I haven't posted a "new" blog in a while, so I thought I'd update everyone on what's been going on!
Tanner: "Nanner" (as he calls himself) has hit the terrible twos! :( He has been hitting, scratching, biting, and pinching us when he is upset. This has been a very hard time for me. I hate to see him so upset and acting like this. Where did my sweet boy go? I know it is just a phase, and he is "acting like a two year old," but I struggle with how to stop this behavior. Should I ignore it? It's hard to ignore when he is hurting the baby. Should I put him in time-out? That's not always an option (like when we are in the car). I know that I am not the only parent to go through this. Any advice you have to give is welcome (as long as it comes without judgements) :) On a better note, Tanner has many cute sayings......bug bug bite, he calls me Nonny, he yells for Bobby and I by saying "Honey," he calls Thomas the train "Bach Train," he says animal names by the sounds they make (meow-meow, nah nah). He went camping with Bobby last weekend and did so well! He didn't nap, but he did sleep all night in the tent! Tanner and I had a day out with just the two of us last week. We had a play date with his friend Tom ("Bach"). We played at the mall, then went out to lunch at Olive Garden. Then we finished up by going to the grocery store. He did so well the whole day. No tantrums, no hitting. It was lovely! I know that he misses spending quality time with Mommy and I miss it too! I have made a mental note to do more of those!
Brennan: "Dede" is 6 months old now! A half a year....wow!!! His napping is wonderful now! I rock him, give him the paci, and sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." Then I put him in his bed and he goes right down! He sleeps anywhere between 1-3 hours per nap! YAY!! He is still just the happiest baby and is only fussy when he needs to nap. He loves the Exersaucer and can somehow move it across the floor in the kitchen to get to the table. He loves to watch his big brother. He LOVES when he is facing out in the carrier or Moby and we go shopping or for walks. He squeals the whole time!! He is a good eater, just like Tanner. I haven't found anything that he won't eat.
Guess that's all for now! :)
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Flashback Blog: Our Wedding 8-8-06
In honor of our 5 year anniversary on Monday, I thought I'd write about our wedding week in Jamaica, Man!
We decided to do a destination wedding since it had been a while since either one of our parents went on a nice trip. We left for Ocho Rios, Jamaica on Sunday Aug. 6th, 2006 (which is also my mom's birthday). We flew with my mom, Bobby's parents, Tonya and Bobby Buchanan. We were meeting my dad there, since he lives in Denver. We got to Couples and realize that my mom picked up the wrong bag at the airport! Luckily, her bag was also in Ocho Rios (at Sandals) and we got it with little trouble. That evening, the resort had dinner on the beach and entertainment, which was fun. The next day, we met with the wedding coordinator and went over details of our wedding with her. The gang all had planned on going on the Catamaran cruise, and as Bobby and I were walking down to the boat to meet everyone, his sister, Shannon surprised us and came walking up the beach! I was so excited to have her there!! :) Then we all did the cruise, drank some really strong rum punch and jumped off the boat! Bobby jumped off the boat first, and I made Tonya hold my hand and we jumped together. On our way back to the resort, Shannon and I danced.....such fun memories!!
The next day was our wedding day!!!!! We got married at 4 in the afternoon, so for the first part of the day, we just all hung out. Then I went to the salon to get my hair done, and that was when I started to get nervous. Not nervous about marrying Bobby, just nervous about walking down the isle and saying my vows. (I knew Bobby was my soul mate) After my hair was done, I went to my mom and Shannon's room to get ready. Shannon, my mom and Bobby's mom stayed with me and helped me get ready. Bobby's dad and the Buchanan's helped Bobby (gave Bobby beers). The wedding coordinator called Shannon and my soon to be MIL to go down and meet Bobby. After a few minutes, they called for us. This is it!!!!! I wanted both my mom and my dad to walk me down the isle. I owe so much of who I am to my mom, and I like the tradition of the father walking the daughter down the isle. On the looooooooong walk to the gazebo (we were married in the garden gazebo), my mom whispered some sweet words to me that made me tear up. Then, I walked around the tree and saw my husband waiting for me. He looked so handsome! We chose not to write our own vows because I was afraid I would cry too much when saying them, so we just repeated after the Jamaican minister. By the end, both of us kind of took on a Jamaican accent. During our vows, there was some random chicken cock-a-doodle-dooing in the background, which kept us girls laughing! :) We did our first kiss, and YAY, we were finally married!!!!! Then we went to the gazebo for toasts and to eat the world's worst cake ever! Shannon made a great toast that made Bobby and I cry. My mom cried A LOT, and at one point, I asked her if those were good tears....she said yes! We did our first dance, and the father/daughter, mother/son dance. (Bobby's mom was crying quite a bit too-shocker!) We did pics, ate a good meal (after they finally found our reservation) and Tonya helped me out of my dress and took my hair down. Then Bobby and I enjoyed our first night as a married couple!
The next few days we hiked the falls, swam, and just had fun with our family and friends. Everyone but us left on Friday. We stayed until Sunday and enjoyed a couples massage and some quality alone time. When we got back, Bobby still had some vacay days and we laid in bed and watched movies and just enjoyed being with each other as husband and wife!
It's hard to believe that Bobby and I have been together for 9 years, married for 5 years, and have 2 great boys. We are so blessed!
We decided to do a destination wedding since it had been a while since either one of our parents went on a nice trip. We left for Ocho Rios, Jamaica on Sunday Aug. 6th, 2006 (which is also my mom's birthday). We flew with my mom, Bobby's parents, Tonya and Bobby Buchanan. We were meeting my dad there, since he lives in Denver. We got to Couples and realize that my mom picked up the wrong bag at the airport! Luckily, her bag was also in Ocho Rios (at Sandals) and we got it with little trouble. That evening, the resort had dinner on the beach and entertainment, which was fun. The next day, we met with the wedding coordinator and went over details of our wedding with her. The gang all had planned on going on the Catamaran cruise, and as Bobby and I were walking down to the boat to meet everyone, his sister, Shannon surprised us and came walking up the beach! I was so excited to have her there!! :) Then we all did the cruise, drank some really strong rum punch and jumped off the boat! Bobby jumped off the boat first, and I made Tonya hold my hand and we jumped together. On our way back to the resort, Shannon and I danced.....such fun memories!!
The next day was our wedding day!!!!! We got married at 4 in the afternoon, so for the first part of the day, we just all hung out. Then I went to the salon to get my hair done, and that was when I started to get nervous. Not nervous about marrying Bobby, just nervous about walking down the isle and saying my vows. (I knew Bobby was my soul mate) After my hair was done, I went to my mom and Shannon's room to get ready. Shannon, my mom and Bobby's mom stayed with me and helped me get ready. Bobby's dad and the Buchanan's helped Bobby (gave Bobby beers). The wedding coordinator called Shannon and my soon to be MIL to go down and meet Bobby. After a few minutes, they called for us. This is it!!!!! I wanted both my mom and my dad to walk me down the isle. I owe so much of who I am to my mom, and I like the tradition of the father walking the daughter down the isle. On the looooooooong walk to the gazebo (we were married in the garden gazebo), my mom whispered some sweet words to me that made me tear up. Then, I walked around the tree and saw my husband waiting for me. He looked so handsome! We chose not to write our own vows because I was afraid I would cry too much when saying them, so we just repeated after the Jamaican minister. By the end, both of us kind of took on a Jamaican accent. During our vows, there was some random chicken cock-a-doodle-dooing in the background, which kept us girls laughing! :) We did our first kiss, and YAY, we were finally married!!!!! Then we went to the gazebo for toasts and to eat the world's worst cake ever! Shannon made a great toast that made Bobby and I cry. My mom cried A LOT, and at one point, I asked her if those were good tears....she said yes! We did our first dance, and the father/daughter, mother/son dance. (Bobby's mom was crying quite a bit too-shocker!) We did pics, ate a good meal (after they finally found our reservation) and Tonya helped me out of my dress and took my hair down. Then Bobby and I enjoyed our first night as a married couple!
The next few days we hiked the falls, swam, and just had fun with our family and friends. Everyone but us left on Friday. We stayed until Sunday and enjoyed a couples massage and some quality alone time. When we got back, Bobby still had some vacay days and we laid in bed and watched movies and just enjoyed being with each other as husband and wife!
It's hard to believe that Bobby and I have been together for 9 years, married for 5 years, and have 2 great boys. We are so blessed!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
In your child, you will see yourself
The more Tanner's personality comes out, the more I see myself in him. He is shy (in new situations), emotional, and loving. He started summer school 3 weeks ago. Summer school is more like a camp. They have a cooking day and a water day each week, plus, they go Mon-Thurs. The night before his first day, we talked about going to school (he had been out for a month) and meeting new friends, playing, etc. He started kind of whimpering, but didn't cry. Then, the next day, he was up really early (I think because he was anxious about school). On our way to school, he continued to whine/whimper and suck his thumb. I could tell, it would not be an easy goodbye. When we got into his new classroom, we didn't see any of his friends from last year. So, we meet his teachers and I sit down with him on the floor and show him a fire truck. There is another little boy playing with a train beside of us. He is older than Tanner and starts talking to him about trains and trucks. Tanner played for a second, then I told him that I had to go bye bye......That's when things went south! He started really crying and screaming. I kissed him and told him I would be back in a little while. His teacher, Mrs. Martha, picked him up and I left him still crying. On the way out, I saw the director, Mrs. Katie. She asked if that was Tanner she could hear crying. I said yes and that his last teacher got him with snacks in the beginning. Mrs. Katie said "Ok, I'll try that and I'll call you if I need too." So I left feeling like I wanted to cry too. When I came to pick him up, Mrs. Katie said that he calmed down after a few minutes and going into the gym to ride a bike. When I walk into his room, he yells "Nonny" and runs to hug me. Best moment ever!!!!
That night, we talked about school and his new teachers. Anytime I said anything about school, he would fake cry. I tried to tell him no, we say "yaaaaay" when we are talking about school. It didn't work, but was worth a try! The next day, same thing on the way to school and same thing when I dropped him off....crying, screaming, sad Mommy. When I picked him up, Mrs. Katie told me that from now on, his class (the ones and twos) will be dropped off in the gym because Tanner and a few others do better in there. So the next day, I drop him off in the gym and he runs away, right over to a bike. The rest is history. He has been so excited to go to school and ride on the bikes! Today was the last day of summer school, so he will be out of school for the month of August. But, when he goes back, a few of his friends from the summer will be in his class, so that will be nice. Hopefully, we will have an easier transition, but I am not holding my breath about it. I can sympathize with how Tanner feels because I am also nervous and shy in new situations. Even as a teacher, I would get anxious about the first day of school. Thankfully, it gets easier the more you do it, and Tanner will have plenty of practice before Kindergarten! :)
That night, we talked about school and his new teachers. Anytime I said anything about school, he would fake cry. I tried to tell him no, we say "yaaaaay" when we are talking about school. It didn't work, but was worth a try! The next day, same thing on the way to school and same thing when I dropped him off....crying, screaming, sad Mommy. When I picked him up, Mrs. Katie told me that from now on, his class (the ones and twos) will be dropped off in the gym because Tanner and a few others do better in there. So the next day, I drop him off in the gym and he runs away, right over to a bike. The rest is history. He has been so excited to go to school and ride on the bikes! Today was the last day of summer school, so he will be out of school for the month of August. But, when he goes back, a few of his friends from the summer will be in his class, so that will be nice. Hopefully, we will have an easier transition, but I am not holding my breath about it. I can sympathize with how Tanner feels because I am also nervous and shy in new situations. Even as a teacher, I would get anxious about the first day of school. Thankfully, it gets easier the more you do it, and Tanner will have plenty of practice before Kindergarten! :)
Friday, July 8, 2011
Flashback Blog: Tanner's birthday
In honor of my big boy turning two, I thought I would do a flashback blog about his actual birthday (June 26th, 2009).
On Thurs. June 24th, Bobby and I were scheduled to be induced at 7 am. The induction was because of my high blood pressure and protein in my urine, which is a sign of pre-eclampsia. The night before, Bobby and I ate at Olive Garden and tried to go to bed early. He seemed to sleep fine, I was sooooooo nervous. I even told him that if something happens to me, tell Tanner that his mommy loved him very much. The hospital told us to call in the morning to make sure that they had room for us, and they did! So off we go! I tried to eat a little breakfast, but that didn't really happen.
We get to CMC-Pineville and they tell check me. I am 80% effaced and a whopping 2 centimeters dilated. Do the midwife puts cervil on my cervix and tells me to walk around. Bobby and I walk a few rounds, then his parents arrive. They walk with us a few more rounds, then my mom get there. We all walk around a bit more and my sis-in-law gets there. At this point I am sick of walking so, we go back to my room and chill. I am feeling some slight cramping, but nothing major. They check me, I have dilated to 3 centimeters. Now time for the pitocin. They give me the pitocin, the contractions really start, and I request an epidural. After the epidural, all I kept saying was "Now this is the way to have a baby." By this time, it's dinner time for everyone (except me, of course) so the crew gets Japanese take out and a dish for me for after the birth. Then I rested for a bit. The nurse kept checking me and at 11:00 pm, I was at 10 and she said I could start pushing. The midwife was in another labor when I started and the nurse said that she can see the head, and he has hair, so if I am a good pusher, she will have to have me stop and wait for the midwife. I guess, I was not a good pusher because it took me 1 hour and 16 mins. to have Tanner. When Tanner was born, Bobby, his mom and sister, and my mom were in the room. What a special moment! :) Right after he was born, he had a busted blood vessel on his umbilical cord, so they had to take him over and work on that. Then I delivered the placenta and that's when things went downhill. After the placenta comes out, my uterus should have closed, but instead, it didn't and therefore, I hemorrhaged. I knew something was wrong because the nurse had all of the visitors except Bobby leave and suddenly there were TONS of nurses in there. I kept telling Bobby that something was wrong, but he said no, everything is fine (even though he knew it wasn't, he was trying to keep me calm.) They worked on me until about 1:30am and Bobby stayed by my side, holding my hand, the whole time. They still could not getting to bleeding to stop, so they put a sponge in me and told me no food or drink until the morning after I go into the Operating room. The doc wanted to have more help just in case I was still bleeding and they had to take out my uterus (aka a hysterectomy). That night, I was on bed rest as I was too weak to get out of bed. Therefore, Bobby held Tanner all night long. Tanner slept on his chest and Bobby was smitten! My mom also ended up sleeping in our hospital room, I think she was worried about me and didn't want to leave.
In the morning, they took me to the OR waiting room, where I waited for almost 2 hours to go into surgery. They ended up giving me a blood transfusion since I had lost so much blood, then took me into surgery. When I woke up, they said the bleeding had stopped and I did not have to have a hysterectomy! YAY!!! I was finally wheeled back to my room to be with my new baby! Finally, it was my turn to love on Tanner Boo Boo, and I've been doing it ever since! :)
The difference between Tanner's birth story and Brennan's is like night and day, but in the end, we got two healthy, happy babies....what more could one ask for?
On Thurs. June 24th, Bobby and I were scheduled to be induced at 7 am. The induction was because of my high blood pressure and protein in my urine, which is a sign of pre-eclampsia. The night before, Bobby and I ate at Olive Garden and tried to go to bed early. He seemed to sleep fine, I was sooooooo nervous. I even told him that if something happens to me, tell Tanner that his mommy loved him very much. The hospital told us to call in the morning to make sure that they had room for us, and they did! So off we go! I tried to eat a little breakfast, but that didn't really happen.
We get to CMC-Pineville and they tell check me. I am 80% effaced and a whopping 2 centimeters dilated. Do the midwife puts cervil on my cervix and tells me to walk around. Bobby and I walk a few rounds, then his parents arrive. They walk with us a few more rounds, then my mom get there. We all walk around a bit more and my sis-in-law gets there. At this point I am sick of walking so, we go back to my room and chill. I am feeling some slight cramping, but nothing major. They check me, I have dilated to 3 centimeters. Now time for the pitocin. They give me the pitocin, the contractions really start, and I request an epidural. After the epidural, all I kept saying was "Now this is the way to have a baby." By this time, it's dinner time for everyone (except me, of course) so the crew gets Japanese take out and a dish for me for after the birth. Then I rested for a bit. The nurse kept checking me and at 11:00 pm, I was at 10 and she said I could start pushing. The midwife was in another labor when I started and the nurse said that she can see the head, and he has hair, so if I am a good pusher, she will have to have me stop and wait for the midwife. I guess, I was not a good pusher because it took me 1 hour and 16 mins. to have Tanner. When Tanner was born, Bobby, his mom and sister, and my mom were in the room. What a special moment! :) Right after he was born, he had a busted blood vessel on his umbilical cord, so they had to take him over and work on that. Then I delivered the placenta and that's when things went downhill. After the placenta comes out, my uterus should have closed, but instead, it didn't and therefore, I hemorrhaged. I knew something was wrong because the nurse had all of the visitors except Bobby leave and suddenly there were TONS of nurses in there. I kept telling Bobby that something was wrong, but he said no, everything is fine (even though he knew it wasn't, he was trying to keep me calm.) They worked on me until about 1:30am and Bobby stayed by my side, holding my hand, the whole time. They still could not getting to bleeding to stop, so they put a sponge in me and told me no food or drink until the morning after I go into the Operating room. The doc wanted to have more help just in case I was still bleeding and they had to take out my uterus (aka a hysterectomy). That night, I was on bed rest as I was too weak to get out of bed. Therefore, Bobby held Tanner all night long. Tanner slept on his chest and Bobby was smitten! My mom also ended up sleeping in our hospital room, I think she was worried about me and didn't want to leave.
In the morning, they took me to the OR waiting room, where I waited for almost 2 hours to go into surgery. They ended up giving me a blood transfusion since I had lost so much blood, then took me into surgery. When I woke up, they said the bleeding had stopped and I did not have to have a hysterectomy! YAY!!! I was finally wheeled back to my room to be with my new baby! Finally, it was my turn to love on Tanner Boo Boo, and I've been doing it ever since! :)
The difference between Tanner's birth story and Brennan's is like night and day, but in the end, we got two healthy, happy babies....what more could one ask for?
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tanner turned two (how did that happen?)
On June 26th, Tanner Boo Boo turned two! I am so happy and proud of the toddler he's becoming. He is such a sweet boy. He hugs and kisses Brennan all of the time. He has started kissing everything on the way out of the door when we leave the house. He kisses the baby swing, his motorcycle, the couch, etc. He no longer clings to me or Bobby at family events. One of my favorite things we do is to cuddle on the couch before bed. After I put Brennan down, Tanner and I get into PJ's (Ok, I'm always in mine), and then cuddle on the couch watching "Wheel of Fortune." What can I say, he likes it! :) He can count up to 3 now and he recognizes that words have letters. For example, he will see a word in a book like ELMO and say "A, D, E, R." Then I will say the letters in the word. We have been working on the letters in his name. He now says 2-3 word phrases. They usually start like this "I do.......(mom mow, poo poo, night night) or "I need........(this, water, shoe) or "Where.....(Daddy, sock, Dede) go?" He is getting into the independent phase, which, for the most part, I am happy about. However, when he insists on walking down a big staircase without holding my hand or putting on his shoes by himself it can be challenging!
For his party, we decided to have it at our house so that Tanner's friends could come. His friends Tom, Ryan, Andrew, and his girlfriend Emma came! We were going to have the kiddie pool up, but it had a hole in it. Oh well. The kids got to play outside with bubbles and Tanner's many vehicles. His grandparents came and some of our friends too. My first attempt at mini meatballs came out pretty good, if I do say so myself! Plus Mama Roney made some delish mushroom and cheese apps and her famous jalapeno poppers. We had cupcakes and Tanner opened presents. All of which had wheels! Hehe!! The night ended with fireworks, too bad Tanner was already in bed!
These past two years have gone by so fast. I think back to when Tanner was a newborn and sleeping in the swing, or when he was army crawling after the cats, or trying Mommy's spaghetti for the first time, or cruising around the couch, and it makes me teary, but in a good way! :)
For his party, we decided to have it at our house so that Tanner's friends could come. His friends Tom, Ryan, Andrew, and his girlfriend Emma came! We were going to have the kiddie pool up, but it had a hole in it. Oh well. The kids got to play outside with bubbles and Tanner's many vehicles. His grandparents came and some of our friends too. My first attempt at mini meatballs came out pretty good, if I do say so myself! Plus Mama Roney made some delish mushroom and cheese apps and her famous jalapeno poppers. We had cupcakes and Tanner opened presents. All of which had wheels! Hehe!! The night ended with fireworks, too bad Tanner was already in bed!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Life's a BEACH!!!
Last week, we took our first family vacay to the beach. Here's the day by day play by play.......
Saturday-We pile into the car (Bobby, me, Tanner, Brennan, and my cousin, Lizzy). We drive 7 hours and arrive in Kitty Hawk, NC. The car ride was a major success! We had one short stop for me to pee (of course) and one longer stop for lunch. Brennan started getting a little fussy as we were almost there just because he needed to eat. I'm thinking "wow, this is gonna be an easy vacay!" We decide to go check out the ocean (at this point, it's about 7 pm, so we aren't going to swim, just going to see the beach). Tanner was a little hesitant at first about the waves, but he warmed up after a bit. He liked digging in the sand with his shovel. We walked down there (big mistake-Tanner kept stopping to dig in the dirt on the walk and it took forever). Bobby was wearing Brennan in the carrier and it was quite windy, so he had to walk along and couldn't help wrangle Tanner. Finally, we get back to our house and feed the kids and get them down for bed. Then Bobby and I went out to get groceries, or so I thought. Bobby surprised me and took me out for dinner and drinks at the Outer Banks Brewery, it was DELISH!! We did end up going grocery shopping after that, which is a lot more fun when you've had a glass of wine! :)
Sunday-Brennan is up at 6 am, which was the average the whole week. Plus, his naps were only 10-15 mins the whole week. Bad combo which resulted in lots of crying! When you are used to getting up at 8, the 6 am wake up is not pleasant! So we eat breakfast and pack up for the beach. We pitched a cabana for Brennan, so he was covered from the sun and wind. While Bobby and Lizzy were doing that, Tanner and I got our feet in the water. It was COOOOOOOOLD!! But Tanner loved it, he was ready to go in deeper. This made me very nervous because I am not a good swimmer at all. I still have to hold my nose to go underwater. Needless to say, Bobby will be teaching the boys how to swim. Then Bobby took over and took Tanner out, he loved it, and didn't want to get out. I sat with Brennan, he napped for a bit, then I fed him, and we played in the cabana. Then it was time to go back to the for lunch and naps. We leave, with Tanner having a fit and Mommy starting to get stressed. Then back at the house, I bathe Brennan and Tanner in the bathtub quickly, so we can get lunch going. While making the mac and cheese, Brennan is screaming because he needs to nap and refuses to, Bobby is outside with Tanner grilling the hot dogs and Lizzy is in the shower. So I am left listening to a screaming baby for 15 mins. Bobby comes in with the hot dogs, and I have a meltdown. After lunch, I take a nap, and feel better. I realized that I just need to go with the flow. Things are harder when you are not at your house, in your routine, but at the same time, you are making memories with your family (and that's what matters). After nap, we try to go to the Dunes. Notice, I said try.......well now it was time for Tanner's meltdown. We get to the Dunes, and I decide not to try to climb them with Brennan in the Moby, so Lizzy, Bobby, and Tanner walk on. They didn't get far....Tanner started screaming "water, water" over and over. We thought he was thirsty, no not it. I guess he expected to see the ocean again, but there were only dunes. He was not happy about it. So we left.
Monday-Bobby took Tanner back to the Dunes and he great, they went all the way up and there were no meltdowns! YAY! Bobby and I went out for drinks that night after the kids went to bed, like old times! ;)
Tuesday-Bobby and Lizzy took Tanner down to the beach while Brennan and I stayed at the house. This was much more relaxing for me. I gave Brennan his bottles on the deck and swung him to sleep in the swing under the deck. Ahhhhhh....now this is a vacation.
Wednesday-Bobby toured the stores at the beach, and Lizzy, the boys, and I went to a gift shop to look around. Tanner, again, had a total meltdown. He screamed the whole time in the store because I would not let him out of the stroller. :/ On the upside, he took a 3 hour nap that day. Then my Uncle Pete and Aunt Tina joined us! That night, we grilled some yummy steaks and drank sweet wine! The gals walked down to the beach to see the moon shining on the water, and saw some big a** holes-hehe!! Fun times!!!
Thursday-We went out for a tasty breakfast, then all headed out to the beach. Tanner again loved it! Bobby and I even took him out together into the deep water and that was really fun! Brennan took his best nap of the week (about 25 mins) in the cabana. That night, I took Lizzy out to eat a really good Italian restaurant. We had so much fun eating and having girl talk!
Friday- We decide to go up to Corolla where the wild horses are. I saw a commercial that said if you have 4 wheel drive, you can drive on the beach. Sounds fun, until you get stuck! Uhhhh...yeah. Instead of paying to take a Jeep tour to see the horses, we tried to follow where they were going (up a dune). Bad idea. We did not make it, not even close! So as Bobby is pushing us, I am pressing the gas, Tanner is having yet another meltdown! Finally a chick comes to help Bobby and we get unstuck. Then we say, forget it, let's just go. As we are leaving, we see some horses! YAY-success!!!!! We decided to leave that night to come home instead of driving all day Sat. So we nap (Tanner) and pack up. We headed out around 5:30 pm, stopped for dinner at 8, and got home by 12:30. The first part of the ride was pretty awful, with Tanner crying to get out and hitting and pinching Lizzy. The last part was good and went by fast with and epic game of "Top Three."
Our first family vacation sure had its ups and downs, but in the end, we got some wonderful memories, and what more can you ask for! :) I will try to add some pics-no promises!
Saturday-We pile into the car (Bobby, me, Tanner, Brennan, and my cousin, Lizzy). We drive 7 hours and arrive in Kitty Hawk, NC. The car ride was a major success! We had one short stop for me to pee (of course) and one longer stop for lunch. Brennan started getting a little fussy as we were almost there just because he needed to eat. I'm thinking "wow, this is gonna be an easy vacay!" We decide to go check out the ocean (at this point, it's about 7 pm, so we aren't going to swim, just going to see the beach). Tanner was a little hesitant at first about the waves, but he warmed up after a bit. He liked digging in the sand with his shovel. We walked down there (big mistake-Tanner kept stopping to dig in the dirt on the walk and it took forever). Bobby was wearing Brennan in the carrier and it was quite windy, so he had to walk along and couldn't help wrangle Tanner. Finally, we get back to our house and feed the kids and get them down for bed. Then Bobby and I went out to get groceries, or so I thought. Bobby surprised me and took me out for dinner and drinks at the Outer Banks Brewery, it was DELISH!! We did end up going grocery shopping after that, which is a lot more fun when you've had a glass of wine! :)
Sunday-Brennan is up at 6 am, which was the average the whole week. Plus, his naps were only 10-15 mins the whole week. Bad combo which resulted in lots of crying! When you are used to getting up at 8, the 6 am wake up is not pleasant! So we eat breakfast and pack up for the beach. We pitched a cabana for Brennan, so he was covered from the sun and wind. While Bobby and Lizzy were doing that, Tanner and I got our feet in the water. It was COOOOOOOOLD!! But Tanner loved it, he was ready to go in deeper. This made me very nervous because I am not a good swimmer at all. I still have to hold my nose to go underwater. Needless to say, Bobby will be teaching the boys how to swim. Then Bobby took over and took Tanner out, he loved it, and didn't want to get out. I sat with Brennan, he napped for a bit, then I fed him, and we played in the cabana. Then it was time to go back to the for lunch and naps. We leave, with Tanner having a fit and Mommy starting to get stressed. Then back at the house, I bathe Brennan and Tanner in the bathtub quickly, so we can get lunch going. While making the mac and cheese, Brennan is screaming because he needs to nap and refuses to, Bobby is outside with Tanner grilling the hot dogs and Lizzy is in the shower. So I am left listening to a screaming baby for 15 mins. Bobby comes in with the hot dogs, and I have a meltdown. After lunch, I take a nap, and feel better. I realized that I just need to go with the flow. Things are harder when you are not at your house, in your routine, but at the same time, you are making memories with your family (and that's what matters). After nap, we try to go to the Dunes. Notice, I said try.......well now it was time for Tanner's meltdown. We get to the Dunes, and I decide not to try to climb them with Brennan in the Moby, so Lizzy, Bobby, and Tanner walk on. They didn't get far....Tanner started screaming "water, water" over and over. We thought he was thirsty, no not it. I guess he expected to see the ocean again, but there were only dunes. He was not happy about it. So we left.
Monday-Bobby took Tanner back to the Dunes and he great, they went all the way up and there were no meltdowns! YAY! Bobby and I went out for drinks that night after the kids went to bed, like old times! ;)
Tuesday-Bobby and Lizzy took Tanner down to the beach while Brennan and I stayed at the house. This was much more relaxing for me. I gave Brennan his bottles on the deck and swung him to sleep in the swing under the deck. Ahhhhhh....now this is a vacation.
Wednesday-Bobby toured the stores at the beach, and Lizzy, the boys, and I went to a gift shop to look around. Tanner, again, had a total meltdown. He screamed the whole time in the store because I would not let him out of the stroller. :/ On the upside, he took a 3 hour nap that day. Then my Uncle Pete and Aunt Tina joined us! That night, we grilled some yummy steaks and drank sweet wine! The gals walked down to the beach to see the moon shining on the water, and saw some big a** holes-hehe!! Fun times!!!
Thursday-We went out for a tasty breakfast, then all headed out to the beach. Tanner again loved it! Bobby and I even took him out together into the deep water and that was really fun! Brennan took his best nap of the week (about 25 mins) in the cabana. That night, I took Lizzy out to eat a really good Italian restaurant. We had so much fun eating and having girl talk!
Friday- We decide to go up to Corolla where the wild horses are. I saw a commercial that said if you have 4 wheel drive, you can drive on the beach. Sounds fun, until you get stuck! Uhhhh...yeah. Instead of paying to take a Jeep tour to see the horses, we tried to follow where they were going (up a dune). Bad idea. We did not make it, not even close! So as Bobby is pushing us, I am pressing the gas, Tanner is having yet another meltdown! Finally a chick comes to help Bobby and we get unstuck. Then we say, forget it, let's just go. As we are leaving, we see some horses! YAY-success!!!!! We decided to leave that night to come home instead of driving all day Sat. So we nap (Tanner) and pack up. We headed out around 5:30 pm, stopped for dinner at 8, and got home by 12:30. The first part of the ride was pretty awful, with Tanner crying to get out and hitting and pinching Lizzy. The last part was good and went by fast with and epic game of "Top Three."
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Finally getting the swing of things!
This week, for the first time since Brennan was born, I feel like I have a handle on things. First off, Brennan is starting to get into a more predictable routine (YAY). He has always been a great sleeper at night, but during the day, his naps became only 15-20 mins at a time, which is not a restorative sleep. So, I tried to sleep train him, by using the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." I bought this book to help with Tanner's naps when he was 5 months old. Tanner was soooooooo hard to get to sleep during the day. I would rock him for 30 mins only to have him sleep for 20. So.....I bought the book and followed the "cry it out" technique for naps. It work, and Tanner has been a champion sleeper ever since! Naturally, I thought Mr. Brennan would take to it as easily as Tanner. Well......I was wrong. In the book, it says to do whatever routine you choose for naps, be consistent, then lay them down in their cribs to sleep. They should sleep for an hour, ideally. If not, you can let them try to "cry it out" and get to sleep (or back to sleep) for an hour. So I tried it with Brennan. It did not go well. He cried so hard for the entire hour, which broke my heart to hear. :( After a few days of doing it this way, it was still not getting much better. Then I tried to go in after he woke up (15 mins after laying in crib) and give him his paci. No picking him up, no eye contact. It worked! He went back to sleep for 30 mins!! I did it again, and he went back to sleep for another 30 mins! Then today, his naps have been 45-60 mins each! Hooray!!! :)
Since he has been napping longer, I have been able to get more done. I cleaned the whole kitchen this week. And I mean CLEANED!! I scrubbed the baseboards, washed the walls, and dusted the laundry room. Go me!!! I have also given in to the fact that Brennan may be my last baby and is my baby now so, I may as well enjoy this time instead of hoping for the next phase to come. So I have decided that I am going to wear him more. I am still getting the hang of the Moby, but so far, I really like it. I like having him so close to me, he likes it, and I have my hands free! I have not taken the boys shopping by myself yet. With Tanner sitting in the front of the cart, and Brennan's car seat in the back part, there is no more room for the stuff I am buying! So, I put Brennan in the Moby and Tanner in the cart and headed to my fav. store-Target!! It went great! I got many smiles from others moms and an older man commented on "my contraption." Hehe!!
Mr. Tanner finished school last week. On the last day, his class had an awards ceremony where all of the students got recognized for something. Tanner got "Most Athletic" (Bobby was so proud) His teacher said he is always throwing or rolling a ball! He misses school already, every morning he says "School, yeah, school, yeah." I am so glad that we decided to sign him up for preschool, he has really blossomed. It is really fun driving around with him now. He is obsessed with anything with wheels. He loves to point out lawnmowers, airplanes, motorcycles, etc. He has also started to notice landmarks, like the big baseball at the Knights Stadium. Now whenever I say we are going in the car, he says "biiiiiiiig bawl," hoping to see the baseball. He has also become quite the singer. He loves to sing "Baa baa black sheep, Itsy Bitsy Spider, The Wheels on the Bus, the Elmo song (kill me), and random ones that he makes up that have Mommy, Daddy, Deeeeedeeee, and monmowers (lawnmowers). Memorial day was also Papa's (Bobby's dad) birthday, so we went to High Point to surprise him. Bobby took Tanner in the pool and he took to it right away. He has always liked baths and the water, but this was the first time that he could really "swim" with the floaties on. He was booking it and loved to jump in from the side and even the diving board a few times. What a daredevil. :/ Mommy's not too happy about that one!
Next week, I get all four of my wisdom teeth taken out, again, I'm not too happy about that! Wish me luck. Then, on Saturday, we take our first family trip to the beach!!!!! We have never taken Tanner and I am excited to go. We are also taking our nanny (my little cousin) with us! I will blog about our epic beach adventure later! :)
Since he has been napping longer, I have been able to get more done. I cleaned the whole kitchen this week. And I mean CLEANED!! I scrubbed the baseboards, washed the walls, and dusted the laundry room. Go me!!! I have also given in to the fact that Brennan may be my last baby and is my baby now so, I may as well enjoy this time instead of hoping for the next phase to come. So I have decided that I am going to wear him more. I am still getting the hang of the Moby, but so far, I really like it. I like having him so close to me, he likes it, and I have my hands free! I have not taken the boys shopping by myself yet. With Tanner sitting in the front of the cart, and Brennan's car seat in the back part, there is no more room for the stuff I am buying! So, I put Brennan in the Moby and Tanner in the cart and headed to my fav. store-Target!! It went great! I got many smiles from others moms and an older man commented on "my contraption." Hehe!!
Mr. Tanner finished school last week. On the last day, his class had an awards ceremony where all of the students got recognized for something. Tanner got "Most Athletic" (Bobby was so proud) His teacher said he is always throwing or rolling a ball! He misses school already, every morning he says "School, yeah, school, yeah." I am so glad that we decided to sign him up for preschool, he has really blossomed. It is really fun driving around with him now. He is obsessed with anything with wheels. He loves to point out lawnmowers, airplanes, motorcycles, etc. He has also started to notice landmarks, like the big baseball at the Knights Stadium. Now whenever I say we are going in the car, he says "biiiiiiiig bawl," hoping to see the baseball. He has also become quite the singer. He loves to sing "Baa baa black sheep, Itsy Bitsy Spider, The Wheels on the Bus, the Elmo song (kill me), and random ones that he makes up that have Mommy, Daddy, Deeeeedeeee, and monmowers (lawnmowers). Memorial day was also Papa's (Bobby's dad) birthday, so we went to High Point to surprise him. Bobby took Tanner in the pool and he took to it right away. He has always liked baths and the water, but this was the first time that he could really "swim" with the floaties on. He was booking it and loved to jump in from the side and even the diving board a few times. What a daredevil. :/ Mommy's not too happy about that one!
Next week, I get all four of my wisdom teeth taken out, again, I'm not too happy about that! Wish me luck. Then, on Saturday, we take our first family trip to the beach!!!!! We have never taken Tanner and I am excited to go. We are also taking our nanny (my little cousin) with us! I will blog about our epic beach adventure later! :)
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