It's been a long. long. time.

It feels like it's been a million years since I blogged last. Most of my favorite bloggers have given in to facebook or twitter and stopped blogging too. Two little kids that need my constant attention have made it so I can't check out too many blogs either. The economy has made it so I don't have many self-indulgent purchases to show off, or even hope of getting. The knitting has stopped because good quality yarn became another indulgence that seemed frivolous, especially when I never finished anything!
We moved into a different home, not nearly as gorgeous as the craftsman we restored with our own 2 hands, but this new place is in a better neighborhood where we don't hear gun shots nightly. I'm adjusting to it, but know that it's whats best for my kids and me too.
The kids are getting bigger and bigger. Cash can sit up and loves to play with his feet and hands. Seamus is learning so much so fast. Can count and say everyday of the week and recognize all the letters of the alphabet. It's wild to see my kids growing into little members of society.
We went dirt bike riding this weekend. The first trip all year, Seamus has no memory of our past trips and this was the first time he got to ride his bike outside of the back yard. It was really cold, so me and Cash spent most of the time in our comfy toy hauler, but it was gorgeous up there with snow on the mountain tops. I can't wait to go again soon.

The Fancy One.

Seamus got into the preschool I'd hoped he would. I've known about it all summer, even though Seamus loves the preschool he's currently attending, the one at the same place he attended Mommy & Me. He has friends there that he's known since he was 6 months old, he loves his teachers and it's a 2/3rd's cheaper than the fancy preschool. With the crappy economy and all our housing drama, Rick had me feeling guilty about even thinking about sending him to the fancy school. I kind of got used to the idea that he wouldn't be going there after all, but my gut keeps telling me to go to the fancy one. The pressure! It eats me up and it's just preschool! I went to an awesome school and all of the kids I went to school with went to ivy-league schools...um, except me, my sister and my best friend : P

I just want him to get off on the right foot, love school, want to go to college, strive for better things and follow through. It seems like the boys in this area of LA just fumble around and live at home forever. I want mine to get a degree and make mommy proud!

And then my sister pointed out that the school he already goes to spelled classroom wrong. Great. It makes me want to send him to the fancy place now. The only reason I hadn't noticed it was because I hadn't read the paperwork yet. Crap.

.Book Spree.

I finally decided to use my Amazon gift certificate I got for my birthday and buy myself a couple books.

I'm really excited about this one.



This one I've wanted for sometime, but never seemed to have the money for.




And this one since I like to cook and try new things.



These books pretty much sum me up!

Life is sucking right about now. A place that seemed to good to be true came up for rent. It was amazing. The landlord was cool. The neighborhood was awesome. The rent was cheap- with all utitilies included!!! But like I already stated, too good to be true. With our current "owned" house in limbo, the land lord's lawyer advised him not to rent to us. Which totally sucks, because we wouldn't have screwed him over. We would've been good tenants that would've paid on time. But I get his hesistation and don't blame him :(

I tend to be one of those people that gains a lot of weight when pregnant. I gained 70 pounds with Seamus, and another 70 with Cash. I lost all but 10 pounds last time, but it took over a year! I can't gripe too much, I didn't exercise a lot. I didn't diet. I just breastfed and it just ever so slowly tapered off. It felt like forever!
This time around I don't have the patience, I want the weight off ASAP. I'm 25 and want to feel like it. I don't think anyone feels their best when they're carrying around extra pounds, but for me it is so shameful. It totally brings me down. So I made the decision that I'd give myself two months to let whatever weight would come off, come off- and then I'd try Weight Watchers. I read this blog. She's amazing and I love all of her blogs. And her style! So she's inspired me to shed the pounds faster. I'm hoping by Christmas- hell, maybe even Halloween!-that I'll be back to what I was. If not completely, a noticeable difference. I hate even seeigng myself in [pictures right now, so I'm usually the one behind the lens taking them. Rick looks like a single parent when all the pictures get developed, I'm not in a single one! Hopefully by exposing my new "diet" plans to the world via blog, I will kick my ass into sticking with it. This is only my second day, and I like it! I find the point system interesting and like organizing it all. Even my crackberry let me manage my points from it, which is awesome for when I'm away from home and probably wouldn't remember otherwise. So far, I'm eating a lot the same. I even still get to have my chai tea latte's. Just with skim milk. And it knows I'm breastfeeding, so I think it gives me extra points. And I noticed that I can have pizza still. Which seems weird. I'll update you all on how I keep up with it. I have to. I'm signed up for at least the next three months!

Mad Men Yourself...I did!

Me


Rick


Do it here.

A Little Bit of Awesomeness

With all the stresses of two small kids and responsibilities, I decided to treat myself to something a little nice and extravagant.

An Agent Provocateur corset that was 75% off...

So lucky that most of the stuff I wanted was already sold out in my size!

And Rick's car made it in a new magazine, though it's not known as a hot rod mag. Here's a preview shot, it's going to be a 6-page spread and an interview. Cool!

Summer Days

Hangin' with friends...


Lounging with the baby...


Face paintings...


My new favorite picture of my boy...


The best 3rd Birthday Party ever. On top of a big fire truck...


A fun-filled 4th with friends...


My littlest boy getting bigger by the day...



For now life is good.

My Three Babies

Rick had shoulder surgery yesterday. So now I've got THREE babies!!! Luckily I feel back to my old self (finally!!!) and think I can wing it. I've got a lot of help from Rick's parents, they take Seamus for the day because that's what he wants- I'd rather have him home to snuggle with. And I still have a bunch to do. Thank You cards from my kids kick-ass fireman party...those frickin' baby announcements that I have yet to order still...just mopped the kitchen floor...inbetween super-long baby nursing sessions...organizing my kids room...sorting through all the baby clothes Cash has already outgrown (only 3 weeks old people!!!)...and trying to find the perfect retro style swimsuit to cover up as much of the post baby damage for my trip to Palm Springs in July. Hopefully a month will be long enough to shed some extra pounds from solely breastfeeding. I'm too lazy to workout. And did I mention that I've had to give up my beloved dairy? Yes, the baby seems to disagree with whatever dairy I eat or drink. So I've had to give it up and now am taking soy milk. It's okay, but I've only cut it out of my diet for the last day. I know it's going to get harder as the days go by. *sigh*

Along with baking a fabulous cake, I am also trying to capture an awesome picture of my two boys for the baby birth announcements I'd like to send out before the baby graduates high school. This is the best shot as of yet.


*The card looks a little funky because I photoshopped out his first name*

Biting Off More Than I Can Chew

This weekend will be my son's 3rd birthday party. I decided to have it a week after his actual birthday because at the time I was sending out his invitations I had yet to have the baby, and wanted to make sure I had a little bit of time to recover. Now as his party approaches, and I'm looking for suitable fire truck-themed cakes, I'm only finding DYI ones. They all sound great in theory, and I'm pretty sure given the proper circumstances I could make one...but with two little kids and yapping dogs I'm not sure I'll be able to do it. Let alone make it look presentable enough for people to want to eat! I found this example and the guy makes it sound do able. But it was created over 2 nights. Will it even taste good? Otherwise I'll just order a sheet cake :(
My sister used to work the bakery at a popular super market chain and said it's totally do-able. The decorating is what I'm scared of! And what if I realize it doesn't look good enough and then it's too late to order one???

Happy Fathers Day!!!

...to all the baby-daddy's out there...


*6-18-06* Father's Day 2006


*6-4-09*

How To Turn 3

My Baby Boy turned 3 today. We let him pick what he wanted to do today, and he opted for the zoo. Even though I gave birth two weeks ago, and the stitches still hurt. *ouch!* I was hell bent on spending all day with him. I'm just bummed I forgot my camera! We saw flamingos, and lions, and monkeys, and giraffes. And even a ram with a goatee- that he decided was his uncle, and a female ram that was sleeping, that he decided was his auntie.
Then we finished off the day at his Nana-Papa's house for pizza and a Spiderman cake, and he got to open up his favorite present. A fireman costume!

He's Here!

*Cash
June 4, 2009
2:31 AM
9 lbs. 3.4 oz.
20 inches


The labor? Easy! I was induced at 3PM and he was born 12 hours later. The doctor was concerned about his size, and the fact that I had such a difficult labor the first time. It could not have gone any smoother. No complications, no scares. I've heard so many scary stories, and am blessed to say that mine went so simple. Everything seems so much easier this time around. And Seamus loves his baby brother too! No jealousy, no tantrums, just enthusiasm. It's awesome!

No Baby Yet...

But I think it will be very soon! This morning I could've been induced, but opted out of it. I like the idea of having the baby right here, right now- because I'm impatient- but I also want to leave it up to fate. Let him come on his own. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to have gotten the memo. He hasn't dropped (my 1st son didn't until he was coming out!), I'm dilated at 2cm and nothing else seems to be ready. This is EXACTLY like my first son! I guess it's just me. What did I have to look forward too? 4 days of contractions 7 minutes apart, no sleep because of them, finally an epidural 4 hours before he was born- and a baby in distress due to the pitocin...Luckily I squeaked by without a c-section. Hopefully I will squeak by without one again!

25 Sucks

Birthdays suck. They just do. I'm 25 and have been dreading it for so long, that yesterday I noticed the date on my cell phone and actually went, "Wow, I can't believe I haven't even paid attention! I almost completely forgot I'm having a birthday this year!"
I have an innate fear of getting old, and can honestly say the only birthdays I looked forward to were 16, 17, and 18. Not even 21! On top of that I caught a nasty cough from my son, and have had it a lot longer than he had it. Add on to that the sniffles and sneezing that started this morning. Being sick on your birthday sucks! And I've heard a few times that 25 is considered a "real" adult. That sucks too!

So my boys did their best to cheer me up. And I must admit, it was mighty sweet!


*I let the little one open my present for me...*



*Ooh, what's that? My Trashy Diva dress! Yipee!*



*My birthday cake. The first cake Rick has ever baked- and he put Seamus to work too! It was pretty good, and Spice- my favorite!*


*Me and Seamy blowing out the candles...*



*Testing out the finished product- yummy! And do you see how swollen my face is? Uh! Disgusting!*

Overall it wasn't too bad, I guess. But I'm not looking forward to getting older...

I'm still pretty bummed about not getting that house. I'm really irked about it. I guess everything happens for a reason, but I feel like it would've been an easy transition that would have eased a lot of stress. But what's done is done, and I have no control over it now. I don't see any great prospects in our future, so we'll suck it up and stay here. Our house is nice, too bad we can't put it on the back of a flat bed and take it to a new location! And Rick talked to the cops yesterday and complained about the neighbors. Of course they're already familiar with them, but didn't put our minds at ease. They will do nothing, unless they are physically harming me while on the phone with 9-1-1! Damn, police.

In brighter news...

Here's a sample of my son's birthday invitation. This is just a sample and in no way reflects any of our real info. I used eBay again. Different company than last year. No reason, other than just finding EXACTLY what I was looking for here and they are on the ball. Sent out the proofs within hours and I'm really excited to be receiving them in the mail.



And then this is just a picture of a diaper bag by Trophy Queen that I have fallen in love with. I have two bags from them already, and praise their quality. I don't own Louis Vuitton or Gucci, like some of my friends, but these bags last and I've used the same one for years without the slightest sign of wear. I use my Mexican blanket handbag daily and thought about replicating the bag as a diaper bag, but what's the point? When going for an awesome Kustom bag, shouldn't they be different- but equally as awesome? Somehow I can imagine Rick having a problem using this one. *sigh* Men.
For now it's just a dream anyway. We're broke, but with my currents stresses and turmoil, feel like treating myself. As I always seem to! I can afford it, put it on the credit card and pay in 2 installments. I'd be a great financial adviser wouldn't I? J/ K

So Bummed. So Pissed.

We had found an awesome Craftsman house to rent that was AMAZING. The stupid management lady said it was ours. We faxed in our application and then never heard from her again. Until today. She never even ran our application, and rented it to someone else instead. I'm so fucking pissed! The place was perfect, and the only place I was willing to move to. Maybe we jinxed ourselves by telling people we were looking at it. Who the fuck knows. But I'm beyond annoyed. I avoided sending out my sons fireman birthday invitations because we weren't sure were the party was going to be. Well, now we know. Come on down to the ghetta!

5~16

Today is my first wedding anniversary. I'm getting old. I'll be 25 in a week and can't believe at my age I've already had so many milestones, like marriage and two kids. My life is flying by.


*5-16-08*


*So frustrating! I can't find the professional photo disc of our wedding, so I'm scanning these and the quality is crappy! Argh!*



*And I'm still totally in love with my dress! I refuse to go and have it put in a preservation box. It's in my hallway hanging in it's dress bag where I can fondle it at anytime. I know that makes me crazy, right? And if I could fit into right now, I probably would clean around the house in it when no one else was home!*

Last year we had a wild time. We planned it all on a budget, therefore somethings were a little scattered-brained and unorthodox, but I wouldn't change a thing. Rick's cousins husband made us the most gorgeous wedding cake ever- as a gift! He works at some fancy hotel in Orange County where he makes cakes that have chocolate waterfalls and all kinds of foofy stuff. But his cakes are the best cakes ever. Nothing compares! When I told him my concept he looked at me like I was crazy, but the finished product was even better than I expected.


*Unfortunately, the idiot waiters at our recpetion site cut into the top layer when cutting our cake. A big no-no. I had guests running up frantically to us about it. We were supposed to save it for our one year anniversary.*

So tonight we went to what has to be the fanciest restaurant in own. The weird thing is this town isn't that nice, but the prices at this place are beyond outrageous. My mom had given us a $50 gift certificate for this place as a Christmas gift, and that didn't even cover one persons dinner! We each had a steak, probably the best we've ever had- and split two sides. Because you know at a place like this, a side dish isn't even included! We skipped dessert, and the bill was $117! Holy shit! At least it was an anniversary dinner! Later we went for a cruise in Rick's old truck along the coast, and then we went home and he surprised me with this.


*A cake by his cousin's husband Christoph! Probably the frickin' sweetest thing ever!*

Needless to say, I think Rick bought himself another year!

New Hair. And A New Home?

*Excuse my sweaty face. And the chub. Keep in mind that I am 37 weeks pregnant and have cankles! But how many people look amazing the last couple weeks anyway? Or at least that's what I'm telling myself....*

*37 weeks this Saturday*

I am the type of person who will talk about change forever, but hardly ever do it. Like my hair, talked about it for nearly 9 months and finally bit the bullet today. It's been so hot, and my hair was feeling so heavy and blah. So I made an appointment, and just did it. I almost backed out, but Rick told me that if I came back with only one inch cut off he wasn't going to pay for it. So I had to! And I love it! The Bettie-look may be temporarily gone, but I'm hoping that by the time my hair grows back I will be able to fit in my dresses again. I just really needed a change.

And it looks like we may be moving. We found a nice craftsman bungalow with a lot of the old features that resemble our current home, but not as nice. It's in a great neighborhood and has a view! The house was a rental for years, so it's a little funky, but for the most part- great. I keep falling back into panic mode though. Think of reasons to stay, because the house we live in is amazing. At least to us. We did everything to make this house EXACTLY how we wanted. We have an old claw tub for gods sake! I'll show pictures of it soon. And the outside once we move. If we move. And you all will wonder why the fuck we chose to leave. Sometimes I think that way too. Is it the worst neighborhood? No, but it sucks and it's getting worse. And it will only be a little while later before Rick loses his cool and goes over to those tweaker tagger dudes and gets in a fight. And those guys all congregate on the porch in a pack of 10 or more. So my little Blondie won't have a chance :(
And I'm not promoting violence either. I just have to keep reminding myself of the positives for moving. Like the fact that this house in a NICE neighborhood is $1300 cheaper a month, and $6,000 a year in property tax added to that- cheaper. Yeah. That makes a HUGE difference, doesn't it? In walking distance from Seamus' pres-school. And it's got a nice Magnet school close by, if we stay long enough for Seamus to attend, and a few other pluses. One minus? They want us to move in ASAP or it may go to someone else. Like next week ASAP. I will be completely immobile in doing anything. I can barely walk as it is! So Rick will be moving it all with me sitting on a chair pointing. And stressing since I'm about to give birth. And the ironic part is that I said very early in this pregnancy that I didn't want to be moving with a newborn. Can I call it or what?

Oh well...it'll all work out, whatever we do. And let me be shallow for a moment, and just stare at my new hair!

Yeah, I'm Not Here For You

In a small town like this, it's inevitable to run into people you don't want to see. Like ex-boyfriends.

Rick and I have been talking a lot about moving lately. We've been pondering renting a home in a really nice neighborhood for cheaper than our current mortgage, and saving up the extra money so we can buy a new house in a few years in that type of neighborhood. We've been looking on craigs list, and doing drive-bys.

Today me and Seamus went to go look at two houses. One was in a cul de sac that was a bit of a tight squeeze. I pulled into another driveway to get out and realized that standing in this said driveway was an ex-boyfriend and his father. I didn't know where they lived! My jaw drops, as does his. He seems to be under the impression that I'm here for him. He must not notice the toddler in back, or my huge belly! I reverse and get the hell out of there as fast as possible. It was the strangest situation I've gotten myself into in a while!

Needless to say there is no way I'll be able to handle living three doors down from him. I don't think Rick would either. The guy was a total mistake I made right before I met Rick, who threw public tantrums for almost a year into Rick and I going out. There is no hard feelings, but I just think it would be a little creepy. And that guy used to be a total nightmare.

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to keep looking around!

Um...

Um...when did sober living move in across the street? Apparently, recently! And I'm 100% serious!!!!

I think it's time to move. Officially!!!!

~35 Weeks~

Sunday was my baby shower. My sister-in-law and mother-in-law rock and threw me a little bash with just friends and a little family. I got some awesome stuff, and am good to go now. Here's some pics of my big ass belly. Maybe I'll post some pics of the stuff I got later.


*My feet are officially swollen most of the day now, and my arms are ginormous! Ahhh!!!!!!*


And here's a pic of my belly from two weeks ago. Way smaller!

Yes...I'll Take Two of Those

I'm a creature of habit, I like what I like- and that's about it. When I saw these on sale for 40% off I just had to buy 2. Happy early birthday to me. Rash purchase? Yes, I'm still 8 months prego, but I know what my size is *normally* and am crossing my fingers and hoping for the best once this baby is born. I've heard losing the baby weight the second time around may be tough, so there may be many crash diets in my future!

How is it possible that I overdrew my account by $3.68??? And that the bank wants to charge me $35.00 for it!!! Rick is going to kill me! Oh crap! Oh crap! I hope he can go into the bank and charm one of those tellers into refunding it! Oh crap!

~Diamonds Are A Girls' Best Friend~

Three years ago on Mothers' Day- a month before my son was born, Rick bought me a pair of 1 ct. diamond stud earrings. A year later I lost one of them in the backyard grass and was devastated. I turned off the sprinklers and let the grass die. After 3 months of Rick bitching about the condition the backyard was becoming, I finally gave up. But not before cutting cutting apart most of it inch by inch with a steak knife, starting many contained little fires, sifting through grass, assembling metal detectors, orange spray paint sectioning off the areas and having my sister-in-law help. It was a nightmare and I couldn't sleep or function. It was so hard to give up, and I still won't forgive myself. And I don't see any more diamonds in my future! Reason #1- we can't afford it! So I've decided that once this pregnancy is over, and I'm done breastfeeding, I'll probably get a tiny one tattooed behind my ear. Is the idea original? No. Do I really need to give a long explanation to anyone who asks why I have it? No. Tattoos can have meanings or not. To me, it doesn't matter and I just like it.



*not that big!*