Happy Halloween!

If there is one thing you should know about me, its that I love the holidays. For me, the holidays begin on Halloween. I've had my kids' costumes made since early September. That's how obsessed I am with Halloween!
I don't have any tutorials on how to do what I did for their costumes, but I HAVE to show off how cute my kids are in them!

 In case you can't tell, Princess is Rapunzel and Studley is a... uh... dinosaur?

 Is she rockin' that wig or what?

I know, I know... Studley is the cutest little dinosaur you ever did see!

While I do love Halloween, I do not love spending a fortune on costumes. All together, Rapunzel and Dinosaur cost me about $17... that includes the yarn for the wig, and tulle for the tutu, and then felt for the dinosaur scales and the gray hoodie they are sewn onto. Not too bad, right?

What about you? What are you doing for Halloween?

Cozy Comfy Fleece Blanket Tutorial

What a perfect day to make a nice, warm fleece blanket to snuggle my kiddos with! Its snowing and windy, and all I've wanted to do all day is drink hot chocolate and watch cartoons.

Nonetheless, I made this blanket during nap time today. Its actually for Studley for Christmas, but hey, I gotta get it done!

I got some fleece at our local Joann's on super-duper sale, so the blanket cost me about $10. Perfect price point for me for Christmas! And its no sew... even more up my alley!

I purchased a yard and a half of two matching fleece fabrics. I put them back to back, outsides out. Then, cut the fleece ends into strips, no measuring involved. Come on, that'd be too hard!

Then, double-knotted the ends together and repeated this process on all sides.

Easy, right?!?!?

Super-duper, cozy-comfy, easy-peasy fleece blanket!

On Mommy Fashion

Do any of you other mommies out there have a Pinterest board like this?
Probably my favorite board on my whole Pinterest page! I always see these cute outfits and think, 'One day, Nicole, you'll be so stylish. You'll be just like those other mom's who have it all together. You'll go to Walmart with your hair in a perfect sock bun, wearing your colored skinny jeans, a cheetah print cardigan and matching Sperry's.' Do you ever think that to yourself?
Believe me, I really do hope to have an awesome wardrobe one day like the one on my fashion Pinterest board. But for now, I am happy with my comfy Levi's that have a hole in the knee, my $8 Target t-shirt, and the Doc Martin's I've had since middle school. Sure, I've picked up a pair or two of skinny jeans, but I'm pretty sure the most I've spent on any article of clothing for myself since I've been married is no more than $20. My kids' wardrobe is a different story, but we'll save that post for another day.
I'll still hope and dream with my Pinterest fashion. I'll still stare at those mommy's in the store or at the park that have the cutest outfits on that I couldn't even put together for a hot date. I'll still go to the mall and make a mental list of all the new pieces my wardrobe could use.

But, the Sperry's can wait. For now, I am enjoying my mommy uniform. 

Isn't Studley a stud?!?

What about you? What does your mommy uniform look like?

Way cool trick for making ice...

My mother-in-law is such a wonderfully awesome lady. She is always amazing me with everything she does, and this trick is all thanks to her. (more on her awesomeness in a future post, I'm sure)
She was hosting a going away party for her son and was expecting upwards of 50 guests. I was helping her with her preparations when I saw her pull out some yogurt containers from her freezer. What does she have up her sleeve this time? I thought to myself. Lo and behold, she had made some gigantic ice cubes for her 5-gallon water jugs! Genius right?
Just fill these babies almost all the way full, freeze overnight, then dunk the container in some warm water so your ice will wiggle out into the water jug.
Now you have ice cold water without emptying your ice cube tray or spending money on a bag of ice.  Say whaaaat? I know, I have the coolest MIL on the planet. 'Nuf said. :)
Now you'll never throw away another yogurt- or sour cream- or cottage cheese- or cool whip container again! I apologize in advance to the hubbys out there who will start finding piles of containers in their kitchen. It's my fault.

Awesome Play Dough Recipe

My kiddos love playing with play dough. Do yours? I've tried three or four different recipes for it, and I'm pretty sure this one is my favorite....

Looks good enough to eat, right? Okay, not that good...

Mix in a bowl:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

1 Tbsp Alum

Bring to boil in saucepan:

1 cup water

1 Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp vanilla

few drops food coloring

Add the boiling mixture to the flour mixture and stir until completely combined. When cool enough to handle, knead until cool. Store in an airtight container (we use old yogurt containers for ours) and keep at room temperature.

Easy, right? Enjoy!

Princess' Birth Story

My little girl is about to turn three this weekend, so I thought I'd commemorate it by sharing her birth story with you.
It begins a while before she was born; at my 20-week ultrasound to be exact. Knight and I were so excited to be expecting our first child and were just as excited to find out its gender. I was working in a different city at the time so I just took the whole day off of work to celebrate my pregnancy. As the ultrasound tech was looking at the screen, she kept checking and re-checking the baby's stomach. Amongst all the measurement taking and listening to the heartbeat, the tech told us that we were having a girl! I was absolutely elated! I'm sure Knight was happy too, but I think he was secretly hoping for a boy. That was when the tech said she would be right back, she wanted to show the doctor something on the ultrasound. After about 15 minutes of waiting, the doc came in and did some checking of his own. He told us our baby had an abnormality on her stomach, and that we would need to go see a specialist in our neighboring city. He gave us some information on a couple of different things it could be, but none of them were minor complications. The doctor told us that at least our baby would need surgery after she was born, if she even made it that far.
It was our worst fear. There was something wrong with our unborn child. Our little girl. I was beyond hysterical. Our families were waiting for our phone calls after our appointment to see what their new grand baby was going to be. We had to tell them that something was wrong, and we didn't know what.

The following week, we saw the specialist. He confirmed to us that our baby had what's called an omphalocele (umf-al-o-seel). Often times with this condition, the baby will have a number of cognitive and developmental conditions, and may not even survive through the pregnancy, let alone the risky surgery that had to be done right after birth. He gave us the option to terminate the pregnancy. It brings me to tears just thinking about that dreadful conversation.
Of course, we decided as a couple that it was in the Lord's hands, and we would keep this baby as long as He would allow. We had bi-weekly appointments for the remainder of my pregnancy, each bringing us the news that the omphalocele was getting bigger, and that she was a very small baby.  But, we had hope. We prayed fervently together as a couple. We held family fasts. And as a result, we were comforted. Our lives and the life of our sweet, innocent little girl were at the mercy of a loving and all-knowing Heavenly Father.
The day came to have my c-section. Because of the protrusion on her abdomen, having a regular birth was out of the question. I was more nervous than ever before in my life. My heart was beating so fast. As my arms were spread out on that operating table I remember thinking, "Everything will be okay. Things will work out for the best." At 9:51am on October 21st, Princess was born!  My eyes welled up with tears when they lifted her little head over the curtain so I could see her. Knight got to see much more than I did. He said he was so glad I didn't see everything because what he saw was so gruesome. The nurses and doctors (there were about 20 in the room during the surgery) began their tests, put her in an incubator and rushed her up to the NICU. Knight went with her, at my request of course. After I was stitched up I had to wait another two hours until I was aloud to be wheeled up to the NICU to see Princess. It was then that we took our first family picture together.

About five hours after being born, Princess had her surgery. It took over three hours to complete, but we received updates from the nurses regularly. What angels they were! The doctor finally came down and talked with us about how it went. All our anticipation and worry came down to this moment. The doctor told us that the baby was much bigger, and the omphalocele was much smaller than they had anticipated. And that in fact, skin had started to grow on the protrusion, so they were able to completely enclose her liver and intestines behind her abdominal wall. That was not something they did often in this particular surgery because of the stress it puts on the baby's body. The doctor even told us what he was able to do was a miracle. We thanked him profusely. Then the waiting game started.
For the wound to heal, Princess was on paralytics and coma-inducing drugs for the first six days of her life. She was hooked up to a breathing machine too. We were not able to hold her until she was a week old. When they finally started weaning her off her medicines and she began moving, her cry was muted due to her breathing tube. It was the most painful sight I've ever had to witness. Finally, at 8 days old, she was taken off her respirator, and the next day she tried eating from a bottle for the first time. What a glorious day! From that point on, all she had to do to be able to come home was gain weight and maintain her body temperature.

3 days old with an extra 1 1/2 pounds of water weight from her drugs.

First time holding her after her surgery

Right after getting her breathing tube taken out

almost ready to go home!

Ready to go home.

Although she had a couple of setbacks, she was able to come home just one month after being born. Only 30 days in the hospital! The Neonatologist told us that they weren't expecting her to even be home before Christmas, and she made it to our Thanksgiving dinner! She still had a feeding tube for a week after she came home, but we were so happy to leave the hospital! It was a wonderful day for our family.

Aside from high blood pressure for about a month after coming home and being teeny tiny for a long time, Princess was and is a healthy, happy, high-spirited little girl. We are so incredibly blessed to have her in our family!

Happy Birthday, Princess! We love you!

On Losing 'The Baby Weight'

Wasn't this a hot topic in the news recently? When I Googled it, 9 stories came up from the last month. Celebrities' post-baby bodies are always being scrutinized. So I'm going to scrutinize my own... that's a pretty normal mommy thing to do, right?
Can I tell you a funny 'new mommy' moment of mine? When I went to the hospital to have my first baby, I packed a pair of my regular (slightly loose) jeans to wear home from the hospital. Yeah, that was a depressing realization! I didn't fit back into them for almost two months after giving birth, and even then I looked like a popped can of biscuits! Here is a picture of me when I was about 36 weeks with Miss Princess...

I gained 30 pounds during my first pregnancy... pretty healthy right? My worry was getting my pre-baby body back. Let me tell you something folks... ITS GONE. Even though I lost almost 50 pounds after this pregnancy, there are just some body parts that- without medical help- will be gone forever.
Wanna know the funny part of the story? With my second pregnancy, I was at the same ending weight as with my first... yep, a 50 pound weight gain the second time around! Here is me almost half way through #2...

Crappy self-portrait, I know!

Amazing how different two pregnancies in the same body can be, right?  And don't worry. The second time around, I packed SWEATS to wear home from the hospital. :)
I guess my weight gain-loss-gain-loss story is backward from most. I was pretty hefty when I graduated high school, and was still a tad bit heavier that I wanted to be when I got married, but after having kids, I am now at my goal weight. How often does that happen? Sure, I still have quite a bit of toning up to do, but that is a slow and steady process now with two munchkins running around. I think that's why I lost the weight with so little effort; my drastic change in eating and activity after becoming a mom. When I was working full time, I would munch all day, and eat out at least once a day, sometimes every meal. Now, I usually only eat two meals a day- a late breakfast and dinner when The Knight gets home, and I am literally running for a lot of my day.
When it all comes down to it, I have seen what a miraculous gift our bodies are. Our bodies (as women) can do amazing and blessed things. Carrying a child is a beautiful ability, albeit hard and painful at times. And I wouldn't change it for the world... saggy boobs and all! :)

So what is your baby weight story?

Scrum-dittily-umptious Homemade Oreos

I am all about easy baking. It almost doesn't get easier than these tasty Homemade Oreo Cookies.

What you'll need:
1 pkg. devil's food cake
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 tub frosting

Yep! That's it!
Combine cake, eggs and oil. Roll into 1" balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet, about 2" apart. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes. They will look a little underdone when you pull them out... this will make them nice and chewy. :) Let cool completely on a wire rack. Make cookie sandwiches by placing a dollop of frosting (I colored mine orange) on bottom of one cookie and topping with another cookie. Done! And mmm mmm, these guys are tasty!

On Making Memories Last...

I have a problem. Like a REAL problem. I have a horrible memory. I have a few standout memories from my childhood, I remember big events, but that's about it. The only things that usually jog my memory are videos, pictures, and journal entries. Heck, some of those don't even help. Anyways, when I found out I was pregnant with Princess, I knew I was going to need to document everything I wanted to remember. I needed a way to remember her childhood, a way to help her remember her childhood. So I made a goal. My goal was to take pictures whenever I could and write down all the fun little "Princessisms" that put a smile on my face every day. Here are a few of the things I've done to turn the fun memories we have together into lasting memories...

1) Both Princess and Studley have baby books. For each of their first 12 months of life, I compiled pictures and memories into these books. I updated them every month, and after their first birthday had them printed. For Princess's book, I just used Shutterfly.com to compile it. For Studley, I used Mixbook.com. I highly preferred Mixbook, but both books turned out really cute. And now I have a place to turn to if when I don't remember which month they started crawling, teething or talking. Its really helped.

2) Another fun thing I do each year is birthday letters. Each year on my children's birthdays, I write them a letter about the year since their last birthday. Throughout the year, I'll write in a word doc little notes about fun things they got to do, and then make it a personalized letter on their birthday. I keep the letters in a cute photo box I found at Ross for $5. The idea is to give them all their letters either when they have children of their own or move out of the house. It has been really fun to remember the year through these letters.

3) We also be sure to get at least one family picture a year, and we ALWAYS send out Christmas cards with a family update letter. I think this is just as much for me as it is for the people we send the cards to. I keep one of each year in a folder, and each year we look at all the previous Christmas cards. It sure is fun to see how everyone changes!

(I was going to use this picture for our Christmas cards, but the photographer, Misty, just took some fall pictures of us... I'll put them up soon! If you want her info, comment or e-mail me... she. is. AMAZING!)


What about you? What do you do to remember fun things your kids do?

Taco Pizza, a family favorite!

We love us some very Americanized Mexican food around here, and Taco Pizza is definitely one of our favorites!

Isn't your mouth watering just looking at that scrumptious pizza???
Here's what you'll need:
2 cans refrigerated croissants
1 lb. hamburger
8 oz. cream cheese
1 sm. tub sour cream
1-2 cups shredded cheese
toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, olives, green onions, peppers, etc.

On a cookie sheet, lay out flat all the croissants, stretching to the edges of the {ungreased} cookie sheet. Bake according to package directions.
While that is baking, brown and season your hamburger, and whisk together the cream cheese and sour cream. After pizza crust is out of the oven, let it cool for about 5 minutes, then spread cream mixture over top. Add hamburger, sprinkle with cheese and any other desired toppings. Voila! Delicious, easy taco pizza!

On Nap Time

Nap time is a coveted time of day for me. Since Studley was about 4 months old, both of my kids have napped at the same time of day.

Many days I will take the liberty to nap myself, but I'd say most days I take nap time as ME time... I don't do laundry, dishes, or sweeping- although there is always some inevitable straightening up to be done- but that is the extent of my work during nap time. Usually, this is when I check my Facebook, catch up on Pinterest, and yes, BLOG. I'll read a few chapters of my current novel, eat some Oreo's, or paint my toenails. I love being able to finish a thought, listen to the quietness, and really just relax. Honestly, I think its what keeps me sane. When a mommy doesn't know the last time she was in a car, hasn't showered in a couple days, and is constantly talking so a three-year-old can understand her, its starts wearing on her! So fellow mommies, how do you find time for yourself? What do you do during nap time?

Welcome!

I've been thinking of starting a public blog for some time now, and I've finally decided to do it... yay for me!

Hopefully I can write about all the things I've thought about writing on mommying, and all things related to it. Get it? On Mommying? Well at least I hope it works that way. If there is one thing I know FOR SURE about mommying, its that nothing is for sure. Circumstances, needs, wants, and attitudes are always changing around my house. So here's to hoping! Check out my 'about me' page to get to know a little more about me and my wonderful little family. Hang around for a while, and for golly sake... gimme some comments! I'd love to hear what you want me to blog about. What trials and triumphs have you had in being a mother?