Top 2 Tuesday!!

Top Two Tuesday is hosted by Taylor at Undomestic Mama. 
You can see Taylor's Top Two Picks for the week and many other Mama's: Here.

Top 2 Things You CAN'T Live Without!!

1. Obviously, The Pumpkin and the Hubs and Family come first, along with the necessities of life (especially soap and hot water, ha!)...But, after saying that, I ran into this problem the other day.  I was with my family, had food, a roof over my head, and everything you could ask for, but I was without the 2 Things I needed the most, and I felt completely and utterly helpless...

My Cell Phone

and

2.  My Debit Card.

Also, I have missed a couple Top Two's recently, but I discovered that I missed "Celebrity Style" Week, and I have to comment here (better late than Never!!)  I LOVE bothe these ladies Iconic Classic Styles.

1. Audrey Hepburn

and

2. Jennifer Anniston

In other news...my baby niece is coming today.  My sister-in-law's C-Section is scheduled for 2 pm.  Ha!!  I joked with my Sis-in-Law that it's as if she's ordering my niece out of a catalog (Babies on a schedule!)  Unfortunately, I don't think I am going to be able to make it up there to Chicago to see the new little pumperkin till Sunday (The pumpkin's 1st Birthday Party is Saturday).  It's going to be very hard for me bc I was there before my other Niece was born, and got to hold her in the hospital right after she was born.  But, it will probably be better to have a visit at home than in the hospital. 

It's going to be very hard for me to wait to see this little Princess, but I am SO excited!!  I also can't wait to see my brother, sister-in-law and 5 year old niece!  Hold on new baby girl, Auntie is coming...New Baby, Yeah!!

Weaning.

Found Here.

When I got pregnant with the pumpkin, my mother's friend at work loaned me her daughters Medella Pump.  It was a lifesaver so we wouldn't have to shell out the big bucks to purchase one of our own.  It has literally been "my breast friend" and we are never apart.  I have heard people say that their breast pump is like their "second child," and that adage rang so true with me. You literally, if you work, carry that thing around everywhere, everyday with you, and if you show up to work without out or without a part you are lost without it, and I can't tell you how many times I had to run home bc I forgot my pump or a piece. 

Well, two weeks ago, my mother called me and said, "Vickie needs her pump back."   So, with a heavy heart, I got the bag all cleaned up and greatfully returned my best friend to its owner, who had just had twins.  My mother had forgotten to tell me that she was expecting soon.  So, now, with the pumpkin nearly one, and no pump, and my hubby nagging me to switch her to milk, I was left with a decision.

I sometimes wonder if we are given signs or if we SEE the signs we want to see.  Here, I was suddenly put in a situation where I would have to stop pumping and wean the pumpkin or make arrangements to purchase a new pump (which financially wasn't perfect timing) and continue to breast feed the pumpkin.  I believe in signs, but I was bound and determined not to be forced into a decision.  I swore that I would breast feed our pumpkin till she was one, and I was not stopping until she was one, be it only a couple weeks away from her first birthday or not.  And, so I made arrangements to purchase a gently used pump from someone that works for my company (more economical than renting one for a month which would cost nearly as much), and stretched some pennies...

I had been using my manual pump at work and for overflow, which really does not compare to an automatic.  I am only allotted so much time at work in which to pump so I can only pump so much, which with a maual I am only pumping HALF as much, which dwindles my milk supply. Then, when I finally had the new pump in my hands, after purchasing new tubing, I discovered that it was not pumping properly. My breasts became engorged and I got a blocked duct (in nearly both breasts) but most severely on my right side. 

So, I was back to my manual, and made arrangements to return the pump back to the owner.  Then, I came down with the flu, and here I am trying to feed my daughter, when I haven't eaten anything but Ginger Ale in two days, and can't even get up to change her diaper or feed her from a highchair (Ha!)

So, bc it will be difficult to keep up with the pumpkin with a manual at work, and with the pumpkin's 1st birthday a week from today, the countdown for weaning has begun. Nik started loosing interest in her bottle at daycare a couple months ago, and she nurses sporadically when I'm home with her, in these wierd acrobatic positions (that cause my mother and my husband to look at the both of us like the two of us are crazy!!);0  My daughter is the size of a 2 year old, and my hubby says, it's that time.  Our pediatrician said that after 1, breast milk offers no nutritional value for the pumpkin, it just serves to soothe the mother.

But, as I watch my milk supply dwindle, it aches me to have to say goodbye to this step in our relationship and this stage of motherhood.  And, makes me nostalgic for earlier days.

Look.

Found Here.

Happy St. Patties Day! Wordless Wednesday.

   

Happy St.Patrick's Day

I'd like to say that Iwill be celebrating and toasting the day with a tall, cold, green, frothy ale with you, but Monday night while baking my husband his (2nd) birthday cake, I rapidly became very ill with the flu and my hubby had to finish icing his own Birthday cake! I was so sick, I couldn't stand up anymore.  I was up all night sick, and into th early morning.  My hubby had to go get me Ginger Ale at 5 am bc I couldn't even keep water down.  I had felt a little nauseous earlier in the day, but dismissed it.  My hubby had been actin glike he didn't feel well either, but I thought he was just recovering from his birthday weekend celebration. 

I had used a vacation day to have my hubby's birthday off, and then it ended up kicking me in the butt, and I had to stay off my feet all day.  I could barely find the energy to feed the pumpkin, or carry her to her crib for naptime, literally laying on the couch all day and taking two naps when the pumpkin napped.

My father (papa) came by and took Nik for a walk so I could take a nap, as my mother came down sick with the flu at the same time I did.  Although, when he returned with the pumpkin after the walk, he said that he was pretty sure he was now coming down with the same thing. 

Finally around 6 pm, I got a little energy and made Nik some dinner as my husband went out to eat with his parents.  We didn't have any food in the house but with my hubby gone all day, I knew that it was up to me to take care of Nik.  My hubby went out for a couple drinks with friends to celebrate his 30th, so the pumpkin and I took a shower (since I hadn't showered in a couple days) and I put the pumpkin to sleep.  My husband came home and we lit his cake, and watched American Idol and then we were both out like a light. 

This is not exactly how I planned to spend my two days off this week, especially for my hubby's 30th, and one of my fav holidays, St. Patties Day.  Although I'm feeling better my flu has now turned into a cold.  We're pretty sure that we all got it from Nik. She was kinda fussy over the weekend, and my mother said she threw up while rocking her with a bottle Saturday evening, but we all thought maybe it was just some bad milk or what she ate during the day, because despite a little fuss, you wouldn't have thought her to have the flu. Especially not what I just had because it was the second worst I had felt in all my life.  I hadn't had the flu since I was seven years old, and one other time when I was 26.

So, whatever this bug is, hopefully none of you catch it.  It's supposed to be a beautiful day, hopefully I can take a walk today with the pumpkin, since I was under the weather yesterday. 
God bless you all this St. Patties Day!!
Luck of the Irish be with you!!

Shhh...

This past weekend. I threw a 30th Surprise Birthday Party for my hubs.  It was a smashing success and everyone had a Marvelous time!!  We took a few photos, but I just took them with my point and shoot, so I have nothing fancy to show you.  I really wanted to take some marvelous photos, but it was hard enough for me to fanagle a surprise birthday party for my very intuitive, investigative husband and have it be a complete surprise to him (which it was) to handle the details, and to keep a very tired, very fussy 11 month old up way past her bedtime content through the end of the party.  I was exhausted by the time the party rolled around!!

We had it at a local eatery, and they did a fantastic job!  The food and the service was absolutely fabulous!  Good wine, salad, bread, pasta, italian beef sandwhiches, gelato ice cream, desserts, lemon chello, and espresso.  I made a three layer Italian Creme Cake that everyone said turned out fabulous, (although I was so full, I didn't eat any!)

I was dying to tell you all about it, but in case my hubs read my blog, I had to keep it a secret down to the very last minute!  I literally picked my hubby up at his office minutes before the party (with the ruse that I had arranged an intimate dinner for the three of us)...I had to...otherwise he would have suspected! 

Afterwards, we had a party bus us for our ride downtown for cocktails afterwards at two fabulous local establishments.  Although my camera battery died right after dinner (of all the times not to document an occasion...)!  I will try and upload a couple pics tonight or tomorrow.  I have never thrown a surprise party for anyone, and my husband always told me that I would never be able to throw a surprise party for him bc he's too clever (Ha! Gotcha pooks!)

30 is considered one of those "Over the Hill" marks (along with 40, 50, and 60) and so I got him an huge infaltable walker, a cane with all these little old folk gadgets, huge reading glasses that look like Harry Carry glasses, a Birthday hat, and a Hearing cone.  Along with Big balloons, confetti, and 30th Birthday signs.  Mimi and Papa (my parents) watched the pumpkin for us for the rest of the evening, and we had a wonderful night of cocktails, good conversation, and fun, all to ourselves and family!

My mother-in-law made us a huge breakfast the next morning, and then we all attended my niece's play at her school, and she was absolutely, hands down the best one in the play, the most animated, the only one we could actually hear on the stage, and the most beautiful!!  I was floored at how magnificent she was.  I always think that child (young woman) can never surprise me anymore with how truly amazing she is, and yet, she always does!

The pumpkin was thoroughly exhausted after a long weekend, and a time change, and went to bed a little early. My hubs and I watched a movie together last night and shared some yummy buttery popcorn, a snuggle, and some yummy chocolate eggs.

Tomorrow is my hubs actual 30th Birthday, and I am making what is supposed to be "The Best Chocolate Cake" ever.  We'll see...

And Wednesday is St. Patty's Day!!  And then the Pumpkin's 1st Birthday is next!  Can't wait!

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye. Au Vietizane.Au Revoir. Wordless Wednesday??!!

(Yep, that's snow falling.)

(Good Bye Winter, Hello Spring!!)

I love you pumpkin.

Today was a beautiful, beautiful day, I wish it could be like this everyday till Summer.  But we have more cold and rain headed our way I think...But today, today was beautiful.  A little taste of Spring and I LOVED it!!  As excited as I am for Spring and Summer.  I must say I'm a little nostalgic for winter to come to an end.  This was my pumpkin's first winter, first fall, first Halloween, first Thanksgiving, first Christmas, first snowfall, first New Year, first Valentines Day.  So many firsts, and they will only ever be firsts once...I don't want to let them go, let them pass by...

I know there are many more firsts ahead, and we can't wait for those too...but I am going to treasure this fist year with our pumpkin.  And miss it.  She's getting so big so fast, and time is just flying by.  She'll be one in a couple weeks, and while she'll always be my baby, she won't be a baby for much longer.

I am nearing the end of my Family Leave Bonding as the pumpkin is almost one, and I think it is starting to hit me that my Wednesdays with my pumpkin are coming to an end, and I am just getting sappy.  Maybe there's another alternative to staying home a day a week with my pumpkin in the future, but for now, I am feeling a tid bit sad for our special days that are coming to an end.

Love you pumpkin. 
Love your chubby yummy soft cheeks and little feet:) 
You'll always be my little pumpkin. 
Even when you're a big pumpkin:)