Our travels/ playing catch-up

Well I have never been much good at coming BACK from a trip I must confess... and you can probably tell from the length between this and my last post, haha!

The MN trip was wonderful! Tuesday morning we left for Orlando. We flew with Delta, and had a great experience! The kiddo had a bottle during take-off and slept through the landing (otherwise he was up and playing or napping for short periods).

We went straight to ACE for our car rental. We had reserved an economy car but the lady, upon seeing the amount of luggage we had, said there is no way it would all fit. Now, it wasn't a huge worry for us because other than two long drives we wouldn't be in the car with them for long... but anyhoo, we said we'd make it work because that's all we could afford. We took the shuttle to the car and found ourselves standing in front of an SUV. I looked left and right, slowly edged closer to it and then said "I don't think this is right." Haha, turns out they upgraded us free of charge! What a wonderful surprise-- it made the whole trip more enjoyable and otherwise they were so great to deal with. I highly recommend using ACE next time you need a vehicle! :)

That day we saw a college friend, her boyfriend and mother, as well as Andrew's godparents/ aunt and uncle. After the three hour drive north, we ended up at my aunt's place in the country- a 280 acre expanse that everyone calls "the farm". We had a great time catching up!

The next three days involved running to and from Duluth. 

We went on the scenic railroad,

had a picnic by the liftbridge,

visited my old job (an awesome toyshop called J. Skylark),

visited Betty's Pies (where the hubby and I had our first date),

did some dance rehearsals

and spent a lot of time with our besties, Nicole and John :)

Saturday was a day to relax at Jan's with my side of the family. My cousins have a kid about a year older than Andrew so it was a lot of fun seeing them interact, and great seeing everyone/ feeling at home with everyone. Growing up, the place was my grandmother's. She had all the get-togethers, planned the holidays, and really made everything feel right and normal. She passed away a few years ago and the effect was almost immediate. The family get-togethers became more and more rare, but everyone lives far away and now with us kids getting married and tarting families/ the aunts and uncles getting older, it's getting harder in general. So long story short, it was great to feel back-to-normal with the family even if just for a day <3

Sunday we traveled down to see Jesse's family. We had Andrew baptised at the church Jesse grew up in and it was a beautiful day/ experience.

The 112 year-old baptismal gown that my great-grandmother and I both wore

His parents had a pot-luck after so everyone could meet Andrew, and that was a lot of fun as well, it had been too long!

Monday and Tuesday we spent time with Jesse's parents, visited Andrew's great grandfather (his only great-grandparent),

saw some friends, and had a dinner with his parents/my mother/my aunt/ my godparents, so that was a lot of fun as well!

Wednesday morning we left for the cities and took off for home. Again the munchkin ate through take-off and slept through landing (he slept about 1.5 of the 3 hour flight).

The drive home felt so long but it was great to get back to our beds!

It has been over a week since getting home and I am the tiniest bit ashamed not everything is unpacked. Our bedroom is somewhat of a disaster and I have not been motivated at all to keep up with my cleaning schedule. I am not good at this ending travel thing.

In other news, Andrew amazes us every day. He handled spinach like a champ, is finally liking to drink water throughout the day, has started imitating our "kissy" faces, and actions (today I lifted up a flap in a book with my pointer finger and then dropped it and he copied me exactly), or bending down with such a serious look on his face, extending a finger and making his new train wheels go round and round. That kid is gonna be way too clever for his own good (and probably a lot of trouble for us haha!)

The 25th was my GOLDEN birthday! We had a nice day relaxing, going to church,

watching movies, eating some yummy food and my favorite ice-cream cake. Also "Andrew" (AKA daddy) got me this adorable card...

doesn't it just melt your heart?? <3

The 28th was our two year anniversary! We swam, picnicked, relaxed, tried a new recipe, went dancing, watched the video of our wedding for the first time ever(!!!!), slow danced while we watched our first dance as husband and wife, and drank a lot of moscato wine.

It has been quite a full month for us!!!!

Next month *should* slow down a bit. We have plans for some dinner dates, some dance classes, a day at the zoo, a playdate event for Andrew and hopefully some beach time!

Well that's all for now, eight-month blog to come soon! OH! And P.S.:

Andrew starting to learn to crawl!!!

And P.P.S.:

And was happy about it!!!

Andrew experienced Lake Superior!!!

<3

TTFN!! <3

Travel!

TOMORROW IS THE DAY!!!

I am SO ready for this trip. Literally I just keep thinking of going shopping with my best friend and get giddy. Last time we saw each other was her wedding in October and the poor gal was so busy we hardly got to actually spend time together so this? This will be epic hehehe :)

Today we finished packing. Oh Lord. Thank all that is Holy for THAT. Apparently since becoming a mommy I have begun to DETEST packing. I mean, I'm 99% of the time prepared enough for an apocalypse but this kinda sucked. Stupid airplanes and regulations.

First off, why would I spend another $400 so my 7 month old can sit in a seat in his car seat? It's not gonna be as secure as it seems like it should be and.... FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS! Yikes! To get to the point, I originally misread the TSA guidelines and thought that infants were allowed their own bag (aka diaper bag). Luckily today I had a strange feeling and double-checked. Turns out the bag is ONLY for ticketed infants (babies with their own seats). Le sigh. Fitting a purse filled with snacks for the plane, extra baby things, paperwork, wallet, etc. into an already overstuffed diaper bag is not the most fun thing ever.

So. This packing thing. We ended up with 7 bags between the three of us. One is a car seat carrier, one is a stroller carrier, one is a large suitcase we are checking, I have my duffel and Andrew's diaper bag and Jesse has his bag and a small duffel for A's clothes, etc.

Sorry for the poor quality photos!!!!

The suitcase holds:

• Travel Bassinet
• Bag-o-wipes
• Disposable overnight diapers
• Activity Gym
• Towels
• Extra bottles
• Swim gear
• Liquids
• Musical Frog
• Baby monitors
• Travel wipe warmer
• Infant life jacket
• Blankets
• Pack n' Play sheet 
• Wet Pad
• 6 Cloth diapers
• Books

Before the hubby worked his magic...

Andrew's bag holds:

• 7 days of clothes in baggies
• One set extra clothes
• Blanket
• Hygiene kit (incl. nail clipper, brush, ear swabs, etc)
• Baby powder\
• Sweatshirt
• Hats
• Shoes
• PJs
• Teething ring

The diaper bag holds:

• Powdered formula
• One bottle
• One sippy cup
• One spoon feeder
• Two pouches baby food
• Hand and face wipes
• Boogie wipes
• Paci wipes
• Paci on a string
• TOYS
• Swaddle blanket
• Thermometer
• Cards
• Travel wallet
• Bibs
• Burp cloths
• Wallet
• Plane snacks
• Wipes
• Changing pad
• Wet bags
• Extra clothes
• Books

Before needing to add in my purse contents

Each of our bags have some baby things as well, haha. I kept thinking "what could I get rid of?" but at least for our first trip with baby, I think we did pretty good only packing essentials.

Well, bags are packed and in the car, bathroom and kitchen have been cleaned, everything has been dusted and vacuumed, laundry and dishes are done... I even threw some bay leaves around and sprayed my homemade spider repellant. I think we are ready!

Tomorrow we leave at 7:30 ET, need to park, take the shuttle to the terminal, print boarding passes/ drop off the car seat and suitcase, make it through security, take the amtrack to our gate, hurry up and wait, our flight leaves at 11:55 ET and lands 2:21 CT. 

Wish us luck! We can't wait to see friends and family! And don't worry, there shall be many, MANY photos a week from now :)

Ta ta for now! <3

Andrew wondering what the HECK mama is doing and why she is making SUCH a mess.

Welcome, seven months

7 MONTHS!

"Babies this age love predictability (it makes them feel powerful and secure), so be prepared to croon "Itsy Bitsy Spider" a couple thousand times over the next several weeks. Seven-month-olds also love to explore, so expect some serious efforts (or attempts at least) by your little one to get around independently. That means it's time for a thorough babyproofing if you haven't already, and time to stay extra-vigilant about what your mini octopus can get his tentacles on.

By now, your baby might also be able to wave bye-bye, play patty-cake, or blow kisses. Along with new skills and burgeoning independence comes a whole new attitude: I want to be in charge of me! Don't be surprised if this shift results in some major meltdowns with Mommy (perhaps the first but certainly not the last!) especially during transition times, e.g., when you walk in the door from work. (Not to worry — there are several strategies to smooth your reentry.) Baby's appetite is on the uptick, so snacking now plays a supporting role to the three-meals-a-day plan. And while snacking in moderation is good, grazing (snacking all day with no real meals) is not suggested for a host of reasons, including the fact that grazing interferes with play, sociability, and proper nutrition. Finally, some moms may be wondering about weaning and that's fine. But if breastfeeding still works for you and your baby, keep it up!"

-What to Expect

Check out weebabyschmitt's TWITTER page!

Andrew is doing great, and we are so thankful everyday that he is a healthy, happy, growin'-like-a-weed baby boy!
The Broccoli is being eaten, not always happily, but daddy began eating bits of it and Andrew of course is mesmerized and eats it like a pro then haha! Such a daddy's little man :)
We tried Benadryl today-- SO glad we found time to give it a try pre-plane. Rather than helping him pass out, it made me squeal-y and hyper haha! Also on that note, we took A to the doctor today because he has been pulling on his ear a lot. First tests showed some fluid in the ear he was pulling and a TON of fluid in the other. Further testing... there is a tiny bit of fluid in the other but none in the one he is pulling on, whew! So nothing needed, just gotta keep an eye on it.

Beginning the packing tomorrow as we leave in just 3 days! Really looking forward to seeing friends and family AND to spend eight days straight with baby and hubby :-D

Ta ta for now! <3

"Fighting for Finley"

First off, I am totally ripping off karlshappilyeverafter blog-- but it was too heart wrenching not to.

"FIGHTING FOR FINLEY"

This is Finley:

She was born with little to no heartbeat and was put into a medically induced coma. She was given an EEG last week and had flat brain activity and Doctors gave her a one in a million chance of surviving.

However this week, she is responding to some stimuli and seems to be improving little by little.

"Today has been a good day. We woke up this morning with a peace and vigor we haven't felt since Finley's birth. After several affirmations through seemingly random scriptures that have found us and through the many, MANY prayer warriors out there asking blessings for us, we have a real sense of peace and hope.

This morning as we were driving to the hospital we prayed that God would not just show us signs of hope, but that He would baffle the staff at the hospital. God answers prayers. Finley has started responding to hand and foot stimulation! She doesn't always do it, but from time to time, scratching her feet or plying with her toes causes her to try to retract her feet! And sometimes she'll move her hands when we are holding them. On top of that, her legs are starting to resist movement, albeit ever so slightly. We don't know what these movements mean yet, but we do know that they've baffled one doctor and two nurses! We're praising God for showing us signs of improvements and confusing the medical team all at the same time! Please continue to pray for leaps and bounds in the improvement of our little world changer."

"Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

-Isaiah 41:10

This so breaks my heart. 

I cannot even begin to imagine what her and this family must be going through. It makes me so incredibly thankful for Andrew's health. I wish he was awake so I could hold him... and the fact that we are able to do that just reminds me of how lucky we are.

Our prayers go out to this family, I wish them peace and strength and most of all I pray their baby girl continues to make progress and prove those doctors wrong! 

Please pray for this family, send them good and healing and peaceful thoughts. You can also follow them here.
You can also show support by donating here to help with their medical bills.

God bless you all <3

Life is rough when you are impatient.

I. Love. Traveling. I am one of those weirdos who adores airports. Seriously unless I maybe flew somewhere all the time, I think I could almost live in them. I'd need to be rich of course, but that's beside the point.

My mother is also a big traveler. I think by the time I was 17 I had been to at least 40 states, Canada and Europe. I will also be a travel fanatic when it comes to our kids -- like at least one big trip a year. While we're living on the East coast I definitely want to take a train trip up to New York and maybe Maine. Stop in D.C., head over to the Hershey Factory and Nashville, etc. And hit up The Lion King on Broadway in my beloved Big Apple :) My mom blames our love for travel on our genes and I totally agree. It's the "gypsy" in us. Well, it's the Czechoslovakian in us... and I have MAYBE a drop of it... but whatever it's an excuse ;-P

Next week we take the little man on his very first plane ride! All the way from Florida to Minnesota. He will be thrust into a Florida winter in terms of temperature, and he will have his very first dip in a lake. He will, of course, have a fit and hate us for awhile (at least until we feed him next) but it's gotta happen. He spent his first 5 months in MN! Okay it was all in my belly but still. 

This is what he will probably feel like....

Have I mentioned I can't wait?? I've almost started packing about 10 times and have to exercise all of my self-control to not do so until at least Sunday. As most of you know, I am a packrat, but hopefully I can keep some of it to a minimum. Let's just say I'm glad we decided to check a big suitcase hehe.

Can I bring the kitchen sink, too??

We are heading to our first-ever parenting socialization/ play date/ whatever today and I am scared out of my mind. Probably doesn't help that I am a total introvert and homebody, but I am also a control freak and I don't know what these women are like, what their kids are like, what all this play date entails, if he is of an appropriate age for the activities....the list goes on. Thank goodness I have a somewhat fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants hubby who also is VERY sociable and charismatic. Where would I be without him?? 

Yes.

I am not a huge coffee drinker, but I am on my second cup of super strong french roast this morning and I am literally shaking a tiny bit. 

Man did I lose my tolerance for caffeine while I was pregnant! It doesn't help that it is combined with overwhelming excitement to see friends, family and my bestie next week, anxiety over this playdate thing and total anticipation to hear my friend's baby has been born! Can't wait to see the little cutie's face! :-D

Lastly, Happy Breastfeeding Week! Whether you chose to breastfeed or bottle feed, or were "forced" to do either, you rock mamas!

Alright, off to try to find some transcription work and try to organize this super messy desk/ do my menu planning and the dusting/vacuuming I neglected to do yesterday. Ta-ta for now! <3

Happy August!!

First of all HAPPY AUGUST! I cannot believe this month is already here, fairly evident as I keep saying 'next month' when referring to August...

This is the month we travel back to our home state, Minnesota, the month of Andrew's baptism, my Golden Birthday AND our two-year wedding anniversary!! 

Yes, it is a very full and exciting month!

I was very excited to happen upon this blog post I found on Facebook: sunshineandsippycups It has 10 ways to make money from home! I am working through Net Transcripts to make a little extra money, but every little bit helps-- and a lot of these look fairly easy so yay! Gotta try some of those out.

...On that subject, I previously applied for Income-Congruent Repayment Plan for my student loans and they are still charging me $227 a month! I love how they think we have that much left a month.... we would be living much nicer if that were the case, lol!

If only this actually helped...

I was really excited previously about going back to school to finish my degree (I am about 3/4 of the way through my degree) and have recently found two online universities offering European History programs. BUT with this new development who knows if we'd be able to afford it? They make it SO easy. Unless you have a degree, you can hardly afford your bills but you have to qualify for financial aid to get your degree OR make enough to pay your loans AND tuition... sigh.

One last rant. There is a very small pool of rental homes available in Jesse's work area. It kind of sucks. I found one PERFECT one that is affordable for the most part, looks fabulous and seems like it would work out. It's even in Wesley Chapel. But I have a good feeling we won't end up there haha, I'll try to be optimistic about it all though :)

Now in Andrew news: He is as cute as ever. Seriously I am pretty sure every minute he sleeps increases his cute factor. That's a lot of cuteness. 

He is heavily experimenting with sitting up by himself, he will lean on his hands, then push off and balance for awhile and most of the time when he starts falling over again he catches himself. 

He is a very good eater, but impatient for each bite. He makes a whiny sort of sound after each bite-- I'm not sure if that's his version of "mmmm" or if it's hunger and the spoonfuls just aren't getting to his mouth fast enough. I think I will try giving him his sippy cup first for awhile and see if he likes that better. 

The little guy tried broccoli today!! The grossed out face arrived on the third bite haha... the second feeding he just started crying and I guess not fully swallowing the bites so as I'm making dinner (Jesse is feeding him) I start to hear choking. BAD choking, like I've never heard before. He eventually swallowed/ spit out but that was an awful few moments. Thank God Jesse is great with emergencies AND knows basic first aid for infants. Then my brilliant hubby suggested mixing the two foods together and, of course, it worked great. I love that man.

We picked up a prescription for hypoallergenic formula today, hopefully that makes baby's face rash go away! We will pick some up at the end of the month for him so we should know by early September.

Lastly, is there anything better than baby giggles??? I think not. :)

A picture of Andrew in the fort we made yesterday because it was too overcast for the pool :)

TTFN! <3