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Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Name Me

I have mentioned before, so my long-time readers already are aware, but I am a bit of a Name Nazi. In general, I like names. Not necessarily the meanings (in fact, I don't know what my name means, nor Bimmer nor Healey) but just in general - which names I like and which I don't.
 
One of my many pregnant co-workers is due a few weeks after me and it took them FOREVER to pick out a name for their little boy. And then their pick was something super popular. I just feel like if you're not madly in love with a name (which they never were) then why select something that will guarantee the necessity to use the first letter of the last name to indicate them? (Ex: Sophia K.)
 
 
 
Right... so why do I bring this up? Not because I am going to share Bimmer and Healey's real names. No... although if I haven't mentioned already, here's a brief rundown of WHY we picked them. #1 - Bimmer's first name is basically after a celebrity that my grandmother's loved. (Ex: Presley, for Elvis) Her middle name contains the name "Ann" which is part of my confirmation name, my mom's confirmation name, my aunt's name, and my maternal grandmother's name. While the name isn't "Ann" the name does contain those letters. #2 - Healey's first name is a name from a TV show. Yup... I straight up decided I liked the name from a TV show years ago. And it is a name that has historically been a boy's name, but has ventured over to girl in the last maybe 10 years. (Although Puff says the MIL has this name somewhere in her extended family, so if she wants to pretend the name is for her family, then she can go on and live that dream. It ain't true though!) And Healey's middle name? It's Puff's middle name. And it was his grandfather's middle name. Yes, so I guess it's a "boy" name as well, but it's super cute for a girl, so we're rolling with it.
 
OK... so the real point of this? Was to share our BOY names!
 
 
 
Since Puff and I are done - like FO REALZ DONE - having babies, I thought I would share the boy names we would have picked had Bimmer and Healey come with a little extra appendage.
 
#1 - Killian Troy
 
It's no secret that the name Troy has been my all-time favorite since I was young. Ahem... Troy Aikman ring a bell? So, when Puff and I were getting married, he made it very clear he didn't like the name Troy. So we made a compromise - I got to do whatever I wanted for the wedding without any grief from him, and I had to give up Troy as a first name. Thankfully the previous combo (Troy Killian) was easily flip-flopped. We got a lot of crap about the name Killian from our family, after it was revealed that Bimmer was a girl. Namely, my mother and grandmother hated it and voiced that opinion. Had Healey been a boy after Bimmer was a girl? Well, his name would have been Killian still. (Although the middle name would have then been Puff's middle name.)
 
#2 - Declan Patrick
 
Had both Bimmer and Healey been boys, what better brother name for Killian than Declan? I honestly love Declan *more* than I love Killian, but just marginally. And Declan has become way more popular than Killian, so that was a factor for us as well. I have loved this name since college, even though Kimhead likes to point out that she would have called him "Ducky." Unfortunately, she will never get to do that. But I still absolutely love this name!
 
In general, boy names are so much easier for me to come up with ones I love. My #3 will always be Tristan. (And Seamus will always be my #1 guilty pleasure name for a boy!) I guess I lucked out with my girl names... seeing as I only really like about 3 names total, and we used one (Peyton) for Bimmer's Cabbage Patch. Good thing Puff was on board with liking them too!
 
So how did you pick out your kid's names? Was it something you decided on early on - even maybe before pregnancy, like Puff and I did? Or are you one of those people that would drive me bonkers and not decide until you see the child?

Monday, March 30, 2015

Hiatus

The overwhelming majority of blogs that I routinely follow have all feel following the same pattern... they have either gone extinct all together (RIP "Young House Love") or their postings have become much more sporadic - sometimes with a month gap.

I don't want to become that blogger.

But in some ways, I already have.

Ten years ago (because, yes, I was blogging 10 years ago) I had a private blog where I posted nearly every single day. It was probably a lot of useless ramblings, but hey, isn't that what all my posts still are to this day? Just cuter because of Bimmer?

Anyhoo... I have a goal to post twice a week. Yes, that's less than I would have hoped when I started this whole endeavor. I also hoped to have more travel inspired posts, more inspirational posts, more guest posts. But that's just not how it worked out with having a 40+ hour a week job, a husband who works even more hours, an almost-three year old, and a baby on the way. Thank God there's no dog. (P.S. There will never be a dog. Or a cat. Or a hamster, for that matter.)

These posts aren't just for you - they are for future me. One of these days, I'll get around to archiving again - it's been waaaaaaay too long since I've done that. Perhaps over maternity leave? Ya know, along with my photo archive project I've been meaning to do, and that whole taking care of a newborn thing. But I want to keep posting - even if it's isn't as frequently as I had hoped.

I hope you don't jump ship like I have with some of the blogs I follow, just because I don't post every day!!!

Friday, March 27, 2015

34 Months Big

 
Can you believe we are only two more months away from being done with Bimmer's monthly updates FOREVER? OK... don't remind me.
 
She is definitely growing up so fast. You can see it physically as well.... her little belly isn't as protruding. Her face isn't quite as round. She is outgrowing her pants and wearing them as high-waters these days. (Thankfully shorts weather is right around the corner.) She has pretty well mastered potty-training (maybe one accident in the past month). She is thinking through problems more, and utilizing things like stools to reach stuff she wants that is out of reach. And we had her first haircut! (Read about that HERE).
 
She continues to remind us that she is a "new big sister" and that can mean anything from thinking she doesn't have to go to bed on time to eating a full pretzel rod, instead of just half. I definitely think we are going to have to watch her with Healey. I can see her being the type who thinks she is helping, but instead is trying to feed Reese's Pieces to a 3 month old. She told me the other day that she would help me get Healey out of the car "and not drop her." Oh boy!
 
I swear she is so smart... but I am her mom. She busts out with telling us that she "needs privacy" and randomly busts out with knowing "xylophone." She is grasping the concept of rhyming words and even tries to make up her own sometimes. (Her teacher told us that during Dr. Seuss week at school, she was helping with the rhymes as the teacher read the book!) She is trying to "read" more to herself - basically just recalling either what we have already read to her, or looking at the pictures and telling her own stories. She has always been good at puzzles, but she has done a few on the Kindle that are a lot more pieces and didn't really struggle. And she is liking memory/matching games a lot and excelling at them, with guidance on how to play properly.
 
We had a pretty bad incident at school this month with her biting someone (after being good for almost a month) and latching on so badly that they had to physically remove her from the boy. The director even had to remove her from the class and take her to her office because they weren't comfortable leaving her in the class. They ultimately let her go with another class for the day, to see if the change of scenery helped. It did - and she was fine - but this just reminds us that her anger isn't completely under control. She just doesn't know how to handle it when she gets so frustrated... and I feel like I am failing as a mom with her and trying to know what to do to help her. If any of my readers have had kids with similar issues, please let me know what worked for you! (Update: They have officially moved Bimmer to the older 2's class at her school. It is more structured and she has been thriving since moving there. Even if I did come to pick her up one day and some of the 4 year olds were chasing her around the playground- which she did not like. Still looking for advice though!)

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Spring Break

We typically don't make the pilgrimage back to The Fort this close again after Christmas, but with Healey on her way, we needed to get maternity photos done! So yes, we packed up the family, took a few days off work, and hit the road back for one last Healey-free visit with my family. (Although, leading into the trip, there was a lot of unnecessary family drama - that I did not cause, thankyouverymuch - that almost made me not want to go!)
 
I won't bore you with the day to day antics, but we had fun. Lots of family time, some dress up with Mamaw and Papaw, dinners out, lots of ice cream, and a trip to an aquarium. I figure it's just better to share with photos. The drama didn't rear its ugly head, and we came back in one piece.
 
I will say, every time I go back to visit The Fort anymore, the less I have any desire to move back there ever. It has its moments - I love my family and friends there - but after almost 15 years in South Carolina, I'm pretty sure I call this HOME now for a reason.
 
Hanging with Papaw at the jumpy castles

Mamaw had great dress-up clothes

Getting her first manicure with Mamaw

At the aquarium with Papaw

Visiting Granny, her great-grandma
 
*I promise I will post the maternity photos once we get them back from my photographer! Can't wait!*
 
 
 
 

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Sound Bite

I normally post these on Sundays, but it's a gorgeous night and I've got my feet propped up on the deck while Puff and Bimmer run around in the yard, savoring the last of the light. Hope you are enjoying spring already as much as we are around here at Rushing Life!

Just needed to share this little Robbie Williams ditty that I've stumbled across a few times on my iPod recently. I love him. Seriously. And this song, "Don't Say No" is just as classic as it gets from him.


Thursday, March 19, 2015

Chopped

The one and only thing I was sure of when I was pregnant the first time was that Bimmer was going to come out with a lot of hair. And she didn't disappoint.
 
 
 
Over the past almost 3 years, we have let it grow. I have never wanted her to have bangs, and I wasn't sure I wanted to ever cut out her leftover curls, so we just never broke down and cut it. But alas, it was time. We were having professional maternity photos taken and I wanted her to not risk looking disheveled. Plus, with her now using the potty, the long hair was starting to get a little ridiculous.
 
 
 
So early on a Saturday morning in early March, Puff and I took her for her first haircut. I was very specific in doing research ahead of time to find a place that friends recommended AND where I could make an appointment.
 
 
 
Even though  Bimmer loves a good bath and we had discussed her having to get her hair washed, she was very tense and not so keen on having it washed at the salon. (Yes, I'm calling it a salon for lack of a better term!) I just held her hand, and she held her teddy bear, and we got through it relatively unscathed with no tears.
 

 
 
 
Of course Puff's child would select the Mini Cooper to sit in, versus the generic race car. She's probably one of very few 2 year old girls who can correctly identify it! Anyhoo... the stylist was great and gave her a little pad to draw on and would spin her around and let her watch in the mirror when she was interested. Yes, I kept a few locks of her hair - they even gave me a certificate with her name on it and the date and a little baggie with the clippings. Not a lot - but enough to satisfy me. Puff thought I was crazy. Listen, bucko - it's not like I'm saving her teeth. That will DEFINITELY not be happening!
 
 
 
The stylist asked Bimmer if she wanted a braid, and she was all for it. In fact, she got a spiffy "princess braid" like one of the characters in Frozen. (Which I have mentioned before, we aren't obsessed with.) Several of the other stylists came over to look at it (it was called a "dutch braid" apparently) and even a mom there with her two sons came over to inspect it after all the oohs and aahs.
 
 
 
All told, it was a pleasant experience. And since it was her first ever haircut, it was free! The stylist kept commenting on Bimmer's gorgeous natural highlights and how many parents can only wish their almost-3 year old had that much gorgeous hair. I'm biased, but I definitely think it's gorgeous!
 
 
 
Afterwards, she got a balloon with jelly beans and we treated her to a trip to Dunkin Donuts (who are we kidding - that was totally an excuse for the pregnant mom to eat a donut or two) and then we took her to Toys R Us to pick out a prize. Since we weren't sure how it would go down, we figured bribery was the way to go. We wouldn't have really needed it, but we'll know for next time.
 
So proud of my "new big sister" and all the grown up things she is starting to do - and tackle - with confidence and grace!

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Color Me Green

We just got back from a few days visiting family back in The Fort (more on that in a future post) but with it being St. Patty's Day, I thought I would just share a smattering of some of my favorite photos from the trip Puff and I took to Ireland back in 2009.
 
Geez... Puff looks soooooo young here!!!
 
 
I'm sure I've shared some (if not all) of these before. But that trip was amazing. Besides New Zealand, it was my favorite trip I have ever been on. And my hands-down favorite I've been on with Puff. It was the trip that made me realize I could see myself married to him. And while we have lofty travel goals to hit up other places in the world prior to returning to Ireland, I can definitely see that it will be on our list again. It would be the perfect family-friendly place to visit. I know our girls would love it. Here's hoping we can return one day!
 





The perk of traveling in shoulder season - a pic of Blarney Castle with NO PEOPLE IN IT!!!

 

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Only the Good...

I love music. I love lots of random types of music. But one of my all-time favorites is Billy Joel.
 
(Here is where I would insert a photo or video if my internet didn't hate me)
 
From "We Didn't Start the Fire" - which I do know every word - to "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," I am a fan. I've seen him in concert multiple times over the years. I've seen him alone once (or twice???) and then with Elton John twice. I prefer him alone, since then he plays more of his songs. But he has never done me wrong.
 
So when Kimhead told me that he was coming to Charlotte in December, I was all about jumping on some tickets!
 
One small problem....
 
I'm a mom. And in this day and age, that normally has to come first. And the date in December is the same day there is a Christmas parade. It's a parade I have always missed due to my goofy December work schedule. Puff took Bimmer this past year and she loved it. So I purposely made a point to go ahead and take off that Saturday for December 2015 as soon as I was aware of the date.
 
OK... so taking Bimmer to a parade or Billy Joel? Well, clearly, Billy Joel would win.
 
But he didn't.
 
He didn't win because we are 99% sure we are going to enroll Bimmer in dance class starting this fall. And her studio will be IN the parade. So, not just attending - being on a float in the parade.
 
There was no way I could miss that.
 
Sadly, Billy will have to wait. Or maybe he won't - maybe this will be the last opportunity I would have had to see him live before he calls it quits. I'm definitely saddened by it. It sucks having to make this adult decision. But if we are able to get Bimmer into dance, and she is in that parade, the joy that it will bring her will overshadow me missing the concert.
 
Plus, it's not like it's Robbie Williams.
 
I wouldn't miss him for anything. Not even Bimmer's birthday party.
 
Yup... I said it. :)

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Spring Forward Closet

It's that time of year! It's time for some spring shopping! While Puff and I will venture soon to our yearly outlet mall trip to stock up on summer goodies for Bimmer, here is a little glimpse of some things we have already stockpiled or I've been eyeing. I have realized that I have bought her a lot of dresses already for this year! (I think we're at like 7!!!) But I'm hoping we can get her some little bike shorts and maybe she'll enjoy them. I purposely got ones she can wear to school too. I had gotten her some J.Crew shorts on crazy sale recently, but the size 3T was too big! Yikes! My pre-buying on sale has finally gotten me in trouble!
 
Shorts from J.Crew

Skort from Hanna Andersson
 


Color Block Dresses from Old Navy
 

Skort from Old Navy

Sweatshirt from Old Navy



Tanks from Old Navy (that I scored on sale for like $2 a pop a few weeks back!)
 

Sunday, March 8, 2015

24 Weeks Cooked

Baby Bimmer on the left, Baby Healey on the right
 
Woot woot - we are more than halfway there! Party time! Dance break! Oh golly jeez... I so hate being pregnant!
 
So what's been new since the last update? In general, I've been feeling pretty good. Just your normal lower back pain on occasion, 3am nausea if I don't eat enough before bed, and some round ligament pain in my lower right abdomen. Nothing major. Nothing I should be complaining about that badly. Will that stop me? Eh... keep reading and find out. LOL.
 
Have I previously mentioned the insanely detailed and ridiculous dreams I've been having this entire pregnancy? Before we knew Healey was a girl, I had three very vivid dreams that I was a mom to two girls. One of them involved being at a waterpark on a lazy river tube ride. Another was a horrific jaunt to the beach where we couldn't find parking and then a rogue wave took out half the beach and I momentarily lost both girls and was screaming their names - actually using the name that is going to be Healey's. Petrifying! I've had dreams about making out with random guys at work (some cute, some notsomuch) and a dream where I got into a fight with a co-worker because she had hooked up with one of the guys we work with. My favorite was an elaborate girl's night out to a night club in a cave where you had to dip your phone in vodka and put it in a freezer before entering. Crazy, I tell ya. Crazy.
 
I have ventured into the world of maternity/nursing bras. I just had to upgrade and unfortunately, my cup size has now outgrown the biggest cup size they have at Victoria's Secret. Yup - no lie. Thankfully, I was able to try on a bunch of them at a maternity store and found two that are going to work... for now. I imagine that I will ultimately have to go to no under-wire, but I'm hoping to avoid that as long as possible - at least for work. Big ol' floppy boobies are not very professional. ::sigh:: I never thought I would hate my boobs, since I used to love them so much, but dang it - we are to that point.
 
Things are getting harder in general, especially when it comes to caring for Bimmer. Giving her a bath is near impossible and I can't move around and jump and play with her as much as I'd like. It sucks - because I hate not being the mom I want to be for her. I know it will all change a ton as the pregnancy gets further along and Healey gets here. But I will be back to normal eventually and then our lives will be a new normal. And I cannot wait at all.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Cut it Out

I started coloring my hair back when I was about 16 years old. Ever since then, I have diligently seen one person. The same person. Always. Over the past 16 years. Back in The Fort. Despite (at one point) living 500+ miles away. I would go home twice a year, get it cut and colored. It worked out for me. It was always the perfect arrangement. I loved what she did for my color - I never doubted her work. It looked natural, and not at all "striped" like I see so many girls sporting here in the south.
 
Cue December 2014. I had my appointment on the books since June. When it was a few weeks out, I called the salon to confirm my appointment. The call wouldn't go through. A few days later, I tried again. This time, I got a recording saying the number had been disconnected. I searched online and could find no alternate number. Was it seriously possible that my hairdresser was suddenly MISSING?!? And of course, after all those years, I didn't even have her number to reach her directly. I was crushed.
 
It was worse than breaking up with a long-term boyfriend. No joke.
 
So I had to begin the hunt here. My work BFF has a lady she likes, but I wasn't sold. So I trusted Cole and went to her man. I was in desperate need of some hair help after 8+ months of neglect.
 
 
 
My biggest thing was that I wanted it to look natural. I think he succeeded.
 
 
 
Am I blown away? No. Do I hate it? No. It's a little too short, and the color isn't quite as blonde as I would like it, but it's a start. I'll trust him again. But it still leaves a hole in my heart for my old hair girl. 16 years was a long time. I miss her. ::sigh:: Here's hoping this new guy and I can get things on track and I can finally trust someone with my hair color again.
 
It's a big dream. But hopefully I can reach it!

Monday, March 2, 2015

One More Snow

I mentioned last week that we had another snow day. And this time, it was actually snow - versus the ice of the week prior. However, it was all melted by the end of the day... just the way I like it. Bimmer, Puff, and I played outside for just about an hour, and that was enough. Bimmer finally told us she was "cold and wet" so we decided that was enough. But we had a nice little time with the perfect snowman and snowball snow. I am very much ready for spring, but as much as I hate snow (and the school closings and the using vacation days on not taking a vacation) Bimmer loves it and gets so excited for it. So I have to suck it up and like it a little bit. Seeing her joy is worth the cold. For a little bit. Once or twice a year.

She doesn't have snow boots, so cowboy boots have to do :)



Her first snowman! She later insisted it get a nose, mouth, and buttons. Then we had to make a baby one for Healey too. Such a sweet big sister!
 
P.S. My internet has been acting super wonky for about a week. So if there are lulls, I apologize. Sometimes, I just don't have the mental capacity to deal with all the rebooting, etc. to get it to work.
 
P.P.S. You would think with all the time I've taken off work the past few weeks, that calling in sick today without being literally on my death bed was a stupid idea. But alas, I decided it was worth it. I had been battling a cold all last week, and shit finally hit the fan Friday night. I have a gnarly sinus infection and double ear infections. I think it's been 10+ years since I've had ear pain this bad. I'm finally feeling more human today than I did all weekend, but still no where near 100%. I cannot wait to feel like a person again!

Sunday, March 1, 2015

33 Month Update

This wasn't the outfit I had planned, but I gotta do what I gotta do to get these pics!
 
Bimmer's behavior issues at school continue with biting, scratching, and not listening. She'll be good for a few days and then back at it again. It really hurts my heart. I am embarrassed to be around any of the other parents and it just sucks because I know she can be so sweet! She will lay with me and rub my face and tell me she's being "gently" and tells me almost every morning that I'm her "best friend ever." We are working on a behavior chart to reinforce the good behavior days.
 
Her vocabulary continues to grow and she forms great long sentences. She is becoming more clear to understand, even though as her mom, I've never really had a problem with that. But others are definitely understanding her for the most part. She asks a lot of questions about what things are called if she doesn't know, which makes me proud that she wants to learn and know. She likes to tell us that someone is doing something "on purpose." It happens most often when she is tattling to me about Puff. Ha!
 
For the most part, she is doing well with the potty. She very rarely has pee accidents, and when she does, it's typically because I either ignored her signs or didn't realize how long it had been since she went last and didn't insist on her trying. On the poop? Well, we are working with it. If I am around her, I can tell her signs and usually catch her in time. For some reason, she sometimes thinks it's scary. Thankfully, she isn't afraid of "big potties" out in public. In fact, she has a bit of a fascination with them and likes to always try when we are out at public. I suppose that's better than accidents in public? (In the past 2 weeks, we've actually not had any accidents! And she's been dry over night too! Yay!)
 
The girl loves dinosaurs and was telling me the other day she wants a "T-Rex cake" for her birthday. She likes to make a "cave" in our fireplace these days and drag pillows and toys in there. (Don't worry - it isn't functional anymore.)  If she wants to have a "party" that normally means just dumping out as many toys as humanly possible - and then questioning later "who made this mess???" She likes to hoard things in tote bags and carry them around the house. Then she'll gather them up and go either on "a trip" or "a bear hunt." There is a lot of talking about hiding from bears with "big green eyes and a fuzzy little tail."
 
She continues to talk a lot about being a "new big sister" and is so sweet about talking about Healey and picking things out for her and such. I cannot wait to see her in action once Healey is actually here.