Whew!!

Well, Vacation Bible School ended on Friday - and it was a fantastic week! I don't have the time or energy to post much today, but just wanted to check in. 

Overall, I had a blast, and am not looking forward to going back to my "regular job" tomorrow at all, LOL.

I'll be back to posting again sometime this week!

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Quick Update

 Just enough time for a quick update before I fall asleep:

Day 1 of VBS was a success! I think the biggest screw-up I made was that I never introduced myself to the kids, LOL. I just got up on stage and started talking! Oh well.... live and learn. Tomorrow I will tell them my name, haha!

We had 34 kids come to VBS, and in the past, that number usually grows each day, and last year we ended the week with over 100 kids enrolled on Friday. However, the total number of kids doesn't matter as much as whether we are effectively ministering to the kids and families that God has brought us. If we stay at just 34 kids all week - then those 34 kids are the ones who God wants to learn about Him this week, and it's those children's families who we are supposed to reach out and connect with. And that is exactly what we will do, thankful for the chance to do so.

 Thank you so much for all of the prayers/positive thoughts. Keep 'em coming, and I hope you all enjoy your week!

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Please excuse my absense....

 ....while I'm away directing Vacation Bible School!

VBS starts tomorrow... and this is my very first time directing, so to say I'm nervous would be an understatement! I will not be posting anything all week - and odds are next weekend will be crazy as well. But I will be back when VBS stuff dies down.

Every 30 seconds my To-Do list seems to increase by another bullet point. Some things for tonight, some things for tomorrow morning (thank goodness VBS is in the evening this year!) and some things to do later on in the week. But still, the list just keeps on growing - and the minutes & hours just keep ticking by. Is it next week yet? LOL.

This morning's sermon at church was just what I needed to heard today - reminding me to really TRUST in God through everything. I will TRUST that He will bring the kids that He wants to hear the message this week. I will TRUST that He will take away my nervousness and give me peace and wisdom as I do my duties this week as the Worship Rally leader. I will TRUST that all of the volunteer teachers will do their very best to teach the lessons that are supposed to be taught this week. I will TRUST that God will help me to accomplish everything on my list that needs to be accomplished, at the time it needs to be accomplished. I KNOW that God knows what He's doing, and I will TRUST that He will use me the way He wants to use me, to make this year's VBS all that He wants it to be.

I'd like to ask for your prayers, good thoughts/wishes, or any positive vibes you want to send my way! My #1 goal for this week is that God is glorified through whatever happens. #2 is that I want children to hear, believe, and connect with the Good News about Jesus. I'm also praying that we have a week free of any injuries or illnesses, and that we have a fun week.

I'd like to look back on the week of VBS as a week that was lots of hard work, lots of fun, and a positive impact in the lives of every kid who attended.

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Hitting

It seems we have entered a new stage of toddler-hood - hitting. 

Monster discovered that he likes to hit - everything and everyone.

He doesn't just ht when he's mad (although he hits then, too) but almost as it it's just for fun. I'll be holding him, and he'll out of the blue smack me. :S Not fun.

We have tried so many ways to stop the behavior but nothing seems to be working so far. Those of you with toddlers - please share any tips or tricks you have, to get him to stop hitting!

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Dibs!: Petite Bottoms Giveaway

Dibs!: Petite Bottoms Giveaway

Dibs! is having a great giveaway from Petite Bottoms.... and the winner will get 4 prizes!

A BumGenius Elemental One-size diaper

A Thirsties Duo diaper

An Osocozy fitted diaper

And a Sweet Pea One-size diaper cover!

Plus, the winner will get to choose the color (and sizes when appropriate) of their diapers. Is that not a great giveaway prize pack! Hury over... this giveaway ends 8/8!

Dibs!: Petite Bottoms Giveaway



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Alvababy Cloth Diaper Giveaway ~ Adventures in Fluff

Chanat at Adventures in Fluff is hosting her very first giveaway!

She will be giving away an Alvababy pocket diaper in the winner's choice of print.

She just posted a First Glance Review of an Alvababy cloth diaper as well, so be sure to check it out. After reading her review and watching her video, I'd love to give an Alvababy a try!

This giveaway ends on 8/5/11, so hurry over to Adventures in Fluff to enter the Alvababy cloth diaper giveaway today!

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10 Teeth

Last night I felt like the worst mother on the planet. Ok, ok. Maybe not quite that bad... but I felt pretty stupid when I discovered that Monster has not 8 teeth, as I thought.... but TEN!

He's had all 4 front teeth on both the top & bottom for about a month and a half. And I never had a clue he was even teething lately... until last night while I was brushing his teeth. Now, normally he likes to sit on the bathroom counter and let me brush his teeth. I know he only has the front 8, and that's where I would focus my brushing, before I give him the toothbrush and let him "brush" the rest of his mouth for a bit when I'm done with his teeth.

Well, last night he decided he wanted to brush his teeth by himself and he was throwing a huge fit trying to grab the toothbrush from me. So I laid him down on his back, on the bathroom counter, to better hold him still while I brushed his teeth... and when I used my fingers to open his mouth for the toothbrush... I saw a glimpse of something white where only pink was supposed to be!! Could it be? I opened his mouth up again to get a better look, and, YES! A tooth! And on the other side... ANOTHER TOOTH!

Monster has both of his upper first molars. The right one is probably fully out. The left one seems to be about 90%. And I never knew until last night. Holy cow!

The reason I had no idea about these is because he still doesn't have his "canines" (see chart below).

He's got his central & lateral incisors on both the top and bottom. And then his first molars on top. It looks kinda funny seeing that gap in there. But that gap is all I ever see when he smiles or talks. The front 4 teeth, and gums to either side. His molars have been hidden inside of his cheeks.

I suppose I could look at this as a good thing - after all, a teething baby is not a happy baby, but a grumpy baby. And a grumpy, sleepless baby makes for a grumpy, sleepless mommy. So yes, it could have been a lot worse - he could have been a nightmare while these were popping through. I definitely count it as a blessing that he was his normal, sweet, good-sleeping self.

But I attribute a lot of that to his Baltic Amber necklace that he wears. (click link for my post/review about the necklace back in November). You can see him wearing one in the picture above. Every word I said then is still true now. We now own 3 different styles of necklaces, not just the 1. Every one works like a charm - and they're cute, too!

So, there's my confession for the day. My baby popped through 2 molars without me ever knowing it was happening. And I still wouldn't know today if he hadn't thrown a fit last night that required me to lay him down while brushing his teeth. But, this fact makes me love my Inspired By Finn necklaces even more!

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VBS Progress

You may or may not remember me mentioning that I'm directing VBS (Vacation Bible School) for my church this year.

This is my first time undertaking such a task... and while it hasn't been easy, I have enjoyed the challenge. :) VBS starts July 25th - that's just 9 days away! YIKES!

Just this morning I had to revise the daily schedules.... again. I don't know how many times I've had to re-do them for some reason or another... but I really think (and hope) that this is the last & final time.
Although I'm thinking some last-minute changes during the week are inevitable. But at least I have a finalized schedule to start the week with! :)

We are having a worker's meeting tomorrow after church, so I am also working on putting together a meeting agenda (which requires actually figuring out what all I'm gonna be talking about, haha). Thankfully I have most of what I want to discuss jotted down on my notepad - I just have to put it all together in a way that makes sense, now! Wish me luck!

New video!

I know everybody loves cute baby videos.... and I haven't posted in a while, so here's one that Ben took tonight of me playing with Monster.

Enjoy!

(Oh, you might have to pause the video player first!)

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Date Night!

First of all, today should be a great day, because it didn't start with locking my baby in my car. ;) That's gotta count for something right?
But I know tomorrow will be great, too, becuase it's DATE NIGHT! Ben & I are leaving Monster with his parents overnight, and we are going to....


(YUM!)

And the best part about it? We're going with a $50 gift card that we were given for our anniversary. So it should be a free meal! I really doubt we can rack up more than a $50 charge for dinner & dessert. I'm sure it helps that neither of drink alcohol, though. I know one glass of beer can cost as much as an appetizer or dessert - which I'd rather have than beer. ;)

Afterward, we are going to see a movie. Can you guess what movie we're going to see on July 15, 2011?? I'll give you a hint... it's opening day. :) Ok, now I'll give you ANOTHER hint if you haven't figured it out yet..

Ok, if you don't know what movie that is.... then I don't think I can speak to you anymore. J/K! Although I really do hope you know about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2!

Oh, and we're seeing it in 3D! :)

I'm so excited to finally be seeing the FINAL piece of the story. But I'm also sad, because this means there will never be another Harry Potter movie again. (Seriously, if anybody decides they can "re-make" this series in like 15 years, they've gotta be crazy) So I guess it'll be a bittersweet thing, but exciting nonetheless!

And the best part about the movie? A few weeks ago, I bought a deal on LivingSocial.com for 2 Fandango movie tickets for just $9.00 - yes, $9 for TWO tickets! I thought that was a pretty good deal - about 50% off normal price. What I didn't know when I bought them was that it could be used for 3D movies too! So 1 admission to the 3D movie is $13.50 - that would be $27 for both of us. Plus Fandango's "convenience fee" brining it to $29.50. But know how much we paid? Just the $9 I paid a few weeks ago. That's almost 70% off! I'd say it's a pretty good deal.

So for our dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, plus seeing HP&TDHP2 in 3D, all we'll be spending is $9, and the gas to drive there. Cha-ching!

It doesn't get any better than that!

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Funny Story

So, I've got a funny story to share with you. I'm sure you will think it's hilarous - although I wanted to cry when it was happening to me this morning. Thankfully, now that it's over I can look back and laugh.

It happened this morning, as I was leaving the house to take Monster to my sister-in-law's house ,and then head to work.

Each morning the routine goes something like this: Set the house alarm, grab all the bags (purse, work bag, lunch bag, diaper bag) and Monster & I walk out the door. Lock the house. I use my keyfob to unlock the car. I open the passenger side door, and Monster stands near me while I unload all the bags onto the passenger seat. Then I fold the seat forward (it's a 2-door car), turn around to grab Monster, and then hoist him into his carseat and get him buckled in. Lastly, I flip the front seat back, shut the passenger side door, walk around to the driver's side of the car and get in.

Only this morning, it didn't happen like that. Everything was the same except that final step.... when I get to my driver's side and pull the handle - it didn't open. I look down in horror to see that it's LOCKED.  

This is how I felt. Except less angry and more freaking out, LOL.

So, let's recap the facts:

• The house is locked and armed
• My purse (including phone, house keys, and car keys) is in the car
• Monster is strapped in his carseat in the car
• The car is locked

(Insert panic moment here) 

This isnt' quite the same scenario, but the look on the mom's face? Pretty much spot-on.

 It didn't take long to figure out what happened. While I was dumping all the bags in the car, Monster was standing in between me and the open door. He must have discovered the button at that point in time. Thanks, kid.

So, I run across the street to the neighbor's house, and when she comes to the door I explain my situation, and ask to borrow a phone. She gives me her phone and I call my mother-in-law. I explain the situation to her, and ask if she has a spare house key to our house.... nope, she used to, but not anymore. Great. So I ask her for my SIL's cell phone number, since I don't have it memorized, and it's saved in my cell phone - locked in my car. I then call SIL, explain why I'm not at her house yet, and ask if she has a spare key... she says yes! Thankfully she only lives a few minutes away, and she showed up pretty quickly.

She hands me her keys, and there are 2 on the keyring that are the same key shape as ours. I try the first one - doesn't work. I try the second one - it also doesn't work. :( Then I remembered we replaced our locks a while back, but didn't replace the back door locks. So I ran to the back of the house. Tried the first key - doesn't work. Tried the second key, holding my breath - doesn't work. It took everything I had not to break down in tears right at that moment.

I walk back to the front of the house. Peek in at Monster, who now has taken off 1 shoe and sock, and looks like he's having a great time hanging out in the car. He's giggling, even. Apparently he thinks it's funny to lock Mommy out of the car. So I tell SIL that neither key works - and she, being the brilliant person she is, asks if any of the windows are unlocked! BINGO! It's been hot lately, and we've been opening windows in the warm weather... that's a likely possibility. First we try the 2 windows in the house that are not hooked up to the alarm system. The first is unlocked, but has the night-lock engaged, which means it doesn't open farther than about 2 inches. The second one was locked. Ugh.

So now we're faced with the windows that are hooked up to the alarm. Meaning if one is unlocked, it will trigger the alarm the second we open it. But ya gotta do what ya gotta do! So we discovered that the window in Monster's room was unlocked. I asked my SIL to be ready to hoist me up into the window as soon as I opened it.... and she did.




I'd like to imagine I looked a bit more graceful than this. ;)

 Well I was up and in the house pretty darn quickly. (And I think the inside of my thigh is bruised, because it's still kinda sore) With the alarm screaming in my ears, I run to the panel and disengage it. I then find the spare car keys on the dresser, brush my hair while I'm in there, and then walk back to Monster's room to let my SIL know I got the keys, and to close his window back up. I then met her outside in front of the house - and unlocked my car. FINALLY!

I then left my car door open, and went back inside to lock & arm the house again. I put Monster's sock & shoe back on him, and then we both left toward my SIL's house. So, the story has a good ending. :) And replaying it all in my head, it seems like it could be from the script of a sitcom.

One other funny thing is that as I was half-way through the window, my SIL yelled "watch out for the baby!" and all I could think of was 'What is she talking about? He's in the car? Has she gone crazy!?' My brain seriously could only comprehened that she thought Monster was playing on the floor in his room or something, lol. Not until I was driving to her house after the ordeal that I realized what she was talking about.... I'm pregnant! There's a baby in my belly! The belly that I supported myself in the window with.... Oops. *blush* Good thing little one has lots of padding!

Oh, and apparently my SIL texted or called her husband, who works with Ben, because right as I was getting to work, Ben texted me - to tell me where he put the hide-a-key. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!? The last time we had the hide-a-key anywhere, it was hanging from a rope around our dog's neck (she's a Mastiff, and only an idiot would come into our backyard, and try to get it off of her neck. She is a big sweetheart and would only knock you down and slobber you with kisses once you get in the yard...but she barks, loudly. And that should deter anybody who doesn't know her. But anyway.... she outgrew that rope that was on her neck, and the hide-a-key was laying on the kitchen counter for a long time. I knew it wasn't there anymore, but I had no clue what Ben did with it. Apparently, he re-hid it somewhere. And I didn't know where... until after this morning. *sigh*
Oh well, it makes for a good laugh!

Have you ever had a day like this? Somebody please tell me I'm not the only mom who's accidentally locked her baby in the car! Or, should I say, who's baby has locked them out of the car? LOL

GIVEAWAY!! Thristies Duo Diaper at ELF: A Family Blog

I just discovered Libby's blog, ELF: A Family Blog for the first time today. Why didn't I know about her sooner?! She is mommy to an adorable little chunk named Thad. (I love that name, BTW)

If you haven't discovered her yet, go check her out! Right now she is even hosting a giveaway for a Thirsties Duo Diaper. This giveaway ends TONIGHT (7/12/11 at 11:59pm) so hurry over and get your entry in soon!

I have never tried a Thirsties Duo Diaper - but I use & love the Thirsties wraps, Thirsties Duo Covers, and the old Thirsties Pocket AIO's. So I'm sure the Duo Diaper won't disappoint!

So stop reading this now... and go over to ELF: A Family Blog and enter the Thirsties Duo Diaper giveaway right now!

1/2 There... and My Random Thoughts for Today

I'm over halfway done with this pregnancy! I can hardly believe it.

I ws 21 weeks yesterday, and overall feeling pretty great still. This little one has been doing a LOT of moving around. I'm still not feeling distinct kicks, but what feels like somersaults all around my belly all day long. :) So far, all movement is only being felt from the inside. But I can't wait to feel kicks from the outside - and I know Ben is looking forward to that, too.

So far, I have gained exactly 10 pounds. Now if i just gain another 10 pounds in the 2nd half, I'd be pretty excited! Although, speaking from experience, I'm probably bound to increase my weight gain in the last few months. Oh well - all for a healthy baby! I know I can lose it afterward, especially with chasing a toddler around the house! ;)

Since we don't know the gender of this baby, there's not much preparation to do. So instead of my time being filled with researching cloth diapers and other baby gear (what I did while pregnant with Monster) I am just kinda plugging along in daily life, and only remembering I'm even pregnant when I feel movement! LOL. I hope that doesn't sound bad.... I'm just being honest. Life is busy.

I have purchsed a few new pieces of fluff for this little one, though! In addition to all of the newborn cloth diapers we saved from Monster, I have 2 brand new Lil Joey's in Platinum & Root Beer, 2 BumGenius AIO's in size small, 1 BumGenius AIO in size medium, 2 econbums, 1 new Flip cover, and a 6-pack of Flip Newborn-sized stay-dry inserts. I'm the most excited to try these out, because I like the simplicity of the Flip diaper system on Monster, but when the insert is folded to the small size, it would be pretty bulky on a tiny baby. The newborn insert solves that problem!

Just another 19 (or 20... or 21.... haha) weeks and then I get to use all my new (and old) newborn fluff again!
In the next few weeks, I think I'm going to dig out all of the stored diapers from the shed, and start the prep work to get them all freshened up for the new baby! Which leads me to another task that needs to be done.... figure out how to store 2 babies' worth of cloth diapers & clothes in the 1 dresser and closet! :) I'm actually excited about this job, because I love organizing stuff. It's just cleaning that I'm not a huge fan of.

That leads me to another thing - we have to rearrange the nursery to add a toddler bed! I already know how I think I want to rearrange everthing. But I haven't actaully tried moving any of the furniture yet to see if it will even work. We haven't purchased the toddler bed yet, either. And I'm kinda debating on when to do that. Should we buy it before #2 arrives, and get Monster used to his "big boy bed" sooner? Or wait until after #2 comes, since baby will be in a bassinet in our room for the first 3 months or so anyway. We could just get the toddler bed when we're ready to transition the little one to the crib.... this also gives us the option of putting the toddler bed on Monster's Christmas List, in case any of his grandparents or great-grandparents would like to chip in.

So, I'm kinda torn between waiting to buy the toddler bed until #2 is a few months old, or buying it before #2 arrives. What would you do, and why?