Bye-Bye Binky? ~

The last two binkies Camdyn had were accidently left at my parents house on Wednesday, she went to sleep without a problem that night. She went all day today without a bink, and at bedtime asked for one, so we told her we'd look for one. She fell right to sleep shortly thereafter. Fingers crossed that this is it, no more binkies! Bottles gone, binkies gone, now she just needs to keep her pants dry consistently!

More Baby Names ~

I still like Rowyn Camille, but some others on my list for the day...

Teagan
Maisen/Maisyn/Mason/Masyn (or some spelling)
Ellery (could I get past Ellery Celery?)

Come on people, brainstorm with me! :P

Chronicles of Camdyn ~

Life is never boring with Camdyn around. While at my parents house tonight, Camdyn and the kids were playing hide-and-seek. Camdyn went and hid behind a huge, old tree in my parents backyard. My Mom said she watched her run from there to behind the garage. After a minute, my dad peeked behind the garage to make sure she wasn't getting into trouble---nope, she was just standing there. Another few minutes pass and Lumpy emerges from behind the garage, missing her pull-up, pants down to her ankles...soaking wet. My mom asked her what she was doing, to which Camdyn responds, "I pee outside, like Poopah (Cooper)." Yep, my 2-year-old dropped trow, and in an attempt to pee standing up, peed all over her pants, shoes, and socks...but hey, her pull-up was dry!

I have no idea when she would have seen Cooper peeing outside, we certainly don't condone it. Lovely.

My Clowns ~

Daddy took the kids to the circus last night, and since he couldn't figure out the camera, I had to take a picture of them the next day. He said they did really well, although Camdyn was getting pretty antsy by intermission. The goofy hats they're wearing are what their cotton candy came in. Mom got to stay at home and veg out with Ben & Jerry's Karamel Sutra and a movie.

Never a Dull Moment ~
My husband called me at work tonight to tell me I'd never guess where he had just found my son. I asked, "Inside or out?" He responded, "Outside, but inside." Ok, I'm completely stumped. Apparently, Riley was outside screaming, "Cooper come out, Cooper come out!" and she was visibly upset. Clyde found Cooper and the neighbor boy in the street standing under the grate in the SEWER! I guess there is a culvert down past the bike trail that leads up into the sewer, and apparently, my son thought it would be great fun to be a sewer rat. Two days ago we had to call poison control, for the second time mind you, because Camdyn got into my aunt's purse and was apparently sampling some medication. Lucky for her, the pills were extremely bitter and she didn't care for them. The poison control woman did call back 2 times to check on her...I thought that was pretty nice. How these two haven't put me into pre-term labor is beyond me.

Baby Names ~

I keep going back and forth, but here are my faves today...keep in mind that my husband doesn't like any of them...imagine that.


Briggs Genevieve
Rowyn Camille
Maddyx/Maddox Amelia

Gas ~

As if gas prices weren't bad enough, having to fill up a tank twice, because someone stole the first tank is straight up ridiculous. Yep, that's right, someone siphoned the diesel out of Clyde's dump truck right at the job site. Thieves suck. Get a job, loser.

Lumptastic ~

Visit Lumptastic City, move in, buy a dog...

http://lumptastic.myminicity.com/

Wons a Pone a Time ~

Riley came home from school with a story she had written for me during center time. After reading it, I feel like Cinderella's wicked step-mother. Hopefully her teacher doesn't think I really lock them in their rooms. (Although, that isn't a half bad idea) :P

Leittlee kids for good niss sacs

By Riley

to my mom

Wons a pone a time thar was three litle kids. thar names wre Riley camdyn and cooper. Thay were notey litle kids for one day util tare dad came home. thar mom was mad so she lokt them in thar rooms. thay falt soreey for thar mom. wan she herd thay were sorry she lafe thom out. Thay pict up thar rooms befor thar frands came out. Thar frands got to stay untel midnite. the end.

Mascara ~

I'm on a mission to find the perfect mascara; something that plumps, extends, doesn't clump, and doesn't dry out lashes. My current favorite, Avon Super Shock Mascara. I was a little apprehensive after seeing the size of the applicator, it's monstrous! After trying it, I was impressed. It really defines and plumps my lashes, which seem to be dwindling each year. It doesn't seem to dry out my lashes and comes off easily with baby oil.

It's Wednesday ~

...and in honor of Hump Day *swoons*

Love Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz), in fact, I tried suggesting Boothe for this baby girl. Clyde promptly vetoed.

The Creature ~

My dad affectionately calls her, The Creature, but she's also been referred to as, Lumpy, Lumptastic, Cam, Baby Cakes. The newest addition to her bevy of names, Houdini. Camdyn has proved to put even the great Houdini to shame, she seems to literally escape, scale, conquer anything she puts her mind to. As my mom likes to point out, she's all brain without an ounce of common sense. I honestly think a childproofing company should hire her as a subcontractor to test their products. The biggest challenge for us are the outside doors. We started with the doorknob covers, but that was short lived as she figured out she could simply break them apart, we then resorted to duct taping the door knob covers so she couldn't snap them off. Well, now she's figured out how to roll them with her forearms until she catches the right spot and the door opens. She's sneaky about it too, on Saturday, Clyde and I were in the kitchen, the older two were outside, and Camdyn had been playing in Cooper's room. Suddenly, we heard Riley say, "Does Daddy know you're out here?", followed by Camdyn running past the kitchen window wearing Cooper's windpants, sweatshirt, baseball hat, and crocs (on the wrong feet, of course). She had opened up the front door and escaped, all without making so much as a peep!

So, that leads us to our next level of security, the fliplock. We have steel doors, so it has presented a problem trying to find something that won't destroy the doors. We found these at safebeginnings.com after looking all over town for them. They attach to the door frame, rather than the door itself. With a pond 100 feet from our front door, I'm a nervous wreck, so hopefully these do the trick!

Polliwalks ~

Some seriously cute footwear for the kidlets; functional, well made, and so stinkin cute! They're available in frog, croc, lady bug, and duck.

http://www.polliwalks.com/polliwalks_products.html

ThinkGeek-USB Pregnancy Tests ~

http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/pteq.html?cpg=70T

Where were these things when I was testing? Ingenious and I love that they indicate baby, no baby, or multiples...cause everyone needs early heart failure by seeing the little baby head with a + sign come up! When the time comes, one of my computer geek siblings have to try these...and yes Brendan, I realize these would be for your spouse, not you. :P

One line or two. Yes or no. Pregnancy tests are binary by their very nature. So when we found p-Teq's USB Pregnancy Test Kit that's chock full of extra scientific information, we knew we had to get this geeky goodness to our potentially spawning fans.
The process starts off like most pregnancy tests. You pee on a stick, specifically the absorbent test strip at one end. But everything's different after that first step. Remove the cap from the other end of the stick (cleverly provided to keep you from accidentally contaminating the wrong end) to reveal the USB connector. Pop it in your computer. The power from your USB port starts the electrospray ionization process, creating a spectrograph of the various masses for your analysis. Get it? Your analysis? Urinalysis? *rimshot* Moving on.

You don't actually get to see the spectrograph yourself. The mass analysis happens inside the device. And p-Teq's device only analyzes for specific chemical makeups, so you don't have to worry about this thing busting you for that "poppy seed bagel" you had yesterday. The mass spectrometry software on the device comes with several sequenced hormones, including hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotropin), hCG-H (hyperglycosylated hCG - for detection before your first missed period), and LH (luteinizing hormone - for detection of your most fertile days). We like the fact that it does all three. After all, if you're not pregnant and you wanna be, you need to know if now's the time to be gettin' it on.

While most home tests can detect a level of 15-50 mIU/mL of hCG, the enhanced methodology of the USB Pregnancy Test Kit can detect 5-50 mIU/mL, and will show you the exact concentration via its friendly onscreen interface. In addition, the LCD display on the device itself will light up and show you the symbol of a baby, no baby, or multiples and your Estimated Delivery Date based on the concentration of hCG, hCG-H, and LH in your urine. So you can clear your calendar in advance.
After you're done reviewing your test results, just pop the device out of your computer and change the test strip. The display will remain lit for five minutes and then automatically power off. Note: We recommend the use of horizontal USB drives for this product to prevent accidental moisture transference.
No batteries required - draws power from USB
USB 2.0 compatible
Plug and play, easy operation
Operating Systems: Win 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, Linux 2.4 or higher, Mac OS 8.6 or higher
20 test strips included
99% accuracy*
* 99% accurate in detecting hCG, hCG-H and LH. However, these hormones do not necessarily indicate pregnancy or ovulation, respectively. Extenuating circumstances can affect levels of these hormones in your body.

THE Car seat ~

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? I'm such a procrastinator, always have been, and now because of that not so lovely personality trait, I've missed out on ordering the car seat that matches the stroller I bought. After several phone calls yesterday, including Toys R Us and Chicco corporate, I've learned the Chicco Keyfit in the color Iceberg has been discontinued. Wonderful. TRU was able to check stock in stores nearby, but to no avail. I've got some friends and family checking their local TRU, but at this point I'm not holding my breath. So, worst case scenario is my car seat and stroller don't match, C'est la vie, I guess. The baby will grow out of it within a year anyway, and then I'll be hunting for deals on a Britax. :P

Who-Cakes ~

We recently went to IHOP to try the limited time only, Who-Cakes. Riley has been bugging us for awhile to go, so we went with Grammy, Grandpa, Brendan, Meghan, and Megan. When the waitress set them in front of the kids, they were amazed! Camdyn waisted no time opening and eating the sucker on top, neither did the other two. Unfortunately, that was about all they ate of the Who-Cakes...they were all kinds of nastiness, nobody liked them. So, our advise to you...skip the Who-Cakes, Green Eggs and Ham, but be sure to try the Beezlenut Juice (which my mom says looks like blood clots, yum!) ;)

A Cat's Life~

Tashi is the epitome of laziness...she will spend the entire day sleeping, usually in our room, since it's the only safe spot away from Lumpy. Today I found her quite comfy, snoozing amongst the pillows on our bed. Her favorite appears to be Clyde's bolster pillow...when I show him these pictures, I'm sure he'll be less than thrilled. :P

Happy Easter ~

Happy Easter, from our family to yours! =)

Easter Bunny ~

Let me preface this by saying my son is fascinated with keys; big keys, little keys, car keys, tractor keys, skeleton keys.

So here was our conversation today:

"I want to be the Easter Bunny."
"Why, buddy?"
"Cause he has lots of keys."
"Keys, for what?"
"So he can get in our house and give us candy and Grammy's house too. He have a key for everybody's house, Mom?"

Apparently, he envisions the Easter Bunny as a high school janitor.

One Fish, Two Fish, Three Fish, Four~

I'm so loving all the fish stuff from Gymbo...and it's Gymbuck earning time, which makes spending so much easier on your conscience. (or at least that's my rationale!) ;)

WeeGo ~

Because of the recent concern over leaching chemicals in plastic baby bottles, Babylife is reintroducing glass baby bottles, but with a new design and safety twist: the bottle is covered with a modern sleeve that will help protect the bottle from breakage and also prevent bumping into other articles in your diaper bag. The sleeve is free of plastics and is 100% non-toxic.

And because they're so stinkin' cute, I want one in every color.

John the Schwan Man ~

Camdyn loves seeing John the Schwan man, she gets all excited and yells, "John's here, John's here!" The two of them have quite the ritual, she brings him a ball and they play catch, while I put my order together. Once he brings the food up, she pays him and gets a sticker from him that she puts on our calendar. There's a Schwan truck on the back of the catalog that she always has to point out as "John's truck".

I was telling Clyde about how the two of them interact and he made some crack about what's John doing while he's here so long. So, me being the smart ass that I am, replied that we aren't sure that this baby isn't John the Schwan man's baby. Haha! Clyde laughed and asked Camdyn if John was in mommy's room. Camdyn replied, "Uh huh." Which, of course, got a laugh out of both of us...and Clyde said he now has his proof and Cam would testify in court for him. I told him we better see what kind of witness she is, so I questioned her myself.

"Camdyn, was the Easter Bunny here today?"
"Uh huh."
"Camdyn, was Santa Claus here today?"
"Uh huh."
"Camdyn, is Dora taking a nap in your room?"
"Uh huh, Dora sleeping on me bed."

Case closed. ;)

Super Babies: The Embodiment of Evil ~

What was Nick Jr thinking when they decided to air Dora the Explorer: Super Babies? I'd like to ask the author what would inspire him to make Dora's twin siblings capable of super powers? I now have a 2-year-old that thinks she's 'super'; she scales tables, sofas, chairs, beds, the hearth, raises her arms in the air, jumps, and yells, "SUPER BABY!" She has zero fear and even less common sense. Let's hope she doesn't think her new sibling is born with the ability to fly or we could be in some serious trouble!

The Bump ~ Who we now officially know is a girl (I called it!). Here was our 3D from our 24-week appointment, the mess on the left side is actually the umbilical cord. So, I have roughly 15 weeks to figure out a name for this little princess...yikes!

The Naked Chef ~

I found this apron and hat at Target for $5.99 and the kids love it! Camdyn decided to make eggs for me this morning. Apparently, she had to take a call from her agent amidst the meal preparation.

Valentine's Day 2008 ~
I got a surprise, early Valentine's gift from Clyde and the kids today...M&M's that say 'Love Always' and 'Ri, Coop, Cam, TK' (TK is nickname I've called Clyde since we were first dating). Riley picked the colors, red and blue. What a cute and yummy idea! =)

Cooper's Romance ~
Cooper was in our bedroom playing Zelda on the xbox with Riley, they were quiet and staying out of trouble...or so we thought. Clyde went down the hall to check on them and, as soon as he entered the hallway, it struck him. There was a strong, overpowering smell emanating from our bedroom. He took a few steps into the room and about fell over...there Cooper sat at the edge of our bed, with a cloud of Ralph Lauren Romance hanging above his head. I'm not quite sure how many squirts he used, but from the strength of the smell coming from him, I'd guess he bathed in it.

We got him in the shower, where Clyde washed him with soap and shampoo and soap and shampoo...meanwhile, I cleaned up the bathroom. I found a hand towel that he had obviously used in an effort to erase the evidence...as if that was possible. Needless to say, the towel is now gone. Even after the shower, he still reeks. I have to say, I feel sorry for his teachers and classmates, he's going to Peppy La Peu them tomorrow, no doubt!

Snow Tunnels ~
Mother Nature just dumped a foot, plus of snow on us...I haven't heard the official amount yet; schools were canceled, a snow emergency was declared in Asbury, banks were closed, my work closed early (no work tonight, bonus!). Everyone and everything stayed inside waiting out the storm...well, everyone but the kids! Riley and Cooper were dying to get outside since they woke up this morning, but they didn't go out until late this afternoon when the snow finally subsided. I'm quite sure they would have stayed out till dark, had we let them. They had shovels and a broom (not sure what good that did, but whatever) and they were busy making snow tunnels through the huge piles out front. I remember making them as kids, loved doing that! It's funny, now I can't spend 5 minutes out there without thinking how fricken cold out it is...but as a child I don't think the cold even registered. In fact, I vividly remember getting frostbite on at least 2 occasions...nothing a little warm tap water from the kitchen sink couldn't cure. I managed to get two pictures of them while standing on the threshold of the front door...that's as far as I ventured out.

Personal Growth ~ It became very evident today how much Riley has matured in the past year. Riley's class has a guest reader every Tuesday, parents or grandparents usually volunteer, but apparently on Monday, Riley asked her teacher if SHE could be the guest reader. Her teacher agreed and today Riley brought Arthur's Underwear from home to read outloud to everyone in her class. For a girl who not two years ago wouldn't even participate in her Christmas program, I'd say she's come a long way! Way to go, Riley Breck! =)

Need I say more?

Mmm, Martini ~

Since I'm having a hankering for a Vodka & Cranberry, I decided to list some yummy Martini recipes for June 2nd...or whatever day I get home from the hospital. ;)

POMEGRANATE MARTINI – Simply sophisticated! Absolut Citron Vodka, triple sec and pomegranates. (I definitely want to try one!)

WASHINGTON APPLE MARTINI – Want an Appletini that’s a little sweeter...and tart I would imagine. Try this blend of DeKuyper Apple Pucker, Smirnoff Vodka and cranberry juice.

COSMOPOLITAN – Absolut Citron Vodka, Patrón Citrónge Orange Liqueur, a hint of lemon-lime and a splash of cranberry juice. (Classic fav)

FLIRTINI – Flirts with your taste buds. An icy cold blend of Ketel One Vodka, Chambord (a yummy French black raspberry liqueur), and pineapple juice. Mmm, sounds delish!

RED, WHITE & BLUEBERI MARTINI - Stoli Blueberi Vodka and pomegranate juice are shaken together and served straight up in an icy cold martini glass.

The Name Game ~

For some reason, I'm about 90% convinced this baby is another girl...Cooper and Clyde don't want to hear that, but what can you do. Anyway, I'm at a loss for name for this baby if indeed it does turn out to be a girl. I just haven't found a name I completely love. I'm obviously partial to unisex names, but haven't seen any that jump out at me. So I need suggestions, help a girl out!

Some unisex names that are out: Dylan, Logan, Dakota, Tyler

Baby It's Cold Outside! ~

It's currently -14 degrees outside with a -30 degree windchill...that's just not right. If I were independently wealthy, the fam would currently be waiting it out on a beach in Fiji. In fact, if you look really closely in the picture, you can almost see me getting a drink from the uber hot cabana boy. A girl can dream, right?

Anyway, back here in arctic Dubuque, Clyde was finally able to feel this little bambino kicking or karate chopping its mother.

Baby's New Ride ~

Since our last two strollers bit the dust, we had to break down and get a new one for this little wee one. I found it at Albee Baby for $140 off with free shipping, not a bad deal, eh?

We just have to trick this ride with a new carseat and we'll be good to go. Now to find a good price on a Chicco Key Fit---if you know of any deals, holla at me!

Update on Lumpy ~

We wound up taking Camdyn into the doctor to be seen, she just wasn't getting any better and we weren't getting any sleep. Turns out she has a sinus infection and an ear infection...which surprised me since she wasn't complaining about her ear at all. Anyway, she's on an antibiotic and hopefully on the mend. She scored Dora stickers while there and promptly adorned my refridgerator with them. Post for another day, but have you ever tried to get those Medibadge stickers off of a refridgerator?? Good God, you'd think they used Gorilla Glue for the adhesive.

Love me some MB ~

I just got an email that some of my Mini Boden preorder is shipping...cannot wait! I love the quality, the style, colors, it's a good thing there is no store anywhere near me! ;)

Couple of sneak peeks of what I ordered

Riley Breck ~

Yesterday we got a letter home from Riley's school. She was tested by the Gifted and Talented facilitator using the BRI (Basic Reading Inventory) and she did an excellent job. She actually scored at a 3rd grade level. Since she did so well, the teacher will now meet with Riley a couple of days a week, to enrich her reading skills. Riley's teacher also said she just got her updated ELA test scores back and they are near perfect. Man are we ever proud of that girl! Riley LOVES reading and she loves reading to us before bed...she tries to read to Cooper, but that kid is all about I SPY books right now. ;) WTG Riley Breck, Mommy and Daddy are SO proud of you!

Rough one for kids ~

I worked this weekend and it was a rough one for little kids. Several cases of pneumonia, RSV, Influenza A & B, even two cases of mono. It is so hard listening to those poor babies scream through xrays and labs, I hate hearing them wheezing and gasping for air. I want to be able to snap my fingers and make them better! In most cases, the parents seem very responsible, loving, and caring...but there are always a few times when you can just tell the poor baby doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell. One that stuck out this weekend was a 2-month-old that absolutely reeked like smoke, it was emanating from his blankets, car seat, clothes, everything. He sounded horrible, gasping, coughing, trying to catch his breath. He tested positive for RSV. I heard his mom bitching about how she didn't want to have to 'deal with no damn nebulizer'. I have to give our Acute Care doctor props, because he pretty much laid into her and basically let her know how sick her little guy was. It's times like that, that I wish DHS could get involved for mandatory drop-ins to make sure she's following through with his medical care.

We've got some sick ones here at home, Cooper is just getting over a nasty cough, Riley has a 'terrible stuffy nose' as she will tell you, and poor Lumpy is just miserable...a cough, constant runny, snotty nose, runny eyes, rash around her mouth, even her voice sounds funny. If she's not better in a day or so, I'm going to have to bring her in...there's too much nasty stuff going around not to!

The Final Installment to the Kay family ~

Apparently, we have one relaxed baby in there...and quite possibly a future gymnast. Here is our little June bug, hands and arms behind its head and feet stretched up over the top. How can that be comfortable? ;)

Lumpy the Mermaid ~

Camdyn is all about independence these days. Her favorite saying, "My do, my do!" So, she put her own pants on today...in full Ariel fashion.

Christmas Eve ~

We went to St. Patrick's Church this evening, instead of Nativity. What an experience, now I know why we don't make it to Mass every Sunday like we did when it was just Riley. Cooper does not grasp the concept of whispering...he spent most of the service asking me how many more minutes until it was over, while driving Cars up and down the wall.

Camdyn was busy going through my mom and Caitlin's purses. When we gave her money to put in the collection basket, she tried taking more out instead of putting hers in. Riley, whom I expected to be good, wasn't. Clyde finally wound up taking Camdyn to the back of the church where she worked her charm on the ushers. She also, apparently, became the official greeter...waving and telling everyone 'hi' and 'bye'.

Sad to say, but we won't be making it back until Easter. Yep, we've become Chreasters...families that make it for Christmas and Easter. :(

Foghat's Slow Ride ~

Catch this---Cooper comes flying out of his room with his radio in tow SCREAMING. I imagine Camdyn in his room on the top shelf of his closet or something, so I run to his room, heart pounding as to what I'm going to find when I get in there. Not only is Lumpy not in there, but Cooper is still yelling out in the living room. Want to know what the craziness was about? Foghat's Slow Ride was on the radio and he starts screaming that it's on Bubba's Guitar Hero. Oh my addict!