Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Finally my Christmas post...I know a little late

So we were way spoiled this year for Christmas. I don't have a ton of pics sorry. I was to busy playing with everything. Italia was way spoiled. This was not my intention in the beginning but I did get killer steals on most everything. She got a leapster with a few games, babies, movies, clothing, and much much more. Donny got some Nintendo DS games, (this is why Italia got the Leapster because she plays with Donny's DS all the time) a helicoptor, a book on CD, a softhair pistol, and rubber band gun (which Italia also loves, most of Donny's toys are thouroly enjoyed by Italia) Plus my mom, scott, and I surprised Donny with a Craftsman tool chest for our new garage. I originally was just going to get a few little things cause we just bought all of our appliances and I got what I wanted in those with out to much protest from Donny. but then a good deal came along and I got a Bosch mixer with blender attatchment and a Nutrimill wheat grinder. Some of you may not think this is great but I am very excited to be able to use them. My goal is to make homemade bread instead of buying it. ( part of Donny and my goal to be self sufficient)





Italia's loot

Italia walking in to see what Santa brought



Italia went straight for the Leapster by passing every other toy. We didn't even show it to her she knew exactly what it was.



Italia also got this dance video thing where you can see your self on tv and dance to the music she wasn't overly sure about it.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Hair Cut

So Italia has had one minor hair cut before. Destinee quickly trimmed the ends one time at my dads house but this time we went in to her salon and got the works.


The before shot. I had not done her hair for the day yet can you tell?
Her hair cut was so traumatic because she had to sit in the chair and not move. You must think I am a bad mom because I have been putting through many traumatic moments lately.

After wards. Suckers make everything better.





I tried so hard to get a good pic of her hair cut but my attempts failed miserably. This is the best I got and I couldn't get the back but Destinee straightened it and fliped it out. Way Cute. She looked so grown up. Also in the back her hair is past her shoulders. You don't realize how long her hair is because it is curly.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Sleeping

So I believe in a couple past posts I complained about Italia's sleep habits. This is an update and its going good.
Background: Italia has always been a late sleeper but she also slept in so I never was overly concerned about her not getting her sleep and she would take naps. She would also wake up alot during the night. Recently the waking up at night was due to the fact that we are all sharing a room. So she would wake up and see us then instead of going back to sleep she would call out to us. Italia was still on a bottle to go to sleep and would still require a bottle during the night. At one point I had her only using bottles for bedtime and nap time and sippies during the day but then somehow she would up having a bottle all day no more sippies. I am not overly sure how this happened.
About a week before Thanksgiving her sleeping got worse. She was staying up later and she required being rocked to sleep then placed in her crib. Needless to say this was hard on everyone. Then after Thanksgiving we all got sick and all Hell broke loose. She was staying up until 2am and we were fighting her fever many nights and days so she took random naps and she wound up in my bed everynight. While she was sick I allowed this and also cause I was sick I didn't have the energy to attend to her all night and her in my bed made it easier for everyone. So once she was better I knew I needed to get her out of the bed but it didn't go to well. Italia decided she would much rather sleep with us every night then in her crib. So needless to say I had had it.
One night I kind of had a break down. I knew I needed something drastic and I needed rules cause I had tried letting Italia "cry it out" but I always gave in it just hurts my heart to much to listen to her cry. Also Italia has a bad habit of gagging and throwing up when she cries to hard. And she also knows gagging is what gets me out of bed when we are trying to get her to fall asleep in her crib.
So I came across website about sleep tips and downloaded the ebook. I liked this cause the book was honest and let you know most likely there would be some long rough nights and it didn't happen over night. I knew I had to be strong and not give in once cause the book said if you give in once then your baby will know you have a breaking point and won't give up until you are to that point.
We are on our 4th night and Italia is adapting surprisingly well. I thought cause she was so hard before that we would have a really rough few nights but I was preparing myself. And remind you I am doing this alone cause Donny is a work. I also felt that I couldn't go much longer the old way and I needed to start as soon as I read the book and not wait for Donny.
The first night was def the worst. We did a bed time routine which has helped her a lot. Then I laid her down and left the room. And she cried and screamed like expected and I went in there after a couple minutes and that made it worse so I left again. And eventually she fell asleep it was really hard but I kept reminding myself I can not give in once not once. Then she woke up about an hour later and I am suppose to give her 10min before checking on her but after 2 min I knew throw up was involved. So I went in cleaned everything up and settled her back down. And left again withing a few minutes we had throw up again (at this point she is making her self throw up on purpose) cleaned up again settled her down put her back to bed and keep reminding myself not to give up once not give up once.
Then she did it a third time. I put her to bed a third time. Then she fell asleep that third time was the toughest cause by that time I was out of sheets her blankie was in the washer and I didn't know what to do. But I found a couple extra blankets and laid them down and and put her down again.
She woke up a couple times but was able to put herself asleep without me giving up. Naps have been easy everyday with little crying.
Last night she did throw up but then was asleep and didn't wake up at all.

Okay this has been long enough

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Winter Fun

Again my pics are not in order so you will just have to get over it:) I have been wanting to take Italia out in the snow to play for awhile but it just never seems to be a good time. The first day it really snowed she was sick and then it was been pretty windy or snowy most days and since she is little I wanted it to be a sunny day so that she would actually have fun. So today was the day.




Riding on a shovel. I didn't buy a sled this year and my mom didn't have any sleds you could pull. So we improvised.


Making snow angels. Italia would have stayed out there forever but I was worried she would get to cold and especially her hands because her big gloves that I bought kept falling off so she just had little gloves on that weren't water proof.
This is just a random pic I thought was funny. The other day she decided to put on this hat that is from her stuff penguin ( when it was on the penguin we had to cut it off cause she didn't like it) So I turned around and she had this on her head, it was actually on better the first time but by the time I grabbed my camera she took it off so I had to convince her to put it on again.
After our adventure in the snow we came in and had hot cocoa while she watched Grandpa use the snow plow.
Learning to shovel
Helping grandpa. I knew kids would come in handy some time j/k.
Just chilin'

Sunday, December 14, 2008

3in1 Family Pics/Santa Experience/ Welcome to Idaho

So my pics didn't upload exactly how I wanted them too. Oh well here they are.


Side of the garage. Look at that snow can we say Welcome to Idaho. We really can't complain to much cause this is the first "real" snow this winter. It has snowed since early Saturday morning and suppose to continue thru tuesday.



The front of our house. The siding is almost done:)
So this is after the traumatic Santa experience. The sucker made her happy.
So dramatic
"Someone save Me!!"
At the beginning of the Breakfast with Santa dressed as a elf in training

Our family pic. I thought it turned out good. Sorry it is a pic of a pic

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Strange Places


So right before Italia got sick last week she decided she doesn't like her crib anymore so I have had to fight her more to get her to go to sleep. Since being sick it is even worse. She use to fall asleep in her crib with just a little rocking and singing. Now I have to have her fall asleep else where then move her to her crib. ( we are working on this) So for naps the past couple days I have had to resort to having her fall asleep on the couch watching a movie. So today I had been hoping to get her to fall asleep for awhile and finally I was sure she was asleep. So I walked in and found this. She was on the floor asleep.

Scentsy Giveaway

there is a Scentsy giveaway here. Go there to win.
Free is always good.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

For Lexie

Arm & Hammer Liquid Detergent--$1.99 after in ad-coupon (Reg. Price $6.99-$7.49)
Use $1/1 internet printable here
$0.99 each after coupon

This week when you buy 3 Robitussin you get $5 back in RRs. There are $3/1 coupons here. This is how the deal will play out:
  • Buy 3 Robitussin at 3.99/1=11.97
  • Use 3 3/1 coupons=-9
  • Total=2.97 and you get $5 in RR back
spend $25 before coupons get $5 RR

Deal buy 3 Robitussin at 3.99/1 =11.97
buy 2 arm & hammer 6.99 = 13.98
total 25.95
use 3 $3/3 Robitussion Coupons
use Walgreens in ad coupon 1.99 detergent
use 2 arm and hammer coupons

total OOP $4.94 + tax
Reciever 2 $5 RR

Monday, December 8, 2008

Blogging More

So I am going to try to post more often. I like it when others post often even the mundane stuff. So I will try. I am not promising anything though:) This week has definitely been hard. With Italia being sick and I am to(not as sick as her just a cold). It definitely makes me respect single moms even more. I definitely wanted and needed Donny around but he is at work. :( There was many times at 2 in the morning that I got very frustrated cause she wouldn't sleep. I was even trying to be lax about where she slept cause she was sick. She has slept in my bed most of the time. If I put her in her crib when awake she would freak out. but she wouldn't just lay down on my bed either she wanted to play. and go up and down off and on the bed and also play with the dogs. That was something I did try hard not to allow. When we go into bed it is for sleeping not playing especially at 2am!. Also I freak out cause she almost falls off the bed all the time when she is playing. Like I need more stress.
I would take her to the family room and try to get her to lay with me on the couch or by herself. Let her watch movies whatever she wanted I just needed her to fall asleep I didn't care where at that point.
Yesterday we fought her fever all day with lots of liquid, tylenol, motrin, baths. Anything I could do. I had a couple scares when her temp was almost reaching 103 cause that temp can cause seizures.
That is all for now sorry about the rambling I have a killer headache from lack of sleep and also cause I need a new glasses prescription.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Making Cake

When Chad, Amber and the kids were here my mom made pumpkin bars and these are pics of Italia and Addison enjoying the frosting. It was actually really cute cause they were sharing too.

Update on Long Days

We are still sick but getting better. I took Italia to the Dr on Thursday and no ear infection which is good just a bad cold and she is cutting her eye teeth. The NOT TRYING HARD POTTY TRAINING is going really well considering I am not doing to much of anything. Yesterday she was a turkey though about going potty. In the morning she was in my bed and she was just waking up and I go "do you need to go potty" she tells me NO! then I changed her diaper cause I knew if she went one more time I was going to have a wet bed. Then after changing her again I asked her again lets go potty. She again tells me NO! then I hear a toot and she pushes and I hear a gush of pee. She purposing went potty in her diaper cause she didn't want to go on the potty. Funny girl. This morning she woke up at 8 and didn't want to go back to bed and so we went to the potty and she went again on the toilet. This time she got potty treats M&Ms. Then cause she was grouchy we laid back down around 9:30 and when we got up at 1030 she pretty much told be she had to go potty and went again in the toilet. She was asking for treats as she was sitting there.
So that is five times in one week of going potty on the toilet. All I am doing is taking her when she wakes up in the morning. I am not trying to train her persay I am just trying to get her use to the idea. A lot of the time she tells me when she goes potty. she says AHHH potty and I tell her to tell me before. Occassionally I sit her on the pot during the day but not much. I usually put her on potty before baths but we have done that for months now.
I am not pushing it cause I know she can't be completely potty trained for awhile for a few reasons. 1. she drinks a ton 2. she pees even more. 3. she is in a crib so I don't think she could be potty trained at night until she is in a big bed which won't be until we get in our house even though she is ready now 4. Shh don't tell but she still takes a bottle at night. Cause we are in the same room and that is not a good thing for sleeping inthe night casue if I try to ignore her she just sits there yelling at me "mama baba mamma baba all gone" I know she shouldn't have a bottle at night she should be sleeping all night but that is not an option right now since we all sleep in the same room

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Long days

So it has been a couple of long days. Monday morning Italia woke up at 7am and decided not to go back to bed (she usually sleeps till 9 or so). So we got up Donny and I started getting ready since we had family pics. As I was putting Italias dress on she threw up all over it. So I took it off and scrubbed it clean and put it in the dryer and then I had to go get my hair done by Destinee for pics so I left. Dest was running late since Dreadyn decided to have that be the only morning she slept in for weeks. As I was waiting Donny called and said Italia fell asleep. Well I said she will get at least a 20 min nap while I get my hair done. Then when we were almost done Donny called and said Italia threw up again. So I said should we bag the pics or try it Donny said since we were ready lets just try it. So we got to pics a little late but they weren't busy. I got Italia dressed and she was actually happy even though she didn't sit still. (I forgot to mention that Donny and I are also sick with a bad cold)
We actually did manage to get a cute family pic. The rest of the day was pretty long but that night was longer. Italia had to be held or sleep with us and woke up one time with a fever of 101. Then yesterday was the longest day of my life. Italia was whining, crying, screaming all day. And everything was so tramatic. We both were able to get a long nap in but it was because I had to sleep with her so Iwasn't able to get things done that I wanted.
also she hadn't ate much of anything both days and I had to make more pumpkin bars cause that was the only thing she would eat. She also had to have 3 baths yesterday to keep her happy. Finally last night I did get her to eat a hamburger. then last night she did sleep okay but in our bed.
On the happy note Italia has gone potty in the toilet 3 times. In the morning I have taken her potty and every morning she has gone:)