Road Trip

What else to do when you wake up bored in the middle of Missouri?  Take a 2 hour road trip to St. Louis.  Of course, we could have stayed at home and do laundry, clean the house, mow the lawn, etc. but no we, correction I, was getting a little cabin fever and wanted to get out and walk around without having a heat stroke.  Maybe I also wanted to get the new stroller out to test it.  

The verdict is in.  I love this stroller!  It pushes like a dream and little man slept in it a majority of the day.   I have a little blankie behind him in the stroller - why? - I don't know I just feel like it makes it comfier.  According to other momma's, this stroller should last us for a lot of years.  

While moseying along, my parched mouth thought a sample of some free tea outside Teavana would hit the spot. Wow, and was it tasty.  So tasty in fact that I rolled myself in there and purchased the Youthberry White Tea and Wild Orange Blossom Tea combo.  I just had to get the tea infusing pitcher as well.  Thank you parched mouth, you just set us back $85.00.  I thought Chris would stroke out when he saw that, I know I nearly did.  Let's just say I learned my lesson, don't go in Teavana when thirsty.  I plan on savoring every last drop of this stuff.  It better last a looong time.  Here's the first pitcher that cold brewed overnight in the fridge.

Moving on...one of the coolest stores we came across was the Lego Store.  I may be a bit older but I thought this place was awesome.  I am actually looking forward to Ethan begging to come here.  I may eat those words one day.  I wish I could have gotten a pic of the Star Wars Sand Crawler, but it was behind glass and had too much of a glare.  It was amazing though.  It should be for $300.  Holy Moly that is a ton of money for pieces of plastic.  

Aside from the outrageously priced tea, a couple of cute clothes for little man, I needed to purchase some new running shoes.  They had this one pair that I really wanted but again way too much money.  So I settled for these Nike Dual Fusion.  These suckers almost glow they are so bright.  I don't think a car will miss me on the road.  I will have to break these in at the gym when I meet my trainer next.  She had me climbing walls the last time we met. So much for my fear of heights.

Ah, what a long day.  It wouldn't have been so bad if we didn't have to tack on a 2 hour drive to the beginning and end of it.  Since I drove, I needed a pick me up before heading back home.  Chris hits the car and is usually out so I am on my own.  We couldn't find a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts so Denny's it was for a cup of coffee and some breakfast for dinner.

Woh, woh...back it up.  I have to add in that we pulled into the E-Z-GO Cart store before heading out of town.  My husband has wanted a golf cart for a while now.  It stemmed from our neighbor up the road who putters up and down the streets chatting everyone up, taking their 8 yr old daughter for rides oh and how can I forget - collecting all the men of the neighborhood for Marty's (men drinking parties).   When we are ready to buy though, I have a feeling this will be what we go with.

Stroller Love

It finally arrived!  Our very first umbrella stroller.  I purchased this initially for our trip back home to Charlotte this summer but this may be a keeper for my car.  I have been using our Baby Jogger City Elite stroller in the car for any kind of mall trips.  Even though it is a full size 3 wheel stroller, it is a cinch to open and close.  This one I think will be a better size for maneuvering store isles.  Little man wasn't in a stroller kind of mood last night.

Look at all the cool features.  I really like the extendable sun shield.  Some strollers are pitiful when it comes to blocking the rays from little ones eyes.  

It has a leg rest for smaller ones who can't touch the foot pad.  Which seems to also make it more comfortable when you have it reclined.

Speaking of reclining, this was the main selling feature for me.  I like the fact he can nap in it while we are waiting at the airport or out and about.

I am super excited it has a cup holder included.  My Baby Jogger doesn't have one.  So this will make it great when zooming around the mall with my tall decaf caramel soy latte.

I will have to do a follow-up post to review the actual use of this baby.  I did push it up and down the street for a test drive and it felt great so far.  To be continued...

We had our first boo-boo this morning.  It was a little bit of mommy's fault.  We were walking to the bedroom and I took my hand away from his back for a second to brush my hair out of my face and he arched his back real hard and banged the side of the door jam with his noggin', poor baby.  Needless to say, he screamed for about 2-3 minutes until he got a little snack which calmed him down.

Then momma got the boo-boo bag from the freezer and it made it feel all better.  Well that and a little outdoor distraction with the flowers.  I couldn't get a great angle on it but it is on the right side of his head.  The little 1" red mark.  Awe, I feel horrible.

Maybe we will go for a little afternoon stroll in the new stroller to take his mind off it.

Safety First

Bright and early this morning.  I was thinking I need to get Ethan on an actual sleep schedule.  Lately he hasn't gone to bed until roughly 10:00p.  He is EBF (Exclusively Breast Fed) and fed on demand so he doesn't sleep through the night like a formula fed baby does.   He wakes about twice a night to eat, sometimes three times.  He will take several naps during the day.  Some only 20-30 minutes, others longer.   I just love snuggling with this little guy.

We usually are up and about around 7:30a.  Little man was all kinds of spunky.  We played a little, walked around a little, watched some BabyFirst and kept an eye on the plumber that came to replace the outside water faucet.

We haven't used it since last summer and I turned it on over the weekend and the water pressure was weak.  Then all of a sudden water started pouring out from behind the siding.  Not good.  They actually had to cut a whole in the spare bedroom wall in order to gain access to it.  Sure enough it was a burst pipe.  I know we, and every one in the country for that matter, had an extremely cold winter.  We even tried to prevent this type of thing by placing insulated covers over the faucets.  Oh well, its brand new and up and running again.

While little man took one of his little cat naps, I was able to get an open house flyer ready for one of our agent.  This house is too cute.  It overlooks a small lake in a brand new subdivision.  If we had any intentions on living permanently in Missouri, I sure would consider purchasing it.

We are so excited about the new security system we had installed yesterday evening.  Vivint has a great summer deal going on in our area and it was too good to pass up.  They will install $2,000 worth of equipment - FREE - and all you have to do is sign a contract and pay $99 activation fee.  We LOVE it!!  It controls our thermostat, lights, locking and unlocking the front door and also a camera we can view at any time from our phone.  I can't tell you how many times I have been nursing or sleeping with little man and hubs will leave for work and accidentally leave the front door unlocked.  I can say that now because all I have to do is get my phone and lock the door.  Oh and when you're laying in bed and think "Did I turn the alarm on?" all we need to do now is check your phone and check and if need be turn it on.  LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

Another great aspect of it is when we are out and won't get home until late during the fall season and its dark out, we can turn the lights on or adjust the temperature for the dogs.  When we move next spring, we can leave the equipment here and after reaching our new home we just need to call Vivint and they will send a technician to put in the same equipment we had at our previous home - AGAIN FREE OF CHARGE!   Can you feel my excitement yet?

I would love to refer you!  I believe whoever I refer to Vivint will get the same deal we did.  You have to message me though if your interested and I will find out for sure.

Isn't technology so much fun!

Dirt Diggin' Kind of Day

It's a play it by ear Sunday.  I wasn't feeling the greatest this morning so we slept in for a while.   Since it is another smokin' hot day, outside activity will be limited.  A couple new magazines came in the mail yesterday so I thought I would relax and do some reading.  I have such ADD though when it comes to magazines.  They get me so motivated with all the awesome healthy recipes or personal journeys of weight loss related topics but unfortunately the sparkle is short lived.  I really should force myself to follow through.

One thing I have been asking Chris to do for a while is fill the bird feeders.  I would do it myself but when he first constructed the bird feeder stand he made it way to tall for me.   He really came through for me.  Not only did he fill them, he put some concrete at the base to stabilize it and also shortened the pole so little ole me can do it whenever I feel the need.

The funniest part of this was his first stomp of the shovel, it bent.  The scoop area of it, as if it was made of aluminum or something.   We just bought that thing too.  That's the thing about this area is the amount of rock in the ground.   Anyways, he was able to bend it back and finish the job. 

It looks great now.  We usually have boatloads of yellow finches, robins, blue birds, tufted tit mice, all kinds of wood peckers and many others I can't remember the names of.  

Why stop at the bird feeder.  While he was feeling active, I thought maybe he could chop up that limb that fell in our backyard early this spring after a storm went through.  Oh and if you look hard enough, you will see a little Gussy hanging out in the grass.

I shouldn't have opened my mouth because he said he didn't have a chainsaw to do that.  After a long, drawn out explanation of how we would benefit from one, I caved and told him to get one.   Okay so I thought he would pick one up sometime this week on his way home from work.  Nope, he shot straight up and said he was headed to Lowes.  

He was so excited up until he ate dinner and passed out on the sofa.  I guess the limb can wait another day.  

I did make a decision on the stroller last night.  We didn't make the trip to St. Louis to test them out so I am going solely on the reviews and research I did.  I purchased the UPPAbaby G-Luxe Umbrella Stroller.  It should arrive on Wednesday and I am so excited!  The great part about this particular umbrella stroller is that it has a full recline and can accommodate a child from birth to 55 pounds. 

Off to get a work-out in tonight.

Summer Solstice with a Screech

Our first summer morning started with a screech.  A fox screech.  I went out early to feed the ferrel kitty colony and kept hearing these screeches really close to the house.  I kept looking and finally out of the tree line our little blonde fox came out and kept making her calls.  She went into the neighbors yard, around our house and finally into the other neighbors backyard where I had a straight shot of her from our deck.  She just sat there making her calls.  I need to glue my phone to my hip, because I had a great shot of her if I did.  Dang!  Well when I moved to go back inside she saw me and took off.  I read they screech for territory claims and mating.  I think the mating has already came and went so not sure what it was.  I felt kind of bad because she acted like she was looking for something.  I hope it isn't her babies.  Ugh, why do I have such a mushy heart for animals.  I'll probably spend the next week thinking about her and if she is okay.  Here is a pic from John Ryan Photography that looked just like her.

It's now officially the dog days of summer.  (snicker, snicker)  If there is someone, albeit a hairy four legged one, that loves this time of the year it would be Fenway!  I spend most of my days letting him out, letting him in...letting him out, letting him in.  Over and over.  I'm not sure how he can sit on a muggy sun-filled  sidewalk with a black coat and not have a heat stroke.  Sammy on the other hand wants nothing to do with it.  He gets his business done and runs back inside.  Sounds a little like me.   I walk out and I instantly feel the sweat start to trickle. Ick!

Since it has started out muggy, we put little man tank top romper.  Maybe we will try and get a walk in before it is too stifling hot.

Or maybe we will stay in and I can do some more research on an umbrella stroller to take when we fly to Charlotte in September.   My one request is that it needs to recline.  You always see kids in them at an amusement park or at the mall passed out and slumped over sideways looking so uncomfortable.   Maclaren, Joovy and UPPAbaby all have this feature.  I have always wanted a Maclaren because of their great reputation but now that I see some others I'm not quite sure.   

I wish there was a retailer that had them all and was close by so I could give them a spin.  When I purchased our Baby Jogger City Elite Stroller, I went to BuyBuyBaby and tested them all over and over again.   It had to push like a dream.   The closest BuyBuyBaby now is in St. Louis, which is a 2 hour drive.  Hmm, maybe hubs will be up for a road trip today.  

UPPAbaby G-Luxe Stroller

Joovy Groove Umbrella Stroller

Maclaren Globetrotter Umbrella Stroller  

Maclaren Triumph Stroller

I am really liking the Joovy but I did read a review that spoke about them using a California banned flame retardant.  Not good.  I need to do more research to see if that is still accurate.   Decisions, Decisions.

Enjoy your super long day.

It's Friday! It's Friday!

Not that the days of the week really mean much to me anymore now that I stay at home.  Friday seems like any other day.  However, the differing part is that my honey will be home and can help watch little man so I can have some ME time.  So YAY for weekends!  

Until you are a stay-at-home mom you don't quite realize just how much of your time does not exist.  I'm sure some people think if you stay at home you get to lounge or watch TV.   That is not exactly how it happens.  If the TV is on, it will be on BabyFirst television, which is high color/contrast shows designed for infants and toddlers.   I can't lounge because I am on constant alert as to what he doing, is he breathing, entertaining him, oh and fitting in my work for my job.  The only time I can say is available to me is when he takes naps, which now that he is getting bigger, is getting shorter and shorter.

Today we decided to go on a Wal-Mart trip since he was fussing a bit.  He had his 4 month check-up the other day and got his shots.  I think he is feeling a bit cross from them.  You couldn't tell it by his happy face, but then again he smiles all the time.  Even when he is crying/fussing you can work at it and get a smile out.

But really, nothing works faster than a full belly of milk and a car ride.  It's amazing he slept through the crappy cart ride across the Wal-Mart parking lot.  He is such a good boy.  He was so quiet even after he woke up at the check-out line.

The one constant thing in the Levesque household on a Friday night is pizza night.  Now that I'm on a mission to lose baby weight, I don't indulge like I once did but I do have a little.  Ah... there it is, the Dominos Philly Cheesesteak Thin Crust Pizza.  YUM!  Yes, its not the best pizza in the world, but when you are in the middle of nowhere Missouri, it sure seems like the best.  

Talk about another smoking hot day.  As we munched our dinner, little Red was passed out on the table trying to stay cool.  Poor guy, I'm sure it stinks having all that hair.

The heat doesn't seem to be bothering the flowers.  My favorite ones are the hanging baskets on the back deck.  We really don't use the back deck since it was taken over by the cats and the fact it is too small to really do anything on it, but I still like it pretty.

 Little man is down for the count so I think I'll sneak in some TV time and maybe an ice cold Sam Adams.  I'm out of wine so beer it is.

Enjoy the weekend!