Linds

My 30 week pregnancy check-in

  

    Is it just me or is this pregnancy going by super fast?? I realize January, (when I conceived) seems like forever ago but sheesh, I'm already 30 weeks! I'm still feeling good but bending over to pick something up is the pits, and I really hate only being able to sleep on my right and left side. I can't wait to flip over to my stomach after the baby gets here. Oh, and I'm definitely waddling full time now, ha ha.

  I just had my third ultrasound this past Friday because I'm rotating practioners so I can meet them all before I deliver (since God knows I'll deliver probably on a weekend, or at the very least during "off" hours and get the doc on call instead of my usual one) and this last doc had a hard time feeling the top of my fundus and claimed I was only measuring 24 wks (this was at my 27 week, almost 28 week appointment) and thought an ultrasound was needed "just to make sure he's growing ok." Apparently this wiggle worm was moving like crazy 24/7 but not growing for the past month. I don't buy it. Honestly, I wasn't worried because he's been super low from the get-go and I could already tell he was head down based on the location of the hiccups he has often and I also get him kicking off my right hip bone regularly so I was sure he was just wrapped more sideways, then up. Plus my usual doc has always measured me right on target. Sigh. Anyways I didn't mind the extra ultrasound since they did one each trimester for Eli since I was "higher risk" being hypothyroid.

  Well as the ultrasound confirmed, he IS head down, and he does kind of wrap around with butt to my left and feet off to my right lower abdomen and incidentally is measuring a week larger then expected at 30 weeks and 3 days. He needs to steady his pace though because I'm shooting for a 7 ½ pounder ;)

She got a big 'ol preggo belly!

I made this yoga band style skirt a year or 2 ago. Love how versatile it is that I can even wear it pregnant

Back to the pregnancy questionnaire I did at 20 weeks. Lets see how much things have changed shall we:

How far along: 30 weeks!

Total weight gain: I'm up 22lbs (Yowza! That was pretty easy to do. Dang appetite)

Maternity clothes: Pickins's are getting slim now since I would wear long non-maternity tee's and blousy shirts up until this point but now I'm "Gus-Gusing" it so I definitely need to stick to only maternity tops. My pants, although maternity, are getting snug so I'm thinking of hitting up goodwill for some more bigger comfy pants soon.

Stretch marks: None yet. I've been using Honest.com's organic belly balm that I reeeeeally like. It's very greasy and my belly shines like a bowling ball that's just gone done a freshly oiled lane but I've had ZERO itchy skin. Two thumbs up for this stuff.

Sleep: Eh. This has been so so. I get up to pee every 2-4 hrs and as mentioned above, I can only rotate between left and right sides which gets old. I've got my giant "C" shaped pregnancy pillow, a body pillow, and 2 regular pillows to help me get comfy though. Ha ha. If my hubby doesn't hold securely to his pillow though, I've been known to take that as well. Don't judge.

Best moment of this week: Having another ultrasound and getting to see him again and finding out I passed my glucose tolerance test! Woo hoo! What a relief. Last time I had to do the 3hr test because they want you below 140 and I was AT 140. Ugh.

Miss anything: Sandwiches still make the list, belly sleeping, and going to Great America because its summer time. :(

Movement: SO much movement. Lots of hiccups and big belly shifts. He has an uncanny ability of knowing when I have a camera on him to catch him in action because without fail, he stops instantly and waits patiently for me to put the camera down. Little stinker.

Food cravings: Everything and anything. Unlike with Eli where I had a strong aversion to pizza, (and I think red sauce in general)  I've actually really enjoyed pizza this time around, especially home made from scratch.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope

Labor signs: Not yet. I don't think I'm having any Braxton hicks either but they say the second time around you should feel them earlier because now you know what to look for but apparently I don't.

Belly button in or out: My usually deep "inny" is officially now an "outy." So weird.

Wedding rings on or off: Sadly it's been off for a while now since we're in the middle of summer and I'm toasty warm for once in my life. I've resorted to using a bigger ring that I got on my honeymoon instead.

Happy or moody most of the time: Overall, happy but this past week I've felt pretty irritable at the drop of a hat, mainly because nothing is easy anymore and I swear everything I need is on the floor.

Looking forward to: The arrival of this little one in 9-10 short weeks. EEEEEK!!!

What a hambone he is with that tongue!

Until next time....

-Linds

My big guys is THREE years old!

Happy third birthday bud!

    So I guess this means we are out of the "toddler" phase, yes? He's now considered a "preschooler" I think. Well any who, he's big and some days he says things that remind me of a teenager (If you are my Facebook friend then you know what I'm talking about.) Needless to say, he sure is FUN right now! I get such a kick out of him when we are out in public. Little Mr. Extrovert (takes after his daddy), has now made it his life's mission to find out everyone's name and occupation (and if this person is extra interesting, he'll even ask them what their hair color is.) My most FAVORITE thing EVER is when he asks them their name (which is always followed by "and what's YOUR name?") and he'll go "I'm Eli, and this is my (cousin) mommy!" (I finally got him to drop the "cousin" part--awkward! No idea where he got that from) with a big elaborate hand gesture like Vanna White pointing out a letter. It's hilarious, and not to mention the total pride in his voice when he says it, just makes my heart swell! I freakin' LOVE that kid! 

   Here are his 3 year stats:

Size: Right now he is wearing 3T but the length is almost too short and the waist is too big. Thank God for those inner elastic waist cinchers that save the day. At his doc visit he was 40 inches tall (34 ¼ inches last year) and weighed in at 32lbs (28 lbs last year). So he is pretty tall as everyone points out to me.

Likes: Oh man, this kid definitely knows what he likes and doesn't like. He's BIG into legos at the moment. Mainly the little lego guys where he loves to take them apart and rearrange them a thousand times into "super cool guys." Other loves, in no particular order: Playing with papa, being a super hero, going to the park/pool, being around airplanes and pointing them out in the sky, doing puzzles (especially the giant floor puzzles), eating ice-cream, golfing, running through the sprinkler, helping me cook (and do laundry for that matter. I'm telling you, he will be an awesome husband some day!), meeting new friends, and watching his "shows".

Some of his favorite things

More of his favorite activities

Dislikes: And just as he knows what he likes, he knows exactly what he doesn't like as well. Things such as sleeping. Every day before nap and bedtime I hear "but I don't like sleeping." Now I'll just say "that's ok, you still need rest. If you don't want to sleep, you can just play quietly in your bed." This has worked like a charm because he always passes out, even if he does play for just a little bit before laying down. Other dislikes, leaving the pool/park/friends house. I recently was getting a lot of defiance and tantrums at this point but since I've started saying, "ok bud, 5 more minutes until we leave.... and 2 more minutes and then we go...etc." Now he doesn't fight me at all. 

Eating: He still eats pretty well while at home but now when we are out and about for play dates, or parties etc, he is more vocal about saying " I don't like that" before even taking a bite. Now I'll just focus on making sure he eats well prior to going out, knowing he will choose junk food be very picky elsewhere. It's reeeeally frustrating and something we're working on. He could still eat his weight in fruit and bread though. Things haven't changed there. I no longer make separate meals like I did when he was a baby/young toddler. He eats what we eat, or goes to bed hungry (or doesn't get dessert, both of these do pretty well motivating him to eat.) He's not really fond of meat yet. This is still hit or miss as far as if he'll eat it. He mainly does the veggie sides at dinner in this case. When Aaron and I take him out to dinner, I don't bother ordering him a meal because he'll eat our salads, the bread at the table, and then I happily give him my veggies! Ha ha. He's better than having a puppy at my feet!

Sleeping: He still takes a nap each day (Halleluia!) from 11-1pm. His bedtime ranges based on our summer activities but basically 7pm and he wakes up consistently between 6:15am-6:45am, which I loathe. There was a short time recently when he flat out refused naps or sleeping at night (especially if Aaron was out of town to put him to bed) unless he was in our bed. That also was a very frustrating time. But that phase passed and he now is back to going pretty willingly into his own bed.

This sleeping position never gets old to me.

Milestones: Potty training! He's all done with diapers including at night and bedtime. He spelled his name the other day (just verbally, and only the first name. No writing it yet and he just learned how to pronounce his last name! Ha! Welcome to the club buddy. You weren't the only one to struggle with that.) He can hit a baseball with me tossing the ball to him and he swims independently with his floaty on.

His cool new skivvies to celebrate being potty trained

Thats my three year old preschooler in a nutshell! Toodles!

-Linds

Eli's Batman Party for his THIRD birthday!

Eli's always been a super hero

     My son turned THREE on July 2nd! I was hoping to get away with one more year of making it no big deal, but my son wasn't having it. It's not like he's even been to a lot of birthday parties either! But this year, starting 3 months ago he mentioned having a Batman party for his birthday. What?? Where did this come from? He wasn't even 3 yet and he expected not only a party on his behalf, but a THEMED party! Wow. Well I didn't put a whole lot of stock into the notion the first time he mentioned it because toddlers change their minds every ½ second so I figured he'd just forget about it or change the theme. Nope. I'm pretty sure he referenced his Batman party every day up until THE day!

   I'll be honest here when I say I almost didn't want to even bother because I didn't want to have to be Pinterest worthy. Ha! Mommy guilt. Dang you Pinterest! If I wasn't going to go all out with the water bottle labels, and personalized cup cake liners, should I even bother? Then I came to my senses and realized hey, this is for a soon-to-be-3 year old. He could care LESS about labels he can't even read! He just wanted to play super hero! So that's what I focused on and kept all thoughts centered on what 1-3 ½ year olds would find enjoyable.

  Things like this:

Look at the size of that thing! It had a slide and basketball hoop

Shooting hoops with his buddy Parker

So much fun!

Warp speed, all the time!

And these:

All the kiddos got their own cape to wear and take home

It was like herding cats to get a pic of all the kiddos. I can't promise you that no tears were shed for this photo op :(

Can't forget one of these bad boys!

The main event at any toddler gathering: the water table, cue angels singing

Things started getting a little wild, & crazy when the mini people started disrobing and running through the sprinkler naked...

And to complete the look, some of these:

Batman Tattoos!

Eli LOVED them!

   I asked that people wear batman t-shirts or black (during a hot summer day, why not?) and my hubby and I wore our Batman shirts as well. 

I made mine using my cousin Beckie's Sillhoutte machine. I told Eli what it said and he broke out into the biggest grin. Worth. It. Speaking of the best cousin ever, I followed her Piñata tutorial to make this joker one:

It's a regular old paper bag, covered in ruffled streamers

collecting their loot

    I did heavy snacks instead of a meal because the party was from 2-5pm. Now heres a funny story to get the party started right. Just as people started to arrive, I was pulling the fruit, crackers, chips & salsa, and veggie tray out to set up on the counter. I proceed to peel back the cellophane cover off the veggie tray I picked up at Costco and I was immediately accosted by what can only be described as someone ripping a$$ an inch from my face. I grimaced and moved on. Mean while, Aldo (uncle Pibe) and my sister make a beeline to their son to check his diaper, positive he "sh&$ himself" (Uncle Pibe's words). Nope, smells divine like usual. What could that awful stench be??? Meanwhile, the great grandparents had just walked through the door and Uncle Pibe was certain it was they who, wasted no time "crop dusting" as they made their way around to greet people. Finally, you can see everyone is looking accusingly at everyone else, all the while silently pleading with their eyes to find the source and eliminate it as soon as possible. I speak up and say, "oh man, that broccoli on the veggie tray just stunk up the whole house!" I then heard a collective sigh of relief as everyone started speaking at once, sharing their theories as to the cause. Well then I lost it! (and I'm typing through belly laugh tears now). 

         "yeah! Jeeze, I checked my kids diaper multiple times then thought it      

           must be someone else's kid"--Concerned parent.

         "I thought it was the grandparents."---Annonymous (see above)

So I decided to put the tray outside on ice and burn a candle in the house, but then got similar looks from new guests arriving and had to start off my welcome greeting with "It's the veggie tray, sorry!"

The offending tray. Guilty as charged. Curse you broccoli!

 Sigh, good times. Overall I actually had a great time and Eli certainly had a blast. I'm just glad its all over. Now I get to sit back enjoy everybody else's toddler birthday parties this summer. Phew.

The guest of honor. Muuuah!

    Happy birthday my sweet boy! I love you more than you can ever know (well until YOU have kids anyway. Then you might begin to understand the depths of a parent's love) Muuuuuah! Hope this year is a great one full of lots of adventures.

   Stay tuned for his 3 year stats. He has his well visit with the doc tomorrow so I'll keep you posted.

Toodles,

Batman's mommy.