My cheap pick-me-up

Those of you that know me well, know that i LOVE all things old and charming. I love old furniture and I am not really not a fan of new furniture. Don't get me wrong...we have a lot of new furniture and very few old pieces. You see, my husband does not share my love for old stuff....in fact it creeps him out! We have my armoire that i got when i was in elementary...he does not like it...we have my grandparents end table in our living room that is about to fall apart and he says it can't be fixed bc he doesn't like it....well. It's staying!! Oh and need i remind everyone of my great 35 dollar dresser that i refinished RED that Matt does NOT like. Well, this week i went by callie's corner and found several treasures! First, i found this chair....



it's a shade of grey right now...im gonna paint it black and recover the cousin of course....and guess what i paid? FIVE dollars!!!!!! Matt actually said this purchase was ok. Then, I bought an old window to do something with...havent decided yet. My first thought was that i would hang it above our couch and hang picture frames by ribbon in each pane. Then i started thinking grander thoughts....like wouldn't it be cool to make an end table and have the window as a top...I've seen this done and it looks great....but is that the most practical with children....but it would replace my grndparents table that Matt doesn't like. I also found an old door that i bought. It was already painted and looked very, very old. I LOVED it and was going to sand it and paint it for ts headboard....I was going to pick it up today,...but as i laid in bed, i realized that that beautiful chipped, antique paint on the door was probably LEAD paint! Sooooo i backed oout and will wait on a panel door that is not painted! I just cant risk the chance of lead paint and im not going thru the process of getting rid of it!
Ok....so what this post is all about....THIS beauty.


I was just about to leave yesterday when i saw it out of the corner of my eye. I have been wanting a solid wood/antiqueish desk for our bedroom. Matt works so much and tries to stay home some nights and work from here. Sooooo. We have a plastic table set up with a desk top computer with TWO monitors...beyond me of why you would ever need two...and he has THREE at work! Anyway, I fell in love!!!! Should i even bother to tell you matts feelings on it...hates it...he just keeps saying, "if your happy, then I'm happy." blah blah blah....i don't even get a " wow...you went out of your way with BOTH boys to go find us a good bargain". Oh well....I love it..callie told me that this is a desk/table from a greenhouse....how cool! And check out the top...LOVE it....it's so warped and screwed up and i absolutely adore it!



Well. I picked it up at noon today...then headed straight to walmart. That was a disaster...both boys were tired. I had to carry campbell because i forgot his cover and i pushed triggerin the buggy. Trigger had his first public meltdown bc i had been telling him to stop screaming...he was just doing it to be difficult. I got in his face and told him he better not yell again or he was going to be in trouble...i dont think he let me finish before he was screaming....soooo like a good mother, i grabbed his cheeks and squeezed them and told him no....he screamed and cried and melted down and was yelling, "I want my daddy" over and over....it was quite embarrassing. Luckily, I was in the paint section and there were hardly any people around. Bc of the embarrassment, i forgot my black paint for my beautiful chair. :(
Anyway, after the boys went down tonight, i hightailed it to the shop. I sanded, sanded, and sanded some more....and then i stained the desk. Tis is after my first coat.



And here is the top.


Remember that i don't want it looking perfect...i want it worn! And the great part about this desk is that it has a little ledge on the side (where I'm sure pots for planting where stored) that will hold our tower perfectly. I am beyond excited!!!!!
Matt is speechless....and i don't think in a good way. Haha...I'm just kidding...he sticking to the "if you are happy with, im happy with it" yuck...just go ahead and say you hate it!! I love him and all his quirkiness...he is daily reminding more and more of my dad!
I've been a busy girl today and I'm tired and already sore...sad, i know! Im off to bed!!!

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Feeling blah

Let me start this post by saying that i know how ridiculous every tiny bit of this is going to sound but I'm venting...trying to not bottle all of this up. Plus, I think it's funny to go back later in life to laugh at what i thought was such a big deal at the time. This will be a bullet post and will be quite random. Sorry about that but thats pretty much how my brain works....just a bunch of random thoughts running rampant in my tiny brain!

-- I'm listening to Travis cottrell. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE his music. I had the pleasure of going to see Beth Moore before we had children. We had just had a miscarriage in december and found out we were pregnant again in march...a few days after taking the test, i went to see Beth Moore in Shreveport. I miscarried for the second time about a week later. Not sure why i just told that but I really just remembered being in the centurytel center and needed to go to the bathroom a lot. Anyway, I was on such an emotional roller coaster those few years of trying to get pregnant, miscarrying twice, lots of fertility procedures/tests/drugs, and two very long pregnancies. It was such an awesome experience to hear beth Moore during that time in my life. Travis cottrell was the worship leader. At the time i had never really heard of him. He was AWESOME! I listen to him all the time but for some reason his worship music is particularly my fav during times of blah.
-- 75% of the time i think i want another baby. The 25% of the time that i don't would be this week when i have both boys sick. This is pretty open of me but those of you that know me, know that i will pretty much tell you anything you ask....I'm not really a secretive person and i certainly want to always be open, honest, and real to my friends. Because of my blood clotting issues, i am unable to take birth control. I have been told by my drs that i need to take monthly pregnancy tests so that IF i were to get pregnant, we could start me on my blood thinners immediately so we wouldnt miscarry. Each and EVERY month I am disappointed when it says "not pregnant". Isn't that ridiculous? Am i going to feel this way always. I love our family of four. We have been told that we can't get pregnant on our own....but I KNOW that's not true. Our God is bigger than that! What in the world would i do with three children? I can't even control the ones i have right now. Laugh....but I'm not joking!
--trigger is so out of control lately. I dont know if it his ears or the fact that he's two or if there is truly something medically wrong with him but he is about to Do ME IN!! Seriously, the yelling and screaming and rage is too much! I'm really feeling like somewhat of a failure of a parent lately!
-- sickness....I'm so tired of it...trigger is on ear infection #7 since the end of October. Campbell is on #3 since December. T is headed to dr Neal. Our ped doesnt feel like c needs to go yet.
-- I'm 99.9% ready for spring. I'm loving this weather....but I'm Not convinced that it's here to stay.
-- Im so worried about my husband. Seriously doubt he's reading this because he doesn't have the time so i can say what i want. He works too much. He has the BEST work ethic that i have ever seen. Seriously, he does. He told me way before we got married that I should always give 110% in everything i do. I told him that was stupid (obviously i don't have agreat work ethic) bc you just cant possibly give 110% in everything. Well, he tries and its going to kill him! He's had drs tell him to slow down and stop working so much but he doesn't. People think that cpas work during "busy season" and then they have a free ride the rest of the year. Not the case! He works a lot of hours all year. In fact, in 2010, he had worked what most full-time employees work in a whole year, by beginning of september. The only down time he really gets is November. He has been working all day, coming home for supper and to put kids down and then goes back to work....works until 2 or 3 (345 last night) in the morning. He's beyond exhausted....and he still has two months until he's met this deadline. I just dont think he gets it...and don't think he will until he's had a heart attack or something worse. I seriously sit up thinking about his health and what we would do without him. I even said to Liz the other day, "I'm such a hard sleeper....what if something happens to him during the night while driving (bc hes so tired im scared hes gonna fall asleep while driving)...our doorbell is not hooked up (bc of boys sleeping) and what if the police knock and i dont hear them." liz's response was "honey, we will get to you!" I know I'm ridiculous but I worry.,,,I know i shouldn't and i know its not good for my bp....and i know, know, know that i need to trust God. I am trying
...and i truly do know that He will take care of me know matter what my future holds. But, im scared! I had a parent die...I dont want my children to EVER experience something like that!
-- please pray for my husband!
-- I know this is stupid but easter is AFTER tax season this year....that rarely happens...not that Matt will have any energy but I'm glad he'll be able to fully participate in all activities!
-- we think often about adopting a child in the future. Makes me sad to think of all the Babies without a home...I know how adoption can change lives and id love to be that for a child. We shall see....
-- I haven't been to church in so long...my children have literally been sick back to back since October except for about three weeks when they were well
-- trigger has not been going to sleep good. He has always been an awesome sleeper but in the last week, it takes him an hour or so to go to sleep
Okay...think that's all my ramblings for tonight. Im sorry to just thrown my heart out onto our blog....but congrats if you made it this far reading without falling asleep. I'm off to fold a mountain of socks...yuck!!!!!




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our great love

Did you think this was a post about Valentines?  You are WRONG!  This post is about our love of pacis!  Well…it’s really on Trigger’s love.  BUT, since it helps him to sleep and make my life easier, it’s sort of my love too! :)  Lately, when Campbell and I go to get Trigger up from his nap, I will put Campbell on the bed and he makes a beeline to Trigger’s mouth.  THEN, Campbell is DETERMINED to get Trigger’s paci.  The funny thing is that Campbell doesn’t even like pacis. 

Check out that bedhead…that’s also before he had his AWFUL haircut but that’s another story.I had gone and gotten some of Campbell’s old pacis for him to chew on and Trigger had to steal some of those…I guess brothers share everything!These were all taken a few weeks ago when Trigger and Campbell were sick…during one of Trigger’s ear infections and Campbell’s croup which is why in most of these pictures that I have been posting lately, we are NOT dressed and USUALLY in pjs! Btw, we are going to Dr. Neal next Tuesday about Trigger’s ears (Left ear).  After 6 ear infections since october, I think it’s time to do something!I don’t think I have mentioned this but Trigger knows how to get in Campbell’s bed.  This picture below:  I had JUST put Campbell down for a nap.  He was SOUND ASLEEP.  I walked to our room and came back to find Trigger…found him in bed with Campbell.  He had gone in Campbell’s room and climbed in bed with him.  AND, of course, woke him up!!!  I couldve harmed that little boy! :)I think I have mentioned that Tuesday/Thursday (MDO) days are NOT my favorite….and that is strange because I know most momma’s love their days that they get a break.  Those days just mess up Campbell’s schedule and he is cranky all day because both of his naps are messed up because of drop off and pick up times.  Then, I usually pick up mr. cranky (trigger) because he doesn’t get his 2-2.5 hour nap.  So, they both whine and cry all evening! YAY!  Anyway, this picture below is what I see every time I open the door when we get home from dropping off Trigger.  SOUND ASLEEP.  The problem is that I can NOT transfer this child.  I could usually transfer Trigger but NOT Campbell.Here are a few pictures of my two sick boys…sorry if their snotty noses bothers  you.  I wanted to remember what we have dealt with pretty much this whole winter!

well…that’s all I know tonight.

Oh wait…do you skype.  I don’t…until recently…and the ONLY time I do is at night.  Matt has been working at night so we skype while he works.  it has made such a difference for me.  Matthew is already sooo exhausted.  It worries me that he works so much.  I know this lack of sleep is not good for his body!!! 

Our T-Man

Let me just say that I LOVE THIS LITTLE BOY…but he is testing my patience lately! ;)  The yelling and screaming and “no, Ma-MA” is getting a little old… but I still love him no matter what.

Let me just document a few things real quick (probably a few things that I shouldn’t put up for public viewing/reading but I really want to remember these things):

• Today, I (actually Matt has too) have cleaned up tons of spit-up (from Campbell), poop off fingers for the second day in a row (if you are going to poop in your diaper, why would you find it necessary to stick your finger in it and come to show me), and tee-tee off our column….Trigger actually tee-teed on our column tonight.  SERIOUSLY!?!  what is wrong with him???? 
• Trigger calls my boobs “boots”.  The other day I told him that he would have to wait because I need to feed Campbell and he started shaking his head saying “no, no, no, I don’t wann see boots”.  Ha…poor thing is warped!
• Trigger is so rough…he gets in trouble all the time for hurting Campbell..so much so that he usually starts apologizing as soon as Campbell starts crying.  LIKE tonight when he slammed Campbells forehead onto the ground with his hands! ;(  He IS ALL BOY!!!!!

I’m sure there are a million other things but I’m ready to go to bed.  Campbell’s fifth tooth (and his 6th will be coming through in a week or so…it’s close too) is soooo about to come through and he has been so fussy!  I’m sure he will be up ANY minute!

Poppy’s Camp

About a month ago, we packed up the boys and our car full of stuff and headed to Poppy’s camp.  It takes a little over two hours to get there. We had the best time hanging out with Poppy, Zizzy, Uncle Lance and Chelse.  We took Trigger’s tractor with us because there is TONS AND TONS of land to drive it.  Trigger LOVED being outside.Campbell was a little tired from missing his naps on our way down to the camp so he snuggled with Zizzy and sucked on his fingers.

Trigger became obsessed with killing ducks…he even played the Wi duck game with Matt.

We only stayed one night…Matt went duck hunting.  I played with the boys and tried to keep them from destroying everything!  Campbell was just starting to crawl.  He would take one-two crawls and then stop so he was a little easier to control.  Trigger, on the other hand, was NOT so easy…especially since he LOVES the stairs!   While everyone was hunting and Trigger was sleeping, I took a few pictures of Campbell. 

They only killed one duck but apparently it was “THE BEST HUNT EVER”.  The reason it was so great was because the duck they killed was a banded mallard.  Apparently, that is a big deal!  Like I have already said, Trigger became obsessed with ducks, killing ducks, and duck calls.  Matt asked him if he wanted to hold the duck and he was so excited!  He didn’t even hesitate…just grabbed it and started smiling!

 

And, we just had to take a picture of Trigger and Uncle Lance!!

It was a nice little get away…I love going to the camp!  There’s just something so relaxing about being out in the woods and it doesn’t hurt that we have more conveniences and nicer housing than we do at home! :)

Campbell laughing

Before I add the video of Campbell laughing, there are two things that I forgot to add last night:
1. Campbell is starting to clap.
2. Campbell can get back in sitting position after crawling...love that he can do that bc it means he can go for something and then sit up and play with it.

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Campbell

Campbell isn’t on a monthly mark or anything but I’m feeling like I haven’t kept up with his progress.

Where do I even begin?  Let’s do a little bullet system…

• Campbell was 17 lbs. 4 oz. at 8 months (he happened to be sick when he turned 8 months and he was weighed).  I measured him the other day and he was 27.5 inches…but who knows if that’s right or not.  Either way, he looks so long and lean.  HOWEVER, I do have to say that his legs are getting chunky.
• Campbell started crawling at 7.5 months.  Trigger crawled about this same time but Trigger did an army crawl on his belly until he was about 9 months old.  Campbell went straight for his knees and took off.  He is EVERYWHERE now…I put him on the ground and he makes a beeline to the playroom.  He KNOWS that the GOOD (Trigger’s) toys are in there!
• Currently, he is past crawling on his knees…most of the time he crawls on his left knee and right toe if that makes sense.  Uncle Lance (the almost PT) says that he is really wanting to walk. YIKES!!!  Which brings me to this…
• Campbell started pulling up the same week (7.5 months) that he started crawling.  I left him in the playroom to fix Trigger some lunch.  I went back to check on him and he had pulled up to his knees (below).  I ran to get my camera, snapped a picture, and then he started to pull up to his feet for the FIRST TIME…and I got pictures of it!!!!  I wish I had video but that’s okay! (excuse the christmas pjs…I know christmas is over but I love these pjs)

• I have tried to start Campbell on a sippy cup but he has NO clue how to suck on one since I still breastfeed him.  He also can’t take a bottle…seriously?!?  It took me FIVE LONG FRUSTRATING months to get him to exclusively breastfeed (so he was on some bottles until 5 months) but I’m STUBBORN, headstrong  persistent and I FINALLY WON!  Well, now he doesn’t have a clue how to take a bottle or a sippy cup.  I actually started out trying a straw cup because Trigger’s old speech therapist had made us switch Trigger because sippy cups aren’t good for the development of their mouth?!?!  Anyway, I guess I’ll just keep trying!  (the second pic: he was NOT happy when I took the straw away from him!)

• Campbell sleeps pretty good at night…wait scratch that…Campbell used to sleep very good…now I would characterize his sleep as OKAY!  He goes to bed between 7-730…really he needs to go down at 630 (because he’s exhausted by that point) but it’s so hard to get supper cooked and on the table, dishes cleaned, playroom cleaned, boys bathed, and in bed by that early!  I’ll keep trying to get earlier though!  We bathe Trigger and Campbell together every night.  Then, I nurse him…he usually falls asleep…I rock him for a little bit and then put him in his bed.  He stays asleep until 11-12.  I go back into his room, change his diaper (which is completely full), and nurse him again.  I don’t know how he doesn’t weight 25 lbs!

• Naps: Campbell takes 2 naps.  Since I’m home, I don’t have a rigid wake up time but he usually wakes 7-8 AM.  His wake up time determines his first nap.  I can usually just go off his clues to know when he’s ready.  I haven’t been as good about the crying it out…hey!  don’t judge…he’s my precious little baby that matt reminds me DAILY is going to be waking up at midnight until he goes to college…and he also reminds me that I will be the one to go take care of him at that time! ;) Oh well…they are only little once!  I have been doing a better job of not rocking him until he is asleep and have done some crying it out (40 minutes of SCREAMING THIS MORNING for his first nap).  I’m just not as hardcore as I was with Trigger.  Anyway, his naps are usually 9 and 1ish (unless wake time is early or late).  He usually sleeps 1.5-2.5 hours for each nap.  It is sooo nice now that he is napping because I can shower and get ready, do some things around the house OR actually spend some quality time with Trigger!!!
• Eating: I mentioned that I was still breastfeeding Campbell.  He gets fed at 7(wake up), 11, 3, and 7 (and the midnight-ish feeding).  He gets VERY distracted while I’m feeding him.  Poor Trigger is usually told that he has to leave and go to his playroom because Campbell would MUCH rather watch Trigger than to nurse!  We feed Campbell a supper of around 3 TBSP of rice cereal and a vegetable.  He JUST now ate a full container (stage 1) the other night of veges.  I have tried breakfast of oatmeal but we just haven’t really just stuck with it.  Soooo for now, we are still eating just supper.  Campbell has tried green beans, peas, squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes AND he likes them ALL!!!  YAY!  We also haven’t started fruits yet.  Holding off…I want Campbell to like his veges!
• Campbell is in a size 4 diaper (can wear size 3).  Matt and I like our boys diapers to fit bigger than most people I guess because everyone looks at us crazy when they hear what size they are in.  I like for our tabs to touch or even overlap some…I like them to come high up so he is less likely to have a diaper accident.  Makes sense to us!  PLUS for about the last month it has been VERY difficult to change his diaper and clothes…he is BUSY, BUSY and wants to flip and go!  Campbell is wearing 12 month clothes if it’s a one piece outfit (like a jon-jon)…9 months if it’s a top/bottom.
• Campbell is IN LOVE with Trigger!  He watches his EVERY move.  When we are in the car, if Campbell is awake, he has his head craned over to the right watching Trigger.  I know his poor little neck has to get tired from leaning up and looking at Trigger!  He also wants whatever Trigger has…he will get a glimmer in his eye and take off after trigger like he’s going to attack him to get what’s in his hands.  Trigger better watch out because it won’t be long before Campbell is attacking him!
• Campbell is also starting to wave bye-bye.  He doesn’t always do it on command but it is absolutely precious to see his little hand opening and closing.
• This picture below so reminds me of Trigger.  I decided to go back and look for the pictures I was thinking of.  The first picture is Campbell (at 8 months); the second is Trigger (at 10 months).   These were both taken out in our front yard…can you believe the difference in the trees and grass.  WOW…I’m ready for the green!!!

• These next two pictures are my ABSOLUTE favorite of my Campbell.  I will be getting a canvas print of one of these!!!!!!
• 
• Campbell loves his daddy (even though I secretly think he loves me more…haha).  In fact, he has been saying “da-da”.  Of course he doesn’t have a clue what he’s saying but it’s still cute.  We have also heard him saying “by-by”.
• Campbell still loves his fingers.  This is how we know he is done with the photo shoot!  ha..  trigger’s photo shoots used to always end with him holding his “b”.
• Campbell is truly a VERY happy baby and has a smile that just lights up a room.  I love his two little bottom teeth that show when he smiles.  Oh and he has started laughing at everything Trigger does…like simple things.  Trigger will hop and Campbell will start rolling laughing.  In fact, I’m gonna have to try to post a video of him laughing!  It’s precious!  He also has the most expressive faces…more than Trigger ever had.  It’s funny to watch his little face/lips!
• Every night (or after naps) when he wakes up, he will pull up and stand in the front left corner of his bed (this is the corner closest to the door).  He will stay there and cry until you come and rescue him.  As soon as I pick him up, he stops crying and kind of sighs like “Whew…I knew you’d come…if I just kept it up long enough”…SPOILED ROTTEN!!!  Then he usually starts making motor boat noises (and raspberries).  That little turkey has got me wrapped around his finger!

Oh my word…im not sure if there are enough words to describe the love that I have for Campbell (and Trigger…but this post is suppose to be about Campbell).  He is the most fun-loving child.  I just want to freeze time because I LOVE the ages that our boys are at.  They are so fun (challenging at times) but OH SO FUN!!!!  These days are so precious and are flying by…I hope I am making the most of them!