Red skinnies?

I don't think it is a secret that I've been challenging my closet lately. But when I look at my clothes I don't see a lot of potential. I was stalking this blog today. Today's post said, "I had a collection of clothes instead of a workable wardrobe". I think that might be the case for me!

I'm trying to buy things I can wear a lot of different ways. I am desperately trying to find a good chambray top. Hoping I snag this one up at Target today.

I'm considering the red skinnies.

My issue is always if they are classic pieces I can wear for years or if red skinnies will be out next year. I'm also wondering if they will look weird with my skin tone. I think I'm a cool color person.

I also think part of my issue with my closet is I am finally ready for cooler temps and it is going to be 100 tomorrow!

Guess I need to shave my legs and wear more shorts!

One week

Tomorrow will be one week of having a sick baby. I am OVER it today. My sick baby weighs about 30 pounds. I just took advil because my back is KILLING me!

I'm sitting here waiting for the advice nurse to call me back. I think it is the third time this week.

My house is a disaster! I had this whole stay at home mom thing pretty much figured out. We did play dates, park, or errands in the afternoon. I followed my little cleaning schedule in the morning.  Now that I'm working again and my schedule is totally random and then I got knocked on my butt sick I let the house get bad. Like if I didn't have a contagious child would consider dropping him off at a daycare so I could clean bad.

Chase has never been watched by anyone other than family. He is a very social and easy going kid but it terrifies me to think of him looking around and not seeing a familiar face. I'm really planning on going to a church two of my favorite people go to in October. I'm hoping Hubby will go with me. We would take Chase with us and put him in their daycare. My friend's little boy is one of Chase's best friends and he goes to the daycare a lot so I know he would be well taken care of. Also hoping his friend would be there with him so there would be a familiar face for him.

Well, I'm going to go look at pinterest for some cleaning schedules that might fit my crazy random schedule. Any tips from moms that work weird schedules?

You know those days when you wish you had a bigger house because you have so much junk? I would love a bigger house but I would not love cleaning it! I so miss our little 600 sq ft apartment! Do you know how fast I could clean that whole place?!

Oh hi!

Did you miss me?

I was all excited to do a challenge your closet post this week because we were going to a wedding and I bought a cute dress.

Thursday afternoon Chase started sneezing a lot and ended up sleeping with us for some of the night and sneezing a lot then too. I told my dad when he came over to watch him that morning that he was sick. I also texted Hubby and let him know Chase was sick and I was worried about taking him to the wedding and getting other people sick. We canceled our hotel reservation and let everyone know we weren't going to make it.

I struggle sometimes with decisions like this. My child has been referred to as a bubble boy more than once. But you know what? I've never regretted a decision like this. My child and his health are my #1 priority.

I ended up getting sick too. I actually think I got something from one of the kids at school and gave it to Chase. This is the first time I have been sick when he is sick. Not fun! Hubby ended up going to the wedding. I started really feeling sick after he got home on Saturday night thank goodness.

Sunday morning was the worst day for me. We ended up going to the verizon store and joining the iphone club.

Isn't she pretty? We got Otter cases because our phones need to be indestructible. We have a toddler.

After a hot shower Sunday night I was feeling better. Hubby and I went to bed around 10 or 10:30 and then Chase woke up gasping for breath. He was crying and upset and we were all freaking out. In January Chase had bronchitis so we had breathing treatment meds and a machine left over. We decided to try a breathing treatment and see if it helped. When it didn't help we called our insurance 24/7 advice nurse. She wasn't much help so we called our personal 24/7 advice nurse my mom. I felt so bad waking my parents up at 11pm but we were really worried about Chase. We gave him some tylenol which seemed to help. We did another breathing treatment at 2am I think and Hubby was so ready to take him to the E.R. We made it through the night thanks to Bubble Guppies.

When he woke up at 8:30 we called the dr and the earliest they could see him was 10:15. Of course he seemed to be fine and we were worried the dr would say there was nothing wrong with him but we did want his ears checked to rule out an ear infection. Plus we thought they would hear fluid in his lungs even if he seemed fine.

We are so blessed to have an amazing group of pediatricians. We didn't see our regular doctor but the one we did see was so great with Chase. He even let her hold him! Hubby had thought there was something going on with Chase's throat. When the dr imitated the sound kids with croup make she sounded just like Chase had. She perscribed a liquid steroid for him to take. She said it is common for kids with croup to be more sick at night and to have 2 bad nights. The pharmacist told us getting Chase to sleep would be difficult.

I had no problem getting Chase to nap Monday and I decided I would nap too in preparation for what could be another long night. He slept in his crib for 1.5 hours and then with me for another 1.5 hours. A friend had told me not to let him nap very long so he would sleep better but I believe when sick, let them sleep!

I can not tell you how I have been that Chase is going to sleep for bed and naps fine. Last night was SO much better than the night before! No crying or freaking out or needing to be held or watch tv. 2 hour nap in his crib today which is why I have time to blog again!

Hoping to get our house and our lives back to normal!

Chase's words 16.5 months old

I wanted to post this list of words Chase is saying. It is not to brag or make anyone feel like their child is behind. This blog is where I post my memories. I think I might want to look back some day and remember what words he started saying first. So don't read it if it will make you feel bad. I know I avoid monthly update posts lately because I don't want to stress about it.

 

 

Chase’s words 16.5 months old

A

B

Baa, baby

C

D

Dada, dog, duck, down

E

F

G

Gobble

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

nana

O

Oh, on, off, oink

P

Q

R

S

Splash, shoes

T

This, that

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

 

There is really good help out there

Most kids roll from belly to back first. Half of kiddos can do this by 4 months. Chase rolled from belly to back at 5 months 10 days old. You could probably go back to blog posts during those early months and tell I was fuhreaking out about him "being behind" with rolling belly to back. In fact, I watched a video of a baby rolling from belly to back over and over again so I could show Chase how to do it.

I truly believed he would never roll from his belly to his back. Aren't new moms funny? I was embarassed. Now that he is a crazy, climbing, running toddler, no one cares when and if he rolled over. Typing it now that he was a month and 5 days behind half of the children it doesn't sound like that big of a deal. I wanted him to be advanced with every milestone. I am a teacher and I felt like it was my job to teach him all these skills.

I think most of my blog readers have read about Chase being behind with speech. I think I was more worried than he was behind. Shocker! I typed out all the words he can say and researched how many words most children could say at 17 months but I'm not going to mention it because I know how hard it can be to see most children say this many words and not be anywhere near it.

When Chase was behind, the teacher in me was again, fuhreaking out! I researched my hiny off. I was doing everything I could to help him with his speech. After a week or so doing everything I could and not seeing much of a change I suddenly stopped freaking out. I realized that I was doing everything I could for him but I still couldn't make him talk.

I was at peace with the fact that our doctor might suggest taking him to a speech therapist. I realized that Chase needing speech therapy didn't mean I had failed as his mother and teacher. I know that getting him help early is better. Plus, he would probably have a blast!

I have talked about Autism with enough moms to know that it is a fear in a lot of our hearts. Did you hear that Jacqueline from Real Housewives of New Jersey's son Nick has been diagnosed? I watched her and Chris talk about it on Anderson Live. To hear her say he stopped saying, "I love you mom" around 18 months broke my heart!

Now that Chase is over 12 months old, I'm not constantly checking on him while he is sleeping. It has still happened. I'm crazy. Poor kid. I kind of felt like I was in the clear with things.

Then to hear at 18 months this child that seemed to be developing fine just started regressing terrified me. I tweet my pal that works with Autistic children and she let me know that most parents notice things before the regression at 18 months and of course every case is different. But what she also told me is, "...whatever happens there's really good help out there :)".

As a mom, I want to protect my son. Today I was reminded that I can't protect him or make him not be Autistic. My sister and brother-in-law's nephew was diagnosed with leukemia at 4 years old. Their experience has been such a big reminder to me that anything can happen and thank God every day for another day healthy on this Earth. (It has been over a year since their nephew, Chase's "cousin" had a bone marrow transplant and he is doing great!)

So today, I am thanking God for the time I have had with my healthy boy. I'm really so very grateful. It is such a miracle to have a healthy baby. I hope this is a reminder to other moms that have healthy babies to be thankful. I always love to remind mommas to hug their babies tight and give them lots of kisses. But this is for everyone. Be thankful for your health, for your family's health. But also remember that there is really good help out there.

Challenge your Closet week 3

Linking up again with Shannon.

I struggled a little this week. I feel like I need to accessorize more. I bought some leggings at taget for $5! But it has been too hot to wear them. I need a long necklace and to find my skinny belts.

Saturday we went to a play date backyard water play bbq. I haven't worn these shorts with anything but a white t-shirt. Love this fun combo!

Friday, I subed in a 6th grade class. I love wearing jeans to work and usually just try to do it on Fridays. I wish I had a long necklace or belt to break up the white t-shirt. I definitely wouldn't have worn this outfit if I wasn't doing this challenge. This challenge has got me wearing cardigans. The 6th graders loved my polka dot Toms. I knew they would :)

So What Wednesday

Another link up with Shannon!

This week I am saying so what if:

• my father-in-law said, "Hey skinny!" when I saw him this weekend and it was one of the nicest compliments I've gotten in awhile.
• we go out of town for 1 night and it takes me a week to unpack.
• I was looking at pictures from my bil and sil's wedding which was one month after I had Chase. I thought at the time I didn't look too bad and now I think I look huge!
  

Whoa momma!

• I don't like pumpkin anything! No pumpkin pie, no pumpkin spice latte. I only like the seeds!
• Some days I want to let Chase nap longer so I can pin more and read more blogs. I guess I'll wake him up and do it when he goes to bed!
• I am getting ready to punch the next person that says something about Chase being a "toe walker". Sometimes he walks on his toes. Apparently I did it too. We see a doctor every 3 months and she has seen him walk and has never commented on it so why don't you leave it up to me and the dr and shut your face! I just did a search on babycenter.com and he does not always walk on his toes so he doesn't have a short Achilles tendon or freaking cerebral palsy! Thanks. And then it mentions language delays and being associated with autism and I'm now freaking out.
• I unfollowed someone on pinterest (and am thinking about unfollowing someone else) because I don't want to wear clothes that they think are cute or wear the same outfit in our christmas card pictures. Yes, I graduate from high school soon.
• I posted 4 times on Monday. 1 was a scheduled post from like a week ago. I wrote my link up with Shannon Sunday night and posted and linked up in the morning and during nap was able to write the post to link up with Becky. It makes my heart happy and that is what I am all about lately.
• If someone on twitter said, "Also hi, I love that you're on twitter." to me and I have no idea who they are :/ sorry if you are reading this. Makes me feel a little famous.