Outside Toys

Last year we really didn't need any toys for outside. I bought an inflatable baby pool that we used several times and a swing that we hung from the deck. Those were the two things we did outside with Brooklyn last summer. She was 6-9 months last summer so not much was needed.

This summer is different. Brooklyn is on the go and wants to be outside any chance she can get. I knew I needed to invest in some toys for outside, but have you seen the prices on some of those toys? Crazy! I knew I wanted to get a water table, slide, ride on toy and possibly a play house. After looking at the prices for all new items I knew that was not going to be possible. The word budget always gets me!

I have never really been into consignment sales or garage sales but knew those types of places were my best bet to find gently used outside toys. A couple of weeks ago I went to Rhea Lana consignment sale and picked up a horse you put your baby on and push. I thought it would make the perfect outside toy. Last weekend was our neighborhood garage sale. I got on our neighborhood Facebook page and asked if anyone was selling outside toys. After several people said yes and told me what they had I knew I had to get out and hit up garage sales. It was a first for me (and Brooklyn)! I found a water table for $10. A climber and slide combo for $30. A ride on toy for $2. A shopping cart for $5. I thought I did a good job! Brooklyn loves everything!! Add all of my garage sale finds to some bubbles, chalk and the swing and I think we are set for outdoor summertime fun! Now, if we could just get the weather to be consistently warm...

Baby #2-Weeks 13-14

Weeks 13 and 14 for baby #2! I am going to try and post weekly, but that is already seeming to become impossible with a 17 month old! I post at least once a month, but hopefully more!

How Far Along: 14 weeks

Total Weight Gain: 10 pounds-yikes!

Maternity Clothes: some, they still fit a little big!

Favorite Moment This Week: Brooklyn randomly lifting up my shirt, saying "baby" and kissing my tummy! Even though I am pretty sure she has no idea what is going on, it still melts my heart!

Gender: Don't know yet...May 9th

Movement: Not yet...waiting!

Food Cravings: bagels with cream cheese

What I Miss: having a decent amount of energy!

Sleep: OK. Still getting up several times a night to go to the bathroom and sometimes it is hard to fall back asleep.

What I Am Looking Forward To: Finding out this baby's gender and feeling some kicks!

Symptoms: Tired!

Belly Button: In

Next Dr. Appt: May 9th

And now, the comparison pictures!

I did not take a 14 week picture when pregnant with the Brooklyn!

Clothes

I brought up my two Rubbermaid containers of Maternity clothes last week. I tried a few things on and realized I would be wearing my "normal" clothes for a bit longer. Although my "normal" clothes are a big snug and a little uncomfortable, my maternity clothes are just too big. The pants fall down and the shirts make my tummy look funny, maybe even a little fake.

Fast forward to this week and I was tired of the maternity clothes just laying around on the bedroom floor. Brooklyn loved them and thought they were new toys. This week I have been organizing my closet, purging my "normal" clothes and making room for maternity clothes.

I told myself that if it was a size XS and/or I hadn't worn it in the past year or two then it was time to get rid of it. I usually have a hard time with getting rid of clothes but not this time. I was purging and it felt great!!

I made room in my closet for maternity clothes and now my side is all organized. Now, if I can get Ben to do the same with his clothes. I'm pretty sure he has clothes hanging up that I have never seen him wear.

I don't know what to do with my clothes I don't want anymore...so I give them to someone who I think can fit in them, do I take them to goodwill or do I take the easy road and just throw everything away. Sadly, when I get rid of things I usually throw them in the trash, I know it's horrible but it is just so easy! What do you do with your unwanted clothes?

Baby #2 Weeks 9-12

Already playing catch up, story of my life! Now that I am past the 12 week mark I am going to try to do weekly pregnancy posts! We will see how this goes! I have been doing a good job of taking weekly pictures every Wednesday evening! Brooklyn thinks they are fun too!

Weeks 9-12 with baby #2

How Far Along: 12 weeks

Total Weight Gain: 5 pounds

Maternity Clothes: NO

Favorite Moment This Week: hearing baby's heartbeat!!

Gender: Unknown

Movement: None

Food Cravings: any type of breakfast food!

What I Miss: Not feeling nauseous in the afternoons and having energy!

Sleep: OK-I get up to use the restroom at least 3-5 times a night. Some nights I can't fall back asleep right away.

What I Am Looking Forward To: finding out baby's gender and feeling movement!

Symptoms: Nauseous in the afternoons, have thrown up a few times. Very tired and no energy! Maybe having a 15 month old has something to do with lack of energy!

Belly Button: In

Next Dr. Appointment: April 9 

Pictures: I do a belly shot with shirt down, belly shot with shirt up and then a picture with Brooklyn! I want to see how she grows during this pregnancy too! I am also going to do a comparison picture of the two pregnancies! (no 10 week picture!-I obviously wasn't feeling well)

 Well, looking back on pregnancy #1 pictures, I took week 8, 9 and then skipped to week 13 so I only have 1 comparison picture!! 9 weeks!

8 weeks-baby #2

8 Weeks  (written on 2/25/13)


I went to the doctor for my first prenatal appointment.  At the 8 week appointment you just see the nurse practitioner, go over a lot of medical history, a quick pap and blood work! Fun fun! Everything went very well! When I was pregnant with Brooklyn I got an ultrasound at 8 weeks and then starting at 16 weeks every two weeks until week 24.  I had to have all of these ultrasounds to check my cervix to make sure it was not opening due to a previous surgery.  Well, since everything was fine with my first pregnancy the doctor and nurse practitioner say that it is not necessary to do those ultrasounds this pregnancy...BUMMER!!

I did schedule my first trimester prenatal screening for March 18 so that will be our first ultrasound! I am looking forward to that! I want to see little peanut! Then, if all goes well with the pregnancy I won't have another ultrasound until 20 weeks and then that will be it! Totally different from last pregnancy!

I have been feeling pretty crappy this last week or so.  I feel the same way I did when pregnant with Brooklyn.  I am very tired.  My legs hurt.  I am very nauseous, but haven't thrown up, thank goodness! I have to eat something every 1-2 hours or I feel horrible. I feel like I have already gained so much weight because I am eating so often! When I wake up in the night to go to the restroom it is hard for me to fall back asleep-very annoying!

There were many times last week that I thought to take a weekly picture but never did...I am bummed that I already forgot! Here's to hoping I can remember to take one for the next 32 weeks! Ha! My plan is to take one of just me and then take another one with Brooklyn, I think it will be fun to see how she grows throughout this pregnancy too!

Weekend Recap

It's almost mid week and I'm just now getting around to doing a weekend recap. Oops!

Friday Brooklyn and I went down to the plaza to visit my mom at work and to have lunch with her! Mom and I would always have lunch dates at McCormick and Schmick's before Brooklyn was born, but we hadn't been since. We were over due for some McCormick's. I just love their tilapia! Brooklyn did so well. She does good in restaurants but I was still a little nervous taking her in a more upscale restaurant then what she is used to. Luckily where our table was there was a little cubby area where she played when she was done eating but mom and I were still enjoying our food!

After lunch we did a little shopping. The weather was beautiful! Brooklyn did not want to ride in the stroller, instead she wanted to push her stroller! Silly girl!

On Saturday, we met Nate, Katie and Golden Glynn at Crown Center at the Funville exhibit! It was fun! Ben said he felt very dirty after leaving and said he needed a wet-one! Ha! When did my husband become such a germa-phobe?!?ha!

We learned at crown center that Brooklyn loves escalators! She kept wanting to go up and down, so of course her dad who won't tell her no, took her up and down a few times!

After Funville we went to lunch at Nick and Jakes in Parkville. It had been awhile since we had been there. It was good as always!

Sunday we went to Nebraska Furniture Mart where we bought a cantilever umbrella for our deck! We are one of the only ones on our block without a covered deck-the back of our house faces the west so evenings are always very sunny!

Busy but fun weekend! I love doing fun family things!!

Brooklyn also did a lot of swinging! She is obsessed. She points at the back door and says "sswww, sswww" (her version of swing!).

Weekend Recap

It's almost mid week and I'm just now getting around to doing a weekend recap. Oops!

Friday Brooklyn and I went down to the plaza to visit my mom at work and to have lunch with her! Mom and I would always have lunch dates at McCormick and Schmick's before Brooklyn was born, but we hadn't been since. We were over due for some McCormick's. I just love their tilapia! Brooklyn did so well. She does good in restaurants but I was still a little nervous taking her in a more upscale restaurant then what she is used to. Luckily where our table was there was a little cubby area where she played when she was done eating but mom and I were still enjoying our food!

After lunch we did a little shopping. The weather was beautiful! Brooklyn did not want to ride in the stroller, instead she wanted to push her stroller! Silly girl!

On Saturday, we met Nate, Katie and Golden Glynn at Crown Center at the Funville exhibit! It was fun! Ben said he felt very dirty after leaving and said he needed a wet-one! Ha! When did my husband become such a germa-phobe?!?ha!

We learned at crown center that Brooklyn loves escalators! She kept wanting to go up and down, so of course her dad who won't tell her no, took her up and down a few times!

After Funville we went to lunch at Nick and Jakes in Parkville. It had been awhile since we had been there. It was good as always!

Sunday we went to Nebraska Furniture Mart where we bought a cantilever umbrella for our deck! We are one of the only ones on our block without a covered deck-the back of our house faces the west so evenings are always very sunny!

Busy but fun weekend! I love doing fun family things!!

Brooklyn also did a lot of swinging! She is obsessed. She points at the back door and says "sswww, sswww" (her version of swing!).

Easter 2013

Easter 2013

We started off the Easter festivities on Good Friday! I took Brooklyn to see the Easter Bunny! We ventured to Independence Center.  We got there right at 10am when the Easter Bunny opened.  There were just a few people in front of us! Brooklyn saw the Easter Bunny come down the escalator and was super excited! We had been talking about it for days.  I would ask her if she wanted to go see the Easter Bunny and she would nod her head yes! I asked her if she would sit on his lap, and she would nod yes again! Every time she heard talk of the Easter Bunny she would say "hop hop hop"! So cute!

The packaging prices for pictures are ridiculous! Such a scam! But, in my eyes worth it! Ben doesn't agree! You had to buy a package in order to take pictures with your cell phone or camera.  The picture below is from my phone! Not the best, but I am too lazy to scan in the two 5x7's I bought for a cheap $22.  Brooklyn was good walking up to the funny but she started to whine when I sat her on his lap and began to walk away! She never screamed just whined.  The pictures that I paid for, Ben says she looks like she is getting ready to take a poop! Ha! Such a nice dad he is!

After we saw the bunny I let Brooklyn play in the kids area at the mall.  She was in heaven! Loved every minute of it! She really loved watching the carousel go round and round and would shout "Neigh! Neigh!" at the horses! I didn't have any cash so we couldn't ride it! Next time! 

Running wild at the play area!

On Saturday our neighbors Kevin and Lisa invited us over for an Easter egg hunt! Lisa said she would fill special eggs just for Brooklyn with cheerios and gold fish! It was perfect! Brooklyn caught on really fast! We had been doing little egg hunts in the house the weeks prior, so she knew what she was doing!

Kevin and Lisa have two grandchildren, so they have this little teeter-totter in their back yard! Little Zoey who is 5 loves Brooklyn! They rode on the teeter-totter together and both loved it!!

The Easter Bunny made a stop at our house! I forgot to buy carrots at the store so we gave the Easter Bunny cookies, he didn't mind-he ate them all!
Brooklyn got a little spoiled this year! I have been collecting all of this stuff for several weeks now, and I lost track on how much I had already purchased! Oops!

The Easter Bunny brought Brooklyn new pajamas, new shoes, sidewalk chalk, swimsuit, Gymbo puppet, baby doll, Elmo bath bubbles, sunglasses, coloring book, 4 Elmo books, bubbles, a photo book just for her to look at whenever she wants, a microphone that echos, a new Elmo's World DVD, a new baby stroller and an Elmo doll.

The Elmo doll was the favorite! She was speechless when she saw him.  She didn't know what to do or say, she just smiled!

 My mom (Nana) came over and went to St. Joe with us! She brought Brooklyn some Easter gifts too! Her favorite being a carrier for her baby, that also has a stand to make it a highchair!

We headed up to St. Joe to Ben's moms house for the day! It was a great time and yummy food! Lisa had an egg hunt for Brooklyn and she loved it! Lisa had Brooklyn's Easter treats out on a cute bench on the back patio!

We attempted family pictures! It was a little windy and Brooklyn had better things to do than pose with her parents!

Brooklyn is still trying to transition to 1 nap a day.  If we don't have anywhere to go during the day she will take a morning an afternoon nap! If we do go somewhere in the morning she won't take a morning nap! She didn't fall asleep on the way to St. Joe so I knew she would be exhausted on the way home.  My mom went with us to St. Joe and we left around 2:30pm to head home.  I asked mom if she could entertain Brooklyn and try to keep her awake-because we all know that if a kid falls asleep in the car, they most likely will NOT go back to sleep in their crib when they get home! A 10 minute car ride nap is equivalent to a 2 hour crib nap to Brooklyn.  Does not make sense to me! Anyway, we were passing through Platte City and my mom says "Katy, I don't think I am going to be able to keep her awake!" I look back and Brooklyn is sound asleep! I say her name loud and she opens her eyes, barely! I have mom get some Cheetos and give them to Brooklyn! Mom put one in her mouth and Brooklyn started to eat it, but sleep won! That girl was tired!! Luckily, we are only about 15 minutes from Platte City, so right when we got home I took Brooklyn to her room, didn't say a word to her and put her in her bed.  She slept for 2.5 hours! Yay!!

It was a great Easter, but let us not forget the true meaning of this special holiday!

John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.