Wednesday, August 29, 2012

One week down

This was the first real week of single parenting it for three nights in a row.  It has been exhausting.  Last week Jeff got out of class early so he was home around 7 each night.  It was at least a bit of a breather.  This week, not so much.
Plus we leave tomorrow to visit some friends in Michigan.  And I still need to pack and get the house ready.
Plus Leland is cutting molars.
Plus Braxton (the baby I watch) is having issues napping this week.
Plus all my photos disappeared on the computer.  Thankfully they are still on the camera and backed up on flickr.  I have no idea how this happened.
Plus I feel like complaining. (okay I am done now).

Really I am just tired and it makes everything worse.  I would like to sleep more than 7 hours in a night and I think that would help a teeny bit.

But I don't feel like wallowing in pity, so I will stop whining...

Tonight Leland and I had a momma and baby date night.  Other mommas and babies come over of course, since drinking alone is frowned upon and momma needs a glass of wine.  There was good wine, good food, and good conversation (meaning adult conversation).  It was much needed.  I didn't even care about the dishes I had to do because it was a nice refresher.

Lets hope this weekend keeps up the good spirits!


Monday, August 27, 2012

Family Photo

Since we got dress up for the date night, I figured we should take a family photo.




































I thought it turned out well (even with a toddler that isn't cooperating so he had to have his binkie).  

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Rejuvination

The hubs and I had a date night Friday night, and oh man what is good.  Leland had a good time playing with Ella and Lucy (the girls I watched all summer) and Jeff and I enjoyed a delicious meal and a bottle of wine.

Leland didn't cry when I left and he barely paid attention to me when I said good bye.  I think he was really happy to see those girls again.  Chuck even said Leland yelled Ella's name at some point, which does not surprise me.  When I told him we where going to Ella and Lucy's he got so excited to go outside that he kind of had a fit when I made him put his shoes on.  I guess we need to see them more often for his sake.

But dinner... it is amazing what a couple of hours kid free can do for your mental health.  Wine helps too, and Spanish meatballs.

We didn't even talk about Leland which was wonderful.  I feel like I talk about him all the time.  Enough is enough sometimes.  The one time he came up I referred to him as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, geeky but totally necessary. 

We biked to the restaurant since it was close and so we could drink a bit more while still being responsible.  It was wonderful.  The weather was perfect.  We ate outside.  Nights like that remind me of college nights: hanging with friends, late nights, bike rides, drinking.  It is still there fresh in my mind.  While I don't miss it, it is good to remember and have flashbacks of it.  I don't miss it because life right now is really good, and the little man is really sweet.

Leland was pretty excited to see me, and that always makes a momma heart melt.  I am glad to have the little guy and be with him most of the time, but every once in a while it is good to get away too.  I really need to be better about getting out once in a while.  Hopefully we can be better about it in the future.  

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Footage Friday v.6

Remember that time I said I was going to start posting videos on Fridays.  That stopped because I can't really take videos with the video camera anymore.  Everytime I try Leland freaks and has to have the camera pronto or else.

Proof here: (pardon the mess, we were in the middle of rearranging/cleaning.  also watch out for the end, it is a bit jumpy with leland holding the camera.)

But thankfully I realized he hasn't quite figured out that my phone also has a video camera.  I took a pretty cute photo of him the other night while he was eating some ranch dressing I made.

Then I decided to try and video the full episode on my phone, and it worked!


But I have realized that many of my videos are of Leland naked, great for me and family but not so great for world wide Internets.  I will try and be better about that so I can post more videos on Fridays. 

Anyone else interested in joining the Friday Footage?  Maybe it could be a link up in the future??

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Drawing

Leland has finally taken to drawing.  Well the eating crayons/chalk versus drawing is becoming more even at least.  Whenever he draws he most likely uses his left hand.  I am still very curious to see if he will end up left handed (it runs in my family).  Now whenever he sees the chalkboard or chalk he has to have them to draw.  


Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Favorite Baby...err Toddler Items

Linking up with Melissa from Growing up Geeky for today's Toddle Along Tuesday.  I have been pretty bad about doing this link up lately, more out of laziness.  But I am actually on top of things this week, meaning I will post before Tuesday is over.


This weeks topic is your favorite baby item(s).  But the baby era seems so long ago that I am going to go with Leland's current toddler must haves. 

 With binkie and blankie in bed

1. Aiden and Anais Swaddle Blankets.  You may have thought these where only good for swaddling, but someone has formed an attachment to them along the way.  He has to hold the tags while nursing and he throws the blanket around until he finds them.  If he wants to nurse he gets his blanket and lays down on the bed or floor.  They are a must, and I always have to bring one with us.  Thankfully he is not attached to any one in particular, he just has to have one.

2. MAMs pacifiers.  Leland is only allowed a pacifier when sleeping, but boy is he attached.  He knows where I hide them and constantly tries to pull a fast one and steal them.  If he is upset he starts going through my bag in search of one.  Unfortunatly for him they are hidden in a zipper pouch, so all my stuff gets thrown on the floor and he stays upset. 

3. Larabars.  I always have one in my bag (it keeps the pacifier company) in case someone has a food melt down.  It is for emergencies only, but totally necessary sometimes. And he absolutely loves them.  I often make a homemade version for snacks. 

4. Sippy cup.  For some reason when Leland is upset a glass of water can almost always calm him down.  He isn't really picky about the type of cup, he just has to have one.  We have used a regular spout, a straw cup and a natural drinking cup.  He likes all of them and he just uses whatever is clean.  I think he is starting to prefer the straw cup only because he knows that is the cup smoothies go in.

5. A sun hat and sunscreen.  I really love California Baby products so I always carry their sunscreen with me.  We have a couple of hats and we go back and forth between them but my favorite is the iPlay one since it is big enough to cover his massive head and keep his face out of the sun.  

There is our list.  These are the items that I always have in my bag or have to take with me wherever we go.  Without a few of them, meltdowns are unavoidable. 

Monday, August 20, 2012

Painting

Before: (MJ trying to get in on dinner)

After:

We are really happy with the final product but have realized during the process we hate painting.  It is the worst.  Unfortunately we already bought paint to redo Leland's dresser, so we are pushing through the pain and getting that done too.  It is currently coated with some lime green, I just need to draw and paint a purple tree on it.  Hopefully we never make the mistake of painting again, but I doubt we will be that lucky.

We also rearranged our living room, making our new table the main focus.  It is much better in my opinion.  

Anyone want some leftover paint? Or have you ever DIY and then realized DIY sucks?

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Back to school

Now that I have gone back to school it is Jeff's turn.
I am pretty happy for him, but kind of dreading it too.
See he will be in class Monday-Wednesday 5-8.  Meaning Leland won't get to see him those days since we don't get home from nannying until after 5 and I won't get help those evenings.

It also means Jeff will be busy with school work the other nights, leaving me to do most of the work around the house.  Which is fair since he did the same when I was in school and pregnant and taking care of a newborn. 

It makes me really appreciate how much he does around the house. 

I feel like I won't ever get to see him, dramatic I know.  And that all I will do is clean and cook, again dramatic(but I am really good at that).

Hopefully it won't be that bad, or this semester goes by quickly.  One good thing about having a kid is that time really does fly.  Before we know it these next two years will be over and he will be graduating. 

I hope Leland doesn't miss him too much, or too upset about it.  He is getting to where he really likes his daddy.  I am afraid this may change that a bit, since children usually like people when they see them a lot.  Hopefully weekends can make up for it.  I may just have to sneak out on Saturday and Sunday and give them some alone time. 

At least we are starting to cook all our meals on the weekend again, so there is minimal cooking done during the week.  Mainly just reheating needs to be done.  It makes a big mess on Saturday/Sunday but totally worth not having to stress about dinner Monday-Friday. 

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Getting to Know Me, Part 1

In honor of changing the blog around, I decided you don't really know much about me.  Blogging always toes the boundary line of oversharing/undersharing.  Often I just don't think about talking about myself if it doesn't revolved around Leland because it is easy to talk about him.  And from sleep deprivation, I don't remember time before him very well. 

I found this pin on Pintrest and decided it was just what I was looking for.  There are a ton of questions to answer that are all about me, so I will slowly start answering the questions (when I have nothing better to do).  Feel free to answer the questions yourself and then post your link in the comments section.  It would be great to know you better too!  I have changed some of the questions in order to honor some privacy (last names and such) but the link to the questions shows the original questions. 

Your birth and family: 
*What is your name and how did you get that name?  Do you have any nicknames?
Megan,  I got this name because my mom wanted to name me Janet, in fact I it was already on the birth certificate.  Thankfully my old sister defended my honor and said no to that name and my dad agreed.  They got it changed to Megan, I don't think I could ever thank them enough for the change.  My mom wanted to spell it different than Megan, but she had already change the birth certificate once and didn't want to mess with it again. 
I don't really have a nickname, never really have.  The only one I really remember is Miss B.  My childhood best friend's dad insisted on calling me that, it had something to do with my attitude (or wonderful personality, you take your pick). 
*What is the date of your birth?  Where were you born?  What are some of the circumstances (when your mom went in to labor, how long, her doctor, your dad fainting, etc.) of your birth?
March 15, beware the Ides of March
Kansas City, KS
I was born on my due date, which I think says something about me.  I think my mom was this close to having to have a c-section, but forceps were used and I was born.  She also said I didn't stop crying until my dad held me. 
*What are your sibling's names?
Andrea (older sis)
Matthew (younger bro)
*How was your relationship with your siblings and parents?
I have always been close with my mom.  She is the only person I talk to on the phone.  When she is having a bad day she calls me and for some reason we often call each other at the same time.  My dad and I don't have to talk much, we just get each other, we are very similar people. 
As for my siblings, that relationship has constantly been changing.  It has generally improved since I moved away for college and never moved back in.  We don't talk too much, but I can always call them when needed/wanted.  When we see each other it is always good and enjoyable.  Again I think this has a lot to do with not living with each other anymore.
*What are some lessons you learned from you parents?
Never give up, life is hard but you will get past it, you know the normal life lessons
*How did you help in your home? 
I don't really remember, maybe I didn't?  We never had a chore chart but I kept my room clean.  Again this is one of those things that is really hard to remember now.

Look forward to seeing any of your responses to the questions!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Flatiron Reservoir

Last weekend we went camping at Flatiron Reservoir.  This is a tiny little lake just West of Loveland.  The original plan was to go to Bohemian Nights in Fort Collins on Saturday and then see Allison Krauss that night.  While we were able to enjoy Fort Collins during the day, Leland had other plans that night so we ended up going back to the camp site early. 

It was still enjoyable.  The area was beautiful.  You can make plans with a kid but you can't get very upset when they don't pan out- thankfully I have learned that already.  Which is why I was going with the flow for naps.  Sleeping while camping is still a learning process for Leland and me.  Hopefully before next summer we will get a larger tent, our two man tent isn't cutting it anymore. 

The following photos show how beautiful it was Saturday morning.  No effects or filters have been done.  







Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Disappearing

Still here, promise.  I feel busy lately and haven't had a lot of time to blog, but I do keep coming up with post in my head.  Hopefully I can work on that soon.  I keep thinking I am a SAHM but I have finally realized that I am not.  I am usually gone from 9-5 or longer each day watching other kiddos, so I need to get use to the idea of having less time.  I also have to make a bit of time for 2ndGreenRev posts


We went camping last weekend (more on this later), Leland of course loved being able to get dirty and stay dirty for two whole days.  He also enjoyed not napping well, just kidding about that one.  It is just a part of camping and he quickly recovers.  We decided while camping that we must go on a camping/road trip next summer.  We are thinking about about traveling North to Yellowstone and Glacier National Park and then maybe on into Canada.  I am pretty excited about it and want to start planning now.

I started watching a new kiddo this week, a baby, like a 4.5 month old baby.  Leland is adjusting.  He doesn't really like me holding someone else more than him during the day.  He got upset today when the baby went into the ergo and not him.  He doesn't quite understand gentle but he is getting there.  I think this will be a good learning experience for him.  It is nice having a little baby sleeping on me again.  But not nice enough to want to have another yet.  Leland just isn't quite there, he still needs most of my attention (or demands it at least).

So more frequent posting to come, as soon as I get use to my lack of time.

P.S. By the way new URL - megsdigest.blogspot.com

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Bacon Feast

I have some great friends in Denver.  Every so often we decide we must have a feast night, and there is always a theme (I usually forget to document them though).  One of the friends is vegetarian but he was out of town, so we decided to have a Bacon Feast in his absence.  It was delicious.  And my house smelled like bacon for a couple of days- totally worth it
 Peaches stuffed with goat cheese, cinnamon, and honey, then baked and wrapped in bacon and baked some more. 
 The spread.
 BLT panzanella
-Dates stuffed with sausage-wrapped in bacon-with maple syrup on top (I need one of these for breakfast every day from now on)
-BLT sandwiches with the bacon cooked with jalapenos, topped with watercourse, avocado, tomato, mayo and cheese
-Hiding in the pot is collard greens cooked in bacon grease of course
 -Stuffed jalapenos with cream cheese and bacon

I wish I could eat some of this right now.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Cha-Cha-Changes

I am having a mental debate lately about this blog and I am not for sure what to do.  I don't want the focus to necessarily be Leland and I feel that is all I talk about, which gets a tad boring as wonderful as he is.  But really I am more than a mom and I need an outlet for that.  For some reason whenever I want to post about something else I don't (which is lame), so the change is more for me than anything.

Which made me think I should just start a new blog and leave this one all about Leland ( and maybe even making it a private blog for family/close friends). 

At the same time I could just change the name of this blog since we do not plan to stay in Denver forever.  I would like a more permanent name and look.  I am thinking about using a web designer recommended by Sarah

So what would you do: change this blog or start a new one?

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Personality


Oh this little boy.  He is wonderful.  He loves corn on the cob and giving you a cheese face out of no where.  He likes to sit in a grown up chair to eat and carry his snack to the table.  He likes to pick grapes off their twigs ( is that what you call them?). 

He gives kisses and sometimes hugs.  He consistently will learn a new trick and do it for a week or two and then drop the habit.  He sometimes he will start doing it again and sometimes not.  He is slowly giving up his hug habit in favor of kisses.  He is starting to say "Hey" when he sees people and when he pretends to answer the phone. 

It is interesting to see his personality show more and more.  He is a bit reserved with new people but will warm up to them no doubt.  He loves playing with older kids.  He likes loud music in the car.

He is just the best.  (biased I know)

Thursday, August 2, 2012

KC

We went to KC for a family wedding last weekend (so I am finally getting around to posting photos).  Jeff got to meet Liam (my brother's baby) for the first time (and Frances but there are no photos of that).  We also hung out at my grandma's a lot. Which included rolling down hills (I did not partake), exploring her sidewalks and big front yard, and playing with her toys.
For the wedding (Congrats Chris and Erin!) we got dressed up and Leland stayed up way too late.  It was good.

 But going to KC is always a bit stressful and it is always good to be back home in my own bed. 

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Parenting Styles

I have been on a parenting book kick lately.  It may or may not have something to do with the tantrums a certain person is having lately.  But I also find them interesting in general. 
So far I have read Bringing up Bebe and Happiest Toddler on the Block.  I have Love and Logic in the waiting and currently working on French Kids Eat Everything.  

Happiest Toddler had some good tidbits that I will try to use, but overall it wasn't my style.

Bringing up Bebe actually hit many points that I agree with, which led me to want to read French Kids Eat Everything.

No matter what books I read, I don't think I could ever be all about one single parenting philosophy, because who does that?  I like to pick and choose what suits me best and what I already think about parenting but just don't know how to put it into words/actions. 

Why I like some of the French parenting rules:
- your kid eats what you eat, I don't make separate meals for Leland and don't plan to start anytime soon, they also limit snacking so kids will eat their meals ( we are currently working on this)
- you have strict boundaries, but within those boundaries kids can do as they please
- you let kids play and don't follow them around constantly
:side note: I let Leland play my himself all the time or go off at the playground as he pleases.  I keep an eye on him but I don't shadow him by any means.  For some reason this isn't how a lot of other parents act, so then I feel self conscious or that they are judging me when I don't keep him on a leash.
- you teach your kid patience at a young age
- everyone enjoys their dinner and it isn't rushed

I am hoping to at least more aware of what I do/say to Leland so I can be consistent in how I parent.

What is your parenting style? (if you have one)