Beckett: Age 1

Beckett is a year old, which marks the fastest year of our lives. Matt and I used to joke around that at least we'd know that our children would all have big brown eyes. And then we had this adorable little blue eyed, blond haired boy. I still look at him and wonder where the heck he came from.

If we are going to believe gender stereotypes, then Beckett is ALL boy. He loves cars, trucks, and balls. He picks everything up and throws it across the room... hard. Beckett is always going. He climbs on everything he can without fear. He crawled early, walked early, and now confidently runs around the house. He growls when playing with dinosaurs.

Beckett is playing with language, but is still limited to "dada" and "buh bye." He lets out tirades of babble when he gets mad or excited and I hate to imagine what he's trying to say. His spirited babbling and high pitched shrieks make me nervous about what's going to happen when he can talk.

Beckett is fascinated by his older brother and yells "wawawawa" when William is running away from him or doing anything that looks really fun, which is everything to Beckett. When picked on, Beckett definitely puts up a fight and he never backs down to wresting with his brother or pushing William aside to get to a toy.

Our boy is crazy loving and loves cuddling before bed. His sense of humor is already blossoming and he loves making people laugh. He loves baths and comes running as soon as he hears the water running. He fights like hell when we're changing his diaper or dressing him.

Beckett makes friends everywhere we go. He loves being out in public and stares at people until they notice him before breaking into a huge grin. If his stare down doesn't work, he grunts and shrieks at people until they look his way. He's an insistent little fellow.

We're dealing with a very fickle eater. The only food Beckett loves so far has been bread and shredded cheese. Otherwise he usually likes bananas and oranges, sometimes likes yogurt, rarely likes pasta and peas, and refuses to try about everything else.

Beckett cannot wait to be a big boy. He plays with William's toys, thinks he's part of William's play dates with his friends, and tries to actually play at the park.

It's hard to remember life without Beckett and he has made our family feel so much more complete in such a short time. We're incredibly lucky to have this sweet boy. We're nervous that his time as the baby of our family will be short with another baby coming 17 months after him, but know that with his spunk and energy he'll never get lost in the shuffle.

Good Deeds 2012: Week 21 Sent Coupons to Troops

Good Deed: Mailed expired coupons to a military family stationed overseas.

A month ago I registered to adopt a military family through Coupons For Troops. I had a big bag full of expired coupons waiting for a good home. It took a few weeks, but I received an email from Brittany, who has a two year old and is stationed in England. She's 23 years old with a husband in the Air Force. (When I was 23 years old I was waiting tables and partying at Wrigley Field... how's that for perspective?)

The coupons are in a manila envelope and headed to England, where they'll be put to good use.

What was your good deed this week?

L'Occitane's Angelica Instant Hydration Mask Works With My Easy Skin Routine

I am all about easy when it comes to just about everything, especially my beauty routines. If it's not fast and simple, I just can't be bothered. I wash my face and put on moisturizer. But, when I had the opportunity to take part in the campaign for the L'OCCITANE Angelica Instant Hydration Mask, I was willing to add a few minutes to my routine. And that's all it took. 3 minutes.
I haven't done a mask in about 20 years. And when I think of them I think of the crazy colored, strong scented, turn into cement masks that my friends and I experimented with at junior high sleepovers... Yuck, right? But this mask is totally, totally different.

Here is my little vlog telling you all about it. (Note: The boys were sleeping in close proximity to our bathroom, which might explain what comes across as low energy...)


See other videos on the L'OCCITANE Facebook page here. Disclosure: I received a tube of L'OCCITANE Angelica Hydration Mask for review and a basket of L'OCCITANE products for my time. All opinions are my own.

Bump Club And Beyond: Best Resources For All Moms and Moms-To-Be

When you have your first child you research products to find what's safest and has the highest ratings, labor over decisions about what will be best, and get a ton of stuff. Then as you continue to add children you kind of stick with what you have and worked the first time.

I've realized this to be especially true lately as my friends who have their first babies have asked me whether I have used a specific product and I realize I haven't even seen it before. It's not that you give up on getting the best for your kids... You just have your stuff and your way of doing things and stick with it. I definitely did this with B and know it will be harder to justify buying stuff for what I'm pretty sure will be our last little addition to the family. But looking at new baby products is fun and just because I have a ton of stuff doesn't mean I shouldn't educate myself and stay hip with the trends. Right?

So, that being said, I'll be at The Best of Bump Club and Beyond: A Day Filled With the Best Resources For All Moms and Moms-To-Be on Sunday, June 3rd at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. I'll be checking out the latest in baby gear, have the opportunity to attend sessions on stuff like feeding and sleeping, and an overstuffed gift bag. I'm especially excited about the seminars on healthy feeding and when to transition a toddler to a big bed (because it's going to happen a lot sooner with B than it did with W).

All tickets include lunch from Protein Bar, afternoon snacks from Sprinkles, KIND and the chance to win $15,000+ in giveaways including strollers, high chairs, crib mattresses, bedding, and more. Galt Baby will also be on site with a special pop-up shop selling all of the products exhibited at the event and offering special discounts. It will be a good opportunity for me to check out some new products, get a little refresher on hot subjects, and enjoy something to eat without two little guys trying to steal a bite.

And since it's a weekend and I hate being away for too long, Matt is going to take the boys to the Lincoln Park Zoo (which is practically next door) while mom does some mom stuff.

Will I see you there?

Disclosure: I received one complimentary ticket to The Best of Bump Club and Beyond. All views in this post are my own.

Yes, I'm Pregnant and Had My Appendix Removed

As you may know I had my appendix removed three weeks ago. What most people didn't know at the time was that I was pregnant. Of course I knew this and my doctors knew this, but I hadn't made it Facebook official or anything... So when I did reveal that I was, in fact, 15 weeks pregnant I received a lot of surprised reactions. So, allow me to take a few minutes to clear the air with some FAQ's.


Were you scared that there was something wrong with the baby?
I woke up in the middle of the night feeling very nauseous and had a terrible stomach ache. I spent a few hours throwing up and being miserable and then wallowed in pain for a while... And the question I get the most has been whether I was scared that something was wrong with the baby. Here is the answer: I wasn't concerned that it was something related to being a pregnant lady. Never.

How did you know it was appendicitis?
My mom showed up to take care of the boys when Matt was leaving for work. I called her into my room where I was wallowing and told her I had the most painful stomach ache ever and I couldn't move. My dad and sister had both had their appendix removed and she very clearly pointed out that I had appendicitis and had to go to the hospital.

It should be mentioned that I also had appendicitis once before (about five years ago), but it was not nearly as bad as this time. It was a crazy busy time at work (like 80 hour work weeks) and I didn't feel like I could take time off, so I convinced my doctors to give me antibiotics and watch me over night. If they re-tested me in the morning and tests were still the same, my appendix could go. And guess who beat appendicitis? Me. But, guess who learned that you can never truly beat appendicitis? This girl.

Were you scared to have surgery?
Not really. First off, I knew what I was in for... I took a shower, dried my hair, and asked my mom to pack my laptop. I knew when I was leaving the house that I would not be coming back for a while. I walked into the ER and told them I had appendicitis. I was prepared. And, seriously, it wasn't as if I had a choice. It had to come out.

I'm also a big believer in trusting that if something happens, it's meant to. This control freak accepted that the entire situation was out of my hands. I also do not allow my mind to go to scared places, which helps. But, when I was on the operating table and moment I let myself think about the boys (in a "what if I don't wake up?" kind of way) for a moment, which I very purposefully did right as they were putting me under. I had my second to freak out and then was happily asleep. This is not a coincidence.

How did it go?
It went pretty well. I had my 16 week appointment and the baby's heart rate sounded good. I have my 20 week appointment next week, which I'm excited about.

Recovery has sucked ass. I've been tired beyond what I thought possible and am still experiencing a considerable amount of discomfort. I went to see my doctor for my follow up and he said it's nerve damage. I'm basically only comfortable when sitting in a reclined position or while standing. Bending over and doing anything that puts stress on my core muscles is kind of like being stabbed by a burning knife. Matt made me laugh so hard twice this weekend while we were driving, which quickly turned into tears and me demanding that he pulled over, so I could stand up. I cannot begin to describe the feeling, just that it's intense, deep, raw, and feels totally overwhelming. My doctor said it can last up to two months. Then I made the mistake of googling, which is never a good idea, so now I'm a little freaked about how long this is going to last.

So, there you have it... My FAQ's of having an appendix removed when pregnant. Did I answer your question? If not, leave it and I will (well, if it's appropriate...).

I hate HATE

A new word has entered W's vocabulary this week: Hate. As in...

"I hate you in this bathroom, Mom."
"I hate going to bed."
"I hate this."
"I hate everything."

It's been a fun week. The first time he used it was when I was trying to convince him to climb into the bath (I still can't lift him due to my appendectomy) and he told me that he hated me in the bathroom. Not that he hated me, just hated the fact that I was in the bathroom at that moment. Huh? He's too sensitive to say that he hates me, yet he's smart enough to know how to get a reaction.

I thought about ignoring it, but couldn't. So, I asked where he heard that word. I don't like to use it and hardly ever do. Matt is much more likely to say it about silly things like a piece of clothing, a cabinet door, a remote that isn't working, but he has really tried to curb it lately.

Then I asked whether he knew what it meant... "Yes, it means to really, really not like something." 

I know kids play with language, test their boundaries, push buttons... I really do. But, I can't allow him to make this part of his dialogue, teach it to other kids at preschool, and not realize that there are boundaries with language.

So, now I am taking a super hero figure each time he says he hates something. So far I have one and his response was: "I don't care. I don't even like that one, it's old."

This should go really well.

Good Deeds 2012: Week 20 Paid Maternity Leave For All U.S. Women

Good Deed: Signed the change.org petition to encourage Congress to ensure paid maternity leave for all women. 

Most of my friends haven't been able to take a paid maternity leave. I receive six weeks fully paid and then use vacation, sick, and personal time to make up the additional six weeks. Compared to most people, this is generous. (Matt doesn't receive a single day of paid paternity leave, might I add.)

Many people rely on Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to just ensure they can take 12 weeks off and still have a job, but this doesn't guarantee any pay. I used to think that everyone was covered by FMLA, but that's not the case... There are tons of loop holes. Many women face losing their jobs for wanting to take time off after they have their baby.

Compared to just about every other country, the U.S. does not value working families or protect and and/or provide for working mothers. It's true. And it's terrible. Do yourself a favor and read this blog post. It's worth EVERY word. It's well written, personal, packed with information, and totally awesome. Just read it.

Then sign the petition.

What was your good deed this week?