Santa Baby

We saw Santa today!!! Trey absolutely loved meeting Donner and Blitzen but wasn't too sure about sitting on Santa's lap.

Donner and Blitzen




It was cold waiting in line to see "The Big Guy"


So we went back to the Reindeer!




It was finally our turn!


2008

2007


Then it was back to the car to warm up and goof around with Daddy before going out for dinner.

Glass Ornaments and Toddlers Do Not Mix

We learned very quickly yesterday that glass ornaments and sweet little boys do not exactly mix well. Trey was carefully overseeing the unpack of the Christmas Ornaments. As we took our special ornaments out of their individual boxes Trey decided they needed to go back in the bin. That's when we heard it! That *POP* that could mean only one thing, a glass globe ornament just broke. Luckily, it was still in it's packaging with all of it's matched so clean up was very simple. With a child who loves to play toss we decided to only put our special ornaments on the tree this year. Let's just say we have no desire to clean fine shards of glass out if the carpet this year.

Friday morning was a 4am rush to Toy R Us to help Santa pick out a swing set and a Power Wheels Li'l Kawasaki Sport. Trey was lucky and slept in waking up just in time to enjoy a lazy morning before going out with Mommy.

Morning Chit Chat.


Trey and his Ally.


Projector Fun


Santa's Grumpy Helper!


Sorting Ornaments




Our Sweet Boy


Who needs presents when we have an empty tin?!




Trey's 1st Christmas 2007


Our Silly Guy!


These bins make for great ball rolling!



A certain Toddler thinks Ally should be comfy...I just washed those covers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving! The morning started off with haircuts for Warren and Trey. Then Auntie Christie, Uncle Steve and Lauren join us for an afternoon full of food and football. It was so nice to spend Thanksgiving with our dear friends and Trey absolutely adores Lauren. Warren setup the projector so we could watch the game which wasn't too bad on our textured green walls. Woohoo Cowboys!!! Boy did we have a spread, it was a pregnant woman or two's dream. Let's see if I can remember everything and you definitely HAVE to try a few of these recipes.

Our Menu
Appetizers
BBQ Glazed Meatballs
Baked Artichoke Spinach Dip
The usual pickles, olives, cheese and crackers.

The Feast
Honey Baked Ham
Loaded Mashed Potatoes
Greenbean Casserole
Cranberry Stuffing
Herb Stuffing
Potato Salad
Rolls

Dessert
Apple Dumplings with Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Pie
Pumpkin Pie

A few pics from last Saturday. Starting with our own Al Bundy.


He's so cool!


Saturday we setup our Christmas tree complete with lights and star. We'll decorate tomorrow.



Warren told Steve Thanksgiving was a formal affair so Steve decided to mess with Warren!


Time to eat!



Our little Cowboy!


Lauren and Trey in Lauren's boots


Watching the game with Daddy.


Stealing Lauren's phone.


This is his Ed Grimley look.


It's time for lounging!


Somehow I only captured Christie's feet but nothing else! We need a bumps picture of the two of us.

Now back to lounging with my two fav. boys! We have a 4am Black Friday wake up call in the morning. Yay for 50% off swingsets!!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Lewis Family! We are so thankful to have such wonderful family and friends like you.

Thanks Linz!

Linz rocks! She pointed me towards a secret baby sale and I thought I'd share it with everyone else. http://www.babysnazz.com/secretsale/
I was able to pick up babylegs for as little as 3.95 each vs the reg $12! I couldn't have made them that cheap!! So that is one big item off my to buy list. Yay!!!

Baby Updates

Yesterday I had a visit with the OB. Brandon was so active he sounded like a galloping horse over the doppler. We're just two peas in a pod since I'm walking around like a cowboy. He is doing great and Mommy was given magic pills to make her Braxton Hicks Contraction go away. We still have a ton of pelvic pressure (the joys of low babies) but our exam shows no signs of early labor. Yay!! In short, I am suppose to slow down. Is that even possible with a toddler? I guess that means it's Daddy's job to do the chasing at night.

Trey has figured out how to truly throw a tantrum. No more carefully laying down on the floor and whimpering softly with his tushy wiggling in the air. No, we now stand in the middle of the room, throw our head back and screams so loud I am sure someone is going to call CPS. Luckily, he figures out we are not going to give in and he calms himself down pretty fast moving on with his day. Who would have guessed the color of his sippy cup could matter so much.

He is also mastering crawling down the stairs all by himself. He can do it, it's more a matter of Mommy can no longer carry him up or down the stairs. He is also now walking up the stairs holding a hand on the wall instead of crawling up the stairs. We are still working on potty training but it is coming along nicely.

Trey's Hideout!


I am currently sorting, washing and hanging all of the 0-6 month clothing. I still need to make room in the "kids" cabinet for the bottles and sort our baby supplies. It is looking like we are pretty set for the newest member of our family but this morning I began a list of items we need to buy over the next few months. Isn't it amazing how much less you need after the first one?! Having another boy makes it even easier. With the first one being a summer baby I am thinking it's just a matter of a few key items to make outfits a tad warmer, especially since I already have things like a double stroller.

I'd really appreciate it if a few of you beautiful Mamas would take a look and give me a few pointers. I really have no idea what I need for a winter newborn!

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving and Black Friday

Trey and I spent the better part of last week down with the flu. Thursday was by far our hardest day but we survived! The one day Warren was trying to rush home to play nurse he gets stuck with the day from hell. Between clients, flat tires and general BS he didn't make it home until just before 9pm. That's a 15 1/2 hour day! He came home to a very grumpy child and a miserable mommy curled up together on the couch under a fluffy blanket. Luckily, he came home with food and we are all feeling better now!

This week we are getting ready for the holidays! There are lists to be made, cards to be printed and all around craziness to be had. Heck, we are still getting ready for Thanksgiving! We have hand turkeys to make, a menu to figure out and all will be followed by putting up our Christmas Tree!! I am actually looking forward to cooking Thanksgiving dinner with Warren but I think we are passing on the turkey this year. After all Trey is too young to care, Mommy looks like she is smuggling a turkey already and Daddy has never been huge on Thanksgiving turkey. Perhaps a less traditional meal...we'll have to figure that out. Pioneer Woman, HELP! :)

A friend, Jessica, showed me this awesome site for Black Friday. I am in love!

http://www.blackfriday.info/

Here's a random secret. I have never been Black Friday shopping and I am so excited!

Now for Random silliness! (Sorry it is sideways)

Halloween Package

Trey's Halloween package came today from Grandma Joanie! It got lost in the mail. "Taaaaaaaaaanks" Grandma Joanie!

Can you have a spotless home and a toddler?

This was one of the very last photos taken of Warren and I together before we officially transitioned into Daddy and Mommy.


Moments later our lives changed forever.


Life has not slowed down since that wonderful mid-July day. Let's just say all organization has gone out the window! For almost 16 months I have been trying to win the battle of clean home verses being a Mom. I think many of us are fighting this same battle. You clean and as soon as the supplies are put away a tornado has hit that once clean room. When I became pregnant with #2 I quickly raised the white flag.

Our home is no longer kept in that "Sure just stop over anytime!" condition. It has hit "Give me an hour!" status. The warm fragrance of that day's scented candle burning has been traded for the aroma of poopy diaper. That delightful smell seems to linger after they move up to solid foods. Clutter free has moved to watch your step as toys seem to find themselves scattered about the house. Yes we have a great playroom but why would a toddler want to play in a playroom?! Clean carpets have been traded for crushed cheerios and milk / juice spots. Whoever told you that sippy cups don't spill has never had children and who steams their carpet daily? Doing dishes as you use them went out the window the day my little one discovered a dishwasher is really just a box that puts sharp and breakable things right at eye level! Can you guess which he goes for first? Now we do them when he is napping and we're done recovering from the last game of chase me. Oh and to add to the chaos we have two dogs and a cat! Trying to keep house, be a mother, be a wife and run a home based business at the same time is not easy but doing it all while pregnant? Thank goodness my Husband knows how to cook, do laundry and clean! Yeah, how lucky am I to have caught that fish! :)

So I decided to give myself a kick and came across this site. FlyLady.net I have decided to give it an honest try. Have I mentioned that I hate cleaning? Don't get me wrong, nothing makes me happier than a clean home. But! I question my friends who claim they truly enjoy cleaning.

Now let's begin with her BabySteps:

Today is Day 1 - Go shine your sink.

"This is your first household chore. Many of you can't understand why I want you to empty your sink of your dirty dishes and clean and shine it, when there is so much more to do. It is so simple. I want you to have a sense of accomplishment. You have struggled for years with a cluttered home and you are so beaten down. I just want to put a smile on your face. When you get up the next morning, your sink will greet you and a smile will come across your lovely face. I can't be there to give you a big hug, but I know how good it feels to see yourself in your kitchen sink. So each morning this is my gift to you. Even though I can't be there to pat you on the back, I want you to know that I am very proud of you.

Go shine your sink! - FlyLady"

Our Little Snuggle Bug Loves His Cars!

Trey has a huge bucket of cars of every size and shape. Some make noise, some light up and some do nothing at all. He absolutely loves cars! I have never been a believer in girl vs boy toys but this boy has been drawn to cars since he was itty bitty.

It started out with this purple car.


That purple car has lived in his crib for the past month with Senor Frog. So, he found two playtime replacements.

A cool H2 Hot Wheel and a simple wooden car. He has to find a place to stash them before he heads up to nap. We have to be safe just in case someone else wakes up before him. I have found them in cabinets, the fridge and behind cushions. In his potty chair is a first.


Trey is such a snuggle bug this week!!

Monday night he played with Daddy all night and was very persistent when it came to taking off his diaper.





Tuesday night he watched the elections snuggle up with Mommy and a bag of snack mix


Thursday was Ally's lucky night!


Wednesday - Friday he snuggled up to my bump all day while everyone else played. Don't be jealous of my no makeup look!



He's becoming such a big boy! Look he knows how to take off all of his clothing and diaper. There is no stopping him anymore. I just feel very lucky there was no poop...this time.


Update:
The above photo in the crib is from 10:30am. At 2:30pm Trey was the first to wake up from nap. I knew there was an issue as soon as I stood outside his door. You guessed it! Inside I discovered a poo covered naked baby and crib. He had taken off his jeans, shirt, diaper cover and diaper! Needless to say, we will be making a trip to the store TONIGHT to buy more footsie zip up jammies, the only thing he can not take off, for him to wear anytime he is in his crib. My biggest question is how he manages to take everything off and cause such a mess without a peep coming over his monitor. Daddy and I will be discussing a video monitor as well. Thank goodness for hand held shower heads!!

Currently he is happily snacking on animal crackers and juice, just like nothing happened, while he waits for everyone else to wake up.

Barriers are broken!

I am so proud of our country! The words are so hard to find but I am so happy my son witnessed this monumental moment in history! As parents, Warren and I, wish to raise our children to accept everyone based solely on their character. Last night, our country stood up and set a wonderful example for our children. We acknowledged it is time to put past prejudices behind us. Putting political beliefs aside, this is a wonderful day in our history. We as Americans elected our first black President! It's a beautiful moment as we unite to move past the prejudices of our country's past and move forward to a new day.

The evening was filled with so many emotions. McCain, though not my pick, blew me away with his concession speech. I think it could easily be his most moving speech. "Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans" - McCain.

We witnessed race barriers disappear as celebration united our country. Dr. King's dream came true!


UPDATE:
I am very disappointed to see the bans on gay marriage approved in Arizona, California and Florida. I must say Arkansas' ban on unmarried couples becoming adoptive or foster parents is sickening. Why deprive a child of a loving home? We just have to remind ourselves, "This too shall pass."

Fresh Produce, Halloween Candy, Sales and General Randomness

Your doctor scheduling your 1 Hour Glucose Test for Gestational Diabetes the week after Halloween is just evil! What pregnant woman doesn't want to eat all of the Halloween candy? But, I am guessing living off of candy would be a bad idea. Or maybe I can blow it off till next week, hmm. Luckily, I am craving fresh tomatoes!

I would give anything for a tomato sandwich with a little salt and pepper right now. Anything, even make a roast! That's right, I currently have a Roast in the crock pot. In my book, roast is gross but Warren loves it. He loves meatloaf as well, another huge "EWW!!!" in my book. Hopefully this roast will result in Hubby bringing home Tomatoes for Trey and I!! Yes, Trey wants them too. I asked and he shook his head yes and said "Mato!" Okay, so there is a small possibility that I am using our toddler and roast to get tomatoes.

Now for some Trey randomness!

This is how he was discovered in his crib! He took his shirt off and put it back on right side out but upside down. The collar was on the bottom.


Our handsome boy!


This is his mischievous face.


Busted!! (That's chalk from outside on his pants)



Look who's having a huge sale this month!!! I received a list of her sales in this month's newsletter, check it out!
Get Ready for the Holidays Sale
**Keep in mind ALL orders must be submitted by December 8th, 2008 to guarantee December 25th arrival!**

November 3rd - 9th, 2008
Check Daily to see that day's Specially Priced Item at up to 50% off!

November 10th-16th, 2008
25% off Your entire purchase when you Purchase 2 or more Mommy Bracelets.
1 use per Customer.
Checkout Code: SeasonsGreetings

November 17th-23rd, 2008
Buy any 3 Items, Receive a $25 Gift Certificate!
Gift Certificate Code will be emailed to you within 24 hours of purchase.

November 24th - 30th, 2008
25% off Any Necklace!
Excludes custom orders.
Checkout Code: joy

December 1st - 8th, 2008
Free shipping!
Checkout Code: holiday

Visiting the FFA Barn

First, our morning belly kisses.


This morning we met Lauren up at the local FFA barn for Obama's morning feeding. Trey wasn't too sure about all the animals and noise but he loved running around outside the barn! Warning: Trey smudged the lens and I could not for the life of me get his finger goo off.

Meet Obama the goat!



We met some piggies too! (Most of the animals were off at show)



This is Big Boy! He rolls over like a dog when you scratch his shoulder.




More piglets!




This little one was an attention hog!




Then we were off to run around outside with Lauren before grocery shopping.




Trey has spent most of his night curled up with his Ally Bear, Halloween costume, two diaper covers and a shoe....