Weekend Recap: The Sick House Edition

There's not a lot to recap.  We didn't leave the house (except for groceries and the doctor) and the boys are still sick.  But this year, I'm truly trying to find joy in the ordinary.  So in between checking temperatures, administering meds, nose wiping, nap time, bedtime, and bath time we had some special moments.  It is not the glamorous side of parenting, but it's an important one.  And these are the times that will surely be missed once our babies are grown.  My heart has just been breaking for my boys.  They are some of the saddest & sickest kids ever.  And as their mama, they know that I have the powers to make anything & everything better.  I sure am trying! 

We snuggled constantly.  Conor & I ate our meals with a child on our laps, and we cheers-ed with an adult beverage of choice in the evenings.  A reward for survival of that given day.  We watched more Daniel Tiger as well as Frozen (in anticipation of Disney on Ice next weekend!!!!).  And since the weather continued to be gorgeous, we even snuck into the backyard a few times.  Liam has been begging for us to open up his sandbox, so we figured some fresh air may be good for us all.  The boys were worn out quickly, but those moments were the highlight of the weekend.  Finn just seems pumped to be outside and NOT wearing a massive snowsuit!

Assuming Liam does hit day 8 with a fever, I think will venture out of the house on Monday!  Our pediatrician gave us the okay to finally be social, and oh how we are ready!

Fri-Yay

I literally have no idea what day it is.  With the boys being sick, Liam missing school, and Conor working from home, it has felt like the weekend already.  Except without any fun.  But I'm still hopeful that healthier babies are in my future, and that we will be able to get outside this weekend for some fresh air!  In anticipation of that lovely coveted weekend, I bring you some randomness:
-ONE- Thanks again for all your kind words of support & love for little Finn.  He has had quite the difficult week.  I plan on sharing a bit more about him and this vicious sickness we are dealing with (because obviously another sick kid post is needed), but for now a quick update:  We spent half of Wednesday in the ER due to some upper respiratory issues.  The official diagnosis is Bronchiolitis.  Conor was actually away on business this week, but flew home immediately after I told him I was taking Finn to the ER.  Our little boy is a strong fighter.  He seems to be improving a bit each day, but is having a difficult time stomaching any meds and keeping down breastmilk.  We feel fortunate to be able to monitor him from home, so hopefully we get good news at the doctor's office tomorrow.

-TWO- Is everyone still as excited about Pillowfort as me?!  I made most of my purchases online (things sold out crazy quick), and so far the quality is great!  I love the lantern style of this lamp that will go in Finn's room, once I decide on a nightstand, and this basket is my new favorite thing ever!  I want about five more for laundry baskets, toy bins, really anything.  The size is perfect!  
-THREE- If you are local to Salt Lake City (or if you are into good eats & drinks) then you need to be following my friend Caroline!  Her cocktails are always swoon worthy, her son adorable, & she herself is quite witty.  Serious girl crush on this one!  Check her out!

-FOUR- I have a confession:  I used to hate Justin Bieber.  I never saw the appeal.  I didn't get it.  Guess who I'm obsessed with now...?  Yep Bieber.  I have the fever.  I am a Belieber.  He is seriously killing it with his new album!  I cannot get enough of "Love Yourself" & "Sorry".  Liam knows all the words, so we've obviously been jamming out far too much.  And I'm even digging his lavender hair.  Whatever thing he has going on right now, I'm into it!  "My mama don't like you..."
-FIVE- If you are feeling like Bieber isn't the best music to listen to with your kids, then I have a little something else you for.  The Family Folk station on Pandora.  So much goodness!!!  Did you know Johnny Cash put out a children's album?!  After you give a few thumbs up or down, the station really settles in.  I happen to love when anything from the Sound of Music comes on!  I play this a lot during the witching hour when we're trying to calmly play at home or sometimes before bed when Finn decides he wants to scream the entire time that I get him in his pajamas and sleep sack.

On that note, TGIF everyone! Stay healthy & enjoy the weekend!

Three and a Half

I'm still living in the sick house right now.  It's awful.  But I decided that three blog posts about my sick kids would be ridiculous.  So, onto other business...
Since we are past the half way mark of that ever so lovely age three, I feel like a bit of an expert.  And while I was being a bit snarky with the "ever so lovely" part, there is actually a lot of truth to that.  Age three has been rather delightful, at least overall.  I love the conversation skills, the developing athletic abilities, the independence... all of it!  Lately I've been sharing fun little tid bits about Liam on Instagram, but really I need to get back to posting them here on the blog since this is my journal of sorts.  I could gush about Liam all day, because he continues to be the sweetest most loving boy.  He's gentle and kind.  He's completely impressionable right now, and so far has seemed to only have picked up Conor & I's better qualities and quirks.  He's also this wonderfully amazing big brother!  He sounds practically perfect huh?

Except he is still three, and there have been rough patches.  Two to be exact.  At least so far...  The first one hit only a couple months after turning three.  Liam picked up the art of back talking & not listening.  Then he coupled that with some shoving & pushing of his friends, which was so completely out of character for him.  We would often have little stare offs with each other as he blatantly ignored my directions or requests.  It was a real rough time for us all, and it lasted a good 4-6 weeks.  I wondered where my sweet boy went and how on earth I was going to parent this new fiesty thing.  Yet just as quickly as this phase hit, it left.  Sweet sweet Liam came back to us and was his delightful self once again.  

We've been enjoying this delightful Liam for months!  And then just a week or two ago, I saw another bad stretch coming.  It started in slow with just a bit of limited listening.  I'd have to tell him the same things repeatedly.  But bam! a few days later, I realized we were in full threenager status.  He doesn't seem to care what I have to say at all.  Most of the time he chooses not to hear me, but even when he does, it doesn't change his response.  He's convinced he can do all things for himself.  He also thinks he can say " I don't like how you are talking to me" (yep I say that all the time) when he really just doesn't like what I am saying.  He also happens to be in a growth spurt (growing pains make for rough nights) and has decided that everything was meant to be climbed on.  I often find him standing on the top of our counters reaching for plates & glasses.  He has yet to fall, or break anything, so I've let that one slide.  But seriously, no surface in my home is clean of his feet.  He doesn't lack confidence and is convinced that he can do everything for himself.  He's found a new love for scissors... luckily no injuries have been had yet.  I'm hopeful that this particular rough patch won't last nearly as long.  I'd really love calm, gentle Liam back.

I'm in the thick of it right now, but three really isn't all too bad.  I almost wish I could just keep him at this age right now.  He's still so little and snuggly.  Thinking about having a four year old is mind blowing.  That sounds like serious big kid status.  And I'm not nearly old enough to have a big kid.  

Sick Day

Thank you all for your kind words and well wishes for Finn last week!  He tolerated the second antibiotic we tried much better!  And when I say tolerate, I mean he isn't aggressively puking it up.  But that's probably because he refuses to swallow it to begin with.  He receives half of each dose at best.  It's an awful painful process for us both.  I digress...  This weekend we had a few healthy days, and quite a bit of fun.  Conor & Liam had a bluebird day of skiing, and we were all treated to some early Spring weather.  Lots of time outside in the sunshine.  Liam is perfecting his soccer skills before he officially starts on a team this Fall, and he even took his first grown-up free bike ride around the block with some of the older neighbor kids.  I'm heading into this week feeling refreshed, which I am going to need...

Because illness has struck our family yet again.  Double time.  Both boys are sick together, and it is miserable for everyone.  I'm eating a big piece of humble pie because typically, I have some of the healthiest kids.  They have great immune systems and are rarely ever sick.  Like ever.  But here we are.  They both have a barking cough, runny nose, & fever.  I cannot possibly give them both everything they need, but damn I am trying hard.  Finn has decided that he will not sleep for longer than 10 minutes at a time, for the past two nights, so yeah.  Sleep deprived doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling.  Thankfully Conor & I are taking turns with Finn at night, so somehow I have managed to get out of bed each morning.
This post isn't to complain or cry out "whoa is me."  It's just a "hey, having sick kids is tough.  Having two sick kids is really tough.  Sometimes motherhood is tough.  And not glamorous"  But I did have two snuggly boys today.  And I also got to watch a lot of Daniel Tiger, which I'm not gonna lie, I kinda love!

Right now, we're just surviving.  But soon.. soon we will be back to adventuring.

Pillowfort Collection

Has everyone already checked out Target's new home collection for kids, Pillowfort?!  I'm loving it, and Target rarely wows me (gasp! I know!).  We just converted Finn's crib to a bed, so I have been on the hunt for some new sheets.  Pillowfort delivered and some!  Both of my boys' rooms are currently pretty simple, so I'm excited to add some new decor pieces and possibly more storage options.  Here is a peek at the collection and what I'm loving in particular...

arrow sheet set (comes in other colors as well)

icecream sheet set (also loving this & this matching print)

quite possibly my new favorite storage bins (smaller version here)

I can't attest to the quality of these items since I haven't had them in my hands yet (thank you online shopping!), but I'm hopeful.  Also, this post is not sponsored in any way; I'm simply excited about this new collection.  Happy shopping!  And please share your favorites because there was so much goodness to sift through!
*affliliate links used*

Tuesday

Today was long.  So so long.  Those early morning hours feel like days ago.  My washing machine has been going nonstop, as has my mind.  Worrying, stressing.  My glass of wine was well deserved.  I better have two.  So today...
Finn woke up with his eyes crusted shut for the second day in a row.  We had a terrible night with him horribly uncomfortable, so not much sleep was had.  I knew I needed to call the doctor the moment that their offices opened up.  I was able to make him an appointment for immediately after preschool drop off.  A quick doctor's visit revealed that Finn had a double ear and double eye infection.  My heart just broke for him.  I couldn't imagine the pain my little boy was in.  He is such a tough strong guy, because I never would have guessed he had so much going on.  I felt like a terrible mother to have let him get this bad before bringing him in.  We obviously needed to start him on antibiotics which I was not thrilled about.  While antibiotics definitely have a wonderful place in the world of medicine, they are so hard on the body.  I like to avoid them at all costs, but especially when my babies aren't even a year old.
When we got home I gave Finn his first dose.  We had a little lunch, and then it was nap time.  I nursed Finn like usual, but he would not fall asleep.  He started crawling around in bed for a minute or two or then starting throwing up.  So much milk.  All over my bed.  It was heartbreaking.  I felt panicked right away.  I stripped Finn and was going to get in the bath with him.  But the throw up just continued.  Round after round.  One time it took me by surprise when I had set him down for just a moment, that all I could do was put out my hands and hope to catch what I could.   He had the saddest face and was just breaking my heart.  Eventually there was no more milk and just bile was coming up.  I started to freak out and feared he was having an allergic reaction.  I placed a call to the doctor's office immediately, and they promised to have our doctor call back shortly.  Only a few minutes later I decided that the situation was urgent.  I got back on the phone and told the nurse that he was still throwing up, and I wasn't comfortable waiting much longer to be in touch with our doctor.  They had us come in immediately.  I was bawling at this point, trying to contact Conor who was in meetings all day.  I called my mom, because I always call my mom.  I was so worried for Finn!
Of course I still had a toddler to manage through all of this.  Liam didn't seem to feel the urgency I did in getting on his socks & shoes and out the door.  Then he insisted upon doing his own seat belt, because today, today was the day he mastered that skill and now won't let anyone else help.  And then Finn threw up again on the drive to the doctor.  So he was covered in vomit.  I had splashes of vomit on me I'm sure.  And Liam was just merrily walking along and not listening.  Frazzled is an understatement.
The doctor evaluated Finn again and since his breathing was fine, she did not think he was having an allergic reaction.  However, his body obviously had an intolerance to the antibiotics.  We decided to wait a day and will re-evaluate on what course to take tomorrow.  I'm hoping to start him on a gentler antibiotic.  I've done a lot of research on my own to try and figure out what will be best for Finn.  I need to be his advocate.  I wish I had been more informed before I gave him his first dose.  The antibiotic given too him was far too intense.  Especially for such a small child and for someone who has never before had antibiotics.  It felt like another mommy fail.
So tonight I held him in my arms as much as possible.  I bathed with him, letting his little body fall asleep on mine.  Feeling his baby soft skin, I was reminded that I am doing everything I can for him.  I am his comfort and his protector.  I'm trying to nurse him as much as possible to keep him hydrated and to help him kick this. Plus, nursing is by far his greatest comfort.  Tomorrow I hope to start the day refreshed.  The inversion (which probably caused all of these illnesses in the first place) has finally lifted.  Some fresh air will be good for us all.  But tonight, tonight I'm washing all our bedding.  Our bath mat.  His car seat.  Our clothes.  And sipping some wine just long enough to relax.  But then I'm going to sneak right into bed with Finn and love on him all night long.  Today was one of those days of motherhood that I will not quickly forget.
Cheers to a better tomorrow. A no emergencies tomorrow.

Valentine's at Preschool

I have fond fond memories of passing out Valentine's at school.  I would pick up your standard themed valentine's at the grocery store (I probably had Hello Kitty more often than not) and then ever so carefully read through all the different phrases.  I made sure to give the best ones to my crushes.  Wrote their name on the envelope, taped on a heart shaped sucker, and bam! done!  But now we have Pinterest, and the options are endless.
I knew Liam was going to love exchanging Valentine's.  I wanted to have him help me make something that he would be excited about.  First, we did two special ones for his teachers, because apparently we are the brown nosing type.  Nothing wrong with that.  Burts Bees chapstick and a bee mine printable, perfect! I really would have loved to have given everyone this Valentine, but that is some pricey chappy when you look at buying 20 plus!

Liam's school has a no treat policy, so I had to avoid all the adorable goodies.  Instead I found a few different car Valentine's that I liked.  I took some different ideas and designed my own using PicMonkey.  Matchbox cars cost about $1 each, or you can hit up the dollar store and typically find three packs of cars for $1.  Liam's teacher emphasized that she wanted the kids to write their names on the cards (as opposed to having it typed out) as it would be good practice.  Liam just recently started writing the letters of his name, but was pretty hung up on the "A" for awhile.  Well he mastered that damn "A" just in time to sign all his Valentine's.  He was so proud of his work.  He did all twenty in one sitting and seriously would have kept going.

We made a special trip to Papersource for him to pick out some Washi tape.  A job he took extremely seriously.  Then of course he wanted to tape them all by himself.  Somehow I weaseled my way into at least helping.  Preschool Valentine's are supposed to be a Mom's project right?!  We only get a few years of this!  I kid...but I seriously loved it just as much as he did!

I love how they turned out!  The washi tape didn't hold the cars down as well as I had hoped, so in hindsight I might sacrifice the pretty tape for something more durable.  I helped out in Liam's classroom the day of the big party, so that I could see all the kiddos in action.  Conor was able to work from home and watch Finn, which made it feel like a party for me too!  Having a presence in Liam's classroom is so important to me.  I love meeting all his friends and some of the other moms.  He just shines at school, which makes for one proud mama.
I'm already excited about next year!  We'll see how I feel when I have multiple kids all needing to get Valentine's put together, but for now, I love it!

Valentine's Day 2016

Valentine's Day on the weekend?!  Yes, please!  It may be a silly little holiday, but it's a holiday nonetheless & I love it!  My mom always found ways to make the day extra special, and I love doing the same for my boys.  Before I went to bed, I wrapped up a few goodies and left them on the kitchen table at everyone's spot.  That's how my mom did it, and I cannot bring myself to change it up.  Once Liam & Finn are taking school lunches, I will also being decorating their brown paper bag and throwing some surprises & notes in there.  Ooh, I can't wait for those days!

My boys also had a few surprises for me!  Two bouquets of flowers with some of my favorites (lilies and tulips), my favorite bubbly water (coconut La Croix...the best!), & the sweetest homemade cards.  They also cooked me quite the little brunch, complete with some champagne!  And when I say they, I mean that Conor cooked and Liam kinda sorta set the table.  He also dropped an entire plate of hash browns all over the kitchen floor, so there's that.  Finn mostly just looked cute.  Brunch was amazing (avocado egg sandwiches on english muffins, maple blueberry sausage, hash browns, & all sorts of fruit)!  Conor has been catering to my no diary diet quite well.  He spoils me far far too much!

The most exciting part of the day was baking & decorating sugar cookies.  Liam loved it so much over Christmas, that I've pretty much decided we will be making cookies for every single holiday.  It's a lot of work (everything from scratch) and quite messy (so much flour; sprinkles everywhere), but it has become one of my favorite activities with him.  And he even surprised me with some seriously baking skills.  Apparently, he can now master the mixer, rolling pin, cookie cutters, & spatula without my assistance.  I drew the line at letting him pull a hot cookie sheet out of the oven, but he really wanted to!  And just when I thought I had this super big kid at the table with me, he put the frosting knife in his mouth.  Multiple times.  Yep, there's my toddler.  It took some serious self control for him to keep that knife out of his mouth after he finished each cookie.

I used my usual old, passed down recipe for the dough & the frosting, only needing to make a few substitutes to keep them dairy free.  I subbed rice milk for regular milk & coconut oil for butter.  I'm not even sure you could taste the difference; they were still scrumptious, and I have already eaten far far too many.  I expect all the cookies will be gone by Tuesday.  I can't help myself!

We finished off the day by getting both boys to sleep by 7:30!!!  Finn was actually in bed for the night by 5:45pm after refusing a late nap.  I'll let you know how that plays out tomorrow morning...  So we treated ourselves to a kid free dinner of rack of lamb.  We ate slow.  We sipped our wine.  No one threw food on the ground.  No one cried or whined.  And it lasted more than 10 minutes.  Remind me to do this more often!

I hope everyone else felt loved all weekend and indulged in a few treats & sweets! Happy Valentine's Day!

Stitch Fix #12

Stitch Fix is back.  Back in my good graces.  I'm so glad I figured out my little Pinterest issue, because this was a good fix.  My stylist actually listened to me; I received a couple things I requested and a few surprises.  The surprise element is most of the fun!  I seriously love waiting for my Stitch Fix box to arrive, and then quickly checking out all the goodies!  So let's get to the fix (excuse my white white legs...it is the middle of winter after all...):
Pixely Lyra Chevron Print Dress So I feel like the chevron ship has sailed.  I'm seriously hating everything chevron these days.  However... a big however, this dress didn't seem all that chevrony to me.  If "chevron" wasn't in the item description, I probably wouldn't have described it that way.  So I tried to block out my chevron hatred and assess from there.  I LOVED this dress.  The Pixely brand is always so so soft.  I liked the 3/4 sleeve and the colors.  It screams spring to me!  I may just wear this on Easter.  It also has a little bit of a 60s/70s vibe going on that I like.  Although this dress has a high neckline, it's super stretchy so I can actually pull it down to breastfeed in!  Also, it should be noted that I do not think this dress photographs all that well; it's far cuter in person.  So this was obviously a keeper!

Skies are Blue Vernetta Dress

I really wanted to like this dress, and overall I did.  But the embroidery down the middle seemed a little strange; I would have preferred buttons.  And since this is not breastfeeding friendly in any way,  I had to send it back.

Laila Jayde Bali V-Neck Top

I love a good v-neck!  Especially a long one like this!  I specifically requested this item, but I didn't love it on me.  The color isn't great for my skin tone nor hair color, plus it was a bit clingy in an unflattering sort of way.  Especially around the button to my jeans and the belt loops.  The material is a faux suede of sorts and is super soft.  It just wasn't for me.

Market & Spruce Corinna Striped Dolman Top

I have had my eye on the gray dolman with mint colored stripes and had requested it.  The white stripes in this one was just a bit too simple.  I like dolman tops, but I don't need more gray & white in my wardrobe right now.  

Papermoon Marisol Mixed Material 3/4 Sleeve Knit Top

I am not a fan of mixed material tops.  Not at all.  And the material in this top felt thin & cheap.  I sent it right back!

Per usual, I am already excited for my next fix.  If you still haven't tried Stitch Fix, do it!  I promise you will love the surprise & delight!  And I will love the little bit of credit I get, so the fixes can keep on coming!  So tell me, did I keep the right item?!  Please tell me that dress is not true chevron...