A Day in January...

January 27,2011

Technically, Jan 27th start with me going to bed after 1am. I got up with Colin at 3am and again at 6am. He must be hitting a growth spurt since he was doing a solid 8 hrs at night. That extra feeding just about killed me.

Jack got up around 8:30am...thus starting the day.

Colin was up shortly after.

Jack was excited to play! We got 5 boxes from Michigan last night, full of our Christmas presents we couldn't fly back with. (some of the boxes were Ryan's childhood stuff)

I needed coffee. Real coffee. Fully-caffeinated coffee.

After nursing, it was play time for Colin as well.

My house looked like Christmas morning. I spent most of the morning cleaning, organizing and putting away.
Plus a few loads of laundry.

This is the first attempt to put Colin down for a nap.

30 minutes later.

Fail.

Again.

So we played some more...

Jack was very happy to be reunited with Rex again.

We had a very rare surprise when Hubs came home for lunch. I took full advantage and started making my very first pie. Pumpkin pie. It is Ryan's favorite and I was going to attempt it for our home groups that night.

There was time for a quick game of hide and seek with Daddy. Jack hid upstairs!

Good-bye kisses from Daddy.

It was time for Jack's nap after lunch. We read books and Colin nursed. I have gotten pretty good at putting Jack down while nursing Colin.

Colin did end up falling asleep on me for a good 30 minutes.Of course the second I moved, he woke right up.

Wide-eyed and bushy tailed.

Sigh.

Good thing he is a cute naughty baby.

The results of my first pie.

I used my Great Grandma's famous recipe.

The instructions were : Bake at 400 till starting to cook; than turn down to 350 till done.

That is it. No other instructions. Nothing.

(side note: Ryan said it was the best pumpkin pie he has ever had. Thanks Grandma!)

Once Jack was up from his nap, it was time to get ready and head out the door for a play date with some friends. Of course, a little crib wrestling had to take place first.

I bought my camera and was excited to take pictures of the kids playing. Jack and Gracie have had play dates since they were 2 months old and I wanted to new updated picture of the kids. I failed. I had not seen my friend since early December and with catching up and chasing 4 kids, I forgot to even pull it out!

So imagine two cute girls and two cute boys playing.

After our quick little play date we headed out to meet Ryan for dinner before our home groups.

Chipotle.

I love you.

Thank you for being so good, semi-nutritious and letting us feed our toddler healthy rice and beans for $2.

Here is the second fail of the day. I forgot to take pictures at life group. Oops. We were there, we prayed and fellowshipped. We ate pumpkin pie.

It is always late when we leave home groups. After putting Jack down, than nursing and putting Colin down, it was time to finally go to bed ourselves. It was a miracle that we got to bed before midnight. I was so pumped. It was good day, but I was more than ready for some sleep.

And that was our day in January.

What do your days look like?

Awesome and Awkward Thursday

That's right.

It is that time again...time it join in the fun over at the Daybook.

It is Awesome and Awkward Thursday.

Awkward~

~ Seeing an older gentleman at Lowe's and not remembering how you know him. Does he work with you? Does he go to church with you? You keep seeing this guy in Lowe's....than you realize. He is one of the head doctors at your OB/GYN. The last time you saw him you were in stirrups. Now, you just saw him in Lowe's.
~ The fact that your toddler insists on wearing his underwear backwards, cause he can't see Buzz and Woody on his butt.
~The above mentioned scenario causes a little boy butt wedgie. He keeps playing.
~ Keep spelling awkward like awkard, than back spacing forever to fix it.
~ Having to turn up your itunes at work, in your office, so that you can no longer hear the person across the large room, in their office eating chips...and it doesn't work.
~ The way your baby starts grunting like a little piggie when he sees you walk by and he is hungry.
~ The way your baby starts giggling and laughing as you sit down to nurse. Cute, but especially awkward when people are around.

Awesome~

~ Husband had his birthday and now you are only 2 years older than him, not 3.
~ Husband's office accidentally bought him TWO cakes, so 1/3 of one of the cakes came home to me!
~ Harris Teeter cake.
~ Finding your old itunes on your new computer and listening to some oldies but goodies.
~ Having a dress arrive in the mail that you have been stalking for months and it is glorious!!
~ Having a playdate with a dear friend after cancelling the last 3 weeks due to sickness.
~ ADULT interaction! An afternoon talking to someone that is older than 2! Yay!
~ Mrs. B's giveaway. Look at this stuff. Go to her blog, follow her because she is awesome and enter to win!
~ Documenting our Day in January today...so stay tuned for that real life mix of awesome and awkward!




Awkward~

I am the tall girl on the far right in the back. Husband is the short boy in the maroon in the front.

Awesome~

He grew. I didn't. We started dating when he was 16 and I was 18. Now we are married and have two boys. AND they are cute and look like their daddy.

Now, go check out other people's awkward and awesome moments here

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday to my best friend, my confidant, my joy, my life, my love. 

 I am so excited to see what God has in store for us this year.

I love you more each day.

Happy Birthday.



12 seconds

That is how long it takes to perfectly melt a marshmallow in the microwave.

Perfectly gooey and oozey.

But not too gooey and oozey to handle.

Slap that sucker on a graham cracker and you have got one delicious little snack.

In 12 seconds.

Just in case you were wondering ...



C-R-A-Z-Y

Colin is 5 months old. He is crazy. C-R-A-Z-Y. He only sleeps from 11pm to 9am, with one feeding between 5-6am. He will MAYBE sleep a bit while nursing, for 10-15 minutes. That is it. No naps. None. He is just way too busy exploring to sleep. He just needs a quick 15 minute recharge and he is good to go. I thought babies needed more sleep. He, apparently, does not.

The upside of his non-sleeping habits is he is happy. ALL the time. He smiles all the time. He laughs all the time. He plays, he laughs, he eats... that is is day. I am happy that he is not cranky. I just need a nap break for mommy.

He is freakishly strong. No toy can withstand him. He has successfully ripped off all of the toys on his playmate and bouncy seat. He can inchworm crawl wherever he wants to go. He spins on his belly to change directions in an instant. He rolls. He moves. He "eats" everything. He recently started getting his knees underneath him. He figured out how to throw his monitor out of his crib. He is active...and happy.

He weighed in a whoppin' 13lbs 3oz for a 5 month check-up. He is on the light side, but has these deliciously chubby thighs.They may not be huge, but they are super rolly polly and totally delicious.

He had his first taste of rice cereal a week or so ago. I figured he would tear it up. He did not.

He was not a fan. At all. We tried it later with breastmilk instead of water...same result. He spit most of it out. He grimaced, he groaned, he literally ripped the bumbo tray off and almost completely arched his little body out of the bumbo. SO, we are taking a break from that...will try closer to 6 months. We will also be buying a real high chair, as he can rip the whole tray off and than get out of the bumbo... this kid is crazy. He is 5 months old. What is he going to do at 9 months, 18 months, gasp 2 1/2 yrs old?!?!

My prayer is that he stays happy and sweet. He really is just the sweetest baby ever. He is so full of joy and so happy all the time. He is my active little man. I wouldn't trade him for the world.

It is a good thing I like crazy.

Awkward and Awesome Thursday: The Mommy Edition

Sydney, over at The Daybook, always does this fun little feature and I decided  I would join in the fun...but I would do a Mommy edition.

Awkward:

~ The color of the bruise that is covering your son's (large) forehead is turning towards shades of gangrene, swamp water and urine.
~ Being 28* years old and continually singing the theme song to Thomas the Train in your head throughout your day...even when you crawl into bed.
~ The line " Shunting cars and hauling freight" from Thomas the Train theme song.
~ Accidentally washing your hair with your body wash and not your conditioner...and only noticing the difference when you started to exfoliate your hair...not your skin.
~ Spilling freshly pumped breastmilk  on your kitchen counter.
~ Feeling proud for getting dressed and out of the house when you notice the large spit up stain on your shoulder.
~ Waking up your husband cause you are literally dripping in baby puke...cause now EVERYONE in the family has gotten the flu...
~ Crawling into bed to cuddle your husband...and a few matchbox cars and a Fireman Rescue Worker.
~ Continually asking a small human about their need to use the restroom.
~ Spilling old office coffee on your cute, brand stinkin new skirt...and than smelling like really gross, burnt old coffee ALL DAY.
~ STILL having your Christmas decorations up...cause the whole family has been taken turns getting sick for the last 2 weeks.

Awesome:
~ The pair of pants you bought 3 months ago are pretty loose and need to be shrunk in the wash.
~ The fact that I met a script deadline and now will actually have a free weekend...to take down my blasted decorations.
~ Small humans in little teeny tiny underwear.
~ Baby is taking a nap for the first time in 2 weeks.
~ Voluntary kisses from a 2 yr old boy. LOTS of kisses.
~ Random spontaneous laughter from the baby..because putting away groceries IS funny when you are 5 months old.
~ Possible job promotion for the hubby.
~ Missing all of the snow AND the freezing rain that rocked the whole east coast.
~ Having my house fully stocked with groceries for the first time since...well...since before we left for Michigan, mid December.
~ Diet Coke.
~ Hearing my son say, " I've missed you Mommy"...cause he didn't see me during his nap.
~ My baby is SLEEPING.


and last, but not least...

Awkward:

Awesome:

Head over to The Daybook to check out all the other awkward and awesome link-up posts. It's loads of fun.



*SO...most AWKWARD addendum EVER. I am 29. I forgot. I wrote this hours ago, posted it and even facebooked it....than I remembered. I am 29. Awkward.

2.5

My little boy is 2 1/2 years old. In 6 short months he will be THREE. It does not seem possible. He can't be that big, that old, that grown up.

Let me tell you a little about my Jack.

He is the love of my life. He is kind and caring. He has a sensitive soul that I want to nurture and protect.

He was in my arms when a dear friend of mine came home from the hospital...WITHOUT one of her twin boys.  We greeted her on the porch and as I hugged her with my one free arm, she sobbed. Deep, heart wrenching, emotional sobs for a child that could possibly never come home. It lasted 2 minutes, max.

It greatly affected Jack. He has prayed daily, often multiple times a day, for Miss Sissel, for the last few months. He prays every night that Miss Sissel won't cry anymore. He has seen people cry before. He has seen me cry before. But his young sweet spirit sensed the deep, heartbreaking sobs of a mother without her child and with eyes furrowed with great concern, the boy insists on praying for her. Every day, for the last 2 months.

He is persistent, that one. He is persistent with the patience of a 2 yr old.

He is a precocious little thing. If he heard me say the word "precocious", he would want to know what it means. I would tell him, and he would say, " O.k." and keep about his business.

He is smart. Almost too smart for his own good. He has known his alphabet inside out and backwards for awhile now. He wants to know the meaning of every word. He wants to know the name of every object. He wants to know everything. And, he likes to repeat everything you say, especially the things you DON'T want him to say.

He is stubborn and head strong. He wants to do it "me self"! He does not want mom's help. We have yet to find any sort of punishment that seems to affect him. If he wants to get out of bed at night, no punishment that we give him will stop him from getting out of bed. We have tried MANY options.

He is naughty.

He is funny. I laugh all day, every day at the things he says.

He is very expressive. His little faces kill me.

He is obsessed with Toy Story, especially Jessie, and Thomas the Train. I love how he says "BuzzWhiteyear tothe rescew" instead of just Buzz Lightyear.

He likes to "roar" randomly at his brother and me. Than I get to guess what dinosaur he is...or lion..or bear.

He likes to pick out his own clothes...and put them on... all by "me-self".

He is handsome and loves the ladies, especially an 11 yr old named Yza. "My girlfriend's name is See-saw (Yza) Mom." Great. He is two.

He loves to talk.all.day.long.

He loves to read.

He loves LOVES his Daddy. There is no one greater in his little life than his Daddy.

He loves his little brother and will do any silly thing to make him laugh. Colin always laughs.They are quite the pair.

He is all boy, through and through.

He is a very,very typical 2 1/2 year old, with all the laughter and tears that come with this stage...and we are are trying to make a conscious effort to enjoy every minute of it.

These are just a few things that I could tell you about my Jack.

Our life will never be dull with him around. He has changed us so much, a change for the better.

Intentional

I woke up on January 2nd in my own bed for the first time in 16 days. We had a nightmare traveling the day before. Nightmare. I was so glad to be home and oh, so tired. I remember thinking..."So this is 2011. I wonder if I should make some resolutions."

I thought about the changes that I would like to see happen in my life and one word kept coming to mind.

Intentional.

Be intentional.

I feel like life has just flown by. My days start and end and I feel like barely a thing gets accomplished.

I feel like I have wasted time and I hate that.

With the birth of my second son in July, I feel like life has been in constant catch-up mode. Catch up on sleep, catch up on the house, the laundry, the cleaning. Catching up with friends and family and catching back up with work. It seems like I am never caught up. Something always needs to be done. Something is always waiting for my time or attention.

So my goal for 2011 is to be intentional.

I want to be intentional with my marriage. I want to invest time in Ryan, to support him and uplift him. I want to be intentional to create some romance, no matter how exhausted we both may be.

I want to be intentional with my boys, spending time with them and not just "being" there. I want to be intentional with the attention and love that I give them.

I want to be intentional with my time spent online. Nursing allows for lots of Internet time and I want to be intentional with that.

I want to be intentional with the time we invest in our church and in our life group, to not let anyone flounder around me.

I want to be intentional with my relationship with the Lord, to invest in the only thing that really matters in life.

I want to be intentional with my family and friendships, to help nurture and grow those relationships.

I want to be intentional with my healthy and exercise, to do what I can when I can, and to not stress about the rest. (and I REALLY want to loss this baby weight, plus some)

So, as the new year is already a week in, I am going to strive to become more intentional in my life.

The word of 2011: INTENTIONAL

What are your resolutions for 2011?

2010: A Picture Review

~2010~

It was an interesting year with big changes. It was a challenging year, but 2010 also brought much joy to our lives. Here is a brief recap of 2010 for the Fedell house.

~ January~

Ryan won an all-expense paid trip to Cancun with his work. He also celebrated his 26th birthday. We returned from Cancun to lots of snow. The most in 10 years or so.

~February~

February was a rough month. The show I worked on (the reason we moved to VA) was cancelled. It was heartbreaking. We also found mold in our kitchen and I didn't have a full working kitchen for the rest of the month and well into march. We also were house hunting this month.

~March~

I still had no kitchen, as you can see. My job was still not secure at this point either. We found out that we would be having another baby boy!

~April~

We took a trip to Minneapolis for a wedding. It was our last trip as a family of three before Colin was born. It went by way to fast and made me miss my old college town so much more.

~May~

We moved into our new house the first of May and began the exhausting overhaul of painting the majority of the house. I entered my 3rd trimester. Ryan also walked in the graduation ceremony for his Masters in Business Administration at Regent University.

~June~

I grew to the size of a house with Colin. It was ungodly hot and never really dropped below 90 degrees. We went to the zoo. I continued to defy all laws of gravity as I grew to monstrous proportions.

~July~

 

July was a big month for us. Jack turned 2! We also welcomed Colin Edward Fedell, born July 27th. He weighed 7lbs 12 oz and was 20 3/4inches. It was love at first sight and the perfect addition to our family.

~ August~

We adjusted with a new family member and a new schedule. Colin grew and Jack transitioned beautifully. He loved his new little brother.

~ September~

We traveled to Michigan to introduce Colin to our family and let them see Jack again. This was the second time I flew with a 5 week old. The toddler was definitely more challenging!



~October~

 

I turned 29 this year and Ryan and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary. Jack and Colin became fast friends. Colin smiled his way into everyone's heart and is such a joy.

~ November~

The weather finally began to cool, as I became more comfortable with both boys alone. We celebrated a quiet Thanksgiving with just the 4 of us. Our weekends were filled with children's birthday parties, a sign of our changing social setting.

~ December~

The end of the year came to a close with 16 days in Michigan. We bounced between both families with lots of festivities. It was a busy time, but always good to be with family.

I am still reeling a bit with the growth of my boys. It does not seem possible that they could be this old already. Time just seems to slip away.

With 2011 already a few days in, I pray that you will be blessed in this new year.

I am excited to see what 2011 has in store!