Adventures in Odyssey!

I have to share my love for the Adventures in Odyssey collection! I remember listening to these on cassette tapes as a little girl and I loved them (and so did my big bro). We would listen to them as we went to bed each night. 

My mom and I have been wanting to find them for Zane since we loved them so much. Originally, we were going to buy the CD's. But then we thought- I wonder if they are on iTunes... And sure enough, they are! TONS of them... Movies too. 

So let me tell you a little but a bout them... They are actually created for kids 8-12 but they are loved by people of all ages! Even though Zane is only 2, it's never too early for these stories. They are basically little short stories that are aimed to promote Christian values. They teach life lessons and are also funny! They are great for kids to listen to. They literally have a story to relate to every subject you can think of.

I HIGHLY recommend letting your little one listen to them. The prices vary for each album but are close to $18 on iTunes. They also have tons of podcasts as well and the movies are $3 each. 

Hope you try them out and love them as much as we do! :)

Baby food makin...

It's that time again... Nash is starting baby food! Which means, this momma will be busy prepping and making homemade food for my little guy. I LOVE doing this! I enjoy making him food knowing exactly what is in it and that it's healthy for him. If you know me well, you know how anal I am about what I feed my kids. Yes, they eat better than Zach and I do. Zane eats mainly organic foods and drinks only almond milk and water. Yes, we splurge every now and then and he can have sweets or whatever.. but it's not all the time. I swear this is why Zane is such a good eater. He always eats his meats and veggies and actually enjoys them. Thankfully, he is not a picky eater. As I'm typing this, he is snacking on raw organic carrots and asking for seconds. Mom win!

I always OK everything with our pediatrician when it comes to my boys' nutrition. I've asked several times about whole milk and almond milk. My doctors have told me that Zane is not missing any nutritional value from drinking almond milk vs whole milk. You just have to be careful about what you buy... It can't be full of sugar. This goes for anything. Just because something says "organic" doesn't mean it's good for you. ALWAYS read the nutritional information! The first ingredients are especially important. Stay away from the high fructose corn syrup.. They tend to put it in everything... Especially all the things they make for our kiddos. 

I find the best food for Zane at aldi. I'm not ashamed to say it... I LOVE Aldi! They actually carry a lot of nutritional foods. I love getting these for my diaper bags... They are great on-the-go snacks!

And check out the ingredients...

I also found these for lunch...

And the ingredients... 

They have some good stuff in my opinion. 

I have an entire blog on how I do my baby food. However I think you have to be on the actual blog to see it (not your phone). It's in one of the tabs at the top. I have a lot of people contact me and ask me questions and I love to help them out :) It's not for everyone but it's definitely something I enjoy doing. 

So here's a pic of my organic carrots. They are so bright compared to the store bought carrots. I usually always use my baby bullet, but recently my mom picked up a ninja for me. I tried it out with some green beans and I have to say, it trumps the baby bullet! 

It's larger and is more powerful. Maybe it's because I used my baby bullet a lot.. but it doesn't work as well anymore. It struggles quite a bit. So I think I'm going to start using my ninja instead. It's easier to pour as well. 

With Zane, I don't remember ever making peas or green beans.. I'm not sure why. So today, I went to the store and bought some canned green beans (with NO sodium- that's important) for Nash to try. 

I bought 6 cans (for about $1 each) and it made quite a bit of food. 

Now, I'm not sure how the prices and quantity compare to store bought food since I've never bought any... but I feel like a got quite a bit from the 6 cans... 

Nash is LOVING his food! He just plays with his bottle and was becoming uninterested in it. So I started feeding him more food. He slept so good the first night we started. He wants to be a big boy.. 

Oh, and speaking of wanting to be a big boy... here is the cutest little pic of my two boys at the park. Nash loved swinging! 

We are loving this fall weather! 

Until next time.. :)

Nashers is 4 months!

My littlest love is 4 months old! He is growing like a weed and is such a little blessing in our family. 

Where to start?!?

We just had his 4 month appt.. Just like the last appt, he surprised us. I always think he is bigger than he really is. 

Currently he is...

15 lbs 1 oz- 25th percentile

25.5 in long- 50th percentile

17 in head circum- 90th percentile

Both of my kids have had huge heads! 

At 4 months Zane was 

13 lbs 15 oz- 30th percentile

24 in long- 10th percentile

I call Nash my "wild child!" Because he is just that! He is a wiggle worm that is all over the place! He rolls around like crazy, kicks himself across the room, has a Kung foo grip, smiles from ear to ear, and talks up a storm! Seriously, he is one active little guy! He even tries to sit up on his own.. he can hold it for a hot second but with his wiggle worm action, he falls over. 4 months is too early to sit anyway, Mr. Nashers! Don't grow up too fast...

He pulled himself up in the sitting position in his swing..

Sitting on mommys lap...

He LOVES to chew on his hands. He just started liking teethers. Oh, and he also likes to put his feet in his mouth! Lol 

He feeds himself his bottle and just started eating oatmeal this week. 

He is the messiest eater ever! He tries to grab the spoon and shove the food into his mouth! He touches everything and whales him arms around. Haha. This is the complete opposite of Zane. Zane was the cleanest eater. And I liked that.. Lol. Let's just say- Zane and Nash are almost complete opposites!

I know Nash just wants to be as big as bubby and play with him already. He lights up every time he sees Zane and loves to "play" with him. I can already tell they will be best friends. Zane is very protective over him and also very kind and sweet to him. I love their bond. 

I know it sounds crazy.. But the back of their heads are identical! They both have two swirls in their hair on the back of their heads.

Zane loves pushing him around in his walker. Oddly enough, Nash grabbed a hold of the steering wheel and just goes along with it! 

Also, I love my special bond with him.. 

I call him my "littlest love". And he will always be that. Even if he grows up to be bigger than all of my boys.. haha. He will always be my youngest. 

One thing that is completely different about my boys is that Zane absolutely loved sleeping on our chests on his belly. Nash does not like sleeping on his belly or even being on it at all. He likes to be held, but in your arms. He cracks me up because when you try to hold him like that, he smothers himself and puts his head straight into the blanket or your chest. How can you breathe kid!?! So we usually don't cuddle that way. However, I love when I rock him and he takes his hand and either rubs my face or grabs onto my shirt right before he falls asleep. It's the sweetest thing!

Oh and he has some serious blonde hair! It's actually pretty long on top. 

Love that little sleeping face... 

That's all for now! 😊 

Zane is TWO!

My sweet, funny, courageous, fun loving little boy is two today. I'm almost speechless while writing this thinking about what the past two years has been like for my little family. In a nutshell... It has been everything I could ever want and more. 

 

We are going to be spending the day with friends at youngs dairy! Eating ice cream and having fun! Then cake after dinner tonight.. But the real fun with start this weekend at his party! 

Zane has loved his birthday wishes... and us singing to him. He keeps saying "birthday cake" and "two!" when we ask how old he is. 

Now, taking a look back..

From the moment I found out I was pregnant (Jan 9th, 2013- my husbands birthday) I was overjoyed. I always wanted to be a mommy. As soon as we got married, I was ready to be pregnant. 3 months after our wedding, it happened. We were so excited! 

The timing was perfect and I started working my first job after getting my masters and we were getting ready to buy our first home. 

When he was born, I remember looking at him and just feeling complete. He was everything I ever imagined. I would look at him and I just couldn't believe my hubby and I created something so perfect.

Our NICU stay was 2 weeks long. 

This was our only picture together.. I didn't like taking photos during those two weeks. My mom kept telling me I needed to. I said I didn't want to remember him like this. Now, I regret not getting more. 

However, I did want to document us leaving... Here is us right before we were discharged.

I had a longer maternity leave from work because of Zane's surgery and I was sad to leave him at daycare after that. I made it for several months but after awhile I expressed to zach that I just wasn't happy working every day and missing out on the most important times with our baby. Luckily, he agreed that it was better for me to stay home with Zane. I am incredibly thankful for the support that my hubby gives me. He makes it possible for me to be the mommy I truly want to be.

I put in my two weeks notice and the day after I worked my last day, I found out I was pregnant with Nash. I was thankful I got to spend those last months with just Zane and I and having that special time before Nash came. It was just in time for Zane's 1st birthday. We threw him the ultimate TMNT party! It was a blast. 

And now, we are ready to celebrate his 2nd birthday with a superhero theme this weekend. We have a bounce house rented and I made superhero masks for all the kiddos. Fingers crossed to good weather' 

So ,I'm not going to throw a huge elaborate bday party every year for my kids... But right now I just want to do this for my babies. I enjoy planning parties and having a fun reason to get all of our loved ones together. 

I had to do this side by side of Zane when he was a baby and now... 

So now at 2.. 

Zane literally repeats everything I say. He vocabulary is exploding and he is learning new and fun things every day. I love when he uses his manners and is polite. Melts my heart when he says "pleasssse mommy" and "love you too". 

He loves puzzles, saying "turtle power" and playing TMNTs, wearing his superhero capes, any kind of water play, books, outside time... Just being a happy and energetic little boy! 

Since summer is coming to an end, I have decided to get Zane into more activities. I started work-out classes with my friend and now he gets a small amount of time in child care but I also want him in some kind of gym class. I am signing him up for a "parent and tot" gym class where he will be able to run around and get some energy out. It will be perfect for the months ahead. I spent a lot of time inside last winter and this winter won't be the same. We plan on staying busy, getting energy out, and taking full advantage of our time together. 

We are super excited for fall and all the fall fun activities we have planned ahead. Hope everyone is enjoying the weather! 

Until next time... :)

Hands full... Heart fuller.

Hands full.. Heart fuller. So much meaning in 4 little words.

On a daily basis I find myself learning new things, facing new challenges, taking a minute to smile and feel blessed, and also sometimes feeling as though I'm going to loose it. Hello motherhood. But not only that, hello stay-at-home mommy hood! (Is that a thing? Well, it is to me!) :)

There are days where I feel like one hour is more like 4... And there are days where I just sit and think... Or maybe I'm playing with Zane or rocking Nash. And I just think. There is nowhere else I would rather be. But here raising my babies. 

The other night Zach took the boys to dinner at his parents house. I was going to go until I mentioned to Zach that I was tired and had not got the laundry done or took a shower yet. Usually these things would have been done. It wasn't a "bad" day, just a slow day. I ran errands and my cousin came to visit me and the boys. Actually, it was a really good day. But I was still just tired. So, he suggested I stay home and relax for the evening. So I did. I took a nice hot bubble bath with my headphones in and no one home. It was nice! But then as I relaxed on the couch I started missing my boys already. But I still enjoyed my alone time. I NEED those times (every mom does).  And thankfully I have a husband that understands that (even when I don't). And yes, I had me a couple of nice cold beers to go along with that hot bath. 

Today, my timehop so kindly reminded me that this time last year, I was finishing my last week up at fortis college. Here is what I wrote...

As I read this, I smiled. Everything I wrote is true to this day. I can't believe it's already been a year since I stopped working. I feel like I'm just as busy now as I was when I was working. I like being busy though. If anyone thinks I sit at home and just watch my kids play all day, they are horribly mistaken. This momma in on the go! Shopping, crafts, play dates, parks, family, friends... We're busy! 

Quick subject change... Is it possible my 3 month old is teething? I know for a fact Zane didn't teethe this early. But, Nash is constantly chewing on his hands, drooling, has been more cranky the past couple days, and has been cluster feeding. Not sure if it's teething or not, but it seems like it. 

We finally transitioned him into his crib a week or so ago... It has gone good and he has adjusted well. He wakes up pretty early as of right now so I hope we can change this soon.. Hahaha. Zane was in his crib a lot earlier than this, but I just wasn't ready to let me baby go yet. Once again, I was more afraid of the change than he was. He is growing too fast!

Until next time... :)

Bye bye binky!!!

I can't believe it... Seriously. I never thought it would happen, lol. (I seriously felt like that at times). Let alone, so fast and relatively so easy! I'm surprised to say the least.. but..

Zane is officially done with pacifiers! Or, what we call them, wubba! 

Zane was obsessed with his wubba! He always wanted it.. He would cry for it, whine for it, ask for it over and over again. I was just dreading having to wean him off of it. I wasn't going to rush it considering his lil bro literally just arrived not too long ago and he uses a Dino wubba. But honestly, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

I decided to start weaning him when my mom mentioned that they could affect their teeth. I'm sure it has affected his teeth to a point but I didn't want it affecting them any more. So I wanted him off of it. I also decided to do it because one of my besties and I (the wonderful Ashley Miller) were talking and she said "I think it's us being more scared of change than they are". So true! I was the one terrified to take it away. He wasn't. And clearly he didn't mind at all. 

I started by showing him the cutest little "bye bye binky" song from Elmo. I did this for a couple of reasons... First of all Zane LOVES Elmo. And secondly, my cousin shared this video on FB and I thought it was adorable! I searched for it on YouTube and let Zane watch it over and over. By the look on his face, I knew he knew exactly what they were talking about and I started talking to him about saying "bye bye" to wubba. I went on to explain that they are for babies and that's why bubby gets his. 

A couple days later I started only letting him have it at nap time and bed time. Then I quickly switched to patting his back when I put him to bed at nap time with no wubba. If he asked for it, I simply just said "it's night night time". I didn't even mention his wubba or that he won't get it. Zach and I then quickly decided to start putting him in his bed awake in order to teach him to learn how to put himself to sleep. Listen, I have to admit my kid is pretty good at this. I know a lot of other kids would get up and play or what not.. And yes, he does this from time to time. However, the majority of the time, he doesn't. If he has a hard time falling asleep, I go in there and pat his back until he is either really sleepy or completely asleep. Sometimes I let him see me walk out when he's almost asleep so he knows he went to sleep without me there. 

All in all, it's been over a week and he hasn't had a wubba at all. He doesn't even ask for it. And it only took a couple days to get him completely off of it. 

As for Nash's wubba...

Zane will find it and bring it to Nash. I think it helps a lot that his is a Dino wubba and Zane knows that it's Nash's. I've seen him put it in his mouth a couple times and he smiles and takes it out quickly. He knows he's not allowed to have it. 

Every kid is different and will part with their pacifiers at different times. Awhile back I tried to wean him and I just don't think either of us were ready yet. But this time around, I knew it would work. 

Just for fun, let's look at some old pics of Zane and his wubba(s).. :D

I have a love/hate relationship with pacifiers. I love that they sooth my babies. And I really hate seeing them in their mouths.. Lol I don't like pictures with them honestly (except for when they are little babies). They bug me to a certain point. I'm glad Zane transitioned (once again) so easily for me. Now, he will be TWO next month... with no wubba, sleeping in a toddler bed, and talking so well. I am loving being his mommy and watching him learn and grow on a daily basis. 

And now the next step is...

Transitioning Nash into his crib. 

Excuse me while I go shed a year or two. I know this is my last baby so I'm holding onto him for as long as I want... Lol. It may be another month or two until I'm ready. 

Nash- 2 months

Just look at this sweet boy! 

And he is already 2 months old. We just had his first shots and check up a little late because our doc was out of town. Have I mentioned that we LOVE our pediatrician! He is amazing- and so are all the other docs I've meet with at ohio pediatrics. I haven't been disappointed with anyone and that's so important to me. Our doc has even squeezed us in between appts last minute. It was so nice!

Look how big I am! 

He is 12 lbs 15 oz (50th percentile)

23 in long (30th percentile)

16.5 in head circum (80th percentile)

Both of my boys have big heads... Lol 

Zane holding bubbys hand before he got his first shots... (And no, I didn't ask him to. Lol she just does it!). Little did Zane know, he was getting some too! 

I took a different route when it came to immunizations for Zane.. I didn't like him getting more than 2 shots, so my doc made sure we did only 2 at a time and scheduled his shots accordingly. I just don't feel comfortable with my baby getting so many shots at once. I am choosing to do the same with Nash. I talked closely to my cousin, Mandy, and what route she took for her girls. I was very unsure at the beginning with Zane and she helped me out. I think it's scary to give them so many at once. Just my personal preference. 

Nash is growing like crazy and already doing so many things! Zach insisted (and I mean insisted) on getting the exercaucer out, so we did.  We have to put a blanket around him to make him fit, but he loves it. He hits and plays with his toys already. He will do it for about 15/20 mins max and is done. He also is liking his bumbo and playmats. He is fitting into 6 month sleepers and some 6 month clothes. I feel like he is so much bigger than Zane was. 

I was really good about documenting everything with Zane and I have thankfully kept things up with Nash. If I was working full time like I used to, I probably wouldn't have. I am LOVING my project life app on my phone. I have written posts about it before but I just recently ordered and received my first prints! They are amazing. They charge $2 for every 12x12. Which is actually a great price. I had about 40 pages to print and every one turned out perfect. The app allows me to create pages on my phone with my phone pictures. I take a lot of pictures with my phone so this works well for me. I also have a camera that I print pictures from and then I use my actual project life materials I own for those pictures. Both ways are fun and I love it! The app is the perfect answer to those busy moms who want to document and scrapbook their babies! 

Here are some pics of the print outs I ordered. You can even choose the background color and I plan on writing my own words in some places

Here are some examples of actual pages I have made... 

This is Nash's scrapbook...

They look blurry because they are in plastic sleeves. But they look perfect in person. My boys and hubby will probably make fun of me and the amount of pictures we have, but it's my passion.. Lol I hope my boys learn to love looking at these as they grow older. I know I love looking back at them now, so I know my hubby and I will love looking back at these many years from now. 

Updates on Zane:

Zane is going to be 2 next month... Holy cow! He is doing so well. He listens to mommy (most of the time) and is speaking SO GOOD! So good that we need to start watching what we're saying. Lol. He repeats everything! And I love how he answers me. I have taught him to say "yes, mommy" and things like "snack please, mommy" "love you too" and "thank you, mommy". Of course all these mommys can be replaced with "daddy" too. :) Melts my heart! When he doesn't say things, I say what he needs to say and have him repeat it. It sinks in and he starts saying it more and more. My kid is very intuitive and he amazes me daily. I have enjoyed being home with him and teaching him new things. It's amazing. 

He also loves his lil bro. He says "good morning, Nash" and "hi, bubby" and it's adorable. Zane is loving books (as always), puzzles, cars, little people, outside cars, baseball, and the water. He cleans up (for the most part) when I ask him to and sings the "clean up" song with me. I also catch him turning his radio on in his room, dancing to the music and singing the words he knows. It cracks me up!

He is also ALMOST completely weaned off of his wubbanub (pacifier). He never has is during the day anymore and only gets it at nap time (and sometimes bed time). I have to say... I didn't think this was going to happen anytime soon. But, he is doing great and doesn't even ask for it anymore. He is also getting more interested in his potty. He has been bringing me all of his potty training books to read and seems to be more interested in it recently. But, we are taking things slow. I'm in no hurry but definitely encourage it when he's interested. 

And he is as handsome as ever. And did I mention he is all boy! Loves to wrestle with his daddy and sometimes doesn't realize mommy is not "the wrestler"... Although I still end up with bruises. Lol gotta love being a boy mommy! 

Seriously though, I am loving it! ❤️ 

On a side note...

I am super excited to be celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary this month! Me and the hubby are possibly spending the weekend at the lake, but we will see!