All the Sun For You

A mom, two boys, a husband, and a whole lot of adventure!

Monthly Archives: August 2012


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Lazy Day

We didn’t do much today.  It was one of those days with zero expectations so it ended up being awesome!

We started the day by taking Matthew to gymnastics and that was super fun, followed by breakfast.  It took us FOREVER to find a breakfast place that was either not packed or was open.  Since when do places serving brunch not open until 11:00?  We ended up going to a place that B suggested after our first 2 failed attempts, and I said no because I thought it could be too expensive given what they may or may not have on the buffet (we went once and it was not good, and then we went again and it was terrific… so we were batting 50/50).  After our third failed attempt at finding a place to dine, I agreed to give B’s place another try and it was awesome!  For me being the one not wanting to spend too much money on breakfast, I sure was quick to say YES!” to the unlimited mimosa and bloody mary bar add-on.   I made that worth the money by having 3  🙂  They give you the choice of champagnes (dry, sweet, or peach flavored) and then you add your OJ and a flavor shot if you want.  I got peach champagne and added a shot of strawberry to my mimosas and holy hell were they good!

Matthew ate smoked salmon (this place has the best smoked salmon I’ve ever had), capers, ham, sweet potatoes, fruit, carrots, chicken parmesan, and green beans.  Success for him.  At the end of the day, that’s all that really matters – is that he’s happy with his food and that he has a variety.  If he can try something new (like capers), then it’s an added bonus.  Everyone of us left fat and happy  🙂

Matthew did not nap so well today – only 2 hours after being up for 5.5 hours but he did great the rest of the day.  B put Matthew’s wagon together while Matthew and  I napped and it was super fun taking him in that after his nap.  He LOVED it!  We visited with the neighbor and then decided that we really needed to go look at cars for me.  UGH.  We were met with more vehicles that don’t meet our difficult criteria (LATCH in all three seats in the second row so that we can put two car seats side-by-side) so we are back to our just two vehicles to consider.  Matthew was a trooper as we took him in and out of the car, from place to place.  This kid never ceases to amaze me with his happiness!  I had packed some food for Matthew before we left just in case he needed a snack so we had everything he needed for a dinner out on the town.  We went to one of our favorite local spots and had a nice family dinner.  More salmon for Matthew but he didn’t complain!

We then came home and decided to go for another wagon ride and were hoping to chat with our new neighbors who have done amazing things to their backyard.  Mission accomplished and they had a huge golden doodle that Matthew could not get enough of!  Max, the dog, took off with Matthew’s stuffed monkey and he thought that way hysterical!  We let him out to play with the Max and I don’t think he’s ever been happier.  If B wasn’t so adamant on not having a dog, I would be writing right now about how we’re going to go dog shopping tomorrow… but alas, we are not.  B keeps us dog-free and that’s a good thing because A) we have 3 cats and B) dogs are a lot of work.  AND – I believe they belong in the house with the family and B does not – so we will never find a middle ground on this and it’s for the best.  Truly.  Sorry, Matthew  😉

Matthew just went down without being rocked for very long.  He’s now “asking” me to put him in his crib at bed time – he’s just happier settling himself down and that’s great!  We sing and rock for about 5 minutes before he gives me his, “leave me alone” cue and it works out just great.  No fussing or crying – just reaches for his crib and settles down.  Unreal.

So that was our day (as if you care!).  I was supposed to go consignment shopping but my friends couldn’t go – so I’m going tomorrow.  I’m seriously jumping out of my skin with excitement!

Here are some more wagon photos.  B gave Matthew the wagon for his birthday.  Great present, Daddy  😉

The boys and their toys!

Best buddies!


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Loot

I’m back from my first consignment run – and it was fun!  Now – I will say – it was not what I was expecting.  I was expecting a line of women at the door, ready to race to the racks for the goods.  Nope – we were first in line just 18 minutes before the doors opened.  Hmmm… but it was the first time this was in our area so people didn’t know about it yet.  Bad for the organizers, good for us!

So if I was expecting a baby – this would be the place to go!  They had a Chic.co stroller, car seat, and base for $120 and all of it was in great condition.  I would never buy a used car seat because I worry about things like that, but hey – I’m not judging those who would.  It was one heck of a deal for someone in the market for such a thing.  They had tons of jumpers, bouncy seats, push toys, etc.  All the things I bought brand new could have  been bought at this event for a fraction of the price.  Again – for those expecting their first baby, there were lots of deals to be had.

I went straight for the clothes.  I have high standards when it comes to clothing because I take great care of Matthew’s current clothes.  If he gets anything on them that could cause a stain, I soak them, pre-wash them, and then wash them on gentle.  Heck, I still use Dreft because – well – it smells good and has done a good job so far.  HA!  So I wanted clothing that was in terrific condition and without stains.  I found some good stuff.  I bought 6 pairs of PJ’s – two with the tags still on them.  My sister puts her kids in a fresh pair of PJ’s each night and she convinced me to do the same – so we always need jammies!  I got plenty to move into for the next size.  I also got an awesome sweater (baby G.ap), a great t-shirt (gym.boree), a playsuit (Gym.boree), another little t-shirt, a pair of G.ap pants, and a pair of Old Nav.y jeans.  The major “find” was that skull and crossbones sweater – I would have considered paying close to full price for that at G.ap because I think it’s that cute.  Seriously!

Where I think I got pretty great deals was in the toy section.  I picked up a couple wooden puzzles, a wooden clock, and a wooden tool set – all Melis.sa and D.oug brand.  I got a bag of 3 “thingamajigs” (I have no idea how to spell that!), and I just get a kick out of those little things!  I got a ball toss toy (B will love that) and a life vest.  The life vest still has the tags on it and it was $5.  I have no idea what those sell for IRL, but $5 seemed fair.

I got it all for $91.  I think that’s a good deal!  I probably could have done better on some of the toys ($7 for the clock when it retails for $15 or so), but it was a pretty fun time and cost less than regular or even sale prices!

Steal of the day, though, FOR SURE – is that sweater  😉

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Consignment!

I am going to my first consignment event tomorrow and I am so excited!  I will post all about it (even if it sucks).  I am going in pursuit of good quality, well cared for clothing.  We shall see what I find!  I am dragging taking along two friends – one with her first baby on the way and one with her third (her first two are twins).  I think it’s going to be crazy – tons of moms with nothing on their calendars more exciting than this one huge event.  😉

I am off to bed.  It is taking everything in me not to curl up on the sofa and fall asleep right now.  Ever since I was very young, I’ve gotten much joy out of falling asleep in a chair or on the sofa – heck, even on the floor – out in the living room with the lights on and the house still “up.”  B is used to it now and just lets me do it and then will gently wake me up to go to bed when he heads back.  He knows I just prefer to fall asleep this way.  It’s weird.  But it’s a family thing – my dad does it too and always has.  Strange.


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Just What I Needed

So yesterday, I had a hefty dose of “the bitters” when the nanny of one of my acquaintance’s told me that they (the acquaintances) are having another baby.  Of course it’s a surprise baby because their sweet little boy just turned one (and the nanny told me it’s an “oopsie baby”).  Their little boy and Matthew are gym buddies together and I really, REALLY love their nanny (and their little boy).  Anyway, I heard this and literally felt sick to my stomach.  The reason being that when I was thinking of staying home with Matthew, I ran into this acquaintance and very excitedly told her that I was thinking of being a SAHM and she literally asked, “why would you want to do that?” while holding her 2 month old baby.  She questioned my desire to be a SAHM and at that moment, I thought, “we are not the same type of mother.”  I’m not judging her, but we are different, and she questioned my very excited choice.  I didn’t like that.  And now she gets a surprise baby?  BITTERNESS.

But then today happened.

I went to our RE’s office for my sonohystogram.

I love this place – I am not kidding.

I walked in with a skip to my step!  I couldn’t wait to see if the receptionist, who I love and used to trade chatty emails with while we were cycling, had had her baby yet.  She had – a girl – two weeks early – everyone’s happy and healthy!  This made my day!  I must now go buy her a gift!

Then I caught a glimpse of my favorite embryologist, H, and made a mental note to ask to see her before I left so I could say hello.  This woman single-handedly got me through our miscarriage after our FET and then did the biggest favor for me during our next fresh cycle (our Matthew cycle).  She got me in to test 2 days early because she felt that I had been through the wringer and deserved an early beta before the weekend.  She didn’t ask the doctor – she just scheduled it for me.  What a nice woman!  She was the one who cried with me when we were getting such terrible betas during our FET and also called me after our positive beta for Matthew just to tell me how happy she was for us.  Yes – I just HAD to see her before I left today!

Then I was called back and met a new nurse  who is a very nice gal and we joked about how much we love going to the doctor or dentist so that we can catch up on our Hollywood gossip via Peo.ple magazine.

And then I got to see my RE, Dr. Y, and OMG he was so relaxed and easy-going!  I joke all the time that I make him uncomfortable with my direct and controlling style, but today he was just so laid back (and just like when we saw him in March for our consult, actually).  I took the opportunity to ask if we could deviate from his plan (FET and then fresh cycle if the FET fails) and I quickly explained that of course I’m hopeful that the first FET will work, but if not, can we do another FET so that I don’t add more frozen embryos to my stash with another fresh cycle?  And he said YES!  Not only did he say yes, but when I said that I just don’t want a bunch of embryos leftover when we’re done building our family, he said (with a very warm smile), “neither do I – we’ll do your plan.”  We chatted and laughed about how times have changed – that in the past – B accompanied me to every appointment but now I actually asked him to stay home with Matthew and I was totally fine with it.  Dr. Y mentioned that most husbands don’t come to every appointment like B did, even on the first few cycles, and that that was so nice of him.  I agree 100%

Then we did the mock transfer and sonohystogram and everything looked just fine.  He took the opportunity to use me (or my uterus) to show the nurse my c-section scar and knew me well enough to turn the screen towards me so I could see too.  We discussed the timing of this cycle with the healing scar and he has no concerns with a pregnancy so close to the section.  I had read that you should wait 2 years before getting pregnant again after a c-section and when I told him that, he said that it’s not a problem and that my uterus healed up perfectly, so we’re good to go.  Dr. Y knows that I’ve usually done my homework before coming in and that all he has to do is validate my concern or question and tell me enough to calm my nerves, and I won’t question him.  He also knows that I will drop the issue or question if I’m happy with his response and he always responds in a very thoughtful, kind way.  I love this doctor!

And then, when I left the room, H (my favorite embryologist) and K (my co-favorite nurse) were waiting in the hallway for me!  They said they heard I was there and wanted to see me.  We hugged, reminisced, talked about each others’ kids, and talked about how excited I am to be back.  It was wonderful!  It was hard to leave!  And then S, my other co-favorite nurse, came by to chat and my visit was complete!

I accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish, and I saw all the people I wanted to see.

And I thanked my lucky stars that I do not have an “oopsie baby” on the way.  That I need these people to help me grow my family.  That I’ve made connections with these wonderful people who make building other people’s families their life’s work.

I’m lucky!


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Memorable Moment Monday – Daddy’s Boy Edition

It’s time for another installment of Memorable Moment Monday over at Pail Bloggers.

Matthew is quite the “Daddy’s Boy” lately.  When B left this morning, it was hard getting Matthew out of his arms without tears.  It was hard on both of them.  There has been recent talk of B maybe needing to travel more for work, and that’s been weighing on him.  Having that on his mind as he left today made this  morning’s episode even harder on B.  But he found out just a bit ago that there won’t be more travel at work – so that’s good!

When I told Matthew that Daddy just found out that he doesn’t need to travel more, this is what I got:

Good stuff!

And then he went to snuggle his favorite kitty cat (after a wardrobe change because, well, his nap time diaper leaked)!


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Where We’ve Been

I haven’t posted forever – and it’s not because things are moving slowly.  Things are crazy busy right now, but great!  Matthew is growing up so much each day and I can’t believe it.  He’s napping only once a day now for 2.5-3 hours so he’s getting 13-14 hours of sleep each day/night which is right on target.  And he’s very, very happy!

We’re looking at new cars for me (we buy used vehicles) because a dealership is offering us too much money for the one I have now and we do need something bigger.  We want to get rid of the current car before it becomes a problem for us.  It’s an Acu.ra, so there really shouldn’t be problems, but given how hard I’ve been on it, it’s time to move onto something else.

I am very optimistic about our upcoming cycle – not so much that it will work (and hey – it may), but with the timing of it.  I am just so very happy with the timing of it.  A huge weight was lifted when the nurse told me last week that we’d start next cycle, or the cycle after that.  I have relaxed so much since hearing that.

My sister and I are working on the business stuff, and I got our products into my favorite children’s boutique a month ago so we’re working on samples for the store.  We’re also doing the main store sign which is super exciting – great exposure!  Linds is super busy with Et.sy orders and we don’t know what will come in from the boutique, but it could be insane so we’re ramping up for that.  We may even hire someone to help us!  We re-branded the company, got it setup as an LLC (thanks, Dad!), got all of the taxation stuff sorted out (thanks again, Dad!), got wholesale pricing from a ton of vendors which cuts our costs almost in half (thanks, Linds!), re-named it (I came up with the idea which I’m proud of), and got the logo done (thanks, cousin Sarah!).  Now – we just need to expand.  We have lots of ideas but we need to go slowly because we’re just not sure how much there could be to do.  It’s exciting, yet daunting at the same time.

Our neighbor found a stray kitty today so of course I asked B if we could feed her – and of course – he said yes  😉  We are both softies when it comes to the animals (example – we wanted to use the hot tub tonight but found a bird nest with babies in it right above the hot tub so our relaxation will have to wait until the birdies have left the nest!).  We haven’t seen her since we put food out but she’s a really friendly girl who would make a nice pet for someone, so my goal is to coax her into the garage and then take her to a no-kill shelter.  I’ve done this in the past (it’s how we got our sweet, sweet Janie) and it took 2 weeks from start to finish – but this kitty is going to be easy to catch if she would just come back.  She let us pet her and probably would have been happy to be picked up.  I won’t do that without long sleeves and a box close by to put her in – so that will have to wait.  I am now worried sick about her.  She’s skinny and needs food, so we’ll keep feeding and watering her (and probably the entire neighborhood’s population of raccoons – ha!) until we can get her to a safe place.  I have promised B that I won’t ask to keep her.  We have 3 kitties – there’s no room in the inn  😉

Other good things are going on but I won’t bore anyone with them.

Photos?  I haven’t posted any photos in a while (aside from Wordless Wednesday and MMM).  Here is our week in review.  Before you see the one photo, let me just say that I had my worst parenting experience of all time this past week.  I was switching the car seat from one trial vehicle to the other when Matthew fell out of the back seat onto the pavement – head first.  It was awful.  AWFUL.  I will never forget it.  He’s just fine and already looks way better today than he did two days ago when it happened, but it seriously looked like he had been in a fight or something (and lost).  I was devastated.  Ugh.  My poor baby.

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(Almost) Wordless Wednesday – Bring Your Kid to Work Edition

B had to go to the Minneapolis office yesterday so we made the trip up with him.  We stopped in to see the cool stuff going on there and Matthew got his own visitor’s badge.  Good stuff!  Then, we were down to one vehicle today so Matthew and I had to pick B up from work this afternoon.  We stopped in to see the team and stretch our legs.

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