Everybody was a NINJA fighting!

So, everyone knows, Shannon is a BIG kid...I swear, it is like I am a mom of 3 "Now, you 2 (me talking to Trinity and SHANNON) calm down, its getting late and you need to go to bed soon" EVERY NIGHT LOL. They are the terrible twosome, always have their hands in something naughty *not like, WEIRD naughty, but...you get it* They are in it...This weekend Shannon broke out some of the Halloween dress ups, and they just went at it...Tristan even got in the action, though, I think he was just worried about Daddy when he was pretending to be knocked out! I love my house, it's crazy, but SO MUCH FUN!

Cloth Diapering...Still...and LOVING IT!

Cloth diapering is going great...I AM ADDICTED..who am I trying to fool..I can't get enough of it, it is defenitely something that I was born to do...I am such a hippy. He is really looking so cute in them, and I am really liking that he has NO rashes, and, NO leaks, and I am not adding to that landfill...I know, I am hitting you all over the head with it, but really...it is an amazing feeling. It has urged us to change other things in our lives too. We are only using Environmentally friendly products / Recyclable in the house, (not like we weren't before, but now, we are going out of way to make sure of it). We are also looking into getting solar panels for the house. I can't wait to see what they cost $$$ But, the payoff is huge. For now, we are going to just stick to covering his bum with cloth though, and I URGE anyone thinking of doing it...DO IT!

August / September Updates

Man oh man....kids, they really do just grow up before your eyes! LITERALLY. Trinity has outgrown pretty much all of her clothes...WHY!!!!! She is going to be taller than me I think. I was putting pjs on her last night...no, wait SHE, was doing "BY MYSELF MAMA"...so, SHE was putting her pjs on last night, and they were so freaking short, and tight..I kept telling her "Baby, those don't really seem to be fitting all that well..." she cuts me off "No mama, this is how they are made..see" *shows me the flood style leg and the belly hanging out..."Right, that is my point exactly..." She still went to bed in them. I mean, I am not going to win that one...she was determined, and I was apparently wrong :) They are supposed to be that way, RIGHT!

Anywho...she has been SO stubborn lately, not really to a fault, just enough to still remain sweet and cute..lucky girl..lucky us! She said to me, when I asked her to go play upstairs for a bit because i needed to mop "But mama, I don't want to" Again, I ask her...she says NO...this time I tell her, "Honey, mama is telling you now, so I need you to listen, please go upstairs"...she says, with a sad look on her face "Mama, I just love you so much that I HAVE to be beside you all the time..so, sorry mama, but no, I am not going upstairs." AHHHHH, who can mop when your little one says something like that...so, needless to say, the crumbs are still on the floor LOL.

Tristan..OMG...he has been amazing us left and right! He LOVES his EI Therapist...I like her too...she is pretty amazing. She is working on walking with him, alot, and he really has taken to her. She uses a TON of play therapy, which is good, cause my kids LOVE to play. SO, UPDATE....he is taking steps!!! YAHOO! (not the email provider, but the saying YAHOO!) he is almost there. We are working on loosening up his upper body too, which we all have noticed a change. Next, he is working on strengthening his trunk to help with his balance. Here he is taking steps today...he is really growing up! Still nursing, like a champ, but we all know how I feel about that :)

What else.....Trinity is having Homeschool everyday, she LOVES it. I approach it in a way that it is not TOO terribly structured, afterall, we have the rest of our "grown up" lives for that right? We play a lot, sing, do tons of arts and crafts....she is the one who bumped it up to 5 days a week, so, following her lead here, we are schooling everyday! We have opened up one of the days for one her friends Tatum to join, Trinity really enjoys that. She is spelling and reading more now, some of her favorite words are : CANDY *really*, GOODY, CLOWN, MOM, DAD, TRINITY, TRISTAN, CAT, DOG, BOO, BOO BOO, EMILY, NANA, PAPA...she is working on a ton more, but these are her favorite so far.

We are excited about Trinity's 4th birthday, I just LOVE parties!!!! I will be blogging about that too I suppose.,...so, until then, keep smiling :)

The Kids

They are growing up so much...it has been forever since I last updated...not sure where to start.

Tristan, my gentle giant! He grew another inch and 1/2 this past month, and has graduated into 3T! HE IS HUGE! He is forward facing in his carseat now, (he is 30lbs) and he really loves it. It took a few days to get used to falling asleep in the forward position, but now he has it down to a science. He found a new word, "Nee-Nee" we finally figured out it stands for "Trinity". I can't tell you how excited she is that he is saying "her" name! He is signing "more", "all done", "eat" and "juice". Tristan has been receiving day therapy from an Early Interventionist for 3 weeks now and we are really excited about the fun stuff that she has planned. We are going to be working on his Gross Motor skills, his tone issues in his upper and lower body and Cognitive and Behavioral therapies too (coloring, obstacles, stacking, playing ball, peg boards etc.) He has started standing on his own, bending down and standing again...and he took his first steps last week! He walked about 3 steps to his big sis...it was amazing to watch. You never get sick of that "firsts" with kids...it is still so exciting to me, even with my 2nd child.

Trinity is doing GREAT at school! She is learning all the spanish words for the body, she knows eyes, mouth, head, nose, ears. We are having school everyday at home, and she LOVES it. She is counting, putting numbers in order, and even started simple addition. We are very pleased with her literacy skills too. She has been writing her name, Daddy, Mommy, Tristan, Nana, Papa, Dog, Cat, Optimus, Hot Rod, Rodimus, and is recognizing words that she sees. She loves to learn, we are so pleased, and so is she.

What else...just living I guess, enjoying every moment, trying to remember that it really does go by fast....

The Amazing Spider....GIRL?

So, as many of you know and love...Trinity has an AMAZING imagination! We just love how she dresses up, struts her stuff into a room and stays "in character" for hours. She imitates all things from Princesses and animals to Superheros and family members. She has recently shown more interest in Spiderman! So, being the somewhat overindulgers that we are...(hey, everyone deserves a costume every now and again!) we got her a dress up of Spidey. She had us cracking UP last night. As soon as she puts on the spectacular Spiderman costume she is IN CHARACTER...for and hour at least..she is jumping from her bed, hanging upside down in her closet, slinging her "web" at us...I was laughing so hard...I peed a little, but don't tell anyone..

This is the best shot I think, aside from the upside down spidey..Shannon captured it when she was jumping down from her gym ladder....it was HILARIOUS to watch.

I think the funniest part is that she believes that she is them when she is in the costume, I mean, she knows it is not real, but her imagination is so vivid that she uses a different voice, her facial expressions change, her walk changes, everything...she is amazing. It is so fun to have such an outgoing, expressive and truly hilarious little girl for our daughter!

1 week has past....some thoughts on cloth

August 4th - Present

Day 1 - I got a few of the diapers last night and I have to say, they look amazing! I can't wait to get the rest of them. I sewed some inserts (since I am SURE I will be needing them) and am washing them as we speak. Shannon thinks its funny that I am getting this excited about putting something on our son that he is just going to shit on...but, he appreciates why we are doing it, so that is half the battle LOL!

OMG, these cloth diapers are the SWEETEST things I have ever seen. I just love the way that they feel on him. I mean, holding him and feeling cloth instead of paper on my arm is a strangley comforting feeling. He seems happier. They are super easy to put on...I am in love with this.

Day 2 - Ok, so, we had a blowout today...not like MAJOR, but some leakage took place, WAAAAYYY too much applesauce in his diet (and I am sure you are thingking, WAAY TMI)! But never fear....I OVERSTUFFED the diaper (yay for microfiber inserts!) It cleaned up so much easier than I feared LOL, so, we are good! I had to put Tristan in a "sposie" today (disposable diaper) Trinity says to me "MOM, what are you doing? Those are not the right ones!" Ah yes, my daughter has become a CD loving sister!

Day 3 - I have resorted to sewing some of my own diaps! I found several patterns online and with the help of a tutorial (AKA a friend of mine walked me through one that she made) a few of my own personal tweaks, and VIOLA! A handmade diaper just for my bubbers! This is really going to be addicting..I can feel it! Made some little ones for a friend and for Trinity's baby dolls too...Look out Martha Stewart...Jenn Hydeman is on the trail! (wow, that sounded really retarded...)

Day 4 - I am now the subscriber to SEVERAL diaper communities, my friend Marissa and I are TRULY becoming obsessed! This is BAAAADDD, (but in a completely good, Green, Earth friendly, kinda way!) My "stash" as they call it, is really growing! I can't wait to try them all on him (come on, poop already!) yeah, I know....

Day 5 - I truly have no idea why we didn't do this sooner...I really don't. Aside from the initial cost factor, we are going to save so much, we are not adding to this HORRIBLE overabundance of trash and waste in our landfills, they look and feel soooo wonderful, and they are fun to change. Yes, I said FUN TO CHANGE...it is a great accessory to clothes, although, the fuzzy, bumpy little butt has a hard time fitting into a few pairs of pants...but hey, he doesn't need pants...show the diaper baby! The only "person" that it has affected negatively is our dog Dakota...no more "scobby snacks" or diapers that he can stumble upon...yuckas, he is gross!

Day 6 - Someone commented on the diaper that I made for him! "You should totally sell those"...hmmm, I think I just may! I have a few more kinks to work out, but, with the help of friends, I can try them out and see what they think too! So, anyone interested in some diapers LOL!

Day 7 - We went out and about today, ran to several different stores...he had a REALLY wet and soiled diaper that I had to change, I guess the only thing I need to figure out is, how do I rinse them when we are out? Anyone that CD's try and help me with that..will ya! Other than that, still loving it. I am really happy that we decided to do this, and I think that if you have a baby, and want to do something wonderful for them, go cloth! This public service announcement has been brought to you by Jenn, a crazy AP, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, Trinity and Tristan loving, cloth diapering ADDICT!

I am going to do it...

I have finally decided to take the plunge...I am going to do what I can to help contribute to a greener earth...I am going Cloth! We are excited, I feel like a new person, I know people are going to think we are nuts, but who cares...We are going to ditch the disposable diaps and go all natural...cloth diapering! For those that hear those words and cringe..let me tell you, a lot has changed since when we were kids. No more pins and saggy, soiled linens...oh no my friend, there is an entirely different world out there, an almost cultish following of CD-ers. They have WONDERFUL innovations that are going to help me to save the earth of the millions of diapers that are overflowing our landfills everyday. They are going to keep my baby's butt dry and clean. They are going to show my daughter that we can do something to try and make a difference..they are going to be so cute! LOL. I am excited, just wanted to spread the word!

Blog Tag!

Thanks Tiff! You Blog tagged me!

One Word Answers:
Yourself: Devoted
Your Partner: Amazing
Your Hair: Tangled
Your Mother: Kind
Your Father: Surprising
Your Favorite Item: Truck
Your Dream Last Night: Grandma
Your Favorite Drink: Martinelli's
Your Dream Car: Expensive!
Your Dream Home: Beach
The Room You Are In: Fun
Your Fear: Loss
You Want To Be In 10 Years: Happy!
Who You Hung Out With Last Night: Family
You're Not: UnHappy
One Of Your Wishlist Items: Pool
The Last Thing You Did: Snickered
You Are Wearing: Jamma's
Your Favorite Weather: Hawaii
Your Favorite Book: Inspiring
Last Thing You Ate: Cereal
Your life: Mine
Your Mood: Reflective
Your Best Friend: Far
What Are You Thinking About Right Now: Kids
Your Car: Safe
What Are You Doing At The Moment: Blogging
Relationship Status: Married
What Is On Your TV: Off
What Is The Weather Like: BLAH
When Is The Last Time You Laughed: Now

Ok - I tag Gina and Pam

REFLECTING

So here it is...a mere 2 weeks until my baby turns 1, so, I do as any mom would do, I reflect. I reflect on the journey we had with Trinity and Shannon by my side..the entire pregnancy, delivery and labor. I remember how they would rub my back or play with my hair if I were feeling sick...how Trinity would talk to Tristan in my belly, telling him how she would love him forever. When he would move, and it would bump her, she would jokingly say "brother, you kicked me, that is not nice..say sorry!" we would all laugh hysterically. I remember all the midwife appointments and Trinity coming with me to every single one. I am proud of how we handled our pregnancy and the honesty that we had with Trin...she was included in the entire process.

I loved being pregnant, feeling him move inside me, the flutters and the feeling like my stomach bottomed out on a really scary ride...I don't know if any other moms experienced this..but I loved it when he would talk to me...through imagery. It happened A LOT when I was pregnant with Trinity, and some when I was with Tristan...I would get these little fleeting moments that would be images of baby things, like memories of things to come...it didn't seem like something that I was conjuring up...but something that was shown to me. Did that make any sense? Ok, visual...I would see a carousel, or smell baby...I would get glimpses of him, a smile, his blonde-ish brown hair..little hands. It was wonderful.

I loved taking baths with Trinity, she would attack my tummy and hug and talk to Tristan. She would tell me how much she loved me and the baby growing in my tummy. I would nurse her and she would tell me how she couldn't wait to share with brother...I couldn't wait to nurse another baby.

I loved how my labor and delivery took place..that it was all natural, I am happy that I carried to 43 weeks...YES, 43 weeks! He took his time in utero, just as he is taking his time in life now. I used a midwife, Lynette, she was amazing. I didn't take any medication, and she was so encouraging and wonderful every step of the way. Tristan was born on July 15th at 8:45PM after just 9 hours of hard and constant labor. No epidural, no meds...just constant support and love frome EVERYONE in the room...including Trinity. She watched the entire process. I remember when I was screaming, she looked over with concern, and when I would catch my breath, she would have this sense of calm come over here...she would smile, and I would get my strength to do it again. My mom was wonderful, sitting with her the entire time, I remember looking over seeing her play cars with my mom, and stickers, stroking her arm if she showed too much concern. I remember nursing Trinity to help the contractions start...it was really amazing. When Tristan was born Trinity watched him like a hawk, going over with Daddy to check on him. She saw my afterbirth coming, and said very matter of factly "Who is coming out of her now??" I laughed so hard it was hard to feel any pain...I would not have changed anything.

Tristan was a big boy at birth just as he is now...10 lbs....ok, 9 lbs 15 oz (COME ON...GIVE ME THE 10, what is 1 measly oz??) He was so calm and serene, different from his big sister. I loved him instantly. He is the best baby, always has been. I remember reading Trinity stories when we got home, and as we would be reading her a story to sleep, he would be next to me in his cradle, drifting off too. He ate and slept, ate and slept...ok, ocassional poop and pee too! But really, caused no commotion or fuss...Trinity and Tristan are absolute Yin and Yang. She had colic so terribly bad, and reflux. So, we were happy that he didn't have to go through that..or us.

JULY 15th 2007

I am happy to be a mommy to 2...my calm little boy, so inflective, so amazingly smart and a quite thinker. To my little girl, my "Look out world, here I am" little girl...so smart and extroverted...so sweet and complex. I sit her on my son's 1st birthday thinking...will I do it again? Do we want to have anymore children....honestly, I can't say yes or no. I do know that I really enjoy our current family dynamic...I know Trin loves her brother so much and said she ONLY wants brother. I know that my lap is just the right size to hold 2 wonderful little ones. I do know that my heart is big enough to hold many more though, so, we shall see!

Mama's Boy

Tristan loves to snuggle...with his teething, he really finds it to be the most soothing thing...me too. Right before his nap, he will reach out for me and just melt into my lap. I love my little Mama's Boy!!!

Ride On Baby!

Trinity has graduated FULLY from her (IMO) rockin' tricycle to her big girl bike. She is AMAZING to watch. We all mount up on our bikes and she gets on hers, rides it like a big girl...up hills, down hills, stops and pulls off to the side at the very site of cars. This morning she and Daddy went out on a longer ride, Momma has been tired lately, and she wanted to let me take a nap with brother. She rode at least 5 miles. ON HER OWN...that is huge. She is so proud of herself...as we are too! GOOD JOB TRIN!!!!