I am back from the dead, literally. Ask anyone who saw me last week - me dragging my raggety behind around with two children while my husband was out of town. I told him he is never, EVER allowed to go out of town for that long leaving me with a toddler and a 3-month-old. I will hunt him down like a dog and drag him back kicking and screaming. You guys, it was awful. I got a sneak peak of what my life might look like if Tim wasn’t there and it was baaaaaad. I didn’t realize how much I have come to depend on him for so much: help with the kids, someone to laugh with and someone to talk me down from the ledge when I can’t cope with day to day stresses. He is such a life-source for me, refreshing me at the end of the day and not having him for seven straight days was not fun. I must also take this opportunity to say that any single moms out there, I bow to you. I can’t imagine how hard you must collapse in bed every night. I stand in awe of your abilities!

So Tim is home, and life can resume as normal. So much to talk about! So much to come! This post will be random so if transitions are your thing, don’t get excited because I do not have the energy to make them. So just try and follow along.

Remember when I sold-out for a review? Well, I would love to say it was mainly because I love free products, but not in this case. This is why I really did the review:

That’s right baby - We’re going to the So You Think You Can Dance Tour! And not only are our seats 10 rows from the stage (fist pump), we get to go back stage and meet them (double-fist pump)! We can be those goobers who stand there and say stupid things like, “Ohmygosh I just loved you, you were my favorite from the beginning!” to each and everyone of them. Although I have told Tim he must stand a full 10 feet back from Chelsea and keep the drooling to a minimum, for obvious reasons. Ack, I’m so excited!

The boys are doing good - Conner is diggin’ preschool so much and went from clinging to my leg, sobbing for me not to go, to walking in without as much as a good-bye. His first day was so stressful for both of us and it broke my heart leaving him crying uncontrollably, but I actually teared up when I picked him up and he came walking out with his little back-pack on looking so little and yet so big. Suddenly there was Britney Spears singing “Not a girl, not yet a woman”, except for a boy, and I could see ten, twenty years into the future and my little boy turning into a man. This is by far the hardest part of being a mom. But he loves preschool now and is making a lot of new friends. One of whom is Trevor, the sweetest little boy and they are both so polite to one another - “please” and “thank you”, “no thank you” and “excuse me” - his mom and I just laugh when they play together since they act like they’ve known each other forever and understand so much about the other. We’re just waiting for them to start swapping ‘nam stories.

And then there’s Max. Oh Max how much I adore you. I am enjoying him so much, and most days it’s his amazing personality that makes me realize how much I want to do this again. But then it’s time for him to nurse or time for him to sleep that makes me second-guess a little. The nursing - it. still. HURTS! Conner was such a natural, perfect latch, no pain, a total breeze. Max just can’t get the hang of it, mainly on one side, and it’s all I can do to not gouge my eye out every time he latches on. Searing pain, folks. I saw a lactation consultant and we figured some stuff out and it got a little better but until he decides to not be so lazy about it nursing will not be the most fun thing I’ll do all day. And the napping - it’s been horrible. I believe my approach of letting him lead has run it’s course and he is now insisting I decide when it’s time to nap. The sad thing is because he still can not manage to be awake more than 45 minutes at a time, I barely get to enjoy him when he’s awake. Then it’s time for a nap, which takes him upwards of 40 minutes (a little talking, a little cooing, a little fussing and then some snoozing) and all in all he spends most of the day preparing to sleep since he, like his brother at this age, only wants to cat-nap. I’m trying a new approach and if it works I will definitely share because I strongly believe that sleep is one of the most important things for children, especially young’uns like him.

Okay, that’s all for today. I’m pooped! But lot’s more to come, including another review and two tutorials, one of which is the stamped onesies I promised you ages ago. Have a blessed Monday!

Thank you for celebrating my blog-iversary with me! I used a random integer generator to come up with the winner (do you like my mad computer skills? I don’t know how to do a screen shot on the laptop so you get an actual photograph):

And the winner of the clutch goes to a friend from the North, Holli! And because I love my adoring public so much, I decided to give away the last polymer bracelet from the shop (leaving my shop very empty - sad. But I will be adding many things in October so please check back!), using the same method:

Congrats Chelsey! I’ll email both of you shortly to get your mailing info and get those in the mail as soon as I can.

Happy Birthday to me! Well, not me, but the blog. Three years ago I decided that the internet wasn’t crowded enough and hopped on the band-wagon to blogging. I’ve had so much fun and I’ve met and reconnected with so many people because of this site and those reasons alone are why I love it so much and hope to continue with it into the future. Thank you to those who have stuck around, despite being bored to tears at times, to read about my small, but significant life. So how does one celebrate such an occasion? With a giveaway, of course!

If you want a chance at giving this clutch a nice home, just drop me a comment telling me how much you love my blog. In those exact words. Just kidding, but you do need to leave a comment. It can be anything - a limerick even. Whatever tickles your fancy. And depending on how many comments I receive I might giveaway a polymer bracelet as well. Okay, now the other little nuggets I promised you.

Max is a tank! At his two month well-baby visit he tipped the scales at 15 lbs, 6 oz, a pound heavier than Conner was at that age. He is a chunk but I love it. His hips are so narrow but his pot-belly is so wide and round, and his chunky little thighs are extremely meaty. He likey the milky! And he’s on the verge of laughing. It’s so funny to watch because it’ll build and build in his face with this huge smile and his breathing gets really rapid, and then all of a sudden he just sighs and his face will drop and then it’s like he’s ready for a nap. It’s just too much energy for him right now. But when it happens, oh my will you hear about it!

Last week we attended Conner’s preschool orientation and I got so excited for him. When we were talking about it later with him, I think I was getting more excited than he was. Friday he got to go and meet the teacher and play with his other classmates and the coolest part was I knew almost all the moms there from random meetings at other kid-functions. I know I will miss having him around in the mornings, but he’s going to have so much fun and bring home all kinds of things that I will start collecting and will pull out from the closet after he leaves for college to cry over and he’ll get voicemails on his phone of me doing the sob-heave-talk-heave-sob-cry, talking about the day he made the portrait of me with the macaroni. I’m pretty sure he’s excited about going, too. This morning before we went to get him out of bed I overheard him chatting to himself and then he said, “Hey! Going to preschool so….somebody come change me!”

Kelly and Chloe entertained Conner last week so I could spend some quality time with my checkcard, and during all the shopping-fun I headed to Panera for a bagel break while Max was still snoozing in the carrier. My savory indulgence there is always the cinnamon crunch bagel with hazelnut cream cheese (I salivate as I type that) and an iced chai latte. It kills me paying $7 for this, but sometimes all a girl wants is carbs and caffeine. I sat down with my nice toasted bagel, my creamy drink and took a long, savory bite. I heard a squeak and turned to see Max’s face twisted and contorted as he was waking up and none to happy about it. Before I could finish my bite, he cut loose. It was then that I noticed I was surrounded by Liberty students deep in their studying. As I wolfed down the rest of my food, Max not letting up at all, I grabbed my things, hoisted the carrier with the tormented child onto my hip and turned to leave. I caught the eye of one of the students who was obviously put out by my child and I smiled awkwardly and said, “Here’s your birth control.” He nodded vigorously, followed up with a surfer-dude-ish, “Seeeeeriously!”

I’m already so over the elections this year. That’s all I’m going to say. That and I am officially penciling in Jack Bauer as my presidential vote. And as Vice President, Jack Donaghy.

Conner is turning into such a polite little gentleman. He’s remembering his “please” and “thank you’s” without me reminding him, and he’s getting better at “excuse me” and “I’m sorry”. Saturday night at 4 am when he found his way into our bed after his diaper lost out to a bladder conflict and woke up soaked, he got so excited to be in the bed with both of us. I was trying to settle him down and then he leaned his face into mine and I kissed his nose. He smiled so big and whispered so softly, “Thank you, mommy.” I just about melted.

***Update: Since I don’t post everyday, I know many of you don’t check the site everyday so I will be accepting comments for the giveaway until Sunday, Sept. 7th.