just another manic monday.

Why are Mondays so rough? I love short weeks. I like beginning my work week on a Tuesday. I haven't worked a full week since September 14th. Um, that's crazy. Thank you, maternity leave, snow, and ice! Looks like my streak will end this week and it was really hard waking up this morning knowing that I will actually have to work 5 days in a row! {gasp!}

I am so stinkin' tired. See that sweet face above? Well, he decided that his day would begin promptly at 4:00....IN THE MORNING. Not even kidding. Wide awake. Happy as a clam. Nobody should be allowed to start their day that early in the morning...not even a cute 4 month old! I should be sleeping, but I am blogging instead. Priorities, people!
We have now entered in to a fun new stage in the world of Grayson...highchairs! Holy cow, I love these things! He has started sitting in them at restaurants and we are using ours at home when we eat dinner. G loves sitting up and being part of the action and I love being able to eat without holding a baby! Look how big he looks--eek!

He has done well in them at restaurants (except for our first attempt at Bricks Cafe where he pitched a royal fit--yep, he was THAT kid) and I can't get over how old he looks. I remember buying the highchair cover thinking it would be forever until we would actually use it. Time is flying by! The boy is also super interested in our food and drinks lately. Check out his face as Ben dips into the Chili's queso--such a tease! Similac will have to do for now. gag.

We are doing the Biggest Loser challenge at school and I am participating. This past week the scale at school said I lost 3.2lbs (yes, I took off my shoes) AND this weekend I had to buy new jeans because I lost a pant size! HOLLA! I am doing the 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels and she really kicks my tail. I need another video to switch it up...any suggestions?? It's time to shed this flab!

happy dance! happy dance!

You may have read in this post from last year that I have I absolutely love Brad Paisley. When I say love, I really mean love. It's not just Brad, I think his whole family is so cute! I want to be friends with them. I mean, they live in Franklin, so it can happen, right?! ANYWAYS...I have always told Ben that I need to see Brad Paisley live before I die. My life would then be complete. Well, guess who is going to see Brad Paisley at the end of February?!?!

ME! ME! ME! ME! {enter high-pitch squeals}

I'm beyond excited! My hubs knows me pretty well:)

p.s-I may or may not have found the Paisley home yesterday while driving around. Um, I swear I'm not a crazy stalker...

more snow day fun

We had snow day #7 yesterday! I am SO ready for warm weather but I do love days that I get to hang out with Grayson. We got lucky this time because it was actually Ben's off day, too!

Can I just say for the first time probably EVER Grayson took a 2 1/2 hour nap in his CRIB?! I'm not sure what we did differently but I was so excited! The boy is a chronic 45 minute napper. 45 minute naps=cranky boy. Maybe we have turned a corner in this nap time thing.

Grayson's favorite thing to do is hang around the house with just a diaper on. He immediately gets the biggest grin on his face as soon as you take his clothes off. He sat in our bonus room playing for an hour in just his diaper! Um, and notice the wet belly? Thank you, drool.

G also mastered the art of rolling from tummy to back yesterday! He had done it twice by himself before and could do it if I helped him out a little. However, I guess an extra snow day gave him the umph he needed to officially be a roller!

He chewed on his feet and practiced baby yoga.

This kid is obsessed with bath time and he loves him some bath toys! I mean seriously...look at all his little squirty animals! Chew, chew, chew...

Ben and I took Grayson to Hobby Lobby (one of my fave places) to get some picture frames. I ordered a few big prints from Shutterfly of G and I can't wait to hang them up! They look amazing! I can't wait to share pictures once everything is hung up!

Our school district has 3 snow days left. Bring it on!

what i'm loving right now.

• the fact that our snow is almost all the way melted. I am getting sick of the snow & am longing for the days of sunshine, outside recess, sunglasses, and the pool!
• eBay. I am obsessed. This is a recent discovery for me (thanks auntie June...although I'm sure Ben is not so thankful) and I am LOVING finding tons of boutique brands of baby clothing for great prices. I'm actually not being too bad. Remember I have a weekly allowance that I can't go over! :) All I have to say is that G will be one handsome boy this summer in his jon jons & bubbles!
• the Keurig in our lounge at school. ohmygoodness it makes the best coffee ever!! It makes going to work a bit easier. If only I had one at home...
• my students always surprise me with little things for Grayson. He got a new pair of baby slippers this week from one of my cute boys. G is like our little 1st grade mascot. :)
• a sleeping baby. a sleeping baby who is in his crib. a sleeping baby who is in his crib sleeping all night long again! *insert happy dance*
• the last of the Three Muskateers, Leener, got engaged this past week!!! Woohoo!!!
• Catching up with friends. It is so hard to keep in touch with everyone when you are all spread out across the country. Having a baby makes it even harder. I promise I am working on balancing this aspect of my life. But, I do love my friends and catching up with them really makes me happy!
• Our new video camera!!
• Grayson laughing at the dogs. They are pretty funny.
• The Lose It! app on my iPhone. Tracks calories, exercise, and how much weight you are losing. I just joined the Biggest Loser at school and I REFUSE to pay because I gained weight. It won't happen. This app will help me.
• Angry Birds. I'm obsessed.

Happy Saturday!

all the single ladies!

Today over at Kelly's Korner she is doing a bloghop trying to set up single friends! Well, ladies & gents, I want to introduce you to one of my favorite people ever, Mary! Isn't she beautiful?? Yes, yes she is.
Mary is 44 & lives in the Nashville area. I am a lucky gal because I get to see her smiling face every day at work! We teach 1st grade together and she makes my days a little more fun:) Mary is the mama to 2 teenagers and a cute little pup! She is an avid runner, work out fiend, and is currently studying to be a dietician! ...and the lucky man of her dreams will be happy to know that she is an AMAZING baker!! Seriously, it's her thing. She's fun, can always make you laugh, and one of the most selfless people I know.

This gal is wonderful & deserves someone who is equally as fabulous. If you know someone who you think might be interested in getting to know Mary, leave me a comment!

crazies.

Dear Mr. American Man who left a comment to me about boycotting American women because we are terrible,

You're an idiot. Do yourself a favor & get a mail-order bride and call it a day.

Love,

Lo

4 months

Grayson is 4 months old today! How did that happen?? This was my favorite sock monkey photoshoot so far because he a mover & a shaker and is starting to show SO much personality!Stats:
Weight: 13.3lbs...25th percentile
Length: 25.5 inches....75th percentile -- we have a tall and skinny boy on our hands!!
Clothes: I had to finally pack up all of your 3 month clothing. tear. the pants were starting to look like a flood was coming through. You are now wearing all 6 month clothing! Lengthwise, they fit G perfectly...however, this kid is all skin & bones (definitely didn't get that from his mama!) and the pants are literally falling off his waist! Sing with me now, "pants on the ground, pants on the ground.."

Grayson has become very interested in moving lately. He rolled all by himself this week! Grayson would much rather stand than sit and it is a constant battle to keep his socks on his kicking feet! He is a very active little boy. He is so close to sitting up on his own. He can hold himself up for a few seconds and then will start leaning forward. I know he will love playing with his toys when he can sit without the boppy behind him!

These days everything he touches goes directly in his mouth. Everything. Grayson loves to grab, hold, and chew on his toys. Right now his favorite thing is Sophie the Giraffe. Best. Teether. Ever. Downside: Sophie's squeaker drives the dogs crazy.

{Um, is my baby really standing? What the frack?!}

The past month has been a whirlwind of sleep in our household. On Christmas Eve Grayson slept 12 hours straight--best present ever!!! That lasted for a week. One glorious week. Then Grayson decided that sleep was a terrible thing & boycotted until this week. It was awful. He was up screaming bloody murder almost every hour. These past few weeks I have been taking my birth control religiously...just sayin'! Thankfully (fingers crossed) we have turned a corner and are no longer dealing with the horrible 4 month sleep regression.

Grayson has been loving "school." His teachers are wonderful and they actually have a curriculum set up for the babies which really cracks me up. They tell me that he loves story time & singing...but is always unsure of the art projects. :) Every day when I pick him up he sits in the backseat of the car and just talks away like he is telling about everything that happened that day. Grayson is so chatty! I love it. He also started laughing this month! It is probably the cutest sound ever. He thinks his daddy and the crazy dogs are just hilarious. When the pups bark it cracks him up!

Grayson's personality has really come to life and I love how much energy he has. He is making every day so much fun!

Happy 4 months to my sweet little G!

hot mess.

I want to thank the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta for making me feel like a normal human being.

Dwight may be my fave "housewife."

LOVE me so Kim Z. & NeNe...but they are the definition of a hot mess!!

positive.

One year ago today I saw a positive sign. A small little positive sign that would change my life forever. Something I had literally dreamed of my entire life. I remember screaming & Ben running upstairs. I remember the dogs going crazy. I remember sending 3 of my friends a text that simply read: +. I remember finding it ironic that my parents had just brought me a case of my favorite wine a week before. I remember immediately putting the conception date into my phone app to see the expected due date. I remember telling Ben over and over that I didn't believe it.

Isn't it weird how that positive turned to this?
...and that jelly bean turned into a smiley baby boy??

I'm still so thankful for that positive. :)

Grayson's Guide to a Successful Snow Day

1. Touch the snow. Make sure it is safe & okay.
2. Take a pic with mama without crying.

3. Hang out with your feet out. Cheap toys!

4. Model new clothes. But DO. NOT. SMILE.

5. Play with every single toy possible.

6. Call my friends, Molly Cate & Ruby....and wonder why they won't answer! Give up angrily & then eat my phone.

7. Sit back, relax, and watch Baby Einstein.

8. Convince my mom that it's easier to play naked so she doesn't have to change bibs/outfits 10 times a day.

9. Take a nice warm bath with all my "friends" and then call it a night!

menu plan (almost) monday

I planned 5 dinners and 1 lunch this week. I'll start with my lunch. I made pasta fagiolo soup today that I will take to school with me this week. It is yummy! I got the recipe from Family Circle and had to share:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 8 ounces (about 2 cups) small pasta shells
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 bunch fresh kale, tough stems discarded, cut into 1-inch pieces and washed
• 2 cans small white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute.

2. Stir in tomatoes, broth and 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Add pasta and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

3. Stir in kale; cook 5 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium and stir in beans, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Heat through.

4. Ladle into bowls and ENJOY!

I'm also having it for dinner tonight...perfect for a 20 degree day!! I have no idea what night we will eat these meals but here are our choices:

• Chicken spaghetti...will make enough to freeze for another night!
• Poppyseed Chicken
• Dijon-herb marinated chicken with roasted garlic cous cous & sauteed zucchini
• Chicken & veggie soup in the slow cooker
  
• Beef Stew
  

dump of the brain.

Now that I am back at work, I feel like I have zero down time. Here is what my weekdays are pretty much looking like:

• wake up around 5:30am & get myself ready (I shower the night before to save time)
• Grayson usually wakes up between 6:00-6:15am...change him, feed him, dress him, love on him.
• make my breakfast, pack my lunch, drop G off at daycare or leave him with Ben until he goes to work
• school from 7:45-4:00...I'm actually quite productive during my school breaks now since I want to leave the second my car riders are gone!
• Pick up Grayson at 4:30 and keep him entertained until about 8:00
• G goes to bed between 8:00-8:30 & then I wash all the bottles, get his things ready for daycare the next day, fold laundry, clean kitchen, shower, and......maybe sit for 30 minutes before bed.

Can I please have 6 more hours added to my day?? I feel rushed to get everything finished all the time. Going back to work has not been as hard as I thought it would. Of course I would much rather be with Grayson all day but I love seeing my friends every day & I am lucky to have a great class this year. That big gummy smile I get every afternoon makes it okay, too:)

I still can't believe it is 2011. I did not make a single resolution this year...but I do have a few goals for myself.

• stick to our budget & save money. I am back in my couponing groove as of this week. I have also set a weekly grocery budget for myself. I'm going to start writing down how much we spend weekly on food each week so I can hopefully watch that number go down! ...and because I am horrible about going to places (**cough** TARGET **cough**) and spending $60 on who knows what, I have given myself a weekly allowance. Yep, I am 14 again.
• eat better. Brought out the Weight Watchers cookbook and got some recipes for this week.
• Get fit or die tryin' .......remember when I was all motivated last year to do this? Oh yeah, and like 2 weeks later I got pregnant. That didn't work out so well for me this time last year. Time to give it a go again! Since it's too cold to power walk with G, I am going to start doing the 30 Day Shred again. Jillian kicks my butt. I really want to get the Wii Zumba too! Now if only I could find a good time to work out...
• make my own baby food. saves LOTS of money, seems pretty easy, and can typically be more nutritional. I just bought a book for my iPad Nook about making baby food & I am really excited to try in about a month!

....okay, brain dump over! off to do a snow dance.

i hate teeth.

Dear horrible-no good-mean & nasty tooth monster,

I would kindly like to ask for my happy, smiley, good sleeping baby back. For the love, give him a tooth already & then leave us alone. Thank you.

I hate you,

the mama who got maybe 3 hours of sleep last night & has jury duty all today.

Today is Grayson's first day of "school." I am in denial of this & refuse to think about it. I don't know why they call it school when he is only 3 months old. He gets to make a footprint & a handprint today. G was up basically all. night. long. It was terrible. He would only sleep when Ben was holding him. We have done a complete 180---he was sleeping 11 hours a night just a week ago! Oh, and crying it out? It takes our stubborn child 1 whole hour to cry himself to sleep...which is torture to me. I hate it. Any helpful mama hints of making your baby sleep during teething would be greatly appreciated:)